Only For Forever: An Enemies to Lovers, Small Town Romance (Men of Rocky Mountain)

by Alexis Winter

  “Enough, Leigh!” I shout, and it causes her to still.

  “How much have you had to drink?”

  “None of your business,” she grits out, pulling her wrists against my grip, but it doesn’t do any good. I tighten my grasp, pulling them closer to my body so we’re practically nose-to-nose.

  “It is my fucking business. Stop acting irresponsible. Let’s go.” I spin around, keeping a hold of one of her hands, but she refuses to move. I turn back around to face her.

  “I’m not in the mood, Leigh,” I spit the words out at her and she jerks her hand hard, pulling herself free.

  One thing Leigh hasn’t figured out with me is that I like to be in control, I don’t like to share, and I sure as fuck don’t like to be told no when I’m trying to help someone.

  In past relationships, I was able to control my possessiveness because they weren’t as fiery as Leigh. They also didn’t drive me absolutely batshit fucking crazy with desire like she does.

  “I’m not leaving.” She crosses her arms over her chest, stomping her foot like a child, and it breaks my resolve.

  “Okay, fine, have it your way.” I take the two steps toward her, grabbing her around the waist and flinging her over my shoulder.

  “What the hell, Grant?” she yells louder, pounding on my back this time. I reach up, pulling her dress down to cover her ass as people stare at the commotion.

  “Why the fuck are you wearing this?” I mutter, swatting her ass as I walk across the bar, tossing several bills on the bar top before we head out. All the while, Leigh is throwing a tantrum, a string of expletives flowing from her mouth.

  I walk around the corner where my SUV is parked, open the passenger door, and toss her onto the seat. She’s scowls, refusing to look my way.

  “Look at me,” I urge as I reach around her and grab the belt, buckling her in. She turns her head away from me. I reach out, grabbing her chin and forcing her to meet my gaze. “That was really fucking stupid, Leigh.”

  The ride home is silent. She sulks in the passenger seat, staring out the window as I grip the steering wheel, telling myself not to pull the car over and teach her a lesson right on the side of the fucking road.

  “I want to go home,” she mutters when we pull into my underground parking garage.

  “You’re staying here tonight. We’re going to talk in the morning.”

  She pulls out her phone, fumbling to open a rideshare app. It struggles to load with the lack of service, but I reach over and grab her phone in case she gets lucky.

  “Hey! Give it back!” She lunges across the console, but the seatbelt jerks her back. I yank mine off, shoving my door open so hard it almost hits the wall I’m parked next to. I wouldn’t have cared at this point; I’m beyond pissed.

  I slam the door, marching around the truck and flinging her door open. I reach inside to unlatch her belt.

  “I am not yo—”

  I slide my hand behind her neck, gripping the base along with a majority of her hair, and pull her forward roughly.

  “Let me make this perfectly clear: I’m going to take you upstairs and you’re going to take a shower and go to bed. We will discuss things in the morning when you’re sober and can behave like an adult. But if you insist on behaving like a child, I’ll treat you like one and punish you. Understood?” I’m practically gritting my teeth, the words coming out harsh and enunciated, but it gets my point across as she slowly nods her head.

  Once inside, I grab a glass of water and two Advil, instructing her to take them and drink the entire glass. While she does, I walk to the bedroom, placing her phone in my bedside table so she can’t run off with it, then I turn on the shower to warm it up.

  I return to the kitchen, taking the empty glass from her and placing it in the sink.

  “I just don’t understand,” she mutters, rubbing up and down her arms.

  “We’ll discuss everything in the morning, but tonight, you behaved stupidly and I put an end to it.” She opens her mouth but I cut her off before she can speak. “Come on, shower’s ready,” I say, reaching for her. This time she doesn’t pull away, and she allows me to lead her to the bathroom.

  The room is filled with steam. I step inside and close the door.

  “What are you doing?” She eyes me.

