Into The Sunset: An Erotic Romance Anthology

by Vivian Wood

  “Buckled up?” he asked, his gaze flicking to the rearview mirror.

  “Yes, sir,” Annabelle Lee said.

  “Miss Rose?”

  “I will be,” she said, fastening her seatbelt.

  Annabelle Lee made Rex flip around the stations until he found one playing the Rolling Stones. The pair sang along to “Paint it Black.” She couldn’t keep the grin off her face. They were adorable together.

  “I didn’t know you could sing,” she said.

  Rex’s cheeks turned red.

  “Daddy doesn’t like to sing around other people. It’s a secret,” Annabelle Lee said from the backseat.

  Rex gave her a look, begging for pity.

  “I’m good at keeping secrets.” Rose knew the next song, a Beatles tune, so she joined them. She tried to remember the last time she’d felt like this—happy, relaxed—and with a wrench she realized that it had been when Robert was alive.

  Her voice faltered and she snuck a glance at Rex. He was focused on the road, and he probably wouldn’t notice her staring at his lips, watching them shape the words, wondering what they’d feel like pressed against hers. His head turned a little and she jerked her gaze away.

  His daughter’s in the backseat. Not the time to be lusting over him.

  Dust trailed behind the car on the long driveway to the ranch. Rose wondered if there were already estimates in for getting the old road paved.

  “Annie, you run inside and thank Miss Lily for suggesting we go there.”

  “Okay, Daddy.” The little girl hopped out of the car and they both watched her look for traffic before calmly walking to the porch. Once her feet hit the first step, she was off at a run.

  They smiled at each other, realized what they were doing, and looked away. He surprised her, placing his hand over hers.

  “If you need to talk about anything, Rose, I’m here. I might not know what to say, but I can listen.”

  Impulsiveness seized her, and before she could think better, she leaned over and kissed his cheek. His aftershave was warm and musky, like fresh sage, and his stubble was rough on her lips. Just that quick heat sent a jolt straight to her core and she fled the car. She dared a glance back at him.

  Rex sat there, dumbfounded.

  Although Rose was decidedly a big girl, she still fit into her hidey-hole, a little cubby up in the loft, ostensibly for tools. Crouched down low, her arms around her knees, she started unraveling the mess in her head.

  What if she did quit her job in Boston and work part time at the Kimbell? She could live here and be with her parents for their golden years. She could keep an eye on her investment. Her best friends, Josh and Peggy were here. Her friends from Boston could come and visit or she could visit them.

  She could get to know Rex.

  The tingling warmth of him on her lips wouldn’t fade. The heat low in her belly smoldered. When she closed her eyes, she saw Rex—smiling, laughing, stretching his strong arms wide, trailing a hand down his bare stomach. She pressed her thighs together.

  This was not good. What if he wasn’t interested? After all, he’d been married and divorced. She couldn’t blame him if he didn’t want to get on that ride again. That’s how she felt after Robert’s death. Hell, that’s how she felt until Alfred’s well executed guilt trip.

  Okay, what she needed was a plan. First, figure out if Rex might be interested. Then, worry about the rest.

  She stood up, sneezing in the dust. A couple of hands saw her climbing down from the loft but they didn’t say anything. Everyone knew where her hiding spot was, and they were courteous enough not to mention she was a little old to be sulking in the barn.

  * * *

  Ten minutes later, he was still sitting in the car.

  She’d kissed him, a fleeting heat and moisture pressed to his cheek. It hadn’t be a sexy kiss, more like a peck, but it still set his heart hammering.

  Rose had run away after that, before he could say anything, or do anything. If he was honest with himself, he didn’t want to talk to her. Press their mouths together, hold her in his arms, inhale her scent, yes, he wanted to do all of those things. Maybe once their mouths were red and swollen, he would talk. It would probably be something like, “How about we take this to the bedroom?”

  He needed to stop thinking about her. He needed to calm down, because he refused to walk around the ranch looking like a stallion that caught the scent of a mare in heat. He needed to think about what had happened, not what he wanted to happen.

