His body went rigid.
She flicked open the button on his dress slacks and unzipped him. “Stand and take off your pants. Boxers too.”
Gavin stood so fast he knocked the chair over.
She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing.
Then he was completely naked. Were her eyes deceiving her, or was Gavin a little unsure about being stripped bare in front of her, with all the dining room lights on?
He shouldn’t be. He was all man, wonderful sexy man, and she’d do everything in her power to assure him she liked what she saw. “Your body rocks my world, Gavin.”
“This old thing?”
She laughed softly. Odd to think she’d never had the opportunity to explore her lover’s reaction to her touch. Sexual encounters prior to Gavin had been done quickly and in darkness.
Time to change that. She’d learn every inch of him, learn what he liked, learn what made him shake with need. Starting here and now. Her hands followed the outside of his thighs; the crisp hair on his legs abraded her palms. She mapped the hard, defined quads. His slender hips were a frame for his flat belly. She probably could’ve gone on in more detail, but that pretty cock, directly in front of her face, distracted her. Thick, smooth and hard, rising out of the dark, curly tufts of hair between those impressive thighs.
Rielle glanced up and saw Gavin watching her with molten eyes. She licked him from root to tip in one long, slow, wet swipe.
“Jesus. This might kill me, you know that, right?”
Smiling, she flicked her tongue beneath the cockhead. “I’m thinking you’d better hold on to something solid. Brace yourself against the table.”
Gavin shifted, keeping his stance wide and his hands gripping the table’s edge. He wore a look of hopeful panic, which amused her. Maybe the book she’d read had it right; men cared less about a great oral technique than great enthusiasm.
She enclosed the base of the shaft in her right hand and lowered her mouth over the tip. The taut skin was smooth against her tongue. She sucked, getting a little taste of the glistening wetness leaking from the slit.
“Damn. That feels good.”
She pulled back and looked up at him. “You’ll tell me if I do something you don’t like?”
“Honey, I can promise you I’m gonna like it all, trust me.”
“Ah. Well…I probably won’t swallow since I—” just tell him the truth, “—haven’t done it before. You okay with that?”
Gavin blindly reached behind him and came up with a napkin. He passed it to her. “Problem solved.”
Rielle kissed the crown. Then she let the head pass between her teeth. Over her tongue until the shaft filled her mouth and her gag reflex kicked in. She backed off and started again, sucking him in a little deeper with each pass.
He groaned.
She circled her right hand around the base, stroking up to meet the downward plunge of her mouth. She flattened her free hand against his abdomen. Intoxicating to feel those muscles rippling beneath her touch.
Her mouth created so much wetness as she eagerly worked him over that liquid flowed down and coated her hand. She began to move faster.
The slipperier sensation had Gavin bumping his hips away from the table, into her face.
She liked this. No, she loved it. All of it. The intimacy. His trust. Her power. And those sexy, manly hisses and moans.
“Jesus. Don’t stop. A little faster. Like that. Goddamn, Ree, what you’re doing to me.”
For a split second it seemed as if his cock lengthened. Then his hips snapped three times and he released a long groan.
Salty, wet heat splashed on her tongue and she held it in her mouth until Gavin’s body stopped twitching. She slipped the head free from her mouth, trying to discreetly spit into the napkin. That seemed messier than just swallowing. Good thing to remember for next time.
When she glanced up, he was peering down at her, a goofy smile on his handsome face.
“What?”
“That didn’t suck.”
She laughed.
A moment passed and he cradled the side of her face in his hand. “You’re beautiful.”
Her immediate denial got stuck in her throat. The way he looked at her made her feel beautiful. Made her feel wanted. Made her feel so very feminine.
Gavin slowly ran his thumb over her lower lip. Her tongue darted out and licked the pad. His thumb slipped inside, closer to her teeth. Her tongue traced the contour of his thumb as he stroked the wet inner flesh, back and forth. Such a sexy, intense moment and she found herself nearly breathless, imagining what would happen next.
