“That must have been tough.”
“It wasn’t easy but seeing the shadows start to lift from my dad’s eyes made it bearable.”
“You’re incredible, you know that?” She shakes her head shyly and looks away. “So I’m intrigued. If you’re not a horse riding pro then why did you want to spend your summer out here in the middle of nowhere with me?”
“Promise you won’t laugh?” she asks, but all she achieves is to pique my interest more.
“I promise.”
She eyes me suspiciously, but she must decide I’m trustworthy enough.
“It all started when I was about three or four. Mum and Dad bought me Toy Story on DVD for Christmas and from that day forward, I’ve had this thing about cowboys. I’ve been desperate to visit a ranch since we moved over here, but I never managed it. Then my sister found the job ad for this and well…the rest is history.”
I bite my bottom lip to try to keep my smile in, but she must see my struggle.
“It’s okay, you can laugh if you like. I know it’s bonkers.”
Reaching up, I tuck a lock of her blonde hair behind her ear. “It’s cute. Although I’m not sure any three-year-old should have a cowboy fantasy.”
“Oh, that type of fantasy didn’t come until later.”
“So I guess the question is, do you want me for me or for my cowboy status?”
“Only time will tell, cowboy. Only time will tell.” The smile that splits her face as she says this tells me everything I need to know. But it won’t stop me from getting her to admit the truth sometime soon.
After a quick kiss to her soft lips, I regretfully pull away and grab the picnic basket and blanket.
“So is this the sort of thing you always dreamed of?” I ask when we are cuddled together on the blanket after eating our way through the food Chef prepared for us.
“It’s better,” she admits with heat coloring her cheeks.
“Is that right?” Propping myself up on my elbow, I look down at her. Her blue eyes have a playful glint, but there’s desire simmering in them too. The sight has my cock twitching, begging for some action. “I think I know how to make it even better.”
“Hmmm,” she moans as I lower my body and lips to hers. I love the feeling of her soft curves against my hard planes.
I devour her. My tongue delving into her mouth and dancing with hers. My hands roam around her dress-covered body until my need to feel her soft skin against mine becomes too much. Starting at her knee, I slowly slide my hand up her thigh until the soft lace of her panties hits my fingertips.
“I want to taste you so badly,” I groan, kissing down her neck to her heaving chest.
“Oh…God.” I don’t venture any further once I get to her underwear. I made her a promise and I fully intend to keep it.
“Would you like that? My tongue on your sweet pussy, licking you until you’re coming?”
She moans loudly at my words, her hips grinding, desperately trying to find what I’m offering.
“You’re going to have to ask for it, baby. I made you a promise.”
“Yes, Clay. Yes.” The sound of my name a plea on her lips once again causes my heart to race.
“You sure?”
“Yes. I want it. All of it.”
Pushing her dress up around her waist, I revel in the flawlessness of her milky skin. Tucking my thumbs into the sides of her panties, I prepare to pull them down and reveal her pretty pussy that I know is begging for me. But just as I start to pull, my cell rings in my pocket. It’s my uncle’s ringtone and I’ve no choice but to answer it. Something might have happened.
Looking up to her eyes, I don’t need to say anything. She knows. “It’s okay. You can get it.”
“I’m so sorry, it’s just…”
“It’s okay.”
Getting up, I slide my phone from my jeans and walk away from the person I want beside me for this conversation more than anything.
14
Jessie
The tension that pulls at his muscles the moment the ringtone fills the air tells me that it’s something serious.
He climbs to his feet, walks across the field and puts his phone to his ear. I pull my dress back down and sit up, but my eyes never leave him. If it’s possible, he only gets tenser. I’m desperate to help in some way, but I’ve no clue what the issue is and if him keeping quiet about what happened to his parents is any clue then he doesn’t seem like the kind of man who shares his problems willingly.
He continues standing, staring out into the distance long after he lowers the phone. Every muscle in my body screams for me to go to him, but I barely know him, let alone what he needs right now.
In the end, he solves my dilemma for me when he turns and starts walking back. His eyes are haunted and frown lines crease his forehead.
“I’m sorry but—”
“It’s okay, Clay. But please, let me help. Whatever it is, I’m here, lean on me.”
His mouth drops and his features soften. I think he’s going to say something, but at the last minute he must change his mind because he starts packing up our stuff and then helps me on to Juno for the journey back.
The peaceful walk back toward the ranch does nothing to relax him. I watch as he silently puts the horses back into their stables before he takes my hand and leads me through the barn.
“Aw you’ve got a baby,” I say, coming to a stop when a foal standing beside its mother catches my eye.
“He was born a couple of days ago.” It’s the first thing he’s said since we’ve returned. His deep voice reveals his inner turmoil, but I focus on the cute animal in front of me.
“Has he got a name?”
“No, I don’t think so. You want to name him?”
“Seriously?” Excitement races through me at the thought. When he nods, I take a second to think, but really there’s only one option. “Bullseye,” I announce.
The sound of his laughter filling the barn relaxes something inside me that I didn’t realize was all twisted up with his obvious turmoil.
