Dillon's Claim (5 page)

“Here she goes,” Shay said in delight.
Charissa shoved aside her gloomy thoughts and watched as Bridgette sliced up
the penis cake and made a show of licking the icing off the stiletto-shaped cake
server, earning her several whistles and catcalls. The bride was having a great
time. Charissa decided she would get into the spirit of things, since the
bachelorette party was the whole reason she’d come here in the first place.

Liar.

Everyone got a big piece of
cake. The flesh-colored icing looked disgusting but actually tasted good. She
traded bawdy comments with Shay and her cousin, Sara, a raven-haired school
teacher with an impressive repertoire of dirty jokes and eyes that kept
devouring Dane. Not that Charissa blamed her. All the Dumen boys were something
to look at. She’d finally met all of them now.

Dusty, the youngest, was guest
services manager. Dane, who had sandy blond hair long enough to brush his
collar, helped out on the ranch. Deke, with dark brown hair, was some sort of
military paramedic. And Dillon. Manager of the ranch, in command of everything
and everyone. Especially himself.

Made her wonder what it would
take to make him lose that iron control.

“You still coming with me?”

She looked up from her cake
and smiled at Bridgette. “Damn right. We’ll be the best looking couple at the
bar.” Being that all the other women seemed to have one of the Dumen boys
wanting to accompany them.

Bridgette laughed. “Don’t
worry. I’m sure we’ll find a couple cowboys there to sweep us around the dance
floor. And here.” She pulled a shiny pink gift bag out from beneath the table. “A
goodie bag, just for you.” A wink. “Just in case.”

Smirking, Charissa pulled it
open. A lacy black thong, some flavored lubricant, a handful of colored
condoms, and a sparkly pink vibrator. “Did you put fresh batteries in it?” she
teased.

“Of course I put batteries in
it. There are some extra in there, too.”

That might definitely come in
handy later, when she was all alone in her bunk bed fantasizing about a man she
didn’t have the guts to go after. Provided her body didn’t leave her hanging on
the verge of orgasm again.

“Come on,” Bridgette said
impatiently, grabbing her hand and towing her toward the door. “Forget your
cake and let’s get going before everyone else beats us there. I’m hankering to
do some two-stepping.”

The Winkin’ Point Bar was already
packed when they arrived. Dozens of couples crowded the dance floor amid the
strains of the house band. The thump of the drums and bass guitar reverberated
in the floor as a fiddle started up a lively air that had people shouting and
stomping their feet.

“There’s Jessica,” Bridgette
called over the music, waving across the room. “She’s looking a little lost,
and I don’t know where Deke went. Think I’ll go over and keep her company for a
bit. That okay?”

“Absolutely.” She was just
fine on her own.

Making her way to the end of
the polished bar, Charissa ordered a gin and tonic and sipped at it while she
perused the crowd. Dusty and Shay were already dancing, as were Sara and Dane.
When the song changed, a middle-aged cowboy approached her and asked her to
dance. She accepted the invitation gladly, and soon she was laughing as he
swept her around the floor with the others.

After a few dances, she begged
off and retreated back to the bar to get a fresh drink. It went down smoothly,
the mild burn of the liquor warming her insides. By the time she’d finished it,
she felt much more relaxed. And slightly aroused when she noticed couples making
out on the dance floor.

Her thoughts strayed back to
Dillon. Remembering the way he’d touched her, kissed her, made her warm all
over. Her body ached for him, for everything he could do to her. For all the
things she’d denied herself because she was afraid of being hurt and
disappointing him. She was stronger than that, wasn’t she?

Right now it was hard to
remember why she’d been fighting the attraction so hard, especially when she
thought about the way he touched her. He had the most amazing hands. Hard and
powerful, yet gentle enough to stir the butterflies to life in her belly when
he stroked his fingers over her skin or through her hair. But, as the
dependable Dumen brother was holed up in his office back at the ranch, she
wouldn’t have to worry about him showing up here. The thought only made the ache
inside her worse.

Mentally shaking her head, she
set her empty glass down and considered ordering another.

She spotted Deke entering the
bar, his gaze going straight to Jessica as he headed toward her. A moment
later, Dillon walked in behind him, scanning the crowd.

Everything in her stilled as
his gaze zeroed in on her. Her nipples peaked instantly and a spark of heat
ignited low in her belly. But after a long, charged moment, he looked away and
headed into the crowd. She lost sight of him. Again, that sinking feeling of
disappointment took hold. It irritated her.

Hadn’t she wanted him to leave
her alone? She’d had all night and the whole day to think about the way things
stood between them. Now she was wavering about her decision to steer clear of
him. It was time to make up her mind one way or the other. Sitting here alone
wasn’t helping the constant ache of arousal thrumming through her body. He
wanted her. She wanted him—rough edged kinky sex and all—despite the fear that
wouldn’t quite go away. God, she was sick of letting past fears hold her back. Either
she put her big girl panties on and went for it or she quit pining after Dillon.

So she’d made a mistake and
hooked up with a guy who’d trashed her fantasies about experimenting with the
kinkier side of sex. Big deal. Yeah, she’d been completely turned off and
disgusted by the whole thing, but at least she’d been physically unharmed by
the experience. Dillon was nothing like him. Dillon was dominant, through and
through, but he’d never harm or humiliate her. Deep inside, she knew it would
be different with him. And he’d made it clear he was still interested in her.

Was she really going to give
up the chance to try it with him just because she was scared? And because she
was afraid of becoming even more attached to him? He’d made it clear he cared
about her, and that could only make sex with him more amazing. The only thing
holding her back now was the fear of having her fantasies of him destroyed.

And getting your heart broken.

