Chapter 13
THE TRUCK BOUNCED over a pothole. Lila threw a hand out and clutched the dashboard. “Where in the world are we going?”
“Cherry Point. The best high school make-out spot in three counties. At least it used to be.” Damn, he was old.
“Cherry Point. Really?” She squinted past the windshield into the gathering darkness.
“Hey, I didn’t make up the name.”
“I would’ve forgiven you if we’re going to make out.”
“I’m sure we’ll get around to that, but first—”
Her phone buzzed.
“You might want to get that,” he said, slowing down. “I can’t say we’ll have a signal for long.”
She peered into the forest of tall, dense pines all around them. “You really are going to take advantage of me, aren’t you? Or maybe I’ll take advantage of you. Either works for me—or both.”
Clint smiled. “Is that a yes or no on taking the call?”
“What? Oh.” She shook her head, her pale hair catching the moonlight and shimmering like it had been sprinkled with fairy dust. “I know who it is. It can wait.”
“I don’t mind getting out and giving you privacy.”
She smiled and brushed the stubborn lock off his forehead again.
He’d brought her here to talk. His brain understood, but his body responded to even her briefest touch. Talk first, he reminded himself, then...
Well, that depended on a lot of things that he’d be a fool to forget.
He stopped the truck and brought her fingers to his lips. He kissed the tip of each one before pressing his mouth to her soft palm.
“Here?” A shudder shook her shoulders as she glanced around at the eerie shadows. “This is the famous Cherry Point?”
“No. Farther into the woods.”
“It’s kind of spooky.”
“I would never take you anywhere dangerous,” he said, and she looked at him. “But if this is making you nervous, we’ll turn back.”
“I know you wouldn’t.” She curled her fingers around his hand.
“I’d always keep you safe.” He touched her cheek, stroking his thumb down the velvety softness. Feeling self-conscious all of a sudden, he stopped. “Does it bother you that my hands are rough?”
“No.” She gripped his wrist, preventing him from lowering his hand.
“But you’re so soft...”
“I like it.”
“But—”
“Clint.” She moved closer. “I like it when you touch me. And when you kiss me,” she said, leaning close enough he felt her breath on his chin.
His cock jerked against the denim fly.
Her lips grazed his.
“Shit,” he muttered, not meaning to say it out loud. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
“I didn’t bring you here for this.” He ordered himself to stand down, to use his brain and not his dick.
“I don’t understand.”
“I wanted us to talk.”
She sank back. “Talk about what?”
“Look, I know something’s bothering you.
And I figured out here where it’s dark, you might be more comfortable and—” He shrugged, relaxed his clenched jaw.
“If you need someone to listen, or if there’s some way I can help.
..” Gritting his teeth, he scrubbed at his face.
“I don’t know what I’m saying. I’m way out of my depth here. ”
Lila’s soft laugh loosened the knot coiling in his gut. “Well, sure, you used the word talk. With a woman. Ever done that before?”
“Never.”
“That’s what I thought.” Her grin was contagious.
“Don’t poke fun,” he said. “It’s a humbling experience.”
“Yes, but now you’ve made it over the biggest hurdle. The first time is always the hardest.”
Clint laughed. She got that wrong. The hardest part was fixing to bust through his fly at this very moment. Trying to ignore it was no picnic, either.
Her phone rang again.
Lila pulled it out of her pocket as if she dreaded the call. “It’s my sister,” she said, her tone flat. “She wants to know when I’m coming home for Christmas. I’ll just be a minute.” She sighed before answering. “Hey, Brit, what’s up?”
Her voice had changed in an instant, even her expression had transformed. As if she’d slipped into a different role.
“Just flurries, mostly. I heard we might get slammed next week.” She paused. “I think you should go shopping without me.”
Clint did her the courtesy of turning his face away.
Naturally she didn’t care that he could hear her side of the conversation.
Lila was acting now. Controlling the inflection of her voice.
Her sister couldn’t tell a damn thing about her mood.
Of course, neither could he. Whatever Lila was feeling was locked tight inside.
Nathan’s first wife popped into his head. It occurred to him that Anne had used her acting skills to keep his brother in the dark about a big part of her life. He had no idea why she’d been so secretive, but finding out the truth after her death had nearly done Nathan in.
