Page 14 of Sweet Madness

A friendship bracelet.

And when Shaw Banning fell to his knees for me that day and slipped the bracelet on, I felt like the luckiest little girl in the entire galaxy. His galaxy.

Looking at it now, I feel the same way as I did back then.

Huh. Things just got a little bit more colorful here. Feeling more than giddy and with all sadness forgotten, I lean back in my seat with the ugly phone and smile wide, thinking of the road ahead with this man by my side. This new great adventure. I choose to think of it as such now. One big, great adventure with this big, grumpy man.

Oh, this will be fun. See… my stars never steer me wrong.

Space Note

Dinosaurs existed before Saturn had rings. Just like my love for you grew without me truly knowing what love was.

“You’re my Saturn.”

— E

Chapter

Three

HEARTBREAKER

Shaw

“It only took me one look. One look and I was done for.”-S

I’ve been sitting in silence for ten minutes, my thoughts wandering from Ben’s request to what is expected of me while guarding the heiress when I hear her stir. Lifting my gaze from the steering wheel, I turn to look at her as she sits up and tries to get her bearings. There’s no denying her beauty—the kind that crashes into you, leaving you no choice but to stop and stare. Like right now. I can’t help but stare.

“Hey,” she says, her voice groggy from sleep as she straightens in her seat. “Why didn’t you wake me up?” She must have drifted off halfway through the long drive; the change in time zones has probably left her tired. And I’m sure finding out there’s a sick fuck after her and her family must have taken a toll on her.

It sure as fuck has me on edge. I might be a mean bastard, but I’m not heartless. She’s in a shitty situation, yet she hasn’t fallen apart.

Turning off the engine, I pocket the keys, grab her small bag, and get out of the truck. I quickly start unloading her stuff from the back. How many things does one woman need? “You’re awake now.”

“Whoa.” The girl breathes out, making me stop mid-suitcase in the air to look her way. “I wasn’t expecting…”

I watch in silence as she takes in the scenery before us. The ranch. Sunshine Stables. It’s no ordinary ranch. It’s an estate with more space than I need. The three-story ranch house was a legacy inheritance—one that was left to my mother, and when she passed, it ended up in my hands.

I never wanted it. Not the place nor the responsibility. But I was left with no choice.

Dark memories try to make their way to the forefront of my mind, but I shove them the fuck back like I always do. They hold no power over me. Liar…

I focus on the moment instead and ignore the ugly thoughts. The ranch. It’s just a place—a pretentious one, but the way Ella is looking at it makes me feel a pang in my chest. I feel… proud.

My mother left this place in ruins when I left Montana at eighteen. Since returning, I’ve dedicated myself to repairing and transforming it into what it is today. It no longer looks like the estate my grandparents left Mom. I made a few changes of my own, and those changes have helped keep the ghosts buried. I’ve also worked on the structure and the live cattle to keep this place running.

I hated it when I was younger, but as I got older, I came to appreciate the silence and peace this land offers me. The flora and the animals are a great distraction as well. The people here are nicer and not too consumed by trivial things. Everyone is friendly—too damn friendly for my taste. But with all the shit I have going on here at the ranch, I barely visit the town unless I need to, which is rare since Phoenix, my right-hand and good friend, handles most of that shit himself so I don’t have to.

Ripping my gaze from the front of the house, my eyes clash with curious blue ones. Those eyes make me feel as if she can see right through me. Can she? I wonder. Feeling too damn exposed, I open my mouth and do what I do best. I fuck it up. “What were you expecting, princess? A small cottage up in the mountains?”

Ella narrows her eyes, and I see a fire there—a fire blazing with determination. “No, grump. But I wasn’t expecting something of this…”

Grump?

This girl…

My mouth twitches, but I quickly conceal it and get to work on her damn suitcases. Who takes five large-as-fuck suitcases to Europe? Ellaiza Kenton, that’s who. Ripping my eyes from her before she sees more than I want her to, I hand her one of the smaller suitcases for her to take into the house herself.

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