by Vivian Arend
Which was when Jesse noticed there were no longer three of them, but four.
A day of herding her nieces through more than a dozen stores had left Dare exhausted. Heck, forget Emma and Sasha—Ginny was worse than both of them, constantly wandering off in a new direction, distracted by window displays.
What Dare wanted was to go home and crawl into the tub for a long soak. She’d stopped at the main house to help Ginny get the girls headed to bed, only to find music blaring and lights on everywhere.
Her friend rolled her eyes then ushered Sasha toward the back of the house, Emma draped over her shoulder, fast asleep. “I’ll take care of these guys. You go convince the wild animals to turn the music down.”
“If they don’t agree fast enough, I’m shutting off the power to the house,” Dare warned.
“Works for me. I’m tossing the girls in bed then I’ll be asleep the instant my head hits the pillow.”
“Me too. No more marathon shopping trips.” Although it had been necessary—Dare’s expanding waistline wasn’t going to put up with her regular jeans for much longer.
Ginny was already out of sight, so Dare made her way to the sliding doors off the kitchen, flipping off light switches as she went.
What the heck had Caleb been doing? This wasn’t like him—the entire place was lit up like a Christmas display.
She paused in the doorway wondering if she was hallucinating.
Hallucinations would explain so much.
But no, in spite of a second harder glance, the scene didn’t change. Her brothers were all gathered around the outdoor picnic table on the deck, a mess of bottles lining the edges of the table’s surface as Luke dealt the cards. All of the guys looked a little rough around the edges, and bags of chips and empty plates were piled haphazardly on the counter beside the barbecue.
It was a classic men’s-poker-night setting, but the guys themselves—
Caleb had a glittering tiara on his head, the sparkling silver princess gear looted from his daughters’ dress-up trunk. Luke wore a matching gold one, a purple robe draped over his shoulders.
Dustin wore a set of rabbit ears, a red cowboy bandanna pulled over his nose as if he were in the middle of a stickup.
Dare stepped onto the deck, squinting to see if the weirdness vanished. “I swear I haven’t had a drink in months.”
Five faces turned toward her, Walker and Jesse both rising to their feet.
Walker was on the same side of the table as her so he made it to her side first, scooping her up and giving her a tight hug. “Good to see you, baby girl.”
“I didn’t think you’d be home for a while yet.” She offered a quick squeeze in return, but pushed him away rapidly so she could stare up in horror. “Can you even see me through that monstrosity?”
He’d had a gorilla mask shoved up on his forehead, and now he pulled it into place before lifting his arms and pounding on his chest as he made obnoxious noises.
Dare snickered. She was too tired for this. Any moment now she might start laughing hysterically.
Jesse stepped around Walker and pulled Dare into his arms. “Glad you made it home safe.”
Then right there in front of her brothers he kissed her. Not a simple peck, either, but with a whole lot of heat and possessiveness. At this point she wasn’t sure what was going on, but who was she to tell him no?
The man obviously had a death wish.
Then again, as she kissed him back enthusiastically, she realized Jesse was the only one of the lot of them not wearing something out of the girls’ dress-up stash.
She gave a tug on the back of his shirt, and he slowed and let her up for air, full-fledged Coleman grin in place.
She looked him over carefully. “How come you’re the only normal one?”
“I object,” Luke spouted from the table.
“You’re wearing a tiara,” Dare pointed out, leaning into Jesse’s body as she took another peek around the table. “Oh, you’re right, there’s absolutely nothing unusual about you.”
Luke cracked a grin briefly before picking up his cards and staring at them.
“Not that I want to interrupt what looks to be a scintillating evening, but can we turn down the volume? Ginny’s putting the girls to bed.”
Caleb stood, nodding slowly. “I’ll go tuck them in. You have a good day shopping?”
“Not as much fun as I think you’ve had,” Dare offered to his retreating back before turning her confusion on Jesse. “Explain.”
