She didn’t want to leave, but she needed to go.
What she wouldn’t give to spend the night in his bed, letting the feeling of safety and security wrap around her. It was a feeling she’d never felt before. She’d spent her life hoping to one day find it, never truly believing she would, but now that she was here, she was scared.
Scared that the truth would come out.
Scared that Dalton would figure out she was a fraud.
She couldn’t be with him. It wasn’t in the cards, no matter how much she wished it were.
Her life was too complicated. It also wasn’t her own. Whatever control she thought she had over the decisions she made, she knew it was a lie. Every thought, every decision she made was to survive. To survive in a world she hadn’t wanted to be a part of but hadn’t been able to escape.
And there was someone else who depended on her. Someone whose needs came before her own.
Dalton stirred, his arms tightening around her as though he were trying to make sure she was still there. She was. For now.
But she did have to leave. She had to get back to her life, had to leave this man behind, because the secrets she kept would only hurt him. And that was the last thing she wanted to do.
Dalton made her feel special; he made her feel whole for the first time in her entire life, yet she knew it was too good to be true.
“Don’t leave me, Katie,” Dalton whispered, his voice rough from sleep.
She wished she could tell him that she wouldn’t, but that would just be another lie. And up to this point, she hadn’t lied to him. She’d merely kept him in the dark. Where she needed him to stay.
“Stay with me, darlin’.”
“I wish I could,” she told him. “You don’t know how much I wish I could.”
Dalton’s lips pressed against the back of her neck, gentle and warm. She categorized the feeling, tucking it away with all the others, because even when she wasn’t with him, she would always remember.
No. There was no way Katie would ever forget the only man she had ever loved.
And that was what this was. The feeling that filled her chest. Love.
It was overwhelming with its intensity, and she wished she could spend the rest of her life with him. But it wasn’t in the cards.
“Tonight,” Dalton whispered. “Just stay with me tonight. Please.”
A tear slipped from the corner of her eye, sliding down her cheek and falling onto the pillow. Another followed and then another. “Tonight,” she agreed.
Just for tonight.
That was all they could have, so she’d stay.
And tomorrow she would go back to her version of normal.
Unfortunately, there was no room for him in her life.
No matter how much she wished there was.
When Dalton’s breathing evened out again, his arms relaxing around her, Katie swallowed hard, fighting the tears. And as exhaustion finally took her, Katie closed her eyes, snuggled against Dalton, and whispered into the darkness, “I love you, Dalton.”
Chapter Eight
Dalton woke with the sun shining through the windows, no blinds or curtains to stop the cruel intrusion. He was warm beneath the blankets, pressed up against the sweet woman still in his bed.
Honestly, he had expected to wake up alone. But he wasn’t.
Katie was sleeping beside him. He was spooned up to her back, his erection pressing against her, eager to find its way into the warmth he remembered from the night before. She must’ve felt it, too, because she moved, sliding her smooth backside against him, making him moan.
Without thinking, Dalton lifted her leg and eased between her thighs, pressing against her entrance and slowly sliding inside.
Her soft moan had his breath hitching. God, she felt good.
And yes, he knew what was missing. There was no latex barrier separating them. Just skin to skin. Her soft heat enveloped him, her pussy tightening around him as he pulled her against him, pushing his hips forward slightly until he was buried to the hilt.
“Katie.” God, she felt so damn good. Too good.
He knew he should’ve pulled out, shouldn’t have started something that he couldn’t finish, but heaven help him, he didn’t want to. He wanted to stay right there, connected to her.
When she rolled over onto her stomach, he followed, refusing to pull out of her. And when he was kneeling behind her, he ground his hips against her ass, pushing himself deeper as he held himself up with his arms. He kept his movements slow, unhurried, enjoying the silky grasp of her body, the way his cock tunneled in and out of her.
So good.
He wasn’t sure anything felt better than being inside her.
