Page 6 of Fires Creek

Teddy Carter was fucking delicious. He’d been eye-fucking me since I got here. I won’t lie, the attention didn’t bother me in the slightest.There was something about him that drew me in. Like I was being involuntarily pulled to him or something.

We let the silence linger for a moment, before Jonas pointed towards the house, gesturing for me to follow. He led the way and held the door open for me; Teddy followed close behind. I could practically feel his eyes lingering on my ass as we made our way into the kitchen.

Huge mosaic tiles lined the splashback, meeting the deep wood-grained benches that occupied the space.

There were empty bottles of bourbon and whiskey stacked in one corner, alongside several packets of cigarettes.

The kitchen adjoined a large, cosy-looking sitting room that felt like it was pasted straight out of a Country Living catalogue.

I was actually surprised at how beautiful the Manor was considering it was run by two gruff cowboys.

Jonas sighed, pulling a bottle of Maker's Mark from the bar.

He pulled out three crystal glasses, stopping to gaze in my direction, before pouring the malt liquor into the glasses before him and sliding them down the bench towards Teddy and me.

He filled his own glass, raising it to us in a single nod, before downing the contents in one gulp.

Jonas topped up his glass, and Teddy flashed me a wicked grin before quipping to him, “Well, since she’s the boss around here now, maybe we should teach her how to work .” His voice was gravely and thick with lust as he wiggled his eyebrows.

“Knock it off Teddy, she wanted a job and a home, not a fucking venereal disease,” Jonas growled, pouring us another round.

“I will have you know, dearest Joney, that I am a fucking saint,” came Teddy’s reply.

He flopped himself onto the worn, leather armchair in the corner of the room and pulled a pack of cigarettes from his top pocket, along with a gold engraved lighter.

He sparked his cigarette and took a long, deep drag.

His expression calmed as he inhaled the tendrils of smoke.

“Yeah, and I am Hugh fuckin’ Jackman,” Jonas replied, a deep, warm laugh seeping from his mouth.

He shook his head, looking down at his empty glass, and mumbled something incoherent.

Then, he turned on the heels of his well-worn boots and made his way to the matching leather armchair in the sitting room, sighing again as he settled into it.

“So, what brings you to Fires Creek? And why’d you buy the farm? ”

“It’s kind of a long story. My mum died, and I just got out of a really intense relationship. Apparently, I make interesting life choices after a bottle of wine,” I replied, sheepishly.

“Well, River,” Teddy purred. “I, for one, am so glad we have a fresh face in this place. I get sick of looking at Jonas’s ugly mug every day.

” He took a long sip of whiskey and another drag of his cigarette.

As he ran his fingers through his hair, a devilish grin crept over his mouth, and his eyes never left mine.

We sat there for a while, drinking and talking.

The boys told me what I was in for, assuring me they’d ‘show me the ropes’.

Jonas recounted a typical day, explaining how the feed cycles worked, which stock belonged in which paddock.

He even went as far as to give me a rundown of the neighbours and made sure I knew the ins and outs of small-town politics.

According to the boys, our neighbour, Brenda Hartford, was around once a week to check on the cattle she was agisting here and usually came bearing casseroles.

I could listen to Jonas read me a phonebook, honestly. His voice was so soothing, so familiar. It didn’t hurt that he was fucking delicious either. What was in the water in this place? Did hot, charming cowboys grow on trees here? Get it together, woman.

“So do you guys come up to the main house often?” I asked, taking another sip of my drink.

“Come up here? Peach, we live here.” Teddy stated.

“You fucking what?”

“The Manor, we live in it. I have since I was born,” Jonas offered, an oddly sombre expression washed over his face.

“The previous owner was never here, so when my dad, Frank, was hired as Foreman, our family were given the house. When my parents adopted Teddy, he moved in too. My family has been here for over 50 years,” Jonas continued.

“So… we’re technically housemates?” I asked. At this point, what the fuck else was I supposed to do? Kick them out? Sure, that’d go down well.

Teddy’s eyes lingered on me as he quietly sipped his whiskey. The way his full lips curled over the ornamental glass sent pools of heat to my core. This man was somehow both adorable and devastatingly sexy.

“Is that a problem for you, River Carlisle?” Teddy questioned, each word enunciated slowly. It felt more like a challenge than a question. The way my name fell from his lips was dizzying. Alright, Theodore. Game on, let’s play.

“Only if you promise to be a good boy, Theodore.” I let the words drip slowly from my mouth, careful to leave him right on the edge, exactly where I wanted him.

He smirked in approval, leaning back in his chair and resting his boots against the firm, oak table before him.

The dark brown leather of his boots was coated in dust and worn at every angle.

Scuff marks covered the heel entirely, and the stitching was coming away towards the toe.

They were beautiful, like their wearer. A large, flashy belt buckle with a gold longhorn peeked from beneath the fabric of his shirt, which was lazily tucked into one side of his jeans.

As the night went on and alcohol consumed me, the more I wished they’d show me their ropes - or tie me up in them. Knock it off. I cannot be having these thoughts. I am their boss, for God’s sake.

“You need to learn how to ride a damn horse!” Teddy slurred, leaning forward and winking at me.

“I can ride a horse, thank you very much. It’s just… been a while.”

“Well, you might be able to ride a horse, sweet cheeks, but can ya’ ride a cowboy? YEEHAAAW!” He yelled, standing to his feet and thrusting his hips wildly. Idiot.

“Fuck me dead, Teddy, give her a break.” Jonas sighed, throwing a pillow towards him and shaking his head. “Sorry, River,” he offered.

“I’m a big girl, Jonas. I think I can handle a cowboy, or two. Although, I’ve never had my very own before.” I giggled, my teeth sinking into my lower lip ever so slightly as my eyes met his.

