Chapter Two
Hailey felt the feather-light caress skate down her back, then back up. A smile spread across her face.
“Mmm ... good morning,” she whispered as she stretched her arms over her head, arching her back. She giggled and squirmed when Adam’s fingers started caressing her side up into her underarms, making her squirm and cry out in giggles.
“Stop,” she demanded, laughing.
Adam chuckled and turned her onto her back and pulled her under him, so his chest was against hers and one of his legs trapped hers to the mattress.
“Good morning, love.” He pushed strands of her hair from her face, bent and closed his mouth over hers, hot and demanding. He deepened the kiss when her mouth opened, and her arm came around his neck to pull him closer. He kissed her deeply and hard.
One of his hands came down and cupped her breast. He used his thumb to circle her nipple before plucking at it, making it stand ridged and tight.
He kissed and caressed her for several minutes before sliding his hand down her stomach, then delving a finger into her belly button, and slipping between the lips of her pussy, finding her needy and wet.
He tore his mouth from hers to draw in a ragged breath.
Adam looked down at the dazed arousal on her face and heard the soft mewing sounds she made when her arousal was high.
“Oh, Lord, woman. I know I’ve said it a million times, but I can’t get enough of you.”
Hailey squinted up at him. “I hope you never do,” she whispered as her hands roamed over his hot, hard body. She arched and cried out as the first one of his thick fingers, and then two, thrust into her depths. “Please, Adam,” she whimpered in need.
“I’ll take care of you, love.” He pushed his knee between her legs and then maneuvered himself in the notch between her thighs. He cupped her face in his hand as he balanced himself on his elbows on either side of her shoulders. “Look at me. I want to see your eyes as I fuck you.”
Hailey’s eyes slid open to stare up at the man who had captured her heart and soul.
She dug her fingers into the muscles in his upper back, wrapped her legs around his hips, and held on, knowing he was going to take her on a swift ride up a steep peak, and then throw her over into a kaleidoscope of sensations she would never be able to describe.
“Don’t close your eyes. Keep them open for me, baby,” he purred in a rough whisper when her eyes started to droop.
Adam drove in one great thrust and immediately started moving in slow drags of his hips. He bent and placed kisses along her jaw and up to her temples, before moving back to her lips, all the while keeping eye contact with her.
Hailey never really understood how it was possible that she could take his massive cock inside her.
It always felt like a hot steel pipe that reached as far as her cervix.
Even after all these years, she still felt a slight trepidation when he entered her, but her body craved his touch to such a degree, and her soul demanded they become one, that he could have done anything.
She would have done anything this man asked of her.
After the first few thrusts, she relaxed when her body remembered how he felt inside of her and how he could make her feel.
Adam slid a hand under her and gathered some of her cream before pushing first one, and then two, fingers up into her tight ass.
“Does that feel good? Your pussy and your ass filled at the same time?” He watched the flush of passion deepen and her breath become heavier and choppier. “You like it, don’t you, baby?”
Hailey breathed out a moan, concentrating on the overwhelming need he provoked in her.
“Answer me. Do you like being stuffed and stretched like this?”
She whimpered and gave him a jerky nod.
Adam smiled as he sped up his pace, ramming into her while he added a third finger to her ass.
“Yeah, you love this. You could have this all the time, but with two cocks.”
Hailey concentrated on her husband’s dark, strong face and the throbbing deep inside that he caused with every demanding thrust of his hips, not comprehending what he’d said at first. Her breath hitched in her chest, and her eyebrows bunched together in confusion when his words finally penetrated.
She tried to find the words she needed, but her thoughts were splintered apart when his thrusts turned fast and hard.
“Come now.” A low whine started deep in her throat and grew louder the closer she came to that magical place only Adam could take her to. Her mewing mixed with his groans filled the room.
Both of their chests were heaving as they desperately moved to regain their normal breath. A long moment passed before Adam was able to swing to the side of her and then roll to his feet.
“I’m going to clean up and start a bath for us. How does that sound?”
Hailey tried to smile, but she could only nod once as she concentrated on calming her heart back to a normal rhythm, and her breathing slowed.
Her hands stayed flat on her stomach, and her legs were still spread.
