Chapter 21


    Amber


    ‘What do you mean?’ Jake looks at me with inquisitive eyes.


    I maintain eye contact with Jake as I bring my hands to his front and slowly let them trail down his stomach. I nervously bite my bottom lip when I reach the waistband of his jeans. I’ve seen how distraught Jake is over this whole situation. I want to make him feel better, even if just for a little while. What if he’s not in the mood for it, though? I could totally understand that, given the situation. I just hope he doesn’t think that I’m ridiculous for suggesting this. My hands move to Jake’s belt.


    ‘What are you doing?’ Jake''s eyes widen like saucers.


    ‘Trying to make you feel better,’ I reply, stepping back slowly as I tug Jake along by his belt. I lead him around the corner towards the walk-in storage cabinet, turning us until his back is pressed against the rack of canned goods. Quickly, I slide the lock shut behind us. I turn back towards Jake, kissing him again as I let my hands trail to his belt buckle.


    Jake uses both of his hands to push the hair out of my face. He cups my cheeks and searches my eyes. ‘You really don’t have to do this.’


    ‘Do you not want me to?’ I ask, unsure. My hands freeze and I lean my head back a little.


    ‘No! I mean, fuck yes, I do! Are you kidding me? I’m just saying… I mean, it’s all so fucked up today. I don’t want you to feel like you have to do something, or anything,’ Jake rambles incoherently.


    I frown at him. He’s not making much sense. What would even make him say that? It was my own idea, wasn’t it?


    ‘I can see how hard you’re taking this, Jake. Let me help you feel better,’ I say with a small smile. I kiss him again, my hands moving to unbuckle his belt with a bit more confidence. ‘I want to,’ I add, to reassure him.


    Once his belt is undone I move on to the button of his jeans. I continue kissing Jake, while I slowly pull down his zipper. With some effort I slide my hand inside his boxers and start massaging his package. It’s rapidly growing in my hand. Jake helps me by lowering his jeans and boxers down his ass. I wrap one hand around his balls and the other around his shaft, where I continue my stroking movements. Jake groans lightly against my lips when his cock swells to a full erection under my touch.


    ‘Fuck, Amber. What are you doing to me?’ Jake sighs with clear delight.


    I keep rubbing him with slow, deliberate movements, as I drop to my knees in front of him.


    ‘Wait, hang on a sec…’ Jake stops me from kneeling down completely and shrugs his coat off his shoulders. He quickly places it on the floor, to protect my knees from the cold, hard tiles.


    ‘Thanks,’ I smile up at Jake, appreciating the thoughtful gesture. Then I focus back on his rigid member, now right in front of my face.


    I lean forward and slowly trace my tongue from the base upward. I’m teasing him a little bit, being careful to avoid his sensitive tip. I move up and down until I have circled and wetted his entire shaft with my tongue. Then, I wrap my right hand around the base. I gently start rubbing as I run the tip of my tongue lightly over his head. I''m rewarded by a moan escaping Jake''s lips. After a few licks I take his head in my mouth. I circle my tongue around it a couple of times, before I slowly and deliberately start sucking.


    ‘Fuck, Amber! You''re a goddamn vision with my cock in your mouth like that,’ Jake groans in appreciation.


    I don’t respond, but I confidently continue with my movements, using only my tongue on his shaft. I keep my left hand on Jake''s hip to steady myself, but I use my right hand to cup his balls. I gently massage them while I continue to suck on his member in a steady rhythm. After a while, I move my hand even lower and use my middle finger to stimulate the spot between his balls and his anus. Over the past few weeks I’ve been experimenting quite a bit with Jake, and I have come to learn that he’s incredibly sensitive there. At the same time I start flicking my tongue over the little ridge on the back of his head in a rapid, continuous motion.


