“I always did well in school. I stayed home a lot, rather than going to parties. Oh, I went to school dances and on a couple of dates, and I slept over at friends’ houses a few times. But I was never one to stay out all night or cause my parents grief. I didn’t sneak out. I didn’t take the car without permission. I didn’t get drunk.” She shook her head with a snort. “I was a good kid. You could probably say I was pretty boring. I was always driven to a career, and I put myself through school so I could get out as soon as possible on my own.”
Dylan could relate. “I started working on the ranch when I was eight or nine, in a small capacity, and I started taking on more chores as I could over time. I kept up with my schoolwork, though. I was never the best student, but I did okay, and I studied hard. If I couldn’t take care of a chore because I had a test coming up, I bargained with my dad and picked up extra work over the summer to make up for it. He wanted me to get an education, so he never had a problem with that.” He gazed down at his plate, which he’d practically licked clean “I chose not to go to college because it was a big financial burden, and it took away from my time at the ranch. I like working with my hands, and I know there are a few careers out there that would make me more money doing that, but I’m a simple guy, and I never wanted to leave.”
“Did you ever wish you had brothers and sisters?” she asked quietly.
“I would have liked a built-in friend at home. I didn’t exactly rank among the most popular kids at school, but that was mostly because I didn’t care to socialize a lot. I played football for a while, and people liked me because I was good at it. But I didn’t go to team parties and things. I came home and did my thing there. So, yeah, I guess siblings would have been nice. But I would have just been protective of a younger sibling and gotten in trouble. And I probably wouldn’t have been as assertive if I had had an older sibling. What about you?”
She shook her head. “I’ve thought about it from time to time, having a sister to confide in when I’m lonely or need advice. But I think it was better this way, simpler. I mean, my luck, my sister would have hated me, or we would have had a fight over something trivial and grown apart. Or, we would have been super close, which would have hindered my career. And if I’d gone ahead and followed this path, she would have resented it, and it would have torn us apart. So, even though it seems like a nice dream, I think I’ve been better off without something to hold me down.” She gave him a slow, shy smile. “Although, now, for the first time, I think I might have found something worth staying in one place for.”
He didn’t presume to hope too much. After all, he’d just gotten his hopes up with Bill’s health, and look what had happened today. Instead, he continued chatting with Tara as they got up and headed to Bill’s house. “Thank you for that,” she told him, her voice light and airy, almost fanciful. “I wanted to see what the town looked like, and I’m stuffed. That is some of the best cooking I’ve ever had.”
“You’re welcome,” he told her. He drove slowly toward the ranch, not quite ready to get to work and wanting to drag out the time he had with her. It was enjoyable, despite the heavy cloud of concern that hung over both of them. She wasn’t going to be working for a week, at least, it seemed. Did that mean she would go home and check on her apartment? He wanted to ask but didn’t dare. He wasn’t quite ready to hear the answer.
As he turned into the drive, he muttered, “I should probably check on the pigs.”
She didn’t respond, but as he came to a stop and started to climb out of the truck, she grabbed his arm. He turned to look at her in question, and she stared back at him with wide eyes. “Don’t go to work right now. We’ve had a rough morning, and there has to be some exception to the rule of all work and no play. Just … stay here with me for a bit. We’ll relax and breathe for a while, and then we’ll pack up the things I need to take back to the hospital. You can come with me or not, if you have other things to do. But let’s take this time we have for ourselves. Just this once.”
Her eyes were pleading, and Dylan couldn’t say no. It was a dangerous choice, though. He could really get carried away and lose sight of the things that he had to do, the important things in life for himself as well as what was best for Tara and Bill. Still, he gave a single, slow nod of his head. “All right.” He followed her into the house, noting for the first time now that it was all but empty how much work she had done on the inside.
Bill was a simple man without a lot of décor, but some of it had fallen into disrepair. Tara had dusted, cleaned, and straightened all of it, and she’d taken out a couple of pieces that were worn beyond repair. She’d rearranged the throws on the couch and chairs so that all the areas where the covers were threadbare had been hidden and cushioned. She’d moved throw pillows to make sure everything was equally cozy.
She’d pulled out rugs that had been put away for a long time, beat out the dust and arranged them on the floor in geometric patterns so they were even, matched, and cushioned the wood so Bill could walk comfortably on his very bony feet. The lamp shades were straight and clean, and all the bulbs that had burned out had been replaced. As he looked around, he frowned, thinking how much of a failure he was by comparison. He’d barely managed to keep the status quo when he was in charge. This wasn’t part of her job description, he was sure, and it only made him wonder why she felt obligated to do these things.
And how much more she’d done in the kitchen, bedrooms, and bathrooms.
“I can’t believe how much you’ve done here. Why did you do it?” he asked, in awe and unable to hold back the question.
She stepped up beside him, looking like she didn’t understand the question. “It’s what I do. Part of nursing someone is making sure they’re as healthy as possible. That means making their surroundings cheerful and hassle-free. I have plenty of time on my hands, time you didn’t have, if that’s what you’re thinking.” It was amazing how well she read his mind already. “It’s part of my strategy for longevity. And with Bill, I saw something in him that told me this wasn’t going to be a four-month assignment. I just wanted to do everything I could to assure it lasted as long as possible from the start. Bill is one of the good ones, and he deserves to live and be happy.”
