by BJ Wane
“You wouldn’t have to twist my arm, Syd. Thanks,” Connor accepted, squeezing her shoulder. She swiveled her face sideways to hide the tears pricking her eyes.
“Unless you want to open the doors tonight, Grayson, I say we close the club and warm up with Sydney’s cooking. I can send out a group text to members.” Caden gave her a grateful look as she turned back around. “You had me as soon as I came in and took a whiff, darlin’.”
Grayson nodded. “Chili and a quiet night works for me. Thanks, Sydney.”
The full-time hands started trickling in, and she didn’t question their early arrival for dinner. Their faces were etched with exhaustion, their eyes still conveying their anger over the senseless vandalism. Her stomach cramped when she thought of them turning on her if they discovered their woes today were her fault. She couldn’t bear to lose not only their friendship, but their high regard.
For the first time since Sydney arrived on the ranch, Caden spent the evening with her instead of barricaded in his office. She cuddled against him on the big, leather sofa in front of the large-screened television while they watched a movie, her mind racing from having to tell him the next day she would be leaving. As much as she wanted to go home, her job at the expensive, fancy restaurant in downtown St. Louis no longer appealed to her. As nice as her two-bedroom, two-bath condo was, she knew the space would feel cramped after living on the ranch with its wide-open spaces. She missed her grandmother, her two oldest uncles and her cousins, but would miss Caden, his brother and the ranch hands just as much. Why couldn’t anything be easy?
By the time Caden tugged her down the hall into his bedroom, stripped her and tucked her into his wide bed next to him, tears blurred her vision at the thought of leaving. Before he caught sight of them, she dove under the covers and took his straining erection into her mouth.
“Sydney?”
Shaking her head against his tight abs, she refused to answer the question in his voice, instead, moaning from the masculine taste of him as she stroked over the smooth cap, catching a drop of pre-come on her tongue. He fisted a hand in her hair, his low groan rumbling under her ear, the sound curling her toes as she took him deep with a tight suction of her mouth. The veins along his shaft pulsed under her tongue, his sac weighed heavily in her palm as she cupped him, and his thick length threatened her gag reflexes while she worked to suck on as much of him as possible.
“Had I known how talented you are at fellatio, darlin’, I may not have resisted you for so long,” he growled above her.
Cocooned in the darkness, buried under the cover with the warm flesh of his rigid cock stretching her lips, Sydney basked in his praise and sought to drive him crazy. She wanted to make sure he didn’t forget her after she left, so she tormented him by bringing him right to the brink of orgasm, waited for the telltale jerk of his cock and spew of more pre-come before pulling back, replacing her mouth with her hand. He cursed and she laughed against his cockhead, tightening her hand around his girth before shifting to rub the damp crown back and forth, over her nipples.
“What? You don’t like to be kept waiting? Now you know how I felt last night.” She sighed at the lovely sensation of his sex brushing over her tender tips and then dipped her head again to lave under the rim of his cap, putting pressure on the sensitive area until he tugged on her scalp with his fisted hand in her hair.
“Enough. Come up here.”
Sydney shook her head, ignoring his demand, too afraid of what his astute gaze might pick up on her face in the moonlit room to obey him. Sliding her palm down to his base, she engulfed him in her mouth again, this time scraping her teeth along his silk-covered, hot flesh. Caden reached down with his other hand and cupped her breast, rolled the damp nipple between two fingers then delivered a sharp pinch to the tender bud. She gasped at the nip of erotic pain that caused her sheath to spasm and gush, her attention diverted just long enough for him to haul her up his body using his grip on her hair. Why she found his cave-man tactics so heart-pounding thrilling, she didn’t know, and didn’t have time to evaluate as he spread her thighs over his big body, clasped her hips and pushed her onto his cock.
“As much as I enjoyed your mouth, this,” he surged up inside her, “is much better. Ride me, Sydney.”
Slamming her eyes shut, she arched her head back until she felt her hair brush her lower back, praying he didn’t read anything more into her actions than a need to be with him. Bracing her hands on his shoulders, she rose until only his cockhead remained nestled inside her folds before lowering slowly, taking him back in one slow inch at a time. She shuddered from the pleasure of him filling her again, relishing the way his thickness stretched her to the point of discomfort before she adjusted to his possession. His fingers dug into her buttocks as he tightened his hold and took over after her next rise and fall.
“Fuck but you feel good. Let me…” He rammed up into her, bumping her womb before lifting her with effortless ease and slamming her back down with a deep groan. “Like that, just…” another lift and downward plunge, “like that.”
Tightening her hands on his shoulders, Sydney cried out with the third controlled thrust, a cry that ended in a whimper as he released one cheek to root out her clit and press the aching piece of swollen flesh against the hardness of his ravaging cock. They splintered apart together, their heavy breathing sounding harsh and meshing with the rigorous smacking together of their pelvis’ in the otherwise silent darkness. By the time her mind was starting to clear of the engulfing pleasure shaking her body, Caden was drawing her down on top of him, his voice heavy, his breath warm as he whispered, “Go to sleep, Sydney. We’ll talk in the morning.”
