Dead Man's Bluff

by Adriana Law

  Some people are just drawn to each other. No matter how hard they try to fight it, no matter how much it might hurt them in the end, they just can’t seem to stay away. And she couldn’t stay away. Not when he made her feel so alive.

  As if he knew what she was thinking his gaze darkened lowering to her mouth and he might as well have caressed her mouth with his for the jolt that one look caused in her. How was it possible that he could make her feel so much intensity and desire, without ever actually touching her? She would never feel this with Conner. Never.

  “Megan?” He choked out, his voice thick. “Unless you want me to kiss you…”

  She couldn’t remember who made the move first, and it didn’t matter. Okay, she made the first move first. She had to. They struck each other hard, their mouths crushing together. One of his hands furiously tangled in her hair, his fingers curving around the contours of the back of her head, keeping her from changing her mind last minute. She was too far gone to change her mind. The taste of his tongue moving over hers pulled a moan from deep within her. He laughed into her mouth knowing he’d won and lifted her from the ground her legs snaking around his hips as he pressed her hard into the barn wall. She could feel his erection under his jeans stroking her center eager to be inside her. Her fingers curled into the meaty flesh of his ass begging for more. His mouth left hers, gasping, moving down the column of her exposed throat as she arched into him. He thrust, grinding his hips between her trembling legs, a sampling of what was ahead. Angry. Hot. Bruising. Sex.

  “Megan, are you sure?” came out huskily, tortured. He kissed his way back up to her parted mouth, his teeth skimming the flesh along her chin.

  She nodded, her heavy-lidded eyes colliding with his. Her body felt like mush in his hands, along with her brain. Nothing matter: not who could possibly walk in, not Conner, not tomorrow, not all the reasons to stop what WAS going to happen… all that mattered was satisfying the ache she felt for this insanely sexy man. She was already reaching between them for the fly of his jeans; her shaking fingers fumbling to hurry the process of setting his erection free, when the words rushed from her, “Yes, I’m sure, but my robe stays on.”

  He paused, his questioning gaze searching her face as he gathered her tighter in his arms. She murmured, “Don’t look at me as if I’m crazy, I’m serious. I don’t want you to see.”

  At her words something changed in his dark eyes, his lashes lowered as he glanced down at her chest.

  She thought she’d ruined the mood.

  But she hadn’t, it had just changed into something else. Something softer. Something sweeter. His fingertips grazed the flesh exposed along her chest, and she tensed, expecting him to disrobe her even though she’d begged him not to, instead gentle fingers slid the silky fabric aside. His head dipped as he tenderly kissed his way out over her shoulder blade never fully undressing her. “You are so beautiful…even your imperfections are beautiful.”

  “Drew…”

  Then they were moving, her still clinging to the front of him as he took three steps and lowered her down on top of the bales of hay, all the while slowly exploring every inch of her mouth with his tongue. He pressed her to her back, and she ignored the scratchiness under her. There was the sound of his zipper as it was lowered, then with his weight settled over her his thumb was sliding silk aside as he nudged into her. Anticipation had her squirming under him, eager. His arms tightened around her, his chin pressed into her shoulder, puffs of warm breath in her ear as he glided deeper until she was completely filled with the size of him. Her hands grasped his bare ass exposed by the lowered jeans, riding rippling flesh as he began a slow, smooth erotic movement of making love to her.

  Making love? If she was being honest with herself…that’s what it was. It was more than sex. It was overpowering, all-consuming pulling a cry from her as he took control of her body: mind and heart. It was all happening so quickly. For two years she’d missed him and not allowed herself to fully admit it. Her grip on him tightened, a desperation to get as close to him as possible, for as long as possible. Exploring, her hands smoothed up his spine, over his strong back, out along his shoulders pausing where she knew the snake tattoo would be hidden under his tight black T-shirt. Her fingertips wanted to trace his naked flesh and she wanted to know about his Ink. When he got it? What it meant? Why did he only have one? Had it just been rebellion? Or did it have significance?

