Page 112 of Burned & Bound

“What does it feel like?” Jackson asked softly. “When you’re touched.”

My chest tightened. No one had ever cared to ask that question. I swallowed hard as I tried to think of a way to describe so he could understand.

“Most of the time it’s just uncomfortable. Like pins and needles uncomfortable,” I attempted to explain, feeling ridiculously pathetic even as the words fell out of me. “When it’s bad… it feels like taking fucking razors to my skin. Just… cutting into my nerves over and over. My clothes hurt. The air hurts. Everything fucking hurts, and I’m just… stuck with it until it goes away.”

“That sounds horrible.”That was the understatement of the fucking century.I hated how out of control just the existence of my own skin was. “Does this hurt right now?”

“Not really,” I said. My skin was uncomfortable—hot and sticky from sweat, tingling and feeling off, but it wasn’t horrible. I’d gone through worse.

“West.”

“I don’t want to fucking move,” I told him gruffly. For as uncomfortable as my skin was, I liked listening to Jackson’s heartbeat more. That made up for everything.

“Okay,” he replied. “How can I touch you?”

“I don’t know.” I didn’t have a fucking answer for that. I’d always been so adamant about not being touched—not letting people get close to me. Jackson was an anomaly. An experiment. He was something I never expected. “No rubbing.”

“No rubbing, got it,” Jackson confirmed. His arms wrapped around my shoulders, holding me tight to him. “Is this okay?”

The continuous questions grated against my nerves, but I said nothing. I knew why he wanted to know—why it was important to him. I just hated how fucking pathetic I had to sound out loud. It was like the man needed a goddamn instruction manual just to touch me.

He could be with any other guy and not have to deal with this shit. I struggled to understand whythiswas what he wanted. Why he wanted me.

“Yeah, I like that,” I whispered because it was the truth. I liked the warmth and tightness of his arms. I liked the little good things with Jackson, and I wasn’t sure how the hell I was supposed to do months without him.

Or the rest of my fucking life for that matter.

CHAPTER 78

jackson

For the first timein my life, I had reservations about leaving Double Arrow for the rodeo. All my reservations were wrapped up in the man I left in my bed. I didn’t have the heart to wake up West before I left. Sure, I left him a note, but looking back, I should’ve woken him up. I should’ve said goodbye. I didn’t have a clue when I’d see him again. I knew he’d be watching, but I would’ve given anything to have him with me.

Those reservations only increased in intensity when Amy informed me that the first thing I had to do upon arriving in Nevada was meet with Rex Lexington for lunch.And unfortunately, I couldn’t skip the goddamn meeting.I was stuck with the fucking man as my sponsor.

However, Rex wasn’t the one sitting at the table when I arrived at the steakhouse for our meeting. His son, Colter, was.And I despised Colter Lexington.Mid-twenties with an attitude like he owned the goddamn place, the kid was a self-proclaimed alpha male who looked down on everyone. I knew he’d been working alongside his father to take over the business, but I hadn’t anticipated that change any time soon. Him sitting at that fucking table was telling.

That giant ass grin on his face as I approached the table pissed me off.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” he drawled, sounding straight out of Texas. “I was beginning to think you weren’t going to show.”

“What the fuck are you doing here?” I asked as a way of greeting.

“I think it’s high time you and me had a conversation, Jackson.” He gestured to the chair across from him. “Sit, please. Order something. Anything you want.”

“Isn’t it enough that you get my goddamn business?” I demanded when I sat down. I dropped my hat on my knee and crossed my arms. When the waitress asked for my drink, I told her, “I won’t be staying long enough for anything, darlin’. You can go now.”

“My father said your grumpy attitude was legendary. I didn’t believe him.”

“You should’ve,” I snapped. “Why the fuck am I here?”

“I want to buy Double Arrow Ranch,” Colter said. Silence stretched between us as my brain processed those fucking words. He was fucking with me. He had to be. There was no fucking way this kid actually thought he’d buy my ranch.

“What the fuck makes you think I’d sell you my goddamn ranch?”

“Because I know you’re inches shy of going bankrupt,” he replied. My scowl deepened.How the fuck did he have that fucking information?“I did my research into your ranch. It’s not hard to figure out that you’re bleeding money right now, Jackson. And you know what, it happens. One bad year got you, that’s all. Ain’t nothing to be ashamed of.”

The audacity of this fucking kid. He’d be lucky if I didn’t reach across this goddamn table and fucking kill him. It was real clear that he didn’t give two shits about sponsoring me. There was just no way he’d get me in a sit down with him otherwise.

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