Sugar Creek (19 page)

At this, he blew out a long breath. Apparently, she was going to make him say it, straight out. “All right then, Farris—sure. The fact that I might want to get with you again could have something to do with me inviting you.” Then he shook his head and redirected his attention to the road unfurling before them. “Damn—most girls would be happy to hear they were appreciated for their minds and not just their bodies. But not you.” He didn’t get that about her, yet it reminded him once more that she really
was
a city girl, through and through—with a whole different way of looking at life.

“I like to be appreciated for both, thank you.”

“Fine—you are. I can’t wait to get under your dress. Happy now?”

“Well, not exactly.” She suddenly looked a little unsettled. “Because we, uh, can’t have any more sex.”

His jaw dropped as he stared down at her. Before his eyes narrowed. He spoke slowly. “Then why the hell are you…?”

“What?”

“Looking at me all hot and sexy, and baiting me, making me say I want you?” He arched an accusing brow at her. “You’re a lot of things, Farris, but you’re not a tease.”

In response, she actually looked a little surprised—maybe at herself. “You’re right, I’m not. But…” Then she let out a huff. “It’s like this, Romo. I came back here
to pick apples and spend time with Edna—not get mired in some small town affair that’ll have every tongue on the town square wagging. Once was…well, okay, it was undeniably hot. And what happened on the couch was…distraction or something, like you said. But that’s where it has to end. I escaped this place once and never looked back. Now that I’m here…well, I’m just doing my time until I can leave again.”

Huh. Well, Mike could read between the lines easily enough. When all was said and done, she still thought she was too good for Destiny and the people in it. Maybe somewhere along the way, maybe at the park that day, he’d thought he’d seen that changing. But clearly he’d been wrong. “Just one question, Farris. If you’re so ready for this to be over, then why are you
still
sitting there looking all sexy and wanting?”

“I’m not!” she claimed, clearly trying to appear incensed—but the sexy, wanting part still shone through. “And I don’t. Feel that way, I mean.”

“Liar,” he said softly, eyes back on the road.

“Not,” she argued quietly, simply.

And Mike let it go. But he didn’t believe her for a second. And it pissed him off. All of it.

Hell, there for a minute or two he’d truly thought…well, that there might be something between them. Something…real. And something even…kind of dangerous for him, because he didn’t let himself care for people easily.

So maybe it was best to find out Rachel was still…Rachel. Still looking down her nose at this town—and was she even looking down on him a little, too? He didn’t want to believe that last part, so he decided, for the moment, to give her the benefit of the doubt on that one.

Yet as Mike drove on…aw hell. Despite himself, he was actually getting harder. In his pants. Was it possible that arguing with Rachel Farris had actually in
creased his erection? Shit—what was
that
about? From the start, nothing about his reaction to this woman had made sense.

In fact, he was beginning to feel tense now, impatient. Not just in a lusty way, but…maybe he wanted to prove she was lying, that she still wanted
him
as much as
he
wanted
her
. His chest burned with anticipation, and his hands felt itchy—like they should be doing something besides driving. So without much thought, he indulged the urge to lower one to her leg, through her dress.

He waited for her to object, or push it away, but instead, she just drew in her breath, audibly—and it gave him some encouragement.

Enough that he didn’t hesitate to reach down, find her knee beneath the flowered fabric, and slide his palm higher, halfway up her smooth thigh.

“Jesus, Romo, what are you doing?” She sounded breathy, at once defiant and excited—par for the course with Rachel.

He didn’t bother answering, but her question did bring up some realistic concerns. The concession stand had been one thing. He’d thought they were completely alone there. And they hadn’t been out in the bright light of day. And there hadn’t been a party full of people expecting them just a couple of miles farther down the road.

But he’d reached that point—quickly—where his cock was overriding his brain. Which never happened to him. Except with Rachel. Before
her
, he’d indulged his sexual needs frequently—yet also with some
sense
, some common reverence. Right now, though, his needs felt
insistent
. Like they had to be met. And he knew, in his gut, she wouldn’t have the strength to say no.

