“Kill them,” one of the other men replies matter-of-factly.
“Kill them?” I ask, surprised. “I thought they were endangered.”
“Not anymore.” Josh shakes his head and wipes his forehead on his sleeve again. “They’re overpopulated here now and can bankrupt a rancher or farmer if they’re not taken care of.”
“A small pack of wolves killed an entire flock of sheep east of the mountains last month,” the taller man agrees. “They don’t hunt to eat, they kill because they can. We’ve been tracking this particular pack. We didn’t realize they’d moved so close to the Lazy K.”
“I had no idea.” I slide my hands in my back pockets to keep from reaching out to Josh. “How many cattle have they killed?”
“Five calves since Monday,” Josh replies grimly.
“Oh my God, I’m sorry.”
“We’re pretty sure we know where they are. We’re heading out now to go track them.”
I stare longingly at Josh, wanting nothing more than a few minutes alone with him.
“Be safe,” I whisper instead.
“I’ll be fine, baby.” He kisses me quickly and turns to the others.
“I told you earlier, Josh,” Erica begins, “you don’t have to go with us.”
“My land, my problem.” His face is set in determined lines. “Let’s go.”
* * *
I lean my head back into the stream of hot water in my new and improved master bathroom and moan as it hits the tight muscles in my shoulders. I’m worried. I still haven’t heard from Josh, and now I don’t think I will today. It’s almost midnight.
I turn off the shower, twist my hair up in a towel, and when I begin drying off, I hear pounding. Loud, incessant pounding.
I secure the towel around me and hurry into the living room, toward the bam bam bam on my front door.
What the hell?
I fling the door wide, shocked to see Josh standing there, his jaw set and eyes intensely . . . fierce.
“I miss you,” he says, his voice strong, as his eyes roam over my face. “I miss you so damn much.”
I step back, allowing him to come inside, and once I shut the door, he gently cups my face in his palms and backs me against the wall.
“I’m so sorry about the other night, Cara.” He rests his lips on my forehead and takes a long, deep breath.
“You don’t have any reason not to trust me,” I remind him firmly, absorbing his heat, reveling in the strength of him against me.
“I know.” His lips glide softly down my temple to my cheek. “I do trust you. I wasn’t expecting Ty to answer your phone.”
I rest my hands on his hips. “Did you get the wolves?”
“We got them,” he confirms grimly.
His eyes are tired, and he has dark circles under them. I brush my thumbs over the dark smudges. “What else is bothering you?” I whisper.
“I miss you so much.” He closes his eyes, tightening his arms around me. “With everything happening at the Lazy K, not seeing you, not having you in my bed, I’m going crazy.” I start to answer, but he covers my lips with his finger. “I need you, Carolina. Please don’t send me away.”
“Oh, sweetheart.” Looping my arms around his neck, I pull him down to me as he tightens his arms around me again, and we hug each other close. “Stay with me.”
“Those are the words I should have said to you on Tuesday,” he murmurs softly against my forehead.
I kiss his chin and comb his hair soothingly in my fingers, my chest bursting with relief and love for this amazing man in my arms.
He hoists me against the wall, just like that night so many weeks ago, and kisses me aggressively, his mouth hot and demanding on mine, his tongue sliding against my own. He supports my center against his hips, wrapping my legs around his waist, and cups my face in his hands, never taking his lips away.
I open my eyes to find his on mine, hot and urgent.
He kisses his way across my cheek and to my ear, sucks the lobe in his mouth, making me moan.
He boosts me higher and sinks two fingers inside me.
“So wet,” he murmurs, and kisses down my neck, licking water droplets from the shower. His fingers begin to move, his thumb worrying my clit, driving me crazy.
This man makes me crazy.
He suddenly wraps both his arms around my torso and allows me to slide down his body until my bare feet hit the floor. He drops to his knees, pulls my right leg up over his shoulder, and buries his face in my core.
“Ah, fuck!” I exclaim, sink my hands in his hair, and hold on. “I’m going to fall.”
