Play Me

by Kelly Elliott

  “Are your feet cold, Kendall?” I asked, stepping into the kitchen.

  She gave me a wink and said, “They are. I forgot to buy socks when we were in town. Can you believe that? Socks.”

  I rolled my eyes and laughed. Only Kendall would do something like that.

  “We’re making spaghetti and homemade sauce, so I hope you’re hungry,” my mother said as she held her hand under the pasta machine.

  “Sounds delicious,” I said, reaching out to taste the sauce only to have my hand smacked away.

  A squeeze on my shoulder had me glancing over said shoulder at my father.

  “I need your help in the barn. We have a problem.”

  I lifted an eyebrow. “What sort of problem?”

  “Your golden child. She’s causing a bit of a stir.”

  “Ahava?”

  “That’s her name, huh?” my father asked with a wide grin. “I like it.”

  “Kendall came up with it,” I said, glancing back at the two women. They clinked their glasses of wine together and then started talking, completely ignoring the two men in the room.

  “Dear God, help us all. Your mother broke out the wine she bought today.”

  I laughed and took in my two favorite women laughing and getting along so well.

  Just when I thought things were perfect in my world, Kendall turned on music. Eighties music. When they broke out singing, I took that as my cue to leave.

  “I’m out of here. Call when dinner is ready!” I shouted over the music. Both women ignored me as they danced around, singing Phil Collins’s “You Can’t Hurry Love.” I couldn’t help but chuckle when I heard them singing.

  Five minutes later, Dad and I were attempting to calm Ahava. She was rearing up and making a fuss about something.

  “Have you checked around her stall?” I asked, turning on the flashlight to get a better look around the stall. Ahava had two stalls that had been converted into one. She was my spoiled girl, no denying it. I smiled when I saw the reason for the horse’s behavior.

  “Dad, want to grab hold of Ahava while I remove this hideous thing that has her all in an uproar?”

  “Sure. What is it?”

  I bent over and picked up a white and orange kitten. She couldn’t have been more than eight or nine weeks old. I turned around and held her up to show my dad. Ahava’s eyes widened in horror, and it was a good thing Dad had her because she went to rear up. I couldn’t hold back my laughter.

  My dad laughed as well and said, “Jesus, she’s afraid of a kitten.”

  Walking past the horse, I tucked the kitten into my chest and headed to the office in the barn. I could hear Dad speaking softly to Ahava and calming her down.

  “You causing trouble?” I asked, taking a closer look at the kitten. A little girl. She looked up at me and meowed. My heart melted on the spot. “Damn it. You know I’m going to have to take you up to the house now. Then the women are going to fall in love with you and the rest will be history.”

  I had a few barn cats I kept around to keep the snakes and mice away, but this little girl must have been the product of a neighbor’s cat. All of mine were fixed.

  “If they get one look at that cat, you’re done for.”

  With a chuckle, I turned to my father. “That’s why I plan on keeping her in the office.”

  He frowned. “Hunter, you can’t lock her in there. She’s a baby.”

  My mouth gaped open, and I stared at him. “Who are you and what have you done to my father?”

  He grinned. “I’ve grown soft-hearted in my old age.”

  “Or Mom has trained you well.”

  He scoffed. “Probably both. Come on, let’s bring her up to the house and get her something to eat. Who knows how long it’s been since the poor thing ate.”

  “You didn’t see another cat around here?”

  “Besides the barn cats? No, none.”

  “Let me do a quick once around the barn and then we can head up to the house.”

  My father and I both gave the inside and outside of the barn a quick sweep. No cats were around except for mine, and none of them wanted anything to do with the kitten. I couldn’t leave her out there all alone.

  Lifting her up, I looked into her blue eyes. “Well, looks like you’re heading up to the house. Try not to let Kendall fall in love with you.”

  “She’s not allergic to cats, is she?” Dad asked as we walked up the path to the house.

  “I don’t think so. If she doesn’t like cats, then I’ll just keep her.”

