So, she’d continue to dream about being flung down on a bed, stripped of her clothing, and made love to by a sexy, muscled soldier.
While she dressed, brushed her hair until it shone, and applied a bit of mascara and lip tint, she reminded herself that she could imagine Seth tossing her onto the bed and making love to her as much as she wanted, but that’s where it ended.
Yet when the knock came on the door and at Seth’s voice, “Reese?”, her heart picked up speed and all restraint she thought she had washed straight down the drain. All just from the sound of his thick, husky voice. The man had mystical powers.
“I’ll be right there,” she called through the door.
Pacing the floor, she demanded that she get herself under control before she opened the door and did something really stupid—something terrifyingly erotic. Throwing herself into his arms would only make her out as a fool. Finally unlatching the chain, she opened the door with a casual smile on her face, but the butterflies were having a field day in her stomach. “Hey, Seth.” Her attempt at sounding calm and collected failed miserably. Her voice came out as a squeak.
“Hi, Reese.”
“What’s going on?” She leaned into the doorjamb, cursing those damn quivers between her legs.
“You still going with me tonight?” He skimmed his azure gaze down her and she could have melted in her boots. “I guess that’s a stupid question. You look nice. Ready to dance.”
She laughed nervously. “No, my question was stupid. You’re here to pick me up, of course, although it’s not technically picking me up since you’re only a hop and a skip away.”
*****
Seth swiveled on the stool and searched for Reese, and there she was…standing in a small circle with the women she’d just met. Vanna and Isla had dragged her away the second they’d stepped into Mountain Mug. Reese seemed comfortable and her smile could win wars. Roving his eyes down to her bare shoulders kissed with tendrils of hair and the spaghetti straps of the nice-fitting dress triggered his body to respond. He liked the dress, a lot, but he’d like it better on the floor. With each movement she made, the hem of the skirt brushed her luscious thighs and conjured images of those legs wrapped around his hips while he drove himself…
Her laughter brought his gaze upward. He’d like to be on the receiving end of that gorgeous sound and he planned to be before the night was over. No doubt about it.
“Hey, I thought she had a service dog?” Gage asked as he sat down on the stool next to him.
Seth didn’t take his eyes off his target of sex appeal and seduction. He didn’t want to miss one thing. “She does, but Abby gets skitterish with the loud music, so Reese thought it was best to give her the night off.”
“Understandable. How safe is she though?”
“She’s dangerous.”
“Excuse me?” Gage cleared his throat.
Realizing the blunder he’d made, Seth twirled around to lean his elbows on the edge of the pockmarked bar. He couldn’t think clearly while staring at such a beauty. “She’s safe. I won’t let anything happen to her.” He grabbed his bottle and drank most of his beer in one gulp.
Gage whistled through his teeth. “I’m sniffing something out here.”
Seth gave him a side-glance. “Yeah? And what’s that?”
“Let’s take a closer look at this, bro. One, no denying she is one hot woman. Two,” he ticked off corresponding fingers. “She’s living with you. Three, you’ve got to be the horniest man this side of Tennessee. I’d say that’s a dangerous brew.”
“Technically, she’s not living with me. And I don’t plan to turn this business arrangement into a fucked-up chaotic mess.”
Gage chuckled. “I don’t get it.”
“What’s there to get?”
“Man, you must have balls of steel.”
“I’ve been told that before.”
His friend shook his head. “I respect you wanting to keep things from going sour, but you’re a bigger man than me. Vanna told me she and Reese have already planned a shopping trip. Everybody likes her.”
Seth dared to shoot a glance over his shoulder again at Reese who now stood at the jukebox searching the selections. Her hips bounced from side to side to the song, playing his insides like a ping-pong table. His cock jerked alive as the blood drained from his brain. “Can I get a shot of whisky?” he called to the bartender.
Once he had the shot in hand, he knocked it back hoping the alcohol sting would ease the tension in his muscles, but it only seemed to give him a slight buzz along with a painful urgency in his dick. He wanted to check these emotions off as loneliness, but he’d never considered himself lonely or needy. He had Rosie and her five friends to keep him satisfied, yet here lately his hand couldn’t seem to satisfy a need that was buried in the center of his soul.
Reese dropped some coins into the jukebox and then she twirled on the heel of her boots, her gaze landing on him as if she knew he was there watching the entire time. He didn’t bother pretending he had been doing anything but staring. Who’d blame him? A smile lifted the corners of her mouth that only made his zipper stretch more—and his chest.
Then she did something that took him for a flying loop. She rolled her tongue along her bottom lip and lifted one slender finger, motioning for him to join her. He didn’t realize he was still holding the shot glass, and he swore he heard a crack. Could have been in his body.
“Looks like you’re being summoned, my friend.” Gage pushed off the bar and strolled to meet Vanna.
Seth didn’t make a move. Her rolling finger became more of a rope, lassoing him in, demanding, and he understood he didn’t have a choice. He set his glass down and made his way toward her. “Yes?” he asked.
“I feel like dancing.”
“Go ahead. I’ll gladly watch.” He winked.
