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onto the mattress, he hurled himself between my legs, parting my thighs with brute movements.
    My inner fire went from balmy to scorching hot when he hiked up my gown and slipped into me. My insides stretched around his imaginary hardness, rocketing sharp satisfaction into my brain.
    I couldn't ignore my animal side, my ballooning lusts. I whipped my face up to his hard, bare chest, worshiping his rocky muscles with my tongue.
    He fucked me just as I demanded – like a huge hammer falling on an anvil. And, best of all, he didn't stop.
    Not until I'd been crushed beneath his bulk, crammed to my very depths with his glorious fullness.
    We came together, screaming with the bed springs. Ethan's tanned face contorted, and mine soon followed with its own burst of ecstasy.
    His masculine groans growled like river rapids, drowning out everything, overwhelming me.
    Then my rebellious mind shifted, changing everything.
    I wandered along the side of a dark road, following a familiar dirt path flanked by stray weeds.
    A short, but strong figure twitched on the ground. I looked up, following the direction of his dim terror – just in time to see a huge SUV rolling toward him.
    I screamed with my Pa as the vehicle barreled forward, one front tire aimed menacingly at his neck.
    Mercifully, I didn't hear the final sound that choked off his screams forever.
    I lurched up in bed, bathed in baby blue twilight seeping in through the brittle blinds. Wiping my brow, I let my feet fall to the cold wooden floor.
    It was too close to sunup to bother trying to get back to sleep.
    A cool shower helped awaken me, banishing the frightful dreams for good. I craned my head up toward the refreshing ice bullets, ignoring the hot wetness still blazing between my legs.
    II: Blood Money
    “Yes, yes. Just make sure the guys get their checks. I'll make a decision about keeping the same payroll system next week.”
    I hung up on the accounting firm with an angry tap of my finger. With a dozen things going on, there wasn't any time to use the landline and allow it to keep me chained in the kitchen.
    I'd resorted to using my own phone to manage all the calls as I hauled tail around Nichols Ranch, probably depleting my precious monthly minutes in the process.
    I'd stopped to catch my breath near the old fence. Had it really been three days since I'd taken over running the place full time?
    It felt like three weeks. Long enough to make me regret my degree in meteorology.
    I wished I'd gotten something more practical instead, like courses in business or agriculture. The glamor had worn off before I'd even completed my program. If I had another year to go, I don't think I could've finished my degree.
    Truthfully, I did it for him. Sure, I started out as a bright eyed student, ready to tackle the world and become an expert on my field.
    By the end, I did it for Pa. He'd always talked about how amazing it would be if I were the first in the family to get a degree.
    Given recent events, I was glad I didn't take that away from him.
    In the distance, my eyes caught the sun's blinding reflection shining off his roadside cross.
    My heart swelled with sadness, but only for a second. My phone blipped, announcing a new text message.
    I recognized Jimmy's simple text-speak right away. Exhaling sharply, I made my way behind the barn where he needed me, passing a couple younger guys who'd taken a break from the cattle pen.
    “Hey! Miss Nichols...”
    “Dean, right?” I stopped and squinted, noticing that the gangly man's posture seemed like he wanted to give me more than a friendly hello.
    “Yeah.” He paused, smiling awkwardly. “Sure hate to tell you this, but one of the big bulls got out this morning while we were moving 'em for inventory.”
    I cleared my throat loudly. He threw his hands up defensively while his partner gave me a crooked smile.
    “We've got three guys after him. Should be able to hunt him down before he strays too far. I'm real sorry about all this.