“Donovan?”
“Wait. What’s that noise? Is that Robert?”
I listen closely, “Sounds like it.”
“And he’s looking for you?”
“I guess.”
“Well then, it looks like something you’re doing, or something you said is finally paying off. Do us all a favor sweetie and end this. Go get your man, and please for the love of all that is good in the world, spread those legs and enjoy some dick. It’s been years, and I know that bullet I sent you can only do so much.”
My face immediately turns bright red as I burry it against my arm. Liv cackles in the background.
“What about my contract?”
“We can re-evaluate it later. I have no doubt you can get him where he needs to be without being a bitch to him. Besides, you catch more flies with honey than vinegar sweetie; and right now you are the ultimate honey pot.”
Again I blush. “Liv he deserves to be called up. I don’t want a potential relationship with him to interfere with his chances.”
“Relax babe. When I had Daddy buy the team it was exactly for this moment right here. Why do you think he put in the yearly extension? All of this was to get you two back together and to keep you together. You still get the six months as promised, and Robert still gets his chance at the majors.”
“Donovan?”
“Now go! And quit making the boy call you Donovan. I fucking hate that name. Presley West has a much better ring to it.”
“Love you.”
“Yeah. Yeah. Now go.”
She hangs up the phone and I’m still in shock at the length she was willing to go to bring us back together. Five million up front for the first six months and then a million a year afterwards. I guess desperate times call for desperate measures, but this was a little extreme.
* * *
He reaches his hand down to me and waits. I stare at it and then look to him. Every ounce of my body screaming at me to take it. This is it Presley. If you do this. If you take his hand, there’s no going back. It’s time to move forward, with him and with your life.
I slide my hand into his, butterflies erupt in my stomach as I’m firmly pulled up into the saddle in front of him; his arm wrapped around me pulling me close to him and I melt. My head rests on his shoulder as I bite my bottom lip in an attempt to keep a sigh stifled. His breath pulls goosebumps from me as it lingers against my skin, the soft caress of his fingertips sends a surging fire low in my stomach. There’s no more denying I’m his. I’m finally whole.
* * *
She softens into me, her body moving with mine each step the horse takes. She’s relaxed, not rigid. Her bare neck is a constant temptation, the simple idea of my lips on her skin arouses me. With each painfully slow minute into our ride, my arm wraps tighter and tighter around her as she pushes her body back against me, firmer, her fingertips slowly brush against my skin as she plays with the idea of locking our fingers together. The smell of her honeysuckle and jasmine perfume drives me mad. I had almost forgotten the way she smelled, the two shots of perfume I sprayed on her pillow nightly couldn’t compare to the way they mixed with her scent.
She gasps as we come upon the picnic Tina helped me lay out for her. Candles and wine perfectly set up on a boulder over-looking the Missouri River as it snakes its way through the rough mountainside terrane.
“Do you like it?” I whisper in her ear before dismounting to help her down.
She says my name as she slides into my arms, her arms buckle on her way down bringing us closer together. Her voice is soft as her eyes glass over.
“Robert, I don’t deserve this. After everything I’ve done to you.” She bows her head as a single tear breaks free. I catch it before it has a chance to roll past her cheekbone and lift her eyes to meet mine.
“Presley, you deserve so much more than this.”
“But I’ve been awful to you.”
“And I’ve deserved everything you’ve dished out.”
She lifts her head from my grasp and rests her forehead centered against my chest, my hands slowly roam over her back as I pull her closer into me.
“I’m so sorry Presley. For everything I said and everything I didn’t do.”
Her hands fist my shirt against my sides as her shoulders shake. “You hurt me so bad Robert. You intentionally hurt me. You promised to always be there for me, and you hurt me.”
“I know beautiful. I know and I can't take any of it back. I can't give you the last five years we were apart back, but I can promise to make the most of the time we have together, starting right now.” I kiss the crown of her head, my lips pressed hard against her as my heart races. There’s no questioning if she heard it, it sends vibrations through my sternum. I can feel her heartbeat mimicking mine. “Please Presley. Please give us another chance.” My hands move to hold her head so I can look into her eyes.
Her strikingly beautiful green eyes rapidly dart back and forth between mine, searching, looking for reassurance that I mean what I say, or to search out even the slightest flicker of doubt.
“Please Presley. Please say you’ll be mine.”
Her lips crash against mine as she wraps her arms tightly around my neck. Salty tears stream down her cheeks as she breaks the kiss to offer a whispered, “Yes."
I pull back from her and ask again, “Yes?” I want to make sure I’ve heard her perfectly clear.
She is all smiles and nods her head when she answers with a resounding, “Yes.”
I don’t even try to contain my tears as I stare at the woman who completes me body and soul. A mixture of tears and laughter surge over us as I go back to kissing her. My arms tightly wrapped around her, fusing us to one another as I slide my tongue past her lips changing the angle of our kiss. She’s hungry and desperate as she grips me tighter.
“Please don’t ever let me go Robert.”
“Never baby. I need you in my life. You make me better Presley. You make me stronger. You make me the man I want to be.”
