From Ashes (28 page)

She was biting her bottom lip and grinning, her honey eyes bright. “Then I have a request, since this is my room.”

“Anything,” I promised, but she gripped my wrist and pulled my hand away from her. “Anything but that.”

Laughing huskily, her hands went to the button on my jeans and she looked up at me from under her lashes before leaning toward my ear. “I want my turn. Lie down, Gage.”

I kept my eyes on her as I stepped out of my pants and hopped onto the island with her, lying down and letting my legs hang off the end. Before I could pick her up to place her on me, one hand was grabbing my base and her mouth and tongue were teasing the tip for torturous seconds before she took as much of me in as she could.

“Shit, Cassidy.” I groaned and raked my hands down my face before looking down at her, only to find her looking up at me again from under her eyelashes. Where the hell did this girl come from? I couldn’t take my eyes off what she was doing and cursed the fact that I was getting worked up way too fast and this would all be over too soon. Her hand, mouth, and tongue were working together perfectly and I felt like a damn middle schooler again.

When I knew I didn’t have more than a minute left, I put the slightest pressure on her ponytail and she looked up, quickly releasing me with a satisfied grin as she crawled over and sank down on me. Her mouth opened but nothing more than a breathy sound of pleasure came out as her eyelids fluttered shut and she started riding me. On our kitchen island. In our house. On the ranch. Hell. Yeah.

It didn’t last long, but thankfully I was able to hold off until she got off first. We lay there, with her draped on top of me placing kisses over my chest, and I couldn’t think of anything better than right now. But then again, I thought that every time Cassidy and I were together.

“We need to thoroughly sanitize this island before I cook in here,” she said between kisses, and I laughed as I pulled her up to kiss her.

“Does that mean you like the house?”

“You really built this?” Her eyes were wide with amazement as she looked down at me.

“Dad and I have been building it for quite a few years now. The second I met you, I knew I wanted to finish building it for you. Even when I thought you were with Tyler, you were always who I pictured when I was here working on it, or when I was working on plans in Austin. We expanded the kitchen a bit, put the huge island in here, and I haven’t even shown you the master bathroom yet.”

Cassidy’s mouth formed a perfect O. “Is there a tub?” she whispered, like she was afraid there wouldn’t be.

I grinned and tugged on her long hair. “A big one.”

“Really?!” She squealed and kissed me hard. “Oh, I can’t wait to use it.”

I couldn’t wait for her to see it. She was already dreaming of soaking in it; she was going to go into shock when she saw that monster.

“I love the wraparound,” she said dreamily.

“You know, that was the last thing we built. Only added it because that night on the hill you said you wanted to live on a ranch one day and just sit on the porch during the evenings. It was so hard not to tell you right then about the house, but I was going to take you the next day before everything happened with Tyler. Now I’m kinda glad you didn’t see it before it was finished.”

She didn’t say anything, just looked at me with those whiskey eyes, and I knew without her saying the words that she loved me. It was pouring off her, and God, I loved her too.

“Now all that’s left is to go pick out furniture and make it our home.”

Cassidy’s face fell. “What about all the furniture from the town home?”

I shook my head. “I didn’t pay for that furniture. Dad did, ’cause he was trying to help me get out of the apartment. So now that Amanda’s getting out of the dorms next year and moving into an apartment, she gets all that stuff.” Amanda went to A & M, the traitor, and though I wasn’t thrilled she was gonna live with a couple roommates off campus, I’d moved into an apartment my junior year too, so it was only fair.

“Gage, is th—” She stopped suddenly and looked down at my chest.

“What, darlin’?”

“Is this really going to be
our
home? Here on the ranch?”

My heart skipped a beat. I could have sworn she’d want this. “Uh, that was the plan. I built on the ranch for a reason. I’d always planned on living here with my family. And you, Cassidy, you’re my future. I want a family with you.”

Her eyes welled with tears and she did a face-plant onto my chest.

“Cass? Darlin’, what’s wrong? Do you not like it here?”

She shook her head, but before I could feel like she’d killed my dream, she spoke up. “You don’t understand. Since we set foot on the ranch a year ago, all I’ve thought about was living here with you. It’s all I want, Gage, and I was afraid I’d never get to.”

I laughed once. “Cassidy, you scared the shit outta me. I thought you didn’t like it here or something.”

“No, no. I love it, I swear I do. I just didn’t want to get too excited about it if you weren’t sure about my living here with you.”

“I’m sure, trust me. Cassidy, if this is what you want too, then this is our future. This house, this ranch . . . it’s yours.”

“I want it! I want it so bad.”

