“Please…”
Shain lifted his head and an eyebrow. “Please? Please what, Lily?”
Lily shifted against him, her breasts aching for his tongue. I can’t say it, she thought. I can’t be as blunt as he—
A warm, thick finger found her clit. He flicked the tip across her nub, then inserted it up to the first knuckle. Lily groaned and tried to lower herself onto the finger but Shain held her up. Refusing to let her impale herself. “Come on, sugar. Please, what?” He twisted his finger ever-so-slightly, putting gentle pressure on her throbbing center.
“Oh my,” Lily moaned, biting her lower lip. “Please fuck me. Please…please.”
Chapter Six
That did it.
If he waited one more second to bury himself within her, he’d explode. And it would be messy. Violent.
“Wrap your legs tight,” Shain said gruffly.
She did.
“Tighter!”
Once he felt her heels lock behind his hips, Shain dropped his hands and ripped the condom open that he’d stowed in the spot between their sweat beaded bodies. He couldn’t seem to get it out of the package fast enough. His chest heaved and his cock bucked as he palmed the sheath over his near-painful erection.
“Now unlock your legs.”
Amazingly, Lily listened and loosened her legs on either side of his hips. No time for words. Or games. Shain needed this woman like a man dying of thirst needs water. With his hands on her hips, he leaned back, lifted the long legged goddess and brought her down one inch at a time onto his engorged rod. He paused, letting her adjust to his girth, gritting his teeth to keep himself from ramming it into her all at once.
“Friggin’ goddamn,” Shain exploded, the sensation of her slick, fiery hole almost making him come as he finally filled her to the hilt. Taking a deep breath, Shain fought for control. He held her still, her legs wrapped low on his hips, his cock buried deep within her.
And then she moved. Pushing out with her pelvis and driving him deeper, her hand twining behind his neck. Shain cursed again, his muscles cording in response to his need. Determination raged and Shain lifted her free of his cock. She cried out in protest.
“Oh, you’re gonna get what you want, darlin’…and maybe a little more.”
Shain brought her down with force, his own body jerking along with hers at the pure pleasure of it. Damned if she was going to make him come this fast.
Again, Shain lifted her and again he pulled her down, her pussy smacking against his groin. His biceps bulged, his breath coming fast as he lifted her over and over, fucking her with every inch of his body, from leg to arm to grinding pelvis. Soft, then soul-deep moans fell from Lily’s parted lips, driving Shain. Raising every sensation a hundred fold.
Fingers dug into his shoulders and back, an animal growl in her throat, and Shain looked down on her face as he rammed her up and down on his shaft. She opened her eyes and, as their gazes locked, Shain was utterly lost. It was as if they were outside of time. Beyond the everyday screw that felt good but was only another part of an ordinary day…
Her face was radiant, her eyes brilliant green under the summer sun.
“Damned if you aren’t the finest woman I have ever seen,” Shain whispered, not regretting his words. He was always honest. Even if it hurt. Even if it might come back to bite him in the ass later.
“You, too,” Lily managed to choke out, her breath ragged, her pert breasts rubbing against his chest.
Shain grinned, his hands still yanking her up and down. “What? I’m the finest woman you’ve ever seen?”
Lily’s glossy eyes popped wide and her mouth formed an “o”. “What? No! No, I meant you’re the finest looking man—”
Her words were cut short by a deep moan and Shain’s expression darkened with passion. He pumped into her, striking her very core. “You take my breath away, woman.”
“Oh, God,” Lily cried, her legs wrapping tighter around Shain’s hips. Two more thrusts and Shain felt her release. Her pussy contracted around his cock like a clamp. Shain gritted his teeth and fought the need to spill, right then and there. Damn. He’d never felt anything like that before.
Lily collapsed against his chest, her legs loosening.
Now it was time to get down to business.
Shain dropped to one knee, taking Lily down with him. He gently unwrapped her hands from behind his neck and laid her onto the grass. The air was cool on his still-throbbing erection. “Look at me, Lily.”
She opened her sated eyes, their centers dark and sultry. Her gaze trailed him from chest to groin and Shain’s need raged as her eyes rested on his cock. “You,” Lily started. “I never thought a man could be…” She took a deep, shuddering breath. “So phenomenally large.”
