Solace (The Kingwood Series Book 4)

by S. L. Scott

  Mom: Have fun.

  Me: You too. Love you.

  Mom: Love you too, son.

  Delilah rests her arm on the seat and looks back at me. “What’s so funny?”

  I lift my eyes to her curious ones, and reply, “Just texting with my mom.”

  “That’s sweet.”

  “I hate worrying her.”

  “She’s such a sweet lady.” She glances out the windshield and then back to me. “Have you spent any time with Fred Carver?”

  “No. Just when I went to General Hardware a week or so ago.” What an odd question. “Why?”

  Her eyes go slightly wide and she turns to face away from me. “Oh, no reason.”

  “Why would I spend time with Fred Carver?” I see Billy glance over to her and she looks at him before she tries to keep avoiding the question. “Delilah?”

  With a heavy sigh, she angles back in the seat again to face me. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”

  “Yes, you should.”

  Worry creases her forehead, the look not good enough to grace her face. “Tell me. Please.”

  Looking at her side, her hands twist together. When she finally looks up, she says, “Your mom and Fred have been dating. From my understanding it’s casual, but she told me she likes him.”

  “What?” I’m shaking my head in complete denial. “No, no way.” She turns around, but I see her cringing face. “Is she really?”

  Billy says, “Rumor has it that it’s more than casual.”

  “Why do I get the distinct impression that you are enjoying this a little too much?”

  He shrugs. “Because I am.”

  “Fuck you, man.”

  Delilah says, “Hey. Hey. Settle down. She’s a grown woman with needs.”

  Grabbing Billy’s cowboy hat from the hook across the cab from me, I put it on and sink in the seat. I lower the brim, and say, “No. I do not want to hear about my mom’s needs, so let’s end this now.”

  Her hand taps my leg. “You might have to get used to the idea of her dating, but I’m surprised she hasn’t mentioned him to you or that you haven’t seen him hanging around.”

  I grumble, “He’s smart enough to stay away from my mom.”

  The sound of her laughter fills the truck, and then Billy joins in and says, “While you’re in town.”

  “I’m not in a hurry.”

  Delilah looks at her lap, but from this angle, I see the smile on her face. Billy busts into our moment and adds, “It’s been good to have you around again.”

  “It’s been good to be around again.” Leaning forward, I give her elbow a little squeeze. “How are you doing up there?”

  Looking back, she flashes that sweet smile like she’s been saving it all day for me. “Good.” Her eyes tell me all I need to know and remind me of how they shined at two in the morning after we finished another round of fun under the covers.

  “Can we just get it out in the open because all this sexual tension between you two isn’t so subtle, if you know what I mean.”

  I chuckle. “No, what do you mean?”

  “It’s obvious I interrupted something this morning. I’m curious if what I walked in on started last night.”

  Leaning back again, I lower the hat to cover my eyes. “Sorry. I’m not one to kiss and tell.”

  Delilah is laughing, and then I hear her say, “Don’t look at me like that, Billy Langston. A girl has a right to keep some secrets, even from her friends.”

  The truck parks and I sit up, hanging the hat back on the hook. He cuts the engine and says, “You two are ridiculous. It’s obvious what’s going on here. Let’s just hope the whole town doesn’t get wind. Boy willy, they’ll have all sorts of stuff to occupy their time and talk about.” He hops out of the truck and shuts the door.

  My eyes meet Delilah’s before she gets out. We both know we can’t avoid what we so easily avoided last night for long. Her smile has faded. Reaching forward, I touch her arm. “Don’t worry. It’s going to be okay.”

  The high we were riding has lessened, a damper put on our fun. It felt good to feel careless for a night. Nothing good can last forever. And then I look around.

  Three garage doors on the right side for large load trucks.

  Two sets of double doors in the far back corners.

  Four doors at the front entrance.

  “Jason?”

  I look behind me. Delilah is standing there with a curious look built into the tilt of her head. “What’s on your mind?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Billy wanted your help over there.”

  “Oh. Okay.”

