RED HOT RANCH

by Swale, Lizzie

  “Yes sir,” Christopher said. He pushed away from the table, set his dirty plate in the sink, and headed out to the barn.

  “Andrew?”

  “Yes, yeah, I got it.”

  After chores Andrew came in and found she was still working away in the kitchen. “Your hair looks nice,” he said. “Do you often dye it.”

  “No.”

  “Sometimes a change is nice.”

  “I’m busy,” she said.

  He sighed and his shoulders drooped and he trudged off to his room.

  She was in the office working on homework with her headphones in and didn’t notice she had company until Jim wheeled the second office chair up beside her. She jumped slightly in her chair and pulled her ear buds out. “Hey Jim, you startled me. Is something wrong?” His tough, weather-worn face looked softer and sad.

  “I don’t know what’s been going on lately,” he said. “The boys all got along so well before, and now it’s like I’ve got a house full of moody teenagers again. So help me, they almost didn’t survive when they were teens.”

  “I’m sure it’s just a storm moving in or a full moon or something. Maybe Andrew has some exams coming up or something.”

  “Maybe. If this doesn’t improve soon I’m going to have to let Christopher go. He’s been one of the best hands I’ve had on this ranch in a lot of years but I can’t have him and Andrew tear this family apart because of some petty fighting.”

  “Oh, don’t do that!”

  Jim shrugged and it seemed to Jenn he was pretty upset and trying not to show it. “My ranch and this family have to come first. I like Christopher, I really do.”

  “Maybe things will get better when he gets back from his trip out to the fields. Maybe it’s just tension from that.”

  He shrugged again. “I didn’t mean to bother you with all this, it’s not your problem. I’ll let you get back to your homework.”

  For a long time Jenn sat staring at the computer screen with tears in her eyes. How could this have happened. Did I really think that this would just take care of itself? I have to do something to fix this because this is my problem no matter what Jim says.

  She found Andrew in the kitchen with an empty shot glass and half a bottle of whiskey. “I thought you drank wine,” she said from the doorway.

  He poured another shot and downed it. “Cheers.”

  She stayed in the doorway behind him. “I didn’t mean for things to get this out of hand you know. I wasn’t trying to push you away, I was just confused and I needed space to think.”

  “Think about what?”

  “What I felt. Who I felt it about. What I want for myself. It wasn’t fair. I led you on, I shouldn’t have let things go that far. I just needed … I don’t know. I needed some freedom to do whatever I wanted. And then when I did figure it out I hurt you.”

  He stood suddenly and crossed the room to her. “Do you know what I need? I need you Jenn.”

  “Andrew, listen to me, please. I think I fell in love with both of you and …”

  “Don’t. Don’t say it. Just listen. I need you Jenn. This house, it was empty after my mom died. We lost so much more than just a person. You brought warmth back here and I want you to stay. I want you to be a part of this household, this family, my family. I love you Jenn.”

  He kissed her and for the first time his kiss was pure passion, without polite pretenses, without reserve, and she melted without thinking.

  It was the sound of someone clearing their throat that made her step back. Christopher stood at the other end of the room in the other doorway. “Am I interrupting?” he said bitterly.

  “Yes,” Andrew said. “Fuck off.”

  “Jenn?” he said.

  “Don’t look at her, I said fuck off so fuck off.” Andrew crossed the room in three imposing strides. Christopher didn’t wait for the threats of the posturing, he just landed a solid punch in Andrew’s face that dropped him to his knees.

  “I don’t listen to you, asshole.”

  “What the hell is going on here!?” Jim roared. “I’ve had enough of this. Christopher, pack your things. I’ll pay you out. You get the hell off my property, tonight.”

  “Gladly sir.” Christopher glanced once at Jenn, his eyes full of an anger that bordered on something darker and nastier and he stormed out. Jim and Jenn rushed to Andrew’s side.

  “You okay son?”

  “Fine,” he said, sitting up. “How much is he going to cost us?”

