Claimed By Him: (Contemporary Romance Box Set)

by Alexis Winter

  He shakes his head. “No, I didn’t mean that.” He sits up completely, grabbing his glass of wine only to realize it’s empty. “I guess I haven’t been completely honest with you, Amy.”

  My mouth opens, but no words come out.

  “That wasn’t the only reason I left home.” He takes a deep breath and places the glass back on the table. “When I found out that my older brother was getting the ranch, I was pissed. I had been the only one to ever show any interest in it. James was only there because he was required to be. He would’ve rather run off and found his life someplace else. The twins couldn’t find a ranch from a hole in the ground. But my dad, he was dead set on his eldest child taking over. He forced James to stay and claim his rightful place, even though he knew I wanted that life. So when I didn’t get what I wanted, I had a fit and ran off. That’s when I came here. If my dad didn’t want me on his ranch, then I’d run a different one.” He lets out a deep laugh, but it sounds menacing. “That’s who I really am, Amy. I’m not a guy who deserves you. I’m nothing more than a child having a temper tantrum.”

  I lift myself to my knees, placing my hand on his jaw and forcing him to look at me. “That’s not true, Tyler. What could you have done? Stayed, knowing that you’d never get the life you wanted? Watched as your dad gave everything you ever wanted to your brother who didn’t give a shit about it? I think,” I say as I climb into his lap, “you did the right thing. You left. You came here, and you grew as a person. You saw that you didn’t need their handouts. You were determined to get what you wanted in life, even if that meant leaving everything you knew behind. And,” I quickly press a kiss to his lips, “you got me. Now we can work for everything we want together.”

  He lets out a soft chuckle. “You think so? You don’t think I’m just a baby who ran away from his problems because he didn’t get what he wanted?”

  “No way.” I shake my head. “You’ll get everything you ever wanted, Tyler. You just have to trust.”

  His lips turn up into a small smile as he closes the distance between our mouths. In one swift motion, he stands, cradling me against his chest as he walks us into the bedroom, never breaking the kiss.

  He gently lays me down on the bed and covers my body with his. His hardness presses against my core, making me yearn for him. My stomach tightens and my whole body tingles with anticipation. My legs wrap around his hips, wanting, needing him closer. It’s only been a few days since Tyler and I have been together in this way, but now that I’m finally able to feel his touch, it feels like years.

  My arms snake around his neck, pulling his mouth closer as my tongue tangles with his—tasting, needing, consuming. His hands tug my hips toward his, pulling the junction between my legs against his growing erection. He grinds his hips into me, causing a gasp to slip past my lips.

  “I don’t know what it is about you, Amy, but I need you.” He begins moving downward, pressing kisses to my jaw and neck. “I need you like I’ve never needed anything or anyone before. I crave your touch. I yearn to taste you and to feel your skin against mine.” He pulls away enough that he can look down on me as he begins to unfasten my jeans. “I can’t get you off my mind, Amy. When I’m alone, I can hear the way you cry out for me—those soft moans and gasps that leave your beautiful lips when I slide deep inside you.” He tugs my jeans down my legs, then uses his thumb to press against my aching nub. “You consume me, Amy.” His fingers slide between my folds, making my back arch as a whimper escapes my lips. “You own my mind,” he breathes out, sliding his fingers inside.

  His voice is deep and hushed, almost sounding pained. It’s a tone I’ve never heard him use. It’s like he needs me, like I really do own him and he’s powerless to break free. It makes my heart pound in my chest and my lungs stop breathing. Seeing him this way, completely bare for me—physically and emotionally raw—amplifies the emotion between us. I can feel every word he says. I can taste it like a charge in the air. I’ve finally worked my way beneath all his layers the way he’s done with mine.

  He loves me, even though he’s still too afraid to say the words or to even admit it. But I don’t need those words. I just need this. He doesn’t have to tell me he loves me for me to feel it. He shows me he loves me by the way he touches me, the way his body aches to touch mine, and the way he looks into my eyes and bares himself to me. He can’t say the words, but I can feel their meaning.

