One Last Sunset (The Long Ranch Series Book 1)

by Prince, Michel

  “I do get a lunch break.”

  “You told me to go.”

  “I’m supposed to protect you.”

  “I can protect myself.” Mel stepped on the gas.

  Sunny jumped out of the way.

  With a smirk of satisfaction, she took off along the fence line.

  “So,” Sunny said, easily keeping up even after Mel floored it. He kept running in front of the gator and making her swerve out of the way. “You know this thing doesn’t go very fast.”

  Before she could give a comeback, she dodged too sharply and got the vehicle stuck so badly he had to help her get it out.

  “Mel, we haven’t really talked since the other day.”

  “Wasn’t everything said?” Mel went over a bump while they flew up and back down.

  Sunny put his hand on the crown of his hat and laughed. “You could ride broncos the way you stayed on.”

  “What can I say,” she challenged as she looked at him. “I can ride with the best of them.”

  “I need to clear something up.”

  “And that is?”

  “You’ve grown into a beautiful woman—”

  “But you’re a Long and I like being in one piece,” she whined the excuse the wusses at school used.

  “No,” he snapped. “The Long part is right, but it was more about being proper. Right now, I’m pretty sure I’m the last person who would get your family’s approval.”

  “You don’t need my family’s, you need mine.”

  “I’ve got that,” he smirked.

  She wanted to smack it off his face. “No, you had it.”

  They drove in silence for ten minutes as she curved her way around the wooden fence posts tied together with barbed wire. She loved the ranch no matter the season, but a little bit of green butting up against the rust colored expanse that shot up into the sky made her smile. Later, she’d obtain samples from the spigot, but right now she wanted the source. The small creek at the edge of their property drained into an underground aquifer.

  Sunny was right, he had her, but damned if she was going to admit it. She’d stepped out of her comfort zone and was rebuked. Left going home to—fucking Kendra calling out the name of her own not so little toy. When she got the stream, she noticed the same odor she’d found at the Winston’s, just not as strong. She chose to keep the gator running with the parking brake on. Sunny turned it off. “You’re carrying my kit back to the house if it doesn’t start again,” she said.

  “I’ll get it started,” he assured, then stretched his legs out the side of the vehicle.

  He wasn’t a tall man, but his legs were long and lean. Perfect for wrapping around a bronco or tangling in bed. Shaking the erotic thought from her mind, she steadied herself for task at hand. Labeling the specimen vial Long One, she snapped the lid and placed it in the stream. She marked in the notes where she collected it and odor and color at collection time. Turning around, she ran into Sunny standing over her watching her every move.

  “Remember the first time we were here together?” he asked and folded her into his arms.

  “No.”

  “You were collecting samples and wearing this tight t-shirt.”

  Melody smirked as heat rushed through her body.

  Sunny lifted his hat off his head and placed it on hers. His hand cradled her face while his thumb stroked her jaw line. His other hand went to her hip and his fingers locked into her belt loops. “The sun was reflecting off your skin, turning it bright copper, almost blinding me.”

  “I guess since my back was turned I forgot the first time we were here.”

  “I never will,” he purred. “Especially, since your back was turned.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Your hips were screaming you were all woman.”

  “Were they?”

  “I can’t believe I left for so long.”

  “Maybe we needed to be apart that long.”

  “Why is it that I never want to do that again?” he asked and ducked his head to claim her lips.

  Mel fell against his body as his hand traveled up her neck. Strength and need followed as his tongue darted in her mouth, sweeping against hers. Lost in the moment, she pulled at his shirt and buttons snapped, revealing his chest. Nails glided along the firm wide expanse. A coldness fell on her face, followed by another and another.

  Releasing from the embrace, they found themselves caught in a sudden shower.

  Laughing, Melody held tight to the top of Sunny’s hat and ran to the gator.

