by Cindi Myers
He checked his watch. At least twenty minutes had passed since he'd stopped by Theresa's room. The fried chicken Kristen had made was getting cold. Maybe something was wrong.
He pushed back his chair, intending to go upstairs and check on her, when he heard her call from the next room. "I'm sorry I kept everyone waiting. Everything took longer than I expected."
He turned in time to watch her come through the doorway, and choked back a gasp.
"Damn!"
It wasn't Kyle who'd uttered the word but Ken, whose eyes looked two sizes larger as he stared at Theresa.
The disheveled, limping woman who'd staggered up the stairs two hours before had transformed herself into a red-hot femme fatale in red stiletto heels, skintight black leather pants and the red satin top she'd worn the night they'd had dinner on the riverboat--a top that revealed more than it covered. Kyle's gaze fixed on the swell of her breasts above the satin and he found himself wondering how far she'd have to lean over before she popped right out of there.
He began to feel dizzy and thought it might be because all the blood in his body had rushed straight to his groin, and then he realized he'd been holding his breath. He let it out in a rush as Theresa stopped beside his chair.
Just in time, he stood and pulled her chair out for her, aware of every eye in the room on them.
"Wow, you look amazing!" Kelly was the first to put thoughts into words. The compliment earned him a dazzling smile from Theresa.
"Thank you," she said as she spread her napkin into her lap. "After playing cowgirl all afternoon, I felt like dressing up."
She swept her hair back over her shoulder, a half dozen silver bracelets jangling as she moved. Kyle caught a whiff of her perfume, spicy and erotic, and was glad of the napkin spread over his lap that hid his reaction.
Kristen was the only one not staring at Theresa. "Ken, why don't you go ahead and say grace?"
Somehow Kyle managed to hold it together, even when Ken thanked the Lord for "all this bounty at our table."
He tried to concentrate on his plate, though every sense was fully aware of the woman beside him. Ken continued to grin at Theresa, while Kristen made attempts at conversation, asking the girls and Kelly about their day at camp and commenting at length on the hot, dry weather.
"This dinner is delicious," Theresa said. "I don't know when I've eaten anything so good." When she delicately licked chicken grease from her fingers, Kyle stifled a groan. Ken began coughing and reached for his tea.
Kristen smiled weakly. "Thank you. I like to cook. I guess when you enjoy something, it's easy to be good at it."
"I couldn't agree more." She sent Kyle a smoldering look, which made him think of things Theresa enjoyed--things she was very good at.
He fixed his gaze on his plate, but the food couldn't satisfy the particular appetite Theresa had awakened.
"Before y'all make any plans for tomorrow, I wanted to let you know we've got a few people coming over."
Kristen spoke matter-of-factly, but Kyle could see nothing innocent in this announcement. "I thought I told you not to schedule anything else for us," he said.
"I didn't plan this. Not exactly." She wiped her fingers on her napkin. "When I mentioned you were coming to visit, a few people said they wanted to stop by and say hello. Then I guess word got around and a few more people called." She dropped the crumpled napkin beside her plate. "The next thing I knew, we were having a barbecue."
He groaned and glanced at Theresa. She looked wary. "Will there be a lot of people here?" she asked.
"Oh, just a few neighbors and friends. Not more than thirty or so."
Great. Thirty local yokels to stare at crazy Kyle Cameron and his tattooed girlfriend. He could hear the gossip mill shifting into overdrive already. "We'll leave early if it gets too hectic," he said. He meant the words as reassurance for Theresa--and as a warning for Kristen.
He'd about had it with his sister always running the show. She wasn't going to like it one bit when he started doing things his way, but that was too bad.
At last the meal was over and he saw his chance.
"Why don't we play games in the family room," Kristen said as Kim and Kelly cleared the table. She nudged Kyle. "I might even let you win a game of Clue."
"I don't think so." He grabbed Theresa's hand. "Theresa and I are going to take a walk."
