He shifted on the ball, hoping to hide the evidence in his jeans. He cast a glance across the room at his so-called therapist who tapped away at her phone. Probably sexting by the Cheshire smile on her face. He wondered if she were old enough to legally buy a beer, let alone have enough training as a therapist.
Hell, he didn’t care, just as long as she stayed back. She giggled and gave her hair a toss over her shoulder. Apparently, doing her own personal thing made her happy.
He focused straight ahead on the framed painting of a horse. He didn’t know much about art, but had an idea the picture was expensive. It was a leftover from old man McAllister who had luxurious tastes. Chance had told Duke he could get rid of anything left in the house, but he guessed it’d take him a bit to get comfortable in the new surroundings. Before he’d been bound to bed sleeping off the coma, he’d lived in the working quarters at the Swift Wind. Of course, staying there had been a choice, not a necessity. He’d always been a man of basics and as long as he had a bed and a sink to wash up, he was a satisfied man.
He had more than a pot-to-piss-in now. He had a home and a fam—
Shit!
“Keep going. You’re doing good,” the therapist said, pulling his thoughts off the sore subject. He didn’t even glance her direction.
He was getting stronger. His muscles weren’t as weak. Soon he could be out on the ranch again. The whole pathetic body thing crushed his ego, especially a man who’d once had enough self-esteem for three men.
He was bent, not broken, and his inflated confidence could rub some people the wrong way, but he’d never been heartless. He realized he’d said some hurtful words to Lila at the clinic. He couldn’t take them back, but he guessed he could apologize. Yet, saying sorry meant he’d had a change of mind, and he hadn’t. What sort of father could he be? The only parental role he’d had growing up was Chance’s father and he was a mighty fine one, but good parenting definitely wasn’t handed down in his genes.
He’d wanted to be a father, that is, before the accident. Before the scars. Maybe at a time when Lila was his.
Bitterness rose in his throat. He loved Lila. He’d awakened from the coma and he’d wanted to see her pretty face.
When she’d walked into the room at the hospital he’d seen her look of shock. Had she’d given up hope on him waking up? Eighteen months was a long time. If she’d been the one laying in that bed, would he have given up? Hell no. There’d been no other to fill his heart. However,
he couldn’t forget she’d had his child. She’d carried their baby, given birth and cared for her alone. Then one day she gets a call telling her he was awake. Hell, news of that magnitude would send anyone for a loop.
Something more than pride made him resentful. The fact was, Lila had moved on, at least that’s how it seemed. He’d seen the rock on her finger and Chance verified she’d gotten engaged to pretty boy Lucas. He remembered the doc. The man had good looks and a heroic job. Who wouldn’t like him? Duke hated him.
He growled, which caught the therapist’s attention. She eyed him over top of her cell. “Sorry to disturb you,” Duke said.
She grinned, probably a smile she’d perfected to get her way. It was wasted on him. Maybe once upon a time, he’d have been attracted to her, but another woman had her claws in his skin, and for the life of him, he liked the pain. “That’s okay. Just girl talk. My bestie broke up with her boyfriend. He cheated. Sarah is pissed.”
This is where he had to draw the line. If this wasn’t humiliating enough, there was no way in hell he’d listen to her chit-chat. He stood up from the oversized ball and gave it a light kick. “Candy? Right?” She nodded as her eyes widened. “Candy, tell Sarah all men are pricks. The sooner she realizes it the better. And here’s another fact, real cowboys don’t ride sissy colored balls. They ride stallions. You got one of those tucked away in that bag of yours?”
Her face paled. “No.”
“Didn’t think so.” He moved toward the hallway. “You’re done here.”
“But…but,” she sputtered. “I…we have another thirty minutes.”
He stopped at the threshold and looked at her. “Think of it this way, now you can do what real friends do.”
“What’s that?” She appeared confused.
“They chat face-to-face. Ever tried it?” Her mouth dropped. Apparently not. “Try it some time.”
