Riding Rough (Rough Rider #2)

by Aria Cole

  “Fuck, Raven, what are you doing to me?”

  TWO

  RAVEN

  “RAVEN WETHERSPOON! WHY do you have that just-fucked look on your face?” My roommate, Lexi, crossed her arms accusingly.

  “What? You’re crazy.” I piled my hair on top of my head in a loose bun.

  “You were out late last night—don’t bullshit me. I hear everything that happens in this apartment.”

  “I was working with Chase. He hurt his foot.”

  “Right, I heard that part. But that doesn't explain the flush or the swollen lips. Raven! Were you kissing someone last night?”

  Heat flamed up my cheeks as my friend surveyed me, head tilted.

  “Well, it’s weird, but I think it’s someone I used to know…” I frowned, remembering the wrinkled Polaroid photo I had from when I was a kid. I’d been carrying it around for years, never thinking it was possible I’d see him again.

  But he was the reason I’d moved back to this town, right?

  I frowned at my inner monologue. My dad had ripped me and my family from this little country town when I was only in third grade. One day, he just decided he wanted to move us back to the city, said he couldn't get as much work done here.

  I’d hated the city.

  Hated every moment.

  So I guess it was no accident I was back here where I’d been the happiest. Even if I’d been only a kid. It just seemed like life went to hell after that move. Dad worked more, Mom drank more, I escaped into school and swimming and volleyball more. The day I turned eighteen and moved out to go to college had been the best day of my life.

  Until I’d moved back here.

  Veterinary science degree in hand, I’d returned to my real home, the place where I’d left my heart.

  I’d never expected to run into the other half of my heart again… But had I?

  Was I kissing him last night?

  “You need to kiss and tell, sister. That dreamy look on your face is making me desperate for deets.”

  “His name is Colt. I think he used to go by Colton…”

  “So why not just ask him point-blank?” Lexi asked.

  I shrugged, butterflies battering the inside of my stomach. “What if it’s not him? I’ll just look like an idiot. And if it is him, I look like this desperate girl who’s pined for him all these years.”

  “So? You have, haven’t you? I’ve seen that photo you carry in your wallet.”

  I frowned, not liking Lexi’s particular brand of truth.

  “And what if it is him? We get together for old time's sake? I want to see if there’s anything there first…chemistry, you know?”

  “Huh, looks like there was loads of chemistry last night.”

  “Shut up,” I giggled, covering my face at the memory of his lips on mine.

  “He’s the last boy I kissed. Isn’t that messed up?”

  Lexi’s eyes shot wide open. “Excuse me?”

  “He was my first kiss, under the cherry tree in my parents’ yard.” I smiled, remembering the day. “My dad caught us, and less than a week later, we were living in a penthouse in the city. I was forbidden to ever come back, ever talk to Colt again.”

  “That’s fucked up.” Lexi frowned. “Your dad is kind of a dick,”

  “Tell me about it.” I groaned. “I was going to go back to the ranch today, but it’s weird if I see him now, right? What the hell do I say?”

  “Well, first question. Is he a good kisser?” Lexi winked.

  A grin split my lips.

  “So that’s a yes.” She laughed. “Why not start with, hey, so how about that kiss?”

  “God, you're no help whatsoever.”

  Lexi only shrugged. “It’s an interesting conversation starter, and isn’t that what’s gonna be on both your minds anyway?”

  I wrinkled my nose at her before she shoved on her shoes. “I’m going for a run. Good luck today.”

  “Can’t I just hide in bed, sit this one out?”

  “’Fraid not, Raven. Big-girl panties up.” Lexi blew me a kiss before slipping out the front door of our apartment.

  “Ugh. But my bed is so warm, and it’s calling me,” I groaned, hauling back down the hallway and into the bathroom to get into the shower and then head to the Circle C.

  Chase needed me.

  And maybe, deep down, I needed to see if Colt was the boy I thought he was.

  I didn’t believe in things like fate or soul mates, but the idea that Colt had been right here this whole time made cartwheels spin through me.

