Page 20

Last night with Ellie felt like whiplash. One second, I was sulking, the next, I was dancing with her in the middle of a bar. Then, a few seconds later, we were arguing in the rain, after that we were making out in my truck.

I couldn’t control the future—nobody could—but I was sure of one thing: This time, I had to get things right with Ellie.

This second chance? It might be the only one I’d ever get.

And it started with taking her out on a proper date.

I was driving towards the guesthouse now with flowers tucked safely in the passenger seat.

As I made my way from one of the back pastures on the far side of the property, my phone buzzed against the dash of the truck.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Colt, it’s Liam. I’ve got an update on that guy, Jason.”

“What were you able to find? ”

“His record’s clean. Just your regular speeding tickets here and there. According to his social media profiles, he works at a marketing firm in downtown Dallas. For the most part, he’s just some normal city slicker.”

“I feel a but coming.”

“But,” Liam continued, “when I did some more digging, I found an old restraining order against him. It’s from a few years ago and isn’t active anymore.

According to the affidavit, Jason got into an altercation with an old girlfriend at a bar.

Got in her face and threw a drink across the room.

Never laid hands on her, but she still feared for her safety and filed a restraining order against him.

The judge approved it for a year, so it’s expired now. ”

I huffed. I wasn’t surprised. Something told me Ellie wasn’t the first girl he’d ever laid hands on. I was sure there were more out there: girls who never went to the authorities.

Part of me wanted Ellie to press charges, but it would just be her word against his which would probably be more traumatizing than helpful.

“Thanks for the help,” I said.

“No problem. Call me if you need anything else,” Liam said before ending the call.

I set my phone back down, trying to shift my focus from Liam’s update to the night ahead with Ellie.

I pulled into her driveway, grabbing the flowers from the passenger seat before heading to the front door.

I stood at the door, shifting my weight from one foot to the other, fidgeting like a nervous teenager—unsure what to do with my hands, how high to hold the flowers, or what to even say when she opened the door.

“Pull it together, man,” I muttered under my breath.

A few seconds later, Ellie opened the front door, stopping me from spiraling any further.

Breathtaking as always.

Her blonde hair fell in soft waves around her shoulders. She wore a light-blue denim miniskirt that frayed at the bottom, and a white blouse with tiny flowers hand-sewn into the fabric.

I held out the bouquet, trying to act calm. “I got these for you,” I blurted.

She smiled, taking them from my grasp. “Did you pick these yourself?”

I nodded. “I remembered how much you liked wildflowers, so I figured you’d enjoy these more than the store-bought ones. I made sure to throw in a couple of sunflowers, since I know those are your favorite.”

I searched Ellie’s face for any sign that I’d gotten it right.

“That was so thoughtful of you,” she smiled, lifting the flowers to her nose to breathe in their scent. “Let me put these in a vase really quick before we go,” she said as she made her way into the kitchen.

Ellie filled a vase with water, sinking the stems into the liquid before placing the flowers in the center of the dinner table.

“Where are we headed?” she asked as she grabbed her purse off the entryway table on our way out the door .

“I was thinking about taking you to dinner in the city and then going to see that new rom-com Molly’s been talking about. She said it has some hot cowboy in it, so I think you’ll like it,” I said teasing her.

“You think I have a thing for cowboys, do you?” she asked, winking at me.

“Hopefully just one cowboy in particular,” I said pulling her into me as we made our way to my truck.

“His probationary period hasn’t ended yet,” she teased. “I’m still trying to decide.”

“Then I guess I should be on my best behavior tonight, huh?” I said, opening the door for her.

“Guess you should,” she said as she settled into the passenger seat and closed the door.

Challenge accepted , I thought as we drove away, eager to get the night started.

We pulled into one of the nicest restaurants Great Falls had to offer. Scoring a reservation was nearly impossible, but Liam had pulled a few strings for me. He knew the owners, and I wasn’t above cashing in a favor.

