Page 30 of Bray
“By not having any food to eat?” he asked, pushing on. “There’s only jelly and cheese slices in your fridge.”
My mouth fell open. My car was one thing, but this? “You were snooping?That’swhy we went to your parents’ for dinner? Why you got the casserole from your mom? I’m not charity!”
He stepped up to me, set his hands on my upper arms. “I offered a drink to Buck and Zeb after boarding up the broken window and looked in your fridge for some sodas or maybe even some juice to offer them.” His fingers gave me a little squeeze. “And charity? You’re mine and I will take care of you and protect you, even if it’s from yourself.”
I was riled and I didn’t usually get all prickly andangry. Instead, I shut down and avoided any kind of confrontation. How dare Bray say these things? It hadn’t even been twenty-four hours since I climbed in his lap and he was overstepping.
“I can take care of myself! I have for a long time.”
“I know.” He sighed. “But you’re not alone any longer. You shouldn’t have to deal with the likes of Trout or his nephew or anyone else by yourself. Colt will be all over Trout like flies on manure. Same goes for Hayes and whatever legal bullshit you’re dealing with. Call him.”
I blinked. “What? Now?”
He nodded, pulling out his phone. “Yes, right now.” He swiped a few times then put the phone to his ear. “Hey. Yeah. Katie needs to talk to you.”
When Bray held his phone out, I had no choice but to take it and tell him everything. Bray remained quiet, listening to my side of the conversation. When Hayes said to stop by the next day to talk further because he was with Trig and Ellie, we picked a time, then hung up.
“There. See? You’re not alone any longer.”
The anger I had toward Bray’s bossiness and well, over the top actions, dissolved like a cube of sugar in a hot cup of tea. That sounded so good. It felt good to have Hayes to help me with my legal troubles. Plus, to have Bray on my side sounded amazing. He could literallycarry the heavy load. And to have an entire family behind me… God. I’d been alone for so long.
It was a relief to know that when Trout came back–because he would–that I didn’t have to stand up to him alone. That at the end of the day, I’d see Bray’s truck and trailer bumping down the drive because he was coming home to me, not because his sister had been in danger on my property.
“You sure, Bray?” I shook my head, remembering guys like Bray had what he wanted. We’d had sex. Heck, he’d even gotten to fuck a virgin. “My life is a total mess. You’ll get enough of me and move on.”
He shook his head, his glare returning along with my consistent argument. “Never.”
I huffed, not believing him. “I’m not worth it, Bray. Trust me. I’m not exciting or interesting. I work here in the stables.” I waved my arm around. “I work at The Roadside. In my limited downtime, I like to stay home. Read. I don’t even own a dress! If I lived in the old days, I’d be a dowdy spinster.”
“The way you rode my dick, I’d never think of you as dowdy.”
My mouth fell open at his crude–and hot–words.
I pushed on, because I knew the truth. He barely knew the real me. “I’m a mouse. Plain. Boring.”
His blue eyes narrowed. “There is absolutelynothing boring about you. I should spank you for the way you’re talking about yourself.”
I gasped. Then my pussy clenched.
He studied me for a moment. “Like the idea of getting spanked, kitten?”
I tossed my arms up, which dislodged his hands. “How would I know?” I shouted. “I haven’t had one decent guy look at me before let alone threaten to spank me.”
“Good.”
I looked up at him with bleak eyes. “Good? Do you know what it’s like to be the ugly one? The–”
His eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched. “Don’t.”
“–one who’s forgettable. It’s true, Bray. I’mtwenty-sixand I was a virgin until today.”
“Good, because you weren’t meant for any of them. You were meant for me.”
Tears filled my eyes. “Why now, Bray? I’ve been right here.” I pointed to the stable’s dirt floor, then at my chest. “Why would I think you’re going to stick when you haven’t noticed me until now? Would you have even noticed me if I didn’t climb in your lap last night?”
“Me being blind is not your fault. I didn’t see what was right in front of me,” he admitted. “At the same time, it seems like I’ve always known you’d be mine.”
I felt the same, but was too scared to ever hope.
