Rough Ride by Piper Stone
Chapter 13
Madisen
Wake up, sleepyhead.
“No,” I murmured, the words swimming around in my head.
Rugged.
Sexy.
Dominating.
My entire body ached as I swam up from dreamland, fighting to keep from opening my eyes. The sensations rocketing through my body were far too incredible to leave the moment. Yet there was a pull to fully awaken.
As I turned over, nuzzling against the pillows, I tried to open my eyes, but I was entirely too comfortable, my mind still fuzzy. I felt a slight chill and pulled the covers over my shoulders. Yawning, I stretched, finally able to open my eyes. Light spilled in from the open blinds, bright enough I was forced to blink several times. As my vision cleared, I remembered details from the night before.
Jake.
I swept my arm across the second pillow.
When I realized he was no longer in bed, I sat up, glancing around the room. He’d left me. Really? I thumped back onto the sheet when something caught my eye. He’d left his watch on the nightstand. He was still here. Smiling, I bit my lip, rolling back and forth like some stupid giddy schoolgirl. Then I smelled something.
What the hell was that?
Bacon? And the rich scent of coffee. That wasn’t possible.
I sat up again, almost giddy from seeing his shirt still where he’d tossed it on the floor. After getting out of bed, I thought about dressing then grabbed the edge of the shirt collar. What the heck? I didn’t have any appointments this morning after all. As I slid my arms through the soft material, the scent of the man I’d spent the night with filtered into every cell in my body. Lightheaded, I rubbed my hand down the front, imagining his buff body and thick cock. I was such a bad girl. After buttoning, I moved in front of the mirror, groaning from the way my hair looked.
What was the expression? Rode hard and put away wet? Maybe I didn’t look that bad, especially in a crisp white shirt that fit more like a dress. Should I wear panties? I stole another look at the girl in the mirror, shaking my head. “You’re one bad woman.” The decision was made.
No panties.
After brushing both my teeth and my hair, I unfastened one of the buttons then a second. Why not try to look as sexy as possible? When I sauntered into the kitchen, I didn’t think I could have been anymore shocked than I was. The man was cooking breakfast. What? He’d even set the table.
I must have entered an alternate world in my sleep. I remained quiet, even trying not to breathe too loudly as I watched him work. Shirtless and in his bare feet, he reminded me of the perfect chiseled man. I inched closer, leaning against the counter. “I thought you couldn’t cook, cowboy.”
He cocked his head, giving me the kind of look that could ignite a rocket. “Breakfast is my specialty. Don’t ask for anything else. I hope you’re hungry.”
“Famished. Just like you always are.”
A growl rumbled from his chest, his dimples even more accentuated this morning. “Not always just for food.”
The cowboy had a way of making me blush.
“Did you sleep at all?” I asked, noticing his smile faded almost immediately.
“Some.”
“You’re tense.”
“And you worry too much. Have some coffee.”
“Why, yes, sir.”
Chuckling, he returned to scrambling eggs. It was far too nice having him inside my house, acting as if he was supposed to be here. I had to remind myself that the exhilaration I was feeling was fleeting.
A few seconds later, I moved toward the cabinet, pulling out a second mug. After filling it with coffee, I shifted toward the window. The sun was already higher in the sky than it normally was when I got out of bed in the morning. He’d allowed me to sleep in. Given the clear sky, I was able to catch a slight glimpse of one of the rigs, shuddering after doing so. My stomach was already churning at the thought of what else might happen.
“You’re the tense one,” he suddenly said from behind me.
“Aren’t you?”
“I don’t get tense. I just get even.” He pulled hair away from my shoulders, rubbing his fingers down my arms. “There’s nothing to worry about. We will figure out what is going on. You just have to trust me.”
“How? We know the people responsible but there’s no proof. Even if we had it, I doubt the local yokel sheriff is going to go against not one but two powerful families. You don’t know enough about the people around here. They are very loyal, and they hate strangers. You are just some wild cowboy who threatened one of the big boys. I assure you that you won’t be welcome in a huge number of places. Not that you stopped to think about that.”
Jake chuckled under his breath as he turned me around. “Did anyone ever tell you that sometimes you need to be quiet?”
I opened my mouth to retort then snarled at him, the tingling in my legs increasing.
He rolled his eyes, lifting me off the floor with ease.
“What are you doing? Put me down.”
“How quickly we forget the rules.” After planting me on the edge of the kitchen island, he placed his hands on either side of my hips, leaning in. “Look. I may be some outsider to folks around here, but I’m not the kind of man who can be intimidated. Not by fire. Not by threats. And certainly not by assholes who sit on barstools leering at my woman then attempting to put the fear of God into us. You should have figured that out by now. As far as evidence of what the two bastards have, there is more than one way to skin a cat.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“It means that if Rutherford is as smart as you’ve tried to force me to believe, he gathered some of that evidence we need. He also might have something over their heads. Did you ever think about that?”
