Cole, Kaliana - Tag and Release [Liberty Springs, Wyoming 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Kaliana Cole

  The silken slide of smooth, feminine skin kissed his flanks as her thighs instinctively wrapped him. Hot and swollen, her cloth-covered mound pressed into his hard stomach below the surface, gyrated once, twice, and he lifted his eyes in time to see her come apart in his arms. A soundless scream echoed in her throat, exploding mutely from wide-parted lips. So quiet that if he hadn’t been watching her face he would have missed her climax altogether. As much as he would have loved to hear her cries spill out across the valley, her silent ecstasy held him enthralled.

  He relaxed his grip on her hair, surprised at how harsh it had grown, and reluctantly gave up her nipple. It popped wetly from his mouth and he couldn’t resist giving it one last swipe with the rough of his tongue. She writhed and shuddered before her eyelids opened lazily. An inky darkness rode the sky-blue depths—passion-stained eyes.

  Luke felt his lips curl and knew he couldn’t hide the smugness bubbling up at having brought her to orgasm so quickly, or the satisfaction swelling in his chest when she didn’t immediately disentangle their bodies. His cock was as hard as it had ever been and there was no relief in sight, but he still felt more satisfied right then than after any encounter he’d had in the last year or two. “Some myth, huh?”

  “Oh, God! This is once that I don’t mind being proven wrong.” There was a hint of shyness to her smile, but not much. “You cured my hangover, anyway. I feel fine now.”

  “Fine? I thought I’d done better than that.”

  “Fishing for compliments?”

  “Nah, my ego is secure.” With one hand he tugged her top back up over her breasts, hiding their beard-reddened fairness from his view. His dick was demanding some action, and the sight of her strawberry-topped breasts bobbing around with her breathing was only provoking the monster.

  He stood up a little straighter and watched as she became aware that she still had her ankles locked behind his back. The embarrassed little smile as she pulled them free was cute as hell, as was the blush that crept up her cheeks and replaced the rosy flush of orgasm.

  He slid his hand from her back as she contorted her arms to go back through the straps of her top, but he couldn’t resist reaching out to pull at the material to settle her breasts more evenly. She ducked her head and did her own adjustments, tucking and wiggling until they sat up perky and even once more.

  Casey looked around and must have seen the shadows lengthening as well. “I’m at a bit of a loss here, Luke. Do I act like nothing has happened and get out and dry off, or what?”

  “We both need to dry off. Sittin’ in a saddle with a wet ass just ain’t fun. But there is nothing to be embarrassed about, Case. We’re both grown-ups. I’m not expecting anything in return, so just relax. We’ll dry off and head back. No big deal.”

  He turned away from her and put his hands on the smooth rock where he had jumped in, launching from the water and climbing out. He picked up his towel and began drying off, feeling the touch of her eyes on his back before the sound of water shedding from a sleek body alerted him that Casey had, too, climbed out. He turned to face her, drying his chest. A grin stretched his lips when her ears turned red and she studiously looked everywhere but at him. “That’s a lovely blush you got going there, Case.”

  “You could have told me you were naked!”

  “Would it have made any difference? You can’t see in the water as soon as the sediment is stirred up, and I can usually be trusted to rise above the urge to dry-hump a woman’s leg like a stray mutt.” He winked and reached for his jeans. “Besides, I’m not the one who has to try and pull dry jeans over a wet costume.”

  Chapter 3

  Casey shifted down through the gears as she passed down the drive beside her house. A smile lit her face as she saw Luke’s Chevy parked in front of the back shed. They had spent yesterday afternoon measuring up and marking out for the hot tub and decking to be installed. She had expected things to be strained between them after Sunday’s encounter at the spring, but Luke was as carefree as ever. He teased and flirted but didn’t take advantage of the intimacy she had allowed him the day before. The fact that he didn’t touch her made her all the more eager for him to do so.

  She swung the wheel and brought the Kenworth to a rest in its spot on the hard standing beside the garage. The five hundred horse-power engine rumbled sweetly as it idled down. She jumped down from the cab and shut the door softly, eager to see Luke and the plumbing supplies he was bringing. The smile lasted on her face until she rounded the corner and saw not one, but two Marshalls working on her project.

