Give Me Perfect Love (Give Me Series Book 2)

by Paige P. Horne

  “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. But I really thought it was for the best. What I do is illegal. I started out with off-track betting and then it grew from there.”

  I stare at her, my heart in my throat with fear. What will she do?

  “Say something,” I urge.

  “What the fuck can I say?” She walks to the window and looks down onto the street below us.

  “Tell me this isn’t going to ruin us. Tell me that we’ll be okay.”

  She turns to look at me. “Are you going to stop?”

  My back straightens, and I lift my chin. My knees nearly buckle, but I hold my ground.

  “No,” I say firmly.

  She scoffs, twisting back to the window, and then she shocks me stupid.

  “Okay then,” she says.

  “What?” I ask, walking closer to her to make sure I heard her right.

  Looking back at me, she says, “Okay. If you won’t stop, then what am I to do about it? Do I like it? Fuck no, but you were doing it before I came along. Who am I to ask you to quit?”

  I shake my head in amazement. “You’re constantly shocking me, baby.”

  She exhales. “I’m not sure who I am anymore. Either I’m a different person or this is who I was meant to be the whole time.”

  “What’s that?” I ask. “What are you meant to be?”

  She looks up at me as I step closer to her. Dark eyelashes fan over winter-touched cheeks. “Yours,” she says.

  I smirk before leaning down to taste her lips. Her hands instantly crawl up my back, while mine run over the curve of her ass.

  She isn’t running.

  She said okay.

  I’m mind-blown.

  I’m careful of her injuries as I lift her up, placing her on top of her dresser. She bends into me, our tongues dancing while my fingers trail up her shirt, running over ribs and soft skin.

  I pull down her bra, rubbing my finger over her nipple. It’s faint, but I feel it when her legs shake. She lets go of my lips. Placing one hand on the dresser, she lifts herself and yanks down one side of her pants before doing it to the other.

  I undo my belt, and once her pants are gone, I pull myself out and line up with her entrance. I stop there, looking at us before we connect, and then slowly, I push in a tiny bit.

  Wanting to see her face as I fully slide into her, I look up. Her eyes are hooded, her mouth slack, and when I push in, she sucks in an audible gasp before the pleasure takes over, causing her eyes to close.

  I fuck her slowly, my hand splayed out on the dresser, while my other holds her waist. Needing to kiss her, I crash my mouth to hers and die a thousand deaths when she pulls away for only a moment and whispers, “I love you.”

  I can’t get enough. I pull her closer to me, going faster. Her arms link around my neck, and I press my face into her throat. I kiss and bite as the dresser hits the wall and things fall off.

  She holds on, and God, I hope she never lets go.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Kathrine

  It’s spring in Georgia, and today couldn’t be more gorgeous. There’s a nice breeze blowing in from the pasture, and the short grass sways with it.

  Bryce and I made it through the harsh winter, learning everything there is to know about each other. After he told me about the illegal gambling under Red, we grew closer.

  I know he kept it from me.

  I know what he does is wrong, but I stand by him.

  I love him, and that’s all there is.

  What? Am I supposed to fight every day and beg him to shut it down?

  Am I supposed to threaten him and say I’ll walk if he doesn’t do as I ask?

  Who would that benefit? Surely not me.

  I’ve felt what it’s like to be without him, and fuck that. I’m not in the business of constantly hurting myself anymore.

  I deserve better.

  I deserve the love that we have.

  Bethany used to say everything disappears eventually, but as I look at the scenery in front of me, I think some things stay. Like these people I now have in my life. Lee, Emily, Monnie, and Lou. Fun-loving Jace and my best friend Claire. Austin and now my dad, Mills.

  And lastly, Bryce.

  I sigh contently as the horses neigh and bob their heads. They all have flowers draped around their necks, and the house behind me has lights strung around its thick columns, ready for when the sun fades.

  The ceiling fans are spinning, and as of right now, the rocking chairs are empty. The dogs, Doc and Holliday, are inside because they like to give kisses. A few kids are running around in their Sunday best getting scooped up by their parents. Their laughter fills the air, and it makes it even more beautiful out here.

