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Saving Her (Her Protector Book 2) Page 14


  “Fuck, baby. It’s too good. You’re too good.” The words fell from Jake’s mouth in a jumble of sounds interspersed with moans of pleasure. “I need you now. I can’t wait any longer.”

  With lightning quick speed, Jake reached down and pulled one thigh over until I was straddling him. He didn’t even wait to pull off my dress, just lined our bodies up perfectly and thrust all the way inside me.

  I held on to him as I rocked my hips, riding him hard and fast and every movement sent bliss shattering through me. He was big enough to stretch me to my limits but it was like we were made for each other, fitting so perfectly together it brought tears to my eyes.

  Every time his cock pushed into me and then pulled out, dragging across every nerve ending, made me go wild in his arms.

  I looked down into his gray eyes, as warm as the summer night breeze outside and suddenly I felt like I was falling. Falling into him, falling out of myself. I could feel it shift inside me, real and permanent.

  I couldn’t put words to the feeling, as emotions wrapped in pleasure rose inside me. I couldn’t think, I couldn’t speak. His hand cupped my cheek and I couldn’t look away. All I could do was feel.

  It erupted like a volcano from deep inside of me, and I let it out on a scream of ecstasy that echoed inside the truck. My body shook with the power of the climax as it wrung me dry, taking everything I had to give and then demanding even more.

  Tiny gold and silver lights danced behind my eyelids and sparked along my skin like fireworks. It was heaven, pure paradise, sitting there inside the cramped truck, hot and sticky from sex and sweat. Panting and out of breath as I still shook from the aftershocks. And I loved every minute of it.

  I let out a breathless laugh as I drooped against Jake’s chest.

  “Damn,” I whispered, surprising a chuckle out of Jake as well.

  “I couldn’t have said it better myself. You were…You are incredible, Zoe.” His rough words rumbled in his chest and I could feel them wrap around me, holding me just as surely as his arms were.

  I glanced up at him, my eyelids still half closed with satisfaction.

  “Oh, by the way, what Val said? About you being boring in bed?” I shook my head, mystified, “She has no idea what she’s talking about.”

  “Really?” Jake rumbled a satisfied smile curving his lips up until a dimple appeared on one of his cheeks, “Well, maybe we should try again, you know, just to make sure.”

  “Just to make sure.” I laughed, feeling lighter than I had in a long time. Feeling safer than I had in over a year.

  “In the name of science.”

  “Well, if it’s in the name of science,” I said, and then I couldn’t say another word as his kiss claimed me all over again.

  20

  Zoe

  “Are you sure I’m doing this right?” I asked, my voice muffled by the horse that I was currently smashed against as I tried to reach around it far enough to grab the other strap of the saddle. Finally, my arms aching from the strain, I was able to just reach it with the tips of my fingers and I let out a sigh of relief as I buckled it securely underneath Josie’s belly.

  “That’s a good girl. Thanks for putting up with me.” I told her, rubbing her muzzle in the way I knew she liked. I looked across her back at Jake, who was leaning down to check the strap and at the same time trying to avoid Josie’s love bits. That’s what I called them anyway. Jake swore she was trying to get a chunk of him.

  “I will never understand why you chose Josie.” Jake muttered, dodging another attempt. “She’s a menace.”

  “She’s gentle.”

  “Hah! She’s a terror.”

  “She likes me. And she’ll go nice and slow with me. Won’t you, sweet girl?” I petted her again and the horse whinnied in agreement. I smiled at Jake. “See?”

  He just shook his head, tugging on the saddle to make sure everything was properly in its place.

  “I still don’t understand why I’m doing all this. I thought you were going to teach me how to ride?”

  “I am teaching you.”

  “No, all you’ve showed me is how to brush her down, which I already knew. How to check the horseshoes without getting kicked, which is very helpful to know actually but I’m not sure how it pertains to riding. And how to clean and adjust a saddle.”

  “All of those things pertain to riding a horse,” Jake said patiently, much more patiently than I was feeling at the moment. I was just excited to hop on and feel that same rush of exhilaration.

