Sweet, Sexy Heart – the Bradens & Montgomerys (Pleasant Hill – Oak Falls)

by Melissa Foster

  Her eyes opened, fire blazing in them as he pushed his fingers into her tight heat, and a long, lustful moan escaped her lips. He captured it with a hard kiss, working her faster, earning more sexy noises that seared through him like lightning. Her fingernails dug into his arms, her muscles flexing. He nudged her legs open wider with his knee, grabbing her ass with his free hand, using the angle to hit the spot that made her lose control. Her sex pulsed around his fingers, her hips bucking wildly. He swallowed her needful sounds, as lost in her pleasure as she was.

  She clung to him, trembling as she came down from the high, and he gathered her in his arms. “You’re going to get us both in trouble.”

  “Me?” She turned her radiant smile up at him. “You’re the bad influence. I’ve never done anything like this. There are customers out there, and I’m here…”

  “Getting off with your guy?”

  Her cheeks flamed, and she buried her face in his chest as a strange scratching sound filtered into his ears. “What is that noise?”

  She tilted her head, listening. Panic sprang to her eyes. “Oh no. It’s Reno.” She hurried around him and opened her door. Reno trotted in, and she closed the door, leaning her back against it, panting out, “I can’t believe I did that. I never leave him.”

  Dash closed the distance between them. “I was right here with you. You weren’t alone.”

  “I know, but…” She swallowed hard.

  “It scares you to be without him?” Seeing the answer in her eyes, he drew her into his arms. “I’ll make sure we don’t leave him again. I promise.”

  “I’ll make sure. I was so excited to see you, I wasn’t thinking.”

  “Neither of us was.” He kissed her softly. “Some people would see that as a good thing, remarkable even.”

  “It is. But forgetting Reno makes it a little scary.”

  “I know you like to be in control. What can I do?”

  She wrinkled her nose. “Be less you, so I don’t want you as much.”

  He tightened his hold on her with a tender look in his eyes. “Not happening, sweetheart. But I will make a concerted effort not to drive you wild unless Reno is nearby and we’re someplace where you feel very safe. Deal?”

  Relief rose in her eyes. “Deal.”

  “That’s my girl. Did you clear the rest of your weekend for me like I asked you to?”

  “Maybe,” she said coyly. “But don’t you have a walking date with your harem in the morning anyway?”

  “Nobody comes before you. We’re not resuming our walks until Monday. I called your mom on the way over and asked her to spread the word. I know you have to get back to work, so just tell me you’ll go out with me to JJ’s tonight, and I’ll get out of your hair.”

  “JJ’s? That place is a meat market on Saturday nights.”

  “Only if you’re looking for it. Otherwise, I hear it’s the hottest dance club around.” He cocked a brow. “Are you looking for more meat? You haven’t even sampled mine yet.”

  Her cheeks flamed. “What? No. I like your meat. I mean, your meat is enough. I mean—”

  He put her out of her misery with a long, slow kiss. “I know what you mean. But I have news for you, baby. Anywhere you show your pretty face would turn it into a meat market. I saw the way guys were checking you out when we were at the jam session. And if it’s me you’re worried about, don’t think for a minute that anyone else will get their hands on my meat.”

  “You’re…” She laughed softly, but amusement quickly gave way to a more serious expression. “Everyone will know about us, and they’ll talk.”

  “I know you don’t like drama, but you’re my girl, and I don’t want to hide that from the people you care about. I know Sable is playing there tonight, and from what I’ve been told, your sisters and friends hang out there. But the people here have been kind to us, haven’t they? They’ve kept gossip to a minimum. It’s good for them to get used to seeing us together this week, so when I leave for my tour, you’re not stuck dealing with the worst of it alone.”

  Her gaze softened. “I can’t believe you thought of that.”

  “We’re in this together. What kind of guy would I be if I didn’t think ahead to save you from the gossipmongers? Besides, I feel like the luckiest guy around. Is there anything wrong with wanting those leering cowboys to know you’re mine?”

  “No.” She wound her arms around his neck. “But you really suck at not making me want you.”

