Chapter 9
Diego
By the time the working day drew to a close, the sun was heavy on the horizon, and I was covered in more dirt and sweat than seemed humanly possible. Mabel had been true to her word and run me through the wringer after my little vacation with Hayden. I’d let everyone else carry the weight of the big landscaping project for the new guest cabins while I was gone, so I did everything I could to make it up to them, staying well past everyone else to get the job finished.
But now I was exhausted, dirty, and felt like if I stopped moving, I’d fall asleep on my feet. Still, I took the long way back to my cabin, hoping to catch a glimpse of Hayden on the porch. Of course, he and his Jeep were gone though. It had been hours after all. And yet I felt something lonely twist in my stomach, a longing to see him again that wasn’t going to be met.
That boy was getting to me, worming his way under my skin in the worst possible way.
I trudged up the steps to my cabin, my boots heavy with the weight of the day. The porch light flickered on automatically as I approached, casting long shadows across the weathered boards. Ifumbled for my keys, my hands still shaking slightly from exhaustion, and let myself into the small space I’d called home for the past year.
The cabin was simple but comfortable. It had a main room with a kitchenette, a bedroom barely big enough for a queen-sized bed, and a bathroom with a standard corner shower. It wasn’t much, but it was mine for as long as I stayed at Turner Ranch. And right now, all I wanted was to wash the day off my skin and maybe grab a beer from the fridge.
I kicked off my boots and left them by the door, my socks padding across the hardwood floor as I made my way to the bathroom. The mirror above the sink showed me exactly what I expected, a man who’d spent the day hauling rocks and planting shrubs in the Texas heat. My shirt was soaked through with sweat, dirt streaked across my face and arms, and my hair was a mess where my hat had been sitting all day.
My hat. The hat that was currently sitting on Hayden’s head, wherever he was.
Christ, what had I been thinking? Giving him my hat like that, making some grand gesture that probably meant nothing to him but everything to a cowboy like me. I’d had that hat since I was eighteen, bought it with my first real paycheck from ranch work. It had been through everything with me, every job, every move, every lonely night in a new bunkhouse. And I’d just handed it over to some city boy who probably thought it was a cute accessory.
But the way he’d looked wearing it... Damn. Like he belonged in it, like it had been made for him instead of me. Those freckles dusting his nose, those blue eyes bright against the cream-colored felt, that sandy hair curling around the edges. He’d looked like something out of a Western movie, all golden and beautiful in the afternoon sun.
I turned on the shower, letting the water heat up while I stripped out of my filthy clothes. The hot spray felt like heaven against my aching muscles, washing away the grime and sweat of the day. Ibraced my hands against the tile wall and let my head hang forward, the water beating down on my neck and shoulders.
But even as the physical tension started to ease, my mind kept drifting back to Hayden. The way he’d felt pressed against me on Ranger, all lean muscle and nervous energy. How his breath had hitched when I’d wrapped my arms around him to take the reins. The little sounds he’d made when the horse’s gait had created friction between us. And his little sounds that had gone straight to my cock and stayed there for the rest of the ride, grinding against his cute little ass.
I groaned, my hand automatically moving to my already hardening cock. This was exactly what I didn’t need to be thinking about right now. But I’ll be damned if I could stop myself. After days of thinking about Hayden and trying to force the thoughts away, I just didn’t have the strength to do it anymore. He’d gotten under my skin and now, all I could think about was how beautiful he was and how gorgeous he would look with those pretty lips wrapped around my dick.
My hand tightened around my shaft as I imagined those blue eyes looking up at me, all defiant and challenging even as he took me deeper. The way he’d argue with me even while doing it, probably making some smart-ass comment about my technique or telling me I was being too rough. God, he’d be beautiful like that, all flushed and breathless, those freckles standing out against his skin.
I stroked myself slowly, letting the fantasy build. In my mind, I could see him kneeling in front of me, still wearing my hat because of course he would be. That cocky little smile playing at the corners of his mouth as he teased me, making me beg for it. Because that’s exactly what Hayden would do, make me work for every lick, every moan, every sweet surrender.
“Fuck,” I breathed, my free hand bracing harder against the shower wall as I picked up the pace. The hot water cascaded down my back, but all I could think about was how Hayden’s mouth would feel, hot and wet and perfect around me.
I imagined running my fingers through his sandy hair, knocking my hat askew as I guided him deeper. The little sounds he’d make, half protest and half pleasure, because even in my fantasies he couldn’t just give in without a fight. He’d probably pull back just to glare at me and tell me exactly what he thought of my presumption, his lips swollen and slick.
My stroke quickened as I pictured laying him back on my bed, that lean body spread out beneath me like a feast. Those long legs wrapped around my waist, his back arching as I worked him open with my fingers. He’d probably complain the whole time, telling me I was going too slow or too fast, but his body would betray him, pushing back against my touch, begging for more.
“Jesus Christ,” I groaned, my hips thrusting into my fist now. In my mind, I could see myself sliding into him, watching his face as he took me inch by inch. Those blue eyes would go wide and unfocused, his mouth falling open in a silent gasp. And maybe, just maybe, he’d stop arguing long enough to let me see the want in his expression, raw and honest and beautiful.
I imagined him beneath me, moving together in that perfect rhythm, his hands clawing at my back as I hit that spot that made him see stars. The way he’d moan my name, all breathless and desperate, like I was the only thing keeping him anchored to earth.
The fantasy shifted, and suddenly I was the one on my back, watching as he rode me with that same fierce determination he brought to everything else. My hat still on his head, tilted at that perfect angle, his hands braced on my chest as he moved above me like he owned me completely. Because in that moment, he would. Heart, body, and soul.
My orgasm hit like a freight train, ripping through me with an intensity that left me trembling, my voice strangling in my throat as I called out his name. Wave after wave of pleasure crashed through me as I spilled into my hand, the water washing away the evidence but not the intensity of the fantasy.
For a long moment I just stood there, forehead pressed againstthe cool tile, my breath coming in ragged pants as I tried to collect myself. What the hell was wrong with me? I barely knew Hayden, and here I was jerking off to elaborate fantasies about him in my shower like some lovesick teenager.
But damn if it hadn’t been one of the most intense orgasms I’d had in a long time. Maybe ever.
I finished washing up, trying to focus on the practical aspects of getting clean rather than the lingering heat in my belly whenever I thought of those blue eyes and that sarcastic mouth. By the time I stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around my waist, I’d almost convinced myself I was just lonely. It had been a while since I’d been with anyone, after all. Made sense that the firstreallyattractive guy to come to Sagebrush in months would get under my skin.
Except it wasn’tjustthat he was attractive. There were plenty of good-looking men who passed through the ranch and even more that lived in townandwere gay. They were great guys. But there was something else about Hayden that called to me. Maybe it was the way he didn’t fall for my charm like most did, or how he seemed to be fighting against something deep inside himself. I recognized that struggle. Hell, I’d been running from my own demons for years.
I didn’t bother with boxers as I collapsed onto my bed, my hair still damp against the pillow. The ceiling fan spun lazily above me, creating a gentle breeze across my naked body. Outside, the night sounds of the ranch drifted through my open window. The crickets chirped and the occasional lowing of cattle came through followed by the distant hoot of an owl.
My thoughts drifted back to Hayden again. I wondered what he was doing right now. Was he still wearing my hat? Had anyone told him what it meant when a cowboy gave away his hat? The thought made me groan and throw my arm over my eyes.
What the hell had I been thinking?
