by Callie Croix
Jessie's touch never changed, a steady, soothing rhythm over his lower back. “Was it in Afghanistan?"
"Yeah. Last February."
He braced himself for more questions about it or his ex-wife, but her fingers trailed lower, over his ass. “And what about these green feet tattooed back here?"
"It's a PJ thing. My class got them when we graduated."
"What's it signify?"
"The Jolly Green Giant. It's a nickname for the Pave Low helicopters, before they got pulled from service. Tradition started with some of our guys back in ‘Nam."
The mattress shifted as she moved, and then he felt the brush of her long hair over his backs of his thighs. She placed both hands on his lower back just above his ass, and leaned forward to press her lips to the scars. Already semi-erect, his cock went rock hard when she flicked her moist tongue against his skin. “Are you trying to kiss and make it better?"
"Something like that.” Her tongue laved over the scars to the top of his right butt cheek, where she nipped lightly at the tattoo. “Is it working?"
"Think so."
In answer, Jessie nuzzled and kissed her way up his spine until her warm breath fanned the nape of his neck. Then she stretched out on top of him, blanketing him with her smooth, soft body. Christ, she felt good.
Her hands trailed over his shoulders and arms, squeezing and kneading like she couldn't get enough of feeling his muscles. Another huge turn on. “Anything else you'd like me to kiss?"
The corners of his lips tugged up in a smile. “Yeah."
"Mmm, good. I'm hungry."
He knew she'd loved sucking his cock last night, and by the sounds of it, she was more than eager to do it again. How fucking hot was that? Wearing a grin, he turned over, and her gaze instantly went to his rock-hard erection. Her hand curled around him, cool and soft. Delicious.
He bit back a groan and wrapped his fingers around hers, guiding her hand over him in slow, firm strokes, showing her what he wanted. Her eyes flared with instant desire, and she bent toward him, bringing her delectable mouth toward his aching flesh. He threaded one hand into her curls and palmed the back of her head, the other holding his erect cock up for her mouth. Those luscious pink lips parted, and the sight of her moist tongue gliding over them made his erection jerk. His eyes closed at her first delicate kiss on the sensitive head, every muscle in his body drawn taut with anticipation.
Then his land line rang.
Deke growled in annoyance. He didn't want to answer it, but it was barely dawn. Through the dissipating fog of lust, unease bloomed in his chest. Gently easing Jessie away, he rolled over and grabbed the phone. When he saw Dillon's number, his heart beat faster and he answered it. “What's wrong?"
"I need you to do a perimeter check with me."
Deke swung his legs over the side of the bed, instantly on alert. “Why, what happened?"
"Someone's been trespassing again. I found some fences cut, some cattle missing. A couple poorly tended bonfires and plenty of empty beer cans."
"Shit.” They hadn't had much rain so far this spring, and the ground was unusually dry. Stupid teenagers could've set the whole ranch on fire.
Jessie sat up with a worried frown and put a hand on his shoulder. He took it automatically and squeezed it to reassure her.
"Why the hell didn't you call me?” he growled.
"I just did."
Yeah, the morning after. “Jesus Christ, you're a stubborn bastard.” He ran a hand through his hair in frustration.
"Yeah, it's genetic. Meet me at the corral in ten."
Deke hung up and reached for his clothes.
"What's going on?” Jessie asked, an anxious frown creasing her forehead.
He told her, squeezing her shoulder to reassure her. “Everything's fine now. Whoever it was is long gone by now. I wouldn't leave you here if I wasn't sure you'd be safe, but call the lodge if you need us. They can get hold of us on our walkie talkies.” Tugging his shirt over his head, he bent and gave her a swift kiss. “Not sure when I'll be back."
"It's okay. Go."
Dillon had Deke's horse saddled and ready when Deke got to the corral. With one look at his big brother's haggard face, most of Deke's anger drained away. The guy looked like shit, and with the shadows beneath his blue eyes, evidently he hadn't slept in a while.
Deke shook his head. “You shoulda called me last night."
