His answer turned her panties damp. As did his explicit command, “On the floor. On your knees.”
As Ava moved, so did Chase. He perched on the edge of the mattress, making space for her between his legs. Then he stroked her cheek. “Better. Now I can watch you workin’ me and you ain’t gonna choke when you swallow.”
No mincing words there.
“Take me in your mouth again, Ava.”
God that low gravely morning voice loosened something primitive inside her. She bent her head, letting her hair fall against his thighs, feeling his muscular quads quiver in response to the soft strands teasing the muscles. She suckled the tip, tracing the shape of the plump head with the inside of her lips, taking time to flick her tongue over the sweet spot below the cockhead with every wet swipe.
Tease. Retreat. Acquainting herself with his reactions, licking away the little pearls of pre-come. Then Ava moved in for the kill, needing to taste him fully. She made a fist around the base, sliding her hand up and down the length, bobbing her head to meet her fingers.
He stayed rigid, hands propped on the edge of the mattress, watching her. But Chase wasn’t completely motionless. His body trembled. His chest rose and fell rapidly. His toes curled.
Something about seeing that odd vulnerability made Ava ache. Made her want to assure him she’d never exploit this part of him that he was bold enough to share with her.
Her hand slid down to fondle his balls as she worked that long shaft, rubbing the plump cockhead against the roof of her mouth before opening her throat. Breathing through the gag reflex, she swallowed him fully.
“Holy. Christ.” Chase’s palms covered her ears and he pushed her upper body back. Then he thrust past her lips, lodging his cock into her throat, staying there until she swallowed. He pulled out and did it again.
Ava had no control. Chase held her head, keeping her in place. “Ava. Look at me. See what you do to me.”
Her gaze connected with his. Such lust. Such hunger in his eyes. Such need. She felt it all flowing between them, felt her body responding to the call of his. She hollowed her cheeks around the thickness filling her mouth and he groaned.
“Watch those teeth, darlin’,” he warned, “but don’t stop.”
She switched from deep throating him to shallow bobs of her head. Her senses were fine-tuned to the wet sucking sounds of his cock shuttling in and out of her mouth. The gentler grip he maintained in her hair. The shag carpet digging into her knees. His low murmurs of approval. The wholly male scent of his sex. And his entire body twitching with anticipation.
More more more. Give it all to me.
He swore and went motionless.
Ava moaned around his cock as he came and his taste exploded on her tongue. She swallowed each hot spurt and his pleasure rolled over her in a warm, satisfying wave. When the tremors ceased, she released his softened cock little by little, dragging out the moment for herself.
After his eyes opened and he seemed to remember where he was, he stroked her hair. Ran his thumb across her swollen lips. Then he granted Ava that cat-who’d-gotten-cream smirk. “Much better than an alarm clock.”
As much as she’d loved blowing him, now in the aftermath, she felt shy. Exposed. She ducked her head, letting her mouth connect with his thigh, loving the way that coarse hair felt on her sensitized lips.
He continued to pet her, soothe her, trailing his fingers across her shoulder and down her spine. He only allowed her to hide from him for so long before he forced her to meet his gaze. “I don’t want you to go back to LA now that we’ve scratched the itch. And before you go getting that mean glint in your eye, this has been way more than just sex for me. Way more.”
For me too. But she couldn’t say it. Instead she said, “But how does this—” she gestured to their naked bodies, “—change things between us?” She braced herself for a noncommittal answer, but Chase’s next words blew her away.
“Ava. It changes nothing and it changes everything. We’re friends. I can’t imagine losing that part of you. But now I see us getting nekkid together as often as humanly possible, until we’re both exhausted and grinning from ear to ear. So what does it mean we’ve gone from friends to lovers?” He bestowed that sweet, hot, naughty grin. “I believe that means we’re havin’ us a bonafide summer romance.”
Ava watched from the shadows of the bleachers as Chase strode out of the medical tent. He stopped and talked to a couple of riders.
