Unbridled (Unlikely Lovers) (12 page)

“But you loved him.”

She glanced away and let out a shuddering sigh. “Oh, yeah. He was the only one for me. Ever. Like I said, it took me a long time to get over his death. I used to pretend his leave had been canceled and that he would be coming home later. It worked for a while. Eventually, I had to face it, and by then, I was so used to being without him—or any man—I didn’t feel the need to go out and find another one. Men can be so bossy and controlling. I’m too independent—too set in my ways. And then there was my son to consider.”

Travis
’s heart gave a painful twist. That “ever” comment had him worried. “Tell me about Levi.”

Her eyes grew misty. “I’m so proud of him. Everyone told me he’d never be independent
, and he isn’t completely—I’m still his legal guardian—but he has a job and an apartment. He even drives a car.” The last word was more of a sob. She swallowed hard, giving him a watery smile. “He’s twenty-two now, and I think he’s found a girl he likes.” Her smile shifted to a frown. “Of course, she isn’t the first, and she’ll probably break his heart, but at least he’s out there meeting people. For a few years after graduation, there weren’t any jobs to be had and he just hung around the house. He was a lot of help, but that’s not the sort of life I wanted for him. This is much better.”

“I’d be proud of him too.
But what about you? Don’t you get lonely?”

“Sometimes.”
She didn’t elaborate, simply buttered a biscuit and took a bite. “Better eat that before it gets cold.”

All
Travis could hear was the clock ticking on the wall. She went on with her breakfast, obviously not intending to say anything else. He picked up his fork and did the same. When she’d finished eating, she took another sip of her tea and got up from the table in one swift, abrupt motion.

“Are you okay?”
he asked.

“Yeah
, I’m fine. I have to go feed the horses, and I’m not looking forward to going out in that mess.”

“Do you want some help?”

She shook her head. “I do this twice a day, every day. Today is no different from any other.”

She
picked up his plate and set it in the sink. Travis got up and handed her his empty glass, then moved in behind her—so close he could feel the warmth of her body. Simply breathing the air around her made his groin tighten with anticipation.

He leaned
in further. “When I said all the good ones were taken, I was talking about
you
, Miranda. But it turns out that you’re
not
taken, are you?”

“Um, no. I guess I’m not.”
Turning on the water, she began washing the pan she’d used for the biscuits.

“You know,
when you hugged me that day at Nigel’s I remember thinking at the time what a kind thing that was for you to do. It kept me warm for a long time, but it left me wanting more, and the second time was even better.” He reached around her and shut off the water. “I want to hug you again with my hands free and my coat off. Just once…” With a hand on her shoulder, he turned her around to face him.

She
raised her hands in protest. “My hands are wet.”

“I don
’t care. Dry them on me if you like.”

Whereas t
he previous hugs had been quick and hard, this one was soft, slow, and sensuous. Smoothing his hands over her back, he realized she wasn’t wearing a thing beneath her flannel nightgown, and that discovery sent even more heat rushing to his groin. His balls grew heavy and his cock pulsed with need as he lowered his head, inhaling her scent. Wrapping his arms around the small of her back, he pulled her up close, not caring that his hard cock pressed against her stomach. He wanted her to feel how much he wanted her. Her head fit nicely against his shoulder, her face nestling against his neck. When she turned ever so slightly, her lips brushed his skin—not precisely a kiss, but very, very close…

Sighing, he gave her a
tight squeeze, then let his fingertips trail across her back, enjoying the intimacy. “I’ve wanted to do this again for a long, long time.”

“It wasn
’t that long ago.” Her voice sounded so normal, he was afraid she was unaffected.

“
It seems like forever to me. You have no idea what it’s like to have the woman you want more than anything try to fix you up with her friends. There was a
reason
I didn’t fall for any of the others.”

“I thoug
ht you were just too picky—that real women weren’t good enough for you.”

“No.
” He kissed the top of her head. “I wanted someone I thought I couldn’t have. I wanted
you.
”

Chapter 12

Travis might have said he wanted her, but Miranda obviously had a hard time believing it.

“Maybe that’s all it is—one of those forbidden fruit things. Now that you know I’m
single, you’ll probably lose interest.”

“No possible way. You’re so
hot I can barely control myself as it is—and I don’t think that’s gonna change.” Tangling his fingers in her hair, he tilted her head back until their eyes met. Her green eyes were streaked with gold, a detail he hadn’t noticed before. But then, he’d never held her quite this close. “You know what
I
want. Now it’s
your
turn.”

She
glanced toward his lips, hinting at the prospect of a kiss. What would it take to make her do it?

“I’ll help you any way I can,
Miranda, but I promise not to try to run your life. It’s your life, your call.”

When her mouth
dropped open in surprise, he was sure he’d said the wrong thing. But in the next breath, she said the words he was dying to hear.

“Kiss me.”

Travis wanted to shout with joy. Dipping his head, their lips met and hers parted, his tongue instantly filling the void. Delicious flavors mingled with the warmth of her tongue. The last thing she’d eaten was a biscuit topped with strawberry jam, adding flavor to a kiss that was already the sweetest of his life.

