Rex and Bono held the same semi-automatic rifles Tony’s men used. They were pointed at the house. I followed their aim and saw Tony surrounded by his men. Mom was a step behind him. There were easily twelve rifles aimed right back at the brothers.
“What we have here is a stand-off,” Tony said. “I suggest you give me back my daughter and leave.”
“Thea’s coming with us,” Caleb said.
Tony ignored him. “Thea come into the house. Now. Daniel will not be pleased to find you running away again.”
Cane laughed. A nasty sound that reverberated in his chest. “Daniel’s not gonna give a fuck about anything ever again.”
Tony’s face turned into a mask of hatred. He looked set to bark out an order to open fire when Mom stepped forward.
“Daniel’s dead?” she asked.
“He is,” Cane confirmed.
“Good.” She lifted the pistol in her hand and shot Tony in the head.
If I had the energy to be shocked, I was sure my mouth would have fallen open. She instructed Tony’s men to lower their weapons. They did. I guessed she was tired of being just the brains behind Tony’s operation, and they were her men now. They knew who was really in charge.
“Leave,” she said, addressing me. “This is the last fucking mess I’m cleaning up after you.”
I buried my head in Cane’s chest again and closed my eyes. I’d seen the last I wanted to see of her too.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Thea
I stood at the open window of the cabin and looked out over the vast mountain range that was home to Cane and Bono. And now me, I guessed. I looked to the forest where Jacob had tried to hurt me and marveled at how peaceful everything seemed. Beyond our little clearing, the lush green forest stretched in all directions. The morning sunlight danced through the canopy and dappled the leaves in rays of yellow and saffron. Birds sang, and the wind whistled through the branches, bringing with it the fresh, clean air and the earthy scent of moss and pine.
Cane was outside with an axe in hand. The muscles in his chest rippled and sent a pulse of need to my core as he chopped bare-chested. He said we were in for a bad winter and it would be best to stock up while we could.
Cherrie bustled in the kitchen area, clearing away the remains of the breakfast she’d made and wiping down the counters. With Greg still in the hospital, but on the mend, she spent a lot of her time in Cane’s cabin, fussing over me. I was glad of her company.
“You gonna stare out that window all day?” she asked and placed a tray of coffee and cookies on the table.
I walked over and picked up my cup. “I’m not staring.”
“If you say so.” She peered over my shoulder and out the window before humming appreciatively. “Not that I blame you, he’s a fine-looking man. Though, he was cuter without the beard. It makes him look, ah, what’s the word... aloof.”
I tried not to react to the word, but the fact that ‘aloof’ was the perfect word for how Cane had acted since bringing me home caused a lump to form in my throat and a knot in my stomach.
Something had changed between us. Every time he looked at me, pain reflected in his eyes.
Cherrie dunked a cookie in her coffee and took a bite. “What’s going on between the two of you?” she asked.
“I’ll be damned if I know,” I said. “It’s as though he’s shut me out.” Not that I blamed him after all the trouble I caused. Cherrie could have been killed. Greg almost was. It was a miracle we’d all escaped alive. As it was, I’d been bedridden for the four days it took me to recover from my injuries.
“Whatever’s going on, the two of you need to sort it out. I’ll not have you moping around every day.”
“I am not moping.” I took another sip of my coffee and grabbed a cookie. “I just need something to do with my time. Can I come back to the bar to work?”
Going back to work was just what I needed. It would take my mind of how much my life had changed and give Cane some breathing space. He’d lived alone in the middle of nowhere for most of his adult life. It couldn’t be easy with me constantly underfoot.
“You can come back anytime. It’s mighty crowded there at the moment with the brothers. Hell, I’m spending more time here than I am there just to get away from all their mother-hen behavior. Greg’s home in a few days and that’ll soon change.” She looked at her phone and downed her coffee before rinsing the mug. “Visiting time starts in an hour.”
“Give Greg my love.”
Cherrie nodded and let out a deep sigh. “The two of you really do need to talk things out. Or you’ll risk losing what you have.”
