by Anna Hard
“You don’t like that idea?”
She placed her palm on my face and kissed me lightly on the mouth. “You know something, right now, I think you could suggest anything, Luke Maverick, and I do it. I’m not sure how you did it, especially because you can be such an—”
“—Asshole?” I finished for her.
“I guess that’s as good a word as any.” She kissed me again with those lips that were keeping me up at night. The kiss was long enough that it made my cock begin to harden again. “Anyhow,” she continued, “not sure how, but you have,” she took my hand and placed it over her breast, “reached right in and taken hold of my heart.”
I smoothed my hand over her breast. “That’s good. Because I’m planning on keeping it.”
I leaned forward and kissed her once more, lighter this time. Otherwise, I’d be stripping her panties off again.
Chapter 15
McKenna
It was a perfect day for a ride. Heck, who was I kidding? I considered every day perfect to be near the horses. Today, however, the humidity was almost bearable and the sun seemed extra glittery as it reflected off the ranch.
After shoveling down an extremely delicious strawberry waffle, I headed out to the barn. Luke had gone out earlier to saddle the horses. We’d be riding around the perimeter of the ranch checking fences. Just like real cowboys, I thought with amusement. Luke had even bought me cowboy boots and a cowboy hat. I had the whole damn western thing going on, that was for damn sure.
My very real, very gorgeous cowboy was just walking the horses out of the barn. Ranger’s ears pricked forward when he saw me. Even though he probably would have done the same for any approaching visitor, I decided that the horse was excited to see me. Luke, on the other hand, left no doubt that he was happy to see me.
A white smile sparkled from beneath his black hat. “Hey, Slick, thought I was going to have to carry you away from those strawberry waffles.”
“Almost. Those were delicious.” I took hold of the reins. Sometimes, all of it was too unreal. I’d found this incredible man, and he came with his own set of horses. And now, I was learning to ride. My lifelong dream was coming true, and an extremely hot, highly skilled man came with it all.
Luke had my head spinning so that I could hardly tell which way was up. He couldn’t keep his hands off me, and I didn’t want him to stop touching me. In fact, it would break my heart if he suddenly lost interest. I kept reminding myself to keep my feet on the ground, but it was hard with a man like Luke.
Just as the reminder to keep my feet grounded floated through my head, Luke gave me a hand up onto the saddle. My boots left the ground and I swung my leg over. “I’m excited as hell, but I’m also a little nervous about riding outside of the pen for the first time.”
Luke pulled himself up onto his horse. “It’s just like in the pen, only you can go straight longer.”
“Thank you. Yes, I figured that already.”
He smiled. “You’ll do fine, Slick. You know how to make him go and stop and how to turn him. That’s all you need. Oh, but one thing— don’t turn Ranger toward home unless you’re heading back with me. If he knows he can take advantage, which he does when you’re on his back, he’ll hightail it back to the barn. And even ole Ranger can run fast when he thinks there’s hay at the end of it.”
“Right. We’ll just stay next to you. Did I mention that I’m really excited?”
“You did, and it was just as cute the first time. Let’s ride, Slick.”
The property was far bigger than I’d realized. After thirty minutes, it felt as if we’d trotted to another city, but we were still only on the south side of the ranch. The Mavericks were raising longhorn cattle. The majestic beasts with their impossibly big sets of horns all stood around in the fields looking like a country painting. Their big muzzles slid side to side as they chewed their grass and watched us ride past.
“Talk about imposing,” I said. “What a burden it must be to carry around that massive pair of horns wherever you go.”
“Would be a tad inconvenient,” Luke said absently. He’d been busy inspecting the wire fences for breaks or areas in need of repair. I’d ridden along next to him taking in the beautiful scenery and occasionally pinching myself to make sure it wasn’t a crazy dream.
“Thank you for teaching me to ride,” I said, thinking this was all just too much fun. “I’m having the time of my life.”