The thought of moving was abhorrent to her at that moment, but she knew he wouldn’t let her go back to sleep. He’d just carry her into the bathroom.
She must have dozed because her eyes opened to find her in his arms in the bathroom. Her husband was always energetic when it came to sex. It was rare that she was able to fall asleep without him in her, squeezing an orgasm out of her. But last night and this morning, he seemed extra exuberant.
She hissed when her backside hit the hot water.
He chuckled, stepped in behind her, and arranged her in between his legs. He picked up a washcloth and added her soap.
Hailey relaxed more when his hands did more to soothe her than arouse her. She swirled her hands through the thick cover of bubbles he’d added to her bath.
She gave a slight flinch when his hand slid between her legs to wash her. “Are you sore, love?”
She smiled and looked over her shoulder at him. “A bit. It’s not bad, though.”
“Poor baby. I promise, I’ll take it easy on you tonight,” he murmured, and then bit down on her neck, making her squeal and himself laugh.
“When did I marry a mean man?”
He nuzzled his nose against her neck before he bit down a little on her ear.
“I’m not mean,” he growled, making her laugh.
Hailey reached over her head and back, so she could wrap her arms around the back of his head.
Adam bit back a moan. In this position, she arched, exposing her breasts to him and the air.
“No, you’re not really mean,” she teased.
“We’ll see how mean I can get tonight.”
She dropped her arms and twisted around until she could see his face. “You said you’d take it easy on me tonight,” she complained.
Adam smiled and tapped her on the end of her nose, leaving behind a small amount of bubbles. He chuckled when she tried to wipe it off, but only got more bubbles on her face.
“Now we both know you love everything I do to you.”
She sighed, turned, leaned back against his chest, and nodded. “Mmm.”
“Say the words,” he demanded gruffly.
“Yes, I love everything you do to me.”
He kissed the side of her head. “Are you telling me the whole truth? I need to know, love. I don’t want ever to hurt or overwhelm you so much that you feel any sort of anxiety.”
She tipped her head to the side and back again. “You’ve never hurt me. I crave your hands on me all the time. I don’t care what you do to me. I know it centers on my pleasure.”
“That’s right, it does.”
There was a moment of silence as he started to rewash her. “I have some news.”
Hailey’s eyes were closed as she relaxed back against her husband’s chest. “What news?” she murmured sleepily.
“My brother is on his way home.”
Hailey stilled, and her heart stalled in her chest. “So, he’s going to live here with us?”
“Yes, love. This is the family ranch. I wouldn’t allow him to go anywhere else.” He waited a moment for her to reply and continued when she didn’t. “He’s going to need both of us.”
“Why?”
“His last assignment went bad, baby. He lost a few good friends.”
“You never told me that.”
“I know, but he just told me a few days ago.”
“Was he hurt?”
“He had some injuries, but nothing serious.”
“When will he be here?”
“He said it might take a few days.” Adam squeezed the excess water from the cloth and stood. “Come on, love. We need to wash the bubbles off, and I need to wash your hair.”
She grabbed onto his hand and used it to balance herself to step out of the bathtub. She watched him pull the drain to release the water before he pulled her along into the shower.
He made sure the water was set to the right temperature before leaning her head back to wet her hair. She had her arms around his waist and held on while he took care of her.
He smiled when she moaned as he lathered her hair.
She loved the feel of his fingers in her hair.
She loved to be pampered and taken care of, and he was more than happy to oblige her.
He rinsed it and added some conditioner to it, then rinsed that out.
When he finished her, he sat her on the bench in the corner of the shower and quickly took care of himself before turning off the water.
In the bedroom, he handed her a skirt and a short-sleeved top.
“It’s going to be hot today, so I’d like it if you stayed inside as much as possible.” He dressed quickly and then helped her make the bed.
In the kitchen, he sat and drank a cup of coffee while Hailey made breakfast. They discussed everything else, but not what Hailey was afraid to mention. Adam’s demeanor seemed to change when his brother’s name was brought up.
“Are you going anywhere today?”
Hailey flipped the French toast and turned to Adam. “I hadn’t planned on it. Why? Do you need me to go into town?”
Adam set down his cup and shook his head. “No, I’ll be in the back pasture today and didn’t want you to have to go alone.”
