SEAL Mountain Man (A Navy SEAL Brotherhood Romance)
Page 23
“For a ranch, it’s small. Would you like to see it?” I asked.
I watched as her mouth covered the top of her cone, her lips moved down slowly over the soft cream. She sucked gently at the cone before releasing her lips. What was left was a small, thin peak of ice cream at the tip. Watching her lapping at that cone caused me to release a small amount of precum into my briefs.
“I’d love to,” she said.
“It’s not far from here. Follow me?” I suggested.
She seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then nodded.
I wanted to lean in and kiss her again, but instead I took her hand. She wasn’t like other women, at least not the ones I knew. She didn’t throw herself at me, and she didn’t even seem to notice the effect she had on me or on men in general. At the concert, she turned plenty of heads, but never appeared to notice.
Chapter Three
Charlotte
Owen was irresistible, with those deep, blue eyes and his wicked smile. I followed his pickup through the backroads leading out of town until he pulled onto a gravel road. The sign above the entrance read ‘Martin Ranch,’ one I’d passed many times before. This was his small farm?
He stopped his truck at a white garage, and while I sat in my car in awe, he made his way to me. “You gettin’ out?” he asked with a nervous laugh.
I snapped out of my daze and opened the door to my car, letting Owen take my hand to help me to my feet. “This is your place?” I asked.
He nodded. It was obvious he was proud.
A large golden retriever greeted me with a cold nose up my skirt. I giggled, pushing the dog’s snout away from my crotch and patting its head gently.
“This is Goldie,” he said, whistling for her to give me some space. She’d shoved her nose far enough under my skirt that I was certain she’d be able to sniff out my scent if ever I went missing.
“Would you like a drink?” he asked, motioning toward the brick ranch just beyond the garage.
“Sure,” I agreed, curious to see inside.
We walked along a paved path to the front door. Owen opened up his house, motioned for me to go inside, and then locked the door behind him. The turn of the lock made my pussy swell with anticipation. It had been long time since I’d been with a man, and if you didn’t count Bobby, who proved not to be a man at all, it had been years.
“Have a look around if ya want. I’ll grab us a beer.”
I took him up on his offer, wandering through the large living room to a den on the other side. The place was decorated with tasteful furniture, mostly antiques, and all in excellent condition. There wasn’t much sign of a woman ever having lived there, and no pictures to indicate otherwise.
“You live here alone?” I asked.
“Yes.”
He disappeared into the kitchen where I could hear the clinking of bottles. He returned holding two beers, extending one to me. “You always lived here alone?” I asked, curious about his past.
“Yes,” he said with a smile.
We sat down on the large couch where Owen scooted super close to me. I could feel the warmth from his skin and almost taste his cologne as he snuggled in. “Never married?” I asked.
He shook his head. “You?” he asked, leaning in to me before I could answer.
I shook my head as his mouth met mine. The softness of his lips pulled me into a trance, and soon the sweetness of his tongue had me under his control. My body ached for more as his hands roamed over it, their touch caressing my skin. My breasts pushed upward, my back arching as he lowered me. He pulled up from his kiss, smiled, and then let out a deep sigh. “You’re one amazing woman, Charlotte.”
I reached up, pushing my mouth back onto his. I appreciated the compliment, but I needed his touch more than his words. My body grinded against his, feeling the tight rock in his jeans as it pressed against my thigh. I moaned, pulling back from our kiss, and let his mouth wander down my neck. My skin tingled as his tongue slid across my sensitive skin, and I squealed when his lips tightened around it and sucked it into his mouth.
His hands pushed at my skirt, hiking it high onto my hips as he pushed my panties aside.
My pussy was wet, hot, and swollen as his finger grazed my delicate skin. I bucked gently, pushing myself toward his hand and letting out a soft moan of approval. “You want me to stop?” he asked softly.
“No,” I gasped.
