She shook her head and took another step back. “We can’t have that.”
He was about to agree when she grasped the bottom of her gorgeous dress and ripped it over her head, giving him an unobstructed view of her generous curves spilling out of a lacy blue bra and matching thong.
“Gorgeous,” he uttered, heart rocking in his chest when she popped the hook on her bra, and two seconds later, stood before him in nothing but her thong.
Then she took off the thong.
Keiffer nearly swallowed his tongue. But he had plans for it and her. He stepped right into those soft, supple curves and pressed her against the wall, capturing her startled gasp with his mouth as he gave into the hunger only Caitlin aroused.
And he was aroused. So damn aroused.
He released her mouth to drag in air while he kissed a path to the curve of her neck.
She gasped again and raked her fingernails across his back. “Damn…Keiffer…your beard…”
He stilled and drew back, frowning at reddening skin. “Sorry. Did I hurt you?”
“What?” She blinked. “No. God, no. It feels great. Don’t stop.”
She made to pull his head back down, but he scooped up her delectable body instead.
“Don’t worry. I’m just getting started,” he reassured. “Where’s your bedroom?”
Too busy sinking her teeth into his neck to talk, she pointed to the room at the end of the hall and had him throbbing against his zipper by the time he set her feet on the floor.
“You’re overdressed.” She smiled—a wicked smile—one that wrecked his pulse while her hand drifted down his body to strum his abs and brush the waistband of his jeans. “We should do something about that. Don’t you think?”
He captured her bold hand and brought it to his lips. “Oh, we’re going to do something, all right.”
Her smile broadened and other hand trailed down his chest and abs that quivered under her touch. “Good, because I’m so ready.”
Sweet mercy. She traced his erection through his jeans.
“Sit on the edge of the bed.” His voice sounded rough but he could tell she knew it was from need, and heaven help him, her eyes flared with the same fierce emotion as she did as instructed.
He stalked her the whole way, dropping to his knees when she hit the mattress, her gorgeous breasts bouncing, beckoning his attention. He gave it willingly, cupping each beauty, delighting in the way her nipples puckered under his touch.
So responsive. Always so damn responsive.
“Keiffer.” Half plea, all need, her voice sent a shaft of heat straight to his groin and the way she arched into his hands had blood flow whistling through his ears.
With need in complete control, he leaned forward to take a prominent peak into his mouth and pressed the other between his thumb and forefinger, tugging both with equal fervor. She moaned and shoved her hands in his hair, but he had another mission in mind.
Releasing her nipple, he drew back to blow on her wet skin, smiling at her hiss of breath as he brushed his lips over her ribs and quivering belly to nip at her hips.
He wanted to nip and taste every inch of her again, and would, later. Right now, his mission concerned the delectable spot between her legs. It’d been so long since he’d visited that paradise. Setting a hand on each knee, he spread her wide and his whole body tightened while his mouth watered, longing to taste her exquisiteness again.
“Keiffer…” Her half plea was full-blown now, and he watched her eyes as he ran a hand from her knee to her trembling thigh and stroked her glistening folds with his thumb.
She jumped and sucked in a breath.
“Easy, angel.” He wedged his shoulders between her legs then leaned in to put his mouth on her.
Another of her needy hisses met his ears while her fingers dug into his hair. He knew what she wanted, what she needed, knew her rhythm and length of stroke that did her in. It stuck in his memory and had pulled him through more than a few rough nights.
He also knew his limits.
Although he would normally take his time, Keiffer was wound tighter than an eight day clock. Given her reactions to his touch, and the way she was already rocking her hips, she was right with him. Ready.
“Love your beard,” she whispered, along with something about lace or lacy as her head thrashed back and forth.
He was too busy trying to remain in control. No one tested his resolve like Caitlin. He made several more passes with his tongue, then curled it and dipped inside, upping his pace as her hold increased along with those throaty little mewls.
God, they drove him wild.
She could make him bald for all he cared.
