Chapter 17
Don’t Stop Me Now
Callie
The rest of the week passes in a blur. I don’t go back to Waylon’s to see Cash’s riding on Thursday or Friday. I have work on Saturday morning, my first day. As promised, Cash called Thursday morning, letting me know they were traveling to Denver that day.
I don’t work up the nerve to ask him about the giggles.
I decide I don’t have a right to, but I spend the week worrying about where his belt buckle is and if he’s thinking about me the way I’m thinking about him.
Lizzie shows me where I can watch the rodeo on my phone, and I see him come in second in a bout in Denver and first in Calgary. He wins in both cities in calf roping.
He’s coming home with more accomplishments to his name. And I am bursting with pride.
Saturday, I get dressed in my black polo shirt with Pete’s Farm Supply across the back and affix my nametag on my breast. Pulling on my new khaki pants, I spin in the mirror. It will have to do.
Spending the day surrounded by the local men coming and going, buying their farm supplies, I feel the comfort of a small town wrapped around me like a blanket.
It’s not boring or monotonous, it’s homey and comforting.
I visit with the baby chicks who run from one side of the brooder to the other when I come near, making me laugh, and I work out lifting food and hay, moving it around to stocking or orders.
I begin to understand why the men in this town look so nice in their tight jeans and fitted tees—just moving farm supplies is hard work.
A sense of accomplishment hums deep in my bones after work—I’m finally working toward building my own future.
I decide to give Waylon’s one last chance tonight, to see Cash on the TV instead of my tiny phone one more time before he comes home tomorrow.
Walking into Waylon’s at just before eight o’clock, on a Saturday night, I’m astounded at the bustle and noise from the packed building.
Duke moves expertly behind the bar as usual, but this time accompanied by a woman who must be Sadie.
They work in perfect tandem like a well-oiled machine—with the kind of comfortable confidence that comes from working side-by-side for a long time. There’s trust and history there.
He notices me sit at the bar and sends Sadie my way.
“Hey, Caroline, right? Kayla told me about you!” She smiles enthusiastically at me.
“Hey, yeah that’s me. Can I get a beer?”
“Sure thing, hun.” She hustles off to get the beer just as Duke turns up the television, the whole bar quieting in response.
He really is their hometown rodeo hero. A quick scan tells me there are an uncharacteristic number of women here tonight, though I don’t know if it’s because it’s Saturday or if Cash drew them in.
While I wait for Cash’s turn, I catch more than a few flirty glances and words directed toward Duke, but he seems wholly uninterested. It seems the attention he gave me was a rare gift and I mentally kick myself again for ruining it.
He comes over to check on me, the first time we’ve spoken since Tuesday. No more cheeky texts or flirty chats over a drink.
“You good?”
“No, I’m not good.” I shoot him a sour look and he narrows his eyes in response.
“Something wrong with the beer?” he asks me, like he doesn’t know who I am or about the rift that’s torn between us.
“No, Duke, something is wrong with us.” He almost rolls his eyes, but I see him stop the movement.
“What’s done is done, Caroline. I can’t. I won’t go through this again.” He turns and walks through the door into the stockroom. I get up and follow him.
“Don’t turn your back on us, Duke. Please. You didn’t deserve what I said or how I said it. I’m sorry.”
“I forgive you, Caroline, I get it, you’ve got your own shit. But I went through this with Indie, and I can’t do it again.”
I see the brokenness in his eyes. “This isn’t like that. I was drunk and stupid.”
“You want more than I have, then fine, go find it!” he yells—not with anger but pain in his voice.
I walk up to him, sliding my hands around his middle. He turns his head away from me. Reaching up, I force him to look down at me. “Duke, I don’t know what will happen, but I wanted to try.”
Grabbing my arm from around his back, he tries to extricate himself. “Caroline, I appreciate the gesture but seriously, I already fell harder for you than I did for Indie in half a dozen years, and if you walk out that door like she did in another month, I won’t be able to handle it.”
Letting him go, I step back. Hanging my head, I tell him, “You’re right. You’re right, I am not all in and it isn’t fair to you. I’ll go.” I turn toward the door and Duke grabs my arm, pulling me against him. He reaches past me and locks the door.
“Wha—”
His lips slam against mine in a punishing kiss he puts all his feelings into.
It’s angry, passionate, hurt. It tastes delicious, and so like him.
His arms wrap around me before he lifts me, setting me on top of a table and stepping between my legs.
He never breaks his kiss, running his hands down my sides, he grabs the hem of my t-shirt and pulls it over my head.
He glues his mouth back to mine as soon as the fabric is clear of my face.
I gasp at the sudden intrusion of air against my sensitive skin and pull at his clothes, ripping at his buttons before he takes over.
He strips quickly until he’s in his undershirt, his hat and shirt discarded somewhere on the floor.
His kiss is searing and feels like lightning.
I can smell his skin as he pulls me as close to his body as he can, his mouth leaving mine and making his way down my jaw.
I wantonly rub against him, my legs wrapped around him, holding him to me.
I pull his undershirt out of his pants and up over his head as he unclips my bra, letting it fall down my arms. He drops to his knees, taking a peaked nipple in his mouth, moaning against my skin.
