He thrusts inside me, each drive more powerful and consuming than the last. The entire time he stares into my eyes, his hands anchoring me to him with his strength. His muscles flex and shift, a light sheen of sweat coating his sturdy frame as he takes me to infinity. The man is massive and strong like no other, yet touches me as if I’m the most precious thing in the world to him.
“You’re my home, Shyla. Always have been and always will be,” he utters and kisses me so passionately like I’m his only reason for breathing.
I shatter around him, crying out into his mouth—the pleasure and release beyond anything I could imagine. He follows with his own groan, his voice deep and gruff. He pours himself inside me, showering me with his affection.
Lazy, undisturbed moments pass with him sprawled out on top of me. We both aim to catch our breath and allow our hearts to calm the unsteady pitter patter of a resilient, untamed beat for one another. He has just enough pressure on me to cocoon me in his body heat, but not too much to squish me with his towering frame. The man is a brute compared to me; he always has been. It’s one of the things I’ve always loved about him, amongst many others.
“I love you, Clyde.” I could never tell him enough. I’ve made it my mission to say it all the time. I don’t want him to ever doubt it again.
“Love you too,” he replies, with a chaste kiss, his breath mingling with mine as he follows the kiss up with another on my nose, then each cheek, and finally my forehead.
Since he’s so relaxed, I figure now would be a good time to bring up a discussion I had with my mom about our wedding. “I need to talk to you about something.”
He rests his chin on his palm, tilting his head to stare down at me, not in a rush to move off of me one bit, “Mmm?” His eyebrow hikes. So damn sexy this man, even with a lone eyebrow hike.
Licking my lips, I swallow while he watches me closely. “We’ve been looking for places big enough to have the wedding.”
“Yeah?”
I nod and continue. “There are only a few spots that are large enough to hold everyone, but I thought…” My teeth sink into my bottom lip as I bring the once sore subject up. “I thought maybe we could have it on the football field.”
“At the high school?” He leans back a bit more, his brow furrowing.
“I just, well, I mean the school would benefit from the private donation, and it’s a huge area and…” The last part I sort of jumble together. “I-want-to-erase-that-bad-memory-I-left-the-last-time-you-asked-me-to-marry-you.” I get it out with a huff, anxious about his response.
He smiles, pressing another kiss to my nose. “Darlin’, no.”
“Uh…”
“How about we have it at your parents’ or even out here?”
“But I thought…”
“No, Shyla. I see what you’re doing, and it’s thoughtful, and I love you for it. But even if you try to erase that memory, it’ll still be there in the background. We’ve both moved on. I don’t want to think about that day ever, especially not when we’ll be exchanging vows, and you’ll be mine for good.”
“I’m already yours.”
“I know that, but it’ll be before God and the rest of our family and friends.”
“You’re sure?”
“Babe, I don’t care if I marry you in the barn or the backyard or in the middle of the pond. I love you, and that’s what matters to me.” My cheeks heat, the flush spreading over my neck and chest along with my face. His words like that make my heart feel so vast it could burst. “Don’t get all mushy on me.” He chuckles, and I roll my eyes.
“No mushiness, you just mean everything to me.” His stomach growls and a laugh bubbles up. “Guess it’s time to get out of bed. I’m not dealing with you hangry.”
“I’m not bad when I’m hangry,” he defends with a grumble, but I’ve been around him long enough to know that’s bullshit. He turns into a giant man baby when he can’t eat after a while.
“Sure you’re not.” I smother my giggle and pull on his T-shirt, “Come on ‘not grouchy,’ let’s go make us some breakfast.”
He yanks on some basketball shorts, trailing behind. “Can we have chocolate chip banana pancakes?”
“Yeah, big guy.” I send him a wink and continue the trek to the kitchen.
I’d bake this man a damn cake right now if he asked. Hell, I will every morning if he wakes me up with amazing orgasms.
“What’s he going to do?” Amber asks after I’ve filled her in on the latest visit from the sheriff. I’ve only told her so much, not of Nate and Clyde’s private conversations. I don’t want to betray his trust and I won’t, but I do need to talk to someone about it other than the two men directly involved.
