Page 72 of The Brave and the Reckless

“Were you watching me?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“I’m not sure if that’s sweet or creepy.”

“Based on what I was thinking while watching you, very sweet actually.”

“Oh?” She wiggled her brows. “Are yousweet on me, Noah Young?”

Her question shattered my smile even if she was only teasing. I wasn’t sure what I was when it came to her these days. I knew what I shouldn’t be. Because of her brother. Because she’d be leaving soon. Because I had nothing to offer to a girl like her.

“Would you prefer me watching you while thinking about how I want to tie you up and edge you until you can’t even remember your own name?” I deflected.

Esra grinned and popped her hip, all sass. “Tie me up? Are you going to rope me in with a lasso?”

“Maybe.” I opened the stall door and nodded for her to come out.

Esra grabbed the grooming basket and slipped past me. She raised her brows. “I think I just found my hard limit, and it’s getting naked in the stables.”

“Mud is fine, but stables are the limit?” I asked and latched the door to Cookie’s stall.

“It’s the smell.”

“Noted.”

“That said…” She dropped the basket and brushed her hands off on her shirt. It read “I was put on this earth to be hot and smart” in bright pink letters, and I couldn’t disagree with it. Esra fluttered her dark lashes at me and wrapped both arms around my neck. The text on her shirt disappeared as she pressed her perfect soft body into me. “…I wouldn’t mind being tied up. I think.”

My responding groan rumbled deep. As if her big doe eyes blinking up at me, and her tits against my chest, weren’t enough to set me on edge. “We’ll have to take a raincheck on that until the next time I can take you to the ranch. I have a feeling someone would notice if we didn’t come home tonight.”

She scrunched her nose up. “Fine, then just take me home.”

We’d been walking from the park to staff housing together a lot the last few days, but we always split apart as soon as others were around. As far as most people knew, Esra and I had struck up a truce at best. We may have spent some time together out here, but most of the stable staffers were older or lived on the ranches surrounding Wild Fields, so they had very little to do with our roommates– or Esra’s brother.

“I’m not taking you to my room,” I said and wrapped my arms around her waist.

“Why not?” She stuck her bottom lip out in that silly pout of hers. I caught it between my teeth this time. Esra let out a whimper that almost made me forget my self-restraint. The sound embedded itself in my mind, to be replayed again and again whenever I’d get myself off. I was close to throwing her over my shoulder and carryingher to the tack room, just to spread her legs and see how many more desperate little noises I could draw from her.

“If I got you in my room alone, and you let me tie you up, I’d fuck you so thoroughly, my sheets would smell like you for days. I love the way you scream for me, princess, but those walls are thin. And that’s the worst possible way for Sanny to find out that I’m knuckles-deep inside his little sister every single fucking day.”

She swallowed, eyes dropping to my lips. “Not on Wednesdays.”

“Yet.”

Last Wednesday, Sinan had joined me at the ranch again to continue painting, nixing any notion I had of getting Esra back to my large bed in my very private bedroom. I had plans for us though. On our next day off, I’d make her come in each room of that house, until every miserable memory was replaced by visions of her body sprawled out under mine.

Her eyes narrowed, a wicked little smile kicking up her lips. “How doyoufeel about getting naked in the stables?”

“Why? Are you reconsidering letting me tie you up and fuck you senseless?”

“No.” Esra licked her lips and glanced left and right to make sure we were all alone. Instead of answering, she loosened her arms from my shoulders and sank to her knees in front of me. “But there are other ways you can be inside of me.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but my tongue ran dry when she pulled a hair tie from her pocket and quickly twisted her brown waves into a stubby ponytail without breaking eye contact. She was prepared for this to getmessy. Images of painting that pretty face of hers in cum immediately flooded my thoughts. That probably wasn’t what she had in mind. I couldn’t help it. This woman was activating every primal instinct in me, making me want to mark her in every way possible.

Esra’s hands roamed over my jeans, up my thighs. She popped the button open, but didn’t touch the zipper. Instead, she leaned in and slotted her teeth around the tiny piece of metal. Eyes on me, she lowered the zipper inch by inch, her hot breath sinking through the fabrics. This was the sight I’d come back to. It didn’t matter that my dick wasn’t in her mouth yet. Was this what it was like to be seduced? This wasn’t about Ace Ryder or even her own pleasure. She was doing this for me, and it sent my pulse into overdrive.

“Fuck,” I grunted when she tugged my jeans down, only to bite down on the elastic of my boxer briefs. Her teeth grazed over my skin, then she pulled her head back and let the fabric snap against my skin. I hissed at the momentary sting. It sent a hot rush straight down to my cock.

“Kiss to make it better?” She fluttered her lashes with faux innocence and licked the spot right above the waistband.

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