A Roll in the Hay - Bonus Chapter
Lex couldn’t seem to pull his gaze away from Cleo’s sparkling eyes, as he twirled her around the crowded dance floor. They danced the night away, neither of them wanting to be separated from the other. It was the best time that either of them could ever remember and the thrill of it all was exhilarating. With Lex’s guidance, Cleo glided across the dance floor like a delicate flower blowing in the wind.
Lex’s heart and soul was consumed with desire when he looked at Cleo. He touched her soft, creamy brown skin and inhaled the intoxicating scent of fresh strawberries coming from her long, curly, chocolate brown hair. Cleo’s small exotic body fit perfectly in Lex’s arms, making him feel complete. All he wanted to do was sweep her off her feet and press his lips to hers but he restrained himself. “How could a complete stranger mesmerize me so quickly and completely?” He wondered.
For Cleo it was the same. She had known few men in her life and none of them were like Lex. She felt chills of excitement when Lex pulled her body close to his and wrapped his strong arms around her. His stomach and chest were both hard with muscle and his hazel eyes seemed to gaze right through her.
Lex suddenly twirled Cleo around in a circle and then embraced her once again. Despite all that was happening in the world around them, Cleo felt safe and happy, wrapped in Lex’s powerful arms.
“Do you have a place to stay yet?” asked Lex, as he gazed down into Cleo’s copper brown eyes.
“Not yet mate. We’ve only just arrived,” Cleo’s Australian accent sent tingles down Lex’s spine every time she spoke.
“Well,” smiled Lex, “I’m staying at the Evan’s Ranch, north of town. You’re welcome to crash there too,” he suggested. “I’m sure that Shiloh wouldn’t mind.”
“Sounds delightful,” smiled Cleo, as she danced around Lex.
A couple of hours later, Alfonso found both Lex and Cleo sitting at a table together. They were watching everyone enjoy the party and getting to know each other better. The old Mexican approached the young couple and cleared his throat to get their attention. They were deep in conversation and didn’t seem to notice his approach.
“Excuse me,” said Alfonso, “Shiloh decided to stay in town tonight and I’m driving back to the ranch now. Do you need a ride?”
“Why yes, a ride would be wonderful Alfonso, thank you.”
“Si Senor, no problem. I go get the truck and pull it around.”
“Thanks,” Cleo called after the old man as he walked away. “What a sweet dear man.”
The drive back to the ranch seemed to flash by, as Lex and Cleo gazed into each other’s eyes and Alfonso drove Shiloh’s baby blue 1958 Chevy Apache truck. The moon was full and bright, and high up in the sky.
When they arrived back on the Evan’s Ranch, Alfonso immediately began building a fire in the living room’s stone fireplace.
“I’m tired.” Alfonso said to Lex and Cleo as the flames grew higher and higher. “I go to bed now.”
“Goodnight Alfonso,” replied Lex as he poked at the fire.
“Goodnight,” smiled Cleo. “And thank you so much for letting me stay here and for building a fire.”
“No problem, it’s my pleasure,” the old man smiled down at Cleo and made a slight formal bow before turning and leaving the room.
“It’s a beautiful fire,” said Cleo as she sat down on the sofa and watched Lex poke at the flames. “Why don’t you come and join me on the couch?”
“Of course,” grinned Lex, as he set down the poker and sat down next to Cleo on the sofa. He wanted so badly to reach out and take Cleo in his arms, kissing her soft lips.
“Brrr” Cleo whispered as she rubbed her arms with her hands.
“Are you cold?” asked Lex with genuine concern.
“A little,” admitted Cleo, as she scooted closer to Lex on the couch.
Lex wrapped his arm around Cleo’s shoulders and pulled her even closer. His body heat immediately warmed her small yet curvy frame.
Cleo curled her legs up on the couch and snuggled in closer to Lex. She loved the way that Lex smelled; even though he didn’t seem to be wearing any cologne. She leaned back against his body and rested her head on his chest. Cleo could feel her body raise up a little and then lower back down, with each breathe that he took. Taking his hand in hers, she squeezed it and pulled his arm tighter around her body. Cleo felt so safe and secure, as her eyes grew heavy and slowly closed.
