Cowboy Not Included: The Boot Knockers Ranch, Book 6 (12 page)

No, buried in Teller.

A vein throbbed on Booker’s temple, and she realized he was struggling not to move while his lover adjusted to the invasion.

Aching and half-crazed, she wrapped her legs around Teller, her calves resting on Booker’s sides too, and pulled Teller right where she wanted him.

As he speared her, she cried out. Both men groaned. They started to move. White-hot desire rippled through her body, and her pussy clenched around the strange new length. For three strokes their motions were disjointed. Then Booker took control by driving the momentum.

“So fucking tight,” he bit off, his blond hair darkening with sweat.

“She fits like a glove,” Teller responded.

Skye mewled with pleasure and strained for Teller’s kiss. As he plunged his tongue into her mouth and his cock into her pussy, she felt Booker’s fingers moving over her legs. With her orgasm rushing up fast, she opened her eyes.

Booker was staring at her. Kissing another man while looking at the one she’d once loved spiked her passion.

“Fuck, she’s pulsating.” Teller sounded as though he’d swallowed nails.

“So are you,” Booker grated out.

Knowing Teller was about to come from Booker’s cock sent Skye flying. A guttural moan left her. Booker shoved Teller hard. Her lovers’ eyes pinched shut and the room reverberated with primal roars.

Chapter Eight

The sun had already burned off the morning dew hours ago, and the dry grasses made a swishing sound as Booker walked through them to the upper barn. The extra feed was stored here, and the cattle were hungry.

When he reached the barn, he scanned the far wall where the Boot Knockers stacked the bags.

He looked harder, brow crinkling. Where the hell was the feed?

After searching outside the building, he still didn’t find it and headed down to the main ranch again. Skye would be sleeping off her night of pleasure. Both he and Teller had fucked her thoroughly several times. If she was able to walk today, he’d be surprised.

Pride wormed through him, and the corner of his mouth tilted up.

As he passed the bunkhouse, he peeked inside. Jeremy was there, pulling a T-shirt over his head. His back muscles undulated with the movement. When his head popped through the neck hole, Booker spoke. “Did we change where we keep the extra feed?”

He looked up, hair disheveled. “Not that I know of.”

“’Kay, thanks.” He made his way to the office. Passing several Boot Knockers and their ladies meant he had to stop and talk. Several mentioned his cornhole tournament display, and one couple asked for keys to his toy cabinet. Booker refused and gave the lady a wink to soften the blow.

By the time he entered the office, he’d talked to a dozen people.

As soon as he opened the door, the cool air, thick with tension, struck him. He focused on the frazzled office employee, Holly. She was on the phone, fingers stabbed into her straight brown hair. Her lips were pasted firmly as she listened to someone on the other line.

“No, no. That can’t happen. We’ve been good customers since 2010. We always pay within a week of our invoice and pick up the feed on time.”

Booker shifted his weight to his other leg and listened. Holly glanced up, rolled her eyes and mouthed
just a minute
.

He sank to the corner of the desk to listen. The grain and feed store was giving her trouble? Was that why the upper barn was empty?

She huffed a sigh. “I don’t care who took over and who’s out this week, but I have two hundred head of cattle that need to be fed.”

Booker flicked his fingers. “Give me the phone.”

She looked at him, startled. He gave a nod, and she handed him the phone.

“This is Booker. Who am I speaking with?”

“The new manager of the Triple Feed.”

“How long have you been the manager?”

“Two weeks.”

“Well, we’ve been good, paying customers for half a decade. And the way I see it, we deserve excellent customer service.”

“I won’t argue with that.”

“Then why don’t we have any feed?”

“The terms have changed. Payment is due upon receipt.”

“Then drive a truck up here and deliver it, and we’ll hand you a check.”

“No, sir, we can’t do that. No more deliveries outside the twenty-mile radius.”

“That means you’d be able to deliver to what—two ranches and a group of houses in the valley?”

Silence.

Holly’s mouth gaped.

Reaching out, Booker skimmed a finger down her jaw and gently closed it. “Now I expect a truck to roll through the gates of the Boot Knockers Ranch by noon today. And you’ll give us ten percent off our feed for paying you in cash.” He raised a brow at Holly, and she nodded enthusiastically.

“Sir, I’m not sure we can deliver by noon.”

“Then you can take an extra five percent off today, making that fifteen percent savings for us. We’ll see you in a few hours.”

When he ended the call and got to his feet, he found the boss man, Hugh, standing in the door of his office, staring. “Did I just hear that right? You got us a fifteen-percent savings?”

