Sweet-Loving Cowboy--A Kinky Spurs Novel

by Stacey Kennedy

  “What?”

  “This pup right here.” He gestured at Houdini in his lap.

  She shook her head firmly. “Nice try. I already said no to taking him. You should keep him. He’d be good for you. Shake things up a bit.” She stroked Houdini’s head then grinned. “Besides, I think I’m long overdue for a grandchild.”

  When her shoulders shook with her silent laugher as she walked away from him, Chase called, “You do realize he’s a dog, not a baby?”

  “He’s close enough.”

  * * *

  The clock on Harper’s dashboard read 4:02 when she parked her car behind Chase’s truck at the ranch. She’d spent the better part of the day packing and continuing to clean out her bedroom. Now she grabbed the plastic bag off the passenger seat and stepped out into the warm afternoon. The sun would set behind the mountain peaks within the next couple hours, and the fresh air filled her nostrils. She took in as much of it as she could, staring out at the horses grazing the field off in the distance. Intent on squeezing in as much time with Chase as possible before heading off to work, she strode forward, noting Shep’s truck parked near the farmhouse. Up ahead, she squinted, discovering Nash standing in the doorway of the third cabin to the right.

  She could only assume Chase’s brothers were there for the same reason she was. Chase’s text: The inspector found some problems. Eat without me tonight. I sent the team home for dinner but I’m going to keep working. We’ve got a late night ahead of us.

  I’m sorry, she had texted back.

  Though those two words that most times seemed like enough did not feel so now. Chase was not the type of man to want a fuss over him, but sometimes everyone needed to be reminded they weren’t alone.

  She drew closer to the cabin, overhearing Shep saying, “Cut yourself a break, Chase. I imagine these little things happen to everyone.”

  A pause. Then Chase grumbled, “The last thing I fucking need is word getting around that my work is shoddy.”

  “Please. Your work is solid,” Nash retorted. “Anyone who comes here will see that.”

  Warmth touched her soul, bringing her smile. The Blackshaw men were these tough, manly men. Yet when it came to family, they had the biggest hearts. They weren’t necessarily emotional, but she had seen how protective they were over each other. Nothing, and no one, came between them.

  She liked that about them. Brody’s way was so in-your-face. The Blackshaws were subtler, and yet that seemed even more effective when the time came, proving the strength of the family.

  When she reached the door, she knocked on the wooden log. Nash stepped out of the way, and three sets of eyes all turned to her. “Am I interrupting?” she asked with a smile.

  “Of course not.” Chase immediately came to her, taking her hand and leading her inside the cabin. He dropped a soft kiss to her mouth, as if he had done just that a thousand times before now.

  Her heart skipped at his bold statement, and she melted into that confidence, feeling like with him, she mattered. When he leaned away, both Shep and Nash gave her a small smile, indicating that Chase had already told them of their arrangement and showing their approval.

  Before she could think more on that, Houdini began barking at her feet, rubbing his furry body against her bare leg, then he chewed on her flip-flop. “Look at how much he’s perking up.” She picked him up and kissed his nose. “I missed you too.”

  From his spot leaning against the wall, arms folded, Shep stated, “It’s pretty clear who he loves.”

  “It’s not just me. He loves everyone this much.” She handed Houdini to Shep, and the puppy licked his nose. “See?”

  Shep lifted Houdini up to his eye level and smiled. “Sly dog, making everyone fall in love with you.”

  Harper watched the exchange. Houdini would be so lucky to join this family. Not that she didn’t love Brody and the life they had, but sometimes she had envied the closeness the Blackshaws shared. That’s what she missed about having her parents. Sunday night dinners. Apple pies cooling on the windowsills. Someone there taking care of you when you’re sick. The things parents did for their children. It really was a shame that Chase didn’t have time for Houdini. “He’s looking for a home, you know,” she told Shep.

  He shook his head, quickly handing the pup back to her. “You know that Emma would take him in a second, but with the guest ranch opening, and with my company as well, we don’t have the time for a puppy.”

