12. Mine Now

12

MINE NOW

BLAKE

I shook my head and cupped Olivia’s cheeks again. This woman would be the death of me. “Then what is it? What’s holding you back?”

She pulled my hands off her cheeks and put distance between us walking away. “I can’t be just some fling, Blake. We have a child, responsibilities. If River gets a feeling that we’ve grown closer together, what happens when we’re not? What happens when he sees you around town with another woman? It’s not fair to our little boy to toy with his emotions like that.”

“Not fair to him or you?”

She squinted. “Both. If all you want is a casual hookup?—”

My head jerked back. “Huh? What makes you think all I’m looking for is casual? Where the hell are you getting this from?” I spread my arms wide, more agitated than ever.

She crossed her arms over her chest like a barrier, her cheeks reddening. “Those old biddies at lunch and everyone in town. They all call you the Playboy of Nelson County. They never thought they’d see you settling down. The ladies even have a betting pool, with odds against you so freaking high.”

“Oh yeah? But look who is standing right here, willing to do anything for you and River. You’re the one who has pushed me away every opportunity you get.” I stalked toward the door.

“Sure. You’re here now, but what about next year? Will you get the itch to move on, to date other?—”

I didn’t give her a chance to finish that sentence, charging over and backing her up until she hit the wall. Our faces an inch away, our breaths mingled.

“Stop, Olivia. Is it so hard to believe that this situation has changed me for good? That the only woman I want is you? I look at you and River and with every fibre of my being, I want to be the man you two deserve, the only man—the father and the husband.”

“Husband?” She sucked in a breath, her ample chest rising. So beautiful, she broke my heart just looking at her if I couldn’t have her in my arms.

“Yeah. You heard me. And fuck those odds. I’ve always been a rebel. I’d love nothing better than to prove everyone wrong and to make you my wife. ” The moment heated, I sighed and calmed down, meeting her forehead with mine. “Let me take care of you and River. I’d be so fucking good to you two, baby.”

She evaded me again, hugging her sides as she consulted her stock list at the cart. Everything played back through my head as I watching her pull a jar of red cherries out. Funny—that this all began because I popped her virgin cherry to begin with.

“Okay. I get it now. I’m a grumpy guy. A loner. Older than you by several years. And from what people in this town have been telling you, I’m apparently a big risk. And, clearly, you aren’t as interested in me as I am in you. So I’ll back off.” I dropped my head, and made for the door, the loser of the day.

“Blake, no, that isn’t it at all. How could you think I’m not interested in you?”

“Then what’s holding you back from this?” I gestured between us.

“What if things don’t work out? I could handle a broken heart, but I don’t know about River.”

“Then we’ll take things slow. Be sure about our feelings.” I ventured closer.

“Will we? Because I think you want to jump in with both feet.”

A yard away from her now, I couldn’t stand the distance anymore. “Come here.” I pulled her into my arms, fitting her head under my chin, and held her there. Our bodies fit so well together I needed support, or I’d find a way to get her horizontal. This time, my back leaned against the shelves.

“If you feel I’m moving fast, that’s because your beauty has been driving me insane since the moment you got here. Every time I look at you, I see you at twenty-one, your face, the first time I made you come. You were glowing in the middle of ecstasy, casting me under your spell. How could I not want to put that same glow back into your life every single fucking night?”

“Blake, you say these amazing things, but my past… it isn’t pretty. Things happened since we met. I don’t know if I can ever get over them and be whole again. It stops me from?—”

“What does? Tell me what happened. Who hurt you?” She scared me now. Whoever did this to her, I’d hunt them down and make them pay.

“No. I can’t talk about the past, like ever. Don’t make me.” Her shoulders shook like she’d cry.

“Hey, sweet pea. Sh. There’s time, baby. We have time. When you’re ready you can tell me, no matter if it takes so long, we’re old and gray and holding hands, rocking on our front porch.”

At least that imagery produced a chuckle from her. She peered up at me, and if I wasn’t mistaken, she saw me in a new light. “How can you be so understanding?”

“Because your past isn’t you, darlin’. This is you, right here before me. You’re everything to me. All I want is to be the father River deserves, and the man you need and desire. I’ll take care of you. Just let me in. In fact, don’t work here or anywhere. How much do you need so you can be a stay at home mom and enjoy River while he’s young?”

“Blake, you don’t have to do this. And I enjoy working and keeping busy.”

“Then go to college. There’s a great community college nearby, and I’ll pay for it. I have six years to make up for, remember?”

“Stop.”

“Tell me. What bills do you have? Give them all to me and I’ll take care of them.”

“Just like I said a minute ago. Blake, you’re jumping in with both feet.”

She tried to push away, but I tightened my hold around her waist. Her palms on my pecs, my muscles flexed under her touch. We locked eyes as if in a standoff to see who would flinch first.

“Can you blame me, Olivia? You have no idea how hard it is to stay the fuck away from you any longer. I had you once and I’ve thought about you ever since. Now that you’re in my arms, a fantasy just won’t cut it anymore. Fuck, I wish I’d seen you pregnant with my kid inside of you. I want the real you. I need you and crave you.”

“Oh, Blake. I do. I think about that night, too, and have every day since.”

My pulse raced that she finally admitted this to me. She lifted up on her toes, the same as she did for our first kiss outside in St. Louis. Her lips landed on mine… And I came out the victor as she took what she wanted, a hundred kisses, tongues entwined, growing passionately, each one hotter than the rest.

