Love & Rodeo (5 page)

“
I’m sorry about earlier. I know Luke still has feelings for me.”

“
What happened between you guys? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“
No, not at all. My parents died and I had to quit the circuit. We were never going to see each other and I didn’t know if I was even coming back. So, I ended it. He told me that we’d figure it out, but I had so much on my plate with the ranch and then Nora. Besides, he’d never understand the hurt I felt. I mean, he still looks at me like I’m broken.”

“
Do you still have feelings for him?”

“
No. I thought that I loved him, but um… I don’t know. I was young. I didn’t know what love was. I still don’t. He was the first guy to ever show me any attention. So I just went with it. He was more like a best friend than anything.”

“
Does he know that?”

“
I tried telling him that when I found out I was coming back, but he wouldn’t hear it. He wanted to pick up where we left off.”

“
How do you feel about that?”

“
It’s never going to happen. All the times he touched me. I never felt the way I feel when you touch me.” She looked deep into his eyes and he took it as an invitation.

“
Like this?” Levi asked as he found the skin of her thigh under the blanket. He skimmed his calloused hand over her soft, smooth skin. He heard her breath catch and then moved his hand to her hip. She inhaled sharply and then he moved his hand under her shirt and up to her rib cage. She exhaled shakily.

“
Yes. Or the times he kissed me,” she said breathily.

“
Like this?” He brought his lips to hers and kissed the corners of her mouth lightly. Her hands moved to his face. Deepening the kiss, he slipped his tongue into her mouth, caressing hers carefully. Her hips pressed against his, and he groaned wanting more. He ran his hand down her body until he reached her thigh. He grasped it and pulled it up and around him while she moaned and he caressed her. His heart raced in his chest as her body responded to his every touch. The kiss grew more urgent as she pulled him over on top of her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his body to hers. He moaned as he pressed his hardness against her. He wanted her to know what she did to him. She had to know how badly he wanted her. He cupped her breast and felt her hard nipple beneath the fabric of her tank top. He pulled his lips from hers.

“
I want you so bad,” he whispered to her.

She inhaled sharply and then tried to catch her breath. Her body stiffened and she slowly unwrapped her leg from around him.

He looked at her. “What’s wrong?”

She rolled over on to her side, turning her back to him.

“
What’s wrong? Did I do something?”

He rested his hand on her shoulder. She rolled over and looked at him. “I’ve never…”

“
You’ve never what?”

“
I’ve never gone that far before.”

“
Wait, you’re a virgin?” Levi asked and shoved a hand through his hair.

It had never occurred to him that she could still be a virgin at twenty-two years old.

“
I just thought that you and Luke—”

“
No. We never,” she told him as she looked everywhere but at him. “I understand if this changes things between us. I mean, if you don’t want to keep traveling with me.”

He cupped her face with his hand so that she was looking at him.

“
It doesn’t change anything. We can wait. You control the pace here.”

She looked back at him with worry in her green eyes. In that moment, he wanted to hold her tight so she’d know he meant it. In that moment, he didn’t care if he only got to hold her for the next ten years, he’d gladly do it. There was something about Kallie Davis that made him just want to be near her, and if this was as close as he’d ever get, well, that’d just have to be okay.

“
Are you sure?”

“
I’m sure.”

He kissed her lightly on the forehead.

“
I’m not ready to go to sleep,” she said to him.

He wasn’t sure how to respond to her. He still wanted her and the hardness in his boxers told him so. “There are other things we can do. Do you want to do other things?”

He looked at her and hoped she said yes and then she nodded.

“
Put your back against my chest.”

She did as she was told, and once she was on her side, he pushed himself against her. She gasped. He moved her hair to the side and kissed her neck as he pushed against her again. This time she moaned his name and all of his senses focused on her. He rested his hand on her hip and slipped it around to the front of her stomach. He let his fingers linger there for a moment before moving down inside of her panties. She gasped, pushing her hips forward, encouraging him to continue. Levi found her sweet spot and started tracing circles around it. She was wet, and the fact that he could do that to her, drove him wild. Her hips began rocking against his hand and before long she was panting under his touch. She found his free hand and entwined her fingers with his. He knew she was close as her body stiffened.

“
Come for me, Kallie,” he whispered in her ear.

A second later she cried out his name as she reached her climax. Her body shuddered with excitement as he held her close. After a minute, he felt her body relax beside him. He wrapped his arm around her as he kissed her neck and the space behind her ear. She rolled over so that she was facing him. She looked beautiful as she gazed at him through lazy eyes and flushed cheeks.

“
You okay?” He smiled at her as he focused on her face.

“
So that’s what that’s like,” she finally answered.

“
You’ve never had an orgasm?”

Her cheeks flushed a deeper red. “Never.”

“
You mean you’ve never pleasured yourself?”

“
What kind of girl do you think I am?”

He laughed. “You just keep surprising me. That’s all. Luke never got you off?”

“
No. I faked it with him. He was rough and needy. It was usually me pleasuring him.” She frowned.

He leaned in and kissed her lightly.

