by Conley, Anne
Casey watched as he raced to the shower, peeling off his T-shirt and tossing his worn Stetson onto the couch. She had half a mind to join him, but instead she turned to ladle some stew into a bowl for him, and sat it on the table to cool.
She listened to the shower run, imagining Brent furiously washing his body, slathering soap and shampoo everywhere in his rush to get back to her, and she couldn’t contain the smile erupting on her face.
Casey thought about him constantly. Like a new car smell, Casey wanted the “new love” feeling to last. She caught herself wondering how to fix her hair so Brent would like it, she dressed to please him, and she cooked what she knew his favorite foods were.
She did it all willingly, because he never held back with his appreciative looks, adoring smiles, and kisses of thanks. Brent was easy to please, and he made pleasing him fun.
As she finished icing the cake, leaving the knife laying on the edge of the bowl, she started placing fresh strawberries around the edge.
But like a new car smell, Casey knew these feelings would fade. She’d experienced it with Kevin, although he’d never been as easy to please as Brent was. But, once they’d been married, his looks of adoration had turned to looks of disappointment, suspicion and finally, loathing. But she’d kept on with the façade of a marriage, in an attempt to get the old spark back, even after she’d realized the spark had been in her over-active imagination.
But Brent was different, he had to be. He was the love of her life. If what he said was true, he’d loved her like she’d love him: forever. So the new car smell would stay in this relationship, wouldn’t it?
When the shower turned off, she took the cake to the table, placing it in the middle. Going back into the kitchen, she was blocked by a freshly showered, amazing smelling, water still dripping down his neck, hadn’t put a shirt on yet Brent.
“Hey there, Gorgeous.” His voice was husky with desire, and his eyes gleamed with mischief. He’d spent the entire shower getting himself worked up, Casey could tell by the bulge in his clean jeans. And now the stew would get cold.
“Hey yourself, Cowboy.” He was barefoot, and the sight of him wearing nothing but a pair of jeans with the top button undone was breath-taking. Her fingers couldn’t resist swiping at a drip of water running over his pecs, and she delighted at Brent’s swift intake of air at her touch.
His face dipped toward hers, as he spoke softly to her. “I’ve been thinking about you all day. Wondering what you were up to.” His kiss was tender and soft, his lips caressing hers and moving over them. Brent’s lips were amazing to Casey, and she could kiss him forever like this. He held her face in his hands, keeping her still, as his lips explored hers, melding to her contours.
It lasted a while, just tender movements across her lips, before his tongue snaked out against the edge of her lips, seeking entrance. As she opened her mouth to his, Brent’s arms went down, pulling her closer.
Casey melted into Brent’s wet body, fitting into him like a puzzle piece. When Brent held her like this, she was the only woman on the face of the earth, he was the only man, and they were meant for each other. There was no past, no mistakes, no skeletons, only the two of them.
She whimpered as his tongue explored the contours of her mouth, as if for the first time, plunging and stroking. She gasped for air, when his hands went to her backside, lifting her to turn and put her on a countertop. Of their own volition, her legs wrapped around Brent, holding his pelvis against her core, which had gotten hot, clenching with need.
She held him against her, twining her fingers in his hair, not willing to let him go. Ever.
His hands were at the tie of her halter top, pulling it free to release her breasts, before he lowered his head to taste them. His rough tongue raked across her sensitive nipples and Casey arched into him. She was hot, and it wasn’t because she’d been cooking all day in a hundred degree weather. He suckled her nipple before taking more into his mouth, then letting go with a loud plop and flicking his tongue over it. When he was through, it was a stiff, sensitive peak, and he moved over to the other one.
Each touch of Brent’s mouth on her breast sent a shockwave to her clenching, hot, weeping core. She was so wet down there, she was afraid he’d be able to smell her desire, coming out of her in waves with each flick of his tongue.
