At that simple sound, he walked into the house, yanking her inside, shutting the door. At the click of the latch behind him, he pushed her against the wooden panel, his body covering hers, pressing into her curves, his rock-solid erection shoved against her womanly mound, his mouth coming down hard.
Oh, this is what she wanted, what she craved. Dragging her from the wall, his lips still kissing her, he led her down the hall and she blindly followed, knowing that before long, this building ache would be satisfied.
Soon, her man would be inside her, loving her. The thought stunned her, but she shoved it away, concentrating on Cody.
While his mouth continued the magic, plundering her lips, his hands worked the buttons on her blouse. A deep need-induced whine escaped her. Abruptly, she broke the seal of their mouths and began to frantically unbutton his clothing. "I want to run my hands over your chest."
"Yes," he said, barely able to talk. "I want to touch your breasts."
"Please," she said on a sigh.
Shoving his dress shirt off his body, she let her fingertips trail from his neck down to his waist where she unbuttoned his pants. With a quick tug, he yanked off his boots and socks. A kicking thrust sent his jeans to the floor as she removed the rest of her clothing.
Once the clothes were gone, she reached for him, needing the feel of his flesh against her own. Quickly, her hand encased his penis, and he moaned, the sound urging her on.
"Kelsey," his voice filled with need as he pressed her down on the bed, where he fell on top of her, his lips plundered hers.
She relinquished control and let herself grasp the strength of him surrounding her. A cry rent the air, and she was shocked to realize this time it came from her as he crushed her mouth beneath his own, hunger overwhelming her.
Tonight was about the two of them. Whatever tomorrow brought, tonight she wanted to celebrate this joining, this coming together. Relish in the potency of her man. His tender soul, his patient and kind heart, the way she had tested and tried him and still, he came back.
Breaking the seal of their lips, he placed his forehead against her. "Do you know how much I want you?"
"As much as I need you," she said, her voice soft, her breath whispery.
A shiver went through her.
With fingertips lightly trailing down his chest, his stomach, to his manhood, she wrapped her hand around his strength as he groaned. From that first night, there had been this spark of chemistry, hot enough to burn the house down. With gentle strokes, she pleasured Cody, eager to give him the gratification that engulfed her.
"I ache with desire for you," he said as he gripped her head, holding her lips hostage, his fingers tangling in her hair, not letting her escape his kiss.
Then he slid his hands down her neck to her shoulders and further down until he reached her chest. Cupping her pale globes, he released her mouth from his and bent down to lift the soft weight of her breast to his lips.
Gently, he tugged on her nipple, sucking as much of her into his mouth as she bucked wildly against him, moaning. Trapping, holding his head against her nipples her breathing was ragged and strained, desiring, needing more.
Kelsey thought she would go up in flames when he brushed his hand over her curves, skimming over her stomach, down touching her womanly folds.
"You feel like silk," he said as he delved inside caressing her. The man had her gripping the quilt as his fingers sent desire spiraling through her.
Honey flowed and an orgasm built within her like a raging fire. Expanding and growing until finally her body tightened around him, and she cried out, shuddering with passion.
There was no rest. Smiling down at her, he parted her legs with his. They fit together perfectly, her breasts crushed against his chest, her hips supporting him, his penis nestled between the juncture of her thighs, right where he belonged. Swiftly, he entered her in a single movement. This man, her lover, satisfied her craving and need like no one else.
"Oh my, this is wonderful," she whispered. "Filling me, pounding into me, connecting us."
"Kelsey," he cried, "this is where I belong."
The words made her want him even more. There was something so final, so definite in what he said like they were a couple, they were a pair. They were together.
In the darkness, she gazed into his eyes, they were connected as one as he moved inside her, stroking her, loving her. Clutching his back, she clung to him as they rode the waves, holding on to one another. Never wanting it to end.
Love overflowed, bringing tears to her eyes, and there was no doubt that Cody was her man. Cupid had brought her love when she was least prepared.
A tightening spiral of pleasure overcame her, and as much as she wished she could last longer, she couldn't.
"Cody!" Kelsey cried as her body convulsed.
With a guttural cry, his penis swelled within her as he slammed into her one more time, shuddering his release. No matter what happened in their future, she would always remember the night she realized she loved him. Had fallen deeply in love with a man she'd never considered.
Heart beating rapidly, breathing heavily, he rolled them to their sides, pulling her tightly against his body. Leaning down, he kissed her gently on the lips.
"We're good together, Kelsey. Very good," he said against her head.
"Yes," she said soaking in the realization that she loved this man. The boy who once wore Superman underwear had captured her heart.
* * *
Cody slept deeply. Normally, rising before the sun came up, he slowly awoke to the sound of pounding on his door. Sunshine blazed through the curtains and he realized he'd overslept.
"What's that noise?" Kelsey asked, all curled around him.
If he had his way, he would wake up this way every morning. At the first opportunity, he planned on asking Kelsey to be his wife.
It came again and then he heard shouting.
"Oh crap," he said, his eyes opening wide, reaching for his pants on the floor.
"What's wrong," Kelsey asked, rising, the sheet falling to her waist exposing her full breasts.
