She pulls back and gives me a lazy smile. “I want you.”
The way she’s looking at me has me nearly coming in my pants like a freaking teenager. As much as I want to pin her beneath me and bury myself inside her, I’m not going to. Not tonight anyway. I don’t want our first time to be here. But believe me, it’s tempting.
Her lips brush against mine. “Brant,” she whispers, as she rubs herself against me.
Fuck me, she feels amazing and my self-control is crumbling.
“I want you too, but . . . Caroline,” I hiss against her lips. The rough edge of my voice equally matches my desire for her.
A smile crosses her lips. “But you don’t want our first time to be in the mud.”
“You read my mind.”
Caroline wiggles against me and slides down my body. The friction sends my eyes rolling into the back of their sockets.
“I want you, make no mistake about that.” I kiss her hard. “But I want you in my bed where I can worship you.” My lips map over her cheek. “Where I’ll give you the fucking you deserve.”
“I do like the sound of that.”
“Come on.” I link our hands together and lead her back to the water.
She smiles up at me and wraps her hand around my wrist.
Slowly, we swim back to the other side where our towels are. I shake off the water and then pop open the cooler.
“Beer or water?”
Caroline dries off and squeezes the water from her long blond hair. “Beer’s good with me.”
Beers in hand, we sit back on our towels. Water laps against the shore and the sky is streaked with warm oranges and pinks.
Cold beer in hand. My girl beside me. Bliss. It doesn’t get much better than this.
“It doesn’t get much better than this,” Caroline says before tipping the bottle to her pink lips.
I smile. “You’re getting good at that.”
She props herself back on her elbows. “What’s that?”
“Reading my mind. Because I had the same thought.” I lean closer and my fingers weave through her hair. My mouth covers hers, and her hand lands on my chest.
She pulls back. “So, how was work today?”
“It was good. No disasters. I’ve got a better handle on things than I thought.”
“No fires to put out on day one is always a good thing.” She takes a sip of beer. “Did you find out anything about my mother and your uncle?”
I tug at my ear. “No, all he said is that he was dating someone and they were ‘takin’ it slow’ as he put it.”
She blows out a deep breath. “They can’t be dating . . . it’s gotta be something else.”
“Is your mother looking for a new job, maybe?”
She cocks her head to the side and thinks about it for a moment. “Maybe. I hadn’t really thought about it, but maybe she is.”
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure that I saw few administrative openings on the website.”
“A few? You don’t know what jobs your company’s hiring for?”
“Give me a break, today’s my first official day on the job.”
Caroline takes another pull from the bottle, then jumps up and surprises the hell out of me by unclasping her bikini top and tossing it onto the towel. Before I can blink, her bikini bottoms are off and in my lap.
Her lips pull into a tiny smile. “Betcha didn’t see this coming.”
“Nope, I sure didn’t.”
She wades into the water and then dives beneath the emerald surface. When she pops back up, the water sluices off her skin, over her gorgeous breasts, and down her stomach. My eyes focus on the tiny triangle of tight blond curls above her glistening slit.
Fuck. My. Life.
“What are you waiting for, cowboy?”
This woman. Completely unpredictable and sexy as hell.
I waste zero time stripping out of my trunks. Her eyes pop wide when my cock bobs against my stomach.
She swallows thickly. “You are way too hot for your own good.”
Desperate to touch her again, I swim out to her. I dip my head to her chest. My tongue laves over her nipple. Her long legs coil around my waist and she flexes against my erection. Her teeth nip at my jaw and down my neck.
We groan at the sensation sparking between us.
“My self-control,” I groan against her wet skin. “I’m about to drown it, right here.”
A small smile tips her lips. “I’m struggling myself, but making out with you sure is fun.”
Our mouths collide, and she drags me right into the abyss.
“You’re killing me, Caroline Stratton.”
I’m totally screwed.
Caroline
I’m pretty sure that I need to buy a vibrator.
