FISHER
I can still smell you on me.
This man is trying to kill me with anticipation.
And he’s going to pay for it.
NOAH
Then perhaps you should wash your hands.
I leave the barn and go to my truck since I need to clean up for Sunday dinner. After my usual morning chores, I did some training, checked on Ranger, replied to some emails about the charity event, and checked on Donut. I’m looking forward to working with him more once this weekend is over. I know Delilah is eager for my answer.
FISHER
You’re a mood killer.
NOAH
Says the cockblocker.
FISHER
You only want me for my dick, don’t you?
NOAH
No, your fingers and mouth have been very useful as well.
I giggle, knowing his reaction will be an eye roll or something equivalent. His sexting game is improving, but when I check his response as I walk in my front door, the last thing I expect is a photo snapshot of his groin. Blinking hard to make sure I’m not imagining things, I swallow down the lump in my throat and stare at him.
The veins in his arm and hand pop as he grips his erection through his jeans, showing me just how hard he is.
NOAH
I could take care of that if you’d let me. In case you forgot the food truck moment with me on my knees…
FISHER
I very much remember.
NOAH
I’m gonna get a complex, thinking you don’t like my blow jobs.
I strip off my work clothes and turn on the shower. Dinners at my parents are always fun, but tonight I’m nervous as hell since Fisher’s coming. I’m torn between acting normal and being indifferent when he’s there. If anyone notices something off, they won’t hesitate to mention it—especially my brothers, who almost caught us Friday night.
As I’m about to dip underneath the water, my phone rings with a FaceTime call. Deciding to answer it, I bring it in the shower with me.
“Hello, Mr. Underwood,” I taunt, placing my phone on the shelf that won’t get wet. I notice he’s in his truck. “I’m practicin’ your name for tonight. What do ya think?”
His gaze moves up and down. “Um, I think you’re naked in the shower. Why’d you pick up?”
“Don’t flatter yourself, sir. I FaceTime with Magnolia in the shower, too.”
He arches a brow, and I laugh.
“What? I’m a busy person. I gotta multitask.” I grab the soap and lather up my arms and chest.
“Are you bein’ serious?” he asks.
“Yeah, I need to get ready for supper.”
“Not about that. Am I really givin’ you a complex because I won’t let you suck my dick?”
I bite back a laugh and nod firmly as I casually wash the rest of my body. “Yes. I’m gonna have to find some moron I meet at a bar and—”
“Noah.” His deep, stressed voice cuts through the air, but I continue as I rinse off.
“And give him my best blow job. I mean, practice makes perfect, right?”
When I finally glance at the screen, his gaze is lethal. “What?”
“Your cute little tactics aren’t gonna work on me.”
“No idea what you’re talkin’ about.”
Then I angle my phone down so he can see below my waist. “Hold on, I gotta put on shavin’ cream.”
Instead of being discreet about it, I turn away from him, bend over, and smooth it all over my legs.
“Jesus Christ.”
His frustrated laughter makes me smile.
“Problem?” I ask coyly.
“Just the rock-hard boner I’m gonna have when I walk into your parents’ house.”
“You may wanna take care of that beforehand,” I suggest innocently, then grab my razor and start shaving.
He groans. “I’m already dressed and on my way there.”
“That’s unfortunate for you.”
“Do you have a toy in there?” He looks past me.
I spin around and notice my rose vibrator sitting on the opposite shelf.
“Yes, and she’s waterproof.”
“Really? Show me.”
I shift the phone’s position again, lifting it upright so he can only see above my chest. “You’re gonna have to earn that, Mr. Underwood.”
He angles his head down as if he’s trying to sneak a peek beyond the screen, but his view is restricted.
His throat moves as he swallows hard. “Is your door unlocked?”
The corner of my lips tilts up. “It might be.”
He shakes his head, and I hear the distinct sound of him slamming on the gas. “Don’t move. I’ll be right there.”
I giggle when he ends the call.
