Page 9

Chapter nine

Kneaded beneath your warm palm

Mason

Six in the morning comes awfully early considering I didn’t get back until nearly midnight last night.

I see Lori’s been busy.

There’s a stack of papers on my desk, and the dining room table looks usable without piles of stuff shoved to the side.

Hell, I almost feel guilty opening the refrigerator to grab a handful of cold cuts. I guess I didn’t notice the buildup on the handle until now that it’s gone.

Damn. She’s already made a huge dent.

I’m glad she’s here. The house has always felt a little, well, empty since Carolyn passed.

When Lori is in the room, it’s the first time in a long time that the space feels tiny, almost cramped.

Like I can’t breathe.

There’s a chill in the air as I head to the barn. All this heat that is burning in me forms puffs of steam from my nose, condensing onto the whiskers.

Hank’s ears perk as he pokes his head out of his stall. Curling his lip, his long head bobs up and down with a soft nicker.

“Yea, yea. I know. I didn’t get much sleep either. Today won’t be so late, I promise.” Sliding the bridle over him is a habit we’re both used to.

It doesn’t take long to get him brushed out enough to put his blanket and pad on before the saddle.

“Stop puffing your chest. It doesn’t get you out of work.” Patting his belly, I see when he exhales hard enough I can cinch him tightly.

He knows the tricks, but they don’t work on me.

Caesar trots up just as I’m swinging my leg over.

“It’s about time you woke up, too. Come on, we have work to do.” When I give Hank a light touch of my heels, he canters out of the long barn into the warming morning.

Caesar follows, his tongue lolling with an easy stride.

Ford meets me at the end of the first corral, his dog lying behind him panting on the back of his mare.

He gives me a silent nod and goads his horse to fall in step next to me.

Creaking of leather and the heavy footfalls of the plodding animals are the only things that break up the quiet of the evaporating dew as we head out to paddock number four.

Today the goal is to push in the cattle we brought off the range yesterday to sort through and separate the steers and heifers from this two-year-old set.

At least they’re closer to home.

I’ll have the opportunity to sample another one of Lori’s dinners.

Maybe she won’t be quite as nervous tonight.

But, I do kinda like watching her chew on that bottom lip when she isn’t sure.

Fuck.

My jeans get snug enough that I have to readjust how I sit.

I catch Ford giving me a side glance and do my best to ignore him.

We push to the back end of the massive pasture and pause near the corner of the fence line.

“Left or right?” He leans over his saddlehorn, his gray eyes locked on the milling herd between us and the house.

“I’ll take left this time.” That sends me farthest out, and it’s also the longest route back.

I’m not exactly dreading heading to the ranch. Just trying to minimize my chances of making an ass out of myself with my daughter’s friend.

Ford looks over with one dark brow raised. “You never take that side. What’s up?”

What the hell do I tell him? That I can’t stop thinking about a girl nearly half my age?

“Sophia has her friend staying with her, so I don’t have to hurry back. It’s nice to be outside again.” I lean back and give an exaggerated stretch.

Maybe he won’t remember that we were out pushing these same stock all day yesterday, too.

He squints at me before giving me a small head shake. “A’ight. Whatever you say. Meet you at the yard.” The rings on his hand glints as he points out at the closest steer. “Let’s go.”

His heeler leaps from behind his saddle in a full run and starts making a long circle.

Caesar mimics his movements to the left at my signal.

The dogs practically do everything themselves. They’ve each been doing this for years.

Hell, Caesar is ten, I think? Almost time to get a pup and start training it.

Has it really been that long since Carolyn died? It was right after the crash when I think I got him to give all of us a chance to focus on something else.

He’s just about old enough to retire.

I feel like I’ve been running on autopilot all these years.

When the last of the cattle are pushed into the smaller pen, I cut Hank around the outside and start trotting him back to the barn.

A pert ass in tight jeans sticks out from the side of the heavy railed fence. Lori’s hair looks more golden in the sun.

“Morning, Lori.” I pull Hank to a stop beside her and she turns to look up.

Those green eyes glitter as her full lips form a smile. “Good morning, sir. I hope it’s okay I took a short break to see all of the cows?” Her fingers trail onto the top board before she pulls herself up onto the bottom rung.

It puts her head level with my hips.

I hate where my mind goes.