  “I’ll take that as a win.” He lowered his lips to hers in a tender kiss. When their lips parted, she was looking at him longingly again. He squeezed her ass and raised his brows. “Keep looking at me like that, and we’re never leaving this office, much less going anywhere else tonight. Except maybe over there to christen your desk.”

  AS AMBER HAD expected, JJ’s Pub was packed. Sable’s band played on the stage at the far end of the room, competing with cheers from around the mechanical bull in the next room and the din of overzealous cowboys and flirtatious country girls. Amber should be used to the vibe of lost inhibitions that practically seeped from the walls. Trixie’s brother Justus—JJ—owned the pub, and her friends and sisters had dragged her there enough times throughout the years. But there were some things she might never get used to, like being on the arm of the most handsome man in there. Everyone was looking at them, and Amber was seriously second-guessing the cream-colored minidress she’d worn in an effort to look special for Dash. It was cute, with a flouncy skirt and lantern sleeves, but the lace-up bodice gave it an ultra-sexy flair, unlike anything she was used to wearing.

  She reached down to pet Reno, remembering too late that she hadn’t brought him. She didn’t need him at the crowded pub when she had Dash, although she was still shocked that she hadn’t noticed Reno’s absence earlier, in her office. Then again, her brain had short-circuited the minute Dash had kissed her. Phoenix had teased her about locking out her guardian and glowing after Dash had left. Amber hadn’t doubted it, because her body had hummed for the rest of the day, right up until the cold shower she’d taken to get ready for their date.

  Dash put his arm around her. “Does it feel weird to be without Reno?”

  She loved how he noticed every little thing. “A little.”

  “You can pet me anytime.” He leaned in and kissed her neck.

  Now, there was a mouthwatering thought.

  As they wove through the crowd toward the bar, Dash had to move behind her to fit through the tight spaces. JJ was bartending. He looked over as they approached and whistled. “Damn, Amber, you’re lookin’ hot tonight. I missed our dance at the jam session.”

  “Sorry. I left early.” She and JJ were the same age. They’d been friends forever, and they usually grabbed a dance or two at the jam sessions, but she’d been so rattled by Dash, she hadn’t even given it a thought when she’d left that night.

  “Next time.” JJ winked. “The usual? Tiki spritz?”

  “Yes, please.” As she turned to introduce Dash, he put his arm around her, offering his free hand to JJ.

  “Dash Pennington, it’s nice to meet you.”

  “You too.” JJ shook his hand, eyeing Amber curiously. “I heard you were in town, but I hadn’t heard that you snagged a date with the hottest girl around.”

  Amber rolled her eyes.

  “We’ve been flying under the radar.” Dash pulled her in for a kiss, keeping her snug against his side, and flashed a cocky grin to JJ. “You’ll be seeing a lot more of us around town.”

  “A’righty, then. What can I get you to drink?”

  JJ served their drinks, and as they walked away from the bar, Dash said, “That’s him, isn’t it?”

  “Who?”

  He pulled her closer, speaking directly into her ear. “Your Ferris wheel kiss.”

  “How can you possibly know that?”

  “Because I know you.” He pressed a kiss beside her ear. “He implied that your missed dance wasn’t a first, which means you trust him. You rolled
your eyes instead of blushing at his comment about your looks, which means you’re very comfortable with him. That could be from growing up together, but my guess is it’s from something bigger than that. And when I introduced myself, he looked at you like he was a little disappointed that you hadn’t told him yourself, which means he trusts you. And I’d bet my paycheck that he’s still watching us.”

  Amber glanced over her shoulder, and sure enough, JJ was looking right at them. “That’s crazy that you could tell all of that from one quick conversation. You missed your calling. You should have been a detective or a psychic.”

  “I’m at the top of my game in every way these days, and that’s because of you, sweetheart. You make me want to be the best man I can be, more like my old self. You should have seen me at my speaking gig yesterday. I nailed it.” He lowered his face beside hers, his voice low and seductive. “I can’t wait to see how you inspire me in the bedroom.”

