The flickering light from the row of candles on her dresser was the only light to hold off the darkness.
Another crashing of thunder and strike of lightning nearby made her chest tighten, then another pounding sound shattered the silence.
Dragging the blanket off her head, she listened closer. Then it came again. Someone was at the door.
Getting up and dragging the blanket with her, she wrapped it around her shoulders. She stopped for a candle as she made her way down the stairs to look through the window, recognizing Kace’s truck parked on the street. Her heart took on a strange beat and her toes curled. Why was she so happy to see him? Even angry at him, she was glad that he was here.
Opening the door, she held the candle up so that she could see his face.
And her heart started thundering.
Water dripped from the rim of his Stetson. His clothes were drenched, but he looked like heaven in Wranglers.
“What are you doing here?” After their argument earlier, she didn’t expect to see him again, at least not so soon. Rightly so, she’d been a little harsh, but she’d been upset. Hurt. Aroused.
The smile he gave her made her heart pound faster and a familiar ache seeped through her body. She smiled in return, but realized it must have been a little shaky, matching the trembling in her bones. At that very instant the wall she’d built to protect herself crumbled. “Can I come in out of the rain?”
“Yes. Come in.” She took a step back to let him pass. “What are you doing here?”
“You still hate thunderstorms?” The huskiness of his voice made her nipples tighten.
“Yes,” her voice quivered.
He closed the door with his foot and took the candle from her, placing it on the table. A second later he was staring into her eyes a mere second before he pulled her into the hard safety of his body and wrapped his comforting arms around her. He was so strong, powerful, safe, and she fit so perfectly against his chest that all resistance trickled from her. She sunk into him, absorbing his warmth and security.
She closed her eyes and listened to the beating of his heart. It sounded fast and heavy as if having her so close affected him too. His hands were shaky. He was always so steady, controlled, and this was a part she didn’t often see.
When he pulled away he grinned, and it reached in and comforted her soul. He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering at the pulse point on her neck. Could he sense her upheaval? Her yearning to have him kiss her?
They stood there in the quiet and dark. The only sounds were that of the rolling of thunder and her heavy pants of breath. The golden light of the candle was enough that she could see the hard set of his jaw and the wild look in his eyes.
“I’m still angry with you, darlin’,” he said in a low, pensive tone that made her inner thighs tremble.
“Well, for what it’s worth, I’m still upset with you too.” Truthfully, she wasn’t as upset with him as much as she was angry at her body for wanting him so desperately.
“You should have never come back here. It’s still unsafe.” His eyes bore into her. “I waited outside until I couldn’t any longer. I wanted to give you some time to cool down. Maybe I needed some time too.”
“I wasn’t thinking of anything but my anger.”
His jaw tightened as if he was playing an internal game of tug of war. She felt the tension radiating from him. How could she explain her fear to him? How could she lose him a second time?
“Got anything to drink?”
“Water. Tea,” she mumbled.
He laughed and it tickled her spine. “Something stronger, sweetheart. Got any whiskey?”
“I think so.” She stepped away from him, went into the kitchen and took the bottle from the cabinet along with two glasses and handed them over. He was already sitting at the table and pouring each of them a drink when she sat down.
He knocked his back in one gulp and she took hers slower. Her throat was on fire and so was her stomach as well as the spot between her legs, and that was all his fine doing. He stared at her with a smirk on his face and she wanted to ask why, but she refused to jump in too quickly. She wanted to reach in and read his every thought. Know everything about him again.
He refilled his glass.
“I’m sorry about this evening. I reacted from a place of anger and emotion,” he said and brought the glass to his lips again.
She didn’t say a word, just sipped at the whiskey. The warmth and buzz didn’t take long. She wasn’t much of a whiskey drinker so after she swallowed the last drop of her first glass, she was feeling slightly woozy. Licking her lips, she smiled. “Really? That’s a shocker.”
“I’m freaked out about this, us, too. After you walked away from me, all I could think about was how I’d come here to find you packing and hitting the road again.” The lines around his eyes and mouth were deeper which told her that he was actually worried.
“Our argument made me want to stay more,” she admitted. “I feel like I need to prove something to you.” Yeah, the whiskey was definitely making her loose-lipped. She had to be careful before she ended up divulging every sliver of her feelings for him and she wasn’t ready for that, and she doubted he was ready to hear it all.
Once she told him, would things change between them? Wasn’t that the point? Would she lose herself again? Would he back away?
“What do you need to prove?” he asked in a husky voice.
Not able to sit still, she got up, moved to the sink and looked out the window into the darkness, watching the rain pelt the window like tears from the sky. She saw Kace’s reflection as he stared at her, then stood and shoved his hands into his front pockets. He looked vulnerable. He looked so handsome, so good. His wide chest welcoming.
She turned and looked at him. Despite being angry and confused, as well being full of turbulent emotions, she was aroused. Her nipples beaded. Her inner thighs trembled. Her panties turned wet. Their gazes connected and it took her breath away. She held the edge of the counter to stay standing. In that moment, she wanted to dissect his thoughts, know what was in his heart. His mouth opened, but it slammed shut and she wanted to demand that he tell her what was on the tip of his tongue. All the while she was attempting to ignore the sensations rocking her insides.
