Page 59 of Recklessly You
Her lips press into a thin line. I’m not sure why she’s asking. She must have been thinking about it.
“Does she live around here, and was she a constant hook-up?” She kneels to pet Duke, avoiding any eye contact, it seems.
“No, she moved away a little after we graduated. And, well, I was sixteen, and shewasa constant hook-up then.”
She stands and dusts her hands together. I’m peering at her, wondering why she’s asking, but she changes the subject. “So, are we still going to your mom’s for dinner?”
Right, my mom invited us for dinner. My mom can’t seem to stop talking about Sophie. Even my grandma called me asking questions. I gave up on telling them we were not an item. To them, we are.
“Nah, I canceled. I have somewhere I want to take you, and now that this baby is purring, we can take it on a test drive.”
Her eyebrows scrunch up. “Where?”
“It’s a surprise.”
* * *
Once Sophie has changedinto jeans, we hit the road. Driving my dad’s truck makes my stomach twist in knots. The last time I rode in this truck, was when I was a kid. As much as I love it, it also brings back those memories, the good and the bad. They replay in my head like a carousel—so much blood, my dad’s last words, running for my life. Not a day goes by, I don’t stop and think—what if we hadn’t gone out that night? Would things have been different? It was me who held him back. He didn’t draw his gun fast enough because I was with him. The guilt consumes me every fucking day.
“Are we almost there? It’s beautiful out here.” Sophie’s sexy accent fills the truck, bringing me back to now—with her. Reaching for her hand, I pull her closer to me.
“Yeah, twenty more minutes.” I wish she would have kept her dress on so I could run my hands up her legs. “It is beautiful.” I stare at her luscious lips, thinking of the night I demanded she take my cock out. Fuck, that was a sight. Those lips wrapped, hugging my cock. Fucking sexy. I was so pissed the asshole touched her. Forcing his lips on hers as if they belonged to him. Never have I talked to a woman the way I did with Sophie, but she loved it, and so did I.
Twenty minutes later, we arrive at Tension Canyon Trails. I ease the truck through the open metal gate and park near a weathered redwood ranch house. Horses snort in the surrounding fields, their manes glimmering in the sunlight. Red brick stalls stand in the corner of the ranch house.
Hopping out of the truck, Sophie takes in her surroundings. A light breeze fills the fresh air with the scents of manure and pine. Not the best combination. The path to the spot is hidden from view, and only a few are aware of its existence. Lush pine trees surround it, creating a canopy of comforting shades of green. Down the trail, an inviting lake glimmers in the sun.
“It’s beautiful out here, so quiet and peaceful.” Sophie inhales, filling her lungs with the fresh air. I take her hand in mine, navigating her toward the horse stalls. “What are we doing, exactly?”
“Taking Monkey for a walk or run.” My voice rings out as Monkey comes galloping toward me. She’s a beautiful white palomino. I have been coming to Bill’s Ranch since I was sixteen. It became my sanctuary, a place to think and clear my head. In the past, Bill made his horses available to those who wanted to ride along the trails. He closed a few years back, but he still lets me borrow a horse whenever I want.
“O.M.G., she’s beautiful! She knows you, too, so you must come here a lot?” Sophie runs her fingers down Monkey’s white, thick, coarse mane.
“I do. Since I learned how to drive. I needed a place to get away from the world. This became my place. I’ve never brought anyone here with me before,” I admit, a little sheepishly. For some reason, I feel the need to admit it to her. I want her to know she’s not just some other girl. She turns to peer at me, and her eyes soften.
“I’m honored to be the first to join you in your private place, Liam.”
Once we put the saddle on Monkey, we follow the trail that takes us to the lake. Sophie’s afraid to mount the horse, her hands clutching my waist in a firm grasp. All those workouts have been paying off at the gym. We’ve been going together every morning, but now I have her work out with me and not pervert Luis.
“I’ve never been on a horse before,” she breathes, her hot breath fanning behind my ear. I chuckle as she states the obvious. She’s practically clamping onto my nipples.
“You don’t say, baby? I thought you were the rodeo queen,” I tease, and she scoffs, pinching my nipple. I wince, gripping the reins.
I take in the peacefulness of the vast landscape, inhaling the smell of the lake offset by the crisp scent of pine trees. The rhythmic sound of the horse’s hooves’ trudging against the pebbles is a soothing accompaniment to the tranquil setting along the winding path from the ranch house to the lake. It takes about fifteen minutes for me to fill my lungs with fresh air and clear my head of all the stress of work. Once we arrive at the lake, I tie Monkey around a tree and let him grub on the tall grass.
Sophie inhales the fresh air, a smile spreading across her beautiful face. “I understand why you like coming here; it’s so…refreshing—no cars honking, no loud noises, no city life.”
I seat myself on the green patch of grass facing the lake. The sky is clear, and the sun reflects off the lake.
“Come here.” I pat the patch of grass between my legs for her to sit. She lays her head on my chest. I pull her in close to me, wrapping my arms around her waist. The sharp pain in my chest feels like a toothache. Her closeness makes me feel things I shouldn’t want to feel.
“Itisnice to get away from the city.”
“Tell me something about you,” Sophie probes.
“Like?”
“Anything, Liam. Tell me something…I don’t know.”
