by Mari Carr
“I know you can do it.”
There was something about his belief and encouragement that made her want to please him. Of course, his sensual threats also had her chomping at the bit to obey.
Yvonne was fiercely independent, so her desire—no, her need—to acquiesce to him in the bedroom, while surprising, was equally as exciting.
Of course, she revised her desire to please him when the bastard started moving again. Leo held nothing back as he slammed into her, taking her with all that force and passion that drove her absolutely insane. She loved being taken hard, and Leo was a master at it.
She pressed her face against his mattress, using that and the gag to try to shield any sound that might escape. Yvonne accepted that breathing would just have to wait.
Within moments, she was there. The nuclear bomb detonated, her body jerking roughly as every nerve ending exploded at the same time.
Leo came as well, his fingers tightening on her hips. She’d worn bruises there for a day or two after their last interlude and, like a lovelorn girl, she’d studied them in the mirror and run her fingers over them, recalling how it had felt to be with Leo, adoring them like he’d given her diamonds or pearls.
She had no idea if that was sane or not. She’d have to ask Sunnie tomorrow.
Leo had restricted her noise, but it occurred to her, he’d put that same limitation on himself as well. With the exception of one short burst of air as his climax struck, he was silent too.
Without the benefit of hearing his words or groans, she was forced to read his body language to fully understand how deep his pleasure ran.
He loosened his fingers on her hips, wrapping his arms around her upper body to pull her toward him. Then, in a standing spoon, he enveloped her, surrounding her, nuzzling the side of her neck with his nose and lips.
When he whispered her name, “Vonnie,” in her ear, she heard the wonder, the awe, the happiness.
She heard it because she felt it.
He untied the knot holding his shirt in place and pulled it away.
Yvonne licked her lips as she turned to face him.
He met her halfway, kissing her as if he were going off to war, as if the plane was going down and they had seconds to live.
Then he cupped her cheeks, pulling back a few inches to look at her. “I love you, Vonnie.”
Her chest tightened, her heart raced, and every single thing inside her sang. She’d never had a single sentence impact her so intensely.
“I love you too.”
Chapter Ten
Leo parked his truck outside the pub, but made no move to get out. Instead, he lay his head against the rest and blew out a long, tired breath.
He hadn’t seen Yvonne since the fair, since the night he’d told her he loved her.
He hadn’t said those words to a woman since Denise. When he considered that, he realized they were two entirely different kinds of love.
With Denise, it had been that of first love, the yearnings of a young boy, who’d had his head turned by a pretty face and the fact she’d actually seen Clint Black and Vince Gill in concert. She’d been popular and fun and, to a farm boy who’d never seen much of the world, she was the epitome of cool. Looking back, what he thought was love, now seemed more like a simple attraction amplified by teenaged boy hormones.
He had never felt for Denise what he felt for Yvonne.
When he’d looked at Yvonne’s face after pulling out that gag, gazed into those pretty eyes of hers and seen that twinkle of humor mixed with desire and need, he knew he’d never find another woman more perfect for him than her.
They’d snuck out of his bedroom after making love, peeking into the boys’ room as they passed. Both fellas had been sacked out, dead to the world after their long day at the farm and then the fair. The two of them hung out, cuddling on the couch, watching the rest of the movie until Ryder came home. Then he’d driven her back to the pub and kissed her good night.
And since then, the bottom had fallen out. Of fucking everything.
He’d been getting up at four so he could get to the farm by five to help his brother with the crops. Then, he drove his mom back into the city at nine, both of them visiting with his dad, who’d had some complications after his surgery. He left his mom at the hospital around ten, then headed to his house to grab the boys. Mercifully, Ryder had been able to switch his hours, starting later in the morning to help Leo out.
Summer break was almost over, and Leo felt guilty for feeling so much relief over that. Typically, he loved the summer months with the boys, but this year, it had felt like hard work.
