DamionIt felt weird and good to be back in the kitchen of the farmhouse. The kitchen was outdated and nothing like the upscale kitchen I had in my apartment back in New York, but it didn’t matter. It was functional and had a homey touch, something that was missing in the icy gray and black modern kitchen. I flipped the pancake in the pan, quietly humming a song I didn’t know the name of.I was happy. Content. I felt settled. I remembered feeling like that when I had first come home, but it wasn’t a true settled feeling. I looked back on those days and realized I had one foot in New York. I didn’t now. I was so over the city. It had taken me a while to figure it out, but I got it now. I was a little on the slow side. I smiled, thinking of my grandfather. He would say I was on the stubborn side. Always trying to fight against the inevitable.Oliver meandered into the kitchen, sitting down at the table with his book in hand. “Did you remember the whipped cream?” he asked.I smiled and r
DamionI shook my head. “Nope. Just the standard fishing. I had a couple of buddies who used to go out from time to time, but I think fishing was the last thing on their minds.”“Some things never change,” she said with a laugh. “What about deer hunting?”I cringed. “I’ve done it, but it’s not necessarily something I enjoy.”“Me either,” she agreed. “It’s too much meat for one person anyway.”“I had no idea you were such an outdoors kind of girl,” I joked.“I’m always outdoors, but usually, I’m taking care of the outdoors.”It was another piece of the puzzle that was Alex. She was a little tomboy and a lot sexy. She was capable of taking care of herself and being dainty at the same time. It was the perfect combination of tough and vulnerable.“All right, kid, go brush your teeth and find your shoes,” I ordered Oliver.He hopped up and raced down the hall to his room. Alex got out of her chair and walked to where I was standing. Her arms slid around my waist before she gave me a quick
AlexOur fishing had been a bust—again. I promised Damion I would eventually catch him an entire bucket of fish that he could feast upon. It just wasn’t going to be that day. I personally didn’t care that we hadn’t caught any fish. I had such a great time hanging out with the boys, the rest of it didn’t matter.“How about ice cream?” I suggested.“Yes!” Oliver jumped up and down.“I think ice cream would be great,” he agreed.We loaded up our gear into the back of my truck and headed to the diner to get some hot fudge sundaes. We took a booth near the back of the place, taking advantage of it being mostly empty.“I’m glad we’re back,” Oliver said as he scooped a big chunk out of the sundae.“I’m glad you’re back as well,” I told him.“We had to live in a hotel,” he pouted. “Dad promised me we would get a yard. We didn’t. We had to be in a hotel. I didn’t have my own room or my toys. The hotel room was tiny and I had to be quiet all the time. It only had one TV.”“Wow,” I said with fei
Alex“He’s such a good kid. I almost envy him. Not envy him, like jealous, but I wish I would have had you as my dad.”“I don’t know if you want to envy him. He hasn’t had a mother all these years. He’s had a dad that works too much.”“But he’s had a dad that loves him and supports him. That’s what a kid needs. I don’t think it matters if it comes from a dad, a mom, a grandparent, or even an adopted parent. It doesn’t have to be all sunshine and flowers, but just mostly sunshine.”He laughed. “That was a very good pep talk. Thank you for that. I am going to be a better father. I’m going to shower him with so much sunshine and flowers he’s going to want to escape me.”I burst into laughter. “Maybe you don’t have to go that far.”“Thanks for hanging out with us today. He really does like you. Love you. The whole time we were in New York, he talked about you. He was so pissed at me. The kid really gave me a run for my money.”“I’m glad he pressured you into coming back. I’ll have to than
DamionI pulled up to the school, parking the truck and climbing out. I was hoping the day camp program would be a great way for Oliver to hang out with his friends while possibly learning new stuff. I hated the idea of sending him off while I was at home, but this was something he wanted to do.“Okay,” I said, prepared to give him a little pep talk.“See you later, Dad!” he said, rushing up to the front door.I laughed. It was not the same kid I had dropped off at the summer program in New York. “Can I at least get a hug?”He turned around and ran back toward me. I gave him a quick hug before releasing him. It was a lot like releasing a caged animal back into the wild. He raced inside the small building and was already down the hall by the time I made it in. The drop off was so much easier and less stiff. There wasn’t a mountain of forms or security guarding the place. It didn’t feel like I was taking him to prison. He was going to be a kid and have fun with other kids. I could hear
Damion“Oliver needs to be here. This is a great place to raise a kid. He was happy here and I had no business yanking him back and forth across the country. It is official. I am here to stay, and I have no plans to leave again. I don’t care about the inheritance or any of it. I’m going to live the life of a farmer. I’m stepping into the very large shoes my grandpa left behind. I just really, really hope I don’t completely fuck it up.”He smirked. “And Alex had nothing to do with it.”I grinned, shrugging a shoulder and saying nothing.“Ah, I see you’re taking the fifth. That says everything. Not having an answer is the answer in itself.”I avoided his gaze. “How have you been?” I asked, doing a very poor job of smoothly changing the subject.“I’m good. Have some time off and trying to stay busy. If I’m not chasing women, I’m drinking. Both activities get me in trouble.”“I could see why,” I said with a laugh.“Maybe I should go on over to New York and see what trouble I can find,” he
