Chasing the Runaway Bride (16 page)

But she couldn’t stop thinking about him.

About all that luxurious arousal.

Ack!

…

Hours later, she paced her living room. Angry with herself first. Then analytical. It was true she didn’t know the finer points about sex, but was that her fault? She didn’t know anything about sex because she hadn’t had a chance to really learn anything.

And maybe she was turning down the chance of a lifetime.

At eight-fifteen, enough past Cade’s quitting time to give him a chance to get home, she grabbed her sweater and ran to her apartment door. When she yanked it open, Cade stood there on the stairway landing.

He didn’t say a word, just gathered her and kissed her. He stepped inside without releasing her mouth and closed the door—probably with his foot. She couldn’t see, but she could feel both of his hands on her arms.

“I think we might have had the same idea.”

She laughed against his mouth, then groaned when his hands glided down the curve of her waist to her butt and then back up again. “Yeah. We might have. But right now, the only thing you need to tell me is the way to your bedroom.”

Chapter Thirteen

Piper pointed down the hall in her tiny living space, and Cade melted. She was warm, soft, beautiful, and an odd combination of brave and hesitant, but she wasn’t fighting this anymore.

He ran his hands down the curve of her waist to her sexy ass. He didn’t understand her hesitancy, but all his testosterone pooled until he was so hard he knew he couldn’t walk away.

His right hand went to the back of her neck, as his left caught at the bottom of her spine and pressed her to him, while his tongue plundered her mouth. Her flavor was sin, pure, plain and simple. Even as his body tensed and flexed, dark instincts rolled through him. The urge to pounce, to take, to conquer.

Still, she might have pointed out her bedroom, but he knew there was a reason for her hesitation. He’d have to be careful. Smart. Figure out what she wanted and give it to her so she wouldn’t regret this.

He pulled away, scooped her up, and carried her down the short hall to the only open door. As he expected, it was her room, a space as odd and wonderful as her colorful living room. The gold, white, and gray print bedspread on the huge bed with the dark wood headboard matched the pale gold sheer drapes that billowed in a breeze coming in through the open window. A white shag area rug protected the hardwood floor.

Dipping his head, he kissed her again, solidly, soundly, waking more primal needs than a man had a right to feel, before he laid her on the bed.

But she rolled off. “Just a few things.”

Every muscle in his body throbbing, he frowned as she quickly closed the window, lit candles, and pulled down the spread to reveal simple white sheets.

He wasn’t sure why she’d done any of it, but rather than break the mood, her slow, sensual movements lured him in even more. Her hesitancy gone, she was like a goddess with witchy powers that drew him to her so effectively that he walked across the room, took her by the shoulders, yanked her to him, and kissed her again. This time savagely.

He wanted to ask her if she was sure. A gentleman would do that. But he’d been waiting for this day, this minute, since the second he’d laid eyes on her at the drugstore the morning of Finn’s wedding, and he wouldn’t be denied.

He turned her around, whisked her T-shirt over her head, and unsnapped a very sexy, very silky red bra. He groaned at the feel of it sliding across his fingertips, and groaned again when she turned in his arms, her breasts full and solid, nipples two tight buds.

Without a word, she lifted his shirt up his chest. Taller than she, he knew she wouldn’t get it any farther than she had, so he yanked it off, then put his hands on her butt and wrenched her to him, almost groaning again when those tight little nipples bumped into his chest.

“Shit.”

“Am I so bad?”

He shook his head, caught her gaze. And here it was. The hesitancy again. “You’re so damned perfect.” He drew in a breath, struggling for the air he needed to keep himself from ripping off her jeans and taking her hard and greedily. “How does anybody get so perfect?”

She laughed, her tension gone again. The easy sound rolled over him as she pressed her hands to his chest and smoothed them to his belly button and back up again. “Ask yourself. From where I’m standing you’re pretty damned perfect too.”

He thought he’d die from the pleasure of having her hands on him. If they didn’t increase the tempo he’d snap and lose control. So he undid her jeans, dipped his fingers under the waistband, and finally touched that perfect ass. Skin silky, muscles taut, her solid little behind filled his hands. Need roared through him and with one quick move, he puddled the jeans to the floor.

