Lost at Heart: A Steamy Small Town Romance (Bluerock Series Book 2)

by Danielle Marx

  Once my body adjusted to him, my limbs turned to liquid. I could feel years and years of tension dissolve. Colton was the first man I’d ever let go with. I trusted him and not just in a knowing way either. I felt it. I knew he’d take care of me, and so I lay back, allowing him to take full control whilst I fell into the sweet oblivion.

  Colton fingers sank into my hair, and as he picked up the pace, they clung to my scalp. He grunted against my neck, nibbling and kissing my heated flesh.

  The pressure grew, and my hands moved down his back, gliding over the beads of sweat. Instinctively, my legs rose up his back, tightening the position. I felt him so deep inside me that my fingernails clawed at his skin.

  Colton ran his hands down my body and gripped my hips. He pushed me down into the mattress and fucked me harder whilst his teeth bit down gently on my shoulder.

  I screamed out as my pussy clenched around him. I barely had a warning when my second orgasm hit. My back arched up under his weight whilst I rode the wave. Stars appeared behind my lids and when I forced them to open back up, Colton’s gorgeous blue eyes were on me.

  “Fuck, baby. You look like a goddess when you come. Do it again.”

  I giggled breathlessly. “It’s not something I can control.”

  “It’s something I can control though.” A naughty smirk skimmed his lips. He pushed back so that he was standing back at the foot of the bed, and yanked my body to the edge. He pulled my legs up, until my toes brushed against his ears, and gently rocked his hips inside me.

  I was still in my orgasm zone and could feel my eyelids falling.

  “Don’t,” he growled. “Keep your eyes on me, Tia.”

  I did as he said, forcing my eyes to stay open. It wasn’t hard. He was a hell of a sight after all. His huge body towered over mine, thrusting his cock inside me at perfect speed.

  My hands ran over my bare chest, squeezing my sensitive nipples. They were rock hard, aching to be touched. As I played with them, Colton smiled again, obviously enjoying his own view.

  His hips moved faster, and I could feel him grow even harder inside me. With one hand on my hip, he ran the other around to the front and stroked my clit.

  “ Ah , Colton!”

  “Keep your eyes on me.” He ordered again, rubbing his thumb over the swollen nub.

  I forced my head up and watched. Colton’s thrusts grew intense as he strummed me closer to the edge again. He chased his own climax whilst giving me another of my own.

  I squeezed my nipples hard and watched his face change with determination to get us both to the end together. It didn’t take me long, and once Colton’s fingers pushed down on me, I exploded in ecstasy again. My walls tightened around his cock, taking away his own orgasm from him. He grunted out, slamming himself inside me one last time before collapsing on to the bed.

  For what seemed like a century, we lay on the bed, panting together, naked in eachothers arms. I locked on to his blue eyes and felt myself smile, unable to look away from him. It was the first time in my life I felt what could be described as bliss. Pure, comforting, bliss.

  Not once did I take my eyes from his and look back at that door.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Tia

  “This is my favorite part.” Colton pointed to the small dusty TV on the top of the dresser.

  “You’ve seen this before?”

  “No. But I know what’s gonna happen. That guy’s the intern, right? The intern is always the one who cracks the case in the end.”

  I lifted my head up off Colton’s chest and watched the screen. Sure enough, two minutes later, the intern on the crime show we’d found, had discovered a hidden email on a cell phone that would win the small, hacky, law firm the whole case.

  “Oh, my god,” I snorted. “That’s your favorite part?”

  “Hell, yeah. They thought they were gonna lose the case, and then right at the last minute, this kid turns around and knocks everyone on their ass. You gotta love an underdog.”

  As soon as the show finished, he turned to me with a grin. “See? Pretty thrilling, huh?”

  I shrugged. “Not bad. It’s no Casablanca , though.”

  “I’ll take you again next week.” Colton smiled, stroking my hair behind my ears. “Maybe we’ll make it through the whole movie this time.”

