Page 36 of Ace of Spades (Hidden Creek Ranch #1)

“Oh yeah?” she asks, a playful grin dancing across her lips. “Then what changed?”

The fact that it’s you that I’m dancing with.

“I don’t know,” I tell her, because that’s the truth. I don’t know when, or how, but things changed. There hadn’t ever been a time that I’d felt the need—let alone the want—to scoop a girl off the dancefloor. I’d never felt possessive or territorial over a woman, so why now all of a sudden?

She must see something shift in my expression because her eyes soften.

“Well, I’m honored,” she tells me, letting her hand fall to my shoulder, her body melting into mine as we sway to the music.

She rests her head on my chest, my heart thrumming wildly at the close contact. I had fucked this girl’s brains out, and yet, this felt more intimate than any moment we’d shared in the bedroom .

“So,” she says. “Kelly Weaver, huh?”

I follow her line of sight to where the girl in question stands with Kinley, the latter bent down to give the dogs some love while Kelly glares straight at us.

“You jealous, Sorrels?” I tease, spinning her before bringing her back into me, making sure to give Kelly a show.

“No,” Hailey says. “I know you have a past. Can I just ask—was it serious?”

I pull her in, bringing my lips to her ear.

“Not even a little bit.”

“And you… Don’t still like her, do you?”

When are you going to realize that I only have eyes for you?

“No,” I tell her truthfully.

“Good,” she states, and I bite down a smile.

The song ends and Hailey moves to walk away, but before I even realize what I’m doing, I’m grabbing her arm and spinning her back around, pulling the hat off of my head and placing it on hers.

“Wes, what are you doing?” she asks, though not even she can hide the smile in her eyes.

“Showing everyone here who you belong to,” I tell her.

“I don’t belong to anybody,” she argues, a mischievous grin tugging at her lips.

Don’t I know it.

“Humor me,” I tell her. “It’s my birthday, after all.”

I’d deal with the awful hat hair if it meant staking my claim, like some caveman fighting for the prettiest girl here .

“Happy birthday to you,” I hear somebody start, the singing picking up around us as I turn to find my mom and Debbie walking through the lodge door, cake in hand.

The sparkling candles set a golden glow on their faces as they set it down on the picnic table, the crowd gathering in as my friends’ loud and obnoxious singing cracks a smile on my face.

I pull Hailey along with me, thanking everyone for the birthday wishes as I blow out my candles.

“Make a wish!” Kota calls, and I close my eyes for a brief moment to do just that.

“Alright, now time for presents,” Rhonda announces. “I’ll take the cake inside and cut it for everyone.”

Chance pushes me down onto the bench as Debbie places a large box in front of me.

“This is from all of us at the ranch,” she tells me. “And your mom, too, of course.”

I look around, finding smiling faces all around as I turn my attention back to the box, lifting the lid.

I pull out the set of chaps, holding them up to admire the beautiful custom work.

The leather is embroidered with a beautiful tooled pattern, my last name printed down one side with a hand of cards on the other, an Ace of Spades in the center.

“They’re…” I can’t even find the words to describe them, blown away by every intricate little detail. “They’re stunning. This is way too much, guys, really.”

“You sold your championship ones in high school to buy Kota a prom dress,” my mom says, a tear in her eye as her voice cracks. “You didn’t know it, but I cried myself to sleep that night. You’ve always put everyone first before thinking of yourself. ”

“This isn’t much in comparison,” Debbie tells me. “But we all pitched in. You deserve something nice every once in a while, too.”

A ball forms in my throat, the backs of my eyes burning.

“Thank you,” I manage to croak out as my sister throws her arms around my shoulders, Rafe giving me a pat on the back as he goes to help Rhonda distribute the cake.

I look up to find Hailey watching me, her eyes brimming with unshed tears as she smiles at me. I glance around at all of the people I love—the people who have become family, and I realize I’ve never felt so full.

My mom makes me try the chaps on in front of everyone, and I happily oblige, finding that they fit perfectly.

“I almost don’t want to use them so they never get dirty,” I laugh.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Debbie tells me. “Just don’t get blood on them is all I ask, cleaning Chance’s chaps after the last rodeo was a bitch.”

“How did you get blood on your chaps?” my mom turns to ask the man in question.

“Nothing to worry about, Mrs. Langford. Just a little brawl with some guys that tried to mess with your daughter.”

“Well, in that case, brawl all you want. I’ll clean the blood out myself next time,” Mom laughs, pulling Chance into an embrace.

I look around for Hailey, hating how I seemed to have this need to know where she was at all times. Lately, it was like I couldn’t even walk into a room without immediately looking for her .

“Where’s Hailey?”

“I think she took a phone call, I saw her go into the lodge,” Kota tells me.

