by Ivy Jordan
He didn’t speak when he saw me there on his porch. I stared at the man I loved, that I wasn’t afraid of admitting my feelings for anymore, and feared his reaction to what I was there to tell him.
“Evelyn,” he spoke softly as if he were trying to convince himself my presence was real.
“I’m sorry to bother you. If you’re busy, I can come back,” I stammered, worried that his expression didn’t show any signs of happiness to see me.
“No, of course not, come in,” he offered, stepping out of the entrance.
Beer bottles were everywhere, on the floor, the cheap card table that sat in the dining room, and overflowing the trash can. It was obvious he had a rough first night in the new place, and looking around, I could see why.
“Sorry about the mess, I haven’t had time to unpack or anything,” James explained.
“That’s good,” I smiled, unable to hide my enthusiasm any longer.
“Nothing’s good anymore. They sold the ranch, and in less than a day of it being on the market; you know what that means don’t ya?” James spat.
“It means some corporate piece of shit bought it up for the land, hell, no tellin’ what will be put on the land after it's flattened, could be a fuckin’ mall for all I know,” James continued without giving me a chance to respond.
“I don’t think it was a corporation,” I beamed.
“Yeah, well, it doesn’t matter now, does it?” James growled.
“So, I came here to tell you something, about the ranch,” I interrupted his ranting.
“What, you know who bought the place?” he asked, his eyes filled with anticipation, ready to erupt at my response, cursing the new owner with creative exploits.
“I do,” I paused.
James stared at me, his eyes starting to soften.
“You look great. I’ve really missed you,” he whispered.
“I’ve missed you too,” I admitted, tears starting to form in my eyes.
“Don’t cry. I’m really sorry. I j-just couldn’t bear for you to see me like this,” he confessed.
“I wish you wouldn’t have shut me out,” I whispered.
“Me too,” he sighed.
The familiar scent of James’s cologne mixed with alcohol. I sucked it the aroma into my lungs, my pulse racing as I began to tremble. I wanted to lean in, tip-toe to his mouth, place my lips over his and taste him.
I watched as James became distracted and hesitant, his eyes pulling from mine and moving to the floor. I wanted to wrap my arms around him, tell him “it’s okay, I’m here now,” but he shifted from his spot in front of me and walked towards a torn and tattered couch. He sat. His head fell into his large hands, and he exhaled a deep sigh before looking back up at me again.
“You said you know who bought the ranch?” he stammered.
“I bought it,” I blurted nervously.
My hands grew clammy, my pulse quickened, and tremors erupted throughout my body as I watched James. The lines in his forehead zigzagged as his face scrunched up into a confusion. His eyes widened, then narrowed, and his bottom lip sucked into his mouth. He chewed on his own flesh, his cheeks caving in as the suction increased His head tilted, and then fell back to his shoulders, slowly, and then snapped back up, his eyes locked on to mine.
“What the fuck did you do that for?” his fingers massaged at his temples as he barked at me.
“For you,” I confessed.
“Jesus, Evelyn, how could you go and do something so stupid?” James stood, his tall frame towering over me, and his tone making me anxious.
“Stupid? I thought I was doing something nice,” I fought back tears as I responded.
“I just hate the thought of you being the one to fatten those spoiled brat’s bank accounts. So they get to fuck us both,” James snarled.
“If you would’ve answered my calls, you would know that the judge was a connection of John’s, one he owed quite a bit of money to, and after that, a hefty amount was going straight to loan sharks for his gambling debts, so they won’t be getting much,” I blurted.
James sat back down on the couch, pushed his head back into his hands, and I stood there, trembling, angry, but still madly in love with him, even after his foolish rant.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
James
I couldn’t look at her. Why would she do that for me? I didn’t deserve anything from her after the way I’d run away, sticking my head in the sand like a dumbass.
“I wished you hadn’t done that,” I groaned.
“Do you want me to put it back on the market?” she snapped.
