by Jill Sanders
“What exactly did they do again?” he asked as he walked around the large two-story living area. There was a two-story stone fireplace on the back wall, with tall windows on either side.
There were two large sofas facing one another in the middle of the hardwood floor.
A gourmet kitchen sat on the other side of the room, filling up the back wall. A wood staircase went up to what he could tell was a loft bedroom below the vaulted ceilings.
“My grandparents started an organic farm. My mother runs it now.”
“Organic?” He shook his head.
“As in, fresh eggs, meat where the animals haven’t been shoved full of chemicals and antibiotics.” The tone of her voice was sharp.
“Isn’t that a good thing?” he asked, walking over to her. He could tell she was upset. When he put his hands on her shoulders, she tensed even more so he pulled her closer to him.
“Sure, yeah. I mean, it is for the animals and for the people eating them.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
She sighed and rested her head against his chest. “Nothing, it’s just hard seeing her. Being here.”
He ran his fingers through her hair and held her close. “You probably don’t want to hear this, but you look a lot like your mother.”
He felt her tense, and then she leaned back and looked up into his eyes.
“You’re right. I didn’t want to hear that.”
He smiled, then placed a kiss on her lips.
“I’ve wanted to do that all evening.” His hands ran up and down her back, holding her closer to him. He didn’t want her to see that they shook, so he kept them busy running over her.
“I’ve missed you,” she said as her fingers tugged on his hair, pulling him back to her lips.
It was like an explosion went off. All of a sudden, he couldn’t get close enough to her. He couldn’t stop wanting the taste of her or the feel of her next to him.
He backed her up until her legs hit the back of the sofa, then he bent her backwards until they rolled over it. She landed softly on his chest without breaking their kiss.
His fingers shook even more as he tugged her blouse open, exposing her soft skin covered only by a cream-colored bra.
When he tossed the shirt aside, she sat back, reaching for his shirt as her blue eyes ran over him. She was nibbling on her bottom lip, making him wish she’d hurry up and release him from the shirt. Finally, when she tossed it aside, she leaned back and gasped.
“What happened?” She ran her fingers over the fresh bruises.
“I mentioned my run-in at my hotel.” He sighed, remembering the blows he’d taken from Tony. “It’s not as bad as the other guy got.” He only fibbed a little as he tried to pull her back towards him, but she held firm.
“You need to put some ice on the bruises and some salve on the cuts.” She started to get up, but he rolled with her until he had her pinned underneath him.
“What I need, right now, is you.” He crushed his lips to hers. He took the kiss deeper and almost cried out in delight when he felt her legs wrap around his hips. She was pressed up against him and he worried that he’d built himself up too fast, not allowing for her to take her pleasure.
He tried to move back, but she held him prisoner with her legs wrapped around him. Her arms locked around his chest, pushing her softness against him.
“Willa, let me...” She broke in by dipping her tongue deep into his mouth, causing him to moan with pleasure.
“Now,” she begged when she finally backed away. “Please, Caleb.”
Looking into her eyes, he realized he would never be able to deny her anything. Ever.
The rest of their clothes hit the floor quickly. She chuckled nervously as he tucked her jeans off her hips, taking her silk panties along with them. When he dipped his head down and swiped his tongue over her softness, she arched with pleasure, tugging on his hair, holding him, directing him where she wanted.
He couldn’t get enough of her. She was the richest honey he’d ever tasted. He dipped his fingers and tongue into her until he felt her legs shiver around him. Then, and only then, he climbed back up until he could look her into her beautiful eyes as he claimed her once more.
Her soft moans undid the last hold he had on his restraint. His fingers dug into her soft skin as he took her, trying to hold her closer, longer.
He rained kisses down her neck as her hips moved with him. Her soft voice begged him, urged him to move faster, harder, and deeper. He obliged and felt a sense of pride when he felt her convulse around him. But he wasn’t done with her yet.
Moving quickly, he gently picked her up in his arms and started up the stairs in hopes that the bed would be big enough. When he reached the top, he smiled and walked towards the king-sized canopy bed that sat in the middle of the loft area.
“I’m beginning to like your mother’s tastes.” He chuckled as he laid her down on the mattress and smiled when he noticed the mirrored ceilings of the canopy bed. “Really enjoying her tastes.”
Willow chuckled a little and pulled him down over her. “I’ve never done this while watching before.” Her eyes were glued to the mirrors.
“That makes two of us.” He rolled a little so they lay sideways, both of their eyes glued to the image above. “I guess we’ll have to experiment to get it just right.” He watched his hand run over her soft skin in the image above.
When her eyes grew wide with pleasure, he moved behind her and then slid slowly into her as they watched every move.
Her hips arched back towards him as he ran his hand up to cup her perfect breast. Their eyes locked above and he watched her tongue dart out and lick her bottom lip.
“I’ve dreamed of you.” It came out as a whisper next to her ear. “Of doing this to you.” He jerked his hips and watched her eyes slide close.
“Me too,” she moaned, her fingers going over his as they covered her chest. They locked fingers with one hand as his other crept up to play with her soft skin.
