by Myla Jackson
The faster he thrust, the hotter he became. His body tensed. If he continued down this path, he’d come in her mouth. Angus jerked back, gripped her arms, pulled her up his body and lifted her to sit on the tailgate.
Without missing a beat, she wrapped her legs around him and drew him close by pressing her heels into his buttocks.
“Uh-uh.” Angus shook his head. “My turn.”
“Your turn?” she gasped.
“I want you ready.”
“Any more ready and I’ll explode.”
“That’s my line. Trust me, you aren’t there yet.” He pulled her to the edge of the tailgate and dropped to his knees between her legs.
The first time he tongued her clit, her body spasmed and she cried out, “Holy hell.” She reached for his head and pulled it back to her. “Again.”
This time he slipped a finger into her channel as he stroked the tightly strung bundle of nerves.
Her fingers curled into his scalp and her thighs squeezed against his ears. “Sweet Jesus, Angus. You’re setting me on fire.”
He blew a stream of warm air over her heated center.
“I need you inside me,” she moaned.
“Not yet.”
“Yes yet,” she said, pulling his hair in an attempt to bring him up.
He flicked her clit and dove in to swirl, tease and relentlessly torment her.
Her body tensed, she dragged in a ragged breath and let out a long, sexy groan. “Oh. My. God. Angus. You’re fuckin’ killin’ me.” Her body convulsed and her hips jerked each time he touched her.
“I can’t believe you still talk dirty during sex.” Angus slipped another finger inside her channel, then another, stretching her, preparing her.
“Okay, okay. You have to come inside me now. I don’t know if I can live through much more.”
He chuckled and rose to his feet, pressing his cock to her entrance.
“Oh fucking hell!” Gwen cried out, and not in a good way.
Her expletive jerked Angus off course. “Did I hurt you?”
“No.” Her brows dipped in a V. “I forgot the damned condoms. Mona gave me a month’s supply, and I didn’t have time to put them in my purse.”
“I’ve got it covered.” Angus reached into his back pocket for his wallet, his hands shaking with the intensity of his need. When he finally found the single condom he kept inside, he held it up. “Is this what you were looking for?”
“Yes.” She snatched it from his fingers, tore it open and rolled it down over his cock. “Now, please, come into me now.”
He obliged, her desperate cries more than he could handle. Angus drove into her, thrusting long, hard and all the way home, his balls slapping against her bottom.
“Again.” She threaded her thumbs in his belt loops and dragged him out then back in again, pulling so hard he rammed into her.
Angus slid in and out, banging harder and harder until his nerves all lit on fire and exploded, sending him rocketing into orbit. He thrust one last time and held her against him, his fingers digging into her rounded ass.
For a long moment he stood in the moonlight reliving every wet dream he’d had of Gwen for the past seven years. When he came back to earth and reality, he captured her face in his hands and kissed her tenderly, brushing his lips across hers, sucking her lower lip between his. When he let go, he leaned his forehead against hers. “Want to lie out and watch for shooting stars?”
“No,” she said, her voice shaky, her eyes downcast.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” A tear slipped down her cheek, the moonlight glinting off the moisture.
Angus brushed his thumb across Gwen’s skin, capturing the tear. “Then why the tears?”
“It’s nothing. We should go.”
He drew out of her, disposed of the condom and tucked himself into his jeans. Then he pulled her straps back up over her shoulders, straightened her skirt over her thighs and rested his hands on her knees. “You want to talk about this nothing that’s making you cry?”
“Not really.” She slid off the tailgate and onto her feet. “I’m just really tired.”
It was more than that, but damned if he knew what had gone wrong when everything had felt so incredibly good, and natural and right. This was where they were supposed to be. In each other’s arms, not living separate lives.
He’d never stopped loving Gwen. That was why he hadn’t been interested in dating, why he’d buried himself in the ranch and working with the horses. He’d been trying to get over his broken heart.
Now…
She was here. They’d made love. He refused to think they would go their separate ways. How could he let her go again?
