RED HOT RANCH

by Swale, Lizzie

  “You’re beautiful,” he said. “But I meant it, I didn’t invite you here to pressure you into sex.”

  “That’s okay, I’ll keep asking for small favours until I talk you into it.” She stood, forcing him back a step so their foreheads wouldn’t collide. She wrapped her arms around his neck before he could retreat further and pulled him into a kiss.

  Ethan was a business man through and through, he was used to being pushy, he was used to getting what he wanted, but with women, and with Jenny especially, he always held his desire in check, always let them set the pace. But this was different. He’d never had a woman talk to him, or kiss him, like this before. The ruthlessly competitive edge that helped him in his professional life kicked in, chasing the shock away, and he grabbed her, pulling her hard against him, and kissed her back.

  What started as a romantic dinner was quickly heating up and moving well past sexy and all the way to full blown passion.

  She moaned against his mouth and her body seemed to melt against his. Without a second thought he scooped her up in his arms, stifled her protest with a hard kiss, and carried her out of the kitchen. He set her down again because he wasn’t familiar enough with the house to go through it half blind!

  He loved the wide-eyed bewildered look on her face and the fact that she was obviously breathless.

  She struggled to catch her breath. He’d been a complete gentleman for weeks, never pushing her about boundaries, and often leaving her sexually frustrated. She’d been ready to pull out all the stops tonight in order to seduce him, but the sudden turnaround from meek-mannered gentleman to large and in charge had knocked her off balance. Being swept off her feet hadn’t helped with that either.

  He didn’t give her more than a moment before he was kissing her again.

  The room he led her to was small and simply furnished but she was too busy fumbling with the buttons on his shirt to care about the pattern on the quilt or the style of the dresser. All that mattered was that there was a bed big enough for two.

  The buttons made her growl with frustration so he took over while she worked on his belt and the button on his pants. Everything ended up in a crumpled heap on the floor and he had a passing thought that he’d have to iron it all in the morning but the hand down the front of his boxers stopped all other thoughts in their tracks. She kissed him hard as she fondled him and he felt his temperature rising by the second.

  “You’re wearing too much,” he managed to say. Her clothes came off easier than his, even her bra was off in a second. He stepped out of his underwear at the same time she stepped out of hers and they tumbled into bed together in a flurry of kisses. Finally, he pulled back, pausing to admire her. She had the lean hard strength of someone who ate well and worked hard at real work, not just at a gym. Her breasts were perky and fit nicely in his hand. He cupped them both and squeezed. Her soft, happy noises encouraged him and he caressed and fondled until her back arched and she nearly purred.

  Taking deep, gasping breaths she managed to sit up a little and get her hand around his cock again. A few tugs and he’d nearly forgotten everything else. When she muttered, “You’re so fucking big,” he kissed her hard and pushed her hand away.

  He settled between her legs and rubbed the head of his cock against her, she was already sopping wet. She moaned and pushed towards him, inviting him with her body to penetrate her. He bent over her and kissed her as he pressed inside of her.

  She was pinned beneath him but his weight was pleasant and comforting, not at all overbearing. And he was kissing her lips and her face and her neck. When he nibbled her ear lobe and dipped his tongue in her ear her back arched in pleasure.

  He thrust into her, the angle sending him deep and making her gasp. She grabbed a fistful of his hair, which was hard because there wasn’t much to grab, and dug into his shoulder with the other hand. He thrust again, hard drawing a short yell of pleasure from her. She wrapped her legs around him and he began to move inside of her.

  She was slick and wet and hot and tight and it was just too easy to make love to her. It came on fast and caught him by surprise, the sudden pressure in his balls. He froze. He was too close to coming and he wasn’t anywhere near being done with her tonight.

  She whimpered and pawed at his shoulders, bucking up against him. He pressed tighter against her, trying to pin her down and keep her still. She wrapped her arms around him, braced her feet against the bed, and pushed against him, riding him from beneath him and all the while making desperate, passionate noises.

  Instead of easing, the pressure was building. He leaned down and bit her arched neck as the pressure became too much and he filled her with a load of cum. He rested his head against her shoulder, breathing hard and getting ready to apologize but she was still moving against him, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he was done.

  She moaned, her eyes shut tight, her fingernails digging into his skin. “Don’t stop,” she muttered.

  Instead of telling her it was over he started moving in her again, his cock still hard enough to pleasure her. He moved in slow, fluid, motions that complimented her desperate grinding.

  “A little more,” she whispered. “I little more, please, oh please, oh … OH.” Her back arched sharply and her eyes snapped open. “Oh, oh, yes!”

  Her orgasm twisted her face, her nails dug in even deeper into his shoulder, and her hips bucked. He watched her slowly come down from her sexual high, watched her return to awareness, and she smiled lazily up at him.

  He rested his forehead against hers. “You’re amazing,” he said.

  “So are you. Are you going to send me home?”

  “You look ready to pass out, and I’d like you to stay. I’m going to go put the leftovers away. And blow out the candles. You just tuck in and get comfortable. I’ll be back.”

  “M-kay,” she said, her eyes fluttering shut again.