“With you, silly.” Her blue eyes seemed to catch every spark of light in the room.
“I don’t dance.”
Her bottom lip puckered ever so slightly, but it didn’t mar the glow in her expression. “Don’t or won’t?”
“Can’t.”
“Anyone can slow dance.” She grabbed his hand and together they made their way to the small dance floor where Gage gave him the thumbs up. He was eyeball deep in clutching his girl and dang near needing to get a room.
Seth gave his buddy a shrug of his shoulder. He hadn’t danced since his high school prom, and although he’d never liked the activity much, he did enjoy the idea of holding Reese close. This was one way he could get by with touching her without making it into a big deal. A little stroke here, clutch there, wouldn’t get him slapped.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Feeling like she had a game of ‘kick the can’ going on in her chest, Reese sighed heavily. Never having the best of luck, she shouldn’t be surprised that nothing had changed. The one man she was attracted to was the one person she should steer clear of. She thought she’d convinced herself back at the cabin that two flawed people with the inability to trust would only create chaos.
As she stepped into Seth’s arms, her face warmed and her body struggled against the desire to lean in closer and inhale his exotic scent. Although he probably didn’t think so, he had pretty good moves, yet she would have considered a dog a good dancer if she was this attracted.
Stupid.
Couldn’t she just concentrate on business and not the flittering sparks between her legs?
“That frown is making me self-conscious,” he whispered next to her ear.
“You? Self-conscious?” She lifted a brow. “I think you know just how smooth your moves are.”
Desire darkened his features. A warning that they were nearing a danger zone. Shutting up would be best, but she had a hard time pulling back.
“Now that you put it that way…”
She lifted her chin. “Dancing. I’m talking dancing.” She almost believed he could look directly inside of her to when she’d touched herself while thinking of him.
/> “So was I. You certainly do have a precocious mind.” He winked. The man was a charmer. Simple fact. “By the way, if I haven’t told you already, you look lovely tonight.”
Yeah, she walked right into that charm like a snake to a charmer. “I had a bit of a crisis. I tugged a loose thread, entirely unaware that one thread would unravel the hem like dominoes. So I had to do some creative sewing. I hope it’s okay that I used the ribbon I found in the cabin.”
He stepped back and skimmed his heated gaze down her legs. She couldn’t deny the heat that flowed through her belly knowing his tight expression was all her doing.
“You did this with scrap ribbon? I wouldn’t call that a crisis, but a genius move,” he drawled.
The butterflies went crazy inside of her. Damn him! She couldn’t afford to screw up this situation. This was her future, not the sexy, attractive man standing before her. “I’ve learned to make nothing into something.”
“Then I can’t wait to see what you do with the cabins.”
“Oh, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to see that I have a flair for decorating.”
Big and so tall that he hovered over her, he stepped closer and his scent of masculinity swirled in her nostrils like a pleasant dose of smelling salts. Those butterflies fluttered inside of her chest now. Pressing against him, her hips brushed against the obvious bulge behind his zipper. She gasped sharply and felt slightly woozy. If she wasn’t careful, she’d have a seizure brought on by a brawny, sexy male.
“I don’t doubt your capabilities, not one bit.” His smooth voice made it hard to wrap her brain around his meaning. But when his gaze lingered on her lips, there was no doubt that he was flirting with her. For a long second, she wondered if he would draw her into his arms and kiss her.
No, it didn’t happen and disappointment skittered through her.
Kissing would only make things more difficult. Hell, who was she kidding. Things were off-the-charts senseless. Her body was on board for not only kisses, but having his callused hands on parts of her that craved attention. As if he could read her thoughts, he pressed his palm into her lower back and heat spread through the thin material of her clothing. Some things just felt so good that resistance was lost—this certainly could be categorized as top of the list.
Suddenly, he dropped his hands and took a short step back. “The song has ended.”
Reese hadn’t even realized the slow song had faded and an upbeat tune played from the speakers. “I guess we should step off the dance floor then.”
He smiled. “I’d have to be drunk to dance to this song. I’m afraid I’ll have to show you my moves in other forms of entertainment.”
Her toes curled. She resisted the urge to jump up and down and do a silly dance, but then she reminded herself their project hadn’t even gotten off the ground. Staying in touch with reality and the path ahead must come before the urgency of her physical needs.
Unfortunately…
*****
Seth leaned against his truck that was hooked to a trailer loaded with supplies, and waited. Reese was supposed to meet him this morning to start on the first cabin. He’d overslept. Damn engaging dreams of a petite ebony haired beauty kept him snoozing longer. The Howard boys and their crew were already pounding away on the renovations, and the hammers hitting nails echoed through the quiet.
Agitation scrambled through his veins. He’d never known sexual tension like what he was feeling now. He couldn’t think, eat, concentrate, or do anything but think about Reese. After they’d come back from Mountain Mug last night, he’d dropped her off at her door, came home and took a long, cold shower. He didn’t bother jacking off because even that pleasure seemed unpleasable these days.
He was broken. The sturdy track he’d built over the years had a hitch and he wasn’t sure how to get the train chugging again.
