by C. A. Harms
"Do you have rope and a shovel hidden somewhere in the back of your truck?" I joke with a grin.
"No, but I do plan on taking you someplace dark and deserted." He wags his brows in the cutest way, and I laugh. Nothing about being somewhere with Brantley alone makes me the slightest bit scared.
When he turns off the main road and starts down a long gravel road, I wonder what he has planned.
The road is bumpy, and I sit forward, looking over the hood of his truck, trying to see out as far as the light from his headlights will allow. "If these are my last moments, I'd like to know because I have a long list of people, I want to say goodbye to." I hear him chuckle, and the sound of it makes happiness flood my body. I love his rugged deep laugh.
He turns his truck a little to the left and then releases my hand so that he can place it into Park. Then, leaving it running, with the headlights stretching out over the darkness, he opens his door and climbs out. I watch as he rounds the front. The flicker of lights when he crosses over the beams is the only indication of his movements before he pauses on my side of the truck.
He opens the door, and holds out his hand, and slowly I climb out, stepping onto the grass-covered ground beneath my feet.
Brantley leans in, turning up the radio, and then hits the switch to roll down his windows.
Without a word, he again links his fingers through mine and leads me toward the front of his truck. Then, pausing in the glow of the headlights, he makes some surprising move, and suddenly I'm spun inward toward him. Then he is holding me close. One of my hands resting on his chest, the other his forearm as I look up at him in awe.
Slowly he begins to lean in closer, and just when I start to close my eyes, expecting to feel his lips on mine, he kisses the tip of my nose instead. My stare meets his and I feel his smile from head to toe.
"Have I told you how gorgeous you look tonight?" I nod. "You look amazing every night, actually, but tonight," shaking his head, he allows his gaze to drop and appreciatively takes me in. "Tonight, you've managed to bring me to my knees, Sutton."
I try to speak. I have the words on the tip of my tongue, but when Brantley begins to sway to the beat of the music, I'm again speechless. Holding me in his arms, we dance through three songs in nothing but the glow of his headlights shining over the deserted space. With only the sound of crickets in the distance, it is the most peaceful and meaningful moment I've ever shared with anyone.
The way I feel being in his arms is incredible. His muscular chest beneath my palm, his heart thumping in an even hypnotizing rhythm, every single thing about it is breathtaking. Especially the soft hum of his voice as he sings along with the words of each song. Brantley can sing, it's a perfect match to the tone of the music, and with each passing moment, I'm learning a little more about this beautiful man that I know I'm falling hard for.
He kisses me along my jaw. I turn to meet his lips and slide my hand along his chest upward to his neck. The corded muscle there flexes when I glide my tongue over his lips. His grip on my waist tightens, and he pulls me in more securely. I could kiss him for hours; he's perfected the way to make me melt in his arms.
"It's getting late," he whispers, and I know he is attempting to be a gentleman. But my body has other ideas, and I'm not quite ready to end our night.
"I slept very late today, so I'm not tired." I only pulled back long enough to whisper the words before I press my lips to his once again.
His hand moves a little lower, resting just above my ass, and I hold my breath, hoping he'll do whatever is running through his mind. But, when he cups my bottom and gives it a little squeeze, I can't control the grin that pulls at my mouth.
"Why you smilin'," he leans away, and I feel my cheeks heat.
"You Brantley are an ass man," his brow arches. "First in your truck at the lake and just now."
"Not an ass man," he declares, again gripping my right cheek in his palm. "Just your ass, baby." Call me crazy, but that declaration gives me a tremendous amount of satisfaction. "I'd say I'm more of a Sutton man." His smile grows, and his dimple makes my knees feel weak as he leans in and devours my lips once more.
We kiss until we're breathless, and my upper lip has started to go numb from the constant movements of his stubble as he takes my mouth in one kiss after another.
Pulling back with our foreheads resting on one another, I close my eyes and let myself feel entirely every single ounce of the happiness racing through me.
"I love when you do that."
Looking up, I clear the haze I feel and find him staring at me as he pushes back the hair from my face. "Do what?" I ask.
"When you are so lost in thought that you don't even realize you're being watched. And then you smile over whatever's rolling around in your mind, and that smile reaches your eyes." Just how many times has he been watching when I didn't notice?
"I wanna show you something."
I want him to show me something too.
With one hand on each of my hips, he starts to back me up and then turn me around to face away from him. Stepping in close behind me, he wraps his arms around me from behind and rests his chin on my shoulder. "See all that out there?" He doesn't point or indicate where I should be looking. All I see is open land that disappears in the night.
"No, all I see is darkness," I tell him. "There's no light for miles."
"I know, it's quiet and peaceful," he pauses, and I feel his chest rise and then fall as he takes in a big deep breath. "It's all mine."
Twisting my head to the side, I look back at him. "What?"
"I bought the land three weeks ago."
I blink, trying to comprehend his words and the timeline he said he purchased it all. "But Bennett said you talked about leaving." I scan over the darkness again, wondering what it looks like in the daylight. I imagine it's beautiful.
