by L. P. Dover
It all started to click into place. “And you saw that as an opportunity to keep him away from me. What I don’t understand is how. I know I had him blocked from my phone, but what about everything else? He said he sent emails but they all got kicked back.”
Her face paled. “That’s because I had him blocked from every aspect of your life. I knew that I’d gone too far and there was no turning back.”
It felt as if I’d been sucker punched in the gut. What made it worse was that the two people I trusted the most had completely betrayed me. I turned to Trina. “Why you?” I cried. It was all too much.
She burst out crying. “I didn’t have a choice, Clara, not if I wanted to make something of myself. There’s no way I could’ve gotten out of Snowy Creek.”
I glared at both of them, but then focused back on Trina. It was strange how all the answers came to me. I could see it now. “So in exchange for all the connections in Paris, you happily did it at my expense.”
“No,” she cried, “I wasn’t happy about it.”
“Spare me,” I snapped. “You could’ve gotten all those modeling jobs on your own if you’d have worked hard. But instead, you had them all handed to you. Hope it was worth it.”
“Don’t be mad at her, Clara. It was my fault,” my mother called out.
“Stop,” I shouted, jerking around to face her. “I don’t want to hear anymore. You both took twelve years of my life away, a life where I could’ve been happy. I—” I stopped mid-sentence and stormed for the door. “I can’t be here right now. I have to go.”
It killed me to leave my dad, but when I walked in, he was still passed out. I hurried into the kitchen to grab my purse and keys, and I left. The second I pulled out onto the main road, everything crashed all around me. I wanted to get as far away from my house as I could, but the tears clouded my vision. Gasping for air, I stopped on the side of the road, and grabbed my phone out of my purse.
Angrily, I lifted the hem of my T-shirt to my face and wiped at my eyes, my mascara smearing all over the place. Once I could see, I sped back onto the road and called Zac.
“Hey, baby. Everything go okay with your dad?” The second I heard his voice, my throat closed up. “Clara, you there?”
“I’m here,” I cried.
“Shit, what’s wrong? Is it your dad?”
“No. There’s so much I have to tell you. Right now, I’m headed to your place. I can’t go back home.”
“Jesus, Clara. What the hell happened?”
I took a deep breath and began to explain. Nothing was ever going to be the same.
23
Clara
Three Weeks Later
Zac and I had been together a total of a month, and we’d already been through so much. It was strange spending every day and night with him, but I loved every minute of it; it was an adventure. Every morning, we’d work and, in the afternoons, we’d take the horses out for a ride. It was perfect, but unfortunately, there was still a dark cloud that hung over me.
Ever since my mother spilled the truth, I refused to stay at my parents’ house. I returned my mom’s car to her and started driving Zac’s for the time being. I made sure to visit with my dad as much as I could when my mother wasn’t there. I didn’t want to see or talk to her. The same with Trina. They both called me every day, and every day I ignored them. Trina had refused to accept that I didn’t want to work with her anymore. For the past three weeks, she’d taken on the role as her own publicist.
Zac had gotten up early and disappeared into his study for most of the morning. He’d already hired his team and they settled into their offices at the Mid-West headquarters in downtown Jackson Hole which was the biggest city right outside of Snowy Creek. The one good thing about Zac being the boss was that he got to work wherever he wanted.
After finishing up breakfast, I tiptoed down the hall toward Zac’s office. I stopped at the door and peeked my head around the corner. He had custom built bookshelves on both sides of the room, and behind his desk was a large window overlooking the mountains. There were blueprints scattered across Zac’s desk but he was focused on his laptop.
“I see you,” he said, glancing up at me and smiling.
Giggling, I walked in and then whistled when I got a good look at him. He was shirtless and only wearing a pair of jeans. “Looking pretty hot sitting there,” I teased.
He waved me over. “Want to see what I’ve been working on? My client wanted a modern-style log cabin.”