Only minutes had passed when Lex noticed that Cleo had faded off to sleep. Her breathing was slow and deep as she lay there like a child, wrapped safely in his arms. Lex was careful not to move, not wanting to wake Cleo from her deep slumber. The two of them spent the night snuggled together on the sofa. Several times Lex had to fight the urge to move when parts of his body fell asleep from Cleo’s weight. He gently reached over, with his free hand, and pulled the blanket from the back of the sofa over Cleo, before drifting off to sleep.
The next morning, Lex woke up to the smell of bacon frying and fresh coffee brewing. His stomach was grumbling but he dare not move for fear of waking Cleo, she’d moved around a little throughout the night and was now lying almost directly on top of Lex. Their stomachs were flat against each other’s and Cleo’s head was resting peacefully on Lex’s chest.
After a particularly loud rumble from Lex’s gurgling stomach, Cleo began to stir. Her eye’s opened slowly and blinked a couple times. She rubbed them gently and immediately sat up, suddenly realizing that she was lying on top of Lex.
“Oh good morning,” smiled Cleo, “Ya make a bloody fine mattress mate.”
“Good morning and you my darling make a wonderful blanket. Of course that’s once you get past the snoring,” teased Lex.
“I don’t snore!” said Cleo with a defiant and stubborn smile.
“Maybe just a little?” encouraged Lex.
“Okay, maybe a little. What was that loud rumbling sound that woke me up?”
“Probably my stomach,” answered Lex. “I’m starving.”
“Buenos Dias,” called Alfonso from the kitchen, as he cracked some eggs into a frying pan. “Breakfast is almost ready.”
“Good morning Alfonso,” said Cleo as she stood up from the sofa and began trying to fix her hair. “Can I help?”
“No, you’re the guest,” insisted Alfonso. “How you like your eggs senorita?”
“Over medium please and thank you.” She replied as she walked into the kitchen. Lex stood up from the couch and began stretching all of his limbs, which had fallen asleep under Cleo’s body.
“Please, sit.” said Alfonso, handing Cleo a cup of hot coffee.
Cleo sat down at the kitchen table and watched Alfonos as he finished preparing breakfast. Alfonso moved like a man who knew his way around a frying pan. Before Cleo’s coffee had even cooled enough to drink, Alfonso had placed a plate in front of her. It was a true American breakfast; complete with two eggs, two slices of crispy bacon, two slices of sourdough toast, a pile of home fries and three pancakes.
Lex entered the kitchen sleepily, after stretching out the kinks, and sat down across from Cleo. Alfonso immediately placed a steaming hot cup of coffee down in front of the younger man, who was much more comfortable being waited on and didn’t offer to help. Alfonso knew the way Lex liked his eggs and didn’t need to ask. He placed a large plate of food in front of Lex, piled twice as high as Cleo’s.
“Wow!” said Lex staring down at the food in front of him. “You really outdid yourself today, thanks.”
Alfonso’s only answer was placing two tall glasses of fresh squeezed orange juice on the table. He then pulled up a chair and joined them.
“It’s bloody delicious,” said Cleo after taking a bite of her eggs and washing them down with some fresh brewed coffee.
“I agree Alfonso,” said Lex, chewing on a mouthful of eggs, potatoes and bacon. “You sure can cook!”
“Gracias,” smiled Alfonso, “My mother taught me.” He then bowed his head for a quick silent prayer, before drowning his pancakes in syrup.
When the three of them had finished eating, Alfonso gulped down the remainder of his coffee and stood up. “I have many chores I need to do.” He said excusing himself.
Lex grinned and glanced devilishly across the table at Cleo. He was excited at the prospect of them being alone. He very much wanted to pick up where they had left off the night before.
“Can we help?” asked Cleo, trying to ignore Lex’s gaze. She couldn’t help but smile, when the huge grin on Lex’s face turned into a frown.
