Page 42 of Snowed In with the Rancher

Pressing her lips into a flat line, she blinked at him.

He held his breath and watched her shoulders slump and a small smile slowly curl her lips. “Thank you. I’m sure that wasn’t easy, so I appreciate it and I believe that your apology is genuine.”

Glancing at Mercy who was watching them with a wary eye, she stepped out of the corral and toward Asher, invading his space and bringing her subtle floral scent with her. Her hands found his waist and she tipped her head up to look at him. “I’m here if you want to talk, but I’m not going to push. We don’t know each other. This is just a fun Christmas fling, so if you want to keep it light, then we can keep it light.”

He nodded. But the weird churning in his gut when she called it just a fling was interesting.

Jerking his chin toward Mercy, he asked, “How’s he doing?”

She shrugged. “Fine. I calmed him down. He really is a big softy, you know. Maybe just a bit misunderstood …” She tightened her hold on him which caused him to glance down at her again. “All the most interesting and complex guys are, right?”

He scoffed. “Not sure if I’m interesting or complex. Not even sure if I’m misunderstood, but sure.”

“I was referring to the horse, not you,” she teased, her giggle making his heart light and the rest of his body buoyant. God, it felt good to not be so bogged down with the anger that seemed to constantly be riding on his shoulders like two asshole obese devils whispering stupid shit in his ears.

“Oh were you?” he asked, with a growl, backing her up until her butt hit the outside of the corral, then dropping his mouth to take hers, gripping her chin and taking control of their kiss.

She moaned into his mouth and he swallowed the sound, his cock jerked in his jeans and he pressed his hips against her.

He didn’t even here the sneaky bastard until he was right there behind her, making noises of protest and possessiveness, snorting and nudging the back of Triss’s head with his nose.

She broke their kiss and laughed, turning in Asher’s arms to face Mercy. “Jealous, handsome?” Mercy grunted. “Trust me, of the two of you, I’ll always pick you. No competition.”

“Hey,” Asher spun her back around to face him. “Just ‘cause his dick is bigger doesn’t mean you get to toss me into the manure pile. Unless bestiality is another one of your closet kinks.”

Her eyes went wide and he grinned. “Uh, my closet kinks?”

“Yeah. I know my kinks. No need keep ‘em in the closet. You, on the other hand, appear to have no idea you liked being spanked, blindfolded or dominated. Am I right?”

She bit her lip and her eyes went wide and doll-like. “Uh …”

“Do you think you’d like being tied up, too? I’ve got some silk ties I haven’t worn in years that would look so fucking sexy around your wrists and ankles while you’re spread wide on my bed.”

Her throat moved hard and she swallowed before licking her lips. “Ummm …”

God, could his smile get any bigger? It was hurting his damn cheeks.

Thank fuck she forgave so easily.

He definitely wasn’t ready to let her go, and even though he knew their time together was temporary, he planned to make the most of it.

Dipping his mouth to her neck, he pressed kisses before scraping his teeth across her rapidly beating pulse point. “I bet you have a lot of closet kinks we could explore.”

“You think so?”

“Only one way to find out.”

“We’re not done out here.” Her head lolled to the side, granting him better access to her slender neck. “We have animals to care for.”

With a grumble, he nipped her jaw. “Must you always be so practical?”

Laughing, she tore herself away from him and stepped back into the corral. Mercy was still right there, giving Asher the stink-eye. “The faster we finish chorin’, the faster you can give me another Christmas present.”

“Did you just say chorin’?”

She beamed at him. “That’s what we’re doing, right? Chorin’?”

Snorting, he nodded. “Yeah, it just sounds funny coming from a little city slicker like you.”

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