Chapter 35
~ ~ Jackson ~ ~
There was nothing quite like the earthy scent of the land beneath Champs’ heavy hooves. Or having Maddy Lockwood, the sexiest woman in the South, soft and snug against my back. Smiling, my eyes snagged the landscape and I let myself soak it all in as I inhaled a nourishing breath.
How had I walked away from all this?
When I was younger I had an itch that needed scratching but now being back home, here on the Ranch, I won’t be leaving again, unless it was in a box. And even then I wouldn’t go willingly, not now I had Maddy too.
And today. Well, today was a great day. It was my first time on a horse in what felt like years, although, in reality, it had only been six months.
But I would tell you this much, it was something I would never take for granted again.
And being the first time an’ all, Logan and Maddy had insisted one of them had to ride out with me. Of course I was gonna choose our woman. Having my brother sharing the same saddle was not the same as having Maddy cuddling up behind me.
And right on cue she reminded me she was there, hugging me a little tighter and shifting to rest her chin on my shoulder and my heart skipped up a beat when she slipped a warm hand beneath the front of my shirt running her nails along my abs doing all kinds of crazy things to my guts... and below the belt too.
Both of which left me feeling hungry again, but it wasn’t Jody’s breakfast food I was craving for. But that’s what Maddy does to me.
One simple touch and I’m greedy for more.
Another taste.
Another touch.
And best of all, having her wrapped around my cock, buried deep. And I didn’t need to glance back to see her expression, to know those plump lips of hers were curved up into a serene smile as she soaked up our time together.
Maddy sighed out.
“Something on your mind, Princess?” I trailed my fingers across her bare thigh, delighting in the clench of her legs on my hips. As they reached the frayed edges of her shorts. Shorts that I was very fond of, by the way. They’re so well worn that if she bent over at just the right angle, I could see the crease between her perfect ass and thighs. “What’s goin’ on inside that pretty head of yours?” I asked, moving my hand under her knee and tickled.
She giggled. “Nuthin much. Just feelin’ good is all.”
Like me, her mind’s on last night. My dirty imagination had been all over it since I opened my eyes. It’s also what spurred the decision that today was the day I was getting back on a horse.
You might ask, what does sharing my woman with my brother and riding a horse have in common?
Confidence, I guess?
And getting my life back on track and not worrying about what the future holds.
Although I had pretty set plans for what our future holds and I know when I read Logan’s eyes, we’re on the same page.
Looking up ahead, we were approaching Critter Creek. The land that sits between her family’s property and our ranch. Awareness rippled beneath my skin like it always does. This was the spot where I got my first taste of Maddy Lockwood, our first kiss.
I pulled up on Champs reins.
“I love it here,” she whispered in my ear and Christ, the kick of electricity between my legs suddenly made my jeans achingly tighter. And the fantasy I’ve had many times of pinning her up against a tree runs through my head.
Shaking away those vivid images, I redirected my thoughts. “You haven’t told me ’bout last night. Did y’all have a good time?”
The slight stiffening of her posture made me want to prod further. “Something you want to share with me?”
And the silence growing between us was also a telling sign.
“Y’know, you can tell me anything, right, Princess?”
She sighed. “Okay, I’m going to tell you something, but I don’t want you freaking out on me.”
If she’s about to tell me something bad, then that’s like telling a rabid dog not to bite you.
“I mean it, Jackson. I’m not gonna tell you if you won’t give me your word.”
“How can I promise something when you’re sayin’ I ain’t gonna like it?”
“I need your word, Jackson.”
“Fine,” I blew out because my curiosity was clearly getting the better of me. “You have my word not to lose my shit.”
“Okay, let’s get down and get more comfortable. Over by that fallen tree.”
Maddy dismounted first, and I took my time getting down. I misjudged the weakness in my leg. My muscles struggled to take an order as my feet planted on the ground. I had to take a second to breathe through it, my limitations reminding me I wasn’t there yet.
“Everything okay, Jackson?” Maddy’s small hand rested on my shoulder.
“Yeah, I’m good. Just give me a minute. My body has to get used to riding, it’s gonna take some time.”
Maddy was quick to tether Champ to a tree alongside us and then shifted back around him and flipped the clip on the saddlebag, opening it to pull something out.
Well, I’ll be... my woman thinks of everything. In her hand was one of those collapsible canes. Holding it at one end, she let it drop and it snapped into place.
“Here.” She held it out for me and I could see the note of hesitancy in her eyes, half expecting me to chew her out for helping me.
But I was done with that shit. “You thought of everything, huh?” I would never have thought to bring it along.
She smiled, her shoulder lifting. “No shame in needing help.”
We made our way over to the log. “Okay,” she started with an intake of breath but then stayed quiet.
“You need to use your words, Maddy, because my skills don’t go as far as reading minds.”
“Right, yeah.” She wasn’t looking at me, but I felt her pensive expression.
“There was some trouble last night, and I need you to listen without interrupting me. Can you do that?”
Now I was getting worried, but nodded.
My worries were justified and the further she got along, telling me what happened, the more I had to bite back my growls and unclench my fists because I wanted to punch something—not something.
