by D. L. Roan
Pulsing heat raced through her limbs, down her spine, and straight to her core. Every muscle in her body tensed. She pulled her hand free from his and curled her fingers into his hair, lifting her hips in search of more pressure.
Clay groaned his approval. He hooked his arms around her thighs and pulled her closer, rocking her against his mouth as he doubled his efforts, alternating between her clit and her entrance, every stroke of his tongue pulling her closer to the edge until she thought she couldn’t possibly take another breath.
Clay released one of her thighs. She tensed when she felt him sliding a finger inside her, then another. “Come for me, beautiful,” he said, curling his fingertips against a place no one had ever touched before, because, holy hell, she would have known if they had.
“Ffffuuuaahhh!” Her entire body pulsed to life.
Clay chuckled, the vibration traveling through her clit as he sucked it between his lips, and that was it. Her orgasm ripped through her body like a prairie wildfire, scorching everything it touched. As if her body was no longer her own, she rolled from one spasm into another until she lay sprawled across the mattress, boneless and breathless, floating on a cloud of sex and Clay and thoughtless bliss.
Chapter Fifteen
Clay took a last lingering taste, grinning when she rewarded him with one final spasm, and then crawled up her outstretched body, settling his throbbing cock between her thighs. He cursed the denim that separated them, but the second he shed that barrier, he’d be inside her. Persuading her would be effortless. In his younger years he wouldn’t have hesitated, but this was different, more important than satisfying an immediate need. When the time came, she would take him inside her without a single doubt he was meant to be her first.
Her first.
That thought made him pause. He stared down at Dani, the idea of any other man tasting the heaven between her legs, or putting that satisfied look on her beautiful face, sparked a possessive, consuming fire in the center of his chest that flamed through his limbs. He gathered her beneath him and set his lips against the base of her neck, sucking the salty sweat from her bare skin.
“Ow.” She flinched against the nip he gave her and he quickly soothed it with his tongue. “Did you just give me a hickey?” she asked.
Clay chuckled, embarrassed but unrepentant that he’d given into some juvenile need to claim her as his, at least while she was. “I did,” he said, inspecting the small mark. “Wanna give me one?”
“No,” Dani said with an incredulous huff.
He forced his lips into a pouty frown, but couldn’t hold back a laugh when she laughed.
“Good mornin’, beautiful.” He kissed her, slow and easy, enjoying the feel of her tongue gliding against his, until a painful ache gripped his balls. “Mmmph.”
He flexed his hips, pressing his hard cock into the heat between her thighs, searching out a moment’s relief. “We need to talk about this,” he said with a playful grin and swiveled his hips, imagining the bliss of sinking balls deep inside her. Her pussy had been so tight around his fingers, he’d be lucky to last a damn minute when it finally did happen. “But not right now.”
He kissed the tip of her nose, enjoying the confused look on her face before he pushed up and off the bed. The only place he would find the relief he needed was in the shower, for now. “You came here for a tour, and Levi will be opening up his lab in a few.” He picked her shirt and panties from the floor, tossing her the shirt and pocketing her panties.
“Hey!” she protested, grasping across the bed for him, but he twisted out of her reach and captured her wrist.
“Told you you’d pay for that fake-sick stunt you played on the flight down here,” he teased with a challenging wink, kissing her palm. “You can earn them back later, but for now get dressed. We have work to do.”
He left her lying naked in his bed, which was the very definition of insanity, reluctantly washed up, and then made his way into the office he shared with Virgil. He called Levi to let him know they’d be stopping by, then checked his email, scooting to the edge of his seat when he saw the name on the most recent one. He clicked over to the message from the Pecos rancher he’d all but given up on.
The guy had said no more times than he could count to the upgrades Clay had recommended. Old school as they come, Dwight Gardner didn’t even own a smartphone. The fact he’d sent an email as opposed to calling was surprising, but judging by the message, his eldest son had convinced him it was time to make some of those changes.
