by Rhonda Lott
Dean came in close, landed a punch to Kevin’s midsection that sent the man to his knees. “Just like I thought, you hit like a bitch.” Dean snorted, grabbed the man by his head and brought his knee up hard into his face. Dean stepped aside as Kevin’s limp body fell to the floor.
Dean wiped the deranged fucker’s blood off his hands and pulled out his cell.
Carter picked up. “Carter, Brook’s ex is in my house. I caught him attacking her.”
“Is he dead?” Carter asked.
Dean shook his head. “You know me so well, but no, he’s unconscious.”
“On my way.” Carter said, disconnecting the call.
An unsettled, panting Gavin appeared in the open doorway. “Brook brought the little guy to the bunkhouse, I came as fast as I could.” He glanced down at Kevin. “Guess you didn’t need any help with this piece of shit.”
“How are they?”
“She’s scared to death and Chris is hanging on to her like a frightened kitten.” Gavin frowned. “I could wake him up and beat his ass again for what he tried to do.”
Dean heard the sound of sirens. Mitch must have been parked close to the ranch, even though he’d told Carter not to position him there. Carter was a stubborn mule, but a great friend.
“Now that he’s going to jail, the sabotaging of the ranch is over and Brook won’t have to keep looking over her shoulder.” Dean said, as they waited for Mitch. He felt a weight had been lifted. He would put things back together for Brook and keep her safe. The terror he saw in her eyes tonight brought home how important she was to him. He had to put his past to rest, because Brook made life worth living again and occupied his every thought. She loved his child unconditionally, no matter how rotten the boy got, she patiently corrected him. Chris spent all the time he could right next to Brook, he adored her, and deep down he knew he’d come to love and need her. They had time now, without threats interfering, to build something. It was time to say goodbye to his past, goodbye to Nat.
CHAPTER NINE
Her gray mare ambled along behind Dean’s black stallion. The open pasture sparkled in the bright sunshine. The air was fresh and crisp. Dean asked her out riding. Knowing she was a virgin rider, he’d given her, Smokey, a well-mannered mare. They rode alongside the tree line for a while, he turned them across the field. It felt really good to be outside in the fresh air. The past three days were hectic. Once the town folks heard the news of her attack and the circumstances behind it. People came by to show her support and kindness she hadn’t expected. With Kevin’s arrest, her past was now settled. She’d pressed charges and he was going to be tried for attempted rape, battery, and another handful of charges. She was free.
In the distance a cabin came into view. It sat butted up against a grove of trees, smoke puffed out of its chimney.
“Whose place is that, I’ve never been this far out?”
Dean winked back at her. “This is our original homestead. It’s been standing for almost a hundred years. I thought you might like to see my humble beginnings.”
They dismounted in front of the cabin and Brook was enchanted. The little house was a basic log cabin, but she made out little patches and repairs that had been lovingly made over the years. It screamed family pride and a history of dedication to their roots. He opened the door and when she stepped inside a surprised gasp escaped her.
A fire crackled in the fireplace warming the entire one room. There wasn’t any furnishing inside, but there was a blanket spread out before the fire with food and wine waiting for them. Wildflowers and sprigs of pine were beautifully arranged around the blanket, giving off a sweet, woodsy aroma. Dean had taken his time to make a romantic setting for them and Brook couldn’t stop smiling. Dean Mills did have a romantic heart underneath all that gruffness.
“You like?” He asked as he removed her coat and then his.
“I love. You did all this for me?”
He placed his hand to the small of her back, as they moved across the room. Brook felt a strange nervous flutter at his touch.
“I did this for us. We haven’t had a chance to be alone and talk. Most of all, I want you to relax and enjoy someone doing something for you.”
A bubble of joy filled her, leaning into him, Brook gave him a quick kiss on the lips. “Thank you.”
Dean caught her around her waist, tilted her face up and reclaimed her lips, giving her a lingering, all-consuming kiss that had her knees wobbling by the time he released her.
Dean took her by the hand, sat down on the blanket and pulled her next to him.
