by Claire Adams
“Well, I bet your family is glad to have you home now.”
“I’m not so sure about that. They are having financial troubles with the ranch and the more I try to help, the more he pulls away. My father doesn’t want to show me his books or let me really help him. He just wants to do it all himself.”
“I would think with your background you probably have some great ideas for how to make the ranch more financially successful.”
“You’re just trying to butter me up because you’re stuck with me all night,” she teased.
I wasn’t just trying to butter her up. It was clear that she had a vision for the ranch that was bigger than what was going on at the moment. With her background in business and marketing, I would have hired her in a second to help me with my firm. Her father could certainly use her skills with his ranch as well.
“I think my father still sees me as a little girl. Every now and then, I see a look in his eyes that shows me he understands I’m all grown up, but most of the time I feel like he sees me as a teenager. One who is all about flirting with the boys and not at all interested in farming or ranching.”
“Well, you certainly aren’t a little girl,” I said.
My eyes scanned over her body and lingered on all the parts that proved she was very much an adult. The curve of her hips, her perky breasts and pouty lips—all had my body wanting her. Craving the thoughts of her that came at night and enjoying the ones I was having at that very moment it was distracting to me to even allow my thoughts to linger on her.
I couldn’t help but think of what it would be like to lay on our stretched out blanket and make love atop that mountain. Certainly there was no one for miles and miles, her father would never know; no one would have to know. But I stayed in my spot and let the thought move past me as I refocused on our conversation.
“Stop doing that,” she said with a smile.
“Doing what?”
“Looking at me like that.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I lied.
“Garrett, you’re looking at me like you’re undressing me with your eyes,” Sarah said as her face blushed.
“I was?”
I couldn’t help but smile as her face continued to flush and she looked away. Sarah was a beautiful woman and I wasn’t ashamed at all to have her know that I wanted her. There was a delicate tightrope I was walking though. Her father was the only reason I was at the ranch; if Sid wanted to kick me out at any moment, he had the authority to do it. I would likely be sent up to Alaska to wait out the rest of my time until the trial, and that idea sounded horrible to me.
“Well, stop it. And we better get going before the sun sets. I need to get those photos.”
She quickly changed the subject and we both got back on the horses to head down the other side of the mountain. I had thought it would be easier going down the mountain, but it was much scarier for me than going up had been. I didn’t feel in control of the horse at all and panic started to set in.
I had to maintain control over Buckjoy and slow him down constantly. His wild side kept wanted to run as fast as he could down the mountain, and that surely would have ended badly for me. Forest had reminded me to go slow, but even when I tried to pull the horse to get him to slow down, Buckjoy didn’t want to listen.
It was funny to me how much I identified with Buckjoy. He was a horse, logically I knew that, yet I felt like I was him. I felt like a wild stallion that was cooped up at the Miller ranch and just waiting for my time to run free. I couldn’t blame him and I even wanted to let him run a little bit just to get it out of his system.
As a CEO, I hardly ever had to actually stay in one place for very long. I had the freedom to travel where I wanted to and do what I wanted with my day. I actually probably worked over 80 hours a week, but I did it from the comfort of luxurious locations, airplanes, and even sitting in my bed. My old life wasn’t perfect, but it was my life and I missed it.
The months I had spent at the Miller ranch had already made me appreciate what I had before. I was more grateful than ever for the successes in my life. But my time had also made me realize how much I despised myself for risking everything to get involved with a dangerous man like Frank Gordano. I knew he was dangerous. I knew I was putting my business at risk; yet I did it anyways. I felt like I was unstoppable and I was pretty damn lucky that the FBI decided they could use my information instead of charging me with the crimes that I also had committed. I could have easily been in jail instead of riding a wild horse down a mountain with a beautiful woman by my side.
“Hold the reins tighter or he’s going to start running,” Sarah yelled at me as Buckjoy moved ahead of her on the trail.
“I’m trying; he’s just not that interested in listening to me right now.”
I started to become afraid as Buckjoy moved faster and faster down the trail. He was in his own world now and my hold on him didn’t seem to control him like it did when we were on the flat ground. My heart was beating a million miles a minute and I knew with any wrong move, both Buckjoy and I would go tumbling down the side of the mountain. The ride was no longer just about fun; I felt like my life was actually in danger.
“You’re in charge Garrett. Don’t let him be in charge.”
Sarah’s words and the words of her father from a few weeks earlier were both in my head as I sat up straight and took a deep breath. I pressed my legs into the horse and pulled the reins back firmly to signal that he needed to slow down. I didn’t let up, I continued to grip his body with my legs and hold the reins firmly to show that we needed to go the pace that I set for him. Soon Buckjoy slowed to a gallop and then to a walk. Relief ran through my body and my hands started to shake from the adrenaline that had been rushing through me.
I tried to hide my shaking hands from Sarah as she caught up to me, but I knew she saw them. Our eyes met and she nodded her head in agreement that things were better. I certainly would have wished that I could handle such an event without even the slightest bit of fear on my face, but I couldn’t. I had genuinely been scared for my life.
