Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22096 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 110(@200wpm)___ 88(@250wpm)___ 74(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22096 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 110(@200wpm)___ 88(@250wpm)___ 74(@300wpm)
She doesn’t get far before that truck crosses the center line and I swear under my breath, tightening my fingers around the steering wheel. I lay on my horn and sure enough, she snaps to attention and corrects the vehicle. Where the hell is that no good fiancé of hers? Why isn’t he taking care of her?
When it happens a second time, I don’t stop with my horn and I flick my headlights until she’s finally pulling over onto the soft shoulder. I jerk my truck to a stop behind hers, pissed as hell that I didn’t offer to drive her home earlier. She’s burning the candle at every damn end and I’m the idiot who keeps letting her.
I slam my truck door and pocket my keys. I stomp up to her.
She rolls down her window and scowls at me. “What the hell, Striker?”
It’s the first time she’s said my name and if I weren’t so damn angry at myself, I’d probably come right here in my pants. Instead, I yank on her door handle. “Scoot your fool ass over.”
To my surprise, relief flickers across her face and she obediently does as I told her. She’s a grown woman but she still needs someone to look after her. From now on, I’ll be the man doing just that. She’ll be under my care and I’ll provide for her every need.
The moment I’m in the truck, she leans her head against the glass of the passenger window and seconds later, she’s snoring. The thought that she’s relaxed enough around me to sleep without fear fills me with satisfaction. She knows she can trust me. Or she’s just plumb exhausted.
Either way, I reach to adjust the heat in the truck. When the thing blasts out cold air that never warms, I about lose my shit. She’s riding around not just exhausted but fuckin’ cold too.
I keep one hand on the wheel as I shrug out of my coat. She doesn’t even stir when I awkwardly cover her with it. If one of us is going without, it’s sure as hell gonna be me. That’s just the way things are in my neck of the woods. A cowboy looks out for his woman and she’s definitely mine. Don’t care what Tristan says.
I been watching her for weeks now as she prances around town in those tiny skirts she likes to wear, the ones that make me work my cock twice a day. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve seen Tristan with her. Even when he is, he’s barely paying attention to her. She’s something pretty to put on his arm. But to me, she’s the whole damn world.
Her phone lights up with a text message from Journey. It takes me a few tries to decipher the words. I think she’s saying that the boys are in bed.
Journey is married to Camden, a firefighter at Courage County Fire & Rescue. His newlywed wife works at the flower shop with Austin but she’s also picking up shifts as a babysitter around town. Guess she and Maisy worked out some kind of deal for her to watch the kids.
I silence the notification, so it won’t disturb my girl. She only stirs when I finally pull into the long, dirt driveway that leads to her folks’ place. Well, I reckon it’s hers now. Hers and them little kids. Poor things without a daddy and a mama. Only got an overworked sister to look out for them. Well, they did. They’ll be mine now too. I’ll take them under my wing, protect them. Same as her.
She yawns sleepily, her words slurring. “Thanks for the ride.”
I get out of the truck and open her door. I put a hand on her hip as I help her down. The simple touch sends another wave of possessiveness through me. This woman is mine already. I can feel it.
Maisy walks to the porch and hops up the steps. My coat covers her, hiding that cute little skirt from my view. She finally seems to realize she’s wrapped in it. She quickly shrugs it off then holds it by her fingertips as if she doesn’t want to touch me. The thought sends a dagger deep into my chest. She’s mine. She has to feel it, same as me.
Even though I’m standing at the bottom of the steps, I can still grab it. I take it from her, letting my fingertips gently ghost hers. But her face is carefully blank. Too blank. She can’t be as unaffected as she’s pretending to be.
“I’ll see you tomorrow night,” I tell her. Way I see it, I’ll be the one driving her home from work every night now. It’s not safe for her to be doing it and I’m not taking chances with her safety. Not now. Not ever.