Authors: Lori King
Compared to the cold outside, the warmth of the barn was intoxicating. The smell of animals and hay filled her nose, and she sneezed loudly.
“Bless you.”
The deep voice was followed by a masculine chuckle, and she jerked in surprise looking for its owner. When she didn’t immediately spot anyone, she frowned.
“Thank you, um, whoever you are?”
A black cowboy hat appeared over the top of a stall next to a brown horse’s head. Under the hat was a strong face with a sharp jaw and a meticulously trimmed goatee and mustache. His nose was a little large, and as she stepped closer she could see that it was also slightly crooked with a telling bump in the middle. The smile on his face was amused as he allowed her to look her fill. But he raised one black eyebrow when she remained standing quietly several feet away from him.
Concern filled his brown eyes, and he reached one long arm over the stall door opening the latch. Her vision suddenly filled with the huge, sexy body of a real life cowboy and she felt her chest tighten. He was beautiful. Black, curly hair peeked out from under the brim of his hat, barely curling over his ears and the collar of his heavy brown coat. His wide shoulders filled out every spare millimeter of the material, and a powerfully built chest drew her gaze further down until her eyes struck gold. Framed by perfectly cut chaps was a thick looking bulge of blue denim and zipper, and Lacy nearly groaned out loud at the many wicked images running through her brain.
“Are you all right?”
She jumped in surprise at his question and felt a hot blush creep up her cheeks. “Yes, I’m sorry. That was ridiculously rude, please excuse me.” She stepped forward with her hand out, “I’m Lacy Denvers.”
“Ah, yes Marilyn said we were going to have a guest for a couple of weeks.” The hand that took hers was enormous, and it engulfed her grip until she could barely see her own skin. She could feel calluses on his palm, and a shiver went up her spine at the raspy touch. What would that feel like on other more sensitive parts of her body? “Pretty unusual for someone to book a vacation in North Dakota in the winter.”
She was taken aback by the comment and frowned up at him. At five foot eight, Lacy wasn’t a short girl, but the cowboy was at least four or five inches taller than she was, so she had to tip her head back to see his eyes. “I booked the trip last summer. I wanted to get away from the city, and I wanted to learn how to ride. Is that a problem?”
“Want to learn how to ride, huh?” The teasing flirtation in his voice made her pussy clench and her breasts swell. This time it was
his
eyes that slowly wandered down her body taking in every bit of her before coming back up to meet her pointed gaze. “I have no doubt that you can learn how to ride like a pro here at Crawley Creek.”
She nodded sharply refusing to acknowledge the innuendo. His eyes had turned a darker color, and his pupils had grown along with the bulge behind his zipper. The attraction was clearly mutual. Her heart was racing in her chest, and she turned back to the horse he had been working with in order to give herself some breathing room.
“She’s pretty; does she have a name?”
The cowboy stepped closer to the stall. Her palms were suddenly sweating, too. She was glad she had on so many layers so that he wouldn’t be able to see the hard nubs of her nipples poking through her shirt.
“She is a he, and his name is Toto.” Lacy snorted and then covered her mouth in embarrassment. “Sorry, you don’t mean Toto like the dog in Oz do you?”
“Is there another Toto?”
A giggle slipped out, and then turned into a full on loud laugh. Toto snuffed in his stall and looked at her with large brown eyes. The cowboy seemed amused at her enjoyment. He stepped closer and reached his hand up to run it over Toto’s forehead. The horse nuzzled him, and bobbed its head asking for more affection.
“Here, reach up and touch him. He’s like any other male, if you stroke him right he’ll be yours forever.” His voice was low and deep, and his eyes were locked on Lacy while she reached up to run her hand over the soft white spot on Toto’s forehead. Toto truly did seem to appreciate the gesture, and he tipped his nose to sniff at her arm.
“He’s beautiful. This is the closest I’ve ever been to a real horse.”
“Toto is honored to be your first.”
