Cowboy Up: A Contemporary Romance (The Cherry Series Book 1)

by Luna Starr

  I slowly began kissing her as I slammed my hips up and thrust my entire length into her. She threw her head back and yelped as I felt my head burst through something—something that felt a lot like skin. I froze.

  “Summer?” I started as I stared up at her. “Are you?”

  She nodded, her chest rising and falling, her tits pushed up against my face. “I was,” she corrected herself as she grabbed my shoulders. “But you’ve already broken it so no point in making it a big deal now.”

  She meant I’d already burst right through her cherry. This was a first for me and I wasn’t sure why but there was some part of me that suddenly felt incredibly proud that she’d allowed me to be her first. At the same time that I was proud, I also felt an overwhelming sense of protection. Even more, I felt a possessiveness over her. Like I’d marked her and she was now mine. It didn’t make any sense to me because I’d never felt this way about another woman before. Of course, I’d never fucked a virgin before either.

  “Tom, stop thinking about it and fuck me,” she insisted as she gripped my hair and forced me to look her in the eyes.

  I didn’t respond other than to grab hold of her hips and pull my dick out of her, only to bury it all the way, even more deeply this time. Although I was the one thrusting, I wasn’t the only one moving my hips. She met me thrust for thrust and ground her hips down on me as she fucked me.

  “You on top now,” she demanded.

  I smiled and nodded as I picked her up and flipped her onto her back. Gripping her ankles, I spread her legs wide as I plunged into her. Her eyes went wide as she moaned and dug her nails into my back. She closed her eyes but only for a few seconds before she opened them again and stared into mine. We just watched each other as I continued to fuck her as hard as I could and she took it. After a few minutes of this, my own passion was threatening to erupt out of me.

  I looked at her and I said, “I’m going to come.”

  “I want to see it.”

  So, I pulled out of her and continued to stroke my cock for about twenty seconds until I threw my head back and moaned as my cum flew out of my cockhead in ropey waves.

  Chapter Twenty

  Summer

  Talk about a restless night.

  After Tom passed out, I’d lain there for hours thinking about what we’d just done. How amazing it was. How amazing he was. How amazing his body was. I was in a full-body blush again just remembering the feel of his skin and the rounded curve of his muscles as they melted perfectly into one another. And his cock… it was truly a behemoth, a monster. I had to imagine it was the biggest dick within a fifty-mile radius. Shit, maybe even a hundred.

  I glanced out the window from where I stood in Rue’s kitchen. Tom had left before I’d even woken up. He’d given me a kiss on the forehead even though he thought I was asleep and then he’d headed out on Breezy, probably to check on the cows.

  And now, the sun was easing its way up the backside of the mountain but the rain was still falling and a thick coating of clouds was covering everything. If the guys thought this storm was going to blow over during the night, they’d been mistaken. And unless Brady had made some sort of miraculous recovery during the night, he wasn’t going to be in any shape to go out.

  “This rain just won’t let up,” Rue said as she turned to face me with a sigh.

  Just then the back door opened and Tom trudged in, looking disheveled, wet and disappointed. “I couldn’t get them rounded up on my own,” he announced, his voice frustrated.

  “Of course you couldn’t!” Rue responded as she threw her hands in the air and reached for a mug, pouring him a cup of coffee. “And what in the world made you think you could?”

  “Thought it was worth a shot,” he answered as he accepted the cup with a nod of thanks.

  “I could help you,” I suggested with a hesitant smile. My cowhand talents weren’t exactly stellar, so I wasn’t even sure if Tom wanted me to help, or if I’d just be a nuisance.

  “Hmm,” he answered as he took a sip of his coffee. His response wasn’t exactly encouraging. But at the thought of having to keep five kids entertained inside again, I really wanted to help him with the cows. I exhaled and wrapped my fingers around the doorknob, steeling myself for whatever I was going to face that day. As nervous as I was about working the cows, I was feeling more than a little trepidation about being stuck inside with everyone all day long.

