by Maisey Yates
Kelsey resisted the urge to elbow her sister. “You don’t have to, Cole.”
“He probably wants to, though,” Kailey said.
Cole stood again. “Suddenly, I want a beer.”
“They’re out back in the yard watching the kids run around,” Jacie supplied as Cole turned and abandoned Kelsey with the barracuda. She suddenly wished her mom would come back in—a panicked response if ever there was one.
“So, what’s the deal?” Jacie asked, leaning in.
“Spill it. Where’d the sexy cowboy come from?” Alesha asked.
“And what are you doing with him?” This question from Tara. “And please, if it’s good, give details so I can live vicariously through you.”
Kelsey almost choked. “Excuse me? You’re married.”
“Yeah. I know. And things are very missionary position, so I want to hear about your wild singleton sex with Buffalo Bill.”
Kelsey put her head in her hands, then popped back up. “Listen to yourselves. Bored, horny housewives. You’re like the live contents of a spam email.”
That brought snickers from Jacie, Tara and Alesha, and a scowl from Kailey.
“You’re still pretty newly married, Kailey,” Alesha said, patting her hand. “Give it time.”
“Nice. Well, now that you’ve ensured I’ll never be able to look my brothers-in-law in the eye ever again, maybe we can move on—”
“To headboard-rattling nooky stories?” Jacie asked.
“It’s not like that.” She was treated to blank stares. “Fine, it’s totally like that. But also we’re getting married.” The collective scream was deafening.
“Holy frack, Kelsey, I didn’t think you would ever get married,” Tara said.
“What? Why? I . . . shower every day. I’m not repellent.”
Tara let out a long breath. “Not because there’s something wrong with you. Because you didn’t seem interested. Not for a long time.”
“Well, I wasn’t. But then I met Cole.” Fudge that truth. “And I’m going to marry him.”
“Head over heels?” Jacie asked.
“And a little pregnant.”
The second scream was louder than the first.
Tara shook her head. “Do not marry him just because you’re pregnant. You have no idea how permanent marriage is. They are . . . there, at your house. All the time. Squeezing the toothpaste tube in the middle and leaving the toilet seat up. Nope. Don’t get married because of that.”
“I won’t. I’m not.” That felt true, and it surprised her.
“I suppose there’s the headboard-rattling,” Alesha said, her tone slightly wistful.
“Yes. There is,” she said, feeling a little smug now. “He’s great. And hot.”
“Where’s your ring?” Kailey asked.
“At his ranch. He . . . wanted to talk to Dad first.”
Jacie stretched her hand across the table and put it over the top of Kelsey’s. “Is this what you want though? I mean . . . are you happy?”
“I’m getting married. Isn’t that the important thing? Isn’t that what everyone wants me to do?”
All four of them shook their heads. Jacie frowned. “No, what we want is for you to be happy.”
“Oh.” Kelsey looked down at where her sister’s hand covered hers. And for the first time, she really felt like it was true. Like they weren’t just judging her, or thinking she should do what they did. Like maybe she’d been the one who made herself feel that way.
“We’re proud of you, Kelsey,” Tara said. “You’re . . . brave. You moved away and you went to school and you have this crazy-awesome job. And the best shoes. You’re my older sister. I’ve always looked up to you.”
A thick sheet of tears welled up in her eyes, and she blinked. Wow, pregnancy was making her sappy. “Well . . . I’ve always been proud of you. All of you. I’ve always envied you a little too.”
“Join the club,” Jacie said. “I think we’ve all envied you at some point in time.”
“Me? Why?”
Alesha shrugged one shoulder. “You’ve always been free to do what you want. To be who you want.”
“And you aren’t?”
Alesha shook her head. “I’m happy. I never regret what I chose to do. But sometimes I envy how easy you make it look.”
“How easy I make what look? Everything in my life is an overcomplicated nightmare.”
“You just make it look like being you is the easiest thing. Like you’re never trying to please anyone but yourself. I’ve never been able to do that,” Alesha said. “I’ve always been too afraid of the Wrath of Mom.”
Kelsey snorted. “Well, I’ve never felt free. I’ve always felt like a ball of neuroses.”
Jacie smiled. “You never looked like one.”
Kelsey felt her chest expand. “Thank you.”
“Congratulations, Kelsey,” Kailey said.
“Now I almost forgive you guys for all the hideous bridesmaid dresses you all made me wear. Almost.”
***
The next morning, Kelsey woke up in a cold bed. It was strange how quickly she’d gotten used to sharing with Cole, but she supposed that was a good thing. They were going to be sharing forever.
Now that was a delicious thought. A lifetime between the sheets with Cole, having the best sex ever. Yeah, she could deal with that.
A little smile curved her lips, and she walked out of the kitchen and into the yard, inhaling the crisp, damp air, her eyes on the familiar horizon line.
She felt at home suddenly in a way she’d never felt there before. Not that she wanted to pack up and move back, but it was a nice difference from wanting to climb out of her skin every time she came over.
She zipped up her jacket and stuffed her hands in her pockets, wandering across the yard, the wet grass hitting her jeans and sending water drops flying.
