Backroads Read online

  In my irritation I realize one thing.

  I want Chase Hunting.

  Finding sleep last night was almost impossible. Having Holly in my arms for those few minutes had my cock rock hard all night. I haven’t jacked off this many times since I was a teenager.

  Now here I am lying in bed, sliding my hand up and down my shaft once again as I wake up to thoughts of her.

  I could have been inside her last night. The look on her face, the need in her fingers, the heat from her core... It drives me crazy I didn’t get to touch her there.

  Thoughts of spreading her thighs and finding out just how wet she was with my tongue has me gripping my shaft harder, stroking faster, chasing the release building in my balls. Thinking of how it will feel when she calls my name and comes on my face tips me over and has me coming. My cum lands on my bare chest. I should feel ashamed of the mess I made, but I’m not. She has me wound up, and I know I have her in the same state.

  I need her to say yes to my date. I want to get her alone, where we won’t have any interruptions. Where we can find that easy feeling we had last night being in each other’s company. There is no one I have been this out-of-control attracted to.

  Glancing at the clock, I groan seeing it’s only five in the morning. Today is going to be a long day. Even longer remembering I will be with those ladies for several hours.

  I get up from bed and head to the bathroom for a quick shower to erase the evidence of my pleasure. Christ, this woman is doing a number on me.

  Twenty minutes later I’m showered and making coffee in the main house. “Morning,” Linda says, yawning.

  “Morning,” I grumble at her, thinking of the hell I’ll be going through today.

  “Hmmm, someone doesn’t sound like they got much sleep last night. Or are you mad at me for those ladies from Arkansas?” she asks as she pours herself a cup of coffee.

  “Both. And why aren’t you taking them out? You know the property better than I do,” I say and sip at my own mug.

  Laughing, she replies, “Oh, I actually thought you could invite Holly to join you today. She needs to learn. I don’t think she has any experience.” She gauges my reaction over the brim of her mug, eyes gleaming smugly.

  “Holly?” My day is starting to look a bit better. “Yeah, I could invite her.” I try to hide my smile by taking a drink.

  “Wow, you really have it bad for her, don’t you,” she says coyly.

  Rolling my eyes, I reply, “Why is everyone saying that?” Am I really that obvious?

  “Because it’s true. I’ve never seen you act this... well, like this.” She gestures at me, as if it’s my whole body that’s been affected.

  If only she knew.

  I shrug. “Yeah, well, there’s something about her that makes me act this way. My brother once told me if you can’t stop acting like an idiot around her, you’re in deeper than you think.” I smile remembering exactly when he said that to me.

  “You have a brother?” she asks in surprise.

  I’m surprised I brought him up too. Usually the thought of him is harder to talk about, so I don’t. In this moment, though, the memory is shoved to the forefront of my mind.

  “Yeah. We used to be pretty close. He was always trying to school me with advice about everything since he was older than me.” I can picture him sitting on the barstool smiling at me the last time we talked. His easy smile reflected my own. The twinge of guilt has me remembering why I don’t talk about him much.

  “Sounds like a wise man,” she says, smiling.

  “He was,” I mumble quietly to myself.

  Linda has been the best kind of savior I didn’t know I needed. She rarely asks questions, finding it better to wait for me to open up. She let me rebuild my life here this past year. I hadn’t realized how lost I’d become, running from place to place, secluding myself. It was what I wanted for so long I didn’t know how to ground myself to anyplace or anything.

  The kitchen door opens and the most breathtaking woman walks through. Holly. She is still rubbing sleep from her eyes as she scowls at me. I can see creases from her pillow still on the side of her cheek. Her blonde hair is pulled back in a ponytail, and she’s wearing one of her snug white tank tops and those shorts that need to be outlawed. My eyes scan down her fit, smooth legs to her boots.

  “Morning.” I smile.

  “No talking till the coffee hits my lips,” she murmurs, shuffling by me. Her irritation at the time of day rolls off her.

  But fuck if that raspy voice dripping with sleep isn’t begging me to kiss those lips.