Brent’s hands on her hips moved to the clasp of her shorts, lifting her and yanking them off in one smooth motion. She fumbled with his jeans, her fingers not working right, her only coherent thought being she needed to get the jeans down and him inside her. Now.
Brent grabbed her hands before she’d accomplished her goal and pulled them behind her, kissing her mouth again hard, before breaking the kiss and leaning his forehead against hers.
“Christ, Case…” His breathing was heavy, his shoulders heaved with them, and Casey used her legs to pull him closer again.
“Please, Brent.” The primal groan from her mouth was an attempt to tell him how badly she wanted him.
“Hang on a minute. Let me catch my breath.” He released her hands and pulled her close to him, her sensitive breasts pressed against his naked chest. She couldn’t help but rub against him like a feral cat. His injuries seeped into her lust fog and she pulled away.
“Are you okay? Am I hurting you?”
Brent brought his face to hers, and she could see the pupils of his eyes had dilated so much she could barely see the irises.
“I’m fine. You do so much for me every day.” He licked his lips and Casey’s pussy clenched. “You’re amazing. I want to show you a little something in return.”
“Jesus, Brent. You make me feel good every time you look at me.” She pulled him closer with her legs again, but he pulled back.
“Just… let me do something?” She nodded and he reached over for the frosting bowl she had used for the cake. “Lean back on your hands and spread yourself for me, Case.” She complied, spreading her knees wide, opening herself to him and watched as his gaze darkened further and smoldered over her body. “Sometimes I can’t believe my own luck…” He murmured to himself while dipping his finger into the frosting before smearing it across Casey’s lips.
When she opened her mouth to lick it off, he stopped her with his finger. “No. I’m not finished yet.”
He torturously swiped frosting across her nipples, then dipped into the bowl for more, slowly painting a trail of chocolate down her belly to the juncture of her thighs. The creamy grittiness of the sugary topping was cool against her skin, making her gasp as his fingers applied it across her stomach, and around her weeping folds. He looked at her face, his eyes nearly black with desire, and Casey could feel his need. She arched her back into his gaze, and watched a slow grin spread across his face. Her pussy clenched again, and he diverted his attention back there. Tormenting her, he swiped his finger in the bowl again and applied more sugary frosting to her folds, his breaths getting ragged again. Casey could see the restraint in the tension of his muscles.
She wasn’t breathing too well either. It was as if all the oxygen had left the room, and her blood was boiling under his touch. Casey could feel the blood rush to her own nether regions, engorging them, and she longed to rub against something, anything to relieve the pressure. She sat up, reaching for Brent, trying to get him to come back between her legs, but he chuckled at her.
“Can’t keep your hands to yourself?” His gaze on her was hungry, and it sent another shock to her core.
Casey shook her head no, reaching for him again, but before she realized what was happening, Brent had a dishtowel wrapped around her wrists.
He kissed her then, his mouth covering hers while licking and nibbling the frosting off. She moaned into his mouth, arching into his body, not caring that she was getting chocolate all over him too. Rubbing her chocolate covered breasts against his torso sent a delicious tremor through her body, and all she wanted was more.
She strained against the tie binding her, relishing the loss of control. If she
had use of her hands, they’d be tangled in Brent’s hair, leading him where she wanted him. This way, she was at his mercy.
And it was delicious.
His lips blazed a trail down her neck to her breasts, licking the chocolate first off one, then the other, before following the chocolate painted trail down her tummy. Dipping his tongue into her belly button sent a shock to her core, and Casey gasped, feeling the sensations rush through her body. Need and desire took over her thoughts, all she wanted was Brent. Before reaching the apex of her thighs, he looked up at her, grinning wickedly. “This is the best icing I’ve ever tasted.” Then he plunged his tongue into her and Casey couldn’t contain herself.
As he licked and nibbled at her bundle of nerves, where he’d left a dollop of chocolate, she exploded. Brent held her thighs in place as he continued, licking her clean of chocolate and calming her wracking shudders before plunging in two fingers and slowly pumping them in and out of her.