Jonas’s cheeks flushed crimson, his hand raised as if he was going to speak, but the words never came. Nothing to say, hey? You aren’t like your brother then.

“Alright boys, I’m just gonna go get my stuff and unpack. It’s almost dark out, and this storm seems to be setting in.” I confidently pressed my hands against my skirt as I stood up, downed my drink, and gathered myself to leave.

I made my way through the cosy, rustic halls of the Manor, soaking in the intricate art that lined the walls.

There’s stunning landscape paintings of galloping horses and rolling hills, and I spotted an old photo of Teddy standing in some sort of pen, next to a gigantic bull.

He had a satisfied smile plastered across his boyish face.

A thick, bronze plate adorned the frame reading: ‘Theodore James.14y/o Novice. 1 st Place Professional Bull Riding, Wattle Ridge.’ I couldn’t help but smile.

Even as a teenager, he still had that same cheeky look about him.

The storm was rolling in fast, and the crisp air bit at my face as I stepped outside.

The flood lights shone over the manor, casting thick, ominous shadows across the yard.

I hadn’t realised that Teddy followed me out to the car until he cleared his throat behind me.

I turned to see a crooked smile creeping across his mouth.

He propped an arm against the roof of my Mini Cooper and leant into me, his smokey eyes dancing as they met mine.

“You need some help there, Peach?”

“What’s with the Peach shit?” I asked. An overwhelming, gravitational pull stopped me from looking anywhere but his eyes. His smoky, green eyes. I was fucked.

He moved in closer, the whiskey lingering on his breath, intoxicating me as he invaded my space and murmured slowly.“I like it. It suits you. Peach, like your pretty, pink, cunt.”

He didn’t wait for me to reply. He just winked at me and opened the door, revealing my things packed neatly in the backseat. This man was absolutely gorgeous, and, apparently, that meant I had forgotten how to breathe. Or, you know, be normal.

“What’s the matter, River? Ain’t never let a cowboy get under your skin?” he asked, smirking as his eyes darkened.

“And what makes you think that you are going to get under my skin, Theodore?” I replied, pressing myself against him ever so slightly.

His eyes twinkled and tiny flecks of brown danced around his pupils, enhancing the iridescent shade of green that lay beneath them as they bore into me with the question, and I cocked my brow up in a challenge.

That was clearly all the invitation he needed. His hands slid through my hair, as he plunged his tongue into my mouth. He tasted like whiskey and cigarettes. “God, you taste so fuckin’ good, darlin’,” he moaned into me.

I don’t know if it’s all the shit that happened the last few years – or if I just needed to get laid – but I had no intention of stopping this man.

The clouds grew darker behind us as our mouths crashed together fiercely, hungrily.

He wrapped his hands around my thighs, sliding them up my ass as he lifted me around his waist, never breaking our kiss.

My skirt rode up my thighs, and his erection pressed against my core.

He swirled his hips and ground into me, the car providing the perfect balance for friction.

“Mmm, sweet girl,” his gravelly voice beckoned me as he stroked the hair from my cheek. He pressed his rough lips to my throat and sucked on my tender flesh, hard enough to mark me with his touch. I was absolutely feral for this man.

“God, Teddy, yes!” I panted against his shoulders.

He quickened the pace of his grinding hips, and I slipped my hands between us. Fumbling with his ostentatious belt buckle, I flicked the clasp open and yanked at the button of his jeans. Pulling his belt out of the loops and discarding it on the dirt driveway, I pressed my mouth back to his.

He winced as the belt hit the dirt with a thud before pulling his lips from mine and groaning, “Ugh, be gentle with her.”

“Her?” I asked.

“Traditionally, one doesn’t throw a man’s belt in the dirt, Peach.”

“Shit. Sorry.”

He growled and his mouth again met mine in a kiss that was hungry and demanding. There was nothing soft or gentle about how this man was claiming me.

“Wait, are we really doing this?” I asked. Pausing for a moment to assess the situation I had somehow found myself in: mere hours after arriving at this place I was face battling a fucking cowboy in the driveway.

As if reading my mind, Teddy asked, “If ‘by doing this’ you mean are you dry humping a near stranger against your car, in a driveway, in a storm, then, yeah, I guess we are.” He almost kissed me again, but paused. “Wait, do you want me to stop? You seemed like yo?—”

“Fuck no” I replied without letting him finish, returning my mouth to his as he pressed his length against my throbbing pussy. With my thighs wrapped tightly around his hips, Teddy started to carry me back towards the house.

“I need to taste you, Peach,” he moaned into me, kissing me deeper.

Teddy walked me straight to his room and threw me on his bed, ripping my skirt from my body before nestling between my thighs and plunging his tongue into my centre.

He moaned against my apex, lapping at me hungrily as his hands gripped my hips, driving them towards his waiting mouth.

He licked up my heat, stopping at my clit and taking it between his lips, sucking hard.

Teddy’s fingers dug into my flesh, hard enough to bruise.

One hand slipped between my legs, and he shoved two fingers into my greedy cunt.

I writhed against his touch and his mouth, clutching his hair as he devoured me.

My hips bucked in time with his fingers as they plunged inside me.

I cried out as my pleasure took over me.

I felt the familiar urge deep in my core, and before I had time to warn him, my pussy erupted and covered him in my pleasure.

I couldn’t help but giggle as he drowned in my arousal. Good boy.

Teddy pulled his mouth from me, a wicked smile took over his glistening face as he breathed, “My fucking God, she squirts. Oh, Peach, you’re so wet. So perfect. ” He moaned, licking up my centre one last time before his eyes darkened and he stood, letting his tall frame loom over me.

“Now, show me how pretty that mouth looks wrapped around my cock.”