And he was afraid his heavy feelings were obvious to Vince, who’d been stomping around like a bear with a thorn in his paw, scowling and quiet. The only time he spoke, it was with an irritated tone that went through Leo like nails on a chalkboard. He didn’t abide rudeness, but Vince didn’t seem to be capable of anything else these days, so they’d been butting heads nonstop.
To make matters worse, Vince grumbled constantly about having to go out to the farm to help out, which pissed Josh off, who took it upon himself to lecture his nephew about responsibility and the importance of family, which annoyed the fuck out of him. He’d tell Josh to lay off and then his brother would look at him like he was a shitty father.
His energy was nonexistent, and his temper had reached the boiling point.
He glanced at the back door to the kitchen of Sunday’s Side. Yvonne would be there. That fact alone should have him leaping from the truck, but he hated showing up like this. Again.
He couldn’t, for the life of him, figure out why she put up with him. It seemed like all he did these days was bitch and moan. Try as he may, he couldn’t find a bright side to any of this shit.
So much for her secrets to a happy life. He was the worst student on the planet.
His phone rang.
Leo frowned when he saw Ryder’s name appear on the screen. It was Saturday, and Ryder was supposed to have the day off. If he told Leo he had to go in, Leo wasn’t sure he’d be able to hold his shit together.
“Hello,” he said, not bothering to temper the hostility in his voice.
“Hey, Leo. You still running deliveries?” Ryder asked, oblivious to Leo’s anger.
“Yeah.”
“Listen, the boys and I were just talking. Decided we wanted to go camping tonight. School starts next week, and I haven’t had a chance to do any fun things with the guys this summer. Besides, I figured you could use a break from all of us.” Ryder lowered his voice as he added, “Give you a night alone with Yvonne.”
Ryder had been surprised to find Leo and Yvonne sitting very cozy on the couch together the other night. So much so, he’d been waiting up for Leo when he got back from dropping her off at the pub. It had been nice to talk to someone about her, and he’d been genuinely touched by Ryder’s support. The two of them had been virtual strangers when they’d moved in together, bonded by sons who were brothers. Since then, Ryder had become a friend, even though there were times Leo got a sense Ryder kept him—and everyone else in the world—an arm’s length away. He could only assume Denise’s death had broken something in the other man, and now he struggled to get close to anyone.
“Anyway,” Ryder continued, “we got the tent and sleeping bags out of storage. We’re hitting a grocery store on the way out of town for campfire food, then heading to Point Lookout for the night. Told them we’d do some fishing in the morning, so we probably won’t be back until mid-afternoon. You okay with that?”
Leo heard the words Ryder was saying, but they weren’t fully soaking in. He was getting a night off. A chance to be alone with Yvonne.
Every miserable feeling he’d been suffering floated away. “Seriously, man?”
Ryder chuckled. “Yeah. Seriously. I told you the other night. I owe you.”
“Thanks, Ryder.”
They hung up and, just like that, Leo found his silver lining. That weight that never fully left his shoulders lift
ed and he felt free. He texted Josh to say he wasn’t coming back to the farm as he’d originally planned, and that he wouldn’t be able to make it at all tomorrow. His brother would be pissed as fuck, but that was just too bad. Leo hadn’t had a day off in…years.
Marie was slated to visit their dad later and pick up their mom to take her home, as was their routine. So, the rest of the day was his.
And he knew exactly how he wanted to spend it.
He grabbed the crate of vegetables from the back of his truck, suddenly grateful he’d made this his last delivery of the day. Once he saw Yvonne, he knew he wasn’t going to be able to let her out of his sight…at least until the boys got back home.
Leo walked through the screen door and immediately spotted Yvonne’s cute ass as she bent over to pull a pie from the oven.
He wolf-whistled at Yvonne, not noticing her aunt Riley until the other woman laughed.
Leo turned and smiled at Riley. “You caught me.”
