Taken by Love (Love in Bloom: The Bradens #7)

by Melissa Foster

  “Ah, now we’re getting somewhere. Note to self: Use more accurate semantics.” Lynn brought their dinners, and they listened to music while they ate and talked about music and books and life in general. Anything to keep Luke’s mind off of her original question, which nagged at him like a paper cut.

  An hour later, they’d finished dinner, and they were both much more relaxed.

  He pulled her close and wrapped her in his arms as the band played a slow country tune. He loved the way she fit against his body, and he loved the smell of her hair, which carried the fresh scent of a meadow after a predawn rain. He paid for dinner and reached for her hand.

  “Want to go for a walk?”

  “Um. Sure.” Her forehead wrinkled again.

  “You do take walks, don’t you?”

  She shrugged. “I guess. I work all week, and I help my parents, so I don’t have much time for taking walks.”

  “Let’s make time.” He pulled her to her feet, and she grabbed his waist to stabilize herself on the bumpy grass. They were thigh to thigh again, their hearts beating fast. He ran his finger down her cheek. “I like this.”

  “This,” she said in a breathy voice.

  “This position we keep finding ourselves in. Pressed up against each other, like it’s where we belong.” He felt her fingers press in to his sides, saw the desirous look in her eyes. Oh, yeah, she felt it, too, but now that he understood that she was still recovering from the rumors in her past, he held back. He wasn’t interested in a one-night stand with Daisy, and Wes’s reminder that she was there for only a few weeks nagged at him. He forced himself to take her hand and walk toward the parking lot.

  “Come on.” He helped her put her helmet on. Damn it. Even that didn’t squelch the urge to kiss her. She’d surprised him in front of the clinic, and he’d been so lost in the tantalizing warmth of their kiss that he hadn’t been thinking clearly. Maybe Wes was right, and she didn’t need to be the talk of the town when she was here—but he wasn’t sure he was strong enough to ignore the passion that was brewing between them.

  “Where are we going, and why are you in a hurry?”

  “Because I want to kiss you, and if I don’t walk away now, I’ll kiss you right here, and I’m not sure I’ll be able to stop.” Her eyes widened, and in one swift move, he put his large hands around her rib cage and set her on the bike. “And, Daisy Honey, maybe I used to be that guy, but I’m not now. Not with you.” He climbed on the bike, and she wrapped her arms around his middle and pressed her warmth against him. He was sure his heart would burst right through his chest.

  ADRENALINE PUMPED THROUGH Daisy’s veins as the bike roared to life and Luke drove away from the restaurant and through town. Luke was easy to be with. He was considerate and kind, and so damn handsome that he took her breath away, but there was also something mysterious about him, and it had nothing to do with his arrest—which he’d successfully avoided talking about. When she’d asked him about it, he had a serious look in his eyes, like he was trying to keep something trapped inside him. She hoped he’d feel comfortable enough to share it with her, maybe even on their walk. Luke was revealing sides of himself that she’d never guess he possessed, like the tender, romantic side of wanting to take a walk. She wanted to take a walk with him—after they filled the ache of need that swelled between them and at the moment was creating so much heat that even with the cold air against her skin, her body felt white-hot.

  Luke drove to the edge of town to his ranch. The driveway was long and cut straight through acres of beautiful pastures. Daisy had seen the property a million times from the road. She knew he’d bought it from the Framinghams, who had lived their whole lives in Trusty. When they passed, their only son, who had moved to New York twenty years before, hadn’t wanted to hang on to it. When Daisy spotted the house, she was surprised to see that it no longer looked or felt anything like the Framinghams’ property. The house had been remodeled using cedar and stone. There was a wide front porch with nice wicker furniture and flowers and low shrubbery planted along the walkway. He turned down a dirt path toward the large wooden barn, which had also been renovated, and as he cut the engine, Daisy heard horses whinnying.

  He took off his helmet as he stepped from the bike and looked like one of those cool guys in a magazine again, all sexy and hot, his hair alluringly mussed. He then carefully removed her helmet and brushed her hair from her face.

