It’s been a lovely day at the ranch. Jax took Matthias and me riding and he said we were both naturals, then when Matthias went to pick some berries with Molly, Jax and I sneaked off to his room and he fucked me twice in an hour. Now he is reading Matthias a bedtime story.
I smile as I wander through the house. I could sure get used to living like this.
I walk out into the yard and see a lonely figure sitting near the campfire. The huge lump of lovable bloodhound at his feet tells me it’s Harvey. I go over and sit on the small wooden crate beside him. He seems lost in his own thoughts but he snaps out of them when I sit down.
“Come on, Blue,” he says as he rests his hands on knees and goes to push himself up into a standing position.
“Please don’t go, Harvey,” I say, placing my hand on his arm. “I just came out for a little fresh air. I won’t stay long.”
He considers it for a second and then he sits back down.
“Jackson won’t like you talking to me,” he says.
“Well, he’s not here right now,” I smile at him. “Besides, I’ll tell him I was talking to Blue.” I reach down and scratch behind the dog’s ear and he licks my hand.
“I don’t blame him,” he takes a sip of his tea. “Not wanting me around you and your little boy. He has his reasons.”
“And they are?” I ask because Jax hasn’t told me anything about his father and whenever I ask he shuts me down.
“I’ve been sober for ten years now,” he says with a shake of his head. “Before that, well I was pretty useless.”
“Ten years? That’s an achievement.”
“Is it?” he frowns at me.
“Don’t you think so?” I ask.
“Not much of an achievement when your only son still hates you and you’ll never get the chance to tell the only woman you ever loved how sorry you are.”
“I’m sure Jax doesn’t hate you, Harvey.”
“He does,” he says matter-of-factly. “And I don’t blame him. Not even a little. He has grown into a fine man though, and that makes me proud every damn day.”
Lots of people say stuff like that but don’t really mean it, but I believe Harvey. There is no resentment or malice in his words, just a deep sadness.
“He’s a good man. I’m sure one day he’ll be able to forgive you.”
“I did some things that were unforgivable, Lucia. By the time I fixed my drinking, it was too late. He’s already done far more for me than I deserve.”
“Like buying this place?” I ask.
“Yup. This land has been in my family for six generations and I almost lost it. Jackson found out through Molly and he bought it up. Put it all in Molly’s name. It should have always been half hers anyway, but our Pa was kinda a traditionalist, believed everything should be passed down to his son. And well, I never really thought about what was right or fair back then, so I just took it.”
“And she lets you live here?”
“Yeah—it was one of Jackson’s conditions that she always gave me a roof over my head. Like I said, he’s a fine man.”
I smile as I think about that fine man. He would make a great father himself some day.
“My biological mom was an alcoholic,” I say as a memory of her pops into my head.
“I’m sorry about that. It must have been tough.”
“It was, but not as tough as being without her. She died when I was eight.”
He doesn’t offer false condolences, he simply nods.
“I miss her though. Even though my parents are amazing, she’ll always be my mom too. You know?”
“I get it. It’s nice that you still think of her fondly.” He smiles at me and I’m struck by how much Jax looks like him.
The sound of footsteps behind us makes Blue sit up and wag his tail. I spin around to see Jax storming toward us with a murderous look on his face.
“What the fuck?” he snarls at Harvey when he reaches us. “I thought I told you to stay the hell away from her?”
Harvey stands and opens his mouth to speak but I jump up and stand between them. “It’s my fault, Jax. Harvey and Blue were already here when I came and I asked him not to leave.”
“I’ll go,” Harvey mumbles.
“There’s no need. She’s leaving.” He takes hold of my arm. Harvey looks down at his son’s hand gripping me tightly and a strange look, like regret mixed with anger, flashes across his face.
“Don’t you dare fucking look at me like that,” Jax growls. “I am not you, old man.”
“I never…” Harvey shakes his head.
“Let’s go.” Jax grumbles as he leads me back to the house.
“I’m sorry,” I mouth to Harvey as we walk away.
He gives a slight shake of his head and a faint smile but I feel guilty for making things worse between the two of them.
We are back inside the house before Jax speaks to me again. “Can you ever just do as you’re fucking told?” he snaps as he runs a hand through his thick hair.
“I was only talking to him,” I protest.
“I told you to stay the hell away from him,” he glares at me. “It was the one thing I asked you to do.”
I fold my arms across my chest. “Well maybe if you told me why I had to do that, I would have.”
He narrows his eyes at me. “I shouldn’t have to explain myself, Lucia. If I tell you to do something—”
“I’m just supposed to obey you without question, is that it?” I interrupt him.
