twenty-five
peyton
“What in the fuck?”
Those words from Rut were so loud, I stopped washing the dishes. Grabbing a towel to dry my hands, I hurried from the trailer. Reaching the house, he was standing in the foyer, the new decorated railings leading up the stairs were broken to bits and lying on the floor, ones I had a hand in securing. Outraged and heartbroken, I was as loud as Rut when I hollered, “What in the fuck?” I tried to walk to it, Rut wouldn’t let me. The words fell out of my mouth. “I helped them with that.” I glanced up at him. “I put in screws.” It was only then I saw the look, but this time it was directed at me.
His hard eyes on me, he menacingly whispered, “Excuse me?”
Oh shit. It wasn’t easy holding his hard stare, but I did. “I added a few screws. I know, I know, but it was fun. I felt like I was part of it. I intended to talk to you about that actually.” My focus moved back to the railing. Looking at what remained broke my heart.
He shifted his focus from me; glancing around his tone stayed the same as he bit out, “We will talk about this later.” He put a hand to my belly, holding me behind him. “Stay here.” Then he turned, gave me those hard eyes again and ordered firmly, “I mean it, Peaches, do not fucking move.”
Unease crept in at his tone, something settled in my gut, but I whispered “Okay.” I took in the rest of the damage. The new stone purchased for the mantel, shattered. Someone had entered my house, someone had done this when we were right on the property sleeping. I didn’t move, fear froze me in place. “Be careful.”
I lost sight of him when he turned the corner and went into the kitchen. I heard someone come up behind me and already being freaked, I screamed bloody murder. Turning to the intruder, prepared to do I didn’t know what, it was to see Herb. Rut came flying down the hallway from the kitchen.
He pulled me into his arms, and bit out, “What the fuck did you do?” His anger focused on Herb.
Herb took a step back and held up his hands in defense. “I didn’t do anything, just showing up to work.” He then took in the carnage. “What the hell happened?”
“That’s what the fuck we want to know.” Rut’s voice was hard and laced with anger.
“I didn’t do this.” Herb looked confused as he scanned the mess.
Rut eased his tight hold on me, some of the tension leaving his body when he demanded of Herb, “You locked up yesterday when you left? Nothing was touched?”
There was no denying the truth in Herb’s words when he said, “Yeah, everything was all good when we left yesterday.” Herb scanned the area again before he added, “I was the last one to leave, and believe me, it didn’t fucking look like this. But...” He seemed to stop himself.
“But what?” Rut bellowed.
Herb placed his thumbs in the straps of his overalls and took a deep breath then admitted, “Few days ago, we noticed a few things missing here and there...plywood, tiles, shit like that, but chalked it up to us just miscounting materials.”
Rut looked like he was about to commit murder, so I put my hand on his abs to ease the tension. “Why didn’t you tell me this shit?”
“Didn’t think it was a concern,” Herb blew it off then added, “You two have been busy the last few days, picking out and up materials. Didn’t want to bother you at all.”
“Everything on this property is my fucking concern, Herb. When did you notice shit missing?”
Herb tilted his head in thought. “On Monday when you two went off to order the cabinets and countertops.”
Rut scrunched his brows. “It’s fucking Friday, Herb, So you’re telling me this shit started almost a week ago and you haven’t said a fucking thing?”
Herb’s eyes fell to his boots and his shoulders slumped when he answered, “Yeah.”
Rut turned to me, “That night you made me meatballs, did you hear anything?”
I couldn’t help the chill that skipped down my spine, particularly with how scary Rut looked. “No. I didn’t hear anything.”
He looked around before he dropped his voice as if he didn’t want me to hear. “That night and two nights after, I heard something in the middle of the night. Thought that shit was fucking animals but...” his eyes scanned the mess. “Apparently not.”
It wasn’t the first time someone had been on the property, nor was it the first time someone tampered with something. I hated mentioning it now, because he was really pissed, but if I hadn’t forgotten to tell him maybe this wouldn’t have happened.
“Rut.” Those hard eyes turned to me. “I meant to tell you during the inspection, but I got sidetracked by Jessica and then it slipped my mind. I think someone tried to break into the shed, the lock looks like it was tampered with.”
