Spencer Hope Dutton. Tiny. The youngest of the Dutton household, if only by a few minutes. She swore those few minutes after Kayce popped out were the only moments of peace she had in life...
Now Spencer's family is being pushed to the brink and her...
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~May, 2011~
"It's not everyday you graduate Spencer," her father reminded her. "But I'm proud of you, you worked hard for this."
"That doesn't mean you have to throw me a party Dad," she poked.
It was the weekend after Spencer graduated from college, and the last thing she had wanted to do was make a big deal about it. Half the reason she went was because Kayce didn't and she wanted to have a leg up on him, but that wasn't something she was planning to tell anyone. Besides, with everything that had gone down the summer before, all she wanted to do was relax and take her whole two weeks away from the ranch and school in peace. The stack of books by her bed had grown exponentially over the semester, and undisturbed reading time sounded like heaven right about now.
But her father had insisted on at least taking her and the rest of the ranch out to dinner to celebrate the accomplishments of his youngest daughter. She was more sure he wanted to scope out what boy she had been sneaking around with, but she was less than worried about him catching on to her.
Her rendezvous with Rip on campus had been a blessing in disguise. The ability to be so close to home but away from the snooping eyes of the ranch had been amazing, but the downside to finally graduating was the disappearance of their hiding spots. Now it was make or break it seemed.
The passenger door opening stirred Spencer from her mind, a lazy smile gracing her face as she took her father's head to step from the truck. He had been persistent in his quest to be the one to drive her to the bar he had rented for the evening, and she couldn't bring herself to turn him down. All her siblings had declined his efforts to celebrate their accomplishments, moving out of the house as quickly as possible. But Spencer stayed, like she always did. And maybe that's why she couldn't bring herself to tell him no.
Cheers of celebration rang out from the group gathered near the door, someone throwing confetti in the air. Spencer laughed as she found the culprit in Ryan, who had become one of her fastest friends on the ranch since his arrival the year prior.
"Thank you all for coming," Spencer started as she was handed a glass of champagne and everyone sat. "I'm happy to have all of you here, celebrating me, because let's be honest there's nothing better to celebrate."
She paused as laughter filled the room. "But honestly, thank you for putting up with me and all my shit for however long you've known me. And please, do not bug me for the next two weeks because I will be a brutal bitch if you do."
The rest of the dinner went without a hitch, Rip and Spencer circling one another but never getting close enough for her father to suspect much. It was later that night, when Spencer found herself reading the first of many books that a tap to the glass of her window stirred her. She looked over the edge of her book, annoyance ripe on her face. It dropped, only slightly, at the sight of Rip at the window.
"I thought I said no bugging," she whispered as she opened the window.
"We both know I don't fall into that category," Rip smiled, holding up his own book that she had gifted him for Christmas. Spencer playfully rolled her eyes, stepping out of the way so he could enter the room.
"Only because you brought a book," she reminded him as they sat back on her bed. "Don't interrupt me, okay?"
Rip only nodded, forcing his face to remain innocent and neutral as Spencer settled back into her book.
It only took him about ten minutes to get bored, but he waited an extra five before he started to bug Spencer. First it was brushing his hand over her thigh, which she quickly swatted off every time. Then it was a brush of a kiss on her shoulder, her neck, her cheek. He could watch her increasing fluster growing on her face, the little gears in her brain working harder to stay concentrated on the lines she was reading.
"Fucking smartass," she whispered as she put her bookmark in its place, turning an evil eye to Rip. "You horny little asshat. I can't believe-"
That was about all Rip had in him to listen to as his lips swooped down to meet hers. Spencer let out a sound of shock, but it quickly eased as her lips pressed harder against his. He couldn't help it. Between the sneaking around, the not being able to hold her in his arms, and how beautiful she had looked, he couldn't help himself.
"We shouldn't do this here," Spencer whispered when Rip's lips found their way to her neck. He kept moving until he found the spot that made her gasp every time. Rightttttt there. Rip's smile pressed into her neck as she tilted to the side for him. "Not here."
Rip broke away, his eyes scanning over the breathless but beautiful redhead in front of him. "C'mon, I know where we can go."
Spencer woke to the feeling of light kisses pressing into her bare shoulder. She was smiling before her eyes were even open, the first thing she saw being his brilliant blue eyes.
"Morning Handsome," she whispered under her breath, as if her words would wake the world.
Rip smiled, tucking a loose curl behind her ear, "Good morning Darling."
"What time is it?"
"No idea, we should head back soon though if we're not gonna get caught."
Spencer let out a groan, not wanting to move from where they laid in the truck bed. "We could just tell everyone."
Rip looked down at her from where he was sitting. For the first time she could remember, she was unable to read his expression.
"Unless you don't want to," she continued.
He shrugged. "It was your idea Spencer, so it's whatever you wanna do."
She paused, letting herself ponder over the decision. Sure, telling everyone would make it inherently easier for them, but there was something about having something that was hers. And only hers. A piece of her life that wasn't shared with everyone else.
"It's been nice, not having everyone in our business," she offered, unsure of where Rip stood on the matter. "I don't mind telling, but not having the rest of the ranch involved in my personal life has been-"
"Relieving?" Rip finished, to which Spencer's head bobbed up and down in agreement. "The only person who needs to know about this is sitting next to me, Sweetheart. So if you don't want to tell anyone, that's fine with me. As long as you know you're mine, that's all I need."
Spencer smiled up at him through her lashes. "Say that again."
Rip's grin grew practically feral as he caught on to what she wanted. "What? That you're mine? Spencer Dutton, you are all mine."
She grinned devilishly, pulling him towards her and back into the mass of pillows behind their heads.
author's note. sorry this took so long and is so short, i had zero motivation do to anything beyond sleeping and going to work. but already feeling better because i'm officially graduated! so more time for all the books, but darling/sunshine mostly! thank you for sticking through with me.
i'm looking to have the first chapters up by the beginning of september! i'll release the cover and all the fun little tidbits i add at the beginning a few days before that though and make an announcement here/officially complete this book when it's posted so you know!
