When I’d accepted the job at the Circle B, I’d been hoping to find somewhere my father couldn’t find me while I figured out what to do with the rest of my life. But only four days into my stay at the ranch, and I was already starting to realize I’d found so much more. I had a gorgeous room with a super comfy bed. My own bathroom with a huge tub where I could take long baths to loosen my muscles after a long day in the kitchen. And a sexy cowboy for a boss who made me feel safe whenever he was near because nothing happened around the Circle B without Colton Booth’s say so.

  It was a bounty of unexpected blessings, and I blossomed under it all. I was happier than I had since my mom died. So much so that I’d sometimes found myself singing while I worked. I’d ditched my cell in town before I left because I hadn’t wanted my dad to be able to use it to find me. It’d been the right decision, but it meant that I didn’t have anything to listen to until I had time to go into town and buy a new one. Today, I’d mostly stuck to songs from movies I’d watched with my mom when I was little.

  “Damn, I’m never going to be able to see a commercial for a kid’s movie again without—”

  At the sound of a male voice, I spun around and my hand flew to my chest. One of the ranch hands, a guy who was maybe a year or two older than me, was standing in the doorway to the kitchen. His hat was in one hand, and the other was clutching the back of his head. Colton stood behind him, and I was almost certain he’d smacked the guy to get him to shut up. Since I’d thought I was alone, I was more than a little startled to find them both there.

  “Is everything okay? Dinner won’t be ready for another hour.”

  Colton pushed past the ranch hand and walked over to stand by my side, his hand sliding to my lower back. “Alexandra’s too polite, but I’m not. What in the hell are you doing here alone with my...with Alexandra?”

  The ranch hand paled and shook his head. “It ain’t like that. I was just hoping to grab a slice of dessert ‘cause I’m gonna miss out on it since I’m takin’ my girl to dinner in town tonight.”

  “Of course you can.” I tried to move towards the counter to cut him a piece, but Colton’s hold on me tightened.

  “And what were you saying about her singin’ when I walked up?”

  The ranch hand’s cheeks turned ruddy and he sputtered, “I—well, it’s just—I mean—look at her, boss”—he waved the hand holding his hat in my direction—“can you really blame me?”

  “I can.” Colton yanked me closer to his side. “I really can.”

  “Shit, I can’t even blame you none for that,” the ranch hand grumbled. “Sorry, ma’am. I didn’t mean no disrespect.”

  “None taken,” I whispered.

  “It won’t happen again, sir.”

  Colton nodded. “It better not.”

  He turned and walked away before I could get him the slice of pie he’d wanted, but I had other things to worry about when Colton turned me in his arms. “Does this happen a lot?”

  “This?” With his dark eyes burning into mine, it was hard to hold his gaze. I lowered my head a little and realized I’d missed something vital when he’d walked into the room—my sexy boss wasn’t wearing a shirt. How I’d missed those broad shoulders and all those muscles before was beyond me, but seeing them now stole my ability to think.

  “My men comin’ in here when I’m not around.”

  “What?”

  “Eyes up here, sweet girl.” A long finger pressed against my chin until I tilted my head up again and met his gaze. “Have my men been coming around and botherin’ you when you’re alone?”

  “Why aren't you wearing a shirt?”

  His lips tilted up in a satisfied smirk. “Answer my question first and I’ll tell you.”

  It took me a moment to remember what he’d asked, and my cheeks filled with heat at the knowing look in his eyes. “No. I usually don’t see anyone until it’s almost time to eat. There’s only been a few times when someone’s popped in to see if they could grab something because they were going to miss a meal for one reason or another.”

  “Dessert?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Why am I not surprised,” he sighed, shaking his head. “It’s a damn good thing Joe’s gonna come next week.”

  “Joe?”

  He answered the question I’d asked earlier. “I was headed up to the big house to grab a new shirt because I ruined the one I was wearing.”

  “Ruined?” I scanned his chest, searching for any signs of injury.

  “I tore one of the sleeves early this morning, got caked in mud after lunch, and drenched in water about twenty minutes ago. Runnin’ a ranch is a dirty job, and I go through a lot more shirts than there are days of the week.”