I watch as she gulps the draft beer I’d ordered for her moments before she’d arrived at the bar. “How do you not get a beer gut?” The question tumbles out, and she snorts, rolls her eyes and shoots me a look that says, ‘really.’
“Ugh, fine. I can’t help but wonder though. Anyhow, I don’t know. I think Clyde’s at a place in his life where he wants to step in for Nathan’s and my safety, but even he’s unsure what the right course is. What would you do if it were you?”
She thinks it over for a minute, and I gladly accept the small reprieve to stuff a few nachos in my mouth. We’re at the usual spot for our beer-thirty meetings. I was at work when she stopped by, kid free for the time being and we jumped on the opportunity to have a little girl time to ourselves.
“I think he’s smart waiting and not moving to react right away. If the sheriff can get to the bottom of it, then he doesn’t need to step in anyhow. It’d end up being a waste of time and energy for everyone involved.”
“I agree with you. Let’s hope it gets handled by him and not come to Clyde having to do something.”
She nods. “Did you decide on a spot for the wedding?”
“I spoke to my mom earlier today, and I think we’re going to do it at the ranch. But you know her, she wants all the buildings and the house repainted if we do.”
Amber snorts again. “Yeah, like Clyde will go for that.”
“That’s exactly what I said.”
“So it’s safe to say you’ll be having it elsewhere?”
“Nope, we’ll still have it at the ranch, but my mom’s hiring a company to paint everything.”
“Shit, your man is going to be pissed.”
“Oh, he’ll be beyond pissed, but my mother swears it’s a wedding gift, and if it makes me happy, he’ll let me have my way. That man seriously loves me to put up with her shenanigans.”
“Wedding gift, that’s smooth, even if it will put a dent in Clyde’s pride.”
“He’s alpha, and I get that, but the man will learn that my mom likes to steamroll when she comes up with a plan. He’s seen it before, but not nearly this bad. At this rate, she’ll have us arriving by helicopter.”
“Does she realize what she’s up against with him, though?”
I snicker. “Not yet, but she will. He’ll let her get away with this because it’s for our wedding. However, in the future, she’s about to discover not all men are like my daddy and will do what she asks to placate her.”
“To be a fly on the wall in your house when that happens…”
“Oh hell no, I’ll be out in the barn hiding.”
She laughs and stuffs her mouth full of nachos.
“I’ve set a date too. I want to get married on February 7th.”
“So soon? Jesus, Clyde’s testicles are going to freeze off in that weather.”
I nearly spit out the rum drink concoction I’ve just taken in at her comment. “Yes, less time for my mom to go crazy and the closer to me finally having his last name. Besides, we’ll have those tall outdoor heater things to keep everyone comfortable.”
Shyla Owens…yep, that sounds perfect to me.
“Good, then we can have cute dresses too. I was worried about having to find something nice enough that’s long sleeved.”
I rea
ch for a chip and glance up, my spring gaze meeting an annoyed tawny stare from none other than Michael Parsons. “Shit,” leaves me on a breath and I’m quickly moving the fingers in my lap, lighting up my phone. The wedding conversation is quickly put on hold as I try not to draw attention.
I text Clyde as swiftly as I can, alerting him that Michael’s here. I also let him know that I’m safe because Amber is mean enough to kick anyone’s ass, Parsons brothers included.
Michael takes a seat a few tables down, next to one of his brothers. His lingering gaze is still firmly planted in my direction. I wish he’d glance away; it’s a bit awkward.
“What?” Amber grumbles, after swallowing her beer.
“Ichael-May Arsons-Pay.” I point behind her, hiding my finger beside the heaping plate of nachos.
Her eyes widen, and brows jump. “You seriously just went Pig Latin on me?”
I shrug, and she lets loose a loud laugh. “You’re about to be married to Owens! If Parsons so much as says an offensive word in your direction, your man would turn him into horse food before we could blink.”
