“Cute,” he says. “But you need to feed everyone.”
I raise a cocked brow in his direction, and I reach into the bucket for another handful. With a shrill whistle that echoes off the walls of the coop, I call out, “Yoohoo, come and get it!” And I fling the corn, letting the pieces rattle off the walls.
Hoards of chickens push through the small opening that leads to the outside pen, pushing past one another and calling out, clucking as they fight for each piece of corn. I toss handful by handful, laughing a little as they crowd around me. It reminds me of feeding pigeons in the park or ducks by a lake. It’s a little unnerving at times until you realize they just want the food in your hand. So as long as you keep giving it to them, everyone stays happy.
Grayson watches while he’s still glued to his corner of the room. When the bucket is nearly empty, I take a few steps closer to him. He sticks a hand out, catching the look in my eyes. “Don’t you dare,” he grumbles as his hand reaches for the bucket. “Don’t you dare, you little shit.”
“Whatever do you mean?” I tease, and then I fling the bucket, holding onto the lip with both hands so it jerks and corn sprays across Grayson’s boots. The chickens go wild, running over to him, and he yelps, hopping from one foot to the other as he reaches for me. He pulls me infront of him, his grip firm on my biceps, and he escorts us out of the coop as he uses me as a human shield. I giggle, trying to shake the dust from my bucket onto him, but he wraps one thick arm around my waist as he pulls us toward the door, nearly tripping over me as he exits.
Once he has the door safely latched behind him, he leans against it, his chest rising with heavy breaths.
“Oh my gosh,” I cackle, nearly tearing up from what I just witnessed. “That was … that was absolute perfection.”
He stalks toward me, his look a mix of something playful yet dangerous. In two strides, he reaches me and pushes me against the wall. His hands grip my hips, and I tilt my head up, making sure to keep a smile on my face. “You’re in so much trouble,” he grumbles, and my body heats.
I tilt my chin up in his direction. “Yeah? Whatcha gonna do about it?” The burning expression on his face has a thousand images flooding my mind. Images of him bending me over one of these big bins filled with corn or the wooden gate that’s behind me. I’ll bet he’s strong enough he could hold me up against a wall with my legs wrapped around that glorious thick waist as he fucks me. His strong calloused hands sliding across my stomach, ripping my pants down. His ragged voice whispering dirty words in my ear. My thighs clench together and my bodyarches into his, practically begging for him to dole out the punishment he so casually threatened.
The playful side of him disappears, and I notice my smile has fallen as well. My breaths come out a little choppier now. I told him I was a mess, that I wasn’t ready for much, that maybe we could just be friends. But everything I’m imagining right now, I see reflected back in his eyes. And yeah, I think he’d let me be more than just a friend. An arm comes up to rest on the wall behind me, and I pull my bottom lip between my teeth, practically begging him to kiss me.
“That's quite the blush you've got, Dr. Carrington.” Grayson's voice is hushed as his head dips down next to my ear. Not one part of him is touching me, yet I feel his body everywhere. I squirm, my hips taking on a mind of their own and arching toward him.
One of his calloused fingers reaches up to swipe a strand of unruly hair from my face, and his hand slides to rest under my chin.
“Hey,” a gruff voice calls out, causing me to jump. Grayson pushes off of me and turns over his shoulder the same time I step to the side, seeing Lukas standing at the main barn door. “When you two are done dicking around, we have work to do.” He takes one look at me, going from my hair all the way down to my boots,blowing out something that sounds a lot like “nice boots, princess” under his breath. “Pops wants to see you out in the west field.”
The heat I felt just a few seconds ago vanishes, and I cross my arms over my chest.
“We’ll head out,” Grayson replies.
Lukas doesn’t respond, doesn’t nod, just turns to leave, letting the door slam behind him. Grayson turns toward me, noticing the sudden change in the air. “Sorry about him. He’s been an ass lately.”
“It’s okay,” I say, grabbing the bucket that I had dropped on the floor and resting it on a nearby bench.
“No, it’s not okay,” Grayson says, leaning down to catch my eye. “He was rude, and he’ll hear about it, alright?”
I nod once, letting my arms fall and shimmying my shoulders to shake off the nerves. Grayson places a gentle hand along my back, leading us out of the barn. “I like your boots, by the way.”
With my gaze down at my feet, I chuckle at his attempt to comfort me. “I’m a city girl, there’s no doubt about that. I stick out here like a sore thumb.”
He stops me with a grip on my elbow, spinning me to face him. We’re so close my breasts nearly brush against his barrel chest as he breathes. His gaze is serious with hiscrystal-blue eyes locked on mine. “You’re a city girl, yeah, but it’s not something to be ashamed about. I like the way you dress,” he continues, his tongue darting out to lick his bottom lip. “I liked that pink top you had on in the clinic, and these tight jeans…” he trails off as his gaze tracks up and down my body. “I like the way you dress, all pretty and dainty. Makes me think of all the ways I want to dirty you up.”
It’s my turn to suck in a breath, and my face heats as a smile breaks out on his when he notices my reaction. He reaches for my hand and laces his fingers through mine. “Let’s go check on Pops.”
We’re two steps away from the barn door when he slows his pace, looking over his shoulder as he seemingly thinks. “Should make you ride a horse out there for that little stunt you pulled.”
I stop abruptly, my feet skidding along the dirt. “You wouldn’t dare.”
He laughs, squeezing my hand twice as he juts his head toward his truck that’s parked outside the main house. “Better be careful who you tease around here, city girl.”
Chapter Eight
Holly
“So, how was your first day on the farm?” Grayson's mom, Sherri, asks as she sets a large bowl of mashed potatoes in the center of the dining room table.
“Hmm?” I respond, nearly dozing in my seat. When I asked to spend a day here with Grayson, I had no idea what that would actually entail. I assumed I would get to see and pet animals, which I did, but I had no idea how physically demanding it can be. I'm no stranger to being on my feet for twelve hours or more, and my body is always wrecked after a long shift, but when you add in the sunshine and fresh air, carrying buckets of water or feed, or trying to haul a bale of hay, the exhaustion I thought I knew is tenfold.
“Did you enjoy your time on the farm today?” she asks again, and I sit up in my chair, reaching for the glass of ice water that had been set in front of me at some point.
