Broken Ground: (Broken Series Book 1) (30 page)

Ali would probably hang on as well, if given the chance, but did she deserve that? To be put through all the hell that lay ahead? Would I be selfish enough to ask that of her? It was another of life's cruel fucking jokes. I'd finally fallen in love and because she had made me want to be a better man, I wanted to save her from myself.

Just fucking perfect.

Not that any of it mattered at that point. I'd told her I was in love with her, twice, in fact, and she hadn't said anything in response. Of course, my revelation about my fight with Spencer had momentarily distracted her but I knew it had crossed her mind once things died down. Maybe even when we were in the shower together, when I was lapping at her sweet pussy, was she hoping I wouldn't say it again? Or was she grinding herself into my mouth and silently professing her love as she fell apart around me, clenching my eager tongue as she came?

Which was it? And, more importantly, which did I want it to be?

ALI WAS STILL
sleeping when I returned to the cabin, still burrowed deep in the pile of blankets. I stood in the doorway and smiled at the outline of her slender hand peeking from beneath the covers. I had to assume that a dozen orgasms in less than twenty-four hours would tire a lady out. Pulling the door almost closed, I decided to let her sleep a bit longer while I prepared dinner.

Before making my way to the kitchen, I stepped onto the porch and looked out over the mountains. As I leaned over the railing, I heard a rustling in the trees just beyond the pool. A moment later, a small fawn emerged from the wood line, covered in snow-white spots. She couldn't have weighed more than thirty pounds, obviously very young.

I held my breath as I watched her, wishing Ali were awake to see. She teetered on her impossibly long, thin legs for a moment, scoping out the back yard before nibbling the grass at her feet. Soon, she was joined by a large doe. They walked the perimeter of the yard, the doe ever mindful of her baby, alert to any danger. I watched them, entranced, as the doe followed behind her fawn, a familiar feeling of emptiness settling over me.

I kept silent watch over the pair until they re-entered the woods a few minutes later.

Shaking off the tangled threads of my past before they ensnared me completely, I set off for the kitchen to make Ali and I something to eat. I flipped on the stereo on the way, turning the volume low to avoid waking my girl. I got to work chopping sweet potatoes for the fries and, once they were in the oven, began prepping my signature club sandwiches.

Ali emerged from the bedroom several minutes later, head tilted back as she inhaled the scent of the thick peppered bacon I was frying on the stove. With an adorably sleepy smile, she gave me a quick kiss and slapped my ass as she took a seat at the table, obviously content to watch me make dinner. I poured her a glass of the sweet tea she was so fond of and placed it on the table in front of her, kissing her head as I stepped back to the stove. "Did you rest well, sleeping beauty?'

She yawned into her palm and chuckled. "A little too well, I think. I almost slept the rest of the day away."

"You've had an eventful couple of days, and I kept you up way too late last night, so it's not entirely your fault." I winked as I lay the cooked bacon on a paper-towel covered plate.

"As I recall, I was a willing and active participant in our late-night activities." She grinned.

"That you were, Miss Walker. Willing, active, and surprisingly limber." I thought that one would make her blush, and I was right.

Her cheeks flamed red, and she peeked over at the counter, changing the subject. "What's all that?"

"That is all the components of the best damn sandwich that will ever cross your perfectly pink lips."

"Looks like a lot of meat." She cringed when she realized what she'd said, making me chuckle.

"It's going to be quite a mouthful, but I know you can handle it," I smirked, watching her cheeks flame and impressed that she didn't avert her gaze. "Besides, you need protein if you're going to keep your strength up. I've got big plans for you later."

"I look forward to it, Mr. McGavran. I fell asleep on you earlier, but I assure you it won't happen again." She winked and sipped her tea while I finished making our sandwiches, suddenly hungry for something more than the food.

When our meal was finished and the kitchen straightened, I asked whether Ali wanted dessert or a drink, happy when she opted for the drink first. I'd had a fairly shitty week myself and a drink or ten sounded like a great plan for the evening. I left her lounging on the sofa, still muttering her compliments on the food while I went to prepare our drinks. Remembering her preferred drink from my Sunday dinners with her and Talia, I'd picked up everything necessary during my earlier trip to town. I gave her cocktail a final stir and was making my way back to the living room when her phone rang.

She pulled it from the end table and grimaced at the screen before shooting me a look. "It's my mother." I raised a brow and poised myself to remind her about our discussion, but she stopped me. "Don't worry. I'll keep what I know about Holden to myself. Promise." She slid her thumb across the screen and took in a big breath. "Hi, Mom."

I busied myself making my drink and tried not to eavesdrop on the conversation, knowing full well I'd hear every word.

"Where'd you hear that?" I looked up and could see Ali's reflection in the glass patio doors. A look of annoyance on her face, she listened a moment then snapped, "I know exactly what you meant by it, Mother, and I'm pretty sure I know who you're getting your information from." The last was a snarl. There was a screechy voice chattering on the other end for a while then, "If you're still talking to that bastard after all he's done, I don't have anything left to say to you." Her voice was calm and surprisingly aloof, as if she'd had this conversation before and was resigned to the outcome.

