Gone Country: Rough Riders, Book 14

by Lorelei James

  Gavin didn’t stay inside long. His smile didn’t quite reach his eyes when he returned and said, “Ready?”

  “Is the place we’re staying as upscale as this?”

  He kissed her knuckles. “No. Ellen insisted on buying the house before Sierra was born. She kept it in the divorce settlement and we use her address since this area has a much better school district than where I moved. It’s an enormous house for two people, but the property value quadrupled in the last sixteen years. Ellen isn’t allowed to sell it until after Sierra graduates from high school and if she does, she’s forced to use my real estate company as the listing agency. It’s the only way I could ensure my daughter had some stability.” He realized he hadn’t answered the question. “The house we’re staying in is pretty typical for Phoenix. Three bedrooms, three baths, two-car garage.”

  “Except it has a pool.”

  “Honey, all the houses down here have a pool. This one is heated, however. Not all are. Because heaters definitely aren’t needed in the summer.”

  Houses and scenery scrolled by as she looked out the car window. “It’s strange. Just a few hours ago we were brushing the snow off the car. Now the sun is blinding me and I’m actually hot.”

  “I’ll say. I cannot wait to see you in that bikini.”

  “How much further?”

  “Twenty minutes. Thirty if we hit traffic.”

  Shopping centers. Medical centers. Office buildings. More strip-malls. Every once in a while she’d see a grove of citrus trees—an oasis in the inner-city sprawl. She lost track of the number of golf courses. The huge swath of green among the dusty hues of the desert was a little surreal.

  Gavin turned off the busy highway onto a residential street. With as many twists and turns as they’d taken, she’d never find her way out of this urban maze. He stopped at a gate and punched in a code.

  A gated community? So much for his claim it was just a typical Phoenix house.

  After more winding streets, he pulled into a driveway and parked in front of a garage. Most of the stucco-covered house was hidden behind a variety of trees.

  “Ree?” He turned her face toward him. “You all right? You went from chatty to silent.”

  “Just trying to absorb all this, Gavin.”

  He kissed her softly. “Let’s go in and get unpacked.” He unloaded the suitcases and dragged them up the front steps.

  A cool blast of air and the scent of lemon Pledge greeted her in the cavernous foyer. But the darkness made her claustrophobic, so she immediately crossed the room and opened the blinds and draperies.

  The living room was connected to the kitchen through an arched doorway. The décor had southwest flavor, tiled floors, plain white walls, a Navajo influence in the rugs and the couches. The sliding glass door in the dining room opened to a brick-paved patio. Curious, she stepped outside.

  Patio furniture was arranged around the large, kidney-shaped pool. Wide steps and a handrail accessed the shallow end. The deep end was marked at nine feet. The ledge surrounding the pool was trimmed with cerulean blue tiles. To her right, beneath a permanent awning, sat a picnic table and chairs. A firepit took up one corner of the yard; citrus trees lined the other side.

  Gavin’s arms came around her and he kissed her neck. “So? What do you think?”

  “I think I might be dreaming. This is beautiful.”

  “Come and see the rest of the house.”

  Rielle didn’t pay much attention to the spare bedrooms or bathrooms. The master bedroom was roughly the same size as her old room. The master bath was fancier, boasting a steam shower in addition to the glass-walled shower, a double vanity and built-in cabinetry in every nook and cranny.

  She returned to the bedroom to see Gavin putting away his clothes. She still couldn’t wrap her head around the fact they’d be here for a week. Alone. Just the two of them.

  Gavin picked her up and threw her on the bed. Then he was on top of her. Kissing her with ferocity. Grinding his pelvis into hers, his cock already hard. His mouth moved to her ear. “Let me have you.”

  Usually she’d jump right on that idea, but not this time.

  He sensed her hesitation and pushed up to look into her eyes. “What’s wrong?”

  “I don’t know. The timing on this feels off. Like hey, we’re here alone, let’s fuck first thing and get it out of the way.”

