Page 46 of Falling for the Bad Boy
“We’re wrapping up breeding season. Trying to increase the flock for next spring. Your pa’s got a new pup in training. Raja’s getting old and your pa wants to get a new dog in place while he can. He’ll probably lose all his hair from the stress of it all by the time he gets the new pup acclimated.”
I let out a laugh. I’d been around when Pa trained Raja and could remember the antics the pup got into before he started taking his sheep herding job seriously. “And Isla?”
“Good. She’s taken a job in town. Wants to follow in her big brother’s footsteps and study overseas. Thank goodness you’ll be back. I can’t imagine having both my babes so far away.” My mum pressed a hand to her heart. “We’re looking forward to you coming home.”
Guilt engulfed me like a thick fog. “How’s business?”
“Fair enough. Tell me about your studies.”
“Everything’s going great here. I’ve got high marks and have been studying for finals.” And trying to figure out how to break your heart and not come home. No matter how things worked out, my parents were going to be disappointed. Even if I didn’t stay in the States, I couldn’t imagine taking over for my dad.
My mum filled me in on life in Towley which took all of about three minutes. She wasn’t one for small talk, never had been. I was convinced the only reason she kept up with the Sunday night video calls was to make sure I was still alive on the other side of the world.
“Go get yourself cleaned up. Your pa’s still out working with the ewes, but I’ll give him your love.” My mum put her fingers to her lips and blew a kiss to the camera.
“Thanks, Mum. Love to all.”
She clicked off the chat, leaving me to look at my own image on the screen.
Paint streaked across my cheeks, half covering my lips. To the shower. And then I’d have to come up with some ideas on how to get Trinity to move. Thinking of my pa out in the barns, working through dinner, then coming in tired, muddy and worn out from another day of hard manual labor, hammered my resolve into place. I couldn’t go home.
My future rested in Trinity’s hands. Maybe she’d go for that neighbors with benefits idea I’d floated past her. As I stripped down for my shower, I couldn’t help but think about the couple of times we’d been together. Something about her pulled at me. Made me want to get to know her better. Figure out why she was so hell bent on putting together the co-op idea.
The warm water hit me, and I scrubbed away the streaks of paint coating my skin. As I rubbed the washcloth over my chest, erasing the heart she’d painted there, my thoughts turned toward Trinity’s family. Maybe her brother, the attorney who seemed to know she’d bought the building, would be able to provide some info. James, that was the one. He hadn’t seemed too keen on the idea of Trinity getting her hands on whatever trust her grandmother had left her.
I made a mental note to follow up on that idea in the morning. Then I let my thoughts meander back to earlier in the evening. As my hands spread the soap suds over my body, I imagined Trinity back in my arms. She’d been just as eager as I was to bypass our neighborly truce and take things to the floor.
As I remembered the way she’d run her hands over my shoulders, my abs, and my hips, my cock came to life. Hell, it had been a long time since just the thought of a woman’s touch had that kind of effect on me. I lowered the washcloth, running it across my ass, around my hips, over my cock, growing harder by the second. Bracing a hand on the wall of the shower, I let the washcloth drop to the floor. My other hand wrapped around my cock. I closed my eyes, picturing her underneath me… her hand gripping my length… her mouth open, ready to take me.
My release surged through me, exploding out of the tip of my cock while I murmured her name.
CHAPTER 20
Trinity
I still didn’t understand why he thought this was any of his business. I stood back from the curb, shading my eyes as the sign company I’d hired hoisted the huge outdoor sign to attach to the front of the building.
James cleared his throat. “It’s my business, hell, it’s everyone’s business since you’re using Grandmother’s money.”
“Money she left to me.” I glared at my brother. I never should’ve answered the phone when he called and said he wanted to stop by. I knew it would come to this if my family got wind of my plans. That was the main reason it had taken me so long after my grandmother’s death to take action. There weren’t any loners in the Ryan family. It was an all-for-one and one-for-all kind of mentality. As long as your plans were approved by the rest of the family, they’d throw their collective weight behind you. But I hadn’t gone through the family on this one. Now they’d make sure I paid the price.
“Look, I’m not trying to stop you?—”
“Good.” I cut my glance to my brother. “It’s too late for that anyway. I already bought the building.”
He shook his head. “It’s a Contract for Deed. You don’t own the building outright yet. There’s still time to walk away.”
“You don’t get it.” I clamped my hands to my hips. “I don’t want to walk away. Grandma knew what I wanted to do. Why do you think she left me the money?”
“She left all of us money. Just not nearly as much as she left you.”
“That’s what this is all about, isn’t it?” I gritted my teeth so hard my jaw ached. “You’re jealous because she left me more?”
James pushed his glasses back up on his nose. “She left you more in that trust than she left the rest of us combined. You think that’s not going to ruffle a few feathers?”
“I don’t give a damn about your feathers. They can molt for all I care.” I crossed my arms over my chest, hugging myself tight. Of course it was about money. It always was with my family. Grandma knew I didn’t give two shits about the family fortune. But she believed in what I could do with the money. That was the only reason I hadn’t just donated it to her favorite charity.
“You’re being irresponsible.”
