Branded

by Candace Havens

  I owned her. Right then. She was mine—with her mussed hair and her shaded eyes and that fucking mouth that did wild things to my cock. I took my fingers out of her pussy and she watched as I licked them.

  Her body shuddered again.

  Yep, I was going to enjoy fucking my dirty little princess.

  Chapter Twelve

  “I need a favor,” Addy said from inside my closet. We’d long ago gone past the point where she was nervous about borrowing my clothes. And I honestly didn’t care. I had way too many. But we did have a new rule where she had to text, call, and always knock before she came in my room. With Cole around, I had to set up a few boundaries.

  I sat on my bed working on my homework for my online finance class. Cole had been gone for two days with my grandfather to some auction. There were several coming up, and I was bummed about losing time with him. It couldn’t be helped, but that didn’t mean I liked it. He was due back later tonight, and I was going to jump his bones big time. I didn’t think it was possible to be so horny. I dreamed about him. Thought about him constantly. Shit, Addy almost caught me getting off while staring at a pic of him on my phone.

  Another reason for boundaries. Even when he wasn’t around, I couldn’t stop wanting him.

  I’d taken the picture the other day at the barn. Actually, I’d taken two pics. One of him talking sweetly to one of the horses. The other when he had his shirt off loading bales of hay. That last one was the one that had my fingers rubbing hard on my clit. I needed him to help with the ache. I’d even texted him that.

  Fuck, babe, he’d texted back. Stop torturing me. Sharing a room with Shorty, and I can’t whack off.

  That had made me giggle at first, and then the idea of watching him make himself come had sent my fingers right back to work.

  My mind was drifting again, and I heard Addy say something but I missed it.

  “Take whatever you want,” I said as I tried to focus on why this formula I’d just plugged in didn’t work. Yet another reason I needed super-hot, smarty-pants Cole nearby. He’d made finance make sense. Sort of. At least, it made more sense than it had last semester with the worst professor ever.

  I sensed someone staring at me.

  Glancing up, I met Addy’s gaze. She’d popped her head out of the closet to give me the you-aren’t-listening-to-me glare.

  “Sorry, focused on this homework. What’s up?”

  “I need you to talk to Cole about dating.”

  My heart thumped against my chest. “Why would I need to help Cole get a date?” The very idea churned nastiness in my stomach.

  Her eyes shifted to the heavens as if she were asking for guidance. “Not him. Jeez, the last thing my brother needs is dating advice. It’s, like, his super power the way women glom on to him.”

  Ugh. The churning turned into a knot, and I couldn’t breathe. What did I expect? That he’d been a virgin before we met? No one had the sexiest, dirtiest moves ever without experience. But that didn’t mean I liked to be reminded about it.

  I forced air in my lungs.

  “I need you to talk to him about me dating again.” She stepped out of the closet. She really was the most adorable girl on the planet.

  I shook my head. “That’s a conversation you need to have with him. And you’re too young. I would think you—after what happened—”

  Her face fell.

  “Crap. Sorry. It’s just this is something you need to talk to him about.”

  “I’ve tried.” She sighed dramatically. “I don’t blame him for not trusting me. I messed up bad last time, and it caused so much trouble. But I just want to go on group dates. Like a bunch of us going to the movies, or to the Fourth of July festival. Stuff like that. There is one guy. But I’m still… Cole doesn’t have to worry about me getting serious. I’m still kind of…not really scared. I know a lot of self-defense now, and I have my brown belt in karate. I can pretty much kick someone’s ass if I have to. But I’m never going to not be afraid of guys if I don’t spend time with them. Does that make sense?”

  I chewed on my lip a bit. Sounded like a bit of teen logic to me. “It’s not that I don’t want to help you,” I said. “It’s that I might hurt your cause.” I held up a hand to stop her protests. “I do think you can show him you can be responsible and that you are all about making smart choices. How about if I convince him to go to the festival with me? I promise I won’t let him crush your rep. I’ll keep him busy. But you’ll be close, and he can see you making smart choices. Does that work?”

