by Mia Hopkins
The word came out before she realized she’d said it. “More.” She closed her eyes. “Give me more.”
“Are you sure?”
“Please, Lucky.”
He obliged her. With his work-hardened hands, he spanked her until they were both panting and her tender skin was on fire. Lucky gave her one more smack, reached down, and stroked her dripping pussy. When he pressed two thick fingers into her, she gasped. Pain and pleasure swirled together in her brain, each sensation intensifying the other.
He leaned down, his chest hair grazing her back. As he thrust his fingers inside her, he kissed the back of her neck and whispered, “Tell me something, little slut.”
“What?”
He withdrew his fingers and ran the slick pads gently over her asshole. “Ever had a man here?”
At the strange sensation, Harmony opened her eyes. “No.”
“Would you like to?”
“I don’t know.” She blinked. “I’ve heard it hurts.”
He kissed her neck again. “It can. But it can also feel good, if you know what you’re doing.”
“Do you know what you’re doing?” she whispered.
“I do.” He massaged the delicate rim and slipped the tip of one of his fingers inside her. She gasped. “You’ll give me this. Not tonight, but soon.”
Not tonight, but soon. His words echoed in her ears as Lucky grabbed a condom, tore it open, and sheathed himself. Desire, hot and syrupy, filled her veins—this man. In her bed. Her lover, and not just for tonight. The idea was almost too much to process.
She arched her back as he took his place behind her. When the tops of his thighs grazed the tender skin on her ass, she hissed. He spanked her again and pain blazed up her spine, waking up every nerve in her body. He took his cock in his hand and massaged her pussy lips with its slick head. They groaned together. Then he put his hands on her waist, snapped his hips forward, and buried himself deep. Harmony gasped, speechless with sensation.
He rode her hard. The sound of their bodies smacking together filled the room. She felt herself straining, stretched to the limit around him. With each thrust, Harmony’s soul loosened from her body, ready to fly.
He spanked her again and her pussy clenched hard around his shaft. Then she felt it—the cool drizzle of lube down her asscrack. Lucky had uncapped the bottle and was pouring it on her. He tossed the bottle back on the mattress and spread the slippery liquid all over. He swirled her asshole with his thumb, then pressed the first joint inside her. Hot pain shot up her spine just as the head of his cock tapped her G-spot. He was a master of mixing pain and pleasure, medicine and sugar. Harmony’s sense of control crumbled. A dozen more thrusts and she was a goner. A giant orgasm threatened to break inside her, blooming like a time-lapse rose.
“Lucky?” she gasped.
He speeded up his thrusts and pressed his thumb deeper. His accent was stronger now. “Yes. You can come now, belleza. Come all over me.”
She exploded. She came so long and so absurdly hard that she and Lucky started to laugh, both of them too surprised to do anything else. There was no acting tough in this situation. As the orgasm ripped through her, he held her tight and kissed her neck. When the pleasure drained out of her at last, he withdrew from her body and untied her wrists. She collapsed onto him, blissful tears streaming down her face. She kissed his cheeks, his throat, and his chest. He grabbed her and kissed her lips. She was sweaty and gross but she didn’t care—she didn’t care about anything but him.
When the blood flowed back into her arms and her fingers stopped tingling, she slipped the condom off him and stroked him back to life. He leaned back with his hands behind his head, his handsome face smug with the knowledge that he’d just given her the biggest orgasm of her life.
When he was hard as steel in her fist, Harmony slid a fresh condom on him and gingerly climbed on top, fitting his cock into her tender pussy. She pivoted her hips gently and slid down. A muscle flexed in his jaw as he stared at her with those gorgeous, sleepy eyes. His chest rose and fell with each deep breath.
In the back of her mind, some ugly questions suddenly took shape. Did he always make love like this? Did he treat all of his lovers with this same blazing passion? Did he have a woman in every town, waiting for him the way she had waited for him, aching and hungry?
“Tell me something,” she whispered.
“What?”
“Where did you learn to make love?”
“Here and there.”
“On the road?” She put her hands on his rigid chest and began to ride him, gripping his shaft as tightly as she could.