She fumbled with the belt of his pants but he brushed her hands aside. He undid the snap, yanked down the zipper, pushed his jeans to the floor, and released his erection. He didn’t think. He didn’t care. He gave her one quick tap that dropped her to the bed and crawled on behind her.

He slid one hand to her supple breast, while the other traveled down to the soft mound of hair between her legs. She was surprisingly wet and ready, and part of him nearly shoved open her thighs and rammed inside.

But this was Piper.

Pretty Piper.

The Piper he’d lusted after for weeks.

The woman who deserved better than a man’s lust.

The woman who hesitated for six long weeks before agreeing to this. He would not disappoint her.

So he took a breath. Then another. Then another.

He’d also waited long, long weeks to be at this place with her, and not only did she deserve a little time and attention, but he also wanted to touch and taste every inch of her.

The candle flickered in the darkness. As he kneaded her breast with his left hand, he ran the right along her behind, suddenly aware that this probably would be his one and only chance to touch her. He wanted to savor, but he also didn’t want her to regret this decision. So he slowed the pace, wove his tongue from her chest to her navel and back up again before he closed his mouth over her breast.

She groaned.

“That’s it, baby, tell me what you like.”

His hands slid under her so he could arrange her to take full advantage of her breasts, her belly.

“I don’t know a woman alive who doesn’t like what you just did.”

He paused. “What I did?”

“Yeah, what you did.”

He smiled against the warm pillow of her breast. “Say it.”

“What?”

He thought back to their conversation before the water battle—how she seemed shy, almost inexperienced for a woman who’d had two fiancés. It seemed farfetched that she’d be inexperienced, but maybe she was?

And maybe that’s what he needed to help her through so they could both enjoy the hell out of each other.

“Say it… Tell me what I did.”

“You sucked my nipple.”

He flicked his tongue against it. “Want me to do it again?”

She groaned. “Yes.”

“Say it.”

“Do it again.”

“Do what again?”

“Suck my nipple.”

Red-hot desire burst through him and he closed his mouth over her again. “Tell me everything you want.”

Her reply came out breathy and thready. “You don’t know?”

“Oh, I know. I just like hearing you tell me.”

…

Fierce need skyrocketed from her aching nipples to that spot in her body that had been begging for him. He pulled his mouth away from one breast and made love to the second, and she closed her eyes at the ecstasy that flowed through her.

She’d known he would be good. She’d known
this
would be good.

Then he softly said, “What else?”

Her breath hitched, “Seriously? You’re going to make me tell you?”

“I want to be sure you enjoy this.”

“Oh, trust me. I’m beyond enjoying.”

He slid up her body. Every inch of his torso glided along every inch of hers, setting fire to blistering hot skin. He nuzzled her neck, took her mouth in a kiss that rolled through her like a tornado, and the whole time his erection pressed, teased, tickled her. Where she wanted him, but not how she wanted him.

“Please…”

“Ah, now we’re getting somewhere. Please what?”

“You know.”

“Let’s pretend I don’t. Let’s pretend you’re a bad girl who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to beg.”

Right at that moment she wouldn’t be afraid to beg, but the idea of her being a bad girl shuddered through her. “I’m not bad.”

“Oh, but you want to be naughty.”

She did. She seriously did. She wanted to be all those things she’d never even considered, all those things that had never ever popped into her brain when she was with other men.

And she suddenly realized this was what she’d been waiting for.

With one hand on his shoulder, she tipped Cade. “You want a bad girl?”

His throaty laugh was his reply.

She pressed her tongue to his shoulder, then slid it to his belly button. “I’ve never been a bad girl.”

“Well, darlin’, you’re doing just fine.”

She took him into her mouth on the word fine, and he groaned the way she’d groaned for him. “Oh, you like that?”

He shifted, giving her better access, and she took him farther, as her fingers explored his inner thighs.

