Clint: A Hidden Lane Ranch Cowboy Novel

by Sammi Starlight

  “It’s ok. From what I hear, he was a drunk and total asshole,” I shrugged. I’d never known what it was like to have a dad, so I wasn’t really sad about not having one. You don’t know what you never had, right? “Anyway, Mom struggled like you would expect a lot of single mom’s would. We didn’t have much, but she always made me feel so special on my birthday. We would do something fun like go to the zoo or have a picnic. It was simple, but she was always so busy working, so I loved having her all to myself that day. She would make me my favorite kind of cake - fudge marble - and always made her famous lasagna for dinner.”

  My eyes filled with tears as I spoke of my mom. I thought about her all the time, but I hadn’t really talked about her to anyone in a long time.

  “She sounds amazing. Where is she now?” he brushed a tear from my cheek.

  “She died six years ago when I was 19,” I said, looking down at his chest.

  “Aww babe,” he said, drawing me tight against him. “I’m so sorry.”

  I nodded, too choked up with emotion to say anything. He dragged me onto his chest, settling his hands on the curve of my ass. “Are you ok?” He kissed my forehead.

  “I miss her every minute of every day,” I whispered before resting my head on his chest.

  “I know.”

  We didn’t speak anymore and my eyelids started to feel heavy. His fingers stroking my back gently felt soothing and I felt myself drifting off to sleep, caught in that space between reality and my dreams. Maybe I really was dreaming and I would wake up and find myself back in New York.

  10

  Clint

  It wasn’t long before I heard her shallow breathing as she slept. I watched her for a while, her face so peaceful. I traced the bruise on her cheek with my fingertips, feeling the rage boil inside of me at whoever did this to her. If I ever got my hands on them…

  I wanted to ask her about it; I wanted to find out what she was running from and who thought it was ok to hurt her. She’d been so open about her mother; I didn’t want to push her by asking more questions. I didn’t want to risk her closing up and possibly never letting me in.

  My heart ached when I thought about her losing her mother at such a young age. I’d lost my dad not much later than she’d lost her mom, so I understood the pain she felt. There wasn’t a damn day I didn’t miss Dad.

  He would have liked Rachel. When I used to go out to check on the longhorns with him and it was the two of us, he would tell me stories about him and Ma, especially as I got older. When Hope had left me, he told me one day I would eventually find ‘the one’. He teased Ma all the time when she said she knew the moment she saw him that she was going to marry him, but he confessed to me he’d felt the same. He said when I saw her, I would know. I’d rolled my eyes at him, the pain of my break up too fresh to believe I’d ever find love again, but after meeting Rachel, I was beginning to wonder if he wasn’t right.

  I ran my fingers through her hair, my heart full of emotions. It was crazy; I’d laid eyes on this woman a little over twenty-four hours ago, but I had to admit I was starting to get feelings for her. I couldn’t tell her that yet though, or she would think I was crazy.

  I looked over at the clock and fought back a groan; it was two in the morning already. My alarm would be going off in about two and a half hours. It was going to be a long day - for a lot of reasons. I was going to be tired as hell but all I would be thinking about was Rachel and how amazing tonight had been.

  There was no way I was going to fall asleep with her on top of me, so I gently turned to my side, holding her tight so she moved with me. I managed to maneuver us so we were on our sides and I was spooning behind her. She sighed and wiggled back against me, making my cock stir. What if I slid inside her and she woke up with my cock buried deep?

  I reached up and cupped a breast in my hand. I was fully erect now and there was no way I was going to sleep. I teased her nipple with my thumb and she gasped but never woke up. I nudged a knee between her legs, spreading them slightly. How was I going to get a condom without waking her?

  “Fuck me, Clint,” she mumbled. She turned her head with a lazy smile.

  She didn’t need to ask me twice. I rolled back to the nightstand and grabbed another condom. I ripped it open and put it on before coming back to her. She was still on her side so I slid my cock into her from behind. She snaked an arm back around my neck while my lips traveled to her neck.