Dillon handed him the reins and looked away. “Ready to do this?"
"Hell yeah.” Armed with rifles, they started out to begin the security sweep and Dillon finally filled him in on all the details. Including the part when he found a bunch of bullet casings amongst all the empties.
But had the stubborn idiot called for backup after that? No. He'd gone and fixed the breaks in the fence by flashlight, gone and rounded up the missing cattle by himself, despite knowing drunken trespassers might be out there with loaded weapons. Dillon was a deadly shot and would never check the perimeter without being armed, but that wasn't the point. Deke's jaw got tighter and tighter as he stewed, until he thought he might crack a molar.
"Before you say it, I wasn't going to call you in the middle of the night over some punk teenagers,” Dillon muttered.
Deke glared at him. “Yeah. Drunk, armed teenagers.” He shook his head.
Dillon shrugged. “I figured you and Jessie had already had enough excitement for one night. I had the situation under control."
When Dillon used that clipped tone, Deke knew the conversation was over. They rode the fence line in silence until Deke decided to test the waters. “So. How are things with you and Charissa?"
His brother's shoulders bunched up like Deke had punched him. “Fine, I guess."
"Oh, that good?"
Dillon's blue eyes hardened like steel, but not before Deke caught a shocking flash of pain there. “Leave it alone."
"Okay. Sorry, man.” Damn. His big brother had fallen, and hard. The landing seemed to have just about killed him, but obviously Dillon was through with any conversation about the mysterious Charissa.
The midday sun beat down on them, creating shimmering heat waves on the ground. Deke raised his hat and wiped a forearm across his damp forehead. Nothing tripped his radar while they finished the sweep, and he was glad.
"You and Jessica seem to be pretty intense,” Dillon said as they started the trip back to the corral.
It surprised Deke his brother would say anything about it. “Yeah.” Intense was right. She'd wormed her way inside him good and tight, and he had no idea what to do about that. They had less than a day left together. All he wanted was to ride back to his cabin and feel her naked and willing beneath him as he made her surrender to the need eating at them both.
The horses plodded along at a steady pace, their gleaming coats streaked with sweat.
"You're right,” Dillon finally muttered, staring out at the rolling hills. “I should've called you. I'm sorry."
Deke glanced at him in shock, then chuckled. Somewhere beneath them, Hell had just frozen over. “How'd those words taste coming out of your mouth?"
Dillon's grim expression transformed into a reluctant grin. “Like shit."
Jessie smiled in relief when the door opened and Deke came in, holding a brown paper bag. “Where've you been? Is everything okay?” she asked as she wrapped herself around him. Almost five hours had passed, and she'd been worried about him.
His arms closed around her, hugging tight. “Everything's fine. I had to check the perimeter with Dillon and then run into San Antonio. Sorry it took so long."
"You're forgiven.” She sighed against his chest, content to stay there forever. He felt amazing, and knowing he cared about her warmed her inside.
His eyes twinkled with mischief when she looked up at him. “What?” she demanded.
"I bought you something while I was in town today.” He set the bag on the table.
She released him and stepped back, eyeing the gift. “What is it?"
A smile played around the corners of his mouth. “You'll see."
She knew that tone. “Is it going to make me blush?"
"Oh, yeah.” He wound a hand around her nape and tugged her close for a kiss. “But you'll love it in the end."
Okay, that sounded...foreboding. She frowned, but he merely laughed and kissed her forehead before covering her mouth with his. She melted and opened for the soft stroke of his tongue, every nerve ending in her body magically sparkling to life. He tasted like coffee and cinnamon and smelled like sin. The man was addictive. After one night in his arms she felt transformed. Free. She wanted more of the tender, dominant lovemaking he'd showed her.
He pulled off her tank top and jeans, and when he saw her black push-up bra and barely-there lace thong, his eyes flared like the blue flame of a match strike. She stayed absolutely still and watched him undress her, loving the hunger in his expression. A muscle flexed in his jaw as he let her bra fall to the floor and hooked his fingers in the waistband of her panties to tug them down her legs. She was already wet and tingling from the feel of his eyes on her and the confident touch of his hands.