"Yeah, but that was only to make things easier for you." Guilt consumes me, and like he knows it will, he hugs me a little tighter swaying our bodies. "I never could've truly stayed away forever. This place is my home; it always has been. I knew I'd end up settling down right here in Hudson, near my family and friends."
I understand what he means. I never wanted to leave either, which is part of what made the idea of going to Chicago even harder. Everything I would have been leaving behind almost broke me.
“You’re the first person I've told." He confesses. "That right there, all that," he waves his hand out before him. "It's the very place I'm gonna build my life. A house, a barn where Coal can live with some of his horse friends." I can feel his smile against my temple. "Maybe a pretty blonde that'll share it all with me one day."
My heart rate quickens. “That'll be one very lucky blonde."
"I'll be the lucky one," he kisses the side of my head, and I nuzzle into his chest. I feel safe here, like it's the exact place I've always belonged. A calm settles over me, and I can almost picture it all.
"This is where I want to start a family," he takes in a deep breath. "The very land I want to watch my kids run around on. Where I watch my wife plant flowers and sit in a hammock on a cool evening and read a book."
"You have it all planned out." And everything about it sounds perfect.
"I do," he whispers so softly I almost miss it. We stand quietly staring out over the land, and I allow myself to imagine everything he just described. Everything about it is beautiful.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Brantley
* * *
"Please tell me you finally sealed the deal," Rory sounds like a nagging female. Every time he sees me, it is the same damn thing. "It's been more than five dates, lots of kissing from what I've heard, and it's gotta be more by now." He continues to push, and I give him nothing. "Your truck didn't pull in till after midnight last night."
"What, you keeping tabs on me now?" Tossing a peanut at his head, he attempts to catch it, and instead, it bounces off his forehead.
"No," he lifts his beer and points the neck in my direction. "Ho
wever, I am the dad of a toddler. Jayden puts a damper on my sex life, so I'm living through yours. It gives me something to look forward to."
"That's pathetic," Aaron adds before I can.
Rory hooked up with a girl in a bar one night, and nine months later, Jayden was born. He loves the kid more than anything in this world, but his mother is a different story. The girl is a drama queen, and Rory struggles with the number of guys she seems to bring in and out of Jayden's life. I think his experience with Nicole has messed him up in the women department. With him, it's all about little Jay, and I admire him. But come on, he needs to live too.
"You're just holding back on me, aren't ya?" He ignores Aaron and leans in closer. "There is no way in hell you've spent night after night snuggled up with Sutton, and nothing more than kissin' has taken place."
"Come on, guys," Bennett complains, reminding us that he is here. He hangs his head and closes his eyes tight. "I don't want to hear about this shit."
"Then earmuffs, man, because I wanna hear all about it. Sutton's a firecracker, isn't she?"
I glare at Rory. “There's nothing to tell." Even if there was, I wouldn't share it with them or anyone. It will always remain mine and mine alone.
"What do you mean, nothing?" Rory no longer seems to be the only one staring at me.
"I mean, there's nothing to tell, and even if there was, Sutton deserves more respect than to be the topic of conversation on guys night over beers."
"Let me get this straight," Bennett tilts his head slightly and holds my stare. "You and Sutton haven't?"
I stare at him for a few seconds, feeling the awkwardness of the moment. Then I give my head a shake and look around the table, slowly taking in all the shocked looks.
"Well, damn," Bennett's smile stretches out over his face, his eyes dancing with humor. "You do like her." Why that is such a surprise is beyond me. He chuckles as if deep in thought, staring at me like I'm a fucking unicorn or something. "Damn," he mumbles, then picks up his beer and takes a drink.
"Can we move on to something else now?" My phone dances across the table, and before I can reach for it, Rory grabs it.
"Speak of the devil," he swipes the screen and widens his eyes. "Damn, Sutton looks hot in lace," I reach out and grab for my phone, but he leans back in his chair and continues to look at the screen. "A girl that sends naughty pictures like this is begging for more than just kissing. She's crying out for you to take charge and give it to her."
Aaron takes the phone, and before he can look, Bennett pulls it away from them both. I'm surprised he doesn't take a glance but instead turns my phone face down and passes the phone to me. After I take it, he smacks Rory on the back of the head. "Get your own woman and quit checking out Brant's."
My woman.
Bennett and I have come full turn from where we were a month ago. Hearing him call Sutton mine is something I never thought I'd hear from Ben.
When they're all occupied, I take the chance to wake my phone only to find an image of Sutton, with what looks like cat ears and whiskers. Her and the girls use weird-ass filters, and at least once a day, I get an image of something crazy.
And as I've done every time, I get one, I hold my finger on the image and save it. Sutton's already my screensaver with a big pair of glasses and bucked teeth. Of course, she hates that I chose that one, but it makes my day every time I see it. She puts a smile on my face no matter how shitty my mood is.
Me: My screensaver is still my favorite.
Sutton: That one is awful. I regret ever sending it.
Me: You couldn't take a lousy picture, babe.
"Are you sexting?" Shaking my head, I ignore Rory. The guy is a horn dog.
