Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
The Bar
My heart pounded in my ears. Archer’s eyes were earnest and his command hung between us.
“I haven’t been hiding.”
“No?”
“Just because I don’t want to go out and flirt with boys doesn’t mean I’m hiding.”
“One, we’re not talking about you flirting with boys. We’re not even talking about you flirting with men. I’m talking about you and me. You’ve shut me out, Wyn. Ever since we slept together.”
“I’ve been lied to in the past,” I said, my tone clipped. “Men say what I want to hear and then disappear. I’m left with the wreckage of failed relationships and each time, my trust is eroded more and more. So you can say there’s an us and I’m just supposed to believe you?”
He was quiet for a moment. “You don’t trust me with your heart.”
I swallowed. “No, Archer. I don’t. You’ll break it.”
“Says who?”
“Says the ghosts of my failed relationships past.”
“Okay.” He shrugged and reached for his beer.
I frowned. “Okay? What does that mean?”
“It means it doesn’t matter what I say to you because you think I’m full of shit. You don’t trust me yet. But you will. Time, Wyn. It’ll take time.”
“Archer—”
“But I’m going to say this as many times as you need to hear it. I’m not going anywhere. I’m not spouting bullshit. So take as much time as you need to figure it out, but I’m not like the assholes of your past.”
“You’re going to get annoyed.”
“No.”
“You only want me because I’m interesting and the moment I stop being interesting, you’ll disappear.”
“Definitely not.” He rose from the table. “I’m using the restroom. Pick something out on the jukebox. Preferably your favorite song because I don’t know your favorite song and I want to hear it.”
He fished quarters out of his pocket and dropped them onto the table before swaggering toward the back of the bar.
I stared after him and sighed. Swiping my pint and the quarters off the table, I slid from the booth and headed to the jukebox.
Archer sounded sincere. But I’d heard it all before. He was right. Only time would tell.
“You gonna stand there staring or are you going to pick a song?” a masculine voice asked.
I turned my head and saw Garrett Calhoun standing next to me. Smiling, I arched a brow. “What are you doing here?”
“This is a bar,” he stated. “It has booze.”
“That good of a day?” I inquired.
He sighed. “It’s been rough. What are you doing here?”
“I’m with . . .” I glanced toward the back of the bar but didn’t see Archer.
“You’re with who?” Garrett prodded.
“Archer,” I said, facing Garrett. “I’m here with Archer.”
Garrett raised his brows. “On a date?”
The hairs on the back of my neck stood up and a moment later, Archer’s arms came around me and hauled me back into his chest.
“Exactly like a date,” Archer stated.
“I see.” Garrett’s eyes flicked between Archer and me but eventually landed on me and remained there. “A lot has happened since you got to town, huh?”
“Not that much,” I muttered, trying to wrench myself out of Archer’s arms, which only tightened around me.
“You haven’t been out to Dark Timber for a ride since you got here,” Garrett said. “What are you doing this week?”
“She’ll be busy,” Archer growled.
“Doing what?” Garrett demanded, taking a step forward.
“We’re practicing different sexual positions. With diagrams,” Archer announced.
I elbowed Archer in his solar plexus, causing him to grunt and let me go.
“Yeah?” Garrett asked with a slow smile. “Maybe she wants a different partner.”
“Well, this clearly doesn’t involve me,” I snapped. “I’m leaving. You two can have your pissing contest without me.”
I stalked to the table, grabbed my belongings and marched out of the bar. Anger burned through me as I trudged all the way home, not bothering to even put on my coat.
The porch light illuminated the front door. I slammed it behind me as I entered the house. I hit the interior light and the living room blazed to life.
A few minutes later, the door opened and Archer entered.
“You are un-fucking-believable,” I yelled at him. “He was just trying to get your goat. And you totally fell into the trap!”
“Yeah, he got my goat,” Archer snapped. “And the cow, the pig, the whole fucking farm. What he’s not going to get is you.”
“You have no right to—”
He stalked toward me, bent down and scooped me up and hoisted me over his shoulder.
“Archer!” I screamed, pummeling his back.
He smacked one ass cheek.
I hit him harder.
He smacked my other ass cheek and then headed in the direction of his bedroom.
“What are you doing?” I demanded. “You can’t just—”
“I can,” he interrupted.
He flipped on the light and then all but dumped me onto the bed.
“You drive me insane.” He took off his cowboy hat and placed it on the dresser.
“The feeling is mutual.”
“Good,” he said, bending down and taking off a boot. “Now get naked.”
“What?”
“You heard me.”
“I’m not getting naked.”
“Fine. I’ll get naked.” He began stripping off his shirt.
I hated that the sight of his bare, inked chest made my ovaries quiver.
“We can’t just have sex in lieu of a fight,” I said, my eyes dragging down his happy trail.
He unbuckled his belt. “Why not? It solves a lot of problems.”
“And causes a whole lot more.”
He shoved his jeans down, taking his boxers with him. He was erect, the tip of him glistening.
My mouth watered.
“You know what your problem is?” he asked as he gave himself a languid pump.
“Your problem is you don’t know how fucking sexy you are.
And you drive me crazy walking around in your tight leggings, showing off your perfect ass.
And when you get angry at me, your cheeks flush pink.
I want to make you flush pink everywhere, Wyn.
So, get naked so I can make us both feel good. ”
Getting naked would be surrendering.
