“Pie! I brought us pie!”
“Later.” He started off again.
“But it’s still hot!”
“I’m a hell of a lot hotter than that pie.”
She laughed and wound her arms around his neck. “You’re a crazy man.”
“You know what? I am and I can’t seem to do anything about it. Only one thing is going to make me sane again.”
“I may know what that is.”
“I suspect you do.” He climbed the porch steps.
“Cute cabin.”
“It’s cuter inside. Can you open the screen door?”
“Sure.”
Shouldering his way in, he carried her across the wooden floor of the main room.
“Nice.”
“The bedroom’s nicer.” He strode quickly down the hall. Once inside the room he crossed to the bed and sat her on the end of it. He was breathing hard, but that had nothing to do with the effort of carrying her.
Kneeling down, he undid her ponytail and tossed the scrunchie away. Then he buried his fingers in her hair. “I apologize in advance. I’m feeling like an animal right now. The next time we do this, I promise to take my time.”
Her hands locked around his neck and she gazed into his eyes. “I’ve waited all day. Behaving like an animal sounds perfect to me.”
“But you brought pie.” He massaged her scalp.
“In case you were hungry.”
“I’m desperately hungry.”
Her eyes glittered. “Me, too. Go for it, cowboy.”
That was all he needed to send him into overdrive. While he jerked off her boots, she pulled her Camille’s Restaurant polo shirt over her head. Next he went for the snap on her jeans.
She quickly caught his hands. “Never mind. I’ll do it.” She sounded as desperate as he felt. “Work on your own clothes.”
She had a good point. No sense getting her naked if he wasn’t. He leaned against the wall and took off his boots. Then he opened the bedside table drawer and took out a condom. He didn’t want to be groping for it at the zero hour and he wanted her to know he’d remembered.
She noticed and smiled. “I wondered about that.”
“Went shopping after you left.”
“Thank you.” She wiggled out of her jeans. “I thought you might be lying in bed naked when I showed up.”
“I needed to watch for you.” He left his shirt mostly fastened and pulled it over his head.
“Were you afraid I wouldn’t make it?” She reached for the clasp of her bra.
“I knew you would. I just...needed to be there when you drove in.”
“So you could sweep me up and carry me off to your lair?”
“Something like that.” He hadn’t planned on scooping her out of the van and hauling her inside, but apparently instinct had taken over.
“For the record, I thought it was fun.” She tossed her bra aside. When she leaned toward the nightstand and picked up the condom packet, her breasts swayed enticingly. “Ready when you are.”
For a moment he couldn’t do anything but stare at her. The rosy flush of her skin and her taut nipples told him that she wanted him and the fierce glow of desire in her violet eyes sent a surge of heat straight to his groin. He almost came.
Fingers trembling with anticipation, he peeled off his jeans and briefs. His cock leaped free, ready for action. A drop of moisture gathered on the tip. He was so damned close to losing control.
Her gaze lowered to his pride and joy. When she looked up, her intent was there in her eyes. “We could play a little first.”
He hesitated, his balls tightening. “I love having your mouth on me.” Lust strummed his vocal cords and deepened his pitch. “I love it too much. If you touch me now, I’ll come.”
“Let me try.” Her voice became a silky purr. “I’ll be careful. When it’s too much, I’ll put this on.” She laid the packet beside her on the bed.
He wanted what she offered. His cock twitched at the memory of her lips drawing him in and her tongue swirling over every sensitive inch. He stepped toward her.
“Just a taste. Then we’ll go for the main event.” Wrapping her fingers around his shaft, she leaned forward and kissed the tip.
He groaned. “I don’t think I can—”
“I do.” She took him in slowly.
Watching her do it was heaven but trying to hold back was hell. His cock touched the back of her throat. He clenched his jaw against the climax that hammered at the door. But, oh, God, this felt amazing.