  And just like that she caught fire again. The man was a walking aphrodisiac.

  “Come on, sexy. Let’s see if we can find a table.”

  The endearments he used sounded so genuine, they made her feel even more like his girl and sexy. They headed into the crowd, nearly bumping into Brindle and Morgyn. Brindle was all dolled up, with smoky eyes, soft-pink lips, a body-hugging black top that showed off her cleavage, skintight jeans, and knee-high leather boots. She’s the only woman Amber knew who could have a baby and look ten times hotter afterward. Morgyn had her own brand of sexy, in a magenta dress with sprays of color, a gray fitted denim jacket with wide lapels and long fringe hanging from the sleeves, and cowgirl boots that she’d embellished with sparkling gems. She wore several necklaces, and her blond hair hung in messy waves over her shoulders. Amber had always envied how comfortable her sisters were in their own skin.

  “Hey, you two. We heard you were going to be here, and we got a big table.” Brindle hugged Amber and whispered, “Just friends my butt!”

  Amber gave her a please-don’t-embarrass-me look as Morgyn moved in for a hug and said, “He’s even cuter with you on his arm.”

  Amber had a feeling that being hot and bothered was the least of her problems. With her sisters tag teaming her, God only knew what she was in for. “Dash, you know Brindle and Morgyn.”

  “Yes. It’s nice to see you again.”

  “You too,” Morgyn said. “Graham’s looking forward to seeing you again.”

  “Is he here? I’d love to catch up with him.”

  “He is. Why don’t you go say hi and we’ll be over in a few minutes?” Brindle said encouragingly, making Amber one hundred percent certain she was in for an interrogation. “He’s at the table with Trace and Sin.” She pointed through the crowd to a table where the guys were talking.

  Dash took Amber’s hand, drawing her into a kiss. “Want me to take your drink to the table?”

  What she wanted was to go with him, but she knew Brindle wouldn’t be put off that easily. “Sure.” She handed him her glass.

  He gave her a quick kiss and nodded to her sisters. “Have fun, ladies.”

  As he walked away, Brindle and Morgyn flanked her, dragging her toward the dance floor.

  “You look like he’s already buttered your biscuit tonight,” Brindle said excitedly.

  “Shh.” Amber looked around to see if anyone heard her.

  “Nobody’s listening.” Brindle pulled her deeper into the crowd. “You’re the one who looks all dreamy-eyed and is wearing the fuck-me dress we bought last year.”

  “Brindle!” Amber was now seriously questioning coming to JJ’s. Brindle had always been some kind of sexual psychic, sensing people’s sexual connections even before they did.

  Morgyn stepped in front of them and began dancing to one of Surge’s hit country-pop songs. “She means that you look beautiful and happy, like Dash is taking good care of you.”

  “Isn’t that what I said?” Brindle ran her eyes down Amber. “And that you dressed to get laid, but hey, I’m all for that. Come on, shake that bootie for your man.”

  Amber fell into step with them. “I’m not dressed to get laid. I’m dressed to…” Her sisters eyed each other knowingly. “Okay, fine. I want him to think I’m sexy. So what?”

  Brindle and Morgyn squealed and hugged her.

  “Stop.” Amber playfully shoved them away. “Can we just dance?”

  “Yes, but you know how you always say you wear dresses because they’re comfortable?” Brindle didn’t wait for an answer. “After tonight, you’ll know the real benefit of wearing a dress. We’ll have to start calling you Easy-Access Amber.”

  “Brindle!” Amber swatted her, and they fell into fits of laughter.

  As they danced, Brindle peppered her with intrusive questions, which Morgyn tried to ease by twisting Brindle’s words. It had been this way for as long as Amber could remember, Brindle pushing while Morgyn softened the blows. Before long, they were cracking up. Amber didn’t know how it was possible that her parents had raised seven very different children, or how her sisters could take her from one extreme to another so quickly, but she wouldn’t trade them for anything in the world.

  “Tons of women are checking out your man, but Dash hasn’t taken his eyes off you.” Brindle danced closer. “Let’s sex it up for him. Show him your moves.”

