by D. L. Roan
“I was wrong about all of it,” she said urgently, her eyes narrowing when he refused to give her the phone. “Except the jackass part.” She gave up, her lips pressing into a thin, pouty line. “You’re still a jackass.”
He lowered the phone, his cheeks aching from grinning so damn hard, and chose the option to delete the message.
Dani slumped forward with a sigh of relief, her hair falling forward like a curtain around her face. “Thank God.”
He tipped her chin up and kissed her. “I’m not sorry I tricked you,” he declared.
She narrowed her eyes again and tried to frown, but failed miserably, the crease between her brows disappearing, her own cheeks dimpling with an involuntary smile as she leaned in and kissed him back. “Neither am I.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Dani’s lungs burned as she reached the bottom rung, the climb down scarier than the climb up. Clay unfastened their harnesses from the steel cable and she bolted through the door, inhaling the fresh twilight air as she shed her harness.
I did it!
The turbine motor hummed back to life and she looked up at the blades as they began their lazy rotation. She’d not only had sex, she’d done it on top of a two-hundred-foot tall wind turbine, with Clay Sterling, and it was…amazing.
There had been a pinch of pain, which cleared up that nagging question, but the quickly fading sting had paled in comparison to the rest of it. The overwhelming sense of Clay moving inside her, possessing her in such a complete and intimate way, still clung to her like a living, breathing thing. She tried to think of something that came close to describing the feeling, but drew a blank. There was nothing like it, no one like him. He’d said she’d never forget it, or him, and he was right.
Clay Sterling. She still couldn’t believe it. She’d lost her virginity to Clay Sterling! Molly was going to freak.
Clay finally stepped outside and she watched him as he locked the door. He was masculinity perfected, from his broad shoulders to his narrow hips, and an ass that made her jealous. She’d seen him nearly naked that morning, but there was something different about him now. Something intimate and inherently…mine.
Clay freaking Sterling.
Over the last few weeks, her stomach had felt like she’d been on one of those crazy, scary rides at the county fair. Now it felt like she was flying. If this was how Clay felt every time he took off in his plane, she got why he loved it so much. She’d always thought of sex as just something people did because it felt good—and holy cow, did it ever—but this…this seemed like so much more.
She was still staring in disbelief when he ambled down the steps with a lazy, long-legged, slim-hipped saunter only work-hardened cowboys could pull off successfully. She’d once thought herself immune to such overtly masculine idiosyncrasies, but nope. Sex on a stick was apparently her type, too.
He stripped out of his harness, depositing both his and hers and the ropes back into the tool box, grabbing two more bottles of water before he slammed the lid closed and handed one to her.
“Drink up,” he said with a wink, tapping his bottle against hers. “You’re gonna need it.”
Her stomach fluttered at the devilish spark in his eyes. He tipped his head back and gulped down several swigs of water, the plastic bottle crinkling in his grasp. She eyed the taught tendons in his tanned neck as they worked up and down, and the small mark she’d left there he’d not yet seen. Smiling and strangely satisfied, she unscrewed the cap from the bottle and drank greedily, suddenly thirsty for more than just water. Molly was right. Sex was…addicting. He was addicting.
Clay caught her gaze and lowered the bottle of water from his lips, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth as he swallowed the last mouthful. Dani froze, the playful look in his eyes darkening as he backed her against the truck. He took the bottle from her hands and set it on the roof above her, then opened the passenger door. “If you keep lookin’ at me like that, we’ll be spending the night in the bed of my truck,” he said as he guided her up into the seat.
Dani cocked a brow as she stared up at him. A night beneath the stars, lying in his arms, his hands on her, touching her in ways no one else had, making her come apart and forget everything else but him? It wasn’t much of a threat.
“Sounds fun.” She was going for a seductive tone, but the words tumbled out as a scratchy whisper.
“I’m sure it would be.” Clay wedged himself between her thighs, his grip rough and demanding on her hips as he yanked her to the edge of the seat and pressed in closer, until she felt the evidence of his excitement about the idea.
She wrapped her legs around his thighs and held him against her, already craving his touch again as she arched into his insistent hold, pressing her breasts against his work-hardened chest.
He fisted her hair and tipped her head back, taking her mouth in a hard, probing kiss that ended far too quickly before he pulled away with a gasp. “Damn.” His hot breaths puffed over her lips with an urgency that matched her own. “You’re making this awfully tempting, but we can’t. Not here. There’s cameras.” He nodded toward the tower.
Dani’s gaze darted to the door at the bottom of the tower, alarm and disbelief flushing the arousal from her veins. “Oh my God! Clay!” She shoved at his chest. “Were there cameras up there?”
“What? God no.” Clay scoffed. “Just the one above the door.” Her heart still galloping from the initial panic, he slipped his hand behind her neck and pulled her back to him, a cocky smirk on his lips as he cupped one of her breasts with the other hand, the light, teasing caress of his thumb over her nipple sending a zing of pleasure straight to her core. “But hold that thought, beautiful.” He kissed the side of her neck, his hot breath puffing against her sensitive skin until he reached her ear and whispered with a promising growl, “Because I intend to be inside you again the second we get home, and every second after until the sun rises, or you pass out from coming so hard. Whichever happens first.”
