In The Hay (Uninhibited in Apple Trail, Arkansas) (3 page)

His sweating body slapped against hers. Hot breath panted in her ear. He shifted, fitting his arm under her rear and lifted her to angle against him. Lax limbs found feeling again. Her muscles awakened and tightened around him. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, held him close to her chest. He took her again and again and sensation exploded through until she found herself crying out his name on the wind.

Muscles softened to nothing. The ground beneath her didn’t exist. There was only a sated thrill shimmering through her body.

His mouth covered hers. The last of her moaning cries were lost on his tongue. He thrust one last time and stilled. His body softened. Sweet fingers moved hair from her face. Gentle kisses touched her cheek and shoulder. Welcomed weight and warmth covered her.

She supposed she should feel like a new woman. All she felt was completely satisfied and content to lay like this for the rest of the evening. And she wasn’t sure she had a choice about it. Her legs were Jell-O. Spine given out to nothing.

It wasn’t going to happen though. She knew it. She knew this was going to be quick when they started. It’s what she wanted. Sex that only meant something to her, but meant nothing between
them
. That didn’t stop her from sighing with a bit of regret when he pushed off his elbows and held himself over her.

“I’m not crushing you, am I?”

She found herself smiling. “No.”

“I want to see you again.”

Should she? She wanted to. She met his gaze, trying to decide, but stopped at his look. He only stared back. He wasn’t talking her into it. Wasn’t touching her as a means to encourage her into more. There was no nuzzling her neck. Just waiting. He wasn’t, and hadn’t yet, used any of those
games
for more. And she found it was something she couldn’t say no to.

“Okay.” No attachments. No false words or false meaning between them. A choice she made because she wanted to. This was something she could get behind.

He pushed off the ground. Moonlight was strong enough to catch on the lines of his chest and highlight a sheen of sweet on his body. To show the hard planes of muscles she’d had against her body. Not enough to see definition, but enough to make out an outline. It was a dang good outline.

As he began dressing, she realized she needed to start that too and sat up to search for clothes. Her thighs were sore. Her legs weary. But as he walked past and bent over, his perfectly round butt so close, she wanted him again. Yes, agreeing to see him again was a very good idea.

“Are you going to be in the bar tomorrow night?” He was standing and so much taller than she remembered. His member still jutted from him and she glanced away unable to simply sit there and stare at him.

“Yes. I can be.” Clothes. She should put those on now. She sat forward. The satin string of her thong caught on her fingers and she tugged it up. She jerked the skirt up afterwards, found her bra, and her shirt next to it. She turned around and saw his back facing her, but all too quick he covered the muscular plane with his brown shirt and was turning around and reaching for her hand.

She pulled in a deep breath, savored the fresh air for a moment and interlaced her fingers with his.

He lifted their connected hands and kissed her knuckles. Soft lips pressed lightly across each one, nearly making love to them. “Have you ever been mud riding,
Lette
?”

She swallowed and shook her head, not wanting to move or breathe or anything risky in fear she might wake up and find this had all been a dream. In fact, if she could get time to freeze right now for a lifetime, it would be perfect.

His grin, even partially hidden in the dark, made her insides wake up, brought out that needy tingle. “I didn’t think you had. Do you want to go?”

She swallowed and nodded.

“Good. We’ll go for a ride. I know my cousin has some trails on his land. Tomorrow night.” He stepped in close. His whiskers grazed and tickled her cheek. His breath hot on her neck. His lips licked against the shell of her ear.

She could go for that. A fun night. Mud riding. Lord, she never dreamed that would happen. They would go out, jam some music, she could pack an ice chest of snacks and just go have a blast. He stepped in closer, his heat overwhelming and dizzying her all over again. And at the end of the night, maybe even, well…more of…her cheeks flamed red hot.

“I want you again already.” His hand stroked through her hair and it was a miracle he didn’t catch any knots. It was like it all just sighed from root to tip in relaxation when he touched her. “I want you slow and long. Enough time where I can lick every inch of your body.”

Her heart jumped and pounded. Every nerve ending pricked her skin.

He continued to whisper. “And under lights so I can see your breasts rising and falling as you lose your breath. Your nipples turning and pointing up, begging for my tongue.”

Oh, holy hell. Nicolette just breathed and grabbed his shoulders and prayed to god she wouldn’t faint.

“I want to feel your thighs squeezing my ears. Your nails tugging at my hair. Hear you scream as I make you come with my mouth. And then do it all over again.”

