by Mari Carr
She could resist the temptation of his lips. But when he walked his free hand up her side, searching for a connection, she cried out. Their fingers entwined.
He squeezed. Tilting his head to the side, he murmured, “Yeah, you’re there. Come for me, Cindi. Show me how much you enjoy me lapping at this pretty pussy. Scream so I know how much harder I make you come than the guy you had before.”
Dirty talk triggered the initial waves of her climax. The Hoover action of his mouth, accented with the flutter of his tongue on her clit, inspired ordinary release to blossom into something epic. She did more than scream. She broke down and begged.
For more.
For him to stop before she shattered into a million pieces.
She hadn’t quite regained use of her limbs when he slithered up her frame. His cock thudded onto her belly and he rocked, gliding it through the wetness he’d inspired. “Please tell me you have another condom somewhere around here.”
She couldn’t breathe well enough to explain so she flopped her arm toward the mini-purse she’d dropped in the hay nearby.
“Thank God.” He dove for the wristlet, then withdrew a foil packet from inside without commenting on the entire strip she had tucked in the zipped pocket.
“Can I?” Cindi loved the endless moment where time suspended and she sheathed a proud man turned beggar, who rushed to bury his length inside her.
“Be my guest.” Sam sat on his haunches, allowing her free rein. Effortless. Everything about him amazed her with its natural fit. They complemented each other.
She stroked him several times, pumping up the last bit of stiffness he could muster. Delicious.
“Want to see a trick?” She winked when his jaw fell open.
“Now probably isn’t the best time for a magic show unless you want to see my stamina make a great escape.” His chest bellowed beneath the force of his pants. Purple and defined, his cock yearned for attention.
“I trust you to keep it together, cowboy.”
“I’m glad one of us has faith.” A grimace crossed his gorgeous lips. “You’re the finest woman I’ve seen up close and personal. Sweet and filthy. What more could a guy ask for?”
“Most prefer demure and exclusive.”
“You haven’t lied to me that I know of.” He reached out. She evaded his touch. “That’s all that matters to me, Cin. Honest passion.”
The wry twist of his grin convinced her the woman he’d spoken of earlier had done some serious damage. Maybe Cindi could distract him from the pain for a little while longer.
She popped the condom into her mouth—she always bought the mint variety—then descended toward his stiff cock.
“Oh hell, no.”
She glanced up, but he didn’t try to stop her.
Instead it was admiration, awe and amusement she read in his steamy green eyes. Laughing in bed with her partner never failed to turn her on. “You’re killing me.”
The saying struck a little too close to home. They both froze.
“Shit. Didn’t think…”
She tucked the condom against her cheek to reassure him.
“How could you when I’m dazzling you with my sword swallowing?” She wiggled her brows, then enveloped the head of his cock with her mouth, sure to employ every talent she possessed in an attempt to distract him as much as he had her. When he bucked against the tight ring of her lips, snug against his balls, she admitted playtime had to come to a close. Soon. Either that or she’d miss what promised to be the ride of a lifetime.
Her hands choked his shaft while she aligned the rubber with her tongue and proceeded to unfurl the protection, careful to avoid nicking it with her teeth. After his entire length had been coated, she ejected him from her throat and pulled off until he escaped with a pop.
“Brava.” The compliment came complete with a standing ovation from his cock.
“My turn.” He pounced, driving her to the blankets hard enough to stir up a puff of hay dust. “This one’s a disappearing act. Watch my cock vanish inside you.”
Cindi laughed and wrapped her hand around his neck.
She tugged him lower so they could kiss while he introduced his body to hers. The simple exchange became anything but when he took the clash of their mouths to the next level. What had he been through that he gobbled her simple display of affection like a starving man? She whispered against his parted lips, “You’re full of surprises.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” He grew still, peering into her eyes. For a moment, he seemed vulnerable. What kind of scars had his lover left?