“Yep.” He leaned across the desk and set the phone on the base. “Sorry I took over, darlin’. You looked a little harassed,” he said to Holly.

“That man was giving me fits. I despise dealing with this end of the business. Give me all the applications and I’ll match clients to cowboys all day. But this?” She lifted a thick folder and dropped it on the desk. “I wish someone else would take over.”

Judging by Hugh’s expression, it wasn’t the first time he’d heard this. “Up till now we haven’t had anyone to do the job.”

“Till now?” Holly asked with hope on her pretty face. Her girlfriend, one of the other ranch employees, was a lucky woman.

Hugh removed himself from the doorway, walked to the desk and picked up the folder. He slapped it into Booker’s hands. “Congratulations. You just proved yourself.”

Booker blinked. For a second, he was speechless, mind working over what had just happened. He was in charge of something on the ranch? Feeding cows and shoveling shit was one thing, but did he want this responsibility? Was he up to the task?

“That discount’s a one-time thing.”

“Yes, but you got them to deliver, when we’ve been sending a truck to town for the feed. And we can’t have Holly being harassed. She needs to be mentally on task so we get the girls with the right cowboys. Good job, Booker.”

Holly raised a hand. “Wait. Didn’t Jeremy express interest in taking over the ordering for the ranch?”

“Some time back, yes, but he hasn’t said anything in a while. He’s having a hard enough time keeping his ladies pleased.” Hugh clapped Booker on the back. “You can use the back office.”

Booker didn’t know what to say, so he thanked his boss. Then he took the file into the office and sank to the comfy leather chair behind an oak desk. The space was the size of a postage stamp, but it was quiet and equipped with telephone and office supplies.

As he opened the file and started trying to make sense of scribbled lists and invoices, a sense of pride overtook him. Wait until he told Skye about his new responsibility.

As a newly married couple, he’d been proud to announce a promotion and a small pay increase. Skye had thrown her arms around him, baby bump in the way of getting too close, and kissed him fully on the mouth. Then he’d taken her out for ice cream to celebrate.

Smiling at the memory, he made stacks of papers so he was able to see what he was facing. He hadn’t done any work like this in a long time. The closest he came to being in charge was in the bedroom, but that wasn’t work. No, it was pure fun.

Skye loved that side of him. Always had, but now she was more into his demands. He loved the little squeaks she made when he threw something new at her. More and more he’d seen that soft look in her eyes.

Thoughts of their discussion about goals intruded on his work. He skimmed the same set of numbers four times before he set the paper aside and stared out the small window at the line of bungalows in the distance.

She seemed to be drifting too, and that wasn’t Skye. For as long as he’d known her, she’d had a plan. As a young girl visiting her uncle’s ranch, she’d been focused on finishing college. Then they’d discovered Findlee was on the way and she’d lived to make her body the ultimate baby-growing factory. Folic acid, prenatal vitamins, organic foods.

He’d had goals back then too—get a house, buy a crib and do the best for his family he could.

Somehow he’d lost focus of that when Skye had evicted him from her life. Was she ready to help him find a way back to his daughter yet?

He made a phone call and negotiated a better price on seed corn. They planned to make a plot come planting season, but it was good to have a number for the budget now. Not that he knew what the budget was. He’d ask Holly later.

By the time he glanced at his watch, he realized he’d left Skye alone for far too long. A few days ago he’d be choking on his need to keep her from touching other cowboys. After yesterday, he had a feeling she wasn’t running out and throwing herself at the first guy she saw.

When he went out of the office, Holly waved. As he walked toward the bungalow, it was impossible to ignore the thumping of his heart. He was about to see Skye. Was she playing with the toys he’d brought? Sleeping with her face smashed into the pillow? His heart warmed more with each step he took toward her.

At the porch steps, he stopped dead. Damn, he was in bigger trouble than he’d first realized. When he’d claimed her as his client this week, he had only thought to keep her from the hands of another cowboy. Now his true leanings were surfacing.

He’d missed her.

Wanted her.

He was dreading the day she went home. What then? Visit Findlee every month and pretend Skye meant nothing to him?

When he pushed through the door, he heard the water running. All worries fled as he pictured a naked, slippery Skye.

Shedding his clothes as he moved through the bungalow, he let his libido run rampant with thoughts of gliding into her from behind, her tight ass clutching him. He hadn’t yet taken her ass, but it was happening before she went home. She was forever going to remember him stretching her.