  And I’d get to spend time with Cole out in public without people thinking too much about it. Maybe.

  “I guess. I don’t blame him. It’s just his nature to be protective of me. But the other day, even when I was at Lemmon’s house, he had to talk to her mom to make sure we were supervised the whole time. It was really embarrassing.”

  Oh my. She might see it that way, but I sort of loved he was so protective of her. That side of him, taking care of his little sister… Well, hell, it was hot. So fucking hot. “I get it,” I said. “Honestly, I haven’t known you that long, and even I want to keep you from the assholes of the world. You’re kind of loveable that way.” I reached out a hand, and she walked across and took it.

  “You’ve got all the time in the world to figure out boys. There’s no need to rush. You’re always going to be his little sister. Just be grateful that he cares. A lot of kids don’t have that.”

  She squeezed my fingers. “I know. I don’t really plan on dating one-on-one again until I go to college. Like I said, big issues. But it would be nice if he trusted me enough to let me go out with a group.”

  “I’ll see what I can do.” I shut my laptop. “Do you have plans for this afternoon?”

  She shook her head.

  “Let’s go swimming here. Not at the club. I’m not in the mood to deal with other people, but I’ve been cooped up since yesterday studying. I need some sunshine.”

  And I needed to cool off and stop thinking about Cole. It wouldn’t do for me to be so tied up in knots over him. That was dangerous.

  This was temporary, but I was going to learn everything I could from him—and enjoy every fucking minute of it.

  But I needed to remember this was just sex.

  …

  Where were they? I couldn’t find Addy or the princess. I’d tried texting them both. We’d been on the road the last five hours, coming back from an auction in Fort Worth. It was all I could do to keep my mind on the road. I’d had a fucking boner for Callie since last night, but I’d shared a room with Shorty, one of the other ranch hands. So there’d been no easing that pain.

  I was ready to sink into that hot pussy of hers and just lose myself.

  After I made sure the bulls we’d bought were settled in the east pasture, away from the heifers, I went in search of Callie and my sister. I was about to head around the side of the house to the front when I heard a splash and some giggling.

  I turned and headed toward the back. There was a long stairway up to the big patio area where they had the pool, outside kitchen, bar, and tables enough to seat a hundred. It was a bigger entertaining area than that country club they liked so much. I took that last step onto the patio and stopped.

  Holy fuck, she was a wet angel.

  Callie was coming out of the pool in a tiny yellow bikini. Her perfect breasts were covered in small triangles, her nipples tight against the fabric. Her hair long and slicked back, not a bit of makeup, and she was the prettiest thing I’d ever seen.

  Ever.

  My gaze moved lower across her taut belly and down to those hips. I had an urge to rip that tiny triangle off her and plunge my cock so deep she felt it in her fucking throat. It was wrong to want something this much.

  “I wonder when Cole will be home? Think you can convince him to come swimming with us?”

  “Some of us have to work for a living.” My voice boomed a little louder than I’d meant it to.

  Ads squealed, but my eye
s were on Callie.

  She’d bent over to grab a towel, and that fine ass of hers was the kind of thing men wrote poetry about. I had the urge to hit it. Hard. What would she think about that? She glanced back and smiled.

  Fuck. Yeah. I was in trouble.

  “Will you come swimming with us?” Addy asked.

  “Can’t. Just got back. I need to make sure everything’s settled in the barn. Also, have some paperwork. I wanted to check on you since you weren’t answering your phone.”

  “Oh, I must have left it at the house,” Addy said, contrite. We had a rule that it was supposed to stay on her person at all times so I could get in touch with her. Maybe not in the pool, but it should have been nearby.

  “You promised to get your chores done. Laundry doesn’t do itself. And your room looks like a tornado and a hurricane hit at the same time. You wanted your friends to come over, but that ain’t happening if you don’t get things picked up. Now run on and get your chores done, I need to talk to Callie about something.”