  Her body was still humming from the engine as she slung her leg over the bike so she was facing Luke. Daisy knew she was doing nothing good for her reputation, and she pushed the thought away. She was too old to be worried about such nonsense. Those thoughts had even crept into her mind when she dated in Philly. As she looked at Luke, whose soft, hungry gaze held hers, she hoped that one day those thoughts wouldn’t haunt her every move around men. Around him.

  She loved Luke’s face. The way his eyes were at one moment tender and empathetic and in the next breath, filled with lust, the sharp edge of his jaw, so rugged with a few days’ stubble and so soft when he was clean-shaven. She pushed the thoughts of the past away, allowing herself to feel the emotions as they washed through her. She’d never wanted to kiss every part of a man’s face before. It was usually lips she was after, but with Luke she wanted to taste that rough exterior and make her way to the sweetest spots that lay beneath. She took his face in her hands and allowed her instincts to guide her as she pressed soft kisses to the edge of his mouth, feeling him exhale against her lips. He shifted between her legs, and she tightened her thighs around his muscular hips. Luke didn’t try to kiss her back as she caressed his cheek and slid her mouth to the sharp line of his jaw, pressing kisses to his rough stubble, then up along his chin in a trail to his lips. His eyes were closed, and Daisy felt the bunched muscle of his jaw relax beneath her fingertips.

  Luke’s forehead met hers, his eyes still closed. “Daisy.” A breathy whisper.

  “I know.”

  His hand slid beneath her hair, his thumb stroking the back of her neck as he gently gathered her hair in his hands and tilted her head to the side, then finally, blissfully, took her in a slow, evocative kiss. She rocked her hips into him and his other hand pressed firmly on her lower back, pulling her against him. Instinct took over again as she wrapped her legs around his and he deepened the kiss. He sucked her lower lip as he drew away, causing an erotic rush of heat through her center.

  The moon was nearly full, casting a misty glow over the pastures. Crickets chirped in the tall grass, and the sounds of the horses trickled in.

  “No one has kissed me like that before,” he admitted.

  The past scratched at her mind. She’d never been this aggressive before, had never felt the desire to—until Luke. The tether to the hurtful rumors drew her back. Was she proving them right? His eyes were nearly black, and a breath later, when he rested his head on her shoulder, she felt the weight of him press against her. It wasn’t the impassioned weight of an impatient lover. All those ripples of hard muscles and tension molded to her body with the familiarity of a favorite spot, as if he’d been there before and never wanted to leave. Screw the past. She wasn’t that girl and had never been. She wanted Luke in ways she’d never wanted anyone else. She’d spent years thinking of him, hoping for this very second, and she’d be damned if she’d let anything ruin it for them. She shut off that part of her mind with a sigh, and focused on Luke, whose lips were soft as he kissed her neck, then laved her skin with his hot, wet tongue, working his way up. Daisy closed her eyes, savoring every second of his touch.

  She ran her fingers through his hair. “God, Luke. What you do to me is…”

  “Crazy.” He kissed her again, stealing the breath from her lungs and replacing it with his own. “Daisy.”

  “Yeah?” She hoped she’d actually said the words. She couldn’t even open her eyes. Her body was floating in a dangerous sensuous zone she didn’t want to leave.

  “Do you feel it?” His forehead rested against hers again.
<
br />   “The connection?” One hot, long breath.

  “I don’t connect. I never have.”

  Oh God, she was leaving in a few weeks and couldn’t think about what that meant. She could only feel for his face in the dark and kiss him again.

  “Luke,” she whispered.

  “Mm.”

  “You’re…” She kissed him again. “Connecting.”

