Between Love & Lust: A Love Triangle Romance (Rosavale Book 4) Read online

  Between Love & Lust

  Rosavale Series Book 4

  Willa Watkins

  Copyright © 2021 Willa Watkins

  All rights reserved.

  This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author/publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resembles to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental or has been used in a fictional manner.

  Published: Willa Watkins 2021 ([email protected])

  Cover Design: Teased By Antonette

  Also By Willa Watkins

  Rosavale Series

  Between Dusk & Dawn

  Between Truth & Lies

  Between Rage & Regret

  Between Love & Lust

  Dynasty Series

  The Duchess

  Note from the Author

  Thank you so much for giving my story a try, and I hope you love it.

  Before you start, there are a few things I’d like you to know. Although this is a standalone in a series, there is a sub-plot that is carried out throughout the entire series (4 books).

  The main plot in this book will have a resolution, but there are some aspects which will be carried throughout the series with answers being provided as the series progresses. However, each book will focus on a different couple with a happy ending for each of them.

  Once again, thank you for reading.

  Much Love,

  Willa

  Prologue

  8 Years Ago

  Aiden

  I galloped towards the farmhouse on a cool, but sunny fall afternoon. Silver, my thoroughbred, carried me over a hill. His steady hooves hurtled on the dirt while his tail swished. Excited and barely able to contain my emotions, I pulled on the rains as our house came into view. I leaped off Silver when he stopped, and two at a time, I climbed the porch steps and burst into the living room.

  “Ethan!” I shouted. “Ethan, where are you?”

  No response. Everything was quiet.

  A familiar, sweet smell coming from the kitchen saturated the air. I followed the scent and found Lola, a woman who had worked for us my entire life, pulling out a pie from the oven. Pumpkin pie was a staple of the cooler seasons in this house.

  “Lola.” I pressed a kiss to her temple. “Have you seen Ethan?”

  “I haven’t, but your sister should know. They were together a while ago,” she answered, dusting the pie with icing sugar and cinnamon. “She’s by the garden.”

  “Keep me some of that pie,” I said, walking through the open back door.

  “I always do.”

  Navia, my youngest sister, was outside and she wasn’t alone. The sight of my mother dwindled my enthusiasm. She had that effect on me.

  Like most days, she sat on a wooden rocking chair facing the gardens that she planted years ago. She wore a simple blue dress with her blonde hair in a long braid and stared ahead with a placid expression. At forty-six, she was still beautiful. The most beautiful woman I had ever seen. She had a one-of-a-kind beauty. A beauty that not even time or the ailments of life were able to erase. I could almost understand my father’s obsession with her. Almost. That senseless and unconditional love he had for her.

  An unsettling sensation stirred at the pit of my stomach as I got closer to them. It’d been months since Mom had plunged into a complete catatonic state. Her body became a shell for the shattered remains of who she once was: vivacious and high-spirited.

  Unlike my father and the rest of my family who addressed her and tried to get her attention, I stayed away. Deep inside of me, I believed she chose to be in that state. She chose to simply ignore her family. A choice that showed her selfishness.

  When I was little, I was also crazy about her. When she smiled at me everything felt right. When she held me, I felt safe. She had a soft, docile voice that had been quiet for so long that I couldn’t remember what it sounded like anymore. And a honied fragrance that I once loved to breathe in whenever she hugged me. I saw her as an angel. A shield against all the evils I feared as a child.

  That was until I got older and realized that I wasn’t loved that much. That in some moments, she closed in on herself and ignored the world. Including me. She interspersed instants of happiness with others in which she didn’t seem to notice anyone around her. In those moments, I watched her from afar, admiring her and praying that she would be happy again.

  Over the years, the practical part of being a mother fell on Lola. And because my father was so engrossed with his wife, he had no time for us. It was my older brother Devan who filled his role. He took care of us, got us ready for school made sure our homework was done and fought for us when necessary.

  But before Mom’s complete shutdown, there had been a shift in her. Suddenly she had become more present than ever. She smiled. Talked. She was my mom again.

  Every afternoon she would ride her horse in the fields with my father and gazed at him as if she loved him. During that time, we were a real family and I had never felt so happy.

  Until everything changed.

  I saw my father fall apart. My siblings suffered and I was torn up inside, but I never let it show. I closed myself off because my angel had turned out to be the worst disappointment of my life.

  My trust had been broken. Completely crushed.

  I took on my father’s pain as my own when he discovered that Mom had cheated on him. It was disgusting. How could she do that to Dad? To us? That day I vowed to never love or trust a woman again.

  And to worsen the whole tragedy, she attempted to take her life for the first time. She was unsuccessful but, for me, it was the final proof of her selfishness and lack of love for us.

  Like a coward, she tried to escape from the shame. She didn’t die but was left with sequels. A distant stare and silence.