“Bullseye?” he chuckles. “Of course.”
“I think it’s perfect, don’t you, Woody?”
“It really is. Come on, let’s get you back.”
My heart drops that our time together is obviously over. I try not to allow my disappointment to show on my face. He clearly has stuff he needs to do, and he’s spent most of the afternoon and evening avoiding work.
His fingers tangle with mine once again and the tingles I’m beginning to expect shoot up my arm at the contact.
When we get to my cabin, we find Austin sitting out front on his cell with a beer halfway to his lips.
“You mind?” Clay asks him.
“Sure thing.” He quickly gets up and disappears inside, giving us some privacy.
Tugging on my arm, he pulls me so my chest is brushing against his. “Thank you for today.”
“You’re welcome. Is there anything else I can do?” I can’t help asking. The shadows that filled his eyes when his phone rang are only getting darker.
“Hmm…I can think of a thing or two.” Leaning down, he brushes his lips against mine. A soft moan rumbles up my throat as his passionate kiss has all my nerve endings firing.
It’s over long before I’m ready for it to end. His hands cup my cheeks and he stares down into my eyes. He wants to say something. It’s on the tip of his tongue but he manages to fight whatever it is.
“You should get an early night. I hear your boss is an asshole.”
“Oh, I don’t know. He’s got a good side too.”
“Is that right?” Releasing me, he takes a step back. “Goodnight, Jessie.”
With those words, he takes two more steps back before turning around and walking away.
“So we know who’s going to be employee of the month then.” Austin reappears and hands me a beer.
“I…uh…”
“Hey, you don’t have to explain yourself to me. Enjoy it while you can. Thi
s summer will be over before you know it.”
His words dampen down my excitement a little because I know all too well how true they are, but I can’t deny that whatever’s developing with Clay could really improve my time here.
Falling down on to the chair next to him, I tip my bottle to my lips. “I think I’m going to like it here.”
15
Jessie
Thoughts of my cowboy don’t leave me all night. When I wake the next morning the dream I’m in the middle of feels so real that I even look to the other side of the bed in case he’s actually there. When I realize he’s not, my cheeks flame red and my body heats with the memories.
I have a very quick shower in an attempt to cool off my heated body before I race over to have breakfast with the others.
Betsy’s eyes light up the moment she sees me in the doorway, and I know I’m about to get hit with a barrage of questions about yesterday.
And I’m right because the first two are out of her mouth before my ass even hits the seat.
“What’s going on with Woody? Are you still cleaning?”
Blowing out a long breath, I take a few seconds to figure out the answer to the first one. “Um…I’m not sure really. And yes, it’s my job.”
Her eyes narrow but she doesn’t say anything even if she doesn’t believe me. Eventually, when answers get vaguer and vaguer, she gives up and turns to talk to the others instead. I’m more than happy to lose her attention for a little bit.
I keep my eye on the door, waiting and hoping to get a glance of Clay but he never appears and when I poke my head into his office before I head out to start work he’s not there either. A nagging feeling that something’s wrong pulls at my stomach, but I force it down. He’s just busy. He’s got a ranch to run.
Betsy and I complete all the communal areas before we split up to do individual jobs. “Here, you may as well do his place, seeing as you want to get inside his pants anyway,” she says with a laugh, handing over the key to Clay’s cabin. My cheeks heat and my eyes refuse to meet hers.
“Oh my God, you already have!”
“What? No, no, I haven’t.”
“You so want to though. You can’t deny that.”
“I’m not saying anything. I’ll see you later.”
Swiping the key from her finger, I march across the courtyard with my cleaning box in hand.
His cabin is in darkness when I step up onto the porch, so I don’t bother knocking, confident that he’s not inside.
Pushing the door open, I immediately know something’s not right when I find a smashed glass at my feet.
“Clay?” I call, pushing the door wider and stepping over whatever it is. “Clay are you…. Shit.”
Scanning the room, I find him passed out on the sofa, a beer bottle still in his hand. He’s laid out in only a pair of black boxer briefs, a thin layer of sweat coats his body and his hair’s sticking up in all directions.
Carefully pulling the bottle from his fingers, I place it on the coffee table and turn back to brush his hair from his forehead.
My heart skips a beat when I do because I don’t find a peaceful, although tormented, sleeping face, I find him staring at me.
“Jesus, Clay. You scared me half to death.” My hand covers my racing heart as I try to get control of my breathing. His lips barely twitch in amusement and my concern soon takes over. “Talk to me,” I beg, taking his hand in mine and pressing my lips to his knuckles. I don’t know this man in front of me, but something tells me this isn’t normal for him.
He stares at me for so long that I don’t think he’s going to say anything. Just when I’ve come up with another angle to try to get it out of him, his lips part and a rough whisper comes out.
“My aunt’s in the hospital.”
“Okay.” I try to make my voice as soft and understanding as possible, but I’ve no clue if I achieve it.
“She…she wants me to visit her.”
“And you don’t want to?”
Pulling himself up to a sitting position. He takes both of my hands in his. It’s as if he needs my strength and the thought makes my breath catch.
