Why not Wyoming? (Wyoming Wilds Series Book 1) (14 page)

“Funny how we both forgot how tired we were.”

“You make me forget a lot of things when I’m in your arms.”

His hand wound in her thick hair, dragging her lips down to
his. Annie melted into his kiss, savoring the play of his mouth and the tickle
of his beard over her skin. CJ’s tongue tangled with hers before gliding across
her teeth, flicking the canine. Teeth. Shit. She hadn’t brushed her teeth last
night or this morning. Pizza with onions; her morning breath had to be
revolting. Murmuring an apology, she tried to pull back. CJ’s fingers tightened
on the back of her skull, tongue tracing the shell of her ear.

“My morning breath cancels out yours,” he whispered.

How did he read her mind? His warm hands slipped under the hem
of the shirt she’d pulled back on last night. She shivered as fingers walked up
her spine, dragging the soft cotton with them. His lips and tongue were working
that spot behind her ear that made her motor purr. She lifted her arms to wrap
them around his neck and he took advantage, pulling the shirt off over her
head.

“Sneaky,” she breathed.

“One of my smoother moments,” he mumbled with a chuckle.

Thumbs hooked in the waistband of her striped boy cut panties,
rolling them off her hips and down full cheeks to bunch at the back of her
thighs.

“Now what’re you going to do?” she teased, nibbling his ear
lobe.

The words barely cleared her lips before he twisted, rolling
her underneath him. Dimples and baby blues flashed at her before he disappeared
under the comforter. Her underwear flew out a second later, followed by his
boxers. Popping back out of the covers, he kissed her passionately.

“All obstacles cleared.”

She squeaked and laughed as he wrapped her in a bear hug and
rolled her back to the top. One of his big hands splayed over her bare bottom,
molding her hips to his. Annie gasped into another kiss. Someone had woken up
ready. CJ groaned as she slid over his hard length. His other hand caressed
down her back to join its partner. Blunt fingers sank into her butt, rocking
her so she slid over him time and again. The coiled heat in her belly fanned to
life. Rubbing, she whimpered. Oh, God. This was the way to wake up.

Shuddering, she sat up a little, intensifying the friction.
Nipples hard from the tease of his chest hair, her breasts ached. She cupped
them to stop their jiggle and CJ groaned. Her eyes flew to his face. There was
no doubt he was focused on the girls. He nodded at the questioning tilt of her
chin. Biting her bottom lip tentatively, she squeezed, twisting her nipples
lightly. His gaze remained locked on her hands, breath coming harsher. The
reaction sent a thrill of power through her. As ridiculous as it was, CJ made
her feel sexy.

“Absolutely beautiful,” he gasped. “Don’t stop.”

A flush crawled over her skin. She felt like one of her
heroines. Thighs tightening on his hips, she followed the rhythm his hands were
setting and continued the show. She shook her head, mouth opening in a silent
cry as pleasure pulsed through her. Nope, this was way better than fiction.

Grinding and rubbing like two horny teenagers, sweat slicked
their skin. Feeling a trickle between her boobs, Annie cursed silently. This
wasn’t a book. No glistening for her. Strong hands urged her up on shaky legs.
It only took a moment for her overheated brain to figure out what he wanted,
and that she wanted it too. Wrapping her fingers around him, she carefully
lined things up. This was no time for clumsiness. She flinched, shuddering
violently as his tip brushed over her clit.

“You okay?” CJ panted, actually managing to look concerned.

“Way okay,” she promised.

Her thighs shook. The feeling of inching down him was like
nothing she’d ever felt. Seated, she stilled, just enjoying the fullness. CJ’s
hips rolled and she gasped in pleasure. Hands still gripping her, he guided
their movements. Her fingers curled against his stomach at the sensations
shooting through her. She whimpered. That was so perfect. The tempo picked up,
harsh panting and the slap of skin the only sound beyond the roaring in her
ears. It felt way too good. She shook her head pleadingly.

“CJ…” she choked.

“It’s okay. Come on, baby.”

Her head fell back, eyes screwing shut.

“CJ!”

Everything fractured. There was nothing to hold onto. Annie
felt like she was grasping at air. A scream tore from her throat. Then she felt
like she was falling. Her back hit the mattress with CJ over her. The bed rocked
with the force of their passion. Latticed tulle bucked and swayed overhead.
Suddenly he froze, back bowed, muscles straining. The sound that came from his
chest was both growl and groan. Spasms of pleasure rolled through her as he
shuddered. Chest heaving, his weight slowly pressed her down into the pillow
top. Wrapping her arms around him, she held on. He was the only thing anchoring
her.

