“Morgan, I love you.”
It took a second, maybe more, for his words to sink in. Before I could respond, he slammed his mouth over mine, silencing me. I practically collapsed from all the emotion blasting through me.
Love.
Such a powerful word.
Such a wonderful word.
It meant so many things. It meant forgiveness. And trust. And affection. And protection. And a million other wonderful things.
I used my body, my mouth, my hands to tell him how I felt. My mouth opened to his, showing my trust. My hands caressed, showing my affection. My body molded to his, showing my need.
His tongue swept into my mouth, filling it was decadent sweetness. His hands cupped my face, holding it tenderly. His hard body shielded mine, protecting me from everyone around us.
When the kiss ended my face was flushed, my breathing ragged, and my eyes full of tears. Happy tears.
“Clay Walker, you jerk.” My heart skipped one, two, three beats. I placed my palm against the side of his ruddy, scruff-coated cheek. “I love you too.”
His grin brighter than a freaking supernova, Clay clasped my upper body and spun me around and around. “You’ll drive me crazy for the rest of my days, but I don’t care! You’re mine, Morgan. Mine!” he yelled. Holding me tightly, he stopped spinning. I wobbled, my head still swooping. “Let’s get out of here. I’ll take care of your friend on the way.”
“Where are we going?”
“Home, of course.” He pinched my chin. “I’m going to make love to you all night long.”
Chapter 19
The instant we were inside his bedroom, Clay’s mouth was devouring mine as if he’d been starved for a lifetime. He made a low growling sound, like a beast savoring a delicious meal.
I was the meal, I realized with a shudder of pure pleasure. I let my hands wander, skimming over his clothed body. His body was utter perfection, sculpted by hours upon hours of hard work. Beautiful. Masculine. Sexy beyond words. And all mine for the night.
And... did I dare hope... maybe longer...?
He kissed the corner of my mouth. Then my jaw. Somehow he ended up at my ear, his tongue tracing the outer edge of my ear and making me shiver. Goose bumps puckered over my whole upper body and my nipples tightened to sensitive little points. This time it was me making the little growly sounds.
“Mmmm,” he murmured, nipping his way back down my neck. His arms were wrapped around me, caging me against his hard, hot body, holding me gently, protectively.
I was in his arms and in his home, the most wonderful places in the world.
Stepping back, he took my hands in his and placed them on the front of his shirt. He wanted me to undress him. Oh yes. That, I would do. Happily. I bent over and tried to focus. He was wearing a button-down shirt. And the buttons were fucking tiny. It was hard.
Especially when his hands glided up my legs and over my hips, fingernails scraping my thighs and dragging my skirt up. But one by one I managed to push them through the tiny buttonholes. And inch by inch, I unwrapped his glorious upper body. I ran my hands up his chest, his smooth skin warm and soft under my palms. Two little nipples poked out, beckoning me. I couldn’t resist; I flicked my tongue over them, shuddering at the sharp intake of breath I elicited in the process.
Clay’s touch grew more urgent as he jerked down my panties. Happy to be rid of them, I kicked them off when the slithered down to my ankles. A steady throb pulsed between my legs, and I ached to have him stroke it away. I was desperate. Almost to the point of begging.
Supporting my body with an arm looped around my waist, he walked me backward until my butt bumped into something. Then he hoisted me up and plopped me down, bare-assed, on the top of a dresser and lifted one of my legs, draping it over his shoulder as he knelt. He pushed on my other knee, forcing it back and out.
“I want to make love to every inch of your body. Starting with this.”
Now I was open to his dark, hungry gaze. Totally open. Spread wide. And melting.
That was before his tongue found my clit. The instant it flicked over my hard little nub, I was burning up. Huge bolts of sensual heat charged through my body, electrifying every nerve. I trembled and whimpered as he ate me. He slurped and sucked and lapped at my tender clit, and I reached down, grabbed fists full of silky hair and held on. Muscles tensed. Skin sizzled. I was on fire. About to come. On the edge of bliss. He was driving me crazy. Insane.
