by Elle James
Jenna shook her head. “Not an option. I’ll take my chances.” She stepped out of her jeans and stood in nothing but a pair of silky pink panties.
Bastian stepped free of his jeans and stood naked, his cock jutting outward, straight, thick and hard.
He pulled her into his arms, tilted her head upward and claimed her lips in a hungry kiss that rocked her soul and made her long for more. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her breasts to his chest, loving the way the coarse hairs tickled her skin and teased her nipples.
Bastian bent and clutched the backs of her thighs and lifted her, wrapping her legs around his waist. His cock touched her weeping entrance, the tip teasing the entrance. “Damn,” he muttered.
“What? Did I do it wrong?” she asked.
“No, no. You’re doing everything right. It’s me.” He dropped her feet back to the ground and lunged for his jeans, pulling his wallet from the back pocket. “I hope I have one…” He flipped open the black leather billfold and riffled through the contents until he exclaimed, “Thank God.” He held up a square packet.
Jenna took it from him and would have applied it to his erection right then. She was hot and wet. She didn’t know if she could wait much longer.
“Not yet,” he said and covered her hand with his. “Hold onto that. It’s the only one I have here.”
“But I’m ready. Now.”
He shook his head. “Not yet.” Bastian kissed her lips, her cheek, her neck and lower. He bent to take one of her breasts into his mouth, tonguing, nipping and flicking the nipple until it beaded into a tight little knot.
“Now?” she moaned, her core heating to an inferno, her fingers sliding over his shoulders, digging into his skin.
“Not yet.”
She was beginning to hate those two words. If he didn’t come into her soon, she’d take matters into her own hands and make it happen.
That’s when Bastian dropped to his knees on the hay and nudged apart her thighs.
Jenna’s breath caught and lodged in her lungs as his hand cupped her sex, massaging the puff of hair there. Then he parted her folds and slipped a finger into her channel.
She moaned and rocked her hips. Her fingers wove through his hair, kneading his scalp. What was he doing to her? She didn’t feel like she had any control whatsoever over her body or its response to what he was doing. And for someone who liked having control, she suddenly didn’t care. He could do anything he wanted with her, as long as he continued to do what he was doing along with it.
He drew his wet finger up between her folds and teased her clit, swirling, flicking and strumming that little bit of nerve-packed flesh, until Jenna whimpered and her knees wobbled.
When he replaced his finger with his tongue, it was all she could do not to scream aloud. “Bastian,” she whispered. “Oh, dear, sweet Bastian. I’m going to…” Her breath hitched, and her body quaked with a release so intense, Jenna thought she’d died and gone to heaven.
He played her with his tongue until she could barely remain upright. She pulled at his hair. “Please,” she begged. “I want you.”
Bastian flicked her once more with his tongue and then rose to his feet, captured her mouth with his and kissed her.
She could taste herself on his tongue, and it made her even more anxious to have him fill her to full, to take up all the empty space her ex-husband had hammered into her.
When he stepped back, she tore open the packet she’d held in her hand all this time and rolled the contents over his shaft, reveling in the velvety smooth strength beneath her fingertips.
Then he was lifting her, wrapping her legs around his waist and lowering her until his cock pressed into her channel.
“I’ll take it slow. I don’t want to hurt you,” he said.
“Oh, please,” she said and lowered herself over him in one smooth, descent, taking all of him down to the base of his shaft.
He filled her, his girth stretching her tight. When he moved, she arched and threw her head back. This was what she’d wanted. To ride this cowboy. “Make it hard and fast,” she whispered.
He backed her up to a post and leaned her back against the smooth wood. Then, holding her hips in his grip, he slammed into her, again and again, moving faster with each thrust.
Her hands on his shoulders, Jenna rode the McKinnon all the way until he thrust his last, sinking deep inside her. His hands on her buttocks held her firmly, while his shaft throbbed and pulsed against her slick channel.