Was she supposed to respond? She wasn’t even certain her tongue was still in her mouth or if it was on the ground next to her feet. What in god’s name was she doing? She was so far in over her head and the things he was saying, his voice catching and rasping with each whispered word. She didn’t know whether to strip her clothes off or run away.

“I bet you’ll taste like warm peaches on my tongue when you come. Since you kissed me in the bar with that peach gum in your mouth, that’s all I want. I look at you and see a juicy ripe peach waiting to be plucked and eaten.”

Thank God for the dark, because her eyes were surely the size of peaches. She didn’t have the slightest clue about sex. Her whole life revolved around things that included family or school work. She wasn’t the girl riding in cars with boys or hanging out under the bleachers. She was the good girl. He was saying things that were all but in another language. Time for this fantasy to end before she agreed to who knew what.

But he wasn’t finished. His mouth closed on her neck. He kissed and nibbled her there, making her lose her mind and want to do anything he wanted as long as he didn’t stop. Ever. “After you’re weak from my mouth, barely able to move, we’ll just be getting started. How does that sound?”

Like a nightmare?
She didn’t know. Barely able to move and they were just getting started? How was she supposed to know? She would just bet if he was making the suggestion, she would enjoy the heck out of it, but then, dear lord, she just
didn’t know
. “Good,” she heard herself saying to get through it.

“I want to take you from behind.” His hands slid down her back and over her rump. His fingers squeezed and all the soreness from a few minutes ago was just gone. There was nothing but need and ache and wanting to feel him against her. “I want to watch your perfect round ass come against my hips. Turn you over so I can watch your breasts bounce, see your eyes roll back in your head.”

Watch her ass? Like, just stare at it? At the pudgy rounded areas on her outer hips?
She resisted slapping his hands off her butt and covering her rear to hide it.
See her boobs
bounce
?
That sounded awful. Bordering on humiliating. Things were not supposed to bounce. The breeze picked up, but unlike before, this just left her with a chill and a definite stomach churning need to run.

He stepped back and thankfully began pulling her from the hay field and back toward town.

All right. Definitely could not see him again because it was clear she didn’t have a clue what she was doing. And much of what he talked about, she didn’t want. Probably.

He squeezed her hand. “I should be in the bar an hour or so after dark.”

“Okay,” she heard herself saying, agreeing to something she never intended to follow through. While he’d be waiting for her and having a cold beer, she’d hopefully be half-way up the water tower. Or maybe into something else, if she thought of it before then. She’d never been cow tipping, though she heard it was hard to push a cow over by oneself. Either way, she’d be involved in something and know exactly what it was about.

They’d walked back into town now. Escape was just a couple blocks away. If it wasn’t dark, she’d likely be able to see her car parked out front.

“You all right?”

She forced a smile. “Fine. After all the dancing and walking and, well, everything, I’m nearly dead on my feet.”

“I’m not surprised.” His smile was just so charming. So easy to fall into. It was those lips. Sweet perfection to the touch, devilish on the ears. “You said you’re house-sitting, so no need to get up early in the morning?”

“Just to let the dog out.” She smiled, thinking of the big burly American Mutt. The sucker must be eighty pounds of solid love and not much else, bless his poor loveable heart. She could go for a lick on the cheek from that long-haired boy about now. A snuggle of his nose against hers. She stopped at her gas tank and pulled out the car key she’d stashed in there earlier. She glanced to him to find him smiling. Before doing something like running into his arms when she was nearly away, she unlocked her car so she didn't talk herself into meeting him again. “I didn’t have anywhere to put it and was afraid I’d lose it inside.”

“Gas tank isn’t the best place to hide a key, but better than nothing and risk losing it.”

Door opened, she was nearly there even though part of her didn’t want to leave. “What I thought.”

She put a leg inside the car and he stopped her there. Of course she wouldn’t be able to slip away and make an easy break. His hand eased under her hair and teased the back of her neck. God, that felt good. He was good at it all. Just all of it. Would probably be good at all of those things he named off. Except for the ass in the air and boobs bouncing part. A chill slivered down her at the idea of being just laid out like that.

“I’ll see you tomorrow then.” He cupped the back of her head and turned her face up toward his.

She swallowed the knot clogging her throat. “Yes. Tomorrow.”

