Bad Boy Romance: Nick (Romantic Suspense Alpha Male Romance) (New Adult Rock Star Contemporary Short Stories) (Hard Rock Star Series Book 2) (24 page)

Ava didn't know why, but she
searched her mind for a different topic, hoping to keep up the casual
conversation. It was comfortable. As much as her body was revved up, arousal
coursing through her veins over the close proximity, dying to yank every stitch
of clothing off Noah's muscular body, at the same time, she was actually
enjoying talking to him. “It must be something in the country air,” she thought
wryly.

“So, how long have you been
working with horses? It seems you have quite the talent.” Ava's tone changed as
she remembered back to the exchange the night prior, making the double innuendo
in her statement clear.

“As far back as I can remember.
And what about you? What are you going to school for?”

“Fashion design,” she replied,
knowing she sounded far more like the typical city girl in that moment than she
would have liked. She wanted to explain further. “I love fashion, it's true,
but, I loved it just as much when I was younger, too. But, when your parents
spend more time shopping at the second hand thrift shop than at Bloomingdale's,
it's hard for a young girl to keep up. I want to change that; I want anyone
with a flare for fashion to be able to delve right in. It's a kind of artistic
expression, in my opinion,” she finished, the passion that fueled her for so
long flaring in her eyes as she spoke.

Noah's eyes were locked on
hers, his gaze intense, and she felt a light blush creep into her cheeks. He
didn't speak and her expression turned quizzical, wondering what he was
thinking.

“You're captivating,” he
whispered harshly just seconds before his lips descended on hers.

Not expecting it, she was
thrown off guard and without thinking her lips parted for him. Suddenly, his
hands were on her waist, pulling her hard against him, and the arousal that
she'd sought to keep at bay flooded through Ava, her hands twining in the hair
at the back of his neck.

The stable door opened behind
them and Ava jumped back, smoothing her hair as one of the men she'd seen in
the stable last night came walking out.

“Hey Noah. You get that thing
sorted out last night?” the man asked.

“Yeah. Everything was fine,
thanks.” He looked uncomfortable again, but he quickly moved on, putting an end
to whatever they had started just a moment before.

“OK, Ava. Are you ready to
learn a thing or two about what we do here?” He asked, a devilish gleam
lighting his eyes once again.

She nodded nervously, not
certain she liked the sounds of that. “How about we go find ourselves a private
spot to pick up where we left off,” she wanted to say aloud. Instead, Noah led
her into the stable, returning to Maggie and the wall of naughty torture tools.
He launched into an explanation of the care their animals receive and what a
typical day was like depending on the season. By the time Noah was finished,
she couldn't believe it, but she was fascinated. It all had seemed so simple
before—riding around on horses and such–but there was more to running a ranch
than she ever could have imagined. And a great deal of it intrigued her far
more than she felt comfortable admitting.

The day went by in a flash as
Ava learned to help out with one task after another, though her favorite was
certainly the time they'd spent with the horses. “Great, I'm turning into
Christie,” she'd mused silently at one point. It was hard not to feel that
enthusiasm, watching Noah work; it looked effortless, natural. With bated
breath, she'd watched as he worked with the black beast she'd seen him with
last night, breathing a sigh only when it had calmed and let Noah approach him.
She was still awed by the way he seemed able to communicate with the animal.

Evening approached and he
didn't seem in any hurry to run screaming from the inexperienced city girl, joining
them for dinner at Will's, and conversing easily with the group. Though, all
the while the conversation carried on, she could feel Noah's eyes on her, and
what tedious hold she had left nearly gave out right there at the table. She
wanted him naked, panting above her now, and the look in his eyes told her he'd
be more than happy to oblige. She'd kept her hormones on a tight leash all day,
but now that there wasn't work to keep her distracted, she was losing her grip
fast.

Soon after the meal was done,
Christie and Will were still deep in conversation, Noah stood, offering to walk
Ava back to her cabin on his way home. Doing her best to conceal her
enthusiasm—and failing miserably at it—she was on her feet in seconds. The two
barely made it out the front door when Noah turned, pressing her back against
the brick wall. His mouth swooped down on hers and she met him eagerly. Ava had
no idea if anyone could see them, and when she felt Noah's hands on her waist,
pulling her hard against him, her soft curves molding to his hard body, she
wouldn't have cared if every worker on the ranch was there watching the
spectacle—kind of kinky if she thought about it. Her fingers reached for the
open collar of his shirt, fumbling with the buttons to expose more of the hard,
sinewy muscle she'd been desperate to touch all day. She'd barely revealed more
than an inch or two when the older man who had walked into the barn last night
came around the corner from the front of the house.