They stayed like that for several minutes, both struggling for
breath. Finally, CJ rolled onto his back, pulling her with him. Head cradled in
the crook of his shoulder, Annie’s mind tried to catalog everything that had
just happened. Her limited priors didn’t compare to being with CJ, but this
time had been fucking fantastic. Or was that fantastic fucking? A silly grin
split her face. Whatever it was, she wanted to do it again. Lots.

“Damn,” she purred. “Remember when you offered to help me
research? I don’t think I can afford you. That was so far beyond amazing.”

“I think we just stumbled onto your ideal position,” he said
with a breathless chuckle. “My baby is a cowgirl.”

Annie rolled more up on his chest to kiss him. “Then aren’t I
lucky I have a man from the Cowboy State?”

CJ’s other arm came around her, drawing her in for a slow,
drugging kiss.

“I’m the lucky one, beautiful.”

“We could argue that point all day, but right now, I’m starving
again.”

He lifted his arm to look at his watch before letting it fall
back around her.

“Is there a good place for breakfast nearby?”

“If I can manage to stand up, I’m fairly certain that I have
the makings for a sausage, mushroom omelet. That is if you won’t hold canned
mushrooms against me, mighty gatherer.”

“Do I look like I’ve ever turned my nose up at food? Canned
mushrooms are fine.”

Shifting into the crook of his arm again, Annie ran her hand
affectionately over his belly. Red lines grabbed her eye and she leaned closer.

“I scratched you!”

CJ lifted his head to look before shrugging and dropping back
to the pillow.

“I scratched your belly!” she said in horror.

“It doesn’t hurt.”

“So that makes it okay?” she asked.

“Would you be this worried if the scratches were on my back?”
he asked, humor lacing his tone.

Annie frowned. No. She probably wouldn’t. His grin was smug.
Damn him for making sense.

“If it makes you feel any better you have finger prints on your
pretty butt.”

She twisted, trying to look over her shoulder. CJ chuckled.
What was worse than smug? She pinched his belly and he laughed harder.

“You’re all worried about a couple of tiny scratches and you
pinch me?” he asked.

“You deserved it.”

“I can’t argue with that,” he said, eyes sparkling. 

Planting a quick kiss near the marks on his skin, Annie rolled
to the side of the bed. She rubbed her hands up and down her thighs. Small
twitches in the muscles felt like fireworks. She could already feel it in her
core too. The cowgirl position was a great workout. She grinned. It was a win-win.

Giant shards of ice piled up along the shore, pier, and
around the base of the lighthouse, looking like blue glass under the afternoon
sun. It was a spectacular sight. Other people dotted the beach, braving the
bitter cold to witness Lake Michigan’s winter phenomenon.

“We have a lot of ice in Wyoming, but that is magnificent. I
can’t believe how blue it is,” CJ said, resting his chin on top of Annie’s
head.

“I don’t know all the details, but it has something to do with
how thick and dense the ice is. Air bubbles normally give ice its white color,
but when you don’t have the air bubbles mucking things up you get this pretty
blue,” Annie said, snuggling back into his arms.

“I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Then I’m glad it happened while you’re here. It’s nice to have
a little beauty to show off in my home state after you shared Wyoming.”

The bitter wind coming off the Great Lake buffeted them,
burning skin and tugging at clothing. He wrapped his arms tighter around Annie,
sheltering her and sharing his body heat. It was a good thing he’d taken her
advice and pulled a thick hoodie on this morning. The leather coat was designed
to look good, not keep out this kind of cold. He missed his Carhartt. Another
gust of wind brought a sleet spray with it. Annie turned to hide her face
against his chest.

“Okay. Mother Nature appreciated. Back to the Jeep,” she said,
shivering. 

Keeping her tight to his side, they trudged up the snow and ice-covered
beach. He held the door for her before jogging around to the passenger side.
Annie already had the Grand Cherokee running by the time he slid into his seat.
She stamped her feet on the floorboards and tucked her hands between her thighs
while she let the vehicle warm up. He grinned when she wiggled her butt into
the heated leather seat.

“Am I going to have to get heated seats in my Wrangler to get
you back to Wyoming?”

She pulled her red nose out of the collar of her coat and
grinned.

“Nope, but it couldn’t hurt your case.”

He grinned. She was so damn cute.

“I don’t know if you’re hungry yet, but there’s a great coffee
house nearby where we can warm up with steaming caffeine. They also have
delicious soup and sandwiches.”

“That sounds great.”

Checking her mirrors and still looking over her shoulder, she
backed out and eased the SUV back onto the road. A newer model Cherokee passed
them and CJ frowned, looking around him. He hadn’t been paying too much
attention this morning. His only thought when she’d lead him down to the
parking garage had been a normal man’s relief that his woman had a new,
reliable vehicle. Now that he was awake he realized it wasn’t new. The body
style was early to mid-2000s. He leaned back to check the odometer and frowned
again. That was insanely low miles for this model year.