  “Sorry I woke you, babe, but you wiggled against me and my body just responds instantly to you.” I teased her nipple more, pinching it lightly, pulling it and rolling it between my fingers.

  “Right,” she gasped, pushing back against me.

  I slid my hand down her body and fingered her clit, already swollen. I teased it softly and she moaned. “Yes, just like that. Don’t stop.” I smiled to myself; it was crazy how I’d gotten to know her body in such a short time.

  I dragged my teeth across her shoulder. “Come again for me, Rachel.” I kept my finger on her, whispering in her ear how sexy she was and how wet and tight she felt around my cock. Her moans got louder and her breathing more labored until she finally cried out my name. Her walls twitched and pulsed around me with her release.

  I moved my hand from between her legs and dug my fingers into her hip. I thrust hard into her, letting her pussy milk me into my own orgasm. I growled loudly into her neck as my body tensed and shuddered with release.

  I held her tight against me, planting tiny kisses along her neck as we lay there in silence. This woman was amazing and I could get lost in her for hours.

  “I have to get up in like three hours,” I groaned into her neck.

  She turned her head to look at me. “Seriously?” I nodded and reached up to cup her breast and

  hold her tight against me. “Yes, life on the ranch starts with sun, sometimes earlier.”

  “I’m so not an early riser,” she mumbled. “I’m sorry for keeping you up so late.”

  “Hush, being here with you like this has been worth it,” I replied softly. “Don’t worry about it.”

  “Should I go back to my room so no one suspects anything?” she asked. “And shit! Your sister has all of my stuff we took from the hotel in her truck.” She started to get up from the bed but I pulled her back down to me.

  “No, I want you in my bed tonight,” I said firmly. “You can get that stuff tomorrow. Or should I say in a few hours? I’m sure she brought it inside and if not, you can get it from her truck.”

  “But she’ll know - “

  I stopped her, putting my finger to her lips. “I’m pretty sure they know what happened when we left anyway. She caught us kissing and kicked us out of the bar.”

  “True,” she said, relaxing again next to me on the bed. “I didn’t even hear them come in; do you think they’re even home from the bar yet?”

  “Um, we were a little busy and making enough noise of our own. They probably got back a couple of hours ago.” I snuggled up behind her. “Now let’s go to sleep. Tomorrow’s another busy day and I’m sure Eliza will keep you hopping until you figure out the routine here.”

  She yawned and nodded. “Yeah, I’m tired. Someone is keeping me awake.”

  “Funny,” I smirked, smacking her round ass lightly.

  She giggled and I kissed her shoulder. We were spooning again and I had her tight against me, like I was afraid she would get away if I let go even a little bit. And there was no way I was letting her get away.

  I woke up to the painful sound of my alarm. It felt like I’d just fallen asleep. I wasn’t ready to get out of my comfy bed that had a sexy naked woman in it. Even though we’d only been sleeping for a few hours, I felt like I’d slept better than I had in maybe forever.

  I let go of Rachel and she stirred as I rolled over and reached for my alarm clock. It took a few slaps of my hand, but I finally turned it off.

  “Shit, you weren’t kidding about early,” she mumbled, taking her pillow and putting it over her face. />
  I rubbed my eyes and grinned, pulling the pillow from her hands, hitting her with it. “Time to get up!”

  She opened an eye and glared at me. “It should be illegal to get up this early.”

  “Whatever, sleep is overrated,” I got up from the bed and stopped to look at her. Damn, she looked good in my bed. “You can sleep when you’re dead.” I came over to her side of the bed and held out a hand. “Now you can lie there for a few more minutes or you can join me in the shower. I can wash your back.” I winked at her.

  Her eyes moved over my body and she reached out to grasp my semi-erect cock. Please let her say yes. I wasn’t ready to leave her just yet. “Hmm…shower huh? Do you have enough room in there for two?”

  “Oh yes,” I leaned down and scooped her up into my arms. She laughed and put her arms around my neck. I would probably be late and catch hell from Wyatt, but I didn’t care. I needed another Rachel fix before I started my day.

