KADE
9
Sunday morning seems like a lifetime ago, but in reality, it has only been five days since I stood in Sage’s barn and licked the droplet of her blood from my thumb. She’s infiltrated every fucking thought I’ve had from that point on. Several times, I tried to come up with a valid reason to check on her, but every useless plan I had seemed idiotic… and anytime I tossed my medallion, it solidified my decision to stay hidden. So, that’s what I’d done. Every night, I’d remain in the shadows, watching her as she exited her bedroom window—in the tiniest sleep shorts I’ve ever seen—before making her way to the same barn I found her in when I delivered her truck the morning of the Toby incident.
I never approached her, though, unwilling to make my presence known. When darkness fell, I’d go back, hoping to catch a glimpse of her as she stowed herself away in the loft with my family’s cat trailing behind her.
She needs to learn I am someone she can confide in, the guy who will burn down the world to keep her safe. She’s a drug I haven’t taken, but I’m already hooked.
Twenty minutes ago, when I caught a glimpse of my growing obsession, galloping along the boundary line of our adjoining ranches, an unreachable itch burrowed beneath my skin, and the need to follow after her became a necessity. Broken fences be damned.
Sage was a fucking vision riding bareback on a pretty grulla with a silvery purple dappled coat and a dark mane and tail. It didn’t take me long to figure out where she was headed—toward the river that separates our land from theirs.
Setting down my tools, I lift my cowboy hat and swipe the beads of sweat from my forehead. Fuck this. It’s unseasonably warm for May, and right now, I’d rather be chasing my wildflower than mending wire in this fucking heat.
Decision made, I place my hat back on my head and toss a glance over my shoulder, barking out a command at my younger brothers, Jace and Cole. “Yo, asshats! Finish up here. I’ve got somewhere I need to be.”
As always, Jace is the first one to complain. “No fuckin’ way. You’re not bailing on us. It’s bad enough Rhett is off doing his apprentice shit. You can’t leave us to do all the grunt work, ya dick.”
“Quit your whinin’. You’re almost done. The cattle are back where they’re supposed to be. Fix the last few feet, and you can quit for the evening.”
Backing his twin up, Cole leans against the newly mended post and scolds me with a look that reminds me of my father. “If we’re so close to done, why the fuck can’t you help us finish up?”
“Because,” I start, then pause, not wanting them to know the real reason I’m taking off. “I have some business to take care of, and unlike you two fuck wads, I’m the only person on this damn ranch who is capable of handling this particular task.”
There’s no lie in my words, but I’m elusive enough to make them think I’m taking care of our bookkeeping—a job I always look after—and not the pretty blonde next door.
They don’t need me to elaborate, so I remove my work gloves and tuck them into the waistband at the back of my Wranglers, then make my way over to my prized possession—my white Camarillo, Casper. He’s the last thing my mother gifted me before she died.
Jace and Cole continue to bitch about being left with the manual labor as I put one foot in the stirrup. I grasp his mane in my hand and mount the seat. Before I take off toward the tree line, I leave them with one final warning. “Stop bitchin’ and fix the fuckin’ fences.”
Applying gentle pressure, I squeeze Casper’s side with my calves signaling him to move. “ Hh–up .” He follows my cues with ease, picking up the pace, and takes off with a gallop. “Atta, boy.”
Behind me, I hear the faint sound of one of my twin brothers shouting after me. “Ranch isn’t that way, dickhead!” Without looking back, I lift a middle finger over my shoulder.
A few minutes later, I spot Sage’s mare tied to the fence next to one of the irrigation ditches we use to supply water to the land. I sit back in my saddle and tighten my grip on the reins. “Walk,” I command, and Casper takes the direction, slowing to a trot before easing into his natural walking gait. I gently guide him through the shallow water and pull him to a halt next to Sage’s grulla. He comes to a stop, and I dismount before thanking him by stroking his face. “Good boy.”
Reins in hand, I lead him to the fence and tie him to the post, then pull two sugar cubes from my pocket, giving one to Sage’s companion, Cruella, and the other to Casper. “Behave yourself, buddy. I’ll be back.”
It’s a short walk to the tree line that conceals this particular spot along Black River, and with each step I take downstream, the higher the water becomes. I cut through the foliage, making my way to the old spot I frequented with my brothers when we were kids. My eyes land on Sage sunbathing along the planks that connect the two sides of the river, and I almost swallow my fucking tongue. Next to her feet, her cowboy boots and tank top are discarded into a small pile. The thought of her lying there, half-naked, makes my dick twitch against the coarse denim of my jeans. Jesus, she is fucking stunning.
