by Em Petrova
She slanted a glance at the apple turnovers. It was a start, right?
* * * * *
Beau ripped his hat off his head and tossed it onto the ground. The constant scowl he’d worn all day darkened to fury. “You’re serious, Bellamy?”
“Dead serious. Call the owner of the horses and tell him you won’t have a barn to board them in.” The weight of failure dropped over Kaoz’s shoulders as he looked at the backhoe they couldn’t find a way to repair and the daylight burning away by the minute.
“No. No damn way. I won’t give up. There’s gotta be someone we can hire to come and help us make this happen.” He shoved his fingers through his hair.
“Look, I hate admitting defeat too—I want nothing more than to make this barn work, get you that contract and keep your loan in good standing. Unless a twister picks up a barn somewhere and deposits it here on your site, it’s not happenin’.”
Beau dropped his face into his palm and kneaded his temples. Kaoz watched him a minute, feeling even more let down that Beau took the news so hard.
“Think about it. You got the open pasture. You have the means to care for those horses even without a barn. When Sunday rolls around, we’ll throw up a three-sided shelter for them and—” He stopped when Beau shook his head. “You don’t think the owner will agree to boarding without that barn?”
He looked at Kaoz. “No, I don’t. I told you it’s written in the terms—winter the horses in a barn. Everything is spelled out in the contract, down to the type and amount of feed they get. The inspector’s coming tomorrow expecting to see a footer.”
Kaoz’s gut sank. “I’m sorry. It’s not even a little bit possible. This construction started too late.”
“Hell. I know it was, and it’s all my fault. Too much work got the best of me and Brielle. We didn’t get to it quick enough and now we’re going to be paying a loan with no income.”
Kaoz threw his mind out there—really picking through every grain of soil on this ranch and overturning every stone to find a way to earn money for them and not let them sink.
Stone. Soil.
He jerked his head up. “You never let me see those mineral rights. Let’s go into the office—now.”
Beau clamped his lips. “I don’t think it’ll do much good, Kaoz. Brielle pulled the papers the other day, but I don’t see anything in the report worth a dime.”
“I still want to see it.”
He heaved a sigh. “Suit yourself. I have to make the call to the rental place to come get this dead backhoe loaded up anyway.”
As they walked to the house, Kaoz’s chest burned with frustration. Everything felt as though it was going to hell. It all began with him—if he hadn’t screwed up so bad with Brielle, he would be running his own ranch by now, and she would be at his side. Without her, Beau might not have even attempted this venture and therefore, they wouldn’t be in this predicament.
To make things worse, he felt like he couldn’t read the woman he loved anymore. Did she care or not? Want more or not? He knew as much about their relationship as he did those ruined wedding plans.
He shook off his problems with Brielle—he’d think on that later. Right now, he had a ranch to save, and doing so might also earn points with Brielle.
“A pole barn only requires footings to place the supports on,” he said aloud.
Beau shot him a glance. “We’ve wasted half a day with a busted backhoe. We still don’t have time.”
While that might be the first sensible thing Beau had said in his life, Kaoz wasn’t ready to give up. “There’s still the option of a metal building. We grade the land and pour a slab of concrete. We could have a metal barn up in no time.”
“Still lookin’ at too much time to get materials we don’t have. I’m going to call the owner like you told me to do in the first place. Maybe they’ll push the delivery of the horses back, but my guess is they want to move them now, as they originally planned.”
“There’s still the option of the horses going to the Bellamy. They’ve got the room.”
“What good’s that do me?” Beau shoved his hat down over his eyes.
“You save face with the owner, and next year when they want to winter their animals in the South while they spend the coldest months in Florida, they’ll look you up again and then you’ll be ready.”
His jaw tensed. “Guess you’re right. Maybe you should talk to your uncle before I make that call.”
He nodded. “I’ll do that first while you get the papers I asked for.”
