Chapter Five #2
Moaning softly, Sierra kissed him in return.
She wanted to tell him that he wasn’t fair.
He had to get his way about everything, but words were lost, and in minutes her thought processes scrambled.
All she wanted was Blake—his hands, his mouth and his body.
She wanted his kisses, caresses and his lovemaking.
She wanted him inside her, thick, hot and hard.
With a gasp, she shoved him down on the bed and shifted over him, straddling him, shaking her head to get her hair away from her face.
His warm hands cupped her breasts, and his thumbs drew lazy circles over each taut bud.
“Ah, darlin’, you set me on fire,” he said.
Barely hearing him, she showered kisses on his throat, feeling his hands moving over her bottom and down the backs of her thighs. Tingles radiated from his touch and desire flashed into a raging need. She wanted him—his arms, his hard body, his energy.
“Where you’re concerned, I don’t have a backbone,” she whispered, wondering how she could possibly be so attracted to someone so wrong for her.
“I thought you had a backbone,” he whispered. “Let me see.” His fingers slid down her spine, and then his hand spread lightly as he rubbed her bottom and she gasped, thrusting her hips against him.
He rolled her over, moving on top while he kissed her, and she was lost to his lovemaking for the rest of the night.
Friday afternoon Blake gazed out the window of his private jet at the broad channel of the Red River as they flew north toward Kansas. A silver ribbon of water followed the curving banks.
Blake figured the weekend would be spent meeting people and watching Sierra chat with those she had helped.
Tagging along was fine with him if it meant she would return to Texas with him.
She’d promised only Sunday night, but that was better than telling her goodbye in Kansas City and each of them going different places.
At the thought of another night in bed with her, his pulse jumped. For a night with Sierra, he could easily sit through a family picnic.
He still couldn’t understand the hot attraction that burned between them, but he wasn’t questioning it any longer.
He wanted her in his bed, and he thought about her constantly when he wasn’t with her.
Of all the women he had ever known, he would have guessed that she would have been one of the least likely to generate this fiery, irresistible appeal.
Not only were they complete opposites, he couldn’t understand her outlook on life or her lifestyle any more than she could understand his.
She actively disliked his way of thinking, and he thought she was throwing away her talent and her future by taking a low-paying, thankless job that would be endless work with few rewards.
Next to him, she gazed out the window. She took his breath sometimes. When he had danced with her, just a two-step, she’d had a sway to her hips that was tantalizing. He wanted to kiss her slender throat. She responded to any touch, even the most casual kiss.
He was ready for Sunday night in Dallas.
To get his mind off the temptation of Sierra, he tried to think about her family and get their names straight.
He couldn’t imagine growing up the way she had—a house filled with kids who brought other kids home with them.
And providing for a family on a minister’s salary had to have been a struggle, but Sierra never sounded as if it had been and she didn’t particularly care about money.
She was truly indifferent to Blake’s wealth, which was something he couldn’t say for any other woman he had met.
Yes, Sierra was different. She had him willing to meet family and spend the weekend in separate rooms just for one more night with her.
Once during the evening, when the noise level was high, Blake gazed at the chaos around him.
Three toddlers played with blocks while kids ranging in age from elementary school to middle school were occupied with electronic gadgets.
Women bustled in the kitchen, getting big platters of food cooked and ready for Saturday.
The delicious smell of baked beans was enticing, even after a big dinner.
He helped her dad and two brothers load games, balls, rackets, bats and equipment into two pickups. Her family amazed him. They worked together and they had a good time, getting things done without tempers flying in spite of kids needing attention and toys breaking.
Most of all, he noticed her mother and dad, who worked efficiently at their jobs.
Watching them, it was obvious they cared deeply for each other and had a strong marriage.
They were constantly aware of each other and worked as smoothly as two trapeze artists high above an audience.
And they were amazingly polite to each other and all around them.
It made him realize that he had never been around an older couple who were in love and happily married.
He hadn’t ever seen a family like this one. Blake’s half brothers had a mother who loved them, but she had divorced their dad. She was often gone, and when she was home she seldom had male guests.
