Love Me Like I Love You

by Willow Winters

  “Billy, I—”

  “I need to go. I promised Aaron I’d be back at the barn early this morning to help clean up.”

  I nodded, not knowing what else to say. I’d already said enough, done enough, to send the man running for the hills.

  He stepped forward, giving me an awkward kiss on the cheek before disappearing through the front door.

  I turned to look at Wes after confessing one of my most embarrassing moments.

  I wished I hadn’t.

  His body shook with his silent laughter. I punched his arm, using all the force I had to push him off the side of the hay bale. He fell easily, weakened by uncontrollable laughter that was now echoing through the barn as he rolled on the ground.

  “Why on earth did I just tell you of all people? I must be drunk.” I pressed the bottle back to my lips, chugging it.

  Wes pulled himself to a sitting position, his knees bent, arms draped over them as he took a few deep breaths to gain control of himself.

  “Shit, city. Not what I was expecting.” He stood, swiping the bottle from my hands once again. He took a drink. After wiping the back of his hand across his mouth, he pointed the bottle at me. “Looks like I just learned the best kept secret in Billingsley.”

  “And it better stay that way,” I warned, taking the bottle back.

  “What are we talking about in here?” Leighton appeared out of nowhere in the wide-open doorway of the barn. I prayed she hadn’t caught the tail end of my little story.

  I gave one more warning look at Wes before responding, “Nothing.”

  Her eyes suspiciously bounced between us. Wes shrugged, shaking his head as he continued to chuckle to himself.

  She crossed her arms, her head tilting to the side. “Fine. Wes, the boys are looking for you.”

  He picked up the rope he’d dropped on the floor, smiling before saying, “Duty calls, ladies.” He winked, walking backwards as he continued to laugh at my expense before turning and disappearing.

  We both watched him go. Leighton turned back to me, her brow arching sharply. “Are you two—”

  “Oh, hell. No. Don’t even go there,” I cut in before she could finish making assumptions.

  “Hey”—she threw up her hands—“just asking. You wouldn’t be the first to fall for his charm.”

  “Ha. That man is far from charming. Beyond his good looks, he’s nothing more than a pain in the ass.”

  She laughed, linking her arm with mine as she dragged me back toward the reception.

  “I saw you and Billy dancing.”

  “Yep.”

  “And?”

  “And, nothing.”

  “If you say so.”

  I did say so. But it didn’t seem that anyone believed me when I did.

  “Where are you taking me?” I asked when she veered me toward the house, away from the reception.

  “We have bridesmaid duties of our own to attend to. Lottie’s trying to delay leaving for the honeymoon.”

  Why on earth would she do that?

  We walked into the main home of the Monroe farm that reminded me of an old Southern estate home you’d see in Gone with the Wind. I followed Leighton up the stairs and down the hall to where we heard Lottie and Tucker talking.

  “Lottie, the store will be fine being closed for a couple weeks while we’re away. The whole town knows we just got married. I’ll have Wes swing by and put up a sign in the morning.”

  “I have shipments coming, Tuck. Someone has to be there to receive them and go through them.”

  “Wes can handle it.”

  Lottie’s chin dropped to her chest as she cocked her head at Tucker’s suggestion. I didn’t blame her. I wouldn’t trust Wes either.

  “What’s going on?” I asked.

  Both Lottie and Tucker’s heads turned to where Leighton and I stood.

  “Dana just quit. On my wedding day. Through text, no less. Apparently, the drive is just too much for her.”

  “The drive?”

  “She was commuting from a town north of here. It’s about a forty-five-minute drive each way,” Tucker explained.

  I took it that Dana was her one employee, who I’d gathered during my short time here wasn’t the most reliable.

  “I have no idea what to do other than postpone the honeymoon, until I can get someone else hired.”

  “That’s crazy, Lottie. You can’t do that. I’m sure we can figure something out,” Leighton interjected.

  “I’ll do it.”

  All heads turned to me.

