by Vi Summers
“Tyler and I had a terrible breakup, and I ended up taking out a restraining order on him. He broke into my house when I was at work one day. I knew it was him but couldn’t prove it, so I didn’t have a leg to stand on when I reported it to the cops. Their lack of care and willingness to help had me so frustrated that I decided to take matters into my own hands. So, I broke into his place, and I got caught. He had hidden cameras set up as if his sole intention was to bait me into fucking up. Anyway, I took back what was mine, and then a couple of other things to cover what he owed in ch-… to cover what he owed me,” she hastily corrected. “Long story short, they got me on misdemeanor charges of breaking and entering, theft and damage to property, slapping me with a sentence of eleven months plus a couple thousand dollars for reparation. I lost everything because of him. And the worst part was that he didn’t even step up and take care of-” Louisiana cut off and pressed her palms to her eyes, exhaling a shuddering breath. “Eight months was a very long time. Only three to go.”
I kept my opinion to myself; that the guy sounded like an absolute ass.
Lifting my arm, I gently pulled her against my side. Without resistance, Louisiana set her head on my shoulder and cuddled in. I held her and slowly rocked the swing chair while she dashed away her tears. An ache throbbed under my ribs, so grateful that she got to see out the remaining three months here on the ranch instead of behind bars.
“I understand,” I murmured against her head, barely resisting the urge to press a kiss where my lips brushed.
She shook her head and cut me deep with her sorrow-filled expression. “You think you do, but you don’t.”
“I do,” I stated vehemently, hoping she’d hear the hidden meaning behind my words.
I knew her secret. I knew why she tore apart on the inside while trying to hide the pain from the outside world. Heartbreak wasn’t something I would wish upon anyone, let alone a mother.
As if sensing her need for comfort, the rain beat down harder, the roar deafening against the iron porch roof. Louisiana tucked in a little deeper under my arm, so I held her tight as if I could shield her from everything she’d been through.
Too little, too late, Bran.
I effortlessly fell under the spell cast from her freshly showered scent. I recognized the shampoo—it was the one I’d put in the ensuite bathroom on the off-chance she didn’t have her own toiletries when she arrived. The longer we stayed listening to the rain, the more she relaxed against me until I thought she’d found sleep. Eventually, the downpour began to ease into a more leisurely spring shower.
Deep in a relaxed trance, I jolted when Louisiana abruptly sat up and kicked off her blanket.
“Oh, what the hell. I’m only going to live once,” she declared, then strode across the porch with newfound purpose.
I stood and let out a disbelieving laugh when she picked her way down the porch steps and stepped out into the rain, arms outspread, and face tipped to the dark sky.
“Woman, have you lost your goddamn mind?” I called, completely gobsmacked.
Louisiana’s light and almost eerie giggle flowed from the edge of the shadows. “It’s so invigorating!”
“I’ll take your word for it, darlin’.” I couldn’t help but smile—her joy was contagious, even if going out into the rain wasn’t a smart idea. She would end up catching a chill then-
“Come out here, Brandon! When was the last time you stood in the rain for fun?”
“No workin’ man stands in the rain for fun, Louisiana,” I deadpanned.
“I feel so alive!”
Laughing under my breath, I stared harder into the night to try and catch another glimpse of her silhouette.
“Come out.” Her voice was lifted and breathy, as if she was overwhelmed.
I straight-up denied her ass, complete with a needless headshake. “Don’t think so, darlin’.”
“Scaredy-cat. I dare you.”
I scoffed under my breath. “Dammit, woman, you can’t dare me on my own property.”
“Just did,” she called, as the rain fell harder. “You’re such a pussy, Brandon!”
The taunt was designed to spur me into action, and goddammit, it had the desired effect. Muttering and cursing under my breath, I descended the steps, then gingerly picked my way barefoot across the yard in the pissing rain.
“I must be out of my goddamn mind to be doing this,” I grumbled as I reached Louisiana.
