I shrugged, picked at the blanket. “It wasn’t as if the guy was going to admit to blacking out and not remembering a fuck with North Wainright. He passed out. I left. I didn’t say a word to my father and neither did the guy. The deal went through. East went to college on scholarship.”

Jed strode across the room, sat on the bed again. This time, when he tugged me into his arms, he settled me on his lap so I straddled his hips. My knees were on the bed, my ass on his hard thighs. My shirt rode up and he cupped my bare butt, which was hot and sore from the spanking.

“He used you on my parents’ deal. With Jock.” It wasn’t a question.

My mouth opened and I stared into his dark eyes. He was so close I couldn’t look away. All I could see was him. The various colors in his beard. The fullness of his lips. The dark lashes women would kill for.

I stared at his lips, not because I wanted to kiss him—although I did—but because I couldn’t hold his eyes for this. All I could do was nod.

“You were seventeen,” he bit out.

I nodded again. I pushed back and he let me get up. He didn’t grab me or keep me from walking away. Maybe it was because I was only wearing a t-shirt that I pushed down to mid-thigh that he figured I wouldn’t run. I began to pace. “He… he told me he was waiting for me to be legal, but the opportunity was too good. And because the guy he wanted me to fuck was also seventeen, it made it okay.”

Out of the corner of his eye, I saw him hop to his feet and stride to me. He scooped me up. “Careful of the broken glass.” His hands went to my butt, and I put my legs around his waist as he carried me this way back to the bed. I was once again straddling his lap.

“My parents were ready to sell. Why sweeten the deal?” he asked, returning to the topic.

“He wanted it to be a sure thing. Your land probably has oil. A lot of it. Macon wanted it and the best way to ensure your parents would sell to him was to make the Barnetts and the Wainrights have a connection.”

“You and Jock in a relationship,” he said, putting two and two together. “Don’t tell me he expected you to marry him or something.”

“No. Then I’d be away from him and he had lots of plans for me. With Jock, he wanted me to hand over my virginity. ‘Get Jock’s dick happy,’ he’d said. ‘Keep it that way.’” I blinked. “I remember it vividly because I was so stunned. It was the first time I’d seen the real Macon.”