Where It All Began (Phoenix Falls Series)
Where It All Began: Chapter 21

I woke up at 5am, pride burning through my abdomen as I watched Kitty sleep soundly through her alarm.

One minute. Two minutes. Three. I finally turned it off because it was starting to unscrew my neural wiring but then I scooped her into my arms, kissing my way down her cheeks so that I could wake her slowly.

Now all morning I’ve been smug as hell knowing that she was so spent after last night that a pneumatic drill couldn’t even wake her.

Loose limbed and smiling at me shyly she’s attempted to go about her crack of dawn chores the way that she usually would, but she’s so energy depleted that she can barely turn a tap open, so I’ve stayed right behind her awaiting her instructions. They mainly consist of her vaguely pointing to sacks of feed or hay bales that need ripping open, and me hauling whatever she wants right in front of her.

By the time that the animals are fed, cleaned, and let out to graze, she’s all sleepy again. I park it on top of one of the bales from last year’s harvest and pull her down onto my thigh so that she can curl up against my chest.

I stroke one palm down her hair and use the other to rub sun lotion onto her legs, trying to ignore the blindingly obvious chafe marks that are peeking out from beneath her shorts. Whatever storm that was supposed to happen last night never came, so the sun’s come out with a vengeance, at an insane ninety-plus Fahrenheit.

And it isn’t even 8am yet.

Once I’m done creaming up her exposed skin I wrap my hand around her jaw and tilt her chin up so that I can kiss her.

“I wanna give you something,” I murmur against her lips, breathing out a laugh when I see her glittering expression. “No, not that,” I add, although I definitely do want to give her that. “I meant this.”

I slip a hand into the front pocket of my jeans, pull out the item, and then press it firmly into the palm of her hand.

When she looks down at it she sucks in a little gasp.

“I can’t take this,” she says, immediately trying to give it back to me. I half crush her hand trying to stop her from wriggling it free.

“Yes you can. It’s not a big deal, I just want you to have it in time for your show.”

Her eyebrows pinch severely, fingers still straining to get loose.

“I can’t take your pick, Madden. You’ve had it since you were, like, nine.”

“Fifteen,” I say, amused. “And it’s yours now, so just take it. It’s been lucky for me so I want it to be lucky for you. I want you to win your Barn competition. Yes?” I ask. It’s not a big deal, but I’d feel good if she used it when she plays.

“If I take it what are you gonna use? You’ll be back on the road in – what? – two, three days?” she says, all sad and concerned.

I skirt my way around answering her question.

“It’s not important, baby. I can get another one real easy,” I say and then, not wanting any back-chatting, I help her prod the guitar pick into her shorts before pulling her forward and kissing her again.

She exhales prettily, reaching her arms around the back of my neck and opening up for me so that I can stroke her warm and gentle with my tongue.

When one of her hands slides downwards, fingers fumbling with my belt, a chuckle reverberates through my chest and I shake my head. Her body’s going to be way too sensitive right now so there’s no way that I can give her what she wants.

Do I feel slightly guilty for filling her up like I did last night, over and over again?

Yes.

But was that guilt enough to stop me from doing it to her again this morning, another three times?

Hm.

“No princess,” I laugh. “We’re just kissing.”

She palms at the front of my jeans, no clue of her own limits.

“I wanna do more than just kiss. Before Kaleb comes home,” she adds, and hell if that reminder doesn’t excite me like a motherfucker.

Uh, yeah I want another round of forbidden fucking before the guy who’s meant to be my best friend can catch on to what I’ve been doing with his little sister. The hot pool in my abs starts pulsing dangerously, keen to let the fire spread down low.

I turn my head away from her, jaw clenching as I try to steel my resolve.

“No, Kitty. Not right now,” I say, so worked up that my fingers are starting to rip the straw from the bundle beneath us.

She’s looking up at me, eyes all twinkly, so I’m refusing to meet her gaze. She’s a little demon and she knows it.

When I finally glance down at her she has a small smile on her lips.

I pull my other hand away from her, propping that one behind me too in order to prevent my temptation from mounting any further.