"We are?" Theresa looked down at her sexy high heels. "I'm not really dressed for hiking."
"Don't worry, we won't go far." He tugged her toward the door.
"What a good idea," Kristen said. "We could all use the exercise, and it's a nice night."
Ken put his arm around his wife's shoulders. "I think he means he and Theresa are going for a walk alone." He grinned at Kyle. "Y'all have a good time. We'll stay here and hold down the fort."
They escaped the house at last. Kyle took Theresa's hand and led the way down the drive, away from the house. The moon was almost full and the white caliche drive was bright as a runway.
When they'd rounded the first bend in the drive, out of sight of the ranch house, Theresa stopped. "You're going to have to walk slower or I'll twist an ankle in these shoes."
He looked her up and down. "So what's with the sexpot getup?"
She adjusted the thin shoulder strap of her top. "Maybe I just felt like dressing up."
"If you're trying to shock my sister, I'd say you've succeeded."
"I wasn't trying to shock her." She shrugged. "Not much, anyway."
"Then why the outfit?"
Her expression turned sultry. "Don't you like it?"
In answer, he pulled her tight against his chest and covered her lips in a searing kiss. By the time he raised his head, they were both out of breath. "What do you think?"
She smoothed her hands across his chest, up to his shoulders, and ground her pelvis against his. "I think you like it."
"I have some good memories of this outfit." He put his hands at her waist, holding her still. "Don't distract me. Answer my question."
The seductive expression vanished, and she took a step away from him. "I dressed this way because this is the real me." She put her hands on her hips, as if daring him to disagree with her. "I like sexy clothes. I like showing off my body. I'm not a cowgirl and never will be."
He nodded. "I think everyone here realizes that."
"Do they? Do you?"
"Hell, yes, I do." He took a step toward her, but she moved back, keeping him at arm's length. "That's one of the reasons I like you."
"Right." She turned and walked away, little puffs of caliche rising each time her heels struck the ground.
In three long strides, he caught up with her and grabbed her by the arm, whirling her around to face him. "What is with you?" he demanded. "Why are you acting all pissed off at me?"
Some of the stiffness went out of her shoulders. "I'm not pissed off at you. I'm just feeling, I don't know, a little out of place." Her eyes met his, the confusion in them in sharp contrast to her in-your-face attire. "I needed to remind myself--and everyone else--what I'm really like."
He smoothed his hand down her arm, straining to understand what this conversation was really about. "If this has anything to do with the horseback riding this afternoon, I'm sorry about that. I know you didn't have a good time."
She shrugged. "Everyone else did. No reason for me to spoil y'all's fun."
"I should have put my foot down and told Kristen we wouldn't go. I should have gone off somewhere with you, the way I've wanted to all weekend."
She looked away. "I know it's hard for you to say no to her. And I know she's your only relative and--"
"No." He squeezed her shoulder, interrupting her. "I've been thinking about what you said earlier--about how I'm too quick to give in to her, to go along."
She shook her head. "It wasn't any of my bus--"
"No. You were right. I've been lazy. But that's going to change. From now on I'm going to do what I want, even if other people don't like it."
"What do you want?" She faced him and looked into his eyes, trapping him.
He forced himself not to look away--didn't think he could if he tried. She had the most amazing eyes, dark and expressive, full of sadness and sympathy and a thousand other emotions he didn't even understand yet. He could fall into those eyes and forget everything else. There was so much he wanted to tell her, but all those words could wait for later. Right now, he wanted to speak without words, to show her what he was feeling instead of trying to tell her.
"I want this."
His kiss was gentle, a soft brush of his lips that silently asked permission for more. She responded by slipping her arms around him and pulling him closer, her mouth parting slightly, her tongue slipping between his teeth.
Her body was warm and yielding against his, her soft curves conforming to him as he pressed his palm against the small of her back and urged her closer still. He'd been hot for her off and on all day, ever since their interrupted make-out session in the loft. He didn't want to wait any longer.
