“I—um—I—I.” Hunter is an introvert and generally has trouble expressing himself but now he’s not making any sense at all.
“Hunter, what’s wrong?” I ask. He looks scared out of his mind.
“I—um—I—I.” He still can’t express whatever he’s trying to say.
“He walked in on me naked,” I hear Riley say from behind the door.
No wonder Hunter can’t speak. My youngest brother and I have never talked about sex but I have a hunch that he’s never seen a female naked before.
“It wasn’t locked,” Hunter says softly. “I didn’t know there would be a girl in there.”
I place a hand on my youngest brother’s shoulder. He’s filled out a little more since the last time I saw him but he’s still what you would classify as slender. Even at six feet he probably only weighs about one hundred sixty-five pounds.
Hunter has Jake’s boyish looks minus the charm. He’s quiet, introverted and obviously still very unsure of himself.
“It’s okay,” I say to try and calm him down. “I would have warned you but I didn’t know you were home.”
“I was at school. Studying. I just got home.”
“And how’s school going?” I ask. My youngest brother has been taking some classes at the local community college.
He just shrugs. He’s never been a man of many words.
“Still trying to get into the academy?” Hunter has wanted to be a police officer his entire life. I’ve never heard him talk about much of anything else except maybe playing the drums, which is his only other love.
“I’ll be applying for the January class. As soon as I pass the background check and physical exam.”
“I’m sure you’ll do fine,” I assure him.
Worry seems to crease his otherwise unlined face. “That’s easy for you to say, Coop. When have you not gotten everything you’ve ever wanted?”
Why do my younger brothers both seem to think life has been easy for me? This is a myth that needs to be debunked. “That’s not true,” I protest.
Hunter’s eyebrows pop up. “Seriously? Why do you think Tuck and I call you Mr. Lucky?”
I glance back at Tucker, who has been awfully quiet. He just shrugs.
“I’ve worked very hard for everything I’ve gotten and things have not always been easy for me.”
Tucker snorts behind me “Whatever you say, Coop.”
“It’s the truth.”
Before any of us can say another word, Riley pokes her head out from the bathroom. “Is it okay for me to come out?”
When she steps out into the hallway, I can’t help but notice how much younger she looks wearing a T-shirt and sweats rather than a business suit. She looks no older than Hunter and he’s just barely turned twenty-one.
“Is that my old Nirvana shirt and sweatpants?” Hunter asks.
Riley puts her hand to her mouth and I can see that she’s turning red with embarrassment. “I’m sorry,” she says. “Do you want them back?”
“No,” Hunter says quickly. “It’s fine. They don’t really fit me anymore anyway.”
“It’s my fault,” I add. “I should have asked before giving Riley your clothes. I didn’t think she’d fit into anything of mine.”
“I don’t mind,” Hunter says. I notice that he can barely look Riley in the face. He’s still so shy.
“You’re free to borrow my clothes,” Tucker adds.
When Riley looks over at him, I can see she’s still a little hesitant around him.
I glare at Tucker. I don’t know what he’s thinking. He’s bigger than me. The idea of Riley fitting into his clothing is ridiculous.
“Well, you’ve kind of met my youngest brother, Hunter,” I say, trying to add some levity to the tension-filled air.
She gives Hunter a little wave. He gives her a barely-there smile in response then turns away.
“Riley and I were thinking about fixing something to eat,” I say. “Is anyone else hungry?”
“I grabbed something on the way home from the library,” Hunter says. “I’ve got class early in the morning anyway, so I’d better get to bed.”
As he turns to head toward his bedroom, Riley says, “Nice to meet you, Hunter.”
He grunts some kind of unintelligible response as he hurries down the hallway.
I turn to Tucker. “What about you?”
He furrows his brow like he’s giving it some thought. Then he looks between me and Riley. “You two go ahead. I think I’ll hit the hay.”
“Goodnight,” Riley says and Tucker nods.
I grab Riley’s elbow and lead her down the stairs and into the kitchen.
“That was awkward,” I confess as I lean against the oversized refrigerator.
“This is an awesome kitchen,” Riley says, as she glances around the gourmet kitchen my mom had custom made.
“It was my mom’s fiftieth birthday present. She had the kitchen completely redone. Too bad she didn’t have as much time as she wanted to enjoy it.”
“How did you mom die?” she asks, as she takes a seat on one of the stools next to the large island.
“Cancer,” I reply.
“I’m sorry,” Riley says softly.
“It was a tough year losing Mom and Dad within six months of each other. But I wasn’t too surprised when we lost Dad so soon after mom died. The official cause of death was a heart attack but I think he died of a broken heart. I just don’t think he could live without my mom.”
“That’s sad but also kind of romantic.”
I shrug. “I’ve never been a romantic kind of guy. I didn’t think my dad was either, but he sure loved my mom.”
“They’re lucky they found each other.” Riley looks so sad when she says those words, it tugs at my heartstrings.
“Don’t you think you’ll ever find anyone like that?” I’m not sure why I ask the question. She just looks so forlorn.
Finally, she shakes her head. “Most guys don’t stick around that long. Not that I’ve found anyone that I’ve really wanted to stick around—yet.”