Lacy’s eyes darted over to look at the cowboy. His flirtations weren’t subtle, and his eyes blatantly said that he would be up for a hot, sweaty fling. She pondered for less than a breath before she turned to face him.
“Are all of the Crawley Creek cowboys this forward?” She cocked her head to one side watching him. His eyes shuttered and the heat seemed to seep out of them instantly.
“I apologize. It’s not often a beautiful woman appears in the barn out of nowhere. I have some more work to do, but you’re welcome to look around, just make sure to stay out of the stalls without someone with you. All of the horses are gentle most of the time, but accidents happen. You’re such a wisp, one kick and you’d be done for.” While he spoke, he reached back over the wall of the stall and pulled up a bucket that must have been on a hook inside. There was a collection of unusual tools inside the bucket, but she didn’t have a chance to ask him what they were before he was headed down the walkway and out the doors.
Drannon cursed himself for not thinking before he spoke. Humiliation burned in his belly as he marched out of the barn with his spine stiff. This wasn’t Chicago, this was Montford, North Dakota, and women didn’t like to be flirted with in such an obvious way. Maybe some of the ones Roman hung out with did, but he didn’t even know this Lacy woman, and he’d very nearly pushed her up against the barn stall and kissed her breathless. Good lord, he was losing his mind. He hadn’t even bothered to make sure she was single before he hit on her.
Dropping his tool bucket on the concrete floor of the garage that held both vehicles and farm equipment, he tugged off his hat, and ran his fingers through his hair as he looked for Vin. A pair of coverall clad legs poked out from under a seventy-six Ford pickup truck that had seen better days, and Drannon headed that way.
“Hey Vin, did you ever hear from Laslo about the spreader he wanted to sell?” Drannon rested his backside against the fender of a Bronco that Hawke had driven years before until it nearly fell to pieces on him.
From under the truck, Vin’s voice sounded garbled, “Nope, but I can call him later. I’ve almost got this one done, and then I have to figure out what happened with the Johnny tractor before I can call it quits for today.”
“Snow’s coming in. I can smell it.” Drannon said, letting his eyes drift closed as he thought about the pretty redheaded guest in the barn. A secret part of him was hoping there would be a lot of snow so he’d be stuck inside with Lacy.
“Yeah, every nimwit in the county is probably in town at the grocery store right now. Did you check with Marilyn to see if she needs anything?” Vin called out.
“I just finished changing Toto’s shoes, but I was headed inside shortly. We have a guest, so I’m sure she planned ahead.”
Vin rolled out from under the truck, and sat up, wiping his hands on his pant legs. Before he could say anything, Hawke’s blonde head appeared in the door way. A cold gust of wind followed him inside lifting his long locks and skewing them over his eyes.
“Shit it’s colder than a witch’s tit,” Hawke grumbled as he rubbed his hands together and headed towards the two of them. “What’s this pow wow about?”
“Just bullshitting.” Drannon answered. “Did you get the stragglers?”
Hawke had been out all morning searching for several of their cattle that had gone missing when they herded them back to the interior pasture ahead of the storm. He nodded. “Yep, Daisy was down in the ditch as always, and the others got caught up on the wrong side of Soffet’s pond. We’ve got’em all now.”
“Good, we can’t afford to lose many this winter,” Drannon said firmly. The ranch made a good income, but the plan that the four of them had for the future was going to take more, so it was important that they kept a close eye on losses this year. “Heads up. Our guest is here, so be on your best behavior tonight.”
Hawke grimaced, “Damn, I was hoping to play Xbox on the big screen for the next week while we waited out the storm.”
Drannon grinned and shook his head. “You and that damn game system. I’m sure Miss Denvers won’t give a damn if you’re in the family room gaming while she’s here.”
“Miss? We have a female guest?” Hawke’s blue eyes lit up.
A strange thing happened inside Drannon’s chest at the obvious interest from his brother, and he had to bite back a snarl. “Yes, she’s female, but that doesn’t mean she’s available. Just mind your manners.”
