Jasper (Cloves County Cowboys Book 2) Page 8

  Thirty minutes later, he was braving the cold and heading down to start his day. He was a few feet from the gate when he saw Tripp emerge from the barn. He had to hand it to his brother, Tripp had really stepped up since the whole disastrous scheme he pulled last summer with Britt and Grey. He didn’t doubt Tripp was remorseful for almost ending what they had, all over a petty jealousy and entitlement issues on his little brother’s end.

  He began to see a change in the months following. Tripp remained an asshole, but he tried harder and put more effort into the success of the ranch than ever before. Grey was still leery of Tripp’s intentions, but Jasper was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and hope it didn’t bite him in the ass someday.

  Tripp stopped short when he caught sight of Jasper.

  “Mornin’.”

  “Morning.”

  “You sleep good?” Tripp asked with a smirk. Yeah, still an asshole.

  “I slept fine for only a few hours.”

  “Oh yeah?” Tripp grinned and wiggled his brows.

  “Did the late round of feedings. Got off track yesterday.”

  “Where’s Kellie?” Tripp looked over his shoulder toward Jasper’s house.

  “Sleeping.”

  “In your bed?”

  Jasper’s brows furrowed and his warning came out in a growl. “Tripp.”

  Tripp chuckled and held his hands in front of his chest. “Relax, Jas, it’s just a question. Listen, if I had Kellie Mitchell in my bed, you could bet for damn sure I wouldn’t be out here doing chores with your sorry ass.”

  Jasper sighed, and he crossed his arms. “Did you hear anything I said yesterday?”

  Tripp shrugged. “I heard it all, and like I said, I’m not gonna be running my mouth. I just don’t get you, Jasper.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean, you ‘don’t get me’?” Jasper glared with a deep scowl.

  “You got Kellie up at your place. The girl obviously likes you, I mean, a man’s gotta be near blind not to see how she looks at you. The girl’s been sweet on you forever.” Tripp snorted. “And as much as you love playing the saintly Fords brother, I’ve seen how you look at her. Nothing pure about the thoughts you got for her. So, yeah, I don’t get it, what’s stopping you from getting with her? Hell, she’s gorgeous, and her body…”

  “Shut up,” Jasper snapped harshly.

  Tripp laughed, shaking his head. “See, right there tells me you are holding back, just can’t understand why.”

  Jasper watched the amusement on his brother’s face. He’d never admit it vocally, but everything Tripp said was the truth. The last person he wanted to have this conversation with was Tripp. He was a self-proclaimed man-whore. He wouldn’t know love if it smacked him across the face with a two-by-four. He didn’t want Kellie for a night. And there lay the problem and struggle he was dealing with.

  “Is it Abby?”

  Jasper jerked his head so quickly the bones in his neck cracked. “What?”

  “You still hung up on her?”

  Jasper was speechless. Hung up on Abby? Is that what he thought? God, it couldn’t be further from the truth. What he and Abby had was over the minute she betrayed him. Even if she had come back to Cloves County after it happened, he wouldn’t have taken her back. Not because of his pride, but after walking in on her with another man, it broke him. It made him question his trust of those around him.

  “No, I’m not.”

  Tripp eyes him and nodded. “Good, ’cause you deserve better than her, Jasper. I know it probably don’t mean much coming from me, but if anyone deserves a good woman, it’s you.” Tripp turned and headed toward the tractor. “Roads should be clear by noon,” he shouted.

  Jasper watched his brother walk away. What the hell had gotten into him? Tripp was almost acting human, with no signs of acting the fool like usual. He headed into the barn, glancing down at his phone. He’d be able to take Kellie home in a few hours. This should be good news. So why in the hell was it making him so damn angry? He pushed the door open and stomped into the barn.

  Chapter Five

  Turn red, turn red! She rolled her eyes as they approached the intersection. The green light. She slumped into the passenger seat of Jasper’s truck. The ride was too short, and now she was looking for anything to extend it. Hell, she couldn’t even get an extra minute at a red light. It took less than thirty minutes for him to make the trip into town and pull up in front of her house.

