Lincoln’s eyes trailed down my body, lingering on the spot between my legs before flicking back up. He leaned in, causing my breathing to hitch as I felt the rough stubble brush along my cheek. “Break up with that piece of shit you call a boyfriend, and I’ll tell you every sordid detail. Then, when you’re writhing underneath me, just like you are right now, I’ll make good on every word I said.”
Holy. Fucking. Shit.
My mind told me I should be repulsed, that I should push him away and scold him for speaking to me like he did, but my body… My body was another thing entirely. I ached for his touch, longed to feel the punishing bruise of his kiss. It was madness, and it was taking me under.
He pulled away, smirking because when I looked straight ahead, I was eye-level with his dick. His veryharddick. I could see the outline of it through his jeans, suddenly struck with just how long it’d been since I’d been with anyone.
And how it’d been Lincoln.
“Lincoln…”
My words died as I heard the click of shoes against concrete in the barn alley. It didn’t belong to anyone on the ranch. I knew the heavy thud of boots like I knew the sound of my own voice. Lincoln recognized it too, quickly stepping back just in time for Ellis to walk around the corner.
lincoln
. . .
I’d never hada nemesis before, but I think I did now. I hated Josie’s little boyfriend with every fiber of my being. It wasn’t just because she was his girl. That was too obvious. This was more about the fact that I’d been out here for just over a week and hadn’t seen him once.
If she was mine, and she should be, there wasn’t a force in the world that could’ve kept us apart.
I didn’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t the mousy little man in front of me. Ellis—what a stupid fucking name—was barely six feet with dirty blond hair. It’d been slicked back as though he was going to work. To top off his city boy prep look, he wore a pale pink polo shirt tucked into khaki slacks.
He didn’t fit in around here with the dirt and grease and blood. Even if I hadn’t shown up ready to sweep Josie off her feet, there was no way their relationship would last. That wasn’t me thinking highly of myself. It was a fact.
Ellis stood in the doorway with a bouquet of dying grocery store wildflowers and a smile. It promptly died as he saw the two of us so close. I’d tried to step away, using the second to fix mydick so it wasn’t painfully obvious I’d been moments away from breaking whatever moral code I had left and fucking Josie the way she deserved.
The way her pupils had dilated as I’d drawn in close was the stuff of fantasies. At that moment, Josie had wanted me just as much as I’d wanted her. It was undeniable, the energy between us cracking like a whip.
I’d be fucking my hand in the shower tonight at the mental image, watching my cum go to waste as it disappeared down the drain when it should’ve painted her skin.
“Ellis, what’re you doing here?” Josie asked, shifting in her seat.
“I wanted to surprise you,” he said, rattling the sad flowers in his hand. We all watched as a couple of petals drifted to the floor. “But I didn’t know you’d have company.”
I smiled, stepping forward and extending my hand. “Name’s Lincoln. Doug hired me for the summer to help him with the clinic.”
Ellis stared at it for a beat too long before he met me halfway, clamping down with what was supposed to be a firm shake. “Ah, nice to meet you. I’m Ellis.” And then the fucker went a step further, trying like hell to piss all over the room. “Josephine’s boyfriend.”
“Josephine, huh? How romantic,” I said, chuckling as Ellis dropped my hand. Who the fuck called their girlfriend by their full name?
Josie rounded the corner and took the flowers from Ellis. Her smile faltered as she studied the bouquet. “These are… lovely. Thank you.”
Ellis smiled at Josie. “You’re welcome. I saw them as I walked out of the store this morning and said to myself, ‘My girlfriend would love these.’”
Seriously, what did Josie see in this guy?
“What were y’all doing before I got here?”
“I was just swinging by to drop off my timesheet when I found Josie in here, hard at work,” I said. “Decided I’d stay and give her a bit of company.”
“Lincoln used to run a bar in his hometown, and I was asking him questions about financial statements,” Josie said, bracing her hands over the desk. “Dad and I called the auditors on Friday, and I have to hand everything in by the end of the week.”
Ellis shifted his gaze between us. “If you needed help, you should’ve asked me. I understand this better than anyone and know exactly what they want. Besides, should you really be telling our business to a stranger?” he asked, turning to me with a fake smile. I’m sure he’d perfected it over the years. “No offense, of course. We just don’t know you.”
I couldn’t help but notice the way he said ‘our’ business when talking about the ranch. Fighting the urge to roll my eyes and send this self-important douche packing, I leaned against the corner of the desk. One little jab couldn’t hurt, after all.
“Actually, Josiedoesknow me. Very well, in fact. We’re practically like this.” I crossed my middle and pointer fingers before showing them to him.
