“This is a little rustic for your tastes these days, isn’t it?”
He stood with her door open and waited. “I guess you’ll just have to wait and see, won’t you?”
She took his hand and closed her eyes as the electric jolt stunned her. “I guess so,” her voice was breathy. “Where are we going,” she asked once he was seated beside her.
He smiled over at her. “Zig Zag Creek.”
She sucked in a breath at his words and fought the tears that instantly pricked her eyes. God they’d spent so much time at Zig Zag Creek growing up. They swam there in the summer, skated on their butts when the creek froze over and used the big leafy trees as a haven from the hot Montana sun. It was their place. For years it had been their refuge from the rest of the world, the place they came to explore their sexuality. It was where their love had grown into an unmanageable beast that eventually destroyed her. “No, Jake. No.”
“Why not? This is the perfect place for both of us to remember we’re not enemies. You used to love me Zaria and Zig Zag Creek will let us reminisce over the good times too.”
“I used to think you loved me too Jake, can’t you see that’s why it’s so hard to go back there? It’s the source of the biggest and longest lie of my life!”
“It’s not a lie Zaria, it never was. I loved you more than I loved anyone or anything. I still love you.”
“Right,” she scoffed.
***
I still love you. I still love you. Jake’s words played like a cruel refrain in her head all through dinner. It couldn’t be true, it just couldn’t. It didn’t matter if he still loved her, Zaria didn’t believe Jake knew a think about love. What he’d felt for her back then had been friendship and lust. Today it was probably gratitude and lust, so basically it boiled down to sex. He wanted to have sex with her. “Are you ever going to tell me why you left?”
He nodded. “I will soon but not tonight, okay?”
Disappointment washed over her but she tried to quash it. Did it really matter why? Even if it was an emergency he never called, never wrote and never visited. Their love had been a fraud. She’d seen what she wanted to see back then but today she finally saw things clearly. Her heart broke all over again but this time she knew, her heart would heal. “You know what Jake, never mind. I don’t need to know.”
His face darkened with confusion. “I’ll tell you, just not-,”
She held a hand up. “Don’t worry about it Jake. I don’t need to know. It doesn’t matter.”
“But it matters to m-,” his words were cut off by her mouth crushing against his. He didn’t understand what had just happened but the feel of her lips against his again, was too delicious to question. She leaned into him until her body straddled his, her warmth cradled his erection and he slowly thrust against her. Her moans cried out and his kiss swallowed them whole. They were for him, only for him.
This time there was no battle, Zaria conquered and Jake surrendered to her sensual onslaught. Her mouth made love to his, her lips were soft and demanding total submission as she explored the dark depths of his mouth. The sweet taste of the wine and the brown sugar from the barbecue sauce giving his mouth a spicy sweet quality she couldn’t get enough of. All too soon her small agile fingers had his shirt completely unbuttoned and on the blanket next to them. Those same fingers explored the hard plans of his chest, the dips and grooves of his abs and the hard bunching muscles of his back. She left no stretch of skin untouched, untasted. “Jake,” she moaned, her hands snaking down his chest and working the button and zipper on his jeans.
“Zaria are you sure about this?” He didn’t want to stop but he also didn’t want her to regret this later.
She moaned her agreement and helped him get his jeans and boxers down his legs. Her blue eyes bore holes through his as she slowly slid a tiny scrap of yellow lace down her legs and tossed them at him. She giggled when he growled at her. “Jake you look better than I could have imagined.”
He heard the awe, the reverence in her voice and it humbled him. And it turned him on. “Sweetheart you look better than anything I’ve ever seen.” His eyes closed as her hands and hair roamed his body, making his cock twitch with every move. His hips thrust upward on their own when her lips circled the head of his cock. “Zaria,” he groaned, unsure if he would be able to hold off his release now that he was buried deep inside her hot, wet mouth. “Fuck, Zaria. You’re incredible.” She must have loved hearing his words because her hands and mouth and tongue began moving in tandem until his body shook beneath her. She swallowed the head down her throat and he was coming before he had time to warn her. “Zaria, Zaria, oh Zaria,” he said those words over and over like a prayer. Her name fell from his lips until he was too limp to move.