Bastian buried his face against her throat, pressing his lips against her skin.
For a long moment, he held her tight until, finally, he let go of the breath he’d been holding and relaxed. “Are you okay?” he asked as he loosened his grip on her ass.
She nodded, a tentative smile, curling her lips. “Are you?”
Bastian laughed, slid out of her and lowered her to her feet. “Never better.” He retrieved the condom packaging, removed the protection from his still-hard erection and tucked it into the package. With his free hand, he cupped the back of her head and tipped her chin up. “You’re amazing.”
“You’re not so bad, yourself,” she said, suddenly shy standing there naked in front of him in the middle of the loft full of hay bales.
Then he kissed her lips gently, stripping away any shyness and leaving her ready for round two.
The sound of a door creaking open captured her attention. Her gaze flew to his, and her eyes widened.
Bastian pressed a finger to his lips.
“Bastian, Jenna?” Molly’s voice sounded from below.
Jenna shook her head and pressed a finger to her lips, just like he had.
He captured her and kissed the tip of her finger before calling out. “We’re in the loft.”
“Everything okay?” Molly asked. “Do you need help?” Her voice seemed to be moving closer.
Jenna’s heart beat faster, and she scrambled, searching for her jeans and shirt, remembering a moment later that her shirt was somewhere below where they’d begun their little strip show.
“We don’t need help,” Bastian responded.
“Are you sure?” she persisted.
Jenna found her jeans, frantically shoved her feet into the legs and dragged them up over her hips.
Bastian stood there, not at all concerned about being naked or getting dressed. “Everything is under control up here. No need to stick around. I’m sure you have better things to do.”
“Jenna?” Molly called out.
“I’m fine,” Jenna squeaked. She cleared her throat and forced her voice to calm. “We’ll be back at the house in a few minutes. I was looking for the stray cat that used to live up here.”
“That cat’s been gone for years,” Molly said.
“Oh. Well, then, we won’t be much longer,” Jenna said.
“Okay. I’ll see you at the house,” Molly said.
Jenna let go of the breath she’d been holding and waited for the sound of the door creaking open and closed. It creaked open, but then there was a pause.
“If you’re looking for your bra and shirt, I laid them over the first stall door,” Molly called out.
Jenna clapped a hand over her mouth, mortified that her friend had seen her clothing.
The door hinge creaked, and the click of the door closing was the only sound in the now silent barn.
Bastian threw back his head and laughed so hard, he bent over, clutching at his naked sides.
“It’s not funny,” Jenna said. Despite her mortification, her lips twitched, and a chuckle rose up her throat, erupting into a full belly laugh that brought tears to her eyes. “How…am I …going to explain…this?” she said through the ensuing hiccups.
“You’re not. It’s none of Molly’s business.” Bastian leaned over and kissed the tip of her nipple. “Do you want me to retrieve your bra and shirt and bring them up here?”
“Yes,” she said. “After you put on your jeans. No telling who else will wander out here lookin
g for us.”
Bastian pulled on his jeans and boots and ran down the stairs. He was back in seconds with her bra and shirt.
When she reached out, he held them back. “Whatcha gonna give me in exchange for one bra and one shirt?”
She held up her fist. “A knuckle sandwich.” When he didn’t give in, she frowned. “Fine.” She stood up on her toes and pressed her lips to his. “Now, will you give me my clothes?”
“Mmm.” He shook his head. “I like you like this.”
“Give me my clothes,” she said and attacked him, throwing her arms around his waist, trying to reach for the items he held behind his back.
“See? There was method to my madness.” His arms switched directions, and he wrapped them around her, pulling her close. “That little peck wasn’t nearly sincere enough.” He proceeded to show her the difference.
Minutes later, after being thoroughly kissed, Jenna fumbled with her bra, her hands shaking and her knees feeling like jelly.
Bastian helped her slip her shirt over her head and pulled it down her torso, his knuckles grazing the skin of her breasts.