Since I don’t have a battery powered boyfriend available, I do the next best thing. A quick little dance with the shower head.
After I let Julep out for the night, I pass out in my bed. I can still feel his lips on mine. Brant and his monster of a cock invade my dreams. And the two of us are doing a lot more than dry humping.
Days later, I still feel him everywhere.
“Pick up the pace, boys,” Sawyer calls out.
Reality slaps me right out of my daydream. I’d rather be back at the waterfall with Brant than sweating my ass off in this muggy afternoon heat. I palm my forehead trying to refocus or smack oxygen back into my body.
Things at Cardwell Bourbon have kept Brant working late into the night for the last week. I miss him. These runs with Sawyer and the team are keeping me from climbing the walls.
“You’re running kinda slow today, Coach Stratton,” Huck shouts as he passes by me to take the lead.
I laugh. “I’m just warming up, kid.”
Sawyer catches up to me and I let the pack pass me by. Today, I don’t care if every single one of them passes me. Giving them a small win will boost their confidence. Maybe.
“What’s up?” Sawyer asks me.
“Nothing. This heat is stifling.”
“Hmm, yeah, I’m pretty sure the weather isn’t on your mind.”
I cut a glance in his direction. “What are you driving at?”
We slow our speed allowing the back of the pack to get a good distance in front of us.
“Rumor has it you and Brant were seen down at Mayfield Falls.”
My heartrate kicks up. “Who told you that?”
More importantly did they see us naked? Oh god. My palms start to mist over with sweat.
“Jake told me.”
“And what else did Jake tell you?”
We pass under the big pine trees and jog into the woods. It feels good to be in the shade out of the hot sun.
“Relax, all he said was that he saw you and Brant getting into his car at the falls. And before you ask, Jake wasn’t spying on you two. He was hiking along the trails.”
I snort a laugh. “So he says.”
He picks up the pace and I fall in step with him.
“Did you sleep with him yet?”
“Keep your voice down.” My index finger flies to my mouth.
“Oh, please,” Sawyer scowls. “No one can hear us.”
“We’ve been dating for like a week,” I remind. “No, I haven’t slept with him.”
“Was I this intrusive when you started dating Maybelle?”
Ignoring my question, he calls out, “Okay, boys, let’s finish strong.”
Claps and catcalls filter out from the pack. I breathe in for three steps and then out for two. I concentrate on my footfalls and my breaths. When we emerge from the woods, the school comes into view and I pick up my pace. I let my legs unspool and then I leave Sawyer in the dust.
Wind whistles in my ears and the sounds of the cicadas grow louder.
In a flash, I lose my footing and fall face first into the soccer field.
“Have a nice fall, Coach Stratton,” Corey Carter calls out.
He’s a little ass wipe freshman. And happens to be Courtney Leigh
’s nephew. Every single one of them breezes past me, even Herman. The frosh who “has a boner for me” didn’t even look at me.
“What happened?” Sawyer asks and pulls me to my feet.
I dust myself off and check to see if I’m bleeding. “I don’t know. Lost my concentration and balance, I guess.”
“Did you drink enough water today?”
I roll my eyes and motion for Sawyer to run with me. “Okay, Mom. Yes, I drank enough water. You know you should really teach your guys to be gentlemen and help a lady up when she falls.”
We pick up our pace and jog toward the school. “They’re probably too scared to help you. They don’t want to tread on your female independence.”
I snort a laugh. “Lord, what about ‘leave no man behind’ and all that jazz.”
We make it back to the gym just as the team’s finishing their cool down.
“See ya around,” I tell him.
He gives me a nod and I jog toward the locker room.
“Ma,” I call out from the kitchen.
“In the laundry room. How was your day?”
I step around the corner and walk down the hallway.
“It was good,” I tell her and lean against the doorframe. “What about you?”
