Chapter 12

Two weeks later.

Zoe

6.12pm Saturday.

I’m just stepping out of the shower when I hear a knock at my door. I mutter to myself as I grab my robe and wrap it around me.

I should have known the delivery guy would be early.

I hurry through my messy living room and arrive at the door, out of breath and my robe sticking to my still wet skin.

Unwilling to give the delivery guy an eyeful, I peer around the door and nearly collapse.

Tyler is standing there, dressed in jeans and a shirt, with his arms laden with food. “I was in the neighborhood.”

He holds out the food. “Hope a ten percent tip was enough?’

I’m so gobsmacked he’s here and he’s intercepted my Thai food, I just gape at him.

He frowns and lowers the food. “Is this a bad time?”

I shake my head. Any time would have been a good time. But I’m wet and naked. And he looks more appetizing than my food.

I step back, forgetting all my manners as he steps into my apartment. He looks around, and I have to remind myself to breathe. “Um, the kitchen is in here.”

I stumble into the kitchen and swallow as he strolls in the door. He dumps the food on the table and looks at me with an intensity to make my toes curl. “I wanted to say thank you properly.”

I swallow. “You don’t need to. I was just doing my job.”

His eyebrow cocks. “During your vacation?”

I try to sound relaxed when I’m anything but. “I don’t seem to be able to help myself. I’m working on learning how to.”

His smile conjures up way too many mental pictures I’m trying to force down. “You aren’t the only one. And that’s part of the reason I came to see you.”

“Oh?”

He nods, and steps closer so he can take my hands. “Liam was bat shit crazy, but he got one thing right. I did forget what was most important.”

I take a shuddering breath, his touch making it difficult to follow what he’s saying. “I was putting in fifteen-hour days, seven days a week, working the way dad did.”

His hands run up my arms until goosebumps cover my body. “I thought I’d lost everything when I lost the ranch. That’s why I held on so tight. But it’s all bullshit compared to losing the people you love; you know what I mean?”

My heart rate starts to increase as he looks at me with such meaning I can’t draw breath. “I do. I do know what you mean.”

He cups my chin. “I thought if I worked hard enough, I’d be happy and content with living the same way dad did. But I wasn’t, not even a little.”

He shifts his weight and pushes a strand of wet hair behind my ear. “I want to be happy. And I think I could make you happy if you’ll let me?”

I can’t breathe. I can’t speak. I can’t even think. I want him. I want him so bad; I’m sure if he asked, I would ride off into the sunset with him.

Every last thing we did in the fishing hut is flashing through my mind as I take his burnished skin, his coffee-colored eyes, and the stubble on his chin. “But how? You live in another State…”

His gaze is loaded. “What if I wanted to leave Montana?”

I suck in a breath. “Leave the ranch?”

He turns serious and I know he’s going to mention Liam before he speaks.

“I sold the ranch. Dad didn’t do the right thing. But I can.”

I frown at him, not sure if I’m understanding. “How?”

His brow knots again as he answers. “I’m paying for Jane Cooper’s liver transplant and for her ongoing care.”

That he’s barely concerned about the enormous sum of money, knocks the wind from my lungs. “Oh, Tyler,” I breathe.

His lips curl upward. “Oh, Tyler, as in you poor sap, or oh, Tyler, take me to bed?”

My voice comes out far too throaty. “The latter.”

His eyes drop to my breasts. “Thank fuck for that. My cock has a mind of its own around you.”

When he leans in and kisses me, I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him into my body.

He spins me around and walks us backward, so we’re crashing into the furniture and I’m clawing at his clothes.

When we make it to my bedroom, he’s already missing a shirt and unbuckling his jeans.

I tug off my robe, whimpering as he takes off his jeans so I can see his magnificent hard cock.

He growls as he pushes my legs apart and his tongue starts to cause ripples of glorious pleasure to travel through me.

I’m groaning in seconds, so horny, I can’t decide whether I want his mouth where it is or I want his cock inside me.

When I come screaming, and I know he’ll keep going I push him back and slide his cock in my mouth before he can stop me.

He grips my head, guiding me as I glide my tongue over his tip, sucking his length until he’s groaning just like he was in the UTV.

I’m enjoying myself so much, getting wetter and more turned on, I’m slightly irritated when he pushes me back. “Get on top of me.”

I whimper as I climb on him and slide over his cock. It feels so good I lose myself in the moment, riding him harder and harder, running my hands over his abs, his chest as he fingers my nipples.

I rock back and forth until I’m gasping for the intensity of the orgasm blasting through my body.

Without warning, he flips me over and kisses me hard as he starts to thrust.

I wrap my legs around him and dig my nails into his ass cheeks as he pumps me so hard I’m coming so loudly, I’ll probably get complaints from my neighbors.

But I don’t care. I don’t care about anything apart from Tyler, his body, his cock, his tongue and the way his touch electrifies my entire body. “Shit. I’m gonna come,” he gasps.

I pull him closer and lick his earlobe as another orgasm starts to build. “So am I,” I whisper.

That only seems to spur him on and he starts to pound me until we’re both screaming the house down.

I lie, breathless, and muscles trembling as Tyler rolls off me and blows out a breath. “Holy shit, woman, you really are a wild cat in the sack.”

I roll on to my side, smiling as I run my nails down his chest. “Were you really in the area, or were you just making an excuse?”

A curious expression appears as he turns on his side. “I was here looking at a ranch.”

I’m so surprised the tiniest of gasps escapes. “A ranch?”

