He let out a bark at her statement and put his arm around her shoulders as they walked to the backyard. It was something Eric had said often after a successful mission or when praising his kids for a job well done. “So, now what do we do? Amanda’s spending the night at Nellie’s. Justin’s gone, too. Want to see if the other two want to go see a movie later, or what?”
“I think they would love to go, but would you mind if I stayed home?”
Stopping, he turned to face her. “Everything all right?”
“Yes. Fine. I’m just tired. It’s been a busy few days. In fact, I’m surprised you’re not ready to pass out.”
“Are you calling me old, woman?” Reaching out, he tickled her sides, eliciting a squeal from her. She then pivoted and made a beeline to a tree to try and hide behind it, but he was right on her heels. Grabbing her around the waist, he lifted her off the ground and spun in a circle, sending her legs out in the air.
“Curt! Put me down!”
Her laughter belied her indignation. But when he spotted Taylor and Ryan watching them, he thought it best to stop and take his hands off their mother. They weren’t used to seeing a man other than their father teasing and holding her. Dana hadn’t told him her decision yet, but he was determined to have it before he left on Monday. He’d planned for an extra-long weekend because, honestly, he had no desire to return to Daytona. Every time he left her and the kids now, a little more of his heart stayed behind. Now, he just had to hope Dana would, one day, want him to stay.
Chapter 9
After making sure Taylor and Ryan were in the latter’s room playing X-box, Dana took a deep breath and headed for the back porch where Curt was having a beer. It was just after nine p.m. and she knew she’d procrastinated long enough. She knew the boys would be occupied until they went to bed, so she didn’t have to worry about them. It was time to take a leap of faith.
Passing the refrigerator on her way, she grabbed a bottle of Bud Light for herself. She rarely drank at home, but tonight she needed a hint of liquid courage. She opened the back door and stepped out into cool night air. They’d lucked out with the weather for the party, and the temperatures had been in the low seventies. Not bad for the last weekend in April. But now it was cool enough for the sweatshirt she’d thrown on over her V-neck tee.
Curt was sitting on the porch swing as he’d taken to doing in the evenings, just staring out at the woods surrounding the several acres Dana owned and the bluffs in the distance. His head turned when he heard her open the door and he moved over on the seat to make room for her. “Didn’t think you were going to join me.”
“I was just finishing a few chores and making sure the boys were settled.” She sat beside him and took a sip of her beer as he put the swing in motion.
Not knowing where or how to start the conversation she knew he was waiting for, she let the silence drag on for a few minutes until Curt let out a weary sigh. “Your answer is no, isn’t it?”
“What? No! I mean, no, my answer isn’t no.” She shifted and brought her knee up on the seat so she was facing him. His eyes were wide with surprise. “I just…I want to take this slow…I mean…God, what do I mean?” He remained silent as she untangled the web of thoughts in her mind. “I’m attracted to you, Curt, there’s no denying that. More than I ever expected to be with you or anyone else after Eric. But I have to think of the children. While you and I figure out if this is what we both want, we need to keep it from the kids…at least for now. I don’t want them to think you’re replacing their dad or get the impression we have a future together, only to be disappointed if it doesn’t work out.”
He nodded. “I completely understand and agree.” A seductive grin spread across his face and she felt herself grow wet. “So, for now, we have to sneak around and hide if I want to steal a few kisses from you. I kinda like that. It sounds naughty.”
Oh, hell, when he talked like that, all she wanted to do was jump his bones. He must have had a similar thought because he took her beer and placed it with his own on the little table next to the swing. Standing, he held out his hand and when she took it, he pulled her up. Hand-in-hand, she followed him as he led her to the barn. The big sliding doors on either side were closed once again, so they entered through the small, pedestrian door. He flipped on a switch which turned on one overhead light only, so they could see, but left the others down the length of the building off.
Dana was nervous as hell, but she was also dying of anticipation. Her body had been craving this man’s touch for weeks now. Stopping at the bottom of the ladder which led to the loft, Curt turned to her and cupped her face with his hands. “I’m going to kiss you, now, sweetheart. No one else is around. It’s just you and me. I’ll stop if and when you want me to, but no running away.”