****
Duke relaxed back onto his bed and stretched his legs. He’d gotten comfortable just as the knock came. He wasn’t surprised, knowing Lila would be breathing down his neck for the Candy issue. Instead of getting up, he closed his eyes and sank deeper into the mattress. He’d hoped she’d gotten the hint and left, but unfortunately, she opened the door. His own damn fault for not turning the lock.
He opened his eyes, but didn’t acknowledge her. He grabbed the remote from the nightstand and flipped on the TV.
“Don’t you dare act like I’m not standing here!” she said.
He didn’t need to see her to know she had her gaze on him, hard as nails. “Didn’t we have the discussion about privacy?” he said, keeping his eyes glued to the flat screen. “You’re interrupting my show.” She moved across the room, into his line of sight, kicking a few cans and clothes along her way. “Aw, now that just stinks. I had those items right where I wanted them.”
She clicked the power button on the TV and turned toward him. Her fists were situated on her hips. Was she preparing for a lecture?
“Why did you send the therapist away? She was here to help you,” she asked.
He didn’t want to satisfy her with a reply, but he knew she’d grill him until he did. “I don’t need her.”
“Dr. Scott thinks you do.”
“Dr. Scott has never been asked to roll around on a purple ball.”
“Is that why you sent her away? Because the color of the ball wasn’t manly enough?” She blew out a breath.
“I don’t have time to kill.” Duke sat up against the headboard.
“Of course you don’t. Not when you can sit around all day watching men holding sticks.”
“It’s called pool and those men are sharks.” One brow popped up and her frown deepened.
Yeah, he’d sunk pretty low. He played pool, but had never been one to sit back and watch the action. He couldn’t resist the temptation any longer. He brought his gaze up to look at her. He knew she’d been puttering around the kitchen all morning. The sounds of clattering pots and pans, and the sweet and savory smells of home cooking floated into his room like a hypnotic lure. Her cheeks were rosy, her hair hung in waves and he wanted nothing more than to run his fingers through it on his way to touching skin. She’d exchanged the T-shirt for a strapless red top and shorts that made him want to drag them down her legs with his teeth. Fuck! His balls ached.
“You need to go out,” he said through clenched teeth.
“You want to sit around here all day eating your chips, so be it.” She threw her hands up. “You want to live in a pig sty, I can’t stop you.” She kicked a shirt across the room.
“Aren’t you supposed to be at work giving your patients instructions? Lay off me. I’m not a child.”
“There comes a point in everyone’s life when they need to realize their attitude is comparable to a spoiled brat.”
Her words raced through him like wildfire. He slid off the bed, making a sizeable effort in moving as fast as his body would carry him. Standing at his full height, with his legs steady underneath him, he stared at her. “What part of ‘leave me alone’ don’t you get? For some reason, you can’t understand those boundaries.” His adrenaline was on high.
“I’m trying to help your ass when all I want to do is kick it into the next county.”
“No one asked for your help. In fact, it’s annoying.” Her bottom lip trembled. A stab of guilt made him swallow. He reminded himself to keep his wall up.
“I’m annoying?” Her laughter was harsh. Most women would have stormed out, but not Lila
. She stomped across the room and stopped directly in front of him. Her eyes were like daggers ready to slice him into shreds. “I know boundaries, Duke. I know them very well. But let me help you with remembering a few things. Four years ago, you walked out of my life. I left you alone. Then one day you show up on my doorstep with a story of wanting to help Chance and Carly reunite. It didn’t take long before we landed in bed—again. I promised myself I’d never fall for your charm like I’d done the first time. Unfortunately, I fell like a foolish teenager, in spite of knowing you’re not the commitment type.” He saw a mist in her eyes. She blinked and the moisture disappeared. “Now you’re running just like before, and using your injury as the excuse. Don’t worry. I’ve learned my lesson.”
“If you don’t leave now, I won’t be held responsible for what happens!” Every muscle in his body tensed.
“What are you talking about?”
