Thank You For Loving Me (Canyon Creek, Co. Book 3)

by Lori Ryan

  Maggie and Kayleigh slid apart from each other and Devlin stepped between the two, her long dark hair blowing in the wind, whipping around her like a sea goddess. His fingers itched to touch her. Hell, who was he kidding? The urge didn’t stop at his fingers. His whole body wanted her. Wanted on her, in her. Before he could stop it, Max’s face split into a huge grin.

  “No, it’s not serious at all between you two, huh, Max?” Jake laughed, bumping his shoulder.

  “Piss off,” Max said. Without conscious thought, his feet closed the distance between them. Max stopped in front of Devlin, his hands glued to his side. He didn’t want to seem as excited as he was. And he certainly didn’t want to offer his brothers another reason to give him shit.

  “Hey,” Devlin said with a tentative smile.

  He studied her face, concern rushing through him when he saw the dark circles under her eyes. Her skin was ashen and she looked as if she’d lost weight she couldn’t afford.

  “Hi,” Max said quietly. “How are you feeling?”

  Her arms slipped around his waist and without thought, he wrapped his hands around her, pulling her in tight. It was overwhelming how much he liked holding her close, feeling her soft curves against him.

  Devlin drew in a deep breath and sighed against his chest. “Better now,” she whispered against his shirt.

  Max placed a small kiss on her hair, inhaling her familiar scent. “Me, too, Minx,” he whispered. “Me, too.”

  Jake might be right. This thing between them might be turning into something more, but in that moment, with Devlin in his arms, he didn’t want to fight it. She was safe, and she was his, for a little longer at least.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Devlin shrieked as Max gripped her by the waist and hauled her out of the barn, nearly lifting her off her feet.

  “Shhh,” he said, glancing behind them.

  “Wh-what are you doing? Where are we going?”

  “Anywhere but in there,” he murmured in her ear.

  “Well, it’s nice to see you too.”

  He stopped and turned toward her, staring down like he wanted to eat her alive.

  Devlin shivered, a lusty need racing down her spine.

  Broad hands slid around her jaw, his fingers digging into her hair as he pulled her toward him. Before she could stop him, his lips covered hers. The kiss was possessive and hard, and everything Devlin wanted.

  She returned the passion, grabbing his wrists to anchor him to her. She forgot where they were as he deepened the kiss. Devlin’s lips parted, allowing Max to plunder and take what he wanted, what he needed because honestly, she needed it too, whatever it was. Her heart squeezed painfully tight when she realized, he needed her.

  “Get a room,” someone shouted behind them.

  Devlin tried to pull away but Max held her still, refusing to let up. “Max,” she whimpered, not really wanting him to stop but knowing they needed to.

  He pulled away with the unhurried ease of a man who knew he was tempting her, lips breaking in a devilish smirk. “Hi,” he said, his eyes fluttering open.

  Devlin released his wrists and brought a hand up to touch her lips. “What was that?”

  “It was my way of saying I’ve missed you.”

  She smiled, her heart reacting more to his confession than it should be.

  “Come on.” He grabbed her hand and tugged her back along the rocky path she’d just walked on her way to the barn.

  “You’ve made a lot of progress with the barn, huh?”

  He didn’t answer, just continued at a pace that had Devlin nearly running behind him.

  “Max!” she shouted, tripping behind him.

  Max turned and caught her just as she was about to fall. His capable arms lifted her in the air with ease, as if they were honeymooners crossing the threshold. Where the hell had that image come from?

  He walked like man on a mission.

  “Where are we going?” she asked.

  Max veered from the main path and walked several yards, leaving the barn far behind them. When he ventured from the main path and turned toward one of the cabins set at the foot of the mountain, she sighed his name and sank into him.

  “This one in empty for the night.” He stalked up the steps and stopping just outside the front door. He reached for the knob and twisted. It was locked.

