by A. C. Wilson
“Oh my goodness, Garrett!” Her breathless words stirred his desire for her. His groin tightening in response. An urgency flooded his senses as he pushed her shirt up to expose the black bra and her beautifully sculpted breasts. They were neither small nor large, but fit excellently into his palms. The moment he lightly squeezed, Rayne arched her back in need. Her breasts pushing into his hands and her moan causing him to grin even more.
“It’s getting warm in here.” Garrett winked at her as he swept her shirt over her head and tossed it next to him on the floor. Her sultry chuckle speared him with a fresh need to strip her bare from head to toe. The firelight on her flushed skin made her look even more ethereal like the perfect woman who haunted his dreams.
“So hot.” Her words jerked him back to the present and he nodded in response as he pressed his lips to hers once more. Their tongues dueling and dancing in unison.
~~~
Rayne gasped as his nimble fingers slipped underneath her bra and unhooked it without any trouble. Her body was on fire to such a degree as to bring out the tormented, sex-deprived vixen underneath. She hardly knew the person operating her controls. Her hands quested all over his warm, muscular frame. A fine dusting of dark hair greeted her fingers as she sought to satisfy this chaotic need to savor and conquer. His teeth grazed her bottom lip and she couldn’t help but moan into his mouth. His hand slid down her stomach and hitched in the top of her jeans. Her hips moved of their own accord, rising with all the need to be stroked and discovered. Her breathing quickened as Garrett slipped the metal button out of its hook and lazily slid the zipper of her fly down.
Holy mother of all that’s good! Rayne’s mind suddenly went blank except for the sole focus of large, male hands on her very private, very needy flesh. He bent his head to place soft kisses along her stomach again. He drew tiny wet circles with the tip of his tongue. She couldn’t help but push her body into his hands and against his mouth. It was a mindless ache she needed to have tended immediately.
“You are so beautiful, Rayne. So sweet, so soft, so freaking sexy…” Garrett whispered against her stomach as he continued to kiss her, but slowed to a snail’s pace. His voice sent shivers along her spine and his intimate touches sent a spear right through her core. Her very wet, demanding core. Rayne leaned her head back against the couch cushion and slid her eyes closed when she felt Garrett push her panties lower, exposing more delicate, intimate skin. Her mouth dropped open as a warm, wet breath floated across her hip. She wanted to wiggle out of her jeans as quickly as she possibly could with a bum ankle, but Garrett was pressing her down into the couch. She could only move inches in either direction. One hand explored the interior of her jeans along with a very gifted mouth and his other fingers played with her nipple, a squeeze here and a tweak there. If she wasn’t hot before, she was a blazing inferno now!
“Oh my god!” Her words came out as a breathy plea. Garrett chuckled as his hand pressed into the crotch of her jeans and brushed that magic place that ached so fiercely that it felt amazing. One fingertip lightly traced the fabric of her panties, slid it to one side and all too briefly delved to find her extremely warm and slick. He groaned and even as he removed his hand Rayne knew some delight in knowing he needed her just as badly as she needed him.
Needed? Oh no! Wanted. Yes, she wanted him. She mentally shook herself to keep from falling into that emotional trap. She wanted him to make her forget all of this craziness in her life. She wanted him to make her feel better and sex made her feel better. No strings, no attachments, just a good fling!
“At the risk of sounding completely juvenile, is there a bed close by? This couch is just not going to cut it.” Garrett’s uncertainty almost made her laugh out loud. His captivating chocolate brown eyes shimmered with lust. She nodded her head, half smiling as she pointed to the door off the living room.
“It was my dad’s room though. I’m not sure…” She cast her eyes towards the hearth, a lump filling her throat and cutting off her words. Garrett groaned. He leaned forward and swiftly took her lips in a soul searing kiss. Rayne had no alternative but to fall in line. Her eyes fluttered closed just as he broke the kiss and disappeared from the room. She shook her head in confusion and tried to sit up on the couch. A loud thump came from the bedroom and a low curse. She couldn’t contain the giggle that sprung from her lips.
