Ropin' Hearts: The Boot Knockers Ranch, Book 4 (9 page)

“Hugh was conflicted too, you know.” Riggs’s voice grew a little wistful.

Snapping his head up, he said, “This isn’t you and Hugh all over again.”

“No?”

“No.” He stared into his friend’s eyes for a long heartbeat.

“Is it Jack and Paul then?”

“Do you mean that I’m like Paul, resisting what I feel for another man?”

Riggs gave a nod.

“No. I mean, I like Elliot. He’s a good friend and we have a good time together. But am I in love with him? No.”

“Could you be?”

“What’s with the interrogation? Has Elliot asked you to feel me out?”

“Not at all,” he said immediately. “I guess I have a soft spot for guys who find themselves longing for someone they can’t have. The way Elliot’s wanting you.”

“We’re fuck buddies and far from exclusive.”

“If you’re with him often enough, he might misunderstand your intentions.”

Shit, this was exactly the reason Ty didn’t want to become bogged down in some relationship. He couldn’t deal with emotional games. But he didn’t want to hurt Elliot either. He pushed out a breath through his nose and leaned on his pitchfork.

“We’ve only fucked a couple times this month. I think he’s been with Jeremy more.”

“So you’ve thought about the situation.” Riggs returned to pitching hay.

“Maybe I need to avoid him.” Ty gazed out at the field where a few horses grazed. He and Elliot were friends and the thought of never spending time with him again created a pinching sensation in his chest. He loved sleeping with men—taking them hard and rough where he couldn’t do that as much with a woman without hurting her.

And he wasn’t against falling in love with a man. But not yet and not Elliot. How many times did he need to tell everyone it was casual sex? Lots of Boot Knockers slept with Elliot. He didn’t like the thought of avoiding him, but he would if necessary.

“Think about it. You have all the time in the world. But I only told you because I want you to be conscious of how you treat Elliot. It matters.”

Ty could see it had mattered a lot to Riggs how Hugh had acted with him, and this interference was a reflection of that. Ty nodded. “Will do.”

After busting his ass for another two hours alongside Riggs, Ty grabbed a hamburger from the grub house and made off for the shower. Between thinking of Bree and Elliot all day long, he needed some cold water.

The long room filled with cots was empty. All the others were busy with their clients of the week. Ty’s shirt clung to his skin, and he stripped it off as he walked the center aisle to his bunk. Bree hadn’t returned his shirt. Would she try?

He removed his cell from his back pocket and stared at the screen. No texts, no calls. Bree wasn’t pining for him, then. He didn’t know whether to feel relieved or pissed off. Deep down he had a feeling she was ignoring him to get a rise from him.

It was working.

Chapter Seven

Bree sat rigidly in the saddle, staring down upon the Boot Knockers Ranch. The moon was bright, shedding enough light for Royal to walk over the ridge and into forbidden territory.

Ty didn’t know she was coming. She hadn’t known she was going after him until she was in the saddle and halfway to the neighboring property. She needed more from him.

She wasn’t finished experimenting, and so far he’d given her more than the others. Even if he hadn’t pulled her away from the other Boot Knockers, she had a feeling they couldn’t give her what she needed deep down.

Ty had.

Not only searing orgasms but he’d unlocked something. She had no idea how he’d tapped into it or why she needed to open this dark place inside her, and for that reason she was going to find him.

For two days she’d waited for a text summoning her to him. When none came, she got surlier with her father. He’d walked away shaking his head, shoulders slumped. And all of a sudden she’d realized how her words affected him. Ty wouldn’t let her get away with it.

A shiver coursed through her. She made a soft clicking noise to Royal and the horse started over the ridge. As the animal picked the best footing, Bree rolled in the saddle. She’d given herself a few orgasms in the days since Ty had his hands on her, but they had only whet her appetite.

The pressure inside her mounted with every step toward the ranch. Where was Ty at this time of night?

She reined up, heart somersaulting. He was probably with a client. Crap, she should have texted him first.

Royal carried her onto the ranch where Bree dismounted and hobbled her horse near the paddock. No one would notice another horse in the darkness.

Drawing a deep breath of the grass-scented air, she hurried to the bunkhouse. Too well she imagined Ty there, stretched facedown on his bunk, his broad back tapering to his carved ass.

What would he do when he found her on the ranch again?

Slap my ass.

The quivers of need increased. On light feet, she ran across the grounds. The bunkhouse door opened silently, and she peered inside. Moonlight slanted through a few windows, but Ty’s bunk was swallowed by darkness.

Most of the guys would be with their women in the bungalows. Only the guys who were off duty for the week would be sleeping here, unless they got lucky and were asked for a threesome. She hoped Ty was in bed.

Heart thundering in her ears, she tiptoed forward, noting the rest of the bunks were empty. The closer she got, the wetter she became. He’d given her such pleasure her body craved more. And that ache he’d created while fingering her ass had only escalated in the past few days. He’d claimed her in that way, and he was damn well keeping his promise to finish the job.