  “Dammit,” he growled. He released her body and she slid to the floor, steadying herself on his shoulders as she watched him reach for the top of the doorframe. His grin was pure wicked delight as he turned toward her, key in hand.

  “Max.” Her scolding was weak, but if anyone asked later, she could say she’d made the effort to stop him.

  Before she knew what hit her, Max had ushered her in, slamming the door behind him. He walked around the small room, pulling curtains closed as he went.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  “Blocking out my nosy brothers, and any other perverts who might wander by.”

  After making sure the cabin was secured from the glut of peeping Toms Max apparently expected, he turned to her, his wolfish grin making everything below her waist tingle. She loved that he could make her laugh one minute, then turn her on the next.

  Devlin backed up, her legs hitting the bed. Max closed in, looming over her. Maybe that should have felt threatening, but Max had only ever threatened Devlin’s sanity. She trusted him with her safety.

  She just wasn’t sure she trusted him with her heart. And she definitely didn’t trust herself not to fall for this man. She was falling. Hard and fast. It scared the hell out of her.

  He reached out and wrapped his hands around the hem of her shirt, slowly lifting it. She raised her arms, nearly whimpering when his hands skimmed her sensitized skin. He tugged the shirt off and tossed it behind him, then slid his hands under her arms to heft her in the air and throw her backward.

  “Max!” She laughed as she bounced, her body landing in a heap on the mattress.

  Offering no apologies, Max tugged his own T-shirt over his head and tossed it aside, lazily placing one knee on the bed and crawling toward her.

  God, he was beautiful. Sculpted shoulders hovered over her and she could feel a tingle begin in her fingers. It was the urge to reach out and smooth her hands over him. The tingle didn’t end there. It whirled through the rest of her body, cranking up the heat that had started the minute she saw him.

  Devlin scooted back on her elbows until she hit the headboard. “Max,” she whispered.

  Max’s eyes dropped to her lips. Heat pooled between her legs and spread through her limbs. He continued stalking up her body. She stared up at his light brown eyes, ensnared in his trap.

  He lowered on top of her, careful to rest his weight on his elbows as he swept her hair back from her face.

  “Hi,” he growled, his deep voice vibrating against her skin.

  “Hi.”

  “I missed you,” he said.

  “You already said that.”

  “I thought it was worth repeating.” He held his lips a breath away from hers. “Did you miss me?”

  She didn’t want to admit it, but she had, more than she should. Devlin slipped her hands around his neck, her fingers sinking into his soft hair. She tugged his head down to close the gap between them and brushed her lips against his, hoping her kiss would give him the answer that her brain couldn’t.

  Devlin moved to break the kiss but Max pressed into her, his tongue licking against the seam of her lips, demanding entrance. She tilted her head and opened her mouth, giving Max what he wanted most. Her.

  Some small part of Devlin knew she was getting what she wanted most at the same time.

  He groaned, deep and male, into her mouth. His hands wound in her hair and he held her steady, his body molding into hers.

  Devlin’s fingers traveled down his neck and over his chest, marveling at the sheer mass of his muscles. He was so much bigger than her, so powerful, but she didn’t feel overpowered. Overwhelmed but ne
ver overpowered.

  “I want you, Devlin.”

  She smiled against his lips. It was nice to be desired. She spread her legs in answer.

  Max broke the kiss and stared down at her, his eyes darker and half lidded. He trailed his lips over her chin and down her neck, stopping at the lace of her bra. His hands slid around her back and he popped the hook with ease.

  “You’ve done that a lot haven’t you?” she teased.

  Max smirked and gave a shrug. “It’s the first thing you learn in Boy Scouts.”

  “Long live the Boy Scouts.”

  Max saluted like a Boy Scout before he slid her bra down her shoulders, tossing it to the side with their other discarded clothing.

  Devlin’s nipples puckered in the cool air of the cabin.

  Max’s hands cupped her breasts, his thumbs scraping across her nipples. “Jesus, I must have really missed you.”

  “Why do you say that?” Devlin asked.

