by Nash, Willa
“Thank you,” I whispered.
He nodded. “Take care, Lucy.”
I was surprised when he left, but it still hurt to watch him descend the porch steps.
The urge to cry nearly drove me to my knees but I put a hand on the wall and held fast, then bit the inside of my lip to keep the tears at bay.
I’d lost Duke. I’d lost someone I hadn’t even had, and fuck, I was tired of losing people.
This time, I couldn’t blame a drunk driver or a razor-sharp kitchen knife.
This loss was on me.
“Actually . . .” Duke stopped on the bottom stair.
I blinked my eyes clear, pushing off the wall. “Yeah?”
“I do want something.” He spun and stalked up the stairs, each step deliberate. He pinned me with his piercing gaze as he crossed the porch.
My breath was lodged in my chest. When he stood before me, I tipped my chin up to hold his eyes. I was frozen, unable to contemplate what this meant as he leaned in so closely that his nose was inches from mine.
“I want something.” His whisper caressed my cheek.
“What?” Me. Let the answer be me.
“A kiss.”
My knees wobbled.
Duke lifted his hand to my cheek. “You gonna stop me?”
“No.”
He flashed me a smile before dropping his lips to mine, stealing my senses with the touch of his soft lips.
Duke’s kiss was firm. Steady. Then his tongue licked the seam of my lips and we melted into one another. I opened for him and let him sweep inside as his arms banded around my shoulders.
My hands ran up his torso, skimming over the soft cotton of his T-shirt to feel the hard, rippled grooves of his stomach. I stretched up onto my toes as my hands ran up the wide and solid plane of his chest. Our tongues tangled and I looped my arms around his neck, pulling myself closer as his hold on me tightened.
Duke was a wall of muscle, a tower of strength. He held me at his mercy.
He tasted like man and spice mixed with the sweet, cool mint of his gum. My heart thundered in my chest as he devoured me, leaving no corner of my mouth untouched. The strength of his arms was a marvel. He held me effortlessly, my toes dangling above the wooden boards of the porch.
A hum came from deep in Duke’s chest and the vibration pebbled my nipples.
I tightened my grip on his neck and wove my fingers into the short strands of hair at his nape. The kiss took on a whole new heat as he angled his head to dive deeper. I nipped at the corner of his lip. He fluttered his tongue against mine, a move I wanted to feel against the swell of my breast. Against the swollen bud between my legs.
I’d underestimated Duke. The spark between us hadn’t just been a sizzle. It was a raging wildfire that was going to incinerate, not singe. At the moment, I didn’t care how dangerous this might be. I was too consumed by the blinding need for more.
Duke growled against my mouth. His arousal was thick and heavy where it pressed into my hip.
More.
But instead of hauling me inside and using that tongue on my naked skin, he tore his mouth away. I didn’t loosen my hold and his arms stayed tight at my back. He held me, my toes still off the floor, staring into my eyes as we both panted.
His gaze darted to my swollen, wet lips and his jaw ticked. Was that a good tick? Bad? I’d have to spend more time around Duke to figure out how to read them. I was willing to put in the time, especially if at the end of our conversations he kissed me like this.
The corner of my mouth turned up. “Not bad, Sheriff.”
“Hope that earned me your vote in the next election,” he teased.
I giggled as he set me on my feet.
Duke held on to my elbow until I steadied my legs, then he ran his thumb over my bottom lip.
I waited for another kiss but he sucked in a deep breath, took one step away, then turned and jogged down the steps before I had a chance to object.
“What? That’s it?”
He kept moving. “No, that’s not it.”
“Then where are you going?” I walked to the top stair and put my hands on my hips.
“Think it’s better if I leave now,” he said, reaching his truck.
Seriously? “But you didn’t get a muffin.”
Lust flared in his gaze and his feet stopped. He dropped his head and rubbed the back of his neck. Then he looked at me like it was torture to walk away.
Good. It was torture to watch.
