Nita leaned back to look at him, so young and vulnerable. She reached up and touched his face, smoothed an unsteady hand across his cheek, a look of longing in her eyes.
He lost it.
For once in his life, he was going to take what he wanted.
He cupped her face in his hands, brushed his lips across hers, and the sensation traveled through him like a wrecking ball, knocking down the invisible barrier he’d kept around his emotions. For the first time since he couldn’t remember when, he was letting himself feel something other than the heavy hand of responsibility or that tedious sense of regret he’d grown so tired of. And the anger, the rage that gripped him at the slightest provocation—it was gone.
With Nita in his arms, he felt excited and peaceful and restless all at once. Her mouth was hot and sweet as their breath mingled. Tongues touched. So lightly, as if they wanted to linger in that perfect moment. And it was perfect, he realized. Nothing had ever felt so right to him.
He had to touch her, had to have his hands on her body.
He pulled her shirt from the waist of her jeans and slid his hands up her back, over her bare skin. She moaned softly, kissing him deeper, showing him once again she wasn’t afraid to take what she wanted. He slipped his hands around to cup her breasts and her legs tightened about his waist, her body riding intimately against him. He was the one who groaned this time. He wrapped his hands around her rear end, pulled her even more firmly against him. He could feel himself losing control, the kiss going from demanding to reckless, but he didn’t care. He wanted to touch every inch of her, taste her skin. He wanted it hot and rough and sweaty. He wanted whatever she was willing to give him. Which he was guessing would be pretty much anything.
In the distance he heard an approaching car. Nita pulled away and they both turned to see the sheriff’s SUV sailing toward them, lights flashing.
They swore simultaneously.
“Can we get rid of him?” she asked breathlessly.
Connor sighed and pressed his forehead to hers. “He’s going to have to question you.”
She looked at him and whatever fear had been there before was long gone. “If you could feel how wet I am right now, I’ll bet you would find a way.”
That mouth of hers never ceased to amaze him. And fascinate him. “We’ll pick this up later.”
“You can bet on it, cowboy. I don’t care if the house catches fire. We are gonna get naked tonight and I’m going to show you everything you’ve been missing.”
Gavin snapped his phone shut then turned to Nita, Connor and her father, all sitting in the family room, waiting for what Connor was sure would be bad news.
“There’s no doubt about it,” Gavin told them. “The line was cut.”
Connor shook his head. “Whoever did this has gone too far. Nita could have been killed. This was attempted murder.”
“And the sheriff’s office is going to give it top priority,” Gavin said, then he flashed Nita a stern look. “But you need to be more careful. Don’t go anywhere without Connor.”
Though Connor would have expected an argument from her, she was silent. In fact, she’d been quiet all afternoon and into the evening, answering only the questions she was asked, saying nothing more. Gavin had interviewed Nita, Connor and every member of the staff. They’d determined the line had to have been cut sometime the night before, but no one had seen or heard a thing.
“Have you folks ever thought about getting a watchdog?” Gavin asked. “It could deter someone from trespassing.”
“Daddy and I are both allergic,” Nita said.
“Well, I’ll make sure my deputy takes a few passes by the farm every night, but that’s about the best I can do for now. We just don’t have the manpower to watch all the property.”
“Whatever you can do to help,” Will said. “I’m just glad you’re finally taking this feud seriously.”
“Will, you have to remember that, until we have evidence to the contrary, this has nothing to do with the feud. Throwing accusations around will only make things worse.” Gavin turned to Connor. “If anything comes up or if I have more questions, I’ll be in touch.”
“I’ll walk you out,” Connor said. He led Gavin through the house to the door.
When they were on the porch Gavin asked, “She realizes how serious this is now?”
“She knows. She had a hell of a scare today.”
“Yeah, she looked pretty scared when I pulled up. I thought I was going to have to arrest you both for public indecency.”
For the first time in his life he was taking something he really wanted, he’d be damned if he was going to apologize to anyone for it. “You got a problem with that?” he snapped.
Gavin laughed and held both hands up. “No problem at all, Connor. I think Nita is a fine woman. You’re a lucky man.”
Didn’t he know it. “Call me if you get any new information. I want you to nail whoever did this.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll find him.”
Gavin left and Connor went inside, locking the door behind him, wishing once again that they had a security system. When Clint had told Nita how much it would cost, she’d said absolutely not and wouldn’t even discuss it. Maybe now she would reconsider.
He locked the kitchen door, then walked back to the family room, found Nita and her father sitting together on the couch. His arm was around her and her head was resting on his shoulder. Connor couldn’t help feeling a stab of envy. Will showed Nita more love and affection than Connor’s parents ever had combined. He’d always been taught to hide his feelings, that speaking his mind only got him a whack with the belt. The only way he knew how to please his father, the only way he had known how to measure up, was to follow in the old man’s footsteps. To be everything his father expected. And in spite of it all, Connor had never gotten the approval he’d longed for. Never felt good enough.
The further he stepped back and really examined his life, the more bitter he felt. But bitterness had gotten him where he was now. If he was ever going to be happy, he needed to let it go.
“House is all locked up,” he said.
