Page 51 of Knot Her Cowboys
Levi looked like he would rather do literally anything else except let Riley out of his sight.
“Do you want to come with us?”
“I wish I could. It’s vaccination day for the Anderson farm horses. I’m already technically late,” he lamented. “I was supposed to leave about twenty minutes ago.”
Riley stretched slowly and plastered herself against his chest. “I’m sorry I made you late.”
“They’ll survive a delay.” He held her tight, not being subtle at all about breathing in her sweet floral scent. “I’ll be back in a few hours.”
She hooked him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him down far enough that she could kiss his cheek. “Be nice to the horses and don’t miss me too much.”
“The first I can do. The second is impossible.”
Her cheeks flushed an adorable pink.
We parted ways, each to our own trucks. Riley settled comfortably into the passenger seat and turned to me as we got onto the road. “You’re not mad at me?”
“For what?”
“Fucking Levi?”
“Honey bun, you can fuck as many members of my pack as you want as often as your heart desires. None of them are off-limits in any capacity. If you wanted to fuck around outside of those three, that would warrant a conversation.”
She flushed, fidgeting with her seat belt. “The super suppressants should help. The heat flares kind of turn off my inhibitions.”
I watched her while we were on a straight stretch of road. “Just so I’m extra clear, areyouupset that you slept with Levi?”
“No.” She kept fidgeting until I took her hand in mine. “I’m not really shy about sex. I guess I’ve just had a weird few years, and I’m trying to untangle the way things were with Bruce and Bryan, and figure out the balance of everything here.”
“The balance is whatever you want it to be. My pack is your pack now that we’re bonded. You can explore whatever you want with any of us.”
Riley sighed, tapping her toes against the floorboards. “This would be so much easier if the Deckers just disappeared out of existence. I get anxious knowing they’re still around.”
“Couple of hours away at least. I can’t remember the last time I saw any of them.”
“You’re not one of them, though. They don’t let their people go so easy. I only got out because Darlene got herself excommunicated from their stupid little cult.”
“Hey.” I squeezed her hand. “You’veneverbeen a Decker, and even if they tried, we’re bonded, so they can kindly fuck off about anything when it comes to you.”
“I don’t think fucking off is something the Deckers are capable of.”
Like hell were they going to get their paws on my mate. Riley was ours now and there wasn’t a damn day she was going to have to stand on her own to face those assholes ever again.
Ihad expected Riley and Cash to hole up in the big house after bonding, but she was bound and determined not to let it dictate her life. That was how she ended up rhythmically brushing one of our sweet Palominos, Tater Tot.
It wasn’t an official therapy session, but it was easy to see that being around the horses relaxed her. Cash perched on thefence, watching us. He was out of earshot of whispers, but close enough that Riley was unlikely to be agitated by the distance.
“How are you feeling?” I asked.
“Queasy from the suppressants being such a high dose, but definitely more in control.”
I nodded thoughtfully, standing close without crowding her. We had only ever gotten Cooper and Cash’s side of the story, and I was eager to dig out the details we didn’t have. “Cash told us we should be on the lookout for the Deckers.”
Her shoulders hunched up by her ears, slowly lowering as she brushed more of Tater Tot’s shining coat. “Makes me nervous, being back.”
“Is there anything in particular you’re worried about?”
“I don’t really know. I thought I would feel better when my mom died, but I can’t even make myself believe it happened.”
