It had been two nights since I walked away from Cassidy, and it was one of the hardest things I’d ever had to do. After watching her light up like a firework just for me, I wanted nothing more than to strip her completely bare and worship every single inch of what was mine. But I was a patient man. More than that, I was smart. Even as her body pushed closer to mine, begging for my touch, I could see her struggling. Her mind was fighting back. If I had pushed her any further, her mind would have won and I’d have lost her completely.
So I walked out of her bedroom, hoping and praying Kal and Milly were asleep so I could leave the house without an audience getting an up-close look at the hard-on I was sporting. There hadn’t been a shower cold enough to take care of that problem.
Over the past two days, I tried to give her a little space. Not enough to think I lost interest, but just enough that she felt she could breathe. If the opportunity arose where I could reach out and briefly touch her, I took it, but I kept it at that. My dick hated me, but each warm, slightly shy smile Cassidy sent my way made it totally worth it. She hadn’t made a point to seek me out, so when she caught up with me in the barn after I’d gotten all my work done for the day, I was pleasantly surprised, to say the least.
“Hey,” her sweet voice called out from behind me.
I turned to look at my girl, my shrinking violet with a fire in her belly. She was pure beauty and class personified. I couldn’t think of a more appropriate description for her. I’d never felt this kind of possessiveness for someone else before; it was a fierce burning in my veins. The way I wanted her was so unexpected, so powerful, it sometimes overwhelmed me. The only thing stronger than my desire for Cassidy was my desire to keep her.
That was where my anxiety came into play. Growing up with the life I had, you learned quickly to never count on someone else, to never attach yourself to another person. No one ever stayed. Navie had been the exception until Cassidy, but my feelings for Navie had been strictly familial. I never felt the need to hold on to someone as tightly as I did Cassidy just to keep them in my life. I would’ve been lying if I said the intensity of it didn’t scare me.
“Hey,” I responded back, pulling off my work gloves and tossing them on the bench beside me. I matched her step for step until only about a foot of space separated us. It was still too much, but something inside me wanted her to be the one to close the distance this time. I’d put myself out there for Cassidy. She knew how I felt. I needed some kind of reassurance from her that I wasn’t in this by myself.
“Milly wanted me to see if you and Navie were going to be at dinner tonight,” she said to the ground, refusing to give me her eyes. That just wouldn’t do.
“You gonna look at me or talk to the ground the whole time?” I asked with a teasing lilt in my voice. I didn’t miss her sarcastic eye roll when she finally lifted her head.
“Are you two coming or not?”
“Well, seeing as we’re at dinner every night, I think it’s safe to say we’ll be joining you.” I laughed.
Cassidy didn’t lower her head; however, she did take her eyes from me and focus on some spot over my shoulder. “Well…uh…she just wanted to be sure, you know? I mean, on the off-chance you guys had other plans.”
Between the stuttering and the way Cassidy shifted from foot to foot, it was clear as day she was uncomfortable for some reason.
Then it hit me. Just like a damn light bulb, a switch was flipped and I could see everything perfectly.
There was no stopping the grin that pulled at the corners of my mouth. “Baby, you don’t need to make up reasons to talk to me. All you have to do is find me.”
That fire in her belly began to show as her eyes narrowed into little slits. I grinned at her expression, finding myself getting hard at her streak of attitude. To my surprise—and absolute pleasure, if I was being honest—the angry glint in her eyes quickly disappeared as she admitted with a huff, “Fine, I wanted to see you.”
My little smirk turned into a full-blown smile. “And why’s that?”
“Because…” She paused, her eyes looking anywhere but at me. “Because I like you,” she muttered under her breath.
I couldn’t help but give her a hard time. “Sorry, didn’t hear you.” I held my hand up to my ear. “What was that?”
“I said I like you,” she repeated louder. “Happy now?”
Grabbing her by the waist, I pulled her tight little body flush against mine. “Ah, baby, more than you know.”
