by Kaliana Cole
She turned in her seat, finally facing him. Luke glanced at her once and saw the shame on her cheeks. He kept his eyes on the road, hoping she would find it easier to talk without his attention.
“I guess I’m just as faithless as that Cherry you were talking about, huh?”
“Whoa! Back up right there.” Luke spun the wheel and the truck bounced off onto the verge and came to rest beneath a shady maple. He wrenched it in to park and faced Casey with his arm hooked along the back of the bench seat. “Not another fucking word. You are nothing like that lying little bitch, Casey. Nothing like her.
“I was right there yesterday. I saw every damn one of those buttons hit the floor, and you know what my only regret is? That you two didn’t finish.
“Brody is a fuckin’ control freak. I have never seen him cut loose like he did with you. For the first time I had a bit of hope that he might be over what that bitch done to him. For a moment there, he was. It was so good to see.”
“Christ, Luke. I know we haven’t professed our undying love or anything like that, but if I like a man enough to kiss him, I don’t turn around and throw myself at the very next guy that comes along. I’m not that type.” Her blue eyes were earnest, and her cheeks had begun to lose the first hot sting of color.
“I know you’re not, sweetheart, and that makes what I saw between you and Brody all the more special. All I have wanted, from the very first time me and him shared a woman, was to have one of our own. Not as a plaything but a partner. With Brody, that has never been possible. He’s nurtured this ‘fuck ’em and forget ’em’ attitude for ten years, Casey. Unless they’re a sub at the club, he never makes a move on a woman. Sometimes I’ll pick up a good-time girl who’s here for the summer looking to live it up before she goes back to her boring little life, but Brody never does.”
“So you’re happy I nearly fucked your brother?” The incredulity in her voice was thick enough to carve.
“So happy it’s all I can do to sit here and not finish off what Brode started yesterday,” Luke admitted, watching shock and the quick flash of arousal cross her face. “He left you high and dry, didn’t he? Oh, I saw you come once, but you were even hungrier after. I bet you were too anxious to take care of it yourself, weren’t you?” A smile curled his lips when he saw her blush anew. “God, I’d love to see that. Just the thought of your hand slipping down between those long legs has me harder than hell.” He took his hand off the wheel and beckoned with one finger. “Come over here and kiss me, Case. The truck’s made of sturdier stuff than your wall.”
* * * *
Casey felt as if she was on an invisible line and Luke was reeling her in. Without conscious thought she freed the seatbelt and crawled across the seat toward him. His molten chocolate eyes held enough heat to scorch the very earth, but his grin still curled his lips enticingly. She had an undeniable urge to lick the tiny smile line that bracketed the left corner of his mouth. Her hands met the hard width of his chest and she gave into that desire, leaning in and flicking the very tip of her tongue across the offender. She felt it grow beneath her cheek as a full-blown smile erupted on his face.
“Did you just lick me?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Well don’t be shy about it, sweetheart. I can’t think of any place I don’t want your tongue.”
The places his lazy voice touched were far more intimate than any his hands had been. It danced along her spine and burrowed low inside her belly. Casey kissed him to shut him up. He tasted of man and spearmint and smelled like an open invitation to carnal paradise.
Hot and wet, his tongue licked slowly along hers, as though inviting it in to play. Casey didn’t disappoint him, slipping hers into the welcome haven of his mouth. He drew gently on her tongue and she didn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of holding back the moan that rose in her throat. The sensation was a decadent pleasure that caused her clit to throb in total empathy. Too easily she could imagine that sweet suction caressing the desperately swollen bud.
She moved closer, straddling the thigh he had cocked along the seat. She needed the touch of his body against hers, needed to reaffirm the connection she felt with Luke. Needed to forget the spectacular lapse of judgment she’d had yesterday.