  “No more than he’s rightfully owed. I don’t make a habit of buying people off. I’ve never believed money could solve problems that way. Not sure that accountant’s degree is doing you good. Excuse me, I have some paperwork to do.”

  “What does he mean, buying people off?”

  “I’m sorry he’s such a jerk. He never liked me. He’s jealous of us.”

  “Andrew, what was your father talking about?”

  Still sitting on the floor, a hand over his eye, Andrew said, “I paid Austin to leave you alone.”

  “You did what?”

  His voice turned whiny. “He’s gone, isn’t he? It worked better than throwing him in a dumpster. Isn’t that what you wanted? I did it for you. I did it to keep you safe.”

  Jenn stood and took a step back.

  “Jenn.”

  She turned and fled, chasing after Christopher.

  She let herself into the guest house without knocking. It wasn’t large and she could see Christopher in the bedroom shoving things in a bag.

  “Christopher.” She crossed the small space to him.

  “Was it all a game then?”

  “No.”

  “So you just slept with me to get over Austin? Or did you feel you owed me for dealing with him?”

  “No.”

  He turned on her, his face twisting with rage. “THEN WHAT WAS IT?”

  He was so close she could feel the heat radiating off of him and she didn’t even flinch. “I needed freedom, Christopher. I needed to be my own person, without being tied down to someone. But then I fell in love with you and Andrew. At least I thought I had. Andrew was sweet but you were passionate. Andrew pampered me and you pushed me. I needed both of those things.”

  He looked deep into her eyes, studying her again. The absolute lack of fear seemed to confuse him. “You can’t keep us both.”

  “I don’t want you both.”

  They stared at each other for a long moment.

  “Being with Austin it was like being in a cage. No, it was like forever being a child. Can you imagine that? I had to ask permission for everything. I did whatever he asked. It was always my fault if he was mad or if something went wrong. I was a naughty child. Being with Andrew was nice at first, but he wanted to stifle me too. He wanted to pay for everything.”

  “You didn’t complain when I bought you dinner.”

  “But I didn’t let you buy me boots and you didn’t force it, he would have. He was so damn polite and reserved it made me want to scream! When you touched me, kissed me, it scared me at first. You were demanding and I was afraid you would be like Austin but you weren’t. You respected me and pushed me and wanted me. Andrew wants his mom back.”

  “So what are you saying, Jenn?”

  “I’m saying that I love you. Just you. I was so afraid of hurting Andrew and Jim that I let things get out of control and I hurt you instead.”

  “I have no job, no house …”

  She kissed him and he didn’t hesitate to wrap an arm around her and return the kiss. The bed was a step behind him and he pulled her down onto it.

  There was no embarrassment between them this time, no shyness, no hesitation. They pulled frantically, though mostly ineffectively, at each other’s clothes as they kissed each other so hard it was making Jenn’s lips tender. She fumbled with his buttons until she got enough of them undone that he just pulled the shirt over his head. Breaking the kiss for even that long left her whimpering and he chuckled.

  “Come here,” he
said, rolling her over and pinning her to the bed. He kissed her hard and then helped her out of her shirt. He unbuttoned her jeans and pulled them, and her underwear, down her legs with seductive and aggravating slowness. “You’re doing that just to tease me,” she said.

  “Yes, I am. Is it working?” Of course getting her jeans off meant crawling off her but he took the opportunity to look her over. She was blessed with a naturally slender build and gorgeous perky breasts. She probably thought they were too small but he couldn’t see a flaw in them, or in any part of her body.

  She propped herself up on her elbows. “Get in here,” she said.

  He grinned and undid the button on his jeans. He moved with deliberate slowness, watching the reaction on her face. She bit her bottom lip and then sucked in a sharp breath as he shimmied out of the last of his clothes.

  He was hard, every inch of him. Hard muscles, hard cock, hard body. His skin was sun-darkened almost everywhere leaving her to wonder at how a man got tanned that high up his legs. She wanted him more than she’d wanted anything in her whole life. Still chewing her lip she spread her legs invitingly.

