by Tia Siren
I had broken the one-minute record.
With pride, I hopped off the bull with ease and yelled out victoriously. Adrenaline was rushing through my body. I felt so high, so proud, and so accomplished, because I knew there had been an air of doubt surrounding me as I’d ridden. So many people had wanted to watch and laugh as I fell, but I’d proved them all wrong. I had proved to them that Lincoln Heatherton had succeeded and was going to keep succeeding. I couldn’t keep the pride within me.
“Everyone’s drinks are on me tonight!”
Everyone was eager to take me up on my offer, and they followed me to the bar. I bought shots, beers, whiskeys, and whatever else anyone wanted. People were coming up to me and congratulating me, complimenting me, and treating me like I was an actual person. Some of the very people who had tormented me as a child were right beside me telling me how good I was. I got so wrapped up in the alcohol and the compliments that I lost myself. I found myself standing on the bar, tossing money in the air and eating up the attention. God, it felt so good to be on top.
I rode out my high for as long as I could, and then I remembered Harper. I scanned the crowd and found her sitting at a table all by herself, frowning at me from afar. My heart sank, and I hopped off the bar. No one paid attention; they were scrambling over money or ordering their free drinks. I walked over and stopped right in front of her.
“What’s wrong? You don’t want a drink?” I asked her.
“No, I want a drink, but I don’t want a drink with you,” she retorted.
Her words stung, I had to admit, especially because I didn’t know where they were coming from. I walked closer to her and rested my hands on her bare thighs. “What are you talking about? I thought we were having a good time.”
“I was having a good time until the new Lincoln, the Lincoln from the big city who thinks he’s better than everyone, popped up again,” she fired at me.
“I don’t think I’m better than everyone,” I argued.
“Oh really? You’re throwing money in the air and buying out the whole stock of alcohol this place has to offer, and that’s not you thinking you’re better than everyone?”
There was no winning with this woman. Had she forgotten that I had slaved away all day to make improvements on her family property for her? Had she forgotten how we had made love the night before? There was no comprehending exactly what she wanted from me. My emotions were getting the best of me and the alcohol had limited my filter. There was no holding in the words I had been trying so hard to keep to myself.
“What do I have to do to impress you, Harper?”
Chapter Twelve
Harper
“What do I have to do to impress you, Harper?”
I listened to his words, and I sat back against the table to comprehend them. I was confounded by what he had said, because I hadn’t even realized he was trying hard to impress me. I’d thought he had just turned into a straight-up asshole.
“I’ve been doing everything to show you that I’m somebody now and can get you anything you would want,” he said. “Why are you acting like I’m not good enough? You were so much kinder to me back when I couldn’t give you anything, and now that I can give you the world, you don’t even like the sight of me.”
His words caught me off guard. My heart broke as I realized he was so self-conscious even after achieving so much in his life. The drive to impress me had driven him right into a sinkhole where material things trumped gestures that came from the heart. He didn’t understand what his authentic actions meant to me. Slowly, I reached into my pocket and pulled out a little plastic ring and held it out to him.
He furrowed his eyebrows and looked it over before he realized what it was. “You still have that?”
“When we were dating in high school, you gave me one gift,” I murmured as I slipped it on my finger. “It was after one of our dates when we confessed that we loved each other. You didn’t have money to get me a ‘big’ ring like you wanted, so you went to the only place you could afford. You told me that it took the last quarter you had, and this was all you could afford to give me. I loved this ring more than I could love any diamond, because it came from your heart.”
“Why did you keep that?” he asked. He was obviously sobering up, and his voice was softer.
“Because it’s my good luck charm. Whenever I feel like I’m not good enough, or whenever I’m having a bad day, I just put this on. You have no idea how priceless this is to me. No amount of money would make me trade this. It’s worth so much more than life has to offer, just like you used to be.”
“I don’t understand what you’re saying,” Lincoln said, his eyes desperately searching mine as if he were looking for a clear answer.