The grip that she had on the counter kept her steady, glued to the floor, stabilizing her upheaval of emotions. “Kace, what do we do?” Her voice barely worked, like sand paper sliding over wood. Seconds seemed to turn into centuries as she waited for him to say something. His stare was pensive, slamming into her with the velocity of a jet plane.
Then he took a step closer, the world resting on his shoulders. “Where do you want things to go?”
Oh no. That was a loaded question. How could she answer? Right off the bat, a part of her wanted to jump for glee. She could think of a hundred things she’d like to do with him, and then logic needled in and she didn’t have a clue where they went from here.
Kace’s chest rose and fell. His eyes turned dark and foreboding.
He took three strides that brought him in front of her, a mere few inches of space. With him being this close their gazes held in a bewildered grip. She wanted to stand up on her tiptoes and wrap her arms around his neck and drag him in for a kiss, but something held her steady. Maybe one last thread of fear.
“You’re trembling,” he said in a raw whisper. He took a short step, making her press into the counter, but there was nowhere to go. Nowhere to hide from the rush of desire and feelings. He reached up and took a strand of her hair, rolled it around his wide knuckle, then let it drop. “Tell me, Tyler. Tell me,” he coaxed.
She wasn’t sure her tongue would work. Her breathing barely did. “I-I don’t know.”
“That’s a weak excuse, Sassy. One I won’t accept.” He braced his hands on the counter one on either side of her, his breath brushing her cheek. He smelled like leather and wood and it enticed her.
“What are you wanting from
me?”
“The truth.”
“That would have the force of an explosion. I’m not that girl any more, Kace.”
“That’s not what I’m asking.” His eyes bore into her. “I’ve already noticed that you’re not a girl anymore.”
He just stared and the words were right on the tip of her tongue. She’d waited so long, not thinking she’d ever have this chance again, and here he was, they were together. Why was she holding back? Why couldn’t she spit out the truth and let the pieces fall where they may. “Fine, Kace. A big part of me is stuck in the past. I’ve never truly gotten over you.” There it was. Ka-boom. She couldn’t take anything back now.
“We’re not in the past any longer, sweetheart. We’re here, in the present. And I want you. So damn much that it hurts.”
Emotion filled her chest and tears came to her eyes. A low growl sounded from his throat at the same time he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, lowering his mouth to hers. His lips were smooth and delicate at first, as if he was testing the waters, and then they took on a new rhythm. Fast, rough, hard, and demanding, which left her unable to do anything but melt into him.
His arms crushed her, not in a hurtful way, but a desperate, needful one that made her feel wanted…like a seductive woman. She realized she could easily give in to every single overwhelming emotion and fall mindlessly in love with him all over again. Pleasure and desire filled her, a starvation that reminded her that she hadn’t been with a man in a long time and her body hungered for a man like Kace.
Helpless to stop the swirling of need in her body, she didn’t want it to end.
~~**~~
When a man had wanted something for so long and then he got it, it could be related to all the planets aligning. What Kace was feeling couldn’t be described in a word or actually an entire dictionary of words. He pulled away, just enough to press his forehead to hers, gasping for needed breath. His hands were trembling and his insides were vibrating, an array of monumental emotions. He’d never been this thrown for a loop, not even years ago when he’d held Tyler for the first time. She’d admitted that she’d never gotten over him, but she didn’t say that she loved him. Was she holding back? Afraid? Because damn, he was scared. This opened a new can of worms. It shouldn’t be this trivial, and yet it was.
She looked up at him with wide eyes. Her hands were on his back and he could feel the familiar shaking.
“I want you so much. I have to control myself so I can take things slow,” he whispered.
“Where do we go from here?”
Her smile reached in and clutched every fiber of his body. He automatically smiled too, loving the flush of her cheeks. Her swollen lips and the new light in her lovely eyes. He loved knowing he could do this to her, and that she could rock his world. He wanted to affect her this way every single day, feel so alive every single day. If only she’d allow him to show her how much he cared. “More kissing for sure.”
“I love your kisses. Love how they make me feel like I could conquer the world,” she said in a breathless voice.
He touched his finger to her chin. “And I love your kisses too.”
“Kace…” she lowered her gaze.
“Hey, this is good, sweetheart.”
“I’m afraid. There’s a connection between us so strong that it comes in like a tsunami and I can’t breathe. I can’t think. I have little to no logic.”
“I feel the same,” he said without hesitation.
“I have dreamed about you…this…us. So many times. Is this a dream?” She looked at him.
“If it’s a dream, then I never want to wake up.”
A multitude of emotions flickered over her face, then desire settled over her delicate features. “Is this too good to be true?”
“We’re here. It’s real.” He touched her cheek, then moved his fingers to trail a path down her neck, then to caress her collar bone. She dragged in a breath and he noticed how her nipples were hard under the thin T-shirt. She could hold back verbally, but she couldn’t hide the physical need. “I have a confession.”
“Yes? What is it?”