I hopped out of the truck and rounded to Ellie’s side, opening her door and helping her out. She took my hand without hesitation, the soft click of her heels echoing against the pavement as we made our way inside.

The restaurant was quiet, intimate, with low lighting and soft instrumental music playing in the background. The waitstaff wore all black, moving gracefully between tables draped in crisp white linens with perfectly arranged silverware.

The hostess greeted us with a smile. “Do you have a reservation tonight? ”

“Yes. McKinley,” I replied.

“Right this way,” she said, leading us through the dining room and into a private room in the back. Inside was a single candlelit table with another small bouquet of wildflowers arranged at its center.

Ellie’s eyes widened. “Colt, this is beautiful.”

I smiled, pulling out her chair and helping her settle in. “I told you I wanted our first date to be special, and I meant it.”

I made my way to my seat directly across from hers. After a few minutes, the waiter came to take our order. Ellie chose the salmon; I went with a ribeye. As he walked away, taking our menus with him, I turned my attention to Ellie.

“So,” I said, watching the way the candlelight danced in her hair, “what are your plans? Do you think you want to stay in Silver Creek?”

It was a loaded question, but selfishly I wanted to know the answer.

Ellie tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, looking down at the rim of her wine glass. “Honestly? I’m still trying to figure that out.”

I let out a soft sigh. Her answer wasn’t a yes, but it wasn’t a no either. I was trying my best to look at the glass half full, even if it still sucked.

The rest of our dinner consisted of random small talk and laughter. After paying, I helped Ellie to my truck, heading to our next destination.

As I pulled my truck into the drive-in movie theater, I could tell Ellie was confused. She looked around, trying to figure out where we were.

“Wait… It’s a drive-in movie? Like, we stay in the car? ”

I nodded.

“I didn’t know these still existed,” she said, staring at the huge white screen in front of us.

“Once a month. It’s one of the traditions Silver Creek Theater refuses to give up, I guess.

I heard about it through some guys that work on the ranch.

But we can go to a regular movie if you’d rather do that.

The tickets we won at Maggie’s are good for either one,” I said, not sure if Ellie was interested in the drive-in movie.

“No, this is perfect,” she said, turning towards me smiling.

She moved into the middle seat. I put my arm around her, pulling her closer as the screen came to life in front of us, signaling the beginning of the movie.

After silently watching the movie for a while, Ellie sat up.

“This movie is really cute. I think Cassie would love it,” she said, turning towards me.

The light from the screen was glowing just enough for me to see Ellie’s outline. Even in the dark, I could tell how beautiful she was.

I gently put my hand on her cheek, rubbing my thumb across it gently.

“You know, you’re the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on,” I said softly, meaning it.

She smiled and looked down shyly, holding my arm in place with her hand.

I turned my body towards her, pulling her in even closer.

“You’re my favorite movie. Watching the way you laugh at corny jokes, how kind you are to complete strangers, and the way you don’t let your hard days win. I get to watch you take life by the horns every day, and it’s the most amazing thing I have ever seen,” I admitted.

“Colt, you have an amazing way of making me feel seen, even when I feel like no one understands what I’m going through,” Ellie whispered.

I was trying my best to control myself, but I wasn’t going to last much longer.

Hell, I didn’t care anymore either.

I gently laid Ellie back against the bench seat of my truck, my hands trailing along her sides to the bottom of her shirt, my lips peppering her neck.

“El, I want it all with you. Late nights talking on the phone. Takeout on the couch at the end of a long day. Horseback riding into the sunset. I want the good, the bad, and the ugly, and I don’t care what I have to do to earn it.

Please, let me go all in,” I pleaded as my thumb left circles against her stomach, my eyes staring down into hers.

“I’m yours Colt, in every way,” she whispered, sliding her hand up my shirt.

Her chest was rising and falling faster now, her breasts begging to break out of her blouse at any moment. I kissed them through the soft fabric.

