Love Me Once, Love Me Twice (Montana Cowboys 1)

by Beth Walker

  "I'm fine. The smell of your hair is driving me crazy. That's all." Her tongue peeked out and slipped over the surface of her lips. "You're killing me here."

  The smile creeping across her mouth looked almost wicked. Did women do wicked smiles? He didn't know, but decided hers qualified.

  Her hand pressed to his chest, and she scooted back so they were nose to nose. "I want your mouth."

  "Where?"

  "Here," she whispered, tapping one finger to her lips. "Knock my socks off."

  The growl coming from his mouth didn't sound like anything he'd heard before, but it definitely sounded possessive, and he didn’t care. Kissing her could be his downfall—throwing in the towel—giving up the goose, or all of the above. He couldn't help himself. Tasting her became a priority as he lowered his mouth to hers.

  The soft groan came from one of them, but he couldn't tell who. It seemed to float between them, passing back and forth from her mouth to his. Her tongue tentatively touched his lips and he opened for her with a moan. Women didn't usually come on to him, and he found it refreshing for Natalie to pursue him to some degree. He knew she needed to see the differences between him and Cade—feel what it was like to kiss him, make love with him. Finding out if the attraction burning between them could hold a candle to what she shared with his best friend became imperative.

  The kiss deepened with a small tilt of her head. His fingers threaded into the tendrils of her hair and held her in place. Her lips were soft and felt perfect under his. She shifted so she lay across his lap, but never broke the kiss. Chest to breast. His cock stiff and aching as it pressed into her hip. He wanted to cup her breast in his palm and rake his thumb across her nipple, but he refused to give into his desire and hers. Pushing her would be a mistake. Giving into her would be a death-null.

  He lifted his head and stared into the pools of green. "Nat, honey, we need to stop this."

  "Why?"

  His forehead met hers as he fought the urge to throw caution into the wind. "I don't want you to make love with me only because you are comparing me and Cade."

  "But I'm—"

  The brush of his lips stopped her words.

  "You had sex with Cade last night and this morning. I want us to get to know each other better before it happens between us. Can you understand?"

  She didn't look happy, but she nodded and scooted back.

  Great going! Now she'll feel like shit for coming onto me.

  "Please, don't feel bad, Natalie. It has nothing to do with my attraction to you. If I thought it would be you and me, without Cade between us, I'd throw you over my shoulder and haul your ass upstairs right now." He grasped her hand, pressing it to his aching erection. "Can you feel how badly I want you?"

  "Either that or you've got one hell of a big rock in your pocket."

  Loud laughter took the tension down a notch or two. "I know where you get your sense of humor, but God woman. I can see I have to watch everything I say for fear you'll turn it around and bite me on the ass with it."

  Her eyes sparkled and danced with mirth. "Bite your ass? Uh-huh. Sounds like fun."

  "I'm not saying another word." The zipping motion across his lips made her laugh.

  "Let's enjoy the movie, and we'll leave the heavy petting and necking for another date."

  He nodded, but didn't reply as he continued pressing his lips tight together.

  One eyebrow shot up in a saucy I-don't-think-so look right before she twisted and straddle his hips. She was right where he wanted her, even if he refused to tell her so. Her teeth nipped at his lips, and he fought the smile trying to break free. Her tongue snaked out, licking the seam, but he refused to open. Changing her direction of attack, she slid her lips over his cheek until she reached his ear. Teeth nipped at his earlobe then sucked it between her lips. Still, he refused to utter a sound. He never realized how sensitive the skin below his ear was until she bit it softly before continuing her trek down his neck. The collar of his shirt gave way to the insistent push of her nose.

  When the hell did she work the buttons loose on my shirt?

  Before he knew it, the material parted, and her fingers began working his left nipple. She pinched and pulled on the responsive nub while biting and licking his neck and shoulder. The hot, insistent throb in his balls drove a whimper from in his chest to his throat, but he refused to release it.

  "Talk?"

  He shook his head.

  "Oh, you are so screwed, buddy."

  If only she meant what she said.