  “Now who’s the softy?” he asked, nudging my arm with his. We both let out a chuckle. I reached for the back door and found it locked.

  “Shit, I must have locked it by mistake,” I said, knocking on the door. I could hear music coming from the house.

  “Those two must be having fun.”

  I nodded, knocking again. “Must be. They can’t even hear us knocking.”

  Dad turned to follow the wraparound porch to the front door. “I’m sure the front door is open. Let’s just head around, and if it’s locked, too, maybe they’ll hear the doorbell.”

  As we walked around the house, I tried to glance into the windows, but the blinds were all closed. I could hear my mother and Kendall laughing their asses off, and I couldn't help but smile. I loved that the two of them were getting along so well.

  My father opened the front door, and I walked right into him when he stopped on a dime. Looking past him, I saw my mother standing in the hall with a wide smile and a glass of wine in her hand. She was dressed in what looked like one of my father’s white, button-down shirts.

  “Oh dear God,” my father whispered. “Aubrey, you didn’t.”

  Maneuvering around my father, I stepped into the foyer. “Mom? What are you doing?”

  Lifting her wineglass, she yelled out in her wine-induced buzz, “Your turn, Kendall!”

  I heard a yelp coming from behind Mom, and the sounds of Bob Seger’s “Old Time Rock and Roll” started. I walked further into the house only to have one very drunk Kendall come barreling down the hallway dressed in one of my white shirts and the damn Monsters Inc. slippers. She went into what would have been a damn impressive slide had she not hit a roadblock.

  Me.

  She slammed into me so hard I lost my balance and stumbled back until I landed on my ass. Kendall landed on top of me, laughing her head off. Then she saw the kitten in my hand.

  “Oh my gawd! Kitty!”

  My brows pulled in tight as I stared at her. She grabbed the kitten and jumped up like she had springs on the bottom of her feet.

  “Where did you come from?” she asked.

  My mother and Kendall went into a laughing fit for some unknown reason.

  “Aubrey, sweetheart, how much of that wine did y’all drink?” Dad asked.

  My mother fell into my father’s arms, looked up at him, and giggled. “The whole bottle. Some of the other one I bought.”

  I rolled my eyes and stood. Jesus. My mother and girlfriend had gotten drunk on a little over a bottle of wine.

  “What’s your name, kitty?” Kendall said as she buried her face in the kitten’s fur. “Oh, no! Is my buzz going?”

  “More wine!” my mother called out just before my father wrapped his arms around her to keep her from walking away.

  “Oh no. I think we’ve had enough wine, sweetheart.”

  “Party pooper!” Kendall said, reaching out for my mother’s hand as if she might be able to save her from the clutches of the mean man who was taking away their fun.

  The kitten meowed, and Kendall’s attention was immediately diverted to it. My eyes swept over her body, and it was all I could do to keep my dick from getting hard.

  Your parents are standing right there. Get your mind out of the gutter.

  “Hunter, I think I’m going to take your mother on up to our room. I think she’s a goner for the night.”

  Mom was now passed out in his arms but still holding her wineglass. Kendal
l took the glass from my mother and downed it then started to sing a song from the damn eighties as she made her way back to the kitchen.

  Dad and I watched her saunter away before he cleared his throat. “Right. You deal with that; I’ll deal with this.”

  I shook my head in disbelief. “How did they get drunk so fast?” I asked.

  “I have no clue. We were only gone fifteen or twenty minutes, at the most. I mean, your mother is a lightweight when it comes to drinking, but...”

  My dad lifted my mother into his arms and turned to the stairs. He stopped and said, “I hope you have Advil. I think they’re both going to need it in the morning.”

  “I’ve got plenty. Good night, Dad.”

  “Good luck, Hunter.”

  I waved him off and headed into the kitchen. It appeared my mom and Kendall had started to make the spaghetti but didn’t get very far. The smell of something burnt drew me to the sink and the pot of homemade sauce. Or what had once been homemade sauce. Kendall was currently sitting cross-legged on my kitchen island, eating sauce out of the jar and then picking up a spaghetti noodle and eating that. The kitten was curled up next to her, sound asleep. Her eyes met mine when she heard me laugh. My dick was once again coming to attention because of the beautiful woman sitting on the counter, half-dressed. She held up the empty bottle of wine and pouted.

