A wave of embarrassment swept over Kelsey. “Theresa.”
“I want details. Come on, give it up.”
“Well.” Kelsey glanced at the door again and lowered her voice. “The man is amazing.”
Theresa’s throaty laugh was so loud that Kelsey had to pull the phone away from her
ear. “ ‘Bout time you found a real man. You deserve better than that loser you were
married to.”
Kelsey picked at a loose thread on the hem of her blouse. “I’ll only be here a short
time more.”
“You’re having fun, aren’t you?”
Smiling, Kelsey said, “He makes me feel beautiful.”
“You are beautiful,” Theresa said. “I’ve been telling you that for ages. You should
never have listened to a damn word the jerk ever said.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Even though Theresa couldn’t see her, Kelsey brushed off the comment
with a wave of her hand. “How’s Calinda? Keeping you company since I’m not there?”
A phone rang in the background as Theresa spoke. “We’re having lunch tomorrow.”
“Tell her hello for me.” Kelsey spun around in the chair. “Did you call just to chat?”
“Of course.” The sound of crinkling paper came over the line, probably Theresa shifting
one of the many piles on her desk. “Well, that and I thought I’d check to see how
your feature is coming along.”
Kelsey stuck out her tongue as she would have if Theresa were there. “Knew it—you
had an ulterior motive.”
“That and to see if you’d found a man,” Theresa said with a laugh.
“Ha.” Kelsey rattled off a summary of what she’d learned so far.
“You rock, girl.” Theresa’s voice sounded more than pleased. “I’ve got one more question.”
Kelsey raised her eyebrows. “What’s that, dare I ask?”
“Even though you hopped in the sack with that hunk named Kade,” Theresa said with
obvious mock-seriousness in her voice, “you’re still coming home on the eighteenth.”
Kelsey rolled her eyes. “What do you think I’m going to do? Park myself here permanently
just because I met a man who’s incredible in bed?”
“I think that’s as good a reason as any,” Theresa said.
Letting out an exaggerated sigh, Kelsey said, “You’re incorrigible.” Theresa gave
a wicked laugh. “Before you return home, just come up for air every now and then,
okay?”
After Kelsey said goodbye, she punched off the phone, set it aside, and wandered into
the kitchen. She was still smiling when she saw Kade’s mother. “Need help with anything,
Sadie?”
“If you’d like, you can help me with dinner, but I won’t be starting it for at least
an hour.” Sadie grabbed her gardening gloves off the counter. “I’m going to gather
a few squash, tomatoes, and onions out of the garden.”
Trent tore into the room and almost smacked into Kelsey. “Hey, Kelsey. Wanna come
outside and play with me in my hideout?” Kelsey looked from Trent to Sadie. “Sure,
if your grandmother doesn’t need me in the garden.”
“You two go ahead.” Sadie picked up a wicker basket from the table. “It’ll give my
ears some rest.”
Trent took Kelsey by the hand and dragged her through the orchard to where his hideout
was hidden in the windbreak. His hand felt small and warm in hers.
Through the trees, Kelsey could see the dirt landing strip where Kade kept his plane,
and she shivered. Beyond that, stubby mesquite bushes seemed to go on endlessly to
the foot of the mountains. One thing she’d noticed about this part of Arizona was
how she could see for miles and miles in the valley. No trees or hills blocked the
view, other than those planted around the ranch house.
When they reached the playhouse, she scooted in after Trent and sat cross-legged on
the floor.
“Wanna play chess or checkers?” Trent snatched a game board from a pile beside the
toy box. “Dad and Grandpa taught me how to play both of those games and I’m really
good.”
Kelsey laughed. “You’d probably destroy me at chess, so how about checkers?”
Trent set up the board in record time, and proved to be a great checkers player. She
was amazed at the mature strategy he used to beat her.
When it became too dark to play anymore, they packed up the game and went back to
the house. As soon as they walked through the door Kelsey saw Kade, his hair wet from
his shower. Her pulse picked up and butterflies filled her belly.
“Dad.” Trent ran up to Kade and hugged him. “I beat Kelsey three times at checkers
and she only won two times and then it got too dark and we had to come back into the
house.”
Kade ruffled his son’s hair. “You’ll have to challenge her to chess next.”
