Hauling feed? What the fuck? “Eva. That feed weighs fifty pounds a bag. You don’t need to be hauling fucking feed! Where’s Jeremy? Put him on the phone.” I had to get home to her. I couldn’t leave her there without me. This crazy shit would happen.

“Jeremy is dealing with two cows that got out of the fence down in the south end of the pasture. He doesn’t know I’m doing this. He doesn’t even know daddy had to go lay down. So chill out. I got this. I’ve hauled feed bags before. It’s gonna rain soon and I don’t need hundreds of dollars of feed getting soaked.”

Fuck. Fuck. Damn. I hated this.

“It has to be ninety-five degrees today, Eva. You don’t need to be out in the heat doing that shit. Please go inside and wait on Jeremy.”

She laughed softly into the phone and my insides melted. Just hearing her laugh made me feel better. Even if I wanted her to stop moving bags that weighed too much in the damn heat. “I’m fine, Cage. I do not break that easily. Besides, I only have one bag left to get to the safety of the barn.”

I was calling Jeremy tonight. He and I needed to go over what was safe for Eva to do and what wasn’t. Better yet I’d get him alone this weekend and make it real clear. “Leave the last bag for him.”

“Did you call me just to fuss at me about working or did you have something else to talk about?” the teasing in her voice eased my temper. I missed her so damn much.

“I actually did call you early for a reason. I have a team thing tonight that the Coach called. It’s at his house. We’re discussing the summer season and going over game footage of teams we need to beat. I could be late. I wanted to hear your voice and let you know where I was and that I love you and I’m not blowing you off for a damn party.”

“I’ll miss talking to you before I go to sleep but I’m glad you’re getting to spend time with your teammates. Have fun tonight. Call me when you can tomorrow.”

“I love you, and I’m counting the hours until I can hold you again,” I said picturing her all sweaty in those cut off jeans and a tank top I knew she was wearing right now. She would even have on her work boots, which were sexy as hell.

“I love you too. Always.”

Chapter Ten

EVA

I sat on the porch, watching the driveway for Cage’s headlights. Dad had gone to bed an hour ago and Jeremy had sat out here with me for a while. He had just left to go home. The barn bedroom was ready this time. I’d put sheets on the twin mattress and pillows and a blanket. I’d even made sure we had towels and soap for the shower. Daddy would take his pills to help him sleep and he’d be asleep all night. But even if he wasn’t I knew he looked at things differently now.

He wanted to know I was safe. That I had someone to love me and protect me. He also knew I had chosen Cage. I didn’t tell him we’d be in the barn tonight but I knew he had probably guessed. When he didn’t say anything about it before he went to bed I figured that he had accepted it.

I had shaved my legs and all the other areas that needed attention. I had even given myself a pedicure and manicure. I straightened the yellow sundress I was wearing and smiled. I couldn’t wait to see Cage’s face when he realized I wasn’t wearing panties.

Two bright headlights turned down the dirt road leading down to the house and all other thought left me. I jumped up from the rocker I was sitting in and took off running. Cage’s car came to an abrupt stop in the driveway and his door flew open as he jumped out. His tall body had barely gotten out of the car when I flung myself into his arms and burst into tears.

I hadn’t meant to do that. But I couldn’t help it. He was here. I was glad I hadn’t put on anything other than waterproof mascara and some lip gloss. Cage’s arms tightened around me and he held me against his chest.

“You feel so good,” he whispered huskily into my hair. “Missed you so bad, baby.”

He pulled back enough so that he could bend his head down and capture my lips with his. I leaned into his kiss and savored it. The minty taste on his tongue was delicious. He was delicious. I moved my arms up to his chest and buried them in his hair. Cage dropped his hands to cup my butt. He froze and then ran his hands over the outside of my dress before slowly pulling the dress up until his hands were on my bare bottom.

“Damn,” he growled, breaking the kiss and looking down at me. “You’re not wearing fucking panties.”

I smiled up at him wickedly. I knew this would excite him. As if we needed any extra excitement. Just seeing him and feeling him was making me crazy.

“Barn, now,” he said in a low rumbled bending down to pick me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist and realized this might have been a mistake. The hardness in his jeans rubbed against me and I cried out. It had been too long.

“God, baby, where’s your daddy,” he asked holding my bottom in his hands as he walked toward the barn in long purposeful strides as I moaned from the pleasure the friction was causing.

“Asleep,” I managed to reply.

Cage pushed open the barn door and set me down as he closed it behind him. He grabbed my waist then slipped his hand between my legs and let out a pleased sound while my knees buckled from the brush of his fingertips.

“Naked. I need you naked,” he said as he took the bottom of my dress and jerked it over my head and tossed it on the nearest hay bail. “You deserve a bed but I can’t make it that far,” he said as he unsnapped his jeans and gently pushed me back on the wooden sawhorse behind me. His jeans fell off his hips and he reached for me picking me up and filling me in one swift move. He leaned me back against the wall with my bottom resting on the sawhorse as he grabbed my hips and began pumping in and out of me. His dark blue eyes were locked with mine.

“So damn good. Fucking heaven,” he swore as he looked into my eyes. He licked his lips making me shiver before he pulled out of me and dropped to his knees between my legs and began tasting me like a starving man. The first growl of approval from his chest sent me over the edge. I grabbed his head and cried out chanting his name over and over. Cage kissed my pulsing clit before standing back up and slamming back into me.

“Nothing tastes that perfect. Nothing.” His words only excited me more. I had just had an orgasm but I was about to have another one. I felt it building as I watched his hips in the dark barn. The glow of excitement as his pleasure built in his eyes made me pant as I drew close to losing it again.

“Gonna come, baby. I want you with me,” he said in a strangled breath.

I nodded and he plunged into me one more time. “Now,” he roared in a loud cry of release. I met his with my own as I clawed at his back and screamed his name.

Cage let go of my hips and wrapped his arms around me then picked me up. He kicked off his pants and walked back to the bedroom. I had the window unit going and the cool air hit our sweat-dampened skin as we stepped inside.

Cage hadn’t pulled out of me yet and as he slowly left my body while he set me down on the bed I moaned from the tenderness and loss.

“I swear I was gonna make love to you slow and easy. That was my plan but damn baby you weren’t wearing panties,” Cage said as he smiled down at me.

Laughing I reached up and ran a hand over his bare chest. “I wanted it wild. We have plenty time for slow and sweet.”

He looked around and noted the sheets and blanket on the bed and his grin widened. “Looks like my girl got the place ready for us.”

“Yep. Now lets take a shower and get the saw dust off my ass then we can try it again in bed.”

Cage reached down and took my hand pulling me up against him. “Only if I get to wash that sweet little pussy. I’ve missed her.”

I leaned into him. “She could tell. You made her feel very missed.”

“Mmm, let’s get her clean,” he said as he kissed the soft skin behind my ear. “Then I’ll kiss her until you scream out so many times you think you can’t take anymore.”