Pressing gentle kisses to her shoulder, he continued to screw into her, rotating his hips, relishing her soft moans. And when she linked her fingers with his, he felt that same overwhelming emotion bubble up in his chest.
Then the memory of the night before came to him. What she’d told him, obviously when she’d thought he was asleep. She loved him.
He tightened his grip on her fingers, pumping into her and retreating slowly, fucking into her from behind. “Oh, God, Katie,” he whispered, his voice rough with the emotion that had consumed him.
“Make love to me, Dalton,” she urged softly, her voice raspy.
“I never wanna stop, darlin’,” he told her, his lips traveling up to her neck. She smelled sweet, a scent he would never have enough of.
God, he loved this woman.
The feeling should’ve scared him to death, but it didn’t. What he felt for her was so right, so real. Something he’d never felt before, and he had no idea how they’d gotten this far. This fast.
But it was the truth.
What had started out as friendship had morphed into something so great he was shocked by how much he felt for her.
“Dalton.” Katie drawled out his name, her soft sigh making his cock harden more than he thought possible. “Oh, God, Dalton. I’m gonna come.”
Dalton knew he should’ve pulled out of her, but he couldn’t. He didn’t want to. He wanted to spend the rest of his life right there, making love to her first thing in the morning. It was the greatest feeling in the world.
When her pussy clamped around his dick, he sucked in a breath. He tried to do the right thing, tried to pull out, but he couldn’t. Or maybe he just refused to. Either way, his release took him, and he came deep in her body, the sensation unlike anything he’d ever felt before.
He’d never had sex with a woman without a condom, and yet he’d just come inside Katie without one. He had no idea whether she was on the pill or if what they’d done could possibly have other repercussions.
The strangest part of all … he just didn’t care.
If they made a baby, then that was what was supposed to happen.
He only prayed she felt the same.
Two hours later, Dalton was climbing into his truck. Katie had left a short time before, kissing him good-bye on his front porch before walking away from him. He’d felt an odd pang in his chest as he’d watched her leave, but he chalked it up to his need to possess her. As much as he wanted to keep her there with him forever, he knew it wasn’t possible.
At least not yet.
He had to take things slow.
For now.
He arrived at the stable to find Cooper shoveling hay into one of the stalls.
“Mornin’,” Dalton greeted him as he placed his hands on the wood railing, peering through the slats at his friend.
“Mornin’,” Cooper replied. “When’d you get back?”
“Last night,” he answered.
Cooper propped the pitchfork against the stall wall and stepped out into the wide walkway. “Where’d you stay?”
“My place.”
“It’s ready?” Cooper asked curiously.
“Almost.”
Cooper cocked an eyebrow at him, clearly wanting more details.
“Katie stayed with me last nigh
t.”
Dalton waited, watching Coop, expecting him to say something, but he didn’t, so he spoke. “Say it.”
“Say what?” Cooper asked. “What do you want me to say, Dalton?”
“What’s on your mind?”
“You sure you know what you’re doin’?”
“Me?” Dalton asked, incredulous. “You’re askin’ me that?”
“Come on, man,” Cooper snapped. “Katie’s not one of those groupies you can just toss to the side when you get done with her.”
“Who said I was gonna be done with her?” Dalton countered heatedly.
Cooper studied him for a moment and then his eyes widened. “Oh, shit.”
Dalton grinned, unable to help himself.
“You went and fell in love with her?”
“Don’t sound so shocked, bro. It was bound to happen sooner or later.”
“Yeah? I figured that, but I was bettin’ on later. Much, much later.”
“Well, stranger things have happened.”
“I’m not sure they have,” Cooper retorted.
“Sure they have. Look at you,” Dalton said, nodding his head toward Cooper’s house. “You’re shackin’ up with a woman you’re gonna marry in just a few months. Can’t say I saw that one comin’.”
Cooper grinned, clearly proud. “Okay, you’re right. Stranger things have happened.”
