The Reluctant Bride (Montana Born Brides) (11 page)

“
What?”

“
How many layers do you have on?” he asked in a sweetly aggravated tone.

“
You’re getting closer to skin,” she said, biting his bottom lip before suckling it.

He thrust his tongue deeply into her mouth in a carnal way that made her wet.
She needed more, rocked her hips forward to rub herself against his erection. His big warm hands were against the skin of her back, moving slowly up her spine, holding her with one hand between her shoulder blades and forcing her to arch toward him.

He rubbed his chest over hers, but it was frustrating because there were too many layers in the way.
She let go of his shoulders and unzipped his shearling coat and found the buttons of his flannel shirt. She leaned back a little so that she could slowly open it. He had an undershirt on and she tipped her head to the side and arched both eyebrows.

“
How many layers do
you
have on?”

He laughed.
“Touché. It was cold this morning.”

“
Leave it to you to heat it up,” she said.

“
Was it me? I thought it was you. Give me a second,” he said, walking back to the tree trunk where they’d had their breakfast and grabbing the blanket. The horses happily grazed nearby and, as she watched him coming back to her, she felt a shaft of fear again.

Not because she was trapped, but because she
’d almost lost him. She hadn’t realized how much she needed Monty until right now. She needed more than his strength. She needed his humor and, as he climbed up in the bed of the truck and spread the blanket out, she realized she needed his body.

“
Come here,” he said, as he settled onto his side and stretched out on the blanket.

She crawled over to him, pushed him onto his back and straddled his lap.
He was still hard and she rubbed herself against him. He grabbed her hips and rocked against her, reaching between them to undo his pants and hers.

She reached into the opening of his pants and stroked the length of his cock.
It had been so long and she ached for him. All those nights when she’d pretended that her fantasies were as good as the real thing were shown for a lie. Nothing felt as good as Monty.

She leaned down and kissed his chin, pushed his shirt up so she could see his chest.
She dropped kisses on his flat nipples and noticed a fresh scar on his side. It was puckered, and no longer red but sort of pink. She rubbed her finger over it and looked up at him.

“
Not now,” he said.

She licked it and kissed it, reaching lower between his legs to touch him and reassure herself that he was here with her.

She kissed her way down his flat stomach and he tangled his hands in her hair and pulled her head back up toward his. He sat up and wrapped his arms around her as their mouths met and tongues tangled. The fire in her body was matched by the flames in her soul. She wanted him, and she needed this moment to last forever and be a sort of salve for the past.

She knew it couldn
’t change things or make anything right again, but at this moment none of that mattered. She arched against him as he cupped her breasts through the thin layer of her undershirt, stroking her nipples and leaning down to suckle her through the fabric. She rocked against him, frustrated by the layers of cloth that separated them.

He slipped his hands down her back and underneath the layers of her bottoms, cupping her butt.
She loved the way his big hands felt on her skin as he rocked her against his length. She needed more. Wanted him with a desperation that scared her.

She tucked that away to analyze later because she hadn
’t thought that being with him would be as frightening as being without him. She hung on to him as he lifted her off his lap, rolling them both to their sides. He pushed her leggings down her and lifted the undershirt she wore, and then covered her body with his. She felt the brush of his t-shirt over her nipples and then the tickling sensation of his chest hair. He rotated his shoulders, rubbing his chest over hers.

She moved her legs, working her pants down, and they got trapped at her ankles by her boots, but Monty found his way between them.
She felt the tip of his cock against her center and she arched her back wanting him inside of her.

“
Are you still on the pill?” he asked.

“
Yes. I am.”

He kissed her again, and she felt his hips move and the tip of him poised at the entrance of her body before he thrust deep inside her and waves of sensation started to wash over her.
She felt tears stinging the back of her eyes as he filled her completely and started thrusting in and out. She clung to his shoulders, buried her face in his shoulder and let herself admit that she needed this man and that was why she had run. Not because of anything else other than she now knew how fragile life could be and she didn’t want to take a chance on losing him.

He reached between their bodies, his fingers dancing over her clit, and she shook with the power of her orgasm.
He kept thrusting, driving her toward a second climax, whispering highly sexual words in her ear as his hips thrust harder and faster, and then he shook and called her name as he emptied himself into her body.

Her heart beat so hard, and she held Monty to her with a strength that belied her need to keep him with her.

Monty held Risa in his arms, rolling to his side and catching his breath. Not for the first time, he was painfully aware of how confusing she could be. He saw the wetness in her eyes, knew she’d cried but suspected he hadn’t hurt her.

