“Don’t you have kitchen staff?”I asked, gesturing around at the cafeteria workers who were bringing out bags of buns and paper plates.
“Yes, but some of usliketo grill,” Kamal said, “After a day of wrangling recalcitrant ponyboys, I like to handleeasiermeat.”
Liv howled with laughter while Adam chuckled.
“Nice,” I said.
Kamal held his free hand up for a high five, and I delivered it.
Lorraine joined us, a beer in hand and Teagan at her elbow.The young man looked good in his denim shorts and short-sleeved button-down and followed Lorraine like an eager puppy.He glanced at us, but his gaze returned to Lorraine as if he didn’t want to be distracted.
“You just like meat, Kamal.Any meat,” Lorraine commented in her silky voice as she lifted the bottle to her smiling lips.
“Guilty.”
We chatted good-naturedly until supper was laid out on the buffet table.
As I was squirting ketchup onto my burger, someone bumped my elbow.
A good Canadian, I immediately said “Sorry” and moved, even as my ketchup landed on the edge of my bun and dripped onto the plate.
“You overshot.”
I turned my head to see Puck standing right beside me.
He looked delicious as usual, wearing jeans with holes in the knees, pink Docs, and a blue Twenty-One Pilots T-shirt.My heart started going a mile-a-minute as he reached out a finger to scoop some of the red condiment from my plate and then met my gaze as he sucked the digit into his mouth.
Sudden heat rose in my face as we regarded each other.I managed to scrape out “That was your fault” as my body went onto high alert.
He grinned and winked, as his tongue emerged and slid across his bottom lip, over the silver ring there.“Not the first time.”
Now I was standing in front of the buffet table with an erection, as more people gathered to load up and grab napkins and utensils.
Puck chuckled and moved along to load his plate, leaving me wondering what to do.I took some of the potato salad, feeling awkward and blindsided.I wanted to leave the ball in his court.I wasn’t going to follow him around like a love-struck teenager, even if that was how I was starting to feel.
I needed to chill.My mind was spinning.Puck had actually approached me.And had—flirtedwith me?
Adam waved me over to his table, and I headed there, where Liv, Adrian, Kamal, and Lorraine had joined him as well.
“You must be hungry,” Lorraine said, gesturing at my plate which I’d filled with samplings from most of the food on offer.It was the first substantial meal I’d eaten at the ranch, since I’d been so busy and preoccupied.
“Starved.I’ve been on the go since early this morning,” I said, glancing around and finding a familiar pair of eyes on me again.
Puck sat with three other ponyboys, but he stared at me.When I met his gaze, he narrowed his eyes but held mine, while I recalled our chance meeting at the bunkhouse that morning with a full body thrill.
“You must have a lot of pictures by now,” Liv commented.“I’m hyped to see some.”
I nodded, tearing my gaze from Puck and smiling at Liv.“Good.”
“I imagine we should have some sort of a slide show once the session is nearing its end,” Adam suggested.
“Adam, I can’t wait that long,” Lorraine whined.
“I suppose it might motivate the ponyboys to perform if we show them some of the images sooner than that,” Adam agreed.
“Good idea,” Kamal murmured, observing me closely.He must have caught Puck watching me.
I engaged in pleasant conversation with my tablemates and was grateful for such a comfortable welcome to what was probably the kinkiest fetish ranch this side of the American border.