“If I step inside that house again . . .” He didn’t need to finish that sentence.
If he stepped inside this house, everything would change.
There’d be no more guarding my secrets. Or my heart.
“Come inside, Duke.”
His eyes darkened at the sound of his name. He stalked up the stairs until he stood in my space, one step lower so we were closer to eye level. “You sure?”
Was I? This was out of character for me. I’d met Duke just one week ago—he was practically a stranger. I didn’t have sex with strangers.
He ran a hand up the bare skin of my forearm. His tongue darted out, pink and hot and my mouth watered, desperate for a longer taste.
The breeze caught Duke’s scent, dragging it to my nostrils and forcing me to take a long breath. I wanted that smell on my sheets.
So I shut off my brain, shoved my nerves aside to fist the hem of Duke’s T-shirt.
And dragged him inside.
Chapter Eight
Duke
The moment Lucy pulled me across the threshold, my mouth was on hers. My hands roamed her body as she clung to me, kissing me with as much fervor and raw lust as I had racing through my veins.
Christ, this woman could kiss. Her tongue did this little swirl that sent all the blood rushing straight to my cock.
I kicked the door shut and broke away from her lips long enough to whip her shirt over her head and toss it to the floor.
“Up,” I ordered.
She jumped.
With one arm under her ass and the other around her back, I held her to me as fiercely as she held me, her lips seeking mine as her fingers dove into my hair.
Lucy moaned, angling her head so I could devour her mouth. I nipped and sucked and licked, arching into her center as her legs circled my waist. Her nipples were pebbled beneath her bra, begging for my hot mouth.
The heat from her core spread through her shorts to my jeans and I was seconds from tearing them off her legs. If I didn’t get her to a bed, I’d fuck her on the couch. I’d save that for later.
I tore my lips away again and blinked the haze from my vision as I started for the stairs.
Lucy dropped her mouth to my neck, latching on to my pulse to suck.
“Fuck,” I groaned, picking up my pace. My cock throbbed beneath my jeans and my heart slammed against my sternum. “Where?” I asked at the top stair.
“Left.”
I hit the landing and moved straight for the bedroom door. It was bright inside, the sunlight streaming from the window onto the plush white bed.
Lucy unwound her legs, dropping those bare toes to the carpet, and her hands pounced on the button on my jeans.
“In a hurry?” I teased, reaching behind my neck to yank my T-shirt over my head before kicking off my boots.
“Jeans off, Sheriff.”
Christ, it was sexy when a woman wanted to order me around.
I swatted her hands aside, but instead of stripping my own jeans, I dropped to my knees and worked free the button on her shorts, tugging the denim and the brightest pair of panties I’d ever seen free from her body.
Her skin was like sweet cream, smooth and silky. The sight of her glistening folds made my head spin, and her scent . . . fuck me, she smelled good. Like cherries, sweet and rich, with a hint of warm vanilla.
The smart thing to do would be to slow this down. Savor her. I hadn’t been with a woman in a while, but my body wasn’t listening to any mental commands. Want. Need. Take. The w
ords pulsed through my veins with every heartbeat. But we’d do slow later. There was no doubt in my mind that I’d have her once and need her again, over and over.
Lucy was addictive.
Her fingernails scraped my scalp as she dragged her hands through my hair, tugging and teasing it beside my temples.
I gripped her hips and jerked her to me, earning a little yelp. Then I dropped my mouth to that beautiful, bare pussy, dragging my tongue through her slit and flicking my tongue against her clit.
“Duke.” Her breath hitched.
Her taste exploded on my tongue, cherry sweet. One day, I’d feast on her, let her hold on to my hair as I devoured her, but not today.
I placed a kiss on her belly button, working my way up her stomach and ribs to the center of her breasts. Worshipping. Savoring. When I was back on my feet, I flicked the clasp of her bra and stripped it from her arms.
She stood there, her eyes closed, waiting for my next move.
“You are . . . breathtaking,” I whispered, my fingers trailing down her collarbone to a rosy nipple.