“Yes.” He groaned.
“You must’ve been with lots of women.”
“Why? Do you like how I fuck you?” He reached behind her, grabbed her vibrator and turned it on. The quiet, familiar hum of her toy made her body clench automatically. He rested one hand on her hip. With the other hand, he held the tip of her vibrator gently against her clit. A fresh rush of arousal slid out of her pussy down his shaft. “Those other women? Practice.”
“For what?”
“For you.” He pressed her clit harder. “Ride me and make yourself come again.”
She rode him like she was running from the devil. Abs flexed, she canted her hips back and forth, slapping her inner thighs against his hips. She leaned back and rested her hands on his knees, giving him better access to her clit. When he began to draw circles on her with the toy, she seized up yet again. Her whole body ached, stretched tight around him, balanced precariously on the edge of another big climax.
Suddenly, he sat up and flipped her onto her back. She looked up at him breathlessly. Giving each of her nipples a wet, greedy suckle, he lifted himself on one massive arm and began to pound her like jackhammer.
“Hold it,” he growled. “Hold your toy, little slut.”
She grabbed the slippery vibrator and held it in place, eyes wide. Lucky slid his hands under her ass and lifted her off the mattress. He leaned forward, bending her into a C. He put all of his weight on her and began to fuck her harder than she’d ever been fucked before.
She came in seconds. Every muscle flexed, Lucky came with her, sweating and swearing, thrusting like an animal. The friction of his big cock inside her prolonged her orgasm, drawing it out into eternity. The contractions of her climax were so powerful, she feared Lucky had tied knots inside her that would never be undone.
When they were finished, Lucky took her vibrator from her hand and withdrew slowly from her body. He got up from the bed and walked to her bathroom. She listened as he turned on the shower and returned to the bedroom.
He leaned down and kissed her lips. “Come with me.”
She took his hand and followed him down her own hallway. They climbed into the shower together. She hissed when the warm water hit her tender skin. She almost lost her footing on the tiles and he caught her.
“Be careful,” he whispered, smiling. “Lube is slippery.”
Lucky held her against his chest and kissed her forehead as water rained down on them. She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned against him. He was so solid, so strong—rooted to the earth, as if nothing could ever knock him over. They washed each other in silence, celebrating each caress with another sweet kiss. Lucky turned off the taps and toweled her off. She was drowsy, high on sex. She kissed his lips and he lifted her once more into his arms.
Then she was in her own bed, under the covers, snuggled up against his warm, beautiful body.
“Lucky?”
“Sí, belleza.”
“What time are you leaving tomorrow?” She closed her eyes.
“Early. Four.”
“Don’t leave without saying goodbye.”
“I won’t.” He yawned and stroked her cheek. “Sleep now, Harmony. Sweet dreams.”
She woke up in the dark, blinking.
Lucky was between her legs again, feasting on her. His hot tongue circled her clit, then slid deep into her pussy, curling in
side her, licking her awake.
She tried to sit up. His big hands pushed her gently back down into the pillows. Then his fingertips found her nipples. He circled her areolas and pinched the tips gently as he suckled her clit. She was so wet, her inner thighs grew slick against his cheeks.
A deep moan vibrated in her throat. She stopped fighting and lay back as he played with her, putting his fingers and tongue wherever he wanted, drawing pleasure out of her body wherever he touched her.
She listened as he tore open another condom and slid it on. When he fed his cock into her, she gasped, still incredulous how something so big and long could fit inside her, much less feel so good.
They didn’t talk. He leaned over her, pinning her hips to the mattress. When he kissed her, she tasted her own sweet pussy on his tongue. The flavor aroused her. She could hear herself straining wetly around him as he made slow, shallow thrusts into her body. She embraced him, running her palms over his broad, muscular back and squeezing his rock-hard ass. He hypnotized her with his kisses. When he changed his angle and deepened his thrusts, she came without warning, a soul-wrenching climax that seized her from the tips of her toes to the top of her head. Hot pleasure flooded her bloodstream. Still kissing her, he froze and came just seconds later, gasping for air against her lips. She ran her hands through his hair and kissed his cheeks, his chin, and his jaw.
