by Ali Parker
“You already fed and watered the horses?”
“I did.”
“Damn, I don’t think you need me here at all.”
I shook my head. “No, no. Let’s not get hasty. I need you. I need your guidance and knowledge.”
Her sweet smile nearly melted me where I stood. I could feel the warmth of that smile all the way down to the tips of my toes. “I won’t leave you—yet.”
“How did the interview go?” I asked, almost dreading to hear the answer. Anyone who passed up the opportunity to work with her was an idiot. She would have, of course, gotten the job, which meant she would be leaving me.
She groaned. “Don’t ask.”
“What? Really? I would have thought you would have gotten the job just for showing up.” I was hoping to tease another smile out of her. Instead, I got a scowl.
“No, I was offered the job. I didn’t want the job.”
I flinched at her biting tone. “Ouch. Did it not go well?”
She rolled her eyes. “The guy was a dick. A pompous, arrogant, rich prick who had this idea I was going to drop to my knees and grovel at his feet.”
“Damn. I don’t suppose that happened?”
She looked at me like I was batshit crazy. “No!”
“Did he offer to pay you less than you wanted?” I questioned.
She shook her head. “Oh no. He offered to triple my usual fee.”
I was confused. It sounded like a hell of a deal to me. “And that’s a bad thing?”
“Yes! He wanted me to work for him. For him. Not with him. He wanted me to be his manager. I don’t do that.”
I was beyond confused but felt like an idiot for not understanding. “Oh,” I said, choosing my words carefully.
She studied my face and must have realized I had no idea what the hell she was talking about. “I am a fixer. I am not a manager. I think we had this conversation. I go to a farm, identify the problems, offer and implement solutions, and then move on. I don’t manage a farm. I don’t get paid to manage the farm.”
I understood. “Ah, I get it now.”
“I can’t be bought,” she snapped.
“Good for you for, standing your ground. I hope you told him to kiss your ass.”
She grinned. “Not exactly, but I did give his pretty new fence a little bump.”
I cringed. “A bump? How do you bump a fence and not damage it?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I didn’t stick around to see if it was damaged. I sped out of there and hopefully left some tread marks on his pretty blacktop. Who paves their damn driveway?”
I laughed. “A city boy.”
“Exactly. Not the kind of man I want to work for. Hell, I don’t even want to know him.”
“Understandable,” I said with a nod.
“Anyway, enough of that. He isn’t even worth talking about. How was Oliver’s first day at school?”
I smiled. “Awesome. He loved it.”
“Knew it,” she cooed.
“I was a little worried, but that kid is a totally different person here. Back home in New York, he was shy and barely said more than two words to anyone. Here, he’s like a butterfly emerging from his cocoon.”
“I guess that means this place is good for him,” she said with a grin. “Better than any museum or park.”
“Six months,” I reiterated. “I’m giving it my all for six months and then I will reevaluate.”
She sighed. “Fine. But today, we’ve got a load of hay being delivered.”
I inwardly groaned. It had been a long time since I bucked hay, but I knew it was hard work. I hoped I didn’t embarrass myself. “Please tell me you don’t buck hay?” I groaned.
She giggled. “Not so much. I can admit some jobs I am just not great at. That is one of them. I can move a couple of bales but I’m not stacking or tossing them anywhere.”
“Thank god.”
“That doesn’t mean you get to slack off. You’ll sleep very well tonight after bucking a load of hay.”
“Is he not growing hay anymore?” I asked.
“Nope. I guess the hayfield is part of the land he sold off. He told me he only had a few horses and didn’t need all the hay. It was more work than it was worth.”
I nodded. “Makes sense. I guess I better finish these stalls before that delivery gets here.”
“You do that, and I’ll get the hay barn ready,” she said.
