“Sarah.”
“Yes?” She silently cursed her shaky tone. Why couldn’t she sound cool, calm and collected when she wanted to be?
Chase muttered something she couldn’t quite hear, and then reached for her, hauling her against his body.
The popcorn flew through the air, scattering inside the truck’s cab. Chase pressed her against him, chest to chest, his strong arms holding her tight. Her thighs straddled his lap, the soft denim of his jeans brushing against her bare legs. Her quickened breath beat in her ears at the intimate position.
Her eyes traced his features in the dim light from the movie screen. He was a hungry wolf and she was the only living thing in existence.
His firm, sensual lips covered hers, softly at first, as if testing her reaction to his kiss. When she parted her lips on a soft gasp, he deepened the kiss, his tongue thoroughly exploring her mouth, as if he couldn’t get enough of her.
One of her fantasies became reality - being thoroughly kissed by Chase McCord. She stifled a moan and wound her fingers in his dark hair, returning his kiss with fervor.
His hands stroked her back as the kiss became even more heated. She breathed in his scent, knowing that from now on she would always associate the smell of leather and hay with Chase.
Her nipples hardened to taut peaks, and half out of her mind with desire, she rubbed her breasts against him, spurring him to further deepen the kiss.
He tore her lips from hers and nibbled at a sensitive spot on her neck. Sarah inhaled sharply as an electrifying shiver raced through her. His hard shaft pressed against her and at the same time her panties grew damp - damp with her desire for him.
Chase trailed kisses down her neck, his lips skimming the pulsing hollow at the base of her throat. He dragged down the zipper of her dress, his eyes feasting on her generous breasts spilling over the top of her white bra. His nimble fingers reached for the front clasp of the lacy cups.
She emerged from her desire-induced fog. “Chase, stop.” Sarah placed her hand over his. Although it had been exciting to make out with him, she didn’t know if she was ready for him…for this. Especially in his truck at the local drive-in.
“You’re right.” He breathed heavily, slowing drawing his hand back from her breasts, as if it was something he found very difficult to do. “Not here.”
He reluctantly zipped up her dress, cupped her face in his hands, and kissed her deeply. “The first time I take you I want all the time in the world to explore you.”
Sarah thrilled at his words. Although she had put a stop to their make-out session, her body still ached for his touch. But was he only interested in a one-night stand, or something more? He’d starred in her night-time fantasies for a while now - years, in fact. She didn’t know if she could handle just one tryst with Chase when she wanted more. Much more.
His finger stroked the curve of her cheek. “Remember the rodeo just before you left for college?”
An image flashed in her mind. Chase smiling, holding his trophy, their eyes interlocking.
“Yes,” she whispered, her eyes searching his in the near darkness.
“I was going to come over to you, but when I looked again, you’d disappeared.”
“I thought you’d be too pre-occupied with your rodeo groupies.” She pulled back slightly, pleased her voice sounded almost normal. Just the thought of those stick-thin, bleached blond Barbie dolls annoyed her. If Chase liked that kind of woman, then why was he here now, with her?
He snorted. “By the time I got out of their clutches, you’d gone.”
“I didn’t think you were interested,” she admitted in a small voice.
“I’ve noticed you since you were a senior in high school, Sarah Grant.” His lips snared hers in a seductive kiss until she found herself clinging to him once more, her arms wrapped around his neck. His large hands stroked her, skimming the sides of her breasts before trailing along her spine in a rhythm that was both sexy and soothing.
“Oh, Chase,” she murmured when he released her mouth.
“I didn’t do anything about it back then because I knew you were going to college. I wanted you to know how I felt, but we hadn’t even gone on a date. I thought maybe it was for the best when you left for college straight after the rodeo.”
“I wish you’d told me.” She kissed him, her words whispered against his lips.
He groaned, holding her tight. “So do I. It was hell wondering if you had a serious boyfriend in Laramie and wondering if you were going to bring him home.” He chuckled wryly. “Did you ever wonder why I always turned up at your house when you were home for the holidays?”
