Page 49 of Rancher's Strength

She had barely come down from her high when I gripped her waist and pressed my thumb to her swollen clit. “You ready to take my cock?” I asked, already knowing the answer as I slid my fingers out of her, unable to ignore the little whimper escaped her lips—like she already missed being full. But I was about to give her more.

She nodded, sitting up on her knees as I grabbed her waist, letting her pussy slide over me, taking in each inch by exquisite inch. Fuck, she was so warm, so inviting. Being inside of her was like coming home, and I wanted to be there over and over again.

“Are you gonna come again for me, Lexie? You gonna let me feel you soak my big cock?” I asked, gripping her waist harder and guiding her movements as she thrust with me.

“Yes… yes… YES,” her body shuddered on top of me as she cried out.

I had to hold on tightly to keep her from falling as I crashed down soon after, filling her with every last drop of my seed. She collapsed, her head resting on my chest, our hearts beating together in the same rapid rhythm.

We lay there, not saying a word, our breathing in sync as the water grew cold around us. In that moment, I never wanted to leave her. I knew Lexie was mine again—and this time, I wasn’t letting her go.

We had a few long days ahead of us on the ranch, but I didn’t care. She was worth every exhausted morning I would have.

Chapter Twenty-Four

RYDER

“Damn, sweetheart, I forgot how you looked in jeans and boots,” I whistled, a grin spreading at the corners of my mouth as she sashayed into the barn to get her horse. My eyes slowly trailed down her body, drinking in the swell of her breast and the roundness of her hip. “Don’t get me wrong, the skirts and heels have their purpose, but this.” I licked my lips and bit the corner of my mouth before reaching out and grabbing her arm, pulling Lexie to me.

Lexie wrapped her arms around my neck and ground her hips against me. “You better not keep that up, or we’ll be trying to catch up to the rest of the group.” I moved my hands down to her ass and grabbed it as I rocked against her, my cock coming alive from the sight of her and having her against me.

“It’s not going to be very easy to ride with that little issue.”

“Well, get away from me, and I won’t have this issue. It’s not little either.” I winked, and she let her head fall back, laughing. She tried to push me away, but her arms were still locked around my neck. “No, I’ll still have a problem because I’m going to watch you in the saddle and wish I was under you.”

Someone cleared their throat from the door, and I froze as Ryder looked over my shoulder. “Morning Linc.” He nodded. A slight twinge of guilt rocketed through me as I stood here happier than I’d been in ages while he was dealing with his own heartbreak.

“Morning, you two,” Linc said gruffly. “It’s been a while since you’ve done this Lexie, you up for it?” He leaned against the stall wall and looked at me.

“It’s riding a horse. I’ve done that all my life.” She shrugged and tried desperately to be nonchalant about it, even though she knew she was going to be in over her head. The fact of the matter is, Linc wasn’t wrong; it had been years since she’d been on the back of a horse for this long.

Leading our horses out of the barn, I spotted Ruby and Sawyer standing by the round pen, watching the other kids get ready to ride. “Hey, what’s up? It’s round-up day, and you both look sad.” I knew they probably wanted to ride their horses, but this was going to be a long day in the saddle, and I didn’t feel confident that they were ready for this yet.

“They all have the same scarves. Even you and auntie have them.” Ruby looked at the ground and kicked at a small rock, sending it bouncing along the ground. That was not what I expected to hear.

“They’re called wild rags. Can you tell me what you think they mean?” I crouched down between them and waited for an answer.

“Because if Sawyer and I have one like the rest of you, it means we belong here. Everyone that belongs here has one, but me and him.” Her little eyes welled with tears, and my heart broke again for these two kids that didn’t feel like this was their home yet. The lump that formed in my throat almost made me choke.

“Ruby” Josie called, jumping up and down as my girl ran to hug her. “Are you ready to go get the cows?” Josie asked excitedly. Josie was Nash and Fallon’s oldest daughter; she’d turned three a few months ago, and she thought Ruby was her best friend. Ruby was like a little mother, making sure Josie was where she was supposed to be and keeping her safe.

“Well, it’s about time you showed up, ready to go?” Kipp said as he walked out of his house, his words strained, but I was pretty sure Nora would have told him to be on his best behavior.

“We’ve been here for half an hour, and our horses are ready to go. I’m pretty sure I saw yours in the stall munching on hay,” I shot back at him. Cooper pulled Sawyer down the stairs, and they ran toward the fence. The boys were the same age and in the same class in school. We were already counting down the days until they would get into trouble.

“Any idea where the ranch wild rags got put?” I asked as I walked toward the porch steps. “And a new jacket.”

“In the attic, I think. Where we’ve always kept them,” he replied, nodding as he looked over at Lexie. “Come on, let’s see what we can find, and I guess you need a new one also.” I didn’t need Kipp to guide me to our merch, but I knew he’d have questions.

We walked silently up the hand-hewn wooden steps. This part of the main house was the original home that his great-grandfather had built. Pulling the string on the light, it sizzled to life. I moved to the far wall and looked for the boxes that came from our supplier. “What’s the deal?” Kipp asked as he crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.

“Ruby wants to know she belongs here and thinks that having a wild rag will make that happen. I’d never actually considered them anything but work wear, but if it makes her and Sawyer feel like they have a place here, I’m damn sure going to get her one.” I looked around the attic for the boxes we keptthem in, and Nash handed me three of them. They had Ruby and Sawyer’s names embroidered on them, along with the ranch logo. I looked up at him, my mind racing, but words weren’t forming.

“Fallon ordered them the day you showed up here with the kids and Lexie. She’d been so mad that they were delayed, but they got here last week. There’s a box for each of them.” Nash’s eyes softened, and I looked around at the men who’d been my friends and saviors when I’d needed them most.

“And how’d you lose your jacket?” Kipp arched a brow and tossed me a new one.

“She helped me work those cows the other morning and was cold. Apparently, it’s hers now.” I shrugged. It truly was that simple.

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