“OK, I guess that's everything,” Olivia sighed as she closed the trunk of her navy blue Focus. She turned to Michelle, the young woman standing behind her, and wrapped her arms around her tightly. The two had been roommates, classmates and best friends for the past three years. Olivia swallowed hard, fighting back tears that were brimming in her blue-green eyes.
“I'm going to miss you so much,” Michelle choked, and Olivia nodded in reciprocation.
Olivia felt like the proverbial lion with her tail tucked between her legs. She couldn't believe she was heading for home. No doubt, her family would view her as the petulant child, determined to do things her own way until she realized mommy and daddy had known best all along. She'd driven away from her family's ranch three years ago toward a better life; a life in the glamorous fashion industry—or a two-year program at a prestigious fashion school to be precise.
She'd decided there was no way she was going to spend her life surrounded by cows, horses, chickens, goats and every other animal that made her feel like she was living in a petting zoo. “And somehow that seemed unfair,” Olivia thought ironically. With the nearest neighbor living miles down the road, Olivia was the only creature on her parents' ranch who was not getting any petting.
But, a year after graduating at the top of her class and absolutely no job prospects in sight—unless one would call a part-time job at the local Walmart a prospect—and Olivia was forced to admit defeat. Nearly penniless, she was using the last of her meager savings to make the shameful trek home.
“Just think, I'll be the most stylish woman on the ranch. And you never know. One day Diane Von Furstenberg's car might break down right outside and she'll be so impressed with the fashionable girl who gives her car a boost that she'll take me under her wing. I could be designing for one of the most prestigious fashion houses in no time,” Olivia tried to lighten the mood.
She released Michelle then and slowly made her way to the driver's side door. Olivia waved goodbye, slid into the car and slowly drove out of the apartment building's parking lot. And in just a few short hours, she'd be pulling into the ranch's long front drive.
“It isn't all bad,” she reassured herself as she drove.
In truth, she'd missed her family terribly, finding it strange and difficult to see them so infrequently. She had assumed she'd get used to it, but even now as she drove home in defeat, she knew that at least a small part of her was already excited to see her parents once again. They had empathized with her when she called to tell them she'd be moving back home, but the tone in their voices was hard to miss—they were sad to hear their daughter was struggling but obviously happy to have her back. Olivia smiled. She supposed she could have it worse. Sure, she'd bombed in the real world, but her family was right there waiting for her with open arms.
Still, she had absolutely no idea what she was going to do now, and her thoughts meandered through the limited possibilities as she merged onto the highway that would lead her home. “Do I resign myself to an ordinary life on the ranch?” she wondered. “Bring modern fashion to the countryside in hopes of eking out a meager existence dressing the local ranchers in style? I could always become the first fashion designer for farm animals,” she considered wryly, and then giggled aloud at the ridiculous images the thought brought to mind.
It was enough to jostle Olivia out of her misery. “That's the end of it,” she determined as, hours later, she pulled off the highway and onto the road that was so familiar. Just twenty more minutes and she'd be home, and she would sulk no more. Sure, she had no idea what lay ahead of her, but she was young and had time to figure it out.
A smile returned, as she used up the brief remaining moments of the drive to reminisce over her years away from home. She'd left the ranch an inexperienced juvenile, eager to sample everything the big city and life in the fast lane had to offer. She'd met a multitude of wonderful people—and a few creeps and degenerates—along the way. She'd grown in so many ways over the past three years that, even if her adventure in fashion ended here, she was a better person for it.
Olivia took a deep breath as she spied the gates that marked the entrance to her parents' ranch, and she whispered as she exhaled, “Home.” Another minute and she had pressed the buzzer and the gates had opened before her. She began to ascend the long drive to the sprawling house at the top, vaguely able to make out the two figures awaiting her on the front porch—her parents, no doubt. But her attention was drawn elsewhere.
A new figure appeared from beyond the side of the house, moving easily but deliberately toward the home's front porch. Even after such a long absence, she would recognize his confident stride anywhere. Dean. She'd spent countless hours watching him throughout her teen years and even more conjuring images of him in her adolescent fantasies. Oh, she'd almost forgotten how hot and bothered he'd made her, but it was coming back to her quickly now.
Olivia had never been quick to envy—she was generally happy to see others get, even when she didn't, but she remembered one evening Dean had forced her to succumb to the green-eyed monster. She'd been sixteen at the time. She had walked into the horse stalls late in the day to find him brushing down one of the family's horses after a hard ride. She'd never before thought she could be so jealous of a horse. She'd stood there, unable to move or tear her gaze away, watching the taut, sinewy muscles of his arms flex as he moved along the horse's body. He'd obviously gotten a good workout too; his naked torso still glistening with sweat. God, how she'd wished she was the horse right then. Hell, she would have been happy to be the T-shirt casually draped over his shoulder. He spoke and her eyes were drawn to his lips, watching them move as he talked softly to the horse. Until then, she had no idea a man's lips could be so captivating, but her body had begun to ache and throb as she imagined all the wicked things those lips could do to her.
