“No, it hasn’t. You’ll like this. I promise.” Getting to Laney’s house early this morning meant an even earlier day for me, feeding the animals, packing a cooler, and the surprise in the back. We’ve had some crazy weather here in Texas, but after a few weeks of solid rain, it’s left us with a nice breeze, low humidity, and temperatures in the lower eighties. A perfect combination for what I have in mind.
“We’ll see about that. I’m not sure how this will make things right between us, Creed. It might be too much water under the bridge.” I hear the weariness in her tone. It’s a good thing I’m not one to call it quits.
“Nah, not for us, sugar.” I pull into the clearing that’s in the back end of my land, green grass as far as the eye can see, trees in the distance, some wildflowers, but it’s the lake that had me snatching up this land a few years ago.
“You don’t play fair, Creed.” I untangle our hands, putting the truck in Park.
“All’s fair in love and war, Laney. I’m just waiting on you.” I climb out of the truck, leaving her with those words. Maybe she’ll actually start to get it, that yes, I fucked up, but I’m also here, ready and willing to fix us.
Eight
Laney
Sometimes I wonder why my need to fight is so strong, but then I think about how it was me who was left behind. The man I loved discarded me, and sure, he tried to call and text me, but my emotions were too raw. I knew the minute I heard his voice on the other end of the line, I’d break down and plead for Creed to come home. And even in my ridiculous state of being, I wasn’t that selfish. That is until I couldn’t anymore. Not only was the ranch struggling, but mentally, emotionally, I had to call him. I unloaded on him, nothing about the two of us and what happened. It was about Rhett, my parents, the horses, and everything in between. It was like Creed knew we needed him, no, I needed him. That was a hard pill to admit to myself. I didn’t even ask him if he’d come home, he just told me to give him two weeks and shit would be better. Apparently, he took that to heart and brought me here to my favorite spot. It’s doing all the things I don’t want it to.
“You gonna get out of the truck, sugar?” Creed opens my door, standing there waiting for me. One hand is above his head on the doorframe, giving me a view that has me licking my lower lip. My eyes are at eye level with Creed’s lower abdomen on display, chiseled muscle and his happy trail that leads to his cock, which now has my eyes practically coming out of their sockets. I swear, it’s only getting the harder the longer I stare.
“Laney.” The deep timbre of his voice shakes me from my dirty thoughts. At this rate, it’ll take me no time to forgive him.
“I’m coming. Gosh. Let a girl breathe, will you.” I attempt to slide out of his truck, but it seems he has other plans. Creed’s hands slide up my outer legs. Goose bumps pebble up along my skin, and the work-roughened tips of his fingers slide beneath my tank top before he pulls me closer.
“Oh, you’ll be breathing by the time I’m done with you.” My legs are spread around his hips, the layer of clothes the only thing hindering Creed from being inside me. I should stop this. I mean, the rational side of me says let bygones be bygones. The irrational side of me is saying he needs to learn a lesson.
“Creed.” He thrusts his hips, and his name leaves me lips on a sigh. It looks like the hormonal side of my body is going to win over anything else. Nothing feels better than being surrounded by Creed, the way he smells of leather with an undertone of oranges, the way his whole body encompasses my smaller figure, and the way he lights me up from the inside out.
“I know, but if I give you what you’re aching for, you’ll likely run away from me. So, as hard as it is not to watch you come alive underneath me, I’m going to back off. We’re going to talk where you’ll do the listening, hopefully. Then I’ll do the exact same thing, because I’m tired of not having you in my life, sugar.” He kisses the tip of my nose after delivering those words that have me already halfway to forgiving him.
“Fine, but can we get the talking over and done with quickly?” Creed is right, we have to clear the air, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to get back to what we were doing.