
How does a man get over a cheating woman? Sweet revenge...
Lone Star Lovers, Book 2
For Cutter Standifer, the pretty little redhead who opened a café in Two Mule, Texas, was "the one". Until he caught her in a compromising position with the town's worst womanizer. To further strain his rigid code, his little sister just married the same damn bastard who shattered his world and she's living in sin with him and another man.
A year later, he still can't forgive his ex-girlfriend. And forget? Forget, hell. He's ready to kick his code into the nearest manure pile and take what he never had from her---full satisfaction.
That fateful morning, all Katie Grissom meant to do was use the bad boy's reputation to force Cutter to piss or get off the pot where their own relationship was concerned. But she went too far---deliciously too far---giving Cutter an eyeful she lived to regret.
When Cutter offers her a no-strings affair she jumps at the chance, hoping to either break through the rigid wall he's built around his heart...or get him out of her system for good.
Warning: When a hard-as-nails cowboy finally lets loose on the only woman he's ever loved expect the loving to get hot enough to melt a cold, cold, heart---toys, front and slammin' backdoor sex are only the beginning...
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This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
Unforgiven
Copyright © 2010 by Delilah Devlin ISBN: 978-1-60504-877-2
Edited by Lindsey Faber Cover by Natalie Winters
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
First Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication: January 2010
Unforgiven
Dedication
Thanks to Virginia for her keen eye, blunt honesty and steadfast friendship.
Cutter Standifer stuck his finger inside the collar of his dress shirt and tugged. Damn thing felt tight. And every time he glanced at the bride and grooms, it just got tighter.
His little sister had wanted to be married in the sunshine, so they'd chosen the lawn on the south side of the house in front of his mother's rose garden. He'd had landscapers working around the clock to clean up the overgrown flower beds. No one would find fault with the yard, the house or with the celebration he'd paid for. However, if they didn't finish up quick, everyone's Sunday-best clothing would be drenched in perspiration.
June in West Texas was hot as hell even though they'd scheduled the ceremony for just before noon.
If his mother had been here, she'd have approved his preparations. He'd done his duty. Dani looked prettier than the pink and yellow roses blooming in the background. She wore their mother's white wedding dress, which had only needed a few tucks around the waist to fit and left too much of her tanned shoulders and chest bare for his liking. She'd twisted her long blonde hair up into some kind of knot that made her neck and shoulders look feminine, fragile and innocent. No one looking at her now, with her green eyes soft and bright with unshed tears and her lips curved into a wide smile, would know she was anything but fragile. And she damned sure wasn't innocent.
Cutter jerked when the people seated around him erupted in a loud cheer.
The official groom bent Dani over his arm and kissed her like he wasn't going to stop until her stays popped and he had her naked and under him. The crowd enjoyed his enthusiasm.
Cutter's stomach clenched and he looked away. Not until the bridal couple had trailed down the aisle toward the house and the reception did he stir.
And then he moved like an old man, taking his time following the wedding guests inside, listening as music poured out the door onto the wrap-around porch.
Reluctantly, he reminded himself his duty wasn't done quite yet. He had a party to oversee. Just a couple more hours and he could close the doors on the last guest and settle down to getting stinking drunk.
He wondered if anyone else who'd been watching had caught on to the fact the best man had looked every bit as happy as the bastard who'd placed the ring on his kid sister's finger. Rowe Ayers, the best man, had beamed every time he looked at Dani---and at Justin Cruz.
As Cutter stepped into the ballroom, he caught sight of the threesome again and his stomach churned with disgust. Rowe was with the bridal couple, still smiling. First at Dani, and then at Justin.
What the fuck did that mean? Cutter didn't really want to know. The thought of his sister, sandwiched between those two bastards was bad enough. The thought that maybe there was something happening between the two men... Well, it just wasn't something he could let himself think about and not lose his breakfast.
Add to the facts that Justin Cruz looked like the cat that swallowed the canary and Cutter felt like his head was ready to explode.
The pulse at his temple hammered. His face was hot. His muscles tensed for a fight. Just one little word from the wrong person...
"Well, will you lookie there," Wade Luckadoo muttered next to him, holding a Shiner Bock beer in one large fist. "They sure look cozy. Wonder if they plan to dance the first waltz in a goddamn conga line."
Cutter clamped his jaw tight. So maybe he'd been thinking the exact damn thing, but Wade wasn't going to get away with slandering his sister. "You wanna step outside?"
Wade's eyebrows shot up. His hands lifted, holding the beer high. "Cutter, dammit, I didn't mean a thing by it. You know me'n my mouth."
Cutter sighed. He'd really hoped Wade would oblige him with a fight. They were evenly matched and Wade never held a grudge after every time Cutter had tried to kick his ass.
"Still, they did make quite a commotion at the saloon, cozying up together on the dance floor. Didn't seem to mind what anyone was seein'."
"Wade..." Cutter let his tone slide into a sharp-edged warning.
Wade shrugged. "Just sayin' they look happy. Wish't I was that goddamn happy."
Cutter saw red. He reached over for the beer in Wade's hand, and Wade surrendered it cheerfully and began rolling up his shirt sleeves. "Just remember, I'm doin' you a favor. Saw the way you looked at Cruz all thru the ceremony. If that horny bastard had married my little sis, I'd be ready to spit nails too."
Cutter set down the Shiner on the reception table and shrugged out of his tuxedo jacket, then slowly rolled up the sleeves of his pristine white shirt. The tux was only pennies on top of the cash he'd laid out for his sister's sham of a wedding. Dirtying it up a bit would give him some satisfaction. Wiping the growing grin off of Wade's face would give him even more.
"Outside?" Wade offered.
Cutter cut a quick glance around the room and saw Justin leading Dani out on the dance floor. "Act casual. Don't want her to know." But with the number of glances swinging between the couple cozying up for their wedding dance and the two men stalking toward the door, there wasn't much of a chance all hell wasn't about to break loose.
Texans liked a little drama at a wedding. The fact Dani was marrying the town's biggest bad boy had been enough to ensure every invitation she'd mailed had been RSVPed with an enthusiastic yes.
Now Cutter was going to give them another spectacle to keep them talking for years.
Maybe if he hadn't chugged one beer after the other before the ceremony, trying to cool his temper, he wouldn't be so eager to make sure everyone knew he wasn't all right with things. More importantly, from his point of view, he didn't want anyone paying too close attention to the fact the best man was just as touchy-feely with the bride as the groom.
He was doing this for Dani's sake, he told himself.
Wade pushed through the back door, his booted heels pounding on the planked porch. Before he took the first step down toward the dirt, he turned.
Cutter didn't give him any warning. His fist clipped the other man's jaw, sending him backward.
Wade missed every step on his way down. He sat in the dust, shaking his head, and then worked his jaw side to side. "You're madder than I thought," he murmured.
"It's not entirely you," Cutter ground out.
"Didn't think it was." Wade grinned and came to his knees, then ungracefully stood. He swayed only once, before bringing up his fists. "You see Katie?"
Cutter narrowed his eyes to angry slits and swung again.
This time, Wade ducked under the fist, bobbing up with a wide grin. "Sure looks pretty in that little blue dress. Wonder if she's even wearin' any underwear."
Cutter growled and ducked his shoulders, raising his fists higher and aiming at the spot on Wade's jaw he knew would end his chattering. Speculating about his sister's marriage was one thing. Mentioning Katie Grissom's name in his presence was the last straw. She hadn't been invited to the wedding. She was the last person in Texas who should be there. Wade knew it too.
His friend must have read the tightening fury in his expression, because his grin faded and his gaze narrowed like he was finally going to take the fight seriously. They both had similar builds which made them frequent sparring partners, neither liking to pick on a man less able to stand up to him.
Now that Wade seemed ready to get serious about his ass-whooping, Cutter took deep, even breaths and settled into a fighter's stance, letting his knees relax a bit as he bobbed side to side, looking for an opening to punch Wade with a wicked right hook.
But Wade ducked, coming up under Cutter's arms, and slammed both sides of his ribs with bone-crunching digs.
Cutter backed up and wheezed, shaking his head to clear it of some of the anger. He'd never win if he went at Wade like an angry bull.
Behind them, footsteps creaked on the wooden porch as more and more of the wedding guests pushed outside to see what all the fuss was about. Whispers and soft laughter, punctuated by groans every time a punch landed, grew behind them until bets began to be shouted over the crowd.
Cutter realized he didn't care whether he won or lost, just that Wade keep hammering away at him, because each blow distracted him from the pain he felt inside.
He'd failed his parents. Failed to keep Dani safe. Failed to protect her honor. She'd let Justin seduce her pants off, and then let Rowe convince her that their nasty little threesome could work. And no matter how many times he'd tried to broach the conversation, tell her all the reasons it could never work, shouldn't work, he hadn't been able to convince her.
This was a lesson she'd have to learn on her own. But he'd had to lay out consequences that had hurt them both. He withheld her portion of her inheritance, as was his right according to their parents' will.
They'd envisioned her being vulnerable to fortune-hunters like Cruz, but thank God, they'd never worried about her fucking around with two men. Living with both in sin. Sullying their family name.
For the first time, Cutter was fiercely glad his parents weren't there to see her wedding day. He'd done his best, tried to talk sense to her. But when she'd remained stubborn, he'd given her the wedding their mother would have wanted.
Dani had been a vision in white. Tiny sprigs of pink flowers formed a crown on her head, and the pink roses she'd carried in her arms had matched the soft, happy color in her cheeks.
All the while he'd walked her up the aisle, his heart pounding hard against his chest, his stomach churning, he hadn't missed the looks the two men at the end of the aisle had given her---like they couldn't wait to muss up every inch of her body.
"Don't look now," Wade mumbled. "Your old girlfriend stepped outside. And I'm a hunerd percent sure she's not wearin' any bra."
Cutter balled his fists and lunged, swinging wide.
Wade stepped out of the way and laughed, then landed another one-two flurry against Cutter's ribs.
Cutter felt Wade's knuckles slam hard and took another wheezing breath, but couldn't resist darting a glance toward the crowd lining up along the rails of the veranda.
He saw a glimpse of royal blue silk, a slender figure standing on tip-toe to see over the shoulder of another spectator. She'd dared show up today of all days?
Hell, he already had good reasons to vent a little fury, but now he wanted blood. He ignored the slam against his jaw and spread his arms wide, launching himself at Wade with a loud roar and taking him to the dirt where they rolled, digging fists into each other's sides.
One punch clipped his chin, and Cutter blinked, feeling dizzy.
Wade rolled him to his back.
Cutter dug his booted heels into the ground and bucked, turning them both again. This time, his fist connected with Wade's glass jaw and the man deflated underneath him, his arms falling to his sides.
"Uncle?" Wade slurred.
Cutter grabbed his collar in one hand and lifted Wade's head and shoulders, drawing back his arm to land a final blow and wipe the tired smirk off his friend's face.
But strong fingers wrapped around his wrist and held him. He glanced over his shoulder, ready to tear into whoever had the nerve to interfere, and found Justin Cruz glaring down.
"Dani's pissed," Justin said under his breath. "You startin' a fight at her wedding."
"Dani'll just have to get over it. I have."
Justin dropped his wrist and shrugged. "All I promised to do was try."
Cutter turned his attention back to Wade, but didn't see the broad fist arcing his way until it landed on his cheek. He slid off Wade's waist and lay on his back in the dust, shaking his head and cupping his tenderized face.
Wade leaned up on an elbow. "We through?"
Cutter gave him a grimace. "You sucker-punched me."
"So what? Call it a draw?"
Cutter growled but nodded, then slowly sat up.
Again, his glance cut toward the crowd beginning to fall away now that the excitement had ended. He caught a glimpse of Katie's little backside twitching as she hurried away.
What the hell was she doing here? And why stay to watch the fight?
Had she been worried about him? Did she even give a shit anymore what happened to him? Or was she here because of Justin?
The thought that she might still be carrying a torch for his brother-in-law ate a hole in his gut.
"Better get cleaned up before Dani sees us," Wade said, crawling to his knees.
Cutter snorted then dragged himself up, pushing up from Wade's shoulder and offering the other man a hand. With their arms slung over each other's shoulders they stumbled toward the steps.
---------
Katie hurried back toward the ballroom to get lost in the crowd, knowing Cutter would come crashing through the door at any moment now the fight was over. And what had that been about?
That he wasn't happy about Dani's choice in men was apparent to anyone with eyes, but fighting still seemed an excessive reaction. Even for Cutter.
The fact she'd caught his glare a couple of times when he'd panned the people gathering at the rails hadn't meant a thing. He hadn't been looking for her unless it was to wonder what she was doing here.
She'd crashed the wedding. Not because of Justin. They were long over. And she was happy for him, the bastard. Justin had used her like he had every girl who'd ever had the misfortune to stroll across his path.
Not that she could hold a grudge against the man. She'd fallen for the sultry heat in his eyes and had wanted to use him to force Cutter to piss or get off the pot so far as their own casual relationship was concerned. She hadn't planned to let things go that far, but she'd been drawn by the unexpected heat and undeniable aura of command that Justin had turned on her.
Never had a man gotten to her so quickly, not even Cutter, whom she'd loved.
She'd never forget the morning after she'd succumbed. The doorbell had rung, and she'd opened it, still bleary-eyed and aching from Justin's loving, to find Cutter on her stoop, a smile on his face and his cowboy hat in his hand. His eyes had raked her once, and a frown settled between his dark brown eyes. His gaze had lifted, going to the footsteps padding her way.
He'd turned quickly on his heels and stomped off the porch. She'd glanced back to find Justin behind her, buttoning his jeans.
"Friend of yours?" he'd drawled.
But he'd known about her and Cutter and the fact they'd been dating for months. Everyone knew.
And everyone had quickly discovered why Cutter had dropped her like a rock after that day because someone saw her leave Justin at his truck, which he'd left parked the previous night at the saloon.
She'd been ruined, marked as just another of Justin's easy lays. After he'd stopped calling her, other men had tried to fill in his shoes, but she'd been burned already and her heart hadn't survived the aftermath of her mistake.
To this day, she kept to herself, didn't date. Speculation had died down when everyone began to wonder who Justin's next conquest would be.
Not until she'd seen the announcement of Justin's wedding and the fact it would be held at the Standifer ranch had she let herself think about everything she'd lost. The impulse had been too irresistible to slip into the house, to see how Justin and Dani---and apparently Rowe---were doing, but especially for a chance to watch Cutter.
She'd arrived late and sat to the side behind tall urns filled with lilies during the ceremony. She'd run to the bathroom when the band struck the first note in the ballroom in the old house. Not until she was sure everyone was deep into their drinks had she started to mingle, always with an eye for where Cutter was.
When she'd seen him and Wade head out the door, glowering at each other and rolling up their sleeves, she hadn't been able to resist joining the throng pushing through the doors to watch the fight.
She'd kept behind everyone, standing on tiptoe to catch a glimpse.
Cutter's back had been to her for most of the fight and she'd drunk in the sight of his broad shoulders and thick arms and thighs as his muscles tensed. Watching the two men go at it like latter-day gladiators had sent a thrill of heat through her body unlike anything she'd felt in a long, long time.
When Cutter's glance had panned the porch and honed in on her, she'd taken a step back, hoping he didn't know it was her because she didn't want to leave just yet.
Weddings were always roller coasters. Happy, tense times for the participants; poignant reminders to observers. She'd clutched a tissue in her hand throughout the ceremony, envying the smiles the bride and groom and best man had shared.
All the while she couldn't help thinking that she might have been the one up there, standing exactly where Dani stood, gazing into Cutter's eyes as he slipped a ring on her finger---if only she hadn't strayed.
Infidelity wasn't something Cutter would ever forgive. She couldn't forgive herself. So she'd been a little tipsy. She'd been more than a little frustrated with how slowly Cutter had taken his courtship. Grown angrier the more she drank that fateful night with the fact he held the reins in their relationship and didn't seem to notice she wasn't happy with the pace.
Justin hadn't had to work all that hard to get into her bed. But even before he'd rolled off her, she'd known she'd just made the biggest mistake of her life.
Katie slipped from the ballroom, and headed down the hallway toward the living room and the front door. She'd tortured herself long enough with regrets. It was time to go home.
Just as she stepped into the living room, an arm reached around the corner, fingers closed around her wrist and whipped her toward a massive chest. The scent of spicy cologne, dust and male sweat assailed her, and she knew who held her inside his tight grip even before she raised her eyes.
Cutter tsked. "Katie Grissom. Funny, I know you weren't on the list of invitees."
Reluctantly, Katie lifted her gaze from the open collar of his shirt to meet his cognac-colored gaze. The color had always seemed so warm, so inviting, but now with angry color in his cheeks, his narrowed eyes made her heart kick into a panicked flutter.
She licked her lips. "Maybe I'm a guest."
"Then where's your date? Maybe I should return you to his side." His narrowed gaze and the bruising on his cheek and jaw lent him a sinister air. "Just to make sure you don't forget who you came with."
Katie pulled on her hand, attempting to break his hold, but he was stronger, more determined to keep her captive than she was to escape. One side of his mouth drew up in a nasty smirk.
She stopped fighting and blew out a frustrated breath. "All right, so I crashed your party alone. I was just on my way out."
Cutter's face hardened and his thighs crowded against hers. "Why are you here, Katie? Did you miss Justin?"
Her body betrayed her, heat softening her core. Could he feel her belly quivering against his? She shook her head. "No, I'm happy for him. Although I really think Dani deserves better."
He grunted, and then pressed her wrists against her lower back, bringing her closer still.
Katie wished she hadn't had the wicked urge to go completely commando when she'd dressed. There was no way Cutter missed the fact her nipples were tight and digging into his chest.
"Miss me?" he whispered.
Katie opened her mouth to tell him to go to hell, but the anger in his taut expression halted her. Did she want him mad enough to goose walk her to the door or just mad enough to make him let loose some of the feral tension vibrating through his body?
Isn't this exactly what she'd wanted when she'd donned the little dress this morning, forgoing every scrap of underwear for a lavish coat of lotion to make sure every curve glided beneath the scrape of a callused palm?