Riley walked over and grasped his chin in her hand, turning his head this way and that, inspecting him. He was a grown-ass man, but the woman had a way of making him feel like a small child, and not in a way he hated. Her concern for him felt nice.
“I like the smile, but you’ve still got those damn dark circles under your eyes. You getting enough sleep?”
He shook his head. “No.”
“Eating right?”
“Nope.”
“Stressed to the max?”
He nodded. “Always.”
“Dammit. That’s what I thought. Yvonne, I thought we had a plan to fix all this?” Riley chastised her niece, who’d drifted over to them, amused by their interplay.
“He’s a tough case, Riley. Rome wasn’t built in a day.”
“Speaking of building Rome,” Leo said. “Any chance you can get the rest of the day off? I’m free until tomorrow afternoon.”
The shock on Yvonne’s face proved he really didn’t take enough time off for himself. “I—” she started.
“She can,” Riley answered. “You two get out of here. The next time I see you, Leo, I want you well-fed, well-rested and,” she wiggled her eyebrows, “well-fu—”
“We’re leaving!” Yvonne said, cutting her aunt off while Leo chuckled.
“You telling tales on us?” Leo asked her.
“I dare you to keep anything from Riley,” Yvonne replied. “I swear to God, she reads minds.”
Riley shrugged. “A clairvoyant never tells her secrets.”
“Let me go grab my purse from the apartment,” Yvonne said as they left the kitchen and headed for the stairs to her place.
They both waved at Padraig, who was leaning on the counter chatting with Emmy.
Leo placed his hand on her back and guided her toward her bedroom. “You might want to pack a bag. We’re staying the night at my house.”
“What about the boys?”
“Ryder took them camping.”
Her eyes lit up. “You mean we’re going to be alone-alone?”
He nodded, not bothering to temper the big-ass smile on his face. “Yep.”
They entered her bedroom, and he sat on the edge of her bed as she grabbed an overnight bag from her closet and started tossing pajamas she wouldn’t wear into it, as well as a change of clothing.
“Riley wasn’t wrong. You look wrung out. Is your dad okay?”
Leo started to nod, then shrugged. “It’s taking him some time to bounce back from the bypass surgery. I suspect some of that is due to the diabetes, but the doctor says he’ll recover. It’s just going to take a little longer than we’d expected.”
“Will he be able to return to work?”
Leo shook his head. “Not to the same extent as before. He’ll have to cut way back, and I’m sure he won’t be able to do any heavy lifting for quite a while.”
“Which I’m sure puts Josh in good spirits.”
Leo laughed. She knew him and his family well enough to know his brother was a bear on good days. “His aggressiveness is no longer passive. It’s outright pissed off. I want the farm to succeed and thrive as much as he does, but we have very different ideas about how that should happen.”
“What does Marie say?”
“You know Marie. She’s ever the peacemaker. Never takes a side, just tells us both we make valid points.” His shoulders started to tighten again. Talking about his family never failed to stress him out. “I don’t want to think about that today. It’s my day off.”
Yvonne walked over and cupped his cheek. “I love that you’re taking a day off. And I’m stealing all the credit. I’ve had an amazing impact on you. Truly stellar results. Really, when you think about it, you owe me everyth—”
Leo reached up to grab her, tossing her to the bed and tickling her. “Are you seriously going to steal all the credit?”
She nodded unrepentantly. “Absolutely.”
He stopped tickling her, dropping to his elbows over her, kissing the tip of her nose. “Good. You should. You’re good for my soul, Vonnie.”
“Just your soul?” she teased, reaching down to run her hand along his suddenly emerging erection.
“You’re very good for that part of me too.” He glanced over his shoulder. He hadn’t shut her bedroom door behind them. God only knew how many of her cousins were home at the minute. As tempting as it was to finish what she’d just started, Leo was tired of sneaking around. The next time he took her, they were going to be completely naked and, if he did things right, Yvonne would be screaming down the rafters.
