Wild Nevada Ride (15 page)

Before she knew it, she pulled into the driveway in front of his place. Lights were ablaze and several cars lined the manicured front entrance.
A party?
Crap! This is a bad time.
She didn’t have time to react as she pulled up in front and a man obviously set to valet cars swept the door open.

“Can I park this for you, miss?”

“Uh…sure,” she replied and stepped out of the car. She almost laughed at the eager expression on the man’s face when he surveyed her car. “Scratch it, buddy, and you’re toast.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She made sure he parked it safely before she headed for the front entrance. Taking a deep breath, she rang the doorbell and waited.

* * * *

Good lord, he hated parties, but this one held a special place in his heart. Keith had asked his long time girlfriend Amanda to marry him and he had asked Justin to host the engagement party. There were probably two hundred people at his house tonight without a spare corner for Justin to hide in. They spilled out into the back lawn from the living room while Keith and Amanda made the rounds to greet the guests. There would be a good haul for the two of them to start their life together. The table in the corner almost groaned under the weight of the gifts.

I need a drink.

He headed for the bar sitting in the corner.

“What can I get for you, sir?” the bartender asked.

“Whiskey straight.”

“Coming right up.” The bartender poured him a generous amount in a tumbler and Justin picked it up, throwing the entire contents into the back of his throat.

“Hit me again.”

Without a word, the man poured another glass and Justin took it before moving off in a vain attempt to find somewhere to nurse his broken ego.

“Where do you think you are disappearing to?” The petite brown haired woman’s voice stopped him in his tracks when he headed for the kitchen door.
Damn!

“The barn. There’s a mare I need to check on.”

“You are such a liar, Justin. You should know better than to try to lie to me. I’ve known you way too long for that.” She folded her arms under her breasts and leveled him with her brown eyes. “Why don’t you just call her? You know you want to.”

“Let it be, Jamie.”

She tsked and shook her head. “Sorry, no can do. I love you too much, brother, to see you so miserable. You’ve been like a wounded bear walking around here.”

“You can go back to Wyoming anytime, you know.”

She chuckled as the tell-tale Wilder dimples peeked out of her cheeks. “And leave you here to be miserable all by yourself? Not a chance. Besides, it’s kind of nice seeing different people for a change and Samantha is having a blast chasing your cows around.”

Justin chuckled when he thought of the young girl. His niece had spent almost every day trying to catch one of the calves he had near the house. If he confessed, he kind of liked having the little squirt under foot.

“Chase is always hovering and it’s driving me crazy. I can’t even meet anyone without him giving the guy the third degree. Even Abby can’t get him to lay off.”

“He’s only protecting you, sis.”

“Yeah I know, just like you and Cole, but guess what? I’m a big girl now. I can make my own decisions on who I want to be with.”

“Like your decision to be with Samantha’s father?” The hurt look in her eyes cut him to the core. “I’m sorry. That wasn’t fair.”

“It was a long time ago. I’ve made mistakes, but I think I’ve grown past those, and I know better now.” She took his hand in hers as they moved to the kitchen table and sat down. “Now tell me about her.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about.”

She shook her head and rolled her eyes. “The only time I have ever seen you act like this, it had to do with a woman, so fess up big brother.”

He stared into the eyes so much like his own. She would understand—he knew she would. Jamie always had a heart of gold and when she loved, it was with her whole heart. That’s why she had lost it to the no good guy when she had been in high school. The guy dumped her when he found out about her pregnancy and had left town so fast, no one knew where he went. The Wilder boys had been on the lookout, but he never showed his face around Laramie again.

“Her name is…” The doorbell rang, interrupting his words. “I wonder who that could be. Everyone Keith and Amanda invited is already here.” He stood and headed for the front door as Jamie came up behind him.

He pulled open the door and his heart slammed against his ribs, taking his breath away and her name fell from his lips. “Katrina.”

Chapter Thirteen

Good God, he looks good.
“I…uh…”

A smaller version of Justin stepped around him and stuck out her hand. “Hi. I’m Jamie Wilder, Justin’s sister. And you are?”

“Oh, sorry. Katrina Jamieson.”

“Well, Katrina, come on in. Did you come by for Keith and Amanda’s engagement party?” Jamie ushered her through the door and past Justin without a backward glance. Katrina almost laughed at the look on his face as he stood stunned in front of the door long after Jamie had escorted her into the living room.

“Well, I…actually, I came by to see Justin.”

By this time, he had joined them. “And why is that, Kat?”

“I wanted to talk to you, but it appears you’re rather busy so I guess I’ll go.” She turned and took a couple of steps toward the front door before he grabbed her arm.

“No need to leave. I happened to be looking for a diversion anyway.”

