Black Hills Angel (Black Hills Series) (25 page)

"You're worried that she isn't going to stay." Travis watched his son closely, noting the mired mess this girl had made of his careful thinking boy.

"What if I'm not enough? Dad, I've fallen so hard for her. There are times I look at her and I couldn't tell you my name. She starts this fire in me that overwhelms all common sense." Matt shook his head, looking into the distance of the yard. His body already reacting to the simmering in his blood. He needed Andy like nothing else. Unvoiced thoughts scared him.
What if I'm never me again? What if she walks away and that was my one shot at love?
It scared him shitless. His father nodded as if hearing his thoughts. Matt's stomach turned over in protest.

"You don't let go, Son. You do what you must to keep her. Love like this is a rare thing." Travis tilted his head and raised a brow. Matt shook his head.

"But what if I can't?" It was the question that rolled over and over in his mind. It tormented him since the day of her accident when he thought he might lose her for good. A piece of bark thumped him in the head. He pulled back in surprise. His father was looking at him in a stern manner.

"Good God, you are
not
that kind of man! You aren't going to give up, Matt. Trust me. Now is the time to sort it all out and make this little girl yours." Travis hardened his gaze and projected his
no nonsense
attitude. Matt breathed in and nodded, bracing himself against the constant worries.

"You're right. I'll start tonight." Matt got up from his seat and gritted his teeth as another zinger got him. A hot shower would be helpful, he hoped. It wouldn't be very romantic if he were stove up.

"Here. I brought these out for you." Travis held out a pair of leather gloves. Matt raised a questioning brow. His father chuckled, slapping the gloves into his son's hand.

"Why do I need these? I'm done cutting wood." Matt asked, looking at the gloves.

"For starters, that little girl might not like being scratched up by your paws and I have some bales to move." Travis grinned and Matt groaned. The guys started off across the yard towards his father's trusty Ford truck.
Guess that shower is gonna have to wait.

***

It took three changes of clothes before Andy could decide what she was going to wear to dinner. With the added pressure of getting along with his mother, Andy wanted to look just right for Matt. Settling on a pair of dark jeans and a black one shoulder shirt, paired with black leather boots and a cropped black leather jacket. Nora grinned when Andy finally emerged from the curtained sunroom. Matt's sister had even given her a pair of diamond studs to wear. They sparkled in the light and Andy was pleased with the way they looked against her long hair.

Taking a deep breath, Andy followed Nora into the Johnson's ranch house. In the dark it looked warm and inviting, but still her stomach clenched in dismay and worry. There was so much riding on her acceptance into Matt's family and she didn't want it to go awry. She wasn't ready to say goodbye should it all fall apart. Steeling her resolve to be a model girlfriend, Andy followed Nora into the house.

"You made it just in time. I thought Mom was going to grill me over not being here this morning." Garrett whispered to Nora as he held the door open for them. Andy's lips twitched, but she wouldn't let her grin appear. Garrett had no idea that Matt had taken the spotlight off of his older brother. Nora, however, was not so troubled by laughing. She did and Garrett narrowed his eyes at his sister.

"She only knew you were gone for a second. You're the golden boy again. Good luck." Nora's saucy reply got her a glare from her brother, but it didn't dampen her glee.

"What's gotten into Mom then? She's been snapping at me since I walked in the door. I figured it was something I had done." Garrett rubbed his neck, his face reddening. Andy shook her head.

"It's Mom's way of being a tyrant. She's miffed Matt brought Andy home." Nora shrugged her shoulders when she caught Andy's eye. Andy kept her lips together. There was so much she wanted to say. None of it seemed helpful though.

"Shit. You are the first girl he has brought home. I guess it's to be expected." Garrett said to Andy as he stuffed his hands into his jean pockets. Andy's frustration softened a bit. Matt's brother was supportive and extremely easy going. She and Garrett had come to an understanding about her dating Matt. Garrett had a big heart, but a current of unrest flowed through his veins. It was a point of inspection for another time.

