Waiting for Snow

by Mari Carr

  When Porter hissed out, “Yes!” as her finger found his anus, she knew she’d struck pay dirt. He’d introduced her to anal play two nights earlier after he found her vibrator and lube in her nightstand drawer.

  Even now, Adele flushed as she recalled the way he’d finger fucked her ass as he drove her through three orgasms, each coming right on the heels of the other as he used her vibrator on her better than she could ever hope to do so on her own.

  So now, he’d not only ruined her for other men but for masturbation as well.

  “Fuck!” Porter grunted when she pressed one of her fingers inside him and his cock hit the back of her throat again. She could tell from his curses, from the way he gripped her hair, that he was close.

  “Darlin’.” His tone told her he was thinking of pulling away, of stopping this before he came. She sucked his dick harder as she shook her head. She wanted this. All of it.

  “I can’t…Jesus…Fuck me.” Porter came, his body going stiff for just a second as jet after jet of come exploded from him. She surprised herself by swallowing. Adele didn’t have a clue who this wanton, adventurous woman was, but damn if she didn’t like the new her.

  Porter slowly slid free of her mouth as his cock started to soften. It was only then he seemed to realize how tightly he was gripping her hair. He unclenched his fists and gently massaged her scalp.

  She looked up at him, their eyes meeting. Adele blinked a couple times, telling herself that she wasn’t seeing what she thought she was. Her foolish heart was messing with her head, trying to convince her that Porter was looking at her like a man in love.

  As much as she wanted that to be true, her practical side was slamming on the brakes, telling her to get a fucking grip.

  She was letting five days of mind-blowing sex confuse her. Amazing sex wasn’t the same thing as love.

  Porter cupped her cheeks and bent over, kissing her. “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known.”

  Oh, fuck it. Maybe sex didn’t equate to love for him, but Adele was too weak and stupid and inexperienced to resist this.

  She was going to just go ahead and fall in love with the man. Because she didn’t have a choice in the matter.

  Hell, who was she fooling? She was already there.

  She brushed her hand over his face, enjoying the rough stubble of his five-o’clock shadow. The past few mornings, she’d had to apply more foundation around her mouth to try to cover up the beard burn from his kisses. Not that she minded.

  Porter did not shy away from kissing, and she suspected the two of them had spent more hours kissing this past week than she and Keith had in four years.

  “Okay. Time to get serious,” Porter said, breaking the kiss and straightening.

  She giggled. “We weren’t serious before?”

  He shook his head, his expression far too serious considering what they’d just done. Perhaps she would have been worried about his sudden sternness if not for the twinkle in his eyes that indicated he was playing with her.

  “Stand up, Addie. Let’s get you out of these clothes. Then you and I have some business to attend to.”

  “I can get behind naked business,” she joked, stripping off her jeans, panties, socks, and boots.

  Porter undressed himself at the same time, then sat down next to her on the side of the bed. She wasn’t sure what he wanted to talk about, but she hoped it was a quick conversation because she needed him inside her…like yesterday.

  Before she could tell him to get on with it, Porter reached for her, his hands on her upper arms, surprisingly strong and even a little rough as he dragged her naked body over his lap.

  “What the—”

  Porter placed one hard smack against her bottom and Adele tried to push away from him. “Stay there,” he commanded firmly, striking her other ass cheek with even more force.

  “Porter.”

  He placed his palm flat against her upper back, holding her facedown despite her attempts to rise. The man was strong as a bull, and while she knew there was no way she could escape his grip until he released her, the instinct to protect herself was winning out, so she keep trying.

  Porter spanked her half a dozen times more before placing his palms on her ass. His hadn’t really spanked her hard. In truth, while she would have expected it to hurt, it was actually impacting her in a way she hadn’t anticipated.

  She parted her legs and Porter chuckled. She might have been annoyed by that if he hadn’t accepted her unspoken invitation.

