by Cathryn Fox
Strides determined, he led her to his room in the lodge. Once inside, he peeled his sweaty shirt off. She stood there staring at his body as he walked up to her and slowly started unbuttoning her blouse.
“How about you join me in the shower?”
She nodded as he pushed her shirt off her shoulders, letting it fall to the floor. His hands went to her bra. “You have the most beautiful body. I think I want you naked for the rest of the week.”
“I don’t think the other guests would appreciate me walking around the ranch naked.”
He arched a playful brow. “Who said anything about leaving this room?”
She looked at the bed. “I think I’d like to disappear inside this room with you for the rest of the week.”
Jag grinned and led her to the bathroom. He turned on the water, and they both finished undressing. He climbed in and pulled her in with him, letting the water wash the day from their skin. He soaped his hands and rubbed them over her body, paying extra attention to her nipples and the sweet juncture between her legs. She moaned and widened for him, but he wasn’t going to give her what she wanted. Not yet.
Once thoroughly cleaned, she turned the soap on him and spent a long time lathering his throbbing erection.
She licked her lips, and he throbbed in her hands. He growled and pulled away before he shot off right then and there.
She pouted. “Hey, I wasn’t finished.”
“Yeah, but I nearly was,” he said, and grabbed two towels from the rack. He tied one around his waist and wrapped her in the other one, then, catching her off guard, he tossed her over his shoulder. She yelped, but he ignored her cries and carried her to the other room where he dropped her on the bed.
Her hair flared around his pillowcase, and he just stood there, taking his time to look at the beautiful, smiling woman sprawled across his bedding. She was so perfect. And he was so fucking lost—in her.
“Alix,” he murmured.
“Jag,” she said, and crooked her finger, urging him close. As his erection tented the towel, she dropped her gaze and said, “Didn’t you say something about a surprise?”
With his hard-on thickening, aching to be inside her, today, tomorrow, forever, he walked over to his video equipment and pressed a button. When he turned back to face Alix and saw passion moving into her eyes as she zeroed in on the action taking place on the TV screen, he knew this was one surprise she really liked.
Chapter Five
“Jag,” she whispered, her glance going from the television screen to the gorgeous, half-naked man standing close and back to the television again. She looked at the woman on the screen and hardly recognized herself. Desire thrummed through her veins, and she realized that even though he’d been letting her call the shots, he was the man in control, the man guiding her and freeing her sexually.
“How…when?” she asked, even though she already knew the answer to that question as she watched Jag lavish her body with attention on the television, her soft moans of pleasure filling the room through the speaker.
“I left the camera running. I thought you might enjoy a playback.”
Seduced by the scene unfolding before her, a tremble moved through her body as she watched the action from the other night. She was shocked, even though she shouldn’t be. Jag knew so much about her. More than she knew about herself¸ actually.
She swallowed, her hands going to her breasts in much the same way as they’d done in the clearing, feeling completely at ease touching herself with Jag watching. Jag’s growl simply prompted her on, and she pinched her nipples hard before rolling them between her fingers. An erotic whimper bubbled in her throat, heat settling deep in her womb.
He dropped his towel and stepped up to the side of the bed. Her mouth watered when she caught sight of his big, beautiful cock, so hard and ready for her. Sexual energy swamped them, and she could feel his desires and needs, knew they matched her own. She breathed in his clean, soapy scent, and sensual overload nearly fried her brain as her gaze swept the length of his solid body.
“You are so sexy,” he murmured, and just as he was about to crawl over her, she threw her legs over the mattress, aligning her mouth with his swollen crown.
He gave her a perplexed look and ran his hands along her neck. “What are you doing?”
“Something I’ve wanted to do for a while now,” she managed around a lump forming in her throat.
She closed her hands over his girth. He was hard and swollen, and she could feel the tension in him as she reveled in the thickness and texture. He growled when she wet her lips, leaned forward, and flicked her tongue over his crown, tasting the tangy juice pooling on his tip.
