CHAPTER ELEVEN
Two days later
– ROSETTE –
Knocking on my bedroom door pulls me from my sleep.
I snuggle deeper into the pillow, not ready to get out of bed just yet.
Another round of knocking prevents me from sleeping.
Still drowsy, I push myself up and grumble, “What?”
The door swings open and Cedar is standing there in just his boxers.
Thick, muscled thighs on show along with a tanned and toned chest. Ugh.
This is the whole reason I’ve been avoiding him for two days.
Well, more like two and a half, but who’s counting?
Me. I’m counting. I hate not having sex with him, or the small talk, or the wink he shoots me when he knows I’m looking.
The carefree smile, the rides together, working together, just…
together.
“You’ve been avoiding me,” he states.
I should reply with “duh,” but that wouldn’t be nice.
Huffing out a deep breath, I jump from the bed and stalk to the bathroom.
The door falls shut behind me and I flip the lock.
I handle my business and brush my teeth before I step out to find Cedar still hovering in the doorway in his boxers.
“The least you can do is make some coffee if you’re gonna drag me out of bed,” I grumble and step toe-to-toe with him.
He leans in and says, “I did. I’ve already had some.”
I have the sudden desire to kiss him.
Must be the scent of coffee on his breath.
Cedar’s voice is low and husky when he rumbles, “I can see the desire overflowing in your eyes. Perky nipples saluting me, even if they’re covered by fabric. Why in the hell would you deprive yourself, me, us?”
His arm slides around my waist and he pulls me flush against his almost naked body.
He might as well be naked because those boxers he’s wearing aren’t hiding his massive erection.
I moan when I feel all of him.
He’s right. Why the hell did I deprive both of us indeed?
Fuck it. I reach for his neck and pull him down.
He comes willingly and another moan rips from me when his mouth covers mine.
Nothing matters when he grips my hips and hoists me up.
My back hits the wall and I automatically wrap my legs around him.
There is only enough time to take a breath before he fills me up in one stroke.
This is what I missed.
The sweet burn of being stretched by his dick.
His teeth sink into my neck as he pulls out and slams right back inside.
My whole body tingles with pleasure.
“Yes,” I hiss. “More. Give me more.”
He grunts roughly against my neck while he pounds my pussy.
I rake my nails over his back and moan when he hits a delicious spot inside me.
He feels it too and keeps hitting it with each stroke.
Every thrust is a bump up to the sky where his ultimate aim is cloud freaking nine.
A pink cloud where nothing but the ultimate pleasure matters.
“Cedar,” I moan. “Please. I need…need.”
“Need. My. Cock,” he snarls and punctuates each word with a thrust.
“Yesssss,” I hiss.
My orgasm is within reach when suddenly everything freaking stops.
His hand wraps around my throat, eyes fierce and voice dominating.
“Don’t ever ignore me again. We have an agreement, a relationship where we’re both in it with clear intentions. Each of us like fucking each other. I like working on your ranch, the one that’s your dream and mine to enjoy right along with you. Ray was right about me, and I didn’t pick the right words, and it took you to ignore me to figure shit out.”
My heart skips and I clench around his cock, making him smirk.
“Figure what out?” I whisper.
He slowly pulls out and takes his time to glide right back in, repeating the process while he places his forehead against mine.
“I like being inside you, like working with you, living with you, riding with you, everything involving you and me in close proximity.”
I close my eyes and let his words wash over me like the tingles filling my veins from the friction he’s creating deep inside me.
“Cedar.” A moan rips from me, and I open my eyes before I let go and plunge into bliss.
“Fuuuuuck,” he rumbles and I feel him thicken and pulse inside me, prolonging my pleasure as it mixes with his.
We’re gasping for breath, hearts racing, and eyes locked.
The moment we share is intimate and feels different this time.
I remember the words he gave me before we were consumed with pleasure.
Taking a deep breath, I manage to rush out the words, “I like everything with you too.”
“Good,” he grunts and carefully places me back on my feet.
“Then we’ll see where this thing between us takes us when we lower our barriers. Not just sex. We sleep in one bed, keep going the way we started out, but it’s out in the open. Oh, and we deal with shit face-to-face. No more ignoring, we talk, yeah?”