She thought back to last Christmas when she had spied him from her bedroom window, talking to her dad. “You bought a colt from my father seven months ago.”
“Yeah.” His mouth quirked. “But the main reason I bought Midnight from your dad was to catch a glimpse of you.”
“Really?” Her toes curled at the thought of Chase having feelings for her. His confession was exciting but she still felt vulnerable at revealing her feelings to him. She took a deep breath. “I’ve had a crush on you for years.”
Silence hung in the moment. An indrawn breath. His lips descended upon hers. He kissed her with a passionate intensity that rivaled anything she had experienced so far in her life. His arms tightened around her as if he was never going to let her go.
Joy coursed through her at his lips on hers and she drew ragged breaths when the kiss finally ended.
“I’m going to make you mine, Sarah Grant.”
###
Sarah shivered with excitement as she shimmied into her black silky bra and matching panties. Tonight she was having dinner at Chase’s house. They’d been dating for three weeks, seeing each other nearly every night since their steamy make-out session at the drive-in, but this was the first time she’d been invited for dinner. She just hoped it meant what she thought it meant - finally making love with Chase.
Each time, it had been harder to say good night at the end of the evening. After Chase’s thrilling statement about making her his, Sarah had kept expecting him to seduce her, but he always stopped before his good night kisses got seriously out of control.
Sarah slipped on her flatteringly cut, short-sleeved black dress and black strappy heels.
Maybe she should consider getting her own place. After all, she was twenty-four and had been living on her own in Laramie. It was awkward telling her parents that she was seeing Chase tonight and might be home very late. Thankfully, they hadn’t pried or asked any difficult questions. She guessed that was a benefit to her parents approving of the man she was dating.
After a quick check in the mirror, Sarah picked up her purse and went downstairs. After saying goodnight to her parents, she got into her car and drove to Chase’s ranch, fifteen minutes away.
Sarah walked up the path to Chase’s house and knocked, her nerves humming. It had been almost two years since she had broken up with Peter, and though she’d dated since then, she hadn’t been physically intimate with any of her dates, except for a polite kiss goodnight. But she was ready for Chase.
Making out with him at the drive-in had seared her senses…
The door opened and she drank in Chase’s appearance. Dressed in black slacks and a dark blue shirt emphasizing his blue eyes and broad shoulders, he could pass for a romance novel cover model.
“Come in.” Desire gleamed in his eyes and he ushered her inside. Soft jazz played in the background and she found her gaze drawn to the table in the dining nook set for two. A white table cloth, flickering candles and shining silver cutlery completed the elegant setting.
Sarah smiled. “I’m impressed.” She reached up to kiss him, winding her arms around his neck. Chase deepened the kiss, slanting his mouth over hers, his hands grazing the small of her back.
When he broke away, they were both breathing heavily. “Come into the kitchen.” He took her hand, leading her into the neat and tidy kitchen where a bottl
e of wine sat open. Chase poured them both a glass and handed one to her.
Sarah looked into his eyes and took her first sip of the velvety chardonnay with a hint of vanilla in its depths. The wine slipped down her throat as she continued to gaze at Chase, tremors of anticipation running rampant.
A delicious savory smell wafted from the oven. She didn’t know how she was going to get through dinner with Chase, when all she wanted to do was to be in his arms, exploring his firmly muscled body, honed from years of physical labor.
Maybe tonight, she would have the chance to do more than just run her hands over those muscles.
The silence lengthened. Chase continued to look at her with a hungry gleam in his eye. "Um. Something smells good.”
He smiled. “Swiss chicken casserole.”
“My favorite!”
“I know. Betty mentioned it at the diner one time.” He set his glass on the counter before plucking her wine glass out of her hand. “Come here, Miss Grant.”
