Love Untamed

by Ra'Chael Ohara

  Everything she’s saying to me is true. I’ve thought about all of this before. I know there’s a possibility that, in the end, I’ll get hurt, but every time I think about putting space between Brantley and I, I feel like I can’t breathe. I don’t know how, in such a short time, Brantley, his family, and even Alaska has come to mean so much to me, but I know I’m not ready to leave it anytime soon. I don’t think I ever will be.

  Instead of responding to Charlotte’s worries—I really don’t want to talk about this anymore—I look at her and tilt my head. “Did you say you had my adoption papers?”

  “Yes, I did. Nice change of subject, by the way. We will revisit this subject later,” she says while crossing the living room to her purse. She pulls out a manila envelope, walks back to the couch, and sits down next to me.

  “Luckily, before I left to come here, this came in the mail.” I’m embarrassed to admit that, since the accident, I forgot all about the adoption paperwork until now. I’m thankful I had them send it to Charlotte. I would have never gotten them if Pearl or Elliot intercepted them.

  When I look at the front of the envelope, my heart starts thudding and my hands begin to sweat. My life before I was adopted is all documented in here.

  As close as I am to Char, I feel like I need to be alone when I read this. She knows me well because she immediately picks up on my thoughts and changes the subject. “So, have you spoken to your mom or Elliot since we talked last? They haven’t stopped calling me or stopping by, so I know you haven’t told them where you are.”

  I release a big sigh at the mention of their names. I was doing so well at ignoring all of that. “Honestly, they call all the time. It’s almost constant, which is another reason I don’t hardly have my phone on me, but I’ve dodged every call. Whatever was between Elliot and I is over. That’s just a fact. We never loved each other. His actions now are just confusing me. He never even tried this hard or cared this much when we were actually together. Why does it matter now?

  “As far as mom goes? Heck, I don’t even know. She’s my mom. I can’t completely shut her out of my life, but I have no idea how I will ever forgive her.”

  “You shouldn’t.”

  “Char, she is my mom.”

  “She’s your adoptive mom and a complete bitch. Eva, whether you’d like to admit it or not, that woman has verbally abused since you were a baby. You don’t owe her a damn thing.”

  It’s the truth, but I can’t help the way I feel. I feel a headache coming on from all of these heavy topics, so I sit back against the couch and rub my forehead.

  Once again, I’m thankful to Charlotte for changing the subject, and this time to actually something I want to talk about.

  “So, when are you seeing mountain man again?” Now I smile.

  “Tonight. I’m supposed to meet him at The Tavern later. I was going to stay the night with him, but there is no way I’m leaving you alone your first night in Alaska. I feel like we have so much to catch up on.”

  “Don’t, Eva. Seriously, I’ll be fine here tonight, and we have the rest of the day to get caught up. When you get home tomorrow, we’ll have a me and you day, but tonight you’re going to get laid by mountain man. First, though, you need to point me in the direction where I can get a drink.”

  ***

  “Shit, this place is small,” Char says for the millionth time since we piled into Robert’s beat-up truck. After we spent the rest of the day catching up, we got dressed and headed for The Tavern. Char needed a drink, and I needed to see Brantley.

  He’d been texting me on and off all day, telling me he missed me and couldn’t wait to see me. Between that and Charlotte’s surprise visit, I’ve barely had any time to have doubts. Which is good. As far as right now goes, I have limited time left with him. I have to get back and face what’s going on back in South Carolina, and I have clients that are expecting me back. I don’t want to waste any time worrying about how this is all going to end. Right now, Eva Jones is going to do exactly what she wants and not fret about how this will end.

  It takes Char no time at all to jump out of the truck when we pull up to The Tavern. Once we’re in ear shot of the bar, she looks over at me and smiles. “I’m diggin’ the country music.” She waggles her eyebrows and looks down at her feet.

