5. Bowen
Chapter 5
Bowen
I stared at the ceiling in the dark. Another minute dragged by on the glowing red letters of my clock, reading 12:11am.
At this rate, I wasn’t going to get any sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw that kid on the porch with Avery. A pocket knife clutched in his white-knuckled grip. The oily glide of his voice when he dared to call her baby .
With a growl of frustration, I pushed myself up into a sitting position. I might as well make myself useful. Grady had pressured the sheriff into leaving an officer on watch outside the house for Avery’s protection, but it wouldn’t hurt to have an extra set of eyes on the lookout for that fucking creep.
After getting dressed and making the strongest coffee I could bear, I poured myself a cup and stepped outside, settling into a chair. The foreman’s cabin was directly across from the boss’s house, affording me a clear view of the front door and the side entrance to the kitchen.
My gaze shifted upward to the second floor where Avery’s room would be, located above the living room. I’d caught her climbing out that window before, sneaking off when she thought Grady wasn’t looking. Since her window was dark, I hoped that meant she had better luck getting some sleep than I did.
Halfway through my cup of coffee, a light flicked on in the kitchen. I caught a glimpse of Avery at the window, browsing the refrigerator, poking through cabinets. Then the light shut off, and the house was quiet again.
I barely breathed as I waited and watched. Finally, I relaxed back into my seat.
Then the side entrance to the kitchen opened. A figure emerged, shrouded in shadow, but I didn’t need to see her face to know it was Avery. She hesitated for a moment, her shoulders hunched up and her arms crossed against the cool night air.
She hurried across the stretch of open land between her house and my cabin.
What the hell was she thinking? Walking around in the middle of the night…
Maybe something was wrong. Avery wore an oversized sweater, and a pair of tiny pajama shorts with a lace ruffle that barely covered her ass. What could have dragged her out of bed in such a rush that she hadn’t bothered to get dressed properly?
Avery came to an abrupt stop, about halfway between her house and my cabin. She shook her head and wavered on the spot. Running a hand through her hair, she seemed…torn.
An owl hooted nearby.
She flinched, scanning her surroundings.
Definitely skittish. Probably hadn’t slept a wink all night.
She picked up her pace, more determined than ever to reach my cabin. Just as she raised her hand to knock at my door, I spoke.
“It’s a little late for a social call, don’t you think?”
“Fuck! Goddamn it, Bowen, you scared me half to death. What are you doing out here?”
“I could ask you the same question,” I replied. “I’m keeping an eye on the house. Couldn’t sleep.”
Avery sighed and fiddled with the cuff of her sleeve.
“I hate this,” she muttered. “I’ve put everyone on edge.”
“That kid is the one making a nuisance of himself. Not you.”
I held out my coffee cup and beckoned her closer. She accepted, and took a sip, grimacing at the taste.
“Not even a splash of milk? A dash of sugar?”
I chuckled.
“Cowboys always drink it black, darlin’. You should know that by now.”
“It won’t kill you to sweeten the pot just a little,” she replied lightly. “You might actually like it.”
“That’s a luxury reserved for the boss’s daughter,” I countered.
Avery went quiet, tracing the lip of the mug with her thumb. Rising to my feet, I stepped closer until I felt the faint warmth of her body heat emanating from her. I should give us both some breathing room. But the late hour, coupled with Avery’s skimpy clothes, made me even more protective than usual.
“Why are you here, Avery?” I asked softly. “You could have stayed inside. You could have talked to Grady. Or Birdie.”
She kept her gaze downcast, making every effort not to look at me despite our close proximity.
“They were asleep.”
“You were about to knock on my door and wake me up,” I pointed out.
Avery cradled the mug in her hands, chewing her lower lip. She stared into the depths of the cup until I gently pried it from her fingers and set it on my chair. She fidgeted for a moment, then folded her hands behind her back, leaning against the wall of my cabin.
“I feel safe with you,” she whispered.
Finally, Avery dragged her gaze up to meet mine.
Well…shit. One simple phrase had my heart hammering against my chest. I wasn’t that easily swayed though. Avery was good at flirting, saying all the right things that turned men to putty in her hands.
“I bet you use that line on all your boyfriends,” I said, my voice a low rasp.
Avery shook her head.
“Then you would lose that bet.”
This was…dangerous. Skirting along the edge of something we both wanted but couldn’t have.
“You should go back inside, Avery,” I said, barely audible in the stillness between us.
She lowered her gaze and reached out, hooking two fingers under my belt buckle with the slightest tug.
“I want to stay with you.”
My eyes slipped closed. I inhaled, slow and deep, to steady myself. Every bone in my body wanted to wrap Avery in my arms and keep her safe all night long. I would rest easier that way, knowing Isaac Farley couldn’t lay a finger on her when she was sleeping next to me, wrapped up in my sheets.
“Avery—” I started to say, opening my eyes.
But the sweet heat of her lips met mine, cutting me off.
Fuck, she tasted perfect .
I should have pushed her away.
I should have told her no.
My resolve melted like butter. My hands settled on her hips, pulling her close. Avery slid her arms around my neck, pressing her body flush against mine. I could feel everything through the thin layers of her clothes—the swell of her breasts, the curve of her hips, the stiff peaks of her nipples from the chill.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, a warning bell tried to bring me back from the brink of destruction.