She’s lying face down on a towel, arms beneath her chin. I wet my lips with a swipe of my tongue as I survey her in nothing but a tiny pair of denim shorts and a white lace bra. The evening sun kisses the beads of sweat glistening on her skin, and my mouth waters . Mother of fuck!
Not wanting to make my presence known—at least not yet—I conceal myself behind the branches of a large ponderosa pine and continue to watch her. From here, it’s hard to tell if she’s just relaxing with her eyes closed or if she’s actually dozed off. I edge closer, using the dense forestry as my disguise. But when a branch cracks beneath my boot, it echoes through the air, seeming far louder than it should. Suddenly, Sage’s head lifts and she peers around, looking for the source. Slipping behind a tree trunk, I pray like fuck she doesn’t see me creeping on her. I stay rooted for a few seconds as Sage pushes to a stand and shakes her head. By the look on her face, brows narrowed and lips pursed, I’d say she’s convincing herself she’s hearing things.
Once again, my eyes linger on my sweetest temptation, traveling over every inch of exposed skin. My dick hardens, straining behind my zipper. Reaching down, I adjust myself in hopes of easing some of the pent-up sexual frustration. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to fuck Sage Everett, because for as long as I can remember, she’s all I’ve fantasized about.
She’s the purest of temptations wrapped up in a pretty package labeled Forbidden Sin.
From my vantage point, I eagerly watch as she stretches her arms over her head as though she’s reaching for the sun. When she’s done, she folds her arms behind her back and undoes the clasp of her bra before peeling it off. She drops it on top of her boots, and a groan reverberates against my vocal cords. Stifling my need for her, I bring my knuckles to my lips, muffling the sound. Fuckin’ hell.
With her pert pink nipples on display, it takes everything in me to remain hidden and not prowl over there like some starved predator in need of his next meal.
Much like my eyes, my dick appreciates the view, and before I can stop myself, I unfasten my belt buckle, pop the button on my jeans, and free my hardened length from behind the confines of my zipper. Keeping my eyes on her, I take my cock in my fist and slide it up and down my shaft with a teasing stroke. I probably shouldn’t be doing this, not here. But I couldn’t care less. I’m harder than fucking steel, and my every fantasy is standing less than ten feet away from me, topless. “That’s it, baby. Make me come.”
Then, as if Sage is giving me my own personal show, her fingers undo the button of her denim shorts before she lowers them over the perfect globes of her ass and drops them to her feet. Picking up the pace, I guide my hand up and down my thickened length, over and over. As a familiar pull builds at the base of my spine, I muse, “I wonder what my little wildflower would think if she knew I was getting off to the sight of her.”
My grip tightens on my cock as she lowers herself off the makeshift bridge and into the water until she’s nipple deep. Stroke after stroke, I keep my wanting gaze on her, letting the pressure build with each fucking tug.
Unbeknownst to my presence, she paddles around for a few minutes, cooling herself down after bathing in the warm evening sun. Cum beads at the tip of my dick, and I smear it over the head, enjoying every second of the little show she’s giving me.
When she pulls herself back onto the makeshift bridge, there’s water dripping off her almost-naked body, and I explode with her name whispered against my lips. Jesus Christ. I don’t think I’ve ever come so fuckin’ hard in my life.
It takes me a second to gather myself, but once I tuck my dick back into my Wranglers, I extract my medallion from my pocket, then guide it through my fingers. “Go home… or go to her?” I ask before tossing it into the air. I watch with bated breath as the chip flips through the air before landing tails up in my palm.
A smirk curls at the corners of my mouth. This is the first time in days the chip has decided in favor of my obsession. Glancing toward Sage, I notice she’s got her back to me as she dries herself off with her towel. I use her distraction as an opportunity and ease myself from the shadows toward the riverbank. Once I’m in plain sight, I take a seat on the grass, wrap an arm around my shins and pull Toby’s cigarettes from my pocket with the other.
Thankfully, Sage has yet to turn around, so I extract a smoke from the pack and light it up. Nicotine coats my tongue before I announce my presence. “You know it’s illegal to trespass, Wildflower.” I don’t really give two shits that she is swimming in my river, but she’s teased me enough for today. I figure it’s my turn.
Sage turns on a dime, sputtering something that sounds like “Fuckin’ hell, Kade” as she does her best to cover herself with her towel. Bit late for that, sweetheart. I’ve already seen most of what you have to offer, and fuck me, I have every inch memorized. Finally, those ocean-blue eyes latch onto mine. “You almost gave me a heart attack. How long have you been sittin’ there?”
Holding her gaze, I tilt my head to the side and survey her from head to toe with a wicked grin. “Eh, not long. Actually, I just came , darlin’.”