Dillon's Claim

by Callie Croix

  “Just so you know, if you hadn’t come, I was never going to speak to you again,” Shannon “Shay” Piermont said, tossing her shoulder-length brown hair back as she popped a roasted marshmallow into her mouth.

  Charissa smiled at her friend, enjoying the warmth and the smoky scent of the big bonfire. “Sure you would have. But I’m glad I saved myself the interrogation from you and Bridgette.”

  “Yeah, that wouldn’t have gone well.”

  No, but luckily everything else was going fine so far. Since that unnerving encounter with Dillon earlier, she hadn’t seen him. At dinner she’d braced herself for the possibility of bumping into him, but he hadn’t showed. Probably because he had a million things to do for the ranch.

  Mostly she’d been relieved, but a disturbing stab of disappointment had left her feeling completely confused. Why did part of her still want to be with him? Things were awkward enough now. They’d crossed the friendship line a long time ago with those heated, toe-curling kisses. Kisses so incredible they still made her panties wet whenever she thought about them.

  And she thought about them a lot more than she should.

  “I heard you saw Dillon earlier.”

  Charissa nodded. “Yep.”

  “And? How’d it go?”

  “Fine.”

  Shay’s expression said she didn’t believe it. “No fireworks?”

  “Well, maybe some sparks,” she admitted grudgingly.

  “And? What are you going to do about that?” Shay slid another marshmallow onto her stick.

  “I don’t know—what are you going to do about Dustin?” Charissa countered.

  Shay turned wide blue eyes on her. “What?”

  “Oh, please. Like all of us haven’t noticed the smoldering looks passing between the two of you? He’s watching you from over there right now.” She cast a glance across the bonfire where Dustin leaned against a tree trunk, close to his brother, Dane.

  Grinning, Shay shrugged and got busy toasting her next treat. “What can I say? You know the history between us. Chemistry doesn’t go away just because you want it to.”

  Wasn’t that the truth. She’d felt that instant attraction with Dillon from day one, when Shay had first introduced them. Seeing him today only confirmed that the pull between them was as strong as ever. “Be nice if it did.”

  Charissa sat at the fire for a while longer, contemplating how she was going to handle things the next time she bumped into Dillon. His kisses had cost her a lot more than her peace of mind. They’d cost his friendship, and she hated that the most. She’d enjoyed spending time with him. He was sweet beneath that macho alpha exterior, dependable, and she admired his work ethic. His business smarts. But they couldn’t go back to being just friends, and she didn’t have the nerve to continue down the path they’d started on.

  When one of the ranch hands brought out a guitar for what she assumed was some sort of sing-along, Charissa took it as her cue to leave. A quiet walk to collect her thoughts was just what she needed before turning in for the night. With luck, the fresh night air would help her sleep through the night without waking up from erotic dreams about Dillon that left her body pulsing with sexual frustration.

  With the singing and laughter at the campfire fading behind her, she headed away from the lodge, past the corral, and out across the range toward a distant copse of trees. A bright half-moon and countless stars filled the inky sky, lighting her way. Partway to her destination, Charissa stopped to close her eyes and take a deep breath, letting all the residual tension about Dillon slide away. She sighed as she tipped her head back, savoring the sound of the crickets singing in the grass. A warm breeze blew over her, making the ends of her hair dance around her shoulders.

  “Now that’s a pretty sight.”

  She stiffened and whirled around. Dillon stood a dozen yards behind her with his arms crossed over his chest. Her heart tripped.

  “You left the campfire awful early.” His deep voice brushed over her starved senses like a caress.

  “I just felt like going for a walk. That okay?” She didn’t bother to hide the cool edge to her tone.

  He shrugged his wide shoulders. “Sure, it’s safe enough out here. Just don’t lose sight of the lodge or you might get lost.”

  She wasn’t an idiot. “I won’t.”

  “I’ll walk with you if you want.”

  Nuh-uh. “Thanks, but I don’t want to keep you from your work. I know you must have a lot of things to get done.”