She left the barn, leaving me with a smile on my face. We made a good team. At least, I felt like we made a good team. I liked that she wasn’t afraid to get dirty. She was pretty and sexy as hell, but not in a froufrou kind of way. I liked a strong woman that could say what she liked and disliked. I liked a woman that knew what she wanted and didn’t drop stupid hints that no one could ever figure out.
I was on the last stall when I heard the unmistakable sound of a truck lumbering down the driveway. The sound of chains bouncing and rattling as the driver hit the bumps in the road called me away from the stall duty and out to meet him. Alex was already out front, guiding the driver as he backed up close to the hay barn.
I looked at the pile of hay on the truck and cringed. That was going to be backbreaking work. Once the truck was stopped, the driver jumped out, said hello to Alex, and introduced himself to me. I climbed on the truck, my gloves on and my back already spasming just from looking at the work.
I started throwing hay bales off the truck, doing my best to get them in a nice stack, knowing I was going to have to straighten it all out eventually. The first five bales weren’t so bad. I felt strong, powerful even.
Then I got hot.
Alex hopped onto the truck, standing on the opposite side of the bed. I used my forearm to wipe away the sweat that was dripping down my forehead.
She laughed. “Looks like you’re working up a sweat there.”
I grunted, chucking another bale onto the uneven stack I had created on the ground. “It’s a warm day.”
“It can’t be more than seventy-five degrees,” she teased.
I laughed through the pain. “Hot enough.”
When she picked up her own bale and tossed it off the truck like it didn’t weigh more than a few pounds, I had to up my game. She was going to make me look bad if she kept doing that. I grunted, picking up another one and tossing it on the pile.
“You going to keep up?” she asked, out of breath as she tossed another one out of the truck.
I blew out a breath. “I’m doing fine. You seem to be sweating a bit yourself.”
She laughed. “I think I can admit it’s a little warm.”
I stopped throwing the hay bales and stripped off my shirt. I was damn tempted to strip completely. I was so damn hot. I used the T-shirt to wipe the sweat from my face before tucking the end of it in my back pocket and getting back to work. I was not going to get beat by a girl.
We kept going, both of us feeding off each other’s energy. I was outdoing her pace about two to one, but she was hanging in strong.
“Done,” I huffed out the word, putting my hands on my hips and dragging in air to my poor, deprived lungs. “Are you still alive?”
Her face was red, and strands of hair were sticking to her face and neck. “I’m alive.”
“You guys are crazy,” the driver said from below.
I hopped out of the truck, hitting the ground hard and nearly collapsing. My legs were tired. My arms were like limp spaghetti noodles and I was still struggling to catch my breath. I never felt so good. “Thanks,” I said to him. “I guess we’ll see you after the second cutting.”
He nodded. “I’ll have to bring a stopwatch next time.” He chuckled, walking back to his truck.
He pulled away, leaving me and Alex still hunched at the shoulders as we struggled to catch our breath. “I need water,” I mumbled, heading for the barn where I had left my water bottle.
She nodded, not answering. I grabbed my water bottle from the small table and took a long drag. She had her own bottle an
d was sucking it down in big gulps. I grinned, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.
“What are you grinning at?” she asked.
“You.”
“Me?”
I slowly nodded. “You’re sweaty.”
“I busted my ass out there.”
“It’s hot.”
“No shit, I know.” She laughed.
I shook my head. “No. It’s hot on you. That sweaty thing is working for you.”
Her lips parted, her tongue darting out to lick along the lower full lip that looked perfectly kissable. “I think it’s working for you as well,” she breathed.
The electricity sizzling between us was dangerous. With all the dry straw, I worried the heat we were generating would ignite a fire. There was only one thing to do—I lunged for her, wrapping one arm around her tiny waist and yanking her against me. My other hand went to rest on her cheek, forcing her head back before I slammed my mouth over hers.
I heard and felt her gasp. She didn’t take a swing at me and she didn’t pull away. I deepened the kiss, suddenly ravenous. I felt like a man who’d spent a year in a desert with nothing to drink. I couldn’t get enough of her. I backed her against the wall, pulling my arm from around her waist and using it to cop a feel of her breasts.
