Page 19 of Texas Kissing

“Are you getting wet for me? Ready for me? Are you touching yourself?”

I jumped to my feet. “Goodbye, Bull.”

“Come to the stables,” he rumbled. “The Hollister ranch.”

“Goodbye!”

I ended the call and just stood there for a second. I was panting and flushed, my hair sticking to my forehead. Well, the air conditioning was broken. That’s all it was.

Then I spotted it in the mirror—a big, dirty oil mark on the front of my panties. I looked down at my oil-covered fingers.

Goddamnthat man.

18

Lily

By the timeI’d showered, changed and driven out to the Hollister ranch, it was late afternoon but the temperature had barely dropped. My car had air conditioning but, outside, I knew the hood was probably hot enough to burn skin. The bone-dry weather had left the dirt road billowing with dust. My Toyota was reliable as hell but I still winced at the amount of sandy grit that was getting into the engine. I needed my car to work and not just for going to the store. At the back of my mind, there was always the knowledge that, one day, I might need to run.

I kept telling myself that this was just something friendly. That it was to stop me turning into a hermit, and was nothing to do with the oily finger marks on the front of my panties, or the dream I’d had about him. I’d see the goddamn horses, chat with him and leave. That’s it.

When I pulled up outside the stables, a ranch hand was leaning against the wall. A good-looking guy withsoft, black hair and snaking tribal tattoos visible under his shirt sleeves. “I’m looking for Bull?” I said as I got out.

The ranch hand nodded with just a trace of a smirk.

“He’s a friend,” I said quickly. I didn’t want him thinking I was one of Bull’s casual flings. Would he think that anyway? I didn’t look like those girls I’d seen at Lucky Pete’s….

But the ranch hand just nodded again. “Inside,” he said, nodding towards the gloomy interior. “Have fun.” And he started to amble off.

“Thank you,” I called after him.

“Don’t get too sore,” he threw over his shoulder.

“W—What?”I felt my face go beet-red.

He stopped. “Don’t get too sore,” he repeated.

I just stared at him in horror.

He frowned. “You can get sore, you know, if you’re not used to it. Some girls come out here and they can barely walk the next day.”

Jesus Christ!I was going to kill Bull! Had he boasted to everyone that he was going to—”I’m sure I’ll be fine, thank you,” I told him.

“Oh. Okay.” He grinned. “Just that Bull said he thought it was your first time.”

I lost the capacity to speak. I knew guys boasted to each other about sex, but we hadn’t even done anything yet. And to just presume that I was a—

I snapped.

“I amnot a virgin!”I said loudly. “I’m quite experienced and I doubt that Bull’s as big as everyone claims so I’m sure I’ll be just fine,thank you.”

“Your first timeon a horse,” said the ranch hand, straight-faced. “Bull said he was taking you riding.”

I flailed around for a response but I knew there was no hope. Inside, all my hot anger was evaporating while my humiliation doubled,tripled.Only now, I couldn’t blame it on Bull.

Wait...yes I could. This was completely his fault. He’d dragged me out here to this place and seeded my mind with filth—all those wisecracks about the size of his cock and that phone call and...he’d as good as forced me to jump to the wrong conclusion.

I nodded a stiffthank youto the ranch hand and marched into the stables...and stopped in my tracks.

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