His strong hand came to her waist, encouraging her closer still. He slouched and brought his lower back away from the door, until their bodies were flush. Casey found herself above Luke, in a position of power, and it was heavily addictive. She pulled away from his mouth and nibbled her way along his lean jaw from his chin to the prominent hinge. Salty sweat tickled her tongue. When she reached his ear she couldn’t resist nipping the lobe and lashing her tongue across the captured flesh. Luke shuddered and offered up more of his neck to her explorations. Casey kissed and bit her way down the thick cord of muscle all the way to the notch between his collarbones and then dragged the flat of her tongue up the same path.
“Christ, that feels good. Too damn good. Come here.” Luke surged upright, bringing them chest to chest.
He kissed her deeper, bringing one hand to rest on her drill-cotton-covered ass. His fingers caressed and squeezed. Casey’s mouth grew ravenous as each knead of his hands made her sinfully wet pussy lips slide deliciously against one another. She could come so damn easily. All it would take is a couple of rubs in the general direction of her clit and orgasm was hers. She grabbed the hand he still had resting on her waist and shoved it between their bodies. Leaving no doubt as to what she wanted, her hand curled around the back of his and brought it to cup her mound.
“Oh, fuck! I can feel you through the cloth. So wet and ready. Do you want me to make you come, sweetheart?”
“I didn’t put it there for decoration.” Casey panted sassily. “Want me to draw you a map?”
His grin was pure temptation, earthy and hot. “I think I’ve got it covered.”
Did he ever! His big hand engulfed her swollen mound and his fingers pressed into the engorged lips, targeting her begging clit with uncanny precision. He kneaded with his whole hand only twice and Casey felt her world fall apart. Her whole body shuddered and jerked against his hard body. His lips ran along her jaw and down her neck as she threw back her head to ride out the pleasure. The sharp nip of teeth at her neck was accompanied by another deep massage of her convulsing, intimate flesh, and Casey came again. Her eyes flew open in shock as the bite of ecstasy swept through her once more.
She could have drowned in Luke’s heated gaze as he watched her writhe. “So fuckin’ hot. I want to see you do that wrapped around my dick so badly, sweetheart.” The quick pulse of a siren had Luke swearing softly. “It’s a good thing you weren’t, though. Sit down there, sweetheart. I’ll be right back.”
Casey glanced through the back window and saw the police cruiser pulled up a short distance away. Luke gave her a wry, crooked grin as he adjusted his cock behind the privacy of the open door before walking toward the other vehicle.
She let her head fall back against the seat. What the hell was happening? She had fully expected never to see Luke again after her encounter with Brody. She debated what else to call it. An accidental near-fuck? She laughed at that description. At least she could laugh now. It was funny how an orgasm from Luke fixed things. Hangovers and major embarrassments were all cured by a bit of hot and heavy petting. She felt relaxed and stress-free. The need to hide was gone.
“Andy’s timing sucks.” Luke stepped back into the vehicle. “Are you okay, Casey? You look ready to go to sleep.”
“I’m fine, just a little mellow.”
“You look like you don’t have a bone left in your body.” He put the truck into gear and forged through the summer-dry grass back onto the blacktop. He gave her a cheeky grin. “I much prefer that to the woman who was sitting prickly as a porcupine beside me earlier.”
“Just pour me out in front of the hot tub and I will be ever grateful.”
“I wish I could join you. Andy didn’t pull over just to interrupt us, though. Marley’s
garage door isn’t closing properly and he wants me to go over there and fix it before she leaves for night shift at the hospital. The stubborn bastard could fix it himself in half an hour.”
“He couldn’t find Brody?”
“Nope, Brode has gone AWOL. Andy said he’s not answering the phone and he’s not at home. Brody has a habit of disappearing when he is not in the mood for company. He’d probably make an exception for you.”
“Not going there.”
“Where’s your sense of adventure? The two of us could show you a real good time.” His tone was joking, but Casey could feel the truth behind the words. This man wanted to share her with his brother, there was no doubt of that.
“I told you before, Luke, I’m not that type of girl.”
He pulled into her drive and drove straight toward the back shed. “You don’t know what you’re missing out on, sweetheart. If you change your mind, you know where to find us. You’re welcome over at our place anytime.”
