Straddling States: A Contemporary Ranch Cowboy Romance (Western Valley Love Book 1)

by Ruby A. Smith

  “Holy shit!” Amber cried out in delight. She couldn’t believe this was happening. Jesse was mouthing at the fabric of her underwear, teasing her sensitive pussy with his wet and warm tongue. She couldn’t stop her legs from shaking.

  “Please, please,” she begged so sweetly as Jesse continued to tease her with his presses against her clothed core.

  After a little chuckle, Jesse seemed to take pity on her. He pushed two of his fingers beneath the flimsy fabric and pulled her underwear across, revealing the treasure she had hidden beneath. At first, all Amber could feel was his hot breath ghosting across her newly revealed skin, but then she felt a press of his tongue against her and she arched her back in delight.

  He continued to touch her and pleasure her with his mouth for a long time after that. Her hands fell down and gripped his long, silky locks, encouraging him to keep licking her. She never wanted it to stop, but she could feel her body heating and a pressure building inside of her that was familiar but more intense than she’d ever felt in a long time.

  “I’m gonna… I’m gonna…” she cried before she spasmed, her orgasm overwhelming her and taking her to new heights of ecstasy. She screamed his name as she came and he continued to lick her through it before pressing a kiss to the inside of her thigh and then standing.

  “Was that good for you?” he asked with a cocky grin.

  Amber rolled her eyes before reaching for his shoulder and pulling him toward her. “I want you inside me,” she told him, her eyes blazing with the heat of her desire.

  Jesse didn’t need to be told twice. He kissed her while his hands moved down to unbutton and shuck off his jeans. His underwear hit the floor and he grabbed the elastic of her thong, ripping it off her body and flinging the material to the floor carelessly behind him. Amber giggled at his ferocity before pulling him down on top of her once more.

  With no clothes left between them, Amber felt the heat of his manhood press against her soft, wet pussy for the first time, and she cried out in joy. He felt long and thick and she was desperate to be filled up by him. It had been far too long since she’d felt the carnal pleasure of being with another person, and right now, amidst all the chaos in her life, Amber was desperate for him.

  She clawed at him, pulling him closer and guiding him into the right position so his cock was pressing right where she needed it. “Please, Jesse, fuck me until I forget about everything else,” she pleaded, and he was happy to oblige.

  The farmer kissed her once more, biting down on her bottom lip a little hard in a way that made her squeal before reaching between their bodies with his hand to grip his hot, hard length. “Are you ready for me, darlin’?” He asked.

  “I’ve never been more ready for anything in my life,” she told him.

  Then everything changed. Jesse’s bare cock pressed deep inside her and made her realize what she had been missing out on. Their hot, sweaty, and writhing bodies moved in unison, pushing and pulling against one another as they fought to satiate this uncontrollable lust that had built up between them.

  The tension had broken and Amber finally found herself able to give herself over to him completely. Her arms wound around his neck and she cried out in pleasure as he thrust into her over and over, hitting parts of her she never even knew existed. There had never been pleasure like this for her before, and she feared that if she left now, there might never be one again.

  Then all of a sudden, Jesse was gripping her hips tight and lifting her up. He encouraged her to wrap her legs around his waist before turning around and pressing her back up against the wall. In this new position, Amber was able to lift herself up and drop back down, his length pressing deeper inside her than ever before. She was sweating from the exertion, and her hair was clinging to her neck, her forehead, her cheeks, but she didn’t care. All she cared about was Jesse and the incredible feelings he was giving to her.

  Below her, Jesse was grunting as he made love to her. His strong, hard arms were holding her up and he was forcing himself into her tight, wet heat over and over. It wasn’t long before the two of them were collapsing together, panting and exhausted. The intense pleasure between them peaked, Jesse spilling deep inside her while Amber trembled around him.

  Finally, after taking a few deep breaths, Jesse stumbled away from the wall and fell back onto the hay behind him with Amber splaying herself out on top of him. He pressed gentle kisses to her forehead and held her close as they both came down together.

