Rocky Mountain Forever: Six Pack Ranch: Book 12

by Arend, Vivian

  No use in trying to categorize any of it. It felt good, and she didn’t need to know why other than he looked mesmerized and his body had reacted positively.

  He held her, hands cupped on either side of her breasts. “I have dreamed about this.” He lifted his gaze, thumbs moving over her in a soft caress. “I have dreamed about this and so much more.”

  More turned out to be stripping away her panties and pulling her hips to the very edge of the table as he dropped to his knees.

  An instant later his tongue was teasing at her sex, hands drifting over her thighs, brushing over her hips, then returning in a circle.

  Dana sat on her kitchen table, stark naked, sexual pleasure rising like a storm as her boyfriend—time to make it official—proved his patience was more than adequate to bring her to the very edge and over faster than she thought possible.

  “Mark.”

  Her fingers had ended up buried in his hair, and she jerked unwittingly. He leaned back far enough to show off a wide grin, his now familiar cocky expression back in place.

  His gaze drifted to meet hers with great satisfaction. “That was fun.”

  Oh no. Well, yes, it had been, but if he thought this was where they were stopping?

  She tugged on his hair again. “Are we having sex here or in my bedroom?”

  He hesitated for a minute. “I don’t want to push. I meant what I said—I want you, but I don’t—”

  She caught him by the hips, undoing the button on his jeans and pushing at the zipper, the backs of her heels wrapped around his thighs, trapping him in place.

  “Listen. I said yes.” She was pushing away the fabric when she hesitated and worked on listening back. Was she pushing him too fast? “I want you too. But only if you’re ready.”

  Mark swore, shoving at his jeans and underwear, hopping to try and strip them away. They were both laughing when he picked her up, settling in the nearest kitchen chair and lifting her over him.

  “Very ready.”

  She rocked a few times over his hard length. She was wet from her orgasm but still not one hundred percent sure how this would go.

  Dammit, it was worthwhile making sure everything went better than okay. “Come with me.”

  Both of them naked as jaybirds, she pulled him down the hallway into her bedroom. She grabbed the container of lube and a condom from beside her bed where she’d placed them after having a blunt conversation with her sister-in-law a few weeks earlier.

  Mark grinned as she put a hand on his chest and pushed him back into a seated position on the edge of the bed. “Prepared.”

  “Once a Girl Scout, always a Girl Scout.” Her heart was racing, but she wanted to return to where they’d been a moment earlier. Connected. Ready to become one.

  She slowed, opening the tube and coating her fingers while he slipped on the condom. Then she wrapped her hand around his erection and pumped. Soft and strong. Silky and iron hard.

  Mark’s head fell back, and he swore. “So good.”

  Touching him. Seeing him—this beautiful man who cared about her and who wanted her…

  A special kind of magic filled the room.

  Dana crawled onto the bed, straddling his thighs, bodies once again touching. Mark cupped her face with his hands and kissed her, deep and long and sweet before his hands dropped to tease her body. Pinching her breasts, taking hold of her hips and rocking her, slowly, slowly, pause—

  The head of his cock notched against her. She pulled back to look into his eyes as he guided her down, the sweet stretch teasing in a wonderful way.

  His face crinkled into a terrible scowl. “Oh, hell.”

  Dana froze. “Mark?”

  “It’s good, it’s good,” he said hurriedly. “It’s too damn good.”

  Dana found her lips turning up in a smile, and she impulsively hugged him tight, laughter escaping. “I’m so glad. I’m so glad it’s good, and I’m so glad you’re here,” she confessed.

  The little moment seemed to be what he needed to regain his control, because when she met his eyes again, there was both laughter and rising fire. He kept hold of her hips and rocked her, up and down, over and over again until they were both gasping for air.

  Then he reached between them and pressed his fingers over her clit, rubbing even as he kept thrusting.

  She didn’t care if anything else happened, but for a man who had seemed on the verge of losing control, Mark pulled in energy from somewhere. The pressure building inside her was nearly at the peak when he pulled her closer, her breasts brushing against the silver-laced hair on his chest. “Dana. Oh, yes—”

  He kept going, tipping her over the edge, the muscles in his back bunching as she held him, body tightening around his thick length.