He fully turned toward me, his lips drew in a hard line, but his eyes were still on fire as he grated out, “There’s a lotta fucking shit you’ve been intending or meant to tell me lately, Peaches, and—”
“I don’t mean to cut in,” Herb chimed in, cutting Rut off and earning both of our attentions. “She’s right. It looked like someone was trying to get past the lock on the shed, but me and my boys secured it with another. Thought it was those high schoolers going around, messing with shit.”
Rut growled. And I’m not sure who that was intended for, but I was sure at least fifty percent was meant for me.
“You.” His sharp tone turned my focus back on him. “We’re having a talk later, get it?”
A numbness moved through me at the sound of the cage closing. “Yes. I get it. We do have things to discuss.”
He growled again, and this time I knew it was solely meant for me, even if the feral sound had Herb taking a step back.
It was then I realized he had thought more of the sounds he heard during the night because of the added lock on the trailer. He was pissed I didn’t share, but he was concerned enough to add a fucking lock. “Is that why you added that lock?”
He looked down at me, his eyes still burning with fire and he bit out, “Yes.”
I was pissed at his high handedness, absolutely, but whoever came onto the property, whoever he had heard, had broken in and destroyed all the pretty new things we had bought that day shopping. Someone had marred the memory of that day and that, more than Rut being Rut, caused my anger.
“I’m going back to the trailer,” I muttered and didn’t wait for an answer. As I crossed the yard, remembering all the incidents that seemed harmless and unrelated, fear rose up to meet anger because I’d bet money they were all linked. Who the hell was it and what the hell did they want? One thing was for sure; whoever they were they were escalating.
The door had only just closed behind me when I felt him. His dark energy was slightly terrifying. Turning, it was in time to see him locking the door.
“It’s time to fucking talk, Peaches.” His tone was hard and rough. “So I suggest you stop right there.”
I glared, then cocked my hip. “So talk.”
He put his hands on the small counter and leaned in toward me. “Seems you’re the one that needs to do the talking. Since you’ve been holding shit back from me.”
I understood his anger over me not telling him about the shed, it truly had slipped my mind, but it was his reaction to learning I had screwed in screws on the banister that brought out my own anger and also stirred fear. Handing over control was one thing, being caged was another. “I screwed in three screws in a railing in a house I bought. Sue me. As far as the damn shed, Jessica distracted me, but honestly with all the shit going on with buying a house, moving and you....yeah, the lock on the shed slipped my mind. But you…” I shouted then bit my lip to calm down because I was shaking I was so pissed. “You heard shit, you were concerned enough to put another lock on the trailer but you never mentioned it. So how the hell can you stand there and act all righteous when you are guilty of exactly what you’re pissed at me for doing?”
He moved. And it was done quickly with determination. His steps so hard they pounded on the floor. He came to stand right in front of me, eyes as dark as night.
But his voice, his voice was like ice when he grated out, “You fucking kidding me right now?” He paused and as I was about to answer, he continued, “You’re gonna fucking stand here and give me sass ʼcause I was fucking protecting your ass? Making sure my woman was safe? Really?” He cocked his head to the side, brows scrunched together. “And you’re pissed about that one little fucking thing, when let me remind you, Peyton, three...” He held up his hand and counted his fingers. “Three things you’ve held from me. I’ll give it to you that you were fucking busy, but you should’ve fucking told me. It’s what couples do.” I thought he was done, but he wasn’t. “As for the fucking screws, did that make you happy doing that?”
Even being furious, it didn’t pass my notice that he called me Peyton. I couldn’t remember the last time he’d called me that. It hurt hearing it because I knew he was as pissed as me, but it did nothing to ease my temper.
“Yes, couples share. So if your concern is my well-being then it can be argued it would have been in my best interest to know you were hearing people on the property. As far as withholding shit from you, it wasn’t consciously done. I screwed in three screws. I didn’t put my head in a chimney, I didn’t lift heavy equipment. It was a cordless drill on a banister I intend to slide down.” It wasn’t just anger, but my knee jerk reaction to his domineering ways that fueled my next words, words I wanted to take back as soon as I said them. “Forgive me if I don’t fall in line at your command.”
He stepped back. No, he jolted back as if struck by something. His eyes changed color and he whispered, “I asked one fucking question, just one, and I would have told you why you screwing in three fucking screws pissed me the fuck off. But...” He paused and scanned my body like he didn’t even recognize me. “I get it. I’ll back off.” And with that, he turned and walked out of the trailer.