  He made it sound like a regular thing. How was I supposed to concentrate on my job if Colton walked around without a shirt all the time? And why was I thinking about all the ways I could dirty up the clean one he was going to put on so he’d have to take it right back off again? I was pulled out of my fantasies when he explained who Joe was.

  “Joe used to work for me a few years back. He gave me a call the day after I hired you, lookin’ for work. He was good at his job, got along with everyone, and I was sorry he couldn’t stay on longer since he had family obligations he had to see to back then.”

  I smiled up at him. “Then I guess it really is a good thing Joe is coming back.”

  “I’m glad you think so ‘cause Joe was our cook.”

  “Your cook?” I jerked back, my smile completely wiped away. He didn’t let me get far, wrapping his hands around my upper arms and holding me in place with a firm but gentle grip. “But I’m the cook here now. Are you firing me?”

  “I’m not firing you, Alexandra. No way are you gettin’ away from me that easily.”

  I shook my head, not understanding at all. “Then why did you give my job away to someone else?”

  “Because Joe’s wife finally lost her battle to cancer, and he needs the job for more reasons than just the money it’ll pay him.”

  “Oh.” With the way Colton treated me, I suspected his tough exterior hid a soft spot inside. I was happy this proved it, but I was also worried about what his decision meant for me. Not just because I wasn’t sure where I’d go if I wasn’t working on the Circle B anymore, but because it’d mean leaving Colton if I had to go. “So you hired Joe back, but you aren’t firing me? How’s that going to work?”

  “I’d like you to handle my meals up at the big house.”

  “Instead of cooking for twenty people three times a day, you want me to cook for just one?”

  “It’ll be for two since there won’t be a need for you to eat down here if you aren’t cookin’ for the men, and most day it’d only be two meals since it’d be easier for me to just eat lunch with them.”

  That meant he planned to eat breakfast and dinner up at the big house. Just the two of us. I wanted that with a fierceness that surprised me, but it didn’t feel right taking him up on the offer since it was barely enough work to cover my room and board, let alone the salary Colton paid me. “It wouldn’t be fair for Joe to do all that work while I barely did anything.”

  His dark eyes lit with approval. “Joe served up some damn good food, but his bakin’ wasn’t much to write home about. You could still be in charge of desserts for my crew.”

  I loved to bake, so that wasn’t a hardship. “I like that idea, but the only way I’m going to agree to this is if you’ll let me help out more around the house. Since you go through so many shirts, maybe I can do the laundry or something.”

  “Laundry, yes. Cleanin’, no. I’ve got a service that comes in twice a week for that.”

  “But—”

  “You wouldn’t want to put anyone out of a job, would you?”

  I shook my head and sighed, “No, I wouldn’t want that.”

  “Does that mean we’ve got a deal?”

  “Yeah.” I nodded. “Once Joe gets here, I guess my job duties will change to only include cooking for you and me, making desserts for everyone, and doing your laundry.”

  “I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, but you drive a hard bargain.”

  He looked entirely too smug for that to be true, but I couldn’t bring myself to care if he’d gotten exactly what he wanted. Not when it meant I got to stay at the Circle B. With Colton.

  Chapter Six

  Colton

  Joe was a good enough cook that the men didn’t complain too much when he arrived the following week and took over the kitchen in the bunkhouse. And the steady stream of desserts Alexandra brought down each day for lunch and dinner sure didn’t hurt. Neither did the homemade biscuits or banana bread she surprised them with a couple of mornings. Things were running smoothly on the Circle B, and I couldn’t be happier about it.

  My mornings started with Alexandra serving me breakfast before she headed back to bed to catch some extra sleep. I came back home to the big house each night and ate whatever dinner she’d made with her sittin’ across the table from me. My laundry basket barely got halfway filled before she emptied it and cleaned all my clothes. And best of all, I’d been able to spend most of my nights getting to know Alexandra better.

