FOUR

Nash

Days went by as I did my best to stay away from Eden.

It was fucking torture, seeing her every day in my home, among my stuff, thinking how well she fit in here, how well she fit with me. Eden was it for me. I knew that no other woman would ever do, and I'd figured that out the minute she'd jumped out of her brother's truck in those dusty old boots. She was a vision, so much better than my meager memory could do justice. As if I’d been struck by lightning, I'd known in that instant she was mine, mine in every way.

By the time the sun set on the first night, I knew she felt it too. I saw it in the way her eyelashes fluttered up at me, a tiny smile teasing her full, lush lips. Dread washed over me knowing we'd have to confront her brother before we got much of anywhere. I was bound to Colt. I refused to dishonor his sister or the promise I gave him to keep her safe. But looking at her now, the devastation of what my life would be without her flooded through me. Dark, lonely, hopeless, an existence filled with relentless nothingness. Being with her was an impossible dream, but as far as I was concerned, she would always be mine.

But then her brother had fucking called, giving me the “I wouldn't trust anyone with my sister but you” talk, and the guilt got the best of me. I’d grown up with Eden. She was right; I had pulled her pigtails a helluva lotta times, but wasn’t that what pigtails were for? I’d been a little asshole to her, but I’d always thought she was cute as hell too. So to have her brother in my ear, telling me how glad he was that I was around to protect her was like a bucket of cement in my gut.

Hell if I was the right guy for her. I’d been fooling myself thinking I could be. I was no better than all the jack offs Colt had been trying to keep her away from.

And then I’d walked in on her making lunch, that petal pink dress brushing across her thighs and playing peekaboo with her pussy.

I’d lost it, completely lost my mind, and let my cock do the talking.

She needed punishing, and I was just as mad about someone else seeing what was mine as I was about having her flaunt what I couldn’t have, couldn’t taste, right under my nose. I didn't give a shit if it made sense or not. If I couldn’t have her, nobody could—bottom line.

I stood out under the covered porch, stars burning up the sky as far as the eye could see. I remembered sitting right out here with Colt and Eden, staring up at these stars, dreaming about our futures. I rubbed at my chest, spinning to pad up the stairs to my bedroom. My cold, lonelier-than-hell bedroom.

I had the patience of a goddamn saint for not touching Eden in all the days since I’d spanked her over my knee. Things had been set to a low simmer between us, though…long gazes, lingering touches. It was driving me wild, the burn deep inside to take her growing to an all-out inferno.

I climbed the stairs one torturous step at a time, my cock stretching at the back of my zipper just like it had been all day. And fuck if it didn’t help that Eden had a thing for wearing thin, flimsy dresses, the heavy weight of her tits pulling at those little spaghetti straps. Every time she wore one, I thought about tearing those little straps with my teeth, stripping her naked, and then burying my face between her creamy thighs.

I passed the door to her room on the way to mine, a dim lamp catching my eye and drawing me to her.

Like a moth to a flame, that was me.

I stepped into the room, finding her curled up in bed, a tight tank top and shorts the only thing covering her body from my greedy eyes.

I nearly groaned out loud when she stood, tits bouncing as she landed on her feet and crossed her arms.

“What’s up?”

I tightened my jaw, averting my eyes across the room, landing on the vanity and all her pink, girly shit spread out around the mirror. A small hook held a few strands of necklaces, one brilliant and very familiar blue sapphire staring back at me.

“You kept this?” I fingered it between my rough fingers.

“Sure. First piece of jewelry I ever got from a guy. Of course, I kept it.” She stepped closer, hovering at my shoulder. I sucked in a breath of her warm honey scent.

I wanted to bury myself in her and never look back.

“Also, the last piece of jewelry.” She turned away, but I caught what she’d said.

“How the hell don’t you have men stepping all over themselves to give you fine jewelry?” I took the necklace off the hook and draped it over her shoulders.

Goosebumps raced across her heated skin as my fingers worked the clasp.

“I guess I had a pretty high standard to live up to.” Her words caught me a little off-guard. What she meant by that comment, I wasn’t sure.

“Full moon tonight.” I finally let the necklace drop and spun her. “Bet we could find Gemini tonight.”

Her eyes held mine for long beats, my finger rubbing the small stone lying against her chest. “Show me.”

I nodded, looping our fingers softly and treading out of her room and down the stairs.

We walked into the warm summer night, our eyes instantly in the sky as we walked across the farmyard toward the pasture. A couple horses heard us coming and perked up, all ears as they watched our approach.

A shiver raced through her body, and I tucked her closer, pulling her under my arm and covering her with my body. I had been running hot as a furnace since she’d shown up on my ranch. I’d been trying to keep my cool, but Eden didn’t make that easy.