  Harper glanced hopefully at Nash, and he snorted. “I have Gus. Need I say more?”

  Harper chuckled, totally understanding. Gus was so full of energy and spirit. Maybe that was why he was such a good fit for Nash. He got a taste of his own medicine. She placed Houdini back down, noticing tools were spread out on the floor. From what she could tell, Chase seemed to be adjusting the fire alarm on the wall. “Are the fire alarms the issue the inspector found?” she asked Chase.

  He nodded. “There’s more on the list, but yes, five of the cabins’ fire alarms are off by a centimeter, some a little less than that.”

  “Seriously?” Harper drawled. “The guy is making you change all these for a centimeter?”

  Nash interjected with a firm nod. “It’s ridiculous. He’s being a picky prick.”

  Chase frowned, running a hand through his messy hair. “The city has these rules for a reason. He’s doing his job.”

  Harper wasn’t sure she agreed. “Who is he?” she asked.

  “Never met the guy before,” Chase explained, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Doesn’t really matter. It’s up to him if my work meets building code requirements, so if a centimeter is a big deal to him, then that’s all that matters.”

  Shep nodded. “Let’s get it right and get him gone.”

  Harper glanced back at the hole where the fire alarm had been. Chase appeared to be building a new base for the alarm. When she turned back to Chase, she noted the dark circles beneath his eyes. “How much more do you have to do tonight?”

  Chase ran his hand over his trimmed beard. “I’ve sent the team home for dinner with their families but they’re coming back in a couple hours. We should get through the list before sunrise.”

  “Maybe you need to rethink your team,” Nash offered.

  Chase paused then shook his head. “The team is good. Strong. Some of these fire alarms just needed a tap of the hammer to get them in the right spot. This one”—he gestured to the fire alarm—”needed a little more adjustments to stay in place.”

  Again, Harper took in Chase’s tired eyes. “That sounds tedious and annoying.”

  Chase nodded. “It is.”

  Silence settled in, and seeing how stressed Chase appeared and the matching concern on Shep and Nash’s face, Harper figured her reasoning for coming here was more important than ever. “So, I thought since you were working late, we could squeeze in a quick dinner.” She held up the plastic bag in her hand. “Roast beef sandwiches with herb salad, mustard, and parmesan.”

  “Damn,” Nash muttered. “My mouth is watering.”

  “So is mine.” Chase reached for her, tugging her in close, and dropped another soft kiss on her lips, telling her he wasn’t talking about the food.

  The move was so Chase, bold and sweet all at the same time. She was left a little winded, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks.

  “Did you happen to bring any extra?” Nash asked with an eager smile.

  She cringed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were here.”

  Nash glared at Chase. “You’re a lucky bastard.”

  Shep laughed then squeezed Nash’s shoulder. “Come on, I’ll drive you home. I’m sure Emma’s wondering where I am.” To Chase, he added, “Let us know if you need any help tonight getting this shit done.”

  Chase nodded, keeping his hand possessively around Harper’s middle. “Thanks, but me and the team have got this tonight.”

  “Just remember,” said Nash, moving toward the door, “Mom could walk in here any minute.” He glanced ov
er his shoulder with a typical smart-ass smirk. “You both might want to keep your pants on.”

  Shep shoved Nash out the door. “For once, I actually thought you weren’t going to be an idiot.”

  Nash burst out laughing. “A good brother warns of looming danger.”

  His laughter eventually faded away as Shep shut the cabin door behind him. Harper chuckled too, but then found herself turned into Chase’s arms. The tenderness in his eyes made her quiet.

  “You brought me dinner?” he asked.

  She nodded, lacing her fingers around his back. “I thought you’d need a break.”

  “You’re right. I do.” He brushed her hair off face, tucking the fallen strands behind her ear. “Will you come somewhere with me?”

  Lost in the warmth of his gaze, she said, “I’ll go anywhere with you.”

  * * *

  Chase led Harper down the thin trail to the left of the farmhouse, passing by the horses grazing the field. He had walked this trail a thousand times growing up. So many of his childhood memories with Shep and Nash, and even Brody, were made right at this very spot.