He jammed to fingers into my tight channel and my inner walls gripped them. Oh God, that was it. I couldn’t hold out another second. My orgasm ripped through my whole body, a blast of energy exploding from my center. A full body quiver was still shaking me as he stood, shoved down his pants and slammed his huge cock home.
I cried out in ecstasy.
So full. Deliciously full. My pussy opened, adjusting to his thick girth then clamping tight. Perfect. He fit perfectly, his cock caressing all those spots inside that tingled and ached for him.
“I’m... trying... to go slow,” he grumbled through gritted teeth. “Fuck, Morgan. You feel so good.”
He felt so good too.
I watched him as he thrust inside me, in, out, over and over, gorgeous abs tensing, arms flexing. His eyes were dark, his face a glorious mask of male hunger. I was his. All his. Always his. Forever his. I never wanted another man to touch me, to kiss me, to fuck me. I only wanted Clay’s hands, his mouth, his dick.
“You’re mine,” Clay said, as if reading my thoughts. Holding me in place with one hand, he grabbed my tit, with the other, squeezing it possessively. “This is my tit. My pussy.” He drove deep, his cock nudging my cervix. I rocked my hips, meeting his thrusts, enjoying every stroke.
“Yes,” I said. “Yours.”
“Mine forever.” His fingers dug into my ass.
“Forever.” I spread my legs wider, inner thighs stretching. Every stroke was absolute ecstasy. Perfection.
The hand that had been tormenting my tit slid down my body, stopping at where our bodies joined. “Promise me,” he insisted as he pressed down on my clit with an index finger.
The pressure. Oh, God. Yes.
“I promise,” I said, trembling. I was going to come again. My body tightened all over. Stomach. Chest. Arms. Legs. My pussy.
The heat. It was almost unbearable.
He swelled inside me, the tiny increase in friction sending spirals of pleasure tearing through me. My pussy convulsed around his cock, massaging it, drawing the cum down the thick length. A moment later he came too, his cum filling my canal, warm and wet.
***
Heaven. I was in heaven. That’s where I was.
Clay was on his back, one arm wrapped around my body, eyes closed. My head was resting on his shoulder, his heartbeat thumping slowly in my ear. Finally we were together. Finally, we’d fought through our problems and made peace with each other. Every minute of pain was worth the outcome.
I felt my lips curving into a smile. We’d make up for all that lost time. Starting tonight. Clay had promised he would make love to me all night long. All. Night.
The soft buzzing of his snore told me he was resting. But the erection already standing at full staff between his legs was telling me he’d be up and ready to go again real soon.
I was tempted to give him a little incentive to cut his nap short.
His cock was as perfect as the rest of him. Thick and hard, a little droplet of precum already shimmering on the tip.
Oh hell, could any girl resist?
Moving slowly, carefully, I sat up and leaned over his huge dick and moistened my lips with my tongue. Saliva filled my mouth at just the sight of him. I was going to swallow that rod and give him the wake up of a lifetime.
I bent down and opened my mouth. The head slid into my mouth. I sucked, pulling hard. I swirled my tongue around the flared ridge. I smiled around a mouthful when I heard a deep groan.
My phone’s text ring yanked me out of my slumber, wrenching me into the present
.
Someone texted me. Someone who?
Harper?
Harper!
Moving gently, to avoid waking Clay, I wriggled out from under his arm and tiptoed to my purse, lying on the floor where I’d dropped it.
I checked the screen.
Harper. Thank God!
I poked the button and lifted the phone to my ear, sucking in a deep, calming breath.
This was going to be painful. I could tell she really liked Mike. And he liked her too. But I knew once she found out about his past she’d break it off. I hated to be the one who had to tell her.
“Morgan!”
I sat up, my hand running back and forth over Clay’s scrumptious chest. I was so happy. Unbelievably happy. And I wanted Harper to be that happy too. But not with Mike. Not with a convict. I wanted her to find a good man. Someone strong and loyal. Someone who would give up everything for her. Like Clay. “Harper, I have some bad news. I don’t know how to tell you this—“
“Listen! The house. It’s on fire!”