She hollowed her cheeks, sucking gently as she rose. She finished by pressing a kiss to the tip once more. Her lashes lifted and she looked into his eyes. “You’re magnificent. I love taking your measure.”
He groaned. She was incredible, the most perfect lover he’d ever had.
“Besides, these go on easier when you’re wet.”
He’d somehow missed the part where she’d opened the packet. She rolled on the condom with a minimum of fuss, but he had to brace himself against coming. He’d spent too much time imagining this next step. Finally he’d experience that ultimate connection.
Once she had the condom on, she scooted back on the bed, giving him room to climb in after her. His heart pounded like a jackhammer as he crawled onto the mattress and straight into her waiting arms. It was all so easy, so right.
One moment he was kissing her ripe mouth and the next he’d eased his hips between her thighs. She welcomed him by wrapping her legs around his and then...he thrust deep and was there, all of him.
She moaned and he lifted his mouth from hers. “You okay?”
“I’ve never been more okay in my life.” Her fingers dug into his backside. “We fit.”
He brushed his lips over hers. “I guess you were worried.”
“You’re a big guy.” She wiggled against him. “I like that, but I wasn’t sure if we’d...but we do.”
“So it’s okay to move?”
“God, yes. Move. And move some more.”
That worked for him. He needed to move, to ease back and slide home again. He craved the sweet friction of her tight channel, but now that he was there, he’d regained some control. He fit, but just barely, and that made every thrust a very happy occasion indeed.
Apparently it was for her, too. She rose to meet each stroke and began to make small, whimpering cries of joy. She tightened around him and he bore down. “Can you come?”
“Yes.” She began to pant. “Oh, yes.”
He pumped faster and she arched upward with a cry of release that thrilled his soul. Next time she came he’d let himself go, but he’d wanted to guarantee her pleasure first. Turned out she was easy to please.
Slipping both hands beneath her bottom, he lifted her so he could shift the angle.
“Ohhhhh.”
“Like that?” He kept rocking into her.
“Yes, oh, yes.”
“Look at me, Aria.”
She met his gaze and took a shaky breath. “I’m looking.”
“We’re going to come together this time.”
“Okay.”
He couldn’t help smiling. She was so sweet, so sexy, so willing. “Tell me when you’re there.” He was poised on the edge of his climax, ready to launch himself over.
She trembled beneath him. “Nearly there.”
He thrust up and in. “How’s that?”
“Yes, more.”
He held her gaze and gave her what she asked for. Her eyes darkened and her body hummed as he thrust in again and again and—
“Now!”
He pushed hard and she exploded. The tremors set off a chain reaction and his cock responded with a climax that seemed to go on forever. Gasping, he buried his cock in her pulsing body and rested his forehead against her shoulder.
So good. So damned good. He’d known loving her would be special, but he’d never imagined a sensation like this. As she came and he came, the world sparkled and fizzed like a million bottles of champagne all opened at once.
&
nbsp; She held him tight and he loved that. She wasn’t off on some private rocket ship enjoying the show all by her lonesome. She was sharing this experience with him. That was a gift he didn’t take lightly.
When their breathing eventually slowed, he propped himself up on his forearms and looked down to see how she was making out.
She gazed up at him and grinned. “I’m gonna want to do that again.”
He laughed, but he felt some pride, too. She’d enjoyed the experience he’d helped create. Apparently she’d enjoyed it a lot. “Maybe we should take a break and eat some of that pie you brought.”
“I had to guess at what you liked.”
“What’d you bring?”
“Cherry.”
He smiled down at her. “You have just become the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. Cherry pie is my absolute favorite. How did you guess that?”
“I used my psychic powers.”
“Apparently.” He leaned down and kissed her softly. “Be right back.”
When he returned from the bathroom she was out of bed and wearing his shirt. It hung to mid-thigh so he couldn’t tell if she’d put on her panties or not. But a quick glance at the clothes they’d both tossed on the floor gave him the answer. Not.