  He had come back to the house at one to tell her the roads had finally been cleared, and he would be taking her home. Her stay with Jasper was officially over. They would resume their relationship of him being cordial and her admiring him from a distance. She tried to ignore the disappointment. This sucks.

  He shifted the truck into park but didn’t turn off the engine. Why would he? Did she really think he was going to walk her to her door? It wasn’t a date. She sighed and glanced over at Jasper, caught off guard, seeing him staring at her.

  She smiled. “What?’

  The corner of his mouth curled and he shrugged one shoulder. “The house is gonna be quiet without you.”

  She chuckled. “Bet you’ll be glad to have your bed back, huh?”

  He didn’t say anything but kept his gaze on her. When she woke, he’d already been gone. She had a vague memory of him leaving the bed, but it was foggy. Neither one of them had brought up the fact they had shared the bed. She looked to her house and back to him. “Well, I should get going.”

  “Thank you again, Kellie. Not just for driving me home but…” He paused. “You got more than you bargained for when you drove me home, and not once did you complain or show judgment. I appreciate it.”

  “Jasper, you aren’t the first person to fuck up.” She chuckled when his eyes grew wide. “And you won’t be the last. We all got things in our past we’re not proud of.” She snorted at the irony. “You’ll get no judgment from me. Besides, it was like a mini-vacation at your place.”

  Jasper smirked and turned his head to look out the windshield. “Working tonight?”

  She nodded. “Seven to two.” She took a breath in an effort to build her confidence. Now or never. What was the worst he could say? No? “You should come by later.”

  His eyes shifted to her. “Got a lot of chores at the ranch.”

  “Right.” She was expecting him to say no, but it didn’t sting any less. She couldn’t hide her disappointment. It was stupid to think this was anything more than the obvious. Some heated stares and sweet moments didn’t change anything between them. He was still reserved Jasper, and she was still town tramp Kellie. A few shared moments would never change that. She mustered a smile through her disappointment. She’d made an art out of covering up the hurt. Her survival in the small town depended on her thick skin.

  “Thanks for driving me home.” She leaned over to brush a kiss on his cheek. It was meant to be a thankful gesture, nothing more. Her lips pressed against his bristled cheek. As she moved away, his hand reached for her jaw, cupping her neck and he leaned in, filling the gap between them. Holy hell, Jasper Fords is kissing me! His lips were softer than she had imagined they would be. She resisted the urge to move in closer. Her mind was racing. Jasper was kissing her, something she had dreamed about since she was fourteen. His lips moved over hers, and she angled her head by his lead. The thumping of her heart against her chest was pounding in her ears.

  She held back the moan threatening to slip past her lips. It was hands down the best kiss she’d ever had. She pushed forward, afraid it would end before she could memorize every detail. His tongue slid across her bottom lip, sending shivers through her body. Without much thought, her hand landed on his jeans, balancing herself, and he reached around her waist, pulling her deeper into him. She gasped from his touch. Her mouth opened and he swept inside, his tongue stroking hers. She had fantasized about this moment for so long, and it exceeded every expectation she had. How could she be this aroused from just a kiss? Because it’s Jasper. She
lost any sense of restraint and took over. She gripped his leg, squeezing his thigh, meshing her lips against his, her tongue swirling over his. He tasted like coffee and mint, and she could not get enough.

  His hand on her neck traveled down to rest above her cleavage. Lower, lower, move lower. She heaved up in hopes his hand would shift in the process. It did, and his hand curved over her breast. She moaned, pressing her lips harder against his. She rubbed her legs together. Her arousal was high, and she just wanted to get closer—possibly naked. His hand squeezed over her breast, and she moaned again as she licked his bottom lip and drove back into his mouth. Her hand glided up on his leg, mere inches from his cock. Her heart raced at rapid speed. If it had been any other guy, she wouldn’t have thought twice, but this wasn’t some guy, this was Jasper.

