Betting the Farm, page 11
“Like a small piece of silk would ever stop you.”
He rubbed that cheek he’d made pink. “True.”
“Wanna know something else?” At his raised eyebrow, she said, “I have a condom in my pocket.”
“That’s my naughty girl.” Fritz kissed her quickly. “Let’s have it before I come in my jeans like a horny fourteen-year-old.”
Fishing it out of her pocket, she slapped it in his outstretched hand, then watched him unzip, shove his jeans and briefs down to sheath his dick.
“How are we going to do this?”
“A little modified reverse cowgirl. Do something with your dress.”
While she worked at tucking her skirt out of the way, he eased the seat back as far as it would go. “Drape those long legs over mine, honey. Now lift up on your toes.”
Fritz grabbed her hip with one hand and his cock in the other, guiding her onto him. When the tip nudged the entrance of her pussy, she sank down, engulfing him in tight, wet heat. Kai moaned, one of her hands clutching the inside of his thigh.
“Fuck, don’t move yet,” he ordered, digging his fingers into the soft flesh of her hip to hold her still. Afraid he was hurting her, he loosened his grip.
Reclining in the seat, he tipped her back against his chest. His mouth found the side of her neck, tasting her skin, brushing the stubble on his jaw back and forth to sensitize it even more. She shuddered, whispering, “Please, Fritz.”
Damn, but he’d never tire of hearing her say those words.
“Touch yourself,” he said. “Make yourself come around my cock.”
He couldn’t see what she was doing because of the position and all the fabric in his way, but he could feel it, feel her clench and release around him. Hear the faint wet sounds of her fingers rubbing her clit. Occasionally they’d drift down to graze his balls or the base of his shaft. As close as he already was just from sliding inside her and visualizing what she was doing between her thighs, he didn’t want to move yet for fear he’d go off in two seconds flat.
“Tell me what you really think about when you’re in here alone,” she murmured, her head dropping back on his shoulder. Those beautiful eyes slid closed, teeth clamping down hard on her bottom lip.
“I think about you.” He cupped her breasts in his hands, circling her pinched nipples with his thumbs. “How you looked tied up in my bed. The way it felt to slide my cock across your tongue and feel you close those tasty lips around me. I could never get enough of your mouth, Kai. Your pussy.” Her soft whimper told him the dirty talk was working. It turned him on more than he ever thought it would. And she liked it too.
She was getting close, her fingers working between her legs, and Christ it was so damn sexy. Her hips circled, just enough to cause friction where they were joined together, grinding herself down onto him. Fritz shoved one hand under her ass to help her move, giving in to his body’s urges. Sweat trickled down the back of his neck. He clenched his jaw, working to hold back his orgasm until she came. “Does that turn you on, hearing me say how much I think about fucking you?”
“God, yes.”
“Then come for me, honey.”
Fritz wound her ponytail around his hand, tugging until she groaned. When he bit her neck, she shuddered. Her pussy tightened around his dick and he came with her, thrusting his hips, driving into her as deep as he could go as they rode it out together.
Breathing hard, she slumped forward, bracing herself across the steering wheel. Fritz ran his hands down her bare back as he regained his wits. They’d generated enough combined body heat to fog the windows. He adjusted the air to make it cooler before patting her thigh so he could get rid of the condom.
Easing out from under her, he exited the cab and walked to the edge of the field, where he dug a hole with the toe of his boot to bury the rubber in the dirt before righting his clothing. Then he grinned to himself at the notion of literally planting his seed.
Kai was retying her dress behind her neck when he climbed back inside the cab. She let him sit down and sprawled across his lap, nuzzling her face against his throat.
“I’ve fantasized about sex with you in a lot of places, but never once did a tractor ever spring to mind. Not until I saw this one.”
“We’ll have to talk about the places we haven’t covered yet. Better yet, make me a list and we’ll scratch them off one by one.”
Laughing, she kissed him on the jaw.
