7
The morning came too soon, with a ray of sunshine peeking through the curtains in Mitchell’s room. His arm was still around Kayla so she snuggled closer to him. She wiggled her bottom and felt his hard cock right where he said it would be. He tightened his arm and nuzzled her neck. “Be still,” his scratchy voice mumbled in her ear. A smile slipped across her face as she wiggled again. “Mak.” A warning, but there was so much she wanted to share with him. She gently rolled over in his arms and started kissing his neck, under his chin and along his jaw. “Mmmm.” She felt him take a deep breath. “Baby, you’ve got to stop.” She snaked her arm around him and rubbed his back. Her hand slipped under his boxers and she kneaded his ass. She felt him pull back and look at her questioningly. “Mak?”
“I’m willing to finish.”
Mitchell closed his eyes. “Thank you, God.” He opened his eyes and focused on her. “Are you sure? Don’t think I didn’t notice last night when you didn’t answer my question about another man, Mak. If there’s someone else, now’s the time to tell me.”
Tears welled in her eyes. How did she tell him this? She took a deep breath and held his gaze so he could see and hopefully feel what she was about to say. “There has only ever been you, Mitch. I haven’t been with anyone in five years.”
“What?” He whispered. “How? Mak, I know what we had, how much you enjoyed sex. There’s no way you’ve gone five years. You know about Sally, it’s okay to be honest with me. I need you to be honest with me, especially about this.”
“It’s the truth; however, I did find a fun little store between here and home. Some toys help me get through the nights when I miss you too much. I do go through a lot of batteries.” She felt the flush on her face and averted her eyes. In a million years, she never thought she would admit that to Mitchell.
It took her a minute to get the nerve to look him in the eyes again. He had the most brilliant smile on his face. “Did you bring any of those toys with you? I’m more than happy to watch you play as long as I eventually get to join in.”
“No, I didn’t think I’d be here long enough to need any toys. But why do I need toys if I have the real thing?”
“Do you want the real thing?”
“Yes.”
“The whole package, Mak. Not just sex.”
“Yes. As long as that whole package is with you. I don’t want it with anyone else, and I never thought I’d have another chance with you. I’m so sorry I didn’t say anything before I left or ask you to go with me.”
He rolled them to where she was on her back and he braced himself over her on his forearms. “I’m sorry I let you go without telling you how I felt. We were so young. Maybe we needed time to prove what we felt was real.” He leaned down and kissed her neck just below her ear. She smiled and felt goosebumps spread over her whole body. He mumbled against her skin, “That’s still your spot. Let’s see if I can remember the rest of them.”
“Mitch,” she whispered.
He changed position so he could slip the strap of her camisole over her shoulder, then kissed where it had been. As he removed the material from her breast, he kissed his way there. Gently, he sucked her nipple into his mouth, and she arched her back to give him better access. She moaned when he whispered, “There’s my girl. Still so responsive.” She whimpered and melted like warm jelly in his hands. His teeth scraped her nipple before his tongue lazily lapped it. The cool air hit her when he pulled back to rest on his knees. “Sit up, baby.” She did as he said with her eyes glued to his. He held her stare as he removed her camisole completely. She held her breath as he took his time to look his fill, and her nipples began to pucker under his gaze. His pinches made them even harder, and she released her breath in a gush. “These little nipples teased me through that silk all night, now I want to see them with no barriers.” He didn’t hide where his eyes went. “Good Lord, they’re more spectacular than I remember.” With every word he spoke, her breath got harder.
She reached toward him and rubbed his chest and nipples, feeling them pebble under her fingertips. She heard him moan when she kissed them. His hands cupped the sides of her face and tilted it so he could kiss her. The kiss started soft, but quickly became more urgent. He bit her bottom lip when a moan left her mouth. “Lean back, baby. Your other breast is begging for some attention.” He guided her back down and followed with his mouth, heading straight for the breast he hadn’t kissed yet. His hand massaged that breast as his mouth sucked, nibbled, and bit. She squirmed beneath him and bit her lip to keep from screaming. She didn’t want Evan to come in there.
“Baby, I’ve had this dream too many times. I need to hear you, feel you to know it’s real.”
“What about Evan?”
“He’s on the other side of the house and won’t hear you.”
Mitchell worked his way down her stomach with his mouth. He pulled her silk shorts down as he went while she lifted her hips to help him take them off. When he stopped, she raised her head to look at him. “What’s wrong? Has my body changed so much that you don’t like looking at it anymore?” She started to pull her knees to her chest when he grabbed her legs and stopped her.
“Dammit, Mak. I love your body and you know it. But these bruises. I did this to you when I tackled you yesterday, didn’t I? Do they hurt? We can stop.”
He leaned down to kiss the bruises as she spoke, “I don’t think I could run a marathon, but this feels good. Please don’t stop.”
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You’re not.”
“You sure?”
“Oh, positive.” She laid her head back on the pillow as his tongue found her clit.
His tongue took a complete swipe from back to front. “You taste so good, like a mixture of sweet honey with a touch of fresh salt water. My favorite. I never forgot it.” He looked at her below him. “The first time I ever went down on you was at the beach. We’d just come out of the ocean from a late-night swim. One of my fondest memories. I’ve used it many times over the years.” His eyes danced with mischief.
