Page 39

OZZIE

W aking up to Gray still in bed next to me, watching me, took me by surprise. He was usually up at the ass crack of dawn, but judging from the sunlight spilling into the bedroom, it was well past that. The way he studied me made my heart skip a beat, but not from the usual butterflies. His expression was contemplative, and a furrow had etched its way between his brows.

What was he thinking about so hard?

Ever since we came home from dinner last night, he’d been quiet, but we’d made love, and I’d thought everything was all right. Despite the awful man who’d hit on me, I’d enjoyed spending time with Opie so much we had made plans to meet later today, just the two of us, while Gray was helping Lawson with ranch stuff.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” I cupped Gray’s strong jaw, shuffling closer to him. Without missing a beat, he cuddled me against him, with my back pressed to his chest, his arms strong and comforting.

“Nothing.” He placed his chin on top of my head and took my hands into his—rough and work-calloused yet tender in their grip. “Just watching you sleep and thinking how lucky I am.”

I closed my eyes, a smile lingering on my lips. I could bask all day in the warm rumble of his voice and the gentle caress of his words.

But something is wrong. I can feel it.

“Gray.” If only I could see him, but the hold he had on me, though gentle, was firm. “Please talk to me. I can feel the tension in your body. Are you regretting us?”

“No,” he said sharply. “Good God, never that. You’re mine forever, Oz.”

I squeezed his hand. “I love you so much. There’s nothing I want more than to make you happy. I hope you’re happy.”

If he wouldn’t tell me what was bothering him, maybe he could take comfort in the words. So many things could be affecting him—his relationship with Carter, his divorce, the ranch.

And yet he doesn’t regret me.

“You do make me happy.” He heaved a sigh. “I guess I’m still upset about what happened last night. I kept thinking I could have done more.”

I forced his arms to loosen, then turned around so I could see his face. “Like what? You stood up for me. That’s more than most people ever have in my entire life.”

“But that’s the bare minimum. Wish I had punched him in the mouth.”

“And land in jail?” I wrapped my arms around Gray’s neck. “Gray, I love the way you want to protect me, and yes, the things he said were disgraceful, but I can bear it because I have you. And everyone was disgusted by his behavior, so that’s a win. See how they treated me well after everything happened?”

People who had been avoiding me had approached us to comment on what a dick Byron was. They’d made it clear his behavior wasn’t tolerated in their town. I might have even arrived home tipsy because they’d offered me one too many free drinks. At first, I’d tried to be polite in accepting them, but by the third, I’d realized my mistake. The drinks had kept coming.

“They’d better treat you well, or else,” he grumbled.

“Or else what?”

Gray rolled us so I was under him. A tremor ran through me as he pushed his leg between mine, parting my thighs. He was naked. So was I. We’d barely showered after sex last night before we hit the sack.

“Or else I’ll make them regret it.”

“But, Gray, you can’t force someone—”

“I’ll make them regret it, Ozzie.” He said it with so much conviction I believed him.

Gray’s mouth came down on mine. To be so comfortable around him that I could kiss him with morning breath was a luxury I hoped I never got too accustomed to. With a moan, I clutched his back and opened for his tongue.

“It’s sinful the way I can’t get enough of you,” he whispered against my lips. “My Ozzie, so sweet, sexy…”

His lips moved against mine, and my world narrowed to just him. To the taste of him, the touch of him, the scent of him. The rest of the world disappeared as he roamed his hands over my body, stoking a wildfire that only he could quench. He skimmed my curves with obscene reverence, kneading, caressing, exploring every inch of me as though my body was a treasure map and he was looking for gold.

He pulled away just enough to look at me, his eyes dark with desire. He cupped my face, tracing my trembling lower lip with his thumb as if he could still taste me on it. “You’re so beautiful,” he murmured, his voice husky with emotion. “Say it.”

“What?”

“Tell me you’re beautiful.”

“Gray…” My face burned hotly. I wasn’t one to toot my own horn. Hell, I never even knew I had a horn to toot.

“Come on, say it.” He pressed his rigid cock against my belly. “Say it now, and I’ll fuck you the way you want. I can see you burning for it, Ozzie.”

He wasn’t wrong. I’d had him last night, but my hole ached, and my nipples were tight and tingly. “I’m…beautiful.”

“Yes, you are.” He bent his head and attacked my neck, kissing and sucking in a way that left me gasping. He was making a meal out of me, and it felt good to be devoured. His hands moved down, trailing over my stomach to the arches of my hips. He kissed along my collarbone, leaving a hot trail in his wake.

“Gray, please.”

He teased my nipple with his tongue, and I arched off the bed.

“If you want me to go faster, tell me how beautiful you are.”

“I’m beautiful, Gray,” I cried, even as my body spasmed with delicious waves of pleasure. He rewarded me by letting his fingers graze lower, tracing the length of my cock, and I writhed beneath him. The anticipation was almost unbearable.

“Louder,” he commanded softly, tantalizingly close to my ear.

