The Reluctant Virgin [Ride 'em Hard 6] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (9 page)

Matthew chuckled. “That? You have no idea.” He winked at her as he stood up. She felt so small and exposed with him looking down at her. That’s when she noticed the hard cock pressed diagonally behind the denim of his pants. He had the control of a saint. How could he go down on her and not follow through with fucking her? She wasn’t sure if that was a compliment to her or an insult.

Cindy didn’t waste time heading home after Matthew returned her to her truck. They didn’t even eat the lunch he’d packed. After her orgasm, he was more interested in packing up and heading out. She wondered if he’d had a change of heart or if he just wanted to be a gentleman by getting some breathing space. Whatever it was, she’d had enough.

Her emotions were too close to the surface for her liking. Josh and Matthew had succeeded where so many other cowboys had failed. They’d managed to wriggle their way under her skin. As she pulled into her town, her mind was plagued with questions. She promised to call Matthew first thing tomorrow but doubted she would. Out of sight, out of mind, was exactly what she was hoping for. In this case, she had a feeling distance would not cure her of the ache in her heart. How could it be possible for her to possess the same yearning for three different men? Chance and Josh and now Matthew. She blamed her years of abstinence on her sudden hormonal awakening.

A familiar pickup truck was parked in front of her family home. She wasn’t in the mood for guests after the whirlwind couple days she’d just had. All Cindy wanted to do was lock herself in her room and try to blank her mind. That was when she recalled who owned that truck—Chance Anderson. Of all the people to show up now. He’d never been to her home, so why was he here?

Cindy parked her truck and headed to the front door. Chance and her parents were at the dining room table having dinner. The best china was out and the old chandelier was casting diamond glitter on the walls. She froze in place for a moment, trying to come to grips with the scene. Why was Chance being treated as their special guest?

Her mother stood up first, followed by Chance. The distinct sound of the wooden chair legs scraped the floor. “Cindy, I was worried sick about you.”

“I called you last night.”

“No matter. You’ve never been away from home for so long. It’s past suppertime already.” Her mother came over and took the bag she was carrying.

“It’s a long drive. I came home as soon as I could.” For the first time, Cindy felt claustrophobic. All her life she’d welcomed her parent’s coddling. They kept her safe from the cold, cruel world. She hid away in her family home, not willing to socialize in fear of being ostracized for her birth defect. Now she felt like she’d passed some sort of test. She could survive on her own, and men could like her unconditionally—like Matthew. There was now a world of possibilities ahead of her that she was eager to explore.

“Cindy.” Chance came and stood near her, nodding in greeting. He looked so much bigger in her small house, somehow out of place. She was out of her element, not in her business frame of mind.

“What are you doing here?” she asked accusingly.

“That’s no way to speak to a guest,” said her mother. “Chance was worried about you, so when he came over we offered him dinner.”

“Ain’t too often a man like me gets a home-cooked meal.”

“
Right.”
She scowled at Chance and headed for her bedroom, calling back over her shoulder, “Mom, I’m tired from the drive. I’ll see you tomorrow morning, bright and early.”

Who did he think he was? This was her home, her personal space. He was pushing her limits when she needed some time alone. Cindy crashed on her bed, breathing in the familiar lavender scent of her comforters. Her mother sewed the herbs into her linens for aromatherapy. It always reminded her of home and security.

There was a knock on her door.

“Yes?”

When the door opened and Chance’s masculine frame filled the doorway, she bolted up in bed. He closed the door behind him and stepped in.

“My mother let you in here?”

“She’s worried about you.”

“What on earth for?”

He shrugged. “Did you forget our dinner date?”

Cindy sighed, feeling a trickle of guilt for standing him up without warning. “I got busy with work and couldn’t get back in time. I’m sorry, I should have called you.”

“After no word today, I was worried. I stopped by an hour ago to see if you were okay, and that’s when your mother insisted I stay.”

She took a cleansing breath, forcing herself to behave more humanly. It wasn’t Chance’s fault. What kind of farmhand wouldn’t welcome her mother’s home-cooking? And she knew her mother was probably excited about a potential suitor, one who brought the promise of grandchildren. “It’s not your fault. It’s mine. My mind’s in a muddle right now, and I shouldn’t take that out on you.”

He came and sat on the edge of her bed, his weight dipping the mattress. Her walls were painted a soft blue, a reminder of the morning sky. The pale, feminine color was a stark contrast to Chance and his fitted black T-shirt and unkempt dirty-blond hair. He was gorgeous and sitting on her private bed. She remembered the wicked things Matthew did to her body, and she realized Chance was capable of the same feats. The fleeting thought made her pussy weep.

“Will you give me another chance to take you out to dinner? Lord knows it took me five years to get you to agree to the first date. I don’t want to lose my chance now.”

She smiled, recalling all the times he’d called her to the ranch for unnecessary service calls. As much as she tried to deny the fact, she’d always had a deep-seated crush on the cowboy drifter. But he wasn’t a God-fearing farm boy with classic values. He was a playboy, the type of man women radiated to. If he knew about her disability he’d disappear faster than butter on hot toast.

“Sure, Chance. I said I’d have dinner with you, and I will.”

“Twilight’s approaching. Will you take a walk with me before I leave?”

Cindy agreed, so they set out through the back door of the kitchen, the whiny screen door slapping shut behind them. The crickets were already chirping as the world grew dimmer. She already felt the tug of sleep embracing her.

“The hay’s ripe for harvesting,” he said as they walked along the edge of the barley field.

“It’s not ours. My father rents the acreage to neighboring farmers. His farming days are over—have been ever since we moved here for a fresh start.”

“Sorry, part of me cringes when I see a field so desperate to be plowed.”

“That’s because you’re a hard worker, Chance. You’ll make a good husband and provider one day.” As soon as she said the words, she clammed up.

