I knew the name, of course. It was the lawyer Noah mentioned. “Has something happened you’re not telling me?”

“I don’t lie, Eli, not even in omission. Nothing’s happened except a feeling in my gut, and I trust my gut. I don’t want you to… get upset over that. It’s a precaution, that’s all.”

I felt a stirring in my stomach, but Noah was keeping me calm. “Then I’ll follow your lead on it. You know the lawyer; you have the feeling.”

He smiled over at me. “I’ll be damned. Is this the sex?”

“What?”

“You… being calm over something I figured would have you getting jumpy.”

I laughed and took a bite of bacon, chewing it while I thought about it myself. Once I swallowed, I answered, “The sex sure didn’t hurt, no, but it’s… you. I meant it when I said I trusted you, Noah.”

“Good. I’m glad. Let’s see if you’re singing the same tune when I decide to… try out a little pain on ya.”

My fork dropped to my plate, and with a mouthful of eggs, my jaw dropped. He’d finished his breakfast and was up, heading to the sink, but I couldn’t think straight after he dropped that little bomb.

“Close your mouth and chew,” he said, not turning to me as he washed his plate.

As I started my workday, I looked over my shoulder every few minutes, expecting Noah to pull over the truck after feeding the cattle or coming into the barn while I milked. He was off doing his own thing, but at lunch, that was a different story.

As I washed my hands in the sink, he came to stand right behind me, pressing me against it. “Hey, Eli. How the hell are ya?”

“I’m good. A little sore in the backside,” I said, laughing, but the laugh was cut off as I felt hands on my waist.

“Sore, now that’s too bad. I have a wooden spoon over here that wanted a workout.”

My eyes slid closed as I thought of it. Pain, actual, brutal pain. I thought I’d come in my pants over just the thought alone.

“Is that moan a sign of approval?”

“Yeah. Yeah, it is.”

My pants were unbuttoned quickly, but my zipper was taken down slowly, Noah biting the side of my neck. “You have bite marks already. I would love to add some pretty pink stripes to your ass. Maybe I’ll make you go with nothing on that ass tonight, just so I can stare at them as long as I like. Is that something that you’d be okay with?”

“Yeah. Yeah, Noah, I’d be okay with all of that,” I rushed out on a breath.

“You’re going to take all my pain,” he said as he slipped one hand down my underwear. “You’re going to take my pain and after, I’m going to hold you and let you know how proud I am of you. How good you make me feel every single time those beautiful eyes of yours light on me.”

I didn’t move, but I wanted to. I wanted to turn in his arms and kiss him, tell him I loved him, that I was his, that I’d do anything for him, but he was calling the shots. He wanted me, exactly how I was.

My dick was moved, and fingers wrapped around it, Noah’s hot breath on my neck as he kissed me there. “Goddamn, you are so fucking aroused. This pretty cock of yours is hard as a rock!”

He was taking great joy in teasing me, and I had to say, I enjoyed it too. Before I knew it, however, my cock was released and his hand withdrawn. Then my pants were being pulled over my hips.

“Did I ever tell you how much I love working for myself?”

“No,” I said in a breathy laugh.

“Yeah, setting my own hours, being able to take a man in the kitchen and beat the fuck out of his ass with a big ol’ wooden spoon and not having a boss to mark me as late when I get back to work. That’s real nice. O’ course, you, on the other hand, might get in trouble for getting back to work late.”

I did some more groaning, but mostly, I felt like, if he wasn’t behind me, I’d have melted right down to the tile floor.

My pants were taken to my knees, and that was where they stayed. They acted like bindings all on their own like that, keeping me from being able to move much. I was bent over the sink, setting my hands inside it to brace, and he made sure my hard dick was pushed enough that I had it pressed against the cold sink.

“Now,” he started as he moved away from me to reach that big crock where he kept his cooking utensils. “I have to admit the truth. As much as I tried not to think about it, whenever you were in this kitchen with me over the last few weeks, I’d glance over at this spoon. I thought it and you would make a good match. But I’d never do it if I’d have thought for a second you’d be against it.”

“I’m not against it.”