Covered in Coal (Buried Secrets 1)

“I belong to you,” I whisper, pressing a soft delicate kiss to his lips. He begins to slowly rock his hips against me. I wrap my legs around his back, but he raises up and spreads them wide, resting them on top of his shoulders. He grinds deeper, harder, faster, as his balls press hard against my ass, with each rock of his hips. Sweat drips from his forehead, as he pounds in and out of me, one hand wrapped tightly around the back of my neck, and my thigh pressed to his chest, so he can dig deeper within me.

Our bodies are a tangled, sweat glistening mess. Wild feral growls rattle in his chest, as his cravings build higher and higher. The same intense hurricane is swirling in my stomach, tightening my core and hammering my heart against my chest.

Colton presses his forehead to mine and begs, “come with me baby.” He pounds his dick deep inside of me a few more times, before the waves wash over me, and the gut ripping roars of Colton’s own orgasm fills my ears. He keeps his grasp on my neck, our foreheads still pressed together, as we pant into each other’s mouths, spiraling down from the release we shared together. Not once does his eyes leave mine. When his breathing has slowed down, he peppers delicate kisses all over my face. He loosens his hold from me, then looks down at me says, “Darlin’, there is no doubt in my mind, that you own every ounce of my soul. I love you so damn much, Carly Jo.”

Chapter 28

Colton

Carly Jo’s eyes well up with tears as I tell her how much I love her. I don’t think she believed me when I told her that I never stopped lovin’ her, but I continue the relentless battle of workin’ my way back into her heart. I’ll never give up on her. I love her too damn much.

I roll to my side, and pull her close to me, laying a soft kiss on top of her head. She releases a tremblin’ sigh, and nuzzles closer to me. “Ya done pushin’ me away yet, darlin’?” She rests her head on my chest and smiles with her eyes, before shakin’ her head at me with a soft giggle.

“I want to be. You need to believe that.”

“Well get dressed. We both have to work early in the mornin’ and we still have a lot to talk about. So you’re comin’ home with me tonight,” I tell her, sittin’ up on the side of the bed, searchin’ the floor for my clothes. She doesn’t even argue this time. She gets out of the bed, and dresses as quickly as I do. She gathers her things, while I wait for her, then we make our way outside to my truck.

We enjoy a silent drive back to my house. Carly Jo is nestled into my side, with her arm wrapped around my waist. She hasn’t said much, but judgin’ by the lip chewin’ I can tell that the wheels up top are turnin’.

Arrivin’ at my parent’s house first, I go inside to check on Heidi Jo and kiss her goodnight. Pops has just come draggin’ in from work, with his shoulders slumped, dark rings thick around his eyes. I’ve never saw my old man look this rough. He’s a tough old shit, and workin’ long hours usually have no effect on him. But the added stress that Drew

Varney is addin’ for Dalton Truckin’ has us all worried about Dad. He doesn’t say a word when he passes by the livin’ room, just walks on through the hallway, into his bedroom, slammin’ the door behind him. Momma shakes her head in annoyance. She’s just as worried, but there ain’t a damn thing any of us can do. I tell her that I’m headin’ home for the night and if they need anything to just call.

When we get inside my house, Carly Jo flops down on the couch, curlin’ her knees to her chest, pressin’ her face to the cushion and inhalin’ deep. Her eyes are closed, and she has the most peaceful relaxed look across her beautiful face. I pull my shoes off and have a seat on the other end of the couch, then pull her up to my arms, with a swift kiss to the forehead. I ain’t replayin’ no screamin’ fits, but we both need to be on the same page about what we have goin’ on between us. I know what I want, what I’ll get one way or the other, and I know that she keeps her damn walls up, tryin’ to keep me out. I’ll be damned if some dick like Luke Ashton is gonna be her way of chasin’ me off. I take a deep breath before layin’ my heart on the line.

“Carly Jo, I’ve crawled my way back to you, tried to prove to ya that I love ya, and that I’m sorry for all that shit in the past. But you keep slappin’ me in the damn face every chance you get. When I walked into the diner this evenin’ and saw that dick with his hand on you, it took every ounce of self-control within me not to go all Hulk on his ass. I haven’t felt that amount of rage in years. But beyond the rage, I felt heartache. I couldn’t believe what I was seein’. I was pissed that he had his nasty hands on you. But to see the smile on your face, put there by another man’s touch, ripped my heart strings. Do you know how damn long I’ve been tryin’ to get

you to smile at me like that?”

“I’m sorry. I wish you could see Luke for what he is, just a friend. I know you won’t see that, but you need to see things from my side of the fence.”

