by KL Donn
As soon as the hairstylist mentioned love, I knew Monroe was going to internally freak out, so I don’t hesitate to lean forward and kiss her. Sucking her lip into my mouth, I nibble on her gently until her hands reach out for me.
It’s when Monroe touches me that I know she’s into it. She isn’t just lost to the sensations but is an active participant. Her innocent little tongue comes out to play with mine, and my cock twitches in my pants, protesting the confines in which I’m forced to keep it. Much as I want to take this sultry girl to bed, I know she isn’t ready for it yet.
Soon.
When she's unafraid of any consequences.
But not yet.
Slowly drawing back from her, I can’t help my grin when she follows me, not wanting to lose the contact. It’s progress. Slow, but I’ll take it.
“I want to take you riding tonight. Have a picnic in the hills. Watch the sunset.”
“I think I’d like that.” For the first time since she arrived, I get a full-blown smile out of Monroe that reaches her eyes and lights up her entire face.
“Fuck are you gorgeous when you smile and mean it.” I catch her lip with my thumb, her tongue peeking out to lick the tip, and it’s my turn to groan. “I’ll be back when you’re done here.” She nods as Mindy walks back into the room with a small bag in hand. “Have fun, ladies.” Turning, I discreetly try to adjust my aching dick from view, and I’m pretty sure I fail when I hear Monroe sigh.
Concentrating on work has been a bust all afternoon, and I’m not sure how I’m going to get a damn thing done until I’ve lost myself in Monroe’s body. She’s all I think about anymore.
Staring at my computer screen, I’m not sure how much time passes as I listen to Mindy talk on and on. I think she’s trying to fill the voided silence from Monroe, and honestly, I get it. She’s probably used to chatty clients, but that’s not how my girl works. Monroe actually enjoys the quiet in a way that I don’t think anyone else can.
Her life has always been a series of frantic events. One after the other. And if I had to guess, peace and quiet was a rarity in her life. With nothing but silence surrounding her here now, I guess I'll often wonder if Monroe enjoys it as much as she did when she first arrived. Living in such isolation isn’t for everyone, and with the nearest town thirty or so minutes away and no neighbors for miles, it might drive her to boredom and restlessness.
“Knock, knock.” My head pops up rapidly at the subdued sound of Monroe’s voice, and the transformation is magnificent.
Her once light and lengthy locks are now darker with just hints of the blonde, and a few inches shorter. She looks like a completely different woman.
One who I find I’m even more attracted to.
“Wow,” I mumble as I stand, slowly striding towards her. I can see Mindy watching from the kitchen as I reach Monroe and pull her closer. The other woman’s knowing smirk as I close the door with my foot is unmistakable.
“Do you like it?” Monroe’s uncertain voice catches my attention.
Backing her into the door, I pin her body with mine as my eyes feast upon her features. Her energy appears lighter already from the simple yet impactful change.
Brushing the hair away from her neck, I don’t wait for permission as I bury my face in the column of her throat. “You look stunning.” I whisper the words in her ear before kissing along her jaw. Reaching down, I grip her thighs and slide her up the door.
Pressing my hardened length between her thighs, I hold her stare as I slowly simulate the act of sex. Needing to see her eyes, to get a proper read on whether she’s interested in it.
My body is on fire with desire, and when I finally catch the matching inferno in her gaze, I groan so deeply in my chest that she feels the vibrations.
“One day,” I hiss when I catch sight of her pounding pulse, “we’re doing this. I’m going to be rocking back and forth inside your sweet body until we’re both lost in oblivion.”
“Shaw.” The husky note to her tone says far more than any words ever could. She wants everything I just promised, but she’s afraid to voice it. Afraid to take something for herself and not think of what anyone will say or do. I don’t blame her, but I’m going to work my hardest to change her mindset.
“Ready for that ride now?” Changing the subject is what she needs, so she doesn’t feel pressured, and I’m only too happy to oblige.
“I don’t know if I’ll be any good at it.”
Slowly letting her feet touch the ground, I tease her with, “Guess you’ll have to ride with me,” before pulling the door open and guiding her behind me out to the barn.
Monroe
I’m free.
With the wind in my hair, the sun on my face, and the rolling mountains of Montana surrounding us, every weight I’ve ever carried on my shoulders is gone. Dissipating like water drying in a creek.
I was tense at first when Shaw put me in the saddle in front of him. The new feelings he evoked in me as he plundered my mouth in his office, then held me against the door, and now, with his arms wrapped around me to handle the reins, has me frazzled.
From the moment we cleared the gates to his pasture, Shaw has allowed Ripper—his horse—complete control. He’s dictating where we’re going, and for once, I’m not stressed about what happens next.
As the horse under us slows to a trot, I open my eyes and take in our surroundings. Lush trees cover the valley of the mountain we’re passing through. The gurgle of meandering water can be heard in the distance, and as we move past a small clearing, I see deer grazing. They stop to stare when they see us, but otherwise, we’re not perceived as a threat.
The warmth of Shaw’s fingers skimming under my shirt and across my flesh has goosebumps arising and my breathing growing harsher. He must frequently take this route because Ripper seems to know exactly where we’re going as his master kisses along my exposed shoulder.
I try to restrain my reaction to his ministrations, but I miserably fail as I melt into his protective frame. There’s something about this man that makes me inherently trust him. I want to explore these feelings Shaw brings out in me, and I want to push my boundaries.
“Well…” His hot breath brushes my throat. “What do you think?” He flattens his palm across my quivering belly, and all I can think is that I need relief. But I know that is not what he means.
My vision clears as I gaze around us. Sucking in a sharp breath at the magnificent landscape before us, I’m in awe of the rippling creek, bright wildflowers, and lush field.
“It’s stunning,” I whisper, crestfallen when he lets me go to get down off Ripper. After helping me off and settling on my feet, Shaw opens the saddlebags and pulls out the items for our picnic.
My legs are sore and shaky because I’m not used to riding, so I stay where I am and soak up the scenery around me. Everything is green, plush, and colorful. Spring is in full swing in the Crazy Mountains.
After taking a couple of hesitant steps, my legs steady themselves, and I’m free to wander around. Dipping down to smell the flowers, I see a fuzzy bumblebee floating from one blossom to another, like he’s skipping along, and I feel the gentle smile work across my lips.
Sitting in the tall grass, I don’t hesitate to lay flat on my back. Allowing the full sun to beat across my body, I close my eyes and take deep breaths, inhaling the world around me and imprinting it in my memories. This is a moment I’ll be able to take with me always. Pull out on those trips across the country and remember a time when I simply enjoyed life around me.
Feeling a shadow block the sun, I peek up to see Shaw standing a few feet away, his eyes sliding up my body from toe to tip before joining me in the grass.
Rolling over to cover my body, Shaw pulls one of my legs up to rest against his hip and leans on one arm while the other caresses through my hair.
“I can feel the change in you here.” Our eyes meet, and I nod. “I knew you’d like it.” Bending forward, I meet him for the kiss this time and don’t hesit
ate to allow him to take control of the movements.
Grasping his shoulders, I knead the muscles I feel with my fingertips as he slips his tongue past my lips, dueling with mine. So lost in the sensations, I don’t register how much time has passed before he’s pulling back with a groan.
“There are a lot of wicked things I’d like to do to you right now.” He bites his lip as his eyes flick down to our entangled legs. “And I’m going to, one day very soon.”
“Like what?” I don’t know how or where I found the courage to ask, but the question has popped out now, and I can’t take it back. Nor do I want to.
A sexy smirk lifts the corner of his lips, and his eyes darken before he speaks. Sitting back on his heels, Shaw grasps my ankle in his palm, lifting my leg to rest across his chest.
I’m spellbound as he speaks. “I’d start with kissing along the sensitive skin here.” His lips move along my ankle. “Then I’d slowly make my way up your calf.” Finger gliding along the covered muscle. “I’d leave little bites here.” He pinches the inside of each thigh—“and here”—before moving closer to the apex.
“What else?” I am transfixed by his hands.
His stare meets mine, and he holds it as his hand covers my sex completely. “I’d lick, suck, and bite across this delicate pussy until you screamed my name. Then I’d continue on until you lost your voice and begged me to take you.”
My entire core throbs with desire for everything he’s promising, yet, I’m still terrified. Afraid of what will happen afterwards.
“I’d cover your body from head to toe with mine, show you what it’s like to be taken by a real man, and make sure you crave me every minute of every day from then on.”
I have no idea what to say. Not because I don’t want it to happen, but because if I speak now, I might beg Shaw for everything he’s just promised me.
Shaw
Monroe is at war with her mind. She craves everything I just said, and I’d be lying if I didn’t mention that my dick is rock hard from just telling her what I’d like to do. I left off the part about riding her from behind, taking everything she has to offer, because I think that would scare her off. Eventually, I know she’ll be ready for it, though.
Rolling away from her tempting body, I lay on my back beside her, staring up at the cloudless sky and trying to imagine what she’s thinking. I recognize that I can’t begin to understand what her life in the spotlight must be like or the damage that comes along with it. But I want to. I want to know every hardship, all the ups and downs. And why she’s cooperated for so damn long.
“When I was a little girl, I used to dream of floating from cloud to cloud. Jumping across them like rocks in a creek.”
“And now?”
“I can’t remember the last time I took a moment to stop and admire the beauty of Mother Nature.” Climbing to her feet, Monroe removes her shoes and poses in one of her ballet stances. “Ophelia used to make me dance in the rain. We would spend hours in the parking lot of whatever hotel we were staying at and dance, pretending the thunder was our orchestra.”
“That sounds dangerous.” I’m a little angry that someone would force a child to stay out in the elements like that.
“I loved it. I would twirl and pirouette to the beating of every drop, and when the thunder rolled, I would spin until I couldn’t feel my toes.” She does the moves now, mimicking what she once performed.
“Why do you stay?” I can tell she loves the freedom of dancing, but the anxiety of being around people that exploit her bleeds through her voice.
Monroe drops to her knees beside me, her answer cramps my heart. “I’m not good at anything else. What would I do?”
That's a loaded question.
Loaded with her fears and the desires she’s been coerced into forgetting.
“You have plenty of time to figure it out now.” As soon as the words leave my mouth, Mari’s booming call vibrates the valley.
“I could be a cow whisperer, I suppose.” Her unguarded snort and giggle light up her entire face. Monroe thinks she’s this crushed person who follows orders, but as time passes, I’m seeing more and more of the girl who yearns to experience life shining through.
“First, we need to figure out this stalker of yours.” Her mouth droops, and I hate that I did that to her.
“It’s my mother.” Her words stop me as I’m about to get up.
“How do you know?” She shrugs, and I drop back down to the grass. “Tell me what you know.” The words come out sharper than I intend, but I am not a fan of being lied to either.
“I’m not one hundred percent certain, but it makes sense.” I watch as her head drops to her chest, not missing the tears that bubble up in her eyes.
“Some of those threats are very graphic, Monroe. The things left in your rooms… That’s not something that can be faked.” The dead rodents, the pornographic images. Threatening to rape her in the middle of the night. A mother wouldn’t do that, would she?
“I overheard a conversation a couple of months ago.” The way her shoulders sag screams defeat. She believes I’m going to turn on her now.
Monroe
I should have told Shaw from the moment we arrived. This is a hoax. A lie. A waste of everyone’s time and money.
Just like me.
But I had to get away. I needed to extricate myself from my mother's controlling antics. I can’t stand to be told what to do, say, eat, anymore. My entire life has been one command after another.
And then Shaw touched me. He stood up for me. And he believes I’m worth more than a crown. How in the world am I supposed to give that up?
However, I can’t continue to lie to him anymore.
Shaw deserves the truth.
“What did you hear?” His steady voice breaks the deafening silence after my confession.
I still can’t meet his stare, though. “She was hiring someone to pretend to stalk me. Told them what to do, how to say it. I don’t even know why she would go so far as to hire anyone.”
“Monroe, look at me.” When I don’t immediately lift my head, I feel a gentle finger under my chin, and he nudges my head up to look at him. “What she's done, the lies she tells, it has no effect on how I feel about you. Get that thought out of your head right now.”
I want to believe him.
“I suspect you're right about your mother. She was the first one we looked into too. However, the person she hired has become transfixed with you. Whatever role they were playing has become reality, and you are in danger.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I’ve spent time with you. You are one in a million, and there isn’t a man on earth who wouldn’t become obsessed once they’ve begun to learn who you are.” The intensity in his stare encourages me to believe him. “I will catch him, Monroe. I will make sure your mother is met with justice, and when you’re ready, I will help you set up a new life wherever you want.”
Shaw
A sleuth, her mother is not. It took me an hour after I sent Monroe up to bed to find the name of the man she hired to stalk her daughter.
Alton Matthews.
Plain. Middle-aged. Unable to hold down a job.
So far, he hasn’t flown into Montana, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t on his way or that he doesn’t plan to come. What I need to find out is if he knows Monroe is here.
I’m about to pick up the phone to call Duke when I notice the time and decide to email him instead. The first thing we need to do is locate Alton in Hollywood.
Shutting my computer down for the night, a flash of lightning bolts across the sky, followed quickly by a clap of thunder. It’s supposed to thunderstorm for the next three days. I don’t know how Monroe handles storms, but with as skittish as she is, I decide to pop into her room to check on her before heading to my own bed.
Shutting off lights and double-checking that the windows and doors are locked, I quietly stride up the stairs. Once I’m at Monroe’s door, I slowly turn the nob
and push the door inwards. The curtains are open wide, allowing the moonlight to spill across the bed where she’s asleep, curled into a ball with a thick blanket covering her.
Leaving as silently as I came, I begin to unbutton my shirt as I approach my room. Toeing my boots off in the doorway, I toss my clothes in the hamper as I move to the bed. The door remains open in case Monroe needs me during the night. That’s what I tell myself anyway.
What worries me is that she’ll wake up early again and scar herself in a way she may come to regret later on. After spending so much time in the military, I’ve learned to spot someone in the midst of a breakdown, and Monroe displays all the signs of a traumatized individual.
Climbing into bed in just my boxers, I leave the covers off, still hot from the warm day. Resting my hands under my head, I close my eyes and let my exhaustion wash over me.
Sometime later, I hear the floor squeak, then the bed dips, and a warm body drapes across my chest, shivering. Thunder can still be heard, and as I wrap my arms around Monroe, I hear her begin counting each thud of my heart.
What she says after each number infuriates me, though. “One, the number of mistakes you’re allowed to make. Two, the number of days you won’t eat. Three, the number of hours you’re forced to run. Four, the times you failed on purpose. Five, the weeks you were locked in a closet for failure. Six, the number of times you were arm candy. Seven, for luck.” Her voice grows quieter with each word until she finally drifts off.
I’m lying here, simmering with a rage I can do nothing with. How the fuck I’m supposed to go back to sleep after that is beyond me. I’ve seen and done a lot of shit in my life, but this pageant stuff, life in Hollywood, it takes things to a whole new level of fucked up.
I can only hope that I’ll be able to help Monroe leave behind the only life she’s ever known once the threat against her is neutralized.