She sat up, her lips red and swollen from his cock, and smiled down at him. “You’re still amazing, Z.” He meant those words but they weren’t the only ones he wanted to say. I love you. He knew he still loved her but they had a lot to work through.
“I’m glad you approve,” she laughed at him as she tossed the dress over her head and let it fall behind her. She pinched her nipples and hissed out a breath as Jake watched, growing harder beneath her.
Jake felt the moisture dripping from her opening onto his cock and he was instantly hard again. “Zaria I need to be inside you.”
Her hips rolled seductively so her juices coated him with every movement. Her moan was music to his ears and his own hips began to thrust until his head breached her opening. “Ah,” she moaned and stopped. “Condom.”
“Jeans,” he instructed and was rewarded with a view of her tight ass in the air, her sex pink and glistening for him. As she fought with his jeans for the condom, Jake grabbed her hips and dragged her to him until his mouth was on her.
“Jake!” Her cry was part plea and part prayer as his mouth and tongue made her wetter, causing juices to run down her legs, now straddling his head. “Jake,” she moaned as her hips took over her body, riding his face until her body quivered. He sucked her clit into his mouth and she squealed as she came, earthquakes wracking her body. She felt so overheated she didn’t have time to ponder how good she felt, all Zaria knew was that she needed more. More of Jake, more of his style of loving and the way it made her body sing.
Before he could formulate a smug answer Zaria had the condom on and was sliding her still pulsing sex down over him. His eyes were riveted to his cock as it disappeared inside her sweet little body. “”Zaria,” he moaned when he was deep inside her and she started that quick bouncing motion he used to crave. Apparently he still did because he was so fired up he didn’t think he’d last long.
“Oh Jake, yes. Yes, Jake. Yes.” She grabbed his hands and put them on her breasts, her hips doing a roll bounce on him and bringing her closer and closer to that sweet edge as only Jake could. He squeezed her nipples, “Harder,” she urged and bounced quicker, the up and down, up and down pace causing her walls to tighten and quiver around him. “Jake,” she warned.
“I know sweetheart, I know.” He didn’t need to say anything else because he could feel her milking him. He gave her nipples a hard pinch and then grabbed her hips for dear life and hammered inside her until she screamed out, the wild Montana moon shining down on her. When she finally came apart she looked so beautiful, her lust fogged eyes never leaving his as shudder after shudder shook her body. He quickly switched their positions and a dozen strokes later he was calling out her name and pouring himself into her. “I love you.”
She stiffened at his words and a lone tear slipped from her eyes. “Jake, don’t,” she begged. She waited for him to separate himself from her body and rolled to her knees. “Look Jake please don’t make this difficult. It was sex. Just sex, okay?”
“No, it’s not okay. I tell you I love you and you tell me it was just sex, what the hell Z?”
She shimmied into her underwear and glared at him. “Jake you left me once without explanation. No call, no letter, nothing and I’m sorry but I have
n’t forgiven you for that. Definitely not enough to risk my heart to you again, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to keep Zach from you. He loves you already and that has to be enough, okay?”
***
Hell no, it wasn’t okay but he couldn’t say that now. He would just have to show Zaria that she and Zach meant everything to him. He would earn her trust and her love if it was the last thing he did.
They rode back to the ranch in tense silence. Zaria stared out the window counting the stars as they dotted the sky above and Jake focused on the road and how he could show Zaria he still loved her. He would have to finish up with the Peters case before he could make any big changes to his life but soon he would be back in Beloved and a part of their lives. Forever.
When he woke up the next morning Jake could hear kids talking and laughing quietly outside his window. He smiled, hoping someday soon he would hear his own son’s voice every morning when he woke up. The boy was so full of energy and questions and a thirst for knowledge that Jake constantly smiled when he was around. After a quick shower Jake was on his way back to Triple Z. He needed to spend more time with Zach and Zaria because he needed to head back to Bozeman for a few days to draw up contracts. This was just one way he’d make sure Zaria and their son would be taken care of.