You are kissing your boss’s daughter, in full view of his fucking house!
Too late. The dam had shattered. There was no going back now.
I cupped Avery’s cheek, pressing her lips open with my tongue. She whimpered, grabbing a fistful of my shirt with a yank. I stumbled forward a step, pinning her against the wall.
Gripping my wrist, Avery guided my hand between her soft thighs.
“Touch me,” she murmured against my mouth. “Please, Bowen.”
The last shred of my self-preservation vanished in a puff of smoke. I buried my face in her neck, pressing the flat of my tongue to her throbbing pulse. Tugging her little shorts aside, I found no underwear to impede my goal as I grazed my fingertips over her clit.
The vibration of Avery’s moan on my tongue awakened something feral inside me. If Isaac Farley was lurking around here, circling like a vulture, I hoped he saw us like this. I wanted him to witness the way Avery went boneless with pleasure when I slid two fingers inside her slick heat. I wanted him to hear that beautiful wrecked sound when I sucked on her neck, matching the rhythm of my fingers, curled knuckles-deep inside the vise-like grip of her pussy.
“Grind on me like a good girl,” I growled, nipping at Avery’s earlobe.
She gasped, circling her hips in a sloppy, desperate motion. Grabbing the back of my neck for leverage, she tipped her head back, eyes closed as she fucked herself on my fingers. I brushed my thumb against her clit with just enough friction to give her a taste of the pleasure she chased.
“Up,” I said.
Avery grabbed my shoulders and hoisted herself up, hooking her legs around my waist. Using the wall to support her back, I could finger her harder, drumming her g-spot. Her walls fluttered and tightened.
Her arms trembled as she barreled closer to her orgasm. Seeing her shaking with pleasure instead of fear only spurred me on even more, fueling my all-consuming desire to watch her come because of me.
A cool breeze kissed the back of my neck, a stark reminder of how exposed we were. I withdrew my fingers, pressing my palm to Avery’s hip. She whined with disappointment, breathing hard.
“Why did you stop?”
“Your father—”
“Don’t,” she cut in.
“He’s made it very clear that his ranch hands shouldn’t touch you. And I…”
I trailed off when I breathed in the scent of her arousal—sweet and thick in the air. We were seconds away from fucking.
With a huff, Avery unhooked her legs and lowered herself to the ground. Just as I thought she would turn away and storm back to the house, she started unbuckling my belt. I caught her hands.
“Avery, stop.”
“No,” she shot back. “I know for a fact that you’re not a coward, Bowen.”
I arched an eyebrow. If she had been anyone else, she would have been decked for talking to me like that.
“It has nothing to do with being a coward,” I replied. “I owe your father every respect in the world for taking me in, giving me a purpose—a job.”
Avery leaned in closer until her lips nearly touched mine. Then she slipped one hand lower, cupping my achingly hard cock through my jeans. I gritted my teeth, fighting back a moan.
“Don’t you ever feel like doing something you want for a change?” she asked.
When I didn’t respond, Avery managed to free part of my shirt from my belt and skimmed her fingers with a feather-light touch up my torso. Then she dragged her nails down my stomach with a sharp sting. My cock twitched against the weight of her palm.
“What if I said this is what I wanted?” she added.
“Don’t make me choose between you and your father, Avery,” I said through my teeth. “Please.”
At first, she was quiet. I almost expected her to retreat, but I should have known she wouldn’t give up that easily. Nuzzling into my neck with the most delicate little kisses, her lips curved up against my skin with a smile.
“Claim me,” she said. “Prove that I was meant to take every inch of your cock. I saw the disgust on your face when Isaac was talking to me on the porch. Make me yours, Bowen. Stop holding back and show every man in Ash Ridge that I belong to you.”
Fuck .
She moved to my front door and opened it, glancing back over her shoulder at me. Then she disappeared inside.
I blew out a breath. How could she play me so easily? How could she pluck my deepest, most carnal desire from my mind when I hadn’t even admitted it to myself?
It was wrong on every level. Avery needed protection, not sex. She was younger than me by over a decade.
I turned to face my chair, with my half-empty cup of coffee still resting on it. Knowing that Avery was inside my home—my personal, private living space—wearing those lacy little shorts, no underwear. Knowing the taste of her lips and the silken heat of her pussy wrapped around my fingers. How could I possibly sit out here until sunrise?
…show every man in Ash Ridge that I belong to you.
I thought I was better than this. I thought I could ignore the hollow pit in my chest when I heard Avery talk about her desire to have a husband and kids one day.
But Isaac Farley changed everything, with the predatory hunger in his gaze when he looked at her. To him, she wasn’t Avery. She was something to be conquered, a trophy to display on his wall like the pelt of an animal.
I wouldn’t stand by while a sack of shit like him thought he could get away with treating my woman like that.
Opening the door, I stepped inside.
Avery waited for me in the cramped little entryway, nothing like the grand foyer of her father’s house. Her boots were kicked aside, and her shorts were a pool of fabric on the floor.
The only thing she wore was that big, loose sweater, brushing the top of her bare thighs.
After toeing off my own boots, I took Avery’s hand, smoothing my thumb over her knuckles. When I tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, she leaned into my touch with a hum of contentment.
I was going to lose everything for her.
And I knew it would be worth it.