“Third?” She looked like she didn’t believe him. “That kind of thing doesn’t really happen, Dax. I’m not impressed by bravado.”
It was his turn for a long slow blink. “Who the hell have you been sleeping with that doesn’t give you at least two orgasms a night? Three is a minimum for me. That’s not bravado, hun, it’s truth.”
She bit her lower lip and leaned back. Had he crashed upon an impossibility?
“Dani, do you not orgasm when you have sex?”
She blinked and looked away.
He gripped her chin and forced her to face him.
“I’m going to say a few things here you may or may not be comfortable with, but these are truths we’re going to embrace.”
“Dax…” Tension rose within her, evidenced by a slight lifting of her shoulders and the way she tried pulling away.
“No, it’s best to talk this shit out first.”
Her response was to stare at him, then shift her gaze away. She didn’t believe him, or she’d never actually talked about sex with any of her previous boyfriends. There really was a lot they didn’t know about each other.
“First off, we talk about sex. Every bit of it. I want to know what you like, what you don’t, what turns you on, turns you off, and what all your freaky little fantasies are that you’ve never told anyone before. It’s just you and me. And between us, there are no secrets when it comes to sex. There’s nothing to be ashamed of, nothing to fear. Sex is something we share together. It’s not something where I take and you give. Any man who does that, or had done that to you, isn’t a real man. He’s a selfish bastard who doesn’t deserve you.”
“Not everyone is like you.”
Wasn’t that the truth? Few people dedicated their lives, or placed their lives on the line for others. And too few men truly cared about the sexual satisfaction of their partners. He pushed on, because he wanted to make certain she understood.
“I’ve been with other woman and you’ve been with other men. We don’t need to talk specifics about any of that except to share what we know we like and what we’ve learned that we don’t like.”
“I’m not really comfortable talking about this.” She covered her face with the long lengths of her hair, hiding from the scrutiny of his gaze.
He stooped to get eye-level with her. It was important she understood a fundamental truth.
“You will be with me. Given time, of course. Every filthy fantasy in that head of yours is something you’ll share. Every fear. Every revulsion. All of it. The good. The bad. The ugly. There’s nothing more intimate than baring your soul, and I intend to see all of you. Which is why we don’t need to rush this. If you’re not comfortable talking about sex, there’s no reason to rush into having it.”
“But what about…” She made a vague gesture toward his cock.
“I’ll rub one out after you leave.” He shrugged his shoulders.
Her eyes widened and a tiny gasp escaped her, then she looked up at him with surprise.
“I take it you’re not used to other men saying something like that either?”
“I’m not comfortable with this whole conversation. Talking isn’t something I usually do when trying to have sex.”
“Well, you need to get over that.”
“I feel bad about…”
“My erection?”
She squirmed in his arms.
“Can you not even say the word?” A huge grin spread across his face.
“Dax!”
“I want to hear you say it.”
“I’m not saying it.”
“Erection!” He laughed. “Say it. You feel bad about leaving me with a raging hard-on. My cock is about to burst!”
She dissolved into a fit of giggles and he loved the laughter spilling from her mouth. It floated on the evening breeze and filled the air with everything wonderful about her. He was beginning to love everything about Dani Studer. That should scare him, but he didn’t give a shit about that. It felt right.
He settled them on the ground and fed the flames of the campfire. There would be no sex tonight, but he did want to spend time with her.
He held Dani, cuddling with her beside the fire while they looked for shooting stars, howled at the moon, and tracked the movement of satellites from horizon to horizon. Dani’s sweet scent infiltrated his senses and she slowly became a part of him.
They talked.
A lot.
If he’d done what his body demanded, there wouldn’t have been any talking and he would’ve missed out on the chance to get to know a little about the woman in his arms.
She was smart. Incredibly intelligent, her sharp wit and zany comebacks to his jokes surprised him. When he pointed out the satellites, he expected nothing more than an Oh, that’s pretty! Instead, she talked about animal experiments NASA had ongoing on the space station and told him all about the first animals sent into space. He asked about her degree, what led her to consider veterinary medicine, and about her hopes for the future.
She and Dynamo fell in tight together. Instead of curling up with him, Dynamo expressed a definite preference for the girl. He couldn’t blame the dog. Dax had a definite preference for the girl as well.
Not sleeping with her, may have been the hardest thing he hadn’t done in a very long time, but with her father’s overprotectiveness, it made sense. Tom Studer had caught a glimpse of Dax kissing his daughter. If he knew all the ways Dax intended to defile Dani, Dax would find himself staring down the barrel of a shotgun.
Studer could fire him. He couldn’t have that, because there was no way he would leave Crowbar ranch, not unless it was with Dani by his side.
He couldn’t remember the last time when he hadn’t slept with a woman on the first date. Going slow had never been his style. Hell. Sometimes there had been no date. When he felt the urge to blow off a little steam, cheap hookups were his go-to modus operandi. Women who were overly eager to bag a man in special ops didn’t care about anything other than how he performed in the sheets. One night worked out for all involved.