She’s trying to stay strong, but her quiverin’ lip gives her away. I don’t wanna hear any friend bullshit, but to amuse her, I’ll listen. I’ve fought for this long, so why give up now? Shakin’ my head, I drag in a deep breath, and push down the risin’ tension that’s crawlin’ across up my back. “Go ‘head, Carly Jo. We ain’t gonna fight, scream, or argue. I want you to make me see things your way.”

She nods her head, placin’ her fidgety hands in her lap and begins to chew on her lip. I rub my thumb across the bottom of her lip, pullin’ it from between her teeth and look deep in her scared hazel eyes. “Stop bitin’ your damn lip in half, and calm down, ‘kay?”

She releases a pent up breath and looks away from me. “My entire life has been twisted upside down over the last few months. Daddy passing, leaving Simon Energy in my hands. Being the CEO in an industry of men, bossing a team of nearly two hundred people to see that this empire does not fall; I’m in a position of power that I’m really beginning to doubt myself in. I’ve always hated the mines. I go to work each morning, pencil push all day, I don’t understand half of the shit I’m looking at. But I still do it, and know that as long as the numbers are higher than the day before, it’s all good. I go home every night, to that big empty house, and the silence is deafening.”

She looks over at me, nibblin’ her lip then looks away again as the tears well up in her eyes. “I have nobody, Colton. Savannah is a busy mom, and we never talk. Since I came home, you have been so caught up in trying to win me back, you haven’t looked deep enough to see that I am barely treading water. I was having lunch at the diner one day after a meeting and it had been such a bad day. Luke came in, saw that I was upset and joined me. I don’t like to talk a lot. He doesn’t push too hard, but when I want to talk about it, he listens, and when he needs to talk, I listen. Sometimes it’s just nice to have a friend.” She shrugs.

I take a minute to soak in what she’s just said. I don’t know how I missed that she has been lonely, but I guess I have. “You were always strong minded, and you still put off that same damn bad ass attitude. I just assumed that you could handle anything. I didn’t know it was deeper than that. Why didn’t you just say somethin’.”

“We’ve talked about everything from the past. I just have a hard time letting you in. I need you to understand that I am trying. But you scare me.”

She covers her face with her hands and shakes her head. “No, that’s a lie. You don’t scare me. The things I feel for you scares me. When we are together, you don’t ever want to talk. You constantly have your hands on my thighs or in my hair, trying to pull me into these earth moving kisses that make my knees want to defy my weight. I can’t even get a clear head around you.”

She brushes her fingers through her dark brown waves in frustration. I grasp her elbow and pull her into my lap, then realize that was probably a bad idea. Hell with it. I need her close to me. I tuck her hair behind her ear, trailin’ my finger down her chin, before turnin’ her face so she is lookin’ at me.

“I’m sorry, baby. Not for needin’ to touch you, not for gettin’ so deep in your head that I effect you like I do. I’m sorry for bein’ blind to all of the other things you needed. Ya gotta understand darlin’, I ain’t been in a real relationship since you left. So I’m a little rusty. Sure, I tried things with Kari, and after I got straight, I dated off and on, but I haven’t been in a meaningful relationship, since you. We lost so much time together, that when I see you, I have to have my hands on you. I crave it.

“But that’s all gonna change. I can’t stand the thoughts of you turnin’ to another man for anything. I’m glad Luke was there for you, as bad as I hate the taste of that shit right now, but darlin’ I don’t want you seein’ him anymore. I don’t want you havin’ no more damn lunch dates, none of this shit him comin’ over to your house. If you need somebody, you call me. Not any damn body else, especially frickin’ Luke Ashton.” I finish with a deep husky tone, deeper and harsher than I intend. Damn my face is gettin’ hot and I just wanna squeeze his frickin’ neck in my hands right the hell now. Ain’t never been able to stand that frickin’ prick.

“Colton, why do you dislike Luke so much?”

“It ain’t just Luke. Make no mistake of that. It’s any damn man who looks at my woman like that, and touchin’ my woman, hell that’s just a fool signin’ his damn death warrant.” I shrug at her, but it’s true. Carly Jo rests her head on my chest and the heat in my face spreads through my body. I love the way this feels, her body pressed to mine.

“You said earlier that I’m a part of you. I know that, but I’ve battled myself for so long to protect my heart from you. I was trying to push you away in hopes that all of these emotions would just melt away. Why the hell they would now, when they’re still here after seven years is beyond me. But I’m tired. I’m worn out, and I just don’t want to fight it anymore. I know that you love me, Colton. I love you too.”

Hearin’ those three tiny words escape her lips, nearly stop my heart. Even though she has said it before, this time it’s different. Before, we were young and stupid, without a care in the world except each other. Now, we have both battled our wars, together and apart, but still found our way back to each other. I kiss her lightly on the forehead and whisper, “I never dreamed I’d have you back in my arms, right where you belong. I love you, baby.”