Chapter 23
M y fluttering pulse has hardly subsided by the time we pull up to the ranch buildings in Beau’s truck. Neither has the intense throbbing between my legs.
It’s official. I’ve been rendered speechless, boneless, barely more than a limp noodle where my body used to be.
After fucking me senseless, the cowboy beside me has been quiet since leaving the river and making the short drive back across the property. I guess neither of us really knows what to say after the whirlwind of everything that just happened. A force sweeping us up and unceremoniously dumping us out in the deepest depths, leaving the two of us to figure out how to navigate a safe return. Now that we’ve clawed our way back to shore, there’s a peaceful little silence, but it’s silence all the same.
Just the windows rolled down and the sweet evening air winding around where we both sit. A gentle, warm breeze caresses my skin to match the cloud of bliss I’m currently floating upon.
One time.
Well, shit. What a singular, mind-altering occasion that proved to be.
I’m mentally cursing myself for making that foolish statement, right before discovering the equipment Beau’s secretly been packing.
My pussy is still sobbing in disbelief at that particular revelation.
He parks the truck, and overhead, the sky has transformed into a cloak of rich purple velvet. A few pink streaks fly high above Crimson Ridge in the distance, and I wonder if my sanity is soaring carefree and giddy up there somewhere. She’s clearly abandoned me to this cowboy’s clutches this evening.
That is, I guess, up until now. Because this is over.
I’m sure it’s not exactly going to be straightforward to look my married boss in the eye come tomorrow morning. Not now he’s had his face buried in my pussy, and I can feel his cum seeping down to slicken the space between my thighs. All of that horny, sex-fueled tension has finally been relieved, which means this is one-hundred percent the best decision for both of us.
I gulp down any lingering protests to the contrary, and smooth my hands over the cotton sundress I was able to throw on before leaving the river. Beau is still stuck wearing damp jeans, but found a dry shirt somewhere in the back of his truck.
“Thanks for the lift.” My fingers curl around the door handle. And my throat feels a little coarse.
“ Mmhmm ,” he hums, no hint of what he’s thinking discernible in that noncommittal sound. Climbing out my door, I catch sight of him sliding out his side at the same time.
Rounding the front of the truck, he’s right there, all long strides and hands tucked in his pockets. I duck my chin as I walk past him, because how the hell do I do this part? What is there to even say? Abandoning any attempt to figure it out, I shake off those incessantly whirring thoughts and make my way in the direction of my cabin. The sound of a summer night follows me, with crickets humming, just like the shadow of Beau’s large frame tracks after me along the path.
He walks me right up to the door, and my cheeks develop a little extra heat to them when we pause beneath the covered porch and he’s right there at my side. Except, Beau is back to being his wordless, confounding self.
I twist the handle and flash him a brief smile. “Ok, well, goodnight. See you for coffee at 0800 hours, boss.” Then, I push inside.
I’ve hardly stepped across the threshold when one long arm shoots out above my head, blocking the doorway. Beau’s shoulders fill the frame.
“I’ll let you get what you need,” he says, jerking his chin in the direction of my room.
There’s no question in his voice. It’s just a flat-out instruction, and I’m left craning my neck to stare up at him, as my stomach does a series of flips.
“I’ve got everything. So, I’ll just…” I point to my bag and towel currently in my hand before hitching a thumb in the direction of my room and bed. Meanwhile, my heart starts skittering around inside my chest, because the look currently on his face is one I don’t know how to interpret.
Beau reaches out to catch me by the waist, his thumb sliding up to my ribs. With a firm line set in his jaw and ocean-deep eyes, he begins to walk me backward.
“Where do you think you’re going?” His voice is low. That tone winds a coil inside me upon hearing his words float out all smooth and rumbly into the stillness of the night.
My lips twist the tiniest fraction. “To bed?”
He makes the sexiest, velvety noise of disagreement. “You’re in my bed, baby.”
“I don’t think that’s my place.”
“It is.” His eyes flash.
