Seduction's Dance (McKingley Series) (14 page)

“God, he’s a pain in the ass.” Shannon nodded. “Not letting us do anything. Ordering us around to rest.”

“Bullying us if we think of doing anything he deems not acceptable for our recovery.” Carmen glared at her. “It’s all your fault I’m here. You shouldn’t have told him my family was out of town and I didn’t have anyone to take care of me.”

“He asked what you would do when you went to your apartment.” Shannon scowled. “I didn’t know my telling the truth would result in this. I really would rather be sleeping with Dimitri.”

“I’d rather be sleeping with James. Or maybe Tarak. I can’t decide which one I prefer.” Carmen smacked her lips. “Maybe a sandwich with me in the middle.”

“I don’t want to hear it,” Shannon warned.

“You’re the one who woke me up.” Carmen harrumphed. “Shut up so I can sleep.”

“You’d have better luck with Tarak. Maybe. James is…” She trailed off, trying to figure out a good word to describe James.

“Strange. Hell, the whole town knows that already. But there is something about him.” Carmen pursed her lips. “And Tarak is just…”

Shannon waited for her to continue, but Carmen started to snore softly. She sat up, opened the bedside table to retrieve an item then slid out of the bed. In the hall, she went left in search of the man who kept putting Carmen in bed with her and sleeping elsewhere. She knew he did it because he was concerned of hurting her while she slept. No matter how often she told him she was fine, he wouldn’t listen. Since she was still working on the other rooms of the house, only one of the guestrooms was habitable. Shannon pushed open the door then stood in the doorway, looking at Dimitri who was sprawled in the center of the bed. The moonlight bathed him in a soft glow, letting her clearly see his masculine features and broad chest. Shannon closed and locked the door behind her then walked to the end of the bed and yanked the covers off. Dimitri jerked awake, startled.

“Shannon, do you—”

She crawled up the bed and cupped his erection. Dimitri’s eyes widened and he shook his head.

“I’m not broken.” Shannon opened her mouth and sucked in his cock.

Dimitri shuddered then groaned. She suckled his member greedily, enjoying the sweet taste of him. He touched her hair, but he didn’t grab on as he usually would. Frustrated, Shannon swirled her tongue over the head of his cock then pulled back. She slid the condom from her nightstand on his straining member then rose over him. She held his cock and lowered herself onto his erection. Dimitri’s fingers flexed on her hips, but again he was gentle.

“Stop holding back,” Shannon growled.

“You were hurt.” Dimitri looked at her.

“Were. I’m fine now.” Shannon lifted up then slid down.

Shannon moved, rocking on him. She squeezed tight on his erection and finally Dimitri broke. He gripped her ass, turning her under him then plowed into her in fast demanding thrusts. Shannon moaned, taking him in and rotating her hips. She held his ass, pulling him into her. They gasped as they came together.

“Shannon,” Dimitri grunted as he came.

Shannon quivered, clenching and coming with him. Dimitri’s harsh breaths sounded in her ear. Shannon kissed the side of his neck.

“If you ask me to marry you, I’ll say yes,” Shannon stated.

Dimitri stiffened then turned to meet her gaze. Shannon didn’t expect a proposal, but she wanted to let him know where she stood, just as she had when they’d started getting involved.

“But when we get married, I won’t have a big wedding. You have to tell your mother that.” Shannon closed her eyes.

Dimitri moved off her then cuddled into her. “I will.”

It wasn’t a proposal, but she already knew it would be coming.

* * * *

Shannon glanced at Dimitri at the aisle surrounded by flowers for the wedding. He looked so dapper standing beside his brothers in his suit. She couldn’t wait to muss him up. Dimitri was watching her with a grin on his face. He winked then turned his attention to the minister. Shannon relaxed in the family section on the bride’s side.

Katiya and Warwick looked like they were part of a fairytale as they took their vows. This event was a big splashy affair and his mother was in her glory. Mama Wright was having a ball planning the wedding for all her children. Shannon glanced at Tarak who was to Dimitri’s left then amended the thought. Well almost all. She had her sights set on pairing Tarak off too. Shannon peeked at James sitting on her left then Jackson as well and wondered if she should warn them that Mama Wright had plans for them too. She decided she wouldn’t—let them deal with the matchmaking mama on their own. That would pay them back for laughing at her.

