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nervous animal.

As they crested a hill, they both groaned simultaneously at the

view in front of them. What should have been a trickling creek

leading to a small pond was now a raging river torrent, complete with

white water rapids, and trees floating in it.

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“Holy shit,” he murmured.

“I’ve never seen anything like this. It’s got to be a hundred yards

across,” Lauren groaned. “If the low-lying areas all look like this, the

whole town of Montford might be washed away by morning.”

“We’ve got to get back to the ranch and let Bran know what’s

happening.”

“He’s already dealing with flooding from the river.”

“Yeah, but if the water keeps rising at this rate, he’s going to

have bigger problems on his hands than the Blue,” Vin said, trying to

keep the concern out of his voice. Like Lauren, he’d never seen the

water this high in his life. They’d had wet seasons, and even some

flooding over the thirty plus years he’d lived at Crawley Creek, but

nothing this devastating. “I’m guessing the water’s already overtaken

a few of the back cabins.”

“Destiny said it was only up to her doorstep before.” Lauren

remarked. The wind made her words sound far away as they rode at a

much quicker pace in the direction of the main house.

“Yeah, but we’ve had at least four more inches of rain since

then, and that lake back there assures me that we’re going to have

damage. It’s unavoidable.”

“What about Munchkin?” She turned her head to meet his gaze.

Sorrow filled her chocolate-brown eyes, and she turned back without

him having to respond. Obviously, she’d realized the answer to her

own question. There wasn’t anything they could do to help the lost

cow at the moment without putting themselves at risk. No matter how

much Drannon loved his pet, he’d never expect anyone to sacrifice

their safety to retrieve it.

The lights of Crawley Creek were a welcome sight as they rode

into the yard, but Vin turned Toto in the opposite direction of the

barn.

“What are you doing?” Lauren protested. “We need to call

Bran.”

“First we need to see how high the water is out back. We may be

able to figure out a temporary dam, or divert it somehow…” His

words drifted off when Toto balked about halfway down the lane

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Lori King

between the cabins. In front of them, water spread as far as the eye

could see.

Out of the thirteen guest cabins on the ranch, Vin counted only

six on high enough ground untouched by the floodwaters so far. The

damage was much more extensive than he’d imagined.

Hearing Lauren sniffle, he wrapped one arm around her middle

and hugged her tight. “I can’t believe what I’m seeing,” she said, her

voice shaky with her tears.

“Me, either.” He turned Toto around and nudged him into a trot

toward the barn. Once inside the warm interior, Vin jumped down

and turned to lift Lauren from the saddle. Tears were still pouring

down her cheeks, and he pulled her into a tight embrace. “Don’t cry,

sweetheart. We’ll figure it all out. We just have to have faith that

things will work out. Look at the bright side; if we have to evacuate

the ranch right now it won’t be as difficult. Half the population is out

of town.”

She let out a half-laugh half-sob, and shook her head. “I’m not

sure that’s a bright side.”

“Sunshine, remember? Sera always said there’s always sunshine

behind every rain cloud.” He tipped her chin so that he could brush

his lips over hers, and then released her. “Why don’t you go inside

and fill the others in while I dry Toto out. I want to check him over

for injuries after being out in the hail.”

She nodded, and without a word, disappeared out the barn door

into the darkness. Left with only his own fragmented emotions, and

an exhausted horse, he set himself to work. He was determined to be

the glue that held Crawley Creek together in this natural disaster.

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By the time Vin finished in the barn and came into the house,

Lauren had managed to fill in Destiny, Marilyn, and Jeanette, as well

as call the sheriff’s office with a report of the high waters. The ladies

were seated at the kitchen island with mugs of coffee and hot cocoa,

and Marilyn rose immediately to offer him one.

“No, thanks. I think I want a hot shower followed by a beer,” he

said with a wry grin. Glancing at Lauren, he was disappointed to find

her already showered and changed into a pair of soft-looking, gray

pants and a long-sleeve t-shirt. He’d held out a slight hope that she’d

be joining him in his ablutions, but clearly, their intimate interlude

was over for the moment. “What did Bran say?”

“I didn’t get ahold of him directly. I talked to Tiffany Clark, and

she said she’d radio Bran.” Lauren explained, cupping her mug in her

hands and sipping the warm brew.

“Tiffany? What was she doing answering Bran’s phone?”

Lauren shrugged, but Marilyn answered, “She’s been seeing that

deputy, Thomas Whitaker. My guess is he got called in to help with

the flood, and Tiffany’s helping out by manning the phones.”

Vin nodded his understanding. It was the way of things in a

small town. Everyone pitched in when there was an emergency.

Turning away, he took a few steps in the direction of his old room

before looking back over his shoulder. The fact that he caught Lauren

watching him walk away made his heart skip a beat, and he took a

chance.

“Hey Lauren, can I talk to you for a minute?”

Lori King

Her cheeks grew pink, and she hesitated, drawing curious looks

from the other three ladies. When she realized she was the center of

attention, she jumped to her feet. “Sure.”

Waiting there in the hallway for her, he watched her curvy body

sway with each movement, and his cock thickened behind the wet

denim of his jeans. Cursing the unforgiving material, he reached out

once she was close enough and took her hand, pulling her along with

him to his room.

