A wide smile stretches across her face. It lights up her green eyes and makes her skin glow. “That would be amazing, Amy. Thank you so much.” She rushes across the room, pulling me against her.
I wake early in the morning and set to work on preparing breakfast. Two pots of coffee, a pound of bacon, and an entire box of pancake mix later, everything is done. I use the few minutes I have left to throw on some clothes and get presentable.
Just as I’m walking back into the kitchen, Ethan walks in.
“Smells amazing, Sis.” He makes his way toward one of the pots of freshly brewed coffee. “Where’s Mom?”
“Still in bed, I think. I’ll go wake her.” I place the bowl of scrambled eggs onto the table and head down the hallway.
I tap softly on the door then open it to find her moving about the room. “Good morning. Breakfast smells amazing.” She kisses my cheek and steps past me.
I feel relief wash over me. I don’t know why, but I had a sickening feeling that I would open this door and find her passed out next to a vodka bottle. I guess this is the feeling I will have any time I open a door—always worrying about her relapsing.
I follow her down the hallway, through the living room, and back into the kitchen. When we walk in, Tyler is leaning against the counter next to Ethan. They’re both talking and laughing while sipping a cup of coffee.
I smile and walk up to him, giving him a quick kiss. “Good morning.”
“Good morning, beautiful,” he whispers against my lips.
I turn to face my mom. “Mom, this is Tyler.” I look up at him. “Tyler, this is my mom, Cheryl.”
Mom smiles and holds out her hand while stepping closer. “It’s nice to meet you, Tyler.”
He nods with his smile in place. “You too, ma’am. I’ve been looking forward to this day for a long time.”
Mom nudges me with her elbow. “What a gentleman,” she whispers with her cheeks turning red. “And he’s not bad to look at either,” she adds on.
We all bust out laughing.
“Come on. Let’s eat before everything gets cold.”
We all take our seats. While everyone starts filling their plates with food, I can’t help but look around me and see how lucky I am. My mom is sober and doing well, my brother is home and has an amazing job as a police officer, and Tyler loves me and makes me happier than I ever thought I could be.
My life has changed so much in a few short months. I never thought I’d have this, but I’m so glad everything is finally starting to work itself out. And I owe it all to Tyler. He did this. He made me realize my self-worth. He loved me and showed me that relationships—whether it’s family, friends, or romantic—are worth the fight.
Chapter 17
“Are you sure we can’t sneak into your bedroom?” Tyler asks as he has me pushed against the wall in the hallway outside my apartment.
I laugh. “No. I’m going to go in there and pack, then I’ll be at the ranch this afternoon. Whatever that dirty mind of yours is cooking up can wait until then, okay?”
He rolls his eyes and sighs. “I guess, but you should know, I’m going to spend the rest of the day making you scream my name,” he whispers into my ear.
“Deal.” I press a long kiss to his lips, then push him away. “I’ll see you in a bit.”
“You better,” he says, turning for the elevator.
I make my way back inside and start cleaning up after breakfast while my mom and Ethan sit in the living room, watching TV and drinking coffee.
It suddenly occurs to me where my coffee addiction comes from when I notice they’ve brewed another pot. I laugh and shake my head as I go about loading the dishwasher and starting it.
“Is there anything you guys need before I head over to the ranch?” I ask, stepping into the living room.
“No, I think I’m fine, Amy,” Mom says, turning away from the TV to face me.
“Come by the shop on Saturday, Mom, and we can start the paperwork for your employment.”
“I can’t wait. It’s been a long time since I’ve lived a normal life.” She smiles sweetly.
“Ethan, can I talk to you a minute?” I ask, moving down the hallway and into my room, where he joins me a few seconds later.
“What’s up?”
“Are you sure you’re going to be able to keep an eye on Mom with her being here alone?”
He nods as he slides his hands into his pockets. “Yeah, not a problem. I’ll check on her every morning before work. You’ll have to take the day shift though. I don’t plan on doing much of anything in the evenings, so I’ll probably have dinner with her every night.”