"No, I'm not talking to Benjamins." I snickered at the use of her nickname for Holden. "He'll just tell me I'm right and then try to convince me I should just excuse your behavior because you're my mother. I didn't buy it last time, and I'm not buying it tonight. I'm nearly thirty years old. I don't allow anyone to dictate my life, especially not you. You can't even run your own." A pause and more screeching on the other end as Ali rolled her eyes and reached for her glass. "I'm not in the mood to argue with you tonight, Mother. I'm in the middle of something." She turned and looked over the back of the couch, eyes flashing to me and making a slow pass over my body that was hungry enough to make my dick twitch.

"Who I spend time with is none of your business, Mother, or Keith's or your husband's or anyone else's. I'm a grown woman, and I will do whatever or whomever I please." A bark of laughter escaped me before I could bite it back, and she winked. "And if you insist on continuing to talk to Keith, please give him a message for me, if you don't mind." Ali rolled her eyes as the screeching resumed briefly. "Let him know the
construction guy
is twice the man he is, and that's when it's soft and folded in half."

She pulled the phone away from her ear and gave it a curious look. "She hung up. I wonder if it was something I said." Setting it on the table with a shrug, she waited for me to rejoin her, raised her glass, and said, "Here's to showing exactly as much respect as you're given."

I tapped her glass with mine, laughing. "And to never having to fold anything in half to prove I'm the better man."

After several hilarious toasts, we needed refills and headed into the kitchen to concoct another round. While watching her artfully pour her drink I asked, "So, I'm 'the construction guy', huh?"

She snorted and added an extra shot to her glass, shaking her head in disgust. "Sorry you had to hear all that. I thought I could rush her off the phone like I normally do, but she started in without giving me a chance to beg off. Apparently she's been told that I assaulted Keith's escort to the gala and the construction worker I attended with threatened Keith with physical violence." She smiled sardonically. "We're also shacking up together, and I have been suspended from work after taking too much time off."

"You mean your mom didn't know about the trouble at GFS?"

"Nope. I had no interest in hearing how Keith would never do such a thing, and he's a great catch, which means any troubles we had were my fault. I learned the hard way that I couldn't count on her. I went to her once for help." Instead of pouring the shot she was holding into her drink, she tossed it back and slammed the shot glass onto the counter. "Never again. It was stupid to ever have thought she would help me. She made it perfectly clear when she walked out on my father and me that I wasn't shit to her. Looks like I'm still not."

There was a lot of pain packed into those last five words and my heart broke for her.

I had no idea what to say to that, so I quietly folded her into my arms and kissed the top of her head. I couldn't decide which was worse; a lifetime with a mother who made you feel unloved or a few short years with one who thought you hung the moon, even if you didn't deserve her. I guessed there was pain with either.

Glancing at the untouched cocktails on the counter, I stroked Ali's hair and spoke in a soft voice, "Why don't we skip the drinks tonight? I'll tuck you into bed and bring you dessert. We can even watch a movie if you want, assuming the television in the bedroom works. I've never turned it on." I laid my cheek on the top of her head. "What do you say, slugger?"

She pulled back, her gaze dancing over my face as she forced a swallow and whispered, "I fell in love too, Clay."

Her words slammed into me so hard I fought for balance, the shock of hearing them stealing my ability to speak. I willed my hands not to tremble as I reached up to cup her cheeks. The look on her face, the pure adoration was staggering. I lowered my mouth to hers, tenderly pressing into her lips, making slow sweeps with my tongue. I wanted to taste the words she'd just spoken, wanted to touch every inch of her body, to fuse my soul with hers so that nothing could ever undo the bond her words had created.

She loved me.

I TUCKED HER INTO
bed, handing her the remote while I ran back to the kitchen for the previously promised dessert. I placed all the necessary items on the serving tray and hurried back to the bedroom.

Ali sat up and watched me enter, a soft smile on her face. "Strawberries?"

I placed the tray beside her in the middle of the bed, crawling in behind it with a grin. "They aren't as good as the ones we picked ourselves, but the season is over, and some concessions were made." I plucked one from the bowl. "So, would you like whipped cream? A drizzle of chocolate? Or would you rather have it naked?" I wiggled a brow.

She giggled and pushed herself up, reclining against the pillows. "All of those sound amazing. Why don't you give it to me the way you think I'll like it best?" She smirked, knowing her words hit their mark.

"Don't threaten me with a good time. I'm trying to pace myself so I don't leave you sore again, but teasing me is a good way to get yourself fucked raw." I pushed a berry between her lips, sans topping.

She bit down slowly and moaned in the back of her throat, the sound making my cock strain against my jeans. When she'd finished, she licked her lips and said, "You know exactly how to give it to me, Clay. That was so good." She sighed in satisfaction, both from the berry and seeing the lust in my eyes.

"I'm about to give it to you again, Alison. Are you ready?" I asked with a low growl.

"Yes, please. And don't forget the toppings."

After I'd devoured both Ali and an obscene amount of calories, we lay quietly in each other's arms, drifting but not yet asleep. Her head rested on my chest, her arm draped across my middle as I skimmed my fingers up and down her side. She shifted closer to me, wrapping one leg over mine and a sharp inhale caught in her chest. I stilled and asked, "Ali, you alright?"

Her eyes never opened, but she made a soft satisfied sound and nodded.

"Remember what I said, baby. If I hurt you, you have to tell me. A little sore is one thing, but I don't want you in real pain, okay?"