AlexI greedily took a bite from the massive cheeseburger on my plate. Sadie was watching me with a strange look on her face. I watched as she daintily took a bite of a French fry. I grabbed my soda, sipped on it, and washed down the food in my mouth.“What?” I asked her.“You’re eating like you haven’t eaten in weeks.”I shrugged. “I haven’t. Not really.”“I take it things are going well with you and Damion?”I smiled. “They are.”“Did you guys talk, like actually talk with words, or was it all horizontal?”I wasn’t even offended. “Yes. We went fishing yesterday and hung out for a bit with Oliver. It was nice.”“Did you tell him how you felt?” she pressed.I grimaced. “Not exactly. I did, but I didn’t. He told me how he felt and then things kind of got heated.”She rolled her eyes. “Of course, they did. You turn into a sex machine when he’s around. It’s really quite gross. And I’m completely jealous.”“It’s more than sex. It’s so much more than that. We don’t always get along, and I
AlexShe grinned. “Oh my god. Do you know how long I have waited to hear those words?”I laughed, shaking my head. “Nothing too over the top. I need to maintain my dignity.”She waved a hand. “Totally overrated. Let’s go.”We hopped in my truck and headed north. It wasn’t like there was anywhere to buy a hot little number in Geraldine. I was willing to splurge. I wanted to impress him. I wanted to knock his damn socks off. Asking Sadie to help sex me up was dangerous. I would have to keep her in check without pulling her too far back. I had to trust her.“No,” I said, vehemently shaking my head. “That looks like something that a dominatrix would wear.”She winked and grinned. “I have this in red.” “If your boobs weren’t so damn big, I would just shop in your closet. Unfortunately, that kind of dress is not going to do much for me.”“It will do a lot for you, trust me,” she said, putting the black leather dress back on the rack. She grabbed a red dress that was very short and very sma
AlexHe winked at me. “I was thinking I might get me a little place in Montana.”I felt tears well in my eyes. I fanned my face. “Wayne, that would be amazing.”“Yes, it would,” Damion chimed in. “We’ll have a house built for you on the farm.”“Damion!” I blurted out.“Oh no, I can’t ask you to do that,” Wayne said.“You didn’t ask. I offered. We would love to have you around. We’ll need a guest house eventually anyway.”I could see the emotion in Wayne’s eyes. “That’s a very kind offer. I’ll think on it. I don’t want to put anyone out.”“Wayne,” I said, reaching across the table and grabbing his hand. “It would be an honor to have you around.”He smiled. “You drive a hard bargain, missy,” he teased.“I certainly do.”“Montana is a great place to live,” Damion said. “I wish I would have realized it earlier. I wasted a lot of time. I don’t intend to do it again.”“Good, because I won’t let you get away from me quite so easily.”“I’m not going anywhere,” he said with a grin. “Montana is
AlexThree months laterI carried the big bowl of homemade potato salad to the back patio and placed it on the table. Betty popped her head up from where she was curled up on her bed in the corner and out of the way. She would get her leftover treats after the dinner, even though I told Wayne he shouldn’t feed her people food. My favorite men in the world were sitting around the table, chatting and talking about the early fall. I smiled at each of them before going back into the kitchen of Wayne’s house to grab the tray of burger toppings.We had driven down to spend the weekend with him before school started and our schedule got a lot less flexible. Damion had offered to buy plane tickets, but I couldn’t do it. I actually liked the drive. We all got to hang out and just talk. There was no escape when you were locked in a car with someone.My life was good. Better than good. The final puzzle pieces of my life had slid into place. I felt settled. I didn’t feel the need to run. I hadn’t
AlexI opened eyes I didn’t realize had been closed. I stared into his light blue gaze as he rose over me. My hands slid up his forearms and over his biceps, rubbing over the skin that was hot under my touch. He was just as affected as I was.His cock slid over my slick pussy before he carefully nudged forward, breaking through the folds and finding home. He pushed once, and our eyes locked as he joined his body with mine. I felt a tear slide down the side of my face as he pushed himself all the way inside my welcoming body.“Oh, Damion,” I breathed his name before my eyes slid closed and my body finally gave in to the need that had been holding me in a firm grip since his kisses started.“That’s it,” he coaxed, kissing the tip of my nose as my body arched and bucked under his. “That’s my girl. All mine. You’re mine.”I opened my eyes and found him staring at me from just a few inches away. He lowered his mouth to mine and kissed me until I could no longer think at all. I only felt. I
