Page 10 of Ash on the Range
I tipped her head back and grazed my mouth across hers in a barely there kiss that said nothing of what I wanted to do to her. The room was still occupied, and I knew the talk in the bunkhouse. I’d prefer it to be about me not getting any thanwhat the boys all wanted to do to Cass—not that I’d never be able to stop that if they started—and refused to add fuel to the rumor mill fire.
“Please,” she whispered to me.
My resolve held firm—just—as I pressed my mouth to hers, drinking in the sugar violets and coffee scent of her that had been desert.
“Soon,” I promised. “Get some sleep, and I’ll talk to Jude, alright, honey?"
Cassie nodded, standing up. At this height, my lips were at the perfect height to reach her bellybutton, if I wanted to lean in and kiss her.
A teasing smile played at the corners of her lips. Damnit, I knew that smile, it usually meant she was going to do something that would get me—or her—or get us into a whole lot of trouble.
“Cass,” I muttered. “This is where I’m gonna hope you’ll be good for me…”
The words barely left my mouth before she grasped the hem of her knitted top thing and yanked it over her head.
And then all I saw was lace, and flesh.
Because that lace top thing underneath the fluffy white thing?
Yeah. It really wasn’t a top at all.
And I was damn glad that half the boys had left for the night. Because the lace top? It didn’t conceal anything at all. Long sleeved it might be, the deep V-neck enhanced every curve on her body, from the swell over her shoulders to the curve at her waist. And it sure as hell showed the black bra beneath because the lace was as see through as it came.
“Fuck, Cass,” I cursed softly.
Reverently.
Hell, I wanted to get down on my knees and worship. Just like every man left in the ranch house.
So much for not setting off the rumor mill tonight.
Cass left me speechless as she walked away with a small, secret smile and blew me a kiss before she headed up the stairs I wasn’t allowed to use, and walked away from me for the night.
It was probably for the best. After that show, I wouldn’t have lasted any longer with her than I did on a bull.
And my best time on one of those damn things was two seconds.
CHAPTER FIVE
WILL
It didn’t take long to settle into a routine of eat-work-sleep-repeat that my body remembered in true Red Hart fashion, nor did it take long for the comments to start in the bunk house. Without Gage present—he had carved himself a place of his own out somewhere beyond the back field and walked in each morning, it was tough laughing off the constant barrage that targeted my girl and what wasn’t happening between us.
Jude often was the first out in the mornings, or last in at night. I carried the weight of the comments alone with my usual grin that faded the moment the lights went out and my smile slipped. I couldn’t even bring myself to draw my hand to my cock when the memory of Cassie’s mouth on mine slipped through my mind, the touch of her tongue, soft and hot and wet still so fresh.
Hell, I could barely think for the excess company I couldn't help but share a living space with. Maybe Gage had it right, but I had a hell of a lot of saving up to do in order to get to where he and Brit were right now. Not to mention the ex-soldier turned cowboy had a good twenty years on me in terms of both life experience and savings.
My shoulder twinged as I collected my kit of drenching equipment. I thought I’d be helping Travis with worming the deer herd for parasites, but apparently I’d been sent out to head up the operation this time around. Usually I helped out. This time, the onus was on me to get it right.
I stood in the barn yard, surrounded by a squad of first timer ranch hands who wore far too clean shirts and cheap boots that wouldn’t last the season—if they were lucky at best, but probably couldn’t afford much better—and a small group of deer who snuffled curiously at my jeans.
Pushing gently at a white male fawn who had attached himself to me earlier in the week, I started my run down on the procedure that I’d been giving myself a pep talk on while I gathered my kit from the barn, but the little guy insisted on coming back. Not that I minded too much, but right now he'd end up being my guinea pig if he kept on bumming my hand and checking for snacks if he remained within reaching range.
“Not now, Snowball,” I muttered when the fawn nudged me yet again. “Alright. Are you ready?” A few murmurs that didn’t convince themselves, let alone me, rang around the group in amuted wave. “I want to get this done before the week’s end, and the herd is bigger than you think. We’ll have to roundup the remainder from the top end later on, but right now let's concentrate on getting this group done to start with.” I grabbed a bucket of feed and led the small herd segment into the crush without looking back. The fawn followed me and that seemed to lead a mini migration.
“Looks like you’re up, little man,” I muttered. “Sorry about this.” We got started, and I learned names of the new hands—Noah, Luke, Reggie, and Whalan—as we went. The work went faster than I expected and we busted through the first small herd and moved onto the next before lunch.
I stepped back after round two, stinking of deer scent, chemicals I couldn't pronounce, spit and who knew what else, but proud of what we had started to achieve.
