Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 119746 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 599(@200wpm)___ 479(@250wpm)___ 399(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119746 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 599(@200wpm)___ 479(@250wpm)___ 399(@300wpm)
“Didn’t take you for an early riser,” she says with a smirk.
“Always,” I say hoarsely.
“Want some?” She holds out the soap, one eyebrow raised in challenge.
I close the distance between us, the cold water splashing up my legs, cock bobbing in front of me, as I take the soap from her outstretched hand.
“Turn around,” I say, voice low. “I’ll get your back.”
She hesitates for just a moment before complying, presenting her back to me. It’s a small gesture of trust that doesn’t escape my notice. I work up a lather between my palms and place my hands on her shoulders.
A small, breathy gasp escapes her as I begin to wash her back, my touch firm but careful. Her skin is smooth under my calloused hands, shoulder blades shifting as she leans into my touch. I work my way down her spine, painfully aware of our nakedness, of how easy it would be to pull her against me.
How much I want to.
So much it fuckin’ hurts.
“Your turn,” she says, taking the soap back when I’ve finished. “Turn around.”
I obey, feeling strangely vulnerable as I present my back to her. Her hands are smaller than mine but surprisingly strong, moving confidently across my shoulders, down the muscles of my back. She pauses at the McGraw tattoo on my shoulder.
“Is this your brand?” she asks. “I’ve seen it around the ranch.”
“Sure is. If it’s branded on our cattle, it’s only fair it’s branded on me.”
She brings her hands lower now. “You carry a lot of tension,” she murmurs, thumbs pressing into knots along my spine.
“Comes with the territory.” My voice is tight, controlled.
“The territory of running a ranch? Or something else?”
“Life in general is rife with tension, ain’t it?” I ask.
The tension between us shifts, transforms. No longer just sexual, but something more complex. The last thing I want is for Aubrey to start questioning the real business at the ranch, and the fact that Red and Cole aren’t the people she thinks they are.
“We should head back,” I say, though it’s the last thing I want. “Before the others wake up.”
She nods, but neither of us moves. We stand there, water lapping at our bodies, morning sun warming our faces, caught in a moment that feels charged with possibility.
Or with dead end trails that lead straight off a cliff.
“Jensen…”
My name on her lips sounds like a question, feels like a lifeline.
I step closer, unable to resist the pull between us any longer. Water parts around me as I advance, giving her every opportunity to back away.
She doesn’t.
We wade out of the creek together, water streaming down our bodies. I grab her towel where it’s thrown on the plaid blanket, holding it open for her. She steps into it, and I wrap it around her shoulders, my hands lingering longer than necessary. She looks up at me, droplets clinging to her eyelashes, lips parted slightly.
I stand firm, trying to resist.
She drops the towel and slips on the first layer of clothing, a long sleeved thermal.
But now that she’s covered up, it feels like a grave mistake.
After what happened in the barn last night, I told myself it wouldn’t happen again.
I don’t break many promises, only the ones to myself.
My hand cups the back of her neck, drawing her to me as I kiss her. Her lips are cold from the water but warm quickly against mine. For a heartbeat, she’s still, hesitating. Perhaps she made that same promise to herself too.
But then her mouth opens against mine, and she’s kissing me back with an intensity that steals my breath more than the mountain air.
I pull her against me, her breasts pressed against my bare chest. Her arms wind around my neck, fingers tangling in my wet hair. I taste creek water and something sweeter.
When we finally break apart, we’re both breathing hard. Her eyes have darkened, pupils blown wide with desire that matches my own. For a moment, we just look at each other, the world narrowed to this one impossible moment.
“We should get back,” she whispers, though she makes no move to step away.
“Yeah,” I agree, equally reluctant. “We should.”
But I don’t let her go. Not yet. Not when holding her feels like the first right thing I’ve done in years.
Do I deserve that feeling? Nah.
But I want more of it all the same.
I pull her to the ground, spreading out the blanket beneath us. We collapse onto it together, limbs tangling, lips meeting again with a hunger that can’t be deferred. She twists under me, pressing up against me, and I lose myself in the taste and feel of her.
When I move down her body, kissing my way over slick skin and finding all the places that make her gasp, she pulls me with her so we’re lying side by side. Her hand slides down my chest, lower, fingers wrapping around my cock with a surety that makes my vision blur. My mouth finds her breast underneath her damp shirt as she strokes me, and her moan sends a jolt of heat through my blood.