Chapter Fifteen

F uck, that was too close. A fucking shootout at the private airstrip where his family kept their jet?

Rage still pounded through Carson's veins in place of type O negative.

No way was it a coincidence that a vehicle Layne was riding in was fired at. And the motherfucker had a military-grade weapon.

First thing he'd do was get Willow checking into all weapons of that caliber registered in the tristate area. That would likely be a dead end, though. Criminals didn't register their weapons. They procured them illegally.

He sat on the edge of his bed, elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. Nothing was going right on this op. Black Heart Security had been in business for two years. Not once had they even come close to losing a ward.

And of all the wards to be targeted, it just had to be Layne.

The sound of the shower in his en suite bathroom turned off, indicating Layne was finished.

The motherfucking stalker knew she'd left by jet. Carson had personally searched all her belongings and didn't find so much as a bug or tracker tag.

The guy must have gotten lucky, maybe even followed a car registered in his brother's name.

He could follow them here. To the Black Heart.

Not that Carson worried about protecting her here. The ranch was prepped for bear with weapons and ammo. They were all trained in personal safety, even Willow. And if it came down to it, there were dozens of military veterans on the premises.

After a few minutes, Layne emerged. Dressed in sweats and a fitted top that showed off her rounded breasts, with her long hair wet, she was the woman of his dreams.

He pushed to his feet and crossed the room to enfold her in his arms. "Feel better?"

She nodded, cheek rubbing against his chest. "How are you doing?"

He knew she wasn't asking about his next move, but he wasn't going to share his feelings about coming so close to losing her.

"I need to talk with my team."

"By team you mean…?"

"My brothers and sister. Listen, you've had a long day. You can sleep here in my bed."

She shook her head. "I'm coming with you."

Sweeping his gaze over her face, his brows met in a frown. "You don't have to be frightened here. There's no place safer than my home."

"That's not it. I deserve to know what's going on. It's my life you're discussing."

He studied her. The small freckles across her nose seemed emphasized by her pallor. If he didn't know how fragile she was before, the strain she bore on her beautiful face reminded him now.

"You don't have to join us, doll. I can fill you in about everything later."

"I'm joining you. But I'm cold and the only sweater I brought is drenched. Do you have a sweatshirt I can borrow?"

Keeping her warm after the shock she'd endured, he could do. He released her and entered his walk-in closet. He didn't own much in the way of a wardrobe. In fact, there was plenty of room for Layne's stuff if she wanted to share the space for the duration of her stay.

Or forever.

He grabbed a black hooded sweatshirt with the Black Heart Ranch logo across the front. The running horse streaked beneath the words and a rope curled out above them, crossing the T on the word heart.

When he walked out and handed it to her, she studied the logo for a long beat before slipping it on.

The garment was enormous on her, hanging to her knees.

He let out a low growl. "I'd like to force you into bed and keep you there for the rest of the month."

Her brows shot up.

"I'd pamper you with home-cookin' and all the naps you can handle." He cupped her ass in his hands, hitching her against his swelling cock. "Between feeding you…I'd fuck you."

She slipped her arms around his neck and rocked against him. "That sounds like a perfect month. Only problem I see with it is someone wants me dead."

His chest blazed. "I will find him and kill him," he said evenly through clenched teeth. "Nobody will lay a hand on you, Layne. I swear it."

Her eyes softened as she searched his eyes. "I trust you, Carson. I know you'll keep me safe. Now let's go talk to your family and figure out what's going to happen next."

He didn't want her involved in the discussion. He could control himself fine. Oaks, Colt and Willow were wild cards. The last thing he wanted was them to say something to frighten Layne more than she already was.

But she wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"I guess I chose a woman who's just as strong-willed as I am."

A soft smile wisped at the corners of her lips. "Don't forget it either." She pulled free of his arms and moved toward the door, obviously more eager to get this party started than he was.

When he led her out of his bedroom and to the kitchen, Willow had more coffee on and a big pot of something on the range cooking. At their entrance, she looked up from stirring the pot with a long-handled wooden spoon.

"Is that Faye's stew I smell?" Layne hurried to the range and peered into the pot. "It is!"

Willow grinned. "And there's a loaf of her fresh, homemade bread too. I'm sorry, Carson. I know you told me to keep Faye off her feet and to give her the vacation she deserves, but she wouldn't listen to me."

Layne bobbed her head. "I've seen it firsthand. Cooking is her passion."

"And we'll be very thankful while we eat it." Willow grabbed a bowl and began ladling stew into it.

She passed Layne the first bowl of steaming food, and she carried it to the big table. When she set the bowl on the surface, she caught sight of a name carved in the wood. Leaning close, she made out the letters.

She straightened with a smile. "Does that say Colt?"

Carson's brother walked into the kitchen just in time to respond to her question. "It does. I got a spanking for carving it there too."

Oaks and Carson chuckled and got in line to receive the bowls that Willow was dishing out. Willow took her seat last and began slicing the homemade bread.

For a minute, nobody spoke as they sampled the delicious stew that was hearty enough to stick to their ribs on this cool rainy night. It warmed Carson all the way to his toes, and the rich taste of beef and vegetables slow cooked with love hit the spot.

