9. Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Billy
M e and the builders are right in the middle of finishing one of the outer walls, when I see Cassidy’s truck pull up. “Hey, I thought you were showing up earlier, man. What gives?” I tease him.
“I had a job to do that took way longer, man. One of my clients is claiming bankruptcy.”
“Shit. Hey, if y’all don’t want to do my taxes and shit anymore, I don’t mind. Besides, I think that Piper’s going to be able to take it all over soon. She’s got a fire lit under her.”
“Yeah? She’s off to a good start, is she?” He says as we walk into the house. And that’s when I completely lose my shit and forget that her stuff is plain as day in the bedroom. “What’s that? You got company?”
“Shit.” I mutter, closing the door.
Cassidy places a hand on his hip. “What’s going on, Billy?” He asks, half concerned, half nosey as shit, as usual.
“Nothing. Hey, let’s go see Mazy. And you can meet Scout.”
His face changes into a smile, while I mentally wipe my brow in relief. “Oh, shit, she had it?”
“Yeah. Come on. Let’s go see.” I gesture with my hand for us to go to the barn. Sprout is suckling happily on Mazy, while she chomps on some hay, satisfied. “Dr. Collins says all is well. She did great.”
“Looks like it. Congratulations, papa.” He teases, cuffing me playfully on the shoulder.
I chuckle. “Thanks, asshole.”
Then he changes the subject, which I knew would happen, but at least it bought me a minute or two to come up with a cover story. “So, who’s visiting? Or did you hire someone to come in?”
“Yeah, I hired someone.” I half lie. I did hire Piper, after all, but this isn’t what he means.
“Well, aren’t you going to introduce me?”
Shit. “Uh...no. Not right now. They’re busy.”
He lifts a brow. “That’s never stopped you before, Billy.” Then he looks around. “Where’s Piper?”
“Oh, she’s gone to school, and then to her other job.”
He walks back towards the house before I can come up with an excuse for him not to. As he walks inside, Piper’s new boots are standing up by the door. Cassidy takes a second glance at them and lifts them. “These new?”
“Uh huh.” I nod, taking them from him, setting them back down on the floor.
“Billy, what’s going on here?” He asks.
“What do you mean? So, I bought new boots. What’s the big deal?”
“The big deal is these are women’s boots, man.” It takes him another moment to figure it out. He rakes a hand through his hair. “You did it, didn’t you.”
I’m about to play dumb, but I know that that won’t fly. “So, what if I did, huh? She doesn’t mean any harm. I’ve given her a roof over her head, safety, and I’m charging her rent, so this isn’t no free ride, either, if that’s what y’all are worried about. And, for the record, I don’t give a shit about what people around town have got to say about all this. It’s better than having her live on the fucking streets, and that’s the truth. So go on to hell with any of your negative comments, because I don’t give a shit.”
He folds his arms over his chest. “Good.”
I’m confused. I raise my voice an octave. “Good? What the hell do you mean, good?”
“I mean, good. I’m glad that you’re not following her around town anymore.”
“Is that all?” I demand, pissed off. “You mean you’re not going to accuse me of falling in love with her or something? And you’re not going to go blabbing about it to mama and daddy? Come on, Cassidy! You’re off your game, man!”
He’s got that look in his eyes where I can tell that he’s going to test me, and it pisses me off that I didn’t rattle him at all with what I said. “I said that you like her. I never said anything about no falling in love with her. You said that.” He points at me, and then walks away.
I stand there, dumbfounded, speechless, knowing damn well that he’s right. And I know that there’s a difference, too. He walks to the door before I can say anything, but I follow him. “Fine. Did y’all blab to mama and daddy? Should I expect mama to be coming over to check her out?”
“You know the answer to that one, Billy. Mama and daddy will be way more pissed off to hear it from someone in town. It’s much better this way.”
“Great. Thanks, asshole.” I growl.
“You mean you didn’t warn her? Or she didn’t already figure that part out, Billy? Come on, don’t play the fool. You know that she was born and raised here. She knows how it works.”
I huff. “Goddammit! Why does everyone always have to know my business!”
“Because Copper Cove is a small town, Billy. Accept it. You were the one that went and bought the damn ranch right here. You knew what y’all were up against. You made your bed and now you get to lie in it.” He gestures with his hand. “Besides, it’s not so bad. If this girl is worth her weight in salt, she’ll hold her own. She’s got a thick skin losing her folks and her house, Billy. You ask me, I don’t think y’all are giving her enough credit.”