  One side of his mouth tipped up in a sexy grin. A nonverbal nice try. “I’m done for the night. And I can’t think of anything more enjoyable than walking in the moonlight with a beautiful woman.”

  The flirtatious comment made her blush, but not because it was false flattery. Oh, Dillon could turn on the charm easily enough when he wanted to, but she knew he meant every word he’d just said. She opened her mouth to offer an excuse, but he cut her off.

  “There was a time you thought of me as a friend, at least,” he said softly. “I hope things haven’t changed between us that much.”

  A wave of guilt swept through her. Walking away had been her choice. Damn him, for making her feel bad about the way she’d handled things. She wasn’t going to let him intimidate her, though. “Of course not.”

  He jerked his chin over his shoulder. “Come on, then.”

  She almost chickened out and made some excuse to leave. The challenging glint in his eyes stopped her. He wanted to see if she’d take the bait? If he thought she wasn’t mature enough to handle a civil conversation with him, he was sorely mistaken.

  It was just a walk, she told herself. No harm in that.

  Biting back a sigh and ignoring the warnings in her head, she turned and walked toward him, making sure she had her arms wrapped around her waist so he wouldn’t try to take her arm or hand. Dillon had impeccable manners, but she didn’t want him touching her, even out of politeness. “So, where to?”

  “You’ll see when we get there.” The mantle of authority he wore was as natural to him as breathing. He might have honed that trait during his time in the military where he’d served as an officer, but she was willing to bet it had been there all along. His innate confidence was one of the sexiest things about him.

  She followed a step behind him, and after a few minutes, she began to question the wisdom of her actions. They were alone, heading farther and farther away from the lodge to some secluded spot he had in mind. Probably not her best decision. Why was she torturing herself this way?

  Her gaze tracked longingly over his wide, strong shoulders, down the muscular length of his back to the worn denim hugging his hips. Hard to believe she’d once slid her hands over him, feeling the raw power of his body beneath the thin fabric of his shirt. That memorable experience was forever imprinted in her mind. It would have to be enough.

  “There,” he finally said, pointing.

  Up ahead, she spotted the shimmering pond. When they reached it, Dillon laid his jacket on the ground next to a large boulder and motioned for her to sit on it. He sank down beside her to gaze out at the water while the breeze rippled the calm surface and the clouds scuttled over the moon. The silence between them thickened and expanded until her stomach was wound tighter than a spring. When she huddled deeper into her sweater to ward off the slight chill in the air, he slanted an intense look at her.

  “Cold?”

  “No.” Even if her teeth started chattering, she’d still deny it. Otherwise, he’d exploit the opportunity and use it as an excuse to pull her close, destroying what was left of her resolve. All he had to do was touch her, and she’d turn to mush.

  Dillon settled back against the rock and stretched his long, muscular legs in front of him, his profile to her. “So, what’ve you been up to all this time?”

  “Work, mostly. Trained everyone on some new software for our accounting department. I did some fundraiser stuff for the hospital.”

  He nodded. “Nothing else?”

 
She shrugged. “Nothing worth mentioning. I guess you’ve got your hands full running this place while your parents are away.”

  “Yeah, and then some. They’re ready to retire anyhow, so I pretty much run everything even when they are home.”

  The safe topic of conversation helped ease her anxiety. She could do this. Pretend they were friends and had never been more than that. Maybe they could at least salvage their friendship. She’d missed it. “Do you love it like you thought you would?”

  “Most of the time.” His grin was so charming she couldn’t help but smile back. “It’s a lot of work, but I don’t want to see them have to sell the place. My brothers all help out, too. We grew up here; it’s part of us.”

  That was Dillon. Loyal to the bone. Always there for the people he cared about.

  He would have been there for you, too, if you’d let him.

  A sudden gust of wind made her shiver, and she rubbed her hands over her arms to warm them.

  “Change spots with me so I can cut the wind for you.”

