by D. L. Roan
He unlocked the door and escorted her inside, turning on the lights to reveal a single, windowless room full of electronics and computers. Rows of monitors lined the walls. Banks of radios sat charging along another wall, a large snack machine in the corner.
“We’re in the off season, so it’s quiet now,” Clay said as he rolled a chair out for her, “but during calving and the auction seasons, it’s like working on the stock trading floor in here.”
Dani sank down into the chair as Clay clicked a button and all the monitors flipped on. She watched and listened as he ran through different software programs that tracked the herds, and surveillance that monitored them and the ranch. Even the fencing had been equipped with sensors and GPS mapping so they knew in real time when and where a breach had occurred. He pulled up the map of the entire ranch and pointed out the alerts on the screen. Even the cattle guard that had collapsed had a red flashing signal. “I also have everything pushed to our phones so we can keep up without coming here every day,” he said, showing her the app.
She had so many questions she was speechless. What seemed like every movement on the ranch was recorded, tracked, analyzed, and stored in some capacity. Clay’s enthusiasm was contagious, but keeping up had become impossible three programs ago.
“You look like I lost you,” Clay said, snapping her out of her info overload.
Dani shook her head. “I think I get how Mr. Gardner felt now.”
Clay cocked his head to the side. “What do you mean?”
“It’s…impressive,” she offered honestly. “I don’t know where to begin. I’m overwhelmed by it all.”
Clay sat back in his chair, rubbing his chin as he considered her. “So, you think I’m overwhelming my clients with too much info?”
Dani shrugged, feeling like she’d overstepped.
“Tell me,” Clay urged her to continue. “I need to know what you’re thinking.”
Dani stared at one of the screens, watching as a feed truck pulled up to the loading dock at one of the silos, trying to pick her words carefully. “You get excited about all the geeky tech stuff—”
“Geeky?” Clay laughed.
Dani blushed. “I mean, in a good, sexy…geeky kind of way,” she rushed to clarify.
Clay sat forward and rested his elbows on his knees, his megawatt smile drawing her attention to his dimples again. God, she was such a lovesick dork!
“But, Mr. Gardner doesn’t even have a smartphone,” Clay said, his head bobbing with his thoughts.
“Exactly,” she nodded. “He’s like my grandparents. They’re old school. Ranching to them is about money and survival, the bottom line at auction. Mr. Gardner doesn’t know a terabyte from a tapeworm. Most ranchers can see where this stuff might help, but how to convert that to dollars in the bank is what matters, and if they can’t process that, you’re just wasting their time.”
“And time is money,” he said with a nod.
“Time is money,” she repeated.
She yelped when Clay reached over and pulled her into his lap. “See?” He gripped her face between his palms and planted an exuberant kiss on her lips. “This! This is why I need you!”
“Clay.” Dani pushed against his chest, but he refused to let her go.
“I’m not pressurin’ you, beautiful.” She arched a brow, glancing between his smiling lips and his excited eyes. “Okay, I am,” he conceded, “but you have to see by now what a great team we make.”
She pulled against his hold and this time, he let her go. She sat upright in his lap, tracing the collar of his T-shirt, nervous to say aloud what, not even a few days ago, she’d been so adamantly against. But she’d been surprised at how much she’d liked helping him, and Mr. Gardner. And they did make a great team. She might just have a knack for sales after all.
Feeling as though she was jumping off a cliff with no ground in sight, she finally admitted, “I’ve actually been thinking about that.” She pressed her hand against his chest when she saw the victorious look in his eyes. “I’m not saying I’ll take the job,” she warned. “At least not full-time like you want, but I don’t see why I can’t consult with you on certain projects, or when you need me.”
Clay’s smile faded. His eyes swirled with an emotion she couldn’t quite place. Confusion? Relief? Surprise? She didn’t know.
“Seriously?” he finally asked, his lips curling up into another smile, though this one crooked and hesitant.
Dani nodded. “I mean, I still have Falcon Ridge to run, and my classes in the fall, but I can help when I can.”