  I watched him as he worked, distracted once more by him. It wasn’t just his sheer size, so much larger than I was, so much broader and muscular. It was everything about him, the shaggy hair and wolf-like eyes. That predatory grace that was so much a part of him, bred from a life of physical work at the ranch.

  Everything about him commanded attention. Even Josie sensed it, I mused, watching the older mare roll her eyes over at Jake when she knew he wasn’t looking. I could see the glint in the animal’s large doe eyes and almost chortled.

  “What’s so funny?” Jake asked, not looking up from his task.

  “Nothing. Nothing at all.” I said, biting my lip. I knew the horse’s secret now. Josie flirted with Jake the same way a grade school boy did. Tugging on hair and picking on the object of their affection. “I’m just excited to get riding.”

  “Well, you won’t be so excited if the saddle comes loose while Josie’s hobbling around the pasture.”

  Josie snorted in offense.

  “Sorry, I mean galloping gracefully.” Jake corrected himself hastily and Josie gave a shake of her mane. It made me want to laugh again but I held it back this time. Barely. I met Jake’s gaze, a lop-sided grin curling up one corner of his all too kissable mouth and the sight of him stole my breath.

  I knew I was getting in way over my head with Jake. But there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it. Every new thing I learned about him, every moment I spent with him, just sent me falling further and further and now, I was pretty sure there was no way I was going to climb my way back up to solid ground.

  “Westley re-painted the fence in the south pasture, just in case we end up making our way in that direction.” Jake said, suddenly serious and I went from falling through the clouds to landing back in reality with a thud.

  Odd things had kept happening around the ranch since that day we discovered the threats painted across the fence. Jake kept saying it was just the Calhoun brothers but every time another threat or mysterious note appeared, I felt the urge to turn tail and run.

  Even after all these months it was still my first instinct. The instinct that I had first followed that had led me out of California and away from my life and everyone and everything I’d known, all the way to Solace, Utah in the first place.

  Only this time, I didn’t want to. I didn’t want to run. I didn’t want to leave. I had finally found somewhere that made me feel safe, where I didn’t need to constantly look over my shoulder. Somewhere I was finally happy. And even more unexpected, I’d found someone who made me happy.

  I didn’t want to run. I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to fight, to do whatever I needed to, to keep it.

  Because the truth was, I didn’t want to lose Jake. Holding on to him was slowly becoming as integral a part of me as breathing, as the beat of my heart, as food and water and air.

  He was becoming essential. Needed. And that should have terrified me, but it didn’t. Which, honestly, should have scared me even more but it didn’t because every time Jake pulled me into his arms, when he kissed me, touched, all I could feel was how inextricably right it all was.

  Even being out here, in the country side, felt right to me. I had always lived in a city. I’d grown up in a city, I had lived gone to school in Los Angeles and had stayed there after I’d moved in with Elliot.

  But here I had room to breathe in a way I’d never had before. I didn’t have much money but I didn’t need much, either. It was slower here, simpler. Better, in a
lot of ways.

  Thoughts of money had my mind spiraling back to the chunk of change I had sitting in my bank accounts, still all untouched. I had saved away nearly every penny since I started working at the ranch and a part of me wondered if, just maybe, it was safe enough to access.

  I could help Jake with the ranch, I could invest in new tools, new tractors and supplies and feed. I could make some major improvements to the old farmhouse that certainly had a lot of charm, and a lot of drafts.

  But just the thought caused a flicker of shadow to rise inside me, that fear that was still hiding to sliver and come to the surface for a moment before sinking back into the dark depths of my mind.

  “Alright, I think she’s ready,” Jake said cheerfully, and I glanced over at him, forcing the shadows away and a smile to my face.

  “About time.” I joked and he just shook his head at me, not saying anything else until he walked around Josie and was standing beside me.

  “Okay, now, I’m going to help you get up the first time but you’ll pick it up quick. If you have any trouble, there’s a step stool in the barn for an extra leg up.”

  I ginned at him, fear forgotten as he stepped up behind me, lacing his fingers together and holding them out for me to put my booted foot into.

