that one she’d surprised him with back in the café the other day. “So hitting the target at all is a win in the beginning?”
“Yeah.”
Vicki nodded. “Okay. I can do that. When should the I love horsies lessons start?”
Joel moved with deliberate slowness, casually placing his hand next to hers. She was leaning back on her arms, hands planted in the grass. Their fingers weren’t touching, not yet, but damn close. “You free tomorrow? Around the ranch we try to take things a little slower on the weekend. Just the daily chores for the animals and not a ton more. So if you come to the barns, I’ll show you around.”
She shivered as she observed the herd. “Go slow with me, okay?”
Hell, yeah. Slow in more ways than one, although it might kill him.
Joel adjusted position. Again, a tiny move.
He was back in junior high, trying to convince Suzie James to join him under the bleachers for a few stolen kisses. He was in the back-row seats of the darkened science classroom during a movie, him and Tara Koloskis tossing furtive glances at each other as they stumbled around making the next move.
No. This was no flashback to his early days of sexual exploration. He was right freaking there, right fucking now. On the side of a hill, too old to play these kid games, but there you had it. Vicki leaned forward and her fingers slipped over his. She would have jerked away, but he didn’t let her. Instead, he trapped her hand and held her in place with his palm resting over hers.
It was barely holding hands. Barely touching, and she could have been naked and riding him for how hard he’d gotten at the simple touch.
He glanced at her profile as she maintained a fixed lock on the horses, steadfastly refusing to look his way. She wasn’t trying to pull herself free though, that was good.
Blood pounded through him harder than had any right. Joel stared over the herd as well and once again considered the day a bit of a turning point.
Whatever else the next months brought, life wasn’t going to be boring.
He was holding her hand.
Vicki didn’t move. Scarcely breathed.
She would have liked to blame the not breathing part on the fact he’d suggested she drop in at the barns the next day, but oh. My. God.
How was it possible that holding hands could cause more violent reactions than her most recent self-induced orgasm?
“There are a couple of mares I’m keeping a special eye on.” Joel sat straighter as he lifted his left hand and pointed. “I’ve got favourites, I guess. Buttercup over there is a first-time mom, and Sable is the daughter of my first horse.”
“Makes—makes sense.” God. She’d had to stop and clear her throat to get past the block in her way.
She tugged their linked hands experimentally, and Joel eased off enough to adjust his grip. Now his fingers were completely enveloping hers.
Giant knuckles, thick fingers. The rougher skin of his finger pads caressing her softly. It felt too damn amazing to want him to stop. Add in the naughty images of him stroking her entire body, and she didn’t want to stop that train of thought either.
But… shit . “We really gonna do this, Joel?”
Another rub, this time with his thumb over the back of her hand. His fingers moving oh-so-slowly, but still more than enough of an impact considering the pounding in her throat. She honestly felt her heartbeat there. Another first, it seemed.
“Are we gonna hold hands? Hell, yeah. Seems like a good place to start.”
She dropped the idea of crawling into his lap and rubbing all over him like a lovesick cat. “It’s nice.”
Joel chuckled. Such a dark, rich sound for something that should show his amusement, but when she glanced at his eyes, there was far more there than merely fun. Full dark pupils pinned her in place. “It’s a start , Vicki. You sure you want me to teach you everything? Because, goddamn, I’m eager. But every bit of it is worth doing right.”
“I’m sure.” Holy hell, she
“Yeah.”
Vicki nodded. “Okay. I can do that. When should the I love horsies lessons start?”
Joel moved with deliberate slowness, casually placing his hand next to hers. She was leaning back on her arms, hands planted in the grass. Their fingers weren’t touching, not yet, but damn close. “You free tomorrow? Around the ranch we try to take things a little slower on the weekend. Just the daily chores for the animals and not a ton more. So if you come to the barns, I’ll show you around.”
She shivered as she observed the herd. “Go slow with me, okay?”
Hell, yeah. Slow in more ways than one, although it might kill him.
Joel adjusted position. Again, a tiny move.
He was back in junior high, trying to convince Suzie James to join him under the bleachers for a few stolen kisses. He was in the back-row seats of the darkened science classroom during a movie, him and Tara Koloskis tossing furtive glances at each other as they stumbled around making the next move.
No. This was no flashback to his early days of sexual exploration. He was right freaking there, right fucking now. On the side of a hill, too old to play these kid games, but there you had it. Vicki leaned forward and her fingers slipped over his. She would have jerked away, but he didn’t let her. Instead, he trapped her hand and held her in place with his palm resting over hers.
It was barely holding hands. Barely touching, and she could have been naked and riding him for how hard he’d gotten at the simple touch.
He glanced at her profile as she maintained a fixed lock on the horses, steadfastly refusing to look his way. She wasn’t trying to pull herself free though, that was good.
Blood pounded through him harder than had any right. Joel stared over the herd as well and once again considered the day a bit of a turning point.
Whatever else the next months brought, life wasn’t going to be boring.
He was holding her hand.
Vicki didn’t move. Scarcely breathed.
She would have liked to blame the not breathing part on the fact he’d suggested she drop in at the barns the next day, but oh. My. God.
How was it possible that holding hands could cause more violent reactions than her most recent self-induced orgasm?
“There are a couple of mares I’m keeping a special eye on.” Joel sat straighter as he lifted his left hand and pointed. “I’ve got favourites, I guess. Buttercup over there is a first-time mom, and Sable is the daughter of my first horse.”
“Makes—makes sense.” God. She’d had to stop and clear her throat to get past the block in her way.
She tugged their linked hands experimentally, and Joel eased off enough to adjust his grip. Now his fingers were completely enveloping hers.
Giant knuckles, thick fingers. The rougher skin of his finger pads caressing her softly. It felt too damn amazing to want him to stop. Add in the naughty images of him stroking her entire body, and she didn’t want to stop that train of thought either.
But… shit . “We really gonna do this, Joel?”
Another rub, this time with his thumb over the back of her hand. His fingers moving oh-so-slowly, but still more than enough of an impact considering the pounding in her throat. She honestly felt her heartbeat there. Another first, it seemed.
“Are we gonna hold hands? Hell, yeah. Seems like a good place to start.”
She dropped the idea of crawling into his lap and rubbing all over him like a lovesick cat. “It’s nice.”
Joel chuckled. Such a dark, rich sound for something that should show his amusement, but when she glanced at his eyes, there was far more there than merely fun. Full dark pupils pinned her in place. “It’s a start , Vicki. You sure you want me to teach you everything? Because, goddamn, I’m eager. But every bit of it is worth doing right.”
“I’m sure.” Holy hell, she
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