by Callie Croix
When she looked down with a triumphant grin, Deacon was fighting a smile. “You seem pretty comfy up there."
"Feels good,” she said, firming her legs around the animal. She'd mostly ridden English, but the Western saddle was comfortable enough.
"Looks good, too,” he said softly, eyeing the way her butt and thighs molded to the saddle, instantly making her think of having them wrapped around his waist while he plunged in and out of her. Sensual heat swept over her body and made her panties grow damp. She wrenched her head up.
God, the nerve of the man. First to kiss her, then apologize and make it clear he regretted it, then—
"All right, ready to go?” Dustin called. “I'll lead, Shannon will follow, Bridgette behind her, then Jessica. Deke'll ride drag."
Jessie stole a glance at Deke over her shoulder as he grabbed his saddle horn and swung effortlessly onto his black gelding without using a stirrup. The easy, fluid athleticism of the movement made her breath catch. God, she shouldn't find that so damn sexy, but she did. Gathering the reins, he gave her a playful wink and rode away, leaving her to imagine all that masculine power braced over her as he surged in and out of her aching pussy.
Trying to erase the image, Jessie nudged her horse and set out behind Bridgette. Dustin led the way up the first hill, chattering amiably, telling jokes, and flirting with Shannon. Bridgette's trilling laugh floated back to Jessie and made her smile. She was glad the bride was having a good time.
"Watch yourself on this bit,” Deacon called behind her.
Leaning forward in the saddle, she raised up in the stirrups to help the horse over the rocky trail on a steep part of the hill. She was acutely aware of Deacon behind her and certain he was staring at her butt. Not that she minded. The thought actually aroused her. She might not be able to live them out in real life, but she could sure as hell daydream about what it would be like to feel that long, hard body pin her in place and hear that deep voice whispering naughty things in her ear as he showed her exactly what her sex life had been missing all along. If his kisses were any indication, he'd give her one hell of a ride.
She shifted in the saddle, uncomfortably aware of how wet her panties were getting. The rocking motion didn't help either. A blush worked its way into her cheeks, and she was glad Deke couldn't see her face.
By the time they made it back to the corral, the sun was burning off the haze and the temperature was climbing fast. Deke dismounted and strode over to take her horse by the bridle so she could swing down. The muscles in her inner thighs protested when she hit the ground, and she bit back a grimace.
Deke grabbed her shoulder. “Stiff?” His touch burned through her T-shirt and made heat lick low in her belly and between her thighs.
"A bit. I'm sure I'll feel it tomorrow.” She wished she'd be sore for a different reason, but Deke obviously wasn't interested in helping her out.
"A soak in the hot tub later might do you some good."
"I didn't bring a suit."
A positively wicked smile curved his mouth. “That's okay with me."
She snorted, hating that she couldn't stay mad at him for baiting her when he'd clearly regretted their kiss. “I'll bet."
Unbidden, an image of her sliding naked into the hot water came to mind, him walking out of the shadows, his dark gaze sweeping over her bare breasts bobbing in the water. He'd hunker down so he was at eye level with her and thread his long fingers into her hair to kiss her. Then, while his tongue danced in her mouth, he'd slide a hand into the water to cup her breast and rub his thumb across her hard nipple...
Mentally slapping herself, she watched while he unbuckled the girth beneath her horse's belly and took off the saddle. The instant he lifted it and swiveled around, she could see the strain in his face. Frowning, she followed him into the tack room, surrounded by the scents of leather and hay.
He set the saddle on its pegs and turned but stopped when he saw her standing there.
There were lines of tension around his eyes that hadn't been there before. He looked tired, too. “Is it your back?"
He stilled at her words for an instant, then quickly bent and scooped up a few brushes. “It's fine."
His curt tone made it clear he didn't want to talk about it, regardless of the ground she thought they'd initially gained the night before. Feeling stupid for having said anything at all, she spun on her heel.
"Jessica."
