Quick N' Dirty (The Quick Ranch Book 1)

by Aden Lowe

  A blush spread over my face. "Thank you. I, uh, I'm not sure I can do this."

  He shook his head. "Don't even think of backing out on me. Dad and the boys are all excited about baby sitting. They're planning all the ways they're going to spoil the kids without you there to make them behave. You'd break their hearts."

  His silly guilt trip worked and I smiled. "Okay. We can't disappoint them." Even so, my heart thudded in my throat as I gathered up the kids' things.

  Jake scooped a smiling, gurgling Janna in one arm, and slung her bag over his shoulder while I helped Ian with his backpack and blankie. It took me forever to finish kissing the kids bye and telling them I loved them, and that was after I went over detailed instructions with Johnathan, Nate, and Sam.

  "Come on." Jake put a gentle hand at the small of my back. "We'll miss the beginning of the show."

  With one last kiss, I let him lead me out to his truck. At some point during the day, he'd washed and detailed it, cleaning every speck of dirt off. He opened my door and helped me in, and when I would have fastened my seatbelt, he helped with that too, leaning in over me. My breath hitched at his nearness.

  The latch clicked and he glanced at me with a wink and a grin. "Impressed yet?"

  I laughed despite my nerves. "Very."

  "Good. Just wait 'til you see my smooth moves at the theater." He smiled again and closed my door, came around and climbed behind the wheel. "I hope it's a sorta new movie, not something you've already seen. Although, on second thought, if you've seen it, you can pay attention to me instead."

  The giggle slipped out before I could catch it back. "Well, I haven't seen a movie in a long time, so if it was made this century, it's probably new to me. But I promise, I'll pay attention to you too." I gave him my own wink as he put the truck in gear.

  "Mercy. Keep that up, and we'll never make it to town." He reached over and engulfed my hand with his as we drove away.

  I tried, and failed, to suppress a shudder of delight. Had a man ever held my hand before? I searched my memories of the early days with Chris. No. Never. And then I put those memories firmly out of my mind. They had no place on my date with Jake. The drive into town seemed to pass far too quickly. The time spent sitting quietly in the darkness with him would never be enough.

  He pulled into a parking spot by the little theater I'd never even noticed before. "You know, we don't have to go in. We can do something else if you'd rather." The self-doubt in his tone tugged at my heart.

  "Why wouldn't I want to go in?" Then it struck me. He had second thoughts about being seen with me. "Of course, if you'd rather not—"

  He dragged me to him and his mouth crashed down on mine before I could finish, or even gasp in surprise, then pulled back just as quickly. "Don't you ever think like that. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, and I'd be proud to go anywhere with you on my arm." He closed his eyes for a second. "I just meant some of the guys I used to run around with might be in there. If they see us, they won't go easy on me. I don't want to risk one of them sweeping your off your feet and right out of my arms."

  I stared into his dark flashing eyes for a long moment. "That could never happen."

  "Good." He returned his lips to mine, this time in a gentle, patient kiss that was over too quickly. "Ready?"

  I nodded, and waited for him to come around and open my door. My cheeks flushed as I allowed him to help me down. I never knew men actually treated women that way in real life. I'd never personally witnessed it, let alone experienced it. And when he threaded my hand through his bent arm and drew me close to walk inside, my heart pattered in delight. It made me feel like a real lady.

  As we walked into the brightly lit lobby, I could feel the stares. I wanted to crawl under a rock. "Jake Quick! What the hell man, you been holdin' out on us. Where did you find such a pretty lady?" A stocky man with shoulder length black hair and twinkling black eyes came toward us.

  Jake chuckled and tugged me closer, slipping his arm around my waist. "Fagan, this is Ande. And she's taken, so back the hell off." Heat rose in my cheeks. "Fagan and I went to school together. He deludes himself that he's a ladies man, but no one's had the heart to break it to him yet."

  I glanced up at Jake, uncertain. "Break it to him?"

  Jake nodded. "He's the ugliest son of a bitch in the county. All he gets are pity dates." Fagan slammed his fist against his own chest, looking destroyed for a moment before he grinned broadly at me.