  He opened the door. Annie was in the kitchen, going on with her mouth half-full of cookie. He knew he should scold her, but she was too damn cute, talking a mile a minute about the museum and taking Rose back in the car.

  Lily furrowed her brows at him in a question.

  “Alfred said something that upset her, but as far as I could tell, she wasn’t angry,” he said over Annie’s chatter.

  Lily nodded and turned her attention back to his daughter. He got himself a glass of milk and joined them.

  What had she meant by that kiss? If she had stayed in the car, he would have assumed it was a friendly gesture, a thank you for caring. But Rose fled, like it had meant something more. He shifted in his seat, suddenly uncomfortable.

  What would he do if Rose was interested in him?

  His gaze flicked around the kitchen and he wondered if he’d risk all this for a relationship. After all, even with Lily and Tad’s blessing, everything could still go wrong. They might not be right for each other. Would he risk this place that had become Annie’s home?

  “Don’t think about it too hard,” Lily said and he jumped in his seat.

  “What?” Had she read his mind?

  She chuckled to herself. “I can practically see the steam coming out of your ears. You’re overthinking it, whatever it is.”

  He grunted. Easy for her to say. Her daughter was a grown woman. Annie wasn’t, and she needed this place. Lily placed a firm hand on his shoulder and he let out a deep sigh.

  “Things have a way of working out, Rex. You’ll see.”

  The rest of the day he was distracted by thoughts of Rose. The list of cons was clear when he thought about what might happen if it didn’t work out between them.

  The list he couldn’t quite calculate was the list of cons for Rose herself. He knew that no woman was perfect, but Rose was pretty close. She liked his daughter, she was stunning, all soft curves and sunny smiles. She was shrewd with her money, dedicated to her parents, didn’t mind getting her hands dirty, and, as he learned later, hated the color pink but wore it to humor her friends. Even her emotional baggage seemed more like a pro than a con to him. They were both broken. They could understand that about each other.

  Dinner was an awkward affair, with Rose trying to catch Rex’s eye and Rex trying to ignore her. He got up as soon as he could, mumbling something about getting Annie in the shower. His daughter took mercy on him and didn’t protest until they got back to their rooms.

  “Daddy, I had a shower before we went to the museum. Can I watch some TV instead?”

  “Sure thing, sweetheart,” he said ruffling her hair. It took him a minute to realize the cartoon she’d put on was South Park. He flipped the channel to the more age appropriate Nickelodeon.

  “I was watching the other cartoon,” she said.

  “I know, but this one’s a kid’s cartoon. The other one was for grownups,” he said.

  She gave him a small frown. “But I liked it…”

  Her pitiful tone made him feel a little guilty, but not enough to be a bad parent. “Well, you can watch it when you’re older. It’s not going anywhere.”

  She pouted until bedtime. He did all the funny voices he knew when he read her bedtime story, and all was forgiven. He was settled on the couch, nose buried in his book, when he heard a soft knock on his door.

  He opened it and had to stop himself from slamming it shut. Rose.

  She gave him a timid smile and it made him feel like his lower limbs ha
d turned into jelly. “Um… Can we talk for a minute?”

  “Sure,” he said and sat down on the couch.

  She sat beside him, not on the opposite end at a respectable distance, but right next to him. She took his hand and didn’t say anything.

  He froze, enthralled by the warmth of her skin. She said she wanted to talk, but she wasn’t talking. What did she want to talk about? Why was she holding his hand? And since when had he devolved to a preteen boy?

  He turned to ask a question and she leaned in. His heart jumped up to his throat. His mouth was open in surprise when she pressed her lips to his. The heat sank deep in his chest and for a moment, he couldn’t breathe.

  Oh, to hell with playing it safe.

  He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her soft body close, and tasted her delicious lips. A soft pant came from her and then she was touching him, threading her fingers though his hair, slipping them underneath his collar.