And yet . . . I’d already slept with him. There was no taking it back now.
“Wyn, stop thinking so damn much,” he grumbled. “You can yell at me some more after I’ve given you a few orgasms, okay?”
“That idea has merit.” I sat up and lifted my sweater over my head.
He watched me with hooded eyes, pumping his erection as I slowly stripped bare.
“You’ve got a smart fucking mouth,” he rasped, stalking to the edge of the bed. “Why don’t you come over here and put it to good use.”
Swallowing, I scooted toward him and got on all fours.
I’d been dying to taste him.
He guided his erection toward my eager mouth. Archer groaned with pleasure as I took him deep. He released his shaft, but only so he could fist his hands in my hair.
I teased him, changing the speed and depth, kissing his crown before flattening my tongue and gliding it around his length.
“Fuck,” he groaned. “Feels so fucking good. You wet for me, baby? Touch yourself and tell me.”
I took one of my hands and slid it between my thighs. I rubbed myself for a moment and then held up my fingers to show him.
“Good girl,” he said, grasping my wrist and bringing my fingers to his lips. He enveloped both of my fingers in his warm mouth, licking them while I licked him.
Pleasure throbbed between my legs.
Achy. Needy. Desperate.
He released my fingers from his mouth, clean of my essence.
“I’m gonna come, Wyn,” he announced. “I’m gonna come in that smart mouth of yours and you’re going to swallow every drop of me. Aren’t you?”
I nodded, eagerly. Wanting to taste his release. Wanting to please him.
He grasped the back of my head, holding me steady as he fucked my mouth. Fucked it deep. With a hitch in his breath, he spurted.
Archer came and came and I did as he said; I swallowed every bit of him.
He was still shuddering, long after he’d stopped coming.
I pulled back and he popped from my mouth, and I flopped onto my back, breathing hard.
Archer’s eyes met mine as he grasped his still hard shaft.
“Flip over for me, baby. Get on all fours and spread those legs.”
A quiver went through me as I obeyed, spreading myself wide. I thought for sure he’d roll on a condom and then slide into me.
I squeaked in surprise when I felt his tongue at my slit.
He grasped my hips and hauled me toward him.
“You’re close, aren’t you?” he whispered, his breath teasing my skin. “You’re so close you’re about to come. You’re going to come on my tongue and then I’m going to fuck you. Fuck you slow and deep until you come again.”
His filthy promise sent pleasure skating down my spine, swirling between my legs. His tongue was voracious, determined.
And it wasn’t long until I was writhing for him. He held my hips, keeping me exactly where he wanted me.
It was too much, and I came with a hoarse cry.
While I was shaking and trembling, I heard the tear of a condom foil and then I felt him tease my entrance before sinking into me.
I was tender from my release, and he was huge, especially at this angle.
He wrapped an arm around my stomach, holding me up when all I wanted to do was collapse onto the bed.
Archer eased out and slowly pushed back in, driving me to the brink of madness.
“You take me so well. Look at you, flushed and greedy for more, aren’t you?”
“Archer,” I moaned. “Please . . .”
“Please what?”
He thrust back into me, forcing me to cry out in enjoyment.
“Please fuck you? Please make you come again?”
“Yes! Damn you! Yes!”
Archer picked up his speed and grasped my hips, angling deeper, hitting that elusive spot that only a well attuned lover could find.
And Archer was the best lover I’d ever had.
“Oh fuck,” I moaned, my eyes rolling into the back of my head.
“Scream my name, babe. I want to hear my name on your lips when I make you come so hard.”
He plunged deep and his name tore from my mouth.
I felt him everywhere. He was hot and hard and in the dark crevice of my mind, I wished there was no physical barrier between us. I wanted to feel skin on skin again. I wanted heat and seed and sweat.
A sob escaped me as my second orgasm, more powerful than the last, swept through my body. It was a nuclear blast. My bones melted. My heart combusted.
He slammed into me one final time with a groan and then had his own second release.
My arms collapsed like a matchstick house, and I fell to the bed. Archer came down on top of me, covering me with his body. He brushed my hair aside and pressed a tender kiss to my shoulder.
I buried my face into the bed and took a deep breath. The sweet gesture overwhelmed me.
He eased out of me. While Archer was removing the condom, I slid off the bed and gathered my clothes.
“What are you doing?” he asked, tossing the condom into the small trashcan by his nightstand.
I frowned. “Leaving.”
He shook his head. “I don’t think so.”
“Archer, you can’t just—”
“Shower,” he commanded. “We’re showering. I’m going to wash your body, and I’m going to make you come again. And then we’re climbing back into this bed and sleeping in it. Together.”
I shook my head.
He adamantly nodded. “And if you sneak out of my bed in the middle of the night, I’ll spank your ass.”
“That’s supposed to be a deterrent?”
He grinned. “Come on, Wynelope. Pretend it’s sleep away camp. And we just had a panty raid.”
My lips flickered.
“Give in,” he urged. “I’ll make it worth your while.”
“Orgasm sedation?” I asked in amusement.
“Something like that.”
He held his hand out toward me.
I slowly dropped the clothes I’d gathered in my arms.
And then took his hand and let him lead me to the bathroom.
The road to hell was not paved with good intentions.
It was paved with the glorious backside of a cowboy with an easy smile who owned my body.
And my heart.