Chapter 7
Chapter seven
JOE
I had no idea why I was so nervous. It was probably because even though we didn’t specifically say that this was a date, it was the first time I’d ever dated. Yesterday, he was most definitely flirting, and it felt like he contacted me today because he was interested.
Was I misreading this completely?
Why is this so hard? When I looked at the clock, I realized I barely had time to get dressed.
Time got away from me since my last client had been nervous and we had to work through his worries.
There were also the twenty minutes that I paced around my bedroom trying to decide what I should wear.
Now he would be here in five minutes, and I was wearing only a towel.
Would it be wrong to answer only in a towel? I smirked at my own thoughts.
I grabbed a pair of well-worn jeans and pulled them up my legs right as the doorbell rang. As I rushed toward the door, I grabbed a button-down and slipped it over my shoulders, then opened the door.
“Hi.” I knew I was smiling a little too brightly.
Gentry’s eyes went comically wide, and I watched his Adam’s apple as he swallowed.
He looked amazing, but he was staring at me with his mouth open.
I looked down at myself and wondered if something was wrong.
My shirt was completely open, my torso on display, and my jeans were unzipped and unbuttoned.
I wasn’t a bodybuilder, but I kept myself in shape—I was very much on display for Gentry right now.
While he looked me over, I took further inventory of how I was dressed.
I wore no shoes or socks, and it was obvious a wore no underwear.
Did I want him to know that? This was one hell of a first impression.
“Oh, fuck. I am so sorry. Come in.” I turned around and got myself put together.
“Hi.” He said while my back was turned. “And please do not apologize for what I just experienced. It was glorious.”
I turned around and smiled. That was flirting, even I recognized it. “Well then, I am most certainly not sorry.”
He chuckled, and I liked how it sounded. “I brought cheeseburgers and Mrs. Wilson’s magic muscle ointment.”
“Why don’t we eat in the living room, and then we can work on my sore muscles. All kidding aside, I can’t believe how sore I am. You weren’t joking.”
“I told you.” He said before taking a bite of his burger, letting out a soft moan. My body responded to the sound.
“Millies has the best burgers in town. I didn’t know what to put on yours, so I got everything, and condiments are on the side.”
It was thoughtful of him to consider my tastes. Once I built my burger, I took my own bite and couldn’t help but make the same noise he did. He looked up at me, and I could see his eyes darken. Apparently, I had the same effect on him that he had on me.
We talked while we ate. I explained the basics about my family, most of which was public knowledge because my brother was married to an incredibly famous musician.
Gentry was one of the few who didn’t know much about DRACO or my history.
He asked good questions, and I noticed he was curious about where I was on my personal journey to finding my happily ever after.
After we ate, Gentry pulled out a jar of ointment.
“This stuff is magic. Everything will relax and tingle when it starts working.” We sat there for a minute, as things turned a little awkward.
“What’s wrong?”
He looked at me and smirked. “I’m contemplating offering to put this on you, but I feel like we should maybe get to know each other before I am rubbing your inner thighs and groin.”
I swallowed hard. “Yeah.” My voice was rough.
“Do you think you could put it on my shoulders and back?” That got me a smile, and I liked it.
“It would be my pleasure. Such a shame that I need you to take off your shirt.”
“Yeah. I am sure it’s a terrible thing for you.” It felt like I was getting the hang of this flirting thing. I took my shirt off, set it on the back of the couch, and turned my back to him. Gentry moved close behind me.
Close to my ear, he whispered, “This might be a little cold.” With firm hands, he rubbed my back with the salve. I was pretty sure he did the same areas dozens of times, but I didn’t mind. He let his fingers dip just below my waistband, making sure my low back was covered.
“I like tingles,” I said.
Immediately, I missed his hands on me when he stopped. It was a good time to remind myself to take things slow.
“You should do your thighs, then get in bed for the night. In the morning, repeat the process since we are going out again.”
He stood up. “I’m going to be honest here, Joe. I need to leave because I like you a lot. I know we’ve only spent a few hours together, but I feel something between us.”
“I have to agree, but why leave?”
“I want to respect what is happening. And if I stay, I don’t think I could control myself.”
“Oh. That’s— Okay.” When I stood up, he turned around to say something. His hand reached for my jaw as he brought our lips together. His tongue teased, but he didn’t ask for entry; he simply wanted to make his intentions clear.
“Yeah. I need to go. Thank you, Joe, for a lovely evening.” He walked to the door, and I followed him. He stepped out on the threshold and smiled. “It really was fun.”
At his car door, he stopped, turned around, and jogged back up the porch. He grabbed my hips, pulled me tight against him, and took my mouth eagerly. This time, his tongue sought mine, and we let them tangle together.
Unable to stop myself, a moan escaped, and Gentry pulled back, gasping. “Yeah. It was a great evening.”