Her uplifting laugh wove between us, and she grabbed my forearms. Streams of water cascaded down her face, sparkling along her skin and gathering on her lashes. Her eyes held the spark that had been missing since she arrived here, and Christ, she wore it well.
The more my vision adjusted to the rain smudged darkness, the more Louisiana became distinguishable. I tracked down her body and swallowed thickly when her pebbled nipples caught my attention. Lust had me seeing red. It had me grunting and fighting the feeling of my jeans growing tight.
Beads of rainwater collected in the dip of her collarbones. The tiny pools overflowed into her cleavage and lit an overwhelming urge to drink those streams of water off her skin. My hands begged to cup her breasts, to push them together while I buried my face between them.
I blinked hard when the rainwater finally soaked through my hair and drained into my eyes. It briefly severed my view of Louisiana until I flicked my head.
I thrust a hand through my hair, then paused when I found Louisiana watching me closely. Time stood still. The distance between us seemed to erase all by itself. Her lips parted in an invitation I barely found the strength to resist. She looked absolutely devourable, and goddamn, I was a starving man.
Heart racing so hard it hurt and unable to ignore my desires, my entire body locked with the effort to not take that last step toward her. Even standing in the pouring rain in the darkest hours, our crackling chemistry was as plain as day.
Louisiana blinked the water off her lashes, almost in slow motion, mimicking the way I licked the rain from my upper lip. Her eyes followed the movement of my tongue, and her shortened breath increased the strain within my sweatpants. Anticipation was killing me. Louisiana was killing me.
I reached for her as her name whispered from my mouth. The rise and fall of her chest intensified the ache in my veins. I was a man about to break, on the verge of crossing countless lines while standing barefoot on the gravel with the rain teeming over us. And the most alarming part of all was that, in the moment, I didn’t care one single bit.
Louisiana’s fingers touched down on my waist and sent a bolt of electricity shooting through me.
“Christ.” I swallowed thickly. I wanted her so badly she had me blinded to everything except her.
Wet tendrils of hair clung to her forehead and neck. Her nipples and silhouetted breasts teased me through the saturated fabric. Her plump, heart-shaped lips silently called my name, and it all had me inching closer.
Ignoring the warning sirens going off in my head, I slowly lifted one hand and ran a thumb over her nipple, and not without holding back a satisfied groan when her chest thrust higher.
“Oh fuck,” she breathed out, her voice trembling as if she was freezing. “Do it again.”
My dick got harder. “I shouldn’t be touching you at all. Jesus fuck, we shouldn’t be doin’ this, darlin’,” I hissed, grazing my fingers across the valley between her breasts.
“It’s been so long since I’ve… I want to feel a man again.” Louisiana’s hand not-so-subtly brushed over my erection, and my hips involuntarily bucked forward with need.
Tilting my head back, I groaned while welcoming the cooling rain smattering against my face. I clutched at the final threads of restraint and faced Louisiana again.
“We need to stop. This ain’t right, sweetheart.” Despite my words holding strength, her breast filling my hand belied my true impulse.
She nodded, but shifted closer and lifted her chin in invitation. “You’re right, we shouldn’t be doing this.”
; Squeezing her breast harder and setting my free hand on her waist, I all but fell to my knees when she palmed my dick and rubbed firmly.
Our breaths grew shorter, and I knew that if I slipped my hand between her legs, I would find her ready for me. The thought created a painful throb to surge down my hard length, and I groaned again.
“Christ, I want to kiss you so badly right now.”
“So do it,” she challenged.
As I cupped the back of her head and began to lower my mouth upon hers, I fought the Angel and Devil on each of my shoulders. Our lips barely had the chance to brush when the house door banged open.
“What the fuck are you two doin’ out here? It’s pissin’ down!”
We jumped apart as if Jake’s voice was a scythe swinging between us.
“Standing in the goddamn rain, that’s what,” I shouted back, full of frustration.
“Why the fuck would you do that?” he exclaimed, sounding as baffled as I was.