Olivia shook her head, trying to stem the flow of arousal that had begun to course through her veins and force her thoughts back to the present. She'd been just twelve years old when nineteen-year-old Dean had first come to work on the ranch, and only a doe-eyed virgin seventeen-year-old when he'd left at twenty-four to attend to some family matter. He'd never seen her as anything other than the rancher's kid. Olivia had left for college while he was still away, but seeing him now told her absolutely nothing had changed. “Damn!” she cursed quietly, begrudgingly acknowledging her hopeless infatuation with her parents' number one horse wrangler.
She slowed as she approached the top of the drive, giving herself an extra moment to regain her composure. Dean had reached the porch at the same time she slid her car into park, and she watched as he spoke with her father, doing her best to keep her gaze from settling on his lips.
“Enough! Let's go, Olivia,” she chided herself, forcing the car door open and stepping out onto the pavement.
Dean had just begun to turn away, heading back in the direction from which he'd emerged. But he saw her then and stopped, and Olivia could have sworn his mouth dropped open for the briefest of seconds. His eyes swept down her body and back up to meet her eyes as she ran her fingers nervously though her long, auburn tresses. Dean's jaw took on a harder edge before he turned quickly and headed around the side of the house.
It happened so fast that Olivia wondered if perhaps she'd imagined his response to her; years of longing leaving her just a smidge delusional. But her parents were already descending the front steps, hurrying toward her, and just seconds later she was wrapped in her mother's arms. She forced Dean to the back of her mind once again. It seemed inappropriate to be thinking about the hot horse wrangler as her father leaned down to kiss her forehead.
“Hi Mom. Hey Dad,” she greeted them, returning her mother's hug and kissing her father's cheek. “I've missed you guys.”
“And we've missed you terribly,” Olivia's mother uttered as she fought against the tears welling in her eyes, squeezing her daughter tight for one more moment before releasing her hold. “We're so sorry it didn't work out like you'd hoped, but you're here now, and we'll figure something out. Miracles happen, Olivia,” her mom told her emphatically.
From birth, everyone had called Olivia the miracle baby. Her parents, Christine and Robert, were much older than most, told for years they would never conceive a child of their own. And then one day, years after giving up on ever having a baby, Christine had surprised everyone by announcing she was pregnant.
Can't argue over miracles with Mom, Olivia thought wryly, nodding her acquiescence instead.
Robert turned toward the house, leading the small group inside and out of the blazing heat of the midsummer's sun.
“So, your mother has a surprise for you, Olivia. Might as well get it out of the way now, Christine,” he mentioned as casually as he could manage. She eyed her mother suspiciously.
“Well, you know we're just so glad to have you back home for now, Olivia. And there are others here who have missed you while you've been away, too.” Christine paused, but Olivia remained silent, waiting for her mother to continue.
“I know you're not one for big parties and such, but I was just thinking a little gathering to welcome you home wasn't too much,” Christine smiled innocently.
“And all the fun starts in a little over five hours,” Robert grinned, no doubt knowing Christine had planned on breaking that part to their daughter more gently, but unable to resist getting his wife into a little trouble.
Olivia feigned an angry look, but couldn't help joining in her father's joviality with a grin of her own. Truth be told, she'd become much more accustomed to large crowds since going away to school. While the college campus wasn't large, she'd attended her fair share of parties both on-campus and off, and even frequented the occasional nightclub to further her worldly experience in the big city.
“It's OK, Mom. I know you couldn't resist,” Olivia smiled and kissed her mother's cheek before turning past the main foyer and through the open concept living area toward her bedroom beyond. She paused mid-step, realizing her parents might have changed things around while she'd been gone; perhaps they'd turned her bedroom into a sewing room, or replaced her bed with a billiard's table. Her parents must have understood her hesitation.
“Of course it's still your room. You'll always have a place here at home,” Christine assured her.
Olivia smiled brightly and then continued to her room with her rolling luggage in tow. Closing the door behind her, she rolled the luggage to the bed and immediately began stripping off the viscose dress clinging to her heated skin. She unzipped her luggage, rummaging for a cotton sundress and then continued onto the window, enjoying the coolness of the room's air conditioning on her naked flesh. She pulled the curtains aside—there was seldom anyone so near to the house in the rear yard. As she looked around, it surprised her to find the familiar scene outside so comforting. It's as if she'd been away out of necessity for all these years and just now coming home to the place she'd missed so much.
