by Sam Crescent
Jerking away from Drake, she watched him place the foiled packet in front of his pants. Did he have a hard-on?
Biting her lip, she glanced up to see him staring at her. “I’ll see you soon, Rachel.”
He climbed on his horse and started riding off toward his own ranch. He’d see her soon. What did that mean? Crap. She’d just kissed Drake Solomon. This was a nightmare. She knew women had been trying to catch him for years. Why would he settle for her when he could have any other woman he wanted?
She walked back into the kitchen feeling her father’s eyes on her.
“Do you know what you’re doing, honey?”
“No. It was a kiss. Kisses mean nothing.”
“Drake’s not the kind of man to kiss for nothing.” Her father leaned against the wall, watching her. She finished packing away the leftover food from the day.
“Nothing is going to happen. Drake Solomon wouldn’t go for someone like me.” She stopped, biting her lip.
Her father glared at her, standing to his full height. “And what exactly is your type, Rachel?”
“Dad,” she said, trying to find better ground.
“No, you’ve got a type. I want to know what it is.”
“I’m chubby. I need to lose weight, and I’m not like those sophisticated blondes that he goes with.” She gritted her teeth to stop herself from saying something worse. Rachel knew she didn’t compare to the blondes with their perfect skin, blonde hair, and slender figures. In all the time she’d lived in Crest Hill she’d never once seen Drake with any other kind of woman.
“When we’re younger we make mistakes, Rachel. If Drake ever tries to change you, he’s got me to answer to. Don’t you ever go out with a man who doesn’t love you for you. You’re perfect the way you are. Your mother would be so angry at you right now.” He pulled her in for a cuddle. “I love you, honey. I don’t ever want to hear you thinking about yourself like that. This boy, the one back in the city, did he hate the way you looked?”
Robert had been a nice guy. Well, she’d thought he was in the beginning, but as the weeks went by he started mentioning little things to her. He didn’t like her large breasts and advised she wear bras that flattened down her chest. When she asked why, as most guys were supposed to like a woman with a large chest, he’d told her most men hated hearing jokes from their friends about the size of their woman’s chest.
The day after she went out to buy bras that squashed them down. Not long after he talked about her fleshy thighs and rounded stomach. She went on a diet to try to be everything he wanted. He hated it when she ordered fried food rather than salads. In fact, the more she thought about Robert, the more she realized he’d never been happy with her. Every part of her, he tried to change, and yet he’d been a slob who fucked her best friend.
No, not her best friend.
She didn’t need to think of either of them. Rachel was home, and she didn’t need to think of Robert and Bianca. They were in the past.
“He didn’t like me much and was always making excuses to change me.”
“His loss. No man should change you. You’re precious the way you are.”
“Nothing is going to happen between me and Drake.”
Her father laughed. “Honey, something already has happened. That kiss didn’t seem friendly or brotherly to me. I hope he treats you right.”
She frowned, ready to dispute him.
“I’m going to put my feet up. It has been a long day, and I need to rest.”
Leaving him alone, she went to her bedroom where she stared in the mirror. Her lips were swollen from his kisses, and the heat between her thighs was getting hotter. Drake had only held her close with one arm as the other held the foiled packet, but she’d felt the evidence of how happy he’d been.
Did Drake really want her?
No, it couldn’t be possible. She recalled seeing him with Henry in town. Drake never looked her way. He was older than she was by a good ten years. Henry had been a surprise brother, as she’d learned by being friends with him.
“Stop it, Rachel. Get him out of your mind. Nothing is ever going to happen. There are far more beautiful women. You wouldn’t even match him.”
Tugging out the band holding her hair into a ponytail she winced as the hair stayed in place from her sweating. The summer was a nightmare. Heading into the bathroom, she ran the shower again. At this rate she was going to have to stay in the shower just to feel clean. The sweat didn’t help, and neither did the heat coming from Drake’s touch.
What was he doing touching her and kissing her like that?
Chapter Four
For the next week Drake got so caught up with work on the ranch that he didn’t get chance to go to the bar or to see Rachel. He was going into withdrawal. Fucking his fist every night to images of her was not his idea of fun. The release he got left a lot to be desired. He for one hated taking satisfaction out of his palm rather than inside her body. His parents kept talking about grandbabies and how much fun having little ones running around would be.
The only woman he’d ever consider getting pregnant was Rachel.
Parking his truck in the lot, he climbed down and headed into the bar. It was Friday. The night was hot, and the bar was busy. Lloyd had a live band playing on the stage. Most of the tables were pushed on either side, clearing a space for the dance floor.
“Drake Solomon, I was wondering when you were going to get your sweet ass here,” Daisy said, wrapping her arms around his neck.
The cloying scent of her perfume made it hard for him to breathe. Moving her hands away from him, he made sure to keep some space between them. She wore a pair of hot pants and a bikini top leaving nothing to the imagination. Her pale skin and slender body did nothing for him. Drake didn’t get hard at the sight before him.
Having a woman throw herself at him was not attractive, or at least to him it wasn’t.
“Are you going to dance with me?” she asked.