“Won’t let you,” he mutters, and licks from my labia up over my clit and kisses the crease between my pussy and my thigh. “I’ve got you.”
He latches on to my lips, hollows his cheeks, and pulls deeply, rubs his nose against my clit, and I swear to God I see stars. I come fast and hard, electricity zinging along every nerve, glorying in this man.
My man.
Before I can recover, he stands with my leg still on his shoulder, lifting me easily in his arms, the towels falling away from both my hair and my body.
“You’re so fucking sexy,” he groans, and bites my neck, hard enough to leave a mark. He lowers me to the couch and steps back long enough to shuck off his own clothes. While he’s stripping, I sit up, and when he sits, I straddle him, lift my hips, and sink down onto him.
“Josh.” My voice is raspy with lust and need, and I begin to ride him, hard. He grips my hips and guides me up and down on him, thrusting his hips up to meet me.
One hand glides up my side to plump my breast as he leans in and sucks the nipple, tugs it with his teeth, and sucks it some more. He finds my clit with his other hand and drives me over the edge a second time.
“Not yet,” I rasp.
“Yes,” he growls. “Come. Now, Cara.”
I can’t help it. I clench down on him, my pussy convulsing around him as I come again and scream his name.
Before the contractions slow, he cups my ass in his palms and begins a hard, fast rhythm again, pushing into me forcefully and steadily.
“I have a weakness for you.” His teeth are clenched and the muscle at his jaw flexes as he speaks. “You are mine, do you understand?”
“Yes,” I whimper, and lean my forehead down to rest on his.
“Look at me.”
I pull back and meet his brown eyes.
“Mine.”
“Yours.”
His face contorts in a mixture of ecstasy and agony as he comes, pulling me down against him and grinding against me hard, making me come again as well.
“Josh!”
“Fuck.” As his body calms, he leans his head back against the cushion, panting and stroking my skin with those amazing hands of his.
I lean in and kiss him, softly, tenderly, cupping his face in my hands as he continues to gently stroke my back, sides, and thighs. I sweep my lips over his, nuzzle his nose with my own, and kiss each of his cheeks.
“Love you so much,” I murmur against his mouth.
“I can’t be without you, Carolina.”
“Back at you, Joshua.”
* * *
I wake to soft sunlight and a cold bed. Without opening my eyes, I know that Josh has already left to go back to the ranch to take care of his responsibilities.
And that’s okay.
Because he loves me and he wants me.
I turn onto my side and feel something crinkle under my cheek. Opening my eyes, I pull the piece of notebook paper out from under my head and grin when I see Josh’s handwriting.
Baby,
I didn’t want to wake you. I have to go back and handle a few things, but I’ll see you later today at the festival. Save some ice cream for me.
Love you,
J
With a wide grin, I hug the note to me and sigh happily as I snatch up my phone and send him a quick text.
I love you too. Will have huckleberry ice cream wait
ing for you. xo
CHAPTER
Fourteen
“How are things going?” Mrs. Baker asks as she ties her pink polka-dotted apron and joins me behind the ice cream counter.
“Good. I’ve already sold three five-gallon tubs’ worth. My arms are going to hurt tomorrow.” I smile over at her as she grabs a scoop and motions for the next person in line. The weather is perfect. The sun is shining brightly, and the crowds are thick and loud. The scent of grilled hamburgers drifts over to me from the vendor next to us, and my stomach growls, reminding me that I’m hungry.
“You should squeeze a tennis ball,” she informs me. “Builds those muscles right up.”
“I’ll remember that for next year.” I laugh. Despite her age, Mrs. Baker has kept herself in excellent shape. She’s petite with short, salt-and-pepper hair and a wide smile.
“Cara!” Seth and his grandma Nancy King are next in line.
“Hi, guys.” I grin at Seth. “Let me guess. You’re here for crab legs?”
“Dude, we want ice cream.” He shakes his head and frowns at me.
“Right.” I wink at him and begin rolling the soft, purple ice cream. “One scoop or two?”
