by Jami Alden
“I hear you,” he said and raised his glass of whiskey. “Wyatt got into my stash, so I came over to get some of the good stuff. Hope you don’t mind.”
She shrugged. “Why should I care? It’s not my booze. And I think we all deserve a drink given the last few days.” She turned back to the sink as he went to the freezer and grabbed a couple of ice cubes to chill his drink.
He walked over to the sink to stand beside her and propped a hip against the marble countertop. “It’s only going to get crazier, right?”
She rinsed a wineglass and placed it carefully on a dishtowel next to the sink, then squirted a little soap into a second one. “Yeah, starting tomorrow when Trey and his family arrive. Olivia, Emily, and Cora’s cousin, Krystal, come the next day. It’s going to be a full house.”
Marianne had been working double time getting the rest of the house’s eight bedrooms ready for their arrival. The rest of the guests were staying at two different hotels in Bozeman.
He took another sip of his drink, his eyes following the shift of muscle under the smooth bare skin of her arm as she carefully washed and rinsed the glass. His gaze moved up to the curve of her neck, to the firm but delicate line of her jaw.
“What?” she snapped and spared him a quick glance.
“Nothing,” he said, and felt his cheeks heat at getting caught staring at her like a lovesick teenager. “I like the glasses.”
“Uh, thanks,” she dried her hands on towel and adjusted them self-consciously. “I usually wear contacts, but the air is drier here and they were irritating me.”
“I like them,” he took another sip of whiskey. “They give you kind of a sexy librarian vibe.” He couldn’t resist the urge to flirt, even knowing he was going to get shot down.
Her cheeks bloomed with color, and he was close enough to see her pulse jump against the delicate skin of her throat.
Maybe rejection wasn’t so certain after all.
He set his glass on the counter and reached out to capture one thick, dark, curl between his fingers. “And I like your hair, all curly like this.”
Her tongue stole out to swipe her lush bottom lip and she swallowed hard. “I was too lazy to blow dry it after my shower.”
Testing the waters, he inched a little closer. “I think it makes you look sexy, maybe a little wild.” He released the curl and cupped her cheek in his hand. He heard her breath hitch as her wary gaze flicked to his mouth, then skittered away just as fast.
He hadn’t been imagining things that day in the barn. The spark was still very much there. She’d just done a damn good job of hiding it. Heat coursed through his veins, settling heavily in his groin. His cock thickened, threatening to tent out the front of his gym shorts.
“It was one of the first things I ever noticed about you. I imagined what it would be like to tangle my fingers in it.” His fingers slid from her cheek to her hair as he moved close enough that she had to tip her head back to look at him. “But my dad warned me and Wyatt of dire consequences if we so laid so much as a finger on any of you girls.”
Her lips were parted, lush, waiting, and his own mouth tingled in anticipation of feeling their warmth and softness. “But you did lay a finger on me.”
He gave his head a little shake. “I did my best, I tried so fucking hard.” He leaned down so his forehead pressed against hers. “But that night, alone with you in those goddamn shorts that drove me crazy, I couldn’t resist.”
Natalia shivered as his thumb stroked the curve of her cheek and his warm breath drifted over her skin. The scent of him, a mix of soap and man flooded her senses, intoxicating her. She wanted to tip her head back and pull his mouth to hers. But first there was something she needed to know.
She pulled away and stepped back, putting a few inches between them. She crossed her arms over her chest, cocked a hip, and tilted her chin. “If I was so damn irresistible, then why did you push me away?”
He gave her a rueful smile and dragged his fingers through his thick, dark, hair. “Because I knew if I didn’t stop it then, it would go too far. It was one thing to get busted for stealing a kiss, but if I had taken your virginity, there really would have been hell to pay.”
She cocked an eyebrow at him. “You were so confident you would get lucky?”
The truth was, she knew damn well he had reason to be. That night she had been overcome by feelings she had never experienced before. She’d never known that kind of hunger, that kind of desire for more and more and more. That night, she got the first glimpse of why some of her more experienced friends made such a big deal about sex. And she’d desperately wanted to experience it for herself.
He leaned back against the counter and shrugged. “I wasn’t a hundred percent sure, but I was pretty sure things would go farther than they should.”
“You could have just stopped. You didn’t have to embarrass me.” Her gaze drifted to the polished hardwood floor as humiliation burned in her stomach.
He let out a long sigh. “I know. I was stupid. I wanted to do the right thing, but I didn’t trust myself to stay away from you. So, I figured if I acted like a total asshole, you would stay away from me. Not my best moment.”
Her lips curved in a half smile as she suddenly saw that night in a whole new light. No, he shouldn’t have treated her like he did, but if he was telling the truth, he did it with good intentions.
She tilted her head to meet his gaze. His expression was pained, his blue eyes full of regret. “You were just a dumb teenager. We both were.”
His teeth flashed against tan skin in a sheepish grin. “Still, there’s no question I could have handled it better. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry. I should have apologized a long time ago.”
“Apology accepted.” She uncrossed her arms and moved closer, close enough that the curves of her breasts brushed against the front of his t-shirt. “And I don’t know if you’ve noticed,” she pressed her palms against the hard muscles of his chest and slid them up until they rested on his shoulders, “but I’m not an inexperienced seventeen year old anymore.”