  She pushed the material off his shoulders, continuing her journey down his chest until her lips closed over his right nipple.

  His eyes rolled back and his head lolled against the back of the couch.

  Damn, she likes to bite!

  Her teeth scraped the hardened bud and desire clenched at his balls. His fingertips itched to pull her head tighter against him, but he refused to give into the yearning. His hands curled into fists. He wouldn't give into the feelings she stirred unless she made the first move. This sure felt like the first move to him.

  The jingle of her cell phone interrupted her play.

  "Shit."

  "What?"

  "Nothing I did made you talk, but my cell phone ringing did? Wow."

  The phone rang again.

  "Ignore it."

  "I can't. It's my mother."

  Chapter Eight

  The phone continued ringing while she hunted for her purse. "Damn it! Where the hell did I put it?"

  "On the end table," Kale replied while buttoning his shirt.

  She fumbled with the latch, scrambling to grab it before it went to voicemail. "Hi, Mom."

  "What took you so long to answer the phone?"

  "I…um…I'm busy."

  "Where's your grandmother? And why isn't anyone answering the home phone?"

  Shit! Kale unplugged it.

  "How do I say this without you yelling at me?"

  "What's wrong? What happened? Spill it, Natalie Marie."

  "Calm down, Mom. Grandma is fine, but she's in the hospital."

  "Hospital? What the hell is going on over there?"

  "It appears she had a small stroke."

  "I'll be there tomorrow," her mother said, almost shouting into the phone.

  "No, Mom. Grandma doesn't want you here. That's the reason I didn't call you. She wouldn't let me. She's doing fine. The hospital is releasing her tomorrow to come home."

  "Home. How can she go home, Natalie, if she had a stroke?"

  "It's not serious. She's a little weak on one side, but I'm staying, and we are going to have a physical therapist come in and work with her here at the house." She rolled her eyes as she glanced at Kale. With clothing back in place, he almost looked perturbed. His irritated steps took him back and forth in front of the fireplace while he raked his fingers through his hair.

  "Well, tell your grandmother I don't care if she doesn't want me there. I'll be on the first plane in the morning. You'll need to pick me up at the airport. I'll call you when I know what time."

  Great! This is just what I need, my mother hovering.

  "Mom, really. You don't need to come. Everything is fine here. I'm taking care of grandma."

  "Exactly what happened? Did she fall or anything, complain of weakness?"

  Natalie bit her lip and tried to think of something to say that wouldn't give her away.

  "What aren't you tell me, Natalie?"

  "I wasn't exactly here when it happened, Mom."

  "You weren't there? What in the hell are you doing? You went there with specific instructions to help your grandmother finalize everything and bring her back here to live with us. God, can you do anything right?"

  "Thanks, Mother. I really appreciate the support. I'm sorry I let you down. Do whatever you want because obviously I can't measure up to your standards." With a soft whimper and a tear streaking down her cheek, she snapped the phone shut with an irritated click.

  "Come here, honey,"
Kale said, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her to his chest.

  She buried her face against his shoulder and cried like a baby. Her mother rarely got to her these days, but sometimes, she couldn't help thinking how much of a bitch she could be.

  "Shh. It's fine. Whatever she said to upset you can't be bad enough to cry over." His strong hands moved over her back, soothing her and bringing her tears to a stop.

  "It doesn't matter, Kale. I'll never be good enough for her."

  The callused pad of his thumb wiped away the remaining tears from her cheek. "Why do you think that?"

  Two steps back and her legs hit the couch before she sat down, crossing her arms over her chest. "It's always been clear. I wasn't the boy she wanted. For Andrea, it didn't matter. She was the second born. The first born had to be a son, which obviously, I'm not."

  The couch sunk when he took the seat next to her, pulling her into his embrace. "You are definitely good enough. Don't let her negative attitude bring you down. You're a beautiful, intelligent, sexy woman and any man would be thrilled to call you his own. Your mother will come around eventually."

  "I doubt it, but thank you for saying such nice things."