  I carried her to my bathroom and set her down so I could turn on the water. It wasn’t long before the bathroom filled up with steam. I stepped into my shower and turned to offer her my hand. “Ready?”

  She grinned and took my hand. “Yes.” She stepped inside and I quickly pulled her against me, my erection pressing hard against her stomach. My hands cupped her face and I teased her lips with my tongue before kissing her hard. I pulled away and grinned down at her as I spun her around carefully so she wouldn’t slip on the wet shower floor and held her against the wall. I began to sink to my knees in front of her and her head fell back as her eyes closed.

  “They say you shouldn’t skip the most important meal of the day,” I mumbled into her skin as my lips traveled down her stomach.

  11

  Rachel

  Clint snuck out of the bedroom after one last passionate kiss. Our ‘quick’ shower ended up taking a bit longer when he decided to go down on me until I came a few times and then held me up against the shower wall while he fucked me.

  I felt a tingle deep in my womb as I thought about how many times he’d made me come in just the last twelve hours. My body was sore in all the right places from our night together.

  I looked around the room for my clothes, finding them scattered all over his bedroom. As I walked around picking them up, I took the time to check out his bedroom. It had been dark when we got here last night and I hadn’t had a chance. It was just like I would expect from him - simple with the basic furniture he needed. The room was huge and even had a fireplace in the corner. It was so warm and cozy, I imagined lots of nights snuggled in here with Clint.

  I couldn’t find my thong so I slipped on my shorts and tank top. I toweled my hair dry a bit more before pulling it back up into a messy bun. I walked to the door and took a deep breath, praying there was minimal fuss if I was caught coming out of Clint’s room.

  I opened the door, surprised to see the lights at the end of the hall and hearing noises coming from the kitchen. He wasn’t kidding when he said life started early here on the ranch. I’d never been one to get up early; I was usually a night owl that stayed up late and slept the morning away. Guess that would have to change here. I hoped they had a lot of strong coffee.

  I managed to slip into my room unnoticed and I silently thanked Eliza for putting me in the room right next to Clint’s. I noticed my bags on the bed with a piece of paper. I walked over to it and smiled when I read it. It was from Eliza and just said she figured I could use them in the morning.

  I pulled out some fresh clothes, including another thong, and my make-up and headed into my bathroom. I undressed again, noticing the marks Clint had left on my body. There was nothing obvious, just little bites and some whisker burn that no one would even notice except me. I reached up and cupped my breasts, squeezing them as I thought about his lips on my nipples. Fuck, he’d gotten me off more times than I could count, but one thought of him and I was already on edge again.

  I jumped at the sound of a knock on the door.

  “Rachel, are you up?” It was Eliza.

  “Be right there,” I called, throwing on the rest of my clothes and running to answer the door. I opened it and there she stood, looking like a million bucks; didn’t she ever have a bad hair day. Her jet black hair was pulled back again in a high ponytail, but this time it fell down her back in waves. Her makeup was perfectly done, looking like a professional had done it. How did she look so good this early?

  She pushed her way into my room and sat on the bed. “So,” She said, crossing her legs and propping her chin on fist. “How did it go last night?”

  I could feel my cheeks getting warm, remembering last night. I wasn’t one to kiss and tell, but it was obvious this family was close; secrets were probably hard to keep. “Good,” I managed to stammer. I had no idea why I was so shy about what had happened last night; I was a grown woman and not at all ashamed of my sexuality. I really liked these people though and didn’t want them to think less of me because I slept with Clint after only knowing him a day.

  She rolled her eyes and looked down to examine her nails on her right hand. “Please, I heard you when I put your bags in your room. Things had to go way better than ‘good’.”

  “Well,” I mumbled, totally unsure of what to say. Clint had probably seen them all already this morning and I had no idea what he may or may not have told them.

