Come a Little Closer, If You Dare (Love's Command Book 5)
Page 15
They were both breathless but if he’d been happier, he didn’t know when. Releasing his shirt, she slowly sat straight and stared around the area, sighing deeply.
“So beautiful,” she whispered.
He agreed, but he wasn’t thinking of the scenery.
“Yeah,” he said and tore his eyes off her to scan the area. He spotted the fence but he also caught sight of a downed line of barbed wire. “Man, that might be Troy’s trouble,” he grumbled and walked his horse over to assess the damage.
Sonya came with him, frowning at the fence. “What’s wrong? Why is it broken?”
“Line was just rusted out,” he said and dismounted. “I gotta fix this. You want to break out those sandwiches you’re hoarding and we can eat while we’re here?”
“Hoarding? Excuse me, my horse is taxed with the weight of those ‘sandwiches’ you had to stow on her.”
He grinned at her teasing, wiped the sweat from his forehead and examined that string of bull for which loophole to hit first. “Well, is that so? You weigh, what? One hundred ten soaking wet, and those sandwiches are, what? Six ounces? I have the water, the tools—”
She had dismounted in the middle of his lecture and slid up behind him sneaky-like to stroke down his stomach to his belt.
“Yes you do. I like all your tools,” she added, patting his ass.
“Damn crazy heifer,” he grumbled but grabbed hold of her to kiss her breathless. She melted against him in a way he wasn’t going to survive if she left him. He loved the way she tiptoed each time so that she could wrap her slim arms around his neck.
“Heifer?” she asked, panting when he released her.
“Female cow,” he answered, then kissed her again just to savor the taste of her lips and took the time to touch every inch of her lush backside he could. She tossed his hat somewhere behind them and Jasper barked at her like a good dog. “You shouldn’t do that to a man’s hat.”
“What about a man’s—?”
He stopped her hand at his belt again and nibbled her sweet jaw bone. “Nope, not a man’s hat or his tools,” he assured her. “Get those sandwiches. I’m starved from keeping up with you.”
She smiled and her green eyes danced. “Yes, sir. What are you going to do?”
“Fix the fence,” he said, setting her tempting body aside. “Now, you want to help?”
“Yes.”
He knew she’d say that so he reached in and got the extra pair of leather gloves and gave them to her. “Try those on.”
She gave him a baffled frown, but tugged the leather on. Her hands swam in them, but they’d do. Today she’d dressed in another pair of jeans that knocked him sideways when he’d first seen her leave the bedroom. They were darker, fit her ass to perfection and she’d paired them with a light blue, ultra-feminine blouse that surely wasn’t meant to drive him nuts but did. He could see her lacy bra under it and yeah, the plunge of her breasts above it. All in all she was making it hard to think straight.
“They’ll do. Here, let me see them,” he said and took them so he could rub them between his hands to soften the leather. “Let’s eat first, huh? I know you have to be hungry.”
She didn’t respond other than a quirked eyebrow, but she loosened Trickster’s cinch and pulled the bag holding lunch in it down. She examined the hilltop and found a nice spot under one of the cedar trees and turned to glance at him.
“This good?”
“It’s perfect,” he assured her, untying his bedroll and bringing it with him. “We can sit on this, and you can get Jasper to settle down.”
“Me? Why me?” she asked but petted Jasper.
“Your pup has him thinking he can misbehave.”
“My pup has a name, and Blue isn’t here either,” she reminded him, handing him the food bag and sitting down with a quick reminder to Jasper to sit. The dog did—at her feet—and stared up at her as if she hung the moon. She probably did.
“Why do I get this?” He handed it back.
She took it but her eyes widened. “You made it—”
“And?” he urged, unrolling his blanket and situating it, then pulling her up and over. “I made lunch. You can divide the goods while I check I have all the tools I need to fix that fence properly.”
She didn’t tease him for once but nodded and got to work. If he had to guess, she was new to all this—spending time with someone and sharing chores. She didn’t seem to mind. She actually appeared to like it.
