Page 25 of Stolen Dreams

“No, she didn’t.”Charlie shakes his head.“She had complete control of her, and even Rosy was in control.”He looks at the barn door where Lilah is stomping away from us and toward her front office the long way instead of walking into the barn.“One of these days, she’s not going to be here to take your shit,” he states, and I feel like he just kicked me in my balls, and they went up to my stomach.“What are you going to do then?”

He doesn’t wait for me to answer this.He turns and walks away toward his office, leaving me with my mouth hanging open and the thought of not seeing her every single day.That’s something I never thought would happen, but eventually, deep down inside, I know could happen.

“I am finished unloading all the hay,” Sammy announces.“I’m heading over to the other barn to take the horses out and get their legs moving.”

“Sounds good,” I tell him.He nods at me and walks away at the same time Lilah walks back into the barn and laughs when they almost bump into each other.My eyes stay glued to her, knowing now what she fucking tastes like and wanting it more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my whole life.I’ve always come to the conclusion that nothing in my life was ever guaranteed and, with Lilah, it’s exactly the way I thought it would always be.Me wanting her and never able to have her.It took one split second to let my guard down, and then my mouth was on hers.Hers was on mine, and that was it.It was the end for me.Or maybe the beginning.I sit down on my desk, putting the cup beside me and picking up the notepad to keep my mind off her, but it’s as if my body knows she is close by and is on full alert.

Her laughter now fills the barn, and the hair on the back of my neck perks up.“Can we get to work?”I don’t even bother looking up from my pad at her.Picking up my cup of coffee, I make the mistake of looking up, and she’s standing there with her hip cocked to the side, her arms crossed over her chest.The stance pushes her tits even higher, tits that were plastered against my chest last night, making my dick harder than fucking concrete.Her eyebrows are raised high, waiting for me to say something.She’s wearing a pair of jeans that look like they are painted on her.I’ve seen her wear jeans a hundred times before, but now they feel like they are taunting me.Her light brown Mustang Creek Ranch T-shirt fits her snug and stops right where the waist of her jeans starts.“Is there a problem?”Sammy just looks down at his boots, trying to figure out how to get out of this staredown.

She glares and snaps at the same time, “Someone definitely has a problem.”She turns, and her hair, which is usually tied up, is down and in long waves.“It’s the guy sitting on his desk, looking like he’s not working.”She walks away, swaying her hips, and my eyes go to the ass I had in my hand last night, pulling her even more into me.The memory of the kiss plays again in my head, just like it did all fucking night long.Just like it played this morning when I got out of bed.Just like it played when I got here and saw her on the fucking horse, and all I could think of was her riding my cock.I had to grit my teeth and count to fucking ten, ten times before I made it over the fence and watched her handle the horse better than most men who work for me.Needless to say, I didn’t handle it the way I should have.

I put the clipboard down on the desk and get off of it, staring at Sammy.“You got something to say?”

“Nope.”He turns and takes off.I put my hands on my hips and look up at the ceiling of the barn.

“This is going to be a great fucking day,” I mutter, closing my eyes and hearing her moan, which makes me want to storm into her office and take her against the wall.Instead, I walk the opposite way.

I make it out to the training arena, seeing Charlie now there with Sammy as he works one horse and then the other.I put my phone in my back pocket before stepping up the fence's first rail and throwing my leg over.“Look who decided to join us,” Charlie goads from the top of the horse, smiling before he takes off on the horse.

I don’t have a chance to tell him to go fuck himself.Instead, I get up on another horse and follow him with exercises.The phone rings in my back pocket, telling me it’s time to go get Lucy.“I’ll be back,” I tell Charlie, who nods at me, and I dismount before running over to my truck and heading to pick her up.

I wasn’t going to send her to school today after last night, but she was up and dressed with her schoolbag ready at the door.I sent her teacher an email after I dropped her off, telling her that if there was anything off with Lucy today, to let me know.There hasn’t been any news, so I’m taking that as she’s fine as long as she isn’t stuck with me.

I pull up to the school at the same time the school bell rings.The side door opens, and kids come running out.My eyes scan the kids as she walks out with another little girl.She looks up and then points over at me.Lucy lifts her hand to the girl and then walks my way.I smile at her when she walks out of the schoolyard.“Hey,” I greet her.

“Hey,” she replies, and I try not to show I’m shocked she spoke to me.

“How was your day?”I ask as we walk side by side to the truck.

“Okay.”She looks down at her feet.“I have something for you.”

“Oh,” I say, opening the back door of the truck and watching her climb in, “okay, give it to me when we get to the ranch.”She nods at me as she reaches for her seat belt.I wait for her to buckle herself in before shutting the door and walking around the truck and getting into the driver’s seat.

We take off for the ranch, and when I put the truck in park, she unfastens her seat belt.“Can I go and say hello to Lilah?”she asks.

“Yeah,” I say, and she takes a step, then stops and goes back for her bag.She walks beside me, and I open the door for her, holding it above her head as she walks in.

Lilah is sitting behind her desk, and her eyes come to us.She glares when she sees me but smiles when she sees Lucy.“Hey, pretty girl.”She turns her chair to look at her.“How was your day at school?”

“Good,” she says, “I have something.”She puts down her schoolbag and unzips it, reaching in and grabbing a piece of white paper, handing it to her.

“What is this?”she asks and then looks over at me before looking down at the paper.

“It’s a fall barbecue they are doing next week,” she explains.“I got one for you,” she tells her and then looks at me, “and one for you.”She hands me the paper, and I look down to see the invitation she hand made.“We had to make them today, so I made two.”I look down at the paper that has the Fall Night Barbecue written and colored in with the details.“You have to buy tickets for food, and there will be games.We are all making special projects, and people will bid on them.”

“Oh, that sounds like so much fun,” Lilah states.“I’ll be there.”

“Okay,” Lucy says, then looks at me.

“Yeah, we’ll go,” I confirm.I'm not sure what one does at a Fall Night Barbecue, but I know I would only be doing this for her.“I have to get a couple of things done.”I motion with my head.

“She can stay with me,” Lilah offers.“She can do homework if she has any.Since I’m almost never working anyway.”She smiles at me, and it’s a smile that tells me to secretly fuck off.

“Great.”I turn to walk out of the office while I hear Lilah ask her if she wants a snack.

I step into the barn at the same time Charlie walks in and spots me.“Oh, good, you look like you are in an even better mood.”He puts his hands on his hips.I hold out the paper for him, and he grabs it, his face filled with worry until he reads what it is.“Oh, fun.”

“What does one do at this?”

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