Long Time Gone (Rough Riders)

by Lorelei James

  Stunned, he said, “You’re movin’ to Alaska? Why?”

  Kimi tossed her hair over her shoulder. “One of my classmates was from Alaska. She kept talkin’ about how beautiful it was, and how much better the wages were up there. She said she could get me a job workin’ in her uncle’s dry cleaning business. At first I thought she was just blowing smoke, but it turned out she was serious. Right before we graduated, I got an official letter from the business offering me the job. They’re paying my travel expenses to Juneau, but I have to sign a one-year contract.” She yawned. “It’s too great of a chance to pass up.”

  “Did you tell your family?”

  “I told Aunt Hulda because she had to find a seamstress to replace me, but I didn’t tell her too far ahead of time because she’d try and talk me out of it. I let Carolyn know in the letter I left her. And I don’t give a damn about the rest of my family.”

  “When do you start?”

  “Whenever I get there. I had to call them long distance to tell them my mother died and I’d be delayed.”

  He wanted to be supportive, but Alaska? Christ. “Well, that’s…great they’re so understanding.”

  “Cal. That wasn’t even close to sincere.”

  “It just threw me, okay? That’s a long way from here, especially for someone—”

  “Who’s never been south of Denver or north of Miles City?” She leaned forward. “That’s exactly why I have to go. I thought you, of all people, would understand.”

  “My travel experiences are as limited as yours have been, so darlin’, I’d be lyin’ if I said I understood. But I’m damn proud of you for doin’ something adventurous. Few people have the guts to do it.” That’d sounded somewhat supportive.

  “But?”

  “But if you don’t have a set schedule to meet, and you need a few days to sort things out, you can stay here.”

  That took her aback. “Thanks. I’ll think about it.”

  “Make yourself at home and we’ll talk when I get back, okay?”

  She nodded. “Can Gigi stay with me?”

  “’Fraid not. I’m trainin’ her. Consistency is important.”

  “I understand.” Kimi met his gaze head-on. “Please don’t let Carson know I’m still here.”

  “I won’t.” He closed the door behind him.

  For the next several hours, Cal kept his mind off Kimi. Luckily he was working with Charlie so he didn’t have to lie to his twin—not that it’d work since Carson could always tell when something was up and Cal rarely saw the need to lie.

  He returned home a little after noon. He tracked Kimi down in the backyard, where she was tearing the far flower bed apart. Weeds were flying over her head. She looked like a blonde tornado.

  The pup bounded up to her, licking her until Kimi laughed. “All right, all right. I’ll pet you. Let me take the gloves off.”

  Cal couldn’t help but return Kimi’s grin. “She’ll probably get you dirty since she’s been runnin’ through the muck all mornin’.” He knew it was stupid to be jealous of the way she petted and cooed at his dog.

  “She’s sweet. I’d like to steal you, Gigi girl.”

  “I imagine a dog ain’t welcome on a cross-country bus.”

  Her hand stopped mid-pet and she blurted out, “Were you serious?”

  “About?”

  “About letting me stay here a few days if I needed to.”

  His pulse raced and he fought to stay calm. “Yeah, I was serious.”

  “Good. Because these flowerbeds have been sorely neglected and are in need of tending.”

  So am I, sweetheart.

  Christ, he sounded like a needy pussy.

  He refrained from asking if the sad state of his flowerbeds was the only reason she’d decided to stick around. “I’d welcome your help. Only thing I’ve done since you were here last year was fix the irrigation system.”

  “You should’ve cleaned out the deadfall.” She pushed to her feet. “Are you hungry?”

  “Starved.”

  “I made you a couple of sandwiches.”

  “You did?”

  “Don’t get your hopes up that it’s as good as what Carolyn makes.”

  “Lord, woman. I’d never compare you. So get that outta your head right now. I’m just happy there’s food that I don’t gotta cook myself.”

  Kimi stopped in front of him. “You left so fast this morning that I didn’t get a chance to say thanks for…everything yesterday.”

  Cal curled his hand around the side of her face, using his thumb to wipe a smudge of dirt from her cheek. “You don’t have to thank me.”

