Authors: Jade Allen
Ava didn't know why,
but she searched her mind for a different topic, hoping to keep up the casual
conversation. It was comfortable. As much as her body was revved up, arousal
coursing through her veins over the close proximity, dying to yank every stitch
of clothing off Noah's muscular body, at the same time, she was actually
enjoying talking to him. “It must be something in the country air,” she thought
wryly.
“So, how long have
you been working with horses? It seems you have quite the talent.” Ava's tone
changed as she remembered back to the exchange the night prior, making the
double innuendo in her statement clear.
“As far back as I can
remember. And what about you? What are you going to school for?”
“Fashion design,” she
replied, knowing she sounded far more like the typical city girl in that moment
than she would have liked. She wanted to explain further. “I love fashion, it's
true, but, I loved it just as much when I was younger, too. But, when your
parents spend more time shopping at the second hand thrift shop than at
Bloomingdale's, it's hard for a young girl to keep up. I want to change that; I
want anyone with a flare for fashion to be able to delve right in. It's a kind
of artistic expression, in my opinion,” she finished, the passion that fueled
her for so long flaring in her eyes as she spoke.
Noah's eyes were
locked on hers, his gaze intense, and she felt a light blush creep into her
cheeks. He didn't speak and her expression turned quizzical, wondering what he
was thinking.
“You're captivating,”
he whispered harshly just seconds before his lips descended on hers.
Not expecting it, she
was thrown off guard and without thinking her lips parted for him. Suddenly,
his hands were on her waist, pulling her hard against him, and the arousal that
she'd sought to keep at bay flooded through Ava, her hands twining in the hair
at the back of his neck.
The stable door
opened behind them and Ava jumped back, smoothing her hair as one of the men
she'd seen in the stable last night came walking out.
“Hey Noah. You get
that thing sorted out last night?” the man asked.
“Yeah. Everything was
fine, thanks.” He looked uncomfortable again, but he quickly moved on, putting
an end to whatever they had started just a moment before.
“OK, Ava. Are you
ready to learn a thing or two about what we do here?” He asked, a devilish
gleam lighting his eyes once again.
She nodded nervously,
not certain she liked the sounds of that. “How about we go find ourselves a
private spot to pick up where we left off,” she wanted to say aloud. Instead,
Noah led her into the stable, returning to Maggie and the wall of naughty torture
tools. He launched into an explanation of the care their animals receive and
what a typical day was like depending on the season. By the time Noah was
finished, she couldn't believe it, but she was fascinated. It all had seemed so
simple before—riding around on horses and such–but there was more to running a
ranch than she ever could have imagined. And a great deal of it intrigued her
far more than she felt comfortable admitting.
The day went by in a
flash as Ava learned to help out with one task after another, though her
favorite was certainly the time they'd spent with the horses. “Great, I'm
turning into Christie,” she'd mused silently at one point. It was hard not to
feel that enthusiasm, watching Noah work; it looked effortless, natural. With
bated breath, she'd watched as he worked with the black beast she'd seen him
with last night, breathing a sigh only when it had calmed and let Noah approach
him. She was still awed by the way he seemed able to communicate with the
animal.
Evening approached and
he didn't seem in any hurry to run screaming from the inexperienced city girl,
joining them for dinner at Will's, and conversing easily with the group.
Though, all the while the conversation carried on, she could feel Noah's eyes
on her, and what tedious hold she had left nearly gave out right there at the
table. She wanted him naked, panting above her now, and the look in his eyes
told her he'd be more than happy to oblige. She'd kept her hormones on a tight
leash all day, but now that there wasn't work to keep her distracted, she was
losing her grip fast.
Soon after the meal
was done, Christie and Will were still deep in conversation, Noah stood,
offering to walk Ava back to her cabin on his way home. Doing her best to
conceal her enthusiasm—and failing miserably at it—she was on her feet in
seconds. The two barely made it out the front door when Noah turned, pressing
her back against the brick wall. His mouth swooped down on hers and she met him
eagerly. Ava had no idea if anyone could see them, and when she felt Noah's
hands on her waist, pulling her hard against him, her soft curves molding to
his hard body, she wouldn't have cared if every worker on the ranch was there
watching the spectacle—kind of kinky if she thought about it. Her fingers
reached for the open collar of his shirt, fumbling with the buttons to expose
more of the hard, sinewy muscle she'd been desperate to touch all day. She'd
barely revealed more than an inch or two when the older man who had walked into
the barn last night came around the corner from the front of the house.
