Page 52 of Wildest Forever (Lovelock Bay #3)

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

MORGAN

T he evening draws in and I have laid the table but Pacey isn't home. Fear pricks at my skin but I try and push the invasive thoughts down.

I know he is okay, I also know he is really busy and what with Conrad winding up dead, well, his work load is even more strenuous than it was before.

Walking into the kitchen, I duck my head down and look down the driveway. It's just past six and he is normally home a lot earlier than this.

My heart rumbles in my chest and I know I need to call Orla.

Moving towards the phone, I dial her number and wait for her to answer.

“Rivera Ranch 895.”

“Orla, it's Morgan.”

“Hey darling, all okay?”

“Yeah, I think so, just confirming lunch Saturday? I am so sorry I had to cancel last week,” I pause for a moment and relive the way I spent my weekend, tangled in the sheets with her son.

“Oh, please don't be sorry, it's fine, these things happen but yes, we're all looking forward to Saturday,” and I smile.

“Good, okay,” I twirl my finger in the cord of the phone, “erm, also, have you heard from Pacey?” and that's when I hear the sound of tires crunching across the dirt and gravel outside the front of our house.

“Oh, he is here. He has just pulled up,” I smile down the phone before we say our goodbyes.

I place the phone back in its cradle and the front door opens and closes. I move towards him as he paces towards me and his arms are around me, holding me tight as he lifts me, my legs wrapping around his waist.

“Are you okay?” I whisper as he buries his face between my neck and shoulder.

“I am now,” he admits, his breath warm on my skin.

Silence coats both of us for a while and just as I go to speak he looks at me, his eyes bloodshot and watery and my heart drops.

“Not tonight, I just need you. To be wrapped in your arms, to love you all night long. I need out of my head baby and you're the only one that can help me.”

My eyes volley between his.

“I just want you, Morgan.”

I nod, scooping his heavy head in my hands as I flutter kisses across his eyes, his temples, his nose, his cheeks, his jaw and finally I am on his lips.

Slow and torturous but in the best way.

Every emotion that tenses his body slowly slips away as our kiss deepens, our tongues dancing to a song that only we can hear.

“I love you,” he whispers against my lips and a wetness dampens our kiss.

Letting my eyes open, I notice a streak of a tear that stains his cheek and my heart throbs in my chest.

He walks me up the stairs slowly, his grip tightening around my body, my legs still looped around his waist, our lips are locked once more as he continues forward to his bedroom and drops me to the bed.

We break away for just a moment, my eyes wide and hazy as I focus on him.

He looks broken and I wish I knew what was wrong.

I know he will tell me, but right now I need to give him what he needs, and that's me.

Grabbing the hem of his tee, he tugs it over his head and discards it to the floor. His knee presses into the mattress between my legs, his hands either side of my head and I find myself holding my breath.

“I love you Morgan,” his voice cracks as he lowers his lips to mine.

I want to scream it back, scream it from the rooftops that I love him too but now is not the moment.

My hands stretch around his toned back as I gently tease my fingers up and down his skin, our kiss deepening and I hear the soft rumble of a moan in his throat.

Pushing to his feet, he unbuckles his jeans and pushes them down in one swift move along with his boxers and normally I would admire him for a moment or two but I don't get a chance to.

His fingers curl around my pants as he drags them down and tosses them behind him. Sitting up I lift my tee over my head and his needy hands skim around my back as he unhooks my bra and lets it fall from my body.

“You're so beautiful,” he rasps before he is back over me, our bodies as one as he slips between my legs.

His large hand reaches underneath me as he spreads my thigh a little wider, rolling his hips forward as his cock slides deep inside of me and I gasp for air, my lungs burning as he begins to move, each thrust slow and hard.

Fingers brush my hair from my face, his hazel eyes piercing into mine as he loves me how he needs.

“I don't deserve you,” he chokes, his lips pressing to my forehead.

“You are the most deserving man I know Pacey Rivera,” I whisper as his lips dust across my temple before they brush over my lips, and this is how we spend the remainder of the night.

Him loving me, him fucking away whatever is causing him anguish, him filling me with all of him.

He needed me and I didn't realize just how much I needed him right back.

My lips curl when I see him push through the door with two cups of tea. It's past two in the morning and we should be sleeping, but instead we are sitting in bed, it's a wonderful life playing on mute in the background and snacks layered between us.

“Thank you,” I say as he passes me my mug and I bring it closer so I can inhale the warm liquid.

Turning to watch Pacey as he climbs back into bed and tugs the covers up his chest, his back towards the headboard as his mug buries into the duvet on his lap.

“I love you,” my lips pull into a bigger smile and his eyes glisten but his brows furrow.“What?” Panic hits me in the chest, my eyes volleying between his.

