Thirty Nights with the Alpha King

Chapter 9: Alone

On our way back down the mesa, I keep checking my phone for the cell service to come back on. I notice I don’t have any bars on the outskirts of the ranch, and I worry about the fact that I only have service near the farmhouse. I have to call my grandparents immediately and let them know what we just saw.

“Will you stay with me until my grandparents get home?” I ask as we descend the dirt road in his truck. Nick instantly agrees, but it feels more out of a desire to protect me than to be intimately alone with me.

We drop Matt off at the homestead on the way back to the farmhouse, and Nick tells his brother to keep a watchful eye out over their family for the rest of the day.

The remainder of the drive is quiet as Nick and I both ponder what we just witnessed. Once we are back at the farmhouse, we settle onto the sofa together. We call my grandparents on speakerphone to tell them what we saw, and my grandfather immediately starts cursing in the background.

“We’ll make sure the sheriff is aware,” my grandmother says quickly. “We’ll be back after the meeting. Stay safe, you two. Thanks for staying with Addy.”

“Of course,” Nick replies. “Have a safe drive.”

I hang up, the air feeling heavy around us.

“Why are you so freaked out about my grandpa selling the ranch?” I ask, recalling his reaction to my grandfather’s outburst earlier.

“I don’t want to lose my job, of course,” he snorts.

“There are so many ranches in the area,” I press. “And I know there’s a shortage of manual laborers. I’m sure you could find somewhere that would pay you better than my grandparents can.”

“It’s not about the money,” he says, shifting in his seat. “It’s that this ranch is all I’ve ever known. It’s where my siblings and I grew up, where my parents and my grandparents grew up. I can’t just leave. This is where I belong.”

I study him carefully, hearing the desperation in his voice once again.

“It’s more than that, isn’t it?” I ask quietly. “Tell me, what’s really going on?”

Nick sighs, finally turning to meet my gaze.

“You wouldn’t believe it if I told you,” he says sadly, giving me a weak smile that doesn’t reach his eyes.

“Try me.”

“I’ll tell you about it one day,” he sighs, leaning back into his seat. “Just not today.”

My grandmother’s words instantly come to mind.

…they seem to have family secrets…I don’t want you to be disappointed when you realize that he may hold you at arm’s length as well.

If I’m going to pursue a relationship with Nick, will it always be like this? And is our future together tied to this ranch? I never imagined a life cut off from the outside world, although it wasn’t like I had much of a future at the moment, anyway.

“Fine, let’s change the subject,” I say abruptly, crossing my arms. “My grandpa said that these events have been happening more frequently since the summer started. Is that true?”

“Yeah, it seems like there’s an incident almost every day now,” he says, his brow furrowed with concern. “It was never like that before. These things used to happen only once a year, if that.”

“Why do you think that is?”

“I’m not sure,” Nick says, shaking his head. “Nothing has changed, except–”

His gaze flickers up to me, but his voice cuts off strangely.

“Except what?” I ask.

“No, it’s nothing,” he says quickly. “Nevermind.”

“Nothing has changed, except that I arrived?”

“I’m sure it’s just a coincidence,” he blurts out, waving his hands in front of him in surrender. “Forget I said anything.”

“Why don’t you have a cell phone?” I ask suddenly, switching topics at a dizzying speed.

“I don’t know; I never really needed one,” Nick shrugs. “I don’t have a lot of people I need to talk to.”

“What if I need to get a hold of you?” I reply, fear rising in my voice. “What if everything that’s happening at the ranch is all my fault, and you’re in danger?”

“Addy, it’s okay,” he says gently, wrapping me up into a warm embrace. I burrow my face into his chest, desperate for the safety I feel when I’m with him. “I’ll be by to check on you every day. I won’t let anything bad happen to you. I promise.”

I look up at him, unafraid of crying in front of him anymore. It’s not that I’m afraid for just myself, but I’m afraid for Nick’s safety as well. He’s the one that is the first on the scene for these events; what if he stumbles across the perpetrator in the act? And what if they will do anything to keep their identity a secret?

“Please, be careful,” I beg, clutching at his shirt.

“I will,” he nods, gazing down at me warmly. “As long as you’re waiting for me, I’ll be motivated to come home safely every night.”

His words stir something within me. My hands slowly snake their way up his chest and around his neck, and I pull him down closer to me. My breasts are pressed against his chest tightly as I tilt my head up toward him. With a smile, he leans down to join my lips with his.

Finally!

His mouth taste delicious and I take his lower lip between mine. I hear him moan softly in his throat as his hands grasp at my waist, pulling me even closer to him. His body is so warm that I could curl up against him like this all night.

