Cocked and Loaded: A Billionaire Romance (Small Town Bad Boys Book 4)

by Annette Fields

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  REAGAN

  Keeping my composure became harder with every passing second that we got closer to the farm.

  For the first time in years, I started to doubt myself. Maybe this was a terrible idea. Maybe I read too much into her saying "I miss you".

  But there was no turning back now and no other option. I thought of every possible solution and outcome. This one was most likely to succeed, although I didn't dare bring my hopes too high.

  Pepper waited for us on the porch with Bonny loyally at her side. The instant my door opened, Bonny came running up to me.

  "Hey, Bon-bon!" I greeted her with aggressive ear scratches as she put her front paws on me and wagged her tail violently.

  I planted a kiss on the smooth fur of her head and whispered, "I missed you too," before gently pushing her off and walking around the front of the car with Julian.

  Pepper leaned against one of the support beams casually, but I could tell she was just as unsure of this as I was. Her hands wrung nervously in front of her.

  "Hi," she said, her eyes darting from me to Julian curiously.

  "Hey Pepper," I said, drinking her in with my eyes and fighting every urge to sweep her up into my arms.

  "This is Julian," I said. They shook hands and made their introductions. "He's the most qualified farm manager in the state of California."

  "Farm manager?"

  She raised her eyebrows in a silent question.

  "Yes," I said, trying to talk around my heart being in my throat. "Someone who organizes and delegates the daily tasks of running this place. They'll report to you, of course but they will be paid through a contract by R. Sells, Inc." I added a wink which I hoped Julian wouldn't see. "As we discussed."

  Pepper narrowed her eyes at me while Julian was too occupied looking over the layout of the land.

  "You have a beautiful farm here, Miss Sage," he breathed, oblivious to the tension between us as he turned around in a slow semi-circle. "I can already tell it's very efficiently laid out."

  "Ah, thank you."

  I felt ready to burst from the breath I was holding. She gave no indication of what she thought of my little stunt and I was dying to know what ran through her gorgeous head.

  Finally, she smiled at us.

  "Would you like to take a walk, Julian?"

  He excitedly agreed and they stepped off the porch together, starting with the herb garden and talked farm shop that was essentially a foreign language to me.

  Still, I didn't have to be a farmer to know that he'd be a good employee. Finding the best people to fill jobs was one of my talents and it was a huge relief off my chest that Pepper at least humored me by showing him around and talking to him.

  I followed behind them by a few paces, giving them privacy to talk while pretending to scroll through my phone as I strolled leisurely along the dirt path.

  She seemed to be taking her time, asking him questions, pointing out various things and not rushing through this. Still, I didn't dare hope she'd let me get away with this. I couldn't bear the crushing weight if she told me to leave and never come back.

  We walked around the farm for an agonizing forty-five minutes before circling back to the house. At that point, Bonny seemed warmed up to Julian as well, walking alongside him and licking his hand for head scratches as we gathered back in the kitchen.

  "Julian, would you mind giving Mr. Sells and I a minute to talk?" Pepper said after the three of us had enough water and small talk.

  "Of course! Thank you again for showing me around, Miss Sage." He looked at me. "I'll be out by the car."

  I barely acknowledged him as he walked past me. My whole focus was on Pepper, my body tense and waiting to hear what she had to say.

  "You interviewed a farm manager without even talking to me?"

  "I know you don't want just anyone working here," I said quickly, desperately. "So I looked for the best. He'll be paid extremely well and none of it will come out of your profit. Plus you won't have to work so hard. And you'll have time to do other things, if you want to."

  She said nothing. I couldn't tell if she would scream or cry.

  "How do you do that?"

  The question came so softly after a long silence, I barely heard her.

  "Do what?" I asked.

  "How do you know exactly what I need before I even know that I need it?"

  She stepped closer to me and all my blood vessels pumped like mad under my skin.

  "My mom wanted me to give this all up to be with you. My dad wanted me married to this farm with nothing else to live for. They tore me in two different directions and here you are with the answers to how I can have both. You and this farm."

  Her chest barely brushed against mine. Her eyes bore into mine with that light and energy that changed everything for me. The flint to my fire. The drop of rain that ignited the storm of passion within me.

  “How do you do that?” she repeated. “How do you know exactly what my heart needs and deliver it to me on a silk pillow like this?”

  “Because I love you.”

  The words that had been bouncing around in my head for days flew past my lips as easily as breathing. The summation of my agony, frustration and drive to make everything right in the world for her in four short words. I laid it all out there at her feet to do what she wanted with it.

  She blinked. Tears glittered in her eyes, threatening to spill over.

  “You love me?”

  “Yes,” I answered, my throat tightening. “You’ve humbled me, grounded me, and it just feels wrong to not be with you. I understand you don’t need or care about wealth but I still want to give you everything you do want and need. And I want to look at your beautiful face every day when I’m caught up with the bullshit of my job and be reminded of what really matters.”

  Her tears spilled freely now and my throat would not stop constricting. She didn’t say anything but continued to cry softly. I reached for her hand and she let me take it, let me pull her into my chest and feel the curves of her body melt into mine.

