Total pages in book: 22
Estimated words: 21830 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 109(@200wpm)___ 87(@250wpm)___ 73(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 21830 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 109(@200wpm)___ 87(@250wpm)___ 73(@300wpm)
When the lethargy hits, I drop beside her and pull her close. I’m still in her pussy, not wanting to leave just yet.
My girl is breathing heavily as she struggles to keep her lustful eyes open. I kiss her neck softly and my bear growls.
He wants his turn.
He wants his mark.
Not going to happen, I tell him.
This moment is mine.
And now, finally, this girl is mine too.
Chapter Eight
Easton
“So, it’s just you and your mom?” I ask as we drive into town. It’s a gorgeous morning with the sun shining bright and my mate shining even brighter. Her beauty gives everything a run for its money, even the sun.
“Yeah,” she says as she sticks her bare feet out of the open window, letting the wind tickle her adorable toes. “My dad got remarried when I was five and moved out of state to start a new family.”
“Do you ever hear from him?”
“I still get a check for twenty bucks every birthday that I’ve never cashed and a card with a photo of his happy new family every Christmas. It usually goes straight into the fireplace.”
I shake my head, wondering how her father could be so stupid. If he only knew what he was missing…
“What about you?” she says as she looks at me while playing with her hair. I have an intense urge to pull over and ravage her on the side of the road, but I grit my teeth and keep driving. If I acted on every urge I had toward this girl, we’d be doing it non-stop. “What was your life like before you became a rancher?”
I sigh as all of those dark violent memories come racing back. “I had the opposite of a calm boring life.”
She watches me curiously. “What does that mean?”
There’s no point in lying to her. She’s my mate and deserves the whole truth.
“I was a mercenary.”
“A mercenary? Like a paid killer?”
“When you put it like that it sounds bad,” I say with a nervous laugh. “Me and my brothers worked as a team for the United States Military. Mostly contract work. Off the books stuff.”
She swallows hard as she watches me with new eyes.
“Does that scare you?”
She thinks about it for a long second and then shakes her head. “No. Maybe a little.”
“I’d never hurt you, Ivy. Never.”
“I know that,” she says, looking like she means it. “I’m more worried about you getting hurt.”
I’m about to tell her that part of my life is over, but that’s not exactly true. Our old rival, Dylan Burton, is at large and on our case. Roman himself got attacked by the Lone Wolf Mercenaries last month. Luckily, Bailey’s brother Enzo was there to help fight them off.
“It might not be safe for you around here,” I tell her with my heart breaking. “Maybe you should go and live with your mom for a bit. Until I have a chance to straighten some things out.”
“Absolutely not,” she says, shaking her head fiercely. “I’d rather die by your side than be apart for another day. I’m staying with you.”
I grin as I watch the road, feeling luckier than ever.
If trouble comes up, we’ll handle it. I threw that fucker Dylan Burton off a cliff last time and I can do it again. This time, I’ll just make sure it’s a much higher cliff.
We head over to the inn so that Ivy can pick up her things. She has the room to herself, so we take an hour or so to test out the bed. We nearly break the springs.
The day has been amazing and I’ve had this odd feeling like I’ve been floating since I woke up. This is what people must mean when they say they’re floating on cloud nine.
We go for a hike and then hang out by the pool.
Cameron cooks us dinner on the barbecue and we all eat together. Ivy fits right in and this ranch has never felt more like home than it has today.
“Let’s head into town for some drinks,” Mary says while we clear the dishes off the patio table.
“You want to go for drinks?” Bailey says with a laugh. “You can’t even drink. You’re pregnant.”
“I know, but this is my last chance to go out, for what? Like eighteen years?”
Ivy laughs along with everyone else. “It won’t be that long. We can help you with babysitting.”
My heart swells hearing her talk like that. She already knows she’s going to stay. There’s no other option.
“I could go for a Guinness on tap,” Roman says with a nod. “A big one.”
“Drinks it is,” I say with a smile at my mate. “We’ll head out now and meet you there.”
“No,” Ivy says, looking embarrassed. “We can help with the dishes first.”
“Go,” Bailey says to her with a wink. “There’s nothing like the first few days together. Don’t waste it doing dishes.”