“Strange,” she thought, feeling rather perplexed. Had she really just been the petulant child, determined to do things differently? Is this where she had belonged all along?
Her thoughts changed direction quickly as she saw Dean striding through the yard. God, he was gorgeous. Over six feet tall, broad shouldered, sinewy muscle everywhere. Olivia could feel her satin thong getting wetter with every second she continued to stare at the cowboy Adonis in the yard. Funny though, she remembered him spending a whole lot more time with the horses when she was here last, and less time looking like he was running the place...
Oh, hell! That was it, wasn't it? Her dad was in his sixties, and his daughter had shown absolutely no interest in taking over the ranch. Dean looked like he was running the ranch because he was. The idea of Dean permanently ensconced at the ranch both aroused and frustrated her; drooling over him day-in, day-out—no person should be subjected to such torture.
Olivia raised her arm, reaching for the curtain's edge, but her movement must have caught Dean's attention and his eyes found hers instantly before traveling down her body. She knew she should move away from the window or close the curtain in a hurry, but she stood there, clad in a skimpy satin bra and thong. And when his heated gaze returned to her eyes she forced herself to meet him there, staring back like the young, desirable woman she was, no longer the doe-eyed teenager. She'd never been so bold in her life, and a thrill coursed through her body knowing he was looking at her. But he didn't stop. Was he as aroused as she was? Or was he having fun with her, seeing if he could make her squirm? The thought of the latter made her blush profusely and she darted away from the window. But, not before she saw the corners of his lips pull up in a sexy smile, leaving Olivia quite certain he must have been toying with her.
She stretched out her arm to close the curtain and then crossed the room to sink down on the bed. Damn! I'm not here twenty minutes and the guy's already got me acting loopy! Of course it was a joke...I'm still just that little kid to him, right?
Olivia closed her eyes, breathing deeply—an exercise she'd learned when stress overcame her at school—and waited for her calm to reemerge. It was one silly encounter at a window—not the end of the world.
OK. That's enough humiliation for one day, she affirmed as she opened her eyes and committed to getting on with the day.
She slipped into the cotton sundress, smoothing it down over her body and checking her reflection in the mirror. Dean might still see her as a kid, but she really had blossomed over the past several years. Her soft, feminine features gently framed by her thick, wavy hair; the firm, upper swells of her breasts rising above the low neckline of the white fabric of her dress; her soft waist and tantalizing voluptuous curves. She really had become a beautiful, young woman.
Olivia looked around the familiar confines of her bedroom one more time before leaving to rejoin her parents. Unfortunately, her father had retired to his room for a nap and her mother was busily engaged with the caterer she'd apparently hired for tonight's “small” gathering. Olivia wandered to the living room and outside through the sliding glass doors that looked out on the yard. She stood still for a moment, perusing her surroundings and hoping Dean had moved on to some other task elsewhere. There were plenty of ranch hands busy with work around the barn about a hundred yards from the house, but she moved in the opposite direction, heading directly for the forested path she knew was just a few moments' walk away.
A minute into her stroll, she kicked off her sandals and started to run, enjoying the open space, the breeze against her skin and the familiarity of the path she'd wandered so often in her childhood. She entered beneath the shady canopy of the trees and slowed, catching her breath. A sound caught her attention up ahead and she froze, not frightened, but listening carefully to discern the noise. And it became clear quite quickly; the fervent whisper of a man and the quiet moans of a woman. She tiptoed forward until she found them, moving behind a nearby tree to disguise her presence. The woman was completely naked, laying on the blanket-covered ground while her shirtless companion moved along her body, his lips exploring every square inch of her skin. It was so erotic; something Olivia had craved for so long, but the few intimate partners she'd had were too concerned with seeking their own release to spend much time seeking out her pleasure.
“How are the front row seats?” Olivia nearly jumped out of her skin as a male's voice whispered behind her, just inches from her ear.
She turned then, stumbling slightly in her hurry and the stranger's hands came out quickly, gently grasping her arms to steady her. Olivia was flaming red and desperately trying to whisper a plausible excuse for her presence.
“I just got home, and I'd been here so many times before. I just wanted a few moments to myself...and then...” she couldn't find the words to continue. Her embarrassment and the feel of the stranger's rough hands on her soft skin were muddling her thoughts.
“And then you stumbled onto a real-life sex show and couldn't take your eyes off it?” the man teased quietly.
Instead of releasing her arms, his thumbs began to rub up and down slowly. Perhaps it was a result of her arousal from the erotic scene behind her, or maybe Dean still had her feeling loopy, but the stranger's thumbs were sending tiny ripples of pleasure through her body.
“You're Olivia,” he whispered, a statement not a question, but she nodded regardless. “Wow, I definitely get why he had such a...hard...time keeping his hands off you,” the stranger continued cryptically.
