by Lux Miller
She relaxes slightly, so I add on, “We all make mistakes, and one day, I’ll atone for mine. But you… you’ve never been a mistake. I’m not ashamed of anything we’ve done, Raven. My only regret is that you haven’t been able to experience it yourself. Tonight, when all of this is over and done and we’ve secured the ranch… will you join me for a proper date?”
Her eyes widen as she gasps. I can’t tell if she’s stricken by the idea or just speechless. I grab her hand and tug her out the front door. “Think on it. Tell me later. For now, we’ve got to round up those horses!”
We run out to the barn, and I can hear Liberty pawing at the floor behind her gate. Raven shakes her head at me wildly. “Hunter, you can’t! You might get hurt!”
I shake my head as I swing the gate to Liberty’s stall open. “And if I don’t… one or more of the animals will… I’m not afraid of getting thrown, Raven, but I understand if you’ve no desires to come with me, and nobody will blame you for staying behind. But right now, Liberty’s my only option. Sometimes, the crazy ones are the ones who have to save the world…”
Raven opens her mouth to say something to me, but never gets the words out as I fling myself up onto Liberty’s back. Liberty rears up and angrily slams her front hooves down onto the floor. I wrap my arms around her neck, whispering rapidly to try to calm her down, but I can feel her muscles bunching underneath me, and I know she’s not having it. Despite the increased risk of her throwing me, there’s just no time to saddle her or try to bother with a bridle. She’ll stand for those less than having me on her back, anyway.
I’m expecting for this to be a rough ride, but it’s going to take all of us to round up the miniatures, especially if they’ve mingled with the herd. I wince as Liberty twists under me, but instead of rearing up again, she nickers loudly and takes a step forward. I turn quickly to see what she’s approaching and realize Raven’s standing inside the stall. Shit. If Liberty goes wild, she could crush Raven and there’d be nowhere to escape.
“Raven! Move!”
Raven shakes her head, keeping her stare on the horse. Liberty returns her stare, pawing at the floor nervously, but making no moves to lash out at her. What the hell? Liberty is letting Raven approach her! Raven slowly reaches her hand up to Liberty’s face and pats her nose, then between her eyes as Liberty lowers her head down to Raven. There’s no hesitance in Raven’s demeanor, despite the fact that Liberty makes Raven look like a toy. From up here on Liberty’s back, my heart is thundering in my chest. My nerves are sizzling as I watch Raven edge closer and closer to Liberty.
Before I realize it, she’s nuzzled her face into the horse’s neck as she strokes her hand lovingly down its neck. I’m sitting up on here on Liberty’s back like an ass, watching the girl I care about put herself in danger to make sure this damn horse doesn’t throw me off like she did my sister. Raven stands up straight and whispers something into the horse’s ear, and I’m baffled that Liberty hasn’t gone on the defensive.
“Raven, we need to—”
She cuts me off as I try to speak by holding one hand up at me and giving her head a quick shake. She continues to mutter sweet-nothings to the horse while outside, I hear chaos ensuing. The alpacas have definitely been startled, because instead of their usual soft humming noises, those things are straight up squawking like a bird that’s been shoved out of its nest. It’s not quite a scream, so thankfully, they aren’t in full panic-mode yet, but they’ve definitely been disturbed. Something is exciting them into a frenzy, and it’s making me nervous with the absolute stillness in here when it should be quite the opposite.
Suddenly, Raven’s head jerks up, and she takes a step back from Liberty, heaving a sigh of relief. She looks up at me and smiles. “Give me your hand.”
I shake my head quickly, trying to stay as still as I can on the horse. “No way in hell are you getting up here with me.”
Raven nods. “I know, now give me your hand, Hunter.”
