by Amelia Shea
“Sorry, Dad, I was…in the middle of something.” He watched Britt look up and tighten her lips, trying to hold in her laughter. He quietly snorted.
“Humph…I bet you were.” The line was silent and Grey thought maybe his dad had hung up.
Britt wiggled on the counter, snickering. “Let me down.” He smiled and shook his head. If it was up to him, he was never letting this girl go.
“Need you to stop in and check on something before you head home. The gate at the north end was tampered with and we don’t need the cattle getting out. Sheriff is just waiting to write us another ticket. He needs to learn his place.” Grey rolled his eyes but didn’t respond. There was no use arguing with his dad, the old man was set in his ways.
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. Don’t be too late, if it’s broken we need it fixed right away.”
“Sir, I’ll head over now.” Grey watched Britt’s face fall as he spoke. He heard the phone click. His dad never said ’bye, at least not to him.
Hoisting Britt higher, he leaned into her, pressing a kiss to her lips. Her arms reached around his neck and angled her head to deepen the kiss. Her tongue stroked his bottom lip and she ground her pussy against his cock. Even through clothes, their chemistry was undeniable. They both wanted this again. Unfortunately, Round Two would have to wait.
“Darlin’,” he whispered against her lips.
She leaned back against the wall and pouted slightly. Her face showed her disappointment.
“I know,” she huffed. “You gotta go.”
“I do.” He sighed. “I want nothing more than to stay here with you but I can’t.”
“Okay.” Her eyes were downcast.
“Britt, look at me.”
She looked up. He could see her trying to hide her regret at him having to go.
“Tomorrow night, I’m gonna be over here around four, do a couple hours with Beauty, then take you to my place, shower, change and take you out.”
Her smile lit up her face. “Yeah?”
“Hell yeah, darlin’, owe you a dinner and Ryerson’s has the best steaks in the county, maybe even in the state. Sound good to you?”
She nodded. “Yeah. Then you’ll stay here tomorrow night?”
“Just try and get rid of me.”
His heartbeat raced and he leaned in fast, engulfing her lips and entering her mouth. He sucked on her tongue until she moaned loudly. His hands reached to her ass, squeezing her close and circling his hips. Her hands dragged up his neck, diving into his hair. The kiss was passionate and frantic and showed her exactly how much he liked her.
Chapter Seventeen
Could the day have been any slower? Probably not. From the moment she woke up, her mind was consumed with the clock. C’mon four o’clock. Britt chastised herself. She was like a giddy teenager. It had felt like forever since any guy had made her this nervous and excited about a date. However, Grey wasn’t like any guy she’d ever known. He was handsome, strong, smart, stubborn, and sweet—the oddest combination.
Any rational thought would have her second guessing last night, the kitchen counter, everything. She refused to regret it. When something felt so right, who was she to deny it? True, in a matter of twenty-four hours, she and Grey had gone from sworn enemies to…well, she didn’t know exactly what they were. But she wouldn’t put too much thought into it. Too much thinking and analyzing had a way of ruining anything good.
By the time four o’clock rolled around she found herself walking past the front windows in search of Grey’s truck. She was half hiding behind the blue flowered curtain. She didn’t want to look too obvious and eager. Banging the hot cowboy on her counter already made the statement—I want you any way I can have you, I’m yours. Show a little restraint, Britt. Dignity, girl.
“Waiting on someone?”
Britt flinched and grabbed her chest. Great. No use trying to hide, she’d officially been caught. She turned around slowly to see Grey standing in the doorway of the kitchen. This guy was stealthy. She hadn’t even heard him come in.
His smirk confirmed it, she’d definitely been caught looking out the window.
“When did you get here?” she asked, trying to calm her breathing.
He sauntered toward her, hands in his front pockets. His jeans were dirty and he wore a collared, short-sleeved shirt with the top two buttons undone. Just enough to see a dusting of dark hair. His cowboy hat hung low, but she could still see his eyes glimmering. Yeah, she had definitely been caught.