  She expected him to crawl back into bed and fuck her. Instead he knelt beside the bed and dragged her to the edge by her leg. She squealed, and then again louder when he kissed the inside of her leg. He ignored her and trailed kisses up one thigh and down the other. When he kissed her between the legs she tried to bring her legs together.

  “No,” he said, his voice thick with desire. “I want you. You’re not stopping me.” He gently but insistently pushed her legs apart and kissed her again. Then he licked her, flicking his tongue over her clit. She groaned and lay back against the bed, surrendering to him.

  His tongue and breath were warm against the soft folds of skin. It had been a long, long time since someone had done this for her, so long she wasn’t sure what to expect from him, or from her reaction. It didn’t come as a surprise really to find that he simply took control of the situation. He was persistent and insistent and just settled in to exploring her body as thoroughly as possible. When her panting and whimpering lost its urgency he slipped a finger inside her, still licking and sucking as he pleased. She groaned and her back arched.

  There was no chance now for the pleasure to dwindle or fade. Instead it rose inside her until it crashed over her. Her groans grew louder and louder until they became a shout and her orgasm took her. And still he kept up his delicious attentions and sent her on wave after wave of intense, body-shuddering pleasure.

  When he stopped she was breathless and her mind was spinning. He didn’t hesitate. He leaned over her, kissing her hard, and sliding his rigid cock into her already trembling pussy. Like the first time he was that strange combination of gentle and demanding. With every thrust he claimed her and with every kiss, every caress, he gave himself to her.

  The fire, low in her belly, was already building again and her head tipped back, her eyes closed tight.

  “That’s it,” he said. “Go on. I want to see your face when you cum this time. Cum for me Jenn.”

  She had faked it before, not every time with Austin, he was good in bed, but when he got that tone of voice and demanded she cum on cue, she faked it, fearing what he would do if he thought she was being disobedient. There was no faking it this time.

  “Cum for me, Jenn,” he said again. “Cum on my cock.”

  Not a demand so much as a coaxing. Dirty bedroom talk that had her blood pounding.

  “Oh god yes, cum for me.”

  She groaned deep in her throat and grabbed his arms, digging her nails into him. She inhaled sharply and the groans began to build up in intensity until she was nearly screaming.

  “Yes, god yes, just like that. God, you’re beautiful.”

  As she came back down he kissed her hard, his body slamming into hers in a passionate frenzy. She opened her eyes in time to see his face contort and then his chin hit his chest and he slammed into her, staying there deep inside her. He filled her, his body shuddering. One arm suddenly gave out and he dropped to the bed, rolling off of her, breathing hard.

  For a long moment they lay in a haphazard pile trying to catch their breath. He finished rolling off her and they squirmed and fussed until they were comfortable together.

  She ran her fingers lazily over his chest as she lay tucked in his arm, her head on his shoulder.

  “I have to get dressed,” he said.

  “So do I.”

  “Jim should have that cheque ready by now.” He made no move to sit up.

  “And I have to quit my job and pack so I can leave with you.”

  He kissed her hair. “Jim would let you stay until I got settled somewhere else.”

  She curled a little tighter against his side. “I don’t want to stay here with Andrew any longer than I have to. It’s not fair to him. It wouldn’t be good for me.”

  Christopher nodded. “Okay. Come on then.” It took some searching to locate all of her clothes and they walked across the yard hand-in-hand.

  As they approached the house James rushed over to them. “Where were you? Andrew’s had us looking everywhere.”

  “Not everywhere apparently,” Christopher muttered. He nodded to James and said, “I’ll be inside. The sooner I’m done the better.”

  She nodded to him and released his hand and then turned to James. “I had some things to discuss with Christopher.”

  “I see. Well at least Andrew will stop worrying.”

  “Tell him he can stop worrying completely. I’m not his to worry over, I never was, I never will be.”

  “Jenn, what’s going on? I’m getting pieces of this from everyone and none of it makes sense.”

  “Andrew fell in love with me and it took me a while to figure out that I wasn’t in love with him. I don’t think he’ll take it very well.”