My nose wrinkles at that image, but she’s right. Clyde did have a bit of a reputation when we were younger. He enjoyed fighting. And it’s terrible to admit, but I loved seeing him fly off the handle occasionally and beat a guy to a pulp that had challenged him. The strength running through him when it’d happen made me tingle all over in awareness. The man was muscle and speed and sexy.
“You have a good point.”
“But you texted the broody man regardless, right?”
“Yep, as soon as I realized who it was. I also told him not to worry because you can do more harm than an ankle biter.”
“Really? First, you talk in Pig Latin, and now you compare me to a Chihuahua?”
“Hey, my aunt had one. That sucker was meaner than a hungry hog. Don’t sell them short because they’re small.”
Amber grins and guzzles beer, leaving a foam mustache and all. She could’ve been a sorority beer champ in college if she’d wanted.
Our table grows tense as the man in question approaches. “Shit,” I mutter, not much of a curser in my every day lingo, so Amber stiffens when she hears it.
Michael stops at the table, positioned between me and Amber sitting across from each other in our usual booth. “Shyla.” He frowns and flicks his gaze to my best friend. “Amber.”
Amber cocks an eyebrow but ignores his greeting.
“I didn’t realize this was your usual hangout, Michael.”
This guy was in my grade. We were never friends, but we never hated each other either. His brother who’s still sitting down at the other table is older than us and quit school before I ever properly met him. Not that I’m complaining about it. As far as I’m concerned, the less interaction, the better. Everyone in town knows the Parsons are nothing but trouble.
He ignores my passive aggressive statement. “Heard a rumor you were marrying Owens.”
“Then you heard right.” I nod, my gaze meeting his, not backing down whatsoever.
“I thought that ship sailed.”
“Funny. Didn’t know you had anything up there to use to think, especially when it came to my relationship.”
“Ouch. What did I ever do to deserve your wrath?”
“Let’s start with a gunshot wound the other night at my fiancé’s ranch. We can backtrack to add more from there if needed.”
“I get it, but did you ever stop to question whether Dallas might’ve deserved it?”
“Excuse me?” Amber butts in. “Did I just hear you correctly? Since when does anyone deserve to be shot?”
Michael’s scowl shoots at her again. “He broke our baby sister’s heart,” he admits after a moment.
Amber, full of fire, doesn’t let him off the hook that easily. “And what, she’s like twelve or something? Get over yourselves.”
The scowl drops, and a smirk soon replaces it. “You don’t have to agree with our methods.”
The bar door flies open with a loud bang reverberating through the room. Our eyes fly in the direction to watch Clyde and Nate thunder inside. My fiancé appears furious and the size of a monster. Clyde’s a large guy, but toss in a little anger, and the man turns into a beast.
A grumble comes from Michael, but he stands his ground. I don’t know if the man actually has a set of balls or if he’s just plain stupid. Regardless, if he’s not careful with that smirk, he’ll have a death wish here shortly.
“He’ll chew you up and spit you out.” Amber grins. “Best run along to your brothers.” She’s going to enjoy this entirely too much.
He ignores her, gaze planted on the approaching fury full of Owens brothers. If Tyler still lived here, he’d be right alongside these two as well.
“You’ve got two minutes to explain why you’re next to my woman,” Wearing a heavy glower, Clyde nearly growls coming to stand—at most—three inches away from Michael. If either of them breathes deeply, they’ll bump into the other. I’m sure chaos will erupt if that happens, and we can’t afford to remodel the entire bar because my man’s angry.
Maybe I should’ve waited to text him, but he would’ve been frantic inside if I had—I know it.
Put on your Sunday best.
When her text came through and I read it, I couldn’t breathe once the words registered. I had to get to her right away. The only time I can remember feeling fear curl up inside my stomach like that, was when I wasn’t sure if I’d get custody of my brothers. Not only that but also when my parents died. The seriousness of the safety of your loved one isn’t something to wager with.