Inside the house, Caleb hit the master volume and the music went down to normal levels. Dustin had laid his head on the table, and one of his ears had gotten twisted, the long pink-and-white faux fur standing upright like a broken TV antenna.
Walker was finishing his beer, drinking from the bottle through the opening in the monkey mask and looking like a King Kong wannabe. Luke was looking at the cards Caleb had left on the table in front of him…
She raised a brow at Jesse.
He lifted his hands innocently. “Just getting to know your brothers.”
He had another cut on his face, and she brushed her fingers over it. “Dustin?”
“Walker.”
“He had it coming,” her brother announced hotly.
It was too late for this type of conversation. Dare planted her fists on her hips and glared at the only two Stone boys within earshot sober enough to bitch to. “I would like all of you to stop beating on my boyfriend. He seems a decent guy, but I’m never going to find out for sure if you keep damaging him.”
Walker peeled off the mask so he could exchange a confused glance with Luke.
Exactly how drunk were they? “You do understand boyfriend, yes?”
“Fiancé,” Jesse whispered. “Remember?”
“Right. Fiancé,” Luke agreed with a flourish.
“Jeez, Dare, I didn’t hit him because of what he did with you.” Walker made a face. “You already told us to mind our own business about that.”
“Then why were you two fighting?”
Jesse caught her fingers in his and pulled her toward the table. “He didn’t like the first forfeit he had to pay. I think you looked good with the pig snout,” he offered casually to Walker.
Walker flashed him the finger. “Are we playing anymore?”
“I’m done for the night. Time to make sure Dare gets her rest.” Jesse folded his cards and tossed them in the middle of the table. One of them landed on the side of Dustin’s face.
A loud snore shook the table, the upright bunny ear quivering as Dustin’s head rolled.
Enough. Dare kept a tight grip on Jesse and guided him down the steps, ignoring the good-natured bickering in the background between Luke and Walker.
Jesse’s grip on her fingers was warm, and damn if he didn’t start whistling happily as they approached the cottage.
Dare fought a yawn, her curiosity getting the better of her. “I hate to ask for an explanation, but if you can tell me in a minute or less what was going on, I might not have nightmares.”
“Like I said, a bit of brotherly bonding. It was mostly Dustin’s fault. He was getting cocky, and after the steaks were done, one thing led to another, and instead of playing poker for money, winner got to pick a costume for the others to wear.”
He opened the door for her, following close on her heels as Dare attempted to get her sleepy brain to work through his words.
“Dress-up. You seriously convinced my brothers to use dress-up costumes instead of gambling.”
He shrugged, taking her coat and hanging it on the hook by the front door. “I’m cheap. What can I say?”
It suddenly registered that he had really been there, with all four of her male family members, and other than some out-of-sight scuffling, none of her brothers had offered death or dismemberment when he kissed her. “Does this mean they’ve accepted you?”
“Oh, I’m sure they’ll find reasons to not like me in the future, and I’m never turning my back on Dustin, but so far, so
good.”
Yeah, Dustin wasn’t going to be an easy case. But the others? She was surprised it had gone as well as it had. “Far too charming for your own good.”
He pulled her back into his arms. “Enough about your brothers. I take it you’re pretty tired.”
“Riding herd on three overexcited shoppers is exhausting, even when I’m not pregnant.”
He hummed in sympathy, rubbing a hand up her arms and over her shoulders, the gentle motion pulling their bodies into tighter contact. “I guess that’s my cue to get you into bed.”
Chapter Ten
As tired as she was, the words were enough to send a jolt of adrenaline through her system. “Jesse…”
He pressed a kiss to the side of her neck as he slipped a hand under her shirt. “I brought you my paperwork, but to prove what a gentleman I am, you don’t have to look at it tonight.”
His fingers were warm as he caressed and teased, and if she weren’t so damn tired, it would’ve been exactly what she’d craved. “I want to…”
“…fuck. I know. But you can hold out until tomorrow for my cock.”
