Willow Smoke (24 page)

“But
you
just
gave
it
away.”

“Not to a boy.”

“That’s for sure.” Nick
wet his lips. “I want
you
to
know
that
this
was
incredible
for
me,
too.
Thank
you
for
sharing
your
treasure
with
me.”
He
kissed
Daisy
on
the
tip
of
her nose.

“Sure.”
She
blinked.
“It’s
done
now.”
She
turned
to
eye
Nick.
“I
am
pleased.
I’ll
always remember this night. Thanks.”

He
liked
it
when
she
blushed.
He
pulled
the
sheet
back
down
and
pressed
a
finger
on
her
right
nipple.
Smiling,
he
watched
it
stretch
when
he
removed
his
finger.
Her
eyes
turned
smoky.
“You
make
it
sound
like
this
is
a
one
night
stand.”

She
stiffened
under
his
gaze.
“It
is,
isn’t
it?”

Nick
frowned
at
her.
She’d
taken
a
huge
risk
coming
to
him,
but
she’d
had
no
idea
how
desirable
he
really
found
her.
She’d
gotten
him
to
deflower
her.
Was
that
all
she
wanted?
Was
that
all
she
thought
she
deserved?

He
gave
her
his
most
wicked
grin.
“You
think
you’ll
learn
all
there
is
about
sex
in
one
night?”

“Of course not.”

He
propped
himself
up
on an elbow and looked at her, memorizing every curve and
nuance of her lusciousness. He stroked the inside of her thigh. She moaned.
Brushing her trim curls, he said, “Maybe we could be lovers for a while.”

Her muscles tightened
and he sensed her withdraw.

“I don’t know much about
love, and I’m not sure I want to,” she said, her voice thick with emotion.

“But you want to know
more about sex.”

She nodded.

He’d have to treat her
as gingerly as she treated an injured horse. “Okay, well, if I’m a passable teacher...”
He waited for a response.

She
blinked.
Her
inner
thigh
quivered
against
his fingers. “More than passable, I
think,”
she
managed
to
say.

“Good. I’ve got the time,
and it seems
like
the
body
is
more
than
willing.
Maybe I could further your education.”

She arched an eyebrow. “For
real? No strings?”

“I thought you trusted
me. For real. Would you like that?”

“Yes.”

He hadn’t thought she
could sound so meek. “Good, then it’s settled. You’ll continue teaching me
about the horse business. And I’ll continue teaching you about the sex
business. Deal?” He offered her his hand.

“Deal,” she whispered,
placing her hand in his. “What if I’m a slow learner?”

Nick
laughed
deeply,
pulling
her
closer.
“I
hope
you
are,
Daisy.
You
shouldn’t
rush
good
sex
anymore
than
you
should
rush
a
good
wine.”

- o -

Daisy
closed
her
eyes
and
let
the
feel
of
his
fingers
grazing
her
belly
soak
into
her
pores.
Did
he
realize
he’d
called
her
Daisy
for
the
very
first
time?
Odd,
that
that
intimacy
should
scare
her
more
than
what
his
fingers
were
doing.
Had
she
gotten
herself
into
more
than
she’d
bargained
for?
An
image
of
Cassie
Travers
flashed
before
her
mind.
The
woman
was
nodding
yes
and
giving
her
an
inexplicable
smile.

Tension
released
from
her
upper
body
down
to
her
toes.
She’d
just
made
a
deal
with
a
man
old
enough
to
be...well,
old
enough
to
know
better.
And
she
was
relishing
his
touch
as
he
dipped
a
finger
into
her moist crevice. His thumb found
her
button
and
she
rose
and
faltered
and
then
rose
again.
She
soared
as
his
tongue
rimmed
her
belly
button
and
his
fingers
continued
working
a
special
magic.
She
caught
her
breath
and
moaned.
Jerking
her knees toward her
breasts, she
ignored
the
man
arousing
her
and
rode
the
waves
of
ecstasy
that
she’d
dreamed
so much about. Only this was better, much
better.
And
then
oblivion
overcame
her
senses
and
she
slept.

- o -

An
hour
had
passed.
Wide
awake,
Nick
lay
beside
the
long-legged
beauty,
watching
her
sleep
the
sleep
of
a
well
satisfied
woman.
She’d
wanted
him
to
make
her
a
woman;
hopefully
she
realized
it
had
taken
both of them to do that, in the
physical
sense.
But
she’d
always
been
all
woman
to
him,
and
probably
always
would
be.

Despite
his
glib
words
about
teacher
and
student,
what
had
he
gotten
himself
into?
There
was
no
positive
outcome
to
this
arrangement.
She
was
still
too
young.
But
damn,
she
was
responsive.
She
exuded
an
innocent
passion
that
was
overpowering.

He’d
been
so
close
to
embarrassing
himself the
first
time
she’d
touched
him.
He
hadn’t had to worry
about that for years.

Daisy
Matthews
was
uncharted
waters.
He’d
spent
many
days
and
weeks
in
a
canoe
on
the
Boundary
Waters,
where
he
often
could
not
see
where
he
was
headed
because
one
island
followed
another
in
endless
chains.
Sometimes
islands
seemed
to
emerge
and
change
overnight.
Even
with
a
compass
in
hand,
he
had
to
trust
his
instincts
and
experience.

Daisy
rolled
over
in
her
sleep.
Nick
patted
her rear affectionately. “Guess that’s
what I’ve got to do with you, Daisy.
Trust
my
instincts
and
experience
and
hope
to
hell
I
don’t
lose
my
way.”

- o -

Daisy sat across from
Nick’s mother and
father
in
their
modest
dining
room
unable
to
stop
smiling.
Angie
Underwood
sat
at
the
end
of
the
table
closely
scrutinizing
her.
They
probably
thought
she
was
still
thrilled
because
of
Rainbow’s
victory.