Total pages in book: 45
Estimated words: 43870 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 219(@200wpm)___ 175(@250wpm)___ 146(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 43870 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 219(@200wpm)___ 175(@250wpm)___ 146(@300wpm)
He'd do it. He wouldn’t think twice about taking me against the wall or on the floor or—
Oh, shit. Axel broke the kiss and let out a low, feral moan as a jet of cum spilled over my fist. I was close, too. But instead of finishing me off, he ran a finger through his release and reached around to slip a digit in my hole.
My orgasm thundered through me. I gasped, squeezing my eyes shut as white light permeated my vision and made the world spin on its axis.
I was too strung out to worry about an awkward aftermath, but it was there, and I wasn’t quite prepared to deal with resetting an already tenuous balance.
I straightened slowly and looked for something to clean up with, studiously avoiding Axel’s gaze. I found a roll of paper towels, grabbed a few, and handed the roll to him. We tidied up in silence. Then Axel rescued our hats, wordlessly flipping mine to me.
I slipped it on, inclining my chin slightly. “Thank you.”
“For a good time?”
I snorted. “Something like that.”
“Hmm.” Axel held the door open for me. He inhaled as I passed and muttered something unintelligible.
“What did you say?”
He considered me for a moment with that lazy tilt of his lips. “I want you like I haven’t wanted anyone for a long, long time. Don’t know when, but I’m gonna fuck you, cowboy.”
With that, he touched the brim of his hat and sidled by me.
I gulped, eyeing Axel’s impossibly broad shoulders and muscular arms as he disappeared into the office.
I’m gonna fuck you, cowboy.
Holy shit.
It wasn’t poetry, but it was close enough.
CHAPTER 8
TANNER
Buzz buzz
I fumbled for my cell on the nightstand. Three a.m. Crap. Nothing good ever came from a middle-of-the-night phone call.
“What’s up, Josh?” I asked groggily.
“It’s Hazel. I think she going into labor.”
I sat up quickly. “Now? It’s too soon. What’s going on?”
“Her breathing is off, and she’s got the shakes. I rang the emergency number at Lou’s office and tried his cell, but—”
I jumped out of bed, almost tripping over Lila as I scrounged for my clothes. “I’ll be right there.”
I lived in one of the bungalows meant for ranch employees. The two or three-bedroom houses were strategically located near the barns and stables without being too close. No one wanted the aroma of cow dung to compete with the scent of baked chocolate chip cookies. They also didn’t want to live too close to the main lodge, either.
Oak Ridge Lodge was where our dude ranch guests resided while they soaked in the cowboy experience—riding horses, checking on the herd, petting piglets, and feeding goat kids—in between massages and gourmet meals under the stars. It was a grand, beautiful place with a lush green lawn, a wraparound porch, tall ceilings, fancy chandeliers, and even a view of the ocean from the second story for a few lucky guests.
Nice place, but too noisy and too posh for my taste.
I hurried along an illuminated pathway lined with white roses and lavender and jumped the fence leading to the south barn. I could see my breath and was glad I’d grabbed a thicker jacket. The temperature shift between day and night could be dramatic at this time of year.
But of course, it was warm in the barn. I unzipped my leather jacket and nodded a greeting to the ranch hands on duty, Josh and Vic.
“How’s she doin’?” I asked, though I could see for myself that the poor cow was in distress.
She was trembling and panting. However, I didn’t think she was in the early stages of labor. That was a gut feeling based on years of experience, but I wasn’t a vet.
“Her food and water haven’t been touched since this morning, so we can add loss of appetite to her symptoms,” Josh reported, stroking Hazel’s neck. “I tried Lou again…still no reply, but Axel should be here soon.”
“Good.”
“I didn’t realize he lived twenty minutes away.”
“He won’t mind. This is an emergency.” I set a hand on Hazel’s flank and rubbed gently.
Vic removed his baseball cap and scratched his bald head. “We’ve tried everything to make her comfortable, but—”
“What’s going on?” Axel burst into the barn, carrying his sleepy daughter on one hip and holding a supply bag.
Vic and Josh spoke over each other in their haste to explain Hazel’s symptoms while I admired the view.
Let me just say…no one did middle-of-the-night emergency chic quite like our new vet. He’d obviously dressed in a hurry and rushed out of the house, bringing only the essentials with him—his unsupervised kid and his vet bag.
Axel’s hair stood on end, his beard had grown significantly overnight, his plaid shirt was buttoned unevenly under his leather bomber jacket, and he’d forgotten his hat. I’d never seen him so unkempt, and yet somehow, he’d never looked better.
“It’s got to be early labor, but she’s not due for a month,” Vic said. “Will the calf make it if—”