I ’ve got to get control of myself .

Hell !

I’m probably scaring Jenny to death. I don’t want that. The last thing I want is for her to be afraid of me. But seeing another man dare to touch her… Yeah, even now I want to go back there and fucking kill him. Now I find myself coming to terms with the fact that I’ve let Jenny get too far away from me. I’ve just told her how I felt—in so many ways—in the middle of a damn parking lot .

Fuck .

One thought keeps haunting me now. It’s something I don’t want to give voice to. If I do, it will be proof that I’ve been a stupid, blind asshole. It will be proof that Jenny will never be completely mine .

She doesn’t speak as we drive down the old graveled road. I chance a look at her and see her staring out her window, biting on her nails. I know she has a million questions, but for whatever reason she’s not voicing them. I want to scream out my frustration as I turn my gaze back on the road. This is part of the problem. Jenny and I have been too quiet, for too damn long .

“Have you let another man touch you?” I growl, finally asking my question and doing my best to ignore the way the mere words cut me inside. “More than what happened tonight?” If she’s given away her virginity I’ll find a way to get past it, but I can’t guarantee that I won’t hunt the fucker down and kill him .

“What?” she gasps .

I glance at her. Her face is pale and her eyes are wide with surprise—but she didn’t answer the question .

Fucking hell! Is she dodging the answer ?

“That’s none of your business .”

There’s this bite in her voice and I grin. That’s my girl giving me shit even though I need her to tell me the truth .

“Who did you give your cherry to, Jenny ?”

“I… What… Carson, you’re acting insane!” she huffs .

I look around and see the turnoff for the cornfield that I planted. The truck bounces over the dirt road, pot holes and bumps—mostly because I don’t slow down. I come to a stop in front of the old metal gate that blocks the road. This is the back entrance to my farm. I have a key, but this is far enough off the road that Jenny and I can have this out. That’s all that matters right now .

I shut the truck off and we sit there in the quiet and dark. The only sounds you can hear are the crickets outside, a stray hoot owl call here and there, and Jenny’s erratic breathing. The moon is full tonight and it offers a filtered, pale light to shine through the cab of my truck. I tighten my grip on the steering wheel and try to calm down the raw anger and frustration inside of me .

Why did I wait so long to claim Jenny? Why did I assume she would be waiting for me, like I have for her ?

Because I’m an idiot .

“Who is he?” I ask, doing my best to keep the words from sounding like a bitter accusation, but not sure I fully succeed. Truthfully, it cuts me open inside that she gave herself to another man. It will take me time to get over it. I’m still not letting her get away and even if I can’t be her first, I’m damn well going to be the last man to crawl between her legs. I’ll fuck her so hard she’ll never think of letting another man near her again .

“He?” she asks, confused .

“The man you’ve slept with. Who is he, Jenny ?”

“I really don’t think we should talk about this, Carson. I’m a grown woman and my sex life is not your concern — ”

“Your sex life? Jesus Christ! Has there been more than one, Jenny?” I growl, feeling nothing but pain inside .

“More than one what?” she asks, exasperated .

“Have you had more than one man between your legs ?”

“Carson! I just said I’m not talking about this with you !”

“You will answer the damn question. I’m done playing here. You haven’t realized it yet, but you need to .”

“ Realize what ?”

“You’re mine, and I’m done waiting—apparently, I’ve waited too long already .”

“I’m yours ?”

“Exactly .”

“When did you decide I was yours, Carson?” she asks, and I think I hear a hint of anger in her voice. I’m handling this wrong, I know it, but I’ve gone too far to turn back now .

“Since that night on your eighteenth birthday, when I first tasted your lips .”

“Since… Carson .”

“What?” I growl, not about to back down .

“That was almost four years ago! It will be four years in a day or so !”

“Doesn’t change the facts. I knew with that one taste that you were mine, Jenny .”

“Don’t you think you could have told me ?”

