by Milly Taiden
“He was like a lot of artists. Many of his works were unfinished.” He licked her neck up to her ear. “He was very smart.”
“Mmm, what’s your favorite food?”
He glanced up, met her gaze and pressed just a little harder at her clit. “Dessert.”
“Holy fuck!” she gasped and her body shook as it unraveled with the force of her release. She screeched, her nails dug into the back of his head and her pussy sucked at nothing, looking for penetration.
She was still wiggling in his lap when he pulled his hand from her pants and brought it to his lips. He slipped his fingers into his mouth and sucked, his gaze holding her hostage. “Sweet as fucking honey. That’s why dessert is my favorite.”
Her body shuddered and she pressed her body into his. “I’ve never had this type of get to know a guy before.”
He flicked his tongue over her bottom lip, the little metal rod through the muscle rubbing on her flesh and fanning her lust. “Good. I like being original. I didn’t get to ask you a question, though.”
She tried to sit back but he held her ass and pressed her to his hard erection again.
“Stay where you are. I have a hard enough time not tearing these pants off you and fucking you here and now.”
She wouldn’t stop him if he did. “What do you want to know?”
“Have you ever been in love?”
She wasn’t sure what to say to that. The weird sensation in her belly and the way her emotions were all over the place was new to her. “I don’t think I have.”
He cupped her face and kissed her hard. When he pulled back, his eyes were glowing a bright green. “Soon.”
She wanted to ask what he was talking about, but in reality what she wanted was to tell him to quench the thirst she had for him. Now that he’d made her come and heated her blood in a way no man had ever done, she wanted more. Needed more.
“I don’t think I can go on our date after this,” she moaned as he squeezed her ass. “I need to change.”
“No,” he told her. “I want to smell your sweet scent the rest of the day.”
She leaned back, his touch was making her lose focus. “I’m all wet down there!”
The sly grin on his face turned her on even more. “Good. I like knowing I made you wet.”
“You can’t be serious,” she said, finally getting her mind to clear.
He tipped her chin so she’d look him in the eyes. “Baby, I’m so fucking serious. If we weren’t on someone else’s property right now, I’d take all this off you and take your sweet ass and your sexy little pussy and fuck you until you can’t remember your own name.”
She blinked at his words. The glow in his eyes turned brighter.
“Clacher!” She glanced around, knowing nobody else came down here when she was there, but still worried someone might have heard him.
“You’re so fucking cute being so embarrassed.” He helped her up to her feet and pulled her into his arms again, pressing her into his body and thrusting his erection into her belly. “I promise that when I finally fuck you, nobody else will be around to watch. I want you for my eyes only.”
Thank god for small miracles. She couldn’t imagine someone else watching her having sex. That was so not her thing.
“So where are we going next?” she said, fixing her pants and looking at Titan and Oreo as they slept not far from them.
“It’s a surprise, but you’re going to get dirty. You okay with that?”
She laughed. “We have to give the dogs baths first before we can leave. Trust me. Getting dirty is the least of my worries.”
Once the dogs had been washed and they’d helped with some chores at the shelter, she followed him to some undisclosed location. They drove a while before they went down a dirt road. She saw what looked like a farmhouse.
When they got there, an elderly man stood by two four-wheelers and smiled at them, beckoning them to come with his hand.
She hopped out of her car and headed to the man. Clacher met her there shortly after.
“Lexi, this is Tom. Tom, Lexi. Tom and his wife, Hilda, are the caretakers of this ranch.”
Tom nodded. “Nice to meet you, Ms. Lexi. My wife is inside but you’ll get a chance to meet her later.”
Lexi smiled at Tom and turned to Clacher. She raised her brows, wondering what was going on. He gave her a devil may care grin. “Come on, sweetheart. You’re going to like this.”
She laughed and followed behind him to the four-wheelers. “Promises.”
He got on one and she got on the other. She followed behind Clacher into the trees, down a rocky trail. Then things got crazy.