"I take it you haven't talked to Matt." Nora said she set the diaper bag on the floor. Harper squirmed in her sleep in the car seat. Andy had opted to let her daughter sleep. There didn't seem to be much of that for either mother or daughter lately. Garrett looked at Harper, but shook his head.

"He and Dad threw bales all afternoon. I just got here an hour ago." He looked around the kitchen to watch for his mother. "I saw the stack of wood in the back. I suppose Dad didn't cut all that."

"You would suppose right." Nora murmured back and smiled softly at Andy. Andy didn't feel excluded from the conversation. She marveled at the siblings and how they interacted. She wished she had brothers and sisters.
Maybe you could.

"I may be crashing on your couch, Nor. If Matt and Mom don't get this worked out, it's going to be like living with a time bomb." Garrett was being overly dramatic, or so Andy hoped. Nora shook her head and leaned up against the counter. They made a half moon in the kitchen.

"No can do. Andy and Harper are staying at my house. You'll just have to weather the storm or draw the fire." Nora chuckled at her wit and Andy noticed Garrett's lips twitch in response. These siblings did have an uncanny bond. It was entertaining to watch. Andy turned when she heard booted feet on the kitchen floor. Her heart leapt even before she saw who approached them.

"Quit talking about me." Matt groaned as he walked up behind Andy and wrapped his arms around her waist. She instinctively closed her eyes and welcomed his body to hers.
Oh, how I want him!
There was no denying it. He smelled wonderful. His cologne drowning her senses in lust.

"Garrett was wondering why Mom is fit to kill tonight. I was clearing his conscience. He thought it was because he had come home late." Nora gestured in between Garrett and Matt. The guys both shook their heads in commiseration. Andy smiled while her heart felt like it would beat out of her chest. All she could focus on was Matt's hands on her waist and not so very far from the part of her that wanted his whole hearted attention. Looking down at the floor, Andy could feel the heat bloom in her cheeks.

"I'd rather not talk about it right now. I could use a drink tonight though." Matt said as his fingers played along the edge of her jeans and shirt. Andy leaned back against him. His arms tightened, his lips brushing against her neck. Her knees felt like rubber. "Missed me?" His words were little more than a warm breath near her ear and she fought back a pitiful groan.

"You have no idea." Andy whispered back, tilting her head to the side to catch a glimpse of the heat in his blue eyes. It stoked her own desire to peel every last piece of clothing off of them. Her fingers itched to touch his bare skin.

"Oh, Sweetheart, I do." Matt leaned into her and pressed his lips to hers. Closing her eyes, their connection made her feel like no one else existed. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as the feelings got stronger. His tongue fenced playfully with her own as he kept her back to his front. She squirmed as she felt the hard ridge of his erection pressing against her. Andy heard the guttural groan in his throat and felt his lips take her own more forcefully. She met him thrust for thrust. At her core she felt like molten lava. Her hands longed to do more than rest on his over her stomach.

A female clearing her throat brought them both back to awareness. Slowly registering what they were doing, Andy met those passion glazed eyes and hoped her own communicated her need for more. The plunking of a pot lid had Matt groaning and Andy bit back a stream of curse words. Matt didn't release her completely, but he took half a step back. Andy felt his retreat like a punch to the gut. She looked towards the noise that had halted their appreciation for each other. Matt's mom was glaring at her and then at her son. Matt waited a second and then pressed his hands to her waist, indicating they should go through the doorway and into the living room. Garrett stood by the door.

"Why the hell didn't you tell me Mom was coming?" Matt grumbled under his breath to his brother. All Garrett could do was turn red and chuckle. From the faces in the living room, her and Matt's
love connection
had been rather entertaining. Andy inwardly groaned. Lacey 1. Andy 0.

