Survive The Fall (Dark Eagle Book 1)

by Julia Bright

  With shaky fingers, she dialed the sheriff's office to report someone on her ranch who didn't belong. Thirty minutes went past before she received a call back.

  “Hello.” Her voice shook as fear still held her.

  “It's deputy Anderson, I'm close to your place.”

  “I'll come down and unlock the gate.”

  “Do you still see the guy?”

  “No, he walked down the road, headed towards the main road you're on.”

  “I haven't seen him, but he could have stepped off into the brush. I'll see you in a few minutes.”

  She flipped on all the lights before she stepped out onto the porch. No way would she leave the house unlocked. As she ran to the truck in the yard, her fear ramped up even higher. Once Deputy Anderson was on the property with her, she felt a little better but still violated.

  They searched around her house and in the barn, but they found nothing. Anderson had his flashlight out and was pointing it at the ground when the beam illuminated a shiny object.

  “Wait,” Kelsey said.

  “What?”

  “Back over there, you were pointing your flashlight that way. It hit something shiny. Go look.”

  “Okay, where?”

  She moved closer to Anderson, the flashlight hit the item again. They both moved towards the shiny speck. It was a key.

  “Is that yours?”

  “I don't think so. Doesn't look like my gate key, it's too big. Let's check to see if it's my house key.”

  Anderson picked it up using a glove he pulled out of his pocket. They headed to the house, her worry rising. She'd given Adam a key, but she didn't think he was the careless type who would drop it on the ground.

  Anderson headed to her door and tried the key in the deadbolt then in the handle lock. It didn't work.

  “So that's not your key. Any other locks it might work on here? It looks like a house key, not a car key,” Anderson said.

  She shook her head. “Being out here, we don't have to lock much up.”

  “Let's go take another look at your barn. The night is slow. I'd rather make sure the guy didn't put anything in there or try to mess with your stuff instead of spending my night driving the back roads one more time. Maybe he was just looking around. You need to install a floodlight, something that flashes on if there's movement. I know that can be distracting, but it might help you sleep better.”

  She nodded, wondering if maybe she should just sell the ranch. She didn't need to stay here, but the thought of going back to her life before all this happened was too much. She didn't want to leave this ranch just because some idiot stalked her.

  First off, she needed to look into buying the ranch next door. She didn't like Mitch running around close to her property. No way she could know for sure, but she suspected it was Mitch outside skulking around her place.

  If she had both properties, there wouldn't be any reason for anyone else to come down this road. Would the county allow her to put a fence up on the road? That would make it even more difficult for anyone to come on her property. She hated going high tech, but she might need to install a few safety measures like cameras and alarms.

  After checking once more and finding nothing, Anderson left. It took a while, but she fell asleep after tossing and turning. The next morning, she was firm in her decision to buy the land next to her. She called her grandfather's lawyer and asked him to arrange the purchase and to work hard to obtain a low price since the house had been destroyed.

  When Adam came home, she was so excited all thoughts of Mitch and the stranger fled. Before they got too comfortable, Adam went out to the windmill and grabbed the listening device. He took it to the creek and tossed it in.

  “There, that should take care of that. We'll do another round of checking before we talk about anything important.”

  She made dinner while Adam went through the property close to the house, checking for devices. He also checked in the barn which was clear. After he came in and told her there were no devices, she breathed a sigh of relief. The FBI agent hadn't been sneaking around in the middle of the night. That made her feel a little better. Still freaked out, she wondered who could have been skulking around. She was about to say something when Adam said he forgot something in his car and went outside.

  The timer rang for the food. She opened the oven door and pulled the food out of the oven.

  “So we're clear now?” Kelsey asked when Adam stepped inside.

  “I'm certain we are. I mean I wouldn't take risks on the phone or in text or email, but for us talking, we're safe.”

  “Good. So how was your week?”

  He shrugged. “I missed you. I had to fly out to New York. That wasn't great. I wish you'd been able to go.”

  “I missed you too.”

  Adam pulled her close and claimed her lips. The kiss stoked a fire deep inside. She leaned in, brushing her hands over his shoulders and down his back. She moved one hand lower to his ass and squeezed. He chuckled and then picked her up, tossing her over his shoulder.

  “Hey, what are you doing?” she yelled.

  “I can't wait.”

  “Stove, you need to turn off the stove.”

  Adam stopped and took a few steps back, turning off the stove and moving the potatoes off the burner. Though she gave a heavy sigh, she wanted this.

  Having a man like Adam in her life would be good. Kind and sweet, he was sexy as heck too. And he liked sex. His fingers were close to her center. Just the thought of him touching her, taking her to heaven made her hot.

  He dropped her onto the mattress and stared down at her, his smile full of lust. “This last week being gone wasn't my idea of fun.”

  She stared up at him, happy to have him home. “So jet-setting isn't your favorite?”

  “No, it was boring. I'd rather have been here with you.”

  “Well, I do know how to make things exciting.”

  He laughed and kissed her nose before his eyes narrowed. “If I were around more, like all the time, would you be okay with that?”

  “I'd love it.”