I make my way through the door, walking past the kitchen and to the hallway leading to the offices, her hushed voice from inside one of the rooms. I move to push open the cracked door to find her pacing, her phone pressed to her ear.

“No, Dad—no, just stop! You need to stop blowing up my phone like this.”

A pause.

“I’m not ready to come home, okay? I’m a grown woman, you can’t tell me what to do anymore.”

Another pause, and a pang hits me in my chest at the thought of her leaving eventually.

“Because I like it here, Dad,” she continues. “What do you mean, why? Because these are good people!”

I can hear her father’s arguing from the other end of the line, not enough to make out the words, but enough to feel the heat from the argument.

“You know what, Dad, I’m having a great night over here, and I’m not going to let you ruin it. We’ll finish this conversation later.”

With that, she hangs up, letting out a long sigh as I rasp my knuckles against the door.

“Everything okay?”

She startles, relaxing once she realizes it’s just me.

“Yeah, everything’s fine. It’s just my dad, he… He’s not taking all of this too well.”

“Want to talk about it? ”

“Not really,” she says. “I mean, there isn’t really much to talk about. He’s always been so protective over my mom and I, and I used to think it was because he loved us. I think I’m realizing that it wasn’t really a form of love, after all—it was control that he wanted.”

“He’s trying to get you to come back home?” I guess.

“Yeah,” she exhales. “He doesn’t like that I’m essentially ‘slumming it with the competition’, as he says.”

“And what about you? What do you want?”

I hold my breath as I wait for her answer.

“I want… I think I want to stay here,” she tells me, meeting my gaze.

I can’t help the joy that overcomes me at her admission.

“Then stay here,” I tell her.

“I’m going to have to talk to him at some point. He’s still my dad, as much as I don’t care for him at the moment.”

“I know. But you can worry about that later, when you’re ready.”

She gives me a sad smile, walking over to wrap her arms around me as I rest my chin on the top of her head.

“Shouldn’t you be out there with your guests?” she asks.

“They can wait.”

“Well,” she says, pulling away from me. “While we’re here, I figure I could go ahead and give you your present.”

“You got me a present?”

“Isn’t that typically what people do for birthdays?” she teases, a wide grin crossing her features .

“What’d you get me, Sorrels?” I ask, the corner of my lips quirking up as she pulls a small box out of her boot, handing it over.

I look to her before opening it, carefully untying the bow. Lifting the lid, my heart stalls completely as I peer inside.

“I did the best that I could… I’m still so sorry, Weston—”

My lips slam to hers, my free hand cupping her face as I pull her into me. I place the box down on the table, my grandpa’s Ace of Spades card facing us, clear tape holding the torn pieces back together.

“How did you do it?” I ask.

“After our argument in the parking lot—and Brad and I’s… argument—I went back to pick up the pieces. I didn’t find all of them, but I kept what I could find, and tried to piece it back together as best as I could.”

“You’re amazing,” I breathe against her lips, the need to claim her right here and now taking over me.

Grabbing her by the backs of the thighs, she lets out a startled gasp as I pick her up, placing her on the large cherrywood desk in the center of the room.

I waste no time bringing my mouth back to hers, devouring her as my hands reach down to undo my belt, pulling down the strap of her sundress and exposing her to me.

I hungrily kiss my way down her neck before reaching her chest, sucking her pink nipple into my mouth as I swirl my tongue around the tight bud, eliciting a moan from her as her fingers dig into my scalp in encouragement .

I reach down between her legs, pushing her underwear to the side to find her already soaked for me as I run my fingers through her slit.

“Wes,” she moans. “I need you right now.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” I chuckle, pulling my length out and placing it at her entrance. I wrap my arm around Hailey’s waist to brace her as I push inside, a guttural groan escaping my lips as I sink into her sweet cunt.

“Fuck,” I breathe, slamming my lips onto hers as I begin to move inside her, her hips grinding into me as I thrust in and out. “You feel so damn good. Tell me this pussy is all mine.”

“Wes—”

“Tell me,” I repeat with a commanding thrust, a moan echoing through the space as her eyes slam shut with the force.

“It’s yours,” she pants, her nails digging into me as I pick up speed. “I’m yours.”

Her words sink into my veins, my adrenaline kicking into overdrive as they drive me absolutely feral. I pound into her, her delicious moans ringing out around us as I drive her to the edge, locking her tight in my grip as I slam all the way to the hilt.

“Say it again,” I command, needing to hear the words again to make sure I didn’t imagine them.

“I’m yours,” she repeats. “Fuck, Wes—I’m yours!”

“And I’m yours,” I breathe against her lips, her eyes meeting mine.

“Now come for me, baby,” I tell her, reaching between us to her clit with the pad of my thumb .

Her head falls back as I feel her walls clench around me, milking my cock as I give her one last thrust before stilling inside of her, the two of us panting heavily as we climax together.