“Why do you still have a house phone?” Patrick asked.
Naomi shrugged. “It comes in handy when someone needs to call home to Mexico. And the international calls are cheaper than on my cell phone.”
The ringing suddenly stopped, and they both listened for a voice message to be left on the recorder in her bedroom. There was a moment’s pause, then a click, then a dial tone that faded into silence.
Patrick heaved a deep sigh. She was speechless when he leaned in close to her ear and said, “I want you, and right now I’m thinking about how many ways I can have you in this kitchen. But I need to know it’s what you want and that you want it as much as I do.”
The phone suddenly rang a second time. He shook his head. “Answer the phone,” he said, then pressed a kiss to her cheek and stepped back. “We’ll finish this conversation later.”
That night, he’d gone back to the spare bedroom while Naomi put out a fire with one of her workers, an illness across the border calling someone home. She and Patrick still hadn’t finished their conversation, “later” having yet to happen. Naomi needed to tell him that she wanted him as much as he wanted her, if not more.
She shifted her attention back to Patrick now and watched as he and the teen gave each other a high five. He slammed down the hood of the truck, then wiped his hands with an old rag that he tucked into the back pocket of his jeans. As Miguel jumped into the vehicle and drove off across the farmyard, Patrick sauntered toward her.
“Sorry about that,” he said as he moved close, leaning to kiss her cheek. “Do you need help with something?”
Naomi shook her head. “No. I’m done here and I was thinking that we should go have ourselves a picnic lunch. Unless there’s something else you want to do?”
“You mean you’re actually going to let me take a break?”
Naomi laughed. “You say that like I’m working you to death or something!”
“Well, if the tractor fits...” His smile widened, filling his face with immeasurable joy.
“Oh, no, you don’t! Like the Perrys never had you working 24/7?”
“Pushing papers is one thing. Pushing farm equipment is a whole other beast.”
“It’ll keep you fit.”
He kissed her again. “Glad to hear you’re concerned about my body.”
She eased her hands around his waist, clutching the T-shirt he wore. “Someone needs to be concerned. Otherwise, you’d be soft and flabby by the time you’re fifty, and that would not be a good look, Counselor.”
For a quick moment, he pondered her comment, Naomi calling him “counselor” nipped at a nerve. Then he smiled. “I would love to have lunch with you,” he said, as he gently trailed his thumb against her cheek. “And a picnic sounds perfect.”
Naomi grinned. “Great! Go grab a shower and let’s have some fun!”
* * *
The drive to Scottsdale and their picnic at the mall took no time at all. Patrick enjoyed being able to just sit back and take it all in. It was a beautiful day, sun filled, cloudless, with just enough breeze to keep the heat at bay. Naomi chattered easily beside him, as excited for them to spend time alone as he was.
He reached across the center console and drew his hand along her arm. His gentle touch was warm and heated, and sent a shiver along the length of Naomi’s spine. She giggled softly.
“You need to stop,” she said, her voice low and hushed.
“Stop what?” He continued to caress her, his fingers moving to the back of her neck, then twirling a strand of her hair around his finger.
Her body quivered and she shook her shoulders. “That,” she said, shooting him a sly smile. “What you’re doing with your hands.”
He continued to tease her skin, gently kneading her shoulders. “I’m sorry. Is this bothering you?” The pad of his index finger swirled in tiny circles across her forearm.
She laughed. “It’s... We... You know what it’s doing to me!”
Patrick shifted in his seat, continuing to tease her. “No, tell me,” he said.
Not bothering to answer, she reached for the radio instead and turned on the sound system, flooding the vehicle with an energetic pop song.
Patrick chuckled. “So now you’re not talking to me?”
“I’m talking.”
“So, tell me what my touching you is doing to you.”
Naomi shot him another look, her eyes narrowed slightly. A few minutes passed before she finally answered. “You’re not funny, Patrick O’Brien. You know you excite me. You know that when you touch me, I want you to keep touching me. So I don’t know why you’re teasing me!”
A gargantuan grin exploded across his face as he leaned closer. “How much do you like it?” He dropped his hand and trailed his fingers over her thigh, in one direction and back again.
Naomi tensed, heat rising with a vengeance. Her eyes skated from the roadway, to her rearview and side mirrors and then to him. “You are so not funny! Keep that up and you’re going to make me wreck this car.”
Patrick held up his palms as if surrendering and laughed heartily. “You are so cute right now! Look at you!”
Naomi laughed with him. “When I can put my hands on you, I am so going to hurt you!”
“Promise?”
“Why are you giving me such a hard time right now?”
“Because I want to make love to you,” he said matter-of-factly. He was staring at her intently, the intoxicating look moving her to smile and her face to flush with color.
He continued, “It’s getting harder and harder for me to hide how much I want us to be together, Naomi. I don’t want you to feel rushed or pressured, but I’m not going to hide it any longer. I want you.”
She took a deep breath, again, and then another. “Can we change the subject and talk about this later? When I’m not driving. Please?”
“Do you ever think about making love to me, Naomi?”