I take a deep breath. “Okay, this should work out, right?”
“Fingers crossed.” His eyes grow in size as he steps out of the room, leaving me alone.
It’s going on four p.m. when I finally make it over to the ranch. I take all my things inside, then head out to the barn to let Tyler know I’ve arrived. The sun is high in the sky, not a cloud in sight. A slight breeze blows my dark hair around me, giving me a little relief from the heat of the day.
“Tyler?” I yell, walking into the barn.
Dillon pops his head up from a horse stall. “He’s not here.”
“Oh.” I pause, not bothering to walk in any deeper. “Do you know where he went? He knew I was coming.”
He shakes his head. “Not sure. He wasn’t particularly chatty when I ran into him. Sorry I can’t help.”
I wave. “Thanks anyway.” I head back outside and climb behind the wheel of my truck to drive further onto the property to go to his cabin.
When I pull up front, his truck is gone. “Weird. Maybe he ran some errands or something,” I tell myself, making a big U-turn to go back to the house.
I fling myself down on the couch and call his cell phone, but he doesn’t answer. It goes straight to voicemail. With a loud sigh, I call Vesper.
“Hey, Amy. What’s up?” she answers.
“Not much. I just got to the ranch. How’s the traveling?”
I hear her let out a loud breath. “Rough. Our flight was delayed. We’re just hanging out at the airport.”
I laugh. “I’m surprised Mr. Big Shot doesn’t have his own private plane,” I joke.
“God, don’t even say that. That’s all he’s talked about since we’ve been here. I’m sorry we can’t make the grand opening. I wish I could be there.”
I wave my hand through the air. “Don’t worry about it. Seriously, you’ve done enough.”
“I know, but you were there for me when I opened the clinic. I wanted to return the favor.” She sounds guilty.
“Vesper, it’s okay. I promise. I have so much stuff going on that I probably won’t notice your absence. I mean, I just offered my mom a job.”
“You did?”
“Yep.” My fingers start twisting together out of nervousness.
“Do you think that’ll work?”
I shrug. “I hope so. I mean, I’m thinking that it will help more than hurt. It will keep her busy. Idle hands and all.” I roll my eyes. “Plus, it’s just part time, so she’ll still have time to make all her AA meetings.”
“I really hope it all works out. You deserve a break. You’ve worked so hard to get your life on track these last few months.”
I smile, feeling a little proud of myself.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you, Amy. Next month when I get back, I have an appointment in the city to have your dress for the wedding fitted.”
“Okay. I should probably start working on Tyler to go get fitted for his tux. I mean, it’s less than a year away and it will take three months just to talk him into wearing one,” I joke.
“Ah, we’ll have Liam make him. He will be the best man and all.”
I hear something come over the loudspeaker.
“Amy, I’ve got to go. Finally time for us to board. Call me later?”
“Okay. Safe travels.” I hang up the phone and go for a glass of wine.
I d
on’t know where Tyler is, but I decide to plan on spending the evening alone. I fix a salad and grill some chicken to put on top and pour a second glass of wine. I sit alone in the kitchen while eating and listening to the music I put on the house’s stereo system. As I’m washing the few dishes I used, the back door opens and Tyler walks in.
“Hey, I’ve been looking for you. Where have you been?”
He moves toward the fridge and grabs a beer. Popping the top, he leans against the island and takes a drink while pointing toward the back of the property. “By the creek. I just needed a quiet minute alone.”
Something seems off about him. His eyes are squinting and they’re surrounded by small wrinkles, and his jaw is flexed like he’s angry about something. His back is straight, and every muscle is hard like he’s preparing for a fight.
“Is everything okay?” I ask, moving closer. I wrap my arms around his neck and his hand lands softly on my hip.
He nods. “Yeah. I’m sorry I missed dinner.”
I shake my head, still worried that he’s not telling me something. “Are you sure?”
