Amy hadn't been horseback riding since before the divorce, but her body remembered how and she closed her eyes, tipping her face toward the sun. Leather reins were soft against her palms and the gentle sway of the gelding under her was hypnotic. She breathed in the scent of summer grass and soil, smiling while hooves clomped the earth.She should be worried about the giddy sensation in her belly, but whatever. Nakos had given her an orgasm last night. If she never had another, she'd carry the memory of that one for two lifetimes. Even better was the pleasure she'd given him. She wasn't sure if it was because she'd been with Nakos or that she'd been coming down off a high, but nothing in her experiences had been so right. No nerves or doubt. They'd been in sync. Watching his reaction had cemented something in her mind, what he'd been trying to tell her for a couple weeks. He wanted her. Not because Olivia was taken or out of some errant surge of restlessness, but because he genuinely
Sure enough, Nakos looked up, shielding the glare from his eyes with his hand. Rivulets of water trailed over his sun-kissed skin like some naughty version of a Coppertone ad. A beat later, he nodded and turned to Olivia."He smiles when you walk into view. Every time. And I don't need to be a mind-reader to pick the thoughts from his head. He's got some dirty fantasies going on in there. It's a guy thing."She huffed a laugh, but her heart pounded and her skin heated. The longer Nate's words hovered between them, the deeper they sank. Her belly clenched at the possibilities. Perhaps because Nate had no vested interest made it easier to believe him. Or maybe since he had started as an outside party to their unit gave his opinion more merit. Credence. Whatever the reason, happy was shoving doubt aside. The biggest issue lingered in the fringes of her mind, though. Of all the crap she'd been through, all the horrible things said and done, Nakos leaving her would be her breaking point
Nakos waited a beat until the shock eased out of her expression and for desire to replace it. Cheeks flushed and respirations nonexistent, she stared at him. Good. She had zero comprehension how hard it had been to keep his hands off her this week. And for her to imply this was all a game to him ticked him off to the point of no return. Some day, some how, he was going to get through to her. He'd probably end up in a padded cell for his efforts, but she was worth every blatant head bashing he was bound to inflict.Reminding himself undoing thirty years of damage didn't happen overnight, he set her back on her feet. She slid down his body, rubbing against him and upping his need to critical."Come take a shower with me?" They'd both been working all day. Besides, undressing her was a fantasy he couldn't eradicate. Getting her wet, in more ways than one, had him thickening with the visual. "Please," he growled."Okay." A breathy whisper. Several blinks. "Now, you mean?"In answer,
His crown was immersed in hot, wet suction and his eyes flew open. She took him deeper into her mouth, fisting his base, and he couldn't drag air into his lungs. Tongue swirling, lapping. Cheeks hollowing. Hand pumping. He groaned from a place so deep in his gut his ribs rattled.Her name shoved from his lips in a hoarse, long-winded exhale. "So good, anim." He wanted his hands in her hair, needed to thrust, but he curled his fingers on the tile and locked his legs instead. She never paused or slowed, but when she hummed around his shaft, he lost it. Sensation after sensation flew at him, through him. Blinding heat. Raw desperation. Tension coiled in his back and surged up his spine."I'm there." His brows pinched as his mouth opened wide. "Amy, I'm..."Erupting. From the inside out.He popped from her mouth, but her hand continued stroking. Tight around his length. Over his head. Back down. The fingers of her other hand massaged his balls, tugged, and he jerked, shuddering as wa
At the kitchen sink, Amy rinsed vegetables for tonight's stir-fry and gazed out the window at Nakos's yard while he showered upstairs. Wild and untamed, prairie grass glinted off the sun's rays and swayed with a breeze. Nothing but what seemed like miles of open land with the Laramie Mountains in the vast distance against a cobalt sky.Since it was the weekend, he'd only been up at the ranch to check on things and tend to the horses. They had the rest of the day to themselves, and anticipation swirled in her belly. Nerves, too.She recalled her conversation with Nate by the creek, had taken it to heart, and she'd been trying to let go of the past. He'd been right to call her out and lay an emotional gauntlet at her feet. At some point, she had to accept where fate was leading her. Little by little, she attempted to relax and go with the flow. See what happened. Open up. Nakos deserved that much. So hard, she wanted to believe she deserved a chance at happiness also.Heat blasted her
He rose to stand beside the bed and she chanced a quick peek around to calm her nerves. His room was only slightly larger than hers, but the walls were a deep forest green and the furniture a walnut sleigh design. What looked like a dreamcatcher hung over the queen-sized bed. She hadn't realized he had a balcony facing south, and sunlight streamed in, filling the room with natural light. No chance of her hiding her flaws in the dark, that was for sure. The space was warm and masculine like him, with two mountain scenes above the dresser that...she'd taken. "I look at them every night before I go to sleep."Her gaze shot to his, her heart turning over in her chest. "Why?""Because you took them. And if that's not enough reason, they settle me." With his dark gaze on hers, he unbuttoned his jeans. The zipper came next, and then he shoved the material to his thighs. A couple quick maneuvers, and the pants hit the floor. She swallowed thickly, keeping her eyes on his face. Though she
