Page 4 of Run to Me
My wife isn’t going to be expected to do anything. Marriage is a two-way partnership. It’s an equal effort. Until men realize that, their woman might never feel complete happiness. Why can’t I do dishes or laundry? My hands are just as capable as anyone else’s? The stigma behind how women should be treated is backwards. Maybe that’s because my mother taught me that way. She didn’t want me to grow up thinking women are just there to please their man. They are so much more.
Gavin walks up the driveway to my place. We’ve been best friends since t-ball days. His father and him run a ranch the next town over, but their dynamic is much different than my father’s and I.
“What are you doing out here? Shouldn’t you be out working?” He opens the ice chest and grabs a cold beer and takes a seat on the porch. “Or is your father being a dick again today?”
I take a swig of my beer. “He’s always a dick, so that’ll always be the answer. Nah - I got my shit done early today so figured I’d enjoy a cold one and silence.”
“Are you forgetting what’s going down in a few days? You need to keep your head in the game.”
He acts like I haven’t been waiting for this opportunity since I was a teenager. Not that I wanted Olivia’s family to lose their ranch, but they did forget to pay their bills. I’ve been saving every paycheck, waiting for the time when I might finally get my hands on my own property. She might hate me for it, but this is my shot. I can’t give up just because I’m sleeping with the enemy.
“Seriously, shouldn’t you be getting finances together? A proposal? Instead you're just sitting here acting like the biggest auction for decades isn’t happening in a matter of days and there will be plenty of bidders.”
I toss the empty bottle into the trash and grab a new one. “Believe me, I haven’t forgotten. I’ve got shit under control. Noneed to worry. Can’t you just come over and enjoy a beer? If I wanted to see a therapist, I’d book an appointment.”
“Well hell, where’s my money then? I’ll start back charging you with interest, if that’s how you wanna play it.”
“Very funny. I’m meeting with the bank to secure the loan, just have to see how much I can get pre-approved for. Hopefully it’s enough for some buffer room. I have a feeling the price is going to get jacked up just for the hell of it.”
“Oh, I’d be surprised if it goes for anything less than half a million. Every ranch owner in the state will be in attendance. The Grant’s have been in this game for generations and everyone wants to get their paws on their property.”
Jesus. Way to make me feel better. “Already know this. Let’s talk about something else. How’s Melissa doing?”
He claps his hand on my shoulder. “Well, she compared herself to a whale this morning, so not great. Pregnancy has been rough for her, yet she’s still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. Wish she could see what I see.”
“You guys are so in love, it makes me sick. Why she ever married your ass, I’ll never know.”
Honestly, they have been inseparable since high school, and always together, stuck at the hip. I used to give him a hard time about it, but as I get older, I can only hope I find someone who loves me in such a way.
“Hell, I can’t believe she chose me either, but I spend every day making sure she doesn’t regret it. Man, I don’t know what I’d do without her.”
We chug the rest of our beer and it’s around six o’clock now. I gotta leave to meet Olivia soon. “I’m gonna head in and shower. Head home to your wife and rub her feet or some shit.”
He laughs, but knows I’m right. If there is anything I know about how they operate, it’s a nightly ritual when she’s pregnant.Three kids later… it’s a given. “Hey, keep your girl happy, and she’ll return it tenfold. Take it from me.”
Once he’s in his truck, I go inside and start the shower. We might just be messing around, but still want to look and smell my best. Too much sun today not to shower beforehand.
I pick out my white t-shirt and jeans and set them on the bed before stepping into the shower. My mind runs as I wash my hair and body… always about Liv. The girl has all the qualities I look for, but she’s all wrong. If her father was anyone else, I’d never give her up, but knowing exactly how my family will react, puts a damper on it being anything more than what it is.
I turn off the shower, dab the towel down my body, and then wrap it around my waist. She infuriates me, but also makes me feel… worth more. She has never yucked my yum. Hell, one night I even told her about my dream to have my ranch. Prove my Dad wrong. And to my surprise, she told me to go for it. But, I don’t think she ever thought it would be her ranch I’d be coming after.
OLIVIA
We don’t say a word. Not at first. I follow him through the fence and across the open stretch of field. The rest of the world is silent until we reach the blanket he’s laid out on the damp grass. That’s when we exchange a look. His is steady, like always. Mine, less so. We’re close enough to touch now, though neither of us makes the move. Not yet. He shrugs off his leather jacket, and I do the same with my blazer.
It’s just him and me. There’s a pause before we sink onto the blanket, a moment where we hover on the edge of something we both know too well. His dark eyes catch mine, and I can already feel the heat of his body.
He kicks off his boots, and I follow suit, the soft thud of leather punctuating the silence. I watch him as he undoes the top button of his shirt, fingers deliberate. The clothes fall away slowly as if neither of us wants to be the first to rush.
I move closer, just enough for my knee to brush against his. He doesn’t comment, but there’s a twitch at the corner of his mouth, that almost-smile that drives me insane. Two can play that game. I reach over, tracing the edge of his pecks with one finger. His hand catches mine, and there’s nothing light about the grip.
“You trying to set a speed record tonight?” he murmurs, low and teasing.
“Depends. You trying to win a slow contest?” My voice comes out steady, though his touch is anything but.
His skin is warm, inviting. I wonder if he thinks the same of me when he slides the strap of my tank top aside, lips hovering close to my collarbone. There’s a catch in my breath I can’t quite control, but I feel the satisfaction in his hum when I pull him down, my mouth finding his.
It’s fast at first, urgent. I can’t tell if I’m kissing him to shut him up or to make him stay, but it’s hard and needy and not careful at all. It takes us a moment to slow, to remember that we have all night and nothing else. Our hands begin to explore, mapping familiar terrain like it’s brand new. Ace’s touch trails from my jaw to my hip, leaving a path of sparks across my skin.
