Page 31 of Redemption in the Dark (The Righteous 5)
The grip he had around her waist loosened, and she could feel him pulling back. It felt like she was pushed outside on a cold night and an emotional wall slammed into place.
“No, Maeve, it’s not happening.”
Wolf’s eyes opened, and she watched as he pushed the desire down. Suddenly, she was envious of his control. He tugged gently on the hand she still held, but she wanted to spin around and shove her tongue down his throat and break his nose at the same time.
“Why are you so damn stubborn,” she asked, anger simmering under her words.
“I’ve already told you my reasons,” which was all the explanation he offered as she zipped up her pants.
“Well, your reasons suck. I give an amazing blowjob.”
He chuckled softly, and it almost sounded bitter. “But it wouldn’t stop there, would it, Maeve? That’s your problem. It’s never enough.”
Once more, he picked at the scab that was always bleeding in her soul, and she hated it. She sucked in a sharp breath, and without even thinking about it, she slapped his leg hard. The crack startled Viho, and he jumped forward.
“Oh, shit. Sorry, bud, that wasn’t for you. It was for the asshole riding you,” she said, rubbing the stallion’s neck until he settled.
“You have a very interesting way of looking at things, don’t you, Maeve?”
Although it came out like a question, the finality in his voice told her he wasn’t actually looking for a response. She blushed and wanted to curl up in the sweater she was wearing. The voice in her head was in loud bitch mode.
Keep it up, Maeve, and you’ll drive him away just like you do to everyone else.
It had been a couple of years since she’d felt guilty about having any form of sexual activity. The ‘dirty walk of shame’ feeling had fucked off a while ago, but as the silence stretched out, the embarrassment over her inability to control her body’s reaction was suffocating.
As the minutes turned into hours, she felt all the icky emotions. Anger, awkwardness, and shame were the top three battling it out for first place. Her emotions never settled, even as it approached late afternoon when they popped out of a thick patch of trees to cross a dirt road.
Wolf kept the horse on the shoulder of the road before turning up a driveway. Finally, they reached a great big wooden entranceway that looked like it was right out of an old western film. A pair of metal wagon wheels with the name Circle W Ranch engraved on them were proudly displayed at the top of the arch.
“This is my place,” Wolf said as she looked around.
A smile spread slowly across her face as she took in the wide-open space before her. A modest ranch-style home sat at the end of the long driveway they were walking along. Everywhere else, bright green pasture stretched as far as she could see. It looked even brighter when the pasture met the tall rock canyons rising in the distance.
A dog started barking and came running from the porch of the house toward them, his black and tan coat shining in the late afternoon sun. It was like this place had a magical spell on it. As the dog reached them, Wolf called out the name Duke. He gave Duke a command she didn’t understand, but the dog stopped barking and took up the leader position, padding along in front of Viho. It wasn’t until they were almost next to the house that she could see the barn attached to the property.
Wolf dismounted and stretched as she slipped off the saddle. The dog came over and tentatively sniffed at her leg.
“Hi,” she said and lowered her hand for the animal to sniff.
“This is Duke. Duke, this is Maeve. She’s our guest,” Wolf said like he expected the dog to understand. She was about to laugh when Duke licked her hand, sat down on her foot, and gave her this face like he knew exactly what Wolf had just said. She blinked as she stared into the intelligent eyes of the animal and then up at Wolf.
“I think he likes you, and Duke doesn’t just take to anyone. You should be flattered. I’m going to get Viho here settled, and then I’ll show you around. You can either come with me or have a seat on the porch.” Wolf didn’t wait for her to answer before leading Viho toward the barn.
Maeve turned in a circle and took in the stunning landscape, the ranch home, and the man that was currently walking away from her. They were all the same, rugged, raw, and beautiful. She took a shuddering breath and decided to follow Wolf to the barn.
Wolf could feel her following even though he didn’t look back, and she was quiet as if she were hovering behind him on wings. Her presence pressed on him. She felt like a warm electrical charge of nervous energy. It wasn’t unpleasant. In fact, he found it intriguing, and when they touched, the sensation was simultaneously arousing and unnerving.
Viho whinnied as he caught sight of the other horses in the field.
“Sorry, bud, but I’ve got a couple of mares ready to foal out there. How about a large paddock just for you?”
“Do you really expect him to answer,” Maeve asked.
He looked over his shoulder to see her leaning on the bottom half of the stall door. Her eyes were trained on the stallion, a joking sweetness settling over her features.
“He does answer. You just have to learn how to understand them. All animals speak to us, but most adults have lost the ability to listen. I find children are better at it, especially those that have trouble communicating with words.”
“True.” Her forehead creased in concentration. “I don’t think it’s just animals that people no longer listen to, though. It’s like everyone says yes, or no or jumps on the bandwagon before taking the time to really hear someone’s words.”