  He thrust two fingers inside deep, but she was too wet, too ready.

  “More.”

  He added a third on the next thrust. “You’re slippery as a greased pig at the fair, Addie. That spanking was supposed to be a punishment.”

  “For what?”

  “For that jealousy.”

  She lifted her ass, adding her own motion to Porter’s steady, deep thrusts. She was having a hard time concentrating on their conversation when all she wanted to do was push the man to his back, climb over him, and ride him like a bucking bronc.

  “You don’t have anything to say about that?” Porter asked.

  “About…”

  About what?

  “The jealousy.”

  She gripped the comforter on his bed, using it as leverage so she could move faster. “You said it turned you on.” Her response was more air than sound. She was so close to coming. She’d told Porter he had a magic tongue, but his fingers were just as talented.

  He curled them inside her, finding her G-spot and she groaned, her eyes closing as she felt the telltale tingle that said her orgasm was right there.

  Before she could grab it, however, Porter pulled his fingers free. Once more, she tried to push up, ready to slam herself down on his dick. Somewhere in the midst of the spanking, he’d gotten hard again and she could feel his erection against her hip.

  “Dammit,” she yelled. “Porter—”

  His hand landed on her ass again and this time, it did hurt.

  “Ow.” She reached back, placing her hand against her ass, trying to protect it from Porter, but he wasn’t deterred, able to strike whatever part she wasn’t covering.

  “Stop.”

  The second she spoke the word, the spanking ended. More than that, the hand holding her tight against this mattress disappeared, and Porter lifted her until she was cradled in his lap.

  She lifted her face to look at him. “I don’t understand.”

  He gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. “I know you don’t. The fact is your jealously did turn me on. And I meant what I said in the truck. I want you to make damn sure every woman in town keeps her distance, realizes that I belong to you.”

  “So you didn’t spank me because I was jealous?” Adele was struggling to keep up. Her arousal had been riding at a slow burn ever since they walked into the cabin. It was leaving her light-headed and impairing her ability to think about anything other than coming.

  “No. I did. The spanking was for the jealousy,” he said again. “But for a different aspect of it. Jealousy comes from a lack of trust, Addie. I know I have a bit of a reputation.”

  She snorted, but he kept going, undeterred.

  “But I haven’t lied to you once about my intentions, and there’s nothing that’s going to change my mind about us. You’re mine and I don’t cheat. Trust takes time, I get that, but until we get there, I need you to understand that. And I figure a spanking is about the best way to make those two truths stick.”

  “I’m yours?” Adele hated sounding so uncertain. She wanted to trust Porter with every fiber of her soul, but there was still a very stupid woman living inside her that told her this was all too good to be true. She’d spent too many years listening to the Porter gossip—she cursed her father for that part of her genetic makeup—and it had obviously fucked her up.

  “You’re mine,” Porter repeated, kissing her. “And…” he prompted.

  “You don’t cheat.” That part was easy to believe if she
didn’t let herself linger on the fact that before her, Porter had never had a woman to cheat on. Instead, she let those words sink deep and stick.

  “That’s right.” He stood with her still in his arms and lowered her to the center of the bed. He came over her, kneeling between her parted legs.

  He placed the head of his cock at her entrance and paused. “Tell me, Addie. Tell me you’re mine.”

  “I’m yours,” she whispered as he slid inside. Then she said it again and again as he thrust inside her, tattooing those words on her heart as he kissed her cheek, her ear, her neck, making love to her so sweetly, she felt tears stinging the back of her eyes.

  Every single time they’d come together had been fast, hard, rough, deep. And Adele had believed it to be passion. But now, as Porter made love to her, she understood for the first time in her life what passion truly was.

  When they came, it was together, in a flurry of soft kisses and whispered sweet nothings. He called her darlin’, told her she was beautiful, his.

  She was his.

  And he was hers.