  He sat back and watched her snuggle down between the pillows and he smiled. I love her.

  Chapter 6

  Their relationship progressed quickly after that. Over the next few weeks Jenny and Ethan spent more and more time at his house together. They watched movies, cooked dinner together, sat in the screened in porch and enjoyed the humid summer evenings, and even slept there some nights. They played and experimented and explored with each other.

  One evening, while Ethan was working late, the phone rang while Jenny was making them dinner.

  “Hello?”

  “Jenny, it’s Mary.”

  “Oh hey, how are you doing?” She stirred the pot on the stove and added a bowl of chopped vegetables to the stir fry she was cooking.

  “Fine, fine, I tried calling your place but there was no answer.”

  “Yeah, I’m been spending most evenings here at Ethan’s.”

  “You haven’t moved in there, have you?”

  “Not officially, no.”

  “Good, because I sent you an email. Did you get it?”

  “Haven’t looked yet this evening. Why?”

  “That fellow you’re seeing, Ethan Trevors, you do know he’s a billionaire right?”

  Jenny laughed. “There is an Ethan Trevors who is a millionaire but it’s not my Ethan.”

  “Go check your e-mail, Jenny. There was an article about Ethan Trevors joining the billionaires club this week and the photo in the article looks a lot like your Ethan.”

  “Okay, I’ll look. Are you free sometime soon? We really should get together for coffee.” Jenny responded shrugging it off.

  They talked a while longer about plans and schedules and finally settled on a date and time for coffee at their favourite shop. While the stir fry simmered Jenny sat at the table and opened her email on her phone. There was something from her boss about a staff BBQ party that was coming up soon, a reminder from her insurance provider, and the message from Mary.

  She opened the message and followed the link to the article. It was from a business news site and was written in dry prose.

  “E
than Trevors, son of the business tycoon Evan Trevors, has just joined the ranks of Donald Trump and Bill Gates as America’s newest Billionaire,” the article started. The rest of the article detailed the business ventures of both father and son. About half way down the page was a photo of Ethan Trevors shaking hands with an older man. Both were dressed in sharp, expensive-looking suits and were smiling at the camera.

  She stopped and stared at the picture. The face looking back at her was the same face that had been sitting across the table from her every evening. It was the face of the man she woke up beside most mornings. “Ethan,” she whispered, touching the screen. “How could I have been so stupid.”

  At that moment the front door opened and Ethan said, “That sure smells good! How was your day?” He kicked his shoes off and tossed them on the shelf by the door. He left his briefcase by the door and loosened his tie. She was still staring at her phone so he said, “Jenny, is everything okay?”

  “I guess that depends on who’s asking.”

  He frowned. “Jenny, what are you …”

  “Are you Ethan Trevors, billionaire, or Ethan Trevors, lowly assistant?”

  From the look on her face it was evident that his cover was blown and lying any more would only cause more trouble in the long run. He sighed. “Yes, I’m that Ethan Trevors, I was always that Ethan Trevors, but …”

  “The same Ethan Trevors that bought the community center?”

  “Yes, but …”

  She clenched her fists and let out a sound of pure frustration. “I should have known. What were the chances that you’d have exactly the same name as a multi-millionaire? How could I have been so blind? So stupid!?”

  “Jenny …”

  “No. I don’t even know you. I’ve been sleeping with you, telling you all about my childhood, my community, my life! I don’t even know who you are!!”

  “I’m still me, I didn’t lie about the things that matter.”

  “You thought a billion dollars was unimportant?”

  “Yes. I was hoping you would too.”

  He sounded sad and it tugged at her heart. She quickly swallowed her sympathies and held tighter to her hurt and her anger. “You lied to me. The community center matters to me and you lied about that. You can’t have love without trust and I can’t trust you.”

  “Don’t do this, please Jenny. At least let me explain.”

  “I don’t want to hear it. I’m going home. Don’t call me.” She grabbed her purse and keys, slipped on her shoes, and slammed the front door close behind her. She backed the car out of the driveway, drove two blocks, and haphazardly parked at the curb where she broke down sobbing.

  Chapter 7

  Jenny stared the coffee mug in her hands as it rapidly cooled.

  “Hey, are you there, Jenny?”

  Jenny looked up at her friend. “Hmm?”

  Mary laughed. They were sitting together in a corner of the local coffee shop while the lunch time crowd milled around them. “I guess you didn’t hear a word of what I said, did you?”

  Jenny flushed. “No, I’m sorry. What were you saying?”

  Mary waved off her friend’s apology. “It’s not important. I’m more concerned about you right now. How are you holding up?”

  Jenny shrugged and stirred the coffee.

  “You said you broke up with him so what’s the problem? Do you still love him?”

  “He was perfect, Mary, everything I could possibly want in a man, of course I’m still in love with him.”

  “If he was perfect then why did you leave?”

  “Because he lied to me! I can’t be with a man who doesn’t trust me!”

  “Right, because he’s a billionaire who claimed to be average. It could have been worse. He could have been some loser claiming to be rich.”

  “A liar is a liar.”

