The XOXO New Adult Collection: 16 Full Length New Adult Stories (395 page)

"Has daddy already gone back into his office?" I tried to take the attention away from the awkwardness that was stuck between Luke and I. The tension in the room was palpable and Linda wasn't dumb.

Linda grabbed a towel to wipe off of the counter and then brushed off her hands but I knew she was really thinking hard about how to phrase her next question. She wasn’t going to answer me. “Linda?”

She shook her head back and forth as if she was trying to shake the thought of us together out of her brain. "Yes dear?" She smiled at me lovingly trying to mask her concern.

"Has daddy already gone back to work? Do you think he has a little time for me today?"

For the first time since we had arrived back to the house Luke looked at me with wide eyes. I could tell he was fearful for what my conversation with my father would be like. He'd made me promise to play by his rules and so far I had, but I could tell from his look that he thought I was suddenly going to break them. To be honest, I was considering it.

"I'm sure he has time for you dear. You know he always has time for you." I rolled my eyes at her and crossed my arms. It was childish. "You and I both know that isn't true. I just thought he would want to spend a little bit more time with me after my experience." I paused, "Sometimes I wish he would pay more attention to me in general." I thought back to the silent car ride with my father and how I could almost feel the heat coming off of his skin because he was angry with me. It didn’t matter that he’d welcome me with such open arms at Collins father's home. Was that all just an act? The show for the other people in our lives? Sometimes I couldn’t tell the difference between what was reality and what was just put on for other people.

"Oh honey you know that's not true. Your father loves you! He just has a tough time of showing it..."

I pushed myself away from the barstool "You've been saying that ever since my mother died. Is there going to be some point in his life when he gets the hell over it, like I have?"

Luke watched me closely, his gray eyes assessing my fear and anger that surrounded my father. Even though I wasn't answering his silly questions of the cabin anymore he was realizing the situation between my father and I was more severe than he had initially understood. He looked back at Linda but moved in front of me almost a protective way and she realized immediately what had gone on.

She sat down the dishtowel gingerly and turned her back on us resting her hands on the cool granite counter shaking her head back and forth. "Cheyenne why do you do these things?"

"Do what? Live my life? Do things that I want to do? Ask questions I’m not supposed to? I’m not a child anymore Linda. You can’t protect me from everything."

She took a deep breath and whispered, “But I can try.” I could hear her breathing heavily but she didn't turn around again.

I stood and Luke turned around and took me by the shoulders walking me slowly out of the kitchen and away from the woman that I had treated as my mother for so long. When I was angry I would hurt people, it was my best defense. Luke hadn't seen me attack Linda in this way and it set him on edge. I could tell he was torn between his affection for her and his newfound relationship with me. He escorted me into the library that sat just off of the living room. I had no idea how he even knew this was here. He walked me over to the couch and sat me down staring at me as if any sudden movements would set me off again, and he didn't want to be the one to feel the pain that I was inflicting with my words.

"Did you have to do that? Linda cares about you. What the hell was that all about anyway?"

I folded my arms across my chest and looked away from him. He didn't know what it was like growing up in this house, he didn't understand. He had someone who cared for him and educated him, here it was just cold all the time. When my mother died it was like all the warmth left this building and it hadn't been a home since. But I didn't know how to explain that to him, I hardly knew how to explain it to myself.

"Don't ask about things you don't understand."

He looked back at me, a slight hurt his eyes but I knew that Luke was just as damaged as I was just in different ways. He could take anything that I shelled out, and take it in stride.

He turned away from me slowly, "Cheyenne I told you I wanted to do this on my terms. It’s pretty clear to me that Linda knows what happened up at the cabin." He shuffled his feet and looked back at me, "She and Fred are partners. It’s only a matter of time before she’ll tell him! And then what? Then I’ll have to tell your father way before I planned on it. We don't even know what this is yet! And there's that creep Collin to consider. As much as I don't want to..."