Caden waited until he heard the shower come on before sliding out of bed and slipping on his jeans. Shirtless and barefoot, he padded down the hall into his office, closing the door behind him before dialing Grayson’s number. Ever since he’d seen a look of horror cross Sydney’s face when she heard the news about his poisoned cattle yesterday, followed by a flash of fearful guilt in her green eyes, his worry and suspicions about her had increased. He now regretted not running a background check on her before instructing his manager to hire her after their phone interview. Everyone on the ranch had been desperate for a new cook, but that was no excuse for him not being more diligent. From the moment she’d turned her face away from peering in the window of the club to gaze with undisguised unrepentance at him, his gut had told him she could wreak havoc on his life. She had, and he’d grown to like it. Something told him his girl was in trouble and since she refused to talk to him, she left him no choice but to go around her stubbornness to get the answers he needed to help her.
“It’s too damn early for you to be calling,” Grayson grumbled with irritation upon answering.
“I need a favor.” As Caden knew he would, Grayson listened quietly as he explained his worries and what he wanted before he gave him Sydney’s license tag number to run the search, or at least start it.
“Give me ten minutes,” was all he said before hanging up.
Sydney averted her gaze when she emerged from the bathroom as he returned to the bedroom, her damp hair appearing darker around her pale face. “Hey. I’ll get breakfast started. I imagine you’re anxious to check on the cows.”
“Cattle,” he corrected her for about the hundredth time. “And yes, I’ll need to get out to the barn early.” He strode toward her and clasped her narrow shoulders, feeling the small tremble of her body at his touch. Bending his head, he nipped her lower lip before asking, “You okay this morning?”
“Yeah, sure.” Stepping back, she inched around him with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “I better get in there.”
Caden watched her scurry out, more determined than ever to get to the root of what was bothering her. He’d known all day yesterday something was up with her, but he’d been too busy seeing to his cattle and property to question her. Last night, he hadn’t wanted to disturb the pleasant interlude of having her snuggled next t
o him as they both relaxed after the long grueling day. She’d been hiding from him when she ducked under the covers to treat him to a hell of a blowjob, and by the time he’d come so hard inside her he was seeing stars, they were both too exhausted to do anything but fall asleep. Now, he wished he had pushed her for an explanation last night.
Ten minutes later, after receiving Grayson’s return call, he swore under his breath and stomped to the kitchen, armed with the information from Grayson’s first run on her. But as soon as she saw him, she turned from the stove with determination etched on her face and sadness clouding her eyes, one hand keeping a white-knuckled grip on the spatula she’d been stirring eggs with.
“I have to leave… soon,” she blurted. “I’m sorry for the last-minute notice, but it can’t be helped.”
Surprised, Caden stared at her for a moment, speechless. Fuck. “Why?” he demanded harshly, struggling to rein in his temper and loosen the tight clutch around his chest her words evoked. For the life of him, he couldn’t think of a single reason for her to tender her resignation, unless it was because of what she wasn’t telling him.
“I… I need to get back home. Something has come up.” She shifted her green eyes out the window over the sink, her slim shoulders drooping.
“Damn it.” Grasping her shoulders, he turned her to face him. “You pestered me until you got me, now you owe me more than ‘I have to leave soon’. What has happened that requires your immediate return home? Are you in trouble or does this have something to do with your family, whom you refuse to share anything about?” Frustration colored his voice but he didn’t care. Her evasiveness about her past and family grated on him. “Can’t tell me that? Maybe this will be easier for you. Why did you lie about your last name? Your license plate is registered to Sydney Greenbriar from St. Louis.” He didn’t think it possible she could turn any paler, but she did as she struggled to free herself from his grip. Releasing her, he stepped back, the anger and betrayal swirling in her eyes cutting him to the quick until he remembered she wanted to leave.
“You checked up on me? Don’t I have enough to deal with without you betraying me also?” she wailed, the despair in her voice forcing him to reach for her again. She sidestepped his grasp with a glare. “Don’t.” Her breathing hitched. “I can’t do what I have to if you touch me. Hell, I can’t even think straight.”
He didn’t have time now to question why that statement pleased him so much, or how she’d gotten to him so quickly. First, he needed to discover what had occurred to cause those flashes of fear he’d caught on her face yesterday, and again just now. “You’re my employee, and that means you’re under my protection. Do you honestly think I, or anyone else on this ranch, wouldn’t stand between you and any trouble you’re facing?” He stepped toward her again, this time ignoring her efforts to wiggle away from the press of his body against hers. Fisting her hair like he did last night, he brought her up on her toes and kissed her long and deep.
“Let me go, Caden,” she demanded in a breathless whisper when he released her lips.
“No.” He couldn’t, not without answers, not without knowing what brought on this sudden announcement and why she was so scared.
Frustration ripped through what little composure she had maintained as she jerked against him and cried out, “Damn it, he’ll come after you next if I don’t leave!”
“Who?” he returned, his concern more for her and the anguish written on her face than for himself.
“I can’t say anything else. There are people I love dearly, my family who will be unbearably hurt if they find out the real reason I left home.” That stubborn look he knew so well returned. “I owe them and won’t do that to them. I thought I had more time to work this out, but yesterday,” she turned her head away again, “yesterday proved I don’t. Now, let me go.”