A noise escaped Dare, somewhere between a laugh and a grunt. “Such an ass.”
He patted her on the butt. “Bed, darlin’. Don’t tempt me to do wicked things when you’re asleep on your feet.”
“Still be fun.” Her words were slurring, and she was thankful for his guidance as he walked her into her bedroom and helped her get ready.
He didn’t take advantage. Not when he stripped off her clothes, or when he knelt beside her, letting her balance with a hand on his shoulder as he wiggled off her pants and socks.
When she would have reached for her pyjamas, she found a warm Jesse-scented T-shirt being pulled over her head.
She nuzzled against his suddenly bare chest. “I like wearing your clothes.”
“Hmm, I like you wearing my clothes too, although naked is even better. Now hit the can. Can you find your way?”
“If you didn’t leave the seat up. Hate falling in.”
Jesse laughed. “Common complaint of the fairer sex. I swear I will do my damnedest to keep you from falling in.”
She took care of business and brushed her teeth, stumbling back to the bedroom in that half-asleep/half-awake state. That she was still vertical was a testament to the invigorating impact of Jesse’s presence.
Damn hormones.
He’d already pulled back the sheets, and she collapsed, punching her pillow into position as she sank into the mattress.
“Good night, darlin’.”
A gentle, chaste kiss landed on her cheek, shocking her enough she opened her eyes to peek into a slice of heaven, his blue eyes only inches away.
She stared for a moment before remembering what she was going to say. “You’re really putting me to bed alone?”
“I really am.” He stood and backed away, his deep voice wrapping her in a warm cocoon. “I know where to find you come morning. Now, hush. Rest.”
Dare was about to protest when she woke, sheets toasty around her, the room dark.
Seemed she’d ended up catching a few zzzs in spite of herself.
She leaned up on an elbow to check the clock. It blinked at her, pale blue digits in a dark background. Two a.m. and she was wide-awake.
Dare lay back, slowly stretching a hand toward the far side of the mattress, surprised and somewhat disappointed to discover she was alone in the big bed.
Disappointed. Huh. Maybe she should do something about that.
She poked her head out the door, not sure what she expected to find at this time of the morning, but the house was quiet, the ranch as well, and she made her way to the sink to get a drink.
Her gaze skittered to a stop on the medical report Jesse had pinned to her fridge. She bit her lip to stop from laughing out loud.
Over the years she’d gathered an eclectic collection of fridge magnets, and he’d strategically gone through them, using the ones with happy faces to hold the paper in place. But the starring role had been given to an oversized yellow arrow that proclaimed TO DO in bold black.
He’d strategically lined it up to his name.
The turkey was trying to be funny, but she totally understood where he was coming from. With so many things to figure out, and an entire relationship to build, she was sure there was something wrong with her that sex was the only thing currently on her mind.
His voice echoed in her brain. This part was simple, and she had to agree with the sentiment. Maybe they shouldn’t base a long-term relationship on sex alone, but it seemed like cutting off her nose to spite her face to deny that she wanted him.
So? What was she waiting for?
Dare headed to the office, pushing the door open carefully. Moonlight shone in the window like a pale blue spotlight. Jesse took up most of the surface of the small, single mattress, blankets kicked off to reveal his muscular torso, the edge of his boxers barely covering more interesting territory. She stepped toward the bed, the merest brush of guilt washing past for waking him up.
Considering what she was about to offer, she didn’t think he’d mind.
She sat on the edge of the bed, and his eyes popped open, searching the room quickly before fixing on her face.
“You okay? What’s wrong?”
Dare hurried to reassure him. “Nothing’s wrong only…”
Suddenly awkward for no good reason, she hesitated.
Jesse sat upright, reaching for her. “You have a nightmare?”
She ignored the question and instead curled herself up on the mattress next to him. “It was lonely in my bed.”