“
Did I hurt you?”

She shook her head.

“I just didn’t realize how much I’d missed you.”

She rolled to her side and righted her clothing. He tucked himself away and zipped his pants and sat there on the blanket.
He could let her go, get back on the horses and go about their day, but he didn’t want that, not yet.

Nothing had changed.
They’d both glimpsed a little of each other, and letting her go right now seemed wrong. He reached for her wrist and tugged at it she sat down next to him, and he pulled her into his arms. “Just let me cuddle you for a second.”

“
I thought girls were supposed to be the ones who liked to cuddle?”

“
Maybe. I can’t speak for every guy out there. I just know that while I have you in my arms I’d like to hold you.”

She settled closer to him and he noticed her knit cap had fallen off and her curls were springy under his chin.
He loved that crazy, wild hair of hers. Wished he’d taken the time to really touch it. This was too quick. He still wanted more and he wasn’t sure if she’d stay.

Had this made things better between them, or was she going to try to run away again?

He tightened his arms around her and she squeezed back. “I’ve got to be back in town for ten.”

He glanced at his watch.
That didn’t give them much time to get back. “Let’s go.”

“
I’m sorry. It’s just that I have two brides coming in this morning and I need to be there.” She stood up and walked to the end of the truck bed and hopped down. He followed her.

She was edging her way away from him again.
Creating a distance. He didn’t know why. He only knew he was going to let her see that she wasn’t alone in wanting space. It went against the grain to retreat but, in this case with Risa, it seemed this was what he needed to do.

“
It’s okay. I’ve got work to do as well.”

She folded up the blanket and draped it over her arm, before giving him a curious look.
“I thought you were on leave. What work?”

“
I told you I’m a security consultant, didn’t I?” he asked. He’d been doing some work for a company in United Arab Emirates.

“
I don’t know what that means.”

“
I am analyzing some plans and recommending the kind of passive and active security that’s needed. We talked about lunch later today, but I might be busy. What do you say to a rain check?”

She watched him with those big brown eyes of hers and he realized he still had no idea what she was thinking.
He’d fooled himself once that he’d had a clue, but he wasn’t about to do that again. He was going to have to treat Risa and their engagement like he was in enemy territory until he had some indication that she wasn’t going to run again.

“
Sure. That sounds good to me. Just give me a call when you want to reschedule…are we still engaged?” she asked.

“
You’re still wearing my ring,” he said, remembering the moment when he’d given her the marquis-cut diamond and that surge of happiness, joy, love and lust he’d felt when she’d said yes. Now he was unsure.

“
Yes, I am. I don’t want this distance between us,” she said. “But I’m glad that you are giving me some time.”

“
Of course. I don’t want to force you to marry me. I want you to want me and miss me and come to me and say that you need me.”

“
Wow. That’s a heavy order,” she said.

“
Exactly, so we’ll take our time.”

She didn
’t say anything else as they packed up their breakfast and he helped her back on her horse. “I’m not sure why I thought pretending I could ride was a good idea.”

“
You aren’t pretending anymore,” he said, as he mounted his horse and led the way back to his home. “You are riding. You’re not an expert but you are doing it.”

“
I am, aren’t I?”

The sun warmed the air and after they stabled the horses and were in his truck heading back to Marietta, he realized that Risa was staring at him.
When he slowed the truck and looked over her, she glanced away.

“
What?”

“
I just…I wish…I’m sorry, Monty. I wish I’d stayed in Vegas and waited for you. I think we could have figured things out together.”

He wished that as well.
But he suspected that would have been a false happiness, because the panic she’d spoken of this morning still lingered in the back of her eyes. Until she felt comfortable and at home in his arms, she was always going to have one eye on the door.

“
Have a good one,” he said as he pulled up behind her shop and she opened the door. She got out and closed it. Two women rounded the corner, and Risa’s entire persona changed as she waved at them before looking back at him.

She looked over at him and walked around to the driver
’s side of the truck. He rolled down his window.

“
Forget something?”

“
This,” she said, leaning up on tiptoe and kissing him. There was bravado in the kiss and he thought maybe a promise.

“
Thanks for breakfast,” she said, as she pulled away. He watched her walk to the door of her shop and greet the women before going inside.

She was determined people see them as a happy couple with no problems.
Well, that could work in his favor. He’d take her out and see how far she was willing to go to keep up appearances.