22 You Are Mine

...AUSTIN...

Why does Summer keep running away from me? We have this connection; I can feel it. It is burning deep inside the inner passages of my heart. She has touched my soul in such a gentle way; all I desire is to be near her all the time. This cowboy with the ego and cocky smile has been brought to his knees by this exquisite beauty. I do not know when we will be together again, but it has already been too long.

Did seeing me with Rebecca really have such an impact on her? I did not intentionally hurt her; I would never do such a thing to her. She needs to be loved and protected. I want to be the man that wraps his arms protectively around her shoulders, morning, day, and night.

But now I have Rebecca waiting for me at home. I still do not know why she is here. I am going to find out the minute I set my foot through that door. I want her to leave; she is only messing up my life. I have a fairly good idea why she has made it all the way out here, but I want to hear it coming straight from her own mouth.

So it is with a heavy heart that I leave the cabin. I can not imagine what is so bad that it brings Summer so deep into the wood seeking the sanctuary of a little wooden house in the middle of nowhere. This place means a lot more to her; it is a safe haven from the troubles that come with being a Knightley.

When I get back to the ranch, I find Rebecca and Billy in the kitchen sharing morning coffees. I am furious at her for giving me that hug, all just over a cup of cocoa. With this back in my mind, I rudely ask Billy to leave us for a moment alone.

"So out with it, Rebecca, tell me why you are here?"

"Well, I have might have gotten myself into some big trouble. I need your help."

"What kind of trouble? Wait...Let me guess...It is money. So what have you done this time?"

"I owe a very questionable but scary bookie some money."

"For fuck sakes, Rebecca! For what?"

I watch as she starts to move uncomfortably around, and I know in my gut that this time it will be big. I have helped her out of so many tough spots, and she always promises that it would be the last time. The thing is, I do not mind helping her, but the things that she does are beyond anything that any rational person can even think of.

So I take a deep breath, and as calmly as possible, I ask her the question that she is trying her best to avoid again.

"Rebecca, for what?"

"Gambling."

"My god Rebecca. How much?"

"Ten thousand."

"What the fück did you gamble on?"

"Uhm...I..."

"You know what? I do not want to know. But wait, let me guess, he is going to break your legs and cut those little grabby fingers off?"

She does not even say a word; she does not even need to, for the way she nervously nods her head tells me that I am spot on.

"I will help you, but this is the last time. I will not bail you out of your mess the next time. In fact, do not even come and show up on my doorstep."

"Thank you, Ausi. I promise you I won't disappoint you again."

"One, don't call me that, and two, your promises don't mean anything."

And with that said, I make my leave, but not before she calls me back.

"I told Billy that we could go out for dinner tonight."

"Wow, the last time I checked, I was twenty-six; I did not know that you have to run my life."

"Come on, Ausi, just for old times sake."

"There is no such thing as old times when it comes to us. You only see me when you want something. And, stop calling me Ausi!"

So much to my disgust, a few hours later, we make our way into town. And of course, Miss Princess needs to go to the fanciest restaurant in town. I feel sick to my stomach when I see all the town's elite sit and drown in their flashy money and their expensive toys.

This is a lifestyle that I can and never will find attractive. The only thing attractive about the Knightleys is Summer. And as we are shown to our tables, I can almost swear that I hear her soft voice bubbling underneath the crowd.

As the waiter shows us to our corner tablet, that is when I first lay my eyes on her. But...

"Fuck."

I am disappointed to see who she is with. I can not even think of why she would be out with that man. I have a good mind to walk over and punch him in the face again.

But Molly sees the frustration on my face, and then she softly lays her hand on my shoulder as she whispers in my ear.

"You know that it is only for pretense; the Knightleys will do whatever it takes to uphold their name."

"I know, Molly; I just wish that they did not use their daughter as a pawn. I mean, look at her."

"She is a beautiful girl Austin. Once you have her in your hands, you make damn sure you never let go."

"You know, sometimes I wonder why such a clever girl is married to old Billy there."

We both burst out in laughter, but it is so loud that it makes everyone in the restaurant turn their heads to our table.

"Well, I think the town knows that their bad boy has just arrived."

Then I immediately search for Summer's eyes, and the moment they meet, my knees become weak. With a cocky smile on my face, I nod my head; I see her instantly start to unravel right there in her chair.

I can't help but bite down on my lip as I feel that sweet sensation shoot to every inch of my body; only she can make me feel these tingles that run up and down my spine.

But when I see her move around in her chair, I know she feels the same heat that I am feeling over my skin. So I watch her as she sips on a piece of ice. Oh, I know exactly how she is feeling. I hope she is thinking of how my touch felt against her soft and supple skin.

The more I look at her, the more I know that she has to be mine. It is not just her that I want; I want the danger and excitement she brings to my life. She seems like a lost little lamb that needs to stretch his legs and take on the world. I want to be that man that she does it with.

Then I watch as she excuses herself from the table. I look at her as she disappears into the back. The way that she is swaying those hips just begs for them to be touch. And this is exactly what draws me to follow her.

And when I get to the door that leads into the ladies, I softly open it. I find her standing, splashing cold water against her skin. The minute she senses a presence, she stops and turns around.

"Why, Mr. Pierce, I'm sure this is the lady's room unless I've walked into the men's room by mistake?"

"Well, Ms. Knightley, I do believe that I can not read, or just perhaps I felt like stumbling in here instead."

"And why is that Mr. Pierce?"

"I wanted to come see if you needed some help to cool that heat on your skin."

"What makes you think I need anything to cool me off?"

"The way you were sipping on that ice. Or do you like to tease helpless men?"

"Helpless men? I hardly think you're helpless, Mr. Pierce. In fact, I think you need a bit more teasing to keep you humble?"

She ever so slowly places her finger in the corner of her lips, and I watch as she presses down and gently bites at it. My damn heart skips a beat, and I cannot hear anything but the excited throbbing in my chest. And it is my trembling hands that reach with the full intention to feel her lips against mine.

"Ah, ah, ah! Hands off, Mr. Pierce"

She slightly taps me on my hand. And if the throbbing in my chest was not enough, she has just awakened another part that is throbbing just as much. All reasoning has now left my head; all I can think and focus on is her.

"What you fail to understand, Ms. Kinghtley, is that you will be mine."

Then I slowly close the gap between our aching bodies. Am I going to get what I have desired the very first time I set my eyes on her? With every inch I move forward, I curse underneath my breath.

But then we hear footsteps approach, and before I can even move a fraction away from her, the door flings wide open.

"What is going on in here?"