  "Nice to meet you, Fagan."

  "Any time you want to trade up, Ande, I'm available." He raised my hand to his lips for a quick kiss to my knuckles. I didn't bother to hide my giggle. Fagan turned serious and faced Jake. "Tyrell boys are in town tonight, just so you know."

  Jake stiffened. "Any of them here?"

  "Not so far. Don't mean they won't straggle in though. We won't be far off, just in case." He tipped his imaginary hat at me and granted me a brilliant smile. "Ande, it's nice to meet you. Don't forget what I said." And he strolled away, clapping another man on the shoulder only a few feet away.

  Jake led me to the ticket line. "If you'd rather leave, we can, but I have to warn you, there could be trouble before the night's over."

  "Why? Who was he talking about?" Apprehension settled in the pit of my stomach.

  "Some ol' boys we went to school with. Troublemakers. We've had words a few times, and mostly settled for just not being in the same space at the same time." He asked for our tickets and paid. "I'm not the sort to back down, and we were here first. If they follow the pattern we've sort of worked out, they'll leave if they happen to come here. But if you'd rather, we can leave."

  I shook my head. I couldn't ask him to do that. "No. As long as you're good, I'd rather stay. I kind of like your friend." I gave him a mischevious smile.

  He sputtered a laugh. "See? I warned you." He led the way to the refreshments stand and moments later, we had our hands full of drinks and popcorn and were making our way down the darkened corridor to the cinema showing the film he'd selected. I hadn't even noticed the title.

  Inside, only about a third of the seats were taken and the previews were already playing. He selected a row roughly in the middle. "This okay?" I nodded and he guided me a few seats in, then held the chair down for me to sit. "Fagan and the other boys will be a couple of rows down in front of us in their usual seats."

  That knowledge reassured me. At least help would be nearby if it were needed. "What movie are we seeing? I forgot to pay attention." My confession came in a whisper, requiring him to lean closer in order to hear.

  He chuckled. "I hope you like scary shows. It's one of the Alien movies." He shifted in his seat and slid his arm along the back of my chair. "This is just in case you get scared. You know, so I can protect and comfort you." His playful wink made me smile again.

  The lights went down and the movie began. A couple of scenes startled me badly and I clutched at Jake's hand and leaned into him. All too soon, though, it was over and we had to leave. We paused in the lobby to throw away our trash.

  "Well, looky there, Rick! I see the rain floated up some trash." The voice came from behind us, and it immediately sent a finger of fear up my spine. I clung tighter to Jake's arm.

  He swung us around slowly to face the threat. "Rick. Travis. Heard you all were in town."

  One of the pair, with scruffy facial hair and a stained t-shirt leered at me. "You ain't gonna introduce us to the pretty lady?"

  Jake shook his head. "'Fraid not. We gotta be going. Later, boys." He started to turn.

  "Aw, not so fast now!" The other man called. "We got a bet needs settled, and the lady is the only one who can do it."

  "Not interested, Travis." Jake took a determined step toward the door, his jaw clenched, my arm firmly tucked in his.

  The man was suddenly in front of us. "Now that ain't friendly at all." He stuck his hand out toward me. "I’m Travis. What's your name, sugar?"

  I stayed quiet and stared him down. I'd met plent
y of his sort working late nights at the store. Giving them any kind of attention only encouraged them.

  "Ricky, I guess she ain't as sweet as she looks. Real uptight bitch."

  "Travis, you really don't need to start this now. I'm here with my girl. Step aside. We're leaving." Jake's fingers tightened almost painfully on my arm.

  "Oh, I don't think so, Romeo. We got a score to settle." He moved closer, puffing out his chest.

  I glanced at Jake and saw the anger simmering in his eyes. I knew he didn't want trouble, but some things couldn't be left to stand. I looked Travis squarely in the eyes. "I'll settle your bet right now. The two of you are so disgusting even the lot lizards out at the truck stop don't want you. That's why you're here with him, instead of with a girl. Now move."