He groaned again. She sucked harder and suddenly she was lifted and tossed to her back. His thigh spread her legs as his erection pounded into her aching sex.

She almost came at the feeling of his hardness opening her, filling her. But he didn’t give her long enough to think about it. He pulled out, shoved in, pulled out, shoved in, each time harder, each time taking her to a physical place she’d never been before. She felt wetter, tighter, fuller. Instincts began to kick in. Her legs rose to wrap around him, granting him better access.

“That’s right, baby. Just like that.”

His encouragement made her smile and she almost opened her eyes, but the feelings pouring through her were so delicious. The warmth, the tingles, the press of him against her wet walls overwhelmed her, until there was nowhere else for arousal to go and her muscles exploded in spasms of delight that stole her breath and had her screaming his name.

He laughed as wave after wave of sheer physical pleasure overtook her, and just when she thought she couldn’t feel any more, he exploded inside her. The pulsing against her sensitive walls set off another firestorm of delight and she called out his name again.

Then he collapsed against her and she raised her hands to his back.

His back.

In all the pleasure, she hadn’t touched or tasted even half of him.

He rolled off and might have said something, but she stopped his words with her mouth on his. She had never, ever, ever had sex like this. Never wanted somebody enough to say the words
suck my nipple
. Never enjoyed somebody so much that she came twice. Never been so curious about touching someone everywhere.

She wasn’t letting him get away until she’d done everything she wanted.

…

“Tom Lashinsky was my first fiancé.”

After spending an hour curiously, greedily, tasting and touching each other, Cade wasn’t even slightly tired. He could go another round. But out of respect for her, he propped himself up on his elbow, looked down into her face. After everything they’d done, there really couldn’t be any secrets between them.

“I pretty much stayed away from men after that until Ronnie Nelson came along. Then I just sort of thought it was time to get married, have a family.” She closed her eyes and shook her head. “I made a big mistake.”

“Oh yeah?” He didn’t want to say it, but clearly Tom, and anybody who followed, weren’t such great shakes as lovers. She had a naivety about her greed that spoke of inexperience, even if that did translate into some very awesome moves that came from her curiosity.

She rolled over and leaned against his chest, her pretty breasts nestling against him as if they’d found home. “Don’t be smug.”

“I’m not smug.
You
were the dynamo.”

She laughed. “Actually, I was just curious.”

“Well, be curious with me any time you want.”

The air in the room suddenly thinned as she raised her head until she could meet his gaze.

She didn’t say anything, but she didn’t have to. A Hyatt and an O’Riley? She’d already told him this wouldn’t work. The feud might be over. His reputation might be mending. But there was still the matter of gossip. They might be able to run a grocery store together, but date? She was a runaway bride and he was a no-show groom. Good God, the old ladies would go breathless from speculation.

“Okay, fine. So don’t call me anytime you want to do this.”

She shook her head. “You think this is all about the town, the gossip? Maybe at one time it was. But, Cade, I like you. And once our year at the grocery store is over, you’re leaving town, buying a ranch, moving on.”

He ran his hand down her lean back. “Probably.”

“Uh, uh, uh. Don’t be using that suggestive, hopeful tone.”

“What? I’m not tricking you. The will says we have a whole year together. And eventually I will buy the ranch where I’m foreman.”

She sat up. “So you need the money from selling your share of O’Riley’s to get your ranch?”

He glanced away. “Kind of.”

She laughed. “Don’t be embarrassed! It’s normal commerce. I want to buy your share when our year is up.”

“Yeah, well, our year isn’t up yet, so don’t get carried away.”

“I like to be prepared and we’ve only got ten months left on our year.”

He grinned at her. “We could have lots of fun in ten months.”

She laughed and didn’t even snark at him for changing the subject. “You’re bad.”

“Well, we could.”

“Now, don’t get moody on me.”

“Man, you’re a hard ass.”

“I’m serious. I might have survived a lifetime of being gossiped about in this town, but I’ve never really had my heart broken. You could break my heart.”

“Not on purpose.”

She lifted herself even farther up his chest. “You are such a bad boy.”