My heart began to pound as she stared up at me with those gorgeous eyes, and I could have shouted in triumph at what she did next. Standing on her tiptoes, she pressed those luscious, full lips of hers against mine without hesitation. My semi turned into a full-blown hard-on at the pressure of her mouth against mine, but it was when her tongue slipped out, asking for entrance, that I turned to granite. It was like my erection was beating against my zipper, trying to get to Cassidy.
Despite everything inside of me wanting to take over, I stood there as Cassidy kissed me just how she wanted. I got my wish. She’d made the next move, so I was already on cloud nine. The kiss was soft, gentle as I let her control the tempo. When she finally put an end to it, she pulled away just far enough for me to see that her gaze was foggy, her baby blues clouded with desire.
“So, we’re really doing this?”
It took me a few seconds to understand what she was asking. “Yeah, Violet, we’re really doing this. We’ve already established that you’re mine.”
Her expression grew a little leery as she asked, “Well, if I’m yours that means you’re mine, right? There won’t be any other girls in bars or anything else?”
She wanted me to be hers…just hers. Christ that felt good. My chest tightened at the realization that someone as perfect as Cassidy wanted all of me just for herself. I couldn’t remember anyone ever feeling that way about me. It was intoxicating. In that very moment, I was ten feet tall and bulletproof.
The lust I’d kept in check just moments before boiled over and I couldn’t control myself. I slammed my mouth against hers in a fierce, passionate kiss. “Yeah, baby. I’m yours,” I said against her lips, causing her to moan loudly. Just as I grabbed hold of her hair, trying to take the kiss deeper, she pulled back. I growled in frustration and grabbed for her as she took a step away from me. The evil smile on her face told me the little vixen was damn proud of herself.
I reached for her again, but she darted back with a little giggle. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“Dinner will be ready in thirty. I suggest you get washed up.”
She turned to leave but I snagged hold of one of her belt loops and pulled, using the momentum to spin her back around, planting one last kiss on her addictive lips. “Be there in a few, baby.”
As she took a few steps backwards, she beamed at me. Her bright smile sent a flood of warmth to my chest. “Okay, honey.”
And just like that, with one little endearment, I was in Heaven.
“What’s got you grinnin’ like the cat who ate the canary?”
Milly’s voice from beside me snapped me back into reality. I’d been so lost in a daydream I hadn’t even realized she was standing next to me.
“Don’t know what you’re talking about,” I answered, trying my best to wipe away the stupid grin that had been on my face since I left Carson a half-hour before.
She eyed me skeptically. “Yeah, and I’m a size two,” she countered sarcastically.
Just then, Uncle Kal came walking into the kitchen. “And still as beautiful as the day I was lucky enough to lay eyes on you,” he told her sweetly, coming over to plant a kiss on her cheek.
“Tell me something I don’t know, old man. You’re lucky to have ever landed me.”
Heading for the fridge, Kal opened it and pulled out a beer, popping it open and taking a swig. “And don’t I know it. So, what are you two girls in here gossiping about?”
“Real ladies don’t gossip, Kalvin. We banter…in a classy
way.” One of his eyebrows cocked in amusement as he chuckled behind his beer bottle. “We’re just talking about what’s got that grin plastered on your niece’s face. She’s been smilin’ like a fool since she walked in the back door.”
Uncle Kal turned his attention on me, a knowing twinkle lit up in his eyes. “Oh, I wonder why.”
It was at that moment we heard footsteps coming up the back porch just before the door opened. “Ooh,” Navie called out as she walked into the kitchen, going straight to Milly to give her a hug. “Whatever you’re cooking smells fantastic, Mrs. Sheffield.”
“Thank you, child. I’m makin’ pot roast. And I’ve told ya a million times, call me Milly.”
“Sorry, Mrs.—I mean Milly,” Navie responded shyly as she stepped up to me for my hug. I kept my eyes on the pretty girl but could feel Carson’s gaze warming my skin from his place by the island. I couldn’t suppress the shiver that trickled down my spine as that dumb smile spread across my lips once again. Oh, dear Lord. I had it bad.
