by Jess Buffett
"That's it, honey. Take it. Enjoy it," he rasped, continuing to thrust forward into his hand.
She was close, so damn close. Flames licked up her skin, and she wrapped her arms back around his neck, needing something to hold on to. Suddenly heat engulfed her, lighting up her entire body. Crying out his name, Bri felt her walls clamp down on the digits inside of her. Behind her, Josh reached his end, shuddering and groaning. Bri moaned at the loss when he dragged his fingers out.
"Christ, what you do to me."
"I could say the same," she whispered, exhausted now.
He turned her to face him, the stool scraping along the hardwood floors. Josh cupped her cheek, and Bri reveled in the affection she saw in his eyes.
"Why don't you go back to bed for a while? I'm sure little Justin or Justine would enjoy it, too."
"I told you, I'm not naming my child Justin. I prefer Jacob or Jayden," she laughed.
They had discussed baby names, and Josh told her about his family's tradition giving the first child a name starting with 'J'. Bri thought it a lovely idea. She only had the name Brianna because her parents had been expecting a boy, and her father wanted a Brian Jr. They had no handed down customs. Still, she and Josh couldn't agree on one name.
"And I told you I wasn't naming my son Jacob," he grumbled. "It's too damn Twilightish."
"First of all… Twilightish?" she asked, raising her eyebrow. "And second, please tell me how you know that?" She smirked.
"Kinda hard not to, that damn kid is everywhere," he grunted, his brow furrowed.
Bri laughed. "You know you're adorable when you pout."
Admitting that earned her a swat to her butt, and a gentle nudge to the bedroom.
She pushed out her bottom lip. "All right. As long as you promise to join me for lunch today."
"It's a date, honey." He smiled, giving her a quick peck then leaving.
Snuggling under the blanket, she looked up in surprise when the door opened again and Josh stepped back in, blushing slightly. At her frown, his flush deepened and he walked over to the dresser, grabbing another pair of jeans. "Need to change," he mumbled, before rushing out the door again.
Confused, it took her a second to catch up. Oh. Change. Mess. Bri giggled. No wonder he turned a little red.
He really was adorable.
Damn, she had fallen for the cowboy hard.
*****
Josh rode alongside his brother on Whitney, the horse he had bought and trained himself a few years ago. Beside him, Caleb chatted animatedly about something or another, yet Josh found his thoughts continuously travelling back to his raven-haired beauty back at the house. He couldn’t help it. He was mad about her, no two ways about it.
“And then I flew in on a monkey and took out an elephant.”
Josh startled, throwing a look at his brother. “What?”
“You haven’t been listening to a word I have been saying, have you?” Caleb smirked, proving he wasn’t offended.
Josh fought hard not to blush. “Ah, no. Sorry.”
“So, how are things going with you two?” Caleb chuckled.
“Good.” Josh didn’t pretend not to understand his brother and couldn’t contain the grin that spread from ear to ear. “Really good. We had dinner with her parents the other night.”
Caleb let out a low whistle. “And how did that go? I mean, you’re alive, that’s a good sign, right?”
Josh chuckled. “Yeah. Things got tense, and I don’t think I’ve been called a bastard so many times in my life, but…”
“But?” Caleb made a gesture for him to continue. “Come on, you’re killin’ me.”
“But... Bri stood up to him, defended us, and, it was really frickin’ hot.”
Caleb raised a brow. “Hot?
“Oh yeah.” He waggled his own brows. “Seriously hot.”
Caleb threw his head back and laughed. “Well I’ll be damned. Sweet little Bri a bit of a spitfire, huh?”
Josh shot him a warning look, but nodded. “A lot of spark there. I think her father was even a little...proud to see it. I have a feeling she always used to be like that, and maybe the old her is shining through.”
“And you’re okay with that?”
“More than.”
“Good. If anyone deserves to be happy, it’s you, big brother,” Caleb said, reaching over to slap him on the back.
“Speaking of happy...or not so, what’s going on with you a Mel? Things seemed extra tense between you two.”