When he glanced over, she had the plates out, sandwiches on them, the cut up veggies, dip and drinks already poured. She even had the bag of tortilla chips open and was struggling with the jar of salsa. It looked like a picnic, not a quick bite while they searched for missing cattle. She’d even snuck in some grapes and big apples after he’d packed the lunch.
“Here,” he offered, setting his stuff aside and giving her a quick kiss as he took the jar. He opened it easily and handed it back. “You loosened it up for me. This is great.” His stomach growled loud enough for anyone within miles to hear.
“I guess so,” she said, laughing but handing him a loaded plate then a glass as soon as he had his food settled. “You are hungry, aren’t you?”
He chewed his mouthful of turkey sandwich before he nodded to her sandwich. “I am. You aren’t?”
“I am,” she agreed and sipped her lemonade. “This is good. I like this,” she said, raising her cup and indicating the area as well as the food. Her eyes got that faraway look he’d grown to realize meant she was considering what she felt. He waited, eating his food and simply watching her lovely face as she considered what she meant. “I guess it’s just soothing, you know? Nice, kinda in ways that hit deep.”
He nodded, caught up in the wonder of her. She seemed to feel that was enough to explain it because she bit into her turkey sandwich.
He did the same, enjoying being close to her and simply relaxing.
“How do fences get put up?” she asked after a few minutes. She was a curious person. He’d found that out as soon as they headed out and she’d started asking questions. “I mean, duh, men do, but who says they can go here? Is this private land?”
“The ranchers have that all figured out. They lease the lands, and sometimes they can fence, other times they can’t. Some of this line has been here for hundreds of years.”
She listened while she ate and nodded. “So why are you fixing it? Is it your friend’s fence?”
“A fence down needs repaired,” he stated and finished the last half of his sandwich before he pointed with a chip down the line. “Cattle break out and that causes problems for everyone, so if we come across a line down, we fix it.”
“Have you always done this? When you weren’t on duty?” she asked when she was done with her sandwich and snacking on the veggies and grapes.
“Sure, mostly. I like it.” He scanned the mountains and the overabundance of greenery. “It’s not always like this, though.”
“No, it’s not,” she murmured, her profile to him as she gazed at the beautiful land. The meadow below them was full of daisies, reminding him of laying her down in them and making love to her. He wanted to again, but he also wanted this day full of new things for her, and for himself. Spending time with someone he enjoyed this much was as new to him as it appeared to be to her.
Still, he didn’t want to lead her wrong. Wyoming was a tough, hard land—more so in the winter.
“It snows pretty bad up here,” he added when she didn’t turn. “Sometimes we get it over with early, sometimes it lasts for months at a time.”
“Yeah, snowed in, huh?” she asked, turning to him with a curious expression. She didn’t seem dismayed by the idea, more interested.
“Sure, but they plow. I have one. I think everyone up here does, but it’s okay. There’s always plenty to do.” He finished his drink.
She poured him another politely. “And you do this”—she indicated the horses—“for your friend but don’t have your own cows?”
“Oh?” she said, and pursed her lips. “Is that so? So it’s not a big deal, or anything?”
“Nothing is a big deal,” he told her with a tug on her hand. “Except you.”
“You’re corny,” she accused with a laugh.
“I’m hurt. Really, I’m pouring my heart out to you and that’s your response? Painful, woman, really hurt here.”
“No, that didn’t hurt, but if you want—”
He tackled her back onto the blanket and settled over her so he could draw her hands up above her head. Jasper went nuts and didn’t quit. Sonya laughed, clearly pleased that his dog had switched sides.
“You’ve corrupted my dog,” he accused and got up, pulling her with him with a suddenness that surprised her if her gasp and grab on his arm meant anything.
She smacked his chest. “Don’t do that!”
“Do what?” he cried, rubbing his chest.
