She loved the rides. There really were no favorites. She enjoyed the slow, sedate kiddy rollercoasters with as much enthusiasm as the Tilt-a-Whirl, bumper cars, Scrambler, and of course the Ferris wheel which took eager ride-goers high up into the air where they could look down on all the merriment below them.
She texted Caitlyn.
Dani: I’m at the fair. Where RU?
Caitlyn: Running behind. Be there soon.
Dani: Dax is here!
Caitlyn: Awesome. Dinner?
Dani: I’m trying. There may be a problem.
Caitlyn: ???
Dani: Dad.
Caitlyn: N/p! I’ll help.
She knew she could count on Caitlyn. Given the right pressure, her father would cave. Now, where was he and his prize bull hanging out? Because Dax would be right by her father’s side.
The animal pens were far back from the rides and vendor craft booths. She wandered around stalls of amazingly talented artisans displaying their crafts, mouth-watering food booths, and rides she couldn’t wait to get on. Little kids tugged at their mother’s skirts and danced around their father’s legs, eager to get tickets to ride the best rides. Parents juggled plates laden with food, trying to feed their youngsters and themselves without dropping it all.
She wove through the crowd and soon the wonderful aromas of funnel cakes, cotton candy, and chili cookouts faded behind her to be replaced by the more pungent smells of livestock.
It was a big fair. Important for farmer and rancher alike, and everyone had come out to see what their neighbors had been up to over the past few months. She worked her way past the piglet racing booth, watched baby chicks waddle around in small boxes. She stopped by an egg laying pen where a prize would be given for the largest egg laid during the fair.
Unlike those around her, she didn’t stop to gossip and catch up. Peace Springs wasn’t her town, and she didn’t recognize anyone from Bear Creek.
She did eventually find her way to the stalls holding the bulls who were being put up for auction for stud rights. It didn’t take long before she found her father, because the overwhelming presence of Dax standing by his side took her breath away.
From across the pen, his gaze lifted, as if he sensed her presence, and his lips twisted up into the most magnificent smile. The angular scar tugged at his cheek, making him look ferocious and deliciously dangerous.
She knew he wasn’t. The man had a heart of gold and a soft spot in it for her. She lifted her hand to wave at Dax. Right at that moment, her father turned around. He caught her mid-wave and his hard gaze shifted to the man standing beside him. A frown darkened his face and turned into a grimace.
Her father said something and Dax bowed his head to listen. A second later, Dax shouldered his way through the crowd, heading away from Dani. She debated whether to go after him, but her father called her to his side.
She weaved through the thick crowd. Lifting on tiptoe, she gave a peck to his cheek.
“How’s it going, Daddy?”
“Good, lots of good prospects. What are you doing here? I thought you were meeting up with Caitlyn?”
“I am. She’s running late.”
He reached into his pocket and peeled off a handful of bills. When he tried to hand them to her, she put out her hand.
“You don’t need to do that.”
He shoved the money at her. “Humor me. I don’t have too many opportunities to spoil my girl.” His attention shifted in the direction Dax had gone. “You’re growing up too fast.”
She took the money, folded it, and shoved it deep into her pocket. Glancing down at the hard-packed dirt, she slid her toe over the ground.
“Where did Dax go?” She knew he sent Dax away, trying to keep them apart.
“Just an errand. Don’t pay him any mind.” He turned her around and gave her a little shove toward the front of the fairgrounds. “Now go have a funnel cake on me, and ride the rides you love so much.”
“It’s no fun riding them alone.”
“Caitlyn will be here before you know it. Check out the booths and see if there are any gifts you want to bring back with you.”
Gifts for whom? Although she knew. Despite her father’s prodding, there was no way in hell she was getting any kind of gift for Scott. She knew a dismissal when her father gave it and shot a look over the crowd looking for Dax. A big man, he would tower over everyone, but she didn’t see him. Her father must have sent him some distance on whatever phony errand he concocted.
She walked dejectedly back to the main fairgrounds, hands shoved deep in her pockets, scuffing her feet, when a strong hand gripped her arm and pulled her between two booths.
Chapter 18
Dani
Warm velvety lips silenced Dani’s yelp as Dax’s kiss crashed down on her mouth. Her eyes rounded, surprised by Dax’s sudden appearance. He materialized like a ghost. Not that it mattered. Nothing mattered when he held her in his arms.
She wrapped an arm around his neck and struggled to resist the urge to climb his body in public. There was little protection from prying eyes, which may be the only reason he didn’t take the kiss further than she wanted. As far as she was concerned, the crowd didn’t exist.
Her skin itched. Her clothes restricted her movement. She needed to feel him skin to skin, and she shamelessly ground against him, needing friction and warmth, and a connection she couldn’t describe.
Dax’s body pressed against hers, hard planes of muscle merging with her softer self. His hands dipped down to cup her ass and he yanked her against his groin. The long, swollen length of his erection tented his jeans and pushed against her belly. She giggled beneath the kiss.
Dax pulled back. “I’m not used to giggles, sweets. Breathy moans and my name as you come are what I prefer.”
“You haven’t made me come yet.” She couldn’t help it, but an impish smile crept across her face.