He doesn’t confirm or deny—just closes the small space between us and kisses me slowly and strongly.
I close my eyes and squeeze him closer, deepening the kiss, wanting to show him that I’m here for him and that he can tell me anything. He reaches behind him, placing his beer on the island, before picking me up against him. My legs automatically wrap around his waist, and he carries me through the house and into the bedroom, the whole time keeping his lips moving with mine.
He moves slowly and cautiously as he places me on the bed and crawls up my body. When he pulls away, getting himself on his knees between my parted legs, our eyes lock and something is exchanged. I can feel something, but I can’t put my finger on it. He seems sad, nervous, and afraid. I worry my lip, trying to figure out what’s going on.
His eyes watch as his hands unbutton my shorts. He pulls them off slowly and tantalizingly. He picks up my ankle and slowly kisses his way up my leg. When he gets to the junction between my legs, he picks up the other and repeats the process. Emotion grows thick in my throat, and I want to cry. Yet I don’t know why. This feels different. We’ve fucked hard and fast, and we’ve made love slowly and softly, but this…this is different.
All thoughts cease when his mouth finally lands on my clit, sucking and flicking his tongue against me. His hands hold me firmly by my hips, pushing and pulling me in a back-and-forth motion while his tongue laps me.
He’s taking his time, wanting me to feel every motion, wanting to burn every action into my memory. When my release washes over me, my hands clench into fists, grabbing the bedsheets to hold myself in place. I feel like I’m spinning out of control. I cry out his name just as my release ends, sending tingles throughout my body.
When he pulls away, he wipes my arousal from his lips and continues to kiss his way up my body, pushing and pulling clothes away from the both of us. His teeth gently nip the swell of my breast, and he cups them both in his hands, peppering them with hot kisses. His tongue swirls around my hard nipple before sucking it into his mouth. A whimper leaves my lips at the sensation. With our position, I can feel his hard length pressing against my slick folds, but he won’t thrust into me. It’s like he wants this moment to last forever. The longer he takes to claim me, the longer it will last, maybe even trapping us in this moment forever.
“Tyler,” I whisper, nearly moan.
“What is it, baby?” he asks, kissing up my neck and finally lowering his chest to mine, where I can finally feel all his weight pressing down on me—something I crave.
A tear leaks out of my eye. “This…it’s different. I can feel it.” I take a shuttering breath. “I’m scared.”
He shakes his head, kissing across my jaw. “I love you, Amy. I love you so fucking much,” he whispers just as his lips meet mine and he allows himself to slide inside me.
The moment we connect, everything changes. He’s tender, but he’s rough, thrusting so hard it moves me up the bed. My nails dig into his back, and he lets out a deep growl.
“You’ll always be mine, Amy.” He rocks his hips against me while his hands tour my body. “Always.”
My thighs clamp around his hips as he thrusts into me, slowly but deeply, pushing me to the limits of pain—a beautiful, heart-wrenching pain. His hand travels up my side, tangling into my hair and pulling my head sideways so his mouth can claim mine once again.
“I love you, Amy,” he says with another hard thrust.
“I love you,” I moan out as the waves start crashing down on my body.
Every muscle in his body hardens, and I feel his cock twitch inside of me. A warm liquid spills out, filling me and making me feel whole.
I feel like we’ve exchanged something between us. Not just love, but ownership and love. I’m his completely. The only question is: is he mine?
Yesterday, there was no doubt he was. But now something is different, and I feel like I’m left waiting for the other shoe to drop.
When he pulls out of me, he rolls to my side and pulls me against his chest, tangling his hand in my hair while his lips press kisses to my forehead. He breathes me in deeply, like he’s trying to burn everything about me into his memory: my smell, my taste, my heat.
“Tyler.” I place my hand under his chin and direct his eyes to mine. “Please, tell me what’s going on,” I whisper, filled with fear.
