Taking a deep breath, Kit dropped her bomb. “I’m here to challenge you to a game.”
“Really?” This certainly wasn’t the answer he’d been expecting. Intrigued, he asked, “What kind of game?” He could think of several he wanted to play with her.
“Gin rummy.” It was a game her father taught her, they’d played for jelly beans. As soon as she said it, she knew it sounded childish, but it was the only game she thought she could win.
Rogue hid a smile. Her reply was unexpected and adorable. God, he was losing his objectivity. Pouring her a glass of water, he handed it to her. “Here, cool off, you look flushed. This is still about White-Wing?”
“Of course.” She gazed at him with big serious eyes. “I don’t want to lose my home.”
“You’re not going to lose your home.” Not if he had any say in the matter. There were a lot of things he could’ve said, but Rogue wanted to wait until Zane got back with him. Still, he couldn’t ignore her. He didn’t want to ignore her.
“White-Wing is more than a ranch, Rogue. My home is there. All I have left of my father is there. It’s my legacy.” She hesitated to tell him that her father was buried on the land, that fact felt a little too personal to share.
Together they put up the leftovers and all of that time, Rogue had said nothing. He was assimilating his thoughts and weighing his words. Finally, he let out a long breath. “I wish you could trust me, Kit.” Even as he said it, he knew she couldn’t—not yet. Knowing he might be making a mistake, he agreed. “Okay, we’ll play gin rummy. But remember, Kit, this is still cards and I’m very good at cards.” He gave her a heated look. “I’m really good at several things.”
Kit swallowed hard. The man was charming, no doubt about it. “Do you remember the rules?”
“Yea, I think so. We each get seven cards and we can draw and throw away from our hand. The object is to make spreads and melds, three or four of a kind and runs like straights of the same suit. Face cards and aces are worth ten points and the other cards are worth five. If you aren’t the one who goes out first, you have to subtract the value of any cards left in your hand. Right?” He walked to a drawer and removed a deck of cards, a notepad, and a pen to keep score.
“Correct. We play until one of us gets five hundred points.”
Facing her, he pushed a silky strand of hair over her shoulder. “It’s obvious what I’m wagering. But what about you? What are you willing to forfeit if I win?”
Kit blanched. She hadn’t thought about that. What did she have of value? She had very little money in her checking account. Maybe she could get a cash advance on her Visa. And how much would that be? As she worked through this process in her head, Kit realized what a harebrained scheme this was, what she was considering sounded like the reasoning of a desperate gambler, people who used one credit card to pay off another.
“You haven’t thought this through, have you?” Rogue asked gently.
His voice was full of pity and that made her sick to her stomach. She put her hand to her throat, racking her brain. How much money did she have in savings? If she lost it, could she feed the horses through the coming winter? As she fretted, her fingers touched the necklace her grandmother had given her, a gold necklace with a diamond and ruby pendant, not terribly expensive but precious to her. Reaching up, she took it off. “Here, this isn’t much, but it can be a down payment, I have more pieces at home.” She did, she had the rest of what her father’s mother left to her.
Rogue poured them both a cup of coffee, placing the cream and sugar between them. His heart hurt for her. “I’m not taking your jewelry, Kit.” He had a choice, one option was that he could just give in and do what she asked. It wouldn’t be any skin off his nose, not really, he didn’t need the money. But when he did return the note to Dave Parker, there was a chance Kit could still lose her home. Kit was fighting this battle alone. There was no guarantee Dave wouldn’t bet the ranch in another card game.
Kit fought down the tears. She refused to cry in front of him. “Okay, if not my jewelry, then one of my best horses.”
Shaking his head, Rogue stated flatly, “Absolutely not. I’m not agreeing for you to bet something you can’t afford to lose.”
“I don’t have anything else of value,” she whispered. Unless…he probably wouldn’t agree, but she had to try. Without thinking, she threw out an outrageous proposal. “How about sex?”
CHAPTER FIVE
Rogue was cutting them both a piece of pie and almost bit his tongue off. He covered his mouth to keep from yelping. “What did you say?” He had to make sure he’d heard right. When someone offered him exactly what he’d been wishing for, there was usually a catch.
