Page 31 of Rancher’s Strength (Flying Diamond 5, #4)

Chapter Twenty-Six

RYDER

W e rode through the valley in groups to make sure the cows looked good.

Sawyer hopped up with me, and Linc took Ruby with him.

Laughter never stopped with these two kids, and I loved watching them explore all the things I’d taken for granted after all the time I’d been doing this.

Tomorrow was going to be a long day, with an early start and a late night by the time we got the cows back home.

But these were the days that created lasting memories.

A blazing fire crackled and popped, sending sparks shooting into the air, and I watched them fall as I waited for Lexie to come sit with me.

The night had cooled off more than I’d expected, but the fire managed to keep the chill away.

Lexie took a seat beside me and reached for the cup I’d poured whiskey into.

“Kids go down?” I asked quietly as I wrapped my arm around her shoulders, and she snuggled into my side.

“Yeah, they were exhausted. We’ll be lucky if they’re up on time tomorrow.” She laughed quietly. Stealthily, she reached over, took the cup from me, and sipped the amber liquid. With her face illuminated by the fire, I couldn’t help but chuckle at the not-so-innocent look on her face.

Stories around the fire were one of my favorite times during the fall roundup. You’d think we’d been together so long that we’d know all of them by now, but the guys still managed to pull out some new ones.

“She still does it,” Linc said with a chuckle as he looked at Lexie and me.

“What are you talking about?” I asked, tightening my arms around my wife.

“You were telling a story. She snuggled into you and fell asleep almost instantly.”

“I’m not asleep,” she mumbled as she shifted closer to me.

“And it’s really hard not to when I’m so cozy.

” Laughter filtered around the fire. Something had changed over the last few days, and the guys were much more at ease around Lexie.

It was closer to how it had been the first time around when they’d welcomed her with open arms. Kipp and Nash had grown up with her, and I knew how they treated her when she came back hurt.

Whatever happened earlier in the ride between her and Fallon had melted the ice that had formed between them. This was how life was supposed to be.

“We never made it through anything without her falling asleep,” Nash added, glancing over at Fallon and smiling at her. “Lex, what was your excuse for always falling asleep?” he asked, trying to hold back his laughter.

“I told you I’m too cozy. And I mean, who wouldn’t be?

I’m wrapped up by this big bear whose body temperature runs fifty degrees too hot, and when he puts his arm around me, I’m at home.

” My heart stopped as she said the words, and I felt her hold her breath.

Had she just said I was her home? Was it part of the act, or had she really meant it?

“It’s one of the things I missed the most while we were apart.

” Lexie looked up at me through sleepy eyes and smiled.

I leaned back against the log, pulling Lexie to me.

When the day caught up with everyone and they slowly wandered to their tents, it was just the two of us in the glow of the fading fire. “Since we’re alone now,” she whispered as she moved out of my arms and shifted to straddle me. Lexie sat on my lap and wrapped her arms around my neck.

Slowly, I dragged my hand up her back and tangled my fingers in her hair as I brought her head toward mine.

With a slight tilt of her head, she brushed her lips against mine and then smiled as I kissed her.

Wrapping my arm around her waist, I shifted her body so she was flush against me.

But I couldn’t help letting my fingers go lower, feeling her firm ass beneath her jeans.

She squealed, then quickly bit down on her lip, looking up at me. “Ryder, we’re in public.”

I laughed but kept my voice low as I whispered in her ear.

“Sweetheart, there’s no one else around.

I don’t force anyone to leave their tents.

” I didn’t wait for her response as I took my free hand, trailing it up on her shirt, feeling the lace of her bra underneath my fingertips.

She gasped as my thumb brushed over her nipple, already peaking and ready for me.

“Ryder,” she breathed but didn’t stop me.

I used one hand to rub her full breast, the other still tangled in her hair, but slowly freed my hand from her tangled hair and ran my fingertips over her shoulder, down her breast, cupping it in my palm before dragging my hand to the front of her jeans.

I could feel her warm pussy even through the fabric, and I popped open the button on her jeans.

I’d never been so glad she didn’t wear a belt.

She kissed me hard, moaning into my mouth as she pushed her pussy against my hardening cock, as if she couldn’t wait to get off on it.

I was ready to oblige my needy wife, but it would be my fingers first. Unzipping her pants and slipping my hand between her skin and panties, my fingers found an already very wet pussy. She gasped into my mouth, trying to keep quiet but failed miserably when I pressed on her clit.

I grinned, giving her one last quick kiss before removing my hand and lifting her off my lap.

Pulling her jeans down, I needed more access than leaving them at her knees.

“Take them off,” I whispered huskily. There wasn’t any need for acknowledgment other than her standing and stepping out of her pants.

Shifting, I lay flat on the ground and motioned for her to approach me. “Sit on my face,” I growled.

“No, not out here,” she whispered.

“Wife, I told you to sit your fucking pussy on my face. Now.” I snapped my fingers, and she looked around into the darkness, realizing I wasn’t joking.

Even if someone walked out of their tent, we’d be ignored.

Not a single word would be said to her about it.

Now, if it was just us guys, I’d never hear the end of it—but I didn’t care. I was about to eat out Lexie.

Lexie stepped over my legs and lowered herself onto her knees. “God, I love when you kneel for me,” I said as I ran my hand up her bare legs and helped her shift above me. I knew she wanted this as much as I did.

