Lumberjack Page 12

  I didn’t ask Rye about any of it, because I just wanted to enjoy the fact I was with him, my father wouldn’t have an issue, and I could finally be happy with the man I wanted. And the last couple of days hadn’t changed anything between my father or me. He hadn’t mentioned my relationship with Rye, maybe because he was still trying to come to grips with it, but he was also not trying to talk me out of it either.

  I exhaled and ran my finger along the glass.

  “Hey.” The sloppy, slurred voice behind me had me rolling my eyes.

  The bar was pretty much dead, aside from a few stragglers hanging around. I didn’t bother saying anything, because interacting would only have him thinking I was interested, especially since he was drunk.

  I felt his hand on my shoulder and was about to turn around and say some choice words, but before I could his hand was gone and I was looking over my shoulder in shock as Rye stood over him. The man was on the floor, Rye having clearly knocked him backward.

  “Touch what’s mine again and I’ll be sure to snap off those fucking hands of yours. You got me?” His voice was deep, serious … deadly.

  The guy nodded and quickly got off the ground to wisely head in the other direction. I looked up at Rye from where I sat and saw he was already looking at me.

  “Come here, Jessa.”

  I was out of my seat and in his embrace seconds later. I felt everyone staring at us, but I didn’t care. If they didn’t already know I was Rye’s they would find out soon enough.

  “Was that really necessary?” I teased, knowing that Rye did whatever the hell he wanted.

  He grunted and stroked the back of my head. “When it concerns you everything is fucking necessary.”

  I smiled against his chest and closed my eyes. Yeah, this life was certainly not what I’d ever thought I’d have, but I’d certainly envisioned it plenty of times.

  Epilogue One

  Jessa

  One year later

  What I felt for Rye was wild and free, intense and crazy.

  I heard the sound of a vehicle pulling in, and set my book aside to rise and go to the window. Over the last year I’d moved out of my father’s house, gotten my own little place, and continued to see Rye. I won’t say my father was exactly accepting right from the beginning, giving us his blessing as soon as we told him, but he knew I was happy. He knew I didn’t make rash decisions. He also knew Rye, the type of man he was, and he trusted him.

  Things had definitely changed over the last year in my relationship with Rye. We were closer than I ever thought possible, and that was saying something, seeing as our relationship was far from conventional. He still ran guns illegally, was still that dangerous “criminal” that everyone feared. But he was honest and caring, genuine, and showed me love. He gave me affection, protected me, and made sure I was happy.

  He didn’t hurt people, didn’t do things that purposefully put others in harm’s way, and at the end of the day we were just two people in a relationship. He might have been called an animal on the best of days, this feral creature that didn’t conform to society or follow rules. But he was my animal.

  I grew wet and needy, my body wanting the things only Rye could give me. I watched as he left his SUV, the sun starting to set, the dusk causing him to be partially covered by light and darkness.

  He came toward the house and I stepped away from the window. My heart was thundering, my palms sweating. I wanted him, needed him, and all I’d seen was him getting out of the vehicle.

  I was starting college again, another semester that would help me get my degree in business management. And although I was thick into my schoolwork, having Rye come over every night, and making time to see me every day, made all the stress worthwhile.

  The moment I saw him standing there staring at me, the heat in his expression as he watched me told me he wanted me. This wasn’t just what our relationship was about. He didn’t just fuck me, make me come, scream out for more, and then take care of me afterward. He lavished me in affection, helped me with my studies, cooked for me, held me … loved me.

  I lowered my gaze and saw how hard he was for me. He made this low sound in his throat, and God, did that turn me on. Every erogenous zone in me heightened, and screamed out to give in.

  He came closer then, his head lowered, his eyes focused on me. I backed away, and when the wall stopped me, he leaned his face in close to me. I liked playing hard to get. I knew he liked it too.

  “You feel what you do to me?” He pressed his erection into my belly, and I moaned at the feeling. I shifted, trying to get closer.

  He dragged his lips along my cheek. Not able to hold my eyes open at the feeling, I let my head fall back against the door. Rye ground his dick into me again, over and over, until I found myself reaching up and holding on to his biceps for support. He was rock hard and tense beneath my palms.

  “Take me here, right now.”

  “Fuck.” He groaned and pressed his entire length against me, making me see and feel that he was ready for me.

  He moved his tongue along the shell of my ear and I moaned. He pulled away only enough that he had his mouth close to mine once more.

  Then his mouth was on mine, and he was running his tongue along my bottom lip. I heard his nails dig into the door. I opened my mouth, took his tongue between my lips, and sucked on it.

  “I don’t want slow,” I moaned, not caring how needy I sounded.

  “Good, because I wasn’t going to give it to you that way, baby.”

  “I love you, Rye.”

  He growled low. “I love you.”

  The passion was real between us, and would never die. God, this was exactly what living was really like.

  Epilogue Two

  Jessa

  Two years later

  I’d graduated college just this past summer, gotten my business management degree, was ready to start my life with Rye and my new career. And then I’d gotten the biggest shock of my life.

  My heart was this steady drum inside of me. I bounced my leg, my nerves strung tight, my palms sweaty. Everything in me felt like it would combust. I stared at the stick on the coffee table, those positive two lines that told me I was pregnant with Rye’s child.

  I looked down at my engagement ring. Rye had given it to me just last year, and we’d decided to wait until I was done with school and found a job, but it seemed like plans were changing for both of us.

  I heard a car door shut. My heart jumped to my throat. I couldn’t move, couldn’t hide my nervousness. We lived together now, had been for the last year. My father had grumbled about it for a minute, but he got over that really quick. He was just protective, and I understood that.

  I heard the front door open and ran my hands over my thighs.

  “I’m home, baby,” Rye said, his voice deep. He rounded the corner, stopping when he saw me, now standing a few feet from the coffee table.

  “Hi.” My voice was shaky. I heard it deep in my belly, felt it all over. I was about to tell him, about to change things in our life that might upset the balance. I was nervous and afraid, worried what Rye would say.

  I knew without a doubt that Rye loved me, but bringing a baby into the picture, one that wasn’t exactly planned … yeah, that might shock even the most levelheaded person.

  “Everything okay?” He was in front of me only seconds later.

  I took a steadying breath, because right now that was all I could do, all I could even think about. “I’m…” God how do I say this? Just say it. “I’m pregnant.”

  “What?” he asked. His voice was thick, but his face was emotionless.

  His entire body was tense, his muscles bulging, his tattoos on clear display.

  I reached beside me, picked up the pregnancy test I’d taken, and showed it to him. My throat tightened as he took it from my hands and looked down at it.

  “A baby?” He lifted his head and looked at me, then lowered his gaze to my belly.

  I nodded. “Yeah, pretty crazy,
huh?”

  And then he grinned, a smile that had me relaxing and feeling like the world wouldn’t swallow me whole. He had me in his arms a second later, just holding me, whispering how happy he was, how everything would be okay. For such a strong, big man, he was a gentle giant toward me.

  He placed his hand on my belly, a heavy, comforting reassurance that he was here with me. “You’re carrying my baby.”

  I nodded, a smile lighting up my face, no doubt. “You’re really happy about this?” I wanted him to be, I realized.

  “More than happy. I’m fucking ecstatic.”

  I kissed him then.

  He pulled me closer again and stroked my hair, slowly, caressing, as if I were fragile. “It’s you and me, baby, forever.” He placed a hand on my belly.

  And that’s exactly how I always wanted it to be, how I knew it would always be.

  The End

  Want your very own Real Man? Check out the series HERE!

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