Noah released her begrudgingly,
but it was too late. The man sauntered over to them, a big grin on his face.

“So Noah. It looks like you're
breaking your own rule, huh?” the man said in a teasing tone.

Ava didn't know what the man
was talking about, but she was busy trying to regain her composure, not paying
much attention.

“What can I do for you,
Robert?” Noah asked the old man, obviously trying to hide his frustration.

“That same horse of yours is
giving your guys a problem tonight. Broke one of the fences,” Robert answered,
an apologetic look on his face now.

Breathing a rugged sigh of
resignation and frustration, Noah nodded, “I'll be there in a few minutes.”

As Robert left them alone, Noah
turned back to Ava, gritting his teeth against the arousal he still felt
coursing through his veins. “Responsibility always seems to call at the worst
time, doesn't it,” he mused wryly, but he couldn't resist leaning down, his
lips covering hers one more time.

Three minutes and an apologetic
goodbye later Ava was walking back to her cabin. “Damn, damn, damn!” she cursed
under her breath, foreseeing another restless night. And she was right, tossing
and turning until the early morning hours, she finally abandoned her hope for
more than an hour's sleep at a time.

The day passed uneventfully;
Christie headed off early to some activity or another while Ava opted to hang
out in the cabin for a while, figuring a soothing soak in the hot tub had to
beat early morning chores. An hour later, the water in the tub cooling to an
uncomfortable temperature, she hopped out, wrapping a towel around her and
stepping out into the living room to retrieve her suitcase. A knock sounded at
the door before she could open her luggage. She walked over, opening the door a
moment later to find Noah on the other side.

“Good morning,” he greeted her
as his eyes took in her scantily clad form.

OK, Ava wasn't generally the
overtly forward type, but given the number of times circumstance had thwarted
her in the past days, she didn't mind stepping out of character for a while.
Without saying a word, she grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him into the
cabin. Reaching up on tiptoes, she wrapped her arms around him and covered his
mouth with hers, her tongue plying against his lips instantly. She could feel
his warmth radiating from his body and her skin tingled everywhere he came in
contact with her. Her hands gripping his shirt, she was the one to pull him in
hard against her this time as his hands roamed down her back, over her hips. He
groaned as she ran her fingers down his abdomen, coming to a halt where the
waist of his jeans hindered her descent. Reaching down, he lifted her up in
one, smooth motion, and then he started through the living room toward the
bedroom beyond. Noah had taken two steps when they heard footsteps on the porch's
front steps, and he stopped, lowering Ava's feet to the floor.

He didn't know if it was
Christie returning to the room, Will or one of the ranch hands in search of
him...All he knew was so long as he was on the ranch, there'd be one
interruption after another, but he happened to know of a place they could go
where no one would disturb them...

Noah contemplated the thought
for a moment, wondering if it was wise to so thoroughly break his rule, but he
knew his gut hadn't been wrong. And hell, he wanted Ava enough he really didn't
care if he was wrong; he'd deal with the repercussions later.

“Go get dressed,” he whispered
to her, smiling conspiratorially, before the unwelcome visitor opened the front
door.

Ava didn't know what Noah had
in mind, but if there was some chance it would put an end to the incessant
interruptions, she didn't care where he was taking her...as long as he intended
to take her. The double innuendo made Ava smile as she slipped into another one
of her favorite dresses, this time a strapless, fiery orange creation with
see-through flames licking up the entire length of her torso. Somehow, the
dress seemed fitting. Trying to appear as calm as she could, she walked back
out into the living room to find Noah and Will conversing quietly, a bright
smile on Will's face.

“Are you going to be back later
today?” Will asked Noah, and he shrugged noncommittally in response.

The exchange struck Ava as odd;
generally the employer dictated an employee's hours, whereas Will acted more
like Noah was doing him a favor showing up to work. But, what did she know
about the ranch industry?

