Cougar in Texas: 3 (Rugged and Risque) (10 page)

She said, “I’m glad it’s winter. The chill in the air makes all this body heat necessary.”

His low chuckle warmed her further. “Not to mention damn tempting.”

“Yes, there is that.”

Though neither of them made a move to take advantage of the close proximity and near nudity. Caleb like holding her. She seemed content with the situation as well. He closed his eyes and listened to her steady breathing until sleep consumed him.

* * * * *

He woke in the middle of the night. Reese’s fingers brushed over his belly, up to his pecs. She was still nestled beside him, his arm around her. They’d burrowed a bit farther under the comforter, and it was nice and warm. Though her gentle touch hitched up his internal temperature even more.

Placing his hand over hers, he guided her downward to the erection straining against the crotch of his briefs. Her fingers grazed his cock and he groaned, low and deep.

No two ways about it, he craved her touch. She stroked him through the nylon material as she kissed his chest, then tongued his nipple, which tightened his groin further.

He shifted on the sofa so she lay on her back. He kissed her deeply, reveling in the feel of her body beneath his. His hand moved up her bare thigh, over her hip and to her breast. His thumb swept over her nipple and her body jerked in response.

Breaking their kiss, his lips slid slowly along the long column of her throat. He nipped softly at her flesh, then whispered in the darkness, “I want to come inside you.”

“
Yes
.”

Excitement flowed through him, kicking up his pulse. He moved away from her for just a few seconds as he poked a hand out of the cocoon and felt around on the floor for his jeans. She whipped off the T-shirt she wore as he dug the wallet out of his back pocket and fished out the condom he’d stashed there this morning, having no idea when or where the mood might strike with Reese.

Clamping the packet between his teeth, he quickly removed his briefs and sheathed himself. Then his hands roamed her body, kneading her breasts before his fingers slid over the slick folds between her legs.

He kissed her again as he rubbed her labia, then her clit in a slow, circular motion. Her fingers twined in his hair and her body writhed beneath him.

Taking his time to pleasure her only made him harder. She was warm and wet, her skin smooth against his touch. He wanted to taste her again, yet at the same time had no desire to stop kissing her. With a little more pressure on her clit, he had her moaning against his lips.

“Tell me when you’re close,” he whispered in between kisses.

“Now,” she said in a strained voice. “Now, Caleb.”

His hand fell away and he thrust deep into her, wrenching a small cry from her lips.

“Oh God!” She came with a violent shudder that reverberated within him.

He didn’t let up. His cock pumped within her, slow and steady. She still quaked beneath him while milking his shaft, making it damn near impossible to keep from coming so quickly. He gripped her ass cheek and pressed her more firmly against him as he pushed deeper with long, full strokes.

“Reese,” he murmured against her throat. “You feel so good.”

“So do you. You’re going to make me come again.”

He swallowed down an unexpected lump of emotion. She easily commanded his desire but also stirred feelings that were new and raw for him. “I want you to come,” he told her. “And beg for more.”

“I do want more,” she insistent. Though it was still predawn and they were buried under the covers so he couldn’t see the look in her eyes, her voice was full of conviction. “I want so much more.”

He groaned. Then he thrust into her and she let out a heavy breath.

“Yes,” she said in her sultry tone. “I want you, just like this.”

They moved together as though they’d been making love for years and intimately knew each other’s wants and desires. Their bodies melded together and her hips lifted to take him deep as he plunged into her.

She was soft against his more rigid body, but her pussy was warm and wet and she clutched him tight, as though not wanting to relinquish her hold on him. It was more than a physical hold. Everything about her made him damn glad he’d wound up in Wilder…and that she’d been standing on the other side of the door when he’d come to the B&B.

Her hands glided over his biceps to his shoulder, her touch delicate, her fingers slightly shaky. He wondered if she experienced the sort of inner peace he seemed to glean from making love with her. The thought made him want to stare into her eyes, try to read her emotions. Yet conversely he liked how private their dark sanctuary was, so he didn’t push back the comforter to let in any light.

Her fingertips grazed his spine, down to his tailbone, then slowly dragged back up, arousing him even more.

“I like how you touch me,” he whispered against her neck. “And I like how your body feels pressed against mine.”

Her breasts nestled below his pectoral muscles. Despite his height, they were a perfect fit.

“Come with me,” she said as her hips rolled and her back arched.

He increased the tempo of their sensual rhythm, thrusting harder, driving deeper.

“Oh, Caleb.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him, her body moving with his. “Yes.”

His lips brushed over her temple. “You feel sweeter than heaven, darlin’.”

He held her tightly to him as his cock pumped faster inside her. She moaned, a sexy sound that drove him wild.