Taking a steadying breath, I repeated those words, this time with more conviction, “I’m beautiful!” As the words spilled from my lips, an unexpected rush of empowerment washed over me. I’d never looked down on myself before, but neither had I ever touted my looks. Who knew admitting it out loud could be so liberating?

“That’s my sweetheart.” His voice was full of pride and affection.

And then there were no more words, only the creaks of the bed groaning under our weight as Gray shifted to grab the lube from the bed. We kissed while he nudged his cock between my cheeks, sliding inside me at a slow, deliberate pace. Shivers after shivers cascaded through me.

“My beautiful Ozzie.” His hot breath hit my cheeks as he lounged over me, pulling out and thrusting back in. “You take my cock so well.”

“Yes!” I gasped.

The new position gave him an immediate and deeper penetration, and I yelped at the intense pleasure. “Gray,” I whimpered, clawing at his back. “Please, more. I need more.”

“Hang on, baby. I know just what you want.”

The bed groaned with the frantic movements, the rhythm and pace increasing as Gray gave in to my pleas of encouragement. He angled his hips in such a way that every thrust was right up against my prostate. I wouldn’t last for long.

“Gray, Gray…” I cried out as he drove into me with a relentless determination that had me seeing stars. He pulled himself closer to me, digging his fingers into my skin. The heat between us was intense, our sweat-drenched bodies sliding against each other.

His eyes never left mine as he quickened his pace, his body straining against mine with each powerful thrust. My stomach quivered, my breathing was fucked, but none of it mattered.

I stabbed my fingers into his shoulders and screamed out the release barreling through me.

“That’s it, baby. Look how beautiful you are when you’re coming on my cock.”

Gray cursed under his breath, his hips stuttering, desperate, demanding as he pumped his cum inside me. Breathing hard, he pressed his forehead to mine. “How do you feel?”

I smiled. “Beautiful.”

I would always think that now.

I’m beautiful.

I’m loved.

I’m enough.

I don’t have to settle.

We lingered in bed for a few more minutes, then moved to the bathroom. He must have had dozens of things to do around the ranch, but we washed each other unhurriedly. And although I didn’t come again when he rimmed me, I was fully decompressed by the time we got out of the shower.

Gray stripped the sheets from the bed, and I put on new ones, then hid the lube in the drawer for which Gray teased me mercilessly. Hand in hand, we walked out of the room.

“What do you have planned today?” he asked.

I shrugged. “It’s Hudson’s day off, so no babysitting for me today. I’m free to do whatever. Opie and I plan to meet in town later, but I’ll probably talk to my parents for a while, then spend some time with Indy.”

Gray chuckled. “You spend too much time with that animal.”

I pouted. “You gave him to me.”

At the foot of the stairs, Gray stopped me to kiss me. A random kiss that didn’t seem to end.

“Finally, you’ve made it out of bed.”

Emma’s voice echoed through the hallway, startling me. The urge to step behind Gray was strong, but I made myself stand next to him—which was my place now. Whatever opposition we faced, we faced together.

“Jesus Christ, Emma, it’s too early for this,” Gray muttered.

“You don’t even know why I’m here.”

“Let me guess. It’s about me being a rotten father?”

“Yes, you are, but…no. We need to talk.”

Gray sighed. “Fine. Ozzie, do you mind? I’ll meet you in a few for breakfast. I’m sure this won’t be long.”

“Actually, he should be here for this too. Can we step into the living room for a few minutes?”

“You can lash out at me all you want, Emma, but I won’t subject Ozzie to your abuse.”

Emma scowled. “Give it a rest already, Gray, and be grateful I am here to ease some of your worries.” She strutted ahead of us to the living room. What did she mean by easing our worries? Was she not going to contest the divorce after all?

Gray and I looked at each other, but there was only one way to be certain of the answer. I followed him into the living room. Emma paced in front of the couch. My throat went dry. She was acting out of character.

“Well, what is it?” Gray asked.

“Let’s be clear.” She wagged her finger at us. “What I’m about to tell you doesn’t excuse what you did, and I still think it was horrible for you to be involved together.”

“What are you saying, Emma?”

“I had a long chat with Carter two days ago. At first, I demanded that he be an adult and confess what he did, but Carter will always be Carter, so I’m doing it for him.”

At least she was finally admitting to Carter’s horrid behavior and attitude toward me instead of absolving him of the part he’d played in the ending of our relationship.

“Emma?”

“You were right, Gray. Carter was using Ozzie, as you both suspected, but you don’t know how far he took everything. I didn’t know about it until he confessed what he’d done.”

A shiver rolled down my spine, and a chill swept through the room. I grabbed Gray’s arm. What horrible things were we in for now because of Carter?

“He set the whole thing up.”

“What?” I croaked. “Set what up?”

She inhaled deeply and let out the breath. “Gray, when you made the stipulation for Carter and Matty to inherit a part of their inheritance right away instead of waiting, he came up with the idea of marrying Ozzie solely for that reason.”

