Slade and Kally: Letting Go of the Reins, Book 1

by AE Rought

  “Yes, sir.”

  He closed the door, his heart pounding and blood raging. The word “yes” had released the floodgates in him, all the passion and desire he’d dammed up inside. Slade wanted Kally, wanted to hold her, taste her, make love to her until she cried his name. “Come here, girl. I want make you dirty before we get clean.”

  She batted her eyelashes. The mix of her pouting lips and sexy bedroom eyes fed the flames of desire in him. Slade loved it when she played coy. Stepping closer, he could smell yesterday’s jasmine and lavender, and beneath, her warm skin. Her hands slid down his arms, and detoured to his belt buckle. He looked down. She locked gazes with him, a naughty, intent gaze to set his blood pumping and erection higher.

  His jeans hit the floor once the belt was pulled free and a couple buttons were popped. Kally reached for her own shirt hem, and while he appreciated her fervor, he stopped her. Slade pulled her close, kissed her deeply tasting her tongue, her breath, and then held her shirt snug against her and tasted her nipple through the fabric. The feel of her body beneath the material turned him on. His hand roamed her body, caressing, teasing, slipping beneath hemlines and waistbands. She twitched, she moaned and his body responded, heating up, getting harder.

  She whimpered, tugging at her shirt hem. “Please…make love to me.”

  “Strip for me first.”

  She locked gazes with him, pulling her shirt off while her body undulated from the chest down, accentuated at her pelvis. “Mmm,” he said. “I like that.”

  “Then watch this…” She turned around, repeating the motion so her bottom rose in a delectable curve when her pants came off.

  “Stay right there.” Slade stood close behind her, bending her over the bathtub’s edge to enjoy the curve of her butt while he unwrapped and put on a condom. Spreading her ankles with a foot, he bent her knees forward and out with his hands. Then, with her gorgeous behind propped up, he tasted her sweet honey when he licked her.

  Her thighs trembled and Kally nearly vaulted the tub. “Light touches tickle.”

  “Let me fix that.” He only wanted to make her happy, give her pleasure. Guiding her to bend further over, he pressed his erection up and into her. She moaned, taking him in, and he hardened to a pained persistence. The constriction, the friction when he ground into her set fires in his loins and built a pressure he needed to release.

  Kally heightened his pleasure and his agony when she adopted his rhythm, rocking back against him, and then she shocked him by guiding his fingers between the folds of her flesh. She wiggled at the push and pull of each slide along his length, and the motion made him throb until he was panting and pumping into her. She cried out in orgasm first, and then he succumbed to the release he desired, clutching her hips and groaning her name.

  Kally collapsed on the edge of the tub, panting. He stroked her butt and then guided her over the edge and into the tub. “Turn on the hot water, darlin’. I’ll be in in a second.”

  She started up the shower while he disposed of his protection. Then wrapped in steam and his mother’s herbal products, he washed Kally’s hair and body, indulging in the simple pleasure of lather on her skin. When he’d rinsed Kally, she took the washcloth and washed him too. If touching her and allowing his hands to slide in the bubbles was a pleasure, Kally washing him, rubbing his chore-sore muscles was pure bliss. “I’ve never had anyone wash me…ever.”

  “No one had ever washed my hair before you did either. I wanted to return the favor.”

  “I’ll take the trade.” Her laughter was light and sweet, an honest gift on Christmas morning. And, with the thought of Christmas morning and presents, he knew there was very little time left before the ranchers arrived for the Christmas gathering. “We need to hurry up and get dressed. The ranchers will be here any minute.”

  She slipped to the back of the shower and pushed him into the spray to rinse. Twisting her hair tight, she wrung water from it before exiting the curtain and leaving him to turn the faucet off. Then he joined her on the rug, scrubbing the towel’s nap on his skin to dry off. Wrapped in towels, they scurried to their respective rooms to dress with promises to meet in the kitchen later.

  Flushed and hair still damp, Slade hurried down the stairs and directly into Rosie. Her knowing glance only intensified the heat of his blush. “Getting a late shower?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Kally, too?”

  He poked his toe at the Santa standing closest. Rosie had cornered and embarrassed him with motherly ease. “Yes, ma’am.”

