AlmostHome (10 page)

The kids barreled into the great room in their socks. “All
right you yahoos, prepare to be crushed by defeat.”

Ezzie giggled. “De feet.”

For the next hour, the house rang with the laughter of
children and adults. Dooley and Maria showed up with a pile of sandwiches and
chips, laying the food out on the island buffet style. They stood back and
watched as Haley twisted herself into a pretzel, one hand under Carlita’s
tummy, the other on a yellow circle between her legs, long braid coiling on the
mat and the biggest smile on her face he’d ever seen. Wyatt flicked the spinner
and it landed on Left/Red.

Haley hooted in triumph. “What you gonna do now, buttercup?
I don’t reckon them little arms are long enough to reach that red spot.”

Carlita gave her a mischievous grin. “That’s what you think.
There’s a red dot just behind your right hand.”

Haley peeked between her legs. “Well, I’ll be dipped and
rolled in crackers. Danged if there ain’t. All right, I’m lifting my hand so
you can reach it.”

Wyatt spun again and twelve-year-old Harlan Dooley moved,
sliding his hand over his sister’s back, balancing precariously. His legs began
to shake.

“Dang it! I’m gonna lose it,” Harlan growled. He fell,
landing on his sister, who fell and took Haley down with her. They all tumbled
to the floor in a mass of arms and legs, shrieking with laughter. Harlan sat up
and shrugged. “Aw heck, I’m hungry anyways.”

Haley gave him a shoulder bump. “Me too.” The children
sprang to their feet and Haley took the hand Wyatt offered, groaning when he
pulled her to her feet. “They’re brutal. I swear, I ain’t never been bent in so
many directions at once.”

Wyatt wiggled his eyebrows, leaned down and kissed her
check. “Flexibility is the name of the game. Let’s put on the feed bag,
darlin’.” She charmed him again by blushing like a schoolgirl.

Everyone put sandwiches and chips on paper plates and sat on
the floor, using the Twister mat as a picnic blanket. Wyatt couldn’t help but
notice how intently Haley listened as the children talked about their first day
back at school after spring break, about the projects and book reports they had
to do, how Harlan was wanting to join the baseball team and had a permission
slip for his parents to sign. It was all so…normal. And yet it was something
Haley had probably never experienced. There would have been no school sports,
no plays or dances. No prom. Not for Haley. She’d worked to support her father
and brother. Wyatt decided then and there that he wanted to give her some of
those experiences.

“Do you dance, sweet pea?” he asked Haley.

Her eyes widened and she shook her head, an expression akin
to fear flitting across her face.

“Conner tried to teach me the two-step but he gave up when I
kept stepping on him. Why?”

“Just wondering. Thought we might go dancing of an evening.
Maybe after that foal’s born. You know, to celebrate the start of the breeding
program.”

She took a too big bite of her sandwich and shrugged
noncommittally. Okay, maybe dancing in public wasn’t such a good idea to start
out. But dance with her he would.

By the time they devoured all the sandwiches, the sun had
set. Ezzie and Carlita yawned sleepily and Dooley hefted one in each arm while
Maria shooed the rest of them toward the back door.

“Thank you for another lovely afternoon.” She hugged Haley.
“Don’t worry about Molly. Dooley will see to her and call if she’s going to
foal tonight. Enjoy your evening.”

Wyatt picked up the mat, shook it out on the porch, then
folded and put it back in the box as Haley watched the happy family walk slowly
into the dark. He turned on the television and set the station to a country
music channel. When Haley came back into the room, he held out his hand.

“Come on, darlin’, dance with me.”

She gave him a deer in the headlights look but to her
credit, she crossed the room and took his hand. Brad Paisley’s
Everything
came on and Wyatt pulled her close, his arm around her waist, her right hand in
his, curled up against his chest. She looked up at him, wide-eyed. No way she
didn’t feel his hard length pressing against her belly.

“Wyatt,” she whispered.

“Sssh.” He pressed his lips against her temple. “It’s just a
dance, baby girl.”

