“She was thirteen years old. It took a year of therapy before she could walk, talk, feed herself, do common tasks again. She was able to remember things. All the events of that night. But her brain didn’t mature. She remained the same intellectually.

  “My dad brought her home. She lived with us. He had special nurses move in for her. When Gina’s mom—one of my dad’s ex-wives—left, Gina stayed. She was there with Angel through all of this, and she became a sister to her.”

  I sat there, silently digesting this. My heart hurting for all she had suffered. Feeling like a complete bitch for acting the way I had when Blaise left me there. Gina had been so nice to me when she knew I was upset about Angel.

  “Angel lives here. On the third floor. Gina does too. She refuses to leave Angel, and honestly, I don’t know what I’d do if she did. My dad tried to get me to let Angel and her nurses stay at the farm, and for the first few years, I did. That’s when the cutting started.”

  I closed my eyes and exhaled. How horrible.

  “I’m sorry,” I said, knowing that wasn’t enough. Not for what all she’d been through and all he’d done to help her.

  “You didn’t know. I didn’t tell you. Don’t apologize,” he said.

  “Gina was so nice to me tonight,” I whispered mostly to myself.

  “Gina knew this was going to be hard for everyone. She also knew you didn’t know the story,” he replied, taking my hand and threading his fingers through it.

  “I’ve not been up front with you about a lot. I don’t share things with women. I keep my life closed off. It was always sex for me, but I didn’t give them anything else. I never brought them here. This was my sanctuary. I didn’t plan on keeping someone long enough to tell them about Angel or show them my life.”

  He stopped, and I lifted my gaze from our hands to meet his eyes.

  “But you brought me here,” I said.

  He nodded. “Yeah, I fucking did. I couldn’t get you in my bed fast enough. From the moment I gave in to this pull you have on me, fucking you was all I could think about.” He smirked. “But I fucked you here. In my sanctuary. I had known before I did it that you were mine.”

  I bit my bottom lip to keep from smiling. It felt wrong after all he had shared with me. “I was referring to it as your cave in my head,” I admitted.

  He cupped the side of my face and ran his thumb over my lips. “As long as you’re in it, you can call it whatever you want.”

  Tonight, he’d told me a lot. The heaviness of it still sat on my chest. I had more questions, but the raw truth I’d just heard was enough for now. I wasn’t sure the other answers mattered so much. Yes, he had power and money. His group of friends treated him like he was their king. It was strange, but none of that changed how he made me feel.

  Safe, wanted, needed, cared for, and like I had a place where I belonged.

  “Why me?” I asked him, swearing to myself that was the last question for now.

  “I knew long before you did that you’d be mine. I fought it. I hated it. I didn’t want it,” he said, and then he rested his forehead against mine. “Until I saw someone else touching you. Looking at you like he wanted you to be his. That undid me. Flipped a switch that wasn’t ever going back.”

  I started to point out that we hadn’t known each other that long, but I let it go. What he had said was sweet, and if he wanted to make it pretty with flowery words, I’d listen. I liked fairy tales anyway. Fiction was always better than reality.

  Twenty-Seven

  Blaise woke me up with a kiss the next morning and told me he had some business to go handle, then said it was early for me and to go back to sleep. I immediately fell back asleep, and when I did finally get up, I checked my phone to see what time it was.

  Just after seven. It felt like I’d been sleeping a long time, but maybe I had just slept deeply. I took a shower and got dressed before going upstairs. I wondered who had stayed last night and if there was going to be a crowd in the kitchen for breakfast. I doubted it, considering Angel and Gina lived here. Did the rodeo squad live here too?

  More questions I had no answers to.

  After last night, I wasn’t ready to ask anything more just yet. I’d let my emotions be controlled by my insecurities. That wasn’t me—or at least, it never had been. I didn’t like that side of myself. I hoped it never reared its ugly head again.

