Chiseled and Cherished (Moon Ranch Book 3)

by Em Petrova

  “Let’s just agree we’re attracted to each other. But that doesn’t mean we need to act on it.”

  That seemed to shut him up. He grew quiet while watching her find a good location for a trap and dig the hole. After she baited the set and sprinkled dirt and leaves over it, she moved to pick up her bucket of supplies. Asher reached it before she could and carried it back to the Jeep. All the while, she wondered why she let him get to her so easily. She couldn’t keep him out of her panties, and she didn’t exactly try.

  Once they were seated, he faced her. “What do ya say about being enemies with benefits?”

  Her jaw dropped. “That isn’t even a thing. And if it were, it sounds horrible.”

  “Why?”

  “Why? Because enemies dislike each other. They can’t stop fighting long enough to have…benefits.” Heat climbed her face.

  “I don’t dislike you, Kinsey. In fact, I’m startin’ to like you.”

  That’s not helping.

  She dug her fingers into the steering wheel. “No way.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because you’ve got two strikes against you. One for putting my brother away.”

  “He put himself away.”

  She didn’t reply, just bumped down the rancher’s driveway and to the main road, which happened to be the dirt road they’d stopped on not long ago. When she drove past the spot where she’d lost all her brain cells and let him blow her mind with his talented fingers and cock, Asher said, “Pull over here.”

  “Uh-uh. No freakin’ way.”

  “Kinsey baby, you never told me what my second strike is.”

  She tossed him a glare. “You’re too cocky.”

  He huffed out a laugh. “Hell, that ain’t a strike. That’s just me bein’ sure of myself.”

  “Full of yourself, you mean.”

  “Maybe. Sure of myself or full of myself—either way I know how to make you feel good. Now pull off the damn road and sit on this.”

  She glanced down to his lap to see he had his cock out, with his long fingers wrapped around the big, veined length.

  * * * * *

  “You’re disgusting.” She tore her eyes away and focused on the road, but he saw the effort it took for her to swallow.

  He reached out and caught her ponytail, which she’d fixed in place after their first encounter. Twitching her head aside, she dodged his touch.

  “You didn’t think my cock was disgusting when you had your lips wrapped around it.”

  “Agh!” She darted another look at his lap, and he slowly edged his shaft through his fingers.

  “Maybe you wanna watch. I’d like to watch you.”

  Her chest heaved. He could see how his words were sinking into her and playing havoc with her body. Right now, he’d lay down a bet that her nipples were hard and her panties wet for him.

  “Put your dick away, Moon.”

  He pushed his hips up at the same time he slid his fist down his erection. The move made her throw him another glance.

  Oh yeah, she likes watching.

  “Pull over and slide your hand in your panties. Let me watch you finger yourself.”

  “No way.” She drove faster.

  “Here’s a good pull-off. Ah fuck, my cock’s so hard thinking about fucking you.”

  “Asher…”

  “Baby doll.”

  “Stop calling me pet names. First it was darlin’ then Kinsey baby.”

  “I’m tryin’ some out on ya—see what fits ya best.” He grunted as he stroked the swollen head of his cock. “Fuck, that feels good. But not as good as your mouth or that tight pussy o’ yours.”

  “Dammit.” She veered off the road onto yet another back road, this one scarcely wide enough to fit her Jeep. Branches brushed at the side mirrors. She slammed the vehicle into park.

  “You know you wanna watch me jack off. Look at this precum.” He smeared the wetness over his cock head, making it glisten.

  She wet her lips.

  “Ease your seat back, baby doll.”

  “I don’t know why I want you, Asher.”

  “Because it’s chemistry. You know your sweet little clit’s aching to be touched. That’s it—ease your seat back.”

  She did, and his heart rate picked up.

  “Now slide those panties down so I can see that gorgeous pussy of yours.”

  A noise left her, like a throaty moan, and he pumped his cock through his fist, from tip to root. Her gaze locked on his motion, then she unfastened her pants and shimmied them downward.