  Her stern expression cracked and then fell away beneath the light of a smile. Rosie’s dark eyes brightened in a knowing expression and deepened his mortification. Popping half of a cookie into her mouth, she sauntered off and Slade was certain within moments every woman in the house would know he and Kally had had sex. Suck it up, Slade. Everyone knows you love her.

  Gaze averted, he shuffled into the kitchen and poured a mug of coffee. He rested his ass against the edge of the sink. The counter was covered with dishes of all kinds: cheesecakes, pumpkin pies, spiced apple turnovers, bacon wrapped shrimps and scallops, little sausages simmered in cherry preserves, finger sandwiches, even a seven-layer salad he was certain Emma had brought.

  “Mother would be proud.”

  “She’d be proud about what?” Kally asked when she appeared around the corner.

  “You and me, and the fine feast we amassed with our friends’ help.” He held out a hand and she cuddled up to his chest. It felt so good to hold her. The world could melt away and Slade would be happy if he could hold onto Kally. The world wasn’t going away, it was Christmastime and the Fourth Moon was filled with guests. Anticipation bubbled up in him like a kid waiting at the top of the stairs for Mom and Dad to say it was okay to come down. He looked forward to the look on Kally’s face when he gave her his present. Her expression would be his best gift this year.

  “Hey, you two. Get out here and join us in the living room.”

  Slade sighed, reluctant to release her, but he knew in his heart, he’d never lose her. Kally wriggled free of his grasp, lacing her fingers in his when she led the way to the living room, to his favorite corner of the fireplace hearth. In her most adorable manner she stepped aside and motioned for him to sit in order for her to lean against his legs.

  Normally his mother would pass out the gifts. With his parents in Connecticut, Rosie took over her role with consummate ease. She stood and addressed the gathering. “This year, our normal hosts Pine and Bonnie are away on business, and with Slade tucked behind Kally, I’d like to pass out the presents. And the first one is for…” She fished into the pile of presents. “Emma! And it’s from Slade and Kally.”

  Slade felt the muscles of Kally’s back tighten. He placed a hand on her shoulder, but there was no need to comfort her. The wrapping came away from the hardcover edition of the next book in her favorite series. Her eyes widened and she squealed. “Thank you, Kally! Thank you, Slade!”

  “You’re welcome.” Kally relaxed beneath Slade’s hand on her shoulder. He liked it there.

  Rosie continued to pass gifts out one by one, and Slade could have gone the entire day without one, but a large, flat package was eventually placed in his hands to Rosie’s announcement, “And this is for Slade, from Kally.”

  He hadn’t expected a present. Her love was enough of a gift. “Kally, you didn’t have to…”

  Her blue eyes sparkled brighter than her smile. “I know. Rosie helped me.”

  With his curiosity piqued, Slade pulled away the brown wrappings and exposed a hand-wrapped, hand-knotted dream catcher. Strips of fabric dangled from the edge of the web and jogged his memory. He ran his fingers down the frayed lengths. With eyes half closed, replaying the memory of the day they had picked out the Christmas tree, he asked, “These were torn from your shirt the night you came here, weren’t they? They were on the Christmas tree…”

  “This way, a part of me will always be watching over you at nigh
t, catching the bad dreams and giving you good ones.”

  Healing had helped Kally so much, and now she even wore her heart on her sleeve and his mother’s ring on her finger. Bending down to kiss her, Slade knew all was right in the world. When he pulled away, he stood and danced foot to foot through the wasteland of wrapping paper scraps and opened boxes. “And now, I have one last gift to give. Close your eyes, Kally.”

  He grasped the edges of Kally’s gift and pulled it out from behind the tree where he’d hidden it earlier. The gasps started before he’d slid it to the front of the room, and people moved out of Slade’s path. With the seat pointed toward her, he said, “Open your eyes, Kally.”

  The expression on her face was more than he could’ve hoped. Her jaw dropped, her eyes widened and then teared, and she struggled through the sea of paper and packaging to get to the rocking chair she’d first seen in pieces in the carpentry shed. She ran her fingers over the varnish, touched each slat and spindle. She even wiped away the tears splattered on the seat. “Oh, Slade.” She twined the fingers of one hand in his and ran the fingers of her other on the arm of the chair. “It’s beautiful. Thank you, so much.”

