Page 12 of The Edge of Intensity

“True, but I would like to.” His smile makes the dimple come out and play, causing my belly to flop.

I release a deep sigh and stare straight ahead. “No, you really don’t. During discussions I have to repeat some lines or words inside my head. Same with watching TV. Inside my head it’s like a tornado touching ground during an earthquake while a tsunami is on the way. Havoc. Then you kiss me and everything hits pause.”

Giving slight pressure with my leg, Fletch instantly replies and we race away, letting the wind hit my face while Fletch’s manes rock wild and free before me. The thrill of going fast, feeling this powerful animal underneath me gain speed while he runs freely is a true adrenaline rush.

My fingers are wrapped around the rope and I close my eyes to relish in the escape this gives me. The sound of Fletch’s hooves hitting the dirt, his grunts, the wind trying to slow us down; everything lightens my mood. I lean back and let Fletch know to slow down. A giggle slips from me as we come to a stop. This is exactly what I needed.

“That’s a perfect sound,” Rourke remarks as he stops next to us.

I give him a big smile. “I love riding. I love this horse, this land, and the path I take to live my life because it’s my damn life. I have a lot of issues, believe me, I’m more than aware of the roadblocks I also place there myself. I can be difficult to be around or embarrass others.”

“So fucking what, East? We all have demons,” Rourke growls. “Some fight them head-on, others a silent battle inside their head. Some people carry their heart on their sleeve, while some have a tongue as sharp as a whip. Every single person has the fucking right to be who they want to be and do what the fuck they want, okay? We might live in the same world but we all lead our own life. Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise or make you feel like shit.”

His words mean a lot and it’s why I tell him, “Okay. You can spend the night. But I’m not having sex with you.”

His smile is huge and I swear I hear him mutter under his breath, “Not yet, but we will.”

CHAPTER SIX

– ROURKE –

Eastlynne adds more shavings to the stall we’re going to put Miso in when she says, “I had to switch to shavings due to Fletch’s respiratory issues. Normally, I’d just leave them in the pasture with the soft weather, but I guess you’re right to keep them in the stable tonight.”

I let Miso’s hoof, which I was picking, slip from my hand. “At least until I can say with certainty that the shit Winfield caused is handled.”

“Why can’t you let the sheriff handle it?” She’s done with the stable yet I’m not ready to answer her question.

Walking around Miso, I let my hand slide down her other leg to lift her hoof in my palm to pick it clean.

“Do you want to kill those guys and bury them on your property? Is that why you can’t involve the authorities?”

Releasing a deep sigh when I’m done picking Miso’s hooves, I let go and turn to face Eastlynne. “Kathleen, Decker’s daughter, is the sheriff. I’m fairly sure when push comes to shove, she’d pick the club’s side, if there’s a reasonable explanation.”

Her eyes go wide. “You guys have the whole town in your pocket by owning the sheriff?”

“For fuck’s sake,” I mutter while rubbing a hand over my face. “We might have some influence, but like I said, only if there’s a reasonable explanation. Kathleen might be Decker’s daughter and tied to the ranch and the MC that way, but she inherited his loyalty when it comes to being a lawman. In return, we won’t ever risk her trust, reputation, and career.”

Eastlynne sinks down and rests her ass in the fresh shaving. I lead Miso into the empty stall next to the one Eastlynne is sitting in before I sit down next to her.

She stares into nothing when she absently states, “You’re in the center of this huge found family where everyone works and lives together. All while I’m the opposite and avoid running into people whenever I can.”

“Not when you’re at the ranch or working,” I quip, getting worried in the pit of my stomach that this conversation is leading up to where she finds reasons why we shouldn’t be together.

Trying to steer off this path I ask, “What part about your job doing movie and commercial stuff do you like most?”

A hint of a smile tugs her lips. “When I receive the storyboards, it feels like a challenge. To bring it alive and not just the image, but a better version of it.”

“That’s what we do every day,” I muse and gently bump her shoulder.

Thank fuck she doesn’t shy away from my touch and closeness anymore.

“We all have visuals of what we want in life and move forward by trying over and over again until we’ve either perfected it or moved onto something new. The Iron Hot Blood ranch has been evolving for decades. My parents encouraged me to follow in their footsteps and yet they are my boot prints sinking into the dirt. The load of responsibility as the club president weighs heavy at times. Having the found family you mentioned lightens it to a point where I don’t even feel it all pressing down on me. Sure, it can be hard as fuck, especially now when our safety is at stake. But try to compare all those people as a wall we’ve built as a foundation. You have a wall too, except you have no one but yourself to fall back on. I’m not saying this to hurt, insult, or convince you to…fuck, I know it’s mentally draining, and not something you easily step over.” A frustrated growl rips from me.

Taking a deep breath, I add what bothers me the most. “The time we spent together where I got to know the real you showed me I want to be a part of your life, Eastlynne. Which means…for us to be together you’d have to be a part of mine too.”

She lays her head on my shoulder. We’re wrapped in silence as she laces her fingers with mine.

“You’re the first guy who slipped through the walls I’ve firmly set in place to make my life easier.”

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