  Gina was at the kitchen table with a bright red mug that said Queen Bitch on it in white letters. She looked up from her phone she’d been studying when I walked in the room.

  “Morning,” she said and held up her cup. “Coffee is made, but that’s about it. Guys aren’t back yet, so I haven’t made breakfast.”

  I went over to the coffeepot and filled a mug up. “They all had to go?” I asked, thinking it was odd that they had business this early that required all of them.

  Gina was looking down at her phone again and didn’t look up this time as she nodded her head.

  Right. She didn’t like the questions. No matter how close I felt to Blaise in the cave, when I returned to the real world up here, things still seemed odd.

  “There is good creamer in the fridge. I like the caramel-flavored one, but there is also vanilla and chocolate mocha. That powdered shit is Levi’s,” she said.

  I put the powdered creamer down, thankful I wasn’t going to have to use it, and went to get the vanilla from the fridge. The bowls of fresh fruit surprised me, as did the number of eggs inside. There had to be at least eight dozen eggs.

  “If you want any of the fruit, help yourself. I buy it so Angel and I have something healthy to eat. The guys rarely touch it,” Gina informed me.

  I reached in and took some strawberries before closing the door. I popped one in my mouth as I walked over to sit at the table. Seeing as we were alone, I thought this would be a good time to apologize for my behavior last night.

  “I didn’t know about Angel. I’m sorry ab—”

  She held up her hand to stop me. “You didn’t know. I don’t hold it against you. I’d have acted worse in your position. You held it together way longer than I’d expected. I should have stayed upstairs with Angel. It was my intention, but she was determined to come downstairs and see what the noise was. Then, she saw you, and, well …” Gina shrugged. “I let Blaise deal with her, and I stayed with you.”

  I took a drink of my coffee, not sure what to say to that. I didn’t want to ask her more questions, especially about Angel. Besides, I didn’t have to know everything about Blaise and his life right away. That was what getting to know people consisted of. Finding out as we went along. Blaise just had a lot of things in his life that were strange. That was all.

  “How long do you think they’ll be?” I asked, then added, “I wasn’t sure if I should call Melanie to come get me.”

  “Fuck no. Please, for all that is holy, do not call one of the Houstons or Trev to come get you. The shit that would hit the fan.” She shook her head. “Trust me, he doesn’t need that distraction right now.”

  Okay, so he was going to keep me here? I did live at the Houstons’. I started to ask why that was an issue, but decided against it. I drank more coffee instead.

  After a few moments of silence, I felt Gina’s eyes on me, and I glanced over at her.

  “You’re not asking questions. That concerns me. You like to ask questions,” she said.

  I smiled and took a bite of my strawberry.

  “I’m serious. Don’t leave here until Blaise returns and takes you himself,” she warned me.

  I nodded.

  Wanting to change the subject from her worrying I was going to jump ship, I decided to talk about the racetrack. Since I knew now that she had grown up with racehorses too.

  “So, do you have a horse?” I asked her. “That you race?” I added.

  She shook her head. “Never got into it. I can ride one, but they were not something I cared for that much.”

  A door opened, and that stopped me from inquiring about the track and if she went to races. Her head snapped up, and she looked toward the door.

  “They’re home. Better get breakfast going,” she said, standing up and slipping her phone into her pocket.

  I stood up too. “I can help. You tell me what you need, and I’ll do it.”

  She raised her eyebrows at me. “You know how to cook?”

  I laughed then. I’d been cooking meals since I had been tall enough to stand in a chair and reach the stove. “Anything you need, I can do it,” I assured her.

  She nodded. “Okay then. You start the eggs. Scramble up about two dozen.”

  Holy crap! No wonder they had so many eggs. Who all were we feeding?

  I didn’t ask though. I went to get the eggs out of the fridge.

  “Skillets are under there,” she told me, pointing to a cabinet to the left of the sink.

  “I’m hungry, G!” Levi said as he entered the kitchen and tossed his cowboy hat on the table. “You’ve not started yet?”

