Page 19 of Till The Cows Come Home

Chapter Sixteen

Sage

T he sweet mix of Miles supporting me through an evening with my parents and the edge smoothing wine had me lowering my barriers.

I appreciated wading through whatever this was, reins firmly in my hand, but I couldn’t help the thoughts that ran through my head, urging me to find out what would happen if I just let go.

As soon as the words left my lips, a shiver of nerves vibrated across my skin, anticipating whatever was going to happen next.

Miles' feet planted firmly on the deck, bringing the swing to an abrupt stop, and the sudden force propelled me forward until my ass was at the edge of the bench. I sucked in a breath, bracing for what I expected to be a passionate impact, but he just stood, holding out a hand.

“Stand up, sweetheart.”

Obeying, I stood on unsure feet, and as soon as I reached my full height, his hand met my neck, cupping it gently until his lips met mine.

The kiss had started as our previous, slow and gentle, but instead of waiting for my lead, he took charge, skirting his tongue across my bottom lips until I opened to the invitation.

He deepened the kiss, tilting my head until he thoroughly consumed my mouth, and as he pulled away, my chest heaved, attempting to catch the breath he’d stolen.

“Want the reins back?” he whispered, searching my eyes for any hint of hesitation.

I shook my head, stepping forward so my chest pressed against his. If that kiss was any indication of what I was missing out on, I’d curse myself for how tightly I’d held onto them in the first place. Chuckling, he leaned in, peppering my neck with short kisses.

“Good. If you want them back, all you have to do is ask.”

Without warning, he scooped me into his arms, and I let out a squeal as he began his trek with me in tow. He carried me all the way through the house, walking straight to his bedroom, and as we reached his bed, he lowered me back to my feet.

None of his movements were rushed, as if he had carefully calculated what he’d do if this opportunity ever arose, and taking his time was at the top of the list. Even the speed at which he leaned in was leisurely, his lips ever so gently grazing against mine before gradually consuming me in gentle waves.

Each time I thought we’d reached the crest, he’d slow, continuing the cyclical pattern of my undoing.

Every ounce of desire I’d ignored hit me at once, and I found my fingers fiddling with his buttons, desperate to minimize the space between us.

With one shrug of his shoulders, his shirt hit the floor, and the sight of his bare chest sent a pulse of arousal through my body.

I’d only ever seen Miles’ body from afar, but up close was a whole new experience.

My body longed to feel his against me, and so I began hastily undoing my own buttons.

“Easy,” he hummed, gently batting my hands away.

Miles took over, steadily unbuttoning my shirt until it fell amongst his on the floor.

“Sit.”

My subordinance was rewarded with his lips on mine again, his body lowering onto me until I was caged between his arms on the bed.

He held his own weight as he hovered over me, kissing me deeper and deeper until he pulled away.

But before I could protest his absence, he began placing kisses on my neck, then my stomach until he reached my hips.

Delicious attention was paid to every inch of my body while he slid my pants down, and I propped myself onto my elbows, expecting him to reveal more of himself, but instead time seemed to slow as the lumberjack dropped to his knees.

I felt my insides begin to warm with anticipation as his breath trailed along my thighs, and as he lowered his mouth, he pressed the faintest kisses along the thin fabric separating his mouth from my skin.

“Miles.”

“Where’s your patience, sweetheart?”

I raised my hips in protest, which elicited a chuckle from him that vibrated a wave of pleasure through me.

“Please,” I begged.

My plea was answered.

He slid my panties aside, gliding a finger through the wetness he’d created, and I could already feel the release building in my core.

When he finally slid inside me, easing in and out before rewarding me with a second finger, my eyes rolled to the heavens.

I reveled in this moment, allowing myself every ounce of pleasure I’d locked away.

When that pleasure threatened to spill, he withdrew his fingers, hooking them into my panties as he dragged them down, sliding them off my ankles.

The absence of his fingers was quickly replaced with his mouth, and I screamed his name as his tongue plunged inside me, tasting my pleasure before trailing along to my clit.

I instinctually threaded my fingers through his hair, guiding him, and my grip tightened as he responded to my cues.

The further he coaxed my release, the greedier I became to feel the fullness of his fingers again.

“More,” I moaned.

A shudder coursed through me as the same two fingers slid back into me, the simultaneous combination of them pumping as his tongue continued its slow circles around my clit threatening to ruin me.

It only took moments of the duo to push my climax over the edge, its intensity crescendoing through the room.

Miles placed gentle kisses along my hips as I caught my breath, and as I looked down, I noticed my fingers still tightly threaded through his hair.

“Sorry!” I gasped, releasing my hold.

He chuckled, pulling me into his arms as he moved to the spot next to me. “Sweetheart, I would let you pull my hair from my head if it meant I could hear the sweet sounds that just left that pretty little mouth.”

“You say that now,” I teased, wiggling into the crook of his arm.

“Stay the night with me,” he whispered into my hair. “You’re going to be over in the morning, anyway.”

“Hmm. If I can take a hot shower and you provide something sweet, you have a deal.”

Miles moved quickly, and I was suddenly pulled from the bed, hoisted over the bare shoulders of a half naked lumberjack once again.

“What are you doing?” I screeched.

“Delivering on the first part of the deal.” He chuckled, before depositing me atop a plush bathroom rug.

“I didn’t mean immediately!”

“No better time than the present, Miss Baker.”

Evading self consciousness was a skill of mine, but as I stood, naked body fully illuminated by the bathroom lights, my confidence wavered.

I adjusted myself slightly, positioning my arms so they covered the majority of my breasts, and my hands to casually settle over my front.

The relationship I had with my body had slowly healed from my youth, and although my hips were full and my stomach not perfectly flat; I loved my figure.