“Hurt now?” she teased but squealed and hugged him around the neck when he went for her most ticklish spots. She pressed kisses to his lips until he relented. Damn woman had him figured out that quick. He gave her a smack on her butt.
“Cody!” she cried breathlessly. “Show me how to fix the fence, you big meanie.”
“Damn crazy woman,” he grumbled but cupped her butt to lift her for a quick kiss before he set her down. “Come on. Try to keep up.”
Sonya peeked at Cody again for what felt like the thousandth time. She couldn’t get enough of watching him when he was working or when he was just being—well, Cody. She was in this way too deep because she liked spending time with him. He was fun. More, he was so smart he could keep up with her, even get one up on her.
No one ever did that.
“So, why are you acting like I’ve punched you in the guts?” she asked when he got a small roll of barbed wire out, settled it at their feet and met her eyes.
He winced and tipped his hat back in that way that brought a shiver down her very, very well taken care of body. She could still picture him fucking her from behind with his hat on. Hot didn’t even get close to it.
“Well, I have to pull this post.” He rested a gloved hand on it, and sized her up. “While you pull the other tight so I can bind the wire to the post.”
“Oh,” she murmured, seeing his dilemma. She wasn’t as strong as Cody by a long shot. “Well.” She examined his face. He had an idea, obviously, the brat. “Spill it. What do you want to do?”
“Not me, you.”
Ten minutes later she was on Trickster, which she thought was a very unfair name for a girl horse, and had a line of rope around her saddle horn with an anxious Cody at her hip.
“Now, don’t get your fingers near that rope, keep your reins up and hold this end only, with your other hand. Got it?”
She nodded then leaned down to kiss his worried frown. “I got it, cowboy.”
“No foul-ups—one of us without a limb is enough,” he grumbled.
She bit her lip to stop from smiling at the way he sounded. He checked on her once more than exhaled and his big shoulders tensed, she guessed from her teasing.
“I’ve never fouled up in my life, Cody Johnson. Have some trust, would you?” she demanded.
He appeared sufficiently rebuffed, but still cocked his head and examined her holds before he hooked the wire around the post the way he wanted and started jacking it tighter and tighter. She felt the tug but kept Trickster steady and didn’t let her take a step. The rope he’d tied to the other post grew tighter as he strained his big body to the task. He bent his knees and pulled back steadily. His rounded ass flexed. It was so hot, she got all fluttery inside thinking of him doing that kind of work when he made love to her. His light blue cowboy shirt pulled against his muscled arms and along his back, outlining the ridged muscles she’d slid her hands over and her temperature rose.
“That’s it. Keep her steady. One more,” he called and bent to attach another line of barbed wire to the bottom. He repeated the muscle work, but this time it was easier for him so he didn’t have to strain so hard. “Last one,” he said suddenly and she watched as he adjusted his hold and flexed for her again.
As soon as he was done, she sighed with relief. “Thank God. Any more showing off and I was going to fall apart on you.”
He shot her a questioning glance and rubbed the sweat off his forehead with his arm. The way he squinted at her made her shiver. He was simply so hard, tough and handsome.
“You are going to owe me for this one,” she said. “Ever think of getting a ceiling mirror?”
He dropped his wrench and barely missed hitting his foot with it.
“Ouch, be careful,” she called with a smile.
“Woman—”
“Oh, stop grumbling. You like that I like how hot and handsome you are,” she snipped and pet her horse. “I want to change her name. Maybe Snowflake.”
He shook his head and grimaced, clearly unsure what to address first, her compliment or the name change.
“I know she’s not white, but she’s pretty even-tempered—cool, like a snowflake,” she mused. “Or maybe Daisy? I liked how you laid me—”
“Sonya!” Cody grumbled. “If you don’t stop, I’ll not only turn you over my knee, but tie you up after and stroke off all by myself.”
“Well,” she sniffed. “That’s cruel.”
His expression said she was much, much crueler. She laughed and got down to go over and kiss his sweaty cheek.