  He followed with his normal lazy gait as he walked with water streaming down his chest and through the ridges of his abs. When he took off his shirt, she was sure he’d hold it over his head. Instead, he tossed it on his shoulder. When he got to the gator, he once again claimed her lips. Bright sun mixed with cool rain fell between the two of them and this time, it was Mel who didn’t want to stop as she held his face praying he wouldn’t pull away.

  “We better get back,” Sunny said as his lips brushed against Melody’s.

  “I’m working, you’re working.”

  “But is the gator working?” Sunny asked.

  She turned the key, only to get a clicking noise.

  “Move over, I’ll get it going,” he suggested.

  She obliged. She knew better than to take the ancient thing out. Then again, she wasn’t expecting rain. Looking to the west, she noticed darker, more ominous clouds rolling in. The light sprinkles were getting bigger and fatter as they plopped on them. This gator didn’t have a top. Soon, they’d be stuck in a down pour.

  Lightening flashed in the distance and Sunny went from carefree to serious. “The cabin isn’t far from here, right?”

  “A half mile, maybe less.”

  “Let’s pray for less. I’ll grab your kit. We’re gonna need to hoof it.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Did you unplug the battery from the wall before you started this bad boy up?”

  “No.”

  “I don’t think it had much of a charge left to it.”

  Thunder rolled as wind began to bite against their skin. This wasn’t a thunderstorm. The temperature dropped and what had been a nice hot day cooled and Mel looked at the dark gray clouds as flickers of light cut through them. The thunder that followed vibrated through her. “Yeah, we better go,” she agreed and they started the hasty retreat to the cabin.

  Thankfully, it too was on the fence line and she wouldn’t have to guess at the way, but with loose rocks, now slick from the rain, she kept tripping and stumbling. Each time Sunny caught her until they got to the ridge and multiple rocks gave way. Sliding down the small ravine toward the stream that had picked up speed, she caught herself before falling in. Her knee stung from the sharp impact, but she couldn’t feel any real damage. Sunny helped her back up as rain fell down his face and body. Danger was probably less than a mile from her as flashes began increasing and the thunder became deafening.

  “Not much further,” she said to Sunny while praying she wasn’t lying. She’d never counted the fence posts like her brothers had. Having only been to the cabin a handful of times, none of which were recent, she had to depend on her childhood memories. Who better than Sunny to jog them?

  Practically running for five minutes, finally in the distance she could see a structure. The cabin itself only had four rooms—two bedrooms, a bathroom and kitchen slash living room. Although it had running water, they kept a water cooler there for drinking and cooking. From a distance, she could see the one story home with its small porch. The wood structure needed to be painted, but for being almost a hundred years old it was in good shape.

  Sunny and Mel sprinted to the porch, crashing into each other and the door.

  “Please say you have the key?” Sunny panted while they stood under the covered porch.

  “They lock it?” Melody asked and tried the knob. “Well, that sucks.”

  Sunny flopped in an old rocker and laughed. “Not sure how dry we’ll be s
itting out here.”

  Melody tried pushing up on the windows, but they too were locked tight.

  “I’ll be right back.” On a hunch, Mel went around to the bathroom window. With a quick shove, she was able to open it. Pulling herself up she slid quickly through the window slick with the rain and landed with a thud.

  * * * *

  “Mel,” Sunny called. “You okay?”

  “Yeah,” a strained voice grumbled back.

  A click sounded and Melody stood in the door like a drowned rat. Her t-shirt clung to her body outlining breasts and a smooth stomach. Taking off his hat, she threw it to the side and sighed. “Does my hair at least still look good?” she asked with a little smirk.

  Sunny shook his head and came in right as the hail began.

  Now inside, the chills started as he saw gooseflesh erupt on Melody and her teeth started to chatter matching the sound on the old tin roof of the hail coming down.

  “I just want to clarify this is not totally selfish on my point,” he began.

  Mel looked at him with her arms wrapped around herself. The action was for warmth, only he believed it worked more on him than her. When her chest was pushed together and up. The outline of her dark nipple shown through the thin fabric of both her shirt and bra. “You need to get out of those wet clothes.”