  “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to look old Billy Harding in the eyes again,” he muttered and laughed.

  “Is that really what you’re thinking about right now?” Amber asked, feeling a little lightheaded and breathless.

  “No,” Jesse told her. “I’m thinking about how soon I can take you like that again.” He pulled her close to his chest and kissed her fiercely. Amber knew right then that she was falling deeply and hopelessly in love with this rough and ready cowboy and there was nothing — absolutely nothing — she could do about it.

  Chapter Twelve

  By the time October reared its head, Amber still hadn’t given Laura an answer, and she knew she was running out of time. She still had no idea what she wanted to do. Rationally, she knew she should fly back home, take the job offer, and never look back, but in her heart, she wanted to spend more time with Jesse. She wanted to see what could happen between them and whether this could be something.

  Her stomach felt like it was always in knots. The more she tried to tell herself that what was happening between her and Jesse was just a fling, the more she felt like she was lying to herself. The last week they’d spent together had been joyous. The two had taken to spending almost every night in each other’s arms, snuggled up by a roaring fire or tucked into bed after heated, passionate sex.

  “Jesse, yes, Jesse,” Amber cried as she bounced on top of him, her hair flying wildly around her. “Right there.”

  The hunky farmer beneath her held her hips tight and thrust up into her tight, wet heat. “Amber, you look amazing like that. I love it when you ride me.”

  Amber giggled and continued her movements, enjoying ever drag of him inside her. No matter how many times they made love, it still felt as thrilling and mind blowing as the first time. Amber never thought she would enjoy sex as much as she did with Jesse. When she wasn’t around him, she craved him inside her and around her. She missed his masculine scent and the way his big arms held her tight, like she was safe and loved.

  As they both reached a crescendo of pleasure together, Amber kissed him once more before sliding off and lying beside him. She let out a long breath of air and tried to enjoy the aftershocks of her orgasm, but she couldn’t. Her mind went straight back to the predicament she found herself in. She tried to take her mind off it by closing her eyes and willing sleep to come, but it was futile.

  So, as she lay there like so many times before in his bed sated and happy, those ugly thoughts reared their head over and over, and she sighed. Amber knew that it would be better if she just talked to Jesse about it, even if it was just to soften the blow for when she left, but when she turned over to face him, she noticed he already looked tense and unsettled.

  “Jesse?” She began, her voice soft and quiet in the darkness of the room. “What’s wrong?”

  “Just thinking,” he said in a quiet groan that didn’t sound much like himself.

  “About what?” Amber probed, placing her hand on his hairy chest. “You don’t look okay.”

  For a moment, he remained still and silent before finally turning his bright blue gaze onto her. “Today is just a difficult day for me. It’s the anniversary of my parents’ death.”

  Amber’s eyes widened and she began rubbing soothing circles on his skin. “Oh no, Jesse, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”

  “I know, it’s okay,” he told her and grabbed her hand, holding it in his own. “It’s been a long time. Ten years ago, today. They died when I was nineteen,” he confessed and as the cold, pale moonl
ight streamed in through the window and illuminated his face, Amber thought she could see tears brimming in the corners of his eyes.

  “That sounds rough,” Amber sympathized. “I’m so sorry.”

  Jesse shrugged. “It is what it is. I still felt like a child at the time. I didn’t know how on Earth I was going to survive without them. I couldn’t even rely on Carol Ann for help. She was pregnant at the time with Callie, and I didn’t want to make things worse for her. I inherited the farm, though, from their will. I had no idea how to run a farm myself. I just worked for my dad and helped him out on odd jobs. Actually, running the thing was a new thing altogether.” He paused for a moment and took a deep breath. “I had no idea where to start, and no money to hire anyone to help. I had to work hard to keep this place going while learning everything from the bottom up. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”

  Amber grimaced and dropped her head on his shoulder, her ginger curls resting against his skin. “So, you struggled through it all by yourself?” she asked.