  Or at least one of them.

  Yes, Tom was definitely making me nervous because I couldn’t read him at all. I had no idea what he thought of last night—did he regret it, was he angry that it had happened? Did I regret it? I wasn’t sure yet. I figured a lot of that depended on him.

  My fingers tingled and I clenched them into my palms as visions of the night before rattled around my head and made it hard to concentrate.

  Rue cleared her throat and I glanced over at her, surprised to find her looking at me with her eyebrows drawn. “Well?” she asked.

  “Well, what?” I answered, flushing because I hadn’t realized I’d been so invested in my own thoughts that I’d totally missed whatever she’d just said to me.

  “I was saying that we should set the breakfast up in the main dining room so we can keep the noise to a minimum because Brady is trying to relax on the couch.”

  “Oh, sure,” I answered.

  “Why isn’t he relaxing in his room?” Tom asked, frowning at Rue.

  “Because he says the bed isn’t comfortable,” Rue answered. “You and I know the real reason is that he wants to be as involved with the goings on at this ranch as he can be and he’ll miss everything if he’s stuck up in his bedroom all day.”

  “Exactly,” Tom answered with a smile. When he turned that beautiful smile to me, I immediately felt my cheeks heat and I turned around, trying to remember what Rue had tasked me with. Ah yes, setting the table in the dining room.

  I hurried out of the kitchen and into the dining room, quickly rearranging the furniture so it would work for our family-style breakfast. I rummaged through the sideboard drawers and found a few serving dishes and set them out. There were two pretty glass candle holders with green pillar candles that caught my attention so I grabbed them and a handful of napkin rings. Just because we were eating in a ranch house didn’t mean we couldn’t fancy it up a bit.

  If there was one thing I was good at, it was setting a table. Thanks to Daddy’s parties and Mother’s disinterest in party planning, I’d taken up the mantle of party-planner extraordinaire. And now I was putting that art form to use.

  It would still be a half an hour before anyone woke up, so I took on the job with gusto, digging to the back of drawers and cabinets that looked like they haven’t been touched or organized for years.

  Even though there were a lot of us, the table was so big that none of us would be cramped. I hurried into the kitchen and quietly grabbed a stack of plates and silverware so I could better judge how to lay out my blank canvas. I avoided the everyday placemats. I liked the cute Navaho print and the vinyl made them easy to wipe off, but I wanted to go with something a little different. Something a little more formal.

  I brought the plates and platters, silverware and silver-rimmed water goblets to the table and started setting them out. Everything I used was some shade of gray and white and silver, perfectly mimicking the thundering clouds outside. I opened the drapes wide and tied them back with silver cords I’d found in one of the sideboards. For a brief second, I worried that I was overstepping my bounds since we’d never eaten in this room before. But Rue had told me to set us up in here so I figured I was free to set the table however I wanted to.

  When I was all finished, I stepped back to admire my handiwork. I’d done a good job. I’d somehow managed to carve out a little bit of fluffy decadence in the middle of a storm cloud. The candles shone like lightning, and from the right angle, they were one big long stream of light streaking down the center of the table like a bolt from the dark windows beyond it.

 
; I felt proud of what I’d put together. And that was an emotion I hadn’t encountered in years. It fit me like a sweater that had gone too many rounds in the dryer, but it still fit... barely... like if I kept wearing it, the threads would stretch enough that it would be an old, comfortable favorite again.

  “Oh my!”

  I spun and Marlene was standing in the doorway.

  “Good morning.” My voice trembled and I was surprised at how fast my pride deflated like she’d just stabbed it with a needle. I suddenly felt incredibly dumb for wasting so much time in here.

  “It looks beautiful!” she said as she faced me with a wide smile. “Like something I’d see back home!”

  “Thank you,” I answered, relieved to know she approved. Why, I wasn’t sure.

  “Not that you would know this,” Marlene said as she wandered around the end of the table. “But I’m an interior designer back home.”

