by Vivian Wood
Ashleigh’s face went beet red and she seemed upset. Walker just nodded as he gave Remy a quick hug, his face set in its usual mask of stoicism.
16
Ashleigh stewed on the way home. She’d really been starting to believe that she was special, that something was happening for real between her and Walker, especially after the Ferris wheel. Only, she’d still been wet and practically panting when he’d already been flirting with Shelby.
Clearly, she wasn’t special to him. He wouldn’t have openly flirted with Shelby right in front of her if she was.
Granted, she hadn’t heard the entirety of exchange between the two as she’d been half-focused on Remy, but she’d seen Shelby’s arm resting so familiarly on Walker’s bicep and she’d also seen that he hadn’t done anything to remove it.
“You okay, Ash?” Walker questioned in the darkness of the car.
She didn’t trust herself to speak. She had no right to be this upset, but she was and she didn’t want him to know.
She may have worked in a strip club, but she wasn’t some girl he could kiss, touch even and then discard as soon as the next one came along. It wasn’t how she conducted her real life.
Humiliation settled over her as she remembered how wet she’d gotten from their kiss on the Ferris wheel. He’d felt how much it had affected her, and yet he’d shown no regard for her once Shelby had shown up.
At first she’d thought he was only letting her go to hug his nephew, but he hadn’t moved to her again once he’d set Shiloh down, and had certainly not moved toward her once Shelby touched him.
She simply nodded in answer to his question and kept her eyes riveted on the dark countryside rolling beyond the window.
He tried all the way home to get her to talk to him, but she remained silent, alternating between anger, humiliation and confusion as she stewed. He’d seemed just as into the kiss as she was, and yet…
She hopped from the Escalade as soon as he slid it into park and stalked to their room to clean up.
“Talk to me Ashleigh, please?” He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and spun her around before she could reach the bathroom.
She was being childish and she knew it, yet she shook her head at him and pouted.
He let out a low, frustrated growl and ran both hands over the short spikes of his hair.
“What’s going on, Ash?” he demanded, darkened eyes fixed on her. “Shelby’s nothing to me, you know that. So why am I getting the silent treatment here?”
She surveyed his handsome face, his knitted eyebrows. He seemed genuine when he said Shelby was nothing to him, but what was she then?
The thought struck her unbidden, and the question was out of her mouth before she could stop it.
“So what am I then?”
She clapped a hand over her traitorous mouth, but there was nothing she could do to take the words back. She didn’t want an answer to that question, not really. It would hurt too much to hear him say that she meant nothing to him either.
“What?” His eyebrows sprung up in surprise. “What do you mean?”
“She’s nothing to you, but you flirted with her, let her touch you same as you do with me. So what am I then?”
She might not want to hear it, but she suddenly knew that she needed to. She needed to hear him say it so she could stop entertaining these fantasies that he felt something real for her, that their impending marriage was anything but convenient for the both of them.
His eyes widened and he sucked in a low breath as she said the words ‘same as you do with me.’
“Same as I do with you?” he asked incredulously. “That’s bullshit, and you know it. I don’t do anything with anyone same as I do with you, least of all Shelby River.”
It was her turn to look surprised.
“What? You were flirting with her, Walker. I saw you. She touched you. She touched you as if she does it all the time, as if it comes easy to her. And you didn’t do anything about it, like you were comfortable with her touching you, just minutes after you were touching me.”
She felt the humiliation creep up her neck to her cheeks as she made the accidental reference to the Ferris wheel.
His eyes darkened again when she mentioned it, his eyelids dropping to half-mast as he surveyed her expression, seemingly making some sort of assessment.
“That’s what this is about?” His stance changed slightly, and he cocked an eyebrow and tilted his head at her.
“Fuck, Ashleigh. I couldn’t get away from there fast enough. I was looking for a way out away from them when she reached out. I’ve never touched her the way I touched you, I’ve never wanted to. I didn’t want her to touch me either, she just caught me off guard because I was too preoccupied with trying to get away so that I could get back to touching you.”
He fixed her with an intense gaze as he started moving slowly toward her, almost like a predator stalking its prey. “I’ve been preoccupied with thoughts about touching you a lot, actually.”
Her heart hammered in her chest as he came closer, his words setting fire to her blood and causing her head to swim.
“In fact, thinking about touching you -- and only you -- like that has dominated my mind for quite some time now. But doing it for real?” He boldly reached for her hand and placed it on his crotch.
She sucked in a surprised breath when she found him rock hard under her hand. Her eyes were riveted to his as she gave him a small, almost involuntary squeeze. His eyelids fluttered shut, and he groaned.
Her nipples beaded at the sound, and she felt heat pooling between her legs.
He wants me! He actually wants me! She could’ve cheered, but she was overcome by desire with the knowledge.
“So now, if it’s okay with you, can we go back to the touching for real part?” he breathed in her ear, giving it a soft nip.
“Okay, yeah. Let’s do that,” she gasped.