“Can you back out of the deal?” I asked.
“No. I paid cash, and the bank already has the certified check made out and ready to send,” she mumbled.
“I didn’t ask you to do that; you shouldn’t have done that,” I sighed, finally looking up at her.
The palms of her hands rubbed up and down her outer thighs; her eyes flickered as they unsuccessfully tried to fight back tears. She stood there, stubborn and shaken, but not backing down from the fight. Her nostrils flares as her fingers curled into her hands until forming a fist. She was a firecracker. Something about her rage aroused me, releasing some steam from my anger. I was still pissed, but more at myself than at her. She was just trying to help, and Axel told me she had plenty of money, but it wasn’t right for her to bail me out, to rescue me like a kitten stuck in a tree. Fuck, this was why I stayed away. I have nothing to offer her, a strong, independent woman with the nicest set of tits I’d ever laid eyes on, and I’d seen plenty of tits, from all over. Evelyn’s were the best.
I’d figure out a way to handle this, to pay her back every cent she spent on the ranch, and for her lawyer fees. The last thing I was going to be, was her charity case.
“I didn’t ask you to do that,” I repeated softly.
“I didn’t ask to fall in love with such a proud, pig-headed man, but here I am,” she howled in a rage, stopping abruptly, her cheeks bright red, eyes wide, and her bottom lip trembling.
I stood from the couch, walked towards her slowly as she began to visibly shake.
“What did you say?” I whispered once close.
“I said I love you. That’s why I did it. The thought of you leaving, of losing your home, I would’ve paid three times as much as they asked,” Evelyn confirmed.
My face ached as it stretched into a wide smile. My heart beat into my chest like a tornado into the side of a barn. Our bodies were so close I could feel the heat coming from her shallow breath, almost taste the sweetness of her lips.
I reached around her small frame, gripping her tightly as I lifted her from where she stood, pressing her hard into my chest and bringing her mouth closer to mine.
“I love you too,” I whispered.
Evelyn exhaled as tears filled her bright green eyes. Our mouths pushed together passionately, desperate for one another as she trembled in my arms. I could taste the sweet saltiness of her tears as her body shook wildly in my arms. I didn’t let go, not for what seemed like a while. The world stood still, and then disappeared as only Evelyn and me remained, kissing, the sounds of my whispering “I’m sorry” over and over, and of Evelyn’s adorable soft noises of satisfaction and contentment.
We broke apart, and the world started to fade back into focus: the ugly couch, the dirty carpet, and the pile of beer cans in every corner. I was ashamed, embarrassed, and most of all, sorry, for it all.
“I’m sorry I shut you out after court,” I spoke softly as I wiped a lone tear from Evelyn’s rose-colored cheek.
Her lips curled into a smile, something I feared I’d never see again, at least not directed at me. I couldn’t help but smile myself; my heart filled with so much happiness that it overflowed.
“I would’ve been there for you, maybe made things easier,” she replied.
“I wanted you there for me, I just didn’t want you there for you,” I tried to explain.
She looked confused, and I didn�
��t blame her. I wasn’t any good at discussing my feelings; it wasn’t something I’d ever really done before. At home, before I met old man Jasper, my dad only had one emotion, and that was anger. Old man Jasper was rough around the edges with a hard exterior, but his heart was kind and genuine, but feelings weren’t something he liked to discuss. It was a slap on the back when he was proud, a hand squeezing a shoulder when consoling, and plenty of hours spent teaching what he knew to show he cared. In the SEALs, we didn’t talk about our feelings, but we didn’t have to. Living so closely with the same guys for so long, you catch on to their behaviors, their body language, and just know when somethings wrong. You get a beer, slap them on the back, kick them in the ass, something to get their head back on straight, but you don’t talk.
“I’m not sure I follow,” Evelyn finally responded.
“I guess what I’m trying to say is, I felt it would be selfish for me to have you, when I had nothing to offer you,” I admitted.
“Wow,” she laughed.