“I was trying to give you time to grow up and spread your wings a little. I owed that to your father and to you—even if it did kill me .”

“I was eighteen! Most people consider that the age of an adult!” she huffs, clearly angry .

“You were a sheltered eighteen. You needed time to come into your own,” I growl, getting frustrated. She’ll never understand how much self-control it took to let her go to college after that kiss. How much discipline it took not to claim her right then. Nor could she understand how much it’s killing me to know that she gave her body to another man during this time. I hate that I waited now. I should have claimed her back then and planted my child in her. If I had, Jenny would have never looked anywhere else for comfort. She would have had me and our child, and that’s all she would have ever wanted .

I fucked up. I have to fix it .

“So you let me go, letting me think that the kiss was nothing…that you weren’t interested in me… like that . ”

“I had to. It was for your own good .”

“My own good. How nice of you to decide what was good for me, Carson! You could have at least asked me how I felt about your plan!” she growls and unbuckles her seatbelt, turning to look at me. “Did that thought ever occur to you while you were making major decisions about my life ?”

“I was doing my job, Jenny!” I growl back, not thinking the words out and I wince at the way they sound .

“ You job ?”

“I’m your guardian, Jenny. It’s my job to make sure you are — ”

“That I’m what? That I get to spread my wings? That the first kiss I give a man feels like a rejection when he doesn’t bother to react to it and proceeds to act like it meant nothing ?”

“Jenny—you have to understand…” I start, feeling defensive .

“What I understand is that you’re insane. You apparently decided I was yours four years ago, but you didn’t let me in on the secret !”

“Damn it, Jenny !”

“Now you’re acting like a caveman because some faceless man got what you claimed years ago, but again…didn’t bother to tell me! Do I have that right, Carson? You know I’m not adult enough to figure these things out on my own, I need your help. It is, after all, your damn job !”

“Jenny …” I stop, not sure how to explain things to her without making it worse. I get she’s upset, but hell…so am I! Before I get the chance, however, she turns and opens the truck door. “Where are you going?” I bark .

“I’m walking home! I suddenly feel the need to spread my wings!” she mutters, jumping out of the truck and slamming the door .

She takes off walking, but she’s going the opposite way of the house. If she thinks she can go back to that pretty boy in town, she’s got another think coming. I get out and stride over to her, my long legs swallowing up the distance before she can get too far away from me .

“You’re not leaving !”

“Watch me!” she huffs, not bothering to turn around .

I react on instinct. I hook my arms around her waist and pull her back against me. I pull her in tight so she can feel the hard ridge of my cock against her ass. I lean my face down close to hers, unable to resist a small kiss along the side of her neck, which turns into more of a bite, because after the night I’ve had I feel the need to mark her damn body .

She trembles in my arms, losing some of the stiffness in her muscles. Her ass even pushes against my cock. I doubt she realizes the invitations she’s giving me, but I do. It’s an invitation I have every intention of accepting .

“You’re not walking away, Jenny. I may have waited too long to claim you, but whoever the fucker is that you gave your body to was an idiot .”

“Because he took what you pushed away?” she huffs, her body going tense once again .

“Because he had you and yet he let you get away. Now you’re here. Now I have you and you aren’t getting away from me. You’re never getting away from me again, ” I tell her and the words are a promise .

I spin her around and lift her over my shoulder, letting her torso drape over my shoulders and back, while I hold her legs and ass tight. I start striding through the corn, going straight to the house. I’ll get the truck tomorrow. I need Jenny safely inside my house and I’m not risking letting her out of my arms until she’s locked inside my bedroom, unable to get away .

Once I have her there, I have only one thought on my mind. I’ll finally claim her body and do my best to obliterate any memory of a man before me and I’ll bury my cock so deep in her, filling her so full of my cum that some have to take root. Before the week is out, Jenny will be pregnant with my baby and she’ll never get away from me then. She’ll never doubt who she belongs to again .