Her skin glowed with pleasure as he took his time running his hands over her, enjoying the view and the feeling of her next to him.
“I’m never sleeping in a simple bed again,” he said against her skin. Hearing her giggle sent waves of desire through him, which caused his movements to speed up. Within moments, they were both gasping for breath, holding onto one another as they cried out in unison.
Chapter Eleven
When the sunlight broke in behind Willow’s eyelids, she tried to roll over and cover her face, but bumped into a solid mass instead. Cracking open her eyes, she smiled up at Caleb as he lay, looking down at her.
“You’re beautiful when you sleep.” He brushed a strand of her hair away from her face.
“My sister always told me I snore,” she joked.
“Not loudly,” he teased. “Have you seen the bathroom in this place?”
She shook her head and thought about escaping to the room and finding a tube of toothpaste and, if she was lucky enough, an extra toothbrush.
“The shower is incredible.” He sat up and tugged her with him.
“Is it mirrored?” she joked, only to have his eyebrows wiggle up and down as he nodded. “You’re kidding.”
“Nope, two walls of reflective glass. This could get dangerous.” She followed him into the bathroom.
The bathroom and shower were just as she imagined. Grandiose bordering on gaudy. All in all, though, she had to admit, the shower did wonders for making her feel loose. Of course, it was more about what Caleb had done to her, and she had enjoyed watching their steamy reflections.
When they walked downstairs, dressed in the same clothes from the night before, there was a light knock on the front door.
Caleb looked out the glass and then opened the door to Charity. It still shocked Willow to see how much the two of them looked alike. Her mother’s hair was a lot shorter, though, cut to just below her ears, which highlighted the natural waves even more.
“I brought you
some fresh eggs and milk. We’ll run to the grocery store today to get anything you two might need.” She walked in, looking relaxed and at home in the place. Of course, she had lived here for over ten years, until her parent’s death, six months apart from each other. Willow had heard that her grandmother had died of breast cancer, while her grandfather had died a couple months after of a broken heart.
“Thank you, we can make a list for you.” He walked into the kitchen and helped her with the items.
“I hope you’ll feel free to make yourselves at home here.” Her mother’s eyes locked with hers. Willow’s back stiffened as she nodded instead of replying. “There’s some of my old clothes still up in the closet that should fit you. I’m afraid I don’t have any...”
“I’ve got my own. Willow didn’t have time to pack anything.”
“I understand. Help yourself to whatever you find.” It was silent for a moment while she watched her mother grip her hands nervously. Willow did the same movement occasionally; she hated that she was anything like the woman standing before her.
“How’s your sister? I hear she’s getting married?” her mother asked.
Just the mention of Wendy had Willow turning away from the woman, towards the fireplace.
“Well, if you need anything else...” She heard her say to Caleb, who walked her to the door.
“Hey.” His voice was right beside her and when his hands fell on her shoulders, she relaxed. “Talk to me.”
She turned and wrapped her arms around him. “Because of her, Wendy was never given the opportunity to be a real teenager. Because of that woman, I was teased for having a mother who was a crackhead and a thief.” She realized tears were rolling down her face, soaking Caleb’s shirt.
“Have you taken a good look at the woman?” he asked, pulling back. His hands were on her shoulders, holding her still as he looked deep into her eyes. “I mean, really looked at her. I can’t say anything about her past, but it seems to me that the woman has not only cleaned up but moved on with her life.”
She blinked a few times. “I’m not saying—”
“No, don’t defend your feelings. I’m not against you.” She had been about to defend herself. She’d acted the same way every time Wendy asked her to try to have a relationship with Charity. Her sister had been trying for the past five years to get her to visit her mother. She kept telling her how Charity had changed. How much she wanted to be a part of her life now. But Willow would never listen to her. Not with all of the hate and hurt built up from the past.
“From the sound of it, Wendy’s feelings for your father are the same as your feelings for your mother.”
She thought about it and nodded slightly.
“Well, you keep trying to persuade her about your dad. Maybe you also need to have an open mind about your mother.”
It was like being stabbed in the chest. Something shifted when the simple truth was put in front of her.
She had been closed-minded as far as Charity goes. For years, she’d begged Wendy to love their father, but Wendy had always thought of Billy as nothing but a deadbeat father. Just the way she thought of Charity.
She closed her eyes. Her mother had changed since the last time she’d seen her almost ten years ago. The woman that was just here was nothing like the skinny drug addict who’d been shaking so badly, Willow hadn’t even wanted to touch her.
“I’ll think about it. What would you do if it was your mother, trying to act like nothing had happened in the past. That she hadn’t abandoned you to the streets?” It came out as a whisper.
She could tell he thought about it for a moment before answering. Then he wrapped his arms around her and spoke into her hair. “I guess I’d listen to what she had to say before I made any judgements.”
She took a deep breath, inhaling his wonderful musky scent before nodding her head slowly. “I guess I should at least listen to what she has to say first.”
“Good. Now that that’s settled, how about I make us some scrambled eggs?”
