Shane swept the food out of the way and crawled across the blanket, pressing me onto my back and capturing my mouth in a passionate kiss. He tasted of wine and lust. It was a tantalizing combination.
The fire within me burned hotter with every second his hard body pinned me to the blanket. I wrestled his shirt off and ran my hands down his back. His muscles flexed under my fingers, taut and powerful. I moved my exploration to his chest as he deepened the kiss, forcing my mouth open so he could explore my depths with his tongue.
God, he was ripped. His abs bunched as I dragged my fingers over them. It was at least a twelve pack, if not more. Yet more proof that none of this could be real, even though the sensations pooling inside of me felt more real than anything I’d ever experienced in my life.
Shane sat back and guided off my shirt. I wore my prettiest bra, black lace with white lining on the cups, and his reactionary sigh made me glad I did. He leaned down and kissed the tops of my breasts. I arched in bliss as he sucked the sensitive skin, moving down to my stomach, then to the waistband of my jeans.
It was mild out, but the air brushed over the wet trail of his kisses, and it was like his lips carved an icy map on my skin. I shivered.
He looked when he reached my jeans, grinning.
“Cold, baby? We can stop.”
I shook my head. “Don’t you dare.”
His breath tickled my lower belly as he chuckled, undoing my jeans. A moment later he was shimmying them down my legs, kissing my exposed thighs one inch at a time.
Dropping the garment off to the side, he kissed back up my legs, throwing one over his shoulder and sucking and biting the inside of my thigh.
My head spun from all the pleasure. My body was on high alert and felt everything with a new intensity, the slightly scratchy texture of the blanket beneath me, the breeze rippling over my exposed skin, and Shane’s hot mouth tracing kisses up to my neck with featherlike softness.
I was alive.
How long I’d been the walking dead I didn’t know, but now I burned with energy, so much that if I didn’t get a release soon, I might shatter and explode into a million pieces.
Shane snaked a hand under my back and released the clasp of my bra, pulling it off and tossing it toward the rest of my clothes. My nipples peaked at the sudden cold. Shane sucked one into his mouth and nibbled, and fireworks went off in my head. His hand slid down my body toward my sex, and as he continued to lavish attention on my sensitive bud, he ran his rough fingers over my wet seam.
I moaned at the sudden rush of sensation. I’d touched myself there plenty of times, but nobody else ever had. I didn’t realize it would be so amazing. Shane’s fingers dove into my heat, stroking my inner walls and my clit like I was an instrument and he was a master musician. He moved to my other nipple, circling his tongue at the same time as his thumb circled my clit. I almost couldn’t take it anymore. I threw my head back and dragged my nails across his back.
“That feels so good,” I whimpered.
He moaned, and the vibration showered me with sparks of pleasure.
One of Shane’s fingers speared inside of me, shallow at first, then deeper as I began to thrust toward him. I wanted more.
I wanted it all.
I knew sex was supposed to be great, but I didn’t think it could be this sensational—and this was just what he could do with his hands.
“You’re so wet, baby,” Shane purred. He looked up at me, his eyes merely dark pools. “So perfect.”
He slipped another finger inside and watched my reaction. I squirmed and tried to force him deeper. He twisted his fingers and grabbed my breast with his other hand, squeezing as he brought me to new heights of ecstasy. I threw my head back and moaned.
It was completely silent in this little patch of heaven, with only the occasional twittering of birds and rustling of branches in the wind to accompany my sounds of pleasure. It was the garden of Eden, and I wanted me some forbidden fruit.
“Shane, please fuck me now,” I gasped.
He pushed his fingers deeper than before. They stretched me, filled me.
“You want my cock?” he asked in a sultry voice that made my spine tingle.
I nodded vigorously.
“I want to hear you say it, princess. I’ve been waiting three years to hear you say it.”
The words came to me out of nowhere, and it was like somebody else was speaking in my voice.
“I want your cock deep inside of me, filling me the way no man has before. And I want it now.”
