Chapter 14
POV: Abby?
The ride back was excruciating on horseback, just like I thought it would be.
It hurt like hell, but I mustered through it, because in truth—I was far from weak, though I wanted a man to dominate me, I had strength of my own.
We rode in mostly silence, sneaking quiet glances at each other and at the slow moving sunset.
I was in desperate need of a shower after our escapades, and when I threw my leg over the horse to unsaddle, Cole had already beat me to it. He offered his hand, with his usual look and helped me off my horse.
“Thanks.” I felt myself blushing, though I already knew what it felt like to have him inside me. It was a simple bit of intimacy that was so different from his usual demanding roughness. “You owe me a ride back,” I joked, walking towards his truck.
“Stay.”
I froze in place.
Don’t turn around Abby, don’t. You’re probably hearing things.
I closed my eyes and heaved in a breath.
Then I heard his voice again, this time his tone was deeper. “Stay tonight.”
I wasn’t imagining it.
It was real.
I thought about saying no but I knew deep deep down, I didn’t want to.
Besides, I was off work today.
I turned slightly on my feet and studied him.
His gaze was the same as it always was. Stiff. Unemotional. Steady eyes. Controlled breathing.
But beneath his calm, controlled demeanor, I felt something else.
Genunity.
He meant what he asked.
I nodded.
Then he nodded and headed towards a large cabin that was off center from the rest of the properties.
I followed after him with hesitant steps but also with anticipation building inside me.
He asked me to stay with him, at his ranch, at his home.
And for a moment, I felt….special.
But I pushed that hope deep inside me, because I knew it was too soon to feel special, just because he’s fucked me a few times and invited me over.
I knew the odds weren’t good still.
Cole was 36, almost double my age, he was weathered and seasoned, he’s been through women and relationships and ran a business and a home. He wasn’t soft, or loving and he most certainly did not strike me as a man who was dying to be a father.
While, I on the other hand was fresh—fresh out of college, fresh into experiencing adulthood, still working for my father and living at his house, and much less inexperienced in relationships and men.
Cole was just the first man to make me feel….alive.
And I was hoping he felt the same.
As the door shut behind us, we looked at each other, speechless, before he stripped himself of his jacket, knocked off his boots and started towards a long hallway. “I’ll borrow you some clothing.”
I followed him down the hallway, towards his bedroom and stopped in the doorway. His bedroom was better kept then I expected, fresh kept bedding, fluffed pillows, drawn curtains, dressers and an actual hamper for clothing.
Cole walked towards the hamper and slowly began to strip himself of clothing. Like agonizingly slow. And it almost undid me again, seeing his back and leg muscles contour with every slow moment. “Jemma won’t be here until the morning.”
My heart dropped.
“Jemma?” I squeaked.
He didn’t turn, instead he just kept undressing. “The ranch’s cook and house staff. She stays off the ranch but makes our meals and keeps everything tidy.”
I nodded, acting as if I was unphased, when in reality my body was spasming from a single woman’s name.
Cole walked towards a dresser and pulled out a worn faded rodeo t-shirt that would look more like a dress on me than a shirt. “Here.”
“Thank you,” I smiled.
Our hands brushed for a moment and I forgot where I was. Standing in Cole’s bedroom, borrowing his clothing, probably even sleeping in his bed next.
“I’ll run a shower—to get decent water pressure here it takes 5 minutes,” he wandered off, leaving me standing there clutching his borrowed shirt with shaky hands.
I hadn’t slept in a man’s bed in years, and if you call that even sleeping, since we were both drunk off our asses after a college party, but this—well this was different, this was like end game, different.
With wobbly legs, I made my way to the bathroom and Cole was butt naked.
Just as I entered, he turned to face me, naked, with his cock glistening with the mixture of both of our releases.
I led my eyes back up to his and he motioned me towards the shower.
“I—” I began, nervously, worried he’d make me bleed if we fuck again.
He ran his head over the shower, allowing the water to drip down his chiseled body and over his thick brown hair. “I’m not a sadaist, Abby,” he said, without turning to face me. “I know you’re sore.”
I let out a breath of relief.
Cole turned to face me, pivoting on the water as if he could walk on it.
And by God, to me, he could.
He was like a dream. Naked. Glistening. Even considerate.
His thumb lifted my chin slightly to his eye level. “Rest up for the morning.”
I gulped. But I wetted from his words.
We both showered in silence. The hot steam calmed me and the soap cleaned us. After the hot water ran out, we stepped out of the shower, and I felt a bit of comfort I hadn’t felt in a long time.
For the first time since I got back here, things felt….right.
I didn’t feel like I was going backwards, coming back home, working at my dad’s bar, not pursuing my dreams.
I felt like maybe this….that maybe my time with Cole was a step towards my dreams.