“Oh, si senorita! Muchos Gracias!” As Alfonso put on his coat he explained, “The cows in the barn need to be milked and the chickens need to be fed, por favor.”
“No problem mate,” Cleo stood up and patted Lex on the shoulder, “We’d be glad to help out, right Alexander?”
“Oh, yeah, sure, no problem,” mumbled Lex as he stood up from the kitchen table.
Alfonso led them out of the house and into the barn; showing them where everything was located. “Any questions?” He asked before leaving the barn.
“No, I think we’ve got it,” said Lex, anxious to be left alone with Cleo. Another devilish grin spread across his face, as soon as Alfonso was gone. “So, what do you want to do first?”
“I’ll feed the chickens,” smiled Cleo, knowing that’s not what he meant. She handed him the bucket and said, “You can milk the cows. Perhaps that will help get it out of your system?” teased Cleo as she headed for the chicken coop. When she finished feeding them, Cleo filled a bucket with cold water from the manual pump outside the barn. She wondered how long this must have been on the property and was grateful that technology hadn’t taken over this small town. Cleo went back into the barn and stood over Lex to see how he was doing with the cow.
Lex noticed Cleo’s shadow and was impressed that she was able to sneak up on him. Not many people could, and this made him like her even more. “Care to grab a bucket and start squeezing some cow teats? You got me into this.”
Without hesitation Cleo dumped the bucket of cold water over Lex’s head and began laughing. Lex slowly stood up, drenched from head to toe, and turned to face Cleo. A grin spread across his face as he peeled off his wet shirt. Cleo couldn’t help but admire his flat stomach and wide broad shoulders.
“You looked like you needed that more than the chickens.” She teased, egging him on.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” Lex said, crouching and slowly walking toward Cleo. As he drew close, he slowly spread out his large arms, as though he were about to pounce at any moment.
Cleo continued to laugh as she slowly backed away. Suddenly Lex made his move and sprang towards her. He grabbed hold of her waist, with an impressive speed, as she turned to run. The two of them fell onto a large pile of hay and started rolling around, laughing and tickling each other.
Suddenly the barn door swung open. In the doorway stood Mason and Shiloh, both with a surprisingly unpleasant look up
Lex’s heart and soul was consumed with desire when he looked at Cleo. He touched her soft, creamy brown skin and inhaled the intoxicating scent of fresh strawberries coming from her long, curly, chocolate brown hair. Cleo’s small exotic body fit perfectly in Lex’s arms, making him feel complete. All he wanted to do was sweep her off her feet and press his lips to hers but he restrained himself. “How could a complete stranger mesmerize me so quickly and completely?” He wondered.
For Cleo it was the same. She had known few men in her life and none of them were like Lex. She felt chills of excitement when Lex pulled her body close to his and wrapped his strong arms around her. His stomach and chest were both hard with muscle and his hazel eyes seemed to gaze right through her.
Lex suddenly twirled Cleo around in a circle and then embraced her once again. Despite all that was happening in the world around them, Cleo felt safe and happy, wrapped in Lex’s powerful arms.
“Do you have a place to stay yet?” asked Lex, as he gazed down into Cleo’s copper brown eyes.
“Not yet mate. We’ve only just arrived,” Cleo’s Australian accent sent tingles down Lex’s spine every time she spoke.
“Well,” smiled Lex, “I’m staying at the Evan’s Ranch, north of town. You’re welcome to crash there too,” he suggested. “I’m sure that Shiloh wouldn’t mind.”
“Sounds delightful,” smiled Cleo, as she danced around Lex.
A couple of hours later, Alfonso found both Lex and Cleo sitting at a table together. They were watching everyone enjoy the party and getting to know each other better. The old Mexican approached the young couple and cleared his throat to get their attention. They were deep in conversation and didn’t seem to notice his approach.
“Excuse me,” said Alfonso, “Shiloh decided to stay in town tonight and I’m driving back to the ranch now. Do you need a ride?”
“Why yes, a ride would be wonderful Alfonso, thank you.”