She stopped and glanced back at him, lifting her brows. If he wanted to be an asshole, he could do it without her for an audience.
He looked down at the brushes in his hands. “Sorry. You don't have to leave."
Did he really want her to stay? Or was he just feeling guilty? Taking a step toward him, she held out a hand, and he gave her a brush.
"My back bothers me sometimes if I overdo it,” he finally explained.
Nodding, she tried to gauge his mood. They could be civil and mature at least. “That's understandable."
"I worked out a little too hard this morning, that's all. The ride just exacerbated it."
He must work out a lot to keep himself in that kind of shape. “How bad is it?” she finally asked.
He shrugged his broad shoulders. “It'll never be the same as it was, but at least I'm not crippled."
Crippled. She hid a flinch. “Can they operate?"
"They already did, twice. This is as good as it's gonna get."
Her heart went out to him. For a man who had once been a Special Ops soldier, being sidelined because of his injuries had to have taken its toll on him, both psychologically and emotionally. No wonder he was having a hard time adjusting to being on the ranch again.
Reaching for a bucket of grooming supplies, she noticed a cot at the back of the room, its sheets and comforter stripped as though waiting to be washed. Deke followed her gaze and strode over to stuff the bedding into a duffel bag.
The duffel bag she'd seen in his truck yesterday.
She faced him. “You slept out here last night?"
He nodded tightly.
She eyed the cot. No wonder his back was bothering him—he'd probably been in pain all night on that thing. And cold. “Why?"
"Didn't want you staying out here alone,” he said as he finished packing the bag and zipped it shut.
Something twisted in her chest. He'd stayed out here to guard her even though she'd slammed the door in his face and taken off. “You didn't have to do that."
"Yeah, I did. I couldn't have slept if I'd left you out here all by yourself."
The sweet and chivalrous gesture filled her with warmth. She might not be sure where things stood between them, but she definitely wasn't annoyed anymore.
Offering a smile, she reached out and took his strong hand, tugged on it. “Come on, I'll help you groom the horses."
"You don't have to—"
"I want to. I've missed being around horses. Besides, if you're nice to me the whole time, I might rub your back afterward.” The flirtatious line came out before she could stop herself.
Something hot flashed in his eyes, but then he smiled. Her belly flipped in response. “Maybe you can smooth out some of my rough edges while you're at it."
"Maybe I can.” And oh, she'd love every second of stroking his muscled body. Instinct told her he'd feel even better than he did in her imagination.
His eyes darkened as he stared down at her. When his gaze settled on her lips, she felt its touch like a caress and licked them in anticipation. With a low sound of need, Deke placed a hand on her nape as he leaned in and settled his mouth over hers. Gently. So carefully it turned her inside out. The slow stroke of his tongue into her mouth set off a shocking burst of heat between her legs, centering in her clit. Jessie moaned and grabbed his upper arms, needing more. Craving it.
She answered the caress of his tongue and moved in close until she was flush against his hard body. His muscles felt like warm steel beneath the velvety nap of the shirt. His thick erection pressed into her belly, but his mou
th was so soft as he kissed her, that powerful hand wrapped around the back of her neck to anchor her. To hold her still while he took her mouth. The dominant gesture filled her with a startling tenderness that tore a ragged sigh from her and left her aching for more when he pulled away.
The burning, unfulfilled hunger in his gaze made her stomach flutter. He wanted her. Whatever his reasons for pulling back, he wanted her as badly as she wanted him.
He swept a thumb over her flushed cheek and shook his head slightly. “You're distracting me from my job, sugar."
"Am I?"
Again, he stared at her lips. Then lower, to her breasts, bringing them to tingling wakefulness. She wanted to feel his hands on her naked skin, have those long fingers cradle her breasts, roll her tender nipples. She squeezed her thighs together to stem the pounding ache between them.
"You are,” he confirmed, looking deep into her eyes. “More than you realize.” With that cryptic comment, he left the tack room.
