by Jaci Burton
"Thanks. This bedroom is lovely. And a king-sized bed, too."
"Yeah, always plenty of room for one of us big guys to roll around in."
She moved over to him and put her arms around him. "Or one of you big guys with a plus one."
He turned to face her and framed her face, brushing his lips across hers. "Definitely that. You want something to drink? Mom has no doubt stocked the fridge."
"I think I'm so full I might explode if I eat or drink anything else. So I'm good for now."
"You probably need a walk."
"That sounds amazing. I'd love to."
He took her hand and they headed out the front door. It was so remote out here, no lights, nothing like living in the city. She looked up and saw what she thought were a million stars overhead in the clear night sky, so she tugged on Flynn's hand to stop him.
"Look at all those stars."
"Oh. Right. I forget you're used to living in the city. It's pretty amazing, isn't it?"
"It's unbelievable. You had this every night?"
"Every clear night, yeah. My brothers and Mia and I would lie out in the dirt and spot the constellations. Then we'd argue over which one of us was right."
She tore her gaze away from the stunning sky to look at him. "Which one of you was usually right?"
"Mia. But don't tell her I said that."
She laughed. "Oh, so it's a secret, huh? What's it worth to you for me to keep it?"
He grabbed her around the waist, then hauled her against him. "You'd sell my secrets?"
"Maybe. Depends on what you're willing to sacrifice to buy my silence."
He rubbed against her, and she felt him getting hard. "I've got something that might interest you."
She pressed her hands against his chest. "I'm intrigued. Go on."
He looked around, then took her hand and walked her farther down the road. The road curved away from the house, and it was suddenly very dark. All she could see was Flynn and the night sky. Since there wasn't much of a moon, she could only make out the shapes of trees. She inhaled and caught the smell of hay, and heard cattle in the near distance. But otherwise, she had no idea what was out there.
Until Flynn pushed her up against a wood fence post and pressed against her. Before she could say anything his mouth was on hers, hard and passionate. She lost herself in the kiss, in the wild, hungry taste of his lips moving over hers.
His hands roamed her body, sliding along her rib cage and up and over her breasts. For a brief moment she wondered about the possibility of someone wandering by and seeing them, but that moment was lost when his fingers brushed across her nipple. A shock of brutal pleasure made her gasp as a rush of sensation shot through her. She knew Flynn wouldn't put her in an embarrassing position with his family, so instead she focused on the hazy pleasure.
He moved his hand along her stomach--and lower--his fingers dipping into the waistband of her pants. Ripples of sensation curled along her nerve endings and she moaned against his mouth.
"Flynn."
He pulled back and looked at her, his fingers teasing her sex. "I like the way you say my name when you're all hot and bothered. I want to hear you moan my name when I make you come."
Part of her wanted to object. They were out here in the middle of-- Well, she actually had no idea where they were.
"No one's here, right?"
He swept his fingers over her clit and she bit back that moan he was talking about.
"Babe, no one's going to come. Except you. You're all hot and wet under my fingers. Just relax and let me touch you."
He kissed her again while his expert fingers did a magical dance across her sex. She gasped as he slid a finger into her.
"Feel that?" he murmured against her mouth. "Your pussy, gripping my finger. You are so tight, so hot. I wish I was inside you right now."
She was coming undone, overcome by the heat and pleasure of Flynn's hands and fingers as he pumped in and out of her while he rubbed her clit with his thumb. She was drowning right here in the great outdoors with nothing but Flynn as her lifeline.
And when she came, it was his name that spilled from her lips as she quivered and reached for him.
"That's it, babe. Let me have it all."
She was sailing on a crazy sea of incredible sensation. She lost herself in the moment, arching her pussy against his hand, letting him take over as he coaxed her over the wave of her orgasm.
When he lifted his hand from her pants, she laid her head on his shoulder so she could catch her breath.
"Now, that was good," he said.
"It was definitely good for me." She lifted her head and pressed her lips to his. "Thank you."
