His piece said, Mark reaches out and punches me in the chest, just like when we were kids, and walks away from the fence, leaving me to my thoughts. Just before he rounds the back of the truck, he turns back. “And get the rest of this damn feed spread; those cows don’t know how to shovel!”
After he leaves, I sit for a bit on the tailgate of the truck, mulling over everything Mark said. There was a lot of wisdom in his words, but I’m still unsure what I should do. One thing’s for sure: I need to man up and call Sophie.
I jump down and go to the cab of the truck, pulling my phone out to dial her before I can wimp out.
When she comes on, it’s like a balm to my nerves, even if she does sound a little nervous. “Hello?”
“Hey, Soph,” I greet her, like calling her in the middle of the afternoon while covered in dust and sweat is something I normally do. “Whatcha doing?”
“Oh, not too much,” she says, sounding relieved I didn’t say we need to talk. “Doc’s taking a half day today, so I’m just cleaning the house a bit, and then I was thinking I’m going to get me cleaned up a bit too. I got some of Shayanne’s soaps to try.”
I grin, knowing I could use a good shower myself. “It’s really good to hear your voice, I’ve missed you the last few days . . . wait, did you say you have Shayanne’s soaps? How’d you get those?”
“I went over there to see the goats the other day, when you were all radio silent on me.” She isn’t trying to sound angry with me, but it still stings enough that I wince inwardly and decide to quickly cover this problem.
“Oh yeah. Sorry about that. There was just some stuff I needed to deal with. Um, personal stuff, if you don’t mind me being a bit secretive on it. But I think I’m good now . . . so . . . any chance you might want to go out tonight?”
“Uh, I guess. As long as you’re sure you’re okay leaving the house for a bit. Everything fine there?”
She’s obviously aware that my excuse to run home was just that—an excuse. But I don’t want to discuss too much over the phone; I want to hold her in my arms when I tell her I’m a scaredy-cat jerk who ran at the first sign of something real, even if it was only real in my head, and in my heart.
Instead, I laugh, a big fake laugh that sounds bad even to my own ears. “Yeah, it’s all good out here. Can I pick you up at seven?”
“Seven it is. That’ll give me time to get all fancied up for anything you’d like. Plans?”
“Just casual, you know how I am. Okay, I’ll see you then. And Sophie?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks.”
We hang up, and I lean against the truck, smiling foolishly. There’s a knot in my throat and a tension in my chest, but most of my blood seems to be in my cock, knowing that in a few short hours, I’ll be seeing Sophie again.
“First things first, though,” I say as I hear a far-off moo of a cow. “Gotta get my damn work done.”
CHAPTER 21
SOPHIE
Looking in my closet, I regret not packing more for this summer. I used to have a closet bigger than my current kitchen, with enough clothes for any occasion . . . well, except for a rodeo, but that was a whole other life.
Now, looking at my collection of work shirts, T-shirts, a few workout clothes, and a single dress that I’ve already worn for a date with James, I’m feeling very short on options.
Sighing, I shake my head, enjoying at least the scent of raspberries that Shayanne’s soap gave me. “Well, he said casual . . . guess he’ll just have to be happy with casual then.”
I get a clean pair of jeans out of my dresser along with one of my cuter tank tops, a light-blue, clingy, ribbed top that has some sparkly decorations around my boobs and hugs my figure nicely. It’s casual, and since I have no idea where the hell I’m going, it’ll do.
Clothes picked, I try to decide on my footwear. My sneakers go almost immediately—I’m only wearing those for workouts I do when James and I haven’t been working up long sweats with intense, passionate sex—which leaves me with my work boots, my sexy boots, and my sexy set of heels.
“What the hell, let him sweat a little,” I decide. “I’ll stay barefoot until he tells me what the fuck’s up, and then decide on nice boots or slutty heels.”
Decisions made, I touch up my hair and makeup a final time, making sure to choose my strawberry lip gloss that I know James likes. Besides, it complements the fruity smell of the raspberry soap.