He couldn’t. It would kill him.
Gwen sat in silence the entire ride down the hill, along the bumpy dirt road and all the way back to Temptation. When they arrived at the bed-and-breakfast, she got down from the truck before Angus could come around and assist her. She was afraid if she let him touch her again, she would completely fall apart.
And she didn’t have the luxury of falling apart this time. Dalton was her world. Her focus had to be on providing him a loving home until he was grown and living on his own. Until then, she had to walk away from what her own heart yearned for, the overwhelmingly beautiful thing she and Angus had just shared.
Angus reached for her arm, but she stepped away. “I can see myself to my door. No need for you to stay.”
“I’m not leaving until I know you’re safely inside.”
She stiffened, hardening her heart to what she couldn’t have. “I live on my own in Dallas. I know what to look out for, how to take care of myself.”
“So? You’re not in Dallas. You’re here with me,” he said between gritted teeth. “I’m taking you up to your room.”
Without responding, she turned and marched toward the house, entering the lobby. She hurried up the steps, almost running by the time she reached the top. Angus kept pace, no matter how fast she moved. His longer legs took the steps two at a time to her one.
Gwen didn’t know why she was running. No matter how fast she moved she couldn’t hide from her feelings for this tall, strong cowboy. Her first and only love.
At the top of the stairs, she dug in her purse for the key and dropped everything. When she bent to pick up her things, Angus bent too, their heads bumping.
He reached out and steadied her. “Are you all right?”
Hell no, she wasn’t all right. Her heart was breaking into a million pieces and she didn’t know how to make it stop. “I’m fine.” She found the key, opened the door and fell inside.
Before she could close it behind her, Angus stuck his foot inside and grabbed her arm, dragging her up against him. “Tell me what’s wrong. I’ll fix it.”
“Nothing’s wrong. You’re freakin’ perfect,” she said, her voice catching on a sob and locking down her throat. “It’s me. I can’t do this again. I can’t fall in love with you knowing we won’t be together.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” He shook her gently. “We’ll be together.”
“We can’t,” she said. “I live in Dallas. I have Dalton. You and me…we just were never meant to be together.”
“Bullshit.” His fingers tightened on her arms. “We were meant to be together. If ever there was a reason to believe in fate, it was last night at the Ugly Stick Saloon.”
She shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. “No. Fate teased us again. She brought us back together, knowing I couldn’t stay and you couldn’t leave what you have here. Dalton is my life. He’s all I have, and I’m all he has. I won’t force someone else on him or him on someone else because of my selfishness. Just leave.”
“I’ll leave for now, but this isn’t over. It’s far from over.” A ruddy flush rose up in Angus’s cheeks. “Because, you see, I’m a McFarlan and McFarlans don’t give up on the ones they love. Do you know what that means?”
By now Gwen was sobbing, shaking
her head as she stood before him, her world coming apart, her heart breaking.
“It means,” he said, “that I love you, and I’ll be damned if I let you get away again. I will be back and I’ll, by golly, woo you until you can’t say no. You can’t shut me out of your goddamned life.” He yanked her into his arms and kissed her hard. Then he shoved her away from him and left, stomping down the steps and all the way out to his truck.
Gwen stood staring at the door, her heart squeezing hard, the pain so intense it almost brought her to her knees. Tears flowed down her face in an unending stream. She crumpled to the ground and curled into a fetal position, wrapping her arms around her knees, the dress swirled around her hips, her lack of panties a vivid reminder of the beauty of what she’d just experienced.
How could she push him away? It had to be the stupidest thing she’d ever done in her life. On the other hand, how could she expect Angus to take her and Dalton into his life? What man would understand that her son would always come first, and the man’s needs would always be second?
A soft knock on the door barely penetrated the darkness of the hell she’d sentenced herself to.
“Gwen? It’s me. Mona. Let me in. You promised me all the details.”
“I don’t feel like it,” Gwen moaned from her position curled up on the floor.