Deke yanked back the sheets and tugged her down on the bed. Straddling her hips, he stripped off his shirt, baring the hard planes of his torso to her ravenous gaze. He smiled at the hungry sound she made and let her pet him for a moment before seizing her wrists and pinning them on either side of her head. She pouted up at him, but he only chuckled and kissed her, his tongue an erotic rasp against hers.
When he finally lifted his head, his gaze was intense and thoughtful. “Know what a safeword is?"
She stilled beneath him, her playful mood evaporating under a rush of shock. A safeword? “Why? Am I going to need one?” A shiver of apprehension rippled through her.
Deke's smile widened as he held her gaze. “Maybe. That make you nervous?"
"Of course it makes me nervous."
"But you trust me."
The beguiling, seductive note in his voice sent prickles of heat racing over her skin. Her stomach was too tense for her to get a full breath of air. “Yes,” she admitted in a whisper, feeling as if she'd already crossed some invisible boundary. He'd been nothing but gentle with her so far, and while the fear of the unknown unsettled her, she was too curious to see what he had in mind. The erotic possibilities made her hot.
"Good. Your safe word is ‘red light.’”
God, was she really going to do this? She stared up at him, gauging his expression, and it took her a moment to respond. “All right.” A lingering uncertainty mixed with her arousal, making her heart pound.
He sat up and climbed off the bed, crossing the room to collect something. She heard a crinkling sound, and when he turned back to her he held the paper bag and the belt from her robe in his big hands. Her eyes widened as she braced on her elbows.
Her heart rate accelerated. “Um...” She wasn't sure if she was ready for this.
Deke knelt at her feet and held out a hand expectantly. As though he already assumed she'd obey. “Give me your wrist.” His voice was low. Calm.
Jessica couldn't take her eyes off the pink terrycloth strip in his other hand. It was soft, so it wouldn't cut into her skin, but still. What he was asking for pushed the fragile trust between them to the limit.
"You use your safeword and I stop, Jess. No questions asked."
Her throat felt dry all of a sudden. “What are you going to do?"
"Give you what you need."
The quiet words made her pussy clench. Once again, he'd ripped another fantasy right out of her head. How did he know these secret parts of her so well?
He raised his hand and stroked a finger down the length of her nose. “Now give me your wrists, Jess."
The controlled dominance in his expression and body language allowed her to release a steadying breath. Slowly, she sat up and extended her wrists.
"Thank you.” Deke kissed one before firmly tying the robe belt around it. She held her breath as she lifted the other, expecting him to do the same thing. But he surprised her yet again.
"Lie down, sugar."
Watching him uncertainly, she stretched out on her back. He reached beneath her and pulled the belt under her hips before grasping her other wrist and tying it in place. Jessie's heart beat so hard she was sure he could hear it. Both her wrists were anchored at her hips, and she couldn't move them because her weight trapped the belt beneath her. The ties weren't uncomfortable, but he'd fastened them snugly enough that she felt the pressure around her wrists.
Under his watchful gaze, she wriggled a bit, testing the bonds. The feeling of helplessness expanded, building the trepidation and making everything more vivid. The feel of the soft belt, the cool sheets beneath her, Deke's delicious scent teasing her nostrils. The threat of the unknown stretched out before her, a dark aphrodisiac waiting to be sampled.
He laid a hand on her belly, absorbing the jump of her muscles, and looked into her eyes. The naked lust in that sapphire gaze made her shiver. Sexual power rolled off him in waves, battering her heightened senses. “What's your safeword, Jess?"
She swallowed past the sudden lump in her throat. “Red light."
"Use it if you need to.” He reached out to stroke a finger from her throat to her pubic bone. His touch was light and warm, but it sent goose bumps scattering over her chilled skin.