She licked her lips and tilted her hips---just enough to brush her belly against the thickening ridge of his cock. Oh yeah, she'd felt it.
His darkening glance said he had too.
"Guess you did," he growled. "Or were you being that particular when you got dressed?"
His words stung, but her body trembled from sensory overload. Cutter was too much man for her to make the smart choice and shove away from him.
Katie dropped her gaze and tugged one hand free to slip the buttons of his shirt open, one by one. When the opening exposed his bronzed chest and crisp, brown curls, she slid inside it and smoothed her palm over his hot, sweaty skin. "I've always been...particular."
His chest expanded, and then he dragged her hand away, bringing it behind her back to shackle both inside one large fist. "Looks like you've got a choice," he whispered.
"Doesn't seem that way to me," she said just as softly, tugging at her hands---more for show, because she didn't really want to be free.
His face bent toward hers, and her lips parted. But instead of the kiss she craved, he nuzzled into her hair beside her ear. "You know where the door is. You decide one way---don't let it slam you in the ass."
Katie shuddered as he inhaled along her cheek, like an animal scenting prey. "Or?" she managed to force through her tight throat.
He straightened and his glance cut to the stairway leading to the upper floor and the bedrooms.
Her eyes widened. "But you have guests."
"Who are busy sucking down alcohol at the moment. They won't miss me."
Cutter turned her in his arms and jerked her closer, pressing every inch of himself against her backside. His free hand skimmed up the hem of her short dress, sliding up her thigh to the curve of her bare bottom where his hand paused.
She stood still while his body tightened even more against her and his hand slipped forward, over the top of her thigh before gliding right between her legs.
His breath hissed between his teeth even as his fingers slid over her smooth pussy and into moisture.
Katie didn't care that at any moment someone might walk down the hallway and see them like this, with his hand under her skirt, her pussy exposed. She braced apart her legs and let her back bow around her bound hands to lay her shoulders against his chest.
His strong, thick fingers traced the waxed outer folds, then tucked between them to skim over the sensitive inner lips. A single digit dipped inside her entrance and swirled.
Her legs trembled, her knees nearly buckling beneath her.
His hand withdrew from beneath her skirt, and Cutter loosened his grip on her wrists, freeing her, and stepped back. "Choose," he said, in an even voice.
Katie glanced over her shoulder, thinking fast. She knew this wasn't the answer to all their problems, but she wasn't backing down from the challenge in his rigid face. If she ever hoped for another chance...this was it.
She rubbed her wrists, stiffened her spine, then turned in her high-heeled sandals and sauntered toward the stairs.
Cutter followed the slow, sexy roll of Katie's round hips all the way up the staircase. By the time her little fuck-me heels snicked on the wooden floors of the hallway above, his body was as hard as a brick wall, his cock surging against the front of his trousers.
While he climbed, he eyed every inch of her frame, from the thick red curls that fell mid-way down her back, the gentle slope of her shoulders, the indent of her narrow waist, the lush swell of her ass and finally, to the long stretch of sleek legs he knew were stronger than they appeared. His hands itched to claim every inch of her, but he curled his fists, ruthlessly reminding himself this wasn't about pleasure.
Having her here at his mercy, at last, seemed to heighten every one of his predatory senses. Damn, he could smell her, even from this far away. The crisp, feminine mixture of perfume and musk drew him like a bloodhound to a fresh trail.
His fingers were still damp from her arousal, but he resisted the urge to bring them to his mouth and taste her. He wouldn't be weakened by his own desire.
He didn't know what her game was, but she'd accepted his invitation. Too bad for her he didn't plan to do more than ease his own lust and kick her to the door. She didn't deserve any more consideration than that. Revenge and an easing of his temper were his only goals.
She paused at the first doorway and cast a questioning glance his way.
He shook his head and waited for her to continue down, past the next and the next bedroom. At the end of the hallway, she didn't give him another look, but turned the doorknob and stepped inside, pulling up the hem of her short dress even before he managed to close the door behind them.
So she was eager. Again, he didn't care. Only his urgency, his lust mattered.
She'd betrayed him, and done it with the one man he'd never forgive her for. The year-old memory of Justin's narrow-eyed triumph when he'd strode up behind Katie, stuffing his cock back into his blue jeans, had been enough to kill their relationship forever.
But if she wanted to give him a little release, who was he to turn her down? Any cunt would do.
The dress slithered upward in a soft rasp over her slender body, baring her bottom and slender waist. She tossed it toward the arm chair next to the bed and climbed onto the mattress, giving him a luscious view of her ass.
He ripped open his shirt, listening as the remaining buttons pinged on the wood floor. His belt was open, the top button of his trousers gone before she reached the center of the bed and lay down. Rolling to her back, she lifted her legs, pulling them together and to the side so that her pussy was hidden, leaving only the sweet curve of her thigh and buttock exposed.
His gaze raked her chest, lifting an eyebrow at the way she covered her breasts with her hands. But it wasn't out of shyness. She squeezed them and closed her eyes, her mouth opening around a little moan.
Fuck. She'd been sexy as hell when he'd been seeing her, but in a shy, kittenish way. This Katie had learned a thing or two about how to arouse a man. She tugged her nipples and a soft gasp escaped her rounded mouth.
His own mouth watered. His cock jerked, thick and insistent. He kicked off his shoes, thrust down his pants and boxers and stepped out of them. Cutter pulled open the drawer of his bedside table and plucked out a condom. With precision, he tore open the packet and palmed the latex circle. Knowing she watched, he slowly cloaked his cock, giving himself a single, hard-fisted stroke before he followed her onto the mattress. He grasped that sweetly curved thigh and turned her hips, both hands opening her as he came down over her, and thrust his cock straight into her center.
Katie didn't seem to mind he'd skipped any preliminaries, but then again, she was already wet, already squeezing around him, her silken walls sucking him into her. When she tried to wrap her legs around him, he thrust his arms under her knees and pushed up her thighs, holding them opened for him to slam unimpeded into her juicy cunt.
He knelt in the center of his bed and banged her, without grinding once against her sensitive clit. When she slipped her hands between her legs, he shook his head and stopped stroking, waiting for the moment when she got his message.
Her hazel eyes widened, understanding now that this was going to be all about him or he was through.
Her mouth opened, but she ground her jaws shut and turned her face against the coverlet.
Cutter closed his eyes, let his head fall back and shut out the sight of her, concentrated only on the feel of a wet pussy surrounding him, trying not to care whose body he sank inside as he thrust again and again.
Nearly mindless, swollen and edging toward release, he didn't care how quick he came. It had been too damn long. He'd run through half a dozen one-night stands in the month following her betrayal, but nothing since, because they hadn't approached the memories he had of what it felt like to slide inside her wet, tight pussy. They hadn't smelled the same, hadn't felt as soft...hadn't felt right. And he damn sure hadn't wanted to talk to them, not like he used to with Katie.
He'd missed her and hated her for it. However, he wasn't the one who'd strayed. So why the hell was he feeling guilty now? He thrust harder, deeper, until the pressure in his balls exploded and he couldn't think, could only fulfill the primal instinct to pour his seed into her. He stroked more slowly, savoring the steady pulses as he emptied himself.
When he opened his eyes, he gazed down. Katie's head was still turned, her belly quivering. Again, her hands covered her breasts---this time to hide.
He knew because her knees pressed inward against his arms, trying to close. He dropped them and scooted back on the mattress, watching as she closed her legs and turned on her side, facing away.
As his breaths evened and the heat of his anger cooled, something lodged inside his chest, heavy and nearly choking the back of his throat. He'd never been this cold with a woman, this cruel. Even if she deserved the edge of his anger, she hadn't deserved to be used like this.
But what could he say and not make things worse? No way would he comfort her. She'd get mixed signals, and he didn't want her to think they ever had a chance at resuming their relationship. They were done.
A knock sounded on the door and it swung open. "Cutter, you in here? Dani's ready to toss the bouquet---"
Cutter aimed a glare at Rowe, whose eyes widened on Katie. "Tell her I'm on my way."
The door closed quietly, and Cutter backed off the mattress, his glance falling away from Katie, who still hadn't moved. His clothes were a crumpled, dirty mess, so he slid open his closet doors and pulled out another crisp shirt and dark trousers. Then he headed to the bathroom without a word to the woman who lay as still as a statue in the center of his bed.
---------
Stupid, stupid, stupid! Katie couldn't still the self-recriminations that echoed in her head. Her breaths came in sharp, jagged sobs, but she held back her tears. She'd never cry over Cutter Standifer again. She'd been a fool. He'd taken what she'd offered, and so much more. Her pride lay in tatters. Her soul felt as bruised and tender as her sex.
From the moment she'd woken that morning and stared at the wedding announcement clipping she'd stuck under a magnet on her refrigerator door, she'd had this feeling stirring inside her. Something warm, something hopeful, like she had to give it one more try to make things right.
What had she been hoping for? She'd half expected him to give her a cold stare then ignore her like he had every time they met by accident in town. She'd hoped he'd at least offer her a polite greeting, a chance for her step closer and apologize, because the guilt had haunted her for so long.
Instead, he'd used her like a whore. And she'd allowed it---because she felt she owed him something for her betrayal.
But they were even now. And he'd made it all too clear this was the only thing they'd ever have. Katie heard the bathroom door open and close, heard his footsteps walk around the room, back to the closet, to the door.
"Stay here." Then the door closed, and she opened her eyes to make sure she was alone.
Only then did she sit up and take stock. The wedding party was gathering on the porch below. This time laughter told her the bride and groom were getting ready to leave.
Loud shouts of encouragement, howls of laughter---and she knew the bouquet had been tossed into the arms of some other girl.
Katie crawled off the mattress feeling drained, and went into the bathroom to wash away moisture dripping down her thighs.
Thank god someone had thought to use a condom. She hadn't needed the pill in a long, long time.
She dressed, wishing she had more to wear than the thin silk dress. Had everyone known she was naked underneath it? That morning she'd only cared that Cutter noticed.
She slipped on her sandals and hurried out the door. She'd sneak out the back and get to her car before anyone even knew she'd left. Cutter wouldn't care she hadn't obeyed. He'd just be relieved he didn't have to look at her again.
---------
Cutter watched the trail of dust the little red Mustang kicked up as Katie pulled away from the pasture they'd roped off for a makeshift parking lot. No one else noticed. All eyes were on the bridal couple who laughed as Justin's old pickup, waxed to an impudent shine, pulled up with ribbons tied to the antenna mast and cans clattering behind it.
Rowe stepped out of the cab, held the door for Justin to slide inside, and clapped his shoulder. Then he ran around the front of the truck and held the door for Dani, whom he kissed on the cheek and gave a wink.
No doubt he'd return to the party with the rest of the guests and dance with a string of ladies, just long enough so no one would remark when he slipped out the door to join Dani and Justin as they packed for their trip to Mexico.
Cutter's fists curled, but he couldn't work up the deep, disappointed anger he'd held close to his chest in the weeks since Dani had announced she'd marry Justin and live with the two men on Rowe's ranch.
She'd made her bed. He hoped like hell she'd be happy, because he'd have to kill two men if they failed her.
When the pickup drew away, he forced a smile to his lips and accepted the congratulations from his friends for a great wedding. Even Wade came up and slung an arm around his shoulder. "Gonna be lonely in this house now, ain't it?"
Cutter shoved him back and gave him a pained grin. "I like it quiet."
"And you always look like a wounded dog." Wade lifted one rusty brown brow. "Where'd Katie run off to?"
Cutter cursed under his breath and stalked off, Wade's wry chuckles following up the stairs.
He'd finished with Katie. Gotten her out of his system for good this time.
So why couldn't he shake the picture of her body curled in on itself and her shattered expression as he'd left her alone in his bedroom?
Shame crept across his cheeks, heating his skin. A cold, hard knot settled in his belly. What he needed to do was forget.
And he knew just the way to do it. He turned back to Wade and tilted his head toward the front door of his great big house. "Let me get you a drink. And then maybe I'll wipe that grin right off your face for good."
---------
Cutter took another long draw of his beer and slammed the bottle back down on the table. Wade had wandered off, following the curling finger of a certain blonde he'd been seeing, and leaving Cutter alone to stew in his own juices.
Cutter grimaced and took another pull of his beer. The Katie he thought he'd known would never have been that bold. Back in the day, she might have met his gaze across the dance floor and given him a shy smile. An invitation he would have been helpless to refuse.
She'd moved to Two Mule while Dani was in Austin at school and opened a small diner. He'd been curious about anyone foolhardy enough to start a business in a town where nothing ever changed and nothing new ever succeeded. They'd all underestimated her cooking and her quiet charm. Like all the single men in the county, he'd showered and shaved, polished his best boots and headed to Katie's Diner every chance he got.
At first, he'd been content to watch her fend off the invitations of every other guy with a steady smile that soothed the disappointment. She'd been determined to make a success of her venture. When it appeared she'd weathered the lessening in traffic after the honeymoon period, she'd relaxed, hired more help and settled in, getting to know the town folk.
She hadn't dated much. After she'd finally accepted his invitation, she hadn't dated anyone else at all. He'd thought his claim was struck. And he'd begun a slow courtship, doing everything right, he'd thought. After the first date, he'd left her with a kiss. When she'd had him over for dinner, he'd kept his hands on all the safe places---her back, the tops of her hips. They'd watched a movie in the dark, and they'd kissed. He'd remained in blue-ball hell for weeks until one night she'd cornered him on her couch, sliding a knee over his lap and settling down, a stubborn tilt to her chin.
"Are you attracted to me at all?"
Cutter had swallowed, wondering if it was a trick question. The proof of his feelings was awakening, responding predictably to the weight and heat of her open thighs. "Baby, you know I am."
"Then is there something wrong with you? Something you're not telling me. Because if there's a problem---"
He hadn't been able to help the smile that tugged at his lips.
She'd slapped his shoulder. "Don't make fun of me. I'm serious. I've all but laid it on a platter for you."
"I'm a careful man, Katie. I don't want either of us to make a mistake."
"You this careful with all the girls you date?"
He hadn't answered her question. Maybe he should have. Instead, he'd slipped his hand behind her neck and brought her head close. With his mouth only an inch away from hers, he'd whispered. "Tell me to leave if you don't want me in your bed, Katie."
Her response had been a quick press of her lips against his, and then all talking had been over.
He'd made quick work of her blouse, skimming it over her head. His hands shook with his eagerness. Her body trembled against his. Lying her down on the sofa, he'd taken his time, careful not to overwhelm her, careful to find every place on her body that made her moan or quiver, starting from her mouth and slowly working downward.
By the time he'd stroked lips, tongue and fingers down her neck to the tops of her breasts, she'd arched her back to press eagerly into his palm. Latching onto a distended nipple, he'd pulled it into his mouth, gently laving the pink tip with his tongue, circling over and over until her fingers had dug into his scalp and urged him lower.
Hurried kisses glided along her abdomen, and he paused to push into her belly button and treated it like the precious place between her legs, circling, stroking inward, until she'd keened between tightly clenched jaws and widened her legs, cupping his shoulders with her knees and writhing in slow undulations that lifted her damp, musky scent. And he'd been lost.
As much time as he'd taken to get her to that point, he couldn't get his pants off fast enough. He shoved them past his hips, donned a condom and knelt on the floor. He tugged her upward, guided her hips over him with his hands, trying to remember not to dig his fingers too deep into her soft bottom, but needing her slick sex to glide down his cock because he didn't know how much longer he could hold back.
She'd gripped his shoulders hard, her eyes wide and a little wild. Her breasts had shivered in front of his lips and he kissed her nipples again, giving each a quick suckle, before wrapping his arms around her back and bringing her down.
Katie's inner walls had clutched him in creamy heat, rippling up and down his shaft as he urged her to take him, groaning when she began to glide up and down, slowly at first, and then desperately fast, breathless gasps gusting against his face.
She'd been so beautiful. Her red hair floating up and down with her helpless movements, her hazel gaze locked with his, until her pussy clamped hard around his cock and her eyes squeezed shut.
She hadn't moaned or cried out, but he could feel her come apart, rapid little squeezes rippling along his shaft, her fingernails biting into his shoulders.
He'd kissed her shoulder. "It's okay to make some noise."
She'd grunted but shook her head, the frown drawn between her eyebrows not worrying him a bit, because he knew she was still deep inside her orgasm. The pulses tugging at him, the slick wash of excitement that lubricated his shaft, had pulled him straight into an orgasm so strong, he'd groaned and pumped upward, spearing into her while she'd watched him with her wild eyes.
After that night, he'd taken a step back. He didn't know why. Maybe that little hint of sensual ferocity she'd displayed had taken him aback. He wasn't sure he really knew her. He didn't know if he could please her. He'd set her on a pedestal and it had tilted, toppling his preconceptions of what he wanted in a wife and a helpmate. He'd wanted someone like his mother. Someone who could cook. Someone predictable, who'd be there when he needed her, but would be content with what he gave her---children, a nice home, a proud name.
Cutter had known she was confused, even hurt by his withdrawal, but he thought they'd come far enough that she'd give him time to think and get comfortable with the idea that this sensual creature could be his.
In the end, she'd shown her true colors, and he told himself again and again that he was glad he hadn't made the mistake of asking her to marry him.
A chair scraped beside him, and he turned, frowning as Rowe settled in the seat beside him.
Rowe cleared his throat. "It's not any of my business..."
"Damn straight, it's not."
"Look, I couldn't help noticing, something wasn't right... Up there." Rowe glanced away, then his cheeks billowed as he blew out a deep breath. "Did you hurt Katie?"
Had he hurt her? Probably not the way the bastard meant. "Mind your own damn business."
Rowe speared him with a glance. "She looked ready to cry."
Cutter wondered if Rowe knew how close he was to kissing the floor. "She didn't say no, if that's what has you worried."
"Katie's good people. I know all about the mistake she made. But she's suffered."
Cutter arched a brow. "That's supposed to mean something to me?"
"You two were pretty close."
"I'm not the bad guy here."
Rowe nodded then looked out on the dance floor. "Justin regrets ever going near her. You've been decent to him about the wedding."
