“You’re Caleb Pole, right?” Emily asked, completely ignoring Maddie.
She watched as Emily left Chad’s side, and actually began to flirt with Caleb, right there, in front of him.
Glancing at Chad, she saw the anger on his face, and was shocked by it.
“Emily, enough of acting like a whore. He’s not interested,” Chad said.
“How dare you speak to me like that,” Emily said.
“Seriously, right now you’re with me, and you’re flirting with another guy as if I’m not here. Get your shit together, Em.”
“We’re going to leave you to that,” Caleb said, taking Maddie’s hand and leading her away from the fighting couple.
“Were you … interested?” she asked, cringing as she even asked the question.
“You want to know if I was interested in your sister?” Caleb asked, stopping her from leaving.
Old insecurities were a menace, and she hated that she had them in the first place. Seeing Emily with Chad, not only that but the fact her sister started to flirt with Caleb, she’d felt so fucking useless.
“Forget I said anything.”
She went to leave, but Caleb wouldn’t let her go. He took hold of her arm and pulled her close. “No, you don’t get to leave after asking a question like that.”
“Let’s just get back to the party, okay? I don’t want to leave Paige for too long.”
“She’s having fun with Mike and Martha. We’ll be there in a minute.”
She took a deep breath, and finally looked him in the eye. “What? What is it?” she asked.
“Are you used to people wanting your sister more than you?”
“What kind of a question is that?”
“What kind of a question is asking me if I was interested in your sister, when not that long ago I was balls deep inside your pussy?”
“I don’t want to talk about this.”
He wouldn’t let her go. “We are talking about this, and you’re not running. Not anymore.”
“Yes, fine. Everyone who is anyone always wanted Emily. She was the pretty sister. The one they always wanted because she was the belle of the ball, or whatever it is called. I’m the one no one ever wants.” She gritted her teeth, hating the pain that struck her hard from her own words. “Can we just go back?”
“No, we’re not going back.” He cupped her face, forcing her to look at him. “You’re my number one.”
“What?”
“You’re mine. I don’t want to throw you away or push you aside. I don’t want Emily. In fact, when I look at her I see a spiteful bitch, and I don’t want that person near me or my daughter. You’re a good woman, Maddie. You’re beautiful. Nice, kind, loving, and I don’t want anyone else but you in my bed, and you know what that makes you, right?”
“What?” she asked.
“It makes you mine. That’s what you are. You’re mine.” He slammed his lips down on hers, and she melted for him. The final piece of ice melted around her heart, and the love she felt for Caleb completed.
Chapter Nine
“It’s a little cold,” Maddie said.
Caleb smiled and held her hips, guiding her toward the old barn that was now just a place to put old tools, and mostly used for storage.
“You’ll warm up.”
After their Halloween argument, everything had settled down between them. Paige was currently at school, and he’d come home for lunch to find Maddie underneath the table, her rounded ass sticking up in the air, and he couldn’t resist. Most of the ranch hands were on part-time until spring hit. The jobs around the ranch were taken care of by himself, Mike, and the few full-time staff they employed.
He’d not encountered Emily or Chad since that night, and he was glad. Caleb had meant every single word that he’d said to Maddie that night. He didn’t like her sister, nor did he appreciate her flirting with him. The only person he wanted flirting with him was in his arms.
The woman he was falling for, and fast.
His little girl already loved her, and his mother did, too. Mike and Martha were huge fans of her as well. She’d worked her way into their hearts, and he didn’t want to ever let her go.
“This is all mysterious,” she said.
“I was hoping you’d think it was more kinky.” He’d placed a blindfold over her eyes, so she didn’t know what he had planned. This hadn’t been a spur of the moment thing either. He’d planned this for the past two weeks. Every spare second he had, he’d been cleaning out the storage barn so there was no risk of spiders or mice ruining the mood.
“You know I had an entire day of cleaning planned,” she said.
“You can go back to cleaning afterward. I promise. You’re going to like what I do to you.”
“I saw the books you bought me stored under your bed in a box. I also saw that you’re reading one. Do you like reading some kinky stuff, Caleb?”