Page 70 of His Old Lady

Taking the edges of her robe, he stripped her of the material. His cock hardened at the sight of her naked body. Tonight, of all nights, she needed him.

Taking her hand, he pulled her around. She crawled up on the bed, moving to the far side. He followed and covered them both with the blanket.

Pulling her into his arms, her face to his chest, he rubbed her back in slow circles. Her arm slipped over his hip. Trying to ignore the pounding in his balls, he closed his eyes and concentrated on comforting Faye until she fell asleep. Only then could she escape from the stress in her life.

"Grandma June taught me all the names of the plants and how to grow them from seed. Then, she taught me to collect the seeds and grow them again. Every single plant I had in the greenhouse came from seeds she'd collected. I grew them, but they were originally her plants." She shuddered. "I feel like I've lost her all over again, and I will never have that part of her back. Even if I start over, it will be someone else's seeds, someone else's plants."

"She's a part of you." He trailed his hand along her spine and gently squeezed the back of her neck. "You can't lose the memories, the teachings, the love."

Her warm breath blew on his chest. "Do you have a family?"

"You," he answered quickly.

She lifted her head. He was glad for the darkness. His past was ancient history. She was his woman, that's all that mattered to him.

"What about your parents?" she whispered.

"I'm sure they're out there somewhere."

"When is the last time you saw them?"

His hand stilled. "When my dad beat my ass in the driveway and told me to get the hell out of there and never come back."

She gasped. "How old were you?"

"Almost eighteen years old," he muttered.

She put her head back on the pillow and snuggled against his chest. He continued to rub her back. It'd been a long time since he was a kid, and not one day went by where he gave his parents any thought. They were shit people and even worse parents.

When he'd left home, it was the last time he allowed someone to lay a hand on him after growing up under his dad's fists. Every fight from that day forward, he won. Even when he got the shit beat out of him, he walked away, knowing he never cowered.

Faye's breathing evened out. Wide awake, he kept touching her.

This was how it was supposed to be between them. He should be spending every night with her in his arms.

But for every night he gained, he was only setting her up for heartbreak. He was making things worse for her. Once again, he wished it was him sitting in prison instead of Walker. At least he would've done right by her.

Faye moaned, wiggling against him. He kissed the top of her head, soothing her.

Her breasts pressed against the front of him. Her hard nipples scorched his skin.

It was going to be a long fucking night.

She wasn't a young girl anymore. It was getting harder for him to stay away. Maybe not staying away was the answer. Could he possibly treat her like his old lady and weather the storm that would come when she finds out the truth?

And she would find out. There was never any doubt. Maybe not tomorrow or a year from now, but Walker would get released from prison in nine years. Shit would have to be sorted. Faye would learn enough to form her own opinion about him.

She'd hate him. She'd kill him. Maybe not with a gun to the head, but there would be nothing left of him if he lost her.

He and Walker belonged to Tarkio, and he would owe Walker for paying for his crime. Afraid Walker would ask him to step away from Faye, he knew the price was too much to pay. That's why he never visited the prison after claiming Faye. He wasn't going to take a chance that Walker turned on him, and he lost the only good thing in his life.

But he couldn't help feeling as if he had more nights like this with Faye in his arms, it would be worth losing her in the end.