Fire? “What?” I said, not because I didn’t hear her, but because my mind just wasn’t processing what she’d said. We were talking about Mike, not a fire.
Fire?
“The ranch house. It’s on fire. Mike and I just got here and it’s burning like a mother fucker.”
My heart literally stopped. “Oh God.” The house? It was on fire? “Fire department.”
Clay looped an arm around my waist and pulled me to him, his face a mask of pain and worry.
“On the way. We called as soon as we realized what was going on. But it’s bad, Morgan. Really bad.”
Tears blurred my eyes.
My aunt’s house. Everything she’d owned. All the memories.
Turning to ash.
I couldn’t speak. My throat was clogged with a sob.
Clay gently took the phone from my hand and spoke into it. “This is Clay, what happened?”
“The house is on fire,” I heard Harper say. “I hear the sirens. The fire department’s on the way.”
He nodded. “Okay.”
“Is Morgan okay?”
Clay studied me. “She’s okay. In shock. Are you safe?”
“Yes. I’m out by the road waiting for the fire department. Mike’s in the barn, letting the animals out, in case the fire spreads.”
“Good thinking. Stay put. I’ll be up there in a few minutes.” He poked the screen and sandwiched my face between his hands. “I’m going to the ranch. Stay here.”
“No. I need to see.”
He brushed his lips over mine then kissed my forehead. “Are you sure? I wish you’d stay here.”
I nodded, a sob slipping from my lips. “Yes,” I croaked.
In reality, the last thing I wanted to see was my aunt’s house engulfed in flames. But a part of me was hoping it wasn’t as bad as Harper was making it sound. Maybe there was a little wire short somewhere and a few flames blowing out a window, making it look bad?
It was possible, right?
Clay stood and, with my hand firmly held in his, led me to his truck.
Chapter 20
I couldn’t see.
I couldn’t think.
I couldn’t breathe.
My aunt’s house. My family’s past. My future... they were turning to ash.
Before my eyes. Right now. This minute.
And I could do nothing to stop it.
Once again my life had taken a sharp left into What-the-fuck-now Land. And I was left reeling in shock. Frozen by confusion. Disarmed by disbelief.
What the hell happened?
Just a couple of hours ago things had been going great. I’d made up with Clay (and made love with him, too). I’d learned he wasn’t trying to steal my ranch. He was trying to help me. And I’d learned the real reason why he’d been such a jerk when I’d first returned to Dawson.
Plus, my bestie from college, Harper, was living with me again.
And I had my crew back.
The ranch was still in financial trouble, but things were finally looking up.
But now this.
A fire?
And of course there was one thing I hadn’t checked yet; insurance. If there wasn’t any...
A sob bubbled up my throat. Even if there was insurance I may have lost Silver Sage Ranch. After all, how could I keep it running if everything needed to work it was burned to cinders?
I leaned against Clay, unable to hold myself upright.
Clay gently took the phone from my hand and spoke into it. “This is Clay. What happened, Harper?”
“The house is on fire,” I heard Harper say, even though Clay was holding my cell phone to his ear now. “I called the fire department. They’re on the way.”
He nodded. “Okay.”
“Is Morgan all right?” Harper asked. “She wasn’t speaking.”
That was because I’d been focused on staying conscious. And not throwing up. Fire. My house was on fire. My stomach convulsed and I swallowed hard.
Clay studied me with dark, worry-filled eyes. “She’s okay, but she’s in shock. Are you safe?”
“Yes. I’m out by the road waiting for the fire department. Mike’s trying to let the animals out of the barn, in case the fire spreads.”
“Good thinking. Stay put. I’ll be up there in a few minutes.” He poked the screen and sandwiched my face between his hands. All I could see was his face, his eyes. “Morgan, I’m going to check it out.” He enunciated every word like he was talking to a two-year old, which was totally necessary. My brain wasn’t functioning any better than a two-year old’s. “Stay here.”