“I’ve studied that picture of you in the grey suit—the Armani—on Vicky’s refrigerator. I wondered about all of you. Your brothers, you know. You all seem so different and yet the same. But something about that picture… I don’t know. JD even teased me about it a few times.” She would have averted her gaze, but he deepened his next kiss.
“Like what you saw?” He licked her bottom lip.
“Hell, yes. Though I never imagined your sense of humor. The light-hearted side of you makes the serious parts even more smoking.” She couldn’t stop herself. She slid her hands over his ribs, then up his back. “And your passion. Unpretentious pursuit of pleasure. Mmm. A picture might be worth a thousand words, but tonight… This is worth about a million pictures.”
“You’d better believe I’m freezing this moment in my memory. A keepsake for when things turn rough.” He cradled her shoulders in his hands and pinned her as he flexed his abs and drove his pelvis forward. “I’ll remember this.”
They both moaned when he sank the barest bit inside her pussy.
“Tell me if I’m hurting you.” He rested his forehead on hers, studying her expression for the slightest hint of discomfort. “It’s not uncommon for me to have to take things slow.”
Cindi breathed through the sting that followed his claiming. He stretched her gently, until his entire length burrowed between her soaked walls. Even then he didn’t initiate his strokes. He teased her with innocent kisses over her cheeks and closed eyelids until she couldn’t stand it anymore.
“Fuck me, Sam.” She arched off the ground, straining to force him to move. “Please.”
“Would you mind if I didn’t?” The arch of his brows made it seem like he was pleading too.
“Huh?” The weight of him impaling her made her sure she’d misunderstood.
“I’d rather make love to you, Cindi. Play with you.” He plumped her breast, drawing circles on his own chest with her nipple. “It’s been so long. I forgot what this feels like.”
“I’m not sure I’ve ever known.” Ignoring the alarm bells ringing in her mind, she nodded, brushing her lips over his. “I’d like to try it. With you. Tonight.”
“I think we already have.” His ass lifted as he withdrew a fraction of his length. “A little more. As much as we can stand, okay?”
“Mmm, yes.” She crossed her ankles behind his back, limiting his movement. They stayed close, flexing and releasing the pressure on each other. Instead of long, frenzied strokes, they enjoyed the intimacy of full body contact, slow grinds and deep penetration. He held her close, comforting her with the rocking of their bodies.
All the while, he stared into her eyes.
When she hugged him tighter to her chest, he sighed.
“Thank you.” He melted over her, conforming to the hills and valleys of her body. “God, I needed this so much. Needed you. Didn’t even know it.”
She sighed. With him blanketing her, the world couldn’t attack her with unfortunate bombshells. She’d had enough of those to last a lifetime.
Compared to the Band-Aid sleeping with Jake and the cowboys applied over her wounds, sharing with Sam seemed like revolutionary treatment. He prodded something deep within her, bringing it to life, setting her on fire.
Words couldn’t do it justice. So instead she used her hands, her lips and the rest of her body to communicate for her. Desperation sped her caresses as they raced toward t
he inevitable conclusion of their joining. Something so luminous couldn’t last forever. It had to burn out in a spectacular display sooner or later.
“Are you close, kitten?” he asked through gritted teeth.
“Right there.” She smothered him with shaking arms.
“Me too.” He buried his face against her neck and swore.
“Stop fighting it, Sam.” If she held him any tighter she might crack his ribs. “I’m with you. You’re not alone.”
“Neither are you.” He tangled his fingers in her hair and kissed the shit out of her.
His hips pumped beneath her heels, and his cock pulsed.
Cindi wished she could feel him shooting his come against the engorged tissue of her pussy. She never allowed herself that luxury. Safety came first, especially when she took multiple partners. What if…
Ecstasy rewired her brain. Dreams of one man, this man, infiltrated her wildest fantasies.
Or even better, she imagined him fucking her while the rest of the ranch hands cheered them on.
She screamed.
She quaked.
