by Em Petrova
“I like it right here.” Her breathy tone reflected the desire coursing through her. She might be dumb, but she’d be smart some other day.
She yanked him down by his shirt front. He laughed as he crushed his weight upon her and claimed her lips. Things turned carnal in a blink, and she had no recollection of stripping off her clothes—or his. Only when his condom-covered cock was poised at the root of her did she give pause.
“Noble.” Damn, she was adopting his habit of just saying his name.
“Gracie.”
She grinned. “I’m sorry about kneeing you in the balls.”
“Well, I’m not sorry about telling you I’m falling for you.” As if to punctuate his point, he jerked his hips, filling her with his shaft in one quick glide.
They shared a smile and started to move.
* * * * *
Why hadn’t he told her? He’d spent half the day wondering how to break it to the stubborn cowgirl that he was in love with her. Yep, speaking the L word would put him in the hospital, knowing her, but he’d risk it.
Cradling her head in one palm, he lowered his lips to hers. The kiss was sweet and filled with emotion. She could try to deny it, but she more than liked him too. He’d seen horses like her, playing hard to ride, but he wasn’t going to stop trying till Gracie was his.
The tight heat clenching around his cock had him moaning, and she answered with soft whimpers of her own. They had to remain quiet—she wouldn’t want to get caught by one of the other guys. When Noble braced his arms around her and did slow, erotic push-ups over her, thrusting nice and slow, he stared down at her.
She bit down on her lower lip, and her cheeks grew pinker.
“You’re so gorgeous,” he ground out.
“You’re pretty good-looking yourself.” She leaned up and bit his ear.
He growled and sank so deep that he had to close his eyes and struggle to keep from blowing. Reaching under her, he cupped her ass and angled her hips to take him fully. The feel of her enveloping his every inch had him on the very edge of release.
“I’m too close,” he said hoarsely.
She shuddered underneath him and then slipped a hand between their bodies. When he realized she was strumming her fingers over her clit, he bit off an animalistic noise.
“How often you do that?” he managed to ask.
“Whenever it’s needed.”
“Do you think of me?”
That flush on her cheeks deepened, and he knew he had her. She just wasn’t admitting it yet, but she would.
Her insides clutched around him. He rocked his hips faster, reveling in the clench and release of her inner walls and the sharp breaths she took. She was about to sail over the edge with him.
He lowered her to the mattress and nudged aside her fingers. “You don’t get to have all the fun,” he said as he covered her hard pearl with the pad of his thumb.
* * * * *
Gracie couldn’t think straight. Her body was on fire, and Noble’s hard length was driving her to the brink of insanity. As he circled her clit with his thumb one more time, the first throb of orgasm hit.
It stole her breath. She opened her mouth wide on a silent scream, and he plunged his tongue inside, filling her head with the taste of man and musk as he pounded his own release into her.
They came apart in a wild heave of bodies. She slipped her fingers into his hair, holding him to her for a deep kiss. The moment stretched on as aftershocks gripped her body.
He dropped his forehead against hers, eyes shut.
The heavy weight in her chest wasn’t due to him being on top of her. No, it was emotion, pure and simple. She had never felt a bittersweet ache such as this, didn’t know how to describe it.
Jessamine would know, or even Kizzy. The pair of them had fallen in and out of love with countless boys.
Wait—had she just thought the L word? That wasn’t even close to what she was feeling. It was… excitement for stealing away and having a private moment without getting caught.
Or endorphins from the mind-bending bliss she’d just experienced.
No way was she feeling more for Noble.
She chewed on her lip.
“You’re adorable when you do that.”
“Ugh, get off me.” She shoved his chest, and he rumbled out a laugh as he rolled to the mattress, pulling her back into the curve of his body. She didn’t move, too comfortable to want to.
She stared blankly at the plain wall, mind slowing as the heavy weight of fatigue crept over her. Then she saw it.
“Noble, look.” She pointed to the wall. Carved into the rough wood were two letters joined by a plus sign.
“J plus J.”
“Wonder who it is,” she said.
“Lemme get my knife—I’ll make a G and N.”
“If I could get my knee around right now, you’d know how I feel about that.”
He chuckled and brushed his lips across her earlobe, shooting a shiver through her.
“Whoever it is, they must have shared this bed one time too.”
“I didn’t know anybody else could be as dumb as you and me,” she said.
He laughed and bit into her ear this time. “You know how to make a man feel special, Dalton.”
“I cut my teeth on my brothers and cousins,” she responded.
He drew her face around to plant a kiss on her lips. When he pulled back, he looked into her eyes. “Don’t forget the part where you were eager to come to my bed, darlin’.”
She couldn’t if she tried, because that woman confused the hell out of her.
“For as long as I could remember, I’ve had my sights set on goals. Getting my degree, finding work in my field. Then the Blackburn position came up and I couldn’t turn it down.”
“Do you have a new goal?”
She was silent so long, she felt him grow boneless behind her. When she thought him asleep, she whispered her answer. “Don’t fall.”