I joined him at his desk and peered down at his computer screen. It was definitely a modern-day log cabin, and it was awesome. The house was a mixture between timber and stone with flat, sloping roof lines. Not to mention, the large walls of glass that had exceptional views of the mountain landscape.
“Is this your Colorado project?”
He nodded. “Yep. Do you like it?”
It was amazing. “I love it,” I gushed.
“I’m adding the final touches, and then I’m sending it to my client.” He typed a couple of things in and sat back. “Done. Now all I have to do is wait to see if they approve.”
“How long does that usually take?” I asked.
“Not long if they like it,” he said, chuckling. He pulled me onto his lap and kissed my neck. “It’s early. Why don’t we go for a ride up to Hidden Falls? We’ll make a day of it. That is, if you’re all done with work.”
It just so happened that I was. I wrapped my arms around his neck. “I am. Let me get dressed and I’ll be ready to go.” I kissed him and then went to the bedroom to get out of my pajamas.
By the time I was done and had fixed us a picnic of sandwiches and chips, Zac was outside in the barn, getting the horses ready. Cooper whinnied as I approached, and it made me smile. I strapped the picnic basket to the saddle and hopped on.
As soon as Zac got a good look at me, he whistled. “Damn, baby. You’re fucking sexy as hell right now.” I had on a pair of skimpy denim shorts with an open plaid shirt and a sports bra underneath.
I grinned wide. “Thanks.”
He climbed up on Dirty Girl. “What’s in the basket?”
I winked. “Lunch. You know I don’t like to skip meals.”
Chuckling, he clicked his tongue and Dirty Girl started out of the barn while Cooper and I followed them. “Yeah, we don’t want you getting hangry,” he shouted. Ever since I started using that word he loved making fun of me over it, expressing to me how stupid it sounded. It was interesting how we’d gotten back to old habits, like no time had passed between us.
We galloped through the field until we reached the tree line. The trail was only wide enough for one horse to pass through at a time. Zac hung back and let me and Cooper take the lead. The forest was quiet except for the birds chirping in the trees. In the distance, you could hear the rushing water from one of the smaller waterfalls that wasn’t far off the path.
I glanced back at Zac and smiled, loving the way the muscles in his arms flexed with his movements.
“What is it?” he asked, grinning back.
“What was it like MMA fighting? Did you enjoy it?”
He chuckled. “Loved it. Back then I had a lot of anger. It worked well for me.”
“Did you like interning for your family at River Enterprises?” We’d been together nonstop for a month, but there were so many things we hadn’t talked about yet. It was fun finding out things about him. The trail opened up a bit, and he moved up beside me.
“I did. You’d never think my mother had a rich sister by the way we lived. Then again, she married into the Broussard family. They’re like royalty in New Orleans.”
“They didn’t treat you differently, did they?” I wondered.
He shook his head. “Not at all. I’m family, and they take that very seriously. I don’t think I’ve ever met a more loyal clan.”
I snorted. “Must be nice. Wish some people in my family were like that.”
Zac met my gaze. “You are going to talk to your mother before
you go back to California, aren’t you?”
“Depends,” I said, trying my hardest not to smile. I hadn’t told Zac my plans yet, but it seemed like the perfect time.
His brows furrowed. “On what?”
I shrugged. “That might not be ever.” Grabbing the reins, he made Dirty Girl stop. I did the same with Cooper and giggled.
Zac stared at me curiously. “Are you saying you might not be going back?”
“Well … I don’t know,” I replied in a sing-song voice. “I’ll have to go back to get some of my things, but I was thinking it might not be so bad to stay in Wyoming for a while.”
The surprise on his face was exactly what I wanted. Seeing him happy about my decision definitely reassured me that it was the right move. He reached over and grabbed Cooper’s reins, pulling me closer. The next thing I knew, his lips were on mine.
“How long have you known?” he asked, breaking the kiss.
“A while. I wanted to wait until the right time to tell you. My dad already knows.”
