Another rub, this time with his thumb over the back of her hand. His fingers moving oh-so-slowly, but still more than enough of an impact considering the pounding in her throat. She honestly felt her heartbeat there. Another first, it seemed.
“Are we gonna hold hands? Hell, yeah. Seems like a good place to start.”
She dropped the idea of crawling into his lap and rubbing all over him like a lovesick cat. “It’s nice.”
Joel chuckled. Such a dark, rich sound for something that should show his amusement, but when she glanced at his eyes, there was far more there than merely fun. Full dark pupils pinned her in place. “It’s a
start
, Vicki. You sure you want me to teach you everything? Because, goddamn, I’m eager. But every bit of it is worth doing right.”
“I’m sure.” Holy hell, she was sure. If a little thumb rubbing got her aching between her legs and longing for more, she’d done this perfectly in terms of asking for help. “Only don’t go too slow, okay? I’m not gonna break.”
She didn’t see him move. Somehow, though, she hit the ground and he was over her. His elbows were braced on either side of her head, and his knees must have been on the ground, because otherwise she would have been crushed beneath him.
Instead, she was caught between the solid ground and his rock-solid body. Just the lightest of contact between them, mostly heat.
Oh God, though, the
heat
, especially at her core where a thick ridge pressed…
His
cock
, Vicki. Think the damn word. You’re going to get a close-up view at some point, so use the big-girl words.
She forced herself to acknowledge the truth. Where his
cock
made contact, need and excitement roared though her. Her mouth went dry as she stared into his face, wondering what he would do next. All thoughts of stopping him had vanished.
If he stripped her right then and there, she’d willingly get grass stains on her ass.
He wasn’t breathing too smoothly himself. The hot stroke of his jagged gasps rushed past her cheek, and she braced herself for the next first. He was going to kiss her. She was sure of it. Crushing her lips beneath his, taking her by storm. That had to come next.
She debated closing her eyes, but he held her trapped with his gaze.
A long, low rumble issued out, his chest moving slightly as he spoke. “You might not be breakable, but I already said it. This is worthwhile doing right.”
He lowered his head, his cheek brushing past her hair. She swore he took a deep breath before he rose. All the muscular length of him towering over her.
Vicki lay in the grass, the cool blue of the October sky framing the big cowboy. She took her time looking him over as the rush of whatever he’d triggered buzzed through her system. “How long is it gonna take before my heart rate goes back to normal?”
“Hell if I know. That’s good, though. Tells me I’m not the only one turned on like crazy right now.”
She tried not to stare at his hard-on. “You aren’t the only one. Fuck, no.”
He grinned and held out his hand. “Tomorrow, come to the small barn around ten and we’ll get started.”
The sexual tension between them deflated, at least on her part. The first thing she thought of was the terror of the horses, but she hid it under the other fear. “Jesse?”
Joel pulled her to vertical. “He won’t be home until late afternoon. We’ll be done morning chores, so Blake and Matt won’t be around. Trust me.”
She wanted to, but saying and doing were two different things. She’d already opened up a can of worms starting this entire thing. “That’s gonna take more time.”
He snorted. And didn’t let go of her fingers. “Come on. Walk with me for a minute.”
It was a good thing he led her to the level section at the top of the hill, because hanging on to his hand was more distracting than she’d thought possible. He didn’t let her loose, as if there were a delicate iron band around her wrist, holding her to his side.
She didn’t want to let go.
“You still looking for a job?” he asked, deep voice smoothing over her like butter.
Vicki shook her head to clear the cobwebs. “What’s that? Oh, no, I got on at the shop. I start full-time on Monday, thanks to you.”
“None of my doing. You going to miss the café?”
She sighed. “Yeah, I love cooking. But the shop is a safer place to work. Less chance of breaking people’s heads, that kind of thing.”
Joel paced steadily, guiding her along. He was probably itching to ask her about Eric, or was her guilty conscience making everything all about her? No matter. Some secrets were not coming out today. Not ever, if she had her choice.
So she tried to return the distraction. “You enjoy ranching?”
Joel pulled her to a stop and looked over the land. She liked that he took a moment to think her question through before answering. Made it seem less some practiced comment, more from the heart.
“I can’t imagine living anywhere else. Even being the couple hours away for school while Jesse and I went to college was brutal. I wanted to wake up in the spring and hear frogs. Let the roosters be my alarm instead of some tinny music pounding through the walls of the dorm from my neighbour’s room.”
“I bet there’s an app for that.”
Joel chuckled. “I bet there is.”
She wasn’t sure why it was suddenly so important to have him…well, like her. Oh, she was sure he wanted her, but like her? As in actually
like
the Hansol bad girl?
He’d said he admired her spirit, but most of that was impulsive. Spur of the moment. She’d rarely set out and done things to get them done. And now? Having Joel Coleman actually
like
her became an important part of the plan.
Although with every new thing she added to it, the damn to-do list was getting as full as she’d ever had it in her entire life.
“Tell me about…?” She scrambled back through the sexual cloud for the details he’d shared. “Sable. What was her mom’s name? And how do you say that properly, because talking about a horse’s great granddaughters probably follows some secret rancher’s code, like breeding and mares and other stuff.”
Joel glanced down, adjusting his grip on her fingers to curl his entire hand around hers. “You want to know all the terms?”
“All about horses. Tell me everything.”
“I bet there’s an app for that,” Joel deadpanned.
“You’re better than an app. You can hold my hand while you teach me.” She gave him a smile, hoping this was the right thing to do, willing him to accept her offering.