“Well,” I tell my reflection as I purse my lips to give my gloss a check and then blow myself an air kiss, “time to find out what he wants.”
I’m actually feeling really nervous, for some reason. Something obviously spooked James last time, and I have a sneaking suspicion it was him picking up on my growing feelings. Even if I hadn’t quite realized it, I must’ve been telegraphing them somehow. What if he’s trying to back out before things get more mixed up? What if he figures it’s better to cut our losses now rather than wait until next month, where we’ll have a whole new depth of feelings to get over?
Alright, chickadee . . . cool, collected, definitely not crazy and clingy. That’s the play tonight. Let’s just ride this out and see what happens. “Besides, if it goes bad, you’ll have plenty of time to get studied up for fall classes,” I tell myself. “You know you’re just a big nerd inside.”
My little pick-me-up talk finished, I hear my doorbell ring, and I hurry over, my heart fluttering in my chest as I open up to see James. He’s dressed like he said, casually, in jeans and a nice but not too fancy shirt and, in a rarity for him, lace-up boots.
“Hey . . . wow, you look great,” he says, greeting me.
“Thanks,” I reply, feeling a flush in my chest. “You look . . . awesomely normal.”
James laughs and steps inside, pulling me close to give me a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll take that as a compliment since I left the hat and boots at home. I can be seminormal sometimes.”
“I’ll take semi,” I joke, deciding in my head on my casual boots. He’s going casual; I don’t need to wear a set of fuck-me heels. Besides, he’s still got something to say. I can see that in his face. “So, we’re off?”
“Yeah . . . let’s go. I missed you the past few days, and I want to make up for it,” he says, taking my hand instead of offering me his elbow as he leads me out to his truck. I remember to go to his door and settle into the middle of the bench, flush against him and already getting a bit tingly just from the feel of the long line of his body beside mine.
Jeez, three nights without him, and I’m already thinking of what I can get away with while he drives. Down, girl!
James puts his arm around me, rubbing my shoulder as we drive down the street. “You hungry, or can you wait a bit?”
“Actually, I am kinda famished. This morning Doc and I did cleanup of the kennels out back at the office, the ones we keep the sick pets in or the ones recovering from surgery. He said that he could use the spare set of hands, so we spent most of the morning lugging them out back and power washing them. That is one gross, smelly job!”
He looks at me, laughter sparkling in his eyes as he takes a big cartoonish whiff of my hair. “Can’t tell now. You look like a lady, and smell like one too.”
His compliment warms me inside, and I nestle closer against him, my lap belt digging into my hip, but I don’t care. “Well, I did shower and scrub and scrub. Point being, feed me, Cowboy!”
He laughs, drives us to a diner on the main street of the tourist district, and hustles inside to sit down right as the dinner rush hits. Two quick orders of chicken-fried steak, mashed potatoes, and sweet tea later, and we relax, waiting for our food to come. “Say, I think I know this place.”
“You’ve been here before?” James asks. “When?”
“More like I know the reputation. Thanks for not ordering me one of their gut-bomber burgers.”
While we wait, I fill James in on my visit with Shayanne and about my work this week with Doc. In return, he tells me about the ranch, how
the horses and cows are doing, and just general things. It’s comfortable and easy, just like always.
The food comes, and for twenty minutes there’s little more from our table than the satisfied sounds of two people feeding their hungry bodies with warm, comforting food that fills their stomachs and calms their minds. Afterward, James leads me down the sidewalk to a small bar.
“Drink?”
“Why not?” I agree, and we go inside, James of course holding the door for me as we do. It’s no honky-tonk, but it’s certainly not the normal type of place I go. Country music is playing from a jukebox in the corner, loud enough to dance to but not too loud to drown out close conversations.
We sink into a booth, side by side, and the waitress brings us a couple of beers without us even having to order. Sipping mine, I can feel James’s gaze on me as he follows my mouth on the bottle, my throat working to swallow the cold liquid. The tension that’s always buzzing just under the surface with us comes back quickly, thickening the air between us like lightning does just before it strikes.