Lila sure didn’t owe Clint anything. They barely knew each other. He couldn’t help wondering, though, if things were different, would he worry she was hiding her true feelings from him?
“I didn’t say that, Britney. I can’t promise, but that doesn’t mean I’m not trying.” A small crack in her voice had her shifting in her seat. “You know what... I should’ve mentioned now isn’t a good time. How about I call you tomorrow?”
Clint stared out his window at a curious young buck standing several feet away in the brush.
“I am not.” Lila let out a sound of frustration. Apparently she’d quit holding back. “I’m on a date, okay? Oh, God. Fine. Clint?” She held the phone near his face. “Would you please say something to my sister?”
“Um, sure. Hi, Lila’s sister... Britney. Right?”
A high-pitched squeal nearly pierced his eardrum.
Lila quickly took back the phone. “Happy?” She bit off a giggle. “Shut up. Goodbye.”
Britney’s excited voice was still audible as Lila disconnected. She stuffed the phone in her pocket, then pulled it back out.
“I need to turn it off or she’ll drive me nuts.” She took care of that and said, “Where were we? You said something about making out?”
Clint shook his head. “I’m starting to worry. Everyone is shocked to see you with a man. I hope you’re not one of those black widow serial killers.”
Grinning, she reached over and cupped the back of his neck. “You found me out,” she said, pulling him toward her. “Now I’m going to kiss you to death.”
“You sound awfully chipper when you talk about murder,” he said, well aware that he’d stopped trying to get her to open up to him. He felt her smile against his lips. And he did something he’d been dying to do all afternoon.
Clint slipped his hand under her sweater and cupped her breast. Her nipple was hard beneath the silky barrier of her bra.
With a quiet whimper, she shifted so that it was easy for him to dip a finger into the cup.
Soft, soft skin surrounded the stiff nipple.
A pale pink normally, by now it would have turned three shades darker.
He remembered every detail from last night.
How her lips and nipples flushed as her arousal heightened.
And how she bit her bottom lip a lot, trying to stifle her loud moans of pleasure.
When that hadn’t worked, she had put a hand over her mouth.
Clint had enjoyed peeling her fingers away and thrusting his tongue between her lips, kissing her long and hard until they’d both gasped for air.
After he’d worked her bra strap down her shoulder a bit, he managed to lower the cup and free her breast. The creamy flesh almost filled his hand. She was the perfect size, not too big, and all her, nothing fake or unnatural about the feel as he kneaded gently.
He wanted to put his mouth on her. Flick his tongue quick and light the way he knew she liked it. He had offered to listen if she needed to talk. Nothing more he could do on that front. It was up to her.
Avoiding the gearshift, she pressed against him, parting her lips and welcoming his tongue with a light suction and then meeting him stroke for stroke. The sweet taste of her mouth lured him closer, deeper. The warm scent of her skin, the firm, silky feel of her round breast...
Clint stiffened against the speed and intensity of his body’s response. The woman was going to send him straight into cardiac arrest.
She arched into his palm and moaned, the sound coming from somewhere at the back of her throat.
Her nails dug into his forearm. Heat surged through his body.
Distorted his senses. Almost made him forget they were sitting in his truck in the cold night air.
As far as he was concerned, they could stay right where they were and wait for summer.
He broke the kiss and dragged in a lungful of air, hoping that would clear his head. What he got was a strong whiff of her arousal.
Jesus.
Lila cupped his fly.
He froze, braced himself. His cock throbbed. He wanted to believe he had more self-control now than he’d had as a teenager. But damn. Maybe she really was trying to kill him. It wouldn’t be a bad way to go.
She applied more pressure and started rubbing him, which caused way too much of a ruckus inside his body. He clamped a hand around her wrist, and she stopped.
“We should’ve gone straight to the motel,” she murmured and licked his chin up to his lips.
He leaned back, but she just kept licking any part of him she could get to. Finally he put enough distance between them.
“Spoilsport,” she said, sinking back. “You can let go of my wrist.”
“I don’t trust you.”
Her lips lifted in a devilish smile. “Why?”
“You can’t touch me like that.”
“Like what?”
“C’mon, Lila, you can’t expect me not to—”
Her free hand came at him like a bullet.
“Like this?” she asked, pressing her palm against his cock, rubbing up and down, the thick denim offering no protection.