He skimmed through to the end of the message, frowning at the request to meet and discuss his offer tomorrow, of all days. Damn near a year of back and forth and he picks the one week Dani was visiting to decide to leave the nineteenth century.
This upgrade was a nice job, and a lucrative paycheck if he could sell Dwight on everything they’d discussed, but he couldn’t leave Dani hanging around Sterling Eagle all on her own. Aside from being rude, there was no way in hell he was leaving her there alone for an entire day.
He backed out of the email and closed his laptop. Maybe he could talk her into coming with him. If anyone could sell Dwight on all the benefits of upgrading his operation, it was Dani. Another thought occurred to him. Maybe if she got a taste of what it would be like to work with him, she’d reconsider becoming a partner.
The sound of a slamming door echoed through the house, and a few seconds later, Virgil stomped into the office, a scowl as deep as the Grand Canyon between his eyes. “You seen Jenkins today?” he asked with an exasperated sigh.
“The hand you hired to team with Hank for the branding?” His dad confirmed with a nod. “No, I thought he was supposed to show up last Friday.”
Virgil narrowed his eyes. “He was here last Friday,” he grumbled, striding over to his desk. “He was here last night, goddammit.” Clay stood as his dad slumped into his chair and dug his phone out of his pocket. “Hank saw him and Jackson jawin’ over my bottle of whiskey last night. Thinks he heard both their trucks pull out of here at dawn.”
Clay closed his eyes, drawing in an impatient breath. Jenkins wouldn’t be the first cowboy Jackson poached from the ranch to team up for some rodeo gig he had lined up, leaving his dad high and dry.
“Jenkins, this is Virgil. If you ain’t here in ten minutes, don’t bother comin’ back.” Virgil clicked off his phone and tossed it onto his desk.
“I’ll call Jackson.” Clay mumbled a curse as he reached for his phone.
“Don’t bother.” Virgil waved him off. “I’ll do the job myself.”
Clay clamped a hand on the back of his neck and paced to his desk. There was no way he was letting his pop spend all day on horseback roping and branding. “Give me a couple of hours to run Dani by the lab before Levi leaves and I’ll come by and relieve you.” He’d planned on taking her out to the wildflower fields, but that would have to wait.
Virgil leaned back in his chair with a chuckle, raising a brow as he motioned to Clay’s crotch. “You think you can ride with that thing?”
Clay followed his gaze and shook his head. “I honestly don’t know,” he admitted, attempting an adjustment that made little difference. He should have grabbed another shower when he’d had the chance.
“Clay?” Dani called out.
“Be right there!” He retrieved his Stetson from his desk and gave Virgil a respectful nod, leaving before his stubborn old man could argue. He rounded the corner into the living room and the ground dropped out from beneath him.
Bent over the back of the couch, her perfectly rounded, jean-clad ass sticking straight up in the air, and at the perfect height for fucking, Dani mumbled a string of curses. Clay’s mouth filled with saliva as half his blood rushed to his still hard cock. Holy mother of God, he wouldn’t survive the day, not without some kind of relief.
With a mind of their own, his feet propelled him forward. She straightened when he gripped her hips and drew her against him, a pink camouflage ball cap in her hand.
“Yo
u keep that up and you’re going to lose another pair of panties,” he warned her.
She melted against him, tipping her head back to look up at him. “I doubt that,” she said with a wicked grin. “I’m not wearing any.”
Whatever blood he had left in his veins sped to his cock like a bullet train, leaving his brain only enough to evaluate the location of the nearest room with a lockable door.
“Mornin’, Dani.” Virgil’s voice cut through the ringing in Clay’s ears. He nearly collapsed when she stiffened and pulled free of his hold.
“Oh!” She slapped her hat onto her head and pulled her ponytail through the hole in the back. “I was just looking for my hat,” she explained.
Clay pressed his lips into a firm line to keep from grinning as she turned a rosy shade of red from the neck up.
“I didn’t know anyone was...” She rubbed her palms down the front of her jeans and glanced up at Clay, then back to Virgil. “Yeah, um, good morning.”
