by Cathryn Fox
“I’ve been thinking about you all afternoon. How about that shower?” he whispered. Then he tugged her T-shirt from her shorts. His mouth dropped to her neck, and as he kissed her, she realized how easy he was to be with, how much she wanted him again. And even though it might not be in her best interest—getting too personal would only prove to make it harder when she walked away—she was curious to know more about Tyler Mackenzie the man, not Wildman Mac, the bad boy.
She inched away from him, perusing his personal space in an attempt to understand him better. “So this is how you live on weekends,” she said, moving about his room and running her fingers over his sparse belongings. She noticed his open laptop and phone on his bureau.
He frowned. “Most of the time I come here to relax, but sometimes work beckons—some last-minute problem that I can’t ignore—which means I can’t completely unplug.”
Like her dad, he probably worked all the time, even when he was out here in the middle of nowhere. She could never be with a guy who couldn’t set work aside, even for a weekend.
When she went quiet, thinking about how much she liked him, all the things they’d been doing together, he touched her chin. “Hey, is everything okay?”
“I was just wondering. What we did this morning, with Blake, is that the kind of thing you guys do a lot? Not that it’s really any of my business…I was just curious.”
“I told you I’d never lie to you, Jess, so yes, we’ve done that before.” He pulled her in tight and pushed her hair off her forehead. “But this time, it wasn’t about us, it was about you.”
“Because of my journal.”
“Because I wanted to give you everything you’ve ever wanted, Jess.” His thumb brushed her cheek and warmth moved through her. He briefly closed his eyes and exhaled hard. “If you want the full truth, sharing you damn near killed me.”
Her stomach fluttered as understanding dawned. Her mind recalled the clench of his jaw, the almost tortured look on his face, the way he took possession of her, claiming her mouth, her body. Sharing had been hard for him, but he did it for her. Oh God.
“Mac…”
“If it’s okay with you, I don’t ever want another man’s hands on your body.”
She should be angry by his possessiveness, but it only made her want him more.
Mac pulled his shirt off, and her brain shifted directions. She took in his rippling muscles and the heat in his eye when they met hers.
“I need you naked, darlin’.”
Her hand went to the button on her shorts, and before she knew it, the rest of the day was lost to soap and sex with the hottest cowboy she knew…a guy—despite knowing they could never be together because he wasn’t the settling-down type—she was seriously falling for him.
Chapter Eight
Sitting in the saloon, Mac took a sip of his beer and stole a glance at the beautiful woman beside him. Conversation between his two best friends, Coop and Jag, and the girls they’d invited for the week took place around him, but he paid little mind to them. All of his attention was focused on Jess and the emotions she brought out in him.
Four days had passed since she’d first stepped foot on the ranch, and while they’d done so much together, there were still so many things he wanted to do with her. Even though she’d opened up to him on many levels, he sensed she was holding back from giving herself to him fully.
She talked quietly with the others, every now and then casting him a glance—her eyes an intriguing contradiction of mystery and promise. His heart pounded harder in his chest as he looked at her, and it occurred to him how much he wanted—needed—her alone. Just to kiss her, hold her, feel her in his arms. He remained quiet, listening to the sweet lilt of her voice. Her hand dropped to his knee. Whether her move had been intended as casual or suggestive, Mac’s reaction was the same. Possession.
Tamara’s boots echoed dully on the plank floor as she stepped up to the table to replenish their drinks. Mac tipped the bottle and swallowed, welcoming the cool liquid as it reached the dryness in his throat, but knew there was only one thing that would help hydrate him—climbing between Jess’s legs and drinking in her sweetness as he gave her pleasure.
Jesus Christ, he needed to be inside her. Everywhere. Now.
His chair scraped across the floor as he pushed back from the table and stood. All eyes turned to him. Making no attempt at discretion, and needing them to be together, he pulled Jess to her feet and said, “We need to go.”