A shiver ran down Dani’s spine and before she could utter a reply, he’d handed her the half full bottle of water he’d taken from her earlier and closed her door. Dani stared at the bottle, her mouth suddenly so dry it felt like it would sprout a cactus at any moment. She watched as Clay rounded the front of the truck, his smile so big his dimples had dimples.
“It’s gonna be a long ride home,” she mumbled to herself, tipping the bottle back for a much-needed drink that had little effect on her thirst.
The sun was just setting as they pulled away from the turbine field. Veins of deep plum and scarlet hung in the sky above the mountains until the darkest night she’d ever seen finally swallowed the waning light.
The ride home took forever. The two-lane road they drove along seemed to be a true road to nowhere. They’d stopped at the only gas station between Pecos and the ranch for a bathroom break and snacks, but since then, the tension-laced air inside the cab had been filled with only mindless chatter and music.
Clay’s hand never left her thigh, except to skip through his playlist occasionally. The small circles he teased along the inseam of her jeans was driving her insane, his fingers drifting millimeters higher with every mile he drove, but never touching her where she craved it most.
What the heck was wrong with her? She’d gone from virgin to sex addict in one orgasm. Okay, two orgasms, but they’d been really good ones, and who was counting anyway? After years of waiting, her body was apparently trying to catch up.
She thought of nudging his hand to where she wanted it, giving him some kind of sign, but didn’t want to be too forward. He’d never held back before, so maybe he was just being affectionate. Never having had a serious boyfriend, she didn’t know all the dos and don’ts and didn’t want to do something stupid in case he knew something she didn’t, like another hidden camera, but if they didn’t get to the ranch soon...
By the time they passed a sign with a town name she recognized, she was ready to take things into her own hands. Clay snickered
beside her, and she looked up at him, her thigh muscles constricting when one of his fingertips finally found home base and stroked her with just enough pressure to make her breath catch. From the faint light of the dashboard, she saw his grin widen and narrowed her eyes, recognizing the mischievous look.
“You’ve been torturing me this whole time!”
He laughed, pulling her hand over to his lap and pressing it against the straining bulge in his jeans. “I’m not sure who’s torturing whom.”
The blatant move stunned her at first, but sexual curiosity and a chance at some payback eased her shyness and she traced the outline of his hard cock, drawing out a raspy groan. “Two can play at this game,” she teased, sliding his zipper down.
“Damn.” He released her hand, shifting his hips forward to give her room.
Once his belt buckle and button were out of her way, she slid her hand down between the open flaps of his jeans, extracting a rewarding hiss, his hips coming off the seat when she pushed inside further and gently cupped his balls.
“Fuck!” The truck jolted as he cut the steering wheel. Her heart lurched at the sound of flying gravel pinging off the truck and she started to pull her hand free, but he grabbed her wrist and held her hand on his cock. “Don’t stop. We’re almost home.”
Dani glanced out the windshield, noticing they hadn’t yet reached the dirt road that led to the ranch. “Are you sure?”
Clay’s answer was another thrust of his hips, pushing himself into her palm. She felt the wet fabric on the front of his underwear and traced the spot with her thumb, glancing between him and the road one last time. “Just keep it between the lines, cowboy,” she said, tunneling her hand beneath the elastic band.
“Christ!” He gritted out a string of curses when she cupped his bare flesh.
She held her breath as she traced the hot rigid length, the darkness not allowing her to see the fine details. Unlike the rest of him, the skin was so soft. She could feel every vein and ridge as she stroked along the hard shaft. Silky fluid added to the softness and she spread it over the tip, circling it with her thumb.
Dani licked her lips, wondering for the first time what a man tasted like, what Clay tasted like. She’d never given a blowjob before, but she’d watched enough television and Molly’s chick porn to know the obvious tricks. A sudden streak of bravery, mixed with curiosity and a potent need to make him come unglued, spurred her forward. She unlatched her seatbelt and leaned over the center console, the angle awkward but workable, and she lowered her head into his lap.
A little scared and a lot turned on, she breathed him in, the scent of salty man, herself, and a hint of soap teasing her senses. Her heartbeat thundered in her throat as she touched the tip of her tongue to the soft skin, taking her first taste.
“Oh, fuckin’, yeah!”
Clay tensed beneath her, the satisfaction in his voice giving her a little more certainty. She gripped the base and opened her mouth, careful to shield her teeth as she slid her lips over the tip.
“Fuck, beautiful, keep going. That’s it.”
Her lips stretched tight around his girth, making it impossible to express the smile that lit up her insides knowing she was driving him as crazy as he’d driven her.
“Holy fu-damn! That feels good,” he breathed when she’d gone as far as she could without gagging and reversed course, sliding back up to the tip.
A faint hint of latex mixed with the taste of his pearly fluid, the flavor not what she’d expected, but certainly not bad. More confident, she repeated the motion, this time swirling her tongue around the tip when she pulled up, then plunged back down. Encouraged by his unintelligible string of curses, she did it again, slow and teasingly.