She lost all sanity and flew into the strongest orgasm of her life.
Through the never-ending spasms, Sam held her. Sheltered her. Lifted her higher.
Colors flared, then dimmed, accompanying the enormous release they shared.
Soothing nonsense filtered through the sated haze in her mind. How long they lay, tangled, she couldn’t guess. When the barn came into focus around her once more, he had slipped from her grasp and was disposing of the used condom. Reality smacked her hard.
Did she regret what they’d done? No. How could she?
But would it make things more difficult in the coming months? Exponentially.
She scrounged around for her clothes, keeping her gaze averted from his sculpted body so she wouldn’t be tempted for a rematch. The silk of her blouse had barely settled onto her shoulders when he approached, fully clothed.
“Stay with me tonight.” It wasn’t a question.
“Here? In the barn? And tell the guys what when I’m wearing the same clothes tomorrow?” They would notice since they’d peeled them from her earlier. She couldn’t help the widening of her eyes. What had she done?
The ramifications were potentially endless. Jake flashed into her mind. He already harbored some serious bitterness toward Sam. That much had been clear this afternoon. If he found out, if it seemed like anything more than a physical outlet, it wouldn’t end well.
“Come to the main house.” He played with her fingers as though he couldn’t stand to let her go. Somehow the gesture struck her as sweet instead of needy. At least he hadn’t tucked himself in his pants and run off. He acted as if their sharing meant something more than a casual roll in the hay. Whether she admitted it—to him, herself or the universe—it’d been bigger than that to her too.
“And what do you think Vicky and JD will have to say about that? Maybe I could sneak out the window like a naughty teenager at the crack of dawn?” She blew a derisive laugh through her delightfully swollen lips. “No, thank you.”
“Cindi—”
“I can’t.” She tried again to free her hand and failed. “And neither can you, Sam. Your family needs you. Distractions or some kind of crazy drama would be unfair to pile on top. There’s enough of that going around with Silas and the girl, Jody, that Seth told me a little about. We have to be responsible. Do the right thing. For everyone. I won’t jeopardize my position here. Not for anything. Or anyone.”
“Smarter than me.” He shook his head despite his frown. Then he stroked the pad of his thumb across her knuckles. “I didn’t see any extra cars in the yard. Do you need a ride?”
“I’ll walk.” One of her hands broke loose. Regret swamped her, keeping her from tugging too hard on the other.
“To where?” His eyebrows rose. “It’s after midnight for Christ’s sake. And it’s miles to the main road.”
“I live here.” It stung a little that he didn’t know that.
“In the barn?” The green of his eyes was even nicer when Sam opened them wide.
“No.” She couldn’t stop the laugh that burst from her chest. “You must really be tired. I stay in your great aunt Meade’s cottage.”
“I thought that old thing would have fallen down by now.”
“Probably would have if we hadn’t restored it.” Cindi adjusted the angle of her hand as they stood shoulder to shoulder. She edged toward the moonlight streaming through the open barn door. Their fingers wove together, unwilling to sever their connection so soon.
It felt too nice to shake loose before she had to.
“Still, that’s at least a half-mile over the ridge.” He frowned. “You’re not hiking out there alone, upset, sleepy. No way.”
“Who do you think you are to make decisions for me?” She glared up at him. “You don’t even know me. Just because we—”
“It wouldn’t matter who you were. It’s not safe.”
How could she argue with his chivalrous tendencies? Futile effort if he was anything like JD.
“Look, I understand if you don’t want to be alone with a stranger… I mean, me, out there.” He drew her closer to his side, intentionally or not. “I’ll call Colby. How’s that?”
Reality was, she could hardly consider him a new acquaintance after the life-altering moment they’d shared. Sometimes tragedy formed an instant bond that transcended individuals and called on their basic humanity. Like the night she’d watched footage of the tsunami destroy entire villages in Japan on the black and white TV on the counter inside Compton Pass’s only twenty-four hour gas station. Her late-night ice cream melted—utterly forgotten—in her hands. She hadn’t known the woman in the blue sweater behind her, but that hadn’t stopped them from hugging as the buildings collapsed and families washed away.
