Page 5 of My Cowboy Date (Lucky River Cowboys #3)

Aspen

I’ve been at work for nearly four hours but I’m finding it difficult to think about anything except what happened between me and Wilder last night. I haven’t seen him yet today and I’m feeling nervous and uncertain.

I wish…hell, I don’t know what I wish. Every time I’d closed my eyes and tried to sleep, I’d recalled his face between my legs and him tongue-fucking me.

Thinking about that makes me get wet. I pick up a piece of paper and fan myself with it but it’s not helping because this heat can only be cooled by one thing.

Or one person rather. No surprise who that might be.

My phone rings and happy for something to distract myself with other than thoughts of Wilder, I answer, delighted to see it’s my sister calling.

“Did you see that comment on your post?” Arizona asks as soon as I answer. She sounds outraged.

“Uh oh. What comment?”

“The one on the picture of you by the flowers.”

“No.” I quickly pull up my social media to check the photo I posted this morning. Underneath it, Peter the cheater had written “Tomorrow is the annual meeting and dance for the Texas Central Rancher’s Association where I’ll give a presentation for the new cattle tagging system I created.”

“You created that tagging system,” Arizona says hotly. “I remember how long you worked on it and how you said you wanted to make it free for ranchers to use so it could help them.”

“It’s just like him to take credit for something I did and try to benefit financially from it.” In the past because I was too blind to see what kind of man my ex truly was, I would have glossed over him stealing what I created. But not anymore.

“Why is he even looking at your social media?”

“I don’t know, but I’m going to that meeting and I’m going to take back what he stole,” I say.

“It’s only for ranch owners and you have to have registered months ago to attend,” she says. “Flint didn’t do that this year.”

“Well ask him if any of his brothers did.”

I hear her speaking to her new husband and then he gets on the phone. “Everything was so hectic at the ranch and due to everything I was handling at the time, I asked Wilder to put his name down.”

“I need to be there,” I say, thinking out loud.

“Then tell my brother to take you. Something tells me he’d jump at the chance,” Flint says with a laugh.

Arizona gets back on the phone and reiterates what her husband said.

“I’m going to talk to Wilder about this,” I say and we make plans to run errands together tonight, then I tell her goodbye and get up to check out the window. I don’t see Wilder or any of his brothers. This is too important to me to wait until one of them comes strolling in later today.

Switching my heels for a pair of sneakers I brought with me, I head outside toward the barn.

A blonde woman is standing by the door gesturing wildly to River.

They fall silent when I approach, then she smiles brightly and greets me. “I’m Courtney, River’s brilliant best friend.”

I start to introduce myself, but she stops me. “Since your sister’s wedding, everyone knows who you are. She broke a lot of hearts when she married Flint.”

“You snooze, you lose,” I quip. “They shoulda put a rope on it.”

She laughs.

“If you’re looking for my brother, he’s rounding up a missing stray. Marshall tried to get it but wasn’t able to,” River says.

“Wilder’s the best at roping,” Courtney says.

“He’s not better than I am.” River frowns and adjusts his Stetson.

I’m surprised at how irritated he sounds. That’s not like him.

A phone alarm buzzes and Courtney sighs as she looks at her phone to dismiss it. “I have to get back to work. I stopped by to check on River’s cock.” She sends him a teasing glance, then looks at the rooster staring up at them beside the barn door. “He’s been sick, and I hope he’s better.”

“My cock is always fine,” River says.

“I wouldn’t know.” Courtney winks at him.

River jerks his chin toward the driveway. “Go. You know how your boss is.”

Courtney makes a face. “She’s a bear, that’s for sure. Alright, alright, I’m leaving. Tell your folks I said hey and thank your dad for the muffins your mama pretended to make.”

They don’t have to explain that one to me. I’ve been here long enough to know that cooking is not what Frances excels at. I smile at that. She’s an amazing woman who’s taken me under her wing and has become a mother figure to me. She has a penchant like I do for loving older music on vinyl records.

I glance over as Courtney’s leaving and notice River never takes his eyes off her. Ah…so it’s like that.

When he catches my gaze, he says, “Wilder won’t be back until late and he left his phone at the house. If you need to talk to him, I’ll lead you where he and Marshall are.”

We saddle up and as I swing onto the horse, River says, “There’s nothing between me and Courtney. We’ve been friends since I came to the ranch.”

“She seems sweet.”

“She is, but she’s a little bit crazy too.” He smiles as he says that.

“And you’re crazy about her.”

He changes the subject, then points off into the distance to our right. “There’s Marshall. Wilder’s gotta be somewhere close. If you’re good, I’m gonna head on back now and finish what I was working on.”

“I’m good,” I tell him.

I’m only waiting a few minutes until Wilder rides into view, his horse galloping after a cow. I can’t take my eyes off him. Off the way he’s swinging the rope over his head, the way he’s leaning forward in the saddle with that muscled body, that handsome face…

Physically, he’s perfect. And he’s got a beautiful heart to match because he’s a good man.