I rubbed at my pounding head. “I think we may already have.”
Cherrie took the mug of coffee from my hand and placed it on the table before giving me a stern look. “I’ve known that boy my whole life, watched him grow into a man, and I can say with certainty that he loves you with everything he’s got.”
My breath hitched at her words. “He—”
She raised her hand and a small smile appeared on her face. “He’s also stubborn, pig-headed, and afraid of what he’s feeling. Both Landon boys are the same in that respect. You need to sort him out before he goes the same way as his brother and loses his woman. And you,” she said and clasped my hand. “You’re free. It’s time you started living.”
Cherrie left and I returned to the window. The mountains were beautiful, the air fresh and clean. So why did my insides shrivel up at the thought of going outside.
Maybe it was time I took the first step into my new life. Maybe Cherrie was right. It was time I started living.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Cane
The bright morning sun warmed my aching muscles as I pounded away, chopping wood for the fire. I’d lived in these mountains for damn near my whole life and it felt good to be home, even if Thea was too damaged to share it with me.
I’d let her down. Promised to keep her safe and failed. Her bruises may almost be gone, but a scar remained on her throat and in her heart. She’d been hurt, and that was all on me.
I glanced towards the cabin and spotted her standing in the window, looking frail and lost. It damn near broke my heart that I couldn’t take her fucking pain away.
So, I chopped. My pulse raced. I panted from the exertion. And we had damn near enough fucking wood to see us through five winters. Still, I chopped and prayed that the peace of the mountains would seep into Thea’s soul and heal her.
I almost missed the creak of the back door as it opened. I halted all movement and stared at the cabin. Thea froze on the lip on the step leading out. A vision in a long flowery dress that covered her skin but hugged her curves. Her hair whipped around her face and she pulled it to the side. Even from a distance, I noted her nerves were on edge. She looked as though she would bolt inside and slam the door.
Birds sang in the trees and insects scurried along the branches and through the undergrowth, but when Thea took that first step outside, I stood frozen in time, afraid that the slightest sound or movement would break the illusion and she would disappear.
Her chest heaved as she took in a deep breath and walked toward me. Her eyes locked on mine.
“I miss you,” she said, her voice so sexy it took every ounce of control I had not to throw her on the ground and take her. I wanted to bury myself inside her, feel her snug against my cock.
Fuck! What sort of man was I that I looked at her doe-eyed innocence and had those thoughts, especially knowing what she’d been through?
“You came outside,” I said and tried not to let her heady scent of lavender soap overwhelm my senses.
“Cherrie said you loved me but were too stubborn, pig-headed, and afraid to admit it.”
She said the words like a challenge, demanding I prove different. I cleared my throat. “I may be stubborn and pig-headed, but I’m not afraid to admit that I love you. Hell, I think I’ve loved you since the moment we met.”
“Then why have you been so dist
ant? Why don’t you want to touch me the way you did before?”
“Damn it, Thea,” I almost growled in frustration. “I think of you every second of every day. I wanna fuck you so bad my cock hurts.”
A smile played at the edge of her lips, and she placed her hand on my bare chest. Moved closer. I wrapped my arms around her, and she reached up and ran her fingers through my beard. The softness of her full breasts pushed against my chest and I almost growled in need.
“Are you telling me you just want to use me for my body?” She raised an eyebrow, and I knew she was teasing. “What does Cherrie call girls like that. Dolly-girls. Is that what I am?”
I brushed her hair from her face and planted kisses on her forehead, on the scar on her neck. “You are not even close to being a dolly-girl. I would die for you.” Hell, I’d killed for her and would do it again. “I love you.”
“So you said. I-I love you too. So, why don’t you?” she said.
“What?”
“Why don’t you fuck me?”
The words were like fire to my fucking need. I leaned down and pressed my lips to hers before pulling back and looking into her eyes. “Oh, I’m gonna.”
She bit her lip and smiled. “Promises. Promises.”
