Authors: Natalie Frost
“It’s being taken away from you?”
He grimaced, facing forward again. “I have made some mistakes in the past that dad did not approve of. Nothing big or anything like that, just some gambling here and there that got…out of hand.” He cleared his throat, shoulders hunched. “Anyway, I had to be successful at this job to earn back his trust, and if I failed, he said he would take away my inheritance.” He rubbed his chin and cracked his jaw. “And then I would have to get an actual job. That is going to be so much worse.”
“It doesn’t have to be,” she said, shrugging. “If you put your heart into what you do, it becomes a joy.”
“A joy,” he repeated, laughing. “That’s hard for me to imagine. I spent most of my life having the hard stuff done for me. To think that anyone would actually enjoy doing that…” He shook his head, amusement and bewilderment evident in his gaze. “I don’t think I’ll ever get it.”
It seemed like he was going to be complaining about this for some time. Frustrated—yet still pitying—Dana frowned and huffed a breath through her nostrils. She glanced back at the front entrance before she made her slow way to Cade’s side. Then she sat down and turned to him. “If it’s money you’re worried about…we could hire you.”
He laughed again. “Work here? With all the noise and the demands and the—” He shook his head again.
She scowled. “Fine then, be hungry and homeless. Maybe that would give you some perspective on how to be a respectable adult for once.”
His smile softened, fondness relaxing his expression. “Maybe it will. Or maybe it’ll kill me. I have very little life experience that is of any real value.”
She blinked owlishly at him. She was expecting to fight—to keep insulting him while he insulted her. But he seemed happy, his smile genuine and his gaze weighted with other kind emotions.
“You know,” he said quietly, “it’s been a while since someone’s been so direct with me about anything. You’re probably the first sincere person I have ever met.”
Dana blushed, her heart flipping about. “I…I don’t think…”
His smile widened. “You don’t think? At all? That seems unlikely, considering how well you’ve figured me out.” His eyelids lowered, his posture and face the epitome of calm. “It’s been a while since someone understood me so well. And you listened to me. You actually listened and responded to me rather than pretending to do so.” He snorted. “My father could learn a thing or two from you. My father and many others, unfortunately.”
He was the sincere one, words rasping out of him like an intimate confession. It heated her blood and warmed her heart, and before she could even think about it, she pressed her lips against his.
She reeled back, mortified. “God, I’m sorry. I—” Am lonely, she thought with resentment. It had been so long since a handsome man had paid her any attention, and Cade was being so complimentary and charming…
What pathetic excuses. Her cheeks burned and she made to move away.
But then Cade gently grabbed her face and brought his lips to hers.
CHAPTER THREE
Heat shot through her veins, the kiss making every fiber of her being more sensitive. It was overwhelming yet it wasn’t enough. She desired more—more feeling, more heat—she wanted to get crushed by it all.
Dana grabbed his shirt and tugged, all the while parting her lips in an attempt to deepen the kiss.
His tongue flicked over her teeth.
She moaned, all but falling against him as his arms encircled her. She thought she would drown in him—never come up for air again. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to if one kiss could feel this amazing.
Luckily, he did back up, his breath hitching. “Are we sure this is wise?” he rasped.
She panted, forehead resting against his. He felt…right. If she was more of a romantic, perhaps she could come up with a better word to describe it. But for the moment, all she knew was that being near him felt right.
“Do you care?” she asked cheekily.
He huffed. “Not if you don’t.”
She kissed him again.
Cade continued to visit the Bar and Grill and pester her parents, though he knew what the result of that would always be.
“I just need to buy myself some time,” he had told Dana in private. “Dad needs to believe I’m trying my hardest out here for now, so that will mean coming by your place every day and giving your folks reasons to sell ‘Abel’s Bar and Grill.’”
“And then what?”
He frowned. “I don’t know yet. Rob a bank? Buy a bunch of lottery tickets? I’ve never been great at planning things out ahead.”
It was ridiculous and silly, but at the same time, it meant she would get to see more of him. They bickered when they were actually in the Bar and Grill, but during her breaks—during the night—they would sneak off together. She had never been quite so daring before, and she loved the exhilaration of his secret kisses and whispers.
It was a fling. She had to remind herself over and over again. Eventually, Cade would have to travel back to his father and deal with the consequences of his failure, and he would probably never come back to Kansas again. At least not for her.
But for now, she had him. For now, they could share these sweet, intoxicating moments with one another.
One night, she drove him to one of her favorite places in town to do just that. After she parked the car and put the key in her pocket, Cade cocked an eyebrow at their surroundings—a large park that barely contained any man-made things. Just a parking lot and a fence. The rest of the park was pure forestry.
“You’re not going to kill me and bury the body, right?” Cade asked sarcastically.
“No,” she said.
His eyes lit up. “Are we going to get frisky in the backseat then?”
“No, but would you be a dear and get the blanket from back there?” She winked at him before getting out of the car.
“Tease,” he called after her.
She laughed. “Come on now, hurry up! Stop thinking with your penis so much.”
He got out of the car and went to the backseat. “Can’t help it around someone so beautiful, darling.” He looked over his shoulder, his eyebrows waggling.
She choked on her next laugh. Dear Lord, if anyone else had said such a ludicrous thing to her, she would have ignored them. And yet here she was, blushing and giggling like a teenager.
