by Erin Marsh
“Lace.” Her name sounded reverent on his lips. She stroked him then, and he groaned.
“Can you help me get your jeans off?”
He nodded, the stubble from his chin rubbing over her already-sensitized skin. She sucked in her breath, and he kissed the other breast. As his lips closed over her nipple, he shifted to pull down his pants and boxers. Sheer pleasure ripped through her. Another cry tore from her as she reached up to tangle her fingers in his hair.
He lifted his head. Although she could no longer make out the color of his eyes in the low light, they still glowed with intensity. His fingers touched the waistband of her pants, and he arched a questioning eyebrow.
She swallowed, the motion surprisingly difficult. Her throat had gone thick with desire and anticipation. Mutely, she nodded, and his mouth stretched into a wolfish grin. He pressed his lips against her belly, right above her waistline. Then, his eyes watching hers, his mouth still on her body, he undid the button and pulled down the zipper. Pushing the exposed section of her panties downward, he left a trail of kisses in the fabric’s wake. She gasped and wiggled. He used both hands to pull down her jeans to about mid-thigh. His mouth closed over her center. She cried out, feeling his tongue dart against her.
“Clay,” she whispered.
He paused and raised his head. “Say it again.”
“Clay?”
He nodded. “There’s something about how you said it. I want to hear it another time.”
“Clay,” she repeated in the same tone as before. “Clay.”
He kissed her lips. It was a deep, endless one. She could feel his hot length pressing against her with a need echoing her own.
“Are you ready for me, Lace?” he asked as he moved away from her just long enough to grab a condom from a drawer in his bedstand.
“Uh-huh.” The words came out half squeak and half moan. She’d never made such a sound in her life. She should have been embarrassed, and if she hadn’t been so saturated with pleasure and yearning, maybe she would have been. Instead, when she felt his lips curl against her mouth, she returned the grin.
“You’re like liquid sunshine, Lacey Montgomery,” Clay told her, his voice a low rumble that caused her nerve endings to resonate. He entered her then…slowly. The delicious friction caused sparks to ignite throughout her body. She felt alive with energy, but still it wasn’t enough. She pressed her fingers into the smooth skin of his back. She shifted her hips, demanding more. He groaned, and she bucked a second time. Finally, he began to move in earnest. Sensation shot through her. She didn’t try to fight it. She let herself explode as she clung to his broad shoulders, his lips pressed against the curve of her neck.
* * *
Clay almost lost himself when Lacey came undone, but he managed to pull back from the glorious brink. He hadn’t been with a woman in a long time, and it had never felt this good. He wanted this to last, no matter how hard Lacey was making it.
He slowed his pace. Each time he plunged downward, Lacey rewarded him with a little gasp. She was not a quiet lover, and he loved her symphony of sounds. She made love like she did everything else—energetically, openly, fully. And he wanted to bask in the glory that was Lacey Montgomery. He hadn’t been exaggerating when he’d called her liquid sunshine. It was as if something dark and lifeless inside him had unfurled, and he wanted to give it as much of her light as possible before it shriveled up again.
He felt her lips against the base of his neck, warm and sweet. She lingered, her tongue exploring the hollow of his throat. Sharp, white-hot pleasure sizzled through him. Her fingers glided over his back, leaving a wake of fire behind them. Her mouth moved to his lips, accepting him, welcoming him. His body slid rhythmically inside hers, his breath coming in short, harsh puffs. He felt as alive and as wild as a bare wire pressed against a metal plate.
He buried himself in her. Another cry tore from her throat. He went up like dry tinder in the fall. Squeezing his eyes shut, he held himself above her as his release tore through him. He collapsed, careful to keep his weight from smashing her into the mattress. Gently, she brushed her fingers through his hair before letting them trail down the back of his neck and then up again. The simple tenderness of the gesture caused his heart to swell until it damn near exploded too. He didn’t know when he’d ever felt so relaxed, so content.
