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PROLOGUE
LANE
Four years and a few months earlier
“Lane.”I look up from where I’m working, already knowing the owner of that voice. Beatrice “Birdie” Robertson is making her way toward me, and the fence I was working on can now wait. She’s more than worthy of all my attention. I watch as she walks toward me while I stand up from my crouched state, taking off my hat to wipe away the sweat with my forearm before putting it back in place.
There’s no denying the attraction I feel for Birdie, from my heart to my damn dick. They both perk right up whenever she’s near. Hell, even if she isn’t around. The slightest hint of Birdie, and I’m ready to abandon whatever the fuck I’m doing and go after her. My eyes soak in her beauty, from her boot-covered feet to her bareshoulders. She’s in her normal attire for summer—a tank top of some type and cutoff jean shorts.
There’s a tight smile on her face, no longer relaxed like I left her in my bed this morning. That was after I woke her up with my cock sliding in and out of her tight heat. Leaving her naked and in my bed was hard as hell, especially in her fuck-drunk state and slowly falling back asleep, but I had shit to do, and if I'd stayed any longer, my brothers would give me a ration of shit.
“Babe,” I reply. I’ve heard her say my name in many ways—when she’s happy, when she’s worried, when she’s sad, and when she’s breathless. The last one being my favorite. Right now, there’s a difference in her tone. The outside world may think it’s full of joy. It’s not. Sure, she’s putting on a brave face and trying to hide the strain in her voice, and there’s no way I’m going to let something bring her down when I can fix it.
“Lane,” she repeats my name. She’s closer now, and I can see the tightness around her eyes and lips. Gone is the soft and pliant woman from this morning. My gut sinks as I think the worst. Birdie and her mom live on the neighboring ranch, one of the three, along with ours. Each corner butts up to one another. They only moved here to Arrowleaf, Wyoming, last year. Birdie’s mom bought old man Keller’s ranch when he was ready to retire. His kids didn’t want to take overthe family farm, and as much as my family wouldn’t have minded adding to our own ranch, we had plenty of land and work. Mom and Dad are still very hands-on, as are my five older brothers. Now Ms. Robertson, Birdie’s mom, turned the old cattle ranch into a flower farm, and from what I can see and hear, it’s doing damn good.
“Baby, everything okay?” She shakes her head yet smiles, giving me not a fucking hint of what could be bothering her.
“Yes, no, maybe.” My hands move to her waist, pulling her closer as soon as she’s within reaching distance. Birdie’s hands rest on my shoulders, not caring a bit that I’m a sweaty mess. I dip my head. One thing for sure, I need a taste of her on my lips, and she needs to know I’m here, no matter fucking what. Her eyes close, a sigh escapes, and my tongue licks at her lower lip until she opens for me. I use my teeth to nip where I just licked, knowing exactly what she wants and needs. Only then do I allow our tongues to meet. She melts into my body, fingers gripping my slick skin beneath my shirt, and as much as it pains me to pull away, if I don’t, we’ll be doing a hell of a lot more than talking.
“Better?” I ask once our kiss ends.
“A little.” Her hazel eyes meet mine for a moment before she looks over my shoulder. Clearly, things are not alright, and it’s going to be me who pries it out of her.
“Birdie, you can tell me anything.”
“I know. This is just hard. I don’t want to have to pick between you and college, but there’s no other option, Lane. It’s stay here and go to the local college or take the full-ride scholarship in Colorado.” Well, fuck, no wonder she’s a mess of emotions.
“That’s fucking amazing. I’m so damn proud of you.” All Birdie has ever wanted to do is go to college, be the first one in her family to have a degree and walk across the stage with her diploma.
“Yeah, but that means I have to choose between you here or college in Colorado.” I’ll be damned if I make her choose between me or her dream. This sucks, big time, but what kind of man would I be if I asked her to stay?
“Don’t choose me. I’m not going anywhere. When you come home, this is where I’ll be, okay?” I can see the turmoil in her eyes, the way she’s trying to breathe through the pain and attempting to keep it together.
“Lane, I can’t ask for you to wait for me.” Her voice is muffled since her face is planted in my chest. My hands move to her lower back, sliding beneath the cotton fabric of her tank.
“And I can’t ask you to do the same thing either.” My hands travel up the sides of her spine, feeling the lack of clothing beneath the fabric. Goddamn, my cock should not be making its presence known at this time. I lost her hands on my shoulders when she decided to burrow intomy chest. Now, her thumbs are hooked in the belt loops of my jeans, and the rest of her fingers are sliding up and down my lower abdomen.
“Make it go away. Make the pain go away. Please, Lane.” This won’t help her, not in the long run. It’s still gonna hurt like hell, but if this is the comfort she needs, well, I’m going to be the selfish ass and take what she’s giving to me so freely.
“You sure this is what you want?” Birdie’s head is tipped up, the redness in her eyes giving her away, yet she is holding it together.
“I’m sure.” I pull her shirt up, she lifts her arms, and I’m greeted with the sight of her bare tits, hard nipples, and pebbled flesh.
“That’s all I need to know.” I drop the shirt to the ground. She kicks off her boots, one after the other, and our hands work simultaneously on the button of my jeans. It’s not until I feel her hand wrap around my cock, slowly sliding up and down, moving at a slow and steady pace, that I know she’s not going to stop unless I make her. I move faster to remove my boots. There’s no fucking way she’s going to try and get me off when she hasn’t come at least twice.
“Lane, God. I need you.” I bend at the waist enough to grasp the back of her thighs, lift her off the ground, and carry her to the bed of my truck.
“You’re getting me, Birdie, all of me.” The tailgate is down, the back of her thighs meets the warm metal, and my hands work on her jeanshorts as my mouth wraps around one of her berry-tipped nipples.
“Lane.” She arches her body up, begging for more. My hand skims down her abdomen, the tips of my fingers feeling her quiver. I suck harder, deeper, pulling on her nipple. My hand slides lower, cupping her smooth bare pussy, one finger dipping farther, feeling her wetness coating me. Goddamn, this woman is everything, and if this is my last taste of Birdie Robertson, I’m going to make it last. All fucking day.
1
LANE
Present Day
“Happy birthday!”I walk inside my parents’ house, unprepared for the celebration they’ve somehow managed to put together. After the day I’ve had, all I want is to go home, take a hot-as-fuck shower, drink a beer, and sleep the rest of the day away.