  Amber glanced at the table where Dash was sitting, and their eyes connected with the heat of a thousand flames. Based on the way he was looking at her, she didn’t think she needed to sex up her dancing. Or maybe she did, and it would turn him on even more. She wasn’t sure she could handle that any better than she could handle staying away from him any longer.

  “Sorry, you guys, but I’m going to the table.” She weaved through the crowd with her sisters on her heels, and Dash’s gorgeous eyes remained trained on her, his words whispering through her mind, You’re enough for me.

  He stood and reached for her hand, drawing her into his arms. “You were the sexiest girl out there.”

  Thrills skittered through her as they took their seats.

  “Yeah, she was,” Morgyn said as she sat next to Graham.

  “And she didn’t even have to sex it up for you,” Brindle said, making Amber blush.

  Trace pulled Brindle down beside him. “Get over here, Mustang, and stop making your sister blush.”

  Dash put his arm around Amber and gazed into her eyes. “That adorable blush is one of the first things that drew me in.”

  “Which I followed up by immediately running away from you. It wasn’t exactly a great first impression.”

  “That was actually pretty cute and quite memorable. I’ve never seen a woman walk away from this guy before.” Sin hiked a thumb at Dash.

  “She’s the cutest.” Dash kissed her. “But for the record, she wasn’t walking away. She was throwing down a challenge.”

  “Talk about grabbing someone’s attention. That’s almost as good as getting water dumped on you while you’re taking a piss,” Graham said. “And then being told by your future wife that she thought you and your brother were lovers.”

  They all laughed.

  “In my defense, I didn’t know you were standing there when I dumped the water out of my boot,” Morgyn insisted. “And as far as you and Zev go, you winked at him like you were a couple.”

  “You are a little too pretty,” Trace teased Graham.

  “Yes, I am, but the good looks got the girl.” Graham kissed Morgyn. “I should thank you, Jericho. As I recall, the reason I got time alone with Morgyn at that music festival was because Brindle left to see your ugly ass.”

  Brindle picked up Trace’s drink and sipped it, eyeing Graham over the glass. “You obviously haven’t seen his ass up close and personal.”

  Graham waggled his brows. “Or maybe I have.”

  They joked around and told funny stories, and Dash was right in the thick of it, sharing his own humorous tales. His laughter was hearty and carefree, and even though Amber noticed women checking him out, his at
tention never left their table. He kept his arm around her or held her hand the whole time, just as he had when they were at Lyrics and Lattes, listening to Phoenix play. Only this time, he pulled her close, whispering in her ear or kissing her. JJ’s was another place where she’d always been on the sidelines, watching her sisters have fun with their dates or her friends pick up guys, feeling more than a little uncomfortable. But right now, holding hands with the sexiest, most thoughtful guy she’d ever met, she felt like she finally fit in, and it was the greatest feeling in the world.

  Dash leaned closer and whispered, “I’ll be right back, sexy girl.”

  He kissed her cheek, and as she watched him walk away, she corrected her last thought. This was the second greatest feeling she’d ever had, because when she and Dash were alone and intimate, they reached a whole different plane of greatness.

  “Hello.” Morgyn waved her hand in front of Amber’s face, startling her from her thoughts.

  “Sorry, Morg. What were you saying?”

  “That I really like Dash, even more than I did when we met at the jam session. He’s funny and sweet, and I love that he can’t take his eyes off you.”

  “Or his hands.” Brindle waggled her brows.

  Amber felt her cheeks heat. “He’s pretty great, isn’t he?”

  “He’s one of the best,” Sin said. “He’s always kept a pretty tight rein on his reputation because of his family, so you’re not going to see scandals popping up about him. And he’s crazy about you. When he told me that he turned down a spot on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, I knew he was getting serious about you.”

  “What do you mean he turned it down?” Amber asked.

  “When he was in LA, Shea got him a spot on the show,” Sin explained. “But he would have had to fly to New York and then come back here later in the week after they taped it.”

  “He didn’t mention that. I hope he didn’t really give up that opportunity because of me.”