Gathering his energy, he brushed a kiss against her shoulder, her skin smooth beneath his lips. Then he turned them so they lay in each other’s arms. Like in the hotel room, moonlight streamed across the counterpane, blanketing them in a silvery glow.
“That…that was amazing,” Clay said, lacking better words to describe it.
She smiled and stretched. He could feel her body glide against his, her breasts brushing against his chest. He sucked in his breath as she nestled her head on his bicep and tangled her legs in his.
“I forgot about feeling light-headed, and that’s saying something.” Lacey affectionately nuzzled his neck.
He chuckled. “Hell, I forgot about everything. At some points, I don’t think I could’ve even formed coherent words.”
“I’m glad you invited me to dinner, Clay Stevens.”
Some of the joy sucked out of the room as the past came creeping in. Her words, although meant lightheartedly, reminded him of how they had to sneak around…and why. “You don’t regret sleeping with the Big Bad Wolf?”
Lacey’s head popped up as she studied him. She must have seen something in his face, for her eyes went soft and her lips curved into a gentle smile. “Let me show you my answer.” Then she leaned down and kissed him. He’d never tasted a kiss so sweet, so complete.
This time, it was Lacey who explored his body with her mouth. He groaned against the onslaught. She was thorough, his scientist, her lips examining every square inch. He’d never allowed a woman so much control during lovemaking, but ceding it to Lacey came naturally. Need and something stronger and sweeter swept through him, and he didn’t fight the current. Didn’t even try. It was like both floating down a gentle river and being rushed through the most thrilling rapids of his life.
When her lips closed over him, he groaned. She took him deeper into her mouth, and he gave himself over to her again. As he lay there, his body both limp and electrified, she appeared in his line of vision, a smile on her lips.
“How’s that for a response to your question, Mr. Wolf?”
His voice sounded rough even to his ears as he spoke. “It’s a pretty good one, Ms. Riding Hood.”
A little furrow appeared between her brows. “I’m not sure if the moniker fits. Unlike her, I make friends with wolves.”
He reached up and cupped the back of her head, running his hands through the smooth strands. “For once, I’m grateful about that.” Then he proceeded to spend the rest of the evening showing her just exactly how much.
Chapter 8
“So this is where you’ve been spending all your time?” Lacey’s grandfather asked as they walked through the Sagebrush Zoo about two weeks later.
“Yup,” she said. “Wait until you see the wolf pups. They’re getting really active.”
Her grandfather shot her a look. “Are you sure this is good for your noggin? You’re off work to rest, kiddo.”
Lacey laughed. “I know, I know, but I’m too much like you. I can’t sit still. Plus, I have been improving since I started therapy.”
He harrumphed, but Lacey could hear the affection underlying his grumbling. She’d always been close to him. When she was a little girl, he’d take her up on his horse and shown her the ranch. He’d passed his love for the land on to her father and then to her. Although she watched over wolves instead of wrangling cows, in some ways, she hadn’t strayed too far from her family’s roots.
“I wish you’d let me take you to your appointments,” her grandfather said, his gravelly voice tinged with annoyance.
“It’s okay, Grandpa,” she said. “It would be a lot of driving and then sitting around waiting.”
“I could find a coffee shop nearby.”
She laughed. Up until ten years ago, her grandfather would have balked at the idea of setting foot in a dang-blasted establishment meant for yuppies and hippies. Then June Winters had revitalized her grandmother’s tea shop in Sagebrush. All the locals loved it…even the surliest old-timers like her grandfather and his best friend, Stanley. The two widowers went there every morning. It didn’t hurt that the owner served up a sunny smile along with her hearty breakfast platters.
“The closest coffee shop is filled with hipsters, and there’d be no Stanley or June to keep you company.”
“I’d make do,” her grandfather said stubbornly as Lacey opened the door to the main building. “It would be better than letting that Clay Stevens fellow drive you.”