“There hasn’t been a day that has passed that I haven’t thought of you. Wondered what you were doing. I tried to forget. I did, but some things are branded in a man and there’s nothing he can do to move on.”
“I thought of you too. I-I had no clue that you felt the same.”
“I’d work my ass off. Staying busy, but you were one memory that lingered, draining me of energy.”
One corner of her mouth flirted with a smile. “Since we’re being honest, I’ve compared every man I’ve met to you and they never stacked up. You asked me recently why I wasn’t with a man and that’s the reason, Kace. You ruined me.”
He laughed. “Sorry, baby, but I’m glad I ruined you. Honestly, when I had my house built, I had you in mind. I kept wondering what color of paint you’d like. How you’d like the master bath and whether or not you’d want a large tub or a separate shower. Was I an idiot?”
She touched her fingertips to his cheek. “You’re not an idiot.”
“Yes, sweetheart, I am. I let you leave. That won’t happen again.”
Shock was evident in her expression, but her irises were still bright. “Apparently we’ve both been idiots.”
“I’ve craved your touched.”
“Kace—”
“I’ve wanted to strip you naked and take you fast and hard, and then slow and sweet.”
“Oh my.” She trembled against him.
He placed his palm against her chest, feeling the heavy, fast beating of her heart. “I want to feel your heart beat under me.” He slipped his hand lower, touching her flat stomach. “I want to fill you with my seed.”
He heard her swallow. “Yes,” she muttered.
“Do you want me to fill you?” he said next to her ear.
“More than anything.” She stood on tiptoe. “Why are we still talking and not putting these thoughts into action?”
Chapter 16
WITHOUT HESITATION, HE lifted her into his arms and she nestled against him. He smelled so good, felt even better and it felt right to be there with him. He placed her on the kitchen counter and she opened wide to allow him to step in between her legs. Sliding her fingers through his hair, she tugged at the thick strands, hearing his breath come out in a long hiss. The connection between them was so strong, so sweet…
The roof could fall down around them and neither would know—probably not even care. She was caught up in the rush of emotion, like a roller coaster, and the idea that soon they would be naked together, bodies joining, elicited a sense of excitement within her.
“Is this what you want, baby? Do you want me?” His lips were on her neck, kissing and licking her skin. “Do you want me inside of you?”
“Yes.” She brought her arms around his neck, leaning her head against the cabinet to give his mouth better access.
“I bet you’re wet and ready. I feel the heat rolling off you and I smell your sweet, heavenly scent. Once we connect, once I have that pussy again, I promise I can’t go back. I can’t let you go.”
She brought her chin up and met his gaze. His irises engulfed her, wrapping her in the pale blue strength.
“You’ve always been mine. Always been in my heart.” He kissed the other side of her neck.
If she was supposed to answer, she was at a loss, consumed in his touch and the need washing over her, wave after wave of heat and ravenous desire. She pressed against him, her breasts against his hard chest. Her nipples tingled and the heat increased between them.
“I’m on fire, sweetheart,” he said in a raw, horsed tone.
She brought her fingers to the top of his shirt and undid the first button. “We should remove these wet things.” He pulled back and looked down at her, cupping her cheek. She removed the second and third buttons. “What do you say?”
“I say I’m ready,” he said in a whisper.
Chills race
d up and down her spine, and when he touched his lips to hers she whimpered in pure delight. His tongue came out to brush her bottom lip, then swept into her mouth, thrusting in and out as if to forewarn her of what would be coming soon. Her core muscles clenched, and her inner thighs trembled in excitement. A new gush of juices flowed to her center and she sighed as she sunk deeper into the need. “I’ve never needed a man so desperately,” she admitted.
The storm had passed, and the lights flickered and came back on. Yet the storm on the inside was just beginning.
In one swoop, he lifted her into his arms and headed for the stairs, easily taking them without even a change of his breath. Instead of going into the bedroom, he took her to the bathroom and set her feet down on the thick, soft rug. “This isn’t the bedroom,” she said.
“No. I have a fantasy I want to fulfill. Are you game?” His eyes were so intense it made her wobble.
“I’m up for anything.” And she was if it involved Kace naked. She hadn’t seen him nude in far too long. It was like trying a flavor of ice cream she hadn’t tasted in a long time to find that she still loved it.
The bathroom wasn’t spacious so when he bent to turn on the water in the shower, his hip bumped her and she brazenly grabbed his bottom, squeezing the tight, firm muscle. He was certainly still in shape. “Will you fit inside my shower?” she teased.
“It might be a close fit. We’ll have to stay close.” He looked at her and winked. The one gesture drove through her like a strike of electricity.
She started to open her mouth, but it snapped shut as he brought his fingers to his shirt and undid the last few buttons, tugging the tail of the shirt out of his jeans. Just the mere action made her insides quiver. He opened the front of the shirt and worked it off his shoulders. She enjoyed running her gaze along his broad, smooth chest, flat nipples, down six pack abs to the waist of his jeans where the large shiny belt buckle beckoned her.
His breath came out in a hiss. “When you look at me like that I think I might go crazy.” He dropped his shirt to the side.
Claimed by the Lawman (Lawmen of Wyoming Book 4) Page 14