As she ate, Layne stole glances at Carson and his family. What was going on in that beautiful mind of hers? It could be any number of things. The Malones had a rough upbringing compared to what she knew growing up.

A few of the stories he'd told her about their father made him wish he'd held his tongue back then. But he was young and stupid. Keeping anything from the girl he loved was difficult.

Keeping things from the woman he loved now seemed impossible.

Yet he and his siblings made it through the tough times, sticking together over the years to forge a tighter bond. And the absent brothers—Gray, Denver and Theo—weren't far from any of their minds. They'd left seats around the table empty. To Layne, it must appear as if they expected the family members to return for the meeting that would soon begin.

After they were all nourished by stew, coffee and thick bread, silence descended over the table.

Carson set his elbows on the surface and cleared his throat. With a worried glance at Layne, he asked, "You sure you don't want to get some rest?"

She planted herself more firmly in her seat. "I'm staying."

He filled his chest with air and started firing off information about the call they received from Denver while they were landing in Italy. When he related what happened upon touchdown, and how the city seemed to be in the throes of turmoil, Willow let out a gasp.

"A car actually slammed into you?"

Layne nodded. "That's how Carson got the cut on his face. The window shattered."

Their attention shifted from him to Oaks, who bore a similar bandage on his face.

"We need to find this guy who's after Layne. The threats are getting more serious." Carson's tone grated with fury. "He isn't going to stop, and we don't know what else he has planned. But here's my plan. Tell me what you think."

* * * * *

Moonlight slanted through Carson's bedroom window, painting him in silvery-blue light. Layne's breath caught as she studied the artwork that was the man she loved.

Built of steel and encased in granite. A good heart beat inside the strong frame of the man. And those eyes burned for her.

He stepped toward her, his cock jutting stiff and proud.

Unable to remain still another second, she hurled herself at him. He grabbed her around the waist and lifted her, turning for the bed in the same movement. They tumbled onto the cool sheets, mouths fused in a passionate kiss.

Need throbbed in her core. She was drenched and aching for him.

When he hovered over her, he flicked his gaze to hers as he slowly lowered his lips to trap her nipple in his mouth.

A sharp cry escaped her. She tried to muffle it so the other people under this roof didn't hear, but it felt so good. So right.

He swirled his tongue around and around her bud, making it pucker for him. Her pussy flooded, and she rocked into him, seeking that thick length she needed tunneling through her soaked walls.

When she thought she'd lose her mind from the warm, slick feel of him sucking her nipple, he released it and moved to the other. The kisses he spattered over her rounded breasts were filled with more love than any simple sexual act.

This was how it would be with Carson in her bed. In her life. Even after she was safe, he would be her protector because he always had been.

She cupped his face and drew him up her body to capture his lips. "I love you."

"As I love you." He slanted his mouth and claimed her. Fire shot high between them. When he closed his hands on her hips, drawing her up to meet his first gliding thrust, she cried out.

He buried his cock deep. Her inner muscles squeezed around him, trying to hold him in place, but he withdrew in a slow rocking motion before slamming home again.

When he reached between them and brushed his callused thumb across her clit, electricity sparked through her body, as bright and blinding as the lightning of the storm they'd landed in.

Her insides tingled. Pleasure made her back arch.

He pushed to his knees and, still connected, he yanked her body into his cock while applying pressure with his thumb to her clit. Painting it in her own juices.

Their bodies slapped in a symphony of passion. Their hearts beat as one.

When she saw the flash of his white teeth, she knew he was close to coming.

Her own body jerked with a will of its own—hard and fast. Taking them both to the ends of the earth where only they existed.

A wave of bliss struck and punched the air out of her lungs. She met his gaze and watched him come apart for her too, just as the first splash of cum hit her pussy.

A long, low growl from Carson lifted the hairs all over her body as he pounded hard and fast and deep.

"Yes! Yes, Carson. I love you!"

His rumble of pleasure vibrated through her. He churned his hips two more times, then three…and collapsed on top of her.

The thundering of her own heart mixed with his, heard beneath her ear where it pressed to his chest. His skin bore a light perspiration, and she flicked out her tongue to taste it.

He groaned. "How far did you get in those letters?"

Surprise rippled through her. "I'm finished with one full year."

"You should stop now."

She tipped her head to look at his face. He didn't appear to be joking.

"I'm serious, Layne. You won't get anything out of reading them. All you need to know is that I loved you and I never stopped."

"But you took the time to write me all those letters. I want to honor that by reading every word." She couldn't help but worry that he was warning her. Of course she knew that the final letter would come with a break. She was already prepared for the pain reading it would bring. But she had to know how he felt, right up to the end.

"The letters won't break us, Carson. But they're a part of who we are. Our history is just as important as our future."

"I'm marrying you." His gruff tone made her breath hitch. The look in his deep gray eyes brought the salt of tears to hers.

"I'm marrying you right back. Nothing and nobody will stop that." She wrapped her arms around him tightly, drawing him down on top of her.

Daring the universe—and anyone in it—to just try to tear her away from this man again.