Thunderstruck

by Vicki Lewis Thompson

  “Damon...”

  “Shh.” He slipped the blouse from her shoulders and unfastened her bra. “I wanted to do this today, but there was no time. Now we have time.”

  “But—”

  “Before we dive into that sleigh bed and I lose what’s left of my mind, I want to see you, taste you...” He forgot what else he’d meant to say as he pulled off her bra.

  This afternoon in the sunlight he’d thought of cinnamon, but tonight in her cozy kitchen he was reminded of eggnog sprinkled with nutmeg. She would be a thousand times sweeter.

  Cupping his hands, he cradled her soft, pliant breasts and leaned down. Her nipples tightened under his gaze, and a shudder rippled through her body. “I think you like this,” he murmured.

  “Maybe.” She gasped as he flicked his tongue against one rigid nipple. “But we’re not—”

  “Doing it here. I promise. We’re only doing this.” He began to lick and nibble the most tempting breasts he’d ever had the pleasure of tasting. The spicy scent of her skin matched its silky texture, and he was in heaven.

  When he drew one nipple into his mouth, she whimpered. Hollowing his cheeks, he tugged gently. When she held the back of his head and arched her back, he knew her protests were over.

  He left one breast damp and quivering while he paid equal attention to the other. She was luscious, a sensual treat that strained the bounds of his control. But he’d promised her the sleigh bed.

  She moaned and shifted restlessly on the counter. As her breathing quickened, she abandoned her grip on his head and unfastened her jeans. “Please...”

  Excitement fizzed in his veins. Change of plans. Scooting her close to the edge, he stripped off her boots, jeans and panties in no time. Then he dropped to his knees, propped her quivering thighs on his shoulders and found paradise waiting for him.

  In the privacy of her house, she could cry out when he gave her pleasure. He rejoiced in the sounds she made as she urged him on, once again holding his head right where she wanted it. She came quickly, easily. He was ready to start over, but her grip tightened.

  “The sleigh bed.” Her order was breathless but clear.

  “You bet.” He scooped her off the counter. “Which way?”

  “Through there.” She pointed to a door down a short hallway.

  He carried her there, and even though he was running hot on adrenaline and lust, he appreciated the grace and style of her bed. And the glorious expanse of that king-size mattress. They would do well here.

  He laid her down. “Be right back.” By the time he’d returned with the condoms, she’d shoved the blue-and-green-patterned quilt to the foot of the bed and lay waiting for him on sheets the color of the ocean on a sunny day.

  He’d never undressed so fast in his life. He might have set a world record rolling on the condom. He didn’t dive into her bed, although he wanted to. It might be an antique, and he didn’t want to break it.

  Instead he slid onto the mattress as if slipping beneath the waves. Moving over her, he looked into her beautiful eyes, and buried his aching cock in her luxurious heat. Restraint was out of the question. He plunged into her again and again as their mingled cries filled the small bedroom.

  He maintained a sliver of control, one that allowed him to wait until he felt the first squeeze of her climax. After that, it was no holds barred. He drove into her with enough force to lift her off the mattress and make the bed squeak. When she came, she yelled, and when he came, he probably rattled the rafters. It was that good.

  They collapsed into a heap afterward, but he managed to adjust his position so most of his weight wasn’t resting on her. She was sturdy, but that didn’t mean he could give her all two hundred pounds of him. She murmured something, but the blood was still singing in his ears, and he couldn’t make it out.

  He lifted his head and glanced over at her. “I didn’t catch that.”

  “I said thank you.”

  Chuckling, he eased away from her and climbed out of bed to dispose of the condom. “Oh, no. I’m the one who should be thanking you. That was incredible.”

  “It was.” There was a smile in her voice. “And it’s exactly how I imagined sex could be in this sleigh bed.”

  “Exactly? How so?” he called from her bathroom. The cabinets looked great.

  “I envisioned that we’d be wild for each other.”