“’Morning.”
She turned and saw Cole walking toward her.
“Where have you been?”
“The long morning walk was supposed to help the cold shower.”
She laughed. “You did not take a cold shower.”
“I did. I had to. It was either that or invade your room at five this morning.”
Her heart rate went up. “I’m not a morning person, so I doubt that would have helped.”
“I missed you last night. That was my thoroughly male way of saying that.”
She stopped walking. “You missed me?”
He shrugged. “Yes.”
He meant the sex. Which was great. And flattering. Because it was nice to be missed in any capacity. Also, she’d missed him too. His body mostly. But also him.
“Good to know. We only have one more night here.”
“I may die.”
“For a man who went—what . . . four, five years without sex?—you don’t seem to be handling a couple nights of celibacy very well.”
She started walking again, headed toward the old white barn that had seen some way better days.
“I blame you,” he said.
“Really?”
“I didn’t know what I was missing. Actually, I wasn’t missing anything. Until you.”
“That’s just a little too smooth, Cole. It concerns me.”
“You don’t want smooth?”
She walked through the open door and into the dark barn. There was hay, damp and musky on the floor, cushioning their footsteps as they made their way inside.
“We used to have a couple of horses in here. But not anymore,” she said. “Not like Elk Haven at all.”
“What does your dad do?”
“He’s a mechanic. For farm equipment, so it’s kind of specialty. Nothing that ever interested me. I was never very interested in any of this.”
“And you’re willing to come and live in Silver Creek with me?”
“It’s a better place to raise a child,” she said, gripping a rung of the ladder that went up to the hayloft.
“Your house seems like a nice en
ough place to raise a child.”
“It is nice. But . . . Silver Creek is growing on me. So are you.”
“I would hope you liked me at least a little bit at this point,” he said, his lips curving up into a lopsided smile. He was so handsome. She wasn’t sure she would ever get used to that. Or to how he looked at her. Like she was the most fascinating thing he’d ever seen. No one had ever looked at her that way before. And she hadn’t realized how much she wanted someone to.
“You know I do.”
He made his way over to her and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Really?”
“Really.”
He looked up. “Did you ever get into any trouble in here?”
“Trouble?”
“Yeah. Sex.”
She laughed. “Nooo. That was reserved for backseats. I have class, you know.”
“Clearly.” A wicked smile curved his lips. “It’s very quiet back here. And I bet no one notices we’re missing yet.”
She shook her head. “Cole, no way.”
He leaned in and kissed her neck, angling his head, nipping her ear. “We won’t get caught.”
The words sent a little thrill through her. “We might.”
“It’s worth the risk.”
Heat pooled in her stomach, her internal muscles clenching tight. “We can wait until tomorrow.”
“Can we?” He took her hand in his and put it flat on his stomach.
She bit her lip and moved it down to his belt buckle—down further to the hard ridge of his erection, pushing against the front of his jeans. Then she ran her palm over his length, her breath hissing between her teeth.
“Nope. No, I can’t wait.” The words left her mouth in a rush, and as soon as she’d spoken them, he captured her lips, wrapping his arms tightly around her, pulling her against him.
When he pulled away, they were both breathing hard. “Good. I don’t want to wait.”
“Back there,” she said, tilting her head toward a shadow that fell across the back wall of the barn.
He took her lips with his again and walked her backward. She clung to him, kissing his mouth, the hard line of his jaw, his neck, until her back came into contact with the smooth wooden wall.
He pushed his hands under her top, his fingertips teasing her nipples through the thin fabric of her bra.
“Oh yes,” She put her hands on his belt and opened the buckle quickly, tugging at the button and fly on his jeans until she had them loose around his slim hips. Then she pushed the tight fabric of his underwear down over his erection. She squeezed him, loving the feel of his heat and hardness, all for her, in the palm of her hand.
He unsnapped her jeans and shrugged them down to her hips.
She leaned back and tried to lift her leg to bring him in closer, but the denim restricted her movements. “How do we do this?” she asked.
He looked around for a second, the expression in his eyes hard, purposeful. Sexy. “Like this. Turn around.”
She obeyed him, her heart hammering, her body on fire.
“Hang on.”
She bent down slightly, taking hold of the beam that ran across the barn wall. “Like this?” she asked, her voice breathless, her stomach tight.
“Just like that.” He moved his hands over her curves, from her breasts, down her waist, gripping her hips and pulling her tight against him.
She felt the blunt head of his shaft against her slick entrance. She tightened her hold on the beam and arched back. He pushed inside her, and she felt something shift into place inside of her chest. He was hot behind her, in her. She felt surrounded by him.
His hands were strong on her hips as he thrust into her. He slid his hand around and cupped her, moving his thumb over her clit in time with his movements.
She turned her head, and he leaned forward and kissed her, deep and hard. She leaned back against him, one hand still on the beam, the other on his cheek. His movements intensified, and pulsing waves of pleasure started moving through her.
Each thrust, each movement of his thumb, sent a streak of heat through her.
“Yes,” she said, louder than she intended. But she didn’t care. She didn’t care at all. Because nothing else mattered but this. Nothing mattered more than what she was feeling, than what Cole was making her feel. “Oh, yes, Cole.”