“Of course I want to. She’s my aunt. But I don’t think I can.”
“Why?”
Dropping his head, he blows out a long breath. “The last time I was in that place I…” He trails off, the memory is obviously too painful to even put into words. “My parents…they died as a result of a car crash.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“I was in it too.” The pain in his voice has a lump forming in my throat. “They were both dying in the front and there was nothing I could do. I was trapped and I couldn’t help.” I gasp, his pain hitting me. “I was told after that they were both just barely alive when we were rescued, but they didn’t make it. I was in the hospital for weeks. Broken bones, internal bleeding, head trauma. But I got to walk out. They didn’t.”
Moving over, I wrap my arm around his shoulders and pull him to me. His body trembles as he tries to fight with his emotions. “It’s okay, Clay. I understand.” A sob escapes him, but he doesn’t move.
“My aunt had an accident on her horse last week. She’s been unconscious, we weren’t sure if she was…” He trails off again and I continue rubbing his back. “Well, she woke up yesterday and she was asking for me.”
Suddenly I understand why everything changed after his phone call yesterday.
“Your uncle told you yesterday?”
“Yeah. He knows I can’t…But she wants me. I owe both of them everything, Jessie. They brought me up as their own after my parents passed. I should be with her, but…I don’t think I can handle it. Even driving past that place fills me with memories I wish I could forget. I’m sorry,” he says abruptly, shrugging me off and marching from the room. A door slams and I fall back on the sofa, wondering what I should do now.
I’m debating whether I should get up and leave when I hear his footsteps behind me. He’s still in only his underwear, but this time it’s with droplets of water from the shower on his skin. I can’t help running my eyes over his defined muscles as he gets closer. When we’re toe to toe, he reaches out and lifts me. His fingers slip into my hair and his lips descend on mine. His minty fresh tongue delves into my mouth and I eagerly match his movements, desperately wanting to take some of his pain away.
“I need you,” he whispers against the sensitive skin of my neck, his calloused hands slipping under my t-shirt.
“You’ve got me. Whatever you need.”
He groans and drops his head to my shoulder. “I told you I’d let you lead.”
I pull his head up and stare into his eyes. “I am taking the lead. I’m telling you to take what you need.” Dropping my hands from his face, I grasp the fabric at my waist and pull it up and over my head.
“Once we start, I’m not going to be able to stop.”
“Good. I wouldn’t want you to. I do need to tell you something though.” Raising an eyebrow, he waits for my admission. “I’m a…I haven’t…uh.”
“Fuck, you’re perfect.” He sweeps me off my feet and carries me to his bedroom. Glancing over his shoulder, I spot that it’s just as messy as the rest of his cabin and I fight a smile.
“What?” Clearly, I don’t hide it hard enough.
“You’re dirty.”
“Oh baby, you’ve got no idea.” Dropping me to my feet, he goes straight for the button on my shorts and heat floods my core.
He pulls both my shorts and knickers down my legs. I kick them off as he sits back on his haunches and looks up at me. His eyes dilate with desire and I feel myself get wetter still.
“Take it off. I want to see all of you.” He nods to the lace covering my breasts and I hesitantly move my hands behind my back to do as I’m told.
Embarrassment hits my cheeks and spreads down my neck. My naked body has never been so closely scrutinized before. My arms twitch at my sides, desperate to cover myself.
“Don’t even think about it,
” he says with a laugh, standing to full height so he can look into my eyes. “You’re gorgeous. Let me show you.”
I squeal as he throws me back on his bed, but I’m soon cut off when he captures my nipple. “Oh!” My lips form an O as I revel in the sensation.
“Oh that’s nothing, baby.”
I want to chastise him for his arrogance, but his kisses descend my stomach and all thoughts leave my head. My thighs start to shake in anticipation as his lips brush over my hipbone.
Pushing my thighs wide, he stares down at my center. “Beautiful,” he whispers. I don’t have time to be embarrassed because he lowers his head, his tongue flicking my clit.
“Oh God.”
It must be the encouragement he needs because he flattens his tongue against me and licks all the way up. My hips buck from the bed before he rests an arm across me to keep me in place as he eats me.
My hands fist the sheets beneath me as the pressure inside me builds to breaking point.
“I’m going to make you come with my mouth before I slide inside of you.” His finger teases my entrance and my toes curl in pleasure. The moment he’s finished talking, he lowers his head once again, only this time he slides a finger inside me.
16
Clay
The moan that rips from her throat as I slide my finger inside her makes my cock weep. She’s so fucking tight. My desire to thrust inside her in the barn the other night was all-consuming, there’s no way I can avoid it now. Waiting to make sure she’s ready is painful enough.
Bending my fingers, I find that spot inside her that’s going to bring on her release, I press down harder on her clit and smile when she immediately clenches around me.
That’s it, baby. Let go.
“Clay,” she cries as I push her over the edge.
I don’t have the patience to allow her to fully ride it out. I need to feel her around me too badly. I reason with myself that I’ll make it up to her by giving her another later.
Flirty Ever Afters: A Flirt Club Collection Page 26