AlexI didn’t think I had ever been carried. Not like that anyway. I felt like a precious gift with the way he was looking at me. His gentleness was so much different than our usual way. It was strange and sweet at the same time.I watched as he pulled his shirt over his head and dropped it to the floor before stepping out of the shorts he was wearing. I could truly look at the man’s body all day. His thick cock stood loud and proud, promising great things.He was perfect in my eyes. Tall and now very tanned after all our long days working together at the farm. His muscles were more defined than what they were when he first showed up in Geraldine. He had changed. I had changed.“Looking at something?” he asked with a soft smile.“Just admiring the view from down here,” I answered.He reached down, not getting on the bed as he undid the button on my shorts. He pulled them and my panties down my legs before reaching for my arms and pulling me to a sitting position. My shirt was lifted o
DamionI smiled. “I don’t think the money will change me. At least, I hope it doesn’t. It hasn’t so far.”“What do you mean?”“I mean I had the money before I came back.”Her mouth dropped open. “What? You have it? I thought you said you had to wait six months.”I nodded. “I did. Or so I was told. When I went to Harvey to ask about the will and where the farm would go if I turned it down, he told me you and he had talked. He said you told him you were impressed with what I had done and that I was taking it seriously. I told him it didn’t matter and had him draw up the documents to give you the farm. I told him to give the money to charity or whatever. I was in New York when I got the documents in the mail saying the accounts had been transferred to my name. A rather large check was included.”She shook her head. “You turned down the money?”I nodded. “I did.”“But you have it now?”“I do. I’ll admit I bought the SUV with cash. It didn’t make sense to carry a loan and pay interest.”Sh
DamionI heard the knock on the door and walked out of my bedroom to answer it. Sadie was standing on the other side, a soft smile on her face.“Hi,” she greeted.“Hi,” I answered, pulling the door open for her. “I was just folding the last bit of laundry.”“You’re folding your own laundry?” she asked.I groaned. “She told you.”“She did. Of course, she did. There’s a reason I offered to babysit Oliver without you asking. You two need to talk and I’m here to make sure that happens.”“I appreciate it. And yes, I do my own laundry. I also clean toilets and sweep the floors. I’m still the same man I’ve always been.”“I believe you. Now you need to convince her of that.”I shook my head. “You make it sound like it’s easy.”“I think I smoothed the way for you, but if you screw it up, that’s on you.”I laughed. “Good to know. Oliver is in his room. I’m going to toss a load in the washer and then I’ll head out.”“Take your time. My schedule is clear. This could take a while. Don’t give up to
Alex“Sadie, this is real. I’m not kidding. He inherited a fortune. The only reason he is here is to get that fortune.”“Did he say he wanted to leave?”“No, but—”She held up a hand. “Exactly. He came back for you.”I slapped a hand on the table. “This is what I’m trying to explain to you. He didn’t come back for me. He came back for the money.”“Do you honestly think he would jerk his kid back and forth across the country for the money? I don’t know him half as well as you do, but even I know he lives and breathes for that boy. He isn’t going to do anything that would hurt Oliver. He knows Oliver likes it here. Oliver couldn’t stop talking about how much he missed you when they were gone. How much Damion missed you. It’s real, Alex. Very real. Before you push him away, ask yourself if you’re really being rational.”I leaned back in my seat. “You’re being harsh.”“I’m sorry, but I have to be. I can’t let you ruin this. He’s so good for you. You don’t see how different you are with hi
AlexI glanced in the bathroom mirror as I washed my hands and face. I looked like hell. I wasn’t interested in showering. Not yet. I piled my hair on top of my head in a messy bun. Not cute messy but legit messy. I slid my slippered feet along the floor as I made my way to the kitchen. I needed coffee. A lot of coffee. I hadn’t slept much at all. Two nights of no sleep was wreaking havoc on me.There was a knock on my door just as I was starting my coffee. I slowly walked over to see who it was.“I see you,” Sadie called.“You can’t see through wood,” I told her.“Open the door.”“I’m not decent,” I retorted.“No shit. Open it anyway.”I sighed, unlocking the door and pulling it open, expecting the comments about the state of my appearance. “What are you doing here?” I asked.“Wow. This is a bad one. Have you showered this week?” She curled her lip. “I can flip you on your head and mop the floor with all that oil in your hair.”“That’s really not very nice,” I retorted.“You don’t lo
Damion“With that kind of money, I think you can certainly buy love.”“Not real love. I didn’t want some woman faking it.”“Do you think Alex is like that?” he asked, his tone slightly accusing.“Not at all,” I answered. “She’s the real deal. I know she loves Oliver and he loves her.”He was quiet for a few seconds. “Does she know you already have the money?”I shrugged. “I’m not sure. It seemed like she thought I had it or was going to be getting it soon.”“You didn’t tell her you had it before you came back the second time?”I slowly shook my head. “No. It seemed pointless. Alex is stubborn. When she gets something in her head, there’s no dislodging it. I didn’t see any point in arguing. She wasn’t going to believe a word I said. She’s convinced I’ve been lying to her from day one. Anything I said was going to be rejected. I didn’t want to stick around and listen to her insult me or what we had. I didn’t want to get mad and say something I would regret. I left.”“You do that a lot,”