  “Yep, managed to get everything up and running just like Ma and Pop had before they died within six months. I was real proud of everything that was going on, but then…” He trailed off and scrubbed a hand over his face wearily. “That’s when the chain supermarket popped up and everything got a lot harder. The locals started shopping there, and us farmers — well, we can’t compare with their prices.”

  “That sounds really hard. I’m sorry you went through that.”

  “It’s why I was a little hard on you when we first met,” he admitted with a sigh. “I’m sorry for that. I saw you with that Walmart bag, and it just stirred something within me, but I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”

  Amber nodded in understanding. “It’s okay, I can see why that would upset you. But really, I was just buying special food for Jellybean. She has problems with her digestion. Peter’s Groceries didn’t have it in stock.”

  “Oh,” was all he said before pulling her close and cuddling her tight.

  “So, did you ever figure out how to get around the supermarket problem?” Amber questioned.

  Jesse shook his head. “Nope, we lose more and more profit every year as we keep lowering our prices.”

  “That doesn’t seem fair.”

  “No… No, it wasn’t, but life isn’t fair.”

  “Yeah, I get that.” Amber nodded. “I want you to know something… My mom died when I was five, then my dad when I was twenty-one.”

  Jesse pressed a kiss to the top of her hair and whispered, “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay. I’m mostly over it… Well, as much as anyone can get over the death of their parents. I just wanted you to know that I understand, you know? They didn’t leave me a farm to run by myself, but I didn’t have anyone to help me. I have no brothers or sisters. So… I understand what it’s like to feel alone.” She looked up at him once more with a gentle gaze. She reached up and cupped his face, feeling the harsh stubble against her soft palms and sighing.

  At that moment, Amber thought she could get used to this, and her heart broke once more. It was one thing to feel like she could get used to being with Jesse, it was another thing to feel like she could get used to Valley Springs. Could she really give up everything she had ever known for this?

  Amber opened her mouth to tell him about her potential promotion, to ask what he thought about it, to see if he’d want her to stay… But she clicked her teeth back together and sighed. She couldn’t do it. Jesse already looked tired and upset. She didn’t want to do this late at night when emotions were running high — especially considering what day it was for Jesse.

  Tomorrow, she told herself. Tomorrow, I promise.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Amber woke up to the pungent scent of smoke. She bolted upright in her bed and started looking around the room, frightened by such an awful smell. But there was no fire around her, and she couldn’t work out where it was coming from. Her heart was racing fast, beating a strong rhythm against her ribcage, and she could feel her breathing becoming erratic. She turned to the sleeping man beside her and shook him.

  “Jesse, Jesse, wake up!” she hissed. “Please wake up! There’s a fire!”

  “W-what?” he groaned as he pushed himself up from the mattress and rubbed his eyes. “What did you say?” Then he breathed in the same scent that had panicked Amber. “Oh God!”

  There was a flurry of movement as Jesse threw himself out of the bed and began pulling on any clothes he could find. Amber followed suit, and soon the two of them had flung open the bedroom door where Bud and Jellybean were sat together. The four of them were racing down the stairs. Bud was barking and nipping at their heels as he followed, and Jellybean was struggling to keep up on her short little legs.

  “Where is it coming from!?” Amber cried as she scoured the farmhouse and found no signs of fire anywhere. She had checked the kitchen, the living room, and the bedrooms, but there was no sign of any fire. Yet, smoke was still thick in the air and it was making her cough. She didn’t understand.

  “It’s the field!” Jesse replied as he headed toward the back door. “When the weather gets too hot and there’s been no rain… It’s possible.”

  And sure enough, when Jesse opened the back door, he and Amber stood astonished at the sight of a raging fire across the fire end of the field which set alight a huge number of crops already and had spread to the barn. The sight of his ranch on fire made Amber’s heart race. She was beginning to panic and was trying to remember what she was supposed to do when this sort of thing happened.

