by Vanessa Vale
She came within seconds, thank fuck. While I was a generous lover and ensured she came first, not once but twice, I couldn’t hold off any longer.
I was too far gone. My balls were aching to be emptied. My dick swelled, my fingers clenched on her hips. I thrust deep, held her still and spurted into the condom. Letting go and savoring the best orgasm of my life.
I wasn’t sure how long I held her or how long my forehead rested between her tits. She wasn’t saying a word.
I was so replete, so satisfied I wasn’t done. This wasn’t a quickie.
Well, it had been, so fucking hot and perfect. But I wasn’t done with Kelsey. Not by a long shot, I realized in a moment of clarity, if I ever would be.
KELSEY
“Come to the ranch tomorrow. I want to see you again.”
Sawyer’s hand rested on my thigh. He’d set it there right after he turned his truck on and hadn’t moved it since. We were just turning into the community center parking lot. Not much was said since… since he’d fucked me into silence.
I pointed to my car. It was the only one left in the lot.
I glanced at Sawyer, at the guy who’d just rocked my world. His hat was on the bench seat between us. The building’s exterior lights were all that illuminated him, but I could see his short hair was tousled. All because of my fingers. I had to wonder if he had any bald patches because when he’d been eating me out, I’d yanked pretty hard.
Thankfully, he probably couldn’t see the blush on my cheeks just thinking about what we’d done. God, it had been hot. My pussy was a little sore from the workout. I’d come twice. Twice.
I was relaxed and sated. Content.
I barely knew the guy, and besides the fact he was skilled at annoying me—and making me come—I felt safe with him.
It was a little crazy. A little scary.
“Really?” I asked. “You don’t have to. I mean, you’re paying for your own date, so I’d say we’re probably good.”
He frowned, and his eyes narrowed. “I didn’t fuck you as payment.”
Oh shit. I stuck my foot in my mouth. He pulled his hand away, but I grabbed it. “I know. I didn’t mean it that way. I mean… it was a fling. It’s fine.”
“No. That wasn’t a fling. That was a warmup. I want that date you owe me.”
“I owe you?” I released his hand, but it was his turn to grab me right back.
I laughed.
“A date, yeah.” His thumb stroked over the inside of my wrist which shot little sparks of heat through my body. The way he looked at me indicated he was serious. He wanted to take me out.
“I don’t like being beholden to a man,” I admitted.
“Beholden? It’s a date, sugar,” he replied casually.
“It’s just, the last guy did and said the same things.”
“I’m not your ex.”
“Fine.” I gave in. I wanted to see him again. I wanted more of what we’d done in the preschool.
He leaned toward me, reached out and tucked my hair back. “Fine,” he repeated, this time in a soft murmur, which threw me. We weren’t arguing any more, and I wasn’t exactly sure why we had in the first place. “Come to the ranch tomorrow. You can go for another ride.”
I stared at him open mouthed, and he grinned.
“On a horse this time.” He winked. “Then after, if you want to go all cowgirl on me again, I’m all for it. With a real bed though,” he added.
He’d been pretty creative in the preschool’s back room, so I wondered what Sawyer Manning could do to me if given some space and soft bedding.
“Okay,” I whispered. I wanted to see him again. I did. I was just a little freaked because I felt something for him and not only in my pussy.
I’d told him this didn’t mean anything. Well, it did, and that was the problem. A fling was one thing. Easy. Fun. No strings. This though, I’d somehow gotten myself all tangled up in a bunch of them without even trying. Shit.
“Tomorrow, then. I’ll pick you up.”
His words were like a bucket of ice water tossed on me. They cleared away the orgasm-induced fog and made reality return. Even though I was sleeping at the preschool, in the bed we’d just had sex on, he didn’t know that. I wasn’t going to tell him either. I couldn’t. I wouldn’t rely on someone like him, someone who seemed to be too good to be true. I’d learned the hard way they often were.
