Chapter 8
He knew the exact moment she arrived. He had been idly having a conversation with some of the visitors who had come from the neighboring town and keeping an eye out for her.
Some locals had been hired to act as valets. In order not to create a gridlock and having people park their vehicle wherever, a designated section in an empty pasture had been cleared to use as a temporary parking lot.
He saw when she alighted the vehicle, noticed the admiring looks and the whistles and abruptly put an end to the conversation, by excusing himself and making his way towards her.
Ignoring the people trying to stop him for a conversation, he lengthened his strides, not stopping until he got to her. Giving the group of men surrounding her, a hard look, he took her arm and drew her to him.
“Hi.”
“Wow.” Lifting her face, she gave him a smile that blew his composure to kingdom come. “Just one look and they scattered. You have got to teach me that trick.”
He laughed, simply charmed and delighted by her. The perfume she had on was sliding through his senses, the perfectly made-up face, the curve of her lips wearing that shimmering orange lipstick, made him weak with need. “It’s a gift.” Tucking her hand through his arm, he started forward.
“What do you want to do first?”
She looked around in fascination. People – and she had no idea there was going to be such a crowd! They were milling around, most of them giving her and Jon curious looks.
There were children racing from one end of the wide-open area, some stopping to grab treats from various tables set up to the side. In the middle, a roaring fire was sending sparks shooting upwards.
Several men were showing off their skills with ropes, lassoing a mechanical bull. A few were bobbing for apples, and even more were on the dance floor doing some sort of two step dance.
“This is…,” she waved her free hand to encompass the various activities. “I have never seen anything like it. Is the entire town here?”
He drew her hand up to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. He wanted the entire town to know where he stood with her and did not give a damn about the message he was sending. She was his or she would be before very long.
“Yes,” Keeping his hand over hers, he walked towards the cotton candy stand. “It’s an annual event to bid goodbye to summer – reluctantly of course and to hail the coming fall weather.”
“I am not eating that.” She shook her head and started to pull back. “It’s pure sugar.”
He gripped her hand and stopped her from escaping. “You’ve never tasted anything like this before. Hey Steve.”
“Boss.” The bearded man gave him a nod and smiled at Kamilah. “Pretty lady.”
“We want your special.”
“Coming right up.”
“You cannot make me eat it.”
“I bet I can.” He sent her a teasing smile that had her heart doing somersaults. The man was positively lethal, that slow sexy smile, the dip in his chin, the wavy ash blonde hair which was combed back from his intelligent forehead, and he knew how to wear a leather jacket.
“I watch what I eat.” She protested and watched in fascination as Steve wove his magic with the spun sugar. He handed her the first pink and green one. Hesitating slightly, she reached for it and kept it in her hand as she waited for Jon to get his own.
“Thanks Steve.”
“Righto, boss.”
He guided them away from the table and stopped beneath a tree to give them a modicum of privacy.
“Aren’t you going to take a bite?” He asked mildly. His body was shielding her from curious eyes and was close enough to have his warmth caressing her senses.
“No. I just did not want to offend Steve by dumping it.”
Before she knew what he was about, he plucked off piece and plopped it into her open mouth. When she tried to spit it out, he closed his hand over her lips, forcing her to chew and swallow. He watched the blaze in her eyes turned to wide open wonder and had to smile.
“Still want to dump it?” He asked as he removed his hand.
“I don’t appreciate you handling me…! Okay, it’s delicious. Not sticky sweet, but with a sort of whimsy that stays on the palette. Does he sell this thing?”
Tipping her chin up, he wiped at a tiny piece of melted sugar that lingered on her bottom lip.
“He does.” Unable to help himself, he brushed his lips against hers and moved in when he felt her tremors. He toyed with her, his body pressing on hers, tongue tracing the outline of her bottom lip, before taking a nibble. “You taste sinfully sweet, like I want to gobble you up in one bite.”
“We are giving your guests quite a show.” Wounding her hands around his neck, she eased into the kiss, one hand clutching the candy cane.