When his climax receded at last, he lifted his head and pulled out slowly. Her body ached as he withdrew. After he went to the bathroom to clean up, he turned off the light and lay back down behind her, spooning her close. He kissed her shoulder. “I want to see you when I get back.”
“When?”
“Five days.” Another kiss. “Five long days.”
Her heart began to beat faster. She’d always been good at keeping her cards close to her chest when it came to feelings. Tonight, did she have the courage to say what she really felt? “Lucky?”
“Sí, belleza.”
Should she tell him what she’d been thinking? How would he react? “I have to tell you something.”
“Hmm.”
She turned around to face him. The words came slowly. “I don’t know where you are in your life right now. I don’t know what you’re looking for.” His forehead was cool to the touch as she combed back his messy hair with her fingers. “But I don’t want you to think that we’re just a rebound. Or that I’m using you, like I did the first night we were together.”
“I know.” He took her hand and kissed it. “Do you believe me when I say I like you?”
She was glad it was dark so he didn’t have to see her blush. “Yes,” she said quietly. “I believe you.”
“And how about you? Do you like me?”
Harmony lay motionless as she considered his question. Her heart was still sore over her breakup. Had she truly recovered from Frank? Was she starting something new with Lucky with a clear mind and a clear heart? Or was she too mixed up to make a real decision? She didn’t want to start a new relationship if it was going to be poisoned by the one that came before. Lucky was a good man. He didn’t deserve to be treated unfairly.
Before she could say anything, Lucky squeezed her hand. “You know what? Don’t answer that. I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s not that—”
He kissed her forehead. “Listen. I have to go or I won’t make it on time.” He let go of her hand and slipped out of bed.
“Lucky, wait—”
“Belleza, don’t worry about it. There will be plenty of time to talk when I get back. There’s no rush.” His voice was soft, as comforting as the warm covers he tucked around her body. He was quiet for a moment as he looked down at her. “I’ll miss you.”
Her heart had taken a beating in the last few days. Now it ached like a wound opened up before it could heal. “I’ll miss you too.” She wished she could tell him everything she was feeling. She longed to start fresh and give him the attention he deserved, but now wasn’t the time. “Good luck.”
Wide awake in the dark, she listened as he got dressed in the living room. He turned off the lights in the hallway, opened her front door, and closed it with a soft click. She heard his truck start on the silent street below. Harmony couldn’t understand the overwhelming sadness that hit her when the rumble of his engine faded away.
On her day off, Harmony woke up early. After a pit stop at Starbucks, she visited the local supermarket and bought three bunches of flowers—pink carnations, red dahlias, and golden sunflowers. She climbed into her Jeep and drove to Oleander as the sun rose over the hills.
Cece MacKinnon sat on the front step of the farmhouse, a bouquet of wildflowers lying across her knees. She wore a sundress and sandals. Her long brown hair was loose. Sunlight illuminated the gray streaks in it. When Harmony approached, she hopped up and climbed into the Jeep with the energy of a woman much younger than fifty-five.
“Good morning, Auntie Cece.” Harmony kissed Cece’s cheek. “Ready to go?”
“I’m ready.”
Oleander Cemetery was a short drive away. They arrived just as the groundskeeper unlocked the gates. Harmony parked in the small lot by the mausoleum and together, she and Cece took the familiar path to the northwest corner, their arms full of flowers.
As they walked, Cece talked softly about the work the boys were doing on the ranch and the public outreach Georgia was doing to build the MacKinnon Ranch brand. Laughing, she told a funny story about her grandson Derek, who’d fallen in love with a little girl in his first grade class.
“Starting early?” Harmony said.
“A little late, actually. These MacKinnon boys—all girl crazy. Every last one of them.”
“Starting with Uncle Dale?” said Harmony with a gentle smile. “Well, crazy for one girl, anyway.”
Cece threaded her arm through Harmony’s. “Yes. Starting with my Dale.”