Clay threaded his fingers into the back of her hair, not pushing or pulling, but gently encouraging her, his fingers caressing her scalp in time with her strokes.
“Hold up a second,” he gritted out, gently tapping her shoulder. Reluctantly, she let him go and the truck bounced wildly, jostling them both before it skidded to an abrupt stop.
Dani lifted her head to look out the windshield, a snort bubbling up when she saw they were parked in front of the guesthouse. Right in front, as in the front bumper was practically touching the front door.
“Boots off,” Clay ordered as he shoved the gear shift into park and cut the lights, leaving the truck engine running. Dani hesitated, but Clay reached over and fisted his hand into the hem of her T-shirt and pulled it over her head. “Lose the boots and jeans, Dani, or I swear I’ll get my pocket knife and cut them off you,” he warned as he pulled off his own shirt and tossed it on the dash with his hat.
Heat spiraled down Dani’s spine and settled heavily between her thighs as he arched up and worked his jeans and underwear over his hips, slipping a condom from the front pocket in the same fluid movement. “Are you on the pill?” he asked as he ripped it open and pulled out the condom.
Dani nodded, toeing off her boots, shoving her jeans and underwear down with them. Birth control had been a nonnegotiable condition of her dads’ capitulation to her moving onto campus, despite her already having been on it a year without them even knowing.
“We’ll have to talk about these later, then.” Clay hurriedly rolled on the condom, then pulled her across the console to straddle him. “Are you too sore?” he asked as his hand worked between them to position his cock at her entrance.
Dani shook her head and then cried out as he penetrated her in a single thrust. Okay, maybe she was a little more tender than she’d thought, but the pain vanished the second his mouth met hers in a hungry kiss, his hands working feverishly at her bra clasp.
The bra snapped free and she discarded the constricting garment, her head falling back on a strangled moan as he molded his big hands over her breasts, the warmth leaching through her entire body as he leaned her back and took one of her nipples into his mouth.
“That-mmm-yes!” The strong pull of Clay’s lips drew the shout from somewhere deep inside her and she gripped his shoulders, holding on for dear life as he moved from one breast to another.
“I knew it would be like this,” he said, his voice gravelly and hoarse, pressing his mouth to her collarbone, leaving a trail of wet kisses along her neck. “I can’t get enough of you.” He tipped his head and took her mouth in another blistering kiss, his breath hissing out through his flared nostrils when their tongues finally met again in a deep probing caress.
Dani met him stroke-for-stroke, her own need voracious, unable to satisfy it no matter how close she got to him. She canted her hips forward, the shift creating a new angle that seated him deeper inside and they both cried out.
“Mmm, mmm, mmm.” He panted against her lips. His arms wrapped around her, hugging her as though he’d never let her go. “I’m almost there. Can’t…stop.”
She breathed in every whispered word, every desperate curse, trembling as she rocked back and forth, the angle applying just the right amount of pressure to the exact spot she needed until she felt the first ripple of the now familiar release she sought.
Clay tensed, sucking in a breath, and clamped down on her hips with a bruising grip. “That’s it. Come with me, beautiful—ahh!”
Every breath, every thought, every cell in her body was centered on the thumping pulse that began in her core, gathering fast, building like a flooded river behind a dam, then detonating in a blinding flash of immeasurable pleasure.
“Umh-umph-ah!” Clay drove inside her with demanding urgency, then tensed as he came. She could feel him throbbing inside her with his release, every pulse answered with her own.
Boneless and utterly empty, she slumped against him, her head resting on his shoulder as she tried to catch her breath. His chest rose and fell in time with hers, their hearts beating a frantic tandem rhythm she’d never forget.
Seconds, minutes, maybe even hours later, the cold air from the air conditioner vents blew across her sweat-laced skin, inducing a bone-deep shiver.
“Here.�
�� Clay pulled his T-shirt from the dash, turning it right side out before he slipped it over her head and cut the engine.
“Thanks.” Shrouded in his scent, she pulled the too-large shirt down to cover herself. “I didn’t even notice I was cold until just now.”
His eyes had a sleepy haze to them when he looked at her with a crooked grin, almost as if it took too much energy to smile, a feeling she could relate to. “It’s the adrenaline dump. Got pretty hot in here.”
Goosebumps bloomed beneath her fingertips and raced across the tops of his shoulders and down his arms. “You’re cold, too,” she said, and pushed up to move so they could get out, but he gripped her hips, halting her retreat.
“Wait,” he said with a pained expression, wrapping his arms around her. “Give me a minute.”
Dani tensed at first, then relaxed against his chest when he urged her forward, resting her head on his shoulder.
“Are you…is everything okay?” she asked hesitantly, cursing her own inexperience. Had she hurt him somehow, or was he having some sort of delayed reaction?
Clay’s arms constricted around her. “Everything’s perfect.” She stifled her exhaled relief as he slid his hands beneath the back of her shirt—his shirt—and traced soothing circles over her skin. “I just want to hold you like this for a bit.”
Dani melted against him, unable to resist the urge to kiss the goosebumps on the top of his shoulder. They stayed like that for a long time, huddled together in the driver’s seat of his truck, until the windows fogged and the air inside grew heavy with their mingled breaths.
