Later that week, there’s a lull in my horse clients. My current horse just went home, and my next one doesn’t arrive until Monday. After doing some paperwork, I hunt down Colt.
I’m dressed casually in jeans ripped at the knees and a red t-shirt that says, “Howdy” with a cactus on it. I have on my work cowboy boots and a cowboy hat on.
I find Colt over on Blaze’s side of the ranch behind the barn. He doesn’t see me right away, so I stand back and take him in.
He’s in a pair of work jeans, well-worn with stains on them. He has on a blue cowboy shirt, cowboy boots, and a cowboy hat. What has my mouth watering are the brown leather chaps he’s wearing as he’s leaning against the fence.
I pull out my phone and snap a few photos. This is one memory I don’t want to forget. I slide my phone back in my pocket before heading over.
“Hey,” I call out to him and watch him turn to me. A huge smile takes over his face.
“I’m going to head out and run some fences on the back forty. Want to come with me?” I ask.
“Yeah, give me ten minutes?” he asks.
I nod. “Meet you in the barn.”
It’s been a while since I’ve checked the fences back there myself. I know the ranch hands have done it, but I like to see it myself too. I know the condition they’re in. Dad has always been very adamant about being hands-on and seeing things for himself. He has drilled that into us as well.
I get my horse and Colt’s saddled up, and we head out. We talk about some of the plans we’re looking to make this coming year for the ranch and our plan for Hell Week coming up.
Hell Week comes around twice a year, in the spring and fall. We’re up from sunup to sundown, checking cattle, doing preggo checks, vaccinations, making sure there’s enough hay for the winter, and winterizing the ranch. In the spring, we prep the ranch for the warmer months, do tractor maintenance and do some checks on the cattle. In the spring, we also separate cattle we plan to sell and move pastures around.
This takes at least seven days, but if we’re shorthanded, it has been known to last as long as fourteen days. Those are the worst, but we band together to get it done.
It takes all hands on deck, and we even get a few guys from the reservation to help. Megan takes over cooking since she gets home from the salon early that week. Jason helps during the week too, and so does Hunter, as his classes allow.
We run the back fence, and it looks good. Then I notice where we are. Out by our cabin, I look up to see Colt has noticed too. Without a word, we make our way to the cabin and tie the horses up in the shade.
No sooner are we inside the cabin, does he have me pinned up against the door with his lips on mine.
He has one hand at the back of my neck, pulling me into him. The other hand is on my hip, pinning me to the door. The hand at my neck glides down over my shoulder, over my breasts, and rests on my hip.
I wrap my arms around his neck and deepen this kiss with a moan. He presses into me even more, and I can feel him hard and ready for me, pressing into my stomach.
His hands reach down to cup my ass, and I take the opportunity to wrap my legs around his waist which causes him to groan.
“Sage…” he whispers against my lips.
“This is our cabin, Colt,” I whisper.
“Sage, I want you so bad,” he groans.
“Then take me. I’m yours, I always have been.”
He pulls back to look me in the eye. “I need you to understand what this means.”
He kisses my neck. “Once I’m inside you again, Sage, you’re mine. I’m not letting you go again. Things will be scary. We will fight, but we will do it together. If you run, I will chase you because. You. Are. Mine. If you need more time, I’ll give you all the time in the world, Sage. Once we cross this line, there’s no going back.”
Since that kiss the night in his truck under the stars, there has been no going back for me. What we felt all those years ago was strong, but what I feel now? It’s earth shattering. There’s no going back. There’s no walking away.
I am his. I’ve always been his. I will always be his.
Am I scared? Yes, but being scared isn’t a reason to stop you from taking the leap. The best things in life aren’t easy. For most of them, you will be scared to do, try, or say.
So yes, I’m scared to trust Colt again, to be us again, but that means that it’s going to be worth it coming out on the other side.
“I’m yours, Colt. This also means you’re mine. Only mine.”
“Sage, Sage, Sage, I’ve only ever been yours. There’s no one else for me. I love you with everything I am, and I’m not going anywhere.”
My heart races. It’s the first time I’ve heard those words in years. I soak them in and let them heal me.
“I love you too, Colt.”
