Cowboys Mine (19 page)

“I suppose that
was my fault, so I’ll take the blame. But Eva has a strong mind of her own, and
can most certainly speak for herself.”

“That’s true,”
said North. “She doesn’t hold back.”

They reached the
house and Mr. Ford opened the whiny screen door. He stopped before entering,
taking a cleansing breath. Without turning around, he spoke, “I trust my
daughter’s judgement. I respect her choices. And you boys have never let me
down.”

It was all he
had to say for Colton to know Eva had spilled the news. The black cloud
hovering over his life had finally broken.

Epilogue

Eva sat
cross-legged in the tall grass, the gentle breeze carrying notes of pine and
black earth. North’s head rested on her lap, and she enjoyed running her
fingers through his thick hair.

Colton leapt
down from the excavator and walked towards them, using his Stetson to swat away
the dust on his jeans. “All done. I’ll start the cleanup next week.”

The McReed house
was a massive pile of lumber and rubble in the large clearing. Eva didn’t
question their decision to destroy the old bungalow. She’d only had a few
glimpses of their harsh home life, and it was enough to understand why they
wanted to erase the past.

“Do you feel any
different?” asked Eva.

He dropped down
onto his side next to her. “Darlin’, I’m not sure I have any feelings left.”

“Of course you
do, silly.”

Colton looked up
at her, tapping the tip of her nose. “Just enough for you.”

Eva smiled. Her
world was at peace. She’d proved to her father that she was a woman, capable of
making her own choices. And she was free to love the two cowboys who held her
heart.

“We’ll be busy
come spring,” said North, shifting to his back. He looked up at her with those
dark, narrow eyes. She trailed her fingertip along the scruff on his jaw,
tracing all his masculine features. Just looking at the gorgeous cowboy did
wild things to her libido. His every detail was an aphrodisiac, from the hard
bulge in his Wranglers to the uncommon broadness of his shoulders in his padded
jacket. She couldn’t stop herself from imagining him supporting his weight over
her prone body, every muscle flexing and tense.

“Where should we
start building?” asked Colt, pulling her from her reverie.

“Maybe to the
east, closer to the river,” said North.

“I like it over
there,” said Eva. “We used to fish for smelts every year. Remember?”

“And you refused
to eat them.”

“They were too
cute to eat.”

North hoisted
himself up enough to steal a kiss. She closed her eyes and savored the moment.
She could smell his rich cologne when he moved, and his lips tasted of
spearmint.

Colt tugged her
until she fell to her back, the soft grass cushioning her fall. “I guess the
bunker will be home for at least six months.” He smoothed the hair from her
face, staring at her intently. The sunlight reflected off the ocean in his
eyes, mesmerizing her. He’d been through so much, they both had, and she hoped
their pain was less now that they were all moving on.

“I have a
feeling mom and dad will insist we stay at my place. You know, with the toilet
and running water and all.”

Colt shrugged,
hovering over the left side of her body. “As long as I have you, I’m good. And
I don’t have to return you
or
the
excavator until dinner hour. Until then, you’re ours.”

He began to
tickle her sides, not letting her escape. She kicked her legs and attempted to
fend the twins off, but failed, only able to scream and laugh out loud.

“That’s the
sound,” said North when they finally let her breathe.

“What sound?”

“Your laughter
is the most beautiful thing in the world.” North kissed the side of her neck,
his tongue teasing the shell of her ear.

“That feels
good,” she whispered. Would she always feel this way? Would her body always
light up from just the sound of their deep voices?

“Baby girl, I
can show you things you never knew existed.”

Eva was putty in
the capable hands of the McReed brothers. She eagerly awaited their lessons,
the slow and precise introduction into their world of sexual pleasure.

Colton brought
her hand to his denim-covered crotch. He was harder than oak, and knowing she
was the reason for it excited her. “Feel that? That’s what you do to me.”

She turned her
head and licked the seam of his lips, giving him a little nip. “Good. Then you
won’t be pushing me away any more.”

“Hell no. We’re
both yours, Eva Ford. It took me a lifetime to see what was right in front of
me, and it’ll take the rest of my life to show you how much you mean to me.”

The McReed
brothers enveloped her body with their strong arms, showering her with the
affection she knew so well. Only now it heated her blood and stirred her soul.
Eva had been searching for something when she’d had it all along—the perfect
love.

www.staceyespino.com

Other
Books by Stacey Espino:

www.evernightpublishing.com/pages/Stacey-Espino.html

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www.evernightpublishing.com