“No, not tonight.” He intended to sit at the bar staring at his woman.
Glancing in the direction of the bar he caught Rachel’s gaze. She looked at Daisy then jerked away. Her beaming smile turned to one of the tourists, giving him the flirty look all the locals got. Gritting his teeth, he fought with Daisy to let him go.
“Come on, Drake. I can make it worth your while.” She reached down gripping his cock through his jeans.
“My boy doesn’t want to play with you.”
“What? He always wanted to play before.”
The pout on her lips was annoying. Why did he ever fuck this woman in front of him? Ease. The only reason he’d liked Daisy was the ease it took to get in her pants. He heard a lot of the guys liked taking a turn with Daisy as all it took was a few drinks, some nice words, and they were in for a good night. She didn’t want more, and the last boyfriend she had, he left after she gave him a sexually transmitted infection.
“Find someone else.”
Pushing her away, he made his way to the bar. He noted Rachel made herself busy as far away from him as possible. Considering the heat, Rachel wore a pair of jeans that molded to her curves and a white vest top. Her hair was pinned up out of her way. The thick length was out of reach for him to touch.
“Where you been?” Lloyd asked, passing him a beer.
“I had to fix up a couple of the fences. I usually do them before the winter, but they wouldn’t wait.” He’d been up in the morning and working until sunset just to fix up all the problems.
“That sucks. What’ve you done to piss Rachel off? She’s been serving this end of the bar, but the moment you arrived, she nudged me out of the way.”
Looking over his friend’s shoulder, Drake knew the cause of her distance, Daisy. After the kiss he and Rachel had shared, he wouldn’t be surprised if she was pissed at him having a woman hang around his neck.
“I know why, and I’ll deal with it. How’s business?”
“Great. It’s the height of summer. People are traveling, and
Drake looked toward the dance floor to see her dancing with three men. Her gaze was on him all the time she was dancing. Great, Daisy clearly wanted him for the night.
“She doesn’t want to be held down. You know Daisy. Having a kid hanging around her neck would drive her insane.” Sipping his beer, he thought about his parents. “What is it with people talking about kids? Mom and Dad have been on at me about starting a family.”
“You’re of that age where everyone is expecting you to settle down and start a family. Me, I’m never having kids. They’re horrible things.” Lloyd wrinkled his nose.
“You were one.”
“I know. Why do you think I don’t want one?”
Laughing, Drake took another sip. “It can’t be that bad.”
“If I have a boy, I know what the little shit is going to get up to. I don’t want to be a fucking hypocrite by screaming at my boy not to do something. If I have a girl, I’m going to know what the little shits are going to want when she’s older. It’s not happening. Too much stress and I’ve got better things to do with my time.”
Thinking about it like that sobered Drake up.
He wouldn’t be having children any time soon. Rachel caught his eye, and his cock hardened. Kids with Rachel would be magical when they were ready to have them. She’d be an amazing mother. He saw it in the way she cared for everyone. His brother never had a bad word to say about her. Drake didn’t want to rush into having children. He wanted the time to bask in being with her.
Daisy wrapped her arms around his neck. “Come on, I can give you what you want.”
“What happened to the tourists you were having fun with?” he asked, staring at Rachel.
Her whole body was tense. She didn’t look his way.
Come on, baby, show me what you want.
Daisy was whispering stuff into his ear. Ignoring her, he watched as Rachel headed toward the backroom. Standing up, he threw down some money, shrugging Daisy off. Exiting the club, he walked around the back to find Rachel resting against the wall.
“Why are you avoiding me?” he asked.
If Lloyd knew she was coming outside, he was going to kick his friend’s ass. All it took was one man to stumble around here, see Rachel, and they’d all be in trouble. He didn’t even want to think about her being in danger. No man would ever get the chance to touch her. He’d fuck them all up first.
She glared at him. “I’m surprised to see you alone.” There was no difference in her voice, no vehemence coming from her sweet lips. She was jealous, and it was so cute to see.
****
Drake was not Rachel’s man, and seeing him with Daisy shouldn’t bother her. She shouldn’t be caring about the women hanging off him. Why should she? A kiss didn’t mean much in this day and age. Working in the bar she saw plenty of women offering up far more than a kiss without anything in return.
“Are you jealous?”
Yes, I am you idiot. You kissed me.
“No,” she said, lying.
Grabbing the door, she made to go in.
In the next second she was trapped between the wall and Drake’s rock hard body.
“Daisy’s a slut. She goes after every man, and I’ve not been around. I’ve been working on the ranch. The fences were a mess, and I had to deal with them. I’ve missed you.”
His voice made her stomach tighten and heat flood her panties.
“You don’t need to tell me this.”
His hand went to her neck, massaging the muscle.
“Our kiss is all I’ve thought about. Have you thought about me?”
She went to lie, but he spoke, stopping her.
“You’re what I think about when I touch my dick. I think about you naked and how it will look with my rock hard cock sliding into your pussy.”
She gasped, turning to look at him. Heat filled her cheeks at his words. Her nipples hardened, and the pleasure increased. His words were like the added flame to her already smoldering fire.
