“The worst part was the nights she would disappear and leave me in the camper van alone. I would sleep with her gun under my pillow, jumping at every whistle from the wind.”
I’ll never tell her the real worst part, which was when she’d bring home her customers. Or when they’d get done with her and some of them wanted to try something new. I’ll never tell a soul about those times.
“That sounds really scary. I can’t imagine going through that, especially so young.”
The tightness in my chest is making me want to change the subject, to stop the memories. I wrap my hand around the side of her hip, squeezing gently.
“That’s why I loved Moonlight Ranch from day one. This place is a haven. It’s safe and secure, a solid foundation that never moves. Only an F5 tornado could destroy this place.”
“It’s hard to picture you that way, so young and afraid. I bet your grandparents were so thankful to get custody and be able to take care of you here.”
I take a long swig of my wine before answering, “Yeah, they were.”
She watches the movie in silence, but her fingers reach out and start tracing circles over the top of my thigh. I squeeze her hip again, realizing that I’m getting more addicted to her being here than I ever wanted to allow myself. She fits here. She fits me.
“What happened to her?” Her voice is so soft and sweet, even though the question feels like having a rock thrown at my chest.
“She overdosed with one of her pimps. The coke was laced with something. I found them in the morning. I had to go out in a snowstorm and look for help. I was so cold that my body went numb, everywhere except my stomach. It had been days since I’d eaten anything.”
“Sam …” Dolly’s voice trails off, echoing with shock and grief.
I look down at her. Tears are streaking down her cheeks.
She blinks, searching my face. “I had no idea,” she whispers.
My fingers tangle in her hair at the nape of her neck, loving the warmth from her body seeping into mine. I always crave body heat, like there’s still a small part of me that’s a frozen seven-year-old boy, completely alone in the snow, desperately searching for comfort.
My lips press a kiss to her cheek, and I taste the salty tears. “Don’t cry for me, Baby Red. I’m okay now. I made it to safety. Some park ranger picked me up. Turned out, we were in Yellowstone.”
I don’t tell her about the months I spent in foster care while the authorities tried to find my closest relative. I didn’t know their names, and my mother had made herself into a ghost. No one knew anything about my father. He abandoned us a few weeks after I was born.
She grabs the front of my shirt, turning her face toward my lips and capturing them with hers. For a moment, we just hold each other there, sharing a slow, heated kiss. She presses her body into mine, like she’s trying to share the burden of my sadness, to make sure I feel her in as many places as possible, to know I’m not alone.
I tighten my fingers around her hip, squeezing her harder. She pushes up off the couch, stretching her leg over my lap and settling herself on top of me. Her arms wrap around the back of my neck, her fingers interlacing. My tongue moves against her lips, asking to move in farther. She opens for me, letting me taste her. The strawberries and wine she was nibbling on gave her a delicious, addictive flavor. I groan into her, blood rushing down to my groin.
I don’t know how much longer I can resist going all the way with her. As if reading my mind, she brings her hips down and grinds against my erection. Pleasure erupts over me, threatening to spill out way too damn early. I grip the back of her neck, squeezing her and pulling her back.
“You’re gonna need to slow down, Dollface. I need a minute.”
Her lips are swollen, and her eyes are so full of lust that I have to shut mine.
“I don’t want to slow down. I want more. I want it all.” She starts peppering wet kisses along my throat and neck, still grinding her hips over the erection tenting my jeans.
“Dolly, we can’t. I can’t take your virginity.” I’m partially trying to convince myself. Maybe if I say it out loud, it’ll start to sink in.
She presses another kiss just below my earlobe, sucking my skin into her mouth and nibbling with her teeth.
“How is it taking if I’m giving it up to you? Virginity is a stupid, pointless word. I’ve been trying to find a guy to gain experience with, and Ropes promised me that.”
I barely lift my hips, pressing into her more. She moans, shuddering on top of me.
“That feels so, so good.” She’s panting into my ear.
She smells like a campfire, like sex, like home, like everything I’ve ever wanted and denied myself.
Finally, she pulls back from me, fingers still intertwined behind my neck. My eyes bore into hers, checking to see if there’s any hesitation. But all I can detect is shining determination and pure, heady lust.
I press my thumb up against where I know her clit is through her leggings, rubbing in a slow circle. She shudders, letting out a whimper.
