by Ward, Alice
“Congratulations,” James said dryly.
“Why thank you, James. How kind!” Bradley replied with exaggerated appreciation. “Considering my age, I think it’s quite an accomplishment.”
Considering the fact that Dale has no one else to give the company to, I think it’s more like nepotism.
“What does your new job have to do with us?” James asked.
“That’s an excellent question. Dad’s already introduced me to all of his business contacts. They’re nice enough guys, but they’re too old school to take me seriously. I need to show them that I deserve as much respect as my father.”
“Oh yeah, how are you going to do that?” I snorted.
Bradley waved a shaming finger in the air. “Now, now, Willow. I’d watch that attitude if I were you. You’re actually a big part of how I’m going to do that.”
“I don’t know anything about farming soybeans,” I hesitantly replied. I had no idea what Bradley wanted from me and I was tired of his vague explanations.
“I don’t need you to know anything.” His voice held such arrogance, I nearly rolled my eyes. “Hell, I don’t even need you to speak. What I need is for you to start going to some business dinners with me. You’re in high demand these days. Everyone wants to meet the woman who produced the precious Derby winner. With you on my arm, Dad’s contacts will have no choice but to take me seriously. That’s only because they don’t know your little secret, of course. If you play along, it will stay that way. We’ll all be happy.”
I raised an eyebrow. “All I have to do is go to a few dinners? I don’t have to…”
“Fuck me?” Bradley finished, his eyebrows raised, then his eyes swept down to my feet and back. He shook his head. “Of course not. Now that I know about you and brother dearest here, I wouldn’t screw you with someone else’s dick.”
I was too relieved to be insulted. I looked over at James and it was clear he didn’t feel the same way.
“You sorry piece of shit,” he snarled. “One of these days, I’m going to beat your ass for this. And it won’t be like last time. I’ll sneak up on you when you’re least expecting it and you won’t have your daddy or a security guard around to protect you.”
Bradley was unfazed. “That’s an interesting threat, but I wouldn’t follow through with it if I were you. You’re the one who will come off the worst if your secret gets out. You know that, right?”
“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about,” James growled.
“Think about it, pretty boy. Willow was an innocent, well-mannered hottie before you came along. Everyone will know that you seduced her, not the other way around. All of the old farmers and ranchers will run you out of town with pitchforks if they learn the truth.”
James balled his hands into fists and I knew I had to take control of the situation before he lost his temper and made everything worse.
“Its fine, Bradley. I’ll go to the dinners. Just let me know when and where.”
“That’s a good girl,” he replied, his smile triumphant, showing nearly all his teeth. “The first one is scheduled for tomorrow night. Meet me at the Gas N Sip at seven o’clock and we’ll ride in to Durango together.”
“Tomorrow night? I can’t do that. Matt and I are leaving for Maryland Thursday afternoon.”
“Then I guess you need to get packed tonight,” Bradley replied and leaned forward. “Unless you want your incestuous relationship to be the talk of Preakness.”
“There’s nothing incestuous about it,” James replied through a clenched jaw.
Bradley shrugged. “Like I said up on the point, it’s close enough. If you don’t want to take my word for it, I could always post the pictures online. Then, you could get everyone else’s opinion. Who knows? Maybe a few would agree with you. Care to find out?”
“Post them. See if I fucking care,” James spat out the words like they tasted bad.
“No!” I shouted, my heart hammering in my chest. “No, it’s okay. I can pack tonight. I’ll see you at the Gas N Sip tomorrow at seven.”
Bradley nodded, looking smug. “I knew you’d make the right decision. You’re a smart girl, Willow. In some aspects, at least.” His eyes flicked to James. “See if you can calm your boyfriend down before he crosses the line. I’d hate to have to ruin your life.”
Bradley rose from the couch, bounced his empty water bottle off James’s chest, and chuckled all the way out the door.
