Chasin' Eight: Rough Riders, Book 12 (25 page)

His blue eyes trapped hers. “Maybe.” His big hands curled around her hips, but he kept their bodies apart. “But I’ll let you make it up to me.”

Chase’s stance gave Ava additional height advantage. He didn’t seem to mind, which was another big change in his attitude since they’d started sleeping together. “And what do you have in mind?”

He pressed a hot kiss on the center of her chest. Then those oh so talented lips traveled up the arc of her throat to her ear. “Guess.”

“A blowjob.”

Chase’s chuckle against her neck caused goose flesh to break out. “Tempting, but no.”

“You wanna bend me over a hay bale and spank my ass?”

“Wrong again. But you are givin’ me some great ideas.” His wet tongue flicked her earlobe like he was working her clit, which sent a spike of heat straight to her core. “I want a kiss.”

“In public?”

“Yep. Right now.”

She lowered her lips to his in a slow slide of mouth on mouth. Gradually shifting the kiss from sweet to fiery. Kissing him with passion, tempering it with tenderness. A languorous meeting of tongues, a communion of need.

He placed soft smooches on her mouth. “Thanks for caring about me, Ava.”

“You sound surprised I do.”

“Maybe I am. I’m not used to it because I’ve kept relationships casual. I wasn’t joking about my threshold being two weeks.” He twirled a piece of her hair around his finger. “I haven’t answered to anyone for years. I find I like answering to you.”

“I’m glad. I don’t like to see you hurting. You don’t have to be tough in front of me, Chase.”

“It’s a hard habit to break.” He quickly changed the subject. “Are you taping me tonight?”

“Yeah. Unless you don’t want me to.”

“I want you to. I just hope it’s not the same as last night.”

His injury was causing him more pain than he’d let on. She’d be surprised if he rode any bulls tonight. “Good luck. I’ll see you after.”

Chase stuck it out on both bulls. But he wasn’t in top form and finished in fourth place, out of the money.

First thing he did at the motel was shower. For thirty minutes. When they’d first started traveling on the road, she hadn’t understood why it took him so long to shower. But now she knew he needed that long to get rid of the aches and pains from riding.

He dropped his towel and crawled in bed, twining himself around her like her own personal anaconda. “I’m not up for sex games tonight.”

“So much for my nefarious plan to play nekkid Parcheesi with you.”

Chase laughed softly.

“Seriously. Can I give you a massage or rub some ointment on the sore spots?”

“Thanks. But this is good. Your warm body is like a magic heating pad. Makes all my aches and pains go away. Makes me all tingly.”

“Ooh. You’re good.”

“Mmm. You know it, but I’m at my best when I’m with you.”

Ava melted just a little.

“Now, we done talking so we can see who gets tossed off
America’s Next Top Model
, or what?”

Chapter Seventeen

Chase wasn’t claustrophobic. But if he had to spend another fucking minute in the truck cab with Ava, surrounded by the scent of her lotion, the sight of her pink-tipped toes tapping on his dashboard and the porn queen way she sucked on licorice, he’d go insane.

In fact, he figured he deserved a medal for his ability to withstand the temptation of pulling off on the closest dirt road so he could fuck her inside the truck cab, or against the truck door, or in the truck bed. He’d been so lost in fantasies of the many, many ways he intended to take her, he’d missed the damn turn off.

He’d known the second he touched her he was done for. Ava needed him in a way no other woman ever had. He was a different man when he was with her, regardless if they were naked. So maybe that’s why he couldn’t freakin’ wait to get naked with her again, day after day after day.

Seemed to take forever to check-in. He ditched the bags in the corner of the room. In the mirror above the sink, he saw Ava flop on the bed and heave a huge sigh.

“Before you get too comfy, maybe you oughta see if you got the door shut.”

She popped to her feet and resituated her skirt as she crossed the room, those fucking sexy little pleats teasing the back of her legs.

When he’d gotten a look at her outfit this morning—short plaid skirt, plain white blouse, black ballet shoes—his cock had been hard all day as his head conjured up bad-schoolgirl-needing-a-spanking scenarios.

Ava tested the door by pushing on it. “I don’t know why you were worried it wasn’t shut—”

“Lock it.” He put his mouth below her ear and pressed their bodies together.

The lock clicked.

