Through the Dust (Black Springs Ranch, #2)

by Amber Palmer

“Is that why you can’t stop staring at me?” It was dark, but I swore his cheeks heated. “Maybe we should add delusional to the mix, too. I ain’t fucking staring.”

“It’s a bar, Bishop. If I wasn’t loud, your old man ears wouldn’t be able to hear me.” He huffed. “Yeah, that’d be really horrible. What a shame.”

“You know, if you really want to keep me quiet, you could give me something to fill my mouth with and shut me up. It’s worked for others in the past.”

“Why are you such a pain in the ass?” I batted my eyelashes. “Because it drives you insane.”

Lennox Hayes and I were like fire and ice. She burned hotter than a thousand fucking suns and had the temper to boot. I was the dick who acted unaffected but was anything but. That woman had a way of getting under my skin like no one else had. She drove me crazy, slipping further into madness with each moment we spent together—which was way more than I liked.

My words stopped as she reached forward with her other hand. She grabbed my hat and placed it on her head with smug satisfaction. “If you want me to get down, Bishop,” she said, running a finger along the gold chain around my neck, “then you better make me.” I barely heard the grumble of disappointed men behind me, too aware that Lennox Hayes was wearing my hat. My. Fucking. Hat.

Without thinking, I brought my palm down on her ass hard three times, turning her angry protests into a muffled moan. That noise went straight to my dick, which was growing harder by the second.

hot hot hot

“You just gonna stare at my tits, cowboy?” Lennox asked. It wasn’t her usual bravado. Her voice wavered as if she was trying to gain control of the situation, but she knew it was out of her hands. “Or are you gonna do something about it?”

“The things I wanna do can’t be done in public, killer.” She licked her lips. “Tell me anyway.”

“It’s taking everything in me not to throw you over my shoulder again and haul your bratty ass to the bathroom. I wanna lock the door, force you to your knees, and stuff that smart fucking mouth with my cock until your make-up is ruined. And then I’d fuck you bare against the wall, hard and fast, letting you scream for more. I bet you’d beg me to come inside your hot little cunt, wouldn’t you?” She whimpered, fidgeting in her seat. It filled me with a smug sense of satisfaction. “Yeah, you’d thank me for filling you up, killer. It’d turn you on to know I’m leaking out of you whenever some other mother fucker tried talking to you.”

Now, all I could feel was the phantom beat of Lennox’s racing heart as I held her like I owned her. I hated how much I wanted to feel it again.

I’d been dirty talked into a quiet submission. Who knew that was a thing?

A small-town Taco Bell drive-thru on a Saturday night was my own personal kind of hell.

“Whatcha staring at, Bish? See something you like?”

“Sure do, killer.”

“Is that right, Bish? You think you’re up to the challenge?” “What challenge would that be? ‘Cause it sure won’t be making you come. I could do that shit without thinking.”

“You look at me while you have my fucking cock stuffed down your throat.” Lennox’s eyes snapped up, lined with pretty tears.

If we’d been anywhere else, I would’ve ripped her from her seat and bent that infuriatingly hot little ass over my knee, and turned her ass red. It was the wrong thought because I shouldn’t—I couldn’t—think of Lennox that way. Not anymore.

She needed a man, not a boy. One who could put up with her shit and give it right back. Who was older and had experience and⁠—

And then she walked away, leaving me standing in a crowd, not knowing whether I wanted to fuck her or fight her.

tight jeans and a pair of boots. But therein lay my problem. I didn’t want just any cowboy. I wanted one specific pair of boots kicked off by the foot of my bed. I wanted the one next to me, as stupid as it might be.

“You think I’m not in control?” he asked, smirking when I nodded. “That’s cute. Killer, I could have you bent over this table, begging to be fucked if I wanted to. And before you try to tell me no, tell me this instead… If I reached between those sweet thighs, would I find your panties soaked? Your cunt aching to be touched? Would you give me those desperate little whimpers you gave me the first time I touched you?”

hot

I wanted to go to her, to let her know it would be okay, but I couldn’t tell her that. I didn’t know what the future looked like or if he’d come out of surgery at all. There was no fucking crystal ball, either.

I was about to peek out from under the brim of my hat, already annoyed I was awake, but then I smelled her. The soft scent of honey and vanilla filled the air, invading my senses. I’d recognize it anywhere. It was fucking imprinted in my memory. Sometimes, I swore I could still smell it on my pillow at night, like it was haunting me. Today, though, I savored it.

