by Mari Carr
Sterling drew a deep breath, then three-pointed it in the middle of the ranch road. Though her mouth formed a stern slash that didn’t look at all like her usual glowing smile, she accepted his offer. “Fine. But it isn’t going to be any fun. This shit is heavy. And I’m not going to feel bad when you’re hurting tomorrow.”
He really wanted to crack a joke about them getting sore together, but he kept it to himself. Good thing too, if the derisive glance she threw him was any clue to how she felt. It threatened to shrivel his balls where he sat.
Viho kept his mouth shut the entire ride into town. It was nice to get away for a few hours. He truly didn’t want to admit it, not even to himself, but the ranch had an awesome set up. The hands he’d met were pretty cool men too. In no time at all, they’d picked up his old nickname from the few elders on the reservation who’d taught him all he knew. The ones who’d respected him and his hunger for learning the true old ways. Chief.
But six weeks without wheels—or even a horse—had just about driven him nuts.
The only saving grace, when he wasn’t working overtime on Vicky Compton’s gardens, had been the long walks he took to remote places on their land. Sometimes with one or more of the Compass Boys, including Sterling’s little brother, Bryant. He’d enjoyed sharing those things about their surroundings, and they’d practiced making fires a bunch too. Skills every kid who lived out here should have.
Still, civilization would be a nice change. Maybe they could grab some dinner before heading back. If she would deign to speak to him. Or even look at him. And if he could rustle up a shirt. Takeout, eaten in her shop, just the two of them sounded pretty fine too.
They pulled around the back of the row of stores on Main Street, and she guided him to the service entrance of her shop. He was impressed with her security system and the cameras until he considered her Uncle Sawyer was Compton Pass’s sheriff and her store was full of semiprecious stones and metal.
She ushered him inside and locked the door behind them.
“So do I get the official tour?” he asked, breaking their verbal standoff.
“Um. Sure.” She seemed surprised that he gave a shit, which only twisted the knife in his gut a little more.
“This is the current space. We’ve got the stockroom back here, which is nothing flashy. My workstation is up front and then the retail area is past that. I’ve been wanting to expand for a while, take on some pricier projects for online markets or maybe do some traveling shows. I just signed the lease a couple weeks ago when the space next door became available. We’ve had the shop closed with all these damn fixtures in here, but I need to reopen soon if I’m going to afford double the rent.” She shook her head. “Of course, my dad keeps paying the bill because he’s been too busy to help me, and I think my family likes me around to take Vivi to the doctor during the day and stuff, but I’m not looking for a handout from my family.”
“You’ve done this all on your own.” It wasn’t a question. He could tell she had built it from the ground up. And done a damn fine job. The shop sucked him in. Quirky yet stylish, the way she had stuff arranged was clever. It made several of her pieces jump out.
Glancing around at the jewelry near him, he spotted a half-dozen items that he admired. This was not stuff you’d find in a kiosk on the mall. No, her jewelry was original. Gorgeous. Like her.
“My mom would have loved this pin. Her name was Haiwee. It means Dove.” He pointed to a bird on a silver branch with ruby eyes. The detailing in the feathers made it seem as if it were about to launch into the air.
“Honestly, it’s one of my favorites too. Would you mind if I named it after her?” Sterling smiled as she sidled closer. She didn’t flinch when their arms touched.
“That—that would mean a lot to me. Thank you.”
Sterling nodded. “You’re welcome.”
The more he looked, the more he realized she wasn’t that different from him. She saw nature in a way most people didn’t. A bracelet formed from a curve of wire dotted with blue crystal reminded him of a half-frozen stream.
All of her designs were exquisite. To his untrained eye, anyway.
“Wow, Sterling, you’re fucking great at this. This one here, it’s the sun, right? On a hazy day when you can see the heat waves.” He turned toward her but couldn’t see her eyes through the veil of her hair. So he reached out and tucked it behind her ear before he could think better of it.
“Yes.” She smiled. “And thank you. Lots of people tell me my stuff is pretty, but no one ever seems to see what I do.”
“Like this tree, with the leaves falling softly around it like they do after the first frost?” He pointed to a necklace with tiny emeralds dangling from dainty chains that forked off a roughly rectangular garnet.
“Exactly.” She stared at him as if he’d somehow cheated on a test where no one knew the answers except her.
Sterling leaned toward him, but when she got too close, she jerked away as if singed by the heat smoldering between them. “Come on. We need to lug these cases into the other room and hook up the specialty lighting units. It’s going to be a pain in the ass.”
“Sounds like fun.” As long as he got to do it with her.
Two hours later, he realized she hadn’t been kidding. Sweat beaded on his bare chest as he connected the final wires with his aching finger. “There. Done.”
He squirmed out from beneath the case and sat, resting his back against the wall. Sterling handed him a bottle of water, which he chugged. When he recapped the empty container, he caught her staring at him.
“What?” He wiped his mouth, self-conscious.
“Don’t take this the wrong way, Viho, but I’m kind of glad you sliced yourself open before. You look pretty damn hot working without your shirt on.” Sterling ate up the plane of his chest—and his six-pack—with her hungry stare. “I think we should agree that you’ll go shirtless from now on so we don’t have to keep sabotaging your poor wardrobe.”