“Oh God, Brent.” She wanted to clutch his hair, to pull him closer, to get him inside her, but with her hands tied behind her, she was unable to do anything but succumb to his ministrations.
He continued flicking his tongue around her folds, up and down, before settling back on the erect nub at the top, all the while slowly stroking her insides with his fingers. Brent’s shoulders between her thighs and the top of his sandy-blonde head, darkened with water was an erotic sight, one that almost pushed her to the brink of another orgasm. She couldn’t take her eyes off him. The pressure building inside her was intense, and since he hadn’t stopped after her last orgasm, she felt herself ready to do it all again. When she squeezed her legs together and moaned, Brent used the flat part of his tongue to lick her hard and Casey’s eyes closed as stars burst behind her lids. She screamed his name, and shuddered violently, almost coming off the counter, before he finally came up, his face glistening with her juices.
His hands reached around and untied the dishtowel holding her hands behind her back, and he smirked at her. “Good frosting, definitely.” When he kissed her, Casey could barely respond, she was so weak after two powerful orgasms back to back. But with the taste of her on his lips mingled with the chocolate in her mouth, she couldn’t help but pull him closer into a deeper kiss.
She didn’t realize when he’d unfastened his own pants, or when he’d pushed them down. All she knew was one minute, she was kissing Brent, feeling replete and satisfied, and the next, he was inside her, filling her, and the pressure was back.
Her legs wrapped around his waist again, but he pulled her knees up, pushing her back and watched their bodies joining. He pumped in and out of her slowly, restraint evident on his face.
“Touch yourself.” His voice was a tortured growl, sending a shiver racing through her.
Casey reached down and panted as she circled the overly sensitive bundle of nerves there, and as she felt herself climbing towards another dizzying climax, Brent grabbed two handfuls of her breasts.
“So fucking beautiful…”
She looked at his face, gazing at her breasts, framed by her hot pink heels and exploded around him, yet again, her muscles contracting around him as he thrust in and out. His eyes took on a glazed look, and he released her breasts to clutch her hips and started slamming into her, hard powerful thrusts. Sounds of their skin slapping together, sent another shock to her core, and Casey was powerless to stop the rush of emotions coursing through her body.
Brent’s orgasm was powerful, and his grunts escalated to a long, keening groan before he pulled her towards him and buried his face in her hair, breathing deeply.
His hands clutched her so tightly, she knew he’d leave marks, but she didn’t mind. She’d gotten accustomed to seeing evidence of their lovemaking on her body, and always felt warm when she came across a new hickey, stubble mark, or bruise, especially after remembering what had caused them. When he pulled back to look at her, she saw his eyes were glassy with emotion, but he didn’t say anything. He simply pulled her closer, resting his head on the top of hers. She could feel him trembling around her.
“Are you okay, Brent?”
He only nodded, and Casey didn’t press the issue. She could only assume he was feeling as emotional as she was. She could still hear his ragged breathing, from the after-glows of great sex, but she wanted to think there was more to it.
There certainly was for her.
Chapter 23
Casey spent the next few days with Brent at his ranch, getting to know Mooch and the horses, and he spent his time getting to know the adult Casey Stewart he’d dreamed about. Brent showed her how to look up the different horses’ feed routines, as well as their work-out routines. She’d been helping him in the arena exercising the newer horses, and getting her horse groove back. She was helping to socialize them, even naming one of them Delilah. Brent was planning to give her to Casey sometime soon.
He treasured his time with Casey, especially the quiet times. She’d encouraged him to go for more walks to stretch his healing muscles, holding his hand the entire time, chatting away about nonsense. He loved her voice, it was better than music, when she spoke of her interests: the power of positive thoughts, new recipes, favorite actors and actresses. The entire time, Mooch trotted along behind them eagerly, tongue lolling out, panting heavily, happy to be included.