Dylan couldn’t agree more, but he knew Tara wasn’t supposed to get personally involved with her patients. At the same time, he heard the underlying tone in her words that told him she’d latched on to Bill in a very different way than she usually did. It pulled at him, made him want her even more, and before he could think about the consequences, he pulled her in front of him, wrapping her in a tight embrace. He tucked her hair behind her ears with his fingertips, baring that beautiful face of hers, and bent to kiss her.
She was receptive and threaded her arms around his neck to pull him in deeper. She tasted like coffee, syrup, and strawberry from breakfast, all resting on top of the sweet floral sensation he’d gotten when he’d kissed her before. The citrus aroma of her skin added to the pleasure, and he reveled in it, fisting his hands in that luxurious hair and tilting her head back for more access.
She pressed herself tighter against him, the soft flesh of her breasts delicious against the hard expanse of his chest. He pushed his hips forward, grinding his growing erection against her stomach, and she moaned into his mouth, exciting him to the point that he wasn’t sure if he had any self-control remaining.
16
Tara didn’t want to stand in the living room and make out this time. For all she knew, this would be the last chance they had to freely explore their physical intimacy for a very long time. If Dylan didn’t feel like it was inappropriate to take advantage of the opportunity, she sure wasn’t going to stop here. She lowered her arms and clutched at his shirt, breaking the kiss long enough to yank at him.
With her best seductive smile, she said, “I think we should take this in the other room.” She didn’t wait for a response. Instead, she forced him to follow her, and he didn’t hesitate. That was a good thing, since she probab
ly would have cried if he’d seemed the least bit reluctant. One thing was certain. His body wasn’t reluctant, and she wanted to get a good, long look at what was beneath those clothes, especially what stood at attention in his pants.
She sat on the edge of the bed and reached up, unbuttoning his shirt and pushing it determinedly down off his shoulders. She’d seen him shirtless plenty of times, but this time, she gazed at him up close as she ran her fingertips over the hard muscle and gorgeous tanned skin. He was a work of art for sure, and she thought about begging Zoe to paint him for her. That way, if they didn’t end up together, at least she’d have something to worship.
Now, though, she wanted more, and she reached for his jeans, making fast work of his fly. They were tight on his hips, and she tugged at them until they gave, pulling his boxers with them and freeing his erection. He was beautifully formed, straight and thick, and she ran her palm up his length in awe. It twitched in her hand, and he groaned at her ministrations as she smoothed her hands over him, up and down, stroking him with care.
He didn’t put up with it for long, pushing her arm away and taking his boots off so he could remove his clothes from around his ankles. Then, he all but attacked her, rolling her to her back and nearly tearing her scrubs as he shoved them from her. His hands were everywhere, massaging her breasts and caressing her stomach and hips. He ran a hand between her thighs, brushing over her heat, and she cried out as she felt the first wave of release. She’d wanted this for too long, and she came easily, which only made her anxious to feel him inside her.
She reached for him, circling his base with her hand, and pushed her hips up into him as his mouth took hers again with bruising force. They could tease and taunt with foreplay later. Today, she needed fulfillment.
He didn’t make her wait, obviously as desperate to conjugate the relationship as she was. He pressed against her opening with his tip, and she urged him on as she tightened her legs around his waist. He pressed forward and entered her easily as she welcomed him, her eyes rolling back in her head with delight as fire flowed through her veins. She massaged his back, ran her nails over his shoulders, and met his thrusts, joining him in a sure, swift rhythm that took her over the edge again.
She could feel the tension in his body as he drew closer to his peak, and she nibbled at his ear, felt his breath on her neck as they reached the culmination. When he spilled into her, her eyes widened, her heart stopping with time as she screamed his name in her own orgasm. She saw starbursts on the ceiling, felt like she was baking in an oven, and curled herself tighter around him, never wanting the moment to end.
But her muscles eventually gave out, and Dylan went limp above her, spent and breathing heavily. In time, she started laughing throatily, and she felt the convulsions of his chest as he joined her. He lifted up, his arms shaking with the effort, and smiled down at her. “Short and sweet. At least, I hope it was.”
Tara groaned and shifted beneath him, her body still tingling. “Definitely sweet.” He leaned in and kissed her nose, then her lips, before carefully rolling to the side and resting his head on his elbow. He just stared at her, and she suddenly felt more vulnerable than she ever had in her life. “What?” she asked.
His lips twisted into what she hoped was appreciation. “You’re absolutely gorgeous,” he told her, making her preen at the compliment. “And I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of you. Your mind, your heart, your body.” He trailed his hand along her cheek, across her chest, and down her hip as he said this.
The tender moment took her by surprise, and she swallowed hard, responding before she thought it through. “I know what you mean. Dylan, I’m afraid to fall in love with you.”