He thrust into her one last time and her orgasm crashed over her. A low moan escaped her lips, echoing in the otherwise silent barn. And she didn’t care.
He groaned and stilled against her, finding his own release, his fingertips digging into her hips.
Her thighs were shaking and she put both hands back on the beam, bracing herself, trying to catch her breath. And she realized how ridiculous she must look. With her jeans pulled halfway down her butt and her legs about to give out.
And she didn’t care. Not even a little bit. Because she felt more like herself than she’d ever felt in her life. It hadn’t been about putting on a facade, or protecting herself, or trying to be different or contrary to what her family thought of her. Or trying to be perfect for them.
It had been about pleasing herself. About feeling. About grabbing what she wanted and running with it. And it felt good. Better than good.
“Damn,” Cole said, the curse sounding nearly reverent.
She laughed and pushed her hair off of her face, trying to stand up without melting. “That good?”
“That good.”
She tugged her jeans back into place and cast a wary glance at the open barn door. “I can’t believe we did that.”
He was adjusting his own clothes, his expression unconcerned. “I don’t have a whole lot of control with you.”
“I like that,” she said. “I don’t think I’ve ever made anyone lose control before.”
“Well, you’ve got me losing it on a regular basis.”
She inhaled sharply, words hovering on her lips. Words she could hardly think, let alone say.
That’s what I love about you.
Thankfully, she didn’t say them. But just thinking them made her heart stop cold in her chest. The thought seemed so natural. The feeling almost seemed natural. Standing in the barn, her heart still beating fast from the best sex of her life, feeling like she’d pushed free of prison bars, like she’d found a new piece of herself she hadn’t known about—it seemed as natural as breathing.
To love Cole. To admit she loved him.
But she knew if she spoke it out loud, he’d turn and run. She didn’t know why she knew it; only that she did. It was as inexplicable as the feeling itself.
“Cole . . . I . . . I’m glad that we’re doing this. Well, not”—she gestured around them—“not this. Although I liked this. A lot. But I mean, you and me. I’m glad we’re giving it a chance. Glad we’re getting married.”
“Nice to know I didn’t scare you off with . . . that. The proposal. Such as it was. Not my smoothest moment.”
“I would rather have real than smooth. Every time.”
“I’m not going to do what your ex did. I’m not going to do what my dad did. I’m not going to cheat.”
“I know. I actually really believe that. Anyway, the ex was not smooth. The ex was a dumbass who forgot my schedule and let his bimbo come over and get naked about the time I got home from work. This was back when I worked in real clothes and not in my pajamas.”
“Yeah, your ex was a dumbass.”
“So, I’m not afraid of smooth; it’s just that . . . I don’t need it. I like this.” She moved toward him on impulse and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head against his chest. Just a hug. A chance to be close to him again.
He put one arm around her, rested his chin on her hair. “I’m glad.”
Cole felt like his heart was going to claw its way out of him. He was on fire. From making love to Kelsey, from the need that was still coursing through him. As if he hadn’t just had the most mind-blowing orgasm in history a few minutes earlier.
And now she was hugging him. Her
touch so sweet, so much more than lust. It scared him.
She inhaled deeply, her fingers curling around his shirt. Then she released him, stepping back and looking at him like no one ever had before. Like he was the best thing she’d ever seen. Like he was Christmas morning or something.
Something in his chest expanded, his heart stalling for a beat as a huge emotion started to fill him. He took a sharp breath, pushed it away.
“We should go back,” she said. “My mom probably made breakfast.”
“What is the deal with your mom’s cooking?” he asked, glad for a subject change.
“Oh. I don’t know. She’s terrible. I think hers and my dad’s taste buds must have died thirty-five years ago or so, because they don’t seem to notice.”
“You don’t cook like her, do you?”
“No way. I don’t cook at all.”
He laughed, trying to ease the constricted feeling that was binding his insides tight, and followed her out of the barn. Soon they would be back in Silver Creek. And things would get back to normal.
Whatever that was.
***
Cole breathed a sigh of relief when they walked into the house at Elk Haven Stables. Now he could get the ring and put it on Kelsey’s finger. Now she could sleep in his room, in his bed, all night. Forever.
Now he could get back to feeling like he had some form of control in the situation. Limited though it may be, since Kelsey was one hell of a variable.
“I have no rules about us keeping to separate beds,” he said, turning to face Kelsey when she walked into the living room.
“I appreciate that. And I’m looking forward to sharing.”
“You’re agreeing with me too much. I’m starting to get concerned you’re sick.”
She laughed. “Maybe I am.”
Cade came wandering in from the kitchen, his timing completely imperfect, as always. “You made it back without Kelsey killing you. I was afraid you might mysteriously disappear.”
“Sorry, Cade, I couldn’t do it,” she said. “I’ll return the money later.”
“Nice,” Cade said. “Everything good at your house? And with your parents?”
“House is still standing. Parents still are who they are. But it wasn’t as bad as I thought. Well, exhibit A is that Cole didn’t hobble in here.”