“Ready?” Noah asked, turning to
take in Ava's new attire. It didn't provide quite the same easy access as the
towel, but it was one hell of a sexy dress. His appreciative gaze told Ava he
was OK with the trade-off for now. She followed Noah out of the cabin, walking
up to the house and around to the long front drive. Stopping at the passenger
side of a ridiculously expensive-looking vehicle, he opened the door for her, motioning
for Ava to slide in. She had no idea wranglers made such a good living.

“So, where are we going?” she
asked as he slid behind the wheel.

“You'll see,” he told her, the
same smile on his face.

He didn't keep her wondering
for long. Less than five minutes later, he pulled up the iron front gates of a
property down the road, buzzing at the gate before it opened for him seconds
later. Cruising up the long front drive, Ava's eyes nearly popped out of her
head when she saw the massive house sitting at the top. It had to be at least
three or four times the size of Will's ranch house. Stopping, he came around to
the passenger side, opening the door and waiting for Ava as she slowly exited
the vehicle. Stunned, she couldn't figure out why he'd taken her here. Did he
work for another rancher? Is that why he brought her here? Strange given that
she'd been led to believe he was planning on picking up where they'd left off.
A morning sex session at work?

He led her up the grand front
staircase which stopped at an enormous set of double doors. The door opened
before they had reached the top step, an old man greeting them there.

“Good morning, sir. Back
already?” he asked good-naturedly.

“Yes I am. Ava, this is
Michael,” he motioned toward the old man. “Michael, this is Miss Ava Mitchell.”

Ava nodded politely, but then
turned a quizzical gaze to Noah. He just smiled devilishly.

“I'll be home for lunch today,
with a guest. If you could let Margaret know, I'd appreciate it,” he spoke to
Michael. The man nodded and then he was off, through the grand, open living
area to a hallway at the far left end of the house.

Noah started forward, ascending
the tall, spiral staircase that lead to the second floor. Still perplexed,
looking around in awe, Ava followed. He turned to the right as they reached the
top and continued down the hall to the last door on the right. Opening the door
to reveal a grand bedroom inside, Ava stopped mid-step.

“This is your house,” she
stated quietly. That's why Noah had a ridiculously expensive-looking car.
That's why the old man had opened the door for them, greeting Noah. She had no
idea how a wrangler—even one as good as Noah—could afford a house so large it
looked as if it had swallowed several others. But it was definitely his house.
She was certain.

“Yes, this is my house, Ava,”
Noah confirmed, his eyes intent on hers as if he were looking for something
there.

She felt a bit uncomfortable,
and more than a little out of place. She'd never believe that money made a
person worth anything more than someone without—particularly having been the
one without for her entire life—but still she somehow felt a little out of her
league here, enough so that she took a step back, hovering at the room's
entrance.

Noah's gaze changed right then,
as if he'd found the answer to whatever he'd been looking for, and suddenly
there was nothing but molten, hot fire blazing in his eyes. Grabbing her hand,
he pulled Ava into the room, closing the door behind them. All thoughts of
money and mansions fled as he backed her up against the door, his mouth
covering hers as it had before. After days of thwarted arousal, this time, she
realized there would be no interruptions, and a wild abandonment surged through
her.

Ava's hands returned to where
they had been not long ago, fumbling with the buttons of his shirt, her eyes
fixed on his chest as the fabric parted to reveal inch after inch of the
muscular breadth of him. Unable to resist the temptation, she leaned forward,
the tip of her tongue tasting his tanned skin as she kissed her way from his
neck, down solid pecs and his, immaculately chiseled, washboard abs. She paused
briefly when she reached the waist of his jeans, then her lips continued, from
one hip to the other, just above the denim fabric that hindered her descent. Noah's
hands twined in her silken, blonde hair, and he groaned as she returned to his
center, unzipping his fly, hooking her fingers in the waist of his jeans and
continuing to kiss every inch of skin she exposed. It was Ava's turn to moan as
his cock sprang free, her mouth and lips growing moist instantly at the long,
hard length of him. As she worked her way from his neck to where she was now,
kneeling in front of him, she'd intended to tease him; to drive him wild with
anticipation, but she couldn't resist. Opening her mouth wide, she sheathed him
between her lips, taking in every inch of him she could. She moved slowly,
savoring his scent, the taste of him on her tongue, the way he felt against her
lips. After a long while, her pace increased, but not more than a few seconds
later, Noah had pulled her to her feet, his fingers moving to the zipper at the
side of her dress.