Miss Firecracker (5 page)

Blake’s dick got
hard as he watched Willow suck pasta from her fork. Hearing her throaty moan of satisfaction only increased the pressure behind his zipper. “Good?”

“Amazing. Do you whip up stuff like this for yourself all the time?”

“Pretty much. It’s easy to cook for one once you get used to it.”

“Mmm. I could get
very
used to this type of food.” Willow waved her butter knife. “Not that I know the first thing about cooking, even though my mother tried several times to teach me.”

“My mom made sure I knew my way around a kitchen before I moved out.”

“She’s gotta be proud you turned out to be such a great cook.”

Thinking of his mom caused Blake a pang. He missed his folks. “I don’t cook for her that often.”

“You save your expertise for your dates?”

Hmm. She was fishing for information. “The last woman I cooked for was impressed.”

Willow’s fingers tightened on her fork. “Yeah? What’d she do to show her gratitude?”

“She married my cousin.” He laughed at Willow’s astonished look. “Indy and I were just friends. I did a little carpentry work in her shop. I only asked her out because my cousin was in love with her and he needed a kick in the butt to admit how he felt about her.”

“Did it work?”

“Yep. They threw a gigantic wedding at the community center a month later. Invited the whole town and everyone remotely associated with the McKay and West families.”

“Lots of drunken revelry?”

“Nah. Colt and India are both in A.A. But the party at the McKay Ranch after they left on their honeymoon?” He whistled. “Wild.”

“Did you get wild?”

“A little. Mostly I poured beer and tried to keep an eye on my cousin Keely McKay, who defined out of control.” Blake frowned. “She disappeared for a while and when she returned, covered in dirt, she was fit to be tied. No clue what happened. She refused to talk about it.”

“Are you close to her?”

“Used to be before she went off to school in Denver. I hadn’t seen Keely since the wedding, until two weeks ago when Indy and Colt had their first boy. Hudson McKay.”

“That was fast.”

“Not really. They’d been best friends for years so it was a long time coming.”

“So…” She dragged the tines of her fork through the pesto sauce on her plate. “Anyone else you’re cooking for on a regular basis back home?”

Blake rested his hand on hers. “No. I wouldn’t be here if there were, Willow. I’m not that type of guy. Just because I work in a bar doesn’t mean I go home with a different barfly every night.”

“I didn’t think you did.”

“Didn’t you?”

Willow shook her head. “I can see where you’d get hit on a lot though. And in my experience—albeit limited experience—guys like you aren’t alone for long unless they choose to be.”

Guys like you.
What the hell was that supposed to mean? Loser, lowlife bartenders? Or because he was big and muscled he had to be dumb and probably fell for any woman who crossed his path? At that moment, Blake was glad he hadn’t told her about being a sheep rancher and he was determined to keep the information to himself. “I don’t know whether to be flattered or insulted,” he said tightly.

“Flattered, definitely.” She threw her napkin on the table. “I knew I’d do this all wrong. I didn’t mean…heck, the truth is guys like you don’t date women like me.”

“You know, Willow, that’s the second time you’ve said ‘guys like you’ so maybe you’d better spell it out, slowly, so
a guy like me
can understand.”

Willow pushed her chair back and stood. “Do I really have to gush about how hot you are? How every time I’m around you this funny feeling flutters in my stomach? How I think your dimples are the sexiest thing about you until I look into your amazing eyes? And to top it all off, you’re a gentleman and you can cook like a dream and you’re so sweet…” Her eyes narrowed at him. “You are way too good to be true, Blake West, so tell me something bad about yourself. Right now.”

Blake wasn’t supposed to jump her after she rattled off all that flattery? Right.
Refocus
. He snapped his fingers. “I know. I left my dog, Rico, at my cousin’s place out in the country because he’d hate being cooped up in an apartment. As I drove away, he flopped on the porch with those big, sad blue eyes like I was abandoning him forever. That’s bad.”