Although part of him hated this—hated feeling he’d abandoned his better judgment, hated that he was looking past how arrogant and superior she could be. At a moment like this, he felt like he had no control at all. Because he
was stroking her inner thigh with his fingertips, turning her breath thready next to him, and his erection felt impossibly huge, like it would burst his zipper.

And then he was…homing in on Carl Dobbins’ barn up ahead, to one side of the road, the big doors wide open today—but there was no sign of anyone in the surrounding hay fields other than a few grazing cows, and no trucks or tractors or other signs of people around.

And then he was putting on his turn signal.

And pulling off onto the dirt wagon trail.

And…easing the Caddy right into the barn.

And he was hating himself for his weakness. But it was a hate laced with the most wild, intense need he’d ever suffered. He couldn’t get the car into park fast enough.

“Wh-what are you doing?” she murmured again.

She sounded understandably confused, and when he looked down at her, now in the shade with bits of shadow playing about her face, for some reason, he saw something new in her eyes, something he’d never seen before. Vulnerability. And he realized he was right, there
was
more to her—even if she didn’t know he could see it.

“Proving you won’t turn me down,” he said, the urgency hitting him full force now that the decision had been made. “’Cause I gotta have you, honey.”

And with that, he reached under the wide front seat to move it back slightly, then reached for her, planting his hands on her hips and lifting her over into his lap until she was straddling him, just like in the concession stand.

She sucked in her breath at the contact, and their eyes met, and it was that easy—she wasn’t saying no.

“Um, Mike…” she murmured instead. Her voice came all feathery and soft, like always when she was aroused—but she was looking around the barn. Fresh hay billowed from the lofts above, the pungent sweet scent permeating the air, and empty stalls and farm implements surrounded them on the earthen floor. Without
the sun, the air was slightly cooler, but that was good since he was already too hot. “Isn’t this illegal or something?”

Christ—she had to pick
now
to start worrying about the law? He lowered his hands to her ass, pressing her very center against his raging hard-on. They both let out long, low moans at the connection, and as a fresh heat stretched all through him, he growled an answer. “Yes, damn it. It’s trespassing.”

“Oh,” she murmured, her breath going beautifully ragged as they began to move together, grinding.

Heat spread outward from his groin, and it felt so good he went a little lightheaded. Then a hot groan echoed from his throat as he massaged her round bottom and began nibbling at her breast through her dress and bra.

“You’re…actually breaking the law?” she asked, still all breathy and sexy. She obviously understood that he just didn’t do that. Until now.

“Looks that way,” he said, not wanting to be reminded. He couldn’t think clearly—right now he just needed to feel her where she was warm and wet.

Gathering the dress in his fists until he got underneath, he found lace—and let his fingers drift over it, between her legs. Her head dropped back in pleasure, and she purred, “Ohhhh,” fueling him all the more. As if he needed to be fueled.

Using his other hand, he curled his fingers around the lace and pulled it aside, then slid his touch right back where it had just been. Only now he found what he’d been seeking. Warmth. Moisture.
Awww
…

“Just…when you think…you know somebody…” she murmured, moving against his fingertips.

Christ—she was still talking about this?

He quit being so irritated, though, when she finally reached down to start working at his jeans. A few seconds later, his erection sprung free, into her hand, and she
peered down at it, looking as completely enraptured as he wanted her to be.

“I just have to ask…” she began then in a whisper.

Damn it, what now? Yet then she squeezed, beginning to massage him in her fist, in the same rhythm he used to stroke between her legs, and he couldn’t hold in his groan.
God, yes.

“Since when you do break the law?” she rasped. “What the hell’s gotten into you, Officer Romeo?”

Jesus—they had to discuss it
now? Really?

“
You, damn it
,” he bit off sharply, meeting her gaze. “For God’s sake, woman, you make me crazy.”

Then he positioned her the way he wanted her, pressed her hips firmly downward, and suffered an almost brutal pleasure as she sheathed his painfully hard cock. The deep groan echoing through the barn came all the way from his gut.

