by Hot;Humid
She didn’t want to leave things like this. “Thane…please.”
“Please what?”
“I came back to tell you that I can’t live without you.”
“And?” he asked.
“And what?”
“Just go. You still don’t get it.”
Brine didn’t know how to fix this. Love didn’t always conquer all. She did as he asked and left. The rain started coming down in thick, heavy drops as she stepped onto the porch. The door shut behind with a quiet click of apathy. What had she done wrong? What more did he want from her? She couldn’t do this. She had to get away. Pain spun through her heart.
Brine went to her car but she couldn’t get inside and drive away. Instead, she kicked the corner of the rusted bumper, knocking it half off. She was angry, frustrated, and tired of being soaking wet. Her heart ached, and the cause didn’t want to talk to her at all because he didn’t think that she got it. She paced back and forth. Her pajama bottoms were getting muddy from dragging through the grass. What was she missing?
The front door opened. Thane stood there. His gaze went to her sagging bumper. Her heart skipped a bitter beat with a hope she didn’t know how to define. He came out onto the porch with the Blunderbuss gripped in his hand. Right.
She yanked open the driver’s side door but didn’t get in. He limped quickly through the rain and handed her the gun.
“This is yours. I didn’t want you to forget it. I know it was your grandfather’s.”
Brine tossed the gun into the passenger seat. It clanked when it hit the passenger door. It snapped and fired. She screamed. Glass shattered around her head. Thane grabbed her around the waist, diving to the ground. She fell on top of him with her knee jacked up between his thighs and her breasts in his face. His hands moved frantically around her body, checking for damage. Light from the front porch cast a warm glow on both of them.
“Brine! Are you okay? Say something.”
She dropped her head on his chest. “I think I just lost about six months of my life.”
His head fell back. Beneath her fingertips, his heart raced. She looked up at him. The corners of his lips were tilted up. He was laughing and cursing. He hugged her tight, putting his head into her neck. She felt his kisses and they felt right. He brought his hands up her sides and smoothed her hair away from her face.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Yeah. You?”
“I’m good.”
Tears streamed down her face. “Thane, I didn’t know the gun was loaded.”
“Hey, don’t cry. I know you didn’t. I didn’t know it was either. I wouldn’t have given it back to you if I’d known.”
She felt her voice tremble. “I like being here with you.”
“That’s a good start for us.”
She moved back to stand but slipped in the wet grass. Thane’s hands came out playfully and tripped her to the ground.
“Hey, wait. Stop squirming, I’m trying to help you up.”
“You’re such a liar. A bad one, too.” She fisted mud, flicking it onto the side of his face. Brine giggled and slapped her clean hand over her mouth.
“Did you just call me a bad liar?” he asked.
“Yes. You’re a big, fat liar!”
“Did you just call me fat?” he asked. “You never complained about my size when we were having sex.”
Brine tried to twist away, but he was stronger. His body was on the hunt for hers but he stopped suddenly.
“Hold still. Don’t move!”
“What’s wrong?” she asked. “Are you hurt?”
Thane reached out toward her face. His muddy finger smeared across her lip, giving her a mustache. “You have something. Right. There.”
“Oh, yeah?” Brine grabbed his neck, kissing him hard. “There! Now you have something, too!”
They stared at each other, both breathing hard. He brushed her wet hair away from her face and kissed her passionately. Brine knew it was now or never. That thought left her breathless. She had to do this now. It was the right thing. Thane was the one.
“Thane.”
“Sweetheart?”
“I’d love to walk away from you, but I can’t,” she said.
“I was thinking the same thing.” He touched his forehead to hers. “I’ll settle for it being a little bit complicated.”
She sighed into his arms, smoothing her fingers over the stubble on his jaw. “You okay with that?”
He grinned. “Yeah, I am. You ready to come inside with me?”
The last thing she was going to do was fall into his arms and have makeup sex. Screw him, but she was playing hard to get. “Maybe. You planning on staying in town?”
“I only leaked the story for you to come back to me.”
She gasped. “You wouldn’t!”
He arched one of those dangerous brows. “Would I?”
She knew then that he probably had. “I love you, Thane.”
“It’s about time you admitted it.”
THE END
WWW.TATUMTHRONE.COM
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tatum Throne has a Master’s degree in Social Work. She left the field of medical social work to be a stay-at-home mom and to pursue her dreams of writing romance. She has three rambunctious boys with her husband, AJ. When not writing, Tatum enjoys baking chocolate chip cookies, hiking, spending time with her family, and volunteering.
Tatum is a member of RWA and lives with her family in a suburb of Cincinnati.
For all titles by Tatum Throne, please visit
www.bookstrand.com/tatum-throne
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
About the Author
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
About the Author