My fingers entwine into his thick, raven hair. I feel one of his hands slide up my back to my neck, although I wish his hand was underneath my shirt instead. His hand tilts my head to the side as he begins to trail kisses down my jawline to my neck, and I let out a soft, audible exhale at the sensation of his lips near my ear. His mouth goes up to nibble on my earlobe, driving me absolutely wild.

I go to shift my position, straddling him on his lap on the couch. His hands continue to explore my torso, and I begin to grind against him on his lap. My lower belly clenches as desire erupts within me.

Suddenly, he pulls back, breathing hard.

“We should slow down,” he practically gasps for air.

I suddenly remember that he’s never dated before, and I realize that means he’s probably still a virgin. I, on the other hand, am probably a little too comfortable with s*x, having slept with quite a few guys at frat parties in college. My work hard, party hard motto was how I managed to get through school, at least it was until I dropped out.

I shake my head, bringing my thoughts back to Nick, who’s looking quite vulnerable beneath me. Slowly, I shift myself off of him, taking a seat on the other side of the couch.

“Sorry,” I say shyly. “I guess I was getting carried away there.”

“No, it’s fine!” he says quickly, grabbing my hands in his. “I liked it. It’s just – I don’t want to move too fast, you know?”

“I get it,” I smile, trying to reassure him. “We can go as slow as you’d like.”

“I’m sure you have tons of experience with this kind of thing,” Nick says, looking at the ground.

“Are you saying I’m a slut?” I ask blankly.

“No! Oh, God, no, Addy! I’d never think that!”

I burst out laughing, leaving him staring at me wide-eyed. He looks like a frightened puppy trying to backpedal like that.

“I’m just teasing you,” I giggle.

“I just meant that you’re so pretty,” he explains, his look softening. “I imagine that you had all kinds of guys that wanted to date you in school.”

“You’re sweet,” I say, scooting closer to him on the couch. “But to be honest, none of them were as sweet as you.”

“Really?” he asks. I have no idea how this rugged, masculine cowboy has become a puddle of vulnerability right before my eyes, but it somehow makes me even more attracted to him.

“Yeah, California guys are real assholes, you know,” I laugh. He begins to laugh too.

“So, the stereotype is true?” he asks.

“Oh, most definitely,” I nod. “But you, you’re so kind and respectful, and you treat me so well with the picnic and the flowers, and you always seem to be watching out for me.”

“I’ll do anything to make you happy,” he replies, gazing into my eyes as he tucks my hair behind my ear. I can practically see the depth of his affection in those deep, brown eyes, and it almost frightens me how much passion I see there. No one has ever looked at me that way before.

“Are you hungry?” I ask, tearing my eyes away from his intense gaze.

“Sure,” he replies with a grin. “I’m always hungry.”

“Let’s have an early dinner, then,” I say, making my way to my feet. But as soon as I take a step, a wave of dizziness hits me, making me stumble backward. I clutch for the couch, but I’m met with strong, muscular arms that steady me.

“Addy, are you okay?” he asks.

“Yeah,” I breathe, trying to bring the world around me back to a standstill. “I just stood up too fast, I guess.”

“You sit down,” Nick says, gently pushing me by the shoulders down onto the couch. “I’ll get you some water and a snack.”

After a few moments, he reappears with a glass of water.

“Thank you,” I murmur. “You’re out in the fields all day, working hard, while I just bum around my grandparents’ house. You probably think I’m a lazy California girl, huh?”

I let out a bitter laugh at my attempt at humor, but he doesn’t show any sign of amusement in his face. He kneels down on the floor beside me so that our faces are level.

“I have never once thought of you as lazy, Addy,” he says seriously. “You are one of the strongest, most stubborn people I have ever met. Please don’t ever talk about yourself like that, because it’s not true, okay?”

I’m completely taken aback by his candor and seriousness, but his words touch me in an unfamiliar way.

“How are you able to say all the right things that I need to hear?” I whisper.

I move forward to kiss him again, and his lips meet mine eagerly.

***

Later that night, after my grandparents returned home and Nick left, I find myself lying awake in my bed, replaying our kiss over and over in my head. I can’t stop grinning like a giddy little kid.

I realize I’ve never felt this strong of a connection to anyone before. We’ve only just kissed; we haven’t even defined our relationship or spoken about the future, but this is the first time I’ve felt as though someone truly wants me for me. All my past boyfriends and flings were so superficial compared to Nick.

I decide to attribute that to the fact that we were friends first. In fact, we’ve been friends all our lives, and yet I feel as though I’m truly seeing him for the first time, in a new light.