  When he reached the pond again, he spotted a fish jumping out of the water near the beaver dam at the far end. With the bag of their dinner in his hand, he stopped near the lily pads and turned to Harper behind him.

  “Wow.” She smiled, holding Houdini in her arms. “It’s postcard pretty here.”

  Chase watched the mama duck with her five ducklings that Houdini had frightened earlier swim by them. “It is that.”

  When he turned to her again, her eyes became inquisitive. “How come you and Brody never brought me here as a kid? It’s so cool.”

  “Because you’re a girl.” He pointed to the right toward the forest.

  She followed his gaze and then laughed loudly, obviously spotting the sign on the faded tree house: NO GIRLS ALLOWED. There wasn’t anything fancy about the tree house. Ten feet by ten feet, it was made up of logs right off the forest floor, cut, and reinforced with more nails then necessary. The tree house had never been the best place to be in the rain since the space between the logs had never been filled, and the rain came through the small cracks on the roof.

  “Did you make this?” Harper asked, drawing Chase’s attention back to her.

  He nodded. “It’s my first log home.”

  She gave a sweet smile then stepped forward in front of the tree house, with the forest hugging the back. She grabbed onto the ladder, then looked at him. “Will I kill myself if I go up?”

  “Nope, you’re good. Go on up.” What Chase had learned in his teens was that his father had the wood sprayed and treated after Chase was done, ensuring the tree house would survive time. Only his father had not wanted Chase to know he helped a little, wanting him to believe he had finished the project on his own.

  After she carefully climbed the ladder with Houdini in one arm, Chase followed her up and remained on his knees, unable to stand, and settled the blanket she’d grabbed from her trunk on the ground. She placed Houdini down first, and the puppy, obviously exhausted from the day, curled up in the corner away from the blanket altogether.

  She gave the pup a kiss on the head. “He’s so sleepy. I take it he’s been playing all day?”

  Chase gave a soft snort. “He’s had a busy day spending some time with Leah, and then Nash got him all worked up when he showed up.” The puppy began snoring, and Chase laughed. “It’s really is wild how he’s wide awake one minute and dead to the world the next.”

  “That’s a lab puppy for you.” She smiled, then glanced around the tree house. “Is this where you and Brody used to spend all your time?”

  Chase nodded.

  She scooted forward on her knees until she reached the blanket, sitting cross-legged. “I’m insanely jealous right now. This would have been awesome to play in as a kid.”

  “Yeah, we had fun here.” Tired himself, he lay down on the blanket, resting his weight on his one arm. He glanced around, knowing his career path began here. “I still come here sometimes.”

  She gave him a cute smile. “Really? Do you and Brody play cops and robbers?”

  “Funny.” He smiled back. “This is a good place to think when I need to.” He studied the wooden logs around him. “It reminds me of how I felt when I built this place.” He glanced her way and suspected his smile warmed. “I was so damn proud when I finished this tree house.”

  “Rightly so.”

  His gaze fell to the doorway while he watched the ducks floating by out on the pond. “Every time I began to lose sight of my construction company, I would come here to remind myself why I wanted to build log properties to begin with.”

  “Which is?”

  “Memories.”

  “Memories?”

  He gave a slow nod. “When I’m here, all I think about is the laughter, the adventures, and all the crazy shit that happened at this tree house. So, sometimes I come here to keep my vision, to never get caught up in anything but the important stuff. You know?”

  She paused. Then, “I gotta admit, Chase, I’ve always thought you were pretty sexy. But you have never been sexier than you are right now.” She got up on her knees, giving him a sultry look. “How are you so strong and yet so full of heart? I’ve never met anyone like you.”

  “Nor will you.” He chuckled, watching her lean in. “What are you up to, beautiful? I thought you brought me dinner.”

  “Am I not delectable?” she rasped.

  He lifted his hand, stroking her lip with his thumb. “You certainly are quite delectable.”

