Josh Page 16

  “That isn’t at all what I was going to say.” His smile remained, but his eyes narrowed slightly as he gripped her wrist and pressed a kiss to her hand before closing her fingers over the kiss.

  That small, romantic gesture sent heat spiraling through her until her eyes widened. “All right. What were you…?”

  “Maybe I’ll tell you another time. But right this minute, it doesn’t matter. Nothing matters except this.”

  With an urgency that caught them both by surprise he pressed her back against the rough wood and covered her mouth with his in a hot, hungry kiss that had sparks flying instantly between them. There was nothing soft or easy or tender as they came together in a storm of need.

  His tongue found hers, his hot breath filling her mouth as he framed her face with his big hands and continued kissing her until they were both breathless.

  For a moment he lifted his head and simply stared at her in a way that had her heart thundering in her chest. He looked like something wild and primitive and completely untamed. She lifted a hand to his chest to hold him at bay when he started to lower his head.

  He put a hand over hers. “Afraid?”

  “Should I be?”

  “Yeah.” He gave her a smoldering look that had her pulse jerking. “If you want to play, you have to be in the game all the way. I won’t take less.” He dipped his head. “You in?”

  She never even hesitated. “Oh yeah. I’m in.”

  She gave herself up fully to his kiss.

  This time, as his lips moved over hers, the grip on her shoulders loosened, softened, as did the kiss. Almost as if he’d reminded himself that she was small and female and deserved to be treated with tenderness.

  “You taste so damned good.” His lips moved over her face, softly, like a snowflake, nibbling her cheek, her lobe, along her jaw, before returning to tease her lips until they opened for him.

  The kiss slowly began heating again, draining him, then filling him.

  He loved the fact that she gave as eagerly as she took.

  “Josh.” Her fingers curled into the front of his shirt, drawing him closer.

  At that simple movement his hands tangled in her hair, drawing her head back, while his mouth continued to plunder hers.

  At the urgency of his kiss she couldn’t seem to catch her breath. She absorbed the quick jittery charge to her system, and the sudden rush of pure adrenaline as his hard, muscled body imprinted itself on hers.

  “Wait.” She lifted a hand to his face just as he changed the angle of the kiss.

  “Can’t.” It was all he could manage before taking the kiss deeper.

  She could feel her blood heating, pulsing through her veins, throbbing in her temples. Her heartbeat sped up until her breathing was strained and ragged. Her hands gripped his head, her fingers digging into his scalp until she came up for air.

  “I didn’t mean ‘wait.’ I just meant… give me a minute to breathe.”

  “No time. I’m through waiting. I’ll leave the breathing to you.” His eyes were hot and fierce when they met hers. “I need to see you, Sierra. All of you.”

  His strong fingers clutched the hem of her sweater and he tore it from her before tossing it aside. Beneath it he found nude lace that revealed more than it covered. The sight of her nearly staggered him.

  The look in his eyes had her throat going dry as he dipped a finger beneath one slim strap and drew it slowly off her shoulder and down her arm.

  He moved to the other strap and did the same in slow motion, as though tempting himself with the first glimpse of a rare and glorious treasure.

  “Do you know how much I want you?”

  She shivered at the look in his eyes.

  Without a word he unclasped the front hook and released the scrap of lace, tossing it to the floor.

  Moonlight spilled through a crack in the door, bathing her in golden light. She looked like some kind of mythical goddess, with all that blonde hair and pale, flawless skin.

  “You’re even more beautiful than I’d imagined.”

  With his hands gently cupping her breasts he brought his lips down her throat.

  She arched her neck, loving the feel of his mouth on her flesh.

  His mouth moved lower, across her collarbone, then lower still, until his tongue circled one taut nipple.

  She heard a moan, and realized it was her own voice. Low, sultry, and throaty with passion.

  His clever mouth moved from one breast to the other until she clutched blindly at his waist to anchor herself and keep from falling.

  She absorbed the most exquisite pleasure and wondered how much longer her legs could continue to support her before her knees buckled.

  As if reading her mind, he lifted her in his arms and carried her into an empty stall, before shrugging out of his clothes.

  All she could do was stare at that amazing, perfectly sculpted body, the muscles honed by a lifetime of ranch chores. He was so beautiful, he left her breathless.

  Before she could reach a hand to the snap of her denims he moved her hand away.

  There was that sexy smile again, doing strange and wonderful things to her heart.

  “I want to do that.”

  Without another word he knelt and tugged off her boots, then drew off her jeans and the lace bikini underneath.

  When he stood, his narrowed gaze moved over her until his eyes met hers. “Beautiful doesn’t even begin to describe you, Sierra. You’re absolutely stunning.”

  “And you’re—”

  Before she could get the word out his mouth covered hers in a kiss so searing, she could feel the heat from her toes to her scalp. A heat so intense, it had her struggling for breath.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and offered him everything.

  And he took, with a greediness that caught them both by surprise.

  His hands moved over her, stroking, gently caressing, and she responded with soft sighs and hot, wet kisses across his shoulder, his neck, the little hollow of his throat.