  “I love you, Hannah, for just offering, but I know you have your own job to get back to.” Lottie gave me a deflated smile of appreciation.

  “Actually, I took some extra time off,” I lied, or stretched the truth a little, as I liked to think of it. “I can just change my flight and stay until you get back.”

  She opened her mouth to argue but I cut her off, “I’m not letting you miss your own honeymoon, Lottie. It’s not a problem. Really.”

  Lottie chewed on her bottom lip as she contemplated the alternatives. But we both knew there wasn’t one. Leighton was stuck teaching at the school for another couple of weeks until summer officially started, and Grams had their niece, Lily, who they had custody of, to look after while they were away on their honeymoon.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. I’m sure. Now get your shit together and get in that car. You have a crowd of people anxious to pelt you with bird seed downstairs.”

  She laughed, hugging me to her. “I’ll have Wes give you the set of spare keys to the shop. Oh! And I don’t want you having to pay for a hotel stay, so you can stay at our place, or you’re welcome to stay in one of the spare ranch hand cabins.”

  “One of the cabins is fine,” I said, not wanting to revisit staying alone in the house, where things went down between Billy and me.

  “You’re the best.” She hugged me again.

  “Yes, thank you, Hannah,” Tucker added, giving me a sideways hug. “I owe you, again,” he whispered in my ear.

  I smiled. “Don’t mention it.”

  Seeing the relief and smiles on their faces had me momentarily forgetting that I’d just promised I’d stay put for an extended period of time in a town I never wanted to step foot in again. Leighton and I slipped out of the room, leaving the newlyweds to finish preparing for their departure. I slowed at the end of the hall, Leighton still striding forward, glancing over her shoulder at me.

  “I’m just gonna use the restroom. I’ll be out in a second.”

  She nodded and continued on her way outside to join the rest of the guests lining a path to the getaway car. I slipped into the restroom, relieving myself before assessing my appearance in the mirror as I washed my hands. “Two weeks.” I sighed. “I can handle two weeks,” I assured my reflection. I opened the door, hitting the light switch on the way out, only to run into a warm, solid body.

  A strong hand snatched my wrist, pressing me back into the dark bathroom, another hand covering my mouth when I started to scream. Panic surged full force until my wrist was released and the light flicked on.

  “Holy shit, Billy,” I gasped, smacking his shoulder. “You scared the ever-living shit out of me!” I slouched against the counter, a hand to my chest as I persuaded my racing heart to slow.

  Stepping forward, a cautious smile tugged at his lips as he held back a laugh. “Sorry,” he said, leaving less than a foot between us.

  I looked up into his hazel eyes, my pulse refusing to calm down. “What are we doing in here, Billy?” I asked as his tongue slid along his bottom lip. I bit down on mine, fighting the urge to taste his lips for myself.

  His body folded forward, his palms pressing flat on the counter as he trapped me further. He dipped his head, his lips skirting the column of my neck as my chin lifted voluntarily, exposing it more. The furious fluttering in my chest had become mildly painful.

  “We need to talk, Hannah.” His words prickled my sensitive skin as he whispered t
hem.

  My hands lifted to his chest, and I felt his muscles tensing beneath them, his own breathing quickening as he braced himself against them. Our lips were dangerously close, his cologne drugging me. I swallowed hard, looking away from that face that had been a key player in many nights alone with my vibrator over the last year.

  “About what?”

  He lifted a hand, brushing his knuckles along my jaw. I closed my eyes with his touch, remembering how it felt to be in his arms. Safe. Wanted. Amazing.

  “Stay with me tonight.”

  I flicked my eyes back to his, my jaw hardening, my emotions flying every direction. There was no way I heard him right. Either he was crazy or…he only wanted one thing from me. I feared it was the latter. He’d basically accused me of being a slut less than an hour ago.

  Maybe I’d been wrong about everything. Maybe he’d never seen me as more than a fun lay. Maybe I’d been too drunk, making something more out of nothing. Desire and alcohol had a tendency to fool your mind that way. Way to go, Hannah. I really knew how to pick’em.