  Chapter Seven

  NIRVANA. THAT WAS the state Daisy instilled in Luke. Her touch was like velvet, and her kisses were magic, whisking away his worries. He didn’t understand why and he didn’t care to. All Luke knew was that for the first time in his life, he felt different. Better. Right. Connecting. Nothing stuck with Luke. Not women, and before the ranch, not jobs, either. He’d always been restless, and the ranch and his horses had changed that significantly. But he’d never felt what consumed his body and mind when he kissed Daisy. The feelings weren’t even definable. He wanted to kiss her, hold her, protect her, not rush to have sex with her. He wanted to know what made her sad and what caused that flinch of reservation he’d felt right after she’d kissed his face with so much love. He searched his mind for the meaning of it all and couldn’t remember ever feeling like that before. Not with a single person. He wanted something more, and as much as he’d planned on keeping his distance, and as much as it scared him and made his heart go all sorts of crazy, he wanted it bad.

  “Walk with me, Daisy.” He reluctantly took a step back and lifted her from the motorcycle. As difficult as it was to pry himself away from her, he didn’t want to just fall into bed with Daisy. He wanted to get to know her, to date her, even if she was in town for only a few weeks. She was the only girl he’d ever felt that way toward, and he wasn’t about to ignore it.

  She took his hand and it felt natural, a perfect fit, as they walked toward the pasture where two of his broodmares were anxiously awaiting his attention. Daisy gasped a breath, and Luke knew it was at the beauty of the horses. Gypsy horses were heavily feathered around their hooves, much more luxuriously than a Clydesdale or a draft horse, and their abundant manes and tails gave them almost humanlike characteristics.

  He stroked the black-and-white horse’s cheek. “This is Chelsea. She’s a tobiano, see?” He stroked the back of the horse’s neck. “Her base coat is black, and see how the white patches cross over her spine? That’s what sets her apart from other pinto patterns. Look at her legs. See how they’re solid? They’re not always, but usually they are in tobianos.” Chelsea pushed her muzzle into his chest and he kissed the bridge of her nose.

  “You can pet her.” He took Daisy’s hand in his and stroked Chelsea’s cheek.

  “She’s so soft, and…loving. Look at how she’s practically trying to bury her nose in your chest.”

  “Yeah, my girls love affection. This is awful to say, but with her powerful frame and thick feathering, she reminds me of Anna Nicole Smith. Remember her?”

  That earned him another sweet laugh.

  “I’m serious. Look at how luxurious her mane is. When she’s out in the pasture running and her mane is flowing behind her, it’s a match.” Chelsea’s mane was thick and full, and when just groomed, it hung to her knees.

  “She’s gorgeous. Your girls?” She arched a brow. “I love that.”

  “Yeah? They are my girls. I love them.” A chestnut-colored horse with white feathering over her hooves nudged Chelsea aside and Luke laughed. “This is Rose. She’s a little pushy.” He kissed the soft space between her nostrils.

  Daisy petted the horse, and Luke felt her eyes on him. “Was it hard for you to come back to Trusty after being away at college?”

  He took her hand again and walked along the fence line. “Not really. I mean, my whole family is here, and I knew I wanted either a horse ranch or a farm, so for me, it really wasn’t much of a question of if I’d come back.”

  She nodded. “I can see that.”

  “It’s not like that for you.” He knew it wasn’t, and when she shook her head in confirmation, he expected it. “I guess not, given what you went through when you were younger.”

  “Do you remember standing up for me?” She stopped walking and looked up at him.

  She was so beautiful with the moonlight glistening in her eyes and the hopeful look in her eyes. It was hard for him to concentrate on talking rather than taking her in his arms again.

  “Yeah.” He nodded. “I had forgotten about it until after seeing you again at the diner, but yeah, I remember. We were at a field party. I can’t remember whose party it was, but I was pretty drunk.” Like most teens in the rural town, weekend nights were spent drinking too much and hanging with friends until the sun came up. “Some guy had his hand on you. I remember that, and I remember the look in your eyes.” It had nearly slayed him that night, the mixture of venom and fear he’d seen in her eyes as she fought off the guy, all the while scanning the people around her to see who was watching.

  He slid his hand to the back of her neck and settled his other on her hip, then stepped forward, hoping to protect her from the memory. “I remember, Daisy.” She was breathing hard, her breasts brushing against his stomach with every inhalation. “I remember how you looked scared and angry, and I remember tearing the guy away from you, and when I looked back, you were gone.” He brushed his thumb along her neck and she lowered her eyes.