  “No pressure. This is supposed to be fun. Relaxing. I saw you bent over that suitcase and well, I’m a guy. I wanted to pull down your jeans and fuck you just like that.” He grinned. “I thought I was being polite and gentlemanly by throwing you on the bed first.”

  Rielle laughed. “Tell you what. Can I take a raincheck on that for now?”

  “Sure.” He pressed his lips to hers and rolled off the bed. “On one condition.” His very male, very possessive gaze started at her feet and ended at her chest. “You put on the bikini.”

  “Now?”

  “Now.”

  “Fine. But I’d better see you in a Speedo too, bucko.”

  Gavin shuddered. “No Speedo for me ever. But I will put on my swimming trunks if it makes you happy.”

  “Very happy.”

  Then, like a complete chicken, Rielle undressed in the bathroom and didn’t come out until she knew Gavin was gone. Since she’d forgotten a cover up, and had no intention of prancing around in a bikini all damn day—no matter what Gavin wanted—she snagged one of his button-up business shirts from the closet and slipped it on before she headed to the kitchen.

  His drink stopped halfway to his mouth when he caught sight of her. “Are you fucking serious?”

  “What?”

  “I’m supposed to keep my hands to myself when you’re looking that goddamn sexy in a bikini and wearing my shirt?” He groaned. “You’re evil, Ree. Pure evil.”

  This man knew exactly what to say to her. She kissed him, using the distraction to swipe his drink and take a sip before she handed it back. “Mmm. Whiskey. So this place comes equipped with booze?”

  “I sent my assistant a list. She brought everything over when she checked the house yesterday.”

  “How many minions do you have to do your bidding?”

  “Employees,” he corrected. “No minions. It’s not like I demanded she prepare a gourmet feast for us. She just picked up a few things at the store for me. That’s it.”

  “This is my first glimpse into your world, isn’t it? A reminder that we live in two different worlds.”

  He hauled her against his chest. “We’re in the same world, in the same place right now and that’s all that matters to me.”

  Rielle let him kiss her, wanting the familiarity of his touch to shut down the doubts that’d begun to plague her.

  “Would you like a whiskey Coke? Or a beer? Or a whiskey Coke minus the whiskey?”

  “Whiskey on the rocks would be great.”

  “Are you hungry? There’s chips and salsa or I could make you a salad.”

  Rielle put her hand on his arm. “Gavin. I don’t expect you to wait on me.”

  “Tough. I plan to wait on you, cater to your every need, fulfill your every desire, so by the time we leave here, you’re used to it.”

  She started to laugh until she realized the man was dead serious.

  What the hell?

  They carried their drinks by the pool and settled into the chaise lounges. With the sun warming her body and whiskey buzz, she drifted into that happy place of marginal awareness. She heard Gavin chuckle beside her and she let herself go completely under.

  A rough fingertip stroking her arm brought her out of her relaxation. She stretched and sighed. “How long was I out?”

  “An hour, I guess. I dozed off myself. Would you like another drink?”

  Rielle peered at him over the tops of her sunglasses. “You trying to get me drunk and take advantage of me, tycoon?”

  “Yep.”

  “Okay. But add Coke to mine this time.”

  After Gavin returned to the
kitchen, Rielle decided to take a dip in the pool. She floated on her back; the water muffled all noise except for the sound of her deep breathing. She stared up at the pale gray sky. Odd to think a sky that color in Wyoming meant snow. She dropped to her feet and noticed Gavin watching her avidly.

  “I set your drink on the table. There’s a towel there for you too.”

  Rielle smiled at him. “Don’t want your shirt to get wet?”

  His phone rang and he frowned at the number. “Sorry, I have to take this call.” He abruptly disappeared into the house.

  Was Sierra already having issues with her mother?

  She snagged a chair by the picnic table. The air temp had cooled, and she let her head fall back, closing her eyes. This drinking and napping in the afternoon stuff was pretty cool.

  A warm kiss landed on the center of her chest. Another one on the top of each breast. Gavin placed kisses along the triangles of her swimsuit top. Then nuzzling and sweet kisses weren’t enough. He yanked the material aside. His hot, wet mouth encircled her cold nipple and he began to suck.