“When did you say we’d be back at the house?” she whispered.
“I didn’t. You did. And the answer is soon. Much too soon.” He bent to kiss the base of her throat and tongued the pulse thundering there.
“If we hurry…” Jenna grabbed the hem of her shirt, ready to pull it over her head.
He covered her hand with his. “I don’t have another condom.”
She let the air out of lungs like a deflating balloon. “Oh, that’s too bad.”
He kissed the tip of her nose. “Agreed.”
“I guess there’s nothing left to do but head back to the house.”
Bastian tucked the hem of his shirt into the waistband of his jeans. “You have some hay in your hair.” He plucked a straw from her hair and trailed it down V-neck of her sweater. “Ready?”
She sucked in a breath as the straw slipped over the swell of her breast. “Yes,” she half-whispered and half-hissed.
“Good.” He took her hand and led her toward the door. “I think Mom made apple pie, and there’s a gallon of vanilla ice cream in the freezer.”
“Food?” Jenna shook her head. “You can think of food?”
“Sure. I worked up an appetite.” He grinned and held open the door for her.
Jenna shook her head as she passed through.
A sharp slap to her bottom made her jump. She spun, rubbing her backside. “You didn’t.”
“Oh, yes, I did.” Then he winked. “And I’d do it again, given half a chance. Now, about that ice cream.” He marched past her.
Jenna swung her arm, aiming for his glorious ass.
Before her hand connected, he grabbed her wrist and held it. “Gotta be quicker than that.”
“Jerk.”
“That’s one of the nicer things I’ve been called.” He kept hold of her hand and walked back to the house.
Molly stood at the top of the stairs, leaning against a post, grinning like a fool. “Find that cat you were looking for?” she asked.
Colin frowned. “What cat?”
“Oh, did I say cat?” Molly covered her mouth playfully. “I meant pus—”
Jenna grabbed Molly’s arm and yanked her toward the house. “Isn’t there something we need to wash—” leaning closer to Molly’s ear, she finished her question in a whisper, “like your mouth out with soap?”
Molly giggled. “I’m not the one who was chasing kitties in the barn.”
“What kitties?” Colin asked. “I thought they were gone.”
“Ask Jenna,” Molly called out as Jenna dragged her through the door and into the house.
Molly hugged her arm. “So, tell me all about it.”
“No way.”
“Why not? I know you’ve had a thing for Bastian since forever.”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Jenna said.
“I’m your best buddy. We share everything.”
Jenna shook her head. “Not this. Not yet.”
Perhaps the tone of her voice finally got to Molly, because she didn’t push. “Well, if it means anything to you, I’m glad for you two. It’s about time things went right for you two in the love department.”
Jenna, her eyes filling with tears, hugged her friend, and then ran up the stairs to her room.
It was too soon to talk about what had happened in the barn. She didn’t know what it meant, or if it would ever happen again. Bastian hadn’t said anything about what came next. For all she knew, it was a once in a lifetime event, and he’d forget about her as soon as he returned to active duty.
She entered her room, closed the door, leaned her back against it and slid to the floor.
God, she hoped it meant more than that to him, because making love to Bastian meant everything to her.
Chapter 10
Bastian wanted to join Jenna in her room that night. But every time he left his room to go to hers, someone was in the hall.
First, it was Molly, sneaking down the stairs for a snack. Then, it was Fiona, slipping down to the kitchen for a bottle for Caity. By the time the coast was clear, it was well past eleven.
He knocked gently on the door. If she was awake, she’d answer. If not, well…he’d go back to his room and try to sleep.
She hadn’t responded to his knock, and he went back to his room to stare up at the ceiling until the early hours of the morning when he finally drifted off.
During those long hours of sleeplessness, he questioned everything about his relationship with Jenna. From the fact she was Molly’s friend to his commitment to the US Navy. Finally, he’d wrestled with his vow to Lauren, that he would never love another woman.