He laughed, though it was hard to maintain his distance when their easy camaraderie extended beyond manual labor.
“You know, Vivi was right. You have the most amazing eyes.” Sterling smiled as she touched his cheek. Innocently enough, despite his cock taking her stroke completely out of context. “Even Jake’s aren’t as bright gold as yours, though.”
He turned away sharply.
“Why do you do that?” She tossed up her hands in frustration. “I don’t understand you, Viho. One minute you’re running hot. Then the next…this.”
“There are things you don’t understand, Sterling.” He sighed as he climbed to his feet.
“Damn straight. Because you won’t fucking tell me what’s going on with you.” She propped her hands on her hips. “What’s your deal? Before you knew who I was, everything was…phenomenal between us. But the minute you found out that I was a Compass Girl, things changed. I don’t get it.”
“Used to everyone bowing down at your Compton feet?” he snarled.
“That.” She pointed then approached until she poked him in the chest. “I don’t get that attitude. What the hell has my family done to you? Answer me.”
He clamped his jaw to keep from spilling everything. The past few hours in her company had made him weak. He truly admired her and wished he could share.
“You know what? If we’re so awful, get the hell out. I’ll loan you the money for a new truck and you can be on your way right now. Today.” Her tapping toe warned him that her temper was about to blow.
Yet, somehow, the thought of leaving this town and the people he’d met—most of all her—didn’t thrill him. In fact, it made him feel sick.
So maybe he owed it to her to be honest as she’d been with him from the start. He wanted to trust her.
Beyond stupid.
Still tempting.
“Tell me, Viho. What’s going on?” Thi
s time she didn’t screech. She snuck right in below his radar and his tensed arms to hug him, nuzzling his chest with her cheek.
There was no way he could fight that.
“Fine. You want to know all my secrets? How about this? Earlier, in the garden, your grandmother was closer than you realize. My damn eyes? The reason they look like his is because Jake is my father.”
He couldn’t believe he’d said it out loud.
Least of all to her.
Shit!
Of all the reactions she could have had, Viho never expected Sterling to bust out laughing. “You dickhead. I thought you were really going to let me in for a second. You suck.”
He didn’t move a muscle.
She didn’t believe him?
He stared down at her, about to stride from the room and never look back.
Something in his face must have clued her in. She froze too. Then started talking at lightning speed, her voice pitched a full octave higher. “Oh my God, Viho. You’re not joking, are you?”
He shook his head.
“Does Jake know?” She looked horrified. “He doesn’t, does he?”
Viho shrugged. “My mom always swore he didn’t, but I didn’t believe her. And now she’s dead, so I can’t exactly revisit the subject.”
“I’m so sorry, Viho.” She hugged him, then canted her head as she tried to make sense of the impossible. “So if you came here to find him, why haven’t you told him who you really are?”
“Whoa. Hang on. I didn’t do this on purpose. Hell, I was trying to stay far away. That’s why I wasn’t on the main road to start with. Except the engine locked up and…well, you know the rest.” He couldn’t help himself—Viho gathered Sterling into his arms and held her. It soothed him to have her close. No matter what happened now, at least he didn’t have to carry his burden alone.
Sterling seemed content there, rubbing his back and hugging him in return.
He finally had his secret out in the open and the world hadn’t ended.
Yet.
“I can’t believe this,” she whispered. “I promise I won’t say anything, but, Viho, I think you should tell him. He would want to know.”
“He never came for me. All those years. It would be awkward. He chose not to be part of my life. Who am I to make him pick differently now?” Viho hated the rasp in his voice.
“I get that he’s your father, but I know Jake. He would never have given up the chance to have a family of his own. My mom tells stories…” Sterling cut off.
“Yes?” Viho had to learn more.
“Uh, this is kind of weird.” She snorted. “Hate to break it to you, but your dad and my mom used to get it on.”
“What?” He pulled back enough to catch her wry grin.
“Yep. Wild monkey sex, I’m pretty sure. It’s not like I asked for details, but there’s a crap ton of winking and nudging going on between my aunts when they talk about it.” She shook her head as if to clear it of the thoughts. “Remember, I told you Jake worked on the ranch before my dad came back from New York? Our parents kept each other company. Your dad has always seemed a little…broken. Distant. Now I think I know why. I still don’t believe he knows you exist, but I bet he loved your mom something fierce.”
“Oh yeah, so much that he forgot all about her and screwed your mom a bunch instead of chasing after my mom?” He didn’t mean to hurt Sterling, but she flinched as though he’d slapped her. Before he could apologize, she countered.
With logic and something more primal.
“Are you saying you can’t understand using sex to make yourself feel better?” she whispered as she kissed the side of his neck. Simultaneously, her hand snuck to his crotch and began to massage his limp cock, which responded to her manipulation despite the potent turmoil churning inside him. Maybe more because of it. “Don’t lie to me, Viho. Who do you think it was you fucked that day in the middle of nowhere? How can we blame our parents when we both did the same thing?”
He made some non-distinct sound. It was the best he could do when she scraped her teeth over his jaw.
