Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 72969 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72969 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 365(@200wpm)___ 292(@250wpm)___ 243(@300wpm)
But not now. Now is about Daniela—about showing her that this can be good, that it can be about mutual pleasure, can be a physical expression of love…
She reaches down to weave her fingers through my hair. The touch is electrifying—possessive and gentle all at once.
“Hawk,” she whispers again after a few minutes, her breath hitching. “Please…”
“Anything,” I tell her, looking up to meet her gaze.
There’s a plea in her eyes that sends a thrill coursing through me.
“Stay with me,” she breathes out, and it hits me harder than any physical touch ever could.
“I’m not going anywhere,” I promise her, sealing my vow with a kiss to her inner thigh.
With those words, Daniela seems to relax, surrendering herself to the pleasure. Her body trembles under my touch as I bring her to the edge, over and over again until she’s shaking uncontrollably.
Satisfied that I’ve given her all the care she needs for now, I crawl back up beside her on the bed. She rolls into my arms without a word, snuggling against my chest like it’s where she belongs.
We lie in silence for a while, our bodies slick with sweat but comfortable in each other’s presence.
Soon her breathing becomes shallow, and a soft and perfect snore escapes her.
I kiss her forehead. “Sleep, sweetheart. I’m here. I’ll protect you.”
Seventeen Years Earlier…
My father saw me hugging Ted.
I’m in for it. He’ll think it’s weak. Never mind that I’m the best shot of all my siblings, that I’m on track to being taller than Falcon, or that I’m a fucking champion bronc buster in the making.
He’ll think something is wrong with me being affectionate to a grown man.
The thing is, Ted is like a big brother to me. He’s never been inappropriate. He’s been helpful, a good role model.
But that’s not how Dad will see it.
I steel myself for the confrontation, but it never comes. Instead, he passes me with a small nod before disappearing into his office. Confused, I turn back to Ted, who shrugs and gives me a reassuring pat on the back. Then he heads toward Dad’s office.
I go outside, where I find Robin working with her pony, Ziggy. Of all of us, Robin is the best with the animals. She talks all the time about going to vet school and staying on the ranch to care for the livestock.
I pet Ziggy’s soft mane.
“Have you seen Falcon?” I ask.
“He and Leif and a few others went into town for something,” she says.
Right. They went into town to look for girls, of course.
I’m starting to notice girls. Leif has a couple sisters, Scarlett and Laney. They’re both pretty. But the one I really like is a townie named Laura Wright. She’s blond and gorgeous and has eyes even bluer than mine. She’s a year older than I am, though, and last I heard, she had eyes only for my big brother.
That’s how it will always be.
Hawk Bellamy, as an individual, doesn’t exist. Only Falcon’s brother exists.
“Hey, snap out of it!”
Robin’s voice startles me, and I turn to find her giving me a strange look.
“You’ve been staring into space for a solid minute.”
“Sorry,” I mumble, scratching the back of my head. “Just thinking about…stuff.”
Robin snorts. “Stuff, huh? Like Laura Wright?”
My cheeks heat up and I look away. “What? No!”
Robin gives me one of those knowing looks that makes me uncomfortable. She’s always been too perceptive for her own good. That’s why she’s so good with the animals. She knows what they’re feeling without them having to say it. Because they can’t say anything, of course.
I shove my hands into my pockets and head back into the house. Who can I talk to about Laura Wright? About the feelings that are coiled up inside me as my body begins these changes that are slowly making me crazy?
Certainly not my mother.
Not my brother. He won’t give me the time of day.
That leaves only…
My father.
My father, who I don’t even like much, but he always says we can come to him with anything.
Right.
Ted.
I can talk to Ted. He’ll understand. Maybe he’ll be able to help.
But he’s with my dad in his office.
Neither of them are available to me right now.
I let out a sigh.
Maybe Ted and my dad are done with their business. I head toward his office on the west wing of our house and get ready to knock when I hear something odd.
It’s muffled at first. Just a soft, broken sound that slips through the crack beneath the door, like the room itself is trying to hold it in.
But I hear it. I feel it. The way it catches, like something stuck in the throat—raw, unsteady. A choked sob.
It’s not loud. Not dramatic. It’s the kind of sound someone makes when they’re trying not to cry, when they’re losing the fight but still trying to keep it quiet.