  “You’re welcome, Kally. I hope you enjoy it for years to come.”

  With the last of the presents exchanged, the guests went into clean-up mode until all the packaging was broken down and Emma’s husband Stewart offered to take it out to the burn barrel behind the shed. The men drifted away into evening ranch chores and returned when evening shadows had fallen and the ladies were ensconced on the sofas with cups of tea. Slade stomped the snow from his boots, hung his jacket on the hall tree and then wrapped Kally in a bear hug, sneaking his frozen fingers up her shirt.

  The squeal and wiggle was worth it, and he enjoyed the spanking she gave him once the guests were gone. He loved her playful side. It fascinated him in a completely different way from her soft feminine side or her feisty side. Together they blew out the candles and turned out the lights, but she wouldn’t come to bed until her kitty came into the house for the night. Then, with the tomcat curled before the fire, she followed him up the stairs. After sharing the sink to brush their teeth, he left her room to hang the dream catcher above his bed and then returned to Kally’s room. She was already in her pajamas and waiting for him under the covers.

  “Hurry up and get in bed.” She pouted. “I’m cold.”

  “So all I’m good for is a foot warmer?”

  “Of course not. You saved my life, healed my heart and taught me to love again. You’ve given me a wonderful home and…I love you.”

  What more was there to say? “I love you too, Kally.” Slade climbed into bed, snuggled up behind the woman he loved and soon lost himself to sunlit dreams of future days with Kally on the ranch.

  Slade and Kally: Letting Go of the Reins, Book 1

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  A phone ring ruined the early morning silence. Slade woke with a start and climbed over me like an animal scrambling for cover. I rolled to the wall thinking it was a rancher calling about the morning rounds.

  I was wrong.

  Slade’s voice bellowed up the stairs, a note of panic making it sound alien in the big house. “Susan’s husband Jerry is on the phone, Kally.”

  Jerry is calling? My guts seized and the strength sluiced from me. If Jerry is calling, the news can’t be good. I wrapped the quilt around my shoulders and forced myself to walk to the office, pushing through tension making it difficult to breathe. “Hello?”

  “Kally, this is Jerry.” His voice broke into sobs, and then he forced them under control. “Susan’s in the hospital.”

  My heart stopped but picked up a rhythm echoing in my ears. “Jerry, what happened?”

  His voice dripped acid. “Matt happened. I left to pick up the boys from an overnight party with my parents, and when I came home…” The sobs returned, but this time he spoke through them. “The front door was hanging by the hinges when I drove onto the driveway.

  “I left the boys in their booster seats and ran in. Sue was lying in the foyer, unconscious. Her face was bloody… She…” Jerry couldn’t continue with the sentence. “I called 9-1-1. The paramedics said she had a closed head trauma and she’d been choked. They had to put a tube down her throat.”

  “Oh dear God…” Tears fell unchecked. Slade took the phone from me and guided my head to his shoulder. Sobs shook through me. Air refused to enter my lungs. Slade stroked my back and rocked side to side.

  “Jerry, this is Slade Carlson, Kally needs a moment. Is there anything we can do for Sue?”

  Jerry’s voice hummed through the phone. Slade stroked my hair while he replied. “Are you sure? We have plenty of rooms here at the Fourth Moon. Y’all are welcome to come here while she recuperates.” The buzz of Jerry’s voice took on a more stable tone before Slade spoke again. “No, no, you wouldn’t be putting us out.” He paused and I wiped tears and snot while Jerry responded. “Oh, one of our ranchers is a retired teacher. She could homeschool the boys… Well, please think about it okay?”

  More under control, I nodded my head and motioned for the phone. “Jerry, can Sue talk?”

  “Sorry, Kally. She’s sedated. I’ll have her call when she’s awake and can talk.”

  My heart wasn’t any better, even if my tears were under control. “Thanks, Jerry.”