  “Holy shit!” Amber cried before racing back inside, grabbing a bucket and filling it with water. When she came back out, Jesse was still stood silent and immoveable on the porch.

  “Jesse! We need to do something!” she screamed before running out in front of him, trying to get toward the fire.

  “It’s too late,” Jesse told her in a hollow, empty voice. “It’s already gone. Everything I’ve worked for is gone.”

  Amber turned and stared at him with an incredulous expression. “Don’t say that. We can still salvage this.”

  “No, we can’t.”

  “So, what do you want me to do?” Amber argued, feeling her erratic heart pounding against her ribcage as she stood there in shock. “You want me to just stand here and watch everything burn down around me? No. I’m not going to do that.” When she turned to head toward the fire with the bucket of water, she felt a hand grab her arm and stop her.

  “Don’t,” Jesse warned. “You’ll hurt yourself.”

  “I have to do something!” Amber cried. Tears were burning her eyes now as she looked into the face of the usually happy, cocky man and saw how defeated he looked.

  “It’s too late.”

  “Will you stop saying that?!”

  Jesse turned and went to walk back inside the house.

  “Where are you going?”

  “I need to call the fire department. We can’t put that out ourselves. It’s too dangerous.”

  Amber looked between the raging fire and her lover. “Okay, okay. I’ll come with you.”

  “No, it’s not necessary,” he told her before disappearing.

  Amber stood there wearing an inside-out t-shirt and her jeans, which were unbuttoned. She’d been in such a hurry to rush out here and help Jesse, but now, he was treating her like an idiot. Why was he so mad at her? Why didn’t he want her to come inside with her?

  She decided that she needed to calm down a little before she spoke to him again. After taking a few slow and deep breaths, Amber followed him inside just in time to see him putting the phone down. “They’ll be here as soon as they can,” Jesse told her. “You can go back to bed or go home if you want. I’ll handle it from here.”

  “Jesse…” Amber began in a soft voice. She reached out and touched his shoulder. “Please don’t shut me out. Let me help you. We can work through this.”

  “No, we can’t!” he roared, yanking his arm away from
her. “You just don’t get it, do you? It’s not something as simple as working through this.”

  “Why not?” Amber argued.

  “Because with half the crops gone, that’s half of my money gone! You just don’t understand, Amber. I’ve invested everything I have into this farm: My time, my money, my effort… If it’s gone, there’s nothing I can do. There’s no more time to plant anything else and have it grown in time for the harvest. I’m not going to be able to break even and if I can’t do that, I won’t be able to keep the farm going. I won’t be able to pay my bills. I’m going to have to sell this place!” His voice was loud and angry, and his words stuck like thorns in Amber’s heart.

  The redhead bristled. “Well, I’m sorry,” she snapped, “I didn’t grow up here, I don’t always understand everything that’s going on, but I do try.” She put her hands on her hips and stared at him fiercely. “We can talk to your sister and Mason, maybe they can —”

  “No,” Jesse said in a loud, booming voice. “This is my farm. I don’t need anyone else’s help.”

  “Jesse, stop being so stubborn. It’s okay to ask for help sometimes.”

  “You don’t get it, Amber. Don’t try to help me, because you have no idea what my life is like and you never will.”

  Those words cut her deep, and reminded her of every worry, fear, and insecurity she’d experienced while in this relationship with him. Tears pricked at her eyes and she felt anger building inside her. “At least I’ve tried to learn more about your world. I’ve tried my best, okay, Jesse! I’ve fed the chickens and mucked out the horses. I’ve fertilized crops. When have you ever asked me about how my fashion designs are going? Or what my boss thinks of them? You’ve never once even tried to live in my world, you just expect me to live in yours! And just because you’re pissed right now, that doesn’t give you the right to talk to me like I’m some dumb ass!”