“Is this a pity hug?” “Do you want it to be?” The last thing I felt toward her was pity, especially now, but this was new territory for us. There’d never been a moment I could think of when she and I had ever hugged. Lennox was quiet for a moment. “It probably should be, right?” “Probably,” I agreed. “I don’t really want it to be⁠—” “Then it isn’t,” I said. “This is whatever you need it to be.” Lennox settled into my arms, laying her head on my chest.

“You just let me know when you wanna go.” She nodded. I could feel her hesitation before she spoke. “Can we stay like this a little longer?” “As long as you need.”

Try as I might, I did care about him. How could I not? He’d damn near always been in my life.

His filthy mouth had set me aflame, and no amount of special private time with my favorite vibrator had been able to give me that toe-curling goodness I was looking for.

“Have fun! Teach those kids to fight the patriarchy or whatever you do.” She rolled her eyes. “They’re six, Lennox.” “Never too early to start empowering the next generation!”

I thought that this life on the ranch was all I ever wanted, but I would give anything to stop Lennox from looking so goddamn sad.

I’d almost forgotten she was here. I was damn glad I remembered before I did something foolish, like kiss her little sister until I’d forgotten my own name.

I mean, he was stupidly attractive—I’d never, ever questioned that. Honestly, it kind of pissed me off how handsome he was. He had that whole ruggedly handsome, grumpy cowboy thing going on. It was stereotypical, but I couldn’t help but laugh at how well it fit him. The man hardly ever laughed or smiled, and when he did, it was usually either at someone else's expense or a temporary lapse in judgment.

I hated that I wanted to know what was keeping him up, that I even cared in the first place. I hated that I wanted to make it better. Even if I didn’t know how to even begin to do that.

Maybe I was the one who was going insane because what the hell was I doing alone with Bishop in my loft about to watch a scary movie? That sounded like a recipe for disaster.

“Why does it matter?” “Because I want to get to know you,”

“Bishop Bryant, are you gonna come in your pants?” Her hips rolled again, and I bit back a moan. “You flatter me.” I squeezed tighter. “You’re a fucking brat.” “Tell me something I don’t know, Bish.”

“Well, you’re topless and grinding down on my dick like it’s an Olympic sport.” Lennox’s lips parted in an O shape. “How close am I to getting a medal?” The tingling in my spine told me she was pretty fucking close to going for gold. What the hell was wrong with me? “You’re such a brat.”

“Good fucking girl,” he praised. “Taking all of me like the perfect little slut you are.”

I needed to protect my heart until I was sure Bishop would go all in with me like I was ready to be all in with him.

But where there’d once been confusion, I only felt clarity. And that clarity was Lennox Hayes.

“I’m scared,” he whispered, green eyes brimmed with silver. “I don’t know how to do this. I don’t know how to be the partner you want—the one you deserve—because I have been on my own for so long, but goddammit, I wanna try if you’ll let me.”

“There’s something I’ve wanted to do since the moment I carried you into this cabin, something we never got around to four months ago.” My lips parted as he worked his zipper down. “But I’m done fucking my hand to the thought of your lips wrapped around me, so…” he paused, pushing his jeans down his thick, muscular thighs. My mouth watered as the outline of his length came into view. “You’re gonna drop to your knees like a good girl.” Our eyes met, and I knew the slickness between my thighs wasn’t only from the rainwater. “Then you’re gonna reach inside my boxers and pull out my cock.” I licked my lips, and Bishop tracked the movement. “And then what?” He stepped forward, slowly wrapping my hair around his fist and tugging my head backward. He leaned forward, his facial hair scraping against my cheek as he whispered, “And then I’m going to fuck this pretty face of yours.”

I’d never dropped to my knees so fast in my life.

“All this temptation, all my fantasies, and you surpass them all.”

“Who owns this pussy, Lennox? Who’s gonna fuck you until you scream, gonna fill you up until you’re overflowing and marked as mine?”

“That’s a good fucking girl,” he said, pressing down on the center of my back so that I couldn’t move. “And you’re gonna take it all, aren’t you?”

“Oh my god,” I cried, scrunching the sheets in my fist. “God has nothing to do with this,” he panted. “I’m the one making this tight cunt weep for me.”

“Lennox, Lennox, Lennox…” My name had never sounded so reverential before. Like I was the most precious thing in the world.

“I don’t care how you process, baby. I just care that you're mine at the end of the day.”

“You sure are cocky for a man who didn’t even wanna play ten minutes ago.” “Call me inspired. Maybe I wanna be the one to put you in your place since you’ve been swindling my boys here.”