“Hands on the door.” He nuzzled her neck, whispering, “Want you.”

She turned her head to catch his temple with a kiss and a soft, “You have me. What are you going to do with me?”

Chase let his breath tease her damp nape. Making her wait for a response.

“Chase?”

He licked the shell of her ear. “What do you want me to do to you?”

“Fuck me.”

Made him hot as hell when crude words tumbled from that pretty mouth. But Chase knew it made her equally hot when he talked dirty right back to her. He curled his fingers around her hips and tugged her butt into his groin. “Grind this sweet ass against me. Make me want it. Make me want to touch it. Make me want to run my mouth over it. Make me want to fuck it.”

He wondered if she’d balk, but she shimmied her hips and swung those perfect mounds of flesh into his groin like a pro.

Chase had a condom on two seconds after his jeans hit the floor. Dragging his cock up and down her sweet slit, he wasn’t surprised how easily his cock slipped inside her welcoming heat. Ava was always ready for him. As much as he wanted to pound into her, he didn’t.

Not at first. But her breathy whimpers and the tight clasp of her pussy when he drove in hard and deep shattered his strategy.

“Yes. I like that. God, I
love
that.”

Hips pistoning, he set a plunge-and-retreat rhythm that felt so good he never wanted to stop. Each thrust pushed him to that elusive point, but Ava reached it first. Her cunt clamping down around his cock had him grunting, sweating, swearing as he fucked himself into an orgasmic stupor.

When he returned to earth, he muttered, “You all right?”

“I think I made claw marks in the door with my fingernails.”

“Now that’s a compliment.”

Ava leaned back and wrapped her arm around his neck. “If I don’t say it enough, you are an amazing lover, Chase.”

“Same goes, sugar tits.”

She laughed. “I know I shouldn’t consider that a term of endearment, but I do.”

“You’re beautiful. Talented. Sexy. Smart. Sophisticated. Funny. Sweet.” He kissed the back of her neck. “Are those better terms of endearment?”

She smiled against his throat. “Actually, I prefer sugar tits.”

As they straightened their clothes, she said, “Now that we’ve got that out of the way, I expect you’ll be looking for food next?”

“Out of the way?” Wearing a wicked, determined grin, Chase stalked her until the back of her knees hit the bed. “Just for that smartass crack, sugar tits, I’m gonna eat my fill of you. And darlin’, you know how much I can eat.”

Chase looked far too comfortable, far too sexy lounging against the passenger door, camera in hand. “Smile.”

She scowled at him. “Why are you taping me?”

“Because you’re driving and I’m bored out of my fuckin’ mind.”

At least if his hands were occupied he wasn’t crunching on sunflower seeds. Or touching her. If the man put his hands on her while she was driving, she’d wreck his precious truck.

“Besides, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander, right?”

“I’m from California. I don’t even know what the hell that barnyard saying means.”

“It means I answered your questions over the last few weeks, it’s time for you to answer mine. Pains me to admit it, but your Gestapo tactic worked.”

“Yeah?”

“You know stuff about me I’ve never told anyone.”

But I want to know everything about you. I’m as obsessed with you as you are obsessed with riding bulls.

Chase fiddled with the camera. “Whoa. You can get really close with this.”

“Are you getting shots of my nose hair?”

“Nope. I’ve zoomed in on your nipples. Think cold thoughts, baby.”

“Chase.”

“Think of what I did to you last night. That was pretty hot.”

Her grip increased on the steering wheel even as her toes unconsciously curled. Chase’s hungry mouth sucking on her clit. His fingers tweaking her nipples. Proving his mastery over her body, restraining her arms, denying her release, and building her to a frenzy with each lick. Each touch. Each whispered promise of ecstasy until she shattered with an epic orgasm that made her scream. Then he’d made love to her with such exquisite tenderness she’d melted.

“See? It worked. You’ve got that dreamy look you get right after I fuck you.”

And so much for the basking. “Ask your damn question.”

He chuckled. “Least favorite food.”

“Eggplant. Slimy, nasty stuff. No matter how it’s cooked it tastes like dog shit.”

“I’d hafta agree.”

“Same for zucchini. Our cook used to try and hide it in other dishes, but I always could taste it. Blech.”

“You had a full-time cook, growing up?”

“Maria wasn’t live-in help, but she came every day. Sometimes she cooked lunch, but most the time it was dinner. Why?”