“What is it?” she demanded as she followed him into his room.

Her eyes bounced around the stacks of boxes and grew wide. “Are

you moving?”

“Only to one of the cabins. With Drannon and Lacy getting

married, and Roman living with Franki now, Hawke and I decided it

was time to move out of the main house.” He reached over his head

to tug his shirt off. Turning back around to face her, he grinned when

her pupils dilated at the sight of his bare chest.

“Oh, that’s, um, great. Probably time to have your own space,”

she mumbled, taking a step backwards toward the bedroom door. She

seemed surprised to find it closed and turned an accusing glare his

way.

Stalking her way with slow, even steps, he felt his smile grow

wider at the nervous way she nibbled her lip and the tension in her

muscles. He stopped just a few inches away from her, and waited for

her to meet his eyes.

“Are you ready to talk about what happened?” he prodded. “Or

are we going to keep avoiding the subject.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Avoiding is good.”

“Good for what?”

“My sanity,” she muttered. “Look, Vinnie, I don’t know what

happened out there—”

“We made love,” he responded, cutting her off.

“Whatever you want to call it, we can’t let it happen again.

Especially with me leaving soon for home.”

“This is your home.”

She rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean.”

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“You mean you regret tonight?” He inched closer, pinning her

against the bedroom door, and he noted her pulse jump in her throat.

Pressing his groin tighter against her stomach, he rocked in a slow

thrusting motion that made her eyes glassy. “Are you telling me you

don’t want this?”

“I didn’t say that, but I don’t want you to feel obligated to—”

His reaction was instantaneous, and when he thought about it

later, he couldn’t even remember making a conscious decision to

move. Without giving her a chance to finish her statement, he had her

in his arms and pinned against the door with her legs around his hips.

Grinding his cock into the split of her thighs, he pressed his nose into

her neck and growled, “Does that feel obligated to you?”

She was panting for air as desire rippled through them both, and

he nipped at her jawline. “How about instead of you trying to find an

escape route, we both just enjoy the time we have together. Stop

thinking so much.”

“I can’t,” she whispered.

“You can’t what?”

“Do this. You. Me. Us. I can’t let you go again. I barely survived

the last time.” She was crying again, and as much as he hated to see

her crying, he was intrigued by her words.

“Why do you think you have to let me go?” He stroked her hair

away from her face so that he could see her eyes. “Why can’t we just

be?”

~ ~ ~ ~

Lauren wanted to agree. No, she wanted him to make her submit

so that, later, she could blame him for her broken heart. That would

make it easier to walk away from him and back to her life in

Arkansas.

“Vin, please!” She cringed internally as the huskiness of her

voice.

He thrust his groin against hers and she moaned. “Is this all you

want from me, Lauren? My cock? I want so much more from you.”

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Shaking her head, she tried to tamp down the building inferno

between her legs and concentrate.

“I want everything you have to give. Even the parts you don’t

want me to see. I want you to let go of your anger, and start over with

me. I want you to admit that you fucking loved what we did back

there in the woods, and beg me to do it again.” Every word sent

waves of lust washing over her, and she felt her traitorous body

respond, arching into him and grinding back.

Vin held her in place by balancing her ass on one of his muscular

forearms, while he shoved his other hand down the front of her

pajama pants. The sudden move startled her, but it sent her body

catapulting over the edge of no return when his thick finger thrust

into her slick folds.

“Oh, my God!” she whimpered, clawing at his shoulders for

some sort of stability as her world rocked.

“That’s a girl. Tell me how much you love having me in your

pussy. You don’t care if it’s my dick, or my finger, or my fucking

tongue. You need me to fill you up.”

His dirty words echoed in her brain, and she clenched her eyes

closed as her vision blurred. His callused fingertip scraped over her

swollen clit once, twice, and then…she exploded. Body bouncing

against his as her orgasm slammed into her, she had no control over

the way she trapped his hand between her thighs and rode his fist to

the end.

“Holy fuck, you’re a goddess,” he growled, easing her feet to the

ground so that he could reach for his own zipper. In a flash he was

pulling his cock out, and shoving her pants down to her knees.

It all happened so fast that she didn’t have time to second-guess

her decision. All she knew was that she wanted to experience the

completely full feeling that only Vin could give her. Following his

lead, she let him turn her so that her ass presented itself to his waiting

cock. Stroking the head of his member up and down her dripping

opening, he reached under her and cupped her braless breast in his

hand, pinching the nipple hard.

“Tell me you want it, Lauren. Say the words.”

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“Please…” she whispered.

He held completely still with just the tip of his cock inside her

pussy, “What was that?”

“Vin, please, fuck me!” she ground out.

“No,” he said firmly, maintaining a level of control that pissed

her off.

“What the fuck do you mean, no?”

“I won’t ever fuck you, baby. The magic between us could never

be called something so callous.”

Confused, she looked back over her shoulder at him. She was

surprised by the level of emotion staring back at her.

He pushed forward another inch, and she gasped. “I’m going to

make love to you. I’m going to love you so hard that it leaves an

imprint on your soul.”

With that, he shoved himself balls-deep inside her tight pussy,

and they both groaned together. He stretched her so perfectly, and the

way his dick curved upwards, every stroke teased a secret spot inside

her instead of slamming into it outright so the buildup was steadier