“In fact, I’d like to do it again. Right now. You know, in case you’ve forgotten how cathartic it is.” She unfastened his pants, dipping her fingers beneath the waistband of his underwear to tease the lightly furred skin beneath. “I want to take away your pain. Or at least distract you from it.”
Somehow he was sure she didn’t mean the throbbing in his cut finger, which escalated in sync with his rising blood pressure.
“How can you?” he asked as he allowed himself to run his fingers through her hair. She was right—the gesture did make him feel better. Less lonely.
“By making love to you right here, right now?” Standing on her tiptoes, she kissed him softly. Making him sip from her lips for another taste of her sweetness.
“Not that.” He chuckled despite the situation, which should have made him want to cry instead. “I meant, how can you care? I’ve been such an asshole to you these past weeks.”
“I forgive you.” She kissed him again, then said, “I can see how hard this has been for you. I’m sure I would have acted like an idiot too if I were in your shoes.”
Viho flat out laughed this time. Then he groaned. “I’m so much older than you. I’m thirty-eight, Sterling. Doesn’t it bother you that I’m obviously a perv for going after someone not much more than half my age?”
“Nope. I don’t care one bit. Did you know my grandfather JD was almost twenty years older than Vivi? People around here still talk about how epic their relationship was.” She steeled her spine. He adored the determination in her eyes. Almost enough to raise more objections just so she could overcome them.
“Do you have a family anecdote for everything?” He nipped her lip.
“Probably. You could try me.” She shrugged. “Or you could let it go and fuck me instead. I’m definitely in favor of the latter.”
“Wait.” He put his hand on her throat when she would have dipped in for another kiss. Because soon he wasn’t going to be able to stop himself from accepting her offer. But he had to get one thing straight first.
“Viho—” She narrowed her eyes at him.
“Seriously, Sterling. You have to think this through. I’m not planning on hanging around. I just need to save up some more for my truck, and in the spring…I’m leaving.” He didn’t want to hurt her any more than he already had. So he was honest. “It’s better if we don’t get attached.”
“I’m afraid it’s too late for that.” She bowled him over with the raw emotion in her eyes. “I’ve wanted you from the first instant I saw you. And now that I know what you’re really made of, I admire you, Viho. I respect you. I want you. For however long I can have you.”
“Are you certain?” He could only give her one more chance.
She didn’t take it.
“Yes.” Sterling Compton dropped to her knees in front of him. His head fell back as she finished undoing his jeans, then shoved them down. Grateful for the brown paper taped to the windows of the unopened storefront, he let her have her way.
Soon, she had his cock out and ready, her delicate fingers pumping slow but steady until he was fully erect. The instant her lips fastened around the head of his dick, he reflexively thrust his hips, filling her mouth with his arousal.
She didn’t seem to mind, hungrily sucking on him as her fingers wandered lower, to tease his balls.
Viho was glad now not to have a shirt. It saved him some time. He kicked off his boots and jeans, then sank to the floor on top of Sterling. When they were both horizontal, he flipped around, never allowing his cock to leave her moist, warm, sucking—oh, God—mouth.
Once he situated himself, he immediately went to work peeling her jeans and pretty panties down her legs so that he could return the favor. Thankfully, she didn’t try to stop him.
He
hummed when he scented her arousal, spicy and delicious. Nothing could have prepared him for how good she tasted when he buried his mouth in her damp folds and licked.
Sterling shuddered beneath him and sucked harder. Deeper.
He took that as a good sign.
So he nuzzled her as he curled one finger, inserting it the barest bit inside her as he continued to breathe softly over her blushing flesh. Viho lapped at her, enjoying her squeals and sighs. He explored, discovering the spots she liked being touched best. What kind of pressure made her moan? He practiced the fluttering of his tongue that she preferred.
He could have eaten her for hours.
Except it wasn’t long before she began to tremble in his arms. Her sucking grew careless and she caught his cock with the sharp edge of one of her teeth. He didn’t mind, because he knew she was lost in the moment and the pleasure he was giving her.
His finger swept in and out of her at an even pace now, while he sucked on her clit with three short bursts of pressure before repeating the pattern.
“Mmmph!” She tried to warn him, but he didn’t require notice.
Then she shoved at his hips, as if asking him to stop. No way would he fall short of granting her the ultimate pleasure. Hell no. She would come on his face. Then he’d make her do it again while he fucked her. There was no reason she couldn’t have both.
Her pussy clamped around his finger, squeezing in rhythmic pulses that matched her moans. He grinned as she unraveled, her orgasm spectacular and prolonged. And when she calmed, he withdrew his cock from her still suckling mouth, sighing at the loss of pressure, though he knew it was only temporary.
Then he spun to face her, eye to eye. He kissed her glistening lips in thanks, then beamed down at her.
“Go ahead and be proud of yourself.” She shot him a lazy smile. “You’re pretty damn good at that.”
“Thanks. And I think you’ll be glad to know I did manage to bum a ride to the clinic. We’re good to go on the Vasalgel.” He raised his brows at her and she smiled, wiping the corner of her mouth on her knuckles. He’d never seen something so sexy in his whole life.