***
James slammed the door shut behind Bradley and turned to me with a glare. “There’s no way in hell you’re going out with him tomorrow night… or ever, for that matter.”
“You heard him, James. All I have to do is go to dinner and nod along to the conversation. I’ll answer a few questions about the horses, and then act like the perfect supportive, silent girlfriend. Bradley isn’t going to try anything with me, he doesn’t want me anymore.”
Thank God for small favors.
“He says he doesn’t want you anymore,” James corrected me. “Are you saying you suddenly trust the scumbag? He forced himself on you in Kentucky, and that was in front of your father. I don’t want to think about what he might try if he gets you alone.”
“We don’t have a choice at the moment,” I reminded him. “The last thing I need is for this to get out right before the race. Besides, this will give me a chance to delete the pictures.”
“Willow, you’re naïve if you think that he’s going to leave you alone with his phone. He’ll be expecting you to delete the pictures. Your plan isn’t going to work.”
“Fine, then we’ll play along until we get something worse on Bradley than he has on us. I know he’s the one who let the fences down, I just have to find a way to prove it. You know it too. That’s why you told Daddy we should keep quiet about installing the security system.”
“Of course he was behind it,” James agreed, emphasizing each word. “He wanted me to rot away in a Kentucky jail and instead, he was forced to drop the charges. He was pissed at all of us. But there’s no way to prove that. Seriously, Willow. If you want to play along tomorrow night, fine. I’ll do it, for the sake of the race. But when you get back from Maryland…”
“When I get back?” I interrupted. I felt my forehead wrinkle as I furrowed my brow. “Aren’t you coming to the race?”
James sighed and shook his head. “No, I’m not. I think it would be best if I stayed home. The PBR is holding a qualifying ride in Boulder this weekend. I’m close to having enough points to join the tour. All I have to do is ride out the eight seconds on Saturday and I’m in.”
His announcement broke my heart. I knew that James and I could never be together, but that didn’t mean I wanted him to leave. The thought of not seeing him every day brought tears to my eyes.
“You’re leaving?” I was barely able to get the words out. “But what about your job here? You’d leave Daddy shorthanded?” I bit my lower lip and tried to keep my composure.
“Until last week, I thought the only way I’d leave this ranch was kicking and screaming,” James admitted before taking in a deep breath and blowing it out long and hard. “Because of you, not the job. But I’ve already told you, Willow, I can’t live like this. And the fact that you can feels like a stab to the heart. I think it will do us both good if I go away for awhile. Maybe once we have some space between us, we’ll both see things more clearly.”
I didn’t want to feel my heartache, so I focused on my anger. I stood up abruptly and put my hands on my hips. “So yesterday, the threat was that you’d sleep with someone else. Today, you’re threatening to leave,” I hissed.
“I didn’t mean that as a threat,” he said patiently.
“That’s right, what did you call it yesterday? ‘A prediction of the future… if we do things my way’. Do whatever the fuck you want, James. Run away if that’s what you think you need. But at least be a man about it and take responsibility for your decision. If you draw the wrong bull and end up paralyzed, I don’t
want to hear that it’s my fault for driving you away.”
I knew I’d crossed the line before I even looked at him. I’d insulted his manhood, on purpose, and I prepared myself for the wrath that would follow.
I don’t care what he says. I’m not going to apologize. He knows that being apart hurts me as much as it hurts him. He’s trying to manipulate me by pointing out the most painful sides of us not being together. I won’t be manipulated.
“You want me to do what I want, act like a man?” James growled.
“Yes, for the love of God, please,” I yelled back at him. I expected him to stomp out the door. Instead, he crossed the room in two strides and took my face into his hands.
“I’ll show you how a man gets what he wants,” he said in a husky whisper. He dropped his hands, willing to let me escape if I wanted. I didn’t. With all of the angry adrenaline running through my veins, I found his animalistic aggressiveness irresistible. I grabbed him by the neck and wrapped my legs around his waist as he lifted me off the floor.
