My nipples tightened and started to swell against my snug shirt as he rubbed me.
I let out a shuddering breath. My legs parted more for him. It was true that I wanted him and all the reasons for not being with him had slipped slowly from my mind.
His fingers slid under the panties and rubbed above my opening. Then he slipped inside of me, thrusting in and out slowly.
He growled against my ear. “You’re so tight. So tight, angel. Tell me you want me Julia. Tell me you want me to fuck you.”
My back arched and his mouth slid down to kiss the skin at my chest. Then further still, his mouth found the top of one of my burning breasts. He licked and sucked that small area without diving deeper.
“Yes,” I whispered.
His mouth was on mine in an instant. His tongue parting my lips. His finger became rougher and more insistent. He shoved another one in and set his thumb to massaging my clit.
My arm slipped around him and my hand explored the tight muscles of his back.
I was whimpering against his mouth. It had been nearly two years since a man had touched me and it hadn’t been nearly as intoxicating as the way Holden was making me feel.
My body clenched against him so suddenly that I let out a yell. He muffled it against his mouth and he continued to finger me. The orgasm rolled over me in waves for so long that I wasn’t sure if it was ever going to stop.
His mouth sucked at my bottom lip and bit it as his fingers slipped out. He tugged my skirt down again and smoothed out the fabric.
He pulled back and looked at my face. His eyes slid down to my mouth. My lips felt bruised and swollen. “Yeah. You’ll beg me when I fuck you. You’re mine already.”
Cocky ass.
I wanted to punch him.
“You’re pretty sure of yourself.”
He grinned at me smugly. “Might want to use the lavatory babe. Unless you want to continue in the bathroom.”
Definitely not.
Bad, bad idea!
“Uhm, I’ll pass,” I said unhooking my belt.
“Suit yourself.” He leaned back his chair, folded his arms over his chest and shut his eyes. I could see the bulge in his pants as I eyed him.
One of his eyes opened and he chuckled. “Curiosity killed the cat. Wanna let that pussy out so I can pet it again?”
I clenched my jaw and felt my cheeks burning. I leaned over and made sure I had his attention. “Just because you pet it once doesn’t mean it’s home to stay.”
His arms shot out and grabbed me around my waist. He sat me down roughly in his lap and locked his arms so tightly around me that I couldn’t move. His chest was against my back. It was burning with heat. The bulge of his cock was shoved against my ass.
His lips whispered against my neck. “I love your claws babe. They turn me on. But just so we’re crystal clear. You are home to stay.”
I flinched but his arms just got tighter. “Holden.”
“Stop thinking so much about it. Aren’t you the person that takes off on an adventure on a whim? The person that tries something new. The woman that has the balls to yell at me and drive me crazy?”
“We’re not really dating Holden. You blackmailed me and now you’re acting like this is your territory. We’re nothing alike. I—”
He laughed. “Oh we’re doing more than dating angel. You’re mine. No more hiding out in California where you think it’s safe. You belong with me. I didn’t blackmail you. I just woke you up. You were scared out of your mind and it wasn’t you. The Julia I know is fearless. If I have to handcuff you and piss you off every day I will.”
“People change Holden.”
He kissed the back of my neck softly. “Yeah they do. Some get stronger, some get weaker. But not people like us. We stay solid and endure.”
“You’re wrong. I mean look where we’re going. Isn’t this hiding?”
“Nah, babe. This is me taking you away for a while until those assholes that are harassing you can be found. All that shit was messing with your head. I was going to lose my mind if one more douchebag tried to hurt you. So let’s just say this is for me as much as it is for you.”
I turned my head to the side to get a better look at him and to get him to stop kissing my neck. If he continued with that we’d be back to debating sex on the plane again.
He looked sincere about what he’d said. He always looked sincere. Hell, every minute I had ever spent with him he had been at least that, honest and sincere. With this man, I could count on that. He might not say much, might not even show much, especially around other people, but he said what he meant.
The real question, was I willing to listen?
Bad idea. We’re too different.
“So you took some time off then, to come out here or are you leaving me here?”
He shrugged. “Never took time off. I just told Aiden I was going and where I was going. Guess he’ll figure it out.”
“But don’t you have to like, put in vacation time or something?”
He shrugged again. “I don’t know. I don’t give a fuck. Needed to see my dad anyway. It’s been about six months. Seemed like the best time to see him. He’s going to dig you. In the meantime, the guys are all over your stalkers. Brock is tracking down Jared. He’s probably giving him a lesson in website responsibility right now. And we’re not technically hiding. Hell, no one ever really hides from Brock. He’s got tracking on everything. Don’t tell my father that though.”
I frowned at him. “Why?”
He thought for a minute. “He’s just different. You’ll see.”
“So, are we meeting any of your other guys?”
“Uhm, no. Not necessary.”
He was being very evasive. He wasn’t lying, he was just avoiding a discussion, which made me nervous. “Where are we going Holden?”
He loosened his grip and dropped his head back. “To see my father. He gets nervous around people so the guys weren’t needed. Plus, you got me here. Any fucker that tries to pull something will get a bullet in the eye.”