He grinned and removed his fingers, pulling my panties down my legs as he rose to his feet. I rested on my elbows and watched with bated breath as he stood above me and undid his jeans. He kicked them off. I couldn’t take my eyes away from the massive bulge in his boxers, and I swallowed heavily.
Shane removed his boxers, and his erection sprang free. It was long and thick and curved up a little like a bow. The head was swollen and red, and a vein jutted from the side. I swallowed again, a mixture of fear and lust. The thing looked angry. Was I going to be able to take it?
Shane bent back over me, cock pressed against my belly as he kissed me long and deep. His arm stretched out beside us, and I glanced over to see what he was doing. He reached into the basket and pulled out a condom.
“What else have you got stashed in there?” I asked, chuckling.
Shane laughed boyishly, and all traces of fear vanished from my mind. This was Shane, not some asshole looking for a quick screw. He was going to take care of me, and I trusted him. I would always trust him.
“Wouldn’t you like to know.” He smiled down at me, then pecked the tip of my nose. “Are you ready?”
“Yes.”
I was. Completely.
He ripped open the packet and sat back to sheathe himself, then rested above me again.
“You’ve never looked more beautiful, Dallas.” His lips fluttered over mine as he spoke, and I felt the tip of his cock probe my folds. “I always want to remember you like this—pink-cheeked, bright-eyed, and full of want.”
I held his face in my hands and kissed him soft and slow. “We’ll have to keep the memory fresh.”
He found my entrance and began to push in. My body stretched to accommodate his girth, and the sensation was overwhelming. I squirmed, and I wasn’t sure if it was pain or pleasure or both, but I didn’t want him to stop. Shane’s lips massaged mine, and he continued to inch inside.
His fingers didn’t even hold a candle to his dick. He filled me completely, past the point I thought I could be filled. It didn’t hurt though, not the way I always thought it would. It would’ve hurt with Wes, but Shane took his time, warming me up and making me comfortable. He was gentle but firm, and before I knew it, our bodies were fully joined.
“How does that feel?” he asked.
“It’s hard to describe.”
Shane brushed his thumb down my cheek. “Is that a good thing?”
I grabbed a handful of his ass and squeezed. “Oh, it’s a very good thing. Your cock feels amazing.”
Shane screwed his eyes shut, and I felt a shiver go all the way through his shaft. “Fuck,” he moaned.
I was delighted that everything I said or did seemed to please him. It made me feel powerful and sexy, which only added to the searing pleasure pulsating under my skin.
Shane began to thrust in and out, slow and steady at first. All traces of pain soon disappeared and left behind a soul-bending pleasure. I kissed him hard and urged him deeper, harder. He picked up my unspoken cues and began to slam down on me with powerful strokes, sending me reeling.
How could anything feel this good?
I’d had orgasms before, but I already knew the one building in the pit of my stomach was going to be different than any I’d ever experienced. I wrapped my legs around Shane and cried out as I careened toward my bliss, unable to stop it even if I tried. Shane was in complete control of my climax, and he was going to give me everything.
Shane cap
tured my mouth in a bruising kiss as he doubled the intensity of his thrusts.
Being this naked and wild in nature felt right. We were completely exposed, and not just to the sky but to each other as well. I wrapped my legs around his waist and hung on for the ride as he drove me closer and closer to climax.
And then...and then it happened. Knowing my orgasm was going to be different and feeling it were two different things. My body quivered and shook as it washed over me, all of me. Tendrils of pleasure shot out to my hands and feet, to the tip of my head. I let loose, and my cry of rapture was probably loud enough to be heard from the road.
It was the happiest I’d been in my entire life. Nothing else even came close.
This one nugget of pure bliss was worth everything to me. I dug my nails in and held it as long as I could, because I knew that eventually I’d have to go home, and eventually Shane would leave, and eventually I’d have to face the realization that I might never be this happy again.