Chapter Twenty Three

The evening at Matt's parent's continued in much the same vein as it had started. Lacey fumed quietly on the other end of the table and no one pretended otherwise. Travis, Garrett, and Nora carried on regular conversation, while Matt sat next to Andy with his hand on her thigh. The agony of that distraction made Andy miss most of what was said. Once in a while Nora would shoot a knowing look her way. Andy felt it her duty to make as little waves as possible; much like prey doesn't draw attention of its predator. By the end of dinner, Andy couldn't have told you if she had eaten any of the pot roast, mashed potatoes, corn and homemade rolls. The answer was visible on her plate.
Not much.

"I will help Mom clean up the table. Matt maybe you could show Andy around the ranch." Nora grinned, her usual deviousness showing through. Her brother must have missed it though.

"It's dark out, Nora. There isn't much to see in the dark." Matt got two looks of exasperation and finally, it dawned on him what his sister was trying to say. He widened his eyes in comprehension and Andy chuckled while her cheeks burned at the innuendo. Matt took ahold of her hand and clasped it warmly in his. Pulling her towards the door, Andy fought the fog of desire already building.

"Harper will be up soon." Andy looked at the still sleeping Harper. Poor girl looked exhausted, but if she didn't wake soon, no one would get any sleep tonight at Nora's house.

"No problem. I will listen for her. Just don't be gone all night." Nora grinned and Matt threw the dish towel at his sister. Andy smiled appreciatively to her new champion.

They made their way out onto the wrap around porch. The night was cool and quiet, except for an occasional cricket chirping. A soft breeze barely ruffled the autumn mums next to the stairs. Her heart pounded in her chest as she stood beside Matt. Her eyes kept sliding over his features accented by the light from the kitchen windows. The slight stubble on his jaw and his ruffled dark hair made her want to run her fingers over it. She flexed her fingers while she thought about the stiff hairs rasping her bare skin. Matt squeezed her fingers still clasped in his own. There wasn't much light, but the look he shared with her was unmistakable.

"Come on. I want to show you something." Matt's gravelly voice sent the slightest shiver up her spine. She followed him down the three stairs to the yard and around the back of the house. Andy felt oddly disoriented in the dark with the slightest brush of pine needles against her arms. Leaves crunched under foot. Her thin, black leather jacket wasn't much protection against the chilly air. Andy tried to pick up her feet, taking bigger steps than normal. It was a strange way of compensating for the lack of sight. Once she overstepped and a large branch whacked her in the shin. It smarted, but she kept walking.

"How far are we going?" Her voice sounded so far away. Matt slowed ahead of her and turned slightly into her. Andy halted, her last step bringing her level with a tall, sexy cowboy. Her heart jumped.

"We're here." Matt gestured around them and Andy took stock of their surroundings. The tree line was slightly behind them and ahead of them was a pond. The moonlight glinting off the water made it hard to tell just how large it was. The silvery image of the moon wavered as the breeze disturbed the water. Everything was so quiet except for the breeze in the dry grass and her erratic heartbeat.

"It's breathtaking." She took her eyes from the water and lifted her gaze to see Matt looking at her.

"You are. This is one of my favorite places in the whole world." The pad of his thumb traced the line of her chin to her jaw and up her cheek to her ear. His blue eyes were a steely gray in the moonlight.

"I'd love to see it in the light." Andy mumbled softly, self-consciously wetting her lips with her tongue. She shuddered when he leaned in closer; their lips inches apart.

"We can do that." His breath was warm on her face and her senses reveled in the spicy scent of his cologne. Her very core melted in need of him.
Sweet Jesus! I need him.
Mentally she begged him to take her; to make her his own. It seemed like an eternity since he had make her body thrum with satisfaction. Nothing about the future mattered right now; not as long as he held her in his arms.