“The city Lincoln, the Lincoln you pretend to be, is a phony. You’re trying too hard to be someone that everyone has to see, someone that everyone has to respect. I don’t like the city Lincoln. I love the real you. I miss the real you. Can I please have my old Lincoln back?”
Lincoln was at a loss for words. Instead of saying anything, he pulled my body against his and wrapped his arms tightly around me. I felt victorious. I felt like I had finally reached the real him and was going to have the man I had missed so much back in my life.
“Come on, let’s get out of here,” I muttered while pulling away from him.
He nodded and we started to head out. As we did, however, he noticed there were a lot of drunk people who were attempting to leave as well. Acting fast, Lincoln stopped them and offered them all a ride in his truck.
“Are all these people going to fit?” I asked him.
“I can make multiple trips,” he said. “I’ll drop you off at home on the first trip and then make rounds.” He looked over at the bartender. “Can you make sure no one leaves if they’re too drunk to drive?”
The beautiful redhead behind the bar nodded and started collecting keys to keep people from driving off. There were a few people who didn’t want to wait, so they decided they’d walk, but a lot of people took Lincoln up on his offer. My heart skipped a beat, and I grew excited to see the real Lincoln rearing his beautiful head once more. I decided my body was going to be his as soon as he came back home.
I walked inside and made my way to my room. Rarely did I get a chance to wear lingerie, but Lincoln had earned the pleasure. I searched through my underwear drawer for something that would fit the occasion. I found my lacy red thong teddy with the plunging V-cut. I slipped that on along with a pair of fishnet thigh-highs and made my way to the bathroom to apply some “fuck me” makeup. I bolded my eyeliner and applied my red lipstick before untying my ponytail and allowing my hair to cascade down. I looked over myself once and then made my way to Lincoln’s bedroom, where I waited for him to come home.
It wasn’t long before I heard the front door. I grew excited as his footsteps got closer and closer. I posed sexily and bit my lip seductively to greet him, and then he opened his door. His eyes landed on my body, and his jaw nearly dropped to the floor.
“I was waiting for you,” I purred.
I waited for him to respond, but I noticed all his blood was gathering in one specific area. I shifted myself to the edge of the bed and motioned for him to come closer. At once, Lincoln walked over and stopped in front of me. His eyes were dictated by desire and his cock had gotten hard in a matter of seconds. I ran my fingertips over his bulge, the desire within me building as well.
“Is my old Lincoln back?” I asked him, gazing up into his eyes as I undid his pants.
Mechanically, Lincoln nodded. He was so fixated on my body that I was sure he wasn’t even aware of the question I had asked him.
“Good. Then the old Lincoln can have me,” I whispered seductively.
Once his pants were undone and pushed to the ground, I lay back against the bed. I slowly opened my legs to expose just a glimpse of my pleasure bud. Lincoln wasted no time. His hands gently glided up my long legs all the way to my bare upper thighs. His eyes looked over ever
y inch of my displayed body longingly. He was taking his sweet time, and I just wanted to feel him inside me. His hands explored my body, rubbing over my curves and wandering around the lace of my lingerie. When he’d had his fill, his hand made its way to my womanhood. He pressed his thumb firmly against my sex and began rubbing my clit through the fabric.
A moan escaped my lips, but I wasn’t trying to stop it. I relaxed my body and surrendered myself to him. Lincoln continued to massage me, getting me nice and wet. I could have climaxed just by having him half naked in front of me while stimulating my sex, but I wanted to orgasm with his cock deep within me. Slowly, he moved the fabric of my teddy to the side and plunged two fingers into my wanting pussy. He took me off guard, and I moaned out, lifting my hips. Lincoln moved his hands in and out of me like a professional. He massaged my clit with his thumb while fingering my G-spot. His intense gaze and sole focus on my pleasure drove me over the edge, and he used his free hand to pinch and twist my nipples through my teddy. It was overwhelming and felt so delicious. As much as I tried to hold back, I was forced into a powerful orgasm.