Lucky for him, I still need to shave my other leg and wash my hair. If he can get here before I finish, he’ll get a front-row seat with me and the vibrator.
Ten minutes later, a truck door slams from somewhere outside, then, after a moment, heavy boots echo inside and walk toward the bathroom.
I wait anxiously under the hot stream until the door flies open, and a completely naked Fisher appears.
That I was not expecting.
Silently, he slides open the shower door and keeps our gazes locked. I gasp when he pushes me to the wall.
Water beats over his skin as he cups my jaw and crashes his mouth to mine.
My body relaxes into him, soaking up his touch and kiss.
“On your knees, Goldie. Now.”
I blink once at his harsh tone, but goddamn, it also turns me on.
It’s gotta be all that monster smut I read before bed. Red flags? Nah, I’m color-blind.
I position myself in the center of the shower and get to my knees. He turns, putting his cock on full display, and when he grips it, I nearly salivate for a taste.
“I should punish you instead of givin’ in to what you want.” His long fingers stroke his length. “But the thought of that smart mouth near another man’s junk had me speedin’ over here.”
My gaze finds his as I bite my lip to keep from begging like a sugar addict desperate for candy.
“Open your mouth and stick out your tongue,” he orders, and I immediately comply.
Whichever side of Fisher this is, my pussy’s on board with a first-class ticket.
“That’s it,” he praises, grabbing a fistful of my wet hair and urging me closer. He slaps his shaft over my tongue a few times before shoving himself between my lips. “Now suck my dick like a good girl.”
I hollow my cheeks until they hurt and coat his thick cock with my saliva until I’m nearly gagging from how deep he goes. My hands squeeze his thighs as I use them for leverage to stay in position and move against him.
Fisher pants and groans as I push him closer to the edge. I can hardly breathe as I gasp for air and lick up his bulging vein.
“Fuckin’ hell, you’re so good at that, Goldie. Don’t stop.” His grip tightens in my hair as I suck faster. “I’m so close, baby. You want my cum down your throat?”
I dig my nails in deeper and moan a strangled response that equals to you fucking better!
It only takes a few more seconds of me going deeper and faster for him to groan out his release. Warm spurts land on my tongue as I swallow and lick every drop from his cock.
When I look up, he tilts his head back with a low growl. His body blocked the water before, but now it lands on me, too.
“On your feet.” He holds his hand out to help me up and then cages me against the wall. “That’s why I was waitin’, Goldie. I knew the moment I had your hot mouth on me again, I’d fall too fast. I’ve never been drawn to a woman like this before, and it scares the shit outta me. I don’t wanna run you off by movin’ too fast, but my heart is all in, Noah. I know it’s supposed to be wrong—being twice your age, Jase’s dad, and the workplace policy—but when I think about you and how I feel when we’re together, nothing has ever felt more right.”
The vulnerability in his tone has my chest aching. The power of his words places a chokehold on me because I want nothing more than for us to be together without the secrecy.
I wrap my hands around his neck until I can touch his lips. “It feels right because it is right. People can get on board and support us or choose to walk away. But I’m in this with you, no matter what. Nothin’ you can say will scare me off.” As our foreheads rest against each other, I quickly add, “Unless you’re a murderer and talk about guttin’ me like a fish. That’d be enough to have me runnin’.”
He chuckles softly as he moves his mouth along my jawline. “Pretty sure ya said that to me the night we met, too.”
“Well, I had to ask. The one time I don’t…” I mimic a throat slashing.
“You gotta stop listenin’ to murder shows.”
He shakes his head, and I laugh.
“We’re gonna be so late now,” I remind him.
“Shit, yeah. I should move my truck before someone sees it.”
“Luckily, no one passes here on their way to the main house since it’s behind it, but better to be safe until we tell them.”
“As much as I wanna scream that you’re mine so every twentysomething boy knows you’re off-limits, I kinda like keepin’ this to ourselves for now.”