“I’m glad, darlin’. Now, are you ready to talk about everything? Afterward, we’ll get dressed, I’ll show you the rest of the house, and we’ll go back to the main house for dinner.”

“Can you just tell me something first?” she pleaded, leaning up on one arm to peer down at me. “Are you mad at me about Connor? I can’t go through talking to you about everything else if I’m worried about the end. I need to get that out of the way first.”

I took a deep breath in and out, looked up at the skylights, and ran my hands over her back. “I’m not
mad
at you, I’m mad at him. I’m
hurt
that you kissed him back, and it hurts knowing you have those feelings for him. But you told me everything and that had to be hard, and after all is said and done, you left him and told him not to wait for you because you were coming back to me. And, darlin’, I’m not letting you go. I told Connor not to contact you again, and I don’t want you contacting him. Other than that, I’m gonna forget about Detective Connor Green.”

She nodded and pressed her lips softly to mine. “I love you, Gage Michael Carson.”

“I love you too, Cassidy Ann Jameson.” I really needed to change that last name of hers.

Chapter Seventeen

C
ASSIDY

W
E’D BEEN GONE
for almost six hours by the time we got back to the main house, and from the looks of everyone, other than little Emily, they knew exactly what we’d been doing. Or, at least, the
good
parts. Gage had ended up grabbing one of the spare shirts he always kept in his truck since the one he’d been wearing had been used as a sheet, and I saw that didn’t go unnoticed either.

John looked at me, looked over at Gage, then back to me. “Where’d you take her, Gage?”

“To our house,” he said proudly, and squeezed my hand.

John smiled big under that mustache. “What’d you think, Cass?”

I let go of Gage’s hand to run and fling my arms around John’s neck. “Thank you for my wraparound porch, and my bathtub and my kitchen.”

Everyone laughed out loud and John chuckled as he set me back down. “He sure did have a lot of changes he wanted made after he met you. I’m glad you like it.”

“I love it,” I breathed, and stepped back to Gage. “I can’t believe you’re going to let us live on your ranch though. Thank you. I seriously love it here.”

He shook his head and looked at Gage quickly before quirking a gray brow at me. “Not sure what you mean, doll; you marry Gage, this land is half yours.”

“Dinner’s ready!” Tessa called from the other side of the breakfast bar in the kitchen, and everyone began moving with the exception of Isabella.

I was still staring at John. What did he mean half mine?

Gage kissed my forehead and ushered me toward the kitchen before he went to talk to Jesse about what Isabella wanted to do for dinner. After getting her situated with food on the couch, the family brought extra chairs into the living room when the couches got full, and we all ate in there. Watching Jesse and Amanda try to be sneaky about stealing longing glances at each other had me forgetting about John’s strange comment, and I wanted desperately to ask Isabella what she thought of the two of them. I knew she’d winked that morning, but I hadn’t had a second alone with her since, and that lady didn’t need time; she just needed to see them together once and that’s all it took. Well, according to her and Jesse.

Tessa served pie and we stayed out in the living room for hours talking. It was safe to say the Carson family loved Jesse and Isabella, and they were just as taken with the Carsons. It was weird to have Tyler so comfortable around Gage and me together, but I was happy we could all be normal. Ty and I had slipped back into our friendship during the week in California, and it didn’t seem to bother Gage, just as it didn’t bother Ty to watch Gage and I kiss. It finally felt right to me, and I couldn’t have been happier.

When Emily fell asleep with her head in my lap, and Isabella couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer, the family started breaking up for the night and figuring out sleeping arrangements. And since Isabella was being put into the guest room, and no one felt comfortable leaving Jesse or Amanda alone after seeing the way they were looking at each other, I was back in a room with Amanda, and Gage was fighting with Tyler and Jesse over who was taking the bed, the couch, and the floor in his room.

I ran downstairs to grab a glass of water and found Gage’s parents talking in the kitchen. It looked like Tessa was preparing some things for the next day; I swear that woman never stopped cooking.

“Hey, sweetheart, whatcha need?” Tessa asked.

“Oh, I’m just getting some water. Do you need any help?”

“No, but can I say again that I’m so happy you’re here? You didn’t see him when he thought y’all were over. Damn near broke my heart seeing him that way, and then thinkin’ of not having you in our family . . . well, that sealed the deal and my heart did break.”

“Tessa,” I said softly, and put the empty glass down on the counter.