“I don't understand...do I know you?” she asked, running his handsome features through her mind in search of some recognition. But although there was something so familiar about him, she was quite certain she'd never seen him before in her life.
“My name's Christian. I'm a horse wrangler here on the ranch,” he told her.
“Oh, nice to meet you,” she whispered and then instantly realized her polite greeting was entirely out of place in their current situation.
“It's very nice to meet you, too, Olivia. I hope we have an opportunity to get...better acquainted. But for now, you should be going. Their break time is over in about three minutes,” he told her, pointing to the moaning couple behind her.
Olivia nodded but didn't move. It wasn't until Christian had released his hold on her arms that she found her feet again and urged them to propel her back toward the house. She ran until she reached the clearing and then slowed her pace. She couldn't help but break out in laughter then, covering her mouth with her arm to muffle the sound. It certainly had been an unusual homecoming thus far. But that was enough venturing out. No more stumbling onto sex shows; no more running into handsome strangers; and absolutely no more Dean. And the best way to ensure it: an afternoon with mom. Olivia picked up her pace once again and headed straight for the glass doors at the rear of the house where she'd exited not long before. She smiled. She saw her mother there, watching as she approached. Just a few more steps and she could secure the rest of the afternoon—nothing but peace and party preparations.
Her mother stepped through the open glass doors and motioned her over. Olivia sped up even more until her mother called out to her. “Sweetheart, you remember Dean, don't you?” Christine motioned to the man who was just now walking out onto the back patio. Olivia nearly stopped dead in her tracks.
“Damn! Out of the frying pan and into the fire. Can't a girl catch a break?!?” she cursed silently, exasperated by her luck.
He stood casually next to Christine, but upon close inspection, she could see the hard set of his jaw return.
“Hi Liv,” he greeted her and his deep, husky voice sent arousal coursing through her anew. He was the only person in the world who got away with calling her “Liv.”
“Dean is taking over for your father,” Christine explained what Olivia had already figured out. “Though, I think Robert will have to be six feet under before he releases the reins completely,” her mother teased the man standing next to her.
Olivia hadn't stood this close to Dean in almost four years, and if she had thought he was drop dead gorgeous from a distance, it didn't hold a candle to what he looked like up close and personal; five-o-clock shadow, tanned, glistening skin, and vivid, green eyes.
“Are you alright?” Christine asked concerned when Olivia appeared to make no effort to respond.
“I think I'm just feeling tired from the long drive, Mom. I'm just going to go lay down for a while and I'm sure I'll be good as new for the party this evening,” she uttered the lie quickly. “It's good to see you again, Dean.” She glanced in his direction, avoiding eye contact as she stumbled through the cordiality and quickly escaped into the house.
In her room, she collapsed on the bed and quickly realized her excuse had not been entirely untrue. Whether from the long drive or the ridiculous chain of events since she'd arrived home, Olivia really did feel worn out. Her eyes fluttered closed and she was asleep within moments. But all the while she slept, her mind tormented her with images of the man she'd longed for since her youth. Strangely though, a new face entered her tortuous fantasies sporadically as she slept: Christian, the man she'd run into in the forest. His rough hands held her from behind, sending shivers of pleasure through her body as Dean approached. Dean's lips found hers, but they didn't linger there long; moving from her mouth to explore her body and leaving a fiery trail with his lips as he descended. Christian's lips moved to her neck as his hands left her arms to cup her breasts. Dean was on his knees in front of her, just inches from where she ached and throbbed, desperate to feel his mouth on her clit. He covered those inches slowly, drawing out his sweet torture. Christian moved from behind her. Suddenly his face was within her view and she saw his jaw harden as he fought to maintain control over his desire. Her jaw dropped open. She'd recognize that jaw anywhere...the way it tensed as he gritted his teeth...
“Olivia! It's time to get ready,” a voice broke into her dream as she heard a knock at her bedroom door.
Olivia sprang up and nearly fell off the bed, stunned from sleep by her mother's voice while still reeling from the shock of that last discovery in her dream. Christian was Dean's brother—a much younger brother who bore little resemblance to his older sibling. Perhaps he was a cousin? But no, that jaw was too much the same to have come from some distant familial connection.
“Are you awake, Sweetheart?” her mother inquired further.
“Um, yes Mom. I'm up. I'll be there in just a few minutes,” Olivia replied, buying herself a little more time.
She rummaged through her luggage once again, looking for something that hadn't been wrinkled and dampened by her vivid imagination. She forced her thoughts toward preparing for this evening's event, finding her favorite semi-casual dress: a mid-thigh length cream-colored A-line dress. It had a deceptively demure front neckline while the back plunged nearly all the way to her tail bone. She stripped off her cotton sundress and slipped into her silky favorite. Combing her fingers through her hair, she checked her reflection. Satisfied, she stepped out of her room a moment later at precisely five-o-clock, taking a deep breath before making her appearance for the crowd she could hear congregating in the living room.
