by Piper Rayne
“You’re beautiful.”
He shook his head. “Not even close to how amazing you are.”
He ran a finger under the neckline of her peasant blouse and she shivered, her eyes never leaving his. He pulled it over her head and tossed it the way of his shirt. Her nipples poked through the white lace of her bra and he cupped one mound, teasing his thumb over the peak. She drew in a shuddering breath and swallowed hard, her gaze fixed on him. He leaned forward and kissed her, addicted to her taste and desperate for more. The lace of her bra scraped against his chest where she pressed against him, and he dragged the straps down and tugged it off to have full access to her soft skin. His thumb caressed her nipple lightly until it hardened further under his attention.
He dragged kisses down the line of her throat, sucking lightly at the pulse point, leaving a tiny mark. He lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bed, laying her down gently and then settling in the space between her thighs. He sucked her nipple, nipping it lightly, and she gasped, arching into him, her fingers buried in his hair to hold him close. His fingers toyed with the other peak, teasing it to diamond hardness. He alternated licking and sucking both until she thrashed on the bed.
He licked his way down her belly, teasing the soft skin, until he reached her skirt. His fingers dipped under the band and slid it down, stripping her panties with it, her hips arching to help him so she was bare to his gaze. He kissed the top of her mound before opening her with his thumbs and sliding his tongue through her folds. She gave a soft cry, her thighs falling open around him, and he dove in to explore her in earnest.
He stroked her deep with a single finger, then two, twisting to reach that special place inside while he sucked her sweet spot at the apex of her thighs. She came apart in his arms, gave a loud cry and clenched around his fingers as he brought her through her climax, leaving her shuddering on the bed.
He stripped off his jeans, grabbed a condom from the bedside stand, and fitted it over himself with shaking hands. By the time her eyes opened and she focused on him, he was poised at her entrance and waiting for her.
She lifted a hand and stroked his cheek. “Wow.”
He kissed her and began to press inside, the tightness from her recent orgasm and the aftershocks still coursing through her, making him grit his teeth. Damn, he had to hold on before he spilled like a teenager. She was so fucking sexy. He kept his eyes firmly on her, on the dazed, glassy look, the passion in her eyes. She kissed him, her tongue tangling with his, and she wrapped her legs around his hips to draw him in.
He slid home and paused, breathing deep, the feel of her exquisite and painful at once. Her nails dug into his back, heels tightening on his hips. She arched beneath and clenched her channel around him.
“What are you waiting for, cowboy?” she murmured in his ear.
He drew out, then went in, slowly filling her, then repeated the motion, faster, harder as she encouraged him, meeting him thrust for thrust. He wasn’t going to last long so it was good that she was already coming again, her cries filling the air, her core spasming around him, sending him over the edge. He thrust harder, through her orgasm, gritting his teeth, trying to prolong the moment, then stiffened as he came with a shout. His head fell forward, his body shuddering with the strength of his climax, feeling her channel convulse and milk him. Several minutes later, he slid to the side, pulling her to him in a spoon, caressing her belly languidly.
Damn, if he’d known how amazing she was last week, he might not have walked away so easily. Their chemistry was explosive, and she was fun to spend time with. Now that he knew, he needed to find a way to convince her to give them a shot. She was going to require seducing both in and out of bed to show he was serious.
He wrapped an arm around her waist. He was patient. She was worth it.
Sierra lay snuggled against Colt, sated and lazy after that amazing bout of lovemaking. He quickly cleaned up and came back, covering them both with a warm blanket since the nights were still cool in late spring in Montana. She still twitched with the aftereffects of two amazing orgasms, and she lay boneless against him, completely relaxed in a way she’d never been before. Not even meditation at that mountain retreat had brought her the peace she was feeling in this moment.
She’d done her fair share of dating, especially when she had been wild and free after breaking free from her mother. Not that her mother had ever been that strict or controlling in the first place. But Sierra had followed in her mother’s footsteps, looking for love in all the wrong places for a few years until she realized what she was doing and decided to make some changes. She’d dated since then, but no one had made her body sing like Colt had. And she realized she could easily become addicted to this man.
He was so much more than a fling. Their date had been fun, and she’d found herself relaxing and sharing far more than she’d expected, finding him a good listener and interested in what she wanted. That level of attention from anyone was insidious and seductive, and she feared she could lose herself in wanting to be with him, to have this feeling all the time.
When he left, where would she be? Would she follow him, putting her own life, her dreams on hold for any crumbs of affection or time he would have for her? He would have a full life, with his music and career and touring. Where would she and her business fit? She would be sacrificed in favor of his world because the two could not coexist, and she would lose every time.
Sierra needed to focus on her future and protect her heart. It wouldn’t be easy, but she was an adult and could keep this relationship on the physical level, keeping her emotions out of it, as long as she was prepared. Colt was in Nashville and on the road, a traveler, while Sierra had a business and roots in Granite Junction. She wasn’t going to put her life and her dreams second to any man. She would enjoy her time but make sure she didn’t fall in love.