  “Oh yeah… Wet. Spread your lips apart for me. Let me see that clit. Fuck yeah.” He jerked his cock through his hand faster, and she issued a louder moan.

  “Show me how you like to touch yourself, baby doll. Stroke yourself. Hell yessss.” While he wanted to jerk his cock fast and hard, he forced himself to slow down and enjoy the moment.

  Kinsey splayed her legs and slipped her fingertip up and down her seam. She dropped her head against the seat and kept her stare on what he was doing at the same time.

  “I don’t know why I keep giving in to you,” she rasped.

  “Because you and I have some bond. It’s trust too—not just sex.”

  “I don’t”—she gasped as she flicked at her hard pearl—“trust you.”

  “You trust me with your body…your pleasure. Now bury those fingers in your pussy, baby doll. Let me watch you fuck yourself.”

  Her hand moved faster, and her cries grew in strength as she settled back and let herself go. Hell if he could get any harder—his cock was pure steel, ramrod stiff and filling his entire fist with its girth. He stroked to the tip, squeezing more juices from the slit. When he smeared it over the mushroomed head, Kinsey released a groan.

  “Draw out your fingers, baby doll. Let me see how wet you are.”

  She did his bidding, and he nearly threw himself at her. Fuck, he wanted a taste of that. With effort, he restrained himself and continued to watch her pleasure herself in the most gorgeous fucking display he’d ever seen in his life.

  She slammed her fingers into her pussy again, pulsing a few times before pulling them free and rubbing her clit. Back and forth she moved between finger-banging herself and teasing her hard pearl. When she started to breathe heavier and shudder with each movement she made, his balls tightened against his body and the tingle to blow worked at the base of his spine.

  “Asher!”

  “Let go for me, baby doll. Come on your fingers. Come for me.”

  She tossed her head back. Their gazes locked. His own orgasm bubbled up and rushed over. He pumped his fingers, and she opened her mouth on a wide O as her own release struck.

  * * * * *

  Thick ropes of cum coated the backs of Asher’s knuckles as he jacked himself to completion, and her own orgasm wouldn’t quit. She trembled more with every contraction. When he gasped out in finish, he pulled her hand free of her pussy and drew them to his lips.

  “Let me suck them.”

  She quivered at the dirty hot request, helpless against the nod of assent she gave.

  His eyes flashed as he drew her fingers to his lips and opened for them. When he sucked them in, twirling his tongue around and around her digits, her pussy clenched even more.

  Once he cleaned her fingers off, he grasped his cock at the base again. His erection never seemed to go down—the man could go on and on, it seemed.

  And God, watching him was the hottest thing she’d ever seen in her life. She wanted to do it again.

  “C’mere,” he grated out.

  She looked to him. Sinking over his cock would be a very bad idea.

  “I want to kiss you.” His rough words burned through her. She started to lean to the side to kiss him, but just then the CB radio crackled.

  “Puffy, you there?”

  Branson. The last person she wanted to hear from at a time like this. It felt as if her brother had just walked in on her and Asher doing something very naughty and forbidden.
r />   Because we are.

  Who forbids it?

  “Reynolds?”

  She onehandedly yanked her pants back into place and then snatched up the radio. “Uh, here. Go ahead.”

  Asher opened his door and stood in the open with his cock out. He reached back in and opened the glove compartment, locating some napkins. He used these to wipe off while watching her carefully.

  Watching her in a very intense, protective way.

  She waved a hand at him and mouthed go away.

  He grinned but finished cleaning himself before balling the napkins up in his palm. When he stuffed his thick length back into his boxers and made a show of zipping up around the bulge that still hadn’t softened one bit, she turned her face to her window.

  “What do you need, Branson?”

  “Wondered if you’re about finished with your trap sets yet. I’m headed out to the mountain. Got a report of a shot being fired on the south face, and the caller thought someone might have bagged a deer. I could use the backup.”

  “Yeah, sure. I’ll meet you at the office.”

  She slanted a look at Asher, who stood in the open door of her Jeep just watching her in what seemed to be his equivalent of a post-coitum cigarette.