  “I’m not the only one.” Her fingers glided over his chest and pushed back his shirt that fell to the floor.

  “You’re shivering,” he said as he pulled a throw blanket off the back of the old couch and wrapped it around her. “How about get out of those and hang them up? Any chance there might be clothes here?”

  “I doubt it.” She went into one of the bedrooms.

  Sunny gazed at the old stone fireplace. Luckily, there were a few logs resting on the hearth. On the table were some old papers so he set up the fireplace and found a long lighter on the mantel. After the paper caught, he heard a few snaps and the logs began to burn with small embers. Having been in the cabin they were dry and ready to burn. Kneeling by the fireplace, he began to warm up a bit.

  A door opened and he turned his head to see Melody coming out of the bathroom holding her jeans, t-shirt, and bra. Wrapped around her chest was the small beige blanket falling only to her knees. Her skin was smooth and mocha colored in contrast to her thin covering. Lightening went off, shooting light through the windows, and he once again could see her figure. One leg slightly crossed in front of the other one as she stood with her lips pursed.

  Gathering himself, he let out a gust of air and stood. Walking toward her wasn’t the easiest thing with tight wet jeans and a hard on throbbing. “You couldn’t find any clothes?” he asked, swallowing hard as he gathered her wet garments in his hand.

  “I didn’t look,” she confessed.

  “I’ll hang these on the mantel to dry.” His lips pulsed as he found himself leaning in to inhale her scent. Never again would cool summer rain not remind him of her.

  “You hungry?” she breathed and he felt her lips as they moved.

  Eat? Well, that was something he could do without a condom. He did owe her. Leaving her hanging like he did. Dropping her clothes to the floor Sunny gathered her into his arms and carried her to the table in the kitchen area. Capturing her lips first, he made his intentions known when he leaned her back on the table.

  Gliding down her body to her hip then to her smooth leg, he brought her ankle to his shoulder, then dropped to his knees. Tugging slightly he had her ass at the end of the table. The blanket opened nicely to display a pair of white lace panties hiding dark folds of heaven. Moving closer, he nibbled on her calf, then knee. Only there was an imperfection in her skin on the kneecap. “Did you get hurt?” he asked, lightly kissing the scrape.

  “Merely a flesh wound. You know how us cowgirls are.”

  “Please tell me,” he purred and kissed the inside of her thigh.

  She trembled and he smiled.

  Bringing his tongue into play on the sensitive flesh, his hand slid up the other thigh and found her mound. “Why didn’t take off your panties to dry? They appear wet.”

  “They weren’t,” she teased and lifted herself up enough to show him dark pools of desire.

  “Let me help you with those,” he offered and twisted his fingers in the side of the fabric. Pulling slowly, he unveiled her sex and knew there was no going back. Damn, everything he’d been raised with. She was the part of him he’d been missing. The home, the peace, the love. Even when they were younger, she could keep him level headed. Now he was going to have her, body and soul and for the first time, he wasn’t scared of the prospect.

  His lips trailed from the top of the little tuft of hair at her waist down to her sex. Taking her pussy into his mouth, he didn’t know which set of lips tasted sweeter. His tongue tingled as it swirled around her clit, then dove into the wetness of her core. Resting his hand on her stomach, he balanced himself. As her essence flowed, he remembered the split to his lip. The sweet sting of pain mixed with the euphoria of pleasuring her caused him to delve deeper. Thrusting his tongue inside her, he tasted the sweetness as she began to wriggle.

  “Oh fuck,” she moaned as her fingers clawed at his and she held on as if she were going to die if she released.

  With his free hand, he brought his fingers to her opening and let his tongue glide up to her clit. Taking that fully into his mouth, he sucked and slowly glided three fingers inside. The hood of her clit was fully extended and he flicked his tongue. She bucked against his mouth and her flavor became salty. Her pussy clenched his fingers so tight he couldn’t move them, even with a wetness that put the storm outside to shame.

  “Sunshine,” she screamed.