“You hit all the right spots,” she said. “God, you feel amazing. I can’t stop—Oh God!” Her inner walls contracted around his shaft as her body tensed. Then tremors rocked her and she quaked in his arms. “Caleb, yes!”

Her orgasm sparked his own as she squeezed him. “That’s it, darlin’. Just like that…” His body convulsed as he came, his cock surging and exploding, his hips bucking. “Reese,” he said in a gruff voice. “Sweetheart, you are just too much.”

He kept her wrapped in his embrace as they both breathed heavily.

“Jesus, the things you do to me,” he said, his tone still strained.

She shivered. Then he felt a few wet drops on his shoulder.

“Hey,” he whispered, his breathing still jagged. “No crying. You’ll make me think I’ve done something wrong. Like defiled you against your will.”

Her laugh was a soft one. “You know better.” She sniffled. “Sorry about the tears. You’re just everything I’ve never had. And so much more than I’d ever imagined.”

“We are damn good together.”

“It’s you,” she said in a quiet voice.

With a sweep of his arm, he threw back the blanket to shoulder level. Enough moonlight filtered in through the cracks in the shutters that he could look into her eyes.

“It’s
us
, Reese. Honest and simple. I’d buy stock in this.”

Another tear rolled down her cheek. He quickly whisked it away.

She smiled. “Aren’t you just a fantasy come to life?”

“I’m workin’ on it,” he said with a grin. “Maybe someday I’ll have you convinced you deserve better cards than the ones you were dealt.”

“I chose those cards,” she was quick to say. “Can’t blame anyone but myself.”

“You didn’t deserve to have someone beat you down, sweetheart.”

“That is true.” She sighed. “But I put up with it so, again, who’s really at fault?”

He realized she had to accept the situation with her ex for what it was on her own terms. He couldn’t talk her into feeling any different. But he could certainly help her see she was worth more than she seemed to give herself credit. Perhaps that was why he’d innately gone for the big, showy flowers. To prove he believed she was worth the time and effort and expense. And hoped she believed it too.

His lips brushed over hers and then he said, “Don’t you move, darlin’. I’ll be right back.”

He slipped from the sofa to tidy himself up in his bathroom, then returned to snuggle with her again. She hadn’t put his shirt back on and he was glad, because he wanted her naked beside him.

Holding her in his arms, he kissed the top of her head and said, “A few more winks might do us both good. Don’t rush off when the sun’s up. There are still leftovers I can take out to the ranch so you don’t have to cook.”

“I don’t mind cooking.”

With a chuckle, he said, “You need to learn to read between the lines.”

“Well, I wasn’t planning on running off if you had another condom handy.”

“Picked one up on my way out of the bedroom.”

She laughed. Then yawned. She settled more soundly against him, and soon he heard her light, steady breathing and it lulled him to sleep as well.

Chapter Six

Reese kept her word and didn’t slip away to cook at the crack of dawn. Instead they stayed under the covers until eight, and then they made omelets together. Following breakfast, they both showered before heading out in Caleb’s SUV. His property was a good ten miles northwest of town, edging the lake, as he pointed out. She hadn’t been in this particular area for some time and found the scenery spectacular with the tall pines and the mature cedars and elms lining the two-lane stretch of asphalt.

“Wilder really is beautiful,” she said.

“I thought so when Nadine first emailed me photos. Prettier in person, though. The foliage is lush and the colors are rich.”

“The people are decent too, for the most part.”

“One bad apple in the basket doesn’t spoil the pie.”

She laughed. “My mother used to say that.”

“Oh, yeah? She live in town?”

“No, actually. She passed away. When I was twenty. She and my father were both in a freak accident in New York. One of those bizarre ferry crashes you hear about from time to time.”

He glanced over at her. “That’s terrible. I’m so sorry.”

“Thanks. I had a hard time grasping how it could’ve happened, but it eventually sank in. They were very adventuresome, so I told myself they would’ve rather died in a boating accident while on vacation than old and immobile in beds at hospice care.”An extreme example, but it’d helped to ease her mind.

“I can relate to that. I was once thrown from the surliest horse you could possibly imagine—which, of course, was the reason I’d wanted to ride him—and I broke ten bones when I tumbled down the side of a cliff. The first thing I asked my dad when he got to the hospital was whether they’d found the horse and if he was okay. I swore to my mom I’d never ride again. By that evening, though, I was already itching to get out of bed and get home to the stables because I never went to sleep without saying goodnight to the horses.”

“How old were you?”

“Fifteen.”

She whistled under her breath. “Wow. I’m not sure I could have gotten back in the saddle after that.”

“You’ve proved you’re capable,” he said with a wink.

Her stomach fluttered. “Maybe.”

He reached for her hand and brought it to his lips. “You’re not exactly running and hiding, Reese.”

