by Em Petrova
“Ryan!”
Twisting in her saddle, she spotted Kade barreling her direction, hat low. He really was a gorgeous man, worth looking at even if she didn’t want to listen to his bullshit.
“Hail’s comin’!” He thundered up to her. When she just sat there, frozen to her saddle, he smacked her horse on the rump and sent it galloping. Kade pushed ahead of her, leading the way.
Hail in the open prairie was dangerous. Texas hail seemed to be like everything else in the state, though—bigger.
She cried out as golf ball-sized ice struck her shoulder. Kade was suddenly a blur as the storm caught up and hail showered them. He cut hard to the left and she followed blindly. As the building loomed up, Kade leaped off his still running horse. He whipped open a door and his horse passed through.
Then he stood there being pelted by hail, waiting for her to get to safety. Her skin stung from the blows, but she felt only relief as she ducked under the doorframe, horse and all. The roar of the storm was dampened. Something warm and hard clamped on her thigh. She glanced down to see strong male fingers wrapped around her leg. She slid off her horse, shaking off his touch.
Shaking from his touch.
“You okay? That was somethin’. I could see it coming behind me and raced to tell you,” he said.
“I’m glad you did. I wasn’t paying attention to the weather.” She looked around the small barn she’d never been inside before. “Are you okay too?”
He gave a gruff nod and started checking her horse. She went to his to ensure the animal hadn’t been injured, but there wasn’t a mark on it and it seemed as spirited as earlier in the day.
“All right here,” she said.
“Here too.”
She drifted to the barn door and listened. It was so noisy. Her heart started pounding. “Tornado?” she said weakly.
His head snapped up and he pierced her with his dark blue gaze. “I think it’s only hail. Rain coming behind, most likely. Don’t borrow trouble, Ryan.”
She leaned against the wooden wall, that age-old fear taking hold and making her knees tremble. She rubbed her sweaty palms on her dusty jeans.
“Why are you so afraid of storms anyway?” He lowered his voice as he approached her. In the back of her mind, she understood he was treating her like a frightened animal. While the manner bothered her, Kade’s intention warmed her.
“Not afraid.”
When the crooked smile split his face, dark heat trickled downward. Her pussy throbbed with awareness. “Coulda fooled me, Greenhorn. You’re clinging to that wood as if it’s a life raft and you just fell off the Titanic.”
She raised her jaw. “I was in a bad storm as a kid. I’m a little cautious is all.”
“Sweetheart, you’re as white as a sheet.” He moved in, big body rolling. Reaching out, he looped an arm around her middle and tugged her lightly against his broad chest.
For a moment she couldn’t draw breath. She didn’t know what felt better—being called sweetheart or touching him. The ragged sigh that left her fluttered the cloth of his shirt. On her next inhalation, she caught the scents of hardworking man.
“Jesus, Ryan, you’re going to kill me.” He sounded as though he’d accidentally been lassoed and the air was being squeezed from him.
She looked down to see her fingers knotting his shirt. Two fistfuls. “I’m probably pulling out your chest hair,” she said and dropped her hands.
“No. Don’t.” He tugged her wrist upward until she was touching him again. Heart drumming a fast beat in her throat, she met his gaze.
“Oh no,” she whispered a split second before his lips descended. Claimed. Controlled. Stole her damn mind. She opened her mouth and he thrust his tongue inside, chasing hers around and around until small, squeaking gasps erupted from her.
The noise of the storm faded as his guttural moan filled the air. Vaguely she realized he was positioning her arms around his neck. “Hitch yourself up, sweetheart. Like last time.”
She didn’t need to think—her body reacted. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her panties became a soggy scrap as her pussy met his denim-covered erection. He rocked against her. She ground back. He angled his head and kissed her fiercely. Each bruising pass of his mouth ignited her further.
He locked her to the barn wall and dug his cock against the V of her legs. Her pussy throbbed. His hat had tumbled off at some point and she dug her fingers into his hair, yanking and delivering biting nips to his mouth.