There was mud everywhere. Clacher sped up, his four-wheeler sending a crazy amount of mud and what she’d swear was dirty water flying right at her. She tried to get ahead of him to pay him in kind, but he stayed in front. There was only one thing to do.
She stopped in another muddy puddle and put her vehicle on park.
“Clacher!”
He stopped and glanced over his shoulder. A wide grin covered his face. She was wet and muddy and could only hope her plan worked.
He got off his vehicle and proceeded to hers with a curious look on his face. “What happened?”
She shrugged, hoping her innocent look worked. “Will you check?”
She knew shifters. They could sense lies, so lying about what was wrong would only make him aware of her plan.
He came around her four-wheeler slowly, looking to see if something was making the wheels stick. When he lowered his head to get a closer look, she hit the accelerator and sent mud flying all over him. He tried to pull back but slipped and fell into the muddy water. She started laughing at the look of surprise in his face.
She decided to be nice and help him to his feet so she got off her ATV and offered her hand to him. He took her hand and instead of trying to get up, he pulled her down, getting her even muddier than she was before.
They ended up tossing mud back and forth at each other like little kids. She hadn’t had that much fun since she and Morgan went skiing and she fell a million times on the bunny slope.
“Are you ready to try this again?” Clacher chuckled. “Without faking issues with your ATV?”
9
Lexi slapped a muddy hand on his arm. “It’s your fault. You took the lead and I was the one getting all dirty. I had to even the score.”
“I was only leading the way because I know where we’re going.” He helped her back to her feet and held her close for a moment. “You’re a lot of fun.”
She grinned, a strange joy filling her heart. “Thank you. So are you.”
Back on the ATVs, they passed other puddles. He finally let her go ahead of him for a little while and at one point they were side to side, getting those previously clean vehicles dirty enough to make her glad she wasn’t the one cleaning them.
They did a big loop that took them back to the ranch house. When they got there, Tom came out and took her keys.
“Looks like you guys enjoyed the rain we had yesterday.” Tom laughed.
She nodded. “We did.”
“Glad to see you dirty for once, Clacher,” Tom said. He smiled at Lexi. “Looks like you did a good job of making sure he got himself dirty.”
“He tried to be the one tossing mud at me,” she said conspiratorially, “but I got him back.”
“Nice one!”
“Come on, let’s get cleaned up.” Clacher grabbed her hand and led her into the house through the back door. They stopped at the kitchen entrance where he led her into a room to the right for her to take her clothes off. There was a robe waiting for her. After they both were in their robes, he guided her up the stairs to the second level.
“Clacher!” A woman with a short blond bob and a sweet smile, a lot younger than Tom, greeted them by one of the bedroom doors.
“Hi, Hilda. This is Lexi. Lexi, Hilda, Tom’s wife.”
“Hi, Hilda,” Lexi said. “I’d offer my hand but I’m all di
rty.”
Hilda waved her hand in dismissal and chuckled. “No worries, child. Go get cleaned up. I have the rooms all ready for you two.” Hilda pointed behind her. “This is your room, Lexi. There’s towels and everything you need in the bathroom. I put a pair of Clacher’s sweats and a T-shirt in there for you while I wash your clothes.”
“Oh! You don’t have to do that. If you could show me how to use the machine, when I finish I can do my own clothes.”
Hilda laughed and winked at Clacher. “She’s so cute. I like her.”
“I do, too,” he said.
Lexi’s face heated from the nice words. She was used to people giving her compliments, but that didn’t mean she didn’t embarrass from them every time.
“Go get cleaned up. I’ll set up dinner and then Tom and I will be off.”
Lexi frowned. “Don’t you live here?”
“Heavens, no!” Hilda laughed. “This is Clacher’s house. We have a smaller cottage not far down the back road.” Hilda gave Clacher a loving look. “I’ll tell you all about his generous heart over dinner.”