  Fighting back the threatening pain, I held tight to my anger. I straightened, pushing firmly against his chest, forcing him to take a step back as I gave him a pointed look.

  “That would go against my M.O., wouldn’t it now, Billy?”

  His face fell and the sexual tension that had been drowning me earlier shifted to an awkward silence. I shook my head, refusing to allow the tears that were building to fall. Turning my back to the man who had the strength to break my heart, I swung open the door, leaving him behind.

  Chapter 4

  BILLY

  One handed, I tugged at my neck collar before undoing a few buttons and leaning against the bed of my truck, my sleeves already rolled up to my elbows. The high temperatures and humidity of summer had come early this year in Texas.

  I took a sip from the beer bottle I held in my other hand, watching the one woman I wanted most walking away with my younger sister, Leighton. Aaron hung back, his eyes scanning the field of cars until they found me. He whispered something in Leighton’s ear before kissing her on the head and falling into a light jog toward me.

  I reached over the back of the truck, flipping open the cooler lid to grab him a beer. I handed it off as he approached. He twisted it open before tapping the necks of our bottles in an unspoken “cheers.”

  Aaron sighed with appreciation as the rich golden brew made its way down his throat. Pushing one hand in his pocket, he tipped his head back, his gaze momentarily focused on the bright stars in the clear Texas sky before he looked over at me. “I’m all ears,” he said.

  I took another drink before shaking my head at my brother-in-law and best friend since grade school. “Nothing to tell.”

  “Oh, come on, man. How long are you gonna keep me in the dark?”

  I cracked my neck to the side to relieve some of the tension in my muscles. I’d been a shaken unopened beer can for months now, ready to explode and tell Aaron everything that had happened between Hannah and me. The problem was, I knew it wouldn’t stay between us.

  I learned quickly, from the moment he started dating my sister, there wasn’t much he’d keep from her. She had a way of making him gossip like a teenage girl, and I preferred not to know what those methods were. All I knew was, if I told Aaron, it was the same as telling Leighton. And Leighton had taken a liking to Hannah. If she found out what went down last summer and how I left things that morning, on top of the stupid comments I’d made tonight, she’d have my balls. And I’d grown rather attached to the boys.

  Not that I’d blame her. Shit. I wanted to kick myself in the junk every time I replayed that first night in my head. I shouldn’t have run off like that. But I freaked out. Panicked. I didn’t know how to process everything I’d been feeling in that moment, vomit incident aside.

  “All right, if Hannah’s off limits, what about Lauren?”

  “What about Lauren?”

  “She was looking for you right before Tucker and Lottie took off. I think she’s hoping you two will have a private party back at her place.”

  I grunted a laugh. Lauren hadn’t been subtle the whole night. She’d attached herself to me every chance she got. And had it been any other night—one where Hannah hadn’t made a reappearance in my life—I would’ve taken her up on it. The truth was, seeing Hannah made me remember how good it felt to have more than just a superficial hook-up. Hannah may have been a one-night occurrence, but something about that night felt like more.

  “Been there done that,” I responded before taking another swig of beer.

  “Doesn’t stop you from chasing after Hannah again. Or should I say eyeing her ass all night.”

  I rubbed a hand over my mouth to hide my grin. Hell yeah, I was eyeing her toned ass. She had mesmerized me all night, the same way she did that first night I met her. There was only so much restraint a man had—apparently in my case, not enough. I should’ve refrained from dragging her into that bathroom. “What makes you think Hannah and I ever did anything?”

  “Call it a hunch.”

  “A hunch?”

  “Yeah. A hunch.”

  I shook my head, unable to hide my grin this time when thinking about my night with Hannah. “There’s no comparison between Lauren and Hannah.” Hannah was in a league of her own.

  Aaron perked an eyebrow. “Does that mean you’re gonna make a move?”