She glanced at him with a cute little smile. “Do you mind?”
“Do I mind that you’re standing there looking sexy as hell wearing my shirt and nothing else? Yeah, I hate that.”
“I know you said I shouldn’t wear clothes at all, but this works better for me and it still makes everything...easy.” She rolled back the sleeves.
He pretended not to understand. “Like for eating pie?” He pulled on his briefs and jeans because somebody had to go fetch it and he wasn’t expecting her to.
She laughed. “Yeah, like for eating pie.” She gathered up her clothes and began folding them.
“Might be even easier if you took off the shirt, though.” He zipped his pants and decided he’d walk outside barefoot. The fewer things he had to put on and take off the better. “Then you wouldn’t have to worry about spillage.”
“I’m a very neat eater.”
“That’s too bad.” He watched as she set the folded pile of clothes on the dresser and the boots beside it. He wasn’t surprised that she liked things tidy. They were alike in that. He would have picked up his clothes except he was wearing half and she was wearing the other half.
She turned to him. “You like messy eaters?”
“Under certain circumstances.”
“Such as?”
“Eating cherry pie naked.”
12
WHILE BRANT HOBBLED outside in his bare feet to get the pie, Aria explored her surroundings. Damon Harrison, one of the original Thunder Mountain boys and a master carpenter, had joined forces with his equally competent fiancée, Philomena Turner, to build the place for Cade. Damon’s and Phil’s combined talents with tools had created a beautiful little cabin.
The bedroom had a rustic look with an elegantly carved headboard depicting the Big Horn Mountains. The lamps on the bedside tables were frosted glass globes on wooden bases, a modern replica of an old-fashioned gas lamp design. She’d been rushed in here so fast she’d barely noticed the headboard or the lamps.
Heading down the hall toward the main part of the cabin, she discovered that the floor plan was simple. Living and dining areas were combined and a waist-high counter sectioned off the kitchen. Honey-colored wood was everywhere, from the walls themselves to the sturdy wooden furniture.
Aria decided on the spot that when she bought land for her home and cooking school, she wanted a house like this. She walked into the kitchen first and admired the gleaming appliances, all top quality, and the butcher-block countertops. She could have a blast cooking here.
The living area was basic and classy. Thick cushions upholstered in a forest pattern covered all the furniture. A large rag rug anchored the living room, but the hardwood floor was left bare under the oval dining table.
But no one had added personal touches like plants or framed photos. The walls were bare of art, too. As she wondered if Cade had been too busy to choose those things, Brant came through the screen door with the bakery box containing the cherry pie.
“It’s still a little warm on the bottom,” he said. “We could stick it in the oven for a few minutes and heat it back up.”
“Okay.” Aria opened the built-in oven and peered at the immaculate surfaces. “I don’t think this has ever been used. We’d better put some foil or a cookie sheet underneath so it won’t drip all over this pristine oven.”
“Cade wouldn’t care.”
“I’d care.” She searched the cupboards until she found aluminum foil. Judging from the scarcity of pots and pans, she wouldn’t come upon a cookie sheet. “He doesn’t use this kitchen, does he?”
“Doesn’t look like it. He’s never been what you call domestic.”
“Then it’s a good thing he’s planning to take my cooking class with Lexi.” She tore off some foil, placed the pie plate on it and rolled up the edges to keep any overflow from escaping.
“How come?” Brant leaned against the counter, watching her.
“I get the impression she’s looking for an equal partner who’ll share the housekeeping chores. And that usually includes fixing meals.” She slid the pie into the oven and turned it on. “She’d probably be thrilled if he learned to cook and made her dinner here.”
“You know what, I’ll bet you’re right. Maybe I should mention that to him, see what he says.”
“If he’s never thought to do it, and from the looks of this kitchen he hasn’t, that helps explain why Lexi thinks he’s not ready for marriage.”
