by Elle James
Then it came time to remove his jeans and time seemed to come to a standstill.
“Don’t stop now,” RJ implored. “We can do this. You just have to show me how.”
“I don’t know how,” he said. “I haven’t made love to a woman since this.” He waved a hand toward his leg.
“Then let’s take it one step at a time.” She hooked her fingers into the waistband of his jeans and shoved them down over his ass and thighs.
When she reached his knees, he gripped her arms and made her stop.
RJ glanced up at him. “Don’t stop now.”
“I need to sit to remove my boot.”
She smiled and rose, backing him up to the counter. “Sit. I’ll get the boot.”
He eased his ass onto the cool counter and let her work the boot off his good foot. Once the boot was off, she looked up.
“Should I take off the other boot?”
He shook his head. “No. I’ll take care of it.” Jake drew in a deep breath. If taking off his leg freaked her out, he’d leave and never say another word about it.
He pushed his jeans down to his ankles, rolled the outer liner down over the prosthesis, slipped his residual limb out of the device and removed the inner liner.
He’d done it often enough, the process went quickly. When he glanced up, he prayed RJ wouldn’t be appalled. Or worse, that she would pity him.
RJ held out her hand, neither smiling nor cringing. “I’ll wash you, if you’ll wash me.”
He took her hand, braced his other hand on the wall and hopped over to the tub, sat on the rim, swung his good leg over and stood.
RJ got into the tub with him and pulled the curtain closed.
While she worked up a lather in her hands, she let Jake have the full force of the spray.
Starting at his neck, she worked her hands over his shoulders, around to his back and down his torso. When she reached his shaft, she paused. “I’m not well-versed in this. Let me know what you like or don’t like. I won’t be offended.”
“Sweetheart, just touching me will get me off.”
“Then you will probably like this.” She ran her soapy hands the length of his cock and back to the base where she fondled his balls.
Jake moaned, holding onto the wall to keep his balance. When he thought he might explode, he caught her hand in one of his.
“Does that bother you?” she asked.
“More than you can imagine,” he rasped.
“I’m sorry.”
“Oh, sweetheart, don’t be,” he said with a tight laugh. “It bothers me in the best way.” He took the soap from her, leaned his back against the wall, balanced on his one foot and worked up a lather in his palms. Then he pulled her close and worked the soap over her shoulders, down her arms and up her sides to cup her breasts. God, she felt good. As tough as she was in the barn and on horseback, her skin was silky smooth and warm against his fingertips.
He rolled the beads of her nipples between his thumb and forefingers until her back arched and she pushed closer to him.
Abandoning her breasts, he smoothed his hands down her torso, one hand going to curve around her hip, the other diving low to curl into her sex.
RJ’s head dropped back. Her hands came up to capture the one he’d placed between her legs.
Instead of pushing him away, she cupped his hand and urged him to go deeper.
He obliged, sinking his finger into her sex.
Her channel was slick with her juices.
Jake groaned.
RJ’s head came up, and her forehead creased. “Is it too hard balancing on one foot?”
“No,” he grit out. “It’s too hard holding back.”
“Then don’t.” She reached up, cupped his cheek. “Nothing is sexier than a man who isn’t afraid to work for what he wants.” And she leaned up on her toes and pressed her lips to his in a hard kiss.
With his hand, he encircled the back of her neck and deepened the kiss, pushing past her teeth to claim her tongue with his.
When he came up for air, he gave a strangled laugh. “Is that all it takes to get you hot? Good old-fashioned sweat?”
She lifted one shoulder, the shower’s spray hitting her in the chest and rolling off the tips of her nipples. “Some girls like men who will give them jewelry. I don’t have much use for diamonds. The cows and horses aren’t impressed. I like a man who isn’t too proud to put in a hard day’s work.”
“Baby, you’re an amazing, strong woman. Don’t ever settle for less than you deserve.”
She looked him straight in the eye and said, “I make it a point to never settle.”
He pulled her into his arms and kissed her thoroughly. “I want you, more than I’ve ever wanted a woman before.”
Pressing her breasts to his chest, she held his hand to her sex. “I want you. Now. Inside me.”
“Baby, doing it in a bathtub is precarious at best. Besides, I don’t have any protection. I won’t do that to you.”
She sighed. “Then we’ll just have to finish up in here and head across the hall.” For a moment, she hesitated. “Unless you really aren’t that interested.”
He laughed. “My interest is obvious.” His hardened shaft pressed against her belly.
“Then what are we waiting for? We only have a few minutes before we have to get ready to go to the springs.” She moved back and let the water rinse the soap from his body. Then she ducked beneath the spray, erasing the residual suds from her skin. When she was finished, she switched off the water, flung open the curtain and stepped out.
She didn’t wait for him or offer to help.
For that, he was grateful. He had his own way of getting around, and he didn’t want her feeling sorry for him.
He sat on the edge of the tub, swung his leg over and straightened, holding onto the wall as he did.
She flung a towel at him, hitting him in the chest.
He caught it in his free hand, twisted it and popped her in the ass.
She yelped. “Don’t start something you can’t finish,” RJ warned with a sassy snarl.