Noah released her
begrudgingly, but it was too late. The man sauntered over to them, a big grin
on his face.
“So Noah. It looks
like you're breaking your own rule, huh?” the man said in a teasing tone.
Ava didn't know what
the man was talking about, but she was busy trying to regain her composure, not
paying much attention.
“What can I do for
you, Robert?” Noah asked the old man, obviously trying to hide his frustration.
“That same horse of
yours is giving your guys a problem tonight. Broke one of the fences,” Robert
answered, an apologetic look on his face now.
Breathing a rugged
sigh of resignation and frustration, Noah nodded, “I'll be there in a few
minutes.”
As Robert left them
alone, Noah turned back to Ava, gritting his teeth against the arousal he still
felt coursing through his veins. “Responsibility always seems to call at the
worst time, doesn't it,” he mused wryly, but he couldn't resist leaning down,
his lips covering hers one more time.
Three minutes and an
apologetic goodbye later Ava was walking back to her cabin. “Damn, damn, damn!”
she cursed under her breath, foreseeing another restless night. And she was
right, tossing and turning until the early morning hours, she finally abandoned
her hope for more than an hour's sleep at a time.
The day passed
uneventfully; Christie headed off early to some activity or another while Ava
opted to hang out in the cabin for a while, figuring a soothing soak in the hot
tub had to beat early morning chores. An hour later, the water in the tub
cooling to an uncomfortable temperature, she hopped out, wrapping a towel
around her and stepping out into the living room to retrieve her suitcase. A
knock sounded at the door before she could open her luggage. She walked over,
opening the door a moment later to find Noah on the other side.
“Good morning,” he
greeted her as his eyes took in her scantily clad form.
OK, Ava wasn't
generally the overtly forward type, but given the number of times circumstance
had thwarted her in the past days, she didn't mind stepping out of character
for a while. Without saying a word, she grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled
him into the cabin. Reaching up on tiptoes, she wrapped her arms around him and
covered his mouth with hers, her tongue plying against his lips instantly. She
could feel his warmth radiating from his body and her skin tingled everywhere
he came in contact with her. Her hands gripping his shirt, she was the one to
pull him in hard against her this time as his hands roamed down her back, over
her hips. He groaned as she ran her fingers down his abdomen, coming to a halt
where the waist of his jeans hindered her descent. Reaching down, he lifted her
up in one, smooth motion, and then he started through the living room toward
the bedroom beyond. Noah had taken two steps when they heard footsteps on the
porch's front steps, and he stopped, lowering Ava's feet to the floor.
He didn't know if it
was Christie returning to the room, Will or one of the ranch hands in search of
him...All he knew was so long as he was on the ranch, there'd be one
interruption after another, but he happened to know of a place they could go
where no one would disturb them...
Noah contemplated the
thought for a moment, wondering if it was wise to so thoroughly break his rule,
but he knew his gut hadn't been wrong. And hell, he wanted Ava enough he really
didn't care if he was wrong; he'd deal with the repercussions later.
“Go get dressed,” he
whispered to her, smiling conspiratorially, before the unwelcome visitor opened
the front door.
Ava didn't know what
Noah had in mind, but if there was some chance it would put an end to the
incessant interruptions, she didn't care where he was taking her...as long as
he intended to take her. The double innuendo made Ava smile as she slipped into
another one of her favorite dresses, this time a strapless, fiery orange
creation with see-through flames licking up the entire length of her torso.
Somehow, the dress seemed fitting. Trying to appear as calm as she could, she
walked back out into the living room to find Noah and Will conversing quietly,
a bright smile on Will's face.
“Are you going to be
back later today?” Will asked Noah, and he shrugged noncommittally in response.
The exchange struck
Ava as odd; generally the employer dictated an employee's hours, whereas Will
acted more like Noah was doing him a favor showing up to work. But, what did
she know about the ranch industry?
