by Em Petrova
She moved first, easing off him so he muffled a shout of pleasure. He went dead still, allowing her to set the pace. Only a minute or two passed before her body accepted him and she wanted to find an end to the pressure building in her core. She shoved against him, faster, harder, taking more of him with each plunge. Ecstasy wrapped around her. Kaoz lashed an arm around her middle and drew her up and into him.
Passion blasted her, and before she understood what would happen, her inner muscles began to pulsate. No—pound. She bit off a scream as her first full anal orgasm hit her like a wave. She crested and rolled with it, unable to focus on anything but the pleasure and Kaoz’s strong, protective arms as he shouted his way through another orgasm too.
* * * * *
Kaoz never had a problem with waking well before dawn, but this morning, after the mind-blowing night with Brielle in his arms, he couldn’t think of anything worse than climbing out of bed.
God, he still couldn’t believe what she’d initiated. Not only taking him in her mouth but asking him to claim her ass. His cock grew hard just thinking about it. And seeing her beautiful face in the calm of sleep twisted him up good. He had half a mind to say screw the hay-making today and drag her off to the JP to get hitched.
He slipped out of bed, regretting he didn’t have time to leave her breakfast in bed, and headed out to the Bellamy Ranch before daybreak. His Uncle Cort was there to meet him and make sure he understood all the tractor controls before he drove it down the road to Beau’s place. The drive there would take a long time, seeing how the tractor only topped out at about fifteen miles per hour when equipped with the cutting attachments.
“It’ll do well for ya, Kaoz.” Uncle Cort slapped him on the shoulder.
“Thanks for lending it out to me. I promise to return it in good working order.”
“Never doubted you would. That wide swath cutting is the way to go.” The look on his uncle’s face reminded him a lot of his late father.
“Yup, hay in a day is our aim. Cut it fast, harvest higher-moisture bailage and get it under wraps so we can start on this barn.”
Uncle Cort cocked a brow at him. “You really plan on raising a barn Sunday?”
“Well, we’re getting a late start—beginning after church—and I don’t expect to complete it, but I’d like to have the frame up.”
“You got that footer dug yet?”
“No. Backhoe’s rented for tomorrow.”
He let out a low whistle. “Hay, a footer, then a barn—all in a week? Seems ambitious.”
“Seems impossible, but I’m gonna try my best for the ranch.”
“That’s interesting.”
Kaoz met his stare. “What is?”
“You went West to learn the business so you can build your own empire, but it sounds as if you enjoy advising ranchers as much as doing it yourself.”
He paused to think on it for a moment before nodding. “I do like being able to help them realize their dream and advise them of the best course of action. That land can earn money, and horses are the way to go. Beau has a foundation—he only requires a little guidance.”
Uncle Cort grunted. “A lot of ranchers could use the same push, I’m guessing. Have you considered putting yourself out there to help others?”
He blinked. He hadn’t, but now that he considered it, he asked himself why he hadn’t thought of it before now.
“I’ve got a friend who could use your help. I think he’d be willing to pay for your time.”
“Act as a consultant?” Kaoz shook his head in wonder. “Damn, that would be great. I’d love to have a look at his spread, see where we could tighten up.”
“Think about your going rate, and I’ll get in touch with him.” Uncle Cort squeezed his shoulder this time. “Better get a move on with the hay.”
Kaoz glanced up at the sky, still dark but becoming that deep blue that revealed that daylight didn’t linger far off. “Lucky for me it’s not a huge field.” He sliced a grin at his uncle and climbed up into the cab of the tractor.
Taking the back roads to Beau’s ranch meant he didn’t meet with much traffic, and in these parts, everyone grew accustomed to the hazards of farm equipment on the road anyway. As he watched the sky lighten from deep blue to hazy gray to a pale golden yellow in the east, he pictured how Brielle’s face would look as she woke.