  He blew on the swollen lips while his fingers found a little bit of give and moved them out and in three more times. Each one had her groaning and pulling his hair. He may be bald at the end of this and he didn’t care one damn bit. His hard on had his balls pulled up to the point it hurt, but it was a good hurt.

  “Fuck me, Sunny,” she cried.

  He wanted to. So damn bad. He was surprised he hadn’t popped the button and zipper holding back his cock. Instead, he brought his lips back to her pussy and sucked harder. Praying this would satisfy her because as much as he’d like to come inside her, then watch it shine against her skin, he couldn’t. Not without protection. Then again, he didn’t think he could fuck her either way. Melody needed to be cherished. Held. If they slept together, he’d make love to her. Was he even ready for something like that?

  “Sunny?” Mel pulled herself back and placed a hand on either side of his face.

  He pulled in his lips to gather more of her flavor into his mouth.

  “I want you inside me.”

  “I can’t,” he said, turning his eyes away. “I want to, so damn bad.”

  “Don’t I turn you on?” she asked.

  He stood up between her legs. “You tell me,” he growled, taking her hand and placing it on his cock, harder than he’d ever remembered it being. “I’m ready to explode.”

  “What are you afraid of?”

  “I came to the ranch to build planting boxes. Very little use for a condom, let alone a strip, which is what I think I’ll need with you.”

  “Is that all?” she smiled. “I’m sure the bedrooms are stocked.”

  “What?”

  “The guys come out here for bible study.”

  Chapter Seven

  Sunshine’s lips turned from frustration to kiddish glee. His rough hands grasped Mel’s thighs, then worked up to her hips. Pulling her from the table, he set her on the floor, and she tried to remember how standing worked. Balance after orgasm wasn’t her strong suit. Fortunately, she had a table to brace herself on.

  “I’ll ransack the bedroom, how about you find us something to eat,” Sunny suggested. “And we’ll meet in the living room.”

  “Not in the bed?”

  “I love your family, but I doubt the sheets get changed regularly.”

&nb
sp; Mel dropped her eyes down with a smile. First, she hung her clothes along the mantel with Sunny’s shirt. He’d yet to remove his jeans, but she was going to take care that as soon as possible.

  The rain hadn’t let up. In fact, they were probably in the height of the storm. Windows rattled as the wind picked up. Mel dug through the fridge and found beer, some wine coolers…for the girls she assumed, and cheese that looked fresh. Next up, were the cupboards. A few packages of Ritz—the guys were nothing if not gentlemen—and cans of soup and chili if they got stuck here for too long. In the corner, a CB radio tied into the whole ranch since phones were hit and miss.

  Flipping on the radio, she heard the guys talking about getting the cows gathered close to the pens they used during bad weather so they didn’t stampede.

  “Anyone seen Sunny?” Walt’s voice crackled over the radio. Followed by a bunch of nos. “He doesn’t have a vehicle, does he? Could he of gone to town?”

  Melody’s gut tightened as she tried to figure out a way to say he was safe without giving away their location. She was supposed to be at work where they wouldn’t worry about her. Her great uncle had died young in one of these storms and it had been drilled into the family that everyone on the ranch must be accounted for. She groaned. She knew the guys would risk themselves to find Sunshine. It was more important the two of them were safe than her family not know about Sunny and her being alone together.

  “Something up?” Sunny asked as he came in the kitchen.

  “They’re looking for you.”

  “Oh, shit,” he replied, knowing exactly what would happen. “Tell them the truth.”

  “You’re busy in an attempt for multiple orgasms, but only because our clothes got wet?”

  “Hey guys,” Sunny said into the radio while rolling his eyes.

  “Sunny? That you?” Walt replied.

  “Yeah, Melody took out that beat up gator to get some samples for Doc. I couldn’t let her go alone.”

  “Where are you?”

  “The cabin, the gator died not far from here, but the rain hit us.”

  “We’re in a thunderstorm warning for the next hour or so. Will you two be okay?”