She drew up short. Ty was there as she’d hoped, lying on his side, a muscled arm slung over his eyes. In the dim light, she caught sight of dark hairs shadowing his jaw.

Her stomach plunged. Excitement tingled in her fingertips. What would he do to her when she slid into bed with him?

She had to find out.

At his bedside, she removed her jeans and flannel shirt. Wearing only panties, she crowded onto the narrow mattress with the man who had blown her mind—for the first time in her life.

That’s why she needed to see him again. It had nothing to do with a burning need in her chest. He was just another Boot Knocker.

One who makes me dripping wet.

His body was as hard as steel but steaming hot. She gasped as her flesh met his.

In a blink he came awake, bolting upright, nearly sending her crashing to the floor. He caught her hip, yanking her into his side.

“Dammit, Bree.” Groggy words passed his full lips.

“Sorry. I didn’t know who you were until I was in bed with you,” she lied, hoping to rouse him.

He went dead still, each tightening of muscle lighting a new fire along her nerves. She clenched her thighs together, holding in that delicious ache.

“What the hell do you mean you didn’t know who you were crawling into bed with?” His tone echoed with danger.

“I didn’t know.”

He gripped her hips hard, the bite of his fingers oh-so good. She panted. “You’d damn well better backtrack, baby girl, because I’m like an angry bear when someone wakes me.”

She wanted to cuddle closer to him. What was it about the lines he kept drawing that made her want to dash through them? And he almost seemed to taunt her, urging her to ignore his authority.

Running a hand up his ridged side, she searched his face. The hard planes thrilled her. “I wasn’t sure I’d find you here.”

“So you thought you’d climb naked into bed with any old cowboy?” He locked his hands on her breasts, the viselike touch rocking her.

She moaned. “Any old cowboy would love to have me wrapped around him. I’d hoped to find someone willing to claim me.” She grabbed his wrist and moved his hand along her torso around to her ass. “Here.”

“Like hell. This is mine.” He flipped her onto her stomach and pinned her with his weight, cock grinding into her ass as he fumbled with the sides of her panties. In a second he had her stripped. The first spank caught her off guard.

Crying out, she rode out the pleasure-pain. He smacked her again, her hands locked in one of his. He placed his mouth to her ear and rumbled, “You’re playing with fire, baby girl.”

God yes, and she loved every minute.

“Disregarding my rules.”

“You don’t rule me,” she shot out then held her breath. Waiting for the punishment.

He didn’t disappoint. He reared back and pulled her hips off the mattress. He spanked her right cheek until it felt hot and swollen. Then he turned to the left. Her pussy flooded, juices trickling down her inner thigh. She buried her face in the pillow that smelled like him and drowned in a sea of want.

“By the time I’m done with you tonight, you’ll know your place.”

“I belong down here.”

“Like…”
spank,
“…hell. Now tell me where you belong.”

“If you think I’m going to say I belong at home, alone on a ranch with my father and old ranch hands, you’re wrong.”

He plastered his bare body to hers, scorching her spine. Grunting, she pushed back. “I didn’t say that, though you’re right. You shouldn’t be here, but I’m going to show you where you belong.” With a nip to her earlobe that made her cry out, he probed her slippery folds with his fingers.

Dark need claimed her senses, and she floated in a haze. The sting on her ass, the burn so deep inside. And Ty’s rich, masculine scents. She couldn’t get enough.

“You came down here for this, didn’t you? Admit you were looking for me.” He thrust two fingers into her pussy, high and tight. She quaked, almost lifted onto his fingers. Her muscles strained as her walls clenched madly around his invasion.

When she didn’t answer, he withdrew his fingers. Punishing her in another way.

“Say you were looking for me.”

“I…” She cast about for something snarky to say but words were beyond her. She needed him—his touch, his mouth.

“Bree.” His voice was a warning.

Twisting her face on the pillow, she tried to see him. “Yes,” she gasped.

“Good girl.” He slid his fingers back into her pussy, making her pulsate. Somehow the absence of his touch almost thrilled her more than the actual caress. In the time between, her desire had built.

Rocking against his hand, she lost herself. He finger fucked her hard and she issued a long, guttural moan.

“That’s it. Lose control with me because I’ll take care of you. I’ll give you whatever you want as long as you behave.”

Breathless, on the verge of a release bigger than anything she’d ever known, she tried to wrap her head around his words. The threads slipped through her hands and she could only feel.

“Ty…”

“You want to come on my fingers, don’t you? Soak them so I can lick them off.” He plunged them faster, drawing her up onto her knees with each delicious motion. A fire swept through her. Pressure mounted.

The tip of one finger snaked out and grazed her clit.

With a scream, she came. Bursting, somersaulting, towed under the force of her release.

Ty couldn’t get the condom on fast enough. He fumbled it into place, chest rising and falling as if he’d outrun a mad bull. He squeezed a copious amount of lube onto his fingers and spread it over Bree’s ass.

She’d come to the ranch wanting this, and whether she admitted it or not, she wanted
him
.

