Diamonds and Dust

by Jessie Evans

  “He’s got to win,” Clem said. “Sawyer’s taking home that trophy over our dead bodies.”

  “There is no trophy, goofball.” Mia shook her head as she reached over to pinch Clementine’s leg lightly through her red tights. “You’ve been watching too much Karate Kid.”

  “I love it,” Clem said, her eyes shining. “I’m going to start karate next week.”

  “Is that right?” Mia humphed in surprise. “I thought you were taking ballet class, last I heard.”

  “She’s taking that, too,” Tulsi said, raising her voice to be heard as Pike scored a goal and Clementine broke into a raucous cheer. “Since we’re homeschooling, we’re trying to get out and spend time with other kids at least three times a week. Keeps us from becoming hermits during the off season.”

  “How’s the homeschool stuff working out?” Mia asked. “Still good?”

  “Great,” Tulsi said, beaming. “I’m really enjoying it. So much so, I’m thinking about going back to school for a teaching degree at some point down the line.”

  Mia’s eyes widened. “Wow. I never thought I’d hear you talk about a career outside the barn with that much excitement in your voice.”

  Tulsi shrugged. “Well, it wouldn’t be for a while. Right now I’m concentrating on the family and that feels right. Especially once we start trying for number two in the spring.” She smiled as she nodded toward Mia’s tiny little baby bump. “We can’t let you and Sawyer get too far ahead or the cousins won’t be close to the same age.”

  Mia grinned. “You know I agree. What does Miss Clem think about a new baby?”

  “I want a baby brother,” Clem said absently, her attention still fixed on the game. “Then a baby sister, but a baby brother first so Dad won’t be outnumbered three to one.”

  Tulsi hugged Clem tight, her heart swelling the way it did every time she heard her daughter talk about her dad. It had only taken a few weeks for Mr. Pike to become Daddy. All Tulsi’s worries about Clementine’s reaction to learning the truth had been for nothing. Yes, Clem was smarter than the average six-year-old, but she was also a kid whose dreams were coming true. She didn’t care why it had taken so long for Tulsi and Pike to find each other again or hold a grudge over the years she’d lost. She embraced the love in the here and now and had been thrilled to get to be flower girl all over again at Pike and Tulsi’s simple ceremony at the Hearst ranch in September. Clem had had her daddy up on a pedestal ever since, even before she’d watched him pitch in the World Series.

  But that was okay. Her daddy was pretty crazy about her, too. He swore it was taking the down time with Clem after her surgery that had healed his knee. That and Tulsi’s kisses, but Clementine preferred to take all the credit.

  “Yes!” Clem leapt off Tulsi’s lap and thrust a fist into the air as Pike scored the winning point. “Take that, Sawyer!”

  “All right, Miss Thing,” Sawyer said, motioning Clem over. “I want to play you next. Let’s see if you play ball as well as you talk smack.”

  Clementine bounded across the room giggling, high-fiving Pike on her way to the table.

  “Hey, sexy mama,” Pike said, still breathing heavy from the game as he stopped in front of the couch and reached a hand down to Tulsi. “Want to go check the turkey with me?”

  “I would love to.” Tulsi grinned as she threaded her fingers through his and let him pull her to her feet. Even now, after four months of nearly constant togetherness as they traveled together for the post season and settled in at the ranch soon after, simply holding Pike’s hand was enough to send a shiver across her skin.

  “You’re not fooling anyone, you two,” Mia said dryly. “We all know the grandmas are ruling the kitchen right now. You’re sneaking off for alone time.”

  Pike grinned shamelessly. “Got to take it when I can get it with all you people in my house.”

  “Try the tree house,” Mia called after them. “That’s where Sawyer and I were earlier.”

  Tulsi shot Mia an incredulous look over her shoulder.

  “What?” Mia blushed. “There were no kids in there at the time.”

  Tulsi wagged a naughty girl finger at Mia, but a few minutes later, she was locked in the basement laundry room with her husband, getting up to a few naughty things of her own.