In the house, he glanced around for Brielle. When he didn’t spot her, he went into the kitchen to grab a drink before making the call to Uncle Cort. After grabbing the pitcher of cold water always kept in the fridge, he found a glass and poured it full.
Then he saw the box on the counter from the Crossroads Perk Shop. Bringing his glass to his lips, he flipped the lid up. When the scent of apple pie and cinnamon hit his senses, he shouldn’t have gotten aroused. But he damn well did.
He slid his gaze to the table where it all happened—that first encounter with Brielle after his return. Smearing sticky pie filling all over her body and lapping her flesh clean one inch at a time. His cock went rigid in seconds, and his heart started to pound. He looked around for her again, half expecting her to step out in her birthday suit to surprise him. Or hoping, anyway.
He focused on the box of turnovers again. Why else would she buy these if she didn’t have something more in mind?
He drained his glass of water and placed that call to Uncle Cort.
“Hey, it’s Kaoz.”
“Good to hear from ya. What’s up?”
“Change of plans—a big one. The barn can’t go up when we expected.”
“Damn, that’ll be a blow to the ranch.”
“Yeah. No one’s happy about it, but it’s a fact we must face. We won’t be needing your workers Sunday, but we do have another request if you’re willin’.”
“Hit me with it.”
“Beau struck a deal with some people from up North lookin’ to board their horses. The plan was to drop them off at the ranch and go on to Florida for the winter. But the clause in the contract requires indoor boarding as well as outdoor pasture.”
“If you’re asking me to take them, I’ve got the room.”
Relief swept through him. “That’s what I hoped you’d say. Of course, the money will go to you for their care.”
“And there will be a finder’s fee in it for Beau. Let him know we’ll work out the details later tonight. Tell him to come by the house.”
“Thanks, Uncle Cort. I appreciate your help.”
“Anything for my favorite nephew.”
He chuckled. “Don’t let Aidan hear you say that.”
Uncle Cort laughed too. “When I tell Aidan the same thing, he never says anything to you.”
That brought a full laugh from Kaoz. “Good to know. Thanks again.”
“Anything for family. See you soon.”
They ended the call, and Kaoz bobbed his head. He felt good about things suddenly. It wasn’t exactly to plan, but in the ranch business, you adjusted and found new solutions.
His gaze landed on the turnovers again. Now to find Brielle.
He started to lift the box but then remembered Beau had the papers for him to read over. Damn, he would have to wait to draw her into his arms and kiss her sweet lips, not to mention all the dirty things he couldn’t wait to do with that apple pie filling.
Adjusting his cock, he headed to Beau’s small office off the living room. The space didn’t appear as cluttered as it would be if Brielle hadn’t attempted to organize with file boxes lined up on the desk and labeled in her neat handwriting. Beau sat in the stiff-backed chair with a sheaf of papers in his hand.
Kaoz reached out for them, and Beau passed them into his hand. After carefully reading the first few pages, he met Beau’s stare.
“You’re right. There’s not much under this land besides more dirt.”
Beau nodded.
Kaoz tossed the papers onto the desk. “Well, we’re not out anything, are we? I’ve got some good news from my uncle too—he’ll take the horses. He wants you to come by the house to talk figures for a finder’s fee for the contract.”
Beau smashed his lips together as if holding in words he wanted to say and in the end didn’t. Kaoz knew all this bruised the man’s pride, and who could blame him? Beau had gone into the venture with big hopes and dreams, and now they were all slowly dwindling.
Kaoz latched onto his shoulder and squeezed. “Step one is done—the horses have a place to go. Now we come up with a new way to build this barn so the next time a contract knocks on your door, you can welcome it in.”
With a sigh, he nodded. “Brielle and I will do the best we can.”
“I’m here to help too.”
Beau’s brows pinched. “You’ve got a deal to help another rancher.”
Damn, he almost forgot. It could come at a better time, for sure.
“I’m not walkin’ away until you’re set up here. I made a promise and I keep my promises.”
