by Lily LaVae
She covered her face with her arm, revealing she wore one of his shirts.
“Nice shirt.” He’d love to see more of her in it, and then out of it. That would have to wait though, until he figured out how to fix the mess he’d made.
“The agency didn’t provide me much for sleeping in on my own. I’ll return it after I can do some shopping. I’m sure I can manage to pay for it myself, so don’t worry, I won’t need any more of your money.”
Her words were harsh, angry, cutting. He didn’t want a gold-digger, but had he been so worried about someone who only wanted wealth, even that had hurt her? “Keep it.”
Why wouldn’t she turn to look at him? Gen had chased after him for years, yet when she finally had him, would she give up? Had he wronged her one too many times?
“Why, Will?” her voice shook and he knew why she wouldn’t look him in the eye. His strong, beautiful woman didn’t want him to see her tears.
“I don’t know.” Why couldn’t he shove Maddie away? He could almost read Gen’s mind. That was what she wanted to know. But he had no answer. He should’ve cut off Maddie’s attention right at the door, but he hadn’t.
“You can’t have us both. If you want her, then let me go. I assume you knew she’d be here, which is why we aren’t in the same room.”
He sighed. He had known Maddie would be waiting, but he hadn’t wanted Gen away from him. He laid down on the bed behind her, propping his head up, but not too close. He wanted to give her space if she needed it, but he wanted to hold her. He wanted to convince her that it hadn’t been his intent to separate them, or to let Maddie come between them.
“No. I told Mrs. Feast to ready this room for her granddaughter. She’s coming to stay next week. I was sure little Amber would find this room perfect.”
“I thought—”
“I know, and I’m sorry. I haven’t seen Maddie since you told me about her ten years ago. Finding her here was as much of a shock to me as it was to you.” At least, her reaction was a shock.
“Yeah, I could see the shock all over your face.”
Her snark put him on the defensive. Had all she noticed was the kiss and not the fact that he didn’t touch Maddie? “I didn’t kiss her back.”
“You didn’t need to, she was doing enough for the both of you.”
Will wrapped his arm around Gen and tugged, pulling her onto her back so he could see her face. He searched her red, puffy eyes, and the tracks down her cheeks and onto the damp pillow knocked the wind out of him.
“I don’t want her in my house. After she leaves with Carter tonight, she will not be allowed on this property again. Neither will her little boyfriend, my foreman.”
Gen’s forehead knotted and he wanted to kiss the lines away, along with many other areas. “If she’s seeing your foreman, why did she kiss you?”
He wasn’t entirely sure, he could only guess. “She thought she could get close to me, but she missed that ship by about a day. I should thank you for saving me from Maddie, again. I have a soft spot for her, because she’s Carter’s sister, and he’s always encouraged it. But, I should’ve stopped her. I’m sorry.”
Gen’s eyes widened and she gripped the front of his shirt. “Is it possible that Carter can’t be trusted, either? Why would he encourage a relationship with his own sister?”
It wasn’t possible. Carter had been with him for as long as he could remember, and though they’d fought occasionally, Carter wouldn’t betray him. Carter had tried to get he and Maddie together even before Will was wealthy.
“So far, I don’t see anything that would lead me to believe Carter is anything but loyal. I’ll keep an eye out, though. Thanks for worrying about me. I certainly haven’t given you any reason to care.”
He looked down at her red-rimmed eyes and tear streaked cheeks, Gen still felt something for him. Something they could build on. All he had to do was try.
“And, right now, the only person I want to have my eye on, is my wife. But I can’t in here.” He glanced around the lavender room, with its lace and gingham. It had been a room his parents had put together for a cousin when he was little, and he couldn’t think of that room as anything else. He had things in mind that needed to happen far away from his cousin’s bedroom.
“I’m going to carry you over to my room, strip you down to nothing, and devour you, wife.”
She shivered but reached for him. He wrapped his arms under her and carried her down the hall to his room, shutting the door swiftly with his foot.
With one quick motion his shirt was over her head and tossed to the floor, leaving her body nearly bare to his ravenous gaze, her supple breasts just waiting for him. She wore a pair of lavender panties that looked like two wide pieces of lace, sewn together. He slid out of his jeans and unbuttoned his shirt, all while taking her in. He couldn’t get enough of looking at her. She was like the statue of a goddess, but she was his.
He drew close to her, his hard length already pressing against her belly. How she managed to excite him so quickly was beyond his comprehension. No other woman had. She ran cool fingertips down the hot flesh of his chest, down his belly, and finally grasping him firmly. He couldn’t let her do that, not after he’d been thinking about her all day.
“Not tonight.” He lifted her and she released him as he carried her to the edge of the bed.
“I don’t know what else to do for you.” Her eyes were large, round, trusting.
He slid his hands down her hips, freeing her of the lavender panties. She wrapped her arms around his neck, trusting him. He wouldn’t take that for granted again.
