by Rye Hart
“You guys have done so well. I’m really proud of what y’all have accomplished.”
“I see that accent’s creepin’ back in,” I said with a grin.
“Can’t help it when I’m surrounded by accents like y’all’s.”
“They’re pretty thick. Even people in downtown Dallas look at us weird sometimes.”
“It doesn’t matter anyway. I like them,” she said.
“Then that’s all that matters to me.”
“So, what have you been up to for the past few years?” she asked. “I never really got to see you guys whenever I’d come into town.”
“You were busy with your momma and things like that. It’s understandable.”
“Any interesting developments? Women in your life? Dating or side jobs of any sort?”
“No to all those questions,” I said with a grin.
“You mean to tell me you’re not dating anyone? Why not? You’re a great catch.”
“Eh, I found my woman awhile back. Things didn’t work, and no other woman measures up.”
“So, you’re a one-night-stander like your brothers,” she said.
“Unfortunately. I’ve got urges and shit, but no passion to settle down with anyone. I don’t want to settle, and I found my princess, but it wasn’t meant to be.”
“Why not?”
“Just wasn’t. We took different paths, and she was happy with hers. Can’t blame her for doin’ what she did, and I’d never ask her to compromise that to be with me.”
“Maybe she wouldn’t see it as a compromise.”
“Maybe not. But I’m okay with where I’m at. The company’s doin’ well, and I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me. Don’t need no distractions like some lady wantin’ my time.”
“I know. Damn ladies and their time-wasting antics,” Katie said with a smirk.
“I’ve missed this, ya know.”
“Missed what?”
“This time with you. We all have. I know none of my brothers will say anythin’ right now on account’a what you’re dealin’ with, but we’ve missed our Katie.”
“Well, I’ve missed you guys too. I don’t want to think about the fact that Michael was intentionally isolating me, but looking back, I can see how others would get that impression.”
“We’re just glad to have you back, even though I know you’re hurtin’ right now.”
“You know, I’m not hurting as much as I thought I would. I mean, it sucks. I know he lost out on money he wishes he could get back. But we were talking about my future. I would’ve been stuck in that rut for the rest of my life, unable to change anything and feeling like I owed him something because of all he did when Mom died.”
“Then how are you feelin’? ‘Cause it can’t be good,” I asked.
“It’s not good, but it’s not bad either. I feel more like I’m in limbo than anything. I have to talk to my landlord and get all that straightened out, and if I can’t, I have to find a place to live here in Dallas. Or around the area, at least. I’m still in the process of trying to find a job here that I enjoy. The one I secured when Michael and I decided to make our home out here was only to help make ends meet so he wasn’t carrying the brunt of the financial responsibility. But I’m not happy with it. It’s just a lot to consider right now.”
“Sounds like it,” I said. “What job you got secured now?”
“The firm I’m with deals in everything. Identity theft, worker’s compensation, basic civil disagreements. It has no focus, and it makes the job ten times harder,” she said.
“What do you wanna do?” I asked.
“Help single mothers.”
“Doesn’t shock me one damn bit,” I said.
“If I had it my way, I’d open my own firm and target helping single mothers with anything they needed. I watched my mother struggle all her life when she could’ve had a court work in her favor. I’m tired of seeing single mothers crapped on by society because they don’t have decent enough representation because they can’t afford it. That’s what I really want to do. But opening my own practice takes money, so I have to work a job I hate to get the money to save to do what I love.”
“I’ve always admired you for your tenacity, Katie. Whatever happens, I know you’re gonna do it because it’s what you’ve always done. You do what you want no matter what’s standin’ in your way.”
“Thanks, Wyatt. I appreciate it.”
“Anytime. But we should be gettin’ back. I still gotta work, and you gotta figure out where your friends went.”
“And check on Hunter. You know, make sure he hasn’t puked up his stomach yet,” she said.
We turned our horses around and rode back to the stables, full gallop through the woods and I got another perfect view of her luscious body. I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She was full of fire and fight and had dreams she wanted to pursue. I knew she was going to be just fine once she got her feet back under her.
