Crazy For You (18 page)

He shrugged one shoulder. “I know you need to work on your next project. That’s more important.”

She put her hand on his. “You’re important to me, too.”

For a moment he had a hopeful expression. Then he pulled his hand away and pushed back his chair. “I’d better be going. I’ve got some practicing to do.”

Ella nodded and stood as he did. She walked him to the front door and stood on the front porch as he turned to face her. He studied her for a long moment before putting his hand on her shoulder and kissing her forehead.

She looked up in surprise, meeting his gaze. “I’ll see you later,” he said softly. “You just think about what I said. He’s no good for you.”

He didn’t seem to expect a response and she was glad he didn’t. She rubbed her arms with her palms as she watched him walk toward the barn. He reached his truck and opened the door before he looked over his shoulder at her and touched the brim of his western hat. He climbed into his truck, started the vehicle, and then he drove away.

Ella slipped her hands into her back pockets and walked into the barn. It was the same afternoon following her chat with Johnny and her thoughts had been bouncing back and forth between the things Johnny had said to her and her earlier conversation with Clint, not to mention her night with him.

In her heart she knew it was too late to back off now. If Clint left it would be devastating, but she’d live through it. She’d do what she’d have to do to move on, no matter how difficult it would be. So she might as well enjoy the ride.

After chores, she’d gone to her studio. Despite both conversations pinging in her brain, she’d had managed to get some work accomplished on the sculpture. Not as much as she’d wanted to, but it was something.

As she walked past the horse stalls, she wondered what her dad would think about her being with Clint. Carl had always been protective of her, but in the past she hadn’t given him many reasons to get upset with a guy since she’d never really dated.

So how would her dad feel about Clint? If Carl found out and then Clint left, her dad might just take a shotgun and go after him. The smartest thing to do was keep any kind of relationship between her and Clint off the radar.

She wasn’t sure why she was doing it, but she headed to the part of the barn where Clint had been working on his old GTO when he wasn’t working on the ranch. Yeah, she did know. She wanted to be close to him. Her stomach flip-flopped as she made her way through the doorway and she saw him.

Sunlight trickled through the slatted barn walls and slanted across the car. Clint was under the hood, bent over the side, working on the engine. She didn’t know much more than how to operate ranch vehicles, not how to fix one, so she could only guess at what he was doing.

Clint looked up, one hand holding a torque wrench and his other hand braced on the gray primer-coated metal at his side. His gaze softened when he met her gaze. “Hi, honey,” he said.

More thrills went through her and she managed a shy smile. “Hi.”

He ducked out from under the hood and straightened. He set the wrench on a grease-covered rag on the car, then picked up another rag and wiped black from his fingers. She watched his strong hands as he cleaned them off the best he could.

He met her gaze and studied her with an intent look. He and moved toward her, then bent down to give her a long, sweet kiss. He rested his hands on her jean-clad hips and held her close even as he drew away.

He searched her eyes. “How’s your day going?”

“Good.” She offered him a hesitant smile then put her hands on his shoulders as she looked into the deep brown of his eyes. “I got some work done on the sculpture.”

“Did you get that hand fixed?” he asked, the corner of his mouth turned up into a little smile.

The memory of how she’d broken the hand caused her face warm. She’d been upset with Clint and that was why she’d broken it. Twice. But he couldn’t possibly know that.

“Good as new,” she said brightly.

He tweaked her hair. “Taking a break?”

She nodded. “I think I’ve done about all I can do for the day. My creativity is fried.”

“Maybe I could give you a little inspiration.” He gave her a sexy grin.

“Maybe.” Tingles raced through her and she hurried to change the subject. “How’s it going with the car?”

“She’s coming along.” He released her and patted the fender. “A little work and she’ll be good as new.”

Ella raised an eyebrow as she looked at the car that was in pieces all over the area Clint was working in. “A little? I’d say that’s a bit of an understatement.”

“Anything worthwhile is worth the work and patience,” he said as he studied her.