She wanted to kick herself for saying it, for even referencing the ‘l’ word at all, but he reached out and stroked her cheek with the back of his knuckles. “I’m scared, too, but I think it’s too late for me to turn back.” He rolled toward her, turning her face to his, and kissed her with long, slow, passionate strokes of his tongue that had her ready to go for another round.
This time, they took it slower, exploring each other’s bodies with their hands and eyes. Dylan pulled her arms up over her head and held her wrists together with one strong hand, as he caressed her with the other, his calloused palm roaming as gently as possible down her smooth, soft skin. He turned his hand over and used the back of his finger to trace her silhouette, down her arm and side, making her shiver. When he reached her hip, he turned his hand back over and gripped it, pulling it to his hips where she found his desire had not been fully abated. He was definitely up for more.
He continued to move his hand down her thigh and leaned forward as he reached toward her knee, his mouth trailing kisses down her cheek and neck and then across her collar bone. He continued to hold her wrists as she squirmed slightly, unable to resist him much longer but afraid to break the beautiful spell he was casting over her.
He let go of her wrists and moved the other hand down her side, as he slid his body over onto her and further down, tracing one breast with his tongue while moving his other hand back up to hold the other. Then he continued his journey down her body, nibbling lightly along her stomach. She could feel his hot breath on her mound and felt like she was melting, the heat so intense, the wetness between her legs growing and tingling.
When he parted her folds with his tongue, his hands on her hips, she nearly came again, but he pulled back and looked in her eyes and then he moved his hands around to her firm rear and pulled her into his mouth. She had kept her arms above her head, enjoying the sensations and now she was grabbing the headboard, his name on her lips again as she exploded in his mouth. When the wave crashed back down, she dropped her legs and he let her lie back down for just a moment before he sat up on his knees between her legs and grabbed her hips again, pulling her pulsating core toward his erection.
But he didn’t enter her right away; he teased her opening a bit and brought one hand back to her heat, putting a finger in to test her willingness for more. She tightened around his finger and looked up into his eyes and nodded. “More, please.” He leaned over her body, her thighs wrapping around his waist, and kissed her while he pushed gently in and lay there, not moving for a moment or two. She was so sensitive from having just had an orgasm that the movement inside her felt blissful and strangely comforting. She felt fulfilled.
He continued to kiss her and brought his hands to her face, cupping her and occasionally pulling back to look deeply into her eyes. She felt tears run from their corners along her temple and into her hair. His brow furrowed. “Is this okay?”
She laughed softly, closing her eyes to blink away more tears. “Yes,” she said. “It’s more than okay. I don’t know that I’ve ever felt this … much.” Her eyes widened as he grew inside her and thrust himself forward as far as he could go, burying himself in her. He kissed her tears on each side of her face and then brought his lips back to her mouth. She moved her hands to his back and pulled him closer, gripping and scratching lightly, not wanting to break the skin, just express how much she wanted him deep inside her.
He made love to her slowly and they allowed each other to keep their movements at a pace that kept them languishing in each other for several minutes, before he grabbed her hip with one hand and buried himself harder and continued to thrust until she screamed his name again and he fell forward, putting his forehead to hers and breathing hard and unevenly.
They spent several minutes lying in each other’s arms, him still inside her, and holding on to each other while they caught their breaths. He raised his face and looked into her eyes, still without any words. He traced her face and rolled to his side, pulling out of her, but keeping his leg thrown over her. He whispered her name and laid his head next to hers. They lay in each other’s arms for several more minutes before finding themselves back in reality.
“Dylan, I’m not ready to talk about the future yet, but I want you to know that this means more to me than sex. I don’t want to rush anyt
hing, but I know that I feel scared as much as exhilarated.”
“Scared?” He raised up on his elbow, his hand behind his head, while the other rested on her stomach as he traced circles around her belly button. “Why would you be scared of me?”
“It’s not you I’m scared of,” she said. “It’s me, really. It’s us. It’s what this is or could be and what happens when Bill …” She didn’t finish the sentence.
He sighed. “Tara, I know what you mean. And normally I don’t deal with these kinds of feelings. I don’t get close enough to feel scared or even exhilarated. And I don’t want to make any promises to you, but I want you to know that this is not just sex for me either. I want you in ways you can’t imagine, in ways I never could have imagined.”
Taking a deep breath, she shook her head, and ran her fingers through his hair, mussed from their afternoon. “So, now what?” she asked.
He shrugged. “I guess we go about our business. But we might want to tell Bill what’s going on, as soon as he’s strong enough to hear it.”
17
Dylan watch Tara with amusement as she busied herself around the house, getting everything ready to bring Bill back home. They would be picking him up after lunch and she had fretted, telling Dylan that she felt she had neglected her duties while she had spent a little more than a week in and out of bed with him, mostly in bed, at Bill’s house or at Dylan’s.
He had tried to keep up with all of his duties but found it impossible. Even when he managed to force himself to go outside and try to work, all he could think about was her laughter, her smile, her body … and it was all he could do not to run right back in and bury himself in her again. When he had nearly swung the axe into his thigh, he was forced to consider finally and truly reaching out for help.
Cowboy Casanova (Wild At Heart Cowboys Book 3) Page 10