Katie always was. She was strong as an ox and bull-headed to the core. If she wanted something, she was going to get it.
We rode the horses up to the stables, and I quickly dismounted. Katie kept getting her boot caught up in the wrong side of the stirrup, and it was making getting down difficult. I held out my arms to her so she could slide right off, but she moved at the last minute, and it threw me off balance. I stumbled back into the stables, landing right up against a damn wooden beam as her body pressed deeply into mine.
“Wyatt. I’m so sorry. I couldn’t get my foot turned around. Are you okay?”
“Yep. Just fine. You good?” I asked.
I looked down at her and caught her wild stare. Her beautiful hair was all in her face, and I brushed it back without a second thought. Something changed in the air around us. It crackled with electricity as I tucked some of her hair behind her ear. I cupped her cheek, and she closed her eyes, nuzzling into my skin as her touch shot fire up my arm.
Desire was filling my gut as my lips made their way toward hers. I was helpless to stop it. My body wanted her more than I could stand.
Our lips connected as my hand wrapped around and supported her neck. At first, it was only my lips moving, and I wondered if I’d made a mistake. I stopped my movements and waited for her to return the kiss, searching for any sign that this was something she wanted too.
Then her hands flew to my hair, gripping it tightly as her lips pressed into mine.
I cloaked her back in my arms and pulled her deeper into my torso. I picked her up off her feet, our tongues dancing together as electricity shivered me in my boots. I walked her deeper into the stables and into a dark corner, shrouding our bodies so I could feel her properly.
This time I wasn’t going to let the moment pass.
CHAPTER 7
KATIE
The kiss took me aback, but it wasn’t like it wasn’t wanted. I’d always had a thing for Wyatt. Well, for all the brothers, really. Ever since our botched moment at prom, and ever since I’d turned eighteen in general. But Wyatt was here making the first move, and I wasn’t about to turn him down. I’d wanted him at prom that night, and I wanted him now, and as he pressed our bodies deeper into the darkened corner of the stable, I could feel his cock pulsing against my thigh.
My hands traveled down his chest, feeling his twitching muscles as my hands gripped at his shirt. My lips were swelling against his. He tasted as good as I thought he would. I could smell the light scent of musk from riding the horses for over an hour. I could taste the coffee he’d been drinking all day on the tip of his tongue. I tugged his shirt over his head, taking in the full extent of the muscles he took great care of.
Holy hell, Wyatt was hot.
We ripped each other’s clothes off and cast them onto the stable floor. I pushed Wyatt down onto a bench and straddled him, my dripping pussy drenching his cock. I sucked on his lower lip and raked my tongue along the roof of his mouth, pulling groans from his throat. He pressed his hands into my hips, guiding me around his cock before he
paused.
“Should I get us somethin’?” Wyatt asked.
“Nope. I get that damn shot every three months. Don’t stop now. Please.”
Then, he slid his dick effortlessly into my body.
My face fell into the crook of his neck, whimpering as he filled me to the brim. His hands guided my movements as I rode his dick. The bench lurched with our movements as the sun drenched the outside of the barn in warmth. My lips were everywhere on him. His cheeks. His neck. His shoulders and his mouth. I couldn’t get enough of how he tasted against my tongue. He pounded up into me, his cock throbbing against my walls as my tits jumped against his chest.
Then he lifted me off his cock, turned me around, and sat me back down.
His hand gripped my breast as his lips peppered my neck with kisses. I reached back, grabbing fistfuls of his hair to pull him closer. I loved the feeling of his lips on my skin. It electrified me in a way sex with Michael never had. His hands caressed every inch of me as his cock began to swell bigger and bigger, and I knew he was close to coming as he grunted into my skin.
“Katie. Shit. Holy hell, you feel just like I thought you would.”
“Oh, Wyatt. Please don’t stop.”