She found her parents talking to an elderly couple across the room and joined them. From there, Olivia was reintroduced to the familiar friends and workers she'd grown up with, and introduced to other newcomers to the ranch and the surrounding area. She caught sight of Dean, standing just inside the room's sliding glass doors, talking with two young women she didn't recognize. Before jealousy could settle over her, she felt two warm, rough hands rest gently on her hips, his thumbs coming in contact with the bare skin of her back.
“Hello again, Olivia.” She recognized Christian's voice, whispering to her just inches from her ear as he'd done earlier that day. “No...entertainment for this evening?”
She began to blush, but forced herself to reply flippantly. “I just thought I'd get myself a good seat in case something happens over there,” she teased back, nodding her head in Dean's direction.
“Smart,” he commented back, “but something tells me Dean's not likely to settle for those when something he wants so much more is so close.”
Olivia's gaze searched around the room looking for someone who might be of more interest to him, but she couldn't find anyone more attractive. Christian just chuckled behind her and carefully turned her around to divert her attention. His hands remained on her wide hips as his eyes, ablaze with desire, met hers.
“I don't suppose I can talk you into ditching this event for a private party with me?” he queried, half serious and half in jest.
“Sorry, I'm the guest of honor,” she replied in a voice so sultry it surprised her. Where did that come from? she wondered.
“I suppose I'll have to steal you away some other time, when all this glitz and glamor doesn't have you so captivated,” he continued to tease.
Olivia smiled. A very large part of her had desperately wanted to say yes. Her brief encounters with Dean that day seemed to have every fiber of her body sensitized, and Christian was an incredibly attractive, compelling man. But it was odd, wasn't it? The younger brother of the man she'd wanted...forever?
Her mother eliminated the need to make a decision a moment later, walking over to her with yet another new neighbor anxious to meet Robert and Christine's daughter. Christian released his hold on Olivia before her mother noticed. And by the time Christine had made the introductions and she could turn her attention elsewhere, he was gone. Glancing around the room, it seemed Dean had disappeared, too.
The rest of the evening passed rather mundanely and by the time the last guest exited the front door, Olivia was exhausted. She bid her parents good night and retired to her room quickly, changing into a simple tank top and boy-cut shorts. Laying on her bed, she closed her eyes expecting sleep to overtake her within seconds. But ten...twenty...thirty minutes passed and still she laid there wide awake. Her body was simply too wound up. She stood and quietly left her room, tiptoeing through the house to avoid awaking her parents on her trek out into the yard.
She wandered out to the familiar structures she'd avoided earlier that day, stopping at the horse barn as she remembered the evening she had found Dean inside years ago. It was silly, but she couldn't resist. She strolled over to the doors and pulled one open, intending to slip inside for a brief moment of reminiscence. She must have been so caught up in her own thoughts that she hadn't heard the voices carrying on inside, but as the door opened, she came to an abrupt halt. There were no horses there but rather a small group of men sitting around a poker table. Her eyes immediately found Dean; he would stand out to her in any crowd. She recognized Christian sitting to the left of him, but the other two men there were unfamiliar to her.
“Oh, sorry. I didn't realize the barn had been converted to...” Olivia wasn't sure how to finish that sentence. What exactly had the barn been transformed into?
“It's OK, Olivia,” Christian spoke up as his eyes grazed over her meagerly clad body appreciatively. “A new barn was built last year a little further out, and your Dad hasn't quite figured out what he wants to do with this old thing.”
She nodded and turned to leave, but stopped short of the door. Christian certainly didn't seem to mind her presence, nor did the other two men who were doing their best to muster up their x-ray vision at the moment to see through her clothing. Perhaps now was an opportunity to get Dean to start seeing her in a brand-new light; the poker-playing seductress instead of the tag-playing kid. She didn't have any money on her at the moment, but a brief trip back to her room for her purse would remedy that.
“So, what are the stakes?”
“Um, we don't generally play for money, Liv,” Dean explained slowly, reluctantly.
“It isn't really worth the time. We've found it a whole lot more interesting to play for...favors,” Christian piped up.
“What kind of favors?” Olivia asked, a little perplexed. She couldn't imagine this group betting manicures and laundry days, like she'd done with the girls on campus.
“Like this,” Christian held up a slip of paper that read, “Two hours of barn work.” He held up another, “West end fence repair.”
“Oh. So, I suppose I'm going to have to remember all the stuff my dad taught me in a hurry.” She felt a little out of her league at the moment, but refused to back down. Perhaps it was the wine she'd had at the house, or maybe she was just determined to be viewed differently now.
