Accounting for Love - A Long Valley Romance: Country Western Romance Novel

by Wright, Erin

  Eventually, they finished the delicious meal. Stetson stood first and offered to take her plate.

  “I think Carmelita made pie. You want some?”

  “That would be great. By the way, does Carmelita usually disappear after cooking dinner?”

  “No. Usually she eats with me, but she said she had some things to take care of at her place so we were on our own to serve.” He paused for a moment and then added drily, “She isn’t much on subtlety.”

  Jennifer felt the red in her cheeks rise just a little as she smiled up at Stetson.

  God bless Carmelita.

  She followed Stetson into the kitchen and started rinsing plates while he pulled the ice cream from the freezer and found two small plates. She was standing at the sink when he reached over her shoulder to put the used ice cream scoop in the sink. He only pulled back enough to rest his hand on her shoulder though.

  She turned into his touch. He was so close she could feel his warmth. At this distance, he seemed to tower over her. She craned her neck, looking up at him. They stayed like that for endless moments, just looking their fill, until slowly, Jennifer reached up. She tentatively placed her hand on his chest, waiting for him to back away. Waiting for him to stop her.

  He said nothing, his eyes burning as he stared down at her.

  She moved her hand back and forth along the soft fabric on the t-shirt. Slowly, she passed her hand over his chest, feeling the rock hard mass just under his clothing.

  He leaned in, stooping in halting jerks. A little lower each time, but pausing to check that she wasn’t put off by his advances.

  Jennifer was being tortured by his slow approach.

  Goddammit, get those lips down here already.

  Jennifer curled her fingers into the fabric of his t-shirt and used the grip for balance as she raised up on her toes, closing the gap twice as quickly as it would’ve taken Stetson on his own.

  After a seeming eternity, their lips met. Jennifer’s eyes slowly closed as the moment sank in.

  Their lips moved against each other. They adjusted the tilt of their heads. It was the thrill of the awkwardness that struck Jennifer. Every first kiss was a tentative exploration. A few slight adjustments to get it just right. That sense of discovery overwhelmed her like never before.

  Each of her first kisses with a new boyfriend had been a planned event. They happened at the end of the first date and were the artifact of “what was expected.”

  This kiss was something altogether different. It was more spontaneous. More in the moment. There was a mix of passion and tenderness that made this kiss special and she was determined to enjoy every moment of it. She was surprised when Stetson wrapped his arm around her waist. He pulled her into him, lifting her just a bit so that her toes barely brushed the floor.

  God, he’s so strong.

  For Jennifer, the kiss was straight out of a fairytale. She was feeling lightheaded from the excitement as the world narrowed to just her and Stetson. She focused on the point where their lips met. She relished the sensation of his tongue pushing at her lips. A chorus in her mind cheered when she relented, opening her mouth. Everything about her, mentally and physically, celebrated that brief moment where nothing else in the world mattered.

  All good things must come to an end, and she knew that their first kiss was ending when he started to lower her back onto the ground. Jennifer stayed draped against his body, her eyes blissfully closed. She felt as if she was melting against the hard, warm muscles. His scent warmed her nostrils with a gritty simplicity that she hadn’t known she craved.

  Slowly, languidly, she opened her eyes, her hand resuming the light side-to-side stroking of his chest. Stetson’s hand slid down her back. She felt his palm fall slightly into the hollow of her back before it settled on the curve of her ass. The pressure of his hand was perfect. Firm and demanding, but not so insistent as to be controlling.

  He brought his other hand up to her face. He rested his palm on her cheek and his long fingers, rough against her soft skin, curled just a bit around the back of her face and head. His eyes burned through her for just the briefest of moments before he bent and pulled her in for a second kiss.

  Jennifer let him explore her mouth with his tongue again before pressing her tongue back against his. She reveled in the newness of this man’s body. In response to what was happening, her body began to radiate a rhythmic warmth. She was aware of her pounding pulse.