I didn’t move as he walked out. The door slamming closed echoed in the empty trailer, a trailer he had gotten for me. Without being asked, he put a trailer on the property for me. He came into a town he avoided for me. He arranged for the inspection, the renovations, for me. He took me shopping, hours of shopping that he hated, for me. And he put another lock on the trailer for me. So he ordered me to wear a sweater, to keep my head out of the chimney, to not screw in screws but he was doing that, like he did everything else, for me. I may not always know the reasons behind his actions, but I knew the motivation. And that motivation had always been in my best interest. It had always been for me. And it was then it finally sank in, and not just sank in but infused into my muscles and bones. He wasn’t trying to cage me. He was showing me he loved me in the way that was uniquely Rutledge Raines. And I threw that in his face.
Numbness swept through me as I ran out of the trailer and across the lawn. Panic rising up my throat that he was gone. That my hurtful words drove away the best thing that ever happened to me. Then I saw him in his truck. Relief hit until I really saw him. His elbows were on the steering wheel, his head was bent and my heart broke because the image was so similar to that first day, and that tormented look, but this time I was the one who caused it.
The driver’s door was open, but as I approached he didn’t look at me. That gutted. From the very beginning I’d always had his attention, those eyes on me even when I hadn’t thought I wanted it. Not now. His head lifted, but he stared out the front window of his truck. A wall was up, one I’d put there.
“You’ve never demanded I fall in line. I know you know that. I need you to know I know that too. That was cruel and untrue and I am so sorry.”
He didn’t react, I didn’t expect him to; I’d hurt him. “You’ve only ever had my best interest in mind. From the very beginning, when you didn’t even like me, you were looking out for me. You’re not controlling, well, you are, but you aren’t trying to clip my wings.”
His voice sounded like cut glass as he said, “I’ve never not liked you, Peyton.”
Even now, when I’d hurt him he was still looking out for me by comforting me. The sob caught in my throat, but I forced it down. “I was wrong. My hurtful words, even knowing you have my best interests in mind, were fueled by the part of me still worried that situations like the screws and the sweater and chimney, are you trying to cage me, but you’re not. You are just loving me in the way that is so you, that Rutledge charm I have come to love.”
His face had no reaction, just stared blankly out the window, but he took a deep audible breath. My heart twisted in my chest; words had power, even ones thoughtlessly spoken out of anger and fear. “I threw that in your face.”
I stepped back even when everything in me wanted to move closer. “All I can say in my defense is I’ve never met a man like you and I know I never will again. You are complicated and hard to read, but you are also good down to your bones and you’re beautiful...inside and out.”
I took a painful inhale before adding, “It isn’t because of you. The ones who fail you...” Tears welled and rolled down my cheeks because I told him I would never fail him, but I just had. “It is them who are lacking. Not you.” I turned for the trailer, but said before I walked away, “I’m sorry I failed you too.”
His rough tone ordered, “Come here.”
I stopped, but I didn’t turn around right away because of the tears rolling down my face. I wiped at them, took a deep breath afraid to look back and see that closed off expression on his face, but I needed to be near him so I did as he ordered. Walking to him, stopping just at his side. His movements were so quick and fluid. One second I was standing just outside the open door, the next I was straddling his lap, the steering wheel digging into my ass. With a click of a button, the seat pulled away from the wheel, letting me sit fully on his lap. Nerves had me twisting my fingers, afraid to touch him, but then he looked at me, his eyes the softest I’d ever seen them. His arms snaked around my waist, his hands gripped my ass, pulling me as close to him as he could.
He whispered, “I love you.”
Hearing those three words, I let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding in. The tension left my body, and I finally rested my hands on his chest. One hand went to the back of my head, where he put pressure and we met in the middle when his mouth slammed down on mine. It wasn’t long before he was pulling at the material of my pants, slipping a hand down them. Finding what he wanted, I let out a moan, he let out a growl.
“Get these off,” he bit out.
I didn’t know how I did it, but I wiggled this way and that way and got my pants off, with his help. It was a wonder I hadn’t pulled a muscle with my contortionist movements, bending in ways I had no idea my body was capable of.
