Love, Laughter, and Happily Ever Afters Collection (Eight Fun, Romantic Novels by Eight Bestselling Authors)
Page 60
The horse snorts in agreement, nostrils flaring.
âYou have a gift,â I tell him, awed. Iâm watching something special here, I can tell. I remember the horse back at the fairgrounds, and how Hunter talked it down when it panicked. The way he communicates with them, itâs like a secret language, something more than words.
âHow does it work, the way you handle them?â
Hunter pauses. âI donât know how to describe it.â
âTry,â I prompt him, curious now. Iâm so used to guys just crashing around the place, leaving chaos in their wake. Itâs something new to see a man so in tune with the world around him, like he can sense every shift in the animalâs mood.
âOK, so⦠the thing you have to understand about horses, is, they love people, but theyâre wild. An animal whoâs been out roaming around, heâs not going to take orders from anyone.â Hunter begins to stroll again, down towards the deserted part of the stables, where the stalls are open and freshly swept, stacked with bales of hay. I follow. âSome guys, when they break a horse, they go hard. Itâs like a battle of wills, you know, whoâs going to submit.â
âBut not you?â
He shakes his head. âMy grandpa taught me, youâve got to earn their trust. You have to make it so theyâre curious, they want to know what youâve got in store. First, a leading rope, so they have plenty of room. It feels like theyâre still on their own terms, you know? Then when theyâre used to you, you try a bridle. A bit more control. Sometimes, Iâm working for months before I even try a saddle. By then, they have to trust you completely, enough to surrender.â
Surrender.
The word makes me shiver. I donât know how Iâm getting turned on, standing in the middle of a stable, but listening to Hunter speak sends a thick sweetness rising in my body; my nipples tightening under the thin fabric of my tank. I canât help but imagine those hands on me, so sure and controlling; that voice whispering forbidden secrets in my earâ¦
âWhat was that look?â
I glance up to find Hunter watching me, a crooked smile on his face. My cheeks burn.
âNothing!â I yelp.
He raises an eyebrow, teasing. âTell me.â
I shake my head, blushing furiously. Damn my dirty mind, not keeping my thoughts under control.
âNot talking?â Hunter drawls. âShame. Iâll just have to take a guess.â His eyes meet mine, a direct challenge. âYou want to know if Iâm still as good as I was three years ago.
Suddenly, the air goes out of my lungs. I gasp, shocked by how blatant he is, but dammit, even more turned on. âWhatever.â I roll my eyes, desperately trying to stay cool. âThat night was nothing special.â
âBullshit.â Hunterâs gaze drifts lower. He smirks. I quickly cross my arms over my chest. âYou loved it.â
âIt was fine, I guess.â I make an exaggerated shrug. âYou were just a kid. You didnât know what you were doing.â
âI knew enough to make you come.â
My legs go weak. Hunter is still gazing at my body, eyes roving over my flesh with blatant desire. I know I should say something, make some kind of protest, or deny his arrogant claims, but Iâm caught, frozen in his naked stare and the sexy, forbidden words coming from that perfect mouth.
âSo what?â I finally manage, my heart pounding in my ears. I donât know what Iâm doing, taunting him like this, I just know I canât stop. âThatâs no real achievement. I can come anytime I want.â I waggle my fingers at him in a wave.
Big mistake.
Hunterâs eyes flash with desire, and then heâs grabbing my wrists, shoving me back into one of the empty stalls until my back hits the wall. I gasp. âNot the way I do it.â Hunter growls, his jaw clenched with tension. âNot the way I make you feel.â
My pulse races, my gaze never leaving his. Iâm trapped under his hold, Hunterâs body looming above me, a solid mass of muscle and power. âWell Iâve got news for you, darlinâ. Iâm not that kid anymore.â He leans closer, so his next words are only a whisper, the rough scratch of his voice sending a rush of quicksilver to my very core.
âIâm better.â
I feel a shudder of desire at the promise, but before I can catch my breath, Hunterâs lips capture mine in a punishing kiss.