  “That must be a fun job?” I didn’t know what else to say.

  “It has its moments.” She shrugged and continued to walk around the table, paying close attention to every single detail of my choices and arrangements. “You definitely have an eye.”

  “Yes, she does,” Tom suddenly answered from behind us. I whirled around on my toes to see him admiring the table settings. “Wow, are you expecting the president for breakfast?” he asked me with a laugh.

  He was so close, I could almost feel the heat rolling off his body. I was still completely nervous about the night before and I worried that it was showing even now.

  “Haha, not exactly,” I answered with a hesitant laugh.

  “I’ll go get the kids,” Marlene said over her shoulder as she walked out of the room, leaving me with Tom and my nerves.

  “Are you okay?” he asked as he smiled down at me.

  “Okay?” I repeated, my heart pounding.

  “About last night,” he continued.

  “Oh, that,” I answered, sounding like last night was the last thing on my mind which was about as far from the truth as it was possible to be. “Are you okay about it?” I turned the question over to him.

  But before he could respond, Rue came in with breakfast, Marlene and crew in tow, and the room was suddenly full of chattering and admiration over my table setting skills.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Tom

  I couldn’t keep the disappointment from my face as everyone flooded into the room. Damn, I’d been looking for a few minutes of privacy with Summer so I could make sure that last night wasn’t weighing on her. Taking her virginity was no small deal and I wanted her to know that I wasn’t going to change the way I was with her, however that was.

  For my own part, I wasn’t sure what our night meant now. I mean, I was still the same old me—the me who didn’t want any part of a relationship, whether I’d taken her virginity or not. As far as I looked at it, Summer was a big girl and she’d made a decision that she had been okay with.

  And yet, when I contemplated a relationship with the feisty blond, there was something about the idea that strangely appealed to me… a lot.

  Dammit, Tom, that storm has addled your head! I railed at myself, knowing there was no way in hell I was getting into a relationship with Summer. Not when we worked together and not when Brady would have my hide for it. Not to mention that I just wasn’t a relationship kind of guy. I liked my independence too much.

  Suddenly feeling uncomfortable, I cleared my throat and quickly exited the room to check on Brady—or at least that’s what I told myself.

  “Hey!” he hollered at me from the living room couch and I pulled up short.

  “You get any sleep last night?” I asked him, eyeing him warily.

  He rubbed his eyes and inched upward on the couch, wincing. “Not really. Shitty night.”

  “So, you’re ready to let me take you to the hospital?”

  He glared at me. “I already told you I wasn’t going.”

  “Just to get checked out,” I insisted. “What if something is really wrong with you?”

  He swung his leg to the floor, gasped, and grabbed the arm of the couch. “Christ, that’s sore.”

  “I hear they’ve come a long way with pain meds.” Every word was dripping with sarcasm.

  He ignored me and stood, glaring some more and daring me to help him. I ignored him and gave him my shoulder to lean on. After he proved he could take a step, he grabbed a hold of my arm and growled his displeasure.

  “I’m going to make it into breakfast if it kills me,” he grumbled.

  I shrugged. “And it very well might. You sure you don’t want to stay here and I’ll have Rue bring you breakfast?”

  “No. I already feel like a complete weakling, I’m not going to make it worse by anyone doting on me. I got this ranch to run.”

  I assisted him into the dining room and he was surprised by the lavish table setting, just like the rest of us had been.

  “What’s going on in here?” he grumbled. “Why so formal?”

  “Summer,” I answered under my breath, as if that was response enough.

  “That girl’s just a surprise a minute, isn’t she?” he asked, some of the gruffness absent from his voice.

  Before I could answer, Rue rushed over and fussed Brady into the nearest chair. “You are too darn stubborn for your own good!” she reprimanded him.

  He stuck his tongue out at her as one of the twins took notice of him.