  When she’d mentioned over dinner one day that she loved movies but hadn’t been able to see many of them over the past few years, I’d hoped she’d share why but she’d clammed right up once she’d realized what she’d said. I let that slide and focused on what’d make her happy instead. Firing up one of my streaming services, I’d let her pick a movie for us to watch and it’d become a nightly thing since then.

  I had a feeling she’d tried to take my tastes into consideration with her pick tonight, but it hadn’t held her attention and she’d fallen asleep about halfway through it. I should’ve moved when she slid sideways and settled with her head on my thigh, but it’d felt too damn good having her so close to give it up. By the time the movie ended, one of her hands was tucked under her chin and the other was wedged between my leg and the couch cushion. Her blonde curls were fanned out, and I couldn’t stop myself from gently sliding them through my fingers. She was just so fucking pretty. And sweet as fuck.

  I’d had my fair share of good luck over the years, but none of it compared to how fortunate I was to have had Alexandra land on my doorstep the way she had. I couldn’t think of anything I’d done in my life to deserve it, but I sure as fuck wasn’t going to let her go now that she was here. Only an idiot would allow that to happen, and one thing I’d never been was dumb.

  I proved how smart I was by turning on a baseball game once the movie was over. It was an easy excuse to stay right where I was, with Alexandra’s head on my lap. When the game ended, I slid out from under her and got up before lifting her off the couch and carrying her upstairs. I’d fully intended to place her on her bed and shut the door behind me, but I hadn’t planned on her arms wrapping around my neck as I neared her door. Or how her eyes filled with feminine interest when she blinked up at me. And then when she rasped out my name, I walked past her room and headed into mine instead.

  I kicked the door closed behind me and crashed my mouth down over Alexandra’s as I lowered her onto the mattress of my bed. I settled myself between her legs, and she cried out when my hard cock pressed against her. It every fucking ounce of my strength to rip my lips away from hers and peer down at her. Her crystal blue eyes were wide, but I was relieved to see they didn’t hold any fear. Only desire.

  “This isn’t my room,” she whispered.

  “It’s mine.”

  “How long was I asleep on the couch?”

  That wasn’t the question I was expecting her to ask. “A couple of hours.”

  She tilted her head to the side, and her blonde curls spilled across my pillows. “So not long enough for the entire world to change?”

  I bent low and brushed my lips against hers. “I don’t know about the rest of the world, but it was long enough for mine to change.”

  She wiggled beneath me, and I lifted up a little so I wasn’t crowding her too much. “And mine too apparently.”

  “Since you’re the reason for the change to mine, yeah.”

  She offered me a shy smile. “I am?”

  “Fuck yeah,” I rasped. “I’ve been going slow, givin’ you time to get used to being on the Circle B. Time to get to know me. To get comfortable here. But then you fell asleep with your head on my lap and looked up at me so trustingly while I was carryin’ you, and I couldn’t wait any longer. I’m not sayin’ it has to go any further than the kiss we just shared, but I want you in my bed tonight.”

  Her arms twined around my neck. “What if I already had all the time I need and I’m already comfortable here...with you?”

  “Are you sayin’ what I think you’re sayin’?”

  She pressed her soft body against mine. “Yeah.”

  Her agreement wiped out the control I’d been holding onto. My hands tunneled under her T-shirt to shove it up over her head and toss it on the floor. Her bra was the next thing to go, and my mouth watered at the sight of her perfect tits. They were round and full, with hard, pink little peaks at the tips. I couldn’t wait to get a taste, so I bent down and took one in my mouth, nibbling and swirling my tongue around her nipple while she moaned beneath me.

  As amazing as it was to have my mouth on her tits, it wasn’t enough of a taste for me. I needed more, and I needed it from her pussy. Sliding down her body, I unbuttoned her shorts and yanked them low, taking her virginal white cotton panties with them. With nothing left to keep me from her pussy, I used two fingers to open her lips wide and licked up her center. “Fuck,” I groaned. “You taste even better than I dreamed.”

  “You dreamed about me?” Her cheeks turned pink, and I was thrilled as fuck to be able to solve the mystery of how far down that blush went—all the way to the bottom of her perfect tits. “Like that?”