Jess nodded. He hauled her close, and as her warm body collided with his, he excused them from the table.
With a single-minded determination, he guided her through the saloon and out the back door. He cut through the barn and caught the question in her eyes when he grabbed a blanket and the backpack he’d dropped in there earlier that day. His intentions had been to make love to her in the hayloft tonight, but the sky was so clear and beautiful, and she loved nature so much, he thought he’d take her to her favorite spot instead.
Guided by the moon and stars on the warm summer night, they walked along the footpath until they reached the peak of the mountain. He led her to the grassy edge, to where they’d been doing yoga every morning.
He dropped the blanket, stepped behind her, and wrapped his arms around her small body as they glanced at the majestic view. Off in the distance, a horse whinnied, and the fresh scent of hay filled the air. They stayed like that for a long time, just holding each other, enjoying the feel of their bodies pressed together, and basking in the warm familiarity of each other as they stared into the moonlit night.
Jess exhaled slowly and finally broke the quiet when she said, “I could stay here forever.”
His heart leaped at her softly spoken confession. He spun her to face him, looked deep into her eyes, and realized he didn’t care where he was, as long as he was with her. “You can come here every weekend with me.”
Doubt clouded her eyes, and her brow furrowed. “Mac,” she began, but he pressed his lips to hers, swallowing her protest. He refused to let anything spoil this precious moment.
“Tonight is for feeling, not thinking,” he whispered between kisses, determined to eradicate her worries and prove to her once and for all how much they belonged together. He pulled her tighter and lifted her onto his hips, securing her small frame with one hand.
He could feel her heart thumping with a beat that spurred him into action. When her body relaxed against his, he ran his thumb over her bottom lip, his cock aching for something far more intimate.
“Baby, I want you so much. I want to be inside you.” His hand left her mouth. He trailed it lower and lower until he reached her ass. He stroked lightly, letting her know his intentions when he said, “Everywhere.”
She moved against him, giving him a look that tightened his balls against his body.
“Everywhere?” she asked, a moan catching in her throat as her eyes met his.
He dropped her lower on his hips until his cock pushed against her ass. “Yeah, everywhere,” he confirmed.
Her dark lashes fluttered. Christ, he loved watching her blossom before him, loved watching her become the sensual, adventurous woman she always wanted to be.
“Tell me something, sweetheart.”
“What?”
“If I slide my hand inside your shorts, will I find you hot for me?”
“Always,” she whispered.
He shifted his body, letting her slide to her feet. She moved against him impatiently. Mac ran his hands along her back, and when she wet her bottom lip with a quick swipe of her tongue, it fueled the lust inside him. He pulled her T-shirt from the waistband of her shorts and slipped his hand underneath the cotton, reveling in the feel of her soft stomach beneath his hands. He brushed her flesh and stroked higher until he reached the underside of her breasts. He freed one nipple from her bra, and she pushed against him as he scraped his thumb over her hard pebbles.
“Pinch my nipples.” Her raspy voice and bold words sent a barrage of erotic
sensations through him as everything inside urged him to rip her clothes from her body and take her hard and fast. Christ, no matter how many times he made love to her, he knew he’d never be able to assuage his hunger where she was concerned.
He sucked in air and worked to center himself, but when she straddled his leg and rubbed herself against him, it rattled him right to his very core. He slipped a hand into her shorts, and when he felt her, hot and wet against his fingers—for him, just for him—need stole every ounce of his strength.
He gripped her panties and air left her lungs in a rush when he pushed them to the side. He ran his thumb over her clit and moaned out loud as her nub swelled with heated blood at his touch.
Voices drifted up from the compound, but he ignored them. Nothing existed, nothing else mattered except the woman in his arms. He slid his fingers over her silken folds, her warmth easing the path as he pushed a finger into her core.
“Oh, God, yes,” she cried out, her voice full of sultry invitation as it reverberated off the Rocky Mountains.
