by Terri Osburn
“We’ve been seeing each other less than a month . . .”
“Feels a lot longer for me,” Dylan said, tucking a stray lock behind her ear. “Look, Charley, we don’t have to come up with all the answers right now. Tonight I want good Mexican food with my girl and to show you exactly how much I’m going to miss those pretty legs of yours. Is that all right with you?”
To his relief, a hesitant smile brightened her face. “So you’re only going to miss my legs?”
Tipping up her chin, he said, “I’ll miss all of you, darling. From head to toe.” Lowering his mouth to hers, he took her lips in a slow, wet kiss that promised all the ways he planned to love her by morning. Charley kissed him right back, pressing against him with her arms draped around his neck. When they wound their way back to reality, the woman in his arms stared up at him with unease in her gaze.
“You won’t forget me when you’re out there with all those screaming girls, will you?”
Dylan squeezed her tight. “Nothing in the world could make me forget you, Charley Layton. Not ever.”
Charley’s appetite had not come along for the ride tonight. Not that the food at Mas Tacos por Favor wasn’t excellent, but the butterflies in her stomach left little room for anything else.
Dylan wanted to take care of her. That smacked strongly of long-term commitment and feelings that shot way beyond a casual dating scenario. But it wasn’t his feelings that scared her. It was her own. Because Charley could not deny a zing of elation when Dylan had tucked that hair behind her ear.
Feels a lot longer for me.
She felt the exact same way. Charley couldn’t believe that she’d met him only three weeks before. When she glanced his way, it felt as if he’d always been there. Holding her hand. Making her smile. Riding to her rescue.
The problem was reconciling her independent nature with Dylan’s white-knight tendencies. She did need him, but not to pay her bills or fix her car. Well, maybe to cook her a meal now and then. The one night they’d spent together during the week, he’d made some amazing fried chicken that she wouldn’t mind having on a regular basis.
In fact, the chicken had been so good, she’d nearly bragged about it to Grandpa on the phone the next day. She’d stopped herself in the nick of time. Confessing she had a new man in her life would result in both Grandpa and Elvis arriving at her door within days, demanding an introduction.
Tonight, to prove to herself that she hadn’t crossed some imaginary line long ago drawn in her head, Charley had insisted on paying for dinner. Until now, she’d let Dylan pick up the tab every time they went out. Which shifted the balance a little too far for her comfort. No matter the difference in their bank accounts, and by all indications, the difference was substantially in his favor, she needed to edge the needle closer to the middle.
And to prove that he understood her almost better than she understood herself, Dylan never flinched when she offered to pay. How could he know her so well so fast? Was it all an act? Was Matty right, that guys had some sixth sense, allowing them to say all the right things until they got what they wanted and moved on?
Cutting her gaze to the man in the driver’s seat, she searched for some sign of the truth. Some unforeseen fault that would prove he wasn’t as perfect as he seemed.
As if sensing her eyes on him, Dylan looked over. “You’re awfully quiet over there. What are you thinking?”
“That you’re too good to be true,” Charley admitted. “That I’m going to wake up one day and wonder how I missed the signs. How you tricked me so thoroughly into falling for you.”
Shifting his attention between her and the road, he said, “I like the falling for me part, but not the other. Where’s this coming from?”
Charley shrugged. “Survival instinct, maybe?”
“Are you sure that isn’t Matty’s voice in your head?”
“Could be some of that, too,” she admitted. “But doesn’t this scare you even a little bit? Or am I the only one freaked by the speed of this ride?”
Staring ahead, Dylan replied, “Men aren’t supposed to admit when they’re afraid.”
Leaning against the window, Charley crossed her arms. “I won’t tell if you don’t.”
The passing streetlights illuminated his jaw, revealing a muscle tick below his ear. “Okay, then. Yeah. I’m scared shitless. About all of it. The deal. The tour. You. But that’s a good thing, right?”
In Charley’s mind, being scared was a sign to turn back. “How so?”