He wished she could stay in here with him for the rest of the day, keep him company. Unfortunately, if she did, he’d get very little actual work done, and he didn’t have the time for that luxury. He set the big machine in motion again, making the turn that would take them back toward her car.
While they rode, he punched in the number of the tractor dealership on his phone. When he hit Send, the sound of it ringing came over the radio’s speakers inside the cab via the tractor’s built-in Bluetooth.
“Now you’re just showing off,” Kai said drily.
Fritz kissed her, then placed one finger over her mouth when his sales representative and good friend, Tucker Lindley, answered.
“What’s going on, Carter?” Tucker drawled.
“Not much. Giving the seat on the 8360 a workout.”
Kai buried her face in his shoulder to muffle a giggle.
“So what do you think? Smooth ride, ain’t she?”
“You could say that.” The other “she” pinched his side hard enough to make him flinch.
“Ready for me to draw up the papers?”
Kai drew back, her gaze roaming over his face as the smile faded from her mouth. He wasn’t doing this to impress her. Besides, that wasn’t the kind of person Kai was. She’d remained unaffected by her family’s wealth, with the exception of maybe her snazzy Camaro. Fritz had little room to talk on that front, since he’d spent a disgusting amount of money on his truck.
Buying a brand-new tractor had been a long time coming and much-anticipated event for him and his brothers. They already owned several, but they’d bought them used or were relics passed down through generations. He was sick to death of having to constantly replace parts and tinker with the unreliable things. Not that they would be retired anytime soon. Every single one of them was still needed and put to good use.
She was just here to witness the proud moment when he finally got to say, “Yeah, draw ’em up, Tuck. We start cutting silage on Monday, so I’ll be tied up for the next few weeks. Can we work something out for Sunday?”
“Hell yeah!” Tucker said. His enthusiasm might be attributed more to the number of zeroes there’d be on his commission check than the actual sale, though he’d certainly earned both, what with all the hem hawing around Fritz had done over the past year. “Just call and tell me a time and place to meet you. I’ll be there with bells on.”
“Will do.” Fritz disconnected the call as they reached the end of the row. He brought the tractor to a gradual stop, engaging the parking brake.
“Congratulations,” Kai said, her face solemn. Maybe she sensed the turmoil churning inside his gut.
“I’m a bit nauseous over the amount of money I just spent.”
“It’s not being frivolously spent, though.”
“No, and we’ve earned it. Both the money it took to buy it and the right to own something as nice as this.”
Her hand cupped his cheek. “You deserve a whole fleet of brand-new tractors.”
Jesus, she made his head spin with emotion. Desire, happiness, calm, worry. And yes, there was love in there too. He suspected it had never gone away, even after she did. He couldn’t deny it, but he also wasn’t ready to open himself up and admit it out loud to anyone else, especially her. Not yet. Not until he was certain it wouldn’t backfire on him. Instead he sealed his mouth over hers, channeling his feelings into the kiss.
Kai’s tenderness, her warmth and generosity, were like nothing he’d ever experienced before. If he kept this up, he was never going to turn her loose. He hoped this time he wouldn’t have to.
With one last quick smooch, he set her away from him, helping her climb down to the ground.
“How long you plan on working?” she asked as he followed her to her car.
Fritz surveyed the expansive field, doing the mental math. “Dusk maybe. Why?”
“Because I thought I’d go shopping for the other things I need for the apartment, incidentals, stuff like that, then cook you dinner. How does that sound?”
“Like a plan. I’ll run home and shower real quick when I finish.”
She nodded and opened her car door to climb in. “See you then.”
He was headed back to the tractor when he heard her call out to him. She’d backed out onto the road and rolled down her window.
“Forget something?”
“Yeah. I think your tractor’s sexy!” Grinning, she sped away.
Damn her hide. Now he’d have that fucking song stuck in his head the rest of the day.
Chapter Twelve
Kai was not enjoying her new job at all. In fact, she was downright miserable.