“It's probably best if you don't, Liv,” Dean told her, his hands clenching as he spoke.
She couldn't understand why Dean objected. Did he really think she wasn't capable of a little work on the farm?
“Oh, let her play,” Christian urged and the other two men muttered their agreement. Dean was definitely outvoted.
He was silent for a moment, obviously searching fervently for a plausible excuse. Finding none, he nodded reluctantly.
Christian was quick to pull up a spare chair next to his own and held it out, waiting for Olivia to take a seat. He passed her a pen and a handful of slips of paper and the group waited for her to write up her “favors.” And then the game was on. Dean seemed to relax some as the rounds continued, even cheering for her briefly as she won her first pot about six rounds in. But a few rounds later, his jovial mood fled.
“OK, John. It's your bet,” Dean had good-naturedly urged the man sitting to the right of him.
John was silent for a moment before scribbling down a new “favor” on a blank slip of paper. He took a swig from the bottle of beer in front of him, glanced at the cards in his hand once more, and placed the slip on top of the pile in the center of the table. “I think I've got enough menial chores stacked up for one night. What I want is Olivia's shirt,” he grinned.
Olivia's head shot up almost as quickly as Dean's. At first, she was confused; what would this young man want with one of her shirts? But as his eyes settled on her breasts, she quickly figured out his meaning. Dean had apparently figured it out faster than her because he was already on his feet.
“That's it. Game over. Everybody out!” he spoke menacingly.
“But I'm not done playing yet,” Olivia spoke up before thinking, fortifying her resolve with another drink from the vile-tasting beer the guys had given her. Dean was protecting her...still seeing her as the little kid she'd always been to him. If the only way to snap him out of it was to shock him, then so be it.
“You can sit there until the cows come home, Liv. Game's over.” He eyed the three men, making sure they knew he meant it. John and the other man left without another word but Christian remained seated, smirking at his brother.
“Let's go, Christian,” he spoke, meeting his eyes directly.
“You heard the lady. She's not done yet,” he smiled.
Dean was still for a moment, a torn look on his face as his eyes darted to Olivia. But he turned then without another word and walked out of the barn.
“You must have a good hand if you didn't take that 'out', Olivia,” Christian commented after Dean had left.
She put on her best poker face and nodded seriously, but her mind was spiraling in a multitude of different directions—wishing he'd fold, hoping that he wouldn't and wondering if she should have left five minutes ago.
He was silent for a moment and then, “You know, Dean called the game over. You can walk away if you want to.” His hand moved to her arm. She figured it was meant as a considerate gesture, but the feel of him against her skin sent a plethora of new thoughts spiraling through her mind. She shook her head.
“Then let's see your cards,” he told her, meeting her eyes as his thumb began to rub against the back of her arm.
She laid her cards out on the table and waited for Christian's to join hers. His free hand placed his cards next to hers and she sighed, realizing she'd lost, though at the same time her body came to life in anticipation.
“I guess that means I need your shirt, Liv,” he whispered.
“Don't call me that,” she replied automatically, but still she moved from her chair.
Christian swallowed hard as Olivia stood before him. His eyes flamed with desire but she could see something else dawning there, too, and she looked at him quizzically.
“Dean called you 'Liv' and you didn't object,” he began as his hands reached for the hem of her shirt.
He paused there, obviously giving her one more chance to change her mind but she didn't move. Christian lifted her shirt's hem slowly, leaning forward to press his lips against the skin he had exposed. He raised the hem higher and his lips traveled upward, too.
“You want him,” he told her, his lips still pressed gently against her.
Perhaps it was because of her limited experience, but somehow it seemed wrong to blatantly lie in her current position, so she remained silent as his lips set her body on fire.
“He wants you, too, you know?” Christian continued. “He's wanted you for so long, Olivia. You have no idea what he'd give to be where I'm sitting right now.”
Olivia shook her head in objection. She had no idea why Christian was telling her such things...some strange sort of foreplay? But, she definitely didn't believe a word he was saying.
He distracted her then, standing abruptly, having reached as high as the shirt would go before exposing her breasts. As soon as he was on his feet, the hem of her shirt continued upward swiftly. Her large breasts sprang free as her arms moved upward, Christian pulling the shirt over her head and off her arms.
“God, you're gorgeous,” he groaned.
And then his hands were on her quickly, cupping her full breasts as he moved to take one nipple in his mouth. She moaned softly in response, the arousal coursing throughout her body settling between her legs.
Olivia reached for him, her hands tugging at his shirt, and he moved to let her pull it over his head. Her fingers grazed along his heated skin and he groaned louder, releasing her breasts and pulling her hard against him. His mouth moved to cover hers; he was just a hair's width away.