I wrap my arms around his waist and lean my chin on his chest as I gaze up at him. “They can find out when they get our weddin’ invitation in the mail.”
He snorts, brushing wet strands off my face. “Your father would kill me.”
I shrug. “Maybe, maybe not.”
Leaning down, he takes my jaw and presses a soft, sensual kiss to my lips. The tenderness of his movements sends shivers down my spine, and if it wasn’t for being late, I’d keep him in here with me all night.
“I’m gonna dry off and get dressed so I can get to the house before you.”
“Good idea. It won’t take me too long to finish up.”
I’d planned on really fixing myself up—blow-drying my hair, lip gloss, full makeup—but now, I quickly put on tinted moisturizer and pull my hair into a ballerina bun.
As he steps out, I check out his ass before he grabs a towel. When he turns, he catches me and smirks.
“You have a nice butt, so sue me.”
He chuckles, grabbing another towel to dry his hair.
“Then you’d have to sue me for doin’ the same thing durin’ all the times you bent over in front of me.”
“We’re gonna have to actively try not to be so goddamn obvious when we’re around people.”
His gaze falls to my breasts, then moves back to my eyes when I clear my throat. “What?”
Laughing, I shake my head. “Yeah, we’re screwed.”
I arrive at the house twenty minutes after Fisher leaves. Luckily, I’m only a few minutes late from the time we actually eat, but no one notices because two of my brothers are still missing. My dad and Fisher are having a full-on conversation about football, and I hold back a smile when I notice how uninterested Fisher is. He’s trying hard to stay engaged, but as soon as our eyes lock, his expression brightens. I do a quick headshake to remind him he’s not supposed to stare at me like he remembers what I look like naked.
“Sweetheart, hi.” Momma walks over and pulls me in for a big hug.
I avert my gaze from Fisher and focus on her.
“Landen and Wilder are on their way, then we can sit.”
“Sounds good.”
Gramma Grace is icing something by the stovetop, so I make my way to her and give her a quick hug. “This smells delicious. You’ll have to teach me this recipe.” I dip my finger across a small piece of cake.
She whacks my wrist, and I jump.
“We have a guest tonight. He doesn’t want your fingers in his dessert.”
As soon as the words leave her mouth, Fisher coughs, and I turn to see him choking on his sweet tea. My cheeks heat at the thought of how I know he wouldn’t mind at all, but I glance away before anyone notices my reaction.
“Goodness, Fisher. Are you okay?” My mother stands by him, softly patting his back.
“Yes, ma’am. I’m fine. Just went down wrong.”
“That’s because he’s drinkin’ that sissy shit,” Tripp taunts. “I’ll grab ya a beer.”
Tripp stands next to me as he opens the fridge, and I nudge him. “You know Momma doesn’t like drinkin’ at supper.”
“It’s not like he’s underage.” He snorts, grabbing two cans of Bud Light, and hands Fisher one.
“Thanks,” Fisher says and pops the tab.
“Where’s Mallory?” I ask.
“With Serena at the waterpark. Told Ayden to be back by suppertime, but he texted a half hour ago and said the girls weren’t ready to leave,” Momma explains, shrugging.
“I’m sure they’re havin’ a blast,” I reassure her, and she nods with a smile.
Since Mallory’s parents’ death, my mother has grown overprotective of her and ensures she’s always involved in our family traditions.
Waylon sits and asks Fisher, “So you traveled a lot before movin’ back here, right?”
“Yes, for eight years or so.”
Fisher’s been a farrier longer than that, and Lyla passed away ten years ago, so he didn’t start traveling for his job until two years later. But Jase said he left right after his sister died. Where was he for those two years?
“Are you likin’ livin’ back here?” Waylon continues to ask questions.
Fisher quickly glances at me before directing his response back to my brother. “More than I thought I ever would.”
“I ran into Jase at the grocery store the other day,” Momma tells him, which is news to me. “Told me he was buyin’ a house.”
“Yes, he gave me a walk-through of it this mornin’. It’s perfect for him.”