Logical reasoning gone, he grabbed her hips and dragged her against his body. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” he whispered as he dropped his mouth to hers. He pressed his lips against her, slipping his tongue inside her mouth and tasting her sweetness. Every nerve ending, every cell, charged alive. He was consumed with heat and need. If he didn’t gather himself, he’d lose control.
He started to pull away, but her arms looped around his neck and a moan escaped her, erasing any possibility that this would end without fulfillment. He’d suffer the consequences later, for now he wanted to fall into the madness and the unyielding connection that drew them together.
Her fingers dropped to his waist and undid the button. At the same time, he slid his hands down her slender body, to the hem of her shorts and smoothed his palms across her silken thighs. In one swift move, he lifted her until her legs were wrapped around his hips. He took two steps to the bed and lowered her, keeping their bodies entwined. He laid down on top of her.
He lifted his head and looked down into her bright eyes. “Tell me to stop, and I will.” His words came out on a long breath.
The tip of her tongue swept out and moistened her bottom lip. “Stop now and I shall burn and disintegrate,” she whispered.
Lifting himself up on his knees, he unfastened her shorts and removed them from her body, her pink panties followed. The air left his lungs in bittersweet yearning. “Damn, you’re so beautiful.” He ran his palm along the slight curve of her stomach and downward, running his fingers across the apex of her thighs. Vanilla entwined with the scent of sweet pussy enveloped his senses. His cock grew and he thought he’d burst.
She must have read his thoughts. She unzipped his jeans and pushed them off his hips, freeing his cock that stood full and erect. He helped by sliding them further down his legs and gave them a toss. Her fingers wrapped around him, pumping and milking, as her hips churned in invitation. Urgency washed over him. It’d been long, too long, and he searched for control. Managing his breathing and burying his face into her chest, he counted ten. When the tightness eased some, he buried his finger knuckle deep inside her silken opening. “You’re fucking hot.”
“I want you, Duke!”
“Are you taking something, baby?” he asked against her cheek. “Protection?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
Removing his finger, he pressed the head of his cock against her lips and her tight muscles wrapped around him. He slid deeper as she swirled her pussy in a rhythmic motion, her fingers gripped his shoulders as he plunged into her. His balls tingled. Her body tensed and her breathing turned ragged. Her nails sank into his back and it drove him over the edge. One last jerky motion and he released.
They lay together, Duke listening to the fast beating of her heart. He didn’t want to move because he knew once he did the pleasant mating would end. He rolled to the side and the cool air swept across his moist cock. Silence became a dark cloud hovering over them.
Lila moved off of the bed, pulling on her panties followed by her shorts. Her hair was disheveled and her lips were swollen from his kisses. His cock jerked and pointed at the ceiling proudly. He was ready for round two, but the distance in her gaze told him it wasn’t happening. His tongue was frozen and his dick went flaccid. She wrapped her arms around her waist and dismay flooded him. “I know that look,” he said. He wished he was a man with a broad vocabulary because he wanted to say something, anything, to erase the signs of disappointment marring her beautiful features.
“And what is this look?”
“That was a record breaker. Hot to cold in seven seconds.” He grabbed his jeans and stood up to pull them on; thankful he didn’t fall flat on his face.
The area between her brows wrinkled. “I’ll make this easy. Ava is your daughter. Only you can choose what kind of a father you are. My mom always told me that God made three types of men. A man who steps up, a man who steps down, or a man who just simply isn’t. Which one are you, Duke?”
With a flip of her hair, she turned on heel and was gone.
Release and satisfaction didn’t feel as sweet as he thought it’d be.
CHAPTER EIGHT
LILA SHUT HERSELF in her bedroom and leaned against the closed door. She breathed in through her nose and exhaled through her mouth, hoping her blood pressure would ease.
Who did he think he was? Duke could be the most egotistical jerk she’d ever come across, and turn around and sweep her off of her feet. She’d had sex with him. It was unavoidable. When two people are drawn together the force becomes too much. She couldn’t allow guilt to blur how good it’d felt. Her inner thighs still quivered.
This wasn’t only about her, though. It was about Ava too.