Tearing his lips free, he spattered kisses down her throat to the tops of her breasts. “I’ve gotta taste you.” He might have swallowed prairie dust, his voice was so gritty.
She sank her teeth into his earlobe and he growled. Spinning, he stomped across the barn with her. One of their horses whickered and stamped. Faintly, she detected the high winds outside. For all she cared, a big twister could pick up the whole barn and carry them away. She went back to worrying his ear between her teeth.
When he pressed her down on a clean patch of hay, she stared into his burning eyes. He followed her down, down, until she felt the full weight of Kade Dalton. A shudder ripped through her and she locked her legs around his back again. “I hope I don’t have manure on my boots,” she giggled.
“Don’t care if ya do.” He yanked open her top, reached into her bra and pulled her breast free of her bra cup. The minute her nipple struck the heated air, it pebbled harder than it already was. “I dreamed of this,” he said roughly before taking her nipple into his scorching mouth.
She arched and cried out as delicious ribbons of need spread through her whole body. With gentle pulls, he brought her bud into a tighter peak before moving to the other.
Eyes half-lidded, she watched his face as he worshipped her breasts. If she’d believed Kade’s expressions interesting before, now she couldn’t tear her gaze away. He looked hungry. As if he’d eat her alive.
She worked his top shirt buttons but the rest were out of reach. She mewled in frustration and then he really wiped out her resolve—he shot her a sideways grin.
The wind howled but she’d forgotten all about the weather. She was a wildfire, blazing out of control at the hands of this beautiful man.
He leaned back enough to give her access to his buttons—all of them and the belt buckle too. At last his shirt hung open to reveal sculpted chest muscles tanned by the sun. Not a hair dusted his chest, which surprised her. She’d never thought about a cowboy manscaping, but he must.
Wetting her lips, she skipped her gaze over his chest down to ridged abs and lower to the open button of his jeans. She felt his attention on her face and slid her eyes to meet his. He might as well have tased her. She jolted with shock.
They threw themselves at each other. Tongues tangling, reckless. She slid her hands under his shirt and eased it off his shoulders. He ripped his arms free then worked to strip her too.
“God, sweetheart. You’re so pale against me.”
She was freckled too but she didn’t even care because he was sucking her nipple again. Biting it. Scraping his teeth along the bud until she gasped. Threading her fingers in his hair, she drew him tighter to her body. Rough beard and lips that had become excruciatingly soft. He nuzzled her right breast, then her left.
“You taste better than in my dreams.”
“Did you really dream about me?”
He locked her in his stare. “Every night for weeks.”
Surprise struck her. “What did…we do?” His muscles were carved steel beneath her fingers. She roamed her hands toward his waistband, but he gave a hard shake of his head.
“Can’t, sweetheart. I don’t have enough control for that.” Before she could reply, he kissed her and popped open her jeans simultaneously. When callused fingers eased into her panties, she stopped breathing. As the tip of one finger grazed her clit, she sucked in a harsh lungful of air.
He dropped his head to her shoulder, panting hard. “Fuck, you’re slick. I knew it.” Without warning, he followed
the seam of her pussy down and plunged a finger into her channel. She cried out and bucked upward. He nudged her thighs apart with his knee and burrowed his finger deeper.
Her pussy clenched around his digit and her inner walls contracted. They shared a primal groan. Then he began to finger-fuck her. Slow at first, making her tremble. Building speed and gaining a rhythm that threatened to steal her mind. He sank his finger deep, touching a spot she didn’t know she had.
Suddenly his finger vanished to be replaced by two fingers. She surged upward and kissed him as he stretched her. Need escalated and she scudded up the slippery slope to heaven. Warm, bronzed skin grew damp under her touch. She dug her nails into his back and gyrated her hips to meet his thrusts even as their tongues danced.
“I want to get deeper, sweetheart. Let me in.” His hot words fueled her fires. Cupping her ass, he lifted her hips to receive his finger thrusts. He bottomed out, the heel of his hand directly over her aching clit.
