His cock enlarged until his heat seared her. He let out a yell, as his orgasm seemed to sweep him away, too. He held her so tight she couldn’t move. Only when he released his grip did she sink down and collapse her head onto his shoulder.
“What just happened?” Never had she experienced anything so explosive in her life.
“You did.”
How was he able to always say just the right thing? Cal rubbed her back in a slow, soft swirly motion. Only then did the violence of the storm register.
He patted her butt. “We need to clean up.”
She wasn’t sure what that entailed, but she could see how a long, hot shower would end the perfect evening.
* * * *
When Lana opened her eyes, it took a second for the broad, muscled back in front of her to register. For a moment, she thought she might have dreamed last night, but her sore pussy confirmed the wonderment had been real. Her awe might never ebb.
She must have moved or moaned or something because Cal rolled over. His eyes were still half closed. He smiled then lifted his gaze. “Oh, shit. I’m going to be late.”
She didn’t take offense. Being late to anything was her worst nightmare. “We should have set the alarm.”
He jumped out of bed and was dressed in under two minutes. Since he had on his Martin’s Sporting Goods shirt, no one would be able to tell his attire was left over from last night.
“Can I make some coffee for you?” At least she had all day to lounge. Tomorrow she’d start back at work.
“I’ll make some at the store. Trust me, I’m used to doing this.” He froze. “I didn’t mean it that way. I don’t spend the night at women’s houses.”
“I’m just a woman?” She hid her smile. Teasing him came easily.
“You know better than that. I could stand here and spend an hour telling you how fantastic yesterday was, but if I stay, then I’d have to sample you, and people would be waiting by the store entrance.”
“Can’t you call Jake?” She crawled out of bed and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Given the way he left yesterday, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s MIA for days.”
She didn’t like that scenario. “There was a storm. You’re not telling me he camped out.”
“I’ve never asked him.” He leaned over and kissed her. “Don’t be a stranger.” He winked and jogged out.
Not wanting to see his retreating form walk down the street, she dropped back onto the bed and stared at the ceiling. Now fully awake, she could replay their time together. Never would she have imagined Cal to be such a take-charge type of guy. She loved his strength, his passion, and his body. Remembering how much he’d stretched her, her pussy clenched.
Then his words about the fact that Jake often left for days on end sunk in. She didn’t like the idea that he had demons chasing him. Could it be that he just liked being outside, enjoying his freedom? No matter how much she pondered the question, she doubted she’d ever be able to figure him out.
The sound of the snowplow rumbled outside her house. Needing to put on some clothes, she rifled through her closet and pulled out some warm gear. Just because she was in a sexy mood, she threw on her black underwear set. Nothing like erotic lingerie to boost her morning. All she needed was some coffee and she’d be set.
When she stepped into the living room, the view through the window took her by surprise. “Oh, my.”
Snow blanketed the town. It was gorgeous to look at, but the heavy layer coating the ground would make travel difficult. In the mood to celebrate her last day of freedom, she thought she’d head on over to Selena’s B and B. She’d be serving breakfast for another two hours to her guests, and no one cooked better than Mrs. Johnson. Often Lana would stop over and chat while Selena set the table and managed the making of the meals. Since they were such good friends, Lana got to eat free.
Driving might be difficult, but a nice walk in the snow could be fun. After she got into her heavy gear, she left. The wind had died down from yesterday and the cold air invigorated rather than chilled. Aunt Hattie’s B and B was a block down the street from the sporting goods store, but she decided to stay away from Cal’s store for a while. Her mother always said that visitors, like fish, started to smell after three days. While the analogy didn’t quite work here, perhaps keeping her distance for a day or two might heat things up when they did see each other again, even though those would be two very difficult days.
Few cars were on the road as she made her way down the recently cleared sidewalk. The storm must have dumped a good foot of snow.
