“Hey, buddy. Are you hungry?” Ryder chuckled when the horse bobbed his head up and down.
Tramp was one of Ryder’s best studs. The horse had high stud fees, and it was because of this particular horse and his stud that his business thrived the way it did. People from across the states came to buy a Paint with Tramp’s bloodlines. A five year old with black, brown, and white markings, he stood seventeen hands tall and had blue eyes. He was a gorgeous animal and Ryder loved him. The feeling was mutual. Tramp would let no one else near him if Ryder wasn’t close by.
As Ryder poured the oats into the feed bucket, Tramp pushed him in the back. Ryder spun around and grinned. “What the hell was that for? I’m pouring the food as fast as I can. You can’t be that hungry.”
Tramp took the brim of Ryder’s hat in his teeth and pulled it from his head. He bobbed his head up and down with the hat between his teeth. When Ryder reached for it, Tramp turned his head away. Ryder put the bucket down and stared at the horse fighting to keep from laughing.
“You think you’re such a smartass. Give me my hat or you’re dog food.” Tramp dropped the hat and butted Ryder against his chest. Ryder chuckled and patted Tramp’s strong neck. “You know better than to believe that of me, don’t you, boy?”
Once the feed was in the bucket, Tramp pushed Ryder out of the way and started eating. He ignored Ryder as he munched on the oats. “You don’t even acknowledge me now, do you?”
When the horse didn’t raise his head, Ryder smiled, patted Tramp on the neck, picked up the other bucket, and left the stall. He wanted to get inside before it got much darker and the snow piled even higher.
As he checked to make sure everything was secure in the barn, he thought about Kelsey. She was hard to read, that one. Last night, she was angry, angry that he’d respected her and stopped things before they got out of control. She hadn’t brought it up so he sure as hell wasn’t going to, but then she’d complimented his work on the furniture and now she was cooking for him like he was something special. Did that mean she’d forgiven him, or was she just planning her revenge through kindness and compliments? Women. Impossible. Simply impossible.
Leaving the barn, he pulled his collar up, whistled for the dogs that appeared from around the side of the barn, and together they hurried through the snow as it began falling faster and heavier. Just as he opened the back door and entered the kitchen, the lights flickered once. He stopped, took off his hat, and waited. Just as he shrugged out of his damp coat, the lights flickered again, and then went out. Damn!
****
Kelsey jerked when the lights went out. It was early evening but with the snow, it seemed later. The kitchen went dark yet with the reflection off the snow, the yard seemed suddenly brighter. She watched as Ryder hung up his hat and coat. Then he turned toward her.
“I think you should get blankets and a pillow from your room, along with anything else you need, and put them in the living room. I don’t know how long the power will stay out and I’d rather you get everything now then have to do it in the dark.”
“All right.” Kelsey headed down the hallway and pulled a pillow and blanket off the bed. She had just entered the living room and laid them on the sofa when the power suddenly came back on. She sighed in relief.
Ryder shrugged. “We never know what might happen. I don’t think it would be a bad idea to sleep in the living room tonight anyway. I have a generator, but since this early snow caught me off guard, I hadn’t laid in any additional fuel for it, so I’m not sure how long it will keep the lights on.” He took a seat in the recliner. “Whatever you wear to bed, you’d better make sure it will keep you warm.”
“I’ll change into my sweatpants…” She hesitated for a heartbeat remembering what had happened when she wore them last night. Heat flashed over her body thinking about Ryder stripping them off her legs. She refused to look at him and headed toward her bedroom.
Shit, shit, shit! She clenched her fists and hissed. Maybe he had forgotten how he’d humiliated her. She snorted. Yeah, about as much as she had. Her body shivered with sudden arousal remembering the way he had brought her body to life and now she might have to sleep next to him in the living room. Should she pray for the power to go off or stay on? Either way, she decided God was punishing her for some misdeeds she was unaware of having committed.