  The fear remained, gripping my chest and stealing my breath. Her lack of words cemented the idea that this would be the last time I held her.

  “What’s wrong?” I urged gently, pressing my lips to her forehead. I couldn’t bear to wait any longer or this fear of losing her would cause my chest to collapse.

  “Nothing,” she whispered. “You’re the first person who truly understands me. You don’t try to force me in any direction for your own gain.” She looked up at me, the joy shining through her tears. “And I love you so much for that.”

  The moment I processed her words, my mouth fell to hers like a meteor from the heavens. I let out a sound, something between a groan and sigh of relief, when I tasted her and she kissed me back, securing her arms around my neck.

  Our tongues danced and our hands grasped, desperate to take in what we missed and craved. I pulled away just to look at her, stroking the apple of her cheek with my thumb.

  “I’ll never take anything away from you,” I promised in a low whisper. “I’ll support any decision you make. This land is yours. I’m yours. To do with as you please.”

  “Is that so?”

  She flashed me a naughty grin, creeping her hand down over my chest and abs and gave a firm tug at my belt.

  I would have hoisted her up on the kitchen counter right in front of the window if I didn’t remember Julian in that moment.

  “Fuck, I’ve got to take him back to the office,” I moaned, which reminded me of something else I forgot. “So what do you think of him, boss?”

  “Me?” Her eyebrows lifted.

  “Yes, you,” I answered, dropping another kiss to her mouth. “It’s your decision if you want him working here or not. I just handle all the boring details.”

  “I like him.” She grinned adorably. “He’s hired.”

  “Good.” I gave her one last long, lingering kiss before moving toward the door. “Don’t
move. I’ll be back before this boner can go away.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  PEPPER

  My hand flew to my chest like a damsel in an old movie.

  Reagan absolutely stole my breath away along with my heart.

  My emotions ran from the lowest place I’d ever been to the highest high. After the talk with my mom that made my head spin out of control, he came here and centered me. He was the calm in my storm.

  He made me realize there was more to carrying out what my dad or mom wanted. I was my own person who could make my own decisions.

  After I realized that, I would never ever push him away again.

  Mom was right about one thing. I had to hold onto what made me happy, and that was Reagan.

  I asked her for space to think after our talk and she obliged after leaving her number. Something inside me knew she wasn't done. She didn't yet obtain what she wanted from me and didn't want to look too desperate.

  I slept on it and woke up the next day trying to get up the nerve to call Reagan when he beat me to the punch.

  My feet felt light and I danced around the house as I tidied up, waiting for him to get back.

  I had a hunch he'd do something for me, some kind of grand gesture that didn't involve diamonds and designer clothes. In typical Reagan fashion, he always surprised me and figured what I needed before even knowing I needed it.

  I could tell how nervous he was, too. If this whole mess occurred a week earlier, before the party or the lake ever happened, I probably wouldn't have trusted him to hire someone for me.

  But I couldn't be more grateful that he did. A farm manager sounded so obvious when I thought about it in hindsight. I just didn't have the business mind that he did. He saw the big picture while I got overwhelmed by what needed to be done day in and day out.

  We complemented each other in that way. And so many other ways.

  I was sweeping up a bunch of Bonny's shedded dog fur when big arms wrapping around my waist made me shriek.

  His familiar laugh, smell, and kisses to my neck instantly calmed me down after the initial shock.

  "That was quick," I said, returning fast, playful kisses to his mouth and neck. "Didn't hear you come in."

  "Wanted to sneak in before you could pull another terrifying prank on me." He smirked as his stubble trailed along my collarbone and made me shiver.

  "So when does he start?" I asked, my voice already low and lusty.

  "Right fuckin' now, gorgeous," Reagan murmured against my throat, pulling my hips against his.

  "No," I giggled with a nip to his earlobe. "I meant Julian."

  "Oh, Tuesday." His hands molded to the curve in my lower back. "He'll be working Tuesday through Saturday so he can be at the farmer's markets too." His mouth trailed along my jawline before pulling away with a grin. "If that's alright with you, boss."

  "Sounds perfect."

  I grabbed him by the back of the neck firmly and pulled him for our deepest, most satisfying kiss yet. Already I was sick of the teasing, the talking, the flirting. I had my man back and I wanted to drink my fill of him. To make up for the time that we missed. And to feel him so deep inside me like we would never disconnect again.

  "I left his contract at the office," Reagan said, abruptly pulling away and I gave him my best death glare. Apparently, he wasn't done talking.

  "I'll send you a copy tomorrow if you want to look at it. Just so you can see what we're paying him, his benefits and all that."

  "Sounds great," I answered curtly, pulling him back into kissing range by his tie, but he still wasn't done.

  "And one last thing." Reagan brought his hand up to cup my cheek and let my heart skip a beat from staring into his green eyes.

  "Julian does have some skills as a handyman. He can fix the electrical issues and floorboards in the house. But only if you want him to."

  For a moment, my love and appreciation for him overshadowed my raw, aching need to get fucked by him.

  "You really thought of everything I would need, didn't you," I mused softly, coursing my fingers over his scalp.

  "I would never aim for anything less," he answered. "I just don't want you to think I'm overstepping."