He gripped her tighter, plastering her against his hard body and shocking her that he was awake. “Gracie. It’s too late and you know it.”
Chapter Eight
“Watkins, you’re needed up at the house.”
He jerked his head around to Langtry. “At the house? What for?”
“Beats me. Blackburn asked for ya. Look sharp, cowpoke.”
He dropped the tack he was polishing into the box at his feet and stood. What could he be wanted for by Blackburn? He rarely saw the family and had never interacted with them in his weeks here on the ranch.
As he walked the distance to the big ranch house sporting the brand over the front door in a huge steel display of craftsmanship, he realized he should have taken time to wash the oil off his hands and dust off his boots.
But as he’d done neither, he could only hold his head high and give whoever he saw the respect they deserved.
He lifted his hand to knock on the thick slab of wood that was the door, when it opened. Rafe Blackburn stepped out.
“Thanks for comin’ up, Watkins. I know you’re busy.”
“Sure thing.”
Blackburn waved to the Adirondack chairs set in groupings down the porch, along with inviting tables to set a beer on while enjoying the sunset.
After they took seats, Blackburn looked to him. “Knew your dad when he worked here.”
“He talked about you.”
“How’s he doin’? In good health, I hope.”
“Yes, sir. He never stops. Some days I think he’s got more energy than I do.”
He chuckled. “I know the type. I have good memories of your dad. I was a little mite, too small to ride myself, but he put me in the saddle with him.”
Noble smiled to think of his father giving a child attention like that. “He did the same with me.”
Blackburn gave a smile and nod. “You come from good stock, and we like that here on the Blackburn. Langtry says you’re one of the best we got out there. I’d like to personally thank you for your work.”
>
Pride seeped into Noble’s veins, and he nodded. “I appreciate it.”
“I think you can expect to stay on, come the end of summer, Watkins.”
He blinked in shock. They were already making decisions? They had weeks left till the end of the summer.
“I’m telling you unofficial-like. And I expect you won’t tell the others what I said.” Blackburn eyed him.
“’Course not. I won’t say anything.”
“Good. I just wanted to touch base with ya and let you know we’ve got you on our radar, Watkins. A Blackburn man is some of the best in the country.”
“Again, I appreciate the compliment, sir.”
“I’d best get back to my office. Got a lot to look over before suppertime rolls around, and judging by the smell of that oil on you, you’ve got tack to polish.” He stood.
“That’s true.” Noble got to his feet too, and they shook hands.
After Blackburn returned inside, Noble stood there on the welcoming porch, wondering what to think about their conversation.
He was elated that he’d been selected already.
But terrified the other person was not Gracie.
Without her here on the ranch with him, there was no way they could keep up any semblance of a relationship.
This was the opportunity he’d been hoping and praying for.
But losing Gracie wasn’t an option.
He couldn’t tell her what Blackburn had said. If she hadn’t been pulled aside too, she’d be heartbroken. Knowing her, pissed as well.
Blackburn might have just handed him the golden buckle of all prizes, but he wasn’t so sure it was a good thing.
* * * * *
A chuckle sounded by Gracie’s head. “Look at that horse givin’ Watkins a run for his money.”
She turned to look at where Timms was pointing and stifled a gasp.
What the heck was Noble doing? She’d seen him handle frisky horses in the training ring before, and this should be no challenge at all for him. Yet, the man was letting the horse have its head, so it took off running willy-nilly with Noble on its back.
The guys all lined up to watch, including Langtry, and Gracie’s stomach bottomed out. If Noble was assessed on his ability today, he wasn’t getting very high marks.
As he was nearly thrown, she held her breath. At the last moment, he righted himself, balanced out in the saddle. But the horse was still in control.
This was so unlike Noble, she could only guess that he was allowing it to happen. But why?
After several more minutes, he dismounted and moved to grab the reins to lead the newly broken horse out of the ring, but it shied away from him, and he let the reins slip through his gloved hand.
She narrowed her eyes on him. What the…?
When he finally caught the reins and led the horse out to the paddock, Gracie was already running to catch up. As he opened the gate to lead the horse into the paddock and unsaddle it, creases around his lips brought her attention to his face.
“What the hell was that?” she asked, hand planted on one hip she jutted out.
He tossed her a glance. “That was me screwing up.”
“Yeah, but why? You can do much better.”
“I guess we all can’t be on top of our games every day.”
Her eyes widened. Who was this man? He wasn’t the Noble she knew.
“Bullshit,” she bit out. “You were doing that on purpose.”
“Almost falling off a horse? Gracie, nobody would do that on purpose.”
“I don’t believe you. You could have handled that horse in the dark and in your sleep. Why don’t you cut the crap and tell me what you were doing out there?”
She waited for a long minute as he stripped off the saddle, blanket and the rest of the tack to turn the horse free to graze.
When he didn’t turn, she put a hand on his shoulder.
He fixed heated eyes on her. “Look, my only goal is to make you happy, Gracie darlin’.”
She almost stepped back from the force of that look alone but held her ground. “I thought it was to get this permanent position.”
