Back Where You Belong (12 page)

There was no time to question his insane need; there was only Lacy.

He laid her on the bed and settled beside her. His fingers forked into her hair and held her head as kiss after kiss, sigh after sigh, moan after moan drew him closer to sensual madness.

A fierce possessiveness took hold. “I don’t share, Lacy. While you’re with me, I don’t want you seeing anyone else. It’s important to me you understand that.” He’d been through that betrayal with his ex-wife. He’d not do it again. qct

“We’re going to be exclusive?” Her voice hitched as he kissed her ear and bit her earlobe.

“No one touches you, but me.”

He tore his lips from her long enough to remove her lace top and camisole. The red lacy bra that greeted him for his efforts nearly sent him over the edge of sanity.

“God, you’re beautiful.”

His hands slowly slid from her waist to her breasts. She shivered under his touch, and a moan escaped her lips. He ran fingertips over her ample cleavage and followed their touch with kisses. One twist of the front closure of her bra, and her breasts were free. “Sweet Jesus,” he breathed before leaning down to capture one puckered nipple.

She cried out when he drew the beaded peak into his mouth. His hands stroked her as he sucked and nipped and circled it with his tongue. This woman had curves a man could love forever. She was sweet softness he would desire with his dying breath.

“Don’t stop,” she begged.

Hellfire and brimstone couldn’t stop him now.

Satin skin glistened in the candlelight and trembled beneath his touch. He watched the contrast of his tanned fingers trailing across her pale skin. Would he ever get tired of touching her? Looking at her? Loving her?

His hand cupped her breast and he tore his gaze from it to look into her passion-hazed eyes. “We need to get these clothes off. But not those red heels. Keep them on.” He gave her a wink, and she giggled.

Somehow, in seconds, their clothes formed a pile beside her bed. On his knees between her legs, he wrapped his hands around her ankles, admiring the view of those sexy-as-hell heels. “A man loves a woman in high heels. Something about the sight stirs his guts and sets him on fire.”

“Gee, do they make stiletto cowgirl boots?”

He tugged her big toe. “Quit making fun. A man needs his fantasies. And, Sugar, if I’d known you had on a red thong tonight, my hand would have trembled so bad, I wouldn’t have been able to get a single bite of food in my mouth.”

She pulled him to her and kissed a trail down his neck. “Cowboy, you talk too much.” She rolled him over and took a long, slow journey with her fingertips. “I want to touch you.”

“I’m all yours. Touch whatever you like.”

When she wrapped her fingers around his erection and stroked, he thought the top of his head would blow off.

“Lacy,” he exhaled on a moan. Did she have any idea how good it felt to have a woman touch him again?

“Shhh,” she whispered. “Relax, lay back and enjoy. You’re still recovering from your injuries.” She kept stroking, slowly driving him mad.

“I’m enjoying, but I’m not relaxed. Not with you doing things like that to me.”

Her eyebrows rose, and he could have sworn her smile took on an evil quality. “Would you relax if I did this?”

She lowered her head, stuck out that sweet pink tongue of hers and swirled it around the tip of his erection. He curled his toes and watched in fascination as she slowly took him into her mouth.

“God, Lacy.” If he allowed her to continue, he’d embarrass himself, but, damn, what she was doing felt amazing. Just a couple more strokes with that fabulous mouth. No, he was being selfish. His aim should be to please her. “Come here, Sugar. I can’t take anymore.”

He pulled her on top of him, and his hands swept down her back to settle on her bottom. “I’ll carry the vision of your fabulous behind in that red thong until I die. You’re beautiful.”

Large turquoise eyes swept to his. “Do you really think so?” Her smile was hesitant.

She needed him, needed him to build her back up after the damage that video created. If it took him forever, he’d show her how desirable and precious she truly was.

“Every time I see you, you take my breath away.” He fingered her hair. “I have a confession. I have one of your hairs in the band of my Stetson.”

Her eyebrows furrowed, and she crossed her hands on his chest as she lay sprawled on him. “What do you mean? How did you get one of my hairs?”

“Remember our first kiss at the Lonesome Steer?” She smiled and nodded in response. “I had my fingers in your hair and must have pulled one of them out. When I got in my truck afterwards, I found it wrapped around my finger.” His hands massaged her most excellent ass. “I kept it. Slipped it under my hatband.”