  There was shouting from the house. “I think you’re right,” James said. “You might want to stay out here.”

  “No, this is my problem to fix. Andrew probably won’t stop until he hears it from me.”

  She marched into the house to find Andrew and Christopher in a shouting match. Jim came in from the other end of the kitchen just as she walked in. Before he could roar she grabbed a set of keys from the counter and threw them hitting Andrew between the shoulder blades.

  When he turned she said, “That is enough, Andrew. You want to know where we stand then I’ll tell you. It’s not going to work between us. I don’t want what you’re offering. I don’t want to be kept in a box and cherished, I want to go out there and live. And that’s what I’m going to do.” She looked at Andrew’s father. “I’m sorry. This mess is my fault. It’s best if I leave now, with Christopher.”

  He looked at each person in the kitchen, putting the pieces together, then nodded. “I’ll go finish your paperwork too then. You don’t have to leave.”

  “It’s for the best. You’ve got food enough in the freezer to see you through until you can replace me.”

  “You weren’t here to replace Trish, and I won’t be able to replace you either, but I’ll hire a new cook. Better that than starving.”

  An hour later they had all their belongings loaded in Christopher’s truck and they each had a cheque in their pocket.

  “Where will we go?” she said.

  “I know a guy from the rodeos, he’s always tried to hire me away from Jim. I’ll call him up in the morning and see about that job training his horses. For now, we’ll get a hotel room in town and just celebrate being in love. How does that sound?”

  She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “It sounds wonderful. Maybe we can go spend a few days in the city with my parents. I’d like you to meet them. I’ll call them from the hotel.”

  He put the truck in gear and they left the ranch. “And I guess we’ll make a stop at the bank first.”

  “As long as it’s a quick stop. I want to get you alone as soon as possible.”

  “Oh?” He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, most of h
is attention still on the road.

  She gave him a sassy smile. “I want to do something special for you this time and you’re not going to argue with me about it.”

  “What exactly do you have in mind, little lady?”

  “Oh, I just thought that once we got to the hotel I’d get all your clothes off of you and help myself to a mouth full of your cock.”

  He growled, his grip on the steering wheel tightening. “Be careful what you say or you’ll put us both in the ditch.”

  “Well, I guess road head is out of the question then.”

  He slammed on the brakes so hard the truck twisted back and forth on the road as it screeched to a halt and Jenn hit the seat belt with an audible ‘oomph’. He stared at her. “You little …”

  She gave him her best wide-eyed-innocent look and said, “What? What did I say?”

  He hit her seat belt buckle, grabbed the back of her neck, and pulled her across the bench seat until she was close enough that he could kiss her. And he kissed her hard. Her heart was thundering and she grabbed the bulge in the front of his pants, making him groan against her mouth. When he tried to break the kiss she bit his lower lip, just a nip, but it was enough that he kissed her again, long and hard, in response. His hand ran down her back and gripped her ass hard, almost pulling her into the little space between his chest and the steering wheel.

  He pulled back quicker this time, breathing hard. “Enough.”

  “Not enough,” she whimpered, pawing at his chest and kissing his stubbly chin.

  “I want to get us to the hotel without crashing and then I will kiss you senseless. Okay?”

  “Whatever you say,” she said sweetly, sliding back to her side of the truck. She stared out the window at the fields and pastures and politely kept her mouth shut. But her heart was still racing, there was a delicious heat between her legs and her mind was overwhelmed with dirty, sexy thoughts about the rugged man sitting in the cab of the truck with her.

  He skipped the bank and pulled into the little motel just off the town’s main drag. He grabbed her hand and led her inside.

  “Our bags …”

  “They’ll wait,” he growled. His short answers and husky voice as the hotel clerk checked them in betrayed his impatience and she knew he was just as turned on and ready as she was. It crossed her mind to tease him once they were alone, to pretend like she needed a nap, or wanted to go for lunch first, but he was watching her with a gaze so intense it reminded her of a large predatory animal watching its lunch walk by.