by Sara Orwig
She shifted to give him access to the buttons on her shirt, and he twisted them free while he kissed her. She returned his kiss equally passionately.
Showering feathery kisses on her throat, he pushed open her blouse to unfasten her bra. He cupped her breasts, which filled his large hands as he rubbed each nipple. She moaned softly with pleasure. Need for more of him built with each touch. Her hands played over him, unfastening his belt, freeing him.
She ran her fingers over his warm belly, touching his manhood. Her first caress, so faint, made him gasp and shake with loss of control.
As his fingers tugged at her jeans, she leaned back to look at him. His dark gaze consumed her with a need so intense that she shivered. His touch was light and tantalizing, making her want him desperately. Swamped by desire, she wanted his kisses on her, his hands on her, his hard body against her, his heat inside her.
“Blake,” she whispered, running her fingers through his hair. “Kiss me,” she whispered again, touching her lips to his jaw, feeling the stubble of his beard. She continued, trailing kisses down his chest as her hands moved lower, grasping him to stroke and tease.
“Blake, I’m not protected.”
“I’ll take care of you,” he answered, kissing away her words while he stroked her, his hand caressing her breasts.
He picked her up and carried her to his bedroom, standing her on her feet by the bed and yanking away the covers. As she caressed him, running her hands over his sculpted chest, he opened a drawer to withdraw a condom and put it on before picking her up and placing her on the bed, moving between her legs.
He was hard, breathtakingly handsome with a fit masculine body that was muscled and strong. She arched her hips, wrapping her long legs around him. He came down, his mouth covering hers.
She felt him shift beside her, and then he trailed more kisses down her throat, across each breast, taking his time, his tongue circling first one nipple and then the other before he moved lower. His hand caressed her thighs and moved between her legs.
Kissing her again, he stroked her, driving her to want him more than she had thought possible. Every touch was magic, fiery and building their desire to a feverish pitch. He shifted, his tongue following his fingers, and she cried out in need and pleasure.
“I want you,” she whispered, not caring whether he heard or not, just having to say it. “I want you more than anything,” she added, barely aware of what she said as his hands rubbed and stroked her, building her need.
She sat up, pushing him down. “You’re driving me wild.” She trailed kisses across his belly until she took him in her mouth.
His fingers wound in her hair while his other hand caressed her breast with the lightest of touches. He groaned, sat up and rolled her over as he moved above her. She watched him lower himself to finally enter her slowly, withdrawing as her hips arched beneath him and he thrust into her, filling her, hot and hard.
Sensations rocked her, need consuming her as she moved with him.
He withdrew again, moving slowly, filling her. Her legs locked around his narrow waist while she drowned in sensation.
They moved together wildly, pumping fast in heart-pounding need. She pressed against him, crying out as she reached the pinnacle of her release.
He thrust hard and fast, climaxing with another gasp of pleasure, finally slowing while holding her close.
She clung to him, hot, damp with perspiration and happiness as they slowed. Gasping for breath, their hearts pounding together, she held him tightly. For a few moments she was in a special world, locked in his embrace.
She wanted to hold him tightly and keep the world shut away for the night.
When they were still, she ran her fingers slowly through the crisp, short hair on the back of his neck while he brushed kisses on her throat.
“I don’t think I will ever forget this night,” she whispered, being blunt and truthful. When he continued with his light kisses, she decided he hadn’t heard her.
She knew that she would never forget their lovemaking, and yet she also knew she had made another mistake with him. She should not have opened herself to this man whose view of the world was so different from hers.
One night of love should not cost her heart. No matter what bond they’d forged with intimacy, she had to forget this night and she should forget him. She hoped she could do that quickly—as soon as this job ended.
She shoved aside her worries and relished holding him while he caressed her in return.
She held fast to the moment. This night was special, and their differences in priorities and philosophies didn’t matter right now.
In the light of day, reason would set in and they would go on with their jobs and their lives, and she would eventually get past this night.
When he shifted, she gazed into his dark eyes, which were filled with curiosity.
“Are you sure you have to go home tomorrow?”
“Yes. This picnic is a big deal—it used to be mostly family, but it’s grown. Now we invite a lot of people I’ve worked with, plus people—and children—from one of the shelters.”
“Children? As in abandoned?”
“As in orphaned, mostly. Some were runaways and have no home to go back to, and some are from broken homes whose families can’t keep them at this time, but they hope to get them back in the future. We sponsor a children’s shelter.”
She combed a few locks of his hair away from his face. “Come home with me. See how we live—maybe you’ll understand what I do if you’ll come meet people.”
“I’ll be in the way,” he said.
“Nonsense. There’s no such thing as a stranger.”
“Little Miss Do-Good.”
“Scared to accept, Blake?”
He gave her a crooked smile. “Why the hell would I be scared to go to a picnic?”
“You might be afraid it will change your lifestyle,” she said, teasing him, but also wondering why he wouldn’t accept her invitation. “You have time to go. Come home with me. Sunday you can fly back here. C’mon. It won’t hurt you to meet my family, the people I work with and the kids. It will broaden your outlook a bit.”
