He devoured her with a hungry gaze. As he hooked his fingers into the top of her white, cotton panties, she trembled. She had absolutely no intention of stopping him, but in the back of her mind she knew this was crazy. The fallout would be a disaster. But even knowing that, she couldn’t stop.
The panties slid down her thighs and off the ends of her feet. Completely naked, she sat up to free his erection from his boxers. The hard upsweep of his thick cock tempted her in a way she hadn’t been tempted in years. She licked her lips and had every intention of tasting him. But he had his own plan.
His arm swept under her lower back to drag her closer. The backs of her thighs rested on the tops of his. Legs wide, lips parted, eyes wide, she couldn’t stop from crying out as he surged into her. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and clung to him with a desperation that came straight from her heart. Joined together for the first time in years, every emotion she’d ever felt for him came rushing back. She was inundated with memories—their first kiss, the first time he’d held her hand, the first time he’d made love to her.
As she dug her nails into his back, he roared. He thrusted deeper and further with each stroke. In total ecstasy, she arched her back to take all of him. Spread wide and stuffed with every inch of his throbbing cock, she moaned with wild abandon.
He moved over her claiming her with each thrust, capturing her with every flick of his tongue against her neck. When he bit her, she clenched around him.
“Rachel, oh, God.”
She opened her eyes to meet his gaze and sighed. They fit together like they were made for each other and she couldn’t help thinking about where everything had gone wrong.
He crushed his lips against hers as if he’d spent the last four years starved for affection. She responded in kind. Her lips buzzed with pleasure. She matched him thrust for thrust until he pounded her with an almost frantic fury. Rough and hot, she took everything he could give until the storm building inside her threatened to burst.
“Ohhh…” She whined as the tension in her pussy coiled tighter and tighter.
So close.
Dangling over the precipice of mind-blowing pleasure, she held back until she heard the telltale shift in his breath. Then the whole world exploded into a pulsing wave of ecstasy. Her pussy fluttered with tiny pulses of energy, releasing four years of loneliness.
He roared as he pushed into her one last time. A flood of his seed rushed to fill her with slick warmth. His arms trembled as he hovered over her for another second before collapsing to cover her with his body.
She held him, unable to think about ever letting go. Lying in his arms always felt so right, like she belonged with him. She savored the sensation because she knew it wouldn’t last. She couldn’t put off telling him about Jimmy much longer. And when he learned she’d been hiding his son for years, he’d be furious.
***
Brady struggled to open his eyes. God, what happened last night?
The weight of someone’s leg on his thigh snapped him out of a foggy state. He glanced at the woman draped across his body.
Oh, shit.
He sat up too quickly and the room spun on its axis. He groaned. Never. Drinking. Again.
Beside him, Rachel stirred. She opened her beautiful eyes and seemed just as shocked to see him. “Hey.”
“Good morning.”
He hesitated, unsure of what to say or do. Normally, he’d be running for the door. He liked to slip out of bed before the woman woke. It was less messy that way. After a few awkward conversations, he’d learned to get out as fast as possible the next morning. But he couldn’t just leave her. They had too much history to make it an easy exit.
He gently untangled himself from her arms. “I…uh…”
She sat up, taking the sheet with her to cover her body. “Yeah.”
“Last night…”
“We don’t have to talk about it.”
He breathed a sigh of relief. She was giving him an easy out, so why wasn’t he taking it?
“Do you want to take a shower before you go?” she asked.
“Yeah.” He sure as hell needed to clear his head. He couldn’t think straight with her scent all over his skin.
After carefully climbing out of bed, he sidestepped a minefield of clothes to get to the bathroom. Once inside, he turned on the shower and jumped in. The almond-scented soap she coveted sat right next to a bar of cheap hotel soap. He chose the plain bar. He’d go crazy if he had to smell her all day. He was already in a heap of trouble for following his bear’s instinct. He’d just wanted to make sure she got home, but his bear had wanted even more. And he’d gotten it.
Flashes of their lovemaking blazed behind his closed eyes. Just remembering the curve of her breasts, the softness of her thighs, her passionate cries and gentle caresses sent his body into a painfully hard state of arousal. He considered turning off the water and joining her back in bed, but that would be completely insane.
She hadn’t exactly jumped for joy when she’d woken up. He couldn’t read the expression on her face. Was she mad? Happy? As confused as he was?
He wanted to be angry at her for all the hurtful things she’d said to him the night they’d broken up, but it seemed so long ago. He wasn’t the same person anymore and neither was she. Hell, he didn’t know anything about her life. Maybe she had one-night stands all the time and this meant nothing to her. He cringed at the thought.
Last night, they’d given in to the passion only long-lost lovers could know. But in the stark light of day, what did one night of sex really mean?
As he toweled off, he willed his bear to calm down. He couldn’t walk out with a raging hard-on. If she’d given him any indication that she wanted more sex, he would have been all over her. But he had no idea what he was about to walk out to.
His hand froze over the doorknob. He steeled himself for the onslaught just in case she was pissed.