“Si Senor, no problem. I go get the truck and pull it around.”
“Thanks,” Cleo called after the old man as he walked away. “What a sweet dear man.”
The drive back to the ranch seemed to flash by, as Lex and Cleo gazed into each other’s eyes and Alfonso drove Shiloh’s baby blue 1958 Chevy Apache truck. The moon was full and bright, and high up in the sky.
When they arrived back on the Evan’s Ranch, Alfonso immediately began building a fire in the living room’s stone fireplace.
“I’m tired.” Alfonso said to Lex and Cleo as the flames grew higher and higher. “I go to bed now.”
“Goodnight Alfonso,” replied Lex as he poked at the fire.
“Goodnight,” smiled Cleo. “And thank you so much for letting me stay here and for building a fire.”
“No problem, it’s my pleasure,” the old man smiled down at Cleo and made a slight formal bow before turning and leaving the room.
“It’s a beautiful fire,” said Cleo as she sat down on the sofa and watched Lex poke at the flames. “Why don’t you come and join me on the couch?”
“Of course,” grinned Lex, as he set down the poker and sat down next to Cleo on the sofa. He wanted so badly to reach out and take Cleo in his arms, kissing her soft lips.
“Brrr” Cleo whispered as she rubbed her arms with her hands.
“Are you cold?” asked Lex with genuine concern.
“A little,” admitted Cleo, as she scooted closer to Lex on the couch.
Lex wrapped his arm around Cleo’s shoulders and pulled her even closer. His body heat immediately warmed her small yet curvy frame.
Cleo curled her legs up on the couch and snuggled in closer to Lex. She loved the way that Lex smelled; even though he didn’t seem to be wearing any cologne. She leaned back against his body and rested her head on his chest. Cleo could feel her body raise up a little and then lower back down, with each breathe that he took. Taking his hand in hers, she squeezed it and pulled his arm tighter around her body. Cleo felt so safe and secure, as her eyes grew heavy and slowly closed.
Only minutes had passed when Lex noticed that Cleo had faded off to sleep. Her breathing was slow and deep as she lay there like a child, wrapped safely in his arms. Lex was careful not to move, not wanting to wake Cleo from her deep slumber. The two of them spent the night snuggled together on the sofa. Several times Lex had to fight the urge to move when parts of his body fell asleep from Cleo’s weight. He gently reached over, with his free hand, and pulled the blanket from the back of the sofa over Cleo, before drifting off to sleep.
The next morning, Lex woke up to the smell of bacon frying and fresh coffee brewing. His stomach was grumbling but he dare not move for fear of waking Cleo, she’d moved around a little throughout the night and was now lying almost directly on top of Lex. Their stomachs were flat against each other’s and Cleo’s head was resting peacefully on Lex’s chest.
After a particularly loud rumble from Lex’s gurgling stomach, Cleo began to stir. Her eye’s opened slowly and blinked a couple times. She rubbed them gently and immediately sat up, suddenly realizing that she was lying on top of Lex.
“Oh good morning,” smiled Cleo, “Ya make a bloody fine mattress mate.”
“Good morning and you my darling make a wonderful blanket. Of course that’s once you get past the snoring,” teased Lex.
“I don’t snore!” said Cleo with a defiant and stubborn smile.
“Maybe just a little?” encouraged Lex.
“Okay, maybe a little. What was that loud rumbling sound that woke me up?”
“Probably my stomach,” answered Lex. “I’m starving.”
“Buenos Dias,” called Alfonso from the kitchen, as he cracked some eggs into a frying pan. “Breakfast is almost ready.”
“Good morning Alfonso,” said Cleo as she stood up from the sofa and began trying to fix her hair. “Can I help?”
“No, you’re the guest,” insisted Alfonso. “How you like your eggs senorita?”
“Over medium please and thank you.” She replied as she walked into the kitchen. Lex stood up from the couch and began stretching all of his limbs, which had fallen asleep under Cleo’s body.
“Please, sit.” said Alfonso, handing Cleo a cup of hot coffee.
