By the time she reached the animal, Hugh was already bent next to it. Tears came to her eyes. “Is he still alive?” she asked. Her question was answered when the dog whimpered, then moved, trying to get up. His blood matted fur near his hind legs looked serious.
“It’s okay, boy.” Hugh patted his head and then grazed his palm down the dog’s chest and side. “I think it’s just his back legs that are hurt. Will you grab the water bottle from the console for me?”
Hurrying to gather the water and bring it back, she handed it over and Hugh offered the dog a drink and he slurped thirstily. “At least he can drink. Hard to tell how long he’s been here.” He gently poured the remaining water over the wound, receiving a yelp in protest.
“We can’t leave him here.” Acid rose into the back of her throat. She never liked seeing anything suffer.
“No, we can’t and we won’t. I’ll take him to Presley.” He carefully lifted the dog into his arms and Adira could see he didn’t have any fight in him to resist. “Will you grab my phone from my back pocket, scroll through my contacts and find her number. Tell her we have an injured dog we’re bringing in. She should still be in the clinic.”
She made the call and Hugh was already in the truck, sitting in the passenger seat. “She’s there and waiting on us.”
“You’ll have to drive. I’ll hold him. I’m afraid if I put him down it’ll only hurt him worse,” he said.
The next half hour was a blur. Presley took the injured dog back into the examining room and told Hugh and Adira to hang out in the lobby until she could figure out the extent of the injury.
Hugh’s uniform shirt was covered in blood and he looked tired. Although what he’d done to help the animal would be considered something most people would do, watching him hold the dog in his arms, his concern and compassion evident in every line of his face, had touched her. His kindness reached in and woke up hidden parts of her—showing her that it was possible to throw out the baggage she’d stored up inside. For the first time in a long time, she wanted someone on her side, someone she could depend upon. She wanted to have long walks, holding hands, talking about everything and anything.
Could she be dreaming?
“How is Deandra Newman?” she asked, needing to move her thoughts away from her feelings.
“Better. She’s out of the coma and talking.”
“Can she tell you what happened?”
He shrugged. “She either can’t remember or doesn’t want to.”
“What will happen now?”
“I’ve talked her into going into rehab. There’s a place just outside of town that will take her just as soon as she’s released from the hospital which should be within a few days.”
“She’s lucky to be alive. Lucky the paramedics could help her.”
He nodded. “Would you like some coffee?”
“No, I’m fine thank you.”
He stood and strolled over to the coffeemaker, poring himself a cup just as the door to the examination room opened. Presley and Cheryl, her assistant, entered the room. “Good thing you two found the poor fellow when you did,” Presley said. “He is severely dehydrated and his back-left leg is broken in two spots. The right leg is the biggest problem. It’s shattered. I’ve started him on an IV of saline and antibiotics and he should recover now that he’s being taken care of. I checked to see if he has been chipped, but no, and he wasn’t wearing a collar. It might be difficult to find his family. Animals get dropped off in the country and they’re left to fend for themselves.”
“I’ll be responsible for him until we find his home, if or when we do,” Hugh said. “Do whatever it takes and send me the bill.”
“You know I’ll do everything I can for him, but that leg, it’s pretty bad. I’m going to take an X-ray again tomorrow and see if there’s any hope, but we could be looking at amputation. I’ll keep you updated and speak to you first. In the meantime, you two should go home and get cleaned up. People will begin to think you’ve been to a bloody crime scene.” Presley pointed at his soiled shirt.
“Call me if you need me.” Hugh kissed her on the cheek. “And you get some rest too.”
“Urban will be in soon, I’m sure. Since we found out about the baby, he’s become a worry-wart.”
“He loves you. Let the man worry.”
“See you both soon.”
As Presley passed, she offered Adira a warm smile. Over the last few weeks, they as well as Pippa, Harley, and Sammie had become good friends. A person who traveled from place to place shouldn’t make friends, or become attracted to the Sheriff. These things just happened, making leaving harder.
~~~~~
What was going on inside him?
Those were his thoughts as Hugh drove up the long, winding road on the ranch. Adira was sitting quietly next to him, her attention on the scenery. She’d barely said two words to him since they’d left the clinic. Every now and again he’d look across the seat at her, catching glimpses of how her hair rustled in the breeze or the way she worked her bottom lip. Her slender hand was planted on her thigh and the bruising on her knuckles had almost faded. Her foot moved to the beat of the country tune playing on the radio.
He wanted to ask her about her thoughts, but he had a feeling she wanted to remain in silence.
No doubt, things were spiraling out of control between them. The draw had grown stronger and he couldn’t quite pinpoint when he realized how much she meant to him. He had no business contemplating the idea of letting things go to the next level. He was a man who always did the right thing and getting involved with a woman who had been hurt in the past could lead to more pain—for both.
