by V. A. Dold
Lucas sighed contentedly and held out his hand to Kensie. She hesitated for a moment before she cautiously took hold of his fingertips.
Squeezing her fingers, he said. “Isn't this beautiful? I love it here. The bayou was amazing, but this...takes my breath away every time.”
“Beautiful,” she agreed, as he continued to watch the water, she glanced at his profile, and secretly admired his strong jaw and sculpted cheekbones.
He felt her gaze and looked her way. Kensie flushed and tugged to extract her fingers from his grasp, but he wouldn't allow her to break their connection.
“I meant the river and the trees,” she quickly explained.
“So did I, but I would still rather admire you.” Holding her gaze, he slowly brought her fingertips to his lips and kissed each. He heard her breath catch and watched her eyes darken with passion. Yes, she liked him more than she wanted to admit.
When he lifted his lips from her pinky finger, he relented and released her hand. Pacing. He would have to pace himself and only push her as far as she was comfortable or she would run. He needed to be the turtle and not the hare. His wolf snorted at him and turned again to gaze at Kensie like a lovesick pup.
Absentmindedly, she cradled her fingers close to her body as she cleared her throat. “What did you bring? I’m starved.” He wasn’t sure she was aware of the quaver in her voice but he heard every nuance. He affected her deeply and his wolf was ecstatic.
Quietly, he came up behind her and pressed a light kiss to her hair, so lightly, he was sure she didn’t feel it. He had to touch her, kiss her, but also restrain himself. He slipped around her to unpack his saddlebags. “I grabbed some left over fried chicken, sliced cheese and meats with crackers, fruit, and a bottle of wine.” He placed each on the blanket as he named it. Lastly, he pulled out two red plastic glasses. “Sorry about the wine glasses. Glass doesn’t fair well on the back end of a horse.”
The twinkle was back in Kensie’s eyes as she tried to suppress her giggle. Lucas lost his control and leaned across the blanket to claim her lips.
Kensie stiffened, pulled back, and glared at him. “If you think this is taking it slow and easy, you’re wrong. Maybe you’re accustomed to sleeping around with all the women who vacation here knowing you will never see them again. I don’t think I can do that.”
When he opened his mouth to object she stopped him.
“In case you haven’t noticed, I can be brutally honest and direct. I admit, I’ve had hook-ups in the past, but things feel different with you. I don’t understand why. All I know is, if I sleep with you and go back to Minnesota, I’ll regret it. Please understand, I’m not trying to trap you or play games. This is my issue. I don’t think I can keep what is between us, sex only. I’m not sure what I want to do about that. I’m the one who will have to deal with the fallout afterwards.”
“You’re right, at least about part of what you said. I’m sorry I broke the rule and didn’t keep my lips to myself. I agree, we need to get to know each other before we take this beyond handholding and kisses. Also, I need to have an important talk with you before I make love to you.”
Kensie abruptly stood and stepped back. “Tell me you’re not married.”
Laughter exploded from Lucas. She shocked him with her outburst. He stood and took her hand. “No, cher. I am most certainly not married.”
Kensie breathed a sigh of relief. “Good. I don’t mess with married men.”
“Do you have other questions to ask, or are you ready to eat?”
“Eat.”
Lucas’s touch was much too distracting, so she stepped away to break contact. The problem was, she didn’t look first and failed to see the branch lying at her feet.
One minute she was falling, and expected an impact that would jar her teeth. The next she was in Lucas’s arms. Again. Held safely to his chest. Much too close for any form of coherent thought, and she didn’t want to consider her sudden lack of good judgment. Logically, her mind admitted he simply caught her to prevent a fall. Illogically, her body had other ideas about the proximity of every hard inch of the man. Instant hormonal reaction, she was sure he felt rubbing on his chest with every breath.
Frustrated more with herself than Lucas, she pushed hard against his chest to get free. “Thank you. I’m sure I would have gotten a nasty bruise.”