I groaned, the feel of her full breasts under my palm making me instantly hard. She moaned, telling me it was all good. Her lithe body pressed against mine, her breasts smashing against my bare chest as she threw her arms around my neck and held me tight, like she was afraid I would get away.
I wasn’t going anywhere.
Chapter 18
Alex
Oh my god. I was kissing Damion. In the barn. And god have mercy, it was fantastic.
There was a moment—I didn’t know how or what—but it was a moment that everything changed. I was drinking water, barely able to breathe, when I looked at him. Like really looked at him. His broad chest, with just a smattering of hair stretched over his defined pecs, glistening with sweat, had turned me on.
That wasn’t an apt description. I had burned with a need for him. With the flip of a switch, he went from being Damion, the guy who inherited Oliver’s farm, to a man I was incredibly attracted to. The heat between my legs was nothing like the physical heat I felt while bucking hay. I felt achy and wet and so goddamn hot I was practically melting against him.
I scraped my short nails down his back, feeling the heated skin under my hands. I wanted more contact. I wanted to feel his flesh against mine. I didn’t care we were in the barn, in the middle of the day, both of us sweaty with bits of green hay sticking to our damp skin.
With his mouth still glued to mine, he reached for the hem of my T-shirt and yanked it up. He moved his face away from mine just long enough to get the shirt over my head before his lips rejoined mine. I groaned the second his hot skin pressed against mine. His chest was hard and muscular, pressed against mine with my back against the rough wall of the barn. I jutted my hips forward, grinding my lower body against him, telling him exactly what I wanted.
I could feel his erection straining under those worn jeans and wanted it buried inside me. I rubbed myself against the steel rod, scraping the most sensitive part of my body up and down the length of him. The jeans were in the way. I reached for the button on his jeans, unafraid to take what I wanted. I yanked one button, then the next, until the third one was undone.
With his mouth still on mine, I pushed his jeans open and immediately went for the prize I had been going for. I wrapped my fingers around the shaft and groaned. It was perfectly beautiful. His mouth pulled away from mine, a hissing sound coming through his clenched teeth. His eyes were looking into mine with a fierceness that excited me even more. I gently squeezed the shaft in my hand, staring directly at him and watching his reaction.
I could see him contemplating. I didn’t want to give him the chance to change his mind. I raised up on my toes and kissed him, inviting him to touch me in any way he wanted. He accepted my invitation, his mouth once again dominating mine. His tongue plunged inside my mouth, sweeping across my tongue and teeth as his fingers worked the button of my jeans. I felt them being pushed down my hips. My damn work boots were going to make things very difficult. I squirmed, trying to squeeze my feet out of the damn things, to no avail.
“Boots,” I mumbled against his mouth.
“Fuck,” he hissed, pulling away from me.
I bent down, my jeans halfway down my thighs, and quickly untied the laces. His big hand caressed down my spine, reaching over me to squeeze my ass.
“Hurry,” he groaned.
My face was right in line with his erection. I moved faster, wanting what was right in front of me. I kicked my boots off, pulled my jeans all the way off, and stood up to meet his gaze. He didn’t hesitate. His hands went to my waist, yanking me close to him. His gaze held mine as our bodies came together. His jeans were in the way. I reached for them, pushing them down his hips. He shucked his boots and jeans much faster than I had.
There was no stopping either of us at that point. We were both hungry for one another and didn’t bother taking the time to think about what we were doing or ask for permission. Permission had been freely given with the first kiss.
His hands moved over my hips, sliding down my thighs and then back up. “Damion,” I said his name on a breath.
It was a trigger response. He pushed my panties down, one hand delving between my legs. His fingers found my opening, and with little fanfare, he pushed one inside my wet heat. I gasped, the invasion expected, but still alarming. I held on to his shoulders, leaning against the wall as his finger probed inside me. I needed no readying. I was more than ready for his invasion.
