4. Mack
MACK
The ride back to my house is a long one, and I’m thankful for the air conditioning after spending all day tryin’ to get a tractor to run in the hot Texas heat.
But I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Hearts Bend has been my home for my whole life, and with the rodeo right here in town, there’s never been a reason to leave. It’s wild and exciting and a hell of a good time.
But so is my work.
I followed in my father’s footsteps right out of high school, workin’ as a mechanic specifically for ranch equipment in our town.
The money is good and since I’ve been tagging along with my old man since I could hold a wrench, no one batted an eye when my father started sending me to handle calls all on my own.
Every day is different.
Challenging.
And every time I get someone’s day back on track, I’m filled with a sense of pride. Sure, riding a bull is cool, but have you ever given someone’s livelihood back to them in a single afternoon?
There’s something heady about seein’ the relief on the customer’s face and knowing you’re not just doing a job. You’re saving their business—their ability to put food on their table—and I’ll trade that for the glitz and glam of the arena every day of the week.
My house is dark when I finally pull up, the small, white-painted brick ranch a sanctuary as I put the truck in park and push out into the setting sun. Crossing the porch, I stop long enough to take my dirt-covered boots off so I don’t track more into the house than what’s clinging to my jeans.
As much as it’s exhausting, I feel so incredibly blessed to be able to do what I love.
Now I just need the girl.
Dropping my boots just inside the door, I flip on the lights and head straight to the bathroom, bypassing the oversized leather couch and recliner in favor of a hot shower.
And some much-needed alone time.
Turning on the water, I strip out of my clothes and look at myself in the mirror. Nothing appears to be different, but I know in my heart I’m a changed man.
Despite how badly I fucked things up with Piper, there’s no way I’m letting her go. Not when I know what her mouth feels like against mine, those little whimpers and moans driving me out of my mind for her.
I should have pursued her sooner, fought for her attention, and showed her I can stand up and be the partner she needs. Right now, she thinks I’m some playboy who’s content with a new girl warming my bed every night, but it couldn’t be further from the truth.
I’m no saint, but I don’t want that life and I damn sure don’t need it.
Fun is just fun, but whenever I think about forever, I can’t imagine it with anyone but Piper. I remember the first time she came home with Rory from college, her dark hair piled on top of her head with those little pieces blowing around her face.
She looked like an angel, and my teenage hormones had acted like a bull in the ring—zero to sixty before she even looked my way. I’d excused myself, mumbling something under my breath and hightailing it to my room where I jerked off embarrassingly fast.
The memory has a smile curving up my lips as I step under the hot spray and run my hands through my hair.
She’s so damn pretty.
Piper has always been athletic, but she’s filled out since college with perky, round tits and an ass I’d love to get my hands on.
For years, it’s been all looking and no touching, my mind conjuring up all kinds of images for times like these when I need to release some tension.
But then she kissed me last night, and even though it blew up in my face, I can’t forget the way her body felt pressed against mine, her soft curves so damn tempting…and that mouth.
I’d been in heaven, my tongue licking and exploring and fuck. Hand gripping my dick, I let my mind wander, the real thing adding so much more to the fantasy.
What would have happened if I’d gone inside with her last night?
In the privacy of my shower, I don’t say no. I follow her in, slamming the door behind me as we leave a trail of clothing all the way to her bedroom.
I stroke harder, my chest heaving as I imagine covering her body with mine as I thrust into her pussy, my hips pistoning into her tight, wet heat.
And fuck.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
Much like that first time, I don’t last very long, my cum painting long white spurts against the tiles of the shower as I try to catch my breath. It’s crazy how much I want her, how one kiss could open the floodgate of want and need and absolute obsession.
Chuckling, I bow my head and let the water wash over me. Tonight will have to be enough, but tomorrow, it’s a whole new ballgame.