Ty’s hand skimmed over her thigh, a light caress that seeped through the denim of her jeans and into her skin. She shivered as the warmth flowed down her leg and up through her body, saturating her, reminding her of just how much she enjoyed their no strings arrangement, even if it had gone on for longer than she should have let it. Her thoughts turned back to Briar’s offer. As tempting as it seemed to just drop everything and move to Boston, something held her back. Maybe she really was growing attached to Ty, or her life in Texas. She opened her mouth, wanting to sound out an idea to Ty about working for Briar part time. She didn’t have to move; any work she did for Briar could be discussed via video chat, email and messaging but she stalled. Admitting to getting a job offer brought up all sorts of unknown possibilities. What if Ty fired her? They may have been having sex for the past year, but they’d always kept it just physical.
“You know Mom is having a picnic for her birthday, and my brothers, Danny and Rick, will be there. Wanna be my date? Mom likes you and you get along with Danny and Rick…” his voice trailed off and she shifted again.
She liked them, too, maybe more than she should. This wasn’t supposed to develop into anything other than some occasional fun.
“Hey no pressure, okay? Just some fun and I figure you’d like to see more of Texas. It’s near Bluebonnet. Ever been there?” The question sounded causal but she knew better.
“I didn’t miss the way you reacted to Kane flirting with me, you know. And no, I’ve never been to Bluebonnet.” It didn’t answer his earlier offer. Do I really want to entrench myself more when it’s supposed to be just sex and fun? But picnics are fun and I haven’t really explored Texas much.
“I’ll think about the picnic.” It wouldn’t do to go to a picnic, smile and act happy if I’m going to leave him anyway. She slouched down in her seat. The smell of deep fried potatoes, onion rings and bacon cheeseburgers wafted up to her from the bag near her feet. Her stomach growled, reminding her of just how hard she’d worked that night, heels and all.
Rather than reach for the sack of food at her feet, she focused on the farmland passing beyond the window of the SUV. You never finish what you start, girl. You’re wasting your education for what? To serve beer at some bar to drunk cowboys who only see you as a chubby waste of space, in the middle of nowhere? At least your brother isn’t such a disappointment. The sting of her father’s words, returned to punch her in the gut all over again. Yeah, Perfect Percy, he who’d needed my help to get through his classes in college so he wouldn’t flunk out. So perfect he’s had five jobs in the last year alone. Ty squeezed her thigh before giving it a small slap.
“Hey, beautiful, what’s on your mind?” The soft drawl in his voice, the roughened tone soothed some of her father’s assessment of her.
At least someone cares about me. She knew that wasn’t fair. There were others, but Candi, Alex, Meri and Sharon were like sisters to her whereas Ty—she didn’t even know what to label him. Fuck buddy seemed too crass for the affection she felt for him—whatever that was—and lover made him seem closer than he was. She exhaled and continued to watch the darkened farm land slip by.
“What’s wrong?” He gave her thigh another squeeze.
“Just tired.” She knew it was an inadequate response but she didn’t want to share the depth of her thoughts with him when she didn’t know them herself. When did things become so complicated with him? Why was she so damn confused? She’d never had this problem before she took this job. She’d been in a relationship with someone she thought had her back and that she could fall in love with. Boy, had her judgment been skewed. But then again Ty wasn’t Rich. With the exception of both being blond-haired and blue-eyed, well, in Ty’s case blue-green eyed, they were so different it was laughable to compare them. Rich had seemed so laid back when, in reality, he’d wanted other people to do the heavy lifting before taking credit for all of it, including her work. How could I have been so wrong about him? Why did it take him not supporting me after being fired to see what kind of slime he really was? She placed an elbow on the arm rest and clasped her hands together as the thoughts continued to come.
She peeked over at Ty; his head bobbed to some classic rock song playing over the speakers of the car, one hand on the wheel and the other settled on her thigh, just resting there not doing anything other than offering some tactile connection to him. Do I really want to leave his support and whatever we have behind and move again?