  “Oh, God,” she moaned and arched back. Then she remembered they were outside. Surrounded by neighbors. “Gavin. Stop. People might see us. Or hear us.”

  “So? Forget about everything but this.” He flicked his tongue across her nipple.

  She bit her lip to keep from crying out.

  “Untie your top.”

  Not a request. She tugged the strings free and he flung the scrap of material away.

  Gavin’s mouth was everywhere. On her nipples, on her neck, on her belly. His fingers stroked her skin when his mouth was busy elsewhere.

  She squirmed. If she tried to touch his head or his face, he made a growling noise that put her hands right back on the arms of her chair.

  When his mouth opened over her mound and he sucked, her hips bucked. His hot breath teased the sensitive area between her hipbones. “Rielle. Look at me.”

  Opening her eyes, she noticed he’d slipped into the alpha male role. Gavin wasn’t always like that, which made it so much more potent when he was. She watched as his fingers loosened the knots on her string bikini bottoms and they fell away.

  He pressed the tip of his finger against her clit and rubbed circles around it before dragging his finger down her slit to the opening of her pussy. “Wet.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “I can’t tell if you’re blushing or if you’re sunburned.”

  Rielle didn’t answer.

  “Don’t be embarrassed that you like the way I touch you.”

  “Then don’t tease me about how I react. Especially when there are probably people around listening to us.”

  “So?”

  “So, why are you doing this now? Out here in the open?”

  “Because I can.” Gavin chuckled confidently and kept stroking her pussy. “I’m going to put my mouth on you, Rielle.”

  She blinked.

  “And I’m going to torture you. By the time I’m ready to let you come, you won’t give a damn who hears you scream.”

  That comment made her wetter yet, but she said, “We’ll see.”

  “So we shall. Hook your legs over the arms of that chair. I want to see every inch of your cunt.”

  Bossy man. Ooh, and dirty words too. She shifted into position, her heart speeding up.

  “Play with your nipples. The only place I want to see those hands is on your tits. Understand?”

  She nodded.

  He held her drink to her lips. “Wet your mouth now, because your throat will be really dry after all the yelling you’re about to do.”

  “You’re pretty damn sure of yourself, tycoon.”

  For just an instant, Gavin’s confidence faltered. Then he flashed her the most wolfish, most feral male grin she’d ever seen. “Yep. Drink up.”

  Rielle knocked back half the liquid in one swallow.

  Gavin drained the remainder. Then he dropped to his knees and put his cold mouth on her belly button. Then keeping his eyes on hers, he fished a piece of ice out of her drink and popped it into his mouth.

  “Oh no,” she breathed.

  His response was to clamp that half-moon shaped sliver of ice between his teeth and trace her slit. When he reached the opening to her pussy, he pushed the ice into her channel, holding it there.

  Her hot tissues clamped down on the ice and his tongue. She gasped. Then his tongue was stroking inside her. Hot. Cold. Hot.

  The ice started to melt. Gavin licked, lapped and slurped, while he emitted hungry noises.

  She just about lost her mind.

  No. Stay in control. Don’t make a sound.

  “Goddamn you taste so fucking good. Tart like honey and warm like sunshine. I could do this all day.” He glanced up at her. “Tug on your nipples. I know how crazy that gets you.”

  “Gavin—”

  “Do. It.”

  Rielle pinched hard enough she let out a whimper.

  “That’s it.” He dragged his mouth between her hipbones, gifting her skin with sucking kisses. He nipped the inside of her thighs from her knee to the outer curve of her ass. Not soft nibbles, but with enough force she held her breath, waiting for, wanting the next sting. He licked the crease behind her knee.

  She started to shake. Soon she might beg.

  He just laughed. Pulling back the skin above her clit, he blew a stream of hot air across her swollen tissues, but his mouth never connected with her sex.

  A frustrated noise escaped her.

  “Feel like screaming yet?” he murmured against her lower belly. “Or do you intend to be stubborn?”

  Rielle bit her lip and groaned.