Back in his truck, he waved out the window and yelled. “Can’t wait to see you tomorrow.”
When I entered my cottage, I leaned against the door. Holy shit, that was hot. He was so different from Dusty. I couldn’t wait to see him again. Being around him felt like there was an electric current under my skin, and it was something I was getting addicted to.
Once I got into bed, I realized all my sore muscles felt better than when Gentry first showed up.
I couldn’t help but recall the way his hands had felt when he rubbed my back. I wished I had insisted he apply it to my ass and inner thighs, too. It didn’t matter, though, because I got those incredible kisses, and he left because he wanted more.
If I had asked him to stay, he probably would have, but ultimately, I want a relationship, and maybe this country boy was the ticket to that. With my pillows propped up perfectly, I looked at my phone.
DUSTY
Oh? Is it that ranch hand?
I snorted when I thought about the horse named Dusty, and imagined for a moment it was Gentry’s beloved friend typing me from his barn.
JOE
Yeah. He’s a nice guy, I think you would like him.
DUSTY
Did he flirt with you?
I bet he wants you.
Dusty had made it very clear that he didn’t want any type of relationship, and we were just having fun with each other—just a couple of buddies having orgasms with each other.
I’d thought about Dusty a lot and would have pursued it more if he had been interested.
He had a small part of my heart, and the idea of not being with him felt weird.
That wasn’t something I had to really think about, though, for now, I was free to date whoever I wanted. I decided to tell him the truth.
JOE
I tried.
DUSTY
I thought I taught you better than that.
Did you show him how good you are at kissing?
His questions didn’t seem to come from a place of jealousy. It was like he was curious. Is it weird to tell the guy whose cock you sucked about kissing another guy? Can you tell him how hot it was?
JOE
Are you sure you want to talk about this?
DUSTY
Of course. I want to know if our practice has paid off.
JOE
We kissed. I liked it.
DUSTY
Could you feel his cock? Did you do anything more?
JOE
Yes. But nothing more than kissing.
I couldn’t tell Dusty his kiss made my toes curl and took my breath away. There was also no way that I was going to tell him that he was a big guy with a package to match, which I could feel through his jeans when he held me tight against him.
DUSTY
Well, we need to make sure you are ready to handle him.
I can’t wait to hear how you like it.
The conversation was strange, but it also made me horny. I still wasn’t sure how much detail I would share with Dusty, but it made me feel good that he was still a friend, even if it meant encouraging me to be with another man.
JOE
LOL. I’m always down for practice.
Going to bed. Good night Dusty
DUSTY
Good night, sexy.
It was easy to get up the next morning because I knew I would be seeing Gentry.
I was still sore, but the ointment Gentry brought helped.
There was no sense in denying that there was a spark between us.
He was honestly the first man that I felt something more than lust for.
As my thoughts started to travel down a naughty path, I got a text notification.
GENTRY
Hey. Can you be ready by 11:00 a.m.?
It was 8:00 a.m., and I needed to get a few hours of image editing done. Honestly, I would be ready for Gentry any time he asked me.
JOE
Of course.
GENTRY
Excellent. Can’t wait to see you.
At 10:45 a.m., I spun around and looked at my ass a few more times in the mirror.
Dusty told me these made my butt look biteable, so I was banking on that.
The cowboy boots gave me a little lift as well, and they did wonders for the look.
I pulled on a T-shirt and finished with an open flannel, knowing I looked like I was trying too hard. Whatever I wanted Gentry to notice me.
The sound of gravel crunching under tires was my cue that Gentry was here. I took a deep breath. Once he was out of the truck, his eyes traveled over me from head to toe and back again. We met on the way to the passenger side, his hand landed low on my back, and he guided me to the door.
After I was in, he smiled at me. “You look great. Those jeans make your ass look amazing.”
I did an internal cheer. When he ran around to the driver’s side, the smile he gave me when he climbed in made my stomach flutter. He had a great smile. Gentry’s entire presence was comforting, and I was excited for our day together.
On the drive to my brother’s house, Gentry kept glancing my way. “What?”
He blushed. “You’re cute.”
I was surprised by his comment, but I liked it a lot.
“When we get there, we will do some work in the arena like we did the other day. Then I will take you on a short trail ride.”
“That sounds good.” I already knew how sore I would be, but I needed to know how to ride, and spending time with Gentry was icing on the cake.
“I’d like to run back to the bunkhouse and shower before our date if that’s okay. Then I’ll come back to your cottage.” He looked over at me.
“Shower with me.” I blushed. “Shower me.” Shit. Why couldn’t I speak properly? “You can shower at my place.”
“Can we review the first two options? They sound pretty good to me.”
It was my turn to blush, but he smiled, and it made me comfortable. It was going to be a really good day.