Ignite: An Everyday Heroes World Novel (The Everyday Heroes World)

by Kim Loraine

  She rides like she’s been doin’ it all her life, and that makes my heart swell. Her smile is wide as she works Ben up to a lope in the empty arena.

  “Sit back a bit in the saddle, darlin’,” I call. “Let your hips move with him.”

  A sultry chuckle from behind me has me turning in my seat until pain shoots down my side as my stitches pull. Kelsey joins me, taking the seat next to me. “She’s cute. A little young for you, don’t you think?”

  “You’ve met her before, Kel. Don’t act like you haven’t.”

  She shrugs. “I just didn’t take you for a cradle robber.”

  That makes my skin crawl. Is this the future we’ll have? People judging us, thinking she’s wasting her time on an old guy or wondering if I’m taking advantage of her? I don’t want that for her. She needs normal after everything she’s been through.

  “What do you think you’re doing with her? She’s innocent, too sweet for a guy like you.”

  I snort. “A guy like me?”

  “Yes. A man who likes it rough. Who needs a challenge. This little princess isn’t enough for you.”

  “You don’t know a damn thing about me and what I need.”

  “I’d be willing to learn.”

  Lark’s eyes lock with mine from across the arena and worry fills her face. I just shake my head and get to my feet. “You know, I think I’ll have Hank ride Ben from now on while I’m laid up. Keep your hands off my horse, understand?”

  Kelsey stares, slack-jawed, anger flickering in her eyes. “You’re sick, Travis.”

  I make my way down the ramp just as Lark dismounts and takes Ben by the lead rope. “You’re ready to go home to the ranch with me, sweetness,” I say as she exits the arena, Ben at her side.

  “Yeah? Think I have what it takes?” The excitement in her voice makes me wonder if she really wants to go back to Sunrise with me and meet my aunt and cousins.

  “I do. You work hard at everything. But you play hard too.”

  “Once you’re feeling better, we’ll go.” She says it like it’s a given, and I want it to be.

  “That sounds…really fucking great.”

  I brush my palm over Ben’s flank, and my heart aches at the feel of his coat. “He’s such a great horse,” she says. “Thanks for letting me ride him. Working with him, and you, has really helped me, you know?”

  “Has it?”

  “I’m sleeping again. More than a few hours. I’m working. Planning things.” She laughs. “I’m going to the store on my own. I know it’s dumb, but that was a big step for me.”

  “I’m so fucking happy for you.”

  She cocks her head toward Ben’s stable and says, “Come on. We’ll put this guy away and go back to your place. We can make dinner and you can tell me all about life on the ranch.”

  I sigh. “That sounds perfect, as long as you stay.”

  “I wouldn’t be anywhere else.”

  God, I hope not. I want her in my bed, my heart, and my life.

  16

  Lark

  Warm, strong arms are wrapped around me, keeping me tangled in the best possible way when I wake up. Travis has me and I have him. Right now, it doesn’t matter that he’s nearly twice my age or that my dad is his boss. The latter is something we can figure out, the former? It’s a non-issue. I want him forever.

  “Darlin’, you know if you keep wiggling around like that, I’m gonna have to break doctor’s orders, right?”

  Travis’ low rumble makes my belly tighten in anticipation. “Maybe we could…misbehave a little?”

  He chuckles. “So you’re horny in the mornings?”

  My cheeks heat. “Looks like it.”

  The brush of his stubble over my shoulder has me shivering with need. His palm snakes over my hip and under the oversized t-shirt I stole from him. I bite my lip when his fingers travel down to the line of my panties and as he plays over the fabric between my thighs, he groans. “You’re already soaked for me, sweetness.”

  “Of course I am.” I rock back, my ass rubbing against his steel length. “And you’re hard for me.”

  “Every fucking time I look at you.”

  I chuckle. “It must’ve been really rough then, these last few days.”

  “You have no idea.”

  I continue wriggling, rolling my hips in a rhythmic motion that has him gripping my inner thigh and holding me tighter to him. He cups my pussy through the lace of my underwear, and every time I buck, the heel of his hand rubs my clit. It’s not enough to get me off, but it definitely intensifies my need.