  “No, it’s f—” She swallowed a squeak when he snaked an arm around her waist and slid her toward him. The effortless show of strength made her belly flip, the heat of his hand against her waist burning through her shirt. It sank into her skin and sent little tendrils of warmth to her hardening nipples, setting off a sudden throb between her thighs. She put a hand on his hard shoulder to push him away, but he was already moving.

  Dillon’s thighs brushed hers as he straddled her for a moment then swung over her to settle against her wind-exposed side. The feel of his powerful body pressed against hers made her heart pound and reminded her exactly why she’d run far and fast from him. When she tried to wriggle away to put some space between them, he stopped her with a hard arm across her shoulders.

  She held herself rigid. “Dillon...” God, the feel of him was driving her crazy, making her want things she shouldn’t.

  “I’m not gonna sit here and watch you shiver because you’re too stubborn to say you’re cold,” he said, but his grip on her shoulder softened. Several tense seconds passed before he spoke again. “So there’s something that’s been bothering me,” he began, staring out at the water instead of looking at her.

  A pang of dread shot through her. “And what’s that?”

  “What did I do to you that was so terrible it made you take off?”

  She met his gaze head on, fought back the tension in her gut. “You didn’t do anything. And I didn’t take off.”

  “Yeah, you did.”

  She looked away, unable to bear the scrutiny in his eyes. “I had my life waiting for me back in Austin, and you had yours here at the ranch. Getting involved would have been too complicated.”

  He snorted. “That’s the sorriest excuse I’ve ever heard.”

  Throwing off his restraining arm, she climbed to her feet. “Look, if you brought me out here for an interrogation, then I’m going back.”

  Dillon shot to his feet and grabbed her wrist. His grip was firm, but the obvious strength in his hand was tempered. She froze as tingles shot up her arm, then looked back at him over her shoulder. His jaw was tight, and she could all but feel the waves of frustration pulsing from him.

  “Was there someone else?” he demanded.

  She lifted her chin. “I told you I was seeing someone back then.” Though she could barely remember what he looked like.

  “Seeing someone could mean anything. And if it had been serious, you wouldn’t have kissed me. Not like that.”

  A hot flush crept up her neck and into her cheeks as she remembered the exquisite sensation of being locked in his arms, surrendering to him by degrees. He’d held her up against his solid body, both his hands in her hair, keeping her still for the commanding yet tender exploration of his tongue in her mouth. Feeling herself melt, the fear had stopped her, made her pull away. Knowing she’d been on the verge of the most exciting experience of her life but afraid to take that last step and relinquish control. It had haunted her ever since. Her nipples throbbed just thinking about it.

  He was right about the kisses, but she wasn’t going to admit it and give him more ammo. “Let go. And I can find my own way back.”

  “Like hell I’d let you walk back alone.” He stepped up close, so close she could feel his warmth and breathe in that luscious scent he carried. Soap, mixed with a trace of woodsy cologne. “If there wasn’t someone else, then what was it?”

  “Dillon, drop it. I don’t want to talk about this.”

  “Too bad.”

  She gaped at him, taken aback by his sharp retort.

  He shook his head, the tight movement rife with annoyance. “The truth, Charissa. You owe me that much.”

  He wanted the truth?

  Because being with you turned me into someone I didn’t even recognize.

  He had woken needs inside her that she’d long since buried and done her best to forget. He’d made her yearn to experience his style of dominance so much that she’d been teetering on the brink of surrendering. It had scared the living hell out of her.

  “Well?” he demanded.

  A bitter laugh crowded her throat. She’d be damned if she’d lay herself bare to him like that now, when she was afraid of giving her body to a man. A year ago he’d all but broken through every last barrier she’d erected around her heart, and without even trying. Standing here, confronting him about this while he tried to pry the true reasons from her? Forget it. “The truth is, it wasn’t going to work.”

  “The truth is, you didn’t want it to work.”

  “Fine.” Whatever. Let him believe what he wanted. Pulling her arm free, she turned on her heel and marched away.