  And if it was him, would he even remember me?

  I was still thinking that exact thought as I pulled into the yard at Circle C an hour later. My eyes darted around the ranch, searching for Colt. I parked the truck, turning toward the barn when I caught sight of my beautiful boy walking across the paddock—and at the end of his long lead…Colt.

  My stomach somersaulted as I watched him talk to the horse, urging him on, feeding him a handful of grain as he made his way closer.

  “Mornin’,” Colt called when I approached.

  Jesus, just the sight of him in those dusty blue jeans made my knees weak. He was gorgeous, the way he filled out that cotton T-shirt like an Armani model. Every anxiety I had about seeing him eased away when he drew closer, an easy smile spreading his cheeks.

  “Didn’t sleep much last night, thought I'd check on him. He’s looking good this morning.”

  “Yeah, he is,” I breathed, eyes still focused on Colt’s.

  Could it be him? Was this the boy I’d spent all my summer nights with? Lying out under the stars? Talking about our dreams and complaining about our parents?

  I looked for some familiar spark, something recognizable, but time had changed us both so much.

  I felt like a completely different girl than I’d been then.

  “Wanna ride?” Colt held out his hand.

  Oh Jesus. Sweet Lord, did I want to. I stretched my hand out, our fingers connecting as energy pulsed between us. His palm glided up my arm, clasping my elbow and leading me into him. Every hard angle of his body fit into mine, the desire to connect our lips so strong it felt inevitable.

  As if being in the same space with him without touching was the greatest of sins. A thousand emotions rushed through me when his lips grazed mine, parting them slightly with his tongue.

  I melted against him, hands winding through his hair as arousal burned along my nerves. Every piece of me wanted this man.

  I didn’t care who he was or who I was; this felt too right.

  “Morning,” I whispered finally, our lips still brushing together.

  “Woulda slept better if you were in my arms last night.” His thick words made me swoon in his broad arms.

  “Me too.” My eyes fell closed as I soaked up his masculine scent. Woodsy, leathery, a hint of spice, he was everything that made my heart gallop out of my rib cage.

  “So how about that ride?” He brushed a thumb across the arch of my eyebrow, eyes traveling the contours of my face as if taking me in, committing me to memory.

  “Yes,” I murmured. “Come with me?”

  He arched one thick eyebrow. “You sure?” He tipped his head, taking me in. “Way you ran out of here last night…”

  I shook my head. “I'm sorry. You just took me by surprise, and that kiss…that kiss was…”

  “It was a good kiss, right?” A cocky grin split his cheeks.

  “It was wow,” I said as his hips worked against mine, the sharp steel of his cock biting into my abdomen and making me want to drop to my knees, suck him into my mouth, and make him come until the only name on his lips was mine.

  But what name would he call me?

  I had to tell him.

  I should tell him.

  But his arms felt so good, his smile so warm, his lips so…

  “Got somethin’ on your mind, Raven?” His self-confident grin deepened, and I think I fell a little harder. Was this really the man Colton had grown into? H
e was always so kind and attentive, but now he was all broad and gorgeous and godlike.

  “It’s just…sometimes it feels like we’ve met before,” I said softly, wondering if he’d pick up on anything.

  His eyes burned into mine, that sweet grin lifting his lips and sending my heart racing.

  “It does feel like that.” His hands ran up my waist, slipping under the hem of my shirt and sending shivers through my system.

  “How ’bout that ride, cowgirl?” he drawled at my ear.

  Oh God.

  I’d ride straight into the fires of hell with him if that’s what he asked.

  He grabbed the hair at Chase’s neck and hauled himself up onto my horse, then held a hand out, eyes watching me intently. We’d ridden side by side a few times and chatted, but never double. Never wedged between his strong thighs…

  But under his gaze, I felt untouchable. Like a princess. Like an angel. Like I was born to do anything.

  “Don't keep me waitin’, beautiful. Not sure if Chase and I could stand it.” He grasped my hand and pulled me up, nestling me between his thighs. “Been waitin’ a lifetime for you.”