  “Don’t thank me, Kally. I think Matt’s headed your way. We received the box Christmas Eve morning—the return label was torn off—when I came home this morning, Sue was laying in the living room with brown paper bits littering her face. It was the return address, Kally. Printed out on a shipping label.”

  Shipping label? The helpful people at the post office had doomed me and my family.

  I dropped the phone, unable to hold it any longer. Clinging to Slade, I shook while the old fear rampaged through me. Picking up the phone, Slade apologized to Jerry and then hung up the phone. “What is it, Kally?”

  “He’s coming.”

  “You’re ex?”

  The terror on my face answered his question.

  “We’ll be ready. He won’t hurt you or anyone else again.” Slade led me to the fireside armchair and wrapped me in the quilt I’d dragged down only moments ago. “You sit here while I make a couple of phone calls.”

  A numb sense of detachment flooded me while I stared at the lights on our Christmas tree. The warmth of the fire did not reach me. The whole season seemed hollow now. My utopia was gone, destroyed by Matt. Slade was here, and he was mine. I loved him more than I thought possible, but the monster from my past had come back to haunt me. He had hurt my sister and now he was coming for me. I curled my feet beneath me and shriveled inside, retreating behind the walls I’d erected within to keep my sanity.

  Shutting the office door, Slade walked out into the great room and stood in front of me. Tears beaded up and blurred my vision when I looked up at him. I didn’t want to cry, to lose myself to the fear in the shadows of my past. My lip trembled. He took off his Stetson, placing it on the antler rack beside the fireplace. Kneeling down, he took my hands and forced me to face him. His blue eyes were intent. The lines of his face were set. “Kally, come back to me.”

  The fear screamed inside. I bit my lip and my gaze drifted from his face back to the flames. Slade would not let me crawl any farther into myself. “Come on, girl.” He tugged my hands, pulling me from the chair and onto his lap. “I’m here now. Nothing is going to happen to you, Kally.” He lifted my face until our gazes met. “I love you.”

  I flung my arms around him, burying my face in his neck. “I love you too. I’m just so scared. If he hurt Sue so badly…” I shuddered. Only Slade holding me in the moment kept me out of my shell. “He would have done worse to me. She could have died. I could’ve died.”

  He grabbed my chin, forced me to focus on his eyes—those cool, pale blue eyes I’d fallen for, fallen into, with complete abandon. “Kally, I swear I will do everything in my power to protect you. I would lay down my l
ife for you. And if he’s stupid enough to come here, he’s coming onto a ranch full of people armed to the teeth. He’ll be biting off more than he can chew.”

  I nodded my head and collapsed against him, depending on Slade to hold me up while I fell apart. He rocked me side to side, stroking my hair and back until the storm subsided within and I crashed onto the bedrock of new love in my soul. He was my strength, the ranch was my shelter and the timeshares were my new family. I would not leave, nor be taken from it. I knew, however, there was no “if” where Matt was concerned. I was here, he knew it and he would not stop until I was in his sights, underneath his fists. “We need to prepare…”

  “I’ve put calls in to the P.D., got Red coming this afternoon and the timeshares will be here in an hour to discuss the situation. I suggest we get showered and eat something. You’re going to need your strength.”

  You have no idea. No sooner had I entertained the thought than I knew I was wrong. Slade did have some idea of what a domestic abuser can do. He had been a police officer. He’d run calls with victims like Susan and like me. I nodded and took his hand to lead him to the shower, but he shook his head.

  “Nope, darlin’. I have a few more calls to make, then I’ll get breakfast going. Rosie will be here to sit with you in a few minutes, then I’ll get a quick shower.”

  I needed him with me, but I also understood this was Slade’s way of seeing to my safety. If Matt had attacked Susan this morning, there was no telling where he was. He could be here in the middle of the night… An image of his bulking frame darkening the Fourth Moon’s doorway burned in my mind and I shuddered. Wrapping my arms to my chest, I walked to the foyer and peered out the windows into the falling snow. How long would it take for him to get here?

  “Kally.” Slade’s voice was soft, measured when he called my name.

  “Yes…I know.” My shoulders fell and I turned from the windows. Slade wrapped an arm around my shoulder, ushering me up the stairs and starting my bath for me before he shut the door and left me with my thoughts.