She jumped up and wrapped her legs around my body, and squealed as I whirled her around looking for the softest patch of moss I could find before lowering her to the ground. I looked into her eyes and knew my fuck-goddess had returned. More than that. Thea had. She held my gaze and I saw my need for her reflected back at me. I saw her love, her trust.
All I wanted was to press my lips against her delightful pussy. “Don’t move,” I said and stripped her of her clothes. Her tits were perfect globes and the pink of her nipples demanded attention.
I had no fucking clue how it happened as my body moved with a mind of its own, but within seconds we were both naked on the edge of the woods.
A moist sheen glistened her silky skin. She arched into my touch as I trailed my finger down her neck, over her nipple, and stomach, and down to the top of her thigh.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Thea
I loved the way just the tips of his fingers could make me feel like I was coming undone. My every nerve sang with need. He kissed his way down my body and brushed his tender lips over my thighs, tickling me with his beard. It seemed an eternity since he’d last touched me in the shower, two weeks ago.
“I want you to make me squirt,” I said, surprised that the words came out of my mouth.
Cane pushed open my knees. His hot breath shot electricity through clit.
“Oh, I’m gonna,” he said again before lapping at my already flowing juices and plunging his tongue inside.
I moaned and arched my hips to meet his tongue, inviting him in. His fingers circled my clit and teased my entrance.
Night after night, I’d imagined the feel of his skin against mine, the thrust of his cock buried deep within me. But none of those fantasies had done him justice. He pressed his finger into me and teased my clit. I bit my lip, moaning softly, but held back my screams of pleasure. His fingers stroked me, setting fire to my core.
“You like that?” he asked.
“Yes.” I moaned “I-I need to taste you.”
Cane stopped, pulled back and looked at me. His pupils dilated until they seemed completely black. I lost myself in their depths. He needed to know how badly I wanted him.
“I need to suck your cock,” I said and licked my lips.
Cane smiled and gave me a cheesy grin. “And I’m fucking ready to provide anything you need.”
I laughed.
He turned around and positioned his mouth over my pussy and my mouth below his cock. My throat dried. From this angle, his mammoth cock was even bigger than it previously appeared. The bulbous tip glistened with pre-cum. I licked it off, savoring the taste on my lips. I grabbed his cock, pulled it closer, and licked at the head and all the way down the veiny shaft. It tightened and hardened even more than before. I teased his balls with my fingers.
Cane shuddered when I took his head into my mouth, and he thrust his hips forward, pushing his way past my lips. The taste of him was intoxicating. I closed my eyes intent on enjoying the sensation.
“Fuck, Thea. That feels so good.”
I bobbed my head up and down and he thrust deeper into my mouth where I liked it. But still there was more of him.
Cane groaned. He sucked my pulsing clit into his mouth. My eyes popped open and I gasped, drawing his cock deeper into my mouth. He teased my swollen bud before pushing inside with his tongue. Unable to stop myself, I arched up to meet him and sucked his cock hungrily. Cane thrust into me, fucking my mouth with his cock and my pussy with his tongue.
He thickened and felt fit to burst. So close. My need grew at the thought of tasting all he had to give.
“I’m so fucking close.” Cane growled, withdrew, and flashed me a look of frustration. “Not yet,” he said, his voice full of raw need. “Kneel.”
He pulled me from the ground. A rush of nervous excitement washed over me. I kneeled. But instead of Cane standing before me and letting me suck him off, he kneeled behind me. His firm hand snaked around my stomach, the other cupped my chin and tilted my head to the side. I shuddered as he grazed bites and kisses down my neck. My knees threatened to buckle. I whimpered.
“You want my cock in you?” His whispered words tickled my ear.
“So fucking bad.” I gasped, my core on fire. He teased me from behind and trailed his hand over my breast, pinching my nipples like a clamp.
I couldn’t wait any longer. I spread my legs wider and pushed back. Cane pressed his palm on my back and guided me forward onto all fours. His cock pressed hard against my pussy and he rubbed my moisture over both entrances.