  “Okay.” Addy gave a quick wave and didn’t fight back. She knew better than to leave a mess like she had at the house. I kind of have a thing about keeping things orderly. Clutter messes with my head.

  Ads scooped up her towel and wrapped it around her. “Can we maybe swim again later after I get my chores done?” she asked.

  Callie turned one of those gorgeous smiles on her. “Sure. I’m not doing anything but homework all day. Just text me when you want to swim again. That reminds me, Cole, I could use your help with one of my assignments if you have a minute before you go down to the barn.”

  “I’ll see you guys later,” Addy said.

  “Sure, I’ll help,” I said at the same time.

  I’d help, all right—alone in her room, where we were going to lock the door and I was going to fuck her senseless. We stood there a moment, and she shivered. I wasn’t sure if it was her wet skin or if she was reading my mind.

  “You want to fuck me,” she whispered as she drew closer, knotting the towel over the swell of her breasts.

  “Shit, yeah.”

  A few minutes later, we were in her room with the door locked and a chair propped up under the doorknob for good measure. I had her in the bathroom, up on the counter. I untied the strings of her bikini top and then sucked on the hardened nubs of her nipples. She made that little sound I loved so much.

  “I finger fucked myself three times last night staring at your picture.”

  I stopped and stared at her.

  “I thought about you fucking me hard and raw, but it wasn’t enough. I needed you.” Her hand went to my zipper. “Stick your fingers in me. Feel how wet I am for you.”

  My princess had picked up dirty talk. I might have died from the pleasure of it right there if I didn’t need to be inside her so bad.

  I couldn’t fucking talk if I had wanted to. Hearing her like this—hell, my cock was my brain. I did as she asked, because what the fuck else was I going to do, and she was slick and hot, ready for me.

  She unbuttoned my jeans and grabbed my cock. Then I pulled her off the counter and shoved her face first toward the mirrored bathroom door. “I want you to watch while I fuck you. I want you to see how beautiful you are when you come. Put your hands on the sides of the door and spread your legs.”

  She didn’t question, just did as I asked. I untied the bikini strings at her hips and the triangle there fell away, leaving her gleaming and ready for me. I pinched her clit, and she moaned, leaning back against me.

  “Tell me what you want.”

  “You. Inside me. Now,” she said, grinding her ass against me.

  I shifted so my tip was at her entrance, and then I pinched her nipples hard as I shoved my cock in to the hilt. She moaned and lifted up to her toes but didn’t flinch. She just pushed her ass back, begging for more. One hand stayed on her breast, the other on her clit. Rubbing, and teasing. She writhed, and I still hadn’t moved in and out of her yet.

  “Please,” she begged.

  “Please what?”

  “Fuck me, Cole.”

  I drew out and slammed into her again, and her body quaked.

  “Yes,” she hissed. I picked up the pace, and she matched me.

  “Look how beautiful you are,” I whispered in her ear before biting the lobe. “Look at me fucking that tight little pussy of yours. In and out. You like that, don’t you, babe? You like my big cock slamming in you.”

  Her hooded eyes glazed over. I could feel her tightening. I stopped rubbing her clit, and she cried out, “No. Please.”

  I rammed into her again and this time slapped her ass, not too hard, but enough that her eyes popped open and her sex clenched around me so tightly I thought she might cut off my blood supply.

  “Again,” she whispered, her hand rubbing her clit.

  Fucking yes.

  I slapped her a little harder and her whole body turned into a quivering mass as she came over my cock, the muscles fucking me without my even moving. Best feeling ever.

  Reaching one hand around her waist to hold her up, I fucked her hard. Relentlessly.

  “Did you miss me, Princess?” I asked as I pounded her. “Tonight, I want to watch you get off for me. All on your own. Those pretty little fingers rubbing your clit and fucking yourself. So hot, babe. I can’t wait.”

  She cried out and tightened around me again. This time, I couldn’t hold off. Three more pumps, and I lost my load. She was a quivering rag doll in my arms.