He stopped about a foot away and stared. She twisted her fingers and rocked onto the heels of her feet. This was awkward.
“Few minutes ago, came over on Bullet.”
“Bullet?”
“My horse.”
“Oh.” Her eyes averted away from his stare. Why was she so friggin’ nervous? He was just a guy who made her body quiver, wet and needy. Then there was the hot sex on her counter. She felt her face heat.
“Why are you so far away?”
Her head jerked up, craning up at him. His mouth curled in a lopsided smile. Grey reached out, grabbing her hand and bringing her into his chest. Her breasts smashed up against him, her hands grasping his forearms.
She giggled nervously. “You like doing that, don’t ya?”
“What’s that?”
“Pulling me into you, grabbing me? You did it last night too.”
His voice quietly rumbled. “Did a lot of things last night.”
She gripped his arm, flashing back to those things. She clamped her mouth closed to keep from asking for a repeat performance. Settle down, girl.
He slid his hands up her back.
“I like holding ya, having you close.” He leaned down, touching her forehead with his lips. “You don’t mind, do ya?”
“No,” she whispered. Her breath hitched when his lips skimmed her cheek. Dragging her hand up his arm to his neck, she drove her fingers into the back of his thick, soft hair. His chest rumbled with a growl and his lips landed hard on hers. There was no slow intro. His tongue glided deep into her mouth, caressing her and stealing her breath. His head angled further to the side as his hands reached down to her ass, pulling her into his body.
She moaned softly at the taste of his mouth, spearmint and a trace of beer. She licked his bottom lip, grazing her teeth with a soft tug. His hands gripped her butt hard and she felt his erection poking into her stomach.
His tongue plunged into her mouth once more, sucking on her tongue before releasing her. She squirmed in his arms, wanting and needing to get closer to him. His head pulled back and she went forward, not wanting the kiss to end.
He kissed her twice before he straightened, raising his hands to land on her back.
Looking down, he smiled and winked. “Gonna finish later.” Leaning down he kissed her lips. “Keeping my promise, darlin’.”
“You gonna leave me hanging, Grey?” Her hands slid down from his neck to his hands at her back.
He smirked. “Patience, darling. Gotta work on Beauty, then feed ya. You’re gonna need your energy for what I got planned.” He winked and then let go of her waist, backing up to the door.
“I’ll be done by six then we can head over to my place so I can shower and change, sound good?”
She nodded and he walked out the door.
Only two more hours.
»»•««
Grey swiped the sweat from his forehead, adjusting his hat with his free hand. The last two hours had been brutal. He’d made some progress with Britt’s wild horse but he knew from past experiences, breaking in a horse took time and patience. Sometimes, even blood and sweat. It would be a while before anyone could ride her, but in time, she’d be ready for Britt. He’d make damn sure she was tame before getting anywhere near his girl.
Pulling her rope tight, he reined her in to haul her back to her stall. Closing up the gate, he saw Lucas enter.
“You worked her good today.”
Patting her back end, he sighed. “It
’ll take time but she’ll get there.”
“Never seen one so wild.” Lucas snorted. “Leave it to Britt to pick her.”
Grey laughed.
“You guys talking about me?”
Grey looked over Lucas’ shoulders and watched Britt come into the barn. His breath hitched at the sight. A short, white strapless dress displayed the top of her cleavage. Grey refrained from the urge to lick his lips, remembering how she tasted. Her legs, tanned and toned, were shining against the sunlight peeking in from the cracked door. The thought of those legs wrapped around him had him gritting his teeth and adjusting his stance in an attempt to ease the strain in his pants. God, this woman.
He watched her saunter over to him, balancing well in her high heels on the graveled dirt floor. Her blonde hair was perfectly straight with two side braids pulled back in a flower thing. This woman was hands down the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen. Her brown eyes stared at him in anticipation.
“Damn, Britt, you look real pretty,” Lucas chimed.
He was so taken with how beautiful she looked, he was literally rendered speechless and left to look like a fool. Walking past Lucas, he stood in front of Britt and reached for her hand.
