Chapter 10 Elliot
ELLIOT
“Thank you for taking me shopping,” Kayleigh says as we drive under the arch to Bishop Ranch.
The back seat is filled with shopping bags, all gifts for her family.
Plus all the wrapping materials she’ll need since I own none of that shit.
I haven’t wrapped a present in over two decades, when Adam’s mom…
My phone rings, effectively killing the memory that has no business surfacing after all this time.
I answer on speaker.
“You two done playing house yet?” Max asks through the speaker.
“We were in town,” I fire back, pretending I don’t notice the smirk on Kayleigh’s face.
“Shopping. I heard.”
“What do you need, Max?”
“Having a little trouble with Misty.”
“What kind of trouble?”
“She’s not letting anyone get a saddle on her back. She’s been, well, grumpy today. And you know Misty. That’s out of character for her.”
Misty is the horse I would consider the easiest to saddle even on the worst day.
My stomach twists in worry. It doesn’t matter that there’s a box of condoms tucked in one of those shopping bags, or that it’s Kayleigh’s last night on the ranch before I take her to the airport and quite possibly never see her again. My animals are everything to me.
“We’re headed your way.”
I flash a weak smile to Kayleigh in apology, but she just shakes her head.
“This is important, Elliot. And I want to help.”
And help my angel does. Kayleigh—soon to be Dr. Kayleigh Kingston in the not-so-distant future—doesn’t hang back when we arrive at the main stable. She immediately assesses Misty as Doc Albertson would. She takes charge, asking all the right questions all the while keeping Misty soothed.
By the time the on-call vet arrives, she’s made a diagnosis.
But Dr. Jenkins isn’t convinced. The smug way he looks down at her, as though she’s nothing without that final semester of schooling, makes me want to punch him square in the nose. I refrain, because I don’t feel like going to jail on Kayleigh’s last night with me.
And also because Dr. Jenkins is the only authority who can write the prescription for the medication Kayleigh recommended.
I make my decision in a single heartbeat.
The second Kayleigh is an official licensed veterinarian, I’m hiring her full time for the ranch. Doc Albertson has expressed interest in retirement more than once, and there’s not a chance in hell I’m allowing this ass clown Dr. Jenkins to run the show.
“Why don’t you try saddling her once more?” The ass clown suggests.
“What? Why?” Kayleigh protests. She looks to me, a pleading expression on her face. “You’re only going to aggravate her more.”
“I want to see how she reacts,” Dr. Jenkins insists. “Before I prescribe the GastroGard.”
“That’s not necessary,” Kayleigh argues. “I’ve already told you—”
“Where are you studying?” Dr. Jenkins looks at Kayleigh, venom in his eyes. I know what the ass clown’s trying to do, and there’s no way I’ll fucking allow him to mess up Kayleigh’s future. But this is not the time to have a dick measuring contest.
“Fine, I’ll do it,” I tell him.
“Elliot—”
“The sooner Misty gets the medicine, the better, right?” I ask, my gaze fixed on Kayleigh.
She nods, though the worried expression doesn’t fade from her face.
Misty allows me to saddle her, but not without serious reservations. Dr. Jenkins is ready to write this whole thing off as a bad day for the mare, which is the only reason I hop into the saddle.
It’s the same reason I’m thrown from her back almost instantly.
I wake to the sound of the door creaking open in my dark bedroom. Everything fucking hurts. I didn’t break any bones, but I did threaten to sue Dr. Jenkins for every last dime he’s worth if he ever stepped foot on my ranch again.
“You sleeping?” Kayleigh whispers from the doorway.
“Hardly.”
She approaches the bed, and it’s only when she’s standing at the side of it that I notice she’s not wearing any clothes—no stolen T-shirt, no panties, no fuzzy Christmas socks. She’s completely naked.
“Sweetheart, I’m not really up for—”
“Shh,” she says, climbing onto the bed and settling herself between my legs. She runs her hands up my thighs softly, and my dick forgets I’m in a ridiculous amount of pain from the fall. It lurches to life, well aware the pussy it’s been craving is nearby. “I’m here to take care of you, Elliot.”
“I’m not very good at allowing anyone to take care of me.”
“So this’ll be good practice.” She tugs off my boxers and lowers her mouth to my eager cock.
My eyes fall shut as her tongue dances around my shaft.
But only for a moment, because I’m desperate to watch her enjoy my cock.
The soreness in my body subsides as pleasure seems to stream through my veins.
Kayleigh sucks my cock with leisure, as though she’s in no rush.
As though there is no plane to catch tomorrow.
“I want you here, Kayleigh,” I insist.
“I’m here right now.”
“I want you to stay. After the contract is up.”
She lifts her head from my cock, and I almost regret saying anything.
But then she lifts onto her knees, bracketing them on either side of my hips.
She means to sink onto my cock, but the box of rubbers I bought are somewhere in the front of the house.
Because I haven’t entertained a woman in this bedroom in longer than I care to admit, I don’t have any condoms handy.
“Kayleigh—”
“I want this, Elliot. I want you.”