Ah, Clay. The reason Lacey had invited her grandfather to the zoo. The past two weeks with Clay had been wonderful…well, as wonderful as they could be with the sneaking around. Lacey didn’t enjoy hiding a major part of her life from her mother and grandfather, and she liked keeping Clay a secret even less. Some people might find clandestine affairs thrilling, but she didn’t. The subterfuge drained her more than therapy for her concussion. She constantly worried her family would learn about her new relationship in the worst way possible.
Although Clay hadn’t complained, she knew the secrecy weighed on him too. And he deserved better. The man drove her to every appointment. Lately, he’d even started bringing groceries to her house because he knew the lights in the stores aggravated her symptoms. On the nights when she slept over, he kept her company as she did her therapy exercises…and watching someone stare at letters pinned to the wall while moving her head slowly up and down and then left to right couldn’t be scintillating. When she’d finally finished her assigned tasks and her mental fog seemed thicker than green chili stew, he’d hold her close until a semblance of steadiness returned.
Then there was the way he loved his herd and his land. Although they hadn’t risked taking another ride on his property, he would talk to her about his progress with the ciénega restoration as they lay in each other’s arms. He’d grown so excited when he told her he spotted beavers building a dam on one of the creek’s smaller tributaries. Clay also kept her updated about his growing relationship with Zach. The two had started playing computer games together each night, and it was helping. They’d also visited the otters by the river on Clay’s ranch.
For the first time in a long while, Lacey was excited about a man. She wanted more than anything to tell her mom. And she was tired of how everyone treated Clay. She hated the look in his eyes when they came up with an idea for a date only to realize they couldn’t go out together. Not yet.
So today marked the beginning of her campaign. Although her grandfather wasn’t a pushover, he wouldn’t take her dating Clay personally. He might worry, even rail at her, but he wouldn’t feel betrayed. The news wouldn’t fester inside him either. If she could win him over, he’d help convince her mother.
“Clay’s very considerate,” Lacey said. “Not many people would take the time he does to help someone.”
“Bah!” her grandfather spat out. “He’s just avoiding a lawsuit. That’s all. You need to stay away from him, Lacey. He’s a dangerous snake, worse than a rattler because he won’t give any warning before he strikes.”
Lacey debated the best way to rebut the accusation as she opened the door to the nursery. Luckily, she was spared from responding by a very high, very cute, but very emphatic howl.
“Someone has a set of lungs,” her grandfather observed as he stepped into the room behind her.
With a broad grin on her petite face, Abby bounced up from her seat on the floor. “That’s Perseus, Mr. Montgomery.” She gestured enthusiastically at the wolf pup. The little guy had his head tipped back, his black lips pointing to the ceiling, his ears tilting downward. With eyes squeezed shut in concentration, he poured his considerable energy into the call. Not to be outdone by his brother, Theseus lifted his muzzle and added to the racket. Sylvia let out an atypical beleaguered sigh as she burrowed into the piles of blankets.
“They’re practicing their howls. They’ve been attempting longer calls for a couple weeks now, but today is the first time they really got it.” Abby beamed at the lobos. “Aren’t they adorable?”
“They were…the first time,” Zach said dryly from his seat in the corner of the room. Unlike Abby, he didn’t rise to his feet to greet them. “They’ve been doing this for ten minutes.”
Abby leaned toward Lacey, her gray eyes bright as she said sotto voce, “And yet he stayed.”
Zach shrugged. “You get used to the sound.”
Lacey hid a smile. She’d noticed that Zach picked jobs that happened to be near the zoo director’s daughter whenever he could. She suspected that the boy nursed a huge crush, but Abby seemed oblivious. No matter his feelings for her, Zach clearly adored the wolf pups. Abby at least sensed that affection. Anytime the pups did something interesting, she immediately let the other teenager know.
Lacey’s grandfather’s eyes narrowed on Zach. He clearly didn’t appreciate that the boy hadn’t stood. Buck Montgomery had too much old cowboy in him to excuse rudeness. And he wasn’t above taking youngsters to task. Lacey started to place her hand on her grandfather’s arm, but she was too late.