“Patrick, can we—”
“Because I think about it all the time. I go to sleep at night dreaming about being inside you. I wake up in the morning thinking about how incredible it would be to start my day with you riding me. I spend half my day with a raging hard-on because I can’t stop thinking about you. So, do you ever imagine what it would be like to be with me? Do you want that?”
Naomi shot him a look. “Patrick, I think about it all the time, too. Because I do want to make love to you! I am so ready for us to take that next step that I can’t tell you how much I want it to happen.” She swung her gaze his way, meeting his stare. “Now, can we please change the subject so I can focus on getting us to our destination safely?”
He whooped loudly, making them both laugh. “I just needed to check,” he said with a wink. “Because you had me feeling a little insecure.”
“I did not!”
His head moved up and down. “You really did. I was starting to wonder if maybe I was losing my touch. Woman, you know how fragile the male ego is! You have definitely had mine on edge.”
She laughed again. “You’re usually very intuitive, Mr. O’Brien. I was sure you knew how I was feeling.”
“A man still needs to ask. But you focus on the road. We can finish this conversation later.”
Naomi felt the heat that rushed to color her cheeks, imagining that she was probably bright red. “We most certainly will,” she said.
* * *
The Scottsdale Mall wasn’t what Patrick had been expecting. Instead, the public space was a park with an exquisite greenway of lush lawns and floral gardens adorned with fountains and a multitude of art. The surrounding area boasted an old tavern, an Iron Chef–owned bistro, a public library and the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. It was the perfect midday getaway.
Naomi had packed them a Southwestern salad of mixed baby gree
ns topped with black beans, sweet corn and grape tomatoes drizzled with a tangy avocado-lime dressing. For dessert, there was fresh mixed berries—strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries. It was a light, nourishing meal and, with her homemade ginger beer, a delightful treat.
They talked about everything and nothing. Neither bothered to speak about the sexual attraction that had become a consistent force of nature between them, nor bring up the subject of taking their relationship to the next level. That conversation was over, both of them understanding that the next step would come easily, a natural progression of where they inevitably saw themselves. Excitement simmered just under the skin, the two intoxicated by the prospect of what lay ahead for them, no words necessary to explain it.
The ride back to Phoenix and the farm was quiet. Both fell into their own thoughts about each other, what had brought them together and what was keeping them connected. There was an ease about being together that filled them both with joy. Even the silence they shared spoke volumes.
Naomi pulled onto the dirt road that led toward the house. As she parked the car and shut down the engine, Patrick shifted in his seat, turning to face her.
He cleared his throat. “Naomi, there’s something I need to tell you. I haven’t been totally honest with you.”
They locked gazes, Naomi suddenly feeling a wave of nervous tension punch her in the gut.
“I swear, Patrick, if you tell me you’re married, I will dump you into the feed grinder and fertilize the fields with you.”
He chuckled. “I am not married. I have never been married. And when I do marry I imagine you’ll be right there by my side.”
She gave him a nod and a slight smile. “So, what is it? Because you’re suddenly scaring me.”
“I wasn’t altogether honest with you about my job. I didn’t have any vacation time saved up.”
Confusion washed over Naomi’s face. “I don’t understand. Did you take a leave of absence or something?”
“I’m no longer employed by the Perry Group. We mutually agreed to end our business relationship.”
Naomi’s eyes flickered back and forth as she took in the news. She suddenly gasped. “Oh, my God! Nolan fired you! Nolan fired you because of me.”
Patrick reached for her hands, pulling them between his own. “No. I quit, because I had no respect for how he was treating you. Because I couldn’t be the man you deserved if I had continued to work for them, knowing they were wrong.”
He took a deep inhalation and then explained, going back to his last days in the office and everything that had happened. When he was finished, a tear had fallen against Naomi’s cheek. She swiped it away with the back of her hand.
“You really should have told me,” she said, her voice dropping an octave.
“I’m telling you now. I didn’t tell you before because I didn’t want you agonizing over it, and I knew you well enough to know that it would have been a wedge between us.”
“It’s a wedge now. That was your job. Your j-o-b! I never would have asked you to quit your job for me. Do you know how hard it is these days for some people to get work?”
“Naomi, I quit because I didn’t want to be affiliated with any organization that thinks it’s okay to attack people they believe are in their way. I could never align myself with Garrison or his father and feel good about myself. Them going after you was the final straw.”
Naomi shook her head. She pulled her hands from his and exited the car. The sky had begun to darken, the last sliver of sunlight disappearing over the horizon. Walking slowly across the grassy knoll, she wrapped her arms around her torso and hugged herself tightly. Even with all the miles and distance between them, Nolan Perry had managed to once again touch her small world and inflict pain. And not only had he hurt her, but he’d again hurt someone she cared about. There was no stopping the hot tears that rained down her cheeks.
When Patrick eased up behind her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her tightly against him, she was sobbing. They stood beneath the bright light of a full moon as he let her cry until she was all cried out.
She finally heaved a deep sigh. “You really shouldn’t have quit,” she voiced softly. “You loved that job.”