With that, he moves from the door to the small bedroom and places me on the bed. We remove our boots before he turns back to kiss me gently and then reaches for my shirt. He looks me in the eyes, making sure it’s okay. I nod, and he removes my shirt.
He takes in my lace bra and runs his thumbs over my breasts, causing my nipples to harden even further.
“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” He reaches behind him and pulls his shirt off. Holy mother of cowboy abs, there’s a reason everyone loves cowboys. The hard, manual labor gives them a body that I just want to sink my teeth into.
I push him back on the bed and stare.
“Your body is definitely different,” I say, running a finger over each ab. Then I trace the tattoo over his heart. It’s a heart covered in sage leaves. My eyes lock with his.
“When did you get this?” I ask, still tracing my finger over it.
“A few weeks after you left the first time.”
I move to look at the tattoo on his arm. To anyone else, it looks like a collage of places from around the ranch. To me, I know exactly what it is, and it makes my eyes water. It’s the barn where he saw me for the first time, the church where he told me he loved me the first time, the graveyard where we kissed for the first time, the wagon tracks from our first date, the creek from our first makeout session, and the cabin from where we made love the first time.
I trace my finger over each one. “When did you get this one?” I must know.
“A week after Megan’s graduation.”
The tears roll down my face; I can’t stop them. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me down to the bed next to him. Then wipes my tears.
“It’s always been you, Sage,” he whispers.
I can’t get the words out, so I lean up and kiss him. Then I lean down and run my tongue over the ridges of his abs. He tosses his head back and moans.
He groans my name a few times before grabbing my hips and flipping me over. He reaches behind me and unhooks my bra. Instead of going for my breast, his lips land on the circle bullet scar on my shoulder.
I’m instantly back to our first time, in this bed, his lips on that scar. He runs his tongue over the scarred flesh, and it causes my whole body to shiver.
Then he moves to the new scar, the straight line from the knife. He kisses along it, so sweet he brings tears to my eyes. When he looks up and sees the tears, he kisses the corner of my eyes.
He slides my pants and panties down until I am bare to him. He pulls my legs open wide and stares at my glistening pussy lips. He moves his mouth to cover my clit and sucks firmly, causing my hips to buck.
I feel his smile on my pussy, proud he still remembers my body so well. As his tongue continues its assault on my tight bundle of nerves, he inserts his middle finger and strokes me before adding a second finger. After a few more strokes, he hooks them, finding that perfect spot inside me that causes me to shatter and fall apart, screaming his name.
He sits up looking at me before he stands and takes off his pants and boxer briefs. He goes to the nightstand for a condom.
“Shit.”
“What?” I ask, concerned.
“No condoms.”
I grab his hand. “I’m clean, and I’m on the pill. Have been for years.”
He closes his eyes. “I’m clean too. The paperwork is in my room.” Then he climbs on the bed and settles over me. “Why are you on the pill, love?”
I know he’s wondering because I had told him it’s been years since I’ve been with anyone.
“It helps with my periods.” He nods then frames my face with his hands. “I’d love nothing more than to take you bare. I’ve never done that before, but I want it with you. Are you sure?”
“Yes, Colt. I’ve never done it either, but I want to with you.”
He leans down to kiss me, all gentle and sweet, then looks up at me. Never breaking eye contact, he slides into me, only pausing once he’s fully set inside me.
“Colt…”
“Fuck, Sage. You feel so damn good,” he says as he thrusts.
He reaches down and strokes my clit. “I’m not going to last very much longer. I need you to come,” he grunts out.
He angles his hips and thrusts harder. His mouth kisses down to the spot below my ear, and he nips me there, causing me to climax again. A few more thrusts and he joins me.
He rolls to his side, taking me with him so we don’t lose the connection. Then he kisses me so tenderly.
“I love you, Sage. This is it. This is us. Forever.”
“I love you too, Colt. Forever”
I rest my head on his shoulder. “Seems fitting.”
He laughs. “That our first time after all these years is where we had sex the first time back then?”
I smile. “Exactly.”
He kisses the top of my head. “I agree.”
After a few more minutes, he asks, “So, does this mean you’ll sleep in my bed with me tonight?”
I smile. “No.” I watch his face crumble. “But you can sleep in mine.” And he smiles again.