By the time Selena’s place appeared, Lana’s nose had nearly frozen, but the rest of her was warm. She would have walked around to the back and entered through the kitchen, but the path was snowbound. With no other choice, she traipsed up the steps of the three-story structure, wiped her feet, and went in.
She loved the smell of lavender and some other exotic incense that Selena was always lighting. No one was in the foyer, but two couples sat in the dining room. Lana quickly scooted into the kitchen. Selena was sitting on a stool folding napkins while her wonderful cook made pancakes.
“Hey, girlfriend.” She sniffed the air that was always wonderfully redolent of everything sinful. “Is that maple I smell?”
Mrs. Johnson whipped around and waved a spatula. “It’s my maple scones. They’re still in the oven and will be done in a few more minutes.” She lifted a pair of earbuds and slipped them in her ears. She seemed to be scrolling down for her perfect music.
That was nice of her to give them privacy.
Selena looked up from her napkin folding. “Hey, sweetie. I didn’t expect to see you this morning. Weather’s a bit grim.”
Lana couldn’t help but grin. “I know, but I wanted to share some good news.”
Her eyes sparkled. “Do tell.”
She glanced over Selena’s shoulder. Mrs. Johnson was swaying to the beat. From the noise coming out, the cook probably couldn’t hear them even if Lana yelled. Regardless, she kept her voice low. “I had an amazing night of debauchery.” Okay, that wasn’t quite accurate, but it sounded good.
Selena clasped her hand over her mouth. “You slept with Jake Martin?”
“Shh. Jake? No. His brother Cal.”
Selena grinned and wagged a finger. “Tell me everything.” She placed the stack of napkins off to the side.
“Well, I went to the Emporium and bought a really cute pink, lacy bra-and-panty set. Oh, I also met the new owner, Casey Charles. She’s really sweet. You have to meet her.”
She waved a hand as if erasing a board. “Tell me about Cal. We can talk about Casey later. I want details.”
Lana inhaled. “Okay, so he came back to my place after dinner. Let me just say that the man is seriously packing.” She winked and Selena laughed. “He’s definitely an ass man, too.”
“Oh, my God.”
“He played with me until I was ready to beg. Let me tell you that man has one wicked tongue. I swear he’s an expert.” She lowered her voice even more. “I’ve never had a man that could make me come that hard with his mouth. Then, we had sex. Oh, my God, he rocked my world all night long! I’ve never had sex in a chair before and let me just say, it was amazing.”
Selena clamped a hand over her mouth then looked over at Mrs. Johnson, probably to make sure she was still listening to the music. “That’s awesome, though I still think you should consider adding another to the mix.”
“You mean be with Jake and Cal at the same time?” The thought had entered her mind for a few seconds, but she pushed it aside. “I don’t even know if they’d want to.”
Selena shrugged, acting like she knew all about having sex with two men. “I bet if you’d ask they’d agree. Take one or take both. In my opinion, having four hands on you is so much better than two.”
Lana couldn’t fathom the stimulation. “I could hardly control myself with Cal’s wonderful hands on my body.” Something was up with her friend. “Have yo
u ever had a ménage?”
Her shoulders slumped. “Only in my dreams.”
Lana laughed.
One of Selena’s servers came through the door. “You got three more breakfast takers,” the woman said.
Lana stood. “I won’t keep you. I just wanted to share.”
“What are you up to now?”
“I need to prep for the trial. I go back to work tomorrow. At least it’s only for two days and then it’s the weekend.”
Selena hugged her good-bye. “Think about what I said.”
“Thinking is okay. It’s the doing part that scares me silly.”
“Sometimes a girl has to take a chance.”
That was one thing she sucked at. “Uh-huh.”
She slipped through the kitchen door and left.