“You have everything you need?” he asked, forcing himself to move away from her. He offered a hand to help her stand as well, grinning at her confusion. Yvonne had obviously thought they were going to start the party here.
“I need to grab some things from the bathroom.”
“Okay.”
“Are you in a hurry?” she asked, clearly not ready to give up their chance at sex.
“Nope. I’m not. We have twenty-four hours, Vonnie. A whole fucking day. I’m going to put that to good use. Going to strip you naked and worship every inch of your body.”
She flushed, the pink in her cheeks drawing his attention to her adorable freckles. She was the picture of a fresh-faced, all-natural woman. There was nothing fake about Yvonne.
“I like the idea of being worshipped.”
He chuckled. “I’m sure you do, but first…” He started to open the drawer to her nightstand, but she grabbed his wrist to stop him.
Mmmmhmmm. Just as he’d thought. “What’s in here?”
“Girl stuff, nosy. You ready?”
He shook his head. “You’re not finished packing.”
She gave him a funny look. Until he shook off her grip and opened the drawer.
“Leo—” she started.
The drawer contained the typical stuff—lip balm, a sleep mask, lotion, a couple pens…and exactly what he was searching for. Her vibrator.
He pulled out the slick blue toy and turned it on high.
“Batteries are good,” he mused.
“Of course they are. I’m not a heathen.”
He turned it off and handed it to her. “Toss it in your bag.”
She gave him a curious look but didn’t argue. “Fine.”
“Come on.”
She grabbed her toothbrush and tossed it in the bag as well, then the two of them exited through the same door he’d entered, saying goodbye to Riley as they left.
He helped her into the truck, then cranked up Luke Combs on the radio, serenading her with “Beer Never Broke My Heart” as she laughed. They rode with the windows down, not a care in the world.
This was the life he longed for.
Sitting next to Yvonne with no more on his mind than which position to try first and what food to have delivered for dinner.
Bliss.
He carried her bag into his house, tossing it to the floor by the door before reaching for her to steal a kiss.
Yvonne stepped into his arms, wr
apping hers around his neck, her tongue touching his. He could taste apples and cinnamon—from the pies she’d been baking? Yvonne had a sweet tooth, not that he’d ever complain. She was as delicious as the desserts she made.
They parted when Boomer continued jumping up on them, determined to steal his own affection from Yvonne.
“What should we do first?” she asked, kneeling down to pet the spoiled dog as he tried to lick her face, his tail wagging.
Leo had been working off a list since the day he’d learned to read, everything mapped out, planned.
“Whatever we feel like doing.”
She laughed, rising slowly. “You may have taken my advice a little too much to heart.”
“I’m letting the wind blow me where it will. Wasn’t that your idea?”
“It was.” Yvonne looked over her shoulder, down the hallway. “Any chance this wind is going to blow you to your bedroom?”
He considered that, then shook his head. “Not right away. No.”
Her lower lip came out in a pout that had him bending forward to kiss her. She was cute when she didn’t get her way.
“Is the wind blowing at all?” she said as their lips parted.
He chuckled. “It is. In fact, I think we’re due for a gale. Any minute.”
She brightened up. “Oh yeah?”
He grasped her hand, tugging on it when she started to head for the bedroom. He hadn’t been kidding. That wasn’t his destination. He pulled her into the living room.
“We’re not watching TV, are we?”
Leo didn’t reply. Instead, he sat down on the couch and pointed to her. “Take off your clothes. All of them.”
“Here?” Yvonne glanced around the room. There were blinds on the windows and they were down. None of the neighbors could see in.
Leo placed his hands behind his head and leaned back against the couch, letting her know he was ready for a show.
Yvonne didn’t have a shy bone in her. And she didn’t have any of those annoying hang-ups a lot of women seemed to have about their bodies. She pulled her T-shirt over her head, her smile the perfect combination of sweet and sinful.
Leo unfastened his belt, then unbuttoned his jeans, the denim suddenly too constricting.