“Oh, so now you like her?” I’m frustrated, so I bellow.
“I never said I didn’t.” He says into my face, softly, before getting into his truck. I rake a hand through my hair, done with him for today. He starts up his engine and I smack his hood, before walking away. As he pulls away from the curb, I shake my head at him, but he salutes me. The builders are minding their own business, over at the house, working away, so I walk over to the barn, where I have a punching bag hanging from the ceiling. I give it a few whacks before I hear Mazy whinny.
“I know, girl. I’ll be fine. I just need to blow off some steam is all.”
She whinnies again, and I walk over to her. She leans her snout on my shoulder, her version of giving me a hug, and I hold her close. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, girl. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.”
A playful whinny comes out of her, whether she’s reciprocating or saying thank you is any man’s guess, but I kiss her snout. “Congratulations, mama.” I say, looking over at Sprout, sleeping in the hay. “You did good, girl.”
After a few minutes with her, I’m calm again, and I go help the builders until the sun is just a tiny speck behind the horizon. The boys pack up for the day, and I head inside for a shower, and to change my clothes. I lay down on the couch for what feels like two seconds, and when I wake up, it’s the middle of the night. At first, I panic. I didn’t even hear Piper come in, but I see her car parked in the driveway, and there’s a little package in the kitchen with a note on it. She’s written that she’s gone to bed, that she’ll see me in the morning. Just the delicious smell makes my stomach growl, so I eat whatever it is, and I don’t care, because it tastes so good.
The disposable paper package goes into the garbage as I swallow down an entire glass of water in several gulps and make up my mind to go to bed as well. Walking past her bedroom, I see that her door is open enough that I can see her, plain as day, lying on top of the sheets, fast asleep. That goddamn sleep shirt she wears has ridden up so high, I can see just about everything. The moonlight peeks in from her open window, highlighting her pert breasts, her flat stomach, the short, downy hair at the apex of her thighs, and perfect, so goddamn perfect legs. It’s only a second that I see her, before I close my eyes tightly, and walk away, chiding myself for being a pervert, for even glancing into her room.
The hard-on that comes instantly nearly prevents me from walking to my own room. As I get into my room, I remove my pants immediately needing to let the circulation back to my cock. My boy is standing, almost completely erect, as I remove all my clothes, not bothering to leave my briefs on. “Just what the fuck am I going to do now?” I mutter to myself. A cold shower is going to wake Piper up, no doubt. Every time I close my eyes, I see her fucking amazing body behind my eyelids. My cock twitches, starved for attention, as images of her dance inside my head.
“Fuck.” I whisper to myself, thinking that this isn’t good for my health. Being without a woman’s attention for so goddamn long, that is. And thinking back, it’s been months since I even jerked off. My balls are fucking blue at this point. As I lay in bed, with my cock sticking straight up, and I try to think about my brother’s comments, the looks I get from people in town, and otherwise, the smorgasbord of negative shit that would turn any guy off, and it works. But not for long. As soon as my eyes close, Piper’s body returns, only this time, it’s way, way worse.
My head is on the pillow, when I feel her spoon me from behind, skating her soft fingers up my chest, while her body rests up against my back. Her nipples are hard as her legs wrap around me, and I can feel her wetness at my ass, begging for me to fuck her as hard as I want to fuck her. I turn over to face her, but she rises, straddling me, pushing my cock all the way inside, as her head rears back, riding me like a stallion. Her tits bob up and down, teasing me, until I lift to meet her, sucking them, pinching them gently, while she moans at my touch, as my cock fills her again and again.
Her tightness is my undoing, her wetness making a delicious mess, as she comes so fast, our skin slaps together in the silence. I slow only slightly as she comes down from the final wave, but I’m not finished with her yet, nor is she with me. My body gently forces her down to her back, and I thrust into her, hitting her in all the right places, fucking her both inside and out, as I feed her hungry clit with my pelvis. Her legs are spread wide, locking up already, as my lips find her nipples, and her hands find mine, sending me into a spiral of intense pleasure, matching hers. Her encore orgasm pulls me with her, and we come together like two lovers well versed.