Driving her to the clearing to see the sun set had tipped the scales in his favor again, and he couldn’t be happier. She deserved so much—the world handed to her. It still cut him deep that he’d failed her before. What he wouldn’t give now to see that stack of wedding magazines and her notebooks full of ideas sitting around. Or to see her lip trapped between her teeth as she calculated costs of flowers and food.
He drank in the country air and vowed to himself, God and the universe that he would do right by her this time around. If he let her down again, he didn’t deserve her.
When he turned into the bumpy drive leading to the ranch, he stared across the wide open field he was about to cut. Now that he had enough light, he aimed the tractor straight for the land and got to work.
With the wide cutter, he was able to wipe out a quarter of the field in two passes. As he turned to go for a third pass, he spotted a small figure crossing the field to him. His heart jerked in his chest.
Brielle.
She picked her way toward him, and he stopped the tractor and then cut the engine. When his boots hit the ground, he looked her direction and could make out her bright smile.
He strode to meet her and saw she carried a heavy thermos in one hand—hopefully full of coffee. He lengthened his strides until she stood inches away.
Silhouetted against the sky and pastures, she looked like the most gorgeous woman in the world. He raised a hand to cup her delicate face. She closed her eyes at his touch and leaned into his hand.
“You’re so beautiful, Brielle,” he rasped out.
She opened her eyes and met his gaze, her eyes glowing with love. “Thank you. And nice try, but your sweet talk won’t get me naked in a field today. We’ve got too much work to do.”
He chuckled.
She held out her offering of the thermos.
He arched a brow. “Coffee?”
“You bet. I know you didn’t have a chance to make a pot this morning.”
“I felt bad not leaving you breakfast.”
A strange look crossed her face. “Oh, I managed fine, thanks.” She glanced behind him at the section of the field he’d already cut. “Wow, that tractor really will make quick work of it, won’t it?”
“Yup. And Cort’s bringing the baler later on. We’ll finish the field by afternoon, by my estimate.”
“I’ve read that the hay when it’s cut and baled faster is more nutrient-rich for the animals.”
He grinned. “You read that, did you?”
She nodded. “You’re not the only person who’s interested in ranching, Bellamy.”
He snagged her around the waist and yanked her flush against his body. “It’s part of the reason why I love you so much.” He nuzzled her lips before kissing her fully. The soft pressing of their mouths had her moaning out in no time.
She pushed against his chest and stepped out of his hold, though. “Drink your coffee and get to work. I’ve got chores too.” With a sassy wink, she turned and headed across the field again, the sway of her hips driving him crazy enough to consider dumping his work and following her.
Shaking his head, he uncapped the thermos and poured a bit of steaming, fragrant coffee into the lid. He sipped as he watched her walk away from him, the smile never leaving his face.
* * * * *
Big, hardworking men sprawled all over the yard. They were dirty, sweaty and tired from the dusty, sticky work of the day, but they did it. All the hay got baled and wrapped, with a buyer coming to collect it in the morning.
One of the guys had cranked the radio in his truck, and country music rolled across the yard. Brielle had made a trip into town
for a haul of fried chicken, drinks and more goodies, and she’d spread it out on a big folding table next to the garage.
As she stood to the side and watched the guys move through the line, she couldn’t help but think of how great this day had been. The town pitching in to help Beau—and her too. And Kaoz the reason behind it all. As much as she loved her brother, he lacked in networking skills and they couldn’t have managed this alone, with no equipment or hands to work.
A permanent smile seemed to affix itself to her face. She sighed. She hadn’t been this happy in a long time, since weeks before Kaoz left for New Mexico.
Strong arms slipped around her from behind. The scent of man flooded her senses, and she leaned against Kaoz’s chest.
He nuzzled her ear. “You were great today, sweet thing.” His rumble sent a wisp of desire to her lower belly.
She covered his hand with hers and settled into his hold. “So were you. We never could have achieved this without your help.”