“I don’t care. I have wanted to do this since you stepped out of the car.” His tongue entered her mouth slowly, evocatively and had her sighing in his mouth.
“I want you.” He breathed. “We should ditch this place…”
“Nuh Uh.” She moaned and pressed her breasts against him, tearing a groan from his chest. “You wanted me here and I intend to take in everything.”
“Not everything. I want you alone and naked and trembling under me.” He kissed her roughly before easing back, reluctantly. Taking a shaky breath, he struggled to control the impulse to simply drag her up to his suite and tear off her clothes.
“Okay.” Taking her arm, he started towards the group of women standing around a table, displaying jams. “I want you to meet my mother.”
She dug her dingers in his arm and forced him to stop.
“What is it?”
“I already met her.”
He stared at her with a frown, ignoring some men calling for his attention. “When?”
“The other morning. She came to visit.”
That had him steering her towards a corral where several horses were prancing and jumping through hoops. “Why?”
“She was there to warn me not to be another actress, the one who broke your heart and left you bleeding.” She angled her head to stare at him. “How bad was the bleed?”
His jaw clamped shut, his blue eyes glinting. “Bad.” He clipped. “She had no right…”
“She had every right. She’s a mother and a better one than mine.”
He looked down at her as he tried to bridle his temper. “What did you say to her?”
“That we are adults and we’re just having fun.”
His eyes glittered. “Is that what you think we’re having? Fun?” his voice was deadly quiet and had her going still.
“Isn’t it?”
Snarling, he moved away from her and without a word, turned and strode away, leaving her staring after him in frustration. To hell with him! She decided. She was not going to run after some man just because his pride was injured.
But she had to admit the hollow in her heart gave her pause. Turning away, she took a few bites of the delicious candy cane and dumped the rest into a trash can conveniently placed next to an enormous tree trunk.
She should go back to the cabin, she thought angrily and cursed herself for agreeing to come in the first place. He was giving meat to the rumors of them being involved.
People were watching them and now - pasting a bright smile on her face, she headed for the group of cowboys standing around the bonfire and drinking beer. It did not take long for her to have them dancing attention on her.
He stormed into the ranch house and headed straight up the spiral staircase and into his suite of rooms. Going straight to the recessed cabinet, he jabbed at the button and plucked out a bottle of aged scotch.
Not bothering with a glass, he took it with him to the window where he could see the entire goings on. Uncapping the bottle with a vicious twist, he took a swallow eyes narrowing as he zeroed in on her.
She was dancing, laughing, and making a complete spectacle of herself. Men were gathered around, waiting their turn to show her the two step move. And the cowboy (an itinerant that he realized a couple of days ago was too cocky and confident in his dark good looks), was holding her much too close.
The damn dance did not require that much touching. And she was allowing it. Damn her to hell! Now he was going to have to march down there and bloody the guy’s nose and dislocate his arms.
That was going to cause a scene his mother and the older people would not appreciate. Having fun? How the hell could she think that? How could she diminish what they shared to that word? Well, she was going to pay for it. A glint came in his eyes and turning around, he went to put away the bottle.
He had just wrenched the doors open when he saw his mother standing there.
“I don’t have time.”
“You will make the time.” There was a determined look on her lovely face. “You’re not going down there to make a fool of yourself, Jonathan Andre McCarthy. I will not let you. You’re a respectable man in this community and there are children present. That woman…”
“Is my woman. She told me you paid her a visit. What the hell were you thinking?”
She drew herself up to her full height, shoulders squared. “I will not have you talking to me like that. I am still your mother. And being your mother, I am trying to shield you from making a fool of yourself again.”
His anger dissipated and he felt ashamed at his outburst. “Look, I know you have my best interests at heart and want to prevent me from getting hurt. But I am an adult, and I know what I am doing.” He lifted his hands and dropped them to his sides. “I am in love with her. It’s not like before.”
Lifting a hand, he rubbed the back of his neck. “I am going down there to take her away from here and have a conversation. It’s that simple. She said something to piss me off and…,” he blew out a breath. “I am just going to set her straight.”