Caleb grimaced, turning his gaze out over the field. “That woman hates me, I’m telling you. She said something the last time she was here...I think I might know what her problem is, but I also know that she has gotten it all wrong.” His brother shook his head. “Just don’t know how to convince her of that.”
Josh considered his brother and his words for a moment. Things had been hostile, at least on Mel’s part, for a few years now. Josh had never been able to work out exactly what happened. At first he thought maybe Caleb had slept with her then treated her like the rest of the women he bedded. Light, easy and no strings. But he knew his brother and that thought was quickly squashed. Caleb had true feelings for Mel, try as he might to hide them, so Caleb wouldn’t have done that.
Contrary to popular belief, Josh wasn’t blind either. He had seen the same tension between Mel and their friend Noah. Given Caleb and Noah’s history of spending the evening with the same woman he could only presume that maybe they had both pursued her, but again, with Caleb’s feelings for her, why would he?
“This problem between the two of you. It wouldn’t have anything to do with Noah, would it?” he asked Caleb.
The other man stiffened, jerking in his reins lightly. “Leave it alone, Josh.”
That had his eyes narrowing on the younger man. “You have feelings for Mel, I know you do. So why would you and Noah play games?”
“We’re not,” Caleb bit out, but otherwise remained quiet.
“Oh really? You can’t exactly have something serious with her if you’re inviting Noah into her bed as well.”
Caleb growled. “Josh.”
“Then explain it to me.”
“I just.” Caleb swiped a hand down his face, still refusing to meet Josh’s eye. “It can be serious. With Noah, I mean.”
It hit Josh square in the face then. His brother’s tone whenever Noah was mentioned. The looks Josh would catch between them yet not understand.
“Mel isn’t the only one you have feelings for, is she?” he whispered quietly.
Caleb shook his head.
“And Noah has these feelings for both of you as well?”
Again, his brother said nothing, but this time nodded.
“Oh.” Josh didn’t know what to say to that. He sure as hell wasn’t bothered that his brother had feelings for another man, they weren’t raised as bigots, but it still came as a shock. And yet...it didn’t. “Well, perhaps you and Noah should try talking to Mel, instead of letting her assume the worst.”
Caleb finally looked at him, mouth gaping over. “That’s all you have to say? I tell you that I’m bi and in love with two of our friends, and all you say is talk to them?”
Josh grunted. “Only one making a big deal out of this is you. Besides, if you are about to tell me you expected me to kick your ass for it, then I might just be so inclined.”
“Ah, no? No. I mean—”
A sharp lancing pain shot through Josh’s shoulder before his brother could finish. He cried out as he fell to the ground, nothing cushioning the impact as his head smacked hard into the earth. Bile rose in his throat as his vision began to dim, Caleb’s shouts to him sounding further away. He could do nothing as he slipped in to the blackness except hope that whatever happened, Caleb made sure Bri was okay.
*****
A few hours after Josh had left her in bed, Bri climbed her way out and went to the kitchen, preparing a nice lunch for her cowboy. Josh worked hard all day, and there were times the man would g
et so carried away he forgot to eat.
Bri's head snapped up as tires screeched and a whole lot of shouting followed. Glancing out the window, she gasped when Caleb and two other hands pulled an unconscious Josh from the back seat of a truck. Racing outside to meet them, she blanched at the blood covering Josh's shirt and hair. Propping the door open, Bri raced to clear the table, grabbing a cushion from the sofa. She watched in despair when they laid Josh down, but jumped forward the moment everyone moved back and put pressure on his wound. Bri opened her mouth to shout for help, but Mel burst through the door, along with another woman, their arms full of supplies.
"Okay, everyone move back," Mel ordered.
Stepping up to Bri, she said more gently, "Bri, I'm gonna need to get in there and see what I'm dealing with, okay, sweetie?"
Nodding, Bri stood back and let Mel work. The other woman followed Mel's instructions to the letter, never missing a beat.