Jessie touched her fingers to her tingling lips and closed her eyes. God, she couldn't take much more of the sexual tension between them, but what was she supposed to do about it? Reining in her rampant hormones, she regained her composure and followed him out to the corral.
Later in the shower, she couldn't stop thinking about the erotic promise she'd read in his face. Her body was dying for his touch, so desperate for relief that she ached. While the hot spray pounded down on her head and shoulders, she gave in to her need. Bracing one hand against the wall, she slid the other over her swelling breasts. She groaned as she tugged on a nipple, imagining his eyes holding her captive while he pleasured her. The fantasy was so vivid she could almost feel that big, muscular body molded against her spine and the brush of his lips against the side of her neck.
It was Deke's hands sliding over her wet skin, making her twist and shudder. His mouth sucking and tugging on her tender nipples. His velvety tongue trailing across her inner thigh to find her moist center and finally her aching clit. It swirled there in slow, lazy circles while his long fingers stole inside her pussy. Rubbing over the exact place that intensified the erotic sensations and sent her over the edge. Oh, God. She could almost hear that low drawl, whispering hotly against her body.
Come for me, sugar.
Biting down on her lower lip to hold back an agonized moan, Jessica bowed back as the orgasm rushed through her, leaving her gasping and trembling. Pushing his face from her mind as the last waves faded, she closed her eyes and rested her forehead against the slick fiberglass, her body shuddering in relief. God, she'd needed that in the worst way. Maybe now she could stop thinking about him for a while.
But even as she straightened and finished her shower, she couldn't shake the feeling she'd just made things much worse.
Deke sat off to the side of the room as the bridal shower wound down, watching Jessica's reaction when Ashley brought out the penis-shaped cake. The women all cheered, except Jessica, who smiled a little and flushed in her seat beside to the bride-to-be. She was totally out of place in that setting, with the condom balloons floating around the room and the female conversation taking a distinctly lewd turn. What he could catch of it, anyway. She smiled and laughed in all the right places, but she remained demure and reserved while the rest of the women seemed to be getting into the swing of things. Everyone was well on their way to getting drunk, but she'd barely touched her glass of wine.
And while she didn't do anything to draw attention to herself, he couldn't take his eyes off her. She might as well have been the only woman in the room.
Deke had found her talking to Dane when he'd arrived to help serve dinner. Stock market analysis and other things that made his brother light up like a Christmas tree. That was the thing about Jessica. She had a knack for engaging people and putting them at ease. Him included, which was pretty much a miracle these days. She was kind and smart and independent, and she fascinated him. He wanted to get into her head and find out what made her tick. Because he knew she was hiding her true nature from everyone. Maybe even from herself, and that was the worst crime of all.
Underneath that professional armor, she was soft and responsive and so feminine she made him ache. She'd all but melted in his arms, and all he'd done was kiss her. The intriguing, secret parts he'd glimpsed of her over the past two days made him want to see more.
"Ready to go?” Dusty called to him from the doorway.
Deke nodded to him. “Yeah."
They were all supposed to go into town to the bar, except for Dillon and maybe Charissa. They seemed to have a lot of shit to straighten out between them, if his brother's grim expression and the sidelong looks he'd been shooting her way at dinner were any indication.
Sending his brothers out with the bridal party was Dillon's idea of relaxing his rigid demands and being a nice guy. Ironic he wouldn't even be there to keep them in line. Everyone else was going dancing, but Deke wasn't sure Jessica would go. She didn't seem like the bar type, so it wouldn't surprise him if she opted to stay behind in favor of getting more work done. If she did, he'd be tempted to stay with her, to see if he could interest her in more pleasurable things.
He wanted more of what he'd sensed in that kiss earlier today. Breathless anticipation and a yearning so strong he'd barely been able to keep his hands off her the rest of the day. Her unique mix of independence and sensual, ultra-femininity damn near killed him.
