Page 41 of Found By You

The back of my chair hits the ground in an echoing smack of wood hitting wood. I don’t intend to stick around and listen to the next generation of gossiping Betty’s ready to take over Whitetail alongside my prick of a brother. I storm out of the dining room to the sound of my family calling me back, but I don’t stop. I stalk down the hall to the front door, yank on my boots, grab my jacket, and head for my truck.

I drive straight to Whitetail Motel. When my phone rings with calls and dings with texts, I only check to be sure it isn’t Maci needing me.

At this point, it’s more like I need her.

I park my truck in front of her room and kill the engine. I’m pounding a heavy fist on her door a second later. I swear, if she’s not in here…

The slide of the chain lock and twist of the deadbolt has me blowing out the hot air boiling in my lungs.

“Duke?” Maci says, confused and beautiful in a pair of floral pajama pants and a white long-sleeve. No bra. “What are you—”

I hoist her up by her ass in one smooth motion as I step inside. She wraps her legs around my waist and locks her delicate arms around my neck. “In this room, you’re mine, remember?” I growl. She nods without hesitation as the door closes behind me. “I missed you, angel.”

My lips crash against hers. Her tongue slips into my mouth as her body presses flush against me. Our mouths twist and caress—every kiss with her is fuel to my addiction for this girl.

She pulls away for those emerald eyes to search my face. She’s smart. She knows there’s more to what’s going on within me than I’m letting on—needing her like this, calling her angel, showing up just to tell her I missed her.

I kick off my boots by the door and carry her to the bed where she’s got her laptop open and a notepad beside it. “What were you doing?” I ask as I set her on the edge to take off my jacket.

“Working out some details,” she says, scooting farther onto the bed and crossing her legs beneath her. “Is everything okay?”

I shrug. “Yes. No. Somewhere in between.”

She bites her lip as I tug my sweatshirt over my head, the shirt underneath riding up to expose my lower abdomen. I flex under her hungry stare. “What details were you working out?”

“Nothing important.” She closes the laptop and sets it off to the side with her notes. “Did you want to talk about—”

I’d rather talk about her. “What details?” I ask again, sitting on the edge of the bed.

She huffs, eyeing me before she says, “The details on me staying.”

My heart is in my throat, and I fight to swallow it down. She’s staying. “You’ve decided?”

Maci looks down at her hands in her lap. “I’m not sure I have a choice,” she admits. “They rescinded the job offer in Anchorage, and with the cost of living being so high there… It wouldn’t be smart to keep to my original plan. It took weeks of begging to land that job in the first place.” She shakes her head. “I should’ve known it would fall through before I even got there.”

“Cassidy said there’s a part-time job open at the coffee shop for you if you want it,” I say. “And Rick’s Gym is open to starting yoga classes.”

“Really?” She perks up. “When did she say that? I just emailed that gym not even ten minutes ago.”

“Alison and Cass called around earlier for you.”

Maci rolls her eyes. “Nosey bodies.”

I scoff. “You have no idea.”

Her smile falters as I fall back on the bed, my feet still on the floor. “So, um, not to sound rude or anything,” she says, “but…why are you here? Did something happen?”

I sigh heavily and rub my face. “Butch just knows how to get under my skin. I love the bastard, but fuck, sometimes he makes it impossible to be around him. And Cass was pissing me off with butting into your business. She’s got a big mouth, Maci, I should’ve warned you beforehand.”

She sighs, looking away.

I sit up and reach for her. Bringing her to straddle my lap, I hold her to me as I move up the bed, sitting with my back against the headboard. “I know you want to be in a place where no one knows your story, but would you tell me?”

Her hands brace against my chest as she eyes me warily. “Why does it matter?”

I slide my hands over her hips and thighs, up and down in an attempt to soothe the worry in her eyes. “Is it selfish of me if I say I don’t want to hear it from anyone but you?” I ask, and when she remains skeptical, I add, “Everything said and done between us is kept between us, Maci. I can promise you that. And I hope you’ll grant me that same respect.”

“Of course, I will.”

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