Chapter Fifteen

Grant pulled into his driveway and up to the barn. He looked around and didn't see Sara's car, but he wasn't worried. She was just running a bit late.

"Hey, Boss," Brian yelled and came toward him.

Grant knew something was wrong by the expression on his foreman's face.

"What's up?" Grant asked.

"Sara was here."

Grant nodded. "Okay. She was supposed to be."

"I'm not sure how she found out, but she knows who you are now."

Fuck. This is what he dreaded for months. So many times he started to tell her, but something interrupted them and stopped him. The fear that he could lose her always popped into his mind. It was irrational because the longer he kept it from her, the harder it would be.

"I should have told her months ago," he said.

"What are you going to do?" Brian asked.

"Go get her."

Brian grinned. "I have no doubt you guys will fix this. Everyone can tell you guys are meant to be."

"You're damn right we are. If she thinks she's going to get away from me… " He snorte d . "It isn't going to happen."

He walked back to his truck. "I'll be back later. Call if you need me."

"You got it, Boss. Good luck."

Grant tore out of the driveway and toward her house. He would need as much luck as he could get. Oh, he knew he wasn't going to let her go, but until they fixed this, they would both be hurting.

He pulled into her driveway, and it felt like his heart would pound out of his chest. All the lights were off, and he didn't see her car in the garage.

Grant pounded on the door. "Goddammit, where the hell are you?" he yelled.

He stood and looked around in frustration. He'd drive around until he found her. There was no other option. He wouldn't be able to relax until he saw her and made sure she was okay.

He got back into his truck and headed to the ranch where she volunteered. Along the way, he called a few of her friends as he drove. He thought about calling the club, but he knew it was closed.

The fact that no one had seen her was starting to worry him. She hadn't been at the ranch, so now he was at a loss of where to look next. He didn't like not being in control, and at the moment, it felt like his whole world was falling apart, and there was nothing he could do about it.

It was getting late, and the only thing he could do was wait for her at her house. He drove back and parked in front of her garage. He got out and looked around. One thing that had been worrying him for a while was her home. He knew she loved it, and he wouldn't mind living there if it weren't for his ranch. The place had been in his family for generations, and the legacy would continue with his nephew when Grant decided to retire.

His nephew, Richy, was the next in line. If Grant had a child, that person would have taken over, but he'd never have had a chance. He'd never found a woman he could see himself settling down with. The ones he tried to marry or date all had dollar signs in their eyes. One of them even asked questions about how much the ranch was worth. Another one wanted to travel all the time. Yet another one had bored him to tears. None of them had been submissives, and he didn't want to settle for less.

It was only when he met Sara, he knew he'd spend the rest of his life with her. If they had met when they were younger, he'd have children—a whole bunch of them. It didn't matter now. As long as he had Sara, he would be happy.

Grant used the code to get into the garage, and from there, he'd be able to get into the house.

"Hey, girls," he said when the two came to him to be petted. They didn't bark at him anymore since they knew him so well.

He petted them for a minute before walking into the kitchen. It took him a moment to catch sight of Sara's purse and phone.

"Fuck me," he said in relief. Although he knew he was in for a fight, at least he knew where she was.

He walked through the dark house and into her bedroom. The air rushed out of his lungs when he saw her asleep. He hadn't realized how scared he'd been until he saw her with his own eyes. Damn, she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. When he caught sight of her tear-stained cheeks, his stomach cramped in sorrow.

The last thing he ever wanted to do was hurt his sweet sub. He knew there would be consequences when he kept the secret of being the owner of the ranch, and he hated himself at that moment for not coming clean and telling her a few months ago.

He kept telling himself that most women would be thrilled that he wasn't just a ranch hand but instead the owner, but he knew Sara hadn't cared about that at all.

He needed to hold her and be inside of her if she let him. It was the only thing he could think of to reinforce their bond, and then they could talk about the situation. He stripped off his clothing and crawled in beside her, pulling her into his arms. He started kissing her neck and shoulders as she slowly woke up.

She blinked a few times, and he could tell the moment she became aware of him because she stiffened.

"Grant?"

"It better be me, Sweetheart. You belong to me and only me and you will for the rest of your life," he said.

Grant pulled the nightgown up over her head. "What did I say about wearing clothes to bed?"

"Grant, wait…"

He bent and sucked on one of her nipples. She tried pushing him away, but he didn't budge.

"Grant. Stop. I don't want this."

His hand slid down her body, and he thrust one finger into her cunt. "Oh, but, Sweetheart, this tells me you do want me."

She gasped, and her eyes closed as he finger-fucked her with a slow thrust, adding a finger to give her more sensation. He could tell she was struggling not to be affected, but he knew that would never happen.

Grant separated her legs, moved between them, and then thrust his aching cock in until he bottomed out. He always had to fight to keep from coming the moment he got in her. He kept his hips still, braced himself on his elbows, and cupped her face.

"I'm so sorry. I know I fucked up."

Her hands were still trying to push him away at the same time her cunt was gripping him.

"Give me some time, Grant."

It was getting harder to stay still, but he wasn't going to mess this up again. "Baby, time is the last thing you need. We need to work this out."

"We talked about this. We both dislike liars and people who cheat, and you've been lying to me all this time."

"I won't deny I've fucked up…"

"Was it a big joke?" she asked as tears filled her eyes.

His mouth dropped open in shock. "What? Fuck, no."

He used his thumbs to wipe away the tears that ran down her face.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked.

"Remember me talking about my ex-girlfriends?"

She nodded.

"Every one of them was more interested in my money than me. It was frustrating. So, when you came along, and you didn't know I was the owner but the manager, it was a chance for me to see if you'd like me for me instead of what I have."

"But it's been four months, Grant. When were you going to tell me?"

"I tried so many times, but fear stopped me. The thought of losing you terrified me."

"I don't believe that."

That shocked him. "Why?"

"Because you had to know the longer you kept up the deception, the harder it would be when it eventually came out. If we had been together for a year, it would have been much worse, and the chances of losing me were going up as the days passed."

She rotated her hips.

He knew even if she didn't want him to fuck her, her body was crying out for him to push her over.

"I know what I did was wrong, and I knew you wanted me for me within days of being together. It felt good, but I didn't want it to end. Call me selfish, but this was the only chance I had to know for sure."

"And do you know now?" she whispered.

"Yes, and it means everything that you care about me, just me."

A tear slid out of the corner of her eye. "Can you give me a few days?"

His first inclination was to say no, but he'd already pushed her enough. "Yes, Sweetheart, but I want you to know I'm so sorry about not making it clear to you at the beginning, and I can't see my life without you."

She sniffed and nodded.

He bent and pressed a sweet kiss to her lips before he pulled his cock out of her body and dressed. When he was finished, he leaned over the bed and kissed her again. "I want to hear from you soon."

She nodded.

He turned to leave, and it felt like his heart was getting yanked out of his chest. When he drove back to his place, it seemed the farther he got from her, the worse the pain was.

He had no idea how long it would take her, but he prayed it wasn't long, or he'd go bat-ass crazy.