  The man stared at me, his face going almost purple with anger. Oh, God. Maybe I shouldn't have said that. "Jake, you better keep your woman under control. Mouth like that will get her in deep shit."

  Jake struck so fast, I barely saw it. His fist met Travis' jaw, and the man dropped in a sort of slow stagger and crumple. "Come on, Ande. Watch your step. They really gotta sweep up the trash in here." He guided me right around the fallen man and out the door, never once moving faster than an easy stroll. Shouts came behind us, but he ignored them. At the truck, he helped me. "The Sherrif'll probably stop by in the morning." He grinned as if it were no big deal.

  I waited until he climbed inside. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have started trouble." I hated that I got him in trouble. "I should have kept my mouth shut, but I hate people like that."

  He chuckled and pulled out of the lot. "Don't worry. The Sherrif will likely want to know why I didn't knock them both out." He reached over and took my hand again, then brought it to his lips. "You were fucking awesome. I was proud to be there with you."

  My face heated again. "Really?" Had anyone ever said they were proud of me? Certainly not that I could remember.

  "Not many women will stand their ground with that riff-raff." He chuckled again. "It sure took him a while to figure out what you meant, didn't it?"

  I laughed in relief. "It did. I thought he was going to have a coronary when he figured it out."

  After our date, life settled back into a routine. Jake hung out a few minutes extra when he came in for lunch to play with the kids so I could take a much needed break. After dinner, he helped me clean up, then his father and brothers kept the kids busy while he and I went for a walk. Other times, we brought the kids along with us.

  One morning I realized how much I had changed. I no longer jumped at the slightest noise. Warmth and happiness flowed through me all the time. For the first time in my life, I felt content and safe. Jake's patience seemed endless, even though mine wasn't. Despite his obvious desire, he seemed in no hurry to move our relationship along. His kisses and caresses lit me on fire, but he always stopped. I finally worked up my courage.

  "Can we talk?" I asked as we started out for our walk.

  "Of course. Something wrong?" His concern creased his brow.

  "No. Well, not really." I stopped. "I'm just wondering…" How was I supposed to say this? "Don't you like me?"

  "What?" His eyes widened with shock. "What do you mean?"

  I shifted uncomfortably and stared at the ground until he tipped my chin upward, forcing me to meet his gaze. "Well, it just seems like maybe you're not interested in going further."

  He stared at me for a long moment, then laughed. Laughed!

  "It's not funny!" My face went hot and I could only imagine how many shades of red I turned.

  "It is." He kissed me, stealing my breath away. "All this time, I've been afraid to push you for more. I didn't want to scare you away."

  "You didn't?"

  He cupped one hand along my jaw. "I didn't. I don't know a lot about your past, but you've told me enough to know it wasn't all roses. I won't risk messing this up." His fingers threaded into my hair and he pulled me against him, letting me feel his hardness. "I want you more than I want my next breath, but I can wait until you're ready. I won't lose you because I couldn't keep myself under control."

  I stared at him for a long moment. "Jake?"

  "Hmm?"

  "I'm ready."

  Chapter Fourteen

  Jake

  God have mercy. I kissed her, driven to possess her, make her mine in every way possible. She moaned and clung to my shoulders, her nails digging in a little. "How did I get so damn lucky?" I swallowed her reply with another kiss, stroking her tongue with mine, ready to spend the rest of the night worshiping her.

  When I finally drew back to let her catch her breath, she melted even closer to me, pressing every inch of that soft body against mine. "Do you think the guys would watch the kids tonight?"

  "I know they will." I scooped her into my arms, cradling her close to my chest. They wouldn't have a choice, since I had no intention of stopping long enough to ask. They already knew how I felt about Ande, and that I'd just been biding my time.

  I carried her into her house, a little shocked to realize I had come to think of it as hers, not Gramma's. The screen door slammed behind us, announcing to anyone within earshot that we'd gone inside. The boys would get the hint. They wouldn't come knocking.

  The living room lay in near darkness with only a small lamp illuminating the way through to the bedroom. I didn't stop, or even slow down. I couldn't take a chance of her changing her mind now that she'd finally given me permission. I set her down at the side of the bed, ducking in to kiss her again.