I moan. If our kisses before were a lit fuse, this is the inferno, wild and demanding, and raging out of control. I arch up against him, straining at the grip on my wrists, but Hunter doesnât release me. He doesnât need to. His mouth ravages mine, totally possessing; his tongue plunging deep in my mouth, his body smothering mine. Iâm powerless against the onslaught of pleasure, every last one of my protests obliterated under the thundering force of his kiss.
Jesus!
I moan into his mouth, desire consuming me with its raging flame. Hunter releases my wrists in answer, moving his hands to grip my thighs and wrap my legs around his waist. He lifts me off my feet as if I weigh nothing, slamming me down against a bale of hay and covering my body with his own. I shudder at his weight, pressing me down, overwhelming. I can feel him through his jeans, pressing hard between the apex of my thighs, thick and ready, and the realization sends a new, wet ache flooding to my core.
Hunter pulls back. âTake off your shirt.â He growls. I can only blink up at him, helpless. Canât he see coherent thought is beyond me now?
Hunterâs expression darkens. âI said, take. Off. Your. Shirt.â
His words are slow. Deliberate.
An order.
I struggle to sit up, my heart racing. I lift the tank top over my head, breathless under Hunterâs gaze. He watches me, not saying a word, so I remove my bra too, slowly unhooking the clasp and shrugging the straps from my shoulders.
Hunter looks down at me, his breath coming in ragged gasps. His eyes roam over every inch of my bare skin, and I shiver, feeling the hungry sweep of his gaze as if it were his touch.
âGoddammit, Brit.â Hunter lets out a groan, then swoops down to kiss me again, his mouth desperate and fierce. Iâm finally free to touch him, and God, I do: my hands roving over the solid planes of his shoulders, grabbing greedy handfuls of his shirt. I slide my fingers under the fabric, reveling in the touch of his bare skin, the taut, smooth mass of muscle and pure power, just waiting to be unleashed. I need to feel it on me, nothing between us, so I tug impatiently at his shirt, trying to lift it over his head.
Hunter pulls back, leaving me gasping. His eyes are blazing and determined.
âNo,â he growls, harsh. âYou had it your way once. Now we play by my rules.â
He splays a hand against my bare chest and pushes me down again, so Iâm laying beneath him, half-naked and panting.
My way? My mind races to figure out his cryptic comment, but then Hunter leans in and lowers his mouth to my breast, and every thought is obliterated from my mind.
Oh!
I close my eyes, falling into the pleasure as Hunter teases his way across my skin, licking and swirling at my tender flesh until my whole body is shaking with sensation. He covers every inch, but each time he nears my nipples, Hunter slides around them: dragging his tongue down my stomach, lapping in the hollow of my belly button, moving back up to whisper kisses along the curve of my breasts until Iâm aching and restless, desperate to feel his mouth on me.
âPlease,â I whimper, gasping.
Hunterâs mouth strays closer. I arch up against him, eager. His tongue swirls lightly around, but itâs not enough. I hear myself whimper, unable to put in words what I need but wanting it oh-so-desperately. He drags his tongue closer, the pressure so exquisite, hot and wet, and—
And then heâs gone.
My eyes snap open to
find Hunter on his feet, a few paces away. âDo you trust me?â he asks, almost casually, walking to the edge of the stall.
I gasp for air, reeling. Iâm half-naked and totally undone, panting here on the hay bale, and meanwhile Hunter is fully-dressed, still completely composed. âIâ¦â I stutter, still caught up in the desire flooding my body; my blood simmering hot in my veins. âWhat are youâ¦?â
He turns back. My heart skips a beat. Heâs holding a leather bridle lead, flexing it between his hands.
âDo you trust me?â Hunter asks again. He moves closer, standing over me. Waiting.
Holy shit.
My mind races, blood pounding in my ears. Iâve never done anything like this before. Let some guy take control, completely? Itâs the last thing on earth Iâd ever try. But when I look at Hunter, all that fades away. His expression is hungry, and thereâs something else there too: a fierce intensity that robs me of my breath and sends a light shiver of anticipation rolling straight between my thighs.
