Chapter 28
JULIAN
There’s a donkey on the bed.
It’s not my fault that Doc felt bad for me after Ranger left to get some air. PP really doesn’t seem that amused by the situation, but I feel a bit better lying on the bed with Doc’s head on my chest, stroking the soft fur between his eyes.
Ranger’s been gone so long I’m half convinced he got in his truck and just kept heading north, leaving my needy butt in his rearview mirror.
I’ve been too afraid to get up and check.
I wouldn’t blame him. I told him I was fine with casual and then went and started talking about feelings a few weeks later.
It’s bad hookup etiquette; everyone knows that.
The door to the room eases open, and I hear a sigh before he’s even all the way back in the room.
“So, this is a thing, huh?” he asks, sounding halfway between amused and resigned.
“Doc, get down.” I sign at him, but he just pushes his head harder against my chest, pretending like he doesn’t know what I’m telling him to do. “Sorry, I wasn’t sure if you were coming back.”
He arches an eyebrow at me. “And if I wasn’t, you were going to spoon with a donkey the rest of the night?”
I shrug. “It seemed like a solid enough plan.”
Ranger chuckles as I finally manage to sit up and coax Doc off the bed with a minimal amount of annoyed braying and dirty looks.
“What did you mean, this is a thing?” I ask because that’s easier than asking what sent him fleeing from the room.
He climbs onto the bed. Benny hops up as well and makes himself comfortable at the foot of the bed next to PP. The smell of cigarette smoke clinging to Ranger’s clothes wafts around me as he kicks off his shoes and lets them drop one at a time with a thud next to the bed.
“I meant that I shouldn’t be surprised that my boyfriend would let a donkey in the bed as soon as I step outside.” He smirks. My heart does its level best to leap out of my chest.
“Boyfriend?” I can’t stop the smile from spreading across my face.
“That’s what you were saying before I left, wasn’t it?
Or am I getting this all wrong? Are we supposed to have a few proper dates before slapping on the boyfriend label?
Because I’d argue that we’ve already had a few.
We just didn’t call them dates at the time.
Plus, we’re spending the weekend in a motel together, which feels like it should count as one or two. ”
“Not sure I’d bring Doc on a date if given the choice,” I reason, still smiling like a fool as I scoot closer to Ranger until our chests are pressed together and our legs are intertwined.
“You let him in the bed. I’m not sure where you draw the line,” he teases, cupping my jaw with his hand and rubbing his thumb along my cheek. I tilt my head into his touch, closing my eyes and savoring the moment.
“You mean it?” I ask after a few seconds.
“About Doc being in the bed?”
“No.” I snort, gathering the fabric of his T-shirt in my fists and resting my forehead against his. “You want to be my boyfriend?”
“I mean it,” he answers without hesitation. “I like you too, J. Honestly, I don’t get what you see in me, but…I’m not ready to cut this off. I want to see what happens.”
It’s not exactly a declaration of undying love, but I’m one hundred percent okay with that right now.
I tug on the front of his shirt and smash my mouth against his, happiness bubbling up inside me, knowing that Ranger likes me. Okay, I know that’s a bit juvenile, but Ranger likes me back!!!!
Our lips move together in a slow, sweet kiss that picks up steam as it goes on. He slips his tongue into my mouth and strokes it against mine, hot and heavy. I can taste the cigarette on his tongue as well, but it’s not enough to stop kissing him.
Unfortunately, a sharp, unwelcome pain ruins the moment. Even without the self-satisfied braying, I would’ve been able to guess who was to blame.
“Ow! Mother of Bacon Bits,” I squeal, throwing myself half on top of Ranger to escape getting another bite on my ass from Doc.
“That hurt, you know. I wanted our second kiss stopped, not this one.”
“He was supposed to stop our second kiss?” Ranger asks.
“PP was. I’m glad she didn’t, but at the time it seemed like a bad idea to kiss you, so I told her to save me from myself.”
Doc butts my elbow with his nose, then tugs at my T-shirt with his teeth again. Meanwhile, the girls decide this is a great time to flap around inside their makeshift cage.
I sigh. Talk about getting cockblocked.
“Maybe we should wait until things are a little less Wild Kingdom,” Ranger suggests.
“I loved that show as a kid,” I muse, eyeing Doc and considering the options. The bathroom could work, but it’s a little small, and frankly, motel bathrooms skeeve me out. I catch sight of the keys to my truck resting on the nightstand, and I grin.
“Let’s go have sex in the truck.”
“What if someone sees us?” His husky purr is more than enough to tell me he isn’t opposed to the idea.
“Then I guess it’ll be their lucky day.” I slide off the bed and open the side zipper on my duffle bag, grabbing a condom and the bottle of lube I stashed in there. Clothes, family heirlooms, and safe sex supplies, the essentials every “go-bag” needs.
I hold up the supplies, waving the condom at Ranger. “Come on, it’ll be fun.”
He scrambles off the bed and follows me out to my truck.
With the bench seat in front, trucks are so much more convenient for vehicular sex than cars could ever hope to be. I said what I said.
We both climb in, and I toss the supplies onto the dash for safekeeping, then crawl onto Ranger’s lap. Straddling his thighs and wrapping my arms around his neck, I go in for another kiss.
He was right. This is much better without the four-legged audience.
His hands find their way onto my ass, grabbing and kneading it through my jeans, while our tongues tangle as we kiss and grind against each other.
The hard bulge of his cock presses against mine through our pants.
Our heavy breaths fog up the windows in no time, creating the illusion of privacy, even out in the parking lot.
“I know you don’t see it, but you really stepped up and saved the day today,” I murmur against his lips between kisses, dragging my fingers through his hair.
Ranger huffs. I’m not sure if it’s meant to be a scoff or a laugh. Either way, it’s obvious he doesn’t believe my praise. That’s okay. I’m happy to keep talking until he believes me.
I kiss my way along his jaw, circling my hips against his, the steel outline of his cock rubbing against mine and making my body ache. I want him to fill me, stretch me, fuck me until I can’t walk right tomorrow.
“You were level-headed and in charge. It was so hot.” I nip at the hard edge of his jaw. “You knew exactly what needed to happen, and you got it done.” I kiss my way down his throat, then suck on his Adam’s apple. “You’re capable and strong and so sexy I can hardly think straight sometimes.”
Ranger moans, digging his fingers harder into my ass. “You’re too sweet to me.” His voice is a deep, raspy rumble.
“Too bad. Learn to live with it.” I grab the hem of his shirt and yank it up over his head.
“I don’t deserve you.” He takes my shirt off and tosses it aside as well, then pulls me in for another kiss.
“Life’s too short for that kind of thinking, baby. You deserve everything you want.”
“I want to fuck you.” He tugs my bottom lip between his teeth, then gives a soothing lick, thrusting up against me at the same time.
“So glad we’re on the same page because I’m about to die if you don’t get inside me soon.”
We kiss harder, deeper, hungrier as we fumble with the button on each other’s jeans.