Shain slid between Lily’s legs. “All the better to fuck you with, my dear,” he growled. “Now spread your legs.”
Lily’s eyes widened. “You…aren’t done?”
An eyebrow raised. What did she think he was, a total loser? “I’ll tell you when I’m done. Now spread your legs.”
After a blink or two, Lily shifted her thighs wider apart, her teeth worrying her succulent lower lip. Shain could sense her nervousness. He didn’t understand it, coming from a woman with an obvious agenda, but he had to admit it was convincing and damn erotic.
“Touch yourself.” It was almost a whisper but, after a slight hesitation, Lily responded by trailing her hand down her hip to her thigh and then through the narrow strip of hair above her slit. Shain’s eyes fastened on her peach tipped fingers as they drew slow circles around the outside of her folds. He could almost taste her essence, feel her satiny lips.
Her fingers lightly teased her glistening slit, then slid inside. Lily gasped and Shain growled, his breath coming fast. “That’s it, darlin’. A little deeper.” She plunged a finger inside her wetness and Shain nearly lost it as Lily cried out.
Yanking her hand free, Shain gripped her ass and buried his cock inside her creamy hole. The heat of her channel enveloped him and, with his knees digging into the turf, Shain rode her like an angry bull, driving every last ounce of his feverish need into her willing body.
She met his thrusts, her hips thundering against his, and for a moment, Shain worried she might break in two but that fear was pushed aside as he caught her whispered words: “Fuck me, Shain. Ohmygod, you feel so perfect.”
Shain gritted his teeth and pulled her long, shapely legs up onto his shoulders, allowing his cock to delve even deeper. Lily’s fist pounded the ground as Shain pounded into her welcoming center. She felt perfect around him. Hot, tight and, as Shain looked into her striking eyes, an electric sensation like nothing he’d ever experienced washed through him, from the top of his head past his heart and straight to his throbbing cock.
His thrusts were rhythmic and deep, his body wire-tight as he fought against release. Shain was consumed by the feel of her, the scent, and somehow his mind registered that sex with this amazing woman felt different than any other before. It was more than her gorgeous body. Her beautiful face. Her luscious mouth…
Shain groaned as his climax built like a wave rushing toward the shore and he was helpless to stop it. As the tip of his cock hit the apex of her womb, Shain exploded. He roared, his body pumping his seed into the condom. Shain prayed that it would hold.
His skin flushed, his heart nearly bursting with the force of the experience, Shain sucked in air and scooped Lily up, rolling them both onto their sides. He waited until his breathing was back to semi-normal before he reached down and pushed the condom off, relief washing through him when he realized it was still in one piece.
Listening to Lily’s labored breathing, he wasn’t so certain about his partner. He set the condom aside and focused his attention on the gorgeous, naked blonde in front of him. Shain ran a hand down her silky hair, stopping on her flushed cheek. What just happened? Sex. Just sex…so why did he feel so uneasy? Like how he used to feel when his grandmother caught him stealin
g bread fresh from the oven. It only took one look from her dark eyes to make him own up to his choices—
“So,” Shain said, his hand stilling. “That was some action, darlin’.”
Her eyes lifted and, if Shain didn’t know better, he’d swear they were now smoky green with anger. “It’s nice to get a little…action…every now and again, isn’t it?”
Shain was quiet as he studied his gilded Lily’s arresting face. There’s something a little off about this piece of work. Shain sighed. No. He couldn’t quite think of her as “a piece of work” anymore. The realization burned.
Keep it light, Shain…don’t be a fool. Don’t get caught with your hand in the oven.
“Right,” Shain replied, sitting up. He ran a trembling hand over his chest, brushing away clinging blades of grass. “Gotta have some fun, now and again.”
* * * * *
The man was a wolf. A beautiful one, but a dirty dog nonetheless. Lily sat up, irritation and embarrassment burning in her gut. What she’d just experienced…God. Incredible. She’d had no idea sex could be like that.
But it had been a game to him. A fun little romp.
