Page 33 of Roughing It with the Rancher

“You really take this gentleman stuff seriously,” she mutters, trying to sound annoyed. But the smile on her face tells me she enjoys the treatment.

Nick clamps a hand on my shoulder as he and his crew surround us. “Didn’t expect to see you and your lovely bride out here. Isn’t this your honeymoon?”

“Yes, it is, which means I need to kindly ask you to wrap it up for the night, so me and my wife can have a little privacy.”

“Sure thing, man. We were already packing up.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Not much activity tonight?”

“It got real interesting for a while. Lots of strange stuff. But the sky’s been quiet for at least a good hour now.”

I can’t help but notice how Esmeralda’s face relaxes at the end of his statement.

“Are you UFO-watching, too?” Nick asks, his voice incredulous.

“Nope, just looking for the perfect spot to watch the sunrise.”

“Nice,” he says, nodding. “You couldn’t have picked a better location. Be sure to look out that way.” He points. “As the sun comes up, you’ll get quite a show.”

“That’s what we’re counting on. Need a hand with anything?” I ask.

“Nope, we’ve got it covered. A few more minutes, and we’ll be out of your hair.”

Chapter Fourteen

ESMERALDA

Iwatch curiously as the UFO hunters pack their gear, Reese chatting affably with them about things they’ve seen in the night sky recently, then sports, and finally ranching and livestock-related stuff. Rodeo figures predominantly in their talk of sports as I admire my towering husband, likable and begrudgingly kind to everyone.

“Bye, y’all. Have a good night and a safe drive.” Reese waves as the caravan of vans departs. Turning to me, he wraps his arms around me, resting his chin atop mine. “How are you holding up, Treasure? Staying warm enough?”

“Yes, husband. But I still don’t understand what we’re doing out here.”

He chuckles. “You’ll know at sunrise. Now, how about we get back in the Caddy and see about making it as comfortable as we can for the rest of the night? If we recline the seats, it should help. I’ve got a couple of sleeping bags we can share. We can zip them together, making one big enough for the both of us because for my part”—he leans forward, whispering against the shell of my ear—“my plan for tonight is to stay warm inside that lovely pussy of yours.”

“Mmm,” I moan, the juncture between my legs throbbing at his words. I don’t know how my hunger for this man can be so insatiable. “As long as my body’s pressed against your warm flesh, with your big, strong arms around me, I know I’ll stay toasty.”

“That’s right, wife,” he whispers, sending shivers down my spine and need to my lower core as his lips brush over my ear and neck, followed by naughty swipes of his tongue. “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get enough of you,” he confesses as I bring my hand up to palm his cheek, giggling as his tongue descends to my décolletage. My nipples pebble with anticipation.

“Treasure, wake up. You have to see this,” Reese’s deep voice urges next to me.

I snuggle deeper into the sleeping bags, not ready to wake up.

“Esmeralda, you don’t want to miss this?—”

I stretch with a grumpy little moan, not ready to wake up yet.

“Esmeralda, you’re going to miss sunrise if you don’t?—”

I sit up next to the handsome rancher, shocking him into silence with my sudden movement. “Sunrise?” I ask, my mind jolting to life. “I haven’t missed it yet, have I?” I crane my neck to look out the window.

My breath catches in my throat as the towering black form that we parked near last night comes into full view, illuminated by the light of early dawn. “Oh. My. God.”

Reese laughs.

“Oh my God,” I repeat, shaking my head and rubbing my eyes. “I can’t believe this.”

“Yep,” the rancher says with a grin so wide I can hear it in his voice. “Get dressed and come outside. I’ve got coffee ready, sweetened with sugar and cream, although I don’t have all those fancy syrups you like …yet.”

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