Chaste (McCullough Mountain) (31 page)

“Don’t.”
She cut him off. “Do you have any idea how lonely I am? Do you? I’m twenty-four
years old. I have no friends, no life, and I only started dating a few months
ago.”

“You
have to give it time, sug.”

She
shot to her feet. “I’ve given it twenty-four years! Do you think I’m chasing
them back with a stick? I know I’m nothing special. So does every other man
that passes me by.”

“They’re
fools,” her father snapped.

She
lowered her voice. “Kelly’s the first man who actually asked me for more,
Daddy. Not only that, he waited.”

Her
father’s sun bleached eyebrows lifted to his hairline. “He has a reputation,
Ashlynn. Not all men are honest.”

“I
believe Kelly is. He may be a lot of things, but he’s never been dishonest with
me about who he is. When we dated a few months ago, it didn’t last long because
I knew I couldn’t give him what he needed. We broke up, but he never stopped
looking out for me. Kelly’s gone out of his way for me more than any man I know
aside from you, Daddy. I’ve tried to stay away from him and I’ve been miserable
since. I want him.”

“I
thought you were upset about Josh.”

“Josh
meant nothing. I thought he was the kind of man I should date because he’s
Christian and soft spoken, but there was nothing between us and eventually…”
She shrugged. “There were others too, but none of them mattered. I always came
back to Kelly.”

Roy
shut his eyes and gripped his temples, spanning a large hand over the bridge of
his nose. “Ashlynn, sweetheart, men…” He shook his head as if it pained him to
talk to her about such things. “Not all men are like me. The day I made my vows
to your mother I never thought of another woman again. Some men aren’t as
strong when it comes to being monogamous.”

“I
know that, Daddy. I’m not a kid anymore. I know what a man like Kelly will need
to be content.”

Her
father winced. “I suppose I should count myself lucky you waited this long.”

She
smiled sadly at her father and squeezed his wrist affectionately. “I love him,
Daddy. I have since I was a little girl.”

He
shut his eyes and seemed to deflate. “Invite him back in.”

Her
cheeks tightened as she smiled. “Really?”

He
cupped her face. “I couldn’t give you everything you deserved, sug, but I can’t
deny you either. I can give you this. And I’ll be damned if I chase him off and
you go running away with him. I plan on giving my daughter away to the man she
marries, nice and proper like.”

She
threw her arms around him and kissed his cheek. “I love you, Daddy.”

His
heavy arms pulled her close. “I love you too, sug.” As he eased back there was
a mischievous look in his eyes. “Do me a favor. Go get my gun, but leave the
bullets in the drawer.”

“Roy
Fisher, I will not!”

He
laughed. “You’re no fun.”

“And
you’re a terrible shot. I won’t have you putting holes in my fiancé by
accident.”

“It’s
not loaded!”

“Still.”

* * * *

Kelly
kicked up the dirt as he waited for Ashlynn. He should’ve known something like
this would happen. Over the past few months he’d gone crazy dreaming of her,
even when he was awake.

He
cared about her in a way he never cared about anyone, which was nuts since they
hadn’t even slept together. When he’d heard Josh had broken up with her, he
wanted to punch the kid and hug him at the same time.

Finn
had done some investigating and informed Kelly nothing underhanded had gone
down with Josh. Once Kelly had a chance to calm down, he let it sink in that
she was once again single, but then the daiquiri showed up. That was when he
realized how badly he wanted her. Then Evan happened.

He
still wasn’t over what he’d seen that night, wasn’t sure if he’d ever get over
it. No one had a right to touch her when she said no. Even Kelly didn’t deserve
her love. She deserved a good man, a man that was dedicated, honest, and always
put her first.

When
he asked her to be his wife, she’d said yes. Amazing. He’d do everything in his
power to be a good man, the kind of man she wanted. She deserved that.

His
emotions were all very confusing. Since he didn’t quite understand the emotions
he’d had when it came to Ashlynn, he’d kept them to himself. But the thought of
disappointing her, letting her down in any way, scared the living shit out of him.

He’d
passed the entire summer watching the door of O’Malley’s, waiting for her to
step inside and say hi. As time went on he got angry, with her, with himself,
with God. The day he told Colin what he was feeling and his brother had gotten
him good and drunk, Colin also told him to grow up.

It
wasn’t easy to hear, but his brother was right. Kelly never took life seriously
and it was passing him by. Seeing through every transparent woman he met, what
was once comfort, now was only a cold illusion. Because sex was off the table
he had to be creative, actually talk, listen, and he realized he really liked
the kind of person she was and the kind of man he wanted to be in her presence.

He
wasn’t anybody’s hero, but he could be hers. He could make all her waiting and
hoping worth something in the end. True, they didn’t know each other that well,
but they’d get to know each other in time. She didn’t carry on about drama and
bullshit like most women he knew. She was a straight to the point, no frills
sort of lass and she suited him just fine.

Until
her father had announced the one thing Kelly knew all along, the one aspect
that had him hesitating since probably the first time he discovered who Ashlynn
Fisher was. He wasn’t good enough.

Kelly
picked up a pebble and lobbed it into the field. Roy Fisher was right. Kelly
hadn’t done much of anything since high school. He’d run O’Malley’s and drank a
good bit of his adult years away. If he had it to do over, he would’ve made
better choices.

He
could go to church. It wasn’t that he had a problem with God. Church was just a
chore after working until four in the morning on Saturdays. But he’d drag his
ass there every Sunday if it meant being a better man for her and maybe that
would convinced her father he wasn’t such a bad guy. He’d waited this long for
her he could wait a bit longer. She was worth it.