His words buzzed through my body as I sighed his name. He had thought about this, just like I had. His hands ran down my breasts and my stomach, pulling goosebumps up along his path before his hands gripped my thighs. He slammed his cock deep into my body as his fingertips parted my pussy folds, then I felt him graze over my throbbing clit.
I leaned my head back on his shoulder, allowing the pleasure to wash over me as I lost control of my body.
I shivered and bucked. I writhed and moaned. Wyatt covered my mouth with his to swallow my sounds as I felt my toes begin to curl. I exploded on his lap, coming around his cock as juices poured down my inner thigh. I whimpered into his lips, his name chanted on the muffled tip of my tongue as his arms pulled me closer to his chest.
He sheathed himself into my warmth one last time before his body lurched. His legs contracted, and his cock pulsed, emptying his hot cum into my body. My nails raked across his scalp. I gripped him tightly, and his hands kneaded my curves as he filled me with his arousal.
I was shaking on his lap, stars bursting in my vision as our lips finally disconnected. My head was swimming with blinded passion as he held me against his warmth, his strength supporting the weight of my body. I could feel the earth spinning below our feet. I could feel his legs jumping with exertion. His cock fell from my pussy before our fluids dripped down onto the bench.
I didn’t want him to let me go.
But I knew he had to eventually.
“Are you okay?” Wyatt asked.
“Yes,” I whispered, still catching my breath. I got up from his lap and straddled him with my dripping body. His arms draped around me as I threaded mine around his neck. I pulled him in for another kiss, our lips moving slowly as our bodies came down from their highs.
“I’m more than okay,” I said in a whisper.
I reluctantly peeled myself away from Wyatt’s grasp and started to search for my clothes. I tried to clean myself up as best as I could, fluffing my hair out and taking deep breaths to rid my cheeks of their salacious blush. I turned around and found Wyatt staring at me as he pulled on his boots, a cheeky little grin on his cheeks.
I bent down and gave him one last kiss before I relinquished myself to the sunlight.
“I’ll see you around, okay?” I asked.
“I hope so,” he said. “I’m in my office all day if ya want a round two.”
I shook my head and giggled until I heard my brother’s voice.
“Katie? You out here?”
“Oh shit. It’s Hunter,” I said in a whisper.
Wyatt put his finger to his lips before he stood and grabbed my hand.
“Katie? Where the fuck are you?”
I could hear his footsteps walking heavily toward the stables. Wyatt guided me out the back doors and walked me around the corner, urging me to run for the resort as Hunter entered the front doors. I took off as fast as I could, my heart thumping in my ears as Wyatt stayed behind to field my brother. A smile bloomed across my face, adrenaline pumping through my veins as my body slowly freed itself from its shackles.
The idea of getting caught made what Wyatt and I had experienced that much more memorable and exciting. The only problem was my brother actually finding out what happened. If he knew what we’d just done, he’d have Wyatt’s head. I’d never hear the end of it, and the little bit of family I had left would be destroyed.
As much as it pained me to think about, it had to stay a secret.
What happened with Wyatt could never get back to anyone.
And, if I wanted to be really careful, it could never happen again.
CHAPTER 8
DYLAN
Looking at these friggin’ numbers was a pain in my behind. I was excited about opening this new place in South Carolina. Always loved the state. Especially Charleston. That was a town I could get behind. The higher-class pace and the lilting accents. The horse-drawn carriages and all the lovely places to eat. I could live in a town like Charleston, and I was excited to be opening a resort on the outskirts of it, but the numbers were rough. Crunching finances month by month to make sure we had the room to foot something like this was causing more headache than the payoff was worth. But I knew the company could stand to make a boatload of cash from a place in a city like that if I could get the numbers to fit.
The issue? I was distracted.
When Katie called here asking to book us for her wedding, I was more than happy to oblige. I knew us brothers could throw her a wedding she’d never forget. I offered to host the wedding, go all out on the reception, and book her guests up the entire resort and reserve it for themselves for a few days. It would be a nice getaway for everyone, and if there was one woman on this planet that deserved the best, it was Katie.
