“Soon we will. Every night. Then I’ll get to wake you up like that all the time.”
“I can’t wait.” But his eyes conveyed the same worry he got whenever we brought up the future.
“It’ll all work out, Oz. I don’t want you to stress about anything. Just think about the future, and I’ll handle the rest.”
He shook his head with a lazy smile. “Be careful. If you keep insisting I don’t have to think or do anything, I’ll start seeing myself as a trophy wife.”
I chuckled. “You can be that too if you want.” I kissed him slow and sweet—the kind of kiss that should remind him I sawallof him. I pulled back and stroked his cheek. “Go back to sleep. I have to return to my room and get ready for work. The ranch will need to thrive if I’m to keep a trophy wife.”
He threw the pillow at me. “I was just kidding.”
“I’m not.” I leaned over him, covering his face in kisses while he giggled. Seeing him this happy made me smile. “I’m going to pamper you and give you everything your heart desires.”
“Gray, you know I don’t need anything. Just you.”
“I know. And that’s exactly why.” I hastily pulled my clothes back on while Ozzie watched me, shamelessly displaying his body. He knew damn well I couldn’t keep my eyes off him. Lying on his side with one knee pulled up, he leisurely rubbed his hole with his fingers.
Oh god.
His fingers were wet from my cum, and I wanted to suck them into my mouth.
“Temptress.” I rushed to the door. It was either that or return to the bed.
He stroked a hand over his hip. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Fuck. If I don’t leave now, I’ll be back in that bed with you. I’ll be seeing you like this all day.”
Every day his confidence grew, and I hadn’t prepared for how much that would make me want him even more. He blew me a kiss as I slipped out the door, closing it behind me.
“Dad?”
Fuck.
Matty approached me, frowning. “What’s going on? That’s Carter’s room.”
No shit. And Ozzie was staying in there.
“Uh, yeah. Ozzie—you see, he wasn’t feeling well. Must have been something he ate. I just brought him some medicine.”
Even to my ears, the excuse didn’t ring true, but Matty nodded absentmindedly. Oddly, he was still wearing the same clothes he had on when he’d left the house yesterday evening. He wasn’t the kind of guy who stayed out all night at a bar. I didn’t smell any liquor on him either.
“You just getting in?” I asked.
“Yeah. I was out…with a friend. Don’t worry. I’ll still be able to work the ranch.”
“Take the day off. We can survive for a day without you, Matty. No need to push yourself so much.”
“I’ll feel better after a couple of hours of sleep. Don’t worry about it.”
Matty disappeared into his bedroom. How lucky was I that he seemed distracted, so he wouldn’t think too much of me coming out of Ozzie’s room or the fact that I smelled of sex. I climbedinto bed and set the alarm to wake me up in an hour, but it wasn’t needed. I twisted and turned, my thoughts pingponging from Ozzie to Matty. I needed to sit Matty down one of these days. He was way too serious and needed to lighten up, get a hobby, date a little.
Shit, this was useless. I flung off the sheets and hit the showers. When I was dressed, I scribbled a note for Ozzie to make himself available in the evening and slipped it under his door. When I peeked in on Matty, he was still asleep, so I turned his alarm off. Poor kid deserved to sleep in. He worked enough for two men.
The early morning sun cast a gentle glow across the ranch as I pulled on my boots and stepped outside. The air was crisp, filled with the earthy scent of dew-covered grass. As I walked toward the barn, more ranch hands emerged, their silhouettes gradually becoming defined against the brightening sky.
In the stables, the horses whinnied softly. Today’s task was to check the fences along the north pasture—a tedious but necessary job. I grabbed a heavy hammer, a coil of sturdy wire, and a bundle of fresh wooden posts and dropped them in the back of the old pickup.
As I was about to climb into the driver’s seat, footsteps crunched on the gravel. Hudson approached with a black eye and a somber expression on his weathered face. He was another one who worked enough for two men.