He didn’t answer, just continuing to stare at her.
It hit her.
“You’re throwing it away?”
He reached for her, but she danced out of reach. He came forward, long legs cutting across the distance between them. Gripping her by the forearms, he tried to pull her into his arms, but she resisted.
“Gracie, I only want to make you happy.”
“So what? You think that if you throw away your chance here that the position would be open and it’d be mine?” God, she was getting angrier just thinking of it. “I’m here for a fair fight, and I don’t need your… your charity,” she sputtered.
Twisting on her heel, she took off walking, not knowing where. She just had to put distance between her and Noble.
“Gracie.” His boots thumped the ground as he ran up behind her.
“It’s good to know you don’t have any faith in my ability to earn this position on my own, Noble.”
He grabbed her shoulder and whirled her to him. The grim expression on his face told her all she needed to know. He didn’t think that, and it cut her to the core.
“I’ll take care of myself,” she spat. “Don’t you worry about me, Watkins.”
Tearing free of his hold again, she took off.
* * * * *
Gracie managed to avoid him for four solid days. Whenever he took a seat at the table, she’d get up and take her plate outside. If he got into the bunk above her, she wouldn’t come to bed till morning light glimmered on the horizon.
Several times, he’d tried to catch her alone, but she was as slippery as a grass snake, knowing just how to get around seeing him. One time, he’d managed to ride up alongside her, but she kicked her horse into a gallop and cut across a field so he couldn’t follow without it being apparent to the others there was a chase taking place.
He was hoping that their upcoming rare day off would give him a chance to corner her. But as soon as he got up and around for the day, he didn’t see her at the breakfast table.
“You got plans for your day off, Watkins?” Vin asked. “If you’re headin’ east, make sure to circle around the ranch. Construction crew’s got that road all tore up.”
“Thought I’d just kick around here and relax a bit,” he said, looking around for Gracie.
“She ain’t here,” Minich said, leaning across him to nab another biscuit sandwich from the platter.
Noble glared at his plate.
“She went home.”
His head snapped up. “Home?”
“To the Dalton Ranch.”
“For good?” he heard himself say.
Langtry grunted. “For the day, Son. You could use with a break too. Take the day, like you were told.”
With his chest burning at the thought of Gracie taking off for the refuge of her family’s ranch, he saw no point in sitting around here dwellin’ on it. He set out for home. The drive didn’t take nearly long enough—he could have used another few hours to dwell on his thoughts and fears.
So when he bumped into the driveway leading to his family home, he was all knotted up. The minute he cut the engine, two dogs were at the truck door, barking in greeting. Noble climbed out and gave each a pat and a rub. “Where’s your master?” he asked the hounds.
“Didn’t expect to see ya so soon, Son.” His dad appeared in the garage door, holding a tool in his greasy hand.
Noble’s throat closed off as he approached his father. The old man looked the same—he hadn’t changed in years, in Noble’s eyes. But Noble felt entirely different from the man he’d been that day he set out for the Blackburn Ranch.
Their gazes met.
“C’mon in and keep me company while I work. Damn alternator’s at it again,” his dad said.
The garage had the same oily smell. In the past, it had triggered feelings of home. But now, he had a feeling the only pl
ace that would smell like home was to have his face buried in Gracie Dalton’s thick dark hair.
He leaned over the open truck engine and peered at the connections leading to the alternator, which his dad had in pieces on a low table he liked to work at. While his father took a seat in the old lawn chair that served as his office chair, Noble pulled up a bucket and overturned it.
“I can see somethin’s troublin’ ya. I’m listening.”
“No trouble on the Blackburn. I like the work, and they like me.”
His dad cocked a brow. “That so?”
Noble saw the pride in the gleam of his father’s eyes. “Yup. Blackburn told me so himself.”
“That’s good. Real good. This one of your days off?”
“Yeah, some of the others got to leave last time. I thought about sticking around but figured I’d come bother you instead.”
The old man chuckled. They continued to shoot the breeze, talking about the hauling business and what had been going on around the place. One of the dogs had gotten into a porcupine, which meant the other had too, and the pair had ended up at the vet’s office to get the quills pulled from their muzzles.
The offenders wandered into the garage, and Noble rubbed their ears and told them they were stupid dogs, and they smiled at him.
After a bit, Noble got up to go inside and get he and his father glasses of sweet tea. His dad had a big pitcher made up, and Noble felt a pang to know the man was making do without him and doing it well.
He really had to grow up and get out on his own. Good thing he had a place on the Blackburn.
He only prayed it was with the woman he loved.
He returned to the garage, and his father set aside the tool to accept the glass.
“I know that moony look on your face, Noble,” he said gruffly, bringing the drink to his lips.
“What moony look?”
“The one you’ve been wearing since you pulled into the driveway. Don’t think because I’m old I don’t have eyes. Thing I’m wondering is where you found her.”
He gulped back a groan that was partly a laugh.
“Clearly, they’re not keepin’ you busy enough on that ranch if you had time to spend with a woman. Maybe I need to call up there and let them know they should double your workload.”
