Destined (The Rangers of Ridge County #1)

Chapter Forty-Eight

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

MILLIE

A s we headed for Emmett’s, I stared out the window—Peak Street passing by in a blur.

A slow ballad filtered through the truck’s speakers reminiscent of simpler times and days passed.

I had made so many memories here in such a short time. But they all felt tarnished now. Sullied by some menacing shadow. And I wasn’t sure where that left me.

Where did I go from here?

I could leave—pack up, find somewhere new, and start over. Again. Though running from my problems was what landed me in this predicament.

“No,” Emmett said, pulling me from my stupor.

Huh?

“You aren’t leaving,” he growled. I threw a baffled look his way, certain I hadn’t said that out loud. His arms tensed as his hands strangled the steering wheel. “You belong here.” His words were clipped, like the thought of me anywhere else enraged him.

I peered back out the window, absorbing his declaration. Letting it warm the chilliest parts of my heart—the parts that wanted to hold on to the anger and resentment from earlier.

But he was right. Ranger Ridge was home, and these people were family. Not the one I was born into, but the one I chose for myself .

I held back tears as he turned into the driveway, parking in front of the house—the place I felt most at home. Because of who I shared it with.

I knew I couldn’t leave. Not after I found what I’d been searching for all along—a place to belong.

Emmett’s hand slid across the center console of his truck, stopping in the middle—waiting for me to bridge the gap between us.

And I didn’t hesitate.

Lacing my fingers through his, I glanced up to find his eyes locked on me. The music faded into the background as I stared at his silhouetted profile—the moon’s glow falling on him like a spotlight.

He pulled me over the console, and I went willingly—straddling him. We were a frenzy of roaming hands and passionate kisses.

I clawed at his belt, and he tugged the long skirt of my dress up—bunching it high on my thighs.

“I won’t let you go,” he whispered, then kissed me long and slow—his tongue thwarting any rebuttal I might have.

My hand dipped under his waistband, wrapping around his massive erection, at the same time his fingers tugged my underwear to the side quickly finding the bundle of nerves that had me seeing stars.

“Tell me you’ll stay,” he begged.

I moaned in response to the desperate plea, causing a rush of my wetness to coat his fingers.

“Fuck, Millie, you’re dripping for me,” he hissed, latching on and sucking at the pounding pulse point in my neck.

The heel of his hand took the place of his fingers as they moved to my entrance. I started to rock back and forth, pumping him erratically.

“Tell me,” he demanded with a bite to my shoulder, though the sting quickly morphed into pleasure.

“I’m not going anywhere,” I moaned, his finger finally slipping inside.

Though he removed it just as quickly despite my frustrated groan filling the cab of his truck.

“I’ve been dying for a taste of you,” he said, bringing his finger up and smearing the wetness across the teeth marks still adorning my shoulder.

My own hand slowed as he lowered his head to devour what now felt like a brand on my skin—the burn setting me ablaze in the best possible way.

“Exactly what I expected,” he murmured, leaning back to meet my gaze. “Sweet as honey.”

We rushed for the back door, our clothes still askew.

As soon as we were inside, he was lifting me up. My legs went around his waist, and my hands combed his hair back. His lips never once left mine as he powered through the kitchen and down the hallway, kicking open the door to his room.

He gently sat me on my feet by the bed and slowly peeled my dress up, revealing the lace set I had on underneath. He groaned, stepping back and unbuttoning his uniform top as his eyes roamed my body from head to toe. The button-up fell to the floor beside my discarded dress before he ripped his undershirt over his head in a swift move.

My hands ached to feel the chiseled muscles of his chest and arms. And my eyes dropped to where his fingers now worked to free his erection from the confines of his pants. Dark hair trailed down his lower abdomen and disappeared under the waistband of the snug black boxers he still wore. The sight had me licking my lips at the idea of tracing that trail with my tongue.

My heart skipped a beat as I watched him close the distance between us.

“You’re such a fucking vision,” he declared as his hands reached for my hips, pulling me into him. “It’s hard to believe you’re real—much less mine.”

“The doctor gave me the all clear today,” I whispered as his fingers skated across the skin of my hips then up toward my breasts.

He hummed in response, cupping them.

Lost in the overwhelming sensation, I didn’t realize he’d undone my bra until he was pulling one strap then the other from my shoulders. His hands left my body briefly to remove what little he still had on and grab a condom from the nightstand—which I took from him and carefully rolled onto his impressive length.

All of our clothes littered the floor as we fell into bed, tangled in one another.

My hands and mouth explored his body, and he reciprocated just as enthusiastically. I could feel his touch everywhere, and I wanted to stay locked in this moment with him forever. Finally he was above me, aligning himself at my entrance and pushing in slowly.

My skin flushed with arousal like I’d never experienced before, and my inner walls trembled as he began to move.

“You were made for me,” he murmured, peppering my neck and jaw with kisses.

My hands gripped at his hair as he sank into me again and again.

“Emmett,” I breathed as molten heat started to build in my core.

He pulled out then flipped me over onto my hands and knees, tugging my hips back flush with his. He didn’t waste any time, pushing back in and seating himself to the hilt.

“You’re so damn tight, baby,” he called out, gripping my waist and setting a punishing pace. “Squeezing me so good.”

Liquid ran down my leg in response to his praise.

I was so damn close.

His fingers found my clit, and I cried out as I pulsated around him.

“Good girl,” he moaned. “Come for me.”

That was all it took to strike the match that engulfed my entire body.

I screamed his name as I came, and Emmett roared as he thrust once more then collapsed to the side of me—pulling me into a possessive embrace.

We stayed like that for a while, basking in the aftermath and, eventually, falling asleep in the comfort of one another’s arms.