  Colt’s words sent my world spinning on its axis.

  Did he know?

  THREE

  COLT

  EVERY GODDAMN STEP of that bareback ride, my cock rubbed against the crack of Raven’s ass and made me want to haul us both off that horse and fuck her right there in the field. She was driving me goddamn nuts, and I don't know why I hadn’t noticed it before now. I’d spent the entire day plastered up against that woman’s body, and my balls fucking burned so bad I thought they might burst.

  I’d been knee-deep in my own shit up to now. That’s why I hadn’t approached Raven before. And the pain meds I’d been on since the accident hadn’t helped the situation. I’d finally cut out the medication, which had me feeling like a normal human being again. Even if my leg ached now and again, at least my brain was clear, and my vision… Hell, that was working just fine.

  “Think it’s time I get off this horse. I love nothing more than being wedged tight up against you, but I don’t want to push Chase past his limits…or myself.” I breathed that last part.

  Raven smiled, turning slightly to lay eyes on me.

  Christ, I loved that she did that.

  Eyes glued to mine whenever we were talking. Like she was really listening to what I said.

  “Far be it for me to torture you.” She wiggled her ass once, then in one swift move, dismounted, grinning up at me with a flirty look.

  Shit, I was so done for.

  I swung a leg over the horse, landing on my feet as I dismounted, and cupped her hand in mine.

  I’d grown too used to touching her in the last hour we’d been riding. Hell if I wanted the contact to stop now.

  I had a feeling she liked it, though—the way her fingers tangled with mine, her thumb sliding against my thumb in soft motions.

  All the reservations I’d had last night about approaching her, talking to her, had vanished into thin air. Everything about being with her was so damn easy. It’s like we were long-lost friends, together again and picking up right where we’d left off.

  “Can you take him to his stable? I've got to get a bale of hay,” Raven asked sweetly.

  “Hell if you’re carrying a bale of hay. I’ll get it.” I squeezed her hand once then sauntered off into the barn, taking the rungs of the ladder two at a time into the loft of the barn. The end of last season's harvest was stored up here, and the last few stacks only served as a reminder that haying season was almost upon us again. We’d be out in the field in no time baling and restocking the feed barns.

  I paused for a minute, taking in the view out of the small window at the peak of the roof. I’d spent a lot of summer days up here, playing hide-and-seek or just escaping real life for a few hours. The Circle C had been my only home for so long, and the thought of ever leaving it rubbed me the wrong way.

  “I’ve never been up here,” Raven hummed a moment later. I swung around, surprised to find her only a few steps behind me. Slivers of dust and sunlight cut across the soft angles of her face. Her skin was such a delicate porcelain shade I wondered if the black hair that trailed down her back was natural. I could picture blond streaks framing her face, dark, intense eyes locking on mine.

  I couldn’t shake the feeling that we had met before. But hell, maybe that was just what falling felt like.

  Because I had no doubt I sure as shit was fallin’ for this girl.

  Without even realizing it, I’d found myself looking forward to talking to her in the paddock in the mornings, seeing her around the barn as she worked with Chase. This girl had a soft heart, a heart I wanted to have a place in.

  “The view is breathtaking.” I pulled her to me, pressing my lips to hers like I’d been damn starved. Truth be told, I had been starved for her from the first moment she’d walked away from me.

  “Sometimes it doesn't seem real,” she breathed, eyes hovering on the stretch of rolling hayfields that met the horizon beyond. “Coming back here was the best decision I ever made…”

  “Back? You haven't always lived here?” I asked.

  “No, I was born in Chicago. My dad moved us here when I was little.” Her eyes trailed across the loft to hover on mine. “We were only here a few years, though.”

  I nodded. “So how long you been back?”

  “Soon as I graduated college, I moved here and started a vet clinic. I’m still establishing clients, but I like the slower pace.”