“No, no. Don’t go getting weepy on me. I’m thrilled as a pig in cool mud that you’re back, and I’m gonna stay that way. Now, when all our visitors are gone, you and Gage are gonna have a sit-down with me and John, and we’re gonna talk about everything that went down. But it looks like y’all worked out whatever happened, and when he showed ya the house, that told us all we need to know. Right, honey?”

“Sure did,” John agreed, and snatched a bell pepper slice.

“I’m not going anywhere again,” I said, hoping it would reassure them for now until we could have our
sit-down.

“I know, baby girl.” She smiled sweetly at me and went back to slicing.

“Hey, John? What did you mean earlier when you said that if I married Gage, half the ranch would be mine?”

His eyebrows raised and he shared a look with Tessa. “He didn’t tell you?”

I sighed deeply and hopped onto the breakfast bar. “Apparently there’s a lot he doesn’t tell me. I found out about your family helping Isabella from Jesse just last night. Gage never once mentioned it.”

John made a clicking noise with his tongue. “That’s Gage for ya. He doesn’t mind being in the background. He prefers it. As for the ranch, guess we should start back when he was fifteen. Of course Gage has been doing chores on the ranch all his life, but when he turned fifteen he started working for me. Worked harder and longer hours than any of my hired ranch hands, so he got paid same as they did and for the hours he worked. That’s how he got that truck; paid for it in cash when he turned sixteen. Other than that, he saved practically every cent. Now, when he went to school he wasn’t getting paid much because he was only home about four months out of the year, but from what he had left over, and what he hadn’t spent on the apartment he shared with y’all, he decided to put it toward something. It took almost every penny he’d saved, but he bought half the ranch and business from me. Signed his half over to him about a week before y’all showed up last year. I was sure he woulda told you then.

“So he struggled for a bit at first, but once his half of the earnings started coming in he picked his life back up and repaid me for what I’d paid to get him into the town house. As for Isabella,
I
didn’t take care of her medical bills; Gage and I did. Don’t know if Jesse knows that, don’t know if Isabella knows that, but I’d doubt it. He called to tell me what he was going to do, and knowing he was going to graduate soon and would be starting a life with you, I didn’t want him blowing all his money again, even if it was for a great reason. I knew y’all would have to furnish y’all’s house soon and other things like that, so we split it just like we split the business. As for the house, Cassi, sweetheart, you can thank me all damn day, but that house is on Gage’s half of the property. And like I said earlier, y’all get married, half this ranch will be yours until he buys the rest of it from me.”

I heard movement and I turned to see Gage leaning up against a wall not far from us. His green eyes were on me and it looked like he was fighting a smile since his dimples were showing. God, I loved those dimples.

He walked toward me and put himself between my legs, planting a hand on either side of me.

“So that’s why the town house furniture wasn’t yours . . . because you’d just bought half the ranch?” Gage just nodded so I kept talking. “Well, I have money now; I can pay for us to furnish our house.”

“Darlin’,” he said with a laugh, “I have money to furnish the house, I just didn’t a year ago. But now that half is mine, I actually make money from the business, not from working as a ranch hand. Promise you, sweetheart, it’s a lot better.” He kissed my lips softly and pulled me closer to him. “Tomorrow, we’re going to get everything we need for the house, ’cause I’m not spending another night after tonight without you.”

Tessa clucked her tongue. “You furnish that house, Gage Carson, because you’ll be stayin’ in it and Cassidy will be stayin’ here ’til y’all get married.”

Gage’s body froze and he turned his head slowly to look at his mom. Before he could say anything she spoke up again.

“And don’t try any hanky-panky either. This may be half your land now, and that may be your house. But I am your mother and I am not lettin’ no hanky-panky go on between the two of y’all before you’re wed.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I said softly.

“Mama, we’ve already been living together.”

“Nu-uh, not under my roof. And before you say that’s
your
roof, don’t think I won’t come after you with a wooden spoon, Gage Michael Carson! I don’t care if you’re grown. You’re still my son, you’re not married, and you’re gonna do right by that sweet girl. So, all funny business stops right now, you hear me?”

“Dad, is she serious?”

John shrugged. “I argue with your mama, I sleep on the couch and she doesn’t feed me. So I don’t argue with your mama.”

I laughed out loud at that, but Gage still stood there with a horrified expression. It’s not like we hadn’t gone almost two years of being in love without having sex; we could go . . . however long until we got married. I pushed on his chest. “You heard your mama, step back, no funny business.” When I finally pushed him far enough, I closed my legs so he couldn’t step back between them and gave him a sly smile.

“Knew I loved that girl for a reason,” Tessa muttered as she went back to chopping. “Got a problem with it, son, I suggest you marry her.”