"No I haven't. My sister doesn't get a thing beyond this party from me."
"Dani doesn't need anything else, but she was happy you stood up for her. Justin wanted me to tell you something...about Katie."
Cutter's fingers squeezed around the slick beer bottle. "I don't want to hear a goddamn thing about her, especially if it's coming from him."
"He's not proud of what happened. He'd stopped by the saloon and found Katie crying. She tried to mop up and make a joke about it. But she was hurting. He invited her for a drink."
Cutter lowered his brows and aimed a furious glare his way. "Rowe, we've known each other a long time, but you aren't a friend. Walk away now."
Rowe gave him a tight smile. "Fact is, I don't care if you take a swing at me. Dani wants you happy. Justin and I want peace between us. You're gonna listen here, or we can take it outside where I'll have to shout it at you."
Cutter set the bottle on the table beside him, and eased his fingers from it. The sooner Rowe had his say, the sooner he could get drunk. "Finish it."
"It's true. Justin greased the gears, got her a little drunk and pouring out her heart on his shoulder, and when she finally got mad, he turned it. Made her want a little revenge. He took her to bed."
Cutter curled his fists and began to rise.
Rowe pressed down on his shoulder. "I'm almost done. Just thought you should know. It was just the one time. She didn't return his calls afterward. Told him to go to hell when he stopped by her cafe. She regretted it. It was a moment of weakness. She was vulnerable to Justin, and he knows how to exploit weakness."
Cutter's lips lifted in a snarl. "And yet you just gave away the girl you love. To him. Don't you think he manipulated you just a little bit as well?"
Rowe grunted. "Yeah, I'm sure he did." He turned to Cutter, his expression softening. "But the secret is, he loves me. I know that creeps you out, but he loves us both. He's not going anywhere." Rowe stood and glanced down at Cutter, his expression softening. "What you have to figure out is whether you're happy alone. Would you rather hold onto your anger for the rest of your life and never know what you might have had with her?" Rowe faced the ballroom and lifted his chin. "Thanks for the wedding, but I have a plane to catch."
Cutter grimaced. "Don't think I'll ever get used to it---you two---and Dani."
"Oh, I think you'll come around. But we do have a lot to prove to you, and you need to get your head in a better place. Talk to her."
Cutter shook his head and lifted his beer. The last thing he wanted to do was talk to Katie. He'd shown her exactly where she stood with him. Besides, she'd probably just slam the door in his face.
Still, he couldn't forget how she'd looked when she'd moved to embrace him with her legs, her face softened, color blooming in her cheeks, and her gaze glossy and hopeful---until he'd rejected her.
He'd never thought of himself as a particularly hard man. Was he becoming his father? He'd been tough as nails. Admired by all, but relentless when it came to instilling certain values and an old-fashioned work ethic. He'd wanted to be sure he left the ranch in worthy hands.
Well, the ranch was still on solid ground when others were faltering with the economic turndown. Cutter wasn't in hock to his eyeballs, had the cash to spend on shipping in hay to weather another drought.
So he had the burden of running the ranch squarely on his own two shoulders. He'd hoped Dani would bring them a partner, that she'd at least take over the office management to free him up to do what he liked best. Ride herd.
Dani might have been willing to fill that role if he hadn't been so hard-nosed about her marriage. He might still find his own partner, but he hadn't found a woman smart enough, strong enough to take on the job of a rancher's wife. He'd thought for a while that it might be Katie, but she'd proven to have feet of clay.
She'd let that bastard Cruz romance his way into her bed and there was no way he'd ever trust her.
But it had felt good sliding inside her again---warm, wet, snug. She'd always felt just right lying inside his arms. Maybe she'd be willing to be fuck buddies. It wasn't as if she was too particular about whom she slept with.
Maybe he could start with an apology. Not that he'd really mean it. But if it meant he might get some sweet release, with a woman he knew was compatible with him in at least one way...well, why the hell not?
He set down his beer and nodded to the caterer. She could see to satisfying his guests' needs. He'd paid enough to ensure that.
He touched his pockets, glad he'd swiped the keys from his dresser and headed for the door.
Katie didn't know why she'd decided to open the diner today. She'd posted a note earlier that morning to let customers know that she'd be closed. She could have stayed home, drawn the blinds and wallowed all day in self-pity.
But she'd been restless. After she'd showered Cutter's scent from her skin and tossed the blue dress into the trash, she'd automatically donned her jeans and Katie's Diner T-shirt and headed out the door.
She'd let the staff go for the day. So she was the sole waitress, cashier and cook. Not that she'd been busy since she'd flipped the Open sign. Her only customer so far was Ole Win, whom she'd told yesterday not to come, but maybe the habit was too ingrained. He came every day, ordered the same meal, then read his paper while he downed a pot of coffee, which she kept fresh.
Already he'd told her another one of his stories about the old days in Two Mule, before the roads were paved, when men still tied horses to a hitching rail in front of the saloon.
Not that she minded the chatter. She enjoyed his stories most days, but today her mind wandered, back to the wedding and that awful moment when Cutter had thrust inside her a little too hard and fast and made it crystal clear she'd never have a chance at earning a place back in his life.
Not that he'd hurt her physically, not really. Her body had been primed, her pussy melting and caressing his length the whole time he'd fucked her.
She wouldn't allow herself to use a prettier description for what he'd done, what she'd invited. She'd had the crazy notion that if she could get them in the same room, stripped of clothing and old resentments that maybe he'd give her a second chance.
Cutter wasn't willing. He'd only taken what she'd offered. Without strings.
She couldn't feel ashamed about what she'd allowed to happen because she'd needed so badly to touch him. However, now, she thought that maybe she was ready to let go.
The bell above the door chimed and she glanced over her shoulder then did a double-take because Cutter was striding through the door, his hard gaze pinning her like a butterfly to a display board.
Katie stiffened and cast a quick glance toward Win, who'd perked up in his chair and was following Cutter's progress as he made his way toward her. No doubt even the old codger was aware of the rumors that surrounded her and Cutter's demise as a couple. Now the old tattletale would have another story to add to his arsenal.
"We have to talk."
Katie gave Cutter her back and swiped a table she'd already cleaned, determined to ignore the heat she felt prickle up and down her spine. "You already made your point," she muttered. "There's nothing left to discuss."
"Let's not do this here," he said, laying his hand over hers and the soggy dishcloth.
She slipped her hand from underneath his and pressed it against her stomach before turning, then took a step backward because she hadn't realized he'd come so close.
His thighs rubbed up against her, and she drew a deep breath, leaning back to prevent his chest from touching hers.
Too late. Her breasts were already aching, her nipples spiking against her bra. Thank God she wore an apron or he'd know her body was a lot happier than she was to see him here.
His fingers latched around her wrist, and he tugged her behind him, heading toward the kitchen door.
"Let go. This is getting old, Cutter. You can't drag me around like a dog on a leash."
"Bitch on a leash," he murmured.
"What did you just say?"
He halted and faced her, standing so close again, his warm breaths washed over her face. "Dammit, Katie, don't fight me. All I want to do is talk and I don't want an audience."
Maybe he'd come to apologize, but his thighs rubbed hers again, and she felt his cock, thickening under his jeans.
She glared, and then peeked around his shoulder at Ole Win, who was pretending to read his paper, but glancing their way over the top of his reading glasses. "In the kitchen then, but make this quick."
He followed her, so close he bumped her backside when she paused to lift the counter ledge. The kitchen door swung and Cutter pushed her forward, toward the walk-in freezer in the back.
At least the cold would keep their clothes in place and the conversation short. She opened it and swung around as he followed her inside, ducking because he was taller than the ceiling height.
Frozen puffs of breath, short and fast, gave away her agitation. "Can we get this over with?"
Cutter raked a hand through his short-cropped hair. "Why'd you leave in such a hurry?"
Katie planted her hands on her hips. "We were through."
"Maybe I wasn't."
"So sad," she said, in a singsong tone.
His gaze narrowed. "You seein' anyone?"
"You think I'd have let you do that if I was?" Then she had the grace to blush. She'd done just that to him.
His eyelids lowered as he looked down her body. Then he came closer. "Just makin' sure I'm not stepping on anyone else's toes."
"Why the hell should it matter to you? Gonna ask me on a date?" she said, raising her chin.
"Not exactly." He bent over her, his hand slipped beneath her hair. His palm was warm against her cooling neck.
Katie lifted a hand to his chest to push him away, but he was as immoveable as solid rock.
"I'm thinking we should see each other," he said, his sliding toward a sexy growl. "Every now and then."
Her eyes widened. A lead weight settled in her middle, but lower, her body began a slow burn. "You're saying we should fuck. Tell me, are you thinking you could just drop by whenever you're horny?"
"Yeah."
"And what about me? What about when I'm horny?"
One corner of his mouth quirked. "You wantin' rights too?"
"I'd be stupid if I let it be all about you and your needs again."
"Mad 'cause I didn't finish it for you?"
She'd been devastated, but all those weepy moments were past. Anger flared, hot enough to melt the ice coating the walls. Did he honestly think she was such a slut she'd go for a proposition like this?
Then again, she'd never gotten what she wanted, sexually, from Cutter Standifer. When they'd dated, he'd been painfully remote. Even after they'd finally gotten naked. Today, he'd been ruthlessly cruel.
But if he wanted something from her now... Well, wasn't she in a position to bargain for more? Did she want to risk her heart with him again? If he was even contemplating having an affair with her, did that mean that somewhere deep inside him, he still cared?
God, she was pathetic. The cruel twist of his mouth didn't betray a single ounce of pity or affection. Still, her body reacted, predictably, to his presence.
Her pussy still ached from his earlier forceful thrusts. Unabated arousal had kept her edgy, angry. From just the memory of his invasion, her body had remained primed, her clit swollen, her nipples tight and hard. Even now, moisture seeped into her panties.
Could she do this? Begin a strictly sexual relationship without losing herself and her self-respect? She still wanted him. And didn't she deserve pleasure for herself?
Katie lifted her chin and kept her gaze locked with his. "If I do this, you won't be the only one getting what you want."
Cutter's eyes crinkled at the corners. The beginnings of a smile.
She glared, resisting the urge to lean into him and surrender, because her body was melting despite the frigid air surrounding them. "Things won't be like they were before."
"I'm not offering to go back. This time, I'm not in it for the long haul."
His honesty hurt, but she appreciated it just the same. She lowered the hand she'd braced against his chest. "No lies. No games. Nothing but pleasure between us. For as long as we both want this."
He nodded, his hips surging toward hers, his cock pressing against her belly. "Agreed. No promises. But...you will only sleep with me. No boyfriends. For as long as this lasts."
"I'll want the same from you. No other women."
His face hardened. "I don't fuck around."
Her gaze fell away. "Can we not rehash old news? We can pretend to be polite."
"People are gonna talk. We can't keep this secret...our seeing each other again."
"Afraid they'll think you're a fool?"
"I don't give a fuck what they think. But you have a business to run...friends who might get curious."
Katie shrugged. "I'll say we're taking it slow. Just dating again."
"Fine." Cutter slid a hand behind her, cupping her bottom. "Can you close up?"
"I just opened the diner. I'm not gonna kick Win out."
Cutter's mouth tightened. The hand behind her neck tugged her hair.
He hadn't kissed her before at the wedding. She hadn't realized it until she'd showered and then she'd nearly cried, because she'd wanted a little tenderness, a little consideration.
His mouth hovered above hers now, and then his lips rubbed. She wasn't letting him set the pace again. She caught his lower lip with her teeth and bit gently.
Cutter froze. Then his hips surged again. Both hands clamped around her bottom, cupping her buttocks, then lifted her.
She wrapped her legs around his waist then let go of his lip.
His head slanted and she opened her mouth to suction against his until he thrust his tongue into her mouth and they pressed closer, chests hardening, mouths devouring.
Cutter pulled back his head. "I want you."
Katie's breaths came in short, excited gasps. "Can't...not now. Stay. I'll make you something to eat."
Cutter rested his forehead against hers. "When he leaves, you'll turn the sign around. I might not wait to get you home."
Katie felt her first smile of the day tease the corners of her lips. "Gonna christen my restaurant?"
"Never done it here?"
She shook her head. The only men she'd "done" in Two Mule were him and Justin. Both in her home. Come to think of it, she'd never had Cutter in her bed. A chill bit her spine and she shivered.
"Cold?" he whispered against her lips.
She nodded.
He ground his clothed cock against her sex. "Fix me something to eat." He held her while she dropped her legs and stood on her own.
She swayed and he chuckled. His hands caressed her ass and squeezed, his cheek rubbed against hers. "Something fast."
"Ole Win?"
"He's old. Not stupid."
Katie made Cutter a patty melt, which he wolfed down with fries. All the while she moved behind the counter, his gaze never left her body.
She felt self-conscious, awkward, because her hips felt fluid, rolled with a little extra wiggle she couldn't help. Her sex was swollen and wet, and her breaths wouldn't even out, staying short and shallow, which kept her slightly dizzy and on the verge of nervous laughter.
Ole Win still hadn't budged, but he'd dropped any pretense of reading his paper. His attention hopped from Katie to Cutter and back, as though watching his favorite soap opera.
Katie poured Cutter a cup of coffee and slid it across the counter. His hand captured her wrist, and his thumb rubbed against her thudding pulse.
Ole Win cleared his throat. "Think I'll mosey along. See you tomorrow, Katie."
She didn't look his way, caught by the heat building in Cutter's expression. "See ya, Winston."
The door closed and Cutter stood. "Your keys."
She reached for her purse beneath the counter and tossed them.
He caught them and turned on his heels, striding quickly to the door. He locked it, turned the sign, then took the time to turn the blinds and shut off the view of the street outside.
When he turned, she was already pulling her apron over her head and wiping her sweaty hands against her sides.
Cutter's face was set, hard. His eyelids drooped as he halted opposite the counter from her. "Climb up."
Her heart accelerated, heat filling her cheeks. "What?"
"Climb up on the counter. I'm hungry."
Katie blinked, but hopped onto the counter and swung her legs to his side, facing him.
Cutter pulled her closer, stepping between her thighs.
"It's a little high," she said, suddenly breathless.
"Not for what I have in mind." Cutter's jaw tightened, and he gripped her waist then slid up her T-shirt.
Katie lifted her arms and let him drag away the shirt. She started trembling, even before he unsnapped her bra and pulled it, crushing it in his fist as he drew it away.
Katie dropped her arms at her sides, letting Cutter stare at her breasts.
Her nipples tightened, spiking hard.
Cutter reached up and she tightened, expecting him to cup her, tease her aching tips, but he pressed between her breasts, forcing her backward. She lay back and braced herself on her elbows to watch as he unsnapped her jeans.
Cutter bent and his tongue licked the vee of skin he exposed as he slowly slid down her zipper.
"Cutter, please," she moaned. Not again. Not slow. Her pussy pulsed, liquid spilling from inside her. She needed his cock, needed it fast.
"Please what, Katie?" he said, nuzzling her lower belly while he gripped her waistband in both hands and dragged down her clothing.
She lifted her bottom, letting him peel down the rough denim and her cotton panties. His face centered between her closed thighs and his tongue slid along the closed seam of her sex, the tip touching her hardened clit.
Katie cried out, her body vibrating. "Please. Get my clothes off now. Fuck me, Cutter."
He lifted his head. "My turn, first."
Katie moaned and reclined on the counter, knowing he wasn't going to give her what she needed, not yet. God, it was just like before. He'd tortured her. Taking her slowly in excruciating increments.
He pulled her pants down further, just past her knees. His hands landed on her thighs, his fingers dug gently into her flesh. "Part your legs."
Katie whimpered at the note of command in his voice, something she'd never heard from him before. Something Justin had done, which had completely demolished any reservations she'd had about having sex with him.
His thumb slid into the top of her folds, pressing on her hooded clit, then lifted the thin hood to expose the rigid knot.
As cool air brushed over the hot pleasure center, Katie's breath hitched.
He bent again, his gaze rising to hers then closed his lips around her clit and sucked hard.
Katie's knees jerked upward then opened, giving him more room. His deep, humorless chuckle vibrated against her, adding to the sensations already stealing her mind.
He'd never gone down on her, never even touched her there, except to slide his cock inside her. She'd wondered if after that first time, he hadn't liked something about her---her scent, the sight of her smooth sex...
She'd felt unfeminine, rejected. Justin had renewed her confidence, praising her body, her "sweet, sweet pussy" as he'd gone down on her. She'd hated herself for needing him, hated that he was the one who'd given her what she needed, and then she'd hated Cutter because he'd made her vulnerable to a user like Justin.
However, now she didn't doubt his attraction. He suctioned her, glided his tongue over her folds, delving between to consume the fluids seeping from deep inside her.
His fingers played, circling her entrance, and then thrusting inward. "I won't stop until you scream, so you better not hold back." His voice was tight, harsh.
Katie's belly quivered and jumped. Her head thrashed on the countertop. The rhythmic pull of his lips, the increasing depths of his thrusts, built tension in her core that curled so tightly she knew when it unwound, she'd lose it.
Cutter paused with his fingers deep inside her, then drew his lips away from his teeth and gently bit her clitoris.
Katie jerked, her back bowed hard, lifting off the counter, and she splintered into a million pieces.
Even to her own ears, her cry was ragged, a desolate note fading slowly in the stillness that followed. Katie sagged against the counter and stared at the fluorescent light, buzzing on the ceiling.
Cutter tugged off her boots, stripped her jeans and panties the rest of the way off, then opened his pants and shoved them just past his backside.
When he held out his hand to her, she didn't hesitate, letting him bring her upright. He cupped her buttocks and lifted her from the counter.
Katie wrapped her arms around his shoulders and held her breath as he lowered her. His cock nudged between her folds, and impossibly, her pussy spasmed, making a wet sound as it welcomed the blunt, round cap entering her.
Cutter's strong shoulders flexed beneath her palms, and she reveled in the show of strength as he lowered her slowly, sliding her pussy down his cock, then lifted her. He showed no signs of strain as he repeated the action, although his jaw tightened and red flared in his cheeks.
