Page 29 of Smokin’ Situation (Masked Men of Sage Springs #3)

Tristan

A stream of sunlight arced from the crack between the curtain panels, painting colors across Rhey’s shoulder. Picking up a few strands of silky hair, I traced the streaks of light across her skin, enjoying the way she burrowed further into my chest with a quiet moan.

“You planning to sleep the day away?” I whispered against her forehead, smiling when she mumbled something incoherent into my skin.

“We need to get up, sweetheart. I’m gonna have to do my job at some point today. Those horses won’t exercise themselves, so I need to head to the fairgrounds.”

The quiet exasperated whine that met my ears clued me in that my girl might not be a morning person.

Although, after glancing at the clock on the nightstand, saying it was still morning might be a stretch.

It was nearly ten am, and on any other day I would have been knee deep in horse shit or sweating my ass off somewhere else on the ranch, having been at it for hours.

I guess it made sense that she’d sleep in later, given that the livelihood of a bartender depended on late night drinking habits.

“Rhey, I’m gonna smack that sweet ass of yours if you don’t get moving.”

Her chest shook against mine, her chin tipping up so she could see my face. Her voice was raspy and warm, and as my eyes connected with hers, I felt deep inside my gut that this woman was going to be my everything.

“You think threatening to spank me is gonna get us out of this bed?” she teased.

Shaking my head at the naughty glint in her eyes, I squeezed her tighter, trying to fight off the urge to test it out. My fingers trailed down her back, lingering on the dip of her waist before they moved lower, gripping her ass until she squeaked.

“Then maybe we need to UNO reverse it. I won’t spank your feisty ass when I get you alone tonight if you continue to refuse to get out of this bed.”

“M’not sure I like you right now,” she grumbled, but it turned to a moan as I rolled her backward, pinning her to the mattress.

Her body was soft and warm, and I wanted nothing more than to lose myself in her, but we both had responsibilities, and she had to be sore with all the sex we’d had in the last two days.

“And right now, I’m okay with that.”

After pecking her on the nose, I pushed myself to a seated position, surprised for once that my shoulders didn’t ache like they normally did in the mornings.

There was still lingering nerve pain, but maybe the local lore of the hot springs in this area having healing powers was true.

If that was the case, Rhey and I were going to be making naked hot spring bathing sessions a regular part of our routine.

Shaking my head as I stood, I tried to push back the pessimistic part of me that wondered if maybe things were too good to be true.

I’d been in that honeymoon phase of a new relationship before, completely smitten with a woman until some hidden part of her personality surfaced.

But Rhey hadn’t given me any indications that she hadn’t been truthful to me, already opening up about her life in a way I knew made her feel vulnerable.

“I’m gonna head back to the cabin to change. You wanna come with me?”

She looked adorably rumpled as she sat upright, her hair an absolute disaster. The covers slipped to her waist, and I held back a groan at how sexy she looked, determined to get things done today .

“I don’t have anything I can wear in a barn,” she replied between yawns. “Or underwear.”

“There’s some riding gear in the tack room I can set you up with.

” It kind of blew my mind that some guests just left behind boots and jeans at the ranch because they didn’t use them in their daily lives.

But since Rhey only had the clothing she’d been wearing yesterday, I was thankful for the easy access.

“But you won’t hear me complaining about the lack of panties. ”

I’d have to take her into town for essentials eventually, but I was kind of enjoying staying insulated in our little bubble for now.

If we showed up in town together, the gossip train would inevitably start monitoring our every move.

While I didn’t want to hide her, I also didn’t want to share her just yet.

Especially with my mother and aunt being some of the worst gossips in town.

The lingering smoke from the day before had mostly cleared, making it easier to breathe outside.

Today was going to be a scorcher, the sun high overhead while we walked hand in hand down the trail that led to my cabin.

Rhey had found something a little more ranch hand friendly during our barn excursion with the help of a belt on an oversized pair of Wrangler jeans.

“When do you need to go back to work?” I asked, secretly hoping she wasn’t needed so I could keep her to myself for a while longer.

Not that I was opposed to taking up residence at the bar to keep her company.

I knew she wouldn’t need me there for protection, because she could handle her own, but I wasn’t ready to let her out of my sight just yet.

“I’m not sure. Charley told me she could help cover my shifts, but I don’t want to take advantage. ”

“Sweetheart, you’ve had a shitty few days, take the time to reset if they’re offering it.”

“Yeah,” she sighed, leaning her head against my shoulder as we walked. “I know, but honestly, the distraction might be good. Too much alone time and I know I’ll start dwelling on all the things I’m gonna have to do over the next few months.”

“Even more of a reason to prioritize some time away from everything.”

“I probably need to talk to Reese today. We need to call the insurance company. I wonder if they’ll have opened the roads back up, and…”

Squeezing her hand, I stopped, leaning my head to the side so I could make eye contact.

“It’s gonna be a few days, maybe even a few weeks, before they let you up there.

Even if they’ve got the fire mostly contained, crews are going to need to assess the safety of the roads before they let anyone but emergency personnel past those barricades. ”

“But I know how to…”

“Rhey, no more off-road adventures. I don’t care what shortcuts you think you know. That area isn’t safe right now. I promise once I hear something, I’ll drive you up there myself, but right now, filing insurance reports can wait.”