Clay didn’t breathe for seconds, didn’t move a muscle. He stared at her in wonderment, then gripped the sides of her head, holding her captive as he crushed his lips to hers.
Dani opened to his insistent kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck, hungry for his taste, the feel of his body, and the way hers responded to him. She’d craved his touch all day.
“Oh, sorry!” an unfamiliar male voice called out.
Clay jerked away at the intrusion and Dani hopped from his lap, nervously righting her shirt.
“I’ll come back,” the man insisted, turning his back to them.
“No,” Clay choked out and pushed from the chair, straightening his hat she’d apparently knocked askew. “What-um-whatcha’ need, Leary?”
Leary cautiously turned around to face them, nodding politely to Dani before he addressed Clay. “Joel sent me to get a couple of radios so we can get the replacement belt for the sector three feeder loaded up onto the flatbed before the storm.”
Clay grabbed Dani’s hand and nodded to Leary. “Carry on,” he said curtly as he pulled her to the door.
A hot gust of wind blew in from the mountains to the west, carrying with it a heavy scent of rain. The storm had arrived, the clouds dark and boiling. Dani squinted against the dust swirling in the air as they walked down the lane that ran between the buildings, gasping when Clay tugged her around the corner.
“Where are we go—” He pinned her against the side of the building, fusing them together from hips to lips, and kissed her senseless again.
“Fuck,” he panted.
“Yes.” She reached between them to unfasten his belt.
“Wait.” He twisted from her grasp. “Not here.”
He clasped her hand and guided her to the front of the building, then along the front of the next one she recognized as Levi’s lab. Raindrops the size of grapes began to fall, pinging off the metal buildings and spitting into the dry dirt as they raced for the front door, slipping inside just as a wall of water crashed to the ground outside.
“Whew!” Clay sighed with a smile, leading her through a set of double glass doors.
“Son!” Dani looked up and saw Virgil headed toward them from across the large laboratory, a half dozen people in lab coats working at numerous stations. “Hi there, Dani. Looks like you just missed the monsoon.”
Breathless from more than their jog, Dani smiled and nodded.
“I was just headed back over to help Joel get that replacement belt loaded. Was hoping to beat the rain, but I guess our luck ran out.”
Clay shrugged anxiously. “Leary’s next door gettin’ the radios. I was just givin’ Dani a tour of Sterling City before we head back to the house.”
“Uh-huh.” Virgil nodded, his thick mustache twitching with a grin that said he didn’t believe them for a second. “Oh, that reminds me.” He pointed at Clay. “I have that thing you were lookin’ for this mornin’.”
“Great,” Clay said, casting Dani a nervous sideways glance. “I’ll catch up with you before we head out to the Bulzeye.”
“Bulzeye?” she asked.
Clay released a frustrated sigh. “Nannette’s invited us to her saloon tonight. She’s got a new band playin’.”
“Oh, cool.” She’d love to get Clay on the dance floor, and see Nann again. “As long as she’s not serving moonshine, I’m game.”
Virgil barked out a laugh. “Fair enough,” he said and sl
apped Clay on the back as he headed toward the door. “I’ll see you at the house.”
“Thank Christ!” Clay ground out and tugged her down the center aisle, deeper into the building. “Genetics lab,” he said, motioning to the workstations they passed on either side of them. “Cryo storage tanks for seed straws and embryos,” he continued at an urgent pace, pointing to a set of double doors at the back of the room, then led her down a narrow hallway on the opposite side. His hands trembled as he dug his keys from his pocket and unlocked the door, flipping on the light inside the cozy office. “Levi’s office,” he said as he locked the door behind them, closed the blinds, and then backed her against the big desk in the center of the room.
“Tour’s over, beautiful,” he grunted as he lifted her onto the desk and wedged himself between her thighs. He lifted her shirt over her head and tossed it to the floor, then did the same with his. “Any questions?” he asked, nipping at her lips as he fingered the clasp on her bra and it slid down her arms to join the growing pile on the floor.