She tossed her pencil aside and dropped her forehead to the top of her desk with a loud thunk. All of her suspicions about working for her father had been wrong, wrong, wrong. Instead of handling her with daddy gloves, he was throwing everything at her but the kitchen sink.
It wasn’t that she was afraid of hard work or she couldn’t handle the load. It was his expectations that had her rattled.
It had become clear in just the two short weeks she’d been working for him that she was being groomed to take over the reins of Donnelly Motors one day. Her dad kept tossing out the words “when this becomes yours” and “you should develop a rapport with them” and “we’ve got a meeting in Atlanta next month.”
Problem was it had never been her dream to take over the business. Not one day. Not ever. She was proud of what her father had built for himself and the family name as a whole, and yes, she’d benefited from it, something she was grateful for. But running a company that built giant diesel engines for the rest of her life? Never had that scenario ever figured into her wildest dreams about her future.
Her intentions were to come in here, get her feet wet and tuck the valuable work experience under her belt. Try to help the company implement new marketing strategies, expand on advertising to perhaps reach a wider customer base outside of the Southeastern states, before moving on to something that genuinely interested her. Not slip her feet into her father’s shoes and walk in them the same as she’d done when she was three.
The thought of all this being hers and Josh’s made her stomach churn and her head pound. Josh could have all of it. Kai didn’t want it. She meant her father no disrespect but this wasn’t for her. How would he react to the news, since he seemed so happy she was there?
Tonight, she was having a glass or two of wine, maybe even the whole dang bottle. It would sure be nice if she had a big tub to soak in too, but that was out because all she had was that dinky shower. Unless she borrowed Fritz’s tub…
Kai reached for the phone then drew her hand back, remembering how busy he was. He was running a combine, not the fancy new tractor with its built-in Bluetooth. He couldn’t afford a distraction, not even for a second. It was too dangerous on machines that big, given that combines were known to catch fire on occasion. Not to mention petty and thoughtless of her to call about needing a soak when he’d been working so hard for two weeks straight with no breaks.
Since they’d started cutting corn, he’d been like a zombie. Poor thing worked eighteen-hour days without a break for even a meal hardly. If anyone ever had the gall to say something negative about farmers in Kai’s presence, she was going to punch them square in the nose.
He’d been staying with her, if you could call it that, because of the proximity to the barn. Mostly he staggered in around nine in the evening, dead on his feet, showered, swallowed something to eat and fell in bed, only to have his alarm go off at four-thirty the next morning, long before the roosters were even stirring.
Fritz was too tired to carry on a rational conversation, let alone make love. Oh, he’d woken her up a few times during the nights or early, early mornings. The sex had seemed like part of her dreams, still good, but quiet and quick. He’d get dressed to leave and she’d fall back asleep for a few more hours.
But the more time they spent together, even if it was precious little, the more Kai knew she was in love with him again. Had she ever truly fallen out of love with him? Was it possible for your heart to have a memory, despite what your other body parts were doing? She didn’t know. All she did know was that she enjoyed taking care of him, loved having him stay over and be there if she awoke in the middle of the night, disoriented by the her new surroundings, or just there to touch or kiss whenever the urge struck.
Even though Fritz hadn’t been able to do much courtin’ because of the demands of farming, Kai found she wasn’t the least bit upset about playing second fiddle to a tractor right now. Not that she had a right to feel that way in the first place, but it reiterated how much he meant to her and how at home she felt in his arms. Perhaps it was an emotional affirmation that being with him was where she belonged.
Someone knocked on her office door.
“Come in,” she said tiredly.
The door swung open then Josh propped himself against the frame. She was surprised he’d bothered to knock. “Time to go home, sis.”
“It is?” Kai glanced at the clock on her computer and felt a profound sense of relief wash over her. “Goodness, I’m glad this week is over.”
“Big plans for the weekend?”