“My pleasure.” His breath washed over her skin, and raised goose bumps in its wake. “I like your skin just the way it is and would hate to see an ugly splash of color marring that beautiful backside,” he teased with a wink.
Zings of arousal shot to her core as the image of Lucas kissing and caressing her gluteus maximus. Add to that his deep sexy drawl and she was in trouble. Heart breakable trouble.
He still held her, granted a bit looser than before, but he hadn’t released her either. She glanced up and her breath caught in her throat. The intense hunger glowing in his eyes froze her like a deer in headlights during the rut in Minnesota.
Why wasn’t she fighting him? What the heck was wrong with her? She felt like she was in the twilight zone. Each time she got near Lucas, her need grew stronger. It wasn’t natural. Speaking of not natural, his eyes were definitely not normal either.
She peeked again and his eyes were just as normal as hers. Maybe she imagined the glow like a mirage? She should avoid the wine and drink water. It must be the heat. Heat could make a person see things.
Her thoughts were so funny Lucas fought to hold in his laughter. Clearing his throat, he dropped his arms and took her hand. “I think we should eat before the critters decide to have a go at the food.”
She nodded, unable to trust her voice or what might pour from her mouth.
He waited until they filled their plates to bring up their evening plans. “So, are you still good for tonight?”
“Sure, unless something has come up for you.”
Lucas shifted uncomfortably. Something most certainly came up, but he wasn’t about to mention it. Hell, all she had to do was look down. Nope, he wasn’t saying a dang word. He promised to go slow and he planned to keep his crotch to himself for now. “Not a thing. I’m yours all night, darlin'.”
Chapter 9
Kensie was hot. And bothered. Her condition had absolutely nothing to do with the weather, either. And hell, she couldn’t even blame the blasted cowboy across the blanket. He was minding his own business eating his lunch. No, her state was all her and her stupid overactive libido’s fault. Fine, everything was mind over matter. She could ignore his incredible muscles, kissable lips, intense soul-searing eyes, keen mind, and intoxicating scent. Yeah, right. Who was she kidding? She was a goner.
Think of something else that should work. She glanced toward the branch that had been her near demise. The entire situation could have been worse. It would have been mortifying if her parents named her Grace like they planned. Of course tripping gave her the chance to enjoy his strong embrace again without him knowing she liked it. Wait. What? She liked it? Where did that come from?
Startled by her mind’s sudden revelation she instinctively tried to leap to her feet. The need to flee, raged through her body. But flee from what? Herself? The problem with her brilliant maneuver was she held a plate of food on her lap, a glass of wine next to her knee and her foot was tucked under her body.
She meant to propel herself up and away. That didn’t happen, not even close.
As she began to move, Lucas was ready for her. He’d heard her fears and smelled her panic.
When she attempted to rise, he tossed his plate aside and braced himself. Her wine went left; the plate in her hands sailed right, centimeters from his ear; and her body hurtled straight into his chest. He swore everything happened in slow motion. Lucas held his arms wide and ready, so when she slammed into him, all he had to do was close his arms and fall backward to absorb her momentum.
Kensie gasped for breath, the air knocked from her lungs. Steel bands were clamped around her. What had she collided with? Did she hi
t the ground and knock her head against a stone? Maybe she was out cold and dreaming? Do people have dreams when they get knocked out? Whatever she ran into was as hard as a rock.
Her mind rambled. Jumped from one thought to the next. Complete lunacy ran rampant in her head. She stiffened. I’m an idiot. It’s finally happened, I used up my quota of genius and now I’m a moron.
Something snorted beneath her. Dear God, she’d done it again. She’d squashed Lucas, flat as a pancake. It would be a miracle if she hadn’t killed him this time.
She tried to roll off him and check for signs of life. His arms wouldn’t budge. She attempted to wiggle free. That produced an extra tree branch for her to traverse. The man was built. Really built. All over. He felt like an artist carved him from stone, like the famous statue, David. He was so solid he could probably stop a bullet without a protective vest.
When she wiggled again, he moaned against her neck. “Mon amour, you’re driving me crazy rubbing on me like that. Could you try to hold still?”