Leaning across the saddle, I prop my elbow on my knee. “You can take a break whenever you’d like. I ain’t a hard ass.” Giving her a grin, I hope I’m lightening some of the tension that seems to carry an electrical current whenever I’m near her.

“Thanks. What are those guys doing?” She gestures towards where Ford, Trevor and a few others are pushing the herd into single file chutes.

“Separating the steers from the heifers. It’s almost time for breeding for next year.” Why do I feel awkward saying it?

A little pink moves up her throat and that fucking bottom lip rolls between her teeth.

She’s killing me.

Hank tugs on my reins and turns to push on her with his nose.

Her giggle sends a tickle through my belly.

“Can I pet him?” She battles with the horse who shoves his nostrils against her breasts and kneads them with his nodding head.

I’m a little jealous of him.

“Sure. He’s being a pain because we were heading to the barn.” I’m tempted to tug him away, but I’m enjoying watching her leaning into him.

Her fingers creep up his jaw and scratch his ears. “Do they like this?”

For some reason, I figured her being friends with Sophia would have had her part of the rodeo crowd.

“You’ll spoil him.” I could sit all day and watch her eyes closed in bliss, her blond lashes fluttering against her cheeks. “You ever been on one?”

“Um, like riding? No.” Her hopeful green gaze turns up to me, and I know I’m done for.

Tossing my leg over, Hank doesn’t move from where he has his forehead buried against her.

“Want to? Hank is bulletproof.” When I get down, I can see her brows knotting.

“I’m, um. I’m not really sure. Sophia is a seasoned rider and she got hurt.” She steps down from the fence rail and walks gingerly around Hank.

“She was pushing the limits. It isn’t always like that. But, sometimes, you gotta take a little risk for a big reward.” I give her a gentle smile. If she’s like any woman I’ve ever talked to, she probably has been dreaming about riding since she was small.

She rolls her bottom lip between her teeth again and nods.

“So, you’re gonna grab here and here. Put your foot in the stirrup, and lift yourself.” I point to the horn and the back of the saddle, then grab the side of Hank’s bridle to hold him.

He isn’t the spooky type, but he has been known to walk away.

She reaches up and her jeans tighten as she raises her leg.

Shit, I hope she didn’t catch me staring at that snug “V” between her thighs.

Her breasts bounce as she hops on one foot trying to boost herself.

Before I can stop myself, I circle behind her and wrap my hands around her narrow waist. She lets loose a small gasp as I lift her up so she can swing her knee over Hank’s high back.

Her ass looks even better inches from my face.

“He’s so big.” Her emerald eyes widen as she lowers herself onto the worn leather.

It’s going to be difficult to not get hard the next time I’m riding while thinking about her body wrapping around that saddle horn.

Her nails dig in and her knuckles go white as she looks down at me.

“Yes, he is. Try to relax. Once you get used to it, you’ll never want to climb down.” I try to give her an easy smile while all I can think about is being jealous of my horse.

The stiffness in her spine gives way when she sneaks her palm down to pat Hank on the neck.

He nods his long head in response and tries to nibble on my sleeve.

“This is so incredible.” Her flushed cheeks dimple and she sits back, tilting her chin up to let the sun highlight the grin dancing across her full lips.

“Not so bad?” There’s a warm spot in the depths of my belly seeing her this happy.

No. It’s hot. A scorching heat that digs into me and is begging to be quenched.

She takes a deep breath, then slowly exhales. “I could get used to this.” She squints as she glances down, meeting my eyes.

I hold her gaze, enjoying the fuzzy feeling that rushes through my limbs. “I’m sure he’d like that.” Breaking her hold on me takes a feat of will I didn’t know I had.

“Okay, put your feet in the stirrups, and we’ll go for a walk.” I have to do something to work out the energy buzzing through me.

Her toes curl along Hank’s flanks, but she misses threading them through the hollows.

“Here.” Again, I touch her. My hand cups the back of her firm calf and I thread her sneaker into the foothold. “It’s a little long. Just a sec.” Grabbing the belt, I lean against her leg to give the end a tug.

Did I need to press my chest against her?

Fuck, yes. I’m an addict. Every contact sends a thrill through me and I’ll look for any excuse.

A shiver runs like cold water down my back when her fingers rest on my shoulder.

“Thank you for this.” She pulls away and rests her wrist against the saddle.

But, the lingering effects leave me rattled.

It ain’t right.

“Anytime.” Taking Hank’s reins in one hand, I let them droop as I walk ahead at a slow pace.