  “I’m out.”

  God she was stunning, even when drunk.

  “How’s that sauce?” I asked, standing in front of her.

  Scrunching up her nose, she replied, “I don’t think your mom heated it good. S’cold.”

  I laughed, taking the spoon and jar out of her hands and moving the uncooked pasta to one side. “Let’s get you up to bed.”

  She leaned over and wrapped her arms around my neck.

  “S’bout time, Mr. Owens.”

  I lifted an eyebrow. “I never in my life dreamed my mother would get my brand new girlfriend drunk on wine and then cockblock me.”

  Kendall dug her teeth into her lip. “I can be quiet. Your mom said she would be.”

  And there went my hard-on. Gone in a blink of an eye.

  “I’ll be sleeping in the barn tonight, thank you very much.”

  She giggled before starting to say something, but then she closed her mouth and whispered, “I sleepy.”

  At that point, her head dropped to my chest and she let out a loud snore. Glancing down to the kitten, who was now cleaning herself off, I smiled.

  I sighed. “Come on, let’s get y’all to bed and figure out a litter box for you, too, squirt.”

  “You kids have a good time! I love you!” my mother called out as they got on the security line at the airport. Kendall and I waved.

  “Thanks y’all for everything! Love you back!”

  “Safe travels! Can’t wait to see you again,” Kendall added with a wide grin.

  The moment they were out of sight, however, she leaned against me and groaned. “I have the worse hangover ever.”

  With a chuckle, I wrapped my arm around her. “I bet. The two of you polished off nearly two bottles of wine in less than thirty minutes.”

  “Shh... stop talking so loudly.”

  We walked back to my truck in silence. Kendall drifted off to sleep not two minutes after we pulled out of the airport and she stayed asleep the entire trip back to the ranch. She didn’t even wake up when I stopped at one of the bakeries in town and grabbed fixins for lunch.

  Once we got back to the ranch, I carried her into the house and got her settled on the sofa.

  “Want anything?” I asked softly, covering her with a blanket.

  “A miracle drug that takes away headaches?”

  “Best I can do is aspirin and one small kitten.”

  “Give me six aspirin and the kitty, for sure.”

  “Two aspirin coming up.”

  By the time I got the aspirin and a bottle of water, Kendall was asleep. I left it on the coffee table. Then I scooped up the kitten from the mudroom, where I’d set her up with food, water, and a makeshift litter box and put her next to Kendall. She gave a little meow, making two little turns before curling up and going right to sleep.

  “Watch over our girl,” I whispered.

  Kendall wrapped her hand around the kitten and said, “I will.”

  My chest squeezed. This woman had successfully gotten me to fall hook, line, and sinker in love with her. I slipped a loose piece of hair away her face and tucked it behind her ear. After watching her sleep for another few minutes, I got up, kissed Kendall on the forehead, and headed to the barn. I had a shit ton of things to do and only two days to get them done. The new ranch hand would be there tomorrow, and I wanted to make sure I had plenty of time to show him everything.

  Hours passed as I worked. Sweaty and tired, I tossed the last hay bale in the empty stall and leaned back against the wall.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything so sexy in my entire life.”

  Her voice had me breaking out in a full-on grin. I pushed off the wall and headed over to her.

  “How are you feeling?”

  “Like a Mack Truck hit me going ninety miles an hour.”

  “That good, huh?”

  She giggled. “Your mom is so much fun. But I wish I could remember what we did last night. After she opened the second bottle of wine, I was pretty much gone. I take it we never did have game night?”

  “Nope. Never even ate dinner. Y’all somehow managed to burn the sauce, and I’m not even going to ask what was going on with the pasta.”

  She giggled.

  “Can’t even remember your Risky Business dance montage?”