His hand lands softly on my cheek, the pad of his thumb gently sweeping back and forth. “I love you, Amy. That’s all you need to know.” His mouth moves to mine once again, and while I want to give him all of myself with this kiss, I can’t. I’m filled with fear and nervousness, and a pain radiating from somewhere deep inside.
He kisses me passionately and deeply. But this time, he’s not wanting to remember me. He’s wanting to make sure I remember him. Before I know it, he’s rolling me over and slamming into me again and again, making me call out in passion and in pain.
He doesn’t leave me until the sun is coming up and I can no longer hold my eyes open. My body is spent, physically and emotionally. I feel drained, completely used up.
Just as I’m drifting off to sleep, I feel him press his lips to my head. “I love you, Amy. Always remember.”
Chapter 18
My eyes open and land on the clock that says 12:09 p.m. I groan and stretch, feeling sore and tired. I feel blissfully peaceful…until I remember last night. A sense of dread settles over me as I roll over to face him. Instead of finding him watching me or happily awake, I find a piece of paper instead.
Amy,
I’m sorry I have to do this in a letter, but I’m too big of a coward to tell you to your face. I can’t stand to see the pain reflecting in your beautiful blue eyes. Before I tell you the meaning of this, I want you to know without a shadow of a doubt that everything I’ve said is one hundred percent true. I love you. I love you like I’ve never loved anyone—even the person who turned me into the man you met, the broken man you repaired.
You’re so much fun to be around. You’re beautiful and kind, and you have so much passion. You love wholeheartedly, and you forgive without any fear. Which is why I’m hoping you can forgive me for what I’m about to say.
You’re such an inspiration to me, Amy. The way you handled everything with your mom was beautiful and loving—so you. It’s important to be able to love in life, but it’s also important to be able to forgive and move on. I haven’t been doing that. I’ve been holding a grudge, and that really eats away at your soul.
So, when my father called me yesterday and asked me to come home and take my rightful place at the ranch, I had a lot to think about. I wanted to go on living the way I had been—with you by my side. But then I thought about that talk we had the day your mom came home. I told you that if my parents were to call and want to make up for everything, I’d like to be able to forgive them. I thought about the way you handled things with your mom, and I want to be like you, live
the way you do: so full of love, understanding, and forgiveness.
I never wanted to live without you, Amy. But I have to right the mess I’ve made in life. I have to go home and be with my family. My brother finally broke free of the ranch he never wanted, and my family needs me. If I don’t go, they could lose the ranch, and you know I can’t turn my back on that. It’s the only thing I ever wanted…until I fell in love with you, that is.
I never wanted to hurt you, and I hope that one day you’ll be able to forgive me. I hope I don’t leave you as broken as I was when you found me. I hope that all your dreams come true, and that you’ll be able to move on with the person you’re meant to be with— a person who is right for you in every way I’m not. Please remember, I love you, Amy, and I’m sorry for everything.
Love,
Tyler
* * *
Tears escape from my eyes and my breathing stops until my lungs tingle and burn for oxygen. Tyler’s gone. He left. And he couldn’t even tell me goodbye to my face. I feel my heart crack and weep for him. I feel my soul melt away, leaving nothing but a puddle of tears.
A sob breaks free and I crumple the letter to my chest as I curl in a ball and sob, crying out his name over and over, begging God for this to be a sick joke. How could he do this to me—after everything we’ve been through, after everything I’ve been through?
The deep, dark part of me that I always hide away smiles and says, you deserve this. You weren’t good enough for him.
But over the last few months, I’ve learned to block her out completely. It was always the same voice that told me that I made my mother the drunk she was, that I’d never get my happy ending, and that I didn’t deserve to find love.
Being with Tyler blocked that voice inside of me. I thought she had disappeared completely…until now. She’s back and he’s gone.
I cry until my head hurts. I shake with sobs until every muscle is sore and weak. I hate myself until my body finally gives up and shuts down, pulling me into a deep sleep.
Claimed By Him: (Contemporary Romance Box Set) Page 26