When he opened the door, she turned to face him. Fully dressed, she gathered her hair up into a ponytail. She sat on the edge of the bed and watched him get dressed with a look of quiet contemplation. At least she wasn’t mad.
He pulled on his clothes then stood. Because she didn’t say anything, he started. “I guess I should be—”
“I have something I need to—”
He laughed nervously.
“You first,” they said simultaneously.
She chuckled before turning serious. “I need to show you something.”
“What?”
“It’s better if I show you. Can you drive me to my mom’s?”
He hesitated. He wasn’t dumb. She probably wanted to show off the kid, but the thought of another man being inside her made his bear rage. He wasn’t sure he could handle seeing the evidence of another romance. “I have to get back to the horses.”
“It will be quick. It would mean a lot to me.”
Definitely the kid. Ugh. But she had such a hopeful look on her face, he couldn’t find it in himself to turn her down. “All right. But only for a minute.”
She smiled slightly. “Thank you.”
He hid his discomfort until she’d walked ahead of him, then he frowned. Oh well, it was the least he could do considering she’d given him toe-curling sex.
They didn’t say more than a few words on the drive to her mother’s house. The tiny studio sat over the pie shop and smelled of fresh-baked goodness. The scent of apples and cinnamon hung like an ever-present blanket of warmth around the home.
She wasn’t kidding when she’d said it was tiny. They’d only taken a couple of steps into the studio before reaching the couch. He sat and waited for her to bring the kid out from the bathroom. Apparently he’d gone face-first into a cherry pie and June needed to hose him off.
Rachel paced back and forth as they waited. Her hands wrung together, her eyes downcast. When he couldn’t take another second of her pacing, he reached for her hand.
“I’m s
ure I’ll like the kid,” he said.
She looked up with shimmering eyes. Was she about to cry?
The door to the bathroom cracked open and a boy, a little over three feet tall, raced into the room. Clad in a bath towel cut to form the shape of a monkey, he shrieked. “Mommy, I grabbed the pie and it fell.”
She leaned over to scoop him into her arms. “I heard.”
He flailed and kicked. “Put me down.”
When she did, the boy turned to face Brady. A rush of awareness punched him in the gut. The kid looked exactly like him down to the same chocolate-colored eyes and thick brown hair.
When Brady could finally take a breath he gasped, “Is he?”
Rachel nodded slowly.
Disbelief, followed by confusion, followed by rage, rushed through him. He stood and yelled. “And you didn’t think I needed to know?”
The boy’s eyes went wide. He stepped closer to his mom and hid behind her legs.
“I wanted to but—”
“Jesus, Rachel. How the hell could you keep something like this from me?”
“You were going off to war. You didn’t give a damn that you were leaving me all alone.”
He narrowed his eyes. “When did you find out? Was it before or after I left? Wait… you know what? I don’t want to know.”
He stomped toward the door.
She ran over to him and grabbed his arm. “Wait.”
“Are you kidding me? I can’t believe you didn’t tell me.”
“I didn’t know how.”
“Pick up the phone and call.”
“Where? What country was I supposed to call? I didn’t even know where you were.”
He clenched his fists to try to contain the rage. “I wrote to you. You could have written back and told me.”
He spun and swung open the door. He couldn’t get away fast enough. If he couldn’t keep his bear in check, everyone, including his son, would be in grave danger. He needed time to think.
Shit. He had a son.
Rachel bounded down the stairs behind him. “I have to tell you something else.”
He turned and got right in her face. “Stop. I can’t. Not right now.”
She recoiled.
He blinked several times. She’d never been afraid of him before. But what little sympathy he felt vanished as his son appeared in the doorway. The child stared at him with fear in his eyes. Brady’s heart shattered into a million pieces. How could she be so cold?
Chapter Five
Rachel collapsed to her knees in the snow. Her worst nightmare had just come true. Not only was Brady enraged, but he’d left before she’d even had a chance to tell him about Jimmy’s illness.
On her hands and knees, she sobbed until her mom came downstairs.
“Honey, you need to get up. Jimmy’s scared.”
“I should have told him a long time ago. I wouldn’t be going through this if I had just told him. What the hell is wrong with me?”
Her mom sighed and helped her to her feet. “You were only eighteen when it happened. You were just out of high school and still a teenager.”
“But I was an adult.”
“Being an adult isn’t just about hitting a certain number on a development chart. It’s about learning to be responsible. And you’ve learned. I know things have been hard, but you’ve always done the best you could.”
“I failed him,” she cried.
“Jimmy or Brady?”
“Both of them.”
Her mom guided her up the stairs. “Come upstairs. You need to get out of the snow before you catch a cold.”
“That’s not how you catch a cold,” Rachel sniffed.
Her mom chuckled. “Science can’t explain everything.”
She laughed at their age-old argument about where illness really came from. As she collapsed into the couch, Jimmy ran over to wrap his arms around his mom.
“Is the bad man gone?”
Her heart broke all over. At least Jimmy hadn’t realized he’d just met his father. She dreaded the day she’d have to tell him the truth about their relationship.