His voice was husky and mesmerizing as she stared into his soft brown eyes which were bright with desire. All she could do was nod and lick her lips, silently inviting him to take what he wanted. Lowering his face to hers, ever so slowly, his lips touched hers and sparks flew. One of his hands went to the back of her head to hold her in place as the other slid down her back and pulled her close. Her arms snaked around his neck as she went up on tippy-toes.
The kiss was gentle at first, almost hesitant, as if they were both expecting the other to back away. But then Curt grew bolder and used his tongue to encourage her to part her lips for him. When she did, he turned her and backed her against the wooden ladder. Her hands went into his hair as he consumed her. Their tongues dueled with each other and he ground his pelvis against her abdomen. It wasn’t enough for her—she was too short for him to rub his erection where she wanted it the most.
Putting one hand on his chest, she pushed until he broke the kiss. He was as breathless as she was. “What? Are you okay?”
Instead of giving him a verbal answer, she nodded then turned around. Placing her hands and feet on the ladder, she climbed up into the loft, then looked back down at him. Giving him a coy gesture with her finger for him to follow, she grinned when he practically flew up after her. Dana quickly found the sleeping bags which were stored up there with the rest of the camping equipment. With Curt’s help, she opened and spread out three of them on top of each other on the wooden floor, wishing they had some of the bales of hay to make it softer.
As he took her hand and pulled her down on their makeshift bed, there was a moment of trepidation which passed through her and he must have sensed it. Sitting with his back to the wall, he lifted her onto his lap. “Sweetheart, listen to me. We don’t have to do anything but cuddle and kiss right now. No matter how much my cock is jabbing your hip.” She laughed as he waggled his eyebrows at her. “But seriously. We’ll take this as slow as you want to go. I just don’t want you to have any regrets afterward.”
Her heart opened to him a little more. Was it possible to fall in love with two men in a lifetime? If Eric was still alive…no…do not go there. He’s gone. Your love for him will always be there, even if he can’t be. But that doesn’t mean you can’t fall in love again—especially with the man who has become your best friend over the past year.
Taking a deep breath, she reached up and skimmed her fingers along his jaw, which was covered with coarse stubble. She brushed her thumb over his plump bottom lip and his tongue darted out to taste her. Leaning in, she replaced her thumb with her mouth, groaning as he began to ravish her as he’d done moments before. She was hungry for him. Shifting, she straddled his hips. His hands settled at her waist as if he were letting her take the lead. But she didn’t want that. She wanted them to be equal in this.
As she rubbed against him, chest to chest, she felt him harden further at the juncture between her legs. He pulled down the zipper of her sweatshirt and she yanked it off her shoulders and arms, tossing it aside. His hands slid up on either side of her rib cage, just under her heavy orbs as he lifted them, feeling their weight. Bunching up his T-shirt in her hands, she tugged it from his pants. When he leaned forward, away from the wall, she
pulled it up and over his head. Her gaze dropped to his sculpted pecs as she glided her fingers over them. Wanting…no…needing to be skin to skin with him, she grasped the hem of her shirt and removed it before reaching back and unhooking her bra. She was desperate for his touch and didn’t care if it showed.
Through heavy-lidded eyes, he watched her remove her clothes. The lust she saw there mirrored her own. Rising up on her knees, she brought her breasts to the level of his mouth. Her pussy clenched in need when he pulled her closer and his lips latched on to one nipple as his fingers played with the other. A gasp escaped her when he flicked his tongue over the stiff peak. Holding his head to her chest, she reveled in the sweet torture he was lavishing on her. He began to alternate between the two breasts, sucking and licking one, while teasing the other with his fingertips.
Dana’s head fell back on her shoulders as she tried not to cry out how good it felt to be touched by this man. He left her breasts and twisted his torso until she was lying flat on her back. Following her down, Curt took her mouth once more as he covered her body with his own, holding the majority of his weight on his forearms at either side of her shoulders.