  “You’re making me too hot.” He caught her hands, stilling their movements, and began nibbling his way down her body, taking her on a hard, fast ride before she reached the first shocking crest.

  His name was torn from her lips, but he gave her no time to recover as he continued touching her, teasing her, until she could do nothing more than hold on and let him have his way.

  “This is how I dreamed of seeing you. Just this.”

  Without warning he suddenly cupped her hips and dragged her roughly against him. With a growl that was more animal than human he lifted her and drove her back against the side of the stall.

  His mouth covered hers in a savage kiss that spoke of hunger, of need, of blinding, desperate passion. She responded, her hands clutching his shoulders, her nails digging into his flesh as she gave all and urged him to take more.

  “You know there’s no going back now.”

  This dark side of him excited her, causing her voice to catch in her throat. “I’ll go anywhere you lead, Josh. Anywhere.”

  He heard the desire in her voice and it thrilled him.

  And though he’d hoped to take more care with her, there was no way to stop the firestorm of passion that had them in its grip. It was like a long-caged beast struggling to be free.

  He thrust into her and felt her open to him, taking him into all that velvet warmth.

  “Josh. Josh.”

  His name on her lips was the sweetest sound. A part of him wanted to slow down and savor each moment of this glorious journey. But his body refused to obey. He’d already stepped over the line, and there was no denying the needs that were ripping him apart.

  He would have her now. All of her.

  They began to move together, climb together.

  Their breathing was labored, their flesh pearled with sweat as they continued the climb.

  He whispered her name. Or thought he did as he moved with her, straining toward release.

  Now they were beyond words.
Beyond thought. Beyond everything of this world until they broke free and soared.

  As they reached the crest, they exploded into millions of glittering pieces before drifting slowly down to earth.

  “Oh, baby.” Josh pressed his forehead to Sierra’s and continued holding her in his arms while his heartbeat slowed and his world gradually settled. “That was—”

  “—earth-shattering,” she finished for him.

  “More than that. Maybe universe-shattering.” He looked down at her. “You okay?”

  “Umm. Fine.” She managed to lift a hand to his cheek before letting it drop weakly along his arm.

  After a minute she managed to say, “Am I getting heavy?”

  “Hmmm? Oh.” With a grin he lowered her until her feet touched the floor.

  He took hold of a saddle blanket tossed over the rail of the stall. He dropped it onto the clean straw and took her hand before kneeling on the blanket and pulling her down with him.

  “Are you cold?” He ran his hands up and down her arms.

  “You must be kidding.” She looked over at him with a sly smile. “After what we just shared, I’m as hot as the Fourth of July.”

  “Yes, you are.” He chuckled and stretched out on his back before drawing her down beside him. “I thought for a minute we’d both burned to cinders.”

  She lay on her side, her hand on his chest. She could feel the uneven pumping of his heartbeat. It matched her own. “That was… pretty amazing.”

  “You’re amazing.” His fingers played with the ends of her hair. He lifted a strand and watched through narrowed eyes as it sifted like silk before drifting around her face and shoulders.

  At his touch she felt tiny splinters of fire and ice curl along her spine. “Do we have to go back to the house now?”

  “You in a hurry?”

  She heard the warmth of a smile in his voice and looked up at him. “Of course not. But won’t your dad and Phoebe wonder about us if we don’t come back?”

  “Do you think, because I live on my family ranch, that I have to account for my comings and goings?”

  She flushed. “I don’t know. I don’t know what it’s like to live at home, to be surrounded by family. That’s not part of my experience. But when I was at boarding school, there were rules.”

  “When you lived in a boarding school, you were a kid. You’re a grown woman now. And in case you haven’t noticed, I’m a grown man.”

  “Oh, I’ve noticed.”

  He chuckled, low and deep in his throat. “The rules here are work, eat, play. I haven’t been tucked in by anyone since I was seven. And if I want to spend my nights in the barn, or in the guest room with you, no one is going to make either of us feel uncomfortable about the arrangement.”

  “So, you’re telling me that there’s no bed check.”

  “Exactly.” He laughed. “Now—” he gathered her into his arms and kissed her soundly “—if you don’t mind, I’d like to go for seconds. And this time I’d like to take it slow and easy. I’m afraid the first time was more frantic than I’d planned, but a certain sexy little female had me so hot, I nearly burned down the barn.”

  She felt the rumble of his laughter against her throat and thought it the most wonderful feeling in the world. “I didn’t mind that frantic rush, especially since I was as hot as you. But I’d be more than happy to slow things down a bit. And then, if you’re up for it, we could even go for thirds.”

  “Glutton.” He spoke the word inside her mouth as he took the kiss deeper.

  And then there was no need for words as they took each other on a very slow, lazy journey back to paradise.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Sometime during the night Sierra and Josh climbed to the hayloft. Josh had promised that it was the very best place in the world to listen to the sound of rain, and he couldn’t have been more right. So they lay there for hours, talking, laughing, as the soft, warm rain fell from the night sky, washing away the last of the snow.

  Now, after a night of loving, they lay in a lazy tangle of arms and legs, feeling completely sated.