“Gwen? What’s wrong? Open the damn door.” Mona banged louder.
If Gwen didn’t answer the door, Mona would wake the other residents in the building.
Gwen pushed to her feet, wishing the floor would open up and swallow her so that she didn’t have to take another breath that only made her hurt worse. Then she thought of Dalton. She had to keep moving for him.
Gwen twisted the doorknob and stood back.
Mona burst through, took one look at her and engulfed her in a huge hug. “What did he do? Was he hateful? I’ll send Grant after him. Hell, I’ll kill him myself.”
“No.” Gwen laughed, the sound coming out of her throat on a sob. “He was…perfect.”
“Are those tears of joy?” Mona brightened, then her face fell. “Not with that look on your face. You resemble a kicked puppy.” Her friend smoothed the damp hair out of her face. “Tell me what happened.”
Blubbering like a fool, Gwen gave Mona the lowdown on what happened, skipping much of the sexy details. When she finished, her tears had dried, but her heart still hurt.
Mona crossed her arms and glared at her. “For a corporate-savvy woman with a great company and clients who swear by your business acumen and intelligence, you’re pretty damned stupid sometimes.”
Gwen reeled back as if she’d been slapped. “Mona, I thought you understood.”
“I understand that you’re being stupid.” She cocked her head to the side. “Do you love the man?”
“We can’t be together.” Gwen swallowed in an attempt to clear the lump lodged in her throat. “How I feel has nothing to do with it.”
“Like hell it doesn’t.” She stared hard at Gwen. “Do you love the man?”
“The sex was incredible, but I have to think about Dalton.”
“Pull your head out of your panties. Do you fuckin’ love the man?” Mona persisted.
“Yes.” Gwen threw her hands in the air. “I never stopped loving him. All these years, I haven’t thought of anyone else. There. Are you satisfied?”
Mona’s face softened. “Then cut you and him a break, sweetie. Don’t throw away something beautiful because you’re afraid.”
“I’m not afraid. I can’t do this to Dalton.”
“Bullshit.” Mona shook her head, her look softening her words. “Dalton would love having Angus in his life.”
“Maybe, but Angus could never love Dalton as much as I do.”
“How do you know? You haven’t even given the man a chance. You pushed him away as soon as it started getting hot.”
“After it got hot,” Gwen corrected.
“Right. Which is even worse. You led Angus on by making him believe you had feelings for him.” Mona held Gwen’s hands in hers. “Did you ever think that by pushing him away, you’d break his heart? Again?”
“Oh God.” Gwen buried her face in her hands and tears sprang to her eyes. “No matter what I do, someone is going to get hurt.”
“Not if you let Angus in. You win, he wins. Dalton gets a great man as a father.” Mona spread her arms, palms up. “You’d have a complete family.”
All her fears for the future, her mother-bear need to protect her son and her own raging desires piled in on her, swirling in her normally structured head. “I can’t do this. I can’t think about this right now.”
“Meanwhile, you let Angus get away. The man who admitted he hasn’t stopped loving you. The man you admitted you haven’t stopped loving. Geez, Gwen, wake up. You don’t get second chances like this every day.”
A knock on the door jerked Gwen’s attention away from Mona. Had Angus returned? Was he there to sweep her into his arms and smooth away all her doubts?
“Answer it.” Mona pointed to the door, her jaw set firm. “It’s probably Angus, come back to call bullshit at what you just did. You better answer that door, take him into your arms and tell him you love him before you lose him again.”
Gwen took one step, then another. The next thing she knew, she was flying toward the door, her heart in her throat, hope surging out of control.
“Angus, I’m so sor—” she cried as she flung open the door. Gwen stopped dead in her tracks, her mouth falling open as she stared at the man leaning against the doorframe.
“Hey Gwendy baby, how’s my favorite girl?” Wayne Kent, her ex-husband and the father of her little boy, strode through the door like he owned the place and turned. “Where’s my kid? I’ve come to take custody of him.”