  “Cole?”

  “Yeah, babe?”

  She gave me a slow smile. “I don’t think I can walk. I think you fucked the strength right out of me.”

  I kissed her ear. “I got ya, babe.”

  And I did. I moved her back to the counter, cleaned her up with a wet towel, and then dried her. Then I carried her back to bed.

  “Did you really need help with that homework?”

  She nodded. “But honestly, I got nothing left. I need a nap. Like, I really need a nap.”

  “Callie, hon, you in there?” Her grandmother knocked on the door and then tried the handle.

  Shit. We both froze. She tore out of bed and grabbed her robe. I headed back to the bathroom, not sure where might be the safest place to hide.

  “Getting ready to hop in the shower,” she said quickly. “Is everything okay?”

  “Yes. Your grandfather was looking for Cole. Addy said he might be helping with homework? I didn’t know you were taking summer classes.”

  “Oh, yeah. Just some required reading for my upcoming semester. I was going to ask him some questions, but I think I may have had too much sun. I’m gonna take a shower and get a nap.”

  “All right, hon. I’ll let you get some rest, but make sure you drink some water. I’ll check on you in a few hours.”

  I came out of the bathroom and shook my head. I might have walked out of Callie’s room when her grandmother came down the hall.

  Fuck.

  It all hit me at once. This was fucking nuts. I was going to lose everything because I couldn’t get enough of this girl.

  It scared the hell out of me.

  She held up a hand. “Just don’t. I know what you’re thinking. We just have to be more careful what we say around Addy. The homework thing was my fault. It just slipped out. I’ll be better in the future. I promise. Just don’t use this as an excuse, okay? We don’t have much more time together. Please. And I hate that I sound so fucking whiny.” A tear slipped onto her cheek, and she shoved it away.

  “I need to get out of here,” I said. “Check the hallway.”

  She shook her head.

  “Check the fucking hallway, Callie. Your grandfather’s looking for me. I’ve got to get back to the barn.”

  “I will if you promise you’ll come back tonight.”

  “Callie, check the fucking hall, or I’m canceling everything right now.”

  She flinched.

  My gut twisted again, this time in pain. I didn’t want to fucking
hurt her, but this couldn’t happen again.

  She stared at me for a few seconds and then turned and peeked out the door. Standing back, she held the door open, and I walked out.

  I felt like a shithead leaving her like that, but I needed to think. I was worried I was never going to get enough of her, and that was dangerous. I had to put things in perspective. She was a piece of ass. She could never be anything more.

  I sure as hell wasn’t going to lose everything because I couldn’t control my cock.

  If only it were just my cock, canceling the contract might have been a lot easier.

  Chapter Thirteen

  For three hours, I curled up in a ball on my bed and just stared at the wall. I was so conflicted over what had happened. I’d sounded so frigging needy. No wonder he’d just left. With so much weighing on his shoulders, I had no right to add more pressure. I grabbed my phone and texted him.

  Sorry. Truly. I’ll understand if you need to cancel the contract. I’ll abide with whatever decision you make. No drama.

  Then I waited.

  Nothing.

  Shit. Maybe this really was it. Everything inside me seemed to twist at once. I knew I had it bad, but I hadn’t realized just how far I’d fallen. All of this was new to me, and I was having a hard time separating the sex from what was happening with my heart. But for both our sakes, I had to.

  Finally, Cole texted. Addy has her slumber party at the house tonight. Come down and help chaperone the madness. Bring your homework.

  For the first time in hours, it felt like I could breathe. No mention of the contract or what had happened. Maybe he was over it.

  Or maybe he wanted to lay the boom down in person with a bunch of teen girls close by so I couldn’t lose my shit.

  Crap.

  …

  “How does your mind absorb all of this?” I asked, staring at Cole. He’d just showed me a couple of shortcuts for plugging formulas into my finance programming. We were back in his room with the door open, working on my homework while five teen girls were in the kitchen making cookies—and a mess.