  She’s dressed in a short jean skirt. Yes, I realize this is Alaska and it’s flippin’ cold out. I tried to tell her, but nothing and no one will keep Char from her jean skirts, a white wife-beater, and, of course, her cowboy boots. She wears them everywhere. Her long, blonde hair is pulled up high in a ponytail. She’s not wearing a lick of makeup and she’s absolutely gorgeous.

  When we enter the bar, my stomach somersaults when I lay my eyes on him. He doesn’t see me yet because he’s laughing at something Gilbert said, but when he does spot me, his smile widens, and I can tell that he’s genuinely happy to see me. What is it about him that makes me want to jump into his arms and give into his every demand?

  It doesn’t take him long to make it across the bar to me, and as soon as he reaches me, I’m in his arms.

  “Hey, my baby,” he purrs in my ear. When the hug ends, I smile nervously at him.

  “Hey,” I mumble.

  He cups my face and gives me a soft, slow kiss. For a minute I forget that we’re in front of an audience, and I kiss him back with everything I have, only stopping when I hear Gilbert whistle.

  “How was your day?” he asks after our kiss ends. Before I get a chance to answer him, Char butts in between us and raises her eyebrow at him.

  “Hi. I’m Char, Eva’s bestie. You’re the ass that was mean to her, right?” Me and Brantley’s bodies go still at Char’s words. Not ever in a million years did I think that Char would come in here and say that to him. By the look on Brant’s face, he didn’t either.

  Both of us open our mouth at the same time to say something, but again get interrupted by Char. “Oh, don’t worry, I won’t hit ya. Eva told me you made it up to her. All. Night. Long, with your giant monkey dick.”

  Brantley’s eyes widen before he throws his head back and roars with laughter. “I didn’t say he had a huge monkey dick,” I screech out of embarrassment. I quickly realize screeching that wasn’t the best response because now Brantley’s looking at me in mock offense.

  “I mean, you’re big…” I start and then stutter when I realize what I said. My face probably now resembles a tomato with the amount of embarrassment I’m feeling.

  I stand in front of Brantley and lower my voice so only him and Char can hear. “I mean, obviously you’re big, like the biggest I’ve ever had. I just didn’t refer to your…” I lower my eyes to his manhood “…as a monkey dick.”

  “She’s right. That was my terminology. Now, who’s gonna get a girl a drink in this joint?” Char hoots and starts over to the bar, completely dropping the subject.

  “So, that’s the best friend, huh?” Brantley smiles.

  “Yep, as you can see, she has no problem speaking her mind. Forewarning, it probably won’t be the last time.”

  “Uh huh. So, does this mean you’re not going to be in my bed tonight?” he purrs as he pulls me toward him by my leather jacket.

  “Actually, Char said she just wanted to go home and sleep, so tonight I’m all yours.” I smile seductively.

  “I hope you’ll be mine for more than just tonight, sweetheart,” he says. His voice is nothing but serious. I open my mouth to say I don’t even know what when a loud whistle interrupts our conversation.

  I smile when I see James walk in from the gas station into the bar. “Well, who do we have here, and where the hell have you been all my life, gorgeous?” he says as he swaggers over to Charlotte, and very bravely wraps his arms around her waist.

  Char’s face is full of attitude, but I can see the appreciation in her eyes once she gives James the once over. When she wraps her arm around his neck and dips in like she’s about to whisper something seductive in his ear, I catch a flash of mischievousness in
her eyes. I know what’s about to happen next, and I watch, just barely able to hold my laughter back.

  “You know what you could do for me, handsome?” she purrs in his ear. James’s eyes go wide with shock before he forms a smile so big, you would think he would have hit the jackpot

  “What’s that, baby?”

  Before anyone has time to register what’s happening, Char pulls her fist back and slams it into poor James’s stomach. Not so hard to where he throws up, but hard enough to where he doubles over as all the air rushes out of his lungs.

  She leans down and gives him a pat on his shoulder. “You could keep your hands off me and get me a beer,” Char says in a sugary-sweet tone. Then she walks over and plops her ass down on top of the bar.

