And it should’ve bothered her, how he just took her whenever he wanted, however he wanted, but usually she was too busy coming to be PC about things between them. The man had mad fucking skills. He never left her wanting. He never asked for direction. He just . . . knew what she needed and gave it to her without a play-by-play.
Yeah, thinking about how amazingly well he fucked was not easing her restlessness, but giving her skin a distinctive itch that only he could scratch.
Close your eyes. Breathe in the calming sage.
Harlow had found a calmer internal place when the scent of manure wafted to her from the arena. She squinted beyond the tree line and saw a light was on in the barn. Odd. For all the loosey-goosey attitude around here about locking stuff, the barn lights were shut off and the door was always padlocked every night. She inched her way down the hill and skirted the empty corral attached to the left side of the building. Maybe it spoke of her hopeful nature, but everything inside her relaxed when she saw Hugh’s pickup parked by the main door.
At least now she knew where he was. Hugh rarely worked at night and she didn’t want to intrude. So should she head back to her trailer? Or would he welcome her dropping in to say hey?
All the entrances were buttoned up except the far back door. The hinges squeaked loud enough to wake the dead.
Hugh called out, “Who’s there?”
“Just Harlow.”
The softer creak of his office chair preceded the heavy strikes of his bootheels as he crossed the wooden flooring.
Then there he was, leaning in the doorway. Looking good enough to eat.
“C’mere, just Harlow.”
She sauntered forward, her heart racing.
Backlit from the office lights, Hugh had a larger-than-usual presence. And she fought the urge to run to him.
He didn’t appear to move at all until she made eye contact with him. Then she noticed his lips were curved into a soft smile.
“Am I interrupting? I saw the light on and thought I’d check it out.”
“You running the night watch now?”
“Just keeping my eyes on you, cowboy.” She planted her hands on his chest and rolled to the balls of her feet so she could taste the smirk on his mouth.
The instant her lips touched his, Hugh crushed her into his arms and lifted her until their mouths were at the same level. Then still kissing her with the infinite sweetness she craved, he walked them backward. He didn’t release her until he was damn good and ready.
He pulled back far enough to gaze into her eyes. “What?”
“What do you mean, what?”
“You just chuckled in my mouth, woman.”
“Oh. That.” Harlow pecked him on the lips. “A little Hugh-ism popped into my head and amused me.”
“Hugh-ism,” he repeated. “Darlin’, do I even wanna know?”
“Someday.”
He set her down. “So you were just outside soaking in the mountain air and noticed my truck parked down here and the lights were on in the barn?”
“No. I knew you left earlier and I was at loose ends. I tried to come up with something to do, but all my thoughts just kept coming back to you.” She studied the buttons on his shirt. “And I hope you don’t think I’m a clingy freak, but I missed seeing you today.”
“Harlow—”
“I know, I know. You have a life. Ranch responsibilities. You probably have fifty other things to do besides hang out with me—”
Hugh pressed his palm to her mouth. “Stop talking and listen to me.”
She blinked at him.
“I’m crazy about you. I’d blow off my job if I could spend every moment of the day with you. That’s the truth. I didn’t think you were ready to hear that, but apparently you are.”
She nodded.
“I’m not one of those guys with slick words and moves. I’d rather say nothin’ than say the wrong thing. So I’ll lay it out. I don’t have fifty things I’d rather be doin’.” He flashed his teeth. “Unless it’s figuring out fifty different ways to do you.”
Harlow twined herself around him. “After you admitted that, look out. I’m gonna be on you like white on rice.”
“Lookin’ forward to it.” Hugh turned, dropped into his office chair and plopped her on his lap. “I was just about to call it a night anyway.”
“Would you’ve tracked me down?”
“Yep. Then I would’ve stripped you down and gone down on you.”
“I can make it to my trailer in five minutes if I run.”
He chuckled against her ear. “No need to rush off. It’s a standing offer.”
“Lucky me.” She looked at his computer screen and the stacks of files strewn across the desk. “What are you working on?”
“A proposal for Renner.”
“I hate to break it to you, big guy, but he’s unavailable.”
“You’re in a mood,” he murmured against the side of her throat.
She didn’t say anything, since she wasn’t sure how he’d take it.
“I can feel you thinking. Something on your mind?”
“I know you say I can tell you anything, but this . . . maybe this falls into that gray area known as ‘rich girl’ problems.”
“Wrong. And you know you’ll feel better once you get it off your chest.”
Just say it. “I’m afraid my time here is almost done.”