  “More,” I whimper. “I need more.”

  The scrape of teeth on my nape makes me moan and when he whispers, “Take off your clothes, now,” I suck in a sharp breath.

  I shimmy out of my panties and sit up, taking off my top, baring myself completely to him.

  “What next?”

  He grins. “I can’t fuck you, but I can eat your pussy until you can’t take it anymore.”

  My nipples tighten to nearly painful levels. “What?”

  “Get over here, straddle my face, and let me make you come.”

  What if I suffocate him? I’ve never done this before. I might be terrible at it. “How?”

  “Well, you can hang on to the headboard if you want, or you can face the other way. As long as I get your clit on my tongue, I don’t care.”

  Biting my lip, I take a deep breath and let my arousal take the reins. I straddle him, putting my knees on either side of his head, and when he reaches up and cups my hips, I tense. But that quickly melts away when his tongue flicks my clit. “Oh my God,” I whisper. He tastes me like I’m his favorite dessert, and before long, I’ve fallen to all fours, my pussy at his disposal and his straining cock in my face. I can’t help but lick the length.

  “Yes,” he murmurs against my mound. The vibrations of his voice send tingles through me.

  “Fuck, Travis.”

  I ride his mouth, chasing my release. I pull him between my lips, sucking him almost to the root. He lets out a pained groan, and his teeth graze my clit. That’s enough to send waves of my orgasm crashing into me. I moan around his cock, crying out as much as his length allows. Then I release him and move until I’m straddling his hips but facing away.

  “Ride ‘em, cowgirl.” His voice is a harsh rasp as I lower myself down on his bare cock, the length almost impossible at this angle. A flood of wetness rushes from my pussy, and he hisses. “So tight and hot. Fuck. You were made for me.”

  His hands brace my hips, fingers digging into the softness at my waist. “Brace yourself on my thighs, ride me like I’m a stallion you’re trying to break.”

  I do. It’s intense and powerful, and I don’t know how much more I can take. My thighs burn, my body is coiled tight. I want to come again. “Travis,” I whine.

  “It’s okay, sweetness. Hop off and lie on your back. I’ll take care of the rest.”

  In a few quick movements, I’m under him and staring into his gorgeous blue gaze as he sinks into me. “You’re so fucking beautiful, Lark. The way you look when you come…fuuuuck.” That word, it drags as though he doesn’t want to let it go.

  I wrap my legs around him and urge him to move harder, faster. He pistons his hips until his breathing is heavy and everything tenses.

  “God, Lark, I’m gonna come.”

  I dig my nails into his back and kiss him hard. But then he pulls himself from me and groans loud and rough as he spills his release all over the lips of my pussy. Cock pulsing, the head pushing back inside me the barest bit, he sucks in a sharp breath and backs away.

  “I could spend every minute inside you and it still wouldn’t be enough.”

  I close my eyes and sigh happily, internally echoing his sentiment. I don’t ever want to let him go. “Never enough.”

  “Come on, let’s get cleaned up.” He takes my hand and pulls me to stand. My body is still alight for him, burning with the connection between us. He must notice, because he smirks.
“Insatiable little thing.”

  My cheeks heat and I look away. “You created a monster.”

  “I’m not gonna apologize for that. As long as you’re my monster.”

  Running my palm up his bare chest, I stop when I see the bruised incision site on his side. “Shit. God, are you okay? I’m so selfish. I got carried away and forgot completely that you were recently impaled.”

  He chuckles. “So were you. Repeatedly.”

  I lightly slap his shoulder. “Seriously, are you okay? Are you in pain?”

  Shaking his head, he bites his lower lip and looks at me with a guilty, playful expression. “If I say it hurts, will you kiss me better?”

  Sighing, I roll my eyes. “You are the worst.”

  “It only hurts a little. I’m fine. I promise. I would have stopped if I was in real pain.” He tugs me toward the bathroom. “Now come with me. We need a shower.”

  “Oh, no. We’re not getting in that shower together. We’ll end up fucking until you really do hurt yourself.”

