Page 30 of Take a Chance (Blue Creek Ranch #1)

“You got the better deal, I think.” I slid my hand a little higher, just to test the waters.

Mal spread his knees a bit. Yeah, he definitely liked my touch.

Which was good, because I was a fan of physical affection.

“And considering Pay’s relationship with his nana, I’m guessing your mom helped out. ”

He groaned, but he was laughing too. “Yeah. Those first few months, especially after Vera left, were rough. I was twenty-one and had no idea what to do with a human baby. Calf or foal? No question. I had it covered. But a baby was something else. Without her, or even my father in the beginning, I would have been lost.”

Which opened the door to something else I’d been curious about since the moment I met him. I debated with myself if I should even ask. After a few seconds, I decided to go ahead and ask, and he could answer if he wanted to.

“You don’t have to share, but what happened with your dad and the farm?”

We’d finished eating by then, and Mal picked up our plates to take them to the sink.

He rinsed them off and headed back to the table.

Grabbing his beer, he held out a hand. I immediately took hold and let him pull me up and over to the couch.

He sat and I did too, making sure I was close but not all out crowding him.

I wanted to pull him into my lap but I didn’t think it was the right time.

The longer he went without answering, the more I thought he wasn’t ready to share. I was dying to know, mostly because it was a piece of him and I wanted all of it. But I wasn’t going to force it. Not tonight, anyway.

“Long story short,” Mal said, his voice low. “He racked up a ton of debt, lied about and hid everything, and then dropped dead. Only then did we find out exactly what state we were in. There was no way for us to keep the herd and the farm.”

I squeezed his shoulder, then slid my hand to the back of his neck and up into his hair. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Thanks,” he said. He blew out a breath and he was back to being tense. I figured that was enough heavy stuff for the night and I wanted to get him back to the comfortable and relaxed Mal he’d been earlier. “How about a movie?”

Mal agreed. We playfully argued about what to watch but eventually settled on an action flick we’d both seen before and liked. It was a good choice because we could pay as much or as little attention to it as we wanted.

We started out just pressed up against each other, my arm around his shoulders.

But as the movie wore on, we were getting closer.

It took me at least half the film to realize that I was adjusting our position.

I’d been doing it subconsciously, really, but he wasn’t protesting.

By the time I actually clocked it, my leg was under one of his and he was snuggled up against my chest. One of Mal’s hands was hanging on to my waistband, fingers tucked against my skin. Not doing anything, just resting there.

I became acutely aware of every point where we touched and I wanted more. I went from rubbing his scalp to gripping his hair gently. Mal sucked in a breath but didn’t move. I tugged and Mal lifted his face.

“I’m gonna kiss you now,” I whispered, lowering my face until my lips were almost touching his.

Mal surged up, taking my mouth in a consuming kiss. He was good at it, but a little frantic, and I wondered just how long it had been since he’d had a good make out session. Our previous kisses notwithstanding. The flare of desire burned hot and I wanted him naked underneath me.

It was too soon for that, so instead, I moved my hands to cup his ass.

He moaned into my mouth and tried to get closer.

I was all for that so I pulled. That was all Mal needed to straddle my thighs.

The position gave him the height advantage and he ground his mouth over mine as though he wanted to crawl inside.

“Remember, all you have to say is no.” My voice came out harsh, gravelly, but I was so turned on I ached.

When I grabbed the hem of his shirt and lifted, Mal tore his mouth from mine so he could whip it off.

He took a few seconds to fight with my shirt, but the moment he managed to get it over my head, he kissed me again.

I was harder than steel and so was he. I wasn’t even sure he was aware that he was rocking against me, practically riding me.

My zipper pressed painfully against my dick and I was sure it had to be the same for him.

But he didn’t seem to care because his hands were all over me.

Shoulders and chest, rubbing my chest hair and tweaking my nipple.

It was like he couldn’t get enough. It was fine with me.

I squeezed his ass and encouraged him to keep rocking.

It hurt and felt so good at the same time.

I wanted to lose our pants, but maybe it was too soon.

I couldn’t remember the last time I’d come with clothes on, if I ever had, but if that’s what he wanted, I’d deal with it. We could clean up after.

Mal let out a frustrated little whine, and I wrenched my mouth away so I could really look at him. He was gorgeous, eyes at half mast, skin flushed, chest heaving. Instead of giving into the urge to press him into the couch, I moved my hands to the front of his jeans.

“I wanna touch you,” I murmured. I rested a thumb over the button so he’d know what I meant.

It took him a second to answer, but it seemed more because he was lust addled and had to parse my meaning more than he was hesitant.

“Christ, me too,” he rasped.

“Get my cock out,” I demanded, immediately undoing his button and zipper. His hands faltered when I reached into his boxers and wrapped my hand around him. The moan that slid out of his throat was decadent and only served to ramp up my want.

Mal’s motions weren’t as smooth as mine, but the second I was free, I breathed a sigh of relief.

I didn’t waste any time, lining us up together.

He was thinner and a bit longer than me, but just as red and weeping.

He stared at our dicks next to each other but when I started stroking, he moaned again and pressed his forehead against my shoulder.

The way his face was tilted, he could be watching.

“Feel good?” I asked, voice breathy. It was all I could do not to come because he felt so damn good.

“Yeah. So good.” He gulped. “Faster.”

I obeyed, pumping fast, squeezing hard. Mal was trembling, but in that way that signaled imminent release.

I suddenly wanted that more than anything.

So I kept it up. As my orgasm gathered in my balls, I latched onto his collarbone, sucking and biting.

Mal whined, and gripped my biceps so tightly I was sure I would have bruises.

That was just fine with me.

“You gonna come, Malachi?” I asked into his skin and then bit down hard. Not hard enough to break skin, but just shy of that. Mal shouted and his dick erupted, which eased the way even further. A few seconds later, I followed him, adding to the mess.

I kept milking until I was sure he was done. When I slowed down and then stopped, just holding us in my hand, Mal all but collapsed against me. He pressed the lightest, sweetest kisses against my sweaty neck and I just held him close, letting him come down.

It took us a few minutes to recover, but when we were both breathing somewhat normally again, Mal let out a weak chuckle. “So, you’re a biter, huh?”

I had to laugh too. “Sometimes, yeah. Sorry about not warning you. Is it a problem?”

Mal inched back, pointedly looked down at the copious amounts of cum all over my hand, our cocks, and our pants. Then slowly panned back up to meet my gaze.

“Apparently not.”

I growled playfully and kissed him hard, then cupped his cheek with my clean hand. “You good?”

He took a second to answer, and I appreciated that, as he really seemed to take stock before he answered. “Yes.”

“Good. Me too.” I kissed him again, this time slow and sweet, before I tipped him off onto the couch next to me.

I told him to stay as I crossed the space to the kitchen sink.

After I washed my hands and cleaned myself up, I grabbed some wet paper towel to bring back to him.

He let me clean him too, though he blushed while I did it, and when I joined him on the couch again, he pushed right into my arms. I hugged him tightly, squeezing too hard, but Mal didn’t seem to mind.

“If I were to ask you to stay, just to sleep, what would you say?”

He was so sweet, and still a bit unsure, but really, I would do anything to spend time with him. I kissed the top of his head and pulled one of his legs over mine.

“I would say that I’d love to. But you better be prepared to be smothered, because I’m an octopus and will wrap myself around you until you can’t move.”

Mal’s sigh was deep and content. “Perfect.”