“Is that a challenge?” The arch of his brow indicated he was on board for such a thing.
She bit her lower lip and lifted on tiptoe to whisper into his ear. “Erection.”
His entire body stilled and he huffed a laugh. “Seems our conversation has given you something to think about. I love your filthy mouth.”
Her stomach fluttered. Their conversation emboldened her.
It felt weird actually saying the word. Not that she never said it before. But she certainly never said it to a man she wanted to fuck.
“Do you know what I want to do with my very erect cock?” His mischievous eyes twinkled.
“I can think of a thing or two.” Did those words just escape her mouth? Dani didn’t know this wanton thing she became around Dax. Where was the shy, introverted, sexually repressed woman she knew so well?
Dax made speaking about sex seem natural. Fun even. Was it?
It took a long hard look to answer that question. There was no denying he made the entire idea of sex sound fun. It was a game, an intimate expression between the two of them. Something without judgement where she found the freedom to explore.
Fairgoers passed them by, taking a long look at the couple engaged in an amorous embrace. Public displays of affection weren’t exactly frowned upon, but they weren’t encouraged in the largely religious crowd.
Dax’s voice deepened, turning raw and rough. He bent to whisper in her ear. “I want to shove my cock between your pretty lips, feel the rasp of your tongue as you lick me into oblivion, and I want the tip of my cock bouncing at the back of your throat as I come.”
Her entire body stilled. “Um, that’s quite a visual.”
“Do you want to know what I want to do with my tongue.”
Warmth spread out from her core and throbbed between her legs. She pinched her thighs together but it did nothing to ease the steady ache.
“Dax…”
“I want to lick your pussy and taste you as you come on my face. I want to shove my fingers deep inside your wet heat until your throat is hoarse from screaming my name. I want to t
ake my cock—”
She placed her hand over his mouth and looked over her shoulders. Surely someone heard that last part. The growl in his voice grew louder with each dirty thing he said.
Behind her hand, a huge grin split his face. His electric blue eyes twinkled with mischief and a very real promise.
“Too much?” He kissed her fingers and pulled her hand away from his mouth.
“That was a little intense.” Overwhelmingly intense. She’d never had a man speak to her about such things, and never about what he wanted to do to her.
People didn’t really talk like that. Did they?
The features of his face smoldered with the passion he had yet to unleash. “Hun, you have no idea what you’re in store for, do you?”
“I think I’m way out of my league.”
“Don’t be afraid, we’re going to get to know everything about each other, beginning with how I like my blowjobs and how I am absolutely going to love feasting on your pussy. I can’t wait to eat you out.”
She couldn’t help it. That moment had her squirming in place. No one had ever expressed an interest in eating her out. Not with that kind of hunger.
Wasn’t it kind of gross?
Scott seemed to think so. He never volunteered to do that. But Dax spoke of it with an unrequited hunger. Like he really wanted to…do that!
She gave a low throaty moan, and struggled to regain control of their conversation. What had they been talking about?
“What no real sex?” It wasn’t much of a deflection, but it was the best she could do…considering.
“You think that’s not real?” He drew back. “Do you doubt that’s what I want to do?” He cocked his head and gave her a look. “You have no idea how much I want to taste you.”
“Um…” She was trying to play things cool, as if men said this kind of thing to her all the time, but it made her feel uncomfortable.
He laughed, a deep honest chuckle. “I have so much to show you, and I can’t wait to begin. I rubbed one out after you left this morning. I couldn’t stop thinking about fucking you.” He glanced around, his attention swept across the crowd. “But this is not the place for that. Meet me tonight. Same place? Can you do that?”
“Depends on why you want me there?” Did he intend to fuck her, or hold her and watch shooting stars cross the heavens?
A rhetorical question, she knew exactly what he intended. Things between them moved at supernatural speed. An unstoppable eventuality, they were a combustible force of nature. And while she’d never had a one night stand in her life, sleeping with Dax after what amounted to a day, or two at most, didn’t seem wrong.
It felt…inevitable.
He gave her a wink. “I figure we’ll talk until my dick gets hard. I’ll lick you until you come, finger you for a bit, then we’ll discuss your fear about blowjobs.”
“My what?” She hadn’t said anything about blowjobs. They may not be her favorite sexual act in the world, but how did he pick up on that?
He bent down and swept a chaste kiss across her lips. “You’re an open book to me. I see every thought in your head.” He pointed to his chest. “Every tremor of your thoughts, every doubt and insecurity, I feel right here. You can’t hide from me, but don’t worry. We’ll conquer your fears together, beginning with me eating your pussy.”
She squirmed at that comment and shifted away from him. He was having none of that and pulled her back to him. His voice lowered, turning sinfully dark, lusty, but more importantly, his words made her feel safe and secure, like she could trust him with all of her insecurities. He would never force anything on her.
“Are you sure about that?” She couldn’t help the insecurity lacing her words.
Perhaps her sexual experiences with Scott stunted her. He was her first and only sexual partner. Of course, she’d read books, seen things online, and talked about stuff with her girlfriends, but she only knew what she knew.