I nod. âI trust you,â I whisper.
A wicked smile spreads across Hunterâs face, and I wonder if Iâve made the right call. But itâs too late to take it back. Hunter grabs my wrists, binding them together and pulling them up over my head. He fastens them to the railing that runs around the inside of the stall, looping the leather through and securing it with a sharp yank. I test the resistance, expecting an easy give, but instead, the leather cuts sharply into my wrists.
Another surge of anticipation shudders through me. Heâs not fucking around.
Hunter looks down at me. âWhat will I do with you?â he muses, settling back so heâs on his knees on either side of my hips. His gaze slips over me, and I shiver, my bare chest rising and falling with each of my labored breaths. My breasts are tight and aching, crying out for his touch, but Hunter takes his time. âI feel like itâs my birthday,â he adds, trailing his hand lightly across my skin. âAnd youâre my present, just waiting to be unwrapped.â
Hunterâs eyes burn with desire, locked on mine as his fingertips roam across my breasts, sending tiny cobwebs of pleasure shivering across my skin. I try to catch my breath, but itâs all too much. With him straddling me, my hands bound, I canât move; Iâm totally trapped below him, powerless to do anything but submit to the restless path of his hands as they tease and stroke across my whole torso, eyes locked on mine as he pushes me closer to the edge. Itâs an erotic thrill Iâve never known before, to be so completely in someoneâs power like this. I canât stop him, I canât do anything at all except feel each soft touch, whispering, infuriating, stoking the fire in my bloodstream with a slow, relentless rhythm until Iâm panting with frustration; aching and wet, desperate for some kind of release.
Finally Hunter closes his thumb and forefinger around my nipple and squeezes, hard.
I cry out.
His eyes flare with passion. He closes his hand around my other breast, and squeezes again, rolling my nipples against his thumbs. Pleasure floods through me, thick and sweet. Oh God, yes. He dips his head, kissing down my neck as I writhe beneath him, until at last, his mouth closes over my breast and sucks, hard.
I lose my mind.
The pressure is sharp and sweet, and I moan, thrusting shamelessly against his mouth. Hunter rasps his tongue across my nipple, over and over, until Iâm crying out from the exquisite ache, desire clawing at my body so deep I think Iâll die.
Hunter suddenly lifts his head. He yanks my buttons open and drags my skirt down over my thighs, tossing it aside as I lie there, breathless.
He pauses, a grin curling at his lips as he takes in the lacy design of my panties: hot pink and edged with ribbon trim. âCute,â he says, dipping his head lower to send a whisper of hot breath across my stomach. I shudder. âIâll be careful not to rip them.â He looks up, devilish. âUnless you want me to?â
Iâm caught in his stare, my mind still nothing but a chaos of desire. He winks. âNext time.â
Hunter slips down, so heâs on his knees in front of me. He takes my thighs in both hands, and slowly eases them apart.
Oh God.
Hunter looks up again, as if sensing my anticipation. âThatâs right,â he murmurs, pausing to drop a searing kiss on the inside of my thigh. âIâm going to touch you, and taste you.â His fingers find the edge of my panties, toying with the lace. âIâm going to do whatever the hell I want, and youâ¦â His eyes meet mine, dark with desire.
âYou canât stop me.â
A moan slips from my mouth.
âAlready, baby?â Hunter smirks. âI havenât even gotten started.â
He lowers his mouth and dances his tongue across the narrow strip of lace. I gasp. The pressure is achingly light through the fabric, but it still sends a shiver of lust spiraling through me, settling deep in my core. My panties are slick against me, and I can feel the damp between my thighs, wet and ready for him.
Hunter loops his thumbs under the fabric, and eases it slowly down my hips. He drops kisses as he goes, inch by inch down my thighs, until my panties are gone and Iâm totally naked, spread wide on the bale.