  He pulled away suddenly. The abrupt end shocked her. Her eyes shot open, and she looked up at him in confusion. She saw nothing but fire.

  “Come with me,” was all he said, his voice husky and breathless. His obvious desire was contagious and undeniable. She nodded her head, unable to speak. Stetson pulled her through the house and up the stairs to the bedroom, his impatience rolling off him in waves. The door flew open at his uncontrolled force. Walking to the end of the massive bed that was centered in the room, Stetson turned to face the trailing Jennifer.

  She took in the room in a theoretical sense - she saw dark cherry wood dressers and nightstands and a bed frame that all matched, a rug at the foot of the bed to warm up the wood floors - but it was a hazy kind of awareness that only served to keep her from bumping into the dresser as she walked towards him. At gunpoint, she wouldn’t have been able to say if there was a single painting or mirror on any of the walls.

  All that existed was Stetson.

  He smiled. She’d really liked his smile earlier in the day but she loved this smile. After bandaging his hand, Stetson’s smile was warm and friendly, but this smile promised an entirely different feeling. There was something sinfully fun promised in this smile.

  He grabbed the hem of her t-shirt. Jennifer barely had time to lift her arms as he yanked the fabric upward. The knot she’d tied on her hip caused the material to bunch and bind before his strength pulled against the resistance and her breasts bounced free.

  Stetson sat down on the end of the bed, giving her the height advantage. His hands slid down the length of her body, his thumbs grazing her nipples. The dusky pink tips had already started to harden from the cool air, but the touch was mind blowing. She hadn’t been touched in nearly six months and that had been the result of a regrettable one-night stand. This time, there was meaning in the touch. There was…something she just didn’t find at the local bar.

  His hands continued downward. She felt a sense of loss; she wanted - no, needed him to touch her nipples again. She groaned in frustration.

  Stetson’s fingers slipped under the elastic waistband of the basketball shorts. He pushed the shorts down her legs far enough to let gravity take over. They fell in a puddle around her feet.

  He leaned back, taking in her full form.

  She let him look. She was surprised to find how much she liked his scrutiny of her naked form. She watched his face as his eyes traced a line over her face to her chest, and lower. Jennifer had always felt self-conscious about her naked body - there were imperfections everywhere - but suddenly, the desire painted plainly on Stetson’s face made her feel deliciously naughty. Every bump and freckle, every scar, seemingly disappeared beneath his lustful gaze.

  Stetson pulled her to him, wrapping his lips around her nipple. Her head dropped back and she let out an unbidden sigh of relief and lust. Her breath became short as his lips sucked her hardened nipple into his mouth. He traced the outline, the tip of his tongue flicking at the small bumps that circled her nipple.

  Jennifer let him explore, enjoying the sensations of being desired. She had craved the feeling of being wanted. Not obligated to “give it up” and fawn over her partner like every other man she’d dated, he wanted her. He craved her. He had to possess her in that moment as his, and she was more than willing to let him.

  Stetson stood up, keeping his mouth on her hard nipple until his height would no longer allow him to hold on. He reluctantly let it go and then straightened, pulling his t-shirt off over his head. Releasing the button of his jeans, he flicked the zipper
pull of the jeans and the metal enclosure seemed to race to undo itself. Or perhaps that was Jennifer’s erotic imagination.

  He let the pants fall from his hips.

  Jennifer was momentarily stunned to see that he hadn’t bothered with underwear. In the last moment she had to think before he threw her on the bed, she remembered that he’d put the jeans on in the laundry room. That answered that question - he’d obviously meant it when he’d said all he could find were a pair of jeans.

  The memory of his mudslide trip down the side of the road, combined with the sensation of flying as he tossed her onto the mattress, made her giggle. He was on her as soon as she landed, but he pulled back at her giggle.