Someone. Namely, that dick of an ex of hers.
That man needed to be taken down.
“You should have told us this last night!” I said when she’d finished talking.
“I wasn’t gonna let him spoil our night,” she bristled. “I won’t ever let him have that kind of power over me again!”
“That’s all fine and good, Princess...” I paused. “I’m talking to Logan when I get back and we’re both gonna have a chat with Casey, make damn—”
Maddy butted in. “I already told you—that’s sorted. Me and Riley Jo told her what kind of man he is and she won’t be going anywhere near him.” Her hand moved to my thigh, squeezing. “You don’t have to worry.”
“Are you sure she even listened to you?” From getting to know Casey, she had mine and Logan’s stubborn streak in her, but I’d honestly thought she’d inherited a few more IQ points than me and my twin. “Because—”
“I’m sure. And if you and Logan go barging on in there and demanding who she can and can not see—” She huffed. “Well, trust me,” shaking her head. “It might have the opposite effect.”
“And you’ve told me everything?” I nudged the white brick up my angry brow. “Because if I find out you ain’t Princess, then I might just have to put you over my knee and spank that ass of yours pink!”
At the threat of putting her over my knee, heat rose in her cheeks. She rolled her lips to say something back, but in the end kept quiet.
“Has that attorney got back to you yet? Got everything he needs for the annulment?”
“I’m gonna call him. I think he’s got everything he needs, and that includes my doctor giving her statement that I’ve been in therapy with her for my health issues since I married him. And he knows that too, so I can’t see him fighting me on it. Although I don’t doubt he might try to prolong the inevitable.”
I grabbed my cane and pushed up and walked a few steps looking yonder but not seeing anything, as my mind was still reeling. And the more I thought about him touching her, the more pissed I got.
Without turning back around. “We should head back now. Logan needs to hear this.”
“What—why? We only just got here!” she protested. “I wanted to stay awhile.” I heard the pout in her tone. “Spend some time, just me and you.”
Turning back around. “Maddy, I know you don’t want me talking to Casey, and that’s fine. I’ll trust that you handled it, but we’re riding back and me and Logan are gonna sit down and work out what to do with Cooper fuckin’ Stanton! Because he had no right.” Shaking my head. “No, damn right to even look at you last night. Never mind having his hands on you.” My jaw was practically sawing. “You don’t belong to him. You never did.”
Maddy shot up, pushing some loose strands of hair behind her ear. “I knew telling you was a bad idea.” She shook her head, looking down. “You said you wouldn’t lose your shit and look!” Her head lifted. “You’re just about ready to blow off half-cocked!”
“Beautiful.” My lips curved up. “I do nothing half-cocked.”
Maddy’s blue eyes cut to mine. Not amused. “This ain’t funny, Jackson. I won’t risk you or Logan getting hurt or worse, ending up in jail.”
“I’ll tell you what’s not funny here, Princess.” My nostrils flared. “Is those damn Stantons thinking they own Lockwood!” My hands gripped my cane tighter. “We both know he was the one that attacked Riley Jo and we all know he was the one that sent Clint around that night and almost killed her and her unborn child.”
Maddy’s eyes dropped.
“And we all fucking know his family runs this town and the law will do shit to stop him. And that’s a fact!”
She denied nothing I was throwing at her but asked. “So what are you planning on doing?”
Gritting my teeth so hard they hurt. “He needs to be taught a lesson.” With my fists.
She stood there, eyes wide, mouth hanging open.
I’ve said enough. Talking gets us nowhere. Action is what’s needed. “Get on the horse, Maddy.” I flipped around and started walking back to Champ.
“Are you serious right now?”
I kept on walking. “As a heart attack, Princess.”
Folding the cane, I slipped it back into the saddlebag. “Get that sweet ass moving, Maddy.”
“No.”
“I’m not asking Maddy—” I turned around.
Jesus.
My eyes went wide and my jaw dropped. Her fingers were working down her flannel shirt, now pushing it apart to reveal nothing underneath, apart from her satiny, toned midsection.
The view makes me so hot I feel delirious.
“Maddy...” I got out.
She ignored me, moving her small hands to mould over her tits. Those tits that I love so much and now she was rubbing her thumbs over the dusky peaks.
Drool clumped inside my mouth.
It was quite obvious she was trying to kill me.
“You enjoy watching me, Jackson?”
One hand moved to pull her hair free of her ponytail. Shaking her hair out, it fell in natural blonde waves over her shoulders. It’s the perfect length to tangle my fist around. Her other hand moved to the button of my favourite shorts which also do a damn fine job of making her legs look miles long.
She flipped the button and dragged the zipper down.
“What?” I swallowed, hard. “Are you doing?”
“What does it look like?” She hummed happily, then cocking her head she teased her bottom lip through her teeth and my eyes dropped with her shorts as they gathered around her ankles where she was wearing those cute scuffed cowboy boots—which are an added tease in my book.
Pushing her shirt off, her hips swayed hypnotically as she walked toward me wearing only a sexy-ass smile, white cotton panties and those boots.
Jesus Christ.
It’s like she climbed inside my head and plucked one of my fantasies right out and brought it to life.
