10. Penny
Chapter 10
Penny
Steam billowed around me as I stepped out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around my body. Pausing on the threshold, I drank in the sight of my cowboy sitting on the edge of the bed. This morning, he was dressed in jeans and a white T-shirt, and if it weren’t for my battered pussy needing a break, I would have jumped his bones all over again.
His eyes lifted to where I stood as he tucked his phone away.
“They’re mad, aren’t they?” Anxiety twisted my gut into knots. While I was in the shower, Tripp had called home. Yesterday had been such a whirlwind, and I hadn’t stopped to think much about the impact of my runaway bride act.
Shaking his head, he ran a hand through his black hair. “They just wanted to know that you’re safe.”
“Of course I’m safe. I’m with you.”
That brought a small smile to his lips, and he clarified, “I think the concern was more for your emotional well-being. Yesterday was . . . a lot.”
My left hand twitched. “How much did you tell them?”
“Everything. ”
I arched an eyebrow, shooting a pointed look toward the bed. “Everything?”
He huffed out a laugh. “Well, not everything . But they know about your little groom switch.”
“Okay . . . Did you happen to ask when they expect me to return to the ranch?” I wasn’t ready to go back, but there were responsibilities I couldn’t ignore.
“You’re gonna stay on the road with me and the team.”
Twisting the terry cloth beneath my fingers, I hedged, “But I work for your father.”
“No, Lucky, you don’t. Not anymore.”
My stomach bottomed out. “Oh God, your dad fired me, didn’t he?” Tears spilled down my cheeks before I could stop them.
“What?” Tripp was on his feet in an instant.
Watery hiccups bubbled up from my chest. “M-maybe if you let me talk to him. I can ex-explain.”
“Hey, hey, hey.” Tripp gripped both sides of my face. “Listen to me. He can’t fire you.”
“But you said—”
He cut me off before I could spiral further. “What I said was that you don’t work for my father anymore. Your new last name is twisted in iron over the front gate. You’re not an employee, Penny. You’re a part owner.”
A rush of air escaped when my mouth dropped open, and the truth of his words sank in. I knew marrying Tripp made me a Sullivan, but it all happened so fast, and I’d been so caught up in him—and the wedding night—that I hadn’t realized the full scope of what my name change brought along with it.
My lips twisted into a grin. “I’m my dad’s boss? ”
“Don’t be getting any crazy ideas into your head, girl. I said part owner, not the primary owner.”
“But someday, right?” Excitement built with each passing minute.
Tripp dipped his chin. “If that’s what you want.”
“Oh, I want.” I bounced on my toes.
Shaking his head on a laugh, Tripp remarked, “Darlin’, you are Trouble with a capital T.”
“Wrong musical, big guy. We’re from Oklahoma . And you know what that means, don’t you?”
He hung his head. “Oh boy, do I ever.”
I curled my fingers in a gimme motion. “Better hand over your phone now because I’m gonna be singing show tunes all the way to Abbyville.”
“Which I feel the need to point out is not in Oklahoma.” He dropped his cell into my waiting palm.
“Doesn’t matter,” I chirped before pecking him on the cheek.
“Didn’t think it would.”
Our playful exchange was exactly what I needed to set my mind at ease.
While I didn’t regret marrying my best friend for one minute, I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t worried about how having sex would impact the relationship we’d spent decades building. Turned out we’d only built on that rock-solid foundation by committing to forever.
Our hasty departure from Rust Canyon left me without a change of clothing, so we made a quick pit stop to acquire a few essentials on our way to Abbyville, where the rodeo team was stationed for the weekend .
It was mid-afternoon when we pulled into the rodeo grounds, and Tripp parked his truck near the horse trailers emblazoned with the Sullivan Ranch logo on the sides. Hopping out, I squinted before raising my hand to shield my eyes from the sun.
“Damn, not a cloud in the sky,” I mused.
Fingers circled my wrist, tugging my hand away. Before I could even ask Tripp what he was doing, my view of the world became shaded.
