Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 55491 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 277(@200wpm)___ 222(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55491 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 277(@200wpm)___ 222(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
I knew it meant he’d have less attention available for me, but I didn’t care. He’d shown up at my place with his buddies to repair my house, even though they were busy at the ranch. Even though he’d already taken time out of his day to, er… punish me.
What a hot punishment that had been.
I heard the sound of his truck pulling into the garage, and my pulse picked up speed. It was as if my body was already conditioned to get excited when he was around.
I carefully extricated myself from Remy to meet him.
Wes walked through the door and took my breath away. He was every inch the muscled, manly rancher, and I found the fact that he did hard physical labor sexy as hell.
I smiled as I walked toward him. “How’d it go?”
He took off his hat and clomped over to me in his cowboy boots. His hands settled on my hips. “Okay. How’d it go here?”
“Great. She’s been asleep for about fifteen minutes. But you had a visitor.”
His brows lowered. “A visitor?” he asked blankly. “Who?”
I shrugged. “Someone named Soraya.”
The color drained from his face. “Soraya. Fuck.”
“What?” I asked, instantly on alert from the way he spit out the curse. “Who is she?”
He scrubbed a hand over his stubbled jaw, suddenly looking weary. “She’s Remy’s mom.”
16
WES
My blood ran cold.
Joy reached for me. I’d had my hands on her hips before she told me about Soraya, and now she mimicked the gesture, touching my waist, looking up at me with a worried gaze.
She was the only reason I didn’t pick up a piece of furniture and hurl it at the wall.
“Fuck,” I repeated. My wolf was pacing and snarling, really unhappy that she-wolf came around.
“Her mom? Remy didn’t even know her.” Shock laced Joy’s tone.
I stared into her big blue eyes, one part of me wanting to rampage, the other part soothed by the presence of this female.
Which made sense.
She was my mate.
Unlike Soraya, who’d been nothing more than a quick screw on a full moon run–the shifter equivalent of a drunken one-night stand.
I brought the backs of my fingers to brush across her cheek, wanting to soak in the well-being that emanated from her. Or that she produced in me.
It was as if being near her was somehow healing.
The simmering rage I’d had in me ever since the day Soraya abandoned her pup at only a few weeks old was calmed by this gentle female’s touch. By her compassion.
I wasn’t the type to talk about myself. I kept things bottled up. Didn’t share much with anyone, but Joy was my mate. She deserved the truth about my past. “She walked out just weeks after Remy was born. She couldn’t hack being a mom.”
“Oh, shit.” Joy stared up at me. “Poor Remy. Poor you. That’s awful.”
“It was the worst. Not because she broke my heart, hell no, but because she gave up.” I ran a hand down my face, knowing I was sweaty and grimy from moving a shit ton of cattle. My rough time at work was nothing compared to those early months with Remy. “I didn’t know a goddamn thing about tending a newborn. I was a rodeo rider. I’d stupidly thought my job would be to provide for Soraya and the pup.”
“The pup?” Joy’s lips quirked up as she gave me a quizzical look.
Shit. Shit. “I mean baby. Did I say pup?” I shook my head. “Fuck, it’s been a long day.”
“It has.” She took my hand and led me to the couch. She threw me for another full loop when she tugged my cowboy boots off.
It was somehow more intimate than the sex we’d had. More intimate than the hot spanking I gave her this afternoon. More intimate than anything we’d already done. It was simple. Quiet. I liked the idea of coming home to her. To her taking care of me. It was sexy and kind at the same time.
It was something a real partner might do. Someone you’d been with for years and had a level of comfort and mutual care with.
I blinked hard at the sudden rush of emotion that hit me–a mixture of longing and gratitude.
All I could do was stare at her with hunger and admiration. Desire and the need for deep connection. I took a deep breath, reveled in her familiar scent. I’d know it–and her–anywhere now.
I reached for her waist and tugged her onto my lap. “That was so fucking sweet,” I growled into her neck, so she wouldn’t see how much it had meant to me.
She wrapped her arms around my neck and ran her fingers through my hair, fluffing it where my hat had flattened it.
“Careful, honey, I’m pretty rank,” I warned.
She laughed. “The way Soraya sniffed me, I smell pretty bad, too.”
I stilled. Fuck. She knew Joy was human. Did that matter? I had no idea why she’d dropped by, but I had a feeling I’d find out. Her visit wasn’t a one time thing. She was coming back, I was sure of it.