Alligator tears stream down her cheeks as she speaks against my lips, “I love you so much.”
“I love you too baby. I’m so sorry Presley. I’m so sorry.”
Chapter Twenty-two
I nestle into Robert as he sits propped against a lone tree on the mountain’s cliff side. Settled between his powerful legs, one arm wrapped possessively across my chest as I cling to his forearm, the other wrapped around my stomach. My back relaxes against his chiseled chest as my head lazily rest on his shoulder. His lips create a trail of kisses stretching from the tender spot behind my ear, down my neck and across my shoulder. I close my eyes against his adoration and my heart slows its beating. I have my Robert back.
“You know this isn’t over, don’t you?”
He stops his kisses and looks at me intensely, “What do you mean?”
“My job. I love you, and I want to see where this goes, but Robert you’re still a client and soon I’m going to ask a lot of you. I’m going to put you in uncomfortable situations and you’re probably going to get pissed at me. But you need to understand that I’m not going to go easy on you just because, well—”
“Because we’re in a relationship. Because I’m your boyfriend.”
“Yes. Is that what you want to be?”
“No.” I sit up and try to wiggle from his grasp, but he holds me firm. “Presley, I want to be your husband, and one day I will.” I relax back into him. Five years apart and I still want the life we imagined together. “Can I ask you something and will you promise to be one hundred percent honest with me?”
My nerves start to flutter as I shift against him, “Okay.”
“Are you getting paid for this?”
I hesitate, “I was.”
“What do you mean was?”
“I told Liv earlier this afternoon I didn’t care about the money. I was torn between breaking my contract, walking away or helping you.”
“How much?”
I really don’t want to answe
r him. “Robert—”
“How much Presley?”
I take a deep breath and rip it off just like a band aid, “Five million.”
He sucks air between his teeth, “Sheesh.”
“With a million-dollar payout for every year you are with the Rangers. You were to be my only full-time client. I would take on other Ranger players as needed, but you were to receive all of my attention.”
“Is that how you would see me if you agreed to the extension? As a client?”
“I don’t know. I would hope not, but I’ve never been involved with someone while working to better their career. You deserve the Rangers, Robert, and it’s my job to make sure you get it.”
“What if I say no?”
I spring forward, breaking his hold on me and turn to face him. His face is deadly serious, brows furrowed and eyes intense. “Don’t be ridiculous. This is what you’ve been working towards since high school. You would be a fool to throw it all away now. Now that you’re almost there.”
“But if it means you never seeing me as more than a player, never seeing me more than a job, then it’s not worth it to me Presley.”
“Are you at least willing to try?”
“Will our personal life overlap with the professional side?”
“Slightly. Your personal life affects your professional life, Robert. The two go hand in hand.”
“Is there anyone else that does this?”
“With my results? No.”
He’s silent for a minute. “If I asked you to quit, would you?” His unwavering eyes find mine.
I take a deep breath, “I don’t know. I’ve helped a lot of people with what I do. Not just athletes, but different communities. I’m making a difference in people’s lives, Robert. Surely you of all people can see that. You’re not the same person you were when you came here. You’ve changed.”
We sit there in silence. My eyes fixed on his face while his are directed towards the gray rocky ground.
“I’m not calling you Donovan.” I smile and his eyes once again find mine. “And I don’t want to talk about work when I’m not on the field. You’re under contract for the next couple of months with me, so I will do everything you ask, but after that I can’t, and I won’t be a client. If they want to still keep you for the Rangers, that’s fine. You can work with whomever, but I don’t want to spend the rest of my life with you always feeling like a project.”
I lean in closer to him, noses touching, eyes closed, “Mr. West, I accept your offer.”
He brushes his lips against mine. Plucking kisses from me, each kiss ending in a tiny smacking sound.
“I’ve missed you.” I all to eagerly confess.
“I’ve missed you too, Presley.” He pulls me tighter into his chest, kissing the top of my head as I nuzzle into him, my body curled into the perfect ball size to sit on his lap.
“Come on. Let’s get back. I don’t want to get caught in that.” He motions to the horizon where almost black storms clouds give off an ominous and foreboding appearance, ready to destroy anything that lies in their path.
We pack up the picnic and ride back to the ranch in no time. I help to get the horse settled in her stall while Robert removes the saddle and reins.
Just as we near the barn door the skies open up and the rain comes pouring down. We look at each other and a mischievous smile crosses my face. “Robert?”
“Yea?”
“You’re still shoveling shit in the morning.” I laugh and hit his arm. “Tag…You’re it.” I sprint out of the barn in full hysterics heading towards the house. Lightning flashes around me as the earth shakes with each clashing of thunder.
“Hey! What! Presley! Come back here!”
I look over my shoulder only to see Robert sloshing through mud puddles trying to catch me. I let out a screech of laughter as his hand reaches out for me, but I manage to push the front door open just in time to narrowly avoid it. I’m completely drenched and freezing cold as I make my way inside, still laughing when Robert comes barreling through the door behind me, wrapping his arms around my waste and spinning me around.