I realized it hadn’t even dawned on me. “Do you really think that’s possible?”
“That’s what my gut tells me. Now, we’re going to enjoy breakfast. Then we’re going to develop a plan and that includes you telling me everything you know about the business. Does that work?”
“Okay. I can do that.”
“You can and you will, but first things first,” he said as he narrowed his eyes, his breathing becoming more labored.
“What do you have in mind, cowboy?”
“A little appetizer.” He yanked me to the edge of the island, exposing a good portion of my already wet pussy.
“I’m your woman, huh?”
“Every inch of that delicious body of yours.” He took his time unfastening the shirt, his wry smile remaining.
I could barely catch my breath, my body still aching from the rough round of passion the night before. But as he peeled away the material, exposing my breasts, our combined scent of desire became overpowering. He had a way of disarming me, refusing to allow me to slide back into my protective box.
When he cupped my breasts, rubbing his thumbs back and forth over my bruised nipples, I let out an intense moan. He was far too sexy with his tousled hair and two-day stubble. I brushed my fingers across his cheek and jaw, trailing them down to his chest. He was gorgeous in every way, conditioned to perfection, but what impressed me on this stunning morning was his ability to step away from the rugged persona. He was just a man hungry to taste a woman and nothing more.
Well, while also remaining my protector.
He darted a glance into my eyes before pinching my hardened buds with enough force I threw my head back and whimpered.
“Jesus. You don’t know… what you do… to me.”
“Mmmm… I think I do.” Every guttural sound he made was ripe with unabashed hunger. Leaning over, he engulfed one of my nipples, exaggerating the sucking sounds. He continued to pinch and twist my other bud and within seconds, my pussy was clenching and releasing.
Stars floated in front of my eyes. This was naughty and wicked, deliciously sinful. When he brushed his lips to my other breast, I opened my legs even wider. I’d never been this way, giving all of myself to a man. As he pulled the tender tissue between his teeth, biting down, the combination of pain and pleasure was almost too intense. I could no longer think clearly and honestly didn’t care about anything but right here, right now.
However, I could still smell the bacon, heard the sizzle of eggs likely starting to burn in the pan.
“Don’t you need to turn off the heat?” I managed, uncertain whether or not the eggs were even edible.
Hissing, he shifted his attention to the stove, cursing under his breath. “Stay right here and I do mean right here.”
“I don’t plan on going anywhere.” But as soon as he walked to the counter, I slid off the island, allowing the shirt to fall then moving quietly in his direction. When he turned around, I slowly dropped to my knees.
“You don’t know how to obey at all. Do you?”
“No, I don’t. I guess you’re going to need to teach me.” I eased my hands along the insides of his legs, sliding my fingers across his jeans-covered cock not once but twice before moving to unfasten the button. “But you aren’t wearing your belt, so I guess that option isn’t going to happen.”
His chuckle was dark and dangerous just like the man, but he folded his arms, staring down at me with increasing hunger in his eyes.
I pressed my face against his crotch, inhaling as I rubbed my hand between his legs. His breathing became more labored, his chest rising and falling.
“Such a tease,” he huffed.
“I thought you knew that about me.” Purring, I finally unzipped his jeans, taking my time to push the dense material to the sides. As I glanced into his eyes, I could tell he was losing not only patience but control. I continued taunting him, barely tugging his jeans down his chiseled hips.
“I might have to tie you to the bed naked.”
“I’ll just get loose.”
“I don’t think so, sugar. You should have learned that by now.”
“You don’t know me very well,” I whispered.
As soon as I freed his cock and balls, he issued a savage snarl. I rolled his testicles between my fingers as I blew across his cockhead. He closed his eyes, slapping his hands against the edge of the counter.
I rolled my tongue around the tip several times before dragging it along the sensitive slit. He was hard as a rock, throbbing in my hand, his balls already swelling. As I licked along the underside, I wrapped one hand around the base of his shaft, twisting my fingers back and forth. His body jerked several times, his legs shaking. I licked up and down several times then took a testicle into my mouth. The taste was musky yet sweet, his scent rolling into every cell in my body.
“God. So good,” he muttered.
Mewing, I shifted to his other testicle, using my strong jaw muscles to suck with fervor.
After a few seconds, he fisted my hair, lowering his head and shaking it several times. “Suck me, little brat. I need to feel your hot lips wrapped around my thick cock.”
His deep baritone washed over me like the softest blanket, my entire body tingling from the sound alone. I continued squeezing his balls as I did as he commanded, sucking on just a few inches of his massive shaft. He was larger than any man I’d ever been with. No wonder my pussy ached.