  He was a mystery, still.

  He was also sinfully delicious in every way possible, and right now he was hers.

  She felt her climax building; her lashes fluttered and her neck arched as his pace quickened hurling them both into ecstasy.

  “Does he make you feel like this when he’s inside you?” He whispered against her mouth swallowing her moans. His large hands caressed the side of her face, and he gazed down at her with raw desire.

  “I don’t know…” she gasped.

  He rose up on his hands, still looking down at her, his voice hoarse and pained, “Does he?”

  “I don’t know!”

  “Filly, answer me, does he make you feel like this?”

  As punishment for her not answering he pulled out, reached between them, teasing her swollen entrance with the promise of more of what’d he’d been giving her, torturing her into submission. She squirmed, unable to keep her hips from moving.

  “Drew…” she warned, becoming impatient. She clutched at his ass, attempting to force him back inside, where both of them wanted him to be.

  He grinned, slightly shaking his head, teasing. “No. Not until you tell me what I want to hear… what I need to hear.”

  “Okay! No! He doesn’t make me feel this way. We’ve never had sex! Are you satisfied?” she shouted.

  “No. Not yet,” he gave her a mischievous grin, and then thrust deep inside her hard, giving her exactly what she wanted; fast rhythmic movements.

  His face tensed with his nearing orgasm as he rose up, his arms slightly lifting her legs, tilting her high so he could slide deeper. Her orgasm hit and she groped at his arms holding her legs. His face distorted and he plunged as deep as he could go as he came, the feel of him coming inside of her pushing her over the edge to her own climax. They clutched one another tight until their bodies went limp. He breathed heavily into the curve of her neck. A tender kiss was place just below her ear. His teeth nipped at her earlobe. “I’ve missed you,” he murmured. His arms tightened around her as he kissed his way up her neck, along her chin to her mouth. She could feel him throbbing inside her.

  There was the familiar sting of tears in her eyes as she focused on the exposed rafter’s overhead and not the guy still inside her. “I’m not on the pill,” she deadpanned against his soft lips when they reached hers.

  He tensed, lifting his head to look at her, “What?”

  “I stopped taking the pill, while I was going through the chemo. I haven’t needed to take it. I was going to start taking it before Conner and me…”

  He tumbled over next to her, carefully tucked himself back inside his jeans and zipped up. She didn’t know if he was mad about her not being on the pill or mad because she’d brought up Conner. All she knew was she felt like shit now that the lust was no longer there to cloud her judgment.

  “This was a mistake,” she muttered. She stood, adjusted her robe and retied it at the waist. Semen seeped out of her, wet and warm between her legs, an uncomfortable reminder she’d just ruined her entire life for a couple minutes of great sex.

  “Can you give me a chance to say something, before you start telling me how much of a fucking loser I am?” he ground out pushing to his feet.

  “What’s there to say? I’ve just hurt someone who’s been nothing but good to me! Connor doesn’t deserve this!”

  Damn. She’d said his name again.

  Drew chewed on the inside of his cheek, his expression serious as hell, his tone stern. “Give him back the ring and call off the wedding!”

  Her eyes widened. “Is that an or
der?”

  “Yes.”

  Unbelievable. He actually thought that was going to work. He was going to bark an order, and she’d listen. “You have no right to be giving out orders, Drew!” She motioned between them, “You and I are not together!”

  “We sure seemed together ten minutes ago,” he returned nodding over at the place where they’d just…oh shit…the blood underneath her skin heated at the memory.

  “THAT… was just sex! My relationship with Conner is different!” slipped out. She hadn’t meant to say it, regretted it after she had, because something in him changed.

  His gaze narrowed. A corner of his mouth inched up, smugness oozing from him. He resembled his father more in that moment than she cared to admit. “Well, that’s good to know. It helps lower any expectations I had of it being something more.”

  “I didn’t mean…” She felt she needed to explain herself, which was crazy. It should be okay to call it for what it was, which was nothing. Two people getting carried away.