“I did but she said I’d destroy her, so we played checkers.” Trent whirled and headed
for the kitchen. “I’m so hungry I could eat ten peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
I’m gonna ask Grandma what’s for dinner.”
When Trent raced around the corner, Kade grasped Kelsey’s waist and kissed her long
and hard. “I’ve been wanting to do that all day long.”
“I’ve missed you.” She settled her head against his chest, her hands resting on his
shoulders, allowing herself to feel wanted in his embrace. “How was your day?”
“Great, now that I’m home, and you’re in my arms.”
When the house was quiet, and after Kade was sure Trent was asleep, he went to Kelsey
again. Rain fell from the eaves outside her bedroom window in soft patters.
She was waiting in one of his western shirts, the snaps undone to where he could see
the curve of her breasts. After he locked the door, he turned to her and she slid
her arms around his waist.
“About time.” She tilted her head up to smile at him. “I’ve been dying to get my hands
on you.”
He kissed her hard, letting her feel all the passion built up inside him. When he
pulled away, his breathing was already ragged.
“I almost said to hell with waiting.”
Kelsey led him to the bed. “Yesterday I promised to kiss you all over, but we were
a little, ah, rushed last night,” she said, remembering how they could hardly wait
to tear off each other’s clothes once everyone went to bed. This time she wanted it
slow, wanted to pleasure him in the ways that he had pleasured her.
Kade helped her pull his T-shirt over his head and his lips quirked into a grin. “You
were quite the little wild thing. Not sure I can wait, though.”
She ran her fingers through the hair on his chest and smiled at the teasing note in
his voice. “Well, you’re just going to sit back because it’s my turn,” she said as
she ran her fingernails lightly over his flat nipples.
Kelsey skated her fingers down his hard abs to the waistband of his jeans. She unbuttoned
them, her knuckles brushing his cock with every movement. His erection seemed to grow
harder and longer, and she smiled when she saw Kade grit his teeth and clench his
hands at his sides.
She took her sweet time as she pushed the jeans to the floor and then he stepped out
of them. Before she pulled down his boxers, she ran her hand over the length of his
erection, tracing the outline with her fingertips, teasing and taunting him.
“I can’t get over how big you are,” she murmured.
Flames roared in Kade’s gut at her every touch, her every word. The approval in her
eyes was obvious as she gazed at his naked body and especially his cock, which jutted
toward her.
She pulled his boxers slowly down to his feet. “I plan to kiss you everywhere.”
“Everywhere, huh?” He kicked off the boxers, then sat on the bed. He settled on his
back, his hands behind his head. “I’m all yours, darlin’.”
Kelsey traced an outline on the skin around his cock. “That’s what I want.” A rumble
rose in his chest when Kelsey eased onto the bed and straddled him.
“I want all of you,” she said in a voice that sounded like a purr.
His shirt looked so damn good on her, and he could see the dark circles of her nipples
through the opening.
He groaned, wanting to roll her onto her back and thrust into her hard and fast. To
hell with it. He wanted to take her now. “You’re gonna torture me, aren’t you, woman?”
“Yeah.” She trailed her fingers through the hair on his chest to his waist and back,
but avoided his cock. “I love your body.”
Another rumble rose within his chest and he ached to stroke her. He slid his hands
under the shirt and felt nothing but the satin skin of her hips. Blood gathered in
his groin and he gritted his teeth.
Honey-gold hair fell across his face as she brushed her mouth against his. She ran
the tip of her tongue over his lips, then slipped into his mouth. She tasted of mint
from her toothpaste. He clenched her hips in his hands as he drank her honeysuckle
scent.
Her lips met his nose in a kiss as light and fleeting as a butterfly. Slowly she moved
her lips to each eyelid, softly kissing each one. When she trailed her tongue to his
ear, she murmured, “I love how you sound like a rumbling mountain lion when we’re
together.”
He reached under the shirt and captured her breasts, then traced her nipples with
his thumbs. With a small gasp she arched her back, pressing her hips closer to his.
She pulled at the snaps of the shirt until it was completely undone, and then let
it slide from her shoulders.