Willing herself to be brave enough to take this adventure and stick it out to the end, because the potential for something wonderful was incredible.
Past, present and future. It all hinged on the here and now. If she could make it through the next months and learn to handle horses. If Joel was smart enough to help her.
If the town could just stay out of their business for a little while.
They stood there for a minute. She wasn’t sure what came next. “I guess we should get back.”
“I guess we should.” Joel didn’t let go of her fingers until they were at the bike, then he lifted her hand to his mouth and pressed his lips against her fingers briefly. “Give me a ride back to my truck?”
She wasn’t sure if she should go
awww
for him being a gentleman, or kick him for leaving her aching with anticipation. “You don’t want to drive?”
“Your bike. Let’s see how you handle it.” He handed her the helmet and waited until she’d mounted. Then he stepped over the back and curled an arm around her belly, and all the wild fantasies she’d shoved into a corner sprang up.
Hard-as-nails muscles pressed against her, bands of iron holding her steady.
The dry mouth she’d suffered from vanished, and she swallowed hard to stop from drooling. “I think it’s better if you drive. I don’t think I can balance her with your weight in the back.”
She escaped from the circle of his arms. Not because she didn’t want him holding her, but because she wanted it too badly.
Joel seemed to accept her excuse. “It’s a bigger bike than you should have, isn’t it?”
“I’ll trade down someday. It was cheap.”
He slipped into position and waited for her to mount. Wrapping her arms around him didn’t seem nearly as dangerous, but the control she clung to was an illusion. Because in spite of the drive back to the truck, the time it took for him to dismount, in spite of all that, she was still horny as all get out from having her inner thighs rubbing his fine ass.
She wanted him between her thighs for real, and while it seemed she’d get her wish eventually, going slow was the order of the day.
Not even a goodbye kiss.
Joel hauled open his truck door. “I need to get back. I’ll see you at ten outside the red door.”
He started his engine, rolling down the window so he could finish talking to her. Like he was putting a barrier between them. Vicki adjusted position and turned the bike for the road. “Ten then. I’ll call you if I can’t make it for some reason.”
Although what reason could she have other than avoiding the horses of hell?
He pointed sternly, a cross between a frown and mischief on his face. “You show up or I’ll track you down.”
Drat
.
There really wasn’t any answer for that, and if she stayed around any longer things would get more awkward. So she took off, her body still buzzing with need, her head filled with images of pregnant Six Pack mares, and Joel Coleman pinning her to the ground.
She was totally going to get off tonight on the memories of him covering her, and she wasn’t even a bit ashamed.
Chapter Six
Joel gave her room to leave, not wanting to crowd her as she somehow got the massive bike back onto the highway. He pulled over, ready to turn down the narrow drive leading to the trailer he shared with Jesse, then changed his mind.
He needed help on this one, and his options were limited as to who he could ask. Frankly, his dad was the one he’d normally go to for the horse advice he required, or Karen, but they were both out of the question for obvious reasons.
Instead he headed toward town and his closest brother. Daniel might not have the twin-speak advantage there’d always been between him and Jesse, but in some ways, that made him a better sounding board.
They got each other. Understood the motivation to do something a little different.
Pulling up in front of Daniel and Beth’s home in town felt a touch strange, though. Jesse had been right. His older brothers were settling down, which was normal, but changed the dynamics like crazy.
As did the wild new family additions who rushed his truck.
“Uncle J, Uncle J.” Little boys shrieked as he stepped onto the lawn, allowing his three nephews to tackle him to the ground.
“Hey, guys. You ready for it? Three, two, one.” The game Daniel’s adopted boys had created of
Guess the Uncle
hadn’t gotten old yet, so he and Jesse still went along with it.
“Joel,” two of them shouted.
“Jesse,” the littlest of the three, Robbie, insisted.
“That’s Joel’s truck, you dum-dum.” Lance poked his brother. “Jesse only drives it sometimes.”
Robbie tilted his eight-year-old head to the side and stared hard into Joel’s eyes. “You sure you’re not Jesse?”
“Sorry, short stuff. Uncle Joel at your service.”
Nathan didn’t care who it was dropping in unannounced. “You gonna take us fishing? Riding? To visit—”
“Whoa, rein it in. I’m here to visit your mom and dad, and you for a bit, I guess. What you up to?”
“Playing.”
The front door opened, and Daniel stuck his head out. “Lunch time.”
The three short people vanished as if they’d never been there. Joel pushed himself off the grass and wiped at his jeans. “You got extra for me?” he called.
Daniel leaned on the doorframe. “Don’t know. You planning on teaching my kids any more bad habits like proposing another ‘who can shove the most hard-boiled eggs in their mouths at one time’ contest?”
“That was Jesse.” Still he couldn’t help but smile as he headed in and patted his brother on the back. “Also, I seem to remember you won.”
“Shh, no getting me in trouble.” Daniel grinned at him. “Good to see you. Got something other than a free lunch on your mind?”
“That transparent?”
They walked toward the kitchen and the noise level rose exponentially.
“You’re always welcome, but there’s not much excitement around here for a single guy, egg-eating contests exempted. Also?” Daniel paused in the doorway and spoke softer. “I saw you last night at Traders. You were distracted. Let me feed you, and once the horde is full we can take them outside and talk.”
Joel nodded, but felt a bit of a fool. “Is Beth around? I kinda have a question for her first.”
Daniel raised a brow. “Sure. You can take lunch into her office.”
He passed over a plate filled with finger foods and pointed down the hall.
“It’s nothing bad,” Joel started, but Daniel waved him down.