He grabbed for her, swung her around until her back was against his front. Inch by inch, he dried her body, taking his time to cup her breasts, his cock nestling between her butt cheeks, teasing her with what could come next. He hoped she didn’t change her mind between the bathroom and the bedroom.
“My room or yours?” he whispered into her ear.
“Mine. It’s right across the hall.” She turned and dried him from top to bottom, taking her time around his cock, fluffing him with the terry cloth until he thought he might explode.
“Ready?” she asked as she wrapped a towel around herself.
“More than.” He reached for his prosthesis, only she beat him to it.
“you won’t need that in my bed,” she said.
“I need it to get across the hall.”
“Hold onto me,” she said. “It’s only a few steps.”
He hesitated.
She cocked an eyebrow. “Or are you afraid I’m not strong enough?”
“Oh, I know you’re strong enough.”
“Then is it because you don’t want to appear weak in front of a girl?” She shoved the prosthesis into his arms. “Whatever. We’re wasting time. My father and Kujo will be back any minute. If you’ve changed your mind, I’ll understand.” She walked toward the door, swaddled in that damned towel that barely covered her ass, her long sexy legs calling to his libido. “My door will be unlocked if you care to join me.”
As she reached for the doorhandle, Jake spoke, “You’re right. I don’t want to appear weak in front of a girl. In front of you.”
“Well, I’m not suggesting you are. I only offered to save us time.” She glanced over her shoulder. “What’s it to be?”
He held out the fake leg without saying a word.
She came back to get it from him and wrapped a towel around his waist. “We don’t want to shock the guests, should they be around.”
&
nbsp; Jake draped his arm over her shoulder. “Lead the way, woman. And I don’t suppose you have a stash of protection hiding away in your room?”
Her lips quirked. “As a matter of fact, I do. A gift from well-meaning friends, encouraging me to start dating.”
“I like your friends,” he said as he leaned on her and hopped on his one leg toward the door.
He opened the door, and they peered out into the hallway.
“Coast is clear,” he whispered.
“Then hurry,” she said.
Together, they made it across the hallway into her bedroom. No sooner had the door closed behind them, then the towels dropped and they collapsed on the bed.
RJ giggled. “I’m sure if anyone is downstairs in the great room, they heard that.”
“Then we’d better give them their money’s worth of entertainment.” Lying in bed, Jake was on more equal terms. The missing limb wasn’t as necessary to accomplish what they had set out to do.
RJ twisted around and reached into the nightstand for a box full of condoms. “Is this enough?”
He chuckled and took it from her, extracting one of the little packets. “For a month.” Dropping the box back inside the drawer, he laid the packet on the nightstand.
RJ’s brow puckered. “Aren’t we…?”
“Not yet. I want you to be as satisfied as I will be,” he said.
“Oh, I will be. Please. I want you inside me. My body aches, I want it so badly.”
He chuckled. “You’re going to want even more when I’m done with you.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” she whispered.
He paused. “We don’t have to do anything. We could just lie here and hold each other. That would enough for me.”
“Seriously?” She looked at him as if he’d grown horns. “It wouldn’t be enough for me. I’ll take my chances on wanting more. But rest easy. I won’t expect more. You’re likely to be disappointed by my performance. I’m not…how would you say? Oh, hell. I’m not experienced.”
Jake frowned. “You’re a virgin?”
She laughed. “Not since I was seventeen in the back of Travis Rigsby’s pickup. I can’t say that it was all that great.”
“Usually isn’t when you’re a virgin.” He smoothed the damp hair back from her forehead. “Since then?”
She looked past him. “I thought I was in love with a pipeliner from Wyoming doing work near Fool’s Gold. We went out a couple of times, but he had a big flaw I couldn’t live with.”
“And that was?” Jake prompted.
“He lied.” She stared up into his eyes. “He told me he was divorced. I’m ashamed to say, he wasn’t. Not only was he still married, but he also had two little kids waiting for daddy to come home.” Her eyes narrowed. “You’re not married, are you?”
His lips curled. “A little late to be asking, don’t you think?”
“No. I have a gun in my nightstand. You know I can hit what I aim at.”
He held up a hand in surrender. “Yes, you can. And no, I’m not married. Never met a woman who could put up with a man who was away from home more than he was there.” He held up his left hand. “You can ask Kujo to run a background check on me. I’m a confirmed bachelor. Never tied the knot.”
RJ blew out a relieved sigh. “Well then, there’s nothing stopping us, but time.” She glanced at the clock on the nightstand. “Are you up for the challenge?”
“Are you?”
She nodded.
“Then let the game begin.” He lowered himself on his arms to take her mouth in a long, slow kiss that took his breath away.
From her mouth, he moved inch by inch down her body, claiming first one breast than the other, teasing the nipples into tight buds. Continuing downward, he kissed and tongued a path over her ribs, across her belly and down to the tuft of hair covering her sex.
There, he paused and slipped his hand between thighs.
RJ parted her legs, allowing him more room to work his magic.
And he did. He wanted her to know what making love really felt like. Not making out in the backseat of a teenager’s truck or being lied to by a man she thought she loved.
Jake wanted her to know how good it felt to be loved like she deserved.