  “Don’t worry,” she said, waving her hand. “Clint didn’t say a thing. He was sorta late so he grabbed some coffee and headed outside. I’m sure he’s getting an earful from Wyatt though.” She stood up with a grin and glanced down at my stuff. “Come have some breakfast and then we can get a little work done. Then you can come back here and get settled a bit more.”

  I slipped into my sandals and Eliza looked down at them. “We have to get you better shoes. You can’t be running around this place in those things.” She pointed to her cowboy boots. “We’ll get you a pair of boots.”

  I shook my head and laughed. “Never in my life did I think I’d ever wear cowboy boots.”

  She winked at me. “You’re in Wyoming now, girlie. Better get used to it.”

  We laughed and headed out to the kitchen. Rachel headed into the office to make a quick call, leaving me with Clint’s mom. She was at the sink washing dishes. Embarrassment washed over me again; what had she heard from our escapades last night. Her eyes lit up when she saw me and I felt relieved.

  “Good morning, dear,” she said, wiping her hands dry on a dishtowel. “Coffee?”

  I nodded. “Yes please.”

  She nodded and grabbed a mug from the cupboard before pouring me a cup. “Cream or sugar?”

  I shook my head. “Black.”

  “A girl after my own heart.” She set it on the table and motioned for me to sit down. “Let me get you some breakfast. Eggs? Pancakes?” She walked over to the fridge.

  “Oh no, I’m good.” I didn’t want to put her out when it was clear everyone else was done with breakfast.

  “Nonsense,” she said. “You have to eat something.”

  I tried to think of something simple that wouldn’t require too much effort. “How about some toast?”

  “Perfect,” she said, pulling a loaf of bread from the pantry and walking over to the toaster. She put a couple of pieces in the toaster and pushed the lever down. “What do you think of this place?”

  “It’s beautiful. I love it actually,” I admitted, taking a long sip of my coffee. I closed my eyes in bliss; this was the best cup of coffee I’d ever had, even better than all the coffee shops I’d been back home.

  She smiled and looked out the window. “I came here with Clint’s dad after we got married. At first I wasn’t so sure ranch life would agree with me; I was a city girl too. I quickly learned to love the peacefulness and serenity of it all.”

  She took a drink of her own coffee. “It’s hard work though. Those boys and the ranch hands work long days in the summer and the winters here are tough, I won’t lie. If you had come here in January, I may h
ave told you to run far far away.” She winked at me and we both laughed. Just like the rest of the family, I was quickly learning to love Mary; I’d missed having a mother figure in my life.

  My toast popped up and she put it on the plate. She brought it to me along with some butter and what looked like homemade jam. “Thank you,” I said.

  She sat at the table across from me. “Rachel, can I ask you something?”

  “Sure,” I replied, my heart suddenly beating hard in my chest. Was she going to ask me about Clint and last night? I began to butter my toast, trying to mask my nervousness.

  “How did you get that bruise on your cheek?” she asked softly.

  I stopped buttering my bread and put my knife down. While I was relieved she didn’t ask me about last night, I wasn’t so sure I wanted to talk about the bruise on my face either. I was speechless, unsure of where to start.

  “Was it a boyfriend?”

  I could see the concern in her eyes and while I was normally a pretty closed up person, there was something about this woman that made me comfortable enough to open up to her. “Yes, it was my old boyfriend.” I made sure to emphasize the ‘old’ part. I didn’t want anyone to think I was still attached, especially to that asshole.

  She reached across the table and took my hand. “Did it happen often?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

  “No, this was the first and last time,” I said. I might as well tell her the whole story. I took a deep breath and started at the beginning. “My mom died six years ago when I was nineteen.” My eyes filled with tears, remembering that horrible day.

  She squeezed my hand. “Oh sweetie, I’m so sorry.”

  I gave her a half smile. “It was just her and I, so I was all alone. I’d been dating someone at the time and he sort of swooped in and took care of me. He became my family. Things were good for a long time. Then he lost his job and started hanging out with a different crowd. I had a feeling he was selling drugs and after awhile, I was sure he was also doing them. He became controlling and possessive. After my mom died, I swore I would never be with a man like that.”