She swallowed. “Need some help?”

He leaned back up against the car, his powerful arms crossed over his chest. She wanted to touch the corded muscles to run her fingers over the warmth of his skin.

“Know anything about cars?” he was saying as he drew her out of her thoughts.

She shook her head. “I know how to drive just about anything and I can change a flat tire, but that’s about it.”

“How about tools?” He picked up the torque wrench.

She nodded. “Now that I do know something about. I’ve had to use plenty of tools on the ranch since I was a kid. And what I don’t know I’m willing to learn.”

“That’s a start.” He gave a nod toward a large metal toolbox. “You can hand me tools as I need them.”

“I’m up for that.” Being around him and working at his side somehow made her heart feel lighter and happier in a way she’d never felt before.

Clint watched Ella as she handed him each tool or part that he asked for. She went for the right thing almost every time. There were only a couple she wasn’t familiar with, but the next time he asked for them she knew exactly where to grab them.

He enjoyed spending time with her, enjoyed having her close.

“My dad would have liked you,” he said when she handed him a part.

“I met your dad a few times and I think he did like me,” she said. “I thought the world of him.”

“I know he thought you were a great kid.” Clint paused and looked at her. “But he would have loved the woman you’ve turned out to be.”

She smiled. “I would have liked to get to know him better.”

Clint nodded. “Me, too.”

The way she smiled warmed his heart. Hell, everything about her warmed him from the inside out. He wanted to set everything aside and draw her into his arms and just hold her.

His thoughts turned darker as he thought about Johnny Parker and how Ella had walked arm-in-arm with him into her house.

She tilted her head to the side. “What’s wrong?”

He thought about asking her about Johnny again, but she’d already answered him once. He had no reason to question her. Did he?

“Nothing is one bit wrong.” Clint moved around to the opposite side of the car and ducked under the hood again before asking, “Mind handing me that small flathead?”

“Here.” She leaned across the car and gave him the screwdriver. “You looked like you were thinking about something that didn’t make you too happy.”

He blew out his breath before raising his head and looking at her across the hood. “Johnny Parker doesn’t just think of you as a friend. He’s in love with you.”

Ella’s jaw dropped. “Johnny has been my best friend since we were just little kids.”

“He’s probably been in love with you since then.” Clint studied her and wasn’t surprised when she shook her head in denial.

“Johnny’s a close friend and he cares about me. He just doesn’t want me to get hurt—” She clamped her mouth shut and her face went pink.

Clint studied her thoughtfully as he wiped his hands on an old rag and tossed it aside. He then used a grease remover before rinsing his hands in the sink that was set up on one side of the area. When he faced her, he dried his hands on a clean shop towel. Grease was still beneath his nails but his hands were clean.

He went to Ella. When he reached her he took her soft hands in his rough, grease-stained ones. “I’m not going to hurt you, honey.”

She looked away but said nothing. He couldn’t tell but he thought he saw her holding back tears.

He squeezed her hands. “Look at me, Ella.”

She turned her gaze back to his as she straightened and tilted her chin. “I’m a big girl. I don’t need anyone telling me whether or not you’re going to hurt me, including you.”

“I hope you know how to get grease stains out of clothing,” he said.

She frowned at him. “Why?”

“Because you’re about to get covered in it,” he said.

Before she could get a word out, he grabbed her by her hips and brought her tightly against him. She gave a soft gasp before he captured her mouth with his. He caught her by the ass and raised her up so that she had to hook her thighs around his hips. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he kissed her. He pushed her up against the car, her back to the driver’s side window, and pinned her body with his as he nestled his hips between her thighs.

She moaned as he kissed her and moved his hands to her breasts and pinched her nipples through her shirt. She let her head fall back as he moved his mouth from her lips along her jawline to her slender neck and down to the hollow of her throat. Her skin was so soft and he knew his coarse stubble was chafing her more delicate skin.

“I’m going to take you right here in the barn.” He pressed his hips tighter against hers and ground his raging erection against the heat between her thighs. Her moans told him how much his words turned her on. “You need to understand that I’m not going to hurt you. Okay?”