There was that cockiness again. It felt strange to have it directed toward my protection. It was weird, this feeling of thankfulness that I had that he was with me, and yet revulsion at the thought of someone dying.
Yet another reason why we were different.
His father sounded sweet. I would have to make sure I didn’t make him nervous. I was curious about him as much as I was looking forward to seeing what sort of person had raised this hard man underneath me.
Probably a very patient man.
He didn’t mention his mother so I didn’t ask. Maybe he was from a single parent family like I was.
That thought brought up images of my mother. The memories of her always made me sad. She had always been a free spirit from what my father had told me. He reminded me constantly that I was like her and it made the loss all the more acute. I had been young when she had departed. I remembered her being very sad at times, and me trying even as a child to make her laugh. She did a lot of that too, but it seemed the sadness behind her eyes never really went away.
I wondered what she would have thought of Holden.
Allison had always been a lot more driven like my father so it was hard to approach her when I needed it. It was times like now, when I truly needed advice, that I missed having a mother around.
Would she tell me not to get involved with this man that reminded me in some ways of my father? Would she tell me life with my dad, Allie and I hadn’t been worth the struggle?
A voice came over the speaker. “We’re ten minutes out.”
Holden helped me stand up. “Bathroom angel, then get your ass back in your seat. I know you like cuddling, but we have a drive ahead of us. Probably need to get changed into some jeans and tennis shoes after we land. Do you have a pair of boots without heels?”
“Uhm, yeah I think I do. Where are my bags?”
He nodded to the back of the plane. “Your bags and guitar are back there. Bathroom, then sit.”
&nb
sp; He was so bossy.
I walked toward the lavatory. “Yeah, yeah. I’m going. And just for the record I was being forced to cuddle.”
“Sure babe. Whatever you say.”
I was going to choke him one of these days.
Chapter Seven
When we landed, I had gotten changed into a pair of jeans and some worn out boots I had packed at the last minute before leaving California. They were scuffed on both the heel and toe. I felt weird about wearing them to meet his father. I should have at least put on something a little dressier. I could have worn my sneakers, but Holden had seen the boots and had told me they were a better option for some reason.
I was thankful for the flannel Liv had given me. The air was chilly when we stepped off the plane. There were pine trees in the distance and what looked like a mountain range in the fading light. The runway was small which probably explained the lurch and extreme braking when we touched down.
“Is this an airport?” I asked looking around.
“No, it’s a strip we use sometimes. Rarely, but we do use it.”
“So, when Aiden needs to fly then you could land here rather than an airport?”
Holden was walking quickly and I was nearly jogging to keep up. There were some floodlights on a building that we were walking towards. Otherwise the tarmac was getting very dark.
“Aiden usually goes by the direct routes and airfields. If we need to get guys in and out without the fucking TSA asking why we have bags of weapons, then we fly through here. All legit of course but it avoids a lot of paperwork.”
“Did you thank Aiden for the use of his jet by the way?”
I was panting a little now.
Damn his long legs. I needed to get back to the gym.
“I didn’t ask.”
“What?! So, you just sprung it on your boss that you were taking time off and then stole his plane?”
Holden glanced back at me. “C’mon babe, keep up. I didn’t steal it. Aiden definitely knows. Brock knows where I’m at and if Brock knows, then Aiden knows. Brock has eyes on everything and eyes in the skies everywhere. Remember, don’t tell my dad.”
“Anything else I shouldn’t tell your dad?”
“Nah, just be yourself.”
We came to a stop in front of the building and Holden unlocked one of the bay doors. Lights came on as soon as he activated the automatic door control.
There was a large black Jeep sitting in the garage that looked tricked out with multiple floodlights on top, a gigantic guardrail, and mud tires. It didn’t look like the standard height or specs for one that you would roll off the lot at the dealership.
He started checking the vehicle and I heard someone behind us whistle.
There was a young man wearing coveralls that was approaching on a golf cart.
“Here are your bags Holden and you, ma’am. See you guys later,” he said.
Holden called after him. “It’ll be a few days. I’ll buzz you. Anyone else asks, tell them I’m at my dad’s place. Do not disturb.”
“Gotcha. Might want to take a couple of coats. It was cold up there last weekend and the news said something about possible snow.”
Snow? Where was he taking me?
Holden shrugged. “Typical spring. Never know what it’s going to do.”
He waved at the man and turned to me. “What do you have in the bags angel?”
“Uhm, my clothes, shoes.” I shrugged.
He walked over to my luggage and unzipped both of them.
I frowned at him. “Hey, what are you doing?”
“We’ll take your guitar, my bag and we need to leave one of your bags here,” he said, while riffling through my clothing.
He pulled out several items and grunted. “Nope. Summer clothes.”
I grabbed my guitar while I watched in fascination and slight embarrassment as he started switching items from bag to bag.
He held up some lacey underwear and gave me a look. “Definitely coming. So is the nighty. Hmm.”
I walked back to the Jeep to put my guitar case in the backseat. My face was burning. I had forgotten what I had packed precisely, but Holden seemed to be finding it terribly amusing as he kept digging around.