"This how you want it?" he asked.
"Thought this was your turn," she said breathlessly.
"Changed my mind."
"Then I want it fast," she said, biting her lower lip, then gasping as he moved her hips in circles. "Hard. I want it hard."
"Think you can come again?"
She blinked. Not something she'd ever experienced before---multiple orgasms. But maybe the fact her arousal had stretched over the whole damn day made her more sensitive, more responsive than usual. Sensual tension curled around her core again. She nodded slowly, and then dug her fingers into his shoulders as he turned and strode to the nearest table.
He began to lay her down and she reached out and swiped the condiments and napkin holder to the floor.
Cutter laughed, the sound low and wicked. Her pussy convulsed around him, moisture spilling to coat his shaft as he leaned over her.
This time he didn't seem to mind as she wound her legs around his waist. She relaxed against the cool wood as he pumped into her---short, forceful thrusts that rattled the table and shoved it across the linoleum floor.
Katie tilted her hips, helping him deepen his thrusts. Cutter grunted and came up, gripping the sides of the table, his chest just above hers. He glanced down their bodies to where they were both naked. Then his narrowed glance swept back up. "You on the pill?"
She considered lying to ease his mind, but sucked in a deep breath and shook her head.
His jaw ground shut, his lips thinned, but he didn't stop stroking. "You'll let me know. If something happens."
"Sure," she lied, surprised he hadn't stopped cold. Cutter was anything but careless. Maybe he didn't believe that she hadn't needed the pill in the months since they'd split.
But why didn't she insist on protection? Katie pushed the thought aside, unwilling to answer that question, even to herself. If she turned up pregnant, the last thing she'd want was a reluctant Cutter offering her help. "Gonna keep talking? Because I'm just about out of breath."
Cutter's lips curved and he flexed his buttocks, hammering into her pussy in hard, short thrusts that built friction all along her channel walls. Katie felt the tension curling around her core and eased her legs higher up his back.
Cutter's eyes closed and Katie drank in the sight of him, straining over her, his thickly muscled arms and chest tensing, his hands tightening their grip on the edges of the table. Glancing down between them, she watched in fascination as his cock pistoned into her, moisture shining all along his reddened shaft. She'd never watched a man fuck her before. The motion was so fluid, so graceful and rhythmic.
When she glanced up, his eyes were open again, watching her and heat filled her cheeks. "I've never watched."
Something crossed his face, an expression so fleeting she couldn't tell if it was regret or disbelief, but she didn't have time to ponder it, because he straightened, letting go of the table and standing with his feet braced, continued to pump inside her.
Now nothing impeded either of their views. But she had nothing to hold onto and her hands skimmed restlessly along the table top as her breaths grew shorter, and the tension wound tighter.
Cutter lifted his hand and stuck two fingers into his mouth. He rubbed a thumb over the top of her sex, skimmed over her hooded clit, and then pushed it up to expose the swollen knot.
Katie's breath hitched. Her eyelids fell to half-mast, but she kept right on watching as he brought those two moistened fingertips down and swirled them gently over her clitoris.
Her legs jerked convulsively around him. Her back arched off the table.
Cutter groaned and pounded harder, rubbing in circles and pressing harder, then pinching her clit.
That was all it took, Katie gasped, her hands landing on her breasts and squeezing them hard while his cock slammed into her.
"Jesus... Fuck..."
Katie felt the same way, wanted to shout, but she bit her lips and held back her cries, closing her eyes tightly and turning her head side to side until the convulsions rippling up and down her channel slowed.
When Cutter's hands uncrossed her legs behind him and he stepped back, severing the connection, only then did she open her eyes.
His attention was on his slick cock.
But she didn't move, although her back ached from resting on the hard surface, and her body was fully exposed while he was tucking in his shirt and buckling his belt.
He glanced her way, then picked up napkins from the countertop and stood in front of her again, a frown bisecting his dark brows.
His fingers crumpled the napkin, and he took a breath then stroked her folds and inner thighs, gentle strokes that nonetheless excited her sex because the fibers were a little coarse and her clit and vagina were raw and sensitized. She gasped and bit her lip, but her pussy clasped and opened, making another of those embarrassingly wet, succulent sounds.
His eyes darkened, and his breaths quickened. "There are thousand ways I want to take you, Katie." His voice was husky as he rimmed her with the paper again.
Katie widened the legs dangling from the table. "Maybe I'll let you try every one of them."
There'd been no maybes about it, Cutter mused as he pulled into her driveway one evening a week later. Katie had game. She'd surrendered everything to him. Accommodated his every whim---enthusiastically.
Which had him wondering if things would have turned out differently between them the first time if he'd given her a hint how willing he was to experiment.
Last night they'd lain stretched across her bed, his head between her legs, her lips wrapped around his cock. When he'd exploded, he'd tried to withdraw, but she'd squeezed his balls in warning and sucked his cock, swallowing his come, then lazily lapped around the cap like it was an ice cream cone. She'd reached down and pulled his hair, reminding him he still had work to do, and he'd finished her, although he'd been so wrung out all he wanted to do was drag her down beside him, wrap his arms around her and doze.
But Katie never let him rest. It was as if she wanted to cram as many experiences in as she could. Was she afraid he'd end it before she was sated?
He was a long way from being done with her.
It should have worried him. And sometimes, he did hesitate. Even this morning, when he'd been riding a four-wheeler along the fence line, he'd halted on a hilltop where he knew the signal was strong and hit redial on his cell phone. When he'd realized how naturally that had come, he'd thumbed the off switch and stared at the phone.
She'd been the last person he called. He opened his sent messages and realized most of them were to her. And for what? To make a date. To talk about what they wanted for dinner. To tell her to take down her patio umbrella because a thunderstorm was coming and he didn't want it blown away. Things a man who was in a relationship would do. Things he'd done with her before. And he'd easily fallen back into the same pattern.
He hadn't called her back and fell into a black mood which followed him like a dark cloud all afternoon, wishing he could call and cancel, but knowing he wouldn't. Blood thrummed all day through his body, kept his dick thick and hot from just the memory of how her mouth had looked stretched around it as she'd sucked.
The dark mood still held him in its grip. He'd driven out of Two Mule and followed the interstate to an Adult Superstore a couple of exits down. The items he'd bought were in a brown paper bag on the seat next to him. Katie's eagerness to experiment had to have its limits. And Cutter planned to find them tonight.
He'd always considered himself a meat and potatoes kind of guy. Preferring plain food to spicy. The same with his sex. But Katie challenged him. He hated feeling like he had to compete, but he knew Justin's reputation and wanted to make sure he obliterated his memory. Whatever the other man had done to get to her, he'd discover it and make damn sure she knew who the better man was.
Her front door opened and he cut off the engine and climbed down from his truck. The wind whipped up, gusting and catching the screen door, making it bang against the wall.
He climbed the steps, eyeing the little T-shirt that stretched across her breasts. Her nipples were round little pebbles under the soft cotton. Her legs were bare beneath skimpy shorts, and he knew she'd left off any underwear because that was what he preferred. And she always accommodated his preferences.
Her gaze travelled over him then snagged on the paper bag he held in one fist. "A present for me?"
"It's for me."
Katie licked her lips then her mouth stretched into smile. How could her expression be so open, so happy when he knew he looked as dark as the thunderclouds filling the evening sky?
He closed the door behind him and dropped the bag on a table next to the door. "I want you naked."
She wrinkled her nose at him. "No, 'how was your day'? Or even a mention of the weather?"
"I'm not in the mood for small talk."
"I can see that."
He arched an eyebrow and she rolled her eyes, but grabbed the hem of her soft pink tee and pulled it over her head, then shoved down her shorts and kicked them away. "That better?"
Cutter's gaze trailed down her body, pausing to note the tightness of her small, rose-colored nipples. He'd bet money if he she opened her thighs, he'd see moisture glazing her pale skin. "Bend over the arm of the sofa."
"You're in a hurry." There was a tight, expectant quality to her voice.
Was she getting worked up about his intentions? "I'm waiting."
Katie gave a nervous laugh then strode toward the sofa, color washing her cheeks and chest. But she bent over the sofa arm.
Cutter reached for the bag and the items he'd already unwrapped. He took the tube of lubricant, uncapped it and squeezed it onto his forefinger. Then he stepped close to Katie and smoothed a palm over her ass. "You said you might let me take you any way I wanted..."
"Guess it depends on what you have in mind," she said sounding breathless.
"You can make me stop any time you want."
"But you'll walk, won't you?"
He might---but not before he'd eased the lust pulsing in his dick. Katie didn't have to know that. He traced a finger down the crevice dividing her buttocks.
She gasped and her bottom tightened, but she didn't offer a complaint.
He parted her and brought the lubricant-covered finger to the small furled opening he'd only teased before.
A low moan slipped from her lips and she laughed nervously again. "I hope you know I've never..."
"Glad to hear it," he bit out. "But it doesn't mean I'm gonna stop."
"Jesus."
He rubbed the lube in circles, pressing against her, and then pushed his fingertip inside her.
Her muscles tightened around him, squeezing as they tried to eject him.
"You have to relax because I'm just getting started."
"Cutter, I don't know if I can," she whispered.
"Is it painful?"
"It burns."
"Can you take it?" He stroked deeper, just past the last knuckle.
"Jesus."
Cutter pushed deeper and rotated his finger, easing into her, stretching her. His dick jerked, pressing hard against the front of his jeans, but he was a long way from being able to ease that ache.
He pulled out his finger and reached for the other item he'd purchased. He squeezed lube onto the end of the plug and smeared it down the length of the slender column. "I'm going to place something inside you. Take deep breaths and relax...as much as you can."
Her head lowered to the leather sofa and she widened her stance, giving him silent permission to proceed.
Cutter's lips twitched and he set the tip of the butt plug against her asshole and pushed it gently inside.
---------
The slender tip didn't hurt that bad, easing into her. Katie sighed in relief as he slowly pushed inside her. However, the deeper it entered, the wider it grew and the delicate muscles surrounding her entrance burned. "Wait!"
"Is it too much? Shall I stop?"
And let him call it quits? He'd been testing her all week, pushing past every inhibition she'd ever had. However, this was too much---too invasive and embarrassing. But he'd warned her of the consequence if she balked. "Just give me a second."
Katie turned her face, laying one hot cheek against cool leather and closing her eyes. She concentrated on loosening the tension around the slick plug he'd inserted. "All right. I'm okay now."
The plug pushed deeper, the shaft of it widening more, stretching her uncomfortably, but she wasn't really in pain. Whatever lubricant he'd used seemed to numb her a little, just enough so that she could take it. The plug broadened again as it pushed deeper then narrowed in circumference. She drew a deep sigh of relief as he stopped pushing.
"You can get up now."
"What?" she asked, trying to clear her mind of the sudden rush of lust that flooded her pussy.
"I'm done. You'll wear that tonight. Now, what's for dinner?"
Katie rose gingerly from the sofa arm and pushed back her hair before glancing at Cutter. He was still completely dressed, but his features were tight, his gaze narrowed as he watched her expression.
She tilted her chin and even though she didn't want to turn and give him a view of her bottom with the plug settled snugly at her back entrance, she did anyway, walking slowly toward the kitchen.
But she felt its thickness with every step and realized that while he'd been pushing into her ass, her sex had become swollen and fluid dripped down her thighs.
And the bastard had to know it too. She hoped like hell he was as uncomfortable and hot as she was.
---------
They ate the meal she'd prepared, meatloaf and scalloped potatoes. A fresh apple pie sat cooling on the counter top, but Cutter was eager to continue with the new game.
Katie had squirmed on her seat throughout the entire meal, whether from the plug or embarrassment that she sat naked while he hadn't removed any clothing, he didn't know.
But the color in her cheeks and the desperation evident in the way she kept biting her lower lip was doing a number on his control. His cock was so swollen and hard it felt like the skin surrounding it was stretched to the limit.
He stood and began to undress next to the table while her eyes grew wide.
When he was nude, he walked to the apple pie and cut himself a slice, carrying to the table. "Can I get you one?" he asked, holding it like a pizza slice and taking a bite.
"I'm full," she muttered.
"Yes, you are," he drawled. "Does it hurt?"
"Let's not talk about it. Just finish your pie."
It was the first time she'd shown him any irritation, and Cutter grinned. He strode toward her and knelt, then turned her chair to face him. "Come on. Take a bite."
He held up the pie, and she glared but opened her mouth obediently and took a small bite.
He finished off the rest, licked his fingertips, and then leaned close.
Katie's mouth opened, but he ducked and latched onto a nipple chewing gently on the tip. "Prefer cherries to apples, anyway," he murmured.
"You finished eating?" she asked, gasping.
"Funny, I'm still hungry." He rose and held out his hand.
Katie eyed it with suspicion but laid her palm against his, and he squeezed and tugged her upward. When she was chest to chest with him, he enfolded her in his arms and reached around to cup her bottom. He nudged the base of the plug and felt her breath gust against his shoulder. He smiled again.
"Cutter?"
"Yes, baby?"
"I don't think I can take much more."
The tension in her soft voice was everything he could have wanted. "Go on back to the bed. I'll be there in a minute. I'm just gonna put the dishes in the sink."
"You can leave them."
He gave her a quick stare, the same look he'd used to halt any arguments over the past few days.
She clamped her mouth shut and walked away.
Cutter couldn't help watching the sway of her hips and the glint of the base of the rubbery plug peeking from between her buttocks.
He made quick work of the dishes, palmed the last item from the paper bag, then walked slowly down the hall, making as much noise as possible, because he knew she was impatient, and he wanted her to know he didn't care.
She'd pulled the covers off the bed and lay in the center of the white sheets on her side, facing him, one arm over her belly, the other curled beneath her head.
Cutter walked to the bed and plucked the pillows from top of the bed and laid them down, one atop the other. "Lie over this."
Katie groaned. "I didn't know you were a sadist."
"There're lots of things you don't know about me."
She skimmed his face, then sat up and climbed over the pillows, arranging herself so that her bottom was lifted and her knees parted.
Her inner folds and entrance were a deep, dark pink and slick. Cutter set the vibrator on the bed behind her and pulled on the base of the plug.
Katie dragged air into her lungs, not releasing the breath until he'd pulled the plug free.
"Don't get too comfortable."
"There's no way you can come inside me...there," she mumbled.
"Not planning on it...tonight. You're still pretty tight. But I have something I think you're ready to enjoy."
She leaned up on her arms and started to turn her head.
"No peeking." Cutter picked up the slender dildo and lubed the end, then circled the tip around her tiny hole and slowly pushed. He flicked the switch near the base and Katie jerked as it began to hum.
"No, no, no...," she groaned as the vibrations, gentle at first, revved up.
Cutter's chuckle was deep and dirty. The dildo slid deeper, and then he moved between her legs. He traced the edges of her folds with his fingers and moisture spilled from inside her, coating her sex and his hand.
"Damn," he whispered. His breath cooled the liquid trailing down one thigh. His tongue curled around her sex, following the path his fingers had taken then dipping inside.
The small muscles encircling the dildo clutched it hard, trying to eject it, but he covered the base and pressed it deeper while a callused thumb grazed the sensitive skin of her perineum.
Katie's desperate moan and the subtle shiver that wracked her slender frame had him growling behind her, and he shifted again. This time she cried in relief when the blunt round head of his cock nudged between her lips.
He liked the way her pussy looked, clasping around him like a mouth, making moist, lewd sounds that tightened his balls.
He pulsed forward, swaying, dragging his cockhead around her entrance, wetting it. Then he sank deeper and swirled again as he came out, a reverse screwing that made her tremble and drove him crazy because he wanted to plunge deep and hard inside her.
Her back sank and her chest rubbed on the comforter. She writhed like a wild thing and he flicked the switch again, taking the vibrations a notch higher.
Katie gave a thin wail and came up on her arms, pushing back against him, trying to take him deeper, rocking on his cock, tugging on him with her tight little cunt lips until he couldn't stand it a second longer.
Both hands landed on the notches of her hips and he slammed forward, ramming against the base of the dildo with each sharp thrust.
"Yes!" she cried out, lunging backward, fighting his grip because he held her firm, controlled the tight, sharp thrusts that churned in the silky fluid flooding her channel.
Cutter's balls tightened. He gritted his teeth, fighting the urge to come because the sensations were too amazing, and he wanted to stay there longer. Wanted to feel the clench of her cunt, the hum vibrating through her sugar walls, and her silky heat surrounding him. Already her excitement produced a steady flow of moisture, leaking out to wet the base of his cock and lower belly.
The sounds they made together only fanned the flames. Lush, suctioning clasps and sharp, wet slaps as his belly and thighs slammed against her bottom.
But he wasn't Superman, and she was quickly coming apart. Katie's whole body shuddered and short ragged whimpers filled the room.
Cutter leaned closer, shortened his thrusts and reached to grab one corner of her shoulder and wrap the other fist in her hair.
Her head came back with an agonized groan and he hammered her. His balls burst, come jetted deep inside her, and again, he wondered, fleetingly, why the hell he'd forgone the condom.
But her body bowed, her pussy convulsed around him, squeezing in strong, rhythmic pulses that milked his cock until he slowed behind her, shuddering.
Slowly, he unwound his fist from her hair then gathered her up, sitting her on his lap with his dick still deep inside her, savoring the gentling of the contractions and the heat that slicked their skin.
He dragged in a deep breath and lowered his head, gliding his lips from the rounded curve of her shoulder to her neck.
Katie reached behind her, cupped the back of his head and turned her face toward his.
Cutter kissed her like he never had before. Voraciously. Plundering her mouth with his tongue, sucking her bottom lip between his teeth and biting, then covering her mouth to rub his lips in drugging circles.
Katie kissed him back then broke away. She rested her head on his shoulder while her breaths rattled in her chest. "I think the vibrator has to go."
Cutter smiled, liking the wry humor in her voice and felt relief that she was recovering. He'd thought to push her past her comfort zone, but Katie was strong, willful, and unwilling to back down from a challenge.
"Bend over the pillows again and I'll take it out."
"Both---take them both out." She leaned over the pillows again.