  The brush of his finger over her taut peak sent her hand over the seam of his jeans, covering his cock and rubbing her hand over him. His groan and the firm squeeze of her breast had her practically crawling over the console to get closer. She shifted forward, unable to control herself, and ripped her mouth from his, staying only a breath-length away. She panted, unashamed of how turned on she was. She felt his breath fan over her face. This was not one-sided. Clearly, he was feeling the same as her. Kellie leaned forward, resting her forehead against his. Just being this close to him, it had felt so right.

  “Come inside, Jasper.” Her tone was breathy and low. She squeezed his cock in her hand, feeling the hard rod growing with each move she made. His breath was heavy like hers and his eyes closed. He was battling with himself.

  She leaned in, loving the feeling of his hands on her. His touch was making her hot, wet, and fully aroused. Her mouth drifted over his neck, licking his salty skin. “Come with me, Jasper,” she pleaded.

  His hand stilled on her breast and slowly moved up her neck. He drew in a breath. “I have to go.”

  It was a bat to the back of her head. A bucket of ice-cold water splashed over her heated body. It was a sharp knife stabbed into her heart. Four words and everything was over. She froze with her lips on his neck. She could feel the blood draining from her face and every throbbing part of her body. Her hand slowly retreated from between his legs, and she backed up into her seat. This was humiliating. She had thrown herself at him, and now he had to go?

  Her breath hitched as she leaned forward to grab her bag by her feet. She refused to look at him. “Thanks for the ride.” She grabbed the handle of the door, but his hand came over her left wrist, halting her speedy departure.

  “I’ve got chores, Kellie.”

  “I understand,” she whispered. She could hear the hurt in her own voice and hated it. This had never happened to her. She threw herself at a man, and he turned her down. It wasn’t so much being turned down but who was doing it. She’d just made a complete fool out of herself. Don’t you dare cry?

  “Kell, look at me.” His voice was throaty and raspy.

  She drew in a breath and tightened her mouth into a strained smile and blinked incessantly. Tears were threatening. She inhaled deeply and glanced over her shoulder. His eyes were still heated, and his mouth tightened into a straight line. There wasn’t anything left to say; he had to go. It was over.

  “I understand, I really do. Um, thanks again for bringing me home.” She turned and rushed out of the truck and up her walkway. She fumbled in her bag for her keys. She dug to the bottom and looped the ring around her finger. She hadn’t heard him take off yet. She unlocked the door and walked in, turning around to see his truck in the same spot. She closed the door and leaned against it.

  She practically begged him to come inside, and he turned her down. She sighed and closed her eyes. “Town tramp.”

  »»•««

  Jasper pulled up the long driveway to the Triple R. His family’s land had been one of the largest in the county and certainly the most successful. It wasn’t a fluke by any means. His father ran the ranch like a well-oiled machine. It was never a question of if the ranch would be successful, but how successful it would be.

  Dating back several generations, the Fords family ranch had started out with a mere hundred acres, and as the years passed on, the ranch grew to its current state of over twelve thousand acres of serviceable land. They’d weathered every storm and kept diligent and strong with years of droughts and winters lasting longer than predicted. There was no luck with the success of the Triple R; it was devotion to the land. The ranch made its money as a cattle ranch along with the crops of wheat and barley. Hay was another profitable source of income from the resale. But the true success in making the land lucrative was the men who worked it.

  Jasper had been doing chores since he could walk, riding a horse since he was three, and loving the land his entire life. There had never been a second thought of how he’d spend his life. His destiny was the ranch.

  He’d known all his life what he wanted to do, and for a long while, he thought he knew who he wanted to spend it with. His plan was shot to hell six years ago.

  Betrayal was not an easy emotion to grasp. In all the time Abby had been away, he never doubted she would be faithful. After all, he was. Didn’t even bother looking at most women who crossed his path. His heart belonged to Abby. Such a goddamned fool.

  He pulled up next to Tripp’s truck in front of the main house where he grew up. He settled back into his seat, staring up at the large country home. He glanced up at the corner of the second floor. His childhood room. He considered himself lucky. Not many people could revisit their youth, but Jasper could any time he wanted. He imagined someday showing his own children his room.