  I drink in her every move. Her tired and dramatically slow movements show how exhausted she really is. I wonder if she had as hard of a time sleeping last night as I did.

  The only sound is Linda humming about the kitchen, getting some of the food prepped. Holly won’t lift her eyes from the mug of black coffee she’s grasping as though it’s a lifeline.

  After several long moments of silence, she finally looks up and meets my gaze. “How did you sleep?”

  Her comment drips with sarcasm, and her tired voice makes me grin. “Not well,” I admit, leaning on the countertop in her direction.

  Her eyes glance to my lips before making eye contact. “How come?”

  Smiling at the reasons why, I respond, “There was something consuming my thoughts.”

  “Something?”

  “More like someone,” I say quietly and enjoy watching her take a shaky breath. She has no idea the thoughts that kept me awake most of the night—thoughts I hope become reality.

  My eyes zero in on the fact that her nipples are now standing at attention. She glances down to see what I’m looking at. Instead of trying to cover them up like I expect, she just rolls her eyes and shrugs.

  An urge to wrap her in my arms and pull her close is so strong I need to step away from her before I can’t control it. “Finish your coffee before we get started.” I set my empty cup in the sink and step outside. Getting some fresh air might help clear my mind of my one-directional thoughts.

  Leaning up against a support beam for the deck above me, I take a deep breath, enjoying the quiet of the morning. We are far enough from the highways you don’t hear the sound of traffic I was used to growing up. You don’t hear anything except nature.

  The birds are chirping, and the sun is starting to peek over the horizon as I look to the bend in the river. I hear the door open and close behind me, and I swear I can feel her as she walks up next to me.

  “Your aunt picked the perfect spot to build this lodge.” I nod in the direction of the sunrise and continue. “Building it on this hill and bend of the river, you can look to the east and watch the sun come up over those distant hills across the water, and at night when you look to the west you get to watch the sun disappear into the current of the river. I’ve never seen so many colors light up the sky.”

  I turn to watch as she takes in the pinks and purples off in the distance. Just at that moment, the sun breaks over the crest of the horizon, shining the most stunning light on her face. She closes her eyes briefly as she lifts her head to soak in the warmth. Her beauty is breathtaking. Stepping forward, I close the space between us, my feet moving on their own.

  She opens her eyes slowly, and without a thought I reach out and catch a strand of loose hair and tuck it behind her ear. She trembles slightly beneath my touch as I cradle her cheek in my palm.

  “I thought the sunrise was beautiful, but in pales in comparison to how beautiful you look watching it.”

  Her skin reacts and goose bumps erupt along her arms. Her hand reaches up and cups the one I have cradling her. She leans into my touch and closes her eyes briefly as she wraps her fingers around mine, then pulls my hand to her lips and places a kiss on my palm.

  I didn’t realize I had been holding my breath till her lips touch me. Letting out a labored breath, I feel the heat of her run through my arm, straight to my heart. It’s as though she sent a shock of lightning through me, an
d my heartbeat hammers so loudly in my chest it’s all I can hear.

  Needing to feel her closer, I step forward to wrap my arms around her, intending to kiss her. The sound of the door opening halts me, as Linda sticks her head out of the kitchen.

  “You should get going to the chicken coop. I’ll need eggs. And don’t forget the invite,” she says quickly before tucking herself safely back inside.

  Holly looks up at me and steps away, letting my hand go. She nervously pulls her tank top down and runs her hands over it to smooth out the nonexistent wrinkles. Taking a deep breath, she glances at Linda through the kitchen window.

  I clear my throat to get her attention back on me. I can’t help feeling momentarily lost seeing her wake up from our moment.

  “Invite?”

  “Would you like to go riding with us today?”

  Her whole face lights up with a smile. “Really? Yes!”

  There’s no way I can’t grin back with her excitement.

  I look at the rising sun again and picture us standing in this very spot but with her tucked in my arms, her back to my chest as we greet the sun together.

  She broke my walls down with one touch. I don’t need to break hers down; I need her to let me in so we can build something together.