    ‘Oh, fuuuuuuuuck!’ Jake groans loudly. He bends his knees a little and grabs my hair. I glance up to watch his face, without pausing my movements. Jake is leaning against the rack with his head tilted back and his eyes closed. The taste of his salty precum is filling my mouth. I suppress a grin and increase both the pressure and speed of my tongue.


    ‘That’s it, baby,’ he gasps. ‘Keep going!’


    I have sucked Jake’s cock before, but never to the finish. It’s something I''ve been meaning to try, and I''m determined to get him there today. I let him slip further inside my mouth and fervently start sucking again, swallowing him all the way to the back of my throat. The string of moaned curses coming out of Jake’s mouth encourages me to take him as deep as I can. It makes me feel heady, knowing that I have the ability to make him feel this way. I let go of his balls and bring my hand to the base of his shaft to bridge the gap, rubbing him tightly.


    ‘You’re such a fucking good girl, sucking my cock like that,’ Jake pants.


    His grip on my hair tightens and he guides my head in his desired rhythm. He thrusts his cock inside my mouth with short, careful movements. His dominant grip sends lightning bolts to my core, and I begin to feel a throbbing sensation between my legs. I flick my tongue over the sensitive ridge on the back of his cock again, while I continue to suck him. Jake’s breathing increases as his movements are becoming more erratic.


    ‘I’m going to come,’ he warns me, panting.


    He tries to pull himself back, but I strengthen my grip on his thigh to keep him in place. I hum in protest without taking my mouth off his rigid member. Instead of pulling my head back, I increase the pressure of my rubbing hand.


    Jake lets out a deep, guttural groan. He thrusts two, three more times and then he starts to shoot his salty load down my throat. I work hard to keep him inside my mouth and swallow everything he gives me. Jake slowly rocks back and forth, until he has spilled his last drop on my tongue.


    I wait until he becomes completely motionless, before I finally let him slip out of my mouth. A satisfied sigh escapes Jake’s lips and I''m filled with a strange sense of pride. This is the first time I’ve given a full blowjob, and judging by Jake’s responses, I was quite successful!


    As soon as I move to stand Jake reaches out to help me up, but he remains standing with his eyes closed and his head resting against the rack.


    ‘I’m going to check on the food,’ I say, suppressing a slight smirk, feeling rather pleased with myself.


    I press a quick kiss on Jake’s jaw before I head back to the kitchen and rinse my mouth in the sink. When I turn off the faucet Jake walks up behind me, buckling his belt again. Before I can turn around to face him, he already wraps his arms around me in a tight bear hug. Jake pulls me close against him and presses his lips in the crook of my neck.


    ‘That was fucking perfect,’ he mumbles. ‘You’re amazing, baby.’


    ‘I figured I’d give your stress relief method a try—it worked wonders for me last time,’ I laugh.


    ‘It’s greatly appreciated,’ Jake says, emphasizing his words. He hugs me even tighter. ‘Would you like me to return the favor?’ He suggestively places another kiss on my neck and lets his hands roam over my upper body.


    ‘I don’t think we have enough time. The food is almost done,’ I say regretfully, after a quick glance at the oven timer. ‘Perhaps I can collect later though? Although, I guess if we’re counting orgasms, I still owe you quite a few,’ I say with a giggle. Jake usually makes me come at least twice whenever we have sex.


    ‘I didn’t know we were keeping score,’ he chuckles behind me, ‘but I''m happy to continue this later.’


    Jake seems reluctant to let me go but obediently helps me gather plates and utensils for everyone. I stack everything on the kitchen counter while Jake grabs two crates from the storage room, so we can transport it all at once. I open the oven door to check on the lasagnas.


    ‘Five more minutes should do it,’ I inform Jake, as I adjust the timer. I want to let the cheese melt a little bit more.


    Jake nods and leans against the refrigerator. He casually crosses his arms and his legs and looks at me with a smile. The energy coming off him is a lot calmer and less frantic than before, but I can see that he’s still worried about Zane. As am I.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ‘I just don’t understand it,’ I say pensively. Jake arches his eyebrows at me in question. ‘Why Zane would do something so reckless,’ I clarify. ‘I overheard some of the men in the barn talking about how he put himself in danger and wouldn’t listen to your warnings. It just seems so unlike him.’