  “Turn around.” I don’t answer her. I just wait for her to obey me. She can see my patience is wearing paper-thin. She turns around slowly. I brush her hair to the side, sliding the zipper slowly down her back. It falls effortlessly to the floor, pooling at her feet. I unhook her bra, sliding the straps down her arms before letting it fall to the floor as well.

  Her arms shoot up to cover herself, but I catch them before she can. I glance down her body, her pert nipples standing at attention as goosebumps prick her skin. I run my hands slowly up the inside of her arms before softly cupping her breasts. A small hiss escapes her lips as her eyes flutter closed and her head lolls to one side.

  “You can hate me all you want, but you can’t deny what’s between us,” I whisper as I plant a soft kiss to her shoulder. I only allow myself to linger for a second longer, leaving one last kiss on the nape of her neck before stepping back and reaching for the waistband of her black lace thong. I drag it down her thighs, at which point she steps out of it and glances over her shoulder at me.

  I don’t make eye contact. I know if I do, I’ll be buried in her so deeply in a matter of minutes, I won’t be able to control myself. I reach around her, opening the glass door of the shower and placing my hand on the small of her back to usher her inside.

  Once she’s in the shower, I step into the closet to place a clean set of pajamas on the counter before heading to one of the other bathrooms to shower myself. I take my time, not wanting her to feel like I’m looming over her . . . at least that’s what I tell myself. The reality is, she’s feeling hurt and vulnerable right now, and with the last look she gave me, she’s looking for comfort.

  By the time I’ve showered, checked through my email, and had some water, I head back to my bedroom to find Leigh snuggled under the blankets. I pull off my shirt and climb into bed behind her. Her breathing is already deep and heavy. I wrap my arms around her waist, burying my nose in her hair as I pull her body against mine.

  The sun is barely up when my alarm wakes me. I reach for Leigh, but her familiar scent and warmth are nowhere to be found. I crack open my eyes and stare across the bed in the darkness to find her small body curled up on the very edge of the bed. Normally I go for a run and a workout in the morning, but we need to talk, and there’s a good chance she’d vanish while I’m gone.

  I gingerly remove myself from the bed, making sure not to wake her, and head to the bathroom for a shower. I’m frustrated—my morning wood is begging me for attention—but I don’t have time. I’m barely in there for five minutes, but when I step back into the room, I see she’s no longer in bed. I glance over to my bedside table, which is ajar.

  “Shit!” I wrap a towel tightly around my waist, my wet hair dripping down my neck as I sprint down the stairs to the kitchen . . . where I find her pouring herself a cup of coffee.

  “I didn’t run off,” she says without looking up from her mug.

  “I’m surprised.” I reach around her as she leans against the counter, grabbing a mug and pouring myself a cup. I watch out of the corner of my eye as she tries to nonchalantly rake her eyes up my almost-naked body.

  “You’re a sick bastard, you know that?”

  “Okay, good to know things have cooled off since last night.” I take a sip of the piping-hot coffee.

  “You said you wanted to talk, so let’s talk.” She’s pissed, defiant, and probably confused. “You can’t just toss me aside and then get angry when someone else wants me. That’s not how this works.” She crosses her arms over her chest, an angry blush creeping up her neck.

  “I didn’t toss you aside, Leigh.” She rolls her eyes and it instantly puts me in a pissed-off mood too.

  I let out
an exhale slowly. “I told you I wasn’t ready for something serious, but I never said I wanted to stop seeing you or being friends.”

  “Oh,” she flails her hands in the air sarcastically, “I completely misunderstood. You see, I thought I told you I was falling in love with you, and then you said you wanted to keep fucking me and being friends instead of committing to me. Yeah, that makes complete sense. What woman doesn’t want to hear that when she professes her feelings to the guy she’s been sleeping with? What woman doesn’t want to feel cheap and used, Grant?”

  I shake my head. She’s clearly too angry to talk about things sensibly or hear me out.

  “Leigh, I’m warning you.”

  “Oh, you don’t like hearing the truth? That you only want me when I’m with someone else? Like Jeff from last night? Or Remi?”