Shannon glanced down at her hand, still not used to seeing the engagement ring on her finger. The ring was the reason they laughed at her—she kept playing with the ring without knowing it, and the men took joy in pointing it out to her. Hell, it was Dimitri’s fault, since he’d started it. Two months after she’d said she’d say yes, he’d proposed. They’d been engaged a month already, but it was still new to her.

Shannon focused back on the proceedings in front of her. When they’d announced their engagement, Dimitri’s mother hadn’t been surprised and hadn’t tried to take over or get her to have a big weeding. Shannon suspected that Deyon had something to do with that. Since Leo’s engagement, Mama Wright had calmed a bit in her wedding fervor for them. Instead, she’d turned her attention to hoping the rest of what she felt was her family would get married. Heck, Shannon had heard people in McKingley thought it was an epidemic that was spreading to the single people in town. They would have to wait and see if it was.

Shannon studied Dimitri again. For herself, she didn’t mind one bit being engaged. She clenched her legs together remembering Dimitri’s promise before he left her to go take part in his sister’s wedding—they had plans to ditch the reception early and go home. She was thinking they could forgo the reception and go home to bed. Now she’d just have convince Dimitri. That, she knew, wouldn’t take too much effort.

“I now pronounce you man and wife,” the minister said. “You may now kiss the bride.”

Shannon stood with the rest of the church and cheered as Warwick kissed Katiya, his bride. Shannon’s gaze locked with Dimitri’s and she imagined all the years they would be together in a seduction’s dance.

Also available from Totally Bound Publishing:

McKingley: Risky Pleasures

McKenna Jeffries and Aliyah Burke

Excerpt

Chapter One

Delicia Wright kept her breathing even as she pounded along the trail. The early spring air helped her stay cool and, given the low humidity in New Mexico, the sweat dried almost immediately. A swift glance to the watch on her right wrist told her she was on pace with her self-imposed time.

Seven more miles to go.
Come on, we can do this
, she gave herself the usual pep talk. The upbeat music of The Black Eyed Peas played in her ears as she continued the remainder of her fifteen mile run. She could feel her body begin to tremble with exhaustion.

Suck it up, Delicia. If you wanted easy, we wouldn’t be training for a triathlon
.

She lost herself in the rhythmic feel of her feet stomping along the hard-packed dirt trail. Tired, hot and sweating, she checked her time when she reached the end of her run. Hands on her hips, she walked herself around to cool her body down. This was her year to do better. She’d trained harder than ever before, going farther than the actual triathlon would be.

It was three months away.
And I’m ready
. A satisfied smile turned up her lips as she moved to her bike. She entered the combination before unfastening the cable from where it secured her bike to the tree then stowed it before slowly straddling the bicycle. Delicia fastened her helmet and sighed. She pulled her water bottle from the back of her jersey, drank some then placed the container on the bike.

“Time to get home for a shower. And some food.”

She removed one ear bud to hear traffic. Foot on the pedal, she pressed on it and looked up when a large truck drove by, then backed up to turn in the entrance to the pull off for the trailhead. She stared at the vehicle when it pulled before her. A white quad cab Dodge Dually.
Shit!

The passenger window lowered and she found herself staring at a man who’d always made her feel like a babbling idiot. Archer Bennett. Country music poured from the cab and she fought off a shiver when he dipped his head to the side, exposing those damnable indigo eyes of his from behind his dark brown hair. Not black like a lot of people thought—it was just very dark brown.

Delicia hadn’t any clue why he affected her this way. It was just how it was.

“Mornin’, Delicia,” he said, in that unhurried way of his which never failed to make her toes curl and skin tingle.

Dah-lish-a
was how it sounded—damn near X-rated coming from his mouth. Almost everyone else called her Lis. Not him. The rare times they ran into each other and he would speak to her, it was Delicia.