He leaned down. A parting kiss. That was all it would be. Nothing more than goodbye. The night started well, it should end that way too. There was no need for him to know she was battling an internal war with her good sense and newly discovered libido. He leaned down and she lifted up.

The front door to the bar banged opened. Country music poured out. The drums and bass of the song thumped against her skin. A couple big guys tumbled out, arms over each other’s shoulders, some beer song poured out of them both off-key and out of tune and at the top of their lungs.

The officer she’d seen inside the bar followed them out. “All right you two. Get in the car, I’ll take you home.”

One of the drunks muttered something and tripped, causing them both to fall to the ground. Drunken laughter rent the air and the officer stared down at the two and shook his head. The cop stroked his temples for a moment before bending over and reaching for the two hammered men.

Getting drunk for the first time was officially marked off her list.

Drew pulled away from her. “Wait here. Let me help.”

“Sure,” she nodded, knowing this was her chance. She wouldn’t have her goodbye kiss, but it was probably for the better. As Drew bent and helped tug one of the drunks to his feet, she slipped in her car, backed out, and drove off.

Glancing in her rearview mirror, she could see his strong form standing in the center of the road. His legs a wide stance apart. Arms long and strong against his sides.

She didn’t regret this night. Would never regret it.

But Drew Hamilton was going to be hard to forget.

Chapter Three

A set of taillights disappeared into the darkness.

Drew rammed the t-post driver against the post and knocked the metal into the ground. The image of
Lette’s
taillights driving off hit him again and again. He slammed the post in the ground, the vibrations of metal on metal clanged and shook his tired arms.

“Easy there, Drew.” Riley’s voice broke through his frustration. “You’ve been at it a long time today. Better slow it down before you hurt yourself.”

“I’m fine,” he muttered. And he was fine. Perfectly fine. And pissed. She’d left. Last night, she had fucking left.

At first he thought she misunderstood him, but no, there was no mistake. She’d said,
Sure.
She’d agreed to wait. She hadn’t. He had a sinking feeling she wouldn’t show at the bar tonight either, but he damn well was going to be there regardless, just in case, just so he could find out why she ran off and left him. He’d never had a woman leave him before.

“Last one for the evening.” Riley tossed him a post and Drew sat it.

He’d pounded probably a hundred posts in the ground today. His shoulders screeched in burning pain. His back was ate up in stiff knots and arms ready to just fall out of socket. There had to be three times as many posts left piled on the trailer which still needed to be put in. He just knew he’d drive each and every one of them down with the image of her under him, her skin pink, lips parted and face lost in a heavenly expression as she’d reached her orgasm. It was going to be one long-ass job. He pounded the post down.

He’d wrapped his mind around the fact that she was his for the week. A simple no-strings attached arrangement in the evenings. A bit of comfort to make all the useless hard work easier to swallow. That was it.

Wasn’t looking to be the case. And that just sucked a big dick. Part of the reason his dad sent him out here was because he didn’t like Drew’s lifestyle. Thought his quick relationship turnovers contributed to his lack of focus. Drew thought his dad was full of shit. First because Drew didn’t lack in focus and second, because his personal life had no affect on his job performance.

When he finished this job, while not changing his lifestyle if he didn’t want, and Riley commented on the excellent work he’d done regardless, his dad would see he wasn’t incompetent. This test would be passed and then Drew knew his ideas for expansion on the company would be taken seriously.

Except she’d gone and left last night, screwing those plans to hell and that’s the
only
reason he was so bent out of shape.

He hit the post one more time and drove it the last few inches into the ground. “It’s in.”

Riley nodded and pulled off his gloves. “Let’s go eat and shower. I don’t know what Shellie’s cooking, but it smells good.”

Drew’s stomach rumbled. And Shellie, Riley’s live-in girlfriend, was a damn fine cook. But he wasn’t waiting around to eat anything. By the time he showered and drove into town, it would be over an hour after dark and he didn’t want
Lette
to have any reason not to stick around.

He pulled off his gloves and stuffed them in his back pocket. “I’ll just grab a shower real quick and then head out for the evening.”

An eyebrow lifted on Riley’s face. “You need to eat before you go. And you’ll probably want some ibuprofen here in a little bit. You’ve worked hard today and I bet you’re going to feel it.”

Great. Someone else who didn’t believe he could get his work done. Of course, Riley was related to his dad. It wasn’t overly surprising they both though he was worthless. It seemed a common thread running through his family. Drew forced his jaw to move. “I’ll be fine.”