Hailey snorted. “I’ve gone into town by myself lots of times. I don’t need a babysitter.”
He leaned back in his chair and scowled. “I know. I just feel better if Conner or I go with you.” His eyes narrowed on her. “I know I can be overprotective, but you knew that before you married me.”
“Yes, I did. But I hoped you’d settle down in your old age a bit,” she teased as she continued to watch the toast. She shrieked and giggled when his arms wrapped around her from behind.
“Really? My old age?” he grumbled against the slender column of her neck.
Hailey laughed and cuddled back against his chest. “All right, you’re not that old ... I guess.”
“I’m only twelve years older than you,” he growled against her neck.
“Yeah, over a decade older.”
“It sounds worse when you say it that way,” he said, and scowled.
Hailey turned in his arms, rose up on tiptoes, and placed a kiss on his chin. “Well, don’t. You’re the perfect age for me.”
“You’re damn right I am.”
Adam lowered his head and laid his lips on hers. His tongue delved in between her lips to tangle with hers.
A minute slid by. He tore his mouth from hers when he smelled something burning.
“Our toast is burning, baby.”
“Oh, shoot,” she said, and twirled and flipped the pieces of egg-coated bread over to see the damage. “Darn it.”
“It’s not too bad. Since I caused it, I’ll eat the darker ones,” he said as he retook a seat.
She turned and pointed the spatula at him. “You better believe it, buster.”
Adam chuckled and shook his head.
After breakfast, Adam kissed her and headed outside to work while she cleaned up the kitchen. She grabbed her cleaning supplies, sheets, and towels, and headed up to the second floor to the biggest available bedroom.
She dusted and made the bed. Cleaned the adjoining bathroom and placed clean towels on the counter. She gave the bathroom floor a quick mopping and then vacuumed the bedroom rug.
Most of the house was hardwood, but decorative rugs were placed in every bedroom, the office that she and Adam shared, and the living room to add a bit of comfort. It also made it special that the rugs had been in the family for decades.
At the door, she turned back to look to make sure she hadn’t missed anything. Hailey decided a vase of flowers would help freshen it up a bit more and be a nice welcome-home gesture.
Hailey waved at the few cowboys around the barns as she carried her basket to the garden she kept in back. Most of it was vegetables and a few fruit bushes, but she also had a small area of decorative flowers because she liked the look and smell of them in the house.
The garden had been there for three generations, but it seemed to grow a bit every year. Pretty soon, it would be too much for her to handle alone, and Adam didn’t have time to help. She’d look into downsizing it a bit, so she was able to keep control of the weeds that grew in abundance every day.
One of her favorite pictures in the house was of Adam’s mom kneeling in the garden smelling one of her roses.
She wore a ragged old straw hat that she’d had for years and would never give up.
The same hat was hanging on a hook on the back porch.
It would stay there forever, too, if Hailey had anything to say about it.
She’d never had the chance to meet his mother. She and his dad had been gone for years before they married. The times Adam talked about them, she’d been so envious of the family he’d grown up with. Hailey’s mother had abandoned her and her sister, leaving the girls with their father.
Although they had a roof over their head and food in their bellies, there hadn’t been a lick of kindness in their dad.
He took great pleasure in insulting and yelling at them whenever he had the chance.
She still sometimes heard his voice in her head when she was feeling inadequate.
She knew it would take a lot of time to banish him entirely from her mind, but she was determined to do it.
As much as she resented her mother over the years, as a grown woman, she understood why she ran from the guy. He’d been a despicable human being. Hailey had just wished she’d taken her two daughters with her.
Hailey blew out a breath when she hit the shade of the back porch. Adam had been right. The sun and temperature that day were brutal. She’d venture out later to grab the mail and get the eggs, but the majority of the day, she planned to be in her cool office, working.
After placing the flowers in the vase, she set them out on the dresser and stood back. She’d been told this had always been Drew’s bedroom growing up. It had changed a bit over the years. The bed had gone from a full to a king to fit his massive body.
Adam had mentioned that his brother was a little taller than he was. Since her husband already towered over her, she couldn’t imagine how small she’d feel around Drew.
She took one last look before closing herself off in her office.