He used them. They used him. Everyone went their separate ways in the morning.
With predawn twilight pushing away the blackness of night, Dax found himself amazed by his restraint. It would’ve been too easy to move too fast. But the dawn brought work, and he still had his boss’s daughter in his arms.
He shook her gently awake.
“Dani, wake up.”
She stretched and looked up at him with sleepy eyes.
“What time is it?”
He checked his watch, even though his body knew the rhythms of the day. It couldn’t be much past four am.
“Early, and we need to get you back to the house. If your father knows where you spent the night…”
“Don’t worry about him.”
“You don’t work for him, and I don’t want to have to answer the question of what I may, or may not, have been doing to his daughter all night.”
“He’ll understand.”
“He’ll fire my ass.” He lifted her and lightly swatted her ass. “Now get. Go!”
She spun around, her hair in disarray, looking even more glorious in the predawn twilight. “Did you just tell me to get like a dog?”
He snickered. “You know I didn’t mean it like that, but yeah. You need to get your ass in gear and get home before your dad wakes up. I don’t need him riding my ass all day. We have to load up the bull and take it to Peace Springs.”
She gave a little clap. “That’s right. It’s the Spring Fair. I want you to promise to ride the Ferris wheel with me.”
“Dani, I’m going to be busy with your father.”
She flapped a hand. “Don’t worry about my dad. He can’t have you all to himself all day long. I know how these things go. Once you put the bull in the pen, there’s not much for you to do. He’ll take care of business, which will leave you to take care of me.”
“I don’t think that would look good.”
“Look, I
don’t really care how it looks, and I’ll break it to my dad. He saw us kiss, and I already told him I like you.”
“You did?”
“Yup.”
“When?”
“After the whole trying to fall off a cliff thing. So, leave my dad to me.”
“I will, but only if you get home ASAP. I really don’t want to explain what we were doing out here all night long.”
“You won’t have to.” She leaned forward and gave him a kiss. “Trust me.”
She wasn’t the one he was worried about. He gave her a kiss, lifted her into Honey’s saddle and swatted the mare in the ass to get her moving. Dani looked over her shoulder and blew him a kiss.
It pierced him right in the heart, taking his breath away.
Chapter 17
Dani
The early morning air fluttered against Dani’s skin, but that wasn’t what brought chills shivering down her spine, or the static charge lifting the fine hairs of her arms. She wrapped her arms around herself, letting go of Honey’s reins, and gave herself a hug.
She still smelled him. Tasted him. All of Dax’s yummy goodness wrapped her in a comforting blanket of never-felt-this-good-ever.
Honey didn’t need to be led back to the barn. The horse knew exactly where to go, and Dani let the horse lead while her thoughts spun with everything Dax related. Specifically, she imagined all that he promised.
The inevitability of sex lingered between them. She’d been taken back when he put the stops on having sex, and then he blew her mind telling her they would talk about sex. About everything to do with sex.
Everything.
She squirmed on the saddle. How was she supposed to talk about something like that? With him? Scott never wanted to talk.
She took in a slow breath and filled her lungs with the promise of a new day, and more. It had been the most perfect, most romantic, most seductive evening she’d ever spent with a man before.
And no sex.
That still floored her.
Every movement Dax made was tense and calculating. All that power bunched in his muscles spoke about the sexual prowess he restrained. She sensed a dangerous lethality within him, and yet, in his arms, she felt protected and safe.
He kissed with his entire being. Scott never did that. Scott barely kissed her at all, and when he did it was with wet, fish-mouth lips. Slobbery came to mind.
Dax’s lips felt like velvet, a smooth glide of tantalizing wonder hinting at pleasure to come.
Three orgasms in one night?
Dax spoke about it as if it were normal. He said ‘at least’ three.
But that couldn’t be true.
It had to be bravado.
Scott barely got her to orgasm at all, and pretty much left it up to her to ensure she got off. He never said anything outright, but he made it clear if she didn’t come before he was done he wasn’t putting any additional effort in. She thought it was that way with everyone.
Dax suggested otherwise.
He looked at her with the same shock she must have shown him. And he said they were going to talk about sex?
Scott never wanted to talk about sex, and hated it when she suggested he might be able to do anything that might make the whole experience better for her. In many ways, Scott made her feel broken. As if her lack of orgasmic ability was due to a fault within her body, rather than something he could work to improve.
“Danielle?” The deep rumbly voice of her father startled her and she jolted in the saddle. A quick grab to the pommel kept her in the seat.
She’d been so deep in thought, she hadn’t realized Honey had meandered up to the barn.
“Daddy?” She sat stiffly in the saddle, waiting for him to connect the dots about where his daughter had been and what she may have been up to.
“It’s awfully early for you to be out and about. Did you have problems sleeping?”
He didn’t seem to know she hadn’t slept in her bed. Or, maybe he did and this was a test?
“I was restless.”
“It’s been a long time since you took Honey out so early. Is everything all right?”
“Just had things to think about. I’m good.”