  She only made it two strides before he caught her arm again and spun her around. The anger blazing in his eyes took her off guard. Instinctively, she backed up a step.

  “It’s not fine,” he growled. “Not with me. And if you’d be honest with yourself for a second, it’s not fine with you, either.”

  “Really?” she demanded.

  “Yeah. And here’s why.” Before she could draw a breath to speak, he slid a hand into the hair at her nape and kissed her.

  Shock rippled through her at the sensual feel of his mouth on hers. Her hands immediately went to his shoulders, palms pressing against the contours of solid muscle. He didn’t let go, the gentle pressure of his hand at her nape reinforcing his control and heightening all her senses. The kiss was hard, possessive, but his lips were soft and warm on hers. A startled moan escaped, her body tingling with a rush of pleasure.

  She wanted this. Had craved it for so long. God help her, her fingers curled around his shoulders instead of pushing him away. Her lips softened and parted beneath his, the tender stroke of his tongue making her pussy clench in anguish. He kissed her like he’d been dying to taste her, licking and caressing all the sensitive places inside her mouth, that strong hand cradling the back of her neck.

  All too soon, he pulled back, leaving her hot, confused. Wanting more.

  Dillon raised a hand and trailed a questioning fingertip over her cheekbone, holding her spellbound. “Something spooked you the last time I did that,” he said in a low voice, his eyes far too knowing. “What was it? This?”

  Before she could pull away, he threaded his other hand into her hair and held her head still. Letting her feel a taste of his authority, making her pussy even wetter at the thought of exactly how it would translate into the bedroom. The dominant side of him frightened her as much as it aroused her.

  She swallowed, hating the betraying stillness in her body as she softened, wordlessly affirming her desire to give up control. His steely eyes pinned her mercilessly, gauging her reaction, watching for any sign of vulnerability. Here was the dark predator she’d sensed lurking inside him, and this time there was no escape. She closed her eyes to block out his scrutiny.

  “Look at me,” he commanded softly.

  Fighting with herself, she drew a deep breath and forced herself to meet h
is gaze. She swallowed again as his long fingers rubbed against her scalp, his grip commanding, yet so tender it tied her in knots. For the life of her, she couldn’t make herself pull away.

  “What were you so scared of, Charissa? Maybe this?” He bent and brushed his mouth over hers. Gently this time, a beguiling caress of lips and tongue that made her catch her breath, press closer to him. Tempting her in ways a more forceful touch never could have. The man was lethal with his mouth. She could just imagine how well he’d use the rest of his body.

  Shit!

  Charissa stiffened and flattened her hands against his shoulders, ready to push him away. Her heart slammed against her ribs, the rush of blood through her veins making her dizzy. Dillon’s hands bunched in her hair, pulling on the strands with a delicious pressure that made the fire burn hotter. Testing her.

  Yes! she wanted to snap at him. This is exactly what she’d run from. His intensity, the mind-blowing response he called from her body. She craved the rough, dominant side of him she’d glimpsed, always tempered with an edge of tenderness. That killer combination set her on fire. She wanted him to seize control, to strip away all her control and inhibitions as he fucked her. Wanted him to restrain her, so that she had no choice but to go wherever he pushed her. But the last time she’d tried to go down that road it had ended in disaster. That awful experience with her previous lover had all but killed her interest in sex. Until Dillon.

  Yet, part of her knew he’d not only push her right to the physical and emotional brink; he’d send her right over that edge. That’s why she’d run. Surrendering completely to a lover made her uneasy now, but Dillon held the power to make her lose herself completely. In the end, she’d run rather than face her fears. Something she’d secretly regretted every day since.

  Still holding her captive, he dropped his head to nuzzle the side of her neck, his breath warm against her sensitive skin. “What are you so afraid of, sweetness? Tell me.”

  Murmured in that deep drawl of his, the endearment put a lump in her throat. He made her feel cherished and needy, protected yet frightened of succumbing to the power he wielded over her. He could take her emotional shields apart so easily, without even realizing it, and she’d never be the same again.