His gaze sparked with heat and she could hear his breath hitch in his chest. She knew what she was doing was risky. She had too much going on and he would only be a distraction.
But it felt so good, the way he settled his hands on her hips and pulled her against him. The way the muscles of his shoulders bunched and shifted beneath her hands. Heat flooded through her veins as his head dipped towards hers. Her lips tingled in anticipation. She had one chance to explore the promise of that one, hot, long ago kiss. Damned if she wasn’t going to take it.
Chapter 6
Their lips met in a kiss so hot Natalia was surprised her hair didn’t catch on fire. She parted her lips as a desire like nothing she’d ever known before pumped through her veins. His tongue slid between her parted teeth and she sucked it in with a little moan. It was even better than she remembered, the taste of him, the feel of his lips and tongue stroking against hers.
Her nipples hardened into tight points, and she felt a rush of moisture between her thighs. She couldn’t remember ever feeling this turned on before. And all he’d done was kiss her.
Ian pulled her even more tightly against him, his hands sliding down her back to cup her ass. Groaning, he lifted her off the floor and set her on the counter and settled himself between her legs. She wrapped her legs around his waist and ground herself against the rock hard length of his cock. She whimpered against his mouth and his echoing groan rumbled through his chest.
One big hand slid between them to cup her breast, and she moaned again as his thumb brushed back and forth over her nipple. It wasn’t enough, the sensation muted by the layers of clothing. She squirmed in frustration, then gasped in pleasure as the movement made his cock brush right against her sweet spot.
She clung to his shoulders and rocked against him, every move bringing her closer and closer to the edge. Breathless, she tore her mouth from his and threw her head back and pressed her lips together to s
tifle the sounds of pleasure bubbling up in her throat.
As she ground herself against him, she felt one big hand tugging at the neckline of her tank top. He pulled it and the cup of her bra to the side, baring her breast. Her breath caught in her throat at the feel of his hot, open mouth sliding down her neck to the top of her breast. His fingers pinched and rolled her nipple, sending an electric shock straight to her core.
His warm breath teased her overly sensitive flesh before his lips closed over the rock hard tip, pulling hard. The firm sucking was all it took to send her flying over the edge, her body shuddering against him as waves of pleasure pulsed through her.
“You look beautiful when you come,” he said and pressed a soft kiss to her neck. “But I can’t believe the first time I made you come was by dry humping like a teenager.” He hitched his hips against her, sending a little aftershock rippling through her.
“Considering how this all started, that’s sort of fitting, don’t you think?” she said with a lazy smile.
“I guess so, but I’m hoping I can do it again with our clothes off. And someplace other than in the McLaughlins’ kitchen.”
Natalia stiffened and sat up at the reminder of where they were. “I can’t believe we just did that,” she said and tugged frantically at her tank top to cover herself. “What if someone had walked in?”
“I think we’re ok,” he said and stepped back to give her room to slide off the counter. “But we better not push our luck. What do you say we take this to my place?” His eyes were dark with desire, and when he pulled her close, she could feel the hard length of him pressing against her belly. A stark reminder that he was still rock hard and unsatisfied. She would have to take care of that.
She let him take her by the hand and lead her to the front door where she paused to slide her feet into a pair of flip flops. As they hurried to his cabin under the cover of darkness, she felt very much like the teenager she’d been when she first met him, sneaking out to be with a boy her parents disapproved of.
Not that she had ever done such a thing, but she imagined this was what it would have felt like.
By the time they got to Ian’s cabin she was breathing hard, her heart pounding, the combined effects of her having to almost run to keep up with his long legged strides, and the anticipation of experiencing everything Ian had to offer. And from what she’d felt rubbing against her and the size of the tent sticking out of the front of his shorts, Ian Blackwell had an awful lot to offer a woman.
Once inside the cabin, they turned to each other in a frenzy of need, feeding each other hot, hungry kisses as their hands pulled at each other’s clothes. Within seconds they were both naked. He pulled her against him, and she gasped at the feel of his warm, hair roughened skin against hers.
Desire arced between them like an electric current, and she felt another rush of wetness as the dusting of hair on his chest teased her aching nipples. Once again, he cupped her ass in his hands and lifted her off the floor. She instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist, shivering as she felt the blunt head of his cock brush against the curve of her ass. He covered her mouth with his and carried her back to his bedroom as though she weighed nothing.
She felt the world tilting and the soft fabric of his bedspread against her back as he lay her down on the bed.
“You’re so fucking gorgeous,” he murmured as he cupped her breast in a hand that trembled slightly. She could feel the strength of his desire coming off him in waves, fueling her own. It was like she couldn’t get enough of him, eager to explore every muscled inch of him.
He was doing some exploring of his own, his mouth sliding down her neck and chest, his hands running up and down her sides. She arched against him, moaning as he lavished attention on her breasts with his lips, tongue and fingers.
She tangled her hands in his hair and arched against him, and he rewarded her with firm suck that sent a jolt of electricity straight to her core. “You have the sexiest tits I’ve ever seen,” he muttered against her aroused flesh. “Do you know how many times I’ve jerked off, thinking of your tits?”