  She pulled back and took a breath. “I wanted to—”

  He didn’t care. He brought his mouth back to hers, tasting her sweet warmth. She opened to him, her tongue quick and hot on his lips, and he was falling into her. Her hands claimed him; her mouth marked him as her own.

  Could he fall in love with a kiss?

  He gasped and pulled away. Rose gave a low chuckle.

  “I wanted to ask you if you ever thought that…” She gestured between them. “I guess it’s a yes then.”

  He kissed her brow. Her chocolate eyes fluttered closed. “How are we going to date if you live in Boston?” he asked. Part of him wanted this to be real, but the other part was terrified that it would be.

  “I’m going to give my job two weeks’ notice and come and work at the Kimbell part time.” She smiled and he wanted to kiss her again. “I can help you out around the ranch.”

  “That’s good.” He bent his head to kiss her neck and she responded with a soft moan.

  That low feminine sound of desire went straight to his cock.

  “We should probably stop,” he said, pulling him arms from around her.

  * * *

  Stop? They should stop? She’d brought condoms just in case…. But now, now that he’d crushed her against his strong chest, now that he’d tasted her, she wanted more.

  “I don’t want to,” she said. Before he could speak, she cut him off. “Just one more kiss, please? It’s been…” She didn’t want to say how long.

  His expression softened and he took her hand. Seeing her small fingers cradled in his strong hand made her feel safe.

  “Me too,” he said, and then he kissed her.

  His mouth was a fire, burning all the dust and apathy from her heart. She held onto him, afraid she would get swept away in the blaze too. His tongue was in her mouth, telling her how much he desired her.

  She sank back, relishing the feel of his strong body covering hers. She touched his shoulders and his muscles shifted as he moved over her. He pressed his length against her core and she moaned.

  “Sh…” he said. “We should continue this in the bedroom.”

  They held hands and stood in front of the door. Rex squeezed her fingers.

  “Let’s just see where we end up?” he said with a sweet smile.

  If he keeps looking like that, naked and on top of each other is where they’re going to end up. She thought it, but didn’t say it. Instead she pulled him over to the bed.

  She was on her back again, and Rex filled her whole world. She tugged at the bottom of his T-shirt and he took it off. She savored his body, tracing the contours of his muscles with her tongue.

  He groaned and brought his mouth crashing down on hers. He slid his hand under her shirt and she arched into his touch. Her shirt and bra fell to the floor. It felt like magic.

  “Rose,” he said, burying his face in her breasts. His mouth was hot and wet, moving over her skin. “You taste so good.” He licked the hard peaks of her breasts and she squirmed against him.

  Heat pooled between her legs, and she could feel the wetness of her desire. “I want you.” She pulled his head back to hers, and with her mouth she told him just how much she wanted him, how she wanted to feel him inside her.

  “I don’t—”

  “I do,” she said.

  He blinked at her in surprise.

  “Have condoms. I brought some, just in case.”

  A grin split his face. “Well aren’t you frisky?” he said and she wanted him to bend her over and take her.

  “Giddy up, cowboy,” she whispered. The low sultry tone surprised her.

  Even in the dark, she could see the heat in Rex’s eyes. He gently nipped at her neck, sending shivers of sensation down her skin.

  Rose was alive in his arms. She felt everything—his heat, his weight, and the heavy desire between them. She trailed her fingers down the hard planes of his chest, the ridges of his abs, and stopped at his belt buckle. He bucked into her hand as she tugged at his belt.

  He was hot and thick in her hand, a bead of moisture at the tip. He wiggled out of his jeans while she stroked him. One hundred percent male, and all hers. She gripped his ass and he pressed into her.

  He touched the waistband of her jeans and she tensed. Her shirt had melted away, but this was different, this was more, and it had been so long….

  He looked at her and kissed her. He skimmed his fingers over her waist, up her sides, and teased her breasts. She melted into the bed, into the warmth of his mouth on hers, his hot skin under her hands. When he moved his leg between her thighs, she moaned. She rubbed her pussy shamelessly against him.