He lifted her to the bed and rose above her, then lowered gently, so he wouldn’t put too much weight on her as he explored her mouth. First tasting gently, then taking what he wanted as she pressed herself to him.
“I don’t want to ever let you go, Gen.”
“Don’t you dare.”
He kissed down her neck, to one breast, sucking and teasing until his Gen arched under him. She shuddered as he blew a soft breath over her heated flesh. She tossed her head back and forth on the pillow as he kissed lower and lower until his mouth hovered over the core of her and he kissed her there with the same abandon he’d had with her mouth. He teased her until she knotted her fingers in his hair and shuddered against him.
Gen tugged gently on his shoulders, pulling him to her. She reached between them and stroked the length of him, first with just the tips of her fingers, then a massage that had him on the brink. She placed him at her entrance, guiding him inside her, and he took up the familiar rhythm that soon left them both crying out in release.
“Say it,” she whispered in his ear.
He didn’t know what she needed to hear from him, but he had to provide whatever it was. “Say what?”
“Say you need me.” She ran her fingernails up his back as he lay atop her, and the tender, yet rough action ignited the need she held over him.
“I need you,” he growled in her ear before rolling over and pulling her atop him to start over.
12
Her father’s truck pulled into the drive the next morning. Gen had no idea how he got past the guard, but she would know the sound of that truck anywhere. The dusty black dually pickup was over a decade old and worn out. Will was lying in bed, watching her at the window. She’d been looking out at the pasture, thinking about the past, but now, all she could think about was then. That moment.
“He’s here. I wonder if he knows I’m here. Don’t make me go.” She tugged Will’s tee lower on her hips, feeling exposed at the window.
Will stood and joined her, caressing her shoulder. “The only way he could know is if someone here told him. I would never let him in here. You aren’t going anywhere.”
That didn’t leave her feeling any better. Hadn’t he said the night before his own foreman might be conspiring against him? “And if your foreman told him?”
“Then you’ll do as you would do anyway, you’ll stay inside and let me hand
le it.”
He kissed the back of her neck and warmth spread over her. At least he was thinking of her now, and her safety. She hoped the closeness she felt with him would only continue to grow. “I’ll stay right here if it means I never have to see that man again.”
“What did he do to you?” He pulled her into his hard chest and wrapped protective arms around her. She gripped his arms and reveled in the protection he offered. Nothing else had come close.
“It isn’t what he did, it’s what he threatened with his eyes.” She swallowed, tension roiling through her at the memory of what those eyes had promised. “My father is a sick man.” She held tight to Will’s arm, and he hugged her tighter.
“You don’t have to see him ever again.”
Her father got out of his truck and stared at the house. Will pulled her away from the window and turned to tug his pants on. “Just stay here. I don’t know how he got past the guard shack, but I’ll take care of him.”
Will threw on his shirt as he headed to the front porch. Mr. LaMont pounded on the front door as he reached it. He opened it and stared into the face of the man he couldn’t stand, now for completely visceral reasons.
“Where is she? I know she’s here.” LaMont tried to shove his way into the house.
Will gripped the door frame and blocked him. He would never let that man into his house, not ever. “Who? You have no business in my house.”
“My daughter is here, that means I have all the business in the world in your house.”
Will shoved him outside and followed, closing it behind him. His stomach churned even seeing the sick man. He wouldn’t get anywhere near Gen. Will would never let it happen. “Your daughter is an adult and doesn’t need you anymore.”
“Are you holding her hostage? She’s my daughter. Mine. You have no right to what’s mine.” His gaze searched every window, and Will hoped Gen was smart enough to stay away. The hypocrisy of Mr. LaMont lecturing him on belongings wasn’t lost on Will.
“She left you. Had her reasons. Now she’s with me and she’s not going anywhere. She’s my concern now.”
“You can’t just take what isn’t yours. I’ll offer you a trade.” He waved to the car and Maddie slid out of the passenger side.
Now he knew how LaMont had gotten in, the man at the guard shack would need to be replaced, too. Letting Maddie in twice was inexcusable.
“We trade. My daughter, for Maddie.”
“Never.” Will crossed his arms and waited, knowing LaMont would try something else.
Maddie stalked toward him, but his glare stopped her in her tracks.
“Don’t act like that’s even close to an even trade. Gen is my concern now and, unlike you, I plan to actually take care of her. Maddie’s been with Jack for about as long as you’ve been trying to get your hands on what’s mine. I’ll give both of you five minutes to get off my property or I’ll remove you myself.”
It was a bluff, he didn’t have much in the way of power, but people always did what he said, and LaMont was no exception. He went back to his truck, throwing a scowl over his shoulder.
“We aren’t finished, William.”
He laughed. “Yes. We are. Your daughter is my wife, that will never change. There isn’t a thing you can do about it.”
LaMont’s eyes widened in a crazed search. “No. She wouldn’t do that to me. She loves me. I’m her daddy.”