  “Which we were. Are. As soon as I recover.” He returned to the bed and stretched out beside her. “What else did you imagine about this scene? Wait. Don’t tell me.” He propped his head on his hand so he could look at her. “A handsome contractor with gray eyes and strong muscles.”

  “Sorry.” She gave him a teasing glance. “I didn’t get that specific.”

  “Damn it.”

  “But you, or whoever it was, would be on top, at least the first time.”

  The thought of someone else in this sleigh bed with her really bothered him, but he’d get over it. He took note that next time they might want to flip the action. “I didn’t think about it. I just acted on instinct.”

  “I could tell. That’s what made it so special. There was nothing calculated about any of it. And we made the bed squeak.”

  “That was part of your vision?”

  “I’ve always thought that really good sex should make the bed squeak if it’s a beautiful old one like this.”

  “You’re not worried that a squeaky bed is an unstable bed? One that will come apart in the middle of the action?”

  “This one won’t. It’s antique, but it’s solid. And a little noise from the wood makes it become part of the lovemaking somehow.”

  He reached over and combed his fingers through her glorious hair. “I’m almost afraid to admit this, but what you just said makes some kind of crazy sense to me. I’ve never thought of it that way, but I get it.”

  She smiled at him. “I knew you would. It’s a carpenter thing.”

  As he looked into those incredible eyes, he understood the full extent to which he was screwed. He’d never allowed himself to fall for a woman. Until now.

  14

  A NIGHT WITH Damon in her sleigh bed had been everything Phil had hoped. They’d made love twice more then slept curled up together in the middle of the big mattress. They’d showered together in the early morning and he’d helped her cook breakfast before they’d driven to the ranch.

  Someday she might wish she hadn’t indulged that sleigh-bed fantasy with him, one that they’d no doubt repeat again each night he was here. She could come to regret going all in with this man because of the indelible memories he’d leave behind. But at the moment worrying seemed a waste.

  She sat on the stoop of the new cabin waiting for Damon to change into his work clothes. They’d both decided she’d better not watch him get dressed and put the schedule in jeopardy. Instead she gazed at the light edging down the flanks of the Big Horn Mountains and listened to the birds waking up in the nearby pines.

  Damon found her there and held out both hands to pull her to her feet and into his arms. His kiss was gentle, and he kept his embrace easy as he lifted his head to look into her eyes. “After last night, I’m not frantic anymore.”

  “Good.” She wrapped her arms around his waist. “Me, either.”

  “I think it’s knowing we’ll be back in your sleigh bed tonight. If it’s okay with you, I’ll just bring my duffel so I’ll have my work clothes there in the morning.”

  “Sure.” One day at a time. Her dad had said that phrase so many times, and until now she’d never understood the value in it. She’d constantly been looking ahead, figuring out what would happen next week, next month, next year.

  Today she’d enjoy satisfying work followed by a night of satisfying sex. If she could design a perfect day, it would be a lot like this one. And if she could design a perfect night, it would involve getting naked with Damon.

  Awareness flickered in his gray eyes, and his arms tightened a fraction. “Okay, I’m not frantic, but I’m not dead
. When you look at me like that, my resolutions go right down the drain.”

  She laughed and backed out of his embrace. “Then let’s get to work. We have a cabin to build.”

  Working hard with only a short break for the lunch Rosie brought, they made good progress. They mounted ladders as they started framing the roof. She’d loved jungle gyms as a kid, and the roof was her favorite part of any project.

  They had little need for communication as they climbed around the structure, getting it ready for the green-coated sheets of metal that would make it weatherproof. They were both perched on extension ladders using nail guns when Cade rode up on Hematite, his black gelding.

  “Looking good!” he called out during a break in the racket. “It’s past six o’clock. You gonna work until it gets dark or what?”

  Damon glanced over at Phil. “We could stop here if you’re ready.”

  “Sure, why not?”