  “Enough!” I slam both my hands down on the island, my hair falling forward with the momentum. She jumps—startled—and I lunge at her from around the island.

  I grab her, spinning her around and slamming her against the refrigerator door, my lips crashing down on hers. She pushes against my chest at first, before shoving her hands into my wet hair and pulling hard—so hard it stings. I grind my dick against her belly, and her legs instinctively spread as I repeat the motion.

  I reach my hand beneath the waistband of my pajama bottoms she’s wearing, and find her pussy already slick with need. I run my finger up and down her slit a few times before delving two fingers deep inside her.

  She breaks the kiss, a moan escaping her lips as her eyes roll back in her head.

  “Did he touch you? Hmm?” I ask as I quicken my pace. She’s taking both my fingers down to the base as my thumb teases her clit. I kiss her again—hard—biting her lip.

  My cock feels like it’s about to explode. I want to rip off my towel and force her to her knees—shove myself all the way down her throat and watch her choke as I fuck her mouth. My possessiveness has reached new heights and I’m on the verge of being unable to control it.

  “Did you want him to touch you? I would have killed him if he did. You’re mine, Leigh. MINE.” I grit the words out so hard. Her eyes suddenly pop open and she shoves me away, her release never coming.

  “Get the fuck off me.” Tears swim in her eyes and I’m instantly wrecked with guilt.

  “I’m sorry. Baby—”

  “No,” she points at me, “you don’t get to just fuck me or touch me whenever I’m angry or hurt. You can’t solve everything with sex. I am not yours, Grant.” She says the last sentence slowly and I back away. “You don’t get to not want me, but not allow me to be with someone else. You don’t get to use me when you’re feeling lonely or confused. You don’t get to have me, Grant, until you know what the hell you want.”

  She walks toward the hallway to the bedroom, stopping just before she exits the kitchen. “Stop running from woman to woman trying to find yourself. Work on yourself first.”

  15

  Leigh

  “This place is going to be so amazing.” Steph spins around the building I just bought that will soon become my Pilates studio.

  “I know, it still feels so surreal.” As we walk through the building, I take a sip of the coffee August brought us.

  The contractor I hired to do the second inspection didn’t find any major issues. There’d been a few more items to add to the list for the previous owners to address, and they did so without issue.

  “So are you thinking a front desk here? Maybe a boutique section where you can sell Pilates merch and clothing over there?” August gestures to the area by the large bay window as I pull out my tape measure.

  “Yeah, so I need to take some measurements, because there’s a guy in Boulder who built the entire front area of my last studio—all custom—and I think I’m going to stick with him. He wanted me to take some measurements and get them over to him.”

  “Well, if he can’t do it, I know Sawyer has a custom furniture shop and I’m sure he could build you something,” August says.

  “Oh, right, I completely forgot about that.” I jot down the measurements before walking into the other room.

  “Are these wood floors original?” Steph asks.

  “Yes, and insanely maintained. This was a just a small insurance office for the last 10 years. When they retired, they decided to sell,” August replies.

  Her phone rings and she glances down at the screen. “Oh, this is a big client. Gotta take it,” she says, stepping outside to take the call.

  “Hey, I owe you an apology,” Steph says, stepping closer to me.

  “For?” My brows knit together in confusion.

  “For ratting you out to Grant the other night.” She winces, probably expecting me to be upset.

  “When I told him you were in Denver for the weekend, he was at the bar with Ryder and I didn’t think anything about it, but then Saturday night, he called me all frantic because he couldn’t get ahold of you, and I also hadn’t heard from you in a few hours and got scared. What happened with that?”

  “Ohhhh, no, trust me, you’re fine. I actually forgot about that. And sorry, by the way. I ended up being stupid and drank too much and forgot to text you and my mom, who called me 38 times and said she was heading to the police station to fill out a missing person’s report.” I laugh and shake my head.

  “Did you guys meet up?”

  “You could say that.” I raise my brows. “He showed up and saw me dancing with this guy and threatened to kill him or something.”