  The pain and disappointment were slow to settle and eventually it turned into rage. Even now, when I looked at her, I couldn’t forgive her. I didn’t want to be near her. I dedicated myself only to those who deserved it. Especially Ethan who was my best friend and the one who seemed to understand me. We always got along and after everything that had happened, we became inseparable.

  “Hey, Aiden,” Navia, my sister, crooned.

  I smiled at her, ignoring Mom who was still looking ahead without noticing me. “Have you seen Ethan?”

  “Try the stables. He said something about taking care of the horses. Is everything okay? You seem anxious.”

  “I’m Perfect.” I scratched my temple. “We’re supposed to go riding out in the fields.”

  “Riding, hum?” She arched a brow watching me intently. “What are you up to, Aiden?”

  “Nothing!” I brought my hand to my chest feigning offense. “You know I always behave.”

  “So, very well behaved.” She scoffed, shaking her head.

  “If anyone asks, we’ll be home by dinner,” I said, already hurrying away then mounted on Silver and sprinted towards the stable.

  For a while now Ethan had had me worried. Recently he’d been talking about finding his soulmate and that he wanted to get married. With that kind of approach, I predicted suffering in his future. As
the person I loved most in the world, my best friend, I decided to show him how wrong he was. Plus, we were only eighteen for him to be talking such smack.

  If it were up to me, he would never suffer because of a woman. He would never love one just like me. Women were great for pleasure and nothing more.

  Some would say my promiscuousness was due to childhood trauma, however, I believed that I was just a curious boy.

  I learned to touch, to kiss, to satisfy their bodies, and give them pleasure. And being an Ashford contributed to my behaviors, that and my appearance, of course.

  Dad was the wealthiest farmer in our small town, Rosavale. Our family owned more than half of the land the town was built on. Therefore, women threw themselves at me at any chance they got. They liked money just like my mom who married Dad because of it.

  Ethan, who had the same advantages, had only been with one girl back when he was seventeen. He decided to remain celibate until he found a girl he really liked.

  It was stupid.

  It was foolish to save himself for some girl who, at the first opportunity, would plunge a dagger in his chest and betray him. I would never put myself in the hands of one of them. And I wouldn’t let my brother fall into that trap.

  I dismounted from Silver in front of the stables and found Ethan brushing his saddle. Without his hat, his dark hair fell to his shoulders.

  “Wanna go for a ride over by the falls?” I asked.

  Ethan and I were fraternal twins and as different as they came. He was the tallest in the family—almost six feet four. His skin was newly kissed golden because of being under the sun all day and made his hazel eyes, which were mostly green, seem brighter. He enjoyed working on the land, not caring that he was the boss’s son, and that helped in the build of his muscles.

  I cared a bit more about my appearance. I was blond like Mom and I hated it. With the years my hair had darkened and I kept it short. My hazel eyes were browner than his. I was also tall and lean, only in a more refined way.

  “The water’s pretty cold this time of the year,” he answered.

  Not wanting to give away the surprise, I quirked the corner of my lips upwards, acting as natural as possible. “C’mon, it’s not that cold. The day is so beautiful and I thought we could get some fresh air. If you don’t want to come that’s fine, you can stay there cleaning horse shit.”

  “I’m not cleaning horse shit.” He stopped brushing the saddle and studied me. “What are you up to, Aiden?”

  “No idea what you’re talking about.” I shrugged. “Are you in or not? I can always go on my own.”

  I thought he would say no and I imagined Sammie waiting for us near the waterfall and a fire sparked in me. I had arranged everything with her and if my plan didn’t work, at least I would still get a good fuck out of it.

  “All right, let’s go.” He pushed the hair out of his face, eyeing me as if he was sure I was up to something.

  Well, he wasn’t wrong.

  “Attaboy.” I rubbed my hands together. “Get your horse and let’s go. You won’t regret this.”

  He sighed. “I already do.”

  Ethan

  As we headed northwest towards the waterfall—the one farthest away from the farm. I was sure that Aiden was up to something. I knew that sly smile and eager look too well. He was always agitated when he had an idea. And I could have sworn that this time it had something to do with me.

  Riding at a fast sprint, with my hat buried deep in my head, I relished the sensation of the wind caressing my face. It was a light breeze, carrying in it an earthy fragrance, but strong enough for the scarlet leaves to be freed from their boughs and flutter down.

  Aiden dashed past me with a wide grin. I trusted my brother and knew that whatever it was that he was planning would—hopefully—please me. Even though he was crazy and sometimes aloof, he was my best friend and always thought of what was best for me. I think he believed that being two hours older, he had a certain responsibility to take care of me. Little did he know that it was me who often took care of him.

  I was an old soul and the complete opposite of my brother. Aiden threw himself into things. Acted on instinct and thought afterward—when shit was done. While I was controlled and cautious, he drew quick conclusions. Maybe that was why we got along so well. We balanced each other out. He often made me more daring and I made him more prudent. As prudent as one could be at eighteen.