Before she could protest his walk down memory lane, his mouth returned to where she wanted it most right then. She felt the familiar tightening in her lower abdomen and moaned unrestricted. Mitchell slipped a finger into her pussy and moved it in and out. “Damn, baby. You weren’t kidding. You need to come so you’ll relax and I can get inside of you.” He added another finger, and she started to come undone. As she felt his fingers pump, she looked to see his mouth on her clit and his eyes locked on hers. She dropped her head to the pillow and let out a satisfied sigh.
Mitchell kissed the insides of her thighs before he climbed his way back up her body and kissed her thoroughly. “See how good you taste,” he softly whispered as he rubbed his body against hers.
“Your shorts are still on,” she whined.
He lowered his head and kissed from her jaw to her ear. “Are you still on birth control? I’m clean. I used condoms. I’ve always used them. It’s just I’ve waited so long for this day, I don’t want anything between us,” he whispered.
“I know you used them before with me because we were so young, but even with her?”
“Yes. Always. I only ever wanted to ride bareback with you. Only you.”
She looked into his eyes. “Yes.”
He sat on his heels again and pushed his shorts and boxers down his thighs while she followed him up. He stood in the bed as she pulled his clothes the rest of the way off. She was grateful his parents had the forethought to have high ceilings. He stepped out of his boxers while she rose up on her knees. Using her tongue, she licked him from root to tip. The moan that left his mouth gave her courage to continue her oral exploration. His abdominal muscles tightened when she lowered her mouth and sucked on one of his balls. She heard his sudden rush of breath when she released the first one and took in the other. When she released it, she went to the tip and took him in as far as she could. She felt him at the back of her throat when his han
ds grasped the sides of her head and gently pushed her back. “Not today, baby. I can’t last that long. I’ve wanted back inside of you for too long to risk losing it in your mouth.”
He eased her back down on the bed before he repositioned himself between her legs. She noticed his cock was just as impressive as it was when they were younger. He moved to coat himself with her juices and slid in about an inch. “You okay, baby? I don’t know how slowly I can go, but you’re so tight.”
“Just like the first time.” Her fingers pressed against his back as her nails scratched him. “You made it good the first time.”
“Then look at me. The first time we didn’t take our eyes off each other. Give me that now,” he said as he pushed farther into her.
She looked him in the eyes and smiled as he started to move easier. “Ahhh,” slipped from her lips. Her body knew this was where she belonged. She always had and always would.
“Heaven. You. Are. My. Heaven,” Mitchell declared with each slow thrust.
Her body was building again, and she wanted that sweet release. “Mitch, I’m getting close.”
“I know, baby. I can see the flush on your skin move down your body.” His jaw tightened and his rhythm picked up. “Let go, Mak. I need you to let go. I’m right behind you.”
She cried out in pure ecstasy then felt Mitchell let go. His body became rigid as his thrusts slowed and he finished. He collapsed on her with his face nuzzled next to her ear. She felt his lips curl into a smile when he whispered, “That was fantastic.” Her arms were trapped under his and wrapped around his body, so she knew he’d feel the tears that escaped from her eyes. As they trickled down the sides of her face, she felt him kiss them away. “I expected this when we lost our virginity, but why the tears now?” He asked softly. He raised his head so he could see her when she answered.
“I never thought I’d have this again. It was beautiful, and you were perfect. You always give me what I need. You seem to know me better than I know myself at times.” She wiggled an arm free and touched his face. Her hand moved over his cheek and her thumb swiped his lips. He kissed her thumb on its return trip.
“I love you, Mak. I always have and I always will. You’ve been mine since you were twelve. I let you go once for you to see the world and find out what you want. You’ve come back to me, and after this,” he pushed himself against her to make his point, “I’m not letting you go again. We still have a lot of things to talk about and figure out. But this is set in stone. Last night, you said you enjoyed the dance, but you needed something solid between us. You’ve got it. Is that what you’ve needed to hear from me? I’m just as much yours as you are mine. I always thought you knew that.”
“Oh, God. I love you, too, Mitch. I always have. I made a mistake I’ll never make again. I’ll always ask you to go with me,” she cried.
“Good. I’m glad that’s settled. Now, as much as I’d love to stay in bed with you all day, I’ve got to get the men started checking out the ranch. You need to get ready so we can go into town and file a report about last night.”
“Do you think it’s too late?”
“I’m not sure, but we both know they wouldn’t have done anything about it last night and probably won’t today. We just need to get it on record.”
“Okay.”
He slid out of bed before helping her up. As she walked to the bathroom, she felt his deposit seeping down her leg. “Damn, you look so good!”
She gave him a sexy smile. “Do you want to join me in the shower?”
“No. If I do, we won’t get anything done today. Are you sore?”
“Hmmm. I do feel the tackle, but everywhere else is good.”
The water was warming the bathroom when he walked in. “I’m heading to the kitchen. I’ll go make sure coffee is going and see what we can find for breakfast. We should probably head into town pretty soon.” He pressed a sweet kiss to her lips and left her to shower.