“Can I getcha a beer, son?” Kal called over to Carson.
“No, thanks, Kal. But I’ll take an iced tea if you got it.” His breath whispered across the skin of my neck as he spoke, letting me know he’d moved closer. “Milly, as usual, you’ve outdone yourself. Dinner smells mouthwatering.”
“Well, aren’t you just a charmer.” Milly giggled. That’s right, my fifty-six-year-old aunt just giggled. That was the effect Carson had on women of every age. I had no doubt her cheeks were tinted pink.
“Violet,” Carson’s voice rumbled from directly behind me, and goose bumps broke out across my skin as I turned around. As soon as I faced him, his fingers tilted my chin up and his lips came down on mine. His brazen actions must have shocked everyone else in the room just as much as it had me, because an eerie silence filled the kitchen. I knew we’d determined we were starting up a relationship—of some kind—but I had no idea he planned on announcing it so obviously, and so soon. We were surrounded by family, for crying out loud!
Carson pulled back, a huge smile on his face as Milly squealed in a very un-Milly-like fashion and Navie kept repeating “No way! No way!” over and over. It was Kal’s raspy voice that broke through my Carson fog.
“Uh, did I miss something here, or do I need to knock your teeth down your throat for kissin’ on my niece?”
“Oh, shut it, Kal!” Milly hissed, whacking him in the side with a dishtowel.
Carson didn’t bother responding to Kal’s threatening question; he just continued to grin at me. I knew he was leaving it up to me to answer.
“Soooo…” I dragged out, not exactly sure what to say. “We’re, uh…I mean, Carson and I are seeing each other.”
“What she means to say is that we’re together,” he told the room, obviously not liking the subtleness of my answer.
“Yay!” Navie shouted as Milly oohed and awed over the two of us. It was all a little overwhelming, to say the least. You’d have thought we just announced our engagement or something, with the way the two of them were swooning over us.
Finally, Kal—God bless him—ended the lovefest by slapping Carson on the back with a, “Congratulations, son. You’re one lucky son of a bitch. Now, can I get some food in my belly before I waste away to nothin’ over here?” he asked, patting his rounded belly before turning to Milly. “Feed your man, woman!”
As we sat around the table eating Milly’s delicious pot roast, I noticed Navie seemed a little quieter than usual. She’d really begun to open up to everyone on the ranch over the past few weeks. However, as Bug kept everyone at dinner entertained with her story of playing in the pig pen earlier in the day—it took three washes to get all the funk off her little body—I kept the corner of my eye on Navie as she used her fork to slide her food around on her plate, not really eating anything.
She didn’t seem sad, really, just thoughtful.
Trying to speak quietly, I leaned over to get her attention. “Hey, sweetheart, you okay?”
Her eyes popped up from her plate. “Huh? Oh, yeah. I’m good.” She grinned.
“Then what’s got you so quiet over here? You haven’t said more than two words since you sat down.”
Navie’s fork clinked against her plate as she leaned in further, her voice a hushed whisper. “I was asked to prom today.”
My gasp of excitement was overshadowed by the loud clatter of Carson’s utensils dropping against his plate. “You were what?!”
Uh-oh. Based on Carson’s reaction to seeing Navie in a bathing suit a while back, this was not going to go over well.
“Oh, my God, Carson. Will you calm down? It’s just prom.”
“Yeah, just prom, where sweet, innocent girls get drunk and taken advantage of. Oh, hell no. Not on my watch. You aren’t going,” he spoke with finality.
“Carson!” I shouted at the same time Navie exclaimed, “You can’t tell me I can’t go!”
“Just did,” he answered, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned back in his chair. “I’ll be damned if my little sister loses her virginity to some douche-waffle in a cheap hotel room or, hell, in the back seat of a car. That’s all that happens at those things. Nope, nuh-uh. Not happening.”
I shouted his name again as Milly gasped, Kal chuckled, Navie yelled in frustration, and Willow asked, “Whas berginity?”