He drove under the three interlocking Z’s that welcomed visitors to the ranch and sped up a bit, eager to get to Zach. He wanted to show off his riding skills on his new horse Zeus to his dad and Jake was just as excited. He hadn’t ridden a horse in years and he’d left it up to his son to re-teach him the basics. He threw the car in park and waved back as his son sat like an expert on top of the black horse with the white mask around his eyes.
He heard the gunshot and his heart stopped. Looking over to the pen he saw Zeus but Zach was on the ground next to him. “Zach!” Jake ran like the devil was on his tail towards the pens to rescue Jake. The gunshot had spooked the horse and a second shot rang out, making Zeus nervous and nearly trampling Zach. He hurdled the fence and cradled Zach in his arms as a third shot rang out. His big body covered his son until he was sure there would be no more shots. “Zach, are you okay?” He looked down but his eyes were closed. “Wake up son, please.”
“Were those gunshots?” Zeke’s dark scowl scoped out the area as he slid off Thunder and went to help Jake. He took Zach and held him until Jake cleared the fence.
“It was, three of them, one while Zach was on the horse. He was thrown.” Jake turned his attention back to his son who was staring up at him through heavy lidded eyes. “Are you okay kiddo?”
“Dad, Zeke, what happened?”
“You fell off Zeus. Are you hurt anywhere?” He shook his head with a smile and Jake released a breath he didn’t even know he was holding.
“Thank goodness. You scared us.”
“Sorry,” he looked embarrassed but he perked up. “Did you see me on Zeus? Didn’t I look awesome, until I fell off I mean?”
“You looked great buddy.”
He pumped a fist in the air, “Yes!” He was so excited. Jake was just happy his son was alright. “Mom you missed me on Zeus!”
Jake turned and saw Zaria’s pale face looking at Zach in his arms. He shook his head. “Hey buddy why don’t you go get a glass of milk, all that horse riding probably made you pretty thirsty.”
“Okay dad,” he bounded up the stairs and into the house without looking back.
Zeke explained what happened because Jake was too furious, too scared to say a word. Seeing his son lying on the ground next to the spooked horse like that had scared the hell out of him. And it made him angrier than he’d ever been.
“I’m going back to Bozeman this afternoon and we’re going to end this. Now.” He looked to Zeke and Zaria. “I have a long term contract for the Harding Ranch, I’ll email you the details. The sooner we get this done the sooner Peters will show his hand.” He hugged Annabelle and kissed her cheek. “I’ll see you soon. Take care of them for me,” he whispered in her ear.
He called for Zach as he hugged Ryleigh. “My son loves you Ryleigh, please look out for him while I’m gone.” She nodded with tears shining in her eyes. “I will Jake, just be careful.”
He shook Zeke’s hand just as Zach came out with a chocolate mustache. “Take care of them please,” he told Zeke and turned to Zach. “Hey son, come here a sec. I have to go back to Bozeman for a few days to take care of some things but I’m coming back, okay?” Zach nodded but he looked scared. “I’m coming back, I promise. Here’s my phone number, call me anytime if you need anything or you just want to talk. I’ll always answer.”
“Promise?”
He pulled him in for a hug and kissed his forehead. “I promise.”
Zach hugged him back. “Okay dad. I love you.”
“I love you too, buddy.” He stood and turned to Zaria, closing the gap between them. With one hand gripping her hair at the base of her neck and the other cupping her jaw, Jake kissed her until she was gripping his shirt and moaning into his mouth. He pulled back and looked into her stunned eyes. “This isn’t over, Zaria. We aren’t over.”
He mouthed the words, I love you, and got into his car and left Triple Z Ranch.
THE END
Cowboy Romance
The Love of A Good Family
Book Three
S. Bridges
Cowboy Romance: The Love of A Good Family
Chapter One
“Dad isn’t coming back, is he?”