There
was no eraser big enough to take back his past. There had been an incalculable
number of women. Ashlynn had only kissed a few men. He shut his eyes as regret
weighed heavily on his shoulders. She was independent, but also incredibly old
fashioned. Both qualities appealed to him.

Behind
all that preservation was a woman who had denied herself too long. There was
such curiosity and enthusiasm beneath the surface, Kelly
needed
to be there when she finally let down her guard—wanted to be
there more than he wanted anything else. Indeed, what she was preserving was a
priceless gift, one he would appreciate more so than any other ordinary Joe or
Josh. She saved herself for one man and he was determined to be that man.

Perhaps,
in time, he could prove to Roy Fisher he was a good man and make him
reconsider.

The
door burst open and he twisted. Ashlynn squealed—an uncharacteristic, girlie
squeal—and flew down the porch steps.

“He
said yes! He said yes! He said yes!”

Kelly
caught her, shocked, as she hurled herself into his arms. “What?”

“He
said yes!” She pressed her lips to his and laughed.

Relief
he hadn’t been expecting swamped him. His arms tightened around her, his mouth
sealing over hers, as relief and hope broke free inside of him. This woman was
going to be his wife. He tilted his head, deepening the kiss and then he heard
the soft click of a gun cocking.

Lowering
Ashlynn to the ground, her body made a slow glide over his clothing, and he
glanced over her shoulder. Yup, there was her father holding a rifle.

“No
one wants to see that,” Roy said.

Kelly
quickly stepped away and Ashlynn growled. Her booted feet stomped up the steps
and snatched the gun out of her father’s hands, completely unfazed by the
weapon and handling it with a sense of familiarity. “Put this away before you
hurt yourself.” She disappeared in the house with the rifle.

Roy
shrugged innocently. “Care to come back inside?”

Kelly
smiled and loped up the stairs. As he passed, Roy grabbed his arm. “You hurt my
baby, McCullough, and I will kill you. Just so we’re clear.”

Kelly
nodded. “And just so we’re clear,” he said, meeting the man’s eyes. “I ever see
someone hurt her I’ll be asking to borrow your gun.”

The
man smiled and patted him on the back. “I like your style.”

* * * *

When
they finished at Ashlynn’s fathers, she drove Kelly back to the pub to get his
truck. She was relieved he wasn’t ready to call it a night. Kelly followed her
back to her house where they shared a late supper and many overdue kisses as
they discussed their future. It seemed neither of them wanted a long
engagement.

After
supper, Kelly helped Ashlynn with the dishes. It was getting late, but she
didn’t want him to leave.

“I
better get going,” Kelly said as he returned the last plate to the cabinet.

She
sighed but agreed. “I’ll walk you out.”

The
second they stepped on the front porch Kelly’s mouth was on her. Ashlynn’s back
pressed into the front door of her house as Kelly proceeded to kiss her
goodnight. Of course, to Kelly, a goodnight kiss wasn’t complete until they
were both panting and needy and ready to tear each other’s clothes off.

Warm
liquid heat tugged through her veins as she pressed into him. Everything was
still so surreal. Embracing the dream before she woke up—still not fully
convinced this was really happening—she wrapped her arms over his shoulders and
pulled him tight.

“I
can’t wait until our wedding night,” she whispered against his lips as she ran
her fingers through his soft hair.

He
stilled as if her words shocked him. Pulling back, he tipped his chin and gave
her a devious look. “What was that?”

She
giggled. “Did you think I wasn’t curious? My God, Kelly, I’m twenty-four years
old. I’m dying to see what all the fuss is about.”

He
growled and sealed his lips to her neck, tickling her with his tongue. “Good
wife,” he purred below her ear.

“I
plan to be,” she sighed and he pressed his hips to hers. All of that manly
power and strength would be hers. Kelly McCullough was going to be naked for
her, touch her, make her shiver, and feel things no one else would ever make
her feel! “How long do you think it will take to arrange everything?”

He
chuckled. “Impatient, are you?”

“Um,
yes. Very.”

He
hummed in the most carnal way. “Oh, I like this side of you, love. I like it
very much.”

He
nibbled her throat and her fingers tightened on his shoulders. Breathlessly,
she asked, “Will you teach me everything, Kelly? I want to be everything you
need.”

He
pulled back and shut his eyes, a smile pulling at his lips. “Is there some
magic place you find these sweet words? Ashlynn, I will teach you whatever you
want to know.”

“What
about blowjobs? Do you like that?”

His
eyes widened. “No man dislikes a blowjob. It’s natural law. Rock beats
scissors, scissors beats paper, paper beats rock, but nothing beats a blowjob.”

So
clever and naughty and witty and sexy—and
hers!
 
Pressing her lips tight, she held
in a chuckle. “What’s so great about them?”

His
dark brow arched high. “They’re just…good. You know how there’s no business
like show business?”

“Yeah.”

“Well,
there’s no job like a blowjob.”

“I
don’t know if I’d be able to—”

“Wait,”
he interrupted, frowning. “Who told you about blowjobs?”

She
bit her lip. “Josh.”

Kelly’s
expression darkened like a thundercloud. “I’ll kill the little prick.”

She
grabbed his shirt and laughed. “Kelly, wait. I only heard him say the word. I
was curious so I looked it up online.”

He
calmed only slightly, but pulled her close, tugging her chest to his as his
fist wrapped around the straps of her overalls. His lips traced over hers and
he whispered, “Looking at porn online is a sin, Ms. Fisher, soon to be
McCullough.”

She
grinned and threw his words back at him. “That’s what confession’s for.”

He
laughed. “Bet you made the priest drop the book on that one.”

“No,
Father Mark was very understanding. He said the Internet wasn’t the place to
find the answers to my questions. My husband would someday explain everything I
needed to know.”

“You
actually told him you researched blowjobs?”