âFuck,â I hear Hunter swear, and I look down to see him gazing at me, blue eyes clouded with desire. âYouâre perfect, Brit. So fucking perfect.â
He settles back on the floor, lifting my legs over his shoulders and swirling kisses up the inside of my thighs; his stubble scratchy against the delicate skin. My breath comes fast. Iâm waiting, strung out here, every nerve and sense in my body shivering to feel his touch. I think I might die if he doesnât touch me soon.
And hell, I think I might die if he does.
Hunter pauses over me, barely an inch away. I can feel his breath, hot against me, in and out, in and out. Itâs more than I can take.
âPlease,â I gasp again, not caring how it sounds. But Hunter waits, his fingers digging deeper into my thighs, like heâs holding himself back. I try and buck towards his mouth, straining, but his grip is strong as steel on my body and my bindings are too tight. âPlease,â I cry, shameless. Undone.
Still, he waits.
âHunter,â I gasp. Iâm arched towards him, desperate, every muscle tensed to its limit. My body aches, my eyes are pressed shut, the blackness enveloping me; my whole universe contracted to just the tender throb between my thighs and the flutter of his breath against me, taunting, relentless.
âYou want me.â Hunter growls. Itâs not a question.
âI want you,â I sob, panting.
âHow much?â he demands.
âMore than anything. God, Hunter, please!â My cry echoes in the empty stables, a desperate moan of pain.
In a single movement, he drags his tongue across my clit and slips two fingers deep inside of me.
I scream. The sensation is overwhelming: the gorgeous pressure of his tongue, the thick slide of his fingers, invading me. I cry his name, arching up into his mouth as he licks, ravenous, hard and fast, sending shockwaves of pleasure slamming through my body. Hunterâs grip on my hips doesnât let up, and now Iâm trying to pull away, itâs too much, the pleasureâs too intense, but he wonât stop, he wonât let me go, he just thrusts his fingers deep inside me, over and over, stretching me, filling me up, and all the while lapping at my clit with that relentless pressure, trapping me under his onslaught of ecstasy as the pleasure claws at me, rising, threatening to annihilate me completely.
I struggle against him, already mindless, but still clinging to a last distant thread of self-control. I need a moment, just a momentâs reprieve from this ecstasy, before I do the unthinkable and fall. You canât let go, I tell myself, writhing, you canât give in, but Hunter demands my total surrender, and he wonât be denied. He
curls his fingers up inside me, stroking a new secret nub of pleasure, moving faster, plunging deeper. My body aches, screaming with pleasure, coiled tight and wanting, crying out for the end. Then he closes his lips around my clit and sucks.
I shatter.
The orgasm rips through me, devastating every last one of my senses. I fall, spiraling into the waves of pleasure, sobbing his name as the tide washes over me, again, and again, filling me up and emptying me out until Iâm left gasping and ravaged on the stable floor.
CHAPTER EIGHT
HUNTER DRIVES ME home. Iâm in a daze, still reeling from the most intense orgasm of my lifeâand the overwhelming feelings now whirling through my body: shock and disbelief and desire and exhilaration, all tangled in a mass of confusion that I donât even know how to process.
I canât believe I just did that.
It comes rushing back to me in hot, guilty flashes: memories of me spread, naked, bound beneath him; the dark look of possession in his eyes; the desperate sound of my voice, begging him for more. Itâs like it happened to someone else, some kind of out-of-body experience, because nothing Iâve ever done before has even come close to being so hot, so dirty.
So fucking good.
I feel my cheeks burn, and sneak a glance over at Hunter, shadowed in the headlightsâ beam. Heâs got one hand on the steering wheel, the other draped out the open window; his eyes fixed to the dark road as if nothingâs happened.
I feel a twist of insecurity. How am I supposed to act with him now that he knows my deepest weakness? How can I even look him in the eyes again when heâs seen me, so desperate and undone? Did he like it, orâshitâwas it some kind of test? My heart drops, as the realization takes shape in my mind. Maybe he never thought Iâd go so far. Maybe he was just curious to see if my reputation was true.
Well you sure showed him. Youâre just the trashy slut everyone in this town promised him youâd be.