He pulled his attention away from the fencing to smile at me. “You are welcome. And Slick, just so you know, I’m having the time of my life too. You up for a little loping? I’ve got to get some tools from that big metal shed over there.”
I’d loped twice around the round pen the day before, and I’d hardly stopped smiling since. I shifted my butt in the saddle and made sure my feet were secure in the stirrups. “I was born ready. Let’s do this.”
He waved his arm for Ranger and me to follow. Luke had taught me to push one leg into the horse just behind the cinch to get Ranger to pick up the lope. But once Luke’s horse took off, Ranger followed on his own. We were riding across the range like a couple in the old west, and I could barely contain my excitement. Luke looked nothing short of spectacular riding his big buckskin horse with his black hat and great smile.
We reached the giant metal shed and pulled the horses to a stop. Luke climbed off.
“We can tie them off here. That way, you can come into the shade of the shed for a few minutes while I find what I need.”
I climbed off and found that my leg muscles were getting used to riding. The wobbly, sore legs that had followed my first few rides were gone. My legs were tired, but that could have been just as much Luke’s fault as the riding lessons. We’d hardly spent one second of our time without each other. And when we were together and alone, we couldn’t keep our hands to ourselves.
I followed Luke into the giant shed. Although, it was more of a building than a shed. Tractors lined one side and tools, crates and barrels dotted the rest of the space. It was warm inside, but the break from the sun was nice.
Luke had his sleeves rolled up, exposing his hard, strong forearms. His shirt clung to the sweat on his back, and his black hat was pushed low over his face. A blush ran over my skin as I watched him take off his hat and comb his hair back with his fingers. He put the hat back on and glanced around for the tools he needed. I had plans of my own.
While he was occupied, I walked over to one of the giant tractors. I climbed up on it. The seat on top was big enough for three people and the smooth worn leather was surprisingly comfortable. I slid off the boots Luke had bought me. For a brief second, I’d convinced myself this was crazy. What if someone walked in? What if Luke was too busy or worried about fences to want this right now? Impossible. His appetite for me had been insatiable. He seemed to want me every waking minute of the day, and I wanted him too. Especially now. He was all man, all cowboy, and he always knew exactly what I needed.
I rolled off my jeans and panties. My naked bottom squeaked on the leather seat as I pulled off my hat and t-shirt. My bra was next. My preoccupied cowboy had no idea what was going on behind him. I pulled back on the boots and hat and propped one foot up on the seat. My pussy had grown wet with the thought of what I was doing.
I cleared my throat. A loud clang startled me, and the hat slipped off. I pushed it back on.
“Damn it,” Luke muttered from behind a stack of barrels. “Drake never puts anything back where it’s supposed to be.”
“Maybe what you want is over here on the tractors,” I called, feeling a bit exposed and well . . . naked. All I needed was someone like John to walk in, and my entire dream would be shattered. Not to mention my pride.
“Nah, here it is,” Luke called. He walked out from behind the barrels with a large pair of wire cutters. It took him a second to find me, but when he
did, he dropped the wire cutters, narrowly missing the toe of his boot. “Somebody fucking pinch me.”
I smiled. “Funny, I’ve been thinking that same thing all day.” I leaned back against the seat making sure to arch my back just enough for my taut nipples to point his direction. “Excuse me, hunky cowboy, do you think you could teach little ole me how to use this thing.” I placed my hand on the steering wheel.
He crossed the floor in three large steps. His hat and shirt flew off and fluttered to the floor. He climbed up onto the tractor seat. My hat fell off as he pulled me underneath him. He kissed me long and hard as his hands swept over my body. I fumbled for his fly and had his pants unbuttoned and his erection in my hand before he’d taken his first breath. With some effort, I pushed his pants down exposing his ass. He pulled me with him as he sat up on the seat.
“Climb on top you wanton, little cowgirl. You’re about to take the ride of your life.”