Wishing he could hold her on the brink a little longer, he took into account how close to the brink he wavered. He was reaching it. Fast. Drawing back an inch, he blew on her wet flesh in short, concentrated bursts.
“Keiffer…Keiffer,” she panted. “I need…”
He slid a finger inside her, increasing the previous pace, pressing harder while he leaned forward to gently suck her into his mouth. That did it. She cried out as she burst, his name echoing around the room in a low, sexy tone forever burned in his mind.
No one ever said his name like Caitlin.
As he brought her down slowly, he talked his body out of bursting with her. He had plans for that part of his body, and they didn’t include messing the inside of his jeans.
Barely hanging on to his control, he released her and shot to his feet, quickly shedding the rest of his clothes and rolling on a condom he’d fished from his pocket. The beauty watched him with a satiated expression on her flushed face.
“You are amazing.” She lifted up on her elbows and smiled at him. “Now it’s time we take care of you.” A wicked gleam entered her eyes again, a second before she scooted up the mattress and spread her legs.
His heart stopped for a full beat, then nearly rocked out of his chest. Hell, yeah. Exactly where he wanted to be.
Joining her on the bed, he bent down to kiss her neck while he guided his fingers between her legs. So wet. He swallowed. Hard. And clenched his jaw in an attempt to keep his cool.
“Oh…that feels good.” Her body rocked as she leaned into his strokes. “How can you have me ready for another so soon? But I am ready for you, Keiffer. Please.”
Ah hell, she didn’t have to beg. He was done. Straightening, he positioned his tip at her slick entrance, grabbed her hips and pushed slowly inside.
So damn tight.
“Oh…yeah.” Her voice was but a whisper.
He clenched his jaw to fight the urge to plunge all the way in. “You okay?”
“Yes. Don’t stop,” she said on a hitched breath and then lifted her hips until he was completely inside. “Keiffer…I…”
She felt so damn good.
“Still with me?” God, he hoped so. For the first time in two years, he was in heaven. The only thing he felt was…good.
He felt good.
It’d been so damn long. He’d nearly forgotten how it felt.
“I’m with you, but I need you to move.”
He needed that too. Setting his palms on the mattress on either side of her head, he locked his elbows and began to thrust. Slow, at first, wanting to enjoy the feel of her engulfing him in warmth.
She was so sweet. So damn sweet.
Half of him raged with a fierce hunger and wanted to take her hard and fast to exercise some of his demons, and the other half filled with tenderness and wanted to hug her against him and nuzzle her neck.
He settled for somewhere in between.
Leaning down, he captured one of her beckoning nipples in his mouth, and as he pistoned in and out, he committed the feel of her, taste of her, erotic vision of Caitlin to memory, because after tonight, they wouldn’t be doing this again. No way. He couldn’t. Wouldn’t.
Not only because she made him feel too much, but because he knew he did the same to her, and he wasn’t staying in Harland County.
There was only this one night. And right now, it was good. Damn good. Better than his fantasies of her. This was real.
“Oh…yeah…Keiffer.” The beauty moaning beneath him, trembling and bucking and tightening around him while he stroked between her legs was very real.
As real as the burning down his spine and into his balls, signaling his release. She was incredible. Absolutely incredible. He straightened and grasped her hips, pulling nearly all the way out before plunging deep, calling her name as he exploded in an almost painful climax. His ears rang and the world faded while he pumped in and out of her, his whole being centered on their connection and the feel of warm, slick heat hugging him tight, embracing him as she continued to coax the fiercest release of his life.
It was insane, and intense, and when he finally finished, he collapsed on top of her, working to catch his breath. The woman stole it. Absolutely stole his breath. And his bones, because he sure as shit couldn’t feel any.
As soon as he mustered enough strength, he rolled off her so she could breathe. “You okay?”
“Yes. Very,” she replied between breaths. “How about you?”
“I’m good.”