“That was scary,” I said.
“Yes it was. But he’s listening to you now. Stay in control and we’ll be to the river shortly. See it over there?” she pointed to what looked like miles and miles away.
“Oh, God,” I moaned.
“You’re going to sleep good tonight,” she teased me.
“I sleep better here than I ever have my entire life. There’s something to be said for working your body to exhaustion. It has no other choice but to sleep.”
“I know. Isn’t it funny? I think it also has something to do with being outside all day. Our bodies were meant to work with the sun and the second the sun goes down, all I want to do is sleep. Yet, back in the city, I would stay up until one or two in the morning almost every single night.”
“Yeah, me too. I would work all day and then feel exhausted, but the second I got home I couldn’t sleep.”
“Well you also didn’t need to get up at four o’clock for breakfast,” she laughed.
It was true. Back home, I hardly ever ate real breakfast and when I did I had the luxury of eating it whenever I felt like it. I couldn’t remember a time where I had ever woken up before five o’clock in the morning and even on those days it was because I had a plane to catch.
We continued down the mountain and I breathed a huge sigh of relief when we finally got to the flat land at the bottom. Sarah stayed in front of me through the second half of the downward trail. She was probably afraid I was going to lose control of the horse again, but then again, so was I.
In my normal life, I was one hundred percent the alpha male in every situation, but on the ranch I certainly wasn’t able to have that position. Sid Miller, Forest, and even Sarah held more clout on the ranch than I did. They knew more about running the business, caring for the animals, and surviving in that environment. It was humbling to have a new perspective and I was enjoying letting others take t
he control for a little bit; even if I felt cooped up sometimes.
Sarah rode ahead of me and my eyes were glued onto her ass. The gallop of the horse had her round ass moving up and down in a rhythmic motion and my body throbbed just thinking about what she would look like naked. For a brief moment, I closed my eyes and thought about the touch of her naked ass against my hands and how delightful it would feel. I remembered the gentle touch of her lips against mine, and how much I had wanted to continue that moment once I knew what she tasted like.
When we finally arrived at the river, it was nearly time for the sun to set. We quickly secured the horses and Sarah got started on taking photos. She looked like she was in her natural element as she analyzed each angle and took several photos. When she moved near to the river, I paid close attention because she was walking out on some rocks that seemed very slipper to me. I moved close to her and stood next to the river as I waited to help her back to the shore when she was done with her photos.
“Careful,” I said, almost under my breath as I walked over to where she was standing.
“I just need one with the water and the sun set. I’ve got to get just the right angle.”
Just as she said that, Sarah’s foot slipped and she started to fall. I quickly jumped into the water and grabbed her before she went all the way in. Only one foot of hers was wet, but I was soaked all the way up to my waist.
“Well, that wasn’t a smart move,” she joked as I held her up on the rock and she looked down at me halfway in the water.
I helped her to the side of the river and she held her hand out for me as I climbed out of the water. It was cold and I started to shiver almost instantly when the cool air hit my skin.
“Some would say it was a brilliant move. I saved you from getting wet and looked like a total hero doing it,” I joked.
“But now you’re soaking wet and it’s going to get cold tonight. We better get a fire going and get you out of those clothes.”
“The words I’ve been waiting to hear for months,” I joked. “Yes, let’s get me out of these clothes. Perhaps you should get out of yours also, you know, just to make me feel better.”
Although I was very much joking, I had fantasized about Sarah wanting me. I had fantasized so much about her that I thought she could read my thoughts when I looked at her. Some mornings I would even avoid eye contact with her all together because I was sure she would see the dirty thoughts that were going through my mind.
“You’re still sleeping in your own tent. I don’t care how many times you save me.”
“You’re such a stickler for the rules.”
“Can you start a fire?” Sarah asked as we both finally made it to dry land.
She wasn’t asking me to actually start the fire, but simply wondering if I had the skills necessary to start a fire. Oh how I wished I could have surprised her and told her I knew exactly how to get a fire going from the middle of nowhere without a lighter. In that moment I wanted those backwoods skills that would have totally impressed her, but alas, I didn’t have such skills.
“Nope.”
“Not surprising, for a city guy like you. Let me teach you.”
It was getting tiring having Sarah always have to show me how to do things, but I was in her world and that was just how it was going to have to be. If she was ever to fly in one of my private jets, I’d be glad to show her how to fly one. I laughed under my breath at the thought. I was never going to be able to show Sarah my jets, I wouldn’t even be able to tell her who I really was. As soon as the trial came, I would go back to my world and never see Sarah, Sid or my friends at the ranch ever again. It was the sad truth of my situation.
“Sorry, I’m not really the best ranch hand in the world, am I?” I laughed.
“You know what, I don’t think knowing how to do everything makes someone good at working on the ranch. I think being willing to let others show you and humble enough to know when you need to learn is much more important,” her warm smile had my full attention but then she gently put her hand on my arm and my body also stood at attention for her.