  I pulled myself up and kissed his bare chest. “I hope not.”

  He gasped dramatically. “Tia. You bad girl.”

  I giggled and caught his lips in a kiss. For a moment, I was lost in his touch again. I snapped out of it when I saw the faint light start to come in from the widow above the headboard. We’d been here all night. Fucking and laughing. “It’s getting light outside.”

  He groaned in agreement against my lips.

  “Do you have to work?” I pulled away and rolled over on my stomach, looking up at him.

  “At some point.” He stroked my hair again, pushing it back from my face.

  “Did you always want to be a ranger?”

  Colton’s eyebrows lifted at the question. He put one of his arms behind his head and relaxed into the answer. “Always. My dad was the chief ranger, and his dad before him. It’s in my blood.”

  “So, you know this place really well?”

  “Yep. Every rock and every tree.”

  “What about here? The Rabbit Hut. I still haven’t been told why it’s here or why they call it that.”

  He shrugged. “We use it for employees. Storage.”

  “But it’s a cabin. An old cabin. Surely, it wasn’t built just for that. It looks even older than the ranger station.” Curiosity had been killing me ever since I moved in. Usually I wouldn’t care, but with very little to do around here, I couldn’t help stare at these four walls and question where they came from. “Why is it called the Rabbit Hut? You must have an idea?”

  He laughed and looked down at his fingers as they weaved into mine. “You really want to know?”

  I nodded, with excitement.

  “It’s not a nice story.”

  “I can handle it.”

  Colton sighed in defeat. “It’s where they kept the prostitute.”

  I paused, thinking I’d misheard him. “Say that again.”

  “The prostitute. Her name was Beatrice Astor. Bunny, for short. Back in the old days, before there was a ranger station, men used to camp up here and hunt. Some guys would be out here all year long, hunting whatever they could to sell back in town. But during the winter, it became impossible to get to town so often, and so the men would just stay up here, surviving the cold.”

  “They didn’t freeze to death?”

  He shook his head. “They were tougher back then. They knew how to survive. But a man has needs.” He shot me a flirty look. “Without frequent trips to the local tavern, they grew restless and pent up. Fights would break out and depression almost killed them off. So the next year, they came up with a plan.”

  I rolled my eyes and groaned. “To buy a prostitute?”

  He laughed, and twisted my hair in his finger. “You want me to keep going?”

  I nodded again, wanting to know more about my first Bluerock scandal.

  “They built the cabin, and travelled to Denver to find a willing lady. They searched every brothel and saloon but couldn’t find the right woman. No prostitute wanted to live in the wild with a bunch of mountain men. And they wouldn’t just kidnap one.”

  “Why not?”

  “They were brutes, sure, but they had morals. They wouldn’t even think about taking a woman by force. So one of them had an idea. They had to find a woman who was willing to give up her current life for a new one with them. They scoured the streets, searching for someone. Eventually, they found Bunny. She was only young. Maybe eighteen. Her father was a preacher, and he beat the shit out of her for having an affair with a married man. He tortured her, believing she was the devil.”

  “Poor girl.”

  Colton rubbed his fingers down my back. “Bunny needed a way out, so when a big
group of men offered her a job and place to live, away from her dad, she jumped at the chance. She wasn’t scared either. She was happy to get a new life. And so she came here.” Colton waved his hand around the room. “They made sure she was looked after and treated her with respect. This was Bunny’s home, and so it became the Rabbit Hut.”

  “And she serviced them? All of them? Willingly?”

  He nodded. “Right here, in this cabin.”

  I giggled at the thought of all those men having sex in the same place Colton and I had just fucked. “She was happy?”

  “Very. She even fell in love with one of them.”

  A laugh escaped my lips. “That had to be awkward for the others.”

  “They left. Moved on to new land. She stayed here with her lover, and eventually they got married and had a kid. They moved to the town and her husband worked as a butcher whilst she took care of the children. They lived happily ever after.”

  “And you don’t tell people this fairy story because of the racy content?”