  “Then hush, you.” She reached for her shirt and pulled it over her head. Then she crawled toward him until she straddled his waist. “When you were younger, did you ever bring a girl here?” she asked.

  “No.”

  She leaned her head down to his and licked his bottom lip. “Did you want to?”

  “Yes.” He went from soft to hard so fast he groaned.

  She slid back a little and opened his belt buckle and the button of his jeans. He lifted his hips but also reached for his wallet in his back pocket before she pulled his pants and boxer briefs down to his knees. He left the wallet next to him on the blanket, his jaw working. She kissed his thigh and his cock jerked beside her mouth. She worked her way upwards, staring him in the eye. “Did you ever think about me while you were here?”

  “Yes.”

  Hovering over him, she lowered her head to his groin and he held his breath. She licked his shaft, and he groaned against the sensations of her wet and warm tongue. “Is this what you thought of?” Her eyes locked onto his. She stroked him, spreading her saliva over him.

  He moaned, his head tilting back. “Yes.”

  She devoured him then. His fists clenched at his sides while he bowed his head. He discovered she was not looking at him anymore. She bobbed on the tip of his cock, and he lost sight of her as she took him deep into her mouth, her soft hair trailing over his thighs. He hissed as her hand stroked him along with her mouth.

  Needing to see her, he pushed up on one arm, watching her closely. Her lips popped off the tip, and she grinned at him. “Is this what you’ve always wanted? My mouth on you?”

  “You’re damn right I have.” He groaned, brushing his knuckles across her jawline.

  When he lowered his hand, she became focused on the task. No longer teasing him, she devoured him again. With every stroke of her hand, matched by her lips dragging sensually over him, her wet tongue perfectly satisfying him, he gritted his teeth against the pleasure.

  When he grunted, her lips popped off again, then she reached for his wallet. Her playful eyes returned to his after she grabbed the condom and she sheathed him. His nostrils flared, inhaling in her fruity scent when she straddled him, slowly taking him inside. Her moan echoed his deep groan. Desperate to feel her, he slid one hand up her toned stomach and cupped her breast as she ground herself against him.

  Back and forth, she rode him, slowly at first, then faster until he
felt the quivers of her inner walls tighten around his cock. Needing to take her over the edge, he reached up and tweaked her nipples, pinching them.

  “God. You. Feel. So. Good.” Her head fell forward, her hands resting on his chest, while she rode him in search of her pleasure.

  Wanting her to get there, he kept one hand on her breast, lowering the other to her clit. Her response was immediate, her breathy moan telling him to work the bundle of nerves harder. She moved faster now, grinding against him, his cock enveloped by her inner walls. He waited for that moment when her breath hitched, the telling sign that she hung on the edge of euphoria. Then, and only then, did he grab her hips with both hands, helping her get the extra force she needed. He rocked her hard against him.

  And that was all it took.

  Her sexy moan washed over him as she bucked and bounced on his dick, claiming her pleasure.

  When her climax released her, she slowly raised her head, the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Her long strands of hair flowed over her creamy, naked flesh. Her eyes dark, satisfied. Her puffy lips parted, drawing in deep breaths. Her nipples taut. Her sex tight around him. “Is that what you thought about?” she asked. “My coming on you just like that?”

  Something changed in him, then. Like a switch being turned on. Her playtime was over, and his began. “No, Harper. That is not what I thought about.” He flipped her onto her back, and she gasped in surprise as he tucked her one leg under his arm and drove into her. Her eyes went huge, and he felt her arousal dampen his balls and her inner walls contract tighter around him. “This is what I thought about.” He fisted his hand into her hair, grinding his body against hers, ensuring his pelvis connected with her clit every time. Her moans became louder, less controlled. He kept his head buried into her neck, needing the closeness, desperately wanting her to stay there beneath him. He tucked her leg across his ass then slid his hand beneath her bottom, lifting her up to meet him thrust for thrust. With a growl, in search of his pleasure, he rode her hard, until her screams were all he heard, her shuddering orgasm all he felt. Then he crashed over the edge with her, his semen pulsing into the condom until his energy faded.