My blood pumped quickly to my throbbing member and I swiftly moved my arms to cover the evidence that I was aroused. Simply sitting and watching Sarah start a fire had my body throbbing. Well, actually it had likely been the look in her eyes and the touch of her hand, but I knew I couldn’t control how much she excited me. Or maybe it was that I hadn’t had sex in over three months. My body longed to feel the explosion of pleasure that a woman could bring.
Sarah quickly had the fire going and then stood there looking at me. I looked back at her, wondering what it was she was waiting for. Did she see the excitement in my pants? Was she waiting for me to comment on why I was so damn excited by her?
“Your pants,” she said firmly as she held out her hand. “We need to dry them.”
Oh, shit.
The thick fabric of my jeans was the only thing preventing my pulsing member from springing to attention and showing Sarah just how much I longed for her. I couldn’t exactly take them off and just stand there in my wet boxers; it would expose me too much.
“I’ll set up the tents and then you can have them,” I offered.
“No, just hand them to me now. They will need time to dry and it would be better for us to get that started right away.”
Panic rushed through me at the thought of being exposed, being vulnerable. I looked at Sarah and then at her hand that was outstretched. She was so firm in her request. In the outside world I would have simply said no and went about setting up the tents. But then again, in the outside world I wouldn’t have been jumping into a river and getting my pants wet in the first place. In the outside world, I wouldn’t have a hard on simply from a woman touching my hand. Nothing about my old life applied to that moment and I had to think of some other solution to avoid the embarrassment that was quickly becoming a reality.
“How about I just set my tent up real quick?” I said as I grabbed the tent from the pile of our things and walked toward where I wanted to put it up.
Sarah grabbed the tent from my hand and threw it onto the ground. She pulled me close to her and looked me in the eyes as her hands started to unbutton my jeans. I didn’t know what she was doing, but I knew I had to stay right there and see where this was leading.
“I said to give me your wet pants,” she said with a grin.
Chapter 8
Sarah
His body was hard, I could tell as my hands started to unzip his pants. That was why he had been trying to avoid handing his wet jeans over to me. It was flattering, and I desperately wanted to let my hand run up and down his body. But I restrained myself. I still didn’t know enough about Garrett to be throwing myself at him, but in order to learn more, I was perfectly fine with teasing him a little bit.
My hands purposely moved slow as I looked him in the eyes. It was more fun than I had ever had teasing a man. Garrett seemed shocked that I was standing there and even more shocked that my hands were pulling at the button and zipper to his pants.
My normal demeanor around men didn’t let me flirt like I was at that moment. I had to pretend like I was full of confidence while I held his gaze and refused to look away. He was the one who had started this whole flirting thing and I wasn’t going to let him win our little battle of flirting.
“I should put the tent up,” Garrett said quietly.
I knew he didn’t believe what he was saying any more than I did. Plus, it was too late for him to be modest. I had his manhood only inches away from my fingers. He had been all masculine and in control when he wanted to kiss me, but now that I was standing there seemingly ready and waiting for him, Garrett was getting cold feet.
“I’m a big girl, I can handle what’s going on here,” I said as I pressed his pants down.
He reached around back and helped and soon his pants were on the ground. Slowly I leaned over to grab them, knowing very well that my mouth would be so close to his throbbing body that all he would be abl
e to think about was what I would feel like wrapped around him. The moment was sensual as I looked up at him from my bent over position and he let out a barely audible grunt at the sight of me.
“Sorry,” he said as I grabbed his pants and let my eyes gaze on his boxers.
Garrett was definitely excited to be there with me. But it surprised me that he was so worked up after jumping in the water. That didn’t really seem like a sexy thing for him to be doing. I didn’t care though. I liked that Garrett was turned on by me. It was exhilarating to know that there were still good-looking men in the world that could find a strong woman attractive.
In New York, there were two types of women; strong, business-minded women and waitresses who wanted to make it on Broadway. Of course, there were other types somewhere in the middle, but I could have sworn every bar my girlfriends and I went to was filled with the flirty bombshells. I didn’t have a thing against the flirty women, I just hated that all the strong men gravitated toward them. It was like they were afraid of strong women. It was fun to try and be that sexy flirty type of woman, even if it was only for a few moments.
“I’m going to set these here to dry, now you can set the tent up if you’d like,” I teased him.
“Oh, now that you have me half naked, you want to put me to work?”
“Yep.”
Garrett laughed and seemed to go with the flow rather easily. I gave him some space while he put his tent up and I put my own up. I tried not to look at him, but I couldn’t help but take a few quick glances at the rock-hard member he was sporting in his boxers. Garrett certainly was swinging with a big boy bat.
“Let me at least save my manhood by making the dinner,” Garrett offered.
“Oh, I didn’t know your manhood was lost.”
“I think it’s somewhere up on that mountain,” he laughed.
“Buckjoy and you did great. I bet even my father would be proud of you for making that ride happen without falling off the trail. It’s harder going down than going up, that’s for sure. And yes, you can make dinner. My mother packed a cooler with plenty of food; have a go at it and see what you’d like to cook.”