  “You are irresistible in this dress,” Pike said, lifting her up on top of the washing machine as they kissed, making Tulsi’s breath catch as his hands gripped the back of her thighs and spread them wide. “All I’ve been able to think about all afternoon is getting you alone.”

  “My mother told me a short dress was impractical for winter in Montana,” Tulsi said, wrapping her legs around Pike’s waist and squeezing tight. “I told her I preferred driving my husband crazy to being practical.”

  Pike laughed against her lips. “You didn’t.”

  “Of course I didn’t,” Tulsi said, nipping at his bottom lip. “I’m the good sister. I have to keep my angel halo in place since Reece backed out of Thanksgiving and made everyone sad.”

  “I’m not sad.” Pike lifted her with one strong arm around her waist as he stripped her panties down her legs with the other. “I’m so happy, my dad threatened to slap the smile off my face twice yesterday.”

  “He’s such a charmer.” Tulsi fisted her hands in Pike’s heavy blue sweater, drawing it up over his head before going for his undershirt. “I’m going to slap him if he keeps being cranky.”

  Pike tossed his undershirt to the floor, baring his chest, making it impossible for Tulsi to resist trailing her fingers over his soft skin with the delicious muscles bunching beneath. Her husband truly was beautiful, inside and out.

  “You don’t have to defend me, baby,” he said. “I don’t give a shit how cranky he is. Nothing can bring me down.”

  “I still say we need to arrange for a near death experience.” Tulsi continued her exploration of Pike’s chest as he worked the buckle on his jeans. “It did wonders for Daddy. Look how sweet he is now.”

  “Dale’s great, but I don’t want to talk about your daddy right now, babe.”

  “Oh no?” Tulsi batted her eyes innocently as she spread her legs and lifted the hem of her dress. “Then what do you want to talk about?”

  “This naughty angel I’m married to.” Pike shoved his jeans and boxers down around his hips, baring his thick, swollen length before he reached for her. “And how I can’t wait to make love to her all night long as soon as our parents are out of the house.”

  “That sounds per—” Tulsi’s words became a soft cry as Pike pulled her to the edge of the washing machine and drove inside her with one long, possessive stroke.

  They came together with the same urgency they had that first time in Lonesome Point, Pike riding her hard and Tulsi welcoming every rough thrust with moans she tried her best to keep quiet, even though the walls were thick and the laundry far from the main rooms of the house. But by the time he brought her over, his teeth dragging lightly across her neck as his fingers dug into her hips, Tulsi wasn’t thinking about being quiet. She was pure feeling, so full of joy and love and passion she threw back her head and called Pike’s name as she came.

  Her entire body caught fire and burned, but Pike was right there with her, making her feel treasured and beautiful and loved for exactly who she was, angel wings, hidden devil horns, and everything in between.

  Pike

  She felt so fucking good. Pike wanted to slow down and make it last, draw out this stolen moment for as long as possible before he had to share his wife again with all the other people who loved her. But she was so beautiful, so sexy, and when her fingernails dug into his shoulders and she came calling his name, there was nothing he could do but tumble after her.

  “God, Tulsi,” he groaned as his cock pulsed inside her tight sheath and her breath came fast against his chest. “You feel so good. I love you so fucking much.”

  “I love you so fucking much, too,” she said, in her sweet drawl, making him smile.

&
nbsp; “You’re cute when you cuss.” He kissed the top of her head and hugged her tight, needing another moment to be this close to her, this precious woman who had given him the world.

  The press had turned Tulsi and Pike’s whirlwind marriage into a Cinderella story, but Pike knew he was the one who had gone from sleeping in the ashes to bedding down with a princess every night. His love for Tulsi had made him happier than he could remember and had bled over into every other part of his life. He’d gone from “out of commission” to pitching the best games of his career in the World Series and batting his best average in three years. He’d ended the season with one of the highest averages for a pitcher in the post season and was determined to improve next year.