Her lashes fluttered open and the look in her eyes nearly dropped me to my knees. It was vulnerable. Pure and open. No pretenses. No need to stroke egos or fake a reaction.
Lucy’s gaze flicked to my jeans and the straining bulge beneath. Her index finger rose to my chest. Starting with one of my nipples, she trailed across my skin from one pec to the other before letting her finger drop down my sternum.
My abs bunched when she hit the valley between the muscles. She skimmed my stomach and her featherlight touch made the throb spike.
If she kept going, I’d never last. So I moved like lightning, picking her up and tossing her on the bed.
She laughed as she bounced, then sat up on her elbows to watch me strip. My cock bobbed free and a drop of cum beaded at the tip.
She licked her lips.
“Fuck, you’re killing me here.”
“You’re”—she gulped—“big.”
I wrapped a fist around my shaft and stroked.
The flare of heat in her eyes was my invitation into the bed. I came down on her, settling into the cradle of her hips and positioning at her entrance, ready to thrust home, when that fucking good conscience of mine sent a siren blaring in my ear.
“Condom.” Fuck. I didn’t keep them on me because hookups weren’t my style.
“Ugh,” Lucy groaned and slapped a hand over her eyes. “I don’t have one.”
This would be the worst case of blue balls I’d had in my life. I pushed up to get the hell off this bed but she grabbed my bicep and stopped me.
“I’m on the pill. I, um . . . I haven’t been with anyone in a long time.”
“Same. I got my annual physical three months ago. I’m clean.”
She sighed and that sultry smile was back. She opened her legs wider.
“You sure?”
“Fuck me, Duke.”
Okay, she could definitely order me around. I didn’t hesitate. I dragged the head of my cock through her wetness, then slid deep with one stroke.
Lucy gasped, her back arching off the bed as her hands came to my shoulders. Her nails dug in hard as she breathed, adjusting to my size.
I waited, giving her time. “Good?”
She nodded and circled her hips. “So good.”
I grinned and dropped my lips to her neck, peppering her smooth skin with kisses as I eased out, then thrust forward, earning another gasp when I pushed as deep as I could go.
My palm came to one of her luscious breasts, letting it fill the cup of my hand. I ran a thumb over her pink nipple.
She quaked beneath me as I moved, in and out, over and over. A pink flush spread across her chest. Her freckles had darkened from a morning in the sun.
Lucy Ross was magnificent. This Lucy. It was heady—powerful—knowing that I was included in her secret. The rest of the world expected the blond and glitter. But I had black hair spread on white cotton. Eyes like water-clear emeralds.
I dropped a kiss to the corner of her mouth as I drove inside her tight body.
She turned her cheek, taking my mouth. She sucked on my bottom lip before slipping her tongue between my teeth.
We were lost in one another, moving like old lovers, not new. And I moved in steady strokes, taking us both higher and higher until she whimpered, pulling away from my mouth.
Her eyes squeezed shut, her grip on my shoulders fell away, and her body writhed.
“Duke,” she whispered right before she exploded, crying out and shaking in my arms as her inner walls pulsed and clenched around me.
I kept going, faster and faster, until the pleasure was too much. The pressure in my spine hit and I was done. I shot long and hard, collapsing on top of her as my orgasm broke, wringing me dry and leaving me boneless.
I’d expected sex to be good, but this? This was beyond comprehension. The best I’d ever had.
Lucy’s hold on me tightened and she giggled. “Damn.”
I eased out and rolled to the side so she wasn’t bearing all my weight but kept her pinned with our legs tangled and her cheek resting on my chest. I stared at the ceiling until the white spots faded from my vision, then I kissed the top of her head. “How long does it take you to get ready?”
“Usually an hour. Why?”
“Good.” She’d have plenty of time. There was a lot for the two of us to talk about. A lot of shit to figure out, especially now.
Sex with her had changed everything.
I kissed her again, then slid free and climbed out of bed. I tugged on my boxer briefs, then my jeans, covering my still-hard dick.