Neither of them said anything for a moment, but then Cooper’s expression turned serious. “Man, just be careful with Katie.”
Dalton cocked an eyebrow, waiting for Cooper to elaborate. He couldn’t understand why his friend was giving him the talk about women, but he damn sure intended to find out.
“She’s quiet, that one. Don’t you find it strange that no one knows anything about her?”
“I know plenty,” Dalton stated firmly, his anger pulsing just beneath the surface.
“Do you?”
“Yeah, I do,” he snapped.
“Where does she live, Dalt?”
Okay, fine. He didn’t know as much as he wanted to know, but they were moving in that direction. “It hasn’t come up yet,” he told his buddy.
“No? Then why’d you ask Tessa?”
“Because I wanted to know.”
“But you couldn’t ask Katie directly?” Cooper asked.
“Man, I don’t know where you’re goin’ with this, but I suggest you get there fast.” Dalton was quickly losing his patience. As good of a friend as he considered Cooper, he’d never expected the man to look down his nose at him when he just wanted the guy to be happy for him.
Sure, Katie had some secrets. She didn’t open up as easily as he would want her to, but that was part of her appeal. Eventually, she would tell him everything. And in the meantime, they’d take things slow.
He thought about waking up with her in his bed, the way she’d felt when he’d slipped inside her first thing, the tight grip her pussy had had on his cock. No protection.
Okay, so slow wasn’t exactly working out that well for them. But she hadn’t said anything when he’d mentioned that they hadn’t used a condom. In fact, her expression hadn’t changed, which he took to mean she had already known.
“Well, I was hopin’ you’d be happy for me, man,” Dalton said, pushing away from the railing. “Sorry to rain on your fucking parade. I didn’t realize you were the only one allowed to be happy.”
“Damn it, Dalton,” Cooper yelled. “That’s not what I’m sayin’. I just don’t wanna see either of you get hurt. That’s all.”
“Good. Then we’re on the same page.” Dalton turned and walked away. Cooper had said his piece, and Dalton made a mental note to avoid any personal conversation where Katie was concerned, because clearly the guy wasn’t ready to be happy for anyone but himself.
Goddammit.
Somehow, Dalton managed to shake off the conversation he’d had with Cooper earlier that morning. At least long enough to get some things done around the ranch. Since he wasn’t yet on the payroll, he was limiting what he did, especially since they’d taken on a few additional volunteers to get through the colder months. He spent a little time with the horses, checked on the few animals they’d recently acquired for a small petting zoo for the children who visited, and then he took one of the four-wheelers out to check on a new section of fence that was being put up.
With nothing else left to do, he made his way back to his house, showered, and then decided to head down to The Rusty Nail for a beer. The place was deserted, but it was early afternoon on a Sunday, and even though the big television on the wall was playing whatever football game the few people wanted to watch, the rest of the town was probably spending time with their families.
“What’s up, man?” Jack greeted him when he marched up to the bar, sliding onto one of the empty stools. “Didn’t know you were back in town.”
“Got back last night,” Dalton told Jack, who was obviously managing the bar solo that afternoon. “How’re things goin’ round here?”
“Slow and steady,” Jack offered with a smile.
Jack Rollins was Tessa’s little brother, although “younger” was probably the more apt description, because the guy was in no way little. He was a behemoth, in all honesty. Six foot six inches, probably right at two hundred fifty pounds of solid muscle, the guy made Dalton look like a fucking infant. And that was saying something, because Dalton wasn’t a small guy, either.
“Tessa off tonight?” Dalton asked when Jack leaned his elbows on the bar, his eyes slowly scanning the room.
“Yep. Told her I’d fill in.”
“What about Eric?”
“The four of them were goin’ on a double date,” Jack offered.
Dalton could only assume Jack was referring to Cooper, Tessa, Izzy, and Eric. He knew Izzy and Tessa were close, and by default that meant Eric was probably around a lot. Not that Dalton gave a shit. Really.