“Diversion?” She gulped. This wasn’t what she came here for,
was it
?

“Yeah. Why don’t you join me in the barn?”

Not the barn. Our last encounter had been interrupted in the barn office.
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea.” She dropped her voice hoping his sister wouldn’t hear. “Remember what happened before?”

“Oh, I remember very well. And I also remember how disappointed we both were when things got interrupted.”

“I…uh…I’m going to go see to your guests, brother,” Jamie said, before she chuckled softly and disappeared.

Katrina hissed as a flush of embarrassment stained her cheeks. “You might as well have announced to the whole damned party that we’ve slept together.”

“If you wish,” he said and then turned to the group outside the door. “Hey…”

Her hand came down over his mouth and she growled, “Don’t you dare.”

He took her hand in his, kissed her palm and said, “I assume then you’ll be joining me in the barn?” His lips lifted at the corners while his dimples peeked out of his cheeks.

“
Fine
,” she grumbled. He practically pulled her arm out of the socket as he led her through the kitchen, out the back screen door, and toward the large doors on the barn.

Justin continued past the open stalls, hay storage until they reached his office, and closed the doors behind them. He stalked her with a wicked grin while she backed toward the desk, her hands help up in a vain attempt to stop him.

“Justin, I…”

His mouth dove for hers and she groaned under the pressure of his lips.
God, I missed this.
His tongue swept inside her mouth, sliding along hers as he swallowed the sounds coming from her throat. Unable to fight the explosive desire racing along her nerves, her fingers found the buttons on his shirt, working each one loose until she reached the waistband of his pants. She pulled the tail of the material from inside before she worked the shirt off his shoulders. He took over by pulling it off and tossing it across the room, never removing his mouth from hers. When he finally lifted his head, the heat reflected in his brown eyes set off an inferno of need that centered low in her belly.

“God, I want you, Kat. I’ve been dreaming of this for weeks.” He pulled her shirt over her head, unsnapped her bra, and removed the lacy piece of clothing so fast, she almost missed it.

His lips closed around her nipple, tugging on the taunt bud as she wound her fingers in his hair and threw her head back on a soft moan.

One hand found the button at her waist, slipping it free. His fingers snaked inside to lightly twirl her already engorged clit.
Good lord, the man can turn me on.

She whimpered and wiggled her hips in a desperate attempt to get closer to his fingers as he softly chuckled against her breast.

“Do you want something?”

“Touch me, Justin—God, please, touch me.”

“My pleasure, sweetheart.”

His fingers dove into her pussy, knuckle deep before he pulled them out again amongst her whimpers of need. She ground herself against his hand, and he pushed inside her for the second time.

“We need to get these jeans off,” he whispered, removing his hand and grasping the waistband of her jeans.

“Yes—yes we do.” She agreed as her lips found his chest, nipping and licking until a groan rumbled in his chest beneath her mouth.

“Justin!”

“Fuck! I don’t believe this!” he growled when he heard the voice call from outside the office.

“Maybe if we are quiet, they will think we aren’t here.” She suggested with a throaty giggle.

They heard a knock on the door and the rattle of the doorknob.

“Justin, I know you are in there. There’s a problem at the front door you need to take care of.” Keith’s voice sounded annoyed, but also laced with a small amount of panic.

“All right. I’ll be there in a minute,” Justin answered while she reached for her shirt and bra.

“Right.” They heard him take a couple of steps back before he said, “And Justin?”

“Yeah.”

“Tell Katrina hi for me.”

Heat crawled up her chest and across her neck before it splashed across her cheeks and Justin chuckled. “I’ll do that.”

Once she had her clothes back in place, she playfully punched him before she hopped down from the desk and headed for the door. When she reached it and went to pull the wooden panel open, he slammed it shut and spun her around, pinning her to the door.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“You have a problem to take care of, according to Keith.”

“Uh-huh, but not before I do this…” The dimples peeked out of his cheeks before his head came down, and he took her lips with his. His tongue slipped between her parted lips, entwining with hers and she moaned into his mouth.

When he finally lifted his mouth, he didn’t step away. “We’ll continue this later.” It wasn’t a question of would she, it was a statement—a command, and one she found herself wanting to follow without question.

“Is that a promise or a threat?”

He whispered against her lips, “Oh, it’s however you want to take it, sweetheart. I know there will be some hot sex in my bed, and you will be a willing participant if I have anything to say about it.”

“Really? What if I say I don’t want to?”

His thumb raked across her nipple and she fought a moan that rumbled in her chest. “Mmm…methinks you lie and not very well.” Her head tipped back against the door when his lips found their way across her cheek to her ear and then down her neck to nibble.