  "If I didn't believe they were true, I wouldn't say them." One finger under her chin brought her face around so their eyes met. The chocolate brown of his, sparkled in the firelight.

  "I think you should go, Kale. I'm sorry. I'm not real good company right now," she whispered, afraid he would try kissing her again. Her hands rubbed up and down her arms.

  "If you want me to, Nat, I'll go."

  With a stiff nod of her head, she gave him her answer. It would be better if she were alone tonight after the dressing down her mother gave her. If her mother would indeed be flying into Red Rock tomorrow, she needed her strength to deal with her, and right now, her heart wasn't into figuring out her feelings for Kale or Cade.

  "Can I see you again?" he asked as he stood.

  "Of course."

  "How about Saturday still, since this one was an unexpected date?"

  "All right. Dinner and a movie?"

  "Sure. I'll pick you up about six?"

  "Sounds perfect. See you then."

  "Do you have some way of getting to the hospital to pick up your grandmother?"

  "Yes. Her car is here and I have the keys. I'm all set."

  "Good. Call me tomorrow once you two are back here, safe and sound. I want to know you're okay. These roads can be tricky."

  "Even though I haven't lived here in a while, Kale, I have driven in snow."

  "Oh yeah, when?"

  "I used to ski Mount Hood every winter."

  "With plowed and sanded roads leading right up to the ski area, I presume."

  "Well, yes."

  "Not the same as driving around here and you know it. Just be careful, babe. I don't want you in the hospital, too."

  "I will, but I'll call you when we get back here."

  "Good. Walk me out?"

  "Sure," she replied, taking his hand in hers.

  The snow had stopped, except for an occasional flake here and there, but a good quarter of an inch covered the ground. Her boots crunched in the snow with each step. No Christmas lights decorated her grandmother's home this year, and she made a mental note to ask about putting some up. Lights always made the season seem more real to her.

  Kale wrapped both arms around her, tugging her close. "Can I kiss you good-night?"

  "I'd like it if you did. Things kind of got interrupted in there."

  "Yes they did, but I'm glad they did. You definitely had my attention and things were moving pretty fast."

  Heat crawled up her neck and splashed across her cheeks.

  "No need for embarrassment, Natalie. I was enjoying myself with the attention, but we already discussed waiting to make love."

  "I know, but you threw the challenge out there, and I'm not the type of girl to back down from a challenge."

  "I gathered that," he replied, chuckling softly.

  Seconds later, she parted her lips to accept his kiss. Man, did the guy know how to kiss. Is it a prerequisite to being a hunk? Knowing how to kiss a girl out of her panties?

  His tongue snaked inside her mouth, stroking along her tongue and fueling the fire. A soft moan left her lips as she tipped her head to take more. After several moments of light-your-underwear-on-fire kissing, he lifted his head, kissed her nose, and stepped back.

  "I'll talk to you tomorrow."

  "Uh, yeah. Tomorrow."

  "Sleep well," he said, blowing her a final kiss.

  When his truck backed out of the driveway and disappeared down the street, she sighed, shaking her head. Time. Time to think and analyze these feelings would be a great idea.

  "A hot bath, lots of bubbles, and a hot romance novel. Mmm. Sounds like a perfect way to unwind from all of this and relax."

  Back inside the house, she plugged the phone back into the wall, turned off her cell phone, and headed up the stairs. The bathroom she and Cade made love in that morning also held a huge tub, big enough for at least two people. Lavender bubble bath, hot water, a big fluffy towel, clean pajamas, and she had it made.

  A soft sigh escaped her lips as she sank into the hot water. Long, hot soaks were not a pleasure she often affords herself, but what the hell. She didn't have anywhere to be right now. No man to worry about, no papers to grade, and no television shows to miss, so an extended warm bath could be the ticket necessary to focus.

  Grandma is going to be so pissed if Mom shows up tomorrow, but I have a gut feeling she will. She never knows when to butt out and leave people alone. The groans spilling from her mouth sounded almost animalistic. Muscles relaxed. Her arms felt heavy and her eyes closed.