  “I want to change what I'm doing, it might take a few months, but I want to be around you. I don't like flitting off to New York because some pampered rich kid wants to go see a concert.”

  She shook her head. “What a waste. But was the concert any good?”

  “No clue. The girl took too long getting dressed. We showed up late, and she never went in until the end. She talked to her friends in the concourse for an hour. We only saw the last song, it was okay.”

  “Jesus, that would have driven me crazy.”

  He nibbled on her ear as he unbuttoned her pants. He tugged up her shirt, delivering little kisses along her ribs. When he got to her bra, he lifted and stared into her eyes as he removed the item of clothing. She was naked from the waist up. He stared at her like a starving man at a feast. His gaze roved over her, and his smile widened. He dipped low and sucked in one nipple. She cried out as electricity skated along her nerves.

  His kisses were molten, his touch electrifying. After loving on her breasts, he kissed lower and worked on removing her pants. Once she was naked, he kissed his way from her neck to her breasts. All thoughts fled as he continued to kiss and touch her. His lips toyed with one nipple as his fingers stroked and pinched the other.

  She arched up, needing more. Her hands were on his shoulders, his back, and his hair. Desperate for everything, she spread her legs and pumped up, trying to move closer to his dick. She needed to feel him entering her.

  He chuckled, and that got her into action. She wrapped her legs around him and lifted her hips, pulling him into her. His chuckle turned to a gasp, and then he grunted as he slid in. The sharp intake of breath from him was music to her ears.

  Before he'd been toying with her, now he rose up, his eyes drilling into hers as he pumped in. Pleasure skirted over his face as his eyes rolled up in his head. He grunted, then wrapped his arms around her and flipped them. Her position was a
wkward, but he helped her sit up and then grabbed her waist and lifted her.

  His strong arms held her up and directed her movements. She threw her head back as desire rippled through her. Every touch, every move brought her closer to ecstasy.

  His dick was getting bigger, his cock harder as he pumped her up and down. His thick cock had her about ready to come. She stared down at him, his face twisted in a sensual mask, showing his desire. This man turned her on more than anyone else ever had. A lifetime with Adam wouldn't be enough. This man fit her perfectly. That first night, he’d showed he was a good lover, and ever since then he’d been showing her he was a good man.

  He pumped up, his hips grinding against her center. She gasped, and her eyes slammed shut as she came. He bucked against her, his grunts filling the room as he came. They were both lost in bliss, both feeling amazing.

  After, she lay plastered on his chest, her sweat-damp hair clinging to him. He pulled out, and cum ran down her leg. That's when she realized neither of them had remembered the condom.

  Shock filled his eyes as they stared at each other. She'd been so desperate to have him, she hadn't even thought of what having sex without a condom would mean.

  “I didn't plan that,” she said.

  His lips curved up. “I could have stopped you. I'm stronger than you. No fault, no blame. We were both a part of it. If something happens, we'll deal with it.”

  “Deal with it?”

  “You know, figure out a way to be parents. I've never thought of myself as the parenting type, but I could do it, I guess.”

  She lifted her brow. “I have no doubt you could. I'm not sure I would be any good at it.”

  “Are you kidding me, you'd be great.”

  “But we won't know for a while.”

  He shrugged, “Plus, it was a onetime thing. It's not like pregnancy happens that easy, right?”

  She laughed and shook her head. “Let me guess, your high school taught abstinence.”

  “Yeah, so what.”

  “You're smart, you can read. Go figure out cycles and how pregnancy happens.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Game on, Sweetcakes. I can study and figure it out.”

  “Sweetcakes?”

  “Well, it goes with Angel. Like Angel Sweetcakes.”

  “Good Lord, just stick with Kelsey.”

  Adam rolled on top of her and tickled her, causing her to howl with laughter. Once he stopped, they settled. She tapped him on the chest.

  “You go study and then report back to me.” She pushed him off and rolled out of bed. Her legs shook, but everything felt so good.

  He caught her hand as he jumped up to stand beside her. “I'm serious about one thing though, if you are pregnant, I won't flake.”

  “That's good to hear, and I didn't think you would run off. You seem like the stand-up, stable type. And I'm not going to assume anything. We had sex one time without a condom.”

  “True, but I want you to know...” he trailed off, his eyes unfocused for a second before she cupped his cheek.

  “I have feelings for you too,” she whispered.

  His lips stretched wide in a smile as he tugged her closer. “Good, because, Angel, I can't stop thinking about you. Every minute away is a minute too long. This last week, I was lost without you.”

  “I felt the same way.”

  “Would you be upset if I wanted to move a few things here?”

  Warmth spread and her chest expanded. Their lips met in what could only be described as a promise. The emotions for this man were so big she wasn't sure how to describe them.

  His stomach rumbled, and they laughed. "I haven't eaten."

  “Let’s solve that,” she said.

  After they dressed, they headed to the kitchen. It was nice being with Adam. They fit together well. Though she liked the solitude of the ranch, having him around was nice.

  After Thanksgiving, the days blended together, one after another with them learning to fix broken fences, how to check the far corners of the ranch, and what to do with the horses. Adam got the four-wheelers up and running, and she researched planting a garden.