***

He watched his palm cup the back of her neck and continue up into her hair. Diamond studs glinted in the light from the moon and his mouth watered. He wanted to kiss her desperately. His entire body ached to have her skin pressed to his own. Massaging her scalp, Andy leaned her head into his hand and groaned with appreciation. His groin tightened and the familiar swelling of passion grew. Every line of her soft, pearl-like skin captivated his attention. Gripping her hip, Matt pulled her into his body and almost sighed with the desired effect. Her chest rose and fell quickly with each shallow breath.

"I thought you were avoiding me earlier." Andy murmured in the dark and his eyes opened wider.

"You did? I'm sorry you thought that." His lips pressed along her jaw and up her smooth cheek. His hand gravitated from her hip to her behind, kneading with an instinctive rhythm.

"I thought maybe you were pushing me away." Andy tilted her head to the side, allowing him access to her neck. Grinning wickedly, he obliged by nipping playfully at the pale column. His hands stroking and testing her need for him. She was extremely responsive.

"Pushing you away? Oh, Andy, it's all I can do to keep my hands off of you!" He growled into her ear, noting the reactive shiver that coursed through her body and into his. Andy's hands kneaded his chest migrating further south as his sane thoughts evaporated.

"So glad we are on the same page." Andy whispered heatedly into his ear as she pulled his shirt from the band of his jeans. His breath hitched, sucking it from his body in anticipation of her fingers delving under the heavy denim. Abandoning the smoothness of her neck, Matt lifted the thin black shirt and grazed his fingertips along her stomach. He felt as well as heard her quick intake of breath. Andy leaned into him, trapping his fingers and her hands in between their heated bodies. She wriggled and twisted until she found him hard and wanting. The hot velvet length of him quivered in her hand and she moaned appreciatively.

"God, girl! Feel what you do to me?" Matt growled low in her ear and she let out a breathy chuckle. Her fingers gripped him tighter and he wanted to lose himself in her touch. His palms reached up to feel the lace of her bra and cup her breasts. Using his thumb and forefinger he rolled each of the hardened peaks until she pressed back against him. Almost purring with need, Andy pulled one hand from his jeans and jerked impatiently at his belt. He let out a throaty chuckle and increased the pressure, which slowed rational thought. Andy's hand trembled as she futilely plucked at his belt and groaned in frustration.

"I need you, Matt. At this rate, I'm going to burst before you get inside me." She growled once more and Matt heated to a cosmic level at her words. Now the need to be a part of that sweet body slick with desire filled him to capacity. Suddenly it was imperative that they consummate the beginning of this relationship. He was no longer afraid they wouldn't have one. He was determined to do whatever it took to secure her as his own.

"Are you sure? When I brought you out here, I didn't think we'd get this far." Matt whispered huskily into her ear. His heart was thudding heavily in his ears. She leaned against his body, his arm encircling her waist to hold her upright. Pressing open mouthed kisses to his neck and the vee in his shirt, Andy rubbed her increasingly sensitive body against his.

"Matt, please, it has been forever. I want you now." She tipped her chin up, engulfing him in those mossy depths.
You're lost, man!
It was a fantastic misdirection, if he had ever had one. Sweeping her tightly against him, Matt took her lips in a frantic kiss. Tongues dueling in a mind-blowing dance. His hands drifted possessively over her back and her behind. Insisting she wanted more, Andy dug her nails through the seat of his jeans. It only served to stoke him hotter and he hardened still further; if it were possible to be harder than he already was! He hardly knew himself at this moment.

In a blind flurry of activity, Matt unsnapped the button of her jeans and dealt swiftly with the fly. She continued to kiss him, sucking his tongue further into her mouth. Nerves experiencing electric shock, zapped him each time his fingers came into contact with her feverish skin. Flattening his palm along her abdomen, he slid past the top of her panties and found her slick core.
Ah, fuck.
She moaned, high and desperate for release. Trying to focus solely on her pleasure, Matt pressed one finger and then another into her. She engulfed him in the white hot chamber that he longed to stick his aching erection into.