She willingly went into his arms, breathing in his scent that was such a part of him. He molded her body to his sinewy frame, his hands tracing every inch of her curves, before he dipped his head to kiss her slowly and thoroughly.
He ended the kiss by tracing his tongue over her lips. “I want you, Sarah.” His eyes smoldered with desire.
“I want you too, Chase,” she breathed, her pulse pounding with need.
The oven bell dinged and Chase looked at the stove ruefully before planting a fierce kiss upon her lips. “Well, I did promise you dinner.”
Sarah was hungry when she arrived at Chase’s house, but she found it hard to focus on the tasty casserole. Was he having the same problem? She ate sparingly, aware of the sexual tension simmering in the air. Chase’s intense gaze snared her and her hand trembled when she picked up her wine glass.
“Would you like dessert?” His voice sounded like midnight velvet.
“No, thanks.” She tried to smile but didn’t succeed. All she wanted to do was melt into his arms, skin to skin, lips to lips, and revel in the desire he aroused in her.
“Come and sit with me on the couch.” He held out his hand to her and led her to the large, comfy looking couch in the living room.
She sank into the soft cushions, her thigh grazing his. Chase tilted her face and kissed the corners of her mouth. His tongue sought entry and she parted her lips. He gathered her to him until she sprawled across his lap.
Sarah clasped his broad shoulders, leaning into the kiss, well aware of his hard manhood pressing against her thigh. She would never be able to get enough of Chase McCord. That he seemed to feel same way about her made her feel as giddy as a teen.
Chase cupped the curve of her derriere, his fingers stroking sensually. His palm slid down her thigh until it glided under the hem of her dress. Inch, by tantalizing inch, his large hand crept up the smooth skin of her thigh, reaching her lace panties.
His fingers explored Sarah through her panties and she moaned into his mouth. His thumb traced circles over her mound, igniting electrifying shockwaves in her sensitive spot. She broke off the kiss, burying her face in his neck as his fingers slipped under her panties and teased her damp warmth.
“Does that feel good?” He almost growled as he stroked her secret nub.
“Yes.” She breathed against his salty skin, her hands flexing on his shoulders. Delicious sensations coursed through her as he caressed her until she didn’t think she could take any more.
“Chase!“ She came apart in his arms, her body quivering with release.
He held her, brushing a soft kiss on her lips and stroking her hair, allowing her to flutter back down to earth.
Sarah gazed into his eyes, glowing with tenderness and passion, and cupped his face, grazing her thumb along his cheekbone.
“I want you, Sarah.”
“Yes.”
She almost giggled as he immediately swept her in his arms and strode down the hall towards his bedroom. Barely having time to take in the dark-toned, masculine décor before he deposited her gently on the king-sized bed, Sarah lay back on the comfortable mattress, her heart pounding with anticipation.
Although she'd just climaxed, she watched Chase strip off his clothes and admired his lean, sinewy body with growing desire. His large shaft proudly jutted out and as he caught her downward glance, he growled, “That‘s how much I want you.”
He crossed to the nightstand and grabbed a box of condoms from the drawer, before joining her on the bed. A twinge of self-consciousness flooded Sarah. She had physical proof that Chase desired her, but he hadn’t seen her naked. Would he truly like her curves?
His mouth claimed hers and he eased down the zipper of her dress. Cool air wafted against her spine. Almost reverently, Chase slid the dress off her body until she lay before him clad in her lacy black lingerie.
He traced the curve of her breast above her bra, sending shivers of delight radiating through her body. “You’re gorgeous,” he murmured, brushing his hand over her breast.
Sarah’s nipples tightened under his sensual scrutiny and she inhaled sharply as he unsnapped her bra. Her breasts spilled out of their confinement and Chase seared her with a look of passionate intensity that almost stopped her heart.
He cupped her breasts, his thumbs stroking each nipple. She clasped his taut back and arched beneath him, luxuriating in his touch. The damp valley between her thighs throbbed with need as he teased her breasts, alternately pulling and tugging on her tight buds, driving her crazy with unfulfilled desire.