  I start to go, but she asks, “Where do you go in that head of yours when you disappear like that?”

  “Nowhere good.” Like her, old habits are hard to break.

  I help load some bags of chicken feed then slam the tailgate closed. Billy had already loaded the rest of the supplies. While he pays, Delilah leans on the side of the truck, her boots kicked out showing off those long, tan legs of hers.

  Two cowboys walk by blatantly checking her out. Jealousy rushes through my veins, striking deep in my chest. I step over her boots, straddling her legs and lean forward caging her in. “I don’t like all these eyes on you.”

  Her arms come around my neck and she looks at me, seeing right through me. “I only care about your eyes on me.” Leveraging herself against me, she kisses me as if she has a point to prove. Maybe she does.

  I do too. I don’t need to prove it here, but I’m no fool. Wrapping an arm around her waist, I lift her up and kiss her deeper, getting lost in the sensual caress.

  “I knew it,” I hear Billy from behind me. “Break it up and save it for later, preferably when I’m not here.”

  We start laughing, the kiss broken but replaced with smiles. We get back into the truck. We don’t make it out of the parking lot before he asks, “So you guys are a thing again?”

  It’s strange that labeling something grounds a feeling that was freeing just minutes earlier. I stare out the window. I’m not sure what to say, so I’ll let her say what she needs and back her on it, but I have a feeling that conversation is going to happen now whether we want to have it or not.

  She replies, “We’re not going to complicate things just yet.”

  Lowering my head, I scrub my hands over my face. What am I doing? What was I thinking? It was supposed to be a few days, visit my mom, and then head off. To where? I don’t know, but I know I have to be careful. My past could catch up to me if I’m not. And here I am, possibly dragging Delilah into my messy life like there couldn’t be any repercussions to hers.

  Her hand covers my knee, and I look up. She doesn’t have to use words for me to know what she’s thinking. The crinkle in her forehead, the lilt of her lips, and the sorrow that’s returned to her eyes tell me everything I need to know. I take her hand and raise it to my lips and kiss. There’s not much else I can do while trapped in this truck.

  Most of the ride back is in silence, the three of us in our own thoughts. I don’t mind the quiet. I’ve spent more time alone than with others in the last three years. Being a loner was sort of a job requirement, so I was a natural since I was looking for a way to escape. To hide.

  I made a few friends, bonded with a woman on the last job, but that bond only went friendship deep. A deeper connection is what I’ve been missing. Looking at her through the space between the front seats, I’m feeling connected to Delilah already. I don’t know if I should protect my heart, but it’s feeling like it’s already too late.

  13

  Jason

  A small basket of eggs is just inside the barn when we arrive back at the Noelle farm. Delilah grabs it while Billy and I unload the truck. It’s good to do manual labor like this. It burns off the restless energy I feel inside, the same energy I used to burn off running away from my problems.

  Billy comes up behind me and grabs the last bag as I haul some rolled up fencing. He says, “So between us, it’s obvious
you two are on again. Does that mean you’re sticking around?”

  “Are you asking out of curiosity or concern?”

  “A little of both. She’s a good woman.”

  I drop the fencing along the outside wall of the barn and give him a good hard look. “You interested?”

  “Nah. We’re friends. Nothing more. Doesn’t mean I don’t care about her or her well-being.” Tilting the bill of his hat up, he wipes his arm across his forehead. “Heck, I wouldn’t be out here so much if I didn’t.”

  “How are you running your farm and this one?”

  “My family is still running our farm. My brother secured some grocery chain deals. We’ve got new equipment and hired some guys.”

  “What about the Noelle farm? Be honest, how’s it doing?”

  He slides up on the tailgate and chugs from a thermos. Water drips from the cap when he pulls it away and pours some on his face. A bandanna is swiped across his face, and then he says, “Sometimes I think she wants this place to work and sometimes I wonder if it’s a chain holding her back.” Shaking his head, he looks at the house. I follow his gaze and we watch Delilah chopping wood. Chopping wood is not an easy job, but she seems to be managing quite well and looks sexy as fuck doing it.