Instantly, she froze. She had to get off him, but how could she do that if she held still? “Lucas, I need to get up and make sure you’re not injured.”
“Nope.”
“What do you mean, no?”
“I’m not ready to let you go. You just lay right there and don’t move for, oh, let’s say the next five minutes.”
“Five minutes! I’ll smother you by then. Please, be reasonable, and let me up,” Kensie begged.
“Under one condition.”
She could feel him grinning against her neck between... was he kissing her neck? “What condition?”
“You snuggle with me tonight while we watch the movie. Maybe even kiss me a few times.”
“Okay, fine. Now, let me up.”
He eased his grip, and allowed her to raise herself off his chest with her arms. His body rose with hers, like magnets drawn to metal. Before she got too far, he framed her face with his hands and kissed her. He wasn’t soft and sweet like the last time, this time he was hungry and demanded satisfaction.
“Kensie,” he murmured. “I need to do something, but I can’t maneuver very well, do you think you could help me?”
“My goodness, yes,” She quickly agreed, then searched his face for signs of pain. “What can I help you do?”
“Come closer,” he pled softly, in a voice he slowly faded.
She frowned skeptically, but leaned a little closer. “I’m already as close as I can get without being a tattoo on your skin.”
“Closer,” he croaked dramatically.
His voice grew shaky. She feared he was having trouble breathing, but the infernal man wouldn’t let her go. Sighing in exasperation, she leaned her face close to his so he could speak into her ear. However, the son of a biscuit was nowhere near as weak as he made out. In one swift move, he wove his fingers into her hair and claimed her lips. Caught unaware, her gasp provided the perfect opportunity to taste her fully.
There was resolve and yearning in his kiss, which was infectious. Kensie absently shoved his hat aside and tangled her fingers in his hair.
“I love you.”
He whispered so softly Kensie wasn’t sure she actually heard him speak. His hand remained clasped around the back of her neck.
“You, Kensie Brown, are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met.”
She decided to ignore the possibility he just professed his love and concentrated instead on controlling her compliment-induced blush. Rudolph and his nose had nothing on her blush when it got revved up. The tips of her fingers combed instinctively through his thick, ebony hair until she realized what she was doing and snatched them away. “I think you hit your head pretty hard. I’m certainly not beautiful by any stretch of the word.”
“I don’t know who the bastard was that made you believe you weren’t beautiful, but he needs to get the devil beat out of him,” he countered seriously. “You are incredibly gorgeous. Now that I’ve settled that, maybe you can tell me what is causing you sleepless nights? You look very tired, cher. You need some rest. And by that I mean sleep and no work.”
Kensie sighed, too exhausted to fight. She really couldn’t care less about fighting him anymore; an argument required more energy than she could muster. As the breath escaped her lungs, she lowered her head to his chest and for the first time allowed a man to just hold her, and dammit, she really liked the way his arms felt.
“Damn, darlin',” he rumbled. “You taste sweet, fit me perfectly, and feel incredible.”
She was thinking the same things but she wasn’t about to admit it aloud. Kensie wiggled like a worm trying to get him to release her and felt his hard erection pressed into the junction of her thighs. Lordy, he feels way too good.
“Keep it up and you’re going to see a lot more of me than you’re ready to deal with.”
His growled warning fluttered hotly across her lips before he groaned and claimed her lips again. This kiss, she felt from the roots of her hair all the way to her curled toes.
Ruthlessly Lucas nibbled and sucked at her mouth until her moan parted her lips to his plundering tongue. The ache of her need flared hotly, driving her arousal to a level she never experienced before. Mindlessly her fingers gripped his hair, and all but ripped it from his scalp.
The initial frenzy settled into curious exploration. Now was Kensie’s turn to take the initiative. Gingerly, almost tentatively, her tongue cautiously slipped between his lips. Tasted, Tested. She began a meandering path, explored the nooks and crevices. Stroked. Caressed. Unconsciously, her hands began to knead and explore his chest in time with her seeking tongue.
