By the time he returned, she had feeling in her arms, but not her legs. “Damn, Keiffer, you were magnificent. It keeps getting better and better.”
A big smile curved his mouth and lit his face. Her heart stopped, then rocked hard in her chest. She’d always wondered what it would be like to be a recipient of one of his heartfelt smiles.
God, it was great.
“I know. It does,” he agreed, scooping her off the credenza to carry her down the hall. “I hope you don’t need to go home tonight, because, baby, I love being inside you.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and snuggled close, completely blown away by the fact he wanted to spend the whole night together. “I love it, too.” She nipped at his neck. “What are the chances of us doing that again soon?”
He dropped her on the bed, and his eyes heated as he watched her breasts bounce. “Oh, I’d say they were very, very good.”
And he proved it. All night long.
***
Keiffer was amazed at how easy it was to let Caitlin into his life, once he let his guard down. He couldn’t do it with the others, at least not to that extent. But he was working on it. Starting with this Skype session Brandi talked him into.
“Thanks for doing this,” she said, squeezing his hand. “It’s going to mean so much to them. You’ll see.”
That’s what he was afraid of. Too much emotion made his chest tight and the walls close in.
Another thing he was working on.
Thanks to Caitlin.
A calmness spread through him as he glanced at the sweet woman smiling reassuringly from across the room. She had a way of putting him at ease. Filling his days and nights with warmth and understanding, putting up with his nightmare when it reared its ugly head. Which was twice in the past week they’d spent together since his outburst over the damn tree.
“Uncle Keiffer?” Tyler’s face beamed on the screen. “Dad, everyone, look, it’s Uncle Keiffer!”
He smiled. “Hey, Tyler. Man, you’re getting big.” Kid must’ve sprouted two inches since he’d left. Damn, he missed him. Missed all of them. But…
“When you coming home? I might be one of the starters when Little League starts up.”
His heart twisted in his rapidly tightening chest. “Sorry, sport. I don’t think I can make it.” The disappointment souring the little boy’s expression about killed him. “But, I’ll tell you what, the next time you visit Aunt Brandi, I’ll be sure to visit, too. Okay?”
“For real?” The light was back where it belonged—in the little boy’s eyes.
“For real.” He winked.
The next ten minutes didn’t suck the life out of Keiffer, and he even managed to a real smile or two and a genuine laugh at the ugly sweater his brother Ben wore at his wife’s insistence. That was the funniest thing he’d seen in years. By the time they ended the call, he actually felt better.
Go figure.
Brandi squeezed his hand. “You did good. Thanks for giving that to them.”
He squeezed back. “I needed it, too. Just didn’t realize it. Thanks.” It was long overdue, but he hadn’t been ready until now. His gaze drifted to where Caitlin sat with both nieces on the floor while they shoved one toy after another at her as they showed off what Santa brought.
Her ooh’s and ah’s made him grin. They were almost as coveted as her mewls and moans.
Almost.
His groin twitched to life as it always did whenever he thought about a naked Caitlin.
“Things okay between you and Caitlin?” Brandi asked quietly. “You both seem a lot less tense.”
He nodded. “Yeah. We’re good.” It wasn’t a secret his sister wanted him to stick around, but he didn’t want anyone trying to use his feelings for Caitlin to try and trap him there.
Spending time with Caitlin, being with her and in her were the best times he’d had, well…ever. But it didn’t mean he was staying. The fact she made him feel so deeply was the reason he had to leave. It was only a matter of time before he blew up. The tree incident alone was enough to make him stick to his plan to leave once Kade returned from the school he was finally heading to next week.
“Come on, Uncle Keiffer.” Cody took to calling him that the first day he’d arrived, and he didn’t bother to correct him. The seven-year-old rushed over to tug at his arm. “I want to show you what I got.”
His gaze met Caitlin’s, and heaven help him, hers was saying the same thing. I want to show you what I got. He really liked what she had. A lot. And when there were alone later, he was going to show her.