  Gina shot him an annoyed glare over her shoulder. “Didn’t know how long y’all would be. Did you want a cold breakfast?”

  Huck walked in and slapped Levi on the back of the head. “Stop bitching,” he grumbled, and then his eyes met mine. “You cooking?” he asked, sounding surprised.

  “Helping,” I replied.

  Blaise walked into the room, and seeing him in the daylight with his hat, pearl snap shirt, and faded jeans made my stomach feel funny and my heart beat faster. Yep, I was in this entirely too deep. I cared more for him than I should, but there was no reversing it now. Seeing him made me happy.

  His gaze locked on me as he continued around the others until he was close enough to slip a hand around my waist and pull me in for a kiss. The scent of leather and mint washed over me, and I sank into him. His body was hard and warm. It felt like being wrapped up in sunshine.

  When he stopped kissing me, he hovered over my mouth with his for a moment.

  “Good morning,” he whispered.

  “Good morning,” I replied softly.

  “Fuck, when did you get so damn mushy?” Gage asked.

  Blaise turned his head to look at Gage, but didn’t let me go. “Got a problem?” he asked.

  “He’s just jealous,” Huck replied with a laugh. “He’s not got a hot piece of ass walking around the kitchen, making him breakfast.”

  Gage nodded. “Sounds about right.”

  Blaise turned his gaze back to me and pressed one more quick kiss to my lips. “You want to cook?” he asked me.

  “Yes,” I replied.

  “Okay,” he agreed, then let me go and walked over to get a cup of coffee.

  It took me a second to remember what I’d been doing. His presence easily distracted me. When I was good again, I went to the stove and started working on the eggs. Gina was making biscuits on the counter beside me, and the guys were talking about their morning. Or at least, that was what I assumed they were talking about. I didn’t understand most of what they said, and I was almost positive that was on purpose.

  Gina didn’t seem to be paying any attention, so I tried to block them out, too, as I finished the eggs and started on the grits while she moved on to the bacon. Other than asking her where things were and how she liked things cooked, we didn’t say much. I almost asked if Angel would be coming down to eat, but I didn’t. Talking about her seemed like a sensitive subject, and I didn’t want to make everyone uncomfortable.

  The guys came and served themselves once we were done while I helped Gina clean up the mess we’d made. We sat at the table with them and ate as they talked. Blaise’s hand stayed on my upper thigh through the meal. It seemed to keep inching closer and closer to the crotch of my panties. I’d worn a sundress for him, and he was taking advantage of it.

  When his fingers brushed the satin fabric and found it was already damp, he stood up and reached for my hand. He didn’t excuse us or say we’d be back. Blaise just began walking to the door to his cave. With every step he took closer to it, my body grew with anticipation.

  He jammed the key into the lock, then jerked it open before leading me down the stairs. We made it to the bottom before he grabbed me and pushed me against the nearest wall. His hands yanked my dress up to my waist, and he slid his hand into the front of my panties. My body arched toward him as I moaned with pleasure.

  “God, you’re dripping wet,” he said, shoving his finger into me with more force than usual. “I had no fucking clue what any of them were saying,” he said, pressing a kiss to my collarbone. “All I could think about was getting buried inside this sweet, tight pussy.”

  I made another sound as he continued playing with me. His mouth trailed kisses along my chest, and then he covered my nipple with his mouth and sucked on it through the fabric. My knees buckled. He moved then, pulling my dress off. He stepped back, and his eyes looked hungry as they moved over my body. I was only in a pair of panties now. They were the nicest ones I had. Melanie had bought them for me, and at the time, I’d thought I would never wear them. The thin strip up the back did little to cover my butt. Seeing Blaise’s reaction to them made me glad that I had worn them.

  He jerked his shirt open, the snaps letting go easily, and shrugged it off. I wanted to reach out and touch his chest. My eyes, however, moved down as his jeans and briefs fell away, leaving him completely naked.

