Atonement (The Protectors 6)

Magnus’s rumble of laughter felt good against my back. “You’re running out of Ranger nicknames, aren’t you?” he asked.

I nodded. “I’ll google some more tonight.”

“No, you won’t,” Magnus murmured against my ear. “You’re going to be busy tonight.” He kissed my ear. “And tomorrow night.” Another kiss on my shoulder. “And the night after that.”

I tugged my left arm free of Magnus’s hold and placed my hand at the back of his head so I could pull him to my mouth for a kiss. “I can’t wait to own your ass,” I breathed against his lips.

Magnus curled his arm beneath my chest and drew me upright. “Until then, Sweet Cheeks,” – he pulled out a little and thrust into me again, causing me to let out a gasp of pleasure as my dick thickened – “I’m going to keep your tight little ass busy.”

His mouth closed over mine in a brutally raw kiss that left me panting when he finally pulled back. My erection was back in full force. “There’s another condom in my wallet,” I said, my voice husky with need. Magnus pulled free of my body, leaving me bereft. His palm skimmed over my ass before he slapped me lightly.

“Sorry buddy, us old guys need a lot of recovery time.”

He stepped back and got rid of the condom before tucking his still very hard dick back into his pants and drawing up the zipper. “Let’s go…we’ve got a lot of packing to do.”

“Are you fucking serious right now?” I grumbled as I pulled my pants up.

Magnus’s laugh was the only response I got as he went around to the passenger side of the car.

Fuck. How the hell had I managed to end up just as horny now as I’d been when we’d first gotten here? I glanced at Magnus through the windshield. He was shaking his head, a huge grin on his face.

Well, at least life with Magnus would never be boring.

That fact had me smiling too as I went around to the driver’s side of the SUV. Yeah, let the man think we’d be packing when we got home.

Not likely if I got my way.

And I was damn good at getting my way.

Chapter Eighteen

Magnus

“We’ll take good care of him, Mr. DuCane.”

“Thanks, Charlie,” I said as I shook the man’s hand. He walked towards the cab of the truck while I went to the small side door on the trailer that was still open, allowing Ace to stick his head through. I ran my hand down his muzzle. “See you in Seattle, old friend.”

Ace nudged my hand with his nose and I pulled out the carrot he knew I was holding. He gobbled it up and then turned his attention to the bag of hay that was strung up against the inside of the trailer where he could easily reach it. I closed the small hatch and then stepped back and raised my hand to Charlie so he could see in his side mirror that I was done saying goodbye to my horse.

As I watched the truck make its way down the driveway, I felt arms wrap around my waist from behind. For all his fears about being in a relationship, Dante was damn good at actually being in one.

“He’ll be okay,” Dante murmured and then he kissed my neck.

“Yeah,” I said. “I’m glad he’s got another horse in there with him.”

Watching Ace leave was nothing compared to what it had been like the day before when Rachel had come with her father to pick up Dolce. Both horses had called to each other as Dolce had been loaded up in the trailer and that had been particularly tough on me. But the joy on Rachel’s face as she’d hugged me had been worth every second of sadness I’d been feeling as I’d said goodbye to one of the last remaining links to my daughter.

“She’d be so proud of you, Magnus,” Dante whispered.

I nodded since I was too emotional to actually say anything. I lifted one of Dante’s hands to my lips and kissed it before turning around to face him. I wrapped my arms around him and tiredly whispered, “I’m ready to go home.”

“I know you are,” he said softly.

It had been nearly a week since the verdict had been read. Getting the house ready to sell had taken longer than I’d anticipated, but I’d finally gotten everything arranged with the realtor who’d be handling the sale. She’d agreed to be there when the movers came to pack up the house, which I’d been grateful for because all I really wanted to do was get out of Texas. I missed my grandson and I missed the men and women who’d become my surrogate family.

And I was eager to start my new life with Dante.

I had no idea what that entailed, but I was hopeful that he’d get to the point I was already at.