"Sore?" he asked, smoothing his hands over her soft ass.
"Shut up, Cutter. Just do it before you see my bottom blushing."
"It's already pink. Like I spanked it."
Her pussy tightened around him and Cutter grinned.
"God, this is more embarrassing than when you stuck it inside me."
"My dick or the dildo?"
Katie gave a short shocked laugh. "I'm going to kill you."
"Embarrassed because you're not aroused now?"
"Yeah, because you can see everything and all I can do is lie here like a blow-up doll."
He flicked the switch to off. Her body relaxed and she gave a soft moan. Reluctantly, he withdrew his cock, which felt chilled when the air hit it. Then he slowly pulled out the dildo and backed off the bed to head to the bathroom. When he reached the door, he glanced over his shoulder.
Katie was still hunched over the pillows, but her gaze followed him.
"Join me in the shower?"
A quick smile turned up the corners of her mouth and she sat up, raising her arms above her head.
Cutter watched the lengthening of her torso, the shiver of her round breasts, and felt his cock jerk in reaction to her sexy movements.
She rubbed her hair and grimaced.
"Did I pull too hard?"
Katie gave him a saucy grin. "Just hard enough, cowboy."
Katie untied the apron from her waist and lifted it over her head. "See you tomorrow," she called over her shoulder as she grabbed her purse from under the cash register and headed for the door.
Ole Win glanced up over the top of his reading glasses as she drew alongside him. "Glad to see you and Cutter got things worked out," he murmured.
Katie hesitated, then pasted on a smile and pushed through the door into the bright sunshine. She and Cutter didn't have anything worked out between them. They existed in a kind of limbo where the only things they talked about were unimportant or strictly about sex.
Not once had they broached the subject of her affair with Justin. It loomed between them, growing larger and uglier the longer they ignored it.
At least from her point of view. And she'd become a coward, unwilling to rock the boat because her time with Cutter was precious.
As she walked along the sidewalk toward the grocery store, the sunshine which usually buoyed her spirits, beat down on her unprotected head. Perspiration broke on her forehead and upper lip and her stomach churned.
When she reached the grocery, the air-conditioned air relieved her for moment, but then a strong wave of nausea hit her. She clamped her hand over her mouth and rushed toward the back of the store and the restrooms.
She made it through the door, punched open the stall and bent. Breakfast and lunch landed in the toilet bowl. When the urge to retch eased, she sighed, hanging above the rim of the toilet with a hand braced against the stall and the other against her knee.
A paper towel entered her line of vision and she grabbed for it, wiping her mouth before she glanced over her shoulder.
The room tilted and an arm slipped around her waist. "Easy now. No quick moves," came a feminine voice.
Katie blinked and turned slowly. Dani Standifer stood beside her, and then reached past her to flush the toilet. "Let's get you cleaned up."
Katie let the younger woman lead her to the sink and stood docilely while Dani wet more paper towels and washed her face. "Rinse your mouth. You'll feel like a new person."
Katie cupped her hands beneath the faucet and did just that, then swallowed a small, cool sip. When she glanced up in the mirror, Dani was smiling softly behind her.
"My brother know?"
"Know what?"
Dani tilted her head. "You don't have a clue, do you?"
"What are you talking about?"
Dani shook her head, a rueful smile curving her mouth. She took Katie's hand and pulled her out of the restroom, then purposefully dragged her down an aisle. She stopped in front of a shelf of pregnancy kits and Katie swallowed hard.
"We'll share," Dani said. "There're two in the box. Wait right here while I pay."
There was no way Katie was going to be spotted standing in front of the pregnancy tests. By dinnertime, the whole damn town would think that she'd been knocked up. And there was just no way that could be true.
She closed her eyes. Stupid, stupid. Of course, she'd known she could get pregnant. Neither of them had mentioned using a condom, and she'd thought that maybe Cutter thought she'd been lying when she told him she wasn't on the pill, because why else would he go uncloaked whenever they made love?
It wasn't because he hoped to trap her. But what was her motive? Katie didn't want to examine it too closely because she thought she knew.
Dani found her in the candy aisle, looking at chocolate, which was her comfort food. "Come on," she said, grabbing her hand again and pulling her toward the restroom. "No time like now to find out for sure." She sounded excited, even happy.
Katie wanted to throw up again.
In minutes, she found herself sitting in the stall next to Dani's peeing onto a wand.
The toilet in the next stall flushed, feet appeared beneath the bottom of her stall door. "No stalling. I'm dying to see."
Katie cleaned up and flushed her toilet, holding out her wand in front of her when she opened the door. Not the least shy, Dani grabbed it and laid it on the side of the sink beside hers and pulled out the instruction pamphlet inside the box. "It says wait three minutes."
"I'm not pregnant," Katie said grumpily. And she promised herself if that were true, she'd buy a crate of Trojans, and to hell with the games she and Cutter played.
"Okay, so that's the purple control band. If we get a second band in the window we're going to have babies!" Dani's eyes glittered, her cheeks were a healthy, glowing pink. If anyone looked pregnant, it was her.
Katie studied her own reflection. Dark circles beneath her eyes, green-toned skin. She looked like she had the flu.
"Oh my God!" Dani squealed, then grabbed both of Katie's hands and hopped up and down. "Oh my God!"
Katie didn't bother asking her why she was excited, her stomach roiled and she tugged her hands from Dani's and rushed to the toilet again.
When she'd emptied her stomach completely, she hung over the toilet with her eyes closed, feeling ready to cry.
"You're not happy," Dani said softly behind her.
Katie snorted and straightened. "If there was a second goddamn purple band, then the answer would be yes."
"Do you think Cutter won't do right by you?"
Katie turned and firmed her lips. "I don't want Cutter to feel like he has to do anything. That's not our agreement."
One of Dani's pale brows lifted. "Agreement?"
"Long story. Not pretty. Can we cease with the questions? I need to sit down and I prefer someplace that doesn't smell like vomit."
Dani tucked her hand inside her arm and pulled her out of the restroom. "I suppose your restaurant is out of the question too?"
"I'd rather the whole world didn't know right this minute."
"Your house isn't far. Shall we head that way?"
Katie shook her head. "No, Cutter might show up early, and I don't want to talk to him yet."
"That settles it. We'll go out to my ranch. He'll never think to look there. And he's not likely to drop by. We aren't talking these days."
Dani led her to her car. Katie didn't really want company, would have preferred to go to her own place and crawl into bed. But Cutter had his own key now and the last thing she wanted was to fall beneath his discerning stare. The man knew everything about her body, read her moods---even if he didn't care about her heart.
"Tell me about this agreement," Dani said as the car left the town's city limit.
"I don't think Cutter would want me to."
"Who else are you going to talk to, Katie?" Dani asked, worry settling a crease between her pale brows. "I'm his sister. I know how hard-headed that man can be. And I know all about you and Justin. I'm assuming he figures somewhere in your problem with Cutter. So far as my brother is concerned, every problem boils down to my husband."
Katie turned to stare at Dani's profile. Other than the stubborn, square chin there wasn't much of family resemblance between Dani and her brother. "If you know about me and Justin, why are you talking to me?"
Dani shot her a quick glance. "Oh, don't think for a moment that I'm not jealous as hell of every woman who's slept with him, but I know how persuasive he can be. How irresistible he is. I don't blame you. And I know he regrets ever taking you to bed. He did it for all the wrong reasons."
"I did it because I thought your brother didn't find me sexy," Katie murmured.
Dani's lips twitched. "Gawd, you're stupid."
"Thanks."
"Justin went after you out of frustration over me. He thought he didn't have a chance in hell of ever getting close to me because Cutter would never approve of him as a beau. Not very smart, but when it comes to emotions, men don't look too deep. It was all about revenge."
"Nice to know he cared so much about me."
"He likes you, but the fact you were seeing Cutter made you all the more attractive as a target." Dani shrugged. "Never said my man was perfect. But he is changing. That's what guys do when they fall in love. They try harder to figure us women out."
They turned off the main road onto caliche road, bumped over an iron cattle guard set over a culvert and through the gates of the Ayers ranch.
Katie straightened in her seat. "Cutter didn't seem too happy about your marriage."
"He was ready to spit nails. He was there when I proposed to Justin."
"You proposed?"
Dani gave her a mischievous smile. "It was a spur of the moment thing. Cutter walked into Rowe's kitchen and found the three of us nearly naked and looking like we'd spent a night doing...well, exactly what we'd been doing...and he said he expected a ring. He thought for sure Rowe would step up, but I chose Justin. It didn't really matter which man married me. We're all committed. That bother you?"
Katie shook her head about the woman's openness over her unconventional relationship "No, I envy you having someone who loves you. Two someones seems...selfish."
Dani grinned and cut the motor. "Come on in. I'll make a pot of tea and find some crackers. Then you're going to tell me all your secrets since you know all of mine."
Katie followed Dani inside and settled at the kitchen table while Dani prepared a tray which she sat in the center of the table.
"Now, tell me about this agreement," Dani said, taking a seat, one leg bent beneath her and the other dangling.
As Katie unloaded about everything that had transpired since Dani's wedding, the blonde's expressions changed.
When Katie told her about how he'd gotten her up the stairs during the reception, Dani's lips curved and her eyes danced.
When she came to the part where they'd both agreed to become fuck buddies, her eyebrows drew closer and her gaze softened. "You're in a bad place. You've given him everything he wanted without making him work for a thing. He has no motivation to change."
"I knew we didn't have a future. I never got from Cutter what I wanted the first time around---satisfaction. I told myself that's all I was in it for."
Dani snorted. "You might sell that to Cutter, but I'm a woman. And I know how far we'll go for love. You are still in love with him, aren't you?"
Katie stared at her tea cup and let out a deep, dejected breath. "I never stopped. I knew as soon as Justin...finished...that I'd made a huge mistake."
"That's a hard one to overcome," Dani said softly. "Cutter's a black and white kind of man. He won't forgive infidelity easily. But you have a weapon now. One you can use if you really want him. But you can't let him make this another agreement. You have to hold out, make it hard for him---force him to change his mind."
Katie lifted her gaze, knowing tears were welling, but too unhappy to care that Cutter's sister could see. "What if I don't think he's wrong to distrust me? Even hate me a little."
Dani reached over and placed her hand atop Katie's and gave it a squeeze. "Katie, you made a mistake. You regret it. Have you ever told him you're sorry?"
"He won't talk about it. Neither will I."
"It's got to happen. Eventually. You can't carry it around or it'll fester."
"We're talking like Cutter would even need to have a relationship with me to be a part of this child's life. He doesn't. I'd share, with or without us being a couple."
Dani lifted her hand and tucked a lock of Katie's hair behind her ear then settled back in her chair. Her steady gaze held Katie's for a long moment. "If you don't think you're deserving of more, don't you think your child is?"
Katie swallowed the lump lodged at the back of her throat. "I don't know if I could live with him and not be with him, you know what I mean? I can get pretty ugly too when I'm hurt."
"You have to tell him about the baby. Start there. But don't you dare let him plan this whole thing out. Don't let him take control, because he will, and then he'll insulate himself from hurt, from any chance of growing to love you again. He did that to me after our parents died. Shut me out in the cold."
"What about you? You have this baby, his niece or nephew, don't you think it's time for y'all to put aside your resentments too?"
Dani nodded and shoved back her chair. "Yeah, I do. And I think I'll start right now." She got up from the table and headed for the phone.
"What are you doing?"
"Cutter needs to know where you are," Dani said over her shoulder. "It's a great time for me to give him my news."
"Before the guys know?"
Dani wrinkled her nose. "The guys know. They're the ones who told me to go get the kit."
"How'd they figure it out?"
"My boobs got tender right away, and when my period didn't come... Rowe guessed and talked to Justin about it. They thought it was pretty damn funny I was the last to know."
"Do you mind my asking...do you know which one's the father?"
Dani's lips twisted into a wry grin. "Well, unless there was a condom malfunction, this baby's Rowe's. Justin married me. I promised the first kid would be Rowe's."
Katie raised her eyebrows, impressed by how nonchalantly the threesome treated the issue. "Sounds fair."
"Don't get me wrong. Justin's jealous, but we've figured out productive ways for him to channel it." She waggled her eyebrows and smiled. "I promise you don't want to know how."
Katie returned her smile then drew a deep breath when Dani pressed a speed dial number.
"Cutter, it's Dani. Katie's over here at the ranch with me, without a car. Can you drop by to pick her up?" She hung up the phone. "I left him a message. Shouldn't take him too long to check. He's never without his cell."
"Then why didn't he pick up?"
"He doesn't like talking to me. He's still angry. But he's about to get over it."
Katie felt her stomach tighten at the thought of facing Cutter so soon. "Don't mention a thing about me. Please. I'd like a little time to think about it, and about what I want."
Dani nodded. After that, the women drank their tea in silence, which suited Katie just fine. She had plenty to mull over.
In the distance a door slammed. "Gawd, this feels like déjà vu," Dani muttered.
Heavy footfalls trailed through the house. The kitchen door swung open and Cutter strode inside, his gaze landing on Katie and narrowing before he turned to his sister. "Dani, what's this all about?"
Dani's eyes rounded innocently. "Why's this thing gotta be about anything? Two girls can't meet for a gossip?"
A muscle flexed along the edge of his jaw. "Katie, you ready to go?"
Katie swung her gaze toward Dani.
"Not gonna ask what we were talking about?" Dani said slowly, folding her arms over her chest.
"No."
Dani's chin shot up. "I'm pregnant, Cutter."
Cutter's breath caught and his expression turned darker. "Who's the daddy? Do you even know?"
"I'm pretty sure it's Rowe."
His chest rose then he let his breath out. He raked a hand through his hair. Tension eased from his jaw. "You feelin' all right? Do you need anything?"
Dani gave him a soft smile. "I need a hug...from my big brother."
Cutter's back stiffened, but Dani's hopeful expression must have done a number on his stubborn stance. He strode forward and Dani unfolded her arms to slip them around his waist. She hugged Cutter close.
Katie sighed with relief, glad the two of them were talking now.
Cutter's eyes closed for a moment. "I want you happy," he said, his voice thick. "You know that, right?"
"I am, Cutter. I swear it." She eased back in his embrace and stared into his face "But I need you in this baby's life. Can you do that for me?"
His expression only slightly less dour, Cutter met her steady gaze. "I don't know. To be honest, I'm still mad as hell."
"Will you try to get over it? We're all family now."
Cutter issued a short, filthy curse, then shook his head. "Jesus, did you have to marry him?"
"It was the right choice. I know you don't understand, but you don't really have to. All I want from you is for you to be there for me and my baby. You've got less than nine months to make peace with Justin and Rowe. Please try."
Cutter didn't answer, but he kissed her forehead and set her away from him. "I can't promise I'll ever be their best buddies. But I won't take a swing at them."
Dani wrinkled her nose at him. "That's a start. I'd like you to come to dinner here. Bring Katie. I like her."
"Katie might be busy," Cutter said, his tone dead even.
Katie glanced away. He still meant to keep their relationship compartmentalized. She wasn't good enough to bring around family.
Dani gave her a wink. "Well, if you can free some time in your busy schedule, we'd love to have you."
Katie nodded, but gathered her purse and headed for the door, Cutter on her heels.
Minutes later as they pulled out onto the ranch road, which was more of a graveled path, Cutter gave her a glare. "How'd you wind up at Dani's without your car?"
"We met in town and started talking," she said, trying to keep her tone light because she hated lying to him. "She invited me out. I think she's a little lonely for girl talk."
"She made her bed."
"Are you happy...about the baby?"
Cutter's chest expanded around a deep breath. "She isn't thinking very far ahead. What happens when the kid goes to school? What happens when they have the next one? Whose name will the children bear?"
"They have time to work it out."
"It's not fair to the kid."
"Maybe people will be more accepting than you think."
"In this county? But it's not my problem. And I'm not going to hold it against the child. He'll have Standifer blood."
"Will you love him?"
He gave her a quick questioning glance. "You think I'm such a hardass I can't?"
She shrugged and looked out the passenger side window. "Just making conversation."
"Dani ask you to feel me out?"
"No, but she does hope you'll cut her and the fellas some slack---for the sake of the baby and because she misses you."
"She say that?"
Katie shrugged. "She didn't have to."
"I'm through talking about her. You're coming home with me."
Katie felt a wave of melancholy wash over her. Cutter would set aside his dislike of Dani's situation to do right by her baby. When he discovered her own pregnancy, he'd do whatever he thought was needed, maybe even marry her, to protect his own child.
Not the way she'd wanted to slip back into his life for good. If he asked and she said yes, then Dani was a hundred percent correct. He'd provide for her and the child, but he'd never have to face the issues that still haunted them. She'd never have his whole heart, and she wasn't going to settle for less.
But she didn't have to face that hurdle now. Not just yet.
He pulled up beside the house, and she didn't wait for him. She opened her door and slid from her seat, not looking back as she headed directly inside.
The house was empty and shadows inside were lengthening from the setting sun.
Cutter's footsteps clipped across the oak floor as he followed her into the living room and straight up the stairs. She went to the room at the end of the hall, already unbuttoning her shirt.
Cutter closed the door behind them and strode toward the dresser, emptying his pockets and dropping his watch into a tray on top. He walked to the bed and sat on the edge to pull off his boots.
They undressed without exchanging words, like people who'd been married for years who were only going through the motions. Only she knew as soon as he lowered himself over her, the quiet restraint would end.
Skin to skin, they couldn't pretend they didn't burn for each other. She'd convinced herself over the weeks they'd been seeing each other that it meant something. Maybe she'd only been fooling herself.
She pulled back the covers and tossed them toward the end of the bed, then slid across the cool sheets and lay diagonally on the mattress.
Cutter's gaze drifted over her body, his expression set. What the hell was he thinking? Was he only anticipating how good it would feel once he slid inside her? She was. But she was also thinking that maybe, this should be the last time she let him have her like this. Without commitment. Without discussing what lay between them.
Cutter climbed onto the mattress and right over her, settling down on top of her. At last, his cool demeanor slipped. Heat blazed in his brown eyes. His nostrils flared. His mouth curved slightly, and he dipped his head and nibbled on the lobe of one ear.