“The way I see it, if you aren’t scared, you aren’t living.” He turned the truck into the parking lot behind his townhouse. “So I’ll take scared over easy any day.”
When he put it that way, Charley felt like a coward.
“That’s deep, Monroe.”
He smiled as he cut the engine. “That’s what I thought when I read it in a fortune cookie.” Stretching an arm across the seat back, Dylan toyed with her hair. “We’ve got the place to ourselves tonight. What do you think we should do?”
Feeling generous, and a bit aroused already, she let the fortune cookie crack go.
“You said something about showing me how much you’re going to miss me.”
“I did, didn’t I?”
“Yes, you did.”
“I do have something in mind, but it could take all night. And you might want to stretch first.”
Charley laughed as he leaned toward her. “Are you taking me to a Zumba class?”
With a nibble of her lower lip, he said, “Something better.”
Shoving her hands into his hair, she nearly dragged him over the console, offering a kiss that said she was up for anything he could dish out.
When the kiss ended, they were both a little breathless.
“We need to go inside,” Dylan muttered, pressing his forehead to hers.
“Yeah.” She nodded. “Let’s go.”
Chapter 18
It was a miracle they made it into the house. Neither was willing to stop kissing long enough to watch where they were going, which made getting the key in the lock damn near impossible.
Once inside, the keys hit the floor along with Dylan’s hat, Charley’s purse, and whatever mail had been left too close to the edge of the table.
“What the—”
“Ignore it,” he hushed. “I’ll get it later.”
Unable to wait any longer, he tugged the cherry-red top over her head and dropped his lips to her cleavage.
“Wait,” she fussed. “Are you sure we’re alone?”
Lifting her off the floor, he pushed her back against the wall and felt her legs hug his hips. “I’m sure. And if anyone dares to come through that door right now, I’ll kill him with my bare hands.”
“You know how to make a girl feel special,” Charley mumbled, digging her nails into his shoulders as he licked along the edge of her bra. “Mmm . . . ,” she moaned, arching forward. “I like that.”
Dylan caressed her bottom as he ground against her. “I like it, too.”
Delicate hands shot into his hair as his tongue dipped behind the slip of satin. When he found the sensitive pink tip, she gasped, holding him to her.
“A bed,” he murmured. “We need a bed.”
“Yes,” she agreed, locking her ankles against his ass as they moved away from the wall. “What are you doing?”
“I’m taking you upstairs,” Dylan said as they passed through the living room.
“You’re going to drop me.”
At the base of the steps, he looked up into wide brown eyes. “You trust me?” he asked.
Relaxing her grip, she nodded. “I do.”
“Then let’s go.”
As Dylan took the stairs at a steady pace, Charley let her hand trail up the railing. “This is kind of fun.”
“The fun hasn’t even started,” he assured her, reaching the top and crossing the hall to his bedroom. With a kick behind him, the door swung shut, and he finally had her where he wanted her.
The weekend before, they’d discussed Mitch’s eligible bachelor scheme on the way home from the dinner, which had led to Charley suggesting they end the night going their separate ways. He’d understood. She’d needed time to process his proposal that they play things low-key to keep everyone happy. And then he’d spent a sleepless night worried about her response.
If she’d have backed out then and there, Dylan wouldn’t have blamed her. But she hadn’t. And tonight, he’d show her how much her understanding meant to him.
Lowering her to the bed, he remained standing and reached down to remove his boots. Charley leaned back on her elbows, pushing her breasts forward to strain against the black satin holding them in. Satin that wouldn’t be there for long if Dylan had his way. Once both boots were off, he leaned to join her on the bed, but she shook her head.
“I like to watch you undress,” she said with a lopsided grin.
“I remember.” Dylan remained on his feet and tugged the black T-shirt over his head. “That reminds me. You owe me a shirt, little lady.”
Lashes lowered, Charley scooted higher on the bed. “I sleep in it.”