Primitive need urged him on, and he forced himself to breathe slowly. She placed her hand over his cock and rubbed him through his jeans. A gust of wind came out of nowhere, carrying the last of his restraint with it.
Overcome with the things he felt for her, the things she made him feel without even trying, his mouth watered for a taste of her. He dragged her to the ground. Her eyes shimmered with sensuality as she positioned herself in the center of the blanket and widened her legs, welcoming him to her body. He growled and climbed over her. Pinning her beneath him, he took full possession of her mouth, kissing her hard enough to leave her lips swollen and bruised. Her hands clawed at his clothes, tugging his T-shirt over his head. Feeling wild, crazy, and completely out of control, he inched away to pull it off his shoulders. When he caught the sultry way she looked at his chest, he went back on his heels.
“Get naked,” he demanded, his body about to go up in a burst of flames.
“Mac,” she said, a hesitation in her voice.
He gave her a perplexed frown. “What is it?”
“You asked if there was something I wanted to share with you. Something from my journal…”
His blood burned hotter than ever; he was anxious to help her live out all her fantasies. “Tell me.”
She nibbled her bottom lip and went quiet.
“Tell me, Jess,” he said again.
She drew a deep breath and blurted out, “I…well…after watching those dancers, I want to dance…strip…for you.”
He exhaled slowly, his nostrils flaring, and giving her the little push she both needed and wanted, he said, “Stand up.”
Her body trembled visibly as she climbed to her feet, and Mac sat up to take it all in. She began swaying her hips, moving to the beat in her own head as she slowly, torturously, gripped the hem of her T-shirt to toy with it. He growled, and when he shifted his cock, a small smile pulled at her mouth. The sight of his erection seemed to urge her on. She removed her shirt, and then her hands went to the button on her shorts. She wiggled her hips as she released it, and when she slid them down her legs, it was all he could do not to pin her beneath him and fuck her hard. But he knew she needed to do this, for him, and for her. Standing there in nothing but a bra and skimpy panties, she ran her hands over her body in a seductive manner that would turn any sane person mad.
Mac sank back onto his elbow, enjoying her foreplay. She’s so goddamn sexy. His cock ached. Groaning, he brushed his hand over his jeans to reposition his hard-on a second time. She turned her back to him, tipping that sweet ass of hers in the air. Christ, did she know he was an ass man and that if she kept that up, he’d have no choice but to put an end to this and fuck that backside of hers once and for all?
Jess turned, undulating her body. God, she was so beautiful and sexy he couldn’t take his eyes off her. She released her bra and when her breasts fell free, he nearly sobbed.
His blood flowed hot and heavy in his veins as she danced for him, and a low growl of longing rumbled in his throat. Christ, he knew she was enjoying herself, enjoying performing for him, but he could no longer sit there and take this kind of torture.
He stood, captured her hips, and hauled her to him, crushing her body to his as she pressed against him. The need and desire in her eyes as she looked at him damn near rendered him senseless.
He inched back, and wanting to push her a little further, he said, “Touch yourself for me.”
“Mac,” she whimpered breathlessly.
His voice dropped an octave when he said, “I’m not asking.”
She watched him carefully.
“Show me how you touch yourself,” he said, urging her to shed the last of her inhibitions. “Show me what you do in bed at night after you finish writing out one of your secret fantasies.”
They exchanged a long, knowing look. She gave him a slow, sexy smile, her body shaking with unabashed hunger. She placed her hands on her breasts and pinched her nipples.
“That’s a girl,” he said.
Her hands trailed lower, and heat flooded him as she removed her panties and dipped her fingers inside her pussy. She cried out in bliss, and as her body came alive before him, he thought he’d died and gone to heaven.
Her mouth went slack, and her breathing changed as her fingers moved swiftly over her wet slit. Growing bolder, her eyes never left his as she touched herself, creating a deeper connection between them and triggering a craving like he’d never before experienced.
