Love on the Free Side Read online

  Table of Contents

  Excerpt

  Other Mariah Ankenman titles

  Love on the Free Side

  Copyright

  Dedications

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Epilogue

  A word about the author…

  Thank you for purchasing this publication of The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

  “I’m sorry. Did that hurt?”

  Alcohol could sting like a son of a gun, but his gaze didn’t reveal pain, but heat. She couldn’t help her eyes widen with shock. That same raging fire she remembered from so long ago burned from his dark brown eyes. All of it aimed right at her.

  Oh no. No, no, no, no!

  “Th-there. You’re all set.” Ducking her head, she busied herself with putting away the first aid supplies, hoping he’d leave without saying anything.

  “Jamie.”

  So much for hoping.

  “We need to talk about—”

  “No.” She cut him off, raising her head to glare. “We don’t need to talk. About anything.”

  His brow furrowed, gaze darkening. “Yes, I think we do. What happened between us—”

  “Is in the past,” she interrupted once again. “Let’s leave it there.” Heaven knew she sure as heck didn’t want to wade through that heartbreak again. “I’m your boss, and you’re my employee. For now, we’re just coworkers.”

  His jaw clenched, battered hands curling into fists. Rising from his chair, he leaned down until he was inches from her face. Warm, coffee-scented breath caressed her cheeks, teasing her lips, making her ache to feel his mouth on hers again.

  “Fine, you are the boss, but we are more than just coworkers. We have a past, Jamie, and you can’t pretend it never happened. Pretend we never happened.”

  Other Mariah Ankenman titles

  available from The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

  Peak Town Colorado Series:

  Love the Sweet Side

  Love on the Wild Side

  Love on the Risky Side

  Love on the Forbidden Side

  *

  Daemon Uprising (2013 RWA Golden Heart® finalist)

  Daemon Deception

  Love on the

  Free Side

  by

  Mariah Ankenman

  Peak Town Colorado, Book 5

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  Love on the Free Side

  COPYRIGHT © 2018 by Mariah Ankenman

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press, Inc. except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  Contact Information: [email protected]

  Cover Art by Kristian Norris

  The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

  PO Box 708

  Adams Basin, NY 14410-0708

  Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com

  Publishing History

  First Yellow Rose Edition, 2018

  Print ISBN 978-1-5092-1921-6

  Digital ISBN 978-1-5092-1922-3

  Peak Town Colorado, Book 5

  Published in the United States of America

  Dedications

  To you, the reader.

  Thank you for letting Peak Town come to life

  in your mind and heart.

  *

  And to my Prince Charming for…everything.

  Prologue

  Jamie Thompson downshifted on the bumpy dirt road. Her father’s twenty-year-old pickup truck handled the uneven street with practiced ease. Anticipation drummed in her chest as she got closer to her destination. The racing of her heart reminded her of a good ride on a feisty stallion.

  Rolling down the window, she inhaled the mild spring breeze as it whipped tendrils of chestnut brown hair across her cheek. The thin strands tickled her skin, adding to her giddiness.

  “Calm down, Jamie,” she told herself in the silent cab; the poor radio had died long ago. “It’s only been a few months since you’ve seen him.”

  But a few months without Antonio Ortiz felt like a lifetime. Funny, considering she had only known Tony a little over a year now, a year of flirty glances, amazing conversations, and some semi-serious hanky-panky. They hadn’t gone all the way yet, but all that would change tonight.

  Eagerness rushed through her body like hot chocolate on a cold winter day. Tonight was definitely the night she and Tony would take their relationship to the next level.

  She was ready.

  A snort of laughter bubbled out of her. She better be ready. At nineteen with almost a full year of college under her belt, she would bet her boots she was the oldest virgin in Peak Town, Colorado.

  “Not for long. Tonight is the night.” Her words carried on the wind as she pulled the truck onto the old Dunn ranch.

  She parked next to the large oak at the edge of the property. Turning off the ignition, she quickly hopped out, a frantic kind of energy humming through her veins.

  The sun had already begun its descent behind the tall mountain peaks, but the dimming light still allowed her visibility to see the familiar tall figure leaning against the large tree. A wide smile curved his lips, revealing twin cheek dimples that never failed to make her heart skip a beat.

  “Tony.”

  “Hola, bonita.” The smooth rumble of his softly spoken Spanish caused a flood of desire to rise.

  Oh yeah, tonight is perfect. No more waiting.

  The past year at Harvard had been more difficult than she expected. She deserved a break and—her gaze ate up the sexy man in front of her—a reward. Crossing the last few feet separating them, she flew into his open arms. As always, he greeted her with a toe-curling kiss.