Her fingers threaded through his hair, and
her back drew his hands like a magnet. The curves he’d caressed with his eyes he now caressed with his palms. As she slid her hands beneath his shirt, passion sizzled where she touched him, sending flames of desire racing up his arms, engulfing his heart before diving down to ignite an inferno in his groin.

Travis kissed his way across her face and down her neck as her head fell back in rapturous abandon.
When his lips met the neckline of her nightgown, he longed for her to be naked in his embrace, allowing him full access to her body. His hands roamed ever lower, gliding over her hips, cupping her bottom and pulling her against him. Rocking her back and forth over the hard length of his erection, he ground his sex against her in a way that left no doubt as to where this kiss was headed.

Gazing up at him with heavy-lidded eyes, she trailed her fingers down his arms
, then pushed up his shirt, exposing his chest and the taut nipples that cried out for her touch. Her hungry eyes seemed to devour him, their bright green shade now as dark as a raging sea. In an instant, she lunged upward, flinging her arms around his neck as she captured his mouth in a heated kiss.

This time, she was the aggressor, plundering his mouth
as though intent on annihilating any resistance. She met none. He opened for her, a groan rising from his throat as she explored his mouth and dueled with his tongue. Moving on to the rest of his face, she cupped his cheeks in her hands, raining kisses everywhere her lips could reach.

Suckling his earlobe, she flicked it with the tip of her tongue, drawing a deep, shuddering sigh from him that
seemed to escalate her desire. She kissed her way down his neck, then moved to the opposite side, sucking his skin so hard she nearly drew blood. His cock surged as he thought of her sucking him a little further down.

As if she’d read his mind, s
he hooked her thumbs on the waistband of his sweats and tugged, but they didn’t budge. Only then did he remember the drawstring waist.

Damn…  

Her attempt to get into his pants was all the encouragement Travis needed. Reaching down as far as he could, he fisted his hands in her gown and pulled. Miranda met him halfway, dropping to her knees and raising her arms. Tossing her gown aside, he let his eyes roam over her delectable body. 

Oh, my God. She’s actually naked.

Without a moment’s hesitation, she yanked open the tie at his waist and skimmed his pants down so fast his dick sprang up and bounced off her face, leaving a glistening trail across her cheek. He was about to apologize, but her open-mouthed expression stopped him.

Sitting back on her heels, she stared at his cock.
“Wow.”

He got a brief glimpse of her succulent tits before she leaned forward, wrapping her hand around his shaft. Pressing the slick glans against her cheek, she let
it glide over her skin in an exotic massage that made them both moan.

Much more of that, and I’ll come right in her face.

Travis was perilously close to losing what little control he had left when she exhaled sharply and lurched forward with the force of an orgasm. Gasping as her forehead impacted against his groin, she clutched at his thighs and threw her head back, catching his cock with her lips. After one delirious moment of anticipation, she sucked him in.

Her hot mouth on his dick nearly had him spewing down her throat, but he held his breath, gripping the edge of the sink with one hand and bracing the other on the table. She teased his balls with her fingertips, pus
hing him ever nearer to the brink.

Oh, God…please, not yet…
Though it
would
have been a first.

The point of no return was almost in sight when she let go, giving him an instant to gather his wits before her tongue swept over his scrotum. His cock pulsed, sending more pre-cum spurting from the slit. If he’d thought she would find this repellant, he’d have been wrong. With a low growl, she took a sip from the head of his penis, then bathed his scrotum with his own slick fluid.

Lost in the most intense pleasure he’d ever known, Travis didn’t realize her full intent until her lips closed over a testicle. Sucking it into her mouth, she caressed it with her tongue, forcing a cry from him that fell somewhere between a groan and a whimper. She kept on with this exquisite torture until his head was spinning, then she switched to the other side. In his entire life, no one had ever licked his balls, let alone sucked them. His eyes squeezed shut as his knees gave way, and he staggered sideways, nearly tripping on the clothing looped around his ankles. Kicking his pants aside, he collapsed into the chair beside him.

Stroking his cock with one
hand while circling the head with the palm of the other, she drove him even further toward the edge of his sanity. He could easily have come right then, but there were a few things he needed to do first. 

Summoning every scrap of willpower he possessed, he grasped her hands and surged to his feet, draping her arms around his neck as he rose. With a firm grip on her buttocks, he turned and sat her on the table, shoving everything aside before easing her down onto her back. His beautiful Miranda lay stretched out before him, a cloud of
chestnut hair fanned out behind her head. Glittering green eyes beckoned to him like a siren’s song. Rosy nipples adorned full, round breasts, her chest tapering to a trim waist before flaring out at the hip.

Beautiful…

He stooped down and snatched up his pants, withdrawing a condom from the pocket. “Do I need this?”

A single shake of her head was the only reply he needed before sending the unopened packet sailing off in the general direction of
the trash can. Scooping up her legs, he moved in between them, pulling her feet up to rest on his shoulders. Without another thought, he plunged into her.