  For the first time since he was a kid, he loved the game with all his heart and soul and it was all because of his wife and little girl in the stands, cheering him on. He’d always had the ability, but now he had a reason to relish every moment on the field, every minute with his family, and every second in Tulsi’s arms.

  “I’m not cute,” Tulsi said with a sigh. “I’m a sex maniac. I can’t believe we had a quickie with my entire family upstairs.”

  “A cute sex maniac.” Pike pulled out and reached for a roll of paper towels from above the washer. “Is it wrong that I can’t wait for our wonderful family to leave?”

  Tulsi grinned. “It’s been a lovely visit so far, but no, I don’t think that’s wrong. It’s nice to have lots of people around to love, but it’s also nice to be just the three of us. We spent so much time apart that I’m still greedy when it comes to sharing you.”

  “I’m always going to be greedy when it comes to sharing you,” Pike said, grabbing her panties off the floor and twirling them around his finger. “Can I keep these in my pocket as a souvenir, to keep me company during supper?”

  “No, you may not.” Tulsi snatched the silk from his hand with a scandalized look. “I’m not going to eat supper with my family without underpants on, Pike Sherman. I have a wild streak, not a perverted one.”

  “Not yet. But we were getting close the other night,” Pike winked, loving the way her cheeks turned pink as their eyes met and held. “I can’t wait to sixty-nine with you again. I love having your pussy sitting on my—”

  “Ew, don’t say that word.” Tulsi slapped his arm as she hopped down off the washer. “You know it grosses me out. You need to think up a better nickname if you’re going to talk dirty to me and have me actually like it.”

  “How about fluffy?”

  Tulsi’s nose wrinkled as she stepped into her panties. “That makes it sound like I’ve got a 1970s disco situation down there, Mr. Sherman, and we both know that’s not true.”

  “No, it’s not, Mrs. Sherman,” Pike said, still in awe that they shared the same last name and that this sweet and sexy woman was his for life. “Then how about muffin? Like my sweet love muffin?”

  Tulsi rolled her eyes.

  “My Lil Cooter?”

  She pretended to gag.

  Pike laughed. “Punani?”

  She cocked her head and the hint of a smile curved her lips. “That could work. I can imagine you saying you like my punani sitting on your face and not being totally grossed out. Or my punani riding you in the morning or my punani—”

  Pike snatched her up in his arms, growling against her neck when she squealed. “You keep talking like that and you and your punani are staying here with me until tomorrow morning.”

  “Promises, promises,” she said, wrapping her legs around his waist and kissing him sweetly on the lips. “Thank you, baby, for the best Thanksgiving ever.”

  “Thank you,” he said, “for making every day something to be thankful for.”

  “Aw,” Tulsi said, her eyes starting to shine. “That was so sweet I almost threw up a little.”

  Pike grinned. “You think you’re pregnant already?”

  Tulsi rolled her eyes. “No. I told you, I’m on the pill until March.”

  “But the pill didn’t work against my super sperm the first time,” Pike said, wiggling his eyebrows. “So maybe you are.”

  Tulsi laughed as she ran an affectionate hand through his hair. “I swear, you’re like a stallion in heat.”

  “Alpha Male,” Pike corrected, squeezing her butt one last time before he set her on her feet. “Alpha Male in heat, who loves you so much he can’t wait to make more babies with you.”

  Tulsi took his hand, smiling up at him. “Still thinking three more?”

  “Five. Enough to fill every room upstairs. And we can add on if we’re not finished after that.”

  “Our families are going to think we’re nuts if we have that many kids,” she said, reaching for the door. “You realize that right?”

  Pike shrugged, following her down the hall, past the entrance to the home gym and the rec room Clem had taken over as her playroom. “They already think we’re nuts for getting married so fast, and you know how much I care what other people think. Your opinion is the only one I care about.”

  Tulsi sighed happily as she looped her arm around his waist. “My opinion is that we should have lots of sweet babies, but we should have pie first. I’m starving. I don’t know if I can wait for the turkey to come out of the oven.”