I beamed up at him like he was my personal hero—who was I kidding? He always had been—when I realized he’d given me his hat.
“Thank you.” My cheeks grew heated.
Tripp curled two fingers beneath my chin, tilting my face upward. “Can’t have my best girl getting burned.”
The man had called me his best girl countless times, but this was the first time I felt it down to my toes.
“Marks for chivalry,” I teased with a smile. “But what’s going to protect this handsome face?” My touch grazed over his cheekbones above his black stubble.
“How about after I check in with the team, we can browse the vendors, and I’ll buy you a new hat?”
I tugged on the wide brim of the hat resting atop my head and flashed him a cheeky grin. “I’ve grown quite attached to this one.”
“Okay.” Tripp chuckled. “We’ll buy me a new hat. Better?”
My head bobbed on an enthusiastic nod. “Uh-huh.”
His eyes lifted skyward in a fake show of annoyance. “It’s a good thing I love you.”
I moved closer, pressing my lips to the base of his throat, murmuring against his skin, “I love you, too.”
Tripp’s arms curled around my waist, hauling my body flush. Without an inch of space separating us, I could feel the contented hum vibrating through his chest. “Waited my whole damn life to hear you say those words. Almost gave up hope of ever hearing them spill from your pretty lips.”
As I snuggled deeper into his hold, a peace settled over my soul. “I love you, Tripp. And I’ll say it every day until I die.”
Fingers tangled in my hair, left loose down my back. “I’m gonna hold you to that.”
Didn’t he get it? Loving him was as easy as breathing.
I couldn’t explain the pull I felt when he was near, and in the back of my mind, I wondered if perhaps we’d been born to be together.
Now that I was his wife, we never had to be apart.
Talk about a dream come true.
“Penny Atkins, is that you?”
Ricky Patterson lifted the brim of his hat and blinked a few times before rubbing at his eyes. When his hands fell away, and it sank in that my appearance wasn’t a figment of his imagination, he cocked his head to the side. “What in the world are you doin’ here? Aren’t you supposed to be getting married?”
“I did.” I brought my left hand into view, wiggling it so the modest diamond gracing it glinted in the sunlight.
His brows drew down in confusion. “Well, where’s your husband, then?”
“You’re looking at him.” The rich baritone of Tripp’s voice had my thighs clenching as he stepped up behind me, stuffing his hand into the back pocket of my jeans .
Ricky tracked the move with wide eyes and let out a low whistle. “Well, I’ll be. Gotta say I’m relieved because, for a minute there, it looked like you two weren’t ever going to figure it out.”
I leaned into Tripp’s strong form, craning my neck to peek up at him. “This cowboy cut it close, so don’t let him tell you otherwise.”
His free hand wrapped around my waist, giving a gentle squeeze. “Timing doesn’t matter so long as I’m the one who got you in the end.”
Patting his cheek, I conceded, “So true, baby.”
Tripp turned to address Ricky. “How’d the rides go last night?”
Ricky dipped his chin. “As expected. Only one rider managed to stay atop a Sullivan horse until the buzzer sounded. He’s sitting at the top of the leaderboard.”
“Must’ve been impressive.”
“It was. Wish you’d been here to see it.”
Tripp’s voice grew husky, and his fingers flexed. “I don’t. The ride I witnessed was better.”
A small shriek passed my lips, and I turned to bury my face in Tripp’s chest, my face flaming at the sound of Ricky’s booming laughter.
“No point in arguin’ with that.” Ricky leaned his arm on the fence post beside him. “You joining us for the season, then, Penny?”
I lifted my head to find Tripp smiling down at me. “That’s the plan.”
“A rodeo honeymoon. Seems fitting for a stock contractor and his wife.”
Tripp’s eyes searched mine. “That okay with you, Lucky?”
“More than okay,” I assured him. “Wherever you are, that’s where I want to be.”
I was a country girl to my core. Being surrounded by animals and cowboys while being treated to a nightly show was just fine with me.