Lily stood shakily and turned. Closing her eyes, she fought to regain her composure. A romp. That’s exactly what she’d wanted, right? Exactly what the bet was all about. Finding a guy who turned you on and simply having the time of your life. No strings. No commitments. So why did she feel so infuriated? So let down?
Wiping a hand across her face, Lily took one more deep breath, then walked to where her clothes lay scattered across the grass.
I’m just not cut out for this.
The soft chime of the narrow river drew Lily’s attention and she took a moment as she picked up her jeans to look around. Stunning. From the sparkling silver of the water and polished rock of the bed, to the thick green forest that lined it against the backdrop of jagged mountains spearing the clear blue sky.
It was the type of land that could grow a man like Shain Stevenson. Rugged. Hard yet mystical. Lily raised an eyebrow. Not that she’d seen a spiritual side of Shain yet.
Lily pulled her blouse over her head and, on the spur of the moment, walked to the creek, her jeans and panties draped over her shoulder. The water rippled with life and Lily knelt, dipping in a hand.
Cold. But clear. Before she could change her mind, she waded in and splashed her privates clean, goosebumps erupting up and down her calves.
“Darlin’, you’ve got the nicest legs in the county, hands down.”
Lily straightened, her breath catching in her throat at the sound of Shain so close behind her. Her heart thrummed at his compliment but she knew she couldn’t get caught up in his flattery. Mistake it for affection.
Feeling brave, Lily turned to face him. Her nose nearly bumped his chest. Dang it. She hadn’t thought he was that close. She sidestepped and forced a smile. “You’re quite the flatterer, Mr. Stevenson.”
Shain’s eyebrows rose. “’Mr. Stevenson’? Honey, after that trip down pleasure lane, I’d think we’d at least be on a first name basis.”
Trip down pleasure lane…now that was an adequate way to describe what happened.
Lily raised her chin. “All right, Shain…so, what now? Aren’t you supposed to be taking me on a tour of the ranch?”
Sporting a wolfish grin, Shain waded right into the cold stream and, without so much as a shiver, dunked himself all the way under. He came up dripping, glistening diamonds of water. “Yup. Let’s start here.” He stood, water sluicing off the chiseled muscles of his chest and waist. “This,” he said, opening his arms. “Is Wolf Creek, pleasant waterway in the summer, torrent stream come early spring.”
Lily forced her eyes away from Shain’s luscious body and, after shaking the water off her legs, stepped out and pulled on her panties and jeans. She cast around for her boots. She couldn’t even remember taking them off, or Shain taking them off for her. Her face heated at the memory of what they’d just done.
Lord. I’d do it all again. Right now. Right here.
Shaking her head, Lily managed to roll her socks over her feet and sink them into the boots, knowing the longer she stayed undressed, the more her mind would be playing over other, intimate, possibilities.
Once fully clothed, Lily purposely ignored Shain and strolled down the creek toward a mound of upturned earth over a gentle rise. Anything to get her away from Shain. From smelling his heady scent. From thinking about sitting on that horse between his thighs…
She cleared the berm and, as Lily looked down, a tingle erupted across her shoulder blades. She sidestepped down the crumbling embankment, her eyes scanning the numerous depressions in the rocky riverbed soil. Stopping at a pile of fine grit, Lily knelt and plunged a hand into the chert, running it through her fingers.
“This is a dig,” Lily said to herself. “Albeit a disorganized and messy one.”
“What the hell…”
Lily stood and turned at the sound of Shain’s gruff voice. He was standing above her bare-chested, hands on his powerful jean-clothed hips, a deep scowl on his face. “Goddamn them.”
“Someone’s been scrubbing for artifacts on your property,” Lily said.
Shain crunched down the embankment, his smoldering gaze taking everything in. “Shit, these assholes don’t know when to stop.”
“What were they looking for?” Lily asked, her curiosity piqued, her professional outrage building.
Running a hand through his damp, thick hair, Shain let out a strained breath. “Like you said, artifacts. Native artifacts.” Shain froze and his face hardened. “Why did you say that? How did you know that’s what this was?”
A tickle of unease unfurled in Lily’s abdomen. “It—it’s what I do for a living.”