“Pretty don’t nearly describe how you look. I was thinking gorgeous.”
Her mouth spread wide, eyes crinkling, and her cheeks flushed pink.
“Thank you.”
Her stare held his and he wished more than anything they weren’t in a barn with a spectator. Rather, alone in his bedroom. A forced cough from behind had him glancing over his shoulder to an amused Lucas.
“I’ll finish up here. You guys have fun. See you tomorrow, Britt.”
“Night, Lucas.”
Grey felt his hand tugged and followed Britt out of the barn.
“Darlin’, I’m not sure we’re actually gonna make it to dinner, you looking sexy as hell and all.”
“Uh-uh, Grey, you promised me a steak dinner.” She leaned forward, pressing her breasts into him. He took the opportunity to glance down at her ample cleavage. Damn, this girl was going to drive him wild.
“Gotta feed me, remember? I’m going to need my energy.”
His head bowed to meet her lips, sucking her plump bottom lip and stroking it with his tongue. He could not get enough of her lips, full and pouty. The image of them wrapped around his cock had him up at night. His mouth covered hers, and their tongues caressed each other. It was sexy and seductive, and definitely not something they should be doing in public.
She abruptly pulled back and heaved a breath. “Fuck it, I don’t need steak, let’s go inside.” She pulled his arm, dragging him toward her house. “Shower is optional, I don’t mind if you don’t.”
He burst out laughing, yanking at her hand. “Britt, we’re going to dinner.”
She pulled him down to her and whispered in his ear, “I can be the main course, come on.”
Hugging her into his body, he laughed hard. “You’ll be my dessert.” Kissing her neck, she squirmed and giggled.
“I can’t believe you’re playing hard to get.” She stepped away, scowling at him with her arms folded over her chest. “You’re a tease, Grey Fords.”
He shook his head, amused by his feisty girl. “Not teasing. Just wanna show you off in town, take you out to a nice place, feed ya and then, I’ll make good on my promise.”
»»•««
Thirty minutes later, Britt was maneuvering up the long driveway to the Fords ranch. They had parted ways, with Grey taking his horse back, and she stalled a bit, knowing he’d have to take a shower and change. He insisted on picking her up, but she saw no reason she couldn’t drive over to his place. This caused a quick argument led by Grey.
“A man picks up a lady for their date, not the other way around.”
“It’ll save time if I just meet you at your place.”
“No, I’m picking you up.”
“Grey…”
“No, I’ll pick you up. Don’t know where those city boys learned their manners but I always pick up a lady. The end of it.” His tone was stern and firm. It came out more of a demand than a request. She kind of liked it, his bossy, dominating side. He was giving her an order. She may have liked it, but she didn’t have to follow it.
Britt tightened her lips in a smile and relented. “Fine.”
Now here she was, driving over to his house. She’d learned in life sometimes it’s just easier to smile and nod. Then do whatever the hell it is she wanted to do.
Passing the main house on her left, she rounded the garage and continued up the unpaved path. The road was dirt and gravel. Around the back and up a small hill, she saw the road divide and two houses separated by a large strip of grass. Both houses were set back at the same distance and appeared to be identical.
Peering out her window, she shrugged. “Well, it’s a fifty-fifty shot.” Pointing at the house, she waved her finger. “Eenie meenie mini mo…”
A loud knock at her window had her flinching in her seat. De ja vu of her meeting Lucas. She looked up to see Jasper standing by her door. His hat hung low, almost covering his eyes. His face was impassive, not smiling but not scowling. Jeez, she hadn’t even heard him. These damn cowboys were too quiet.
Rolling down her window, she gave an awkward wave. “Hey.”
“Grey’s on the right.”
“Thanks. The other must be yours, huh?”
He nodded. “Yeah.”