“We already figured that one out,” I said. I didn’t like thinking about it either because I’d been gullible enough to make it happen despite all the warning signs.

“But what you don’t know is that he came up with another plan last Christmas.” Emma was staring directly at Gray as if I was no longer in the room. “Carter overheard you say something that made him set you up the way he did.”

Gray widened his eyes, inhaling sharply. “He couldn’t have heard me.”

“He did.”

“Wait…what? What did Carter overhear?”

Gray closed his eyes. “I told you when we just met, I felt a connection to you. I might have said something to Pascal about you.”

“You said he could have been the one if he wasn’t marrying Carter, and he heard you.”

Bewildered, I gripped Gray’s arms tighter. “I don’t understand.”

“Didn’t you think it strange the way Carter left you here before the wedding? What kind of groom does that? One who has no intention of going through with the wedding. It was all a ploy to push you both together and make you, Gray, fall in love with Ozzie. He deliberately treated Ozzie so poorly, knowing you wouldn’t be able to stand by and do nothing. And you fell for it.”

Too stunned at the depth of Carter’s betrayal, I sank onto a sofa, not trusting my legs to support me. A mixture of emotions washed over me, making it difficult to figure out my feelings. Anger for Carter’s manipulation. How could he treat me like a chess piece in this sick game of his, and for what? Money. But Gray, I loved him so much. It all worked out well for me, didn’t it?

“Wait, but why would he push Ozzie and me together?” Gray asked. “If he didn’t marry Ozzie, he wouldn’t be able to claim the inheritance.”

“Except he was counting on you doing exactly what you did when he ‘discovered’ your relationship. That you’d feel so guilty you would give him the money.”

How could someone be so calculating? “But what if I hadn’t felt the same way about Gray?”

“Then he would have married you like he originally planned, collected the money, and divorced you within a year.”

Silence fell in the room as the implications of Emma’s revelation hit us like a sledgehammer. A steely anger bubbled up within me, replacing the initial shock. The audacity, the sheer cruel selfishness of Carter’s actions… I curled my hands into fists.

“Carter told you all this?” Gray asked.

“Yes. Some things didn’t add up, so I questioned him about it. At first, I wasn’t sure if I should tell you, but I feel partly responsible.” She shook her head, tears gathering in her eyes. “I never expected him to do something like this. He’s never been perfect, but this is low even for him. I never thought he would go this far to manipulate people to get his way.”

I watched, dumbfounded, as Emma wiped away her tears. It was rare to see her in such a vulnerable state. She looked every bit her forty-eight years. Had I been looking closer earlier, I would have seen the dark circles under her eyes.

“We’ve never seen eye to eye, Emma.” I climbed to my feet and took Gray’s hand. “But Carter is a grown man. He should take responsibility for his actions, not you.”

She laughed, the sound hollow. “I always thought you weren’t good enough for him, but now I see it’s the other way around. Gray, I won’t contest the divorce. I just want this ugliness to be over so we can move on.”

“I agree.” Gray placed an arm around my shoulder. “We’ve all been puppets that Carter has been working behind the scenes. It’s best we all forget the past and look forward to the future. And you know I’ll be fair to you in everything, Emma. No matter what happens, you’ll always be the mother of my boys.”

Emma nodded. “I’ve said and done a lot since I’ve found out about your relationship. I won’t apologize for it, but maybe this makes up for it somewhat.”

Emma walked out of the room, her stiff shoulders showing the weight of the truth she had just revealed. The enormity of Carter’s ruse was paralyzing, but somehow it was also cathartic. The mystery, the doubts that had been gnawing at me, were all laid bare now.

My chest felt tight. I needed some air. Some time alone to think.

“Ozzie.” Gray’s voice was a whisper.

“I…I need to go.”

“Wait…what?” Gray tightened his grip on me as though he thought I would disappear otherwise. “You’re leaving? We know now Carter manipulated us, but it doesn’t change the way I feel about you. It doesn’t change the way you feel about me, does it?”

I slowly shook my head. Gray’s words filtered through my ears, but my brain felt too crowded to process what he was saying. Pulling my arm away, I took a step back.

“I just need a moment. Please. Just—” I raced out of the room as fast as I could.

“Ozzie!”

But I couldn’t turn around. Couldn’t acknowledge Gray with the tears in my eyes. I felt violated, hollowed out from the inside, resentment a bitter pill forced down my throat by Emma’s words. Carter’s treachery filled me with fear. I never wanted to feel the way he made me ever again. I’d been so desperate to fall in love and marry I’d allowed myself to be used.

My stomach churned, thinking about all the times I’d lain in bed with him, his body on top of mine, his lips on mine, and all the time it had been nothing but a lie. He’d lured me here to the ranch and abandoned me. He’d left me to plan a wedding he’d had no intention of attending.

Tears leaked as I ran out the door and down the steps. But I couldn’t run away from the godawful pain in my heart.