Page 49 of Hotshot Mogul

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I rode with Rufus and Callie in the tiny back seat. Bruce followed. I scrambled out as soon as I could.

Part of the bark was chipped away. The hatchet was still embedded in the trunk. A purple feather stuck to it. The wicked purple fairy? Why would she do this? Who was she trying to help by hurting my tree?

A long, anguished sigh whispered through the branches of my beloved oak. It pulled me closer. Bruce ran toward me. “Anneliese?”

His voice faded to utter peace as I settled into the roots and branches. But the space that encased me was not joyful like before, when I’d first entered to escape my grief. The tree that enveloped me was in its own grief that its life force was ebbing away.

This was my chance to give something back to the beloved oak that had given me safe refuge for so long. I chanted words of the forest for gratitude and love, and sent my energy into the branches, then low into the roots. Then I said a prayer to ease the tree’s life force back into our mother earth. I repeated these over and over, until Grenmann’s voice filtered through my chants and prayers. “It is done, child. It is good.”

Great water fell. I followed the sound. My body was whole. I stood in the spot where my beloved fell in battle. It was dark. And I was naked. Rain poured harder as the wind gusted.

Something moved a few feet away, then cried out in distress. A man? He was on his knees, prostrate, clutching material. My sundress? “Anneliese. Come back to me.”

Thunder rumbled and lightning cracked. I ran toward him. “Bruce?”

In the same instant, a branch crashed to the ground, to the spot where I had stood. Strong, sure hands circled my waist. He kissed my forehead, cheeks, and then lips.

It wasn’t enough. I traced the seam of his lips with my tongue, licking lightly, wanting entry, wanting him. He gave me everything. But I demanded more.

His jeans were soaked. I worked at his belt, then his fly, as the rain eased to drizzle, and thunder rumbled in the distance. His pants dropped to the ground. He kicked them away.

We dropped to the wet ground in a tangle of arms and legs. His T-shirt stuck to him like a second skin. I wanted it gone. I pulled too hard, ripping it. He pulled it off.

I ran my hands over his glorious, honed chest, then his cock, pressing my face into his neck. He smelled like rain, woods, and man. My man, my love, my heart. “I love you.” I said it soft at first, then louder and louder.

“Thank fuck,” he said. “I love you so much.”

Greedy for him, I nudged my sex against him as it rained harder. Lightning streaked across the sky at the same instant as thunder cracked. He took hold of my waist and carried me inside the SUV as another branch dropped.

I reached for him. He pushed my wet hair out of my face. “I thought I’d never see you again.” His voice sounded hoarse. He dropped his forehead to mine. “I was afraid to lose you again, so I pushed you back. That shit is done.”

I put my hand over his strong, beating heart. “I was afraid, too. I couldn’t watch another woman carry your child when I couldn’t before.” I caressed his square jawline, bristly with whiskers. “Before is before. It is good and bad that I remember. I want to focus on the here and now, with you.”

He kissed my palm and moved bags and empty containers from the seat onto the floor.

“How many earth rotations—deer turds, I mean days—I…”

“Four of the longest days and nights of my life. Anneliese, I know how hard you worked to learn English. But with me, when we’re alone, I love your turns of phrase. Don’t lose that. I love them. I love you.”

His cock nudged my slit. I had to tease him first. I moved away and arched my back. His gaze fell to my nipples, tight with wanting him. “I thought you said we would go slow.”

He tensed and raked his fingers through his hair. Then he saw something in my expression that made him smile his cocky grin I loved so much. “Oh, Anneliese, I will go slow until you beg me not to.”

Rain pelted the SUV. He tasted me long and slow until I did beg him. Our life forces merged at the same instant that lightning cracked to earth from the heavens, as alive and strong as the fierce summer storm.

***

Bruce

Tap, tap, tap. My mouth was so dry, my tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth. Tap, tap, tap. “Hey, Hotshot?”

Rufus. Damn, I hated that nickname. Anneliese lifted her head from my chest and moved her soft hand off my stomach. “Rufus?” she called.

“Anneliese? Callie, Anneliese’s back.”

Anneliese sat up, naked and glorious. Fuck. I had pitched my suitcase outside in my deranged grief over losing Anneliese. Our sopping wet clothes were out there. “We need our clothes. My suitcase is out there.”

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