“The little voice inside my head tells me I’d be stupid to. But,” she added, needing to be honest with him, “I’m very concerned about Tommy being in town. Not that he’s a huge menace to society, but the other night… I’ve seen him like that before. He lost a few jobs when we were married—if you can even call it losing them, because he never put enough effort into keeping any one for more than a month or two. Any sort of rejection sends him over the edge. He’ll drink and get defensive. Belligerent, even. He always needs someone else to blame.”

“Are you thinking he’s going to put his current troubles on the two of us?”

“It’s crossed my mind. Repeatedly.”

Caleb was silent beside her. He turned onto a winding gravel road that led to a very lovely setup—the Painted Horse Ranch. Pulling up in front of the house, he shifted into park and then cut the engine.

Twisting slightly in his seat, he said, “I’ve got you trapped with that belt again.”

She laughed.

“So you have to hear what I’m going to say.”

“Okay.” She swallowed down a lump of emotion. His diatribe could go either way. He could tell her he didn’t need the complication of her and her crazy ex-husband while he was trying to build his business and save horses. Or he could say he didn’t give a rip about Tommy and was more than willing to weather the storm until it blew over.

She held her breath as he collected his thoughts. When he spoke, she felt as though she’d already known the conclusion he’d drawn.

“I’d like to play the macho cowboy who takes care of your problem without you even knowing about it, but threats from me aren’t going to stop him if he wants to pursue you. You’re the one who’s going to have to hammer it into his head that it’s over. Figuratively speaking, of course.”

She smiled. “Point taken.”

“You were right the other night—you do have to stand up to him. But I intend to stand right beside you while you do.”

Her eyes misted but she kept the actual tears at bay. He didn’t like her crying any more than she did. “If they gave out medals for kissing and chivalry, you’d be a world champion.”

“I’d prefer a kiss from you to a medal, darlin’.”

“I’d gladly give you one. But I’m stuck, remember?”

“Oh, yeah.”

He worked his magic on the latch. She stretched across the small space between them and laid a kiss on him she hoped he’d not soon forget.

When she pulled away, he let out a low, sexy grunt. “That’s enough to inspire some very wicked thoughts.”

“Again?” Her laugh was an enthusiastic one.

“Any time, darlin’. You get me all hot and bothered.”

Cupping the back of his head, she coaxed him toward her and kissed him again. Their tongues tangled together and heat flooded her veins.

Against her lips, he said, “We’re steaming up the windows.”

“Anyone here to take notice?”

“Nope.”

With that, his mouth sealed to hers and he kissed her deeply. The tickle along her clit he so easily sparked and the pulsing in her cunt had her
this close
to suggesting they hop into the backseat. But the honking of a horn caused them to spring apart.

“What the hell?” Caleb said, apparently not expecting anyone to join them. He peered into the rearview mirror and then chuckled. “Well, I’ll be damned.” Turning to her, he said in a very mischievous tone, “Sweetheart, keep in mind how much you enjoy my kisses. You’re about to be swept off your feet.”

“By someone other than you?” she asked as she gazed out the back window. “Impossible.”

“I sure hope so.” He opened the door and hopped out, then came around to her side.

She followed him toward a beefy dual-axle truck in pewter gray. The driver shut off the engine and climbed out. He was a mountain of a man, even taller than Caleb. Devilishly handsome and with the same dark-as-night hair. Perhaps five or six years older. Reese’s age.

He swooped in for a manly bear hug with Caleb that left both men laughing.

“Goddamn, it’s good to see you,” the other man said.

Clasping his shoulder, Caleb asked, “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”

“Thought I’d surprise my baby brother.”

“Whoa,” Reese said, thinking two Bennetts were enough to send a woman’s heart soaring into the stratosphere, what with all that natural charm and unbeatable gorgeousness. “
Brother
?”

Nodding, Caleb said, “I did forewarn you in the car. This is Sam. He’s technically my half brother.”

Sam leaned toward her, extending his hand. “The better-looking half. And who are you?”

“Reese Middleton,” Caleb was quick to say. “And you’d be less likely to get your ass kicked if you stopped eyeing her as though she were on the cover of
Victoria’s Secret
.”

“She should be,” he said as he shook her hand. His gaze shifted to Caleb. “Seriously,
you’re
going to kick my ass?”

“I won’t have to. She’ll slap you senseless, bro. I’ve seen it.”

“
Ooohh
, a feisty one.” He winked at her. “Too bad you’re clearly spoken for. But if you change your mind, let me know.”

He didn’t linger with the handshake, backing off immediately. Reese liked him instantly.

To Caleb she said, “You didn’t tell me you had a brother.”

“He’s been serving in Iraq and Afghanistan for some time. Prefers the desert to Texas, I guess.”