“If you won’t let me bet the jewelry or a horse, would you accept sex? That is, if you want me. I know how you feel—”
The pie lifter he’d been holding clattered where he dropped it. One second he was on his side of the table, the next he was on hers. “You don’t seem to have a clue as to what I want or how I feel.” This time, he picked her up and just sat down with her in his lap. His mouth was covering hers before she could make a peep. He kissed her as if his life depended on the nectar from her lips.
His reaction stunned her. Kit didn’t know what to do with her hands, she wanted to latch onto him, cling, hold him so tight he had to cry uncle so she’d let him go. These kisses of his were becoming habit forming. Knowing they were at odds made this intimacy seem both forbidden and more exciting. Did this mean he agreed? Did this mean…hell, she couldn’t think…it felt so good.
Rogue poured all of his hunger into the kiss. She was sweet - so sweet and the noises she made—he didn’t even think she realized—were the hottest damn thing he’d ever heard. He kissed her slow, then deep, tracing the outline of her mouth with his tongue, sweeping his lips down her throat, feathering her skin with his hot breath, nipping and licking, getting off on every gasp and shiver she gave him. Gently he caressed her pulse point with the back of his fingers, letting them trail down her neck…lower.
Kit caught his hand. “You haven’t won yet.”
“I always win, Kit-Kat bar, you need to get used to that.” His whisper fanned against her face and Kit jumped up, needing distance.
Almost shaking with anticipation, Rogue returned to get forks and hand Kit the chocolate pie. “Taste. I have a couple more questions about this game.” As he took a bite, he didn’t know what was better—the richness of the chocolate or watching the blissful look on Kit’s face as she licked the sweetness from her fork. “Like it?”
“Better than sex.” She sighed.
Rogue snorted. “I take that as a personal challenge.” She blushed, and he couldn’t help but think how beautiful she was. As they ate their pie, he broached the subject of their wagers. “Considering what you’re putting up, are you going to be able to go through with it when the time comes?” He winked at her. “You’ll be pretty pissed at me and that usually means a man doesn’t get lucky.”
Kit sat down at another place across from where he’d been sitting, tucking one leg underneath her and consumed the chocolate pastry, relishing every bite. “I am a woman of my word.”
“Very well.” Rogue set their empty plates out of the way. If they were going to go through with this, he had to have a plan. “Let’s negotiate our terms. I think to make this really interesting, we need to have a prize for each hand and the one who reaches five-hundred points first wins the grand prize. I return the note and you give me…”
“All night in bed if you win. Sounds right?”
Rogue felt like he was probably going to hate himself tomorrow. “Why don’t we say you give me only what you want to give?”
A wave of embarrassment flashed over her. He didn’t want to sleep with her. Why did he keep kissing her? To throw her off her game? “Of course.” She smiled weakly. “You’re the one taking all the risk.”
Tearing off a piece of paper, he began to write. “All right, let’s see what I can come up wit
h.” In just a few seconds, he was done. “I plan on winning every hand, mind you. And I look forward to whatever we do together. But on the off-chance that you win a hand, here’s my list.”
Winking at her, he slid the paper forward. He’d written: Business advice to make White-Wing more profitable, mineral analysis of your property, promise that I will not foreclose on your property under any circumstances, and finally, Grand Prize, full relinquishment of note.
When she saw his offerings, her head jerked up and she met his gaze. “Do you mean all of this?”
He was a card shark—even if they were playing ‘Go Fish’, he’d have an advantage. But yes, he fully intended to honor his commitment. “I’m a man of my word too, Kit. And I’ll put any of it in a legal document at any time. Are you ready?”
Kit shuddered. “Might as well get it over with.”
Rogue let her lead. “I can promise you one thing, Miss Ross. No matter the outcome of the game, I can guarantee I will do my dead level best to satisfy you.”
She didn’t say so, but Kit had no doubt he was correct.
* * *
Kit patted her foot nervously as she studied her cards. Jester shuffled beneath the table, periodically pulling on the tip end of her shoe as if tempted to take a bite. To be on the safe side, she kept her toes scrunched up in her shoes. Looking up at Rogue through her lashes, she saw his eyes were on his cards also. She’d tried to determine what he was thinking but his face was like one of the heads on Mount Rushmore, he was made out of stone.