“Bed,” he said hoarsely. “Now.”
She rolled to her feet and began to pick up their clothing.
His hand on her arm stopped her and she looked at him.
“Leave it.”
Then he clasped her fingers in his and led her to her bedroom. Gavin made love to her with the intensity she craved. Pushing her higher with each hard thrust. Seeming to know exactly what she needed.
And after they were spent, basking in the pleasure of skin on skin and lazy kisses, she understood what he gave her was so much more than hot sex.
While they’d been naked together, nothing else mattered.
But after they left the bedroom, the situation with Rory and Sierra put them at odds. The clock read twelve forty-five and the girls weren’t home. Neither of them answered their cell phones.
Gavin muttered about car accidents, serial killers and rednecks.
While Rielle understood Gavin’s concern, if he pushed her, she’d point out Rory was twenty-four. She didn’t have a curfew. And if Gavin hadn’t wanted Sierra tagging along with Rory, then he should’ve said something. Might be harsh—and she wasn’t complaining at all about their alone sexy time—but he’d been more concerned about getting off than where his daughter was off to.
Part of her wanted to go to bed. Gavin’s discussion with and discipline for his daughter were his business, not hers. But the mothering side worried for Rory and always would, demanding she wait up to see her daughter’s face. And yeah, Rielle wanted to make sure Sierra was all right too.
At one-thirty, Gavin quit pacing and grabbed his coat from the coat tree.
“Where are you going?”
“To find them. To alleviate my worry that they’re in a ditch somewhere or shitfaced and neither one is capable to drive.”
“No one at the Golden Boot will serve Sierra.” When Gavin opened his mouth to argue, she held her hand up. “Rory is a bartender in a college town, used to dealing with underage drinking. She won’t buy drinks for herself and pass them to Sierra, nor will she let her drink. So I’m one hundred percent sure at least your daughter is sober.”
“That’s reassuring,” he muttered.
“It should be.”
“I’d be a lot more reassured if I could talk to her.” He swore. “Why aren’t they answering their goddamned phones?”
“Because they’re both pissed off at us and that’s what people do when they’re mad, Gavin. Ignore the person who made them mad.”
“You’re not concerned about this at all?”
“Honestly? No. Rory is an adult. A responsible adult.”
“Well, my daughter isn’t.”
Rielle held his gaze. “Then you shouldn’t have let her go out with mine.”
Gavin’s mouth tightened, but he didn’t say a word.
Headlights shone through the window.
She breathed a sigh of relief. Their conversation had been headed toward dangerous ground and she didn’t have the mental energy to deal with it right now. She recognized the vehicle as Rory’s truck since the engine continued to sputter after it’d been shut off. A truck door slammed. Just one, not two. The porch floorboards creaked. The handle on the door moved as if the person was testing to see if it was locked.
The door opened and Sierra stepped inside.
Sierra wasn’t surprised to see her father glaring at her in
the entryway. She removed her gloves and scarf, hung up her coat and kicked off her boots. She jammed her hands in the pockets of her jeans. “Sorry I’m late.”
“Why didn’t you answer your phone?” Gavin demanded.
“I left it in the car?”
“Bullshit. You’re surgically attached to the damn thing. Try again.”
“Fine. It was loud in there.”
“You knew I called you. You could’ve texted me if it was too loud.”
Sierra lifted her chin. “I didn’t answer because I was having an awesome time. Talking to you would’ve ruined it. I already knew I’d be in trouble.” Her eyes met Rielle’s. “Rory told me to tell you she had too much liquid fun tonight. I dropped her off at her cabin and put a garbage can by her bed just in case she gets sick.”
“Thank you, Sierra. I appreciate you looking out for her.” Rielle looked at Gavin. “Good night.”
She felt his angry and surprised gaze following her but she didn’t turn around. He could deal with his daughter now; she’d deal with hers in the morning.