He broke the kiss and stared down into her eyes. Her slightly glazed look testified to her own arousal. "Wanna go skinny-dipping?" he asked.
She blinked. "Now? Where?"
"I know the perfect place." He took her hand and tugged her off the drive, toward the shortcut through the woods to a spot they jokingly referred to as the "family swimming pool." They'd taken only a few steps when she stumbled, muttering curses.
"Hold on." He put his arm around her to steady her, then bent and tugged the shoe off first one foot, then the other. Then he tossed them into the darkness.
"Kyle! Those sandals cost over a hundred dollars!"
"They'll still be there in the morning. It's not like anybody's going to come out here and carry them off."
"If they're not, you owe me a pair of shoes."
"It'll be worth it to get you to that creek before we both have a meltdown."
Barefoot, she was able to move faster, and a few minutes later they emerged from the cut in the woods onto the creek bank. A bend in the watercourse had thrown up a natural sandy beach, and hundred-year-old live oaks extended massive limbs to shade the water and provide the perfect place for rope swings and diving platforms.
"It's really dark," she said softly, lowering her voice to match their hushed surroundings.
"Uh-huh." He drew her close once more and nipped at the corner of her mouth. "Dark and private. This time of year the water's warm, too." He squeezed her breast.
She glanced toward the creek. "Aren't there snakes?"
"No snakes." He kissed her neck. Her skin was soft and she tasted both sweet and salty.
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure. The bobcats keep them away."
"Bobcats!" Her voice rose.
He laughed. "Don't worry. They live around here but they're shy. They won't come around people."
"Maybe they wouldn't like us being here." She tugged his head up, forcing him to pay attention. "I'm a city girl. I'm not used to wild animals."
"Darlin', the only wild animal you need to be worried about right now is me." He stripped off his cast, then found the hooks that fastened her top and began to release them one by one. In the dimness, he could barely make out the shape of her breasts, the nipples dark circles in the shadows. He shaped his hands to her, feeling the weight and roundness of her, his erection beginning to throb. He'd better slow things down or they'd get out of hand in a hurry.
"Still nervous?" he asked.
She nodded. "A little. But...turned on, too." She reached for his belt buckle.
He grinned. "How about if we both get naked and I carry you into the water? That way you'll be safe."
"Safe from everything but you!"
"That's the idea, isn't it?" He lowered the zipper of her pants and slipped his hand beneath the silk of her underwear.
Laughing, she darted away and quickly stripped out of the rest of her clothes. He did the same, draping his shirt and pants over nearby bushes. When they were kids, clothes draped on those bushes had served as a warning for girls to keep out, though as he'd gotten older, the secret fantasy had always been for the girls to come and spy on him and his friends. But if any ever had, they'd kept quiet about it.
He reached for her hand. "You ready?"
"I guess so." She moved into his arms. "But if there are any snakes, I'll never forgive you."
"No snakes," he said, leading her into the water. "Only a certain sea monster looking for a warm dark cave to explore."
She groaned. "That's really bad, you know that?"
"I didn't say I was a poet, darlin'. But I'm a pretty good dancer."
"So you've told me."
They were up to their waists in the water now. As he'd promised, it wasn't cold but warm and silken against her skin. He smoothed his hands along her hips and she pressed her palm to his chest, enjoying the feel of both water and skin, her senses heightened by the open air and darkness.
"Seems to me you've liked the dancing we've done so far," he said.
"Oh, yeah. I've liked it. I've liked it a lot."
He took her hand and led her farther out to where her feet no longer touched bottom. She started to tread water, and he dived beneath the surface. She felt him glide past her and then he was behind her, his hands on her breasts, his body pressed to hers. The warm water wrapped around them.
"Did you bring other women here to do this?" she asked.