  Movement from the porch caught his eye, and Jasper sighed. His father came down the steps and headed toward the truck. Jasper got out, meeting him halfway.

  “The roads good?”

  Jasper nodded. “Yes sir. With the warm front coming in, this snow should be gone by early next week.”

  “And hopefully it will be the last of it.” He eyed Jasper. “Is your company gone?”

  Jasper drew in a breath and kept his eyes on his father. “Yes.”

  “I know you’re a grown man, Jasper, but having women stay at your place? Let’s not make this a habit.” It was posed as a suggestion, but Jasper knew better. If he wanted women to stay over, he needed to be discreet. His father’s reputation, and that of the ranch, was important. The family name had already been struck a few blows from Tripp’s antics and behavior.

  Jasper nodded dutifully.

  “Care to share with me why she was here in the first place?”

  At twenty-eight years old, he was still answering to his father. “Drank a little too much in town the other night. Kellie drove me home, and when she went to leave, the roads were covered, slick and dangerous. Her leaving wouldn’t have been safe.”

  Edward narrowed his eyes. “I see.”

  “It won’t happen again.”

  “Let’s see that it doesn’t, Jasper. You have a reputation to protect, and the reputation of the ranch. I’ve had one son go, rogue. I don’t need another.”

  Jasper knew what his father was saying. It didn’t mean he liked it. Kellie was no threat to his reputation, and he could care less what the people of Cloves County thought.

  His father turned to walk away, and Jasper immediately stepped in stride with him. “Who I spend time with is my business.” His father halted and turned. Jasper straightened his shoulders, prepared to go up against his father. Of all the sons, Jasper was the most complacent. However, who he spent his nights with was none of his dad’s concern.

  Edward scowled. “I agree. But Kellie is not your keeper, and shouldn’t have to clean up your mess. If I were you, I’d be less concerned with her reputation and more concerned about your own.”

  Jasper turned away, heading to his truck. It would be another long day, and this night he’d be going home to an empty house. He drove up the drive to his house, completely consumed with the thought of Kellie and her scent and her lips and her touch. Shit. He adjus
ted in his seat, trying to relieve the pressure building in his pants.

  Come inside, Jasper.

  He slammed on the brakes in front of his garage. What kind of damned fool was he to walk away from her? He didn’t have many regrets in life, but this was one he’d take to his grave. Letting Kellie go inside her house alone and driving away. Stupid motherfucker.

  Chapter Six

  “Let’s go before I get one more angry text from Britt. I swear my woman has a sharp tongue when she doesn’t get her way.”

  Jasper chuckled, glancing over at his brother. The stern scowl was merely for show. The woman, his future wife, had made him happier than Grey had even thought possible. He could play it off all he wanted, but Jasper knew better. If Britt wanted something, Grey would happily make it happen.

  Jasper walked over to the wall, putting away the rake and double-checking the locks while Grey fed the last of the horses. It had taken them less than fifteen minutes to complete it all. They had been working together for as long as Jasper could walk. He was closest to Grey because they shared the same work ethic and desire for a successful ranch.

  Tripp was another story, although if he was going to be fair, Tripp had made some changes. He finally started showing up for work every day. Not on time, but it was baby steps. Jasper met Grey at the door, and they headed out to the main house.

  Jasper glanced up the drive. His house sat parallel to Grey’s. They were the identical design, though his was gray and Grey’s was beige. While his driveway was empty, Grey’s house had Britt’s truck next to a larger one.

  Britt had planned a chili cook-off, as she called it. She was always throwing get-togethers or barbeques in the summer. Grey’s place hadn’t seen so much action in the entire time he’d lived in his house.

  “Who all is gonna be here?” Jasper asked. He was fishing for information but needed to be discreet. It had been over two weeks since he’d seen Kellie. It didn’t mean he didn’t think of her. The woman was taking up too much space in his head. He’d thought about calling her, or dropping in at the bar a few times, but didn’t. Resisting her from afar was easier than being around her.