He deepened the kiss, wrapping an arm around her to tug her close. His erection bumped her hip and she realized how in need he must be. And kissing him ratcheted up her desire for him all over again. But now she wanted to be naked so she could touch him and feel him inside of her.
She pulled back and smoothed her hands down his chest, over his stomach, and teased her fingers over his hard-on. "How about we take a stroll back to the house?"
"Great idea. Only let's sprint, not stroll."
She smiled and took his hand, and they walked briskly back to the house. When they got inside, Flynn closed and locked the door, shut off the porch light, then turned to face her.
"Just to make sure none of my family comes by to visit."
Her eyes widened. "You told me no one would come by."
"No one was going to. I was pretty sure."
She rolled her eyes. "Flynn."
He smoothed his hands down her arms. "Hey, you came, and no one saw us. Don't worry."
"Well, I wasn't worried then, but now I am. No more outdoor sex."
"Oh, but I haven't even shown you my secret place."
She laughed and shook her head. "I'm not falling for that. I don't think you even have a secret place."
He had started walking her backward, down the hallway toward the bedroom.
"I have a lot of secret places on this property. Trust me, no one would ever find us."
"Uh-huh. I think you just want to get me naked on the grass somewhere."
"We could do it outside right now, under the stars. Ever had sex under the stars, Amelia?"
They had made it through the doorway and Flynn moved in closer, placing his hands on her hips to guide her toward the bed. When the back of her knees hit the mattress, he pushed her onto the bed and climbed on after her, pulling her on top of him.
"No, I've never had sex under the stars. Or outside."
His eyes gleamed hot with desire. "You're missing out."
"Am I? Or will I end up with mosquito bites on my ass?"
He lifted her top over her head, discarding it, then unhooked her bra, sliding the straps down her arms.
"Oh, come on. Where's your sense of adventure? Besides, it's November. All the mosquitos are gone for the season."
"First, I don't believe you about the mosquitos. Second, I have a great sense of adventure. I'm just a little uncertain about the mosquito bites on my ass."
He cupped her butt and squeezed. "I promise to take very tender care of your very fine ass."
She rocked against him and he groaned. "Promise?"
"Yes. Now get naked and slide that sweet pussy over me."
She shivered at the harsh, needy tone of his voice. She slid off of him only long enough to remove the rest of her clothes. Flynn did the same and when she climbed back on him, he was naked, with a condom in his hand.
"And where did that come from?"
"My cock or the condom?"
She laughed and took the condom packet from him, waving it back and forth. "This."
"My pocket. I grabbed it out of the luggage earlier."
"Aren't you just so smart?" She tore the wrapper off and slid the condom over his cock, watching the way his eyes darkened as she grasped the base of his shaft when she applied the condom.
"I like your hands on me, Am
elia. Now slide your hot pussy all over me and make us both come."
She climbed over to straddle his thighs and inched down onto his cock, teasing both of them by taking her time. The heat and length of him felt like sweet, hot steel thickening within her. She dug her nails into his chest and he hissed.
"Yeah, baby, it's that good for me, too." He arched up, filling her with his delicious cock, causing goose bumps to spring up all over her skin. She scraped her nails along his chest, teasing his nipples with her fingertips.
Then she rocked back and forth against him, giving herself the friction she needed. He grasped her hips and dragged her forward, sending shots of pure pleasure through her. When she bent down to kiss him, he tangled his fingers in her hair, winding the strands around his hand to tug on it as he intensified the kiss.
It was all too much. She came with a strangled moan. In answer, he groaned against her lips, dug his fingers into her hips and drove into her, taking her climax to new heights as he thrust hard and fast into her as he came.
She lay there for a while, her body splayed over his in what felt like a drunken stupor. Flynn drew lazy circles over her back and buttocks and she was certain if they stayed like this all night long she'd be perfectly content.
But eventually she climbed off of him and they made their way to the bathroom. She stared at the sink and looked at him.
"We haven't even unpacked yet. I need to brush my teeth."