This didn’t mean that I didn’t have moments of vulnerability, which Miles seemed to notice as soon as he turned around.

“Are you okay? I can step out if you want some privacy.”

“I’m okay, just feeling a little exposed being the only one naked.”

His eyes darkened as he unbuttoned his pants, pulling his jeans and boxers off until he stood in front of me, completely nude.

“Better?”

“Better.” I swallowed, taking in every last inch of him.

He opened the curtain for me to step inside and I silently obeyed, submerging myself in the stream of water as he followed behind me.

To my surprise I noticed a bottle of shampoo and conditioner on the shelf, both with relatively neutral scents.

When I reached for the bottle, though, Miles beat me to it.

“Allow me.”

He squeezed a healthy amount of shampoo into his hand, and I couldn’t smother the groans that escaped as he began massaging it into my scalp.

When I emerged from rinsing, he spun me around, pressing my back against his chest. I leaned my head back until it was perfectly rested on his shoulder, reveling at the feeling of the warm washcloth dragging across my skin.

He carefully traced my body, caressing each side of my neck before sliding it between my breasts, leaving a trail of suds as evidence of his journey.

I rinsed once again before turning my attention to him.

“Show me the stuff that makes you smell like trees.”

Chuckling, he kissed the top of my head, handing me a bar of soap and a fresh washcloth, and after creating plenty of suds, I began covering every inch of the man in front of me.

The smell of spices and pine permeated the air as I began to lather.

Careful to appreciate every part of his body, I started on his shoulders, washing from one arm to the other, before moving to his chest. Miles was clearly hard, the length of him jutting out between us, and if he was embarrassed by it, it didn’t show.

He just stood confidently, eyes closed in relaxation as I explored his body.

There were parts I was eager to get more familiar with, so I dropped to my knees, innocently washing Miles’ legs.

His eyes crack open, a smirk tugging at his lip before closing his lids again.

Determined to see that composure slip, I began rinsing away any bubbles, peppering kisses along his thighs until I made my way between them.

I gripped the base of his cock, my center throbbing as I imagined how he’d feel inside me, and when I couldn’t stand my own fantasies any longer, I began lazily stroking as I continued my trail of kisses, pausing briefly when I reached his tip.

I took the head inside my mouth, swirling my tongue gently as I eased down his shaft.

The moans escaping Miles fueled me and as I looked up through the falling droplets, I saw him looking back at me, watching as I took him into the back of my throat.

As I began to increase speed, I felt his hand on the back of my head, threading his fingers through my hair, not as a guide, but as an anchor, as if the moment he let go he may drift away.

I navigated every ridge with my tongue as I continued stroking, and as his muscles began to tense, soft mutters of my name escaped his lips in praise.

“Sage, I’m gonna come,” he moaned, gripping the wall of the shower.

Without hesitation, I took him as deep as I could and as he tensed inside my mouth, I tipped my head back, groaning as he spilled down my throat. When the pulsing of his cock subsided and his body was no longer contracting, I sat back on my thighs not even attempting to hide my smug grin.

Before I could even look at him, he’d scooped me from the floor, pulling me in tight, his heart hammering inside his chest as he kissed the top of my head.

“You’re going to be the death of me,” he murmured into my hair, and I couldn’t help but giggle.

After a final rinse, we exited the shower, and as soon as my feet hit the rug, he was there wrapping me in a towel. When we got back into his room, Miles dressed in his own sweats and a T-shirt, which accommodated his height and broad frame much better.

“You’re not going to put my dad’s pants back on?” I teased.

“Although I appreciate getting lucky enough to slide into your dad’s pants this evening, I think I’ll stick to my own clothes. Not to mention, as much as I love seeing you like this, it seems as if you’re the one who’s now in need of an outfit.”

Realization set in that my options for bedtime attire were limited to my dinner outfit or the emergency outfit I now kept in my car, neither particularly comfortable for sleeping.

“It seems you may be correct.”

He rummaged through his drawers, handing me an oversized T-shirt and a pair of boxers.

“Why don’t you get dressed and cozy up in my bed while I make us a snack?”

“Food in bed? Have you no rules?”

“Sometimes rules are meant to be broken, sweet girl. Go on.”

I dropped my towel, painstakingly aware of Miles' eyes on me as I pulled his clothes.

“If I don’t walk away now, we will never sleep,” he groaned.

As tempting as that was, I crawled into his bed, and as I pulled the sheets to my chin, I was immediately bombarded with his unique scent overwhelming my senses.

While I waited, I retrieved the book I’d noticed on his nightstand, and as I thumbed through it I realized it outlined feed ratios for dairy cows.

Even in his sleep, this man was thinking about the farm.

I laughed, but after a few moments I was sucked in, so deeply absorbed that I didn’t notice Miles enter the room until his weight displaced the spot next to me in bed.

“I see you’ve found my guilty pleasure,” he teased, handing me a small plate.

I set the book down, blindly taking a bite of what looked like a piece of cake dusted with powdered sugar.

“What is this?” I groaned, my eyes shutting so I could give my attention solely to the taste.

Subtle notes of banana hit my taste buds, followed closely by vanilla and cinnamon, and I savored what may just be the best things to enter my mouth. Actually, I thought, reliving the last hour in my head, maybe second best.

“That is Jane’s banana bread, lathered in butter and toasted in a pan. It’s my favorite.”

“Oh my goodness,” I groaned, practically inhaling the slice.

“I know,” he responded, muffled by his own full mouth.

When we both finished, he took our plates, setting them on the nightstand before switching off the lamp, and as he curled up behind me, his mouth grazed the lobe of my ear, his breath warm against my neck.

“Thanks for trusting me with the reins,” he whispered.

But I knew before the words even left his mouth that they were no longer mine. I would blindly trust this man with my heart, gracefully assuming whatever consequences may follow.