She did, nudging off her shoes, kicking away her wet jeans, shimmying out of her panties. He warmed her chilled skin with his mouth and his hands—stroking, licking, kissing every fondly remembered inch of her. She moaned and quivered in his grasp.
Her moan of delight was the music he’d yearned to hear for ten long months. One night was all they’d had together, and yet his feelings for her were so damn strong. She seemed to be as caught up in the whirlwind as he was. When he closed his mouth over her taut nipple, she arched into him and held the back of his head, tunneling her fingers through his wet hair as he sucked.
The tempo of the rain increased, urging him on. As her body warmed, he moved lower. Finally he sank to his knees and cupped her satiny bottom in both hands. Ah, the scent of heaven—Tyler, fully aroused, wanting him as much as he wanted her. He couldn’t imagine anything better than that.
His tongue remembered her exotic taste and knew the way to her sweet spot. There, waiting for him, needing him. He touched the tip of his tongue to her clit. She gasped and clutched his head for balance. But she did not pull back, did not tell him no. She was willing to be vulnerable and let him love her, at least for this moment in time.
Filled with gratitude, he took her, claiming her with an open mouth and a questing tongue. She was slick with passion, and he savored the richness of her desire. Her soft cries of delight spilled over him as he stroked rhythmically with his tongue in time to the steady beat of the rain overhead. He would give her this, even if they could share nothing else.
She began to tremble, and he used more pressure. With a groan that spoke of intense pleasure, she came, bathing his tongue in her juices. He drank joyfully, holding her, supporting her so she wouldn’t fall.
At last her body grew quiet and she drew in a shaky breath. “Oh, Alex.” She said his name on a sigh of happiness.
He couldn’t ask for a better response than that. Slowly he stood, sliding his hands up her body as he rose to his feet. His legs were rubbery from the rush of adrenaline, and his cock was absolutely killing him. But a cowboy filled with quiet confidence would be stoic about such things.
Once they were face-to-face again, she looked into his eyes. “That was…” Her breath caught. “So good.”
“Glad you liked it.” He stroked her back as she nestled against him. He loved the transformation when a woman had a climax, and he especially loved watching Tyler lose every bit of the tension she’d held in her body. Having a work ethic like hers could take its toll. He should know.
“Mmm.” She rested her cheek against his damp shirt. “I don’t know what the heck I was thinking, letting you strip me naked and make me come.”
“That you needed that?”
“I suppose. Anyway, I’m going to listen to the music of the rain and pretend it was fate.”
“Good.” He caressed her smooth skin, which was something he probably should stop doing, because the more he touched her, the harder he became.
“So what now?”
He frowned, wishing he had a better solution for the next phase. “Unfortunately, we probably need to sponge the mud off our clothes and go back.”
“I don’t think you’re ready to go back.”
“It’s not that I
want
to, but—”
She wiggled against him. “I’m not talking about whether you want to or not. I don’t think you can do it physically.”
“Excuse me?”
“I’m worried that in your condition, you’ll have trouble walking.” She reached down and rubbed the spot where the seam of his fly was threatening to give way under the pressure.
He drew in a sharp breath as her casual touch brought pleasure laced with pain. “I’ll be fine.” But his quick words sounded as strained as he felt.
“Yes, you will be fine. Very fine. I’ll see to it.” She stepped back and maintained eye contact as she used both hands to unbuckle his belt.
His heart thundered with anticipation, and yet she’d have to get to her knees on the barn floor. He grasped her wrists. “No.”
“If you can do me, then I sure as heck can do you.”
He held her fast, refusing to let her continue with her plan. “It’s different. I had on jeans when I got down there.”
“No worries.” Glancing at the floor, she stretched out one shapely leg and used her elegantly polished toes to drag her crumpled jeans over to rest at her feet. “Voilà.”
Then she met his gaze again. “Happy now?”
He groaned softly. “I think I’m about to be.” He released her wrists with a sigh.
“You betcha, cowboy. Now hold still.”
He tried, but watching her unbutton his fly and pull down his briefs gave him the shakes. Her soft murmur of admiration nearly made him come, and when she put both hands on him—one circling his cock and the other cradling his balls—he had to close his eyes and lock his knees in order to remain standing.