Beau glanced at him and then his gaze shifted. Kaoz turned to see Brielle standing there listening.
“Kaoz is good for his word, Beau.” Her gaze landed on Kaoz. The wide depths of her eyes reached into his chest and ripped his heart out. She already held it in her hands, but now more than ever.
“Can I talk to you alone?” His voice came out gritty.
She nodded. “Excuse us, Beau.”
Kaoz caught her by the hand and towed her out of the office. He kept walking through the house until he reached her bedroom, and he closed the door behind them.
They faced each other.
“I’m sorry,” he said with all the heat of truth behind it.
“I know you are. Who can blame ya for being a hard worker, even if ya are a little bit clueless.”
A laugh burst from him. “I don’t know whether to take that as a compliment or a slap in the face.”
She shrugged and stepped forward—closer to him. “Take it any way you like, but it’s who you are, Kaoz.”
His arms ached to pull her against his chest, but he held back, heart throbbing. “Does this mean you forgive me?”
She tipped her head up to meet his stare. Everything about her beautiful face called to him, right down to the tip of her cute little nose. “I forgive you—for all of it.”
He gulped down a gasp of shock. “For…everything? For ignorin’ you when you needed reassurance about our weddin’? For laughing at the magazines and your lists of guests?”
She nodded. “For everything, Kaoz. I…” Tears swam in her eyes. “I want to start over.”
His eyes fluttered shut on her words as each one pierced into his chest and tripled his love for her.
When he opened his eyes again, he saw a tear tumble down her cheek. He stopped it with his thumb and then yanked her into his arms. He slammed his mouth over hers in an all-claiming move, and as her soft gasp of surrender filled his ears, he swept his tongue into the depths of her mouth.
They shared a throaty moan, turning in unison to the bed. She shoved a hand against his chest, and he collapsed to the mattress, grinning as she climbed on top of him.
Chapter Eight
Every part of Brielle’s body tingled with pleasure. From toes to the top of her head, she felt loved. Each tender, sweeping kiss Kaoz gave her, the stroke of his callused fingers across her skin added to her desire.
He wrapped her tight in his arms and rolled her into the sheets, his mouth moving down her neck to her breasts. His hot tongue on her nipple had her back arching off the bed. She dug her fingers into his soft hair and gasped out when he pinched the other bud between his thumb and forefinger.
“I’m going to show you how much you deserve to be loved, sweet thing.” He pierced her in his blue stare and then lashed his tongue over her hard nipple again. Teasing with short little flicks. Tormenting with strong pulls of his lips. Then grazing his teeth across the tip until she fisted the sheets.
“I want you inside me,” she rasped out.
With a glow in his eyes, he covered her with his naked body and pressed the head of his hard cock into her folds. “You want my cock, sweet thing?”
“I want all of you. Now!” She wrapped her thighs around him and rocked upward. As his cock slipped inside at her move, they both stilled.
“God, you’re beautiful. So perfect. I don’t deserve you, but I’ll damn well try to be the man you need.”
Tenderness mingled with the passion burning in her heart. Cupping his jaw, she drew him in. Pressing her lips into his, she showed him how much she loved him, and he sank the rest of the way inside her.
She cried out as he fully seated himself in her channel. No one could ever fit her better, and she never wanted another man.
She wanted to marry him—for Kaoz to put that ring back on her finger.
He eased out and then slammed home again. The bed rocked. He groaned in pleasure, and she clutched his cock with her inner muscles on his withdrawal.
With her fingers digging into his spine and her heels on his ass, she pulled him in. Love bloomed up between them as their gazes held for long minutes. She tipped her hips and he took her harder, faster. When her pussy tightened on his shaft, her orgasm building so tall she didn’t know if she could jump off it and survive, Kaoz dipped his head and sucked her nipple into his hot mouth.
She shattered with a muffled cry. Waves hit. Her pussy slicked his cock, and they moved in sync faster.