She began organizing the papers scattered across her desk. “No. Fritz is busy with silage, so I’m on my own for a while yet. Maybe I’ll call Grace and see if she wants to go out for a drink or a movie. You?”
“Got a hot date tonight with Taryn Trotter.”
“Mom will be so pleased,” Kai said drily. Taryn’s father was a prominent heart surgeon. “Maybe you dating Taryn will take the heat off me.”
“Oh, trust me, she’s already started and I nipped it in the bud real quick.”
“So she’s pissed at you too?” Kai wanted the company.
“A little, but she still won’t even talk about you, so I think you’ve got me beat for being the grand prize recipient of Elizabeth’s wrath.” Josh bowed. “I graciously concede the loss.”
Kai frowned. “Gee, thanks. I kind of hoped she’d be cooled off by now. It’s been over two weeks.”
“You know Mom—she likes getting her way. I wouldn’t sweat it much. Eventually she’ll thaw out.”
“But it’ll be me who has to make the first move.”
Josh grinned. “Always.”
It was infuriating. Kai had done nothing wrong. Why should she be the one to have to tuck her tail between her legs and offer up an olive branch or an apology when one wasn’t warranted?
“Have a good weekend.” Josh left her sitting at her desk, scowling at nothing and in need of that soak even worse.
* * * * *
An hour and a half later she was up to her armpits in hot water, mixed with a generous sprinkling of Epsom salts she’d found underneath Fritz’s bathroom cabinet. Her hair was piled in a messy knot on top of her head. She swore she wasn’t going to bother him, but he’d been the one to send her a text, saying he wouldn’t be as late tonight. Seeing the opening, Kai nabbed the opportunity to ask if she could use his tub. His response was to “keep the bathwater warm”. That would not be a problem.
She blotted the water from her hands and picked up the magazine she’d placed on the toilet lid. She’d also lit a few scented candles, cheesy and clichéd as it may be—she didn’t give a damn if it helped her relax—and poured herself a glass of wine from the bottle she’d stopped at the liquor store and bought. Tipping her head back on a rolled-up towel, she sighed contentedly and began to read.
Halfway through the magazine, she came across an article on sorghum syrup—about how making it was a lost art and how some of the finer restaurants in the South, and even a few up North, had taken to using it in recipes. There seemed to be very few quality producers of the dark, sweet syrup left anymore. And it was loaded with healthy nutrients to boot.
Talk about your coincidences.
According to Ruby, there was a quality producer right there in Serenity. The more Kai read, the more intrigued she became. An idea started to take shape. Once it formed, it grew and grew, until she wished she had a pen and a piece of paper in the bathroom with her so she could jot down notes.
She needed to take hot soaks more often.
The sound of Fritz’s truck pulling up outside made her smile and her heart thump with anticipation. She tossed the magazine aside for now. The water was getting cool so she drained a bit of it out before turning on the tap to refill the tub.
Kai listened as he came through the back door, opened and closed the refrigerator, twisted the top off a bottle—most likely a beer—before she heard the sound of his boots hitting the floor in quick succession. By the time he reached the bathroom, the only article of clothing he wore was his jeans and they were unzipped, the gaping V showing a glimpse of navy boxer briefs.
He casually propped himself in the doorframe and drank his fill of both her and the cold beer. The way his eyes made a lazy pass over her body caused her skin to grow hotter than the bathwater. Awareness danced along her nerve endings.
Sweet Jesus. Was there anything sexier in the world than a half-naked man with his pants undone, an irresistible trail of dark hair down his ripped abdomen leading to delightful places? Not in her estimation. Kai’s mouth watered and it had nothing to do with being thirsty.
When she looked up at his face, he was grinning, making the corners of his eyes crinkle attractively. Her cheeks flushed at being caught gawking. He tipped his head back to drain his beer and she wanted to lick his throat from collarbone to jaw.
Maybe she’d had too much wine.
“Like what you see?” he asked cockily.