  “She’s pretty independent and self-sufficient, but how long can she run this place on fumes?”

  “Fumes?”

  “Her sister’s in Chicago working to save this place.”

  “Yeah, she said the bank gave them an extension on the loan.”

  When he looks back at me, he lowers his voice, and says, “Cutler made Delilah take a second mortgage out on the property to start his business.”

  “What? When?”

  “Two years ago.” Scratching the back of his neck, his face is scrunched and he seems unsure if he should be saying anything. “Look, Jason, don’t tell her I told you this. She wears her heart on her sleeve, but when it comes to this farm, her pride gets in her way.”

  I look back at her. Her body’s tight, great muscle definition in her arms and legs. The farm works her in all the right ways, but it still pisses me off that she has to work it at all. She’s always been a stunning woman, but that’s the outside. Her insides are warmth to my cold heart. She makes me want to stay in so many ways. I just wonder if I’m too far gone to be the man she deserves, the man she needs, the man she wants.

  Do I want this life again? This life comes with rumor mills and farming, and an honest day’s work, a positive side effect. “How much debt are we talking about?”

  Billy shoves off the truck and grabs the fencing at my feet. “I don’t have the final numbers or anything, but I know they’re well into six figures.”

  Shit. That’s a lot more than I thought. Glancing back at her, I realize how strong she is. Who knows what else she’s had to hide for so long? I hate that her pretty smile possibly hides more troubles than anyone is aware.

  He says, “C’mon. I need to fix the coop and get back to my farm by noon to get some stuff done over there.”

  Taking the fencing from him, I say, “You head out. I can handle the coop and anything else she needs done today.”

  Laughing, he lowers his cap but releases the fencing. “I bet you can.”

  “Fuck off.”

  His laughter turns hardier. “Beers later?”

  “You’re on. Text me.”

  “Do you ever take calls anymore?”

  “No.”

  He slams the tailgate closed. “You’re back in McKinney, man. Time to slow down and reconnect with the real world.”

  “Yeah. Yeah.”

  Tossing his keys in the air, he catches them and says, “See ya at beer o’clock.” He gets in his truck and starts the engine. “Call me if you need anything, Delilah.”

  She looks up, smiles, and waves. “Thanks, Billy. You’re the best.”

  Billy’s truck kicks up some dust. I set the fencing down and walk over to her. “Hey.”

  One side of her mouth lifts when she looks at me. “Hey yourself.”

  “I thought I was the best.”

  “Aw, don’t be jealous. You’re the best at so much.”

  “Like?” I ask, teasing, but curious.

  The weight of the ax falls to the ground and she rests her body on the handle. “I’ve never known you to have low self-esteem.”

  “I don’t, but when it comes to you, I wonder.”

  The ax is dropped, and she comes to me, wrapping her arms around my neck. There’s a sheen to her skin that makes her glow from the inside and ignites need within me. I want this woman. Damn, I want her. I take her by the waist and lick along the base of her neck.

  “Jason?” she squeals in shock, but giggles. “Oh my God, you’re an animal.”

  “I find you utterly impossible to resist. You taste divine, by the way.” Despite her words, she settles into my hold, our bodies pressed together. Kissing her neck, I taste her skin again and find my way to her earlobe, where I nibble. “Do you know what you do to me? Do you know how incredibly sexy it is watching you wield that ax?”

  She laughs again, squirming. She’s ticklish, and I love that too much. I’ll definitely have to indulge my enjoyment of that trait later, when we’re naked. I lick the shell of her ear, making her moan. Her legs are straddling mine, her middle seeking pleasure. She says, “Sure is hot out here.”

  Swinging her by the hips over my shoulder, I dash for the door. “We should go inside then.”

  She’s hanging upside down against my back. I have a firm hold of her tight ass while she’s drumming on mine. “Animal.”

  “You love it.”

  Her laughter trails behind us. “I do.”

  “Admit it. You love it.” I’m about to go to her room, but I detour to the bathroom to wash my hands. I want to feel my girl on the inside, so I need to get this filthy farm off me. The water faucet is on as I scrub the dirt from my hands.

