Cat and Mouse

by Shelley Munro

  Chapter Four

  Despite the dark interior of his SUV, he caught the faint heat in her cheeks and the widening of her eyes. It was difficult to restrain his grin.

  “Maybe we shouldn’t since we’re in Saber and Emily’s house.” Lana refused to meet his gaze.

  Huh, if she thought he’d back off willingly, acting the gentleman at this late stage, she could think again. Determination tightened his hands on the steering wheel. They were back to cat and mouse again. Fine. The idea of pursuing her made his adrenaline surge. They’d go through the chase for as long as it took Lana to realize they were a couple, that they belonged together.

  “How about a coffee?”

  She shot him a look of disbelief. “At this time of the night?”

  “You’re chucking me out? The least you can do is give me a coffee to make sure I don’t run off the road on the way back to the campgrounds.”

  Lana made a faint huffing sound and he had to work hard to restrain his amusement. “All right,” she said finally. “I’d hate to have that on my conscience.” She opened the door and climbed out, walking up the footpath to the front door of the homestead without waiting for him.

  Duncan openly chuckled this time, his attention drawn to the sway of her hips when she sashayed away from him. By the time he followed she was already inside. In the kitchen he leaned against the counter and watched her, content to simply enjoy the way she moved as she went about making coffee.

  “And of course, I’d need a kiss goodnight,” he said, breaking the silence between them.

  Lana stilled and he heard her swallow. Nerves, distaste or something else. Time to find out.

  “I’ll take that kiss,” Duncan said, deciding to push her and maybe his luck. Time would tell.

  “Now?” Her tongue darted out to moisten her lips.

  “Yeah. Do you have a problem with now?” He prowled around the edge of the kitchen counter without taking his eyes off her.

  Lana dragged in a deep breath, feeling her chest expand with the heavy intake of air. Her pulse thudded, faster than normal while she considered his question and watched him stalk her. Yeah, stalk! The man had it down to a fine art. She wanted him to kiss her more than she wanted or needed her next breath. This thing between them, this thing that should remain casual and a mere scratching of an itch had taken on a life of its own. It had hit her during the journey back here. She’d learnt something about herself. The ability to separate sex and love wasn’t easy and Lana didn’t think she had it in her to enjoy sex without letting her emotions become involved. Problem. A big-time problem, although on the plus side, Duncan would leave once the rodeo ended and wouldn’t be around to tempt her. Time would take care of the rest, and besides, the restaurant would keep her too busy to think about what ifs.

  He reached her side and drew her into a hug, pressing their bodies together in a nonsexual, friendly manner. Not exactly what she’d expected. The contact seemed causal and easy despite the tension she sensed in him. She gave him a few more seconds before he drew back and kissed her, annihilating her good intentions with a couple of smooth moves.

  It was about fifteen seconds longer than she’d predicted when Duncan put some space between them to look down at her, his eyes glowing with banked passion. “My kiss?”

  “Oh, and I thought you’d just take it,” she said with gentle mockery.

  “I could,” he said. “I do like to do things my way in the bedroom.”

  “How could I know that? It’s not as if we’ve actually had sex in a bedroom yet.”

  A bark of laughter escaped him. “True, which is why I’d like to remedy the situation. Some good old-fashioned fucking in a bed followed by a little kink. What do you say?”

  Lana sighed inwardly. Her body wasn’t having a problem with the idea at all, turned on by both the idea and his frank talk. Her mind had become the problem. Too much thinking. Way too much thinking, she decided. She’d come to Middlemarch with the idea of sex on her mind. Nothing had changed after an afternoon of sex with Duncan. Nothing. She still had months and months of horniness stored up inside.

  Coming to a decision, she said, “I like the idea.”

  “You’re not going to change your mind again?”

  “No. Do you really want coffee?”

  Duncan shook his head, his dark green eyes watchful.

  “I didn’t think so. Let me turn everything off and we’ll hit the bedroom.” Tremors shook her hands when she returned the coffee beans and mugs to the cupboard and flipped the switch on the coffeemaker. She wanted to feel his muscles flexing beneath her fingers, his cock embedded deep in her pussy surging and retreating again, needed him with surprising intensity considering they’d had sex several times already.