“Two!” Seth crows at the same time Josh’s mom says, “One.”
“I tried,” Seth mutters, and grins.
I hand him his cone and smile at his grandma. “The same?”
“Please.” She nods happily. “How are you, Cara?”
“I’m great, thanks for asking.” The Kings have always been nothing but kind to me. “And you?”
“I’m staying busy and out of trouble.”
“Sounds boring.” I wink at her as she throws her head back and laughs, taking the cone from me.
“I like you, Cara. I’m glad Josh has found you.”
I feel my cheeks burn as I look down at the ice cream before I meet her gaze and offer her a small smile.
“Me too.”
“Come on, Seth, Cara has work to do.” She leads Seth away and I watch them go, happy that Josh’s mom approves of me.
“She’s a nice woman,” Mrs. Baker remarks beside me.
“She is.” I nod and smile down at her just as she glares at the next customer in line.
“She, however, is not.”
I follow her gaze to find Misty next in line, take a deep breath, and mentally prepare myself for her nastiness.
“Misty.”
“Cara, how nice to see you.” She throws me a sharp, fake smile from beneath her pink baseball cap. She’s wearing short denim cutoffs and a white sleeveless button-down top, tied above her navel to show off her flat stomach.
“What do you want?”
“Just one scoop. I have to watch the calories.” Her eyes move up and down my body, then she smirks at me. “You know how that is. How’s Josh?”
“Fine.” Do not react to her. She wants to piss you off.
“Well, that I know.” She chuckles and tosses her long ponytail over her shoulder. “Is he going to be here today? Maybe I’ll try to catch up with him.”
“Why?” I ask bluntly.
“Oh, honey.” She tilts her head to the side and gives me a sympathetic smile. “You still think he’s got a thing for you, don’t you?”
“No,” I respond calmly, proud of myself for not scratching her eyes out. “I don’t think he has a ‘thing’ for me.”
“Good.” She takes the cone from me and leans forward, as if she’s about to tell me a secret. “Because he’s been with me for over a year now. He was fucking me when your tree fell, and he’ll come back to me after he tosses your fat ass aside and moves on, just like he always does with the girls he fucks around with. You don’t scare me. You’re just a bump in the road.”
I have had it up to my eyeballs with Misty’s bitchiness. Before she can turn away, I lean back and smirk, announcing loud enough for everyone to hear, “Well, if that’s true, which I know for a fact it isn’t, you must be a horrific lay for Josh to jump from bed to bed, trying to find something better than you.”
Misty’s mouth drops and her cheeks redden in fury and embarrassment.
“You’ve got your ice cream. You can go now.” I glare at her as she turns and stomps away, marching toward her own booth.
“You don’t believe that bull, do you?” Mrs. Baker asks, her eyes narrowed and voice sharp as a blade.
“Of course not,” I sigh, and wipe my forehead with the back of my hand. “She’s just a hateful, horrible person.”
“Good. She’s the most evil thing I’ve ever seen.”
I silently agree and take a drink of water, enjoying the brief lull from people demanding ice cream.
The rest of the afternoon moves quickly as we serve many more customers, chat with locals, and explain just what, exactly, a huckleberry is to the tourists.
At around three, Josh walks around the counter, wraps his arms around me, and plants a big kiss on me, not giving a rat’s ass who’s watching.
“Hey there, handsome.”
“Hey, beautiful.” He kisses my cheek and grins happily. The circles are gone from beneath his eyes and he looks calmer today.
“You look good,” I tell him as I cup his face in my hand.
“You always look good.”
“I wish Misty had been here to see this,” Mrs. Baker comments, and hands a customer his change.
“What?” Josh’s body stills, and he narrows his eyes at me. “What happened?”
“Misty showed up earlier.” I wave him off as though it’s no big deal, but he grips my shoulders in his hands, keeping me in place.
“What did she say?”
