Unbridled, page 25
Connor came up behind her in the bathroom and wrapped his arms around her waist. “I think you look delicious. Good enough to eat.” She smelled good, even tasted good as he lapped at her neck. Her breath caught and he felt her heart thudding beneath his arms.
“I’m going to hold you to that promise.” Her voice was a bit husky and it skittered across his skin, raising goose bumps.
“Good, because I intend to keep it.” He glanced around the hospital bathroom. “Are you ready to go?”
“After two days of lying on my ass in this skimpy cotton gown with my butt hanging out? What would make you think that?”
“Let’s get going, then. Your reflection isn’t going to change the longer you look at it.” He ushered her out of the bathroom, then picked up the plastic bag marked BELONGINGS and they walked to the door.
Alex had been more than lucky. She had avoided any lasting injuries, walking away with a hairline fracture in her right wrist, three dozen stitches, more bruises than he could count, and a very sore head. There must have been an angel on her shoulder because James Howard had taken the brunt of the accident when the car rolled.
Although Connor hadn’t seen his body, Yancy had been forthcoming in the extent of the man’s fatal injuries. He’d even had a bullet in his knee, which he had yet to ask Alex about. She said James tried to kill her, but flat-out refused to talk about what happened inside the car before the accident. Alex asked him to be patient until she was ready.
He respected her request, but it concerned him that she wasn’t being forthcoming about it, though perhaps in time she would be able to tell him. Now he’d never know if James had been responsible for Grant’s death, but it didn’t matter, or at least that was what he told himself. Both of them were dead so there was no one to blame. That didn’t meant Connor didn’t want to know, but because he couldn’t know, he tried his best to not think about it.
After arguing for what seemed like an hour with the nurse about using a wheelchair, Alex walked slowly out of the hospital. Connor should have insisted on the wheelchair, but she was as stubborn as a mule. It had taken all his wheedling to get her to stay in the hospital an extra day so they could run a battery of tests to be sure there were no hidden injuries.
They made it to the front door of the hospital and she smiled up at him. He was afraid she would exhaust herself, but she looked as healthy as she could be given the circumstances.
“Wait here, please. I’m going to get the truck.”
She started to protest, but he took off running before she could get a word out. He returned with the truck in only minutes, embarrassed to see his hands shaking. Connor had come so close to losing her, to spending the rest of his life missing her. The urge to protect her would be stronger than he would ever tell her.
He managed to calm his racing heart, barely, before he jumped out to help her into the truck. She made a face at him but praise be, she actually let him assist.
“You know, if you hadn’t already done this for me, I’d think you were doing it because you think I’m too weak.” She reached for the seat belt.
Connor breathed a sigh of relief. “You are a stubborn wench.”
“Thank you. I pride myself on that.” She grinned and he knew everything was going to be all right.
They drove away from the hospital in a comfortable silence. The sun shined brightly as they made their way back to the ranch. The snow had left nary a clue it had been there, although Connor was painfully aware of how much destruction it had caused them. He’d personally made sure Yancy destroyed the Lexus, making it into a cube of twisted metal in the junkyard.
Connor had been so very lucky in his life, despite the rough beginnings. If he hadn’t found Grant, he would not have become a part of Finley’s. If he hadn’t been a part of Finley’s, he would have never met Alex. If he hadn’t met Alex, he wouldn’t feel the way he did. It was unique to him to feel so close to another human being. He’d been protecting himself for a very long time. Alex blew those barriers to pieces.
He glanced at her and noticed her eyes were closed. Perhaps the walk to the truck was more than she anticipated. Connor slowed down to avoid jostling her too much.
“Now, that shit ain’t gonna fly, Matthews.” She didn’t move an inch. “I’m simply keeping my eyes closed because I don’t have sunglasses and the sun is too damn bright. Speed up and get me home.”
Home. He smiled at the thought she had called Finley’s “home” again. It was exactly what Grant would have wanted.
“Yes, ma’am. Anything else I can do for you?”
“Bring me to the cabin and make love to me.”
Connor’s entire body stood at attention, a heat only Alex could bring to him. He never expected her to want to be intimate so soon after being released from the hospital. On a deeper level, he understood her need. She could have died in that car in more ways than one. Alex was a fighter, a survivor who faced death and kicked its ass.
The specters of their pasts, the struggles and pain, needed to be washed away, cleansed from their lives for good. To move on with being together, being a part of a partnership, that was what they needed.
As they turned down the driveway to Finley’s, a peace settled over Connor, spiced by a slow burn to be alone with her. He had a feeling if they parked in the employee lot, they would garner too much attention. Selfishly, he wanted to keep her to himself. So he passed the parking lot and drove across the grass and parked behind the barn.
“What are you doing?”
“Exactly what you wanted. Now, stay there until I come around to get you.”