Caden didn’t want to, but he wasn’t into forcing women. He stepped away from her, folded his arms and asked, “Do you know who’s responsible for poisoning my cattle?”
Sydney’s incredible green eyes turned bleak. “Yes, and no. He threatened me in town last week, but I swear, he never hinted he would come after you or your ranch, only me. I’m sorry. I know you and the others can never forgive…”
He cut her off with a scowl and two words. “Be quiet.” Caden fought to get himself under control, just the mere mention of someone threatening her threw him into a tailspin of worry and anger. “No one here will blame you. I take it you don’t have a name?”
“No, he’s a stranger, sent by… that’s all I can say.” She squared her shoulders and looked him in the eye.
He knew when he’d run up against a brick wall, but just because he couldn’t get anywhere with her, didn’t mean Grayson wouldn’t come up with something else. “You’re determined to leave?” he asked.
She turned back around to gaze out the window and replied in a soft voice, “I have to, Caden.”
“What if I said I want you to stay, and not because you’re an employee I don’t want the hassle of replacing?”
Her voice wobbled, and she gripped the counter with white knuckles. “I can’t. I’m sorry.”
Exasperated with her obstinacy, he snapped, “I don’t need you to protect me. My family’s been safeguarding this land for decades and I have the utmost confidence in the loyalty of my hands. You can’t trust me enough to tell me anything else?”
Sydney rubbed her temples, still refusing to face him. “There’s nothing you can do,” she sighed. “To reveal what’s going on would irrevocably hurt those I care about very much, not to mention the risk to you and your ranch. I will not do that.”
Caden understood the love of family, which was why he could admire the hell out of her willingness to sacrifice herself for those she cared deeply for even as he resented that was the very trait forcing her to leave, that and protecting him and the ranch. Stomping toward the back door, he snatched his hat off a hook then pivoted back around to see her still gazing out the window, her shoulders slumped with an air of abject sadness that tore at him. “I can’t stop you from running, but damn it, you’ll face me now, while you’re still here.”
She spun about and there it was, that familiar spark of defiance backed by a flare of heat she didn’t bother to hide. Even though he preferred it when she pushed his buttons with her teasing candor, he’d take this look over the misery etched on her face a second ago.
“I’m thirty-nine years old. I’ve enjoyed women I’ve been fond of, but I’ve never felt for anyone an iota of what you’ve come to mean to me. For me, that’s worth fighting for and worth taking risks for. Just so you know.”
Slamming out of the house, he pressed Grayson’s number on his cell as he strode toward the barn. As soon as he picked up, Caden snapped at his friend, “Anything else yet?”
Chapter 7
Sydney’s heart executed a slow roll at the hint of possessiveness in Caden’s gaze, the touch of caring that went beyond concern for an employee’s welfare for the first time. His gruff words were everything she’d wanted to hear without realizing it and only added to the burden of having to leave. He walked out without a backward glance and she turned back to the window to watch him cross the space between the house and barn with his phone at his ear.
She wanted to confide in him, but how could she without risking him, the cowpokes who had welcomed her with such enthusiasm, his property and hurting her family? The death of her grandfather from a stroke brought on by grief over her mother’s unexpected death had occurred less than two weeks after the funeral of their only daughter. The double blow almost cost Sydney her beloved grandmother also, and she couldn’t, wouldn’t subject her to yet another heartache, or put anyone she’d come to care for here in jeopardy. Not if she could help it. Her only hope for her own current desolation was to eventually find her way back to the ranch, and her rancher, once she returned home and confronted Uncle Mike’s threats.
The afternoon was more difficult to get through than she’d imagined. She
didn’t see Caden, and when Connor showed up before lunch followed by the sheriff, neither came up to the house to talk to her. Instead of going on her usual midday stroll, she packed up her belongings and then took scraps out to the dogs one last time, waiting for the yard to clear before slipping off. It was another thirty minutes before the hands and Connor drifted back to work and she saw the sheriff drive away.
With her throat clogged with tears and anger churning in her stomach, she tossed her bags into the car and sped down the drive without looking back. If she had, she might have seen Billy Joe and Diego coming out of the stables, eying her hasty departure with concern. Reaching the designated corner, she spotted Uncle Mike’s thug leaning against a tree, puffing on a cigarette and eying her approach with satisfaction. Pulling over, she slammed out of the car, leaving it idling as she stomped over to the woods.
“I’m here, now let’s go.” She looked around before frowning and asking, “Where’s your car?”
Tossing the bud on the ground, he grabbed her arm and yanked her toward her car. “I turned it in and hitched out here. You didn’t think I would trust you to follow me all the way back to Missouri, did you?”
She hadn’t thought that far ahead but now wished she had. There was no way she would agree to sit next to him in such close confines for the two-day trip. Pulling on her arm, she winced as he tightened his gripped. “You’re crazy. Let go of me!” she demanded.
“No.” Diving into the car keeping his hold, he pulled her in behind him as he scooted to the passenger side. “Shut it, lock it and drive.”