  He cocked a brow. “Puffy?”

  “It’s a nickname I received for wearing a puffy jacket in winter.”

  “I see.” He didn’t sound very happy about another man having a nickname for her, and that somehow felt good.

  No.

  No more slips when it came to Asher. She had to stay on course. Work, not pleasure. No more giving in to the hot man’s dirty talk or demands to let him lick her fingers clean…

  She sent Asher a glare, daring him to make her veer from her tasks one more time.

  He grinned.

  Oh God. I just set a challenge for the man.

  If she left the decision up to her body, Asher Moon would win that game.

  * * * * *

  Asher rested his elbows on his knees and stared out across the dark field. He could just make out the humps of their cattle, but not a hell of a lot else. Because of his lack of vision, his hearing enhanced, and he could even make out the footsteps of a mouse if he listened hard enough.

  Next to him in the grass, his old man’s rifle lay at the ready for the moment Asher spotted a coyote moving along the trees.

  While keeping an ear out, his mind drifted from his task and back to that day when things had gone so far wrong with Sterling. Asher had combed over his actions and reactions a thousand times since that day, but he couldn’t think of a way he could have saved the man’s daughter from that bullet. When it came down to it, he knew he wasn’t responsible—Sterling had pulled the trigger.

  Still, the thick wad of disgust in the pit of his stomach reminded him that he needed distance from that work. He couldn’t return to enforcement, and he didn’t like it well enough to live through that experience again.

  Thinking of his job walked him in a circle, right back to Kinsey’s brother. Trent Reynolds. Asher could see the man’s rap sheet in his mind’s eye. Wanted for drug possession and intent to sell. Not his first offense. Girlfriend bailed him out, and he failed to appear in court. Now the guy had a hit and run felony and vehicular homicide on top of it all.

  And Kinsey didn’t even know the truth. Clearly Trent fed her a line of bullshit any sister would want to believe.

  He pushed out a sigh and stared at the black shapes of the trees. Not a hint of movement. No rustling of cattle who caught the scent of a predator.

  Reaching out, he rested a hand on the rifle. Carrying it bothered him as much for his own reasons as for those that had driven him from working. The old man.

  Motherfucker. Glad you’re dead.

  Until his return to Stokes, he hadn’t realized how much anger he still carried with him from his childhood. Memories flooded in, too thick to shake off.

  One in particular hit hard…him hiding in his closet hoping his dad didn’t come open the door and find fault with him. One other drunken bender had ended in Asher’s broken wrist. That was before Mimi came to live with them, and Zayden had taken him to the hospital to have a cast put on. God knew how his brother had managed to pay for that. Maybe someday he’d ask.

  Time to shake this heavy shit off and have some fun.

  He stood, gun in hand, and took off walking back toward the house. What he needed was a bit of excitement—the old Moon Ranch had grown stodgy in the past year or so since his brothers took over.

  As he reached the barn, he spotted the glint of sheet metal roofing in the moonlight and an idea popped into his head. He leaned his weapon against the barn wall and grabbed the sheet of metal. The piece, leftover from roofing one of the outbuildings, measured a good twelve feet and proved heavy to maneuver. Asher carried it over to some hay stacked up along one wall and rested an end of the metal on top of it.

  He stood back to examine the makeshift sliding board. Wouldn’t be near slippery enough. Maybe with some water?

  With growing excitement, he strode around the barn and grabbed the garden hose. After unraveling the tubing, he switched on the water and rounded the corner again to the slide. When he fired the water at the metal, a loud noise ripped through the air like thunder. He laughed at the break in the silence and gave the metal a good soaking.

  Then he moved around to the hay pile, hitched himself up and perched at the top. Wasn’t very far down to the ground, but it might be just the thrill he sought.

  He pushed forward and slid to the bottom. “Not fast enough,” he mumbled. His wet jeans offered more resistance than help in sliding, so he walked into the barn and grabbed some horse shampoo. A little soap would do the trick.