Rielle wasn’t surprised to see Rory in the kitchen at seven a.m. making breakfast. Even as a small child, she’d been quick to anger, but she’d mend fences just as quickly. They’d never stayed mad at each other for longer than a day, but she had the niggling feeling this conversation would test that theory.
“Morning,” Rory said. “Coffee’s done.”
“Thank you.” Rielle poured a cup and sat at the breakfast bar. She eyed the bacon sizzling in the skillet and watched as her daughter expertly cracked four eggs. Then she dropped the bread into the toaster, flipped the hash browns and set out two plates.
“Want fruit too?”
“No. This is good.” Rielle sipped her coffee. “How bad’s the hangover?”
Rory shrugged. “Digesting grease and salt will give my body something to do rather than trying to expel the excess alcohol in my system.”
She laughed. “Who’d you run into last night that made you get your drink on?”
“Dalton.”
“How is he? I haven’t seen him in a while.”
“The man drives me insane. I almost got into a fistfight with him.”
“What did he say that pissed you off?”
“What didn’t he say.”
“I thought you two were friends.”
“We were. Until we weren’t.”
Cryptic.
Rory dished up the hash browns and bacon. The toast popped up, she buttered it and sliced it before adding the eggs to the plates.
“You would’ve been an awesome short order cook.”
“Doesn’t pay as much as bartending.” She ripped off a piece of bacon. “Or a master’s degree in Ag Management.”
They dug in. Rory didn’t chatter through the meal like normal.
Once the dishes were cleared and they’d refilled their coffee, Rory spoke. “So you’re really with him.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Rielle squeezed Rory’s forearm. “I love you. I’m here for you. I will talk to you about anything you want. Except for this.”
“Why are you being so secretive?”
“Why are you being so nosy? I’ve never grilled you about the guys you’ve dated. So what gives you the right to do that to me?”
“Because this isn’t like you, Mom. Because I’m worried about you.”
The frayed end of her patience began to unravel. “You know what? You should’ve been worried about me years ago. When as a young woman I never went on a date, never had a boyfriend—not one man passed through my door or your life during your growing-up years. I was one hundred percent devoted to being your mother. I did a damn good job raising you. But that part of my life—seeing myself as a mother first—is over. It has been for a while and I’ve needed to move on from that. Now I have.”
Rory didn’t look up from her coffee when she asked, “What does that mean?”
“It means my relationship with Gavin is not up for discussion with my daughter.”
“Yeah, I get that having me at sixteen fucked up you having a normal life.”
Rielle slammed her coffee cup on the counter. “For Christsake, Aurora, you think that’s a fair thing to say to me?”
Her pale skin colored. “Probably not. But that’s the way you make me feel sometimes.”
“When?” Rielle demanded. “When have I ever acted like you were anything but the absolute joy and light of my life? Never. And don’t let your jealousy that you might have to share my affections with someone else now distort the past.”
“So you’re saying tough shit, suck it up?”
“Pretty much. You are a twenty-four-year-old woman, Rory. Your reaction to your mother having a boyfriend is ridiculous.”
Rory was completely taken aback.
“My relationship with Gavin won’t ever affect my relationship with you. Unless you let it. Your choice.” Rielle slid from the barstool and walked out.
An hour later, she’d reached the bottom of her pile of logs to split. Even though it was still snowing, she’d gotten so hot she’d ditched her jacket and only wore a thermal shirt.
If anyone asked, she’d blame her wet face on sweat. So what if a few frustrated tears leaked past her defenses while she was working out her aggravation.
“Ree?”
She let the blade fall before she looked at Gavin. “Yeah?”
“Is it safe to approach?”
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
“Because you’re in a bad mood and wielding an ax?”
She offered a sad smile. “Point taken.”
Gavin moved in closer. “You and Rory had words.”
“Did the little snot say something nasty to you?”