Katie shivered and wrapped her arms around him. She'd show him one last time how much she loved him even if she could never say it out loud. She spread her legs beneath him, lifting her knees to hug the sides of his hips.
Cutter started to scoot down, dragging his mouth over her shoulder, and she knew he'd tease her breasts, glide his tongue and lips down her belly and eat her out, but she wanted him inside her. Now. She dug her hands into his hair and pulled, and leaned up to suck his bottom lip between hers and bit.
His chuckle was warm, filling her mouth with his sweet breath.
She let him go and slanted her face to kiss him. She circled her head, rubbing his mouth and stroking her tongue inside.
His dueled with hers, then he growled. His cock prodded between her legs and she tilted her hips to receive him.
He lifted his head. "In a hurry?" he rasped.
"I've been thinking about this all day. Can't wait."
He rolled his buttocks, digging his cock into her, but only a couple of inches, just enough to sink the tip inside.
She squeezed around him, and then undulated underneath him, urging him to turn to his back by pulling his hair. When she had him there, she straightened and brought her knees on either side of him. She placed her hands on his chest as she began to rise and fall, taking him inside her in greedy thrusts that soon had her sliding down his full length until she ground against the base of his cock.
Her breaths deepened, shortened.
His hands cupped her breasts, and his fingers plucked at her nipples until they spiked.
She held his gaze and fucked him, rocking up and down, taking him deeper, faster, until his hands glided on the sweat slicking her breasts and belly.
He gripped her waist, lifting her, but she fought his hold, unwilling to let him take her beneath him again. She shook her head and glared, slamming onto him, fucking him hard then leaning down to brace her hands on either side of his shoulders so that she could rub her aching nipples against his chest.
His hands cupped her buttocks and squeezed, parted them and she flung back her head. Her hair stuck to her shoulders, her breaths were jagged, but she couldn't stop, didn't want to give up control.
A finger slid between her buttocks and rubbed over her small, tight hole and she bit her lip, pausing to savor the tip as it sank inside her. He'd taught her to crave that.
"Want more?" he said licking the sweat from her neck.
She knew what he was asking. Something she'd resisted until this day. The anal play with the plug had continued a time or two, but she'd hadn't been ready, hadn't thought she could want it. But suddenly, with his thick finger thrusting inside her, she wanted the pain, wanted the discomfort, wanted something stinging and burning to match the ache building inside her chest and lodging next to her heart.
She nodded quickly and the corners of his mouth kicked up. A wicked, dark glint entered his eyes.
He could think he'd triumphed all he wanted, she didn't really care. She straightened and climbed off his hips. He jerked upright, and crawled behind her, pressing between her shoulders until she bent and braced her hands on the mattress.
He arranged her bottom at his preferred height, nudging her thighs apart to just the right width, then he spread her cheeks.
A thick drop of moisture landed in the crease and he rubbed it over her tiny, sensitive hole. This time she didn't squirm with embarrassment. Her breaths hitched and she quivered. Her back sank and her bottom lifted to his touch.
Cutter's low, dirty laugh sounded behind her and then his cock was sliding in her crease, rocking up and down. He was huge, swollen, the ridge around the tip scraping deliciously up and down, and then he pointed his cock right at her hole, and she drew a deep breath.
"Don't tense up," he said, his words guttural and tight.
Her head sagged between her shoulders and she concentrated, easing the instinctive grip of the muscles until he pushed and he was inside.
She moaned at the sudden, burning stretch.
He froze behind her, his fingers digging hard into her ass. "Fuck, baby," he groaned. "S'goddamn tight."
He didn't move for long seconds, holding himself still, but she didn't want him to go easy, to take her gently. She wanted to hurt, wanted to feel the pinch and heat. She gathered strength in her thighs and pulsed backward, trying to take him deeper.
"Easy, easy," he hissed between his teeth.
She reached with one hand between her legs, curling her stomach until she caught his balls. She massaged them gently, tugging on them, caressing them, until a shudder passed through him and into her.
She squeezed her ass around his cock, then curled farther and rubbed his balls, pulling him toward her.
A gust of pained laughter preceded his gently thrust forward. "Let go, Katie."
Katie shook her hair back. "Not until you give me what I want."
"You're not ready."
She shot him a glare over her shoulder. "Says who?"
His dark brows lowered. His chin jutted stubbornly. "I don't want to hurt you."
But he already had. If this was the last time they'd be together, she wanted it to be memorable. "Just fuck me, Cutter. Make me like it."
Cutter's cock was ready to explode. Still, she didn't know what she asked of him. "Let go of my balls, Katie."
Katie's grip on his sac eased then her fingers slipped away.
Back in control again, he bent over her back, kissed her shoulder and then smoothed a hand over her hip and around her belly, diving between her legs where he thrust three fingers inside her pussy.
She was wet and her cunt spasmed around him. Satisfied she really was ready for more, he thrust his cock and his fingers inside her, working her, stroking gently into her ass and hoping like hell he'd come soon because he wanted to slam violently inside her, but he didn't want to hurt her.
He thumbed her clit and found it distended and exposed. He rasped it with the callused pad again then squeezed it. She jerked, her back sank and her shoulders rose. She rubbed her head against his shoulder, bucked her hips and came unglued.
She came hard. He knew because rhythmic convulsions surrounded his shaft and digits, milking him. Fighting his own blinding excitement, he continued to play with her, waiting until the rippling shivers waned.
Freed at last from his responsibility to see to her pleasure first, he let go. His balls exploded and come jetted inside her.
Cutter's rubbed his forehead on her shoulder and thrust, jerking inside her. Her body quivered and rocked...the motions slowing, slowing...until she stilled except for the trembling, and the only thing keeping her from tumbling to the bed was his hard cock and the fingers still stuffed inside her pussy.
Katie sucked in deep, ragged gulps of air. Her arms collapsed and her head fell to the bed.
Cutter pulled his hand from between her legs and slowly withdrew his cock.
With his own lust sated, Cutter turned his attention back to Katie. Her body still trembled, her breaths were jagged, noisy gasps.
He pushed her, rolling her to her back, then lifted her thighs over his shoulders and lay down, supporting his torso on his elbows.
Her hand slipped between her legs, covering her pussy. "No more. I need to bathe."
Cutter licked the tops of her fingers, then slipped his tongue between them and stroked up and down the seams. "Katie, don't deny me. I won't believe you're shy. Not with me."
"Please, I need a moment."
Her tone, aching and shattered, left him feeling powerful and oddly guilty. He kissed her knuckles, one by one. "Take away your hand, baby."
Katie's fingers pulled back, resting on her mons, as though she felt the need to keep them ready to protect herself again.
Cutter breathed in her scent---sweat, musk, a hint of a floral soap. He followed a sudden impulse and rolled his face in her moist center, coating his cheeks and tongue with her fluids. Then his lips made a more targeted foray, suckling her smooth outer labia, then nibbling at the pink inner lips. While he teased her sex with kisses, he snuck fingers into her entrance, thrusting them gently inside and swirling, twisting them in and out.
Both hands clutched his head and held him above her sex, and he chuckled, pleased she'd surrendered everything again. To show his approval, he latched onto her clitoris and pumped his fingers faster.
Katie's belly quivered, her thighs jerked, her buttocks lifted off the bed to pulse her pussy against his mouth.
Cutter sucked on her clit, clasping it harder, and rubbed his tongue over the hardening tip. When her buttocks lifted higher, he bit down, gently.
Katie, always so reluctant to give him sound, arched off the bed and screamed.
He released her clit, licked it to soothe the ache and slowly pulled his fingers free. Then he came up on his knees beside her and rolled her to her belly again.
"Stay here," he said, forcing his voice not to shake because he felt as wiped as she did.
He padded to the bathroom and soaked a washcloth in warm water and a squirt of soap, then cleansed himself. He tossed it in the hamper, wet another and headed back to the bed.
He halted beside it, and stared down. Katie's head lay on her folded arms, her face turned away. The silent sobs that shook her back made him hesitate.
Had he hurt her after all? Or was this something else? She'd been acting strange, a little remote, since he'd escorted her from Dani's kitchen.
Was she having second thoughts about their arrangement?
He shouldn't have cared. He'd known this wasn't going to last forever. Someday soon, he'd have to break it off anyway because she couldn't have a permanent place in his life.
But please don't let it be today.
He sat on the edge of the bed and washed her gently with the warm, wet cloth. The thing he ought to do was ask her what was wrong, but he didn't think he could handle the answer. Not if she wanted to talk to him about Justin and their impossible future.
Instead, he headed back to the bathroom to get rid of the cloth, then washed his hands and splashed cool water over his face. Anything to stall.
Staring at himself in the mirror, he read the tension in his jaw, saw a shadow of a deeper, darker emotion lurking in his gaze. Katie got to him in so many ways, but he'd been ruthless---with her, with himself. He couldn't let himself love her again if he couldn't trust her. And how the hell could he ever forget the sight of Justin's smirk as he'd padded up behind Katie, zipping up his goddamn jeans.
No, he'd never be able to forget. Forgiving didn't seem as hard now as that.
He broke with his own gaze and pushed away from the counter.
Back inside the bedroom, he approached the bed. Katie lay on her side, her back to him, the sheet pulled up and tucked beneath her arm. He lifted the corner and crawled in behind her.
He'd intended to lie back, close his eyes and rest to get ready for the next round because he was greedy and wanted more and more. Somehow he'd fill his need for her, reach the end of the attraction that flared as bright as the Texas sun every time they touched.
However, once he lay beside her, he couldn't resist the urge to scoot closer. He came up behind her and pressed his lips against her shoulder. Then he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer until her back warmed his belly.
He placed his hand over the one she had resting on her stomach. Katie's breath caught.
Cutter closed his eyes. "What's wrong?" he found himself asking even though he'd promised himself he wouldn't.
"This arrangement we have," she whispered, "It's over."
Cutter froze.
"I'm not sorry for it. I mean...about agreeing to it. But we weren't smart. You see I was at Dani's because she and I had things to talk about. A secret to share."
Cutter realized his fingers were wrapped tightly around hers, and he eased his grip. His jaws were another matter. They ached from the tension that kept them grinding his teeth hard. "What secret?" he finally forced out.
"I'm pregnant." She gave a short laugh that sounded more like a sob. "Funny, isn't it?"
Cutter heard the words, but it took a moment for them to sink in. His reaction once he got his head wrapped around the fact wasn't what he would have expected. There was no anger. No self-recrimination. All along, part of him had been hoping.
If she carried his child, he'd never have to let her go. "You'll marry me."
"No, I won't," she whispered. She moved away, and keeping her back to him, sat on the edge of the bed. "I need you take me home now."
He sat up, staring at her rigid back, anger rising swiftly. "Katie, we're not done here."
"Yes. We are." She stood and slowly walked around the room, gathering her clothing from the floor. Then she went into the bathroom, leaving him staring at the door as it closed.
What the hell had just happened?
She was pregnant with his child. He'd proposed. Why would she refuse?
Confused and irritable, Cutter dressed then waited impatiently for the door to open again so that he could continue the discussion.
However, when Katie did come out, her chin was tilted high. He knew better than to argue with a woman when her back was up. She'd come down off her high horse when she had a chance to think it through. His offer was the only thing that made sense.
Throughout the drive to her house, he watched her from the corner of his eye. But Katie's rigid posture never relaxed and she didn't look his way once. He chose a safe subject. "Have you been to a doctor?"
"Not yet. Dani and I used a pregnancy kit she bought to test."
So that's what this afternoon's gossip session had been all about. She'd lied.
"I want to be there when you see him."
"The doctor?"
He nodded and gripped the wheel tighter. "I'm gonna be part of his life. He's a Standifer."
"I would never keep a child from you. But you're getting ahead of yourself. It might be a girl."
He grunted. A girl. With red hair and wild streak a mile long, no doubt. Maybe she could be home-schooled and save him some gray hairs.
"Would you mind if it's a girl?" Katie asked, her tone indicating she was worried.
"A boy's easier."
"You think?"
Now that they were talking, he breathed easier. "You don't have to worry about boys coming home pregnant."
Katie's jaw dropped and her gaze narrowed. "You know, I did tell you I wasn't on the pill."
"Still, you didn't ask me to wear a condom, did you?" he said, aiming a glare her way.
"It takes two to make a baby," she grumbled. "You weren't exactly the safety patrol."
Cutter relaxed against the seat, enjoying her flare of temper. It sure as hell beat the cold shoulder she'd given him before, and with them, anger always lead to a meltdown of another sort. His heartbeats began a slow, purposeful thrum.
He pulled into her driveway and turned in his seat to talk, but she was already jerking on the door handle.
Katie slipped to the ground and stomped toward the door.
Cutter cursed under his breath, determined to follow her, but then hesitated. That's exactly what she expected him to do. He slammed the truck into reverse and pulled sedately out of her driveway, leaving Katie staring after him from her porch.
He smiled as he pulled away. He'd let her stew a while. Maybe she'd have a good cry too. When he came back, she'd be ready to talk some sense.
---------
A knock sounded on the front door. Katie pulled the stopper from the bottom of the sink and peeled off her plastic gloves. Cutter hadn't held out long.
She'd used the time to fix a light meal, something that she hoped she'd keep down this time. And she'd thought long and hard about what he'd said. How he'd said it. Maybe Dani was wrong.
Cutter hadn't been angry when he'd found out they were going to have a baby, but he also hadn't been gloating. And there'd been real caring in his gruff voice when he'd asked her what was wrong. Could she really be this in love with the man if he didn't love her back? Even just a little?
The knocking sounded again. "Coming," she called out. She set her face into noncommittal lines and swung the door open. Only it wasn't Cutter standing on her porch. "Justin, what the hell are you doing here?"
Justin Cruz's dark, brooding glance swept over her. A muscle flexed along his jaw, and then his gaze dropped away. "Dani told us everything."
Katie firmed her lips. "I still don't get why you're here."
"I made a mess of things between you and Cutter. I want to make it right."
Katie shook her head. "Take care of yourself. Whatever's between the two of you, you work on that. I'll take care of my own problems."
"Dani said he's stubborn. That he won't easily forgive. I could talk to him."
"Talk to him?" she scoffed. "If he won't listen to me, and he's sleeping with me, why the hell do you think he'll hear you out?"
Justin shuffled his feet. "We're family now. Related by marriage and blood."
"You need to leave. He left in a huff. Knowing him, he'll be back any minute and the last thing I need is for him to find you here again."
Justin reached out and covered the hand gripping the edge of the screen door. "We're here for you, however this works out."
Tears stung her eyes and she nodded her head. "Leave. Please?"
An engine gunned in the distance and both of them turned to see Cutter's big black truck screaming down the road.
Her stomach sank. This was so much like that other time, both her and Justin looking guilty as hell and Cutter's face as dark as a thundercloud as he parked the truck at an angle, blocking Justin's exit.
Cutter's door slammed and he stomped toward them, his gaze slicing from her to Justin, where it stayed.
Justin held up his hands. "This isn't whatever you think this looks like."
"Oh yeah?" Cutter raised an eyebrow. "What is it then? You hear she's pregnant and suddenly you give a shit?"
"Cutter," Katie broke in. "I asked him to leave."
"Katie, you get back in the house. Justin and I are gonna have a chat."
However, Cutter was rolling up his sleeves.
Justin sighed and turned to Katie. "Get inside. Close the door. And keep away from the window."
Men. Katie blew out a deep breath. "This is my house. My fucking porch. You two aren't gonna brawl here. There's been enough talk. Enough scandal."
Justin gripped her shoulders and turned her, pushing her gently through the door.
"You shouldn't have done that," she whispered, catching Cutter's tightening features.
"Cutter's got some things to get off his chest. I'm gonna oblige him."
"Fine," she said, catching the edge of the door, "But if either of you think I'm going to talk to you after this, you've got another think comin'." She closed the door, shutting out the sight of the two men stepping off the porch, and leaned against the door.
At the first slamming fist, she sobbed and ran for the bathroom to empty her stomach.
---------
"I have to say, you've got some nerve showin' up here," Cutter growled.
Justin circled him, his fists raised, his expression neutral. "I don't want to fight you. Truth is, Dani'll kick my ass for being here."
"You shouldn't have come anywhere near Katie. You fucked her up once; I won't let you do it again."
"About that..."
Cutter swung, but Justin ducked beneath the blow. "Don't go there," Cutter ground out. "Not if you don't wanna eat dinner through a goddamn straw for the rest of your life."
"You'll have to shut me up first." Justin ducked again and punched Cutter's ribs.
Cutter's breath left in an agonized grunt. "Quit dancin' and fight."
Justin stepped out of range of Cutter's furious jabs.
"I've loved Dani since she was a young thing. Never thought I had a chance. Not with you keepin' watch over her. I knew I wasn't good enough."
"Damn straight." Cutter barreled in, feinted to the right and slammed Justin's jaw with his left.
Justin stepped back and wiped blood from his lip with the back of his hand, stared at the blood and grimaced. "Katie's fall was my fault from beginning to end. I wanted revenge---against you. Not my proudest moment. And I'm truly sorry."
Cutter gritted his teeth. "I don't want apologies. I want you the fuck out of our lives."
Justin's features darkened. His jaw grew taut. "It's not happening. Dani's my wife. She's gonna have more kids. Some'll be mine. You have to get past this."
"I don't have to get past a damn thing." Cutter tightened his fists and crouched lower, determined to end the fight now.
"Dani wants you in our lives. I'll do whatever it takes to make that happen. If it means letting you use me for a punching bag to get rid of the bile you have stored up, so be it." Justin dropped his hands by his sides.
Cutter screwed his face up, rage building. "Put up your fists."
Justin took a deep breath which he blew out as he straightened.
Cutter pulled back his fist, sure Justin would have to protect himself---even if only out of instinct. He swung and struck Justin on the cheek.
Justin's head jerked back and he fell like a ragdoll to the ground.
Cutter kept his arms high, hovering over Justin, hoping he'd open his eyes and get back on his feet. He wasn't nearly done. Wanted the bastard to fight him like a man.