  “Your flowers are pretty,” one of them says.

  “They are, aren’t they?” Emily beams.

  A lot has changed over the last few months. The remodel on Mugs & Books is complete, and we reopened a few days before Christmas. Claire started working with me. I gave her free reign of the kitchen to do as she pleased.

  She came up with a delicious menu––canapés and sandwiches. The food add-on has been a hit and has us thinking about expanding more and having a restaurant.

  Mary woke from her coma and is recovering in a very nice rehab facility. We visit when we can, and Bryce speaks to her daily. He’s a good son. Better than she deserves. Mills is a part of my life as much as he can be out on the road. I’d never ask him to stop doing what he loves to spend more time with me.

  He plans to retire one day soon, but I’m happy with the phone calls, video chats, and the amazing pictures he takes when he visits certain towns.

  Mills is not only my dad by blood, he’s my friend. I knew he was easy to talk to when I worked at the diner, even though I didn’t talk much, not wanting to reveal how bad things were for me at home. But now that he knows my life, I find that I want to call him and tell him how my day was and what issues we have going on.

  He’s my family.

  I smile over at Emily, the woman who was there while Bryce was going through teenage hormones. Today, she is marrying Lee, and the ranch has never looked prettier. The flowers are in full bloom, and the trees are thick with green.

  It’s a perfect day.

  The music starts with “Unchained Melody” softly playing on the old vinyl record player. That’s the cue for me to walk.

  I wink at Emily, entwine my arm with Jace’s, and move my feet as Bryce smiles at me. He’s so handsome in his light-green shirt and gray vest. His tie is plaid with hints of pink, dark jeans cover his legs, and light-brown oxfords are on his feet.

  My dress is also light green, and I have a pink daylily in my hair with a single sunflower in my hand. We approach the end, and with a sweet kiss on my now healed cheek, Jace moves to Lee’s side and I stand on the side where Emily will be.

  Lou didn’t want to be a part of the actual wedding party, but, of course, she helped plan every single moment. Monnie said he was too round to get into a vest and told his old hunting buddy/brother he would rather have a front row view.

  I’m Emily’s maid of honor and her only bridesmaid. Bryce is the best man, only because he’s older than Jace.

  It’s a small wedding, and the little white chairs are filled with close friends and family. I look around and see Claire. She’s glowing happily with her arm through Austin’s.

  Claire’s hair is falling in soft spiral curls, and her makeup is light. Her dress is a soft teal, and she’s wearing matching wedges. She looks beautiful.

  Austin is wearing a white button-up shirt. His top button is undone, and his sleeves are rolled up to his elbows. He has on light gray jeans rolled up around his black boots. He’s cut his long hair; he looks handsome, and I’m so glad they’re not hiding anymore.

  He leans back in his chair, looking cool and content. He winks at me and moves his toothpick to the opposite side of his slightly crooked grin. I wink back as the “Bridal Chorus” begins to play.

  Le
e insisted they come, saying any friend of mine was a friend of the family’s.

  There’re no words to describe how grateful I am that these wonderful people have accepted me so easily.

  Just as they accepted Bryce and Jace all those years ago.

  Emily, in all her beauty, comes walking down the small aisle. She is holding a bouquet of sunflowers and white daisies. Her white dress is sleeveless and has an Audrey Hepburn look, like she stepped right out of the late fifties. I believe this will be the only time I ever see her in a dress. The woman of the ranch is also the vet. She loves her jeans and boots, button-up shirts, and pulled back hair. She’s easy-going and a perfect match for the laid-back Lee Grant.

  I watch as she smiles and looks at everyone before her sweet eyes land on Lee, who is gazing at her in awe. My heart flutters, pointing its finger at the one I love.

  I look over at Bryce, catching his smile as he watches Emily walk toward us. I trail off with my thoughts, wondering how it would be to have him look at me as I make my way down in a white dress.