She felt her stomach growl. “Sounds good.”
They spent the rest of the day trying to plan out their next step. Since he wanted to stake out the property and look for any weak spots that might pose a security threat, he suggested they take a long walk around the land.
Willow had jumped at the chance to get outside, since they had spent several hours stuck in the car last night.
“I guess I’m spoiled since I’m used to working outdoors now.” Her hand felt good tucked into his own as they walked. She was still wearing her own clothes, and he wondered if she’d take her mother up on the offer of using some of hers.
“It must be nice. Doing what you always dreamed of.” He held onto her arm as they jumped across a small stream of water.
“Yes and no. I mean, I always thought that life would challenge me a little more.”
He laughed at her naivety. “You’re not done living yet. I’m sure there are plenty of challenges still waiting around the bend.”
She smiled up at him. “I mean; I hadn’t expected to land my dream job the first place I applied.”
“Maybe it was fate?”
“Maybe...” She seemed to be deep in thought. “I often wondered if my mother had anything to do with my job.”
“What do you mean? How would she have anything to do with getting you a job at the Gulfarium?”
She walked over to a tall wood fence and propped one of her feet up on the bottom rung. He stood next to her, leaning back on the fence as he watched her gaze out at the field that housed several dozen cattle, which were grazing peacefully.
“Her family has a lot of influence around here. My grandfather was on the county board of directors for years. There was a group of good-old boys that used to run everything in the county. When he died, well, let’s just say my mother would have gladly used those influences for her own gain.”
“You’re thinking of the past again. Projecting what you knew about her back then to now.”
She shook her head and looked up at him. “No, back then, my mother was a selfish child. Someone who wanted to experiment without paying consequences.”
“And now?” He brushed a strand of her honey-colored hair away from her face.
“In the last few years, she’s gained a reputation as a woman who’s not afraid to use her family’s power. A few years ago, the county tried to ban the sale of raw milk. I didn’t witness it myself, but I heard that at a particular board meeting, she showed up at didn’t end well. Needless to say, the new bill was dropped and she continues to be one of the biggest distributors of raw milk around.”
“That doesn’t necessarily mean that she would use her power—”
“Caleb, I’m not trying to accuse her of anything, but since I started working at the Gulfarium, I’ve heard her name dropped a few times here and there.”
He nodded. “Still, shouldn’t you be thanking her?”
Willow sighed and glanced off towards the field again. When a slight smile played on her lips, he knew she’d rationalized everything.
“I suppose you’re right. I guess I’ll never know until I actually ask her.”
He brushed his hand down her back and pulled her closer. “From what I can see around here, she works hard for everything she has. It can’t be easy running this place. Or fighting against powerful men who want to stop her from doing business. It takes a lot of guts to change your life around. Trust me, I went from selling drugs on the streets of Vegas to turning informant and putting away some of the biggest drug dealers in the States.”
“I don’t know how you did it.” She wrapped her arms around his shoulders.
“I couldn’t have, if it wasn’t for your dad.” She felt so good in his arms, he could easily stay where they were for the remainder of the day.
“I’m happy he helped. I still don’t know how I’m going to tell Wendy about him. About you.”
He couldn’t stop the sigh from escaping his lips. “Maybe you won’t hav
e to.” He held her close and thought about their next move. He’d given up years ago dreaming of having a normal future with someone. After all, he didn’t know who else was out there, looking for him, looking for revenge. They had mentioned wanting to take him back, but he knew he’d rather die than to step foot in the lion’s den that was the Lone Outlaws’ home base.
“I’m going to head into town tomorrow.” He felt her stiffen, so he rubbed her shoulders. “Just to make a quick call. I want to make sure they won’t be able to trace the call, so I’m going to buy a disposable phone.”
She looked up at him and nodded. “I’ll go with you.”
He quickly shook his head. “No, I want you safe and sound here.”
She reached up and took his face in her hands. “If you think I’m going to sit around this farm while—”
“Willa, please. I don’t know what I’d do if I put you in danger again. Besides, maybe you can spend the time with your mother?”
He saw the determined look in her eyes and knew that he’d have to outmaneuver her if he planned on getting her to do what he wanted.
“We’ll talk about it later. Why don’t we head back in and see if your stepdad is back from the store with our supplies?”
“Don’t call him that.” She frowned, her bottom lip going out slightly. He wanted to lean down and place a kiss on the pucker, but she backed up a step and crossed her arms over her chest. “That man is nothing to me, let alone any kind of dad.”
He nodded. “Fair enough. Let’s see if Ralph is back from the store with our supplies.” He smiled when she nodded her head quickly. He wrapped his arm around her as they walked. “You okay?” he asked after a moment of silence.
“I guess I’m just moody. I can’t believe I’m actually here.” She looked around again and let out a deep breath. “There were so many times I’d dreamed about living here, instead of in the small apartment with Wendy.” She stopped quickly. “Not that I didn’t want Wendy to come with me, it’s just... I’d always hoped that my mother would change and come and get me, come get us. So we could live here, with all the animals. Not to mention having actual adults in the house watching over us.”