Turning onto her side, she rested her chin in her hand and gazed down at him while skimming the other lightly over his tattoo running from shoulder to elbow. “This is new.”
“It was one of Greg’s designs.” He had no idea why the hell he just told her that.
Her finger traced the eagle’s talon that clutched a dragon skull. “It’s beautiful.”
“He had a lot of talents.”
Shit. What the hell did she do to him?
He didn’t want to talk about Greg. He didn’t want to talk. Period. Great sex relaxed more than his body. It loosened his damn tongue.
“Doesn’t look like it’s finished.” Now she brushed her lips over the inkless patch of skin under the eagle’s other talon.
Clenching his jaw, he swallowed a curse as emotions unexpectedly swirled inside him. He was done talking. The smart thing to do was to get dressed and leave. They had their agreed upon one go round. Any more than that was dangerous. Their chemistry was too strong. Too addicting. And yet, he couldn’t bring himself to leave her so soon afterward. She wasn’t the type to fall into bed with just anyone. It was too early in the night. He had to stick around at least another hour.
Even though nearly every ounce of self-preservation was screaming for him to get the hell out of her apartment, he couldn’t. Wouldn’t. No way would he make the sweet, giving woman feel bad. It was time to clean up and make her feel good again.
“It’s not,” he replied, but he was done talking. He’d much rather communicate a different way, so he turned onto his side and did some tracing of his own, down her side, over the swell of her breast to the very tip. “And neither am I.”
Chapter Nine
A few hours later, Keiffer carefully slipped out of Caitlin’s bed, immediately missing her warmth. But that was the reason he had to go. The longer he stayed, the harder it was to leave. She was too sweet, too giving, and had her life together.
His was shit.
He didn’t want to bring her down. Refused to turn her good life bad. So he quietly dressed and was just shoving his foot in a boot when she stirred with a grunt, then a whimper, followed by the thrashing of her head.
Keiffer straightened, his heart pitching into his gut while he stood by helplessly and watched her moonlit body tremble and shake.
She was having a nightmare.
Fuck.
Not just any nightmare. A full out gut-ripping horror. God, he hated the thought of her experiencing trauma, but he knew for this act to take place, she’d definitely lived through something awful.
“Shannon...” she mumbled with another head toss.
He drew near, wanting to wake her, to help her escape the grip horror had on her but as he reached her side, she bolted upright in bed and gasped.
She blinked up at him through a cloud of hair. “Keiffer?”
“Yeah, it’s okay. You’re safe.” He reached out to brush the damp waves from her face, but she beat him to it.
“Stupid nightmare again,” she grumbled, closing her eyes on a sigh. Then her eyes snapped open and she frowned. “I’m sorry, did I wake you?”
“No.”
Her body stilled and gaze dropped to take in the fact he was dressed. “You’re leaving?”
“Yeah.” He backed away when she got out of bed.
Shit.
She was naked, and the moonlight slicing in through her window cast a beautiful glow over her gorgeous curves. “You okay?” Concern poured off her in waves, and he marveled at her ability to shake off her nightmare and switch her focus to him.
He didn’t want to lie to her. Although he could, and she’d let it at that, because she was sweet and compassionate. She fixed things. Healed things. It was ingrained in her. Who she was.
But he didn’t want her to try to fix him. He didn’t want to get close.
Too late, his mind shouted.
Ignoring it, and her, he hobbled to his other boot, shoved it on, and grabbed his coat.
“Keiffer?”
“I have to go.” He shoved his arms in his sleeves and fixed the collar before he headed for the hall.
“Why?”
Muttering a curse, he stopped in the doorway and gripped the frame.
“Did I make you feel again?”
He went still.
She padded over to him. He heard the sound of her bare feet on the hardwood floor, and his mind could envision her naked splendor behind him.
Her palm pressed lightly to his back. “It’s okay to feel, Keiffer.”
He dropped his head and pressed it against the back of his hand still gripping the frame. “Not for me.”
“Why not?”