  “Are you dithering?”

  “Dithering?” she asked, wrinkling her nose. “What sort of a word is that?” Damn, the man for being so perceptive. Of course she was bloody procrastinating because the strength of her need for him scared her half to death.

  “I want to know if I frighten you.” He watched her, unmoving, his posture relaxed. His eyes glowed, holding heat and tension. Passion.

  “Of course you don’t frighten me. I know you’d never hurt me.” Not quite true. Lana feared he’d already spoiled her for other men. Somehow the thought of having a quick weekend of sex with another man, whenever she had time in her schedule, didn’t appeal. Damn and blast her head. Her mind was too busy. She kept thinking too hard and had started to second-guess every move and decision she made. “You want to fuck me, Duncan? Let’s do it.”

  “And what if Saber and Emily decide to come home early? Or if one of the others arrive home unexpectedly. I didn’t think you were interested in having others watch you during the sexual act. You were worried about someone seeing earlier.”

  Lana snorted. “That’s not what I meant and you know it. I’m going to bed. If you want to come with me, that’s fine. If not, you know where the door is.” She sauntered past, giving him attitude even though she quivered like an inexperienced girl inside. But there was nothing remotely girlish about the sexual response, the moistening of her sex and the tight sensation in her nipples. Her breath came in pants and she had to force herself to keep moving to her allocated bedroom. Lana took another two tottery steps before masculine hands spanned her waist. The next instant her world tilted and she hung over Duncan’s shoulder looking at the passage from a new perspective.

  “Put me down!”

  “No.”

  “I’ll scream.”

  “Go ahead and scream, babe. We’re going to the bedroom.”

  “I can go by myself. I have legs.” Lana thumped her fists on his backside and could feel the flex of his buttocks as he strode down the passage.

  “Which room?”

  “The last one at the end. I could have walked by myself,” she repeated.

  “It was time for action. You were thinking too much. You’ll have plenty of time to think on Monday.”

  Exactly what frightened her.

  Inside the bedroom he tossed her onto the bed and turned on the light.

  “Strip,” he said.

  Lana blinked against the bright glare and stared up at him. “You want me to strip?”

  “Yeah, I didn’t have a chance to watch you this afternoon.”

  “I don’t want to.” A lie. She wanted to obey him and that posed a problem. She’d done everything Jamie had told her to and look what happened there. As much as she’d loved Jamie and missed him, she hadn’t been blind to his faults and the problems in their marriage. If Jamie had lived… Oh no! She wasn’t going there. He was dead so there was no point thinking about what might have been.

  Duncan’s eyes narrowed and he folded his arms across his chest. “I might as well leave then.”

  “You wouldn’t.”

  “Try me.”

  Lana frowned. Surely he wouldn’t go? He confused the heck out of her. Combined with her own feelings, he made her head whirl. “I thought
you wanted me, wanted to be with me tonight.”

  “I do, but I’m not willing to take half measures. It’s all or nothing, Lana.”

  “What does it matter? We’re only together for the rest of the weekend.”

  Duncan’s frown deepened. He pushed away from the wall and crossed the carpeted floor to stare down at her. “You might as well know. When it comes to sex, I like things my way. Complete compliance.”

  A ripple went through Lana at his words. Part of it was concern because of her experience with Jamie, but inside, interest stirred as well—a flutter of her pussy and a tightening ball of tension in the pit of her stomach. She swallowed. “I’m not sure I like the idea of being dominated. I like to make my own decisions.”

  “And I’m fine with that, except for the bedroom where I like to do things my way. I told you earlier I like to dominate the order of things.”