The corner of Virgil’s mouth ticked up into a knowing grin as he stuffed his hat onto his head. “You two have fun at the lab,” he said, tipping his hat to Clay. “Give me a heads up when you’re on your way to the corral.”
Clay waved him on, turning back to Dani when the door closed behind him.
“Corral?” she asked.
“Yeah.” He sighed, backing Dani against the back of the sofa. “There’s been a slight change of plans.” He explained what happened with Jenkins in as few words as possible as he worked his hands beneath the waistband of her jeans to see if she was, in fact, commando. If she was, the lab tour wasn’t going to happen, and his dad was just going to have to suffer through the day without him.
“If you have an extra heeler horse, I can help,” she offered.
Clay froze, staring down at her in amazement. “You know how to throw a rope?”
Dani snorted as she tried to twist away from his searching grasp. “Me and my friend were all-state girl’s roping team champions my junior year in high school.”
Clay shook his head. Of course she was. She never did anything in half measures, which was one more reason he couldn’t wait to get her naked again.
“If your dad needs help, we can skip the lab,” she suggested.
Clay shook his head. “You didn’t come down here to brand a bunch of cattle.”
“But I get it,” she insisted. “The ranch comes first. It’s what you need to do, and if I can help, it beats sitting on a fence all day watching. Not that watching you would be so hard,” she finished with a teasing grin.
Both disappointment and relief crashed through him like hot and cold water when he finally plunged his hands beneath her jeans and cupped her panty-clad ass, confirming her teasing little white lie.
He hauled her against the rock-hard prick in his jeans. “You feel what your teasin’ does to me?” he asked, biting back a curse at the exquisite pressure. “Don’t poke the bear, beautiful,” he warned, “unless you’re ready to spend the rest of your time here tied to my bed.” Her eyes widened with surprise. “That’s what I thought.” He chuckled and let her go, giving her a playful slap on the ass. “Let’s see what you can do with a rope.”
Dani straightened her shirt and scooped up a bottle of water she’d evidently retrieved from the fridge. “You never know, cowboy.” With a look that could only mean trouble, she turned for the door, but paused with her hand on the doorknob and glanced over her shoulder. “You might just find yourself tied to that bed,” she said, then bolted through the door with a squeal before he could get his hands on her.
Five hours later, Clay sat atop his horse, the dust so thick in the air that, when it settled on his sweat-laced skin, it dried into a crackly mud mask in places. He pulled a bottle of water from his saddlebag and downed half of it, pouring the other half over his face. It had been a while since he’d spent the day doing real ranch work, and he was feeling it.
Across the pen, Dani turned her horse and cast the lasso with perfect aim, snagging the hind legs of one of the last calves of the day. Impressed as hell, he shook his head as she backed her horse up, keeping the line taught as the branders did their job. She’d out roped them all.
Hank trotted up beside him, handing him another bottle of water, this one blessedly cold. “Looks like Jackson poached the wrong rodeo partner.”
Clay nodded, tipping his head back to guzzle another few swigs when he caught the look in Hanks eyes as he watched her. “Don’t even think about it,” he warned. Hank was near as old as his dad, and married, but Clay knew all too well those things didn’t matter to the longtime ranch hand.
Hank plucked his hat off his head and ran his fingers through his sweat-soaked hair. His lips split in a challenging grin, his gaze never leaving Dani as he gathered up his horse’s reins. “I ain’t your brother,” he said, urging his horse forward, “but you’d best be puttin’ your own brand on that filly pretty damn quick, before someone else besides me gets any ideas.” Hank tipped his chin toward the other end of the corral and Clay looked over to see a line of cowboys sitting on the fence, watching her like a hound dog would a raw steak.
Fucking hell! Clay turned his heels into his horse’s side, steering him over to where Dani was recoiling her rope. Unable to take his own eyes off her all damn day, he hadn’t even noticed the crowd she’d drawn. “Let’s call it a day,” he said, offering Dani what was left of the cold water.
