by Ashlee Price
‘You seem very young to be so good.”
Penny looked at Jaxon for the first time in several minutes. His dark brown eyes held hers and it seemed that everything he said could have a double meaning. “You know, practice makes progress and all. Started young.”
“Indeed.”
The table got silent and was saved when the housekeeper brought in dessert. Penny was happy the awkward meal was almost over. She had driven herself crazy in the shower and they were driving her crazy in front of her. Penny just needed ten minutes in her room to take care of her needs. Her eyes went from one man to the next as they talked about business matters that didn’t concern her. She had zoned out again, the pie in front of her long since forgotten for the two gorgeous men that employed her.
Penny could see that they were completely different side by side, but they both had the same feel. She tried to imagine Jaxon dressed as Ted and then shirtless. Her heartrate jumped and she chided herself for her reaction. She needed a day off to check out what the local bar had to offer. If not, she was really going to make a fool of herself.
“Well I am tired. Nice to meet you Jaxon and thanks for the meal, but I am going to head to bed.”
They seemed surprised by her departure, but it was for her own good, she reminded herself. She had that Saturday off, so she could satisfy her cravings and get her brain to work again. Not looking back, she headed upstairs for the bedroom she was staying in.
Chapter 3
“You definitely did not tell me she looked like that.”
Ted nodded his head, “I said she was cute.”
“That is not cute.’
“Calm down Jaxon, she works for us. No funny business.”
“To hell you say. I call dibs.”
“What are we still in college?”
“I called it.”
“You can’t. She is not interested.”
“I’ll be the judge of that.”
“We need a trainer more than you need another woman in your bed.”
“I don’t know Ted. She could be the one.”
Ted sighed. There was no stopping Jaxon and that was why he hadn’t mentioned it and had kept him away as long as possible. Because he knew that he was going to act exactly like he was acting. “So you are going to tell me that you have serious not tried, her the next room over?”
“No. Of course not Jaxon.”
“What is wrong with you?”
“Nothing. I just think we should keep it professional. She actually is really good and she will make us a lot of money.”
“I have enough money Ted.”
Ted sighed. He knew that Jaxon was the way he was, but it was still irritating. He was like a dog that had to be kept on a lease or he would go dry hump whatever he could reach. It was sadly more literal than metaphorical and the image left a smile on his face.
“Weren’t you the one that said you could never have enough money?”
“I am growing, priorities are changing. See, she is the one.”
“You have lost it.”
“She looks so innocent. You think she is a virgin? How old is she?”
“She is like nineteen. Way too young for you.”
“We are the same age.”
“I am not trying.”
“Then why can’t I?”
“You are impossible and I doubt she is. Now drop it before she hears you and quits in the morning. Why do you think I haven’t invited you over?”
“I wondered why you sent me on the last supply run. I think you were trying to keep her all to yourself. Well don’t worry Ted. I will be around to help out more. You are always saying how I don’t do my part.
“I figured you would say something like that.”
***
Ted went to bed that night, thinking about Penny, as he had every night that week. He wondered if she knew how much he wanted her. Ted had seen her looking his way a couple of times, but as soon as he looked over at her, she looked down or walked away. It was clear that she liked what she saw, but he didn’t think she was too happy about wanting him. Maybe she felt the same way about mixing business and pleasure. Or maybe she was innocent like Jaxon had suggested.
He would have believed that, especially by the way the other guys talked about her. She didn’t really flirt with any of them and there was a wide variety of men to choose from with almost 20 other employees. The fact that she had not started talking to one of them was suspect at best. While he liked to think that it was because she had the hots for him, Penny had more eyes for Jaxon it seemed. It was the smooth talk and the suits he presumed.
It was a shame, but Ted had more things than a woman to worry about. Everything was going good in the business, yet it was hard to ignore the competition that was moving in and how to stay ahead of it. Jaxon wanted to expand, but Ted wanted to keep it manageable. He didn’t want to hire someone to manage the place or several people. He also didn’t want to go public with the company, but the expansion Jaxon had in his eyes would make it necessary. They had never been so off page with each other and Ted was worried that it would send the two friends on opposite sides.
Ted was lying in the bed, trying to think of anything else but the issues with Jaxon and it was so quiet in the room that he could hear his own heart pounding. He got up to turn on the radio for some background noise, but stopped when he heard a sound from the next room over. It was a small moan, a whimper and it made his blood boil.
He moved towards his side of the wall and held his breath, afraid that what he had heard was just his imagination. The reality hit him like a ton of bricks and his pants became almost immediately uncomfortable.
“Mmm yes, oh…”
Ted listened as the young woman came on the other side of the wall. He bit his lip to stifle the groan that was dying to come out. He didn’t know how innocent she appeared, but she definitely knew how to take care of herself. He wished that he could have helped her. It was even harder to get to sleep after listening to her moans. It made him want her more and the feeling he had felt from Jaxon was taking over his own body. He needed her ever so badly all of a sudden.