I bit and sucked at his lips as he stumbled through the room. James kicked open the bedroom door and tossed me onto the mattress. I kicked off my boots, unfastened my overalls, and wiggled out of my clothes. I tossed them to the floor and lay before James completely naked. He stripped off his own clothes and dove for my bare breasts. He lashed my nipples with his tongue as his fingers teased my pussy.
This is a mistake… I shouldn’t do this… but God it feels SO good… one last time. I can have him one last time.
“This is what I want,” James growled as he shoved two fingers inside me and teased my clit with his thumb. I purred with pleasure and clawed at the back of his neck.
“Then… take it,” I said through heavy breaths. “However… you want… it.” His fingers felt amazing, but I longed for more. I wanted to be filled, to feel his cock throbbing inside me.
James slid his tongue up my chest and circled my earlobe. “Oh, I’m going to take it,” he whispered, still working his fingers inside me. “If you’re going to walk away from this, I’m going to give you something to remember me by.”
He pulled his hands away and rolled over, fumbling in his nightstand. He pulled a condom from the drawer and handed it to me. “You put it on this time… with your mouth,” he commanded. He knelt in front of me, his long, thick cock pointing straight at my mouth.
James’s domineering attitude made me wet with desire and eager to please. I licked and teased the tip as I unwrapped the package. I pulled away, stretched the rubber over the top of his prick, and then used my hands and mouth to roll it down his shaft.
“I’ve been holding myself back with you,” he said as he pushed me onto my back. “But that stops right now. I’m going to fuck you like you’ve never been fucked before.”
I looked up at him, a daring look in my eye. “Promise?” I asked.
He grabbed my legs, pulled them over his shoulders, and drove himself into my wet, aching hole. He rammed into me, each thrust harder and faster than the last, and my body quivered as waves of pleasure coursed through me. I instinctively clamped my pussy muscles around his cock, and James stopped moving completely.
“Stop that,” he said, his face screwed up tightly with concentration. “It makes me come and I’m not ready to come yet. I’ll tell you when I’m ready.”
“Whatever you want,” I agreed quickly, but secretly pleased I could affect him so much. I was desperate for him to move again, to rock his cock into the deepest part of me.
He moved his hips back and forth, slowly at first and then at rapid speed. His breathing was labored and he struggled to speak. “What I want… is to make you come harder than… you ever… thought possible.” With his final words, he drove into me harder than ever before. I felt my body stretch to accommodate him and was overwhelmed by a pleasure I’d never felt before.
“God, James,” I cried out. “What are you doing to me?”
“You like that?” he asked, thrusting into me harder.
“Yes… oh, God, don’t stop,” I moaned. I realized why the pleasure felt so new. With each thrust, the tip of James’s cock was hitting the very back of my pussy. He couldn’t have gone deeper if he tried. I’d never felt so consumed by someone, so completely taken.
“I’m going to come,” I rasped out.
“Squeeze me,” he demanded.
As I clenched my pussy around his cock, the most powerful orgasm I’d ever had took control of my body. I grabbed his ass, frantically trying to do the impossible and push him further inside. He let out one loud cry and collapsed on top of me. We laid together, our bodies still moving in rhythm with each other as the waves of passion subsided.
After a few minutes, our bodies stilled and James rolled off of me. He sat on the edge of the bed and held his head in his hands.
“I’m sorry, Willow,” he said, unable to look at me. “I was angry and completely out of control. It won’t happen again.”
He tossed the condom into the bedside trash can and started pulling on his clothes. I sat up, slid to the edge of the bed, and put a gentle hand on his forearm.
“You have nothing to apologize for,” I whispered. “I’m the one who’s sorry. I know I haven’t been fair to you.”
“Nothing about this is fair,” he agreed. “But it’s not your fault. Not all of it, at least. This is why I need to leave the ranch for a while, Willow,” he explained. “If I don’t, we’ll just keep doing this. We’ll torture each other until one of us breaks. Or we’ll get caught.”