“That’s it, baby girl. Take all of me. Every inch.”
I took my time, relaxing my throat as I sucked, sliding my tongue back and forth. While he only held me in place, I could feel his urgency increasing by the way his chest heaved. I adored the way his entire face was pinched from frustration. His eyes were closed, his mouth twisted. When I took him down another two inches, his patience stopped cold.
He pushed my head, forcing me to take the rest. His cock filled my mouth, my jaw instantly aching.
“That’s it. That’s perfect.”
The taste of his pre-cum was incredible, sweet yet salty, the way it trickled down the back of my throat a reminder of things to come. I wanted to suck him dry, to take every drop of his cream, cleaning his cock and balls afterwards. My heart raced as I resisted my gag reflexes, my eyes watering as I clung to his legs, massaging his muscular thighs.
After a few seconds, he lightened his hold, still tangling his fingers in my hair. When he rolled onto the balls of his feet, thrusting his hips forward, I realized he was going to take absolute control.
I was right. He cupped the side of my face as he powered into me, plunging hard and fast, the tip of his cock hitting the back of my throat with every plunge. My eyes watered as I tried to breathe, clinging to him as he face-fucked me.
When I thought for certain he was going to erupt in my mouth, as usual he surprised me, sliding his arms under mine and lifting me into the air. I swept my arms around his neck, my legs around his hips, biting back a series of laughs as he carefully walked toward the kitchen table, yanking out one of the chairs.
Jake wasted no time sitting down, forcing me to straddle him. “Ride me, little filly. Become my wild horse and take what you want.”
I bucked against him twice before issuing a sly smile. “Are you certain you can handle me, cowboy?”
“Tsk tsk, bad girl. I think you know better. However, maybe I’ll give you a few reminders throughout the day.” He gripped my hip with one hand, the back of my neck with the other. As I rocked against him, he pulled my head toward him. “Having you for breakfast is the best way to start the morning.”
“I agree.” I pressed my lips against his, able to taste a hint of bacon. The kiss was gentler than the night before, our tongues swirling together. He was more romantic than I would have imagined, caressing the back of my neck as the moment of intimacy continued.
I squeezed my thighs against him, rocking more aggressively. His cock was swelling inside of me, throbbing against my muscle walls. The angle was perfect and within seconds, I could feel a climax racing around the corner. I wanted this to last but there was no way to slow down, my body begging for release.
A few seconds later, I pushed against him, breaking the kiss, doing everything I could to control my breathing as well as my actions. As the orgasm shifted up from my toes, I closed my eyes, unable to stop the moans from rushing up from my throat.
“That’s it. Come for me. Come on my cock.”
His command only fueled the already burning fire, pushing me into letting go completely. I bucked hard against him, becoming a wild stallion. I heard the sound of the chair creaking from my crazed actions, but I didn’t care. The climax was just as intense as the night before, pushing me into a heightened state of nirvana.
“Oh. Oh. Oh!”
His grip on my hip tightened, the growls he let out husky and guttural. “Come on, baby. Take all you want.”
A single climax wasn’t going to be enough for my aching body. As another swept into my system, I could feel my blood cells erupting, every muscle in my body tensing. I could ride him for hours at a time. When the powerful vibrations started to slow down, I lolled my head, gasping for a full deep breath. His dark chuckles filtered into my ears, echoing almost as much as my heart.
“Are you ready for me to fill you with my seed?”
I dragged my tongue across my parched lips, blinking in order to be able to focus on his handsome face. “Uh-huh.”
He captured my mouth again, holding me in place as he used his massive thigh muscles to pump into me, driving deep inside.
We rocked together for a full minute before his body tensed, his hold on my neck tightening. When he finally erupted inside, he snapped his head toward the ceiling with an animalistic cry.
We rocked together for another thirty seconds or longer and I couldn’t stop tingling.
A full minute later, he kissed my forehead, moving us both to a standing position. “As I said, one bad girl who can’t follow the rules.”
I purred as I backed away, allowing my fingers to trail down the length of his stomach. I suddenly felt more naked than ever before, realizing that all the blinds were open. If anyone looked in the window, they could tell just what we’d been up to. I quickly headed toward the shirt dumped on the floor, shocked when he yanked me by the arm.
“Not so fast, little girl.”
“What? We should get dressed,” I argued, the glint in his eyes giving me a wave of anxiety as well as excitement.
“We will, but not until we’re finished.”
“With what?”
“And you thought you weren’t going to be disciplined for disobeying me. Shameful.”
“What about breakfast?”
He shook his head over and over again, dragging me closer to the island.
“I’ll be good. Deal?”
Laughing, he wrinkled his nose. “That’s what you said last night. You don’t seem to have a very good memory.”