  A squirt went a long way, and the sheet metal built a nice lather with another squirt of water. The moment his ass hit the metal slide, he shot to the ground. “Woohooo!” His holler echoed across the land as he pushed to his feet and walked to the hay pile again. The second time down, he went even faster.

  After he released another hoot of victory, Zayden’s voice reached him. “Who’s there? Ash?”

  “Yeah, it’s me. C’mon out and have some fun, bro!” He climbed back up the haystack. When his brother skidded around the corner of the barn in nothing but boots and boxer shorts, Asher threw his arms out to the sides in welcome.

  “What the hell, Ash?”

  “Built us a redneck waterslide. Get up here and give it a try.” He waved at Zayden, who only stared at him in shock.

  Mimi zipped around the corner bundled up in white cotton. Her white hair shone blue in the moonlight. “Asher Moon, what on Earth are you up to?”

  “I built us a slide. Look.” No sooner did his backside hit steel then he was on the ground.

  Zayden cocked his head. “That’s pretty fast.”

  “I know, man. Try ’er out!”

  “Oh my Lord. You boys are still trying to give me angina.” Mimi pressed a hand over her heart and looked on as Zayden mounted the haystack.

  Asher stood back, grinning at his success. His brother slipped down the slide in record time and only stopped himself from continuing across the grass by way of his bootheels.

  “Damn!” Zayden stood and swiped at his wet, sudsy ass. “Too bad Dane’s sleepin’ at Brennah’s tonight. He’d be out here half the night.”

  Mimi shook her head. “Grown men on a homemade sliding board. I’m going back to bed.”

  Asher and Zayden exchanged a look and then burst into laughter at Mimi’s words. Doubling over, Asher snorted with mirth, and Zayden threw his head back.

  Asher stumbled toward the back of the slide. “I’m goin’ again.”

  When he hit the ground at Zayden’s feet, his brother said, “Next time we need a longer piece of metal.”

  “My thoughts exactly.” Suddenly, his brows shot up. “Next time we set up to land in the stock tank.”

  “Oh yeahhh, a good dunkin’ at the end of a long day of work.” Zayden grinned and waved at
the slide for Asher’s turn.

  He reached the top and poised to go down on his stomach. The world flashed by him, and he hit the ground hard, sliding several feet across the grass. Zayden reached down to help him up. Asher gripped his hand, and his brother hauled him to his feet.

  “Nice addition to the ranch, bro.” Zayden stared at him. “Now why don’t you tell me what you’re tryin’ to forget.”

  Asher shook his head at the question. “Dunno what you mean. I was just havin’ a bit of fun.”

  “Last time you were having a bit of fun, you tried ridin’ one of Brennah’s llamas. Back in the day, I seem to recall a few other amnesia tactics.”

  Asher scrubbed a wet hand over his face, probably leaving a sheen of horse shampoo on his face. “Is it a crime to have fun around here now?”

  “No. But we all have our ways of copin’ with life. For me, it’s work. Dane goes to AA meetings to stay away from booze and dice. And you’re our prankster, always out to make someone laugh.”

  His chest burned with bottled up anger. “You got a problem with laughing now?”

  “No, man. I’m just saying… Hell, we’re all fucked up from the old man, Ash.”

  He drew his brows together. “He’s dead and buried.”

  “Yeah, and good riddance. I just thought you might be using your comedy routine to cover up some of your feelings.” Zayden sent him a long look.

  Asher returned it with a glare. “You’re wrong, bro. I’m goin’ to bed.” He took off for the house at a fast pace, long strides eating up the ground. For Mimi’s sake, he didn’t slam the door behind himself.

  Damn his brother. Let him analyze himself—Dane, even—but leave Asher the hell out of it. He was fine. Always had been. And how many times had he been the glue holding this family together? When things got tough, Asher always had a way of bringing them close again.

  In his bedroom, he stripped off his wet clothes and ripped back the covers to get into bed. But he didn’t feel tired, and he went to the window instead. Looking out on the dark field, he couldn’t help but wonder what the hell he was doing with his life…or where he’d end up.

  Chapter Six