Page 7 of Ash on the Range (Red Hart Ranch #6)

“There’s goals right there,” I muttered as I slid in beside Cassie.

Her hair tumbled over her face and I stroked it back, casting a quick glance Eve’s way.

Worry lines crossed her forehead even in her sleep.

My heart clenched down as I watched Travis shift her gently in her seat, something her mother used to do for Len, their father.

Used to, because we lost them both in short order.

When I returned my gaze to Cassie, still stroking her hair absently, I found her blue eyes that I swore missed nothing fixed on me. Busted. I swallowed guiltily but didn’t stop stroking her hair.

“Hey,” I murmured. “I wanna take you up to bed, but I’m not allowed. Will you let me hold you for a while, if you’re not too tired?”

She studied me for a minute, then nodded, sliding into the space I made, opening my arms for her.

The warmth of her seeped bone deep into me.

I leaned back, gathering her into me. My shoulder ached, taking her weight, but I didn’t care.

The rest of me didn’t hurt an ounce, finally holding her the way I wanted.

“I wish we could sleep together,” I murmured, exhaling in a blast when he stiffed a fraction against me.

“Not—anything specific. Just, sleep. You and me, curled around each other like we did on the drive here. Do you remember?” She made a non committal noise.

Gage was right. I’ve left her alone for too long, thinking she was alright.

I kept stroking her hair, kept talking even though we were both on the cusp of exhaustion.

“Falling asleep on those shitty mattresses, the ones in the highway motels where once we climbed into bed together, we kinda rolled into the middle and couldn't get out of the bed again. Remember those?”

She laughed at my chest. Just a puff of warm air, but it was enough to fracture the tension.

“I remember the place we called the Wobbly Boot. It had that giant shoe on the sign. I don’t know what it was supposed to be.

The foam was so bad to sleep on. And the neighbors yelled when they weren't, um?—”

“Yeah. Um.” I grinned reminiscently.

The room next to us might have been rented by the hour.

I’d been horrified at the time, prepared to move, but were both shattered and so we stuck it out, listening with a sort of horrified fascination to the symphony of fake moans that ran through the usually quiet hours while we were stuck in our truly terrible mattress.

“The next one was better. It was quiet, at least. No hot water.” Cass shivered, pressing her body tighter to mine.

“I mean, if this is the reaction I get from you…” I trailed a hand along her spine and pressed my lips to her ear. “I still want to see this lace top of yours, honey. And you did promise me.”

She shivered again, a ripple that trembled her from shoulder to fingertip in the delicious sort of anticipation that left me semi hard in my jeans.

Hold that thought, honey . We couldn’t get too carried away at the table, but also, I wanted her so damn bad that I’d be lucky to last a handful of seconds at this rate for her.

“Are you ready for bed? I can’t take you up,” I said regretfully.

Cassie straightened, sitting up. Her body pressed against mine. “Maybe we can find a way to spend some time together in the morning?” she suggested. “I can get up early.”

“I’d like that.”

I tipped her head back and grazed my mouth across hers in a barely there kiss that said nothing of what I wanted to do to her.

The room was still occupied, and I knew the talk in the bunkhouse.

I’d prefer it to be about me not getting any than what the boys all wanted to do to Cass—not that I’d never be able to stop that if they started—and refused to add fuel to the rumor mill fire.

“Please,” she whispered to me.

My resolve held firm—just—as I pressed my mouth to hers, drinking in the sugar violets and coffee scent of her that had been desert.

“Soon,” I promised. “Get some sleep, and I’ll talk to Jude, alright, honey?"

Cassie nodded, standing up. At this height, my lips were at the perfect height to reach her bellybutton, if I wanted to lean in and kiss her.

A teasing smile played at the corners of her lips. Damnit, I knew that smile, it usually meant she was going to do something that would get me—or her—or get us into a whole lot of trouble.

“Cass,” I muttered. “This is where I’m gonna hope you’ll be good for me…”

The words barely left my mouth before she grasped the hem of her knitted top thing and yanked it over her head.

And then all I saw was lace, and flesh.

Because that lace top thing underneath the fluffy white thing?

Yeah. It really wasn’t a top at all.

And I was damn glad that half the boys had left for the night.

Because the lace top? It didn’t conceal anything at all.

Long sleeved it might be, the deep V-neck enhanced every curve on her body, from the swell over her shoulders to the curve at her waist. And it sure as hell showed the black bra beneath because the lace was as see through as it came.

“Fuck, Cass,” I cursed softly.

Reverently.

Hell, I wanted to get down on my knees and worship. Just like every man left in the ranch house.

So much for not setting off the rumor mill tonight.

Cass left me speechless as she walked away with a small, secret smile and blew me a kiss before she headed up the stairs I wasn’t allowed to use, and walked away from me for the night.

It was probably for the best. After that show, I wouldn’t have lasted any longer with her than I did on a bull.

And my best time on one of those damn things was two seconds.