  When he lowers his mouth to my slit, my eyes roll back and close, reeling in this feeling. His hand never leaves me, and his mouth only adds to the pleasure he’s already making me feel. I fist the sheets, holding myself down, because I know I’d be floating away right now. Everything inside me is filled with so much love for this man—this broken man who’s slowly finding all his pieces once again.

  “Tyler!” I call out his name, but he doesn’t stop. He only works harder, forcing me to feel the way he feels: loved, happy, and overwhelmed with everything changing between us. But those things don’t scare me. They make me feel alive—like I’m finally getting everything I’ve ever dreamed of.

  When I shatter, he withdraws himself. Pulling away, his hooded eyes lock on mine as he gets himself to his knees and works his jeans down his hips. I quickly sit up and remove my shirt and bra, wanting to be completely bare for him, needing to feel his skin against mine. The second I drop my bra to the floor, his hand lands on my cheek, long fingers wrapping around my neck, as he pulls me back in for a kiss. I can taste my arousal on his tongue, and it only turns me on more. The way my body reacts to him is all its own. I don’t have to think about the way I feel about him because it’s right there, demanding to be noticed.

  Somehow, he manages to break the kiss and flip me over in the blink of an eye. I don’t know what’s going on until I’m up on my knees and he’s sliding into me, filling me with every long, hard inch. My back arches as he pushes on the back of my neck until my cheek is resting against the pillow.

  He grabs the end of my ponytail and twists it up around his fist, pulling my hair until my head is off the bed with my chest pressed against the mattress. “You like that, Amy?” he asks, hushed and out of breath as he continues to move inside me.

  I can’t talk. My brain can’t process words. My only reply is a loud moan that makes him rock against me, brushing the perfect spot inside of me that has me seeing spots. I call out his name loudly as I shatter around him.

  Chapter 13

  I wish I knew how to explain how I feel about Tyler. I wish I knew how he over-flooded my senses, how he can take over my body with one touch, and how he makes me forget all my problems the minute he slides into me. I’m coming to realize that there is no way to explain how I feel. There are no words. It’s just something deep inside of me that knows that I belong with him, and that he belongs to me. I couldn’t break this off now even if I wanted to. But I don’t want to. The way he looks at me, touches me, talks to me, and claims me, it’s everything I ever wanted. There’s something that connects us on a deeper level, and even though I’m just now realizing this, I think it’s been with me all along—from that very first introduction. I ignored it then because I thought he was interested in Vesper, but now I know what drew me to him that night. It was the other half of my heart and soul I’d been living without.

  When he flips me over and positions himself at my opening, his dark eyes lock on mine, and it feels like something’s being exchanged. He pauses, changing gears from hard and fast to soft and slow. He pushes forward, sliding into me as he lowers himself against me.

  “I love you, Amy,” he whispers against my lips, rocking his hips forward just enough to make me feel his love.

  “I love you too, Tyler.” I grasp a handful of his hair, tugging it as I jerk his lips to mine. I love it when he takes his time with me, but right now, I don’t want slow. I want passion fueled by desire. I want pain—pain to remind me that this is real.

  Pain is the only thing in my life that has kept me grounded. I’ve had dreams of living the life I wa
nted. I’ve felt happy and loved and excited, but the pain was always numbed, only leaving the positive feelings. And that’s how I always knew I was dreaming. And now, the pain I’ve always felt is gone.

  Now I’m craving that pain to make me believe that this isn’t a dream—that this is really happening, that this is the life I’ve always dreamed of.

  His hands hold firm at my hips, pulling me into his thrusts. It’s like he understands what I need without having to be told. The pain in my hips from his hold, the pain that’s cutting through me with each of his thrusts, I find the beauty in it. This is real.