  “Abso-fucking-lutely like that, sweet girl.” I gave her another long lick. “I’ve fantasized about gettin’ my mouth on your pussy more times than I can count.”

  Her hips lifted off the mattress and her fingers fisted into my hair. She liked my admission a fuck of a lot. And I liked her reaction to it just as much. I began to devour her pussy like I wanted, licking and sucking all around it before plunging my tongue inside her tight hole. I kept at her until she was writhing beneath me, screaming my name. When I figured she couldn’t take much more of my sensual torture, I finally pinched her clit as I drove my tongue in and out of her pussy. Her entire body stiffened, her legs locking around my head, and she shuddered as her orgasm ripped through her. I licked her through her climax and shucked off my clothes when she melted against the mattress.

  Crawling over her body, I pressed my hands into the mattress on either side of her shoulders and stared down into her beautiful face. Her blue eyes were heavy-lidded, and the pink in her cheeks had turned deep red. “I didn’t think it was possible for you to get any more gorgeous, but seein’ you like this? You’re downright stunnin’.”

  I shifted lower and lifted a hand to reach between us and grip the base of my cock. I pumped the length once, from tip to root, and squeezed the base in an attempt to slow myself down because just having her taste in my mouth pushed me to the edge of my control. “I need to know, sweet girl. You want more or was that enough for now? There’s no pressure here. I’d die a happy man tonight with what we’ve already done.”

  “I want more, but—”

  She dropped her gaze as she paused, and I need the connection back. “C’mon, sweet girl. Don’t be shy with me. You can tell me anything.”

  Her blue eyes met mine again as she whispered, “It’s just that I’ve never done this before.”

  The possessive side of me that only came out with Alexandra wanted to roar in victory, but I wanted to make sure I understood exactly what she was trying to tell me. “Are you sayin’ you’re a virgin, Alexandra?”

  “Yes.”

  It was only one word, one tiny syllable, and it cemented my feelings for her. She was giving herself to me, which made her mine. And I wasn’t going to let her go. Not for anything or anyone.

  “Does that change things for you? Knowing I’m not experienced?”

  “Not in the way you’re thinkin’, sweet girl. It only makes me want you more, knowin’ I’m the only man who’ll ever know what it feels like to have your tight pussy wrapped around their cock.”

  “Oh.” Her plump lips rounded into a perfect circle, and I dropped my head to claim them in a deep kiss. While our tongues were tangled together, I lined up my cock with her pussy and began to inch my way inside. When I hit the proof of her innocence, I paused to warn her, “I’m sorry, sweet girl. But this is gonna hurt for little bit.”

  She gave me a jerky nod, and I thrust my hips forward, burying my cock all the way in her pussy. Her crystal blue eyes filled with tears, and I kissed them away as they spilled down her cheeks. When they stopped and she started to wriggle her hips a little, I slowly dragged my cock out of her wet heat and inched back in again to make sure she was ready for more. She flung her head back and dug her nails into my back, and it was the sign I needed to go a little bit deeper using more force behind my thrusts. It wasn’t long before she was screaming in ecstasy.

  “That’s right, Alexandra. Let me hear those cries. Show me you’re enjoyin’ this as much as I am.”

  Her legs tightened around my waist, and I slid my hand between us to pinch her clit when I felt my balls draw up against my body. I was ready to blow and couldn’t hold on much longer.

  “Colton!” she gasped, her pussy clamping hard around my cock and sending me right over the edge with her. I stayed deep inside her until we both caught our breath, and then I reluctantly pulled out and shifted on the mattress to pull her into my arms.

  She’d already been tired when I carried her upstairs, and I’d wrung two intense orgasms out of her body. As I sifted my fingers through her hair, it didn’t take long for her eyes to drift shut. I waited until she fell into a deep sleep before I slid out of bed. I went into the bathroom and grabbed a washcloth to use to clean her up. The sight of her blood mixed with our combined come had my cock hardening again when it should’ve had me running for the door. I probably should’ve felt bad about not talking to Alexandra about using a condom, but I was too happy pulling her body close to mine again to have any regrets.

 

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