8
As soon as Mitchell turned the corner into the kitchen, he saw Evan. He was leaning against the kitchen counter with his legs crossed at the ankles, sipping a cup of coffee.
The smile on Mitchell’s face wasn’t something he could hide, nor did he want to. “Good morning,” Mitchell said as nonchalantly as possible.
“Well if the smile on your face and the noises I heard from your room are any indication, then I guess it is,” Evan replied. “Does this mean you two have finally got your shit together?”
“We’re working on it. For the love of all things good in this world, please don’t let her know you heard anything. She’ll freak the fuck out if she thinks you heard her.”
“So you’ve told her everything?”
“Not quite. We’ll talk more today. My guilt will kill me if I don’t.”
“I hope that’s the right thing to do. Y’all weren’t together. I don’t see why you have to tell her.”
“I don’t want secrets. With all the other shit going on right now, don’t you think secrets will cause more issues? I want her to trust me. She can’t trust me if I don’t come clean.”
“Your call, man.”
“Listen, when we were talking last night, she brought up a good point. The nights I stayed in town, the ranch was left unattended. You know, before you came home. Once the men left for the day, anyone could do anything they wanted here and no one would know.”
“What are you sayin’?”
“I’m saying I’m sending some of the guys to count the cattle and check all of the fences. See if anything looks out of the ordinary. Fifty acres isn’t a lot, but it’s too much land for us to see every inch on a daily basis.”
“Okay. I’ll see if any ATF agents have moved out here with this group yet. Aren’t y’all supposed to be puttin’ up a fence today?”
“Yeah, if Mak feels up to it.”
“Take pictures of any of the guys you see next door. That way I can see if I recognize any of ‘em.”
Mitchell could smell her fragrance before she entered the room. She was wearing the same perfume he bought for her sixteenth birthday. It was the only thing she asked for, and he worked his ass off around the ranch to earn the money to buy it. His mother offered to buy it for him, but he wanted to buy it for Mak himself. He sacrificed to buy something special for his girl.
By the time her eighteenth birthday rolled around, he had his first rental property and had flipped his first house. She got her perfume and a nice dinner out. He double majored in business and construction management so he could move into commercial real estate development. Maybe her absence over the last five years had one positive outcome. He worked to pass the tests to become a licensed commercial contractor and gained the work experience required to start his own company. He invested in real estate, both residential and commercial. He’d developed commercial projects in the past, but they were a lot of work. Now, he chose his projects and hired the contractors to oversee them; otherwise, he wouldn’t have time for the ranch. To be honest, this was where he felt the most free.
He turned to meet her as she entered the kitchen. “You look beautiful.” He kissed her temple.
“Thank you. Good morning, Evan.”
“Good mornin’, sweet…”
“You might want to stop there, man.” Mitchell glared at his brother, fully intending to kick his ass if he finished that statement.
“Kayla,” Evan finished and flashed a smile at her.
“Coffee, sweetheart?”
“Please.”
“Cream and sugar, right?”
“You know it.”
“There isn’t too much around here to eat for breakfast.”
“This is perfect. I don’t want too much before we go to the police station. I don’t want to throw up on their desk.”
“Why are you nervous? I’ll be right there with you. Plus, I’m the one who saw the car.”
“How are you feeling this morning? Sore?” Evan asked.
Kayla’s face went beet red. Mitchell glared
at Evan as if he could kill him. Why the hell was he asking her that?
Evan rushed to clarify his question once he saw their reactions. “Did the Advil help last night?”
“Oh, yes. Thank you.”
“I’m going to see the men while you drink your coffee,” Mitchell told her. “Evan, you stay away from my girl,” he said with a shit-eating grin on his face.
“Dude, she’s like a sister to me. Remember, Thomas and I are old friends.”
“Old being the operative word.” Mitchell slapped him on the back on his way out. He knew how Evan felt, Mitchell just liked giving Evan shit.
When he got to the barn, a few of the men were already there. Riverton Ranch had a total of six hired hands. As the ranch foreman, Roger oversaw everything. Tom and Paul had been there almost as long as Roger, and took care of anything that needed to be done. Andy kept the few horses they had worked, brushed, cleaned, and fed. George and Daniel mainly worked after school, ensuring the barn was clean, keeping the hay fresh, filling the water troughs, and maintaining the farm equipment.
Mitchell saw the foreman round the corner of the barn and called his name.
“Mornin’, Mitchell,” Roger greeted him with a cup of coffee in his hand.
“Got a few minutes? I need to discuss some things with you.”
“Sure. Is everything alright?”
“Let’s hope so. Yesterday, I spent a good part of the day mending four broken fences. We haven’t had a broken fence in years. I put the old pieces in the barn. Would you look at them to see if they were intentionally cut, or just broke at the staples? I also need you to send someone to count the heads of cattle, make sure we have all thirty. And have a couple guys ride every fence line today. I want to know if anything looks out of the ordinary. Roger, you’ve been with my family a long time. You know this place as well as I do.”
“Sure, Mitchell. What’s going on?”
Unwelcomed Greeting: A Riverton Crossing Novel Page 5