“Oh God!” she burst out the breath she held to keep quiet.
He stiffened overtop her, and she waited for the splash of cum to hit her inner walls—but he pulled out.
Confusion drew her brows down. He started to move down her body. “I want to taste the orgasm I just gave you.”
Shock and excitement pounded into her as he ducked his head and licked her pussy. As he delved his tongue into her channel and found all her juices, her eyes rolled up in her head. With every stroke of his tongue through her soaked folds, up to her clit, she started to climb again. He thrust two fingers into her pussy and stroked that spot that still quivered for more.
The second orgasm took her by total surprise. She squeezed her eyes shut on the bliss claiming her body. She barely started into the release before he reared away, grabbed her by the hips, lifted her and impaled her on his thick cock.
* * * * *
White hot fire. White hot lust. All the love in the universe.
Kaoz’s brain fractured into so many directions he couldn’t string together more than a few concepts at once—all he knew was he loved this woman beyond anything else in the world. He’d live and die for her.
As he drove into her body, lifting her to meet his plunges, he couldn’t look away from her beautiful face. The bond between them had grown while apart—or whatever they called this gap since the breakup.
His balls swung up to brush her ass, and she moaned out again and again as her third orgasm pounded through her. The squeezing sensation around his shaft shot him up hard and fast. He sucked in a breath and then he exploded. Jerking his hips, he filled her pussy with his cream until he felt it running out of her. Fuck, he wanted to keep going, but the final spurt shot from his cock and he collapsed over her, panting.
Her hands in his hair brought him back to reality. He lifted his head and grinned down at her. A soft smile of total calm spread across her features.
Brushing a tendril of her hair off her cheek, he leaned in to kiss her. The soft melding of their mouths promised that this was more than simple sex.
“My heart belongs to you,” he grated out.
She nodded and rested her palm over his thumping heart. Then she found his hand and guided it over her own heart.
“I’ll never walk away from you.” His voice thickened.
Emotion glimmered in her eyes. “I know that now. But you’re also crushing me.”
He h
uffed out a chuckle and rolled into the sheets, gathering her against his side. She snuggled into him, and he kissed her between the eyes. Then on the forehead. Looking over her head, he saw a stack of new magazines on the nightstand.
“Chickens?” he named the magazine.
She stirred in his arms to look over her shoulder, following his gaze. She nodded. “I bought four hens and a chicken tractor today.”
He raised his brows in surprise even as unease settled in the hollow of his stomach.
“They’re all being delivered on Monday.”
“That’s great.”
She studied him. “You don’t look happy.”
He twisted his lips. “I always thought you’d save that dream for our ranch, Brielle.”
She squeezed his shoulders. “I do want chickens for us too. It’s only that I wanted to fill my time with something since I realized I can’t care for the pigs anymore.”
His eyes popped open on that news. “What? Since when? And why not?” he fired questions at her.
“Since you asked me to put one onto a spit. I can’t do it, Kaoz. They’re my pets. I talk to them!”
After staring at her and realizing she was as serious as butchering day, he started to laugh.
“It’s not funny.” She groaned and buried her face against his chest. “I make a terrible rancher.” Her words came out muffled.
Flexing his arms around her, he drew her even closer and kissed the top of her head again. “Awww, sweet thing, it’s all right. I won’t ask ya to eat your pet. And if you want chickens on the side, who am I to say no? As long as you’ve got room in your heart for me as well as the animals.”
She pinched him on the side, and he chuckled more. “Of course I do. And stop laughing at me.”
“At least I know now before I hand over a beef herd to you.”
She moaned at his amusement. “Not funny, Kaoz.”
He placed a sound kiss on her lips. “You don’t have to worry about the pig’s life for now. We won’t be raisin’ that barn on Sunday.”
She blinked at him. “Really? What happened? Besides the backhoe broke down and you both scared me to death.”