A second after, his mouth was back on mine. The kiss, wet and hot, both dueling for control, even though I knew I’d never get it, and I was okay with that. Our heavy breathing the only sound in the truck when Rut leaned to the left and shut the door. My hands roamed down his t-shirt covered chest, heading to his jeans. I started working on the button. He detached his mouth from mine and swatted my hands out of the way.
“Lift,” was all he said, and I went up on my knees.
I watched as he gripped the base of his cock and ordered, “Sit.”
I did, and not slowly as I slammed down on him. I needed the connection, but I also needed the penetration...needed him inside me.
“Fuck,” he grated out between clenched teeth when I seated myself on him.
“Yes,” I dragged out on a ragged breath, as I gripped his biceps.
His hips jerked up, I rose, and he pounded into me with a swift lift of his hips. Aggressively he fucked me. There’d been times we took it slow, savored each other. This time was not one of them. Thrust after thrust he drove deep into me. I found his rough rhythm and followed his lead, as he rose, I sank down harder.
“God, yes,” I moaned, my head falling back as he slightly moved our bodies causing my clit to brush along his skin.
His hand twisted in my hair, yanking my head back more, he assaulted my neck. Nipping, kissing and groaning against the damp skin. I came hard, screaming his name. The words echoing in the cab. It wasn’t long before his head fell onto my shoulder, grunting through his release, my name falling from his lips as he seated himself deep inside me.
Our breathing filled the silence. And when it steadied he lifted his head. I ran my thumb along his lower lip. All of my world’s happiness was in this cab. My gaze lifted to his hot eyes. “I love you.”
“I know you do,” he confirmed and ran the back of his hand along my cheek, watching it as it went.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about the screws. I should have. I meant to.”
His hands landed on my hips where he squeezed. “Do you know why that upset me?”
I couldn’t help scrunching up my nose as I thought about it. It was for me I knew, but I honestly didn’t understand why he got so pissed. I answered truthfully, “No.”
Another clench of his hands on my hips before he told me, “ʼCause I know that probably made you fucking happy.” A hand lifted and his thumb ran across my bottom lip as he continued, “Put a smile on these perfect lips. And you didn’t give that to me. Let me enjoy the fact that my girl did something that got her excited and happy. You didn’t give me that.” His last words were low and then he brought his eyes to mine.
Love burned through me, love for this complicated man. “God, I love you.” I felt the tears, controlled them when I added, “Maybe we could work on it together?”
“Or...” He drawled, his eyes scanned behind me, out the window when he informed me, “We can do a show for them maybe once a day.”
My body froze. We were in his truck. His truck that was parked out back, by the trailer. But out in the open, for anyone and everyone to see. Slowly, I turned my head and, OMG. I didn’t keep my eyes there long enough to count how many workers there were in the yard. But one was enough for me and there was more than one. Rut began to laugh, I looked at him with hard eyes, and that only caused him to bust out laughing.
“Hey,” he said after his laugh died down. “You know you’re the first and only woman I’ve fucked in my truck.”
Embarrassment turned to something else. Knowing this man, that confession was a profound one. I wiggled in his lap, his cock stirred. “Maybe one show a day isn’t such a bad idea.”
“Watch out Martin, here comes The Great Peyton,” he laughed.
***
Rut wasted no time. As soon as we returned to the trailer he went in search of Herb. Someone had been on the property and caused damage and with all the other odd occurrences, Rut wasn’t taking any chances. We thought to call the cops, but the last time they had been less than concerned. Even with the damage done, it was likely they’d say it was still just kids being kids. It wasn’t, Rut and I both knew that, so our hope was to catch whoever it was in the act. Herb sent out some of his crew to get the cameras and work stopped while they put them up, both inside and out.
I was in the kitchen at the house, paging through some catalogs. It was afternoon but with how the day started, I was still feeling a little tender. Hearing his words that he had been upset about the screws because he missed seeing me happy, I didn’t have words. He was forever throwing me off balance in the very best way. He was hard to read, kept a lot to himself, but that didn’t mean he didn’t feel things deeply. I had failed him not realizing that, but I wouldn’t again.
I blushed remembering the show we’d put on for the crew. How much they saw, I didn’t know, but by the smiles and winks, the whistling many of them were doing as they worked, I suspected they had seen more than enough. And even being embarrassed, I wasn’t kidding. I would so totally do that again, a crowd watching or not.