As he pushed open the bathroom door, he caught a muffled noise.

“Skye?” He walked around the glass wall and found her leaning against the wall, tears mixing with the water coursing over her.

His heart gave a quick, violent jerk and he had his hands on her in a blink. “What’s wrong?”

She smeared the water and tears down her beautiful face. When her big brown gaze met his, it was tortured. Shit. Was she regretting their threesome?

“What is it?” he asked as gently as possible, though his inner male was demanding answers.

“I got a call from my mom.”

Fear squeezed the breath from him. “Is it Findlee?”

She nodded, tears spilling over again.

“What happened? What’s wrong?” He could barely form the words and a buzzing noise took up residence in his ears.

Skye tipped her head back and gave him the puppy dog eyes that broke his heart every damn time. “Findlee pooped in the potty and I wasn’t there!”

He blinked, processing this. Then a laugh rumbled from him, feeling like a summer breeze compared to the icy dread he’d experienced a moment ago. He flexed his arms around his naked wife, drawing her against his chest. “Oh, baby,” he said between laughter.

In that moment, holding her, he didn’t think he could feel closer to someone.

How many orgasms had Booker given Skye since their threesome? Too many to count. The experience had fueled her fires, and she’d become insatiable. But after all the amazing moments she could handle, she had to get out of the bungalow—the place was leaving her feeling as if she were nesting again.

Before Findlee was born, she and Booker had set up house. With sparse furnishings and a lot of love, the four walls had been a haven. The bungalow had started to feel the same way.

She strode across the yard to the barn. The only way to clear her head was a long ride.

Readying the mount calmed her nerves a little, and she was able to think a little better. Too bad her clear brain highlighted all the mistakes she was making this week.

It wasn’t exactly her fault, though, was it? She hadn’t asked for Booker. The arrogant bastard had insisted she stayed with him.

Of course, he hadn’t made her sink into feelings of familiarity, love and old memories. If she didn’t swim for the surface soon, she would never reach solid ground.

She swung into the saddle and guided the horse across the field toward the ridge. With every hoofbeat her strength returned. Sure, Booker could give amazing, breath-stopping orgasms, but he wasn’t husband material. Right now he looked like chocolate right before her period, but she’d only feel the guilt after eating it.

Wait. He’s not asking for me permanently.

Her brain had made that leap. She dragged a deep breath of country air into her lungs and battled for control.

Everyone was his friend. He was insanely popular among the cowboys and ladies visiting the ranch. As flirtatious as always, he still managed to harbor a mysterious air that drew people to him like flies to honey.

Only she knew that the dark, brooding looks her ex wore hadn’t fixed themselves on his face until the day she’d kicked him out of her life. Before then, he had a quick smile and not a care in the world.

She’d forced that change.

No, he’d done it to himself by staying out all night with another woman.

She cut across the ridge, angling so the horse didn’t work as hard climbing. When they reached the top, she slowed and finally stopped. A shiver sliced down her spine. It was gorgeous up here, and she couldn’t deny a sensation of homecoming.

A deep longing for her daughter rose up. Her arms ached to feel her weight and listen to her babbling, even if it was cuss words. She was silly to have booked a week away from her, when they hadn’t been separated in two years.

This guilt was much worse than leaving a reluctant child at daycare. She was enjoying Findlee’s father while their daughter didn’t even know him.

In a few more days she’d be home again, and the toddler would be none the wiser. Until Booker came to visit, that was. How would that work? Would he get a hotel? Stay in the guest room?

Too easily she could see herself slipping into bed with him. No, that wouldn’t do. Confusing Findlee was out of the question.

Hell, she was confused enough for both of them.

If Booker was experiencing the same lasso around his heart as she was, he didn’t let on. The man who loved her would have shown it with teasing and smiles. When he’d left the bungalow this morning, she’d seen a crease between his brows. Regret?

Their threesome had been a once in a lifetime experience she couldn’t regret, though. So many rough fingers all over her body, two mouths and two cocks was something every woman should enjoy at least once.

She wouldn’t complain about a second encounter.

While Teller was inside her, she knew total bliss. But her heart wasn’t tied to him the way it was Booker’s. That man had a lot of rope and knew how to knot her up. Damn him.

Being in his arms and crying all over him because Findlee had finally done a number two was crazy—and exactly how a couple should act. Skye couldn’t ignore the leap of her heart when she saw him or even thought about him.

But he was a Boot Knocker. He was happy here and said himself he didn’t have any goals beyond living this every day.