“Done? Why?”
“My dad is improving every day. Tierney and Renner are trying to figure out how to deal with two kids. I’m so used to being on the go that when everything grinds to a halt, I don’t know what to do with myself.”
“You’re bored.”
Harlow tilted her head to the side and looked at him. “Not with you. But this has been building for the last couple of days and like I said, I’m afraid it’ll just get worse.”
Hugh shifted her around, draping her legs over his hips. His eyes were so somber when he slid his hand along her jaw and feathered his thumb over her lips. “Do you remember when you told me you worry you’ve lost the need for adventure?”
She nodded.
“And you missed the spark of excitement to try something new?”
Harlow’s eyes narrowed.
He grinned. “I ain’t circling this back around to sex. But I do wanna ask you something serious.”
“Okay.”
“In roughly a week I’ll be taking off for Kansas to supply stock for the Phillipsburg Fair and Rodeo and I’ve got a line on a couple of other smaller ones. I want you to come with me.”
“You do?”
“Yeah. I’d put you to work.”
“Put me to work doing what?”
“Not bein’ vague or trying to pull one over on you, but I’d have you doin’ whatever I need you to do.”
“Hugh. That is completely vague.”
He rested his forehead to hers. “I know. I don’t find out that information until the last minute. The point I’m tryin’ to make is if you don’t have objections to working with animals, then I want you to come with me.”
“We’d have our own rodeo adventure?”
“Yep. For two weeks.”
“And you think I’m capable of handling it.”
“Doll, you’re more than qualified. And anything you don’t know how to do, I’d teach you.”
Yes. This was exactly what she needed.
“I know, darlin’. That’s why I asked you.”
Harlow jerked her head back. “I didn’t mean to say that out loud.”
“But I’m glad you did.” He pressed a soft kiss to the hollow of her throat. “So is that a yes?”
“Am I allowed to have conditions?”
He groaned. “Like what?”
“Like if my dad takes a turn for the worse, I can back out?”
“No, hippie-girl, I’m gonna make you come with me regardless of what happens to members of your family.”
She whapped his arm.
“Of course if something like that
arises, I’ll come up with an alternative. But like I said before, as much as I want you with me for the pure pleasure of havin’ your warm, soft body next to mine in that cramped bed for fourteen nights, there won’t be much leisure time until we’re on the road to the next event.”
“And if I don’t come along, you’ll have to hire someone else?”
“Yep. And this is just between us, ’cause I haven’t brought it up with Renner yet, but Ike would be with us. If I’m doin’ Renner’s job, someone’s gotta be doin’ mine and Ike is more than qualified.”
“Do you think Renner will have a problem with that?”
An annoyed look briefly entered his eyes. “Doubtful. We’re committed to venue and it’d be shitty if we backed out now. Ike wouldn’t be staying with us; he’d be driving one of the transport trucks. I’ll have to peg Riss to drive the cattle truck for the bulls.”
Harlow grinned. “I can’t wait. I don’t suppose we can go tomorrow?”
He shook his head. “I’ve got some finagling to do first.”
Then Hugh’s eyes darkened and he slipped his hands down to the buttons on her blouse. “Enough talking,” he said gruffly. “I need me some sugar.”
She climbed off his lap and clasped his hands, tugging them to indicate she wanted him to stand too. Trying to move Hugh on her own? She wasn’t nearly strong enough.
“Whatcha got in mind?”
First Harlow untucked his shirt. In doing that, she released the clean scent of him, laundry soap and the subtle aroma of pine from his aftershave. She popped the pearl snap buttons on his shirt from the bottom up, happy to see he hadn’t worn a tee or a muscle shirt for once. She rubbed her face across his chest, loving that he was such a man with the hair on his chest being as sexy as the hair on his face. Her lips found his nipple and she teased it with soft kisses and tiny tongue flicks.
He hissed.
So while she petted and stroked him with her mouth, her hands zeroed in on his belt buckle. Once she’d pulled the leather clear of the metal, she unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans. His cock was already hard and poking up from the waistband of his boxer briefs. She tugged on the denim until the material cleared his lean hips and muscled thighs and bagged around his knees.
“I like where this is goin’, darlin’.”
“I thought you might.” Locking her greedy gaze to his, she cupped his butt cheeks and slid his boxer briefs to his knees.
“Fuckin’ sexy-ass woman.” He curled a shaking hand around her face. “You getting on your knees for me, doll?”