Lexi showered and put on Clacher’s clothes. She sat on the bed a while, her nose in his hoodie. She hadn’t expected them to do that as a first date. It was so…different. Thinking of how much they’d laughed and played made her heart fill with joy. Clacher might be tattooed and pierced, but inside, he was soft and sweet as a teddy bear. No, a cuddly dragon. She wanted to see him shifted up close. To touch his scales and look into his dragon’s eyes.
A soft knock at the door got her moving. Clacher stood there in a pair of sweats that matched her own. Hers were pretty big considering they belonged to his giant ass, but they were super comfortable.
“Feeling better?” he asked, taking her hand and heading down the stairs.
“Yeah. It’s amazing what a warm shower will do after you’ve gotten mud all over.” She loved how the heat from his hand penetrated her skin and made her feel relaxed and cared for. Was this love? She couldn’t be sure, but she liked it so much, it scared her. She wanted more of this giddy sensation at being near him. The growing happiness every time he smiled at her or gave her a deep stare with his amazing green eyes. Nerves suddenly made her skin prickle and her chest tighten. This was too new. She had nothing like this to compare to and at the same time didn’t think she’d ever have this happen to her again.
She glanced down and stared at their linked hands. Suddenly, her skin turned pale in color. Her gaze moved up his arm. His outfit transformed from sweats and a T-shirt to a regency era suit.
She tripped on the steps and would have fallen had he not tightened his hold on her hand.
“You okay?” he asked, his gaze boring into hers. A serious scowl dipped his brows low.
“Yes.” He was back to the T-shirt and sweats. Her mind raced. Something happened and she couldn’t explain it.
They continued walking toward the dining room where Tom and Hilda were putting platters of food on the table.
“You two are finally here. I worried you’d fallen asleep in the shower,” Hilda exclaimed. “Come. Sit. Let’s eat.”
Tom stood by a chair, pulled it from the table and held it for Hilda. Clacher went to the other side and did the same for Lexi. The men sat and everyone started serving themselves.
“I hope you like pot roast,” Hilda said. “This is Clacher’s favorite and every time he comes here, I make a point of making it for him.”
Lexi nodded. “I love it. And that’s really nice of you. You must really love him.”
Tom chuckled. “He’s like our own kid.”
There were fresh baked rolls, rice, salad, and enough side dishes to make her feel like she was in a restaurant. How Hilda managed to make so much food was beyond her.
“You said you’d tell me more about Clacher,” she said to Hilda.
Food was passed around and once everyone had a full plate, they began to eat.
“About ten years ago, Tom and I had seen some bad times. Our farm wasn’t doing well and we just couldn’t keep it going.”
Lexi glanced at Clacher. He was staring at her, a smile on his lips. She moved a little closer to him and tried not to think about what she was doing. “Did you not have children to help you?”
Hilda and Tom looked at each other.
“Their son, Tom Jr., was the one who loved farming, passed away in a car accident. Their daughter hated farming life, so she left for New York and never returned,” Clacher supplied. He placed a hand on her leg and rubbed the material of her sweats softly.
“I’m sorry,” Lexi said to Hilda.
“It’s fine. Susie wasn’t one to live this type of life. She hated everything farming stood for and more than that, hated living in a small town. Though we had a decent sized city nearby, she was not happy with that. She wanted more. Bigger,” Hilda said with a shrug. “Always bigger.”
“She doesn’t ever come here or want to speak about the farm. We talk to her once a year for the holidays. She’s married and is very busy traveling the world as a rich man’s wife,” Tom said with a note of sadness. “She’s made it clear she won’t come back, and we love it here so we have no reason to leave.”
10
Lexi smiled at the couple.
“So how did Clacher come into the story?” Lexi asked. She ate some of the pot roast and sighed. Food was a weakness and she loved something well made. She put butter on her roll and watched it dissolve. A quick bite and she was in love all over again. Hilda needed her own restaurant.
“He bought the farm from us.” She beamed at Clacher.