  She was nearly finished when he cursed, pressing her down as hard as possible and locking her there as his body shook with release.

  The slightly sweaty, slightly sticky pleasure was followed by kisses as Mark rolled her onto the mattress and covered her body with his. He kept coming back to her mouth over and over, whispering sweet things until her grin was so wide, Dana was pretty sure her cheeks would hurt in the morning.

  She ran her fingers through his hair as he rolled to his side and they lay there, still tangled together. “Want to grab a shower?”

  “That depends.” He brushed his knuckles over her shoulder and down her arm, accidentally making contact with her breast. “Is there room for two?”

  Easy question to answer. “Just barely. We might have to stay really close.”

  “I can do that.” Mark’s expression went more serious. “Thank you. Thank you for sharing with me, trusting me.”

  There was nothing to say in follow-up, not yet, so she pressed her lips to his then pulled him off the bed and into the shower.

  Coleman Memory Book

  ~Marion (Six Pack) Coleman~

  Memories are funny things.

  When I think back over the years, I can picture so many moments I’d like to share that were important. Then I remember I’ve already told that story to my children or laughed over it with my sisters-in-law.

  Or there are the times where Mike and I try to tell each other the same story we’ve told a dozen times before—about something that we were both there for when it happened.

  Does it matter if memories get repeated? Maybe it means that moment is even more precious because we want to share it again.

  But here’s a memory I don’t think I’ve ever told anyone.

  There’s a lot of waiting involved in life. Waiting for that special someone to call you. Waiting for a wedding. Waiting for a child to decide to arrive. Waiting for the garden to grow, the calves to drop, the storm to pass.

  One night just over a year into our marriage, Mike was out in one of those storms, and I was scared for him. So very scared that something had gone wrong because it was dark and cold, and we didn’t have a way to be in touch in those days—although even now cell phones don’t always work.

  I stood in front of the window, staring into the darkness, with nothing to do but wait.

  As I waited, I finally noticed it wasn’t just the dark storm in front of me, the pale yard light on the barn flickering as driving snow blew past it—I could also see myself and the room where I stood. My reflection, the window a perfect mirror.

  While my mind raced, imagining all sorts of terrible things, my body was completely motionless. When the snow swirled outside, it looked as if it swirled around me, but my body was still, and warm, and seemingly peaceful.

  Right then, I knew. I needed to reverse the image.

  I needed my thoughts to be peaceful in spite of the whirling storm. I needed to trust that Mike was doing what he could in order to come home safe. I had to find something to think about right then that would be good and positive and make me enjoy the moment—even enjoy the storm.

  Which meant my body had to do the moving and let out the restlessness.

  I went to the kitchen and made a pot of tea then
started a batch of cookies. The whole time I worked, I thought about what Mike would like most once he got home from his cold, hard trip. How I could show how grateful I was for his work and his caring.

  How I could show him love with my hands instead of standing there, frozen with fear, and rushing to him so he had to wipe my tears when he did finally make it home, cold and hungry.

  While my revelation might not be the answer for everyone and every situation, it’s given me somewhere to aim my heart. Every morning I get up and think, “What can I do today to show I care? Is my mind calm and are my hands busy with good things?”

  I can do this because all the while I know that Mike is doing the exact same thing—thinking of me. Working to make my life better and to show his love. It’s a two-way street, and it works.

  And I suppose my story just proves that a mother can turn even a memory page into a life lesson.

  Love you all.

  [Images: A face reflected in a window. Warm meal on a table. Wrinkled hands busy knitting.]

  26

  July turned out to be hotter and muggier than any in recent record.

  With all the kids home from school, and the house and the garden chores to be done, the days were filled to the brim. Jaxi was very grateful for an air-conditioned minivan to get the lot of them over to visit with family on a regular basis.

  The third week of July, she stopped in at Dare’s. Jaxi had brought a number of prepared meals but mostly just wanted to spend time with her sister-in-law.