“Ma, I’m gonna marry her. Y’all just aren’t giving me a second to even propose; I just got her back today. I gotta make up for two weeks of thinkin’ she was gone first before I can get my head on straight again.”

My heart fluttered at that . . .
Am I ready to marry Gage? I’m only nineteen.
But Connor was right, my life had caused me to grow up fast, and I’d never felt fully comfortable with people my age unless it was Tyler. I wasn’t looking for college experiences, clubs on the weekends and flings with random guys. I’d found everything I would ever want the day I met Gage. So was I ready to marry him? Um,
yes.
Yes, I was. I grabbed his shirt and brought him close to kiss him softly once. “Get to bed, baby, you haven’t slept in a long time. I love you, sleep well.”

He smiled that heartbreaking smile and his green eyes lit up before he touched his lips to mine again, then my forehead. With a heavy sigh and frustrated look he turned toward the living room. “You gotta be kidding me. Can’t even sleep next to my girl?” He drawled, “Mama, you better be able to get a wedding together real quick.”

“Just give me the date.”

“Like . . . yesterday,” he said, clearly still frustrated.

“Will do, honey, sleep good.” Tessa turned to wink at me and looked suspiciously at my hand. “
Did
he propose? Did I miss something?”

I shook my head twice.

“He better get on with it then. That’s gonna be one frustrated boy until y’all are married.”

I nodded my head twice.

Tessa and I looked at each other for a moment and then burst into laughter.

“At least y’all can find it funny,” John said as he snagged another bell pepper. “Poor boy’s gonna go crazy and he’s gonna be hell to work with ’til then.”

Well, we couldn’t have that, now, could we? They thought Gage couldn’t last? Hell, I wouldn’t last. Hopping off the counter, I finally got that glass of water, drank it, and cleaned the glass before hugging both of them and calling out good-nights. After getting ready for bed, I talked to Amanda about Jesse for almost an hour before she passed out and I made my way to the sofa bed in her room, so ready to sleep. It had been a long, emotional day and I was so exhausted I didn’t think I’d be able to get the covers over me.

It couldn’t have been more than a few minutes later that I was woken up by Gage crawling into bed beside me and pulling me into his arms.

“Gage, your mom—”

“Darlin’, I need you in my arms tonight. I didn’t just miss sleep last night; it’s been a long two weeks.” He kissed the top of my head softly and curled his arms tighter around me. “Night, Cass, love you,” Gage managed to mumble before he fell asleep.

Seconds later, I followed him into the best sleep of my life.

“
W
AKE UP, DARLIN’.”

I burrowed my head farther into Gage’s chest and groaned. Too. Early.

He laughed and kissed a line along my jaw. “Gotta start my day. I’ll see you when I’m done.”

“You’re leaving already?” I turned to look out the window; it was barely turning gray outside. “Mmkay, Gage. Come back soon.”

“It’ll be a short day since Isabella and Jesse are here. Just gonna feed everyone, make sure none of the cattle broke any of the fences last night, and we’ll be back.” He trailed his fingers between my thighs and kissed me thoroughly, catching my moan.

“Not nice,” I grumbled when he pulled away chuckling.

“Go back to sleep, Cassidy.”

Rolling onto my back so I could look up at him, I pulled his lips down to mine one last time. “I’ll see you when you get back.”

T
WO DAYS LATER
I was in the kitchen with Tessa and Amanda, and we’d just finished lunch and were already working on dinner and dessert. Well, Tessa and I were; Amanda was focused on her phone. Ever since Isabella and Jesse had gone home yesterday morning, I hadn’t seen her set her phone down once. I’d finally gotten to have that talk with Isabella, and before I even got the full question out she was already answering.

“Oh, darling girl, I just knew I would see him find his other half before I went. I can now die knowing he’ll be taken care of.”

It seemed kind of morbid, but Isabella was thrilled, so I kept the smile plastered to my face. Later that day I’d accidently walked in on Jesse and Amanda making out in the laundry room. They were so into each other they didn’t even notice me walk in or step back out. But that night sure as hell was awkward, and they noticed that. I’d fallen asleep after spending another hour talking to Amanda about Jesse and was expecting to be woken up by Gage crawling into bed with me again as he had the night before. I’d been woken up by Gage all right, just not by his getting in the bed.

“
W
HAT THE FUCK?
Get off my sister!” Gage’s voice boomed through the room.

I sat up quickly in bed, just in time to see Jesse scramble off Amanda’s bed and Amanda looking mortified that her big brother had just caught her. I scanned both of them and saw their clothes were on and mostly straight, so they couldn’t have been doing much of anything.