He kissed me again. “Does that mean you’re going to live with me?”
I bit my lip. “If you want me to? I can always get my own place.”
He silenced me with another kiss. “Don’t even think about it. You’re mine now and I’m not letting you go.” When he pulled back, there was a mischievous grin on his face.
“Why are you smiling like that?”
“No reason,” he said, clearly lying by the twinkle in his eyes, “I’m just ready to get to the waterfall to celebrate.”
Everything inside of me tightened. I knew exactly what he meant, hence the reason why I dressed to torture him.
It took a couple of hours to get to the waterfall, so we stopped earlier to eat lunch. I was hungry and didn’t want to wait. The last time I was at Hidden Falls, Zac had shown up unannounced, back when I still thought I hated him. We wrapped Dirty Girl and Cooper’s reins around a tree branch and walked down to the waterfall.
Zac took my hand and led me to a thick patch of grass near the water’s edge. He laid out the blanket and we sat down just like old times. We’d snuck away many times to that same very spot just so we could be alone together. It was the first place we’d ever made love to each other … and the first place he told me he loved me.
Zac stared down at our entwined hands and smiled. “Do you remember when we were here last? Not the time a few weeks ago, but right before you left for France.”
Closing my eyes, the memories flooded back. “We’d just gotten back from New Orleans after paying our apartment deposit.” I opened my eyes and met his gaze. “It was the first step we took toward our future.”
He nodded. “That’s right. It was a good day. In that moment, I knew without a doubt that I was going to have you forever. We might’ve been young and a little naïve, but I knew.”
“And here we are,” I said. “Together again.”
The sun shone down on us and we were surrounded by trees of plush green leaves. Soon, they’d be covered in yellows and reds. There was no one else around, only us. Zac gently guided me down to the blanket and covered me with his body.
Running his fingers up and down my bare stomach, he groaned in my ear and bit my lobe. “You look so hot right now. Are you having fun torturing me?”
I bit my lip. “Yep. I knew it’d get you riled up.”
A smirk splayed across his face. “It worked.”
Sliding his hand away, I rolled over and straddled his waist, pinning his hands above his head. His arousal could be felt growing beneath his shorts. I squeezed him with my thighs, and he pressed his bulge into my center. His raw gaze bore into mine, untamed. In a lightning fast move, he escaped from my hold and flipped me over, spreading my legs open wide.
“Is there something you want from me?” he asked, sliding his tongue along my bottom lip.
Lifting his shirt, I pulled it over his head and threw it to the side. “You have no idea how bad I want you right now.”
“Well, let’s just see if that’s true,” he murmured, unbuttoning my shorts. Once his finger slipped easily inside of me, he groaned and pulled it out, sucking it clean. “Fuck, you’re so wet. Why don’t you take a look at how bad I want you?”
Sitting up on his knees, he lowered his shorts and his cock sprung free. I wrapped my hand around his length and glided up and down, earning a strangled moan from his lips. The tip of his cock glistened with his desire, so I did the same thing he did to me and swiped it with my finger and sucked it off. He tasted salty, but I loved it . . . I loved everything about him.
Growling low in his chest, he pulled my shorts all the way off and lifted me up so he could work on the rest of my clothes. It was all so fast and exciting. Once his clothes were off, he covered me with his body and pushed inside, deep. “I love being inside of you, Clara.”
I moaned and fisted my hands in his hair when he pushed in harder. “I love it, too.”
Taking my hands out of his hair, he held them over my head. My breasts grew heavy and my nipples peaked in anticipation. He licked lightly over one, and I lost it in a matter of seconds.
In lieu of playing with my overly sensitive nipples, he licked and sucked his way up my neck. I missed his lips, and would take them anyway I could get them. When he got close to release, his eyes locked on mine, never once wavering. With each push, he grunted with the force, penetrating me not only with his body, but with his mind, too.
