“You tied them.” A choked whisper.
“Did it make you uncomfortable? Did you hate it? Did you tell me to stop?”
Her jaw flexes. “You know I didn’t.”
“We’re going to get you back to that, Conor. Back to that place where you can trust again. Whether it’s with me or with someone else. Understand?”
She blinks and looks away.
Undeterred, I position my stance at an angle beside her. “Tell me your triggers.”
“Poison ivy, ex-boyfriends, and…” She wobbles the base beneath her. “Stumps. Balancing on a stump is definitely a trigger.”
I rear back a hand and swat her on the butt.
She swallows a gasp and feigns nonchalance.
“We’ve already established the wrist trigger.” I sharpen my voice. “What else?”
“I hate this game.”
“It’s not a game.” I smack her ass again, adding enough force to tip her balance.
She grapples at the branch, stopping herself from stumbling. I would never let her fall, but she doesn’t trust me.
“Stop fucking hitting me.” She glowers at me.
I let my hand fly, igniting a sting in my palm as it connects with her gorgeous backside. “Your triggers.”
“You’re a stubborn jackass.”
“And patient. I can do this all night.” My hand burns to spank her repeatedly, every day, until my marks are permanently branded on her flesh.
She closes her eyes, breathes in slowly and releases it. “The scent of whiskey.”
She has her dad to thank for that.
“And?” I go still, my stomach twisting through the wait.
“Nothing heavy against my back.” She swallows, her lashes blocking my view of her eyes. “No sex face down or from behind. No anal.”
The only way she knows about those positions is if she’s tried them, and I can’t let myself think about that.
I touch her lower back, wait for her flinch, and gently caress her over the cotton tank top. “Anything else?”
She glances at me and shakes her head. “Those are the ones I know.”
“Thank you.” I run my hand over her back and give her direct eye contact. “Four years ago, I drove you away from here because your life was in danger.”
The muscles along her spine go taut.
I keep my fingers against her, rubbing the tension in her backbone. “Two men were hired to kill you and Lorne in the ravine.”
“I thought they saw me in town and followed me home?”
“Levi Tibbs lied. Someone paid him to go to the ravine that night and take you out. When the attempt failed, others were contracted to finish the job, if you returned to the ranch.”
“Who hired them? How do you…?” A tremble ripples through her, and her fingers start to slip from the branch. “How do you know this? Did Dalton know? Is that why we moved?”
“Put your hands on my shoulders.” I step in front of her and grip her hips. When she lowers her arms, I say, “I have proof. I know who did the hiring. I know why they did it, and I’ve dealt with all of them but one.”
“You dealt with them? Did you turn them over to the police? Why wasn’t I notified?” Her eyes widen. “What do you mean but one? There’s someone out there who wants to kill me? Why would anyone want me dead?”
“You’re safe here. He won’t come anywhere near the ranch. That’s all you need to know right now.”
“That’s bullshit, Jake. This is too important for your mind games. We’re talking about my life. If you don’t tell me, I’ll find the answers on my own.”
“Jarret is with me on this, and Sheriff Fletcher has his own agenda. You’ll stay the fuck away from him.”
“I can’t believe this. What you’re telling me… It’s insane. Are you even listening to yourself?”
“We need to talk about Miles York.”
She sucks in a breath. “How do you know that name?”
“I know more than his name. I know the professor has a long history of fucking his students. I know he’s living with you while sticking his dick in another co-ed on a regular basis.”
Her lips part, and her eyes glass over. I don’t think it’s shock. She’s too sharp to be oblivious to the infidelity. For whatever reason, she’s chosen to ignore what’s right in front of her.
“Do you have evidence?” she asks, without a waver in her voice.
“I hired a PI to keep tabs on anyone who might be following you.” I remove my phone from my pocket and pull up the photo gallery. “For reasons I won’t explain tonight, you were safe as long as you weren’t here. But I couldn’t take that risk.”
She reaches for the phone.
I pull it back, holding it away. “I need you to understand I wasn’t keeping tabs on you. You were free to date or fuck whomever you wanted. This was about your safety, and since I didn’t know Miles York, I didn’t trust him. So I had him tailed.”
“Give me the phone, Jake.”