Bright lights flooded the arena where the bull riding competition was in full swing while we watched on from the staging area. Tripp was tall enough to fold his arms atop the gate, but I was forced to stand on the second rung to be treated to an unobstructed view of the madness. While I could find beauty in the movements of both the bull and its rider, it was sheer insanity to even attempt to hop on the back of a two-thousand-pound bucking beast.
The buzzer sounded on a successful ride, and the cowboy landed on his feet in the dirt with a whoop before he took off running.
“Sully, who’s your friend?” a voice called out from our right.
Tripp and I both turned our heads in that direction to find a handsome young cowboy in his early twenties on approach. He was dressed in a flannel and jeans with chaps fastened overtop, and the number pinned to his vest indicated he was set to compete tonight. There was a charming grin plastered on his face and interest lit up in his eyes when his gaze swept me from head to toe.
Tripp tracked the move and let out a displeased grunt.
Ooh, I liked him jealous.
Hopping down from my perch, I extended a hand and introduced myself, “Penny.”
“Hello, Penny. I’m Tate.”
His grin grew wider, and when he pulled my hand toward his mouth to drop a kiss onto it, I was yanked backward into a solid wall of muscle, forcing the air from my lungs with an “oof. ”
A surprised laugh fell from Tate’s lips as he shifted his eyes to the man at my back who had a possessive arm locked around my waist. “More than a friend. Got it.”
“Much more.” Tripp’s voice had grown deeper, and I had to suppress a moan. “Penny,” he said right beside my ear. “Tell Tate your last name.”
My stomach flipped at his commanding tone.
“Sullivan,” I breathed out. The dull throbbing between my thighs intensified, and I shifted on my feet, feeling him harden against my ass.
“Sister?” Tate hedged slowly.
“Try again.” Tripp sounded so damn smug.
“Cousin?”
“Getting colder.” Stubble abraded the side of my neck as he shook his head.
“Don’t tell me you’re his wife, darlin’, because there’s no way Sully suckered someone as beautiful as you into marrying him.”
A giggle worked its way up my throat at the compliment, combined with the insinuation that I was the one who was too good for Tripp. It was totally the other way around.
“Not sure what’s so damn funny about it,” Tripp grumbled. His tone grew sharper when he addressed Tate. “Swear to God, if I catch one of you young guns sniffing around her like she’s another one of your buckle bunnies, I won’t stop until I get your ass kicked off the tour.”
“Okay, okay, I got it.” He held up his hands in surrender. Tipping his hat to me, Tate backed away. “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Sullivan.”
“Mm-hmm.” I gave him a nod, ready for him to buzz off so I could get my husband alone after that little flash of alpha male he’d let peek through.
When Tate finally turned his back on us, I pulled out of Tripp’s hold. He gripped the back of his neck, “Pen, I—”
“Shut up,” I cut him off.
He zipped his lips so quickly that mine twitched, trying to hide a smile at his instant obedience.
Grabbing his hand, I tugged, pulling him behind me as I ran through the staging area toward where I knew his truck was parked. When we got there, I slammed him against the exterior and immediately went to work on his belt buckle.
Tripp’s fingers circled my wrist, halting me. “What the hell are you doing?”
I arched an eyebrow, cocked my head, and gave him the look that told him I was in charge now.
Sighing, his hand fell away.
Tripp was bigger, stronger than me. If he wanted to stop me, he could. His submission was a gift—one I cherished.
Not wasting a single second, I unfastened his jeans, dragged down the fly, and reached inside his boxers to free his cock. He hissed when my hand curled around the hot length, his head dropping back against the truck.
“Penny, you’ve got my dick out in public.”
I tightened my hold, stroking him from root to tip and pulling a deep groan from his chest. “I know. So hot, right?”
His eyes slid closed, and he swallowed roughly. “No, not hot.”
“Try to relax, baby,” I cooed, pressing a kiss to the underside of his jaw.
“Hard to do that when all I can think about is how you’re gonna get us arrested.”
Clicking my tongue, I chided, “You worry too much.”
“And you don’t worry nearly enough,” he rasped back.