  “Because that’s what friends do, right?”

  Fuck that. Enough of this politeness. This awkwardness.

  He slid his hand around the back of her neck. “That’s what we are? Friends? Because to be honest, darlin’, I don’t wanna be your friend.”

  “What do you want to be?”

  “This.” He lowered his head and took her mouth in a commanding kiss.

  She fisted her hand in his shirt, pulling him closer.

  God. He hadn’t imagined this passion. He hadn’t forgotten the heady taste of her. His cock went rock hard. His common sense took a hike.

  And Kimi kissing him back with equal ferocity just fueled the fire that’d been on a slow burn for far too long.

  He wanted to clamp his hands on her ass, wrap her legs around his hips and carry her straight into his bedroom.

  She ripped her mouth free and jumped back. “Ouch!”

  “What?”

  “Gigi bit me!”

  Cal glanced down at his dog, who barked happily as if she’d done a good thing. “Gigi!” He crouched down and wrapped his hand around her nose, forcing her to look at him. “Bad. No bitin’.”

  The dog cowered, whimpered and peed. But she got the point that he was the alpha.

  “Lay. Down,” he said tersely.

  Gigi dropped to the grass and tried to bury her nose in it, away from him and his reprimands.

  Cal slid his hand up the inside of Kimi’s calf. “Show me where she got you. Wait. I see it.” A raised white mark circled by red.

  He ran his thumb across it and Kimi snapped, “Don’t. It hurts.”

  “That’s because Gigi didn’t bite you. Something stung you and the stingers still in there.”

  “Oh. That’d explain why it burns.” She looked at Gigi. “Sorry I doubted you, girl.”

  Gigi’s tail thumped.

  “Hold on to my shoulder. I’m gonna scrape it off with my fingernail.” He pinched the skin and then ran his nail down the bump, knocking the stinger out. “Done. I’ll doctor you up to keep it from swelling. Hang on.”

  She gasped when he picked her up and headed for the house. “You’re such a show-off, McKay.”

  “What?” He whistled for Gigi.

  “Proving that you can pick me up and carry me around whenever you please.”

  “I don’t see you tryin’ to get away.”

  “I’m not stupid.”

  “That means you like bein’ carted around?”

  “By you? Yes. You are just so…big and strong.” She squeezed his biceps. “Are you all hard muscles everywhere?”

  Cal waggled his eyebrows. “If we’da kept kissin’ like that? One muscle in particular would’ve gotten really hard.”

  Kimi blushed. But she smiled—a strange mix of sly and shy. “Damn bees. Butting in when you were about to give me my very first hands-on demonstration of the birds and the bees.”

  Surprisingly, he didn’t miss a step when understood what she was saying. “So all of them boys in Montana are idiots for not tryin’ to get with you?”

  “They were boys. I didn’t trust they knew what to do.” She buried her lips in his neck and gooseflesh erupted. “But you’re all man and you know exactly what to do.”

  “Sweet Jesus, Kimi.”

  “You’d rather I pretended to act shy?”

  “Hell no. I don’t know what
you want from me.”

  “That’s the thing, Cal, you do know. I just wanted you to understand that I want it too.”

  Inside the kitchen, he set her on the table.

  When she looked at him with that expectant gaze, he fastened his mouth to hers again for a very thorough kiss. “Don’t move,” he said against her lips.

  Cal washed his hands and mixed a paste out of baking soda and water. Then he took a knife and spread it over the area. “That should take the sting out. Let it dry and don’t pick at it.”

  “Thanks.” She pointed to the fridge. “Don’t forget about your sandwiches.”

  Damn. He’d been so hungry for her that he’d forgotten about actual food. He washed his hands again and opened the fridge to find two sandwiches wrapped in wax paper. She’d speared a dill pickle with a toothpick and stuck it on top. Why that amused him, he didn’t know. “Is that pierced pickle a warning to me?”

  Her eyes widened. “No! I was trying to make it look like a fancy deli sandwich.”