  “Want to share with the class?” he asked, his voice light and humorous, his dark blue eyes hot and wanting. She swallowed, laughter gone, desire burning everything in its path. She shook her head and raised her hand to his face, stroking over the lines and angles of his cheekbones and chin. She paused on a light scar at his temple, stroking it, wondering what caused it. He answered her unspoken question.

  “A horse kicked me when I got too close to his back legs. I was a kid and playing around where I shouldn’t have been. My dad didn’t notice me until it was too late. The horse’s kick knocked me clean out, and I had to have seven stitches to close up the gash. Dad always joked that my hard head saved my life that day. The truth of the matter is, I’m not so sure that it’s a joke.”

  Jennifer smiled at his self-deprecating story, losing herself in his eyes. She ran her fingers up into his hair, then curled them into his sun-bleached hair and pulled him down to her mouth.

  The light covering of hair on his chest scratched against her skin. The raking sensation drove her lust ever higher. They kissed as their hands roamed aimlessly over each other.

  Stetson kissed her neck, making his way back to her breast. Her breathing was so deep and quick, her breasts rose and fell rapidly. She knew she wasn’t as big as the world seemed to dictate she should be, and she began to doubt herself. He probably liked big boobs better. What man didn’t love big boobs? She moved to cover herself when he spoke.

  “You’re so goddamn perfect,” he whispered, pulling away and staring up into her eyes. “I never imagined someone as perfect as you.”

  Her hands, almost to her breasts, buried themselves in his hair instead. She closed her eyes and gave herself over to the moment. No more doubts, no more questions. He leaned down and began his journey of kisses, working his way down her body, leaving goosebumps and tingling in his wake.

  As he worked his way lower, she was certain that she knew what was coming next. She eased her legs apart in anticipation. She was so ready for this, she was sure she would explode when his mouth touched her pussy.

  And…he bypassed it, continuing his trail down one leg. She groaned, certain she was going to die from wanting. He kissed her thighs, working his way downward. Teasing her with the possibilities.

  His soft lips tickled her knee. When he kissed the tender skin around her ankle, she shivered from the sensation. He repeated the process, in reverse, up her other leg.

  By the time he’d made his way back to her thigh, she was at the verge of overload. She needed to be touched in some way right there, right now. She moaned. She wanted to demand that he bury his face in her pussy but words were too complicated. She could only murmur and shift under his body, pleading with her movements to give her what she needed.

  But again, Stetson bypassed her pussy with his mouth, but his hand trailed up the inside of her thigh as he continued to kiss her belly. He rubbed the outer lips of womanhood as he found her other nipple with his mouth.

  He rolled his tongue over her. Biting gently, he made her suck in a breath.

  Finally, the tip of one finger parted her lips and she felt the wetness trickle out of her.

  Jennifer sighed and moaned at the same time at his touch.

  He is an expert. A fucking expert.

  Literally.

  Stetson, slowly, ever so slowly, circled his finger around her clit before sliding it up and down. Jennifer arched her back, lifting herself up into his touch.

  “Now. Now. Now,” she begged.

  Stetson renewed his devilish grin as he shifted his body. His knee pressed against the inside of her knee. She responded willingly, giving him the room he needed.

  Holding himself above her on his elbows, he looked down at her, taking in the sight. She bit her lower lip in anticipation. He bent his elbows, lowering his head to hers. Their lips met. Her eyes closed and he pushed forward with his hips.

  The slow but steady pressure was what she had been yearning for. The first of many explosions ignited in her body.

  Chapter 14

  Jennifer sat straight up. She was alone. It had taken her mind a few seconds to register what she was feeling - she was feeling empty sheets. She’d expected to find a sleeping man next to her and instead she found…nothing.

  Not again. Something has gone wrong. Maybe it meant more to me than it did him. I’ve been through this before. It’s going to be okay. It was fun, but this is just one of those things, right?

  Shit! Damn! Shittiest of damns!

  She dressed quickly in the t-shirt and shorts she’d worn the night before, before heading down the stairs. She had to apologize for her lack of professionalism, get her clothes back, and get her car out of the mud. She could beat herself up later.