She squirmed, thinking of something else that could get equally hard.
Her hand wasn’t bad. But it wasn’t good. All she needed was one more card, a damn two of clubs and she could knock. She had a three and a four of clubs plus three sevens. Come on. Come on. She prayed as she drew a card from the deck between them. Damn.
“Gin!” Rogue yelled with a huge smile on his face.
An electric spike shot through her. She couldn’t tell if it was excitement or terror. He’d taken round one. “You won.” Kit wouldn’t be getting the business advice but that wasn’t what was bothering her. What did he expect from her?
Rogue growled, “Yea, I did. And I’m ready to claim my winnings.” Feeling almost like a pillaging hero or a highwayman of old, he rose, took Kit by the hand and led her into the living room. “We need something more comfortable than a straight back chair.”
“What will this be, like five minutes in heaven?”
She was nervous, he could tell. Knowing he was about to kiss those rosy lips, Rogue felt fire in his veins where his blood once flowed. He pulled her down to the couch until she was facing him on her knees. “We’re adults, Kit. I think we deserve more than five minutes in heaven. Don’t you?”
Her gaze was hung up on his sexy smile. She bit back a sultry sigh. Lord, he smelled incredible. “I’m ready. Let’s get this over with.” On second thought, this was something she’d never be ready for. He was more than she could handle. Just his smile made her weak in the knees, and a glimpse into those made-for-sin eyes made her tingle in places she hadn’t known could tingle.
“Come here. You might’ve lost this round, but it’s my job to make you feel so good you’ll think you won.” Rogue couldn’t quit looking at her mouth, knowing he was about to taste her again was turning him inside out.
Damn, her lips were trembling. His overwhelming male essence swamped her in an erotic haze. Kit longed to launch herself into his arms and take what he offered. Her heart jumped in her chest as she went to him. Her skin was covered in frissons of pure anticipation. She went to him, allowing him to pick her up as if she weighed nothing, nestling her against his broad warm chest.
He brought his big palm to cup the side of her face. Locking their gazes, he lowered his head, canting his lips to hers, so close they could breathe the same air. So lightly, she thought she might be dreaming, he pressed his lips to hers, catching the tender flesh between his teeth—a nibble, a lick, a sigh of surrender. This wasn’t their first kiss, but it was the first one that counted. “Open for me,” he directed in a husky, commanding tone.
With a tiny gasp, she gave in and welcomed him, relishing his raw male taste. When Rogue’s tongue found hers, Kit couldn’t help but respond. Her heart pounded as he explored, making delicious tantalizing forays that almost had her swooning. He was right, five minutes wouldn’t be enough—five days wouldn’t be enough. Not thinking, she pressed herself against him, her moan of delight changing to a whispery protest when he broke the kiss.
“Are you really here?” he asked, his strong hands moving down to cup her breasts.
This time she didn’t push him away and it didn’t matter one whit who’d won the hand. She craved his touch. “I’m here, I want you.” Her admission surprised even her, but it was the truth.
“Prove it,” he growled, pushing her back to lie fully on the couch. Lying next to her, he crushed their mouths together, rubbing her nipples through her top with a steady stroking rhythm. Kit moaned, melting into him as she kissed him back, her lips scorching his.
Aching for him, Kit spread her legs farther apart, he moved a hard thigh against her pelvis and she tilted it up, lifting her hips while his mouth continued to destroy her. He was so far out of her league it wasn’t even funny, but she wanted him so bad, she wanted them naked, skin to skin—no clothes and no barriers.
“Touch me, please touch me,” she whispered. She held her breath as he pushed a big hand under her sweater, pushing it up all the way until her bra was exposed. “Oh yea, that’s it,” Kit panted.
Rogue stared at the thin scrap of lace that covered a pair of round, firm perfect tits. He was in breast heaven. “Beautiful,” he murmured as he palmed them, the hard tips searing his impatient hands. Thanking God for a strapless bra, he unhooked it from its front clasp and the cups relaxed, baring her to his gaze. With a growl, he swirled his tongue over her sweet creamy mounds, lapping every exposed inch.