My own heart stirs. He is a good man. The best one I’ve ever known. I count the time when we’re apart because I’m so eager to see him, to talk to him, to laugh with him. My chest squeezes and I’m stunned as my emotions unfold and lay a truth before me. When did I fall for Wilder?

Wilder

I pull back on the rope to bring the runaway cow to a stop and then swing from the horse. “I know you’re worked up, but everything’s okay,” I speak softly to the frightened animal.

“I’ll lead it back. You’ve got company,” Marshall says.

I turn toward Aspen.

She guides her horse closer, and I think about how natural she looks on the horse now versus when she first agreed to my mother’s insistence that she move to the ranch.

Marshall says something to her as he passes and Aspen smiles.

Jealousy curls in the pit of my stomach.

I only want her to smile at me, not some other man.

Then I shake my head at myself. What the hell am I thinking?

It’s not like she’s mine. Technically. Because she sure as hell feels like mine after I tasted her.

“So, I had trouble sleeping last night,” she says as soon as she dismounts. The horse bumps her shoulder, and she takes a step forward.

I stroke its nose softly. “Easy there. Why did you have trouble sleeping?”

“I kept thinking about your mouth on me.”

My cock tightens, stretching insistently, eager to be with her. “Same, except then I woke up.”

She hugs her arms around herself. “I felt bad though after you left without getting relief.”

“Don’t be. I jerked off in the shower,” I tease.

“Oh. Well, then I guess you won’t want what I have to offer.”

I grab her arm as she walks to the horse. “Hold on there, honey. It’s not nice to refuse a kind offer. I’ll take whatever you’ve got.”

She looks around, biting her lip. “I don’t know though…this is kind of open. There’s no privacy.”

I swallow hard. “Privacy for what?”

Aspen lifts her hair off her shoulders and unbuttons the top two buttons of her shirt. “Whew it’s hot.”

“Scorching,” I say, sure that I’m probably drooling.

She unfastens another button. “I could use a swim.” She looks around, shading her hand to scan the horizon. “I don’t see any water near. Oh well.” With a shrug, she mounts her horse, then sends me a wicked grin. “If you can ride fast enough to catch me, I’ll suck you bone dry.”

She’ll suck….

My brain is trying to comprehend what she just said while my cock is screaming go after her!

I leap onto my horse and ride fast and hard, leaning forward in the saddle to take her horse’s reins. I bring it to a stop. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you that you can’t outride a cowboy, honey?”

I dismount and pull her from the saddle to kiss her long and deep, sweeping my tongue into her mouth.

Her shirt gapes and I slide a hand in under her bra to cup one of her tits.

She moans and I get harder.

Then my knees go weak when she cups the front of my jeans, her palm pressing against my needy cock.

I reluctantly stop kissing her. “We’ll get sunburned if we do anything out here.”

“We won’t because I can get that come out of you in less time than it takes to burn,” she says.

“Well, fuck. I’ve always been a fan of efficiency.” I unbuckle my belt, and she lowers my zipper.

I push my underwear down and my cock springs out, engorged and ready.

Aspen sinks to her knees and without hesitation, she takes me in her mouth, her lips closing tightly around the head of my cock.

Shit. That’s good. Her mouth is tight and warm. A fucking dream come true because it’s her. This woman who fascinates the hell out of me.

She sucks, pulling her lips tighter and I reach for her hair, tangling my fingers through it until her hair is wound around them. “That’s it, honey. Take that big cock. Like that…deep…shit…” I thrust my hips into her mouth as the wave begins. “Swallow….”

I groan loudly as I fill her mouth with my load. “Swallow that…oh…honey…” She sucks until I’m spent and once I am, I hold her head as I pull out and trace the tip of my cock around her lips, coating them with my come. “Leave that on. I want to see me glistening on your lips.”

Aspen starts to stand, and I give her a hand up.

She looks at her watch. “Five minutes and thirty-two seconds,” she says with a smirk, dusting the dirt from her knees.

“I’m bringing a condom bouquet when I come to your cabin,” I announce as I put my satisfied cock away.

“Can’t tonight. I’m going out with my sister. But I’m available tomorrow night after you take me to the Texas Central Rancher’s Association.”

“The meeting and dance?”

She nods. “I’ve got to settle a score with my ex there. He’s planning to claim the cattle tagging system I created as his own. It’s probably not that big of a deal. I mean, it’s not like there’s money involved but?—”

I cup her face. “But you created it. It’s yours, not his and I’d say he’s taken enough from you. So take it back.”

She smiles at me like I get her, and I reckon I do. I smile back and I want to tell her what’s going on in my heart but one of my brothers is riding toward us in the distance.

I take the end of my shirt and quickly wipe Aspen’s mouth.

Marshall rides up and waits until Aspen’s gone before saying, “Dad wants us to head over to Butterfly Buck’s and get some tractor parts he has.”

I look around him to watch Aspen. She’s riding away confidently, as beautiful as hell, that woman of mine. And I’m going to make what’s between us a permanent thing because like this land, she’s a part of me that I’m not willing to let go of.