Chapter 28
Shane
I felt lighter than I had in years. The whole ride back to Rowland’s Hardware all I could think was how my afternoon with Dallas transcended all other experiences before it. Sure, I’d fucked a few girls in my day, but nothing like that. We hadn’t just fucked—we’d made love. And it was amazing. I could still feel her pussy clamping down on my cock as she cried out, could still hear her pulse thundering in my ears as I buried into her one last time.
All I wanted to do was stay in that meadow forever. I pictured a shelter made out of sticks and the picnic blanket and our writhing bodies beneath. When we got back to my bike, this fantasy changed to me riding off the other way, stealing Dallas and keeping her for myself.
Both of those fantasies would end with her father dead if they played out in real life, which is why I soon found myself dropping Dallas off outside of my temporary home with a promise to see her again soon.
“You always say that,” she said with a sly grin.
“And you always see me again soon.” I kissed her and got back on my bike.
“Where are you off to?” she asked.
The sun had crept toward the horizon during our ride, and now the trees overhanging the lot cast long splintered shadows across the pavement. It might be a little early to find Paul at the Buck’s Head, but I was too restless to go inside and wait.
“I’ve got some business to deal with.”
Dallas’s face flickered. “Right. Your business. How much longer do you think that’ll keep you in town?”
“As long as it takes.”
“That’s unhelpful.” She frowned.
I shoved my helmet on and shrugged. Then, before I was tempted to get back off my bike and invite Dallas inside, I motored out of the parking lot.
The Buck’s Head was a rustic tavern decorated with a couple dozen stuffed buck heads, true to its name. They were scattered along all four walls, with no discernible rhyme or reason to their placement. Wood beams and scorched glass sconces completed the look, though the high definition TV above the bar jarred the atmosphere a little.
I was pleased to see Paul at one of the low tables in front of the bar, a half-drunk Bud in his hand. He was instantly recognizable from his white-blonde hair and the tattoos that snaked up each arm and into the sleeves of his t-shirt. He’d gotten more since I last saw him and I wouldn’t have been surprised to find he was completely covered in them now.
I strode up to him confidently, though his eyes stayed glued to the TV screen until I was practically in front of him. When he noticed me, he raised his brows and scrunched up his mouth in surprise.
“Shane Kelly, the Fighting Irish,” he mused. “I heard you were back. Didn’t expect to see you though.” He slapped the table lightly. “Pull up a chair. Have a drink.”
His friendly greeting wasn’t entirely surprising, but it was appreciated all the same. I grabbed a seat and signaled to a passing waitress that I’d have the same as Paul.
He knocked back some of his beer and wiped the back of his hand over his mouth. “How have you been? You look good. Christ, you’re nearly as big as Rob.”
“Can’t complain. I’ve been in the forces these past three years, and they took good care of me.”
“A military man?” He smiled. “Well, for that, your beer’s on me.”
“That’s kind of you.”
The waitress arrived with my beer and Paul asked her to put it on his tab. Then it was back to the two of us.
“I heard you don’t spend much time with the other guys,” I said.
He shrugged. “I work security at the club when they need me, but I don’t hang out there outside of work. Too loud.”
“I don’t blame you.”
“Wes is still one of my best friends though,” Paul assured. “I heard that you’re coming for him. What does that mean?”
I laughed and took a drink of beer. I was glad Nelson had passed on my warning. “He owes people close to me and me a tax and I’m here to collect.”
“Is that so?”
“It is.”
“Well.” He grinned. “I don’t know whether you’re stupid or brave. I’ve always found it hard to tell.”
“Just committed,” I corrected. “Fulfilling a promise.”
“To whom?”
“To myself.”
His eyes, a green so light they were nearly translucent, lit up with amusement. Sensing that this would be a good time to swing the conversation the direction I wanted, I leaned a little closer.
“I gotta ask, what is Preston’s deal? You’re close to him. Maybe you could help me understand it.”
Paul furrowed his brow in genuine confusion. “Understand why he wants to kill you?”
