5. Beau
Chapter 5
Beau
I didn’t say hello to anyone when I got back to the house. Instead, I went straight upstairs to my room, closed my bedroom door, made sure the lock was in place, and then stripped my jeans off as fast as I could. My throbbing cock sprang free, pre-cum already oozing from my slit. I was so hard I was almost sore, Lucas’s words still having a profound effect on me. I knew I shouldn’t give in, shouldn’t let him get to me like this. But I couldn’t stop it. My balls ached for release, and I was going to fantasize about him until I emptied every last drop of cum I had out of my body.
Flopping down on the bed, I tore off my shirt and wrapped my hand around my thick cock, letting out a soft groan of pleasure. I closed my eyes and immediately Lucas's face appeared in my mind. Those piercing green eyes, that cocky smirk, the way his brown hair fell across his forehead as he looked down at me all hot and helpless on the bed. I imagined his strong hands on me instead of my own, his long fingers wrapping around my shaft and stroking firmly.
“Fuck,” I breathed, arching my back as I picked up the pace.
In my fantasy, Lucas leaned in close, his hot breath tickling my ear. “That's it, cowboy,” he purred in that smooth East Coast accent. “Let me make you feel good.”
I bit my lip to stifle a moan, not wanting anyone in the house to hear me. My free hand roamed over my chest, pinching and teasing my nipples as I pictured Lucas's mouth there instead, his tongue swirling around the sensitive nubs.
The heat in my core built rapidly as I stroked myself faster, lost in the fantasy of Lucas's touch. In my mind, his lips trailed down my chest, leaving a burning path across my skin. I could almost feel the scratch of his stubble against my abs as he moved lower.
“God, Lucas,” I whispered, my hips bucking up involuntarily.
My imagination conjured the sensation of his hot mouth engulfing my cock, those green eyes gazing up at me with lust as he took me deep. He wanted to make sure I felt amazing, and that I knew how much he enjoyed making me feel that way. I pumped my fist frantically, desperately chasing my release.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” I panted, feeling my orgasm approaching like a freight train.
In my fantasy, Lucas hollowed his cheeks and sucked hard, his talented tongue working magic along my shaft. It was too much. With a strangled cry, I came hard, my back arching off the bed as thick ropes of cum painted my abs and chest. I fell back against the mattress, panting from the sudden and much needed release.
As I lay there catching my breath, the euphoria of my orgasm slowly faded, replaced by a creeping sense of shame. What was I doing? Fantasizing about a man I barely knew, some city slicker who'd waltz out of Sagebrush as quickly as he'd arrived. Even if I were to allow myself to fall into bed with him, what would come of it? Probably just more rumors and disappointed looks around town. Everyone was already speculating, but if they saw me with Lucas… well, their speculations would become truth.
I didn’t want that, and I wasn’t ready for it. As far as I was concerned, it was better to be alone than end up in trouble with the wrong sorts of people. Not only that, but I didn’t know how my own family would react either. I had to run the ranch, to keep our family business going for another generation. My family and the ranch were who I was. Without them… I was nothing. I couldn’t risk it on some tourist looking for an easy piece of ass.
Continuing to berate myself mentally, I grabbed some tissues from the nightstand and cleaned myself up, trying to push away the lingering thoughts of Lucas. But as I wiped the cooling cum from my skin, I couldn't shake the image of his knowing smirk, those piercing green eyes that seemed to see right through me. God, I wanted to see him again already.
With a frustrated groan, I hauled myself off the bed and headed for the shower. The hot water ran over my body, washing away the evidence of my weakness, but doing nothing to cleanse my mind of Lucas Greene or the anguish I felt about my own shortcomings. Why couldn’t I have just been born normal?
As I dried off and got dressed, I resolved to keep my distance from the charming New Englander and stick to my own neck of the woods.
I tried to focus on my chores for the rest of the day, throwing myself into physical labor to distract from my tumultuous thoughts. But as the sun began to set over the rolling prairie, painting the sky in vivid oranges and pinks, I found my mind drifting back to Lucas despite my best attempts to push them away.
I was brushing down my horse in the stable when I heard the crunch of gravel outside. My heart leapt into my throat as I wondered if Lucas had somehow found our family farm. It wouldn’t be that hard to find, everyone knew where the Turners lived. Dolly would’ve told him on the spot if he asked. But just as I was about to go into a full out panic, I heard the door shut and my father walked into the barn. Immediately I breathed a sigh of relief.
“I was wonderin’ where you’d got off to,” he said. “Saw you come home this afternoon and you’ve been missin’ all day. Mabel was startin’ to worry. ”
“Sorry Pa,” I replied, blowing out a long sigh as my heart rate returned to normal. “Just been busy.”
“Well, then I’ve got some good news for you.”
I glanced up over Willow’s back, my eyebrow arched.
“I’ve hired help on the ranch, and you’ve got the next two weeks off,” he smiled, looking mighty proud of himself.
But I’d seen that smile before. He was up to something. “Why?”