  They should make statues of this man.

  Unable to help myself, I reached out and ran my fingers down his abs, then lower until his thick length was in my hand. The vein in it pulsed against my palm, and I ran my thumb over the top. Blaise didn’t move an inch, so I continued my exploration. This wasn’t the first penis I’d touched, but it was by far the largest. It was also the only one I’d wanted to touch. The other times had been when Hank stuck my hand down his pants and ordered me to rub it.

  This was a different experience.

  I moved my hand down his length and back up again. Blaise hissed, and my gaze shot back up to his. His jaw was clenched tightly, and I felt him tremble. I knew men enjoyed being touched. This couldn’t be hurting him.

  “You’ve got five more seconds,” he said through his teeth.

  I looked back down at my hand and made a decision. Before he could stop me, I went down on my knees and slid the tip into my mouth.

  “Fuck, baby,” he whispered.

  I lifted my eyes to watch him. He leaned forward, bracing himself with both his hands on the wall behind me. His eyes were locked on my mouth, and I continued to take in more until it reached my throat. His mouth fell open as he breathed heavily. The power I felt excited me.

  I began to move my mouth back and forth in a pumping motion, letting my tongue lick the tip before sliding it back inside. I could hear his breathing and feel his body shaking.

  “Holy shiiiit,” he groaned and began to pant. “Fuuuuck, baby, suck it.”

  He started to move his hips in rhythm with my mouth. His moaning was getting louder, and each sound sent a shock of pleasure to my core. The wetness soaked through my panties, and I could feel it on my thighs.

  “That mouth on my dick,” he groaned. “Hottest damn thing I’ve ever seen.”

  His right hand left the wall, and he grabbed the back of my head. “Yes, that’s it. Suck it.” His hand trembled. “I’m gonna come.” His voice shook. “Do you want it?” he asked me.

  Our eyes met, and I nodded once, taking him deeper into my mouth.

  “Christ!” he yelled. “GAHHHHH!” His hips jerked, and his release coated my throat.

  I swallowed and continued until I felt him go weak, his knees slightly buckling.

  When I moved away and started to stand, his eyes watched me. I licked my lips and smiled. That had been fun. Having Blaise’s pleasure completely in my control was something I was going to want to do again.

  The corner of his mouth lifted. “You liked that.”

  I nodded.

  “I’m trying not to dwell on the fact that you suck dick like a fucking porn star. I don’t want to know how you learned to do that.” His gaze darkened.

  “What would you say if I told you that yours was the first one I sucked and I’d learned it from watching porn?” I replied, surprising myself that I’d admitted it.

  I had been curious when I started dating, and my dad was not someone I wanted to ask about sex. So, I had gone on the internet and found that porn was very informative.

  Blaise shook his head slowly. “Fucking hell. When I think I can’t get more addicted to you, you do and say shit to prove me wrong.”

  He reached for me and pulled me against his chest. His hand cupped my face as he stared down at me and caressed my bottom lip with his thumb.

  “This is mine. All of it. I’ll die before I let you leave me,” he said in a hoarse whisper.

  The possessiveness of that comment should have terrified me. Warning flags should have gone off. Instead, I wanted more of him. I wanted to sink into this world of his and get so wrapped up in this man that I could never leave. I didn’t want to leave. I could think of nothing that he could do to make me leave him.

  Was this love? Or was it obsession? Or were they the same?

  If I had known what was to come, would I have still felt this way?

  Twenty-Eight

  It was almost a week before Blaise took me back to Moses Mile. In that week, I had come to realize I wouldn’t be staying at Moses Mile. Moving in with Blaise seemed too quick, but what we were doing wasn’t a normal relationship. We weren’t dating. We had skipped that step completely. We’d gone from enemies to lovers so quickly; there was nothing in between. The Houstons didn’t seem to mind my staying with Blaise.