Casey stepped out and closed the door. “Thanks for the lift, Luke,” she said through the open window.
“Anytime. I’ll pick you up around quarter to seven and run you over to the garage.” Casey nodded and watched him leave. Part of her was protesting that she was letting a good thing get away. The part that was still all slick and swollen from orgasm and still hungry for more. She’d been looking forward to getting in the new spa, but a plunge into some icy water was more apt. A frigid shower would have to do.
Her resistance to Luke Marshall was disappearing fast, and it pained her to admit it, but she would gladly sell her soul for another five hot and heavy minutes with Brody. She had never been so quick to arouse as she was with either of these Wyoming men. Maybe it was the altitude. Whatever it was it was addictive as hell and twice as hot.
Chapter 6
Luke Marshall was avoiding her. There was no doubt about it. For two weeks Casey had only seen him in passing. It was driving her crazy. Her body melted at the thought of being in his arms again. She wanted to touch him the same way he had touched her. She wanted to run her tongue up the long length of his spine, to grab his delectable ass in both hands and squeeze, to have him spread out naked before her and just plain feast.
She knew they watched her from their house whenever she was in the hot tub. The glint of binoculars was hard to miss. Leastwise she hoped they were binoculars. The idea of being spied on through a rifle scope was a little disconcerting. She had to admit she found it more than a little titillating to know she was putting on a show whenever she went to the hot tub.
She was lounging around the house on Friday night with music blaring, eating ice cream and immersed in a book that was doing nothing for her celibate state when a banging on the door reached her. Whoever it was sounded like they had been knocking for some time. Casey turned down the stereo and opened the door.
Marley Richards was standing there with her fist raised in the act of knocking once more. “Christ, woman! Are you deaf?”
“Just ignorant.” Casey assured her. “Come on in.” Casey liked Marley. She never felt too tall with her about.
“What are you doing home alone on a Friday night? Your sister’s down at the Kat. You should have a hot date at the very least.”
“Why aren’t you at the Kat?”
“Because I will get pulled over for a sobriety test the moment I leave the parking lot and if I even look at another guy, bad things happen.”
“He doesn’t want you, but no one else can have you, huh?” Casey laughed and headed into the kitchen to get another spoon. “Here you go. Now we’ve got a double date with Ben and Jerry.”
“That’s the only time I get two men under my tongue. Pass it over. Don’t be stingy.” Marley popped the spoon in her mouth upside down and rolled her eyes back in apparent ecstasy. “That is so damn good. It ought to be illegal.”
“Yeah, it’s the only way I’m getting my thrills lately.”
“So I’m just imagining the fine choice of reading material on the coffee table then? Three For Fun. That sounds hot.”
“Too hot. It just starts fires that there is no one here to put out.” Casey collapsed on the sofa.
“Oh, I can think of two firemen who would be all too willing to put your fire out, girlfriend.”
“They just want to have a bit of fun.”
“And you don’t? Luke and Brody know how to show a girl a good time, from all I’ve heard. If you’re just looking to scratch an itch, they’re your huckleberry.”
“What, so I just roll up at their place, strip off, and say go for it?”
“That would probably work. They’re not big on subtlety. How come you’re not playing with them already? They sure as hell didn’t get hit with the ugly stick.”
“No, but they hit every branch when they fell out of the arrogance tree.”
Marley leant against the bookcase. “What’s a man without a bit of arrogance? A man that’s not sure of himself ain’t worth a second look.”
“Okay! Jesus, have they got you on the payroll or something?”
“In all honesty? Yeah. Luke wanted me to come over and point you in their direction. You were going to break down and do it sooner or later, so I didn’t see the harm.
“I have never seen Luke so worked up over a girl. The Marshalls have got too used to just taking what they want and walking away. I think you’re just the woman to put them in their place. What’s the problem with getting your thrills and walking away?”
“My libido doesn’t have a problem with either of them. It’s the brain that keeps throwing in a protest.”