“Will I now?” He sounded amused. “I think I best get my own piece of land first. I don’t have much to offer a woman of worth as is.”

Cindy began to wonder about Chance. He only showed up to work the busy season. Where did he go when he wasn’t working the neighboring ranches as a laborer? “Where do you usually stay?”

He dragged a hand through his hair, staring out towards the darkening horizon. The sun was crimson red, a magical sphere which highlighted the surrounding clouds in various shades of red, orange, and pink. “Here and there. A lot of ranchers rent rooms to men like me. Can’t say I really belong in any one place.”

“Doesn’t that get lonely, always moving? Don’t you ever think about setting down roots?”

Chance stopped her, holding her arm until she came to a standstill. “I think about those things every time I see you.” His voice had changed, going from casual to intense.

She brushed him off. “Chance, you can’t sweet talk me. I’ve heard it all. One thing I know for certain—you’re not a one-woman man.”

“But I can be.” His hand shackled her wrist, his blue eyes reflecting the flames in the sky. He leaned over and surprised her with a kiss. As he deepened the contact, he tucked her in close with one arm around her waist. He smelled like the country, raw and untamed. Did she dare trust him as she did Matthew? He had no clue about her carefully guarded secret, and she wanted it to stay that way. The only way for that to happen was to avoid increased intimacy. One thing would likely lead to another as it had this morning with Matthew.

“This is a lot more than a walk, Chance.” Cindy rested her forearms against his chest. She could admit to herself that it felt good to be cocooned in his strong embrace. She felt protected, safe, and adored. But it was all an illusion. Men like Chance Anderson were superficial, only interested in outward beauty and fleeting pleasure. She’d be a princess for one night, but by morning she’d just be another notch on his leather belt.

“It’s even better, no?” He kissed her temple.

She chuckled to herself as her thoughts wandered.

“What’s funny, darlin’?”

“You’re the second man to kiss me in one day.”

Cindy thought it was amusing, especially when she’d managed to avoid men for twenty-seven years. She hadn’t worn a different perfume or added makeup, but the men seemed to gather towards her like moths to a flame. Chance looked anything but amused. The setting sun cast shadows over his face when he pulled back to look at her. He had a couple days' worth of dark scruff on his jaw. He was pure dominance when he stared down at her.

“Who kissed you, Cindy?”

“An old friend up north. It was my first kiss.” She felt her cheeks heat. Being a virgin her entire adult life was nothing to be proud of. But she knew Chance wasn’t looking for a long-term commitment, so why not tell the truth?

“You’re joking with me, right? You’ve never kissed a man before today?”

She shook her head.

“It should have been me, baby doll. I was here waiting for you.” He nuzzled her neck, breathing her in as if she was the sweetest thing he’d ever smelled. “What else did this ‘old friend’ do to you?”

“N–nothing.”

“You’re lying.” He trailed his kisses lower, closing in on her collar bone. “Tell me what else he did.”

She swallowed hard, determined not to hide any facts. Once he knew what she’d done with Matthew, he’d likely be disgusted and leave her alone. “He–he did things. You know. Down there.”

Chance smirked against her skin. “Did he take your virginity, Cindy? Tell me the truth. I’ll know if you’re lying.”

“No,” she said confidently. Her virginity was intact, and at this point she suspected it always would be. If a man could walk away from her in the heat of the moment, she doubted he had any intentions on sticking around for more. She still felt wound up from her foray with Matthew, but apparently it was easy for him to move on.

“Then tell me what he did to you ‘down here.’” He cupped her mound, not gentle and lovingly like Matthew touched her, but rough and firm. Her pussy sparked to life on contact.

She gasped aloud, now holding his shoulders for balance. Cindy was thankful for the cover of night concealing their illicit act. “Matthew put his mouth down there. He kissed and licked until I came.”

“Did you like it?”

Cindy nodded again. For some reason saying things out loud seemed dirtier, as if exposing her actions to the whole world. She became more aroused.

Chance held her tighter, his cock rubbing against her side. The sun almost fully set, making her feel like they were the last two people in the world. Every sound was magnified—her heartbeat in her ears, the crunch of dry grass beneath his boots, and the distant call of bats passing by.

“You liked having a man’s tongue in your virgin pussy?”

He was so crude, so vulgar. She should smack him and return to her house, even tell her father what a no-gooder Chance was. But she didn’t. Cindy felt a deep-seated thrill from his raw sexuality. It turned her on in new, exciting ways.

“Yes,” she dared to say.

“Did you stop him from fucking you?”

“He didn’t want to. He didn’t want to take my virginity.”

Chance scoffed. “I promise I don’t have a problem ridding you of that burden, sweetheart. I’ll bring you to heights you never knew existed.”

She was tempted to take him up on his offer, but she had to keep her mind anchored in reality. If they started getting naked, he’d see her fake limb. She’d also be the laughing stock tomorrow if he started spreading rumors. No rancher would take a female irrigation specialist seriously if she had the reputation of a whore.

“Maybe I’m not ready to lose it just yet,” she said. “Besides, just because you happen to be here tonight doesn’t give you a free pass to do with me as you please.”

“So who’s this Matthew character? You let him play with your pussy but you won’t even give me a sample. Has he courted you for five years like me?”

“No, it just happened.”

He grabbed her hand and brought it to his crotch, forcing her to feel the stiff erection in his pants. “That’s what you do to me, Cindy. You gonna leave me with a painful hard-on all night? Not even a little sample?”

She was curious. Her body was lit up with passion, desires so powerful she had trouble keeping up her hard-as-nails persona. If only she could enjoy Chance’s offer without any consequences. She’d have to trust he’d behave somewhat for the sake of his job. Mr. Oakley and his boss were on excellent terms.