Zaria saw the look of rejection pass over her son’s face and she wanted to kill Jake. How could he make her son fall in love with him and then disappear? It was one thing to devastate a teenage Zaria with no explanation but it was another to rip out her little boy’s heart. Zach had been moping around the ranch for nearly the entire two weeks since Jake left, promising to come back. “I don’t know Zach.”
“But he hasn’t called even once,” Zach was starting to whine but Zaria couldn’t blame him. He’d been stuck in the house since the accident and he was going stir crazy. The boy loved horses and being stuck in the house, even to keep him safe, wasn’t sitting right with him. With a pout he crossed his arms and stuck out his chin. “I don’t care. Who needs a father when I got Uncle Zeke?”
She knew he didn’t mean it, but she’d let him get away with that one little lie if it made him feel better about his prick of a father. “How about we go give Zeus a good scrub?” She knew Zeke would have a conniption when he found out she’d let Zach out of the house with the crazed shooter on the loose, but her boy needed some joy in his life. If she was honest, Zaria needed some joy in her life as well. She couldn’t believe she was dumb enough to sleep with him again. He leaves, that’s what he does. Repeating those words until they no longer held any real meaning hadn’t helped at all, she was still hurt. She was not, however, surprised. Jake left Beloved a decade ago without looking back once, the fact that he’d done it again didn’t surprise her. She just hated that she’d given him access to Zach so easily.
“Yeah!” He punched the air and quickly scrambled to find his hat. “Thanks mom, you’re the best!” She heard him run down the stairs like a herd of elephants and yell to his grandma. “Grandma I’m going to scrub Zeus with mom, I’ll help you make pies later, okay?” He raced outside before Annabelle could answer.
“Is it okay for him to be out there,” Annabelle’s voice held tender concern.
She sighed, the fires and shootings seemed to have stopped for now but she wasn’t naïve enough to think it was over. There was a lot of land and a lot of money at stake so this quiet was just a way to lull them into a state of comfort. The next time they hit, it would likely be devastating if they didn’t stop him. “I’ll be with him so it’s okay. Besides he’s pretty down about Jake.”
“I’m sure there’s a good reason, honey.”
“There always is Ma, but this time I don’t really care.” Her only hope was that Jake stayed away for good this time. Zach shouldn’t have to deal with this a
ppearing and disappearing act. Neither should she.
She headed toward the newly rebuilt stable, to which Zeke had added stall fans and heated water buckets when the nights turn cool. There was an electronic lock for overnight and key locks on the feed bin. It was a definite improvement on the old brown stable that was, if she was being honest, a complete eyesore.
Zaria was happy to spend the next hour listening to her son talk to the horses and talk about horses. His exuberance kept her young and on her toes, but it was more than that. His excited energy warmed her heart in a way that nothing had in years, not even back when she was in love with Jake. He chattered on and on until his eyelids began to droop. “Come on buddy, let’s go take a nap.” She bent with her back facing him, “Hop on, I’m giving out rides!” She smiled as he hopped on her back and planted a messy wet kiss on her cheek.
She loved moments like this with Zach. In so many ways he was still such a mature boy but in others, he was just a kid.
Her heart stopped when she saw a sleek black luxury car ambling up the drive. She didn’t think it was Jake but steeled herself just in case. She needed her defenses up if it was him so she could be prepared for the charm offensive that would surely follow. The tall figure that stepped from the car was taller than Jake and his hair was lighter. As she came closer Zaria realized it was a different good looking bastard in a suit. He turned to face her and, hot damn that was one fine specimen!
“Hi miss, can you help me? I’m looking for Harding Ranch?”
Her hackles immediately went up. She took a step back and crossed her arms looking as tough as it was possible to look with a ten year old hanging from your back. “And who are you?”
The man cleared his throat and flashed a smile that made her throb in places she shouldn’t. I’m Hardison Clavers and I’m looking for Zeke Reilly of Harding Ranch, is this the right place?”
BILLIONAIRE ROMANCE: The Unforgettable Southern Billionaires: The Complete Collection Boxed Set (Young Adult Rich Alpha Male Billionaire Romance) Page 151