The word yet is the only thing I grasp onto. Kind of like a life raft. Yet implies hope and promise of more than just a weekend fling.
I move between her legs, grab her and pull her close to me. As I look down at her, I notice her nipples are peeking out from the thin fabric of the well-worn T-shirt. She’s not wearing a bra and that completely turns me on. I feel my dick start to twitch in response. If my brothers weren’t home I’d take Riley right there in the middle of the kitchen.
I lean down and place a kiss on her soft lips. She tastes like mint toothpaste. I grab her ass and pull her into my growing erection.
“I thought you were hungry,” she whispers.
“Very.” I whisper back in a way that makes it clear I’m not talking about food.
I’m not generally the guy who goes multiple times in one night. At least, I never was before I laid eyes on Riley Smith. But standing there in the kitchen, with her in that old T-shirt, her nipples erect and just screaming to be taken into my mouth, I suddenly feel insatiable. Like I’ll never get enough of her.
I have an overwhelming urge to be inside of her again. Like I won’t be able to fully breathe again until we’re naked in each other’s arms.
I put my hands under her ass and when I pull her up from the chair, she throws her legs around my waist. Like a caveman, I carry her right back up the stairs and right back into the bedroom.
I lay her on the bed and grab another condom from the dresser. I’m already so hard it aches. I can’t believe the effect this girl is having on me. It’s almost like I’m possessed.
My hands are immediately drawn to her nipples, still rigid under the T-shirt, just begging for attention. I pull up the shirt just enough to allow my mouth access to those erect nubs.
Riley lets out a soft moan of appreciation as I give her breasts the attention they seem to be screaming for.
I quickly push my shorts off and rid myself o
f my underwear just as quickly.
She is looking at me and her big eyes seem to look even bigger as she takes in my erection.
I should probably be embarrassed that I’m so hard again so fast. She must think I’m like some sex-starved teenager. I’m rarely like this. I’m usually the epitome of self-control. But I can’t seem to control myself with Riley. She’s like a drug that I just can’t seem to get enough of.
When I see her remove her T-shirt and sweats just as quickly, I wonder if I have the same effect on her.
I rip open the condom package and sheath myself as quickly as my fingers allow.
My lips join with Riley’s as I push inside her. Her entrance is already so wet and ready for me, it is almost more than I can bear.
“Look at me,” I say as I continue to thrust into her.
Everything about Riley is absolutely, breathtakingly beautiful. But her most beautiful feature is her big brown eyes. I’ve never seen eyes that were so expressive, so filled with promise and joy. I can see everything she’s feeling, and everything she’s experiencing, reflected in those eyes. They truly are the windows to her soul.
As I continue to thrust, I feel like I’m quickly getting lost in the sensation, lost in the raw physicality of our act. I’m near exhaustion but I don’t stop—can’t stop—I’m too close to the edge of a sheer cliff that I’m about to go straight over.
When I see Riley’s eyes go even wider and she lets out a soft cry, I drive it home with a few last ragged thrusts until I’m completely lost—falling into the abyss.
I can feel my heart pounding as I collapse on top of her, exhausted. I don’t even realize I’m sweating until Riley wipes at a bead running down my face.
She smiles. “That was quite a work out.”
I nod my agreement. “I guess I’m a little out of shape.”
“If that’s out of shape, I’m afraid of what in shape is like.” She laughs. Her laugh is contagious. It’s a laugh I don’t think I will ever get enough of.
I want to stay inside of her but I know I have to dispose of the condom. I place a quick kiss on her nose and she smiles.
“You don’t think we made too much noise, do you?” she asks.
“I’m sure it’s fine,” I reply. But I’m suddenly aware that my brothers are probably trying to sleep in bedrooms that aren’t too far from ours.
I may have gotten a little carried away. But looking at Riley, glistening in the afterglow of what I hope was another intense orgasm, it was definitely worth it.
I hold her in my arms for a few moments until my stomach begins to growl.
She laughs. “I think we really do need to get you something to eat.”
“Let’s get cleaned up and we can meet in the kitchen in a few minutes. How does that sound?”
I find Riley examining some old family photos on the stairway as I make my way down to her. They’re pictures of my parents’ wedding and honeymoon.
“Your mom was beautiful,” she comments, as I grab her waist and pull her close.
“My dad was a lucky man,” I reply.
“I like looking at your family photos,” she continues. “It’s like a little piece of history.”
“Your parents didn’t line their walls with the family archives?” I ask.
Riley laughs. “My mom doesn’t have one photo anywhere in the house.”
That surprises me. “Not one?”
She shakes her head. “My parents are too busy making money for anything like that.” I notice she sounds a little sad when she says it. No wonder she has a thing against Wall Street guys who she thinks are just out to make money at the expense of everything else.
When Riley stomach rumbles we both laugh.
“We really need to get you something to eat,” I say, as I grab her hand and pull her down the stairs.
Eight
Riley
Cooper didn’t tell me he could cook—or that he was so good at it. I stuffed myself with the fluffiest pancakes I have ever eaten. And they were filled with fresh blueberries and loaded with butter and syrup. I almost had another orgasm. And I almost didn’t care about eating what was probably a thousand calories in one sitting.