Sawyer Manning was a good guy. Sexy. Inventive. Attentive. A gentleman. Which meant I had to be careful. Really careful because it would be easy to fall for him. Heck, I was already a little bit in love with his dick.
“No,” I said.
His eyes shifted from eager to guarded. “No?”
I blinked then gave him a rushed smile. “I mean, yes to tomorrow. You don’t have to pick me up, though. I’ll drive out,” I replied.
His shoulders relaxed, and it made me feel good to see that he was relieved I’d said yes. He wanted this too.
“I had a good time tonight,” I said. The cab of his truck was like a cocoon, a little bubble from the outside world. Once I opened the door, all my problems would return.
“Just good?” he asked, resting his forehead against mine. His big hand cupped the back of my neck. The heat of his touch seeped into me.
God, the feel of him, the strength. His… solidness made me want to climb back in his lap and just be.
I huffed out a little laugh. “Just good,” I replied teasingly. This time without any of the heat or frustration I usually felt when he opened his mouth.
He growled then gave me a quick kiss. “Give me your cell before I show you better than good.”
I blinked then pulled the device from my purse and handed it to him.
His thumbs slid over it, and I heard a beep coming from his shirt pocket. He handed the phone back. “I’ll text you directions. Come after lunch.”
I opened the door, looked over my shoulder at him. “Tomorrow,” I said, as much as a goodbye as a promise.
He nodded.
I went to my car and climbed in. Looking in the rearview mirror, he hadn’t left, and I realized he was waiting for me.
I started my car then pulled out of the spot and gave him a little wave. On the ride back to the preschool, I sank into thoughts of Sawyer Manning. His hands. His mouth. His hard body.
His diligence. I couldn’t help the smile on my face.
I pulled into the parking spot behind the building Sawyer had used earlier and climbed from my car.
“Forget something?”
I stifled a scream and set my hand on my chest as I whipped my head around. There was Sawyer in his truck, window down. “Fudge, you scared me.”
“I was following you home. Make sure you got there okay. Did you forget something?” he asked, tipping his head toward the building.
Oh shit. I couldn’t tell him. I’d die inside if he knew. But he’d said he hated liars. “I… I—” I had to think of something and fast. “I forgot my paycheck. I wanted to get it, so I could deposit it at the bank in the morning.”
He gave a little head nod of understanding.
“Thanks for following me, but I’m good from here. I’ll see you tomorrow.” I didn’t wait for him to say anything more, only turned and opened the back door, gave him a little wave over my shoulder and went inside. I flipped the lock and leaned against the wall, the same place he’d kissed the hell out of me just a little while ago. I practically held my breath as I waited for him to pull away. He did a few seconds later.
I sighed and realized I was shaking. It was one thing to keep the fact that I was living in the back room of the preschool a secret from Sarah Jane or anyone else in town. I’d be out of here soon enough, and it would be as if it hadn’t happened. I’d thought it would be no big deal with Sawyer as well. But after a few hours together, he’d made me feel things. New things I couldn’t grasp, but I liked. A lot. I wanted to see him on his ranch tomorrow. I wanted to be with him. To get to know him and not just naked. He hadn’t
even gotten naked earlier, and now that I thought about it, what a total shame.
I don’t like liars, Sawyer had said.
Dread settled in my stomach. I’d just lied to him. Not about something small but a big deal. I’d fallen for Tom, the married asshole. While Tom had nothing to do with the shitty, thieving roommate I’d found, I was still paying the price for following him to Montana. I’d spent my entire life trying to be nothing like my mother and then, without even realizing it, had done the same stupid things as her. Walked away from a life in Colorado—an apartment, a job—for a man. Then fell flat on my face. Gah!
I went to the cabinet and grabbed my toiletry bag, took it into the bathroom with the pint-sized toilet and sink. Bending at the waist, I looked at myself in the mirror. I brushed my fingertips over a little red mark on my neck and remembered the feel of his lips. It wasn’t an all- out hickey, but he’d marked me. My pussy clenched at how in control he’d been. How he’d actually gotten me to forget everything but his name.