  Cushioned in the straw by the saddle blanket, they were as comfortable as they would have been in a soft feather bed.

  Outside the open door of the hayloft, millions of stars twinkled in the sky. The full moon was a huge golden disk.

  Sierra sat up, playing with the hair on Josh’s chest. “You were right about the rain. It was wonderful to hear. But I’m glad it’s gone now. Look at those stars. They look close enough to touch.”

  Josh lifted a hand to her cheek. “If you’d like some, just say the word. I’d be happy to climb up there and fetch them for you.”

  “That’s so sweet.”

  “Not as sweet as you, Sierra.” He gathered her against his chest and wrapped her in his arms. “This night was special for me.”

  “Me, too.”

  He studied the way she looked, all soft and sleepy, and completely comfortable in her nakedness. “You’re such a contradiction.”

  She arched a brow. “How?”

  “So generous with your love. So relaxed and easy about sex. And yet, you seem surprised that a man might want more from you.”

  “More?” She sat up, her hand going still. “I thought I gave you all you wanted.”

  “You did. Even more than I expected. I’m not talking about sex. I’m talking about feelings.”

  “I told you. I don’t equate sex with commitment.”

  He smiled. “There’s that word again. You seem fixated on commitment.”

  She folded her arms in front of her. “I’m not fixated. But I’m well aware that men don’t—”

  He touched a finger to her lips. “I’m not men. I’m one man.”

  “All right.” She pushed a little away, so that they weren’t touching. “Then let me say this clearly. I don’t expect you to feel you owe me anything because of what we shared tonight. It was lovely.”

  “Lovely? Is that the best you can come up with? I’d say it was much better than lovely. It was—” he grinned “—memorable.”

  “All right. I’ll admit. It was memorable. But it was sex between two consenting adults—”

  “Two adults who consented again and again, as I recall.”

  She heard the thread of laughter in his voice and couldn’t help smiling, though she was trying very hard to remain serious while she made her point. “Yes, we did. But I’m not foolish enough to think it was anything more.”

  “Oh, it was a hell of lot more. And I mean to show you just how much more it was, woman.”

  With a growl of pleasure he made a grab for her and dragged her into his arms, then proceeded to run hot, wet kisses down the length of her body until she was giggling like a child.

  Suddenly the giggles turned into sighs, and the sighs into breathless little moans of pleasure. And then there was only ragged breathing, and whispered words of endearment, as they lost themselves once more in that magical place where only lovers can go.

  Sierra yawned and stretched, then went very still when she realized that Josh was watching her.

  “’Morning.” She sat up and peered out the window of the hayloft. “Look at that sunrise. It’s beautiful. I wish I had my camera.”

  “There will be other sunrises.” He lay with his arms beneath his head, studying the way she looked all sleepy-eyed and glowing from their night of lovemaking.

  “But not here, just as the sun climbs over the horizon. Look at the way it reaches out to touch all the foothills with that wonderful light.”

  “That’s exactly how I’d describe my family around you.”

  She turned to stare at him with a puzzled expression. “Now what’s that supposed to mean?”

  “All you have to do is smile that open, sunny smile of yours, and they all seem to reflect your light. Big Jim. Pa. My brothers. Even Phoebe and Ela, the toughest, shrewdest women I know, aren’t able to resist your charm.” He gave a short laugh at the look on her face. “You don’t have any i
dea what kind of power you wield, do you?”

  “Josh…”

  Laughing, he dragged her down into his arms and said against her throat, “Woman, the most amazing thing about you is that it’s not an act. It’s all so honest and innocent. You’re so honest and innocent. And real. No wonder Big Jim is crazy about you.” He pressed kisses down her neck until she wriggled and sighed. “And so am I.”

  At his words she went very still.

  Josh took no notice as he continued raining kisses until she began to respond.

  As she wrapped her arms around his waist and gave in to his tender ministrations, she tried to cling to the reason that she’d been brought up short by his words. She considered herself a sharp cookie. She’d heard every empty, meaningless line a man could use. And she’d vowed that she would never again be swayed by such foolishness. If she was going to guard her heart, she needed to be strong and careful. After all, she’d been able to witness firsthand what happened to a man and woman who based their entire relationship on sexual attraction.

  But Josh’s words, spoken so innocently, had caused a little hitch around her heart.

  Was he—and his entire family—really crazy about her? What a sneaky way to break through all her defenses. Of all her fantasies, this was by far the most tantalizing. To be loved, to be cherished, to “belong.” To be part of a large and loving family…

  Careful, she cautioned. But even while she struggled to remain vigilant, her mind began to empty. All she could think about was the pleasure this man gave her. Every kiss, every touch took her higher than the time before.

  And then all thought fled as she was lost in the wonder of this newfound joy.

  Sierra and Josh walked arm in arm from the barn and into the mud room. After depositing their boots they greeted Ela and Phoebe, who were dashing about the kitchen as usual, stirring, slicing, baking, and all the while chatting happily.

  If the two women took notice of their early arrival, they gave not a clue as they greeted them warmly and continued working.

  With matching smiles Sierra and Josh climbed the stairs to their rooms, to shower and dress.