A lot.
Chapter Twelve
Caitlin was assisting Doc Kirkland with the last of two spays, when a call came in about Charlie getting loose again.
They both chuckled as Tracy, their receptionist, gave them the news via a phone on the wall the other vet tech put on speaker.
“I wonder what he’s gotten into now.” Sawyer shook his head.
“Apparently, his neighbor’s roses again,” Tracy replied, before ending the call.
Doc stilled, and a beat later he shrugged. “Since you took care of Charlie last week on his New Year’s Day tour of Wild Creek Ranch and tried to get intimate with one of Connor’s prized bulls, I’ll take this call. You can finish closing up here.”
He handed over the sutures and she picked up where he’d left off on the sweet little bulldog.
“Yeah, that was a fun one.” She chuckled at the memory of Connor’s face when he recounted the story of Charlie’s amorous antics. And she wasn’t going to let Sawyer off that easy. “I won’t be but a minute. I’d be happy to go check out old Charlie.”
He was heading for the door and stopped mid-step. “Nah. That’s okay. It’s almost lunch time and I thought you mentioned meeting Lacey and Gwen.”
She smiled. The guy was definitely eager. “No, I didn’t. Is there a reason you’re so keen on taking the Charlie call? Could it be the fact his neighbor is a gorgeous brunette—a single—gorgeous Dallas transplant?”
“She is?” He lifted a brow as he met her gaze, and if she hadn’t noted the slight twitch to his left eye earlier, he might’ve fooled her with his neutral expression.
“You know perfectly well she is.” Caitlin laughed, cleaning the dog’s shaved area with the germicide solution again.
He shook his head. “Just because you’re happy in your relationship bliss doesn’t mean I’m looking for it, too.”
Relationship bliss?
It was on the tip of her tongue to protest, but he already had his hand on the door. “Enjoy your lunch.”
“Enjoy yours.” She grinned, and it broadened with his eye roll.
Not looking for it, my ass.
“Okay, Jose,” she said to the tech monitoring the anesthesia. “You can let her wake up now, then take her to recovery.”
The young man nodded and smiled. “Sure thing, Doc.”
She laughed as she began cleaning up. “I think you’re jumping the gun there. That’s a few years away.”
“Only a matter of time.” The guy winked, then turned his attention back to the groggy puppy beginning to stir.
In many ways, Caitlin empathized with the pup. The past few weeks with Keiffer were amazing. She sort of transitioned from an old life to a new one. He stirred her and in the process, opened her life to new feelings and emotions she never knew existed. It was as if she’d been in a fog, groggy, but now everything was clearer. Crisper. Brighter.
And the best part was the transformation she was seeing in him, too.
Not as big or prominent. More like baby steps, but he wasn’t wrapped so tight anymore that a hit from a piece of hay would make him snap. He seemed happier, calmer, pleased to step up and take over a few things for Kade, now that his brother-in-law was away at school.
Keiffer certainly stepped up and took care of things for her.
Took care of her.
For the first time in a long time, she felt good, really good about her future�
��which meant it was the perfect time for something bad to happen.
***
Two days later, Caitlin was at the clinic at the end of her shift, in the cat room, as usual. She knew it was dangerous to spend so much time with the three kittens. They were growing fast. Their eyes were open now, and their personalities were coming through, too. One was a squawker, always letting them know it was time to eat. One was adventurous, wouldn’t stop trying to escape their box. And the other, the runt, was a purrer. Loved to cuddle her neck and fall asleep.
That’s how Keiffer found her twenty minutes later.
“New fashion statement?”
He smiled, and in that moment, that very second, her world was perfect. So perfect it hurt her chest. He must’ve seen something in her eyes, because his gaze softened and he lowered himself next to her on the floor.
“Ah, babe,” he said softly, bringing her free hand to his mouth to brush his lips across her knuckles. “What are you going to do when some cute little girl or boy wants to adopt them?”
