Burning Barriers (Barriers Series Book 3) (14 page)

“I’ve missed this place,” I answer, my voice shaking.

“I’ve missed you.” His voice reveals nothing but honesty and a desire that I’ve never heard before. Until yesterday, I would have only guessed he was still that cocky boy I once knew, but now I truly realize
all
of this is more than just me recuperating from the attack. This is my time to finally recover and let go of how we split years ago, and I’m ready to finally admit I should have come home much sooner because Jake is and always will be my heart, soul, and fire. He can tell me he’s missed me all he wants, but the truth is right here, and before I have a chance to think before I speak, the words seep from my mouth.

“I think I’ve missed you more.”

I can’t take back the words, and I’m not sure I want to.

“Don’t be so sure about that.” Jake winks at me and quickly takes off across the stream. “Let’s go, Slowpoke. We don’t have all day for this lunch date.”

I give Pumpkin Pie a harder little kick with my heel to get him moving across the stream as water flies up from his heavy steps in the shallow water. Jake continues ahead, and I smile as I see him pull his ratty old baseball cap from the saddlebag and place it upon his head. The moment I catch his head angle and his big brown eyes staring back at me, my chest aches and my head is instantly off on another planet. His smile is even more deadly since it’s reserved for just me right now. Then again, he
did
tattoo my name on his back.

When I’m back on the trail, I give a slight clicking sound and squeeze my knees into Pumpkin Pie. We trot a little faster to catch up with Jake, and as soon as I’m by his side, I lower my ass back in the saddle. Pumpkin Pie lets out a little snort as he catches his breath, and I’m shocked at how quickly my body remembers the techniques of riding horses.

I catch my breath and pat the neck of my horse before looking up at Jake. With an arrogant grin and raised eyebrow, he looks at me.

“What?” I ask with a raised pitch.

“Show off,” he playfully states before reaching out and pushing the brim of my hat down over my eyes. The sound of heavy hooves stomping tells me he’s moving again, and I push the hat brim back up so I can see. I hear him laughing as he takes off ahead of me into the trees.

I’m still laughing when I finally catch up. When the trees pass, my laugher subsides, and I glance around at the vastness of the space. I suddenly remember why this is
our
place. My absolute favorite place to go with Jake.

The sun beats down over the alpine tundra and sparkles over the small pond that is situated at the bottom of the mountain. We may not have gained any additional elevation on the trail, but the ranch was already a little higher than the town, so the view has always been spectacular at this place. I can look down on the small ski town and see everything from afar.

Little pikas, that always remind me of baby gerbils, scurry into their holes as I dismount from the horse. I pull Pumpkin Pie over to the pond so he can grab a drink of water if needed. As I take in the clear blue sky, the wind whistles through the trees, and I inhale the aromas that only the wilderness can give me.

I hear Jake moving behind me, and when I turn to see what he’s doing, my eyes widen with surprise. He’s laid out an old blanket, and it’s littered with small platters of fruits and cheeses. I see him pouring two glasses of wine as he walks in my direction.

He reaches out to hand me a glass of red wine, and I’m speechless. As my eyes try to process everything about him since he came back into my life, my chest warms and tingles. Suddenly, I feel like a nervous teenager about to be asked out by the guy she’s crushed on for years, except this time I realize I love the man before me, more than I ever did as a teenager.

I bring the claret colored liquid to my lips and take a sip. The slight spice and vanilla hit my tongue, and I know instantly it’s Malbec.
Thank you, Sam, for all my wine tasting lessons.
The liquid continues warming its way down the back of my throat. My eyes remain focused on Jake as I watch him sip his wine as well. I never took him for a wine drinker, but I guess there’s a lot you can miss in seven years away. He bends over to place the capped wine bottle onto the grass before standing up again.

His hand stretches out and cups my jaw, and then his thumb brushes over my cheek. My body shudders at his simple touch, and yet I want to fly into his arms and kiss his glossy wine-covered lips. I bring my hand up to cover his and move my body closer to him.

I tilt my head back just enough that my hat falls off and hits the ground softly. I peer into his wondering eyes and think of all the things I could say, but nothing forms on my lips. The more I inch forward, the faster my heart races, and I can see his chest rising and falling in time with my own.

I stop my feet just as my chest bumps into his hard abs. I lick my lips before lifting them closer to him, needing to finish what we started in the barn earlier. Screw my reservations! Life is too short, and I’ve learned that the hard way. I’m here with him now, and I’m not about to lose this moment because my mind keeps giving me reasons not to.

As my lips are about to touch his, I feel the warmth of his closeness disappear. My eyes open, and I see he’s backed away and standing with his eyes closed. I can’t begin to understand why. My lips part, and my head slowly shakes as I question his reasoning for backing away. “Jake?”

His eyes finally open, and he looks at me. The brim of his baseball cap hides some of his emotions from me.

“Luce, there’s something I need to tell you before we go any further.” The seriousness in his voice unexpectedly causes me to become nervous.

“After Dad died and you never came back, I fell into a dark place. I drank. I drank a fuckin’ lot. I didn’t know which way my life was headed. I had lost two of the most important people in my life at the same time. That’s when everything with the women started. I tried to fill that hole in my chest by having drunken sex with girls.