One finger slid inside of me, pushing apart my plump lips. My pussy immediately gripped at his digit, pulling it deeper inside of my body as I pulsated around him. Pleasure ripped through my body as his mouth wrapped around my breast. I reached down, gripping the hardness in his jeans, rubbing the denim with aggression as he began to growl.
His mouth lowered while his hands pulled my tank top up and over my breasts. His tongue on the bare skin made me sigh with excitement, and his teeth grazing at my erect nipple made me let out a moan.
He chuckled at my enthusiasm, lifting his head to smile at me with those beautiful eyes before lowering down to my belly.
“Can I take these off?” he asked, tugging at my skirt and panties.
I nodded, biting my bottom lip as he gave my clothes a tug. Soon, my body was nude from the waist down, and his eyes were gazing upon my most intimate parts. He lowered his mouth, slowly sucking my clit between his lips, rolling it around his tongue, and then tugging on it to make me squeal. His finger returned to the warmth inside my pussy, slowly fucking me while his mouth continued to tease me.
“Do you want me to stop?” he asked again, his voice soft.
“No,” I whispered.
He reached for his pants, unlatching his belt, and then his button. The denim slid from his body, pulling his briefs down as well. I heard the thud of his boots hitting the floor, and then the scratching of the denim being kicked from his feet.
His cock was long, hard, and warm. I reached down, gripping it in my hand to slowly stroke him while he let his lips wander back to my breast, and then neck.
My mouth searched for his, finding his lips and parting them with my tongue as his cock pressed into my thigh.
I wrapped my arms around him tightly, kissing his neck and feeling the warmth of his body against mine. I was ready, so ready, but he seemed to be hesitating. “Just a sec,” he said sweetly, lifting himself from me.
It felt cold without him on me, lonely even. My body ached for attention as he reached into his jean pocket and pulled out a condom.
His blue eyes smiled at me, offering a wink as he ripped open the foil package. He slid the condom onto the tip of his cock and rolled it down with one thumb like a pro. He was back on me in an instant, pressing into me once again, this time ready to enter. My body bucked beneath him, pushing my ass toward him, letting his cock rub against my swollen clit.
His hand reached between my legs, his fingers working my juices just a bit more before he situated his cock between my pussy lips. I looked into his eyes, feeling something more than just a sexual urgency. I liked him. Really liked him.
“You’re truly amazing,” he whispered.
I felt the pressure of his unit against my body, and then suddenly the relief of my body letting go. He was inside of me, deep inside, and my body squirmed with pleasure beneath him.
My hands slowly romanced heir way down his back to his ass cheeks, feeling the tightening of his muscles as he thrust into me.
My pussy was already pulsating, my legs already quivering, and my moans were growing louder and louder. Owen kissed me softly on the neck, and then the lips, causing my body to erupt with pleasure. I squeezed around him, tightening and then releasing with each wave of my orgasm. He continued to thrust into me, harder and deeper as I called out his name.
A deep growl sounded in my ear. He buried his face into my chest, his mouth suckling at my nipple as he throbbed between my legs.
His weight fell onto me, almost crushing me into the cushion of the couch for just a second while he gathered his composure.
When
he lifted, his eyes locked onto mine, and in that moment, I knew we both felt something special.
“Wow,” he gasped, and then rolled over and off of me.
My legs continued to quiver. I was unable to speak. “Wow” didn’t come close to capturing what I felt. “Wow” was the understatement of the year.
We finished our beers, not bothering to put our clothes back on, instead sitting there on the couch half dressed. Owen still had his t-shirt on, and I had mine. When I laughed about the fact we’d made love with our shirts on, he made me take mine off as he ripped his away. “We’ll have to do it again right,” he said, lifting me into his arms and carrying me to his large bed.
He made a fire, even though it wasn’t a cold night. It was romantic laying there with Owen in his big bed next to a fire. It felt like a place I could stay for the rest of my life.
We did a lot of talking that night, in between three more rounds of lovemaking. I found out Owen was an only child, a momma’s boy, and he’d earned the money for the ranch by buying and selling cattle as a teenager. He was impressive, but mysterious. Never married, and he never mentioned a woman in his life, making me wonder if maybe he was just a playboy.