He pulled a face. “I know I came down on you pretty hard about Scott. I didn’t mean to sound like I didn’t care. You deserve the best in a husband. I want you to know I’ll be talking to him.”
“I know you’re looking out for me, and I appreciate it, even when I don’t agree with it, but you don’t need to talk to Scott.”
He vented a deep sigh. The chilly air coalesced on his breath, forming a tiny vapor cloud.
“It’s the curse of being a parent. We never really know when to let go. As far as Scott is concerned…”
“I don’t really want to talk about Scott.” She couldn’t endure another moment thinking about a man who was firmly out of her life. Not when she had one camped out by the riverside who promised to open up a world of possibility.
“Okay, hun.” He scratched at his jaw. “Are you going in to Peace Springs for the fair?”
“I was thinking about it. Caitlyn invited me over for dinner. Do you need any help?”
“I could always use help, but I’ve got Dax to help me.”
The way he said it sounded like a message. Dax would be with him, under her father’s strict eye, and therefore not available to spend time with his daughter. That was okay. She could be incredibly persuasive when she wanted something.
“I really don’t mind. You can always use a third hand.”
“I appreciate it, but the two of us can handle it. I think spending some time with Caitlyn might be perfect. You need to blow off a little steam.”
Right, and not with the man he had watched her kiss on horseback. Dani understood her father, but wasn’t going to let him stand in their way.
“I can still drive down with you.”
“You don’t need to do that. We’re going early and coming back just as early. I think the first calf might drop in the next day or two.”
“That’s exciting. I’d love to be there. You never know when you need an aspiring vet to help out.”
Calving season might be a busy time of year, but the calves born now were the lifeblood of the ranch later when they went to market.
He put his hands on her cheeks and kissed her forehead. “You are too enthusiastic, and it’s not like it’s the first calf you’ve ever seen get delivered. I’ve got the bull loaded and I’m just waiting on Dax. We’ll be gone before you have time to freshen up. While I appreciate your help, this is your break. Go have fun with your friends. You don’t get many opportunities to see Caitlyn.”
It looked like her father was drawing hard line in the sand with Dax, putting up barriers and obstacles no matter what she tried. Maybe a direct approach would be more productive?
“About Dax…” How was she going to broach the subject about Dax with her father and not get Dax into trouble? Or fired?
Her father had a way of ferreting out all her secrets, even when she didn’t know she had anything to hide. The last thing she needed was for him to know she spent the night in Dax’s arms, or that they’d talked about sex.
“Dax is none of your concern.”
That wasn’t true.
“But…”
He held up a hand. “We’re not talking about him. I understand why you might see something in him, but your emotions are a little raw after what Scott did. You won’t be the first girl to seek comfort in another man’s arms after a breakup. Just remember what I said. Dax isn’t for you, and he won’t be around past calving season. Don’t ruin your future today over something you’ll regret tomorrow. You’re engaged to Scott.”
There was no thinking, or deciding. She and Scott were done. Her father would come around and accept it eventually. Until then, she would keep her thoughts about Dax to herself.
“I’m going to put Honey up and take a shower. Are you sure there’s nothing you need my help with?”
&nbs
p; If she could convince her father to let her come, he could see the two of them together. As astute as he was, maybe he’d stop mentioning Scott and consider another possibility. He would see that they were in love.
Her father had made up his mind, and although she rushed through her shower, by the time she was dressed, he was gone. That meant Dax was with him.
Dax never said he would take her to the fair, or take that ride in the Ferris wheel. He hadn’t said No either. All she had to do was get him away from her father long enough to enjoy the day and sneak in something more than a kiss.
Her dad didn’t need Dax to return with him. It didn’t take two men to unload a bull into a pasture, which would give her the perfect opportunity to take Dax to Caitlyn’s for dinner. It could work.
Since her father had left, she took a little more time with her appearance and wanted to blow the socks off Dax when he saw her. It would be impossible for him to refuse when she forced him to ride the rides and steal kisses when no one was looking.
Two hours later, she parked the Jeep in a field with a couple hundred other vehicles. Most were trucks and farm vehicles with trailers attached. There were other four-wheel vehicles, but also a smattering of sedans. This was a big day in Peace Springs, a time for the community to come out after a long winter and reconnect as a community.
As with most fairs, it was a place for farmers to gather, buy seeds, check out the latest and greatest new farming toys. The ranchers were well represented with a smattering of heifers, bulls, and those young calves they were willing to trade.
Their bull would be put up for stud contracts, a way to improve the diversity of all the local herds. Her father was likely looking at other bulls while he was there. The 4-H club represented well, with kids showing off their lambs, piglets, colts and calves that were a part of their projects. There were also rabbits and chickens, farm animals raised by the next generation, but she loved the colorful carnies with their games and prizes the most.
Colorful booths lined the main fairgrounds, full of funnel cakes, shaved ice, beer, hotdogs and all manner of scrumptious foods. The women were out with their quilts and pies, vying for the honor of being heralded the best of the best. And then there were the rides.
Dax: Military Heroes (The One I Want Series Book 4) Page 13