  It doesn’t take long before we’re both falling apart together. When he rests at my side, he pulls me against him. The room is filled with our loud, erratic breathing. My heart is pounding away in my chest, and when I place my palm on his, it’s beating right along with mine, hard and fast, fueled by our love.

  “You know I meant every word I said, right? It wasn’t just something that slipped out in the throes of passion,” he chuckles.

  “I know,” I whisper, curling into his side even more, resting my thigh over his hip. “You don’t have to say those words. I can feel it every time you look at me and touch me.”

  He presses a kiss to my forehead. “I don’t know how you did this to me, but I’ll never be the same.”

  “Neither will I,” I admit.

  He places his finger beneath my chin, directing my eyes to his. “I know I put on a show to make people think I don’t care, but that’s just to keep myself from getting my heart ripped out again. I haven’t said those words to anyone in such a long time, I didn’t think I could form the words anymore.” He takes a deep breath. “I guess what I’m trying to say here is…please don’t hurt me, Amy. I don’t think I’d ever be able to recover from losing you.”

  I roll on top of him, placing my hands on his chest to support my weight. “I know I’d never recover from losing you, Tyler. I love you, and I promise, I’ll never hurt you.” With one rock of my hips, he’s sliding back inside me, and he lets out a low growl at the overwhelming sensation—a sound that makes every muscle in my body tighten.

  The sun is just starting to come up as we’re pulling away from one another. He walks me to the door, but neither of us wants to part. He’s wearing just a pair of loose jeans. He’s still shirtless and barefoot, but that doesn’t stop him from chasing me out the door. He catches my hand in his and pulls me back against him. Pressing my back to his truck, his lips find mine and his tongue slides into my mouth. We’re both laughing through the kiss, but neither of us wants to stop. Last night was different from every other night we’ve spent together. Last night, he finally let me in, completely in. He admitted things he never would have before, and it only made me fall that much more in love with him.

  I place my hands against his chest, pushing him away. “I have to go. I have work.”

  He nods, but his lips land right back on mine.

  I giggle. “I’m serious. I have to go.”

  He dips his head low, resting his forehead against mine while his hands land on my ass, pulling me against him. “Come on. Just call in sick.”

  More giggles and laughs as I swat him away. “I can’t. I missed yesterday. Seriously, I have to go.” I press one more quick kiss to his lips, and dash away.

  Finally, he lets me go.

  When I look back over my shoulder, he’s still standing in place, watching me walk down the dirt road, back to my truck. His dark eyes are bloodshot from lack of sleep, but they’re still hooded and filled with desire. His sexy lips are turned up into a teasing smile, and his abs and chest are hard, calling me back to him.

  I force myself to turn and watch where I’m going. I know if I keep looking at him, he will eventually win out and I’ll go running back—back to a place where I feel warm, safe, and loved. Back to his arms.

  A sigh leaves my lips when I think about how much control he has over me, how much love and passion he causes me to feel. I know I’ll be thinking about last night all day. The daydreams of what we did won’t stop until I’m right back in his bed with him moving on top of me, claiming me, loving me, pushing me to feel the explosive love between us.

  Walking into my apartment, I find Ethan already up and moving around the kitchen. He gives me a grin when I walk in. “Late night?”

  I playfully smack his arm. “Shut up. It’s bad enough I’m doing the walk of shame.”

  He hands me a cup of coffee. “I’m just teasing you.”

  I take a sip. “What are you doing up so early?”

  He leans against the counter, bringing his cup to his lips, and gently blowing across the top to cool it off. “I’m going to take a test.”

  “A test?” My brows furrow together in confusion. “For what?”

  He smiles. “I don’t know if you know this, little sister, but I’ve served years in the military. That kind of background is exactly what local law enforcement needs.”

  My mouth drops open. “You’re going to be a cop?”

  He nods, smile still in place. “If I pass the test…and you know I will.”

  “That’s great! Where will you be working? Here?”

  He scoffs. “In this town where nothing ever happens? No, I’ll be in the city.”