“Mmmm,” she murmured, loving the way he pulsed in her hands, the way his magnificent body rippled from her touch.
His deep tenor seeped under her skin. “Jesus Christ, Alix.”
Her pussy throbbed, and lust sang through her blood from the excitement of knowing she could rattle him. “Do you like this?” she teased, running her tongue along his length as she cupped his balls with exquisite gentleness.
She glanced up the length of his body, and his eyes shimmered with heat as he watched her mouth work. Drowning in sensations she’d never felt before, she dragged her tongue over him, a slow, lazy caress that had him cursing under his breath. It secretly thrilled her to know she could do this to him, and made her feel bolder than ever before. Her heart thudded, full and happy. This man had awakened something in her, freed her in a way no one had ever done before.
A sound caught in her throat and Jag palmed her face. “Alix?” he asked.
With her emotions on a roller-coaster ride, she lowered her head and took his cock into her mouth. He gently fisted her hair as she moved her head, taking him as deeply as possible.
“That’s so good,” he said, his voice hoarse and deep. Pleasure resonated through her as she fucked him with her mouth. His hips rocked, his hands tugged her hair, and her insides soared. It just didn’t get any better than this. After this week, how she could go on without him was beyond her.
She licked and sucked, wanting him to let go so she could drink him in, but he had other plans. Full of blood, his cock throbbed, his veins swelling and pulsing as his orgasm mounted. He gripped her shoulders, his fingers burning on her skin, sheer agony etched on his face as he eased her off him.
“Jag,” she complained, but her cries of protest were lost on a moan when he pushed her back, dropped to his knees, and buried his face between her legs.
“Yes,” she murmured, spreading her arms wide across the soft blankets. He swiped his tongue over her sex, and she nearly came unglued with that first sweet lick. His tongue circled her swollen bud, and he put a thick finger inside her. With every erotic stroke, stimulating her nerve endings, he feasted on her. Honestly, the man was just too good to be true.
She pitched her hips forward and writhed under his care. As warmth seeped into her soul, blistering heat exploded inside her, and she nearly sobbed with pleasure. His tongue swirled in a way that drove her wild. Her body spasmed as he fueled the flames. But before he allowed her to tumble over the edge, he climbed over her, dragging her to the center of the bed.
“I need to be inside you, sweetheart,” he said, the longing in his voice stirring her emotions as his warm breath teased her flesh. “I want us to come together.”
He lowered his head, and the look on his face was pure ecstasy as he kissed her with such passion and emotion it left her gulping for her next breath. Their tongues tangled, and she reveled in the taste of herself on his lips.
She tugged him to her, his body pinning hers to the bed, as he gripped her legs to widen them.
“I need you to take me deep. Can you do that?”
“Yes,” she cried out, and curled her legs around his back, granting him better access as her body ached for so much more from him.
He plunged into her, and they both cried out. She threaded her fingers through his hair and moved her hips, welcoming e
very inch of him into her body. Pressure brewed in the depth of her womb as he pumped harder, like he couldn’t get close enough, deep enough.
She arched into him, and Jag put his mouth over hers, swallowing her soft cries. The television continued to play in the background, but as her sex muscles gripped him hard, her thoughts scattered, unable to focus on anything but this man and what he was doing to her.
A storm moved through her when he slipped a hand between their bodies to touch her clit. Her body vibrated. Violently. The man had a talent for knowing just what she needed.
Heat swirled around them, racing over her body and exploding her senses. She raked her nails over his back and skimmed his sinewy muscles, enjoying the feel of his sculpted body as he moved urgently over her.
“You feel so good,” he murmured as he bent to take one of her nipples into his mouth. He laved her gently and then bit down. Teetering on the edge of ecstasy, she cried out, her body becoming pliable in his arms.
Lost in the sensations, she liquefied under his touch, and then suddenly the pressure building in her body became too much to bear.