He growled. “Damn, angel. You have some great taste in underwear.”
Thank gawd I hadn’t packed my vibrator. Or had I?
I turned around and quickly ran back over to Holden just as he pulled out my stimulator and turned it on.
He gave me a deviant grin and chucked it in the bag we were taking.
Ug. Kill me now.
He finished up shuffling the clothes and took both bags into the hanger. He stuffed one into a large locker marked “Saunders” and put the other one, along with his own, in the back of the vehicle.
He grabbed a black case in the locker and put it on the driver’s seat. When he opened it up I saw two handguns and two magazines inside.
I grimaced. “Are we going to need those?”
He looked at me and sighed. “Do they make you nervous?”
I shook my head. “Not really. I know how to shoot. I was just thinking that if we’re not going to need additional guys then why would we need the guns?”
He nodded. “I don’t travel without weapons. I’ve got one in my bag, but my dad taught me to always be prepared. If you know how to shoot, maybe we can do some hunting. My dad has a few rifles.”
The expression on my face probably looked horrified at the thought of killing animals. I blinked several times at him and he rolled his eyes.
“Maybe I’ll do some hunting. You can stay home. Like it was in the good old days, when the women-folk were barefoot and pregnant while we caught your dinner.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “You are such a Neanderthal. You know, shit like that just pisses most women off now.”
He laughed. “Just kidding kitten. Put away the claws.”
He looked me over for a minute. His eyes came to rest on my belly for a few seconds before he went back to what he was doing.
“What?” I asked.
He shook his head. “Nothing. Let’s get going.”
We both climbed into the Jeep and he drove down the tarmac at a moderate pace.
“Seriously, what? Do I look okay? I probably need a shower at this point.”
He kept his eyes on the dark road. “You always look beautiful Julia.”
“So, what is it? Did I do something wrong?”
“No. Better be sure you want to know.”
“Does this have something to do with sex again?”
He grinned. “Kind of.”
I groaned. This was going to be a long road trip if he started talking dirty again. “Just tell me.”
His grin faded and he looked focused on navigating the wooded road in front of us.
“Was just thinking of you pregnant. Carrying our kid,” he said.
My mouth dropped open but nothing came out. Even if I had tried to say something, it would have probably sounded like an incoherent language.
“Take a nap angel. When we get to the turn off for dad’s house it’s going to get bumpy so I’ll wake you up.”
I blinked and faced the road. “Oh. Okay.”
For once I didn’t have a witty retort. I was expecting something lewd or ridiculous. Something more like the Holden statements he had been making since we’d known each other. That was the furthest thing from what I had been expecting to come out of his mouth.
From the corner of my eye, I could see him look over at me briefly.
I laid my head against the seat and closed my eyes. He was always honest about what he said at least. He warned me about asking.
Curiosity killed the cat. He was right. It hadn’t killed me, but it had certainly declawed me for the moment for sure. I didn’t even know if I wanted kids. I hadn’t, up until this point, really ever given it any thought.
Me with a kid. That was something really out of my realm right now. My life was a mess. Case in point, our current pre
dicament, and me with a sling around my arm showing I had an absolutely complicated life.
An image swam to the surface just as I drifted off to sleep. Holden’s child with amber eyes and blonde hair. A boy laughing, that looked just like his dad. Carrying around a rifle and shooting squirrels.
A mini animal terrorist in the making.
The weird thing was, it made me smile.
* * *
I felt a tap on my shoulder. “Angel, wake up.”
The car felt like it wasn’t moving, but there was a breeze on my face. I opened my eyes and saw Holden leaning down looking at me with an amused smile.
“Babe, you’re drooling.”
I raised my hand to my face. No drool.
He chuckled as I narrowed my eyes at him.
There was the heavy scent of pine around us. In the darkness, I could see the shapes of trees and some sort of faint light behind Holden.
He helped me sit up in the seat, unbuckled me, and started rubbing my back. It was cold and the air had a sharp, clean crispness to it.
“Where are we?” I mumbled.
“My mom’s cabin. We’re stopping here for the night. It’s late and the road to dad’s house is still a couple of miles up the mountain. Not sure I want to chance it in the dark with you in here. We can stay here for the night.”
His mother’s house. Which meant he had a mother. Not that he had been dropped off in the woods or anything, but was I going to meet his mother?
My eyes snapped open all the way.
“C’mon Angel. Let me get you to the house. Mom has food if you want it.”
I stumbled getting out of the Jeep and ran right into his chest.
He hooked an arm around my back and one around my knees. He started carrying me and I wiggled against him.
“Holden, I’m okay. I can walk.”
He grinned. “I know but I also don’t want you to break your neck out here trying to navigate the driveway. I would have to bury you and it seems like a lot of work to do at midnight.”
“I’m good. Really!”
“Shut up babe. Take some help when it’s offered.”
I looked at the cabin as we approached. It was a medium sized A-frame, log house with a wrap-around porch. It had a bay window on the second story and a couple of windows in the front, on either side of the door.
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