“None I can think of right now.” She traced his bottom lip with the tip of her tongue, flinching away each time he touched it with the tip of his, teasing him with little licks and nips as she unbuckled his belt and unzipped his jeans.
“Damn.” His curse was little more than a breathy sigh of relief as his cock jutted out between the parted fabric.
She slid her hand inside his briefs and cupped his hard, velvety length, drawing out a groan when she tightened her grip and circled her thumb over the tip the way she’d learned he liked.
Clay shuddered, his abs contracting with every stroke, revealing every chiseled, three-dimensional, work-hardened muscle, and the bruises from his fight with Jackson the night before.
She leaned down and touched her lips to the small dark spots she’d seen earlier but hadn’t had the courage to kiss. He flinched at the first touch, then sighed as she trailed her lips up his flank to his nipple, feeling like a vixen as she boldly flicked it with her tongue.
“Beautiful,” he hissed on a sharp breath. “I need to fuckin’ be inside you.”
“I’m not stopping you,” she said as she released his cock and shoved at his jeans and underwear until they were down around his hips. She’d been ready since he walked away from her at the guesthouse that morning. Why was he waiting?
“No, I mean, I need you all the time,” he said, tipping her chin up, claiming her mouth in a kiss so deep she felt it all the way to her toes. “Every second of the day, you’re all I can think about. I know you need a break after yesterday, but every time I get within reach of you, I want to pull you beneath me and fuck you until I can’t see straight.”
Dani pulled away and stared up at him. She could sense he’d been holding back, hovering. Well, not this time. She knew her own body. She’d never wanted another man like she’d wanted Clay, and she wouldn’t settle for less than everything he had to give.
“Clay.” She cupped his face between her palms and held his gaze. “I’m not a virgin anymore. Stop treating me like one and fuck me.”
Clay froze, his eyes turning as dark as the storm clouds. His nostrils flared as he sucked in one breath after another. They stared at one another like two tomcats, challenging the other to pounce first, and then he did.
The room spun as he pulled her off the desk and yanked her jeans down over her hips, not bothering with the button or zipper. She staggered as she tried to toe off her boots, but he spun her around and bent her over the desk, sending a stack of folders and a cup full of pens crashing to the floor.
“I’m addin’ these to my collection,” he said, gathering the crotch of her lace panties in his fist, the flimsy fabric giving way with a simple tug.
The rough slide of his hand between her thighs sent a thrill racing up her spine. She canted her hips, spreading her legs as far as her jeans would allow and pushed up onto her tiptoes when she felt the tip of his cock press against her.
“Condom,” he gritted out. “Yes or no?”
Dani shook her head, pressing back against him. “I don’t care.” He’d already told her he was clean. All she cared about was filling the need inside her to connect with him on some primal level she didn’t completely understand.
His groan echoed off the walls as he thrust inside her, the weight of his body atop hers pressing the air from her lungs in an answering moan. She tried to arch against him, but could barely move as he violently snapped his hips, filling her over and over with an almost crippling ferocity, but while the initial sting of his penetration had faded, the deep ache had returned.
“More!” she demanded. Unable to lift her head, she pushed back with her arms, searching to eliminate even the smallest of space between them.
“Um-uh-uh. Ah!” Clay hissed out when she squeezed her inner muscles around him. His hands slapped onto the desk beside her head, the loud crack startling her, and she opened her eyes, grinning as she watched his fingers curl into a white-knuckled fist before he grabbed her shoulders and hauled her up against him, clutching her breasts, pinching her nipples between his fingers.
“Yes!” The delicious sting and new angle gave her exactly what she’d needed and she cried out when his cock bottomed out inside her, her voice unrecognizable to her own ears.
“What are you doin’ to me?” he growled against the side of her neck. “Fuck, beautiful, you feel so good. So hot and tight. Squeeze me again.”
She tightened around him again and was rewarded with another string of dirty, desperate curses and more ferocious thrusts.
