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The rest of the morning is more of the same. The redhead whose name is Angela paws at me and hangs on me and Heather glares at the two of us like she could burn a hole in our skin.
I breathe a deep sigh of relief when it’s all over and they leave. I turn to find Heather but she’s nowhere to be found. I grab the first guy that goes past me, barely seeing him, still searching for Heather.
“Hey, do you know where Heather is?” I ask him.
“I think I saw her heading to the barn.”
“Shit!” I jog down the little trail to the barn in back of the house. Behind it the Iron Hills rise up high, painted with the midday sun.
My heart stops when I hear a horse trumpeting its displeasure. At the same time, a very feminine scream rings out and I hit the barn door at a dead run. The sight that greets me takes at least ten years off my life. Heather is backed into the corner of the stall that the little grey filly is in and she’s covering her head as the horse rears over her.
“Dammit, Cricket!” I grab a rope and run into the stall to stand in front of Cricket, shielding her. “Get out now!” I mutter under my breath. I keep shifting my body to keep her protected until she manages to get out the door and then I cluck and softly whisper to the filly until she’s settled down, just a flick of her tail and her ears showing her recent agitation. I reach out slowly and carefully and she stands still, whiffling softly. I gently touch her silky muzzle and smile. “That’s right, girl. You’re alright. Don’t you worry. I’ll take care of you. But you have to work with me. Stop jumping around every time someone looks at you and we’ll have you settled in no time.”
She bumps her muzzle into my chest and I chuckle, scratching behind her ear.
Then I hear a movement over my shoulder at the stall door. “Is she alright?” Heather’s soft voice asks and I have to close my eyes to keep from railing at her. I’m so angry right now that I might terrify the horse and I don’t want to do that. I just want to make sure that she never does that again.
I back away from the filly and reach for the door, opening and closing it quickly but without startling her.
Then I back away from the stall, dragging Cricket by the arm until we’re a safe distance away. “What the hell were you doing?” I seethe. “You could have been killed. I told you to leave that horse alone. She’s still too skittish unless you know what you’re doing andyoudo not!”
She flinches at the anger in my voice and satisfaction blazes in me. But her eyes fill with tears and I groan.
“Do not cry, Cricket! Dammit, do not cry! I can’t handle it when you cry and you deserve a tongue-lashing for what you just did.”
“I know,” she whispers. “I just wanted to…I don’t know.”
But I see it in her eyes and it stuns me. I’ve gone all this time thinking that she wasn’t ready for me. That we couldn’t be together. But I can see it now. She wants me. She’s just as tormented as I’ve been. Just as hungry and wanting as I feel every damn time she’s near me.
I reach up a hand and she flinches but I shush her just like I did the filly. They’re both emotional and hurting. And I can heal her just like I can heal the horses that are brought to my ranch.
I run my fingers gently across her cheek and down to cup her jaw. Her grey eyes swimming with tears stare up at me as her lips fall open. My thumb pushes at her full, pouty lower lip. My breath hisses out and I lean down, my lips touching hers gently, barely pressing against her mouth. She sucks in a breath and then hiccups and her eyes close, her mouth opening under mine. A soft, needy whimper pushes out of her and I breathe it in, the softness of our kiss gone.
I devour her lips, my tongue and teeth smashed together against her mouth painfully. I groan and my hands wrap around her, lifting her up against me. Her legs wrap around my middle and I’ve never thanked the lord more for the fact that the woman loves to wear skirts. One hand holds her ass, cupping the bare skin of her cheek. My grip tightens and she moans, her sweet pussy grinding against my aching hard dick until I’m barely human. The monster that I always feared to unleash around her is yanking on his chain, struggling to break free. To own her, claim her, keep her.
She’s mine. I’ve always known it. But I never dreamed she felt the same damn way. I’d like to kick my own ass for making us wait this long. But that’s over. I’m done. I intend to take what’s mine. Tonight. Now.
CHAPTER6
Heather
My head swims and I can’t feel anything but Cody.
I whimper and push into him, my mouth breaking free from his. “Please, Cody,” I beg, needing him so much that it’s a constant, aching hunger gnawing at my soul.
“I love to hear you beg me, Cricket. That has to be my new favorite sound.”
I groan and my head falls back, my hair falling down my back. He tangles a hand in it and yanks lightly until I look up at him.
“I need to know that you want this, Cricket. Because if I take you, I’m not giving you back. You belong to me. Forever.”
I shiver at the strength in his voice, the dark steel. His voice is dark and gritty and my pussy clenches, needing to be filled. Owned by him.
I nod my head but he shakes his at me. “No. I need the words.”
“I want this, Cody. I want you.” He tilts his head back.
“Thank heaven.”