  No one kissed like Tony. True, she didn’t have many kisses to compare, but she doubted she would ever find anyone as skilled. His lips caressed hers with a gentle force. He took and gave with such exquisite dexterity. It was all she could do to stay on her feet and not melt into a puddle.

  When they pulled apart, they were both breathing heavily. His hands pulled her closer, and she went willingly, nestling her head against his firm chest. “I missed you.”

  “And I you.”

  They stood there, enjoying the sweet moment of reunion. Birds called in the distance, crickets chirped, the sounds of nature a peaceful accompaniment. Tony’s warm palm grazed down her arm, clasping her hand in his own, entwining their fingers. He pulled away, tugging gently; she followed willingly.

  Tucking herself close to his side, they made their way down a foot-worn path. She didn’t speak, content to simply be in the moment, as the trail led to a large fallen log nestled by a small babbling stream. Their secret spot.

  Old Mrs. Du
nn had left the farm a year ago when her husband passed away. No one knew if she was keeping the ranch or selling, but it had been boarded up for the past twelve months. No one came out here. No one but them. It made for a nice spot to have some alone time. Since she still lived at home when she was in town, and Tony lived with his uncle in a small apartment, having a private place to enjoy some alone time was essential.

  “How are your classes going?” Once they sat on the fallen tree, he turned to her; deep brown eyes, as sinful as dark chocolate and equally delicious, gazed at her intently.

  “Hard.” She huffed out a breath of frustration. “I knew Harvard would be difficult, but I think I underestimated the amount of time I would need to devote to my studies.”

  Dark brows drew down. “Are you failing?”

  She shook her head. “No, nothing that dramatic. But I’m not excelling as much as I normally do. I think I might even get a B in my Early American Studies class.”

  As a straight A Honor Roll since elementary student, the very thought of a B sent shivers down her spine.

  Tony chuckled, a small smile curving the lips she so recently tasted. “A B is not the worst thing in the world, bonita.”

  She loved it when he called her that. Her Spanish was minimal at best, with two years in high school giving her the basics. Tony didn’t know it yet, but she was taking Spanish for her foreign language credit at school now. Adding the language to her skill set was very practical, being the second most spoken language in America, but she also had selfish reasons. To be able to speak to her boyfriend in his native tongue would be amazing. She wanted to connect to him on every level.

  Which brought her back to her plan for tonight.

  The condom she’d bought from the coin machine in the airport bathroom before her dad picked her up that morning currently burned a hole in her pocket.

  Plucking up all her courage, she gave Tony her best seductive grin. “You’re right. Anyway, I don’t want to talk about school right now.” Placing a hand on his chest, she moved closer until their lips were a breath apart. “In fact, I don’t want to talk about anything.”

  She saw the surprised expression on his face moments before her mouth touched his. Normally, he was the one who instigated their physical contact. He respected her boundaries and never made her feel uncomfortable, but he was usually the one in charge. Tonight, she wanted to take control. Judging by the appreciative smile she could feel under her lips, he was happy to let her.

  “I hate being away from you,” she whispered between drugging kisses.

  “As do I.” His hands grasped her waist, pulling her closer.

  She complied, shifting her legs until she sat astride his lap. His teeth caught her bottom lip in a playful nip as she ground herself against his hardness. “Tony.” Her body burned in the rapidly cooling evening air.

  His lips left hers, marking a trail of fire as they moved over her chin and down her neck. One hand came up to flick the first few buttons of her shirt open. The coiling of her body tightened until she feared she would explode if something didn’t happen to sate the raging need inside of her.

  “I wish it was summer break instead of spring break,” she confessed. “I want more than a week with you.”

  “Summer break?”

  He pulled away, and she wanted to cry out at the loss.

  “What do you mean?”

  Unsure why he put the pause on their good time, she pulled back to gaze into his eyes. “Spring break is only a week, but this summer, we’ll have months together before I have to go back to school.” Months and months of times like this. Well, times like what they would be doing if he would get on with it already.

  Forehead wrinkled in confusion, he shook his head. “But I thought you were taking an internship this summer. You sounded very excited about it the last time we talked.”

  “Yes, well, that was before.”

  “Before what?”

  Before she realized she might have bitten off more than she could chew. “School is…harder than I anticipated. It’s not like Peak Town. I think I’m feeling the proverbial big fish in a bigger pond type thing. Everyone there is so…” She bit her lip, tilting her head down to avoid his eyes. “Smart.”

  The rough pad of his thumb and forefinger gripped her chin in a soft hold, bringing her gaze back up to his. “You are smart, Jamie.”

  “But it’s so hard.”

  “Nothing worth having is ever easy.”