The three graves were close to each other. Together, Cece and Harmony removed the old flowers and brushed away the dust and leaves on the headstones. Harmony laid out the flowers she’d brought. Pink carnations for her mother, who loved the color pink. Red dahlias for her father, who’d planted dahlias in their yard when she was a child. And sunflowers for Dale—the flower seemed just right for his sunny personality and shaggy head of blond hair.
The ground was still damp with dew, so Harmony stood in between her parents’ gravestones. Her father had died when she was very young, but her mother had passed away only two years ago, very suddenly, from pneumonia. They’d been close. Harmony missed her every day, but coming to the cemetery didn’t make her sad—other things did. Seeing mothers and daughters, out and about together. A beautiful pair of shoes in a store window. Garth Brooks or Clint Black on the country radio station—her mother’s favorite singers.
Cece put the bouquet of wildflowers in the vase on Dale’s gravestone. She knelt down on the wet grass, placed her hand on the stone, and began to talk quietly. To give her privacy, Harmony took a walk through the silent cemetery. The newer section was made up of flat grave markers, but the older section was made up of big cement headstones worn away by the desert wind—Oleander’s first residents, its founders and the Dust Bowl migrants who’d built it up. So many names, so many stories.
When Harmony returned, Cece was wiping away her tears with a handkerchief she’d brought in her purse. Harmony’s heart ached for her. Cece and Dale had been perfectly matched, lion tamer and lion. She couldn’t imagine the grief Cece felt when he’d passed away.
Cece got to her feet and Harmony gave her a hug. Together they walked slowly back to the Jeep.
“What do you miss the most about Uncle Dale?” Harmony asked quietly.
“Some of my friends at church asked me that the other day,” Cece said. “The obvious answer is the physical aspect of our relationship. He was a demon in the sack.”
Harmony put her hand across her chest in mock shock. “Auntie Cece! I never.”
“Silly girl.” Cece smacked her playfully with the back of
her hand and sniffed. “Dale and I—we had always been affectionate. I miss that. I think I always will.” A mockingbird flew down from a eucalyptus tree and drank from a puddle near the walkway. Cece continued, “I miss him at unexpected moments. Like when I drink my coffee in the morning, I miss preparing his Thermos—he drank his coffee without cream, but with four spoonfuls of sugar. Four spoonfuls! No wonder he was always so hyper.” She smiled to herself. “I miss watching him cleaning his rifle after a hunting trip. He was always so careful about it. He’d lay out all of his equipment, sit down, and take his time. He’d listen to the Dodgers on the radio. Sometimes the boys would watch him. He was so patient with them.” She tightened her grip on Harmony’s arm. “Most of all, I miss him very early in the morning. That’s when we’d talk. Quietly. Under the covers. Before the boys were up. Before all the chaos of the day. Our little pocket of peace. Just me and him.”
A tear rolled down Harmony’s cheek. Cece noticed it. “Now you cut that out.” She gave Harmony’s arm a gentle squeeze. “If you don’t, I’ll start up again and we’ll drown each other in tears.”
They continued down the pathway in silence as Harmony thought about what Cece had said. Again, she gathered up her courage. “Auntie Cece,” she said at last. “I need your advice.”
“What’s the matter?”
Harmony took a deep breath and told her about Lucky, starting with the night she broke up with Dr. Dreamboat and ending with Lucky leaving her apartment for Arizona. She left out the more lurid details, but Auntie Cece was sharp—she’d have no problem connecting the dots.
By the time Harmony finished, they were standing by the Jeep. Cece said nothing for a little while, nodding to herself as she contemplated the story. The sun had risen high over the horizon and the air was beginning to warm up. “So what is it exactly that you’re afraid of?” she asked Harmony at last.
“I’m afraid to start something new with Lucky. I was with Frank for a year. Am I just running from one man to another because I’m afraid to be alone?” Harmony paused. She thought of the fierce and quiet devotion Lucky had for his family, the gentle regard he had for his horse. For all his swagger, he was the real deal—a breath of fresh air. “I’m worried that whatever I start with Lucky will be poisoned by the relationship I had with Frank. What if I don’t heal properly because I didn’t give myself enough time?”