He thought he saw Riley wince, but he wasn’t positive. “All right. Grab the four-wheeler, would you? They’re talking about a chance of rain tomorrow. I don’t want to leave this trailer out and have it all wet.”

“Got it.” Drew jumped on the four-wheeler and floored the gas across the pasture and parked it in the shed. He forced himself to walk across the yard. He was an adult here. He could wait. But that didn’t stop him from running up the front steps.

“Y’all done?” Shellie stepped in the living room as he walked in. A rag dangled from her hands.

“Yep. Running to grab a shower real quick. Riley is putting the truck and trailer in the barn in case it rains.”

“All right. Supper is just about ready.”

He nodded and started up the steps, knowing full well he was not staying long enough to eat. The sun was just about down now. He showered fast as he could under the shitty well water with even shittier water pressure in the old house and was out and dressed and heading back downstairs in record time.

He slipped his shoes on by the door, hand already on the knob. “I’m heading out. It might be late before I’m back.” At least he hoped, because then he would have found her.

“You’re not staying to eat?” Shellie looked at him with her big eyes. It wasn’t any wonder Riley didn’t do a thing without glancing toward the house first or asking her opinion. She was the kind of woman who could pussy whip a man if he let her. And Riley had definitely let Shellie pussy whip him.

He forced a smile. “I really don’t have time. I’m meeting a friend.”

“All right, but if you’re headed into town, will you drop these leftovers off for me? Let me write the address down.” She turned and scratched the information on a sheet of paper. “If you go down Main Street, the road after the court house is Granny Smith. That’s the street. It’s the last house on the right.”

“Yeah, sure.” He grabbed the bowl of food and hurried out the door.

He heard a “thank you” called as he jumped over the porch steps and was heading to his truck. It would be a quick drop off and then he’d be at the bar waiting to see if she showed or chickened out.

A cold chill dropped down his back. If she didn’t show, would she try doing something stupid like climbing the water tower tonight? He jumped in his truck, turned the engine over, and hauled ass out of there. She wouldn’t.

He shook his head. No, she wouldn’t really do something that stupid. She’d see the height of the tower, maybe climb a fourth of the way up and call it a day. Hell, she’d been near terrified of walking railroad tracks that had been a whole three inches off the ground. But what other things did she have in mind to do?

He gritted his teeth and pushed the pedal a little lower. As he was racing around the final turn and approaching town, he slowed down some. Why in the hell did he care what she did? It had been one night with a bit of fun. She obviously didn’t care enough to stick around for two damn extra minutes last night. And more importantly,
It had been one night with a bit of fun
. Why did he care? He should be counting his blessings.

Sure, she was entertaining and cute with her little accomplishments. The sex had been awesome. He eased off the gas and rolled his shoulders back. There was no need to be speeding around and wasting a whole day thinking about this chick.

Never mind that her laugh had been light. Her smile playful and fun. Her eyes dark and sexy when she’d turned up and looked at him just before they kissed. And Christ, her hair. Just so thick and flowing. Never mind any of that. He drove through town and stopped at the only red light within a fifty mile radius, best he could tell. There was no one else around, but he waited his turn.

Because no matter how twitchy he was, he was in no hurry. The only excuse for being restless was because he was ready to blow this town and get back home to what he really wanted.

The light turned green and he eased through the intersection, keeping watch on the little black street signs with an apple on each corner. Seriously.

Red Delicious.

Garden of Eden.

Golden Circle.

Macintosh Avenue.

Were these people for real? He shook his head and slowed when he spotted
Granny Smith
on the next sign. He turned and watched for house number 3587. And there on the end, just like Shellie had said, was the number.

The house was dark in front, the garage door down, but light glowed from side windows. He pulled in the drive and grabbed the dish of food. His stomach rumbled and he cursed for not staying and eating. He’d allowed himself to get wrapped up in a girl and the fact that she left him. He hadn’t even been thinking.

Didn’t have that problem anymore, his head was on straight now. He started up the little walk with flowers blooming on either side. More plants hung from the porch. A wind chime dinged in the breeze and a humming bird feeder swung next to it. He hit the door bell.

A huge sounding dog barked from inside and he took a step back. The locks un-tumbled, the old door creaked. Whoever was inside gave it a swift jerk and the white door opened and...
Lette
stood there.

“Can I…” She looked up, met his gaze, and went silent.