  Living with Adam was very domestic. Each time he came over, he brought more of his things. He was still working the security job, but he'd taken fewer traveling security gigs.

  Christmas was coming up, and the weather had turned cold. The cows and horses had grown out their winter coats, and she thought the horses looked a little silly. Overall, life was going well.

  The Wednesday before Christmas, Adam came home mad as a hornet.

  “What's wrong?” she asked.

  He threw up his hands before shaking his head. “Everything is wrong.”

  “You've got to tell me more than everything. What happened?” Kelsey wiped her hands on a towel before moving to the table to sit and listen. She could almost see steam coming out of his ears.

  “It's—hell, it's nothing and everything.”

  “Sit and tell me. I'll pour you a scotch.”

  He blew out a frustrated breath, his anger still there, but less. “Thanks.”

  She got up and grabbed their scotch glasses, pouring him two fingers and her just a sip. She liked scotch, but sometimes it was too strong for her.

  “Here you go. Now talk.”

  He took a sip, his eyes on the table before he glanced up, pain marring his features. She reached out and took his hand, squeezing gently.

  “I don't have much to offer,” he started.

  “Sure you do,” she said.

  He shook his head. “Not monetarily. I was in the army long enough to have a nest egg. Anyway, I planned on buying land. I saved and saved. That's why I took the job protecting you. That's also why I've been working so many security jobs. I let my room go, and I've been careful with money. I thought I had enough to buy a piece of property. Turns out I could have bought it weeks ago. It was the place next door. The owner reduced the price, but that doesn't matter, someone else beat me to it.”

  “Wait, the ranch next to here? The one with the house the tornado ripped apart?”

  “Yeah, I wanted to show you I was worthy.”

  She lifted her hands. “Hold on, you thought buying property would show me you're worthy? Worthy of what?”

  He shoved his chair back and stood, his hands raking through his hair as he spun around and stalked towards the door then turned back. “How can I ask you to marry me if I have nothing? I'll be a freeloader.”

  She stood and held out her hands. “You aren't a freeloader.”

  “But you have this place, money—”

  She cut him off. “Which I only got because everyone died. I didn't make this ranch or the wealth. That was all Gramps. He was a master with money.”

  Adam looked defeated. “But I've got nothing.”

  “Adam, I bought that land.”

  His brows furrowed, and he looked wounded. “What? Why did you buy it when you knew I wanted it?”

  She shook her head. “It's...” she blew out a breath, hating that she'd never told him about the intruder. “Can we sit down and talk, like really talk instead of yelling at each other?”

  Adam closed his eyes, pain flitting across his face before he opened them and nodded. “Yeah, I'm sorry. I was just angry.”

  “Come, sit.”

  They moved to the den and relaxed in the chairs in front of the fireplace. Kelsey jumped up and flipped on the fireplace before taking a seat again.

  “That week you were gone, the one after the storm, I saw someone wandering around on my place.”

  “What?” Adam roared, his hands balled into fists as he jumped up.

  “Nothing happened. But I went to see the realtor and found Mitch there. The guy was working as a caretaker for that place, and that's who I think was cutting fences. Anyway, you were gone, and I bought the land. I kind of forgot about it. Gramps lawyer took care of the business end, and I got the land for a steal. I bought it because I didn't want that jerk anywhere close to here.”


  “So do you think it was Mitch wandering around on your property?”

  She shrugged. “Possibly. They dropped a key. The cops have it as evidence. I don't know who it was. With the FBI sniffing around, and then the storm, you traveling, and everything else, me buying that strip of land didn't seem like a big deal.”

  “So you own the piece of land I wanted to buy? Boy, I feel even more impotent now.”

  Shock pulsed through Kelsey. How could she make Adam see she didn't think of him that way? If she'd known he was saving up money to buy that land, she never would have touched it.

  Kelsey moved in front of Adam and dropped to her knees. With her hands resting on his legs, she looked up at him, praying he would see she didn't care about money or things. She only wanted to spend her life with him.

  20

  Anger filled Adam, but it wasn't directed at Kelsey. He was angry he'd spent his life fighting a war that would never be won. Sure, he'd taken out bad guys, but they would never rid the world of assholes hell bent on destroying life.

  He should have just focused on wealth, then he could have presented Kelsey with what she deserved when he asked her to be his. Now he had nothing.

  That someone had violated her land, sneaking on in the middle of the night, that pissed him off. He wanted to protect her, but he couldn't even do that right.

  “I can't believe you didn't tell me someone was on your property.”

  “Honestly, I was just happy to have you home. I really think it was Mitch, and that's why he never came out here again. I think he knows what he did was wrong.”

  “You could have been hurt,” Adam grabbed her under the arms and pulled her up before he dropped to the chair and tugged her to his lap. “You could have...God, I was off playing babysitter to some spoiled little brat, and you could have been killed.”

  “But I wasn't. And there are so many could haves. You realize, that tornado could have taken us both. That terrorist in Algeria could have killed you or me. We both could have ended up in jail over there. The FBI could have kept pressing. But none of that happened, and we have each other.”

  He gazed into her eyes, his heart so close to breaking. “Do you want me? I mean, I have nothing.”