AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Fuck yeah. That nice skin of yours will be a perfect canvas for me.”
I sipped the coffee after toweling off and then kissed him in thanks for it. “This is great. Just what I needed.”
“You’re welcome, Eli. Now, I’m gonna go load up some hay. Your breakfast is in your spot. Eat fast.”
“Yes, sir, boss.”
“Damn right,” he said, leaving the bathroom.
We got the cattle fed, the cow milked, the horses fed, and the stalls mucked, but before we left, we both needed showers. It was great to connect before the drive, and I slid the loofa over Noah’s body slowly, examining him like he’d done to me.
“You’re fine as fuck,” I whispered as I ran the thing over Noah’s chest.
“You’re kind.”
“Not really. I’m pretty much an asshole, so you know I’m being truthful.”
I was kissed for that and then I got a smack on the wet ass. “Let’s get going.”
“Okay, if we must leave this shower and you being naked, I guess I’ll do it.”
“Whiny brat.”
We dressed quickly and for the first time, I got to see Noah wearing something besides flannel or western shirts. I didn’t even know he owned a t-shirt, but there he was, wearing one, a plain dark green t-shirt.
It was just tight enough to show his muscles without being vulgar. “You look… amazing.”
“Get my hat,” he said as he pulled on his boots. “I rarely wear these, but I haven’t gotten around to laundry. I’ve been distracted for some fucking reason.”
“Yeah, blame me,” I said, laughing. I fetched his cowboy hat from the peg by the door and took it to him, and he was grabbing his wallet off the dresser.
“I figure we’ll make a couple stops, since we’re going to be in the city.”
“I have all the clothes I need,” I said, unwilling to buy more long johns or anything else.
“Not clothes, smartass. Something much more fun than clothes. I like you naked, anyway.”
“I don’t mind being naked for you, so glad we cleared that up.”
They left the ranch, and I jumped out to open and close the gate without thinking. I’d gotten used to things on that ranch, and the more I got used to it, the more I loved it.
I wasn’t lying to Noah. I loved him, but I also loved the ranch. The animals, the land itself, all of it felt more like home than I may have ever felt in my life, save for my grandmother’s home.
It felt good, but it scared me too. If I ever had to leave, either by choice or no choice, I’d be lost. I didn’t want to feel lost again. Noah found me, and I wanted to stay with him for the rest of my life.
That was a big realization for me. It had come on slowly, over the days and weeks, but that day, closing that gate behind the truck, seeing Noah’s smiling eyes in the rear-view mirror… it sunk in that I never wanted to leave.
I got back in the truck sullener than I’d left it, and Noah picked up on it immediately. “Why are you jumpy all of a sudden?”
I didn’t want to lie, but the truth was heavy. “I’m okay. I guess things are just hitting me.”
“What things?”
After putting the truck into park, he had his hand on the keys as he waited for me to tell him. I didn’t say a word, so he turned off the engine and turned to me as much as the seat would allow. “I asked you a damn question. I thought we were doing well, then bam!”
“It’s my brain, Noah. I start… my mind races. I told you that, and in a few seconds, while I was opening and closing the gate, I remembered the first time I came here. You told me that passengers open the gate, and now, it’s like… natural. I just do it. And I love it, and that made me think about you, and how I feel about you, then about the ranch, and everything on it. It was a fast thing, but it made me…”
“Jumpy. I know. I see it. Babe, do you realize you’re shaking?”