  Colton scrunched up his face, cringing. “No, it’s more because my family hates it. You see, the guy Bunny married was Edward Haxley. The first Haxley of Bluerock.”

  I choked out a giggle. “Holy shit. He was related to you?”

  He laughed back. “Yep. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for my naughty ancestors.”

  As awkward as that must be, I envied the amount of knowledge he had about his background.

  “What about you, darlin’? Any dark secrets in your family tree?”

  I didn’t hide away or dodge the question. Colton had earnt my honesty. “I don’t know. I never met any of my family. My parents died when I was just a baby.”

  His face turned serious. I could see a hint of sadness in his eyes as his fingers played with my hair. “Shit, Tia. I’m sorry. I just assumed – ”

  “It’s okay. Really. Most people have a family. You were right to assume.”

  “You never met any of them? But who took care of you?”

  This was usually the part where I would change the subject or kick the guy out, but I didn’t seem to mind so much letting Colton in. I was comfortable with him knowing this part of my life at least. “Foster carers when I was small. I was a sick baby. Both my parents were drug addicts. They took so much it eventually killed them. I don’t really know too much about it, but I know that my mothers addiction was so bad, I almost didn’t survive being born. The drugs screwed up my health and no one wanted to adopt me.”

  “You just stayed in the system? You never got adopted?” The sound of Colton’s voice was heartbreaking. It was as if he couldn’t comprehend such a thing.

  “Never. By the time my health got better, I was too old to be wanted. I also lost points for my darker skin and lack of blonde hair.”

  “Was it bad?” He flinched at his own question.

  I rolled over and rested my head on his bicep, staring up into those sad eyes. “Sometimes. The children’s home was easier. There were other kids there and professionals around to take care of me. Foster homes were tougher. Sometimes I’d get sent to the sweetest couple, welcoming me into their lives. And other times, well...other times I didn’t get so lucky.”

  His jaw clenched.

  I stroked his cheek, giving him a reassuring smile. “It wasn’t all bad though. It taught me to be independent and how to work hard. I managed to get a scholarship just by pushing myself, and went to college to learn what I love. If my parents had lived, I probably wouldn’t have gotten this far in life.”

  “Must have been lonely though.”

  “It was. But I adapted. You have to. No use crying over it.”

  I could see a question hanging off his lips, almost too afraid to ask. Whatever it was, I was sure I could handle it after all I’d shared with him so far. “What about Lily?”

  My shoulders tightened up, and I swallowed hard. Maybe I couldn’t handle it after all. “What about her?”

  “Was she in the system too? Is that how you met?” He could sense the change in me and reached his arm around my hip, stoking it gently.

  “No, I met her at college. It was one of those things where you meet someone and feel like you’ve known them your whole life. She was my best friend right from the start.” Colton brushed a strand of hair from my face and listened intently. But I’d said as much as I could for now. “I don’t like talking about her,” I admitted. “She only died last month. It’s still fresh.”

  He nodded, bringing his hand back up to my hair. “I understand. I lost my brother eleven years ago and I still can’t talk about him much. It always feels fresh, no matter how much time goes by.”

  “Shay mentioned him.”

  “That’s not surprising.” He glanced down at our intertwining fingers. “She barely remembers him, but it’s never stopped her from talking about him. Mom and Dad tell her stories and fill the house up with old photos. He’s everywhere.”

  I couldn’t imagine how painful that must be for him. I didn’t want to forget Lily, but the idea of being surrounded by her memory, every second of the day, would drive me insane. “That must be hard.”

  He let out a long breath. “It’s exhausting.”

  “Are you and Shay close?”

  “We try to be, but it’s not easy with the age gap. I’ve had to learn all the teenage lingo again.” He chuckled, making me smile.

  “Tell me about it. I’m only twenty-five and I still struggle to understand what the hell Mackenzie is saying most days. Shay’s a little more forgiving though and whispers the odd translation in my ear.”