  Her mouth dropped open. “I didn’t.”

  “You tried.”

  She rolled her eyes and laughed again. It was a beautiful sound and something I wanted to hear every single day. As many times as possible. And if I allowed my mind to go there, it was a sound I wanted to hear for the rest of my life.

  Kendall walked over to me, a sexy smile on her face.

  “Do you want to take a drive with me to check the fence line?” I asked.

  Her smile faltered before she replied. “I’d love to.”

  “Are you hungry?”

  With a tilt of her head, she gave me a knowing smile. “A little, but what I’m hungry for isn’t food.”

  That brought my body to full attention. Lifting one brow, I feigned innocence. “Why, whatever do you mean, Ms. Wales?”

  Kendall motioned between us with her finger. “As much as I love this ‘getting to know each other’ thing we’ve got going on, my body is aching for you, Hunter.”

  “I’m all sweaty.”

  “So? I like to get dirty every now and then.”

  Kendall put her hands on my chest and slowly slid them up my body until she was on her toes and wrapping her arms around my neck. Our lips brushed lightly at first before the kiss grew hotter. Deeper.

  “Hunter.” My name on her lips was like a silent plea.

  “It’s killing me not to take you right here in the middle of the barn, Kendall.”

  Her teeth dug into her lip again and I moaned.

  “But—”

  “No! No more buts... Hunter, this is torture.”

  Taking her hand, I led her out of the barn and to my truck. “Fence line first. Then bed.”

  She stomped her foot when we got to the truck, and damn, if it wasn’t the cutest thing I’d ever seen. This woman had so many sides to her. I was sure she’d forever keep me on my toes.

  “Did you just... stomp your foot?”

  She crossed her arms over her chest. “I did. I’ve waited over two weeks, Hunter. Two. I’m horny, I miss the feel of you, and I’m tired of waiting. If I have to wait one more minute, I’ll make myself come and you’ll have to watch.”

  My eyes widened at her threat. “That’s the hottest thing I’ve ever heard. I’m down for that.”

  She sighed. “That didn’t turn out the way I’d planned. What will it
take, Hunter?”

  I opened the door and motioned for her to get in. She did but gave me the silent treatment for the first ten minutes or so.

  “Damn it, hold on. I need to fix that fence really fast. It won’t take long.”

  Kendall just sat there, her arms folded over her chest and a pout on her lips.

  “It’s not like I’m doing anything else,” she called out as I got out of the truck.

  I grabbed the tools I needed and quickly set off to fix the part of the fence that was coming undone. It was an easy fix, but one I was glad I’d caught early.

  When I jumped back into the truck, my eyes bugged out of my head. Kendall had one hand inside her jeans and her legs spread apart. Her back was arched, and she gave a soft, slow moan as her hand moved inside her jeans.

  “Jesus,” I gasped out.

  “I... got... tired... of... w-waiting.”

  “Kendall, stop.”

  She shook her head and panted, “No.”

  With a growl, I pulled her hand out of her jeans and had her in my lap two seconds later. She gasped, but quickly pushed down against my hard dick.

  “Yes, Hunter. Yes.”

  I grabbed her hips and pushed up against her, causing her to gasp again.

  “Is this how you want our first time back together to be? Dry humping in my truck?”

  “I need you. Why don’t you want me? Is this your way of punishing me for running?”

  My body froze. “You think I’m punishing you?”

  She stilled her rocking body and met my gaze. “What?”

  “You think this is some game I’m playing?”

  “I... I...”

  “You’re wrong; I’m not playing any game. You freaked out, Kendall, and I was trying to show you that this was more than sex. That we had a connection together—a damn good one. If you think for one second I don’t want you, then you’re insane. It’s been killing me to not make love to you. All I wanted to do this weekend is show you how much I’m falling in love with you. How I care about you and your feelings about our relationship. It goes so much deeper than fucking you. In two days, we’re going back to reality. We’re going to be putting on a show, so believe me, I have every intention on spending the rest of today, tonight, and tomorrow inside you.”