Page 51 of The Outlaw and the Heir

I leaned back against the tub and raised a brow. “Weren't you the one who said you like some of those things about me?"

"Some, yes," he said, approaching me, his hands resting on my chest and rubbing slowly. I tensed, knowing full well that, like every other time, we were in a somewhat public place, and all it would take was for someone to walk by at the wrong time. Two things kept me from giving in to that fear, though. One was that his touch was usually enough to make me forget all common sense and healthy thinking. The other was that as much as he seemed impulsive, overly playful, and too much of a risk-taker, I realized the opposite was true. He was just good at making himself look that way. All the while, he carefully evaluated everything and manipulated things to work out the way he wanted.

Why someone would devote so much energy to looking like an impulsive idiot rather than the careful, calculating man he was wasn't something I could figure out.

"I had a thought," he said, hands sliding down my torso until his hand came to rest on my groin. His fingers gave a gentle squeeze, immediately making me suck in a breath that was both nervous and interested in equal measure. Every time we were intimate, I felt that same conflicting feeling of fear at his ability to control me so well while simultaneously enticing me. It was difficult for me to sort through the feelings and make sense of them, and so instead, I found myself a slave to whatever emotions he drew out of me.

"What thought was that?" I asked softly as his fingers found the laces of my pants and undid them with a twist of his fingers,tugging them loose. Everything in me should have warned against being so stupid when I hadn't checked to ensure we were safe from being discovered. All I had right now was the trust that he made sure we wouldn't be disturbed and then the feeling of his hand sliding into my pants and wrapping around me.

If I had any doubts about doing this right now, they disappeared when he dropped to his knees and took me in his mouth. A low groan escaped me, and I quickly tamped it down. The last thing I needed was to make enough noise to draw attention from anyone that might happen by and drown out the sound of their approach.

My hand slid through his hair as he bottomed out, taking me deep in his throat. I had no idea how he managed to do that without a lot of fighting, choking, and gagging, but he wasn't going to hear a complaint from me. It was just one more thing that put me at his complete mercy as he hummed around my shaft, making my fingers tighten in his hair.

When his hand slid to rest on my hips instead, I took the invitation for what it was. Holding tight to the hair on the back of his head, I pulled his head back and held it there for a moment, savoring the feeling before pushing my hips forward. He’d learned last week that I gained a whole new pleasure when I was allowed to take over and fuck his mouth at my own pace. The fact that his mouth and throat could handle whatever I did just meant I was free to do as I pleased.

Which, of course, should have made me feel powerful, and I did while using his mouth. Yet afterward, I was left with the idea that, in the end, I had been used, not the other way around. Itshouldhave irritated me, or at least offended me, but considering how willing he was to use that power for the sake of my pleasure as well, I didn't complain.

Especially now as I began to rock back and forth, enjoying, as always, the feel of his muscles gripping me as I thrustinto his mouth. I loved seeing him completely in my power while somehow remaining in control. There was no way I’d be able to do it without his permission, without hisenthusiasticpermission. He occasionally let out a low moan, just quiet enough that it wouldn't be heard unless someone was dangerously close but loud enough that I could feel the tantalizing pleasure of it up and down my shaft.

The grip around me was gone, and he jerked, forcing me to shuffle backward at the sudden movement. Then, I realized I could hear the crunch of approaching footsteps and hurriedly stuffed myself back into my pants, wincing. Samuel was on his feet in a flash, walking around the tub and pressing his groin up against it while he scooped water to splash his face. I had to do the same but instead had to turn my back to the approaching sound.

The footsteps reached us and stopped, followed by a familiar voice. "Well, hi there, Ambrose and...Samuel. Didn't think anyone was out here this late."

I glanced over my shoulder, amazed and horrified that despite being filled with alarm, terror, and worry, my shaft refused to go down. "Hi, Walter, just washing up. The day went on longer than I thought it was gonna."

"And I decided it was probably in my best interest to make sure he hadn't collapsed while working. It would be bad if the person who's supposed to be in charge of me up and died. Then who would be in charge? Better the devil you know, and all that," Samuel said, his voice casual and completely normal. I had no idea how he could look so well put together as if he hadn't a worry in the world.

Walter chuckled. “Probably a smart idea. But Ambrose here is made of strong stuff. You won't have to worry about him."

"You say that when your life could depend on whether he's still alive," Samuel said wryly. "Maybe then your attitudes about how strong or weak won't matter as much."

"Ya got me there," Walter said with a genuinely well-meaning chuckle. It was one thing I’d always liked about him; no matter what Walter said or did, he was always genuinely happy to be involved. I had never seen him angry or frustrated with another person, and there didn't seem to be anything that made him uncomfortable. It was probably what made him so good with the horses. Even the most ornery horse found itself calm and reasonable around Walter. "But it's nice of ya to check on him all the same. Place wouldn't be the same if something happened to Ambrose here."

"Walter," I groaned, a little confused, when I realized his praise made me go soft faster than any threat of discovery. "Don't start. Every one of you could manage just fine without me, and you'd be a fool to think otherwise."

"Well, then call me a fool," he said, genuinely unconcerned by my attitude. "We might be able to manage, but it wouldn't be the same. Your daddy lets you run so many things for a reason."

"You're making him turn colors," Samuel said, not sounding like he was chiding Walter for my embarrassment but just...commenting. Then again, that was him, and all I could do was glare, even though I knew it wouldn't bother him in the slightest. He continued to look amused as he watched me, leaning on the edge of the tub, eyes drifting down toward my naked torso and coming back up again. "It's fun to watch."

Somehow, I didn't think he was talking about my embarrassment now.

"You need help with somethin', Walter?" I asked, turning around now it was safe and hoping to change the subject.

"Naw, I usually come out here and think for a bit. Things are quiet out here at this time of day," Walter said, shoving hishands into his pockets and grinning. "But don't hurry on my account, you look like you need to cool off."

"Not really," I said with a shrug. "Already done that."

"Really? Ya both looked awfully red when I showed up, 'specially you, Ambrose," Walter said, tilting his head and frowning in concern.

"That's because I was giving him a hard time," Samuel said, and I breathed a sigh of relief at the rescue. Quick thinking and words werenotmy best. Better to leave it up to someone like Samuel, who could think on his toes faster than anyone I knew and sound completely normal doing so.

"Well, hopefully nottoohard a time," Walter chuckled.

"Don't worry," Samuel said, and I sensed danger in the smile in his voice. "He was giving mequitethe hard time in return. Very hard."

I turned to give him a wide-eyed death stare as Walter let out a soft laugh. “Well, that's good. If there's one thing Ambrose ain't always been that good at, it's dishin' out back to those who do it to him."

"Oh," Samuel said, and while he looked laid back and normal, I could practically see the horns pushing out from his forehead. "He was giving it to me good."

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