Page 56 of Ridin' Free
‘I’m your daddy now, baby.’
I groaned, clapping my hands over my face, covering my eyes.
‘I got you, sparky. You’re safe.’
What was only supposed to be one night had become this thing that was bigger than me. The thoughts and emotions Iwrestled all night felt a little bit like torture, and I wasn’t a masochist. My feelings for Twister sucked the most when I fought them. When I gave in—when I surrendered, being with him felt like liberation. With him, I could let go in a way I never had before. Not just with my body, either. It was terrifying and infuriating; but it was also pretty damn great.
It would be easier if it wasn’t true.
It would be easier if I could just walk away.
But I didn’t toss and turn all night because I wanted to run.
I tossed and turned because I wanted to stay.
I wanted to get on the back of a hog, wrap myself around a Stallion, and ride with no destination in mind.
I wanted a man who liked kissing me as much as he liked fucking me.
I wanted a lover who knew my limitations and didn’t punish me for them.
I wanted Twister.
But I didn’t want to be his fool.
If I was going to do this—if I was going to be the other half of athingwith Twister—I needed to know I could trust him. I needed to make sure his monster wasn’t a handsome son-of-a-bitch who said things like,‘Respect I’ve got for you goes deep.’
In other words, I needed a character witness.
I rolled over, reached for my phone off the nightstand, and stared at it for a moment. After I unlocked the screen and pulled up Winnie’s contact information, I hesitated again. Mustang told me Twister had never claimed Lyla—but one Stallion coming to the defense of another wasn’t surprising. As much as I trusted Mustang, as much as I respected him, I needed more. I needed an unbiased opinion, and there was only one person I trusted enough to give it to me.
Still, it didn’t make it any easier to initiate a call.
More times than not, she was the one calling me.
Rather than feel as though it was her turn to do me a solid, I felt uneasy at the prospect of burdening her with my doubts and insecurities.
‘Just remember this…’
I could almost feel his big hands as they held onto me while he pried my lips open with his tongue. My belly bottomed out at the memory, my longing undeniable. If I was being honest with myself, I had to admit, I was desperate.
I tapped my screen, the line began to ring, and I brought the device to my ear as I waited anxiously for her to answer.
“Hello?” she spoke in greeting after the third ring.
“Hey, Winnie, it’s…me,” I replied lamely.
I could hear the smile in her voice as she said, “Yeah, hi. What’s up?”
“I was wondering if you might be free for lunch today?”
“Oh,” she murmured, clearly surprised. “Phoenix, lunch sounds great. Would you mind a few of us? Jenna was hoping to get out of the house today, and Lexi and I were planning on meeting up with her. We were going to go to that coffee-sandwich shop on Third Street. It’s Lexi’s favorite, and she’s been craving it.”
I freed a quiet breath, my whole body sinking further into my bed. “I don’t know. I don’t want to intrude.”
“Phoenix?” she began before I could back out entirely. “I don’t know why you’re calling, but you never do. If this has anything to do with Twister, a table of ol’ ladies is just what you need.”
I knit my eyebrows together. “How do you know about?—?”
