by Alicia Rae
She beamed up at me, and her hands came to my chest. “I feel like he and I are already learning to read one another so well.”
I lifted my hand to pull a stray tendril of hair from her face, and I stroked her cheek. “You’re forming a bond with him,” I replied thoughtfully.
By the look in her eyes, I saw emotions tugging at her heart. My intuition told me that she was torn between her guilt over building another bond since losing Missy and her want to revel in her happiness that she was moving on.
“I am.” She finally smiled warmly.
Wanting to distract her, I moved quickly and scooped her up into my arms.
“Colton!” she squealed in delight, resuming her hold around my neck.
“Yes?” I drawled, accentuating my Southern accent, as I made our way toward the house with purposeful long strides.
“Where are we going?”
“Inside, to our bed.”
Paige tossed her head back and laughed, and the sound had me gazing down at her.
She said, “Sounds good to me.”
“Uh, good won’t be the word you’ll be saying later.” I devilishly grinned at her, letting my declaration dangle in the air between us.
She tipped her eyes to meet mine. “What will I be saying?”
My cheeks began to hurt from my expanding grin. “My name…in all those different sexy tones of yours.”
“Oh,” she purred. “Then, hurry please.”
I approached the house and entered it, only breaking my stride long enough to kick the door shut behind me.
When I finally made it to my room, I gently lowered Paige to the bed while keeping our eyes locked on one another. The sun was beginning to set, and the colors glistened across her face.
She lifted her hands and ran them back and forth across my stubble. I closed my eyes and groaned at her soft touch, absorbing and memorizing it.
“Colton?” she asked.
I gazed at her once again.
“Before you make me forget my name and moan yours”—she laughed lightly at my raised brow—“what do you want for your birthday?”
“You,” I answered intently. I expressed the truth in my answer by kissing her.
She shook her head, breaking our connection. “You already have me. What else do you want? Be specific.”
“No.” I trailed my index finger across her forehead and down her temple to her cheek. “Just you, Paige. You’re all I need. I want to feel your lips beneath mine as I make love to you. I want to fall asleep with you in my arms and then wake up with you still tucked against me. That’s it. That’s all I need.”
Her brown eyes captured me, holding me, until she whispered, “Okay.” Then, she grasped my face and said, “But I’m still buying you a present,” before pulling me down onto her mouth.
AS SOON AS I WALKED INTO STARBUCKS, Ashlee flagged me down with a wave of her hand. I closed the space between us as Ashlee rose to her feet and opened her arms for me.
I fiercely hugged her and held back tears, overcome by how much I’d truly missed her these past few weeks. After we parted, she and I held each other at arm’s length, giving one another a once-over.
Ashlee’s long blonde hair was pulled into a ponytail, necessary for her line of work. But it was her big hazel eyes that had me taking a second glance. They were filled with excitement to see me, but there was something underneath that troubled her. I made a mental note to pry it out of her shortly.
She distracted me by saying, “It’s been far too long since I’ve seen your gorgeous face, lady.”
We took our seats at the window booth.
“Eons,” I agreed. “Let’s not do that again.”
“I’m going to start marking you in my calendar for biweekly appointments.”
I chuckled. “Please do.”
She passed me a white cup and a bagel. “This is a mocha, made just the way you love it.”
“Thank you,” I replied before lifting the cup to take a sip. When I set it down, I asked, “So, what’s going on with you? I couldn’t help but hear the stress in your voice yesterday.”
“It’s a long story.” She grimaced. “You first. What’s new with you?”
I let her off the hook and filled her in on everything that had happened since the last time I saw her—Colton refusing Hank the sale of Rusty, the water-spigot flood, the horrific fire on Colton’s property, Colton taking back his horse sperm from Hank’s estate, and the death of Sadie.
“Gosh, Paige,” Ashlee cried, reaching across the table to set her hand on mine. “I didn’t know. I’m so sorry. I would have been there for you guys. Colton must be devastated.”
“He is. The construction of the new horse barn is underway, so I think it’s lifting his spirit.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Thank you, but we’ll be okay.”
“What are you getting him at Jane’s Western Leather Store? Does that have to do with the fire?” she asked after finishing a bite of her food.
“He’s lost so much.” I fought to keep my voice steady. “I want to buy him something special.”
“That makes sense.”
I ate my bagel and then probed, “So, what’s new with you?”
Her shoulders lifted fractionally. “Work, lots of baking, the usual.”
Evasive Ashlee always meant there was more to the story, so I was going to have to play hardball. “I just gave you my heart on a platter, lady, so you’d better start talking.”
“Well, only since you asked me so nicely.” She theatrically rolled her eyes.
“I did”—I quirked a motherly brow—“the first time. Therefore, I have to be this way, or you won’t divulge any information.”
The faintest tint of pink surfaced on Ashlee’s cheeks.
I gasped. “You’ve met someone, haven’t you?”
Ashlee flew forward in her chair. “Paige, simmer down!”
“Is it true then?” I pushed, betting my life that I was right because Ashlee never blushed.
“Yes,” she answered. She appeared to be choosing her words carefully. “But it’s not what you think.”