    Jake looks at me hesitantly and runs his fingers through his hair. Then he lets out a sigh.


    ‘Zane is angry with me,’ he admits. ‘That’s why he wouldn’t listen to me when I tried to warn him.’


    ‘Angry about what?’ I ask with a frown. ‘Did you guys have a fight or something?’


    That sounds even less like Zane. He is one of the kindest, friendliest guys on the ranch. I thought he got along with pretty much everybody.


    ‘About you, actually,’ Jake answers reluctantly. He doesn’t move, but holds my gaze. ‘He saw us kissing a few weeks ago.’


    ‘Why would that make him angry with you?’ I ask, surprised.


    ‘He’s convinced that I’m going to hurt you.’


    ‘Okay… I guess it’s kind of sweet that he cares, but that hardly seems like a reason to be mad at you,’ I reply, furrowing my eyebrows. ‘Certainly not for so long.’


    Jake turns silent. He looks at me with a strange expression on his face, while he seems to battle some sort of internal struggle. Eventually he averts his gaze and stares at his boots.


    ‘Zane likes you, Amber.’


    ‘Yeah, I like him too. Zane is a really sweet guy. But that is no reason to—’


    ‘No, he likes you, likes you,’ Jake interrupts me, pressing his lips together slightly.


    ‘Oh, of course he doesn’t like me that way. Don’t be silly!’ I say while shaking my head at Jake. ‘Zane is just a friendly guy. He is always—Oh!’


    My eyes widen when I suddenly remember Zane’s generous offer to drive me if I ever want to go somewhere on the weekend. I thought he was just being kind and helpful, as usual, but could I have misread that situation? Was he actually trying to ask me out on a date? If that was indeed what he was doing, I feel stupid for completely missing it. But it''s not like I have a lot of experience in that area. I’ve never actually been asked out on a date before.


    ‘Zane has had a crush on you since you started working here,’ Jake confirms with a nod.


    ‘Wow…’ I mumble, staring in the distance as I try to process this information. I scrunch my nose. ‘I had no idea about that! I thought he was just a friendly guy.’


    I really hope I didn’t do anything to lead him on. I certainly didn’t mean to!


    ‘Well, he is, but he also likes you,’ Jake says. ‘How do you feel about that?’ he asks me tentatively. ‘Do you… Would you say that you like him too?’


    ‘What? No, I like you,’ I blurt without thinking. I immediately realize what I said, and a blush spreads across my cheeks. Boundary alert! Danger, girlfriend territory!


    My eyes flicker unsurely to Jake, but judging by the wide smile on his face, he didn’t mind me saying it too much. Thank the Lord! Before I can mindlessly blurt out anything else, I''m saved by the ding of the oven. Relieved, I turn around and grab the oven mitts from the counter. I pull out the mac and cheese, along with both lasagnas—one bolognese and one chicken alfredo—and carefully place them in the empty crate.


    ‘Would you mind taking this one?’ I ask Jake.


    ‘I can carry them both if you want,’ he offers courteously. Jake pushes himself away from the refrigerator and walks towards the counter.


    ‘No, that’s not necessary. I can take the one with the plates and utensils.’ I shake my head. ‘I would just hate to stumble and accidentally drop all the food. I do have a track record in that area, you know,’ I joke with a grin.


    ‘That’s true. I''ll take the food then,’ Jake chuckles. ‘It would be a shame to feed all of this to the worms. It smells delicious.’


    He effortlessly picks up the crate with food, while I take the other one. We walk side by side towards the barn. Everyone is still there, quietly waiting for news about Zane. All heads turn in our direction as soon as we walk in.


    ‘Dig in everyone. Amber made us all dinner,’ Jake declares as soon as he walks inside.