They talked about everything: their pasts, their futures, their dreams. Brent was worried about Kevin, her ex. Brent finally named him in his head, acknowledging the fear that the ex had instilled in him, fear for Casey, who seemed to not give him the credit he was capable of. Casey seemed to discount him though, and it frustrated Brent to no end, knowing he was at large, possibly meant her harm, and she didn’t think anything of it. She insisted that Kevin didn’t mean her any harm, he was just looking for attention. He’d stopped bringing it up to her, but he’d kept a vigilant eye out. If he knew where Casey was staying, he might come here.
Brent loved Casey Stewart, the woman, as much, if not more than he’d loved the girl. They stayed up late at night watching movies, her tucked into the crook of his arm, leaning her soft warmth against his body. They talked over iced tea on the porch, sitting in matching rocking chairs he’d found at a garage sale after she’d started staying with him. He loved to watch her work. He’d moved over her drafting table and set it up in the guest room, turning it into an office of sorts for her. He could watch her focused concentration all day long, and he had on more than one occasion, from the easy chair in the corner. Her tongue poked out the bottom corner of her mouth, while she sucked on the lip, driving him to distraction.
They’d become even more open with each other about things. His ribs were healing, almost completely better now, and he attributed that to Casey. Their honesty in dealing with their pasts, her dad, his pills, and her ex was helping him to see a brighter future with her. He was healing through honesty, no longer lying about who he used to be, hiding from his past. He was embracing it, and she was helping him, whether it was from her positive vibrations or her presence, he didn’t know.
Brent walked to the house from the barn slowly. This was one of his favorite times of the day, after he’d finished his work with the horses for the day, when he came home to figure out Casey’s plan for dinner. She was a really good cook, but sometimes she’d run into town to pick something up, if she’d been working all day.
She’d re-organized his kitchen, and added some girly junk to his living room, pillows and things. He’d poked fun at her good-naturedly, but deep down, he liked it.
He stomped his boots on the way up the porch stairs and then used the boot scraper to get the mud off before walking into the house and putting his hat on the hat rack. He ran his fingers through his hair as he breathed deeply of the carnivore’s delight waiting for his taste buds.
“I smell steak.”
She stuck her head around the doorway from the kitchen. “Yep, and baked potatoes. You hungry?” Casey came around and walked toward him, dishtowel slung over her shoulde
r like her mom. Suddenly, he wanted her here, like this, every day for the rest of his life. It was overwhelming.
He opened his arms and hugged his girl, dragging her scent in his nose and fighting the rush of emotion that threatened to carry him away. He loved everything about this woman so much it hurt.
“Starved.”
He took his boots off by the door and followed her into the kitchen, where she had two plates of food set out on the counter. As always, he marveled at her ability to time his return to the house so perfectly that the food was always hot and ready when he walked in the door. He had no idea how she did it, but he appreciated it immensely.
He eyed her up and down. Casey was dressed up, wearing a dress that wrapped around her torso and tied at the side. The stretchy fabric fell just above her knees and hugged every curve she had. As usual, his eyes slid to her footwear, as he imagined the rest. The dress was black, but the shoes were a soft lavender color, strappy things with sharp, high heels. His gaze slid up her long, smooth legs, and rested on her cleavage, trying to find a hint of something there. When his eyes finally climbed to her face, she was smirking at him.
“You’ll get to see them later, I promise. But first we eat.”
“I can think of other stuff I want in my mouth.” His raspy voice was almost a growl, and he cleared his throat.
She batted at him with the dishtowel. “We’re going to talk about that. At dinner. Sit,” she commanded. He grabbed both plates and took them to the table before he complied. She had already placed two wine goblets with ice water by their places.
As they ate, Brent stretched out his legs, seeking her feet under the table. He had some crazy desire to touch her at all times when he was around her. He knew it was juvenile, but he couldn’t control the impulse. As his foot found hers, she raised an eyebrow at him. He couldn’t stop the amused smirk on his face, as he took another bite of his steak.
“This is really good, Case. I had no idea steak could be done inside like this.”
