Shared By the Cowboys by Cassie Cole

26

Blake

God fucking damnit.

I had the animal in my grasp. A few tugs and it would’ve been over by the bank, safe and sound.

But cows were stupid as goddamn fuck. It acted like I was there to murder it rather than save it from a watery death. It screamed bloody murder in my ears, kicking furiously, eyes bloodshot with terror as it raked its hooves over me and pushed me under the water.

Stop it, I wanted to scream at the poor, stupid thing. You’re going to kill both of us.

The animal’s cries abruptly cut off as my head was dunked.

The water was black. I couldn’t see shit. The only thing I was aware of was the heavy-as-fuck animal on my back, trying to use me as a human stepping stool while the current carried us further downstream. I reached above me, pushing and guiding, trying to get it onto dry land so it wouldn’t need me anymore, but it resisted and kicked at the water even more. One particularly vicious kick sent fire up my arm, contrasting hotly against the cold-as-fuck water.

I knew I had to stay calm. Panicking was how you died, as this baby cow asshole was about to learn. But my feet dragged against a rock, knocking me sideways in the water. A hoof glanced off the back of my head, and another blow struck my shoulder like a punch.

My lungs were heaving now, desperate for air. I resisted the pain and scrambled to get my balance, reaching above me and pushing the calf toward where I thought the shore was. If it could just get a hoof into the dirt its instincts could take over…

Suddenly the weight of the animal relented. The darkness above me was suddenly brighter, and I kicked my feet and raised my head toward the shimmering heaven of air.

I gasped as my head broke the surface. The calf was gone. I cursed and spun in the water, searching for it as I was swept downstream, hoping it hadn’t drifted back toward the middle of the river…

There. It was on the riverbank behind me, being pulled ashore by a very wet Rebecca. She heaved, and the animal’s hooves got purchase and it was out of the water.

Knowing the calf was safe, I swam to the edge of the river and pulled myself onto the bank. I rolled over and sank my head into the mud, not caring because the only thing that mattered was the open sky above me.

Seconds later, the herd wandered past me. The calf that had been seconds from drowning now walked alongside its momma like nothing was wrong.

“Asshole,” I muttered.

Rebecca fell to her knees next to me. Her clothes clung wetly to her body, and rivulets of water ran down her face. “Blake! Are you okay?”

She jumped in the water. Of-fucking-course she did.

I closed my eyes and panted, “I told you. Not to. Get in. The water.”

“Look at your shirt. Oh wow…”

I leaned forward to look, even though I knew what I would see. My shirt had been torn to shreds. Underneath, my chest was covered in long scratches from the animal’s hooves, thick and red. The skin was broken open in a few places where it had cut especially deep.

“I’m fine.”

Her fingers touched my chest with familiarity. “We’ve got to get you cleaned up.”

“I said I’m fine.”

She gathered my shirt and hat, then stared down at me expectantly. “Get on your horse. We’re going back.”

Something in her tone told me I’d better listen. Plus, the scratches on my chest were starting to sting. I mounted up and followed her back to the ranch. We passed the herd on the way, happy and calm now that the calf was safe.

Nobody had to die today, I thought with relief. Man or animal.

I was shivering by the time we got home. I immediately went upstairs and took a hot shower, positioning myself so that the water never touched the wounds on my chest. I put on a fresh pair of boxer-briefs, then grabbed the medical kit out of the bathroom. I winced at the sight in the mirror. The cuts on my chest were deep red and trickling blood now. It looked like I had been mauled by a tiger.

Rebecca barged into the bathroom. “Excuse me?” I demanded.

She flipped open the med kit and grabbed a bottle of alcohol. “I’m cleaning you up.”

“Don’t need your help,” I said.

“Do you ever stop fighting everyone?” she snapped. “You’ve been an asshole since I got here. I’m not your enemy. I’m just trying to help you. Now sit the hell down so I can clean you up.”

Goddamn, I thought as I closed the toilet lid and sat down. She has more of an attitude than I thought.

She soaked a cotton swab with alcohol. “This is going to sting.”

“I know how it works.”

She rolled her eyes and pressed the cotton against my skin. I clenched my teeth and tried not to give any sign that it felt like my chest was on fire.

I relaxed as she slowly cleaned my cuts and scrapes. She had changed into dry clothes. A loose-fitting T-shirt and sweatpants. Her face was bent low while she worked, plump lips pressed together in concentration and her breath tickling against my chest.

For a few minutes I forgot all about how much I wanted to hate this girl. How she was new, had barged into our lives and was trying to replace Penny. It wasn’t her fault, but I didn’t give a shit about that. All I had been able to think about for the last week was how wrong it felt to have her here.

But now, with my barriers down, I realized just how nice it was to be taken care of. A woman’s tender touch after a run-in with death. She was the first woman to touch me in two years. The first one I had allowed to get this close.

Maybe I’ve been wrong all this time, I thought.

I closed my eyes as Rebecca began cleaning one of the deeper cuts. The last two years had been so long. I didn’t think I would ever be ready to move on from Penny. But every day Rebecca was here, I felt myself giving in a little bit more…

I opened my eyes and glanced behind Rebecca. She was bent over me, giving me a perfect view of her ass in the mirror. Round and squeezable underneath the grey cotton. I lowered my eyes. Her T-shirt hung loosely on her frame, allowing me to see down the front. I drank in the sight of her tits, with the barest peek of the hard nipples. I imagined what it would feel like to wrap my fingers around them, then enveloping them in my mouth…

“I don’t think you’ll need stitches.” Rebecca rose and tossed the last cotton ball in the trash. “Probably need to bandage up the deepest cut, though. You’re not going to fight me on that, are you?”

“No,” I replied. “Bandages are good.”

She nodded approvingly and turned back to the med kit on the bathroom counter. My eyes swung down to her ass while she rummaged around, then darted back up to her face when she faced me again.

“Sorry,” I made myself say.

Rebecca frowned. “For what?”

“You know. For how I’ve been to you.”

“You mean for being an asshole since I got here?” She went to her knees between my legs and removed the plastic wrapping from a bandage. My cock twitched in my boxer-briefs, but she didn’t seem to notice.

“Something like that.”

She paused to gaze up at me. “I get it.”

I gave a start. “You do?”

“Can’t imagine what it’s like losing someone. Then I come along and your brothers are…” She trailed off. “Like I said, I get it.”

She was close enough that I could feel her body heat through my boxer-briefs. An intrusive thought wriggled its way into my head: Rebecca sliding my underwear off, grasping my thickness in her hand, and then taking me in her mouth. Wrapping her lips around me tightly and sucking like there was no tomorrow.

The image was causing me to rapidly harden, so I pushed it out of my head and gritted out, “I can try. To be nicer.”

Her eyes flicked up to me, gazing at me through her long eyelashes, before returning to the next bandage. “I hope so. I think you would really like me, if you gave me a chance.”

“You think so?”

“Of course. I’m positively delightful.”

My heart throbbed against my chest while I tried not to focus on the beautiful woman kneeling between my fucking thighs. I wasn’t used to feeling this way about someone. I had been fighting thoughts like this for two goddamn years. It was confusing, and frustrating, and made me want to brush her aside and rush out of the fucking room.

I’m sick of fighting it, I thought as she tenderly taped the last bandage onto my chest. I’m so fucking exhausted. I want to give in.

She smiled up at me, fingers lingering on my chest. “All done. I promise not to touch you anymore.”

Fuck it, I thought. I’m done holding back.

I grabbed Rebecca’s arm and surrendered to temptation.