Now I was confused. I stepped back, eyeing her up and down as I tried to figure out what she found so funny about me sharing my true feelings.
“You have some ego, don’t you?” she continued with laughter.
I think I was offended, no, I know I was.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I growled.
“Why do you have to have something to offer me other than your love?” she questioned, her eyes narrowing on mine.
“I’m the man,” I staggered.
Evelyn howled, her laughter filling the small room where we stood. I didn’t like that other people were so close, and that she was being so loud. It would add to the dog bark, the metal cans rattling, the cat’s screeching, the train sounding its horn, and the baby crying. Neighborhood noises. I didn’t care for it at all.
Fuck, even mad at her, even when she offends me, I can’t find her anything but beautiful.
I joined in the laughter, but only briefly before shaking my head and raising an eyebrow in her direction to show my confusion and disapproval of her mocking.
“Are you done?” I chuckled as Evelyn pulled herself together.
She slid her arms through mine, placed her head on my chest, and let out a sweet sigh. I could listen to her sweet noises forever.
“You have much more to offer than you realize. I never wanted you for your ranch. My grandmother left me more money than I’d ever spend, and what I need from you, besides your love, is for you to never shut me out of your life again,” Evelyn soothed.
I lifted her face to mine with a thumb under her chin. I lowered to her, kissing her gently. As I released, our eyes connected, there was something electric about the way we spoke without saying a word.
“You got it,” I promised.
“Can we go back to the ranch now?” she smirked.
I laughed, looking around the dump I’d spent a good portion of my savings on, and wanted nothing more than to leave.
“Well, I never had a chance to unpack, so let me load up, and I’ll meet you there,” I smiled.
“I’ll stop and get us dinner,” she offered.
My stomach grumbled at the mention of food. I nodded, reaching into my pocket for my wallet. As I handed her a fifty, she started to refuse, but quickly bit her bottom lip into her mouth and accepted.
“So, what do I do with this place now?” I huffed.
“It would make a great investment as a rental once it was fixed up; maybe that’s something Pedro and Kyle could help you with,” she suggested.
I pulled her in close, squeezing her into my chest.
“I don’t know what I’d do without you,” I sighed.
That wasn’t exactly true. I knew that without her, I would be sitting in this ugly house, not heading back to the ranch, my home. I would be lonely, heartbroken, and most likely miserable, at least until I grew accustomed to the idea of being without her.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Evelyn
I nestled into the groove of James’s chest, stealing heat from his body as he slept. I couldn’t believe I was here, that we were here together. I sighed, an involuntary whimper of my contentment rolled past my lips. James chuckled, his chest bouncing my cheek and causing me to look up at his smile.
“I love those noises you make,” he whispered.
His hand dropped slowly to my face, a finger pushed a long strand of hair from my cheek to behind my ear. I licked my lips, tasting the tangy barbecue sauce from the fast food place stopped at before leaving the horrible place James purchased in haste. We’d held each other, made love, and had fallen asleep without brushing our teeth, let alone dressing.
The sheet draped over my bare skin, barely clinging to my shoulder as I lifted to reach James’s lips. The familiar taste of barbecue on his tongue, I sucked it into my mouth without concern for morning breath. We tasted sweet, delicious, and the bold kiss woke up my arousal with a vengeance.
I pulled back, lifting myself from James’s warmth. The sheet fell from my body, exposing my breasts as James smiled with his eyes lingering on my flesh.
The back of his fingertip traced between my breasts, then around each one causing me to stir. An ache started between my legs, my vulnerable flesh swelling from his touch.
He leaned towards me, his breath swirling on my chest. My eyes closed as he swallowed a breast into his mouth, sucking and pulling at my skin until it tingled. Dizziness filled my head as he played, sucked, and licked at my swollen nipples, teasing them with flicks of his tongue. More noises, the ones he loves, escaped my lips as they parted.