Will shook his head and his stomach lurched at what Gen had had to put up with. It was clear why she’d run, and fate had brought her right to him, where she belonged. “She doesn’t want you to be anything to her anymore, and if you don’t leave now, you’ll be in jail.”
Maddie climbed into the truck just as Carter drove up for the eight o’clock meeting. LaMont climbed behind the wheel and took off, spraying loose gravel as he sped away.
“What was that all about?” Carter joined Will on the step.
“Maddie is in league with LaMont. So is Jack.” Jack had worked for him almost as long as Carter, and the betrayal hit hard, but not half as hard as LaMont’s betrayal of his own daughter.
“LaMont isn’t allowed on this property anymore, and neither is Maddie. I mean it. If that bothers you, I’ll have to let you go, too.”
Carter crossed his arms and clenched his jaw. “I’m not with them. I might not like the choices my sister has made, but she’s still blood.”
“Your choice. She’s taking everything she knows to LaMont. If I can’t trust you, then you’re gone.” He hated to do it. Losing Carter would be like starting over, but now that he had Gen and he could see a real future, there was the chance that he could have children. He wouldn’t lose what he could give them some day.
“You can trust me. I’ve never told her anything. She didn’t use me to get information before, and it won’t start now.”
He nodded, but he could feel the breach in trust between them. “Jack needs to go. Go get him so I can send him on his way.”
He watched Carter head for the barn and then turned to the house. Gen stood in the doorway, fully dressed, but hair still tousled. He’d protected her. His chest swelled with pride that he’d been the one to do it. It was better than any acquisition he’d ever made, better than any big deal. He’d known Gen for years, but it took an unplanned marriage for him to realize just how much he cared for her.
He strode up to her and drew her against his chest, enjoying the feel of her against him. “He’s gone, and he won’t be back.”
“I know. Thank you. I guess I should tell you … I need you, too.”
He held her close and kissed the top of her head. “I think I more than need you, woman. I love you.”
13
Gen lay sleeping, sprawled out on their bed. Comfortable. Her soft hair, flowing over the pillow, begged to be touched, but he’d let her sleep. The evening before, he’d gotten a call from the county, and her father’s claim had been denied. At least that was over, and he didn’t have to worry about her father anymore. They could both forget about him. Now, he could focus on her. Over the years, he’d replaced his feelings for her with a need for money. He could see that now. But she meant more.
He’d fired Jack. After all the sneaking and lying, his foreman wasn’t the least bit surprised to be fired. Then he’d had to find Gen and tell her they’d have to stick around until he found a new one. He’d found her, held her close, and apologized for making her stay in Casper, with all its bad memories. He didn’t want to be apart from her, but he couldn’t make her stay. She’d reassured him, then loved him late into the night.
His phone buzzed on the nightstand and he went to go silence it before it could wake her. The number was local, but not programmed into his phone. Probably business, but something nagged at him to answer. He hesitated, not wanting to miss Gen when she woke up. He vowed to himself to keep it short and pressed the screen to pick up the call.
“Hello?”
Maddie’s voice was like glass over the phone. “Billy, just the person I wanted to talk to.”
He didn’t feel a thing for her, except contempt. She was a piece of his life best left in the past. “Maddie, I’m guessing you stole your brother’s phone to get this number. I told you once, years ago, that we were through. That meant forever. I’m with Gen now and I always will be. I love her.” He pressed the end call button. Tapped the screen to pull up the options and blocked the number.
“Did that make you feel good?” Gen chuckled as he turned to face her. She was glorious, with her hair hanging down her bare shoulders, a sleepy, sweet smile on her lips. She was his, forever, and even if he had to give up every cent he’d ever made, he’d keep her.
“Yes. It did. Maybe I should’ve let you talk to her?” He chuckled, Gen had already stood up to Maddie once, long ago, when it mattered the most.
“Don’t care to ever talk to her again.” She reached for him and he let her pull him on top of her. “What’s this about love?” Her face was just inches away, and he slid the phone back onto t
he nightstand, then focused all his attention on her.
“You heard me, wench, I love you.”
A saucy smile lit her eyes. “I love you, too.” She reached up and ran her hand over his chest, keeping her gaze locked with his, and he knew every word was true. His breath lodged in his throat. He’d never imagined what hearing those words could do.
“That so?” He lowered himself and teased the tender skin under her ear.
“Yes. I don’t even mind that I have to stay here, as long as it’s with you.”
He wrapped his arms under her, cradling her head within his hand. He’d protect and care for every inch of her. “That’s good, because I don’t plan on sending you away.”
She laughed as she raised up her head slightly, thrilling him with a soft kiss. “Well, the agency did say ‘satisfaction guaranteed’.”
I hope you enjoyed William. Be sure to catch the next Diamond Bridal Agency novella: Billionaire Bachelor: Michael
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