I couldn’t hold back any longer. My cock throbbed in my hand as I came, hot spurts coating my fingers as I stroked myself through the most intense orgasm I’d had since that night in the tent. I had to clamp my other hand over my mouth to keep from crying out.
Through half-lidded eyes, I watched as Jesse’s back arched off the couch, his body going rigid as he came across his stomach and chest, my name a broken plea on his lips.
As the aftershocks subsided, reality came crashing back. What the hell was I doing? Watching Jesse like some kind of pervert, jerking off in the shadows while he had no idea I was there. Shame washed over me, but it didn’t diminish the lingering pleasure still coursing through my veins.
I tucked myself back into my pajama pants, wiping my hand on the fabric. I needed to get out of here before he opened his eyes. But as I turned to creep back up the stairs, my foot hit that one creaky floorboard I’d been so careful to avoid.
The sound seemed deafening in the quiet room.
Jesse’s head snapped up, his eyes searching the darkness. “Hello?” he called out, not bothering to cover himself.
I froze, praying he didn’t investigate. After a moment I heard him sigh and flop back down on the couch.
“Old houses…” he muttered.
I started to sneak back up the stairs, careful to avoid the creaky steps.
“And nosey stepbrothers…” he added.
My heart leaped in my chest, and I knew I’d been caught. He must’ve seen me or guessed what was going on. But I couldn’t bring myself to admit it. Not to Jesse. Not to anyone. So, I continued to sneak until I was upstairs and in my room, the door closing soundlessly behind me. Maybe Jesse would doubt what he’d seen or heard.
But as I looked down at the cum smeared across the pajama pants, I realized that I knew the truth. And that was all that mattered.
Chapter 17
Jesse
“Cole!” I called across the house. “Come look at this!”
I waited for a good thirty seconds, but there was no answer.
“Cole!” I called out again. Still no answer. “Evelyn?” I asked, leaning back in my office chair so I could see down the hall to the kitchen. “A little help please.”
“Cole James Nelson!” she cried, her voice filling the house with that motherly tone. “Get your ass down here!”
I heard the heavy thud of boots on the stairs, followed by the familiar sound of Cole’s irritated sigh. He appeared in the doorway of the office, his expression guarded as always.
“What is it now?” he asked, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed. He’d been avoiding me since the night I caught him watching me on the couch. Not that he knew I knew for certain, but the tension between us had reached new heights. I was having a lot of fun with it.
“Look,” I said, pointing at my laptop screen. “The orders, Cole. They’re coming in faster than we can process them.” I swiveled the screen toward him. “We’ve got people from California, New York, even Florida wanting our beef. The website’s blowing up.”
Cole hesitated, then reluctantly crossed the room to look over my shoulder. I could feel the heat from his body as he leaned in, careful not to touch me. His manly scent filled my senses, making it hard to concentrate.
“That’s...” He trailed off, studying the screen. “That’s a lot of orders.”
“More than a lot,” I replied, unable to keep the excitement from my voice. “We’re going to need to process more cattle immediately. And probably hire someone just to handle shipping.”
Cole straightened up, putting distance between us again. “I don’t know, Jesse. That’s moving awful fast. We should be careful about?—”
“About what? Success?” I interrupted. “This is exactly what I told you would happen. People want quality beef delivered straight to their door. They’re willing to pay premium prices for it too.”
He ran a hand through his dark hair, a gesture I’d come to recognize as a sign of his internal struggle. “It’s just a lot of change all at once.”
“Change that’s saving the ranch,” I reminded him. “Look at the numbers, Cole. We’re making twice what we would through the traditional channels. And it’s all profit.”
Evelyn appeared in the doorway, wiping her hands on her apron. “What’s all the commotion about?”
“The website,” I explained, unable to keep the grin off my face. “It’s working better than we expected.”