Was I falling for the sex? Was I just like my mother with Sawyer, falling into bed without even going on a date? I could have sex, a one-night stand, and have it not be more than that. Except I wanted more than that. It was the fact that I wanted to go back for more that had me worried.
Sawyer was a great guy. God, a really great guy. Was I thinking that because I was desperate? I couldn’t let someone big and strong rescue me because I couldn’t become reliant. I couldn’t expect a guy to be there for me, to take care of me in the right way.
He was nothing like Tom. Nothing like the string of men my mother had hooked onto. But if I relied on Sawyer Manning, I’d be nothing different than my mother, proving I couldn’t stand on my own two feet.
I laughed at myself in the kiddie mirror. I was doing a shit job of that.
6
KELSEY
I might have been hard on myself the night before and questioned whether I should even go to Sawyer’s ranch, but when I’d discovered that he’d texted me when I’d been in the shower at the community center, I’d felt like a high school girl with her first crush.
I hadn’t been able to help the sappy smile that had spread across my face as I’d gotten dressed. Or the way my nipples hardened at the thought of being with him again. I’d ignored every doubting thought in my head, maybe even some of the smarter ones. I hadn’t been able to say no to his invitation. I wanted to be with him.
He’d sent directions since he’d said it was too far out of town for any map on my phone to be accurate. As I parked in front of the beautiful ranch house and climbed from my car, I realized there was more to Sawyer Manning than just a sexy smile. Irene had said the Manning boys were all rich and gorgeous. I’d only met Sawyer, and I agreed with her on his looks. The pickup he drove hadn’t given off any indication that he was wealthy. It was at least thirty years old without any features like power windows or heated seats even though it was kept in pristine, restored condition.
This house though. It wasn’t flashy or a mansion like some down near the ski resort. But it was big, and it had clearly been here awhile. I looked around, took in the killer views, the prairie that went on and on. Only a few buildings dotted the land, but I had a feeling they were part of the Manning ranch not neighbors. There was money here. I just couldn’t imagine why Delilah, with her high heels and designer jeans, would want to live all the way out here. The nearest sidewalk was ten miles away. But I shouldn’t have been all that surprised because my mother had been driven by money enough to live on a yacht for three months with Guy Number Four when she got seasick looking at a waterbed.
“Hello, Kelsey.”
I spun around at a woman’s voice. She stood on the porch, wiping her hands on an apron. “Miss Alice. Hi there.”
“Duck!” The deep voice came from behind her. A man appeared with Claire on his shoulders. She leaned down, so they could fit through the doorway.
“Kelsey!” the little girl squealed then wiggled enough for the man to put her on her feet. She ran down the steps and hugged my leg.
I couldn’t help but smile at her exuberance.
“Easy, sprout. Don’t knock her off her feet.”
This had to be one of Sawyer’s brothers although the only similarity was their size. This guy had fair hair and a narrower face. He was sporting jeans and a police uniform shirt. He had a gun at his hip.
“I’m Huck Manning. You clearly know Claire.” When he met my gaze, I realized he had the same eyes as Sawyer.
I stroked the girl’s blonde hair and nodded to the guy.
“Heard you bought my brother last night.” He grinned, and I could see why Irene thought the Manning brothers were all gorgeous. If I hadn’t met Sawyer, I’d have fallen for Huck. But I hadn’t. Huck was hot. No question, but there was something about Sawyer that did it for me.
I couldn’t help the blush, and I glanced down at Claire.
“Why didn’t you buy Daddy instead?” she asked, looking up at me with a sweet earnestness.
“Claire,” Alice said.
She turned to look at Alice, and her little ringlets bounced. “What? She’d make a good mommy.”
Huck ran a hand over the back of his neck in obvious embarrassment, and Alice sucked in a breath.
I was used to kids without filters, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Claire Manning,” Alice whispered although Claire didn’t seem the least bit contrite. I had a feeling she really did want a mother.