“Now,” I demanded, my body spiraling out of control. I was going to embarrass myself and come all over his finger if he didn’t get inside me.
“You’re so wet,” he breathed against my neck. “I want to be inside you. I want to feel that liquid fire.”
“Do it!” I gasped. “Please!”
He growled low in his throat, sounding very much like a feral animal. He jerked down his underwear with one hand, his finger still buried inside me. The jerking motion with his finger inside me was taking me closer to the edge of ecstasy. He kicked off his underwear and yanked his finger out of my body before wrapping one strong arm around my waist and lifting me up.
I gasped, sucking in another breath as he lifted me above him. His arm was like a steel band around me, holding me against him, slowly sliding my body down his. The skin against skin was nearly enough to do me in.
“Take me,” he whispered.
I wiggled a bit, finding his erection waiting for me. I slowly slid down, adjusting my position until the head of his cock perched at my opening. I looked down at him, finding him staring back at me. I slowly lowered myself over him, taking the tip of him inside my sheath. I flinched once, my body adjusting to his girth before I slid down farther.
He groaned as his cock slid inside my slick passage that greedily welcomed him. I closed my eyes, relishing in the feel of being impaled by him, the rough wood of the barn against my back and his hard body pressed against my front. It felt so good. I licked my lips, moaning with delight as if I had just had the best tasting pie in the world. It was so good to be fucked by him.
In a flash, he began to move. I held on to the man’s broad shoulders as he rocked his hips, pounding me against the wall over and over. I could hear my cries of passion from a distant place. A place of pure pleasure. My body tingled all over, my legs wrapped around his hips, pulling him deeper inside me with every thrust.
“More,” I gasped when his thrusts began to slow. “Don’t stop.”
He roared, his pace quickening as he thrust hard and deep inside me. I pulled away from the wall, saving my back from a horde of slivers, and wrapped my arms around his neck, my mouth covering his. He didn’t stop. His body was a well-oiled machine, pounding and thrusting until I felt like I would shatter into a million pieces.
“Fuck me,” he growled, his thrusting slowing. “You taste so sweet, and your heat? Good god, I’m on fire.”
“Don’t stop,” I begged, my body hovering on the edge of a powerful climax. I could feel it vibrating through my body. It was a warm humming sensation that started in my toes and slowly spread out to the very tips of my fingers.
“Baby, I’m going to explode,” he grunted.
His words were the trigger my body needed. I cried out, my back bowing. The only thing that kept me from falling to the ground was his strong arms anchoring me against his body. My cries of pleasure echoed around the barn, soon joined by his own grunts and groans.
I dropped my face into the crook of his neck, holding on to him as if my life depended on it. My chest heaved up and down, the orgasm holding me in its grip far longer than was natural. Every spasm of his cock inside me triggered another violent reaction deep in my womb. His arms tightened around me, nearly squeezing the life out of me as he held on to me through his own orgasm.
I could feel the power rocketing through my body as he erupted inside me. He was so vulnerable and so strong at the same moment as his body completely surrendered to mine.
We held each other for several long minutes, neither of us saying a word. The little spasms that rocked us both stole my breath away. When my overheated skin began to cool and reality slowly blanketed us, I knew it was time to dismount my perch.
He gently put me down, my socked feet touching the wood floor littered with straw. I had on my bra and socks. That was it. I was suddenly very aware of everything. My state of undress. His complete nakedness, minus his own socked feet, and all in the barn to boot.
“Oh my god,” I murmured under my breath, searching the floor for my panties. I found them and quickly pulled them on.
“Are you okay?” he asked, pulling on his underwear.
Neither of us looked directly at one another. I was mortified by my behavior. I had never acted so scandalously. I felt ridiculous and foolish and so embarrassed. “I’m fine,” I said, zipping up my jeans.