“It’s my Uncle Cort we should thank. Oh damn—there he is now.” He squeezed her once and then pulled away. Dropping her a slow wink that promised more once they were alone, he drawled, “I’ll catch up with you in a bit.”
After that, she got sucked in to the party atmosphere. She stopped to talk to Aidan Bellamy, who had given his all out there in the field, working more than two men put together.
“Next time we’re together like this, it should be your weddin’ reception.” Aidan lifted his energy drink. The cousin was the oldest of the three, a bachelor to the core and still one of the most talked about men in Crossroads. At one time or another, every single woman over the age of eighteen crushed on the man. Known for his easy manner and twinkle in his eyes, no wonder. But his words made Brielle uneasy.
She floundered for a way to change the subject, but she couldn’t blatantly ignore his statement.
“We’ve decided to put off the wedding for a while,” she admitted.
He cocked a brow. “Oh? Hadn’t heard that. Well, I’ll be here ready to dance with all the pretty ladies when the time comes.”
Someone called out to him, and he thumbed his hat in farewell. She smiled. “Talk to you later.”
Her insides felt cold, despite the heat of the afternoon and the beating sun slanting down on top of them all. She suddenly wished she could get away and be alone for a moment. She didn’t really understand why Aidan’s words upset her so much. Only last night she’d confessed she loved Kaoz and always would. Didn’t that mean she wanted to spend her life linked to him?
She grabbed a couple empty cans and walked over to the big trash can she’d hauled out of the garage for the impromptu party. Then she revolved through the group of guys, picking up trash and taking away plates.
Kaoz stood with his family members, and his stare followed her when she approached.
“Can I take away anyone’s plate?” she asked.
Kaoz’s Uncle Cort offered her a smile. “You don’t need to wait on me, Brielle. But if you don’t mind taking my empty plate, then I won’t stop ya.”
She grinned but didn’t totally feel it inside. She took his paper plate and turned for the trash can. As she started walking away, she heard his cousin Cort’s voice.
“Dad mentioned you agreed to go to help his buddy out in the next county.”
“That’s right. It’s a great opportunity.”
She froze in her tracks. She knew that voice and knew those words. She’d heard them come out of Kaoz’s mouth before, when he informed her he would leave to work in New Mexico for a few months.
Slowly, she pivoted. Unable to rearrange her features into anything but the reflection of the shock she felt deep down in her soul, she stared at Kaoz. For a minute, he didn’t notice her and continued to discuss the matter.
“When does he want you to start?” Cort took a sip of his drink.
“Soon as I can.”
She sucked in a sharp breath that felt more like a wheeze. A tight band had been lashed around her ribcage and squashed the air from her. Kaoz planned to go off again and he hadn’t even bothered to tell her?
At the noise she made, he looked up and saw her. Whatever feelings were etched on her face made him wince.
“Excuse me a minute,” he told his relatives and started toward her.
Brielle spun away, jogged to the trash and hurled the plate in. She had to escape and find a minute to process this alone before Kaoz reached her.
Too late, he grabbed her by the arm and whirled her around. “Brielle—”
She threw her gaze at the party behind him and refused to meet his stare. If she did, she’d either knee him in the balls or break down in horrible tears. He started to speak, and she threw up a hand to stop him.
“I can’t do this again, Kaoz.”
“Brielle, it’s only in the next county. I wouldn’t be leaving you.”
“That’s not it—you knew about this and didn’t bother to tell me?”
“I only found out this mornin’.”
She gave him an I-don’t-believe-that-for-a-second stare.
Finally, he dropped his head. “Uncle Cort asked earlier if I’d be interested in doing some consulting on his friend’s ranch, and I said I would be. I forgot to mention it to you.”
“Here we are, back in the same place. You making life decisions without me, who you claim to want to spend your life with.” She barked out a low, humorless laugh. “I don’t see a man who sees marriage for what it is—a partnership.”