Hawke snapped a mock salute, and tapped the heels of his cowboy boots together, “Aye aye Cap’n.”
Vin was laughing as Drannon headed out of the garage and toward the main house to clean up before dinner. Clearly, finding a minute alone with Lacy to apologize was necessary because his brothers were going to be all over her the moment they laid eyes on the fiery beauty. He just had to get there first.
~ ~ ~ ~
Lacy stood in the barn for a few moments staring after the hot cowboy in shock. She hadn’t intended on scaring him away. In fact, she had been ready to have a quick roll in the hay with him just to see if he could bring the heat his eyes had promised. Instead, she had offended him somehow and she hadn’t even managed to get his name before he disappeared.
Toto pushed against her shoulder with his nose catching her off balance and making her laugh.
“Well, at least I’ve managed to hold one male’s attention today. That’s one more than I’ve had for about five years. You sure are beautiful Toto, even if you are a boy. Maybe I can convince that skittish cowboy to let me ride you tomorrow. What do you think?” She giggled again when Toto let out a huffing sound and moved over to start eating hay.
Her urge to explore was gone. Now, she had wet panties and aching breasts that weren’t going to go away on their own. Wrapping her coat tighter around her middle, she hurried back into the ranch house. If she couldn’t find a cowboy to scratch her itch, then she would scratch it herself, damn it. With a quick wave to Marilyn after removing her outerwear, she hurried up to her room and locked the door behind her.
The only child of a single dad, Lacy hadn’t really had anyone to give her instruction or explanation about her own desires. A few muddled encounters had gotten rid of her virginity while managing to leave her grossly unsatisfied and naïve. She almost pitied the next relationship she entered, because she had a whole lot of making up to do for time lost.
Settling on the bed, she let her mind run back through the conversation in the barn. Her body had certainly reacted to the hot cowboy, but that wasn’t a good enough reason to jump him without knowing him. No matter how much the well-built man turned her on, now was not the time to be getting tangled up in a fling. Hell, he’d probably get fired if the owners found out one of their ranch hands was hooking up with a guest. She’d feel terrible if she got someone fired just to ease her own libido.
There was only one thing she could do at this point to satisfy the need he’d built inside of her. Pushing her shirt up, she pinched her nipples through her bra, and teased them until they were aching peaks. Her hand skimmed over her own belly, beneath her jeans to her pussy, and she imagined how her skittish cowboy would react if he could see the state he’d left her in. Would he sit in the chair across the room to watch, or would he join her on the bed, spreading her thighs and sliding his fingers through her wetness.
She could almost feel his hands pulling her jeans off so that he could grip her upper thighs and open her wide. In her fantasy, she could feel the sensation of his fingers rubbing little circles over her clit before dipping into the creamy moisture that was dripping from her passage. He was big all over, and she warmed considerably when she imagined his thick fingers pushing their way into her pussy, filling her and stretching her to prepare her for an equally thick cock.
She rocked her hips, as her fingers found a natural motion on her most delicate parts, bringing her and her fantasies to a quick and satisfying end. A soft moan slipped from her lips as her body shuddered and jerked, sated for the moment. Immediately, she felt ashamed to be fantasizing about a stranger. Perhaps if she had just let him flirt a little longer she would have at least gotten a name out of him.
Irritated with herself, she redressed, and spent the next ten minutes unpacking her bags into the chest of drawers. With her laptop in hand, she headed downstairs to the study. One of those wing back chairs would be the perfect place to settle while she checked her email for news from her potential clients.
If she could secure that contract with the dog food company it would mean redesigning and rebuilding their website, creating and maintaining their marketing plan, and it would ultimately pay big bucks. But it would also mean that she would be tied to Chicago for at least another year while she fulfilled the contract. It would be a huge milestone in her career, but it would mean so much more to her life. So, why was she dreading getting the email so much?