I giggled as I threw my leg over him. I wrapped my arms around his head and pulled his face against my breasts. My body slid down his sweat slicked chest as I lowered myself down over his cock. I gasped thinking about just how big he was and how deep his erection would go. This was one position we’d avoided, mostly because I feared impaling myself over him would be too much. It felt like I would never have all of him inside and as he filled me my head was dizzy with the thought of it. My naked ass rested against his thighs and I gazed down at his face with wide eyes.
“God, Luke, you are almost too much for me.”
“Funny, I’ve been thinking that same thing all day.” His hand slid beneath my ass and he began moving me over his cock, slowly at first. Then faster. My legs were fatigued from the long ride and the non-stop sex. They trembled as I lifted my pussy and then dropped down over him. I ground my clit against him all the while squeezing my pussy tight around him.
He stared up at me with his pale green eyes and watched me as I writhed in his strong hands to bring myself to orgasm. I was in charge, and he was my extremely fantastic sex toy. He held himself firm and hard beneath me as I moved erotically over him, making contact with every intimate part of me. Sliding my hot pussy up his shaft and then dropping back down again. “Luke,” my voice was lost in the cavernous shed. “Yes, Luke.” I wrapped my arms around his head and his face pressed against my breasts and I came. My entire body shook and explosions of light splintered behind my eyes as his cock filled me.
I could barely catch my breath or clear my head, when he took almost rough hold of my hips and rocked me hard over him. Again, I slid myself up and down his long erection. He met each one of my moves with a strong thrust of his own. The seat squeaked beneath us as our pace quickened.
He grunted in frustration. “I need control back,” he growled. He lifted me off of him and spun me around. My knees were on the seat.
“Grab onto something, darlin’. The ride isn’t over.”
I gripped the top of the seat.
He lowered his feet to the floor and stood behind me. “Fucking sweet ass you have, Slick. Looking at you on your hands and knees— shit, I’m ready to come just looking at you.”
I was naked in the middle of a tool shed, knelt on the seat of a tractor and I couldn’t have been more turned on. He took hold of my hips and shoved his cock hard inside of me. A gasp floated up from my lips and my fingers clutched the seat edge. He drove into me with such fierceness it was as frightening as it was thrilling. My whole body trembled with the knowledge of how badly he wanted me. He could never seem to get enough of me.
My pussy ached but I didn’t want him to stop. He reached down between my thighs and found my clit again, still pounding into me, he coaxed me into another orgasm with his skilled touch. “Shit, Luke, I’m coming again,” I cried.
His groan coupled with my cry and our bodies shuddered into one massive climax.
Chapter 16
Luke
“You look tired, Slick,” I said as we reached the barn.
“I am.”
I climbed off my horse and walked over to help her off of hers. She held onto my arm as if she might collapse. She laughed. “I don’t know if it was the ride on the horse or the tractor, but I feel like I ran a marathon.”
“That tractor ride was a bonus, that’s for damn sure.” We walked the horses inside. I took off the tack and McKenna brushed coats. I leaned down and picked up Ranger’s leg to check his hoof.
“Hey, you never showed me that picture of me on my first ride,” she said.
I lowered Ranger’s foot to the ground and pulled my phone out of my pocket. “I’ve got it right here. I’ve looked at it many times.” I pulled up the picture, and she walked over to look at it.
“That smile was plastered on my face.” She took hold of the phone to get a better look. As she did, her thumb accidentally brushed the screen. The picture swept away and another picture popped open. It took me a second to see that it was the picture of Chloe tied to her headboard.
“Shit.” I reached for the phone but hadn’t needed to. McKenna threw it at me. “McKenna, I took that before—”
“Go to hell.” She ran from the barn before I could say another word.
Chapter 17
McKenna
I sat in the center of the bed. Tears burned my eyes, and my head hurt from crying.
I’d heard his boot heels clacking along the wood floor of the hallway. I was expecting his knock, but it still startled me. “McKenna,” Luke’s deep voice came through the door. “Just let me in so we can talk.”