Desperate to see her pink sweetness, he grabbed her and laid her out on the blanket. Sweat dotted his brow as she widened her legs. His body ached to join with hers, to lose itself in the heat between her legs when she opened herself up so nicely, baring herself to him on so many levels.
He dropped between her legs and as he sat there teetering on the edge, tension rose in him, the sweet scent of her arousal reaching his nostrils and making him mad with the need to fuck her. Breathing became difficult as he slid his hands over her soft flesh until his fingers joined with hers.
“Yes,” she cried out as he sank a finger inside her wet heat.
“Jesus.” He was sure he’d never get used to her tightness. His cock throbbed. He trembled with the urge to touch her, to taste her, to prove to her once and for all they belonged together. He bent forward and pressed his mouth to her. Her hips came off the ground, and she fisted her hands in his hair, her body trembling all over.
Her walls squeezed his fingers, her body screaming for release. He punched up the pressure, added a second finger, pumping them in and out of her, his tongue going to her sensitive clit to draw small circles. Her hips rose and bucked against his face. He pushed another thick finger inside. His cock throbbed as she gripped his shoulders and cried out his name.
He lightly brushed the bundle of nerves inside her as she continued to ride his mouth and fingers, her body coming unglued as she chased release.
“That’s my girl,” he said. “Take what you need.”
A moment later, she shuddered a breath, her body succumbing to the pleasure with a hot flow of release. As she came for him, he licked every last drop of her sweetness. When she stopped trembling, he went back on his heels, and in a voice that wasn’t quite steady, he said, “I need you, baby. I need you so goddamn much.”
“Please,” she begged.
Taking her by surprise, he flipped her over. When a gasp sounded in her throat, he slid a hand down her back until he reached her crevice. He stroked her lightly, and with the need to mark her—everywhere—his voice came out fractured and broken when he said, “Tonight, I need to be inside you here, sweetheart.” He tore off the rest of his clothes and tucked them under her hips to raise her beautiful ass in the air.
He ran his hands over her soft cheeks. “I’ve never…” Her voice came out so low, so soft, he had to strain to hear her.
He loved how honest and open they could be with each other. “But you want to, don’t you, darlin’?” When a whim
per caught in her throat, he said, “It’s part of your fantasy, isn’t it?” He guessed at that last part, but he had a feeling he knew her better than she did herself.
Nervous excitement laced her voice, filling him with a new kind of need when she nodded and said quietly, “Yes.”
He reached into his backpack and pulled out a tube of lubricant, wanting to prepare her properly as he claimed her and marked her in a way she’d never been marked by another. He squirted a generous amount onto her back, and watched it trickle over her curves and between her ass cheeks.
She wiggled, and he couldn’t believe how lucky he was to be here with her, how blessed he was that this beautiful, sweet, kind, and compassionate woman was gifting him with her body in such an intimate way.
He ran the lubricant over her and gently pushed a finger inside, determined to take it slow and make this new experience good for her. Offering her only an inch at a time and letting her get used to the fullness, he spent a long time stretching her, playing with her back passage until she began moving, rocking her hips in an urgent manner.
“You’re not ready yet, sweetheart,” he growled, barely able to keep it together himself.
Tension built inside him, but he forced himself to stay calm, even going so far as to practice a few of those breathing exercises she taught him. He spent a few more moments introducing his fingers to her crevice, and when she pushed backward, demanding more, he gripped his cock and stroked it over her soft slit.
With her passion flaring hot, he quickly sheathed himself, lubed up, and positioned himself at her entrance. He took his time entering her, and when her fingers curled in the blanket, he stilled.
“Am I hurting you?”
“A little,” she said honestly. “But I want this, Mac. I want you inside me like this.”
He slipped a finger around her body and brushed her clit. When she starting moaning in pleasure, he pushed his cock in another inch, a gentle thrust that drove him past her opening. She groaned and moved against him. When her body finally relaxed and fully opened for him, he slipped all the way inside her.