Page 56 of Claiming Ours
“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” I snaked an arm around her waist to tug her against me. “Calm down there, Kitten,” I said against her ear for only her to hear. Standing to full height, I inclined my head toward the open barn doors, sending a death glare to the asshole. “I suggest you leave. Last time I saw West, he was passed out but stable. I’ll let them know you stopped by to check on him.”
Look at me being diplomatic.
Until I put arsenic in his drink one day soon.
My tone brooked no argument, and thankfully the guy understood it for the thinly veiled threat that I meant it as. With an annoyed huff and a last glance at Baylee, he stormed off, mumbling under his breath about criminals and tattoos.
I didn’t release my hold on Baylee until he was out of the barn and gone from sight. With an adorable foot stomp and a frustrated groan, she molded against me.
“I totally could’ve taken him,” she huffed, tipping her head all the way back to look at me upside down.
“Oh, I have zero doubts, Bay. You would’ve kicked the shit out of his shins.” Knowing that would set her off, I was preparedwhen she whirled around, fingers poised to tickle my ribs. I gently batted her hands away and dodged her advances. “You’re not playing fair, Kitten.”
“I’m not a kitten,” she hissed, then stuck out her tongue while scrunching her nose in fake disgust.
My head tipped back as I laughed so hard my stomach hurt. “Fuck, I missed you.”
When I finally got control of my laughter, I looked down, finding tears flooding her lower lids.Oh shit.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, slightly panicked. I’d hurt her feelings somehow.
“Nothing is wrong, Memphis. It’s just that I missed you too,” she rasped. Wrapping both arms around my neck, she jumped up, legs squeezing around my waist. “I really missed you. Missed the laughs, missed the happy times and the simple conversations. And I really, really miss him.”
Her first sob felt like a stab to my heart. So did the second and third. Tears dampened my shirt as she wept in my tight, comforting hold. There was nothing I could say or do to ease the pain of her loss, which made me feel utterly useless. Swallowing down my own tears, I squeezed her even tighter, wishing like hell I could physically absorb her pain.
“I’m terrified I won’t survive something like that again,” she whispered when she pulled back. I searched her splotchy, tearstained face, adjusting my hold to swipe the drops dripping off her jaw. “For things to be normal one day, then… the rug is pulled out from under me and my world shatters. That’s why I waited so long to move forward with Liam.” She sniffled and wiped both palms across her damp cheeks. “And why I’m terrified of letting anyone in, even you, Memphis. What if I start to live again without reservation, without holding back, and then one day it’s ripped away from me again? I barely survived thatagony and devastation the first time. I’m not strong enough to do it again.”
Her lower lip trembled, and all I could think of doing to make it stop was to press my own to hers. She instantly melted against me, lips parting, allowing me access. Carrying her a few steps, I carefully pressed her spine against the tack room wall, savoring our first kiss. It wasn’t passionate but more intimate at a soul level. It was healing, as if I could kiss away her worry and fear.
“I can’t promise you that I’ll never leave. I don’t have control over destiny or when it’s my time to leave this earth, but I can guarantee that if I go anywhere, it will not be voluntarily. That doesn’t give you the reassurance you need, especially after seeing West’s accident, but it’s what I can wholeheartedly promise you. You tell me to leave, that you’re sick of me, and—” I pressed a kiss to the tip of her button nose. “—I probably still won’t go. I’ll just watch from the shadows, grateful to see you happy and safe.”
“You’d stalk me?” she asked, brows pulled in tight.
“The good kind of stalking.” A huff escaped her perfect lips, drawing my attention. “Sorry I stole our first kiss.”
The shy smile that tugged the corners of her lips up and the blush creeping along her cheeks made pride and relief swell in my chest.
“Yeah, you did, though it seems kind of silly to be blushing over a kiss after what we did last night.”
“You mean how I ate your delicious pussy and licked you clean before I claimed your mouth?”
She smacked her small palm against my shoulder while rolling her eyes, but my smile only grew. That joyful expression dimmed. “Yeah, but what does that say about me? I didn’t return the favor, and you had to?—”
“Don’t you dare cheapen or lessen last night because you think you owed me something in return, Bay,” I demanded. Hercrystal blue eyes met mine and held my imploring gaze. “Last night was fucking amazing, and I was honored to be involved in worshipping your body. Liam didn’t have to invite me to play, but he did, and that was… a huge fucking relief. I had watched before, but last night, finally participating, was everything. You not touching me doesn’t diminish what happened between us in my mind, and it shouldn’t in yours either.”
Her gaze broke away with a reluctant nod, as if she heard me but didn’t quite believe my words.
“Now, what was all that about with the doctor douche?” I stepped back, allowing her the room to slide down my body. Her shoes squelched when they pressed to the concrete floor, reminding me that she was still in her drenched clothes from earlier. “We need to get you changed,” I said, more to myself.
“He, um, came by to check on West, or so he said.” Her darting gaze was looking everywhere other than me.
I tapped the end of her nose, making her swat at me with a hiss. “But you don’t believe that?”
A single slim shoulder rose in a half shrug. “It’s just that when I came back from giving Carla her medicine?—”
“I haven’t met her yet, have I?” I asked, brows pulled in tight as I searched my memory.
Baylee’s light laughter filled the small space between us. “No, you haven’t, because Carla is a cow, and I haven’t gotten around to introducing you to the animals. Didn’t want to overwhelm you on day one.”