  Closure.

  He took three steps putting them face to face. His hands went to her upper arms, and for a second she thought he was going to kiss her, instead he leaned in, warm breath in her ear, “I’ve spent my entire life feeling like the biggest fuck up in the world. I don’t need someone else confirming what I already know.”

  He glanced down at where his thumbs were stroking her bare arms, his hands slowly slid down, his fingers lifting and then letting go. His shoulder bumped hers as he moved past her. She turned, watching him go, this sick feeling churning in her stomach.

  It was happening again. He was walking out on her. Without any remorse. This is what she’d been trying to avoid. The ache. The empty hole in her chest. “So that’s it? You’re going to do what you always do and just give up?” She shouted at his back.

  Was she challenging him? Was she begging for him to do…something? Convince her?

  He stopped at the barn door, his shoulders tensing. She couldn’t see his face, but she didn’t need to to know it was blank, emotionless. “I don’t need this shit in my life, Megan. It’s too complicated. You’re too complicated.”

  She picked up the first thing she could find which happened to be a rusted horse shoe hanging from a nail on the stall door and hurled it in his direction. The weight or it kept it from going far. “How convenient …You always walk out right after you get what you want! Fifteen minutes ago you were claiming my imperfections are beautiful, which is it you son-of-a-bitch! ” Her entire body trembled with fury. Good Lord, she wanted to fight with him, but he causally walked out leaving her standing alone in the barn. What she wanted was to kill him with her bare hands. She didn’t know which hurt more… loving him or hating him.

  Would she be able to survive being left by him again? ♠

  Twenty-Two

  Chris stood, feet apart, biceps flexing as he leaned over tightening the last of it. He reached for the rag cleaning the black gunk off his hands. He was wearing a pair of faded jeans and a white T-shirt; more in his element than he’d been since he’d came out to the ranch. Cars. Rebuilding cars was his thing. He was good at it. It paid the bills, and kept his family going while his mother wasted away.

  He heard footsteps and peered around the popped hood to see Drew approaching. “How’s it going, Blister?”

  “Blister?” Confusion formed lines between Drew’s brows. The guy had been in a shitty ass mood all day, and Chris knew why. He’d seen Megan rolling her suitcase out to the waiting cab at 9:AM. She took no time for goodbyes. He could spot trouble in paradise when he seen it

  “Yeah, you always show up after all the work is done.” Chris smirked reaching in his back pocket and then swing an arm, “Here, catch.”

  Drew’s hand shot up. He turned it over uncurling his fingers from around the set of keys. “Are you saying…?”

  “Yep…she’s a running. The old man did an impressive job of rebuilding the engine, a few minor adjustments here and there and she purrs like a kitten.”

  “How…” Drew swung open the driver’s side door and slid in behind the wheel. He turned over the ignition , lightly stepping on the gas.

  “All she needed was a little lovin’ and an expert touch.” Chris stroked metal, grinning.

  The engine came to life for the first time in years, and Drew could hear Tink doing a little happy dance saying, “Hot Damn! Mabel’s back up and running!”

  Drew slumped down into the seat, his head falling against the vinyl, a corner of his mouth quirking up, “I feel like getting sloppy ass drunk.”

  Chris wasn’t sure if that meant his brother was happy… or wanting to drink away a broken heart. An hour later they were at Clyde’s with Lemon Drop shots lined up along the bar in front of them. 38 Special’s, So Caught Up In You blasted through the speakers. Drew tossed back his head, downing his fourth shot, chasing the liquor with a sugar coated wedge of lemon. He gripped the counter, hung his head and cursed. The bartender glanced their way, laughed, and shook his head.

  Yeah, the guy was definitely pacifying some major wounds. Chris sympathized. “You okay?”