“How about if I pinky swear?”
He inhaled, holding the breath for a few seconds, acting as if he was thinking about it. “Nope. Not good enough.”
“Did anyone ever tell you that you were one mean bastard?”
“All the time.” As he yanked out a drawer, I did everything I could to get out of his hold. That wasn’t happening. When he pulled out a nasty-looking wooden spoon, bigger than the one he’d spanked me with before, I whimpered like some child.
“Oh, no. That’s not fair.”
“Says who?”
“Says me.”
“You aren’t in charge,” he stated as if he owned the place.
And me.
“You’re going to get it for this.”
“It will be fun watching you try.”
Just as he positioned me over the edge of the counter, the sudden sound of someone pounding on the front door was jarring. I had to slap my hand over my mouth to keep from yelping.
“You expectin’ company, darlin’?” Jake asked.
“Are you kidding me? Hell, no. Especially not this early.”
“I guess you better see who it is then.” He let me go, grinning like some evil monster. I grabbed the shirt, fighting to button every single one, rolling the sleeves past my elbows as I headed for the door. At least the damn material wasn’t see-through. When I threw open the door, the second I locked eyes with Devlin, I knew we had another issue.
He glanced down the length of me, exhaling before looking me once again in the eyes. “We have a problem.”
* * *
Jake
What we were facing wasn’t just a problem. It was a disaster.
“What the fuck do you mean the oil is polluted?” I barked as I stood on the platform to rig number two, glaring at Devlin, barely able to keep my rage under control.
“It means that last night some foreign substance was put in the lines. Unless we can figure out what toxic chemical was used, the rig will have to be flushed.” Madisen’s answer was surprisingly calm given the circumstances.
I took a deep breath, rubbing my jaw. A solid three dozen men stood in a circular formation, their expressions hard and cold. It was obvious they didn’t like outsiders. “What about the other rigs?”
Devlin stole a glance at Madisen before answering, “I tested one of the other wells before I called you. Same shit. But we might have been lucky. One of the roughnecks noticed some asshole climbing onto the deck of rig eight. As soon as he yelled, the mysterious guest ran. My guess is he planned on polluting all of them.”
“I hope the roughneck got a license plate,” I hissed.
“Negative. It was too dark.” Devlin lifted his head, walking closer. “Who the hell are you anyway?”
Madisen moved in between us, shifting her heated gaze from one to the other. “He’s Rutherford’s son. His name is Jake Travers. I suggest you remember it. He’s part owner now and everyone here needs to get used to it. Period. We need to find out the extent of the damage. I’m adding extra security. We have no time to waste. Devlin, you’re going to contact some of those buddies in chemical engineering you keep telling me about. We need to know exactly what was introduced to the production lines and what the hell we can do. I don’t need to tell anyone that we have a lot at stake here. Time is something we don’t have. Whoever this motherfucker is, we are going to crush them. Anyone have any questions?” She moved away, taking her time to stare every man in the eye.
I bit back a grin, feeling a hell of a lot of pride.
“I’ll get it done, Madisen,” Devlin said after a few seconds.
She huffed then stepped toward the stairs, wasting no time climbing down. I waited, ensuring no one was going to have an issue with what she said. There wasn’t a single man who wasn’t glaring at me with fire in their eyes. “If you notice any damn thing out of the ordinary, you will let Madisen know. You got it?” Nope. They didn’t like my interference one bit.
It took a solid ten seconds before the men nodded, Devlin still wearing a snarl on his face. I walked closer, giving him a hard look. “I don’t know much about this industry, but I’m here to stay and I will learn everything I need to. And I will need your help. Either you can provide everything necessary, or I’ll get someone else. The choice is entirely up to you.”
Devlin took a deep breath before nodding first. “Happy to help, Jake.” His tone was entirely too sarcastic.
“Good to hear.” As I started to walk away, he grabbed my arm. I cocked my head, lifting a single eyebrow. “Is there something else?”
“I care about Madisen just like I did her father. I couldn’t give a shit who you are, but if you fuck with her or this operation, I will cut you down. Understood?”
Ordinarily I would have sliced the man down to size. What I realized was that he had a love for the place. While I refused to allow my guard to fall, I could tell he was serious. I held out my hand. There was no sense in inflaming the situation.
Yet.
But I would keep my eye on the man. He was heading toward the top of my list of suspects.
He didn’t hesitate before shaking it, giving me a slight nod of respect.
When I walked off the deck, I realized that there was something stirring inside of me that I’d never experienced before, the kind of need that I couldn’t deny.
I wanted the ranch to continue succeeding, and I was determined to be a part of it.
No matter the circumstances or what I was forced to endure.
It was time to kick up the heat, cowboy style.