“Laurel was the first mistake of my actions. SJ helped me stop drinking, but that hole in my heart was still there. That’s when I got the tattoo and started working at the fire station. I needed to have a direction and a way to take out my frustration over losing you for good. The ranch reminded me of you, so I tried to stay clear of here as much as possible. But, that meant hanging out in town with the guys, and the women just started happening over the years. I never dated any of them. Every one of them meant shit to me, and after every fuck, I felt like I lost another piece of you within me.”

I can tell Jake is getting frustrated. He keeps rubbing the back of his neck and scratching the light scruff on his chin.

“Luce, what I’m trying to say is… I fucked up. I know that. So many times I hoped you’d come back to me. Now, that you’re back here… I just… Luce, I love you. I never stopped. You’re embedded in my heart, and I can’t ever rid myself of you. I need to say I’m sorry for everything I ever did to hurt you before you left and everything I did while you were gone. “

Jake continues to mumble under his breath as though so much is weighing on his mind. I can sense there is much more he wants to say, but he just can’t find the right words. I know that feeling all too well. I place my palm upon his heart and feel the rapid beating through his shirt.

“Shhhh…. Hey, it’s all right. We’ve both made bad choices over the years, and some of them were real shitty. What’s done is done. We can’t change that. We can only use those mistakes to help make our future choices smarter. So, from here forward, no matter what happens between us, we make decisions that
feel
right for
us.
How does that sound?”

Jake lets out a long, deep breath as though a weight has finally been lifted off his shoulders after so many years. He lifts his glass of wine to his lips and drinks the remainder before bending over to grab the bottle on the ground in the same hand with the glass. He turns slightly and reaches back to grab my free hand, pulling me with him as he walks back to the blanket on the ground.

We both sit, and I look at the small arrangement of snacks in front of us. He opens the plastic baggie of apple slices and unwraps a plate of sliced cheese.

“Did you put all of this together, or did you have some help? The Jake I used to know couldn’t pair food with drinks if his life depended on it. And, from the looks of the cheese, apples, and wine selection, I’d say you must have had Andrea’s help.”

“Guilty as charged. Mom threw it all together when she knew where I was taking you today.” Jake reaches out with both hands to offer me the apples or cheese. I grab a few apple slices and pop the end of one into my mouth before sucking it in, making a popping noise. As I chew the large apple slice in my mouth, Jake stares at me with a raised eyebrow.

“What?” I mutter with my mouth full.

“You haven’t changed a bit, Lucy Wyatt, and yet so much of you is a fuckin’ mystery.” He smirks, grabbing a few slices of cheese and plopping them into his mouth before licking his fingers. As he tosses the cheese to the side, I finish chewing my first apple slice. Just as I’m about to put the other slice into my mouth, I feel a nudge in my back.

Jake laughs before handing me the bag of apples. “You’re gonna need these. He’s addicted to them,” he says as he lifts his chin in the direction behind me. As I turn my head around, I see a long snout trying to bite at my shirt. Roman Numeral has decided to invade our little picnic. I grab a few apple slices from the bag and hold them flat in the palm of my hand. I feel his lips move quickly over the fruit, and within seconds, they’re gone.

Roman Numeral’s head moves quickly and bumps into me just enough to push me over. “Roman Numeral, you big tease. No more apples for you!” I barely get the words out through my laughing fit. He finally lets out a loud snort and takes off to the water where Pumpkin Pie is hanging out.

I roll over to see Jake staring at me intently. Eyeing him suspiciously, I can sense something about his demeanor has changed. I remember this look, and I know I’m already in trouble before he even says anything.

If there is one thing that hasn’t changed since the day I met Jake Galloway, it’s his eyes. He knows I’ll cave for those smoldering eyes of his.

Lucy lies here in front of me, and laughter and happiness exude through every inch of her. Never in my life would I have ever guessed the girl before me now was attacked to within an inch of her life a couple of months ago.

Shit. Her smile is infectious, and I feel a twinge deep within my chest that proves just how much I love her. Despite her deep, dark memories, she never lets it bring her down. She has forgiven me for things in my past I could never forgive myself for. Lucy may never know or find out how many mistakes I’ve made since high school, and I pray she doesn’t. The fact that she can honestly see past all that proves she’s my soul mate.

I suddenly feel the need to be near her. No, not near her, I need to touch her. I have to feel her body against mine, like we were in the barn earlier. A sly grin sweeps across my face as I crawl on all fours to where she lies on her back.

Her laughter stops, and I see her face blush from the simple look I give her. She knows she can’t resist me once I give her
that look
. She’s like putty in my fuckin’ hands, and she loves it. Lucy’s chest rises and falls at a rapid pace, and I watch as her legs squeeze tighter together. Guaranteed she’s already
feeling
what I can do to her in her core.

As I reach her body, I place my hands on each side of her, ultimately pinning her below me. Her legs remain flat on the ground as I place my knees on either side of them. She licks her lips nervously and then brings her hands down to the top button on her shirt. I watch her fingers slowly work each button undone, and the sight before me has my cock hardening before the last one is even through the hole. As her shirt falls to the side, all that’s left is her perfectly rounded breasts still covered by her white lace bra.

Once Lucy’s hands have finished unbuttoning her shirt, she quickly starts working on my clothing. The first thing to go is my baseball hat. After pulling it off, she tosses it to the side. Her eyes blink in rapid movements, but never once does she break eye contact with me. The bright sun behind me makes her eyes squint until I angle myself just right in order to shield her from the light. I slowly lower my body onto hers as she pulls my T-shirt over my head.