9. Bowen
Chapter 9
Bowen
“You’re a hard man to find when you don’t want to be found.”
I glanced up at the sound of Avery’s voice. She traipsed across the field, wading through knee-high grass. My heart squeezed at the sight of her. We’d been apart since this morning, but it felt like a lifetime.
As soon as I took a job at the Elroy ranch, I was put to work out here, driving posts into the dirt to build a new fence. Since it was a small spread of land—about twenty acres compared to the hundreds of acres at High Plains—there were only three other cowboys on the payroll and they were busy cutting hay in another field. I was grateful for the peace and quiet, along with the chance to sweat out my frustrations alone with a few hours of physical labor.
“You should have saved yourself the trouble,” I replied. “It would make your life a hell of a lot easier.”
Avery snorted.
“When have I ever picked the easier option?”
I tore my gaze away from her, focusing on the post as I settled it in the ground. It was dangerous to look at Avery too long—like staring into the sun, brilliant and beautiful.
“You haven’t been answering my calls,” she said.
I shook my head.
“I figured if I give you enough time, you’ll realize I’m holding you back.”
Avery frowned and stepped closer.
“You could never hold me back.”
The pinch of stress around her eyes was more visible now. I hated seeing her unhappy, even if she valiantly tried to hide it. I let the fence post drop to the grass automatically as I reached out to her. She curled into me, burying her face in my chest.
“Is it that bad between you and your father?” I asked.
Avery nodded.
“I left.”
It took a moment for my brain to grasp the impact of her words. No…no, that couldn’t be right. She didn’t leave High Plains permanently. Did she? Taking Avery by the shoulders, I pushed her back to look her in the eyes.
“What do you mean you left ?”
Avery met my gaze, her eyes rimmed with red, biting the inside of her cheek. My heart sank as my suspicions were confirmed.
“Since Dad wouldn’t let you come home,” she said. “I decided I’m going with you.”
“Sweetheart, I can’t stand by while you throw your life away like this. Not for me. I’m just a cowboy.”
“You’re everything, Bowen. The ranch feels empty without you. Dad has made his decision and I’ve made mine. I want to be with you.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Avery gave up a comfortable, wealthy future. For me. What if she regretted it one day?
“Avery,” I said. “I ain’t worth this.”
“It's my choice to make,” she replied, her voice strong and clear despite the raw emotions on her face. She slipped her arms around my waist, gazing up at me. “Let’s start over somewhere else. Build a life together on our own spread of land. We know how to work a ranch. We can do this.”
I brought my hands up to cradle Avery’s face. She was looked so tender and fragile after fighting with her father, but I saw the hope in her eyes too. If I was a better man, I would turn Avery down and insist that she made amends with Grady.
But I was a selfish man. After spending just one night with Avery, I wanted forever. I wanted this woman to be my wife, until the last dying breath left my body.
“I’m worried I’ll break your heart, Avery,” I whispered. “You loved that ranch so much.”
A tear slipped down her cheek. I wiped it away with my thumb. She leaned into my touch, closing her eyes with a small sound of relief.
“It’s just land, Bowen. The whole planet is full of it. I’ll never find another man like you. I’ve looked. And I always end up drifting back to you.”
She rose up on tiptoe to kiss me, her mouth crashing against mine. I stumbled back a few steps to catch my balance, grasping Avery’s waist for balance. Sliding my hands lower, I cupped her ass, pulling our bodies flush together. I slipped my tongue between her lips as she fumbled at my belt.
I broke away, glancing over my shoulder. The Elroy house was far enough in the distance, shielded by an outcropping of trees, that no one would see us out here.
“What’s the matter?” Avery said with a hint of amusement in her tone. “Suddenly feeling a bit shy?”
“Shyness has nothing to do with it." Grabbing her hand, I dropped into the grass, pulling her down on top of me. Avery sputtered a laugh of surprise as she straddled me, taking my hat off and tossing it aside. “You’re my woman. I don’t want any peeping Toms getting a look at you.”
Her big brown eyes darkened with mischief and lust. She trailed her fingers down my chest and finished unbuckling my belt.
“Is that why you ran Isaac off? You didn’t like him looking at me?”
I raised my eyebrows.
“How did you hear about that?”
“It’s a small town. Word travels fast.”
Avery peeled my fly open and caressed the tip of my cock with her nimble fingers. I swore under my breath and let my head fall back to the grass. Crystal clear blue sky wheeled overhead. Then I felt the hot tip of her tongue drag slowly up my length.
“Fuck yes, sweetheart,” I rasped.
She closed her mouth around the crown of my cock with wet heat and pressure that made my mind go blank with static. I blindly reached down and found her hand splayed against my stomach, curling my fingers around her wrist.
Then Avery broke away, followed by the rustle of clothes. I lifted my head to see her kicking off her boots, stripping off her jeans and panties. When she positioned herself over me again, I grabbed her hips to steady her. The grass itched at my back, poking me through my shirt as Avery swiped the tip of my cock back and forth through her folds a few times.
A moment later, she sank down onto me, anchoring her palms on my chest. Her eyes fluttered closed and her mouth dropped open. I couldn’t resist thrusting upward into the scorching silk of her pussy. Avery’s thighs twitched and she tipped her head back.
“Oh, God, Bowen, do that again.”
I flexed my hips, making her gasp. The sun warmed Avery’s bare legs at my waist. I slipped one hand under her shirt, tugged her bra aside, and squeezed her breast, circling my thumb over her nipple. She gave a slow roll of her hips, taking my cock deep.
I couldn’t take my eyes off her like this—glowing with sexual energy, her walls clenched tight around my shaft, half naked and so painfully beautiful that it felt like my heart might burst in my chest.
“Tell me I’m yours,” Avery said softly.
I cupped the back of her neck and drew her down to me, sealing my mouth to hers in a kiss. Pulling out, I pushed back in with a long, hard stroke that had Avery whimpering against my lips. I locked my arms around her, gripped her ass, and started a punishing pace.
Pure bliss washed over her features. She melted on top of me, tucking her face in my neck with a little whine of pleasure.
Clutching her hips, I buried my cock inside her pussy, feeling her pulse and flutter as she milked me dry. Avery clutched a fistful of my shirt, muffling her cry in my shoulder as she came. I cradled her against my chest and gritted my teeth, fighting for one—two—three more sloppy, uneven thrusts before I followed her over the edge.
“That’s my girl,” I murmured, cradling the back of Avery’s head in my palm.
I kissed her jawline, nuzzling at her earlobe. She smiled with a happy little hum.