Behind him a door creaked and crashed; footsteps raced toward the two men.
Katie fell to her knees beside Justin and cradled his face between her hands. "Justin, you stupid, stupid man. Open your eyes."
Cutter's hands dropped. His anger bled out as he watched the tears tracking down Katie's face. He backed away and turned, heading toward his truck.
"Where do you think you're going? You have to help me get him inside."
Cutter stiffened, but didn't turn. "I'm done."
"You can be done after you help me get him inside. You're responsible for this. Your sister won't be happy if he doesn't wake up."
Cutter shut his eyes briefly then faced her. He closed his heart, closed off the emotions boiling inside him. He strode toward them, bent and grabbed Justin's arm to jerk him upright. Then he pulled him over his shoulder in a fireman's carry and trailed behind Katie into her house.
"Put him on the couch." She reached for the phone. "I'm calling Dani. You go get a wet towel from the kitchen. He's bleeding all over my couch."
Cutter grunted, but did as she said, listening with only half his attention as Katie made the call.
When he returned with a wet cloth, she took it from him and sat beside Justin and washed his face. "If he doesn't wake up quick, we'll have to call an ambulance."
Justin's hand shot up and grabbed her wrist. "Don't need an ambulance," he slurred. "Feels like I ran into a goddamn sledgehammer."
Katie sighed and placed her hand alongside his undamaged cheek. "What were you thinking, letting him use you like a punching bag?"
"That I deserved it," he whispered.
Katie's eyes filled, and Cutter turned away from the two of them to gaze out the window. He didn't like the emotions simmering inside him---shame being the one that climbed to the top. He'd wanted to kill Justin to remove him from his life---from Katie's and Dani's lives.
"I'll be outside," he said, and let himself out the front door. He didn't go far because his legs felt weak, so he sat heavily on the steps. A cold hollow feeling settled in his gut and he started to shake.
Cutter stared at his hands, at the bruises on his knuckles. He'd wanted to kill Justin. But when the other man had fallen, he'd thought he'd succeeded and he'd felt sick to his stomach.
For as long as he lived, he'd remember all expression leaving Justin's face as he fell backward. It surpassed the other memory, the one that had allowed him to nurse his anger, the one that had driven a spike between him and Katie.
Katie had been wrong. But he hadn't been blameless either. He'd been remote, pushed her away when she'd needed him to assure her he cared. He'd given Justin the perfect in.
Justin had been wrong to use Katie for his own pleasure and for revenge against him. But he'd never have had a chance at her if Cutter had treated Katie the way she'd deserved in the first place.
Remorse surpassed shame, and his shoulders fell. He wouldn't be surprised if Katie decided he wasn't fit to have a place in their child's life. He'd been a hard, cruel bastard.
Rowe's truck pulled in behind his. Dani slipped from the cab before Rowe cut the engine. Cutter couldn't meet her gaze as she raced up the steps and entered the house, but he heard her cry of dismay and winced.
"You've done it now," Rowe muttered.
Cutter curled his fingers into fists then dropped them to his knees. "He shouldn't have been here."
"You're right. But I doubt he came for the reason you think."
Cutter hung his head. "How do I make this right?"
"You really want to?" Rowe's voice held an edge of anger, but a deeper streak of exasperation. "Or do you want to keep carrying around your anger?"
"Katie...she won't marry me."
"You thought it had something to do with Justin?"
"Not really. But when I saw them standing there together. I lost it."
Rowe pressed a hand to his shoulder and settled on the step next to him.
"Congratulations, by the way," Cutter muttered.
"Same to you." Rowe's gaze swung toward him. "We're both gonna be fathers. Justin's gonna be your kid's uncle. Don't you think it's time to let go?"
Cutter nodded. "I want to."
"Can you forgive Katie? Can you get past the fact she cheated? Some men couldn't."
Cutter's gaze lifted to the wide, cloudless sky. That's what it all boiled down to---the one thing that he couldn't seem to get past. If he didn't figure out how to let go, he'd lose her. And suddenly, he knew he'd be hurt worse if he let her slip away. "I love her. I have to try."
"You ever tell her that?"
"I didn't know it myself. Not until Justin hit the ground, and I thought I'd killed him. I wanted to take it back. I didn't want her to look at me like I was some kind of monster. I don't want to be that man."
"Don't go anywhere. We'll clear out and give you a chance to talk with Katie."
"What do I say? I've stopped her cold every time she tried."
Rowe squinted as he raised his glance to the sun as it flared at the horizon. Then he aimed a steady glare at Cutter. "You start with 'I'm sorry'."
Cutter nodded and ground his jaw tight, afraid like he'd never been before in his life. Not even when his parents had died and the responsibility for the ranch and raising Dani fell on his shoulders. He'd done his duty then, but this time, he knew happiness would never be his without Katie.
---------
Katie watched Justin stumble out of the house, his arm draped over Rowe's shoulders for support. Dani gave her a worried look.
"You go on." Katie picked up the soiled towel and worked at a spot of blood on her sofa, but the more she rubbed, the larger it got. "Dammit."
"I'll replace it," came a low, growling murmur.
She didn't turn toward Cutter, afraid if she did she'd launch herself at him and beat her fists against his chest. "Don't bother. I don't want anything from you."
"Katie, I'm sorry."
"I know. But it's not enough."
"Do you want me to leave?"
She opened her mouth to tell him yes, but her throat closed. She nodded and kept her face turned so he wouldn't see the tears leaking down her face.
A deep sigh sounded behind her, footsteps shuffled toward the door. She waited but Cutter didn't open it.
She glanced over her shoulder. His hand was on the knob, his head was bent, his shoulders drooping. She'd never seen Cutter anything but strong and the sight tore at her heart. "Did you really think I wanted him?"
"No."
"Then why?"
"He hurt us," he whispered.
Katie felt a wash of cool relief pass over her. The sorrow in his voice was everything she could have hoped for. Cutter wasn't cold or withdrawn. And he wasn't angry anymore. She rose on shaking limbs and walked slowly toward him. When she stood directly behind him, his breath caught.
Katie lifted her arms and wrapped them around his waist and pressed her cheek against his strong back. "I love you, Cutter Standifer. I've only ever loved you."
A deep inhalation expanded his chest and belly. "Katie, I can change. I'd like to try."
"I don't need you to change. I just need you to be with me. To not shut me out. I love you, and I won't ever let you down again."
"I can't promise I won't. I have a temper."
"I won't give you any reason to lose it again."
His hands closed over hers and he squeezed. "I want to marry you; I want to be a good husband, a good father."
"You will be. And I'll marry you. But I have to know...will you ever love me back?"
Cutter lifted her hands and turned inside her embrace.
She didn't know she'd been crying until his thumbs swept the moisture from face. "Look at me, baby."
Katie pressed her lips together, blinked away the tears and slowly lifted her face.
Cutter shook his head and pushed her gently back, then he sank onto one knee and drew one of her hands inside his. "I have to do this thing right. Will you marry me, Katie Grissom? I love you and I want to spend the rest of our lives proving it to you."
Katie felt a smile pull at her lips. "I can think of few ways you can start."
Cutter blinked and his face lost its fierce tension. When he met her gaze, his eyes shone with tears. "Gimme a list. I'll start right now."
---------
Cutter thought heaven must be filled with simple pleasures. Katie's head, nestled on his shoulder as she slept was one of them. He could get used to this, crave it like a drug, make it a habit he'd never want to break. He didn't for a minute think that all their problems were behind them. He still had peace to make with Dani and her men. Much as it stuck in his craw, he'd do his best to accept Justin within the circle of his family.
His respect for Justin had grown the moment the man had lowered his fists. Only a man in love would sacrifice so much.
Katie stirred, her legs nudging his as she stretched. When her eyes opened, he smiled. "You been waitin' on me to wake up?"
"Yeah. Wanted to make sure you were rested."
She gave him a wicked grin. "Am I gonna need it?"
Cutter didn't answer her with words; he rolled with her, stopping when he had her under him. "Take me inside you."
"You always know just what to say to get me in the mood."
He grunted, pleased she was teasing him again. Cutter slipped his arms beneath her, and cupped her ass. Then he flexed his hips and drove inside her.
Katie's breath left her in a harsh gasp.
"Too fast?"
"Perfect," she whispered. "You overwhelm me. If you haven't figured it out. I love that about you."
He remembered a time when he'd thought he had to go slow with her, and he grimaced. "Guess I'm a slow learner."
"That's okay. I'm not." She undulated beneath him, rocking her hips upward to take him deeper. Her legs opened wider, her knees rose and snuggled against his hips.
"Do I have to be gentle now?"
"Not for a few more months."
"Good," he growled and plunged inside her. Katie's warm, wet depths caressed every inch he thrust inside her. "You feel so damn good."
Katie nuzzled his shoulder then bit gently into his skin. "When I'm here, you covering me from head to foot, I feel small, really feminine, you know?"
"Do I scare you?"
"When your face hardens into granite, yeah you do. Because I know you're close to losing it. I like that I do that to you."
"Baby...baby, fuck," he chanted, thrusting faster.
Her legs wrapped around his waist; her feet rested on his buttocks. He liked the weight, liked being locked to her body. Silky liquid slicked his cock as he drove into her again and again.
Katie's head turned side to side as her eyelids slid closed. Her mouth opened around a throaty groan.
Cutter bent and smoothed his lips over the tender skin beneath her jaw then suctioned. She'd have a mark, something she'd scold him for, but anyone looking at her would know she'd been branded.
Soon enough she'd wear a brand everyone could see in the swell of her belly where their child rested beneath her heart. Warmth filled his chest as he stared down at her, watching the soft color flood her cheeks, the sweat break on her forehead, and her mouth gasp around her labored breaths.
He pushed up, lifting his chest from hers.
Katie's eyes slowly opened and her gaze locked with his. "I want it all, Cutter. Don't you dare hold back. I'm not fragile." She placed her hands on his chest and gently raked her nails through his hair.
Her encouragement was just enough to send him over the edge. He gathered his knees beneath him and increased the speed and depth of his thrusts, hammering toward her core.
With her back arching, her nails digging into his spine, and her eyes losing focus, he felt powerful, masculine and complete.
Cutter was a simple man---a meat and potatoes kind of guy. And the simple pleasure of watching Katie's face as she shuddered toward her orgasm would be enough to keep him content for the rest of his life.
About the Author
Until recently, award-winning erotica and romance author Delilah Devlin lived in South Texas at the intersection of two dry creeks, surrounded by sexy cowboys in Wranglers. These days, she's missing the wide-open skies and starry nights but loving her dark forest in Central Arkansas, with its eccentric characters and isolation---the better to feed her hungry muse! For Delilah, the greatest sin is driving between the lines, because it's comfortable and safe. Her personal journey has taken her through one war and many countries, cultures, jobs, and relationships to bring her to the place where she is now---writing sexy adventures that hold more than a kernel of autobiography and often share a common thread of self-discovery and transformation.
To learn more about Delilah Devlin, please visit www.delilahdevlin.com. Send an email to delilah@delilahdevlin.com or join her Yahoo! group to enter in the fun with other readers as well as Delilah: DelilahsDiary@yahoogroups.com
Now Available:
Saddled
Stone's Embrace
Unbridled
Tough...or tender? If she plays her cards right, she won't have to choose.
Unbridled
© 2009 Delilah Devlin
Lone Star Lovers, Book 1
Dani Standifer arrives home at her West Texas family ranch a day early, ready to pick up where she left off with Rowe Ayers, her high school sweetheart. However, when she opens the door to their line-shack trysting place, it's clear she waited a day too long. Rowe's with someone else---another man.
And not just any other man---Justin Cruz, the bad boy with whom she shared one wild encounter, years ago.
Justin's waited a long time for this moment. He knows his reputation, but since he seduced Rowe, he's been a one-man cowboy---waiting for Dani to return and become the delicious fulfillment of his and Rowe's needs. If she's up to the challenge.
To her own surprise, Dani finds she's more than ready to have both men in her life---as soon as she and Rowe teach Justin a lesson or two about love.
Their small town may not be ready for their kind of relationship. And Dani's brother Cutter's mile-deep grudge against Justin throws in a complication that could break the foundation the three of them have built...
Warning: Hold on for the rodeo of your life with rough ridin' male-on-male action, blazing hot m/m/f scenes, and melt-your-panties lovin' as each of these sexy cowboys gives it the way they know best to turn their woman inside out.
Enjoy the following excerpt for Unbridled:
"Jesus Christ." Rowe bent to grab his blue jeans from the floor, then held them in front of his gleaming cock.
"A little late now," Justin said. "I think she's already jumped to the correct conclusion."
Rowe's fist clenched around his jeans, then he dropped them to the floor and straightened his shoulders. A look of resignation entered his face; a silent plea for understanding glittered in his pale eyes as he returned her stare.
"I didn't know you were gay," Dani blurted out, ignoring Justin's smirk.
Rowe's crimson face tightened. "I'm...it's complicated."
"You're naked, obviously aroused. What could be more simple?" she asked, trying to gather anger around her, but mostly feeling confused. How could she not have known?
"She's got it almost right," Justin murmured.
"Shut up," Rowe bit out.
"Yeah, what'd I miss?" Dani snarled at Justin, hating him at this moment for rubbing her nose in her own naiveté.
"The fact I knew you were comin'," he said, his voice dropping to a sexy purr. "This is your homecomin' present, baby."
"Justin, you bastard!" Rowe said heatedly.
The larger, more rugged man shrugged. "She needed to know. She has choices to make here."
"I would have broken the news more gently."
"Doesn't look like she needs you to sugarcoat it." Justin's gaze pinned her. "She's not exactly looking ready to bolt or puke. Fact is, the thought of it, of watching us, turns her on."
"Does not," Dani denied hotly, heat filling her face.
"Your nipples always poke holes in your shirt?"
"You're a jerk." And yet, she barely resisted the urge to cross her arms over her breasts. She tilted her chin in defiance while heat crept deeper into her cheeks. She met his narrowed gaze, while images flashed through her mind. Since she knew what both men looked like naked, she couldn't help the raw, nasty pictures that flashed one after the other.
And yes, they aroused her.
"Prove me wrong," Justin murmured. "Leave now."
Dani shot Rowe a hot glare. "You gonna let him talk to me like that?"
Rowe's jaw flexed, but he didn't offer any response.
"He doesn't let me do anything," Justin said slowly. "He obeys me. In all things---here, at least. Rowan, your cock's flagging." Justin's gaze dropped, drawing all their glances to Rowe's sex, which pulsed and lifted again.
Rowe groaned.
"Get it ready for me," Justin growled.
Rowe's eyes closed briefly, then a look Dani had never seen slid across Rowe's face---something vulnerable and needy. "Justin, not now."
"Not now, what?" Justin said, his voice dead even.
"Please," Rowan whispered, his strong jaw flexing.
"Uh-unh." Justin shook his head. "You've carried around this picture of your innocent little sweetheart for years. But I don't think you really know her at all."
"And you think you do?" Dani bit out, hoping like hell the bastard wasn't getting ready to drop the other shoe that she'd succumbed to his bad boy charm herself. Rowe didn't deserve finding out that the two people he'd taken as lovers had a history of their own.
"The things you asked him to do, Dani," Justin said, his tone dropping to a raspy rumble. "The sexy little spankings, the special bonds you left underneath the bed... It's not in him to do that to you, but he did because he cares."
Dani's jaw dropped and her embarrassment caused her to tremble. "Rowe, you told him about that?"
Again, a muscle flexed along Rowe's square jaw. "I wasn't gossiping. It just slipped out. He found your things and asked. He's a friend."
"Friend?" Justin straightened away from the doorframe. "I'm a little more than that, aren't I? You don't keep any secrets from me."
But Rowe had kept one big goddamn secret from her. Dani's shoulders slumped.
"Don't take it so hard, Dani," Justin said, all traces of mockery gone now. "He loves you...almost as much as he loves me. But every time he was with you, every time he spanked that pretty little ass of yours, he was denying his own nature. Rowe's submissive. Just like you. He's just finally figured out he's not finicky about which gender offers him the kind of sex he craves."
"How the hell did you figure that out?" she bit out. "I've known him all my life."
"Because I watched him...with you. When you dared him into spanking you, he didn't get off on the act. He only got hard when you told him what it did to you, what it made you feel."
Her mouth suddenly went dry. The thought of Justin's dark, hungry glance raking her body as he watched her with Rowe caused another distressing wash of arousal to dampen her panties. She licked her lips. "You watched us?"
"Sometimes," he said softly. "You weren't as careful as you thought. Had to run interference a time or two with your big brother."
"Cutter knows?" she asked, her voice rising. "About Rowe and me?"
"He suspects. But he never got close enough to the cabin to ever know for sure. You have me to thank. And if I happened to catch a glimpse or two of your...sessions...well, I think I earned the right."
"Pervert!"
"Who's the pervert? Me for watching, or you for wanting his hands to leave your ass pink?" He lifted his chin toward Rowe. "Or him for needing the same damn thing from another man?"
"I don't believe you. Not about Rowe. This..." she said, gazing at the mattress in the middle of the floor, "...is just him experimenting a little. But I'm back now." Her gaze locked with Rowe's, pleading with him. "It doesn't mean anything. Not to us."
Rowe's glance fell away from hers, and her stomach dropped. What he had with Justin was important. Special enough that he hadn't bothered dressing because Justin didn't want him to.
"Dani, I never wanted to hurt you." Rowe's tone was low, aching.
Like the lump filling the back of her throat.
"Tell yourself whatever lies you need to stay in happy land, Dani. But we're about to get busy." Justin opened his belt and stripped back one side then locked gazes with her. "Now's your chance. You can run out the door. You don't have to see anything that might traumatize you."
Why was Justin being so cruel? He'd won. He didn't have to rub her nose in this mess. "I'm not a scared little virgin," she said, her voice shaking.
"But you're also not faithful to your boyfriend here either, are you?"
Dani stared at Justin's hard face through shimmering tears. "Justin...don't."
"He can't fulfill you," he said softly. "Not those dirty needs that keep you restless even after he's fucked you."