  Steph laughs and then covers her mouth. “I’m sorry, but what the hell?”

  “Yeah, he had this bravado macho-man thing going on and got all possessive and bossy. Honestly, it was really hot but also fucked up. He took me back to his place to sober up and sleep it off so we could talk in the morning. And he kissed me.”

  “Wait,” she narrows her eyes at me, “did you guys . . . ?”

  I shake my head. “No. I probably would have, though, but he said I drank too much, and of course when we had a moment, he had to ruin it by opening his stupid mouth. There’s just something about him that drives me . . . ugh! Like, I hate him and how bossy and domineering he is, but it’s also crazy hot and I find myself clinging to little crumbs of hope.” I shake my head.

  “Have you guys talked since?”

  I shake my head again. “No. I told him that he needs to get his shit together and that I wasn’t his to boss around or own. He can’t just pop into my life when he needs to get laid or if I look at someone else, meanwhile he says he isn’t ready for another relationship after things with August.” I roll my eyes and let out an audible sigh. “Men.”

  “I feel you, girl,” Steph says, tossing her arm over my shoulder as August returns to the room.

  “Sorry, was talking to the clients who want to buy that HUGE mansion up on the lake that’s been for sale for, like, ever. They want to make an offer!” she says, squealing and jumping up and down. “That’s so amazing. I’ve been in desperate need of some good news lately.”

  “Everything okay?” I ask.

  “Yeah, Remi and his brother have been so busy with their company that I feel like I hardly see him, and it’s made things a little tense. He’s always out near Vegas and he keeps inviting me. He said the casino would comp everything, but he’d be working, so I’d be alone all day with nothing to do until he came back at night.”

  “Oh my God,” Steph says suddenly.

  “What?”

  “How about a girls’ trip to Vegas? It sounds like we all three need some girls’ time, so you could spend the nights with Remi and we could go shopping and to the spa and have drinks by the pool.”

  She claps her hands and jumps up and down, making us both laugh. I don’t know a lot about Steph’s past, but I know it’s been troubled and she really doesn’t have any family or friends besides the two of us. Seeing her get so excited warms my heart.

  “Yes!” August and I both say at the same time.

  “That purse will loo
k amazing with those shoes you just bought,” I say to August as she holds up a purse to see if it goes with the dress she’s wearing.

  “You think?” She spins around in the floor-length mirror, doing a double take. “Remi is going to flip at how much leg and boob this dress shows, but hopefully it gets me laaaaid,” she sings as she strikes a pose.

  Steph and I are staying in tonight while August and Remi go out for a date. Our casino has a kick-ass room service menu that we plan to take full advantage of while wrapped up in our giant fuzzy robes. We talked about going out dancing, but after the flight and spending most of the afternoon by the pool in the sun, we’re already beat.

  “We’ll just be a couple of old ladies in the room while you guys are out wining and dining on the strip,” Steph says, flipping through the drink menu. “Oh, Sex on the Beach, yes!”

  “Steph, when was the last time you had sex on the beach?” August asks.

  “Uh, never. The last time I had actual sex, though . . . umm, yeah can’t remember.”

  August spins around. “Seriously? With the way you look, you could get any man to eat dirt out of your hand. Not even a fun little one-night stand?”

  Steph shakes her head and shrugs, burying her nose back in the menu.

  “Leigh, what about you?”

  Panic grips me. I can feel my throat tighten and I’m sure I look a few shades paler.

  “I know you and Remi didn’t . . . it’s okay,” she says, reaching over and grabbing my shoulder.

  Oh, that’s why she thought I’d panicked. I’m searching for what to say when her phone buzzes and she answers it.

  “Hey, babe, where are you? I’ve got this amazing dre—what? Noooo,” she whines and I can tell it means her plans are probably canceled. “I know. Yeah, it’s okay. Love you too, baby.”

  She tosses her phone on the bed along with her purse and dramatically flops down. “Well, shit, apparently there was some emergency, so he can’t go tonight.” She stares up at the ceiling before turning to face Steph.