I bit my lower lip and fought back the tears I felt growing behind my eyes. “I don’t want you to leave,” I confessed softly.
“I don’t see how I can stay,” he replied, his voice full of sadness. “I meant what I said on Eagle Point. I love you, Willow. I didn’t mean to fall in love. I didn’t know I was even capable. But I did and it hurts so fucking much.”
The words were there, so close to sliding out of my lips. I wanted to tell him that I loved him too. But I knew that I couldn’t give him the kind of relationship he wanted. Not yet.
“This hurts me too, James,” I confessed. “But you know how hard I’ve worked to get to this point in my career. Maybe if the timing was better or if I wasn’t in the middle of racing season… I just don’t want to tell everyone about us, and have our story take the attention away from the horses.”
“You don’t want to ruin your reputation,” he argued.
“That too,” I agreed with a sigh.
James turned to me with hopeful eyes. “You said things will calm down after Belmont?”
I nodded. “I won’t see any of those people again until I start racing my own horses, not in one big group, anyway.”
“And that will take a year or two, at least… plenty of time for a scandal to break and be forgotten.”
I nodded again, feeling the slightest bit of hope too. “I know it’s not fair of me to ask you to wait. Especially since I’m still not sure what I want.”
“Why should things suddenly be fair?” he asked with a sad laugh. “I’ll tell you what, Willow. I’m still going to ride in the qualifier on Saturday, but I won’t leave the ranch. I’ll stick around until racing season is over. I’ll give you until then to decide if we’re worth taking a risk on.”
“You’d do that for me?” I asked and felt the back of my eyes burn.
“Haven’t you realized, Willow? I’d do almost anything for you.”
***
“Good afternoon, everyone. It’s so good to see you,” Reverend Hawthorne greeted us with a friendly smile. “Please, come in and make yourselves comfortable. Kathryn’s just made a pot of tea.”
We filed into the Hawthorne’s clean, cozy sitting room. Mint green carpet covered the floor and antique furniture had been arranged around a glossy oak coffee table. I felt like I’d stepped back in time.
Daddy and Renee sat next to each other on a Victorian sofa while I perched on one side of a rigid, floral patterned love seat. I was relie
ved when James sat next to me instead of in one of the tapestry chairs opposite the couch. I knew that the session was going to be unbearably awkward, but it was a slight comfort to know we were in it together.
“Hello everybody,” Kathryn sang as she came into the room. She carried a tea pot in one hand and a tray of sugar, lemon slices, cream, and an assortment of cookies in the other. Empty cups and saucers already waited on the coffee table. The Reverend took the tray from her and set it down while the rest of us said our hellos.
“So, I hear congratulations are in order,” Kathryn cooed as she settled into a chair. “Tell me, how is the transition period going? We have a lot of blended families in the congregation. I know the beginning can be a challenge at times.”
Wow, they really dive into it. Not one breathe of small talk, straight to the good stuff.
“There have definitely been some… bumps in the road,” Daddy said, repeating the words he’d used with the security salesmen.
Renee put her hand over Daddy’s and nodded. “The kids have had a difficult time adjusting to our new situation,” she explained. “They teamed up and did a little scheming trying to break us up.” Renee smiled. The amused tone of her voice suggested she was talking about a couple of misbehaving preschoolers instead of two adults who should have known better.
Reverend Hawthorne let out a jovial laugh and well-worn wrinkles deepened around his smile. “Kids will be kids. What’s important is that you’ve gotten past it. You’re all here now. You’re all willing to put in the effort it will take to develop a strong family bond.”
“Yes, sir. More than willing,” Daddy agreed.
“That’s the first step, Cole.” The Reverend turned to face me and James. He leaned forward, making it clear that we had his full attention. “Tell me, kids. What aspect of the engagement has been the most difficult for you?”