She waited while he toyed with long locks of her hair. “Okay,” he said, and satisfaction flowed through her. She smiled at him. “You can fly back to Dallas with me and leave from Dallas Monday morning to go to New York. You can fly in my private jet. I have to be in Chicago, so I’ll go that far with you. You do that, and I’ll go home with you this weekend,” he said, studying her. “I want one more night with you in my arms,” he whispered, his breath warm on her throat.
As with all his invitations, she was torn between what she should do and what she wanted to do. What was the appeal that Blake held? She had never been attracted to another man the way she was to him—it was purely physical, sexual, lustful—and she couldn’t understand it.
“You’re arguing with yourself. C’mon, Sierra. This is a brief moment in your earnest, do-good life. Live a little, darlin’, and stay. You’ll get me for the weekend, and you can show me some of what you do. I’ll see how you live, and you’ll be back here to see a little more about how I live. One more day together won’t be earth shattering.”
She had to smile at him. “You’re wicked, Blake. The proverbial bad boy all grown up into a wicked man.”
“Then save me. You stay, and I’ll go home with you for the weekend, and maybe the visit will transform me into an everlasting do-gooder,” he said.
“It would serve you right if that is exactly what happens,” she said, staring intently at him. “All right. I’ll fly back to Dallas Sunday night, and Monday morning, I leave Dallas for New York. That means canceling my commercial flight.”
“You’ll get a refund,” he said.
“There won’t be any privacy at my house,” she warned him. “Not only that, everyone will be busy getting ready for the picnic.”
“We might find a moment alone. Tell me you don’t want more kisses,” he said, shifting
to look at her mouth and causing her heart to lurch. The joking and lightness of the moment vanished.
His arm tightened around her, pulling her against him while his mouth came down on hers. He kissed her, his tongue stroking hers while his free hand played along her hip and then between her thighs.
Moaning softly, Sierra kissed him in return. She wanted to tell him that he wasn’t fair. He had to get his way about everything, but words were lost, and in minutes her thought processes scrambled. All she wanted was Blake—his hands, his mouth and his body. She wanted his kisses, caresses and his lovemaking. She wanted him inside her, thick, hot and hard. With a gasp, she shoved him down on the bed and shifted over him, straddling him, shaking her head to get her hair away from her face.
His warm hands cupped her breasts, and his thumbs drew lazy circles over each taut bud.
“Ah, darlin’, you set me on fire,” he said.
Barely hearing him, she showered kisses on his throat, feeling his hands moving over her bottom and down the backs of her thighs. Tingles radiated from his touch and desire flashed into a raging need. She wanted him—his arms, his hard body, his energy.
“Where you’re concerned, I don’t have a backbone,” she whispered, wondering how she could possibly be so attracted to someone so wrong for her.
“I thought you had a backbone,” he whispered. “Let me see.” His fingers slid down her spine, and then his hand spread lightly as he rubbed her bottom and she gasped, thrusting her hips against him.
He rolled her over, moving on top while he kissed her, and she was lost to his lovemaking for the rest of the night.
* * *
Friday afternoon Blake gazed out the window of his private jet at the broad channel of the Red River as they flew north toward Kansas. A silver ribbon of water followed the curving banks.
Blake figured the weekend would be spent meeting people and watching Sierra chat with those she had helped. Tagging along was fine with him if it meant she would return to Texas with him. She’d promised only Sunday night, but that was better than telling her goodbye in Kansas City and each of them going different places.
At the thought of another night in bed with her, his pulse jumped. For a night with Sierra, he could easily sit through a family picnic.
He still couldn’t understand the hot attraction that burned between them, but he wasn’t questioning it any longer. He wanted her in his bed, and he thought about her constantly when he wasn’t with her. Of all the women he had ever known, he would have guessed that she would have been one of the least likely to generate this fiery, irresistible appeal.
Not only were they complete opposites, he couldn’t understand her outlook on life or her lifestyle any more than she could understand his. She actively disliked his way of thinking, and he thought she was throwing away her talent and her future by taking a low-paying, thankless job that would be endless work with few rewards.
Next to him, she gazed out the window. She took his breath sometimes. When he had danced with her, just a two-step, she’d had a sway to her hips that was tantalizing. He wanted to kiss her slender throat. She responded to any touch, even the most casual kiss.
He was ready for Sunday night in Dallas.
To get his mind off the temptation of Sierra, he tried to think about her family and get their names straight. He couldn’t imagine growing up the way she had—a house filled with kids who brought other kids home with them. And providing for a family on a minister’s salary had to have been a struggle, but Sierra never sounded as if it had been and she didn’t particularly care about money. She was truly indifferent to Blake’s wealth, which was something he couldn’t say for any other woman he had met.
Yes, Sierra was different. She had him willing to meet family and spend the weekend in separate rooms just for one more night with her.
* * *
Once during the evening, when the noise level was high, Blake gazed at the chaos around him. Three toddlers played with blocks while kids ranging in age from elementary school to middle school were occupied with electronic gadgets. Women bustled in the kitchen, getting big platters of food cooked and ready for Saturday. The delicious smell of baked beans was enticing, even after a big dinner.