  “Did you get shot?” he asked excitedly as everyone laughed. Brady even gave a little smirk. I skirted the family and took the seat across from Summer. She quickly averted her eyes and fiddled with one of the candlesticks, looking nervous. I wasn’t sure why.

  Meanwhile, Brady was busy fielding questions and comments and everyone’s attention was on him. Except for Summer’s and mine. We were in our own little bubble at the other end of the table. She’d set a big centerpiece down between us and if we wanted to, we could almost hide from all the commotion. If we wanted to…

  “How are you feeling this morning?” she asked the candlestick.

  “Were you talking to me or the candle?”

  I waited for her to look up. It took her forever, but she finally lifted a very careful gaze as she studied me. She was still clearly nervous. She withdrew her hand and accepted a bowl of hard-boiled eggs as they headed our way. “I was talking to you.”

  “Because you seemed extra interested in everything but me,” I teased.

  She struggled to maintain eye contact, but managed as she passed me the eggs and fumbled for her water glass. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  My grin widened. I enjoyed teasing her. In fact, I wondered if it might be my newest favorite pastime. “Yes, I do feel better. Little on the tired side and my muscles are aching something fierce...” I tugged at my pant leg. “But I’m better.” I took a sip of my water as I eyed her above it. “I think last night helped me abundantly.”

  She choked and grabbed her napkin, holding it against her mouth while she coughed and sputtered into the snowy-white linen. The little boy tapped my arm and I tipped my head toward him, giving her a minute to collect herself, but it was all I could do to keep from laughing.

  “Hey, partner,” I addressed him.

  He grinned. “I like that. Mom, could my new name be Partner?”

  Marlene looked at us and smiled. “Sure, honey.”

  He seemed satisfied with the answer and looked back at me with a wide grin. “What’s your name?”

  “Tom.”

  He scrunched up his face. “Like the Tom and Jerry cartoon?”

  “Yeah.” I grinned. He was damned adorable and I couldn’t help but remember how good Summer had been with him when they were making those crafts earlier. I wasn’t usually one for kids, but this guy was softening me, question by question.

  “Are you a real cowboy?” He looked quickly at my hat, then back at me.

  “I am. Maybe when the weather calms down, you could come out and help me work the cows
?”

  His face lit up and he yipped, then quickly turned toward his mother again. “Mom! Mom?” Marlene faced the little guy as he nearly exploded with excitement. “Tom said I could ride with him. Is that okay?”

  She glanced at me, then at Brady. “Um, well...”

  Brady finished his mouthful of food, then set down his fork and explained what he had planned for their stay—weather permitting—which meant, I had to go get those cows and bring them in if he thought we were still moving them out north while Marlene and her kids were here. While he was giving them the rundown, I turned back to Summer. She was watching me carefully and I lifted an eyebrow, but she ducked her head and studied her last few bites instead, a rosy hue shadowing her cheeks. God, but the woman was absolutely stunning.

  Images of her beneath me, moaning as I slid in and out of her suddenly assaulted my mind and my dick started to grow heavy in my pants. Not wanting anyone to notice, I immediately started thinking about cow shit to get my cock to calm down. It did, thank God.

  “You still want to grab cows with me today?” I asked the top of her head.

  She glanced up at me, surprised, but then immediately nodded.

  “Let’s ride out as soon as you can get away. Think you could get out of chores after breakfast ‘cause it’s gonna take us a while.”

  Rue sat down between us. “Yes. You two need to get going as soon as you’re done eating. I can handle everything here.”

  “Are you sure?” Summer asked, and her voice was timid for the first time since she’d gotten here. I wondered if maybe she regretted last night and didn’t want to spend any more time with me. I hoped that wasn’t the case because I didn’t regret one hot, wet, slippery second of it.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Summer

  I stalled for as long as I could, but Rue started shooing me out the door the minute my plate was empty. Tom was ahead of me by a few minutes, and by the time I got to the barn and got my helmet strapped on, he had both horses saddled. I took the bridle from him and he paused. “Pretty sure you’re going to want a hat with a brim.”