He groaned through gritted teeth. “Goddamn it, Lila.” The curse had slipped out, but she’d get no apology this time. He was about to explode with frustration. She was going to make him come, and he didn’t want that. Not now. “Can we wait until we get to town?”
“Um...” She paused. “No.”
Clint blocked her next move. Good to know he still had his high school football reflexes.
Calmly she reached around him and cut the engine. “Thanks,” she said, looking him in the eyes, “for offering to listen. I need this more.”
Absorbing the meaning behind her words, he nodded slowly.
Dumb cowboy.
Took him long enough to get it. He was her distraction. Not that he felt used. Or regretted any part he played in her life this last week. But he wasn’t special. He’d seen how the men in the crew had eyed him. That and knowing she rarely dated had turned his head some.
For whatever reason, she felt safe with him, felt confident that he understood this was just a fling. That it would all come to an end the day the movie wrapped and she left. Or it could end tomorrow.
He gazed into her expectant eyes. “Is that so?”
Smiling, she nodded and reached for his fly.
“Hold on.” He took her hand and entwined their fingers. “I didn’t say you could have your way with me.”
Laughter burst from her lips.
He cupped her chin and brought her face closer. “Kiss me.”
She was still trying to lose the grin as she leaned forward. He covered her mouth with his, then slowly turned up the heat while he moved his hand to find her zipper. Her tongue circled his, then swept around his mouth demanding he join the dance. The kiss was supposed to sidetrack her, not him.
He had her unbuttoned and unzipped fairly quickly, and then felt her tremble. “You cold?”
“Mostly just excited.”
Clint smiled at her honesty and paused to restart the engine and adjusted the vents to get the heat circulating. “Think you’d be warm enough without your sweater?”
Lila stared at him, her eyes widening as she nodded. The determined temptress was gone, leaving behind a young woman who looked unsure of herself. This wasn’t the first unguarded moment he’d glimpsed of Lila. But he had a feeling these brief displays of vulnerability were rare.
He waited a few moments, but she didn’t whip off her sweater. Guess it was up to him. The space was tight, so it was awkward, but he managed to lift the sweater over her head.
Next Clint sprung the front clasp of the bra, and she did her part by letting the straps slide off her shoulders. Her smooth ivory skin glowed in the moonlit cab. The tips of her breasts were a dark rose, just as he’d expected. He touched the right one.
“Wait.” Shivering, she barely got the word out. “What about you?”
He pushed her hair aside and kissed her neck. “What about me?” he murmured, and trailed his lips to her throat. Her little whimper spurred him on. Using the tip of his tongue, he traced the ridge of her delicate collarbone.
Her head fell back, and she made a soft contented sound.
Sucking her nipple into his mouth, he slipped a hand inside her jeans.
Lila inhaled with a quick shallow gasp. “Clint.”
His name fell from her lips in a breathy whisper. An earthy muskiness laced her sweet scent, and a surge of lust shot through his veins. She bucked against his hand. He felt the tension slowly ease from her muscles.
He parted her with his fingers and slid them into her wet heat. Her clit had swelled. He thumbed it as he pumped his fingers in and out.
The sound of their ragged breathing filled the cab.
“Clint, what are you— Oh... God—” She’d brought her head partway up, then let it fall back against the headrest with a thump.
He smiled.
She’d said she needed this, and he was happy to give it to her. Hell, he’d give her anything she wanted, anything that he was capable of providing, anyway.
For now, he hoped it would be the best damn climax she’d ever had—well, one of the best. What happened last night while he’d been inside her... He didn’t think it was just his ego.
And after the fireworks, he was going to drop her off at the motel and then go straight home to talk to his dad. Put his mind at ease. Clint would let him know he was ready to take over the ranch. Why wait until after Christmas? What else did he have in his future besides the Whispering Pines?
Not Lila. No matter how much he fantasized or tried to read things into her sweet smiles and soft looks. This fling was just that to her. He was merely a stop on her bullet train to a big and glamorous life. And he sure as hell couldn’t complain because she’d never led him to believe otherwise.
Giving his dad his word meant a lot to Clint...enough to clear the muck in his head. There’d be no more room for wishful thinking.
After that was done, he planned on spending every free minute he could with Lila. Until they’d screwed each other’s brains out and he’d no longer have the capacity to understand she’d soon be gone forever. Almost like she’d never been there in the first place.