Page 10 of Bookworm
Ann glances up toward me with sweetness and a tinge of guilt in her eyes. “Text me Waylon’s number. I’ll call him and have him send some people over for you. Then I’ll get dressed and help you.”
For a long second, my brain stalls.She wants to help?Outside?With the ranch work?I haven’t met a woman yet that would leap into action so quickly, and I know it’s not because emptying a horse barn at ten p.m. is her dream. She’s doing it because she wants to help me.
“You sure? You don’t have to.”
She twists her hair to the side of her shoulder and looks up at me in the tiny little t-shirt I was going to tear off a second ago. “I want to help you, Holt. I’m going to help.”
I bend down and lift her from the cold ground, realizing she’s run out in her bare feet. “You’re trouble. Do you know that?”
She grins. “You like it.”
Her smart remark has my cock on the rise and for a second I consider the thought that the barn can wait. I need to feel her against my skin again, taste the juices she was working up for me, press into her tight virgin pussy, but the sounds of cracking behind me filters me back to reality.
“You’re right.” I set her down on the kitchen floor of the ranch house and kiss her forehead. “Grab some of my clothes from the closet. Their warmer than whatever you brought, I’m sure.”
Another bright smile lifts onto her face and somehow, the collapsing barn doesn’t seem so bad. Though, I’m sure the horses inside would beg to differ.
I run down the path, through the heavy snow and toward the barn, opening each stall quickly as the roof creaks overhead. The horses know well enough to run into the side pasture when they’re released and they’re intuitive enough to know something isn’t right, so they hustle. I’m not sure how long it takes, but I effectively have all the horses away from the barn by the time Ann makes her way from the house. She’s dressed in a pair of leggings, an oversized flannel, my work boots, and a smile on her face as wide as Colorado.
“What do you think?” She spins in a circle showing off her attire and I have to hold myself back again from biting at her neck and tackling her in the snow.
“I think I want to take you inside and strip all this off.” I lean into her and nuzzle against her warm neck, sucking in the soft scent of lavender in her hair.
Fuck. I need to be alone with her. I need to devour her like the last cookie in the jar.
Headlights and the clanking of horse trailers interrupt my thoughts. It’s Waylon and the cavalry.
“That was fast! Does he live close by?”
“Just around the corner. He’s probably got ten guys on payroll just waiting for some shit to go down. I owe this man a lot.”
Waylon hops from his truck, leaving the engine on and the headlights running. “Fuck, man, that barn has seen better days.” He wanders down the path and stares toward the mess. “I can send a few guys over to build you a new one. No charge. We’ve got old wood up on the ridge and I’d bet Henry has some tin lying around we can use.”
Henry’s family owns the mountain, but Waylon is second to the crown.
“I can’t take anything from anyone. Y’all have your own shit to worry about.”
Waylon hammers his hand onto my shoulder and lowers his voice as he says, “You’d help me if I were struggling, right?”
“You know I would, but I’m not taking handouts.”
“It’s not a handout. It’s a gift.”
Waylon’s a nice guy. One of the nicest. He’s also a businessman. A shrewd businessman. The kind of businessman that doesn’t run around doing favors for everyone. I’m lucky to have him on my side. I have to bite the bullet and do the rodeo run.
“You still looking for a guy to ride this weekend?”
Waylon nods. “You sure you’re up for it? I don’t want to guilt you. You don’t owe me anything for the barn. I’d still pay you for your time in the ring.”
A few weeks of riding won’t kill me. Hell, it might be good to get back up on a bull again. “I’ll do it for half pay and I’ll come train your horses for a month as thanks for the roof. Deal?” I hold out my hand.
“You know you don’t have to do any of that.” Waylon adjusts his hat.
I pull Ann into my side, and hold her against my waist, rubbing her arm up and down as the wind catches us from the side. Waylon looks toward us, confused at what’s happening.
“Who’s this? I didn’t realize you were seeing anyone.”
I glance toward Ann, then back toward Waylon. “This is Ann. She’s been helping Earl and well… she makes a damn good apple pie.”