He slides out of me and lowers my aching, shaky legs. I kiss him quickly and turn, dropping to my knees. I look up at Rex from his feet and grasp his hard cock. I see the soft love look change to a harder look of need so I give him the only thing I can and take him into my mouth. It’s all I’m willing to give of myself.
When I wake at dawn the sex haze is gone and my mind is clear and sharp. We fell into a tangle of damp limbs in my new bed after the shower. Luke’s curled against my back with an arm draped over my waist and Rex’s face is down against my stomach with an arm over my hip. There’s a pleasant ache between my legs and soreness in my limbs from where they grabbed me and used me how they wanted. It’s a good feeling but it doesn’t quite override the feeling in my chest that I need to get away from them both.
I carefully wiggle down between them until I can slip off the bed. I turn back to look and stifle a laugh when I see how close Rex’s face is now to Luke’s dick. I consider leaving him to wake up to that view but take pity on them and slide a pillow between them that Rex grabs and rolls with to his other side.
With another strained smile, I gather some clothes and slip out of the room, gently closing the door behind me. I get dressed and jot a quick note telling them something came up and I would see them later. I ask them to tell Chase I wouldn’t be able to make it out to the farm today and then leave it where they will easily find it. I grab my laptop and keys and sneak out of the apartment feeling like a coward. I go down the stairs and let myself into the back door of the shop, locking it behind me. I gaze longingly at the huge, fancy espresso machine and wish I had gotten a rundown on how to use it from Mags after it was installed.
Mags and Hetter decided to take a three-day honeymoon to Vegas after all. With the stores set to open in just under a week and so much still to do, they didn’t want to be away for any longer than that.
I leave the lights in the main storefront off and settle into the back storage room where the light won’t be seen through the front windows. Am I hiding from all of the Kingston men? Yes, yes, I am. I don’t want to talk about feelings, futures, or goodbyes with them. I just want to focus on me, my store, and my future, not theirs.
I lose myself in logging inventory into the software on my laptop. The building is so quiet so early on a Sunday morning that I hear the moment Rex and Luke wake up and find my note. Minutes later I can hear pounding feet on the stairs seconds before a knock on the back door. I move closer to it when Rex calls my name through it but make no move to respond.
I hear him curse and then Luke says, “She’s running.”
And my eyes crash closed that he knows exactly what’s going through my head. I stay frozen in place until the crash of the alley door sounds and then turn and watch from the shadows as they walk out onto the sidewalk out front and move to Rex’s truck with their heads down before getting in and driving away.
I slide down into a chair at a table in Maggie’s café and drop my head into my hands. I can’t give them what they want from me. I can’t go back to living for a man or men. It would be so easy to slide into that dynamic again. Fitting parts of me into the box they want me in until all my focus would be on them instead of me. I can’t…lose myself again. Not when I’ve finally found me.
I push up from the table and go back to work, building my future that might not include them at all.
Rain
Imanage to avoid all the Kingstons for the next three days as I build clothing racks and sort out the display shelves. The store is coming together nicely with the home décor at the front and the clothing in the back half. I ignore how tired I am from tossing and turning at night. My mind won’t quiet when I crawl into bed. Anxious thoughts race through my mind the minute I stop and lay my head down.
Will the store be a success? What else I can do? What am I missing? It all goes around and around and when I do fall into a fitful sleep, it’s to dreams of hard, rough hands on my body that use me and share me and leave me desperate for more. And in every one of those dreams, I see Chase watching with an empty broken look in his hard ocean-blue eyes.
Thankfully, Maggie comes back on the fourth day like a whirlwind and saves me from constantly questioning what we’re about to do and distracts me from thoughts of the Kingstons.
I can’t help but question my sanity though as we go over our final game plan, double-check stock, and tackle everything else that goes into opening two businesses simultaneously.
We’re two days from go-day when she storms into my store and slams a folder onto my checkout counter.
“Rain! I need you to take this out to Chase at the farm.”
I come out of the storage room with a frown and eye the folder like it’s going to leap off of the counter and bite me.
“Uh, little busy right now, Mags. Why can’t he come here and get it himself?”
She rolls her eyes. “I don’t know. I stopped listening when he started talking about cows. He just said he can’t get to town right now but he needs to scan and file these papers or we won’t be able to open on time! I’d take them myself but the dairy delivery is coming today and they didn’t give me an actual time so I have to stick around until they show up.”
I groan and swipe the folder from the counter. “Fine! But he’s going to get an earful about not doing this sooner. I can’t believe he waited until the last minute on whatever this is.”
Maggie tucks her tongue into her cheek and bites back a smile. “Uh huh, you tell him, babes. You should make him pay while you’re at it. Get him on his knees.” She waggles her eyebrows suggestively at me.
I groan again and swat her ass as I walk by with the folder to grab my keys. I look down at myself and consider changing before going out. I’m wearing flip-flops, jean cutoffs, and a cropped tank top to try and combat the heat that’s come raging back for an Indian summer but decide I’m fine just the way I am. I’m going to be in and out. I’ll throw the folder at the nearest Kingston and book it back here. I’m still not ready to face what any of them want from me.
I roll all the windows down and crank up some Taylor Swift as I speed out to the farm. I sing at the top of my lungs to try and keep thoughts of them from my head and my hair’s a windblown mess when I drive up in a cloud of dust. I hop out with the folder clutched in my hand and dash toward the house but I hear my name being called in the opposite direction so I pivot and go to the barn instead. When I come around it, I find Chase waiting for me with two saddled horses. My brows crash down as I narrow my eyes at him but I keep going until I can slap the folder against his chest.
“Here! Maggie said we can’t open until you file these. We’re two days away, Chase!”
He smirks as he looks down at the folder but makes no move to take it from me.
“Did you look inside it, Rain?”
I huff out a breath and pull it back to flip the cover open. What I find has me clenching my teeth. It’s a stack of blank printer paper with a sticky note in the center of the first page.
Sort your shit before we open our doors and start our new future.