I told him about my job, at least the one I used to have. I neglected to tell him I’d been laid off, figuring that would spoil the mood of the moment. I would tell him, just not tonight. I could’ve stared into his eyes until sunrise, and listened to him talk for the rest of my life. I was content. I wasn’t sure when I finally drifted off to sleep, but when my eyes opened it was already daybreak, and I was in the bed alone.
I gathered my clothes, looked for Owen in the kitchen, the den, and even outside in the garage. There were several trucks parked outside, but the shiny blue one that Owen drove was gone.
I started to leave a note, explaining why I left and to thank him for a great night, but my gut told me not to. If he was a player, then this was to be expected. Why make myself look needy? He didn’t leave me a note; instead, he just left me.
I walked outside and was greeted by an older man with silver hair and leathery skin. He tipped his hat toward me as I passed him. “Good morning, ma’am,” he said.
I felt stupid, humiliated really. Leaving a man’s house that wasn’t even home was embarrassing enough, let alone with a crowd to watch you do it. Ugh!
My car started and I backed out, waving at the man who was kind enough to greet me. I didn’t look back. It was a great night; that’s all. What did I expect, anyway? I was the one who said I wasn’t ready to date, and that was true. I needed more time. Trusting a man again after what Bobby did was going to be a process. A one-night stand only pushed that healing backwards. This was not what I needed at all. Why was I so stupid?
Chapter Four
Owen
“Owen!” I turned to see who was calling my name.
Tracy waved her hands in the air frantically as she ran across the street to my truck. Her blonde hair bounced on her shoulders. “Hey, Owen!” she called out.
“Hey, stranger,” I said sweetly, happy to see my favorite cousin.
“I just got back home,” she said, still out of breath from her run to chase me down.
“Where ya been?” I asked, already knowing she was gone to see her long-distance boyfriend.
“Visiting Kevin,” her lips curled into a wide grin.
“I don’t understand that long-distance dating,” I shrugged, not willing to say anything else on my mind. It seemed like a great setup for Kevin. Hell, he probably had a new girl come into town each week. But, for my cousin, my sweet Tracy, I didn’t like it at all. I just pictured this guy stringing along women all over the country, having each one fly in when he got lonely, sending them all home when he was bored with them. Tracy was a hopeless romantic though, and she trusted Kevin. Why, I wasn’t sure. But, she did. I wished I could trust like that again, love like that again.
“It’s not so bad. I think I might move out there soon,” she said with a wild grin. “Speakin’ of dating, how’d yours go with Char last week?” she asked.
I grinned, knowing I looked like the cat that’d just ate the mouse. “It went as expected,” I said with a wink.
“So, you two hit it off? I knew it!” she shrieked with delight. She bounced again, her eyes bright and filled with cheer. That hopeless romantic in her was screaming with delight at the thought of making a match.
“Yeah. We hit it off a few times,” I laughed.
Her face soured. Not a fan of my humor, as usual. I smiled, continued loading the feed into my truck, and avoided direct eye contact with my now-angry cousin. “You gonna see her again?” she snapped.
“Why? So we can fall in love like you and Kevin?” I asked with a chuckle.
Her face told me she still didn’t think I was funny.
“It was just another one-night stand. You said she had a bad breakup and needed a kick start back into the dating game. Well, you’re welcome,” I smirked.
“Wow. Owen Michael Martin, your mother would wear your backside raw if she heard you talkin’ like that,” she exclaimed, complete with hand on hip.
“What? Trust me, she wanted it, and she left a happy girl,” I said quickly, turning to defend myself.
“Have you called her?” she snapped.
“No.”
“Why? Didn’t you like her?” she asked.
“I dunno. Yes, I liked her. She’s actually a pretty amazing woman.”
“Then, why haven’t you called her?” she asked.