With our spell well and truly broken and after managing to get my erection somewhat under control, I gestured for Louisiana to head back to the porch. I kept my eyes squarely focused on Jake, giving them zero freedom to watch her ass as she walked two steps in front of me.
As if stepping up before the judge, Louisiana and I came to a stop side-by-side and stood still under Jake’s scrutinizing glare.
I gently touched Louisiana’s elbow while hoping it wouldn’t ignite more sparks. “Go have a warm shower. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Sobriety had cleared the desire from her eyes, and I saw she was equally unsettled about what had passed between us. I gave her what I hoped was a reassuring smile, then indicated for her to give me and Jake a few moments alone. Without a word, Louisiana hastened inside, leaving wet footprints in her wake.
Once she’d hit the stairs, I turned my attention back to Jake. His smirk widened knowingly.
“She’s leadin’ you astray, boss. I’m impressed.”
“How much did you see?” I asked in a low whisper.
“Nothing, yet everything.”
Running a hand through my hair to rid some of the water, I took a deep breath and looked him in the eye.
“She- I’ve-” Incoherent words cluttered my head. Desires and morals tugged me in opposite directions, making it impossible to process my feelings for Louisiana.
Jake clapped me on the shoulder. “I know, brother. She’s got you by the balls and it’s exactly where you want her hand.”
“This changes nothing, Jake. It can’t.”
He scoffed. “Keep tellin’ yourself that, Bran. Do I need to make myself scarce for the rest of the night?”
I stepped inside and shut the door behind us. “You don’t,” I snapped. “Head on back to bed, I’m gonna grab a nightcap.”
With a dip of his head and a rolling chuckle, Jake headed upstairs. We had another early start in the morning and with all this rain, the stock needed to be checked.
In the kitchen, I grabbed down a tumbler from the top shelf and poured myself a finger of my favorite bourbon. The oaky burn took the edge off my jumbled thoughts, yet did nothing to calm my elevated blood pressure.
Taking the glass upstairs with me, I was both disappointed and pleased to find Louisiana’s door firmly closed and no light coming from under it. While I stripped and pulled on dry underwear, I sipped back the liquor.
Lying in bed ten minutes later, there wasn’t so much a hint of sleep on my mind—it was consumed by the little blonde across the landing, and I was well and truly out of my depth.
Chapter 13
Louisiana
Reckless. So damn reckless. I’d put my position in this program in jeopardy and now I risked losing it all after fighting tooth and nail to get my application approved. I desperately wanted to see out the remainder of my sentence here instead of behind bars, and sickness rolled in my belly because I had compromised it all.
An overwhelming fear of being sent back to the confines of prison paralyzed me. The ceiling high above blurred and warped through misty tears as remorse settled deep. I lay awake for hours, over-analyzing every word, every touch. Replaying over and over what it felt like to have Brandon’s hands on my body. Husky words flowing from his lips. Those lips almost on mine…
The kiss that never was followed me into my dreams, forever gone when dawn brought the sunshine with it. The blinding, dazzling light behind the bedroom curtains failed to melt away the remainder of my regrets from last night.
As I made my way to the bathroom, silent taunts came from the walls as if they were shouted chants.
Shame, shame, shame.
With each passing day, my heart grew heavier, and I was scared I was going to eventually break altogether. The one that meant the entire world to me was so far out of reach, and I missed him so hard my entire body ached.
The memory of his beautiful smile brought fatter tears to my eyes. Being here wasn’t just about me—I had to do it for Ollie; the single, most important love of my life. I yearned for him every moment of the day. Even when I wasn’t thinking about him, my heart and soul knew they were missing their most important part.
I sent the same silent prayer as I did every single morning and night for the last eight months. Heavenly Father, please keep my baby safe, and bring him back to me when this is all over.
I bit back tears and inhaled, steeling myself before heading downstairs to face the music from last night.