His lips curved into a sexy smile. "We were busy doing other things and I guess we forgot that part. I'll go bring the luggage in."
She turned around and rested her hip against the sink. "Okay."
She felt blissfully relaxed. Considering how pent up and anxious she'd been this morning, she realized she'd had nothing to worry about.
This was going to be a great trip.
TWENTY-FIVE
One of Flynn's favorite parts about being home was hanging out with his dad, his uncles and his brothers. At some point there would be a football game, typically started out in one of the fields, and always involving over-the-top boasting, a lot of bullshitting and occasionally a bet about who would win.
Flynn knew he was the best and had often proved it. Okay, his dad had been the best and no one ever disputed that. Dad wasn't as young as he used to be, but he could still throw a damn football like he was a twenty-five-year-old, with his rocket arm and pinpoint accuracy. And not one of them would dare try to tackle him or you'd find yourself being assigned some heinous chore, like mucking out the horse barn. Definitely not worth it.
Amelia had wanted to get up early this morning, saying she had made plans with all the women to start cooking, which had suited Flynn just fine since he always enjoyed working out early in the day. He drank a large glass of orange juice, then left Amelia the keys to the SUV, gave her a kiss and set out on his run.
He never minded running at the gym or the team facility, but there was nothing like being home and having the freedom to roam the dirt roads of the Cassidy ranch. Dawn was just creeping up, the sun a hazy bright spot through the early morning fog that had blanketed the ranch overnight. The chill in the air felt good, especially when he quickened his pace. He didn't mind the fog. He knew this land and every curve of the road. He'd run it with his brothers and his sister for years, so he knew when to make a turn. He could do this with his eyes closed.
It felt damn good to be home. No city sounds, no horns honking, no one huffing and puffing next to him on the treadmill. Just Flynn and his own thoughts. His thoughts right now were on home, family and burning off all the calories he was going to eat later today.
He grinned and dug in harder, watching the fog scatter across a green meadow. Yeah, this was his goal. Someday he'd own land like this. When he was retired and he didn't play anymore, he'd raise his kids somewhere they could roam for miles and not be afraid of running into the street.
He'd loved his childhood, and he wanted the same thing for his kids.
His imaginary kids right now.
He made a left turn and took the back road toward the main house, slowing his pace when he got about a half mile out. The last quarter mile he did at a walk to get his heart rate back to normal. Barrett was sitting outside with a cup of coffee when he walked up the porch steps.
"Missed you on my run this morning."
Barrett lifted a brow. "You must have gotten up later than I did. I did mine about four thirty."
"Bullshit. You were sleeping at four thirty."
Barrett took a sip of his coffee. "Guess you'll never know, will you?"
Flynn laughed and went inside. Everyone was gathered in the kitchen, which was typical. He didn't know how his mother handled cooking with a room full of people, but it never seemed to bother her. Then again, she usually put people to work if they were in there, so maybe that was all part of her plan.
Clever woman.
Amelia was busy at the stove flipping bacon. She lifted her head when he came over. He brushed his lips across hers and she smiled.
"You're all sweaty. How was your run?"
"Great. I could use a drink."
"There's a pitcher of lemon ice water over on the dining room table," his mother said, patting him on the back. Then she rubbed her fingers together. "You are sweaty. Go into our bathroom and wash up. And change your drenched T-shirt before you sit down to breakfast."
"Yes, ma'am."
Feeling good, he took the stairs two at a time, to reach the second floor where his parents' bedroom was located. He washed up in their bathroom, then went into their closet, where he grabbed one of his dad's old Green Bay T-shirts to throw on. He knew his dad wouldn't mind.
When he came downstairs, his dad grinned. "Good choice."
"I knew you'd think so." He poured himself a glass of water and drained it in a few swallows. He refilled the glass and headed into the dining room, sipping it this time.
"Good run today?"
He turned to find Katrina's teenage brother, Leo. "Yeah."