Turning back to the bar, she
ordered another drink and debated what to do. Maybe after she knocked this next
one back, she’d feel brave enough to search him out and proposition him. One
night. She could give him one night to test whether or not the sex would be
even half as good as she imagined.

She’d just taken her first
swallow of the fresh drink when she saw him approaching out of the corner of
her eye. Every muscle in her body tensed. Her fingers tightened around the
glass tumbler.

Dillon stepped up behind her,
close enough that his chest brushed her back and she could feel his heat
against her spine. She braced herself for an awkward start to the conversation,
but he surprised her by settling his hands on her hips. No greeting, no
preamble. Only the firm but gentle grip of his fingers that turned her knees to
jelly.

“Dance with me,” he said against
her nape. The warmth of his breath made goose bumps break out across her skin.
He pressed a tender kiss against that vulnerable spot and kept his lips there, caressing
lightly while he waited for her answer.

Oh, God. She hadn’t expected
this at all, had no defense against it.

Setting her hands on the bar top,
she closed her eyes as he wove his sensual spell around her. He was taking
control already, removing any doubt as to his intentions. Taking the
responsibility out of her hands. Doing exactly what she’d wanted him to.

Go for it.

“Okay.” Her knees weren’t
quite steady when she pivoted around to face him. His slow smile made her heart
pound as he grasped her hand and led her to the dance floor.

He
maneuvered
them into the
crowd and swung her easily into a dance position, smoothly gliding into a
two-step with the band’s lively beat. His wide shoulders blocked out everything
behind them, his muscles flexing beneath her hand. This close to him, his
tantalizing scent drifted up to tease her nostrils.

At first her movements were
stiff, but after a few moments, her muscles loosened up and she flowed with
him. His grip was firm, sure, and the confidence he exuded was a complete turn
on. She knew he’d bring that same self-assurance into the bedroom, and her
insides quivered at the thought of being under his command.

The band switched to a slow
song. Dillon didn’t pause or attempt to leave the dance floor. He brought her
even closer, until she felt the hard ridge of his erection pressing into her
belly. The man was hard all over, and knowing he wanted her made her pussy grow
slick and warm.

Letting out a breath, she
relaxed against him and laid her cheek against his shoulder. In response, he
nuzzled the top of her head and stroked a hand over the small of her back,
making her heart lurch. She felt safe in his arms, which was crazy. For her, he
was the most dangerous man in the bar.

They stopped dancing. A hard hand
cupped her chin and tilted her head up until she met his gaze. His blue eyes were
dark, intense. A flush spread up her cheeks. People were flowing like a tide
around them. She could feel their curious eyes. Becoming self-conscious, she started
to pull away. Public displays of affection had always made her uncomfortable.

“No. Look right here at me.”

Startled by the quiet command,
she stared helplessly into his eyes. His touch was gentle and she could easily
have pulled away, but somehow she couldn’t move. The music seemed to dim
somewhere in the background. The dancing couples crowding around them faded. A
sizzle of sexual awareness shot through her as he held her captive with his
eyes. His grip never changed as he lowered his mouth to hers.

Heat exploded inside her the
instant his lips touched hers. She gripped his shoulders and opened to the
stroke of his tongue, gasped as everything inside her tightened.
More.
Closer.

Dillon held her back, keeping
control of the kiss as one hand brushed the curve of her breast. She swallowed a
whimper of need as his hard thigh pressed between her legs. When he finally
raised his head and smiled a little, her face heated. Damn, she’d been making
out with him right out in the open where everyone could see. One searing look,
one kiss and he made her forget herself. She ran her tongue over her lips,
trying to think of something to say, when a commotion broke out behind them.

Dillon immediately whipped
around and stepped in front of her, shielding her from any threat. She peered
around his shoulder just in time to see some men fighting while everyone in the
vicinity backed away. One of the fighters threw a punch and more people jumped
in. Someone went down on the floor, and a moment later, Shay staggered to her
feet, covering her face with her hands.

“Shit,” Dillon muttered. “Stay
here,” he ordered, then strode toward the melee.

Charissa retreated to the bar,
watching anxiously. Dusty appeared in the middle of the brawl and swept Shay
out of range of the flying fists. Seconds later bouncers jumped in and subdued the
men before Dillon got there. The band kept playing and as soon as the floor was
safe, people started dancing again. She lost sight of Dillon in the crowd but
soon spotted him striding back to her. His expression was calm, and her heart
rate slowed in relief.

“Is Shay all right?” she asked
when he reached her.

“Yeah, but she’s gonna have
one hell of a shiner.”

“Does she need a ride back?”

“No, Dusty’s got her.” He
stroked a hand over her hair, searched her eyes. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” A little rattled
maybe, especially since her friend had just been punched in the face, but
otherwise fine. “You’re sure Shay’s—”

“She’s fine, and Dusty’ll take
care of her.” He ran a finger along her jaw. “Come back with me.”
So
I
can take care of
you
.
He didn’t say the words aloud, but his eyes
made his intent clear.

Oh, damn. How could she say no
to that request? Leaving with him was asking for trouble, but she wanted to
anyway. She couldn’t resist the pull toward him anymore. “I came with
Bridgette, so I’ll have to tell her...”

“She’s over there.” He nodded
to the other end of the bar. Heart pounding, she wound her way through the
crowd and told Bridgette she was leaving, then let Dillon escort her out of the
building with a guiding hand at her lower back. His protectiveness made her
feel cherished. Like she truly mattered to him.

But she had a big problem here.
Dillon knew exactly how much she wanted him, yet she couldn’t fight the tension
roiling inside her as he drove back to the ranch. Did she have the guts to do this
or not?

“You seem awfully tense over
there.”

She gave him a sheepish smile.
“I am, a bit.”