“Yes.”
I close my eyes. There’s no reasoning with him when he’s in alpha asshole mode so I try a different tactic. “Is he dangerous?”
For some reason that makes him laugh and he shakes his head. “Not anymore.”
“But he used to be?”
“Lucia! I don’t want to talk about it,” he barks at me and I take a step back from him. I have spent the last four years doing my best to push every button this man has. I’ve thrown up on him and in his car, called him names, teased him relentlessly, but I’ve never been the recipient of his anger like this before.
“Okay. I guess we’re done then,” I turn around and walk away but I have barely taken two steps before he pulls me back to him, spinning me around until I’m facing him again.
“We’re done?” he growls, glaring at me with such fire and fury that it makes my legs tremble, but not in a bad way.
I swallow hard before I answer, momentarily unable to speak. But before I can utter a word, his lips crash onto mine and he kisses me so fiercely that I struggle for breath. His hands fist in my hair as he grips me tighter, pushing his tongue into my mouth and devouring me like a starving predator who has finally caught its prey. I wrap my arms around his neck as he lifts me and walks us toward the huge wooden table before sitting me on it. His lips don’t leave mine as he pushes my thighs apart and settles himself between them. The unmistakable sound of him unfastening his belt and zipper makes wet heat pool in my core. I should push him away. Anybody could walk in on us here, but I am powerless to resist him. Then his hands are on me again, one on my hips while the other slides up my inner thighs until he reaches my panties and tugs them to one side.
He lets me up for air as he drives his cock into me and I gasp loudly. I’m not quite ready as he stretches me wide open.
“Jax,” I whimper as I cling to his neck.
He kisses me again, pressing me tight to his body as he fucks me on the table. There is none of his usual finesse, this is simply about raw, primal fucking. He is claiming me and I love it. I love him. Every facet of him. My fingernails claw at his back as I fight to pull him deeper. My walls squeeze around him as I try to take more. He shifts my hips so I’m leaning back slightly and the new angle ensures that he hits that perfect spot deep inside me.
I wrench my lips from his as I struggle to breathe and then I groan his name, no longer caring who might catch us. I need this like I need air.
He buries his face in my neck, growling obscenities in my ear. “We will never be done. You belong to me, Angel. I will never stop fucking you. Your juicy cunt was made for me.”
When he slides his hand between us and rubs my clit with his thumb, I feel the familiar tingling in my core as the heat and pleasure spreads through every nerve in my body.
“Fuck,” I hiss in his ear as I lose all sense of time and space.
“Come hard for me, Luce,” he growls and I do exactly that, whimpering and shuddering in his arms as he goes on fucking me until he finishes too.
He pants for breath and I rest my head on his shoulder as my heart races. We stay like that for a moment before he cups my chin in his hand and tilts my head so I can look into his eyes. “Done?” he frowns at me.
“I meant the conversation,” I whisper.
He narrows his eyes at me.
“But I’m so glad you misunderstood me, because that was next-level hot.” I arch an eyebrow at him and he chuckles softly.
I rest my hands on either side of his face. “I wish you would share some of your past with me, Jax. I get that it hurts, but…”
“But what?”
“It feels like you don’t give me all of you.”
He looks down at our joined bodies. “I’m still inside you, Angel. I just gave you everything I have.”
I swat him in the chest, making him laugh again. “I don’t mean like that.”
He pulls out of me and zips up his jeans. “We should get out of this kitchen before somebody walks in on us,” he says with a wink and holds out his hand to help me down from the table.
I take his hand and sigh inwardly. Once again, he has managed to avoid telling me anything meaningful and it hurts me more than I could have imagined. He takes my hand as he starts to walk out of the kitchen, expecting me to follow, but I stay rooted to the spot.
“You talk about how different we are in age, Jax. How much more experienced you are than me. But this right here, this is the biggest imbalance in our relationship.”
“What?” he frowns.
“You say you want me to act like a grown up—to ask for what I want—but you only mean when it comes to sex.”
“Luce?”
“It’s true though, isn’t it? You know everything about my past, Jax, even though I didn’t tell you. I had no choice because you went digging into my family history on my father’s behalf.”
He shakes his head. “I…”
“And I don’t blame you for that. It was your job. But at least do me the courtesy of giving me a little something back in return. Because until you do, then we will never be on an equal footing.”
He blinks at me but he doesn’t say anything further. What was I expecting anyway?
“Night, Jax,” I whisper and then I walk out of the kitchen alone.
