I’m stiff in the saddle, careful not to rub against him because something about Wes short-circuits my brain, reducing it to a single primitive thought when he's this close to me.
Sex.
And right now, I’m too pissed off for that to even be an option.
Wes gathers the reins in one hand and squeezes my thigh with the other. “Relax, Red. I’ll find Luci and get him back to you safe and sound. I promise.”
He’s misinterpreting the reason for my rigidity, but his warm hand squeezes my thigh again and my body relaxes under his lingering touch. The ride back home feels much longer with Wes’ body pressed tight against mine.
He drops me at the stable and takes off on Dolly to find the hellion who ruined his romantic picnic plans. I’m strung tight from our ride back, so I get to work putting the feeling of Wes’ warmth from my mind.
The wind bites through my denim shirt as I fill the troughs in the small barn and get the goats situated for the night. It took us longer on the ride back with two of us on Dolly and now, the skies that had been clear and blue all day have turned a dark, murky gray. The clouds look heavy, and I head back to the stable to get the rest of the horses settled.
There’s a low rumble of thunder in the distance, and the sound puts me on edge. I grit my teeth against the anxiety rolling through me.
Wes is out there with Dolly and—hopefully—Luci by this point. Luci can be a handful on his own, let alone with Dolly and what sounds like an incoming storm. I’m suddenly questioning my choice to allow Wes to go alone to find Luci. I should have insisted on going with him.
A flash of lightning streaks across the sky.Cash looks at me with gentle eyes and a judgmental quirk to his ears that I swear is telling me to chill the fuck out.
“They’ll be fine,” I say to the horse. “Right?”
He chuffs and steps closer to the stall door. I oblige him with some ear scratches, which are his favorite, and he leans into my hand. My worry fades momentarily as I give Cash some extra attention before returning to forking hay into the feeders.
Rain patters gently on the metal roof, and the worry I’d been ignoring for the past ten minutes creeps back into the forefront of my mind.
Wes could be hurt. Luci has never thrown Wes, but I wouldn’t put it past him if he's spooked enough.
The rain picks up and I’m about to tack up another horse to go out and search for him when I hear Dolly’s loud whinnying. I spot Wes riding Luci, with Dolly protesting from where she’s tied to the younger gelding.
The anxiety building in my chest slowly dissipates as I see everyone is unharmed. And as the fear goes, annoyance and anger take its place. By the time Wes reaches the stable, I’m flaming mad.
I take Dolly from him and shoot him a withering glare.
“Don’t be like that, Red. It was an honest mistake. I’m sorry.” He untacks Luci, who still seems shaken from his self-inflicted torment.
“Luci could have gotten hurt. Andyoucould have too.”
“We’re all fine.” His shirt is dotted with wet spots from the rain.
“By dumb fucking luck,” I snap, putting an untacked Dolly back in her stall. “It’s the last time I’m going to let you talk me into a damn thing, Wes. So fucking help me, God. My stable. My rules. I should have known better than to listen to somecity boyover my own instincts.”
His eyes narrow at me, and my blood boils as he steps into my space. His fingers thread through my hair, and the thumb on his other hand drags across my lower lip. “You keep running that pretty mouth, Red. I’ll have you on your knees so damn fast.”
My temper is blazing and heat flares across my skin. My emotions have been running high ever since yesterday. He has me feeling raw and out of control in a way I haven’t felt in a long time. I haven’t decided if I like it or not yet.
I want to stay mad, but the sensation of his calloused thumb on my lip, his dirty promises, and the fire in his gaze makes me feel like I might be incinerated on the spot.
“Don’t threaten me with a good time,” I taunt.
The fire in his eyes glows brighter, and his fingers tighten in my hair. He tugs me to my knees, and I stare up at him, my eyes widening in shock.
Wes is backing up those dirty promises and I’m so turned on right now that I can’t focus on anything other than Wes unbuckling his belt and slipping himself out of his boxer briefs. His thick thighs tighten as he wraps his hand around his length and gives himself a firm stroke.
My lips pop open as I watch a bead if precum form on the tip and my breath hitches in my throat when I finally see the size of him.
Substantial as fuck.
“Open up nice and wide, Red. I’ll put that mouth of yours to better use.”