I blinked. A shudder ripped through my body. “No. I need to see.”
He brushed his lips over mine then kissed my forehead. “Babe, are you sure? I wish you’d stay here.”
I nodded, a sob slipping from my lips. “Yes,” I croaked.
In reality, the last thing I wanted to see was my aunt’s house engulfed in flames. But a part of me was hoping it wasn’t as bad as Harper was making it sound. Maybe there was a little wire short somewhere and a few flames were blowing out a window, making it look bad?
It was possible, right? Right?
Clay stood and, with my hand firmly held in his, led me to his truck. Once he opened the door for me, he circled around to the driver’s side. We buckled in. And off we went.
The drive was excruciating.
Never in the history of the universe did fifteen minutes take so fucking long. Making it worse, the big black column of smoke, visible from miles away, pretty much snuffed out my hopes that Harper was exaggerating.
When we reached the driveway and I saw all the trucks and flashing lights, I knew it was worse than I had hoped. Clay cut off the engine and grabbed my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t worry about anything. I’ll help.”
“There’s probably insurance.” I prayed. “It isn’t like I’ve lost everything.” I swallowed hard as I stared out the windshield. Something huge was stuck in my throat. Had I swallowed a boulder? “But...” A sob shook my whole body. “I feel like I’ve lost it all.”
Clay pulled me into his arms. “I know.” His heartbeat was a steady thump-wump in my ear. Soothing me as tears flowed down my cheeks.
This sucked! What happened? A few hours ago, everything was okay. We’d finished working for the day, as usual. The boys left. I went to the fair, assuming the house and all my aunt’s belongings would be there when I returned.
And then...?
“I can buy new stuff. But it won’t be the same. Everything my aunt owned was in that house,” I said as I clung to Clay. “Now it’s all gone.”
“But the memories aren’t lost. She’s still here.” He pointed at my head and heart. “And here. Nothing can take those away from you.”
He was right. All I’d lost were things. Precious things that stirred memories. But only things.
The memories were all still there.
And so was Clay.
&n
bsp; More than ever I was grateful to have him here, by my side. He jerked his head toward the windshield. “Here comes Harper.”
“She needs a place to stay.”
“She’ll stay with us.”
Harper’s face appeared in the passenger-side window. Mike was behind her. “I can’t believe this,” she said when I opened the window. “Mike and I went for a walk, and as we were coming back, we heard something. A sound. Some kind of explosion, I think. Suddenly flames were shooting out the windows. I’m so sorry, Morgan.”
I nodded and tugged on the door handle to open it for her. Damn thing wouldn’t open. I gave Clay a help-me look then grumbled, “Harper, climb in. We’re going to be staying with Clay.”
“Sure.” She swung around and planted a big kiss on Mike, which made me feel even worse. I didn’t know if I had the energy to tackle the Mike thing tonight. I just wanted to get back to Clay’s nice, quiet house and sleep. For maybe a week or two.
Clay opened the passenger door from the outside. “Do you want to get out or go back to my place?” he asked me.
I glanced at the massive inferno behind him and my stomach did a flip-flop. “No, I’ve seen enough.”
He nodded and closed the door. To Harper, he said, “If I give you an address, can you drive?
Harper held up her cellphone and smiled. “No problem. GPS.”
“Allow me.” He extended a hand, asking for her phone. He typed in the address as Harper circled around to the driver’s side.
She clicked in just as Clay handed me the phone to pass to Harper, his address typed into the phone’s GPS program. “Ready?”
I looked at Clay. I didn’t want to go anywhere without him. He was my rock, my stability, the only thing I could count on right now. Being without him, even for a few minutes, scared the hell out of me. “Aren’t you coming too? Why do you need to stay?”
“I’m going to help Mike with the animals.” He leaned in and brushed his mouth over mine. “Don’t worry, babe. I’ll be okay. Everything will be okay.” He shifted his attention to Harper. “Thanks for taking her home.”
Jerk: A Bad Boy Romance Page 13