“This is mine,” he said, releasing one of her breasts to grip her between her thighs, trapping her clit between his fingers like he had her nipples. “You are mine, Dani.”
Dani’s mouth opened on a silent cry as the ache inside her raced to his touch and began throbbing in time with his thrusts.
“Say it,” he demanded, his gravelly voice but a whisper in her ear. “Tell me you know it’s true.”
“Yes.” Craving his taste, she reached back to entangle her fingers into his hair. “It’s true,” she admitted, twisting until their mouths met. His tongue slid over hers, deep and fast, mirroring his thrusts. It was all true. She didn’t think she could ever want anyone else, ever.
Clay jerked his mouth from her with a gasp and pressed her back down onto the desk. “Fucking coming,” he gritted out, his movements more urgent and erratic, his grip on her hips bruising and erotically demanding. “Oh-fuck-yeah!”
She pressed back against him, chasing the throbbing freight train racing along her nerves to where they joined. Every muscle in her body contracted and she arched against him, the first jolt of her orgasm shaking her to the very core.
“Fuck,” she panted, falling over the edge, clawing at the desk for something to ground her. “Fuck. Me. Fuck. Yes!”
“Ahhh!” Clay thrust inside her one last time, his strangled cry fading as he lowered himself atop her. His ragged breaths fell hot against her cheek with the strained words, “Christ, I love you.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
I love you. I’m in love with you. I love you, too.
“Ugh!” Dani stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Following a long ride home and an even longer shower, alone, she was dressed and ready for their night at the Bulzeye.
Why didn’t I say it back?
She loved him. She’d known she loved him from the moment he sent her that first text message. Or maybe it was the second. She grimaced and checked her lipstick, running a fingertip along the corner of her lips to correct a smudge.
No. It wasn’t just the text messages. It was all of it. She’d been falling in love with him by degrees from the minute he walked into their barn, text-by-text, kiss-by-kiss, smile-by-dimpled smile. But why’d he go and ruin it by saying he loved her in the middle of sex? Okay, so it was at the end, but same thing!
She groaned again and sank down onto the closed toilet seat, grabbing the lotion from her cosmetic bag. She was wearing the short bl
ack dress he’d liked, but her skin had become dry and flaky from the dry desert climate.
Did he mean it? Or was he just saying it in the heat of passion? She’d freaked out, debating so long the moment had become stilted and awkward and they’d dressed without another word. He’d played it off well, acting excited about taking her on their official date, but she was still reeling and confused. If he meant it, then why hadn’t he wanted to talk about it? If he didn’t, and she said it back, she’d look like a lovesick fool, too young to know the difference between when a guy meant it, or if it was just part of some pillow talk ritual.
“Dani? You about ready?” Clay called from the guesthouse front door.
“One second!” she hollered from the bathroom. Shoving her feet into her dress boots, she checked her makeup one last time and then opened the door.
Clay feigned a heart attack, slapping his hand over his chest with enough dramatics to charm a Broadway audience. “Damn, I love that dress.”
Dani blushed, suddenly unsure if she should walk into his arms and kiss him like she wanted to, like she would have before.
Clay took the decision out of her hands and drew her against him. “But I love you out of that dress more,” he teased, swaying them to an inaudible tune. “I never asked you if you know how to dance,” he whispered against her temple.
She fell easily into step with his lead, breathing in his fresh, clean scent. “With three dads, it’s kind of a given,” she said, loving the intimate way he held her, how small yet equal she felt in his arms.
He kissed the top of her head and let her go, but not before he tipped her chin and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips, too. “I’m sorry if I was too rough with you earlier,” he said.
Dani shook her head. “I’m not—”
“A child,” Clay finished for her. “I know. I just… You completely crush my control.”
Dani grinned, dropping her gaze to his open shirt collar, feeling triumphant regardless of how things had ended. “I didn’t exactly give you much choice.”
Clay chuckled. “No, you didn’t.” He tipped her chin back up and she reluctantly met his gaze. “I liked it. A lot.”