Page 49 of Banshee
Approval.
Things I had sought after my whole life. He gave them to me with one word. And I gave them all back when I exploded into a million pieces, his name on my lips.Elijah.The name he’d asked me to cry out. The one onlyIwould use.
His release came immediately after mine with a roar of his own, as he pushed in to the hilt and unloaded into the condom. The only barrier between our bodies. The one I suddenly wished wasn’t there.
He collapsed beside me, pulling me against his chest. “I fucking love you, baby girl.”
“You keep calling me baby girl, and I might have to start calling you daddy,” I teased, though the thought of it lit something inside me. Something that only grew when he groaned and rolled over me, taking my mouth in a searing kiss.
Things had changed between Banshee and me. The cabin no longer felt too small; it was almost too big with how often we were tangled up together.
The days no longer dragged on. But the hours until we climbed into bed sometimes felt like they would go on forever. Like now, Grayson had invited us to dinner at the house.
He’d been gracious enough to allow us to hide out on his ranch, and I loved Addie. But if I were being honest, I would have been perfectly happy never leaving the cabin again.
We had everything we needed there. Food, clothing, shelter, Diesel. And we had each other. We lived in a bubble I never wanted to pop. But life always had a way of catching up with you.
The house was old and beautiful. I especially loved that over the years it had held its charm of being a ranch house. The Powell family bred, raised, and trained horses. Many being racehorses. They had money, but they didn’t flaunt it.
The home wasn’t luxurious; it was lived in. It was comfortable. Homey. And it was filled with love. WatchingGrayson interact with his grandfather and his siblings made me miss my family.
There was no telling whether I would ever see them again. I missed Zeus and his bossy attitude. I missed Diana. I’d missed out on growing up with my older sister. She hadn’t been there to talk me through my teenage years and learning how to deal with boys.
I missed my mother. What I wouldn’t give for one of her hugs. For her to hold me in her arms and promise me everything would work out the way it was supposed to. My mother was a huge proponent of fate. She believed that everything happened for a reason.
Maybe she was on to something. Maybe if Banshee had claimed me years ago, I would have grown to resent him like he thought. Missing out on years of fun I could have had before settling down.
Losing those years, anyway, had a way of putting things into perspective. I reached over and took Banshee’s hand. He smiled and leaned over to kiss me.
Grayson’s grandfather said something that had the Powell children groaning. I wasn’t sure what it was because I was thinking about my father.
I missed him too. For all his mistakes, despite his grumpy rules and orders, I knew he loved me. I could only imagine the pain he felt, having both his daughters disappear without a trace.
My intent had never been to cause my family pain. Just as I knew that was never my father’s intent. He’d trusted the wrong people. He’d made a choice that he thought would bring him closer to his oldest daughter. It ended up being a decision that would take his youngest daughter away from him.
Winchester’s phone rang, and he stepped away from the table to answer it. It was strange hearing his siblings call him Tyson. I’d only ever known him as Winchester.
“Hey, Cash, what’s up?” Winchester turned and looked at Banshee. “Actually yeah, he and Aspen came up to the main house for dinner.”
Winchester hit a button on his phone, and Banshee said, “I’m here, VP.”
“We’re taking a vote,” Cash’s voice said through the speaker. “I asked Rose to be my old lady. Any objections?”
Banshee looked over at me and smiled. “None from me.”
“Me either,” Winchester confirmed.
“Thanks.” Cash disconnected the call, and Winchester shook his head.
“Wow, he’s already taking on a new old lady?” Emerson asked. “Rachel’s only been gone a few months.”
I thought about what Emerson said and pulled my hand away from Banshee. No one here but him and Winchester knew I was married. I couldn’t help but wonder what they would think of me and Banshee being together, knowing I was still married.
“You knew Rachel, Em. She’d want him to be happy. She wouldn’t care that it was only a few months,” Winchester said, winking at me.
“Tyson’s right,” Grayson added. “Rachel was the sweetest person in this town. She wouldn’t have wanted him to live the way he has been. She’d want him to move on and find love. It’s who she was.”
Banshee reached over and grabbed my hand.You’re mine,he mouthed. And I gave him a small smile. I didn’t know Rachel well, but she’d been in the flower shop often. She’d done everything aside from kidnap me, trying to get me to go to brunch or out for drinks.