Undoing his buckle and sliding off the belt, he drawled, “I’d like to see that sometime.”
“Come back to me in ten days and I’ll show you.”
“I’ll come back to you, baby.” Tucking his thumbs inside his jeans, he added, “Always.”
As if unable to resist, Charley lifted onto her knees and kissed the center of his chest. “Good. ’Cause I’ll be waiting.”
Taking over, Charley held Dylan’s smoky gaze as she drew the starched denim down his powerful legs. He obliged by lifting one foot, and then the other, so she could toss the jeans aside.
“I believe I have a debt to pay,” she purred, tracing the shape of his erection behind the boxer briefs. “This looks like a good time to pay up.”
“You don’t owe me anything, honey, but I’m happy to take any payment you want to make.”
Tasting the warm flesh below his naval, Charley slid her hands around to test the firmness of his ass. “Magnanimous yet accommodating.” She chuckled. “I like that in my men.” When she kissed him through the cotton, his body went rigid and his teeth clenched. “You okay up there?”
“I’m good,” Dylan replied in clipped tones.
“You’re about to be.” Charley let her nails scrape down his rib cage before tucking them behind the waistband and casually pulling. Inch by inch, she kissed her way down until the material crested over her target and Dylan sprang free, pulsing and ready. “There we go,” she murmured, licking the tip.
Dylan moaned as his hips swayed forward, and Charley took the invitation to trail her tongue down his length. “You’re killing me, baby.”
Taking him in, she gripped his thighs, the muscles rippling as his knees locked and a growl echoed off the walls. Salt and heat danced on her tongue as she took him deeper, sucking hard down and back as his hands fisted in her hair. Aroused and wet, Charley picked up her pace, hands locked on his ass while Dylan rocked for her, giving more until her lips reached the base of his shaft. Drawing back far enough to tease the tip, she sucked one more time, eliciting a roar from his lungs as she swallowed his essence and felt him quiver with release.
Licking her lips, Charley looked up to see Dylan’s head thrown back and his rippling abs pulled tight. Seconds passed before his chest expanded, his lungs filling with much-needed air. Fingers still buried in her hair, his head tilted her way, gray eyes darkened by desire.
“You’re amazing,” he breathed, leaning to drop a kiss on her mouth. “Fucking amazing.”
Dylan’s praise aroused her nearly as much as the look in his eyes. “I’m glad you liked it.”
“Liked it?” he asked, lifting her to her feet and turning her back to him. His scruff tickled her neck as he whispered in her ear. “I loved it, honey.”
A callused hand slid under Charley’s bra to cup her breast, while the other slid down the front of her shorts, where his fingers teased her clit. Wrapping her hands around his wrists, she rubbed her bottom against his erection as a purr escaped her lips.
“That’s it, baby. That’s it.”
Body on fire, she leaned her head against his shoulder, lost in the sensations spiraling through her limbs. Abandoning her clit long enough to unbutton her shorts, Dylan worked the denim down her legs, leaving only her black thong in place.
“You’re so hot, Charley. I can’t get enough.”
“Me neither,” she panted as he slid the flimsy strip of satin to the side to work her folds. “Don’t stop,” she mumbled, writhing against his hand. “Please, don’t stop.”
“Never,” he growled, driving a finger inside.
When she arched forward, he pinched her nipple, sending shards of pleasure and pain to her core. Charley teetered on the edge, ready to break apart at any second.
“Dylan, I can’t hold on.”
“I’ve got you.” Another finger slid inside. “So wet. Come on, now. Come for me, honey.”
Panting for air, she nodded as his thumb pressed hard against her clit and stars exploded behind her eyelids. The orgasm slammed her body, but Dylan held her tight, riding the crest with her until she went limp in his arms. Chest heaving, she dug her nails into the arm braced across her chest.
“I think you outdid me,” she whispered. “That was incredible.”
“And that was only the opener,” he murmured, biting her earlobe, his hand still locked on her breast. “The fun is just beginning.”