“You tryna get us caught, or something?” I ask, unable to stop my eyes raking her up and down. Jesus, she’s cute in the mornings. She’s wearing her usual black tank and black shorts combo but her cheeks are flushed pink and her hair’s a little static.

And her freaking boots…

“Maybe,” she whispers shyly, biting back a dimply grin.

My eyebrows skyrocket.

Maybe?!

My fingers bite into the hay at my back, every muscle in my body clenched so that I don’t do anything stupid. Like actually fuck her right here in broad daylight.

“I’ve never had a… a quickie,” she continues, face blushing even brighter than before.

I tilt my head back, groaning, and she leans up to kiss at my Adam’s apple. God help me. I scrape a hand down my face and then harness it back in the straw, wishing that I could stop the hardening that’s currently happening in my pants.

Instead I ask thickly, “What else have you never had before?”

Expecting her to take my question rhetorically I almost spurt on the spot when she presses her lips against my ear and whispers nervously, “I’ve never… I’ve never had cum in my mouth.”

My eyes shoot open, the blood in my head pounding loudly.

“You’ve never had…?” I can’t get the words out but it doesn’t matter because she doesn’t let me anyway. She lifts herself onto her knees and starts biting at my lips, chaste and sweet and never ending.

The fact that no man’s ever been lucky enough to do that with her, to go that far with her, the fact that that first is there for the taking… I move one of my arms between us so that I can lift her knees over my thighs, splaying her out so that she can straddle me like the sexy cowgirl that she is.

Who am I to deprive her of a morning rodeo?

Just as I go to run my hands down the cute dimples in her back, ready to get my palms all over the round globes of her ass, the sound of tires crunching gravel shoots onto the scene and suddenly she’s jumping right off of me, hands quickly smoothing over her hair as she whips around the side of the cabin to see who the hell’s just pulled up.

My chest is heaving and I’ve got so much whiplash that I can’t catch my breath. Frustrated and setting harder than concrete, I grind my fists back into the straw and dip my head low as I count to ten.

One, two…

“Hey Pumpkin!”

My head snaps up, immediately on high alert.

It’s not her brother.

It’s so much worse.

I tentatively stand up, wincing as I adjust my straining hard-on through my jeans, begging it to calm down. Then, following her tracks, I begin to make my way around to the front of the ranch.

I grip my hand in the back of my hair and sigh.

Kitty’s parents are back early.

*

Everything was fine until Kaleb got home.

Other than Kitty’s initial huff about them sending her brother down here to guard her in their absence – some job he’s been doing – the three of them were all smiles and sweet talk from the second that they dismounted their vehicle. Her mom gave me a curious once-over when she saw me leaning by the porch, arms folded, but after a friendly hello she got to taking her prized horses from their attached transportation cubby and leading them back to the stable.

Her dad on the other hand was more keen to get to know.

I helped him carry their luggage into the cabin and then, once their truck was all emptied, he stopped me in their kitchen with a scrutinising look on his face.

He jerked his chin at me to shut the front door, implying that our conversation was not for the ears of his wife or daughter.

Eyeing the pistol in his hand, I moved like a fucking army squadron.

“Any incidents?” he asked as soon as the door was closed.

Other than me bare-fucking your daughter? No incidents other than that, sir.

I swallowed, guilty as shit. His eye ticked like a time-bomb.

“No, sir,” I said, squaring my shoulders and folding my arms behind my back. Said a silent prayer that his upstairs corridor wouldn’t be reeking of sex right now.

“You sure?”

I tried not to bite at my lip-ring, fearing that drawing his attention to it might make him rip it right out of my face.

“Yes, sir.”

“And you’re the one who’s done that stuff to my barn?”

I winced, hoping that “that stuff” was a rare Hardy Hanson compliment.

“Yes, sir.”

He nodded slowly, eyeing me up and down whilst leaning against the counter and running his palm up his chin. We were both in desperate need of a shave. I couldn’t help but wonder if his woman liked the feel of it on her as much as mine did.

After a beat he sighed and then jerked his thumb at the back door.