Lila bit back a sob. How could things be so out of hand? Life should be easier, predictable. Lila had to protect Ava. Duke clung to his wrath of self-pity, but she refused to allow her child to become a hostage in this. She had to pull herself out of the hold Duke had on her and look for her future as Ava’s mother.
Taking her cell from the nightstand, she tried calling Carly. No answer. She started to put her phone down but it vibrated. A text message from Shaun Lucas.
She read it:
“Can I see you tonight? You disappeared.”
****
Duke heard the scream-like crying from down the hall. He’d tried burying his head under the pillow, but it hadn’t worked. Getting out of bed, he paced the floor. He wasn’t sure if it was his anxiety or guilt that had him bothered. The cries were like a razor cutting into his sanity.
He walked the floor until he could no longer stand it. Opening the door, he stuck his head out, glancing toward Ava’s room.
Lila had left about an hour ago with Lucas. Duke had watched from his bedroom window as she’d climbed into the passenger side of Lucas’s Porsche. Her smile had made Duke frown. She’d glanced up at his window as they pulled away. He’d been quick and darted back before she saw him, at least he’d hoped.
Margaret Dennis had showed up sometime before Lila had left. Apparently, the older woman babysat Ava, but lacked skill. Could she even console an upset baby?
Duke left the solitude of his room and strode toward the sound of the unhappy child. He stopped at the cracked door and peered in. Ava stood inside her crib. Her disheveled hair and rosy, tear-stained cheek appearance shot through him like a dull knife.
So this was Ava.
Caught up in the moment, he’d forgotten he wasn’t stable on his feet. He lost his balance and his shoulder struck the wooden frame. He stepped back, but he was too late. The child saw him and held him in the depths of her cornflower gaze. She stopped crying, but her bottom lip trembled as she sniffed loudly. His heart melted.
“Duke?” Margaret stood up from the rocker, blocking his view of the baby. “Lila said you’d probably be in your room for the rest of the night.”
“Something is wrong with the child.” Hearing a gurgling noise, Duke stepped past Margaret. The baby was sucking on her fist.
“She’ll be fine. She’s only teething.”
He doubted the crying
could be blamed on teeth. Closer to the crib now, he stood within arm’s reach of the child. Ava still watched him, curiosity mingled with sadness in her expression. One thing he didn’t see, and it amazed him, she wasn’t afraid. On instinct, he lifted his hand and placed his palm against her forehead. “She feels warm.”
“A side effect of teething,” Margaret said.
“Don’t teething children need held?” he asked.
“Yes, sure.” Margaret moved past him, reached into the crib and lifted Ava into her arms. “I think you should try.” The woman pushed the baby into his arms. He resisted, but Margaret insisted. “Try.”
“I don’t think this is a good idea.” He couldn’t hide the trembling in his voice.
“You’re her father. What’s not good about it?”
Duke brought his arms up and wrapped them around the child. He’d never held a baby before and the tiny figure against his chest felt awkward but nice. Her fists bobbed in the air and she whimpered. “I don’t think I’m doing this right,” he said.
“You’re holding a child, not balancing a set of dishes.” Margaret laughed.
Adjusting his arms, Duke found a more comfortable position for the baby. She seemed to like it better too because she cooed and laid her head against his shoulder. Feeling his knees weaken, Duke went to the rocking chair and sat. The baby didn’t fuss.
“I’ll be downstairs if you need anything.”
Duke barely heard Margaret because he embraced the moment of holding his child for the first time. He lowered his face to her silky hair and breathed in her scent. He didn’t know what a baby should smell like, but this one definitely smelled good. He caught a trace of powder and something else, perhaps shampoo.
One chubby leg fell against his thigh. He lowered his hand and touched her pale skin. She was soft, like her mother. “Do you miss your mommy?” he asked.
“Maa, Maa,” Ava moaned against his chest.
“It’s okay. Mommy will be home soon.” He understood the feeling of missing her.
Second Ride Cowboy (Second Chance Series) Page 6