injustice…calm her raging hormones with an orgasm or two.
“Don’t you want to go with Tyler and Nate?” A breathless whisper threaded itself into her words.
“For whatever reason, someone killed Derek. I’m not leaving you here alone.”
Safe . Yet her insides trembled.
Rex loomed over her now, barely two inches between them. The heat was enormous, sweet in its own bizarre way.
She stretched as high as her sneakers allowed. It wasn’t enough to reach his tempting lips, and Rex did nothing to correct that. No arm hauling her closer. No dipping in to kiss her. It hurt, and it was no one’s fault but her own.
Tessa eased back down, fighting to erect walls around her emotions. “I’m capable of taking care of myself.” Rex stared her down. She fought not to look away. It wasn’t easy.
“Is that why you brought a guard dog? Tell me…did you fuck him?”
She refused to lie, but telling the truth nearly killed her. “On occasion. Tell me … Did you two do without this entire year?”
He stared down his nose at her. “That became none of your business the day you took off.”
“If it didn’t matter, why ask about Nate?” Rex’s eyes narrowed. Tessa knew he hated being trumped.
“You brought a stranger to this ranch. Your ranch. How are we to know he’s not the new Mr. Tessa Fairchild? Our welfares are at stake.”
“I quitclaimed everything to Derek.”
“I don’t believe you. He would have filed it.”
She splayed her fingers at the base of her throat. “Are you calling me a liar?”
He flipped his palms up. “Let’s see… You said you loved us, then blamed us for something we had no part of. You said you wanted nothing to do with this ranch or us ever again. Now you’re back with your fuck buddy—”
“Goddamn you, Rex!” She clenched her fists at her sides to keep from lashing out. “I did love you.” I still do, and it’s killing me inside . “I did do right by Derek. And if we’re talking lies, well, you’re just as much to blame. You said you loved me back, yet neither of you came after me.”
“We’re cowboys, not cavemen. Pardon us for not realizing you wanted us to drag you back to a place you hated.”
She shoved her face in his. “I didn’t want you to drag me back. I wanted you to leave it behind.”
Rex dropped his arms on a long exhale. “You place a high price on your love, Tessa. A selfish one too. Tyler and I put everything we had and then some into making Rustlers a success. Blood, sweat, money, and more than a few tears, thanks to you. And you expected us to give it all up because your pride got stung?”
There it was, that word again. One her conscience had flung in her face moments before. “Pride?” she screamed. “Mike Ford shattered my world. My mother and I barely speak. The man I knew as my father isn’t. My brothers and sisters—”
“If you’ve let this affect your relationship with your family, then that’s on you.”
Tessa reared from the verbal slap in her face. The hell of it was…Rex was right. She staggered under the weight. It was Rex’s hot hand pressed gently against her lower back that kept her in place. The way he pulled her into him without really doing so.
“I need…” Tessa swallowed past a throat gone dry.
“What? What do you need?” Rex traced his fingers up her back.
The resulting shivers buckled her knees, and she struggled to regain balance. He wrapped his arm around her waist and held her tight against him and that delicious swell of cock.
“I need to hurt something right now, and I’d really prefer that not be you.” Tessa needed the stress relief. To vent at the unfairness of it all and the rift that kept them apart the last year. The rift she’d caused.
“I know how you feel.” His hot hand brushed down to her ass. “Not that I would ever direct my anger and frustration toward you.” A slow gaze wandered over her features.
“Only Nate?” she asked with a tiny smile.
He replied with one
“Don’t you want to go with Tyler and Nate?” A breathless whisper threaded itself into her words.
“For whatever reason, someone killed Derek. I’m not leaving you here alone.”
Safe . Yet her insides trembled.
Rex loomed over her now, barely two inches between them. The heat was enormous, sweet in its own bizarre way.
She stretched as high as her sneakers allowed. It wasn’t enough to reach his tempting lips, and Rex did nothing to correct that. No arm hauling her closer. No dipping in to kiss her. It hurt, and it was no one’s fault but her own.
Tessa eased back down, fighting to erect walls around her emotions. “I’m capable of taking care of myself.” Rex stared her down. She fought not to look away. It wasn’t easy.
“Is that why you brought a guard dog? Tell me…did you fuck him?”
She refused to lie, but telling the truth nearly killed her. “On occasion. Tell me … Did you two do without this entire year?”
He stared down his nose at her. “That became none of your business the day you took off.”
“If it didn’t matter, why ask about Nate?” Rex’s eyes narrowed. Tessa knew he hated being trumped.
“You brought a stranger to this ranch. Your ranch. How are we to know he’s not the new Mr. Tessa Fairchild? Our welfares are at stake.”
“I quitclaimed everything to Derek.”
“I don’t believe you. He would have filed it.”
She splayed her fingers at the base of her throat. “Are you calling me a liar?”
He flipped his palms up. “Let’s see… You said you loved us, then blamed us for something we had no part of. You said you wanted nothing to do with this ranch or us ever again. Now you’re back with your fuck buddy—”
“Goddamn you, Rex!” She clenched her fists at her sides to keep from lashing out. “I did love you.” I still do, and it’s killing me inside . “I did do right by Derek. And if we’re talking lies, well, you’re just as much to blame. You said you loved me back, yet neither of you came after me.”
“We’re cowboys, not cavemen. Pardon us for not realizing you wanted us to drag you back to a place you hated.”
She shoved her face in his. “I didn’t want you to drag me back. I wanted you to leave it behind.”
Rex dropped his arms on a long exhale. “You place a high price on your love, Tessa. A selfish one too. Tyler and I put everything we had and then some into making Rustlers a success. Blood, sweat, money, and more than a few tears, thanks to you. And you expected us to give it all up because your pride got stung?”
There it was, that word again. One her conscience had flung in her face moments before. “Pride?” she screamed. “Mike Ford shattered my world. My mother and I barely speak. The man I knew as my father isn’t. My brothers and sisters—”
“If you’ve let this affect your relationship with your family, then that’s on you.”
Tessa reared from the verbal slap in her face. The hell of it was…Rex was right. She staggered under the weight. It was Rex’s hot hand pressed gently against her lower back that kept her in place. The way he pulled her into him without really doing so.
“I need…” Tessa swallowed past a throat gone dry.
“What? What do you need?” Rex traced his fingers up her back.
The resulting shivers buckled her knees, and she struggled to regain balance. He wrapped his arm around her waist and held her tight against him and that delicious swell of cock.
“I need to hurt something right now, and I’d really prefer that not be you.” Tessa needed the stress relief. To vent at the unfairness of it all and the rift that kept them apart the last year. The rift she’d caused.
“I know how you feel.” His hot hand brushed down to her ass. “Not that I would ever direct my anger and frustration toward you.” A slow gaze wandered over her features.
“Only Nate?” she asked with a tiny smile.
He replied with one
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