Four hours later, a caveman urge to declare ownership, hit me like a ten-pound hammer, squashing my prayer to shit.
I sat in the backyard with Dad, Jim and a couple of the ranch hands drinking beers near a blazing bonfire. Throughout the evening my eyes kept searching out Skye even though I lavished Ryleigh with attention until she left. It almost felt like Skye was avoiding me or maybe I was trying to maintain the distance I felt the need to keep. Regardless, I couldn’t stop myself. I’d watched her every move since dinner began.
Once more, I lifted my head and did a quick scan of the yard. To my left, Griffin was monkeying around on the makeshift dance floor with Skye’s friends, Tricia and his brothers, making them laugh. Sarah, Katie and Grandma talked near the dessert table. Skye stood by the pool, chatting to one of her friends from school, who relaxed on a lounger. Earlier, I’d heard Laika and Nyla urging her to hook up with him and that grated on my nerves.
Not on my fucking watch.
Foolishly, I sounded like a jealous fuck in my head which just heightened my next reaction.
I looked up at the precise moment she dropped onto his lap, laughing at something he said and slid her arms around his neck. Rage consumed me and I jerked upright in my seat, knocking over the beer bottle on the armrest. It drenched my t-shirt. “Fuck,” I cursed, louder than I intended to.
“You all right, son,” Dad asked, drawing all eyes to me.
Without thinking, I stood, tugged off my t-shirt and wiped the remnants of the spill. “Maybe I had one too many.” I chuckled and they laughed with me.
Out of my periphery, I noticed Skye rise with her friend and walk back to the other group as the music ended. Even though relief flooded me, I hadn’t anticipated what followed.
“Damn, I don’t think I’ll ever tire of ogling your sexy as sin body, Shay,” I heard Samantha purr and glanced at her. “You should be a model and I’ll be your number one fan.” She twirled a lock of hair, her smile flirtatious.
Shaking my head, I grinned before snagging Skye’s enraged expression as she charged Samantha.
“Stop being a slut and quit perving on my brother.” Venom pouring from her mouth, Skye shoved Samantha hard and sent her sprawling to the ground.
My jaw dropped, shocked gasps flying around us. Just as stunned, Skye’s eyes, filled with dread, sought mine. Her confused expression spoke a thousand emotions I tried hard to suppress within myself. It was at that moment I realized she harnessed a crush on me, something I shouldn’t encourage. Something I should curtail right the fuck now.
Grinding my teeth, I looked around. Everyone was silent, watching a trembling Skye while Griffin helped Samantha up. Grandma’s gaze darted between me and Skye then back to me. We stared at each other, our expressions sparring without words. Mine annoyance and hers shrewdly perceptive. She’d seen it too and I knew she wouldn’t keep quiet. I didn’t care. Right now, my focus shifted to a fearful Skye.
“Blue.” I took a step toward her.
Shaking her head, she turned, not before I saw the tears and raced off down the path toward her hideout.
“I’ve got this, son,” Dad called out, already heading after her.
Pulling in a deep breath, I caught Griffin’s questioning look, one I didn’t know how to answer and shifted my gaze to Samantha. “Are you all right?”
“A little embarrassed but I’m fine.” She uttered a nervous laugh. “I’m sorry, Shay, I didn’t mean to—”
“Apologize to Skye, will you?” I smiled. “You’re friends and you both need to make this right, okay?” She nodded and I headed indoors to grab a clean shirt. When I walked out of my room again, Grandma stood on the landing, her expression severe concern.
“Shay,” she began, reaching out a hand to touch my arm. “I’m worried.”
“About?” I reined in my irritation, waiting to hear what she had to say.
Slowly, she exhaled. “Skye’s growing attachment to you. She’s sixteen, an impressionable age for a young girl. One who wouldn’t understand the workings of love just yet and I fear—”
“Do me a favor, Grandma,” I cut her off, my tone icy. “Stay away from Skye and don’t ever bring any of this up. I’ll handle it.” And I planned to because the life, the comfort, everything I knew at home had been flipped on its head in just a few days. I lifted a brow, my eyes warning her not to defy me. “Understood?” I didn’t mean to snap at her, but she was heading down a road I hadn’t even begun to maneuver.
She nodded. I left her standing there and went back into my room, pissed off with her, more so myself. I’d given half my life to raising Skye, not for the sick fuck in me to entertain immoral thoughts about her. She was a child, one I’d spent grooming, molding to become a respectable young woman. I’d be a sick monster if I took advantage of her affection for me.
I needed to leave. To get the fuck out of this house, to put States and time between me and Skye. The lure to her was too much. It was the only way, I’d forget the feelings I held for her and hopefully by the time I returned, she would’ve moved on to a relationship she could have, even if it killed me to think about it.
Moving to the window that overlooked the backyard, I watched as Dad returned with Skye at his side. She walked over to Samantha and a few seconds later, they hugged. All was forgiven between friends but when she stepped back, her head moved around slowly, her eyes searching. As if she sensed me, she looked up, her wave uncertain, her smile even more.
This far, the pull between us hummed with an energy I couldn’t explain. The space around us seemed to blur and everything else ceased to exist. In that moment, I knew, any closer and nothing would stop us from melting the gap between us, except the relationship that bound us.
If only it was easy to untie...