Chapter Seven

Just a dance? Was he crazy? This was more than just a dance.
Wyatt was going to make love to her. Or at least she hoped that was his
intention because that was what she wanted. Haley rested her cheek against his
and closed her eyes, liking the way they fit together. She let herself feel the
music and the man holding her close as they swayed. He was everything she’d
dreamed a real man would be…thoughtful and kind, more understanding than she’d
imagined possible. He never pressured, was always there to build her up when
she doubted herself. And too gorgeous for his own good. Why wouldn’t she want
him to be her first, to be her everything?

God but she wanted to be everything to someone. At least for
one night, she wanted to know what it felt like to be cherished. To be loved.
Even if it wasn’t the everlasting kind of love—which might or might not exist.
In this exact moment, she was willing to pretend that Wyatt Brody could love
her. His lips brushed her ear and she shivered, lifting her gaze to his.

Once again, the beauty of his eyes struck her. The depth of
color captivated her. Tonight, in the muted light of the room, they were almost
navy. His lids were at half-mast. Bedroom eyes, sleepy and sexy. They alone
made her shiver.

“Haley,” he whispered her name like a prayer. “You know I
want you?”

“Yes.” She barely recognized her own voice. There was a
breathless quality to it she’d never heard before.

“Do you—?”

“Yes.”

He stood stock-still, his cock twitching against her, and
smiled. “You sure? I don’t want you to feel pressured to do—” She grabbed him
by the hair, pulling his mouth down to hers.

“Shut up and kiss me, Brody.” He did as she demanded,
hauling her hard against him, taking her mouth with a scorching kiss that left
her gasping. When he drew back, she smiled. “Oh yeah, I’m sure.” She stepped
away, took hold of his hand and led him up the stairs to her bedroom.

Should she tell him? The words played in her head.
By the
way, I’m a twenty-five-year-old virgin.
Yeah, that was sexy. And then it
was too late because he was gathering her close again, his hand fisted around
her braid, pulling her head back as his lips covered hers, his tongue delving
deep into the hot recesses of her mouth.

How was this supposed to work if they were both fully
dressed? She thought the getting naked part would be awkward but his hands
moved to her waist, lifting her t-shirt, breaking the kiss for only as long as
it took to pull it up and off. He nibbled her earlobe as he loosened her braid,
nuzzling her neck, drawing a shudder from her when his teeth gently closed over
the tendon. Nimble fingers plucked open the button on her jeans and eased the
zipper down. Haley moaned when his hands slid beneath them to cup her bottom
and draw her up against him. Moisture pooled between her thighs and she reached
around, tugging his shirt loose from his jeans.

“Wyatt,” she breathed, as he worked her Wranglers past her
hips. “Too many clothes.”

He laughed softly and drew her down to the bed. “Well, let’s
get them off, darlin’.”

He tugged her snug denim off and tossed it aside. She knelt
behind him, pulling his t-shirt over his head. His clothes joined hers on the
floor and she got her first look at a gloriously naked Wyatt Brody. He was
beautiful. His body, sculpted by hard labor, was a work of art. He had a strong
back and broad shoulders and the muscles of his arms flexed beneath his supple
skin. Watching him undress fired her desire even more. Lord but she wanted to
touch him.

He didn’t say a word as her hands traced the contours of
heated flesh. His chest and arms were tanned—some places darker than others as
often happened when a man worked outdoors in the sun. There wasn’t much hair on
his chest and torso, just a whorl around his nipples and a thin line cutting
between six-pack abs that arrowed downward to frame his erection. She traced
that thin line with her index finger until she came to his straining cock. And,
oh my, how was that thing supposed to fit inside her? Before she could touch
him there, he scooped her up and placed her in the center of the bed with a
smile.

“Let’s get those pretty scraps of lace off you, darlin’.” He
flicked open the front clasp of her bra, sliding the straps down and off. The
lacy bikini panties were damp and he eased them past her hips. He ran one
finger through the folds of her sex and murmured, “Beautiful.” He wrapped an arm
around her and eased her onto her back, following her down.

His mouth on her breasts was hot and hungry, sucking,
licking and nibbling until Haley squirmed beneath the onslaught. He guided her
arms over her head, curling her fingers around the slats of the headboard. She
gasped aloud when Wyatt’s tongue caressed her underarm. “Ah god, Wyatt.” Her
hips thrust up of their own volition. He worked his way down, paused to lick
and suckle the sensitive underside of her breast, then moved up again to draw
deeply on her nipple. Her legs moved restlessly, still trapped by that tiny
scrap of lace. His hand caressed as he worked her panties down until she could
kick them away. Then that wicked finger stroked again. He painted her other
nipple with the silky essence, pinching and teasing until she cried out.
Finally, he leaned over her and took that one into his mouth, nursing the hard
tip until she was she gasping. But he didn’t stop there.