Pushing off the side of the truck, he looked at Spike who had his tongue hanging out. “We’ve been stood up.” He grew tired of waiting and stomped toward Reese’s cabin and found a note taped to the door. He read…
“I’ll meet you at the first cabin.”
Well, shit. She could have easily told him, but he had a feeling there was more to this. She was keeping her distance.
Last night at the bar there was some definite flirting going on between them, but when they’d come back home, they’d separated.
Truth was, he wouldn’t be worth a shit today.
Getting into the truck, he drove it up the narrow dirt lane, careful not to jostle the materials too roughly, although he was ready to give Reese a piece of his mind. What right did she have to come into his life, ruin his peace, and then acting as if she could easily blow him off? Yeah, he had a few choice words, but when he stepped inside the open door to the cabin where she was working, he could barely think, let alone give her a piece of anything, especially of his mind.
He brought is gaze up and his heart almost ticked right out of his chest.
Reese was standing in front of the wall, paintbrush in hand. Her dark ponytail swished about her shoulders in the white tank top as she stretched above her head to reach the higher surface.
Long, bare, supple legs led his hungry gaze to where her denim cut offs lifted high on an ass that would put swimsuit models to shame. His pulse shot out of the gate and he had to close his mouth to keep his tongue from falling out. Not only did she have the sweetest curves, but they were the furnace that sent heat straight into parts of his body that were out of control these days—ever since she strolled into his life. These were the very parts of him that he’d denied pleasure to last night, and right now, his dick inflated, stretching his worn denims to almost the breaking point.
Fuck! This was the risk he’d known, but hadn’t quite understood just how so.
He should let her know she wasn’t alone, but his damn male libido, he could do nothing except stare at her heart-shaped ass that he’d give his classic Mustang just to clutch it in his palms. A lick or two along the tight swell wouldn’t be bad either.
She ran the brush down the wall, lower until she bent at the waist, sending those shorts skimming a place on her ass cheeks that only made his blood pump faster through his veins. Gripping the doorjamb was the only way to keep from falling over.
She dipped the brush into the paint and extended high up the wall again, this time the hem of her shirt raised showing off a tattoo on the small of her back. He held his breath to keep from panting. Sweat beaded on his forehead and every muscle in his body engaged and locked.
Warning bells rang inside his head as longing filled his chest. A prominent, almost painful ache drilled through his balls and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to groan or laugh at the ludicrousness. He should turn away, but his eyeballs were glued to her bottom. His inner bad boy was calling the shots. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, and when she reached even farther, he caught a glimpse of red material. A thong? He wanted to remove them with his teeth.
He took a step closer, mesmerized by the sight before him, aching to kiss, lick, and suckle every part of her.
Something breached his aestheticized brain. It was Abby. She was whimpering and standing at his legs, trying to get his attention. She did, and Reese’s too.
She looked over her shoulder, dropped the brush into the bucket and turned. This side of her didn’t relieve the solid ache in his groins. She had a smear of paint across her cheek and the fact that her nipples were shaded under the white material warned him that she wasn’t wearing a bra. Holy Mother of all that was good. Why did she do this to him? It took every ounce of restraint he had to not cross the room at the speed of a Greyhound and rip away her clothing. No, he wouldn’t rip them away. He’d take his time to devour every inch of her, driving her wild until she begged for him to slam his cock into her.
Seth found it important to keep in mind that she’d made it clear last night that she wasn’t interested in him, or rather the idea of taking things to the next level. And for God’s sake, he couldn’t get swathed in
feminine curves that’d only lead him down a road he wasn’t prepared to handle at this time of his life.
“You going to help? I have an extra brush?”
“I think you’ve got this cabin covered.” He truly didn’t mean for his words to sound so harsh, nor did he understand why he was so angry, but the array of emotions he was feeling couldn’t be controlled.
“Is there a problem?” One thin brow arched above curious eyes
“You could have let me know you planned on starting early.”
“I did. Didn’t you get my note I attached to the door?”
“After I had already waited twenty minutes. It’s easy to waste time when the work’s not on your dime. The clock is ticking.” With that, he turned and stormed out of the cabin and into the fresh air.
A good day’s hard work would be his only salvation.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Reese still fumed over Seth’s attitude as the workers were called for lunch, but once she got a look at the kindness of Isla, she couldn’t be too angry. Vanna had joined Isla in preparing a spread of grilled chicken and burgers, pans of potato salad, macaroni salad, cole slaw, homemade rolls, and vats of tea mixed with lemonade. Reese’s mouth watered as she filled her plate with all the delicious looking food. She took her meal to enjoy with Abby under the shade of a large oak tree.
From where she was sitting, she could see the workers gathering around and chowing down, but as she scanned the small crowd, she couldn’t find the one person she wanted to see. Seth. She guessed he was probably sulking somewhere in the shadows. Unfortunately, she’d unintentionally pushed the buttons of the bear and she had to hear his growl.
She sniffed loudly. He was a man with many layers and she’d seen many over the last few days. His attitude today though, coming out of nowhere, had been unreasonable.
The Darkest Knight (The KNIGHT Brothers Book 3) Page 9
