Our eyes caught and held. That fiery gaze—bent on overwhelming, consuming, owning—was what finally pushed me over the edge. I arched up with a scream, spasming around him in wave after shuddering wave.
“Fuck, Emma.” Ford growled into the crook of my shoulder, stubble scratching my neck. He gave a few more forceful, erratic thrusts, then stilled.
For several moments we just lay panting together. I felt boneless and deliciously sore. After that avalanche of an orgasm, I found that I'd been wrong earlier—my horniness was finally outweighed by sheer exhaustion.
Eventually, Ford untangled his limbs from mine and sat up, shooting me a pleased half-smirk. The satisfaction of a job well done … in more ways than one. I probably looked just as thoroughly fucked as I felt. “You up for another round?” he said at last.
“Shut up.” I groaned. I would have thrown a pillow at him if I'd had the energy. “Like you're fresh as a daisy.” The worst part was, I wasn't completely sure that he was kidding.
He swung his legs off the bed. “If you're tired already, we can pick up where we left off later.” I enjoyed the nice view as he came around to my side, still naked, and offered his arm.
Surprised at the gentlemanly gesture, I took it and pulled myself to my feet. Despite his sweet words in the hot tub before, I still thought of tonight as a standalone thing. It didn’t occur to me that Ford—that either of us, really—was after more than some quick relief. But a repeat performance sounded far from unappealing. I guess I'm fine with having a fuck buddy as talented as Ford, even if he is my stepbrother.
I realized that I was still holding onto Ford's arm. And, more to the point, he was watching me. “You okay to walk by yourself?” he asked.
I quickly let go, feeling self-conscious all of a sudden. “Y-yeah, I'm fine.” I wasn't some delicate flower who couldn't take a little rough play. And I didn't want to overstay my welcome in his room. Sure, this was more than a one-night stand, but one night was all we'd had so far. Even the idea of Ford escorting me down the hall felt way too intimate.
He made a skeptical noise, but stepped back. “Then I guess I'll see you tomorrow.”
That settled things. He hadn't booted me out, but he also hadn't invited me to sleep over. Not exactly a surprise, knowing Ford—and I was okay with that. Neither of us had gone into this game for cuddles and flowers, after all. Our little arrangement worked best the way it was. More importantly, if I hung around much longer, I'd end up falling into his bed again. I wasn't sure my poor body could take a Round Three. Or was it Four by now? I forced myself to pay attention and gave Ford a nod of agreement.
“See you in the morning,” I called out as I walked away. I made it to my own bedroom, proud of myself for only staggering a little, and passed out as soon as my head hit the pillow.
Chapter 12
Ford
I’d never gone without when it came to sex. And if anyone asked me a few weeks ago, I would’ve told them that my sex life was fucking perfect. Even out in the wilds of Montana, I had a variety of women to call to keep me entertained. But that was all before Emma. Now that I’d had her, I wasn't sure any other woman would ever satisfy me again. And quite frankly, if I were the kind of man to let something unnerve me, that thought right there just might have done it. Instead, I just forged on and enjoyed the time we had on the ranch with our parents away.
There was no more beautiful place on earth than Montana in the springtime. There was a reason it was called Big Sky Country, and on a day like today, I just wanted to stand in awe of the vivid blue above and the vibrant green beneath. The cattle lowed in the distance as I waited for Emma next to the two four-wheelers parked between the house and the barn. Yesterday, I had introduced her to more of the ranch. It was impossible to cover every acre, but we’d ridden along a couple of the main trails. I was surprised how well she’d sat her mount. She was a natural on horseback—and sexy as fuck. There was nothing I’d wanted more than to drop my reins, dismount, drag her to the ground, and fuck her senseless. But I’d caught sight of Griff in a pickup coming through a gate not far off, checking the herd. I wasn’t opposed to having an audience, but not Griff. Might give the old guy a heart attack, and I didn’t want anyone dropping dead on my watch.
The other hands didn’t seem to find it strange that I spent so much time with Emma—other than the fact that I’d apparently developed a sense of hospitality. But Griff seemed like he might be a touch suspicious. Which was why today we were going a lot further off the beaten path—hence the four-wheelers. I had a cooler strapped to the back of mine, so there would be no need to make our way back for a while.