Sexy doesn’t even come close to describing what I was watching unfold.
Close now, she pressed her hand to my chest, right over my heart and started walking me backwards until my back brushed against the bark of a tree and her fingers set to work on my shirt, her eyes lighting up when she pulled it apart and I groaned as her nails raked down the centre of my chest, down over my abs. Her other hand grabbed mine and placed it over her breast before dipping a bold finger inside my belt buckle.
“I want you Jackson.”
My mind knows this is a distraction. And it’s fucking working.
“Don’t you want me?” she fluttered those baby blues and her free hand plucked a strand of her long blonde hair and twisted it around her finger.
No wasn’t part of my vocabulary right now and I could only nod my head because I was so crazily worked up and so hard I could hit a home run with the wood in my jeans.
But her standing before me being the goddess that she was—well, it’s more than just getting my dick wet and more than just making sweet love to my woman.
It’s everything.
Maddy Lockwood was the centre of my whole goddamn universe. I know I’d pretty much do anything she asked of me, including crawling on my hands and knees begging for a taste of her... and maybe something even more crazy like wearing fucking loafers or some other strange shit that all the slick city boys wear.
I was completely head over heels for this woman.
“Good, because I’m so horny for you right now I can’t think straight. So instead of you taking us back to the ranch and causin’ a whole heap of trouble—”
I was listening, but not at the same time. C’mon, it was distracting the way her finger now traced my cock through my jeans and my hand hadn’t shifted from her right tit.
“—Why don’t we make our own trouble? You and me.” Rising onto her tiptoes and nipped my bottom lip. “I want my first time having outdoor sex to be with you, Jackson.”
The ache in my leg was overridden by the very real ache in my cock. “Fuck, Princess...” I peeled my hand from her chest and tugged her closer. Chest to chest, mouth to mouth. I kissed hard and our combined breaths heated my body from the inside out as my hands slipped around back to grab a handful of her delicious backside.
I wanted nothing between us. I wanted to slide inside her and never leave.
No, not want—need.
“I need you right now.” but then a thought hit me and my stomach took a bit of a tumble. “Maddy, wait.” I swallowed, and she noted the change in my mood.
Her hand moved to cup my cheek. “What is it, Jackson? Tell me.”
“As much as I want to fuck you up against any tree here.” I looked up at the branches above us before fetching my eyes back to hers. “That won’t be possible.” I tapped my leg.
“Let me worry about how I intend to ride you, Jackson.”
Ride me. Sexy words, to be sure. Maddy’s hand found mine, and she led us back to the fallen log.
“Oh,” she started. “Hang fire.” and then my eyes followed her skipping back to Champ, and she’s back inside the saddle bag pulling out a...Blanket?
She had thought of everything. “You had this all planned?”
Her head shakes. “Nope. But like my nana said to me once, always be prepared and someday that chance will come.” She puckered her lips, suddenly deep in thought. “Or that might have been Abraham Lincoln who said that?” She shrugged, grinning.
“Whoever said it—was smart.”
“Hmmhmm.”
Maddy set it down and then her fingers ran across my abs and her lips were back on mine, but not for long. “You won’t be needing this.” She lifted my brick from my head and stroked a hand through my hair, ruffling it up some.
And then she undid my belt and jeans and I helped by kicking them free and last went my underwear.
“Sit on the blanket and rest your back against the log.”
“Yes, ma’am.” And with my heart pounding and my cock jutting straight up, I settled on the blanket, looked up to watch her shimmying out of those cotton panties and straddle me.
I captured her mouth as she clung to me, fingers digging into my shoulders as she shifted closer, rubbing up against my stiff length and then her hand slipped between us, running down my chest and south of my navel to exactly where I wanted her.
She pulled back, and I swallowed thickly. “My god you are so beautiful, Jackson Reilly,” she murmured and my breathing quickened when her tight fist wrapped around me and the determined look on her face made me feel like I’d been hit by lightning.
Stroking up with one hand, using the other to cup my balls, I exhaled not expecting her next words.
“How badly do you want me, Jackson?”
Our eyes locked. “So fucking bad you wouldn’t believe, Princess.”
“So badly that you’ll promise me something?”
“What—yeah, anything!?” Christ, she was torturing me...
“Promise you won’t do anything crazy like hunting down Cooper and getting yourself in trouble.”
What!?
She smiled and added her other hand to the mix, double fisting my cock and stroking up and down until I was practically seeing stars and I had to shut my eyes, unable to articulate any protest to her blackmailing me because holy fuck, that felt good.
Was it because we were in the open air and someone might ride by?
Maddy leaned in and nipped my lips. “Promise me and I’ll slide down this hard cock right now and fuck you till you’re mindless.”
I was almost bordering on mindless and hearing her say ‘fuck’ was almost my undoing. “Christ. Yes. Fine. I won’t do anything crazy.”
“Good boy,” and then she lifted and held my cock with a firm hand, setting me at her entrance, and then I watched her slowly slide down to be enveloped in her wet, tight heat.
I was home and groaned out loud, not caring that she had me by the balls because literally, she owned me, all of me.