  “Oh, come off it, Jenny. Everyone lies sometimes. Think about this from his point of view. How many women do you think he’s dated in his life? How many of them do you think loved him and how many were after his money? What if he wanted to be sure this time – needed to be sure.”

  “I don’t know …”

  “Jenny, if you love him then why are you walking away from him? And if you say it’s because he lied to you I’m going to remind you of the time that you told your mother you were going to my house when really you went out on that date with, what was his name again?”

  “Graham,” Jenny said, rubbing her forehead and avoiding her friend’s eyes. “I can’t believe you’re bringing that up. That’s completely different.”

  “Jenny, I’m betting Ethan has been hurt, a lot, and he needed to be sure of your motives. We live in the twenty-first century, there’s no way he could have kept his identity a secret for long. He must have been intending to tell you at some point. What would you have done in his shoes?”

  “I don’t know. Look, I understand what he did, I guess, I just don’t know if I can forgive him.”

  “Well, that’s your choice, but I wouldn’t wait too long to make it.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I heard from a friend of mine that he was considering putting his house up for sale.”

  “You mean the little fake house he was entertaining me in? Why would I care?”

  “No, I mean his real house, his massive, extensive, millionaire mansion. He’s likely moving halfway across the country, or further, and soon.”

  Jenny’s mouth went dry and her heart started pounding. She swallowed hard and fought to keep a cool exterior. “Good for him, I’m sure the house will fetch a good price.”

  Mary rolled her eyes. “Would you just admit you’re still in love and get your ass down to his house before it’s too late?”

  “I’ll think about it, okay?”

  Chapter 8

  Jenny stood on the sidewalk feeling more out of place than she had in university. She’d worn her nicest pencil skirt and a fancy blouse and done her hair and make-up and she still felt like she was a second rate citizen in this ritzy neighbourhood. The down payment on the cheapest house on the block probably cost more than her parents had made in their entire lives, combined.

  She took a deep breath and walked up to the gate at the end of the driveway. The wall was shoulder high brick topped with a two-foot high wrought iron fence. The gate was six feet high black metal bars between two stone pillars. There was a speaker panel mounted to one of the gate posts with several buttons below it.

  Jenny took a deep breath and pressed the first button. After a moment a voice said, “Please state your name and your business.”

  Jenny pressed the second button. “Uh, this is Jenny Cartney, I was hoping Ethan would be home. I wanted to speak with him.”

  “I’m sorry, he’s not home and he doesn’t accept unannounced visitors. Please contact his office to set up an appointment with him.”

  “I’m, uh, not a business associate, I’m more of a personal acquaintance.”

  “I’m sorry, Mr. Trevors does not accept unannounced guests, personal or otherwise.”

  “Yes, of course. I’m sorry to have bothered you.”

  Jenny bowed her head and turned away from the gate. She was sure people were watching her by now, the grubby little nobody who had been rejected at the gate. She started walking away when a sleep black heavily tinted Mercedes purred down the street and slowed down.

  Don’t stop, she thought. Please, don’t stop. I’m leaving your precious neighbourhood, you don’t have to stop and tell me I don’t belong here.

  The car stopped. Jenny started walking faster. The window rolled down.

  I don’t need this.

  “Jenny?”

  She stopped and turned to the car.

  The driver’s door opened and Ethan got out. “What are you doing here?”

  “I – uh …” Her shoulders drooped and she looked down at the sidewalk. “I just thought I would come over and apologize. It was silly of me. I was just leaving.”

  “You don’t ha
ve to leave,” he said quickly. “I mean, if you wanted to come in for a little while and just visit, I wouldn’t mind. If you wanted.”

  “Oh, well, I don’t want to intrude. I mean, if you’re too busy for company …”

  “I’m not too busy.”

  “Oh but the man on the speaker at your front gate said …”

  “He’s paid to say those things. Every time I broke up with a woman she’d come back again and again so he won’t let anyone in unless their name is on the list I leave.”

  “And my name wasn’t on the list?”

  “The way you left, I didn’t think you’d be back.”

  “Your car is running.”

  “Oh, yes, um, did you want to climb in? We could go in and talk. Or go somewhere else.”

  “I’d like to come in and see your real house, and get to know the real you.”

  He opened the door for her and then climbed in the driver’s side. “You know,” he said. “The money was the only thing I lied about. Everything else was real.”

  “You still lied.”

  “I was going to tell you. I was planning this amazing date. I was going to take you out for a nice dinner and then bring you back here and explain everything.” He leaned out the window and swiped a security card through a reader on the other side of the gate. “Will you let me explain?”

  “You don’t have to. A friend of mine did that for you.”

  He gave her a puzzled look.

  “I was so mad that you lied that I didn’t stop to think about why. She said it was likely you’d been hurt before.”

  “I was, a few times. I’m sorry I lied.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t stick around long enough to listen to you.”

  “You know, I haven’t made this public yet, but I’m not building condos where the community center was.”

  “You’re not?”

  “No. I’m renovating the existing center and expanding it to better serve the community. And it will be privately funded so you don’t have to worry about politicians taking it away again. Lower income and single parent families will be able to apply for subsidies so their kids can participate at a lower cost. We’ll have free after school drop-in programs for teens too.”