“Tell me to stop, Ellie, and I will. No hard feelings, no regrets, I promise,” I said, giving her one last out before I dove into the deep end with her like I’d only ever dreamed of doing.

“Don’t stop, Colt, please, ” she whimpered softly.

I wanted this just as bad as she did, but I needed to make sure she felt safe first .

Gently placing a hand on either side of her shoulders, I pushed her back, just enough for her to see the seriousness in my eyes.

“El,” I said, taking a deep breath, “your past doesn’t define you, but it makes me understand how important it is for us to be on the same page about sex.

I never want to do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable.

Whatever your boundaries are, I will honor them.

I just need you to tell me what they are. ”

Ellie hesitated for a moment, contemplating how to respond. She shifted in the seat, sitting up straight.

“Honestly? I don’t really know what my boundaries are. Jason and I never explored sex that way. He usually just used it as a tool to make up for what he had done wrong. But I feel safe with you Colt, even exposed and vulnerable like this. I never got that feeling when I was with him.”

She looked up at me, her eyes searching for the right words. I could tell she had more that she wanted to say.

“Will you help me explore what my boundaries actually are?” she asked softly, hesitation in her question.

“Ellie, sex is meant to be special, not used as a tool to control you. I will never do that to you. What happens when we have sex is up to you. You call the shots. You control the narrative. Do you understand?”

She nodded weakly.

“Do you want to explore tonight?” I asked hesitantly, not wanting her to feel pressured.

The tips of her cheeks started to blush.

“You’re safe with me, El. Just tell me what you want. ”

“I like to be spanked, biting turns me on, and I don’t mind being told what to do when we’re having sex, but my boundaries are choking, hitting, and being belittled, okay?”

I repeated back what Ellie had just said to me, letting her know I understood her boundaries explicitly.

She shifted her body, so now she was on top of my lap.

“Shall we continue?” she teased.

My heart was pounding so hard in my chest, I was sure it would stop beating altogether any second.

Slowly, I lifted her denim miniskirt, exposing her completely. She wasn’t wearing any panties.

“No panties, El? Someone had a plan all along,” I said, gently kissing her neck, and opening her legs as I stroked her inner thigh. “You’re already glistening, and I haven’t even touched you yet,” I said as I continued rubbing her thigh, stroking a bit higher each time.

The closer my hand got to her center, the more her back arched, anticipation running through her body.

“Are you scared, El?” I asked, sitting up and looking over her body one last time before making her mine.

She shook her head side-to-side, her chest rising and falling in a frantic rhythm.

“Don’t worry, tonight is about you and your needs. Tell me what you need, baby. Whatever you want, I’ll give it to you.”

“Everything aches—”

Before she could finish, I slid two of my fingers across her wet core .

“Does this make the aching worse?”

“Yes,” she said exhaling frantically.

I leaned down, whispering in her ear, my fingers sliding along her slick entrance.

“How about I help you with that?” I said, gently pushing my fingers inside, pulling back, then in again, a little deeper each time. Ellie’s back arched as she moaned in pleasure.

“You have to be quiet, baby. Someone might hear you.”

The hardened peaks of her nipples strained beneath her shirt. I pulled it the rest of the way down, exposing both breasts. As my fingers continued to work her core, I nibbled at her breasts, biting her nipple as Ellie cried out in ecstasy.

“Colt, I’ve never orgasmed just by someone’s fingers before,” she said, taking in deep breaths of air each time.

Her body clenched my fingers—signaling she was close to her breaking point.

“Tonight is all about you, El. Do you think you can take more?”

She nodded.

I added a third finger. Ellie moaned in pleasure as a result.

“Colt, I—”

“You can do it Ellie, open your legs wider for me. There you go, baby.”

I used my thumb to gently rub her clit. Within seconds, Ellie was yelling my name, her muscles contracting around my fingers. A smile spread across my face as I watched her come undone on top of me .

As she came down from her high, I sat in the driver’s seat while Ellie lay there collecting herself. I put the truck in drive.

“We’re going home.”