She moaned. “I need you.” His tongue rolled around her hardened nipple.
“Not as much as I need you,” he rasped, before laving her other nipple.
She caressed his back, her hands trailing lower, until they feathered over his ass.
Chase groaned and dragged his mouth from her glistening nipple. “Sweetheart, if you do much more of that I’m going to explode.”
She smiled, pleased she had that kind of effect on him. She’d always thought that Chase McCord was sex on legs, and it was gratifying to know that right here, right now, he desired her too.
He kissed his way down her soft stomach, his breath tickling her skin and causing her to tremble. When he reached the silk barrier of her panties, he hooked his thumbs into the waistband and slipped them off, the palms of his large hands following the path of her panties, teasing her smooth bare legs and feeding her growing excitement.
His fingers brushed over her neatly trimmed mound and she pressed her hips upward, silently begging for more. “Your body was made for me,” he groaned. He delved his fingers inside her channel, exploring her damp depths.
“Please, Chase,” she begged, desperate to feel him inside her. She’d fantasized about this for so long, and already the reality was much, much better than she could have ever imagined.
She caressed his hip, her feather-light strokes gliding over his body until her hand touched his hard shaft, grazing the tip with her finger.
Chase growled, imprisoning her hand and holding it firmly next to her head. He kissed her hungrily, then grabbed a condom from the night stand. Deftly sheathing himself, he parted her soft, welcoming thighs, his fingers teasing her hot wet folds for an electrifying second. In one fluid movement, he thrust into her.
Sarah wrapped her legs around him as he surged into her, again and again. Her body tightened and she bucked, his large manhood filling her completely. She looked into his eyes, catching her breath as she saw the passionate emotions burning in his dark blue gaze.
“Come with me, Sarah,” he rasped. He drove into her, each thrust faster and harder than the last.
Spirals of need coiled inside her and she cried out. Her orgasm tore through her, and her quivering muscles clamped around him as Chase spasmed inside her.
Minutes later, he finally stirred, kissing her damp face before rolling off and tucking her into his side. Sarah snuggled into him, savoring the golden afterglow. She had never felt so emotionally and physically close
to another man before as she did right now with Chase. She wrapped her arm across his firm chest, basking in the blissful sleepiness stealing over her body.
Lingering kisses on her neck roused her and she turned her head to meet Chase’s searching gaze.
“That was…” she whispered.
“I know.” His eyes darkened with emotion as he stared at Sarah. His Sarah. She shivered as his fingers glided across her bare flesh. “Sometimes,” he murmured low and husky, “it seems as though I’ve wanted you forever.”
“I feel the same,” she confessed.
“Oh, Sarah.” His lips descended on hers, and she was swept up into the fevered intensity of his kiss.
Chase flipped them over, pinning her into place with his lower body. He tenderly stroked her face, and brushed his thumb across her lips. “I love you, Sarah Grant.”
She caught her breath. “I love you, too, Chase McCord.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him with all the love and passion he felt for her. He was the luckiest man alive.
Long minutes later, Chase released her lips. “I’m glad you came home when you did, because otherwise I don’t know how much longer I would have lasted.”
Sarah smiled. “Really?”
“Really.” His knuckle grazed a path along her cheek. “I would have had to come and see you in Laramie and convince you we could make a long distance relationship work.”
Her lips brushed against his as she spoke. “I’m sure I would have told you that was a very good idea.”
His tongue glided into her mouth and she tightened her arms around him. Reluctantly pulling away from her sweet, wine-flavored lips, he growled. “See the effect you have on me?”
“I can feel the effect I have on you.” She grinned mischievously and wriggled beneath him.
“I think we can do something about that.” He nibbled her neck, his lips descending lower, until they grazed each nipple in turn.
Curves and the Cowboy (BBW Romance - Coldwater Springs 1) Page 2