“For the fair of course! I want you to be able to enjoy yourself and take some much needed time off.”
I wasn’t convinced.
“And,” he added, pulling a folded piece of paper out of his back pocket, “You’re signed up to do the barbeque competition this year. Time for you to defend your title!”
My stomach twisted into a tight knot in an instant. That was the last thing I wanted to do.
“Pa…” I began, trying to figure a way out of this mess.
“Now, now, don't you start arguin' with me,” Pa cut me off before I could protest further. “You've won that competition three years runnin', and folks are expectin' you to show up. You got your year off and you can't let 'em down again, can we?”
I bit back a groan, knowing there was no way out of this. When Pa got an idea in his head, it was like trying to move a stubborn steer - damn near impossible.
“We?” I shot back. “You got a mouse in your pocket or somethin’?”
Pa put his hands on his hips, giving me that look I knew all too well.
“Fine,” I conceded, turning back to Willow and running the brush along her flank with perhaps a bit more force than necessary. “But I'm not promisin' anything fancy. Just my usual recipe and nothin’ else.”
Pa chuckled, the sound warm and familiar in the quiet of the stable. “That's all anyone's askin' for, son. Your 'usual' is what keeps 'em comin' back year after year. ”
I sighed heavily, giving Willow a gentle pat on her neck. She nickered softly, sensing my frustration. “Alright, Pa. I'll do it.”
“That's my boy,” Pa said, his voice filled with pride.
“But this is the last time,” I added. “If I win that trophy again, you’re gonna leave me be, alright?”
My father smiled, clapping me on the shoulder. “As much as I think you’re wastin’ your talent out here mending fences, I’ll leave you be if you win. And I know you will too.” As much as he liked to meddle, I knew he did it out of love. I couldn’t fault him for that. “Now, why don't you come on inside? Mabel's made her famous pot roast for supper.”
The mention of Mabel's cooking made my stomach growl, reminding me that I hadn't eaten since breakfast. “I'll be right in. Just gotta finish up with Willow here.”
Pa nodded and headed back to the house, leaving me alone with my thoughts once more. As I finished brushing Willow down, my mind wandered back to Lucas. The thought of seeing him at the fair made my heart race and my palms sweat. How was I supposed to focus on the barbecue when I was so caught up with trying to resist him? And then there was the problem of possibly running into Amber May. Clearly Mabel was still trying to set me up with her, which I knew I didn’t want. But what I wanted from Lucas… well, I knew I couldn’t have it.
Caught between what people expected of me and what I wanted that I couldn’t have made me feel like a caged animal.
I gave Willow one last pat and headed towards the house, my mind still swirling with conflicting thoughts. The smell of Mabel's pot roast hit me as soon as I opened the back door, making my stomach rumble again. I washed up quickly at the guest bathroom sink before joining my family at the dinner table.
Mabel beamed at me as I took my seat. “There you are, sugar! I was startin' to think you'd run off and joined the circus or somethin'. ”
I forced a smile. “No ma'am, just lost track of time out in the barn.”
“Well, I'm glad you're here now,” she said, ladling a hearty portion of pot roast and vegetables onto my plate. “You're gettin' too skinny. Need to fatten you up before the fair.”
I tried not to wince at the mention of the fair. “You plannin’ to show me as your prized hog or somethin’?”
She smacked me on the shoulder playfully, chuckling lightly. “No. But I wanna make sure you look healthy for a certain somebody that might wanna see you again.”
“And who would that be?” I asked, lifting a glass of water to my lips.
“Amber May of course!” Mabel beamed. “I hear she’s gonna be one of the judges this year in the barbecue competition!”
I nearly choked on my drink. Sputtering and coughing, I slammed it back on the table and grabbed my napkin. Everyone sat there, watching me like I was going mad or something. Mabel was the only one that stayed by me, her hand still on my shoulder.
“You okay, sugar?”
“Y-Yeah,” I choked, trying to clear the water from my lungs and lie at the same time. “Wrong pipe…”
“Well, try not to hurt yourself before the fair, sugar,” she laughed, patting me on the back. “We need you to win that competition!” She gave me a sideways glance. “And maybe win a lady’s heart at the same time?”
I grumbled in response to that, but it seemed to be enough for Mabel. She took a seat at the other end of the table and began our usual pre-meal prayer. But the last thing I was worried about was religion.
Not only had my father signed me up for a competition I wanted nothing to do with, but now Mabel was making sure that Amber May knew I was going to be there. I’d have no choice but to interact with her now that she was a judge in the competition. Then, to top it all off, the man I’d just jerked off to this afternoon in a moment of weakness was going to be scoping out the entire place for good food, which meant he was inevitably going to end up at my stall. And lastly, if I didn’t bring my best recipe to the fair and win the competition, nobody in Sagebrush, especially my father, would ever forgive me.
Why did everything have to be so fucking complicated?
Oh, and that meant tomorrow morning I was gonna have to slaughter a steer to make sure I had the best beef possible for the competition. And I hated doing my own butchering.