“We only have a few more,” she argued, taking the water. She tipped her head back and guzzled it down. Clay licked his dry lips as he watched her throat work up and down with each swallow, then snapped around when he heard a collective groan from the fence sitters. Christ. He was going to jail today if he didn’t get her out of that corral.
“Your sunscreen is wearin’ off.” He snatched her horse’s reins from where they rested over the horn on her saddle and turned his horse toward the gate.
“Hey!” She tried to snatch them back but he tightened his grip and kicked his horse into a trot toward the stables. “Let go of my horse, Clay!” she protested behind him, but he rode on. A few seconds later, he heard a muted thud and turned to see her rolling on the ground.
“Shit.” He pulled his horse to a stop and turned back to help her, but she’d already rolled to her feet and was dusting herself off. “What the hell are you doin’?” he asked as she took off walking back toward the corral.
“I’m going back to finish the job we started,” she said over her shoulder.
“You are not going back to that corral.” He trotted his horse alongside her. “Did you see the way those cowpokes were lookin’ at you?”
She stopped in her tracks and rounded on him. “Is that what this is about? You drag me off like some Neanderthal because of some cowhands sitting on a fence?”
“They were lickin’ their chops like you were their next meal!”
She narrowed her eyes, then looked back at the corral, finally seeing the err in her judgement. Or at least he thought she had. “Where are you going?” he asked when she turned on her heels and started walking again, this time toward the stables.
Dani didn’t answer him.
“Dammit!” He turned his horse around and caught up to her. “Dani, it’s two miles to the barn,” he said and tossed the reins back to her. “Get back on your damn horse.” On any other day, her stubbornness would be a turn-on. Any other day but this one.
She stared at the reins in her hands, an unreadable expression on her face before she finally turned around and pulled herself into the saddle. Before he could utter another word, she clicked her tongue and heeled her horse into a gallop, sprinting past him.
“Shit!” He took off after her, but the closer he got the faster she ran. “Dani, stop!” he yelled, but he knew she couldn’t hear him over the pounding of their horses’ hooves against the drought-hardened ground. He muttered a string of curses as he kept her pace, knowing he’d just fucked up.
A possessiveness like none he’d ever experienced had reared u
p inside him when he’d seen the hungry look in Hank’s eyes. When he saw the other men circling the corral like a pack of sharp-fanged coyotes, all he could think about was getting her the hell out of there.
They were almost at the stables before he got close enough to stop her, but had to fall behind her to get through the narrow cattle gate that separated the stock yards from the barn.
“Goddammit, I said stop!” But she didn’t, and he followed her all the way into the yard where she jumped off her horse and began unsaddling him.
Clay dismounted and barreled toward her. “Dani, I’m sorry,” he insisted, turning her around to face him.
She shrugged him off and turned back to the saddle. “I have three dads, Clay. I don’t need another one.”
“Exactly,” he insisted, taking her by the hand and pulling her into the shade of a nearby awning. “I guarantee you there’s not a single cowhand on your ranch who would dare look at you the way those men were, because of your dads. But this isn’t Falcon Ridge, Dani.”
“I can take care of myself.” She jerked away and turned back to her horse, but he cut her off.
“Dammit, look at me,” he insisted, turning her back to him. “You’re right. I overreacted, but you are completely clueless about the effect you have on men.” He tipped her pouting face up to look at him. “The effect you have on me.” She looked away and crossed her arms over her chest, but she didn’t turn away from him this time. “I lost it, okay? I saw those guys, and Hank said some shit, and…I know I acted like an ass, and I’m sorry, but you bein’ able to take care of yourself is not the issue here.”
She shuffled her boot over the loose dirt, biting her bottom lip as she looked over at her horse. “Everyone in my life treats me like I’m still a child,” she said, then shrugged. “I guess I was hoping you’d be different.”
Clay shook his head in denial and tipped her chin back to him. “That’s not why I did what I did, beautiful.” He cupped her face between his palms and looked into her eyes, wanting absolutely no misunderstanding on this one singular point. “The things those men were thinkin’ about doin’, the same things I did with you this mornin’, are the kinds of things I’d only do with a grown woman, Dani.”