  Brantley and I look at each other for a moment before we burst into laughter. Pretty soon, every other patron in the bar is laughing as well. When James catches his breath, he stands up and looks at Brantley and I, then Char.

  “I think I’m in love,” he says as serious as can be. This causes another round of laughter from everyone, including Charlotte.

  “Well, on that note, we’re outta here,” Brant says. I squeal when Brant picks me up and tosses me over his shoulder in the fireman carry.

  “Are you good?” I ask Char one more time.

  “I’m good, girl. Have fun,” she says in a sing-song voice. I don’t get a chance to respond to her because Brantley wastes no time getting me out of The Tavern and into his truck.

  Chapter Fourteen

  I’VE HAD THE TIME OF MY LIFE

  “Aw hell, baby, your pussy is so fucking greedy,” Brantley says while he pounds into me from behind.

  It’s been one month since our first night together. One month of getting to know each other. One month of spending every night making love and falling asleep wrapped in Brantley’s arms. One month of becoming closer and closer to not just Brantley, but his family and everyone else in the small town. And one month of falling harder and harder for him.

  Since the first night Brantley brought me to his cabin, I have spent every night here. I spend my days with Charlotte or helping Brant in The Tavern, but my nights are spent here. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

  I didn’t really have an expectation for what Brantley’s house would look like, but when we pulled up a month ago, I was stunned by its beauty and confused by its location.

  He’s my neighbor. Now, in Alaska, neighbor means twenty to forty miles down the road, but still, he could have filled me in.

  Brantley’s house, like most others, is a log cabin, but that’s where the similarities stop. His is two stories and the front has a huge deck that wraps around the side of the house and into the back. The inside is even more stunning. The colors are all neutral except for one wall in the living room, the wall that faces the mountains, which is nothing but windows.

  The kitchen, living room, den, dining room, and a bathroom are on the main floor. Upstairs is three bedrooms and another bathroom. The only house I’ve seen in this small town that’s bigger than Brantley’s is his parent’s house. Since the first night I walked into his house, I felt at home.

  It’s also been one month of James pursuing Charlotte relentlessly. Brantley says that he’s never seen James act like this over a woman before, that before she came here, he was a bit of a man whore, going to Snowridge all the time to get laid. Since Char’s arrival, he hasn’t left once. If James isn’t doing anything in his power for Char to spend time with him—and he has managed to hang out with her a couple of times—he’s working at the bar.

  I asked Char last week what was going on between them, and all she said was she was taking a break from guys, but that James was nice and fun to hang out with. She’s full of shit. We’ve been best friend for years. I can read her emotions just as well as she can read mine.

  I watch her when she thinks no one is paying attention. I see the way she looks at him, the longing she has in her eyes. Her feelings for him are strong and it scares her, so she’s dead set on keeping him in the friend-zone.

  I don’t blame her one bit. Charlotte has been hurt more times than I can count. I’ve watched her continuously give her heart out, only to be the one to dry her tears when she gets crushed. She hides the soft side behind sarcasm and a good time. I just hope she doesn’t lose out on something that could be beautiful in order to protect herself.

  “Fuck, baby, you squeeze my dick like that again, I won’t fucking last much longer,” Brantley growls in my ear, bringing me back to the present. I tighten my core around him again just to drive him crazy. It works.

  Brantley’s hand squeeze my hips and he begins slamming into me with reckless abandon. “Harder. Harder, Brant,” I moan. Soon, the only sound in the room is him pounding in me. It’s not long before that familiar tingle that starts to coil in my core is making its presence known.

  I feel everything, all the love and passion. The emotions in me are almost too much. I scream through my orgasm and clutch the sheets so hard it’s like they’re the only thing anchoring me here on earth.

  Not even completely through the after waves of my climax, I feel Brantley grab my upper arms and pull me up onto my knees. He never once stops fucking me.

  Once my back is pressed against his front, he wraps his strong arms across my chest. “I wanna hold you while I spill my come in you,” he whispers right before biting my neck and doing just that. He roars out my name over and over as he shoots hot jets of his come into the condom.