“Shouldn’t we consult those marriage vows?” I sound incredibly breathy for a woman who strode away from that vehicle, confident that I’d close my cabin door and lock away our secret. One that was to be kept between the two of us, the mountain sunset, and the tailgate of Beau’s truck.
Bringing one hand up to cup my jaw, Beau slowly thumbs the fabric of my dress with the other sitting on my waist. He studies my features with a slight furrow to his brow. “The vows that don’t mean shit? The piece of paper I’ve done nothing but punish myself by sticking to, while the other party in that arrangement did whatever the fuck they wanted?”
All I can breathe and think is him as those warm palms hold me close, and everything in his energy crackles with an intensity, a damn forceful insistence that feels like he won’t allow me to leave his side. I’m not sure that I want to, either.
He shakes his head. “Sage… I’ve been nothing but faithful all this time, and now that I’ve met you? None of that even goddamn matters anymore.”
“But—” This is leading us firmly into territory that I don’t know how to navigate, or wade through.
“There’s been no one in my bed. Not for years.” Beau’s eyes go so damn soft when they gaze down at me. If there was a true weakness I might have for this man, that expression right there is enough to have me forgetting everything I know about myself and our circumstances, and what it might mean if I agree to this.
“Years?” My teeth catch my bottom lip as I melt into the way he holds my face so tenderly.
“Yes, years , baby. Let me have this. Give me this before I go insane with needing you. Please .”
I attempt to hide my smile away, try to resist the urge to simply throw all caution to the wind and climb all over him at the outright pleading in his tone. Instead, I take a deep breath in an effort to keep my cool and give him a tiny nod in agreement beneath his palm.
Feeling the moment I relent seems to satisfy him. He reluctantly lets me go long enough to hastily gather up a few things for this impromptu sleepover.
“Wait—” As I zip my bag up, I tilt my head to one side. “What about the horses?”
“What about them?” He drags a hand through his hair, eyes fixed on me as he musses those wild, partially damp strands and drives my ovaries to whimper with how sexy he looks.
“You said you had horses to settle in.”
Beau pokes his tongue against the inside of his cheek, raking his gaze down my body. “We do. Four new ones.”
“Can I meet them?” My lips curve into a tiny, pleading grin.
He exhales heavily and scrubs a resigned palm over his mouth. “Fine.” The heated expression in his eyes says this additional detour is anything but fine.
I step into his frame, going onto my tiptoes, and when he dips to meet me, I let my lips brush over his, forming a smirk against his mouth as I do so.
“Thank you. That might even earn you one more look at my pussy, hot stuff.”
Beau lets out a delicious, dark chuckle. “No question, that’s absolutely happening more than once before tonight is over.” Before I can evade him, he drags my bottom lip between his teeth, slowly tugging in a move that makes my clit throb, and successfully pulls my brain apart at the same time.
“The deal was one time.”
Beau slips his hand over mine, then threads our fingers together to begin leading me in the direction of the barn. “One time, huh? That sure as hell sounds like a strange way to say one night .”
My bag is lifted from my hands, and he drapes the duffel’s strap across his chest in the way he’d likely done hundreds of times before… when it was still his bag. God, I’m a fool who can’t wipe the grin off her face. This grumbly cowboy has succeeded in turning my legs to jelly and my blood to sparkling stars.
Swallowing hard, I realize that he’s not only holding tight to me, his fingers interlaced with mine, but he’s taken possession of my overnight items, too. Apparently, Beau Heartford isn’t risking any chance of me slipping away this evening.
This could possibly be the worst idea I’ve ever contemplated agreeing to.
But then again, I never was very good at being the good girl.
We reach the barn, and as soon as we step inside under the warm glow of overhead lights, I hear the added noise of the stable being halfway full. There are more snorts and shuffles, a stronger scent of hay, and a richness fills the air that is unmistakably the additional bodies now calling this place home.
As we make our way from stall to stall, Beau introduces me to each new horse. The whole time, he can’t stop touching me, and I damn near swoon off balance with how good it feels. I’m a slut for soaking up every tiny fraction of his attention, each micro-point of contact between our bodies.