  Dare’s foster sister greeted her at the door, the dark-haired woman grinning widely. “Hey, you. Need help with the munchkins?” Ginny asked.

  “Hi, Auntie Ginny,” Rae and Becca shouted as they pushed past her into the house, one of them holding Lana’s hand, the other guiding PJ.

  Jaxi adjusted Justin on her hip, holding out a package for Ginny to take. “Cabbage rolls. Marion and I made a big batch. You can pop them in the freezer and deal with them later.”

  Ginny’s dark eyes widened with amusement, but she tossed her shoulder-length hair back over her shoulder then took the bag. “Efficient as always.”

  “Never underestimate the power of a well-written to-do list,” Jaxi quipped back. “How’re you doing?”

  “Learning about the wonders of sleep deprivation,” Ginny said over her shoulder as she headed to the kitchen and put the food away.

  “Oh, please.” Dare rolled her eyes from where she sat on the couch, pillows strategically lined up to help support the babies as she nursed them.

  Ginny grinned. “What? I’m not a parent. I don’t have any parent genes, so not getting to sleep from when I want to go to bed until when I want to wake up is a hard thing.”

  Vicki was there as well, sunk deep into a chair with one hand resting on the top of her baby-full belly. She gave Ginny a disbelieving look. “Honey, you live on a ranch. Or you did, and you will again. And on a ranch, thanks to animals, there is no such thing as going to bed when you want and waking up when you want, not unless Silver Stone is some sort of magical unicorn, in which case, can I move there?”

  “Can you move, period?” Dare teased before turning to Jaxi and grinning evilly, all of her teeth showing. “It’s kind of fun that Vicki is just as immobile as I am right now, albeit for a totally different reason.”

  “It is utterly unfair that we were due on the same day,” Vicki complained. “I feel like a defective turkey. The basting button’s popped, but nothing else is happening.”

  Ginny chuckled, which was a braver thing to do than Jaxi would chance at the moment. Women who went over nine months pregnant were not known to be entirely rational. “This is the universe balancing out. Dare was two weeks early, ergo that means you will be—”

  Vicki flung a pillow hard enough it hit Ginny square in the face then rebounded. “You shut your mouth,” Vicki said, but she was laughing.

  The children had found their cousins, Joey and Jess, and the pile of toys in the corner of the room. Ginny helped organize the lot of them, stealing Justin from Jaxi’s arms. “Hang out. Chat. I do get more of that sleep thing than you guys.”

  Which meant the three of them—Jaxi, Dare, and Vicki—fell into sweet conversation. Ginny joined in at times, and the children came back and forth between them, looking for attention as well as the occasional kiss for new boo-boos.

  “I’ve got just about all the memory pages from the aunts and uncles,” Jaxi told Dare. “I’m glad Lisa suggested a way this could become an ongoing project.”

  Dare nodded. “Agreed. It’s fun to think about adding pages as milestones occur. Having stuff online makes it even easier to enjoy.”

  “How did you do with the pictures?” Jaxi hesitated then grinned. “I mean, before you stopped everything because of Ryan and Royce. I do not expect you to spend time on it now.”

  “Well, it’s a good thing that I also agree that one should never underestimate a well-written to-do list,” Dare said with a sparkle in her eyes. “I finished scanning all the pictures before Thing One and Thing Two arrived.”

  They both ignored Ginny’s exaggerated groan in the background.

  “Everything’s in the Dropbox we set up. When you have time, you can get the families to spruce up their sections.” Dare lifted Royce from her breast, wordlessly handing him to Jaxi. A moment later Dare finished adjusting Ryan into position then blinked before offering an exasperated sigh. “Well, that was terrible. Jaxi, would you like to burp my baby? He’s extra spitty these days,” she warned.

  Jaxi had already grabbed a receiving blanket off the table and placed it over her shoulder. Patting Royce lightly on the back, she pressed her nose against his little baby head and sniffed, soaking the new baby smell into her very soul. “You’re family, Dare. Assuming that we’re going to love on your babies is not being rude.”

