Chapter 6
6
SERENITY
" I said it was taken care of," Virgie scowls across the bar at Ranger, shoving his credit card back at him. "Take yer girl home and enjoy the rest of the night, O'Leary."
Ranger tries one more time to hand her the card before she manages to shoo him away from the bar.
"Joe's gonna come back for us after he drops the Crazy P's off at the roadhouse," Lance slurs, leaning against the door frame for support.
Gunner and his girlfriend, Clementine, left the bar long ago and, from what I gather of Lance's slurred curses, has no intention of driving back into town to give his drunk brothers a ride back to the ranch.
Leaving the rest of us to wait for Slow River's only ride share driver to come back for us after he drops the "Crazy P's--" as Lance refers to the Pereira's of the Lazy P ranch-- off at another bar in a town called Keller's Ferry.
I have been assured that I do not want to go there. Apparently the Toll Booth has a reputation for cheap beer and expensive bar fights.
Looking around, I notice that it's not just our party that's moving on. The bar crowd has thinned significantly and I wonder what time it is.
Rowan's head has been on the table for quite some time, one hand laying on the table top with his limp fingers still curled around an empty shot glass.
Virgie reaches over and slips it out of his loose grip without disturbing the sleeping man.
Rowan's sister, Callie, and Ranger's brother, Archer Dean, are possibly still close to sober, having slid their chairs over to a nearby table about the time Callie's brother passed out. They've been lost in a conversation that's obviously private enough to keep them oblivious to the rest of the group ever since.
I could use a trip to the ladies’ room, but Bernie's still hovering while she waits on her ride, no doubt waiting for a chance to corner Ranger as soon as I slip up and leave him unattended.
Fat chance, lady. I can hold it for a long damn time. I'll pee when we get back to the ranch.
I lean into Ranger's broad chest, resting my head on his shoulder while eyeing the blonde across from me.
Bernie's not quite as glassy-eyed as the rest of us but she still sways slightly on the heels of her bedazzled cowboy boots while she taps out text messages with a light click of her acrylic nails against the screen. Occasionally, she looks up my way with an expression I can only assume is seething jealousy.
It fills me with a sense of triumph that pairs dangerously with the solid drunk I've got going on; drunk on alcohol and absolutely wasted on the sensation of spending the evening in Ranger's lap.
"Don't pass out on me now, baby girl," Ranger's voice is far from a whisper as his lips brush the curve of my ear. "I've got plans for you when we get back to the ranch."
If I was tired before, I'm not anymore. I am one hundred percent awake, alert, and down for these "plans" he's promising in that deep voice as his fingers slide along the side of my waist, just above my skirt.
I know I crossed the line by kissing Ranger and no matter how real it felt, I have to remind myself that he's still just pretending. We. Dammit! We are still just pretending; but when I raise my head, he catches my lips in a kiss that does not feel like it's just for show and I find myself thinking I don't want it to be all play-acting anymore.
After Virgie doused us with the ice water, Ranger took his hat back, shook the water from the black Stetson, and inspected my clothes to make sure I wasn't too wet.
If he only knew.
"Joe's here," Lance calls out from the sidewalk.
"You sharin' this ride, Arch?" Ranger interrupts what appears to be more than just a friendly conversation between his brother and Rowan's sister.
"I'll get him home," Callie chirps-- entirely too soberly and suspiciously enthusiastic about the prospect of driving one of the younger O'Leary brothers all the way out of town to the Delta O ranch.
Ranger nods, with one of those low dips of his head and a finger to the brim of his hat in a gesture that seems to be universal cowboy sign language for everything from "hello" to "I heard you the first time."
Following behind him, I sway a little before steadying myself, enjoying the view of Ranger's ass in the black "dress" jeans he wore today. And who knew the sound of cowboy boots on a hardwood floor was so sexy?
Ranger
"You can't just leave him there."
Seri giggles as I nearly trip over my brother's unconscious body in my haste to get back to her.
"It's summer, he'll be fine."
Lance is lucky I pulled his dead weight out of the back of Joe's car. Joe woulda let him sleep it off in his driveway and charged him rent.
Not my problem the kid's too fucked up to get back to his own place. He can stay right there on the lawn until the sprinklers come on for all I care. Right now, the only thing I'm thinking about is tearing that sexy little skirt off Seri and getting a taste of what's underneath.
