by LK Collins
“Yes, you have, and you know it. Underneath it all, I could smell the freak inside of you wanting out.”
We laugh at our little banter, and I hold her tightly against my chest. Her face squished against me, and I close my eyes, owning this moment, this solitude because in just a couple of quick days…she’ll be gone, and we’ll both be miserable being away from each other…again.
33
Quinn
Waking up in Merritt’s bed, he’s lying next to me, watching me sleep and has the sexiest grin on his face. “Morning,” he says through a smile and kisses me.
“Morning. What time is it?”
He grabs his phone and says, “Nine thirty.”
“You been up long?”
“Yeah, for a little while. I handled some fires at work and thought we could get out.”
“What did you have in mind?”
“You ever been horseback riding?”
“No, why?”
“Wanna give it a try today?”
“Merritt, are you a cowboy deep down?” I tease him. “Hidden beneath all those sexy layers is there a man that craves the open range?”
“No, ma’am,” he shakes his head and hops out of bed, completely naked. His ass cheeks flex with every step.
“I’m calling your bluff!” I holler out, and he walks out of his closet only wearing a cowboy hat as he struts to the shower.
“I knew it!”
He smirks over his shoulder at me, getting in the shower, and I step over his hat that he tossed on the floor to follow him.
After a very thorough washing and fucking, I think I might have to skip horseback riding. My pussy is sore from so much sex. He’s an animal; there really are no limits.
On the drive, I ask him, “So, are these horses yours?”
“Kinda. They were my mom’s. They were her pride and joy before she passed.”
“I’m sorry, Merritt, I had no idea she was gone.”
“It’s okay; she passed when I was a teenager. Sometimes, I feel like I know the horses better than I knew her.”
“How did she pass?” I hate to ask but have to know.
“Cancer, it came fast and took her quickly. That’s when my dad changed. Without her, he became a prick. So cold and closed off to the rest of the world. I thought it was his way of grieving and that as time went on it would get better, but it didn’t.”
“Is that also why you didn’t pursue your basketball dreams?”
“It is; I was hoping if we worked together that things would get back to how they used to be…but that never happened. We grew further apart and honestly seeing him with our intern the other night disgusted me. My mom would’ve been appalled had she caught him with someone so young.”
“Well, I’m sure she’d be proud of the man that you’ve become.”
“I hope so, Quinn.”
He pulls down a dirt road. The dust morphs around us, and I can feel the sun heating me through the windshield. We have the air on low, and in Colorado, you wouldn’t imagine running your AC this time of year.
Up ahead is a large barn surrounded by acres and acres of open land. There are quite a few horses all over, and as he parks his car in front of a barn, he says to me, “There they are.”
Looking inside, I see two white horses peering out at us. “The white ones?” I ask and point.
“Yes, ma’am.” He hops out of the car and places his hat on his head. I laugh at his polite Texas boy “ma’am” and follow behind him, loving the way his ass looks in his jeans.
“Merritt!” an older man exclaims, riding up on a horse himself.
“John, how are you, sir?” he asks, and they shake hands.
“Very well, son.”
“Good. This is Quinn, my…” he trails off, introducing me and I jump in, the words spilling from my lips. “Girlfriend, I’m his girlfriend. It’s nice to meet you, John.” The man tips his hat, leaning down to kiss my knuckles as I extend my hand up to him.
“Likewise.” His lips are dry, but I can see there is no harm in the interaction.
Merritt’s eyes are all over me, and I’m sure it’s because of what I just said. We haven’t really spoken much more about what the future looks like, but when I think about it, I want to be his and I want him to be mine. “The girls are all suited up and ready for ya,” John says.
“Great, thank you.”
Then he turns on his horse, and Merritt and I walk into the barn.
“Girlfriend?” he asks me.
“Yeah, is that a problem?”
“No,” he blurts out, “No problem at all.”
The horses are so curious to see us, like two children meeting new friends.
“This is Bell, and this is Tink.”
“Like the Disney characters?”
“Yup, my mom was a huge fan.”
Merritt opens the half door to their stall, and I follow him in. He pets both of their noses, and you can see right away they know him very well, and I stand not sure what to do. He takes my hand and places it on Bell’s nose, her eyes look deep into mine, so trusting and loving. Gently I begin to pet her the way he is.
“Here, touch Tink, too. We’ve gotta see which one you connect with.”
As I stand with both of my hands planted firmly on the horses’ noses, I rub between their eyes and Merritt moves behind me, holding my body close to his.
“What do you think, girls?” he asks talking to the horses. “Really, you sure?”
“What did they say?” I ask, acting concerned as I play along with him.
“They both agreed…that you’re gonna need to ride me.”
34
Merritt
“Is there anything I could do to convince you to stay?” I ask Quinn.
“You’d have to take me hostage at this point. I have a big client at work next week that I’m taking the lead on.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem. Your parents won’t come looking for you for at least a week.”
“Stop it. Remember what you said last time—it’s only four days.”