She said nothing, just gave a wordless sigh, her eyes closed.

He placed kisses on each of her eyelids. “I would never do anything to hurt you, Ella. Never. Got that?”

She opened her eyes and met his gaze. Her tongue darted out to touch her lower lip as if tasting him and he nearly groaned with need for her.

“Tell me you understand,” he demanded.

Her throat worked and then she nodded. “I do. You won’t hurt me.”

“Now what can I do to prove it?” he murmured close to her ear.

“The hayloft is a good start,” she said.

He raised his head and grinned. “The hayloft? That’ll do it?”

“I’m ready for that romp in the hay.” She returned his grin. “Now.”

“You’ve got it,” he said before he swept her up in his arms and started for the ladder to the loft.

Ella’s belly tumbled around as Clint set her on her feet in front of the ladder. She grabbed the sides and started climbing up into the loft, rung by rung. Her throat was dry but she felt an ache between her thighs, and it had nothing to do with being sore from last night.

His presence was strong and sure as he followed her up the ladder and she nearly groaned when he rubbed her ass as she moved. When she reached the loft floor, she sat on it and scooted through the yellow straw, out of the way of the ladder. He appeared and her heart beat faster as he stood and towered over her. He reached out his hand and she took it and let him pull her to her feet.

The first thing he did was take her into his arms, and his kiss was long and sweet. She didn’t think she could breathe when he raised his head and looked at her.

“I should take you back to the cabin and make love to you good and proper.” He stroked his knuckles over her cheek. “Not to mention I need a shower to get off some of this dirt and grease.”

“I don’t care about that.” She looped her arms around his neck and rose up on her toes to kiss him. “I don’t want to wait long enough for you to change your mind.”

“I would never change my mind.” He kissed her again and she felt her body turn to liquid in his arms. “The way I want you…it’s intense and indescribable,” he said in between kisses.

When he raised his head his hands were already at her blouse, slowly unbuttoning it. Her throat worked as his fingers reached the valley between her breasts and she caught her breath as he brushed her nipples. He unbuttoned her blouse all the way down, letting it fall open, exposing her bra. He moved his palms to the soft black satin and she felt their heat through the material and straight to her core.

With gentle hands, he pushed her blouse over her shoulders and down her arms. He set the shirt on a hay bale then unfastened her bra and set it on top of the blouse. His gaze held hers as his hands roamed over her breasts and he rubbed his thumbs over her nipples in slow circles.

“I want to take you slow and easy, Ella.” He moved his mouth to her ear. “The way I should have made love to you last night.”

Her skin tingled and her breathing grew shallow. “I loved what we did last night.”

“I intend for you to love this even more.” He settled his hands at her waist. “I want you to know how much I care about you. How wonderful and special you are to me.”

Every single one of his touches set her skin on fire and sent her mind reeling. He skimmed his fingers along her waistband before unbuckling her belt and slowly drawing it out of the belt loops. He left it fall and the buckle clunked on the wood floor.

After he helped her out of her boots and socks, he unfastened the button of her jeans then unzipped them. His fingers danced along her silky panties. “You’re such a beautiful woman, Ella.”

“Who smells like horse,” she said but smiled and he gave a low laugh.

“I love your scent.” He nuzzled the top of her head. “You smell like sunshine and orange blossoms.”

She leaned back and gave him a skeptical look. “I do not.”

He grinned. “You do to me.”

She shook her head but he pushed down her jeans along with her black panties. With a shiver of desire she stepped out of them, now fully naked. He set the jeans and panties next to the rest of her clothing.

He brought her close against him and kissed her again. “You’re going to get dirty, honey.”

“Promises, promises,” she said and he laughed.

After setting his ball cap aside, shucking off his boots and peeling off his socks, he didn’t take his time removing the rest of his own clothing. He pulled his wallet out of his pocket and removed a small foil packet before dropping the wallet beside her belt.