Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 80940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80940 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Slowly letting her slide down my body, I kissed along her jaw, down her neck, then back up to her ear. I bit gently on her earlobe, and she sucked in a breath.
“Are you sure, Mallory?”
Her shaking hands started to lift my shirt over my head. “I’ve never been surer of anything in my entire life.”
When she placed a soft kiss on my chest, I nearly crumbled to the floor.
I’d told myself we would go slow, but I couldn’t wait any longer. I was desperate to make Mallory Wilson my own.
She fumbled with the button on my jeans, and when she couldn’t manage it, we both laughed. She stepped back and allowed me to undress. I watched as she did the same, then made her way over to the bed.
“Mallory,” I whispered, as I took her in. She was perfect in every way. Never in my life had I ever wanted a woman as much as I wanted her. A part of me felt guilty for that, because of Emily. Because for a long time, I’d thought she was the person I was meant to be with.
But looking down at the woman lying in my bed, I knew with every ounce of my soul that Mallory was the one my heart had been waiting for. And there wasn’t a damn thing I wouldn’t do to protect her. I would walk to the ends of the Earth for her. I’d lie for her. I would even die for her, if it meant keeping her safe.
Moving to the bed and lying next to her, I kissed her gently. “Are you nervous?”
She shook her head. “Not at all.”
I kissed her again, and within minutes, we were both lost in one another.
I was falling in love with Mallory, or maybe I’d already fallen. All I knew for certain was that my life would no longer be complete without her.
##
Mallory slept peacefully on her side as I watched her. Making love to her had been one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I hadn’t wanted to stop. My dream was to spend every minute in this bed with her in my arms. And to both of our surprise, Mallory was indeed a virgin. She’d been every bit the loner everyone claimed, in every way…which broke my heart, despite how honored I felt to be her first.
And knowing the monster who took her hadn’t touched her? That left me feeling unbelievable relief. He hadn’t hurt her in the worst way possible. Thank God.
My phone buzzed in the pocket of my jeans, and I internally groaned, knowing I needed to get out of this bed and get a move on with things. Billy would be expecting me anytime now. And I needed to call Randy about coming over.
Slipping out of bed, I walked into the bathroom and grabbed a towel before making my way back to the pile of clothes Mallory and I had left on the floor. Smiling, I reached down and grabbed my jeans, searching for my cell.
I had a text from Chad.
Chad: Are you home or out on the ranch somewhere?
Frowning, I wondered what was so important that my brother couldn’t wait for me to call him like I said I would.
Instead of replying, I gathered up my clothes, called Billy’s number, and headed into the bathroom to change. I didn’t want to wake up Mallory; she was sleeping too peacefully.
“Hey, Boss. I was waiting for you to get settled back in but was just about to call you.”
I was thankful Billy hadn’t started texting and calling me the second we landed. I knew he, MaryAnne, and Bubba would be interested in what we’d found out in Illinois, so I appreciated that they gave us some privacy first.
“Hey, thanks for that. Mallory and I needed to…decompress after our last few days.”
“Find out anything about her?”
“A few things, but nothing that told us about how she might have gotten to Montana. We did find her storage unit, so I think that might be able to help her fill in the pieces of her life. At least, I hope it does. I’ll fill in you and Bubba later. How’s everything going? Did you rotate the west pasture?”
“I did.”
“And the old barn?”
“In the process of being torn down as we speak. Howdy is over there, keeping an eye on things.”
“Good. And what about that mare we got last week? How is she settling in?”
Billy laughed. “Jimmy’s been working with her. Dude, you were only gone a few days; the ranch didn’t fall apart while you were away.”
I rubbed at the back of my neck. “I know. I completely trust you; you know that.”
He laughed. “I do. What’s going on? You sound worried.”
“Mallory’s decided to file a police report.”
“She has? That’s good, though, right?”
“Yes, it is, but I’m worried for her. I know in the beginning I thought she was making a mistake, not filing, but now I’m not sure she should. I feel like we can’t trust anyone right now and I don’t know why I feel that way.”