Oh god. He was going to…to… She couldn’t even think the
words as Wyatt’s mouth slid down her body. He gave her bellybutton a quick lap,
chuckling when her hips jerked.

“Spread your legs, honey, I wanna taste you.”

Heat flashed through her body, settling in her cheeks. OMG,
he was talking dirty. She probably ought to be embarrassed but his words only
increased her arousal. She squeezed her eyes shut, heart pounding until she
thought it might actually sprout wings and fly from her chest. He was…he was
looking at her sex…she couldn’t bring herself to use the other word. Holding
the lips apart, licking, rubbing his thumbs just along the inside. His tongue
followed and Haley shuddered.

“You taste like the ocean, honey.” Wyatt’s voice was soft,
sexy, soothing. “I can’t wait to get inside you. But first—” His lips closed
over her clitoris, sucking gently, his tongue flicking, then lapping.

“Oh god, oh god,” Haley panted.
Dear lord, don’t let him
figure out I’m a virgin. If he stops, I’ll die
. Before he had the chance,
her pussy clenched, gushed, and she lost all control of her body. “Ah, god…I—”
He cradled her hips in his hands as she cried out, licking and sucking gently
as she came with a low wail.

He rose over her, paused to draw on one nipple, then kissed
her, sharing the taste of her arousal with her. He took a deep, shuddering
breath and advanced, the head of his cock pressing against her tender opening.
And he thrust. There was no sting of first penetration, a woman making her
living on the back of a horse didn’t keep her hymen for long, but Wyatt must
have felt her body tense. He froze in mid-stroke, took a deep breath, his arms
shaking with the effort to hold himself stationary.

“Baby, have you ever done this before?” He eased inside her
with exquisite care and rested his lower body against hers.

“No.” It was barely a whisper. Haley squeezed her eyes shut
and tried to turn her head away but he wouldn’t let her.

“Nu-uh, sweet pea. You don’t give me a gift like this and
not look at me when I make love to you.” His thumbs swiped at her tears. “Why
didn’t you tell me, Haley?”

“I was afraid you wouldn’t want me if you knew.”

Wyatt lowered his forehead to hers and chuckled. “Darlin’
trust me, I would have wanted you. I just would have been gentler is all. Now
we’re gonna take it nice and slow, make this something you’ll always remember.”

He kissed her—a long, deep kiss that actually made her
lightheaded. Then he began to move, setting a leisurely pace of thrust and
retreat so that she felt every inch of his slow, deep glide. Despite his size,
her body stretched to accommodate him as her hips rose up to meet him.

“Oh lord, you feel so good, darlin’.” She could see the
effort it took for him to go slowly. “I don’t wanna hurt you.”

Haley wove her fingers through his thick, dark hair.
“Doesn’t hurt.” Her breath hitched as he went deeper this time. “Feels good.”
She dragged his mouth down to hers, demanding a kiss. His mouth covered hers,
tongue thrusting deep as Haley wrapped her legs around his hips and clung to
him for dear life.

Nothing in her life had prepared her for this. She’d heard
moans in the dark coming from her father’s room, from Conner’s room and had
known what they were doing and felt nothing but revulsion. But with Wyatt, her
body seemed to scream—more, faster, harder. She wanted all of him, everything
he could give her. She turned loose his hair and ran her hands down his back,
caressing his fine, firm backside.

He ripped his mouth from hers. “Baby, you keep that up and I
won’t be able to control myself.”

She dug her fingers into his flesh, reveling in the feel of
his taut backside giving beneath her fingers. “Then don’t. Have me like you
would if I’d done it before.” He groaned and pushed himself up with his arms.
He started pumping, hips churning, setting her ablaze with a need she could put
a name to but could never in a million years find the words to describe. All
she knew was that she wanted him, needed to feel him hard and heavy inside her,
the tug of flesh against flesh as he withdrew and plunged again. This was the
feeling of oneness she’d never hoped to feel with any man. The connection with
Wyatt grew deeper than ever. Is this what love feels like? She shook her head,
trying to deny those dangerous thoughts.