“Tell me how you're feeling, what you’re thinking now that Kevin is out of the picture?” Dean asked. He poured a glass of wine and passed it to her.
“Like it’s a dream. That I’m going to wake up and find out he’s still after me. But with each day that passes it gets better.” She took a sip, then smiled. “Being with you and Chris grounds me in reality. You guys feel like home, like family.”
“You have to know you are a part of us. The most important part of us.” He took her glass and put it down next to his. “Brook, I need to tell you—”
“Don’t, let me tell you. I ran into your life with my shit and almost cost you everything, and for that I’m sorry. Chris stole my heart. I love him. You saved me, gave me a home and a fresh start.” Brook swallowed back the pain constricting her throat, she had to get this out. “You’re still in love with Nat. I know and respect your feelings, but I can’t wait for you to fall in love with me. Living under the same roof with you and loving you while your heart belongs to her would slowly kill me inside.” Brook felt the tears fall.
She loved Dean and with each passing day her feelings for him grew stronger. Life was hers now to make smart choices and waiting for something that might not ever happen wasn’t something she was willing to do. If she was to truly make changes in her life, then settling was out. She needed a man that was free to love her back. Dean loved hard, but he wasn’t ready for a new love, and she wasn’t willing to torture herself day after day hoping.
Dean’s rough fingers wiped away her tears, his gray eyes traveled her face with such sadness it made her turn her face away. God, this was hard. Her heart was ripping apart, bleeding out from her loss. He was so strong, so kind, everything she wanted and he didn’t love her, not in the way she needed.
“Don’t cry, it kills.” Dean pulled her in close, and kissed her with a warm gentleness that stole her breath away. “I asked myself if loving you meant I loved Nat any less a million times and never came up with an answer, until that night with Kevin. He could have taken you away from us in an instant. It kicked my ass into reality. Sweetheart, the Lord above gave me two very special women. I was blessed to have Nat love me and give me my son, but I was equally blessed the night you stumbled in out of the storm. I will always have that love for Nat in my heart. My love for you is just as strong, just as important.”
Brook placed both hands to his beard, holding his stare, moister misted his eyes. “Holy shit BD, you do love me?”
He laughed, a deep happy sound, pushed aside their food and laid her down. “I love you. I love your smile, your sassy mouth, your kind, loving heart, how brave you were to start over after Kevin’s abuse. I love every damn thing about you.”
Brook hugged him close, shock and joy rolled over her. As if the sun had suddenly appeared from behind dark clouds, her body and mind broke free of the darkness that clung to her. This was it, her true starting point. She was loved by a man who deserved her love and devotion. She’d found her new life.
**
A rush of relief and contentment settled over him. Dean wrapped his arms around Brook and eased her back onto the blanket. His Brook. From this moment on she was his. Her beautiful face glowed with her love for him. He felt proud she chose him to safeguard her damaged heart and he vowed to fill it with joy.
He kissed her, the instant his lips touched hers she opened for him and his insides unclenched. His desire combined with raw
emotion took hold of him and compelled him to love her hard, but he couldn’t this time, this was all about loving Brook. His Brook. His second chance at love.
Dean pulled her sweater up and over her head, then plunged his hands down her jeans. She squirmed against his hand as he ran his knuckles across her seam. So hot, and wet for him. He pushed her jeans down and off, then stood to remove his clothes, he wanted nothing between him and the woman his soul cried out for.
Dropping to his knees, he took in her beauty. In the firelight, Brook was a golden brown vision of perfection. How could any man not want to treasure her? Dean unclasped her bra, slid her panties down her long legs, and groaned. He let his eyes travel down her form, her breast quivered with each breath, capped with taut brown buds he wanted to devour. Her belly had a small swell he thought was so damn feminine and sexy. He took in her neat and tempting triangle of hair at the apex of her thighs and legs that went on forever. Dean shook his head, hardly believing she was his.
“You are so damn beautiful, I don’t know where to start.” He said, voice thick with desire.