Nita yawned long and deep. “I know it’s early yet, but I’m exhausted. I think I’m just going to head up to bed.”
“Go ahead,” her father said, patting her arm. “Get some sleep. You’ll feel better in the morning.”
“Are you going to need help getting to bed?” Nita asked.
“No sweetheart, I can get by just fine.”
“’Night, Daddy.” She kissed her father good-night then got up from the couch. As she walked past Connor, she flashed him a lingering look. “’Night Connor.”
She really did look tired and she’d been through hell today, still, Connor couldn’t help feeling a healthy dose of disappointment. All afternoon he’d been looking forward to this evening, to see if he could get her as wet as she’d claimed to be earlier. But she’d had a long, trying day and it had probably caught up with her.
Maybe tomorrow.
“I guess I’ll head up to bed, too,” Connor told Will. “I have some reading to catch up on.”
“Thank you for takin’ care of my girl.”
“No need to thank me,” Connor said.
“Yes, there is. You see this,” he said, raking a hand through his short, salt-and-pepper hair. “Used to be jet-black, just like Nita’s. I’ve got one gray hair for every stunt that girl ever pulled, every scare she’s ever given me, and as you can see there have been quite a few.”
Connor grinned. “Yes, sir.”
“She also has a heart of gold. I know she’s been trying to shelter me from the truth, but I looked at the books the other day. I know how bad things are, and I know that you’ve been working without pay because of it.”
The last thing he needed was for Nita’s father to think he had ulterior motives. “We worked out a deal. Nita’s been teaching me the business in exchange for my help.”
“Despite being a little wild at times, Nita has a soft s
ide. And though you would never know it, she bruises easily, even if she doesn’t let it show. Any man who dared hurt her would have to deal with me.”
Connor wasn’t sure if that was a general threat, or aimed at him in particular. “Only after they got through me,” he said.
Will just looked at him for a minute, then nodded. “I believe you. And I want you to know I appreciate all you’ve done for us these past couple weeks. You’re part of the family now, and you’ll always have a place here with us, understand?”
Connor was so choked with unexpected emotion, he could only nod.
Will nodded back, then picked up the controller and switched the television on. “See you in the morning.”
“G’night.”
Leaving Will alone in the family room, Connor headed up the stairs, vowing that, if he ever had a family, he would raise his children the way Will had. They would always feel loved and appreciated for who they were.
A wife and family.
For the first time in his life he realized he wanted that. He wanted those things with Nita.
And she didn’t want them with anyone, not even him.
He stepped into his room, but before he could even switch the lights on, a pair of arms circled him from behind.
“Ready to play, cowboy?”
Connor turned and Nita rose up on her toes to kiss him. She loved the taste of his mouth, the softness of his tongue, the brush of his whiskers against her chin. Most men kissed too hard or too soft, or too sloppy. Connor, no matter how he did it, was always just right.
Their lips still locked, he pulled her into the room and shut the door. She tore his shirt from the waist of his jeans, desperate to get him naked, before something else happened to sidetrack them. She grabbed the two sides of his shirt and yanked.
Button’s flew everywhere and bounced across the hardwood floor. She pushed the shirt off his shoulders and down his arms.
“You are a wild one,” Connor muttered as she slid her hands up his bare chest, sank her teeth into his lower lip.
“Do mine now,” she said, kissing her way to his ear, sucking his lobe into her mouth. She wouldn’t be happy until she licked and sucked every bit of him. “Rip it off me.”
Connor slipped his fingers into the gaps between the buttons of her shirt, lightly stroking the skin beneath. She liked foreplay, but she was so ready for him she felt like she would burst into flames if he didn’t take her soon.
“Do it,” she said, and still he only teased.
“You in some kind of hurry?” he asked, and she could hear amusement in his voice.
“In fact I am. If we don’t get this show on the road something is bound to happen that will stop us again. A meteor could hit the house or World War Three could break out.”
His fingers brushed the skin just below her bra and she shivered. “I thought you were exhausted.”
“Do I look exhausted to you?”
“I guess not.” With one quick yank he ripped the shirt open and a second round of buttons went airborne. He pushed the shirt off her, then instead of reaching back to undo her bra, he gave that a yank too. Nita gasped as the garment ripped clear in half. It made her so hot she felt dizzy.
He cupped his warm hands over her breasts. “Better?”
“Oh, yes.” She sighed and closed her eyes. She liked a man who took charge every now and then. It wasn’t often she found one who could keep up with her. One that wasn’t intimidated by her aggressive nature.
“I want to see you,” he said. He backed toward the bed, pulling her along with him, and switched on the lamp.
Warm light poured over him and she took in the sight of all his thick, bulky muscle. The man did have a body to die for, and she was going to touch it all.
“You’re beautiful,” he said, his eyes roaming over her as if the sight of her body amazed him.
Poor guy. He obviously didn’t get out much if he thought she was beautiful. Not that she was ugly. She was always okay with her body. It didn’t seem to turn anyone off, even though she didn’t have much in the way of a figure. Small breasts, no hips to speak of—nothing special. She did have a few special skills that she planned to use on him as soon as she got the rest of his clothes off. And she could see from the generous ridge in the front of his jeans, she was going to have a lot to play with.
