Austin
Fucking hell.The second I step in the room, it’s easy to see she’s masturbating. If that doesn’t give me something to work with for the rest of my life, I’m not sure what would. Her sounds are soft and sweet with a tinge of whine. The kind of whine I’m desperate to hear on repeat nightly. The kind of whine I imagined her to have.
I should’ve walked away, but Waylon called about twenty minutes ago with some information I’m not sure I can sleep knowing.
“Please… go… away.” She’s covered her face with the sheet and it’s insanely cute.
“Why would I do that? It’s natural. You’re stressed. People come when they’re stressed.” I leave out the part about how I could help because I figure that’s best saved for when I can make her mine, but I digress.
“You know I was masturbating?” she squeaks. “Wait, no! I wasn’t masturbating!” She sits up in bed. “I was dreaming of masturbating. Those are two different things.”
I grin, holding back from telling her that I saw her hand between her legs. I can’t help but ask, “Was I there?”
Her cheeks turn dark purple, and I think I have my answer. “No!” She looks away. “Stop. It’s the middle of the night. Go back to bed.”
“That’s the thing,” I say, lying beside her, “I just got off the phone with Waylon. He—”
“You said the phones don’t work up here.”
“Landline.”
“Okay… Does he always call you this late, or is something wrong?”
“I asked him to do some research on your guy. It looks like he’s going to buy your family’s ranch.”
She nods. “Yeah, that’s the point.” There’s sarcasm in her voice.
“Well, it’s not that simple. According to Waylon, he’s also taken out some permits to open a condo here in Rugged Mountain on your family’s property.”
Her eyes narrow. “What?No. He could never get the zoning. We’re zoned for residential only. He can’t. Even if he wanted too, which I’m sure he doesn’t, he’d have told me.” She doesn’t sound so sure.
I reach my hand out in comfort, but she flinches away.
“So what? You think he tricked me into marrying him by offering to save my mother, buy the family ranch, and then flip a switch and turn it into a condo? It’s a stupid thought. It’s not even that big.” She tucks back into the covers.
“I thought so too at first, but the condo isn’t there. The condos are being worked through the national forest people. He wants to use your land as a parking lot.”
“What? There’s no money in a parking lot!”
“You’d be surprised. Waylon said he can get away with it because the zoning only prohibits buildings.”
She rolls onto her side, holding her stomach as everything sinks in. Hell, I’m sick for her.
“I’m going to kick the shit out of the guy, so I’ve got you there.”
She’s quiet. “As much as I’d love that, Austin, I don’t know if it matters. Mom needs the surgery. Her life means more than the property, or the farm, or any of that. I have to do this. I told you. You said tonight… was just about tonight.”
I crinkle my brows. “Huh?”
Her cheeks turn pink again. “Nothing. I… I have to marry him. I have to be the woman I need to be for my family. There’s no way around it.”
My jaw clenches as I feel my grip on her loosen. The worst part is, I know she wants me. I know she wants this life. I know she was just dreaming of me. I know she wants my arms around her. I know that because I felt it in her touch, in her eyes, and in her voice. And still… she’s going back to him. She’s going to be with him and pretend like none of this bothers her.
“You don’t get it!” she barks, tears streaming down her face. “I have to save my mom. I’m her last hope! I’m all she has left. If we don’t have this money for her treatment, I couldn’t live with myself, Austin. So, it doesn’t matter what I feel for you, or what I know a life with you would be. None of that would bring back my mother.”
I drag in a harsh breath and stare toward her, wishing I had all the money in the fucking world. If I did, I’d save her mother, help fix her family’s failing ranch, and give her anything else she needs.
“What’s wrong with her, Cora? When does she need the surgery?”