A giggle? She never giggled! Garrett came out dragging the mattress with him. In the shadows of the room, he could have been a gladiator with that gorgeously sculpted chest and powerful thighs. Bare chested, Garrett was heart-stopping and without knowing it, he had spun her world out of control. There was no coming back from this. She didn’t want to come back from this. She just hoped it would ruin her for good.
He pushed a small table and chairs out of the way. Rayne’s brow furrowed a bit. She remembered playing rummy with her dad at that table. She blinked back a tear. She watched Garrett go back into the room for a couple of pillows and an old handmade quilt her grandmother had sewn. In the firelight that makeshift bed looked like paradise. An oasis created on another plane where the real world had very little sway. Her chest tightened a bit as he made his way around the couch and stooped to lift her into his arms. He acted as if she weighed nothing and for the first time in her life, she allowed herself to enjoy feeling cherished. He was careful, considerate and kind.
No wonder women wanted a commitment from him! She pummeled the thought mercilessly and slammed the door. Garrett lowered her to the mattress and she tried to sit up with a slight twinge of pain from her ankle. Her indrawn breath brought him down beside her.
“Here. May I?” He gently lifted her feet into his lap, rolling down and pulling off her wool socks. With a scorching look and a palm to her chest, he pushed her flat on the mattress. With slow, deliberate finesse, he removed her jeans and carefully slipped them down her legs. Once they were removed, Rayne could feel the chill from the room away from the fire and she could feel the intense flames coming from Garrett’s gaze. In a second she watched him strip away his socks and jeans. Her heart nearly stopped as he revealed to her eyes the perfection of his body. He was all flat planes and defined muscle. Her mouth watered in the longing to kiss every inch.
“Are you going to come close enough for me to touch?” Her thoughts were out of her mouth before she could recall she’d even said them. The grin that spread across his face nearly stole every wit she possessed and at this point, she wondered if there were any left! His gaze raked her body from head to toe, pausing over her black panties.
“Only if you take everything off.” His voice was gravelly and it sent spears of intense longing through her core. Her eyes immediately went to where his erection jutted out proudly. She swallowed hard.
“That goes both ways.” She whispered and he grinned, his eyes half lidded. He didn’t move. He watched her. He waited. She felt the seconds tick by at an interminably slow pace. Knowing that he wasn’t going to remove anything until she did, Rayne divested herself of her bra. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Garrett’s chest swell as he took in her breasts. A giddiness began to grow as did her confidence. Gliding her palms down her stomach to her hips, Rayne hooked her fingers into the lace of her panties and pushed them halfway. Tilting her chin in his direction, she glowed with satisfaction. He was mimicking her techniques and pushing his boxer briefs off his hips. She also noted his eyes were no longer brown, but almost black with the intensity of his desire for her. Afraid she might chicken out, Rayne slipped the garment clear from her body and stretched against the coolness of the quilt.
~~~
If he was any harder, Garrett thought he would shatter with the slightest touch. The winter goddess that lay beautifully naked before his eyes was something he had never dreamed of finding in a snow storm. He took in each flat plane and softly rounded peak. She was perfection in the firelight of the hearth. He wondered if he would think so in the light of day the moment that reality reared its ugly head. Mentally blocking that train of
thought, he advanced towards the mattress and folded his tall frame to sit on the edge. If it was even possible, he was feeling like an untried teenager tonight. Nothing in his bag of tricks even remotely prepared him for the gut-wrenching, nerve smarting attraction he felt for Rayne Randall.