“Oh, same ole stuff.” She folds the last towel and then shuts the dryer. “We got a call today for a wedding over Labor Day weekend. That Saturday night.”
“That’s like in a few weeks. Less than, actually,” I point out. “What’d you tell them?”
I follow her into the kitchen. “We had it open on the event calendar, so I told them that we’d be happy to be a part of their special day.”
“And, you’re working the event?”
She pulls on her apron and says, “No, I’m going out of town that weekend.”
“Well, that’s the night of my reunion,” I tell her. “How do you propose that we run this event?”
She stares at me. “I thought you weren’t interested in going to your reunion.”
I rest my hip against the sink. “I wasn’t, but then . . .” I stop myself.
Do I tell her about Brant? Or do I keep that information to myself for a while longer?
“What are you going out of town for, anyway?”
“It’s a girls’ weekend,” she says matter-of-factly. “I know I told you.” Mom uncorks a bottle of wine and pours two glasses.
My arms fold over my chest. “I can’t recall.”
Ma pulls the chicken from the refrigerator and then starts slicing it into strips. “There’s this charming little festival in Clinton, Indiana—The Little Italy Festival. Anyway, Jocelyn Argenti, that’s her hometown, she’s the one who told us about it. We’re going to the festival to drink wine and eat some great food, then we’re off to Indianapolis for the rest of the weekend.”
“Sounds fun.” I scoop up the wine glass from the counter. “Cheers.”
Mom flies around the kitchen. Chopping vegetables and boiling water. Next, I see her pull a box from the fridge. I recognize it from the bakery near Brant’s apartment.
“Are you having people over?” My heart jumps in my chest because I realize that Ma is wearing more makeup that usual.
She smiles. “Yes. Just one person. And I wanted to tell you, but you’ve been so busy helping Sawyer. And I know that you’re prepping for the school year to start.”
“I’m not that busy,” I say before I take a sip of wine.
Ma drops some pasta into the boiling water. “Well, I’ve been seeing someone.”
“So, who is it?” I ask, knowing who it could be.
“Theodore . . . Ted Collins.”
My eyes pop wide and I nearly choke on my wine. “Doctor Collins? As in Sawyer and Aaron’s dad?”
“Yes, that Doctor Collins. We’ve been seeing each other for a few months.”
“A few months?” I squeak out.
I feel like my mother has been living another life. How did I not see this?
“Holy shit, Ma. I mean . . .” My fingers splay across my forehead. “How? When?”
She stirs the pasta. “Well, I don’t know. We just got to talking and we’ve always been friends, but something just . . . sparked.”
Ma’s eyes light up. It’s a brightness that I haven’t seen in a while. Sawyer’s dad and my mother. Wow. I polish off the rest of my wine and try to wrap my mind around this information.
Ma and Doctor Collins.
Not Ma and Royston Cardwell.
I’m relieved yet baffled at the same time. Because this still doesn’t explain what Ma was doing with Royston at the country club on Sunday night.
“Is there anything else you need or want to share with me?”
“Can’t think of anything,” she says while she adds diced tomatoes and a pinch of salt to the saucepan.
“Thanks for the wine,” I say and rinse my glass out in the sink. “I’m going to go home and make some dinner myself.”
“Okay, dear, have a good night.”
“You too.”
I skip out the door and walk up to the tack house. My phone pings with a text.
Haven: Are you dating my brother?
I laugh out loud before replying.
Me: I am. We’re taking it really slow . . . I think?
Haven: Why do I have to hear this from Maybelle instead of you?
Me: I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to keep it from you. It’s all so new.
Haven: I had a feeling when you asked about him last summer that there was a story there.
Me: Yeah. Maybe someday I’ll tell you all about it.
Haven: Maybe? No! You will spill next time we chat.
Haven: Gotta go. I’ve got a meeting. Love ya.
Me: Love ya.
The sun’s been down for about an hour when Julep looks up at me and whines.
“What is it, girl?”