Fabric rustled, and he knew she must have knelt on her jeans, but he didn’t dare open his eyes. The sight of her there, poised for the next step, would be enough to send him over the edge. He’d made it this far, and he wanted…oh, yes…
that
…the flick of her tongue, the warmth of her mouth, the gentle suction…
He wouldn’t last long. The sensation was erotic by itself, but knowing that Tyler was the one caressing him drove him slowly insane. He’d wanted her for so long, and now she was here, on her knees…
Even though he clenched his jaw, attempting to be the strong, silent type, a moan escaped. And another. He was breathing like a long-distance runner nearing the finish line.
And he was nearing the finish line. Her tongue danced along the underside of his cock, and then she did a swirling maneuver over the tip before taking him deep again. His penis touched the back of her throat.
And now he wanted to see. Opening his eyes, he took in the stirring sight of her drawing back, her cheeks hollowing to increase the pressure. Slowly she rolled his balls in the palm of her hand, creating a subtle yet powerful massage.
Dizzy with the need to come, yet desperate to prolong the ecstasy because this might never happen again, he combed shaking fingers through her luxurious hair, keeping his touch light even though she was winding him tight…and tighter yet. Once again she took him up to the hilt and slowly pulled back.
He was losing the fight. Control began slipping away as she used her tongue again before pulling his entire length deep inside. While holding him there and applying rhythmic suction, she pressed a ridge directly behind his balls…and he came in a rush. His surrender was total and vocal. He cried out and was very afraid his knees would buckle.
But, in truth, his center of gravity was buried in her mouth, which was the only logical reason he didn’t fall down as a climax roared through him with the force of a tsunami. The movement of her throat as she swallowed sent a current of electricity from his cock straight up his spine to short-circuit his brain.
He had no idea how much time passed before she slowly released him and gently tucked him back into his briefs. When she got to her feet, he took a long, shuddering breath and tried to remember his name.
She cupped his face in both hands and stood on tiptoe to kiss him. “I think you liked that.”
“That…” He paused to clear his throat. “That is the understatement of the year.” Sliding his fingers through her still-wet hair, he cradled her head and gazed into her shining eyes. “I’m afraid our plan to avoid sex is a total failure.”
“You could say that.”
“So I guess we need a new plan.”
“All right.” Her gaze was steady. “How about great sex with no strings and no regrets?”
He nodded. “Might as well aim high.”
“We can do it. We managed it last time.” She said it with conviction, in the same tone she’d used when she’d assured him his event tomorrow would work out. He couldn’t deny that her sunny approach to life appealed to him.
“Sure we can.” He agreed with her because he had no choice. He’d craved her from the moment he’d laid eyes on her ten months ago. Now that she was within reach, he wanted to be with her day and night—especially night. If he felt any strings tugging at his heart as a result of spending time in her arms and in her bed, he’d just have to cut them.
Although she wasn’t truly like Crystal, other than the fact that they both liked looking good, she still wanted a different life from the one he envisioned for himself. Good sex didn’t mean he had to let himself fall for the woman, no matter how sunny her disposition was.
Right.
5
TYLER CLEANED UP as best she could before they left the barn, but her wet clothes felt icky and no doubt she resembled a half-drowned cat. The rain continued to fall, soaking her hair and clothes even more, although Alex tried to shield her with his body. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and she slid her arm around his waist as they started toward the house.
Normally she cared a lot about how she presented herself, but a world-shattering orgasm had mellowed her out tremendously. Even so, she still didn’t like the idea of tracking the rain and mud onto the ranch’s gorgeous hardwood floors.
“Are you sure there’s no back entrance that leads to a mudroom?” she asked as they approached the front porch. “I’d think a ranch would have something like that.”
“Um…well, it does.”
“It
does?
Then why didn’t you say so before?”
No answer.
She gave him a whack on the arm, but considering how solid his biceps were, she didn’t think he felt much of anything.
He yelped in protest, anyway. “What was that for?”
“You know perfectly well! You lured me back into that barn on false pretenses!”
“Maybe.” He didn’t sound the least bit repentant. “Mad at me?”
“I should be. That was a very underhanded way to get me alone and naked.” She heard the smile in her voice and was sure he could hear it, too.
“You’re right. I’m thoroughly ashamed of myself.”
“Yeah, I’ll bet you are.”
“I deserve to be sent straight to bed.”
She laughed. “Stop it. We have things to do.”
“We certainly do.” He walked faster, urging her to keep up. “For one thing, I need to count the condoms stashed in my bedside-table drawer.”
