HorsingAround (8 page)

He shrugged.
“Maybe so.
But you’re the whole package, baby.” He tapped a finger to her temple. “Brains, personality, looks and…” He slid his gaze over her. “The most incredibly sexy body I’ve ever seen.”

“Whoa.” The man could set her on fire merely with a word.

He kissed her forehead, the tip of her nose, scraped her earlobe between his teeth. “I want to kiss you from head to toe.” The whispered words sent a shudder of desire through her. Her pussy quivered with yearning.

He cupped her breast, shaped and kneaded it. “I want to spread those beautiful legs wide and lick you until you scream.”

Her nipples hardened and ached for more attention. Anticipation heightened her senses.

“I want to drive my tongue into your sweet pussy and lap up your juices.”

Molten lust flooded her veins. Reaching to the faucet, she shut off the water with a trembling hand.

Jake grabbed a big towel from the rack and wrapped them both in it, rubbed the cloth quickly over them, then tossed it aside.
“Bedroom.”
He gave her backside a playful swat.

She didn’t hesitate. Taking his hand, she led him to her room and immediately climbed onto the bed. Her pussy had already grown wet and pulsed with yearning.

Jake straddled her, set a hand on either side of her and lowered his mouth to her ear. He traced the shell of her ear with his tongue, pulled the lobe into his mouth and raked his teeth over it. “Do you trust me?”

She turned her head to his at the question. “What?”

“You heard me. Do you trust me?” Sliding lower, he drew a taut nipple into his mouth and sucked.
Hard.

She bucked and whimpered.

“Hmm?” he pressed.

She had to think about that for a second. Since she’d agreed to be his business partner and she’d had the best sex of her life with him, she must trust him. “I guess I do.”

He moved above her, brushed his lips over hers. His eyes bored into hers. “Don’t guess. Tell me yes or no.” He moved to the other nipple and swirled his tongue around it.

Pleasure radiated from where he touched. She lifted her hips, hoping he’d pay her pussy the attention he’d promised.
And soon.
“Yes.” She’d known him such a short time, but for some reason, she did trust him.

He gave each breast a generous swipe with his tongue, trailed wet kisses along her belly, lower, lower to her inner thighs. Every nerve ending came to life. She shook with pent-up desire.

Suddenly Jake rolled off her and climbed off the bed.

No! I need him now.

“Where are you going?”

He held a finger in the air. Then he circled around the bed and strode to the window. She squirmed with cravings that begged to be satisfied. He
monkeyed
with the drapery, muttered under his breath. God, couldn’t he wait to close the curtains. “Jake?”

Her patience wore thin. “What are you doing?”

Returning to the bed with a shit-eating grin on his face, he climbed on top of her and grabbed her wrists in one of his strong hands.

“What the—”

“Shush.” He silenced her with a finger to her lips. Then he rolled her over onto her stomach.

“What are you doing?” Excitement swirled inside her. Whatever his plans, she knew she’d enjoy herself.

I trust him
, she silently chanted.

Reaching over her, he tied her hands together and fastened them to the headboard with fabric.

She craned her neck and caught sight of her tethered wrists secured with the curtain tiebacks. “Did you seriously tie me up?” But a shot of excitement ricocheted through her body. She’d never worked up the confidence to ask her previous lovers to play this game, although she’d always fantasized about it.

He stared down at her. “I seriously did. And I can tell you like it already.”

“What?” Her shock came out cheap as tin even to her ears. Vulnerability washed over her and she liked it.
Liked the idea that he had total power over her.
She yanked her arms, swallowed back the apprehension. Learning to trust Jake was imperative if they planned to share a business.

He nipped her hard points in succession. Knowing he could do whatever he wanted to her raised the stakes tenfold. She squirmed against the rush of liquid heat that flooded her sex.

Jake pushed his hand between her thighs and rubbed near her entrance. He slid a finger inside her and she let out a pleasured gasp.

“You’re soaking wet. And you’re going to get even wetter.” He removed his finger way too quickly and sucked it into his mouth.
“
Mmm
.”