The man was magnificent. Not just his physique. Not just his face. Not just his cowboy charm. Not just his way with people that put them at ease. All those things by themselves were pretty impressive. But were powder-keg potent wrapped up in one package—a hunky cowboy who defined resilient.
She felt the other men’s eyes on her, but she only had eyes for him. “Can I talk to you for a second?”
“Sure. Excuse us.”
Wanting privacy, Ava wandered to the far corner, away from the contestants and rodeo officials.
When she turned around, Chase rested against a section of the metal corral.
“You still pissy with me for insisting we book a room tonight instead of heading to the next rodeo?”
His bad dismount last night affected his right side, his knee, his hip and his shoulder. She’d cringed this morning, seeing his bruised and battered body. He’d turned pissy and told her to quit staring at him like a circus freak. Then he’d grabbed his clothes and headed to the bathroom on stiff legs.
His blue eyes trapped hers. “Maybe.” His big hands curled around her hips, but he kept their bodies apart. “But I’ll let you make it up to me.”
Chase’s stance gave Ava additional height advantage. He didn’t seem to mind, which was another big change in his attitude since they’d started sleeping together. “And what do you have in mind?”
He pressed a hot kiss on the center of her chest. Then those oh so talented lips traveled up the arc of her throat to her ear. “Guess.”
“A blowjob.”
Chase’s chuckle against her neck caused goose flesh to break out. “Tempting, but no.”
“You wanna bend me over a hay bale and spank my ass?”
“Wrong again. But you are givin’ me some great ideas.” His wet tongue flicked her earlobe like he was working her clit, which sent a spike of heat straight to her core. “I want a kiss.”
“In public?”
“Yep. Right now.”
She lowered her lips to his in a slow slide of mouth on mouth. Gradually shifting the kiss from sweet to fiery. Kissing him with passion, tempering it with tenderness. A languorous meeting of tongues, a communion of need.
He placed soft smooches on her mouth. “Thanks for caring about me, Ava.”
“You sound surprised I do.”
“Maybe I am. I’m not used to it because I’ve kept relationships casual. I wasn’t joking about my threshold being two weeks.” He twirled a piece of her hair around his finger. “I haven’t answered to anyone for years. I find I like answering to you.”
“I’m glad. I don’t like to see you hurting. You don’t have to be tough in front of me, Chase.”
“It’s a hard habit to break.” He quickly changed the subject. “Are you taping me tonight?”
“Yeah. Unless you don’t want me to.”
“I want you to. I just hope it’s not the same as last night.”
His injury was causing him more pain than he’d let on. She’d be surprised if he rode any bulls tonight. “Good luck. I’ll see you after.”
Chase stuck it out on both bulls. But he wasn’t in top form and finished in fourth place, out of the money.
First thing he did at the motel was shower. For thirty minutes. When they’d first started traveling on the road, she hadn’t understood why it took him so long to shower. But now she knew he needed that long to get rid of the aches and pains from riding.
He dropped his towel and crawled in bed, twining himself around her like her own personal anaconda. “I’m not up for
sex games tonight.”
“So much for my nefarious plan to play nekkid Parcheesi with you.”
Chase laughed softly.
“Seriously. Can I give you a massage or rub some ointment on the sore spots?”
“Thanks. But this is good. Your warm body is like a magic heating pad. Makes all my aches and pains go away. Makes me all tingly.”
“Ooh. You’re good.”
“Mmm. You know it, but I’m at my best when I’m with you.”
Ava melted just a little.
“Now, we done talking so we can see who gets tossed off America’s Next Top Model, or what?”
Chapter Seventeen
Chase wasn’t claustrophobic. But if he had to spend another fucking minute in the truck cab with Ava, surrounded by the scent of her lotion, the sight of her pink-tipped toes tapping on his dashboard and the porn queen way she sucked on licorice, he’d go insane.
In fact, he figured he deserved a medal for his ability to withstand the temptation of pulling off on the closest dirt road so he could fuck her inside the truck cab, or against the truck door, or in the truck bed. He’d been so lost in fantasies of the many, many ways he intended to take her, he’d missed the damn turn off.