Lucas quivered under her touch, while his wolf rumbled in satisfaction. He held his body taut as he forced himself to remain still and give Kensie free rein. She needed this if she was ever to gain confidence in herself as a desirable woman, and the sexual creature she was.
He was so aroused; it was all he could do to not shame himself like an inexperienced teenaged boy. His mate was killing him with pleasure one tongue stroke at a time.
They shared one breath; one heartbeat, and the world had fallen away, leaving them the only two people alive.
“Kensie? Good lord, I can’t let you out of my sight without you jumping that man.” Jojo teased, amusement evident in her tone. One gloved hand covered her grin in an attempt to contain her giggle.
Kensie gasped and jerked away from Lucas as if he touched her with a hot poker. Frantically, her startled gaze flashed between her sister and Lucas. Confusion was evident in her expression as if she were trying to comprehend what Jojo was talking about. She seemed shocked at her own behavior. How could she possibly be making out with Lucas? To make things worse, they were behaving like exhibitionists for everyone to see.
When she calmed enough to take a good look at Lucas, her breath hitched. His pupils were dilated and nostrils flared. And his hair was a hot mess, sticking up crazily from her desperate need to hold him to her and not let him escape.
Lucas laughed, and grinned up at Jojo and Hank, who still sat their horses. “Hi, guys, what brings you to this part of the ranch?”
Hank cleared his throat. “Obviously, not what brought you to this section, boss.”
“Yeah, well. We’re having a picnic. I’m pretty sure cook added something special to our meal. I think I need to check the kitchen for love potions,” Lucas joked.
Kensie glared at Lucas sharply until he squeezed her fingers and offered silent support. How could she remain angry when he was being so sweet? Still, she was absolutely mortified. Not only was she caught molesting Lucas on the ground like an animal in rut, she’d been caught by her little sister. God, she was never going to hear the end of it. How many times had she berated Jojo for necking in a car and steaming up the windows? If she owned a shovel, she would dig a hole and crawl inside.
Lucas jumped to his feet with an agility most men his size could only dream of and held out a hand to Kensie. “Come on, babe. Let’s take a ride upriver a ways befor
e we head back.”
Kensie grasped his hand and allowed him to pull her easily to her feet. She brushed off her clothes and nonchalantly checked her hair with as much dignity, as she could muster. Shooting a glance at Lucas, she saw him grinning like a fool as he gathered the picnic together. She’d smack him on the shoulder, but it would draw even more unwanted attention.
“We would go with you, but Hank promised me dinner and dancing,” Jojo purred, and nudged her mare closer to Hank’s horse. “If I don’t head back now I’ll never be ready in time.”
Kensie’s eyes snapped to her little sister. “You have plans again tonight?”
Jojo looked sheepish. “Yeah. Hank asked me out while we were riding otherwise I would have told you earlier.”
“Y’all have a great time,” Lucas offered as he gathered the lunch leftovers. “We’re staying at the ranch to watch movies and eat popcorn.”
Jojo smiled brightly at Kensie. “You have a date? Who are you and what have you done with my sister?”
“Zip it, Jojo,” Kensie hissed, and blushed beet red. “We can talk in private later.”
“Oh, yeah right. Okay.” Jojo was quick to agree. She didn’t want Kensie suspicious of the set up. Besides, her sister was extremely private and didn’t like people to know her business.
Hank chuckled when he saw Lucas signal him to get lost. “You ready to ride, darlin'?”
“Sure,” Jojo said. She smiled brightly at Hank and reined her mount away from Kensie and Lucas.
Lucas watched until the riders were out of sight, then turned to Kensie and kissed her one last time. “Sorry about that, cher. I wasn’t expecting company when you landed in my lap. And truth be told, there was no way a red-blooded male could pass up an opportunity like that.” He winked and continued to pack his saddlebags. By the time he was done, she was mounted and ready to head back. With the ease of a man used to being in the saddle, he mounted in one smooth move.
“I’d like to show you the section of river I’m considering for my personal home.”