“Yeah, right,” Sam said. “No self-respecting Texan wants to be anywhere other than the Lone Star State. But when duty calls…” He shrugged in a nonchalant, yet conversely humbled way.

Caleb said, “He’s well-decorated and about the most honorable man I know.”

“
About?
” Sam scoffed.

“Well, there was that one time in Fort Worth when—”

“Hey, now. Let’s not go discrediting me in front of this pretty lady before I’ve had the chance to endear myself to her.” He grinned. While it was a dazzling one, it didn’t make all her sensitive parts tingle the way Caleb’s smile did.

“I’m sure you didn’t misbehave too badly. Caleb clearly had good examples to follow.”

Sam laughed. “She hasn’t met my stepmother yet, hmm?”

Changing the subject, Caleb asked, “Did Dad bitch about me coming down here? Were you sent to talk me out of this?”

“Yes and yes. But I only nodded my head and said I’d pop on by and see what was what. From the looks of things, I’d say he’s not going to have an argument to win you back. Beautiful property, beautiful woman. Christ, Caleb. Breaking family tradition suits you well.”

“What exactly
is
the family business?” Reese asked.

“Oil,” Caleb said.

Her eyes widened. “Seriously? You’re real-life Ewings?”

Both men laughed. “Maybe if we were greedy SOBs who thrived on family drama,” Sam said. “But I left the house when I was eighteen and enlisted. Caleb went to college and vet school after he graduated high school. Our trust funds will help our kids along someday, but we’re not the sort to spend that money. At least not on anything frivolous.”

“That is so commendable,” she said, once again wishing she had some greater calling in life.

Caleb asked, “Who wants a walkthrough of this massive acreage I’ve committed myself to?”

They followed him to the stables and then the corrals. He told them of his plans for the med facility and the additional stalls. When they made it to the house, Reese was so impressed she was speechless. Sam, however, had plenty to say.

“I know you well enough to know you already have your staffing plan in place, but damn. If you need another pair of hands, I’m your man. This is an incredible idea.”

“Not a lot of money left over for the hired help,” Caleb warned him.

“Oh shit. I don’t give a damn about that and you know it. This is a good-sized house you’ve got here. If there’s a room for me… I’d be game.”

“Are you serious?” Caleb asked.

With a nod, Sam told him, “My time with the military is up. Frankly, I’m tired of getting shot at. I’d like something more low-key. And you know I’m good with horses.”

Caleb grinned. “I would’ve asked you sooner, but I didn’t want you to accept out of obligation.”

“This isn’t Dad’s company where we’re supposed to follow suit without wanting to fulfill any other sort of meaningful purpose. The thing is, he’s got more than enough experienced people to run the business. Our cousins, even. He’s not lacking for executive vice presidents to groom. And those people are infinitely more passionate about making money than we are. I’m good with what I’ve got, without even touching more family finances.”

“Well, that’s inevitable, because the money runs our way regardless. But I agree with you. I’m saving it for my kids, so maybe they can also do what they want to without feeling the pressure of following in
my
footsteps. They can be whatever the hell they want to be.”

Reese had to press her lips together to keep her jaw from dropping at the admirable notion.

Sam said, “Dad gets it, some of the time. He fully supported me becoming a Marine. But Judith still wants clones. She wants us to imitate Dad and she wants our wives to be just like her.”

“I’m guessing Judith is your mother?”

“Mine,” Caleb said. “Sam’s mom was a waitress in Lubbock. Dad hooked up with her years before he married my mother. It wasn’t until she died of breast cancer that he found out about Sam.”

“The illegitimate child of the family,” he said with a laugh. Though a flicker in his dark-green eyes told her he missed his mother. She could certainly relate.

“I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Thanks,” he said. “So how’d you meet this bum?”

She smiled. “I own the B&B he’s staying at.”

“Ah, convenient.” He nodded knowingly at his brother, making Reese’ face flush.

To change the subject, she asked, “What are you going to do with this enormous property?”

They stood on the back porch. Sprawled before them was a lush carpet of green grass. A clearing down the middle led to a sensational view of the lake and the mountains in the distance. Edging the clearing were tall, mature trees of varying kinds, all majestic and magnificent. The grounds were immaculate and breathtaking.

Caleb’s gaze swept the area before he shook his head and said, “I haven’t the slightest idea.”

* * * * *

Caleb and Sam surveyed the fencing around the corrals to assess the necessary repairs. According to an environmental report Caleb had received from a hired contractor—and from his own assessment—hard rains had flooded the grounds a year ago and had washed away the soil around the posts. None of them were steadily standing. The previous owner had left skeletal supplies for Caleb, negotiated in the sales price. He found a wheelbarrow, shovels and racks in the stable. He and Sam agreed to move some dirt to fill in the holes and have the landscaping company plant new grass in the barren areas.