“I see the Big Dipper,” she offered.

The wind picked up, strands of her soft hair breezing across my face.

I loved being surrounded by her, I loved her stuff in my house, the girly makeup and smells, hell, even her giggle made my knees weak.

“Listen, Eden—”

“So, I was thinking I should get a job.” We both spoke at the same time, but it was her comment about the job that stopped me cold.

“What the hell for?” That may have come off a little harsh. Hell, I’d just gotten her back, I didn’t want her skirting off to a job every day. Without me.

Eden quirked an eyebrow at me. “Why not?”

“Well, I’ve got everything you need here. I can find a job for you in the barn if you really want to do some work,” I teased.

“I bet you could,” she retorted. “I just feel so useless here. I haven’t even been here for a week, and I’ve run out of things to do.”

“I can think of a few more things that need doin’.”

Her eyes hung low on mine, like a rubber band pulling us together, tension so thick with innuendo it felt like my heart might hammer out of my chest. She took a step closer, spine straightening and tits thrusting out, heaving with every breath. Dammit, she was beautiful. Why a woman like her ever stopped to talk to a man like me, I’d never understand.

Eden crossed her arms, tilting her head to one side before finally replying, “You sure run hot and cold, don’t you, cowboy?”

I choked on the laugh that bubbled out of my throat. “Say again?”

“You heard me. Hot and heavy one minute, then cold as a fish. Your mood swings are whiplash-worthy.” Her eyes searched the sky, avoiding me as she spoke.

I cupped her chin, forcing her to meet my eyes. “Sweet Eden...” I regarded her wearily. “I promised your brother I’d protect you. Pretty sure his definition of that did not include your lucious pussy coming all over my fingers.”

She rolled her eyes. “That’s such a shit excuse.”

“Care to explain?” I closed the distance between us, hands hovering at her waist, the soft wood of the paddock fence pressed against her back.

“My brother gets to move on, do whatever the hell he wants, but I'm just stuck here? Treated like a child who can't make her own decisions? I’m a woman, Nash, you said it yourself. I’m going to need you to treat me like one.”

My nostrils flared with her words; her irritation was palpable. Fuck, I hated her upset with me. I hated the way she set my balls to burnin' whenever she was around too. “Don’t think I don’t know you’re a woman, Eden.”

“Then stop treating me like a child!”

“Stop acting like a child.” I burrowed my face in her hair and nipped at the hollow of her neck. I had half a mind to show her exactly how I wanted to treat her. All painfully hard ten inches. I was going to have my work cut out for me restraining this little filly.

“Me, a child?” she hissed. “You made me come at your kitchen table and then walked away. You acted like it never happened!”

“Like it never happened?” I dropped my hands and stalked down the fence line. “I couldn’t forget if I tried! You know what it’s like to have the memory of you fucking my hand in my head all the damn time?” My chest heaved, my eyes widening as I turned back to her. “The sound of you coming in my ear on fucking repeat. Trying to stop myself from coaxing that sweet noise out of your mouth again.”

“You’re fucking ridiculous,” she bit out, crossing her arms and forcing the flesh of her tits to push over the neckline of her low tank top.

Those spaghetti straps.

God curse those spaghetti straps.

My cock throbbed, my fists clenching and unclenching at my sides as every fucking nerve in me told me to cover her with my body, sink my tongue into her pussy and feast until she was crying my name.

“If you want a fucking job, you can have one right here. Make pottery, plant a garden, sell lemonade for all I give a fuck, but I don’t want you leaving my sight. Not yet, maybe not ever. Your brother gave me a job, and I plan on doing it, Eden. I’m a man who stands by his word.”

“What about what I want?” she broke in.

“We’ll work on that.”

“Work on that? You can’t just lock me up and protect me forever.”

“Why not?” I dared.

“Because, because… Grrrr! I hate you, Nash Campbell.”

I laughed, moving closer to her. “We’ll have to work on that too.”

“I don’t want to.” She was still glaring at me. So damn cute.

“I was serious about you doing whatever you want around here.” I cupped her jaw, running my thumb across the bow of her lips. “You have free rein. I’ll give you whatever you want, Eden,” I murmured against her lips. “Everything I have is yours.” I traced the elegant bow of her lips. “Always has been.”

I cupped her face, tongue probing her lips before splitting the seam and plunging in fiercely. With my lips pressed to hers, she moaned, giving in to the sweet seduction, tension bouncing between us in waves.

Eden Sutherland was tough as nails and had me hard as a rock just thinking about her thick hair wrapped in my fist as she took me in her mouth.

Sweet, innocent Eden.