“That’s kidnapping,” she teases. “Sorry, didn’t mean to make a joke of it.”
“No, it’s fine.” I smile over at her. “I was a sad sack for a while when you were gone. You kind of brought the light back when you showed up.”
“I used to do that, too, ya know,” she tells me. “I’d lay in bed at night wondering what we could’ve done differently. More specifically, what you could’ve done differently.”
We both laugh, even though it’s not really that funny. God, I was an ass.
“Calling you easy was not the move.” I regret everything I said in that fight, but that one really takes the cake.
“No it was not.” She rolls onto her side and wraps an arm around me. “But you’ve changed. I can see it all the time. In the way you show up every day, helping me with Betty and making sure I’m taken care of when I stay over at your place. You’ve become this incredibly giving person, Hayes. You’re still the same man I knew as a kid, just grown up.”
“You’ve not changed at all,” I tell her, laughing when her face is shocked. “It’s a good thing! You didn’t lose any of that spark that made you you. You’re still fiery, and you love hard. You’re still kind, compassionate, and empathetic.”
She leans forward and runs her fingers through my hair for a moment before kissing me. I’m a lost cause when it comes to this woman. I drown in her and love every goddamn second of it. I wrap her up in my arms and roll her onto her back.
“I owe you,” I murmur against her mouth. “Since I’m such a giving person and all.”
She laughs as my lips move down her throat, kissing and tasting every inch I can get my hands on. Her knees fall open as I settle between them, and her soft hands run up and down my arms. She’s always talking about my biceps and the way my veins show on my forearms. Never thought veins would be a thing that’s considered attractive, but she’s always running her fingers over them, tracing their paths.
I push her dress up over her hips and then her breasts and tug down the soft fabric of her bra. They’re such a perfect, soft handful with hard, pointed nipples. I take one in my mouth, and she moans and lifts her hips in response. My cock is already hard again, begging to be set free. But this is about her, giving back for what she did for me before the gig.
I tug off her tight little shorts she’s wearing, along with her underwear, and then kiss the soft skin of her stomach all the way down to where she wants me. When I look up, those gorgeous blue eyes are locked on what I’m doing. I love the way she likes to watch.
“How wet are you, River?” Using my thumbs, I spread her wide and then blow cool air across her swollen clit. She is glistening with arousal, and it makes my mouth water. “All for me, baby?”
“Yes,” she says on an exhale.
There is nothing like tasting my woman. And in the quiet of this special spot, I eat her like a starving man. I suck and lick and suck and lick, pushing her closer and closer to the edge with each swipe. Her hips jerk and roll against my face, and I have to wrap my arms around her hips to keep her steady.
She’s soon panting my name and praising me. Shit, maybe I do have a praise kink.
“Fuck, you’re so good at that.” She moans and grabs hold of my hair. “So fucking good, Hayes. You know just what I like, don’t you?”
I nod as I continue my task, and within a few more minutes, her body is tensing as she cries out through her orgasm. She soaks my chin, and I don’t stop, slowly licking and tasting until she comes down and becomes a bit too sensitive. I kiss her inner thighs and then grab her underthings and slip them back on.
Once she’s put back together, she lies there like a starfish, breathing deeply with her eyes closed.
“You are truly stunning. You know that, firefly?” I lie down next to her and pull her into my arms. She curls up, fitting into my side like she belongs there.
“Thank you for bringing me here,” she says, her voice quiet and tired. “It’s beautiful. And I like being in a spot that has so much of you in it. Feels like you’re really bringing me back into your life.”
“Wouldn’t have it any other way, darlin’.” I kiss the top of her head and sigh. “Wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“So when does this new job start?” Poppy asks as I help her clean out the dogs’ stalls.
“They just broke ground on it this week, so depending on how long the build takes with weather and such, probably before Thanksgiving.”
“How excited are you?”
“Pretty freaking excited. I told her about how you used to work at a boarding and daycare place, and she asked if I could steal you from the ranch to help out.” I laugh.
“I would love to help!” She closes one of the gates and leans against the wall. “Not sure when I would have the time, but I would be more than happy to pop in on my days off for a few hours.”
“That’s ridiculous. Don’t offer her that,” I tell her. “She will snatch you up, and Wells would never forgive me.”
“Fine.” She rolls her eyes. “But the offer to you stands. Just let me know. Was Hayes excited for you?”
“Very.” I smile. “I think he was worried about how long I would actually stick around working two jobs.”