Without another word he scooped her up in his muscular arms and carried her over to the bed. Her legs crossed behind his waist and she pulled herself closer to him, breathing in his foresty scent as he lay her down on the bed, his big body covering hers completely.
He adjusted himself and started planting kisses on her collarbone, licking and sucking at her neck until he had worked his way up to her mouth, his body propped up on his elbows.
He stopped as his eyes met hers, as though he was waiting for permission.
Her mind was hazy with lust, but she felt her heart leap when she realized he was approaching this as he did everything else with her. Not demanding, or insisting or claiming her body like he had a right to it, but making sure that she felt respected. Treating her like more than an object or a belonging, that she was okay with what he was doing, and wanted it.
She nodded in response to his unasked question and his mouth was on hers not a second later, claiming it with that fierce single-minded focus she had spent weeks dreaming about.
Only now that they were on their bed, his body pressing against hers, it felt a thousand times more intense.
She moaned as his tongue stroked hers as she felt his fingers tighten on her hip and dance up her side, lightly tracing the edge of her shirt which had bunched up between them.
He let out a low growl as he tugged at it. In a flash, almost without even breaking their kiss, he whipped it off and tossed it carelessly aside.
His callused hands caressed her skin, stroking in lazy circles up her sides, over her stomach and to her breasts.
Her nipples were hard enough to cut diamonds and her skin was on fire where he touched it, gooseflesh forming in the wake of his hand.
He kissed back down the length of her neck, over her collarbone and stopped when he reached her chest.
He groaned as his eyes raked over her half naked body, his fingers sliding under the straps of her bra. He pulled them down her arms and freed one breast from its cup, lowering his head to suck her sensitive nipple into his hot mouth.
She gasped as he pressed his tongue ag
ainst her, and moaned as he gave her a soft bite. His other hand reached around her back and easily unhooked her bra, slid it off and covered the breast he wasn’t kissing with his hand.
She tugged at his shirt and he let her pull it over his head, his eyes burning as they briefly met hers before he pressed his lips against hers, claiming her mouth again.
She rocked her hips up, desperately seeking friction against her aching clit. He pressed a leg against her, knowing what she needed but only indulging her for a second before removing it again.
“Patience, Ashleigh. Let me savor this. I promise you we’ll get there. I promise I will make you come,” his raspy voice murmured against her lips.
She whimpered at the sudden absence of that delicious pressure, the slight relief, but she nearly combusted spontaneously at his words anyway.
She’d never been with a man like him who set fire to her veins, who made her feel like she would come from his words alone.
He started kissing a trail down her neck again, over her chest, then sucked each nipple into his mouth before kissing down her stomach.
His hands reached under her skirt and pulled off her soaked panties. Her skirt had bunched around her waist and she heard him groan as he saw her practically naked for the first time, all of her most private parts bared to him.
His hands started stroking her thighs, making her burn with need for him like she’d never needed anyone before. She moaned as he positioned his mouth at her clit, but didn’t do anything yet. His eyes met hers briefly before he licked a long, sure tongue over the seam of her sex.
She shuddered and gasped, lifting her hips to his mouth, but he pulled away.
“You tease!” she managed to pant as he grinned wickedly at her.
“Not a tease, just working you up to the state you’ve had me in for weeks. So you'll know how much I want you, how much I need to fuck you.”
He slid a finger into her as he spoke, making her whimper and squirm for more. “Who says I wasn’t there with you?”
He cocked his head as he ran his hungry eyes over her expression, then groaned and tucked into her like she was the best meal he’d ever had.
He licked over her seam again, sucking in her lips and darting his tongue into her core. He ran his tongue over her again and again, the aching need in her growing stronger than it'd ever been before, building the pressure so high she felt like she was going to disappear in a supernova explosion once it released.
Finally, he closed his lips over her clit and slid another finger inside her. She felt as if the bed and floor and everything holding her to earth fell away. Only Walker’s warm mouth and strong hands kept her from being swept away, from disappearing into the explosion that ripped through her body in wave after wave of pleasure as the pressure finally released.
She was vaguely aware of him removing her boots and skirt as he kissed his way back up her body. Her taste on his lips met her as he kissed her deeply, his hands tangled in her hair and his body pressed once more to hers.
The rough material of his jeans rubbing against her drew her attention to the completely unacceptable state of affairs that he was still half clothed.
She nudged at his shoulder, trying to communicate that she wanted him to roll over. He responded immediately, rolling onto his back and positioning her on top of him.
She mimicked his actions, nipping at his ear and trailing kisses down his throat and over his collarbone. She kissed a trail over his strong pecs and then licked every line of his washboard abs. He hissed as she ran her fingers along the hipbones that dipped into his pants.
He was breathing fast, watching her through hooded eyelids but letting her do her thing without moving a muscle.
He groaned as she licked her way down his happy trail and along the waistband of his underwear.
“Jesus Ash, you’re going to kill me,” he growled.
“Patience, Walker. Let me savor this.” She repeated his words back to him, causing him to let out an almost pained breath.