My climax built with each thrust and eventually I tightened all around his body, screaming my release as he pounded into me, his cock pulsating with his own. I never knew love could be so wild and raw. Still connected, Zac flipped us over and sat up so that I straddled his waist. I gasped at the feel of him so deep inside of me.
“Want more?” I asked breathlessly.
Expression serious, he cupped my cheeks. “You have no idea.” He slid his hands off my face and grabbed his shorts, reaching inside one of his pockets. “I think it’s time we make some new memories here,” he said, meeting my gaze.
“I think we just did,” I teased.
He shook his head. “I mean like this,” he said, holding up a glittering diamond ring. It was a round diamond with blue sapphire side stones. Mouth gaping, I stared at the ring and then at him. My body shook with excitement. “I love you, Clara. When you told me earlier today that you were going to stay in Wyoming, it made me feel so much better about what I want to ask you. I didn’t want you to feel pressured to leave California. If you wanted to stay there, I would’ve gone with you. That’s how much I want this to work.”
Tears filled my eyes. “What exactly do you want to ask me?” I wanted to hear him say the words.
Taking my hand, he slipped the ring down my finger. “We’ve waited so long for this moment, and I don’t want to waste any more time.” After kissing me, he rested his forehead to mine. “Will you marry me, Clara? You’re the only thing I want in this world.” His lips gently grazed mine. “Please say yes.”
“Yes,” I whispered, breaking down into tears. “You’re all I’ve ever wanted. I can’t imagine my life without you.”
He pulled back, smiling. “It’s a good thing I’m not going anywhere.”
Neither was I.
24
Zac
A couple months ago, I never would’ve thought that I would go from hating Clara to proposing to her within a month. We’d already wasted so much time and I didn’t want to waste any more.
It was days like today that I’d missed, just sitting on the couch together and watching TV. The simple things. Clara and I were done with work, and since it was cloudy outside with a looming thunderstorm, we decided to spend the afternoon on the couch. I never knew I could be this happy.
I scrolled through the channels on the TV, and when I got closer to the sappy love channel all the women loved, Clara smacked my hand and gasped. “Oh, stop, stop, stop. They have their new summer movies on right now.”
Groaning, I slowly scrolled to her channel and
clicked on it. “I thought they only did Christmas movies.”
She giggled and elbowed me in the ribs. “I’ll be watching those, too, smart ass. They started doing new movies for every season. The fall ones are really good.”
Sighing, I set the remote down. “Great. I just hope you’re ready to watch some football in the fall, too.”
She kissed my cheek. “Anything for you.”
And just like that, the woman had me in her grip. There was nothing I wouldn’t do for her. That was why our relationship had always worked. I’d spent a decade dating women who only thought about themselves. Clara wasn’t like that.
I rubbed my fingers down Clara’s arm. “When do you want to tell everyone we’re getting married?”
She looked up at me and smiled. “This weekend?”
Taking her hand, I lifted it to my lips, her engagement ring shimmering on her finger. “Sounds good to me.”
I knew I was going to ask her to marry me, so when I went to Colorado to meet with my client, I stopped at a jewelry store and bought it. When I was eighteen and we were about to move to New Orleans together, I knew then how I wanted to propose to her. It was going to be at our spot at Hidden Falls.
Clara sat up and cleared her throat. I could tell there was something on her mind. “What is it?” I asked, turning her to face me.
She bit her lip. “I know we just got engaged, but I was wondering what you had in mind as far as the wedding date. Some people stay engaged for years, months, and God knows for how long.”
I tapped her chin. “If I had my way, we’d be married tomorrow.”
Her eyes shot open and she gasped. “Seriously?”
I shrugged. “Why not? We already know we’re going to be together. I don’t see the point in waiting a year or more. Not unless you need that time to plan the wedding.”
Tears filled her eyes and she flung her arms over my shoulders. “Zac, you have no idea how much I love you right now. There’s something I wanted to tell you, but I didn’t want you to feel pressured.”