JD had been her personal foundation. He’d helped her find her place in life. To share the pain of losing him with his son… Well, she could only hope she’d helped the suave businessman as much as he’d comforted her.
“Don’t wake the foreman.” She shook her head. “Silas won’t rest without him home after the fiasco the other night. He needs his sleep to heal. Especially considering…everything else.”
“Then you’re stuck with me.” Sam had inherited his father’s headstrong nature.
“Fine. But you can’t come inside.” A little of the quality had rubbed off on her in the past two years.
“Deal. I’ll escort you as far as the top of the hill. Okay?”
She nodded.
They strolled beneath the stars in silence, though he held her hand the entire journey. Suddenly she wished she lived a million miles away. The cricket song, the breeze in the long grass and the hint of water bouncing through the creek on the way to the pond all lulled her with nocturnal tranquility.
How could nature not mourn as she did?
The night should smell foul—like rotten carcasses—instead of fresh, perfumed with grass and asters.
With every step, Sam relaxed beside her. His thumb brushed over her knuckles when he helped her hop the tree that had fallen during the last summer storm. She hadn’t bothered to mention it to JD or Colby since they’d both been so busy lately.
When the slate roof of her home popped into view, she paused.
Sam turned toward her and dusted a tendril of hair from her cheek.
Cindi couldn’t say if she was upset or glad when he didn’t try to take it beyond that.
“Go ahead,” he whispered. “I’ll wait here until you’re inside.”
“Sam, I—” There were so many things she would have liked to say. She opted for simplicity. “Thank you, and I’m sorry.”
He nodded. “It was nice to meet you, Cindi Middleton.”
“Same goes. I only wish the circumstances had been better.”
“Me too.” He tipped his jaw toward the cottage. “Sweet dreams. Call the house if you need anything. I’ll be there.”
“You can feel free to do the same.” She blushed. “You know, if you need to talk.”
He impressed her when he resisted instinctive denial. “I may just do that.”
“Anytime. Sam.”
“Yeah?” He perked up, but didn’t crowd her personal space.
“When we see each other tomorrow.” She swallowed hard. It would be nearly impossible. She’d do it if she had to. “Let’s pretend this never happened.”
“Why make things awkward, right?”
“Exactly.” A weak smile covered her disappointment.
“I appreciate that, Cin.” He nodded. “My focus has to be on JD.”
“Mine too. And the future.”
“Understandable. Goodnight.”
“’Night, Sam.” They stood there, staring at each other for a few more seconds. His glittering eyes dazzled her, but still… “Could you let go of my hand now?”
“Sure. Yeah. That would probably help.” He lifted her knuckles to his lips and laid a gentle kiss on the inside of her wrist before unknitting their fingers.
If she didn’t act fast, she’d succumb to the offer in his eyes. They would drift down onto the long, soft grass, and she would convert a difficult situation into a damn near impossible one.
Too risky.
Cindi picked a route she had memorized across the meadow with more concentration than the trek required. She prided herself on not glancing backward until she’d fit her key in the lock on the back door. Thank God she hadn’t given in to temptation before then or she might have dashed up the hill and tackled the figure silhouetted on the horizon.
She could have used him to sear away the darkness in her heart, which was so much blacker than the gorgeous midnight they’d shared.
Chapter Seven
Sam toyed with the stem of his wineglass at dinner the next night. He glanced around the table, comparing the bottles of beer in front of Colby and Seth, Vicky’s wine cooler, the tumbler of whiskey his father nursed and the tall glass of iced tea beside Silas’s plate. Lucy sipped vitamin-enriched water in some pink, faux-fruit flavor. What had seemed like insurmountable differences when he was younger felt like welcome diversity after his return home.