I would offer up my life for hers if that’s what it took to keep her safe and content. She’s not only my past, but my future, and to hear that Parsons was even within the same building as her instantly had my blood boiling. I may have sat back calm and cool to wait for the sheriff over what happened with Dallas, but I’ll be damned if I’m patient when it comes to Shyla.
“Do I need to repeat myself?” I grit out, and he huffs, flicking his gaze from Shy to me. Michael standing here, near her, has me wanting to straight up knock the dude out. The safety of my woman comes before all else at this point.
“I thought this would be a good chance to speak to Shyla since I knew she was close to you.” His stare lands on Nate. “To both of you.”
Amber snorts. No telling what she’s thinking.
“You can’t come to me yourself?”
“I would’ve but figured I’d be met with a shotgun if I tried it.”
Nate grumbles. “And with good reason.”
Michael glares daggers at my younger brother before I interrupt. “I’m here now.”
“My brother had good reason to be fighting with your cousin,” he states, and I refrain from scoffing like I want to.
“Well, obviously not, if it landed him in jail.”
“You of all people know what it’s like to have a broken heart.”
If he didn’t want to piss me off, that’s definitely not the route to go about doing it. Digging up the past is the surefire way to make me want to hit something, not the other way around. “Say again?”
“My sister’s heart is broken. I can explain.” He glances around before coughing out “Join me at the bar for a beer.”
“You’re joking,” Nate mutters, and I shoot him my own look.
My fists unclench as I chant to myself to show patience. I want to be a better man for Shyla; I want to be the best man I can be for her. “All right, one beer,” I agree and plant a kiss on the top of Shy’s head, before trailing Michael to the bar.
Nate plops down at the girls’ table with an angry huff, but a few nachos and some good-natured ribbing from Amber will keep him distracted for a bit. Hopefully, I can get to the bottom of this mess and finally get some answers. Not just about Dallas, but also about them snooping around my ranch.
I sit my ass on the stool next to him and wait for him to break it down for me. We each order from the bartender a
nd once my bottle’s in front of me, I take a long pull off the cold, crisp beverage. Raising the boys has taught me a lot about dealing with people. I can’t always plant my fist first and ask questions later. Sometimes, I have to take a breath and listen before deciding the intended’s fate. Shyla’s okay, and Nathan is right beside her, so I can once again think clearly.
“My sister—she’s the youngest of all of us. I’m not sure if you knew that,” he begins, and I shake my head.
“Had no idea you even had a sister.”
“Most don’t unless they went to school with her. She’s fourteen years younger than you and me.”
I let a quiet whistle escape. No wonder he thinks of her as his baby sister with that big of an age gap.
“Anyhow, she fell in love with Dallas. We weren’t too keen on her dating anyone in the first place.”
I nod, understanding having raised my brothers a part of their life. I can imagine it’d be ten times worse had they been girls. I’d have strangled some guys, I’m sure.
“Long story short, he knocked her up. She didn’t have a chance to tell him before he broke it off with her.”
“Damn it.” What the hell was he thinking? He should’ve been more careful. Often we’re quick to judge a woman on getting pregnant, but how easy is it for the male to stop and wrap it up. Prior to Shyla recently, I’d kept my own cock firmly planted in a condom when it came to having sex.
“So then she gets depressed so badly that she stops eating. Next thing we know, she’s headed to the hospital, miscarrying the baby. We all love her…we were devastated for her. We might’ve not liked Dallas, but it doesn’t mean we wanted anything bad to happen to that baby. The child was innocent.”
“I understand.” I swallow knowing this is so far past my level of knowing what the hell to do.
“My brother lost it seeing her turn into a shell of a person and that night in the hospital when she’d mentioned wishing she could die. Roy had enough at that point. He sought out his own way of dealing with things how he thought was best. None of us would’ve gone off to shoot the guy. We were furious, but guns are permanent. One life was already gone, and my sister was talking about hers being next. I wouldn’t want to add him to the mix. Not only that, but she loves the fool. She’ll never forgive us for this.”
3 Times the Heat Page 17