Her gaze swept to his hat he’d hung on the corner of her headboard a few minutes ago. “And you still have it?”

He kissed her neck. “Oh, yeah. That beautiful hair of yours goes wherever I go.” His hands swept up her sides and cupped her breasts. “I can’t recall any woman who’s charmed me the way you have.” His thumbs flicked over her nipples.

“Really?” Her voice hitched in that charming way she had.

He slid her higher so he could kiss her breasts. “You’ve become my fantasy in the flesh.” Her beguiling fragrance filled his nostrils as he continued kissing her skin. “And what beautiful flesh you have.” Pain snagged his attention for a mere second when he rolled her over and stared into her eyes. Once more, he ignored it. “It’s important you know I need you in my life.” Then he set to showing her how much he needed her, with touches, kisses, love bites and words of praise.

When he had her on the painful edge of completion, he reached for one of the condoms and slipped it on.

He rested on his forearms above her, his hips settled between hers. “Keep your eyes on mine as I enter you. Look at me while I make love to you.” Slowly, he pushed his way into her moist warmth. “God, Sugar, you’re so tight.” He gritted his teeth and trembled with the need to rush to completion.

“You feel…so good.” Her hips slowly rose and fell with his. “I…I feel…”

“What? What do you feel?” He was fighting to hang on and not come too soon. She deserved to feel as much as he. More. She deserved more.

“I think I’m going to…” Her muscles clenched, and she cried out his name in climax.

Three more hard strokes, and he was there, too. Forehead to forehead, gaze to gaze, fingers entwined, he called her name and found all the answers to the secrets of the universe—contained in the spirit of the woman in his arms.

He collapsed against her, gasping for breath and ignoring the pains in his body.

“Oh, wow.”

He smiled at her comment. “Yeah.” Rasping the way he was, he was lucky to get one word out.

“Oh, wow.”

Somehow he mustered the strength to open one eye and gaze at her. She pursed her lips, and he fell the rest of the way into love.

“So, that’s what a climax feels like.”

“You didn’t know?”

“No, I’ve read about it in my romances, but never experienced it before. Just now I felt as if I was shattering into beautiful colored shards of glass. Oh, wow.”

His arm went around her waist as he shifted off her. Pulling her into the curve of his body, he smiled and enjoyed the way Lacy stroked his male ego. Sex the last few years of his marriage had been sporadic and full of complaints. Anna Beth had called him boring and inept. What few women he’d bedded since then were the type of women to say anything. While Lacy was truth personified.

“I’m glad you had your first climax.” He gave her one hard kiss. “I’m even happier it was with me, even if I wasn’t at my best. My stamina isn’t up to par.”

He pulled her closer and nuzzled her neck. She smelled of flowers and sex and him. It was a heady blend.

He propped his elbow on the bed and rested his head on his hand before cupping her cheek with the other. “Do we have the threat of that video behind us? Are you willing to allow it to ruin this?”

Her turquoise eyes watched him. “No. I’ve probably given it enough power as it is. I think of my life in terms of pre-video and post-video.”

He smiled and nodded. “That’s how I think of my life, too, I guess. Pre-divorce and post.”

“Does Olivia’s mother see her very much? She doesn’t talk about her in very glowing terms.”

“Yeah, I know. Depending on Anna Beth’s schedule, she usually gets her one weekend a month. Then it takes me several days to get Olivia back to normal. Sometimes she’s petulant, and other times she’s sullen after spending time with her mom.”

“That’s part of being a teenager. Goes with the raging hormones.”

Tyler laughed. “Oh, don’t even mention hormones around my daughter or the male anatomy. Seems Olivia and her best friend, Cassidy, are worried about my prostate. They figure my lack of a sex life will impair it in some way.”

Turquoise eyes turned stormy blue. “You won’t…you wouldn’t tell her what happened here between us.”

“Hell no. What kind of father would do that? What’s between you and me is private.”

“Good.” She kissed his neck a few times and a part of him stirred to life again.

“Kids. Once they reach twelve or thirteen, they think they know everything. Which reminds me, I promised Olivia and Cassidy I’d take them to the mall tomorrow. Olivia needs some winter clothes. Want to come along?”

“Me? Shop with teenagers?”