  Gavin kissed straight down her mound, stopping above her clit. He lifted his face and looked at her. Waiting.

  Her head, her body yelled, please please please! Give him what he wants, but her vocal cords weren’t cooperating.

  “Your eyes are begging me. But not your mouth.” He rapidly flicked the swollen nub with the tip of his tongue.

  Her entire body broke out in chill bumps. She canted her pelvis and she moaned, hoping that was enough verbal encouragement.

  He suckled her clit so thoroughly she felt the press of his teeth against her flesh. Then he stopped.

  “Pinch your nipples. Imagine me using my teeth on them. Like this.” He pulled her pussy lips into his mouth and bit down, releasing the sharp bite of pain that only increased her pleasure.

  She felt more cream sliding from her pussy and a scream rising in her throat.

  “Use those hands, Rielle.”

  She began pinching the tips with her thumb and forefinger, matching the rhythm of her blood pulsing in her throat. Her mouth was dry. She licked her lips but it didn’t help.

  Gavin tormented her. Licking and sucking. Fucking her pussy with one finger, then two, and finally with his tongue. Driving her to the edge of bliss and then yanking her back.

  When she didn’t make a sound, he started over from the top.

  When his naughty tongue rimmed her anus, her face heated. The swirling, teasing wetness brought the sensitive tissues alive. She felt like a total pervert for liking it and she tried to scoot away.

  He warned, “Don’t. Move. Again.”

  Gavin’s soft kisses on her pussy and rough caresses broke her last thread of control.

  Rielle surrendered to him completely, wondering why she’d tried to retain any control, when his every touch, every lick, every kiss, everything he did to her…was exactly what she wanted. She let loose a long, deep moan.

  His eyes were dark with triumph. Then his face was between her breasts and he captured a nipple, making more of those greedy male noises. “Wrap your arms around my neck and hold on.” He lifted her out of the chair.

  As soon as they were face to face, his mouth took possession of hers. The kiss was a war of wills until her spine met a solid surface and Gavin’s upper body pressed hers flat.

  His hands moved between them to grip his cock. Teasing her clit with t
he flared head until she writhed. Then he poised the tip against her opening.

  The pause before that first thrust was excruciating, her body was strung so tight.

  His breath was hot on her ear. “Ree.”

  “Please.”

  “Scream.” His lips, brushing the shell of her ear, set a jolt of electricity zipping through her. “Scream. My. Fucking. Name.” He slammed into her so hard the table rocked beneath her.

  She screamed as the orgasm steamrolled her. Her nails dug into the back of his neck. Her legs locked around his flexing hips. The waves crashed into her, receded, and crashed into her again until she was adrift. Awash in pleasure.

  Gavin’s thrusts were relentless. He buried his shaft deep one last time, spilling his seed inside her, whispering her name against her throat with such ferocity, it was as powerful as a scream.

  Later, as they were entwined together, lazing in bed, Gavin asked, “So what would you like to do tomorrow? We can stay here and do exactly what we did today. Except more lounging in the pool. And more sex.”

  “Gavin Daniels. We’ve had sex three times today.” After he’d fucked her mindless by the pool, they’d ordered Chinese. He’d convinced her to let him check the scores on the bowl games. When she complained about being bored, she found her head in his lap with her mouth around his dick. He’d spun her around, burying his face in her pussy and…wow. Now she understood the appeal of sixty-nine. Then the man had dragged her to the shower and fucked her standing up, using the handheld shower massager in a whole new way. “What are my other options besides nonstop sex?”

  “We could go into the desert. See all the touristy stuff. Have lunch at my favorite hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant. Or we could golf. Or we could visit a spa. Or we could go to an outlet mall or one of the billion places to shop in Phoenix.”

  That gave Rielle an idea. “You know I’m not one for shopping, but is there a farmer’s market close by?”

  “Yes, but you aren’t supposed to be working.”

  “I hardly think me checking out the varieties of seasonal fruit and vegetables in Arizona could be considered working.” She poked him in the chest. “Besides. You’re working while we’re here, right?”