His hand moved to the front of her neck, caressing the pulse. “Do you want me, baby?”
Whimpering, she closed her eyes, unable to answer.
Down his hand went going from her neck to cup her breast. Part of her wanted to deny him while another was begging for his touch.
“Your tits are so large. Do you have large nipples?” he asked.
She shook her head. Rachel did have large nipples, but she couldn’t answer him. What was going on between them?
Her body no longer felt like her own. Drake owned her body in that moment.
In one quick movement he pressed her back against the brick wall. “I want you, Rachel. I’m never going to stop wanting you, but I need to hear you say it. I need to hear you tell me to touch you. I’m not a rapist, and I’ve never forced myself on a woman.”
Rachel groaned. This was not fair. He started this heat within her body, and now he wouldn’t even do anything to stop it. Drake tilted her head back with a thumb underneath her chin.
“There’s nothing to be afraid of, Rachel. I won’t hurt you. Did some bastard hurt you back in the city?”
She froze. “Did my dad tell you?”
Drake cursed. “No, he didn’t. It’s a guess. Some bastard hurt you, didn’t he?”
Nodding her head, she stared into his brown eyes. “I caught him screwing my best friend.” The words spilled out as if they had a mind of their own.
“It’s his loss, baby. No woman who fucks your man is your friend. A true friend wouldn’t fuck your man.” He stroked a finger down her cheek. “I wouldn’t fuck anyone but you. The women are done. I only want you.”
“You’re only saying that to get what you want.”
He took her hand and pressed it against his cock. “Yes, I want to fuck you, but I also want so much more.”
The length of him surprised her. He was huge, long, and thick. She felt like there was no way she’d ever be able to fit him inside her. It had to be possible. There was no way for him not to fit.
“Like what?”
“I want your smiles. When my day ends I hate the fact I can’t find out how yours has been. This past week has been a nightmare. All I’ve wanted to do was come here and see you, but I couldn’t. I want to hold your hand as we walk in the park.” He stopped, smiling. “I want to take you home and kiss you to fog up the windows of my truck. Your father would have my hide, but it would be so worth it.”
Everything he spoke about was something she’d never experienced in her life. No one ever took her out to make out in the back of his truck.
“You’d want to make out with me?”
“Baby, I want to wake up in the morning to sink inside your sweet cunt.” He pressed his hand to hers.
“I’m a virgin.”
He grew tense, pulling back to look in her eyes. “What?”
“I’ve never been with a guy. Robert, the city boyfriend, was happy to wait until I was ready. I’ve never had sex.”
Shut up, Rachel.
“How is that possible?”
“I never got the chance, and I’ve got a dad who likes to threaten boys and men with a gun.”
They were silent. She stared into his eyes waiting for him to respond.
Great, he’s probably going to run for the hills as far away from you as possible.
“Say something,” she said, when he still didn’t talk.
“I can’t. You’re a virgin.”
“Don’t shout it out.”
He didn’t move away. Seconds later, he tilted her head back to look at him.
“Baby, are you waiting for something special?” he asked.
“No, I’m just not doing anything.” She tapped her fingers against her leg.
“We’re going to talk some more. I’ll be at the bar all night. You’ll serve me my beer.” He dropped a kiss to her lips. “Don’t ignore me, or I’ll put you over my knee and spank that lush ass of yours.”
Okay, now she was sick. The thought of him spanking her ass turned her on.
“Go on inside. I’m not having you out here all alone. Any nut job could take advantage of you.”
Frowning, she opened the door hearing the crowd. Looking over her shoulder, she saw him waiting.
“Spank me?”
His hand molded to her ass.
“You’ve got the nicest round ass I’ve ever seen. I can’t wait to have you in my hands.” He pushed her inside, and the door closed, locking him out.
What had just happened? Were they dating?
Confused, Rachel returned to the bar wondering what would happen when her shift was over at the bar.
Chapter Five
After giving Lloyd a piece of his mind, Drake spent the rest of the night at the bar pushing women off him. He snapped at Daisy for her to leave him the fuck alone. Any guy who tried to get too close to Rachel got attitude from him. No one was touching his woman. Rachel was his.
By the end of the night, he waited by his truck while Rachel finished off cleaning up with Lloyd and a couple of others working at the bar. She came toward him, hugging her jacket. He helped her into the truck, nodded toward Lloyd and walked around his side, climbing in.
Starting the engine, he pulled out of the parking lot and headed in the direction of their ranches.
She was a virgin. He couldn’t believe it, and yet it was the truth. No other man knew what she felt like. Her pussy and her pleasure would be his to claim.
“Do you have a problem with what I said?” she asked.
Looking over at her, he shook his head. “It surprised me. I couldn’t imagine a woman as beautiful as you being a virgin. I don’t mind. I want you.”
“I’m not some one night stand.”
“I’m not after a one night stand. If I wanted one of those then I’d have left with Daisy. She’s good for a night but not for anything longer.”
“Please don’t say stuff like that.”
Reaching out, he took her hand. “Baby, I’m not going to lie to you. There are women out there that you fuck and women that you keep. You’re a keeper.”
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