“Don’t worry,” Cooper says. “We easily burned off those calories.”
“That’s easy for you to say,” I argue. “You’re not height-impaired like I am.”
“Height-impaired?” He laughs. “I never heard that term before.”
“That’s because you’re tall. I’m not.”
He frowns. “You’re average height for a female.”
“I am not. I’m an inch shorter than the average American female.”
He pulls me close and looks into my eyes. “You’re definitely the perfect height for me.” Then he kisses me. “You’re the perfect size for me in every way.”
I can feel the tension start to build deep in my core—again. I’ve never had sex twice in one night before I met Cooper. I can’t believe I’m actually thinking about a third go around. I feel like a complete and total slut.
And I kind of like it.
“More pancakes?” he offers.
I touch my stomach. “I couldn’t eat another bite.”
Cooper looks like he might kiss me again when we’re stopped by the sound of laughter.
Female laughter.
It’s coming from the entry way.
“Shhh,” we hear a male voice say.
It’s followed by more laughter.
“Jake’s home.” Cooper rolls his eyes. “And he’s obviously not alone.”
“I’m thirsty,” the female voice whines.
Cooper and I both freeze. It sounds like their footsteps are headed toward the kitchen.
Jake stops dead when he sees Cooper and I half dressed, in each other’s arms, in the middle of the messy kitchen.
A buxom blonde, who’s not Harley, and is obviously not paying much attention to where she’s going, slams into Jake’s back, then starts to laugh.
“Pancakes?” Jake asks, as he surveys the last few bites of food left on our plates.
“Yeah,” Cooper responds, as he gives the blonde the once over. “Where’s Harley?”
Jake shrugs. “At home, I guess. Ronnie gave me a ride home.”
“Robbie,” the blonde corrects then giggles.
“Robbie,” Jake repeats as he grabs the blonde and pulls her close.
I have to contain a gasp when Robbie almost has a wardrobe malfunction right there in the kitchen. Her nipple is very close to popping out of her extremely low fitting top.
When I sneak a glance at Cooper, he looks like he wants to kill his brother.
“Problem?” Jake asks his brother as he passes by him on the way to the fridge.
Cooper looks like he might say something but just shakes his head instead. “No problem.”
“Good,” Jake replies.
He opens the refrigerator and Robbie pokes her head inside.
“Take whatever you want,” Jake offers.
I nearly choke when he slaps her ass.
When Robbie extricates herself from the fridge, she’s holding a can of Diet Coke.
“Now let’s get you upstairs,” Jake says as he grabs the girl’s elbow and drags her out of the kitchen.
Once the room is clear of Jake and Robbie, Cooper turns to me. “Was that a complete turn off?”
I nod. “Yeah, kind of.”
He shakes his head. “My brother is a real ass.”
“I’m sure girls know what they’re getting into when they agree to go home with him. I knew what I was getting into when I agreed to come home with you.”
Cooper frowns. “What we’re doing is completely different. You’re different.”
I raise an eyebrow. “How exactly am I different?”
He gulps. “Because I care about you.” I can see by the expression on his face and the darkness that has spread into his eyes that he’s serious. I’m just not sure how much I want him to care about me and how serious I wa
nt him to be.
“This was supposed to be a weekend fling,” I counter.
Cooper nods but I can see that he’s conflicted. I don’t want to admit that I’m conflicted, too. Maybe I’m starting to care about this country boy from New Jersey a little more than I’m willing to admit.
“Maybe we’d better get back to bed,” Cooper suggests.
“Okay,” I agree.
We leave all the dishes for morning and head back upstairs.
***
I have the weirdest dreams about cows and Pickup trucks and standing in the middle of a windy town square. I sort of wake up a few times in the middle of the night to the sound of howling wind and rain beating down on the roof. Every time I wake up, I have to remind myself that I’m spending the night in New Jersey with Cooper Wilde.
When I finally wake up for the final time, sunlight is peeking from the slats in the plantation shutters.
I reach over and notice that the bed is empty next to me. Cooper was there when I feel asleep and now he’s gone. When I reach for my watch and look at the time, I nearly jump out of the bed.
“It’s nine o’clock!” I practically scream. How in the world did I sleep so long?
Probably because there were no emergency vehicles screeching past my apartment or garbage truck noises outside my window at five in the morning. Once the rain stopped, I didn’t hear a thing.
I throw on the T-shirt and sweatpants again and realize that I don’t actually have any other clothing to wear this weekend except for my business suit. I wonder if the town has any women’s clothing stores, but I have a feeling it’s probably wishful thinking on my part.
I make my way downstairs and look around the kitchen but it’s deserted. I wonder where Cooper is. Should I look around some of the other parts of the house that I haven’t yet explored?
I make my way into a large living room filled with antiques and more artwork, but no Cooper, or any of his brothers. Then I hear the light sound of tapping, like someone typing on a computer keyboard. It reminds me that I should probably send a few work emails and tie up any loose ends with the fraud investigation.
Of course, I probably should have done that before I slept with one of the guys being investigated.
Wilde Riders (Old Town Country Romance) Page 7
