AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I open my mouth to reply, but no sound comes out. It takes me a while to find the words. “I…I guess I don’t really know. I’ve always been so devoted to the ranch. I guess I just let everything else slide.”
“You mean like friends? And girlfriends?” she asks. Her cheeks pinken slightly, but she doesn’t look away as she waits for my answer. “Sorry if that’s too personal.”
“No, it’s fine. But I’m forty and I’ve been single my whole life, so that should tell you everything you need to know.”
Avery nods slowly, like she’s seriously considering my words. “So you never planned on…you know…getting married or having kids or any of that?”
My answer to that question has always been a simple no. I’ve never wanted a partner—I’ve always considered myself married to the ranch. My work has always come first, and nothing else has ever registered as important, other than my family. But as Avery’s eyes stare into mine, my head fills with crazy fantasies. Avery and I living in the farmhouse together, a couple, a family. Waking up beside her warm, curvy body every morning. Getting to hold her close and kiss those sweet lips. Making her smile, making her laugh, making her come…
Fuck, man, snap out of it.
“I never thought I would,” I say eventually, trying to fight down the erection stirring in my jeans. “But who knows? Life’s full of surprises.”
Avery nods like she’s satisfied with my response. “It sure is.” She sighs happily, looking out across the rolling pastures until her eyes reach the jagged peaks of the surrounding mountains. “My God, this place is beautiful.”
An idea strikes me at her words, and I push away from the fence, beckoning her to follow me. “Let me show you something.”
Intrigued, Avery follows me as I trek across the fields toward the river that cuts through the boundary of the ranch. The water sparkles like ground diamonds in the afternoon sun, shimmering as I lead Avery toward the grassy river bank.
“Oh!” she gasps with a grin of delight. “It’s so pretty.”
It’s the most beautiful part of the river. Trees with fiery orange leaves hang over the water, which is clear blue and swarming with fish. Across the river are a series of stepping stones leading to the opposite bank, where a deer is springing away gracefully into a distant thicket of trees.
“This was my favorite part of the ranch when I was a kid,” I tell her, watching as she takes it all in. “Still is. I used to spend hours out here.”
“I can see why. This place is gorgeous. Thank you for bringing me here.” She beams at me. “And that thank you is totally justified!”
“I’ll allow it,” I say with a smirk.
Avery eyes the stepping stones. “Can we go over them?”
“Only if you promise not to fall in.”
She chuckles. “I promise.”
We head to the edge of the bank, right by the first stone. “I’ll go first so you can watch where I put my feet,” I tell her.
I’ve crossed these stones so many times that I could do it blindfolded, but I go slowly so that Avery has time to follow behind me. The river flows slowly beneath us, the water lapping gently against the rocks, and when I reach the other side, I immediately turn around to watch Avery’s progress.
“Careful on that last one,” I say as she sets her foot on the final stone, but just as the words leave my mouth, Avery stumbles forward with a squeak of alarm. She flies straight into my arms, and I pull her to safety until we’re both standing on the opposite side of the river.
“Thank you,” she says breathlessly, still held tight in my embrace.
“No problem.” My voice sounds hoarse, but I can’t help it. She’s so close to me. Her chest is pressed against mine, and her angelic face is looking straight up at me, her eyes twinkling. My cock strains against my boxers as the air between us thickens with tension.
Fuck, I want this girl so badly. More than I’ve ever wanted anything.
“Hunter…” she says quietly.
“Yes, Avery?”
“You know what I said before?” Her voice is barely a whisper above the sound of the flowing water. “About going after what I want?”
I nod, my throat dry. “Yes.”
“Well, there is something I want. Something I want very badly.”
Her voice stutters, like she’s forcing out the words, pushing past her nerves.