Haley uttered a raspy shout when he rose to his knees,
dragging her with him until her thighs were draped over his. His hands grasped
her hips, feeding his cock into her with her with long, hard thrusts that made
her breasts dance. Instinctively, she cupped them in her hands, pinching and
plucking her nipples.

“Ah god, darlin’, that’s so hot.”

In one powerful move, he hauled her onto his lap, filling
her almost to the point of pain. With one hand between her shoulder blades, he
bent her back and sucked one hard, red nipple between his lips as she rode him.

“Wyatt,” she shouted his name when his teeth clamped on her
nipple, sending a jolt of pleasure straight to her core.

He lifted his head and chuckled. “Like that, do ya?” He
nipped her again and she shrieked, muscles tightening around him, hips
undulating. “Oh lord, do that again, honey.”

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, what the hell was he doing to her?
One hand lightly grasped her hip, guiding her as an unbearable tension built,
bubbling up from deep inside her until she thought she might pass out. Her
entire body clenched, grasping and greedy, preparing for a second release. Her
eyes slid shut.

“No baby, open your eyes. Look at me. God, you make me so
hot,” he rasped, pressing a thumb against her clitoris as he thrust up one
final time.

Haley screamed and wrapped her arms around him as he came.
He fell back on the mattress, taking her with him so that she still straddled
him as they both gasped for air.

Tears leaked from Haley’s eyes, dampening Wyatt’s chest.
Making love with him was more than she’d ever expected. She’d anticipated some
pain but it had been so minimal as to be practically nonexistent. What she
hadn’t expected was the intense pleasure. She’d overheard plenty of women
discussing the pros and cons of sex. Some saw it as a thing to be endured.
Others craved it like a drunk needing a drink. Having experienced it for herself,
she could understand the craving. She didn’t think sex with Wyatt would ever
become a chore.

Wyatt stroked her back and kissed the side of her neck.
“Here now, why the tears?”

She rested her cheek on his chest. “I don’t know. I’m
just…glad I waited. I don’t think it would have been like that with someone
else. I…is it always that good, that intense?”

Wyatt rolled her onto her back, swooped down for a lingering
kiss. “Well if it ain’t, it should be. I reckon it depends on the people doing
it.” He sat up. “Don’t move, I’ll be right back.”

Haley heard water running in the bathroom and he returned
with a damp washcloth. A blush heated her cheeks as he gently cleaned her, a
slight frown puckering his forehead and he cleared his throat.

“Um, I don’t suppose there’s a chance in hell you’re
protected?”

“You mean birth control?” She shook her head, then her eyes
widened in horror. “Oh god, no. I mean, I never needed it until tonight and
then it never even occurred to me. Oh lord, and you didn’t use a condom.”

Wyatt’s cock, which had started to perk up a bit, softened.
“Haley, I’m sorry. I got so carried away, I just forgot.” He snuggled her
against his side. “Look, if something…comes of this, we’ll get married. I’d
never make you go through something like that alone. You know that, right?”

She nodded, struggling to keep the tears at bay. He’d do the
right thing by her, no doubt in her mind, but Haley didn’t want a marriage
based on necessity.

“It’s okay. I’ll make an appointment to see a doctor in
Kerrville. I can get one of them morning-after pills and a prescription for
birth control.”

Beside her, Wyatt stiffened. “You’d take one of those
pills?”

Uh-oh. She’d thought he’d be relieved. A part of her was
relieved, too. “You wouldn’t want me to?”

“Hell no.” He rolled onto his side. “Haley, look at me.” She
did and he continued, “I ain’t a man that believes in that sort of thing. Not
unless the circumstances call for it, which they don’t in this case. I’m not
the love them and leave them type. If we made a child, I’ll do the right
thing.”

Haley pulled away from him and sat up, snatching her sleep
shirt from the bedpost. “I got no desire to be anybody’s
do-the-right-thing-woman, Wyatt Brody. That’s what happened to my momma and for
damn sure it ain’t gonna happen to me. If I’m pregnant—and that’s a big if—I’m
perfectly capable of raising a child on my own.” She jerked an oversized sleep
shirt over her head, stood up and stomped from the room.