“Huh? Will there be more dates?” At the idea of Ashlee having a man in her life, I was doing the happy dance on the inside as I reached for my drink.
“No.”
“What?” My arm paused midair. “Why not?”
“It was just sex.”
“Ashlee, you’ve never been the type for casual sex with a stranger. He must have meant something to you,” I protested at her popping my happy bubble.
“It was just one night of hot, steamy, mouthwatering sex.”
“Then?”
Ashlee blushed so deeply that tiny hives broke out on her neck and chest.
“Ashlee, what happened next?”
Her gaze fell to the table. “I ran.”
“You what?” My jaw dropped, and I set down my drink with more force than necessary.
Needing a minute to pull myself together, I held my hand up to pause her from answering my question. I inhaled a deep breath and slowly let it out.
“So, let me get this straight. You met someone. Sparks flew so strongly in your panties that you dropped them for a stranger, and then you ran away from him?”
“He was so hot that he melted my fucking clothes right from my body as soon as his eyes landed on me.” She sighed that dreamy sigh a girl might do when she was swooning. “But there was something about him—the way he looked at me, held me, and kissed me…” She trailed off, lost in thought. Her emotions changed on a dime again as she seemed apprehensive. “It was too much, and I think he felt it, too.”
“So, you ran from the hot sex god?” I repeated, unable to wrap my mind around it.
Ashlee grinned. “He was a hot and steamy sex god.”
“Why didn’t you give him a chance to get to know you or have dinner?”
“Jayden always made it clear that I worked too much, that I was married to my job.” Sh
e sighed. “I’ve finally accepted that he’s right.”
She and Jayden had split approximately seven months ago. He was a jerk who had played awful emotional mind tricks on her.
“Ashlee, your ex-boyfriend was an idiot. Please tell me that you don’t really believe that.”
“For right now, I do. My career is thriving, but I have a hefty debt with the bank. I need to focus.”
When she worded it like that, I had to see her side. Her loan for Lovin’ Sweets was substantial, and she’d put a lot on the line to start her bakery.
“Just promise me that, someday, you’ll take a chance on love and be happy.”
Her smile was full of affection. “I promise. Now, let’s eat our food, so we can go shopping for that cowboy of yours.”
We quickly finished up our meals and drinks, and then we shopped to our hearts’ content.
After returning to the house, I hid in the master closet to wrap Colton’s present. I attached a large red bow on top of the wrapping paper before sitting back to admire my handiwork.
The handle of the doorknob turned, followed by a soft jolt at the wood, startling me.
“Paige?” Colton’s voice sounded from the other side. “What are you doing in there? Why is the door locked?”
“Nothing!” I jumped to my feet and glanced around, wondering where I was going to hide this bulky huge gift. “Hold on one second!”
It was too large to stick anywhere, so I’d have to keep him out of this closet until tomorrow. I stepped around his gift as he knocked again.
I unlocked the door, opened it wide enough to squeeze through, and flung myself through it before slamming it behind me. Resting my back against the wood, I beamed up at Colton.
He leaned forward and rested his forearm above my head with his eyebrows raised questioningly. “What are you up to?”
My heart hammered in my chest. “Nothing.”
“You’re a hopeless liar, Paige.” He grinned mischievously, skimming his lips across mine. “So, you should just give in already and tell me your secret, or I’ll have no choice but to pry it out of you.”
“Nope.” I shook my head, trying to resist his charms. “The closet is off-limits until I say otherwise.”
“But I need to grab some pants.” He drew back on a frown, creating a sexy dimple at the corner of his mouth.
Had it been anything but a birthday surprise, I would have instantly caved.
I was thrown by his change in tactic, but I quickly recovered. “You have plenty of jeans in your dresser.”
“I don’t want any of those,” he countered, gesturing to the door behind me. “I want a pair from in there.”
I set my palms on his chest and pushed. “No can do, cowboy. You’ll have to make do with what you have in your drawers. Now, shoo!” I laughed.
At first, he didn’t budge, and his eyes seemed as though he was about to argue, but then he let me win. The corner of his mouth twitched as he took a backward step, pointing a finger at me. “I’m onto you.”
I directed him to the threshold of our bedroom, leading into the hallway. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Deciding to distract him, I rose up on my toes and kissed his soft lips before asking, “How about we go snuggle on the couch and watch a movie?”
“Fine,” Colton drawled and then smirked. “But I get to pick it out.”
I opened my eyes before the sun rose and beamed into the darkness. Today was Colton’s birthday, and I wanted to make it extra special for him. Carefully rolling off the side of the mattress, I sank to the floor where I quietly tiptoed around the bed to Colton’s nightstand, and I turned off his alarm, so he wouldn’t wake up. I wanted him to sleep in.
Ever so quietly, I made my way over to my dresser and blindly dug for clothes. I changed into a pair of old jeans and a long-sleeved shirt since the morning air would be chilly. Then, I went into the living room to slip on my boots by the front door, so I could head outside.
Flipping on the patio light, I was able to make it across the yard to my Gator. I turned on my headlights and started the ignition, hoping I wouldn’t wake up Colton. I headed for the pasture.