Pure bliss was his.
Finally
. Not that it had been so long since he’d been like this with her—a couple of weeks ago. But it felt a hell of a lot longer.

Sweet sounds of utter abandon erupted from her lips, as well, which drew his eyes there again, and made him kiss her. She kissed him back, and he pressed his tongue into her mouth.

A powerful pleasure swirled through Mike’s body as he thrust up into her, pleased that he’d finally shut her up. Even when they stopped kissing, she didn’t resume talking, but simply gazed down at him, her eyes brimming with heat.

Yeah, this was more like it. No more talk about lawbreaking or not having sex, no more clothes between their bodies. At least not where it counted the most. He molded her breasts in his hands even though he couldn’t get to them completely, and when he felt her nipples through the layers of fabric, he leaned in to bite gently. “Ohhhh…” she moaned, and the sensual sound permeated him.

Within moments, Mike forgot all about where they were or where they were supposed to be going. There was only Rachel’s soft flesh, taking him to heaven. There was only Rachel herself, driving him as crazy as ever—if it wasn’t with her smart mouth, it was with her perfect body. Damn, seemed he couldn’t find a moment’s peace with this woman one way or the other. But he must not have minded too much, or he wouldn’t be here with her right now.

Soon, Rachel’s sobs of pleasure grew more urgent, and then quick, choppy—and Mike knew she would come soon. And hell, he loved that. In a way he’d never loved it with a woman before. It just excited him more, moved him more, than he could even make sense of.

He never planned to whisper to her, but it just came out. “I want to make you come, honey. I want to make you come
so
hard.”

“Ohhhh,” she moaned wildly again, arching against him—and then, “Oh, oh, God—yes.” After which he witnessed her toppling over the edge of ecstasy, her head falling back once more, her moans actually quieter now but more guttural, coming from someplace deep.

He tried his damnedest not to explode until she was done—he didn’t want to decrease her pleasure in any way—but he was on the edge, too. This was different than in the concession stand—when he’d retained at least a
little
control over the sex itself, when he’d been able to go slowly, make her come twice. This was…this was eating him alive.

“Oh, Mike, that was nice,” she practically purred, smiling gently, suddenly the sweet, sexy Rachel he’d seen only glimpses of.

But damn it, he couldn’t savor it. Because—“Shit, honey, I can’t stop,” he managed between clenched teeth. And then…it was as if the old metaphor of fireworks was real. As he pumped up into her, he shut his eyes and saw different colors, the pleasure pummeling him,
owning him, forcing his erection deep into her warmth again and again, almost of its own volition.

When it was done, he felt more spent than ever in his life. Police academy had been easier on his body than this. He simply slumped back into the seat with Rachel still atop him. He wasn’t one of those guys who usually fell asleep after sex, but he suddenly understood the urge since it threatened now—a sexual exhaustion so complete he’d never experienced anything like it.

A moment later, Rachel’s warm breath came on his ear. “Mike?”

He had just enough strength to muster a response. “Hmm?”

“Okay, just checking. There for a minute I was afraid maybe I killed you.”

Her typical arrogant humor—which matched his own, he supposed—was enough to bring him back to life, squeeze a grin from him. Then he opened his eyes. “You’re damn good, Farris,” he said teasingly, “but not
that
good.”

Wow. She’d tried. She really had. She’d tried her damnedest to get back that part of herself she feared she was losing here—but now she was afraid she’d just lost it a little more. His mere touch had simply been too powerful.

“So, what now?” she asked, seated beside him again in the car, her underwear back in place.

“Uh, we go to Grandma Romo’s party,” he said, zipping up.

She blinked. “Just like that?”

“Just like what?”

“Well, aren’t you going to give me a hard time, shove it down my throat about how easy I gave in right after I told you we couldn’t do that?” She wouldn’t even blame him, in fact. Resistance had been beyond futile.

Yet when Mike lifted his gaze to meet hers, she was
surprised at how calm, even somber, he looked. “No,” he said quietly. “But it would be nice if I knew you didn’t…think you’re maybe a little too good for me.”