  “Hey,” he whispered.

  She met his gaze.

  “There was one problem with that night. You forgot to leave a glass slipper.” It was a good thing she hadn’t. He’d been nowhere near ready for a girlfriend back then, and even back then Daisy had been girlfriend material despite her reputation: smart, strong, and based on how she’d reacted the other night, loyal. He wanted to protect her and love her like he’d never loved a woman before. For her, not for him.

  She blushed, and more frightening sensations trampled through him. Every breath heightened the anticipation of kissing her again. She pressed her hands to his chest and Luke pulled her against him, aware of everything around them. The horses whinnying in the distance, tree frogs and crickets singing in the night. The smell of the thick grass and the pungent scent of horses and hay. And then there was Daisy, her skin slippery from the heat. The floral scent of her perfume sent his best intentions off balance. He lowered his lips to hers in another deep kiss, and she rocked her hips against his hard length. Her moan of pleasure filled his mouth, stealing what little resolve he’d been clinging to. His hand slid down the curve of her ass, and he pressed her body against his, holding her there, feeling the beating of her heart against him. He tangled his hand beneath her hair and tilted her neck back, giving him better access to her silken skin. He kissed and sucked her salty skin until all that was left was desire seeping from her pores.

  He forced himself to pull away and rested his forehead to hers again. “Daisy, we should stop.”

  Her hands were still pressed to his chest, and she gathered his shirt in her fists and held on tight, as if her life depended on being there. With him. She didn’t need to say a word, because he felt it too. A connection of more than wanting sex. Of wanting something deeper. Needing something deeper. He let out a shaky breath.

  He searched her eyes as her fingers trailed the wave of muscles across his chest. She closed her eyes and kissed the center of his chest, pulling a moan from his lungs.

  “Daisy,” he whispered again.

  She looked at him again with the same wanton look he felt. “I want this, Luke. I’m not a kid. You don’t have to protect me.”

  Like hell he didn’t. She’d cracked through some silent barrier to his heart that only his family had been privy to, and yeah, he had to protect her. He wanted to. But hell if he was strong enough to protect her from his desires.

  “We don’t have to go any further. I really like you, Daisy.” He paused to swallow and to try to slow the pace of his words and maybe his racing pulse. “You’re only here for a few weeks. We can just…” Be friends? Nope. Somehow they’d skipped
that altogether, left it in the dust back at the diner. He couldn’t even try to convince her it was worth fighting. Instead, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and walked with her up to his house. Luke had lived there two years, and since he’d been staying away from women in Trusty, he realized, as he opened the door and watched Daisy walk inside, he’d never brought any of them home.

  He closed the door behind them and took her in his arms again, then kissed her softly. Her fingers slipped under the edge of his shirt to his bare skin, sending heat searing through him and spurring him to deepen their kiss as he swept her into his arms and carried her across the hardwood floor and down the hall to his bedroom. When he lowered her feet to the floor, they were both fighting to breathe between hot, deep kisses. Luke reached behind him and tore his shirt over his head. Daisy’s soft, wet mouth found his nipple, and she sucked and licked until he thought he’d lose his mind. He brought her mouth back to his, taking her in another greedy, needful kiss as he drew her shirt over her head—their lips parting just long enough for her top to slip through; then he kissed his way down to the center of her glorious breasts, freeing her bra in one easy move and tossing it aside. Her fingers tangled in his hair and drew his mouth to her taut nipple. She arched against him, sighing loudly. He had to have more. Taste more. He filled his hands with her full breasts, brushing her nipples with his thumbs as his mouth moved south. Daisy sucked in a breath as he gently lay her down on his king-sized bed, then traveled south again, rolling the waist of her skirt down low on her hips and kissing her freshly exposed skin as he divested her of the skirt and her white, lacy thong. Then he kissed his way back up her body, gyrating his hips against her naked sex. Jesus, he was never going to last. She was so soft, so beautiful. He gazed deeply into her eyes.

  “You okay?”

  She nodded, her eyes closed.

  “Look at me, Daisy.”

  Her eyes blinked halfway open.