  Pipes and conduit stretched in every direction. Luke was spreading glue on fittings, and Brody was wiring electrical components. When Luke looked up with a smile, Casey gave him a “what gives?” look complete with a chin jerk in the direction of his older brother.

  “Hey, Casey. We finished up early today, so I got Brode to come and give me a hand. He’s better with electrics than I am.”

  Okay, she could live with that. With Luke’s devil-may-care attitude, him playing with high voltage was probably not a long-term prospect. “Hi, Brody. Thank you for helping out. I don’t know if I would be game to get in a hot tub that Luke wired up.” See, she told herself, I can play nice.

  “No problem, Casey. I’ve got a fair hole to dig myself up out of in the neighborly stakes anyway.”

  “Just as long as you don’t decide to get rid of me entirely and hot-wire the tub.”

  “I’ll try to refrain.” The smile barely touched his face. Only the slightest curl lifted one side, but her ovaries went off like firecrackers. Traitorous little bitches! Brody was bad, bad news. A recipe for disaster. And so fucking lethal to her libido he ought to be outlawed.

  She shook her head to clear it and turned back to Luke. “What can I do? And if you send me to make coffee you will never walk again,” she warned.

  “I wouldn’t dream of it. Actually, can you fire up the excavator and pull that sling of decking off my truck? I do my level best to refrain from lifting anything heavier than a longneck when I can avoid it.” His languid drawl brought a smile to her lips.

  Luke played the part of a lazy layabout, but hard work and plenty of sweat had gone into forging that body of his. The back view of that magnificent body was forever etched into her brain. She wished to God she’d had the guts to do more than peek at the front view he had afforded her.

  “I can do that. Where do you want it?”

  “Just swing it in as close to the wall as you can. Try not to scratch my truck.” If the last hadn’t been accompanied by a teasing grin she would have done more than childishly stick her tongue out as she turned to walk away.

  It took longer for the Cat to warm up than it did to shift the sling of lumber. She snugged it right up against the wall, not missing the look of genuine admiration Brody had on his face when it came to rest half an inch from the inner siding. She walked the nine-ton machine the short distance to its spot and powered it down.

  Luke was adjusting his pants when she walked back in, and she did a double blink at the bulge filling out the front placket. A wry grin rode his face. “Don’t ask and I won’t tell.”

  Brody snorted in disgust and started loading tools into the truck. Luke gave her an eloquent “what can I say, I’m a man” shrug, a killer smile, and a lovely view of his fine ass as he bent over to continue joining pipes. Casey could only shake her head and smile. The man had an irresistible streak a mile wide.

  “I’m all done. You coming home or staying here?” Brody turned from loading the truck.

  “I’ve still got a bit to do. I’ll walk home later.”

  “No worries.”

  Casey took a breath to steady herself as Brody walked over to her. He stopped a comfortable distance away, not crowding her at all. His dark eyes were bottomless pools of ebony as he brought them to rest on her. A tightness rippled along his jaw as he clenched his teeth as though steeling himself for something painful. “You have no idea how much it is costing me to say thi
s, but for what it’s worth, I’m sorry. I fucked up big time, Casey. I apologize for making unwarranted assumptions and comments no woman should have heard.” He looked down at his dust-covered boots before the onyx orbs once again met her eyes. “Anyway, I’m sorry.” He nodded and turned, walking back to the truck.

  Casey watched as he drove away.

  Luke whistled softly. “Wow. I think that is the first time I heard Brode apologize for anything.”

  “It won’t hurt his pride to take a battering.”

  “Oh, you crushed that into the shiny, linoleum floor of the supermarket, sweetheart. Brode ain’t never had his ego smashed like that.”

  “I’d say he was due then.” Although she had no qualms about putting the arrogant, conceited asshole she’d first met in his place, the sliver of vulnerability she’d glimpsed in his blacker-than-sin eyes just then gave her pause. Was Brody a complete jerk, or was there a decent human being buried underneath?

