by Gina Watson
Once Cory drew the last of her juices from her, he moved to his knees and positioned his anxiously waiting cock in front of her opening. He didn’t have any condoms on him since his wallet was in the glove box of his SUV, but he had to have her. Using his hand to guide him to her entrance, he plunged the full length of himself into her soft liquid heat. The move elicited a deep low moan from the back of Brook’s throat, and she exhaled on a gasp. She went still.
“Am I hurting you?” he asked.
“Mmm, no, I’m just intensely… wonderfully full at the moment.”
Cory knew what that meant and held himself as still as possible while she adjusted to accept him. Not thrusting was hard, however, because her entire body was quivering beneath him, calling to him and turning him on so hard that he started shaking in reaction. The whole cycle of it was a new sensation he’d not experienced before, and it had his body sizzling to the core. He thought he could feel her pulse at the head of his penis, and his erection grew inside her. He needed to move—God, he needed to move—but she just lay there, quivering and pulsing beneath him.
“Brook, are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes. I need you to ride me long and hard.”
Goddamn. Here was a woman who knew exactly what she wanted. Cory looked at her laid open before him and thought about how to get the best leverage to meet her demands. He rose up on spread knees. “Slide your legs around my waist.”
As soon as she crossed her ankles behind his back, he was able to go in an inch deeper. Her chest rose and fell in a shallow rhythm. He clasped his hands around the small of her back to arch her toward him. Her head fell back, and a low groan vibrated through her chest. Her hands wrapped around his wrists as her chest bowed. Her small round tits stood at attention and seemed like they were reaching up to kiss the sky. He moved, using a firm hold to give it to her hard. On every upward thrust he pulled her down violently onto his shaft. Her lips maintained a low murmur of rapture. Cory pounded so forcefully, her small tight breasts were dancing with every thrust. He drove her like a truck as he pushed her all the way to a final state of abandon. She climaxed on a hoarse whisper of his name, and he used one hand to firmly pinch each of her fully engorged nipples. With each wave that pulsed through her, she squeezed his dick tighter and harder until he was emptying into her. She drew his come from him as though she was milking him, unwilling to leave even one drop. He hadn’t intended to spill inside of her but as tight as she was, he didn’t think he could have pulled out had he wanted to. And he hadn’t wanted to.
Cory was reluctant to leave her warmth. He turned them until they could spoon, and they remained connected. He pulled the blanket over their bodies, and they slept, riding out the storm.
3
The manic twitter of birds chirping and the light filtering in through the windows had Cory slowly coming awake. In his half-awakened state, he sensed his hardening shaft being squeezed. Shit. He was mortified that he was whacking off with Brook right next to him. He enjoyed the embarrassing pleasure for a moment longer, until he realized that it was Brook’s hot cunt and not his hand that was squeezing his cock. And then he groaned.
He guessed it was his hard thickness invading her body that had Brook awakening on a gasp. God, he’d fallen asleep pressed inside her, and they’d stayed that way all night. Brook looked over her shoulder as he pulled himself free from her channel. “Shit. Sorry about that.” This had become way too intimate for his blood.
He rolled to his back and exhaled heavily. What were they doing?
Brook rolled to her back as well, and Cory lifted his wrist to check his watch just to have something to do.
“Damn!” He sat up. “I’m late for an appointment.” He was supposed to be over at the Miller’s farm to check on and possibly deliver their prized Holstein.
Brook sat up and then stood to pull on her clothes. Cory stood as well and immediately hit his head on a wooden beam, forgetting he was a lot taller than when he was a child. “Dammit!”
He dressed while Brook gathered up the lantern and blankets. She climbed down the stairs of the deer stand, Cory following after her. “Where can I drop you?”
“I don’t live far from your practice.”
“Sounds good.”
They walked to the 4x4 in silence. He was cursing himself for having had unprotected sex with her. Where the hell had his mind been?
He grunted, knowing very well where it had been—balls deep in Brook’s pussy. He wondered if she was going to get clingy or angry or start to pout. He turned to look at her, but she was smiling wide as she inhaled deeply and took in her surroundings.