Chapter 4
Penny woke up slightly refreshed, but there was still an aching need from the dreams. Ted had been in her dreams since she had arrived and saw him that first day. But now there was an addition and the combination was a bit more than her conscious mind could take.
Her hands were slightly shaky on the glass of water on her bedside table, but she managed to clear the dryness in her throat. She had a lot of work to do and since she wasn’t going to be able to sleep anymore that morning, she figured she might as well get a jump on her morning chores. Grabbing up her gear, she went downstairs to grab some coffee before she left.
“Well good morning Penny. You are up early.”
“Yeah I couldn’t sleep. What are you doing here?” She looked down for a second. It had come out wrong. He owned the place of course, along with Ted and it was none of her business. “I mean, I did not realize you worked here as well. I have never seen you here in the morning.”
Jaxon had this grin on his face that made her breathe a little faster.
He was certainly disconcerting first thing in the morning and he was dressed closer to what Ted usually wore and she had to say, it did not look like the man had gotten soft. He filled out the shirt and jeans quite nicely and she couldn’t keep her eyes off of him.
“I have decided to help out for the next couple of days or maybe a bit longer. See how it goes.”
“Oh, well it will be good to have you around. There is a lot of work to do for sure.” Penny moved to the coffee pot and poured herself a cup before moving back away and putting some space in between them. He had a way of pulling her in with his eyes, much like Ted could.
“I was going to go out for a ride. Would you like to come?” Penny wasn’t sure. She still didn’t really have a horse and she finally used that as an excuse. There were of course many that she could ride, that neede
d the exercise, but he had another idea to persuade her.
“You can just ride with me. It would be quicker and I have Bladdy out anyways.”
How could she refuse? She agreed and drank the rest of the coffee in her cup. He was ready to go and she trailed behind, trying to find a good excuse not to get behind him. The mere idea of being tight up against him was not near as bad as the reality and her body reacted almost immediately to his touch. She felt her nipples get hard and press up against his back. She had to hold onto him and her hips nestled against him. Penny thought she heard a groan and it made her feel a little better. At least it wasn’t just her that was being driven crazy.
Jaxon rode faster than she was used to and she clung to him in fear that she may very well fall off. He was wild and the horse seemed to enjoy the moment to push. Penny was having too much stimulant and she closed her eyes. Her head was pressed against his shoulder and the lack of sight, just made her other senses stronger. Her tits jiggled against his back and she moved slightly to drag the turgid tips against the fabric. He felt too good and his body between her thighs felt even better.
It was too quickly that he was stopping and she realized that they were out in a pasture. The sun was just coming up over the rim and the colors were bright and scattered everywhere. It was a sight to see and she forgot about her need for a moment.
“You going to let go so we can get down?”
Penny pulled away, scooting back to give him some space. She didn’t want to move, but she knew she had to. He was her boss after all. Penny wasn’t supposed to be dreaming about the two of them taking her, but she was. Being next to Jaxon made it even worse and she was a little wobbly as she got off the horse. There was a large flat rock and they both sat down.
A silence came over them and it was rather peaceful. It was a better spot to enjoy the array of colors, but then she felt his eyes on her and she looked over. “You seem to have done this before.”
“I used to come out here every morning, but life got busy and it has been a while.”
“It is a beautiful place to be.”
He looked back in front of him until she did as well. It was a far better view beside him, but he knew he was staring. It was hard to keep his manners around her and he knew if Ted knew he was out there with her, he would not be happy. Jaxon did want her for himself, but he knew that it would have to be a joint effort. He was only trying to get her thinking about it.
“Ted seems quite smitten with you. I hope you are treating my friend well.”
“Smitten? I haven’t heard that word said out loud in a long time.”
“I am a bit older than you. What do you call it nowadays?”
“Hots for someone or in lust.”
“Lust? That seems like such a dirty word though.”
Penny blushed. It seemed to be that was all she did around them and she wished sometimes that her skin was darker to cover it up a bit better. “You’re right. That is inappropriate to say about a boss. I guess smitten sounds a little better.”
“I liked lust. It sums it up so much better, more blunt.” Jaxon moved towards her and she didn’t back up, even though she knew he was going to kiss her. She wanted it more than her next breath and when their lips finally touched, Penny moved closer into his embrace. Her eyes closed to the scene in front of them and she was lost in the moment. She didn’t hear the horse hooves on the ground coming closer, her own heart beating too loudly in her ears.
She did feel the shadow over her and then the change in mood as Jaxon pulled away. Their eyes met for a second and then she became more aware of the man standing over them. Ted looked at her as if she had cheated on him, betrayed him in some way. Jaxon didn’t look so worried, with a grin on his face.
“Good to see you up so early Ted. You were always such a lay about in college.”
“Can I talk to you a minute Jax?”
“Sure.” He turned to Penny and told her he would be right back.
Penny was a similar shade of pink as before and she wiped her mouth, sure that their kiss could somehow be seen. In truth she wanted to get on the horse and ride back to the ranch. Let the two men work it out. She was beyond embarrassed to be caught kissing someone she had met just the night before. If Ted had kissed her like that, she would have long since been his.