A firm grip on the small of my back pulled me towards him, lifting me to his mouth once again. Loud cracks of thunder sounded from outside the bedroom window, flashes of lightning lighting up the dark morning and pulsing into the room where we worked each other up into a frenzy of tension.
The sound of heavy raindrops slapping at the roof and the window created a rhythm like music. My hand traced the outline of James’s hard cock beneath the sheets as I pulled from our embrace, locking eyes with his without the urge to blink.
He was large, firm, and as my finger glided over the silky sheet, teasing him, twitches let me know he was growing impatient for the main course. A growl rolled from his throat as he gripped me tightly around the waist and lifted me onto him. My legs straddled him, my body nude and exposed without the sheet to hide under, trembled as his eyes penetrated my skin, reaching both my heart and soul with just one look.
“You’re beautiful,” he whispered.
He made me feel beautiful. Through his eyes, I saw myself as a sexual goddess for the first time in my life. It was a rush to feel the empowerment of what sexiness brought with it.
My pussy pushed onto him, around him, grinding slowly with a steady rock of my hips. He growled again. I watched his eyes close, the pure ecstasy pouring over his face, and flooded with excitement knowing I had such a powerful effect on him.
James lifted his hands to my breasts, cupped them in each hand and gave a firm squeeze. His fingers pinched my nipples, gently tugging them away from my body until I was forced to arch my back to push towards him. I moaned, not from pain, but a wild inhibition that started to roll like the thunder through my veins.
His hands slid slowly down my sides, gripping tightly at the small of my waist again, this time lifting me, tossing me from him and onto my back. With a swift movement, he was on me, pinning me to the mattress, his breath hot on my face, his cock pressed hard into my inner thigh. My heart palpitated, my breathing grew shallow, and arousal dripped from my pussy like honey.
Soft flesh sank beneath my fingernails as I begged his body not to lift from mine. A bite on my neck, a nibble on my ear, and a soft, gentle kiss on my lips, long and sensual, left me at his mercy. My hands loosened, nails released from his flesh, and he lifted, reaching into the nightstand drawer for protection.
Painful aches roared through my genitals as he rose up, exposing his hard cock to my wanting eyes. He slid the co
ndom on, his hand slowly stroking his manhood as his eyes soaked up my image lying beneath him.
I squirmed with anticipation, my hands caressing my hips, my belly, and then my breasts as James watched with admiration searing in his eyes. Watching him watch me only multiplied my arousal, making it harder not to come even before he was inside of me.
His finger traced the muscle in my leg, following the tremor that led him to my clit. Pulses pushed against his finger as he pressed against my swollen nub, swirling in a semi-circle, and then back again. I writhed beneath him; my orgasm hitched to his thumb. A smile, wide and devilish on his face told me knew the control he’d taken over me.
He pushed my legs apart, spreading me wide apart as he slithered into me, his cock resting at my opening. I throbbed against his cock, he twitched against my pussy, but neither of us rushed to make a move, our eyes locked together, speaking to one another without uttering a sound.
As if in agreeance that we’d said all we needed to, our hips rocked in a steady motion, bringing him into me, my body swallowing him slowly as he reached his hand beneath my ass, coaxing me to take him, more with each thrust, until he was tunneled deep between my legs, a part of me, and me a part of him, connected.
Soft obscenities pushed past my lips as he dipped and burrowed into places I never knew existed.
James slid his hand up my chest to my neck, gripping me gently with his large hand under the chin. He held my face steady, aimed at his own as I struggled to keep my eyes open so close to the edge of my own cliff. His eyes were soft and hungry, but his groans were hard and satisfied.
“Come with me, darlin’,” he panted in a deep, sultry voice.
Something broke deep inside of me, releasing a powerful wave of pleasure that warmed my veins. Sweat beaded up on my forehead and upper lip, dripped between my breasts and down the nape of my neck as I struggled to keep control.
“Let go,” James whispered, pulling my face back to his from where my head began to thrash back and forth with loud and torturous moans roaring from my belly.