Nakos had either died or he'd been shot with an elephant tranquilizer. Hihcebe, she'd slayed him. Without mercy. Helluva way to go, though. Face buried in Amy's strands, breaths soughing, he held the side of her face. A part of him was worried she'd evaporate. Sex had never been like that for him. Ever. The connection? The link? The unprecedented amount of pleasure? Nothing like it.He was probably crushing her, but he couldn't move. Sheer annihilation. Mind and body. Spirit, too. And he wanted to do it again. As soon as he recovered. Which would most likely be a decade from now.Her light perfume infused his nose, latched onto his skin, and invaded his lungs. The thump, thump of her heartbeat synced with his until he couldn't differentiate one from the other. Their warmth mingled, and she seemed to absorb his as much as he did hers. It was as if his every inhalation came from her, each tremble and moan out of her a direct current through his system. There was no him. No her. Onl
Gently, he slid his hand up and tilted her head back, exposing her throat and making her position even more vulnerable to him. "Who are you with right now?" Because he could've sworn when he'd first thrust into her, it wasn't him. "You," she breathed. "I'm with you."Warmth pushed out the cold, and he pulsed inside her. "Say my name, bixooxu.""Nakos." A moan. A plea. "Please, Nakos." She arched, throwing her head farther back against his shoulder and nudging him deeper inside her soft, willing body.Yes. Mercy, yes. He palmed her breast, kneading, and rolled his hips. "Again. Say my name again."A strangled sound rumbled through her, into him. "Nakos." Her husky voice was riddled with tenuous tension. "Nakos, Nakos, Nakos," she chanted.To reward heror pacify himselfhe eased out of her so slowly dots spotted his peripheral. Then, he drove home. Hard. Fast. Her soft, giving flesh cushioned him, cradled every inch of his shaft like a caress. His lungs emptied and his throat bur
In the main house's kitchen, Amy flipped through the pictures she took last week, Olivia next to her at the island looking on. They had plans to take a ride up to Blind Man's Bluff as soon as Nakos was finished with the horses. It was a gorgeous Saturday, the sun bright and warm, and Amy was looking forward to enjoying it. The past couple weeks had been rough between the trips to Casper for pre-trial hearings and retelling the rape to a bunch of strangers. But her friends had been beside her the whole time, a silent show of support.Aunt Mae set her tea on the table where she'd been watching them. "So, Clint took the plea bargain.""Yeah." Amy put the photos back in the envelope. "The district attorney called yesterday. I'm shocked, actually." There was no physical evidence to credit her accusations against her uncle. They'd both taken lie detector tests, which wouldn't hold up in court, but it had given authorities something to go on. She'd passed. Her uncle had failed. And when
He was about to beg her to shut up until sunrise, just a few measly hours to give his shattered heart a reprieve, but she opened her mouth first. "Will you go with me to the police station tomorrow?" Stunned stupid, he stared unblinking."To give an official statement so they can hold my uncle on charges. Nate said he'd be there the whole time, but I want you with me, too. Please?""Yes." Was she kidding? "Of course, I'll go with you." He always knew she was brave, fearless, but he'd underestimated her level of courage. And damn, he was buying the whole auto lot out of motorcycles for Nate. Seriously, no lie. "I'm debating whether we should have us surgically joined. It might be my only peace of mind."She laughed, and nothing sounded sweeter. "How about I promise to love you forever instead? Less awkward than going under the knife and we wouldn't have to get insurance involved."In answer, he sealed his lips to hers, sank deep with a slow glide until he was under the influence
With violently shaking hands, Nakos held the gorgeous face he feared he'd never see again and kissed her with all the pent up, avid torment he'd had gutting him for hours. When that wasn't enough, he kissed her eyes, her forehead, her cheeks, and pressed against her, trapping her to the door."Hihcebe, I was scared to death." Unimaginable things had scowered his mind. All the scenarios she might've been in. Or done. After revealing such a horrible memory, he had no clue where her head was at, what she might do in the wake. His ribcage had been pried open by steel claws and his insides shredded until there was nothing left. For. Hours. "Scared to goddamn death, anim."He'd barked orders at the men. Had ridden on horseback to every place he could conceive she may have gone. Stood helpless in the rain, searching, searching. Each second had been an eternity. And then Nate had radioed she was all right. But Nakos hadn't seen with his own eyes, touched with his own hands to gain proof. So