    He marches straight to Nick’s pickup, where he places the crate in the cargo bed and unloads the three dishes I made. I follow behind him and place the crate with plates, utensils and paper towels right next to it.


    ‘Seriously? You made us food? Thank fuck! I’m starving,’ David sighs in delight.


    ‘You’re a bloody heroine, Amber,’ Nick declares from the bottom of his heart.


    Eli and Kenneth nod approvingly, and Sylvester gives me a one arm hug.


    ‘It’s just mac and cheese and lasagna,’ I say modestly. ‘Please, eat up. You must all be starving after such an intense day.’


    I quickly step back to let them dig in. Judging by the speed at which the men gather around the pickup, it’s clear we haven’t arrived a moment too soon. A hand gently rests on my shoulder, and I glance sideways to find Marjorie standing next to me.


    ‘You made all this?’ she asks me emotionally. ‘That was incredibly thoughtful of you, Amber. Thank you so much!’ Marjorie wraps an arm around my shoulder and affectionately rests her head against mine, all while still holding Olivia in the other arm. ‘I bless the day Hailey introduced you to our family. We’re all so grateful to have you here with us.’


    My cheeks flush instantly, but Marjorie’s words are met with hums of agreement and enthusiastic nods from everyone around. I meet Jake’s gaze, and he gives me another one of his wide, breathtaking smiles. Despite the sadness of today, I suddenly feel a strong sense of connectedness to everyone in this barn. It finally feels as if I truly belong here, and that realization warms my heart. And if I had any doubts about whether my initiative to cook for everyone is appreciated, they vanish quickly when the first compliments start rolling in.


    ‘This is freaking fantastic,’ Kenneth moans with his mouth full of bolognese.


    ‘If you ever tell my wife I said this, I may have to kill you, but I don’t think I’ve ever eaten anything this good in my life,’ Carl adds, nodding solemnly at me. His plate is piled high with a giant spoonful of all three dishes.


    ‘Hey! Leave some for the women and children, you bottomless pit,’ Jake calls out to David, who’s already in the middle of helping himself to a second serving.


    David freezes, the ladle of mac and cheese hovering in midair. ‘Oops, sorry,’ he stammers, a guilty expression crossing his face.


    ‘Don’t worry, David. I also made dessert, so there should be enough for everyone,’ I laugh as I step forward to help Marjorie fix plates for each of the children and for ourselves, before the men go for seconds. By the time the children and we have finished eating, all the food is completely gone.


    When Jake steps out to take a phone call, I start putting all the empty plates, utensils and casserole trays back into the crates. I charter Sylvester to help me carry it all back to the kitchen. He offers to put everything in the dishwasher for me, while I start cutting the lemony pound cake I made for dessert. I carefully carve it into even pieces and place them neatly on a serving tray. When he’s finished loading the dishwasher, Sylvester leans over the counter to smell the cake and lets out a mouthwatering sigh.


    ‘The man you end up with is going to be so screwed,’ he declares earnestly. ‘If you weren’t a woman, I’d be the first in line to snatch you up!’


    ‘Don’t let Harrison hear you,’ I laugh at his words.


    Sylvester introduced me to his lovely boyfriend last week, when Harrison came to pick him up from the ranch after work. Harrison looked somewhat familiar to me, but it wasn’t until after they were gone that I realized I’d also seen him sitting next to Sylvester on the night I went to Pete’s. Sylvester told me they’ve been together since their junior year in high school. They make a really cute couple.


    ‘Honestly, I would tell you to open up your own bakery, but we don’t want to miss you on the ranch,’ Sylvesters sighs, almost salivating. His eyes are still firmly locked on the serving tray.


    ‘Don’t worry, I don’t plan on going anywhere,’ I smile at his kind words. ‘I’ll just satisfy my baking needs by keeping you all fed for the time being.’


    ‘I’m going to hold you to that!’ Sylvester says, reaching out to grab a piece of cake, but I quickly slap his hand away.