After what felt like a lifetime, Mel finally announced, "All right, everyone can calm down. It looks like the bullet grazed his shoulder, but I promise it's nothing these few stitches can't handle. I'm more concerned with the concussion, but I think he'll be okay. He's already coming around."
"Bullet," Bri gasped.
An arm wrapped around her shoulder, and Bri turned to look at Caleb.
"It's all right, hon. If Mel says he'll be okay, then he'll be okay."
A groan from the table drew their attention. Josh's eyelashes fluttered, popping open abruptly as he lifted his head and searched desperately for something. When his eyes met hers, she saw him do a quick check of her body, as if searching for any injury, before relaxing with a sigh back onto the table. "Christ, what happened?"
"That's what I'd like to know." Noah walked into the room.
Placing a hand on Josh's uninjured shoulder, he added, "Good to see it's not too severe."
"I'd say the situation is pretty damn severe, Sheriff. Someone shot him," Mel snapped then turned to Bri. "I'd like you to keep an eye on him for the next twenty-four hours. I'll leave a list of things to look out for, and my number. And if you can, make sure you get this big lug to come in to have a scan."
Scowling at the sheriff one more time, Mel packed up her things and left with the other woman.
"She acts like that with you, too?" Caleb asked Noah.
"Yep," he replied.
The two men shared a look, one Bri couldn't decipher. Figuring she had more important things to attend to, Bri ignored them and stepped forward, taking Josh's hand. "What happened?"
Caleb cleared his throat, gaining everyone's attention. "We were out in one of the back pastures when a shot rang through the air. I looked up just in time to see Josh fall off his horse. A few more shots went off, but I didn't see where they went. I was more interested in getting to my brother. I called Loch and Brent to bring the truck, and then called Mel. Once we were settled in, I called you, Noah. When we got here, we got him on the table and Mel arrived. You know the rest."
Muttering under his breath, the sheriff stormed into the living room. Bri heard him talking to someone else, but didn't care. All her thoughts were on the man in front of her.
"It was Timothy," she stated.
Sitting up slowly, Josh pulled her into his arms. "We don't know that."
Leaning back enough to look at him, she said, "Yes, we do."
And she could tell that as much as he wanted to deny it, he couldn't. Instead, he just held her tighter.
Chapter Thirteen
Lying in bed the next morning, Josh reached over, dragging Bri closer. The damn woman had been so paranoid of hurting him last night. She suggested she sleep in one of the guest rooms. Josh quickly vetoed that plan, but did it stop her from practically sleeping right on the frigging' edge? Nooooo. While he hurt, he ached more when he didn't have her in his arms, especially after what happened yesterday. Josh may have denied it had anything to do with Timothy, but they each knew who shot him. She hadn't called him on it and didn't hand him his ass for lying—a testament to how much she feared for him. She had proved on more than one occasion what a spitfire she could be, and damned if he didn't love it just as much as it often pissed him off.
Drawing her against his chest, Josh buried his nose in her hair, breathing in her scent again. She always smelled of cinnamon and vanilla. Not able to get enough of her, he ran his hand over the bump where their child rested. He wanted to pinch himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming.
His mother's ring sat in the safe enclosed in his wardrobe. An heirloom given to her by his pa when had asked her to marry him, Josh planned to present Bri with the ring before they had dinner with her parents that evening. He checked with his brother to make sure he had no objections. Caleb had gone one step further, saying he couldn't think of a more deserving woman.
Josh peered down at the ring that lay on her finger now. After the dust up with Kelly, he'd picked a simple solitaire and asked Bri to wear it. He'd stopped pretending a long time ago, and Bri felt the same. Neither had said the words yet, but he planned on rectifying that as soon as he woke her up properly. He grinned when he thought of his definition of 'proper'.
Being careful of his injured arm, Josh rolled Bri over to face him. Leaning forward, he pecked lightly at her lips, tracing the bottom one with his tongue. She stirred at the tentative touches, her eyes blinking open, and she smiled. Lifting his good arm, he plucked at her nipple. Bri gasped and her lips parted. Not hesitating, Josh swooped in, claiming her mouth, continuing to tease her perky nubs.