  Chapter 7

  Porter grinned as Adele and Macie danced together, the two sisters laughing as they moved in time to the music. Adele was wearing a red sheath, the dress sexy as sin even though she’d accessorized with flashing green earrings and a jingle bell necklace.

  Porter and Adele had spent every night for the past two weeks together, and he was certain he’d never been happier in his life.

  Most of Maris was in attendance tonight, the annual holiday social a big deal as far as local events went. The Ladies Auxiliary had outdone themselves this year, covering every inch of the community center in red and green decorations. There was a huge Christmas tree in one corner that served as a backdrop for photographs. Adele’s cousin, Ty, and his band, Ty’s Collective, were performing, alternating between fast dance numbers, slow country ballads, and the occasional Christmas sing-along song.

  The noise level in the place was off the charts, everyone in town laughing, talking, and singing.

  “You look like the cat who ate the canary,” Coop said. Porter was sitting this dance out, hanging out at the table he and Adele were sharing with Coop and Macie.

  Porter grinned. He hadn’t seen Coop much since taking up with Adele. Porter handled the cattle and general upkeep of the large, sprawling ranch—constantly far afield checking fences and such, while Coop remained closer to the barn, working with the horses, so their paths didn’t cross often during the day.

  They used to hang out after work hours, sharing dinners together at the farmhouse when Sharon was alive or riding into town to eat at Sparks Barbeque after she passed. When Macie came along, Porter saw Coop less frequently, the newlyweds inseparable and so in love that Porter couldn’t help but feel like a third wheel.

  Now that he and Adele were dating, he spent every free moment with her. Simply because he couldn’t stand being away from her.

  “Not sure what you mean,” Porter said evasively. He knew exactly what Coop was talking about.

  “I mean Adele’s car has been parked outside your cabin every night for two weeks, and you haven’t taken your eyes off the woman since she and Macie hit the dance floor. So…what’s going on?”

  Porter considered stringing Coop along for a little while, just to get a rise out of him for fun. Instead, he found himself saying, “I’m in love with her.”

  Coop’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “In love? Damn. Didn’t think I’d ever see the day.”

  Porter shrugged. “Me either. She sort of took me by surprise.”

  Coop chuckled. “Yeah. The Sparks girls are good at that. So you got an end game?”

  Porter nodded. “You know I do.”

  “How long are you going to wait before you pop the question?” Coop asked.

  “I haven’t even sprung the L word on her yet. Addie’s a little trigger shy with me. Doesn’t seem to believe I’m serious when I tell her I want to be with her.”

  Coop leaned back in his chair, nodding slowly as if considering that. “Guess you can’t blame her. You’ve held tight to that bachelor status for forty-two years.”

  “Yeah. There also seems to be a fair amount of talk among the local ladies about my reputation as Maris’ one-night-stand king.”

  Coop laughed. “Oh, I’ve heard all about that. I happen to be married to the Queen of Gossip.”

  “Yeah, well, that’s not helping me plead my case. Sometimes it feels like she’s waiting for me to come to my senses and move on. Not sure how to prove to her I’m serious.”

  “Tell her what you just told me. Tell her you love her. Tell her your plans for the future.”

  “You don’t think that’ll scare her away? We’ve only been going out a couple weeks.”

  Coop shrugged nonchalantly. “Adele and Macie are similar souls. I think they both appreciate straight-shooting, and I don’t think either of them spooks easy. Plus, I’ve seen the way Adele’s been looking at you tonight. That girl’s more than halfway to head over heels for you already.”

  Porter smiled. “You think so?”

  Coop nodded, but before they could continue the conversation, Porter felt a tap on the shoulder and heard a female voice.

  “Happy holidays, cowboy.”

  * * *

  Adele laughed as Macie tried to do some sexy dance moves, shaking her ass in time with the music. It wasn’t the moves that were funny as much as a very pregnant Macie trying to look hot in a black top that said “Jingle Belly” over her stomach.