He nods. “It’s small. A third of the size of Laughing Cat. And it already has a full staff. I’d put in the hours I want, and I could hire Burt as manager.”

I shake my head, still stunned he’s decided all this in a matter of weeks. “Does Burt know about this?”

He chuckles. “Yeah. He’s part of why I considered it. His doctor told him to reduce his workload. I figured this way he can take semi-retirement and I get to stay working with him.”

His lip curls into a smile as he trails his hands down my waist. “It was time to let it go. And as far as half of Silver Falls goes, I’m guilty by association. I figured it was better to make a clean break, and maybe rope you into moving in with me?”

My mouth slackens. “Move in with you?”

He flips me over so he’s lying on top of me. “I don’t want to make the same mistakes again. This time, I’m not going to neglect anyone or anything. I’m not risking losing you, and I’ll keep chasing you until you agree to marry me.”

I swallow, heart thrashing in my chest. Marriage? “I, I, this is crazy.”

He shakes his head. “Nothing else makes sense but you and me.”

I run my fingernails through his chin stubble. Trying to think when’s he’s around is difficult, how the hell am I going to work?

He kisses me softly and frowns. “What’s going on in there?”

I swallow. “I’m thinking about all the things that could go wrong. I’m thinking about how miserable my parents are.”

He sighs and kisses me deeper, his tongue muddling my reasoning even further.

When my body starts to ignite again, I start to think about everything that can go right.

I start to think about all the nights I stayed at work, just because it was so depressing coming home to my whitewashed walls and silent apartment.

As he kisses me, I think about Derek, and every single man I ever thought I loved, and none come even close to how I feel about Tyler.

I break the kiss, gasping and not sure if my hormones or my heart are in control of my tongue. “My job is crazy. My parents are crazy, I’m not sure…”

He frowns. “I just need you to be sure you want me. The rest we deal with later.”

I swallow and am alarmed to find my eyes welling with tears. “I’m more than sure.”

His reply is given by a kiss that stirs more than my lust for him. He’s stirring a lust for a different life.

Warmth spreads through my body as he kisses my neck and murmurs in my ear, “What are your plans for tomorrow night?”

I slide my arms down his back as he kisses my collarbone. “That depends on what you’re doing.”

His reply is muffled when he kisses my breasts. “I was hoping to be doing you. What about the Saturday after that?”

My hands graze over his ass cheeks. “I haven’t thought that far ahead.”

He shifts his weight so he’s looking me in the eye. “I have. I’ve thought about every single Saturday from now on.”

“You have?”

He grins so wickedly I can only imagine what he’s thinking about. “I plan to re-enact that Saturday night in Joel’s fishing shack every single Saturday night for as long as you’ll have me.”

I start to giggle and he slides up so he can kiss me again. My voice comes out throaty as I drag my nails through his hair. “Are you going to break a record each time?”

He chuckles but he looks deadly serious when he answers. “What do you think?”

I smile, feeling more relaxed and more satisfied than I ever thought possible.

And most abnormal of all, my hyperactive brain seems to be pleasantly on standby mode again.

I’m so happy, so stupidly optimistic I might have found the perfect antidote, I reach for my cell phone on my nightstand. “One second. I need to call my assistant.”

His eyes narrow. “Do I need to confiscate that thing? Or smash it to bits?”

I shake my head and hold my finger to my lips as I hear Christine pick up the phone. “You better not be working. It’s Saturday night,” she complains.

Tyler starts to nibble my toes, making it almost impossible not to giggle. “I’m not working. But this is about work. I need you to reschedule all my non-urgent appointments for the next week—”

Tyler immediately shakes his head and holds up two fingers.

I screw up my face as he starts to suck my toes. “Scratch that. Cancel everything for the next two weeks. I’m going on a vacation. And I won’t be taking my phone,” I say.

“Are you under duress?” she says.

I laugh. “Nope. I’m in bed with Tyler.”

She blows out a breath. “Are you’re serious?”

Tyler shifts and before I can move, he grabs the phone off me. “Christine?”

I wrestle with him, trying to get the phone back, but give up when he grins at me. “Zoe has to go. It’s Saturday night and I have a record to break.”

My eyes pop when he switches my phone off and tosses it across the room.

He gives me quiet possibility the sweetest and most unexpected compliment I’ve ever received. “And just so you know, I think it’s sexy your brain doesn’t switch off.”

I’m so surprised, my eyes widen as he kisses me with such hunger I don’t care about my phone, or him breaking his record.

All that matters is that he loves me for who I am.

I break the kiss, but he says it before I get a chance to. “I love you, wild cat.”

I sigh happily and lace my arms around my neck and kiss him before I answer. “I love you, too.”

Work will always be waiting for me, and my brain will always be hyperactive, but I’m fairly certain the world won’t come crashing down around me if I take some time off.

And if it does, someone else can pick up the pieces for a change.

I’ll be too busy riding off into the sunset…without my phone.

***

Thanks so much for choosing to read Tyler and Zoe’s steamy love story.

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Lexi ❤

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Lexi Hart is the pen name of a crazy Kiwi romance junkie who prefers to live in the heads of her characters than her own.

If you want to escape reality with me and love fast burn romances with a splattering of suspense, The One Wild Weekend Series is sure to satisfy you.

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Note to reader:

As crazy as the following story might seem, a lot of the events contained within are inspired by actual reports.

Yes, I took liberties where it best served the story and characters, but I hope you can enjoy the story and accept it for what it is.

Steamy entertainment and pure fantasy.