  "I think she's more than open to the idea, Kale." Cade's voice boomed off the walls in the bathroom.

  "Maybe. We didn't get a chance to discuss it earlier," Kale answered.

  "Well I did and she seemed totally fascinated by it." Cade's lips brushed hers. "Natalie, honey, do you want us?"

  She moaned, shifting in the water.

  "I take it that's a yes," Kale replied.

  Two naked bodies slipped into the bath with her, splashing water over the sides of the tub. Cade's hand palmed her right breast and Kale's took her left.

  "So round. So perfect," Cade whispered in her ear. "We're gonna make love to you, Natalie. Both at the same time. I want your perfect round ass and Kale wants inside your hot little pussy."

  Her nipples pulled tight under their fingers. Cade raked his thumb over the sensitive tip, and Kale rolled the other between his finger and thumb. Her back arched and she whimpered in need.

  Cade's fingers abandoned her breast and skimmed down her belly to slide between her legs. "Open for me, darlin'."

  Thighs parted. Whimpers rose and fell from her mouth uncontrollably as the two men brought her higher and higher. Kale's lips closed over her nipple. His teeth and tongue did delicious things, sending desire zinging from the tip to her clit. Cade pushed two fingers into her pussy. "Oh yeah. Hot and slick."

  Desire spiked hard. "Oh God!"

  "Tell us what you want, Nat," Kale murmured in between tonguing her nipple.

  "I want both of you inside me. Please."

  Kale leaned against the tub, grabbed her hips, and pulled her so she straddled him. One swift plunge sheathed him deep inside her, causing her to throw her head back and groan. "Yes."

  "My turn, darlin'," Cade said, moving between Kale's slightly bent legs.

  "Cade," she moaned.

  "What, honey?"

  "Now, please." His cock bumped against her tight back hole.

  "Easy. You said you've never had a man there before."

  "I don't care. I want you inside me."

  Kale shifted his hips, sliding in and out several times, fucking her hard.

  "Easy Kale. Let me in man."

  "Hurry up. I'm about to blow here."

  Cade pulled her ass cheeks apart and slid two f
ingers inside. She whimpered and pushed against his hand. "You like that?"

  "God, yes. More. I need more." His fingers disappeared and the head of his cock brushed at her entrance. "Please, Cade."

  A sharp, loud ringing brought her upright in the tub.

  "Holy shit! I was dreaming?"

  The phone rang again and she almost cried. There would be no satisfying the sexual frustration running through her body without the help of a man or maybe two.

  "Hello?" she groaned into the phone, hoping it wasn't her mother again or her grandmother.

  "Nat, darlin'. Are you okay?" Cade asked on the other end.

  "Cade," she breathed. "Thank God you weren't my mother."

  "You sound out of breath. Did I interrupt something? Is Kale still there?"

  "The only thing you interrupted was my bath, and no, he isn't here. He went home about an hour ago."

  "I almost came over there. You weren't answering the phone, and I don't have your cell number."

  "Everything is fine, Cade. You don't need to come over here."

  "What if I said I wanted to?"

  Maybe I should. I mean, I know he could take care of this problem I have now, but I told Kale I wouldn't until he had a chance with me too.

  "I would like nothing more than for you to come over here, Cade—"

  "Great! I'll be right there."

  "But no."

  "No?" The surprise in his voice almost made her laugh.

  "No. You shouldn't come over here. There's nothing you can do for me right now. I'm going to get out of the tub…" He groaned deep into the phone. "And get ready for bed. Alone."

  "Ever had phone sex?"

  "Excuse me?"

  "Phone sex, Nat. You know. We talk. You make yourself come and I do the same. Are you game?"

  "Seriously?"

  "Yeah. Why not? Even if we did have sex earlier today, you just talking makes me hotter than hell."

  "I am horny," she murmured, drying off.

  "Why? Kale?"

  "Actually, yes and no. I've been over that for a while, but I had one really great dream while I was in the bathtub."

  "A dream, huh."

  "Yep."

  "Care to tell me about it?"

  "Let's just say you and Kale were both in it."