  He waggles his eyebrows. “It’ll be fun as hell to try.”

  “No. Not happening.” I back into the bathroom and push him away. “I’ll shower first since you…got me all messy.”

  His grin makes my belly clench. “All right, darlin’. Have it your way.”

  When I’m squeaky clean, I leave the bathroom and manage to avoid falling right back into bed with him, though I don’t know how. He takes my place in the shower, and I head into the living room, queuing up an episode of Saddle Up so I can get a little glimpse of life on Ryker Ranch. I order us some takeout from a local Indian restaurant we both love and settle in, wanting to soak up as much of the next day I have with him before I have to go home.

  “What are you watchin’?” he asks from behind me, and his voice warms my soul.

  “Your family. You don’t want to watch?”

  “Actually, I kinda do. I miss them.”

  He sits next to me, lacing our fingers together and bringing my knuckles to his lips so he can brush a soft kiss there. “Okay, then.” I press Play and snuggle into his uninjured side as the opening credits roll.

  He’s all smiles as his cousins appear on screen, dramatic shots of them riding the ranch land in the sunset, a wide sweeping aerial view of the beautiful space. “Do you wish you were still there?” I ask.

  “It’s complicated. I feel like I lost everything but learned a lot about who I am too. If I hadn’t left…I don’t know who I’d be right now.”

  “I get it. Everything we experience shapes who we are.”

  He nods but stays quiet as we watch the contestants introduce themselves. They’re in for a rough time of it. Especially a few of them. My limited experience with horses has proven that without question. When the doorbell rings, I hop up. “It’s dinner. I ordered Indian.”

  Winking, he grins. “You’re so good to me, sweetness.”

  Smiling, I nearly skip to the front door, but when I open it, there’s not a delivery driver standing in the threshold. There’s a beautiful woman with long auburn hair and curves that would make a back road jealous. She’s also sporting a swollen pregnant belly. I frown and look at her hands in search of a takeout bag.

  “Who the hell are you?” she asks, one hand on her hip.

  “I…Lark. Who are you?”

  “Gina. Travis’ wife.”

  The bottom drops out of the floor. I swear. At least, that’s how it feels because I can’t understand what I’m hearing. “Gina?” I have to clear my throat to get the word out.

  “Yes. And you look like the reason he hasn’t been returning my calls.”

  Travis

  Ice runs down my spine at the sound of my ex-wife’s voice. All too close. All too real. I’ve avoided her for the last six months but now, she’s fucking here.

  “Travis?” Lark’s panicked tone sends a wash of guilt through me. She shouldn’t have to be dealing with this. With my baggage.

  Slowly, I get to my feet, fighting the tug and pain in my side. With as much control as I can muster, I make my way to the front door, where I see the one woman I’d bound myself to forever staring daggers at the woman I love more than anything. “Gina. What are you doing here?”

  “What kind of wife would I be if I didn’t come take care of the father of my baby?” Gina’s words are syrup sweet.

  “Ex-wife,” I bite out before the rest of her words sink in. Baby? What the fuck is she talking about? “What did you just say?”

  She rubs her perfectly manicured hand over the swell of belly I hadn’t noticed at first. “I’ve been tryin’ to tell you, but you don’t answer my calls. And when you do, you barely let me talk.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding.”

  Pouting, she stares at me. “Don’t you remember? The night before you left. I thought maybe we’d reconcile and things could go back to the way they were. You were so…wild. Like it used to be.”

  Lark stiffens beside me, her face pale, lips pressed together in a firm line. “I should go,” she whispers.

  “Yes. You should.” Gina’s response is out there before I can even figure out how to handle this.

  Lark turns and rushes for the bedroom while Gina strides inside and drops her bag on the floor with a loud thud. I turn to face my ex-wife and frown. “Don’t move.”

  “Travis, what are you doing with her? She’s a teenager. I didn’t know you were into daddy play.”

  My cheeks burn with anger, annoyance, and a little bit of shame because I do have a thing for being called daddy…by Lark. “You don’t have a say in who I’m with, Gina. You stopped having a say the minute you spread your legs for that asshole resort owner.”