He’d known the second he touched her he was done for. Ava needed him in a way no other woman ever had. He was a different man when he was with her, regardless if they were naked. So maybe that’s why he couldn’t freakin’ wait to get naked with her again, day after day after day.
Seemed to take forever to check-in. He ditched the bags in the corner of the room. In the mirror above the sink, he saw Ava flop on the bed and heave a huge sigh.
“Before you get too comfy, maybe you oughta see if you got the door shut.”
She popped to her feet and resituated her skirt as she crossed the room, those fucking sexy little pleats teasing the back of her legs.
When he’d gotten a look at her outfit this morning—short plaid skirt, plain white blouse, black ballet shoes—his cock had been hard all day as his head conjured up bad-schoolgirl-needing-a-spanking scenarios.
Ava tested the door by pushing on it. “I don’t know why you were worried it wasn’t shut—”
“Lock it.” He put his mouth below her ear and pressed their bodies together.
The lock clicked.
“Hands on the door.” He nuzzled her neck, whispering, “Want you.”
She turned her head to catch his temple with a kiss and a soft, “You have me. What are you going to do with me?”
Chase let his breath tease her damp nape. Making her wait for a response.
“Chase?”
He licked the shell of her ear. “What do you want me to do to you?”
“Fuck me.”
Made him hot as hell when crude words tumbled from that pretty mouth. But Chase knew it made her equally hot when he talked dirty right back to her. He curled his fingers around her hips and tugged her butt into his groin. “Grind this sweet ass against me. Make me want it. Make me want to touch it. Make me want to run my mouth over it. Make me want to fuck it.”
He wondered if she’d balk, but she shimmied her hips and swung those perfect mounds of flesh into his groin like a pro.
Chase had a condom on two seconds after his jeans hit the floor. Dragging his cock up and down her sweet slit, he wasn’t surprised how easily his cock slipped inside her welcoming heat. Ava was always ready for him. As much as he wanted to pound into her, he didn’t.
Not at first. But her breathy whimpers and the tight clasp of her pussy when he drove in hard and deep shattered his strategy.
“Yes. I like that. God, I love that.”
Hips pistoning, he set a plunge-and-retreat rhythm that felt so good he never wanted to stop. Each thrust pushed him to that elusive point, but Ava reached it first. Her cunt clamping down around his cock had him grunting, sweating, swearing as he fucked himself into an orgasmic stupor.
When he returned to earth, he muttered, “You all right?”
“I think I made claw marks in the door with my fingernails.”
“Now that’s a compliment.”
Ava leaned back and wrapped her arm around his neck. “If I don’t say it enough, you are an amazing lover, Chase.”
“Same goes, sugar tits.”
She laughed. “I know I shouldn’t consider that a term of endearment, but I do.”
“You’re beautiful. Talented. Sexy. Smart. Sophisticated. Funny. Sweet.” He kissed the back of her neck. “Are those better terms of endearment?”
She smiled against his throat. “Actually, I prefer sugar tits.”
As they straightened their clothes, she said, “Now that we’ve got that out of the way, I expect you’ll be looking for food next?”
“Out of the way?” Wearing a wicked, determined grin, Chase stalked her until the back of her knees hit the bed. “Just for that smartass crack, sugar tits, I’m gonna eat my fill of you. And darlin’, you know how much I can eat.”
Chase looked far too comfortable, far too sexy lounging against the passenger door, camera in hand. “Smile.”
She scowled at him. “Why are you taping me?”
“Because you’re driving and I’m bored out of my fuckin’ mind.”
At least if his hands were occupied he wasn’t crunching on sunflower seeds. Or touching her. If the man put his hands on her while she was driving, she’d wreck his precious truck.
“Besides, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander, right?”
“I’m from California. I don’t even know what the hell that barnyard saying means.”