Kit thought she’d shatter if he didn’t give her what she craved. Her nipples puckered, hard little nubs of absolute need. “Please,” she whimpered. And when he buried his whole face between her firm globes, sucking the distended pink tip into his mouth, Kit felt a rush of pleasure so hot, she thought she’d explode. This was better than her fondest dreams. As he kneaded and suckled at her breasts, Kit moved her hips, pumping them up and down as tremors of hot bliss radiated from her pussy.
“Like this?” he asked. Her answer was to arch into him, her fingers clawing into his back, clasping the material of his shirt.
“God, yes!” she cried as he gorged himself, sucking on her tits, his mouth feasting as he branded her with his passion. The pleasure was so intense that Kit thought she’d lose her mind. As he flicked his tongue, nibbled and licked, using the edge of his teeth - she lost control - her whole body flashed in a rush of ecstasy. “Rogue!” she cried as she came, quaking with an orgasm so intense her hold on reality slipped, she had to clutch onto him to keep from drifting away.
Rogue was stunned, all he’d done was kiss her lips, caress her breasts with his hands and mouth and she’d given him the perfect gift. Lord-help, she was precious. He rubbed his face on her breasts, the rasp of his beard marking her. Raising his head, he joined their mouths, his tongue tangling with hers. He was still ravenous, but it was time to stop. “Thank you,” he murmured as he buried his face in her neck, inhaling her feminine scent. She smelled like honeysuckle and sunshine.
Kit twisted her fingers into his hair. She wasn’t ready to quit. What she wanted was to see his perfect nippable ass pumping between her legs.
“Time for round two.” He stood up in one lithe move and held out his hand. There was no way he could hide the fact he was still painfully aroused. If he had a choice, he’d sweep her into his arms, carry her into his bedroom and fuck her till dawn.
“Round two,” she repeated, still quivering from aftershocks. “I came.” She announced as if he could possibly have missed it.
Rogue frame
d her face and kissed her slowly, completely, thoroughly. “Yes, you did. And if I have my way, I want you to come again and again.”
Kit processed what he said, her natural insecurities rising to the surface. Did he mean he wanted to pleasure her within an inch of her life or did he mean he wanted her to lose the next three hands? As she straightened her top and bra, Kit was the first to admit that she had issues.
Over the next few minutes, she won round two with a forty-point advantage, three jacks, four tens, and two runs of royalty. “Ha!” She was stoked! “What did I win?”
Rogue checked the paper. “You won a full mineral analysis to see if you have treasure buried on your property.”
Kit smiled. “Good.” Although her nipples and clit weren’t half as excited as she pretended to be. They wanted more one-on-one time with Rogue’s hands and lips.
Round three went fast. Rogue drew an almost perfect hand and when he laid it out, he couldn’t help but smile when she was out of her chair before he was, both heading back to the couch for more heaven. They were like teenagers making out in the dark. This time there weren’t as many preliminaries. As soon as they were on the couch, he was tugging on her slacks, and she had her top and bra off and on the floor.
Kit had an odd sense of déjà vu as she unbuttoned his shirt. She was so turned on that she wanted to do to him now what she’d teased him with that night at the lake. But he had other ideas. “Not yet, baby. This is about you.”
She was confused, she’d lost the hand. How could it be about her? “I want to touch you…” Kit was about to explain when she lost her will to argue—or talk—or do anything but… “Yes!” He’d pulled her into his lap where she sat completely naked, cradled against his hard body.
In a haze of pleasure, she turned her head to accept kisses, drugging kisses that made her boneless, malleable, completely at his mercy. She reached one hand behind her to touch his face while he nuzzled her neck, sucking on a bit of flesh while his hands were very, very busy. For an appetizer, he ran his hands over her, moving her legs apart. She hooked her feet around his calves and opened herself up to whatever he had in mind. What he was doing was amazing, and she knew he wanted her. Every move she made drew her attention to the immense erection rubbing against her bottom. “Ummm,” she moaned as she scrubbed her pussy against his groin.
Rogue: The Sons of Dusty Walker Page 9