Drannon went through the back door this time so that he could avoid running into Lacy again before he had a chance to get the smell of animals off his skin. He was praying that he hadn’t screwed up too much in their first meeting. He so rarely met a woman who made his balls tingle, that he felt like he couldn’t afford to flub it up when he apologized. If she was single, he was damn sure going to make sure she knew he was interested.
A feeling of guilt made his throat tighten, and he frowned at himself in the bathroom mirror as he stripped down. It was a good thing she was only here for two weeks. If they did have a fling, there wouldn’t be enough time to royally fuck her life up before she headed back to wherever she was from. He was good at screwing things up.
He’d managed to get Vin arrested and put in prison, fuck up his first career with his own naiveté, and he had a failed marriage under his belt. Hell, what more could he possibly do to prove his ineptitude? It seemed the only thing he was good at was taking care of the ranch and the animals.
Water so hot it scalded his skin, washed over him, and he forced himself away from the poor me attitude he settled into so easily. It was comfortable to blame himself for everything that went wrong in the world, but as Vin’s therapist continuously told them, guilt didn’t do anyone any good.
Soap bubbles trickled over the black ink on his left rib cage, and he murmured the words to himself. Growth before pride. It had become his mantra, and he had to tell himself continuously that he was growing as a person. Lately, he believed it less and less. His life had become stagnant. He didn’t go off the ranch except for the occasional supply run or night at the bar in town. At the rate he was going, he’d die a lonely, self-pitying man.
The sound of his bedroom door opening drew him from his musings, and he poked his head out of the shower. “Who’s in here?”
“It’s me, D.” Roman’s voice sounded hollow through the bathroom door separating them.
“I’ll be out in a sec.” Drannon called, shutting the water off. His brothers rarely came to his side of the house. They lived in the new wing, and felt like the old wing brought back too many painful memories. It was the opposite for him. He felt Sera and Abe’s presence in the master bedroom, and he felt like it boded well for his future that his brothers assigned him that space. Someday, he hoped to settle down with someone and raise a family in the same house where he’d found a home thirty years before.
Wrapping a thick towel around his waist he stepped through into the bedroom. “What’s up Romeo?”
“Sorry, I didn’t know you were showering. I can come back,” Roman started to say. Drannon frowned at the younger man.
“Nah, I’m good, just going to pull on something clean so I don’t offend our guest with my stench. What brings you to this side of the house?” Drannon dropped the towel and slid on a pair of boxer briefs as Roman turned to stare out the massive windows that faced the pasture.
“Sorry about last night.”
“Which part? The part where you got drunk and drove yourself home, or the part where your drunk ass woke me up and ruined my wet dream?” Drannon teased.
As expected, his joke made Roman chuckle and shake his head. “Both. I didn’t plan to get lit last night, but Bran got the news that he was being promoted to Sheriff yesterday.”
“He did? Damn! Good for him! So Randy finally retired?”
Brandon Bowers had been Vin and Drannon’s third musketeer growing up. He’d only been on the ranch for a few months as a foster while his mom sobered up before he went back home. But thankfully, they’d attended the same schools. Besides the fact that Bran was only a temporary resident of Crawley Creek, he’d also taken his mother’s addiction so seriously that he’d gone to college for criminal justice and addiction studies. He’d gone straight into law enforcement after college. Drannon had always expected him to move up the ladder and run a big inner city police department, but Bran had settled in with the Montford Sheriff’s Department. They continued to be friends, but they’d lost some of the closeness after Drannon and Vin both spent time behind bars. Nowadays they only saw each other in passing.
“Yep, his last day is at the end of the month, and that’s when Bran takes over officially.” Roman explained.
“Guess you’re gonna have to clean your shit up. Bran isn’t going to be as easy on you as Randy was.” Drannon sat on the bed to pull his socks and boots back on.
Roman snorted a laugh. “Randy was
easy
on me?”
“He never pressed charges for drunk and disorderly, or drunk driving for that matter.”
