Running Free (Woodland Creek)(28)



I like her and want to spend every waking moment learning every single puzzle piece that is her and putting it where it goes in my heart.

She’s my hádanka.

And Mom would have adored her.

“It’s just over here,” I tell her as we emerge from the woods and I guide her to a soft, grassy area near the edge of Woodland Pond.

The backpack I had filled with some shit I grabbed from the house weighs heavy on my shoulders so when we stop, I slide it to the grass.

“Close your eyes,” I instruct.

Her eyes lift to the bright, yellow moon and she groans. “Fine. But I hate surprises.”

I grin at her and wait for her to obey me before I pull out all of my props. The plush blanket took up most of the space in the backpack and once I unfold it and stretch it out over the earth, I dig around in the bag until I find a bottle of wine and sandwiches I made.

“Okay, open.”

Her lips draw up into a cute grin and I mentally pat myself on the back.

“Thought it was time to take my woman on a romantic date,” I tell her with a shrug.

A dark eyebrow arches up and she smirks. “Your woman, huh?”

We settle on the blanket next to each other and I peck her on the cheek. “Yep. Now, I hope you like peanut butter and jelly.”

She giggles and it scares off an animal nearby in the woods. “Wine and sandwiches. Do those even go together?”

“They do now.”

Since I have to go back to work, I only have a few sips of wine from the bottle. She takes several more swallows than me while we munch on the food. Eventually, after we’ve downed half the bottle between us, she stretches out on her back and stares up at the sky.

“You ever wonder if there’s more out there than what you know?” she questions, a hint of sadness tinging her words.

I lie down beside her and rest on my clasped hands behind my head. “Like aliens?”

She scoffs. “No, not aliens. You know, um, like vampires?”

Her tone is cautious and it confuses me. Rolling over, I pin her with a questioning stare. She’s still looking at the full moon as if it possesses all the secrets of the world.

“Are you afraid I’m going to suck your blood?” I question with a wink.

She swats at me and I easily grab her hand, pinning it to the blanket beside her.

“No, I don’t believe in vampires,” I tell her finally. Her face falls and for a moment I wonder if she is one. But I know better and throw her the bone she wants. “But I believe there’s stuff out there we don’t understand.”

My answer suffices for now and she graces me with a smile.

“I like you, Gun.”

“I like you too, hádanka.”

Her eyes light up at the pet name which causes my heart to tighten in my chest. My thoughts drift back to my mother and I can’t help but wish that she were here so she could meet her. They’re cut from the same good, kind cloth. Frankie is a woman who would make for a fine wife one day. And despite Carla ruining our marriage with her infidelity, I’m not afraid to marry again in due time. Sometimes your heart latches onto someone else and it takes a while for the rest of you to catch up. Right now, every bit of my heart is latched onto Frankie. She feels it too but seems to be more cautious, almost in denial, and that makes me all the more determined.

“I need to get back,” she murmurs, her voice thick with need. She doesn’t want to go but she’s saying what she has to. The look in her eye is begging me to ask her to stay with me. What sort of man would I be if I didn’t give my woman what she wanted?

“Stay, Frankie. Just a little longer.”

Her mouth quirks into a sweet smile but once I slip my hand under her shirt, her smile falls. I keep my fingers running circles around her belly button while I soak in every beautiful expression on her face.

“Make love to me, Gunnar.”

My hand slides up her belly and I cup her tit. Once again, she’s not wearing a bra. And I almost go mental knowing she was in the bar around all those motherf*ckers without a goddamned bra on.

“Jesus, woman. Why in the hell aren’t you wearing a bra to work?” I demand.

Her eyes pop open and she glares at me. “I thought guys were into that kind of thing.”

Giving her nipple a pinch that causes her to gasp, I growl. “Exactly and all those idiots have probably been lusting after you. You’re mine, hádanka.”

She whimpers when I pinch it again, this time harder.

“They don’t fit,” she explains with a huff. “I’m in—I’m in—I’m going to start my period in a few days if you must know and my boobs are swollen.”

I remember when I was married to Carla that sometimes her tits would swell a little but not to the point of not being able to wear bras.

“I want to see them. Take off your shirt.”

She rolls her eyes but peels the shirt from her body, baring her spectacular tits to me. “There. You happy now? You’re a bossy human.”

A bossy human.

Her eyes widen until I burst into a fit of hysterical laughter. “Bossy human. You’re too much, Frankie,” I tell her as my mouth finds her nipple. I suck on the chilled pebble and gently bite it. “Now, get naked. This bossy human wants to mark his woman before she goes back to work all braless and shit.”

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