He rocked back and forth, moving his fingers in and out. He tried to ignore the pain from her fingernails biting into the flesh of his shoulders. She spurred him on, panting in short breaths. He repeated this age old dance, pressing harder and faster. Her high-pitched whimpers hung in the air as Andy got closer to the pinnacle. He felt her muscles tightening, very near the point of spiraling out of control. His own body was close to mutiny.
God, what wouldn't I give to be inside her right now?
Still he held his course. Just when the air thickened around them, her muscles clenched around his fingers and he pulled her tightly against his body with his free hand.

"Oh, Matt!" Andy said near his ear when she lost herself to the oblivion. He rode each wave with her in his arms. She shuddered and shivered as she came back to him. The air was noticeably cooler than it had been before. He hugged her tighter, looking into those big eyes. He smiled, kissing her lips softly.

"I love the way you say my name." Matt nipped her earlobe and she giggled, shifting away.

"I would love to hear mine on your lips when you come too." Andy ventured, biting her lip. It made Matt even more aware of the rock hard erection still waiting for his happy ending. As if knowing what he was thinking, she pressed her hand against his fly. He bit back a loud groan.

"It just isn't the right place, Sweetheart." He would have to plan a bit better if they did this again. She ran her tongue over her lips and he nearly broke free of reality. His patience dearly strained.

"I could make things a bit more comfortable." Andy's husky voice brought to mind some serious cries of satisfaction. He was beyond hard at this moment. Just thinking of having her mouth on his dick nearly cindered every thread of control left. She lowered his fly, thrusting a hand inside and springing him free. The night air caressed his feverish flesh. Dropping slowly to her knees, Andy gripped him tightly in her hand and pulled towards her. He could feel her warm breath as she opened her mouth.

A twig snapped closer to the trail near the house before they heard footsteps. Matt stilled instantly and Andy gasped, pulling her head back. No one was near enough to see them, however.

"Here kitty, kitty! Here kitty, kitty! Food. Food." Matt's mother's voice broke the quiet. They didn't breathe for the few seconds his mother yelled for her cats.
Nice fucking timing, Mom!
They heard the front door slam and that was the cue for silent gales of laughter to erupt.

"I thought we were busted." Andy hiccupped, looking up at him with sparkling eyes. The intrusion and fear of being caught with his pants down, so to speak, caused his erection to disappear. He rolled his eyes and tucked himself away.

"Shoot, Andy! You should have seen your face." He teased and drew her to her feet. "Come on. I don't think she was really feeding her cats."

He and Andy picked their way back along the path towards the house. This was definitely going to be a night to remember. Next time, he would find a more secluded and inspired place for seduction.

***

"
She didn't! Are you kidding me?
" Nora giggled and then an endless stream of laughter filled the small living room of her cottage. Andy had tried to appear mortally offended and shocked by Matt's mother calling in her cats just when Andy was about to, well, offer comfort to Matt. The harder Nora laughed, the more Andy felt those walls of indignation breaking down and soon both women were wiping tears away from their eyes. Their sides hurt from the hilarity of the situation.

"You should have seen your brother's face!" Andy sucked in a breath, but couldn't stop the giggles that came forth. Nora widened her eyes, trying to see past the tears.

"Which time?" Nora doubled over when she saw the meaning dawn on Matt's girlfriend. Andy shook her head, her cheeks flooded with color.

"We were caught like a couple of horny teenagers, Nora. I've never been as embarrassed as I was when I had to walk in the house and face your mother." Andy pressed her lips together, remembering the all-too-knowing look in Lacey's eyes. "She knew exactly what we were up to and she wasn't pleased at all." Andy pushed herself into a straighter position on the couch. Nora used a tissue to wipe her face and blow her nose.
What would she do without Nora?
Matt's sister had become such a kindred spirit.

"Oh, I'm sure she knew! I told you that they know who comes and goes from this house. After a while, I just have to remind myself that my parents sleep together too." Nora succumbed to more chuckles as Andy made a face. "That should scar me more than you." Nora grinned.