  “I appreciate the thought. But I’m a simple guy.” He held up the plate. “You want one?”

  “I already ate.”

  “More for me.” When Cal sat at the small table, Kimi started swinging her legs back and forth. “Darlin’. Relax.”

  “Okay.”

  That lasted about thirty seconds and two bites of his ham and cheese sandwich before she was back at it.

  “Kimi. Why can’t you sit still?”

  “Because bein’ this close to you makes me want to jump out of my skin.”

  At that point he didn’t have a prayer of keeping his hands off her. “Same goes.” He placed his palm on her left thigh and stroked the outside of her knee with his thumb. He tried to pretend he was calmly eating his sandwich, but the warm softness of her skin, and the sweet and earthy scent of her made him hungrier for so much more than just food.

  Her chest rose and fell rapidly. She’d start to shake her foot, only to stop immediately.

  “This isn’t workin’. You need to put that leg up anyway. So why don’t you go lie down while I finish eating.”

  “Where?”

  Cal locked his gaze to hers. “The couch. Or my bed. Your choice.”

  Chapter Seven

  She bit her lip and he had to sink his teeth into his sandwich so he wouldn’t be tempted to bite on that lip himself. Then she slid off the table and moved to the sink to wash her hands and face.

  He eyeballed her ass and those shapely legs, wondering what was going through her mind.

  But she exited the kitchen without saying a word or looking at him.

  Don’t listen for the direction of her footsteps.

  Gigi whined and he glanced over at her, sitting by the cupboard where he kept her food. “I know, girl. Gimme a sec, okay?” He tossed her a piece of crust and started on the second sandwich.

  After he finished, he filled Gigi’s food and water dish and set it on the patio. He washed his hands and face. Rinsed his mouth out. Counted to twenty and went looking for her.

  Cal paused in the doorway to the living room. The cushions on the couch were still askew from him tossing and turning last night, but Kimi wasn’t there.

  Hot damn.

  First thing he saw when he passed through the doorway of his bedroom were the bottoms of her small feet. Then his gaze traveled up her legs and holy fuck, her ass cheeks peeked out from her black panties. His eyes followed the length of her spine past the band of her bra—yep, she’d ditched her shirt too—and stopped at the smooth curve of her shoulder.

  Kimi had propped her head on her hand, sending her blonde curls spilling across her other shoulder. Her eyes were wide. Her lips parted. Her breathing uneven.

  “Fuckin’ hell, woman. You’re half-nekkid.”

  “You’re upset about that?” Her gaze dropped to the fly of his jeans. “’Cause I’m gonna call bullshit on that, cowboy, seeing’s as you’ve got a lie detector in your pants.”

  “Oh, I’m really goddamn far from upset. I’m closer to speechless if you wanna know the truth.” He scrubbed his hand over his face, unable to tear his eyes away from the bounty spread out before him.

  “I like that look in your eyes, Cal.”

  “What look is that, darlin’?”

  “That you’re really happy I’m not sixteen anymore,” she teased.

  He smiled, knew it bordered on wicked and didn’t care. He started toward her.

  “Why aren’t you askin’ me why?”

  “Why what?”

  “Why now? Why you?”

  “Because I know why.”

  That seemed to confuse her. “You do?”

  “Uh-huh.” Cal kept his eyes on her as he removed his boots. “One, we’ve had this lust thing goin’ from the first time we met. Two, you’d like to escape from the sadness in your soul for a little while. Three, deep down you know it’d piss your dad off if he found out his youngest daughter let a McKay pop her cherry. Four, I’m here, I’m experienced and you trust me.”

  Kimi cocked her head at him.

  “Am I wrong?”

  “No. Actually you hit my thoughts dead on. Except you left off reason number five.”

  “Which is what?”

  Her gaze started at his sock clad feet and roamed north, until their eyes locked. “You are the best lookin’ man I’ve ever met. Your muscular body makes my mouth go dry and my panties wet.”

  Lust and need for her didn’t roll over him; they hit him like a coal train.

  “You’re sure this is what you want?” he half-growled.