  He laughed up at the ceiling. “That’s the problem working with kids. They make you feel old as fuck even when your not.”

  I knitted my brow. “You work with kids?”

  “All the time. We help out on the scout camp-outs and host field trips. Every six months, we visit the local schools to give talks about preservation and environmental safety. Kids are a bigger part of the ranger life than you might think.”

  It was strange to think of Colton, singing campfire songs with a bunch of girl scouts. “Do you hate it?”

  His eyes lit up at the question. “Are you kidding? I love kids. They tell the funniest stories and ask the best questions. They’re fearless too. Way stronger than we think they are. You’re proof of that.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You said it yourself, Tia. Look how great you turned out. It wasn’t from skills you learnt as an adult. Everything you are now is because you were a badass kid, taking on the world all by yourself.”

  My heart swelled in my chest. I loved the way Colton spoke to me. He didn’t pity me or look at me differently because of my upbringing. Most people I met did. They would often feel sorry for me and blame every bump in my road on my poor upbringing. But Colton didn’t. He didn’t change the way he looked at me or felt sorry for me. He saw my past as just that, my past. A part of who I was and nothing to be ashamed of.

  I swung my leg over him and straddled him to the bed. My mouth caught him in a toe curling kiss.

  “Thank you,” I muttered against his lips.

  He pulled my face back, looking slightly confused. “For what?”

  “For...just being you. You’re a good guy, Colton.”

  “Well, I did tell you that right from the start.” That cocky smirk had me giggling like an idiot.

  He pulled me down, capturing my lips again. Our kiss deepened, and I could feel his hardness grow between my legs. I couldn’t help myself take advantage of it and flashed him a mischievous smile.

  I shuffled down his body, kissing his chest and stomach until I reached his cock. I grasped it in my hand and trailed kisses all over the thick, hot shaft. It must have taken Colton by surprise as his whole body tensed up and he let out a sharp breath. “Fuck. Tia.”

  His reaction stirred a fire in my belly. I wanted more. I wanted to pleasure this man and watch him come undone from my touch.

  I got myself comfortable, crossing my fe
et at the ankles and lifting them up in the air. Placing my elbows down on either side of his hips, I took him deep into the back of my mouth. Ever so slowly, I raised my lips up to the top again and looked up at him.

  Colton had both his hands behind his head, watching me with a drunken expression. I smiled up at him and licked the tip, swirling my tongue over it.

  I slid my head back down again and fucked him faster with my mouth. Flicking my tongue against his shaft the whole time.

  “Holy shit, Tia. Yeah, just like that, baby.”

  His words of encouragement filled me with lustful drive, and I could feel my own wetness between my legs.

  I worked him , faster and faster. His cock seemed to grow harder inside my mouth as his breathing grew heavy. I kept my eyes on him, bathing in the sight of him getting closer to the edge.

  I changed the tempo. Slowing down, and then speeding back up. Colton’s hand clasped my hair, gripping hold of his perfect moment. I’d done the same to him when his tongue was on me.

  A few minutes later, his other hand gripped the bed sheet and I knew he was close.

  “I’m gonna come, baby.”

  He tried to lift my head back up, but I shook him off and took him deeper into the back of my throat until my lips were flush to the base. He hissed, squeezing his eyes shut and letting his head fall back. His rough fingers pulled on my hair as his cock throbbed in my mouth. He let out a guttural growl as hot liquid hit the back of my mouth and trickled down my throat.

  I pulled up a little and pumped him gently, releasing his entire orgasm from him. His saltiness coated my tongue, turning me on like no one ever had before. The taste of this man’s climax in my mouth, a climax I had taken from him, made me feel no less than the goddess he called me when he gave me mine.

  His breathing steadied. I pulled my lips from him and smiled up at his reaction. He looked as if he’d been fucked to an inch of his life.

  “Tired?” I asked.

  “Darlin’, I could sleep for a million years after that. Fuck me,” he hissed. “You sure know how to drop a guy down.”