“You would be doing me a great service. She claims she needs bigger bras. Wishful thinking, you ask me. Still, the last thing I want to do is go through that ordeal.” He leaned in and kissed that sweet spot under her ear. She shivered in his arms and his groin tightened. “Plus, you can hold my hand during the latest vampire movie I promised the girls.”

Her palm slapped his chest. “Teenagers
and
vampires? Oh, you are a cruel man.”

He leaned in and feathered his lips across hers. “I’ll make it worth your while.” He gently bit her lower lip and watched her eyes cross. “Extra-large popcorn at the theater.”

Her arms slid around his neck. “Oh, cowboy, for an afternoon of teenage squeals and ‘omigods,’ it better come with extra butter.”

Chapter Fourteen

When Lacy opened the back door the next afternoon, two wide-eyed teenagers gave her a thorough once-over. Their scrutiny took in everything, making her glad she’d taken extra pains with her appearance. Dressing for this outing at the mall had turned into a ridiculous flurry of putting on and taking off outfits. Finally, she’d gone with her initial choice—her favorite jeans, boots and a red sweater. She hoped they wouldn’t find the neckline too low.

By the expression on Tyler’s face when his gaze zeroed in the neckline, he didn’t see a thing wrong with it. Remembering all the intimacies they’d shared the second time they made love last night, the warmth of a blush crept up her neck and across her cheeks.
This man made me climax three times. Three. Oh crap, is it bad to think of climaxes in front of his daughter?

Olivia’s gaze swept from her to her dad. A wide smile spread as she hugged her. “It’s good to see you again, Lacy. This is my best friend, Cassidy.”

Lacy returned the hug. “Hi, my beauty.” She kissed her dark hair. “Cassidy, it’s nice to meet you.”

Tyler stepped between the girls and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Girls, look the other way for a sec. A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do.” A duet of giggles followed, while he kissed her. “Got a light jacket? Turned cool overnight.”

She handed him a denim blazer she had tossed across the back of a kitchen chair, and he helped her on with it.

“Cool blazer,” Olivia gushed.

“Thanks. I think I got this at The Gap.”

“Can we check there, Daddy? There’s a Gap at Westgate.” Dark eyes beseeched Tyler, who instantly turned to male mush.

“Sure, Angel.”

When they stepped outside, Lacy was surprised to see a mini-van parked in the driveway. She turned to Tyler. “A van?”

He shrugged and shot her a crooked smile. “Soccer dad. What can I say?”

“Hold her hand, Daddy,” ordered Olivia.

Everyone laughed, which set the tone for the day.

Like a military general, Olivia herded her dad to The Gap. Both girls tried on jackets and tops and jeans. Their decisions made, Tyler whipped out his bank card. Next, she led them all to another boutique where she chose some long-sleeved tops.

At a large department store, just as they approached the lingerie department, Olivia turned and pointed to the man bearing armfuls of bags. “No, Daddy. Just us girls.” The two best friends charged ahead to look at bras.

The look of relief on Tyler’s face was priceless. He tugged his wallet from the back pocket of his jeans. “Lacy, here.” He extracted a couple hundred dollar bills and folded them in her hand. “Get her what she needs.” His voice lowered. “Maybe you need a new bra, too. One of those front opening kind like you wore last night. And thongs. A dozen of them.”

“Oh, don’t you wish.”

His gaze dropped to her cleavage and then rose to lock on hers. His ornery smile warmed her heart. “Oh, Sugar, you have no idea how much I wish.”

She wheeled him around and shoved at his back. “Go. Wait. Think of cold showers.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

As he swaggered away, he glanced over his shoulder, tugged on the brim of his Stetson and favored her with a slow wink. She stood there watching his broad shoulders retreating. He’d been her first serious crush. Now he was back in her life and available. She sighed, remembering how he’d taken his time with her last night. Not at all like her college boyfriend.

Later, as they moved through the mall on a whirlwind of teenage energy Lacy hadn’t experienced in years, she realized she was having the time of her life. The girls were comical as they gushed over everything. She’d forgotten the extremes of the adolescent years. Everything was either totally cool or totally gross. There were no in-betweens, only extremes. Tyler was considerate with them all, obviously enjoying himself.

He stopped once to look at a black plaid Western shirt.

“No, Daddy.” Olivia grabbed his arm and pulled him to another rack. “Here.” She tugged a lavender shirt off the rack and held it out.