  “Very sure. Very, very sure,” she repeated.

  Cal started to lower onto the bed, but Kimi held her hand up. “If I’m half nekkid, it’s only fair that you are too.”

  The pearl-snap buttons made shedding his shirt easy. He grabbed a fistful of his tee and yanked it over his head. Kimi’s eyes widened as she got her first look at his bare chest. Then her avid gaze followed the movement of his fingers as he popped the button on his jeans and tugged down the zipper.

  His Wranglers hit the floor, leaving him in his boxers and socks.

  “Did you get all that—” she gestured to his body, “—just from doin’ cow stuff?”

  Cow stuff. “Yeah, darlin’. Doin’ cow stuff keeps me buff.” He grinned. “Now lay on your belly so that paste on your calf has time to dry.”

  “What will you be doin’?”

  Cal leaned over and nipped her ass, and grinned when she expelled a gasp. “How about you can the questions and let me be in charge.”

  “Okay.” She paused. “But I do have one last question.”

  Of course she did. “What?”

  “Why did I like it so much just now when you bit me on the butt?”

  He let his breath ghost across her skin as he moved up her body. “That’s what I’m gonna find out. What you like.” He started out by kissing her shoulders and the back of her neck. He rested on his haunches and mapped every beautiful inch of her back and arms. “Then I’m gonna show you what I like.” He slipped his hands around her waist, marveling that he could almost span it with his hands. Then he trailed his fingers up and down the back of her legs. He didn’t touch the bottoms of her feet—she squirmed enough when he kissed her anklebones. When he kissed the curve of her ass cheeks, he got his first whiff of her arousal and it ignited his senses like a drug.

  After he unhooked her bra, he said, “Turn over, darlin’.”

  Kimi kept her eyes closed after she’d rolled over. Her breathing was ragged. Her skin had flushed the prettiest color of pink.

  “Look at me when I’m touchin’ you.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I said so, and last time I checked, I was in charge.”

  Her eyes flew open.

  He grinned. “I figured that’d get your attention.”

  “I’ve never done any of this.”

  “I know.” He traced her collarbone. “Which is why I want you to see, hear, feel, taste and smell ever
ything that we’re doin’.”

  “Smell?”

  Cal buried his face in the side of her throat. “Yes, smell. Right now your skin is giving off a scent that’s drivin’ me out of my fuckin’ mind.” He nuzzled the start of her hairline. “And I know you like the way I’m touchin’ you…” He rubbed his lips over her ear. “Because I can smell how wet you are between your thighs.”

  She tried to cover her face with her hands.

  He chuckled. “Nope. Never be ashamed of the way your body reacts. It’s the sexiest thing in the world to know that I can make your pussy wet, make your nipples hard, make you sweat and beg for more.”

  “When you put it like that…” She flattened her palms on his pecs, sifting her fingers through the dark hair covering his chest. “Show me more, Cal. Show me everything.”

  “Get rid of the bra because it’s keepin’ me from putting my mouth on you.”

  She tossed aside the bra so fast he felt the strap hit the bottom of his chin.

  Cal felt a growl starting when he got his first look at her naked tits. Christ. They were so full and round and topped with cherry red nipples that his mouth just homed in on them.

  The connection of his mouth to her nipple sent her back into a hard arch.

  So he did it again on the other side.

  That time Kimi released a soft groan.

  He sucked softly. Then he swirled his tongue just around the tips as he cupped the heavy warm weight of her. Cal explored and filed away Kimi’s reactions. But she loved everything, teasing licks, hard suction, the soft-lipped bites and even the scrape of his teeth.

  As he started to kiss his way down her smooth belly, he felt her body tightening up. “You want me to stop?”

  “No. I don’t know what I’m doin’. I feel like I’m laying here like a lump while you’re doin’ everything.”

  Cal rubbed his lips over the fine blonde hairs below her belly button. “You’ll get your turn. Right now, I want you to reach down and pull your panties off.”

  Kimi slid her hands down her sides and slipped her fingers beneath the lace at her hips. She could only reach as far as her knees, and Cal took over from there.