“Oh, hell no!” a deep, husky, so-familiar voice startled Olivia.
“I kept my hands off her for years, Christian. You do not get her all to yourself,” Dean whispered harshly.
Olivia's arms fell to her sides, stunned by the unexpected intrusion, and Christian released his hold on her, a smirk on his face. Dean moved quickly, crossing the room before either of them could respond. His hands moved to grasp Olivia's wrists, lifting her arms above her head and backing her up the few steps to the wall behind her. His eyes met hers and her mouth gaped open at the fire she found blazing there. He took advantage right then, his mouth coming down hard on hers; his tongue demanding immediate entry into the warmth of her mouth.
Olivia struggled against his hold on her wrists, not wanting him to stop, but rather needing to touch him, to run her hands along the firm, sexy body she'd fantasized about for years. His groan was guttural, almost inhuman, when Olivia's tongue moved to meet his own.
It was a long moment before he came up for air, but finally, “You've driven me crazy since you were sixteen years old,” his husky whisper was filled with long pent-up arousal. “I've seen the way you've looked at me, and God, how I've wanted you. I don't give a damn if I burn in hell for it; I have to have you, Liv.”
He took a step backward, pulling her with him before releasing his grasp on her wrists. His hands trailed down her arms and stopped once he reached her full breasts; he lingered there, his fingers outlining their sides. It was so unreal; Olivia's head was spinning. She gasped then; Dean's hands moved to her breasts, cupping them firmly while his thumbs moved back and forth across her nipples. She'd never been more aroused in her life. And then she felt something else; Christian's hands were at her wide hips, his fingers hooking into the sides of her shorts and slowly pulling them down over her ass, past her ample thighs, leaving her smooth pussy fully exposed to Dean's view. Christian slipped the shorts off her feet and then she felt his hand wedge in between her thighs from behind, encouraging her to spread her legs open. She complied easily, so aroused that she doubted she'd have the will to resist anything either of these men wanted at the moment.
His hand moved higher, slowly working his way to her entrance. Dean watched as Christian spread her lips open, sliding a finger along her wet slit. His teasing was driving her wild and she writhed, trying to force his finger to do more. He obliged seconds later, plunging two fingers deep inside her. Olivia moaned, but Dean's mouth was there, kissing her with a fervor she'd never before experienced.
Her hands moved to his shoulders, but the fabric there frustrated her. He recognized her vexation quickly, moving to grab the hem of his shirt, and yanked it off over his head.
“Oh God,” she breathed, realizing that he was even more magnificent now than he had been years ago.
Her fingers trailed along his shoulders, his arms, his broad chest and his firm, rippling abs before the waist of his jeans prevented her further descent. Dean's hands returned to her body, one hand squeezing her breasts while the other found the aching bundle of nerves at the apex of her thighs. He touched her gently at first, obviously enjoying watching her body writhe and buck in response. But then his speed picked up, rubbing her faster and faster, as Christian's fingers continued to thrust in and out of her pussy from behind. Olivia had never reached an orgasm so fast in her life, but she felt it building quickly. Her moans grew louder and her fingers clawed against Dean's back.
“I'm going to come, Dean,” her eyes meeting his then, the sensations of her orgasm enhanced tenfold by the fiery glint in his vivid, green eyes.
Christian slipped out of her pussy as her spasms subsided, letting his slick fingers glide along the inside of her soft thighs, leaving them glistening with her wetness in his wake. Dean turned her around then, guiding her gently to the chair she'd occupied through the poker game and pressed her down by her shoulders. He knelt in front of her, spreading her legs wide. She felt completely exposed, seeing both Dean and Christian staring at her womanhood with a hungry look in their eyes; the erotic exhibition shot her arousal sky high.
Dean found the dewy trail Christian had left and his lips kissed her thighs there, following the path upward. His tongue darted out, teasing her lips and she clenched against the tidal wave of pleasure that rushed low in her belly. She watched as Christian unzipped the fly of his jeans, pulling them off as his rock-hard cock sprang free. He was next to her a second later, his dick just an inch away from her mouth. She opened to take him in, and at the same time, Dean's tongue plunged inside her, thrusting deep before withdrawing and plunging in once again. Olivia moaned as Christian's cock slid into her mouth, the vibrations from her sounds making him groan, gritting his teeth. His fingers laced in the hair at the back of her head, guiding her movements as he fucked her mouth slowly.
His speed increased as the thrusting tempo of Dean's tongue inside her accelerated, but suddenly, Dean's tongue slid out of her. Olivia whimpered around Christian's cock at the loss. Dean's fingers filled her a moment later, assuaging the emptiness. But, this time something was different: his fingers were seeking out her G-spot, and when he found it, she almost jumped out of the chair at the intensity of the sensation. He rubbed her there, his speed increasing languidly as the exquisite pressure built within her.