  I nodded, not quite able to place where I’d run into her before. I was beginning to think it must have been at some point in town, at the grocery store or somewhere else. But I didn’t spend a whole lotta time at the grocery store, so I couldn’t figure out where I might know her from.

  “You go to school here?” Maybe we’d known each other when she lived here back in the day, but my memories were hazy from back then. Life was so chaotic with Mom and Dad; it was all my sister and I could do to get by each day. That’s where the Circle C came in. This ranch was my saving grace too many times to count. Just like it was now.

  “For a few years.” She tucked her head against my shoulder.

  I drew in the sweet scent of cherry blossoms. Hell, I loved that scent. “Don’t remember a Raven, and I’m sure I’d remember this face if we had met.” I tipped my chin to the side, assessing her softly. “This face haunts my dreams.”

  FOUR

  RAVEN

  “YOU’RE LUCKY I'M a sucker for corny one-liners, Colt,” I teased. The irony was that he probably didn't remember.

  His hands threaded through my hair, lips whispering against mine. “Corny one-liners run in the Sutherland family. I come by it honestly.”

  My heart stammered, and my breath caught in my throat when his lips traced along my neck, his hand sliding up my waist to lift my shirt over my head. His hands dusted over my cotton bra before he cupped my breast in one hand, pinching at the nipple then yanking the cup down and sucking my bud into his warm mouth.

  I sighed, warmth rushing between my legs as his teeth nipped, his hands kneading, my brain fogging. His hands worked at the button on my jeans, slipping it through the hole before the denim was down my thighs. As if he was too greedy to wait, he spun me around and bent me over a bale of hay, my ass in the air. He kneaded my cheeks before yanking my panties down my ass cheeks and fastening his mouth on my pussy. He licked in slow, hard strokes, tonguing my slit and biting gently, adding his fingers to the assault when he sank one and then a second into my pussy. His hand worked against me, his mouth sucking at my soaked pussy, before my legs began a slow quiver.

  He cupped my waist with one hand and held me still, grinding my pussy against his face until a hot volcano of release erupted from my body, tightening my legs and shaking my knees. Stars burst in a thousand and one different directions as I fell over the cliff, all feeling, all his.

  His hands owned my body, slammed me against his, cradlin
g me against his form as he fell back onto a pile of hay. I kicked the jeans off my legs, his hands gripping my panties and tearing at the weak fabric, tossing it over his shoulder before he slammed his cock against my pussy. I rode the ridge, relishing the gorgeous feel of his satiny cock against my hot core. A mix of heady lust and unrelenting need flooded my system as desire burned brighter, burned deeper.

  “Oh my God,” I hissed when the tip of his cock pressed at my entrance.

  “Your sweet cunt is soaked for me, Raven.” His fingertips spread my ass cheeks, one finger probing the tight ring of muscle at my back entrance as his teeth clamped on to my nipple. He pulled on it softly, dark eyes gazing up at me.

  Lightning bolts of awareness shook me.

  I knew.

  I knew without a doubt.

  Oh God, it was him.

  This was Colton.

  My Colton.

  The boy of my dreams.

  “Oh my God,” I gasped, my hips working in tandem with his body, urging his cock into my body.

  His fist tightened at my waist, his lips moving to my other nipple before one fingertip sank into the rose of my ass.

  I sucked in a violent breath as his cock pushed past my entrance, breaching my innocence, making me his forever,

  “Raven—” He sucked at my nipple. “Raven, Jesus, your pussy is so tight. So wet and so hot and so goddamn tight. I can’t control myself around you—you drive me fucking crazy. You’re so beautiful and sweet and perfect, the way you look up at me with those big, round eyes.” He pumped, fucking me harder, staccatoing his rhythm with each word. “You're mine, Raven. You’ve always been mine.” His hand slipped between us, the rough pad of his thumb abrading my clit in torturous waves.

  My orgasm built, my heart cracked, my eyes shed emotional tears. I loved him. I’d always loved him. And he didn’t even know how much this meant, what this was. Suddenly, I wanted him to call me by my real name.