  I did as instructed, holding my breath as I grasped onto the pommel of the saddle with both hands as Jake gave my leg a push up and over Josie’s back. She whinnied slightly as we both adjusted to the new weight and I patted her on the neck, telling her what a good girl she was until we both settled.

  “I did it! I’m up here! All by myself!” My grin grew even wider and Jake smiled right back, sharing in my joy.

  “Good job. You’re a regular cowgirl now.” He joked. “Now, just sit tight right here. I’m going to go get Blaze ready to ride out with you, okay?”

  I nodded eagerly, not noticing Josie’s ears suddenly start to twitch or the way her breathing increased until she was nearly panting and the wild rolling of her eyes. The big animal tossed her head first one way, then the other.

  “Uh, Josie? What is it, girl? Something got you–.” The rest of my question was lost in a scream as she suddenly pawed the air, jerking forward, and took off across the pasture and past the interior fence.

  I heard Jake’s shout behind me but all I could focus on was staying on Josie’s back and holding on for dear life as the damned horse tore off, hooves pounding out a frantic rhythm on the ground.

  21

  Zoe

  “Oh god! Oh god! Oh god! I’m going to die.” The stream of words came out in a frantic shriek and there was nothing I could do stop them or stop this horse. “JOSIE!!!” I called out her name, pulling on the reigns, but nothing was even slowing her down.

  My thighs were on fire from gripping the saddle so hard and the muscles of my arms were burning. My fingers were starting to slip and I fought and clawed and dug as hard as I could to keep them wrapped tightly around the pommel.

  This wasn’t how my first riding lesson was supposed to go, I thought suddenly, surprisingly calm and had to bite off a hysterical laugh. Not the way it was supposed to go at all. Not even a little bit.

  I had imagined a sun-dappled stroll through the grassy rolling hills of the ranch not this death race that Josie was taking me on. The old horse ran as if all the devils of hell were chasing her and my heart was pounding in my throat, in my ears.

  I couldn’t even hear my own screams over the noise.

  “Josie, I swear to god if you don’t slow down right now, I’ll…!” I let the threat trail off. Let’s be honest. What the hell could I do, except continue to hold on for my very life which at this point I was sure that I was.

  The ranch passed by me in a blur or blue and green and gold, repeating faster and faster until my eyes watered and I felt dizzy trying to focus on any one thing. It felt like an eternity but it must have only been moments before I finally recognized the direction the crazed animal was taking me. To the southern pasture.

  The same place where the threatening messages had been left, where most of the odd things that had been happening around the ranch centered.

  A new fear rose up inside me, one that had nothing to do with the breakneck speed that the horse was galloping at or the out of control ride.

  “Josie! Josie, slow down girl! Slow down!” I cried, tugging on the reigns, but it still didn’t matter. It was like she couldn’t even hear me.

  As we rode closer to the southern pasture, the fear and panic inside me grew and my eyes widened even more when I saw what looked like three figures in the distance in front of me. They were standing in a circle and all of them were holding what looked like shovels.

  Why the hell are they holding shovels? Why are they digging?

  The thoughts ran through my mind with lightning speed as my eyes fell to the ground in front of us. It was littered with holes. Holes that could easily break a horse’s leg if it fell into one of them.

  With all the strength I had left in my shaking arms I grasped the reigns, and drew in a deep breath, pulling up sharply with everything I had to give.

  “STOP!”

  Josie stopped so suddenly it was a shock to my system and sent me tumbling head first over the front of the animal.

  I landed hard on my back and it knocked the wind out me. I struggled to draw a breath, stars shining in front of my eyes as I tried to focus but everything spun dizzily around me.

  “Holy shit!”

  I heard the deep voice speak from a great distance. Everything sounded fuzzy and far off and muffled by the high pitched ringing in my ears.

  I gasped, trying to draw air into lungs that didn’t want to work, too shocked still to feel any pain. All I could feel was an electric tingled that shot up and down my body fueled by panic and adrenaline.

  Finally, I could suck in a breath and I inhaled as deeply as I could. Slowly, I became aware of my body once more. My feet first, wiggling my toes experimentally before making my way up my calves, my knees, my thighs.