I wasn’t quite sure how to answer that question. I guess I’d intended on it—at least, that is, until I came back to her gone. She was sleeping so peacefully, I didn’t want to wake her, so I snuck out to grab breakfast. When I returned, she was gone, no note, nothing. I didn’t mind a good one-night stand, but she felt different, at least I had thought she did. Maybe I was wrong. I didn’t understand women, and probably never would. All I knew was I didn’t like the feeling I got in my gut when I pulled up and saw her car gone. The feeling was even less pleasant when I saw my empty bed. I could still smell her in the room, on my sheets, on my skin. I had to shower to get rid of it, and throw the sheets into the wash to strip her memory from my room. The couch, now that was a different story. I couldn’t exactly throw it in the washer, and even spraying it with fabric stuff, you could still smell her.
“She hasn’t called me, either,” I defended.
“I told you about her breakup, and how bad it was, right?” Tracy asked, backing me up to the side of my truck. I felt attacked as she moved in, like a pit bull ready to go after its victim’s jugular. She was a tiny little thing, but intimidating nonetheless. “Well, she got laid off from her job a couple weeks ago, so she doesn’t need you playing games with her head, or heart,” she said.
She hadn’t told me about her job. We’d stayed up all night talking, and I was pretty sure she spoke about her job like she still had it. “I didn’t know that,” I said.
“She was probably too embarrassed to tell you,” Tracy scoffed.
I felt horrible, but confused. Why did she leave, then? Why hadn’t she called? I wasn’t the only one involved in this. She had played her part.
“You need to call her,” Tracy snapped.
I actually loved the idea of calling Charlotte, but I didn’t like being told what to do by anyone, especially Tracy. “She’s a big girl. She could’ve called me just as easily as I could’ve called her. Besides, she’s the one who took off in the morning without a trace. It was just sex. Amazing sex,” I smirked.
Tracy’s face soured quickly at my teasing. “Women aren’t like you pigs,” she scowled.
Wow. Now I’m a pig? A week ago I was the ideal man to help her friend out of a bad time; now I’m a pig for doing a great job of it?
“You don’t want me talking to your mother, do you? Aunt Loretta would be devastated to think her son was a man-whore who used women for sex.” Tracy pushed her hand high on her hip as she spoke.
I wished for
a split second that we could go back to being kids, so I could shove her down into the mud puddle behind her. “I know you need someone out there to tend to your animals. Maybe you could offer her a job,” Tracy added.
I did need someone out there making sure the animals were all healthy and happy, but was Charlotte the right candidate for that? My foal, Carlos, hadn’t eaten for days. Even Charlie couldn’t get him to eat.
“I’ll think about it,” I told her and tossed the last load of feed onto my truck.
“Don’t think too long. I’m gonna pay Aunt Loretta a visit later tonight,” she said with her trademark smirk fixed in place.
I rolled my eyes as she walked back across the street. I hated her sometimes, but I knew she was only protecting her friend. It sounded like Charlotte had been down on her luck pretty bad, but that still didn’t explain why she took off if she wasn’t just looking for a one-nighter.
I drove back to the ranch, thinking about that night with Charlotte. We’d had a great time. She wasn’t like than any other woman I’d ever met. I wasn’t sure why I hadn’t called her myself, if for nothing else than just to make sure she’d made it home safe, and to thank her for a great night. It didn’t matter. I was going to call her now. I had to now.
Charlie met me as I pulled up the drive, signaling me toward the barn. I backed my truck up, got out, and started helping him unload the feed. “Carlos isn’t eating still,” he said, speaking of the foal in the barn. He’d had a full checkup from the vet, and as far as we could see, there was nothing wrong—he simply wouldn’t eat.
“I bought some new feed,” I said, grabbing the small bag from the back of my pickup. Charlie walked it over to the foal, and we both knelt beside him while Charlie tried to get him to eat. He wasn’t even interested.
“I think he misses his mother,” he said.
“Nonsense,” I scoffed, trying to push the food on the young foal. Nothing.
“I’ve bought plenty of foals his size and they did just fine,” I insisted.