  We fall into a bundle on the bed, trying to catch our breath. “Fuck, you and that pussy are going to be the death of me, Sweet Eva,” Brantley pants. I smile and bury my face into his chest.

  “Ditto,” I pant back.

  Brantley chuckles while placing a soft kiss on my forehead. “Let me get rid of the condom, baby.” I gather the sheets to cover my chest while he does his thing in the bathroom.

  As soon as he’s back in the bed, he wastes no time pulling me back into his arms. For a while, we just lay there in silence while he plays with my hair.

  “Can I ask you something?” I say hesitantly. Hesitantly, because it’s a question I’m not sure if Brantley will be upset about, but it’s been bothering me nonetheless.

  “You can ask me anything,” he answers sincerely. I hope he means that.

  “After my accident, you said one of the reasons you didn’t want to act on your feelings toward me was because of some stuff in a past relationship. Will you tell me about it?”

  I hold my breath when he releases a loud sigh. I’m prepared for him to shut down and not want to talk about it, so I’m shocked when he begins speaking.

  “Her name was Claire and we were high school sweethearts. We grew up together and did everything together. Best friends until freshman year, when our feelings changed.” My stomach rolls and my heart tightens when I think about Brantley with this girl that clearly meant so much to him

  I brave a look at him to see he’s not even looking at me. He’s staring at the ceiling, seemingly lost in his memories. “Part of what made us so close was we shared the same dreams. Or at least I thought we did.”

  “What were your dreams?” I ask softly.

  “I wanted to open The Tavern and start a family. I never wanted anything fancy, Eva. People who don’t live here don’t understand it, but I love it, babe. It was never a thought for me to leave here. I was under the impression Claire felt the same way.

  “Senior year, graduation night, she told me she met someone else and was in love with him. She was sorry but didn’t want to be stuck in this one-stop light town all her life. She left the next day and I haven’t heard from her since.”

  My heart breaks for him. “You loved her,” I state simply. That one sentence has Brantley’s eyes snapping from the ceiling to my face. His eyebrows are scrunched together as he studies my face. For what, I’m not sure.

  “I thought I loved her, but I know now what I felt for her didn’t even come close to love.” All the air rus
hes out of me. Is he saying what I think he’s saying? Does he love me?

  I’m at a loss for words on what to say to that. I want to blurt out that I love him too, but I don’t want to scare him off.

  I laugh when Brant rolls me on my back and lays on top of me. He swallows my lips with a scorching, but too quick kiss. “Okay, how about enough of the heavy stuff.” He smiles.

  “Deal,” I reply, completely relieved about the subject change.

  “Tell me something about you, Sweet Eva.”

  “You already know all about me.”

  “I know the serious stuff. I want a light fact about my Eva.”

  “Okay…” I drawl while I think. “Oh. My favorite movie is Dirty Dancing.”

  Brantley rolls his eyes. “I knew that, baby.”

  “How did you know that?” I pout.

  “Oh, I don’t know. It could have been the hundreds of times you’ve made me watch it?”

  I giggle. “Okay, but what you don’t know is I have always wanted to do that lift in the end. You know, the one they do in that dance after he walks in and is all like ‘Nobody puts baby in the corner.’” Brantley cracks up at my ridiculous Patrick Swayze impression.

  Once his laughing subsides, he jumps out of the bed. After he pulls on his sweatpants, he tosses his shirt to me. “Put that on and follow me.”

  I do as he says. “Where are we going?” I ask once he grabs my hand and pulls me out of the room.

  He looks back at me and gives me a secretive smile. “You’ll see.”

  ***

  “Please don’t drop me,” I beg for the hundredth time.

  “Baby, I’m not going to drop you. Now, stand over there and wait for the cue. You said you always wanted to do this, so let me make your dreams come true.” He wiggles his eyebrows. Oh, if he only knew he’d been making my dreams come true for a while now.

  I knew Brantley was up to something, especially when he started to move all his furniture in the living room up against the wall, leaving a big open space between us.