Chapter 26
Inever considered myself a city boy. I worked in the mountains with fucking asphalt for god sake—but I was sorely underprepared for what waited for me at Lucky Spurs Ranch.
Working on a ranch is a whole new level of exhaustion. My days begin even earlier than before—too early to be called morning in my opinion—and end later.
I’d complain about the long hours if it weren’t for loving everything I’m learning from Reid and from the farrier program I signed up for. Never would’ve guessed I’d find my place with horses, but here I am, covered in their shit and smiling about it.
Reid started me out taking over the day-to-day care of the horses and facilities. Took me a few days but soon I was a pro at feeding, watering, and turning the beasts out for the day.
Now he’s got me managing supplies and coordinating with the veterinarian and other folks that work with the ranch.
He’s still managing the boarding schedule, but I’ve been shadowing him on all boarding activities since day one, so it’s a matter of time before he sets me loose with that responsibility.
I didn’t realize how burnt out I was working on the highway, but the slower pace at the ranch soothes my soul. Each morning, crossing over the property line onto the ranch drops my shoulders from my ears, and I can breathe.
Don’t have anything to rush home for each night since Delilah carpools with me nearly every day to do her own learning on the ranch. I’m more at peace than I’ve ever been that she’s safe and happy both at home and out in the world.
I’m comforted that on top of my already obsessive claim on Delilah, Reid takes over-protective to a whole new level. Nothing goes on at the ranch without him knowing about it, and he’ll kill anyone who comes to harm his family, which includes Delilah, and strangely, me.
On the odd day I’m not at the ranch or am separated from Delilah, I’m relieved her sister, Reid, James, Mr. and Mrs. Andersen, and often times Greyson or Olivia, are nearby.
Our busy schedules have helped Delilah and I ease back into spending time together, and the awkwardness has faded. We aren’t back to where we were, but it’s better, and that’s all I can ask for at this point.
It’s quitting time on Friday and the whole family’s coming out to celebrate Reid’s birthday with a bonfire. Mr. and Mrs. Andersen are tucked in for the night, babysitting Greyson’s daughter Harper, so he can let loose tonight.
“Thirty-four, huh? Last year of your early thirties,” James taunts his younger brother.
“Still younger than you, dickhead,” Reid retorts.
“Dickhead? Seriously? That’s all you’ve got? Isabelle’s made you soft.” James teases.
“I’ll show you soft.” Izzy grabs a s’mores skewer and chases a laughing James threatening to stick it up his ass.
I thought liquor would be flowing at an end of summer birthday bonfire, but that’s not the case at all. I rarely drink because it makes Delilah uncomfortable. Reid quit drinking when he got with Izzy because he’d been using it as a crutch to drown his sorrows. The others are enjoying a few beers.
Living in a house where you don’t know where your next meal is coming from, if there’ll be hot water for a shower, or light when you flip the switch, fucks a person up.
I watched Delilah crumble year after year because her parents drank and gambled everything away, and she tried desperately to hold her family and home together.
I vowed a long time ago she’d never live like that again. Having her in my apartment is only the first step.
She’s not bothered that Liv, James, and Greyson are kicking back beers like it’s water. It speaks to how safe she feels here, and that makes me happy.
The birthday bonfire is the perfect way to wind down after a long week, surrounded by the best people I know. But the relaxed atmosphere doesn’t last long.
In elementary school, we learned about Rube Goldberg machines, where one action set off a complex series of reactions. But I’ve never seen it happen in real life quite like this.
James goes to get another beer, and on his way back tickles Liv’s exposed armpit, causing her to spray a mouthful of beer into Greyson’s face.
Greyson launches out of his chair, tipping it backwards, knocking over the camping table stacked with food.
Upturned dishes slide off the table onto the picnic blanket Izzy and Reid are cuddling on.
Isabelle springs to her feet and shakes her hands to get the sludge of mixed foods off her hands. The splatter hits Delilah in the chest.
It. Is. War.
“You did not just ruin my dress!” Delilah shrieks as I try to dab the food off her chest. Don’t touch her tits. Do NOT touch her tits.
“It’s not my fault!” Izzy yells.
“Greyson, what the fuck, man?” Reid growls, trying to clean the food off himself and his betrothed. Reid gets up and takes Izzy by the hand, now laughing.
We aren’t far from their cabin, and based on the amount of fondling happening, they’ll be cleaning each other off in the shower.
“Are you fucking kidding me? Don’t blame me. I was minding my goddamn business when Liv spit in my face!” Greyson roars, looking around for his sister.
Liv and James are in a heap on the grass laughing hysterically, trying to pour beer on each other.
“That’s it!” Greyson shouts. “Goddamn it James, how many times do I have to tell you to keep your hands off my sister?”
“I don’t remember. Can you tell me again?” James chuckles.
Greyson takes off, chasing James into the woods, Liv hot on their trail egging them on, leaving us alone by the fire.
Now that the chaos is over, I turn to check on Delilah. She’s got a weird expression on her face.