As if hearing her thoughts, “Hey, do you need help unpacking stuff at your rental? Last time I was there I noticed you still had boxes taped up.”
The question sounded innocent enough but his tone was guarded.
Her brain went into alert mode and a sense of walls closing in and pressure building surrounded her. She swallowed as she tried to tamp down her defensive mode. “Just trying to figure out where to put things.” The lie came out smooth with no hint of her inner panic.
Ugh, close one. She didn’t want to ruin this weekend by putting distance between them when there needn’t be any. “Besides with the way you work me, when would I have found time?” she joked.
He chuckled. “Well, you do work pretty hard. All you’d have to do is bat those long lashes at me, stare at me with those beautiful brown eyes and say, ‘I need a day off, boss man,’ and I’d be putty in your hands.”
“That’s all, huh?” She doubted it but loved that he was kidding around with her.
He removed his hand from her thigh, taking away the warmth and comfort of his touch, to turn onto the paved driveway that led to his two story log and stone finished, ranch style house, screened in porch in the back, mud room, open floor plan first floor with four bedrooms, an office and three bathrooms upstairs.
The old owners had done a major renovation on the main house only. The cabins on the property for property managers and ranch hands were left alone, along with a few old barns. Ty and his brothers had sunk several million dollars into the property to make it a working farm that could also be a rehabilitation center for horses and other animals and a boarding stable as well as several other plans he hadn’t shared with her. She was sure that whatever they decided to do, it would all work out.
“Pretty much.” He hit a button on his dashboard; the double car garage door rolled up. “But seriously, all you have to do is ask, honey.”
“Maybe I’ll take you up on that offer.” An image flashed through her head of all the times he’d paraded in front of her showing off his still chiseled body which he kept in top condition with his time on the ranch and at the gym.
“If you’re a good girl.” He parked the SUV before he leaned over the console and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
“Oh, you know I will be,” she purred before she leaned over, cupped his face between her hands and kissed him with gentle pressure on his mouth. A swift touch that did nothing but enflame her desire to forget about her problems and focus on losing herself between the sheets with him.
She pulled back, undid her belt and grabbed the bag of food while she waited for him to hit the unlock button.
“You are gonna pay for that, beautiful.” He tossed her the keys before hitting the switch. “Unlock the door, will ya? I’ll grab your bags.”
“Ty—” He always took her luggage even when she insisted on doing it herself.
“Nope, you’re a guest and I treat my guests very well.”
A flash fire of jealousy broke out. For a second she wondered if he’d brought any of his exes here. He’d had the ranch for a year before she arrived on the scene. Had that redheaded Jolene been here before me? The very thought made her queasy. All the more reason to not get too attached. Rather than dwell on the negative thoughts that tried to find purchase in her mind she got out and headed for the door that led into the first of two mudrooms. She unlocked the door and punched in the security code without thinking. Going through the motions, she wiped her feet, shrugged out of the light jacket she’d brought with her and headed into the kitchen, a set
of moves she’d done a hundred times over the course of the year. Cool air hit her in the face, caressing her skin.
It didn’t hit her until she hung up his keys that he’d trusted her so much, he’d given her the security code and offered up the ranch for her personal use whenever she wanted it. Emotion flooded her heart—so much so she thought it would burst for a second–and dampened her previous green-eyed monster moment. She gave it a mental push. I’ll just ruin it, look at what happened at my last job. She sighed and moved further into the house, turning on the lights they’d need to see by so they wouldn’t fall over something and break their necks.
As she wandered through the house, the comfortable furniture; simple and clean lines of the tables, the plush chairs and couches, the warm golden woodwork and flooring, the elegant iron work around the frosted glass lighting, the black and white photos of various landscapes from around the world. She paused in his den—an ode to his hockey career—hockey sticks with the emblems of his teams hung like crown molding along the wall. Pristine jerseys with his past numbers were set behind glass. A built-in set of shelves and cabinets that hid his DVD collection, awards, comic books, graphic novels and big screen TV.