He caught her eye, and she said, “It’s beautiful out here.”
Cory grumbled as he wondered if she was always this chipper in the morning.
“I wanted to thank you for yesterday.”
His legs froze. He narrowed his eyes on her. Where was she headed?
She shrugged and focused her gaze on his shoulder. “If you hadn’t been available to help me with Randy, I don’t know what I would have done. When I think of him buried here surrounded by all this peacefulness, it makes me happy.”
He grumbled again. For a minute there he’d thought she was thanking him for sex. His gut had clenched. He hoped she wouldn’t even bring it up but if she did, he hoped she understood it wouldn’t happen again. What he’d done with her was careless and irresponsible.
When they reached the 4x4, he was relieved. The sooner he got her where she needed to be and away from him, the sooner he could focus. He couldn’t think straight around her. He didn’t understand it, but he thought his reaction might have to do with the intensity of the sex. When Brook had been slithering around him, he’d felt her quivers and her fevered skin penetrate his boundaries, the walls he used to keep women and their emotions at bay. He’d heard of out of body experiences, and he thought maybe they’d shared one.
A scary thought.
There was a moment he thought she’d stopped breathing, had imagined her heart had stopped beating. It was when she’d climaxed around him. Then he’d realized that her breath and heart rhythms had changed to match his own. Once she’d fallen asleep, he’d watched her chest rise and fall and felt her heart’s steady beat with his palm to her chest. The pattern never veered from his, even when he’d tried to force it by holding his breath. It was like they had died and been reborn as one. It spooked the hell out of him, yet he’d held onto her throughout the night, worried about what would happen if he let go.
He turned the key on the 4x4, but the engine didn’t turn over. He smashed his palm into the steering wheel with force. “Fuck!”
Brook’s eyes widened at him.
“Er, sorry.” Great, now he was apologizing.
Dammit, hadn’t he told Cash to install a new battery? With the exception of Cash, all the brothers used the ranch regularly, but since Cory lived there, he got stuck tending to the chores unless he forced the others to do something. “We’re gonna have to walk back to the house.” He circled around to grab rubber boots out of the back for her to wear. “Here, put these on. Some of the land is cleared, but some is wooded.” He stomped away before she had a chance to pull on the boots. His hope was that she would keep that distance, but no such luck. She maintained a light jog to match the pace of his long stride. When she stumbled over a root, he felt like an ass. He braced her so she wouldn’t fall and then he slowed his strides.
Green eyes sparkled at him. “There’s a lot of land here. Do you put it to use?”
“We use it for the horses.”
“I haven’t seen any horses.”
“We have two prized stallions. They’re at my clinic now, but they’re usually out here.”
“Two horses.” She nodded as she looked out across the lush rolling landscape. Her gaze landed on Cory’s, and her brows rose.
What the hell? She was a scheming little thing. Cory shrugged in an exaggerated gesture. “What?”
“Well.” She tilted her chin
back and used her fingernails to lightly stroke her neck. “You’ve got a lot of land here. Have you ever considered using it for charity?”
Cory stopped, shocked. “Charity!”
“Yeah.” She smiled as she looked left to right, sweeping her arm out with her gaze. “I could do so much with the dogs here.”
Cory stuffed his hands into his pockets and kicked a rock. What the hell was happening? Was she trying to ingratiate herself with him? “I don’t know, it can be dangerous out here.”
She nodded. “I gotcha.” Some of the fire went out of her eyes, but she held on to her smile.
Shit. He wanted to see her eyes blaze. He supposed it couldn’t hurt to let her use an acre or two during the day to train her dogs. Hell, most days he didn’t even get home until after six. By then she’d be long gone. He shrugged. “I guess it would be okay if you wanted to bring your dogs here for training, but you’ll need to be gone by five.”
Her eyes flared to life and a gorgeous large smile of sparkling white teeth erupted across her face. It warmed him, and not only in a sexual way, and he knew he would agree to anything to see that smile. Damn, he was royally fucked.