She turned and hurried onward, excitement and nervousness swirling together inside her veins.
They didn’t travel far when they finally reached the spot: a grassy area with trees circling around it. It was as if trees had been cut down in order to create this perfect circle that revealed the starry sky.
“My friends and I used to camp out here sometimes,” Dana said, taking the blanket from Cade and placing it over the grass. “Back in high school. It’s a friendly area, and the view of the sky is amazing.” She sprawled on her back on the blanket, her arms behind her head. Her nervousness dulled as relaxation took a hold of her.
Cade didn’t hesitate to lie next to her, his arms resting behind his own head. “So, during high school, your idea of fun was to sleep in a park?”
“And stargaze,” she said. She stared at the scatter of stars in the clear sky now. “It’s one of my favorite things to do. No noise, no busyness, just staring and appreciating somethings magnificence. It’s the most peaceful thing I do during the week.”
A calm quiet came over them, nothing but the occasional rustling of trees and foliage disturbing the silence. Her skin felt sticky with unshed sweat, the heat suffocating, but Dana didn’t want to leave. Far from it.
She smiled when Cade’s elbow pressed against her own. “I can see some appeal to this,” he whispered, gaze aimed upward. “It sure is pretty.”
She hummed with agreement.
The silence returned between them. And despite the heat, Dana soon found her eyes closing and her consciousness slipping away. Slumber teased the back of her eyelids.
Cade shuffled a bit before his fingers trailed around her elbow and upper arm. His feather-light touch sent sparks of pleasure through her flesh, waking her up a bit more.
Dana quivered. It didn’t take long for an entirely different kind of heat to pool in her lower belly. And Cade’s light touches were tantalizing—torturous—so sweet yet not enough.
She turned on her side so that she could touch Cade back. His large arm was firm beneath her fingers, running over a muscle and into the crook of his arm. Anxiousness kept her from being too bold, but she secretly hoped she was making him as…distracted as he was making her. She could feel how hot his skin was—how sweat coated it. But could some of that be because of her?
His hand traveled up to her neck, his fingers sinking into her hair. Starlight outlined his form and made his eyes sparkle, a magical appearance. He was slow in his movement—a serious expression on his face for once—as he leaned closer and closer to her.
She was the one to rush forward, her mouth capturing his in a searing and messy kiss. Teeth clanked against each other at first, her tongue darting out and barely tasting his lower lip. But it was perfect. It was a chaotic mess fueled by passion and the thick summer air, and her lust grew in strength from it.
Cade scooted closer to her until their bodies were pressed together; one had still holding her neck.
She panted and moaned against his mouth. “It’s so hot,” she breathed. “Can we just take off our clothes and do this? Lose all control? Please.”
His breath hitched. “God, yes.”
Remaining as close to one another as they could, they each shimmied out of their clothing. But the air did not provide cooling relief to her bare flesh. It felt the same—sticky, flushed, so warm…
Cade moved on top of her, pressing his broad chest against her breasts as he kissed her jaw.
Dana arched into him, her head tilting back. Breathy moans escaped her swollen lips as he continued to kiss and lick her jaw. Then he dipped lower to suck at a particular spot on her neck.
A jolt of pleasure shot through her, and Dana bucked.
He rubbed his entire body against hers, the friction making her head spin. Her nipples hardened, becoming sensitive and making her wetter.
Without thinking about it, she spread her legs wide. “Cade, please.”
He trembled, wet breaths brushing against her skin. He peppered more kisses on her neck and jaw as he crawled forward a bit, his hard length pressing against her southern lips.
Dana keened and clawed into the blanket. He was so close—so good.
Cade was also slow though. He continued to rub himself against her without actually entering her core, his mouth brushing back and forth over her throat. Her skin tingled and she ached for more friction—more contact—more everything.
“Cade,” she whimpered. The pleasure was rising—burning. “Please, Cade. I need you.” She grabbed his shoulders and squeezed, her erect nipples sliding up his pecks.
He gasped, going still for a moment before he finally thrust his length inside her wet folds. He pushed himself deeper inside of her—just as she had begged.
Pure ecstasy crashed upon her repeatedly with each thrust—each push—the friction too much and feeling wondrous.
Her moans quickly rose to cries of pleasure, her grip on his shoulders tightening. She thrashed her head back and forth. Everything around them blurred, easily forgotten. It was just her and him.
Her orgasm came quick and hard. She cried out his name as her senses were overwhelmed in the most glorious way. Her body trembled violently from the sheer power of it, her mind knowing nothing but ecstasy.
His hot seed shot into her a few seconds later, her name escaping his lips in a choked whisper. He shuddered, his arms wobbling but ultimately keeping his torso up. He continued to thrust into her through the aftershocks, the pleasure now having a softer edge to it.
Eventually, Dana went listless, a goofy smile on her face. Never before had she felt so at peace—so carefree. She angled her head to the side and kissed Cade’s arm. “Nice work,” she breathed over his skin.
He chuckled, face pressed into her throat. “You, too, darling.”
Her smile widened. “Yeah?”
“You kidding? You were breath-taking.” He sucked in a breath as if to prove his point. “I can barely think straight.” Slowly, he pulled himself out of her. He kissed her chest once more before he allowed himself to flop over to the side.