I lifted her, cupping her curvy rump. Her arms circled my neck, holding on tight, but our lips never parted. My cock roared like a monster, pushing at the boundaries of my zipper.

She shifted and gasped, finding the right spot, and ground against me. I took full advantage and gyrated my hips, holding her steady there.

“Tell me you’re not aroused right now.” I challenged, her hot breath reaching me in pants.

“Screw that. You’re hitting the right spot. I’m fully aroused,” she laughed.

“Yeah? Who wants to jump in fast now?” I teased her.

“Mm. Blake, it’s been so long.” Those four words and her moans were all I needed to hear. I moved the cherry jar back to the shelf and laid her down on the cart. She lifted her sweater for me, revealing a light pink lacy bra. Large, dusky nipples peeked at me below the fabric.

I sucked in a breath. “Is it just me, or are you at least a cup bigger than I recall?”

“It’s called motherhood. I breast fed River and?—”

I have no idea what she said next. Her lips moved, but my brain glitched, stuck on the two words, breast and fed, which sounded like the perfect idea. My lips latched on to a nipple, fabric and all, my tongue twirling around it, producing more moans from her. I inhaled the hint of a fragrance between her breasts, something sensual with notes of cinnamon, as I moved to suck on the other nipple.

“Yes, Blake, more.” She squirmed under my hovering body. Satisfied I had her on edge, only then did I move down, planting kisses on her skin along the way.

“You gave our child life, carried him in your womb, and fed him. I’ll worship at your feet for the rest of my days, sweetheart.”

She knew where I was headed, but before I could pull down her leggings, she stopped me. “Maybe you should lock the door?”

“Right. Good thinking.” I made quick work of that, then hurried back. With her blonde waves cascading around her shoulders and down the side of the cart, her beauty radiated as she held a hand out for me to return. A storage room wasn’t exactly my preferred place to be with her like this again, but I wasn’t about to take any chances and stop now that she’d opened up to me.

With ease, I removed her shoes and leggings, revealing matching pink panties. My mouth watered for a taste of every inch of her skin. I chased away the thought of any other men with her from the equation; I had her first, and I’ll have her last. Forever. My days as Playboy of Nelson County ended right here.

I locked eyes on hers, committing her sexy face to memory. I sucked her clit through the fabric until she begged for more, then I tore off her lace thong altogether. The sight of her, bare before me, ruined me forever for any other woman. There’d be no others.

My tongue snaked through her folds and pursued her clit, nipping, sucking, never relenting until she reached the edge of pleasure. With one hand on my head between her legs, and the other gripping onto the sturdy shelf above her head, she called my name, trembling and crying, coming for me fast and hard. I feasted on her through a smile spread ear to ear until, with a contended sigh, she collapsed her body, spent.

“Fuck, baby. Tell me when you need that again and I’ll come running every time.” I kissed back up her body to her lips, then I claimed those. “You’re mine, Olivia.” I growled with every possessive bone in my body. “No one else will ever touch you like this, hear me? Never.”

“Never,” she repeated after me, staring deep into my eyes.

Olivia was mine.

River was my son.

We finally reached an understanding of where things were headed, as far as I was concerned. My world completed now, the only one complaining was my raging cock in my jeans. But he could wait until next time. How soon was the question?

I lifted her up and helped her feet touch back down to the ground, then she let me dress her. As I put every stitch of clothing and her shoes back into place, I assured her again, “I’m going to take such fucking good care of you, sweet pea. River, too.”

She nodded and fingered through her locks, but a hint of worry appeared on her face.

I brought her into my arms again and nuzzled her ear. “Good as new. No one will be the wiser when we walk out of her. It’ll be our little secret what happened.”

“It’ll be difficult not to think of you each time I have to restock.” She chuckled.

My alarm suddenly went off on my phone. “Dammit. I have the midnight shift tonight. But tomorrow is Tracy and Kipp’s Halloween party. I can pick you two up on the way, so we can get into the costumes.”

“I’d like that. River will be so excited.”

“And…we can talk with River? About me?” I held my breath for hope.

“I suppose there’s no avoiding it now. And I know you really want this.”

“And we can tell everyone at the party?” I pushed it there.

“We’ll see. One step at a time.”

Good enough for me, for now. I couldn’t wait for tomorrow. “Walk me out to my truck?”

As we left the storage room, we wandered through the kitchen. Connor smiled knowingly like he knew what we did. Beverly chuckled as we came out around the prep counter.

Then we faced Meadow and Dillon still sitting at the counter where we’d left them, their backs to an empty, quiet dining room.

Dillon caught my eye and pointed to the side of his mouth. “You have, um, lipstick or something there.”

Olivia’s cheeks reddened, eyes wide like a deer in headlights. I brought the neck of my sweatshirt up and hopefully wiped any stains away.

“Ah, I remember that storage room well, don’t you dear?” Dillon grinned, all-knowing, leaning back with his arm around her shoulders.

“Mm, yes. Great room. Sturdy shelves.” Meadow commented.

“Strong lock on the door.”

“The best. I think Minnie paid extra for that when she had the room remodeled a few years back.”

Dillon cleared his throat. “Darlin’, didn’t you say Minnie mentioned on the phone how she wanted you to check inventory on something back there?”

“Right. She totally did.”

“Let me help you with that.” Dillon winked at me as they got up and hustled to the back, presumably to enjoy the room together.

Olivia’s hands shot up to her face. “I am mortified. They know what we did.”

I laughed. “Yeah. And they know you’re mine now.”