The house was eerily quiet from the moment I opened my bedroom door. Holding my breath while descending the stairs, I found the kitchen vacant and tidy, and there was no sign of either Jake or Brandon.
I let out a massive sigh of relief. Sure, I had a major apology to issue, but the invisible belt around my chest tightened at the mere thought of the conservation that needed to happen. I couldn’t bring myself to face Brandon yet.
While I ate breakfast, an increasing sense of solitude gathered around me. I was sure I’d heard horses ride out just after sunrise. Exhaustion pulled in my bones thanks to the long hours it took me to get to sleep.
After clearing away my breakfast dishes, I ventured outside. The yard, stables, and additional barns were vacant, and the dog runs were empty. Standing with my hands on my hips in the middle of the yard, I puckered my lips to the side.
How was I meant to smooth things over with Brandon when the man couldn’t be found?
At the very least, I knew what morning jobs needed to be done, so I got stuck into mucking out the stables. Jake had previously shown me where everything was. I was still unsure around the horses thanks to their size, not to mention the saddle burn my poor thighs were subjected to, but thankfully the horses had already been let out into the field behind the barn this morning.
Once the stables were cleaned and swept, I did a quick check over the horses in the field—even though I had no idea what I was checking for—before heading for the chicken coop.
The chickens were like little dinosaurs and, if I was honest with myself, I was forming a small soft spot of affection for the weird creatures. I collected the eggs and took them inside, then hung out the laundry I found in the machine. The hardest part of that task was trying not to wonder which underwear was Brandon’s. I had to get my head straight and not go getting distracted by how well he would look in either of these styles of underwear.
Huffing away the thought, I went on the search for another chore.
By the time midday rolled around, I was getting concerned about being left to my own devices for so long. Thanks to my overactive imagination, my mind started to run in all directions—of course, conjuring the worst possible scenarios. Maybe something had happened to Brandon. Or to Jake.
The silly notion created a pool of worry in my belly; there was no way Brandon would easily get hurt out here—not when he knew the ranch like the back of his hand.
I found what looked like this morning’s horse tracks in the yard and followed them down the lane toward the meadows. The further I walked into
the countryside, the more I became balanced, as if inhaling the lush, grassy air gave my energy levels a much-needed kick. Eventually, I came to the place where Brandon had turned Dottie around, and soon after that, I encountered a fork in the road. Left traveled up a gentle incline that climbed toward a large hill, and right continued around a small plantation of trees. According to the horse tracks, they’d ridden right.
After five minutes down that path, I began to second guess myself. Despite the spring sunshine, there was a distinct chill in the air as the breeze traveled through the valley. I’d stripped out of my sweater while mucking out the barn and now was chilled in the shade of the large trees that lined one side of the farm road.
My pulse tripped, then spiked when I heard distant barking. Quickening my strides, I hoped that I would soon see the guys. As quick as it arrived, the elation in my chest morphed into paralyzing fear when four dogs rushed toward me at a terrifying pace. There was no escape from the barking and snarling. I couldn’t move. My head screamed for me to run, but my legs wouldn’t cooperate. I was rooted to the spot by sheer horror, hands raised as if it would stop their attack.
An ear-splitting whistle cut through the air and the dogs instantly responded. Looking behind the pack, I saw Brandon and Jake on horseback, galloping toward me. That was as scary as the damn dogs.
Brandon scowled at me when they reined to a stop. “Christ, Louisiana! What the hell are you doin’ all the way out here? And alone!”
I crossed my arms over my chest as if it would hide how fast my heart pounded. “Looking for you guys. I’ve been alone for hours and ran out of things to do.”
Guilt cut through his expression. “Why do you think we were hurrying home? We had to move the calving herd out of a low-lying field that got flooded last night.”
I stammered in response to his harsh tone.
“Didn’t you get my note?” he exclaimed.
“What note?”
Brandon ran a hand over his face. “Doesn’t matter now.” He dismounted and beckoned me over. “I’ll double you back. G’me your foot and I’ll boost you up.”