Pulling away, she rasped, "Your arm. Your head. We can't do this."
"I'm fine, I promise," he grumbled, cutting off anything she planned to say by thrusting his tongue back into the cavern of her mouth.
Josh needed her. After yesterday, he felt this overwhelming need to reaffirm how strongly he felt for her. The possible outcomes were excruciating; the thought of not being able to protect her from that bastard sent his senses into overdrive. Josh moaned in appreciation when he felt the press of her hot silky skin against his. Bri yelped in surprise when he dragged her across him to straddle his hips. Her damp heat saturated him and she gazed down, wide-eyed, from her new position. Her lavender eyes reflected his own desire, spurring him on. Pulling her down to his chest, Josh quickly raised her hips, lowering her down onto his throbbing shaft. Feeling her warm juices slide down, coating his cock, Josh stilled, willing himself not to come. The pain in his arm virtually non-existent, he savored the intense heat surrounding him. Never had he felt like this. The connection he made with Bri every time they were together, always took his breath away. And he knew…he'd fallen in love.
*****
Sitting astride Josh, with him buried deep inside her, Bri shook with desire. Her pulse raced and she gazed at the man who owned her heart. Nerves clamored, until he smiled—just a quirk of the lips, but enough. Placing her palms on his expansive chest, Bri raised herself slightly before dropping back down. Groaning at the sensations, she did it again, over and over. She cried out, completely taken off guard when Josh unexpectedly thrust his hips up to meet hers, sending shock waves of ecstasy coursing through her. God, how incredible.
"I love you," she gasped.
Bri froze and panicked when she realized she uttered the words aloud. She hadn't meant to. Searching his face, she calmed, he didn't appear upset, but quite the opposite.
Josh's eyes met hers, shining with undisguised love. "I love you, too, Bri."
His softly spoken words snapped something inside him, and Josh lost his restraint, gripping her hips tightly as he drove into her. Bri held on for dear life, no longer in control and relishing it. If it weren't for his injury and fear of hurting the baby, she had no doubt he would have already flipped them over, and pounded his way into her. A tingle started at the base of her spine, and when one of his hands left her hip to tweak her swollen clit, Bri imploded. Her entire world splintered into a thousand pieces. Crying out her pleasure, Josh joined her, roaring out his release.
When she eased back, Josh slide a hand behind her neck, keeping her in place. "I meant what I said. I love you, lavender."
"I love you too, cowboy," she whispered, her heart full of joy.
"We're gonna do this for real, yeah?" he asked, staring intently at her.
Bri nibbled on her bottom lip. "Yeah. I want that."
"Good. 'Cause there is nothing I want more," he whispered, nuzzling into her neck. "It's time to start planning a real wedding, honey."
*****
The phone blaring loudly beside the bed started them both awake. Josh blinked rapidly against the harsh light of the screen as Noah’s number flashed across it. Noah? Suddenly more alert, Josh sat up, his heart thumping as he answered the call.
“Noah? What’s happened?”
There was no way his friend would call at this time of the morning if it weren’t important. And he was right.
“Randy and Adele’s place is up in flames,” the Sheriff grunted through the phone. “Doing the ring around.”
Fuck. The ring around meant calling every able man and woman to help. It wasn’t often their town had something drastic happen, but when they did, the residents pulled together.
“On it.”
He pressed to end the call before shoving off the blankets and springing out of bed. Stumbling around in the dark, Josh cursed when he slammed himself into the bedside drawer.
“Josh? What is it?”
Bri’s panicked voice broke through his fog and he shot up from where it was frantically looking for his jeans. Shit. Bri sat, trembling on the edge of the mattress, arms wrapped around herself and her eyes wide with fear, no doubt from the assumption that his call had to do with Timothy.
“It’s not him, honey,” he told her, cupping his hand to her cheek. Her slim shoulders fell in relief, which only served to make him feel more like a heel for not reassuring her quicker. “Randy and Adele’s place is on fire. Can you call Caleb and tell him to round up the men? We’re heading out there.”