“No. But she shoveled the walkway. And swept a path to the garage and the barn.” He gestured to the pile of chopped wood. “Like mother, like daughter. Literally working off a mad.”
“More productive than drinking,” she said lightly.
Gavin framed her face in his hands. “Do you want to talk?”
“That’s the thing, Gavin. I don’t want to talk about my kid or yours.”
“Just what I was hoping to hear.” He tugged her hat off and pushed his fingers through her damp hair.
“I probably smell like sweat.”
“I don’t care.” His thumbs stroked her cheekbones. “I watched you out here. So strong and determined. You’re beautiful and it’s bizarre that seeing you whack the shit out of stuff turns me on.”
Rielle laughed.
Gavin fastened his mouth to hers; the kiss was sweet and steady—like a first kiss. Maybe it was the first time he’d kissed her with such exquisite tenderness. He’d shown her passion. Playfulness. Lust. He’d flirted and teased. But this soft and slow meeting of tongues showed her another side to him and another side to herself. She accepted that he could comfort her, he could offer his support and it didn’t make her weak or needy for wanting it.
Rory watched her mom from the upstairs window. Kissing Gavin. But it was more than that. Just by their body language she saw that her mom trusted him.
Before her mother had stormed off this morning, Rory had tried to get her to recognize that she was making the same mistake she had at age sixteen, falling for the first guy who paid attention to her.
Her mother’s inexperience with men scared her. This wasn’t a casual situation with Gavin. They lived in the same house. Of course the temptation would be there, but Gavin Daniels didn’t seem like her mom’s type.
Had she ever thought about the type of man her mother would be attracted to?
No. She’d spent her life seeing her mother as…sexless. Selfless. More an earth goddess than a sex goddess.
But the way Gavin had kissed her mom—her mom!—yesterday afternoon had caused her jaw to drop. Not only the passion between them, but the familiarity. Rory realized she didn’t know that part of her mother at all.
And when she’d demanded an expla
nation, she hadn’t gotten one. Which again, wasn’t how her mom usually acted. She couldn’t believe her mother hadn’t told her about one of the biggest changes in her life…well, ever.
Rory knew she was being a brat. Maybe it wasn’t Gavin specifically that she had a problem with. Maybe she was bugged by the idea of her mom being with any guy—and that was stupid and childish and she didn’t know what the fuck was wrong with her. She was just so…mad.
“I’m pretty sure the fiery looks of hatred you’re sending my dad won’t start his hair on fire from up here,” Sierra said from behind her.
“You’re a fucking laugh riot a minute.”
“You’re still pissed off about this?”
“Yep.” Especially after Sierra told her she’d accidentally seen them making out weeks ago.
“Come on. Can’t you at least admit they look happy?”
Rory didn’t answer.
“Or don’t you want your mom to be happy?”
“Of course I do.”
“Doesn’t seem like it.”
“Why? Because I’m not teary-eyed that she’s making out with your dad in the clearing while snow falls around them?”
Sierra snorted. “No. Because you picked a fight with her first thing this morning.”
Rory turned around, startled that Sierra nearly looked her in the eye—few women were her height. “No, I tried to have a discussion with her. But she won’t talk to me about this, when we talk about everything else.”
“You talk about everything with her?” Sierra asked skeptically.
“Yes. Why?”
“Because I call bullshit on that.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “In fact, I know it’s bullshit.”
“How?” Rory folded her arms over her chest, her posture equally argumentative.
“I was there last night, remember? Listening to your drunken rant.”
Ah fuck. Goddamn Jaegermeister.
Sierra wore a smug look. “Rielle doesn’t know what happened between you and Dalton, does she?”
Rory felt her cheeks heat up. “That’s different.”
“How? Did you tell your mom how many guys you’ve slept with in college? Or their names? Or whether you went into the date expecting it’d be the start of a relationship and not just a one-night stand?”
Gone Country: Rough Riders, Book 14 Page 18