“You cannot leave.”
“Maybe we will stay, maybe not. I am sorry for blowing up. I’ll be fine. Please excuse me.”
She turned aside to allow him to get by her.
And stood there watching him descend the stairs. She pressed her hand to her chest as she continue to watch him. He was her damn baby.
He was thirty-five years old and ran a multi-billion-dollar ranch, but he was still her baby, her only child and she wanted to protect him. The woman was stunning and clearly had him wrapped around her finger. God help him, she mused wearily.
*****
“Back off.” Without waiting for the cowboy to react, he took Kamilah’s arm and pulled her away.
“Don’t!” He warned tersely when she opened her mouth. “I am pissed as hell with you right now, so you don’t want to make it worse.” Clamping his hands around her waist, he started to move in time to the music. His expression was grim, his fingers around her waist, tense. “You were making a spectacle of yourself.”
“It’s called dancing…” Her voice petered off at the fierce look he threw her. “You’re very handsome when you’re angry.” She rolled her eyes as he continued to glare at her. Using something else, she slid her hands over his chest and around his neck, pressing herself even closer to him. “What are you doing?” He gritted.
“What does it feel like?” She asked airily. “Trying to get you to lighten up.”
“Stop!” He hissed.
“Make me.” She challenged. Moving her hand down, she eased the two buttons open and reached into the shirt.
“We’re in the middle of the dance floor and people are watching…” His fingers dug into her back as she trailed a finger down his throat.
“Damn you.” He whispered and was about to seize her lips when he noticed the music had stopped and they were the object of every eyes.
“Not here.” His voice was strained.
“Take me home.” She whispered huskily, eyes glowing. His heart took a slow dive, and all the anger drained out of him. With a nod, he took her hand and led her off the floor.
*****
“You ruined another shirt.”
“It seems to be a habit.” He was still breathing hard. They had left the ranch and practically floored the accelerator of her vehicle to get to the cabin. They had barely got through the door, when he started tearing off her clothes. Her hands had been busy as well and his buttons were all gone.
She was sprawled on his chest, one foot snug between his strong thighs.
“Should you have left so early?”
“I can do whatever the hell I please.” He has his arms wrapped securely around her waist and figured there was no place he would rather be.
“Aren’t you the host?”
“Sort of. It’s more my mother’s thing.”
“Speaking of…”
“No. Please don’t kill the mood.”
“Jonathan…!”
“No,” he repeated. Tucking a hand under her chin, he bent his head and planted a rough kiss on her lips that had her clinging. “I don’t want to think about anything that happened there. Just let me…,” he nibbled at her lips and had her moaning. “I want to concentrate on you – on this. The taste of you, the feel of your skin.”
He kissed her again, tongue easing into her lips with tormenting slowness. Her body responded alarmingly. Her bones seemed to be melting, and her blood felt as if it was slowly sizzling.
His hand drifted down her back to press against her derriere, molding her against his already hardening body. Ending the kiss, he trailed kisses down her neck until he was nibbling the hollow of her throat.
“Jon.” She whispered huskily, her head twisting restlessly, hands roaming over his broad shoulders and the bunched muscles of his arms.
“Hmm.” Lifting her up, he teased the nipple, stroking the rigid flesh with his tongue, until she was clutching at him.
“Please.”
He responded, by pulling the flesh between his teeth and suckling hard enough for her to feel it all the way to her sex.
He wanted to put his marks on her. To brand her with ownership. He wanted to make such an impression on her that she would never be able to forget him. Having fun? Not bloody likely, he thought angrily.
Pushing her back on the pillows, he trapped her body with his thighs. His expression was fierce and intense as he stared at her. His hands shaped her small breasts, thumbs rubbing slowly over the raised nipples. He was going to blow her mind into a million pieces even if it meant that he was suffering as a result.
Ignoring her gripping fingers, he moved down to her flat stomach which was now quivering and spent time trailing kisses over the skin. When he dipped his tongue into her concave navel, she jolted, fingers curling into the sheets.
Her body vibrated, heart pumping so hard, she felt faint.