“He was such a sweetheart to our Noah. We were so sad when they broke up. I coulda sworn they’d get back together, get married, and eventually have kids.”
Kill me now.
“Not me,” Tripp blurts out, and for once, I want to give him a high five for rudely interrupting.
“Tripp,” Momma scolds. She’s worried he’ll offend Fisher by speaking negatively about his son, but she couldn’t be more wrong in that assumption.
“She’s too good for him,” he defends, but what he’s not saying is how much my brothers didn’t like Jase out of respect for his father being here.
“Noah’s too good for anyone,” my dad speaks up assertively.
I roll my eyes and sigh. “Noah’s right here, and she can make her own decisions on who she does or doesn’t date.”
“You’re still young, sweetie. Jase seems to be growin’ up and maturin’, so ya never know. Y’all might find your way back to each other.”
My mother’s words make me want to throw up.
They’re fixated on him because he was my only long-term boyfriend in high school. If only they knew Jase and I weren’t as serious as they thought. Once he graduated, we only hung out on the weekends, and even then, it felt more like two friends hanging out. Not a couple crazy in love.
“We’re just friends, Momma,” I remind her. “That’s all we’re gonna be.”
“There’s a new ranch hand at the retreat who’s twenty-five and single. I’ll have to introduce y’all. He works with the horses,” she says as if that’s a requirement for me to like someone.
I liked Fisher before I even knew he was a farrier, and even though we met at a rodeo, I didn’t even know why he was there at the time. I just knew there was a spark between us that I wanted to explore before the event was over.
“When did this become the Noah Dating Show? Y’all act like I’m nearin’ my deathbed or somethin’.”
“Don’t listen to them, sweetie.” Gramma Grace takes her seat next to Fisher.
Lord help him.
“You’re too young to settle down anyway. Go travel the world, live your life, and only get married when you find a suitor who can handle your adventurous side. Otherwise, you’re just wastin’ your time on boys.”
“A suitor, huh?” I muse, pouring myself a glass of sweet tea before sitting across from her and Fisher. “In that case, maybe I’ll find myself an older gentleman who knows how to treat a lady,” I drawl out in a deep country accent.
“That’s what I did…” Gramma Grace says as she lays her napkin over her lap. “You think I married the first man who proposed? Tsk. I made your grandfather work for it.”
Oh my God.
My jaw drops.
“Gramma…so scandalous,” I tease.
“Mama, you sure ya wanna share that story with your grandchildren?”
“Yes!” Tripp and I say simultaneously. I’m surprised she hasn’t told us already, but I’m eager to hear about it. Just as she’s about to start, the front door whips open, and my other two brothers walk in.
“Finally. We’re starvin’,” my dad scolds, gesturing for them to find a seat.
“Don’t look at me.” Landen shakes his head, then points at Wilder.
No one’s even shocked.
“Gramma was just about to tell us how she met Grandpa,” I say as the boys grab a beer and take a chair on each side of me.
“I thought they were high school sweethearts or somethin’…” Tripp says, reaching for the food, but I quickly elbow him to wait for grace.
“Well, I was in high school when we met, but that’s not when we started datin’,” Gramma Grace confirms.
Once everyone’s at the table, Momma says, “Let’s say the blessin’ first before you talk about marryin’ a man fifteen years older than you.”
I cover my mouth, surprised she slipped that little information in, and am disappointed that I have to wait for the story now. After we hold hands, I sneak a peek at Fisher across from me. Gramma comments on how big and strong he feels. I bite back a laugh when he blushes at her compliment.
Momma starts her usual prayer as I send my own.
Dear Jesus, thank you for this food, but please make this dinner less awkward before I do something stupid like blurt out I had sex with our new farrier and am possibly falling hard for him, too. If you could send a hurricane, tsunami, or meteor to end this dinner as soon as possible, that’d be appreciated.
And then I make the sign of the cross over my body at the same time as my mother says, “Amen.”