Beau keeps his arms wrapped around me from behind, covering my spine with all his warmth and strong torso damn near enveloping me like my very own cowboy blanket. When we stop to look in on each stall his voice rolls through my back as he tells me about them one by one, alternating between resting his chin on my head, then stooping down to feather kisses along the slope of my neck.
Goldie. Clover. Dusty.
“They’re gorgeous. I’m sure they’ll love their life here,” I say, staring at the prettiest set of long lashes batting my way. Dusty is a bay gelding, while the other two are chestnut mares, so I’m told.
Although, I wouldn’t place a lot of faith in my brain to remember much beyond the way Beau’s mouth feels pressed against my ear. I’ll probably have to get him to repeat all this tomorrow so I can take notes, and actually, you know, do my job.
“ Mmm . I think you might look pretty gorgeous in the saddle.”
There’s nothing but a riot of wings where my stomach used to be. Internally, I’m a complete mess of sensation because this man is exposing me to a side of himself that I’d do very well to forget immediately.
I cannot go past tonight with memories of Beau’s stubble and mustache tickling my throat as he talks about his horses in that dulcet, low register.
“You said you had four horses?”
“Here.” Beau squeezes me even tighter, and steps us toward the next stall.
Staring back at us with curious eyes, and an elegant, long neck, is a bluish-hued gray horse with a dark mane and ear tips, along with pretty dappled spots covering his back.
“This is Mist. He’s going to be my guy for most of what I do around here. We’ll need a bit of time to get to know each other, to see how we get along and start talking the same language.”
I smile, looking at the creature before us, who snorts and bobs his head as if agreeing with those exact sentiments. His neck dips my way over the door, and I reach up to run a hand along his nose.
One of Beau’s big paws lifts off my body—coming up to cover my hand, dwarfing mine, as we both stand there admiring the beautiful horse—and I’m entirely unsure how to process this moment. It feels like a whisper in the quiet stillness of whatever late hour it is, a tender moment where our fingers intertwine, and Beau encourages me to explore and brush my touch over Mist’s forehead and soft ears.
My pulse is doing rapid-fire somersaults in the side of my neck.
“He’s a good boy. A Blue Roan,” Beau murmurs. “I’ve had my eye on him for a while, just been waiting for the chance to finally bring him home.”
“Sounds like you’ve got yourself a new bromance. Better bring your best dating game, Heartford.” Any further reply I might have had gets cut off when the cowboy at my back lets out a wicked noise, and starts nibbling on my neck. Leaving me to falter over my next attempt at words.
He makes a pleased hum, all too satisfied with himself, as he draws both our hands back down to wrap across my stomach. “What was that switch you were talking about? The one that turns your brain off? Is that it right there?” Beau nibbles and sucks again, doubling down in his efforts to completely scramble my senses when he kisses the spot just below my ear.
“You’re dangerous after dark,” I whisper.
“You have no idea.” His rumble is gravely and oh, so deadly to my sanity.
“What if I want to sleep in my own bed?” The words are hardly past my lips before Beau is walking us in the direction of the double doors leading out of the barn.
“Then I’ll follow you there,” he says, so self-assuredly. If I didn’t know this man had been a professional athlete, a rodeo star, there’s no hiding that cockiness in his tone.
Goddamn him, without hesitation, I’m lapping up every second of this overindulgence… of this relentless presence and roaming glide of his touch. It’s like I’m the center of his universe, and unfortunately, I’m the kind of creature who enjoys that degree of undivided attention a little too much.
“Run out of things to argue with me about, pretty girl?” He chuckles, knowing he’s won and I’m officially a blissed-out little kitten, contentedly purring while curled in his arms. “We done? Can I take you the fuck to bed now?”
There is no way I should be nodding.
Not in any plane of existence, should I be agreeing to this.
And yet, I do.
“Take me the fuck to bed, Beau Heartford.”