Falling for Jillian (12 page)

“Very nice, Sergeant King.”

“Dinner first,” he growls and cups my face in his hands, kissing me yet again.

“Let’s go.”

He helps me out to his truck, patiently guiding me through the snow in my heels.

“I can’t believe you’re wearing those in this weather.”

“I won’t fall,” I assure him and then damned if I don’t slip. I catch myself, but Zack turns and lifts me into his arms, carrying me the rest of the way to his truck. “This is excellent service.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he says with a grin. “I can’t have you falling. You’ll break your neck in those things.”

“You don’t like them?” I pout.

“I fucking love them, sugar. Wear them anytime
you want. I’ll carry you.” He winks and kisses my cheek before setting me gently in the cab of his truck.

“What are you in the mood for?” Zack asks as he pulls out of my driveway.

“I already ate a third of a pan of brownies today, so we might as well indulge in some greasy bar food.”

“Bar food it is.” He takes my hand and kisses my knuckles as he easily maneuvers through the streets to downtown Cunningham Falls.

“My house is so close, we almost could have walked here.”

“Not in those boots.” He laughs and parks, helps me out of the truck, and leads me into the dimly lit bar. There is a small kitchen immediately to the left, where we place our order, then go to find a table in the heart of the bar.

Because it’s a weeknight, it’s relatively quiet. We choose a table near the back, by the pool tables.

“Shall we play?” Zack asks, pointing to the table.

“I don’t really know how.” I shrug and bat my eyes innocently. “But I guess we can play. Will you show me?”

“Sure.” He grins widely and hangs our coats on the backs of our chairs before choosing two pool cues. He’s delicious in another pair of faded blue jeans and a fitted blue T-shirt. He’s wearing Chucks, which surprises me but completes his outfit perfectly.

He’s just yummy.

“I’ll break,” he offers and sets up the balls while I order us both a beer from the waitress.

“Good idea.”

He takes his shot and scatters the balls, and when a solid goes in the corner pocket, he says, “Looks like I’m solids.”

“You are solid, yes,” I agree and run my hand down his arm, feeling his muscles. “I like it.”

“Are you going to be trouble all night?” he growls in my ear.

“I don’t know what you mean.” I smile serenely and point to the table. “Your shot.”

He chalks his cue and watches me with narrowed eyes, and a half smile on his lips, then takes a shot, missing the pocket.

“My turn.” I circle the table, looking for my shot. Of course, I lied through my teeth to Zack. I played pool all the time in college, and I’m damn good at it.

Not that he needs to know that.

I make sure I find a shot that puts my ass in his line of vision as I bend over the table and take a shot, sinking the ball.

“Oh, yay! That must have been a lucky shot.” I wink at him and then bite my lip at the look of lust in his eyes. He’s leaning against his stool, his arms crossed over his chest, showing off the bulge in his arms.

Christ on a crutch, I want to attack him.

I circle the table and find my next shot, on the opposite side of the table, bend deep so he can see my cleavage, and shoot the ball, missing the pocket.

“Don’t think I’m not onto your game, sugar.”

“I’m playing pool.” I shrug and smile at the waitress who delivers our food. Zack takes a huge bite of his burger and then walks around the table and takes several shots, sinking all of the balls.

I nibble on my buffalo chicken fingers with sour cream and chive fries—really, I’ll be eating yogurt for a month to make up for this meal—and watch the sexiness that is Zack move around the table.

“Nice shot,” I say when he sinks his fourth ball in a row.

“Thanks.” He shoves some fries in his mouth and wanders back to the table. And for the next while, we eat and play in companionable silence, high-fiving when we sink the ball, and rooting for each other.

When we’ve finished eating, and begun our third game, someone puts some money in the old-fashioned jukebox and a classic Aerosmith song comes on. I shake my hips to the rhythm and dance around the table, looking for a shot. I lean over the table, still swaying my hips and shoot, missing the hole.

“Stay where you are,” Zack commands in a low voice.

I look up at him, startled, to find his brown eyes feral and trained on my ass. He walks around the table, glides one hand down my hip and butt cheek, then pulls my back against his chest and presses his mouth to my ear.

“Do you enjoy torturing me like that, Jilly?”

“Like what?” I ask breathlessly.

