Chapter 25
COLTON
“Okay, but remember, no matter how cute they look, they’re dangerous creatures. They’ll lull you into complacency, and as soon as your guard is down, that’s when they attack,” I say, looking over at Lucy.
I can tell she’s trying to hold back her laughter, but she just nods at me. “I promise I’ll be careful.”
“Maybe this was a silly idea,” I say hesitantly. “We could always come back another time.”
“Nope, Cowboy, you’ve put this off long enough,” she says, leading the way up the stairs and placing her hand on the door. I follow behind her reluctantly, wincing as she pushes the door open and steps inside.
“Be careful, baby,” I warn, searching around for the squirrels.
“I will, I promise,” she says, moving easily around the room as if she doesn’t have a care in the world.
She peeks around the corner of the room, looking into my bedroom. “Oh, hey there, little guys,” she says, her voice bright and cheerful. I hear a small amount of scampering in the adjoining room, and I wince, preparing to see an army of wildlife all rushing towards me.
But after a moment of nothing happening, I blow out a breath and follow the sound of Lucy’s calm voice as she talks away to the animals.
“I know you all have made yourself right at home here, and I don’t blame you. But the big man that lives here is really scared of y’all, so he needs y’all to leave,” Lucy continues to explain. “But, I have a really cool compromise that I promise y’all will really love.”
I look at her in confusion as she pulls out a bag of sunflower seeds and sprinkles them on the floor for them. The squirrels pounce on them, devouring them as if they haven’t eaten in days, before looking back up at her for more.
Lucy takes a couple of steps back and drops another small handful closer to the hallway. She repeats the process until all ten squirrels are outside on the back porch, and I’m left staring at her in shock.
“Oh, and since I promised y’all a compromise, I also have this,” she says, bending down and dragging a large children’s outdoor playhouse out from the side of the house.
My eyebrows shoot up as I look at her in confusion. “Wait, where the hell did that thing come from?” I ask, unable to stay quiet any longer.
Lucy turns to me as she sprinkles the rest of the bag of seed inside the house in the yard, and we both watch as the squirrels race into their new home.
“I found it on Marketplace. Mr. Nichols was getting rid of it now that his grandkids are too old to enjoy it, and he offered to bring it by this morning. I wasn’t sure if it would work, but they look really happy, don’t you think?”
I turn to look through the small window at the squirrels, who admittedly look a lot less menacing than they did when they were in my house.
“You’re fucking something, Lucy Phillips,” I say, shaking my head.
“Oh, it’s nothing,” she says, waving her hand at me. “But I do think we should patch any of the holes that they were using to get in just to be safe.”
Nodding, I grab her hand and lead her through the house. I look around the wide space and shake my head. “It’s crazy how much lighter and more open this place feels already.”
“Yeah, are you excited that you’re reclaiming your house?”
“I’ve gotta be honest and say I’m having pretty mixed emotions about it,” I murmur, and she looks up at me in surprise.
“Wait. Why? I thought you’d be over the moon,” she says, and I shrug.
“I’m excited to get to work on the inside of this place. I’ve really fallen in love with the property over the last two months, and it’s exactly what I wanted, minus the squirrels.”
“So, what’s the problem?” Lucy asks.
“I’ve gotten pretty used to being close to you,” I whisper, and Lucy’s eyes widen.
“Oh,” she says simply.
“Yeah, oh,” I agree. “I meant it when I said I’m serious about this thing between us, Lulu.
But, until we get this out in the open, we both know that there’s a storm heading our way, and I can’t help but feel like finishing this house is moving me further away from you.
I know it’s not rational, because the setup we’re in now was never meant to be permanent, but—” I trail off, realizing I’m rambling.
Lucy wraps her arms around me, and I feel a little of my anxiety melt away at her touch.
“Listen, Colton. I really like you,” she confesses, and I feel my heart race at her words.
“I know that you and Hayes are going to have some things to work out, but I’m an adult.
My brother doesn’t get to decide who I date.
So if you’re willing to stand up to him and choose me, then I’m all in.
I agree that it’s not something we should do over the phone, so I’m fine with waiting until he’s home next month.
But I know how important he is to you, so if that’s asking too much, I need to know now.
I can’t keep developing feelings for you if that’s where this is headed.
And as much as I’ll miss having you in the house, it’s not like I can’t stay here from time to time… You know. If you wanted me to.”
Staring at her, I pull her into my arms and kiss her hard. “I told you, Darlin’, I’m serious about this. You’ve got me so turned around, I don’t know which way’s up. But I don’t care. And you know you’re welcome here any time.”
I drop another kiss onto her lips, and she smiles up at me. “But first, we have a house to squirrel-proof.”
“Such a good girl, Maple,” Lucy praises, running her fingers through her horse's mane as we ride through the pasture, checking on the cows.