His pelvis met hers and he ground them together, making her moan and beg as he nuzzled her neck. “Please. Naked. Need to be naked with you now.”
She reached down for the fly of his cargo pants, but he slid down her body, out of her grasp. “Uh-uh. You first.”
Kissing her abdomen, he undid the button of her jeans and lowered the zipper. He tugged at the denim and Dana lifted her hips to help him. Yanking the jeans off her legs, he threw them aside and ran his hands up her calves and thighs. His eyes were zeroed in on her plain white panties, and she silently cursed herself for not wearing something prettier.
Spreading her legs wider, he crawled forward and inhaled deeply. “Damn, your scent is the sweetest perfume. I wish I could bottle it.”
How the hell did he make her wetter just by giving her a compliment? Curt lowered his mouth to her mound and she gasped when he blew hot air through her panties. His hands slid back up to her breasts, kneading the flesh and flicking her nipples with his fingers. Her moaning grew louder as her eyes fluttered shut. She squirmed underneath him, her breath increasing and her pulse racing. “Oh, Curt. Yes…oh, God, yes!”
“Say it again, sweetheart. Open your eyes and say it again.”
Her hips bucked, needing him to put his mouth back on her. “Yes!”
He nipped the inside of her thigh and her eyes flew open. Her gaze met his intense one. “Say my name again, Dana.”
She knew what he meant…what he needed. He had to make sure it was just the two of them in the barn…in the moment…and not the ghost of the dead man they’d both loved in different ways. “Conrad Michael Bannerman, if you don’t rip off my underwear this instant and put that mouth of yours to better use, I’m going to go insane.”
Chuckling and smirking, he grabbed the white cotton fabric and pulled, shredding it from her body. Dana let out a quick squeak. “That’s not what I meant!”
“Too bad. Now, what was that second part again? Something about putting my mouth to better use?”
He didn’t wait for an answer from her, instead attacking her pussy with fervor. Flattening his tongue, he dragged it up her slit, over and over again. He ate her like a starved man, feasting on her swollen pussy lips. His hands seemed to be everywhere at once as he took her higher and higher. Chin stubble rubbed against her inner thighs.
“Oh, shit! Curt! Please!” She clutched his hair, the silky blond strands tickling her fingers. One of Curt’s hands trailed down her abdomen and stopped right above her mound. His thumb brushed against her clit and her hips bucked. “Oh! Oh, God! Don’t…don’t stop! Oh!”
Bringing his mouth to her sensitive bud, he sucked while dropping his hand further. One finger, then two, eased into her core and she felt another rush of fluid escape her. Her grip on his hair tightened, but it didn’t seem to bother him as his assault picked up speed. Plunging his fingers in deep, he curled them, searching for the spot which would push her over the edge. Dana was just shy of hyperventilating, gasping for air as her body prepared to explode.
“Cum for me, baby. Let it go.”
His order sent her soaring. She bit her bottom lip to keep from screaming at the top of her lungs as her body quaked with the force of her orgasm. His mouth was on her again, as she came for him. He drank her, licking and swallowing every drop, and it sent her over the edge again. She squirmed to get away, to get closer, to…damn, she didn’t know what she wanted, but it wasn’t for him to stop.
As she returned to Earth, his tongue rasped her slit a few more times before he lifted his head and their gazes met. Her eyes were almost closed but she could still see him. “That was better than I dreamed it would be.”
Grinning, he wiped her cum from his chin and cheeks. “Really? So you have been dreaming about me. Good to know.” He went up on his knees, his hands going to the pockets of his pants and his face plummeted. “Shit, baby. My wallet is back in the house. I don’t have any condoms on me and I don’t suppose you’re on the pill, are you?”
Ah, shit. Wide-eyed, she bit her lip and shook her head. “No, I’m not. Sorry.”
He sat back on his heels and rested his hands on her calves, rubbing his thumbs over her skin. “Don’t be sorry, sweetheart. It’s my fault, but maybe it’s a sign to take things a little slower. I meant what I said before—I don’t want you to have any regrets in the morning.”
“I won’t.” Her gaze dropped to his crotch where his bulging cock was very noticeable. Her mouth watered. “Maybe we could take care of that in another way.”