Chapter 11
RJ’s body burned with desire as Jake parted her folds and touched that slender nubbin of flesh packed with what felt like every nerve ending inside her.
Her back arched off the bed, and she clutched at the comforter to keep her from leaving the mattress.
“Oh, my,” she gasped.
“Do you want me to stop?” he asked.
“No!” RJ couldn’t breathe and didn’t care if she ever drew another breath. What he was doing had to be illegal. It was better than any drug, any stimulant, anything she’d ever felt in her life.
And she wanted more.
“Please,” she whispered. “Don’t stop.”
He touched her there again with the tip of his tongue and flicked that bundle of nerves ever so lightly.
Electrical shocks zinged from her core outward, setting her veins on fire. She raised her knees and dug her heels into the mattress, rising up to meet his talented tongue.
Jake flicked, licked and sucked on her until she teetered on the edge of eternity.
One more flick and she flew over, plunging into the first real orgasm she’d ever experienced.
He rode her with his tongue, her body quivering with each contact.
When she finally fell back to earth, she drew in a ragged breath and laughed. “So that’s what it’s all about.” And she laughed again, joy filling her heart.
Then she reached for him, dragging him up her body. “But it doesn’t feel like that’s all there is.”
“It’s not all there is,” he said, bending down to take her lips in a passionate kiss.
His mouth tasted like her sex, making RJ even more anxious to have the rest of him inside her. “Quick.” She reached between them, guiding him to her entrance. “I don’t think I can wait another second.”
“I don’t think I can either. But first…” He leaned back, grabbed the condom, tore it open and rolled it down his cock. Then he settled between her legs and kissed her again.
“We don’t have to go any further,” he said, his breath warm against her lips.
“The hell we don’t.” She grasped his buttocks and pulled him close until the tip of his erection fit into her channel.
“I’ll go slow,” he said. “I don’t want to hurt—”
RJ pulled him into her, hard and fast, burying his shaft deep inside her.
“Well,” he chuckled. “We won’t go slow then.”
“I said I wanted you inside me. I didn’t mean in the next century,” she said through gritted teeth. “It feels so right. Especially after…well after what you did.”
“Mmm. You have no idea how right it feels,” he said, moving in and out of her, in slow, steady motions.
Her hands still on his ass, RJ urged him to move faster and faster, until they were both breathing hard.
She dug her heels into the mattress, meeting him thrust for thrust, loving the way he filled her, stretching her channel to accommodate his girth and length.
Again, she rose to that blessed peak where everything culminated and hovered at the edge. One more thrust and she’d…
He drove deep and hard, sending her rocketing into the stratosphere, tingling sensations lighting her nerves like the Fourth of July.
Buried deep inside her, he held her close, his cock pulsing his release, his body rigid.
Together, they fell back to earth.
Jake collapsed on top of her and rolled with her to their sides. “Don’t ever doubt that you’re amazing. On a horse, mucking stalls and most of all, making love.” He kissed her forehead, kissed her eyelids and finally kissed her lips, thrusting past her teeth to claim her tongue in a long, sensuous kiss.
When they broke apart to breathe, RJ cupped his face and smiled. “I
don’t know all the pretty words, so suffice it to say, wow. Just wow. You think we can do that again when we’re not expected in Colorado Springs in less than an hour?”
Jake chuckled. “I was hoping you would say that.” He glanced at the clock. “We’d better get going, or we’ll be late.”
RJ rolled out of the bed and stood, frowning. “Gunny and Kujo should have been back by now.” She pulled on panties, a bra and a white button-up blouse.
Jake sat on the side of the bed and slipped into his prosthesis, applying the inner lining, the device and the outer lining.
RJ watched, unflinching. “Does it hurt?”
“It did at first. The more I wear it, the less it bothers me.” He pushed to his feet and pulled her into his arms. “It allows me to be free of crutches or a wheelchair, so I can do this.” He held her close and pressed a kiss to the top of her damp hair. Then he swatted her ass. “Get some pants on, or we’ll be late to our meeting.”
Jake wrapped a towel around his waist. “I’ll be ready in less than two minutes.” After checking that the hallway was empty, he left the room and entered his, closing the door behind him.
RJ pulled on her nicest pair of jeans and clean boots, ran a brush through her hair and decided to let it hang free. It would curl around her face, but she didn’t care. It made her feel more feminine. Like making love to Jake made her feel one hundred percent female. For a woman who did typically male work, she’d never felt like a normal woman. Until now.
As she straightened, the phone on the nightstand rang.
Because cell service was spotty at best in the mountains, they still had a land line. RJ answered, “Lost Valley Lodge, RJ speaking.”
“RJ, it’s Kujo.” His words were clipped, tense.
Her stomach dropped. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m in Colorado Springs at Memorial Hospital. There’s been an accident.”
Her heart squeezed hard in her chest. “Gunny?”
“He’s been hurt, but he’s stable. He didn’t want me to call and worry you, but you needed to know why we hadn’t made it back to the ranch.”
RJ laughed, the sound ending on a sob. Gunny was her only living relative. Her father. She loved the old coot more than life. “He’s going to be okay?”