Her mom set a tea kettle on the stove. “Some chamomile will help you calm down.”
“I have to go after him. I have to talk to him.”
“How did you get him to come over here? What did you tell him?”
“Nothing. I just…” her voice trailed off. Her mother was going to kill her when she found out that she’d slept with Brady again.
“His scent is all over you. You should have taken a shower if you really wanted to hide it.” Her mom chuckled. “So how’d you two end up in bed again? I have to say, I didn’t expect that at all.”
“I ran into him at the bar last night.”
“I didn’t think he drank.”
“If he does, it’s not much. He was pretty messed up last night.”
“Did you get a chance to tell him about the medical situation?”
Rachel stroked the top of Jimmy’s head. “No. I need to, but he’s furious. How can I ask him for help now?”
“You just have to go to the ranch and talk to him. Now that he knows he has a son, there’s no way he’ll turn his back on him.”
“You sound pretty sure about that.”
Her mom smiled. “I know these things. I’ll watch Jimmy while you go and talk to him.”
Jimmy tilted his face up. “Namma said I can help make cookies.”
“With sprinkles and stars,” her mom added.
Rachel forced a smile. “That sounds great. I’m going to go talk to my friend, but I’ll be back very soon.”
“Your mean friend?”
“He’s just upset right now. He’s usually a really nice friend.”
Jimmy scowled. “He better be nice.”
As her mom reached for Jimmy’s hand, she chuckled. “Let’s go make cookies, honey.”
Rachel watched him walk into the tiny kitchen. They’d had a Christmas tradition of making cookies as far back as she could remember. Some of her favorite holiday memories happened during their hours-long baking sessions.
She stood and walked halfway to the door before she remembered the dead car battery. “Oh, Mom?”
June poked her head out of the kitchen. “Yes?”
“My car battery died last night. That’s part of why Brady and I ended up together. Can I borrow yours?”
“I don’t know if it will make it all the way. I hardly ever use it anymore. Everything I need is within walking distance. Do you have your cell phone with you?”
She checked her coat pocket. “Yep.”
June handed her the keys. “Call me if anything happens. I’ll get Carl to fix your car while you’re gone.”
“Carl?”
Her mom blushed. “He works at Sal’s Garage. He’s pretty handy.”
Rachel smiled. “I can’t wait to meet him.”
“Oh, we’re just friends. He comes over and does odd jobs for me, that’s all.”
Rachel suspected he did more than just odd jobs when he came over. Good for her. The woman took care of everyone else; it was nice to know someone was taking care of her too.
Jimmy came around the corner. He already had a puff of flour on his nose. “I’ll make you a special cookie, Mommy.”
“Thanks, honey. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” She quickly exited before the first tear could roll down her cheek.
On the way to the ranch, she cringed at every squeak and groan of her mom’s old VW bug. Her mom didn’t make a lot of money running the bakery, but she really needed to upgrade the car. If Rachel could get back to working full time, she’d give her extra money for a new car. Right now, she could hardly help herself, which was frustrating as hell.
As she bounced along the snow-laden road to the ranch, she sniffed back tears. She really missed teaching. She’d been the kindergarten teacher at Little Elm Elementary for one year. The minute Jimmy entered cancer treat
ment, she’d had to put in for a leave of absence. She hadn’t thought much about her job until now. She really missed the kids’ smiling faces.
The sign for Curvy Bear Ranch glistened with icicles. Last night’s storm had blanketed the ground with a fresh layer of fluffy snow. The only other set of tire tracks in the snow belonged to Brady’s truck. She parked next to it.
After turning off the engine, she took a deep breath. Normally Brady could be reasoned with, but right now, she wasn’t sure that he’d listen to anything she had to say.
She stepped out of the car, shut the door, and turned just as Mack bounded down the stairs on the front porch. With long, quick strides, he closed the distance. A scowl scrunched up his face.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
Apparently, Brady had already shared the news with his brothers, and this one looked like an angry bear ready to charge.
“I came to see Brady.”
“He doesn’t want to talk to you. After what you did, he doesn’t have anything to say to you.”
She peered over his shoulder. “Where is he?”
“That’s none of your business. You need to leave the ranch. Now.” His nostrils flared.
She rose up to her full height. “I’m not leaving until I talk to Brady.”
His tone turned dark. “You have no idea what you just did to him. When he came back from the war, he wasn’t doing very well. You’ve stripped away any progress he’d made and now I have to deal with the fallout.”
“I…I didn’t know.”
“Of course you didn’t. You abandoned him the second he said he wanted to leave.”
“He left me.”
Mack crossed his arms over his chest. “You left each other. He doesn’t want to have anything to do with you. So good luck with the kid and get the hell off my property.”
Every muscle in her body tensed with fury. “I don’t care what you think. I’m going to talk to him.”
She stomped around him toward the house.
Mack called, “He’s not in there.”
A series of crunching footfalls sounded just behind her. She spun to find Mack a couple of feet from her. “Are you going to follow me around the ranch? I already told you, I’m not leaving.”
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