by Vivian Arend
Tamara isn’t Wendy.
Tamara was forthright, all energy and boldness as she reached for his hand, linking her fingers with his and offering a smile full of satisfaction. He felt himself smiling in return.
“I can do better than that,” he informed her. “I feel like a greenhorn, trying to seduce you in the back alley of some nightclub.”
“Caleb Stone. Is this something you’ve done a lot of? Seducing innocent young things behind taverns?”
He shook his head. “Honestly? I never was much of one for hitting the bars. Luke, Walker and I used to go on occasion, and after Josiah moved to the area he and I went. But I mostly stopped after…”
She stroked her fingers between his, caressing. “Tell me to go to hell if you want, but do you have anybody you talk to about Wendy?”
His good mood faded slightly. “I try not to think about her.”
“Which makes sense, and I get it. I’m a lot happier when I don’t think back to everything that brought about me being fired, but there are times and situations it would be much easier to— I don’t know. I guess I just want you to know you can talk about her with me. I’m not going to judge you for making a mistake, if you made any, and I’m not saying you did.” She gave his hand a squeeze then adjusted position. Slipping off her boots and bringing her feet up on the seat beside her as she faced him.
“Why’d you get fired?” It was off topic, and yeah, a protective move. But he wanted to know how she’d respond.
Turns out, with utter honesty. “The reason on paper is I ignored the patient/doctor confidentiality clause when I told my friend that her mom had terminal cancer. The real reason is I pissed off a man in a position of power by refusing to worship his cock.”
Caleb jerked the water bottle from his mouth, coughing as he attempted to get rid of the mouthful he had just taken. Thank God he hadn’t spewed it all over the inside of the windshield.
“Was that a little too blunt? I went out with one of the doctors a few times, but it ended up he wasn’t as much fun as he thought he was. And I couldn’t resist smart-mouthing him back when it became clear he thought he had the right to push me around.”
Caleb wiped his lips dry before glancing at her. “You? Smartass comments?”
“Shocking, right?”
He was silent for a moment. That was a pretty big thing she’d done wrong. “Was it worth it? Not the part about being a smartass, but telling your friend.”
Tamara nodded. “She’d already lost her dad to cancer. It was this long, drawn-out illness that was hell on the entire family. Which is why her mom was keeping her diagnosis a secret, but I know Allison. I know she would’ve been even more devastated to have been living hours away instead of spending those final days with someone she loved.”
It was silent in the cab for a few moments, just the wheels on the pavement and the air rushing past as they drove in the darkness.
“Even knowing I would get fired, I’d do it again.” Tamara spoke softly, staring out the front windshield. There was not much out there except white lines at the side of the road, and a dotted yellow passing lane flickering by like a heartbeat. Pale red taillights winking far in the distance.
As quiet as it was, the cab seemed to be filled with life and energy and powerful emotion. It was all because of her—Tamara.
Maybe that was why Caleb found himself telling her things he hadn’t expected to. “Wendy didn’t like going to the bar. I think maybe there were too many people, which meant she couldn’t stand out in the crowd. I didn’t mind that she liked it when I took her out for lunch while we were dating. Ginny, Dare and Dustin were in school then, so I didn’t have to wrangle babysitters or coordinate someone to cook meals at home. Wendy and I dated for three months before we got married.”
Tamara whistled softly. “That’s a bit of a whirlwind.”
He sighed heavily. “She got pregnant.”
“Oh.”
Maybe this confession thing was good for the soul. “Part of the reason I wasn’t too thrilled when my sister ended up pregnant. I knew it could end badly.”
Tamara shook her head. “I don’t think you have to worry about your sister. Jesse and Dare are both putting one hundred percent into their relationship. Did you want your marriage to work?”
“Of course. I was dating her in the first place because I thought we’d be good together.” More the fool him.
“And from what I know of you, you were working to try and make that happen. I don’t think her getting pregnant should have been the kiss of death on your relationship if she wanted it to work. That’s what was missing between you and Wendy, at least from where I’m sitting. You gave and gave, and she didn’t.”
She hadn’t. Caleb wasn’t going to argue with that fact.
This wasn’t where he had expected their discussion to go, and yet it felt right. Then Tamara being Tamara she dove right back into the conversation and through the other side. “You haven’t had sex since she left, have you?”
Not much use in lying. “Explains why I was so fast off the handle.”
Tamara snickered. “Any session of fooling around that ends with me coming at least once is a win. Don’t sell yourself short. I had fun.”
“Me too.”
Then damn if she didn’t do it again. “How much sex did you have before that?”
“Tamara.”
“What? I’m trying to prepare myself for the next forty-eight hours.”
He fought to keep from smiling. He considered her question and it was easy. “Not much.”
“Define not much—?”
“What the hell do you want? What difference does it make?” He’d never even told Josiah this. “Emma turned seven late September. Add nine months. You’re the one doing math for me.”
He had to admit the stream of curses that confession induced was satisfying.
She reached across and grabbed hold of his hand, linking their fingers firmly. “Well then. It’s a good thing I’ve been taking my vitamins.”
There really wasn’t any answer to that one.