  Dare went speechless for a moment, looking down and fussing with Ryan.

  It was Ginny who crossed the room to where Jaxi sat, dropping to her knees, a bit of moisture in her eyes. “I love you Colemans so much. I’m glad Dare found you.”

  She hug-attacked Jaxi, carefully, working around the baby.

  “We love her too,” Jaxi said honestly. “And you, by association. Are you planning to stick around for a while so we can enjoy your company?”

  “Since Miss ‘I can do anything anybody else does’ decided to pop out twins in imitation of you—” Ginny began.

  “Not my fault,” Dare insisted. “Besides, two boys means this is all on Jesse.”

  Ginny folded her arms and stared at her sister. “Hush. Grown-ups talking.”

  Jaxi snickered.

  “I’m going to stay and help Dare for at least a couple of months. There’s no rush to get back to Silver Stone. At least not until the snow flies.”

  “You’ve been gone for a couple of years, haven’t you?”

  Ginny nodded, sliding over to help one of the little ones who had dropped crayons off the table. “It’ll be an adjustment to be home, so no use in going until I’m ready to settle down.”

  “If you want to stay in Rocky, I’m sure we could figure something out,” Jaxi offered. “There’s a number of trailers empty. We could even move one out here to Sunset Ridge if you wanted to stay close to your sister.”

  Dare and Ginny exchanged glances, and laughter rose so quickly, Jaxi wondered what she’d said.

  But when Ginny pulled out a twenty-dollar bill and tucked it under Dare’s feet on the table, Jaxi sighed. “Have you been taking lessons from Lisa? She’s the one always making bets.”

  “Kelli does it as well, out at Silver Stone ranch. I figured it was a given that at some point you would offer to adopt Ginny.” Dare puckered up her lips and blew Jaxi a kiss. “Love ya.”

  A few minutes later, Jaxi realized Vicki had grown astonishingly quiet over the past while. She glanced at her sister-in-law to discover the woman’s cheeks were no longer flushed red but shockingly white. “Vicki? Sweetie? You okay?”

  The young wom
an met her gaze across the room, glancing for a moment at the children before turning back and shaking her head slightly. “I don’t feel too good,” she whispered.

  Dare swore. “Really?”

  Vicki gave a sheepish grin. “The baby’s coming. I don’t think there’s time for an ambulance.”

  Jaxi was already moving, popping a sleeping Royce and Ryan into the bassinets at the edge of the room. Then she and Ginny rounded up the rest of the little ones and herded them into the basement where there were toys and electronics to help entertain them.

  Ginny pushed Jaxi back toward the stairs. “The kids I can handle. That?” She pointed upstairs. “Not my territory.”

  Jaxi made it upstairs in time to find Dare guiding Vicki to a comfortable spot in the kitchen.

  “You promised me you wouldn’t do this again,” Dare scolded with a tease. “No having babies in the living room.”

  “Hey, I promised not to have a kid in my house. This is your place.” Vicki sucked in a sharp breath. “Hey, Jaxi. We called the guys and the ambulance, but just in case, did you bring your catching mitt?”

  “I’m usually the one pitching,” Jaxi said with a soft laugh, “but I think we can figure it out. Don’t worry. Everything’s going to be fine.

  Not even forty-five minutes later, when the front door burst open, Joel rushing in with Jesse hard on his heels, Vicki was on the couch, her baby wrapped comfortably in her arms.

  Dare had one of her twins, and Jaxi held the other, and Ginny was riding herd on the rest of the children. It was the finest of chaos in Jaxi’s opinion.

  Joel cuddled in next to Vicki and kissed her tenderly before accepting his baby boy into his free arm. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here this time.”

  “It’s okay,” Vicki reassured him. “You’ll be here for the rest of it.”

  Jaxi was still buzzing with excitement when she got to share the story with Blake that night. “It was probably one of the most exciting things I’ve ever done,” she admitted. “And one of the scariest.”

  Their children were all asleep, and she and Blake were sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace.