In It to Win It

by Ella Jade

  He smiled and took her hand from his neck, giving it a squeeze before placing it on her stomach. “You need your rest, angel.”

  “I always loved it when you called me that. Why didn’t I have a cutesy pet name for you?” she asked as he spread a blanket over her.

  “You said pet names were silly, remember?”

  She licked her lips and shifted in a way that had him sucking in a hard breath. The sight of the handmade quilt draping her curves left him salivating.

  “Oh, yeah, I remember now,” she went on. “I never gave one to Tom either.”

  He blinked. “Tom?”

  Her dreamy smile faded. “Tom, my ex-husband.”

  It shouldn’t have, but hearing that she’d been married felt like a blow to the gut. He stood up straight, the chill of jealousy replacing the heat of desire in his blood, but he kept his smile in place.

  “I’ll bring your prescription and purse in from the truck. I’ll be right back.”

  How long had she been married? When had she gotten married? Had it been right after she’d gone back to college? He’d heard she’d dropped out. Question after question tumbled through his head as he retrieved her medicine and purse. He stopped at her front door, collecting himself, reminding nagging jealousy he had no claim to her life. And he hadn’t since they were little more than kids. He squared his shoulders, opened the front door, and stepped inside—straight into Kelly. Before Dustin could react, she reached for his neck, pulled him down, and planted her lips against his.

  The first touch sent a shockwave through his body, and he tried to pull away. Kelly clung on, following his evasive movement, surprisingly strong and coordinated despite being injured and druggy. Her tongue pushed past his lips and teeth, seeking his in a mating dance that killed the last ounce of resistance Dustin had.

  He reached for her waist, circling it with his fingers, pressing his hips into her stomach. She tasted incredible—like hot sunshine, and strong whiskey, and all the other things that made him feel alive. She tasted like the girl who’d swept him off his feet when he was a gangly teenager, all legs, arms, and rampant hormones. Like the girl he’d shared his first kiss with at fifteen, like the young woman who’d made him a man on his eighteenth birthday in the bed of his truck under the stars.

  Long buried emotion welled to the surface, and he let it flow as he explored her willing mouth, searching for a glimmer of the same feeling in Kelly. She moaned, sinking into him, and he hugged her tighter. She winced, breaking the kiss, and Dustin came to as if from a dream.

  He stepped away from her, shoving his hands into his hair.

  “Damn,” he said under his breath.

  Kelly’s cheeks flushed a deep pink. She licked her lips. “I…”

  “Take care of yourself,” Dustin managed. He turned on his heel and bolted out the door.

  * * * *

  Closing on the property he’d bought from Kelly was exactly as awkward as he feared it would be. She wouldn’t make eye contact with him as the formalities were dispensed with and papers were signed. Once outside the stuffy office she gave him a brief, wordless wave before walking to her SUV.

  Dustin jumped inside his rig and headed out of town. He’d been staying at a high school buddy’s place, but last night he’d moved his horse trailer out to his new acreage. It had a decent-sized living quarters built into it and he’d spent many weeks living out of it while on the rodeo circuit.

  Jake greeted him with excited barks as he pulled up outside of his temporary home.

  “It’s ours now, boy,” he told the dog after getting out of his truck. “But we have a lot of work to do now so we can get the horses here.”

  Jake gave him another loud woof, following Dustin inside the living quarters. Air conditioning blasted him and Dustin sighed in relief. The heat was unrelenting, the land drying up. He’d have to find hay. Hopefully he could find a seller through Kelly, since locals weren’t parting with whatever they’d baled off their own land.

  If she’d talk to him after he’d basically taken advantage of her after her riding accident. Even if she’d kissed him first, he had kissed her back. He’d been raised to respect women, not paw all over them whenever the opportunity popped up.

  He turned his attention to his plans, needing to escape the longing he felt deep in his heart. A schematic, one he’d drawn up on a computer with the help of his cousin, was spread over the booth table. He would cross-fence the land, replacing the barbed wire with horse-friendly woven wire. He would build a couple of barns, and an apartment in one of them. He didn’t need much space since most of his time was spent with the horses. Dustin would do as much of the work as he could, saving money. His funds weren’t limitless, and he needed as much as possible to go to the care of the retired horses he’d already taken on.

  A couple of hours passed as he scribbled notes, forcing his mind off of Kelly again and again. Mooning over her wouldn’t do him a lick of good. She’d moved on with her life, and he didn’t have any place in it. Not anymore.

  Dustin had never gotten close to marriage. He’d dated, but he hadn’t found that strong connection he needed for things to get serious. Maybe he’d broken a couple of hearts, and for that he was sorry, but he wouldn’t settle down if he didn’t really love the woman. It wouldn’t be fair to either of them.

  A soft knock on his door brought him out of his thoughts. Jake barked, running to the door, his tail wagging. The dog made a great watchdog, but he’d never make a good guard dog, because he loved everyone. Dustin smiled at his furry friend and rubbed his head as he opened the door. His heart stopped as a pair of large brown eyes stared up at him.

  “Hey,” Kelly said, extending a bowl. “I brought you a housewarming gift. My friend makes the best fried chicken in the state.”

  Dustin took the warm bowl, stepping back. “Come in, come in,” he said, cringing at the obvious happiness in his voice. He cleared his throat. “Find a seat. The place isn’t much, but it’s home.”

  Jake followed Kelly to the booth, sniffing her pant legs. Dustin set the chicken by the sink, the smell making his mouth water, and tried to shoo his curious dog away.

  “Sorry,” Dustin apologized. “I swear he won’t bite. Or worse, hump your leg.”

  Kelly chuckled, ruffling the dog’s fur. “He’s fine. Cat people can like dogs too.”

  “I know dogs make you nervous.” Dustin sat next to her on the booth bench, seating was limited in the small space. “Since that one bit you when you were what, nine?”

  Kelly gave him a small grin, not quite meeting his eyes. “It was nothing, and I’m better now with my anxiety. This pup seems harmless enough.”

  Jake gave her a huge, slack-jawed dog smile that was all teeth, tongue, and slobber, and he knew his dog was in love. He couldn’t blame him, Kelly had that affect. Dustin remembered the scar on her thigh. The nothing she’d mentioned had actually been fourteen stitches, and up to the day they’d broken up she hadn’t been comfortable with dogs. Luckily, his Blue Heeler had never met a stranger, and Jake lifted his paw, offering it to Kelly. She took it, shaking it, and her grin grew into a broad smile.

  “You’re a smart fellow, aren’t you? What’s your name?” she asked the dog.

  “Jake,” Dustin answered.

  “Well, Jake,” she replied, keeping her attention on the dog. “It’s good to meet you.”

  Dustin felt grateful for his four-legged wingman. Jake helped break the awkward tension between them, drawing them into a casual conversation about dogs, then her Thoroughbred rescue. Her lifeblood had been poured into the place, and the money for the land Dustin had just bought would keep them going. The drought had hit them hard with loss of pasture and high hay costs. Something Dustin now faced.

  “And you? What are you doing with the place?” Kelly asked, her gaze dancing over the schematic on the table.

  “I’ve already taken in a few horses that competed on the rodeo circuit and need a place to live out the rest of their lives.”
Dustin suddenly found Kelly’s nearness overpowering all of his senses. Her peachy scent, the warmth of her body, the electric tension of their bodies only inches apart. He stared at the back of her head as she studied the drawing. “Nothing as involved as yours though. I’ll be mostly training.”

  Kelly lifted a shoulder. “Every little bit helps, and the horses will be grateful to you.”

  A nagging voice popped into the back of Dustin’s mind. He had something he should tell Kelly, something important that could possibly upset her, but when her eyes drifted up to his, he didn’t want to break the fragile thread connecting them. Secrets could wait for the moment, because more than anything he wanted to get to know the woman before him. The grown-up version of the girl he’d once loved with his whole being.

  “What made you start rescuing horses?” she asked in a husky whisper that left him short of breath.

  He broke eye contact, looking at Jake. “Seemed the thing to do at the time.” The truth.

  She reached out, her small hand covering his where it rested on his knee. “I never thanked you for taking me to the ER. Thank you, Dustin. And…and I’m sorry.”

  He knew what she meant, he didn’t need to hear any more. What he needed was to taste those rosy lips again. To feel the warmth of her skin against his, to hear her soft voice whispering his name over and over. He shifted, arousal making his jeans uncomfortable. His dick would have to wait, because he wasn’t sure his heart could handle Kelly. But then her lips found his—or had his found hers?—and he was a lost man.

  Chapter 4

  Kelly knew this wasn’t a good idea. The kiss at her house she could chalk up to being high on pain killers. This time though…

  His lips were everything she remembered and more. She sank into Dustin’s arms, relishing his mouth, tasting and savoring him like the best sweet she’d ever tried. His masculine scent enveloped her, his warmth seeped into her blood and made her heart pound. She wrapped her arms around him as his hands settled at her waist.

  “Kelly,” he whispered against her lips, pulling back just a bit. “I—”

  She pressed against him, cutting off the objection she sensed he was about to make. His tongue mated with hers, and she balled his t-shirt in her hands. Dustin was still a good man, a gentleman, a true cowboy to the bone. He’d treat her with kid gloves, and she just wanted an opportunity to feel what she hadn’t felt in a long, long time. Not since the last time they’d made love so many years before.

  Her fingertips stroked down his chest, his stomach, before settling over the bulge beneath his fly. He wanted her as much as she wanted him, and he groaned as she rubbed his hard-on.

  Dustin pulled back, his ragged breathing filling her ears. “We can’t, angel,” he said weakly.

  “It’s okay,” she replied, hoping she didn’t sound as desperate as she felt. “I want this, Dustin.” She met his gaze. His eyes were glossy with desire. “I want you.”

  He searched her eyes as if trying to read her mind.

  “Please,” she whispered.

  He blew out a hard breath and stood. “Oh, angel.”

  He’d rejected her advances, and shame left a lump in her throat. She looked down at her trembling hands resting on the table.

  His hand cupped her cheek, and he tilted her chin up. Then he took her hand. “Come here.”

  She rose and he led her to the front sleeping compartment, a bunk inside the nose of the trailer. She climbed in and he followed, stretching out beside her. He smiled, drawing out her own grin.

  “How’s your shoulder?” he asked.

  “A couple of ibuprofen this morning and it’s fine.”

  “You’re every bit as beautiful now as you were then.”

  A warm blush crept into her cheeks. “And you’re more handsome now than when we were young.”

  He chuckled. “One-upping me.” Then his gaze darkened. “Are you sure you want this, Kelly?”

  She found his mouth in reply, letting her lips and tongue tell him everything words couldn’t. How could she find a description for what whirled around inside of her? Affection, regret, longing, lust, and probably something even more profound that she wasn’t brave enough to touch.

  He covered her, his hard body pressing her into the soft mattress. She wrapped her legs around his strong thighs, moving against him. He met her rhythm, his teeth nipping her bottom lip before moving to the spot beneath her ear that drove her mad. She dug her nails into his back, arching, pleading, and gasping. No one had ever made her so wanton and breathless. Tom hadn’t ever left her feeling so desperate.

  “Make love to me, please,” she pleaded.

  Dustin rained feather-light kisses down to her breast, teasing the nipple through the fabric of her shirt until it budded into a painful peak. He stroked his tongue over it, sending a white hot thrill to her toes. Her pussy tightened, leaving her wetter, and hungry beyond reason. She reached down, grabbing his backside, pulling him closer. Dustin growled low in his throat.

  “This needs to be sweet and slow, angel. It’s what you deserve,” he said, his voice a deep, husky drawl.

  “No. Now. I want you now,” Kelly countered, running her hands beneath his shirt, finding the hot, smooth skin of his back. “I can’t wait. Don’t make me wait.” After all, she’d already waited ten years. Even ten more minutes would be an agonizing eternity.

  “You’ll be the end of me, Kelly.”

