Page 26 of Ash on the Range
He laughed beneath me. “Is that what you think I'm supposed to smell like after attending a wildfire, honey?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. But you smell good, and you aren’t supposed to smell like soap. I’m pretty sure of that.”
He laughed. “Yeah, well Travis didn't want me on his soda smelling like barbecue, that’s for damn sure. Now get some sleep before we have to get up in a few hours and set up the rodeo for tomorrow night.”
“Oh. I forgot. That came up soon.”
“It did.”
“Font’ fall off your bull, okay? I need some street cred around here. Dust cred? Dirt cred.” I considered my options.
“Please stop.” Will pressed his lips to the top of my head, adjusting my blanket. His arms tightened around me. “Goodnight, Cassie."
“Night, Will.” I yawned again, nestling into him, already half drifting off. “Love you.”
His hands stilled on my back before they resumed stroking me gently, lulling me into sleep. “I love you too, Cass. Go to sleep.”
But I was already gone.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
WILL
I finally woke up with Cassie on my chest, and she felt so damn good I never wanted to move. But even though the boys and a handful of the Red Hart women crawled into their beds just after midnight, I knew the core crew would be up shortly and…I needed time with my girl before the house got busy.
And hell, she threw me like a raging rodeo bull telling me she loved me the night before, but I’d live that ride over and over if it meant feeling her snuggle into me when she did. I doubtedshe even remembered. The words just seemed to flow out of her. After the mess of everything last night after our perfect day together at the ridge yesterday, I knew I’d have that moment on replay in my mind forever.
Even so, I lay there when I should have been moving, stroking her hair, enjoying the way her languid body sort of flowed into mine. Our legs tangled beneath the blankets I tossed over us when I came in the night before after showering, trying to scrub the smoke out of my hair and off my skin with scalding water that I managed to claim for the first time this season—and on the right day, for once.
Cassie’s head rested over my chest, her cheek pressed above my heart. Every breath tightened my ribcage until I thought it might burst. I’d had plenty of rodeo flings and a girlfriend or two back in high school but never anything serious. Hell, I hadn’t been in one place long enough to have anything serious, and the sorts of girls I hooked up with were the one night only type events. Good time girls who usually sought me out after a hard ride, or in the bar afterward, or someone Denver threw in my path while I was licking my wounds.
Burt Cassie… She was just sort of there that night. We fell into each other and never let go.
“And I never will,” I murmured, trailing my fingers along her spine, and rested my hand across her back.
She appeared so tiny there that my fingers splayed out and took up most of the space. Hell, two of my hands could probably crush her. She looked so fragile there, curled on my chest, but I knew she was strong beyond belief, even if her brother and family, from what I gathered, didn’t share the same opinion.
“Morning,” Cassie murmured, rubbing her nose on my shirt. “You still don’t smell like smoke. It’s disconcerting." She blinked up at me twice and wiggled her perfect ass.
“It’s okay. You smell pretty enough for both of us,” I told her, unable to smile as my heart lodged somewhere in the realm of my throat and refused to budge. I rubbed a thumb along her spine until I reached her nape and pulled her up my body, drawing a gasp from her as I settled her close enough to kiss. "Everyone's gonna be up soon, honey. Can you be quiet for me while I steal a few more moments with you?”
Her eyes shone as she woke from her doze in full a second before I cupped her nape and pulled her mouth down to mine.
Soft lips parted on a sigh heady enough to harden me on demand. I palmed her ass with my other hand, pushing her down onto me, rocking us gently together until she moaned into my mouth.
“Shh,” I cautioned her softly. “Easy, honey.” I stroked her hair, tangling my fingers through her blonde waved and held her in place as I kissed her back, pushing her lips wide and explored her mouth.
Her breath stuttered as she held in the noises I loved yesterday from her. My cock swelled knowing she struggled for me, the tip of her tongue gliding along the length of mine in a show of sweet submission. I swallowed hard when she rubbed her body against mine, and dropped my hand from her hair to slide beneath her hoodie—myhoodie that she’d borrowed at some point—and cupped her breast, tugging the nipple free of her bra.
I rolled the tight bud between my fingers in a slow rhythm I knew she liked, pressing her ass down against mine in the same way without letting her up for air. She struggled for a moment, the softest huffs against my lips the prettiest sounds.
A low growl left my throat in warning, and she settled against me, letting me play. Christ, she felt too damn good against me. There were too many clothes in the way, and all I wanted was to strip her bare and fuck her raw beneath me. But that wouldhave to wait for another time without so many people likely to be present shortly. My kisses grew harsher, and I knew I bruised her lips by the way she softened hers, but Cassie never pulled away or complained, pressing her breast into my palm, rocking her hips into the rhythm I set.
I sent a mental promise that I’d reward her when we found time away from everyone else again for giving me this moment together as soon as we could. The rodeo would be hellishly busy and I knew from past experience that we’d barely find time together. This was my chance to savor as many moments with Cassie as I could. What started as a sweet, pre-dawn morning make out session quickly devolved into something far more carnal.
Cassie moaned softly into my mouth as I slid my fingers along the seam of her jeans over her hot little slit. She hadn’t gotten changed the night before, and fell asleep in her clothes waiting for me. I’d picked her up when Travis let me into the big house, sliding in beneath her and settling her over my body until we woke together again after our stunted conversation the night before that would be seared into my memory forever. That memory kept me going now as I traced the shape of her through her jeans. The shape of her was all too easy to feel and I wondered if she had panties on or not beneath her clothes.
The thought left me rock hard. I broke our kiss with a soft groan I couldn't suppress, pinching her nipple hard as I rubbed her denim seam. Cassie moaned into my shirt, the sound muffled, thankfully as she burrowed into the blankets. Her hips worked frantically against mine and I closed my eyes in fucking pure bliss at the feel of her using my body to get herself off.