A smile pulled onto my lips. “Take a walk on the wild side with me, Tripp. Let me show you how good it feels to be bad, baby. ”
He grunted, chin dipping so I had the perfect view of those striking baby blues. “No point in pretending there’s any chance of stoppin’ you once you’ve gotten an idea into your head.”
I dropped to my knees in the dirt, licking the underside of his shaft and moaning at the taste of the precum gathered at the tip. “My husband is a very smart man.”
Humming, Tripp stared down at me, shaking his head. “So much trouble, wife.”
“All the best kinds,” I retorted before swallowing him down.
“Fuck.” His hips thrust involuntarily, pushing his cock to the back of my throat, and I gagged.
His hands fell to my head, fingers sliding through the strands of my hair as he tried to wrench me off. With tears streaming down my face, I shook my head, gripping his ass to keep him buried deep.
“Penny,” he panted. “Don’t want to hurt you.”
Sliding off his length with a wet pop, I sucked in a deep breath. “Fuck my throat, Tripp. I can handle it.”
“Jesus. You’re gonna be the death of me.”
“Would make for a one hell of headstone,” I teased. “Here lies Tripp Sullivan, whose wife sucked the life right out of him through his cock.”
Cupping his balls, I reassured him, “I promise you won’t die from a blow job, baby.”
He hummed his disagreement but didn’t try to stop me when I parted my lips to take him back inside my mouth. In fact, he even gave a tentative roll of his hips, testing how it felt to thrust as I bobbed on his dick.
That’s my good boy.
My lips were stretched to the max as I focused on breathing through my nose and relaxing my throat muscles to take him deeper. When he hit the back of my throat this time, he didn’t pull away, and a thrill of victory shot through me that he was willing to step outside his comfort zone. For me.
I swallowed around the head of his cock, and the deep groan from above had my eyes lifting. I wanted to watch his pleasure, knowing I was the cause.
Tripp’s jaw hung slack, his brilliant blue eyes practically glowing in the darkness as he stared down at me.
Damn, he was beautiful like this, but it was even more breathtaking when he fell apart.
Hollowing out my cheeks, I sucked for all I was worth, dragging my mouth along his stiff shaft. Saliva dribbled from my chin, my motions growing sloppier, messier, with each passing minute.
Come on, baby, take charge.
Like he’d heard my silent plea, Tripp gripped both sides of my head and held me steady while he fucked my face hard and fast.
I moaned around him, loving that he’d turned me into a warm hole for his use, grunting louder as his pace grew punishing the closer he drew to climax.
His thrusts became erratic, and on a guttural groan, his cock thickened as he pushed deep one last time, forcing me to swallow as he unloaded down my throat. Greedily, I gulped down his cum, loving that I was the only woman on this earth who would ever be granted the intimate knowledge of his taste.
Tripp slumped back against the truck, breathing heavily above me. I licked my lips, cleaning them of every last trace of his essence before rising to my feet. Then I tugged his head down to meet mine and thrust my tongue inside his mouth. He groaned when his own flavor coated his tastebuds, and he hauled me closer .
Breaking away when we were both breathless, I pressed two fingers to the pulse point beneath his jaw. It thumped rapidly beneath my touch, and I smirked. “Well, would you look at that? Still alive.”
Rolling his eyes at me, he huffed out, “Barely.”
I pursed my lips. “So grumpy for a man who had his balls drained. Maybe I missed some. I should go back down and double-check.” I dipped slightly, bending my knees like I was about to drop to them again.
His big palm landed on my backside, and I squealed.
“I’ve been wanting to spank the brat out of you for years,” he growled.
“Don’t tempt me with a good time.”
“Damn, it’s going to be a full-time job tryin’ to tame you.” Tripp shook his head.
I patted his cheek. “Oh, baby, it’s adorable you think that feat can be accomplished.”
Groaning, he replied, “You drive me insane.”
“The only place we need to be driving is back to the motel so you can fuck me like you hate me.”
There was zero hesitation in him spinning us around so he could wrench the door open and lift me onto the passenger seat.
We were only one day into this marriage, and I was already having the time of my life.