“Sorry. You were just putting on such a nice show,” she whispered. “I’m not used to it, I guess. Come on. Don’t be sore. Let’s go find those cows.”
“Woman, you—” He stopped, opened his mouth then snapped it shut and simply pulled her into his sweaty arms. She didn’t mind. He smelled good, like soap, horses and man—Cody smells. “You really are a big deal, you know that?” he whispered, only letting go her after she nodded. “I like that, maybe too much, huh?”
Too much? She didn’t like the sound of that. Did that mean she was too much?
“Now, if you’re done ogling me, can I attach this last bit so we can head out? I have ideas for tonight that don’t have a damn thing to do with mirrors, but you might like it all the same.”
“Oh,” she said, getting breathless all over again just from his intense blue eyes. Maybe too much meant good things. “I am positive I will.”
“Good, now how about we head out before I have to make you ride cross country in the dark?”
She brushed a bit of dirt off his chin. “You’d get me home, I’m sure.”
Whatever she’d said seemed to please him. He tried to play it off by shaking his head but she could tell he was all happy.
“Tomorrow can we do this again?” she asked when they’d settled into riding.
Cody shot her a quick glance and nodded. “Sure thing, firecracker. If you’re not too tender,” he added, nodding to her horse.
“I am a bit, but you can give me a nice massage,” she offered hopefully. He had magic fingers and hands—truly.
He grinned and leaned over so that their knees touched. “Anytime. You want something, you just let me know, okay?”
“Okay.” She let him kiss her while they rode. It was so beautiful, riding side by side and kissing a man like Cody. She might be getting used to it. He pulled up and examined her face, seeing something he liked because he nodded and sat back.
“We should be home soon, if you’re worried.”
“I’m not. Blue might be,” she added.
“She’s fine. I made sure she had some toys and enough line to play.”
“Toys?”
“Rawhide, pups like to chew.” He scanned her face again then went on, “You’ve never had a dog before?”
“No,” she murmured quietly. “No animals. What about you?” she asked, watching Jasper running around
them. He’d probably done ten more miles than they had today.
“Jasper, but I had dogs growing up. Always bringing something home. I think I had five at one time, until my grandpop put his foot down. Then I moved to raccoons for a while, and cats, when that didn’t work so well.”
She thought he might’ve been kidding but one glimpse at his straight face and she realized, no he wasn’t. “Raccoons? Furry animals with masks?”
He laughed. “Yeah, they didn’t go over so well. Liked peanut butter too much.”
“Peanut butter?”
“Yeah, they got the lids off to grandpop’s favorite and ate it all. The next day I was taking them to the other side of the mountain to live. Pretty harsh, huh? I mean, it was just peanut butter.”
She shook her head, unsure who to side with, the younger Cody or the poor old man having to deal with all those animals in his house. “Are you over this stage?”
Cody shrugged and moved in closer. “I brought you home, didn’t I?”
“I’m not an animal, except in bed,” she amended and tugged his blond hair.
“Ouch, woman,” he complained. “Be nice or you’ll get peanut butter for dinner.”
“Oh, what did you want to make for dinner? I can make salad,” she offered.
“Salad? That’s great. How about some of that chicken? You like BBQ chicken?”
“Yes.”
He shot her a grin. “Take some time to think about that, if you need.”
She blushed at his tease. “I like how you cook,” she offered, feeling silly but doing it anyway.
“I like the way you help out,” he said, gesturing to the horses. “All day you’ve been a great help, Sonya. It’s been fun, huh?”
“Yeah,” she murmured softly, feeling even more unsure of herself. “It has.”
“Good,” he agreed, suddenly pulling her closer and stopping the horses. “Then my plan’s working.”
“Your plan?” she asked, feeling her heart racing at the intensity of his stare. She half feared what he’d say was something about having sex when that was what she wanted, wasn’t it? Sex, no strings, right?
“Yeah, to let you have a little fun, girl. It didn’t hurt, did it?”