  I gave him a non-committal shrug, not wanting to admit I’d already tried. And failed. Miserably. My eyes were still glued to the spot where she stood, talking and laughing with my sister and Wes.

  My skin heated as I watched, and I felt the tightness in my jaw and muscles once again. Wes Monroe had been by her side most of the night. He’d called her his and she hadn’t argued. With my fists clenched, it took everything in me to walk away from them earlier and not punch his smug face on the spot.

  I needed to set things straight with her before she left for Seattle in the morning. It was my last shot to make things right. I’d screwed up royally in the bathroom, letting my dick do all the talking when I should’ve been apologizing. But I couldn’t help it. Having her alone for the first time since that night, smelling her sweet perfume, remembering the soft whimpers she made as she came. All I could do was think about re-enacting the best damn night of my life.

  “I guess if you don’t, Monroe will.”

  “Screw Monroe.”

  “That’s the spirit,” Aaron chuckled, smacking me on the back. “It’s not over, yet.”

  I took a seat on the open tailgate of my truck. Leaning forward, I rested my elbows on my knees as I lowered my head to stare at the nearly empty bottle dangling between my fingers. “I’m pretty sure it is. She leaves in less than twelve hours and wants nothing to do with me.”

  He took a seat next to me, tossing his empty in the bed before responding, “Not true.”

  I looked over at my friend, a triumphant smile on his face, waiting for him to continue.

  “She’s here for a couple more weeks. She’s gonna look after the store for Lottie while they’re gone.”

  “Fuck,” I grumbled, roughly dragging a hand down my face.

  “I thought you’d be glad to hear that.”

  Yeah, I was. But it would’ve been nice to know before I basically offered her another one night of riding my dick.

  I lingered at an empty table as the reception dwindled, waiting for the moment I could pull Hannah aside—again. I was going to get it right this time. Third time’s a charm and all that shit. At least, I hoped. A man could only stick his foot in his mouth so many times in one night, right?

  When I saw her giving Lily a hug goodbye, I knew it was my chance. I stood from my chair. Following a few steps behind her, I waited until we were far enough away from prying eyes and ears.

  “I’m sorry about what I said.”

  Hannah hesitated a moment, her back stiffening at the sound of my voice before she continued forward, picking up her pace.


  Desperate, I continued to explain to her back as it moved farther away from me. “I didn’t realize you weren’t leaving tomorrow.”

  She stopped, spinning on her heels, eyes thinning into slits as she zeroed in on me. “I see.” She nodded her head, her lips pursing. I didn’t like the wild look in her eyes, like she could easily stab me at any moment. “So, that’s all I’m good for, right? One night of fun? You wouldn’t want to hang around me for too long in case I got attached.”

  “No. Shit,” I mumbled to myself, knowing she was referring to the words she’d said that morning. This was taking a turn for the worse, if that was even possible. “That’s not what I’m saying.”

  “Then what are you saying?” She crossed her arms, hip popped to the side. Even with her murderous stare, she was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.

  Studying her, I rubbed a hand against the light scruff on my face, at a loss for how to explain all the shit I needed to.

  She was worth so much more than a one-night stand. She was the type of woman you wanted for the long haul. One you couldn’t wait to hold after a long day of work. One you looked forward to spending lazy Sunday mornings with. One you wanted to introduce to your parents. She was a take-back-home type of woman. A keeper.

  Hell. I didn’t know why I couldn’t just say all those things out loud.

  Scratch that.

  I did.

  Because I was too much of a chicken shit. She’d be leaving and going back to her life in Seattle sooner rather than later. And I couldn’t compete with the life she had. I had nothing to offer her. I was nothing more than a hired ranch hand. I knew for sure, spending one more night with her beautiful eyes staring up at me would only make me wish I was something more. Someone worthy of her.

  With sadness in her eyes and a fierce posture, she shook her head at my lack of response. “That’s what I thought.”

  Her last words rung in my ears as she turned and marched away.