“I see you’re still lacking in manners, young man. The polite thing would be to stand, especially since you’re the reason my granddaughter has a brain injury,” he said, echoing the words his best friend Stanley had said when Clay and Zach had stopped by her bungalow to thank her for arranging his community service.
Zach froze, his blue eyes wide and startled before they went blank. His jaw clenched ominously, and his shoulders started to rise in a sullen shrug. An ice ball formed in the bottom of Lacey’s stomach.
“Grandpa, we’ve already been over this. Like I’ve said before, Zach saved me from more serious injuries,” she said quickly. “He stuck around and made sure I was rescued. And it was his friend who mostly triggered the cave-in, not him.”
Zach’s eyes flitted over to Abby. The girl stood as still as a jackrabbit sensing a predator. Her gray eyes formed large pools as she glanced around the room. Even the wolves had stopped howling. Their little ears perked in attention as they watched the humans with patent interest.
Lacey felt Zach’s gaze on her next. His shoulders remained thrust into a fighting stance, his entire body unnaturally stiff. But he didn’t go on the offensive. Not yet. Instead, he seemed in the middle of a debate. Then, to Lacey’s amazement, he slowly rose to his feet. He didn’t stomp out of the room angrily or even scuff his toe against the floor. Instead, he turned and faced the old cowboy.
“My uncle tells me I should accept more responsibility for my actions.” Zach’s eyes flitted to hers for a second before returning to address her grandpa.
Lacey’s heart simply melted when she realized why he was cooperating. It wasn’t just to impress Abby. He knew the trouble she and Clay faced, and he had a choice. He could either help the situation or toss lighter fluid into the flames. It touched her that he’d made this decision, and she knew how much his gesture would mean to Clay. Zach had finally started to learn that anger and bluster wouldn’t win him anything.
He took a breath before he spoke again. “My prank hurt Ms. Montgomery, and I’m sorry about the trouble I caused her and the wolves.”
Lacey’s grandfather’s face transformed from cantankerous annoyance into surprise and then into something approaching grudging respect. “It isn’t easy admitting something like that. I appreciate your honesty.”
It was now Zach’s turn to look shocked. He clearly hadn’t expected praise. Although he flushed bright red, Lacey noticed his back straighten just a little bit, but this time with pride i
nstead of defiance.
“Zach wasn’t the main perpetrator,” Lacey said, “and he’s been a huge help at the zoo.”
“I’m hoping to get a job here after my community service is done,” Zach said, “which means I should probably get back to shoveling shi—I mean manure.”
Lacey saw her grandfather’s mustache twitch at Zach’s aborted swear word. He kept his face solemn, though, and tipped his hat as he moved away from the nursery entrance to allow the teenager to exit.
“I’ll go help him,” Abby said. “It was my fault he got distracted, but I knew he’d want to hear the wolf pup chorus. He acts like he doesn’t care, but he really does. Boys can be funny that way.”
Neither Lacey nor her grandfather spoke as they waited until the two teenagers left the main zoo building. When they heard the exit door bang shut, her grandpa broke the silence.
“Zach isn’t what I imagined. He’s a straight shooter. Probably learned that from his ma’s side of the family. Definitely didn’t get it from the paternal line.”
White-hot anger coursed through Lacey. Her grandfather had a knack for judging a man’s character…except when it came to Clay. There, he had a blind spot as wide as the Platt River and as deep as Crater Lake.
“Do you have any idea what that boy has been through? Both his parents were addicted to drugs, his maternal grandmother too. Yes, she ‘raised’ him, if you can even call it that. The manning-up you just witnessed from Zach wasn’t easy. He didn’t witness stuff like that growing up. Not until Clay took him in last year. That maturity. That responsibility. Those were all Clay Stevens’s doing. Zach even said so, but you’re too dang stubborn to pay attention.”
As if in sympathy, Theseus began to howl. Perseus immediately joined in. Their heads thrown back, they wailed with all their might. Ignoring the din, her grandfather scratched his head as he studied her, his golden-brown eyes serious.
“Ah hell, Lacey. Him. All the men in the world, and you choose a Stevens.”