As he readied her pucker with a lubed finger, she made tiny squeaks that drove him wild.

“I’m going to show you how good it can be, having me deep in your ass. Every minute afterward, you’re going to remember who had you here.” He eased a finger past the tight rim. The added lube aided his entry, and heat enveloped his finger.

For a moment, he couldn’t breathe or think about anything but having that scorching warmth around his cock. He’d always loved ass play with a woman—or man—but something about having Bree was giving him a giddiness he didn’t understand.

He added a second finger to her backside, stretching her slowly. When she loosened and started to push back, he scissored his fingers. Her small noises stole his mind. Biting off a curse, he removed his fingers and poised at her entrance.

“I’m going to love having your hot ass gripping me. If you try to sass me, I’ll stop. Neither of us wants that.”

“No.” Her voice was a reedy wisp of its normal strength.

He leaned over her and kissed her. She gave herself to him fully, twisting to get at him. When he pulled free, he tangled the fingers of his other hand in her hair.

And stopped. Beneath the length of blonde strands, he felt a rougher patch. Almost as if it had been shaved.

She pushed upward, and he forgot about his discovery for a moment. He thumbed her globes apart, watching his swollen cap disappear into her tight heat.

Her breathing grew choppy.

“Relax. I’ve got you. I’ll keep you safe.”

She calmed, allowing him in an inch at a time. He gulped back a yell and watched her face, turned sharply on his pillow. After this, he’d never fall into his bunk without thinking of her. Her reaction dizzied him.

He sank in another inch. A bead of perspiration ran down her neck and disappeared around her collarbone. He wanted to lick it off.

After.

He had to have her—now.

With a purposeful shove, he sank into her body. She cried out, almost rolling up to meet him. He threw his head back and fought the need to thrust hard and deep. She was ripping down his wall of control, brick by brick.

“Ty,” she almost pleaded.

“Yeah, baby girl?”

“Move.”

He didn’t even care that she hadn’t asked but had commanded. He was helpless against her. With slow, gliding movements he took her. “Hell, you’re so tight.”

“I can feel every inch of you.”

Her awed tone scrabbled at his senses. He withdrew almost to the tip before plunging back inside. “Who’s fucking your ass?”

“You, Ty.” A shuddering groan left her.

“Are you gonna come with me in your ass?”

She issued a staccato of gasps. “I…I want to. It’s so good.”

“But you need more?” He leaned over her, licking the shell of her ear while curling a finger around her nubbin. Her clit strained and when he flicked it, she bucked. Taking him to the balls, gripping his length.

“God yes. Baby girl, I have to come in your ass.”

“Ty,” she whimpered.

“Do you want to come?”

“Yesss.”

He swirled his finger around her clit even as he ground into her ass. For her first time, she was taking him so…damn…well.

“Come for me, Bree.”

As if she’d been waiting for his word, she jerked and twitched around him. He clung to her small noises while each spurt of his cock stole his sanity. Her cream drenched his fingers.

“When you’re done coming…” he churned his hips, blind to everything but her noises, “…I’m going to throw your legs around my ears and lick you clean.”

She pulsated around him, milking every last drop from his body. He slowed his movements and she collapsed, breathing heavily. He withdrew and as promised, guided her onto her back. Quickly he removed the condom. Then with each leg slung over his shoulders, he buried his tongue between her legs.

Her moan was ongoing, rising and falling as he lapped her up, moving lightly around her sensitive nub. When he snaked his tongue into her sheath, she contracted.

“Mmm. Look at me, Bree.”

She did, eyes glassy. As he delivered the final slow licks to her folds, she grew boneless. When he moved up her body, placing soft kisses over her belly, breasts and finally claiming her mouth, she wrapped herself around him.

His heart flexed. Gathering her close, he buried his nose in her hair and drank in deep breaths of her soapy scent. For the moment she was tamed, and he loved her this way, all sweet and soft in his arms.

His heart resumed its normal rhythm.

Against his chest, she said, “Did I kill you?”

He grunted a laugh. “What makes you think that?”

“Your heart is so slow I wondered if it might have given out.”

“I’m far from nearing the end.” He trailed a hand up and down her spine.

“I’m good at mouth-to-mouth.”

His smile reached all the way into his chest. “Is that so?”

“Yes. Though I once had a guy tell me I’m a bad kisser.”

She was far from that. He’d given his share of kissing lessons, but Bree didn’t need them.

“What did he say?”

“That my lips were too big.”

“Are you kidding me?” They were perfect pink rosebuds he hadn’t explored enough yet.

“No.”

“What did you say?”

“I didn’t say anything. I bit him.”

He burst out laughing, envisioning it perfectly.

She giggled. “He yelled and asked why I did that. I told him I was showing him I have big teeth too.”

Ty pinched her delicate chin and turned her face up. His gaze skimmed her full lips and the small but probably sharp teeth behind them. “They look good to me,” he drawled.

“That’s orthodontics. Daddy spent a fortune.”