  “Ethan,” I groan, “you’re going to make me worry about you every day, aren’t you? And here I was thinking you were finally safe.”

  He lets out a deep laugh. “You know me. I’m not happy until I’m looking danger in the eye,” he jokes.

  I shake my head and turn to leave the kitchen. “I swear, if you die, I’ll kill you.” I begin making my way into the living room to get cleaned up for work.

  “What kind of sense does that make?” he shouts at me.

  “I’ll bring you back to life, then kill you. Better?”

  “You need to work on your threats, Amy.”

  I look over my shoulder just in time to see him step into my view. I hold up my middle finger and keep walking.

  I make it to the clinic with ten minutes to spare. Automatically, I get to work by starting up the computers, turning on the lights, and fixing coffee. Vesper walks in and doesn’t say a word. She just heads back to her office.

  I know Vesper, and she’s always chipper in the morning. It makes me wonder if something is going on. So I head back to her office. I lean against the open door and watch as she walks around like a zombie, taking off her jacket and pulling on her white coat. She places her purse behind her desk then takes a seat. Finally, her eyes meet mine and she jumps.

  “You scared the shit out of me. How long have you been standing there?”

  I laugh as I move deeper into the office and sit in the chair across from her. “Just a few minutes. What’s going on with you today? You walk in and don’t say a word, then you basically sleepwalk, not noticing anything. You didn’t even try to steal my coffee.”

  She shakes her head and takes a deep breath as she leans forward, resting her elbows on the desk in front of her. “I didn’t get any sleep last night. Liam and I were up fighting most of the night.”

  “Fighting? Over what?”

  “He left for California today.”

  “Okay…”

  “He wanted me to go with him.”

  “Why didn’t you?” I cross my legs and wait to find out what’s really going on.

  “Because my life is here. I have two clinics to run. I can’t just go jet-setting around the world on a whim. We’re just so different, you know?”

  “Vesper, what’s really going on?”

  She runs her hands through her strawberry blonde hair. “I don’t know if this can work between us, Amy. I mean, he lives in California. He’s only been staying here for me. And my whole life is here. I can’t move to California.” Her eyes are wide with fear and panic.

  “He asked you to move to California?”

  “Yes! Well, not full time. Live there with him part time and live here part time. But I can’t do that. What would I do in Cal
ifornia? The only reason I was even able to take a vacation was because I had him there with me, distracting me. But if I move to California, he’ll be working, and I’ll be…what? Going crazy wondering what’s going on here.” She tears her eyes from mine and hangs her head, massaging her temples.

  “Do you love Liam?”

  “You know I do. I’m just worried that this can’t work, you know? How can it? He’s gone so much. And he just gets a wild hair and decides to fly halfway across the world. I can’t do that.”

  “Why can’t you?”

  She gives me a sidelong look.

  I lean forward. “Vesper, all I’m saying is that you love Liam, and Liam loves you. You’re about to get married. And yes, I know you want to work and provide for yourself, but Liam has enough money that you’ll never have to worry or stress about money again. He’ll be a great husband and father one day. I just…I don’t see how you can let that slip between your fingers.” Without another word, I stand and leave the office, hopefully giving her something to think about.

  Several hours later, Vesper comes up front and sits down beside me. “You’re right, Amy. I’m just panicking.”

  I place my hand on her knee and rub it up and down for some comfort. “I know you are. And you have every reason to be. Your life is about to be changed forever. But change isn’t something to fear. It’s something to embrace. I know you had your life all planned out, but this life will be even better. You’ll have someone to share it with. You’ll have someone who will do anything for you. You’ll have something that some people only dream about.”

  She smiles and pulls me in for a hug. “Thank you.”

  “Anytime.”

  She pulls away. “Want to order in some lunch?”

  “Duh!” I reply, grabbing the phone to order from our favorite pizza place.

  “How’s your mom?” Vesper asks when I place the order and hang up.