    ‘Uh-uh!’


    ‘Hey! I thought we were friends, Amber!’ Sylvester sends me a hurt look, while he pretends to rub his injured hand.


    ‘I’m not stupid enough to play favorites around here,’ I say, grinning at his scowl. ‘You’ll have to wait until we’re back at the barn. Let’s go!’


    I take the serving tray in my right hand and nudge Sylvester towards the kitchen door with my left. Back at the barn, I start passing around the cake, but I quickly stop when Jake walks in with a serious expression on his face.


    ‘Listen up everyone, that was Ray,’ he says loudly, but he doesn’t need to raise his voice to attract anyone’s attention. All heads snap in his direction and everyone immediately shuts up to hear the news. ‘Zane is in surgery right now. So far, what they know for sure is that his leg is broken in three places and that he has a ruptured spleen. They’re worried that he may also have a perforated bowel, but they won’t know for sure if there’s any other hidden damage until they are further along in the surgery. It’s probably still going to be a while.’


    The murmurs of people engaging in quiet conversation fill the barn, as the men start discussing the latest news with each other. I quickly finish passing out the cake before I head over to Marjorie, to ask her what she wants to do with the children. She decides that Violet and Olivia should go to bed, but that the oldest three can stay up and wait with us until we know more.


    I task myself with putting the youngest two to bed in the main house, so Marjorie can stay in the barn with the others. Olivia is so tired that she falls asleep the second her head hits the mattress, but Violet keeps asking me questions about Zane. I try to answer them as honestly as possible without frightening her, which is quite a challenge, since I’m very worried about him myself. Violet finally settles down after I’ve read her four different bedtime stories and sung a few lullabies.


    Downstairs, I decide to make a giant thermos of coffee before heading back to the barn. It’s going to be a long night, and we could probably all use some caffeine to stay alert. I also grab a stack of paper cups from the storage cabinet. When I return, I hand Marjorie the baby monitor and start pouring coffee. The men crowd around, eager for a taste of the hot, energizing brew.


    When everyone has been served, I set the thermos on the cargo bed and glance around, uncertain of what to do next. I inconspicuously drift in Jake’s direction, where he’s leaning against the workbench beside Carl. I feel a strong desire to be near him, but I hesitate, aware that we’ve kept a professional distance in front of others since we started sleeping together.


    But as soon as Jake sees me, he reaches for my hand—not with a simple, friendly squeeze, but by intertwining his fingers with mine and gently pulling me closer. To my surprise, he draws me in, positioning me between his legs, my back against his chest, and rests his chin on my shoulder.


    ‘Have I told you yet how amazing you’ve been today?’ Jake whispers in my ear.


    ‘You may have mentioned something along those lines,’ I murmur back. ‘But thank you—that’s nice of you to say. I’m glad I could do something to help.’


    Jake chuckles softly, the sound rumbling through his chest more than reaching my ears. I half expect him to let go before anyone notices he''s touching me, but instead, he pulls me closer, wrapping his free arm around my waist. I’m pleasantly surprised, though a bit taken aback by his sudden openness—this isn’t like him at all!


    Glancing around, I quickly realize his gesture hasn’t gone unnoticed. A few of the men raise their eyebrows, while others smirk, and Marjorie gives me a knowing smile. Well, if Jake’s comfortable with this, then I’m certainly not about to complain. I settle a little deeper between his legs, resting my head back against his chest. A tiny part of me still expects him to pull away, but he keeps his arm firmly around me and gives my hand a gentle squeeze.


    ‘You have tomorrow off, right?’ he whispers in my ear. I nod once in reply. ‘Will you stay with me tonight?’


    Another surprise! I’m momentarily speechless and can only manage a quick nod in response. I’m not sure what’s prompted this change, but I decide not to question it. The thought of falling asleep in Jake’s arms tonight, after such an emotional day, brings a comforting sense of peace.