This was not how he wanted to start his day. He'd imagined beginning the day by making love to her and then fixing her breakfast before reluctantly letting her go.
"Open up, Cody," Drew yelled.
"Oh my God, that's Drew," she said, sliding out of bed, she ran around the room picking up her clothes and throwing them on. Stopping for a moment, she gazed at him. "They're not going to be happy."
"I know," he said, pulling on a T-shirt.
Tumultuous feelings washed over him and he walked over and kissed her on the mouth. "We'll get through this."
He waited, thinking it would be better if the two of them went together. Gripping her hand, she followed him down the hall and when he reached the door, he turned and glanced back at her. Before he opened the door to the turmoil on the other side, he almost told her he loved her, but thought this might not be a good time.
Opening the door, Drew's fist met his eye and he heard Kelsey scream as he absorbed the punch.
"What the hell kind of greeting is that?" he asked.
"Where is she," Drew demanded, walking in, closely followed by Kyle and Jim.
"I'm right here," she said, stepping in front of Cody. "Why did you hit him?"
They were going to ruin everything. Feared seeped into his body. Everything they had overcome last night her brothers would destroy. Especially after his attempt at a bet.
The three men stood inside the door, gazing between the two of them.
"How did you convince her to leave with you?" Jim asked. "Did you drug or get her drunk?"
"Now, that's an insult." Those were fighting words and Cody's fist clenched and he stiffened, prepared to throw his own punch. "I would never do that to any woman, let alone your sister."
"Then why did you make that bet with us last night? Why do you think she's going to marry you?" Kyle said his fists constricted ready to pop him again.
&nbs
p; Behind him, Kelsey gasped.
"Damn, Kyle, thanks for ruining the surprise."
"Well, you're not marrying our sister. She doesn't like you. She thinks you're her brother, so how did you seduce her into bed with you. Maybe I should finish what Drew started."
Kyle leaned back to punch Cody and Kelsey screamed. "Enough!"
The men all stopped and looked at her. "This is none of your business. Stop treating me like I'm eighteen years old. You boys are overbearing, you overstep your bounds, and try to make my decisions for me. It's stopping, right now."
The room became eerily silent as everyone stared in shock at her outburst.
"All of you come over here and barge into Cody's house and punch him. Grown men who still act like your ten. I'm capable of taking care of myself and running my business without your help. So back off.
“Cody and I have been secretly seeing each other because I didn't want to listen to your crap about who I was dating. Interfere in my life one more time, and I will disappear forever. Understood? Thanks for ruining the best night I've ever had."
Tears welled up in her eyes and she turned on him. "And Cody--another bet? Really? Didn't we have enough bets going all these weeks?" Like a stop sign, she held up her hand. "This morning is overwhelming. I need some time."
Grabbing her purse, Kelsey stormed out the door, slamming it behind her.
The men looked sheepishly at one another.
"The two of you are dating? How long?" Jim asked.
"Going on two months."
Suddenly the door opened. "Someone take me home."
Cody stared at her, wishing things were different. The urge to run after her almost overwhelming, knowing he needed to give her some space. In fact, he required some time to think about what had just gone down. Did he want to be in this family?
She'd been right. Her brothers were in her business a lot.
"Guess we better take her home," Jim said.
"Sorry, I punched you," Drew responded.
Kyle grinned at him. "You sly dog you, you knew you were going to ask her last night." His friend cleared his throat nervously. "Sorry, I was going to hit you."
Cody nodded, but didn't say a word. The door closed behind the brothers and the house became eerily quiet. How could things go so bad so quickly?
Where did this leave the two of them?
Chapter 9
Kelsey sat outside, wrapped up in a blanket, the small outdoor fireplace going as she gazed at the Texas stars. In the city, you couldn't see the clusters of lights in the heavens. But here in Cupid, they radiated from the sky, twinkling and shining.
Could she continue to live here with her family always interfering? Yes, Dallas had been bad, but in order to move forward, she had to feel like she could make good decisions about her life, her work and even family. Sometimes her brothers acted like children coming and tattling on each other. They were adults, it had to stop.
The image of Cody came to mind. Since they'd been found together two days earlier, she hadn't spoken to him. At the moment, she needed time to process everything that happened. Now maybe he understood what she meant by her siblings interfering.
And she wanted to kick Kyle's butt for ruining Cody's proposal. Now it wasn't a surprise and while she deeply loved him, she was scared. She required more time to figure out herself without family interceding to decide if she was ready for marriage. Yet, the thought of him not being in her life was gut wrenching.
"Mind if I join you," Jim asked.
"Sure," she said and watched as he sat next to her and wrapped the blanket around his legs.
"You doing okay?"
"Not really. I'm confused and trying to decide what to do," she said. "It seemed so clear until you three showed up."
He nodded. "I want to apologize. I've been thinking and you're right. We always want to protect you, rescue you, or just plain coddle you, and we think you want us taking care of you. If you tried to do that to us, we would all be upset. So the boys and I have agreed we won't interfere any longer unless you ask for our help."
Turning, she gazed at her older brother. "Thank you, Jim. That means a lot."
"We only did it because we love you."
