Montana Desire

He just smiled. “I’m in your life whether you want me to be or not. Our families are connected. So, I’ll be the one who decides when this is over. Not you.” His grip on my arm tightened so much that I knew it would leave a bruise. “Got it?”

I said nothing, just stared at the ranch hand, who obviously couldn’t decide if he should intervene or not. Finally, Joel released me.

He slapped the rope in his hand. “If you try getting kinky with anyone else, you’ll be sorry.”

I turned and ran out of the barn. My hands were shaking as I pulled my keys out of my bag and even worse when I tried to get them into the ignition.

Joel was watching me from the door of the stable. I hit the gas. The truck sprayed gravel as I turned too quickly.

I drove just slightly out of sight before I had to pull the truck over. I barely made it out of the cab before I was heaving up everything I’d eaten today.

My breath wouldn’t even out. Sheer panic was still racing through my limbs, and my legs wouldn’t hold me. Shit. Shit.

I was lucky that guy had walked in when he did.

Rage followed that thought. I shouldn’t have to be lucky. I couldn’t believe what had almost happened.

Should I be crying? There weren’t any tears, though I could feel the potential there.

Joel was still too close, and I had no guarantee he wouldn’t come after me. I forced my legs under me and braced myself on the cab of the truck in order to get inside.

There was a part of me that wasn’t processing what happened. I didn’t feel like it was real. Being…almost raped. My mind shuddered against the word. That was a thing that happened to other people. It was a scary story. That was all.

Clearly not.

My stomach heaved again, and I breathed through it. I just needed to get home. Be home. Surrounded by comfort and nothing that would make me think about this. All I wanted was to make it go away.

I started the truck and forced myself to drive.