Her sex fluttered, every nerve in her body alive and on fire. “Jag,” she said, “I’m so close.”
His body broke out in a sweat, and he threw his head back, urgent need coloring his voice when he said, “Me, too, baby. I’m there. Come with me.”
She held him tighter, crushing her breasts to his chest as she let go, her pussy clenching hard around his cock.
“Oh, fuck,” he growled, and a heartbeat later, a rush of air exploded from his lungs as he gave himself over to the pleasure. She felt him release inside her, his cock throbbing and swelling, his seed filling her body with warmth.
Barely able to breathe as they rode out the waves together, she panted, gasping for air, but still couldn’t seem to fill her lungs. They held each other tight for a long time, and eventually, the world around her finally started coming back into view. She ran her hands through Jag’s hair, the intensity of their sex stealing the air from her lungs and seizing her muscles.
“So good,” she murmured as his muscled bunched. “So damn good.”
He lifted his head and smiled. It was filled with such tenderness that her throat clogged as her insides wobbled. “Not good, sweetheart,” he said, teasing. “Perfect.” He released a sigh, the soft cadence in his tone warming her from head to toe.
She drew his head to her chest, holding him to her heart as he fell over her. Basking in contentment, she soaked in his warmth. She touched his face, rattled by the things he made her feel, the things he did for her. She squeezed her muscles, holding him inside her body, never wanting this moment to end. She was falling, drowning in sensations, in need—for Jag—and was helpless to stop it. How could she ever go back to being dutiful, straitlaced Alix after a week in Jag’s bed?
She wasn’t the same woman anymore.
Chapter Six
As her glorious, fun-filled, sexy time with Jag came to a close, Alix woke to the sounds of birds chirping and turned to look at the man asleep beside her. Her heart thumped. It had been almost one week since she’d first stepped foot on the ranch. For the most part, Alix had been able to shelve her concerns about her fiancé and future, deciding to simply enjoy Jag and a week of sex.
But as the week came to an end, she was in trouble. She’d allowed herself to feel too much and had fallen hard for him. He might have asked for sex, but he’d pushed her to open up, to become the woman she was meant to be, and it left her wanting more. It wasn’t just their time in the bedroom that drew her in. She loved talking to him, and he listened, really listened, when she bared her soul. Telling him about Nelson had been easier than she thought. He didn’t pity her. No, he wouldn’t waste his time on pity. Instead, he helped her discover what she really wanted. And what she wanted was him.
But even if he did want a future with her, she wasn’t the girl for him, and it wasn’t just because they came from different worlds. Her hand touched her stomach. Jag deserved to live in that big old house—with a family—and she couldn’t give him that. The last thing she wanted was for him to end up cheating on her with someone who could give him what he wanted.
That stopped her. Jag was a good man. The best one she knew, and he’d never cheat, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t grow to resent her. She couldn’t do that to him, or to herself.
No, she needed to step away, give him the space and freedom to find the woman who could give him everything he wanted and deserved to have.
Raw emotions squeezing her heart and tears pricking her eyes, she tiptoed through the room until she found her clothes. She pulled them on quickly, and quietly made her way back to her room. It was time to pack up, get on the plane, and get back to the real world. She could barely breathe as she hurried down the hall, but she spun around when she heard a loud sound at the foot of the stairs. A pair of dark angry eyes met hers, and her heart lurched, the bottom falling out of her world.
Jag stretched out on the bed, and with no hurry to do anything but wake up and make love to the woman who had given herself to him over and over again, in so many ways, he lay there, basking in contentment. Birds chirped outside, and a feeling of peacefulness fell over him, because now that he had Alix back in his life, he knew he wanted to make some changes, and the first thing he wanted to do was ask her to move into the big old homestead with him.
He stretched a little farther, and when he found the other side of the bed both empty and cold, he peeled one lid open. He rolled to his side, but still couldn’t find her.