Her tight, wet heat enveloped his cock, providing some relief at first, but the intensity quickly ramped up again as he rocked into her. He could hardly believe this was happening. The night before, he’d fallen asleep wondering what it would be like to make her moan. Now he knew, and it was far better than he’d ever dreamed.

But he wanted more.

Following several hard thrusts, he forced his own urgent needs aside to concentrate on her pleasure. Varying the angle, he finally found one that made her eyes roll back in her head and turned each breath she took into a moan. He closed his eyes to block out the visual, knowing that one glimpse of her would be the end of him.

Letting her response be his guide, he slowed the pace, stroking her with his cock, feeling his way toward her orgasm, hoping his own could hold off a little longer. In his haste, he’d already forgotten to do so many things that would have ensured her enjoyment. However, something told him this wouldn’t be their one and only time together. He would have years to discover the best ways to make her scream in ecstasy.

As her inner muscles gripped his dick and a climactic cry erupted from her throat, he gave in to temptation and opened his eyes. 

He’d thought Miranda was beautiful before, but the sight of her lost in the throes of orgasm ripped away the last shred of control. He slammed into her, drinking in her blissful expression and the gentle sway of her tits as they rocked to the rhythm he’d set.

Moments later, his back arched and his cock thrust forward with an ejaculation so powerful it seemed to lift him off his feet, leaving him gasping for breath. 

Leaning forward, he planted his palms flat on the table, gazing at her with awe. “Oh, my
God.
Hot doesn’t even begin to describe
that
. Where did you
ever
…”

The words had barely left his mouth when her face flushed red and he knew he’d said the wrong thing.

“I have to feed the horses.” In her haste, she pushed him away so abruptly he almost fell on his ass. He had no idea what to say to her now. 

She was halfway to the door when he finally found his tongue. “Miranda, wait. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that in a bad way. I’m just sort of…stunned.”

Snatching clothes from a hook in the hallway, she put them on faster than he would have believed possible. “It’s okay, Travis. I need to get some air or something. This is…I don’t know…embarrassing.”

“You don’t need to be embarrassed. That was incredible. Hell,
you’re
incredible.”

She hesitated, frowning. “You really think so?”

“I
know
so.”

The smile she gave him
was tentative at best. “Okay. But I still have to feed the horses.”

He wanted to tell her to stay
put, that he’d do it all for her, but he’d already promised he wouldn’t try to run her life. He had to let her go. “Be careful out there.”

This time he got a grin. “You won’t leave before I get back?”

He shook his head. “Trust me, I’ll be right here waiting for you.”

“Naked?” The accompanying flick of her brow reassured him more than anything else could.

“As a jaybird.”

Laughing, she
closed the door behind her.

Travis turned around to find a black cat sitting in the middle of the kitchen floor, gazing up at him with
emerald eyes. Only then did he realize he was still wearing the T-shirt. “I must look damned silly,” he muttered. “No wonder she was laughing.”

With a wide yawn, the cat began
licking its paw.

“Obviously
you
aren’t impressed.” He scowled at the cat. “I’m pretty sure
she
liked my dick, though. She even said ‘wow’ when she first saw it. That has to count for something.”

The cat shook
its head and sauntered away.

Great. Now
I’m trying to impress her cat. I must be losing my mind…

Surveying the kitchen, he felt a smile tugging at his lips as he thought about all the wild, kinky things he could do with Miranda when she came back from the barn. Right after he stripped off her clothes, he was going to suck her tits and eat her pussy.

“Should’ve done that before. I knew I was forgetting something.”

He glanced out the window and spotted her filling the bird feeder. She seemed to have decent traction, leaving deep footprints in the crusty ice as she made her way across the yard to the pasture gate. A yellow Labrador and a Golden Retriever trotted behind her while the beagle bounded on ahead. Her horses waited in the paddock, and she rubbed the nose of the chestnut colt before unlatching the gate. She must’ve had to shove it pretty hard because in the next second, her feet slid out from under her, and she fell, hitting her head on the steel rail before landing in a heap on the ice. The gray mare ambled over and gave her a nudge. Miranda never moved. 

“Holy shit!” Racing to the door, Travis gathered up his clothes and got dressed even faster than Miranda had. He had to force himself to slow down. He’d be no help to her if he fell flat on his back. Fearing the worst, he started off across the ice, his heart pounding a rough rhythm he wasn’t sure would ever settle back down.   

* * * *

Miranda looked up into Kira’s dark, fathomless eyes.

The mare bl
inked slowly. “Come on, Miranda. I’m hungry. I promise not to let you fall. Hold my tail and I’ll help you up the hill.”

Turning, she swished her glistening white tail. Miranda did as she was told and together they walked up the gravel path to the barn, Kira’s powerful hindquarters pulling them both up the slope. 

“Here you are, safe and sound,” Kira said when they reached the barn. “You can let go of my tail, now.” She walked into her stall, leaving Miranda standing by the tackroom door.