  “I’ll distract the grandmas, you go for one of the pumpkin pies and two spoons,” Pike said. “Then we can sneak out to the tree house and eat it straight out of the pan.”

  “I like the way you think,” Tulsi said, slipping out from under his arm and dashing for the stairs. “Race you.”

  “Cheater!” Pike bolted after her, but let her stay in the lead because it was more fun to sneak peeks up his wife’s skirt as she ran than it was to beat her at a race.

  Upstairs, they scored their pie, but ended up sharing it with Clementine, who caught them on the way out to the tree house. Later, they all settled into the dining room with the floor to ceiling windows and breathtaking views of the snow-covered Bitterroot Mountains, but there was nothing bitter in Pike’s heart. He was decadently happy and after supper, when everyone had settled into the comfy couches in the great room to watch a movie and nap off the food coma, he drifted off to sleep with heaven in his arms—his wife curled against him on one side, his daughter on the other, and all the love he’d ever need living in the air between them.

  There were people who said Pike was a lucky bastard for making such a comeback so late in the season, but Pike knew the biggest stroke of luck he’d ever received was the day his path had crossed Tulsi’s again, and they got back on the road to forever.

  ***

  The End

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  A Letter from the Author

  Dear Reader,

  I hope you enjoyed DIAMONDS AND DUST. The Lonesome Point books mean so much to me, and I’m thrilled to share these stories of sexy Texas cowboys and the women tough enough to tame them with all of you. I treasure every email I receive and hope to have more to add to my collection in the coming months as the rest of the series releases.

  If you’d like to chat about your reading experience please drop me a line at Jessie.d.evans@gmail.com. You can also catch me on Facebook (my favorite place to hang out with readers) https://www.facebook.com/JessieEvansRomance, or sign up for my newsletter so you’ll never miss out on a new release or giveaway again http://bit.ly/1swaXYv.

  And while I’m tugging your ear, I wanted to let you know how grateful I am to everyone who has taken the time to review my books. Reviews can really make or break an author and I appreciate your feedback so much. If you have a moment to leave a review for DIAMONDS AND DUST at the retailer where you purchased the book, I would really appreciate it.

  Wishing you many good reads, and thank you for the chance to tell you stories,

  Jessie Evans

  More about the aut
hor:

  New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Jessie Evans, gave up a career as an international woman of mystery to write the sexy, contemporary romances she loves to read.

  She's married to the man of her dreams, and together they're raising a few adorable, mischievous children in a cottage in the jungle. She grew up in rural Arkansas, spending summers running wild, being chewed by chiggers, and now appreciates her home in a chigger-free part of the world even more.

  When she's not writing, Jessie enjoys playing her dulcimer (badly), sewing the worlds ugliest quilts to give to her friends, going for bike rides with her house full of boys, and drifting in and out on the waves, feeling thankful for sun, surf, and lovely people to share them with.

  Learn more at www.jessieevansauthor.com

  More sexy, contemporary romances by Jessie Evans

  Lonesome Point, Texas

  LEATHER AND LACE

  SADDLES AND SIN

  DIAMONDS AND DUST

  12 Dates of Christmas: A Lonesome Point Holiday Novella

  GLITTER AND GRIT (Dec)

  CHAPS AND CHANCE (2015)

  ROPES AND REVENGE (2015)

  Always a Bridesmaid

  BETTING ON YOU

  KEEPING YOU

  WILD FOR YOU

  TAKING YOU (series-ending novella)

  Fire and Icing

  MELT WITH YOU

  HOT FOR YOU

  SWEET TO YOU

  SAVING YOU (series-ending novella)

  Escape to You Novellas

  AUDITIONING YOU

  DARING YOU

  Edgy, New Adult Reads written as J. Evans

  ONE WILD NIGHT-Wild Rush One

  THIS WICKED RUSH-Wild Rush Two

  ONE PERFECT LOVE- Wild Rush Three