He continued to caress her, moving to her breasts and her hard, sensitized nipples. When he bent his head to cover one with his mouth, she couldn't hold back an excited moan. Her fingers splayed onto the sheets, curling into the bedding even as she wished she could cradle his head the way she had last night.
While he kissed and nibbled on her breasts, one hand slid down to her inner thighs and played there until she was wet and breathing fast, her legs moving restlessly.
"Want more?"
She nodded, heart racing.
"Put your feet flat on the bed."
She drew her knees up and planted her feet on the mattress, trying to lift her hips, but he held her down with a firm hand on her stomach.
"Lie still.” His mouth traced a burning path over her breasts to her stomach where he paused to tongue her navel as his fingers brushed against the slick heat between her thighs. Jessica moaned and lifted into his touch, asking for more, but he ignored her and continued to dip his tongue into her belly button, sending an arc of heat to her throbbing clit.
Those big hands slipped to her inner thighs to press them apart as he moved between them, holding them open with his shoulders. The warmth of his breath washed over her pulsing flesh as he stared at her, examining her more intimately than any other man ever had. She held her breath and waited, blushing, her body wound so tight her thighs quivered.
"So pretty, Jess.” Then he bent and placed a slow, hot kiss to her open folds.
The touch of his mouth set off a burst of light in front of her eyes. She arched up with a cry, but he controlled her hips easily, holding her in place while he kissed and nibbled her labia. He growled against her folds, the sound hungry and male. Primal. The ache of arousal grew to a throbbing pitch, her waxed flesh a hundred times more sensitive than normal.
When she was trembling and squirming in his grip, Deke finally opened his mouth and licked up the length of her pussy, a slow, soft stroke that made her gasp and shudder. His wicked tongue circled the hard bud of her clit, stroking first one side, then the other. Jessica squeezed her eyes shut and opened her legs more, silently begging him not to stop. He licked her tenderly, keeping the rhythm light and steady when he found the place that made her moan and twist in helpless pleasure.
Then he pushed a finger into her pussy to rub the spot that magnified everything, and she called his name, the beginnings of orgasm rising strong and bright deep in her core. His clever fingers found one rigid nipple and rolled it while he ate at her, all the while fucking her with that maddeningly slow finger. The world dissolved around her in a blur of shadow and light, her release right there, just out of reach. H
is tongue softened and lifted at exactly the wrong moment.
"No,” she whispered, opening her eyes to stare at him pleadingly.
"Not yet,” he answered, reaching with his free hand for the paper bag next to him. It crinkled as he drew something out. A bottle. The cap made a popping sound as he undid it and squeezed some sort of gel onto his fingers. Before she could think about it, he bent and began lapping at her exposed clit again.
"Ohh,” she sighed, straining gently against her bonds, wanting to draw him closer. His finger surged into her again, finding and rubbing that hot glow inside her core. Then his other fingers touched lower, between her butt cheeks.
Her eyes flew open, her whole body going rigid in shock. “Deke, no."
She tried to snap her knees together, but he didn't let her. Wedged deep between her thighs, Deke met her gaze as he licked her sex and spread the cool gel over her anus.
She shook her head, heart beating frantically in her chest. “Deke, don't—"
"Shh,” he murmured against her throbbing clit, closing his lips around it to suck gently.
The intense pleasure dimmed under the rising tide of fear. Frozen with disbelief, she fought the panic growing inside her. She was totally at his mercy. Couldn't move her arms. Couldn't move her legs, and even if she could have, he was twice as strong as she was. Jessie could feel the blood drain from her face. The light stroke of his fingers against that forbidden spot made her flinch and try to shrink from his touch. The knowledge of what he was doing filled her with embarrassment.
Her safeword trembled on the tip of her tongue, crowding her mouth and throat. Would he stop if she used it? He'd promised to stop, but what if he didn't?
Still holding her gaze, Deke licked slow and gentle across her aching flesh, watching her carefully. She opened her mouth to protest, and he stopped smoothing the gel over her. She sagged in relief, closing her eyes. God, for a minute she thought he'd keep going and—