  He must feel me looking, because his blues turn to me, and I give him a small smile.

  “I love you,” he mouths.

  “Me, too,” I whisper back.

  ________

  After the ceremony and cake cutting, we all dance and enjoy the food as well as each other. The rocking chairs are rocking now, and the timed lights have turned on, gifting us a small glow as the sun descends.

  “Come on, Kat. Have a dance with this old man,” Lee says, extending his hand to me.

  I smile up at him. Bryce lifts his lip when I look over and stand up. I put my hand in Lee’s, and we walk to the laid out dance floor.

  “The ceremony was beautiful,” I say to him.

  He nods. “That it was.”

  I let him lead us around the floor. “How’s everything going with you and Bryson?”

  I look up at him. “Great.”

  “Good. Glad to see my boy is treating you well.”

  And that’s all the conversation we have. Over the last few months, I’ve come to know Lee better. He doesn’t like to pry. He’s straightforward and real. He also understands that Bryce is a private person, and I guess he understands that I am, too. We are both alike in that way.

  “May I cut in?” Jace asks.

  “Yep, I need to find my wife.” Lee winks, and I take Jace’s hand.

  “Okay, what gives? Why are all you Grants wanting to dance with me?” I ask with a skeptical expression.

  “Why does there have to be a reason?” he replies. “Maybe I just wanted to dance with you and that was it.”

  I roll my eyes. “You know I’m insanely in love with your brother, right?”

  He smiles, showing all white teeth and reminding me of my guy. “It’s so fucking good to hear you say that.”

  I laugh and hit his arm. “You’re such an ass.”

  “I think we both know the man you’re with is the ass.”

  I look over at Bryce sitting at a table, a bourbon drink sits in front of him, and he has his fingers wrapped around it as he talks with someone. His eye catches me.

  “Yeah, I can agree with that,” I say to Jace as I watch Bryce watch me.

  His eyes wander over my body, and I feel it in the pit of my stomach. It’s a burning look, and I’ve never felt more wanted. He turns his head and says something to whomever he’s talking to before he downs his drink.

  “Harrison,” Jace says, grabbing my attention.

  His expression is serious, which is odd because he is always grinning. His brown hair has grown, and I can see the trace of a five o’clock shadow on his jawline.

  “Jace,” I say in return, mocking his seriousness.

  “Did you hear me?” he asks.

  “No, sorry. What did you say?”

  “I said, I’m glad you two found each other.”

  “Me, too.” I slightly smile.

  “You make him happy, and that makes me happy. He deserves it, but don’t you dare tell him I said that.” He winks.

  “You have my word,” I say with a grin.

  “Bryce got the hard stuff. He had to grow up quicker than he should have. But he looked out for me, Harrison, and I’ll always be grateful for him.”

  Dammit, Soppy Jace, I’m not used to you. I nod because it’s the only thing I can do.

  Sniffing and trying to get my emotions in check, I change the subject. “So, what’s up with you and this Michelle girl?”

  A few weeks ago, Jace brought a girl out to the ranch. We were all shocked as shit. Like Bryce, Jace never dates. He’s a player and makes no apologies for it. But something is different about this one.

  He actually likes her.

  She joined us for dinner, and I think she’s great. She’s smart and plain Jane pretty. I look past his shoulder at her sitting with Lou. She’s funny, and Jace acts so different when she’s around.

  He behaves, and we haven’t seen him touch a drug. She seems to be really good for him.

  He gets a smirk on his lips. “We’re dating,” he says.

  “Like not seeing anyone else, dating?”

  He grins. “Nosy much?”

  I laugh. “Just asking.”

  He clears his throat. “She’s a cool chick. I like being around her.”

  I choose not to pick on him because I think it’s great. “Cool,” I say, letting it go.

  After the song ends, I slip away.

  I take my wedges off and enjoy the feel of the short grass between my light pink toes as I walk through the pasture and away from the party.