“That is damn well what I see it as. Brielle—”
“Sure you do, when it comes to talking big about our dreams of owning our own ranch. You can’t even see that you’re leaving me out of the loop, can you?”
He stared at her as if he had no response to her accusation. Unable to look at him another minute more, she spun on her boots and took off for the car. She needed to get away and think.
Chapter Seven
Kaoz’s muscles ached. He’d been up since well before dawn and his eyelids felt like they were attached to two weights. He’d made it through cleaning up the picnic dinner Brielle set up outside. He wanted nothing more than to fall into bed with her and sleep until dawn.
But Brielle still hadn’t’ arrived home. After driving off, he still saw the angry sparks in her pretty eyes—sparks he’d placed there with his thoughtlessness.
To make it up to her, not only had he cleaned up outside by tossing all the trash, wrapping up the remainder of the food and putting it away, he’d washed down the folding buffet table and stored it in the house.
Now he stood at the kitchen sink, hand-washing the breakfast dishes no one had gotten around to doing. Typically they all took turns washing, but since Beau hadn’t yet come in from working and Brielle wasn’t home, that left him. And he wanted everything to be tidy when she finally returned.
He rinsed the last plate and set it on the draining board to dry. Then he pulled the plug and watched the sudsy water swirl down the drain, along with his hope that she would give him the time of day once she did walk through that door.
Shaking his head, he considered his misstep. It all started with him agreeing to take on the consultation job without even mentioning it to Brielle first. She might not be his wife—yet—but she deserved to know everything. After all, if she took off, he damn well wanted to know. Like now.
Looking out the window over the kitchen sink, he saw only his reflection in the glass and beyond that, the dark night.
The sound of the front door softly shutting had him whipping away from the sink, rubbing the wetness off his hands and rushing to the door. Beau glanced up from removing his boots.
“You’re looking for Brielle.” He let his boot drop.
“Yeah.”
“She’s not home.”
“I figured that out, thanks.”
Beau’s solemn expression got his adrenaline spiking.
“You know where she is.”
He gave a single nod.
Kaoz
waited about as patiently as he could without shaking it out of her brother. They’d already butted heads enough, and he had no desire to do so again. If he loved the woman, the family came with her.
“Well?” he prompted Beau.
“She’s staying at a friend’s house.”
“She told you that?”
“Texted me.”
“Dammit,” Kaoz cursed under his breath.
“She told me what happened. That you agreed to working another ranch.”
“It’s not exactly like that—” he started.
Beau’s brows lifted. “You’re a free agent, Bellamy. You can go as you please.”
“I’m here to help you out first. But I got an offer to help the Lazy Day Ranch and get them on their feet too.”
“So you’ll be going.”
He issued an exasperated sigh. “Only to the next county! It’s why I didn’t think to mention it to Brielle. Besides just hearing the news myself, I planned to stay here and drive over to the ranch as required.”
Beau’s gaze traveled over his face as if searching for a lie. “You still should have told her.”
He nodded. “I know.”
Beau walked to the counter and lifted the lid on a container of cupcakes leftover from the picnic. He selected a yellow one with chocolate frosting and then leaned against the counter to peel the paper off it. He took an enormous bite and chewed, still staring at Kaoz.
Shaking his head, Kaoz said, “You wanna say something to me?”
After swallowing, he nodded. “Yeah. Thanks for today.”
Surprise couldn’t have walloped him more if he’d been tossed by a bull right here in the kitchen. “I didn’t expect you to say that.”
“Look, I don’t know if you and my sister will ever work things out, but I see you trying.” He lifted his jaw toward the kitchen sink and the stack of clean dishes. “As far as the ranch goes, even if we don’t get that barn raised in the time we expect, I’m already richer for selling off that hay crop. I also made a deal with some of the other guys today to give them a hand with their own hay.”
He nodded, still stunned. “When does the backhoe get delivered?”