  “Then let’s blow this taco stand.” As he climbed down, he called over his shoulder to Cade. “Yeah, we’re quitting. Don’t go away. I want to ask you something.”

  “I’m not going anywhere. I rode over here to tell you that Lexi thinks the four of us oughta take Herb and Rosie into town for dinner at the Mexican restaurant we all like. Rosie especially needs a break from the kitchen.”

  “I can’t speak for Damon,” Phil said, “but I’m a grubby mess, and I don’t have a change of clothes with me.”

  “I could use a shower.” Damon glanced over at Cade. “How about giving us a head start so we can get cleaned up at Phil’s house? Then we’ll meet you at the restaurant.”

  Cade grinned. “Okay, but text me if you get unavoidably delayed.”

  “We’ll be there on time, smart-ass. By the way, did you make that phone call?”

  “I did. I’ll tell you all about it at dinner.”

  “Great. Can’t wait to hear about it.”

  “It was...exciting.” Cade touched the brim of his hat. “See you guys at the restaurant.” He turned his horse around and trotted toward the barn.

  At that moment Damon envied Cade, who was living the kind of ranching life they’d cherished as teenagers. Then he pushed the thought away and looked over at Phil. “Last night he promised me he’d call the Chance family today.”

  “Wow. That’s big news.”

  “I know. Important news. I’m glad he came over here because I got so involved with, well...everything, that I forgot I wanted to ask him about it. He has a tendency to procrastinate if something’s going to be uncomfortable for him.”

  “I know. I heard all about it from Lexi before I ever met him. I wasn’t prepared to like him very much, but it turns out I like him a lot.”

  “So do I, and I know what it must have cost him to make that call. I need to buy him a drink, for starters, because that was a huge step for him. I also want to find out what happened. I know we’d planned to have dinner at your house, but—”

  “No worries. There’s always tomorrow night.” But as she and Damon took down the ladders and put away the tools, she did a quick count of the opportunities to cook for him.

  She couldn’t deprive Rosie and Herb of sharing a meal with him on the last night before he went back. Yes, he’d probably come home with her later, but that wouldn’t be the same as relaxing over a meal and spending time on the front porch. Tomorrow night was the only time she’d be able to make dinner. She was a little shocked to realize they were almost at the end of his visit.

  She finished putting the tools away while Damon went to get his duffel and repacked whatever he’d taken out of it. She finished before he did, so she paced in front of his cabin while she tried to get back the mellowness from this morning.

  Carrying his duffel, Damon walked out of his cabin and paused. “You’re okay with going to dinner, I hope?”

  “Of course!” She stopped pacing. “Rosie deserves a night out, and I want to hear about Cade’s phone call, too. We’ll do what we’d planned tomorrow night. No problem.”

  He walked over and cupped her cheek with his free hand. “You didn’t look very happy when I first came out.”

  She held his strong hand against her face. His touch felt so good. “I was just doing a little reality check and realized how soon you’d be leaving. Two nights of having dinner at my house seemed like a lot, but one night doesn’t seem like enough.”

  “I know.” He stroked his thumb over her cheekbone.

  “We need to go have dinner with everyone, though. So we will, and we can sit on the porch swing for a little while when we get back.”

  “I’d like that. Sorry the shower will be a rushed deal.”

  “It’s fine.” Turning her head, she kissed his palm. “We’d better get going.”

  “Right.” He laced his fingers through hers and they walked hand in hand to her truck. Soon they were headed down the road toward town.

  Time was running out, but she had him with her now. Only a fool would waste these moments with thoughts of his imminent departure. She looked over at him. “If this is prying, you can tell me to mind my own business, but I’m really curious about the blood-brother situation.”

  He gave her a soft smile. “What do you want to know?”

  “Did you cut your hands and mingle your blood like you read about in books?”

  “Yep.”

  “Huh.” She couldn’t imagine doing that, but then it was probably more of a boy’s thing. “How old were you?”