Leo had filled out a lot since Flynn had first met him. He was a junior in high school now, and a star on his football team. He'd gained about half a foot in height and about fifty pounds of muscle. With his dark brown hair and blue eyes, the kid was a true lady-killer. And from what Grant had told him, a damn good football player, too.
"How's football this season?"
Leo smiled. "Good. Really good. We made state."
"That's great news. You getting a lot of playing time?"
"Every game."
Flynn saw the pride in Leo's eyes when he said that. He was really happy for the kid.
They talked stats for a while. Flynn was impressed with Leo's abilities as a wide receiver, especially since Leo hadn't played football until his freshman year of high school. But with Grant's guidance, Flynn had no doubt the kid would do well.
"Okay, everyone," his mom said, "get your plates and start filling them up. Breakfast is ready."
"I don't know about you," Flynn said to Leo, "but I'm starving, so you'd better beat me to the line or I'm taking all the bacon."
Leo cracked a smile. "You're older and slower than me. Not a chance."
Flynn laughed. When Leo had first met the family, he'd been sort of shy. It was great to see him so bold and confident now. He was quickly becoming a Cassidy family member.
Despite his boasts to Leo, Flynn met up with Amelia and waited for their elders to serve themselves first. Then they got in line behind Grant and his family.
Breakfast was a full meal, as was typical on a ranch. They had eggs, bacon, sausages, fried potatoes, fruit salad, oatmeal, toast and biscuits and gravy, along with coffee, milk and three types of juice, all freshly squeezed. It was more like a buffet than a breakfast.
"I'm going to be fueled for the rest of the day by the time I finish breakfast," Amelia said.
Flynn smiled. "Mom's used to cooking for my dad and uncles and several ranch hands, who often don't stop for lunch. Breakfast is always a big deal. Plus, everyone will b
e busy cooking Thanksgiving dinner today. So lunch will be light."
Amelia nodded. "Lydia already has the turkey in the oven. It's great that she has the double oven, so after breakfast I'll start on the pies. Once the turkey's done, we can work on some of the sides."
He leaned over and brushed his lips against her ear. "I can hardly wait to taste what you've cooked."
"What we've cooked. It's going to be a joint effort today."
They settled in at the table and Flynn dug into his meal. He was always really hungry after a run, so he ate--a lot.
Then again, so did his brothers. Their plates were piled as high as his, so he didn't feel too bad about those four pieces of bacon. And two sausages. And all those eggs.
"How did you feed all these guys when they were growing up, Lydia?" Amelia asked, her eyes wide as she surveyed Flynn's and his brothers' plates.
His mom laughed. "It was a challenge. We were very lucky that we could afford four growing, hungry boys. And Mia was no slouch in the eating department, either."
Mia shrugged. "I'm nothing if not competitive. Of course that meant I also had to get out and run with these beasts to burn it all off."
"If Lydia hadn't had a job as a lawyer and I hadn't played professional football, we probably would have had to start selling off kids just to pay the mortgage," Easton said, then winked at Amelia.
She laughed. "I'm making a mental note to have no more than two children."
"Easton and I thought we'd only have two kids," Lydia said. "Then after Flynn and Grant, the twins came. They were a surprise."
"And what an awesome surprise we were," Tucker said with a grin.
"Hell yeah we were."
Tucker and Barrett high-fived.
Mia rolled her eyes.
"Oh, right," Flynn said. "I was fine by myself. Then I had Grant to contend with. I figured, okay, I can handle him. Then Mom comes home from the hospital with two babies--both boys. God, it was awful."
Amelia laughed. "You poor thing."
He looked at her. "You don't even know how horrible it was. Like a nightmare."
"Uh-huh. I'm sure it was."
"And you wanted a girl," his dad said to his mom, "so we tried one more time."
"And I was convinced Mom was going to have yet another boy," Flynn said.
"I think by that point we were all certain it was going to be a boy," Grant said, then he looked over at Mia. "And then you showed up and ruined everything."
Mia laughed. "No, I finally gave Mom and Dad what they really wanted after those first four wasted efforts." She beamed a smile.
