Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 70628 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 353(@200wpm)___ 283(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70628 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 353(@200wpm)___ 283(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
He loves her. He’ll do anything to protect her.
And that I can get behind.
That I understand.
A yawn splits my face.
“You okay?” Luke asks.
“Yeah. Just tired and I’ve got a headache coming on. I need to take some more ibuprofen.”
“What did the doc say? When can you get back to normal business?”
“As soon as I’m feeling up to it. Which means tomorrow.”
“Good. Tomorrow we’ll begin our search.”
I rise. “Actually, the first thing I need to do is get some damned clothes.”
“Already done. Clothing will be delivered tomorrow.”
“I have money.”
“I know that. You can pay me back if it’ll make you feel better. Aspen knew your sizes, and she knows what you like. Army boots, jeans, button-downs. T-shirts and underwear. Some running shoes, swimwear.”
“All right. Just bill me.”
“Not a problem.”
“And Raven?” Shit. “Sorry. Luke?”
“What?”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it.”
I nod. He doesn’t have to worry about that. This is the last time I’ll ever mention it.
10
ASPEN
Luke returns to the deck after a couple hours, and I’m ready to go to bed.
“Where’s Buck?” I ask him.
“He was exhausted. He went to sleep.”
A yawn creeps up on me. I was thinking about feigning one, but I didn’t have to. “I guess I’ll hit the sack as well. Thank you both for everything.”
“Aspen,” Luke says, “Buck needs his rest.”
“Did I say I was going to disturb him?”
Katelyn smiles. “His best medicine might be Aspen.”
“You’re probably right.” Luke sits down next to Katelyn.
Katelyn stares lovingly at the engagement ring on her left hand. “I hope one day you’re as happy as Luke and I are.”
“I hope so too.”
But inside I know I won’t be. I have to leave. Not just for Buck’s own good but for Luke’s and Katelyn’s as well. For my father’s.
This is something I have to do myself.
You’re not thinking straight.
From my inner voice.
But perhaps I’m thinking straight for the first time in my life. Perhaps I just want to protect the people I love.
Is that so wrong?
I bring Edgar with me into the house and then to my guestroom. I take a quick shower and attempt to put on the pajamas Katelyn gave me. They’re way too small. I’ll sleep in the nude, I guess.
I’m determined to leave Buck alone.
Until I’m not.
I rise from bed, put on the fuzzy pink robe.
I love this man, and if I’m going to leave him tomorrow, I’m going to at least have this night with him.
I’ll do all the work. He doesn’t have to do anything.
No response to my knock, so I crack the door open.
Buck is asleep—or he seems to be—but then he opens his eyes.
“Hey, baby. I was hoping you would join me.”
“Lie down,” I say. “You need your rest.”
“I’m never too tired to make love with you.”
“Doesn’t matter. You’re not going to do anything. I’m going to do all the work, and I’m going to make this a night neither of us will ever forget.”
He smiles, and then he groans. “Sounds perfect.”
I shed my robe, letting it fall over my shoulders and onto the floor.
Buck sucks in a breath at my naked body.
My naked body with all its scars, its missing part.
Still, he loves me.
And I love him. So fucking much.
I walk toward him. Remove his covers, crawl on top of him.
I massage his thighs first, and then his dick, which is already hard.
I bite the tip of it through his boxers.
Then I slowly, languidly, move them over his hips.
His huge cock springs out.
Still I’m amazed at how I find this part of him so beautiful. There was a time when I wasn’t sure I could ever bear to look at that part of a man again.
I take his cock, hold it at the base, and put the head between my lips. I moisten the tip with my saliva and then use it as a lubricant to move my fist up and down the shaft.
Then I go down. Force my mouth upon him, until I feel the tip at the back of my throat.
And I want this. I want it more than I ever thought I could.
I spread his legs and position myself between them, letting my breasts dangle. And I take him between my lips once more.
“God, baby,” he groans.
I remove my mouth from him, take over with my hands. “Does it feel good?”
“God, you have no idea.”
I swirl my tongue around his head, lick him from his balls to his tip. Then I use my fist again, both hands this time from shaft to head. I tongue him once more. Go down on him all the way to the base.
He tastes like sweat and man.
He tastes like Buck.
“Baby. Slow down.”
But he’s not in charge here. I am.
Part of me wants to cuff him, bind him to the bed, have my way with him. But Buck is a military man. He would never submit that way.