After working on the house today, I mentioned wanting to ride, and Lucy had quickly agreed. I wasn’t sure how I would feel getting back on the back of an animal, but as soon as I settled onto the back of Myrtle, I knew it was the right decision.
“So, how does it feel to be back on the saddle?” Lucy asks, shooting me a smile as she looks over to check on me.
“Pretty damn good, I’m not gonna lie,” I laugh, patting Myrtle’s head. “Thank you for agreeing to let me come out with you.”
“Anytime,” she says, pausing to check the fence line at the edge of the pasture. “This is the last field, so are you done for the day, or do you want to keep riding?”
“I’m good. The sun will be setting soon, so we’d better head in.”
Lucy nods and clicks her tongue, directing her horse back towards the barn. Myrtle and I follow behind her until we’re back at the big open doors.
Dismounting, I grab the reins and lead the horse back inside, gently taking off her saddle and grooming her before leading her into her stall.
“Thanks, sweet girl,” I tell her, running my fingers through her stall and passing her the apple I brought for her.
She makes a happy sound, and I watch her chomp away as Lucy slides behind me, running her hands up my chest to hug me.
“Thanks for riding with me,” she says, and I wink at her.
“Don’t worry, I’ll take you for another ride tonight,” I tease, causing her to roll her eyes at me.
“Bet you’ve used that line before, Cowboy,” she quips sarcastically.
“Nope, just with you,” I tell her honestly, dropping a quick kiss to her lips.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty desperate for a shower,” she says, grabbing my hand and leading me outside to the Polaris.
“Same,” I murmur, my mind immediately imagining her naked and wet in front of me.
“If you’re good, I might let you join me,” she says, clearly reading my mind.
“Oh, is that right?” I quip. “Whatever it takes.”
She smiles up at me and leans in to kiss my cheek as I drive down to the house, and I wrap my arm around her, pulling her closer to me.
Her mouth trails against my throat, dropping kisses on my bare skin and making me feel a little crazed.
I let my hand float down her body as I pull up to the house, killing the engine.
As soon as we’re stopped, I pull her into my lap, claiming her mouth with mine.
“You make me crazy, you know that?” I tell her, dropping a trail of kisses down her neck before pulling back to nip at her throat.
She yelps at the move, as I continue to kiss down her lips before pulling back and stepping off the Polaris. She looks up at me, confused, until I lean down and lift her into my arms, carrying her inside the house.
My mouth stays on hers as I carry her through the living room, and she reaches up, taking my hat and throwing it on the sofa. As she threads her fingers through my hair, I carry her into the bathroom and sit her on the counter.
I’m certain that the desperate look she’s giving me mirrors my own, as I trail my hands up her side, pulling her top over her head. I suck in a sharp breath at the sight before me, her rosy nipples peeking through the lacy red bra she’s wearing.
“Damn it, Lulu,” I mutter, dropping my mouth down to suck her nipple through the thin material as I reach around to unhook the clasp.
She moans quietly as I nip and suck at her sweet skin, pulling back to pull her bra off and baring her perfect tits.
“I wish you knew how fucking pretty you look,” I whisper, continuing to tease her as she arches her back into me.
Her hands grasp frantically for my shirt, yanking it over my head.
“I need you,” she whispers, undoing my belt and shoving my jeans down my hips until I’m left standing naked in front of her.
I lift her into my arms, keeping my mouth on hers as I push her jeans down.
I feel the now familiar wave of desire rush through me at the sight of her bare for me, and I fight to keep from rushing this moment as I carry her to the shower and turn the water on.
Steam quickly fills the small room, and I groan as she wiggles her hips against me, making my already hard cock ache to be inside her.
I step inside the shower with her, carefully pressing her against the tile wall as the hot water cascades around us and letting one leg fall to the floor so she’s open for me.
My fingers trail up her leg, teasing her before grazing her clit.
She sucks in a breath at the contact, rolling her hips to move me closer.
“Hm, is my girl feeling needy?” I tease, slowly letting my finger lightly rub against her clit.
She moans in agreement, continuing to grind against me.
Deciding I’ve teased her enough, I slide my finger into her, groaning when I feel how wet she is.
“Pretty sure this will never get old,” I groan, letting her fuck herself on my fingers.
Before long, I feel her tighten around me, and I soak in the sounds of her moans as she rides out her orgasm.
Pulling my fingers free of her, I suck them into my mouth, cleaning her taste off them and groaning at the taste.
“So damn sweet,” I tell her. “The next time you come, it’s gonna be with these perfect thighs wrapped around my face and my tongue buried in your sweet pussy.”
She looks at me with wide eyes as I grab the peach shampoo that drives me mad and pour a dollop into my hand. She stares at me as I lather her hair, soaking in the feeling of her soft curls.
“Are you really going to wash my hair?” she asks, and I don’t miss the surprise in her voice.
“I’ve told you, this isn’t all about sex for me, Lucy. Let me take care of you.”