“Let me grab something, darling,” Dylan sighed into her ear. “Don’t move.”
Charley did as asked, remaining at the foot of the bed in her matching black bra and thong. Looking at her was enough to set him on fire. Touching her threatened every ounce of his control. But he was determined to make this a night she wouldn’t forget, and he’d made sure they were prepared.
Retrieving a condom from his nightstand, Dylan returned to her, trailing his index finger down her back to reach the narrow strap tucked between her gorgeous curves. Charley shivered, and he raised her hair to kiss the back of her neck.
“Perfection,” he breathed against her skin, tearing open the small blue packet and rolling the condom down his shaft.
Unclasping the bra, he slid the straps slowly down her arms and tossed the delicate number off to the side. Every dip and crevice begged for his touch, but Charley didn’t move. Only stood her ground, letting him touch and taste. The contour of her shoulder. The crook of her neck. The small of her back. And all the while, he grew harder until he couldn’t hold back any longer.
Drawing out the moment, Dylan slid the panties down her thighs to land silently around her feet, and with a gentle push, Charley landed on her hands and knees, knowing instinctively what he wanted her to do. Without prompting, she arched and drove back against him, letting him know she wanted the same.
Hands locked on her hips, he drew her to him, finding her wet and open, and slid inside only to have her clench around him.
Chestnut hair swung forward as her head dropped with a sigh. Dylan slid in the rest of the way, teeth clenched for control. He wanted to go slow. To make this last. But his body had other plans. Withdrawing, he drove in deep again, thrusting hard enough to draw a gasp from Charley.
Kissing her back, he said, “I’m trying, baby. I’m trying to go slow.”
Charley shook her head. “No. More. Give me more, Dylan.”
Her plea snapped his control, and he leaned up, bracing his feet wide to take her over and over, faster and harder. She matched his intensity, meeting him drive for drive, plunging them both into mindless pleasure as the world went white-hot, searing his brain and scorching his lungs.
Dylan buried himself one more time, the release burning through his chest as Charley screamed his name, her body trembling against him. When any sense of reality returned, he found himself tucked behind her on the mattress, arms wrapped around her shoulders as they both gulped for air.
Charley had heard women say that a man had made them see God, but she’d never really believed it happened. Lo and behold, she was wrong.
“Maybe you leaving town all the time isn’t going to be such a bad thing,” she said, flattening her back against Dylan’s abs. “Rounds like that might make the separation worthwhile.”
Dylan chuckled, shaking them both. “Not sure I can guarantee that kind of performance every time. I even impressed myself.”
Rolling to face him, she threw a leg over his hip. “You can’t set a bar that high and expect a girl to go back to anything less.”
Caressing her thigh, he licked her bottom lip. “I’ll promise to deliver my best whenever you give me the chance.”
“I see a lot of chances in your future,” Charley assured him, running her thumb across his lips. With a heavy sigh, she said, “I’m going to miss you.”
“I’m going to miss you, too.”
“Ten days is a long time.”
“Not as long as three months. Are you sure you can’t get away to come see me?”
She’d been scrimping since her first day on the job, saving all her pennies to eventually get a place of her own. Missing out on a couple of weekend remotes wasn’t going to threaten Charley’s plans.
“I could probably work something out once I see the dates.”
“Wait.” Dylan scrambled to the end of the bed and returned with his phone. “I bet the schedule is online.” A few swipes and “Wes Tillman tour” typed into a search engine turned up the information they needed. “We start in Jacksonville, go up the East Coast, across the north, and then out west.”
“Well, that sucks. Is there nothing within driving distance?” she asked.
“Looks like the tour wraps up here at the Bridgestone in December, but there’s a show in Knoxville on Halloween.”
Charley brushed her hair out from under her ear. “That’s six weeks into the tour.”
Dylan continued to stare at the phone as if the dates might change. “Cincinnati isn’t that far. We’ll be there the third week in.”