  "No," I told him earnestly. "I trust you."

  He blinked rapidly and I swore I could almost see tears welling in his eyes.

  "You do? Really?"

  "Yes, I do." The genuine surprise and gratitude on his face made my heart want to burst. "Do you trust me?"

  "Absolutely."

  His hands fell to rest gently on my arms and his eyes cast down bashfully for the first time.

  "I think you're the first person I trust completely." His fingers squeezed gently. "The first person who didn't want anything from me.” His lips trailed the shell of my ear. “And who I want to give everything to."

  My mouth captured his with every ounce of need, love, and trust I felt for him. My whole body felt so light and weightless that my legs flew around his waist and his strong arms secured them there.

  Vaguely, between his hands and his mouth making my skin feel alive, I felt my back press against something solid. Probably a wall. I didn't know or care. All I knew was Reagan had too much fucking clothing on.

  He pinned me against the hard surface as we went at each other ravenously. My hands were a blur as I untucked his shirt and pulled it apart from his neck to his abs. Some buttons may have gone flying but I didn't care about anything but feeling his skin against mine.

  His palms aligned flush with the curve of my waist as he devoured me, even pulling down my bra straps with his teeth and sending my pulse into overdrive.

  It went even higher as more clothing fell away and I came into more contact with skin. His warm, taut, beautiful skin caressed against mine, all except for his snug boxer briefs pressing like a solid rock against my hot, sensitive vulva.

  At some point, I felt my toes touch the ground and he made away with my pants, peeling them off my legs while kneeling at my feet. My cotton panties were all that remained, soaking wet and already smelling like sex.

  He gazed at the space between my legs as if hypnotized but his hands never stopped moving. They traveled across my hips, ass, and thighs, massaging and kneading my sensitive flesh.

  Gently, he nudged my legs apart while caressing and massaging all the way down to my calves and ankles. My whole lower half felt like jello and yet I never felt so sexy and worshipped before.

  "Reagan," I pleaded, dragging my fingers along the back of his neck.

  My vulva quivered with anticipation, with the need for his touch.

  "Yes?"

  He glanced up at me with mischief in those green eyes, fully aware of the effect he was having on me. His skilled fingertips focused on just my inner thighs, where he began planting hot, sensual kisses.

  I could only gasp and whimper in reply. My whole body quivered as he took his sweet time kissing all around my drenched, musky panties.

  "Reagan, please," I breathed again.

  "But it's so hot when you beg me," he chuckled, humoring me with one soft kiss through the thin fabric.

  "I'm gonna explode!"

  "That's the idea, beautiful."

  At long last, he pulled aside my panties and pressed his full mouth and tongue against the center of all my need.

  "Oh, God!"

  My head threw back against the wall with a hard thump but I barely felt it. I wanted to sink to the floor as my legs finally gave out but Reagan steadied me with his hands. And his face.

  I came all over his face at least three times and he held me up, seemingly content to drown as he drank from me greedily.

  When he finally let me go and I felt ready to collapse, the floor never came up to meet me. He picked up with a flourishing sweep of his arms and carried me to bed.

  "I guess I need to get a bigger one of these," I said as he laid me down on the narrow, twin mattress.

  "Or we can just stay stacked on top of each other," he suggested as he yanked his boxer
s down, his thick, meaty cock bouncing out like a spring.

  “Or inside of each other?”

  He grinned as he brought his body flush against mine.

  “Sounds good to me.”

  “I like how we think,” I grinned back at him. “Aaah!”

  He slid inside of me with barely any resistance but it still felt so incredibly intense, like such a tight fit he filled me up to the brim.

  And I still couldn’t get enough.

  “Fuck, you’re so good. So fucking good,” I moaned in a daze, drunk on how he felt in every pore of my skin.

  He moved rhythmically inside me but I barely felt him pull back and forth at all. He stayed connected to me at all times, caressing me and moving with me rather than against me.

  “You feel incredible,” he moaned into my neck, sliding his arms underneath me to support my back. “You are so amazing, Pepper.”

  He lifted my leg to his shoulder and the new depths he reached inside me made my eyes roll back in my head. I felt him literally everywhere, not just in my pussy. Every brain cell and hair follicle reacted with pleasure at how he made me feel.

  My nipples were tiny, hot concentrations of sensitivity under his teeth. If my fingertips had mouths, they’d be kissing every square inch of his broad, muscular back.

  There was no room in my brain left to think. All I could do was feel.

  “Reagan,” I choked out under his tireless thrusts. “I’m gonna--”

  The walls of my consciousness crumbled and fell away as I came, convulsing on his cock like a madwoman over and over until he released too.

  At the same time, we rose to our peaks and jumped over the edge. Just like jumping over that cliff into the lake.

  But instead of free falling at breakneck speed, we floated back down to earth slowly as if on clouds.

  He kept me in the tight, protective cocoon of his arms as our racing hearts returned to normal speeds. Our temperatures cooled backed down but we kept each other warm with our embrace and our kisses.

  Nothing ever felt so perfect.

  Until our warm, fuzzy cocoon was shattered by a pounding knock at the door.