"I know," she said, watching as a log popped in the fireplace, sending sparks flying.
"As the youngest and only girl, we kind of spoiled you as a child. Now that you're all grown up, we don't know how to treat you. Our male brain keeps telling us we are the protectors and you're our family member. So we're making a promise to you to stop. Now I'm sure we'll slip up some, but feel free to tell us to back off."
Reaching over she gave him a hug. "I realize you guys care and mean well, but the time has come for me to make my own way in life."
"You're right," Jim said. "Probably was several years ago."
A laugh bubbled up inside. "Most definitely."
In the darkness, they sat quietly enjoying the fire, the stars and the cool Texas night air. So many decisions Kelsey needed to make, but right now she wanted to enjoy the peace, the silence.
"What are you going to do about Cody? Are you still going to date him?"
Lying her head on Jim's shoulder, she sighed. "I love him. I love him with all my heart, but am I ready for marriage? Dating Cody started off just for fun, and quickly, we realized there was something there. Neither one of us felt certain we were prepared for love. To hear he was going to ask me to marry him was shocking."
Jim nodded. "Would you accept?"
"I don't know. Yet, I can't imagine my life without him. He's my person. But am I ready to commit to spending the rest of my life with Cody? That's the question I need to answer."
* * *
Kelsey walked into the restaurant to meet up with Taylor and Meghan. This morning, Taylor texted everyone and said let's get together, and here they sat.
The only time the cafe didn't seem packed anymore was Saturday afternoon, so they agreed to gather at three. Afterwards, she would return to the boutique and let the teenage girl working for her leave early.
Tonight's plans were to put on her pajamas, pop some popcorn, and binge watch old movies.
"About time you showed up," Taylor said as she walked in.
"Hi," she said, kissing them each on the cheek.
"How's the pregnancy going?" she asked a glowing Meghan.
"Great. The morning sickness is easing up and I'm so excited. Our football team begins with a girl."
The three women hugged her and she blushed. "The wedding is all planned and we're going on a cruise. I've never been on one, so I'm kind of nervous."
Kelsey smiled at her friend. "You'll have so much fun and see lots of sights."
In some ways, she felt envious of Meghan. Her Cupid dance brought back her old love and now they were together. Taylor was dating Ryan and Kelsey was in limbo, not knowing what to do.
"How about you and Ryan? How are things going?" Kelsey asked.
Taylor held up her hand, a huge smile on her face. "Last night, he popped the question. We're engaged."
"Oh my goodness," Kelsey exclaimed. "Congratulations. Who would have thought the two of you would fall in love?"
"Oh, Taylor, you didn't want love."
"No, I didn't. But love found me," she said, laughing. "Ryan treats me so well, and the dog now thinks he belongs to him."
While they laughed carefree and easy, Kelsey picked up a glass of water and tried to be cool about being the only one the Cupid dance had not helped. Of course, she found the elusive emotion, but along with it came turmoil and confusion.
And Cody never said those three little words that would end her bewilderment.
"Kelsey," Meghan asked. "What's going on with Cody?"
What could she say? Tensing, she gave a little shrug. "I don't know, girls. Maybe I'm not meant for marriage, maybe he's not the man for me. Everything feels so uncertain. Did any of you feel that way?"
"Oh yes," Meghan said.
Laughing, Taylor responded, "I'm still s
cared. What if he's not the right guy for me?"
"Exactly. My brothers found out about us. There was a big fight. I left furious with all of them. My siblings apologized and made up with me, but Cody... The problem is I've been hiding out, avoiding all contact. That decision terrifies me. Does that make sense?"
"No," Meghan said bluntly. "You're running scared."
"Personally, I think you're afraid Cody is going to act like your brothers," Taylor said quietly.
Kelsey jerked, feeling like she'd been slapped. Was it true?
Did she really think Cody would take over her business? Take over making decisions? He was her brothers’ best friend. Best friends were often alike.
For a second, she closed her eyes, knowing they were right.
"Talk to him," Meghan said. "Tell him your fears."
"Lay down some rules," Taylor advised. "Sometimes it's better if everyone goes into a relationship understanding the expectations. Tell him your business is yours, and he is not to overprotect you. Tell him how it makes you feel."
Tears welled up in her eyes.
"Are you okay?" Meghan asked.
"Do you all realize dancing naked around the Cupid statue, we've all found love. If we had never done that silly superstition dance, do you think we would have located the men we're in love with?" Kelsey said.
"Who can know? There is no scientific data to back up our claims, but I thank God every day I had the courage to run naked down that street," Meghan said with a laugh. "Soon a husband, and a baby all because we did that dance."
"Courage, my ass. We dragged you down to the fountain," Kelsey said, laughing.
"You're right. Thank you," Meghan said.
Taylor sighed. "Oh, girls, I would almost get arrested again if I knew dancing around that statue would work. Why didn't we do this years ago?"
"And now, I'm the only one who’s not engaged."
They both looked at her and laughed.
"Why are you giggling like two crazy women? This is not funny."
Cupid's Dance: Western Small Town Contemporary Romance (Return to Cupid, Texas Book 3) Page 10