  He would know. Tony immigrated to Peak Town from Mexico. Becoming a citizen was no easy feat, but he did it, and she was so damn proud of him. Another reason she wanted to come home this summer; she wanted to spend it with him.

  “The internship?” he asked again.

  “I don’t think I’m going to apply.”

  His smile fell, a frown now marring his beautiful face.

  “Why not?”

  Knowing the moment was lost, for the time being anyway, she slipped off his lap onto the log beside him. “Because I need a break, because I want to come home, because I want…to be with you.”

  A scowl crossed his features. “You’re giving up an amazing career opportunity for me?”

  She wouldn’t say it was amazing. True, the internship at the clinic would go a long way to helping her get a job after graduation, plus, working with world renowned psychologists would be a boon to anyone, especially a college student looking to stand out. Still, it was only her first year, and life was all about balance. One couldn’t be all work and no play. She studied hard, but a break was needed every now and then.

  “There will be other internships.”

  He turned to face the babbling stream, his body language tense and closed off.

  “Tony?” A sinking feeling entered her gut. This night was not going the way she had planned.

  “You say your classes are difficult. You are having trouble keeping up?”

  Unsure of where he was going with this, she leaned toward him. “Not trouble per say, but it’s a different pace than I’m used to.”

  “And now you are giving up an opportunity that could help you succeed, all because you want to spend time with me?”

  Well, someone’s full of himself. “Not all because of you.”

  She’d like to spend more time with her parents, too. She missed them a lot this past year…and home. Peak Town was one of a kind. The city might have every amenity available, but there was no charm. People rushed about, in a hurry, not like here where the pace slowed and everyone stopped to say hello.

  “I don’t want to hold you back.”

  The softly whispered confession shocked her. “You’re not holding me back.”

  His head swung toward her, intense gaze clashing with her own. “Aren’t I? Can you honestly say I am not the reason for the B? We talk almost every night on the phone. We email, text. We are apart, but I wonder if I am keeping you here anyway. I don’t want to drag you down.”

  “Tony.” Moisture gathered in her eyes. “You aren’t dragging me down. How could you think that?”

  “I’m a distraction.” Curling his hands into fists and returning his gaze to the water, he let out a harsh-sounding string of words in Spanish.

  The sun had fully set behind the mountains. A half-moon cast dark shadows among the trees. The chill of the cold night air finally sank in, seeping into her skin as her blood cooled. She had no idea why Tony was saying these things, and she didn’t like it.

  “I—I think we need to talk about things.”

  Oh no! Nothing good ever came after the we need to talk speech.

  Desperate to stop what she feared was coming, Jamie grasped his hand in her own. “I don’t want to talk, Tony. I want—I want to make love.” There, she said it. She may have stumbled over the words, but they were out there now.

  His gaze swung to hers, lust burning in their dark depths, before he squelched it. “That would…not be a wise idea.”

  “Why not?” She could hear the desperate plea in her voice, but
couldn’t control the emotions pouring out of her. If she didn’t lay it all down on the line, right now, she feared she would lose him. “I want you. I need you.” Plucking up all the courage she had inside, she spoke the truth from the bottom of her soul “I love you, Tony.”

  There were a lot of things a woman wanted after a confession of love. A return of it, a touch, heck, even a smile. So, when he closed his eyes, jaw clenching tight, a dark tinge of despair sank in her chest.

  “We are barely more than children. What do we know of love?”

  The hell we are! Nineteen and twenty were not the ages of a child. True, they were young, but she knew what love was.

  “I do love you, Tony. Don’t you love me?”

  Pathetic to ask? Maybe, but she wasn’t giving up on him, on them. She’d fight for what she wanted, for what she loved. No matter what he said, she knew Tony cared for her.

  “We should take some time apart. You need to focus on your schooling and I—my path is different from yours, bonita.”

  The nickname didn’t sound as sweet anymore—not when he was effectively breaking up with her.

  A cold breeze snaked through the trees, catching her shirt, reminding her the buttons were still undone. Feeling the fool, she quickly righted the garment. Wetness coated her cheeks. Tears froze to her skin as they fell from her eyes.

  “Do not cry, Jamie.”

  His hand came up to brush her cheek, but she batted it away. She couldn’t stand his touch right now. Strange, when only moments ago his caress was the only thing she wanted.

  “You don’t get to tell me what to do. Not if you’re breaking up with me.” A small fraction of hope still blazed in her chest. “That is what you’re doing…right?”

  She held her breath, waiting, praying, but when he squeezed his eyes shut tight and nodded, the hope came crashing down. Pain like she’d never known ripped through her, eating away at everything good and happy she believed in.