“Well shut it off and go and have some fun. Take all they’ve got to give and just walk away. You’ll have a smile on your face that should be good for at least a week and nothing will have changed. Just because you give into it once doesn’t mean you have to do it again.”
Casey thought it over. Really, what did she have to lose? Absolutely nothing. Neither of her neighbors was a part of her life at the moment, so stuffing up a nonexistent relationship wasn’t an issue. As long as she just got up and walked away everything would be great. All she had to do was leave her heart at home on the shelf right alongside her inhibitions. That couldn’t be too hard. Men did it all the time and really, if a man could do it, how hard could it be?
“You’re thinking too hard. Talk to me.”
“I’m just trying to remember if I got around to buying that box of condoms.”
Marley fished around in her bag. “Here. I’m always prepared.”
“That’s a two-dozen jumbo box, Marley.”
“Believe me, if I ever get a chance at Andy, I’ll need every damn one.” She stood and put her bag back on her shoulder. “My work here is done. Haul your ass up that hill before you change your mind. Do you mind if I take this with me?” She held up the half-full ice cream carton.
“It’s all yours.”
“You have fun. And I want some details. Unfortunately I do all my lovin’ vicariously.” Marley winked and let herself out.
Casey made a beeline for the bathroom. A full-body makeover was in order. She didn’t want stray thoughts about missed patches on her legs crossing her mind tonight. She deserved a little fun and by God, she was going to take it tonight.
* * * *
“Tell me again why we are not down at the Kat having a bit of fun?”
“Be patient, Brode. It’s not like you haven’t gone without before.” Luke sipped from the longneck bottle dangling from his fingers. “Casey will turn up sooner or later. If not tonight, it will be tomorrow.”
“And you’re sure of this because?” Brody didn’t take his eyes off last year’s Super Bowl replay. He just didn’t have the same faith his brother nursed where Casey Buckley was concerned. He had shaken his head when Luke had made the spare-room bed up and stocked the drawers with the basic essentials—condoms, lube, and wet wipes.
“Because my little friend Marley is paying Case a visit tonight and putting in a good word for
us. She owes me for fixing that door the other week. I decided to collect.”
“I don’t think it’s gonna work. Casey could give a mule lessons in stubbornness.”
“She may be stubborn, but she catches fire all too easily. Curiosity will get the better of her.”
“I’m telling you, what happened the other week was just an accident. She’s not interested in me.”
“That must have been one of those imaginary orgasms I seen her have then.”
Brody glanced over at his brother when a knock sounded on the door and saw a smug little smile settle about his lips. “I bet that’s Marley conveying ‘go to hell’ greetings from Casey.”
“Go and open the door then.”
He headed for the door, all set to tell Marley Richards where she could shove her message. “I’m telling you, Luke. Casey is too stubborn, too hardheaded”—he wrenched open the door and the breath exploded from his body—“too fucking beautiful…”
Brody felt like he’d been hit between the eyes with a piece of four-by-two. Casey was standing there in an emerald-green, strappy dress that showed off every inch of her mile-long thighs. The damn thing was made of some gauzy, see-through material that left no doubt about her choice of underwear. His cock inflated in a miracle of internal hydraulics. She was wearing not a stitch beneath.
Her smile held all the seductive knowledge of Eve as she tossed something at him and walked past. His hand caught it automatically and Brody was surprised she didn’t step on his tongue. He still hadn’t picked his jaw up from where it had hit the ground.
His eyes widened with growing shock as she walked straight over and bent to kiss Luke. Her blaze of hair curled with soft waves and hung to the small of her back.
Brody pulled the door shut by Braille. His eyes were fixed on the rounded bounty of one perfect ass cheek peeking out beneath her dress, and he cursed when he realized he jammed the material of his shorts in the door. He rectified the blunder and glanced absently at the package she had tossed him. He did a double blink and reread it. Twenty-four assorted condoms, eight colors, three flavors, and six patterns designed with her enjoyment in mind.