  My heart is still rapidly beating after whatever the hell just happened. Every time I think I’m going to be able to resist him, I melt in a matter of seconds.

  I still can feel his eyes on me—they strip away everything I’m trying to hide from. He sees me and still holds me for everything that I am. What started out as fun flirting is becoming something else. Something I’m not sure I’m ready for.

  Right now I’m following him, and I’m enjoying the view of his backside—the way his shoulder muscles move under his shirt, the way his walk is more of a strut without him even trying for it to be.

  “We don’t always have to get up as early as today. But I wanted to make sure I had time to show you some things,” he says over his shoulder. “I know you know the big barn has stables for the horses, and that’s where we keep a few of the tractors. You can see the chicken coop is just beside it. Linda bought that building somewhere and had them trailer it in.”

  He’s trying to make conversation after what just happened between us. “Uh, yeah, she walked me around a while ago. The barn is beautiful.” What am I saying? “She told me about renovating it. That it’s the only original structure on the ranch.”

  “It’s really remarkable what they were able to do with it. The pictures she showed me from before, you would have thought it would be better to tear it down. But your aunt is stubborn, and when she wants something done she gets it done.” The humor in his voice is evident.

  “That sounds like another story to tell,” I accuse.

  Turning to me, he cocks his head to the side with a grin. “It is. In time I hope to tell you. Maybe over dinner?”

  There’s no time to hold back the laughter that erupts from me. “Smooth.”

  “It’s only smooth if it works.” He shrugs and places his hands on his hips. It only makes me laugh more.

  “Does this work for you often? This persistency?” I shake my head.

  “I’m not quite sure. I’ve never had to be so persistent.” When he says it, I make a face as I’m about to tell him how cocksure that sounds. Trying to recover, he adds, “I mean I’ve never wanted to pursue anyone like I am you. It’s been a while since I’ve done any pursuing. I’m rusty if you can’t tell.”

  It’s when he says things like that, that it catches me off guard. Part of me wants him to be the arrogant asshole so I have a reason to dislike him; the other part of me has a hard time holding myself back from him when he’s so open.

  He clears his throat before the moment can get even more awkward. “Have you met Sadie yet?”

  Wondering if that’s the name of one of the animals or someone else, I shake my head. “No.”

  He lets out a dramatic breath while he offers his arm out for me to go first as he opens the door to the chicken coop. “Ladies first,” he says with a glint in his eye.

  Before I can even think about what that look could mean, I hear a shrill squawk—baaackaaahh!—and feel wind rushing at me as feathers surround my face. Screaming in shock, I bring my arms up and jump back, and Chase’s arms circle around me as he lets out a roar of laugher.

  “Meet Sadie. Short for a sadistic crazy-ass hen that loves to attack you when you walk in.” He’s still laughing when I turn around to smack his firm chest.

  “What the hell? You could have warned me, asshole.” This is not the kind of shit I signed up for. I pull my hair tie out and smooth my hair that’s been disheveled by the crazy bird, and I glare at him.

  “It’s a rite of passage in the chicken coop to be attacked at least once by her.” He points above the door we just walked in. “We aren’t sure how she gets up there. If you open the door and wait five seconds before entering, she’ll come down squawking on her own. Now that you’ve gone through your initiation, it’ll be your job to keep it under wraps for when you have to bring someone in here.” He’s smiling as though the explanation makes it okay.

  I finish tying up my hair and turn to him with a finger pointed in his chest. “That is not how you treat the girl you want to take out on a date. You warn her no matter what.” Irritated and overwhelmed noticing all the clucking going on around us, I feel too close to any of them.

  The space is small, about the size of a ten-by-twelve room. Nesting boxes line one entire wall about shoulder height. The dust in the air is thick as the chickens run around on the straw-littered floor, ruffling their wings at random and kicking up even more dust. After the attack I’m wondering if they will come after me. What if they all descend on me at once?

  Feeling the need to escape, I back up toward the door... and into a wall of muscle.