“For a lot more than what we were asking for,” Tom told Lexi. “We were in disbelief.”
“They worked this place all their lives,” Clacher said matter-of-factly. “They deserved what it was worth.”
Hilda’s smile widened. “See how kind he is? He left us the guest house not far from here. It’s ours for as long as we want it, rent free.” She turned to Tom and leaned into him. “We take care of the place as we did before but now others handle the work to upkeep the farm. Tom oversees employees and I handle the house.”
“She doesn’t have to do anything,” Clacher told Lexi. “But I do love her cooking so I won’t ask her to stop doing that.”
Everyone laughed.
“So what do you have planned now that you don’t have to worry about the farm?” Lexi asked.
“We bought an RV and have been visiting different places in the U.S. we’ve always wanted to go. We’ve taken a few vacations to different countries. Nothing crazy or too exotic.” Hilda chuckled. “Tom doesn’t like leaving the country much but he does it for me.” She met Lexi’s gaze. “Clacher made our retirement dream possible without having to leave our home. It’s been just amazing.”
Dinner continued with further conversation on the farm and the management of it. They ended the meal with the best peach cobbler Lexi had ever tasted. She understood Clacher’s love for Hilda’s cooking. Lexi wasn’t much of a cook, but she loved baking. Hilda was some master baker.
Afterwards, Clacher grabbed a blanket and took her hand. “Come on. I have one more thing to show you.”
She followed him out the back door to an open field where he laid the blanket on the ground. There was a propane fire pit near them. He turned on the fire, giving them warmth from the chill in the air. He sat and offered her his hand.
“Trust me,” he said.
She did. With every fiber of her being.
They lay on the blanket, both looking up at the open sky. “It’s so beautiful here.”
He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. “It is now.”
Her heart fluttered and an undefinable emotion filled her chest. She was so overwhelmed, it made her want to cry. This moment. Him. He was totally open to her. She sensed all his emotions and they were all geared toward her. He wanted her to know how he felt. He cared. Not just a little. She was the sole focus of his desire. What she felt was no longer in question. Love had hit her hard an
d fast. Being receptive to emotions allowed her to feel deeper, harder, and stronger.
Clacher opened to her so she could know where his feelings lay. She turned over on the blanket, straddling him.
“Are you sure?” he asked, a worried frown marring his gorgeous features.
She licked her lips and focused on his mouth. “Yes. I don’t care if we aren’t mates. I don’t care if destiny will make it so I’m meant for someone else. I want you. Only you. And I want you now.”
“I can’t promise you that we’ll be together if you’re not meant to be my mate, Lexi.”
She licked her lips and caressed his scruffy jaw with one finger, bringing her hand up to his pierced ear and running circles over the black stud he had on. “Forget tomorrow, Clacher. Promise me now. Give me whatever you can. I’ll take it. It will be enough.”
“Fuck, Lexi!” he groaned, cupping her face in his hands. His eyes turned a fiery green. “Nothing will ever be enough.” He brought her face to his and brushed his lips over hers. “I love you. It might not matter if you’re not my mate, but if you are, just know this is me speaking. The man. Not a goddamned mate mark that randomly chose us to be fated. This is me. Only me.”
“I can’t believe I’m saying this. I just met you,” she mumbled. “I—”
“Hold on to that, baby girl,” he stopped her. “I don’t want those words because I said them. I want you to give them to me when it feels right.”
Her heart filled to near bursting with love for him. She finally gave him a kiss she’d been thinking about since earlier that day. Their tongues rubbed and danced, igniting the desire she felt deep in her core. He felt hot, smooth, and his hair was silky between her fingers.
He slid his hand down her back, shoved them into the hem of her sweats and grabbed handfuls of her ass, squeezing her flesh.
She moaned, his touch triggering something inside her. Something old and lost. This déjà vu sensation only got stronger the more time she spent with him. He sucked her neck and she forgot all about it. Her mind focused on being his now. Tonight.