I braced myself. Not sure where he was going to go. Not caring. Cane tightened his grip around my waist, growled, and thrust into me. His massive cock filled my pussy. It expanded to fit him. I screamed.
“I love it when you scream in pleasure,” he said.
It didn’t take long before I cried out again and dug my fingernails into the mossy carpet. Cane thrust harder, deeper and deeper, driving my ass into him.
Every part of us was in perfect sync. Every touch, every blast of his hot breath, and the musk scent of his sweat caused my senses to tingle while lightning built in my core. My body was made for him. I never thought I could be this happy. Fucking out in the open where anyone could see or hear. With Cane, I felt safe, wanted, and finally free.
“Oh, Cane... oh... oh,” I panted, my breaths coming fast. “It can never get better than this?”
Cane grunted. “It’s gonna get better and better.” His touch drove me closer and closer toward climax. Harsh breaths heaved from my lungs. My pleasure mounted. Cane pinched my nipple, rolling it between his fingers. His other hand slid down my belly and thumbed my clit.
“Promises. P-promises.” My head spun. “Fuck me, Cane.” I threw my head back and screamed as the mounting pleasure exploded within me and a wave a pure ecstasy pulsed through my body. My core clenched around his hardness, demanding he fill me with his seed.
Cane panted, pounding deep inside me until I was completely spent. Then withdrew, denying himself his own release.
“Get back inside and finish,” I demanded.
Cane growled and flipped me onto my back and licked his lips. The look in his eyes and the slow smile building on his mouth sent fresh need pulsing to my core.
A cool breeze blasted along the ground, leaving my exposed flesh tingling and making my nipples stand erect.
I pulled Cane toward me and ran the palms of my hands up his abs, over his perfect tattooed chest. Every inch of his body was rock hard and begging to be touched. I ached to explore it. I swirled my fingertip across his nipples and traced the markings on his Forever Midnight tattoo.
Wild lust filled his eyes and he pinned my hands to the ground above my head. He kissed my ear, my neck, my lips.
His tongue brushed wildly over mine. All the while, he tweaked my nipple, pinching it between his fingers until it reached the point of pleasurable pain. His fingers brushed against my pussy, delved inside.
“Fuck, Cane,” I gasped, already feeling a second orgasm building. I could barely breathe with the heat and intensity flooding my body and didn’t care. He flicked his thumb over the top of my clit and scissored his fingers. His teeth scraped at my nipple. I writhed.
“You are so fucking wet,” Cane said.
I grabbed his hair and pulled his head up to look at me. “Only for you, my love.” My voice trembled. “Cane, I need you inside me. Now.”
“You have no fucking idea what you do to me.” He smiled.
I laughed. “I think it’s pretty clear what you do to me.
His hand skimmed down my side and along my hip, stroking my bare skin, while his eyes devoured my flesh. His touch like feverish magic. He reached my knee and raised one leg in the air, resting it on his shoulder. He guided his cock to my welcoming pussy and thrust inside, impaling me on his thick shaft. I screamed with delight. My body burned and he filled me completely, deeper than I thought possible. Then he lifted the second. He was everything I hoped for and a million times more.
I’d never felt this connected to someone before. He clasped onto my legs and slammed himself into me over and over. I could barely catch my breath. I didn’t know where he stopped, and I began. We were one. My climax built as he pounded me roughly, drilling me closer and closer. My core muscles spasmed. He was all that I wanted. I needed. The weight of his body on mine, the power of his muscles flexing beneath my touch, the feel of every thrust of his body.
“I can’t hold back anymore,” Cane grunted. “Come for me, Thea.”
I braced myself, digging my fingers into the mossy ground. Cane thrust into me faster with rough, deep strokes, holding my feet in the air. My eyes rolled in the back of my head as a second orgasm struck, and I convulsed around his pulsating cock. Cane growled, and pumped his seed inside me, giving me everything he had, just the way I wanted.
Forever Midnight MC Collection: Books 1-3 Page 14