“Hm, bossy, aren’t you?” She stayed put even if her tartness couldn’t.
Connor hopped out and went into the shed to get a four-wheeler. It wasn’t that far to the cabin but he didn’t want her to walk, and besides, they could get there faster. When he came out of the shed, he saw her smile widen through the windshield of the truck.
He parked the four-wheeler and opened the passenger-side door of the truck. “Your chariot, m’lady.”
“My redneck chariot.”
Connor scooped her into his arms and bumped the door closed. He felt her warmth through his jacket, the sweet beating of her heart against his. They settled onto the four-wheeler and set off for the VIP cabin. The ride was silent, but their bodies were already preparing for what was to come.
She sat in front of him, cradled in the vee of his legs, her soft ass pressed up against his dick. Each bump on the trail was deliciously stimulating as they rubbed against each other. He heard her breathing change, becoming shorter and choppier, as was his. Connor didn’t dare drive any faster because of the terrain and the fact she was recovering from a car accident.
It seemed like it took hours to reach the gate to the cabin, but he knew it was only ten minutes. As he punched the numbers in to open it, she slid off the four-wheeler and stood beside him, waiting.
He turned and met her gaze. “Ready?”
“More than you can imagine.”
Connor scooped her up again and this time she didn’t protest. He pushed the gate closed and walked up the steps, anxious and excited. When they got to the door, he didn’t want to put her down to unlock it, but he couldn’t reach the keys unless he did.
“Allow me.”
She reached into his pocket, her slender fingers brushing his already half-erect dick. He sucked in a breath as she slid one digit up its length, almost as if she were making it longer by magic. Of course, it really was a certain kind of magic.
“God, you’re so hard already.”
“Get the keys and unlock the door,” he said through clenched teeth. “Or I’ll fuck you on this porch for all the world to see.”
“Don’t tempt me, Connor.” She pulled out the keys and within seconds they were inside.
He carried her straight to the bedroom as her husky chuckle sent a zing through him. The bedroom was full of dappled sunlight as it danced through the leaves on the trees outside. The ivory comforter was still covered in red rose petals from his aborted seduction several nights ago. The scent of roses was in the air.
Connor set her on her feet, eager to feel her in his arms. She picked up one petal and brought it to her nose.
“You planned this?”
“Once upon a time.”
“You’re a romantic beneath that cowboy exterior. Red roses mean love, you know.” Her gaze slid over him. “Although I really like the cowboy exterior.”
His entire body pulsed with need for her, for Alex, the woman who held his heart in her small hands. She held out her arms, the blue splint a constant reminder of what she’d gone through. He didn’t need to be told or asked what to do.
Connor took off her shirt, kissing each inch of skin as it was exposed. She sighed, a sound that went straight to his dick. When he slid off her sweatpants, she stepped out of them, standing there in a blue bra and panties. He ran his finger along the edge of the panties.
“I brought these to the hospital for you.”
She shivered beneath his hand. “You went through my underwear drawer?”
“Absolutely. I even carried a pair around in my pocket.” He grinned at her and she shook her head.
“And here I thought you were going to tell me you used one to masturbate.” She tapped his chest. “I can’t reach to unhook my bra, so you’ll need to help.”
“Did you have to ask?” He ran his hands along her belly, loving the feeling of the warm skin beneath his fingers. With a quick flick, he had her bra open and her magnificent breasts were free.
Connor pressed up against her, pushing his dick into her ass, reaching around to cup her tits.
“Mmm, that’s nice.” She leaned against him and put her hands on his. “Pinch them.”
Connor knew every inch of her body, every nook and cranny. She didn’t need to guide him, but the fact she did made him that much hotter. He complied with her order and rolled the pink nipples between his fingers, pinching lightly, then releasing and doing it again.
As her body heated, he could smell her arousal. It surrounded him, beckoned him to lose himself in her. Connor nuzzled her neck, inhaling her scent. He kissed her sweet skin, then lightly bit her. She sucked in a breath.
“Oh yeah, that’s it. Now touch my pussy; make me feel good, Connor.” She spread her legs to give him access.
His name on her lips as he pleasured her made his dick jump against her back. He slid his hand down her stomach and into her panties, then into the folds of her core. She was already slick with her own juices, which he used to spin lazy circles on her clit.
He pulled her earlobe into his mouth and sucked as his hand crept farther down into her wetness. Connor trembled with the need to be with her, feel her around him. Instead, he thrust two fingers into her channel while his thumb continued to pleasure her clit.
She moaned deep in her throat and leaned against him. “I think I want to get on the bed now, before I fall down.”
Concerned he was pushing her too far, he removed his hands immediately. “Are you okay?”
She smiled. “More than okay. You were about to make me come, crazy man. Now, get naked and get in bed with me.”