Curt groaned and his head fell forward on his shoulders. “As much as my dick would love that, baby, I’m going to say no. I want the first time to be inside that delicious pussy of yours and if I have to wait, I’ll do it.” His eyes met hers again, the intensity there burning into her soul. “But be forewarned, I’m buying a case of condoms because I have a feeling once I get inside of you, I’m never going to want to leave. I’m going to fuck you ten ways to Sunday, then come back for more. Now, before I forget I’m an honorable man, get dressed and go back to the house. I’ll follow after I get rid of this hard-on.”
As she sat up, he leaned forward and brought his mouth down hard on hers. She tasted herself on his lips and tongue, and it sent her body into overdrive again. When he pulled away and stared at her, she could see his reluctance and knew he wanted her as much as she wanted him. He rolled over onto his back as she stood and got dressed, sans the underwear he’d shredded and now held in his hand. Watching every move she made through half closed eyes, he licked his lips and brought her panties to his nose. She faltered as he inhaled her scent which was lingering on the fabric. The sensual act caused her pussy to throb again.
“Hurry up, sweetheart, before I forget every reason why I’m sending you back to the house, instead of fucking you silly.”
Heaven help her.
Chapter 10
“Honey?”
Sitting at the kitchen table, paying her bills online, Dana glanced over her shoulder at her mother-in-law, Alice. Jeff’s parents had flown in yesterday to attend the wedding of a friend’s daughter this weekend and were visiting the grandchildren while they were there. The couple was sleeping in Amanda’s room, with the trundle bed pulled out, while the six-year-old slept with her mother. Forty-eight hours from now, it would really be a full house when Curt arrived on Friday for the weekend. “Yes, Mom?”
The woman, who was a second mother to her, sat beside her. “I know it’s a school night, but I was thinking that you and I could go to dinner at Claire’s tonight. Earl can order pizza for him and the kids. Is that okay with you?”
A night out without the kids sounded like heaven right now. Sunday had been miserable with Taylor suffering from a stomach virus which had him puking the entire day. She’d put him in her bed, then she slept in his so his roommate, Justin, wouldn’t catch
it. Curt and she had barely had a minute alone with all four kids home and needing to finish up their homework. Ryan had been in a crabby mood for the past few days and Dana was at her wits end. It wasn’t until Curt pointed out to her that her oldest was starting puberty she realized this was what her life was going to be like with one or the other kids for the next few years. “It’s more than okay with me. Thanks.”
Alice patted her hand then stood again. “Good. I’ll tell Earl he’s on babysitting duty for a few hours.”
After her mother-in-law left the room, Dana’s cell phone alerted her to a text. Her heart rate sped up as it did every time her phone rang or chimed since Curt had left on Monday morning. He’d cut it close with his departure to catch his plane, but he’d wanted to kiss her goodbye properly—his word—before heading to the airport, and they’d had to wait until the Ryan left for his bus stop. The elementary school bus the rest of them took was usually fifteen minutes earlier than his for the junior high. Taylor had stayed in bed for most of Monday, recovering from his virus, so they hadn’t worried about him seeing them.
Picking up her cell, she read the text.
Missing you, sweetheart. Hope you have a great day. Will call you tonight – Me.
She quickly typed a response saying she missed him, too, and for him to call later than usual because she was going out to dinner with Alice. Finishing up her bills, she shut down the laptop then went to her bedroom to shower and change. After closing the door, she glanced around the room. Her heart clenched. There was so much of Eric still in their private sanctuary, how could she bring Curt into the bed she’d shared with her husband? It wasn’t just Eric’s picture, but the little things she hadn’t had the heart to put or give away. His valet with the gold watch she’d given him upon his retirement from the SEALs sat on the high-boy dresser. His Kindle was still on what had been his nightstand, the battery drained to nothing a long time ago. She’d donated most of his clothes to charity, but saved some of his favorite T-shirts to sleep in, just to feel close to him.
Whiskey Tribute: A Trident Security Series Novella - Book 5.5 Page 7