* * * *
Mission accomplished. Jake had managed to exorcise Lana from his mind. For three days, he’d let the adrenaline rush through his system and obliterate her scent from his memory. It had been touch and go at first. The storm prevented him and his two buddies from BASE jumping, but then he tried a new thrill. They rode around on snowmobiles during the worst part of the storm. That was radical. Craig was the most insane one of the bunch, but Winston came a close second. That’s what he liked about these guys. They possessed no fear.
At the ski slope, they decided to go down the mogul path. At least they put no one in jeopardy since they were the only ones crazy enough to be on the slopes during the storm. Jake could barely see with the snow and sleet slanting sideways, but that was part of the fun—almost being blind. It was such a rush. No one crashed or upended, which made the whole experience perfect.
That night they’d crashed in Craig’s small cabin. Without heat, it was a bit chilly, but with the proper equipment, they were fine. When the sun came out the next morning, they all cheered. That’s when they spent the day jumping off Mount Pilot and letting the whim of the current take them wherever it chose. As Jake soared and dipped, he dared to get near the cliffs. Once he even managed to touch a tree root sticking out of the side. Being that close to death made him appreciate life.
Craig and Winston asked him to go skydiving this morning, but he’d gotten a search and rescue call and had to bug out. Fortunately, he, his partner, Keith, and one other member of the team found the missing little boy. The eight-year-old was cold but safe after having wandered off from his folks. The kid had a grand old time building a snow fort until he got hungry. Jake bet he wouldn’t be sitting down any time soon.
Jake had gotten a few calls from Cal but hadn’t answered because, knowing his brother, he’d chastise him for running off. After purging Lana from his system, Jake figured he owed it to Cal to spend time in the store. After all, the income was what bought him his new toys.
By the time he got home, it was still during store hours, so Cal was at work. Jake showered, changed, and then headed over there to lend a hand. It was late in the afternoon, and for the amount of snow on the ground, the store had quite a large number of people.
Cal waved and tossed him a smile, something he hadn’t seen in a while. Usually when he did his disappearing act, it ticked off his brother. Jake wondered what had changed. Taking a chance, he headed over to cash register and waited until the line cleared.
“What’s up? Got your text.” The message had said something about needing him to cover the store tomorrow.
“Sin and Evan asked me to go skeet shooting. If the weather holds, I’d like to go.”
He shrugged. “No problem.” He’d gotten his issues under control and saw no reason not to devote some time to helping out.
“Good.” Cal nodded to the climbing wall. “I think you have a customer.”
He loved helping people learn to climb since it gave him a lot of satisfaction. The rush didn’t compete with an adrenaline high, but it would do in a pinch. The two fourteen-year-old girls looked amazingly agile as they tried to move horizontally from one hold to another.
He rushed over there before they fell. “Have they ever tried climbing outside?”
Their mother gave him the evil eye. “I’d prefer if they stick to indoor.”
He introduced himself as one of the owners of the store and the mom relaxed. While this wasn’t comparable to a real indoor climbing wall, it gave the climber some needed skills. The mom said they’d come to get good climbing shoes. That part of the backroom he was an expert at. Once he fitted them, their mom seemed pleased.
“Thank you.” She finally smiled.
“No problem.”
Once they left, he went over to the ski area and checked to make sure the inventory was in good shape. While he sucked at doing the books or ordering new gear, he did know good equipment.
By the time the store closed at nine, he was rather tired from all his outings in the last few days. He was proud that he hadn’t thought a lot about Lana. Okay, there was one time when the two girls were trying on climbing shoes that he replayed how she’d been bending over while fitting Rex, but that was all.
As soon as Cal locked the front doors, Jake made his way over to the counter. “What would you like me to do?”
Cal cocked a brow. “You’re willing to help?”
“If I can.”
“We’ve updated the way we handle credit cards. I need to show you what to do.”
His brother patiently went through the procedure. Even when Jake messed up a few times, Cal repeated the instructions. Finally, the new procedure stuck.
“Not that I mind, bro, but what put you in a good mood all of a sudden?”
Cal’s grin almost looked predatory. “Lana.”