The raw talk would have embarrassed her any other time, but now it only served to fuel the fire. The thought of him, his fist pumping the thick length of his cock as he thought of her set off a heavy pulse beat between her thighs.
“And this.” He slid one hand down to cup her sex. She arched her hips as he ground the heel of his hand against the top of her mound, then moaned as he parted her wet folds with his fingers. They slid down, stroking against her entrance and she gasped as he slid one, then two deep inside.
“Christ,” his groan echoed hers as he thrust slowly in and out. “You’re even tighter and wetter than I ever imagined.”
He withdrew and moved his fingers up. Her clit pulsed against them as he stroked up and down, and within seconds she was once again hovering on the edge. Her hips rocked up from the mattress as her fingers dug into the muscles of his back.
With a harsh curse he suddenly pushed himself off of her, and she moaned in protest at the loss of those stroking fingers.
“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice tight. “I promise next time I’ll go slow, but right now I want you too much.”
“Be right back.” He swung his legs off the bed, and she took a moment to admire the view of his muscled back and rock hard ass as he walked out of the bedroom. The view was just as good if not better when he returned a moment later with a handful of condoms in his right hand. With his thickly muscled chest, washboard abs, and impressive to the point of intimidating hard-on protruding eagerly between his strong thighs, Ian was without a doubt the most gorgeous male specimen she had ever encountered.
He dumped the condoms on the nightstand, and she felt a nervous ripple in her stomach at the number. “Ambitious, much?” She laughed breathlessly.
He flashed her a wicked grin as he tore open a foil packet. “This night is eleven years in the making. I’ve got a lot to make up for.” She watched, mesmerized as he slid the condom down the length of his cock in one smooth stroke.
She tried not to think about how much practice he’d had. And how comparatively little she’d had. She’d only had two partners in her whole life, and the last one was nearly two years ago. Unbidden, a wave of apprehension rose up in her. What if he found her lacking after all?
Her doubts faded to the background at the look of raw desire in his eyes as he positioned himself between her legs. He spread her thighs wide with his palms, then gripped himself in his fist to guide himself to her entrance.
Then he was sliding inside her, so hard and huge she felt a pinch of pain. His gaze held hers as he started to move in slow, heavy thrusts.
His eyes drifted closed as his face pulled tight with pleasure. “Natalia.” The way he whispered her name, his tone almost reverent called to something inside her. Something that went beyond a merely sexual connection.
“You feel so good,” he murmured as he took her. “Better than anything I’ve ever felt in my life.”
Natalia could relate. She’d never had sex like this before, so raw, so intensely overwhelming that her entire world narrowed until all she knew was Ian, his big body moving on her and in her. She could feel her climax building low in her belly. She rocked her hips to meet every thrust, urging him harder, faster. “Please, Ian,” she moaned. She was close, so close.
“Don’t worry Nat, I’m not going to leave you hanging.” He moved a hand between them and slid it down to where they were joined. Never pausing the rhythm of his thrusts, he pressed his thumb against her clit and circled it once, twice.
Her orgasm crashed over her with such force she felt like she was blown into a million pieces, scattered like the stars across the night sky. The waves of pleasure went on and on as Ian continued to move deep inside of her.
His strokes grew faster, shorter, and she knew he was close. Every muscle went rigid and she felt him swell inside of her. With a shout, he gripped her hips and held himself deep as his body jerked and sh
uddered against hers.
He collapsed onto the mattress next to her and pulled her against his chest. She could feel his heartbeat pounding against her cheek, its fierce rhythm echoing her own. “Jesus Christ,” he said, panting. “I’ve never come that hard in my life. I thought I was going to pass out.”
She felt her lips curl in a little half smile. Guess she didn’t have to worry about whether or not he would be satisfied. “Good to know I didn’t disappoint.” A little shiver of delight rippled through her as his fingers traced lazily up and down her back.
“Hope I didn’t either,” he said with a chuckle.
“You were alright.” This earned her a smack on the butt and she suddenly found herself flat on her back beneath him.
“Guess I better get back to work, if the best review you can muster is alright.” His hands closed around her wrists and gently pinned them to the mattress. To her shock, she could feel him already hardening against her stomach.
“Are you seriously-“
“Hard again? Uh huh.” He gave her a cheeky grin as he rubbed the shaft of his cock against her. “I don’t know what it is about you that turns me right back into that horny teenager, but there is something about you, Natalia.” His grin faded as he looked down at her. “Something really special.”
The playfulness was gone, and there was something in his gaze that made her stomach do a little flip. If she had to put a name to it, she would have called it longing. As he lowered his mouth to hers, she suddenly felt it too. Longing for more than just a quick fling. Longing for the possibility of something more with one of the most compelling men she’d ever met.
She parted her lips and eagerly sucked his tongue into her mouth and felt him reach for another condom and tried to shove the thoughts out of her head. Nothing good could come of entertaining them. After the wedding, she was going home to New York to restart her career, and Ian was bound to the ranch. Their lives were destined to go in two completely different directions.