  “Completely. Never been better! The bank reneged on the loan they’d already ‘preapproved’…since all my fucking money’s gone and I no longer have a down payment, AND the girl I love is getting married to Doogie Howser …” he threw back another shot, “but, yeah, I’m more than okay…or will be as soon as I find some hot babe to relieve some of the tension.” His eager gaze was already sweeping the bar. Thank God, tonight the pickings were slim. Although he felt certain Drew’s standards were clouded at the moment and he wouldn’t be too choosey.

  “Do you think that’s such a good idea?” Chris shouted over the music.

  “Got a better one?”

  “Maybe, but it’s kind of out there…”

  “I’m listening.”

  “How about I give you the hundred thousand and we both own equal parts of the ranch.”

  Rich, deep laughter erupted out of Drew. “You’re joking, right?”

  Chris buried a hand in a pocket, and shook his head. “Not at all.”

  “Why the hell would you do that?”

  “Let’s just say I’ve come into a little extra money and I think the ranch would be a great investment.” Not mention the sheer beauty of spending Mackenzie’s money in a way that would irk the hell out of the man. He had to make it convincing, “I don’t know we could… buy and sell thoroughbreds. Horses could be a money maker.”

  Drew raised a brow. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”

  “Absolutely. Listen, I only live about fifteen minutes from the ranch…you need the money…I need a permanent job. ”

  “Hold up, what you mean you live near the ranch?”

  “Yeah, with my mother and little sister.”

  “You’re fucking kidding me…you live with your mother?” Drew tossed back another shot. “Talk about epic failure to launch.”

  “I’m twenty-one, not some forty year old virgin still living at home!” Chris grimaced, some of the hatred returning as that old familiar nerve was plucked. He scooped up a shot, puckering from the sour kick. “She has Aids, so back off!”

  Drew held up his hands in surrender, the gesture causing him to let go of the bar, which had basically been holding him up. He fell straight back, grabbing hold of one of the stools taking the damn thing down with him. Chris sighed staring down at the drunken idiot laughing his ass off on the nasty floor. He drank one last shot to see him through what was bound to be an interesting night. ♠

  “What the hell did you do to him?” Emma sneered as they came stumbling through the front door. One of Drew’s arms was thrown over Chris’s shoulder; the burden of keeping them both upright killing his back.

  “You should probably be asking Megan that instead of me, Peaches. She’s really done a number on him. I’m just an innocent by-stander.” She pursed her pretty lips and allowed Drew to drape his other arm over her shoulder, helping lead him toward the bedroom
where he could sleep it off. She was wearing her blonde hair in a single braid over one shoulder (his favorite) and had on shorts that looked more like guys boxer than anything else with a skimpy tank. Chris clenched his teeth and groaned inwardly. Did she not have a clue she shouldn’t dress like that? Not in a house full of horny guys. He tried to focus on the drunk stumbling over his own two feet and not the gorgeous female frowning at him. “He’ll feel like shit in the morning, but he’ll live, even though I’m not so sure he wants to at the moment. And I’m kind of offended you were already jumping to the conclusion that this was my fault…I saved his ass from waking up tomorrow morning in bed with some ugly chick. ”

  “Maybe you should have let him as punishment for being a dick,” Em returned.

  “You know, I am standing, okay maybe not standing, but I am right here and can hear everything you both are saying,” Drew slurred. “Oh fuck, I think I’m going to throw up!”

  “Al-right, in you go,” Chris said, directing Drew into the bathroom.

  “I can take it from here!” Emma snapped, practically shoving him out the door and slamming it in his face.

  Chris stood there for a moment, a small part of him seething with jealousy. No she didn’t, she didn’t just shut him out? ♠

  Emma scowled down at Drew. “Are you having fun yet?”

  “Um, Em, can you hold off on the sarcasm…I’m kind of busy at the moment,” Drew groaned into the bowl of the toilet, a long string of spit dangling from his mouth. His grip tightened on the toilet seat and he heaved a couple of times, but had nothing left in his stomach to come up. “Oh man…I feel like shit!”

  A cold wash cloth was handed down to him. “Good. You should.”