Holding on to the sides of her gorgeous face, I hear her words, but making myself believe them is a whole other story. I’ve grown to depend on our time together. Every interaction is so amazing.
“After what you said at the barn, I want you to know now you’re mine, no more bullshit, no more wavering back and forth scared you’re gonna end up hurt. If I want to fly to Denver to fuck you and leave, then I will, or if I want you at my house for the weekend, it’s gotta happen. I need to know you’re all right with that, okay?
She nods and gives me a huge smile. “Tell me,” I order her.
“Okay.”
Pulling me closer to her, she kisses my neck, hugging me hard. Then they make a last boarding call for her flight, and I hate that she has to go. Yes, it’s a little overboard, but I bought a ticket too, so I could be with her for as long as possible. I don’t know what it is about her, but the woman is driving me crazy.
“I should go.”
“Thank you for everything, Quinn.” I kiss her again, her indulgent lips so smooth against mine. “Call me as soon as you land?”
She stands and I pull her down to me, kissing her once more, then I watch her walk to the attendant, her ass staring back at me, reminding me of how amazing it was to fuck. And then…she’s gone.
Standing up, I look out the window at her plane and know I need to go, or hell, I might just get on it. Walking towards the exit, I spot a bar and decide to stop and have a drink.
“I’ll have a whiskey on the rocks, please.”
The bartender pours my drink and asks me, “You coming or going?”
“Huh?” I respond, in a daze, already missing Quinn.
“You flying in or out of here?”
“Oh, I live here, just dropped my girlfriend off.”
He nods and helps another customer. Drowning my sorrows in the alcohol, I pull out my phone as it vibrates. Gonna power down, thank you for everything this
weekend, babe.
Fly safe, baby. I hit send and set my empty glass down; the bartender refills it, and I exhale heavily. She’s mine, and it’s only four days…I can do this.
35
Quinn
Hugging Kami as I meet her for a cup of coffee, she looks so cute all dressed up for her interview. “Are you nervous?” I ask her.
“Yeah, a little…I guess.”
“Don’t be, you know you got this.”
“I hope so.”
“So how are things with Jacob?”
She smiles, sipping on her coffee and says, “Really good. We’re trying to have a baby.”
“Shut up. How exciting! When did you decide this?”
“In Steamboat. I forgot my pills when we went up there, and we talked about things, and we’re both ready.”
Leaning over, I give my friend a big hug, so happy for her. “So you’re like trying-trying?”
“Uh huh.”
“Wow, that is so awesome. You’ve gotta keep me updated, girl.”
“I will; so…how are things with Merritt?”
“Good.” I sound like a schoolgirl—my voice changes a pitch as butterflies take over my stomach. “It’s just so hard to be away from him every week.”
“But you see him on the weekends, right?”
“I do, and even though it’s all so new, there’s something about him, and us…the relationship is like nothing I’ve ever had. For the first time in my life, it feels real—genuine.”
“Oh Quinn, I’m so happy for you, and what a great snag, he’s super hot.”
“You have no idea. I was at his house this weekend—”
“He lives in Texas, right?”
“Yeah. And he has this cowboy hat, which is totally not my thing, but when he calls me ‘ma’am’ and wears it, I swear I lose all control. We even did anal,” I whisper and look around making sure no one heard me.
“Really? How was it?”
“So good. I was scared it was gonna hurt, but it was the total opposite.”
“Damn, girl. I’m getting hot just thinking about it.”
We laugh like a couple of giggly teenagers and then she checks the time, “Oh God, I’ve gotta go.”
“Good luck, sweetie.” I hug her tightly as she walks to the elevator banks and I head back over to my building. On the way, I call Merritt.
“I was just thinking about you,” he answers in such a sexy tone.
“Yeah, what about?”
“Hmmm, let me close my door.” I hear the door latch, and then he says, “I was thinking about your ass. Fuck, I loved it.”
“Me too.”
“So listen, we might have a little problem with this weekend’s plans.”
“What? No! Why?”
“There’s a huge oil company that just came on the market. This would be monumental for our company and me if I can close the deal. Right now, I’m trying to nail down a price and if I can’t, I’ll likely have to fly to California to do it in person.”
“Can’t your dad do it? He lives there.”
“You know he can’t. I’ve got to prove to him that I’m ready.”
My heart keeps sinking further and further down to the bottom of my stomach. As I enter my building, I imagine not seeing him ‘til next weekend, and I say to him, “I don’t think I can make it nine days without seeing you.”
“Me neither, babe, that’s why I’m gonna get this deal closed, and it’s not gonna interfere with our plans…but I had to be honest.”
“I’m back at work; I should go.”
“Don’t be down. I’ll get it done.”
I hang up with him and wander to my desk, bummed out. Sitting down, I realize that I’m falling for him and I’m not sure how it happened and so damn quickly. The same patterns I always try and avoid always seem to happen, and this is when things begin to go wrong.