I'm done playing to an audience. Fuck keeping things platonic, that line was good and crossed as soon as she gave me a sweet taste of her mouth earlier. I've wanted her from the moment I saw her and as long as she's feelin' the same, I'm not going to waste this opportunity.
"I need to get you inside, baby, before I fuck you right here on my mama's front porch."
Bouncing off one of the posts, I'm reminded of how much I had to drink as I fumble with the key in the front door. Dropping low, I hoist Seri over my shoulder before she has a chance to protest. The surprised little noise she makes does nothing to cool the fever raging through me.
"Looks like Mom installed some of those security cameras," I point to one of the small, black cameras mounted under the porch, even though Seri probably can't see it from her current angle. "I'm sure she'd rather miss this show."
Seri giggles as I make a clumsy entry into the dark house. A sharp sting lands on my ass and I hear her telling me to "giddy up" in the tipsy voice that's had my dick hard so long it's aching.
Somewhere outside of my booze-addled brain, there's a voice of reason tellin' me to put a good night's sleep and several glasses of water between tonight and any thoughts of getting Seri naked and moaning under me.
But that's not the part of my body doing the thinking.
And judgin' by the way Seri's lips crush to mine as soon as we're behind the closed door of our room, she's not interested in anything my better judgment has to say either.
I swear the girl was practically panting when I said I had plans for her tonight and that's all I needed to make up my mind about finally showing her how I'm really feeling about her.
"You were amazing today, baby."
It's hard to tear my mouth off hers, but I want to tell her everything that's been rattling around inside my head since I first laid eyes on her; and I need to taste so much more of her than just those pouty lips that keep whispering my name.
Serenity's voice hitches as my hands get under her blouse. My fingers slip beneath the cups of her bra and finally, I have those full, heavy tits in my hands.
Both of us groan when I run the callused pad of my thumb over her pebbled nipple before finding it with my mouth.
"Everybody loves you," I mumble around her breast, still trying to get the words out even though the feel of Seri's fingers in my hair and the soft giggles she alternates with gasps as my mouth finds more of her naked flesh is giving the whiskey competition for reasons I can't think straight.
"Ranger."
I'm halfway to heaven when she calls my name in a voice that's gone all husky with need.
Her heels came off somewhere between the front porch and the hall, the black silk blouse is undone and pooled at her sides, revealing silky pale skin and a lacy black bra that's all askew from my fumbling to get underneath it.
When I look up from where I've just managed to wedge myself between the soft thighs that are only able to spread for me because her narrow skirt has been rucked up over her hips, the view is nothing less than breathtaking.
"I'm afraid these stockings are trash, baby." My thumbs rip through the nylon material that's impeding my access to the sweetest little pussy I've ever gotten a whiff of.
"Ohmygod, Ranger, wait--"
My target moves suddenly, startling me as she scurries off the other side of the bed.
Seri's unexpected retreat upsets the precarious balance I had on the backs of my heels, sending me to the floor and reminding us both just how much we've had to drink.
"Are you okay?" She's giggling madly as she comes to stand above me, giving me a view that makes my own laughter catch in my throat.
Her skirt is still around her hips, the black nylons destroyed, and a triangle of satin panties peeks out from between her thighs, obviously damp and begging my fingers to explore.
"I just need to...um..."
The smile on her pretty face goes from amused to shy as she gestures vaguely in the direction of the bathroom door.
"...before we...uh..."
My hands slide up the backs of her knees.
"Thought you were tappin' out on me, baby." My fingers trace little circles on the back of her thighs, as far up as my arms reach with me lying flat on the floor.
The shy smile widens, dark curls brushing the tips of those perfect breasts, her blouse still undone to show me those curves in all their glory as she shakes her head with an emphatic "no."
"I'll be right back. Promise."
"I'll be right here. Promise." My hand maintains contact with her for two steps before she's gone too far for me to reach.
Damn, this floor is comfortable. Mom put down new carpet since the last time I was home; feels like she went with an upgraded padding under the soft fiber.
Beyond the closed door of the en suite, I hear water running and what sounds like Seri singing softly. Knowing she's in there primping for me, has me hard as a rock with anticipation.
The room's spinning as I unbutton my jeans, only to realize I still have my boots on.
One boot lands on the floor and I lay my head back down to get my bearings before I reach for the next one.