Pulling in front of his house, he turned off the engine, jumped out and strode toward the front door, waiting for Adira. He watched her closely. Her sultry gaze was on him and it poured through him like aged whiskey. He couldn’t have torn his eyes away from her if his last breath depended on it. She held him in a mystical hold as she swayed her way up to the porch and across the wooden planks and somehow, they ended up inside the house. Everything was about to change…
~~~~~
Hugh stuffed his hands into his front pockets and his brows were slightly scrunched. His cowboy hat was slanted and his warm gaze was on her, locked and enchanting. Could he see right through into her thoughts? If he did then he would know that she’d decided not to fight the feeling—no longer deny herself the need to lay in his arms, have them wrapped around her. Just that easily, she made the decision that could change her life forever.
She took the one tiny step forward that brought her to him, her flip flops meeting the toes of his dusty boots. “Let me help you with this.” She didn’t wait for his approval and unclasped one button, then another and another, until his shirt was loose revealing smooth, broad, tanned skin. He was a real-life, virile cowboy and anticipation rippled through her. What could keep them apart? Would he turn her away?
His gaze was pinned to her, causing her nerve endings to awaken. She lifted her chin, attempting to force her heart to beat normally and her knees to stop shaking. Why was she acting as if she’d never been this close to a man before, never saw a man’s chest? Truth was, she’d never wanted anyone like she did Hugh. There was no sign that he, too, was struck by the same emotions. He appeared calm, collected, like a man who could walk across the dessert and never give up no matter how thirsty he became.
She had to crane her neck to look up at him. She pushed the shirt off his broad shoulders, bewildered by how large they were.
“Adira?” Her name came out in a whisper.
“Hugh?”
“What are we doing?” Although he might have a poker face, his voice didn’t hold up against the pressure as well.
“I’m helping you out of your shirt.”
“It feels like a helluva lot more to me,” the raspy tone of his voice made her nipples tighten.
“Really? You could be very right.”
He slid his hand to her nape, his touch wa
rm and his callused palm scraping her skin in a seductive rasp. “Darlin’, I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“I’ve thought enough about this. I’m sure of nothing else,” she admitted. Her heart pounded hard against her ribcage.
“I’m going to kiss you. Any objections?” His fingers tightened on her, pulling her in until she pressed against him, soft meeting hard.
“Not a one, cowboy. Give it your best shot.”
He grinned, showing off a row of even white teeth and deep dimples. It was enough to make her wobble. “That sounds like a challenge, sweetheart. Be careful. I’ve always prided myself in going beyond every task sent my way.”
There was a daring glint to his eyes as he lowered his head and kissed her.
Her toes curled and her heart almost leapt out of her chest at the incredible rush of feelings of his lips touching hers. The kiss was warm, soft, and tantalizing as she leaned into him, relishing in the amazing feeling. One powerful arm snaked around her waist, lifting her to the tips of her toes.
The powerful lines of his strong body were a contrast to her softer curves. He towered over her in height, but he wasn’t intimidating or overwhelming. She felt safe in his arms, cared for. He held her in a cloud of security and promise and she never wanted to leave his embrace.
A groan escaped his throat as he angled his chin to deepen the kiss, causing a round of electrical currents to bounce through her veins. She wrapped both of her arms around his neck, pushing her sensitive breasts against his hard chest. His tongue slid between her lips, opening her to him, exploring her. She could have melted into the wood flooring, but his strong arms held her steady. It had been a long time since she’d been kissed by a man, and none of those times came close to this. Not anywhere close. For this moment she belonged here, with him, his touch on her. Adira wanted more of his kisses, his touch…all of him.
He pulled back and she moaned in resistance. He smiled, cupping her cheek with his palm. “I need to take a shower.”
“Okay.”
“Great.” He took a small step back and picked her up, gaining a squeal from her. “I’m glad you agree.”
She couldn’t even speak as he carried her down the hall and into the spacious bathroom. Her heart was beating so fast she feared it would pop right out of her chest. She watched him reach in, turn on the water, then swivel back to face her. “Do you like your water hot or warm?”
Her brain could barely function and he was asking her a question. This would require superhuman powers and she didn’t have them. She stood there staring. He kissed her lightly on the lips, chuckling, his eyes animated. “How about in between?” He adjusted the water temperature.
When he reached for her shirt and tugged it over her head, she finally gained some thought process back to her wonky brain. “I’ve never showered with a man before,” she admitted a little shyly.
“Then we’re even because I’ve never showered with a man before either.” His eyes danced with humor.
She would have laughed if she wasn’t so caught up in the captivating moment and the fact that she was now partly undressed in front of him. And then went her jeans as he scooped them down her hips until she was standing before him in her Victoria’s Secret matching lace bra and boy-short panties. Somewhere in her brain she guessed she should be self-conscious, but she wasn’t, not in the least, which made things even more fascinating. Adira felt beautiful—wanted. The way he looked at her couldn’t be described. He didn’t see the flaws on her body or that one breast was slightly larger than the other. The roundness of her tummy. All those things that she saw when she looked in the mirror. All those things that Preston had pointed out.
“You’re so beautiful. Every part of you.” The low huskiness of his voice made her tremble.
“Your turn,” she bravely said, excited to see him without clothes.