James reaches forward with his thumb and sweeps it up and down my cheekbone, eyes locked on mine. “I’m sorry about the past few days.”
“I thought cowboys never apologized? They just sang sad songs with a guitar?” I reply, smiling. “James . . . whatever it is, I’m not upset. I’m just glad I’m here with you right now.”
He leans forward, and I’m ready for his kiss, but he bypasses my mouth, lips going to my ear to whisper huskily, “Let’s dance, Soph. I want to hold you in my arms, and move with you. Maybe drive you half as crazy as you’re driving me. Then . . . then maybe I can tell you what’s on my mind.”
If only he knew, I’m way more far gone than he is . . . drive me crazy? He has already done that in spades.
He’s got me curious what is on his mind, but I also can’t stop thinking about his muscled body on top of me, his thick cock buried inside me, and the way his eyes crinkle at the corners when he laughs and when he comes. I have a flash of dragging him home right now to make that happen.
Instead I nod, following him to the dance floor with the few other couples already swaying there. He leads me in a two-step, not something I’m particularly familiar with, but since we’re pressed so tightly together, it’s easy enough to just move with him.
James wraps our hands up to his chest as the song changes from a twangy, upbeat song to something slower, romantically melancholy, and he holds me tight as he buries his face in the top of my head. We stay that way for several songs, just swaying with the beat, pressed together so tightly I can feel his cock thickening between us.
All these questions, all this emotion inside me, but the truth is . . . whatever is happening between us, there is always a connection sparking. It’s exciting, but there’s a chance it’ll burn me up. I’m willing to be burned this time, though; James could burn me to ash right now. I sigh happily, lost in the moment, but as the song stops, he whispers in my ear, “Let’s get out of here.”
He throws money on the bar for our couple of beers, tipping a hatless salute at the waitress as we leave. We walk back to the truck and pile in, the quiet tension building between us again. I trace circles on his thigh as he drives, paying more attention to his reactions than where we’re going, so I’m surprised when I realize he’s taken me back to Outlook Point. Stopping, he backs up this time, then jumps out to lower the tailgate and sit down on it.
I hop up beside him, feet swinging loose in the air. Something’s happened in the past few minutes; there’s an awkwardness that’s not usually there between us, and I think maybe I’ve made some sort of mistake again. “James?”
He swallows and reaches over, taking my hand. “I know I said it earlier, Sophie. I think I need to apologize for bolting. I uh, well . . . I’m not sure how to say this. You know how at the beginning of the summer, we’d said, maybe not in so many words exactly, but basically that we could be casual while we’re both here?”
My belly fills with ice, and I clench my fist in my lap. I knew it! Something must’ve tipped him off before I’d even realized. Damn it, Sophie. There you go, getting feelings for a guy when he’s not willing to do the same. But . . . but I thought everything . . . fuck my life.
“James, I know we said that. And I apologize for whatever I did that scared you, but whatever I’m feeling, the fact is . . . I’m going to school in a few weeks, and you’re going back to the rodeo. So it’s fine. I’m a big girl. I can handle this right now, and whatever’s to come. I promise.”
James looks shocked and blinks before an ironic smile crosses his face. “What are you talking about, woman? I’m the one apologizing, not you. I’m sorry for getting spooked by my feelings. I—wait, what’d you say?”
We look at each other, both our jaws hanging open as it sinks in. For four days, we’ve been nervous because . . . because . . .
“Okay,” I say before my guts fail me, “we say it on one . . .”
“Two . . .”
“Three. I’ve fallen for you.”
“I’m in love with you,” James says at the exact same time before his smile widens and he leans back, while I slap my hands over my mouth, the shock and question in my eyes as James starts to smirk. “You’ve fallen for me?”
Not moving my hands, I nod. Lowering my hands a little so I can speak, I ask what has to be the dumbest question in my life. “You’re in love with me?”
He grins and nods. “That’s why I ran away last weekend. It hit me that you were going back to school and there was gonna be some other guy or, hell, guys, chasing after you. And I don’t want that. You’re mine, Sophie. And that was a scary, freak-out aha moment, and like an ass, I ran. I’m sorry.”
