Love on the Ranch

  Chapter Ten

  Walking around the shore, we found a space where we could finally take a seat. There was a clear view of the lake and all of its beauty. The only sounds were the lapping of a few of the waves and the crickets signaling night.

  Blake spread the blanket out on the ground and helped me lower myself to the ground. He set the basket next to me and came down to the ground too.

  "This is wonderful. I can see why it helps you relax out here."

  "Yeah, I've been coming out here since I was a kid. The lake is peaceful, more so at night. During the day, people take their boats out and there are families out here enjoying picnics and family time."

  He opened the basket and pulled out a bottle of champagne and two glasses. He poured one for me and one for him.

  We clinked the glasses in a silent toast and drank. I thought it was the perfect time to let him know that I planned to stay in town.

  "I found a job." I just threw it out there, waiting to see what he would say. Instead of speaking, he remained quiet, drinking his champagne.

  "Walked right in to the library and picked up a little something. Only a few days a week, but good to get started."

  Blake slowly set his glass down. "So you are going to stay here? For a while?"

  "I thought that maybe I would."

  He nodded. I don't know what I expected him to say in reply. He dug inside of the basket and passed me the open box of chocolate covered strawberries.

  Suddenly it hit me that we were on a date. "Is this a date?"

  "What if it was?" he asked.

  "That would be great." I took one of the strawberries. It was so juicy, the sweetness dripped down my chin. Blake reached over and wiped the nectar before it dripped off of my chin.

  "These are so sweet and juicy." The best I had ever tasted.

  "I pick them from my neighbor's farm."

  I finished my strawberry and my glass of champagne. We sat in silence, enjoying the moment.

  "So are you going to finally share your story with me? You know, since you are going to be staying in town?"

  "That's fair." After all, I had been his houseguest for the past few days and he deserved to know more about me.

  "Where do I begin?"

  "The beginning is always perfect."

  Sighing, I started at the beginning. I told him that I was from Louisiana, born and raised in New Orleans. How I had been infatuated with fashion and beauty since I was a kid and how I went to fashion and design school and landed my first job working as an assistant for a design house right out of college. That job had turned in to an opportunity to go away and work in Paris, but I did not go when my father got sick and passed away. Instead, I stayed and started working as a personal assistant to a high powered CEO. When the business folded, I was out of a job with a decent severance pay.

  I told him about my failed relationship with Jeff and how it had left me feeling like I needed to run from love. By the time I was finished talking, I had laid down on the blanket, and was staring up at the stars.

  "It's so nice to get to know more about you, Christy. I'm so sorry that you went through all of that at the same time."

  "Well, when it rains, it pours." I folded my hands on my stomach, relaxing because it felt like I had taken a huge load off.

  Blake rolled over, inching closer to me. "My mother used to tell me that only the strong were equipped to handle chaos and turmoil."

  "I'm not so sure that I believe that. It just feels like I’m constantly under attack," I told him.

  Blake shook his head. "But things are changing right?"

  "I can't lie. The tide is changing. And I am so happy about that."

  His fingers traced a trail over mine. "So, you've decided to stay awhile?"

  "I have. Is that alright with you?"

  "It sounds good to me. I would love to have you around a little more."

  Hearing those words made my heart skip a beat. Why was this man that I barely knew making me feel this way so suddenly?

  "It was not something that I anticipated, but something just feels so right."

  He caressed my face, softly stroking my jaw line. His touch was soothing, beautiful. Lips touched in another one of his breathtaking kisses. I wanted him right then. No thoughts of whether it was right or wrong, or if I had known him long enough. Those things did not matter right now. I just wanted to know what it felt like to have him there beside me, inside of me.

  Wrapping my legs around his waist, I pulled Blake into me, letting him know that it was alright to move to the next level. He slowly unbuttoned my top, sliding it off of my shoulders. Next was my skirt and before I knew it, he was undressing himself. He never moved his body from mine, warming me underneath. Holding on to his shoulders, Blake looked me in the eyes as he entered inside.

  Underneath the moonlight at the shores of the lake, we made passionate love. Slowly at first as we introduced ourselves to one another. Then the pace quickened as the intensity grew. The want for one another turned into a need, propelled by a craving to dive right in to each other's being.

  Once we had come together, I did not want to let go. I did not want it to end and with the way that Blake had his hands all over me, he did not either. Whispering softly in my ear, he told me so many times how he wanted me and how much he adored me. Whispering how much he wanted me was a complete turn on and my body responded because my mind was all in.

  Never before would I have ever made love to someone outside, in the middle of the night, where anyone could catch us. But here with Blake I felt secure and protected and the most free that I ever felt in my life. None of the things that would have concerned me before mattered. It was hard to focus on those things when there was a man, so sexy, so beautiful that thought the same about you.