  “I see.” Lana scrutinized him, searching for his intentions. Not a whisper of gossip had reached her about his sexual predilections, which meant he was both circumspect and didn’t step out of line with any of his partners. She certainly had firsthand experience of some of his techniques and had lived to tell the tale. Nothing too bad. What did she have to lose? It was just for the weekend. Come Sunday they’d part and probably wouldn’t see each other for another six months or maybe longer. Pushing aside her lingering worries, she shoved off the bed. Okay, if he wanted her to strip, she’d do it. Not that it would take long since she only wore a dress. A naughty feeling danced through her, bringing a rash of chill bumps to her arms and legs. Humming silently inside her head, she started to sway, satisfaction filling her when Duncan stepped back to give her room.

  His hot gaze made her wet and daring. She reached behind and slid down the zipper of her dress. Gracefully, she rolled her shoulders, letting one of the bodice straps slither down her arm to bare the upper slopes of her breasts. Continuing to sway to the tune she heard inside her head, she peeked at Duncan through lowered lashes. All male and sexy with it. He wasn’t cute. No, that description didn’t work for him at all. Masculine and confident. Lana snorted inside. Quite like Jamie, which should have made her scramble for cover. Instead, she’d decided to grab the moment and tempt fate.

  Duncan leaned against the wall, a smile hovering on his lips. “Is that it? Don’t I get to see some more skin?”

  Lana breathed out with a huff of irritation. With a shrug of her shoulder the other strap slipped down her arm. She shimmied and the silky green fabric moved lower until aided by gravity it slithered to the ground to pool at her feet. Lana stepped out of it and gracefully bent to pick it up. With peekaboo motions she held the fabric up to screen her naked body. Really, it seemed truly decadent to strut around wearing high heels and not a stitch more. At any other time she would have melted to a puddle of embarrassment, but Duncan made her nudity seem natural. Desirable.

  “I’ll take the dress for you.” Duncan tugged it from her hands and placed it over the back of a chair so it wouldn’t wrinkle too badly. Then he let his attention wander to her, his warm eyes drifting across each and every one of her curves. It felt as if he were touching her physically and a shiver of pure need rippled across her skin.

  “Are you going to spend the night looking at me?”

  “If that’s what I decide to do.”

  “Won’t that be a bit boring? For both of us?”

  “You like me looking at you. Your breathing is elevated. Your breasts are swollen and ripe for me to touch. And best of all, I can smell your arousal. Knowing you want me, want my touch, is very sexy. Sex is more than shoving a cock into a receptive pussy. Good sex is a state of mind. It’s an entire feast rather than a snack on the run. That is what I want with you tonight. A feast.”

  Lana’s thoughts and emotions ran the gamut from confusion to embarrassment to sheer lust. A man had never seduced her with words before. The suit and tie brigade who visited her restaurant, the so-called educated businessmen didn’t do this well with words. Their most determined flirting did nothing for her. This cowboy with a few well-chosen words had her panting for him. She swallowed and tried to regulate her choppy breathing. It didn’t work. Her heart had settled into a gallop and nothing could stop the excitement pulsing through her body.

  “No comment?” Duncan pushed away from the wall and prowled across the room until he reached her side. With the tip of one blunt finger he traced around a nipple. As they both watched, it drew tight and an aching sensation throbbed through her. She couldn’t restrain her gasp and reached for him, wanting to touch, if only to ground herself.

  “No touching,” he instructed. “I will do the touching for the moment.”

  Her breasts rose and fell with her quick inhalation. Slowly he circled her, studying her nude body in close detail. He trailed his fingers across her shoulder blade and briefly cupped the curve of one buttock before he faced her again with the faint smile still in place.

  “Beautiful. Sexy. Desirable.”

  With Duncan that’s exactly how she felt. “You could add impatient,” she added.

  “Good things come to those who wait.”

  “That’s what my mother used to say.”

  “She sounds like a wise woman.”

  Lana sighed. “She was. I miss her.”

  “No sad thoughts tonight. We’re having a feast, a celebration.”

  “Then why am I so hungry?” Lana wailed.

  Duncan chuckled. “Patience. Part your legs for me.”