“Most people I know don’t hire out for them kinda domestic jobs. To be honest, you don’t act nearly as spoiled as I thought you would.”

“I think there was a compliment in that somewhere. Anyway, my mom worked a lot, expanding the hotel business. Cooking dinner and cleaning up the kitchen was the last thing she wanted to do after spending fourteen hours at the office.”

“Gotta ask this, Hollywood. Did you have a nanny?”

She shook her head. “My dad stayed home with me and my brother when we were little. He jokes he can change a tire and a diaper in ten seconds flat. I told you he’s a mechanic, right?”

Chase lowered the camera and squinted at her. “Wait a second. Dumond. Is your dad the Dumond in DRT—Dumond Racing Team?”

“Yeah. He started the team in our garage.”

“Holy shit, Ava. DRT is my favorite NASCAR team. Darby Janeville had an amazing season last year with that second place showing in Darlington—”

Ava held up her hand. “No offense, but you might as well be speaking Chinese. I don’t follow NASCAR. Haven’t much cared for racing.”

“Ever?”

“Ever.”

Chase didn’t say anything, but obviously he wanted to.

“What?”

“How is it you know all about your mother’s position as CEO of Cooper Hotels, but you don’t have any interest in your father’s business? Especially since he built it from the ground up and he was around more during your growing-up years than your mom.”

That jarred her. She’d never thought of it that way. Her dad used to ask her to come to races. She always refused. When had he stopped asking?

Why hadn’t you noticed?

Chase’s deep voice startled her out of guilty thoughts. “So your brother chose the hotel business over the racing business?”

“Axel is involved with DRT, mostly from the Cooper Tires side. He attends all the events with Dad.” Again, it struck Ava, how much she’d cut herself off from her family in recent years since she’d “made it” as an actress. Was that why Axel acted so curt with her? Because she blew him off, he was mirroring her behavior?

When had she gotten so selfish? So stingy? Unwilling to share any of her free time with her family?

She knew Chase had taken a rash of crap about his emotional and physical distance from his family. She’d felt sorry for him, but come to find out, she’d been acting the same way.

“Ava?”

“Sorry. Spaced there for a second. I’m a lot like my mom in that I don’t do domestic things. My housekeeping service keeps my house tidy. They take my dirty things to the laundry once a week. Then clean clothes are miraculously returned to their proper places. I don’t have to do anything. So that makes me as useless as teats on a bull, doesn’t it?”

Chase smiled. “Nice barnyard reference, Hollywood.”

“If the horseshoe fits… Anyway. It’s embarrassing to admit I’m so helpless.”

“Shouldn’t be. You lead a different life than most folks. Doesn’t mean it’s wrong. You have what most people work so hard for. You shouldn’t apologize for it.”

How was it this man knew exactly what to say? Not in a suck-up way, but with total sincerity?

Such a sucker for this man, Ava. Write it on your forehead—s-u-c-k-e-r.

“Okay, back to the hard-hitting questions. What’s the most personal thing anyone gave you?”

“You go first this time, McKay.”

“A bronze my cousin Carter sculpted of me ridin’ the bull Chicken on a Chain that scored me a ninety-two point ride.”

That was a very personal gift, which caused Ava another pang of sadness when she thought about the loss of hers.

“What’s wrong? Your face changed.”

“The camera showed you that?”

“Ava. I don’t need to look through a viewfinder to see you’re upset.”

Damn intuitive man.

“The camera is off. Talk to me.”

“My grandfather commissioned a necklace for my sixteenth birthday. A tiny beautiful Swarovski crystal rose with a gold stem artfully twisted into an ‘A’. The one time I didn’t take it off before I jumped into the ocean? I lost it. I don’t know if the chain broke or what, but I was devastated because it happened about a month after he died.”

“Aw, sugar, I’m so sorry.”

Evidently Chase had enough taping. He returned the camera to the case and faced forward, wiggling to get comfortable.

“Before you nod off, tell me why we’re backtracking. You planned a route through Montana and now we’re back in Cornhusker territory.”

He rolled his eyes. “South Dakota is not Cornhusker territory. The reason I’m not goin’ to the event in Billings is because Ryan told me a former PBR bull rider who switched to the PRCA circuit will be competing. I don’t wanna run into him.”