The wetness from my hands is what wakes me. That, and the knowledge that I just jerked off all over myself. It’s everywhere. All over my belly, hands, and arms. I’m such a sticky, gooey, yet satiated mess, I have no choice but to go take a shower. Cock still at full mast, I walk to the bathroom next to her room and close the door softly. It’s the middle of the night by the clock in the bathroom. Nearly twelve thirty. But there is no choice in the matter here. The warm water washes my seed off me quickly, but my cock still stands at attention. It’s never been like this before, and I start to think that maybe being celibate isn’t such a great fit for me. But what am I to do?
Never mind that. As if I don’t have enough problems. Right now, I need to worry about getting my cock to calm the fuck down. I do a double-take at the bathroom door, knowing full well that with this being an old farmhouse, there’s no goddamn lock on it, and this is the only fucking toilet in the house. If I’m going to remedy the situation, I better do it fast. Piper’s shampoo and conditioner aren’t helping the matter, either, as her scent is all over the shower. My cock hardens fuller as the image of her naked body returns, this time to my conscious mind. I figure I have to work with what I have here, so I squeeze a dollop of the conditioner into my hand, and grab hold of my cock, pumping it hard and fast, trying like hell not to make any noise.
With my back turned so I face the wall, I think about her sucking my dick, as the head reaches the back of her throat, and I hear her moan against the shaft, enjoying it as much as I am. The conditioner is having a phenomenal effect, as I can already feel the seed making its way to the head, giving me a second, much needed release. My heart pumps fast, as my hand pumps my cock, almost in unison, and my breathing is choppy. The panting echoes inside the shower, as I come again, like a champion, grunting Piper’s name, hoping like hell that she can’t hear me over the noise of the shower.
That’s when I hear it.
Footsteps.
Her footsteps.
And I can’t be sure, but I think I hear her say, ‘oh my god’.
Fuck .
My dick still throbs, as the seed finishes spurting out of me. I'm not a hundred percent sure that that wasn’t my imagination, until I hear her footsteps again, and then a tiny knock, and a tentative, shaky voice. “Billy?” A pause. “Billy, are you okay?”
Trying not to sound as guilty as I do, I force my breathing to slow. “Yes. Yes, I’m fine, Piper. Go back to sleep.”
Shit .
This is not good. Nope. This is downright ugly. And I don’t embarrass easily, but man, this is a good one. Not even sure what to do here. Not even a little bit. I have no idea what she heard, what she saw, or if she saw anything. She may even just be checking up on me like she did last night. Not a clue. Holy fuck, what do I do? My dick shrivels as I think about this and thank God for that. It would be a lot more difficult to deny what I was doing if my dick was still like a fucking rock. Once it’s completely flaccid, I turn off the water and dry myself. Draping the towel around my waist and tucking it in, I walk out of the bathroom and stop dead in my tracks.
Piper is standing in the hallway, in just that goddamn t-shirt, and the look on her face is akin to her just witnessing a ghost. That’s when she looks down at my belly, and it’s too late. I can’t hide it with my hand quickly enough. Her hands cup her face. “Oh my God.” She gasps. “Wh...what happened? Did that just happen now?”
I have to laugh. I think I’m safe. She likely didn’t see or hear a thing. “No, darlin’. That’s a war wound, I’m afraid.”
“What...is it?” She asks, looking at it in horror. The scar is a jagged, long line, that spans from my left upper peck to just below where the towel is covering.
“I got shot at close range. Nearly killed me.” I pause. “I should be dead.” Another pause, as she observes it like it’s some alien creature. “That’s how come I got sent home with a pension, see. That’s where I got the money to build this place.”
“Does it hurt?” She finally asks.
“Naw, the one on my leg does, though. Don’t know why.” I reply, pulling my towel up a bit, forgetting that that’s all that I’m wearing. “This, this one hurts like a sumbitch when I’m dead on my feet. Which I’ll be if I don’t get my ass back into bed.”
Her shirt just covers her hairline and that’s it. “Why the hell didn’t you get yourself some decent pajamas, darlin’?” I ask her kindly.
With a self-conscious pull at the hemline, she answers. “I couldn’t sleep in it. I’ve been sleeping in this one for years. I believe it brings me good luck.”
Well, it brings me good luck, darlin’. That I know for sure . “Y’all don’t wear that in front of anyone else, do ya?”
She shakes her head no. “Never. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude or to make you feel uncomfortable.”
Yeah, she didn’t hear or see anything . “Y’all didn’t do any of that, darlin’. Now, you get on back to bed. It’s been a long day.”
That’s when she turns around, and all hell breaks loose.