He helped her dad and two brothers load games, balls, rackets, bats and equipment into two pickups. Her family amazed him. They worked together and they had a good time, getting things done without tempers flying in spite of kids needing attention and toys breaking.
Most of all, he noticed her mother and dad, who worked efficiently at their jobs. Watching them, it was obvious they cared deeply for each other and had a strong marriage. They were constantly aware of each other and worked as smoothly as two trapeze artists high above an audience. And they were amazingly polite to each other and all around them. It made him realize that he had never been around an older couple who were in love and happily married.
He hadn’t ever seen a family like this one. Blake’s half brothers had a mother who loved them, but she had divorced their dad. She was often gone, and when she was home she seldom had male guests.
Some of Blake’s friends had two parents who seemed happy with each other, but they didn’t have the warmth and love that radiated in subtle ways from Sierra’s parents.
In this big family, everyone seemed to love and care about everyone else and be genuinely welcoming to their guests.
Blake began to see why money was not of the utmost importance to Sierra. She had a supportive family. They were all there for each other, and she was grounded in that assurance. His gaze shifted to her as she came out of the house, her arms loaded with equipment. He hurried to take it from her, his hands brushing hers.
“I can get this stuff. This is heavy. I’ll come get the next load.”
“That’s it for now,” she said. “Thanks for helping.”
“You have an interesting family,” he said, wishing they were alone so he could give her a hug. “They’re all very likable people.”
“Thank you. I think they’re great, and we’ll all have fun tomorrow. You’ll see.”
A little boy came around the corner of the house, crying loudly.
“Someone is unhappy,” she said. “I’ll go help.” She went to pick him up. Blake had no idea which child he was or to whom he belonged.
As he continued to help load the truck, he watched Sierra wipe away the child’s tears, set him on his feet and hold his hand. Whatever she told him brought a smile to his face, and together they disappeared into the house.
By ten o’clock that night, when most of Sierra’s family had said good-night and gone to their own homes, he sat alone with her in the big family room of her parents’ two-story house. He smiled at her and shook his head. “I’ll never get all the names. We’ll go back to Texas before I have half of them figured out.”
She smiled at him—an enticing smile that flashed with warmth. “You’re being modest. You did pretty well tonight. You were a hit with my dad, talking about the early days of the railroads—he loves trains and has a library of train books. I’ll show you tomorrow. Right now, I just want to sit and relax.”
“We can’t do what I want to do, but sitting and relaxing will be okay.”
“I’m not asking what you want to do, and don’t tell me.”
“I didn’t tell you, but I think you know. I just wanted to hear you say you want to do the same thing.”
She narrowed her eyes. “You’re shameless.”
“No, I’m fun,” he answered, and her smile widened as she shook her head. “You were a hit with them tonight—even the youngest. He followed you around. I’m surprised. You’ve said you’re never around kids.”
“I have the magic touch with kids and dogs and beautiful women. Come sit closer and I’ll show you,” he said, having fun flirting with her.
“I’m staying right where I am. The ‘magic touch with kids,’ huh? When are you ever around kids?”
“Tonight,” he answered. She shook her head.
“You’ll be around them tomorrow. That’s for sure. We’ll have a lot of people at the picnic.”
“You had a lot of people here tonight. Too bad Cade couldn’t spend an evening like this with your family. He needs to see a family like yours and know that love and harmony are possible.”
“Cade? He seems happy enough.”
“All his life, Cade has vowed he will never marry because our father inflicted so much grief on so many people. He wasn’t a good father to his children or a good husband to his wives. He had a string of mistresses, and I know some of them were as unhappy with him as his ex-wives were. Financially, he was an enormous success, and that’s what you read about him, but with close friends and family he was a dismal failure. Cade is scared of ending up like him.”
“That’s ridiculous because Cade is such a nice person. At least, he seemed nice when I met him.”
“He is nice, and I’ve told you he has a warped view of marriage because of our dad. I can’t convince him. Seeing your family might. I don’t know how your folks cope with all the commotion.”
“This was just a regular weekend night, except for cooking and packing stuff into the pickups to get ready for tomorrow.”
“I’m surprised you ever left here for New York.”
“I was ambitious, eager to see what I could do in interior design—it was an exciting time. I accomplished a lot until finally I reached a point where I wanted to be here and work here. Life changes.”
Relaxing, he stretched out his legs. He wanted to sit close beside her, but he knew she would prefer he stayed right where he was. To his surprise, he enjoyed just sitting with her the way they were now. Twice he heard the deep chimes of a grandfather clock from the hallway, and he knew the hour was growing late, but he didn’t want to leave her.
When she stood, he came to his feet. “It’s late, and tomorrow will come early.”
He helped her switch off lights until there was only the dim glow from the stairs. He grasped her upper arm and turned her to face him. “Come here just a minute,” he said, wrapping his arm around her to draw her close and kiss her before she could protest.