Navie shot from her seat, her fists firmly planted on her hips. “God! You’re so embarrassing!” She stormed out of the kitchen without so much as a look backwards.
“Oh, my,” Milly exclaimed with a small giggle as Kal’s chuckle turned into a full-on belly laugh.
“Where are you going?” Carson asked as I stood from the table.
I shot a glare over my shoulder as I headed for the back door. “I’m going to fix the mess you just made. I’ll deal with you later.”
It took well over two hours, but I finally managed to calm Navie down enough that I was no longer afraid of her stabbing Carson in his sleep. I followed after Navie as she walked from their little house, an overnight bag slung across her shoulder.
“Where’s she going?”
I turned to see Carson sitting on their porch swing, his booted feet crossed as his ankles rested on the wooden railing.
“I convinced her to have a sleepover with Doodle Bug tonight,” I answered, watching Navie’s shiny hair swish back and forth as she traipsed across the pasture toward the main house. “I didn’t trust her not to shank you in the middle of the night. Not that you don’t deserve it.”
I laughed at the annoyed grunt he let out as I walked over and took a seat next to him on the swing. Carson’s arm automatically shot out, pulling me flush against his side. I pulled in a deep breath, absorbing his fresh scent as I settled into him, resting my head on his chest. We sat in silence for several minutes, watching the sky over the fields turn into the most beautiful deep blue and purple colors. There really wasn’t a place on Earth more serene, more peaceful, than Willow Ranch.
It was in the quiet, still moments such as the one just then that I was able to fully appreciate the road my life had led me down. I couldn’t imagine a happier place to raise Willow. Coming to the ranch had truly saved me. Aunt Milly and Uncle Kal were my guardian angels. And something deep down told me the man at my side was going to be something really special. Him and Navie showing up at our doorstep had taken the bright spot in my life and made it shine more brilliantly.
Carson’s low voice broke through my musings. “What are you thinking about?”
I wasn’t sure how to describe exactly how I was feeling, how to do the lightness in my heart justice. “I’m just…at peace, I guess.”
His lips pressed against my temple. “I’m glad, sweetheart.”
The silence stretched before us for a few minutes longer before I spoke again, broaching the subject that desperately needed to be addressed. “You know, you really need to loosen the reins where Navie’s concerned.”
I could tell Carson’s head fell back as he let out
a loud groan. “Come on, Violet. Don’t start on that—”
I pushed up so I could turn to face him. “No, you need to listen,” I told him firmly. Grasping the seriousness in my tone, Carson wisely shut his mouth and waited for me to speak. “Navie’s a smart girl, a really smart girl. She knows how to make good choices, so you don’t need to worry about her doing the same things every other stupid teenager does on prom night. Give her a little more credit than that.”
“I do give her credit. It’s not her judgment I worry about; it’s the guy’s. Trust me, I know what all those little pricks are thinking because I was thinking about the same damn thing at their age.”
“I’m sure you’re right, but the fact of the matter is Navie was really excited when Mark asked her to prom. Every teenage girl deserves to be able to go to her prom, but not everyone gets asked. Navie really likes this Mark guy, Carson. And she deserves to get to do this, whether you’re comfortable with it or not.”
His head cocked to the side, his eyes narrowing slightly as he focused on me. “Have I told you how unbelievably annoying it is when you’re right?” he grumped.
I leaned into him, wrapping one of my arms around his trim waist as I planted a kiss on the t-shirt over his chest. “Better get used to it, honey. It’ll be an ongoing issue.”
“That so?”
“Mmhmm,” I mumbled, snuggling further into his warmth as happiness flooded through me.
When my eyes began to feel heavy as the porch swing moved back and forth, lulling me into a blissful comfort, I knew I needed to get up and head home.
“Stay,” Carson said as his arm came around my waist, pulling me back against him.
“Carson, I can’t. I need to give Bug her bath and tuck her in.” I pushed against his firm chest, his hold loosening enough for me to stand.
Shrinking Violet (Colors #2) Page 11