Connor picked her up and kissed her, then set her down on the bed. With a wicked grin, he hooked his thumbs on her panties and pulled them off. He leaned forward and kissed her pussy, the heat and taste from her core making his breath catch.
He looked at her, nude on the bed covered with petals, a picture come to life. A dream come true. As he undressed quickly, her gaze traveled all over him, making his dick jump when it was revealed. One brow rose and she crooked her finger at him.
“Let’s use that thing before you hurt yourself.”
Connor climbed onto the bed and lay beside her. He traced the stitches on her face with his finger, then kissed them.
“I can’t believe I almost lost you.”
She kissed his finger. “Not even close. Now, show me how much you love me.”
“Your wish is my command, m’lady.”
This was different from any other time they were together. It wasn’t just sex for pleasure. It was making love, celebrating being together, showing how much they meant to each other.
Side by side, he raised her leg and slid into her slowly. Her body welcomed him, pulling him deeper within. She cupped his cheeks and kissed him. It was gentle; it was sweet; it was perfect.
His body had been ready for hers, eager to become one with her again. Within minutes he felt his orgasm building and he wanted to make sure she had her own pleasure. He reached between them and pinched her clit. Alex threw her head back and howled as she came, clenching around him fast and hard.
Connor captured her mouth as he came, spilling his seed into his mate, his woman, his love.
Alex knew what she had to do. It was midmorning a week after she’d returned to the ranch. Connor had basically moved into the VIP cabin with her until they could build a new one for themselves in the spring. They spent their nights curled beside each other, making love, exploring everything together.
Connor went to work every day, kissing her good-bye until he forgot where he needed to be and making love to her again before leaving. She was full of love, so much she could hardly take a breath in when she thought of what life had been like only a few months ago.
However, there was something she had yet to do. She dressed slowly, still sore in spots, pulling on her boots with great effort. The envelope from her father sat beneath the violet, as it had since she’d come home. She assumed Connor had put it there for her, for whenever she was ready to read it. After putting on a hat and down coat, she headed outside, the envelope clutched in her hand.
Alex realized life would not truly begin for her until she put the past behind her, forgave her father, forgave her mother and forgave herself.
She walked straight to the family cemetery, head down against the brisk wind that foretold another storm. It was past time for her to move on and she had finally gotten enough courage to do so.
Although she was shaking, Alex approached her parents’ graves and knelt in the bed of fallen leaves. They crunched beneath her knees as she looked at one gravestone, then the other. Grant and Katherine had given her life, and now she was ready to live the life they wanted for her.
Alex opened the envelope with trembling hands and read the letter, the words her father had left for her.
My dearest Alex,
How can I find the words to say everything? So many things went wrong at once, so many mistakes were made. I looked for you but you had disappeared. I could have hired someone to find you, but so much time passed and I knew you didn’t want to be found.
I hope you one day come back to the ranch, to me and your mother, to the land that is a part of who you are. Please know that I never meant to hurt you. I love you so very much, my daughter.
I made many mistakes as a father, but having you as a daughter was the one thing I did right. You showed me from the time you were two years old just how tough you were. I knew then you would be a formidable force, an amazing creature that would change the world.
When you left the ranch, you were so angry with me, furious at my betrayal, and you had every right to be.
My heart was broken in two first from Katie dying, then you leaving. I was lost until Claire reminded me I had a ranch to take care of, animals to watch over. Then I found myself falling in love with her. I met Connor and he seemed to need me as much as I needed him. When Daniel came along, I remembered what it felt like to hold you for the first time. We were an odd family, to be sure, but there was a hole in my life that never closed.
I am so sorry if we hurt you, dear Alex. You are my heart and I have always been so proud of you, love you so much. I never meant to do you harm. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me for everything. I want you to stay here on the ranch, to remember how much you loved it, to raise your children here and be happy.
If you’re reading this, please know that I am up in heaven now with my sweet Katie girl by my side looking down at you. You are, and will always be, my beloved daughter.
Your loving father,
Grant Finley
Alex pressed the paper to her chest and wept. Deep, gulping sobs that echoed around her. Alex never knew her father loved her.
So many years of unhappiness, of time wasted, that she could have spent with her father. She wept until her tears were empty and her grief faded.
Shaking, Alex rose to her feet and stood between her parents’ gravestones. Mistakes and regrets had nearly destroyed Alex. Now she had a second chance at everything.
Alex tucked the letter in her pocket and turned to leave the cemetery. There at the top of the hill stood Connor. Her heart leapt at the sight of him and she smiled up at the sky, at the clouds dancing above her.
“Thanks for finding Connor and bringing him here, Daddy. I think we’re going to have a good life. Good-bye, Dad. Good-bye, Mom.”
With her soul full of joy and her heart full of love, Alex ran toward her future husband and leapt into his arms.
Beth Williamson, Unbridled