  Obediently Lana shifted her stance, a little embarrassed by the scent of her arousal. Not that it seemed to bother Duncan. He pinched one nipple without warning, the surge of pain dragging a husky protest from her. But the pain didn’t linger, settling straight to her pussy, curling into heat and desire. Duncan leaned closer and kissed the delicate skin of her neck, giving her the faint bite of teeth and the soothing rasp of his tongue. Her breathing settled into a purr. His sinful lips moved lower and he licked across her collarbone before the hot, tight suction of his mouth brought a jolt of dark pleasure. It speared straight to her core, the heat blossoming and plumping her folds.

  “I love the way you respond to me, your open responses.”

  When a man tended a woman so well with strokes and seductive licks, pleasure came easy. A mew of need escaped as his mouth neared one pouting nipple. Her pulse stalled before jumpstarting. Now. Please take me into your mouth. Luckily he answered her fervent prayers, taking her nipple deep into his mouth. There was nothing gentle about it. He sucked hard and she felt the echoes in her cunt, a swift spasm of pleasure and a sensation of tightening. A purr of approval escaped.

  “I like that,” she murmured, her head lolling to the side.

  “I know, sweetheart. Just wait. It will get better. Much better.”

  So far it felt pretty good. How could it get better? She’d experienced his lovemaking already and didn’t see how he could improve. Heck, she hoped his words were all talk because if he spoke the truth, she’d be in trouble. If things got any better, she’d start to daydream about him when all she wanted was to ground herself in reality and get back to her business on Monday morning.

  Duncan ran calloused hands over her rib cage and across her hips while he shifted his mouth to her other breast. The combination of sensations flooded her senses, the drag of rough fingers over her smooth skin, the tug of his mouth at her breast and the sounds. He murmured gentle encouragement whenever his mouth wasn’t busy, praising her softness, her lush curves and her open responses. Damn, she wanted to whimper. She would in a minute. All the blood in her body seemed to have headed south and it pulsed in her pussy. Lana stirred restlessly.

  “Good girl. I’ll make it better soon.” He mouthed her nipple, giving her a hint of teeth.

  “Hurry,” she ordered.

  Duncan released her nipple, letting it slip from his mouth. “We’re doing things my way, remember?”

  “Yeah, like the song. I can hardly forget. Your way is slow. We only have the week
end.”

  Not if he had anything to do with it, Duncan thought. This was only the start of something big and everlasting.

  He moved down her body until he knelt in front of her. She shifted, redistributing her weight. The scent of her arousal wafted closer and briefly he closed his eyes. Toast. The woman managed to wriggle past his defenses without difficulty, but he had to stay strong. Strength and determination would win her.

  Using pressure on her thighs, he encouraged her to spread her legs farther apart. Knowing the position would become uncomfortable soon, he upped the pace. He licked along the juncture of torso and leg, dragging his tongue downward until he neared her mons. Silky-smooth skin. God, she tempted him like no other. He rasped his tongue down her slit, parting her folds to gain access to her clit. Her honey flowed across his taste buds.

  “Duncan.” Lana’s legs trembled when his tongue brushed across her swollen clit, her hands grasping his shoulders for support.

  Duncan rose in a smooth move, lifting her into his arms. He lowered her to the bed, following her down. Her beautiful jade green eyes glowed with passion and need, calling to him. His cock had lengthened and because he still wore his jeans it felt bloody uncomfortable. Duncan adjusted his penis before cupping her ass with his hands and lifting her to his mouth. With leisurely strokes of his tongue he feasted on her, tasting her honey and stoking her need. He wanted to drive her crazy, just as she drove him wild with desire. And if he enjoyed her meltdown at the same time, why should he argue?

  She moaned softly, muscles tensing when he laved at her clit. Using his fingers, he filled her while he rasped his tongue down her cleft. The tiny sounds she made at the back of her throat filled him with lust and put intense pressure on his zipper, yet he wouldn’t be anywhere else. He hummed and blew warm air over her nub, watching it pulse. Lana bucked under his ministrations, whispering his name.

  “Soon, Lana. You can go higher yet.”

  “No, no, no,” she chanted. “Make me come. It’s so good that it hurts. Please, please make me come.”