“No, I figured that much out for myself,” I replied with a chuckle. “I guess I’m trying to figure out what his end game is.”
“I don’t follow.”
I ran my tongue over my teeth in thought and tried again. “What does Preston want most in the world? He likes money but doesn’t live as lavishly as he could. It makes me think that money’s not his be all and end all.”
Paul finally understood my question, and his face relaxed. “Oh, I see. You want to know what gets him off.”
“Yeah. I’m curious.”
Paul shrugged and sat back in his chair, clutching the bottle in his hand and gesturing to me when he spoke. “Fucking with people like you,” he said. “Preston likes the control. He likes to feel like he’s got the biggest dick of anyone, and that when he swings that dick, it could take out an entire village.”
I’d thought as much myself, but Paul’s confirmation reinforced my belief that no amount of money would free Dallas. Preston would find another way to tie her and her father down, just like he’d scammed them into the debt in the first place. He was as crafty as he was cruel. As small a threat as I represented back in high school, it had still been enough for him to want me gone. Nobody else would go up to bat for the Keanes, and that was how he wanted it.
“So that’s all he cares about? Making people subservient to him?” I asked.
“Basically. It doesn’t matter whether it’s easy or hard, just as long as he’s top dog in the end.”
This was frustrating news. How was I supposed to entice Preston to let Dallas and Randall go when he already had what he wanted? I didn’t have anything more attractive to offer than a beautiful woman bound to him by money and the life of her poor father.
“You look disappointed,” Paul commented. “Were you hoping you might be able to pay your way back into town?”
I laughed. “Something like that.”
“You’d have better luck in a coin toss,” he said with a chortle.
Now I was the one not getting his meaning. “The odds of a coin toss are around fifty-fifty, so a one in two chance of him accepting isn’t that bad.”
Paul frowned. “Who said anything about odds?”
“You did. You said I’d have better luck in a coin toss.”
; “Yeah.” His brows creased and he tilted his chin as he looked at me. “I mean he’d be more likely to let you flip for it than he would to just accept your money outright.”
“You think he’d let me flip a coin for the chance to stay in the city?” I asked. “Why?”
He snorted as if the answer were obvious. “The only thing Preston Gromley loves more than fucking with a person’s life is a good bet.”
“Why didn’t you say that earlier?”
“Didn’t think about it earlier. Finish your beer.” Paul tipped back his head and downed the rest of his Bud. I followed his lead. I couldn’t be sure if he wanted another or if he was about to tell me to beat it, but I was done anyway.
“You’ve been a great help, Paul.” I set the empty bottle on the table and went to stand.
“Woah there.” Paul put out a hand to stop me and rose to his feet. “I can’t just let you leave.”
“You can’t?”
“Nuh-uh. I’m under orders to kick your ass to next Sunday if I see you and then drag that ass up to Preston so he can deal with you.”
“I see.”
I studied Paul’s face. He was dead serious.
I sighed. “I guess we better go out back then.”
“I guess we better.”
Paul and I exited the bar and went around to the darkened back parking lot. I tossed my jacket onto the pavement and faced him, fists hovering just under my nose. He mirrored my pose. He was a tall guy but still a couple of inches shorter than me, yet that didn’t seem to bother him. Hell, maybe he would be even more of a challenge than Nelson.
“You ready?” Paul asked.
“Yup.”
An imaginary bell went off in Paul’s head, and he moved toward me, bouncing on the soles of his feet. He was quick, dodging my first punch and slamming one into my side before making a swift retreat.
He lunged for me next, and I parried his blow but failed to deliver one of my own. Again, he stepped out of range.
“You gonna dance around me all night?” I asked.
He laughed. “You wait and see.”
I didn’t feel like waiting to see. I went in for the attack, pulling back to make it seem like I was going in for a jab. Paul realized too late that I was faking him out, and lifted his guard up too high. I hit him in the side with a hook and followed it with a knee to his gut.
First Time Lucky Page 17