“No. I want this fine cowboy butt on the desk, your legs spread and your hands behind you outta my way.” She angled her head and lightly bit down on the inside of his wrist. “Think you can handle that?”
“I’m willing to die trying.”
She laughed and kept touching the slope of his broad shoulders and the thick slabs of his furred chest as he scooted into position. Harlow stepped between his legs and rubbed her lips over his. “Look at you. Being all obedient and shit.”
His answering grunt turned into a groan when she wrapped her fingers around his dick and pumped.
Hooking the chair leg with her foot, she dragged it over. After sitting down, she scooted closer so his cock was at her mouth level. Harlow gave him one long lick, from root to tip. “Gonna be hard not to use your hands?”
“Gonna be hard to deep throat me without my hands to guide you?” he shot back.
“Hugh. Sweetheart. This bad boy is at least nine inches. There’s no way I can get it that deep in my throat.”
“Never know unless you try.” The humor in his eyes morphed into heat when she rimmed the sweet spot with her tongue. Then she suckled the head.
Yeah. She thought that’d shut him up.
Harlow closed her eyes and gave herself over to the wash of pleasure she got from pleasuring him this way. She loved feeling the hardness of his flesh covered in satiny smooth skin gliding over her tongue. And the trust he placed in her, allowing her to use her teeth and the quick motion of her hand.
And Hugh was a watcher. He didn’t close his eyes and let his head fall back as she sucked and stroked and teased. His eyes were glued on the wet, sucking motion of his sex plunging between her lips. Exiting her mouth shinier and wetter than when it went in.
The last time she’d blown him, he’d held her head captive as he moved his hips. He hadn’t pushed her too far, understanding a face fucking from a well-endowed man like him was something that had to be worked up to.
“Harlow. Get me wet. Don’t swallow. Let the saliva fill your mouth and coat me. Fuck. Yes. Goddamn warm and slippery perfection.”
When he kept offering suggestions in that husky tone, she didn’t feel as if he were directing her, but praising her for rendering him almost incoherent.
She curled her fingers around the girth, her mouth and hand working in tandem. Sweat broke out on her forehead and trickled down her spine from the nape of her neck. The playful teasing ended as her determination to make this strong man surrender to her kicked in. His sexy growls vibrated throughout her body, increasing the buzz she got from having control of his cock.
“Take me deep a couple of times. Fuck. That’s it. Can’t hold off.”
So don’t. Give it to me. Give me all of you.
“So fuckin’ hot and wet. Fuck. I’m almost there.”
Harlow had reached that last level, her hand jacking him faster and faster as she bobbed her head. Although her panties were soaked, she didn’t squirm to try and get friction to get herself off. This was about him and she didn’t want to miss out on that fleeting moment when his cock hardened the final bit, followed by his stillness in breath and body. The temporary suspension of time and place right before his taste exploded on her tongue in a salty, musky rush of heat.
“Sweet Jesus. Don’t stop.”
She sucked hard, yet kept that constant stroking motion of her tongue beneath the cockhead. His body shook and jerked with each spurt. She let his essence fill her mouth, keeping the heat and wetness surrounding his rigid pulsating flesh, until he exhaled. Then she slid his cock into her throat just past her gag reflex and swallowed and swallowed and swallowed.
After a few moments, he said, “I’m never gonna look at this desk the same again.”
“Mmm.” She nuzzled the happy trail of soft fur that led up to his belly button.
“Harlow. Let me take care of you now.”
She shook her head and stood. “While I love your hands on me and all the inventive ways you like to get me off, let me have this. This was for you.”
When Harlow reached the door, Hugh said, “You can visit me in the barn anytime, darlin’.”
Chapter Fifteen
‡
Hugh hated confrontation. Especially when he knew what should be a simple conversation could turn into a big ol’ argument.
He’d gone over all his paperwork at least four times. Since he knew sharp-eyed Renner would zero in on any weak point or potential problem, Hugh had made damn sure there weren’t any.
Tobin walked in and took the seat across from Hugh’s desk. “Hey. No offense, man, but you look about to barf.”
“I just might.” He breathed in slowly. “I suck at this kinda stuff.”
“I disagree.”
Hugh’s gaze snapped to Tobin’s. “Why?”
“When you first got here and you were dealing with your divorce and settling in, you did whatever Ren said without question. But somewhere along the line you started doin’ what he paid you to do—which is manage his stock. And I suspect if you’d pushed a little harder, he’d have given you more input on the stock contracting business.”
“Seems to be a moot point now.”
“Doesn’t have to be.” Tobin laced his fingers behind his head, the