He squeezed her fingers. "Victim doesn't equal weak. Regardless of what you decide, remember that much. You are ten times stronger than he is, and he'll never touch you again. You have my word." He suddenly looked a little distressed at her new stream of leaking tears. His eyes widened and his brow furrowed. "Or I could just kill him. Nakos told me once he knew where to hide a body so it'll never be found. Of course, he was threatening me at the time."Laughing, she dropped her head on his shoulder. "I'll think about it. The pressing charges part, not murder.""Open offer."She laughed again, then sighed as they slipped into a comfortable silence. Animals scurried in the night and leaves crackled. She breathed in heavy humidity, the scent of wet grass and fertile soil, feeling calmer. A damp, rain-tinged quality hung in the air, and it had a strangely cleansing effect. Or maybe it was the company."You're a good guy, Nate.""Didn't used to think so, but I'm a work in progress." He
Drenched, shivering, Amy huddled in the corner of Olivia's old tree house and tried to breathe. She hadn't been able to take the emotional assault and just needed to get away. Fast. The frenetic panic had almost been worse than the fear. After Nakos had stalked out of the barn, she'd gone the long way around so no one spotted her and had stumbled onto their old stomping grounds by accident. A brief storm had come through, but the tree house had no roof, thus she'd been caught in the worst of the rain. From her perch on the northern side of the main house, she could barely make out the dim glow of lights since there was enough distance to give the illusion of privacy. The small structure was built high in an oak and was roughly seven feet long at most. Old pine boards were scarred, a tad musty, but sturdy. Branches formed a canopy overhead, stars and a sliver of moonlight peeking through the leaves. She hadn't been in here since she was a kid, had forgotten all about it.It had see
Roaring, he held her head in his shaking hands and slammed his eyes shut. Awful, tormenting visions cut through his mind, sliced like a blade. Shredded. Releasing her, he stumbled back, clutched his stomach.Ragewhite hot, sadistic ragewhipped through him. Lashed. Violent in the intensity, it surged as if summoned by the very bowels of hell. Blood boiled and pressure built in his skull, rammed his temples. Someone, that thing out there, had dared to hurt his Amy. His beautiful, courageous angel. A growl tore his throat, and he pivoted. Stormed out of the barn. A quick glance around, and he found her parents, Kyle, Nate, Olivia, and the soon-to-be dead man in the same spot as moments ago. He was going to kill him. Several times. Limb from goddamn limb, he'd tear him to pieces.Marching up to the group, Nakos zeroed in on the bastard. He had a blip of a second to make out a brown comb-over and fat paunch through a red haze of wrath before he shoved his forearm into the guy's collarb
Leaning against the barn's open carriage doors, Nate crossed his arms. "Things seem to be going well with Amy. Why do you look irritated?"Nakos gave a last pat for Midnight, their three-year-old stallion, and closed the stall. Unsure how to answer, he searched the expanse behind the ex-soldier as if the land might provide answers. A front was rolling in, the sky to the west black with ominous clouds. Static charged the humid air and smelled like rain. They'd called it a day just in time to avoid nature's wrath. Nothing sounded better than sinking into Amy's warm body in front of a fire while a storm raged outside.Except... "She's holding back. From me, from..." He lifted his hand, let it slap his thigh as he dropped it. Frustration pounded his temples. "I don't know. She's stopped fighting me, so there's that. But she's got something in that head of hers keeping her from fully engaging. I wish to hell I knew what. She looks at me like she's gearing her courage to tell me, then cl
It seemed silly to get worked up over something so mundane as his behavior when sick. Yet she could no more control her reaction than she could deny him what he wanted. Here he was, feverish and achy, but he still thought of her. Saying nice things, needing her close. He was half-buried in a mind fog, and his first instincts were to cuddle with her, not bark orders or push her away. It cemented her experiences with him as legit, proving he wasn't only saying or doing what he'd thought he should.They laid in bed all day and evening. In the early afternoon, he'd managed to rouse long enough to eat half a bowl of soup, and sometime around midnight, his fever had broken. He woke up Tuesday morning with the sun, only mildly sluggish for the encounter, and Amy was grateful he was better.On Wednesday, after they were done with work, he wanted to test out the new horse he and Olivia had acquired, and asked Amy to go for a ride. With her on Pirate, a two-year-old gelding, and him on the new
Just before dawn, Amy slipped out of Nakos's bed and snatched her clothes off the floor. She padded across the hall to her room, changed, and headed downstairs to start coffee. He'd wake up soon for work, but she needed a few minutes to herself.The past weekend ping-ponged around in her skull as she measured dark roast and filled a carafe of water. Their lovemaking? It may have started off as sex, two bodies coming together in mutual need, but it hadn't finished that way. He'd taken her like a man who'd come unraveled, and she was the only one holding the frayed end to maintain his sanity. Thenoh, thenafter they'd had dinner, he'd gone slower, worshiping her body like he had something to prove. He'd put the beast back in the cage. Not only had she orgasmed, many times, he'd made the experience all about her. Holding her afterward. Cooing phrases and stroking her hair with endearing tenderness.And telling her he loved her.God, the L-bomb. Her throat seized remembering. She and Oli