He said nothing else, just watched her. She took the opportunity to get a look at him. He was really good looking. Light brown hair, short, but shaggy, with a wave to it. He had a light sprinkle of five o’clock shadow. He didn’t look too much like Grey or Tripp with his lighter tone. However, the brothers all shared crystal blue eyes. He was a few inches shorter than Grey, maybe six foot. Her lip curled, thinking they had very similar physiques.
A subtle cough had her looking up to his eyes. His brows cocked up. Shit. She was staring.
“Okay, well, I’ll head up now. Have a good night.”
He tilted his hat, smirking. “You do the same.”
Britt rolled her eyes and let out a deep breath, driving up the gravel road to Grey’s little house. It seemed Jasper was fully aware of what was going on with them. It made her question whether the rest of his family knew. Tripp would be furious. His parents might still be upset about her not selling the land. She hadn’t seen them since, but she also hadn’t gotten any more invitations to dinner.
She parked in front of the two-car garage. The garage was as big as the house. The house was small but cute. It was a cape style and looked like it was one floor. There wasn’t a walkway, just a dirt path and empty flower beds lining the walk. Guess Grey didn’t have a need for flowers.
She walked up the three steps to the small porch. Turning around, she saw the great view he had. He needed rocking chairs or something. It must be a great spot to watch the sunset.
Gearing up for his wrath, she knocked on the door and waited. No answer.
Resting her ear against the door, she listened but heard nothing. She knocked again. No answer. Could Jasper have been messing with her? Maybe this wasn’t his place. She was tempted to look through the front window.
She knocked louder this time and stepped back from the door.
The night was clear and there was a warm breeze ruffling her hair. The air was cleaner here, Cal was right. She didn’t know if it was the air or the ranch, but she definitely breathed easier in Montana. The thought of Cal made her smile. Little did he know what he was making possible when he left her his ranch.
She raised her hand to knock again but froze in mid-air when the door flew open. Standing in the doorway was Grey, damp hair, water beads glistening down his naked chest, his hand at his waist holding a towel.
His brows turned down and his blue eyes darkened. “You don’t listen well.”
Britt shrugged and went with the best defense to an angry man. “I couldn’t wait to see you?”
His gl
are held its place, but he snorted and stepped aside, gesturing her in.
“Darlin’, you’re something else. Sassy mouth, don’t listen for shit, but those legs? I’m willing to forgive ya.”
She giggled, entering the small foyer, making her way into the living room. The room was neat and bare. A sectional in the middle of the room with a chair in the corner and a coffee table in front of the couch completed the room. The fireplace was all stone, and the flat screen TV hung above it.
The room was cozy, with a few picture frames scattered throughout. A small dining room was next to the living room with a table and six chairs. It looked like it had been used, but not necessarily by Grey. He didn’t come off as the dinner party type of guy.
She walked past the back of the couch and poked her head into a small but modern kitchen.
“This is nice.” She peeked around more, seeing a short hallway and a door at the end.
Large hands wrapped around her from behind, landing on her stomach. Grey’s head descended next to hers, resting his chin on her shoulder.
“Glad you like it. Planning on having you spend a lot of time here.”
She curled her hands over his. His hands were big, like him, and they had small cuts all over. Some scabbed over, some fresh. She caressed her fingers over his as she leaned into his chest. A light kiss brushed against her neck and she shivered, her nipples beading from the sensation.
“You know, I’m really not hungry,” she whispered.
His chest rumbled and he chuckled. “I’m feeding you and there’s no way out of it.”
She pouted. “Fine.”
He released her. “Give me five and I’ll be ready.”
She nodded, glancing around the room again. Her body jolted when he slapped her butt. She whipped around and saw Grey wiggle his brows and wink at her before heading through a doorway, out of sight.
She strolled around, inspecting his space. It suited him, warm and rugged. It smelled like him, too. Leaning over the couch, she saw a frame with Grey and his brothers. They all looked similar, Grey having the darkest features. She didn’t realize until now they shared the same smile. All good-looking men. She sneered as she focused on Tripp. Obviously the youngest, which she knew, he was handsome. Short brown hair and the same sparkling eyes as all the Fords men.