He wrapped an arm around her, laughing softly. “Here I thought I was being a gentleman and letting you sleep with no one making you twitch.”
“Maybe I don’t want to sleep.”
He tensed. “Really?”
Dare went for the gusto, rolling as rapidly as the tiny space allowed until they were face to face. “Is it morning yet?”
His grin brightened. “You’re one of those kids. On Christmas morning they had to lock you in your room to stop you from waking the entire household, right?”
Dare drifted a hand over his shoulder and down his back, fingertips teasing along the elastic of his boxers. “You know this from experience?”
She found herself flat on her back with him stretched out full-length over her. “I told you we had a lot in common.”
He brought their lips together and kissed her, soft for a brief instant before he took full control. The heavy weight of his torso pressed her down so she had nowhere to go except around him. She opened her legs to let his hips settle more firmly against her, dragging her nails over his skin as a blanket of warmth accelerated to high heat between one breath and the next.
Jesse shifted far enough he could kiss his way down her neck. “You need to lose my shirt.”
He caught the bottom edge, bunched it up and slid it over her breasts. The next second he had her nipple in his mouth, the impact sending an explosive shot directly between her legs.
For all that he complained about her shirt, he didn’t seem too worried about stopping to get rid of it. He just shoved the material out of the way so he could cup his hands on the outside of both breasts, pressing them together to work from side to side. Dare threaded her fingers through his hair, letting him give her pleasure as he took what he wanted.
“If I’m dreaming, this is the best dream I’ve had my entire life,” Jesse teased, laying a row of kisses down her belly to finish between her thighs. “Look, here’s a sweet little pussy, all ready to be petted.”
Dare snickered. “Where do you get these lines?”
He answered by stroking a finger through her curls, followed by covering her with his mouth.
Cheesy pickup lines or not, damn, the man’s tongue should be offered awards. He teased her clit slow and steady, then faster until he damn near growled. “So fucking sweet.”
He covered her completely. Licking and sucking greedily u
ntil she was gasping for air, her body quivering and ready to go.
“Now,” she demanded, “get in me now.”
He didn’t take orders very well. Instead of listening he doubled down, increasing that magic touch with his tongue, slipping his fingers into her sex and thrusting deep.
The result was instantaneous. Her body exploded with pleasure, sex pulsing, thighs quivering, and she moaned involuntarily.
Jesse laughed softly, working his hand as he slid against her body until he could look into her eyes. “There it is, that delicious sound. You need to make it again.”
She’d gone off so quickly, but she wasn’t sure if it was a testament to his talents or to the fact that she’d been pretty much a born-again virgin since February.
Or maybe it was the combination of them, because he looked on the edge as well. Her body tightened around his fingers, attempting to hold on as he pulled free and levered himself over her.
How the realization made it through her pleasure-soaked brain, she had no idea, but an instant after it hit, the words snuck out. “Oh my God, I’ve never done this before.”
He looked amused for a spilt second until he caught her meaning. “Hell. Me neither.”
No condoms. Oh, boy.
Dare took a deep breath, cupping his face in her hands. “Another thing we have in common. We should totally fuck.”
Jesse laughed, gaze connecting with hers as something more serious drifted over his face. He placed his cock to her sex. “Ready?”
She answered by lifting her hips and surrounding the tip of his cock. His lashes fluttered closed with pleasure.
The next second he’d slid all the way in, and this time they both groaned happily. There was no pause, no chance to find control as he pulled back then thrust, the intimacy of being connected powerful and perfect. Hard motions, softer ones, teasing all her senses as he filled her. Over. And again.
Dare closed her eyes and soaked in the sensations. Her body tingled from head to toe, and every good memory she’d had of their one night together was more than matched as he fucked her. The mattress swayed under them even as he kept his power held in check.
After every hard drive the bedsprings creaked, and Dare dug her fingertips into his shoulders. “Yes.”