She stomped over to him. “That’s the best ‘bad’ you can come up with? You care so much about your dog that you sent him for a week of chasing rabbits and squirrels so he wouldn’t be stuck above a smoky bar?” She snorted. “I’ll bet you are ‘bad’ to old ladies and little babies too.” She whapped him lightly on the arm. “Try again.”

Blake yanked her on his lap and pinned her wrists behind her back. “How’s this for bad? I really did invite you up here for an innocent dinner. But all I can think about right now is fucking you over and over until you scream my name.”

“Really?”

“Scouts honor.”

“Hmm. That
is
bad. But I don’t believe it.” Willow leaned in and brushed her mouth over his. “So why don’t you show me how bad you can be and prove me wrong.”

A
sk her if
she’s sure.

No! Slip a condom on and fuck her right here before she changes her mind.

But she’s had a hangover all day. Maybe it’d be best if she just got some sleep.

Please. Next you’ll be telling me you just want to “hold” her all night.

The devil inside his head even made sarcastic quote marks with his red hands.

The angel just harrumphed.

“Blake?” Willow prompted.

“Hmm?”

“You’re arguing with yourself about doing what you think is right and doing what you want, aren’t you?”

“Yep.”

“How about what I want?”

His gaze snapped to hers. “What do you want?”

“I want you to take me to bed. I want to see your eyes eating me up like they did in the bar. I want to touch you. I want…everything.”

He clamped his hands to her butt and stood.

Willow buried her face in his neck. “You smell good. Even after being in a smoky bar all day and slaving over a hot stove, you smell great.”

Blake shouldered aside the bedroom door, glad he’d left the lamp on so he didn’t have to let her go. He was breathing hard. Not from exertion, from desire.

“You should put me down.”

He nuzzled her hair. “I don’t wanna put you down.”

“But how else are we going to take our clothes off?”

“Good point.” He allowed her to slide down his body. He kissed her. Not touching her besides holding her face in his hands. Letting the heat between them build with each kiss. Blake licked and nibbled and sucked at her mouth. When she began to squirm and arch closer, his hands drifted down her neck to the buttons on her blouse.

“Blake.”

“Just kiss me, Will. No hurry.” He dove in for another hot, wet, consuming kiss.

She produced a protesting noise and ripped her mouth away.

“What?”

“We’ve been completely honest with each other so far, right?”

Maybe not completely honest
.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m not looking for careful seduction. I don’t want you to be a gentle lover. Let that naughty voice inside your head win for a change.”

“Do you know what you’re askin’ me?”

“Uh-huh.” She lifted to her tiptoes and sank her teeth into his chin. Not hard, but with intent.

His restraint shattered. He grabbed the lapels of her shirt and yanked. Buttons flew. One flick of his thumb and the front clasp on her bra popped.

Blake angled his head and kissed the hollow of her throat. “I don’t care how, but get your clothes out of my way. Now.”

Somehow Willow complied.

His hands spanned the width of her trim ribcage and he allowed his thumbs to rub over her nipples until they beaded into tiny points. He bent and suckled. Lapping at the upper and lower curves of her breasts. Loving that everything about her was proportioned perfectly for her petite frame.

He trilled his lips down her stomach and dropped to his knees in front of her.

“Blake.”

He unhooked the button on her jeans. They were loose enough that with one quick tug they tumbled to her feet. Blake kissed the soft section of skin between her hipbones. Closing his eyes, he breathed in the dark scent of her arousal as he stripped her panties away. “Spread your legs and brace your hands on the nightstand behind you.”

Not a second’s hesitation on Willow’s part.

He placed a soft kiss on the short, dark curls covering her mound and let his tongue trace her cleft from her pubic bone straight to the sticky wetness between her thighs.

“Oh. Yes.”

Blake lost his mind at the honeyed taste of her. He jammed his tongue deep, licking, then plunging and retreating until her legs started to shake.