“Okay,” I agree.
“I’m willing to see where this will go between us.”
I yelp when he swoops me off my feet.
“Long-term is what we’re going for.”
He takes me with him into the bathroom where we get to do it all over again.
Dirty, clean, dirty, and clean once again.
I feel deliciously sore when I get dressed.
I wander into the kitchen to grab myself a cup of coffee.
Cedar follows me, grabs my hip and gives me a kiss.
“I’m gonna get busy, come find me after you enjoyed your coffee.”
“Okay,” I murmur and watch him leave.
I take my time and have a bounce in my step when I get outside.
Freckles is standing near the fence and I walk over to give her some attention.
Cedar comes out of the stable with a wheelbarrow filled with muck.
He doesn’t see me and I’m about to go to him when I notice a car pulling up in front of the house.
I’m in the shadow of the stables when I see Cedar’s father get out of the car.
Cedar leaves the wheelbarrow and meets his father.
I feel stupid hiding in the shadows, but I also don’t want to talk with Cecil.
“Cedar, Anne wanted me to bring you some cookies.” Cecil hands him a small box.
He eagerly opens the box and mumbles out a quick “Thanks,” before shoving one into his mouth.
I feel a smile sliding across my face when I take my first step in their direction.
I freeze in place when I hear Cecil ask, “Did you manage to make the deal yet?”
Instant pain crashes through my chest, and I can’t keep the harshness out of my voice when I snap, “What deal?”
Both their heads whip my way.
“Rosy,” Cecil cheerfully says and takes a step closer.
I keep my gaze locked on Cedar.
“What deal is he talking about? No, wait. I don’t have to ask, do I? It’s about the pasture, right? Yeah, I don’t even have to ask.”
“It’s not what you think,” Cedar grunts.
Cecil waves his hands.
“Nonsense. The lady will be just as smart as her father was when he shook on our mutual agreement. He even wrote it down in his little book, you must have seen it.”
“I’ve told you to drop it,” Cedar growls.
“Leave,” I whisper.
It’s soft to my own ears but loud enough for both of them to turn their attention my way.
I clear my throat and make an effort to firm my voice when I state, “I’d like for both of you to leave and don’t bother coming back.”
“Rosy.” Cedar reaches for me.
I rip my arm out of his reach and rush into the house, making sure to lock the door behind me.
Betrayal feels like a whip cracking the skin wide open.
It’s as if I can’t breathe.
My chest is being crushed, my heart smashed to smithereens.
How in the hell does this pasture between properties still create such a gap between people?
Was this all a setup?
A plan for the long run where he tries to swoon me out of my pants and the pasture?
My eyes burn as I suddenly find myself in my father’s office.
It’s a small room with a large mahogany desk.
My father didn’t like computers and would make notes to keep everything in order.
I glance at the thick files on the shelf.
A small smile is on my face when a memory hits.
Daphne handles the books, and my father always brought her a box filled with receipts and papers.
Nothing digital the way I handle everything now.
A tear slides over my cheek, and I wipe it away.
“I’m not here for the deal my father still wants, even if he doesn’t need it,” Cedar states.
I whirl around, knowing I locked the door.
“I have a key, remember? You can’t lock me out. We agreed to talk and not ignore or run out of a discussion. We talk.” His smile is sad.
“I told you my father is retired. I’m taking over which means I’m going to break in the horses he’s been keeping for the sake of simply not wanting to sell. Why the hell breed such amazing animals and keep them all to yourself?” He shakes his head.
“Sure, it would be nice to share pastures. Long-term? The space on the ranch is sufficient.”
I swallow hard and have to take a deep breath to shove down all the raw emotions.
He’s right, we should discuss this.
“What is the mutual agreement your father mentioned? The one my dad wrote in his book?” I don’t wait for Cedar to answer.
Instead, I round the desk and open the top drawer where I put the book in when I received my father’s personal belongings which he had on him the day he died.
Holding it up I snap, “And don’t lie because I will be checking the last page when you give me your answer.”