She unbuttoned his pants and was working on the zipper when Connor caught her wrist in his hand.
“Nita wait. Not yet.”
She closed her eyes and sighed. Good lord, here we go again.
Eleven
“Wait for what?” Nita asked Connor.
“There’s something I need to say to you.”
Was he kidding? They’d come this far and now he wanted to stop and talk? It just wasn’t normal.
She pulled her hand free and slid it up his chest. “Would you mind terribly if we talked later?”
He grabbed her hand and held it. “In fact I would mind.”
The man was impossible! She blew out a long frustrated breath. “Okay, what do you need to say?”
“I need you to know that this isn’t just sex to me. Today, when I thought about losing you…” He shook his head, as though he couldn’t bear to say the words.
“I’m not lost,” she told him.
“Nita—”
She pressed her fingers over his mouth. “No more talking tonight, okay? Let’s just concentrate on making each other feel good.”
It wasn’t that she didn’t like to talk. She simply was afraid of what he might say. They’d both had a scare and their emotions were running high. High enough to make him say things he didn’t really mean. Things she didn’t ever want to hear from a man. Things that would tempt her to give more of herself than was wise.
He cradled her face in his hands and kissed her. A slow, sweet kiss packed with more raw emotion than she knew what to do with. More emotion than she could take right now. Despite what he thought, this was sex and nothing more. It’s all it could ever be. She couldn’t let herself fall in love with him.
She backed away and unfastened her jeans, pushing them down along with her panties. His eyes raked over her, so filled with heat she was afraid her skin might catch fire.
Now, this was more like it.
Connor shoved his pants down and kicked them out of the way. For a minute they just looked, devouring each other with their eyes. The lower half of him was just as amazing as the top. She couldn’t wait to taste and touch all of it.
He reached for her but she backed away.
“Uh-uh. Lay down.”
“What are you going to do?” He didn’t sound worried, just inquisitive.
She ran her tongue across her bottom lip. “Things you’ve only dreamed about.”
He sat on the edge of the mattress, scooted back and stretched out in all his glory with his hands folded under his head on the pillow. Not bashful, was he? “This what you wanted?”
“Perfect.” Nita knelt at the foot of the bed and crawled up between his legs. Starting at his ankles, she ran her hands up, through the crisp dark hair. She felt the muscle flex under her palms and his eyes grew heavy with lust.
She lowered her head and ran her tongue up the entire length of his erection.
Connor groaned and gripped the bottom edge of the headboard. Nita sure didn’t waste any time getting to the good stuff. And he didn’t doubt it would only get better.
For a while she only teased him, using her tongue in ways he hadn’t even known were possible. He lay there in ecstasy wondering where she’d learned to do this, how many men had come before him, then realized he didn’t care. He was here now. That was all that mattered.
When he didn’t think he could take much more of her exploring, she looked up to make sure he was watching and took him deep in her mouth. It was so damned erotic he just about lost it. It wasn’t the first time a woman had gone down on him but he couldn’t remember it feeling this good. He couldn’t remember feeling much of anything at all. He�
�d never let himself.
Now he couldn’t stop feeling. The wet heat of her mouth, the soft scrape of her teeth on his skin, her hair slipping like silk across his thighs. Her palms were rough from handling the horses, but instead of it being a turnoff, it only excited him more. Everything about her excited him. Too much. His heart pounded, blood pulsed as desire took hold and wouldn’t let go. He wanted it to last but it felt so damned good. He was almost there…
About half a second before he reached the point of no return, she gave him one more long, wet lick, then stopped. He groaned with both disappointment and relief.
She started kissing a path up his belly, slid herself over his body, touching and tasting everything along the way, until she was straddling him. For the rest of his life he would never forget the way she looked sitting there, long and lean and beautiful. He thought about what she’d said, about looking like a boy and nearly laughed out loud.
“See how wet you make me?” She rocked herself intimately against him, so hot and slippery. He groaned and dug his fingers into her hips. He didn’t want to rush this, but he was so turned on he couldn’t see straight.
“Connor, I need you inside me. I can’t wait any longer.”
“Do I need my wallet?”
“I’m on the pill,” she said. “Is that okay?”
“Works for me.” He watched as, eyes closed, head thrown back, she lowered herself over him, took him deep inside of her. She was so hot and tight he was sure he’d died and gone to heaven. Nothing should ever feel this good, this perfect.
For several seconds she sat motionless, as if savoring the moment, then she began to move. If he’d expected slow and sweet, he could see right away that wasn’t going to happen. She rode him hard and fast, whispering sexy words in a voice husky with desire. All too soon he began to lose himself in the exquisite sensations, but instead of trying to lock it down as he normally would, wring all the feeling, all the emotion from the act, he let go. He let himself feel it all—physically and emotionally. It came from everywhere and nowhere, and was more intense than anything he’d ever felt before. And when he knew he was ready to tumble over the edge, his body didn’t let go. The world around him became a blur as sensation like he’d never felt overwhelmed him. It drove him higher and higher, until it was almost too much to take.
Round-the-Clock Temptation Page 11