Chapter Eight
The next couple of weeks passed in a blur of passion and contentment, the likes of which Colt had never experienced. Previously, in between tours, he’d spent his time torn between extreme boredom and anxiety over what he’d be recording next. That had become the rhythm of his life, cycles of being on the go with his tours or waiting around for the next one. This time it was different. He spent the days riding out with the ranch hands, or he spent time writing music, the muse having found him as Piper had said it would. Of course it wasn’t Ty who’d inspired him, like he’d done for Piper, but it was Sierra—and maybe a bit of Montana thrown in for good measure.
His nights were spent in a much more leisurely fashion, either at his place or Sierra’s. It wasn’t all sex, though that was pretty damn awesome. They’d sit on the porch and he’d play whatever he was working on and she’d give her thoughts. Sometimes Piper and Ty would come over and they’d also join in, singing or playing and making adjustments to the song as they went. He wasn’t just getting to know Sierra, but rebuilding the connection to his sister that had been fractured through their careers and life. And he was courting Sierra, hoping to show her that he wanted more from her than a few nights of passion. It had happened fast. He wanted everything with her.
Sitting outside his cabin waiting for Sierra, he realized that he was content, maybe even happier than he’d ever been. The thought of returning to Nashville was not as appealing as it once was, but the calendar and the email from his manager reminded him that he had to return for his recording dates. His time in Montana was drawing to a swift end, which meant his time with Sierra was also about to end. He wasn’t ready for that. But she’d been adamant that they only had this time together, and when he left, it was over.
Only, he had a plan, a way to try to convince her to give them a chance. A Hail Mary play.
He would start with dinner. Not that he would cook. God, no. Giving her food poisoning was not the message he wanted to send. Which was why he begged a wonderful meal off of Tara and West’s housekeeper and had it all set up inside. The rest was up to him.
Sierra drove down the windi
ng path to Colt’s cabin, a familiar route she’d taken far too many times over the past couple of weeks. Every time she drove it, she told herself it was the last time, that she was getting in too deep. But she kept coming back, kept staying the night, kept playing with fire and wondering if this was the night she’d get burned. What had started as a purely physical fling had turned into so much more. She loved Colt’s laughter, his company. Hell, who was she kidding. It had never really been about the physical, though he was damn fine in bed…or against the wall…or in the shower. No, she’d been flirting with getting her heart broken since the day she accepted the first date. She’d fallen for his charm, for his caring, for his single-minded attention.
That would end the minute he left Montana and got back to his real life. And there was no way she’d be following him to Nashville. She had a growing business and a life here in Granite Junction. She wasn’t putting her life, her dreams on hold for any man. She saw what that had done to her mom, how it corrupted her until she became a user, a taker, destroying her mom’s life. Sierra couldn’t allow that. Yet every night she drove out to Redemption Ranch or he came to her, drawn to him like a moth to a flame. She needed to be strong. But she wasn’t succeeding. Soon, she’d be left behind.
Would it be tonight?
Colt stood as she pulled up next to his truck at the cabin. He set his guitar aside on a chair and came down the steps, sweeping her into a big hug and a breath-stealing kiss as soon as she got out of her SUV. He set her down, keeping hold of her hand as if he couldn’t go one more minute without touching her.
“I hope you’re hungry. Marie made dinner. I hear she’s famous for her pot roast.”
Sierra’s eyes widened. “She is. Tara has bragged about that for ages. Lead me to it.”
He opened the cabin door and she gasped. The small kitchen table had a red tablecloth and candles on it. A vase of wildflowers sat between the two candles, and soft music played in the background. The smell of roast and vegetables filled the air and her stomach rumbled. She turned, tears prickling her eyes.
“Did you do this for me?”
“For us. I hope you like it. The flowers were a last-minute thought, so I went out and picked them. Sorry they’re not fancier.”
She blinked rapidly, loving the simplicity of them over anything he could have gotten at the florist or the store in town. “I prefer wildflowers. Natural and pure.”
As he headed to the counter, she saw the date circled on the calendar—just two days from now—and froze, her heart almost stopping in her chest. “Colt, when are you leaving?”
He stiffened then sagged, his head bowing. He turned and leaned against the counter, his fingers clutching the edge. “I have to go back on Monday. Earlier than I thought. The studio had an opening and they wanted to start earlier.”
She swallowed, her appetite fleeing. She slid into the chair because she was afraid her knees would no longer hold her and she stared at the flowers in the center of the table. “We knew this day was coming. We prepared for it.”
He knelt by her side, taking one of her limp hands in his. “This doesn’t need to end, Sierra. Despite what we said, this is not just physical, at least not for me. I want to see where this can lead.”
Disbelief made her shake her head. “That’s the point. We can’t be together, not when you’re half a country away. I can’t leave Granite Junction. I have a business to run. You have obligations in Nashville. Then you go on the road. I spent too much of my life being dragged all over the place without any roots. I need a place to belong, Colt. I can’t be untethered anymore.”
“This is different, Sierra. We’ll have a home base, here in Granite Junction. You don’t need to travel all the time with me, just when you want. And this time, you control the travel. You’re not dependent on anyone else. That’s not who you are.”
