Page 3 of Run to Me
The bag is within reach, the letters printed bold and black. He’s next to me now, close enough that I can smell the leather of his jacket and the faintest hint of sweat. This is dangerous.
“Nice coat,” he says, giving me a look that’s both appraisal and challenge. “Didn’t know you were dressin’ up for me today.”
I smirk, refusing to look away. “You think a lot of yourself, Montgomery.”
He grins, the corner of his mouth twitching up, and it feels like a small victory and a big mistake. My heart beats faster, a racehorse at the starting gate. His hand moves toward the sack, and without thinking, mine does too. Our fingers meet. We pause, eyes locked. I could fight for it, make a stand and lay my claim. But then where would the fun be in that? He tugs the bag gently, and I let it go, taking a step back.
“Didn’t peg you for a quitter.”
“Not quitting,” I shoot back. “Just thinking two steps ahead.”
Thoughts run through his mind, but it’s mostly the unspoken question: What are you really after, Olivia Grant? He doesn’t ask, not directly. It’s part of the dance, the back-and-forth that neither of us is ready to end and that has been going on since high school.
“You know,” he says, slinging the second bag over his shoulder with an effortless motion, “I reckon that feed’s as exclusive as your knack for stirring up trouble.”
I smile, all warmth and fire. “Gotta keep you on your toes, Ace.”
I turn to leave and the bell on the door rings sharp and bright behind me. My phone rings just as I reach my truck, cutting through the morning quiet with a sharp chime. I glance at the screen and swipe to answer, bringing it to my ear.
The voice on the other end is brisk, hurried. We talk about auction dates and logistics, the caller running through the details while I listen, nodding even though they can’t see. I lean against the side of my truck, eyes drifting back to the store. Ace stands framed in the doorway, still holding the premium bags. His gaze follows me, the intensity of it reaching across the parking lot like a lasso.
The voice on the line asks for confirmation, and I respond with a quick, “Got it.”
I slide into the driver’s seat, the engine growling to life beneath me. One last look at the store, at him standing there, and then I’m pulling out onto the road. The road stretches long and flat. My foot presses harder on the gas, trying to outrun the feeling that’s creeping up behind me. A chill, a thrill—maybe both. When the ranch comes into view, I cut the engine and step out. Inside, I toss my coat onto a chair.
The phone rings again, insistent. I answer, bracing myself. More details. More numbers. More pressure. It’s all coming in fast, and I have to dodge and weave to keep up. I want to feel sharp. I want to feel ready. But all I feel is the tug, pulling me back to the feed store and the look in his eyes. The look that I’ve been trying to avoid.
We have been sneaking around for years - or well… that might be a weird way to put it. Our parents are rivals, always have been. Yet, there has always been a spark and animosity between us, too. More filled by knowing that we aren’t supposed to be together, but can’t help sneaking around. The thrill of it all… and he is just… Ace Montgomery.
Sure, he is handsome, rugged, and great with his hands, but he is also trying his best to work toward the life he has imagined for himself. One thing I’ll never understand is why he puts up with the way his father treats him. Like he’s got no smarts about him. His father might learn a thing or two if he actually listened to his son, but maybe that’s why his ranch hadn’t been doing great the last few years. Money and greed at its finest.
Ace Montgomery will get the life he has wanted and his father will soon realize that he had his son pegged all wrong from the start.
The best revenge plan ever.
My phone vibrates.
Ace: Let’s meet tonight.
The fact that sex with him is mind blowing - I should stop, but I can’t. Believe me, I’ve tried. He is like a drug that I can’t quit.
Me: Time?
I keep my responses short because I never want to him to know just how much he affects me. The way my core vibrates at the very thought of his hands touching me. The way my breath catches thinking about his lips moving down my stomach… the man is a god.
Ace: Sunset. Normal Place.
We don’t ever go anywhere public. Neither of us wants anyone to find out about us - even if it’s just sex. The growing feud between our fathers has been going on for four decades, and we have learned to keep ourselves under wraps.
ACE
Three dots appear and for a second I think she might actually say no, but then those four words come through.
Liv: I will be there.
Listen, it’s not like we aren’t both grown with needs. There is little to choose from in this small town as far as prospects, especially when it comes to not wanting to settle down. So, my reputation as a bachelor is perfectly shaped armor. The local women don’t even try anymore. They’ve moved on to the other men who are wanting to settle down… and it’s not that I don’t ever want to… I do. I just have standards. Things I want to have before I give my heart and entire soul to someone. Like a place to call our own, and a salary that can provide for us and our children. Some might find that weird, but honestly I think it’s the smart thing. Why rush into things before you can provide for the women you are going to spend the rest of your life with?
I don’t believe in divorce, so rushing isn’t in my nature. My parents rushed into things because my mother got pregnant with me, and I don’t remember a single time where she didn’t seem miserable. My father is an asshole and very old-fashioned. You know, the woman cooks and cleans and he works.