Kelsey quickly changed her clothes and walked slowly back to the living room. Ryder was adding wood to the fire and the room was feeling very warm and cozy. The blue and orange flames wrapped around the logs filling the room with the scent of burning wood. She took a seat on the sofa, pulling her legs up under her, and stared up at the TV, but she couldn’t keep her eyes from seeking out Ryder. He took his seat in the recliner again, stretched his longs legs out in front of him, and crossed his booted feet at the ankles.
God! He was so gorgeous. That black hair needed a trim but it looked so sexy on him and the stubble on his face, neck, and jaw made her fingers itch to touch it. She’d love to scrape her fingernails over it. Her eyes traveled down his chest to the fly of his jeans and she had to bite her lip to keep from groaning as she remembered how he’d felt against her leg. Hard, long…she raised her eyes and saw him looking at her. She felt a flaming hot blush heat her face.
“You keep looking at me like that and I’ll finish what I started last night, darlin’,” he said in a low tone of voice.
“Please—”
“Please? You begging now?”
She was sure her mouth dropped open, but she saw he was trying not to grin. Was he baiting her to make her angry, or had he changed his mind? She gave him a half-smile. “I don’t think I’d need to beg,” she said with a shrug and glanced back to the TV.
Ryder laughed. “Damn right you wouldn’t.” He pulled his tall frame from the recliner and it came up right with a thud drawing her attention back to him. “I better find some candles. I have a feeling we may need them.”
“I can’t believe this snow,” Kelsey said as she gazed out the front window, grateful for the change in subject. The snow was coming down so heavily that it looked like a whiteout or what she thought a whiteout would be like since she’d never experienced one at home in Georgia. She just knew she couldn’t see the driveway at all. “Are your horses in?”
“Yes, indeed. I always make sure the babies are in when it gets this bad.”
“Babies?” Kelsey grinned.
Ryder chuckled. “Yep, those horses are my babies.” He left the room.
Kelsey couldn’t keep from watching the snow. Watching it fall was fascinating. She’d only seen snow like this on television or in the movies. Never in person. She glanced toward Ryder when he returned. “Did you find candles?”
“I did. Flashlights and a deck of cards too. If the power goes off, we’ll most likely get bored so we can always play cards.” He raised an eyebrow. “Unless you’ve got some better ideas on how to pass the time?” He laughed when she shook her head feeling the heat in her cheeks again. “I need to check the generator. I’ll be right back.”
“Where is it?”
“In the shed next to the house.”
“You’re going out in this?” she asked in a shocked voice.
“I’ve done it before.” He walked out of the room and headed to the kitchen. A few minutes later, she heard the back door open and close. His dogs ran from the back room to the kitchen.
Kelsey called to them and they ran to her, but kept whining. “I’m sure he’ll be fine. Maybe you two can sleep with me, if I need to keep warm, huh. Can you keep me warm, Badger? How about you, Buttons?” She laughed when the dogs tried to push each other out of the way to get to her.
She heard the back door open and close then a sound like he was stomping his feet. Ryder walked into the living room rubbing his hands together. He wore a frown of frustration.
“Let’s hope the power stays on. There’s almost no fuel in the generator. I can’t believe I didn’t think to get any for it. Always be prepared. Son of a bitch,” he muttered
.
“The fire should keep us warm.”
“Yeah, we do have plenty of wood. I’ll keep it going all night. I’ll even light the one in my bedroom.”
“You have a fireplace in your bedroom?”
“Yes. Why?”
“Well, it’s just…you know, so romantic.”
Ryder stared at her and then burst out laughing. “There’s nothing romantic about it. I put one in there for just this reason…snow storms and power outages.”
“You really know how to burst a woman’s bubble, Ryder.”
“Why? Because I’m not romantic?”
“Yes.”
“Well, if you’re really game, darlin’, we can sleep in there and I’ll show you just how romantic I can be,” he said with a dangerous waggle of his eyebrows.
Kelsey was about to answer when the lights went out again. She looked up at Ryder. “I wonder how long it will be out this time.”
The wind picked up outside, howling as it blew snow against the windows.
“I guess we’ll find out.”
“I can’t believe it’s snowing like this. It’s only mid-October.”
“Well, as I said before. Welcome to Montana.”
“Should we go ahead and start a card game?”