He stood in reflection for a moment, then gave her a light squeeze. Shifting even closer, he leaned his forehead against her hair and tightened his grasp. “No. What I love is you. I love you, Naomi. You have captured my whole heart. I can’t begin to imagine what my life would be like without you. I love you so much, it scares the hell out of me and excites me at the same time. So there was no way I could have continued to work for the Perry family.”
He heard her gasp softly, her body beginning to quiver again in his arms. He spun her around, chuckling softly. “You’re not supposed to cry when a man tells you he loves you, baby. You’re really beginning to give me a complex.”
She laughed, wrapping herself around him as she pressed her face to his chest. She hugged him tightly. Overwhelmed with emotion, she batted her thick lashes to stall the saline that misted her gaze.
Patrick cupped his hand beneath her chin and lifted her face. “I love you. And I’m not going to let anything or anyone come between us. Not now. Not ever.” He leaned and kissed her lips, the gentle touch cementing the promise.
Naomi’s tears fell for a second time. She hadn’t allowed herself to define what she was feeling for Patrick. It had been easy to just let what was building between them take on a life of its own. They’d found a level of comfort with each other that had needed no words, and she, too, couldn’t begin to think about not having that in her life. He meant the world to her, and after fighting her initial reservations, she had no intention of losing him without one hell of a fight.
She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him again, her mouth skating easily against his. The kiss lasted until both needed to come up for air. “I love you, too, Patrick! I love you so much. I never thought I’d love anyone as much as I love you,” she gushed. “But I’m still really pissed about you quitting your job!”
Patrick laughed as he kissed her one more time. Her words were music to his ears, the sweetest symphony.
Chapter 12
Patrick had swept Naomi off her feet. Literally. Sweeping her up and into his arms, he’d carried her up the front steps and over the threshold into the small home. Inside, he hadn’t wanted to let her go, determined to hold her close for as long as he was able.
In the middle of the living room, they’d stood together trading easy caresses and the gentlest kisses. When he finally released his hold on her it was only to move them both to the sofa. As Naomi eased herself back against the pillows, Patrick dropped down beside her. She wrapped her arms and legs around him, pulling him close as his mouth reclaimed hers.
Patrick slid his hand to the back of her neck and she moaned, a jolt of electricity passing between them and settling nicely in the pit of their midsections. Naomi felt her panties dampen, moisture puddling between her legs. He slid his tongue across her upper lip, then back across her lower one. It was rough and bold and urgent, and he tasted sweet, like hot honey. He slipped his tongue past the line of her teeth, meeting hers like he was greeting an old friend. As they touched, both moaned into each other’s mouth, tongues dueling and dancing. When their mouths finally parted, he pressed his forehead to hers, both of them struggling to catch their breath.
There was something magical about the way Patrick touched her. He caressed her face with his fingertips, gently gliding over her earlobes and down the length of her neck, the journey slow and sensuous. His feathery touch tickled her skin, his ministrations heated. He eased an arm around her torso as he slipped his other hand beneath her shirt and gently teased one breast and then the other. He used his thumb and forefinger to twist and pinch her nipples, which blossomed full and hard, rock candy that she hoped had Pa
trick salivating for a taste of.
Naomi gasped, her breath catching somewhere deep in her chest as she purred with pleasure. She suddenly grabbed his wrist, stalling his ministrations. His eyes widened as she pushed him gently away and eased her body from his. She extended her hand, something decadent and sensual oozing from her eyes. Patrick took the hand she offered and followed as she led him to the master bedroom.
He stood watching as Naomi pulled her blouse up and over her head. She slowly undid the zipper to her cotton slacks and pushed them down to her feet. Beneath her clothes she wore royal blue satin, her push-up bra and panties trimmed in eyelet lace. She was stunning, the sexy lingerie flattering her figure nicely. His eyes widened as she reached around for the clasp, and as she undid it, she turned, moving into the bathroom.
He chuckled softly as he followed like an eager puppy. When he reached the door Naomi was stepping into the shower, blue satin discarded on the bathroom floor. Her naked form took his breath away, every square inch of bare flesh calling for his attention. His male member hardened with a vengeance, the rod of steel pulling so tight it felt as if the seam of his jeans would burst from the strain.
Naomi turned to face him, trailing a soapy palm between her breasts down to the taut muscles of her abdomen. Her pubic hair curled tightly and she let her fingers tease the triangular patch, drawing his gaze as he stood watching. She gestured with her other hand, a crooked index finger beckoning him to her. There was something intoxicating about the look she was giving him, a sparkle of mischief in the warmth of her stare. She arched her eyebrows and gave him a smile that sent his temperature skyrocketing.
Patrick suddenly realized he’d been holding his breath. He gulped, sucking in air, and then he was out of his clothes before she could blink. Both laughed nervously as he stepped into the shower, reaching for her as his eagerness stirred between his legs for her attention. He actually cried out, a little scream that evolved to a long, low groan, as he wrapped his arms around Naomi and she wrapped her fingers around his erection. Every nerve ending pulsed and twitched beneath her grasp, the appendage throbbing in sync with his heartbeat and hers. It was pleasure like he’d never experienced before as she stroked him gently.
Sweet Stallion Page 12