For the next hour, I loaded four hay bales at a time into the back of my utility vehicle and brought them into the cattle and horse pastures to feed all the animals. It took the combination of my strength and body weight to lift each of the bags of grain before tossing the fifty-pound bags about.
My adrenaline and excitement for Colton to have a birthday without a day of chores kept me going, and my handy Gator eased some of the workload as the sun began to rise.
By the time I finished and returned to the house, my arms felt like Jell-O. The microwave display read seven o’clock as I began to prepare breakfast for Colton. His favorite was French toast, so I went to the fridge and grabbed the milk and eggs. I set them on the counter next to a loaf of bread, and then I pulled out a bowl and two pans.
While softly humming my favorite Lady Antebellum song to myself, I made us each three slices of French toast and some scrambled eggs.
Colton came sauntering into the kitchen as I flipped off the burners. I glanced over and saw him rubbing the sleep from his eyes. My eyes traveled from his morning ruffled hair to his bare chest and stomach where I got lost while appreciating each chiseled muscle. His dark gray lounge pants hung low on his hips, and I itched to run my fingers across the seam.
When he paused in front of me, I lovingly smiled up at him and reached up on my toes to drape my arms over his shoulders. “Good morning, cowboy. Happy birthday.”
“Thank you.” He grinned and bent down to brush his lips across mine for a lazy soft kiss.
His hands came to the small of my back where he hauled me into him. Our bodies pressed against one another, making my smile broaden. A simple touch was never enough for Colton. He loved us like this, with our bodies meshed as one, as close as possible, as did I.
After giving me a thorough morning kiss, he drew back slightly and glanced over my shoulder while still managing to hold me. “What are you making for breakfast?”
“Your favorite.”
He hummed in appreciation as he glanced back at me. But his gaze seemed to be unconcerned with the food I’d prepared. It was focused solely on me. “Are you finished cooking?” he asked.
“Yes.” I nodded, attempting to gauge where he was going with his question.
“Good,” he stated.
With rapid movements, I found myself lifted from the ground and tossed over his shoulder.
“Colton!” I laughed on a squeal, holding on for dear life. “Where are we going?”
He gently slapped my ass and marched down the hallway, making long strides toward the bedroom. “Back to bed, so we can start this day out right.”
“But your French toast will get cold,” I argued feebly.
“The food can wait. I have something else in mind for breakfast,” he replied as we passed through the threshold.
He set me on my feet in the middle of the room, and my hands wrapped around his biceps to steady myself. He stepped into me with purposeful slow strides, and I had no choice but to take backward ones.
When I met his gaze and saw his baby-blue eyes raking up and down the length of me, the wild thump of my pulse took flight, thrumming throughout my body. His look of raw hunger, filled with a primal need to take me, was mixed with his desire, love, and longing.
The back of my knees hit the mattress.
“After I make love to you, I want to know what you have hidden in our closet.” His statement was more of a demand than a request.
The tone sparked my inner sass, and I felt the urge to prolong his wait just a tiny bit longer. “You don’t get to choose when you open your present.” I set my index finger on his chest and trailed it down the center of his sternum. “You have to wait for me to give it to you.”
“Oh, yeah?” His brows rose as he grasped the hem of my shirt and slowly pulled me to him.
My breasts pushed into
his chest, and his hardness pressed along my stomach. The feel of him made it difficult to concentrate.
“Just how long to you plan to make me wait to open it? It is my birthday after all.”
“Your birthday is until midnight,” I countered. I set my hands atop his broad shoulders and then teasingly glided them across his collarbone and down his stomach.
His eyes briefly closed as if he were absorbing the feel of my hands on him. I continued to descend my movements until I reached the bottom of his shirt to remove it. The material hit the floor with only a faint noise.
After I finished undressing him, he stripped me down to my matching black panties and bra. I used his distraction to my advantage, seizing the upper hand to reverse our positions, and I gently pushed him to sit on the bed.
I knelt on the mattress, straddled his thighs, and inched my way closer until we were mouth-to-mouth, our lips barely touching. I kept them just out of his range as I finally added, “So, technically, I have all day to decide the proper time to give it to you.”
His hand skimmed up my back and unhooked my bra, letting my breasts fall free. But he didn’t stop there. He continued upward to twine his fingers in my hair, and I gasped softly when he gripped it and tilted my head to the right. Warm full lips dragged across my bare throat, instigating a heaviness to settle between my thighs.
“Then, I’ll have to see what I can do to change your mind,” he breathed, “because I can’t wait that long.”
My head fell back on a moan as he overwhelmed my senses. His mouth kissed and nipped at my bare flesh, marking me. His strong hands held my hips in place, dominating me, as he rocked his hard length up along my throbbing sex through the thin layer of my panties. Hot liquid desire pooled in the silky material, instantly melting me.
He briefly took my earlobe between his teeth and sucked. “Are you going to give me what I want?” he teased.
I could feel my resolve slipping.
Shit, who am I kidding?
Colton always maintained control, and I loved it.
But I still found my inner sass fighting back one last time.
“Noon. I’ll give it to you at noon,” I answered, delirious with need to feel him filling me.