I wrapped my arms around the back of her legs and opened her wet folds. “Ryder,” she gasped but didn’t stop me, her fingers going to my hair, tugging it lightly as I blew over her clit, just before my lips met her warm pussy.

I started sucking gently, but this wasn’t going to last long, I wanted to devour her and taste her on my lips for the rest of the night.

“Ryder, you need to stop, I heard something.” But her words were in direct contrast to her body.

She lowered herself further onto my face and moaned.

God, the sounds she makes have my cock hard as iron—and being confined is getting more painful by the second.

Lexie might have wanted to stop, but once I hooked a finger inside of her, rolling my tongue in the same rhythm, all of that went out the window as she bucked her hips to meet my awaiting face.

She arched her back and shifted her pelvis, trying to get closer to me.

She struggled, trying to hide her moans so we didn’t wake everyone else up, but as her thighs shook around me, I knew she was close to exploding.

Quickly, I pulled away as she let out a deep breath.

“What are you doing?” she asked, almost growling with frustration.

With a quick movement, I moved her off me and stood up before offering her my hand.

Pulling her up to my side, I gave her a lingering kiss.

She’d confessed to me one time, years ago, that there was nothing hotter than me lazily kissing her after I’d had my mouth on her.

So, I drew the kiss out as her racing heart pounded against my chest. “Let’s get in the tent so I can fuck you properly.

” She bent down and grabbed her jeans, panties, and boots as I pulled her toward the tent.

We fumbled in a flurry, throwing our clothes off between kisses.

Thankfully, she didn’t have much left on, but I made the rookie mistake of not taking my boots off before I pulled down my jeans, and now I was stuck, ready to topple over.

Ripping my mouth from hers, I pulled off my boots and freed my legs.

Lexie lay on the sleeping bags while I tried to get undressed.

Neither of us turned on the lantern. When I stood over Lexie, the glow of the moonlight came in from the slightly open tent door, and she looked even more beautiful this way.

The light highlighted her smile and her gorgeous breasts as she waited for me.

“Spread your legs,” I demanded, and she slid them across the nylon material, allowing me access to her wet pussy. Dropping to my knees, I leaned over her, my cock pinned between us, making me ache to make the small shift and dive deep in her.

Gripping onto her hips, I guided myself inside of her, letting her get adjusted to my size as she moaned softly, her hands on my chest to steady herself.

Her beautiful tits were right in my face, and I couldn’t help letting my tongue swirl around one hardened bud then the other.

She moaned, thrusting against me, moving so perfectly.

“Did you actually mean you were home?” I asked while we both remained still.

“What are you talking about?” she asked, trying to wiggle her hips, but I held her firmly.

“Out at the fire, when you were in my arms, you said you were home. Did you mean that?” Grinding into her, I needed to know her answer.

“Yes, Ryder, you’re my home. You’ve always been my home. The kids, you, me, and all of us together are where I’m meant to be. Forever.”

Forever. She was mine. I looked into her smiling face and grabbed her ass, guiding her movements—slow, then fast— as I leaned down and circled my tongue over her peaked nipples, keeping time with the rhythm of her hips.

With every thrust, a piece of my heart mended. The hurt between us floated away like the embers from the fire drifting toward the sky before burning out.

“I’m trying to be quiet, but you’re making it hard,” she whispered.

“I can’t help it when you’ve made me so fucking hard,” I growled, my fingers digging into the meat of her ass as I spread her cheeks, letting her fully take my cock.

She gasped again, looking down so our eyes met in the moonlight.

I kissed her, swallowing her moans as I fucked her harder, taking every inch of her wet pussy.

The sound of our sex echoed in the tent, and I thought she would stop me, but instead, she kissed me harder as her body shook hard, her wetness dripping down my balls. Fuck, I loved when she did that.

I sat up slowly, pulling her so she sat on my lap, her breasts bouncing between us as I continued thrusting in her, using my grip on her ass to move her beautiful body against mine.

“Oh, Ryder,” she moaned into my mouth.

I loved the beautiful sounds she made for me. I could have fucked her all night long. Being connected with her was so fucking beautiful. Hearing her say my name over and over drove me wild, sliding her down so her back was on the sleeping bags, our bodies still connected.

I didn’t even have to say a word, and it was like we knew each other’s next moves as she lifted her legs, pressing her ankles against my shoulders.

“Fuck, baby,” I murmured, sliding my hand between us to massage her clit with my thumb as I rocked my body against her.

“That’s it. I feel you, come for me again. Come all over this big cock,” I growled.

She grasped the back of my thighs as I slammed into her, filling her up to the hilt as she practically melted into the sheets.

I wanted to hear her cry out my name again. I needed it.

“Come on, sweetheart. Say my name,” I murmured, leaning as close as possible to her.

“Ryder…Ryder…RYDER,” she practically screamed, clamping down hard on her bottom lip as she came all over my cock, the wetness soaking into the sleeping bags below us.

“Fuck, Lexie,” I growled, only taking a few more pumps before I spilled into her, her wet pussy milking every last drop before I collapsed onto her sweaty chest, peppering her nipples with light kisses.

We stayed together like that, our bodies still connected as I continued to give her lazy kisses over her sweaty skin. It could have been minutes or hours before Lexie finally spoke. “Do you think the others heard us?”

I laughed. “I hope so. Then everyone here knows that you’re mine.”