Chapter 29

Eden

I can't settle when I get back in the house, as much as I might try.

My brain is doing overtime, and instead of feeling happy and celebrating how well this past season has gone for me, I'm in tears at home.

I know I need to pull myself together, and pacing up and down the hallway isn't going to do anything to make me feel better. I decide I can't leave things like this with Brook. I grab Noodle's pouch and pick her up in a hurry, sliding her inside. I grab my keys and head back out.

I shouldn't have let Brook leave like that. I didn't even really give him a chance to explain. Well, he tried, but I wouldn't hear it and then he took off.

In reality I haven't been with Brook in years, but one thing is for sure; he isn't a liar.

So I have to believe that what he told me tonight was true. And I must have walked in on him trying to get her to cover up.

I am also having a realization of what it is that's been stopping me now, and he needs to hear it.

Whether he will believe me or not, that's the risk I have to be willing to take.

I high-tail it over to the Bassetts farm. I'm not long behind him, but I know I can't leave it like this. I know my way there by now, so it doesn't take long.

I quickly call Autumn on the way to let her know I won't be there after all.

She's still in the bar, so I can only give her a quick rundown of the showdown outside. I don't really want to get into it, so I tell her I'll catch up with her tomorrow.

Brooks' car is in his carport when I pull up. Noodle is snoozing on the passenger seat before I pick her up and place the pouch strap over my head so I can carry her with me.

I take a breath and walk right up to the door and knock loudly.

I stand waiting but there's no answer.

He has to be here. His truck is parked and I wasn't that far behind him.

I knock again, but no one comes. I try the handle but the door is locked.

I walk around to the side gate and let myself in. I smile to myself as I see Blake's bike is parked up against the side wall.

"Brook?" I call out.

Still nothing.

The lights are on inside the house. I knock and then pull the back door ajar and call again.

"Where the hell is he?" I mutter as Noodle yawns into my chest. She's clearly not bothered. Maybe I'll check the stables.

I start walking through the path at the rear, behind his vegetable patch that leads to the stables behind the house. I'm tempted to call his cell and see where he got to. I stop at the huge barn doors he and Callan handmade. It took all the Bassett men to install them. Then I hear his voice…

"She ran out on me so I followed her home but she kicked me out... I don't know, Amber wouldn't let up the whole time in the bar. She followed me out to the truck and fucking backed me into the door."

There's a pause as I listen, my heart is thrumming so loud, the blood is rushing to my ears.

"Of course I told her to back off. She was harping on about bidding on me at the auction and she'd make it worth my while. Then she pulled her dress down, right before Eden walked around between my truck and yours, her tits hanging out and everything. I was trying to cover her up when we got sprung… Yeah I know… I tried talking to her. She thinks I'm just a big cheating jerk like Kirk was."

He's quiet for a few moments. I hear him shuffling like he's walking back and forth.

"I'll text her tomorrow. She might have cooled off by then. Alright, yeah, I'll get some rest. I ain't going anywhere else tonight. Goodnight, Bro." He hangs up and I use that as my cue to push myself in the door and make my presence known.

He's leaning back on one of the posts, stroking Sawyer on the head. He turns to look at me, and his breath catches in his throat. Surprise littering his face.

"Brook, I… I'm sorry," I whisper. I've heard it straight from his mouth now. He was telling the truth. "I just…"

He swallows, his bottom lip curling under. "I get it," he says, releasing it after a moment. "It certainly can't have looked the best from that angle. I was just talking to Beau. He called me after Autumn must've told him something."

"Yeah, I rang her on the way as she asked me to come for a drink. I thought I'd see if you were still there."

"I guess you told her what happened?"

"Not all of it, just you and I had words in the car park when I pulled up. And it appeared that Amber Jenkins was coming onto you."

"She's always flirting with me, but she's never done anything like that before. I'm sure she was just letting loose since Juliette was having a sleepover." He folds his arms across his chest.

"I'm sorry I didn't believe you."

He sighs. "E, I don't blame you for being mad. I can see how it looked, you turn up and Amber is all but topless standing in front of me. But it was just bad timing. Had it been a few minutes earlier I'd have been in my truck, alone."

I walk up to him as he watches my movements. "I got jealous," I say, looking him directly in the eye. "So damned jealous."