  “Cade and I were thirteen, and Finn was still twelve. It was Cade’s idea, although I latched on to it pretty quick. But when it came to slicing my hand with his pocket knife, I got sick to my stomach. Couldn’t do it. Embarrassing as hell.”

  “So then what?”

  “Cade did it for me. He and I are probably the only two people who know that. He’s pretty damn loyal. And now you know.”

  “I won’t tell.” She sped up a little. She’d been engrossed in the story and had slowed until she wasn’t even doing the speed limit.

  “It doesn’t matter now, but it’s one of those things I remember about Cade. He could have told Finn but he didn’t.”

  “Wasn’t Finn there?”

  “No, he wasn’t even invited. He was new, and we didn’t know if we liked him yet. He heard us sneak out into the woods in the middle of the night and followed us. We felt sorry for him and let him be a blood brother. He cut his own hand without hesitation. He had cojones.”

  “What about the other foster boys? Didn’t any of them want to be blood brothers, too?”

  “Of course. But at the time we were the only three at the ranch, and when the others came in, one by one, we thought it was cool to be exclusive. We said the Brotherhood was this special thing because we were the first three Rosie brought to the ranch. We kind of implied she liked us better.”

  “I can tell you right now that she does. She keeps saying she shouldn’t have favorites, but you three are definitely her favorites. You should hear her brag.” Especially when she’s trying to fix me up with you.

  “It’s probably best if I don’t hear that. Anyway, I think she’s not particularly fond of me at the moment.”

  “Yes, she is. That woman has an enormous capacity for unconditional love. No matter what you or anyone else she’s taken in does she’ll love you forever. I’m no expert, but I think that’s kind of rare.”

  “I know it is. I feel the same about her. And Herb, too. I’ve let too much time go by between visits, but I plan to fix that.”

  “She thinks you didn’t come back very often because you needed to establish your independence.”

  He glanced at her. “She said that?”

  “Yes, and I related to it because that’s why I moved to Sheridan. I didn’t go as far from my dad as you did from Rosie and Herb, but I was feeling way too dependent on him.”

  “It’s good to know that you can make it on your own.”

  “Definitely.” She’d need every ounce of that independent spirit when he left. She wo
uld have to remind herself why he’d moved away and why he’d chosen to stay in California. “We’d better plan out the shower schedule so we can go zip, zip, once we get in.”

  “You can have first shower.”

  “While you do what?”

  “Go crazy thinking about you naked, what else?”

  “I guess we’d better not shower together.”

  “No, and I’d planned on that, too. But unless we want to end up strolling into the restaurant when everyone’s having dessert, we’ll have to shower separately.”

  “Doesn’t sound like much fun.”

  “Do you have an alternative, Philomena?”

  “I might. But we have to work fast.”

  “I can work really fast, especially when I’m already getting hard thinking about shower sex.”

  Excitement curled in her belly. “Then here’s the plan. Strip off our clothes on the way to the bathroom. Leave them as they lay. Climb in the shower, give each other a quick orgasm, and hop back out. I’ll bet we can get to the restaurant long before dessert.”

  “I’m so in.”

  “We can’t dawdle. Later on tonight, we can dawdle, but this has to be speedy sex. It might not be the best time we’ve ever had, but we won’t sit through dinner feeling frustrated.”

  He laughed. “I love how you think.”

  “Good.” She gunned the motor to make it up the driveway. “Because the race is on.” Switching off the engine, she jumped down from the truck and ran up the steps with Damon right behind her. She unlocked the door and made a beeline for the bathroom, shedding clothes as she went.

  Turning on the water, she flung off the last of her clothes before stepping into the shower. During her renovation she’d ditched the tub in order to create a walk-in shower, which she preferred. It wasn’t huge, but that made it all the cozier when he stepped in behind her.

  Moving under the spray, she doused herself thoroughly with water before turning around. “Ready?”

  He smiled and gestured toward his cock, which stood at attention.