She skipped ahead of him and turned to grasp his hands. Her hair flowed like field grasses in the wind. He couldn’t help smiling.
“Think of the karma you’ll reap.”
What? She was certifiable. Cory frowned. “Karma?”
“By giving so generously to the animal community, you’ll probably become the next Dr. Doolittle.” She dropped his hands and held her palm out to him. “Here’s to a new and exciting collaboration.”
Her eyes danced. What was behind the expression, he didn’t know. He hoped it wasn’t something that would bite him in the ass. But what the hell? How bad could it be? He could always tell her to leave if the arrangement didn’t work out. He placed his palm in her hand and was shocked by the surge of energy that sparked from her skin to his.
≈
At the Miller’s farm the Holstein was birthed without a hitch. Cory went home to clean up and shower and was now on his way to his practice. When he arrived he saw that one of his clients was due to bring in a litter of Airedale terriers for third-round shots. And that had him thinking about Brook and her loss. All morning, green eyes and chestnut hair interrupted his thoughts. Every time he washed up with the green hand soap in the exam room, he saw her eyes. When he went to check on Ambassador, one of his father’s horses, he imagined the horse’s hair to be the exact same rich color as Brook’s.
Christ, he was losing it.
When the owner of the terrier pups came in, Cory asked him if he was ready to sell. To Cory’s delight, the man was. When Cory asked how much he wanted, the owner quoted twelve hundred dollars. Cory had expected as much—they were beauties. But he offered one thousand cash for one of the males. His client bartered for some premium dog food, and Cory conceded. He acquired a little brown and black rascal on the spot. He called him Teddy because the little guy looked like a traditional teddy bear.
After work he collected the pup and pulled a small collar off a shelf. He also made up a bag with dog food and other items he thought Teddy might need. He pulled up outside Brook’s house at six thirty.
His knocks went unanswered. Cory was resigned to taking Teddy home with him when he heard a whistle coming from the backyard. He walked around the house and from the back gate he watched Brook working with one of her rescue greyhounds.
She was teaching the dog to stay and retrieve. Making use of hand gestures and her voice, she commanded the greyhound to stay as she squeaked a toy and threw it. When the dog started to get up, she reinforced the command with a gesture and a short blow of a whistle. The dog was intently focused on her as she praised him. When she said, “Go, Eagle,” he flew across the small yard to retrieve the toy. She knelt, and the dog brought her the toy. She laughed as he nudged her and licked her face.
“What a smart boy you are.”
When she turned her head, their eyes met and Cory was aware he had a dumb smile on his face, one that probably revealed way too much. He opened the gate, and Eagle immediately sat at a statuesque attention, leaning into Brook’s leg. She petted him in encouragement and, through unspoken language, Brook conveyed her acceptance of Cory to the dog. As Brook scratched between the dog’s ears, Cory wished he was leaning against her leg as she caressed him. He was in awe as he watched the connection she had with the dog. She made it look easy when he knew it was anything but. Rescue dogs didn’t act like other dogs. Destructive behaviors and aggressive tendencies could prevent a bond from developing between master and canine. Counterconditioning could take months. Good handlers could get to the bottom of irrational fears, bad habits, and trust issues, but it took consistent routines and clear expectations of boundaries. Most people gave up on the dogs long before any routine could be established.
Observing Brook with the dog was humbling. Clearly she’d earned Eagle’s trust, and now he looked to her for guidance on how to process the intruder. She comforted his anxiety and put him at ease. She used facial gestures, body movements, and sounds to communicate with the animal. Theirs was an innate, primal connection reminiscent of a friendship in a past life.
Eagle saw her as the leader of his pack. That acceptance had no doubt taken some skill, and Cory was in awe as to how the small chestnut-haired woman with the large smile and scattering of freckles had managed it.
Once Eagle had been put at ease, Cory walked toward them. When Brook saw the sleeping puppy in Cory’s arms, she cupped her cheeks in her hands. Her eyes filled with liquid, she gasped, “Wherever did you find him?”