She gave him that devastating smile of hers. “Just come love me BD, I want you.”
He came down to her, taking her lips, delving his tongue into her hot wetness. He wrapped one hand in her curls, and the other cupped her breast, tweaking her hard nipple. His throbbing dick pressed against her pelvis as she ran one foot along the back of his leg and whimpered. Brook rotated her hips and stroked down his body, got a hold of his erection, stroking with nimble fingers, shooting fire down his spine.
She gave his shoulders a nudge and he switched their position, Brook straddled him, she kissed and licked his neck. She sucked his nipple into her hot mouth and his body shook. Dean ran his fingers through her hair as she slid lower down his body, stopping at his penis. Brook gazed up his body, dark eyes sparkling in the firelight. Her soft, wet tongue came out, she swirled it around and around his dick head. Dean bit back a shout, hips jerking. Brook opened and took him in, a hot wet glide down his length, then sucking hard back up. Dean let the sensations take over, it felt too damn good. Brook fingered his sack as she increased her pace, slick and hot her mouth took up a rhythm that had him thrusting up into her heat. Dean watched her cheeks hollow, her body quiver, damn, but she was amazing. He could watch her suck his dick all day, but his body had other plans. The pulse of orgasm tingled along his frame.
He grabbed her head and pulled her away, flipped them, and pushed her thighs open wide. Dean traced her glistening pussy lips with the pad of his fingers, opening them up for him. He had to get a taste her, devour her sweet honey. Brook bucked up off the ground with a deep, long moan when his tongue plunged inside. He applied pressure to her pearl with his thumb, and thrust his tongue in and out. Dean gripped her hips and feasted on her succulent flesh. Brook trembled in his hands, her fingers tugging his hair, causing pain and pleasure. She cried out and Dean almost shot his load. It was a beautifully violent thing, her orgasm, it held her frozen and clamped all around him, as she screamed his name into the empty space. He came over her, taking her lips as the last of her tremors faded and she fell back lax and damp in his arms.
**
The sound of the crackling fire and her panting breath filled her ears. Dean leaned in and kissed her, firm lips against hers, delicious swipes of his tongue, and desire rolled anew through her system. Dean pulled a condom from his jeans and rolled it down his straining cock. He moved between her thighs, slipped the head of his cock inside her wetness.
“Yes BD, yes.” She hissed, throwing her head back.
He filled her with one stroke, and her world was reduced to just Dean’s big body over her, his lips on her shoulder, and him connected so deep inside her. He stroked once, a long, slow glide, shaking her to her core. Brook shook from head to toe. His husky grunt, thrilled her. Dean felt it too. Slowly, with determined strokes he loved her, tasting her nipples, nipping and sucking the buds until all she could do was pant, and plead. Her nails scored his slick, thick back muscles, moved down to grip his flexing ass as she rode with him, reaching for that blinding peak only he could give her.
“You feel so damn good.” He grunted, pumping faster.
Brook locked her legs around him and matched him thrust for thrust. This pulled a growl from her lover and she knew he liked it when she gave as good as she got. She rode his dick, he pounded her pussy, moving as one they sought that elusive crest of ecstasy. Cries of pleasure bounced off the walls, amplified, and surrounded them. Dean took the tender side of her neck and bit down hard as the first shots of orgasm seized his body. Bolts of lightning hit her square in the chest and she was flung over the edge. She shivered uncontrollably as she tried to come back to herself, with Dean still rocking into her, slowly now, with kisses and warm strokes of his fingers across her glistening damped skin.
He pulled her into the side of his body, their hearts racing. “I love you Brook. I’m the luckiest man in the world right now.” He whispered against her temple.
“I love you too.” She smiled. Dean had let her into his heart and she wasn’t about to leave. She sent a silent thank you to Natasha. I’ll take care of his heart for you, Brook vowed, before sleep covered her.