“You’re getting carried away.” And she was getting carried away right with him. Her wet panties had nothing to do with the rain and everything to do with the prospect of spending the night in bed with Alex.
Warnings whispered through her mind, threatening to erase her glow of satisfaction, and she pushed them away. Good sex was healthy and life affirming, like a trip to a spa. She’d soak up all the joy she could and not spoil it by anticipating the inevitable parting scene. It wouldn’t rip her heart out. She wouldn’t allow that.
“Getting carried away feels great,” Alex said. “I haven’t felt this good since…”
“Last August?” That would have been her answer. She hadn’t felt this giddy since the night in the hayloft.
“’Fraid so. But that doesn’t mean I’ll get hung up on you. I can play by the rules.”
“I know you can,” she said with determined optimism. “It was naive of us to think we could keep our distance from each other while I’m here. I think facing the attraction and dealing with it is a realistic approach, don’t you?”
“Absolutely. We both would have been on edge the entire time, which wouldn’t have been fair to everyone around us.”
“Right.” She glanced at the ranch house as welcoming light shone through its many windows. “So where is this back entrance?”
“In the back.”
“Very funny. Why are you still heading for the front door?”
“Because the utility room is right off the kitchen. Not only will we run into Mary Lou serving dinner, but the family dining room isn’t far from the kitchen. Judging from the trucks parked in the driveway, everyone is gathered for the Friday night meal. Someone will hear us.”
“But what about the mess we’ll make in the main part of the house?”
“We’ll take off our shoes—or in my case, my boots, on the porch. It’s not that far to go through the hall and up the stairs. We can change clothes and come back down with nobody the wiser.”
“I doubt that. I say somebody’s going to pick up on the fact that we have more than friendship going on.”
He pulled her to a halt. “And how do you feel about that?”
“It’s not for me to say. I’ll be leaving on Wednesday.” She gazed up at him as rain dripped from her hair and eyelashes. Thank God for waterproof mascara. Although the rest of her might be a disaster, at least she wouldn’t go into the house with raccoon eyes. “I guess we need to discuss this. Do you care if they figure out that we’re involved?”
He hesitated briefly. “I guess it’s none of their business unless it affects my work.”
He was so adorably sincere that she chose not to mention how it had already affected his work. They still didn’t have a plan for tomorrow. She’d make sure they did have one, but they’d become seriously sidetracked from working out the details of the open house.
“It may be nobody’s business,” she said, “but we each have a sister sitting at the dining table. I don’t know about your family, but mine tends to think they have a right to an opinion about my behavior.”
Alex combed his wet hair back from his forehead. “I’m sure Josie will say something to me. I made plenty of comments when she started seeing Jack, who had already broken her heart once. Okay, you’re right. Let’s get this out of the way. Josie will notice eventually, anyway.”
“I’m not sure if Morgan will or not. She’s so focused on this baby that she might be oblivious, but Sarah’s nobody’s fool. I get the impression she keeps pretty close track of what goes on around here.”
“She does.” He frowned. “In fact, I wonder if she already suspects something and that’s why she put us in the same wing…”
“You think she’s playing matchmaker?”
“No, probably not.”
“I don’t think so, either. She seemed really happy for me that I was up for this big promotion. Anyway, we won’t confirm or deny that we have a connection and let people think whatever they want. But let’s not sneak in as if we have something to hide.”
He nodded. “The back door it is. There’s a stairway from the kitchen to the second floor, so we can go up that way to change. If anybody intercepts us, so be it.” Wrapping his arm more securely around her, he started around the house.
“We have been out in the barn a fair amount of time, though.”
“So?”
“So rather than let their imaginations run completely wild, let’s tell them we’ve been cooking up alternate plans for the open house while we waited for the rain to stop. Finally we realized it wasn’t going to stop and came ahead.”
“All right.” He navigated around a puddle. “By the way, do you have any alternate plans for the open house? Because I have zip.”
She noticed that the rain had let up a little, but that didn’t mean it couldn’t start up again during the night. “The barn is definitely an option, but I still think we need to suggest using the living room and the big dining room.”
“I thought you were worried about tracking up the floors just now? If you open up the main house and it’s raining, that will—”
“Oh, geez.” Talk about being distracted and missing the big picture. “Okay, scratch that. I’ll figure out something else. Maybe it won’t rain all that much.”