What the hell am I doing? I should be staying as far away as possible.

Instead, I’m leading her around the yard like a giddy school kid.

Begging for trouble.

I pull open the gate into the round pen and lead them in.

“Here. Hold this one in your right, the other in your left.” I hand up the long ends of the leads to her. “These are how you steer. Hank has a soft mouth—” But, her’s looks like velvet. “—so you don’t have to rank on ‘em. Just nice and easy.” I step back and let her practice. “Like that. You got it. Give him a little tap with your heels, and make him go.”

Watching her tentatively push at him, I can see how timid she is.

There’s a bit of me that wants to wrap her up and protect her from the world.

And another that wants to see just what she can take.

I bet she’s tougher than she looks. I wonder if she likes slow and gentle, or hard and—

God damn, I’m going to hell.

By her third time around, I can tell she’s getting more comfortable and she prods Hank into a faster walk.

Her hips rock with his footfalls.

I’m transfixed watching the rhythmic grinding of her pelvis in the spot I sat just a few minutes ago.

My hands stuff into the snug pockets of my jeans. I sure hope I’m hiding the bulge behind my zipper.

Her sun-kissed hair shines under the mid-afternoon light, and the glow of her smile radiates at me with each pass.

Footsteps crunch in the gravel behind me before the fence rattles.

“I got the tallies, boss.” Ford’s quiet voice barely breaks through my focus on Lori.

“Huh. Alright.” I hold out my palm without turning for him to drop the slip onto it.

The folded paper hits silently before I hear him walk away.

He’s probably wondering what is wrong with me.

I’m doing the same.

After a few more rounds, she figures out how to slow him down and make him change directions. Lori gets him to cut through the center and stops him directly in front of me.

“I need to go check on Sophia. Thank you, Mr. McCullough. This has been something I’ve always dreamed of.” Her white teeth flash in another grin before her pink lower lip darts between them. “But, um. I’m not sure how to get down.”

“The key is to make sure your toe isn’t set deep so you get hung up. But, just swing your leg over and let yourself drop. Hank won’t flinch.” I clasp the base of his neck to hold him firm in the off chance he wants to step.

He’s barely breathing heavily. She’s light work prancing in a circle. Better than my lanky six foot plus. This is gravy duty for him.

“I, uh. Okay.” Her jaw sets, pressing her lips in a determined thin line.

She does have gumption. A trace of steel runs through her.

I’d wager she has a fiery side.

No, don’t think about that shit right now while I’m staring up at her ass rising from the saddle.

Her leg swings over and she lays across the seat, sliding down over the buckles.

“That can’t feel good. You just gotta, well, kinda fall.” My eyes are level with the back of her thighs.

I don’t know if I want to bury my hand or my nose between them.

Neither, asshole.

Stand back and don’t touch.

“Here I go.” Both of her feet are free from the leather and she jumps backwards. Just as her soles hit the earth, her arms pinwheel and she pivots against me, knocking us both to the dirt.

She lands on me, and I instinctively wrap my arms around her to cushion her.

The warmth of her breath washes against my throat as her forehead butts into my chin.

“Shit,” she whispers into my collar before she scrambles to push herself off of me.

She sits fully on my groin in her hurry to get up. As her hips roll, I can feel the damp heat of her through my jeans.

Fuck.

“I’m sorry, sir.” A blush engulfs her cheeks as she backs away.

I hope she didn’t notice how hard she makes me.

My cowboy hat lies in the dirt next to me.

Salvation in felt.

I grab it, and hold it in front of me as I crawl to my feet, making a show of dusting it off in a pale effort to hide my arousal.

Of all the awkwardness I could ever experience in my life, this has to be the top.

“Are you okay?” I croak out, swiping my legs with the wide brim.

“Yes, sir. I didn’t mean to, um…” Her voice trails off.

“You’re fine. He’s a big horse. I usually cheat and use a fence rail.” I try to smile past the heat in my own face.

I’m such an ass for enjoying that moment.

“Thank you again, sir,” she stammers as her eyes flick past me to the house.

“Next time will be easier.” I wave her past me and gather Hank’s reins. “I’ll get him put away.”

She rushes out of the gate, but pauses after a few steps. “I can do this again?” There’s a hopeful tinge to her question.

“I look forward to it.” I push my hat over my head and nod before turning away.

I might even make sure she climbs off in a hole next time, so I’m there to catch her.