  “I know you said you won’t fetch coffee, but is a beer out of the question?” Luke had a light sheen of sweat on his brow and a damp V on the front of his T-shirt when he rose from the plumbing. His look was optimistic but not overly hopeful.

  “They’re right there in the fridge beside you. I’ll have one, too.”

  “I thought this old thing was empty. I didn’t even think to check.” He reached in and pulled out two bottles of Corona. “I didn’t see you as a Corona girl.”

  “Colby left some behind at the party. I’ll drink anything as long as it’s cold.”

  “A woman after my own heart.” He popped the top and handed her a frosted bottle before opening his own. He held his up in salute, “To neighbors.”

  Casey clinked the neck of her beer to his with a smile. Brody and Luke were not her first choice of neighbors, but they sure were easy on the eye. “To neighbors.”

  The icy-cold beer slid down smooth. Casey took a healthy swallow before coming up for air. Luke’s chocolate eyes were burning into her like lasers as she pulled the bottle from her lips. “What?”

  “I don’t know what’s sexier, seeing you operate that machine or watching you down that beer.”

  Casey coughed and laughed at the same time, thankfully not spraying beer out her nose. “You’re incorrigible.”

  “No, I’m horny. There’s a difference.”

  He sent her into another choking fit. She eventually straightened up and had to lean against the wall for support. She had to look away to take another sip. If Luke caught her eye she would be off again.

  He leaned against the pole beside her, a wide grin on his cheerful face. “You are so cute when you’re embarrassed.” Casey looked down at the ground, knowing her cheeks heated more. “You’re not used to compliments, are you?”

  “No. Men are usually threatened by my occupation or think they should treat me like one of the guys. Compliments are rather thin on the ground.”

  “They shouldn’t be. You’re a beautiful woman and you operate a digger better than most men I’ve seen. And you’ve got this gorgeous little dimple that peeks out when you’re trying to hold back a smile. Yep, that’s the one, right there.”

  Casey lifted her head. Luke was so full of himself and a real cutie to boot. She shook her head in amused exasperation and took another drink. When she looked back at him a heat had entered his eyes, intent and promising.

  “What’s a guy gotta do to get a kiss around here?”

  His eyes held her captive. They were so much darker than the light, teasing inflections of his voice. Casey put her beer down on the wall batten and straightened up. She had to admit she’d been dying for a taste of him since his hands had first touched her breasts in the hot spring. “You could try asking.”

  “Nah, you might tell me ‘no.’ Get over here and give me a kiss.”

  The smile never left his lips as she closed the distance between them. She placed her hands on his upper arms, absorbing the feel of his obvious strength beneath her palms before running them upward to rest on his shoulders. Hot, rock-hard muscle lay beneath her hands, and she swept one to the back of his neck, making him tilt his head so she could reach him. He held her eyes as she drew closer to his lips, the chocolate gaze never wavering. His lower lip was firm and full beneath hers as she brushed a kiss across it. The scent of man and light cologne mingled with fresh, salty sweat delighted her senses, pulling her under into a sea of want. Her eyes closed in surrender, and her tongue crept from her mouth, flicking along his upper lip.

  A hungry groan rumbled from Luke’s throat as he opened his mouth and wrapped his arms around her. Their heat branded her as he pulled her body flush against his. Casey stiffened in shock at the intimate contact and then melted into his embrace. His kiss was everything she wanted. It was masterful and playful by turns and so sinfully carnal it stole her breath and made her cunt weep.

  Like rough velvet, his tongue licked beneath her upper lip. Casey gasped as the caress stroked hidden nerves and sent her arousal soaring. She captured his tongue, drawing on it gently when she wanted to plunder every hidden recess of his mouth. Hell, she wanted to crawl inside his mouth and never come back out. She drew back and gasped for breath, so lost in the kiss she’d forgotten life’s little incidentals—like the need for oxygen.

  “Christ, sweetheart! You don’t do things by halves do you?”

