Chapter Nine
June Fourteenth
Tucker
Standing outside of the stall, I watch with a smile on my face as the new foal takes its first wobbly steps. No matter how many times I’ve seen this shit, it’s still a miracle as far as I’m concerned. What’s even more amazing is watching the transformation from colt or filly to a prize-winning race horse.
“You should go get Hadley,” Major says, wiping his hands on the front of his stained jeans. “She’s been waiting and checking every day to see if Shadow has had this little one.”
I nod, turning toward the barn door to do as he says. Before I can even take a step, she comes rushing in. A frown is covering her face, and her hands are fisted at her sides. I can tell she is pissed way the fuck off, but I have no idea why.
“What’s wrong?” I ask as she rushes into my arms, burying her face into my chest. “Did Mom piss you off again?”
I was hoping, as time passed, things would get better between Hadley and Mom, but I was wrong. We’re closing in on a month of sharing the same house, and if anything, the tension between them has only gotten worse. Sometimes, it’s so damn thick, I swear it could be cut with a fucking knife.
Hadley never complains, never says a fucking thing. She just acts like nothing is wrong and makes excuses anytime Mom acts like a bitch to her. Mom doesn’t say much to her, not when I’m around anyway. She does make little snide comments, which my wife begs me to ignore. I’ve been doing as she asks, so far, but that shit is about to end. I love my mom, always will, but I refuse to let her treat my woman like shit. I wouldn’t let Hadley treat her bad, so it’s only fair Mom is held to the same standard.
“It’s nothing, really,” she says, pulling away and looking up at me with a fake as hell smile. “It’s just me being overly sensitive.”
“Look what we got over here,” Major pipes in, keeping me from pressing for more information. “Shadow went into labor early this morning.”
Hadley pulls out of my embrace and looks over at the stall. “Oh, my.”
The look of adoration on her face is fucking gorgeous. Her eyes light up with happiness, and her cheeks are flushed with excitement. I’ve never seen a prettier sight in my life.
“Tucker, isn’t it just beautiful? I’ve never seen a baby horse before, not one that’s so small.” She reaches out to stick a hand through the slats of the stall before pulling her hand back quickly, without touching the horse. “Is it a boy or a girl?”
“He’s a colt,” Major answers, lifting his chin to me and heading to the door. “He’s gonna make a damn fine stallion one day.”
After my brother leaves us alone, I step near Hadley and sling an arm over her shoulder. “You wanna go in the stall and give him a pet? Other than your hair, I’ve never touched anything softer than the coat of a newborn foal.”
Hadley looks up at me with such enthusiasm before it is overshadowed with disappointment. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? I don’t know if Shadow will want me touching her baby.”
Stepping over to the stall latch, I push it open and step inside. “She won’t mind. You’ve been visiting her every day for weeks. She knows you don’t mean any harm.”
She steps in beside me, shying away from the mare. Staying close to me as I shut the stall door, Hadley watches the colt with a smile filled with fascination. She finally gains enough courage to step forward and place her hand on its back. Her touch is so gentle; I’m damn near jealous of the fucking horse.
After she rubs him for a second, he walks back over to his mother. Hadley watches him walk away with a look of longing on her face. I wrap my arm around her shoulder and pull her to my side. Burying my face into her midnight-colored hair, I inhale her sweet scent and place a kiss near her temple.
“You should give Shadow some attention, or she’s gonna get jealous,” I say, bringing my hand down to give her ass a sharp tap.
“Are you sure?” she asks, never taking her eyes away from the horses. “I bet she’s sore after giving birth. She could be a little crankier than usual.”
“She’s not going to hurt you, darlin’,” I reassure her, taking a step toward Shadow. “She’ll want your attention, just like she did before.”
Hadley pushes her fear away and walks over to Shadow. She runs her hand over the mare’s muzzle, murmuring something just low enough I can’t hear. I’m shocked to see the colt stumble to her side. He brushes his body against hers. Keeping one hand on the mother, she places the other on top of the baby’s head.