The problem was, he was falling in love with Jenna. If anything happened to her…
He couldn’t go through that again.
Bastian had suffered through the most grueling training on the planet when he’d gone through BUD/S training to become a SEAL. Still, it hadn’t been nearly as hard as losing Lauren with the second-guessing and guilt he’d harbored for years.
SEAL training was cut and dried. More physical than mental. He could handle physical pain. Emotional suffering took too big a toll.
Falling in love with Jenna could only lead to heartbreak.
As he drifted into sleep, he relived in his dreams making love to her in the hay loft. His kid sister’s friend was a passionate woman he could happily make love to for the rest of his life.
He woke with the dawn and a headache from too little sleep and too many thoughts spinning around his consciousness. What he needed was to get outside, breathe and get his head on straight.
Finding his father was the number one reason for taking leave. Not making love to a beautiful real estate agent.
He dressed and crossed to the bathroom to brush his teeth, shave and run a comb through his hair. When he left the bathroom, his gaze went to Jenna’s room.
The urge to knock on her door was almost overwhelming. Dear Lord, he was obsessing over a female.
Bastian squared his shoulders and marched down the stairs to the kitchen.
Half the family was already up, making coffee and breakfast. His mother manned the spatula in front of the stove. Angus hovered around the coffee maker, waiting for it to stop dripping. Colin was putting the dishes away from the dishwasher.
And standing at the toaster was the woman who’d occupied every one of Bastian’s thoughts throughout the night.
Jenna turned as he entered the kitchen, a soft flush of color filling her cheeks. “Do you want toast with your eggs?” she asked.
He nodded.
The color deepened in her cheeks. Was she feeling as awkward as he was? “One slice or two?”
“Two,” he answered. He didn’t want toast at all. He wanted to swing her up into his arms, carry her up to his room and make sweet love to her in a real bed, not a hay loft. He wanted to wake in the morning with her in his arms and do it all
over again.
Sweet Jesus, he had it bad. “I’m going to check on the animals. I’ll be back in a minute.”
“Duncan and Parker are out there now,” his mother said.
“I’ll see if they need help.” Bastian was halfway across the kitchen when Duncan and Parker came through the back door, talking about one of the horses.
“Need any help with the animals?” Bastian asked.
Duncan’s brow twisted. “All taken care of, for now.”
At a loss for what to do with himself, Bastian stepped out on the porch anyway. He stared at the blue Montana sky. He thought it ironic how nature managed to go on unimpeded by the goings on of the human race. The sun rose every day and set every day, whether Bastian got a good night’s sleep or not.
“Breakfast is ready,” his mother called out.
Bastian drew in a deep breath of pure Montana air and entered the kitchen.
Jenna had taken a seat at the table. Angus had taken the seat on one side of her. Bree sat at his other side.
The seat on Jenna’s other side was empty.
Bastian started for the seat, but Colin beat him to it. Emily sat on the other side of him. Which left the chair between his mother and Mr. Monson. Bastian settled there, trying to look in Jenna’s direction, as his gaze was wont to do, automatically.
As soon as the family settled at the table, a knock sounded on the front door.
“I’ll get it.” Bastian’s mother popped up from her seat as if she had a spring built into her backside. She hurried out of the room.
The sound of a male voice and a female voice came from down the hallway. His mother said something, and footsteps tapped on the wood flooring.
His mother appeared in the doorway with a woman, a man and a German Shepherd.
“This is Special Agent Molly Greenbriar and Joseph Kuntz, but he says you can call him Kujo. And since we have a Molly McKinnon, you can call Kujo’s Molly, by her last name, Greenbriar, to keep from getting confused.” She leaned forward and pointed to the dog. “The hairy one is retired military war dog, Six.” Bastian’s mother beamed. “I offered them food, but they insisted they’ve already had their breakfast.”
Kujo waved a hand. “Don’t let us stop you. We’ll wait outside on the porch until you’re done.”