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Denver
“Now,what’sallthisabout, Denver?”
I was in my office, staring at the painting of Hallow Ranch, holding my phone to my ear. A sigh left me. “Doc, I just need to know if you can do it or not?”
“Son, of course I can.”
“I’ll have a schedule for you when she arrives,” I said into the phone.
“I’ll need to verify her insurance and get—”
“The Hallow Ranch will be covering Mrs. Cross’ medical bills from here on out.”
“Denver…”
“Do it, Doc,” I ordered.
A few moments of silence passed between us. Doctor Clide Martin was the resident doctor in Hayden, had been for over thirty years. When Pop went downhill, Doc started coming out to the ranch instead of us driving into town.
“I’ll contact her clinic to have her records sent over,” he concluded.
“Much appreciated,” I muttered, looking away from the painting. After hanging up the phone, I sat there for a moment, processing the afternoon. Diana was on her way. Chase was on his way. The boys were heading back from the barn. Caleb was going to his buddy’s tonight for a sleepover. Valerie was on the phone with her mom downstairs.
Tim Moonie crossed a line today, and it took everything in me not to reap his greedy soul right then and there for the way he was looking at Val. I’ve seen that look in a man’s eyes before. That’s the same look that was in those two rapists’ eyes they night I killed them. Men like that think that they own the Earth. Nothing can own the Earth, not when Mother Nature rules it.
How easy it would’ve been to kill Moonie and the driver. Their ashes would’ve been on my mountain and our problems would be over. Unfortunately, Tim Moonie was too big of a man to not be overlooked. He wasn’t a small chess piece. He was the fucking king of his pipeline kingdom.
“Denver?”
A sweet voice broke my thoughts, and I looked up to find Val standing at the door, holding her phone to her chest. I took a moment to look at her, trying to process once again how we got here, how this enchantress turned my life upside down. Now, there wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do for her. If she wanted the moon, I wouldn’t stop working until I had it in my hands to give her.
She didn’t want the moon, though. My sweet woman just wanted the cure to cancer. I couldn’t give that to her, no matter how much it killed me not to have that power.
I could give her the next best thing.
“Plane tickets have been purchased,” I informed her, sitting back in my chair, keeping my eyes on her, taking note of how she tried to not let her bottom lip tremble. She was trying to be strong for me. I knew the next words to come out of her mouth before she said them.
“You don’t have to—”
“I’ll take you over my knee, baby. Stop while you’re ahead,” I warned, my voice low. This woman had been taking care of everyone around her for so long that she forgot how to be taken care of. I was going to change that.
Her green eyes held mine, a hint of challenge in them. That was fine with me. I didn’t mind spanking that perfect ass until she submitted. She looked away for a moment, her eyes drifting to the painting. Appreciation washed over her features. “That’s beautiful,” she breathed.
My eyes never left her as I whispered, “Yes, you are.”
Her eyes darted to me again, flush crawling up her delicate skin. Slowly, I rose from my seat and crossed the room. Grabbing her arm, I pulled her all the way inside, shut the door, and pressed her against it. My hands braced against the wood on either side of her head, caging her in as I dipped and ran my nose along the edge of her jaw. “Gonna take care of you, Val. You’re going to learn how to be a good girl and accept that.” My voice was lower—rougher.
“But—”
I pressed my body to hers with a growl. “No fucking buts. You are mine. Do you understand me?” My head came up and I gripped her chin. “I take care of what’s mine, yeah?”
She didn’t say anything, and she didn’t have to. Because when she rose on her toes, wrapped her arms around me, and pressed those sweet lips to mine, I knew we were on the same page. I kissed her back, my hand diving into her hair, gripping it at the base of her skull. My tongue touched hers, and fire spread all around us, my skin burning as she let me consume her.
She was all I needed, she was all I ever wanted.
I would kick myself every day for turning her away for weeks. You don’t turn away this kind of woman. She was beautiful, strong, and so damn loving. A whimper came from her, and my cock hardened, ready to take her addictive cunt again.
Fuck, but it was all I could think about this morning. When I got out of bed, I left something in there with her, something I was terrified to admit. When this was all over—when the dust settled—I would tell her.