Rain continued to pound on the rooftop in time with the beating of his heart. In the
low lighting of the Victorian lamp, Kade could clearly see every curve, the way Kelsey’s
breasts rose firm and high and the way her nipples jutted toward him. She was silk
and satin, heat and fire, and he wanted her in ways he’d never imagined wanting any
woman.
Kelsey lowered her head and scooted farther down his body. She flicked her tongue
over his Adam’s apple, then kissed the hollow at the base of his throat. With slow
strokes of her tongue, she worked her way over his collarbone and down to his pecs.
She bit softly at one of his nipples before trailing her way across his muscular chest
to his other nipple. Lower and lower she moved, licking, biting, and kissing until
she reached the curling hair between his thighs.
His breath hissed out. “You’re about to make me lose my mind, woman.”
“Good.” She looked up at him, a wicked glint in her eyes. “That’s what you do to me.”
The corner of his mouth curved into a sensual smile. “Witch.” She gave a soft laugh.
“I want to taste you again, like you’ve tasted me.” He groaned as she licked his cock
like an ice cream cone, swirling her tongue over the head. Then she slid him into
her mouth, raking him softly with her teeth. He grabbed her head between his palms
and clenched his hands in her silken hair.
Her head bobbed up and down as she slid her mouth along his erection and Kade guided
her. He raised his hips to meet her, enjoying the sight of his cock thrusting in and
out of her hot mouth.
When Kade couldn’t take any more without climaxing, he grabbed a foil package from
the top of the nightstand. “I’ve got to be inside you, honey.”
Kelsey smiled and took the condom from him. She eased it onto his cock, her tongue
leading the way, like fire licking at his soul. After the protection covered him,
she moved up to straddle his hips. She grasped his cock with one hand and placed it
at the entrance to her core. She slid down on him, taking him deep, as deep as it
could reach, until it hit her G-spot.
“Yes, there.” She moaned as he filled her, as he thrust up to meet her. She wriggled
her body and rode his cock, her breasts swaying as she rocked her hips. “I want all
of you, Kade. Deeper. Harder.”
He grasped her hips, raising her up and down the length of his cock.
Keeping their bodies joined, he rolled over and brought her under him so that she
was pinned beneath him. He plunged into her as she started to close her eyes.
“Look at me.” His voice was a demanding growl.
He wanted to see her passion, wanted to see her release. The need in her eyes nearly
sent him over, but he held back, watching her as he rocked his hips against hers.
She gasped and her eyes rolled to the ceiling and he could see her losing herself
to the sensations. Her body jerked hard beneath him and she bit her lip to hold back
her cries. She trembled, her body quaking with the force of her orgasm.
Kade pounded into her, harder and harder yet. He loved to watch her, to see her face
flushed with desire for him. He braced his hands to either side of her and held off
as long as he could, wanting to draw out her orgasm.
His own orgasm wouldn’t wait any longer and he had to bite back a shout. Just as a
powerful climax stormed his body and his cock released his seed, he felt the condom
tear.
Shit.
His muscles clenched as his body pulsated. He held himself still, unable to withdraw
from Kelsey’s body. It was too late.
He closed his eyes and relaxed between Kelsey’s thighs, not wanting to separate from
her.
What was done was done. It was too important to be with her.
Kelsey could get pregnant.
The idea of Kelsey carrying his child gave him a heady feeling. But he wasn’t sure
how she would take it.
“Mmmm,” she said, easing her hands into his hair. “This could be addicting.”
“I’m already addicted to you.” Kade propped his head on one hand and ran his other
over her silky skin, drawing circles around her nipples. “What if I told you the condom
tore?” he asked, not taking his gaze from her face.
Kelsey’s eyes widened and her body tensed beneath him. She dropped her hands to his
shoulders. “Did it?”
He studied her expression, her reaction. “I’m almost positive.”
“Oh. My. God.” She closed her eyes, and he wished he knew what she was thinking.
“If you’re pregnant,” Kade trailed his finger down the tip of her nose to her lips,
“we could get married.”
“No—I—no.” Her eyes flew open. “We barely know each other. I can’t marry you just
because I might be pregnant.” Her voice trembled as if she was about to cry.
“We know each other pretty well.” Kade rained kisses on her face, hoping to calm her
fears.