Her throat heated just thinking about it. Which was such a rookie move. She’d nurtured dozens and dozens of orphaned animals and had nothing but joy in her heart when some cute little girl or boy wanted to adopt them.
Not this time.
“I’ll hide them in the back.” If she hadn’t been living up above a restaurant, she might’ve been able to take them home.
His lips twitched. “Think someone here will notice, especially as they get bigger.”
“Then I’ll take them to the barn.”
“They’ll be too rambunctious for the rescues.”
She sighed. He was right. But she wasn’t prepared to give up so easily. The cuties were still too young to be put up for adoption, so it would give her time to think of something.
Yeah, like maybe she should stop dropping in every day.
Again, her heart hurt just thinking about it, although, she knew it was right. For someone about to start veterinary school in two days, she wasn’t acting very professional.
She cleared her throat and gently pulled Mister Sleepyhead off her neck. His protesting little mewls clutched at her heart. “Help me put them in the box.”
Five minutes later, they were walking hand in hand toward his cabin. The January wind biting into her with merciless gusts. It cleared her senses, woke her up, nipped at her…extremities. She shivered
“Cold? Come here.” Keiffer opened his coat and drew her close.
He was wearing green flannel.
God, there was nothing better than snuggling against Keiffer’s hot, hard body clad in soft flannel.
Unless he was naked.
Need spiked through her body, upping her temperature with that single thought.
“That better?” he asked, pulling her hip against his tight.
“Mmm…” She palmed his chest with one hand and hugged his waist with the other, all while walking slowly toward his place. “Much. Thanks. You feel great.”
His chuckle vibrated into her. “So do you. I’d be happy to…heat you up anytime.”
She glanced up at him and smiled as they stepped onto the porch. “Does now work for you? Because I’m free right now.”
“Now works great for me.” He stopped just before the door to slide his hands into her hair, tip her head to his liking, then kiss her with an unhurried, thoroughness that left her legs shaking and her insides simmering.
Something was different about him. A good something, but she couldn’t figure out what it was or why, so she decided to just enjoy it. Kade was coming back next week, which freed Keiffer up to leave. Pain squeezed her heart. Her time with him was coming to an end way too fast. But, like the kittens, she had to let him go to grow. To find his way in life. And just hoped to God it meant she would be part of it someday.
He drew back, then kissed her nose before releasing her to open the door. Inside, she shrugged out of her coat and hung it next to his on a hook by the door. Then removed her boots like him, and set them next to his on the floor.
Tantalizing aromas of marinara and garlic wafted from the kitchen. She inhaled deep. “Mmm…what’s cooking?”
He grasped her hand and tugged her toward the table she just noticed was set for two with an unlit candle in the center. “I asked Kerri to make your favorite dish.”
She sucked in a breath. “Lasagna?” No wonder her taste buds were clamoring. Kerri made the best lasagna. She immediately stepped into his arms. “Thank you,” she said against his lips, nipping and tasting, but before she could cover them completely, he gently grasped her arms and drew her back.
“You have to stop or we’ll never make it to the first course.” He held a chair out for her and waited.
She had no idea what he was up to, but it seemed very important to her, so she happily obliged. “Why thank you. What’s going on?”
Once she was seated, he lit the candle in the center of the table, then smiled down at her. “It just donned on me that we’ve never really gone on a real date. Or had a nice dinner with just the two of us.”
She realized with a start he was right. Their meals were either quick ones, take out, or shared affairs at the main house. His thoughtfulness touched her beyond reason. The fact he’d gone through the trouble of creating a romantic setting, and asked Kerri to cook, not just any dish, but her favorite one—caught at her heart. “Thank you.”
Between the delicious melt-in-your mouth pasta, robust bottle of wine, and to-die-for tiramisu, Caitlin’s palate was in heaven. But nothing tasted better than Keiffer. And he reminded her of it as they slow danced in front of a fire he lit while she insisted on doing the dishes. But now their bellies were full, chores were over, and it was time to just enjoy each other’s arms.
