Page 24 of Bronco
“How deep is it?”
“Pretty shallow, maybe five or six feet deep. It does connect to several other waterways in the county.” Much of Courage County is marshlands so there’s plenty of rivers, streams, ponds, and even a few waterfalls in this town.
The smile she gives me is the only warning. The next thing I know, she’s tugging off her clothes. She shimmies her body as she does, probably not intending to give me a show. Something about seeing her beautiful body jiggling has my cock going to stone.
The sight of her white panties clinging to her pussy lips, damp from her arousal has me grabbing the front of my jeans and trying desperately to make room in them. It’s no use. My cock is a horny bastard, furious he hasn’t been allowed entry into her heaven.
I could lay her out on the bank right now, give both of us the satisifaction we need. As if she senses my thoughts, she gives me a come-and-get-me grin and wades into the water.
I do the only thing I can think to do. I grab my boots and haul them off. Tossing them carelessly on the bank beside the rest of my clothes, I go in after her.
That grin hasn’t faded from her face. “You didn’t have to follow me.”
“I’d follow you anywhere,” I say, and I fucking mean it. She could ask me to go to the ends of the earth with her, and I would. I’d follow her just for the chance to kneel at her feet and swear my allegiance for all time.
“But can you catch me?” She asks, swimming away.
“The problem is, once I catch you, I’m keeping you,” I call, letting her stay just out of my reach. Years of training for combat missions means I could easily overpower her. But the chase is half the fun, and I let her think she’s winning. Until the moment I don’t.
She splashes me, trying desperately to fight back, but there’s no real intent behind it. She’s not trying to resist me as much as she’s putting on a show.
“You caught me,” she breathes when she’s finally exhausted herself.
“I did.” She’s in my arms, carefully tucked against me. Her bountiful tits heave against my arm with every breath she takes. Her nipples are sharp points that I want deep in my mouth.
Her gaze flicks to my lips, like she can hear every filthy, depraved thought in my head. “I don’t want to be mad at you anymore.”
“How about we just agree I’m an idiot?”
“Friends again?” she asks.
“I never stopped being your friend, never will,” I answer.
Something passes between us. This is the moment to lean in and kiss her again, but I see the fear on her face. There’s no magic thing to say to erase the fears in her head, so I pull back instead. She looks disappointed, but it’s for the best.
The ride back to the ranch is a silent one, my earlier good mood evaporated entirely. Maybe the time is never going to work out, and I should accept that I can’t have Lauren. The thought sends a crippling pain behind my ribcage.
As soon as we’re at the barn, I dismount easily. I turn to help her like I did at the pond. She’s already trying to get down, only she catches her foot in the stirrup. I manage to catch her before she can fall to the ground, but her pained noise tells me she wasn’t uninjured despite my quick reflexes.
I yell for Colt who appears from the barn and glances at Lauren. “Is she okay?”
“I’m fine,” Lauren says. “Just tripped a little getting off the horse.”
“Can you get Princess squared away?”
“Yeah,” he grabs the horse’s reins. “Should I get Ridge?”
“No, I don’t need a doctor,” Lauren protests. “Let me try putting some weight on it.”
The moment she tries, she makes another whimper, and I decide she’s done trying. I can’t stand here and watch her in pain. I’m not that man. So, I scoop her up and stride into my house.
I carry her to the living room sofa and set her down gently. Then I lift her leg and put her foot on the coffee table, propped up on a blanket. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”
From his place on his bed next to the fireplace, Menace makes a little noise like he can sense she’s injured and wants desperately to comfort her.
“Don’t worry. She’s going to be fine,” I reassure him before leaving to find supplies.
I grab the first aid kit from my bathroom. Settling on the coffee table next to her leg, I ignore the creaking wood beneath me. Carefully, I unlace her sneaker and remove it.