I let my head fall back as he slides a hand up my thigh and uses his thumb to rub me through my leggings.
I moan loudly and he moves his other hand up to cover my mouth.
“Shhh, sweetheart. You don’t want the whole bar to hear, do you?”
I try to hold it in and fail but he keeps his hand firmly clamped across my lips.
Dropping back on his haunches, his face is directly in front of my pussy.
He reaches up and tugs on my waistband, a request. I lift my hips in silent answer as he yanks them down.
Leaning forward, he lavishes my sensitive skin with his tongue while holding his hand over my mouth.
His tongue is warm against my overheated skin, and he sucks at my clit, forcing a moan from my throat, muffled by his hand.
He slides two fingers inside me, stroking me, setting me on fire from the inside out as I move my hips in time with his strokes.
He stands, leaning in close. “I can either get back on my knees and fuck you with my tongue until you come all over my face and I can taste you the rest of the night or I can take my cock out and show you what I have wanted to give you since the second I saw you sitting behind the wheel of your car in that ditch.”
I stare at him wide-eyed, his filthy words causing electricity to shoot down my spine and causing goosebumps to pebble my flesh.
“Choose,” he commands me, removing his hand finally.
“Fuck me, Duke.”
He growls low in his throat and it’s so fucking sexy, I can feel the wetness pooling beneath me where I sit on the table.
He doesn’t hesitate. It takes him seconds to loosen his belt and push his pants down his legs until he stands there, his chest heaving and his erection standing up between us.
My eyes widen at the sight of him—he has the biggest dick I’ve ever seen but then again, I haven’t seen many.
I try to focus but get distracted by the hard planes of his stomach.
I run my fingertips down his abs, and he shudders under my touch, his muscles contracting.
I wrap my hand around him and he’s two fists long, at least, and my fingers almost touch each other around him. I moan and pull him to me by the hold I have on him. He grabs my hips, and I tilt my head back, looking him in the eyes.
“You ready, Sunshine?” His eyes search my face for any hint of hesitation. I nod my head. Yes, a thousand times yes, I yell inside my head.
He removes my hand, places a steadying grip on my collarbone and takes himself in his other hand, lining up with me.
He stares me directly in my eyes as he slowly, so fucking slowly it’s agonizing, slides into me, inch-by-inch.
It’s slow torture. He throws his head back, his muscles straining.
His Adam’s apple bobs in his throat and labored breaths puff out of him.
Finally, after what seems like forever, he’s fully inside me.
I feel so perfectly full; I can hardly breathe around him.
“Move, please,” I whisper against his chest. Taking a deep breath, he leans down.
“Hold on, Sunshine. This won’t be gentle. I’m in a hurry; I got a job to do. I’ll cover your mouth if you can’t keep quiet.” He inches out, a little at a time. I clench around him, wetness flooding me. “Oh, you liked that, you’re so wet.”
He pulls his hips back and slams into me, forcing a cry from me despite my attempt to keep it in. His hand goes to my mouth.
“Quiet.” With that, he fucks me. He pounds into me, setting a furious pace and pulling moan after moan from my lips.
His cock touches every nerve ending I have, his pelvis grounding into my clit every time he slams against me.
He was holding my hip, but he moves his hand toward where our bodies are joined.
He pulls out slowly, looking down as he slides back in, a peaceful smile gracing his face.
The best smile I’ve seen from him yet. He moves his body away from me, leans down, and spits toward the place where he thrusts in and out of me. I almost come immediately.
“God, I knew you would be perfect. You clenched so tight on me just now. You liked that? That’s my girl.
” He slides his thumb through the saliva and rubs my clit, hard, causing me to buck against him.
His thumb makes hard circles, smaller and smaller, as I get closer and closer. “Fuck, Caroline. You feel so good.”
He seals his mouth over mine, his hips moving in time with his tongue as he moans.
Pulling my head away, I try to breathe through the pleasure coursing through me.
His chest heaves up and down, sweat beading across the hair covering his stomach.
Reaching out, I lay my hand against his defined abdominals before rubbing across his pecs and down his tattooed arm.
I pull him against me and he instantly begins peppering my neck with wet kisses.
I grab his ass and bring him as close to me as I can, his muscles bunching and flexing as he pushes into me over and over.
“You going to come for me, baby?” he whispers against my ear.
“Come for me, so I can come. I can’t hold out much longer; you feel so fucking perfect wrapped around my cock.
You’re perfect. Come on, baby.” His thrusts get harder, more erratic as he circles my clit.
I feel my own muscles start to spasm around him and I surrender to him, screaming into the hand he has clamped back over my lips as I fall over the edge, my entire body shuttering.
“That’s my girl. Let go. Good girl.”
I preen under his praise. He rams into me a few more times before pulling out and stroking himself until he comes on the ground between us, a huge groan escaping him and a few muttered curses. I giggle.
The look he gives me is transcendent. He smiles a full, toothy smile. A smile I haven’t gotten to see a single time in since I’ve known him. It’s relaxed and easy.
Perfect.