Page 42 of Claiming Ours (Anchor Bay #2)

MEMPHIS

Baylee slowed her horse until we rode side by side. “Don’t look so petulant. The clothes don’t look bad. They’re just not your typical trendy style, that’s all.”

No fucking shit, this getup wasn’t me. I eyed the Wranglers and flannel shirt I’d borrowed from Carl with disdain.

I had to put my foot down when he tried to make me wear a pair of cowboy boots.

That was a step too far. My go-to motorcycle boots weren’t ideal for horseback riding, but the style was all me, and they fit like a glove on the off chance we needed to get off the massive beasts to hike at some point.

“The jeans make your ass look bitable.” For emphasis, she leaned back in the saddle, eyes going to my ass, and snapped her teeth.

“I feel like a fraud,” I groaned, jumping slightly when the horse jerked its head.

Yes, I had ridden before, but horses and I didn’t get along like Liam, the horse whisperer who rode several yards ahead of us.

I had a healthy respect for the enormous animals, sure, but that was about the extent of my feelings for them. “Maybe I should walk.”

“There is no way we can cover enough distance on foot, so suck it up like a good boy,” Liam shouted ahead of us.

I flipped off his back, making Baylee giggle.

“I saw that, Memphis. You can count on paying for that later.”

Desire slithered through my veins at the vague promised threat, which once again confused the hell out of me.

Out of habit, I looked down to check on Elvis only to deflate.

We were unsure of the terrain we would encounter, and I ended up agreeing with Liam that it was best to leave Elvis at home.

It was the safest decision for my best friend, but that didn’t mean I didn’t regret leaving him behind.

“Has Liam filled you in on this trail and the missing women?” Baylee asked.

I dipped my chin in a slow nod.

Lips pursed, she blew a raspberry and nervously scanned our surroundings, making me do the same.

“It’s terrifying that they have no leads, zero clues to indicate what’s going on out here.

” Her features tightened with worry as she gnawed at her lower lip.

“Did he also mention that one of our friends went missing several weeks back?”

Fuck, her concern killed me.

“They’ve sent out search parties, hoping to find her or even something of hers, but haven’t found anything.

It’s slow going because Alaska is so fucking wild.

” She gestured to the towering mountains and dense trees lining the narrow trail.

“There are millions of acres where she could’ve easily fallen or gotten hurt, and we wouldn’t have a clue where to look.

” She swallowed hard and looked at me with tears in her lower lids.

“I don’t like thinking of the alternative, that someone took Caroline or the other missing women. ”

Up ahead, Liam swiveled his horse around and leaned against the saddle horn, eyeing us.

“What’s more concerning to me is all the places someone could hide out, live completely off-grid,” he said, inclining his head toward the vast, treacherous landscape.

“But everyone needs supplies, even sociopaths.”

“Okay,” Baylee drawled, brows pulled in tight.

A huff escaped when I understood what he meant. “You’re saying everyone needs supplies, and the closest place for that is Anchor Bay. You think it’s someone you know or have at least met before?”

Baylee gasped in surprise, covering her parted lips while her crystal blue eyes flicked between us.

“That makes sense to me, and I’m almost positive it’s what Oliver and Hudson are considering too. But there’s no way to know who. Most of the ‘locals’ to Anchor Bay live outside town and only come in when absolutely necessary to stock up on necessities.”

“So, in your mind, anyone who comes to town is a suspect.” I blew out a heavy breath. “Damn.”

“Oliver and Hudson just need one fucking lead, a clue to point the investigation in the right direction.” Turning his horse, he clicked his tongue to get the beast moving forward again.

“I know I brought it up, but can we please talk about something else?” Baylee pleaded. “I’ll have nightmares tonight if we don’t.”

“Don’t worry, Kitten,” I said with a wink. “I’ll be pressed up right beside you, keeping you safe all night long.”

A pink flush stained her fair cheeks, making me wonder if the memory of me watching Liam slowly fuck her while I kissed her like my life depended on it kept flashing on repeat in her mind like it did for me.

Her face when she came on his dick was burned into my brain, a memory I’d remember for the rest of my life.

“Fuck,” I grunted when my cock twitched in the tight jeans. “Horseback has to be the worst damn place to get turned on.”

“Maybe for a guy, but for a girl?” She slowly rotated her hips back and forth, rubbing herself against the leather saddle. Baylee’s lips parted slightly, and her lids fluttered shut with the sensual movement. “It’s a fucking tease, that’s what it is.”