“It means I answered your questions over the last few weeks, it’s time for you to answer mine. Pains me to admit it, but your Gestapo tactic worked.”
“Yeah?”
“You know stuff about me I’ve never told anyone.”
But I want to know everything about you. I’m as obsessed with you as you are obsessed with riding bulls.
Chase fiddled with the camera. “Whoa. You can get really close with this.”
“Are you getting shots of my nose hair?”
“Nope. I’ve zoomed in on your nipples. Think cold thoughts, baby.”
“Chase.”
“Think of what I did to you last night. That was pretty hot.”
Her grip increased on the steering wheel even as her toes unconsciously curled. Chase’s hungry mouth sucking on her clit. His fingers tweaking her nipples. Proving his mastery over her body, restraining her arms, denying her release, and building her to a frenzy with each lick. Each touch. Each whispered promise of ecstasy until she shattered with an epic orgasm that made her scream. Then he’d made love to her with such exquisite tenderness she’d melted.
“See? It worked. You’ve got that dreamy look you get right after I fuck you.”
And so much for the basking. “Ask your damn question.”
He chuckled. “Least favorite food.”
“Eggplant. Slimy, nasty stuff. No matter how it’s cooked it tastes like dog shit.”
“I’d hafta agree.”
“Same for zucchini. Our cook used to try and hide it in other dishes, but I always could taste it. Blech.”
“You had a full-time cook, growing up?”
“Maria wasn’t live-in help, but she came every day. Sometimes she cooked lunch, but most the time it was dinner. Why?”
“Most people I know don’t hire out for them kinda domestic jobs. To be honest, you don’t act nearly as spoiled as I thought you would.”
“I think there was a compliment in that somewhere. Anyway, my mom worked a lot, expanding the hotel business. Cooking dinner and cleaning up the kitchen was the last thing she wanted to do after spending fourteen hours at the office.”
“Gotta ask this, Hollywood. Did you have a nanny?”
She shook her head. “My dad stayed home with me and my brother when we were little. He jokes he can change a tire and a diaper in ten seconds flat. I told you he’s a mechanic, right?”
> Chase lowered the camera and squinted at her. “Wait a second. Dumond. Is your dad the Dumond in DRT—Dumond Racing Team?”
“Yeah. He started the team in our garage.”
“Holy shit, Ava. DRT is my favorite NASCAR team. Darby Janeville had an amazing season last year with that second place showing in Darlington—”
Ava held up her hand. “No offense, but you might as well be speaking Chinese. I don’t follow NASCAR. Haven’t much cared for racing.”
“Ever?”
“Ever.”
Chase didn’t say anything, but obviously he wanted to.
“What?”
“How is it you know all about your mother’s position as CEO of Cooper Hotels, but you don’t have any interest in your father’s business? Especially since he built it from the ground up and he was around more during your growing-up years than your mom.”
That jarred her. She’d never thought of it that way. Her dad used to ask her to come to races. She always refused. When had he stopped asking?
Why hadn’t you noticed?
Chase’s deep voice startled her out of guilty thoughts. “So your brother chose the hotel business over the racing business?”
“Axel is involved with DRT, mostly from the Cooper Tires side. He attends all the events with Dad.” Again, it struck Ava, how much she’d cut herself off from her family in recent years since she’d “made it” as an actress. Was that why Axel acted so curt with her? Because she blew him off, he was mirroring her behavior?
When had she gotten so selfish? So stingy? Unwilling to share any of her free time with her family?
She knew Chase had taken a rash of crap about his emotional and physical distance from his family. She’d felt sorry for him, but come to find out, she’d been acting the same way.
“Ava?”
“Sorry. Spaced there for a second. I’m a lot like my mom in that I don’t do domestic things. My housekeeping service keeps my house tidy. They take my dirty things to the laundry once a week. Then clean clothes are miraculously returned to their proper places. I don’t have to do anything. So that makes me as useless as teats on a bull, doesn’t it?”
Chasin' Eight: Rough Riders, Book 12 Page 20