I eye her, but do as she asks. She grips my hand hard and yanks on it, pulling me forward. I lose my balance and slide off of Liberty, barely landing on my feet instead of on top of Raven. I’m relieved she sidestepped at the last moment, but she could have been hurt! I scowl at her and brush off my pants, shaking my head at her. “Now I have to get back up there. I was lucky she let me do it the first time…”
Raven shrugs and brushes past me. “No, you don’t. And luck had nothing to do with it.”
I blow out a breath, wondering if she’s somehow found a secret stash of her candies. She’s not acting like the girl I’ve gotten to know. She shrugs, grabbing hold of Liberty’s mane and launching herself onto her back before I can stop her. “You’re not riding her. I am. Stay here to round up the miniatures as we find them.”
I stare at her like she’s lost her damn mind. I shake my head vehemently. “There’s no way I’m gonna let that horse hurt you too.”
Raven scoots up Liberty’s back, twisting her hands into the horse’s silky, black mane. She nods. “She’s not gonna hurt me, Hunter.”
I throw my hands up and Liberty snorts at me. “How do you know? Are you a damn horse whisperer or something?”
Raven smiles and nudges her knees into Liberty’s sides. The horse shakes her head twice, paws the floor once, and to my surprise… stalks out of the barn like she’s a prize show pony doing a trick. Raven glances back over her shoulder and looks down at me. “Because she trusts me. A horse is no different than a woman. If you treat her like an object, she’ll always rebel. Against you and your authority. If you treat her with respect, like she’s an equal, she’ll learn to trust you…”
I open my mouth to respond but don’t get a chance. Raven tugs on Liberty’s mane and hollers, “Hyah, hyah,” and the two of them take off across the open yard, making a beeline for the herd. The inky blackness of Raven’s hair disappears into the darkness of Liberty’s mane as they thunder across the grass, passing by both Ashley and Eli as they plunge into the middle of the herd. Several of the alpacas scream in surprise, and Ashley turns to look at me with her mouth hanging open. I know she’s too far away for me to explain, so I simply hold my hands up in a shrug. Because honestly, I’m as surprised as they are…
NINETEEN
Raven
“For the umpteenth time, Aspen, I’m fine… she’s just misunderstood. Maybe she let me ride her because we share that in this life…”
Aspen narrows her eyes at me. I know she wants to explode like a pressure cooker that isn’t sealed properly, but she’s holding in whatever fury is bubbling inside her. I understand she’s angry at me, but she’s not really mad. She’s worried. This scared her. To be fair, she’s in the same boat I am. I’m the only family she has left.
Our father didn’t bother to hang around, if they’re even the same. Mom never really said. And then mom died last year. All we have is each other. Well, Aspen is all I have. She’s got Blake and Gwen, but I know why she’s so upset. Everyone on this ranch goes on and on about how dangerous Liberty is. And she can be, to even the most experienced rider. Hunter’s sister is a prime example, but it really is all about trust.
“Raven, you could have been seriously injured, or God forbid, killed on that daggum horse! There was no need for you to play with fire like that. Hunter could’ve handled her.”
I glance over my shoulder at Hunter, who is standing in the doorway sheepishly. He’s a year or so older than Aspen, but he’s cowering in the corner like she’s his mother too, and she’s scolding him like a naughty schoolboy. He nods, then stops, refusing to say a word.
Aspen sighs heavily. “Raven, I just don’t want to see you get hurt again, okay? Watching you spend the last year struggling to recover has been torture. Part of it is because I know you haven’t healed at all. Not really. You may think I don’t know about the drugs, but I do. I just haven’t said anything, because you get so defensive, and I don’t want to push you away any more than you’ve already pulled away.”
Ouch. Th
at stings. And I know she isn’t telling me this to make me feel guilty. Aspen isn’t manipulative like that. I mean, she can manipulate her husband into doing anything she wants, but we all know she’s more than likely bribing him anyway. Gwen is proof of that. And I hear that Ashley has agreed to take Gwen for New Year’s. I’m going to make myself scarce that night.