“Ready?” Noah asked,
turning to take in Ava's new attire. It didn't provide quite the same easy
access as the towel, but it was one hell of a sexy dress. His appreciative gaze
told Ava he was OK with the trade-off for now. She followed Noah out of the
cabin, walking up to the house and around to the long front drive. Stopping at
the passenger side of a ridiculously expensive-looking vehicle, he opened the
door for her, motioning for Ava to slide in. She had no idea wranglers made
such a good living.
“So, where are we
going?” she asked as he slid behind the wheel.
“You'll see,” he told
her, the same smile on his face.
He didn't keep her
wondering for long. Less than five minutes later, he pulled up the iron front
gates of a property down the road, buzzing at the gate before it opened for him
seconds later. Cruising up the long front drive, Ava's eyes nearly popped out
of her head when she saw the massive house sitting at the top. It had to be at
least three or four times the size of Will's ranch house. Stopping, he came
around to the passenger side, opening the door and waiting for Ava as she
slowly exited the vehicle. Stunned, she couldn't figure out why he'd taken her
here. Did he work for another rancher? Is that why he brought her here? Strange
given that she'd been led to believe he was planning on picking up where they'd
left off. A morning sex session at work?
He led her up the
grand front staircase which stopped at an enormous set of double doors. The
door opened before they had reached the top step, an old man greeting them
there.
“Good morning, sir.
Back already?” he asked good-naturedly.
“Yes I am. Ava, this
is Michael,” he motioned toward the old man. “Michael, this is Miss Ava
Mitchell.”
Ava nodded politely,
but then turned a quizzical gaze to Noah. He just smiled devilishly.
“I'll be home for
lunch today, with a guest. If you could let Margaret know, I'd appreciate it,”
he spoke to Michael. The man nodded and then he was off, through the grand,
open living area to a hallway at the far left end of the house.
Noah started forward,
ascending the tall, spiral staircase that lead to the second floor. Still
perplexed, looking around in awe, Ava followed. He turned to the right as they
reached the top and continued down the hall to the last door on the right.
Opening the door to reveal a grand bedroom inside, Ava stopped mid-step.
“This is your house,”
she stated quietly. That's why Noah had a ridiculously expensive-looking car.
That's why the old man had opened the door for them, greeting Noah. She had no
idea how a wrangler—even one as good as Noah—could afford a house so large it
looked as if it had swallowed several others. But it was definitely his house.
She was certain.
“Yes, this is my
house, Ava,” Noah confirmed, his eyes intent on hers as if he were looking for
something there.
She felt a bit
uncomfortable, and more than a little out of place. She'd never believe that
money made a person worth anything more than someone without—particularly
having been the one without for her entire life—but still she somehow felt a
little out of her league here, enough so that she took a step back, hovering at
the room's entrance.
Noah's gaze changed
right then, as if he'd found the answer to whatever he'd been looking for, and
suddenly there was nothing but molten, hot fire blazing in his eyes. Grabbing
her hand, he pulled Ava into the room, closing the door behind them. All
thoughts of money and mansions fled as he backed her up against the door, his
mouth covering hers as it had before. After days of thwarted arousal, this
time, she realized there would be no interruptions, and a wild abandonment
surged through her.
Ava's hands returned
to where they had been not long ago, fumbling with the buttons of his shirt,
her eyes fixed on his chest as the fabric parted to reveal inch after inch of
the muscular breadth of him. Unable to resist the temptation, she leaned
forward, the tip of her tongue tasting his tanned skin as she kissed her way
from his neck, down solid pecs and his, immaculately chiseled, washboard abs.
She paused briefly when she reached the waist of his jeans, then her lips
continued, from one hip to the other, just above the denim fabric that hindered
her descent. Noah's hands twined in her silken, blonde hair, and he groaned as
she returned to his center, unzipping his fly, hooking her fingers in the waist
of his jeans and continuing to kiss every inch of skin she exposed. It was
Ava's turn to moan as his cock sprang free, her mouth and lips growing moist
instantly at the long, hard length of him. As she worked her way from his neck
to where she was now, kneeling in front of him, she'd intended to tease him; to
drive him wild with anticipation, but she couldn't resist. Opening her mouth
wide, she sheathed him between her lips, taking in every inch of him she could.
She moved slowly, savoring his scent, the taste of him on her tongue, the way
he felt against her lips. After a long while, her pace increased, but not more
than a few seconds later, Noah had pulled her to her feet, his fingers moving
to the zipper at the side of her dress.