“Swaying your hips, walking around in these boots, bending over the table to show me your chest. I’m permanently hard here, sweetheart.”

I sigh against him and smile when he wraps both arms around me, hugging me tightly. “Let me stay with you tonight.”

“Absolutely.”

“I’m telling you now, I’ll have to leave very early to get back to the ranch. Josh is covering for me tonight, but I’ll need to be back early to help and to drive Seth down to the bus stop because it’s too far to walk in the snow—”

“Zack, I don’t mean to sound like an insensitive ass right now, but it’s been three days since we had sex, and I’m having a hard time focusing here. I won’t be mad that you’re leaving early in the morning.”

He groans and presses a kiss to my cheek, then retrieves our coats, throws some bills on the table for our waitress, and leads me out to the truck.

“By the way,” I mention casually as he drives as quickly as he can while still staying safe, which is faster than I would have thought, back to my place. “I’m not wearing any panties.”

He throws me a glance and then presses down on the accelerator even more, cussing under his breath.

“Stay put,” he instructs me when we pull up to my house. He comes around to my door, lifts me out of the truck, and carries me through the yard to the front door.

“And they say chivalry is dead.” My voice is dripping with sarcasm, but Zack laughs and waits patiently as I unlock the door.

When we’re finally inside, Zack bolts the door behind us, then turns to me, and we immediately start tearing at each other’s clothes, scattering them about the room. I have to unzip and yank off my boots to get my tight jeans down my legs.

“Next time, you keep the boots on,” Zack murmurs. “They’re fucking hot.”

“So noted,” I reply and jump up into his arms, wrap my legs around his waist, and hold on as he carries me to my bedroom. “God, you feel good.”

My hands won’t stop roaming over his skin, his shoulders, his arms. I can’t wait to feel his back and stomach.

His cock.

“So do you, baby.” He lowers me to the bed and joins me, covering me with his large body. He rests his full cock against my folds, but doesn’t enter me as he kisses me with a fever unlike any I’ve ever seen. We’ve been starved for each other, and it’s only been a few days since we were last together.

With one hand in his hair, I glide the other down his back to his ass and hold on tightly, loving the way the muscles clench and move under my hand as he rocks his pelvis against my own.

“You’re so fucking wet,” he growls as his cock slides effortlessly through my dripping lips.

“Since the moment I saw you,” I agree and then
bite my lip when he pulls up to look down at me. “Should I not have said that?”

“I love that you said that,” he says as he pulls his knuckles down my cheek. “I’ve had a hard-on since the moment I heard your voice today.”

“Can you turn onto your back please?”

He frowns for a moment and then complies, dragging me with him. I shimmy down his body and before he can blink, I take his cock in my hand and wrap my lips around the head, sucking firmly.

“Holy fucking hell, Jilly!”

“Mmm,” I reply and begin to move quickly up and down, pumping my hand in sync with my mouth, making him crazy. He plunges his hands in my hair and holds on for dear life as I fuck him with my mouth.

“That’s right, sugar. Suck it.” He groans and flops his head back on the bed, then looks back down at me, watching. His abs tighten with the movement, begging me to brush my hand over them, up to his chest, over his nipples, and back down the small trail of dark hair that leads to his dick. “You look amazing, Jill.”

I kiss his thighs and work my way up his body, straddling him, then guide his thick cock to my entrance, and sink down onto him.

“Ah shit,” I moan as I sink down as far as I can. He’s filling me, completely. His hands glide from my breasts to my hips and back again, as though they can’t decide where they most want to be.

“You’re so fucking gorgeous,” he growls, watching me with hot eyes as I begin to ride him. I circle my clit with one hand and ride him earnestly, and his eyes glaze over. “That’s right. Touch yourself, baby. Oh God, you’re clenching around me like a fist.”

He sucks in a breath and watches as I continue to masturbate while riding him. His eyes finally meet mine and he bites his lip as he grips my wrist in his hand and brings the fingers to his own lips, licks them, and then kisses them as he sits up straight and wraps his arms around me. He takes control, holding me still as he thrusts in and out of me, his eyes never leaving mine.

“I fucking love your pussy,” he whispers and nibbles at my lips. “Your mouth. Your tits.”