Sutton: Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt boy’s night.
Me: Miss you!
It takes a few minutes, but when my phone vibrates and I look down at the screen, I laugh.
Another picture arrives. This one has Sutton's face smashed, giving the appearance that her head is as round as a basketball.
Sutton: That should help you not miss me anymore.
Me: Not a chance. I adore your balloon head.
I lower my phone, still laughing, and consider switching out the saved image for the new one. The way I feel about Sutton, how every day it only feels stronger, amazes me. She's burrowing herself deeper and deeper, making it impossible for me to think of anything other than her.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Sutton
* * *
My phone dinging wakes me, and I look at the clock to see it’s after one in the morning. Immediately I grab for it, worrying that something could be wrong.
Clicking on Brantley’s name, I sit up in bed and squint at the phone.
Brantley: I brought you something.
I stare at the screen, wondering for a minute if he meant to message me. Was he here?
Brantley: It’s melting!
I move the blankets away from my body as I stand, and quietly pull open my bedroom door. Then, tiptoeing through the living room, careful not to wake Lexi, I step closer to the front door. When I peek through the peephole, my pulse quickens. Brantley stands on the other side. His baseball cap is hiding his eyes like so many times before, making him even sexier.
As if he can feel me watching him, he lifts his head and smiles, which only makes me melt against the door. How can one man be so incredibly gorgeous and sinful, all wrapped up in one incredible package?
Twisting the lock, I open the door, and instantly he scans over me slowly. It dawns on me that I’m wearing my tight blue boy shorts and a pale pink tank top that stops about five inches before the waistband of my shorts. Both leave very little to the imagination, and silently, I take a little bow at my choice of nightwear. I love the way he looks at me, especially when he’s turned on and fighting so hard to be a gentleman. When I look back up, I catch the tail end of his reaction as he swallows hard and cracks his neck as if to relieve stress.
“M&M McFlurry,” he says as he holds up the cup. His voice sounds hoarse, and he quickly clears his throat.
“You went to McDonald’s in the middle of the night so that you could bring me a McFlurry?”
He shrugs, and I step aside, letting him come in. As he passes, he leans in and presses a kiss to the corner of my mouth. “I also may have been craving a double cheeseburger and salty fries after having a few beers.”
“So the truth comes out.” I close the door and make sure to twist the lock once again. “I’ll share with you if we can eat it in bed and then snuggle.”
With his brow arched, his smile spreads out over his lips. “You offering to let me hold you all night?”
Linking my fingers through his, I pull him along to my bedroom and crawl under the covers. He remains a few feet away, looking around my room, taking it all in. He’s been to my apartment several times, but at that moment, I realize he’s never actually made it to my bedroom until now.
Things with Brantley are going at an okay pace. I love how we’re taking the time to get to know one another. But there is a big part of me that craves him to react to the heat between us. It’s there, it’s been there from the start, and I know lurking inside him is a dominating sexual man that’s crying to get out.
He dips the spoon in the cup and lifts it to my lips. Brant smiles when I lean in and take it. I watch the way his focus remains on my mouth as I pull back and lick my lower lip.
“How was boy’s night?”
“Interesting,” he chuckles, and I’m intrigued. “Did you know that Marshall has a thing for your friend Jillian?”
“What?” I try to think of any point in the past where he may have indicated such a thing.
“He’s gun shy since his ex-wife screwed him over, but yeah, you should have heard him talk about her after he got some drinks in him. He went on and on about how she shouldn’t be going to school for early education because she can bake like a dream. Then, of course, the baking talk turned into things about whipped cream, brown sugar, an
d maybe there was honey.”
“Excuse me,” I laugh. Then my mind wanders to where I’m trying to remember if we have any whipped cream in the fridge.
“Rory is like a teenage boy during puberty on steroids. Everything we talked about somehow led to sex.” He lifts the spoon to my mouth once more, and I accept it immediately.
Down to the last bite, Brantley holds it out to me. I shake my head then watch as he cleans the spoon. Setting the container on my nightstand, I notice the clock and realize I’m wide awake.
“Well, I guess I should—,”
“Stay,” the last thing I want is for him to leave. “You should stay.”
We stare at one another for a few seconds before Brantley stands and pulls his shirt up and over his head. His chest is so defined. The perfect design of tattoos stretch up and over his shoulder before leading around to his back. I want to take the time to analyze each one and see every little detail, but when he reaches for his jeans, I feel like my heart stops.
My throat feels tight, and my body is screaming more, more.
When he has the buckle undone, he lowers them and pulls them off one leg at a time, dropping them to the floor near his feet. I knew he was a boxer briefs guy, the kind that fit snug and highlight every single inch of what lies beneath—but seeing him, oh my God!
Let’s just say that Brantley O’Shay should be a very, very proud man.
He pulls the covers aside and pauses, looking at me as he slowly takes in every inch once more. His jaw flexes as he cracks his neck. Something about the combination of the two makes excitement rip through me in one heated wave. Then he climbs into bed next to me. I wait for him to come closer, but he just runs a finger over my thigh, which makes me shiver.