Page 15 of Untamed

Whatever.

Fuck her. The little princess, she doesn’t deserve my time or attention.

This is exactly why I have never bothered with anything past casual fucking or shallow friendships. People are weird. The one time I did allow things to go further, it bit me in the ass, and I never cared to do it again. It’s for the best anyway. Only trouble could come from spending time with her.

Sighing, I set my guitar down and lay my head on the arm of the couch. Its dusty, probably crawling with spiders and mice, but right now I couldn’t give a single fuck. The quiet of this loft is a hell of a lot better than being in the bunkhouse. It’s not much, a small bathroom, basic kitchen counters with a microwave, a twin bed in the corner, a table with a couple chairs and this shittycouch, but it’s all I need. In fact, I might talk to Lincoln and see if I can move my stuff up here.

Scrubbing a hand across my stubble, I stare at the ceiling, my mind drifting to the past and what led me here. I could blame it on bad luck, and sure, that certainly played a part in it, but I’ll take responsibility for the actions that came after the fall. Though it was pure self-defense, my drinking was out of control. I was angry at the world, full of demons. Had I been sober, I know with absolute certainty that things would have turned out differently. I wouldn’t have been so aggressive, so quick to lose my temper. It's why I make it a habit of only having a couple beers now. The fall was the worst time of my life, but what came after finished me.

No one would hire me. The rumors of my past followed me like a bad stench that I couldn’t shake off. Lincoln Becker was the only one willing to take a chance on me. And yet, here I am, pretending these interactions with his daughter are innocent, when I know damn well they’re anything but.

I want to taint her. Ruin her. Chase her down, tie her up until she is helpless. Fuck her pussy until it’s only my name falling from her pouty lips. Tangle my hands in that silky blonde hair, pull gently until her head falls back, exposing the delicate curve of her neck. Every time my cock catches even the smallest glimpse of the little ray of sunshine, it literally rears its fucking head.

Fuck.

Said cock swells in my grey sweats. Just the thought of showing her my most primal side has me hard as a rock. It would be so good. Humans are hunters by nature, and I am the worst kind. I have certain proclivities when it comes to fucking. Most of the women I have been with have been eager to submit to my desires. Allowed me to show them my most fucked up parts in hopes I would give them more, though I had no intentions ofever giving them that. Once I blew my load I was done, and it was on to the next.

Would Mila think I was a freak for my kinks?

Or would she submit to me like the rest of them?

My stomach tightens, dick punching against my pants. I don’t think I would want her to submit easily. I want the fight. I want to hunt her, knowing that when she surrenders it’s because I caught her. My jaw clenches with the vision and it takes everything in me not to free my dick and rub one out. But that would be giving in to whatever this fucked up thing is between us, and that’s something I’ll never allow myself to do.

Mila Becker will be the only one submitting.

Not that it’ll ever happen.

It can’t, no matter how badly I wish things were different.

This job is all I have right now, the only way out of the very deep hole I’ve dug for myself. Still, the thought of corrupting the off-limits Becker princess… is a rush like no other. But no pussy, no matter how hot it is, is worth risking what I have right now.

Maybe once I have turned my situation around, and climbed myself out of this mess, I’ll consider acting on these thoughts. But for now, I need to bury them so deep inside, that they never see the light of day.

Groaning, I try to quiet my racing mind, forcing my thoughts elsewhere. I need to make Lincoln see me as the fucking rodeo king I once was, or still am, and get him to put me on the team. If I can get back out there, make a name for myself again, I know it’ll only be a matter of time before I’m back on my own. The prize money at the higher end of the circuit will certainly be enough, even after Lincoln takes his cut.

Years ago, I made nearly two million in prize money. Problem was, I had no clue how to manage it. After my accident, I ended up blowing it all, even losing the small ranch I called home. It was repossessed. The last thing I owned in the world,aside from my truck, and I managed to lose it. Fucking ruined everything in the span of a couple of years.

I used to laugh at people who had it all and lost it by being a fucking idiot. The irony isn’t lost on me. I’m one of those people. Part of that statistic. And all it took was one moment to fuck it all up, followed by a series of bad decisions and diving into addiction.

I won't go back though. No.

I’ll crawl my way out of this mess and get back everything I lost, even if it’s the last thing I do.

In the meantime, I need to stay the hell away from the one person who could fuck it all up.

Chapter Thirteen

MILA

“So, are we just gonna ignore the elephant in the room, or are we gonna talk about how Brandon is in love with you?” Nova whispers across the table, her gaze shifting toward the bar where my brother and Brandon stand waiting for our drinks.

Rolling my eyes, I pick at the cold fries on my plate.

This morning, Brandon brought up going to dinner again. It’s been almost two weeks since I’ve been back, and I knew he wasn’t going to give up. I couldn’t put it off any longer, so I reluctantly agreed. Not wanting him to get the wrong idea, I asked Nova and my brother to join us. That way it couldn’t be misconstrued as a date or even a double date. Maverick and Nova can’t stand each other, the gagging noises when Brandon even mentioned the worddate, proof of that.

With my father out of town for a couple days at a livestock auction, and Mamaw at her weekly bingo night, it was the perfect excuse to go grab some food. Still, with Nova’s comment lingering, I’m unsure whether I’ve been obvious enough for Brandon and his unrequited feelings. I sigh, knowing the next step is to be brutally honest with him. Tell him again that we’ll only ever be friends. I glance over at him, my shoulders saggingwhen I see the happiness written all over his face. My heart sinks, the realization of what I must do gnawing at my insides.

“Well, are we?” Nova prompts, breaking me from my thoughts.

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