“Is that so?” I rasped, watching her move again.

“Good, it’ll get you ready for us tonight,” Liam said, smirking over his shoulder. “I can’t wait to take you under the stars, Little Bit.”

“Well, this just got a hell of a lot more fun,” I quipped while adjusting my now semihard cock so it didn’t get rubbed raw. “Makes the sore ass and awful clothes worth it.”

Liam barked out a laugh, and Baylee shot me a wide smile.

A lot more fun indeed.

Not fun.

Not fucking fun at all.

My inner thighs were so sore it hurt to walk.

There was legitimate concern that I would walk bowlegged forever.

Plus, both ass cheeks were numb and had been the past two damn hours.

Hand pressed against my lower back, I bowed backward like some old fuck in a nursing home, groaning as my spine cracked.

Lifting both arms overhead, I angled my face up to the cloudless sky, taking in the golden sun as I stretched out my tight muscles. A forceful smack landed between my shoulder blades, propelling me forward a few steps.

“You did good today.” I arched an incredulous brow in Liam’s direction, making him chuckle. “Right, good is a stretch. You were decent. At least you didn’t fall off.”

“True, way to think positive. I didn’t take you as a glass-half-full type of guy.”

The corners of his lips curled in a smirk as his intense gaze slid to Baylee, busy brushing down her horse. “Me either, but things change when the right people come into our lives.”

“That’s fucking deep, man. Must be the fresh air or something,”

He snorted, motioning for me to follow him. “We need firewood. Help me find anything somewhat dry. I have some starter blocks in my pack, but wet wood smokes something terrible, and I don’t want that shit in my face all night.”

“What about Baylee?” I didn’t like the idea of leaving her alone for a second, considering the topic from earlier.

“I’ll keep an eye on her, make sure she’s never out of my sight. Just stay close to camp.”

Camp was quaint, a single tent that made me happy as hell knowing I’d get to sleep beside Baylee.

Keeping close to the clearing, like Liam asked, I nudged a somewhat-dry branch before bending down to add it to the growing stack in my arms. Just as my fingertips brushed over the moss-covered wood, the sense of something being off had the hair on the back of my neck standing on end, making me pause.

Attempting to stay subtle, I gripped the limb and slowly stood, twisting one way and then the other, pretending to stretch out my back rather than scanning the dense trees for danger.

Nothing moved between the thin trunks or rustled through the thick underbrush except for Liam, several yards away, with a large stack of wood bundled against his chest. Shaking out the paranoia, I resumed scouring the ground for firewood, though this time I kept attuned to my surroundings too.

Back at camp, I dropped my armful of mostly dry wood on the ground beside the makeshift fire ring. At the noise, Baylee popped out of the tent—well, it was sort of a tent, more a tarp held up by paracord, configured to keep the elements off us.

“Everything good out there?” she asked, eyes nervously flicking around the clearing.

The strange moment from earlier had me striding to her side. “Why?”

Rubbing at her arms, she curled against me. I wrapped an arm around her shoulders, securing her even tighter.

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s knowing we’re only a few miles off the Soul Trail, but I’m just….”

“Nervous?” I finished for her when she trailed off.

“Yeah.” Baylee buried her face against my chest. “It’s probably nothing. It just feels off out here. I can’t put my finger on why, though.”

I started to tell her about my similar feeling when Liam emerged from the trees, a stack of firewood almost twice the size of mine in his arms. His gray eyes took us in, lips pulling into a frown as he deposited the branches beside the ring of stones.

“What’s wrong?”

“Baylee is nervous about being out here, and I don’t blame her. I don’t think we should leave her alone, so she doesn’t worry.” Her smooth hair slid beneath my palm as I moved it over the top of her head, then pulled on her ponytail to tip her petite face up to mine. “That work for you, Kitten?”

At my tug, she gasped and her pupils dilated, clearly liking the action. “That’s perfect,” she breathed.

“Yes, you are, Baylee.” I pressed my lips to hers, reluctantly pulling back at the sound of the firewood being moved around.

Liam squatted beside the ring of rocks, creating a teepee of sorts out of the smaller sticks.

“Want help with that?” I eyed the horizon.

“We have what, another hour or two of light left?”

He shook his head, but a knowing smirk pulled at his lips. “I’ve got this covered. You and Baylee go distract yourselves from worrying about this place.”