“Or we could make-out.”
She could hear the laughter in his voice and threw a couch pillow at him. He dodged it and laughed.
“I’m not the one who threw ice water on things last night so be careful or I’ll take you up on your offer.” She picked the cards up and started shuffling them. She nearly laughed at the incredulous expression on his face. She suspected she’d shocked him.
“Poker?” she asked him. “Strip maybe?”
“Now who’s teasing?” he countered.
“Don’t throw out innuendoes if you can’t handle getting them back, Ryder. You make me think you’ve only got sex on the brain.” Ha! Like she didn’t as well.
He burst out laughing. “I’m a man, remember?”
Oh, she remembered all right. How could she not? She looked at him from under her lashes. The firelight played over his hair. She’d love to take him up on that make-out session. She dealt the cards. Five card stud. They played for a few hours. She beat him one time. He was relentless and good.
“You do realize that if we’d been playing strip, you’d be naked by now.” He winked at her, making her laugh.
“I can’t believe we’ve been playing this long.” She yawned. “I’m getting sleepy now.”
“Let’s get the blankets ready and get some sleep.”
Kelsey nodded and helped him get the blankets on the sofa and in the recliner. The fire was keeping the room warm but if it died, they’d both get cold.
“Don’t worry. I’ll keep the fire going,” Ryder told her as if reading her mind.
“I know you will, but you’ll need to sleep too.”
“I will. Get some sleep, Kelsey. Maybe the power will come back on before the night is over.”
She nodded and crawled between the blankets. She’d taken the couch and he lay back in his recliner. The fire felt good but she prayed the power came back on.
****
Ryder pulled his boots off dropping them to the floor alongside the chair, and then lifted the lever on the recliner to lift the footrest and lower the chair’s back. He put the pillow behind his head and tugged on the blanket to cover his chest. He glanced over at Kelsey, but she had her back to him with the blanket almost covering her entire head. All he could see was the top of her blonde head.
He wasn’t sure how long he sat there staring at her but when she moaned in her sleep, his dick woke up. Christ! He threw the blankets off and stood to add wood to the fire, although he thought it was already hot as hell in the room. The damn woman was going to be the death of him. He should have told Frank he couldn’t keep her in his home. She was too beautiful. Her body was fantastic and he walked around with a constant hard-on. A hard-on that was only going to go away once he had himself buried deep inside her. He groaned.
As quietly as he could, he laid the logs in the grate and moved them around with the poker.
“Ryder?”
He glanced over his shoulder. “What?”
“The power is still off?”
“Yes. Go back to sleep.”
“What time is it?”
He looked over to the grandfather clock in the corner. “Three.”
“Have you slept at all?”
“Christ, Kelsey. Go to sleep,” he growled at her.
“What are you so angry about?”
Ryder stood and ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m not angry.”
Kelsey snorted. “Yeah, okay…right.”
He spun around and glared at her. “Could you just let it go and go back to sleep?”
“Maybe I’m not sleepy anymore.”
“Holy shit! Fine then you can take care of the fire and I’ll go to sleep.” He watched her sit up.
“It’s not the fire keeping you awake. You’re suddenly in a piss ass mood for some reason.”
He strode over to the couch and stood over her, his hands at his hips. “You want to know why I’m in a piss ass mood. Because of you. All right? I can’t sleep because I can’t stop watching you sleep. I’m wide-awake because of you. You’re making my dick hard. Happy now?”
Kelsey sat there staring up at him just blinking those big blue eyes. Then she narrowed them at him, threw back her covers, and slowly stood, her eyes never wavering from his. “Whose fault is that? Yours, Ryder. Not mine. I wasn’t the one who put the brakes on things. That’s all on you.”
“You know why—”
“Bullshit, Ryder. We’re adults. This has nothing to do with Frank. So grow some balls and man up.” She placed her hands on his chest and shoved him. He stepped back from her.
“The hell it doesn’t have anything to do with Frank. He trusted me to keep you safe, not take you to bed,” Ryder shouted at her.
“But you want to,” she shouted back.