“No, he just took me in and made me sleep in that damn drunk tank. I hate that fucking tiny space. Feels like the walls are closing in.” Roman shivered and rubbed at his arms. Drannon knew his brother had a fear of enclosed spaces, but it was Roman’s own fault that he kept getting carted into the tiny holding cell.
“Stop drinking and you’ll stop having to enjoy the Sheriff’s hospitality.”
Roman shook his head, “Look I didn’t come up here for a lecture. I just wanted to say I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, me too. I just wish you really knew what you were sorry about.” With that Drannon left his younger brother standing next to the window in his room, and headed downstairs to confront his own issues. Roman had yet to admit that he was fighting addiction, and until he faced his guilt over the past, he’d never win the battle. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much Drannon could do to help him. The more he pushed, the harder Roman resisted, and the bigger playboy he became. Only time would tell if Roman’s guilt would be his downfall.
~ ~ ~ ~
The door to the study was open, and a fire had been lit in the fireplace. Making herself at home, Lacy had pulled a small round ottoman over so that she could put her socked feet on it while she worked. She had been immersed in the internet for a little while when the heavy thud of boots coming down the hall grabbed her attention. Her eyes lifted and met a pair of familiar dark brown ones.
His curly hair was damp, and he wore a button down shirt tucked into fresh blue jeans. He no longer wore the heavy canvas coat and chaps, but he still looked like a perfect cowboy to her. She had to consciously force herself not to lick her lips as she looked him over. The cowboy gave her a wary glance, pausing in the doorway, before he seemed to find his resolve. His shoulders suddenly seemed broader and his chin jutted out with determination. “Miss Denvers, I owe you an apology—”
Lacy held her hand up to stop him, “No, you don’t. I’m tougher than I look. No cowboy is going to ruffle my feathers with a few compliments.” She smiled at the relief on his face. “You do owe me something, though.”
His thick black eyebrow rose, “Really? What’s that?”
“All of that flirting, and you never managed to tell me your name. I think you owe me that after getting me all worked up and walking away.”
The cowboy’s mouth dropped open just before his nostrils flared and his eyes lit up. “All worked up, huh?” His movements were slow and steady. Like a predator after his prey, he made his way across the room until he stood before her. Her seat on the low slung wingback chair, put her at eye level with that tantalizing bulge under his zipper, and damned if her mouth wasn’t watering.
She let out a shaky breath and forced her eyes upwards to meet his. They were a rich brown like worn leather, and she wanted to sink into them and let him have her body completely. Never before had she imagined she would fall weak to a man wearing blue jeans and cowboy boots, but the whole image tripped her trigger making her hotter and wetter than she had ever been before.
“My name is—” he hesitated, before continuing, “Drannon Russo.”
Her stomach plummeted and ice shot through her veins. “Oh shit. You’re one of the owners.”
He gave a short nod, but he kept those penetrating eyes locked on hers. They both waited in silence for the other to speak. Lacy wasn’t sure what to say. She was flirting with the ranch owner, not a regular cowboy. This man probably had more money than she had hairs on her head. There was no way she could have a fling with him now.
Shuffling her laptop she shut it down, and stood up. Their bodies were inches away from each other, and she could feel his body heat singeing the skin of her bare arm. The same arm that had given her an explosive orgasm just a few minutes ago, while she fantasized about him.
“I, um, I think I’m done now. I better put this away before dinner.” She took a small step sideways, with her laptop under one arm. She started to push her braid back over her shoulder, and he stopped her.
His hand enveloped the end of her thick red braid, holding it and keeping her from moving away. “Don’t run off Miss Denvers—”
“Lacy.”
Their eyes met and held, bringing a small smile to his full lips. Seductive lips that she could imagine running over her skin, and sucking at her nipples. God, this man was delicious. Why did he have to be the ranch owner?
“I’m sorry I didn’t speak up and tell you who I was. Most of the time, I’m introduced to guests at the dinner table, so they already know who I am before I can even speak with them. It’s rare that I get a chance to meet a sexy woman—and flirt with her—before she knows how much I’m worth. I enjoyed it immensely.”