Cory smiled and removed his sunglasses. “One of my clients is a breeder.” He held Teddy like a championship trophy and said, “Say hello to your new pup.”
Brook started to cry, and Cory froze. That wasn’t the reaction he’d wanted. He’d pictured one of those smiles that showcased her beautiful teeth. Eagle started moving, getting antsy as he sensed Brook’s emotions.
“Can I hold him?” Brook asked.
Cory offered a tight, worried smile, “Well, of course. Teddy’s yours after all.” He didn’t know what he’d do if she continued to be all emotional.
Brook held out her hands, and Cory delicately passed Teddy to her. She studied him and then kissed the top of his head.
“You are a sweetie, yes you are.” Holding the puppy, Brook knelt in front of Eagle. He suspiciously sniffed the unfamiliar animal. Her voice low and hoarse, Brook said, “Look, Eagle, it’s a new brother for you. He’s sweet, isn’t he?” Eagle licked Teddy’s snout. “We like him, don’t we?” Eagle licked her face. It seemed the little pup would fit in well.
She stood and smiled at Cory. “Thank you. What do I owe you?”
“Nothing.”
Her brow rose as she looked down to the dog in her arms. She stroked him. “That’s not true. He’s super-coated and you got him from a breeder; I’m sure you paid dearly. How much?”
“Brook, I bought him for you because I wanted you to have him. I won’t accept any money.” He didn’t want to talk about money. As he looked around her yard and took in the torn window screens and crumbled steps on the house, he wondered if she even had enough.
Brook held the pup up in front of her face. “Well, this little guy is very sweet and very special. You come visit whenever you want. Did I hear you call him Teddy?”
“Yeah, but feel free to call him whatever you like. That was just something I came up with today.”
“I think it’s a perfect name—St. Martin’s Teddy Bear.” Brook touched the pup’s nose to hers. “If you won’t let me pay you, then you must join us for dinner.”
“Us? Is someone here?”
“I meant me, Eagle, and Teddy.”
“You cook for Eagle, do you?”
“Actually, we’re having spaghetti tonight.”
“I like spaghetti.”
Cory was curious to see inside her house, and dinner would give him the perf
ect opportunity to scope it out.
She walked ahead of him and motioned for him to follow. Eagle walked at her side, but he kept an eye on Cory.
Inside the house, Brook handed Teddy off to Cory. He pulled the bag from his shoulder and tended to the pup. He’d even brought a bed. Most young pups slept the majority of the day, so they needed a cozy and comforting place to sleep. Cory set him up in the corner of the kitchen that shared a wall with the living room, and every now and then Teddy would open his eyes and lift his head to look around.
Brook’s house was built in a late nineteenth-century shotgun style. It had been updated sometime, but clearly not recently. The kitchen sink leaked and rust stained the basin. Tiles in the countertop were loose and some were missing all together. Looking at the modest surroundings, he was curious how much income Brook had. He assumed her work with the greyhounds was non-profit. Their care was expensive, and he wondered why she did it.
He didn’t see a computer or a television. Not much furniture either. What he did see were tons of books lining the walls: British classics, romance novels, medical and psychological thrillers, and suspense were just some of the genres he could make out.
“Do a little reading, do you?”
Brook smiled. “I should probably get one of those Kindle things, but I like to hold a book in my hands. Do you know anybody in need of books? I’m ready to give away the ones lining the walls. I usually give to the nursing home in town, the one on State Street, but they told me they don’t need any more.”
The woman was a philanthropist.
“I can take a box for my clinic.”
“That’s a great idea.”
He could tell by the inflection of her voice she truly liked the idea.
He checked out the rest of the room while she worked in the kitchen. Her front door was subpar. There was a chain and a lock on the knob, but no deadbolt. Daylight seeped through a huge gap between door and jamb. She needed help. She needed money. So what was she doing about getting both? He didn’t want to insult her, so he didn’t see how he could ask her about her financial situation. “Did you live in this house with your folks?”