And I knew we could give that to her.
But after I saw how that good-for-nothing jackass was treating her, it boiled my blood to see her around him. I watched them like a hawk during that rehearsal dinner. I watched him ignore her as the light drained from her eyes. I watched him flirt with other women around him while she was off trying to figure out what in the world had gone wrong. He was nowhere near good enough for Katie, and I applauded her when she called off the wedding herself.
I couldn't get her out of my mind, and I wasn’t sure why. Yeah, I was worried, but it was more than that. I kept having flashbacks to that damn birthday party. Her eighteenth birthday bash we threw her at my house. The way we danced together and the way she was dripping with a desire to kiss me. But my dumbass hadn’t taken the bait.
I continued crunching numbers on my calculator as I moved some things around. Wyatt still hadn’t gotten me blueprints and logistics or anything like that, so there wasn’t much I could do until I had all that at my disposal. The only thing I could do was save as much money as I could until Wyatt could get his part together, then I’d be able to make some projections and work with him on how and when we were going to start construction on the land we purchased.
I sat back in my chair and rubbed my hands over my face. I kept seeing Katie in my mind’s eye. She seemed too relieved for a woman whose wedding just fell through. The light in her eyes when Michael had turned around and announced the wedding was off had shocked me. I figured she’d cry or run off, maybe get angry and storm up the stairs. But she’d smiled.
She’d smiled like she was happy with the outcome.
I was glad she did it. I wasn’t sure if I could stand around anyway and watch her marry that douchebag. He was a piece of shit. A man who wasn’t worthy to be the dirt on the bottom of her soft little foot. Our Katie deserved better after the bullshit hand of cards she’d been dealt all her damn life.
Language, Dylan. Take a breath.
I drew in a deep breath as a knock came at my office door. I looked up and saw Caleb
with his arms crossed over his chest, just staring at me like an idiot.
“What?” I asked.
“Numbers gettin’ to you?” he asked.
“Always. You need somethin’?”
“Yep. A drink. You comin’?” he asked.
“You know I’m in. Andrew or Wyatt comin’?”
“Wyatt’s still holed up in his office down the way, and Andrew’s runnin’ around with this fuckin’ family reunion shit.”
“Language,” I said.
“You and that language shit. Shut up and come on.”
I put everything back into its place before I reached for my coat. I slung it over my shoulders and headed to my car, following behind Caleb to the local bar we frequented. I could use a nice distraction. A beer or two. A woman rubbing up against my side. Her tits in my face as I pounded her into the mattress. That would be a way to get all this stuff rattling around in my mind to stop.
Because I really needed it to stop.
“Two beers, thanks,” Caleb said.
“Make mine a long-neck,” I said.
“So, you wanna talk shop or somethin’ else?”
“Anythin’ else,” I said.
“Good. Because I spotted these two beautiful women in the corner, and I think they’re comin’ our way.”
The bartender slid my beer to me, and I caught it just before I turned around. I put on my best charming smile as the woman with the light blue eyes approached my side. She was looking for a good time, I could tell. Cut-off jeans. Shiny cowboy boots. A t-shirt that fell just enough off her shoulder to give a glimpse of her ample breast. She was going to play coy with me.
“Long day?” the woman asked.
“Worth it for the sight of you, Miss?”
“Delilah.”
“Delilah. What a beautiful name. I’m Dylan.”
“Dylan and Delilah. Has a nice ring to it,” her friend said.
“Ain’t no rings bein’ given out tonight, sweet cheeks,” Caleb said.
I watched my brother grab his woman’s ass and pull her closer to him. He was into that kind of woman: trashy, ready for anything. Caleb was a straightforward kind of guy in bed. He got things done, did the bare minimum of what was required, then kicked them out before they could fall asleep. I didn’t agree with his tactics. Every woman needed to be treated with a bit of respect. But after having his heart broke by that cheating bitch in high school, I knew it was his way of keeping people at arm’s length.