He raises an eyebrow. "You and I just slept together, E. Do you really think I would do that?"

I bite my lip and sigh. "No. It's just been a big few weeks. And I've been trying to fight my feelings toward you."

"How do you feel now?" He cocks his head, still not moving from his leaning position.

"I want to fall, Brook, so hard for you. I still love you and I think I always have. I'm just scared if it doesn't work — if we lose it again."

He steps toward me now. "We wouldn't lose it again."

"How do we know?"

"Because we know so much more than we did back then," he says. "And we've been through so much. And because we fit, E."

"We really do." I press my hand to his chest, feeling the heat through his shirt into my palm ignites me. "I've missed you."

He reaches out to touch my face with his hand. "I've missed you too, so damned much."

I reach up on my tippy toes to kiss him and he presses his lips to mine. I sigh and revel in the warmth that exudes him. There's so much behind those lips, and there's so much I want to give. It's all unraveling, faster than I can even begin to keep up with.

"Brook," I murmur. He presses into me, then Noodle stirs and we both look down at her in her pouch between us. Laughing, I give her a little stroke. "Sorry, baby."

Brook chuckles. "How about we put Noodle to bed and we have a nightcap?"

"That sounds good."

"I'll finish up here and be inside in a second."

I smile as I reach back up to kiss him again, then break away, walking backward toward the house.

Once I get inside I lay Noodle down and she snuggles up into Blake's pink fuzzy blanket she left on the couch. Then I head back out to see if he needs a hand.

"You alright?" I ask him as I walk back into the barn. He's securing the horses for the night and moving some of the hay bales out of the way.

"I'm good." He turns to look at me. "Not how I was expecting tonight to go."

"In more ways than one." I walk towards him and wrap my arms around his waist. "Kiss me, cowboy."

He grins and pulls me up into his arms. I squeal when he lifts me off the ground and I wrap my legs around as he steers me over to the side of the barn next to where he was just leaning with Sawyer.

Our kisses come hot and heavy, and I giggle as he presses his hips to mine, his head ducking down to my neck. I start to pull his shirt out and unbutton it. His fingers deftly work to undo mine as I reach around to unhook my bra and let them fall down my arms.

"Fucking hell, E." He stares down at my breasts.

"Not quite the same as Amber Je?—"

He put his hand over my mouth momentarily. "Don't even. And you're perfect the way you are." He bends to suck a nipple into his mouth. I take in a breath as I watch him. "I've always adored this gorgeous little body. You know it." He leans his hips into mine as I rest my head back against the wood and enjoy every sensation running through me.

"And I love yours, cowboy. Let me see it." I push his shirt off his shoulders as my hands find his belt buckle. He looks down and watches me work my way into his underwear where I reach in and pull out his hard cock.

"Fuck," he says as I wrap my hand around his glorious girth and begin to jerk him off. "Baby." His voice is coarse, his sexy hooded eyes watch my every move.

"You should take me on the hay bales."

He looks next to him to a perfect pile stacked up, waiting just for us. "Yeah, you want that?"

"I want it so bad."

"How's your body feeling after the fall?"

"I'm okay. I've been putting some arnica on it for the bruising. The swelling has gone."

"That's good. Is it still hurting?"

"Not as much as before, just an ache. I took a painkiller again, but I'm fine."

"Are you sure you're fine enough to be doing this?"

"I seemed to manage on the night I had the fall!" I laugh and press my lips together at the thought of what we got up to that night.

"I'm not sure I should have crawled onto your couch like that when you were supposed to be resting."

"I'm glad you did."

His fingers feather over my face in the softest of touches. "You're so precious," he says. "And so, so beautiful, Eden."

"I think you're pretty awesome too. My sexy cowboy."

He laughs and leans in to kiss me.

"I really need you in me," I murmur as my lips find his.

"Your wish is my command." He steers me to the hay bale and lifts me by the hips as I squeal, and he sits me down.

I waste no time in reaching back to his waist, his cock sticking out at the top where I unzipped him. I help him shove his jeans and briefs down past his ass where he springs free and I grab hold of his eager cock. At the same time he feels for the hem of my skirt and hitches it up, pulling my underwear aside. His expert fingers roam over my sweet spot and down my crease as I cry out. He feels my wet heat, groans, and slowly inserts a finger inside me.