His tongue zigzagged up that sweet furrow. He settled his mouth over her clit. A few hard-lipped nibbles morphed into solid rhythmic sucking.

Willow flew apart. Making high-pitched keening sounds so hot and sexy Blake had to squeeze his butt cheeks together to keep from coming right along with her.

Once the pulses quit, he gifted her pussy with one last kiss. Blake stripped. He reached in his duffel bag and snagged the unopened box of condoms.

Her fingers maintained a death grip on the dresser. She kept her eyes on his as he ripped the plastic packaging off the box with his teeth, took out a square packet, tore it open and sheathed himself.

“On the bed, sunshine.” Willow paused at the edge of the mattress. He pressed their bodies together, his front to her back, marveling at the feel of her skin, baby soft and slightly damp. He brushed aside her hair to taste the slope of her shoulder.

She shivered.

“On your hands and knees. This is gonna be hard and fast.” Even though his balls were aching and his cock straining, he took his time getting her into position. When her body was cradled beneath his, he nibbled on her earlobe. “Ready?”

“Yes. Do it.”

But Willow’s small build kept Blake from plunging in. Once he was seated balls deep, and slick tightness surrounded his cock, he had to grit his damn teeth not to fuck her with enough force to send her flying into the wall.

“Blake.”

“What? Are you okay?”

“I’d be better if you were moving.” Willow cranked her head around, challenging him with those liquid brown eyes. “Didn’t you say something about hard and fast?”

Keeping his gaze on hers, he pulled all the way out and slammed back in. Twice in rapid succession.

Her lower back arched. Her head fell forward until her hair obscured her face. “Yes. Like that.”

He dug his fingers into her hips, mesmerized by the globes of her ass bouncing with each hard thrust as his cock tunneled in and out.

She exploded with another climax that pulsed around his cock, seeming to pull him deeper inside her.

As much as Blake yearned to savor the moment, it’d been an eternity since he’d had sex. The need for release built quickly. Before he could warn her, he came with a hoarse shout.

Once he’d regained his wits, he bussed the back of her head. “Hang tight. Let me get rid of this condom.”

Willow mumbled and fell onto her belly. She was in that position when Blake returned.

He crawled on the bed and ran his hand up her spine. “You awake?”

She turned her head. “You completely wore me out.”

“You don’t want to go another round? Maybe it’d reenergize you.”

“Tomorrow.” She yawned. “I’m tired.”

He caressed her sweet curves. “You want one of my shirts to sleep in?”

“I thought that big, hot body of yours could keep me warm.”

“Sounds good.” Blake switched off the lamp. He scooted in behind her and she immediately snuggled into his chest.

“I forgot to tell you thanks for dinner.” She kissed his pectoral. “And thanks for the outstanding orgasm.”

“More where that came from. Get some sleep. We have another long day tomorrow.” And if he had his way, a very long morning spent between the sheets and her thighs before they even made it downstairs.

Willow was cold.
She rolled, hoping to reconnect with Blake’s body heat, but he wasn’t there.

She blinked and saw him lounging against the wall, staring at her. She smiled sleepily. “Hey.”

“That’s much better than the shriek I got yesterday morning.”

“That’s because I’m not surprised to see you today.”

“But you’re happy to see me?”

“Very.”

“Good. Because I’ve been waiting for you to wake up so I can give you a proper good mornin’ kiss.”

“Can I brush my teeth first?”

He grinned. “Oh, it ain’t your mouth I plan on kissing.”

Bye-bye sleepy; hello wide-awake
.

“Spread your legs.”

She didn’t utter a peep of protest. As long as he put his mouth on her he could command her all day as far as she was concerned. Willow kicked the covers away.

“Wider.”

She let her right heel touch the edge of the bed and slid her left heel until it nearly touched the wall.

“Scoot up.”

Willow propped herself up on her elbows to watch Blake shimmy on his belly between her thighs. “I think your shoulders are almost as wide as the bed.”