Braving the Storm (Crimson Ridge #2)

Chapter 29

D amn, I’ve never known this kind of peace before.

Of making my way into the heart of these mountains after a long fucking day’s work, looking forward to the sweet smile waiting for me.

I’ve been down in Crimson Ridge this afternoon, sorting out some final details with Beau’s realtor, and now I’m ready for the ultimate prize.

My girl has been playing games today. While being left alone, she sent me a photo I’ve had pulled up on my phone screen every two goddamn seconds.

In it, she’s taken a photo of her reflection in the bedroom mirror, covering those perfect tits with one forearm, the one wrapped in my cuff, being a slutty little tease. But that’s not the part that really had my dick standing to attention. No, the real fucking cherry perched on top is the sight of my hat covering her glossy long head of hair and the constellation of fingerprints and hickeys left all over her thighs.

They’ve colored up beautifully since last night.

She sent the image all because I instructed her to, and the good girl she is for me, Briar’s slutty little photo arrived less than five minutes later .

Have I spent most of my day imagining all the ways I’m gonna worship her when I get home? Or, more accurately, have I spent the better part of the day already thinking about a future with Briar?

I don’t know what she wants from this, or from us. I don’t know if I can expect her to stay in these mountains, but holy shit, I’m busy calculating what the odds might be.

What are the chances a girl so perfect could ever consider falling for me the way I’ve undeniably fallen for her?

This isn’t about a fantasy of white picket fences or wedding bells; this is about two people choosing a life together. Something I’ve never been able to fathom before now, but Briar Lane makes me want to believe in something deep and soul nourishing and powerful as fuck.

She makes me believe I could offer her happiness.

To try and be that person who she deserves to be cared for and wholly loved by.

As I pull up outside the front porch, warm light spills into the darkening evening air, the curl of chimney smoke winds into the faded tinge of inky blue peppered with a handful of early stars, and I’m drawn like a magnet to where I know she’s waiting inside.

Jogging up to the front entrance, I’m halfway through kicking off my boots and already calling out as I shut the door behind me.

“It’s fucking on.” My voice carries across the room against the backdrop of the crackling fire. “That picture…”

The words are out of my mouth already when I realize.

I fucking see it too late to swallow down what has already come out, but at least it’s nothing too incriminating for Briar.

Because there’s someone else here, and it’s the last fucking person on this planet I’d want my girl to have to suffer being left alone with.

“St?rmand.”

The clipped, nasal tone of her asshole sister is about as welcome in my house as a bucket of pig shit. Actually I’d take the pig shit any day rather than this human turd sitting on my couch .

“Crispin.” I tip my chin her way, my brain trying to make sense of what I’m seeing.

“Hey.” Briar’s voice sounds so soft and small as she emerges from the bedroom, eyes wide, features pinched and drawn. In her arms are a bundled assortment of what looks like a pillow and blankets.

It’s like all the color and vibrancy has been sucked out of her. She’s back to being a ghost of herself, and now I see her in this light, I realize with startling clarity that this was the version of Briar who showed up unexpectedly on my doorstep.

My fists clench, and there’s a rapid pulse in my jaw.

“What brings you to Crimson Ridge?” I flick my eyes back toward the blonde woman perched on the couch, who glares severely in the direction of her younger sister.

“Well, I can’t tell you how relieved I am to have finally found Briar, her little disappearing act from LA has had us all wrecked with worry.”

God, I can smell the bullshit pouring off her. I’m readying myself to put some words together, something to the effect of kicking her out on that bony ass.

Except she opens her bitch mouth, and I watch Briar damn near crumble in front of my eyes.

“I’ve been wondering where my sister ran off to, after abandoning her husband.”