  “Don’t worry, Princess, they won’t hurt you. Aside from Sadie there, the rest of them are tame. Even she’s okay after the initial kamikaze jump—see, look.” To make his point, he walks over to the bird we should be having for supper and picks her up. She clucks in his arms as he holds her close and scratches at her neck. Like a dog, the vicious thing leans into him, and I swear that beak turns up into a smile while one beady eye stares at me.

  I watch the other chickens move around the room and notice the hole in the wall where they can go outside in the netted area to run around.

  “Want to hold one?” he offers.

  “No, I’m good, thanks. Let’s get the eggs and get out of here. This air is making me itchy.”

  Chuckling, he responds with “I’ll help you scratch any itch you have.”

  I smack him on the arm. “That kind of comment is not winning me over. Tell me what I need to know.” It’s those kind of comments I want to hate, that I pretend to hate, when instead my body quivers with the thought of him helping with a very certain itch I’ve had lately.

  “Offering to help out, Princess, that’s all.” His toothy smile oozes with humor.

  Rolling my eyes, I gesture around the room for him to show me something. He spends the next several minutes explaining the feeding routine. Then he grabs a basket and shows me how to look for eggs in the nesting boxes. I’m surprised when he isn’t pecked at when a hen is sitting all motherly-like on her eggs. He just reaches in, talking softly to her and nudging her to the side while stealing her eggs. The kindness he shows the birds is surprising. The gentle way he scratches at them while soothingly talking to them has me watching in awe at this different side of him I haven’t seen before.

  As we are about to exit, another bird comes strutting in, bigger than all the others with bright vibrant colors. I know without asking that’s the rooster in the henhouse. The phrase has me giggling.

  “What?” he asks.

  I fight back a snort. “Well, isn’t he just cocksure of himself.” I don’t know why I find this humorous, but it is. One rooster for a dozen hens. I’d be walking around like that too
.

  “That damn bird gets more action than Charlie and Lee put together. That’s saying a lot too,” he says, watching me watch the rooster.

  Shaking my head, I motion for us to leave. My skin really is itchy, and the air feels thicker as the morning sun brings heat to the enclosed building.

  “Think you can handle this tomorrow morning, or do you want me to come with just to make sure you got things under control?” The look on his face tells me he’s serious. I like that he is willing to come with me again if I want him to. Or maybe he’s asking me if I want his company again. Overthinking his question has my mind running in circles.

  “I think I can handle it, but I won’t say no to you wanting to make sure I know what I’m doing.” I don’t want to admit I’m still a little skittish of being attacked by the chickens when he isn’t around.

  “No worries, Princess. I’d love nothing more.”

  “Let’s get these to Linda. I hear we have a day of riding ahead of us.” There’s no hiding the excitement in my voice about learning to ride. I’ve never been, but the day Linda walked me down to the stables, I fell in love with the horses: their smell, the velvety softness of their noses, the way they nibbled the apples out of my hands.

  Imagining the graceful way they move, I picture myself galloping through a field. One of my favorite shows growing up was Hey Dude, where teenagers helped out on a dude ranch. I thought they always looked so chic in their western gear and wished I could get a job at a ranch too, since it looked like so much fun. When Linda asked me to come help, that show was what I envisioned this place to be. Now my dream seemed like it was about to come true.

  I. Hate. Riding.

  I have nothing good to say about it. Chase spent a good half hour showing me how to guide the horse, telling me to loosen up my muscles and let the horse do the work. Screw that. Every single muscle has been clenched during this jarring, torturous ride for the last couple of hours.

  The women—I can’t even bring myself to remember their names—have been laughing and flirting nonstop with Chase the entire time. If that hasn’t been aggravating enough, I still have no idea what I’m actually doing when it comes to riding. While Chase and the ladies seem relaxed and aloof on their horses, and very much in control of where they are taking them, I’ve been bouncing around like a rag doll, squeezing my legs as tight as I can, trying to hold on. With every move of the horse shuddering below me, all I want is the firm ground beneath my feet.