"Shut up," she said, tears filling her eyes.
Justin pulled apart the snaps of his shirt, letting it fall open to expose the dark fur of his broad, muscular chest. Then he unsnapped the top button of his pants. "Last warning..."
She stood rooted, unable to move as he scraped his zipper down.
"Rowe, take out my dick," he said, never looking away from her. "Now."
"Fuck." Rowe's tone was agonized, but his cock bobbed eagerly between his legs. "Dani, get out."
But she couldn't. Part of her died a little in that moment. But another part, one only Justin had ever touched, caught fire.
"Rowe, don't disappoint me," Justin said, his gaze never leaving Dani's.
Rowe's naked feet dragged across the floor. His expression was taut, his cheeks a brighter red than they'd been moments ago.
Justin firmed his jaw. "Can't turn back now. She knows. Let her see what it's like. If she hates you afterward, she isn't worth cryin' over."
Dani narrowed her eyes, knowing he expected her to bolt. She braced apart her feet and lifted her chin higher, even while she questioned whether she really could do this---watch the only two men she'd ever known intimately have sex.
Rowe didn't glance her way, but his chest rose sharply. Then he slipped his hand inside Justin's pants and slowly drew out his cock. His fingers clasped the shaft gingerly, but his thumb rubbed slowly over the smooth cap. Justin's cock thickened.
"Push down my pants," Justin said, his voice tighter than it had been before.
Both of Rowe's hands slid over Justin's narrow hips and shoved down the faded jeans.
Dani hated to admit it, even to herself, but watching Rowe do such an intimate thing to another man, knowing how the scrape of his rough palms felt on her own bottom, caused her sex to melt.
"Get on your knees and take me in your mouth," Justin rasped.
Rowe groaned, and Dani understood the feeling. Shame and arousal roiled together. Her own body was hot, moisture seeping into the crotch of the lacy undies she'd worn just for Rowe.
Rowe knelt, his hand shaking as he gripped Justin's cock and brought it to his mouth.
Justin cupped the back of Rowe's head with one hand, his fingers threading through Rowe's honey brown hair with surprising tenderness. For long moments, he stared as the other man's lips closed around the tip of his cock and sucked.
Rowe's cheeks hollowed, his eyes closed tightly, but his hesitation ended there. Surrendering, he groaned and opened wide his jaws, gliding along the thick, veined shaft.
"That's it," Justin said softly. "Take me deeper," he said, stroking his hips forward, his cock disappearing into Rowe's eager mouth. Then his gaze rose. For a moment, something almost haunted entered his expression. That wicked brow rose again. "He does it because he knows the rewards. But so do you, don't you, sweetheart?"
Dani didn't answer. She couldn't have pushed a word through her tightening throat if a rattler had slithered over her boot. Watching both men, engaged in such a carnal act, caused unexpected emotions to rise inside her.
Sadness, because she'd never guessed Rowe wasn't fully satisfied with her. Jealousy, because Rowe never made those hungry sounds when he went down on her. And shame, because she wished she were brave enough to approach them and sink to her knees beside Rowe.
How she wished Justin would command her to, take the choice away from her. The hard edge of his voice when he'd cut through Rowe's objections had caused her own body to react with an instant, juicy response.
Justin braced his legs apart, and his face darkened as Rowe's strokes, forward and back along his shaft, picked up the pace. The slippery suctioning sounds and choked excitement gurgling in Rowe's throat caused Dani's whole body to vibrate.
Forgotten for the moment by both men, she wet her lips with her tongue as she imagined how Justin might taste. Moisture flooded her channel as her inner muscles clenched hard.
When Justin flung back his long, black-brown hair, her breath hitched. Starkly masculine elation softened his expression for just a second before his head lowered and his hard gaze met hers, issuing a wordless challenge.
Only Dani wasn't ready to accept. She lost her nerve, turned and fled through the door of the cabin, stumbling down the steps in her haste, before catching herself on the rail and bolting toward her horse.
Booted heels bit into the wood porch, but she didn't look back. With the sun sliding below the horizon, she nudged her heels into her mare's sides, kicking up dust behind her and leaving both men in her wake.
Look, but don't touch...
Veiled Desire
© 2010 Alisha Rai
Leyla Karimi can't keep her eyes off the hunky guy living in the house behind her. How could any woman resist ogling Dr. Mason Barrett, especially when he makes it so easy by parading around in his skin and skivvies?
If it was only their age difference, she would have made a move a long time ago. Except Mason is more than a neighbor. He's her baby brother's oldest friend. It's not like they can have a casual fling and walk away in the morning.
Mason's been doing a little lusting---okay a lot---for quite some time. When he catches Leyla peeking, it's a sure sign she could finally be ready to heat up his nights with loving. One taste of her lips, though, and he doesn't want a "little" of anything. He wants it all.
Unwilling to jeopardize a lifetime of friendship for a one-night stand, Leyla is reluctant to throw caution to the wind. When he's kissing her senseless, though, it's hard to remember all the reasons why she should hold back...
Warning: Contains a hot hero who doesn't mind baring it all in the name of love, a heroine who doesn't settle for less, a sweet romance, steamy sex in a car and more good lovin' in bed.
Enjoy the following excerpt for Veiled Desire:
As Leyla chewed her last bite, savoring the taste of strawberry, cream cheese and cinnamon, she glanced up to find Mason's gaze on her mouth, his eyes just a bit unfocused. He looked hungry. And since his plate was clean, she figured it wasn't for food.
Her heart rate accelerated. Though she was careful with her love life, she'd received her fair share of admiring looks over the years. She knew what male interest looked like. But...Mason?
Well, why not? Hadn't she spent months wrestling with her attraction and feelings for him? Why wouldn't that desire be reciprocated?
Baby.
Sweetheart.
This is a nice thing to wake up to...
"Why don't you call me Lee-Lee anymore?" she blurted out. Sasha had tagged her with the nickname in childhood. Though her brother had grown out of it, Mason had continued to use it affectionately. But now that she considered it, he had switched to only calling her by her given name for months.
He didn't seem at all startled by her pulling the topic out of thin air. "Because it's a child's name. Neither of us are children, are we?"
She was a bit too rattled to answer. Her heart pounding, she swallowed the lump in her throat and deliberately set her fork to the side. Leyla dipped her finger in the remaining syrup on her plate. His eyes flicked down to follow the lazy figure eight she made and followed her finger back up to her mouth, where she enclosed it and...sucked.
His eyes flared, and he bit his lower lip. Hard.
Oh my. Well, this was very interesting.
Leyla had never considered herself a wilting flower, so as much as she wanted to swoon a little, she stiffened her spine at the obvious signs of desire she was suddenly noting all over him. Dilated eyes, chest rising and falling. Even his nipples were hard.
Want to taste. Then maybe he would reciprocate.
Her head was spinning from the onslaught of the sudden epiphany. Did he just want her for sex? Because that would never work. She wasn't set up to be a fuck buddy. But if he wanted more, did she? What about Sasha? How would her brother react?
Her natural humor kicked in, and she tried to fight the sudden urge to laugh at herself. Sasha had always been the impulsive Karimi, but here she was, ready to go nuts on the basis of a couple of hot looks. Time to slow down and really think about this. He hadn't given her that much encouragement, if she looked at it objectively.
To distract herself, she picked up her plate and stood. "You done?" Without waiting for anything more than his nod, she picked up his empty plate as well and carried them both to the sink. A small pile of dishes had already been gathered there.
As she grabbed the sponge and drizzled some soap on it, she heard the scrape of his chair behind her. "You don't have to do that."
"I don't mind."
"Seriously, leave it."
Trying to diffuse some of her tension, she forced a smile into her voice and made a tsking noise. "Look at all these dirty dishes. You and I both know you'll let these gather until you don't have any other choice. I still have a few minutes, and I'll just---"
Without warning, hard hands closed over her hips, and she dropped the sponge. He swiveled her around. Reaching behind her, he wrenched the water off. "Goddamn it, Leyla. Stop treating me like a kid."
She blinked up at him, stunned at both the anger on his face and the hard tone of his voice. "I'm not."
"You are. I'm not your son, and I'm not your brother. I can do my own fucking dishes."
Her eyes narrowed. "You don't need to swear at me."
He sneered. "Are you going to chastise me for my language now?"
"Someone needs to. You idiot. I certainly don't think I'm your mother."
"Then stop acting like it. You don't have to clean up after me. You certainly don't need to do my fu---"
She slapped her hands against his chest. "That's a nasty swear, Mason. Say it again, and I will make you sorry. I was doing the dishes because you cooked, you ass."
He stilled. "Do you mind if I use it and I'm not swearing at you?"
"What?"
"Fuck."
The short, graphic word looked erotic on his full lips. She caught her breath.
"Do you object to the word or the context?"
"The-the context."
His lips quirked. "I'll keep that in mind. I apologize. I'm sorry if I overreacted."
"I'm not your sister," she blurted out.
"I know that. I've known that for a while. The question is, do you know it?"
"Yes." She realized at that moment that her slightly damp hands were flat against his chest.
His naked, hard, hot chest.
Leyla had never touched him so intimately. Hugs, pecks on the cheek, pats on the back; that was it. The way she'd been raised, males and females who were platonic friends didn't touch each other inappropriately. Mason knew and respected that.
She couldn't look at his face. Instead, she studied her hands, so small against the wide expanse of his chest. Her one hand curved over his developed pec. She only had to move just a smidgeon to scrape the nail of her pinky over his nipple.
Then he was growling, a low rumbling noise, using his tight grip on her hips to pull her closer and crowd her against the counter. He shoved one hand into her hair, tilted her head and lowered his lips to hers.
All she could think was that she no longer needed to wonder if he desired her. He didn't bother with an exploratory foray or gentle teasing. He kissed her as if they'd been kissing for years, as if he had an absolute right to her lips and her mouth. It was hot and carnal, his mouth open on hers, his tongue stroking against hers and inside. When she twined her arms around his neck and sank into him, he made a rough noise and captured the zipper on her hoodie. One quick tug had it undone, and then it was like her shirt just magically undid itself of its buttons for him as well. He pushed it to the side with rough impatience until her breast filled his hand.
When he pinched her nipple, Leyla figured she was pretty much done for. Her breasts were sensitive, but Mason touched her with just the perfect amount of pressure. She arched her back and whimpered into his mouth. God, she wanted more.
He ripped his mouth away and studied her with hot eyes. She knew what she would see if she glanced down at herself right then. Tousled hair, unbuttoned top, her right breast plumped up by his hand, her nipple long and tight. She didn't want to look down at herself. The reality would force her brain back into action. There was a certain comfort and simplicity in letting one's vagina do the talking. "Mason, please..."
Slashes of red crested Mason's high cheekbones. "You're so beautiful." He dipped his head, pulling her nipple into the wet cavern of his mouth.
If she'd thought that Mason knew how to touch a nipple, that was nothing compared to how well he could suck one. He was a freakin' maestro of the nipple, suckling hard and fast, teasing her with light flicks of his tongue. She looked down at his blond head against her skin. Instantly, doubts and worries crept into her mind. She shut her eyes and they faded. She didn't want to think. Just feel.
He drew away from her nipple. "One day, I want to spend just an hour or two sucking your breasts. Will you let me do that?"
What was a girl supposed to say to that? Yes please? She nodded, since she really couldn't think of anything she'd rather have at that moment.
"Good." He flicked his nail against the wet tip of her breast and she shuddered. His eyes narrowed. "Are you close? Already?"
"Mason, I need..."
"Don't worry. I know."
New Year's resolutions have never looked so good.
Make Mine Midnight
© 2009 Annmarie McKenna
New Year's Eve. The party is rockin', and Claire is in her usual spot holding up the wall. It's all right. She's much happier scribbling in her trusty little notebook than mingling. Especially since those notes turn into the sexy erotic romances she pens in secret. Those two gorgeous gods across the room are perfect hero material and...oh dear, are they headed her way?
Mason and Hunter know she won't remember them as the scrawny geeks they were in high school. She also doesn't know they've been lusting after her for ten long years, waiting for her to meet a man and have a normal relationship. They're through waiting. The time has come to make their move---and show her exactly how much they've changed.
One night in the middle of a Mason/Hunter manwich, and Claire has enough research material to fill a hundred notebooks. Good thing she's got OfficeMax on speed dial to order more. Except suddenly her two hunks have this crazy idea that keeping her is selfish. Selfish? She may be mousy, but this mouse is about to roar...
Warning: Threesomes! Light bondage, blindfolds, breakfast made by two hot men who used to be geeks. Parades, cotton candy, more sex, and convincing said men they are WRONG and threesomes are RIGHT.
Enjoy the following excerpt for Make Mine Midnight:
"I want the whole scoop later, sweetie," Paul called after them as Mason and Hunter practically frogmarched her down the hall to the stairwell. There were no slow feet, no stopping or pausing, just a straight, quick arrow to the stairs. Two short flights down had them on the next floor where they proceeded to continue down the hall like they'd done so a million times. Like she had so often. Before she could say a word, they stopped right in front of 13A.
Interesting since she'd never given the directions. They should have had to ask where she lived, not known how to take her right to her front door.
Her suspicion rose again. "How did you know where I lived?"
"Paul." Hunter felt her jeans pockets and victoriously extracted her set of keys.
"I knew that man had a big mouth, but damn. He told you everything, didn't he?"
"Don't get mad at the middleman, sweetheart." Hunter pecked her cheek as he fumbled the key in the lock then pushed open the door to her place.
"I still want to know what's going on."
"Later," Mason growled in her ear. Literally growled. "Time for talk later. We need to see you, want to touch you, taste you."
Claire wondered if it were possible for one's heart to actually explode. The thing was beating so hard surely it was close.
"And what if I don't want to do those things?" The act of defiance pretty much fell flat. She knew it based on their twin predatory grins.
"If you really didn't want this, you'd go inside and slam the door in our faces. One thing we remember for certain about you is your stubbornness." Hunter turned serious and touched her cheek. "If there's anything we do that scares you or you don't want, just tell us. We'll back off."
They would. She didn't know how she knew it, but she did. They wouldn't hurt her. Maybe leave her heart crushed in a million pieces when they left, but they wouldn't physically hurt her. They weren't that kind of men. Not ten years ago, and she could see they still weren't.
What could she say to that? She nodded and stepped inside, letting them follow her in. Not want this? Pfft. The door sounded with what seemed like an ominous click and then Hunter spoke again.
"Take off the shirt, Claire. I can't wait to see you." Mason's hands fisted and she wondered if he were trying not to pounce on her. His expression clearly showed he wanted to do just that.
She swallowed and reached for the hem of her shirt, revealing inch by inch of smooth, creamy skin in an almost provocative dance. Where her inner vixen suddenly came from she didn't know and didn't particularly care. When her bellybutton appeared, Mason dropped to his knees and placed a kiss on the indentation. The act startled her and Claire bumped back into the wall. Mason took advantage. He held her hips and kissed a circle around her navel, tickling her into a rush of giggles.
Beside her, Hunter groaned. Because he wanted to do the same thing? Damn, she wished she had a better handle on all things sex in real life, not just in the written word.
A moment later, Mason backed off, a silly grin on his face. "Sorry."
She had a feeling he wasn't. "Right."
"Off." The impatience she remembered Hunter having shone through in spectacular fashion.
"Geez. It's not my fault I was interrupted." Claire shimmied the shirt up, reaching her arms to the ceiling to remove it, but before she could take it completely off, Hunter grabbed her bound arms and kept them raised above her head. As a result, her face was covered by the material as well. "Hey."
"Stay." Hunter had been reduced to one-word grunts, which made a thrill go through her.
A mouth latched on to one of her silk-bra-covered nipples, puckering the bud tight before the cup was pulled below her breast. Fingers manipulated her other mound. Claire's knees wobbled and someone pressed her into the wall.
Her nipple was sucked deep into a hot, wet mouth and then a tongue wrapped around it. Teeth bit gently and Claire cried out into the fabric of her shirt. She'd never experienced such a sensation, the sharpness of teeth followed by the soothing lap of a tongue. The clip between her breasts popped open with deft fingers and the cups fell to her sides, leaving her practically naked from the waist up except for the bunch of fabric around her face. She knew her nipples were standing out from her small breasts, and somewhere in the back of her mind she thought about being embarrassed but couldn't summon the energy when what the two men were doing to her nipples felt so damn good.
"Sheeeesh." Claire's legs buckled on a particularly strong suck.
She squealed when Mason laughed and scooped her up in his arms. "Where's the bedroom, baby?"
"Down the hall." The shirt still shrouded her face but try as she might she couldn't wiggle loose. She had a feeling Mason wanted it that way.
Light filtered through the hole at the top and she wondered what they thought of her scrawny apartment as they lit the rooms one by one. She knew what they'd find in her room. The walls were dark red---whore red she called it---the comforter plaid in a matching shade of red mixed with browns and navy. Not very girly, but then she wasn't a very girly kind of girl. A touch of makeup on the dresser, a few simple dresses and a bit of jewelry were about as feminine as she got.
There was a shuffling sound and then the world spun as Mason turned and laid her on the bed. Her bare back on soft sheets told her the shuffling had been Hunter pulling off the comforter.
"Can I take this off now?" She squirmed in an attempt to extract herself. Who knew it'd be so hard to get your shirt off when you really wanted it off?
"I don't know, Hunt, I kind of like her blindfolded."
Claire stilled, her heart racing. Blindfolded? As in not being able to see? Anything?
She'd written the scenario lots of times. And the idea of doing it here and now made her clit throb in excitement. But still, if she didn't at least pretend like the idea scared the shit out of her, what would they think of her? That she did this sort of thing all the time?
She fumbled out of the shirt. Her glasses came off with the material, and she eyed their blurry forms. "What do you mean?"
Hunter pulled a black, silky-looking scarf from his back pocket and showed it to her. "A little something to force you to feel, sweetheart."
"Do you always carry little black scarves in your pocket, Hunter?"
"I like to be prepared." His lips split into a sexy smile that made her belly flip-flop.
"Huh. I like prepared." What the hell. It was the chance of a lifetime, right?
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