A tank top and a pair of shorts is all I have on at the moment. It’s so hot and the air conditioner is still broken. The repair guy can’t get out here until Friday morning.
Even with purchasing two large fans from the hardware store and every ceiling fan on ultra-high, it’s still hot. Nothing is helping cool this place down.
“But you’ve gone out and this is when we watch TV.”
Actually, I’m sitting here trying to figure out what I’m going to do about the wedding Ma booked on Labor Day weekend. I’m thinking that it’s time to call in the favor Chrissy owes me.
Another whine and then Julep plants herself at the backdoor.
“Fine, I’ll take you out.”
I grab her leash off the wall in the mudroom and shove my feet into a pair of flip-flops. Julep spins around a few times and wags her tail when I attach the leash to her collar. We step out the backdoor and Julep does her business but then she tugs the leash.
“Oh, you want to go for a walk now?”
I pick up the pace to keep up with her. Julep is halfway down the hill and headed for the footbridge. Before I know it, we’re in the woods that separates our property from the Cardwells. When we reach the clearing, she slows her pace and struts toward the river.
Julep sniffs around while I swat mosquitos away. My nerves appreciate that the moon is bright and high tonight—it gives me pretty good visibility. But I don’t want to be out here any longer than necessary.
“Come on, Julep,” I call out and give her leash a slight tug.
The cicadas are loud, but I don’t mistake the sound of crunching sticks in the woods.
“It’s not a wild animal,” I tell myself.
Keeping as calm as I can, I urge Julep in the direction of the house.
Please don’t be a mountain lion or a coyote. A jogger spotted a mountain lion in Bourbon County earlier this month. It was the first sighting since the Civil War.
She decides to plop down on the grass.
“No, girl, let’s go,” I plead.
A flash of light from the trees catches my eye. My heart drums in my chest when I try to scoop u
p Julep.
“Caroline?”
I look up to see Brant leaning against a tree just past the property line.
“Brant, what the hell? You scared me half to death.”
He walks toward us and Julep shoots straight up from the grass. Tail wagging and tongue out. I’ve never seen her react this way to a stranger.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you. This must be Julep.” He bends to scratch her head.
She leans in to him and her tail goes crazy. Then she jumps up and her front paws land on his thick thighs.
Down girl, he’s Mama’s.
“Well, aren’t you a pretty girl?”
“Down, girl,” I command. To my surprise she actually listens to me. “What are you doing all the way out here?”
He runs his hand along his jaw. “Family dinner with Haven and Tyler. There was lots of wedding talk.”
I laugh. “Poor guy. You didn’t want to discuss cake, flowers, and all that jazz?”
“Not particularly. They’re excited though.” He juts his chin. “What are you doing out here?”
“Julep decided she needed a walk. I wonder if she’s cooler out here than in the house.”
His brow furrows. “Something wrong with your air conditioner?”
“I’m surprised you didn’t notice how hot it was in there the other day.”
Brant winks at me. “The AC works really well at my place. You’re welcome to stay with me until yours gets fixed.”
My skin warms with heat at his invitation.
“That’s a nice offer, but . . .”
His hands slide up my arms. “No buts. Come home with me. Please?”
Ugh, he’s so cute when he begs.
“I’ll pack a bag and then drop Julep off at the main house,” I tell him.
“Julep’s welcome to stay with us, if you like.” He bends down and scratches behind her ears.
I cock a brow. “Do you have dog stuff? Food? Water? A bed? If I bring her it’s basically like bringing a kid along.”
Brant’s eyes meet mine. “I see your point. What if I help? I can make up the doggy overnight bag while you pack.”
Swooning here.
“I really appreciate it, but Julep’s never stayed anywhere other than my place and Ma’s. If she gets spooked or can’t sleep, I’d hate it if you were up all night. But what if I bring her by one day and let her get familiar with your place?”
Sweet Agony Page 9