  Blake pulled me to him, wrapping me in one of the blankets and pulled me to his lap. Pure bliss awaited as he lowered me on to his erection, holding my hips and guiding me like an expert. Atop my lover, I felt like his seductive siren. Like the most desired woman in the world. Neither of us could handle the pleasure that was taking place and we sang out in unison, moans of satisfaction.

  The spasms emanated through my body, ripples of excitement from my core to my fingertips. Taking a deep breath, I let go and suddenly it was like a dam burst forth. Blake's fingertips on my back, he began to dig his nails into my skin. It caused me to arch my back into his touch, making him dive deeper into my body, into my soul.

  Time passed and stood still at the same time. The very duality of his hardness to my softness. I wanted him more than anything right now. The warm breeze on our skin, kept us in the cocoon that we created there in the soft spot on the earth. Intertwining my fingers in his, we both held on to each other as Blake guided me through the next climax.

  He sat up, holding me closely, his hips still stirring as he thrust boldly. The intensity grew as he stared me in the eye. His gaze did not let go, and neither did his grasp. Shuddering, the rest of the climax washed over me bringing both of us to the edge.

  Blake bit his lip as he tried to hold on to the very last bit of pleasure, but even he could not hold on that long. I watched as he came to his own climax and he held on to me tightly as he did.

  Out of breath, but completely satisfied, we came together, clutching one another in paradise. I laid down next to him, snuggling under the blanket to catch my breath.

  Blake wrapped one of his strapping arms around me, tucking me in to a cozy little place in between his arms and his chest.

  "Are you alright?"

  I appreciated him asking me that. "I am." Resting my head on his chest, I felt comfortable right there.

  "The night is beautiful."

  Blake kissed me on the forehead. "So are you."

  He sighed. "Are you really staying?"

  I nodded my head. "I am."

  He began to casually stroke his fingers through my hair. "Such a huge decision."

  "The biggest decision was alrea
dy made. I left behind all that I knew to find a different life. I thought that losing my job and ending a relationship was the biggest change in my life. But it wasn't. It was just the thing that forced me to move forward toward the biggest decision in my life."

  "Sometimes those things need to be made quickly so you don't think too hard about it and let doubt creep in," he responded.

  "I think I did that. And I'm pretty happy with what I chose to do."

  "Good." He squeezed me. "Now, we can stay here in this little slice of Heaven and risk falling asleep and being found in the morning, or we can pack it up and get back to the house where we can really relax."

  "Aww," I began whining. "I have to get up? I was actually very comfortable here in your arms."

  "You can still lie in my arms, back at the house."

  "It's a deal."

  We gathered our belongings and made our way to the truck. I did not want our paradise to end, but it had to. The ride home was silent. I wanted to fall asleep, but the ride home was way too short to do so.

  When we pulled up in front of the house, it felt like the carriage was going to turn back in to a pumpkin. One thing I learned was to live in the moment, and the moments I shared with Blake I wanted to keep sacred and fresh in my mind. Not sure if this was something that would be over by the morning or if it was something that we would talk about developing into more, I decided to keep my thoughts to myself. There would be a more perfect time to discuss all of that.

  Once inside, Blake pulled me in close.

  "I had a wonderful time tonight."

  "Me too."

  His kiss was soft, tender. I liked the fact that he did not push anything to happen.

  "I think I'll turn in tonight."

  I did not miss the pleading in his eyes. I knew that the both of us wanted to lie in each other's arms that entire night, but the last thing that I wanted was to force something to happen because we were both feeling the pressure to push it now being under the same roof.

  "Good night, Christy."

  "Good night."

  He kissed my hand gently, sending that same tingling sensation up and down my spine. It made me suddenly crave his lips on mine, his touch on my skin. There was no need to overindulge. I made my way to my room, closing the door softly behind me.

  Blake took my breath away and there was no denying that. Being here, everything was perfect. There was not much more that I could ask for. But I needed to make sure that Blake knew that I did not plan on living in his house indefinitely. Tomorrow I had a plan to go out and start looking for my own place.

  After my shower, I was ready to climb into bed. With my dreams of my new life, I snuggled in to the covers and rested my head on the down pillows. Blake was right about one thing; life had a way of turning around for the better when you least expected it.

  How could my life have changed so drastically in the past few weeks? Maybe I prayed on that change so heavily that I was given what I asked for plus some. I most likely would not have gotten up and left had I not been fired and I definitely would have let Jeff stay on the revolving door of our dysfunctional relationship had I not been fired and forced to leave my expensive city apartment.

  Somewhere along the lines, I decided that love was no longer an option for me and that I would not be able to find anyone special along this journey for a while, so I settled. I settled for what little time and effort Jeff was willing to give me and I let that shape what I thought a relationship was going to be.

  It's funny how you don't realize how dysfunctional things are until you find something that was better. I was not sure exactly if Blake was the "better". I was not sure if being in this new town, with a new job, and a new life was the "better". But it was all worth it to figure it out.