“I will never tire of hearing those three words, those eight letters, fall from your lips,”

and all panic that once set up camp in my chest slowly packs itself up and buries itself back into the deepest crevices.

A pink, crimson slips against my cheeks, a soft laugh bubbling out for me as I drop my eyes to my lap, focusing on my tea.

“Are you okay?” my hand slips from my side and moves over to him as I scoop his hand in mine.

“I am,” he gives a soft nod, but he doesn't fill me with confidence.

“What happened today?” I push for a little more and I have no idea how he will react, my heart pounds in my chest, my palms feeling a little clammy.

“I want to tell you...” he drags my hand to his lips and dusts a kiss across the back of it, “but not now... I just need to forget about everything that happened.”

“And I respect your choice,” I lean back into the headboard and let my eyes linger for a second more before I drag them away and settle them on the television and this is how we spend the next few hours before exhaustion takes us both into a deep slumber.

The vibration of a phone pulls me from a dreamless sleep and slowly I turn to where Pacey should be.

My eyes shoot open as I sit up, panic entwining through my blood but that's when I see him, standing by the window with his phone next to his ear.

The choppy waves settle to a calmness, and I hate that I feel like I am on edge and the worst bit is I have no reason to be.

“Okay, I'll be in soon,” he says quietly before cutting the call.

I watch as his shoulders lift and drop with a heavy sigh before his eyes trail over his shoulder and lock with mine.

Lips curling into a slow smirk as he turns his body and steps towards the bed.

“Morning wife,” he crawls onto the bed and lays his body over mine, his head on my stomach, arms either side of me.

“Morning handsome,” my voice is soft as my fingers brush through his hair, trailing back and forth and twisting the odd lock around them.

“Sleep okay?” he asks, not lifting his head from my chest.

“I did, did you?”

I drag my fingers up and down over his scalp and I hear a deep breath leave him.

“Mmhm,” he manages.

“Good.”

Silence creeps around the room but it's peaceful.

Soft snores soon replace that silence, and I glance down at the man who is laying on me and a warmth radiates through my whole body.

I should wake him, but I make a promise to myself to let him have ten minutes more and then I'll wake him, but right now, I am enjoying this too much and I wanted to be a little selfish, soaking this all up.

Both dressed, he walks towards me and snakes his arm around my waist as he drags me towards him, a boyish grin on his face as he kisses me goodbye.

“Have a good day,” his voice rumbles against my lips.

“I’ll try,” I smirk and place my hand on his chest. “Have a good day too,” I kiss him back.

“I’ll try,” he nods, stepping back and taking the lunch I packed him. He told me he had a lot to go through today and wouldn't be home until supper.

“I'll see you soon then,” I follow him to the front door as he pulls it open and steps onto the porch.

“I'll see you soon then,” he tilts his hat down and my heart somersaults in my chest.

With one last smile and a flirty wink, he turns his back on me and I watch until his truck is driving out of the ranch and I instantly miss him.

Sighing heavily, I let my eyes fall to the floor as I begin to push the door shut but the sound of boots hitting the wooden porch floor has me snapping my head up.

“Morning,” Dusty smiles as he walks, with two empty mugs in my direction.

“Morning,” I smile, taking a step back as he walks in and lifts his hat from his head and dropping it onto the hook beside the door.

I follow him into the kitchen as he places them in the sink.

“All okay?” I ask, leaning up against the archway that leads from the hallway and into the kitchen.

“Yeah,” he washes his dirty hands and shakes them off before running them down the front of his jeans to dry them.

“I am sorry I've not been much help,” I admit and dart my eyes away from him as guilt riddles me.

“It's fine Morgan,” and the heavy sigh that leaves those three words has me knowing that it isn't fine. “But if you're going to pull back, we either need to get another hand in or sell half the cattle.”

I don't respond, just nod and swallow the burning lump that has lodged itself in my throat.

I know what he is saying is the truth, but I don't want to.

“I'll be down the back field when you're ready to join me,” and I take the dig as he intended it.

Dusty isn't a malicious man.

But he can be bitter.

And right now, he is very fucking bitter.

I nod again as I follow him out to the door and see him out.

He doesn't say goodbye and neither do I.

Instead, I slam the door as my temper simmers deep in my core and once I know he is far enough away, I drag myself into the living room, fall into my pops’ chair and curl up into a ball, my arms wrapped around my knees before I let the tears fall.

I knew I needed to make a choice.

The ranch is haemorrhaging money, and I don't have much more to give.

We promised we would keep the ranch, keep his legacy... I never promised to be a cowgirl for the rest of my life.

And for the first time since my pops passed, I had no idea what to do.