Page 26

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m positive it was him,” Ellie said.

I immediately dialed Liam’s number. No way in hell was I letting this piece of shit get away with stalking Ellie.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Calling Liam. He’ll know what we need to do.”

I could see the worry in Ellie’s eyes. She was scared of what came next, and truth be told, I didn’t have the answers either. But honestly, I didn’t care what her options were. If the law couldn’t protect her, I would.

As I got off the phone with Liam, Cassie walked up, looking thoroughly confused.

“What the hell was that about?” she asked Ellie.

“I saw Jason in the crowd. I thought I saw him when we were on the Ferris wheel, but I wasn’t 100 percent sure it was him until we got off and I saw him by the food trucks. I’m positive it was him. I panicked and ran.”

Just as Ellie finished, Liam walked up .

“What’s going on?” he asked, looking around concerned.

“Ellie, you have to tell Liam what’s been going on. He can help you,” I said, trying to calm her nerves. I knew this had to be hard for her, for more people to know what had happened to her.

Ellie took a long, deep breath, then started from the beginning.

She told Liam about the reason she left Dallas, Jason’s threatening text messages, and the events of the last hour.

She also mentioned how he had possibly called the coffee shop a few days ago—something I hadn’t known about, but that wasn’t the point.

Liam listened, jotting things down on his notepad as Ellie spoke. When she finished telling him about the events of the past month, she looked defeated. I pulled her to my chest, rubbing her back to comfort her.

“What are my options?” she asked reluctantly.

“Well, the first thing you need to do is file a restraining order against him. Once a judge signs it, Jason won’t be able to come near you or contact you. If he tries, he’ll go to jail. You need to do that first thing Monday morning at the courthouse.”

“But, honestly,” Liam continued, “a restraining order can only go so far. It would be best for you to stay with someone until we’re sure he’s gone back to Dallas. I can put a patrol car outside of your house and the coffee shop for the time being.”

“Oh, that’s really not necessary, Liam.”

“I’m afraid it is, Ellie. Until we can find Jason and serve him with the restraining order. ”

“I can sleep on the couch at the guesthouse for the next few nights until he’s gone,” I offered.

“And if Colt gets too busy with the ranch one night, you know my door is always open,” Cassie added.

“I’m fine guys, really. I don’t need babysitters.”

“This isn’t about babysitting you. It’s about protecting you. You can fight us all you want, but I’m not taking no for an answer. I’ll sleep on your front porch if I have to, your choice, El. Either way, I’m going to be there,” I said, trying to make her understand the gravity of the situation.

She paused, as if searching for the words to her rebuttal, but they never came.

“Fine. Can we leave now? I want to get as far away from here as possible,” she said as she walked towards the parking lot.

Ellie

It didn’t take long for us to get to Colt’s truck. The air crackled with tension as we pulled onto the road and headed towards the ranch. Colt gripped the steering wheel tighter than usual. I could see his white knuckles even in the dark of night.

As if he could read my mind, he abruptly pulled over onto a gravel patch on the side of the road. He put the truck in park, turning in my direction with hurt in his eyes. The muscles in his jaw flexed, and the vein in his neck bulged as frustration radiated off him.

“Why didn’t you tell me, Ellie?”

“Tell you what? ”

“About Jason calling the coffee shop. There’s no telling how long he’s been stalking you.”

“I didn’t want you to worry about me, Colt. I wasn’t even sure it was him at the time. Plus, you’d be putting your life in danger, and for what?”

“For you!”

“I’m not yours to protect, Colt,” I said, trying to remain calm.

“The hell you’re not, Ellie,” he said, his voice strong.

“I’ve seen every part of you, present and past—the good, the bad, and the ugly.

I’ve held you while you cried over your dead parents.

I’ve felt every inch of your body against mine.

I’ve marked you in ways no other man has.

So tell me how you’re not mine to protect. ”

“Nothing happened, Colt,” I said, trying to reason with him.

“But it could’ve , and that’s what I’m upset about. Ellie, I…” He ran a hand down the scruff on his jaw, exhaling through his nose like he was holding something back. Either I was going crazy, or his eyes were starting to glass over.

“I’d never forgive myself if something happened to you, El. I wasn’t there to protect you last time, and I’ll be damned if I’m not there this time. You mean everything to me, and I’ll do anything to protect you, even put myself in danger.”

The weight of Colt’s confession left me speechless.

Without another word, he pulled back onto the road, traveling the rest of the way in silence.

By the time we reached the guesthouse, the tension in my chest felt unbearable.

Before Colt could say anything, I opened the truck door and slipped out, hurrying inside without looking back.

I locked myself in the bedroom, landing on the bed with a mixture of exhaustion and frustration deep in my bones.

I felt guilty about not telling Colt about Jason calling the coffee shop. I hadn’t said anything about it, because I thought I could handle things on my own. I didn’t want to be anyone’s burden. But after what Colt revealed in the truck, I knew I’d never be a burden to him.

If anything, this moment showed me that I meant more to Colt than I had even realized, confusing me even more. The soft tread of boots on the hardwood followed by a gentle knock on the door pulled me from my internal spiral.

“Ellie,” he said, voice low, “I know tonight’s been a lot. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have gotten upset in the truck. If you don’t want me here, I can call Cassie to stay with you tonight instead of me.”

I was confused about a lot of things right now, but the one thing I was sure about was wanting Colt with me tonight—not Cassie, not anyone else.

I peeled myself off the bed and opened the door before he could dial Cassie’s number.

Colt was standing there with his hat in one hand, shoulders tense, eyes sad.

“I don’t want Cassie,” I said, my voice quiet. “I want you.”

He lifted his eyes to meet mine as I reached for his hand, gently tugging him through the door frame. Colt followed without hesitation, closing the door behind him.

I rose onto my toes and kissed him as he slid his hands around my waist, pulling me closer. I threaded my fingers through his hair as he deepened the kiss, backing us towards the bed. His body pressed against mine, familiar in a way that made me ache.

He was trying to be gentle, but I was tired of everyone treating me like a glass doll, ready to shatter at any moment. I wanted Colt in ways I had never wanted any other man.

Without stopping to talk myself out of it, I unbuttoned Colt’s pants.

His hard length pressed against the fabric of his jeans.

I slipped my hand in, cradling his cock as I lowered the zipper before shoving his jeans and underwear down around his thighs.

His length sprang free, the vein along his dick proof he needed this moment just as much as I did.

I knelt before Colt, tucking my blonde hair behind my ears and looking up at him, determination in my eyes.

“Ellie, you don’t have to do this if you’re not comfortable,” he said.

I didn’t respond. Instead, I licked along his shaft, from bottom to top, proving to him I was more than comfortable taking him in more ways than one.

As I took him into my mouth, I swirled my tongue around the tip, lapping the salty liquid pooling at the top before sucking him deeper. I looked up, keeping eye contact as he watched me take him deep inside my throat.

Colt grabbed a fist full of my hair and guided me along his shaft, over and over again, moaning in pleasure.

“Ellie, baby…”

He didn’t get the chance to finish his sentence, because three more long sucks, and he exploded in my mouth, his cum sliding along my tongue and down my throat.

I kept sucking until I swallowed every last drop. Colt’s thighs shook as he coasted down from his high.

He grabbed my shoulder, lifting me onto my feet. Picking me up gently, he placed me on the bed, climbing on top to lavish my breasts with kisses.

After a few minutes of sucking my nipples and biting the skin along my neck, he shoved his cock deep inside me, ensuring he reached the right spot, again and again, giving me the same high I’d given him a few moments earlier.