Masked Prince - Nikolai Andrew Page 0,5

his teeth.

“Not a goddamned thing. I wish I did. But I’m a good listener. So tell me what I need to do.”

This situation was far from ideal. But all we could do was try.

“You’re going to have to restrain her head, most likely. If we could get her across the field, we could get her in the head gate. But it’s too far away.”

“That’s alright,” he said, rolling his sleeves up over his gigantic forearms. “I can hold her. Promise.”

He was…massive. And for a long second I found myself just staring, with my mouth half open, at his absolutely staggering size. Those forearms were like the posts that held up the house.

Nellie’s labored grunt snapped me back to reality. Here goes nothing. Step by careful step, I walked him through it. He listened to everything that I said and followed my instructions to the letter.

Unlike many male farm hands I’d known, he didn’t rush or make assumptions. He treated Nellie with care, unlike most, who treated the livestock with a cold cruelty as though they had no feelings.

I guided him though how to tie the calving rope, what to do with the calf’s nose and head, and how to uncatch the elbow so that the calf was in the right position. Although it was hard, difficult, and messy work, Randal never balked or complained. He never second-guessed me either, never made me feel less-than for being a woman, or so much younger than he was.

He treated me with respect and consideration, which was a very welcome surprise. There was a job to do and we did it—together.

Finally, the calf tumbled awkwardly from the birth canal. Its gangly body lay motionless in the mud. That was the first time I saw Randal panic. He dropped to his knees beside the helpless calf.

“Fuck, she’s not breathing, Iris. What do I do?”

This part always panicked me as well, but somehow I kept calm, knowing that if I showed any doubt it would only make things worse for him. “It’s okay,” I said. “It’s alright. Tickle her nose.”

He tilted his head and blinked a handful of times, with genuine confusion on his face.

“Do what?”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Tickle her nose. Take a clean piece of hay from the bale behind you and gently tickle the inside of her nostril. Trust me.”

Randal did just as I said. As soon as he wiggled the piece of hay in its nostril, the calf cried out its first breath. Randal’s face lit up with genuine happiness and he roared with a hearty laugh of relief and joy, as he turned to look at me with eyes sparkling. In that instant, whatever scars he bore on his face vanished, whatever ugliness he might have had on the surface disappeared. And he transformed into the kindest and most handsome man I had ever seen.

At my instruction, he helped the calf find its way to Nellie, who set about happily cleaning it from head to toe. And with both calf and mother safe and healthy, I breathed a sigh of relief. Without thinking, I shifted my leg and a shooting pain made me nearly double over, first in simple agony and then with a nauseating realization that I hadn’t let myself even think about until now:

Everything on the farm depended on my being healthy enough to work. And if I couldn’t keep things running, we’d lose everything.

Chapter 3

Randal

I carried Iris out of the field. I fucking loved the way she felt in my arms.

At first, she was stiff and awkward, but as we went along, she melted into me like she was made for me to hold her. I’d never been so close to her before and it took all my fucking strength not to lose myself in her gorgeous eyes, not to get wrapped up in memorizing every freckle and dimple.

And her tits.

Fuck almighty, those tits. The way her cleavage bounced as I carried her made my mouth actually water. Her hips against my arms drove me wild. I was so fucking close to her pussy I could almost taste it.

Mine. Mine. Mine.

Still though, I kept my shit together. Even when I asked her name, it was part of a plan I didn’t even realize I had. I knew her fucking name of course, but I didn’t want her to know that.

I wanted to soothe her, and it seemed the safest question to ask.

I wanted to ravage her right then and there. A casual, unguarded few words from her as