“Alix.” He rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he peered into the bathroom. An uneasy feeling moved through him, and his gut clenched. Where the hell was she?
Jag threw his legs over the side of the bed and pulled on his jeans. He hurried to the bathroom. When he found it empty, he made for the door. Yanking it open, he looked up and down the hall. No Alix.
Shit.
A few fast steps took him to her room, and it was only sheer strength of will that stopped him from tearing the door clear off its hinges.
Despite the storm going on inside him, he knocked softly. “Alix,” he whispered, “Are you in there?” When he met with no answer, he tried the knob to find it locked. Why the fuck was she locking him out? Frustration boiled his blood. Something was wrong, very wrong, but did it give him the right to pound down her door? No, it didn’t.
He ran his hands through his hair and knocked again. This time he heard a soft cry coming from the other side.
Alix!
He drew a quick breath and kicked the door. It flung open and smashed against the wall, the sound reverberating down the quiet hall. He heard a gasp, and a familiar heaviness pressed against his heart as he looked at the woman he loved…in another man’s arms.
Un-fucking-real.
“Jag,” Alix squeaked out. He turned to her, and conflicting emotions passed over her eyes when they met his. The pale, stricken look on her face haunted him. Had she grown tired of slumming with the boy from the wrong side of the tracks and invited her fiancé to the ranch to collect her? Was she planning to go back with him, to fall back into the life laid out for her?
“Get the fuck out of here,” the guy said to him as he hauled Alix closer, his hands tugging at her in a possessive way that filled Jag with rage. “Or I’ll put you out of here.”
He clenched down on his jaw, his stomach roiling. He laughed harshly even though this wasn’t funny. Despite the man’s warning, he took a step closer. He spotted her suitcase on the bed, her clothes tossed inside. He looked back to the man clutching Alix like he was afraid she was going to flee and shook his head.
Son of a bitch.
“Take your fucking hands off her,” Jag said. “Or I’ll take them off for you.”
“I’m her fiancé, and I’m here to take her back home where she belongs. She made a mistake coming here, and she knows it.”
Jag angled his head. “Do you have a hearing problem?” he asked, giving him one
last chance to get the fuck out of there before he personally threw him out.
“Jag,” Alix said, her voice pleading, like she was trying to make him understand.
He scoffed and without taking his eyes off Nelson, he said, “So this is the asshole who cheated on you, got another woman pregnant, and still expects you to stand behind him.”
Alix opened her mouth to answer, but her fiancé cut her off. “The name is Nelson, and Alix and I have worked it all out. Now if you’ll get out of the way.”
“Really? Because the Alix I know wouldn’t stand for your slimy shit.”
Alix pulled out of Nelson’s grasp and squared her shoulder. “That’s right,” she said. “And my only mistake was getting involved with you in the first place.”
That’s my girl.
Nelson reached for her again and dragged her against him. Standing as still as a stealth soldier, Jag sized the man up. Nelson was a big man; the fight would be fair.
She struggled against him, but this time his grip was too tight.
“Get your hands off her,” Jag said.
“It’s okay, Jag,” she said, sounding breathless. “I can handle this.”
“I know you can. But he’s touching you, and he shouldn’t be. Do you want him here?”
Alix looked from the man holding her to Jag. And then she shook her head. That was all he needed.
Jag stormed across the room, hauled the guy off her, and shoved him toward the door.
“You had your chance, pal. This is my ranch, and you’re trespassing. We tend to lay down the law when it comes to that sort of thing. And when it comes to manhandling a woman—especially mine—you’ll be lucky if you’ll be able to walk out of here by the time I’m done with you.”
Nelson stumbled and then climbed to his feet. He charged. But Jag drew back and punched him square between the eyes, knocking him to the floor.
Nelson groaned and clutched his forehead. “You’re going to pay for this,” Nelson sputtered.
“Yeah, feel free to send the bill,” Jag said.