A bull about to charge as his gaze prowled across the rolling fields. “Saul? Is that supposed to make me feel better?”
Jealous.
No question.
I almost laughed.
Saul was harmless.
I squeezed his arm tighter. “The weddin’ is in less than two weeks. Y’all have to pick up your suits and run the rest of the errands.” I pointed at the bridesmaids. “We’re going to be busy the entire day getting things ready. I mean, unless you want to stand around playing with ribbon and tulle all day?”
Rhys dropped to his knees and clamped his hands together in a prayer, crying out in mock horror. “Oh god. Don’t make me. I’d rather be hog tied.”
“You need to be hog tied,” Mel tossed out.
“Ah…know you want me tied up, darlin’. All’s you gotta do is ask.”
Mel gagged. “Gross.”
Royce jerked him up by the arm. “On your feet, asshole. Don’t make me kick your ridiculousness out of my wedding.” I was thinking it was only half a tease.
“The audacity,” Rhys cracked, dusting off his boots, laughing as he rubbed at his beard that was growing thicker by the day.
“Yeah, we know who’s the ass,” Royce grumbled.
Rhys clapped him on the back. “You know you love me. I mean, shit, I’m lettin’ you get hitched to my Emily. You should be on your knees thanking me.”
Lincoln shoved him. “Dude. Step down from that overinflated pedestal. That’s my sister you’re talkin’ about.”
“Hey. Em’s my girl.”
God. The guy was a handful. I’d almost forgotten how crazy he was.
I gave a little nudge to my man.
My man.
Oh, did that ever feel good.
“Go on. This is important to your sister. To your future brother. I promise I’ll be careful.”
I mean, it wasn’t like I would dare go traipsing this land alone. I wasn’t about to be that reckless. But I felt sure in this—that everyone was watchin’ over me.
That we would be just fine.
Richard grumbled.
Royce scanned the fields, checking the three farmhands who’d gathered in the periphery. He shifted to look at Richard, lifted his chin. “They should be covered, man. Not like I’m cool being away from my girl, either. We’ll be quick. In and out, and we’ll get back.”
Richard wavered, not quite agreeing before he stepped toward me and grabbed me by both sides of the face.
He kissed me hard.
It was the kind of kiss I felt all the way to my toes. The kind that blazed through my bloodstream. Left me hot and needy and breathless.
Finally, he dropped his forehead to mine and exhaled a shaky breath. “Be careful. I won’t survive if something happens to you.”
I let him breathe me in. Suck me down. Let him feel my whispered words. “Nothing is going to happen to me. We’ve waited too long for this. We can’t lose it now.”
So yeah.
They were all gaping.
Mouths unhinged, watching Richard claim me right out in the open.
Different than yesterday.
Because today?
Today we were standing in our new beginning.
“Go,” I coaxed him.
He ripped himself away and walked to the SUV. He slipped into the front seat, watching me with that raw potency through the windshield. Rhys and Lincoln climbed into the back on either side, and Royce hopped into the driver’s seat.
I didn’t say a word, didn’t move a muscle while I remained planted, held in the grips of his unrelenting gaze.
Royce whipped the SUV around and rambled down the drive, the powerful engine accelerating as they hit the main road.
“Oh my god.” Melanie’s voice yanked me from the trance.
My attention whipped that way. “What?”
“Don’t what me, young lady.” Her eyes took me in from head to toe, and then her face was splitting into a wry grin. “Look at you. All freshly fucked. I should have known something was different.”
A blush rushed to my face.
Not because I was embarrassed.
But because I was assaulted with the distinct images of Richard doing just that.
My hands gripping the bedframe while he’d owned me from behind.
Sweat drenching our skin.
Our bodies freed.
No boundaries we wouldn’t breach.
I bit down on my bottom lip and squeezed my thighs together.
“Ahh…I see someone is still reelin’ from the effects of that giant dick.”
“Melanie,” Emily hissed, smacking Mel’s upper arm with the back of her hand.
Mel shrugged. “I don’t know how she’s walkin’, honestly.”
I cleared my throat. “Not walkin’. Flyin’.”
Mel cracked up.
Emily’s smile was full of affection.
Of relief.
Maggie reached out and took my hand. “See. Your future. You’re brave to step into it.”
My brow curled. “I’m not sure I’d call myself brave.”
Honestly, I was barely rising above the debilitating fear.
She shook her head. “No, Violet. It’s brave. Because some of us are too fearful to step out of our pasts. We remain prisoners to them. Chained. No way to move forward.”
Emily took her opposite hand since Maggie was still holding mine. My gaze flicked between them, and I squeezed her hand tight. “I don’t know your story, Maggie. I don’t know what you’ve been through. But I see a brave girl.”