He straightened. “I just have to go, Caitlin.”
“Because of me?”
He twisted around and shook his head. “No. You didn’t do anything wrong. You were amazing.” And so were her curves, all soft, and supple, and naked.
“Stay.” Her voice was terrifyingly tender. “Don’t leave. Come back to bed.”
There she was, being sweet again. Wanting to help. But he didn’t want her help. He didn’t deserve it, or her. He just needed to be able to leave Harland County. Then maybe he could go back to not feeling. Or wanting, because right now, dammit, right now he wanted to be buried deep inside her, where pain and guilt…it all disappeared. Where he didn’t hurt anymore. He felt incredible. But if he slid into her sweet warmth again, he’d never leave. “I’ve got to go.”
“Wait. Don’t—”
He pivoted around, and this time, strode right out of her apartment before he buckled and gave in to her persuasion.
***
The next morning Caitlin quickly showered and headed downstairs. Today she was supposed to meet Lacey for breakfast at the Pub’s kitchen. Gwen was cooking. She yawned as she pulled on jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt.
She hadn’t slept that well after Kieffer left. The nightmare beforehand wasn’t great, either. But once he took off, his haunted expression and clipped tone stuck with her most of the night.
He was hurting, and she wasn’t helping. She thought getting together would relieve more than the physical. Nightmare aside, it’d helped her. She’d never felt so languid and relaxed and completely thought-free. Not since the Poconos.
For a while there, she knew it was the same for him. His body had been relaxed, not stiff, except in the right place.
But he’d left, even though she’d urged him to stay. Twice. While standing stark naked. It hurt, but she understood, and he’d spelled it out, told her he wasn’t staying before they even kissed, so she wasn’t mad.
More like sad, because she wanted…What? What exactly did she want from him?
She wanted him to let her in. To let her heal him.
To fix him.
To stop the pain eating him up from the inside
out. To make him feel whole again, but since she’d never quite figured out how to fix herself, maybe she wasn’t the one to help him heal.
Pushing those dismal thoughts aside, Caitlin entered the back door to the Pub’s kitchen and halted when she caught sight of a very familiar, tall, broad-shouldered man leaning his forearm against the wall as he talked to Gwen and Lacey. He stood with his back to her, so she took a moment to admire his fine backside and the way his well-worn jeans hugged his muscled thighs and firm butt. His stance was casual, but she knew he sensed she was there.
“Hey, Keiffer.” She decided to speak first. “What’s up?”
He turned around. “Hi, Caitlin.”
She sucked in a breath. “Your beard’s gone.”
Why was his beard gone?
His chin raised a tick. “It needed to go.”
Oh, God, she knew…she knew it was somehow because of her. Unsure if she should feel bad or not, she decided it didn’t warrant a thought. Other than…damn, he looked good without it, too. Great actually. And heaven help her when his five o’clock shadow appeared.
She’d simply melt right at his feet.
“Can we talk?” His gaze never wavered.
“Sure. Where? My place?”
“No,” he said quickly. “Here is fine.”
“Lacey and I will take our coffee into the dining room.” Gwen tugged the frowning brunette to her feet.
“But I’d like to hear wh—” the rest of her friend’s protest disappeared with her through the swinging door.
She turned to Keiffer and cocked her head. “So, what’s up? Besides the disappearance of your beard?”
He didn’t smile. Not even twitch.
Not good.
“Let’s sit.” He motioned to the table and she nodded.
Her heart pounded hard in her chest, almost certain he was telling her goodbye. That he changed his mind and was leaving Harland County. “Want some coffee?” She poured them a cup from the carafe and mugs Gwen had already set on the table. “Or do you prefer tea?”
“Coffee’s fine.” His knees where brushing hers under the table, the denim of his jeans worn and soft to the touch. The hunter green Henley he wore with the sleeves shoved up to his elbows turned his chocolate brown gaze velvety smooth.
Her Troubled Cowboy (Harland County Series Book 9) Page 9