“Uh . . . where are you going?” Lucy asked, sitting up, completely naked and not trying to cover up.
I didn’t answer as I shrugged on my T-shirt.
“Duke,” she warned.
Damn, but I loved the way she said my name. Smooth and smoky, like expensive whiskey.
“Are you seriously leaving?” Her hair had fallen out of its tie. It was wild and damp as it draped down her shoulders. Her cheeks were flushed and that delicious bottom lip of hers was puffy.
She’d never looked more stunning.
“Yep. Get ready.” I planted a knee in the bed, bent down to kiss the corner of her mouth, then walked to the door. “Be back at seven.”
“Back for what? And what do you mean get ready?”
I kept walking.
“Duke!” The covers rustled and the bed creaked as she hurried to chase me down.
But I was already jogging down the stairs. “Seven o’clock.”
When I started my truck, she appeared on the porch, draped in a white towel she must have snagged from the bathroom. The terry cloth was blinding in the afternoon sun. There was a scowl on her face as she watched me drive away.
I liked that scowl too.
I liked all things about Lucy Ross.
It was a good thing she was hell-bent on staying in Calamity.
Because I wasn’t ready to let her go.
“This place is . . .”
I chuckled as Lucy’s eyes widened. “Interesting?”
“That’s one word.”
“Come on.” I tightened my grip on her hand and led her through Calamity Jane’s bar.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” She ducked her chin as a man passed us by. “I’m trying to keep a low profile here.”
“Trust me.”
She sighed. “Okay.”
No hesitation.
This woman. Things were about to get really fucking complicated.
Maybe they already had.
I spotted an empty booth against the wall and walked over, ignoring the many faces staring our way. I held out an arm to one side of the booth, waiting for her to slide in, then I took my seat opposite her, grinning as she tucked a lock of hair to hide her profile.
“I don’t like this,” she said.
“Been thinking about it. You’ll create more gossip if you hide away at that farmhouse. Peo
ple in a small town are nosy. They’ll want to know about the gorgeous recluse in Widow Ashleigh’s place.”
“But what if someone recognizes me?”
“They won’t.”
“How do you know?”
“Because right now, they’re more curious about why you’re in here with me than who you are.”
She arched an eyebrow and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Hiya, Duke.” The waitress appeared at our table, tossing down two cardboard coasters.
“Hey, Kelly.”
“Can I get you guys a drink?” Her eyes wandered to Lucy, who was trying to stare a hole in the table.
“Beer for me. Whatever IPA you’ve got on tap.”
Kelly nodded, waiting for Lucy to order. I nudged her foot under the table and her gaze whipped up.
I smirked.
She frowned, then forced a smile up at Kelly. “I’ll have the same. Thanks.”
“Menus?” Kelly asked.
“Nah.” I tapped my temple.
“Be right back.” She turned from the table but cast a glance over her shoulder at Lucy.
“See?” Lucy hissed.
“That’s not about you. It’s me.”
“Why?”
I leaned in closer. “Because I walked in here with your hand in mine. Because I didn’t sit at the bar like I normally do. Because I haven’t brought a woman to dinner at Jane’s who wasn’t my mother or my sister in four years.”
“Oh.” She blushed.
“Yeah. Oh.” I leaned back and slung one arm across the booth.
The bar was noisy tonight. Fridays usually were. Which was why I’d decided to bring Lucy here.
She wasn’t the only one invested in keeping her secret.
What I needed right now was time. Time with her. Time to learn more about her past and what had happened to bring her to Calamity. Time to figure this out.
And at the moment, my gut was telling me I didn’t have much time. That before I was ready, she’d be headed to Nashville. We were on a countdown headed to zero.
The last thing I needed were people asking around about the woman holed up in Kerrigan’s latest rental property. They’d get curious. The quilting guild would show up at her front door with a pan of cinnamon buns and a slew of questions, and those ladies were hard to dodge.