CHAPTER TEN
Where the hell were they? Brook pounded on the door of Gabby’s apartment above her bar. She felt the first tingle of panic. Gabby took care of Chris for them so that she and Dean could have, what turned out to be, the most romantic night of her life. So, where could they have gone? She’d talked to Gabby no more than twenty minutes ago letting her know that she was on the way. Gabby wouldn’t have just left.
Brook rushed back down the stairs, taking two steps at a time, when she reached the last step she ran head first into a hard body. The guy caught her by the arms, saving her from falling back on her ass.
“Careful, you ok?” He asked, taking a step back.
Brook recognized him as Elliot, the town mechanic. He mostly kept to himself and she never had a chance to meet him.
“Sorry, I didn’t see you there. Got to get to the bar.” Brook dashed around him, ran to the entrance of the bar and pushed open the door.
“You looking for Gabby?” Elliot came up behind her, causing her to jump. “I was expecting her at the shop thirty minutes ago, she never showed so I came looking for her. She’s not upstairs?”
“No, I’m here to pick up her nephew, I can’t find them.” Brook admitted as she inched into the bar.
A low moan came from the back. “Gabby!” Elliot shouted, nearly knocking Brook over running towards the sound.
Gabby was on the floor, Elliot bent over her. Brook fell to her knees beside her.
“What happen?” Elliot asked, grabbing a towel from the table next to them and putting it to a bleeding gash on the side of Gabby’s head. She groaned and opened her eyes.
“Where’s Chris?” Gabby croaked out, turning her head from left to right then grunting in pain. “What the hell took you so long?”
“What do you mean, where’s Chris?” Brook shouted.
“What the hell do you mean, what took me so long?” Elliot shouted at the same time.
“There was a delivery, I brought Chris down here to wait, and then someone hit me. They must have taken him. Oh God. Who would take him?” Gabby’s body shook, her voice rising with each word.
Elliot picked her up from the floor, placed her in a chair, he pulled out his cell phone. “I’m calling an ambulance and the Sheriff.”
Brook ran for the door. “I’m calling Dean, and searching around the building.” Brook stopped at the door, and gazed back at the dark haired man. “You will take care of her?”
His strong jaw was locked, “With my life.” He answered.
Brook ran to the truck, she didn’t have time to think too much about that over the top statement. Dean was at the Vet bringing home his recovered horse. She dialed his phone. As it rang Brook frantically searched. There was no sign of Chris at the park on the corner, no strange
men, nothing out the ordinary.
“Hey babe, you guys home already?” Dean asked.
Brook sucked in a deep breath to calm her nerves. “Someone knocked Gabby out and we think that person took Chris. He’s not at the bar and I can’t find him anywhere.” Her voice was quivering by the end of her statement and tears blurred her vision.
There was a long silence. “Brook head home.” He said.
“What! I have to look more, meet me here, and call Carter. We can’t just go home.” She screamed into the phone.
“I just got a text, He’s at the house and he has my son.”
“Who has Chris, who’s at the house?” Brook asked, cold fear spread through her. She did a wide u turn and headed out of town.
Dean didn’t answer, the phone went dead.
**
It was taking too damn long. The trailer with his horse slowed him down. Dean’s frustration was doubling by the second. His eyes kept searching the road looking for Gavin and their four wheeler. His friend was on the way, but for the love of God the man was taking forever. Chris needed him now. A father would do anything for his son. Dean knew if he had to give his life for Chris he would and today that was a distinct possibility. He spotted Gavin hauling ass towards him. Dean pulled over and jumped out the truck.
“Boss, what the hell’s going on?” Gavin asked.
“Can’t talk right now, I got to get home.” Dean jumped on the bike, praying he wasn’t too late. He rode like the hounds of hell were on his heels. Cold air bit into his face, the tires spinning on ice as he fought to keep the bike on the road. Chris wasn’t at fault. He didn’t do shit. This was all on him. He was the target all along.
They were so wrong when they thought everything would be back to normal after Kevin’s arrest. True evil lurked in the shadows waiting, watching and biding his time. He might have been the cause of all the trouble and Kevin might have just been another pawn or just another asshole mucking up their lives.
