Page 15 of Lasso Lovebirds (Rainbow Ranch #4)

beau

After a nosy dinner with our ranch family, I was ready to escape with Sky. We stepped out into the cool night, the front door slowly swinging shut. They went to the railing and leaned over it, looking up at the stars.

“We don’t have to go stargazing if you don’t want to,” I said. “But I do have the truck, and it’s beautiful out here.”

“I’d love to,” they said. “Do we need anything?”

“No, I already packed everything,” I said softly.

Sky turned to face me, their cheeks dimpling as they offered a shy smile. “So you already packed everything, but still gave me the opportunity to back out of it?”

I took a step closer. “I like being prepared,” I murmured. “And I wouldn’t want you to do anything you aren’t comfortable with. Ever.”

“Well, I want to go stargazing with you, Beau. Really.”

I smiled and offered them my hand. They slid theirs into mine, their palms smooth against my calluses. “Let’s go.”

“What about Pris?” they asked.

“Well, the agreement we came to is that we’ll spend time tonight together. Then maybe at some point the two of you can. And then maybe the three of us can . . .”

Their breath hitched as I led them down the porch steps to the gravel, leading them to the garage where my truck waited, all packed up.

“I like that,” they said, and then let out a soft chuckle. “Not one bed, but one truck, huh?”

I grinned. “Well, truthfully, I think this truck has seen the most action out of any of us. It’s just good to drive out. And nothing beats a clear spring night in Oklahoma.”

“I believe it,” they said.

My truck was my pride and joy, and far too big for its own good. I opened up the door for Sky, and before they could start climbing up, I lifted them into the front seat.

“Whoa,” they laughed, their hand curling into my shirt and tugging me forward.

Our lips met in a heated kiss. I melted against them on a soft moan.

“I’ve been thinking about you all day,” I whispered.

“I’ve been thinking about you, too,” they said.

The three of us were moving fast. Maybe a little too fast for a lot of people, but it felt right. And I was going to claim every moment I could with Sky, especially if they were going to leave.

Sky pressed their forehead against mine, and then gave me a gentle pat on the chest.

“We better get going,” I mumbled.

“Yeah,” they whispered. “We have stars to look at, huh?”

I chuckled and shut the door, going around to the driver side. I got in and cranked on the engine, the truck roaring to life. I glanced back at the house as I drove down the road that stretched across the entire ranch.

An easy silence settled between the two of us, and I knew we were both lost in our thoughts.

I wondered what they were thinking about, though.

Headlights beamed, casting light over the gravel road and fields.

“How did you end up running a ranch?” Sky asked softly.

I cleared my throat, thinking about where to start.

“Well, the four of us have lived here our entire lives. I always knew I was going to end up running it, and always wanted to. It always felt right for me, you know?” I breathed out slowly, my hands tightening on the steering wheel.

“Our parents passed away in a wreck about seven years ago, leaving the four of us. It was hard. We were broken. But we still had each other, and I know they’d be proud of what we’ve done with the place since then. ”

“I know they would be, too,” Sky said. “It’s something special, Beau. It really is.”

I glanced over at them and smiled, then veered off the road into the grass toward the middle of the field. There was a spot that was slightly elevated and would give us the best views, along with the privacy we wanted.

Sky rolled down the window and leaned their head out as I slowed looking up at the stars. They let out a breathless sigh. “It’s gorgeous.”

“Just you wait,” I said.

I stopped the truck in a spot where the grass was already smoothed down. It was the spot to stargaze and over the years, the earth had trained itself to the dent of our tires. My boots hit the ground as I hopped out and opened the back door.

A couple quilts, a couple pillows, and a packed bag full of other necessities in case we ended up having sex. And while I wasn’t a fool—I knew we’d probably end up exploring each other’s bodies—that wasn’t the entire goal here.

I wanted to treasure every sweet moment with them I could.

Although sex would be good, too . . . Between Sky and Priscilla, something had awakened deep inside me, and my thirst was unquenchable. I had a feeling the only thing that would satiate me was being with them together, at the same time.

Because how could I not want either one of them? Sky and Priscilla were both perfect. My thoughts have been filled with them every waking moment over the last week.

I had a feeling that after tonight, I’d never go another moment without them on my mind.

Sky jumped out of the truck. “Need help with anything?”

“Nope,” I said. “I’ll get it set up.”

I tossed everything into the bed of the truck and climbed up with practiced ease, kicking my boots off and setting them on the ledge.