Her hands trembled as she undid the button of his jeans, unzipped him and slid the jeans and his boxer briefs off in one movement. He lifted his butt to help, but other than that simply watched her, his eyes tight with restraint.
He’d lost his shoes already, she noticed as she briefly followed his pants with her eyes. She kissed her way up his legs, purposefully keeping her gaze averted, wanting to be surprised at his cock when she saw it for the first time. It was massive from what she’d been able to tell through his pants, and her body was already aching to have him inside her.
She gasped when she opened her eyes, his thick, rock hard erection inches away from her. He was huge, even bigger than she’d imagined. Thick veins throbbed under his skin, which was soft as satin under her touch, in stark contrast to the steel it sheathed.
He sucked in a deep breath as she stroked him softly, almost reverently. The muscles in his neck twitched, and he groaned as she milked a drop of precum from him.
His groan seemed to reverberate through her as his restraint seemed to snap, and he rolled her deftly over onto her back and positioned himself between her legs.
He kissed her nearly senseless, driving every thought from her mind except those of him, of how he was making her feel right now.
The feel of him at her entrance was driving her wild and her hips bucked eagerly against his, desperate to feel him inside her.
Almost agonizingly slowly, he pushed his way into her, thrusting carefully and taking her inch by inch. Once he was all the way in, he stilled.
“Fuck,” he groaned. “So tight.”
When he started thrusting properly, she could swear she saw stars exploding. She could feel the muscles in his lower back quiver under her hands and his breathing became ragged as she felt the pressure start to build again.
He kept a steady rhythm, sliding into her slick warmth with sure, long thrusts. His pelvis pressed down on her clit with each stroke and too soon, she felt herself clenching around him as her mind shattered into pieces.
He found his own release shortly after, soundlessly emptying himself into her, kissing her hard as his body jerked against hers.
He pulled her onto his chest as their breathing calmed, holding her tight to him. She listened to his heart thud under her ear, racing with her own.
His hand drew lazy circles on her back as their heartbeats slowed to a more normal pace. He made her feel so safe, so protected, so wanted in his strong arms. She sighed contentedly as she closed her eyes and just let herself feel everything in the moment.
She wasn’t sure what was happening, she thought as she started drifting off to sleep, but she liked it.
In fact, she realized, maybe she even loved it.
17
It was pouring so hard that the wiper blades of his truck working overtime couldn’t quite manage to provide a clear field of vision, but he knew where he was, even in this pouring rain. He came here often to this dark country road.
He could see her tail lights up ahead, just as he had that night. His foot stomped on the pedal, his heart racing when he realized that they were not where they were supposed to be. Where they would be if her truck was upright.
He slammed on his brakes when he reached the truck, heart feeling like it was beating out of his chest. He jumped out before he was even certain that his truck had come to a complete stop, running to the dark heap on the side of the road.
When he reached her, he could see that she was bleeding profusely and that she was deathly pale.
He turned her over, already pulling off his shirt to use as a makeshift bandage.
He tried this every time, but the outcome of the nightmare never changed. Still, he had to try to save her.
Only this time, when he looked at her face, it wasn’t Jenny he was staring at, it wasn’t Jenny he was desperate to save.
It was Ashleigh.
Walker jerked upright in his bed, his heart hammering in his chest so loudly he was sure it would wake her. He was shakin
g and covered in a layer of sweat, the image of Ashleigh dying on that country road floating around in his head.
He focused on her sleeping form next to him and tried to calm himself by breathing in and out deeply as she did.
She was still naked, sleeping on her tummy with her hair fanned across the pillow. He placed his hand gently on her back, trying to reassure himself that she was fine, that she was breathing, that she was safe.
He kept breathing in and out with her for several minutes before the shaking finally stopped. He wiped the sweat off his brow and lay back in bed, trying to gather his thoughts.
Shit. He remembered suddenly that he was supposed to meet his brothers today to do some work on the ranch. A swift glance at the bedside clock told him that he would be late to meet them if he didn’t get his ass up and showered in no time.
He hauled himself up with more effort than it should have taken, wanting nothing more than to pull Ashleigh close and to make sure that she kept breathing. That she didn’t get hurt even though logically he knew she was alive and safe in bed.
He showered quickly in ice cold water, hoping like hell that the icicles hitting his skin would help clear the cobwebs from his mind, taking the image of Ashleigh bleeding to death with them. It helped, but it didn’t clear the horrifying image completely.
He sighed as he dressed and headed out to find his brothers already saddling their horses in the barn.
Walker gave Noir a quick rubdown, focusing on grooming his midnight black coat until it gleamed. He fetched his tack and had Noir saddled and ready to go just as his brothers led their mounts from their stables.
By the time the sun started rising, Walker was still silent and stony, riding slightly ahead of Sawyer and Colt.
He heard his brothers talking quietly as they came up behind him, flanking him before Sawyer finally spoke up.
“You’re even more stoic than usual today,” he remarked, cocking his Stetson-clad head at Walker.
