Breathe for Me (The Langston Brothers Duet #1)

by Brittany Ann

“And you fucking liked it,” I returned, gripping her chin and pulling her towards me. “Maybe I shouldn’t have,” she murmured. “Maybe,”

She shook her head. “Denver, I have to go home and take care of my mom.” I’ll take care of her, and you. Both of you, baby. Just let me. I didn’t say that. I couldn’t say that. It was too soon. Fuck it.

“Baby, you aren’t leaving. The second I pinned you to my barn, you felt this.”

“What is this?” she cried. She looked away from me. “This,”

“is you and I being drawn to each other. This is me wanting you in my life, in my bed. This is you being a good daughter and fighting for your mom. This is us giv...

“I’m sorry I insulted you. I’m sorry I doubted you when that bastard hurt you, took away your livelihood, and then I had the audacity to assume you still worked for him…after everything that you had gone through the night before,...

“Give me a week.” “A week?” “Help me get Tim fucking Moonie out of Colorado.” “And after we do that?”

“God, fuck—if I leave, will you be here when I get back?” I asked her, growling in frustration. “I...” “Val, I got a man down there who needs me,” I reminded her. She nodded. I almost smiled. Almost. God, I wanted her mouth again. So, I took it. My tongue swept inside her sweet mouth, and I groaned at the taste. When I broke the kiss, her eyes were hooded, her flush intensified. Enchanting. “Be back. Stay in the house,” I ordered, leaving her in the room.

“You know what you’re doing with her?” Mags asked. “Not a fucking clue,” I found myself saying, putting on my hat. “Jesus,” he muttered. Exactly. I untied Ranger and mounted him. I looked down at my friend, being real with him. “I don’t know what I’m doing, man. All I know is that I didn’t like seeing her walk away from me.” “You’re talking like she’s yours,” he said, stepping down from the porch. I turned Ranger to face the barn and looked at Mags over my shoulder. “That’s because she is.” Valerie was mine, whether she liked it or not. She was mine.

My heart.

“Is the pretty lady still here?” My lips twitched. “Yeah, son.” “Cool!

Caleb called out for me, and my soul liked that: a child’s voice echoing through this big, beautiful home calling out for me. I’d met him in the middle of the stairs, and I was stunned when his little arms wrapped around me, as much as they could. Instinctively, my hands went to the back of his head, holding him to me.

Oh my heart.

I told her that I was set to leave, that Denver came rushing up to me on his horse and kissed me. I told her he wanted me to stay. I did not, in fact, tell her that he pressed me up against the door and made my body come alive while calling me “Enchantress.” No, that I would keep to myself.

“Mom, he is the single most beautiful man I have ever seen,” I admitted, picking at my dress. It was a pale purple, almost lilac, but not quite. There were no buttons down the middle. Instead, the fabric was dotted with tiny white daisies. It was cute. Feminine. I loved it.

“Now, you go and live, Val. I got your mom. Take the job. Whatever that man is offering, take it. He sounds fine. Too damn fine, if you ask me. A man like that running up to me on a horse, kissing me, and telling me to stay? Mmm…I like that.”

Same Jackie, same.

He looked like he didn’t like what he was seeing. “Mags,” Lance warned.

“You're Denver’s, darlin’.” My heart skipped a beat, maybe two…No, at this point, it might be suffering from cardiac arrest. You're Denver’s, darlin’.

“Mason Langston can go fuck himself and if he ever steps foot on Hallow Ranch again, I’ll kill him.”

“I know you saw us that night, darlin’. I know you witnessed Denver in the alley. What he did to protect you...any man in his right mind would’ve done that.” “Lance—” “Not gonna hurt you. No one is. You aren’t the enemy anymore, Moonie is. You are Denver’s, which means you are family,”

“I-I-you don’t know me.” “Denver does,” he returned, stepping away from me. I shook my head. “We barely know each other. This is crazy.” He smiled again, stopping at the steps. “Life usually is, Valerie. Gotta live it.”

“Valerie.” I blinked; my thoughts of Moonie were pushed away by gray smoke. Denver was standing in the living room entryway. His dark washed Wranglers were dirty, along with his black shirt. He still had his hat on, probably just to torture me.

“Been busy, baby,” he murmured. “Hi,” I breathed.

“I’m sorry,” I said. He looked back at me, confusion masking his handsome, dark features. “I don’t—I don’t really…” I trailed off.

“Why in the hell are you apologizing?”

“I don’t know, really. I just felt like I should apologize.”

“If you’re apologizing for not giving me a fucking kiss, then I’ll accept it, but for anything else, no. There’s no need to apologize, Val.” I blinked. “Kiss you?” He cocked his head to the right, his eyes dropping to my lips. “Yeah,”

“I did kiss you—” “Baby, I just got done with a long day of work. You sit on my couch in a pretty dress, I’m going to want a kiss.”

On the floor

“What are we doing, Denver?” “Fuck if I know, but damn, it feels good.”

He tasted like pine, sunshine, and mint. My arms wrapped around his neck and his hands dropped down my waist, squeezing me. He was covered in dirt, having spent the afternoon outside sweating, and I couldn’t get enough. I whimpered, sticking my tongue out, brushing his lips lightly. I didn’t know what the hell I was doing, but I wanted to try to please him—to learn. To live.