She watched him in almost a hypnotic gaze as he raised his fingers to trace the prominent collar bones that led him in a line down to her breasts. He kept watch over those golden eyes. Portals that offered divine entrance into not only her thoughts but into her soul. Cupping her breast in one hand, he thumbed her nipple as it tightened into a small bud. She arched into his palm, giving and sharing that which gave her pleasure. Bending to take first one nipple into his mouth and then the other, a firestorm lit his blood as if it were tinged with gasoline! It jammed every gear into overdrive and Garrett recognized when he was powerless to stop. Shifting to straddle her hips, gripped her hips in his hands and bent forward to lick searing pathways along her stomach. Her indrawn breath urged him on. A nip here and there only fanned the flames as she slid her fingers into his hair and gripped him tightly. He made careful note of the way she moaned when he kissed the underside of her breasts. It clicked into a file for later use.
Garrett made his way back down to that lovely place that held such a fascination for him. He didn’t dare deny it. It was like a portal to another world that could be accessed given the right amount of affection. He planned on tasting her sweetness as he shifted further down her body. Her long legs lifted easily as he graced each one with kisses and little nips. He thought for a second he saw a tidal wave of longing sweep over Rayne’s face as he rested her calves over his biceps. Her body was open, waiting, and the lusciousness fogged his mind until there was nothing left to do except feel. Garrett sunk into her, his tongue finding perfection as she shattered around him. He sighed.
Had he ever sighed at the first taste of intimacy with a woman? It was a brand he didn’t think he could get away from. He tried to empty his thoughts and recapture his unique blend of carnal satisfaction and greedy oblivion. It took all his self-control to push away the need to give all of himself to her. If he were truly honest, it scared the shit out of him.
“Is everything ok?” Rayne asked quietly, her voice tentative. Reality slammed back into him and he realized with more than a little embarrassment that he had stopped right in the middle of licking her. He was thankful that it was shadowed so that she might not see just how badly embarrassed he was.
“Uh, yeah.” What else could he say? His head spun when she leaned up on her elbows and her golden eyes pulled him to her. She considered him for a moment and smiled knowingly. Shifting up and out from under him, Rayne carefully kneeled in front of him. Her soft lips brushed his forehead and then his jaw. Garrett closed his eyes at the feather light touches.
“I can help.” Without any further warning, she reached bravely between them and took his not so erect member into her hand. The shock wore off just long enough to realize what she had said and what she actually meant by it. A loud bark of laughter erupted from his chest and the sound seemed to startle her quest to rekindle the fire that she thought had diminished. He couldn’t contain it as she looked at him with large, round eyes filled with surprise, disbelief and a bit of unease. His sides hurt as he tried to quiet the laughter. She must really think he was losing his mind now.
“I’m sorry I just couldn’t help it. I wasn’t having a problem with him.” He indicated her empty hand between them. “Some thoughts invaded and I didn’t realize I had stopped doing what I was doing.” Garrett shook his head and leaned his head back to look up at the ceiling. He wasn’t sure if he continued to look at her if he would lose all hope of ever performing for her again or if he would succumb to laughter again.
This has to be one of the craziest nights ever! He knew that to be true. He took a deep breath and before he could do anything, he felt small hands glide up his chest over his pecs and across his shoulders. He felt her press closer, their body heat mingling and she placed hesitant kisses up his neck to his jaw. He closed his eyes, letting her sweep him away with the desire that had never really left. It built to greater heights inside him. Without thought his hands were entangled in her long dark hair and cupping the base of her skull. She fit remarkably well in his hands. Rayne reached between them again and gripped him tightly. He groaned or was that her? He couldn’t be sure of anything except how damn good it felt. She stroked setting a cadence of building pressure in his groin. He lowered his head to take possession of her lips. She met him there with a ferocity that pleased him to no end. Every step they took, every emotion they felt seemed to be so finely in tune. It was amazing.
Deciding that if she continued to push him closer to the edge of delight he wouldn’t feel like much of a lover, he ran his fingertips down her hip. Her breathing grew heavier as he quested to the one spot he knew she was begging for him to touch. He groaned into her mouth. She was slick with a scalding heat. The need to be inside her hit him like a punch to the gut. Instinctively she parted her legs further for him and all but stopped kissing him when his finger slipped inside.