I look up at Aspen. “I saved the herd… both of them. Not single-handedly, but they never would’ve gotten it under control if I hadn’t taken Liberty. They needed three horses. Liberty didn’t want Hunter to ride her, but she didn’t mind me. She let me ride her, Aspen. I’m not an idiot. I wouldn’t have ridden a horse that was giving me a bad vibe.”
Aspen looks over my head at Hunter. I can’t see him, but Aspen shakes her head and throws her hands up. “Raven, I can’t protect you forever. I’ve tried my hardest to protect you from the world out there, but I’ve failed miserably. No matter what I do, I can’t, and never could, protect you from yourself.”
Aspen turns and walks out of the ranch hand house, and my shoulders sag. She’s not totally wrong, but she doesn’t have all the facts. She doesn’t need them to be judge and jury, though. I’ve put her through hell over the last year with my drug addiction. I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true. That’s exactly what this whole thing with the candy is. Sure, it’s totally legal, but it’s an addiction all the same, and no matter what it’s made of, it’s dangerous. I know this… I’ve known this all along, yet I still chose to do it.
I tense slightly when I feel hands on my shoulders. I know they belong to Hunter, but the tightening of my muscles is involuntary. Right now, I feel like an utter failure, and I didn’t even do anything wrong this time. Crazy, yes… but I wasn’t running through the streets naked or sleeping with two men at the same time! I was just riding a batshit crazy horse to try to save the animals I’ve come to care about.
“Cut her some slack, Raven. She means well.”
I huff softly. “She could certainly be nicer about it, you know. It’s not like I enjoy the behavior that Queenie’s been involved in.”
Hunter walks around me and squats down in front of me. He reaches a hand under my chin and tilts my face up so that we’re looking at one another. “I know that and you know that, but she doesn’t know that. All she sees is her once shy and timid sister out at all hours of the night, having sex with strange men, and spouting off at the mouth worse than an episode of South Park. Trust me, Queenie doesn’t mince words. But I’ve a luxury she doesn’t have. I care about you, but I haven’t promised anyone to raise you right…”
I blush at Hunter’s words. “I’ve never been shy and sweet.”
Hunter chuckles. “And that’s okay, but you have to understand that that’s how she sees you, which is why you jumping on the back of a feral, unbroken horse is slightly terrifying to her. Coupled with the fact that a concussion is a very real possibility if you’d gotten thrown, I can understand her concern, but you freaked me out too, Raven. I know that horse, and she’s never willingly let anyone ride her. Not until you scared the shit out of me.”
I swallow and nod as he speaks, keeping my eyes focused on his lips. He brings his hands to my knees and rubs them gently. Biting down on my bottom lip, I groan softly as he does, trying to ignore the pangs of want that spiral through my insides. “Hunter, don’t touch me like that unless you intend to…”
Hunter stops moving his hands and makes eye contact with me, his eyebrows knitted together. “Intend to what? Raven, you’re sounding like her. Have you had any candy?”
Shaking my head quickly I reply, “No, I really flushed it all. Don’t look at me like I matter to you, unless I matter to you.”
Hunter pushes my knees apart and wiggles his body between them, bringing his hands up to my cheeks. “You do matter to me, Raven. Otherwise, I would’ve walked away a long time ago. I’m not the kind of man to sit around and wait for a girl to decide she wants to get physical. I either do, or I don’t… You’ve been the exception to that rule, well, sorta… considering we have…”
He trails off, but I know what he was going to say. We’ve had sex. I don’t remember it, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. From what he’s told me, it was wild and animalistic sex, too. The kind that would make your parents blush. I smile down at him. “That’s not what I meant and we both know it. Hunter, we keep getting interrupted, but no more excuses. I want to experience it while I’m me. In my full faculties and in full control of my body and mind. Be my first, Hunter…”
Hunter groans as he stands up and walks to the front door, locking it securely. He turns to face me from the door, desire on his face. “Tell me you’re not fucking with me. You’re serious?”