I didn’t respond. I wrapped my arms around my legs and pulled my knees closer. I had nothing to say to him. After I’d seen the highly erotic picture of Chloe on Luke’s phone, I’d been reminded that I’d stepped into his life too abruptly. None of this should have happened. Circumstances had brought us together, but I needed to face the fact that I didn’t belong here. I’d come to stay only temporarily, just long enough to get my feet back under me. Then that would be the end of my connection with the Mavericks. After all, as Luke was always so fond of pointing out, I wasn’t really family. Now, it seemed, I’d overstayed my welcome.
It had all been such a dream. Spending time with Luke had made me feel loved and not so terribly alone, but I’d taken it all too much for granted. I’d become complacent about my own situation. I knew so few people in Texas. It occurred to me that I would be better off going back to California. I’d been gone for a few weeks. Joshua would have moved on by now. Besides, I couldn’t always live in fear of the man. I needed to get on with my life.
“Chloe and I had a thing,” Luke continued from the hallway. “You knew that. You’re being unreasonable. I just want to talk.”
Unreasonable? The word rubbed me the wrong way. I climbed off the bed, stomped to the door and swung it open. Luke was standing in the hallway. His expression was a cross between anger and hurt.
I turned and walked back into the room. He followed and shut the door. “You knew I’d been seeing Chloe. That was before I met you. I haven’t seen her since you got here. At least not in that way.”
“Yes that way. I’m surprised you were able to stop seeing her. It looks as if you two had quite a thing going.”
He dismissed the comment. “It’s in the past.” He stepped closer. His eyes looked exceptionally green in his tanned face. Everything about the man reminded me of just how damn appealing he was, but I needed to end this. I needed to end it before my heart was shattered to pieces. “McKenna, I haven’t thought of anyone but you since that first day I met you.”
I wrapped my arms around myself to stop the ache in my chest. “This was wrong.” The words nearly stuck in my dry throat. “We let ourselves get wrapped up in something that should never have happened.”
His eyes flickered with emotion. “That’s it? You’ve decided now, after all this, that our relationsh
ip was a mistake. We’re not related, McKenna. In fact, now that your mother is gone, we have no real connection at all. Except that I’m fucking nuts about you and I can’t stop thinking about you. I thought you cared for me too.”
He moved to take hold of my arm, but I backed away. He reacted as if I’d socked him in the stomach. It was self-defense. I knew if he touched me, I’d break apart, and I refused to crumble.
“Of course I do, but that doesn’t smooth any of this out. I need to figure out what I’m going to do next. I can’t sponge off your father, someone, who, as you just pointed out, has no real connection to me.” Tears burned my eyes, but I held it together. I was alone in this world now, and I was going to have to toughen up. “Let’s face it, you can’t even tell John what’s going on between us because, in your heart, you know this wasn’t supposed to happen.”
“I don’t give a damn what he thinks. I’ll tell him.”
“No. Don’t. I don’t want him to think badly of me.”
He laughed, and the sound of it made a knot form in my stomach. “So, all of a sudden propriety and society’s expectations are important. Darlin’, you just stripped naked for me on the top of a tractor. We’ve been fucking morning, noon and night, and now you’re worried—”
I stepped forward and my hand flew across his face. The slap stung my palm and left him with a red mark. He stopped talking and stared down at me. I should have seen rage in his expression, but instead, I saw despair. And resignation. He nodded and said nothing more as he walked out of the room. The door slammed shut behind him.
I’d held it together so well, but his harsh words and the slap had pulled out the supporting brick. I crumpled onto the bed in sobs.
Chapter 18
Luke
The horse flew off all four feet, but hell if I was going to let him win. Our battle of wills was going to come to an end, but I wasn’t going to be on the losing side. My ass slammed the saddle hard, forcing me to grunt in pain. The ranch, the barn and the house passed by in a jumpy blur. My hands and legs were tired, but I held on. Eventually, the horse decided bucking and kicking was taking too much effort. He snorted in short, fast spurts as he dropped into an easy lope around the pen.