  When she reached the main floor, she could hear voices.

  “I am old, but that does not mean I do not see what has happened here. If you are going to do that…type of thing, just remember to put the ice cream back in the freezer before you…before you go upstairs,” Carmelita admonished in a halting but incongruently happy tone of voice.

  Silence.

  “I really am very sorry. We…uhhh…just lost our minds,” Stetson finally stuttered.

  “That is a very good way of saying it.”

  “Listen,” he said hurriedly, probably wanting to get the words out before Carmelita could say anything else, “I’m going to try pulling her car out. I left her sleeping. I didn’t want to disturb her. If she comes down before I get back, let her know where I’ve gone.”

  “I can do that.”

  Jennifer waited for a few moments at the bottom of the staircase, just out of sight of the kitchen, her heart stupidly happy at his words. He hadn’t left her because he’d regretted what they did - he left her so he could be thoughtful. Kind. Surprise her by returning her car to her.

  She didn’t want to make it appear as if she’d been eavesdropping, even if she had, so she paused for a couple of moments before walking into the kitchen, faking a small yawn as she walked through the passageway.

  “Good morning,” she said, trying to sound sleepy and stretching her arms over her head. Acting had never been her strong suit, and she was probably laying it on thick at this point.

  “Oh, good. You are awake. Stetson told me to tell you that he has gone to get your car out of the mud. Would you like some coffee?” Carmelita asked. She was obviously going to ignore the topic of where Jennifer had spent the night, something for which Jennifer was eternally grateful.

  Oh! Carmelita’s coffee. The second best thing in this house.

  “That would be amazing, thank you.”

  Taking the proffered coffee, she headed into the office. She would have to go into town for a change of clothes and, more importantly at this point, her toothbrush, so she decided to get some work done before she took an extended lunch.

  For the second day in a row, Jennifer was having trouble concentrating on the task at hand. Despite her total lack of focus, she did manage to enter the expenses into her laptop.

  It is never going to stop surprising me how much it costs to farm.

  She was about to break into exploring the income and assets side of the Miller farm when she heard Stetson grumbling as he returned to the house. The front door slammed; his boots clomped. This didn’t sound good.

  S
he was torn. She wanted to run out into the living room to greet him, but the cowardly side of her thought it might be a good idea to give him little bit of time to cool down. The car-retrieval operation did not seem to have gone as planned.

  Stetson settled the debate for her by coming into the office. She turned around to face him and for at least the fiftieth time since she came to the Miller farm, questioned the structural integrity of the old office chair.

  “So I got your car out of the ditch,” Stetson started the conversation.

  There was something about his expression that made her immediately suspicious.

  “Thank you?” she said hesitantly. “I’m sorry you had to go to all of that trouble.”

  “Yeah, about the trouble…” Stetson said, trailing off.

  “Did you fall in the ditch again?” He seemed strangely clean for that to have happened, but she couldn’t guess what else was causing this strange mood.

  “No. I stayed up on the road,” he said, a smile starting to erase his concerned look.

  “Yessssss?” she said in exasperation.

  “Well, you were stuck a lot deeper than I thought. The car probably sunk during the night sitting in the water.”

  “Not surprising. So what happened?”

  Stetson blushed at being pushed to the point of his story.

  “I broke your car,” he blurted out.

  “You what??”

  “I gave the car an extra jerk with the tractor and cracked the back bumper. I am having Javier take the car into the body shop in Franklin. They can fix it, no problem, but that means we have a problem,” Stetson said speaking quickly.

  “What, uhh…what is the problem?” She was having a hard time following the story. Who breaks a car?!

  “You have no way to get back and forth to town. I can lend you a farm truck or I was thinking that maybe you would be okay if we went to town, got your stuff, and you could just stay here,” he finished, all in one breath. He looked at her hesitantly. She could tell that he was waiting for her to start screaming at him about destroying her car.