Page 16 of Fall Back
Honestly, I’m surprised no one has shown up on my doorstep while demanding to know what is going on. It would be their style to do it, and I would have thought the people in town who have seen me would make it their mission to let my family knowI’m back.
But the only people who have knocked on my door are Maggie and Jared.
My heart flutters when I think of Jared.
I wasn’t sure what would happen when he asked me out. To be honest, I figured we’d have a few meals and then he would get bored. I’d heard about him over the years, about how he never settled down and was happy with sampling the women of Wintervale without commitment. While I never judged him, since I didn’t have the right, my young heart who had a crush on him ached with the information; I pushed the feeling away.
Since the night he showed up with bags of groceries and a heavy heart, he’s gone out of his way to spend time with me. There have even been times when we haven’t made plans, but he still shows up as if he can’t stay away. Whenever it happens, my heart soars.
Nothing physical has happened between us yet, except for kissing and some innocent touches. My body is buzzing with the need for more, but it feels like he’s been holding himself back from going farther.
I don’t doubt that he wants me. It’s impossible for him to hide his hard bulge whenever we’re close to each other. I’m not sure why he’s been holding back, but I may be the one to break first.
We shouldn’t go there until I tell him everything. He needs to know about Dave stalking me and it being a big reason why I took Roan up on his offer for a station at Big Sky. It would be wrong to take our relationship to the next level with this hanging over our heads, even though he doesn’t know it is.
I’ll know.
I’ll feel it.
Keeping the truth from Jared and my family feels like a weight sitting on my shoulders. It would be so easy to shrug it off. All I would need to do is open my mouth and be honest. Whenever I try, it feels like those words, necessary as they are, get stuck in my throat. It feels like I can’t breathe.
Knowing what I need to say doesn’t make the words come any easier.
When someone knocks on my door, a smile spreads across my face before I even unlock it. Considering Maggie is at work right now, there is only one other person it could be. Well, unless someone finally spilled the beans to my family.
Jared’s blue eyes are the first thing I see when I open the door. Before I can even say hello, his arm hooks around my waist and he pulls me into his chest. He leans down until our mouths are almost touching, his minty breath hitting my lips and making me lick them like I can already taste him.
His lips touch mine gently, softly, as if he’s savoring the connection between us. Before my heart can thud against the inside of my chest, he deepens the kiss, his hand diving into the long strands of my hair and tugging me into the perfect position for him to take my mouth the way he wants. I melt against him, giving myself to him.
Everything inside of me screams to wrap my limbs around him and climb up his body so I can grind my needy pussy against his rock-hard bulge. But I resist the urge. Because he deserves to know the entire truth before we take the next step.
It feels like it matters. It feels like this matters. I don’t want to do anything to put it in jeopardy.
“Missed you, my little criminal,” he murmurs against my lips.
My mouth curves into a smile and I admonish him, “You’re going to have to come up with something else to call me. People will get the wrong idea if you keep calling me that.”
Jared’s chuckle reverberates through me and has my nipples hardening against his chest. I have no doubt he can feel it. The way his blue eyes darken tells me just how right I am.
“Considering I found you about to crawl through an open window, I think I’ll take my chances at people misunderstanding,” he teases me as he pulls back enough to study my face.
Something is on his mind, I can tell. His eyebrows are pulled together pensively and there’s a level of reservation about him which isn’t normally there. Even if he did just kiss me like a thirsty man in the desert.
“What’s up? I wasn’t expecting you to come around so early even on your off day.”
His large hand runs down my arm until he’s able to entwine our fingers and give a squeeze. “It’s time.”
I blink at him a few times, my mind trying to process what the fuck he’s talking about. Time. Time for what?
My confusion must show all over my face because he takes a deep breath before letting it out slowly and explaining. “It’s time to go and see your family. I’m picking you up and driving you out to Limitless. You can’t keep putting it off, Carson.”
There’s a seriousness in his voice which makes me want to bristle and tell him where to shove it. But I don’t because I know he’s right. I’ve put it off long enough.
With a look down at myself, I realize the jeans and shirt I have on are good enough. It’s not like anyone out at the ranch would expect me to come all dressed up anyway. It’s not that kind of place, never has been.
“Fine,” I acquiesce.
With a flurry of activity, including Jared slipping my jacket on, I’m sitting in Jared’s truck in a matter of moments. That is when my nerves hit me full force. They only get worse the closer we get to Limitless, the trip taking minutes and bringing home just how much I messed up.