“You did a fine job, kid. Now get outta here for a bit.”

He didn’t have to tell me twice.

I spent the rest of the morning checking the inventory pages in their admin folder, making notes of the items they were running low on, mainly just to keep out of everyone’s way whilst they had their reunion. Knowing that Kitty was probably en route to telling them about her upcoming Barn Bonanza I figured that doing any chores to alleviate her burden would be worth my while.

I chuck the folder back onto the shelf and step into the midday sunlight just as Kaleb puts the Chevy in park. He scopes his parents’ car and I watch his face blanch behind the front window. Good luck, pal.

When he dismounts the truck he runs over to me. I can’t deny, after my potential close shave with Papa Hanson this morning, I’m now cool as a cucumber.

“Bro,” Kaleb says, gesturing his hand to his parents’ truck.

I cringe. He really should not be calling me that after the night that I’ve just had with his sister.

“Hey man,” I say tensely, trying to prevent any further familial nicknames.

“My parents are back?”

We both glance over to their car. I don’t bother giving him an answer, seeing as it’s pretty fucking obvious.

“They’re gonna murder me,” he says.

I can’t argue with him on that.

Sensing his son like a bloodhound, Hardy strides out through the back door. He glances at me, most likely not wanting to air his dirty laundry in front of an outsider, and then, looking back at his son, Hardy points his arm to the side of the cabin.

“Get over here, kid,” Hardy orders.

Kaleb slunks forward, head bowed. He’s not much shorter than his dad, but Hardy’s presence is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Kaleb walks over to him like he’s about to get a military bollocking.

He’s right, and there’s no way that I should be watching this.

I walk over to the fence by the field that the cattle are in, trying to give them their privacy, but Hardy’s hushed scolding hangs in the thick July air.

“You call this taking care of her?” Hardy whispers, followed by another sound. Maybe a bucket being accidentally knocked over, or his patience snapping in two.

Kaleb mumbles something. Whatever he said, Hardy didn’t like it.

“What the hell does that mean? You were meant to be spending your time here, with Kit. I told you to keep my girl safe.”

Kaleb raises his voice and says, “She’s alive ain’t she?”

“That’s one smart mouth you’ve got there, kid. You a comedian now?”

I wince. I’m so uncomfortable right now that when Kitty’s aggressive little goat comes over and starts bashing into my legs again, I let it.

“You had one job, Kaleb, and it was only to last three weeks. Stay at the ranch, spend some time with your sister – have two people keeping an eye on things instead of having all of this on her shoulders. And you couldn’t do that? For your sister? What were you doing last night, huh? Go on, tell your old man.”

Dead air. I don’t blame him.

Hardy exhales. I can practically see him shaking his head in that kids these days type of way.

“That’s what I thought,” Hardy says quietly. “So whilst you were out on the town doing who knows what with who knows who, your sister was working here all alone with barely any protection. In fact, another man had to do your job for you because you were so preoccupied.”

He lowers his voice but I still catch every word.

“If that friend of yours hadn’t been here to keep an eye on things last night, to make sure that no-one and no-thing got to Kit, and if something bad had happened, you would’ve been kissin’ goodbye to this music career of yours and earning your keep like your father does. You’re an adult man Kaleb, but family should always come first.”

He sighs, his muted tone laced with disappointment.

“Kit can look after herself, I know, but I expected a little more consideration from the brother who hasn’t seen her in two years. You’re right, everything has been fine, but even so… I’m not impressed.”

I hear the sound of heavy shuffling and then, after a moment’s consideration, Hardy adds on, “And get that goddamned paddling pool out of my yard!”

I press my fist against my mouth, head spinning with everything that I just heard.

When I turn around I see that they’ve both gone back inside the cabin. Kaleb’s probably going to be on house arrest for the rest of the century.

I look out over the pastures as I think over Hardy’s words – his desire to keep Kitty safe and his opinions about his kids working off-ranch – and I wonder what repercussions it’ll have on Kitty when she finally admits to her dad that her brother’s career of being a full-time singer is exactly what she wants too.