“On a Sunday?” Dalton inquired.
“Some movie came out last week. They were headin’ down to Austin to check it out.”
Dalton sipped his beer, watching Jack as he scoped out the room. The guy was a contradiction. Funny one second, intensely serious the next. He was seriously protective of his sister, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing when Tessa ran a bar that had been known to have its fair share of fights break out. Sometimes on a nightly basis.
Jack seemed intently focused on someone in the bar, and Dalton glanced over his shoulder to see what the younger man was looking at. He noticed a handful of guys sitting at a table near the wall. They were getting a little rowdy, but not more than usual. Then again, it was still early, and if they kept at it, they’d probably be unruly before the night was out.
“Have you heard from Adam?” Dalton asked, referring to Jack and Tessa’s oldest brother.
“He’s doin’ good. On the force now. Loves that shit.” Jack turned his full attention back to Dalton for a moment.
“Dallas PD, right?”
“Yup. He’s talkin’ about moving back here in a couple of years, transferrin’ to one of the local PDs.”
“That’ll be good,” Dalton said, lifting his beer to his mouth again. Jack’s attention was back on the group of guys, and Dalton tried to tune everything out to see what they were talking about. Another quick glance over his shoulder and it was then that he realized just what had Jack on edge.
“Little cock-sucking bastard,” the guy sitting closest to the wall said to the other. “Oughta string his ass up by the ankles and take a bull whip after him. Gotta beat the faggot out of ’em. Only way to take care of the problem.”
Yeah, well, Dalton would disagree.
Suddenly, his irritation from the conversation he’d shared with Cooper that morning lit a fire in his gut, and the next thing he knew, he was on his feet. Slamming his beer on the bar, he turned and headed toward the four guys.
“Did I just hear you correctly?” Dalton asked, none too kindly.
“What’s that, Dalt?” the guy asked, sound
ing as though he considered them to be friends. He got that a lot, especially around Devil’s Bend. Because they hung out at the bar he frequented, they assumed he should be added to their list of friends.
Not the case here. No fucking way.
Without preamble, Dalton leaned down to the guy and gripped him by the front of his shirt, yanking him hard enough that he came up out of his seat.
“What the fuck?” one of the others shouted as he jumped to his feet.
“If I ever hear you say anything even remotely close to what just spewed out of your nasty fucking mouth, I will beat you so bad your own momma won’t recognize you. Are we clear?”
The guy glared back at him, and Dalton returned the sneer, daring the bastard to say something else. He was hanging by a thread, and he just needed a little tug before he went over the edge.
“Are we clear?” he repeated.
“Yeah,” the guy said, none too kindly.
Dalton released him with a shove, sending him back to his seat. He made eye contact with each man at that table, memorizing their faces. This wasn’t over, he knew that much. Small-town cowboys were filled with testosterone, and when they got their asses handed to them in front of anyone, chances were they were going to retaliate.
Not wanting to spend another second in their company, Dalton headed back to the bar. That was when he noticed Jack staring at him. Yeah, buddy, I got your back, Dalton thought to himself.
Jack might think he was safely secluded in that little closet he’d kept himself holed up in all his life, but Dalton knew better. From the first time they’d been introduced, Dalton got the impression Jack was hiding something. It hadn’t taken him long to pick up on it, either. With the sheer number of women who hit on Jack night after night, Jack never taking a single one of them home, Dalton had figured either he was planning to become a monk or he was gay. And when he’d seen Jack eyeing a few of the cowboys who’d come into the bar, Dalton figured it was safe to assume the latter.
The guy was clearly in some serious emotional pain, keeping his secret for so long. And now Dalton understood why. Living in a small town meant dealing with bigots on an entirely different level. Due to the population being so small, those assholes often filled the majority, and rather than stand up for what people believed in, they gave in, whether they actually had an opinion or not.
Vanishing Dreams: Vanishing Dreams (Devil's Bend #2) Page 7