  Rex thrust his tongue in her mouth, his cock hard on her belly. His whole body shuddered when she gripped him. She would have thought he was in pain, if he hadn’t been placing little kisses and licks on her throat. She circled his girth with her fingers and worked down his shaft and to his balls. He rocked into her as she held them, caressed them. He bit her ear, his cock leaving a trail of moisture on her skin.

  When he reached for the button of her jeans, she was ready this time. She lifted her hips to let him slide off her jeans. He kissed the seam of her underwear, teasing her until she was begging him for more.

  With a smirk, he tugged her panties aside and pressed his face into her wet heat, mouth open, tongue moving. He circled her clit with one finger, not quite touching it. Two strokes of his finger on her sensitive nub of flesh, and she shattered. The heat inside her blazed bright and sparked up her spine and down to her toes. She bit her lip on her cries, holding onto Rex’s hair. He kissed her still pulsing sex, a soothing gentleness in the aftershock of her orgasm.

  He cuddled up to her, beaming with pride. “Was that good?”

  She could only nod and grin at him.

  He wrapped one arm around her and stroked her back. Being pressed up against his naked body was making her hot again. She kissed him, tasting her pleasure on his lips. She wanted more.

  She found her jeans on the floor. “We don’t have to,” she said, holding up the condom.

  Rex took it from her with a shy smile. “I’d like to.”

  She watched him put it on, fascinated to see him touching himself. He blushed under her intent gaze.

  “You make me feel like a teenager,” he confessed.

  Rose kissed him, her heart squeezing bright and sharp in her chest—but it was a good pain. The pain of new growth, new beginnings. “And you make me feel.”

  * * *

  The way she looked at him—the fire in her dark eyes, light glinting on her wet open lips—made him feel like he was her whole world. And her words, You make me feel.

  He had to be inside her. He had to know what they felt like joined together. He had to show her how she made him feel: That life was amazing, that he could start over with her and be amazing.

  He didn’t trust himself to speak the words, so he used his lips to tell her that she was beautiful, to ask her to stay. She kissed him back, her mouth hot and fierce on his. It was like she was chanting one word ov
er and over to him, Yes, yes, yes.

  He rubbed his hardness on her slick heat. He was about to ask if she was sure, but she was canting her hips under him. She grasped his head and guided him into her tight sheath.

  He moved and had to stop, willing himself to calm down. He wanted this to last. He wanted it to be good for her. He wanted her to come.

  Her hand was gentle on his cheek and she turned his head so he stared down in her eyes. Her other hand was on his hips, urging him forward. “You can let go, Rex. I just want to be with you.”

  It wasn’t the sex she wanted—it was the closeness.

  With a breath that sounded almost like a sob, he took her. She opened her body to him and he moved. She kissed him and held him. She swallowed the cry from his lips when he came.

  They lay in each other’s arms, talking. She slipped away a few hours later. After all, it wouldn’t do to surprise Annie.

  * * *

  She woke to a drumming that for a moment, her sleep addled brain had thought was rain. It was Annabelle Lee drumming on their door.

  “Are you making me a baby brother?” she asked.

  Rex flushed red. “I wished your mother hadn’t said that to her.”

  “She’s your mother-in-law. You could have intervened.”

  He poked her in the side and buried himself under the covers. When they’d caught Lily giving Annabelle Lee an abbreviated explanation of the birds and the bees, they’d both fled.

  “I can hear you,” Annabelle Lee said. “Can I go see the new foal?” She drummed her fingers on the door. “If you don’t say anything, I’m going to take it as a yes.”

  They tried to smother their laughter, but it was too easy to picture her peeved expression.

  “Hey, you’re my parents. You’re supposed to be concerned for my welfare. You should be saying something like, ‘Make sure Mister Josh goes with you and don’t bother the guests.’”

  Rex cleared his throat, and said in an officious voice, “You can go see the foal Annie. Just make sure you take Josh with you, and mind you don’t bother the guests.”

  They started laughing then, hearing her stomp her foot in annoyance.

  “Whatever. Enjoy your honeymoon,” she said.