When the music from the iPod stopped, I looked up to see Rut standing in front of it, his back to me.
“Need help?” I asked.
“Shhh,” he drawled.
I shrugged my shoulders and went back to the array of catalogs I had spread out on the island. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go with a patterned or solid color couch in the great room. I was pondering this when music filled the kitchen. This time much louder, but it was what he put on, the first strings of Marvin Gaye’s ‘Let’s Get It On’ that had me turning to him. Rut turned and that playful look was in his eyes, the same he had the night I dropped the pizza from his funny antics.
He started singing, my jaw almost dropped. His deep voice, singing along word for word with Marvin, all the while his dancing eyes were on me. Surprise shifted to happy as I watched him. His hips began to move in tune with the beat, hips I knew very well what they were capable of.
Next his feet started to move, all the while he sang, heading for me. I smiled, retreating on his advances because I was enjoying this side of him too much to let it come to an end. His shoulders dipping and moving in time to the music, hips swaying with every step that brought him closer to me. Words effortlessly falling from his mouth. Lips tipping up at every break in the lyrics. Winking at me. I stopped. I had to because my body hit the wall, that I had no idea was behind me. Inwardly I cursed at the damn wall, even thought to remove it because I didn’t want the moment to end. Still advancing on me, he sang to me. It was hot. So fucking hot I struggled to pull air into my lungs.
When he stopped in front of me, so close we were almost touching, he put one hand to the wall above my head, his other hand went to my lower back, drawing me to him, my body fell into his. He stopped singing and took my mouth in a soft, deep, wet kiss.
***
That night we were curled up in bed. Thoughts of his performance earlier drew a smile every time I thought about it. A lighthearted Rut, one I’d caught a glimpse of from time to time, but he had given me happy and I hoped, had taken a bit for himself. It was thinking about that, about him and all that he made me feel, that had my smile turning a little mischievous because even feeling unsure at times, I loved this man. He always took charge, I wondered how he’d react if I did. Time to find out. I straddled his hips. Heavy eyes looked into mine. I couldn’t read him, but I felt the heat of his stare. A heat that made me bold. I held that look for a moment before I kissed him, running my tongue along his lower lip. I glanced up, his eyes were so dark. So many promises buried in them.
I moved my mouth lower, along his neck, running my tongue across his collarbone, down his chest. He groaned. My hair falling over us, I pressed kisses down his abs, my tongue tracing those muscles before moving lower. He ran a hand along my arm, hissing in a breath. Reaching the part of him I was craving to taste, I glanced up at him to see the hottest eyes staring back at me. With my eyes still on him, I swirled my tongue around the tip where I tasted saltiness. I couldn’t help the moan.
“Fuck,” he grated out lowly.
Watching him still, I closed my mouth over just the tip, sucking softly, but feeling his body tense, the deep guttural groans coming from him, I pulled him in deeper, taking as much of him as I could.
His hands laced into my hair, and he growled, “Jesus.”
Feeling and seeing his reaction my clit pulsed and wet heat pooled between my thighs. Moving my head, I eased him out a bit, before I took him deeper, and with every incline onto his cock, his hips jerked up to meet my mouth. It was glorious.
“Fucking hell, baby,” he grunted out, as he fucked my mouth.
Wrapping my hand at the base, my heel pressing into his balls, I sucked him even deeper, my eyes watering, but I couldn’t get enough of him. In and out I worked his cock, loving the sounds I was pulling from him. He was getting close and feeling wicked, I teased him when I released him. Hot eyes stared down at me, but I wasn’t ready for this to be over yet. I understood now his love of tasting me. I flattened my tongue against the underside of his shaft and licked him right up to tip.
The strained groan was like an aphrodisiac. I didn’t play for long before my lips wrapped around his cock and I sucked him down my throat. Finding what he liked when his fingers tightened in my hair and his hips starting thrusting into my mouth.
“Fuck yeah,” he hissed.
My eyes teared, but feeling him lose control, being responsible for it, I worked him until I felt his body tense and he swelled in my mouth, right before he came, his saltiness filling my mouth. I let it pool there for a second or two, loving the taste of him on my tongue then I swallowed.
I glanced up at him to find him staring at me with intense heated eyes.