  She helped him out of his t-shirt, and together they made short work of the rest of their clothing. Dustin’s eyes devoured her naked form, and she sought out every inch of his body with her own gaze. He was work-chiseled perfection. Hard muscle working beneath smooth flesh, with just the right amount of body hair to tease her sensitized skin. He took one of her nipples between his teeth, pinching it just enough to draw a cry from her throat. He kissed away the sting before moving to the other one. The length of his cock rested against her thigh, and she reached for him, taking his girth in hand, squeezing and stroking until he shuddered.

  He groaned. “You win.”

  He wedged his hips between her thighs, and she opened to him, stretching and taking him inside in one delicious push. They moved in union, stoking the heat building within Kelly until it became a fevered pitch. Had she ever come this fast? And without more foreplay? She clung to him, shoving into him, losing her mind to pure erotic sensation. She heard the trailer creak and Jake whined somewhere in the background, but the world could’ve ended for all she cared.

  And then in a blinding pinnacle her pleasure peaked, and she screamed out with her orgasm. Dustin bucked into her, growling, before he yanked free of her and she felt him spill his climax over her thighs. He collapsed over her, braced on his forearms, and they both struggled to catch their breath.

  “Damn,” Dustin said through his teeth.

  Kelly took a deep breath. “Yeah,” she said. “No kidding. But… I think we traumatized your dog.”

  Jake whimpered and whined from down in the main part of the living quarters. Dustin laughed and kissed her deeply before rolling away.

  “You’re okay, boy,” he said over his shoulder as he collected his jeans. “Let’s get you a bone.”

  Dustin left her alone, then returned with a moistened towel for her to clean up with. She said thank you and redressed, unable to kill the smile on her face. Deep down she knew she’d made a huge mistake, but she couldn’t find the reason to care. Not when the exhilaration of afterglow left all of her doubts and worries fuzzy around the edges.

  While Jake chewed and smacked on the rawhide bone, Kelly and Dustin shared the chicken she’d brought. They chatted, sticking to light topics. He seemed as unwilling to broach what had just happened between them as she was. Perhaps he’d be able to brush it off but Kelly couldn’t. Surely she’d lay awake at night for weeks after this, analyzing it to death.

  When the afternoon turned to evening, Kelly knew it was time to go. Dustin followed her outside, and they stood facing one another. He reached out and brush
ed her hair back, tucking a strand behind her ear.

  “Can I see you again?” he asked in the same nervous way he had when he’d first asked her out when they were kids.

  Her heart felt much too happy, but she couldn’t help it. “Yes,” she said. “I’d like that.”

  Dustin shifted foot to foot. “I hear there’s a benefit dance in town this Saturday. If you’d like to go.”

  She’d heard about the dance; the town was trying to collect money to help a family whose child had been in an accident. A good cause, so why shouldn’t she go? Even if she hated country music and dancing. And even if the gossip mill would explode when she showed up with Dustin in tow.

  “I’d like that,” she said.

  The smile he gave her melted her insides, and she walked quickly to her SUV.

  * * * *

  “Someone looks twitterpated.”

  Joan’s voice broke through Kelly’s daydreams of her afternoon with Dustin, and she felt a hot flush of color rush to her cheeks. She turned, trying to hide her face from her friend as she mucked out a stall. Joan clucked her tongue.

  “It’s not a bad thing, girl,” Joan continued. “I’m happy to see that look about you.”

  Kelly lifted her shoulder then dumped a heap of dirty shavings in the wheelbarrow. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Joan laughed. “Of course not, of course not. But I hear Dustin bought two tickets to the dance this weekend…”

  Kelly made a noncommittal noise.

  “Barry and I are going,” Joan said.

  Barry was Joan’s doting husband, and honestly Kelly wasn’t sure why she didn’t just spill the beans about Dustin. After Saturday there would be no hiding that they…were what? Dating again? She knew couples with history sometimes hooked up casually, and she wasn’t willing to label what was going on between them yet. Maybe it was simply a fleeting moment of reliving old feelings.