The truck bobbed as I spread out the blankets, moving back and forth as I made us a little bed.

Sky watched with a sweet smile, resting their forearms on the ledge next to my boots.

“You’re cute when you’re flustered,” they said dreamily.

I laughed, shooting them a hungry look. “Who’s submissive here?”

They grinned. “Oh, definitely me. Doesn’t mean I can’t tease you, though.”

“True.” I finally had the blankets and everything set up the way I wanted. I reached down and grabbed the latch to the tailgate, patting the metal. “Come on up.”

Sky went around to the gate and I held out my hand, helping them up. They kicked off their shoes and crawled in, settling down on the blankets and sitting cross legged.

Their head tipped back as they looked up at the stars, their expression bringing me pure joy.

“Wow,” they whispered. “This is amazing, Beau.”

My heart thundered in my chest. There was just something about them. Their kindness. Their strength. Their bravery. I wanted to spend all my time getting to know them.

Sky grinned as I settled down next to them, and reached out to cup my face.

I drew them in for a kiss. It was sweet at first, gentle and timid. They let out a soft hum, their tongue swiping over mine before they released a heavy sigh.

“You okay?” I checked in.

“Oh yes. Just never thought there'd be a day where I ended up in the back of a truck with a cowboy while stargazing.”

I chuckled, leaning back and stretching out. I put the bag to the side, and they raised a brow, nodding their head toward it.

“What's in there?”

“Well . . . I brought some items in case we have sex. But just in case. There’s no pressure, of course.”

“ Oh. ” Their head tossed back on a laugh. “Beau, you know how bad I want you, right? We don’t need to dance around wanting each other.”

Oh. Good thing it was dark outside, because they probably couldn't see me blush so hard I was certain my face was the color of a ripe tomato.

I laid my hands beneath my head, turning my attention to the vast skies above us.

They settled down next to me, their head resting on my arm as they looked up.

“Amazing,” they whispered. “I love it out here.”

I smiled as I took in the views. It’d been a long time since I’d taken a few moments to appreciate the world around me in this way. The galaxies above us swirled in a vast sparkling tapestry, reminding me of how small we were in the universe.

And how damn lucky I was.

This far out, we didn’t have the light pollution many cities and towns had. We didn’t have anything obscuring the view. It was just land and night and humans and animals and everything between.

It was just me and Sky.

“I see the Big Dipper,” they murmured.

“Show me.”

They pointed, guiding my gaze to the cluster.

“So it is,” I said, spotting the famous ladle.

“And then there’s Canes Venatici, right under the Big Dipper handle . . .” They moved their hand, pointing out another group.

“You know a lot about stars.”

“I know a lot about useless things,” they chuckled. “But I don’t know. Maybe it’s in my name, but I’ve always liked looking up.”

I reached up, slowly curling my hand around theirs. “I don’t think anything you know is useless.”

Their fingers intertwined with mine. I brought them down to my lips, gently pressing a kiss on top of their knuckles and noting there were a couple scratches.

“What happened here?” I asked curiously.

“Oh, it’s from working in the garden,” they said. They rolled over, resting their arms and head on my chest as they looked at me. “Maybe I’ll eventually have rough hands like you, cowboy.”

I smirked. “Maybe. If you stick around, you sure will.”

Their grin softened. “We’ll see. I like the idea of it. It’s hard to want to leave when everything feels so nice here.”

“You’re always welcome,” I whispered. “Always.”

“Thank you. I want to know . . . about your kinks. Or whatever you’re into. What you want.”

“Well,” I blew out a long breath. “I should make a laundry list of them, huh?”

They chuckled. “Not a bad idea.”

“I’m a switch,” I said. “Although I don’t think I’ve ever submitted to a partner until, well . . .”

I cleared my throat, but Sky snickered. “Until Pris? Lucky man.”

“I do feel lucky.” Once again, my cheeks were hotter than two cast iron skillets. “Um . . . but, well, I love giving and receiving praise. Can’t say I like degradation. But I love submission. I love playing with rope, too.”

“All that knowledge of lassos . . .”

“Yup. Comes in handy.”

“I bet Pris would have you tie me up and take me.”

Damn. I let out a low growl. “I bet she would . . . I also enjoy spanking, gags, maybe even some wax play. I have a few candles that are safe for the skin that would be fun to play with.”

“I love wax play,” they breathed out. “It puts me into such a submissive headspace. It’s like I’m floating in the clouds.”