  “I do love it, but you do realize I’m still on your shoulder, right?”

  “I do.” I dry my hands and then turn around.

  She reaches down like a good girl and washes her hands. “Then you must also realize this is the weirdest foreplay I’ve ever done.”

  “Cleanliness before . . .” I don’t finish that thought. Considering what I’m about to do to this woman, I don’t need to drag God into it. Unless, of course, it’s being called at the top of her orgasm. Then she can go right ahead and scream his name all she wants, and I’ll take it as a job well done.

  Slapping my ass hard, she says, “All done.”

  I like this time with her. It’s full of fun and her sunshine. She’s just what I needed, a prescription to help heal my ailments.

  I make it to her room and toss her on the bed. “Okay, there you go. See you later,” I tease, pretending to leave.

  She grabs the back hem of my shirt. “Oh no, you don’t.” When I turn back and waggle my eyebrows, her smile settles as she lies back, arms wide, legs spread. “C’mere.”

  Not waiting another second, I land on top of her, settled between those sexy tan legs, and shamelessly squeeze her tits. She’s still smiling so I know she enjoys this too. Rubbing her hand along my cheek, the smile disappears, and she continues, “I like you being home.”

  “Is that where I am, honeysuckle? Am I home?” It’s a loaded question I shouldn’t have asked. I know better. I hate being put on the spot, but she makes me want to hear words I have no right to hear. Not this soon. It’s not even been twenty-four hours in her presence and here I am clinging to her words as if they determine the rest of my life.

  Do they?

  I don’t know, but then she says, “You could be,” and I’m totally lost to her. Kissing her, I’m not gentle or easy, and she’s not polite or reserved. She’s the opposite—demanding and grabby hands—and I fucking love it.

  Pushing my pelvis against hers, I’m so turned on I could fuck her through these jeans. But I want her naked, so I push up and start stripping down. I’m almost done
when she lifts a leg. “Help me with my boots, cowboy.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Taking her by the heel and toe of the boot, I wiggle the boot until it comes off, then pull the sock off. I take the other boot and sock off and kick them to the side.

  “My turn. Take off your clothes.”

  Our clothes go flying, and there’s my goddess—bare innocence with a good helping of vixen mixed in. I’m rock-hard just looking at her. She reaches up and grabs a condom from the drawer while I climb back on the bed, taking hold of that fine ass of hers. “I want you like this.”

  She stills, the giddiness from seconds earlier dissipating under my heated request. Looking back over her shoulder, she asks, “From behind or . . .” leaving her question open-ended.

  Reading people is something I’ve become very good at over the years. Tracking them down, reading between their lies, research, when they beg for their lives—it all comes in handy in the most interesting ways. Like now. She’s intrigued, but a little fear resides in her tone. I don’t want Delilah scared. I want her turned on. I want to be the one who turns her on. I lean to the side and say, “Hey. Look at me.” She catches my eyes and waits. Rubbing my hand gingerly up her spine, I gently grasp her fine neck. “We only do what you want to do, what you’re comfortable doing. If you want it slow, want to make love, then we go slow. You want me to fuck you hard, fast, and so deep until your orgasm bursts free, then I fuck you. You can trust me, Delilah. So tell me. How can I pleasure you?”

  The tips of my fingers find stillness where her pulse was just beating rapidly. I add, “Breathe. For me. That’s my only request.”

  She sucks in a jagged breath and swallows. “I want all of that with you.”

  A slow smirk slides into place before I kiss her shoulder. “Good. I want all of that with you, too. How about we start with slow and steady right here.” I dip my hand between her legs and run my fingers through her slick silkiness. Her back bends and arches when her head drops down. “When you touch me, I lose myself. It’s good to be out of my mind and in your world for a little while.”

  Moving to the side, I hear what she needs, her body speaking to me through every reaction. Lying on my back, I look at her and she looks at me, a small smile appearing. “Don’t you want me like this?” she asks.