Then she stopped with the embarrassingly blunt questions. He worried that the remainder of the three-hour trip would turn into something awkward, or worse, a constant temptation to pull over and take her again.
Instead she decided to get his opinion on a whole number of household things they needed to catch up on, hauling a small notebook from her purse and going through a detailed list. Activities for the girls, questions about the ranch and the financial side of things. Heck, she had Ashton’s birthday party on the list.
The entire time they held hands. He hadn’t expected that simple act to feel so huge. So intimate.
An hour later Tamara closed the book with a satisfied snap. “Consider that a business meeting well accomplished. And the party planned.”
“Kelli will be glad.”
Tamara laughed as she squeezed his fingers then let go for a moment so she could put her notebook away. “What’s her story? Sounds as if she’s been working at Silver Stone for a long time.”
He nodded. “She showed up one spring when we were shorthanded. I thought Luke had hired her, he thought Ashton had, and Ashton thought I’d put her on payroll. None of us had, but she was there, up on horseback and doing a full day’s work, so we let her continue.”
“That’s a little weird, isn’t it? I mean, not so much the female ranch hand as the fact she had to be barely out of high school.”
Caleb glanced at her, but Tamara didn’t look concerned, more intrigued and curious. “Don’t tell her, but I did a police search on her. It came up negative. I figured she had her reasons, and Ashton decided he wanted to mother hen her, so we let it go. Never had a reason to regret it.”
“I like her,” Tamara admitted. “Reminds me of my sister Lisa. There’s not much they wouldn’t do on a dare, but you know when they got your back, it’s all out.”
“She’s a part of Silver Stone as much as any of us.”
Silenc
e fell. Tamara leaned forward and turned on the music, Walker’s voice filling the cab.
Caleb felt a little embarrassed he hadn’t known something this big and important about his brother. And yet, as the story about Kelli’s arrival at Silver Stone reminded him, there were a lot of times he hadn’t quite known what was going on.
And he’d been far too oblivious when it came to the damage Wendy had done in his little girls’ lives.
Tamara is not Wendy. He reminded himself of this fact, but it was tough to still the doubts. What if he made another mistake? How much damage could be done this time?
But glancing beside him, he was struck by the honesty in her eyes. Blunt spoken, living life at high-volume, choosing to do what was best for a friend in spite of the devastating damage it did to her own life—those were not the acts of a woman with an ulterior motive.
He glanced at his watch. Nearly eleven o’clock. It should be late enough their arrival at the house might not be noticed. Because whatever else needed to be decided, Caleb Stone hadn’t had enough of her yet.
Tamara seemed to be on board with his thoughts as he pulled into the parking space nearest the front door. He turned off the lights quickly and left them in the dark.
Sheer mischief shone back as he glanced at her. “Are we hiding?” she asked.
“We have a limited amount of time.” He was out of the truck, pulling her after him. “I don’t want to waste it.”
She took him by the hand and raced up the walkway. They slipped in the front door, and he caught her by the shoulders, pushing her back against the nearest wall so he could lay a finger over her lips.
They stood in the darkness, listening.
Wonderful, amazing silence answered.
Two cool hands pressed against his face as Tamara aimed his gaze at her. “We have a limited amount of time,” she repeated his words. “And I don’t want to waste a minute of it.”
He expected her to slip up on her tiptoes and kiss him, so he just about fell over when she did the opposite. Sliding her back down the wall, hands braced across his chest, then lower, lower. Until she was on her knees and her fingers were tangled in his belt. Eyes flashing at him from behind her red-framed glasses.
He swore, the faint glow from the outdoor yard light shining through the front window to land on her face as she grinned up, rapidly undoing his belt buckle. Unsnapping and unzipping before she used two hands and a firm grip on his jeans to pull everything off his hips which left his rising erection in full view.
Caleb braced an elbow on the wall. “Hell, yes.”
She didn’t answer, just slipped her fingers around him and stroked. A slow-motion tease that she added her mouth to, licking in a circle around the sensitive head, getting him wet.
Nothing but sensation. Definitely no thought. Pleasure crawled up his spine as she sucked deep, taking half his length. Pulled back, tongue flicking at the base of the head. Pressed forward, her fingers digging into his butt cheeks as she encouraged him to rock toward her a little farther each time.
He threaded his fingers through her hair, curling the strands around his fist. Careful to control the depth and thrust, and floored by how mind-bogglingly good it felt.
She tightened her grip and pushed him back enough he popped free.
She tilted her head. “Ready for a challenge?”
Caleb chuckled. Only Tamara would think of adding a game to sex.
Then she blew his mind, releasing his ass and reaching up to tug at his wrist. “No hands,” she ordered.
He pulled his fingers away slowly, the threads of her hair sliding like silk over his knuckles. He placed his second elbow on the wall on level with the first, palms above them to form a triangle to give him something to lean on as he stared down.
Tamara turned back, and after resting the head of his cock on her open bottom lip, placed her palms on either side of her hips against the wall.
If anything, Caleb got harder. It was all up to him now, rocking forward and watching his cock slip into her mouth. She tightened her lips, sucking hard as he dragged back, and that sense of impending explosion grew tenfold.