“I don’t even know where I’m going to live,” she whispered, and I tugged her into my chest, holding her tight.

“I know. I know this is hard, and there are so many unknowns right now, but there are enough people in this town who love you that you’re not gonna have to worry about that stuff.

” She sniffled, nodding against my shirt.

“I’d love for you to stay with me, sans panties, if you want, for as long as you need. ” Or indefinitely.

Pulling back, she swiped at the tears on her cheeks, scanning my face. “Living together already, you sure you’re not gonna get sick of me?”

“Sweetheart, who says I’m not already?” I joked. “You’re kind of a handful. ”

Her eyes narrowed, but a small laugh escaped her lips, so I knew I’d done my job of distracting her.

“Fine. I’ll just go live with Baker and Reese,” she taunted, but we both knew that was the last thing she wanted to do. Especially if her sister and her arch nemesis ended up banging like I thought they might with all the built-up tension.

“Might wanna invest in some earplugs, then. Cause whether they’re fighting or fucking, that apartment of his is not big.”

She sighed loudly, “Looks like I’m on my own.”

Not if I fucking had anything to say about it.

Her somber mood seemed to lift once I’d led her inside my new home.

It wasn’t huge, and definitely needed some work, but it was mine as long as I was at the ranch.

And when I came back out of the bedroom after changing into fresh clothes, the sight of her on my couch, with a paperback open on her lap, just seemed natural.

Like that beat up old leather sofa was just waiting for her.

“Can I use your phone before we leave?” she asked, seeming hesitant. “I need to talk to Reese, but I can see if I can use the one at the lodge if you don’t—”

“You don’t need to ask,” I responded, cutting her off. Picking up the device from the coffee table, I extended it toward her. “Whenever you need it, feel free. We can stop while we’re in town to get you a new phone.”

There was a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes when she took it, and I wondered if there was something deeper to her hesitation.

She slipped out the front door and settled into the lone rocking chair with my phone pressed to her ear.

I was taken aback by how much I wanted more of her.

I had told her she could stay here for as long as she wanted, which appeared to be a temporary offer, but I couldn’t imagine her presence here as casual.

Although, I hoped I wouldn’t be left disappointed if she didn’t feel the same way.

I’d never lived with a woman before, and I knew our schedules would rarely align, however, I couldn’t deny how normal and natural it felt coming “home” to her and curling myself around her last night .

My large frame settled into the spot she once occupied, wanting to feel closer to her in her brief absence. I was lost in the thoughts of a rambling future when she settled on my lap, wrapping her arms around my neck. I didn’t even hear the door click behind her when she came back in.

“So, with the evacuation order still in place and not wanting to put possibly intoxicated people on the roads, Hudson started closing the bar at 8.”

“Probably smart on his part.” The last thing you needed was buzzed tourists getting lost with everything going on.

“And I talked to Reese…”

“Is your sister going to take you from me already?” I asked, nuzzling her neck and earning myself a breathy whimper.

“Not exactly. She wanted to know if we would come with her and Baker to a bar a few towns over for line dancing.”

“Tonight?” While I was not a fan of the idea of sharing her time, I also thought maybe it’d be a break for both of us to get out and focus on something other than our uncertain futures.

And any excuse to put my hands all over her in a sundress was something I’d be on board with.

Which meant a trip into town was in order sooner rather than later.

“Yeah, I guess a group of guys from the firehouse that aren’t on duty are going, and Baker is making her since the hospital took her off the call list. She was pissed they’re making her take off until her shift on the fourth for the holiday.”

I’d seen something mentioned this morning in the group text Baker had added me to when I started at the station, but I hadn’t really been paying attention when I’d checked my phone earlier.

“We don’t have to go if dancing isn’t your thing, but Reese didn’t want to go alone and…”

“Then I guess we’d better get moving, since you’re going to need something to wear.” Kissing the side of her neck, I enjoyed the way she seemed to melt into my touch. “Because you’re going to put on a sexy dress for me if we’re going dancing.”

“I am?” she asked, her voice breathy .

“Mhmm,” I hummed against her soft skin. “You won’t wear panties again… And when we get home, I’m going to be so desperate for you after watching that tempting body of yours move all night that I’m gonna bend you over the railing on that porch.”

“Then what are you going to do?” Her chest heaved as she squirmed in my lap, and I wasn’t sure if I could hold out until tonight.

“I’m going to draw up the back of that dress and slip inside you bare…”

“Uh huh…”

“And I’ll fuck you deep and slow until you’re so wet it drips down your thighs.”

“Mmm…”

“And when you come, the stars in the sky won’t be the only ones you see.”

She let out a heavy breath, fisting my collar tightly as she tilted her head to look in my eyes. “You promise?”

“Fuck yes, sweetheart. Now gimme a kiss so we can get going. Then you can torture me by making me watch you try on dresses while I try to fight the urge to fuck you in a public dressing room.”

She laughed, shaking her head before doing what I asked, her lips eager as she kissed me breathless.

“But just so you know, it’d be worth it to get arrested for public indecency.”

And that was the problem, I knew it would be. Keeping myself in check all night was going to be next to impossible, but I was going to try, because my girl needed a night out to distract her from everything that had been going on.