“Archer,” she replied.

He remained silent while his gaze travelled over her sweaty body. Before she knew what had happened, he stood before her. Six feet tall, hard muscular body, dark brown hair and those blue eyes. His torn jeans moulded to his legs and he wore a white shirt, which only amplified his tanned skin and the strength of his upper body.

“Come on,” he uttered.

She stared at his hand. Long, strong fingers, short, square nails. Swallowing, she looked back up at him.

“What?”

“You look like you’re about to fall over. I’m giving you a ride home. Now either get off the bike or I’ll remove you from it.”

A thousand things ran through her mind to say. She should protest. She should stay on the bike just to have him put his hands upon her. But she didn’t. With a nod, she got off the bicycle and removed her helmet. Archer stepped forward, effortlessly lifted it and carefully placed it in the bed of his truck. Then he took the helmet and dropped it in there as well.

“Get in,” he said, without looking back at her.

Delicia didn’t move, just stared at the way he filled out his jeans. Her core temperature skyrocketed. Heart pounding even faster than before, she licked her lips and barely stopped herself from stepping closer and touching him—just to see if he was truly as hard as he looked.

He looked over his shoulder at her and in the depths of his eyes she saw a sparkle.
It’s like he knows I was checking him out
. Archer turned completely and leaned against the side of his truck, crossing his arms. A move which highlighted the strength in them.

“Something on your mind, Delicia?”

Hell yeah. A lot. Like you n’ me doing the horizontal mambo right here. Or even in the back of your truck.

She shrugged and shook her head. “Nope.” Swallowing her fear she asked, “Should there be?”

A flame flickered in his eyes before he sent her a slow, sensual grin. “Could be. Come on, I have to get to work.”

A sharp retort was on the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed it back. She truly was exhausted and appreciated the ride. He held the front door for her and she walked towards him.

“Thank you,” she said, slipping past him and onto the leather seat.

“My pleasure.” His murmured reply followed her in.

Archer closed the door and was soon positioned behind the wheel. She buckled herself in while he did the same and smoothly shifted into gear to get them back on the road towards McKingley.

A few miles passed in silence and Delicia spent the time wishing she weren’t damp with sweat, and that she had the ability to talk to him without sounding like a total moron. It didn’t make sense—she never seemed to have this issue with any other man. Richer men than Archer. Men in top of the line suits. Cover model types, it didn’t matter. But along came Archer in his torn jeans, grease-smeared shirt, hiking boots and baseball cap, and suddenly she couldn’t say more than four words without sounding like an idiot.

Archer Bennett was the owner of the largest towing company in McKingley—Bennett’s Towing. It was also an auto shop. He had been working there since forever and had been driving a tow truck since he was sixteen. When he turned twenty-four—four years ago—his father had retired and he’d taken over. She couldn’t help but be impressed by the way he’d worked so damn hard for what he’d accomplished.

Archer Bennett was a frequent visitor to her dreams, but Delicia hadn’t ever told anyone. She was three years younger than him and he’d been someone she’d admired from afar. When she’d gone to school functions, he hadn’t been able to attend because he’d gone home to work. She took a deep breath and fought the urge to squirm as the scent of Archer filled her nose.

“Delicia?” Archer’s warm, silvery voice broke into her wandering thoughts.

“Huh?”
Yep. Did I say I sound like an idiot around this man?

“I asked if you were going to your house or wanted me to drop you off somewhere else.”

“Umm. Let’s go home.” Heat flared up her cheeks. “The house. I mean, take me to my house.”

“Your house it is,” he uttered.

Delicia looked out of the window and prayed her embarrassment would fade.
What is it about him?
After a few more miles with only the music as a buffer against the quiet between them, she glanced at him. Her heart pounded harder and she felt a bit short of breath.

His left hand was on the wheel, his arm against the door. His right hand rested upon his leg while his bow-shaped lips moved as he sang quietly along with the music. Brown hair hung around his chiselled features giving him a rakish look. He had long curled lashes, then there were his eyes. Indigo. A vibrant, deep indigo.