  He lowered his mouth and took one pert nipple in his mouth, drawing a moan from her. His touch was both pleasure and pain mixed into one overwhelming sensation that had her rocking up into him. She sucked in a breath at the feeling. Her breasts were so sensitive.

  “I’ve been dreaming of these breasts for weeks,” Max hummed against her skin. “I don’t remember them so big. They’re even better than I remembered.”

  Devlin’s body went still.

  Max’s gaze rolled up to meet hers, his brows knitted. “What?”

  She shook her head, not wanting to break the moment. She was too aroused to pull herself out of the moment. She dug her fingers into his hair and pulled him back down toward her breast.

  Distracting him turned out to be easy. He gave her a wolfish grin and returned.

  “Oh, God, that feels so good, Max.”

  “Yeah?” Max continued to suckle.

  “Ow.”

  He pulled back instantly. “Too much?”

  She didn’t want to think of why her breasts were so sensitive so she pulled his head up and tugged him toward her mouth, searing him with a deep kiss.

  He pulled away. “So?”

  “So, what?” she asked, her mind in a pleasure-induced fog.

  “Did you miss me?”

  She tried to hide the smile that threatened to split her face in two. “Yes,” she finally answered.

  “Good.” He kissed her nose, then across her cheek, then deliberately worked down her body, trailing kisses until he reached the top of her jeans.

  She sucked in a breath.

  He made quick work of her button and zipper, slipping them down her hips along with her underwear. “God, I missed this,” he whispered against her tender flesh. He lowered his face between her legs and moaned. It was clear from the sound he was about to partake in what he considered a feast.

  Max held still, his huge hands pressing against her thighs.

  Devlin rose up on her elbows as his eyes came up to meet hers, his heated gaze holding her captive.

  He raised a questioning brow. What was he asking?

  “Yes, I missed you,” she repeated. “A lot.” And she had.

  Max gave her a dazzling smile that would have melted her panties, if she’d had any on.

  He lowered his face and Devlin moaned as his tongue stroked against her sensitive skin. “Oh, God, Max. That feels so…” She couldn’t finish her statement as his magical tongue worked her over. He added a few fingers to the mix and before she could even blink, her eyes fluttered closed as her body skimmed the edge of release, fighting off an orgasm.

  “Let go, Minx,” Max moaned against her skin.

  She was so tired, so worn out, and yet with Max she felt alive. Giving herself over to the man who was willing to take her, Devlin let go, sagging back against the pillows as her body tumbled over the edge.

  Devlin screamed out his name, and some other random words, as her hands fisted the comforter, her head thrashing about. “Max, please,” she panted, her legs squeezing together but he continued his ministrations.

  It was all too much, almost to the point of pain, but Max kept up the pace, pushing her toward another release. She gasped for air, her hands slowly working down toward his hair, gripping his head and holding it in place as her hips bucked up against him. God, this was amazing. Her entire body was hypersensitive to his touch.

  Max pressed his mouth against her skin, his fingers and tongue moving, the pressure so perfect, it should be illegal. With one final flick of his tongue, Devlin came hard, again. Harder this time. Her hips bucked against the bed, her legs clamping against his shoulders as she fisted Max’s hair. She wouldn’t be surprised if she’d snatched him bald.

  She moaned again, gasping for breath. She released his hair and flapped one her arm over her eyes as the other dropped to her side. “God, Max. That was…”

  What was it? More intimate, more spectacular than anything she’d experienced before. She felt exposed, more vulnerable than she wanted to be.

  Max popped off the bed like he’d been electrocuted and worked to undo his pants. He quickly yanked them down his legs and stood, gloriously naked.

  Devlin ogled his body. “Yeah,” she sighed. “I missed you, a lot.”

  Max smiled triumphantly, eyes dancing with mischief. Devlin’s chest tightened and her stomach clenched. This time it had nothing to do with being nauseous. It had to do with fear.