Chapter Nine
Gwen’s belly cratered all the way to hell. Could he do that? Did Wayne have any rights where Dalton was concerned?
Fuck no!
“What do you mean, you’ve come to take custody? Dalton is my son. You’ve never shown one iota of interest in him.”
“Well, I am now.” He put his hands together and cracked his knuckles. “So? Where is he?”
“Who the hell are you?” Mona asked.
Gwen glared at the man. “Mona, this is my son’s biological father, Wayne Kent.” Then, planting her fists on her hips, she glared at the man. “No court in this state will grant you custody of any kind since you spent the last five-and-a-half years ignoring your son.” She prayed he would take her words as gospel, otherwise the man would take her to court, and she couldn’t risk him getting his hands on Dalton.
“Why now?” Mona asked. “You stayed away all this time. Why show up on Gwen’s doorstep now, at ten o’clock at night five-and-a-half years later?”
“Yeah,” Gwen said. “And how the hell did you find me here?”
“Finding you was easy. Your housekeeper told me where you’d gone.” He gave Gwen a sly smile. “She’s a pretty little mamacita.”
Anger burned up her neck and into her cheeks. “Stay away from Delores. She’s going to college to be a nurse, and she doesn’t need to get mixed up with a bastard like you.”
“It’s completely her choice.” Wayne gave Gwen the charming smile he’d flashed at her over her third shot of tequila that night she and her friends had landed in Vegas. The fateful night she’d slept with the charming gambler.
She’d been flattered, and missing Angus so much it hurt. “Why are you here now? You can’t possibly care about a boy you’ve never met.”
“Because I finally caught up with you after that quickie divorce. All these years, I didn’t know you had a kid. Now that I do, I want joint custody of him. So where is he?”
Gwen thanked the stars that had aligned for Dalton to take to the McFarlans so quickly and stay the night with them. Under no circumstances did she want Dalton to meet his biological father until Gwen knew the real reason for Wayne showing up in their lives now.
“You�
�re looking pretty good after all these years, Gwendy. Makes me wish I hadn’t signed those divorce papers.” Wayne moved around her like a circling vulture. “You know I’ve thought about you often after that weekend we spent together in Vegas.”
“That’s funny, I haven’t thought about you at all.” She wanted him out, but not before she discovered his reason for coming. It couldn’t be Dalton. He’d never even seen his son.
“Oh come on, Gwendy, don’t you remember how much fun we had getting married at that little chapel on the strip?” His voice slipped into that rough cowboy drawl that at one brief moment in her life had reminded her of Angus.
Not now. Knowing he’d only been out for a weekend fling, she couldn’t recall why he’d reminded her of Angus at all. “I was young and had a few too many drinks. And it was just one weekend. Not anything worth talking about, or remembering, but for the lesson learned. And stop calling me Gwendy. It’s not my name.”
Wayne’s gaze narrowed. “That weekend must have meant something to you if you had my kid.”
Gwen inhaled and counted five before saying, “It meant the condoms you used weren’t worth a damn.”
“Had I known you had a kid, I’d have come sooner.”
“He has a name, it’s Dalton. And I notified you of his birth with a letter, the day after I had him.”
Wayne raised his hands, palms up. “Well, I don’t remember getting a letter telling me I had a kid.”
“Yeah? Well, you signed for it. I sent it certified.” God, this was Gwen’s worst nightmare. The one where someone stole her son away from her.
He shook his head. “Nope, it wasn’t me. And that’s what I’ll tell the judge.”
“Gambler, right?” Mona said, her gaze raking Wayne.
“Right.” Wayne turned his charm on Mona. “How’d you guess?”
She smirked. “I can smell a gambler from a mile away. They kind of stink like bullshit.” She shook her head. “Don’t see what Gwen saw in you.”
“Me either,” Gwen agreed. “But then I wasn’t seeing straight at the time. I was on a weekend bender trying to get over someone else.”