I take off my hoodie and offer it to her. “Here, put this on over your dress, at least you won’t get cold.”
She doesn’t take it from me. Crackling of the fire' the only sound in the eerily quiet night.
“Then what will protect you from this?” she asks as she smashes a destroyed lemon-bar pie into my face.
I’m momentarily stunned. My sweet little doll doesn’t know what’s coming for her.
Before she can scramble away, I tackle her to the blanket. She screeches and flops around beneath me trying to get away.
“Get off me! You weigh like a thousand pounds!” Delilah laughs.
“I don’t think so!” I hold her hands over her head and smear my gooey face all over hers.
Her laughter fills me with light. My sunshine in the dark of night.
Giggling and squirming, we make a sticky mess. We’re covered in lemon-goop from our hair to our chests and have pastry in places it should never be.
Delilah bucks her hips into mine to lift me off and lets out a sharp gasp.
My fucking traitor of a dick’s hard and pressing into the thin fabric of her dress, most of which has risen over her hips.
I freeze. What do I do? Roll her off me and pretend it didn’t happen? Deny that my hard cock wants to press deeper into the juncture of her thighs?
Instead of doing anything sensible, my body takes the wheel, and I roll my hips in to her, dragging my erection along her seam. Her pupils blow out and my dick twitches. Did she like that? She doesn’t want me like that—does she?
I’m still holding her hands captive above her head, so I take the opportunity to take in her heaving chest. The lace of her bra is peeking out from the neckline of her dress, askew from our wrestling match.
Her hot cunt rolls against my dick, and I see stars. She’s dry humping me back.
I meet her eyes and find pure desire. I must’ve lost my goddamn mind because instead of ending this before it goes too far, I dip my head and lick a path from her tits to her neck, sending a full-body tremor through her.
Something inside me snaps—something that’s been drawn too tight for too long. And I take and take.
I release her hands and plant mine on the ground for better leverage as I pump my hips into her relentlessly. Her hips roll beneath me, hands frantically clutching at my shirt.
For a moment, I think I’ve died, and this is my reward in heaven for living a good life. But even heaven wouldn’t be as divine as Delilah’s hot pussy dry fucking me.
“Co…nnor. Oh my god. Don’t…stop.” She moans between pulses of pleasure.
Fuuuuuck, I’ve never heard anything sexier. My girl, the one I’ve always wanted, but thought I’d never have, is begging me to make her come.
I hope this isn’t a one time “let’s forget it happened” thing like the two times in our lives we’ve kissed. But if it is, I’m going to make the most of it.
I’m afraid I’ll ruin everything if I open my mouth, so I tease kisses and licks across her neck and chest. I can’t cross any more invisible lines tonight, so I stop myself from pulling down her bra cup and sucking her tits into my mouth.
Over the clothes, no kissing on the mouth is working for her, so that’s what I do.
Nothing’s ever felt better than this. I’ve never been so turned on and I know it’s because of the woman moaning beneath me. It’s always been her.
“Please, please Connor. I’m so close.”
Her sweet begging is my undoing, and I rut into her like an animal, triggering a body shaking orgasm from her, unintelligible moans falling from her lips.
“Fuuuuuck! Baby, you feel too fucking good.” I can’t keep it in.
It’s all too much, feels too incredible, and before I can back off, pure, blinding pleasure overwhelms my entire body, and I come in my jeans.
Hot spurts of cum are trapped by my boxer briefs, and my continued humping smears it everywhere. I don’t give a damn because that was hands down the best orgasm of my life.
Our movements slow and I rest the weight of my lower half between her spread legs, taking a moment to catch my breath.
Feet stomping through the woods get me up off Delilah in an instant, and I do my best to help straighten her dress and hair. Thankfully, the intense blush on her face is obscured by the dark and lemon pie filling.
The group filters back in, all laughter and shit talking. Izzy tosses Delilah a pack of wet wipes and a sweatshirt.
“Figured you might want to clean up,” Izzy says.
Delilah and I don’t look at each other for the rest of the night.
Back at the apartment, we take turns showering and silently get ready for bed. I can’t have her pull away from me after what we did. So when she crawls into bed, I extend my arm, offering her my shoulder as a pillow.
I might die if she rejects me. There isn’t a world where I make her come and we go back to being just friends. But tonight isn’t the time to make life changing decisions.
I’ve never been more relieved than when she snuggles into my side and relaxes into me.
Can she feel how hard my heart’s beating beneath her palm? Does she have any idea how earth-shattering tonight was for me?
Neither of us are brave enough to say goodnight, so I flick off the bedside lamp, plunging us into darkness. We’d normally have pillow talk until she falls asleep.
Typically, once she’s asleep, I kiss the crown of her head and smell her vanilla-infused hair—greedy for any piece of her I can get.
But tonight, my girl surprises the hell out of me. Just when I think she’s ready to fall asleep, she turns her face into me and places a tender kiss on my pec.
That kiss tells me she’s open to what happened tonight, and she’s not closing the door on this new level of intimacy.
Her small offering sealed her fate.
Delilah is mine.