Shit. He didn’t need to hear her name. “What about her?” He was proud at how upbeat he kept his tone.
I’m immune.
I’m immune.
“I slept with her.”
His mind tumbled. It was almost as if someone had pushed him off Mount Pilot without his suit or parachute. “For real?”
“She’s amazing.”
“I thought we always shared.” Shit, I did not say that.
“When you went off on your binge, I figured you were trying to rid your mind of her.”
Jake was the one to cock a brow. Was he that transparent? “For real?”
“It’s the truth. There’s no use denying it.”
“Are you really going to be skeet shooting all day tomorrow or do you and Lana have a secret outing planned?”
“I’m going to be spending the day with Sin and Evan.” Cal held up his hands and smiled. “Deny it all you want, but sooner or later, you won’t be able to resist her.”
“I’m not saying I even want Lana, but if I did, you’d be okay with sharing?”
His brother sobered. “As long as you don’t hurt her I’m cool. Just don’t fuck her to fuck her. If you have sex with her, do so only if you want her for good. She deserves that much.”
“Exactly.” He knew he could keep his hands off her. Long-term commitments weren’t his thing.
He just prayed she didn’t put her hands on him first.
Chapter Seven
When Cal knocked on his bedroom door, Jake shoved his head under the pillow and tried to ignore the wake-up call.
“Up and at ’em, bro. Store opens in thirty minutes. Tag, you’re it.”
It was his day to do his civic duty and man the store. Saturdays were the worst. At least the three regulars would be there to help. “I’m up.” Or he would be soon. He just needed another minute in bed.
When the smell of coffee seeped under the door a few minutes later, he moved his ass. After he washed up and shaved, he actually scrounged in his drawer for something to where. Shit, there sat the Martin’s Sporting Good polo. Nope. Couldn’t wear it. Wearing a uniform was just not him.
Once dressed in an old but clean T-shirt he’d picked up at the last country concert he’d attended, he headed out to eat. Jake couldn’t remember the last time he’d spent a full twelve hours at the store. His brother did take a lunch a
nd dinner break, but that was all.
“There are scrambled eggs on the stove.”
Jake spotted four bacon strips on a plate on the counter. “Thanks.”
“Don’t wig out on me today.”
He plastered a hand against his chest. “That hurt.” Then he added a smile. “Happy shooting.”
Cal nodded, gathered his gear, and left. His brother did love hunting. It was what he excelled at.
As soon as Jake finished eating and dropping his dishes in the sink, he headed out the store. Jake opened up and almost enjoyed being the first one inside. He couldn’t remember the last time that had happened. It would be good for Cal to have a day off. His brother worked too hard. Maybe if Cal and Lana dated, those two would spend time away from here and provide some spontaneity in their lives.
You want her.
Don’t go there.
Jake got to work setting up the cash register, but struggled with the credit card machine. He’d figured it out once and should be able to do it again. Two of the three workers arrived.
“Where’s Von?” Cal had said he was the best worker
The two guys shrugged. “He’s taken a couple people bow hunting for the day,” Chaz said.
Great. Being short-handed today of all days would suck. But he’d deal. How hard could it be?
By lunchtime he was feeling rather good. He’d sold several pairs of rock-climbing shoes and had done a few demonstrations on the simulated ski slope. Chaz told him he always watched the store from noon to one because that’s when Cal took his lunch break.
“Great. You’re in charge. I’ll be back.” He laughed at his own quite good Arnold Schwarzenegger imitation. Chaz didn’t appear amused.
Going to lunch was foreign to him, as he was usually on the slopes, but he wasn’t going to stay in the store longer than needed. He stopped next door at the Harmony Café and sat at a window seat so he could watch the people pass by. He ordered a hamburger and a beer. While he waited, his mind kept jumping to Lana no matter how much he tried not to think about her.
Her Colorado Dreams [Spirit, Colorado 1] Page 7