A faint citrus scent hung in the air, with no dust to be seen. She walked over to a poster on the wall showing Ty holding the Stanley Cup high over his head, pure unadulterated joy on his face, a smile so wide it showed off his teeth. Both front teeth were chipped, though he’d long since had them fixed. Pride swelled in her chest. He’d accomplished so much in his career. Every once in awhile, old teammates would drift through the bar. Some were a part of the various leagues and teams or media dedicated to hockey. With half an ear, she’d listen to their antics or the latest news but focused on her job. The respect everyone treated Ty with always left her wondering about that part of his life. He didn’t talk about it much, only with his old comrades. A tug on her heart reminded her that for as much as she kept to herself, there was a lot she didn’t know about him. Briar’s offer pinged around her mind once more. That sensation of being torn in two directions left her uncomfortable. Everything she’d done in her life had been to please someone else. Even if she’d enjoyed IT work and using her mind in a creative way, she also enjoyed being at the bar. What should I do?
The heavy tread of Ty’s boots drew her out of her thoughts. “Hey, gorgeous, what are you doing in here?” He came into the room, his cowboy hat shading his features, making her unsure how he felt about her being in his domain.
“Just looking around.” Noncommittal and with no indication of where her thoughts resided at the moment and that’s how she wanted it to be before she made her decision. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt Ty, even if her final choice meant moving for the second time in a year. Anxiety clawed through her stomach and sweat broke out over her brow as her heart ticked up. When she’d moved to Elm Springs the moving guys had delivered her stuff to the wrong house and lost a lot of her dishes and living room furniture. If it hadn’t been for Ty, she’d have gone over to the mover’s main offices and gotten into a screaming match before being jailed. He’d calmed her down and managed to help get some of her stuff back, three months ago they’d found her dishes and living room furniture after she’d gotten a whole new set, but they were still working on getting some of the other things lost in transport.
Ty wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled her temple, his humid breath gusted past her cheek. The scent of mint rushed up her nostrils. She chuckled. “Already, freshening your breath for later?” A small bubble of relief filled her heart at him not pushing her for a real answer to his earlier question.
“Yeah, unfortunately I forgot that we hadn’t eaten yet. So ready for dinner?” He gave her a squeeze before he placed his hands on her hips and turned her around. She went without resistance. The warmth of his touch seeped past the barrier of her jeans to heat her skin, temporarily driving away the lingering doubts and confusion in her mind. If only I could have both.
She gave a short bob of her head. “Yeah, let’s eat.”
He took her hand and led her out of the room, down the hall and into the open area that was shared by the kitchen, living room and dining room. The exposed wood beams overhead gave the space an exposed, airy sensation. She tilted her head back and looked at the slim wooden spokes of a wagon wheel chandelier with small light bulbs that gave off a soft glow. A sense of safety overwhelmed her as she took it all in from the tan walls to the thick oak columns that came down from the ceiling. If she could stay put in any place in the world, this is where she would remain. If only… she let the thought trail off without finishing it. Annoyance came back in full. Until she made a decision, she knew she wouldn’t feel completely present anywhere. She sighed and tried to focus on Ty and the weekend ahead. Maybe sex would help. She doubted it, but didn’t want to waste a perfectly good weekend with a hot guy in the most perfect place to spend a weekend just because of the decision hanging over her head.
“I put your bags in the master suite and the pink bag you brought back from the bachelorette party on the nightstand.”
She grinned at the implication. “Hoping to get lucky the first night here, huh?”