“We can hope. But what about the entertainment? I’m not sure one lone guitar player is going to cut it, especially if he has to be talked into performing. I wanted something guests could have fun watching.” Now
that
she had worked out. “They can watch me.”
“You? Doing what?”
Spinning away from him, she threw her hands in the air and belted out the opening lyrics to “Oklahoma.”
He grinned at her. “I didn’t know you could sing.”
“There are lots of things you don’t know about me, Mr. Keller. An activities director on a cruise ship has to wear many hats, and being able to sing and dance is a great thing to have on a résumé in my line of work.” She executed a sloppy soft-shoe routine in the wet grass and finished with a little bow.
“You are so stinkin’ cute.”
“Yes, but do I get the job? Will you hire me as your entertainment for tomorrow’s event? Me and Watkins, the reluctant guitarist?”
“Maybe. I know I can afford Watkins, but you’re a professional. I don’t know if I can afford you.”
“Sure you can. I will work for…” She stepped closer and whispered a suggestion involving whipped cream and chocolate sauce.
He pulled her in tight, their wet clothes sticking together like Velcro. “To hell with making an entrance and having dinner with the family. Let’s head back to the barn.”
“Hey, you two,” called a male voice. “Don’t you have sense enough to come in out of the rain?”
Alex released her immediately. “Hey, Jack.”
Tyler knew it had to be one of the Chance brothers who’d opened the screen door, but when she looked at the figure silhouetted against the light she wouldn’t have been able to say which one it was. They sounded similar and all had the same broad-shouldered cowboy look. Apparently it was Jack, the oldest.
“We’ll be right in,” Alex said. “We were just—”
“I was practicing a number for tomorrow,” Tyler said. “Watkins and I will be filling in for the country band that canceled on Alex. We’re going to give the entertainment a down-home feel.” She remembered Jack as being dark haired and moody, but according to Morgan, his disposition had improved since marrying Josie.
“The band cancelled?”
“Afraid so,” Alex said. “About two hours ago.”
“I see. So are you also part of this number Tyler’s practicing?”
Tyler realized Jack probably had witnessed the clinch. “We were discussing that,” she said. “But I think not. He’s not much of a dancer.”
Jack chuckled. “I know he can’t dance, but he tries.”
“I’m not that bad of a dancer,” Alex said. “It’s just that all the Chance guys are like semiprofessional or something.”
Tyler had noticed that family trait last summer and remarked on it. Sarah had told her they all took after their father, who was the best dancer she’d ever known. “Maybe I should let you help me with the entertainment for tomorrow, Jack.”
“No can do. I’ll have my hands full working with the horses. But you sounded great just now. I happened to hear you when I went to fetch myself a beer in the kitchen, and I was curious enough to stick my head out the door. Was that ‘Oklahoma’?”
“Yes.”
“Unfortunately the Last Chance is located in Wyoming. You know any songs about Wyoming?”
“No.”
“Guess I’ll have to teach you some, then. Alex, you might want to think about bringing your talent inside before she catches her death out there.”
“We were heading in when Tyler decided she needed to audition for me,” Alex said.
“Uh-huh. Well, Tyler, you’ve got a helluva voice.”
“Thank you.”
“Wrong tune, but helluva voice. Can we afford her, Alex?”
Alex’s voice sounded choked. “I… Yeah, we should be able to meet her terms.”
“Good to know. See you two inside.”
The screen door banged shut and Alex lost it, doubling over and shaking with silent laughter. “Good God,” he said, gasping. “If Jack only knew…what you named as your fee…” He gazed at her, still chuckling.
She smiled at him. “This way I won’t have to claim it on my taxes.”
“Yeah, I doubt there’s a line item for being served up like an ice-cream sundae.” He looked at her as if he’d like to start immediately. “Have you had sex with whipped cream before?”
“No, but I’ve always wanted to try it. Assuming you can smuggle stuff out of the kitchen.”
“Don’t worry about that. All you have to be concerned with is keeping the noise level down while I drive you crazy.”
“Do you have whipped cream experience, then?”
“No.” He winked at her. “But I’ve always wanted to try it. Shall we go in?”
“Okay. How do I look?”
“Beautiful.”
“Liar.”
“It’s not a lie. You look like a woman who’s been having fun, and that’s always sexy to me.”
“I have been having fun.” She gave him a quick kiss. “And I intend to have even more fun later on tonight.” Then she started for the stairs leading to the back door.