  Fear of losing her heart to this man.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Max drank her in as he undressed, her body slack and sated, hair spread across the sheets like a goddess. Long lashes danced against her skin as she blinked dazedly up at him. He knew he should let her rest. She’d just flown in from New York City, and she had to be dead on her feet. He could see it in the circles under her eyes. But he was a selfish prick, so he crawled on top of her body.

  Devlin smiled and splayed her legs.

  It felt like coming home.

  He showed her the condom he’d pulled from his pocket moments earlier. “I’ve never once been tempted to go without one of these,” he said, meaning it. He’d known early on in his career that there were women who would try to trap him with a pregnancy he didn’t want. In fact, he’d never even let a woman be in charge of supplying the condoms. He supplied them so he could be sure they weren’t tampered with.

  He never in a million years would have taken a woman’s word for it that she was covered with another type of birth control. With Devlin, there was no doubt in his mind. If she said she was clean and they were covered, he believed her.

  Still, there was something in her eyes, and it surprised him when he realized it was doubt. He might not be doubting her, but what if she was doubting him?

  Devlin’s brows creased. “What do you mean?”

  “I’m tempted with you,” he said, pausing and meeting her eyes. “I’m tempted to go without protection, if um, I mean, you said you were on birth control, right? And, um I’m clean.”

  How could he ask this without sounding like a total dick?

  “Are you asking if I’ve slept with anyone in the time we’ve been apart?” Her brows rose and she tilted her head, daring him to ask the question. She’d told him when they were first together that even though she was clean and on birth control, she preferred to use a condom for safety. He’d respected that.

  He remained silent. His mother hadn’t raised a fool.

  “Wait,” she pushed up from under him, “have you?”

  “What?” Max faltered. “No, of course not.”

  “Then why did you think I have?”

  “I’ve been stuck in Canyon Creek,” he explained. “You’ve been in…”

  She arched a perfectly manicured brow but said nothing. Smart woman.

  Max fought the urge to squirm under her scrutiny. “You’ve been at a super sexy, super romantic location in Mexico with super sexy models.”

  “Who were all chicks, Max,” she said, clearly not amused.

  Damn, why had he started this? “What
about Stewart? He was in some of the photos you sent me.”

  Devlin pushed up on her arms, scooting back to lean against the headboard and look at him as if he’d lost his mind—which he very well may have. Words couldn’t describe the jealousy that had hit him when Devlin sent any photo with her and that dipshit.

  “Stewart is my assistant.”

  Max didn’t feel mollified.

  “And he’s gay, Max. As in, he’d rather see you naked than me. I told you that already.”

  Max sat back on his heels, suddenly feeling like an ass. Now that she said it, he did remember her telling him that Stewart was gay.

  She stared at him like he was an idiot, which he was at the moment. “Stewart spreads oil and shit all over the models’ bodies all damned day and feels nothing for them, because they’re girls.” She annunciated the last three words.

  Max shook his head, not understanding his own jealousy. “Look, I’m sorry,” he said, “I’m just…” Just what? He couldn’t admit to himself, let alone Devlin, that she was becoming more to him, whatever the hell “more” meant.

  “Were you jealous, Max?” She looked like she wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the answer.

  He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her underneath him. He spread her legs apart with his knee and slowly slid inside her, without the damned condom. “Yes,” he growled like the predator he was.

  Devlin’s eyes fluttered closed. “Oh, God. That feels so good. You feel so good.”

  Max pulled back. “Are we good?” he asked.

  Her eyes opened. “I just said so,” she smiled.

  “I meant protection. You’re okay with no condom?”

  She slowed her movements, her hand stroking his face. For a minute he feared she would say no. “Yes,” she whispered.

  Thank the little baby Jesus for that answer.

  Max slid back in to Devlin’s heat. She was so wet, so tight, so fucking perfect. “I missed you,” he said, sounding like a total idiot, but he didn’t care. He’d said it many times already, but he had to say it again. Had to get her to believe she meant something more to him than just a one-night-stand.