Caleb
Despite being up late, Rae and I were both up early, cleaning the barn. Jenny had to work a few extra hours this week at the office, so since I was home, I told her I would do what needed to be done.
I couldn’t help but watch Rae from across the barn while she was sweeping up old hay. Doing daily tasks with her made the normal things more fun. When she looked in my direction, I smiled at her and tipped my hat. “Just admiring the scenery.”
Rae blushed and giggled “You're not so bad to look at either.”
Duke was lying in the sunshine at the edge of the barn, and he let out a huge sigh. It seemed almost too perfectly timed, like he was tired of our flirting, so it made Rae and me laugh.
I grabbed my water bottle and took a long drink of water. Rae watched me for a moment while finishing sweeping, her eyes not leaving me as I moved throughout the barn. I needed to stack the hay bales before it got too hot, so I decided now was probably the best time. Plus, if I wanted to flirt with Rae some more, I should probably get this done first, so I wouldn’t have to take a break later.
When I was out of sight, I heard her start talking to one of the horses while sweeping. I loved listening to her talk to them, like they were her best friends. Several minutes passed by, and I had finished moving around the stacks of hay. It was really hot, so I took my shirt off and walked to get my water bottle. I heard Rae sweeping in one of the last stalls, the last two horses still in the middle of the barn. She was humming a song, and the sound made me smile. I began walking toward where she was working. When I got just outside the stall door, the humming and sweeping sounds stopped. I leaned against the door frame as she turned to look at me, a wild look behind her stunning green eyes.
“You know, I've been watching you all afternoon, but now that I'm this close, I don't know if I'll be able to keep my hands to myself,” I said as I gave her a small smile.
“What ever could you mean, Ranger?” she teased, her voice probably a little breathier than she meant it to be.
I didn’t answer with words, but instead I stepped into the stall slowly, pulling the door closed behind me. Rae bit her lip as she smiled and looked down at her feet. I didn’t move yet, but just took in the sight of her. Her hair was slightly tussled after working around the barn, and there was a bit of hay sticking out of the bun. It had been cooler today than the last few days, so we sat outside, and small traces of the dirt from the ground were still on her jeans.
I’d seen Rae in pretty much every setting now—dressed up with makeup on, just waking up, standing in the rain soaking wet, even with nothing on, as she let her guard down and trusted me. Every single moment, she always looked beautiful, but there was something about this look that did me in. She was effortlessly beautiful, and she wasn’t even trying to be.
“I mean,” I said, stepping closer until she had to look up at me, “that watching you all flirty and gorgeous all morning...it’s been driving me crazy.” Somehow, even after working most of the day, she still smelled like peaches and flowers.
Rae stepped back until her back met the wooden wall behind her, her breath catching as I moved in. She looked at my chest and then down towards my boots before giving me a small, flirty smile. I returned the smile with a wink. “And what are you gonna do about it?” she asked, trying to sound sassy, but a tremble in her voice betrayed her.
I smirked, one hand bracing the wall beside her head while the other trailed gently down her arm. “Depends,” I murmured. “You gonna tell me to stop?”
She shook her head slowly, eyes locked on mine. “No.”
That was all I needed.
I cupped her cheek, brushing my thumb along her skin, then leaned down and kissed her, slow at first, deepening after just a moment. The kiss turned hungry fast, all heat and years of tension crashing into that one breath.
My hands found her waist. I started to pull back when she stilled, but her hand came up, fingers wrapping around my wrist, keeping me there. “What are you thinking, baby?” I asked softly.
She took a slow, steady breath. “I’m reminding myself that I’m not broken. You’re a safe place. My safe place.”
Something in my chest tightened. I smiled, brushing my thumb along her jaw. “Always and forever, baby.”
“Sorry, I’m still...”
I stopped her with a gentle kiss, barely a whisper of one. “Don’t apologize for anything. Just let me love you.”
She guided my hand beneath her shirt, letting me feel her skin. The warmth of her made my pulse stumble. “Just not...”
“Don’t worry, baby.” My voice came out rougher than I meant it to. “You lead the way, I’ll follow.”
That was all she needed. She kissed me again, deeper this time, her nails lightly digging into my skin. She gasped softly against my mouth, her body arching instinctively into mine.
“You always smell like peaches,” I murmured against her throat, “but right now you also smell like hay, and it shouldn’t drive me as wild as it does.”
Her hands slid across my chest, fingers tracing along the edge of my muscles. “You’re one to talk,” she said, breathless. “You walk around here all shirtless and sweaty like it’s not a problem.”
I laughed quietly, the sound low against her skin. “Guess I’ll have to start wearing a shirt then.”
She laughed, then wrapped her arms around my shoulders, pulling me closer until there wasn’t an inch of space left between us. “Don’t you even think about it.”
Our lips met again, messier this time, more desperate, and when my hand slid under her shirt again, she didn’t stop me. She trusted me, and being trusted by her was an honor I didn’t take lightly. I moved slowly, tracing her skin like I was learning her all over again, every inch of her soft and warm beneath my hand. She reached down and lifted her shirt over her head, tossing it aside, then reached behind her to unhook her bra. When it came loose, I just stared at her face first, then all of her.