An uninhibited wail escaped her lips. She started to shake.
“You’re close, sweetheart. I want you coming all over my fingers. Then I’m going to taste you on them. Lick them clean. And all day long I’ll get a hint of your sweet honey while I work.”
“Kade,” she gasped, hanging on to his back. He delivered another bruising, soul-claiming kiss.
“Fuck. I need…come for me, sweetheart. Let me feel you pulsating all the way up my arm.”
Passion flowed over and she rocketed upward. Crazed with lust, she rode his fingers. As the first pulsation slammed her, she opened her mouth. He stole her scream with his deep kiss.
* * * * *
Hell, he couldn’t stop.
He needed to stop.
No, he had to drive into her tight, wet heat and claim her fully.
Absolutely not. She was the ranch hand and now he knew how she looked when she came apart.
Torn, he struggled to the surface of his consciousness. Soft moans continued to vibrate through her and damn if he could stop kissing her. Or remove his hand from her panties. She was all woman—and he wanted more.
Reluctantly, he pulled his hand free and did as promised—he stuck his fingers in his mouth and sucked. A barbaric noise burst from his throat, and Ryan’s eyes flew open. Green and honey-gold flickered as she saw what he was doing.
“You taste better than anything I’ve ever had,” he said, low.
A shiver snaked through her, twisting her beneath him. How he burned to slide between her legs and know more of this sinful addiction, but he couldn’t compromise her further.
He rolled off but tucked her close. She held herself stiffly for a moment, but he drew circles down her bare spine and she relaxed against his side.
The fresh scent of hay mingled with her arousal. He ran his tongue over his lower lip, tasting her freshness.
“Kade?” Her quiet tone alerted him of her worry.
Smoothing her silky red curls, he looked into her eyes. “Yeah, sweetheart?”
“Do you want me to…” She bit her lower lip and he nearly threw all caution to the high winds.
“This wasn’t about me. I wanted to give you pleasure.”
“But…”
With a knuckle beneath her delicate chin, he lifted her head. “Let me give this to you, Ryan. Please. Just lie with me while I make my body obey, okay?”
She didn’t reply, but he took her silence as agreement.
Outside, the hail had moved past and the winds had died down. Inside was cozy and filled with the sound of horses chomping whatever hay they could find.
“What is this barn used for?” Her voice was soft, dreamy almost. A protective instinct coiled inside him.
Tightening his arm around her, he inhaled her heady fragrance. “Hank built it soon after his house went up. He plans to put some horses here eventually. We’ve just been so busy, he hasn’t gotten around to it.”
“I can see why you needed a hand. You’re spread thin.”
Yeah, and I’d like to spread your thighs and bury myself to the hilt in you. The idea shook the foundations of his control all over again. His cock hardened a fraction more and Ryan noticed. In fact, she ran a ticklish hand down his abs.
He trapped her hand under his, locking it to his body. His throat clogged with desire. All he wanted was right here in this barn. A sweet, willing female who actually gave his brain—as well as his body—a run for its money. He’d never have a dull moment with her, he was sure of it. Too bad her curves were quickly causing him to go into a skid.
Again, she tensed. Then pulled away. She sat up, pivoting as she did so he couldn’t see her face.
He’d hurt her feelings despite his good intentions.
“Ryan.”
“I got it, Kade. It’s fine. It sounds like the storm’s over.” She got up and walked away, providing him with a tormenting view of denim cupping her backside and naked torso with fiery hair swaying over her spine.
He leapt up and had to stop to adjust his cock before it snapped in two. By the time he reached her, she had her arms in her bra straps. As she reached behind herself to fasten the garment, he twitched with pure need.
“Don’t walk away,” he said.
She dropped her arms, allowing him a frontal view of creamy, freckled breasts pushing against a pearly pink bra. His gut clenched. “I’ve got work to do. So do you.”