  Her impatient fingers tugged at the hem of my t-shirt, pulling it up, then her hands skated over my abs, drawing a hiss from me. "Fuck, baby." I slid my hands down her sides and back up as I kissed down the curve of her neck. Her breast felt heavy in my hand and her nipple pebbled even through the layers of clothing when I brushed my thumb over it.

  She made an impatient noise and drew back. Her eyes glittered in the low light as she pulled my shirt up and off. Her nails scraped gently over my chest. Unable to wait any longer, I practically tore her shirt off her and broke the clasp of her bra in my rush to have her skin on mine. I pulled her in close and the heat of her flesh made me groan with need.

  Her lips trailed sparks over my chest as her hands moved over my abs again to stop at my belt. "This thing is impossible to open."

  "All you have to do is ask, baby." I got rid of my boots and jeans in record time, then turned my attention to her cut-off shorts. They landed in a heap by my jeans. I paused for a long moment to absorb the beauty before me. "You take my fucking breath away." I eased her back onto the bed, determined to take my time and worship her body the way she deserved.

  I kissed her again, starving for her, and delaying the inevitable. I had to tell her sooner than later, but I dreaded her reaction. "Ande? Baby?" I stared down at her swollen lips and wished for forever.

  "Hmm?" She drew me back down for another kiss.

  "I need to tell you something."

  She drew back. "What is it?" She closed her eyes and let her head fall back to the pillow. "I'm sorry. I came on too strong. I've never wanted to be with anyone this much." The soft words made my heart pound.

  "That's not it. Ande, I don't exactly have a lot of experience." Damn it, why couldn't I just say the fucking words. I took a deep breath. "I'm…um, I'm a virgin."

  She stared up at me in silence for so long I thought the worst. "You waited for me?"

  God. She was incredible. "Yeah. I did."

  "Thank you." Her hands threaded through my hair. "I wish I had waited."

  I shook my head. "No. Then we wouldn't have Ian and Janna, and I wouldn't trade them for the world." It was true. I couldn't love those kids more if they were my own. I prayed she would let me stay in their lives forever.

  Her soft whimper nearly undid me. "Where have you been all my life?" She drew my mouth back down to hers.

  I let myself get lost in her, tasting, teasing, exploring. Not even heaven could compare to this woman's loving. I
worked my way down her body, devouring her, until my shoulders rested between her thighs. "Look at me while I taste you." I held her gaze and let my tongue slip between her folds. "Fuck, you're delicious." I licked and sucked at her like a starving man, and her moans drove me on and on. When I slipped one finger inside her entrance, she bowed her hips off the bed with a whimper that shook me to the core. Her wet heat clamped down on my finger and she cried out as she trembled. I stroked and licked, determined to draw her orgasm out forever.

  Finally she began to relax, sated for the moment. "Come here." She pulled at my shoulders, insisting, guiding me up her body. Her legs came around my hips and her hot pussy was right there.

  I hesitated. "Condom."

  She shook her head. "I'm on the pill, and I'm clean. Pretty sure you are too."

  Every nerve in my body fired as I slowly sank into her, savoring every sensation. "Fuck, you're so tight."

  She moaned and arched her back, pressing me deeper. "Perfect."

  I started to move gently at first, worried about hurting her, then with increasing confidence. I let her touches and sounds guide me until I found just the right angle and speed to have her quivering in my arms. And then harder, faster, at her urging.

  "Jake!" Her cry came just as her muscles rippled around my cock and she shook under wave after wave of pleasure. I gritted my teeth and held on until her spasms lessened. And then, before I was ready to be finished with her, a nuclear explosion detonated at the base of my spine. I locked up, spilling into her and growling with the force of my own orgasm.

  I dropped my forehead to hers, panting in the aftermath. "Baby, that was…" There were no words to describe it.

  She hummed satisfaction. "Perfection. It was perfection."

  I pulled out and rolled beside her, tugging her along with me so I could wrap myself around her. A deep contentment settled in my chest. This was how things were supposed to be. I listened as her breathing slowed and evened out.