Chapter 16 #2
With the sound of her heart thumping through her ears, Stevie pushed onto her tiptoes, clutching the front of his shirt as she opened to him, seeking the hard ravage of his mouth and the hungry demand of his tongue, which thrust in and out in such an explicit display of dominance she was left in no doubt this was how Clay Calhoun would… fuck her.
Eep… this man was corrupting her so thoroughly she was going straight to hell.
The last thing she expected was for him to end the kiss, his mouth wet as he pulled back, breathing satisfyingly hard. ‘Let’s eat,’ he said, a slow smile tilting his mouth as she mewled her disappointment.
Eat? Was he for real? How could she eat when her body was craving a different kind of sustenance? Didn’t he know how close she was from combusting? ‘I’m… not hungry. Not for food anyway.’
‘I know.’ He grinned at her admission then winked. ‘Anticipation.’
Stevie blinked. He could take his anticipation and stick it where the sun didn’t shine. Her fingers tightened in his shirt. ‘I almost…’
She stopped abruptly, realising what she’d been about to admit.
Surely not even he could have anticipated how his request for her to go pantiless would push her so close to the edge?
But how could she say that to him? Tell him the friction of the saddle had been so excruciatingly good it had stopped just shy of bringing her to orgasm.
Stevie had never talked about this sort of thing with a guy before.
Gathering her courage, she tried again. ‘The ride was…’ Nope. ‘The saddle against…’ Oh God – big nope. ‘I nearly…’
It was no use. Her face was burning and her hands were all sweaty – she couldn’t say it. Why couldn’t she just say, Clay, I almost came back there?
God… she really needed to get better at this stuff.
‘Yeah.’ A smile played around the edges of his mouth. ‘I know what you nearly did.’
One of his hands left her ass cheek and slid onto Gertie’s saddle behind Stevie’s head as he hitched himself closer, sandwiching her real tight between him and the horse, his hips intimately aligned with hers.
‘You aching there, Stevie girl?’ he murmured as he rubbed slowly and deliciously against her screaming flesh.
She clung to his shirt even harder, a moan sliding from her throat. She couldn’t help it; his grind was an exquisitely tortuous pleasure.
‘Hmm,’ he murmured, his lips brushing her temple. ‘Yeah, you are.’
He ground a little harder, the outline of his erection pressing into the seam of her sex, and Stevie gasped as darts of pleasure wormed from her belly to hit their target between her legs.
‘Good,’ he said, easing away again before dropping a kiss on her nose and whispering, ‘Hold that thought for later.’
He stepped back completely, leaving Stevie panting in frustration, her body one giant throb, her incredulous expression mirroring her thwarted passion and him completely unabashed at his action. ‘You are a terrible person, Clay Calhoun.’
A laugh burst from his mouth, getting instantly lost in the vastness of the landscape. ‘Come on.’ He tipped his head in the direction he’d taken his saddle bags. ‘Come see my favourite spot.’
Stevie sighed, torn between demanding he finish what he started and her curiosity about this man. About what made him tick outside riding horses and tempting virgins.
He turned away then, heading to where he’d laid the saddle bags, and for a reckless beat or two, Stevie had a good mind to strip out of her clothes and frolic in the stream.
See how his resolve held up. Because yes, while it was true she desperately wanted him, the way he’d kissed her and teased her and that erection he was sporting told her she wasn’t alone in her desires.
But her sensible Stephanie side appreciated that Clay Calhoun wasn’t all about ripping her out of her clothes and having his way. He knew she hadn’t been with a guy before and he wanted to take it slowly, wanted to introduce her to all the things – not just the main event.
Resigned to playing it his way – for now – and determined to enjoy the ride, Stevie joined him at the spot where he’d laid the picnic blanket, sitting pretty in the dabbled light.
‘Wow.’ She sat, crossing her legs lotus style and removed her hat. ‘Did you raid your mother’s fridge?’
Stevie could see Theresa’s potato salad and coleslaw as well as slabs of ham, some mustard and fat slices of fresh bread.
‘No, they’re from my fridge. I just always happen to score cookout leftovers.’ Sitting on the blanket opposite her, he mimicked her cross-legged position before passing her a plate. ‘Help yourself.’
Stevie constructed a sandwich she could barely wrap her lips around, but it tasted amazing.
After her first bite, Clay passed her a bottle of pop and she swallowed it half down in one hit.
With the wind on her face and ruffling her hair during the ride, she hadn’t really registered how warm it was today so the cool drink was appreciated.
‘You know these trees,’ Clay said after he finished his first mouthful of sandwich, ‘will turn a stunning golden yellow in a few months’ time.’ He peered up at them momentarily. ‘This whole tree line will be ablaze with gold. I can see it from my cabin.’
Stevie could imagine how pretty it must be here during that time. ‘I think fall is my favourite time of year.’
He nodded as their gazes met. ‘Mine too.’
Clay went on to talk about the ranch in all the different seasons as they ate and drank, his love for this place obvious.
It was in the fondness in his voice and the affectionate sweep of his gaze and the wry tilt of his mouth as he told stories about snow drifts in winter and wildflowers in spring and Fourth of July fireworks and Halloween ghost stories around the camp fire under clear starry skies.
Stevie finished eating and eased backwards, propping herself up on her elbows. ‘You’re lucky to live here. It’s a beautiful part of the world.’ She glanced around. ‘Why is this spot your favourite?’
‘The way the trees clump together and how the stream cuts through them so it’s always shady and kinda secret. We’ve got the river on the eastern boundary, but this place…’ He breathed deeply. ‘You have to know it’s here.’
Remembering how shallow the water was, Stevie said, ‘Doesn’t look like you can swim here though?’
‘Not now, no, but earlier in the year, after the snowmelt, it becomes much deeper and faster. I can float on my back through the trees and for a couple of miles downstream.’
The snowmelt? From the mountains? ‘Isn’t it freezing?’
He chuckled at the look on her face. ‘It’s invigorating.’
Stevie shivered. The man really did like to live dangerously. ‘Nope. No way would you catch me doing that.’
‘Not even if we were playing truth or dare and I dared you?’
‘We’re not playing truth or dare.’
His eyes lit with speculation. ‘Ooh, but we should.’ Settling himself on his stomach, Clay propped his chin with his hand, his shoulder level with her knees. ‘I’ll go first. Truth or dare?’