  Dusk has settled in the sky. What was once crystal blue is now rust and crimson. Speckles of bright green glow in the evening sky as fireflies play above the meadow.

  I sit down and lean back on my hands as my eyes roam Grant Ranch. A flicker of lightning flashes in the distance. Spring thunderstorms are the norm around here. I hear thunder rumble right after, and my thoughts drift over everything that’s happened the past few months.

  We’ve heard nothing more about what went down at the restaurant that horrible night. So, it seems Danny and Johnny did what they said they would.

  Bryce and I spent a week and a half out here after getting things settled with Mugs & Books. I told Becca we would be closed until the grand reopening, letting her know she would still be getting paid. I needed time to heal after everything Claire and I went through. Not just physically, but mentally.

  The things I relived when I went back to my old house took a toll on me. I needed a moment to just be before jumping back into my everyday life. Being out at the ranch helped with that.

  In so many ways.

  While I love the city and its energy, Grant Ranch is a place like no other. It’s peace, when the rest of the world is too much.

  Bryce and I became one out here.

  We worked together on the ranch. He showed me how they tend to the horses, and I helped with small things around the ranch.

  We ate together in the evenings—Bryce, Lee, Emily, and me. The rest of the family joined us often—Monnie, Lou, and Jace.

  Of course, they all wanted to know why I looked like I got into a car wreck. Bryce and I explained what happened. He told me they knew about Red and the things that went on below it. He felt there was no reason to hide anything from them, except the fact that Cain was murdered by Bones.

  So, we told them we called the cops, and Cain had a gun. They shot him when he tried to pull the trigger.

  Was his family stupid?

  No.

  They knew we were leaving things out, and they also knew they would have seen something that huge on the news. But they didn’t question it, knowing it was for the best.

  Bryce and I enjoyed horseback riding, sleeping under the stars in his amazing barn house, and my favorite, dirt bike riding.

  I bite my lip as I think about the way he touched me that day. The fireflies don’t compare to the butterflies inside my belly.

  Bryce is a thrill I never grow
immune to.

  He’s my deepest fear and my wildest dream come true.

  Thinking if something ever happened to him has my heart threatening to dry up and never beat again.

  Turning black before shattering into ash.

  But when we’re together, it’s like stealing a glimpse of Heaven…

  Dirt and gravel tear up behind the boys as they come back down from the mountain. It’s crystal clear outside, but there’s a chill in the air still. The sun warms my face as I watch Bryce and Jace ride in on their dirt bikes. Bryce slides in sideways and I turn my head, avoiding the dirt from getting all over me.

  “Sorry, baby.” He laughs.

  I wipe my jeans, rolling my eyes at him.

  Jace chuckles as he removes his helmet. “Dammit,” he says. “You can’t win every time.”

  “I can and I do,” Bryce says. He twists the throttle, making the bike whine.

  He looks over at me. “Come on, girl.”

  Oh, no way.

  “Nope.” I hold up my hands and back up.

  He doesn’t accept my reply. “Jace, give her your helmet.”

  Jace kicks the kickstand out and jumps off the bike. “Here, Harrison. Hold on tight.” He winks at me.

  I pout. “Bryce, I really don’t want to do this.”

  “You think I’d let anything happen to you?” he asks me in a serious tone.

  And with that, I deflate my chest and put the helmet over my head. Of course, he wouldn’t want anything to happen to me, but he can’t control everything, even though he likes to think he can.

  He scoots up and I climb on the back, holding on to his waist for dear life.

  “Ready?” he asks.

  “Do I have I choice?”

  He chuckles, and I feel it vibrate through my chest. “Nah, K. You never did.”

  I smile inside the helmet, thinking he is one thousand percent right.

  When it comes to him, I don’t have a choice.

  He stole my soul, robbed me blind, and I don’t even care.

  He puts the bike in gear, and with a twist of his wrist, we soar.

  I laugh and hold on tighter as he flies us through the pasture. Horses watch like we’re crazy, and birds fly up above the tree line. The cold stings my hands, but I’m warm against Bryce.