“Yeah, but I can’t let you walk away. Not after…”
She flushed and God, he wanted to kiss her. Part of him was afraid of never being able to stop kissing her. The other part was afraid of her breaking his nose with her right hook.
While she put on her shirt and began buttoning it with lightning speed, he racked his brain for something to say to make this right. He shouldn’t have touched her, but she’d been so beautiful and needy, a set of bull horns in his chest couldn’t have stopped him.
When he ran his fingers beneath his nose, he inhaled her scents.
She grunted and did up her fly. “Enjoy it, cowboy. I won’t be so gullible a second time.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? You think I took advantage of you?”
“Not at all. But it’s clear you aren’t that into me.”
“Jesus God, that’s what you believe?”
“Usually when people fall into a horse stall in the throes of passion, the guy doesn’t put on the brakes, so yeah.” She stooped to swipe her cowgirl hat off the floor. She jammed it on her head.
He stepped up to her and knocked it back off. The felt hat tumbled to the floor around her dusty boots. “How many cowboys have you fallen into horse stalls with?”
Her eyes glittered green. “Enough to know I’m stupid to have let things between us escalate, Kade Dalton.”
“If you use both of my names again, I’m going to teach you a lesson.”
She laughed, but there was no humor in it. “Look, let’s just forget this happened. I’m your hand, and I’ll try like hell not to get in your way. You stay out of mine. Deal?”
“No deal.” He curled his fingers around her wrist. The bones were fine but the tendons surrounding them strong. Everything about her was a contradiction. She could whip up oat bars for the horses, bounce a baby on her knee and shoe a horse in the same hour.
She tried to pull away. “Please let me go.”
“Not until we discuss this.”
“There is no this. It didn’t happen.”
He ducked his head to look into her eyes. “Is that what you wanna say?”
“Who’s asking? Surely you won’t tell anyone.”
“Of course not. I don’t kiss and tell. But it did happen, sweetheart. You were soaking wet for me, wild for my kisses and you came on my fingers.”
Her eyes rolled back in her head and she groaned. “Stop.”
“Not a chance. Now I’m sure you want to think I don’t want you because I put on the brakes. It isn’t the case. I want you—bad.” He moved her hand down to his crotch. As soon as her hand brushed his erection, he nearly l
ost it. His balls throbbed and his shaft seemed to swell bigger than ever.
A quiet breath left her.
“I want you, Ryan. But I won’t go further. Not yet.”
“Not yet?” Her voice was small.
“Not until I know where we stand. Hell, I don’t even think you like me.”
“I don’t,” she responded at once. Little liar. He bit back a grin.
“I picked up a hand at the airport thinking he was going to change how we worked on this ranch,” he said.
“And?” she challenged, the hand he wasn’t gripping settling on her curvaceous hip.
“And you’ve changed things, all right.”
“You don’t even like the way I do things around here.”
“I like you plenty, sweetheart. You just need a little taming.”
At that, she jerked free, crossed the barn and put a horse between them. He rubbed his hand over his face and regretted it as her scents struck him again. Stomping around the animal, he grabbed Ryan. Picking her up, he went back to the stall where he’d lost his mind for the first time that day.
“What are you doing?” She kicked but it was more for show. This time he did grin.
“We’re not coming out of this stall until we’ve talked this through.”
“Or killed each other.”
“You’re already killing me, sweetheart.” With that, he dragged her into the hay, cradled the back of her head and forced it onto his shoulder.
She promptly bit him.
* * * * *
After she sank her teeth into his arm, she felt Kade’s chest vibrate. Then a growl burst from him and he rolled atop her, pinning her to the hay. With his weight braced on his elbows, he stared down into her eyes.
Damn him and his crooked smile. And that expression on his rugged features would make her leave the ranch in the end. She couldn’t work alongside him day in and day out in wet panties with her nipples about to tear through her shirt.
“Let me up,” she squeaked as if his weight were crushing her.
“What are you so afraid of, Greenhorn?” His warm breath passed inches from her lips. This time his nickname was a dark caress.