“Keep your eyes to yourself, Lucas.”
He shrugged. “Just trying to understand what you see in her. She’s kind of fat.”
I’d punched him before I even realized what I was doing. Lucas reeled back and tripped over a tree root that stuck out of the ground. “Fuck off.”
I headed in Elizabeth’s direction, where she was standing and watching me with her hand across her stomach. I knelt in front of her so I could press my lips to her belly. “I have to go up and see about an escaped cow. Will you be okay here for a couple of hours? I’ll come back just as soon as I can.”
She ran her fingers through my hair and nodded. “Of course. You don’t need company, though?”
I grazed her breasts on my way up, just to tease her, and growled when I heard her intake of breath. I wanted to throw her on top of one of the picnic tables and take her then and there. “I wish I could justify making you trek up the side of a mountain, but I can’t. You can keep me company later tonight, though.”
Her grin said she’d be glad to. “Be careful.”
I kissed her on the forehead and then hurried off towards my truck.
CHAPTER 16: Elizabeth
The sun was high in the sky and the BBQ was well underway when things went a little haywire. Carolyn and Bailey made me feel more than welcome. They treated me so well that I was starting to feel a little guilty for taking up all of their time. When they both had to go and check on stuff in the kitchen, I made my way to the drinks table and grabbed a bottle of water.
I’d been introduced to Alex’s brothers very briefly when we’d arrived. They’d seemed distant and cold, without one ounce of the warmth that Carolyn, Bailey, and Alex seemed to possess. When I spotted the oldest one, Matt, approaching, I quickly turned and attempted to get away.
As my luck would have it, he was just as freakishly tall as Alex and easily caught up to me. He lightly grasped my arm and pulled me to a stop. “Where are you off to, Beth?”
I frowned. Sam had been the only person to ever call me Beth and I hated it.
“Elizabeth. And I was just going to see if your mom needs any help in the kitchen.”
“She doesn’t. I was hoping to catch you without Alex hovering over you.”
A pit formed in my stomach but I tried to contain it. “Why?”
He frowned. “Well, I just wanted to make sure you’re okay with everything. It’s not every day that a woman agrees to become a mother just to help a guy take over his dead father’s ranch.”
I balled my hands into fists and looked around. “What are you talking about?”
He acted like he was shocked. “You don’t know?! Oh, no. This is crazy. I was sure you were in on it with Alex…”
I felt the urge to punch him, but contained it.
“Spit it out.”
“Our Dad wrote it into his will that the first son to have an heir gets the entire ranch. You’re a little money pot, Beth. You and that little bear in you. You’re bringing a huge fortune to Alex. It’s no wonder he’s been giving you sweet looks. I can just see the dollar signs in his eyes.”
I didn’t buy into it for a second. I’d talked a little bit to Carolyn about her husband. She told me that when it’s right, it’s right. She’d been drawn to her husband the same way that that I was drawn to Alex. Unexplainably. Inexplicably. Unrelentingly. As crazy as it was that I’d stumbled upon Alex, it was right.
“Does your ass get jealous of the shit that comes out of your mouth? If you’re going to bully someone, I suggest you don’t try to pull it on a girl who grew up in the streets of DC. Now, I’m going to excuse myself. Good luck with everything.”
I walked away from him and headed in the direction that I’d seen Alex go. I needed to see him.
It’d been a while since he’d left and I figured he’d be on his way back before too long. I’d just meet him on the road.
I hiked up the road and found Alex’s truck parked off to the side. His clothes were thrown on the hood of the truck and my heart began racing in my chest. What could he be doing that required him to take all of his clothes off?
With images of him having sex with someone against a tree, I let my pregnancy hormones drive me. I crept through the woods, deciding that I was going to catch him in the act. I’d been so sure of our connection just minutes before, and there I was, creeping through the woods in an effort to catch him with his pants down. Off. His pants were off.
I heard movement up ahead and stepped behind a big tree. I knew I looked crazy and I felt it even more so, but something wasn’t right.
After a few seconds, I peeked my head around the tree and screamed for all I was worth. Standing less than six feet from me was the biggest bear I’d ever seen. Not that I’d ever seen a bear face to face.