36
Merritt
“Should I book it, Mr. Smith?” Suzy asks me as I stare at my computer, waiting for a response from Exlon, the company we’re trying to acquire.
“Give me a little longer.”
She walks off, and I pick up the phone, calling my contact at the company to see if we’ve gotten a response. There is no answer, and I’m pissed off to be dicked around so badly. I call my dad’s office to see if they’ve heard anything.
His receptionist patches me through, and I ask him raking my fingers through my hair, “What if I don’t close the deal?”
“Then I don’t think you’re ready to run this company.” I pace across my office, pissed, that again it’s coming down to one deal. “We need this deal, Merritt, more than we’ve ever needed to close a deal before.”
“That’s what you always fuckin’ say,” I scoff at him. “It’s like you’re changing your mind and giving me a task that’s unrealistic. You know as well as I do that we aren’t going to come to terms with them. They want way too much money.”
“Merritt, you’re not looking at the bigger picture. This is how we’ve gotten to be as big as we are. I don’t have much time left here, and you know it. You’ve gotta prove to me you can steer this company into the future.”
“I’m ready, and you know I am. I’ve been working my ass off for you, I got the Serranos back, and this week alone, I’ve acquired ten new sites with prime oil ready for us to begin drilling.”
“Closing the Exlon deal will be like acquiring a million new sites, so if you want this company, then close the fucking deal.”
Looking at my own reflection in the glass window of my office, I could go off on him for so many reasons. It’s always something else when it comes to him, another reason to stall or another hoop to jump through. He always says, “You know my time is coming…” But when? I just hope in the end it’ll all be worth it.
Hanging up on him, I buzz Suzy and tell her, “Book it.”
“Yes, sir,” she tells me, and I hang up, hating that I have to call Quinn and tell her that I’m not coming to Denver this weekend. But what other choice do I have? He’s leaving me with none, like always.
Closing my office door, I dial her number, and she answers on the first ring.
“The flowers are gorgeous.”
“You got them?” I ask, almost forgetting that I had Suzy send them to her.
“I did, just now. They are sitting on my desk, and now my office smells like a garden. I can’t wait for you to see them, I’ll bring them home tonight.”
“About that…I won’t make it after all. I do have to go to Cali.”
“Okay,” she sounds understanding, not the response I’d expected. I guess I don’t really know what I was expecting.
“You sure?”
“Of course, I know how much your work means to you. I’ll catch up on some TV and see you next weekend.”
Glaring at my father as he sits next to me during our lunch with the Exlon execs, I’m pissed he showed up. This was supposed to be all me, my chance to prove I was ready to run the company, and now here he is.
“Can I get another?” I ask the waiter, pointing to my drink.
I haven’t said much of anything this entire time, my dad being the center of attention like always.
“Haven’t you had enough?” he asks me, leaning over, and I finish the rest of the drink in front of me not answering him.
My phone vibrates, and I pull it out, I’m here, where are you? Quinn texts me.
What the fuck?
Like here-here? How is that possible? Looking at my phone, the screen becomes blurry. Fuck, I drank a lot. I text her back. Where?
Cali, your hotel. Probably shouldn’t have given me access to your calendar. But I brought the sash.
Now anxious to leave and take out some of my pent-up frustrations the way I love to most, I ask the question of the hour, “So let’s be honest.” The group of six men, my father included, all look at me. I clear my throat and try not to sound so drunk. “What’s it gonna take to close the deal?”
One of the men lea
ns forward, resting his elbows on the table and says to me, “I think about a half million more.”
“What about a partnership?” I offer, knowing…I have to close the deal. He didn’t say we had to be the sole owner, just to close it.
The men all seem intrigued. My father, on the other hand, is suddenly tense. “What did you have in mind?”
“Let us take over your leases for one year, with the option to buy at the end of the term. It’ll give you the cash you need from going bankrupt, and it’ll give us the oil we need to produce revenue.”
The men seem to all be considering it, and my father says, “As CEO, I’m sorry, but I’m only looking to purchase your company, one hundred percent.”
“A half million more,” their CEO says, and then they stand, shaking our hands before leaving the table. My father, as usual, ruined the negotiations.
“What the hell was that, Merritt?” he scolds me.
“You told me to close the deal, so I was closing it.”
“I told you I wanted to acquire them.”
“Sure, but you didn’t say how. And a lease-to-buy option is a good one. We’d have revenues coming in next month. Which is way faster than the process of purchasing them is going to be. You know with lawyers and paperwork, it’ll at least be a year, and what, are you gonna stay until that’s done too?”
He doesn’t answer me, and I walk away from my dad. He’s pissed and hot on my heels. “You don’t have the authority to make those decisions,” he says.
“Of course I don’t, ‘cause had I come here alone like I’d planned, I’d have the deal closed, but without the authority to do it.”
Walking up to my hotel, my dad walks off not saying anything else. I hope he feels fuckin’ stupid for shooting down my idea, ‘cause he’s gotta know it’s brilliant and the best way to acquire one of the largest commercial oil producing companies.