His breath was warm against her neck. "I'm probably ruining my reputation here, but no. The summer of my junior year in high school, I spent a lot of time trying to persuade Analise Shroeder to come out here with me, but she told me if we got caught, her brothers would kill me. She had three older brothers who had all earned football scholarships to Texas A&M, so I decided it wasn't worth the risk, even to see Analise naked." He flicked her nipples with his thumbs, sending ripples out around them and deeper ripples of sensation through her. "I don't think it would have been half as nice as being here with you right now."
"That's right. My brother isn't going to kill you. He'd probably shake your hand instead." Truly, Zach would be pleased to see her happy in a relationship, even if the happiness was only temporary.
"And I think a man has to have a few years on him to truly appreciate women." She turned and his eyes met hers. "Everything about women." He cradled the back of her head in his hand. "They say good sex is in the brain as much as the body."
"So you think I have a sexy brain?" The idea pleased her.
"Woman, you have an amazing brain to go with this amazing body." He turned her around to face him and his lips closed over hers. She put her whole self into the kiss. Knowing that even when they were making love he thought about more than just her body moved her. She'd spent a lot of years convincing herself she was only interested in the physical side of a man/woman relationship, and in no time at all he'd proved her a liar.
She ought to hate him for that but here, with no walls to hide behind and no light but that of the moon filtered through trees, she looked into his eyes and knew she'd fallen in love with Kyle Cameron. She couldn't lie to herself anymore about that one.
But love hadn't robbed her of all her good sense, either. She wasn't about to bare her soul along with her body and take the hurt that confession was bound to bring. There was no reason for her and Kyle to be together in the long run, so she'd nurse her wounds alone later and make the most of the here and now. The thought added an urgency to her passion and made her forget her nervousness about snakes and wild animals and the darkness. She was Eve seducing Adam, with no one and nothing to stop her.
Smiling, she took his hand and guided it down until he covered her sex. He squeezed gently. "Feeling brave?" he asked.
"Feeling like I can't wait for you any longer." She gripped his shoulders and wrapped her legs around his waist, the water helping to support her.
He widened his stance, steadying them both. "Believe me, I know the feeling," he said and arched against her,
his erection hard and hot against her clit.
"Then why don't you come inside and stay a while?" She trailed her fingers along his chest.
"Because you're not ready yet." He bent and suckled first one nipple, then the other, every pull of his lips sending a new tremor through her.
"H-how do you know if...if I'm ready or...or not?" she gasped.
"Because when I slide into you, I want you so wet and aching that you see stars from the first stroke." He slid his hands between them and buried two fingers in her. She tightened around him, a little moan escaping her.
"Stars?" she asked.
His thumb flicked across her clit. "You'll see stars and feel thunderbolts." He drove his fingers deeper, sending a spasm of arousal deep into her womb. She fought to clench her thighs together, but with her legs wrapped around him it was impossible. She was trapped, completely vulnerable, the sensation of lapping water, probing fingers, stroking thumb and the warm caress of his mouth on her breast overwhelming her. She began to tremble, quaking with desire. He increased the tempo of his stroking and murmured against her breast. "Come on, baby. Tell me how much you love it. No one can hear you out here."
She bit his shoulder to muffle her scream, some shadow of awareness not believing that someone wouldn't come running to investigate a shout. Her climax rocketed through her, and she clung to him with her legs and arms, supported by him and the water.
She didn't know how long they stood there like that before he pushed her gently away. She let her legs slip from around him as he towed her toward shore. When her feet touched the gravelly creek bottom, she must have moaned her regret, because he bent and kissed the side of her mouth. "I'm not going anywhere," he said. "It's just my turn now."
While she watched, still dazed, he waded to the bank and retrieved his jeans. Moonlight glinted on a familiar foil packet as he slipped it from his pocket. Laughter bubbled in her throat. "I can't believe you came prepared," she said. "Did you plan this?"
"Not plan, exactly." He tore open the packet and sheathed himself. "But I've been carrying this around with me all day." He started toward her once more. "I was determined to get you alone sometime."