Lincoln hadn’t even graced me with the pleasure of feeling his cock before he was driving me over the edge. I came on his fingers and moaned out his name. I covered him with my juices as he continued to move his hand within me. Slowly, he pulled it out and brought it to his mouth. I watched, wide eyed, as he tasted me. His eyes never left mine while he licked his fingers clean. We continued to stare at one another as he positioned his bare cock in front of my opening. I widened my legs as if beckoning him forward, and he moved his hips. He thrust his cock all the way into me, and we both shared a mutually satisfying moan of pleasure. Unlike last time, though, Lincoln didn’t take his time adjusting to my tight hole.
He started fucking me hard. He pumped his cock in and out of me eagerly, expanding my warmth as my walls attempted to cling tightly around him. He didn’t stop. He didn’t hold back. He fucked me like he was the man I had missed. The sound of my juices being stirred joined the echo of our moans in the air. I was surrounded by pleasure and filled with bliss. We remained focused on each other, our eyes never looking away, and Lincoln didn’t stop until we were both yelling out as we reached our orgasms. Lincoln pushed his cock all the way inside me and released his sweet, hot load.
He collapsed against the bed, and I quickly moved my body against his. I clung to him tightly, pressing every inch of myself against him. This time, I found comfort in sleeping beside him. There was no regret and no fear. I loved having him beside me, and sleep soon consumed me.
The next morning, I woke up in the bed alone. There was a blanket over me. I climbed out of bed and slipped on a robe from the guest closet. I was groggy but in an extremely good mood as I made my way through the house, searching for Lincoln. As I walked into my bedroom, I noticed a suitcase on my bed. Curious, I walked over to see what it was. I knew at once it was from Lincoln, because there was a designer name on the leather. My heart began beating quickly, and I was hesitant to open it. Once I did, I came face to face with a suitcase full of hundreds of dollars.
Without thinking, I ran back to Lincoln’s room and started searching through the closet and drawers. I found nothing. I looked through every corner of the room and found nothing. I even went as far as looking outside to see if his truck was there, but there was only my ratty old car in the driveway. I quickly realized that Lincoln had left me again, and my heart shattered into a million pieces. Just when I had opened up to him again and allowed myself to fall, he pulled the same stunt he had ten years before.
I forced myself to remain composed as I walked back to my room and the suitcase of money. I vowed never to touch it as I placed it in a far corner of my closet. I also promised myself that I would never forgive Lincoln.
Chapter Thirteen
Lincoln
I refused to allow myself to devolve back into the pathetic man I had been before. There was nothing I despised more than that town and the way it made me feel. There was no life and no effort put forth by any of the people who resided there. If the United States had a toilet, it would have been that town. That town was all the waste of dead dreams and broken lives headed in no particular direction. There was so much within it that I loathed.
There was also Harper. Harper had a way of bringing out the side of me I had tried so hard to escape from. I wasn’t supposed to be working on the farm. I was supposed to hire someone to do the work for me while I continued to make money. I wasn’t supposed to be dressed like a country hick when I had luxury suits gathering dust in my closet. Harper might have liked that me better, but I refused to go back to who I had been before.
I was happy in my place at the top of the world. No one could tell me what to do or how to think, and they couldn’t make me feel less than what I really was. I was worth more than everyone in that town. Why would I want to go back to living in that waste-of-space shithole?
After making love to Harper, I had realized I was getting comfortable slipping back into my old life, and that made me uneasy. It had been so hard to get to where I was. I wasn’t going to risk everything I had built because of one girl. As much as I adored her, I adored being successful as well. As soon as I had realized what was happening, I’d booked the first flight back to New York. I’d silently packed all my shit and left. I’d made sure to leave something behind that would help Harper, but I could no longer stay with her. I felt like a coward for leaving her just as I’d left her before, but I couldn’t face her heartbreak and anger.