“Besides, I think Seesaw would have a problem with that,” Huck said, coming down to join us. While he was smiling, he gave me a quick, contrite glance before grabbing Claire and tossing her over his shoulder. Fireman style, just like Sawyer had done with me the night before. She giggled and wiggled as he carried her back to the porch and set her back on her feet in front of him, his hands on her shoulders, so she wouldn’t run off again.
Footsteps came from behind me. “What would I have a problem with?”
I didn’t have to turn to know it was Sawyer. My nipples had gone instantly hard at the voice. When I turned, he was walking my way, grinning. He looked good in jeans and a blue shirt that matched the color of his eyes. His hat was tugged low, and the way he was looking at me… at my chest, I knew my shirt wasn’t hiding my response.
“Hi, Seesaw!” Claire called.
“You can’t have Kelsey,” Sawyer said to Claire, slipping an arm around my shoulders. “Seesaw wants her. Your daddy got bought last night, too.”
Claire froze, her eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open. Slowly, she turned around to look up at him. “You did? Will she be my mommy?”
“Working on it, sprout.” He steered her back into the house and offered a little wave over his shoulder as they disappeared inside. I wasn’t sure what that meant, but it didn’t seem like we’d find out right now.
Alice gave me another smile and nod. “It was good to see you.”
“Same,” I replied, then she turned and followed the others back into the house.
Sawyer turned and tipped my chin up with a finger. His eyes roved over my face and settled on my lips. Then he kissed me. Gentle and quick. Goosebumps rose on my arms even though it was eighty degrees out.
“Seesaw?” I asked when he lifted his head.
“Claire couldn’t say Sawyer, and it’s stuck. Come on.”
He took my hand and steered me away from the house and down a dirt drive. “Where are we going?”
“My place.”
I frowned and looked around. His truck wasn’t here. “Did I go to the wrong place?”
“Doesn’t matter.” He tipped his chin and pointed in front of us. “That was the big house where I grew up. Huck and Claire live there now with Alice.”
“Your mom?” I glanced up at him as we walked side by side.
He squeezed my fingers, and I felt the callouses made from hard work. “No, our parents have been gone for a long time now.”
“I’m… I’m sorry to hear that.” I could
n’t imagine what had happened to them, but he and his brothers must have been young.
He gave me a small smile in response. “Alice calls herself the Manning housekeeper although she’s so much more than that. She’s been here since before I was born.”
I’d met the woman a number of times at the preschool’s drop off and pickup. I’d always assumed she was Claire’s grandmother. One thing I’d done with the Mannings was make lots of assumptions. Hopefully, this time with Sawyer would fix that.
We got to the top of a slight rise, and his house came into view. It wasn’t as large as the “big house,” but it was made of log and river rock, a two-car garage off to the side. It had a porch that wrapped around three sides, all with amazing views. It was beautiful and impressive. Just like the guy who’d built it.
“Wow. It’s really great, Sawyer,” I said.
He stared at his home with an odd look. Satisfaction, perhaps. Pride, definitely. Both were understandable. “I started building it during college, coming home for the summers and working on it.”
“You built this?” I asked, staring in awe. There was a lot to this guy. Hardworking. Cared for his family. A civil servant for his community.
He shrugged as if it was no big deal to build a house. “I had help. When I graduated, I moved back, started working for the fire department. Never left.”
“You didn’t want to stay in the one house together?”
“My great-great-granddaddy built a homestead here.” He waved his hand out to the vast land in front of us. “Manning land is all you see.”
I didn’t think he said that to be boastful, but to point out why he lived here. Why it was important to him.
“The oldest part of the big house is what he built. Then generations since have added on. I’ve always known I’d live on this land. But I needed a place of my own. Something mine. Thatcher, who you haven’t met, converted the original barn.” He pointed to the left and to a white building in the distance. I couldn’t imagine a close family like his, who wanted to be near each other, to live on the land that had belonged to their family for decades and for future generations. The view was spectacular but empty.