And damn, he had great arms. She trailed her palms down them to his wrists then back up, enjoying the play of muscles through the soft flannel. The urge to get naked and rub up against that hot, hard body covered in soft flannel, gripped tight.
“Lift your arms up,” he said.
She did, thrilled that he was on the same page. Anticipation rushed through her body as she stepped into him before her sweater even cleared her hands. “Mmm…you feel good.”
He chuckled, until she brushed her chest against his and skimmed her hands down his torso to brush his jeans. A rough sound rumbled in his throat and grew louder when she started to unbutton his shirt. He moved her hands aside and finished the task in record time.
“Damn.” She pushed the shirt over his shoulders, and he tugged it off the rest of the way while her mouth watered at the sight she’d never grow tired of viewing. “I should’ve saved some of that tiramisu. I bet it would’ve tasted even better on you.”
“The best thing on me is you, Caitlin.”
Breath caught in her throat and backed up into her chest at the rough, honesty in his tone.
“You’re so damn beautiful.”
Now her whole body shook from the sheer force of his gaze. He reached around to unhook her bra and toss it on the floor, and the look of raw pleasure on his face as he stared at her nearly made her come.
“Keiffer,” she breathed, unable to stand him not touching her.
“What, Caitlin?” He stepped close. “Tell me.” His lips brushed hers, teasing her with the feel of his chest scraping her nipples while the hard bulge in his jeans pressed against her, making her eyes cross. “Tell me what you want.”
“You.” She arched her back in an attempt to feel him.
“You’ve got me.” He kissed her then, one of his deep, drugging, hot, wet kisses that had her right on the edge.
Releasing her, he quickly tossed the couch cushions on the floor. Without waiting for instructions, she dropped down on them, and soon his mouth returned to hers as he pressed her onto her back. Then his calloused palm cupped her breast while he captured the peak between his thumb and forefinger. Finally. A needy sound vibrated in her throat. He finally touched her. She broke the kiss to gasp his name.
“
Right here.” He placed open mouthed kisses over the curve of her breast, closing his warm lips around her other nipple and sucking her hard into his mouth.
Moaning, she thrust her fingers into his hair and held him there, lost in the rush only he could bring. And he continued to bring, skimming his palm over her belly, his fingers sliding under her panties, hesitating, building the anticipation—making her nuts—before descending to slip inside where she ached for him most.
Caitlin cried out, her voice echoing off the walls. But she didn’t care, only that he continued to touch her. “Don’t stop.”
Don’t ever stop.
He lifted his gaze to her, and heaven help her, it was searing and naughty and almost did her in. “I won’t. I’m going to take care of you real good.” He removed her panties, and a moment later, his finger slipped back inside to slide in and out of her in mind drugging strokes that had her breathing like a lunatic.
She should’ve been mortified at how fast he had her at the edge. But it felt too good. He felt too good. And his mouth, God his mouth. Licking and kissing and nipping her neck and breasts while his thick finger continued stroking her into a frenzy. Her body shook with the need too vast to contain. Then the clever man brushed his thumb over her center.
“Keiffer…” Unable to control herself, she bucked wildly and flew completely apart. The wicked, talented, incredible man drew out her orgasm until she had nothing left to give.
While aftershocks shook her body, Caitlin slumped against the cushions and her eyes eventually fluttered open to see his slow, sexy as sin smile as he stood. She worked to catch her breath, but watching him strip the rest of the way did the opposite.
Firelight flickered in the sheen of sweat glistening over his skin, and his eyes, God, those gorgeous eyes were deliciously dark and hungry and fierce. He was magnificent, and whether they were rolling around naked, or clothed, working side by side at the rescue, he made her feel sublime. Made her feel with her heart. Especially with her heart. And Caitlin knew. She’d always known.
Her Troubled Cowboy (Harland County Series Book 9) Page 12