"Brook, ohhh." I immediately melt into his hand, gripping onto him, slowly moving my hips, needing the friction as he slides his finger in and out. Dipping his head, his mouth moves over my nipple as he grazes it with his teeth. I hang on for dear life as he edges a second finger in. Biting into his shoulder, I slowly move against his fingers. "I need that so bad."

"You want my cock, baby?"

"Yes. Please, hurry Brook. Give it to me."

He grins, pulling his fingers out as I push myself backward and he climbs up onto the bale. He looks so sexy, shirtless, and his cock hanging out, ready and waiting for me. We waste no more time, not even the rest of our clothes, as he crawls over the top of me and pushes my skirt up even further. Moving my underwear aside again, he lines himself up and with a little thrust of his hips he pushes into me. I almost lose it just from that.

"Oh, Brook. Oh, God."

He breathes into my neck, the warmth of it sends a ripple of desire down my spine, kissing me all the way up to my jaw. His hands grip my hips as he pulls me even closer to him, it's like we can't get close enough. Then his lips find mine and our mouths collide with wild abandon while he pulls his hips back and then slams into me slow and hard. I jolt with the movement, my breasts bouncing and my erect nipples brushing his golden skin. Our tongues find each other as he rocks into me again and again, slow and hard. It's so hot the way he moves, his big muscly body over me.

"You like that, Baby Doll?"

"Brook," I pant. "I love it, you feel so good."

"You've missed my cock, baby?"

"I've missed it so much."

He slams back into me again and I hold onto him, wrapping my arms around his neck. "It's been my dream to fuck you in the hay bales again."

"Thought about it, huh?"

"All the time."

"Good to know," I giggle as we pick up the pace and he bends to kiss me.

"This is just how I like it, baby. Being here with you."

"When I'm flat on my back?" I joke, as we quickly find our pace.

"Not a bad way to be, baby girl." He holds me by the hips and rocks into me, brushing his lips over mine and keeping his eyes on me in the moonlight. My heart feels so free and alive watching his every move.

When I let my walls come down and let him in, it feels better than anything.

Brookie. My first love. The only man I feel I've ever really loved. It's impossible not to love him.

He's everything I could want in a man; loyal, dependable, handsome, hardworking, and the best dad I could ever wish for our daughter. And of course he has a great body, and is as sexy as hell. I also can't forget that tattoo he got when we got back together the second time, then we split again.

I love his kind heart the most. I love how he loves the farm, his animals, even his gardening.

It's like we couldn't avoid our connection forever and it's finally come full circle.

And here we are again, moving together as one. Nothing about it feels weird — it's like we've never been apart.

I watch him move above me, giving me his all, watching me with a combination of love and lust mixed in his eyes; having great sex on the hay bales just like we used to.

"Brook, that's so good."

"We always were, baby." He holds one hand to my breast and the other hand on my hip as he thrusts in and out, the sweat starting to bead on his hot skin. Dropping his eyes to watch my chest, he leans down to suckle my nipple and I cry out.

His tongue works its magic and I hang on for the ride. He makes the most sexy noises, grunting his appreciation in that husky way as we drive it home. I feel his free hand slide down between us, landing on my sweet spot where he continues to rub. I'm so damned close to exploding, and his touch is only going to speed it up. "Brookie…"

"Yeah, baby."

"I love that, oh, oh." The friction against my clit with his hand, him teasing my nipples and the pace of our movement reach boiling point. My orgasm takes hold and spirals through my body as I squeeze my eyes closed and ride out my release on a long, rapid cry. Hearing my ecstasy echo around the barn, I feel Brook's breathing change, followed by a noticeable pulse inside me as he lets his release go with a deep grunt.

"Oh, baby," he moans as we ride it out together. Our voices, breaths, and releases all mix together as one and I know right then that I don't have any reservations anymore.

I need to do what feels natural from now on and let myself fall even further than I've allowed myself to fall in a long, long time.

I know I'm there, and it's a complete liberation admitting this to myself and to him.

"I love you, Brookie," I murmur as he bends to kiss me soft and slow.

He lifts up to look at me, moving some loose strands of hair out of my face. He kisses my nose, my forehead, and then each eyelid. "You don't know how happy that makes me to hear that. I love you too, baby girl."

And with that, I think our little tiff is over and our new beginning is about to start.