“Well, we’ve been so slammed all week that we haven’t had a moment alone. So yeah, I’d say I’m hoping to get lucky.” He paused, turned around and pulled her to him until she came toe to toe with him, her breasts pressed against his chest. She wanted to finish it, to spread her legs, move closer and feel him up against her. Every nerve in her body screamed for that contact, to feel something other than the confused storm in her head. To forget her father, her ex, her last job, the shame, the job offer, her hesitation to fully commit to Ty and just ask for something, anything that could connect them beyond sex. She pulled back her head as the realization dawned on her; she was tired of just this with him, she wanted more. I’ve gotten attached.
“What, Nessa? Something wrong?” He ran his hands up and down her sides but didn’t move forward, as always giving her some space even if she didn’t ask for it aloud.
She shook her head. “No.” Liar. “Just exhausted from a night on my feet. Can I just head upstairs and change?”
Ty nodded. “Don’t you want to eat?” His eyes crinkled at the sides as worry creased his face.
She shook her head only to have her stomach grumble. He chuckled. “Liar. How about this? I heat up our food, you go upstairs, kick off your shoes and shower and I’ll serve you in bed, heh?”
“Okay, I can live with that.” She gave him what she hoped looked like a happy smile but doubted it reached her eyes or convinced him.
“Go on and get.” He turned her around and gave her ass a swat.
The smack penetrated the denim causing a stinging sensation before turning to a low warmth that spread through her groin. Moisture dampened her panties as her vagina clenched reminding her of the desire she’d ignored most of the night. She stilled, savoring the indication of things to come until her throbbing toes and soles reminded her that she needed to get out of her heels ASAP. She kicked off the offending stilettos, stooped down slow and easy, giving him a show before she grabbed them and straightened up then peeked over her shoulder at him. “Don’t take too long. You don’t want me starting without you. You’ve seen all the goodies in that bag, but none that I brought with me.”
He tipped his hat back and gave her a genuine smile that turned her knees to water and halted her for a second. The pure openness and affection combined with the desire in his aquamarine eyes caused her stomach to do flip flops as her temperature climbed.
“Go ahead, see what happens.” His smile turned dark and his voice became a low purr that traced a finger of fire along her spine.
She shivered. Her nipples stiffened as need flooded her veins. Her panties dampened even further. I doubt a cold shower would be effective. Rather than turn around and let him win, she stood her ground. “If you take too long we’ll have to see.” With that, she turned and rushed toward the stairs as fast as sh
e could, his laughter chasing after her until she reached the master bedroom. She shut the door behind her and stripped out of her clothes, picked them up and carried them to the bathroom where she started a bath. Despite wanting to get clean as quick as possible she also wanted to be relaxed for him.
Tonight her focus would be all on him, the rest of her issues could keep. Her favorite bath salts sat in a basket next to the tub, along with her shampoos and conditioners. She added the salts to the water before testing the temperature with her toe. Perfect—just below scalding. She stepped in and sat down, submerging her body until the water came up to her clavicle. With her toes, she shut off the tap before resting her head on the lip of the tub and closing her eyes. She exhaled as the tension left her body.
“I thought you were going to take a shower.” Ty appeared in the doorway sans shirt, cowboy hat and boots, holding one of the vibrators she’d gotten in the goodie bag. “How about this deal? You do what I want and then next time I do what you want?” A devilish glint lit up his eyes, turning them a smoky emerald color.
Intrigued she sat up, fully aware of the way the water sluiced over her breasts and dripped off her nipples. “So if I want to tie you down and have my naughty way with you?”
“Anything, within reason of course. You know I won’t do anal and no extreme pain and I know you’re not interested in that. So, deal?” He shook the vibrator in his hand.
“Deal. So what do you want me to do with that?” Her mind flew over all the ways she could use the sexy toy but wanted to know where his mind was.
“I want you to pleasure yourself with it. I’ve watched you masturbate but never use toys.” He strode into the room, crouched down and handed her the device along with a small bottle of lube.
Once with a Cowboy: Loving Day Collection (One Night Only Book 1) Page 3