He loved her scent. The muskiness of sex, mingled with her subtle perfume. Propping her hips up, he made a production of tasting and teasing the swollen flesh that was still sensitive from the lovemaking before. When he clamped the flesh between his teeth, she screamed, her body arching upwards.
“God! God! God!’ She cried out as the orgasm rolled through her body with the speed of lightening and left her weak and trembling.
But he was not finished yet. Not waiting for her to recover, he slid his tongue inside her. Tears leaked from her closed lids as her body melted. She was not certain she could take much more of this.
For the first time in her life, she was out of her league and out of control. She came again, the climax vicious, swamping her and pushing her over the edge.
When he climbed on top of her, driving into her, she wrapped her hands around his neck and buried her face in his chest and just clung.
He felt her tears and realized that his throat was burning. He held her against him for a minute, absorbing her trembling body.
His heart was hammering and his body coated with sweat. He moved then, thrusting slowly, the momentum building, until he was driving into her quickly.
Bending his head, he took her lips in a kiss that was so sweet, so tender that it had her tearing up again. He emptied himself, his mouth still clinging to hers, his body shuddering from the impact.
Sliding off her, he gathered her against him so that she was pressing her face on his chest. Neither of them spoke for several minutes, each absorbed in their own thoughts.
“Want to go for a ride?” He murmured into the silence that shrouded the bedroom.
She laughed huskily and kept her face buried. “I don’t think we can find the strength.”
“How about some food?” He suggested. “We did not get anything to eat.”
“Whose fault was that?” She mumbled.
“Completely mine.” He was running his hand up and down her back. “That’s why I am aiming to fix it. What are you in the mood for?”
She lifted her head and met his gaze. “What are you suggesting? I have to tell you right now, that I am not cooking.”
Lifting a large, calloused hand, he used his thumb to wipe the moisture from her cheeks.
“I have a better idea.” Shifting slightly, he picked up his phone and pressed the icon. “We need some food at the cabin.” He murmured before hanging up.
“Who was that?”
“Bull, one of my men.”
“And he’s just going to leave the activities and come running?”
He chuckled at the image. “Bull is in his late eighties, so running is not something he does very much of. And he hates parties and looks forward to any excuse to get away. He’s also closemouthed and will not reveal any information if questioned.” He glanced at his watch. “He should be here in twenty minutes.”
“Will he be riding?”
He tilted his head in contemplation. “Possibly taking one of the jeeps. He does not ride much these days.”
“Why isn’t he retired?” She asked curiously.
“Retired?” Jon shook his head. “If you mention that cursed word to him, he goes off. My dad tried to get him to do just that several years ago and he stayed in his cottage for days without coming out.
We know now not to mention that to him again. He’s useful around the place and do plenty of odd jobs to stop him from feeling useless. He does not have a family and think of the ranch as his home.
He’s loyal to the family and has eyes like an owl. Nothing gets past him. he also minds his own business.” He kissed her on the lips. “He will bring the food and then go off somewhere with a bottle of scotch, he would have stolen from the cabinet in the living room and just enjoy the solitude.”
She gave him a speculative look. The harmless conversation was giving her a chance to recover from the earth-shaking lovemaking and the emotions coursing through her body. She did not want to think about it or what it entailed. “You admire him.”
He shrugged one shoulder. “He’s an institution that has been around since before I was born.” They heard the doorbell.
“It took him less time than I anticipated.” Giving her a rough kiss on the lips, he eased out of bed. “I’ll be right back.”
She watched as he dragged on just his trousers and zipped them up, leaving his magnificent chest bare.
Settling back on the pillows, she closed her eyes and acknowledged that she was in big trouble. She shied away from putting a name to what she was feeling. And the fact that she had never felt this way before. Nothing ever come close. Rubbing her hand over her damp cheeks, she wondered what the hell she was going to do.
She wondered if it was time to call for reinforcements. She had lied to her friends and made a conscious decision not to tell them anything. Now it was time to reveal all and ask for their opinions. Sighing softly, she leaned back and closed her eyes.