Holding Haley (The West Contemporary Romance Series) (8 page)

He pulled her up from the chair. The sun was just starting to sink below the hills, making the sky light up with some of her favorite colors. The hay in the fields had just been cut the week before and was being dried in large piles until they could be baled. The smell and sights were that of home, and she realized she didn’t want to be anywhere else on Earth.

They started walking towards the creek, but instead of stopping by the water, he turned and started walking along the sandy shore.

“When you told me that you thought you were pregnant”—he paused and looked over at her—“I went through a slew of emotions before I settled on excitement.” He stopped and turned towards her. “I wanted you to be pregnant. I wanted our child.”

She heard herself gasp as she realized she’d never once considered that option. She’d always thought that he was scared, never that he would want her to be pregnant.

“We never talked about it,” he continued. “Never talked about having kids.” He shook his head. “We were too young to even give it a thought, other than protection against it. When I sat down and thought about it, after the night you’d told me, I realized I was more excited than scared. I could imagine our son or daughter.” He smiled and brushed his finger down her chin. “They would have your green eyes.” He ran his hand down her hair. “We would have a small house, some horses and cattle.” He laughed. “A tire swing on an old oak tree.” He shook his head and his eyes turned dull. “Then you told me it was a false alarm and I was shattered.” He brushed a tear from her cheek. She couldn’t explain it, but she had been torn as well. He leaned closer to her, until their breaths mixed. “I wanted it so bad, then it was gone, and I didn’t know what to do. You looked so relieved when you told me; I thought you didn’t want children. Didn’t want them then and with me. The next morning, I saw things the way you had—clearly. We were so young.” He shook his head. “I didn’t have a job or a future. How was I going to support a family?” He closed his eyes for a second and sighed. “I thought I was doing the right thing by giving us a chance to grow up a little. Then I was called overseas and realized how big of a fool I’d been.” He brushed his hand over her face again and she held her breath. “I never should have left you. There wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t think about you, about us. I told myself that if I survived, I would do everything I could to get back to you. To win you back and show you how much you meant to me. How much you mean to me.”

She shook her head. “I just . . . I didn’t . . .” She swallowed. She couldn’t think. Her mind was whirling with everything he’d just told her. She pulled back and took a step away. Without saying a word, she turned and started walking fast away from him.

“Haley?” He called out and rushed over to her, keeping pace next to her. “Are you okay?”

She nodded, not wanting him to see the tears falling down her face. He had wanted to start a family with her. He’d wanted the baby just as much as she had. She stopped and turned on him.

“I thought you didn’t want to start a family with me. I thought you didn’t want me anymore.”

“
I know. I’m sorry.” He took her hand.

“
You left me because you thought I didn’t want a family with you?” She shook her head. “We used to be good at communicating. We grew up telling each other everything.” She reached up and touched his face. “You hurt me.” She dropped her hand to his chest and grabbed his shirtfront in her fists. “Don’t do it again.” Then she was up on her toes, her mouth fused to his. She felt the shock of the heat between them, the zip that traveled down to her toes. Then his hands were on her, roaming over her skin as she yanked his shirt open, sending his buttons flying in all different directions.

“
Haley, my god,” he gasped, trying to slow her down. But she needed speed. She needed him now.

Shaking her head, she pulled him backwards until they stood next to a tall pile of hay. With shaky fingers, she reached down and pulled her tank top up over her head. She saw his eyes heat when he saw her exposed skin. His lips curved into a smile slowly.

“Beautiful.” He reached down and pulled off his ruined shirt. Then he was standing next to her, his hands on her hips, his eyes on her skin. “I’ve dreamed about this moment for years. Forgive me if I don’t go slow.”

She shook her head. “No, I need the speed. I need you.” She reached down and took his belt buckle in her fingers as he reached down to help. They both laughed when he tried to remove his boots and almost landed on his butt. Finally, he stood before her in the dying light of the day, gloriously naked.

She noticed the nasty scar that ran down his left thigh. She ran her fingers over the raised skin. “Later”—she looked up into his eyes—“you’ll have to tell me about it.” When he nodded, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He had several more muscles than he had before. She played her fingers over them, enjoying the feel of his tan skin.

He gathered her skirt up, bunching it in his hands. He moved them until they lay on the soft hay as his hands roamed over her sensitive skin, causing her to moan as he kissed her.

“Wes. I need you.” She moved her hips until his hands pulled her cotton panties aside. When his fingers touched her heated skin, she cried out and dug her nails into his shoulders.

“
My god,” he gasped, “I’ve missed this.”

Then she pulled at his boxers until her fingers wrapped around his length and she started to stroke him. His head fell back as he moaned.

He pulled her skirt up higher, trailing his mouth slowly down her skin, taking first one, then the other nipple into his mouth. He moved down her body until his shoulders rested on the insides of her thighs. He kissed her wet skin, using his tongue to send her to a place she’d forgotten. Her fingers went to his hair, holding onto his scalp as he pleasured her with his lips and fingers. He took his time, enjoying her, pleasing her, his fingers going deeper into her as his tongue played with the tight nub, rolling it between his lips and nibbling it gently with his teeth.