I stood up quickly and grabbed his face and pulled it to mine kissing him with all of the fierceness and passion I'd felt in the kitchen but pushing it into him in a way that was sensual and exhilarating. I didn’t have to be angry all the time, instead I could feel the world fall away with his touch. Our lips mashing together furthered my passion and Luke reached his callused hand and my blonde hair pulling me even further into him. After a moment we broke away to breathe and I told him, "Then don't."

He looked at me confused. "Then don't what?"

"Then don't consider him. It's just you and me now." I looked around me and saw that the door was ajar. I closed it quickly and strode back over to him. "It's just you and me Luke, alone. Nobody else here." He raised a dark eyebrow at me. "What are you going to do about that?"

He put his hands under my armpits and quickly lifted me up as I wrapped my legs around him. My anger continued to surge through me, but instead of allowing myself to fall into it I used my body as a vessel to push out all of the aggressive energy I had into Luke. He had his hands attached to my jeans pulling my legs up around his hips while cupping my ass in his large hands. Luke was the strong man I was looking for. The hot and sexy cowboy I needed in my life. Collin was just an image of the past and Luke was imprinted on my future.

He laid a sweet trail of kisses down my neck and then nuzzled his face into my blonde hair. He whispered, “We can’t do this right now.”

I pulled back unsure of this new reaction. Why didn’t he want me? “What’s that supposed to mean?”

I untangled myself from his body and slowly dropped to the floor. The bulge I felt between his legs told me he still wanted me physically, but now that he had seen my damaged family was he no longer interested?

He reached for me as I backed away. I was aware of the hurt in his eyes but somehow I became hardened to it, needing to protect my own feelings first.

“I just mean, this isn’t where this should happen.” He paused and bit his juicy lower lip contemplating his next move for a moment. “Cheyenne, this is your father’s house. And although I think you’re all about me being dark and mysterious, which I’m totally into, you should know I really am a gentleman. My upbringing may have been spotty, but I know enough to know this isn’t a good idea.”

My heart sank, I was judging him for trying to be a nice guy. Someone my father would admire. Jesus! How much more wrapped up in my head could I be?

I sighed, “I’m sorry. You’re right. I’m just so emotional right now. I wish things were different.”

He moved closer to me, and I leaned against the oversize chair in the corner of the room. His hand brushed the hair out of my face and his touch felt as gentle as a summer breeze. “Don’t ever think I don’t want you.”

I smiled, “Okay.”

“And as for your father and your relationship, I can’t really compare it to my own life, but I know one thing. Dads are supposed to love and honor their daughters above all other things. I think maybe you two should try to work things out with your relationship. It might not be perfect, but it should be something.”

Luke placed a sweet simple kiss on my cheek before exiting the room on his own. I sat down on the leather chair allowing myself to sink further into it engulfed by my emotions. Luke was right, I did need to talk to my father and Collin, and I needed to do both on my own. At some point I needed to start acting like an adult and not allowing others to run my life. The first part of that being telling Collin that he and I were no longer a match. I pulled on my cell phone to text him but I didn’t know what to say. How could so much change in such a small amount of time?

I typed,
We need to talk
, but saved it to drafts and put my phone in my back pocket. I wasn’t ready to face him just yet. One thing at a time. I walked to my father’s office hoping to find him willing to take break and talk for a bit but when I knocked on the door there was no answer. I pushed open the door slowly and heard the creak of the old hinges. I half expected him to yell at me to go away but when I popped my head around the wooden door there was no one there. I walked across the hardwood floor and behind his grand desk looking out the bay windows behind it. But I couldn’t see any activity at the barn either, it was clear that after he had brought us back to the ranch he hadn’t stayed around. Typical.

I sat down in his unoccupied office chair and spun around so I could put my feet up on the edge of the bay windows. I pulled out my phone and decided I would have to muster up the courage to break his heart. I sent the text and waited anxiously for him to get back to me. I watched the beautiful glistening snow until I saw a figure cross my field of vision. Luke has a saddle over his shoulder and he was walking slowly through the deep snow. I assumed he was going to the barn to clean it because none of the horses should be out in this bitter cold.