  However, I understood Aiden better than he presumed. I noticed how severally affected he was by our mother’s affair. I hurt as well with everything that happened, but I also understood that human beings were capable of awful things. Everyone had flaws and qualities. My mom let me down and disappointed me, but I didn’t hate her or stop loving her. I didn’t judge and tried to understand.

  Aiden changed radically after and closed himself off emotionally. I think he saw Mom as someone beyond errors and faults. Perhaps that explained his disappointment and his difficulty accepting that she was capable of being unfaithful.

  We each had a way of dealing with pain and I tried to understand my brother’s. I tried to be his friend without false moralism or interfering too much.

  Life was an apprenticeship, I had to live in order to understand how things worked. I was a student eager to learn and evolve. There was no harm in seeing the bright side of things and hoping for a decent future.

  “We’re arriving in paradise,” he shouted, urging his horse to go faster after we passed a set of trees and the rumble of the cascading waters was now perceptible.

  I rode faster too, keeping up with him and when we reached the lagoon formed by the crystalline waters, I understood the reason for his excitement.

  Posed on a flat stone with her legs in the water, was a beautiful brunette completely naked as if she was waiting for us to arrive. She leered at us like a seductress mermaid about to claim her prey.

  I pulled on the reins when I reached the clearing and my horse came to a halt. Instantly my body reacted to the sight of her naked and damp skin. My blood ran quicker in my veins and my heartbeats seemed to deafen my ears. I didn’t blink as I stared at her full breasts with perky nipples and graceful curves.

  “Isn’t this paradise, brother?” Aiden asked, jumping off his horse and then tied him to a tree.

  I barely looked at him as I tied my own horse. My hormones were at war inside of me and I felt, not for the first time, my decision to maintain my celibacy weakening.

  I wanted the next time I had sex to mean something. It had to be special. A moment I would remember with fondness. But how could I uphold that decision when my body was stiff and sore with anticipation?

  When I was scorching as if a fire was burning inside me at the sight of that perfect, feminine body? It was impossible to maintain my convictions. I found myself wondering why I should restrain myself. Why was I celibate anyway… Shit!

  Aiden had done it again; he had successfully messed with my head.

  “She’s waiting for you,” Aiden sang with teasing in his voice like he knew what the sight of the girl was doing to me. “Go on. You know you want to.”

  The sensible thing to do was to turn around and go back home… but I couldn’t stop looking at her and then I found myself getting off my horse.

  Slowly I took off my hat and wandered towards her. It was Sammie she was a couple of years older than us and the daughter of one of the farmworkers.

  “Ethan.” She smirked, slipping from the rock to the edge of the pond. The water reached up to her thighs and her hands moved gently on the surface stirring it. She gave Aiden a quick glance then held out her hand to me and beckoned. I didn’t react so she dove in and swam towards me, when she rose, her hair spread over her breasts and clung to her skin. “Come on in and keep me company.”

  I was lost.

  My brother had prepared a trap that made it difficult to resist the temptation. I might have been an adult emotionally, but my body didn’t want to obey that maturity.

  “Screw it,”
I mumbled, already opening my shirt.

  Aiden laughed. I glared at him who in return shrugged and went to sit on a stone to take off his boots. I didn’t know what his intentions were, but mine were becoming clear when I undressed and strode purposefully to her. When my feet touched the water, I was surprised to find that it wasn’t as cold as I expected.

  “You made the right choice,” she purred and her eyes shone as they roamed over me. “Come here.”

  She tugged at my hand, drawing me closer to her and when our bodies touched, she kissed me. With one hand in her hair and the other grabbing her ass, I made sure she rubbed herself against my cock. There was no turning back, and I gave in to the body’s desires.

  Groaning hoarsely, I kissed her back and the world ceased to exist. I devoured her mouth, bit her lips, her throat, her shoulder. I moved with her towards the shore where there was fine sand. I could only think of the delight of burying myself inside of her.

  Sammie moaned, pressing herself against me, and grabbed my dick. We stopped when we reached the shore, she dropped to her knees at my feet and greedily grabbed my balls and put them in her mouth.

  I closed my eyes, moving my hips back and forth. I almost imploded, but I resorted to a little self-control. Before I exploded in her mouth, I gently pushed her to the floor. She fell sitting on the shore suffused by the shallow water and her mouth parted with panting breaths.

  I spread her legs, falling on my knees between them. I put my mouth between her thighs. It was the first time I had done that, but I enjoyed it. So much so that I became addicted to the smell and taste of women for life.

  Sammie whimpered and swayed her hips against my mouth. “Just like that,” she breathed.

  Marveled by the soft, moist flesh in my mouth, I was about to come. I removed my head from between her legs and straddled her blinded by desire.