She licked her lips, rasped out a breath.

“Do you like spankings?”

The question caught her off guard. “Do I…what?” She’d heard him perfectly, and she’d always had a glimmer of interest or at least curiosity about such kink, although again, she’d never had the nerve to ask for it. Thought her partner might find her some sort of deviant.

“You heard me.” He smoothed a calloused hand over her ass,
then
lightly traced his finger along the crease between her butt cheeks.

She fisted her hands, braced for the spanking she knew was imminent.

“Since I didn’t hear you utter a no, I’ll assume you’re game.” He gave her a quick slap. The sharp sound electrified the air in the otherwise quiet room.

Her nipples tingled and a zing of excitement flared in her core.

“You liked it, didn’t you?” He swatted her ass again, this time harder and louder.

“Ouch.” Only she
did
enjoy it. Heat rushed to her face. She lifted her backside closer, silently asked him for more.

“Tell me.”

“No.”

Another stinging slap and her rear end burned. “No!” Only she couldn’t hold back a giggle. Her pussy throbbed with lust. She rocked her hips, desperate for relief.

He rubbed his hard cock along her sex. She lifted toward him again, tried to slide her pussy against his shaft. “Please, Jake.”

Rolling her to her back, he eased her thighs apart. “Tell me what you want.” Lightly, he skittered a finger along her pussy.
Just a tease.

“Please?”

When she thought she’d explode from frustration, he crawled between her legs, licked his finger and dragged it along her folds. Desire shot to her core. When his tongue flicked at her clit, she cried out, so close to the edge.

She strained against her ties, lifted her hips off the bed, bucking and twisting as Jake teased and tantalized her. He suckled her clit, drove a finger deep inside her, then another. Using his thumb, he rubbed her special spot. Her breath hitched. She tried to lower her arms, remembered that she couldn’t. Clutching at her tethers, she whimpered with helpless abandon. Delicious, lush sensations vibrated, pushed her closer and closer to her release. She squeezed her eyes shut, held her breath and braced for the onslaught of carnal delight. She came in a blinding flash of ecstasy. Writhing with bliss, she rode wave after wave of heavenly pleasure.

She opened her eyes to find Jake staring at her. Breathless, she grinned at him. “Are you going to untie me now?”

He stretched out beside her, his hand still between her legs. “Don’t know. I sure like watching you come.” He bowed his head to her chest, pulled a nipple into his mouth and flicked his tongue over the peak. “Maybe this is how we’ll make business decisions.”

“Ha!” She made a show of fighting against her restraints.
“Over my dead body.”

He quirked an eyebrow and chuckled.
“Over your tied-up body.”

She stilled. “You can make this work, Jake.”

He kissed her lips with more passion, more sweetness than before. “Thank you for your confidence. It means everything.” Reaching over her head, he loosened the knots and released her wrists. She immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a passionate kiss. The taste of her lust on his lips made her hungry for more.

He broke away.
“Condom.”
Moments later he climbed on top of her and parted her thighs with his knee. Fixing her with a smoky stare, he angled his erection against her and rubbed the crown along her swollen sex.

She sighed, greedy to feel him—all of him—inside her. Her pussy clenched in anticipation. When he did, she wrapped her legs around him, coaxing him deeper. He stroked into her, slow at first. A sweet flood of pleasure washed over her as her channel stretched to accommodate his thick cock.

He filled her so completely, so perfectly.
As if they were two pieces of the same puzzle.

Muscles on his neck and shoulders corded and his jaw clenched. The more he held back, the more flushed and sweaty his face grew. His thrusts grew faster, harder as he churned into her again and again.

She breathed in his scent, heady as the earth and pure man. Watching his face as he succumbed to his climax filled her with joy. Knowing he took his pleasure from her body made her feel powerful and beautiful and feminine.

He settled on top of her, panting and moaning. She ran her hands along his muscled back, felt his heart pounding.
For her, for them.

He lifted his head, smiled at her,
then
pressed a kiss to her lips. Rolling off her, he pulled her to him so her back rested against his torso. Perfect.