  Luke didn’t give her time to answer. He bent and took possession of her mouth once more. The malty taste of beer didn’t overpower the allure of his masculine tang. This time he took control, taking sips when she wanted him to devour, seducing when she wanted him to ravage. His teasing little nips had her all but growling in frustration.

  Her raw need triumphed. Casey tangled a hand into his golden curls, using her strength to hold him for her kiss. She licked along the roof of his mouth and bit at the fullness of his lower lip with sharp teeth. Her tongue dueled with his when he tried to spear it into her mouth, wet velvet sliding on wet velvet, before she drew rhythmically on the agile muscle.

  The deep rumble in Luke’s throat spurred her on. Her body pinned his to the wall, pressing harder against him, trying to merge them together. Hard and hot, the strength of his erection pressed into her lower body. Casey rubbed against it, endeavoring to bring them closer still. The ominous crack of timber stopped her in her tracks. She drew away, her breaths coming in pants. “What was that?”

  Luke blew out a big breath before replying, “The wall, sweetheart. You nearly pushed me through the damn thing.”

  His hands cupped her waist as he came away from the siding. Casey blinked her eyes to focus them, trying to see when all she could feel was the surge of heated blood through her body. The timber batten to which the iron was fixed was cracked and bent outward. Casey’s face flamed and she put a hand to her mouth, unable to believe she had done such a thing.

  “Hey, don’t go getting all embarrassed again. I need you to pull a splinter out of my back.” Casey was mortified. “Hey, I’m not kidding.” Luke turned around and pulled his shirt up.

  Sure enough, three good sized splinters were embedded in his bronzed back. She took a steadying breath before laying her hand on his bare skin. He was hot enough to scald and smoother than satin. Her womb clenched desperately, demandingly, but Casey concentrated on the task at hand. A slight tremor made grasping the slivers of wood between her nails a challenge, but she soon got enough control over her highly aroused body to accomplish the extraction.

  “All done,” she stepped away a bit unsteadily.

  Luke’s face was still a little flushed when he turned back around, but he wore a wry grin. “I wish I was.” He looked down pointedly at the bulge still straining his jeans.

  “I’m sorry, cowboy, but nearly putting you through the wall kind of ruined it for me.”

  “You know what the good part about that is, don’t you?”

  “What?”

  “I’m a builder.” He stepped closer and stamped a quick kiss on her lips, hard but all too fleeting. “I’l
l bring a new timber over tomorrow. We’ll see if you can break that.” He gave her one last grin and headed home.

  Casey headed for a cold shower.

  Chapter 4

  The hot tub arrived not long after lunch on Wednesday. Casey unloaded the delivery truck with the excavator and removed the protective packaging as soon as the driver left. She tore into it like a kid at Christmas. There was Bubble Wrap and Scotch tape scattered everywhere when she finished unveiling her baby. Using padded slings, she carefully lifted it into place. It slid into the supports above the half-completed decking like a hand into a glove.

  The hot tub was a lot larger than she had expected. It looked much bigger than the display model she had inspected before purchasing hers. She had gone for a six-person because the four hadn’t been long enough for her to stretch out in completely. It was a luxury item and she wanted the luxury it promised, not having to bend her knees up to fit in.

  Knowing Luke wouldn’t be arriving for a couple of hours at least, Casey decided to get changed and hit the weights. She would have ample time to have a good workout and shower before he finished work. With the way she lost her head around him, being physically drained might help her to resist the pull of his body. She headed for the house to get changed.

  Casey plugged her iPod into the speaker system in the corner of the converted shed and selected a hard-driving playlist to work out to. She hadn’t had to make many modifications to what the Whelans had left behind when they’d moved in with Emma. Her sister’s workout room was more like what you would find in an expensive gym in a large city. They had taken a few free weights to top up Emma’s supply, and that wasn’t surprising. Ty was built like a goddamn pro-wrestler.

  She started with some light weights on the seated rower to warm up and then moved on to the leg press before some lateral pull downs. She thought about loading up the rack and doing some real strength training, but she needed a spotter for that. Instead, she slipped on some half mitts and attacked the heavy bag.