Shain’s eyes narrowed.
“Wait!” Lily held up a hand. “Not stealing. I’m a native artifacts curator for a museum. I travel all over to purchase things for our collection. Legal items,” she added, alarm building in her gut at the stormy look on Shain’s darkly handsome face.
He was silent, his face a study of mistrust and suspicion. Like his sister’s earlier. Lily closed her eyes. That’s why Nhya had reacted the way she had to Lily explaining her profession. They were embroiled in some sort of clash with treasure hunters. Lily knew the type. Some could be quite dangerous, depending on the value of the items they were after.
Shain crooked a finger. “Let’s go.”
Chapter Seven
Lily would have liked a real tour of the property but, as things stood now, Shain was in no mood to play tour guide. He was quiet as stone the entire way back to the ranch, and Lily resigned herself to the fact that, despite his current rosy disposition, Shain had helped her discover something truly surprising about herself: she liked sex. No, ‘like’ was too weak a word. She loved sex.
Her gaze strayed to Shain’s strong arms on either side of her. More accurately, she loved sex with Shain. She frowned, trying to pull her thoughts away from such fantastical notions, like Shain feeling the same way about her. Wanting not just her body, but her smile, her laughter, her company.
Crap. Lily closed her eyes and breathed out through her nose. The sun was still high in the sky by the time they made it back to the paddock. Darrell opened the gate and they rode inside. Shain handed Lily down, before sliding off himself and giving the reins to one of the hands Lily had yet to meet.
“Ma’am,” the red-headed cowboy said with a nod.
Lily tried to straighten her legs once she was on solid ground, wincing at the myriad of subtle aches between her thighs. “Hello,” Lily responded, wondering if the young man could tell from her face alone what she’d been up to. Her cheeks colored, and she turned away, searching for Shain.
He was already through the gate and heading for the front door of the house.
Well, Lily thought with a scowl. Goodbye to you too.
She turned back to the redhead who was unfastening the saddle. “I’m Lily and you are…?”
&nb
sp; Without looking at her, the cowboy said: “Peter, ma’am. Peter Owens.”
Lily forced a smile. “Nice to meet you, Peter.” Shain Stevenson be damned.
“Well, Peter. How about you show me how to remove the, er, tack, and how to rub this beast down?”
Peter stopped what he was doing and raised a coppery eyebrow. After a blink or two, he nodded. “All right. First thing you do is…”
* * * * *
Day one, and Lily had de-saddled her first horse, mucked his stall and portioned out feed to over twenty horses before helping rake and shovel the fouled bedding into a compost pile at the back of the barn. All this after a mind-blowing morning of sex-in-the-grass with the most gorgeous, work-toughened man she’d ever met.
Lily groaned silently, wiped a hand over her sleep-deprived face and forced herself out of bed. What had she been thinking yesterday? She hadn’t been. She’d been feeling instead. Feeling all sorts of mixed up, fantastic, frightening emotions and sensations.
Her fingers gripped the oak frame, wood biting into the flesh beneath her nails. Shain. It still seemed so unreal.
Berating herself, Lily stood and stretched, grimacing at the myriad of aches and pains that assaulted her. She stared at her reddened palms. Darrell had handed her a pair of gloves halfway through the day, for which Lily was eternally grateful. The guys had told her more than once that she could knock off, take a rest, but Lily had refused.
She couldn’t tell them that the work did wonders at keeping her mind off Shain, who’d stormed out of the house and driven off at top speed. And who was absent the entire day.
After spending a pleasant evening with Shain’s sister, Lily had found she enjoyed the young woman’s company and the atmosphere of the Red Bear immensely. As well as learning about her dangerous cowboy. Nhya talked about her brother with deep affection and respect. She told Lily about his fame as a circuit rodeo wrangler and all the many trophies and titles he’d earned, which explained the scars. Stories of him as a precocious, yet hardworking and focused child. Lily was beginning to think that maybe a week at the ranch wouldn’t be so bad, if Shain didn’t haunt her at every turn. If she could stop looking over her shoulder expecting—wanting to catch a glimpse of his smoky eyes and broad shoulders.
Hearts Are Wild Page 25