  “I made a mistake. I’m sorry. I haven’t been with him in months. Since before you signed the papers, Trav.”

  Lark appears in the hallway, bag hefted over her shoulder, eyes shining with unshed tears. Fuck. “I’ll…talk to you later, Travis.”

  “Lark, wait,” I say through a tight throat as I reach for her.

  “No. You have enough on your plate right now. Figure your shit out, cowboy. I have to go.”

  She leaves, shutting the door hard enough to make the hat rack on the wall shake. It takes everything in me not to go after her, but she’s right. I have some serious shit to figure out. Starting with the woman standing in front of me who says she’s carrying my baby.

  17

  Lark

  “I don’t understand how I was so stupid. I trusted him. I loved him. And I thought he loved me.” My voice is thick with tears, eyes aching from crying, heart a mangled mess.

  “He’s an asshole. A married asshole who lied to you through his teeth. Don’t blame yourself for believing he was a good person, Lark.” Daisy brushes my hair away from my face, hands me a tissue, and then wraps her arms around my shoulders. “I’m so sorry.”

  I’m at her apartment. I have been since leaving Travis’ place three days ago. I don’t want to see my dad and have him ask questions about why I’m so upset. Hiding my feelings has never been my strong suit. Mom always called me her open book. She knew from one look if I was happy, sad, angry, and everything in between.

  “She’s pregnant. Like really pregnant. How could he have forgotten to tell me about that little detail?”

  Sure, they’re divorced, but she’s having his child. A child he’d desperately wanted. I saw it in his eyes when he looked at her.

  “Maybe he really didn’t know?” I ask, trying to convince myself.

  “Likely story. He also didn’t tell you he stuck his dick in his ex seven months ago either.”

  I look down at my phone. The damn thing hasn’t stopped ringing with calls from him. “I should talk to him.”

  Daisy purses her lips. “I’m not gonna tell you what to do. You’re a grown woman.”

  Hands shaking, I answer the call. “What do you want, Travis?”

  He clears his throat and even that sound makes my heart ache. “I’m uh, I’m heading back to Sunrise
.”

  “What?” all the air leaves my lungs at the mention of him going.

  “It’s what’s best for…the situation. I should be home, where I’m needed.”

  I want to say he’s needed here, that I need him, but I can’t. He’s got a baby on the way, and whether he’s with Gina or not, that little one is going need their daddy. “You’re transferring back to your old station?”

  “No, I’m gonna stay on the ranch with my cousins, figure this out.”

  “Oh,” I whisper.

  “Are you…okay?”

  How do I answer that? No. I’m not. My heart is broken into a thousand jagged pieces, each one stabbing me relentlessly. “No.”

  “I’m so sorry, Lark.”

  A tear spills down my cheek and Daisy takes my hand. “Me too,” I say to Travis, then hang up and let the phone fall onto the worn leather couch. “He’s leaving.”

  “For good?”

  “I think so, yeah.” My lower lip trembles as I work up the courage to put on a brave face. “He’s going to be such a good dad.”

  She wraps me in her arms, and I lose it. Great wracking sobs tear from my chest as all the hurt and anger pour from me. In one single knock on a door, my future was taken out from under me. Travis was my future. He was my safe place. My calm in a storm.

  Now, he’s gone and he left me broken in his wake.

  Travis

  “It sure is good to have you back on the ranch, Travis. We’ve missed you.” Aunt Sandy smiles at me over her cup of tea as she sits at the kitchen table.

  “It hasn’t been that long since I left.”

  She slides an empty mug towards me. “You’ve been gone longer. Even when you were still in Sunrise, you were never on the ranch.”

  I take the cup and stride to the full coffee pot on the counter. Filling my mug, I take in the yellow walls, white lace curtains. It’s all exactly the same as it was when I was a kid. It’s home.

  “Come, sit a spell and tell me why you’re back. Don’t think we don’t want you here, but you’ve been lost since the day you married that woman. I thought you found yourself in California.”