In his fervor, Christian thrust hard and the head of his cock reached the back of Olivia's throat. The tightness he found there sent him over the edge, withdrawing his member to watch as he shot his hot release all over her chest. Olivia's hands moved to her breasts, testing the feel of her slick flesh beneath her fingers as Dean increased his pace. Christian's hands were on top of hers almost instantly, guiding her movements once again. The slippery, sensual massage was enough to send her over the edge; she screamed as an orgasm unlike any she'd ever experienced before soaked her completely.
Dean stood then, tasting her wetness on his fingers. Olivia was on her knees seconds later, her hands coming out quickly to reach for the fly of his jeans, eye level from her position. Her mouth began to water.
“I want to feel you in my mouth, Dean,” she breathed as she tugged his jeans down quickly.
Her lips were there, her tongue darting out to tease the head of his massive cock. She lingered for a moment, enjoying the way his hips thrust forward as he groaned loudly. But she didn't torment him for long, sliding him into her mouth, struggling to take in every inch she could manage before sliding back until just the tip remained between her lips. She continued sliding his erection in and out of her mouth slowly, savoring the feeling of his hard length.
Olivia could see movement from the corner of her eye, but she didn't realize what Christian was up to until she felt his hands on her hips from behind, urging her to lean forward as Dean moved to sit in the chair she'd occupied just a few minutes before. She moved with him, refusing to let his cock slip from between her lips, her mouth bobbing up and down on him as Christian's cock began to press against her wet folds. She moaned loudly as he entered her, sliding so slowly that her body was both enthralled and frustrated by his pace. She pushed back against him, forcing him deeper inside her. She moaned as his speed increased, thrusting backward to meet him.
“It’s my turn now, Liv,” Dean groaned huskily, reaching beneath her arms to guide her off of Christian.
He pulled her on top of him in one swift movement, lowering her down onto his enormous cock slowly. Olivia experienced a brief moment of panic, worried that he was simply too big for her, but she was so wet that he slid inside her easily. He filled every inch of her; it was the most incredible sensation she'd ever experienced. He stilled, giving her a chance to adjust to his girth before thrusting in and out of her slowly. His eyes met hers as his tempo increased.
“I've imagined you like this countless times...” his husky whisper sent tremors of pleasure coursing through her veins.
She leaned forward, pressing her lips against his, knowing they would part for her as her tongue darted out to find his. He groaned and thrust faster and already Olivia could feel yet another orgasm building within her. She wrapped her legs around him, giving her the leverage she needed to meet his thrusts. Her moans turned to muffled screams against Dean's lips as he fucked her fiercely. She felt fingers against her clit, and didn't know who they belonged to—and she didn't care, because just seconds later, her back arched and she started to come yet again, her orgasm resonating throughout every inch of her body. Before the ripples of her climax had subsided, Dean thrusted into her pussy one last time, shooting his hot release deep inside her.
Olivia collapsed against his broad, bare chest, breathing heavily as her body sought to recover from the most intense sex in her life. Dean didn't seem in any hurry to move either, his fingers moving lightly along her back.
In the quiet aftermath, Olivia heard the muffled sounds of voices moving slowly toward the barn. She recognized the voices of the men from earlier, along with a few others. No doubt they were reassembling for another late night round of poker. She stood quickly, instantly feeling empty, but looking around for her clothing frantically, nonetheless. Dean moved to stand, but Christian waved him off, already sliding into his jeans and heading for the door with his T-shirt in hand.
“Take it easy. I'll go,” he reassured them. “I'm sure the two of you have some catching up to do.” He grinned at Olivia. “I told you he wanted you, Liv.”
“Don't call me that,” she said instinctively, as Dean pulled her back down on his lap. A light blush spread across her cheeks, remembering the last time she'd said that to Christian and he'd so easily figured out her secret—which was obviously no longer a secret.
She turned her head, looking up to thank Christian for handling the group outside, but her movement left her neck exposed to Dean. Her thanks came out as a breathless moan as he leaned forward to kiss along the length of her neck. Christian's eyes swept along her naked body one last time before he opened the barn door, closing it quickly behind him to block out the on-comers' view.
Olivia heard his voice outside, making some excuse to deter the poker group, but she tuned out of the conversation quickly as Dean leaned her back on the table gently, continuing his trail of kisses down over her collarbone and across the upper swells of her breasts. By the time his tongue darted out to tease her nipple, she'd completely forgotten about the scene taking place outside. And when she felt his cock—hard again already—pressing against her, she forgot that anything else existed but the man she'd fantasized about for so many years.
THE END