I run my thumb over the back of his hand, joy melting the ice I’d had in my belly just a few seconds ago. “I thought maybe I’d unconsciously done something that frightened you. But I’ll admit that I didn’t fully realize it until I was talking to Shayanne. I had an aha moment then too.”
We just look at each other in awe for a moment, before we both admit it, to ourselves and to each other. “I love you.”
My brain immediately whirls, joyful jumping and laughing mixed with questions. The questions win, and I let go of his hand to look down on Great Falls, kicking my feet out as the uncertainty of the future sweeps over me. “What now?”
James laughs. He understands that there’s a lot more than just two words in that question. “I have no fucking idea, Soph. I only know a few things for sure. One, I’ve got to ride finals in November to take care of my family. I’ve got contracts with sponsors expecting me to ride, and the better I ride, the bigger the check they cut. I can’t shirk that responsibility to my family.”
“I wouldn’t want you to shirk anything because of me,” I reply, and James smiles. “What?”
“You cut me off mid-rant,” he chuckles. “Two, I’m so in love with you that I want to spend every waking minute with you, and sleeping ones too. And three, I need to make love to you right now.”
As he says the last bit, he hops off the tailgate and moves in front of me, forcing my legs wider to accommodate his width.
Dipping down, he devours my mouth with a fiery kiss, and I can feel it. How could I have missed it before? This man loves me, and I love him right back.
Yeah, there’s a million questions that we haven’t gotten to. School, the rodeo, the ranch . . . for now, to hell with all of it. Now is the time for making love.
“Well then, Cowboy . . . how about you show your cowgirl what it feels like to fuck when you’re in love?” I tease, pulling on his shirt. I hear a button pop, but I really don’t care as the tigress inside me is fully unleashed. I kiss the warm skin of his chest, nibbling on his nipple before James chuckles and pushes me back.
“You give making love a dirty name,” he growls, smiling. “If that’s how you want it . . . yee-haw.”
James reaches down, pulling off my boots before grabbing the waistband of my jeans. I’m glad I’ve alrea
dy gotten them unbuttoned because he doesn’t pause, pulling jeans and panties off in one huge inside-out schwoomp that makes my butt thump on the cool plastic of the bed liner. I reach for my tank top, but James doesn’t care, kissing up the inside of my thighs and consuming my pussy.
“Holy fuck!” I yell breathlessly as his mouth and tongue slowly move over my wet folds, licking and sucking until I’m not sure if the stars I see are from the sky or from his tongue fluttering over my clit. I reach down, grabbing a fistful of his hair and grinding up into him, moaning deeply.
The only thing stopping me from coming in seconds is the icy chill from the edge of the tailgate, where it’s still metal, digging into my ass. It’s just enough to hold me back, and I wrap my legs around James’s head, relishing the sensations he’s creating inside me.
James lifts my hips and bites down lightly on my clit, making my eyes fly open and look down to see him staring at me, his mouth mumbling something that’s absorbed by my pussy, turning the words into more ripples that flood my body, but I get the message: no coming . . . not until we do it together. “Yes, my love. But you’ll have to be . . . oh God, you better be quick. Your tongue is amazing.”
James chuckles and pulls back, setting my ass down as he reaches for his belt. “I know. And it’s all for you.”
James undoes his jeans. I can’t see him, but I feel the wide head of his cock nestle against me, and I spread my legs wider. “All of me . . . all of you.”
Reaching forward, James grabs the tailgate before driving into me in one thrust, our hips meeting in a sharp smack that sends ripples up my spine. James grunts like a bull, and I close my eyes, holding on as he takes me hard, pounding my body and sending hot pulses coursing through me. I squeeze him, wrapping my legs around his pumping hips as he buries his face in my chest, using his chin to push my tank top down enough to capture my left nipple and bite just enough to pull me back again.
Buck Wild (Bennett Boys Ranch Book 1) Page 18