Cleo sat down at the kitchen table and watched Alfonos as he finished preparing breakfast. Alfonso moved like a man who knew his way around a frying pan. Before Cleo’s coffee had even cooled enough to drink, Alfonso had placed a plate in front of her. It was a true American breakfast; complete with two eggs, two slices of crispy bacon, two slices of sourdough toast, a pile of home fries and three pancakes.
Lex entered the kitchen sleepily, after stretching out the kinks, and sat down across from Cleo. Alfonso immediately placed a steaming hot cup of coffee down in front of the younger man, who was much more comfortable being waited on and didn’t offer to help. Alfonso knew the way Lex liked his eggs and didn’t need to ask. He placed a large plate of food in front of Lex, piled twice as high as Cleo’s.
“Wow!” said Lex staring down at the food in front of him. “You really outdid yourself today, thanks.”
Alfonso’s only answer was placing two tall glasses of fresh squeezed orange juice on the table. He then pulled up a chair and joined them.
“It’s bloody delicious,” said Cleo after taking a bite of her eggs and washing them down with some fresh brewed coffee.
“I agree Alfonso,” said Lex, chewing on a mouthful of eggs, potatoes and bacon. “You sure can cook!”
“Gracias,” smiled Alfonso, “My mother taught me.” He then bowed his head for a quick silent prayer, before drowning his pancakes in syrup.
When the three of them had finished eating, Alfonso gulped down the remainder of his coffee and stood up. “I have many chores I need to do.” He said excusing himself.
Lex grinned and glanced devilishly across the table at Cleo. He was excited at the prospect of them being alone. He very much wanted to pick up where they had left off the night before.
“Can we help?” asked Cleo, trying to ignore Lex’s gaze. She couldn’t help but smile, when the huge grin on Lex’s face turned into a frown.
“Oh, si senorita! Muchos Gracias!” As Alfonso put on his coat he explained, “The cows in the barn need to be milked and the chickens need to be fed, por favor.”
“No problem mate,” Cleo stood up and patted Lex on the shoulder, “We’d be glad to help out, right Alexander?”
“Oh, yeah, sure, no problem,” mumbled Lex as he stood up from the kitchen table.
Alfonso led them out of the house and into the barn; showing them where everything was located. “Any questions?” He asked before leaving the barn.
“No, I think we’ve got it,” said Lex, anxious to be left alone with Cleo. Another devilish grin spread across his face, as soon as Alfonso was gone. “So, what do you want to do first?”
“I’ll feed the chickens,” smiled Cleo, knowing that’s not what he meant. She handed him the bucket and said, “You can milk the cows. Perhaps that will help get it out of your system?” teased Cleo as she headed for the chicken coop. When she finished feeding them, Cleo filled a bucket with cold water from the manual pump outside the barn. She wondered how long this must have been on the property and was grateful that technology hadn’t taken over this small town. Cleo went back into the barn and stood over Lex to see how he was doing with the cow.
Lex noticed Cleo’s shadow and was impressed that she was able to sneak up on him. Not many people could, and this made him like her even more. “Care to grab a bucket and start squeezing some cow teats? You got me into this.”
Without hesitation Cleo dumped the bucket of cold water over Lex’s head and began laughing. Lex slowly stood up, drenched from head to toe, and turned to face Cleo. A grin spread across his face as he peeled off his wet shirt. Cleo couldn’t help but admire his flat stomach and wide broad shoulders.
“You looked like you needed that more than the chickens.” She teased, egging him on.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” Lex said, crouching and slowly walking toward Cleo. As he drew close, he slowly spread out his large arms, as though he were about to pounce at any moment.
Cleo continued to laugh as she slowly backed away. Suddenly Lex made his move and sprang towards her. He grabbed hold of her waist, with an impressive speed, as she turned to run. The two of them fell onto a large pile of hay and started rolling around, laughing and tickling each other.
Suddenly the barn door swung open. In the doorway stood Mason and Shiloh, both with a surprisingly unpleasant look up