He winked as he stepped back to the center of the room and pushed out of his jeans and boxers. And there he stood, naked as the day he was born, but there was nothing infantile about him. If there was a perfect image of a man, he must fit the definition. So many emotions barreled through her that took her breath as she stared at him. He looked so good that it ached to see him. She drank in his muscular frame. No denying she’d imagined that he would be a large man under his clothes, but what she saw, from chiseled jaw, ripples of muscle covered in taut flesh to his erection that made her salivate…every bit of him reminded her of a warrior.
She wanted to stomp across the room, push him against the wall and demand that he take her now! But no, she couldn’t. Wouldn’t. But oh, how she wanted to.
Chapter 8
Hugh was shaken from heart to toes as he stared at the beauty before him. He could only describe her as irresistible. He needed to slow down and stay focused, enjoy each second. The last thing he wanted was for things to end before they even began.
Strolling to her, he reached around and unclasped her bra, the material floated to the ground and he wandered his gaze over her firm breasts. Her pink nipples were thick and erect. Without further wasting time, he bent his head and suckled one nipple into his mouth like a starving man, filling his mouth with the succulent mound. He wanted her so badly that he was in pain, bittersweet desire clawing through him. He slid his hands around and cupped her ass, drawing her closer. Her breasts pressed into his face as he claimed the other nipple.
Everything around them disappeared. He couldn’t have run away from the scorching flames that held him prisoner if his life depended on it. He lifted his chin, staring into her blue eyes that told a story of longing. He took her silent invitation and kissed her, teasing her lips apart with his tongue as he massaged her bottom, pressing his raging rod against her. The contact made his brain foggy and his balls so damn tight, he thought he’d go mad before he had her. The feeling of needing her, more than he’d ever needed anyone, made the hairs on his body stand. He broke the kiss to peer down at her heavy-lidded eyes and pink, moist mouth.
“Tell me you want me,” he demanded. He needed to hear the words.
She smiled seductively. “I want you.” She rocked her hips as if to send her message home. “If this is any sign of your feelings, I’d say you want me just as badly.” She grasped his length between her slender fingers, boldly squeezing.
“I’ll go crazy if I don’t have you. You are the most beautiful, enticing woman I’ve ever had the pleasure being around.”
Her smile played at her lips, as if something held her back. “Hugh, I don’t need you to say things like that.” She lowered her eyes.
He touched her chin, bringing her gaze back up to meet his. “Sweetheart, you might not need to hear the truth, but you deserve a man who will tell you every day of your life just how wonderful you are. Don’t settle for anything less.” He moaned heavily. “You, my sweet, sweet, Adira, don’t have a clue what you do to me.”
Her sigh bounced off the walls as he dropped his mouth and sampled her nipple again, sucking harder until she threaded the fingers of one hand into his hair and held on tightly. Her other fingers were still wrapped around his cock and she began to move them slowly. His breath came out in a hiss and he swore her nipple grew thicker and harder. Having her silken skin against his tongue shattered his every bit of control.
With shaky hands, he stripped her panties off. If things weren’t hard enough, she lifted her hips ever so slightly, bringing the tip of his erection against her pussy, using the head to rub her slit. It drove him a little crazier. He wasn’t expecting a meek woman. He had a feeling she could be wild between the sheets and he couldn’t wait to find out just how so.
He wanted to lift her up and carry her into the shower, but was caught up in the moment he didn’t think he could move without breaking his body. The purrs in the back of her throat could almost make him go, then and there, but he had more control than that, and tonight he’d have to pull out every chain he had in his body.
Gently, he nipped at the flesh of her breasts and her head fell back
to one shoulder, her moans becoming louder. He believed he found something she really liked. He pinched the pink peaks, testing the sensitivity and her mouth parted. Her tongue came out to smooth across the plump flesh. He continued to tweak and grasp as her cries exploded.
She brought her chin up and he knew it was now or never.
He lifted her and stepped into the cove of the shower, the hot spray heavenly against his aching muscles. He set her down on her feet, but didn’t let her go far as he reached for the bar of strong smelling soap and swiped it across his chest and stomach.
“Here, let me,” she urged, taking the soap from him.
He didn’t argue. He’d never been washed by a woman before and as she began to rub his chest, his neck, his arms he found he’d missed out on the pleasure. “Shit. This is nice,” he mumbled.
“I have to agree.”
She dipped to her knees in front of him, her soapy hands gliding along his shaft, her fingers pressing into the hard muscle. He watched her watching him, her eyes widening and her irises turning a shade naughtier. Her focus on pleasuring him evident in the way the tip of her tongue darted out several times, moistening her pursed pout, while her grip became tighter. Rinsing him with water, she then brought her mouth close to lick his head.
~~~~~
The flavor of him settled on her tongue. Musky. Salty. Masculine. She could count on one hand how many times she’d given a blowjob and she wasn’t too sure that she could be described as a good head-giver, but she certainly would try her best. Wrapping her lips around his thick girth and slowly sucking him deeper, using her tongue to tease the puffed vein along the underside, his moan tickled her lips. His hips moved, easing himself in and out of her mouth, not to choke her like her ex would, but Hugh forewarned what would come eventually.
“Fuck! You’re going to knock me dead, woman.” His husky voice did wonderful things to her inner thighs.
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