  Up to my sit bone, my spine, my ribs and shoulders. Slowly moving and testing each muscle group before finally making it to my arms, my wrists, my hands. My fingers wiggled and I flinched at the sudden, sharp pain that made itself known on my right wrist.

  I looked over to see that my arm had fallen against a sharp pile of rocks and had sliced the sensitive skin. I stared at those rocks, my eyes wide, breath coming in pants. If I had fallen a few inches to the right, it would have been the back of my head that had landed there, instead of just the edge of my arm.

  “Holy shit.” I whispered shakily, still staring at the razor sharp rocks.

  “Yeah, that’s what I said. What the hell were you thinking, racing around like that?” A shadow fell over me and I fought to focus on the face that appeared in the sky above me. It look me an extra long moment to recognize him as the man from the bar, the one Beth had been talking to.

  “What the hell are doing out here digging holes? Do you know how dangerous that is? Josie could have broken a leg!”

  The man gave a short bark of a laugh, “The horse? You’re worried about the damned horse? Lady, you could have broken your neck!”

  “More’s the pity that she didn’t.” Another voice chimed in, this one sounding mean and hard. I gasped at the words.

  “That’s…that’s despicable!” I said in outrage.

  “Ignore Lucas. He has a permanent problem.”

  “Oh yeah? What’s that.”

  “He’s an asshole.”

  “Oh,” The dead pan way he said it surprised a laugh out of me with made me groan. Now that I could feel again, the pain made itself known. I felt like my whole body was bruised.

  “Can you sit up?”

  “I think so.” I said, taking the hand he reached out to me. He helped me up until I was sitting upright but a wave of dizziness caught me off guard and kept me from rising all the way to my feet.

  “I’m Zoe, by the way.” I said dryly and the look the dark haired man
gave me was just as dry.

  “I know who you are. I’m Wil.” He stepped back, pointing behind him and I squinted at the other men. There was a taller one, who had the same dark hair and a scruffy beard. “That’s my brother, Ian.” Wil pointed to the third man, the one who was a permanent asshole. His hair was buzzed short but still dark and he had no facial hair. Just a mean, hard glint in his eyes. Yep. Definitely an asshole. “That’s my other brother, Lucas.”

  “Hey.” I said with a nod, my thoughts so scrambled that it took longer than it should have for me to place the names. When it hit me, I gasped, looking at them accusingly.

  “You’re the Calhoun brothers! You’re the ones that have been messing with the ranch, trying to steal it away from Jake! When he hears what you’ve done–.”

  Wil held up his hands. “Just hold on to your horses for a minute now.”

  “A little late for that, don’t you think?”

  “Well, maybe you’re right about that.” Wil said with a sudden glint of humor shining in his eyes and I could easily see what Beth had seen in him that night. He had charm for miles. “Still, Jake doesn’t need to be involved in this.”

  “Are you insane? You’re digging up holes on his property–.”

  “It’s not his.” Lucas cut in, glaring at me in a way that made me want to shrink in on myself. I forced my shoulders straight and my chin up so that I could meet his gaze, even though I was still sitting with my butt in the dirt.

  “It is. This property legally belongs to Jake Gallagher. I don’t know why that fact is so damned hard for you to understand, I imagine it has something to do with your lack of intelligence or impressively low IQ. And honestly, it doesn’t matter what it is, because the fact is this land doesn’t belong to you, it will never belong to you, and you are all trespassing!”

  I was breathing hard by the end of my tirade, glaring at all three of them now.

  “This land rightfully belongs to my family, you little jumped-up bitch. You don’t belong here, and you know what? I think I’m going to make sure you leave. If I had to tie you up and drag you out of the town limits myself.” Lucas said menacingly as he took a threatening step towards me. Wil held out his hands, trying to calm the situation but Lucas never took his eyes off me and I could see it there. He meant every single word. “There is a lot of wilderness in Utah. It could take days for someone to find you. Weeks. Hell, maybe never. Maybe you’ll just rot out there in the sun until the vultures pick you clean.”