For her, sex was something she gave away. It wasn’t something she enjoyed. That’s all she knew. Dax seemed to think sex was something more of a give and take, but she worried she wouldn’t be able to give him what he wanted.
What would happen when they finally got alone and Scott was right? What if there was something wrong with her body? What if sex wasn’t something she would ever enjoy?
Dax took her hand in his and led her out from the relative privacy between the two vendor stalls.
“I want to take you on that Ferris wheel ride you keep talking about.”
“You don’t have to do that.” She glanced back toward the livestock pens. “Isn’t my dad waiting on you?”
“Don’t worry about that.”
But she did. She worried about everything. Scott said she was high strung, high maintenance, and needed to chill out. She doubted everything.
The enthusiasm with which Dax pulled her along became infectious. A quick stop at a ticket booth and he had enough tickets for them to ride every ride.
“Don’t you need to get back to my dad?” Surely her father would be waiting on Dax.
“He’s not expecting me for a while. We have plenty of time to ride your Ferris wheel.” He tugged her along and she followed with a lightness in her step.
Despite the crowds, the lines to the rides moved quickly. Before she knew it, the ride operator took their tickets and lowered the safety bar to their chair. Dax leaned close and whispered into the man’s ear, then shook his hand.
“I don’t think I’ve seen your smile that bright.” Dax leaned over and gave her a quick peck on the cheek as the Ferris wheel moved. Their chair lifted into the air, but then came to a halt with a slow rock as the people in the car behind them exited and another group climbed in.
It was a perfect day with bright blue skies, puffy clouds, and weather which managed to cooperate. In springtime, fickle Montana weather brought bright sunny days such as this, where only a light jacket was needed, to plunging temperatures and surprise blizzards. Today was one of the good days.
They worked their way up to the top of the Ferris wheel until all the chairs were reloaded with eager riders. She and Dax rocked in their seat as she stared down on the fair.
“Have you been to many county fairs?” She leaned forward, loving the view, and grinned with her childhood memories.
The last time she’d been on a Ferris wheel her father sat beside her. Scott thought the rides and game booths were lame. He came home with her their freshman year to meet her father and she forced him to go to the fair. The two of them spent more time at the livestock pens, and Scott seemed much more interested in talking to her father than spending time with her.
The two of them hit it off immediately, which might be some of the reason her father was having such a hard time with the breakup. He was losing the son-in-law he’d already accepted into the family.
The Ferris wheel started to spin, lowering them down then rushing them up over the crowd. She loved the way her stomach dropped as they fell and squeezed Dax’s hand as she grinned. He sat beside her, their arms brushing against each other, their fingers woven together, and a simmering promise building between them.
“All the time.” He draped his arm over her shoulders. “You could say I grew up with them. I love everything about them, the smells, the kids, the rides…” He gave her shoulder a squeeze. “Kissing girls at the top of the Ferris wheel.”
“I bet there were a lot of lucky girls.”
He gave a shrug. “None that matter now. You’re the one I want, and you make me the happiest man in the world.”
She leaned against him, snuggling into the crook of his arm. “I kind of like you too.”
“Well, shit, that’s good to know.”
The ride slowed down and came to a stop. They dangled over the crowd as the ride operator started letting people off. When it came for their turn to get out, the operator skipped their car.
“What?”
Dax slipped his arm down lower, tugging her tight against his body. He le
aned down and whispered. “I paid for a little extra time with my girl.”
The heat of his breath feathered across her cheeks, then the warmth of his mouth found hers. The entire world disappeared beneath that kiss, and she believed there must truly be a Heaven.
Dax must have bribed the operator, because they spent much longer at the apex of the ride than they should have, but eventually all things must end. The ride lurched into motion and she curled her lower lip between her teeth, loving the sensual flavor of everything Dax.
He helped her out, lending a hand, then enveloped her hand in his, threading their fingers together as he led her to a hotdog vendor. They ate hotdogs and she teased him by gliding her tongue around the tip of the hotdog. One indignant mother gave a snort, which sent her into a fit of giggles.
Dax laughed and pulled her away. “You are a very naughty girl, and don’t think I won’t forget that.”
“Forget what?” She batted her eyes at him, playing coy, but let her gaze linger on the prominent bulge behind his zipper.
“What that pretty mouth will be doing later tonight.”
They finished their hotdogs and Dax pulled her into a hug.
“I have to get back. Your father is probably wondering what’s keeping me.” He gave her a quick kiss, much too light, and much too brief, then released her to spin around and head back to the livestock pens at a jog.
Dani gave a deep sigh, not believing this incredible thing happening between her and Dax. It couldn’t be true, but she was beginning to believe in true love.
Someone gripped her arm…hard.
Before she could yank free, she was pulled off her feet. She spun, ready to give the asshole a piece of her mind, then stopped dead in her tracks.
“Scott?” Her heart slammed into her throat. Outright rage filled Scott’s face. “What are you doing here?”
“I might ask you the same. Who the hell was that guy?” Scott’s grip tightened on her arm and he pulled her toward the parking lot.
Dax: Military Heroes (The One I Want Series Book 4) Page 14