It made him wonder what it would take to make her let go and unleash the sexy siren inside. What did she like in bed? He hated to think it was straight missionary-with-the-lights-off sex. She had to want something more than that. She was too beautiful, too feminine not to enjoy her sexuality. What got her off? It'd be fun to find out what forbidden fantasies ran through that pretty head when she was alone and aching for release in the middle of the night.
'Course, it'd be a hell of a lot more fun to make them come to life with her. He'd love to have one night with her alone and at his mercy. Then he'd find out exactly what it took to make those big topaz eyes go hazy and blind. What made that lush mouth part in a cry of ecstasy as she came against his tongue. Or around his cock.
It heated his blood just thinking about it.
Not that he would ever find out. Though seeing how besotted the rest of his brothers were this weekend, the company rules about fraternizing with the guests seemed to have been tossed out the window for the time being. Thank God their parents were out of town.
But Jessica should stay off limits for him. He was a cynical ex-Pararescue Jumper with no fucking clue what to do with the rest of his life and a taste for hard-edged, kinky sex. She deserved better than getting tangled up with him.
Tamping down the sexual hunger roiling inside him, he rose and snagged his keys from the back office. When he came out, Jessica was setting her cake plate into the bin of dirty dishes. She looked up at him and offered a smile.
"Coming to the bar?” he asked.
She glanced over at the others, already filing out the door and heading for the parking lot. She was going to say no. He could see it in her face. But then her gaze went to the keys in his hand and up to his eyes. “Are you going?"
"Was planning to. You can come with me.” The subconscious double entendre made his dick throb.
A pleased smile curved her soft mouth. “Okay then."
"Right this way.” He set a hand against her back and led her out the doors. When she flashed him another sweet smile, he tried to ignore her delicious scent and the protective feeling rising up inside him. If she only knew what he wanted to do to her, she wouldn't be nearly so relaxed at being alone with him.
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Chapter Four
The Winkin’ Point Bar was crowded and smelled of warm beer. Jessica followed Bridgette over to the gleaming bar and ordered a glass of white wine, but her friend cancelled her order and shook her head in disgust.
"You're in Texas, sweetie. Take a little walk on the wild side."
She was alre
ady walking on the wild side. Her sleeveless, silver halter top showed off lots of cleavage, and her snug jeans hugged every inch of her ass. The outfit was much sexier than she'd normally wear, but she hoped Deke liked it.
In less than a minute she had a Jack Daniels on the rocks in her hand and eyed it dubiously. “How many shots are in there?"
"What's it matter? You're not driving."
What the hell. She sipped at it and tried not to grimace, but after a few swallows, the liquor warmed her stomach and spread out through her veins. Where was Deke? She hadn't seen him come in yet. After three more songs, Bridgette tossed the rest of her drink back and set it down on the bar with a smile.
"I'm going dancing. Wanna come?"
"No, I—” Deacon stepped inside the bar, and his gaze unerringly found hers. A primitive shiver rippled up her spine as she held his stare and answered her friend. “No, you go ahead."
Bridgette followed her gaze and turned back to her with a cat-like smile. “Atta girl.” She thumped Jessie's shoulder. “Go get him."
She stayed on her stool as the bride-to-be sauntered onto the floor and found herself a partner. Every sense was attuned to Deacon as he prowled through the room toward her, his confident gait and presence drawing appreciative looks from the women he passed. He didn't seem to notice any of them, his eyes locked on her. Her fingers tightened around the cool glass. The wild side, Bridgette had said. Deke was the furthest thing from tame. And the way he was looking at her with all that latent heat in his gaze...
He took the stool next to her and eyed her drink. Taking it from her, he took a sniff. “Whiskey? That's pretty strong stuff for a city girl like you."
She gave him a slow smile, the liquor already doing its thing in her veins, and pulled in a breath of his delicious scent. “I'm on vacation.” And feeling more daring by the minute.
Setting her drink on the bar, Deke grinned and ordered himself a beer before turning back to her. “So how come you're sitting over here all by yourself? You don't like dancing?"