Lacy couldn’t stop the side of her mouth from drawing up in a sardonic smile. “I’m glad I could bring you some measure of pleasure today; however, you and I both know that this can’t go any further Mr. Russo.”
“Drannon.”
She didn’t respond, and a low growl rattled from his throat. “My name is Drannon to you, Lacy.” She held her ground, with her lips closed, but her heart rate increased when he tugged her by the braid just a few inches closer. She could feel his breath on her cheek, and it smelled like chocolate and mint. “Say my name Lacy, please?”
Her breath caught in her chest, and she inhaled sharply when his lips ran over the skin of her jaw. Goose bumps popped up all over her body and she sighed with pleasure. “Drannon, please…”
That seemed to be the magic word. Suddenly her breasts were pressed against his broad chest, and her braid was wrapped around his fist while his lips savaged hers. He pushed his tongue between her lips and stroked it over her own. She moaned into the kiss and reached up to grip the back of his neck. His curly hair tangled in her fingers, and he gasped when she tugged before he returned the gesture with her braid. Her brain went blank as she turned herself over to the sensation.
Releasing her hair, he gripped her ass in his two massive hands and pulled her even tighter to him, sliding one thick thigh between hers. She couldn’t stop herself from grinding against the hard muscle, her already sensitive clit leading the way as she sought satisfaction.
They battled for control, nipping, stroking, and suckling at each other’s mouths as if each was starving for the other. Lacy loved the way his big hands held her so easily in his grip refusing to let her move an inch away from where he wanted her. The silent power he wielded made her clench her thighs tighter around his leg as she enjoyed the pressure against her pussy. Higher and higher they both climbed in their desire to touch and taste each other, and just when Lacy had decided to throw caution to the wind and let him fuck her right there on the floor, a voice shattered the veil of passion around them.
Marilyn was standing in the doorway with her back to them, attempting to get their attention while trying to give them privacy.
“I’m so sorry, but dinner is on the table, and I would hate for it to get cold. Would you prefer I put it in the oven until uh..well…um…until you’re ready for it?”
Drannon’s eyes sparkled with amusement, and he quirked that one damn eyebrow at Lacy again, to let her make the decision. She shook her head slightly, and pulled away from him. Marilyn had just rescued her from making a terrible mistake based on lust and not logic. She was grateful and irritated all at once.
“No need Marilyn, we’ll be in shortly. Thank you.” Drannon spoke softly, and Lacy grew more irritated at the control he seemed to have over his own emotions. The passionate cowboy who was ready to ravage her a moment ago had disappeared in an instant, leaving behind Mr. Calm Cool & Collected in his place. “May I escort you to dinner, Lacy?”
She frowned at him and glanced to the hallway to be sure Marilyn was gone before speaking. “That was a mistake, but mind you, it won’t happen again Drannon. I’m not here for a wild fling. In two weeks, I’ll be leaving, and I won’t leave my heart behind. Got it?”
For just a moment, she thought he might argue. She was surprised by how much she wanted him to argue with her. Instead, he gave her a wicked smile that promised he wasn’t giving up that easily, and held his arm out. “You know, riding is a hands on experience. You’ll never learn the joy if you can’t relax and let yourself welcome the wild nature of it.”
She gave him a glare that was met with loud masculine laughter as he led her in to dinner. In her heart, she knew she was already ankle deep in a puddle of trouble. Drannon Russo made her weak. His nearness seemed to set her body on fire with a fever that could only be cooled by his touch. How she was going to survive without getting burned was anyone’s guess.
~ ~ ~ ~
Drannon’s heart was racing in his chest, and he could probably split wood with the erection in his pants. He’d never held a woman in his arms who made him feel so out of control. His ex-wife had turned him on, but it was in a younger, innocent way. The lustings of a teenager for the girl next door.