  “So…how are things going with you and Porter?” Macie asked, speaking loud enough to be heard over the music.

  After Porter outed them at the restaurant to her dad, Adele had fielded calls from Macie, as well as her cousins, Jeannette, Sydney, Lacy, and Paige, all curious about her newfound love life.

  Adele had tried to play it cool because she didn’t want to look like an idiot, falling for a confirmed bachelor if things went south. Of course, she figured she’d fallen off the cool boat at least a week ago because there was no denying she had it bad for Porter and she was walking around with her heart on her sleeve.

  “They’re going great. Like unbelievably good. It’s sort of freaking me out.”

  Macie’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Why would that freak you out?”

  “Because it’s Porter. What if…this is just a fluke? What if—?”

  She didn’t finish because Macie was already rolling her eyes so hard, they were in danger of sticking. “Jaysus, Adele. Stop getting in your own way. So what if Porter played the field in the past? He never lied to any of the women he slept with, never gave them false hope or played them for fools. He’s always been honest and up front about what he wants. So why do you think he’s suddenly a liar just because he’s saying something different to you?”

  Adele didn’t have an answer to that. Mainly because…

  “Damn,” she said. “That helps.”

  Macie grinned. “Must be all the soon-to-be mommy hormones flowing through my body. I’m getting wise.”

  Adele snorted, then glanced over to the table where they’d left the guys. She frowned when she saw a pretty blonde woman she didn’t recognize tap Porter on the shoulder. He stood up, his smile wide, as he picked the woman up and spun her around. It was clear he was delighted to see her and that—whoever she was—she and Porter were very close.

  “Who is that woman?” Adele asked, drawing Macie’s attention to Porter.

  Macie stopped dancing, studying the woman’s face. “I don’t know. She looks kind of familiar, but I can’t place her.”

  Once Porter stopped spinning the woman, she playfully smacked his shoulder before resting her hand on his forearm, the two of them leaning close to talk.

  Adele recalled her response to Betsi’s flirting and how Porter said he wanted her to stake a claim, to make sure the other women in town knew she was his girlfriend. If it had been Betsi talking to Porter right now, Adele wouldn’t hesitate to do just t
hat.

  But Porter didn’t look like he wanted to be saved from this woman. There was a genuine fondness between them.

  “Adele,” Macie said. “I’m sure they’re just friends.”

  Adele considered that, then realized her sister was right. And then she comprehended something else. She trusted Porter. Trusted him when he said she was his.

  “I’m sure they are,” Adele said easily, enjoying the surprise on Macie’s face that said her sister expected her to either succumb to a jealous rage or run from the room weeping. “Porter said I can trust him and I believe him. He also said I was his. And I believe that too.”

  “Hot damn. You and Port. So freaking awesome. You ready for a break?” Macie asked. “I’m dying to know who that woman is. Plus, I feel the need to give my guy a kiss.”

  “You’ve been away from him for the sum total to two songs. Is the honeymoon ever going to end?”

  Macie shook her head. “Never. And don’t pretend you aren’t just as anxious to get back to the table.”

  Adele grinned but admitted nothing. Truth was she couldn’t wait to nuzzle next to Porter. And not because she felt threatened by the other woman but because sometimes it felt like there was an invisible rubber band tying her and Porter together. Whenever they got too far apart, she felt the undeniable tug, the unending desire to be with him.

  She and her sister had just made it to the edge of the dance floor when Adele felt someone tap her on the shoulder.

  “Hey, beautiful lady. Damn if you aren’t a sight for sore eyes.”

  * * *

  Porter had just invited his cousin, Virginia to join them, looking toward the dance floor to wave Adele over. He hadn’t seen his favorite cousin in nearly fifteen years and he couldn’t wait for her to meet Adele.

  “I must confess, I’m dying to meet this girlfriend of yours,” Virginia said. “Started to give up hope you’d ever find the one to convince you to settle down.”