“Then why doesn’t she just tell him that? Something subtle like ‘You need to learn to cook, bozo.’”
That made her laugh. “I can picture her saying that, too. Maybe she’s hoping he’ll come up with it on his own.”
“Oh. Then I won’t suggest it to him. I might muck it up.”
She sighed. “Who knows? Maybe saying something is a good idea. I shouldn’t be giving out advice.”
His gaze sharpened. “Why is that?”
Shoot. She’d promised herself that her frustrating conversation with Josh wouldn’t spoil tonight. Then she’d gone and made that dumb comment. “Oh, just because I’m no expert.” Her throat tightened unexpectedly and she searched for a distraction. “Let’s see what we have in the way of dishes around here.” She turned and opened a cupboard.
Brant’s response came a beat late, as if he’d taken a moment to assess her mood. “Sounds as if we’re going to get all prissy and civilized when we eat this pie. Next you’ll tell me we need forks.”
She dredged up a smile as she found plates and took them out of the cupboard. “And how were you planning to eat it? With your fingers?”
He closed the distance between them and took the plates from her. Then he set them on the counter and drew her into his arms. “Yes, ma’am. I was hoping you’d serve it to me on your naked body.”
She slid her hands up his muscled chest and laced her fingers together behind his neck. “Goodness, that’s—”
“Right after you tell me what happened with Josh today.”
She met his gaze. “Let’s not get into it.”
“Let’s do.” Holding her gently, he reached up and brushed her hair back from her face. “He’s the reason for Linus being born and the reason I met you. It’s no use pretending that he’s not a player in this drama. I know you were planning to talk to him after you left the ranch this afternoon.”
“I did talk to him.” She pushed the words past the lump in her throat. “But it’s not a cheerful subject.”
“Want to tell me about it?”
“No.”
“You sure?” His solid warmth was reassuring as he continued to look at her in that patient way that was so Brant.
She sighed, uncertain. “No.”
“Then tell me.”
“
It’s a long story.”
“I have time.”
She blew out a breath. “Okay, but you should probably know the dynamic.” As she told him about Clara Simpson, she watched his mouth twitch. “You can laugh if you want.”
He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, but the image of you hiding in the bushes taking pictures...” He grinned and shook his head. “It wasn’t funny to you, though.”
“Actually it was funny after I got older. Then today Josh admitted he’d known about her and hadn’t cared, but because of me he’d felt obliged to end it.”
“I see.” He massaged the small of her back.
“I ruined his first sexual adventure. I feel terrible about messing that up for him. I thought I was doing the right thing.”
“And you meant well.” He studied her with his kind eyes.
“That’s what he said today. He knows I mean well this time, too.” She took a shaky breath. “I think he wanted to make the point that I butt in when I shouldn’t and here I am doing it again.” Frustration tightened a knot in her stomach. “Damn it, Brant, this is a totally different situation.” She hesitated. “Isn’t it?”
“Definitely. A cute foal prancing around the pasture looks nothing like naked people having sex in the back of a pickup.”
“Okay, so pictures were involved both times, but—” She heard his soft chuckle and peered up at him. “You’re teasing me, aren’t you?”
“Just a little.” He smiled. “Aria, you’re a loving sister who wants the best for your brother. He’s not responding the way you wish he would, but that doesn’t mean he won’t ever come around. Maybe it’s time to back off and see if he’ll come to you.”
“But you said the sooner Linus gets used to the wheelchair the better.”
“I did, but—”
“Besides, if he’d come out to the ranch before the students get here, it would be easier all the way around.” Thank goodness she’d found out he didn’t want to advertise his disabled status to the world. That insight was important.
“But it’s not any good if he comes out reluctantly.”
“Even if he’s reluctant, he’ll change his mind once he sees Linus. I know he will.”
Brant opened his mouth as if to say something. Then he closed it again.
Cowboy All Night (Thunder Mountain Brotherhood, Book 5) Page 12