Her eyelids lazily slipped shut. Satisfied and exhausted, she fell into a blissful sleep.

* * * * *

The sun still blazed bright when she woke in Jake’s arms a while later. Although she faced away from him, she instinctively knew he lay awake beside her. “What time is it?”

He slid his hand softly along her bare hip.
“A little after five.”

“What are you thinking?” She stiffened at his sharp intake of breath.

“I don’t want you to leave, Paige.”

She couldn’t look at him. “I have a life in New York.
A job, an apartment.”
That sounded pretty lame even to her ears.

“How do you feel about extending your stay?
Maybe another week?”
He kissed the side of her neck, below her ear. The tenderness of the gesture sent a shiver shimmying up her spine. Jake was a man she could fall for, hard.

The longer she stayed the more difficult it would be to leave, but she didn’t want to say goodbye to him. Not now. “I think I can swing a few more days.”

“A week,” he insisted.

She could finagle a few more vacation days from her boss. She had tons of them on the book since she hardly ever took any personal time. “Okay.
A week.”
A shiver of excitement danced over her skin.

“You know, with us in business together, you really ought to come down here on a regular basis, keep your hand in it, learn the ropes. That’s probably some sort of tax deduction, right?”

She had to smile at his not-so-veiled attempt at coaxing her to commit to visiting. “You’re absolutely right. I should.”

His serene sigh as he settled against her back assured her that he truly wanted her here.

Yeah. She’d be back.
Real soon.

Epilogue

Four Months Later…

Paige hurried across the Gainesville Airport toward baggage claim, but her luggage was the farthest thing from her mind. She’d missed Jake terribly since last month’s visit. When she spotted his tan cowboy hat and the bouquet of carnations, she took off running toward him. Her heart pounded with anticipation.

Jake caught her in his arms and spun her around. “Whoa. Your flowers are probably all crushed now.” He kissed her, long and slow.

How she’d missed his taste and his strong embrace. She’d craved his smell, like pine trees and fresh cut grass. She drank him in. Desire immediately washed over her. “I can’t wait to get back to Ocala, to the ranch.” She waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

His face lit up with laughter—and lust. “
Me
too, baby. Let’s find your suitcase and hit the road. I’ll do my best to keep the truck under a hundred on the highway.”

They left the terminal hand in hand. He carried her bag to his pickup and told her about all the changes he’d made to the ranch since her last trip. Paige listened intently, saved her news for later. Once they started on the road, she decided the time had come.

She set her hand over her heart to calm herself. “I had an offer on my condo.”

He glanced at her and the big smile on his face assured her he’d meant what he’d said about wanting her to stay on permanently.
“And?”

“I accepted it. We close in three weeks. I should be able to wrap everything up there by the end of the month.” She still couldn’t believe it was actually happening. She was about to make the biggest move of her life. Her mother and her friends had called her crazy for wanting to give up her life in New York, but then, they’d never met Jake. They’d never seen the ranch or smelled the sweetness of fresh orange blossoms. For the first time in her life, she didn’t care what anyone said. She planned to make a decision based purely on her emotions.

His eyes widened. Without a word, he took the next exit off the Interstate. They passed a stone sign that read,
Payne’s Prairie State Preserve
.

What did he have up his sleeve? And why the silence since she’d told him her news? Had he changed his mind about her moving here? Her throat suddenly constricted. She wanted to be with him full time more than anything and he’d expressed the same hope. Everything she knew about the man told her he meant what he said, always. She licked her lips and glanced across the cab at Jake. “Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.” He turned off the main road onto an unpaved path, drove a quarter mile or so into the thick brush then stopped. Shutting off the motor, he faced her. “Does this mean you’ll finally come to stay?”

Emotion stole her voice. She could only manage a nod.

Jake unsnapped her seat belt, pulled her onto his lap. “I’ve been waiting for this for so long.” He covered her mouth with his, swirled his tongue around hers. His calloused hands skimmed under the back of her blouse creating the most delicious friction. Desire unfurled inside her. And something else, that feeling of being home, more comfortable than she’d ever been.