“You’re outside. Told you the sun is good for you,” Marta says when she comes around the front of her Bronco. I’m damn happy to see her. Dad hasn’t been able to shut up about the nurse I’d hired to come help out while I was gone. I’m not sure why she’s here now, but I’m thankful. She pauses, taking us all in and assessing the situation. She stands up straighter, and I’m sure she senses the tension. The woman is, after all, a retired Marine.
“I didn’t know you were coming tonight.”
“Told your daddy I’d make him my homemade enchiladas.” She gives Dad a pointed look. “If he did his exercises.”
“I’ve been doing them,” he grumbles. I expect him to tell her to leave, but he doesn’t.
“How about I take you inside?” Marta walks over toward him. “Cane.” She gives him a nod. He gives her one back.
“You know him?” Dad sneers, causing Marta to stop walking.
“Excuse me? You better check your tone with me. Everyone knows the Justice boys.”
“Sorry,” he grumbles. “I’ll go inside when he’s gone.”
“I’m going to have a word with Cane, and you’re going to let me.” I step down off the porch.
“Three minutes,” Dad says, but I ignore him. I can tell Cane is about to explode, but I give him a pleading look to keep his mouth shut. I’m irritated with him too for just popping up this way. Then again, I have no idea how we’re ever going to start to soften my dad to the idea of Cane and me. I was hoping if I got him walking again, that would help.
I watch as Marta helps my dad inside. I don’t move until I hear the door close. “Babe, I didn’t know he’d—”
“Get me out of here,” I say, heading toward him. I need to leave here for a few hours. I don’t want to say something to my dad I can never take back. The anger inside me is threatening to spill out, and I don’t want that.
I start to round his truck, but he snags me around the waist, laying a kiss on me. I want to push him away. I’m too angry right now, but I melt when his mouth is on mine.
“Where do you want to go?” he asks when he breaks the kiss.
“I want you to feed me and then make me feel good. Can you do that?”
“Every damn day of my life, if you let me.”
“Well, I’m letting you.”
I just wish I could let him do it every damn day, but for now I have tonight.
CHAPTER 13
CANE
“Yes. Yes. There. Oh my Goooooood,” Astor cries.
Sweat drips down the sides of my face as I power into her from behind. She tenses and then shudders as the orgasm crashes down. I catch her hips and thrust into her one last time, emptying my seed in long, thick streams of cum. Energy depleted, I collapse on the mattress and pull her down next to me.
She wraps her hands around my forearm and snuggles her cheek against my biceps. I draw the comforter over us and close my eyes. My cock rests between her ass cheeks. My hand is clasped over her right boob. Her head is tucked under mine. Life is good. Really, really good.
I’m halfway to dreamland when Astor jerks out of my embrace.
“What time is it?” she asks, grabbing my wrist and then tossing it back to the mattress when she realizes I don’t have a watch on.
I struggle upright and flip over my phone. “It’s two in the morning, babe. What’s the problem?”
She shoves a hand through her wrecked hair. “I need to get home. Crap. I didn’t realize how late it is. Dad’s going to be worried.”
She dips in and out of a band of moonlight, so I only get glimpses of her shoving one arm into her snap front plaid shirt and one leg covered in her sweatpants. It’s disorienting, and the fog of my orgasm and sleep is making it hard for me to follow.
“Girl, what are you doing? You can leave in the morning.” I pat the still warm part of the bed she abandoned.
“No, because then it will be obvious I spent the night somewhere. If I go home now, I can just say that I got stuck over in Denison.”
“It’s two in the morning.” I get out of bed too. “Your pa is not going to buy that you got stuck in Denison where there’s nothing but five cows and a rooster until two in the morning.”
“Better that than him thinking I spent the night at the Justice ranch,” she fires back. She sweeps her hair up into a clip, grabs her purse, and heads for the door.
I manage to get a pair of jeans on before she hits the hall. “Astor, let’s have a sit-down with your dad. We can’t keep sneaking around like we’re teens.”