"Maybe. Possibly." She stole another piece of bacon, then licked her fingers in a way that was definitely intentional. "Or I could just work like this. Give the cattle something to talk about."
"The cattle have enough to gossip about."
"Do they? What are they saying about us?" She hopped up on the counter, legs swinging, looking far too comfortable in my space, in my clothes, in my life.
"That you're a terrible influence on their formerly responsible rancher."
"Formerly responsible?" She gasped in fake offense. "I'll have you know I'm very good for you. I make you laugh. I help with chores. I provide excellent stress relief?—"
"Stephy."
"What? It's true. You were way too tense before. Now you're all loose and relaxed." She grinned wickedly. "You're welcome, by the way."
"You're going to make us late for chores.” I stepped between her knees, palms sliding up her thighs?—
And froze.
Jesus.
There werenopanties under my shirt. Nothing but warm, bare skin meeting my thumbs. A low, involuntary growl slipped out of me before I could stop it. “Stephy.”
“What?” she asked innocently, batting her lashes like she didn’t know exactly what she was doing to me.
I dragged my thumbs a little higher, just enough to feel her breath hitch. Her legs parted instinctively.
“You trying to kill me before breakfast, sweetheart?”
“Maybe,” she whispered, a challenge, a dare.
I leaned in, my body crowding hers, and let my fingers trail up the inside of her thigh until they found heat—soft, wet, already ready for me.
She gasped, hands flying to my shoulders for balance. Her breath hit my jaw in short, broken bursts. “Lee…”
“Shh,” I murmured, kissing the corner of her mouth as my fingers slid over her again, slow and intentional. “Keep quiet forme.” The ranch hands were surely out at this hour, and I wasn’t about to let anyone hear my girl like this.
She nodded shakily, but the next sound that escaped her wasn’t anywhere close to quiet—it was loud, desperate, needy. I swallowed it with a kiss as my fingers found her clit, and moved in slow, devastating circles that made her hips jump against my hand.
Her thighs trembled. Her forehead dropped to my shoulder, fingers fisted in my shirt like I was the only thing keeping her here.
And when she moaned my name—wrecked and breathless—I nearly lost every ounce of discipline I had left, and fucked her on the counter. But there was too much to do around the ranch, so it’d have to wait.
But I’d give her this. I’d happily give her this.
She shattered against my hand, clinging to me, breath stuttering against my neck until she finally sagged against the counter, boneless and blinking up at me like she wasn’t sure the world still existed.
I kissed her forehead gently—soft, grounding, reverent.
“If you’re good and do your chores,” I whispered against her skin. “I’ll give you the rest tonight.”
She shivered, eyes dark and blown wide, and whispered, “Promise?”
I cupped her jaw, kissed her slow and sweet and full of heat. “Yeah, sweetheart,” I said, voice rough. “I promise.”
"Chores," I said firmly, pulling back before I went back on my word, and we ended up back in bed.
"Fine." She hopped down, patting my chest. "But I'm filing a complaint with management about the strict schedule around here."
I couldn’t help but smile. “I am management."