While I watched him with interested eyes my phone buzzed.
Let’s talk later tonight.

Well at least that was one thing off my mind.

If my father wasn’t around then perhaps I could spend some time with Luke without anyone knowing. I crept quietly out of the office and made my way down to the mudroom to prepare my body for the cold. Putting on my boots and grabbing a scarf for my neck I knew that I was short on time. I finished preparing for the weather and made sure that I had my phone in my pocket just in case my father called wondering where I was. The sun was beginning to go down in the evening light shone across the snow that was still untouched in front of our property. I followed Luke’s footsteps to the front of the barn and tried to not let my presence be known as a quietly slipped in.

Chapter 6

The barn was hot and humid, it was clear that Luke had turned on the heaters when he entered and I quickly took off my scarf and coat. I dropped them in a pile of hay near the doors. I looked around for signs of him but all that I heard was silence. Moving over to one of the stalls I watched as a chestnut horse made her way over to me. Shimmer greeted me by nuzzling my face. She always knew how to make me feel better in my times of need.

“Where is he girl?” I rubbed the bridge of her long face back and forth sending calming waves through me.

“Where’s who?” I jumped at the voice behind me. When I turned around Luke stood only ten feet from me with buckets in his hands. He was shirtless and his upper body was glistening with droplets of sweat.

“You.”

He laughed. “Come to help me with the horses?”

“Not exactly.” I bent down to take off my boots.

“Did you talk to your dad yet?” He set down the buckets of feed and walked over to me.

“He’s not home.” I looked up quickly to catch a glimpse of the hunger I thought I would see in his eyes.

He stopped moving. “Oh?”

I stood up and began unbuttoning my blouse. “Where’s Fred?” I whispered just loud enough so only he could hear.

“Went on a run to the feed supply. He should be gone for a couple hours.” I watched his eyes fill with desire. I had clearly gotten him interested earlier and now was about to make good on that promise.

As I continued to slowly remove my shirt I could hear his breathing increase. “Why do you do this to me?”

“Do what?” I asked innocently.

“Make me want you so bad it hurts.”

“What hurts?” I placed my hand over the growing bulge in his pants. “I hope it’s not this.” I said as I rubbed his pants.

He tossed his head back in ecstasy. When I removed my hand he took it and led me to the empty part of the barn. We entered the hay room and he laid down looking relaxed in his jeans and boots. I remained standing unsure of what to do.

“Continue,” he instructed waving at my top.

I finished the last two buttons and took it off revealing a hot pink lace bra.

“I assume you have panties that go with that?”

I nodded, chewing on my lower lip. He wanted to be in charge, and I liked it.

“Then let’s see them.”

I unbuttoned my jeans and removed them slowly, turning around so he would get a view of my round ass. Bending over I wriggled out of my pants. I looked over my shoulder to see him licking his lips.

“You going to get out of those clothes?” I asked pointing to his pants and boots.

He jumped up and was behind me before I could even turn around. “No,” he whispered hotly in my ear.

I heard him unzip his pants and let them drop to the floor. He pushed me close to the barn wall so I could feel the roughness of the wood against my skin. I held onto an exposed plank as he pulled down my underwear. I stepped a foot out so he could spread my legs, which he did with his hands.

He kissed my neck slowly in a sultry way. I pushed myself closer to him, hoping he would fulfill my need, but he waited, teasing me.

“Luke,” I said throatily. “Luke, make love to me.”

He pushed my hair to one side and moaned in my ear before taking one of my hands and putting it above us on the wood. He held his own over it and wrapped his other hand around the front of me and down between my legs. I couldn’t contain myself and let out an animalistic groan.

My legs relaxed and he took the opportunity to push his rod into my exposed lips. My body erupted in response. I threw my head back and pushed myself into him feeling him enter the deepness of my body. My blonde hair swayed as we pushed against one another finding a rhythm in our delicious chaos.