“
I know I’m not supposed to compare you to him, but you’re so different,” she added.

“
How do you mean?”

“
I just mean, this is so easy with you. It feels good to be with you like this. I probably shouldn’t have told you that.”

He raised his hand and cupped her face.

“
I always want you to tell me how you feel. No matter if you think it’ll hurt my feelings or not.”

It was the first time he’d suggested they had a future together, but he already knew that as long as she’d have him, he’d be with her.

She smiled as her eyes grew heavy. He kissed her forehead and pulled her so that her head was on his chest. He throbbed inside his boxers. He was going to have blue balls something awful tomorrow, but he didn’t care. He’d wait for her. He waited until her breathing was steady and she was fast asleep before he let himself slip into a deep sleep.

Chapter Six

The following morning, Levi woke to Kallie’s lips on his. She kissed him gently at first before it turned into more. She trailed kisses up his jawline to this neck and then down his chest. He thought she’d stop there, but she continued down until she was at the elastic band of his boxers. She looked up at him and smiled. His heart raced in his chest as she pulled at the band on his boxers. He glanced around at where he was and decided that if this was a dream, he didn’t want to wake up. He felt her push his boxers down revealing himself completely to her. He was fully erect and when her tiny mouth kissed him, he thought he’d come undone right then. Her hands worked him as her lips laid kisses all up and down his length. When he thought he couldn’t take anymore, she opened her mouth to him, taking just a little until he was almost completely inside of her. His toes curled under as her tongue worked circles while she sucked. It didn’t take long and he pulled her off of him just before he came into his boxers. Everything faded away for a moment until she was on the bed beside him.

He rolled over and pulled her body to his.

“
Another surprise.” He smirked.

She smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

“
How was Blaze this morning?” Levi asked.

“
I really need to ride him. He’s got a lot of pent-up energy.”

“
Yeah?”

“
Yeah. So, the rumor is, there’s a laundromat a little ways down. I could do some laundry. What do you think?”

“
Sounds like a plan. I’ve got one pair of clean jeans left. I promise, you don’t want me walking around here naked.”

Kallie smiled a wicked smile.

“
By what I just saw, I might not mind.”

Something inside of Levi stirred. Waiting might prove to be harder than he thought.

An hour later, they were sitting in the laundromat waiting for their clothes to dry.

“
So what’s your sister like?” Levi asked.

“
Uh, she’s like any other twelve-year-old. She looks a lot like me. She’s in all the advanced classes at school. She’s not like me in that way. She gets her brains from my mom.”

“
Does she ride too?”

“
Nora? No. Nora came after Mom and Dad settled down on the ranch. Mom and Dad met on the circuit and um…found out that they were going to have me. So they got married and had me and kept on rodeoing. We traveled everywhere. My first memory is of me watching my Mom barrel race. I grew up on the circuit. It’s in my blood.”

“
Why’d they settle down?”

“
It was getting harder and harder for Mom to home school me and rodeoing was costing more money than what they were earning. Mom was ready to settle down. I think Daddy would’ve rodeoed until he died, if she’d have let him.”

“
I didn’t know that.”

“
A lot of people don’t. So what about you? Do you have any brothers or sisters?”

“
I do. I come from a large brood.”

“
Really?”

“
Yeah. I have an older brother. Mark.”

“
Mark Cavanaugh?”

“
Yeah.”

“
Your brother’s a country singer?”

He laughed. “Yeah.”

“
I bet that has its perks.”

“
It used to until he met Jolie, and now he’s settled down. She used to ride with the circuit last year.”

“
I know her! We used to warm up our horses together. It’s a small world.” She smiled.

“
It is. Jolie’s real nice. Too nice for my brother, but no one’s asking me.”

Kallie laughed. “So what about the rest of your family?”

“
Well, there’s Mark, me, Jessa, and Emma. We had a younger brother but he died when he was three.”

She took his hand and squeezed it. She knew his grief all too well.

“
How old are Jessa and Emma?”

Thankful for the change in subject he answered, “Jessa is eighteen and Emma is thirteen.”

“
Do you miss them yet?”

“
A little. I hardly saw Jessa before I left. She’s just graduated, so she’s running with her friends all the time, but I miss Emma. She’s a little pistol. She has something to say about everything, and don’t worry about asking her opinion, because you’ll have it before you ask for it.”

“
I think I’d like her.”

“
I think you would too.”

“
What about your parents?”

“
Oh, Daddy’s still training barrel horses and Mama’s always taking care of everyone. I think Daddy will train until he can’t anymore. He’s a very proud man.”

“
It sounds like you have a really nice family.”

“
Thanks. You too.”

He rubbed her thigh. “Do you miss Nora?”

“
I really do. It’s the first time I’ve been away from her since our parents died. I tried calling her a couple of times, but she’s never there. I think its her way of telling me she’s angry with me.” Kallie smiled weakly at him.

“
Who is she staying with right now?”

“
After my parents died, custody was awarded to my Grams until I could come up with the funds to adopt her. The winnings from last weekend will definitely help, but it’s still not enough. I’ve got to win a couple more races.”