I swallow hard and nod. I do want this, but it doesn’t mean I’m not nervous. I force down the queasy feeling that bubbles in my gut, then stand up off the chair where Aspen gave me the here-to and what-for. With Hunter’s eyes glued to me, I tug the shirt I borrowed from him over my head and drop it onto the floor. Before I can chicken out and change my mind, I quickly unbutton and unzip my jeans and push them down my legs, kicking them off to the side. “You tell me if I’m serious, Hunter.”
Hunter’s eyes rove over my body, the hunger evident on his face. “I’m really, really hoping you’re going to get naked.”
I can’t help but chuckle at his brashness. But I appreciate his honesty. There’s no sense in beating around the bush. I hold one hand up and crook my finger, motioning for him to come to me. He does without a second’s hesitation, but he doesn’t touch me. He just gets close enough for me to touch him… and I do. The hoodie he put on earlier hits the floor almost as fast as his shirt.
Blowing out the breath I was holding, I bring both hands to his chest. “Wow, you’re beautiful, Hunter…”
He blushes slightly, red tinging the tips of his ears. “I, uh… thanks?”
Giggling, I nod. “Now, let’s see the rest, shall we?”
He tenses as I reach for his jeans, but he doesn’t jerk away from me. Once they’re undone, I push those down his legs until they puddle at his feet. He slides off his cowboy boots, then kicks his jeans into a pile on top of them. If I thought his torso was delicious, the rest of him is another slice of the same sinful pie. His thighs are thick, corded with muscle that disappears into the bright red boxer briefs he’s wearing.
I subconsciously lick my lips, and Hunter groans, his eyes focused on my mouth. I smile and nod. “So, is that what you want? Do you want me on my knees?”
Hunter opens his mouth to respond, but he doesn’t get to give me my answer as I drop down onto my knees anyway in front of him. I inhale a shaky breath and wrap my right hand around his dick, gripping him through the thin fabric of his underwear. He moans loudly, his head tilting back. I guess that’s a good sign at least. I continue to squeeze him gently, shuddering as I feel him harden completely in my hand. This thing should come with a warning sign - it could put someone’s eye out!
Keeping my pace slow, I keep stroking his length, drawing breathy moans from his lips. But I know that he doesn’t want a hand job. Hell, he doesn’t even want a blow job. He wants to fuck. He’s made that perfectly clear, but he’s going to have to settle for one step at a time… and right now, that blinding underwear is in my way, so I wiggle them down on his hips and let them gather at his ankles. I stare at the material for several heartbeats before I divert my gaze up to his crotch and the erection staring me in the face.
He swallows as he watches me, and I do the same as I watch his erection bob up and down slightly with his subtle movements. I breathe shakily for a moment, my breath puffing over him. There’s no way I can do this with my eyes open, so I close them and lean forward, flicking my tongue against the velvety skin. I can hear his breath catch in his throat, and the only thing I can hear is my own heartbeat pounding in my ears. I inhale deeply through my nose and envelop
the crown of his cock in my mouth.
The feeling of his dick on my tongue isn’t
as strange as I expected it to be, so I push forward, letting my tongue slide cautiously along the vein on the underside of him. My lips make it about halfway down the shaft of his dick before he must come to his senses. The sound of him moaning with abandon fills the air around me. I can’t see what he’s doing, but I feel one hand slide into my hair, gripping the strands in his fist. His voice is strained as he utters a single word, “Fuck…”
TWENTY
Hunter
If my mother could hear my dirty mouth right now, she’d be reaching for a bar of soap. Hell, who am I kidding? Everything about what I’m doing right now would have my mother clutching her pearls and gasping in her native Southern accent that ‘the devil done got into that one.’ Then she’d be whipping out a bucket of bleach and dumping it over my head. My mother’s not a total prude, but she’s of the belief that sexual relations should only happen in the confines of a committed marriage, and that men’s and women’s mouths do not belong on genitals.