“I think he likes you,” I say with a smile. “It usually takes a while for them to want to be around people, but he sure has taken to you.”
Hadley looks over to me with a huge grin on her face. “I like him, too.”
“Glad to hear that, because he’s your wedding gift,” I reply, motioning for her to follow me out of the stall.
Hadley shakes her head as she steps to the side, allowing me to lock the stall. “Wedding gift? You’ve already given me a beautiful ring. I don’t need anything else.”
I knew she was gonna say that, but she’s gonna have to get the fuck over it. “The minute Raven’s Wing was born, I knew he was yours.”
“Raven’s Wing?” she asks, looking back at the stall. “Is that his name?”
“The first time I saw you, your hair reminded me of the color of a raven’s wing.” Reaching up, I run my hands through the strands. “It’s black is deep and rich. It took my fucking breath away.”
She leans into me, placing her hand on my chest. “But, Tucker…”
I cut her off with a quick shake of my head. “His coat is the same color, the color of a raven’s wing. He got a name and a new owner within seconds of making his appearance in this world.”
“You’re giving me a horse?” she says, a sad smile on her lips. “I don’t have the money to give you anything.”
“You gave me yourself. That’s all I need,” I say, smirking at her. “If you’re worried about it, I’ve got something you can give me.”
She lets out a laugh but doesn’t reply. Smile still in place, I walk to the back of the barn and grab a blanket. Then, I wrap my hand around hers and lead her to the ladder. I watch her sweet ass as she climbs up to the hayloft, then follow her. Once I climb through the opening, I grab her hand again and lead her across to a loose pile of hay.
After spreading out the blanket, I pull my shirt over my head. “If you’re gonna give me my present, darlin’, you’re gonna need to be naked.”
She shakes her head, taking a step onto the blanket and dropping down to her knees. “No, I don’t.”
With that, she reaches for my jeans and pops the button. Her fingers quickly pull down the zipper then reach in and pull out my cock. She glides her hand up and down, leaning forward to swirl her tongue around the head.
“Fuck,” I growl, my hips thrusting forward.
She slowly runs her tongue over the underside of my cock from root to tip, while her small hand pumps my shaft in a quick rhythm. She is doing everything I have taught her over the last month. Hell, I didn’t have to teach her much. Once my cock got into her talented mouth, she was a fucking natural.
Pulling back a bit, her tongue twirls around the head before sucking me deeply into the warmth of her mouth. Her hand and mouth work in tandem. One going up, while the other is going down. The combination is enough to make my spine tingle.
Wrapping her hair around my hands, I attempt to slow her down. “Slow, darlin’. I want this to last.”
When she doesn’t listen, I tighten my hold on her hair. I thrust my hips into her mouth, controlling the rhythm. Careful not to give her too much, I go as far as possible. Just when I think it can’t get any better, her tiny hand moves from my cock to my balls. She massages them with her gentle touch, bringing me closer and closer to the edge.
“Are you ready to swallow for me, Hadley?” I groan, knowing already what her answer will be.
She mumbles around my cock. At the same time, her hand adds just the right amount of pressure to my balls. Seconds later, pleasure hits me with such force I have to lock my knees to keep from falling over. My cock jerks, and I empty myself down her throat as I growl out her name.
As soon as she releases me, I stumble to the floor. Pulling her into my lap, I wrap my arms around her and bury my head in her hair. It takes a minute or two for me to catch my breath. As soon as I do, I look up and smile.
“Your turn,” I say, shooting her a wink.
Before she can reply, my mom’s voice comes from below. “Tucker, lunch is ready.”
I brace for Hadley’s reaction. When she looks up, instead of the humiliation I expected to see, she has a smile on her face. I drag in a relieved breath before placing a kiss against her temple.
“What’s so funny, darlin’?” I ask, running my hand through her dark hair.
She smirks up at me. “I’m not hungry. I had you for lunch.”