She closed her eyes and let the feeling of pleasure build inside her. It had been so long, too long since she’d felt anything like this. When she cried out his name, he hovered above her with a smile, knowing it was the first release of many to come.

“You taste just as I remembered.” He leaned back and slid on the condom she hadn’t known he’d opened. “My god, I’ve missed you Haley Marie.” He bent down and kissed her as he moved his hips slowly and slid into her heat.

He was bigger than she remembered, or maybe it was that her inner muscles hadn’t been used in six years, but she gasped at the fullness of it all. When he moved slowly, the pleasure was undeniable. Her booted legs wrapped around his bare hips as she held on, thrust after thrust.

With one hand, he reached up and cupped her breast. Dipping his head, he tasted her skin and lapped at her nipple. When the cool evening air hit the wet skin, she moaned with pleasure as his hot mouth moved over her. His hips slowed a little until she grabbed them and dug her nails into his butt, causing him to move faster. He chuckled a little until she rotated her hips, moving him below her until she looked down at him.

Strands of hay floated down from her hair unnoticed as she straddled his hips. “Being overseas, you must have forgotten the speed us cowgirls like.” She moved her hips as he smiled.

“Yes ma’am, why don’t you show me.” His smile was wicked. His fingers dug into her hips as she moved faster over him. She watched his eyes roam over her skin; his hands followed the path until she almost lost track of her pace. Her hips jolted when he thrust upward on his own, meeting and matching her movements.

When she heard him growl, she slid deeper and took her pleasure just as he took his own release.

There was a thick strand of hay poking him in the butt, but he didn’t care. Haley’s naked body lay over his, her soft chest tight up against his own. Her legs were still wrapped around his hips, her core pressed to his. He was still buried deep inside her. He could feel her heartbeat and her breathing slow as he ran his hands up and down her back. Her long hair was getting in his face, but he didn’t mind. Just the smell of her caused him to stir again.

She’d been so much more than he’d remembered. Her skin was softer than anything he’d ever felt. She smelled like heaven and tasted like spring. He doubted he could get enough of her in one lifetime.

Running his hands down to her hips, he held her still as he rotated up, pushing deeper into her. He felt her gasp against his chest and when he did it again, she moaned.

“Please,” she whispered.

“
Again?” he asked softly.

When she nodded, he rotated their positions until she lay underneath him, her dark hair fanned out on the soft hay.

“You are more beautiful than I remembered.” He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her lips. He wanted to go slow this time. He wanted a soft bed; he wanted to take his time with her, enjoying being inside her all night, until the sun came up.

“
Here,” he said, pulling back and wrapping his ruined shirt around her shoulders.

“
What?” Her eyes flew open as he laughed.

“
I want you in my bed. Tonight. All night.” He shifted and picked her up. She was lighter than he remembered and he easily carried her the few yards back to his small place.

By the time he pushed the door open, she had wrapped her arms around his shoulders and was raining kisses over his neck and face. He found it very hard to walk the few feet needed to his bed and ended up tripping a few times along the way.

When he laid her down on the bed, he noticed that they were both covered in hay and smiled. Kneeling beside her, he ran his fingers gently over her skin. Her eyes slid closed and her lips opened a little. Leaning down, he placed a kiss on her belly. He felt her breath hitch as he trailed his mouth along the line he’d traveled earlier.

“
I can’t seem to get enough of your taste.” He trailed a finger around her belly button. “If I bottled it, I would easily become a millionaire.” He smiled.

She giggled, then gasped when his lips touched her nether lips. Using his tongue, he parted her lips and niggled until he felt her hips jolt against his mouth. “More,” he growled, pushing his fingers deep into her until he tasted her sweet nectar on his tongue.

Hovering over her, he waited until her breathing slowed a little, until her eyes opened and he saw the sea-green focus. Then he plunged into her in one swift motion, make her moan and gasp at the same time. Her nails dug into his shoulders, her legs wrapped tightly around his hips as he thrust harder and faster until they both lost the last of their control.

The dream came like it always did. Even with Haley’s sweet body wrapped around his, the nightmare took hold and ripped at his mind.

Sights and sounds were blasting in his mind, causing his body to jerk and react. In his mind, he was trapped under the large metal beam, his friends, his team, all lying dead next to him from the initial blast. He was trying like mad to move the beam from his leg, but it wouldn’t budge. Then he heard the men. He didn’t know what they were saying, but he knew they were moving closer.

His weapon had been thrown a few feet away when the blast had ripped through the room. Sweat trickled down his back as he struggled to free himself.

They were coming to see if the homemade grenade had done its job. Looking around quickly, he realized everyone in his unit was dead. Everyone except him.