He tried to keep it slow. Tried to keep from rutting forward like some out-of-control sex fiend, but she’d closed her eyes and was making the most delicious noises. Encouraging him to go harder, deeper. Pressure increased rapidly until he was seconds away from disaster.
“Tamara—”
She must’ve understood his question because she opened her eyes, and even stretched around his cock, it was clear her lips were curled in a smile. When she sucked extra hard on the next thrust, Caleb lost it. He stilled, deep in her mouth. The rhythmic motions of her swallowing stripped every last bit of control from him.
It was a good thing he had both hands on the wall or else he would’ve tipped right over. His legs shook so violently the house could’ve been in a full-on earthquake.
He finally regained enough brainpower to pull back his hips, his cock coming free with a pop. Tamara smiled as she rose to her feet, arms tangling around his neck. She kissed him, tentative at first as if she wasn’t sure how he’d take that idea, but to hell with that.
He pressed them together, pinning her to the wall as he kissed her hungrily. Pants still hanging, his ass out, and wave after wave of happy endorphins flooding his system.
The best part? He had no intention of letting her go any farther than his bed for a good long time.
A light turned on behind them, and the floorboards squeaked at the end of the hallway.
Chapter Twenty-One
Tamara and Caleb snapped their heads to the side just in time to see Dustin round the corner, baseball bat raised threateningly.
The young man spotted them, his eyes widened, and he pivoted on the spot to give them his back. “Jeez, what the hell?”
Caleb grabbed at his pants and jerked them back into place. Tamara’s heart leap, somewhere between surprise and amusement.
“What’re you doing here?” Caleb demanded.
“It was too noisy in the bunkhouse so I decided to sleep in my old room downstairs. I heard these strange noises and I didn’t expect you guys back until tomorrow.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Is it safe to look yet?”
Tamara put a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing out loud. Poor kid.
Caleb didn’t seem to be as entertained about the whole thing. “Good night, Dustin.”
“I’ll go back to the bunkhouse,” he said.
“You do that.”
“Dustin,” Tamara interrupted before the kid could escape. She waited until he looked down the hallway, and even in the dim light the bright red colour splashed over his cheeks was clear. “We don’t have to tell you not to say anything about this, right?”
He nodded quickly. A hint of his usual youthful attitude reappeared along with a cocky smile. “Knew you liked him.”
This time she was the one who pointed down the hallway. “Go.”
“Going.” Dustin vanished.
Tamara and Caleb stood there in the hallway until the sound of the kitchen door closing echoed through the once again quiet house.
She turned to Caleb who stood inches away from her, his expression wary. “Well. That was unexpected,” she said.
He dragged a hand through his hair. “Complicates things.”
She shook her head, sliding her hands around his waist so she could nestle their bodies together. “Not really. This is still time for us, and we don’t have to make any commitments about what we’re doing. I’m okay with that. For the next two days we just go on how we began.”
“This isn’t a fling.”
“We don’t need to decide everything right now,” Tamara repeated.
Caleb took a deep breath. “You don’t think Dustin’ll say anything?”
If she knew Dustin, he’d probably have plenty to say, but it wouldn’t be to anybody but her or Caleb. “Talk to him tomorrow. He’s old enough to know how to keep his mouth shut.”
Her se
xy cowboy still looked concerned, but he cupped her face in his hands and leaned in to kiss her, and the gentle pressure of his lips against hers was enough to wash away any worries of their escapade spreading too soon.
It was a whole different sensation to stand in the middle of a familiar place, pressed against his warm body and kissing in such a slow and leisurely way. They’d done the fast coupling in the car, and the blow job moments earlier had been hot and wild.
This was intimate in a way that touched her heart differently. Her pulse wasn’t racing although it was strong. She wasn’t squirming with sexual wildfire, but the need for the man she was pressed against was no less intense for all that it was quiet. Soft and slow and still sending her senses reeling.
He pulled back from her lips, pressing kisses to her temple then along her jaw and behind her ear. When he bit her neck her entire body shook, massive goose bumps rising. She moaned in approval.
“I want to see you naked,” he whispered.
She caught his hands and backed toward her bedroom, keeping their bodies in contact as they shuffled. “Me too.”
He grinned. “You want to see me naked, or you want me to see you naked?”
“Both. Right now, desperately.”
She reached behind her and pushed open the door, and something in his eyes flared for a second with pain.
Oh dear. It seemed Emma might not be the only one who with hang-ups about this room.
She caught her fingers around his belt and tugged their bodies together. “There’s more room in here, and a far bigger mattress. But if it’s going to drive you crazy—”
Caleb shook his head, answering part of her question by crowding after her and forcing her into the room. He closed the door behind them.
She moved to the bedside and clicked on the light.
A soft laugh escaped him. “I don’t know why that should surprise me.”
“What? That I want to have sex with you on the biggest bed possible?”
He pointed behind her. “That you’re turning on the light so I can see you better.”
Amusement bubbled up. “Yeah, I don’t do the shy-and-retiring maiden very well.”