She yanked her hand back. “That’s exactly what this would be. I would be solely dependent on you. I’m already dependent on you for my happiness. I wait to see a text from you. I count the hours until the end of the day to see you. I love waking up to your smile. My world is already reshaping itself around you.”
“That’s no different than mine. I wonder how many times I can text you before I’m considered a stalker. I have to stay busy so I don’t drive to your business. And every single one of my songs right now is about you. I don’t want to leave but it’s my job, just like yours is here. That doesn’t mean you won’t be on my mind and in my heart every minute until I can come back.”
She stood up and backed away. “I can’t do this, Colt. I told you that we had an expiration date. That day is today. I’m sorry.”
And she fled out the door, tears blinding her every step.
Chapter Nine
The next week was brutal for Sierra. At the end of the day she retreated to her apartment, alone, where she often cried, not that she would admit that to anyone. Many times, in the dark of the night, she wondered if she’d made a mistake. Would it have been better to have a long-distance relationship with Colt than this hell she was in?
Friday morning, her mother followed her into her office and closed the door. “So he left?”
Sierra nodded miserably. “Last weekend. He had to go back to Nashville.”
“And he decided this was too hard, long distance? He didn’t want to be tied down? How dare he use my baby and toss her aside? I might have some connections from prison that reach to Nashville.” Her mother’s indignation was kind of funny, considering Sierra’s childhood and how often she was left alone.
Sierra rolled her eyes. “Mom, you were in for check fraud, not the hard stuff. Doubt you’ll have those kinds of connections. And really, spare me the whole momma bear thing. I don’t need it.”
Though it did kind of feel good to have her mother smoothing her hair back and hugging her. She may have missed out on some of those moments as a child but maybe you were never too old for that.
Her mother sniffed. “Well, still. Some of those women were pretty tough. And no one hurts my baby. Next time he comes to town, I’ll find a way to make him miserable.”
“If you’re still here,” Sierra couldn’t resist adding.
Valerie’s hand stilled on Sierra’s head. “What’s that supposed to mean? Honey, I’m not going anywhere. I know I screwed up a lot when you were a kid, but I meant what I said when I came back. I want to try to rebuild our relationship. Nothing can make up for the lousy mom I was back then, but we can start over.” She narrowed her eyes. “It was his idea to leave, wasn’t it?”
Sierra squirmed in her chair. “Well, kind of. He had to go back to recording.”
Valerie sat on the edge of the desk. “That’s not what I asked.”
Sierra gave her a wry smile. “If you had been this tough when I was in high school, I might not have gotten into so much trouble.”
Her mother scoffed. “You never got into trouble. Not really. So, he didn’t leave you, just Granite Junction.”
“He wanted to continue the relationship, even asked me to go with him. But I can’t do that. I have a business here.”
Valerie nodded. “You always hated when we moved around. You like your stability. I dragged you around. I liked the road, liked new places, and yes, sometimes it was because I needed to skip out.” She caught Sierra’s sharp look. “I’m admitting it. I wasn’t the best mom and didn’t always do the right thing. It’s part of this therapy they had me do in prison. Honey, you can always have your main home but that doesn’t mean you can’t have wings, too. Do you love him?”
Sierra stared out the small window from her office. Granted it wasn’t a great view up close, just the parking lot out back of the building. In the distance the mountains that surrounded Granite Junction stretched to the sky. “How would this even work? I’m planning an expansion to Redemption Ranch. I can’t be on the road during that.”
“You need to talk to Colt. Sounds like you never even gave him a chance to figure it out.”
Damn it. Ev
en her mother was smarter than she was. But she owed it to herself and to Colt to at least talk to him, if he was still interested. The fact that he hadn’t even called or texted since she walked out on him was ominous. Could she take the chance?
Her mother stood. “Your next appointment is here. Shall I show her in?”
Without even waiting, her mother opened the office door. Sierra stood and went to follow her out, but Piper Raines Evans met her in the doorway, a cold expression on her face. “I’m not here for a massage. I’m here to talk to you about my brother.”
Sierra held up her hand. “Let’s shortcut this. I know I screwed up. As soon as I can arrange coverage for the business, I’ll go talk to him.”
Relief spread across Piper’s face. “Well, that’s one down. Now we just need to figure out where he is.”
Colt sat on the back deck of his parents’ cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The early morning fog shrouded the valley below Black Mountain, lending a blue haze that gave him the feeling he was the only person around. He needed that right now. He’d been in a foul mood since Sierra booted him out of her life without any second thoughts. He’d headed back to Nashville the next morning, spent one night at home, and he knew he needed to get away. Which was ironic since he’d spent the last six weeks getting away.
His parents were surprised when he called and asked to use the cabin, yet they handed him the keys without question. Well, he was sure they’d had plenty of questions but they must have sensed he was on edge and not ready to talk. His guitar was still in its case, propped against the wall in the living area, unopened. He hadn’t heard the music in his head since he left Granite Junction and he didn’t want to look at the songs he’d written. For all he cared, someone else could record them. He was done. He needed more time.