Always Mine (Love in Eden 1)

But I had known who I’d wanted to save me.

Yet he'd never come.

We rode in silence for several minutes because things had gone quiet between us once more.

Which I was kind of glad for, because I wasn't sure I could keep my voice steady as I tried to ignore the fact that Brooks’s long, strong fingers were pressing firmly against my body. One hand was at my belly, the other at my waist. Even with a layer of clothing separating his skin from actually touching mine, the contact was still driving my body, especially my dick, crazy with want.

We were about three quarters of the way home when Brooks suddenly said, "I can't believe this is going to be my first horse ride story."

"Your what?" I asked.

"You know, when someone asks me if I've ever ridden a horse. Now, I have to say yes and then they’ll want to know all about it and then I'll have to tell them it happened after I was saved like a damsel in distress."

I found myself smiling at his observation. It was so very… Brooks. "Damsel in distress?" I asked. "Does that make me the white knight?"

"Knight, rogue pirate, haunted duke, bad boy billionaire, whatever works for you." I swore I felt him drop his head to the back of my shoulder for a second. "I'm never going to live this down."

"Pirate?” I asked.

"You know, from all those romance novels. The ones with the busty women on the cover and the shirtless guy who turns out to be a tortured soul who just needs the love of a good woman?”

This time I did laugh. It felt strange. "Okay, so first off, how in the hell do you know anything about rogue pirates?"

Brooks was silent for a moment and I could practically hear the gears in his mind working. This time when I laughed, it was loud and boisterous, and I almost wasn't able to stop. "Oh my God. You read them, don't you?" I said between guffaws.

"No, of course not, I…" Brooks began. When he didn't finish, I laughed harder. The man couldn't even lie to save his pride.

"Damn it," Brooks muttered. "You're missing the whole point." I liked how much lighter he sounded. Frustrated too, but lighter.

"Okay, milady, what's the point?” I asked.

This time I received a slap on the arm for my comment. "I'll have you know, those romances are very educational. There's lots of stuff about history in them."

"So that's why you read them?" I said. "For the history?" I barely managed to keep myself from laughing all over again.

"I used to read them. And my point is, I always wanted to learn to ride a horse, and now that I'm finally doing it, I'm wearing another man's jeans and I'm hanging on to him like the helpless busty girl on the cover of those books."

"Well, you did kind of need saving," I reminded him. I glanced over my shoulder at him and added, “And the jeans look good on you, bust or no bust."

I cursed myself the moment the words left my mouth. I'd been having such a good time interacting with him that I hadn't thought about what I was saying. But if Brooks noticed the slip, he didn't comment on it. I did feel his hands tighten on me, though.

We rode in silence for a few more minutes and then Brooks said, "Did you know the ranch is in financial trouble?" I welcomed the change of subject. Even if I suspected it would be a touchy one for us.

"Yeah, I've noticed." I paused and then added, "Curtis likes handling the books himself, so I don't know much about it. But he’s been selling off things here and there. That makes me wonder."

“What kinds of things?”

"Things,” I said as I shrugged. "Some of the horse trailers, some of the equipment we use around the ranch."

"So it wasn't your idea?" Brooks asked. "If you're the foreman, shouldn't you be—"

I pulled Grover to a stop and looked over my shoulder at him. Heat suffused my body as I realized why he’d brought the subject up in the first place. "Just spit it out, Brooks,” I snapped. "Ask me what you really want to ask me."

"Xavier, I just—"

"Never mind," I bit out and then I spurred Grover to a faster walk, giving Brooks no choice but to hang on. I heard him say something behind me, but a rumble of thunder made it impossible to hear him. Which I was glad for.

“We need to move faster," I called to him, and then gave Grover a little bit of a kick to get him moving into a trot. Brooks hung on to me like I was his only lifeline in a turbulent sea. Moments ago, I would've enjoyed the sensation of him clinging to me… I had been enjoying the sensation.