“Want you on my lap,”

“Now,” he growled, attempting to pull me down further. I put my hands on his shoulders and shook my head. His features softened. “What’s going on? Am I hurting you?”

“No, no, it’s not that,” I said, my voice quiet. “What is it, baby?” He was being gentle and soft again. My stomach flipped as I looked away from him. “I don’t—I don’t want to crush you,” I admitted. His hand cupped my face and turned me back to face him. “Crush me?” he repeated in disbelief. I gestured down to my body. “I’m not a dainty little woman. I’m—” “I am two hundred and eighty pounds,” he deadpanned. I stared as he continued, pulling off his hat and setting it down on the cushion beside us. “I’m six foot seven, baby. I’m a big man.”

Alexa, play Big Boy

“That has—” “You enchant me,” he said, cutting me off. The hand in my hair pulled me towards him and my hands slid down to his chest. “Enchantress, I can handle you. I was born to handle a woman like you, perfect for me.”

“My boy is going to be home in just a few minutes, and then I have to make dinner for you both. But right now, I want to kiss the fucking shit out of you with your little pussy pressed against my jeans.”

“That’s it. Rub that needy pussy on me,” he ordered gruffly before he moved to my shoulder, pulling the strap of my dress down, pressing hot kisses against my skin. I ground against his erection, suddenly regretting putting on new panties earlier. His hands on my ass guided me, helping me move back and forth against him. “Oh,” I moaned. His hands came up my back and he pulled away from me. My eyes met his just as he yanked the fabric of my dress down further, exposing my breast. “Enchantress,” he whispered. Then, his mouth was on my nipple, sucking long, hard and so deep that my panties were soaked. “Denver!”

“Thanks for the kiss, baby.” Then he winked—winked.

Shocked because I didn’t think a man like Denver had a playful side. Aroused because…duh. Scared because when he walked away from me, he took my heart with him. She wasn’t soaring in the skies of love anymore. She was in his hands.

“No, baby. Don’t you need to call your mom?” I asked, holding her gaze. I watched as the green of her eyes flared slightly at the mention of her mother. It wasn’t with anger, though. It was something else. “Why…” she trailed off, struggling to find the right thing to say. “Val, you always call your mom around this time. I also know you call her in the morning, too. If you need to call, and check in, go ahead,”

“I got dinner.” “I’m not used to being taken care of like this,”

“I know you aren’t, Val. I’m going to change that.” She took a step forward. “I would like to help with dinner, please.” A chuckle left me. “That’s cute, but no.”

“Val, cut that shit out,” I warned. She blinked and met my eyes, confusion dancing in hers. “Stop looking at my mouth like that.” “I don’t think I’ve seen you smile before,” she murmured. “You just chuckled, and I saw a bit of it, but it was gone before I could enjoy it.”

“What did I do?” I asked. “You fucking choked her!” All heads snapped up the porch. Beau was standing there, fuming, his blue eyes pinned on me. Choked her? Choked who— Valerie.

There were so many emotions running through me right now. Beau was being the man he was—kind of man I respected—but he was blocking me from my Enchantress. That was just pissing me off. “Move, or I’ll move you.” He raised his chin. “You put your hands on her,” he hissed.

The door behind Beau cracked open, and over his shoulder, I saw her step out. Her pretty dress seemed duller now. My eyes immediately went to her neck. It was red—dark red. I shoved Beau out of the way and went to her. My men were on my heels, staying close to protect her, and fuck, that made me feel good, knowing they would protect her, even from me.

My hands cupped her face in an instant, my thumbs brushing over her reddened cheeks. She wasn’t crying, but there was uncertainty in her eyes. I didn’t like it, but somehow, I knew it wasn’t fe...

“Den,” she whispered, her eyes scanning mine. “Fuck,” I groaned, pulling her to my chest. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her to me. Slowly, tentatively, her arms slide up to wrap around my shoulders. My eyes closed, and I focused on her warmth, her steady breaths.

I put my hands on her. Fuck. I put my God damn hands on her. Suddenly, I wanted to chop them off. I didn’t deserve to touch her, to feel her softness, my skin burning against hers. I was waiting for her to say it, to tell my son I am nothing but a monster. A worthless man.

“I have a mild allergy. They just turn my skin red.” Shrugged. “Okay. Well, no more blueberries, okay? I don’t like that,” he declared. Me either, son. She nodded. “No more blueberries,” she promised.

“Yeah! Valerie, do you want to come?” She put her hand on his shoulder. “Your dad was going to cook me dinner, so I’m going to pass this time.” He shrugged. “That’s probably best. Between Mags and I, there won’t be any leftovers. Beau eats all the dessert.”

“Denver,” I called. “Don’t,” he said, his throat working. I stepped closer to him, closing the distance between us. There was only an inch between our bodies now, much like this morning, like earlier on the couch. “Talk to me,” I begged.

“Honey,” I whispered. “You were right to try and leave this morning.” Each one of his words sliced through me, my throat was getting tight, this time, it wasn’t his smoke choking me. It was fear. Fear that I let myself believe I could have something good. Fear that this wasn’t real, like my heart wanted it to be. Fear that my soul would never heal from this.