“How long have you had this?” 

Her eyes flickered to his before going back to the road.

“It was my dad’s. He’d just bought it a month before the
accident. It was his first brand new vehicle. He was so excited. They took my
mom’s Volvo that weekend because it got better gas mileage.”

He sucked in a breath. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.”

“No. I shouldn’t have pried.”

“It’s not prying. I should’ve expected the question with you
being a Jeep guy and well, a guy’s guy,” Annie said, sparing him another glance
and a small smile.

“It’s pristine,” he said softly.

“Thanks. I don’t drive a lot, but I make sure to take care of
it. I have a guy that changes the oil and details it for me.” 

“Your dad would be proud.”

That made the smile widen. “He would be. He joked when he bought
it that it was going to have to last him the rest of his life at the price he
paid. That didn’t end up being long, so I’m getting his money’s worth. Maybe
that sounds morbid, but he would appreciate it. My dad had a warped sense of
humor.”

“Like father, like daughter.”

“Exactly.”

A sudden burst of music startled them both. Annie slowed the
Jeep, patting her coat pockets with one hand. The song got louder as she pulled
her phone out. She frowned at the screen before tapping it and putting it up to
her ear.

“Hello.”

Whatever was said on the other end earned an eye roll. CJ
looked away, trying to focus on the scenery to give her at least the illusion
of privacy.

“Over by the Lake … Despite what you think, I do leave the
condo … Call bullshit all you like. You’re there, and I’m not … Okay, your
delivery man is there, and I’m not.”

He could practically hear another eye roll.

“We went over to the shore to see the blue ice … I’m not sure
how else to describe it. It is ice that’s blue. It’s rare and really pretty … Google
it … CJ is an outdoorsman. He found it interesting. Whatever. I’m not giving
him your number.”

The Jeep slowed again and Annie hit the turn signal. A sign
featuring a lighthouse with whitecap waves and a steaming cup of coffee seemed
direct and to the point. The parking lot was three-quarters full, usually a
good sign for a restaurant.

“Call your delivery guy back and tell him to leave them with
the front desk. I’ll get them when I get home.”

Whipping into a parking spot, she put the vehicle in park and
sighed. 

“Who is going to steal that many copies of a romance novel?
Just leave them with the front desk. I have to go.”

There was another pause as he assumed the other party didn’t
take the hint.

“I’m hanging up now. Bye.”

Hearing her disconnect and sigh, he turned to look at her. She
tapped her forehead with the phone and then stuffed it in her pocket. Rolling
her head to the side, she gave him a wry smile.

“Sorry.”

“No problem.” He slid his hand between her and the seat and
massaged her neck. “Is everything okay?”

“Fine. I just have a shit-ton more books to autograph. It’s a
promotional thing to get people to pre-order the book and create buzz.” Leaning
into his touch, Annie’s eyes drifted shut. Her hand fluttered in the air in front
of her as she rambled. “I thought I was done, but more orders came in than
they’d figured on. So they need me to sign some more as a safety net. They
tried to deliver the boxes to me today, and I’m not there. The one day in the
last I don’t know how many that I’m not there. I mean other than the wedding.”

“You know, Hunter spilled your secret last night.”

Her head turned and tiny slits of hazel regarded him.

“He said it’s not a fear of the world that keeps you in your
ivory tower, but the stupid people in it.”

Her shoulders shook in amusement.

“He’s not wrong, but leave it to Hunter to extract the bullshit
and lay it on the line.”

She reached up to fiddle with one of the vents on the
dashboard. CJ kept rubbing her neck, using his thumb to ease the tension at the
base of her skull.

“First of all, what most people don’t get is that those that
suffer from Agoraphobia aren’t always shut-ins. That’s the Hollywood stereotype
you see in sitcoms and rom-coms. There are different degrees and triggers. It’s
mostly a fear of places where they don’t feel in control. Secondly, I’ve never
been diagnosed with anything. People just like to toss labels around and
snicker about the reclusive author. The truth is, I don’t care for crowds, but
most of the time I can get through them. Traveling sucks because I’m at the
mercy of other people and their schedules, but I do it. What I really hate is
being the center of attention. When all eyes are on me, I have trouble
breathing. I’ve learned to control it most of the time, but the ultimate fear
is that I won’t be able to and I’ll have a panic attack in public. That’s the
ultimate loss of control.”

CJ nodded. What she said made sense. The woman he’d spent the
last week and a half with had dealt with a stressed-out bride, an obnoxious
family, and a million tiny details with grace and humor. While she wasn’t real
fond of cold, she’d relished getting out of the lodge and viewing Mother
Nature. It wasn’t until she’d been forced to travel, and step into the
spotlight, that he’d seen the strong, easy-going façade show cracks.