Once I reached New York, I went right back to work. Getting back into the swing of business was easy, and my partners and employees were more than thrilled to see me back. It was easy going back to my old routine. I woke up, worked out, ate breakfast, went to work until late that night, spent some time with my city friends over dinner, and then made my way home for the night. That cycle was on repeat for about a week and a half before I started feeling empty. There was something missing from my life. I hadn’t felt that way before. In fact, I had thought my life had been complete before I went to visit Wyoming. My thoughts of how badly Harper was hurting caught up to me. I began feeling guilty whenever I thought about it, and I couldn’t even focus on my workouts whenever her face popped up in my head.
“What are you so focused on right now, Linc?” a voice asked me, pulling me out of my thoughts.
I realized I had zoned out mid-conversation with one of my dear friends, Matthew. He and I had grown close after realizing we shared a bond. He’d grown up poor and in a large family, and he had left his old life behind to make it in New York. He wasn’t as rich as I was, but he was extremely well-off. He and I understood one another almost as well as two non-related people could.
“I’m sorry,” I muttered. “I was just thinking.”
Matthew chuckled. “Well, that’s obvious, but what are you thinking about? You look like a puppy who lost his bone.”
I was hesitant to tell him, but there was only one person I could trust enough to talk about my issue with, and that was Matthew. I sighed and took a long sip of my scotch before explaining to him what had happened when I’d been home. I told him everything about Harper and how Harper didn’t like who I had turned into. I told him she had finally opened up to me and that I’d left her because I had gotten scared of getting trapped back at home.
“But would that really be so bad?” Matthew asked me.
“Of course it would be bad. Why wouldn’t it be a bad thing?” I asked him.
“You obviously love that girl, and you have more than enough money. You’re choosing money over love, but sometimes that isn’t the right thing to do.”
“What would you know about that, Matt?” I asked him, rolling my eyes playfully while finishing up the remainder of my food.
“I met a girl when I was traveling through Russia,” he said. “She was a beautiful girl and smart. We connected so deeply that I thought she was the one. The only issue was that she didn’t want to leave her family behind
and move here with me. I could have stayed there and lived the quiet life in her village, but I didn’t want to give up the New York life. This city pulls you in and seduces you with opportunity, and you lose yourself here. I chose this city over the only woman I have ever loved, and I still regret it to this day.”
His words shocked me. I tilted my head to the side, confused. “Aren’t you married?”
He nodded. “I found a woman with the same mentality as me. We both prioritize work over our relationship, and we both decided to focus on ourselves. We aren't a unit; we’re just two career-oriented people in a legally binding union. I still often think about where my life would be if I had just stayed in Russia. You’re lucky enough to not have to wonder, and you won’t have to worry about money.”
“I can’t just leave everything behind,” I said, trying to defiantly fight Matt’s logic.
“You left everything behind before. Now you just have to choose if you’re willing to give up New York for your happiness, or your happiness for New York.”
His words stuck with me as I made my way home that night. I stayed up all night debating whether I should just leave it all behind and go be with the only woman who would ever make me happy. I didn’t want to be miserable and rich. I wanted to be happy and rich. Most of all, I just wanted to be happy with Harper. She loved me more than anyone ever had, aside from my mother, and she only loved the real Lincoln Heatherton.
The next day, I booked a flight and packed my bags. I was going back to Wyoming, and I was going to get my girl back.
Chapter Fourteen
Harper
A week after Lincoln left, his horses arrived. Instead of accepting them, I decided to sell them to pay off most of my family’s debts. There was no way I could take care of them, so I thought about what would be healthiest for them. It was relaxing knowing that I didn’t have to struggle as hard to save the business my family had tried so hard to keep afloat. I vowed to pay Lincoln back every penny for the horses if he ever showed up, and I kept the money he’d left tucked away so he could have it if he ever returned.