“She just wanted to remind me that you’ll be tossing me aside anytime now and go back to sleeping with her, as you were doing when my tree fell—”
Before I can finish my story, he grips my hand in his, pivots, and pulls me through the crowded park, between tents and tables, through the crowd of people toward Misty’s booth, where she has her home-based cosmetics business on display.
Zack is standing nearby and sees us walk past. “What’s going on?”
“I need to rectify something,” Josh replies, his voice low and measured.
Zack falls into step behind us. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”
As we approach Misty’s booth, Misty is applying makeup to Lauren, a potential customer, and startles when she sees Josh headed straight for her. Josh releases my hand and I hang back, watching my angry man stomp up to Misty, who is sitting behind her table with Lauren seated before her, holding samples of lip gloss.
I feel Zack step up beside me, but I don’t take my eyes off Josh’s back as he slaps his hands down on the table, toppling pink tubes and jars in his anger, and leans into Misty’s shocked face.
“Who the fuck do you think you are”—his voice is like steel, low and measured—“to tell my girlfriend that I was fucking you when the tree fell on her house?”
Misty swallows hard, her eyes widen, and she licks her lips nervously.
Before she can say a word, Josh continues, “I am sick to death of you trying to ruin the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I don’t know what your problem is, whether you’re jealous or just plain mean, but I do know one thing: you’re fucking pathetic.” He stands tall and looks down at her, and from behind him I can’t see his face, but I do see his hands fisting at his sides. “I never had sex with you.”
Misty’s eyes shift left and right, looking at all the people watching the scene unfold, her cheeks pink and mouth agape as she pants in embarrassment.
“I never fucking touched you, and I regret the two dates I was stupid enough to take you out on before I realized what a toxic woman you are. Leave. My woman. Alone. Do you understand me?”
She finally finds her voice, sneers at Josh, and tosses her hair over her shoulder in Misty fashion. “Best thing that ever happened to you?” she asks incredulously. “Bullshit. Look at her. She’s nothing but a fat, ugly bitch!”
“Ignore
her,” Zack whispers in my ear as he wraps his arm around my shoulders. “You’re gorgeous.”
Before Josh can respond, Lauren stands, sending her chair crashing behind her, her eyes flashing in anger.
“Shut the fuck up, Misty! The only ugly bitch here is you. I’m so done with your bullshit. Give it a damn rest!”
Misty’s mouth opens and closes in shock, and she watches in horror as Lo marches from behind the table and over to me, pulls me into a hug that shocks the shit out of me, and smiles down at me before stalking away from the scene. As I watch her go, I spy Ty leaning against a tree, watching her go as well, his eyes narrowed and jaw clenched. He looks back over at me and raises his eyebrows, and I just shrug back at him.
“Well, I never!” Misty exclaims, but is drowned out as people begin to clap and whoop and holler.
It seems everyone is sick of Misty’s shit.
Josh turns back to me as Zack lets his arm drop and backs away. Josh cups my face in his hands and kisses me long and slow, his lips soft, claiming me in front of all of these people.
“You’re staying with me this weekend.”
“I can’t. I have to be here all weekend.”
“I’ll cover for you, dear.” Mrs. Baker winks at me, her eyes sparkling with humor. “You should be with your man.”
Josh kisses my cheek and then whispers into my ear, “You’re staying with me.”
He scoops me into his arms and carries me off, garnering more applause and whistles.
I smile up at him and shake my head. “Caveman.”
His eyes grow serious and he shakes his head sharply. “I love you. It’s about time everyone knows it and respects it. I won’t have anyone telling you lies about me, or about what I feel for you.”
“I knew it was all lies, babe.” I kiss his cheek and then rest my head on his shoulder. “But you can carry me around whenever you’d like.”
“Get used to it.”
* * *
“Wake up, baby.”
I’m pleasantly warm, cocooned in Josh’s blankets.
And in Josh.
My brain clears enough to realize that I’m waking up with Josh still in bed, naked, wrapped around me.
“Carolina,” he croons to me, kissing my neck and shoulder, his hand roaming up and down my side. “Wake up.”