Total pages in book: 33
Estimated words: 30892 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 154(@200wpm)___ 124(@250wpm)___ 103(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 30892 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 154(@200wpm)___ 124(@250wpm)___ 103(@300wpm)
I’ve never tried seducing someone. I’ve never wanted to, but knowing that Barrett wants me makes me feel powerful. I’m his to ruin, if only he would just claim me.
He reaches for the end of the lollipop stick, plucking it gently from my mouth, and I let him. The phallic shaped candy is slick with my saliva. He glares down at me, his chest heaving. He’s so big and broad that he’s blocking out the rest of his family. We’re alone together in this early morning bubble.
“I was enjoying that!” I protest. He seemed to be enjoying the show too.
“You can enjoy it all you want when there aren’t other men around,” he growls. What is it about that possessive note in his voice that just makes me want to fling myself into his arms?
“The only other men here are ones you’re related to.”
He grunts, looking almost pained. “Don’t care. I’m the only one that gets to watch you hollow those little cheeks.”
I fake a pout, surprised to see even more heat spark in his gaze. “Then take me somewhere private.”
“That’s exactly what I should do. I should take you somewhere private and put you over my knee. Might teach you a thing or two about what happens when you tease your man.”
A shiver works its way down my spine, but it’s not fear. It’s anticipation. He’s so close to the edge. If I can just push him a little more, his self-control will break. “You’re not my man.”
He tosses the lollipop in a nearby trash can. “Fight it all you want. Defy me at every turn, but I already told you: you’re mine.”
What is it about this man? How does he always manage to say things in that gritty tone that go straight to my clit? “You’re pretty damn confident.”
He lets his gaze sweep down my body, caressing me with just that look. “I’m a cowboy who knows what he wants, sweetheart.”
Before I can respond, Greer calls Barrett’s name, interrupting our precious bubble and reminding me of where I am.
“You can put her back here if you’d like,” Ginger gestures for me to follow her to the small, fenced garden.
“Thanks. She can be a troublemaker,” I tell Barrett’s sister as I carry Coco. We’ve just finished breakfast, and everyone is cleaning up. Pretty soon, they’ll start the framing work.
“She’s a cutie.” One hand rests casually on her bump as she surveys her garden.
Linda called me last night and invited me to help out. She claimed that they needed another body to help with the work. But judging by the number of hot, virile cowboys currently roaming this mountain, I think she just wanted donuts for breakfast.
“Thanks for having me today. It’s been…a while since I’ve had anybody,” I tell her around the lump in my throat. The gentle teasing and soft laughter as everyone works together is making me wish I had a family even more.
She gives me a soft smile. “Courage County is where you find home.”
After we’ve settled Coco in the garden where she can happily chase small lizards and flitting butterflies, we move to the back of the cabin.
Ginger settles in a lawn chair at Grizz’s scowling insistence, giving her husband an indulgent smile. He kisses her on top of her head. I have to look away from the sweet moment between them when he places a hand on her belly and asks how his son is doing.
Barrett and his brother, Greer, are standing at the folding table, pointing to a large piece of butcher paper that someone has hurriedly sketched schematics on.
Evie, one of my book club friends, is next to Greer. She’s his live-in girlfriend. She’s pressed up against him, and he has his hand resting on the small of her back. All of the Maple men are possessive cowboys.
I join Barrett at the table, squishing right against him. Standing next to him like this makes me feel small and protected at the same time. He keeps talking, but I don’t miss the slight flare of his nostrils.
Sometimes Greer asks a clarifying question, but it’s obvious that Barrett is the one in charge of this project. He’s issuing all the commands and telling Greer what everyone should be doing.
It’s making me squirmy to see him so bossy. I want to push him to the brink. I want to watch one night as he loses his control while he’s deep inside of me, panting above me, whispering filthy things into my ear.
So slowly that he doesn’t notice, I slip my hand beneath his red t-shirt. I hesitate for only a second before I place my hand on the bare skin of his back. He’s warm and tight here, his muscles instantly tensing under my touch.
He grips the table tightly and issues his final command to his brother, “Anything else you need, come find me.”