Some of Blake’s friends had two parents who seemed happy with each other, but they didn’t have the warmth and love that radiated in subtle ways from Sierra’s parents.
In this big family, everyone seemed to love and care about everyone else and be genuinely welcoming to their guests.
Blake began to see why money was not of the utmost importance to Sierra.
She had a supportive family. They were all there for each other, and she was grounded in that assurance.
His gaze shifted to her as she came out of the house, her arms loaded with equipment.
He hurried to take it from her, his hands brushing hers.
“I can get this stuff. This is heavy. I’ll come get the next load.”
“That’s it for now,” she said. “Thanks for helping.”
“You have an interesting family,” he said, wishing they were alone so he could give her a hug. “They’re all very likable people.”
“Thank you. I think they’re great, and we’ll all have fun tomorrow. You’ll see.”
A little boy came around the corner of the house, crying loudly.
“Someone is unhappy,” she said. “I’ll go help.” She went to pick him up. Blake had no idea which child he was or to whom he belonged.
As he continued to help load the truck, he watched Sierra wipe away the child’s tears, set him on his feet and hold his hand. Whatever she told him brought a smile to his face, and together they disappeared into the house.
By ten o’clock that night, when most of Sierra’s family had said good-night and gone to their own homes, he sat alone with her in the big family room of her parents’ two-story house.
He smiled at her and shook his head. “I’ll never get all the names.
We’ll go back to Texas before I have half of them figured out. ”
She smiled at him—an enticing smile that flashed with warmth.
“You’re being modest. You did pretty well tonight.
You were a hit with my dad, talking about the early days of the railroads—he loves trains and has a library of train books.
I’ll show you tomorrow. Right now, I just want to sit and relax. ”
“We can’t do what I want to do, but sitting and relaxing will be okay.”
“I’m not asking what you want to do, and don’t tell me.”
“I didn’t tell you, but I think you know. I just wanted to hear you say you want to do the same thing.”
She narrowed her eyes. “You’re shameless.”
“No, I’m fun,” he answered, and her smile widened as she shook her head. “You were a hit with them tonight—even the youngest. He followed you around. I’m surprised. You’ve said you’re never around kids.”
“I have the magic touch with kids and dogs and beautiful women. Come sit closer and I’ll show you,” he said, having fun flirting with her.
“I’m staying right where I am. The ‘magic touch with kids,’ huh? When are you ever around kids?”
“Tonight,” he answered. She shook her head.
“You’ll be around them tomorrow. That’s for sure. We’ll have a lot of people at the picnic.”
“You had a lot of people here tonight. Too bad Cade couldn’t spend an evening like this with your family. He needs to see a family like yours and know that love and harmony are possible.”
“Cade? He seems happy enough.”
“All his life, Cade has vowed he will never marry because our father inflicted so much grief on so many people. He wasn’t a good father to his children or a good husband to his wives.
He had a string of mistresses, and I know some of them were as unhappy with him as his ex-wives were.
Financially, he was an enormous success, and that’s what you read about him, but with close friends and family he was a dismal failure. Cade is scared of ending up like him.”
“That’s ridiculous because Cade is such a nice person. At least, he seemed nice when I met him.”
“He is nice, and I’ve told you he has a warped view of marriage because of our dad. I can’t convince him. Seeing your family might. I don’t know how your folks cope with all the commotion.”
“This was just a regular weekend night, except for cooking and packing stuff into the pickups to get ready for tomorrow.”
“I’m surprised you ever left here for New York.”
“I was ambitious, eager to see what I could do in interior design—it was an exciting time. I accomplished a lot until finally I reached a point where I wanted to be here and work here. Life changes.”
Relaxing, he stretched out his legs. He wanted to sit close beside her, but he knew she would prefer he stayed right where he was.
To his surprise, he enjoyed just sitting with her the way they were now.
Twice he heard the deep chimes of a grandfather clock from the hallway, and he knew the hour was growing late, but he didn’t want to leave her.
When she stood, he came to his feet. “It’s late, and tomorrow will come early.”