“You’re gonna pay for that,” He says through laughter, his mouth on a collision course with mine.
“Momma? Daddy? Gram? Gramps?” The house is eerily quiet.
“Looks like we’re all alone.”
Once again my heart races. He stands in front of me, hair soaking wet as it drips down the sides of his perfectly formed jawline, his shirt plastered to him like a second skin. His hands slowly move down my arms as he takes a step towards me. With each advance I retreat until my back is flush against the wall. His head dips down to kiss me. I want him. I want to be with him, but it’s also been five years apart and we’ve only been technically back together for the last forty-five minutes. I’m not ready to give that part of me to him.
I turn away from him and his lips brush my cheek. “I can't. I’m sorry,” I whisper out, my eyes down cast in embarrassment.
He stops his advances and pulls back from me. Pulling his hands off of me and raking them through his hair. The tenderness he once showed has been replaced with anger, “Then what the hell was all that back there!”
I’m shocked at his response, “Excuse me! Did you say all that just to get into my pants? You are un-fucking-believable!” I take two steps towards my room and he grabs my wrist. “Let go of me!”
“No!”
“I said let me go!”
“And I said—”
Just then Kringle comes around the corner, baring his teeth and growling at Robert. He drops my hand and I storm off to my room, slamming the door behind me.
I pick up my phone to call Liv when I see that mom has texted me.
Gram wasn’t feeling well. Took her into town with Gramps and dad. Will call when I know something.
Great. Just great.
There’s a knock on my door, “Pres.”
“Go. Away.”
“Presley, I’m sorry.” His apology lights a fire deep in my core and I swing open my bedroom door.
“You must be a special kind of stupid you know that! You hurt me you fucking dick! You accused me of cheating! Called me a whore! I changed my entire life for you. I gave you everything you piece of shit, and you think a horse ride, a romantic picnic, and an ‘I’m sorry’ is gonna get you back in my pants? Fuck you Robert!”
I go to close my door, but he stops me. “Presley, wait!”
“No! You wait!” I slam the door closed and reach for the handle only to be reminded that when Robert fixed the door frame all those years ago, Gramps switched out the handles so I no longer would have a lock on my bedroom door.
“So you thought it was romantic?” Robert shouts through the closed door and I let out a high-pitched scream while throwing a baseball at the door.
“You’re a fucking moron!”
* * *
Things were going great between the two of us and then I had to go thinking with my dick. I mean I wasn’t exactly thrilled to find out how much money Presley stood to make by working with me. Five million. She would be set for life. But she was right, I was a job and she deserved to get paid. After everything I put her through she was still trying to help me. I slid down her door frame, surprised it was still intact after all these years, and texted Liv.
Presley gets paid or I quit. Understood?
Glad to see she’s letting you call her Presley. Don’t fuck this up Robert. You won’t get another chance.
I may have.
Where is she?
In her room.
Where are you?
Outside her door.
Well you’re still in the house so that’s a good sign. Go fix this you idiot.
I hit the back of my head against her door.
“Go away Robert.”
“No.”
A couple of minutes go by and I stand up. Her room is quiet, and I reach for the door handle. It opens. I hear the shower on in her bathroom. I know I should leave, but inst
ead I sit on the edge of her bed, my back towards the bathroom door. I can’t think straight when I’m around her. The shower turns off and then I hear footsteps.
“What the—”
I put my hand up offering her a backwards wave, “Hi there.”
“I told you to stay out.”
“And I told you no.” I turn my head towards her. She’s wrapped in an oversized towel; a few drops of water still glisten against her skin. “Presley, I can’t think straight when I’m around you.” She rolls her eyes. God I’ve missed that. “I mean I do, but then I don’t.”
“What are you talking about?” Irritation practically exudes from her.
“Can I show you?” She nods and I make my way over to her. She shifts her body weight and cast her eyes downward. I stand in front of her, cupping her face in my hands. Tiny goosebumps cover her chest and I lean down to brush my lips against hers as if they were glass. Her eyes close and she rocks forward the tiniest bit as if she were chasing my touch. “I know that these lips are the only ones I want to taste.” I run my hands down her neck, over her shoulders and down her arms, gently stroking them causing her to shiver. “I know I want to stay wrapped in these forever. I want to see them hold our children one day.” She smiles and her cheeks turn my favorite shade of pink. And then I smack her ass and she jumps.
“Hey!”
“See what I mean?”
“So you’re a horney teenager trapped in a twenty-four-year old’s body?”
“Yes! Exactly.” She giggles and I can't help but smile along with her. “Pres, I’m willing to wait until you’re ready, even if that means waiting until your contract is up or even longer, but you’re just gonna have to expect me to make stupid comments.”
She stares at me and then reaches for something in her dresser.
* * *
I grab a pair of pajamas out of my dresser and see the boxers and a T-shirt Robert still had in my drawer from high school. I know the chances of him still fitting into them are slim to none, but I want to see how far he’s willing to go to make me comfortable. I smile to myself before turning around and throwing them at him. “Here. Put these on. You’re soaking wet.”
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