“Oh yes! Mmm.” Rayne leaned her forehead against his chest and then nipped his shoulder. Her nipple teasingly brushed against his skin. He grinned, slipping yet another finger inside her. His head was starting to spin with need. Her head tipped to the side and he found that pulsing nerve in her neck. He ran his tongue along that flickering spot as her body began to tremble. She was so responsive to him. She wanted him just as badly as he wanted her.
“Shall we continue?” Garrett’s husky voice broke the silence in the room. He felt her shiver as she lifted her head to look into his face. His eyes watched as those golden orbs smoldered in desperate need. She bit her bottom lip and nodded, her lids falling halfway. Shuttering those expressive eyes didn’t hide the begging of her body.
Garrett helped her back down to the mattress so as not to cause anymore trauma to her ankle and then reached over the side of the mattress to his wallet. A quick flip revealed the emergency condom. The foil ripped loudly in the quiet room. Rayne watched him roll it on as she lay against the pillows. He gave her one of his sexier than sin smiles and positioned himself between her sleek thighs. Gently he leaned forward to take her lips with his own as he entered her body. For all the world Garrett could have sworn that lightning struck his body as he took shelter in the fiery folds of Rayne’s body. He drug his eyes open to see the same mystified expression on her face. It was impossible to stay still. She felt so good wrapped tightly around him. He set a grueling pace as her hips met him thrust for thrust. The stars were near and they flashed behind his eyes just as she cried out. They both fell over the abyss with the surreal knowledge that this was no ordinary thing.
Chapter 4
The fire had died down to a small, glowing pile of embers in the hearth. The living room at the Randall Ranch was still dark even though Garrett knew it had to be morning. He was afraid to move. He was afraid to stay. It was appallingly confusing for a man like him, who had shied away from everything feminine that could hold him down. Rayne murmured something in her sleep and he looked down on her flushed face. Her dark hair had fallen over her shoulder and across her cheek. The light and dark made her look like a sleeping angel. She was naked, snuggled up in his arms with her back pressed against his front. She was using his arm as a pillow and he was all too conscious of his leg trapped between her calves. Garrett closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He wasn’t sure what was bothering him. Could it be that he found himself calmer this morning than he could ever remember feeling or was it that he was afraid it might end before he discovered just who Rayne Randall really was? Such thinking was giving him a headache.
He turned his thoughts to the Randall Ranch and the house. It had been some years since he could remember anyone mentioning Old Man Randall or Randall Ranch for that matter. Garrett had been in Rapid City trying to build a business with Matt, but he kept up on the local gossip or maybe he should say, t
he local gossips kept up with him. The sagging and almost uninhabitable barn was his first clue that things were not being tended to as they normally would have been on a ranch. It was important to keep the livestock safe, if only to protect them from the weather that shifted without warning. The house was better, but only just. The old wallpaper was starting to peel in spots and there was thick dust coating the light fixtures and picture frames. The furniture was old and sparse too. Definitely a sign of a single, elderly man living here. It was sad really.
Garrett felt Rayne squeeze his arm to her lovely breasts and he couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face. He sighed absently and looked up at the ceiling. Then there was Rayne. Old Man Randall’s very moody, very sexy daughter. A goddess in the snowstorm who had saved him from freezing to death in his truck and might possibly save him from freezing to death in his life.
What the heck? Stop thinking like that! Garrett gritted his teeth. Already she was starting to invade his life and it had been less than twenty-four hours! He hadn’t gone looking for trouble, but trouble always seemed to find him. Rayne Randall was definitely trouble! She threatened all the walls that he had carefully built to keep any important feelings away. It was a painstaking façade he had created over a decade ago so that emotions would not destroy him. He knew he was going to have to make this a one-time fling with her and let it go as that. They had had fun. They had been amazing.
Shit! Stop it! He shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut. Frustrated, he flung his arm over his eyes and groaned. So many things were starting to unravel at an alarming speed. The ground had shifted out from under his feet and he hated to think what was happening to the stability in his life.