“I love it when you talk dirty,” I reply and moan when he pulls me down onto him, so hard I almost see stars. “Fuck me, Zack.”

“I am,” he replies with a wolfish grin. “And I plan to for a while yet.”

“Oh God, I’m going to come, baby.”

“The only thing better than watching you come is making you come, Jilly.” He kisses me hard and thrusts deep and I come apart, shivering. I wrap my arms around his neck and hug him close.

“I missed you,” I whisper into his ear.

“She’s doin’ better, boss,” Louie assures me as he runs his hand down Lily’s flank. Louie has been a ranch hand at the Lazy K since I was a kid. I trust him completely—with our animals, our land, and our family.

“You gave us a scare, didn’t you, girl?” I pet her neck and smile when she nudges my face with her muzzle¸ asking for apples. “You can have apples in a few more days.”

“Nothin’ more frustrating than watching a horse with colic,” Louie says with a shake of the head.

“Or more exhausting,” I agree. “I’m pretty strong, but I’m not built to make a horse stand on her feet when she doesn’t want to.”

“You did good, son.” Louie scratches his head and nods at my dad and Josh as they come into the barn.

“How’s our Lily this morning?” Dad asks as he claps Louie on the shoulder. The two men have had an employer/employee relationship for close to thirty years and are also the best of friends.

“She’s holding her own, finally.”

Josh steps into the stall to give the horse some attention. Dad watches with pride in his eyes, takes a quick glance around, and then says, “I’d like to steal Louie away for a few hours and mend some fence in the west pasture. That last snowstorm was a bitch.”

“So much for retirement,” Josh says tauntingly.

“Your mother has me signing up for exercise classes at that new fancy gym in town and volunteered me to help with the winter carnival. For God’s sake, son, cut an old man a break.”

“This is your ranch, Dad.” I laugh and carry tack to the other side of the barn. “You’re welcome to do whatever you want.”

“Exactly,” he agrees with a grumble. “And if I have to watch one more episode of
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
, I’m going to lose my mind. Now your mother wants to buy an RV and drive around the country, trying all those places to eat. I’ll weigh four hundred pounds before a month is out.”

Josh is laughing in earnest now, and Louie is coughing, masking his own laughter.

“Mom just wants you to enjoy retirement, Dad,” I assure him.

“I’ll enjoy it just fine right here, riding my damn horses and checking the fence.”

“Well then, let’s see to it.” Louie motions for Dad to lead him outside. “Call if you need us, boys.”

When the barn door closes, Josh and I shake our heads at each other and grin. “I hope he never retires,” I say.

“He’d go crazy, and Mom knows it. She just likes to rile him up.”

“Seems all the King women enjoy doing that.”

Josh nods and pats Lily on the neck, then walks out of the stall and closes it behind him. “So how is Jilly?”

“She’s doing well.”

“Okay, stubborn ass, how are things with
you
and Jilly?”

I fold a saddle blanket and throw it on a pile of blankets and then prop my hands on my hips. “It’s going . . . really well.”

“That’s great.”

“Is it?” I rub my fingers over my lips as I think about the beautiful woman that has managed to capture my heart in such a short amount of time.

“Why wouldn’t it be? Jill’s awesome.”

“I feel like a selfish bastard, J.”

“Why?” He frowns at me and leans his hips against the wall. “Does she think it’s more than you do?”

“No, it’s not just sex for me, man. She’s amazing. Funny. Smart as hell and yeah, she’s sexy as fuck. But
Jesus, is it fair to ask her to take on all of my fucking baggage?”

“Did you ask
her
that?”

“Yeah.”

“What did she say?”

“That she has baggage of her own.” I shrug and pace around the barn. “But seriously, I have a kid who is about to be a teenager, and we all know how hard that’s gonna be.”

“Seth is great, and he’ll be easier than you think.”

“I have a bitch of an ex-wife . . .”

“Who you never hear from, thank God.”

“I have guilt issues from when I was deployed . . .”

“That you’re working through.”

I stop and glare at my brother.

“Seems to me,” he continues, “that you have a lot of excuses, but I think you’re just scared.”

“I’m not scared of a girl,” I scoff and then I swallow hard. “Holy fuck, I’m terrified. This is worse than taking fire in the red zone.”