Ryder clenched his hands into fists. “Hell yes, I want to. I’m a man, damn it, and you’re a beautiful woman.”
Kelsey stepped closer to him, resting a hand on his chest, and speaking in a lower voice. “Prove it.”
“Prove what?”
“That you’re a man.”
“Go back to sleep,” he growled as he started to turn away from her.
“Pussy,” she whispered the challenge bold in her tone.
He spun around to face her. “What? What did you just call me?”
“You heard me.” Her chin went up.
“I don’t think I heard you right. Say it again.”
“I called you a…pussy. Want to hear me say it again? You. Are. A. Pussy.”
Ryder reached out, grasped her arms, and pulled her up against him. His mouth slammed down on hers and he thrust his tongue into her mouth. She moaned and when he let go of her arms, she wrapped them around his neck. He groaned when she pushed her hips against him. He moved his hands, down along her waist to cup her butt and lift her up. Her legs locked around his hips, and she moved against his hard cock. If she didn’t stop, he was going to come right there.
Without releasing her mouth, he carried her to his bedroom and to the bed, laying her in the middle of it. He stared down at her, at her already swollen mouth and wanted more. He had one knee on the bed, and his eyes on her, as he removed his shirt, and then lay down beside her. He traced his fingertips over her eyebrows, nose, and lips then down her neck to the top of her shirt. He leaned down to kiss her while he rolled her sweatshirt up, stopping only long enough to lift it over her head. He groaned when he saw her breasts. She had fantastic breasts. His mouth covered hers again, slipping his tongue into her mouth, while he cupped her breast in his hand and kneaded it gently. His cock was so hard he ached.
“God, Kelsey. You’re so beautiful. You’re pure perfection.”
Ryder ran his tongue down her neck to her breasts where o
ne at a time, he took a nipple into his mouth. Kelsey grabbed fistfuls of his hair in her hands pressing his face closer and he gave her what he wanted. He tugged on her nipple gently with his teeth, swirling his tongue around it. Her hands ran down across his back, raking her nails lightly against his skin until her hands reached his hips, slipping around front to the snap on his jeans. She opened it and slowly lowered the zipper. His hard cock pressed against the back of her fingers, through the cloth of his boxer briefs.
He lifted his head, his eyes meeting hers while his hand slid along the top edge of her sweatpants, slipping inside, and then into her panties. She squirmed against his touch, her eyelids fluttered shut, and she moaned. He lowered his mouth over her lips and brushed them in a soft caress.
“Do you want me to stop?” he whispered against her lips.
Kelsey’s eyes flew open and she drew back slightly. “Are you friggin’ nuts? No!”
Ryder chuckled. “I was hoping you’d say that.” He pressed his lips to hers, kissing her deeper, tasting the sweetness of her mouth. His fingers moved into the folds of her sex. She was wet, making him moan. He almost shot off the bed when she wrapped her hand around his hard dick. She smiled up at him. “You don’t seem to be lacking in any areas, Ryder.”
He grinned against her lips, and then pressed his lips to hers again. He felt her push his jeans down past his hips but he had no plans to let her take control. He broke the kiss and pressed his lips in quick kisses and the occasional lick of his tongue along her neck, down her chest and across her stomach, removing her sweatpants as he did.
Snagging her red panties in his teeth, he pulled them down. She was panting and he heard her giggle when he used his teeth. He moved his tongue through her curls, stroking his tongue across her clitoris turning her giggle to a gasp. He pushed her panties down over her legs and off. He kissed his way up her legs, stopping at the scar on her outer left thigh. He pressed his lips to the mark, tracing his tongue against it before moving along to the sweet wet heaven where her legs come together.
Ryder flicked his tongue against her clitoris, hearing her moan, and then put his mouth over it to suck on it. She squirmed and lifted her hips, pressing her body against his face. He slowly inserted two fingers into her as he continued to suck her. He reveled in the feel of her hot body coming and clenching around his fingers right before she cried out his name. He pressed his cock against her leg before spreading her legs with his knees and settling between them. He was so ready to inch into her, but then he made himself stop.
Ryder Men of Clifton, Montana Book 5 Page 6