“Going to the pageants to support Crystal had to be hard.”

Annie shook her head, the wry smile returning.

“Actually, they aren’t, weren’t, bad at all. I’m invisible in
that world. I could wear an ‘I’m a NYT Bestselling Author’ t-shirt when I’m
with her and no one would notice.”

“That’s not true.”

“Have you ever been to one? I wasn’t fishing for compliments.
The focus there is completely on the queens. Family, friends, even the
stylists, they’re all invisible, as long as their contestant is doing her
thing. I enjoyed that aspect about as much as Crys loves spending no make-up,
pajama weekends at my condo. No pressure.”

“How did you handle gymnastics? I know it’s a team sport, but
you compete one at a time in the spotlight, right?”

She played with her keys still dangling from the ignition.

“I focused on my dad. As long as he was there, I knew if
something humiliating happened, I wouldn’t be alone. He would protect me,” she
finally said, chewing on her bottom lip. “I feel like that when you’re around.”

The confession was soft, heartfelt. She didn’t look at him.
Cupping the back of her neck, he pulled her to him for a kiss.

“That’s a pretty big compliment, beautiful. I’m in good
company. I hope you know, I would do anything to keep you safe,” he said,
silently vowing not to stand idle next time someone blindsided her like her
aunt had at the lodge. That sounded like permission to him. “Let’s get
something warm in your belly.”

Getting inside, they found a vacant table that was just being
cleaned off. He wondered if business was always this brisk, or if people had
been down to the shore to check out the ice. Ordering coffee, croissant
sandwiches, and cups of cheesy broccoli soup, they peeled off their coats and
got comfortable.

“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I take it whoever was on the
phone didn’t see the wonder in blue ice?”

Annie rolled her eyes, stuffing her scarf in the sleeve of her
coat.

“It was Cami.  She was in full blown publicist mode, wanting
those books autographed yesterday. But no, she did not think that dragging you
off to look at ice shards sounded like a fun date.”

“I can’t think of much that isn’t fun as long as I’m with you.”

“Aww! How much did you pay him to say that?”

Wrapped in a bright red dress coat with a slick of lipstick to
match and fur-trimmed hat and gloves, Annie’s cousin didn’t look like she was
out for a Saturday morning drive.  The nasty retort died on his tongue when CJ
saw the cameraman behind her. Was that thing on?

“Breaking news, Angie?” Annie asked, her voice friendly, but he
could see the knotted muscle in her jaw where her teeth were clenched.

“The station sent me over here to do a piece on the blue ice.
It’s going to be on the Sunday morning show,” Angie said smugly. “What about
you? Didn’t want to be seen in your regular haunts with the boy toy?”

The slumming comment she’d made at the party kicked CJ in the
gut at her new insinuation.

“We’re here to see the ice, the same as most people.”

“Perfect! Then you won’t mind if I get your comments on
camera?”

“Actually, I do. We’ll pass.”

“Oh, I get it. Of course. You’re trying to keep everything
under wraps. I’m surprised you invited him to the party last night. You know
there were a lot of cameras and someone’s going to gossip, cousin.”

“Nothing is being kept under wraps. I know you don’t believe
this, but no one is interested in who, or if, I’m dating. If a legitimate
reporter actually asks, I’ll be honest.” 

“So naïve,” Angie cooed, patting her cousin’s cheek. “We’re
public figures. Of course they care.”

Annie flinched away from the touch, her lip curling. CJ saw her
flashing eyes flicker to the cameraman before her lips pressed into a thin
line. Angie leaned down, her painted clown smile inches from Annie’s ear. Her
hiss was still clear.

“You know, you’re not getting any younger. Pretty soon even
your money won’t be enough to enough to attract a decent husband.”

CJ ground his teeth.

“Maybe you’re too close to her, or just jealous, but your cousin
is a smart, funny woman who only gets more beautiful the more you get to know
her,” he said slowly, pinning Angie with a pointed look. “And that’s not
something that can be said of a lot of women.”

Angie’s face flushed an ugly shade of crimson. Bullseye.

“I know a thing or two about you. Family talks. Don’t think
that our uncle is going to be as easy to con as naïve little Annie.”

The venom in her voice lifted the short hairs at his nape. What
in the hell was she talking about?

“You know I really appreciate everyone talking about me like
I’m an imbecile, but I’m a grown woman that makes my own decisions,” Annie
snapped and flagged down the waitress, her expression, and tone immediately
changing. “I’m sorry. Something came up. Could you please change our order to
go? Thank you.”