They moved away and she couldn’t hear the words, but she could see their body language and it was clear that Ted wasn’t very happy. She waited for a few minutes and they finally walked back. “I need to get to work, so can one of you give me a ride back?”
She wouldn’t have asked if it wasn’t a couple of miles away and there was a look between them. “I will take you back Penny.”
Penny was surprised that Ted had offered. He had stayed away from her and after what he just saw Penny figured he would be upset. When she got up on the horse behind him, she was quickly unsure of which one felt better. They were both muscular and strong, her body molding against the back of him.
The ride was much of the same until her hand slipped a little too low and the side of her palm nudged something hard in his jeans. She heard his hiss and Penny moved her hand away, but there was no denying the surge of fluid that went to her core. He was quite large it appeared and it made her desire him that much more. She remembered to release him when he stopped, but it was Ted that was not ready to get up. She snuggled against the back of him and felt too good to want to move away from. His cock tingled with her hand had touched him. He slid off the back and turned to help her down. With his strong grip on her hips, he lifted her down, her body pressing against his own on her descent.
“I wasn’t expecting you to be with him this morning.”
“He took me by surprise in the kitchen. How long is he here for?”
Ted searched her eyes. He wanted to know why she wanted to know, but he could not bring himself to ask, afraid he wouldn’t like the answer. He wasn’t ready to give her up for Jaxon. “Not long. He is preoccupied for a bit, but will get bored and go back to the city soon enough. Then it will be just me and you again.”
“And the other twenty guys in the bunkhouse.”
“Yeah, them too.”
Ted looked at her like he was going to kiss her and she readied herself for the touch but it never came. She was a little disappointed that he didn’t want a kiss, even though she had locked lips with his partner only a few minutes before. So quickly she could forget one, when the other looked so good in front of her. The two men were going to drive her crazy.
Chapter 5
Penny tried to ignore the throb at her core as she worked, but even the horses could feel her agitation. She took a break and tried to calm herself. The guys were nowhere to be seen and she hoped that she could get through the day. Her mind went to her order and she really hoped it was there when she got back. She needed just five minutes in a hot shower with her toy and Penny was convinced she would be able to deal around them. With Jaxon there, it was just more temptation that she didn’t need.
“Penny?”
She turned around and Jaxon was walking up. His eyes roamed over her like before and she looked down, unable to keep his gaze. Shielding her eyes like she couldn’t see, she waited for him to speak. “I was wondering if you wanted to come to dinner with us? Get off the ranch for a while and see the local area.”
“Oh, well I was thinking of going to the bar.”
“Come on. I insist.”
She bit her lip and wanted to say yes. “Just you?”
“No me and Ted. I promise I will be good.”
Oh, she betted he would be. The problem was that she was hoping to find a friend with benefits while she was out, so that she could function around them. “What time were you thinking?”
“Around seven.”
“I don’t really have anything to wear. All I have is work clothes. Didn’t think I would be getting out much.”
“Whatever you wear will be fine.”
She nodded her head and started to turn back to th
e horse in the corral. “I am sorry about this morning. I hope I didn’t offend you or anything. Ted reminded me that I am not supposed to do that with employees. We have just never had that issue before.”
“No big deal. It was just a kiss.”
Penny turned back and climbed over the fence to the corral. She needed to give herself some space and she didn’t look back. Eventually he left, watching her for a time court the horse in front of her. Penny was turning out to be more than they had both anticipated, but he hoped for more. Ted did as well, even if he was less inclined to say so.
***
Ted was going through the mail and he came across several boxes. Thinking that they were from the vet, he opened the first couple and pulled out the vials of medicine. It was the smaller third box that he popped open that had him sitting still in his chair. He pushed the flap back on the box and realized that he had opened someone else’s mail. He was used to the workers getting their packages sent to the bunkhouse. He had forgotten that he had one staying with him.
He couldn’t help but take the smaller box out and look at the pictures. It was immediately clear what it was and the sound of her moaning flashed into his head. His hand shook as he opened the box, pulling out the small contraption that she seemed anxious to get. Ted remembered her asking if she had any packages. Looking over the rest, there were several more, but he didn’t dare open them.
A sound came on in the upstairs and he got up to ascend the stairs. He figured he would hand deliver the one he had opened. With the shower turning on, it was not hard to think of who it was using it. His cock stood at attention and he waited outside the door, his hand poised to turn the knob. She was already in the shower and by the sound of things, was in need of what he held in his hand. Penny moaned a bit louder, thinking the water was covering up her sweet sounds. They only managed to pull Ted in like the songs of a siren. The crystal glass distorted her figure but left little to the imagination.
Her curves were even more pronounced without her clothing and his eyes took in the blurred form. He needed to see it without the impediment and he moved forward towards the shower. Ted was no longer sure what he was doing, crossing a line as he entered the steaming room. The mirror was making his reflection as blurred as hers and he stopped, his mind taking back over. What was he doing?