“I think you made it pretty clear,” I whispered.
“Now that I've had you, I want you all the time.”
“I feel the same way.”
“Good. You should have seen the way every guy in that place was looking at you while you rode that bull. They looked at you like they wanted you to be theirs.”
“But I'm not theirs.”
“No, you're fucking not. You’re mine.”
Heat curled in my belly, the spark of need growing rapidly. “This is turning out to be a very interesting girls’ night,” I said, hitching my leg over his hip and grinding against the hard bulge between his legs.
“It certainly is. Why did we wait so long to do this?”
“Because we're stupid.”
He laughed softly. “That's probably exactly right. I think we're both a little afraid too.”
“Fear makes people do dumb things.”
“Absolutely. Are you ready to go home with me now?” He kissed me again. This time, adding his tongue into the mix. Wickedly talented and promising so much more than just a kiss when we were in private.
“Yes. Let's go home.”
I didn't let go of him. I continued grinding against him, kissing him, feeling him. My hands gripped his waist. Fingers dug into the small of his back, feeling the hard lines of muscle he'd earned from hard work.
“Baby, if you don't stop, I'm gonna be fucking you against the wall of the Silver Spur. You gotta tell me to stop.”
His hands left my hair and trailed down my body until they cupped my ass, and he lifted me so my legs were wrapped around his waist. His hips pressed perfectly between my thighs. We were both wearing jeans and cowboy boots, not clothes that were easy access for a position like this. In that moment, I cursed myself for not wearing a dress.
The wind whipped my hair into my face, the air charged with the promise of a storm. But it was nothing compared to the feelings Mav sent roiling through me. I was a tempest of need, desperate for him to release all the energy building inside me.
“You need to stop,” I said, hating the words as they came out of my mouth. “Just until we get back to your house.”
He sighed and put me back on my feet, nodding because he knew I was right. “All right. Go tell Jenna you're ready to go. Meet me at my house.”
“What about Trent?”
“We brought our own trucks. He wasn't planning on getting drunk, and neither was I.”
“All right, I guess I'll see you in a bit.”
“I’ll be waiting and ready for you.”
“You’d better.” He grinned, then pressed one more kiss to my lips before taking my hand and walking me back to the entrance to the bar. He didn't come in. Instead, he tipped his hat to me and headed for his truck. As I went inside to face Jenna, I hoped to God I didn't look like I’d just been making out with Maverick Wilde because I'd have some serious questions to answer if I did.
14
Clara
My heart was racing as I pulled down the long road that bisected Wilde Horse Ranch and led toward the main house. Why? Because I was worried Sutton or Luke might spot me? Did it matter if they did? They knew Maverick and I were friends. Besides, they were both so caught up in their own lives, they likely didn't care one bit what I did or with whom. But still, my chest tightened and my belly fluttered when I took the sharp right turn just before the enormous main house no one lived in anymore and headed toward the secluded spot where Mav's place was.
I'd always loved this house. Small compared to the mansion where his father Wes had lived, this home still had three large bedrooms, three bathrooms, and plenty of space for a family. My favorite part was how it butted up right next to a pond where the melodic croaking of frogs filled the air on warm summer nights.
Two tall trees stood on either side of the house, offering shade, and an old tire swing was attached to a strong branch on one of them. I remember Mav telling me that before he moved in, their former ranch foreman and his family had lived here. Sutton's mama had been instrumental in building the home for him.
After I parked, I headed toward the house, my whole body lit up with anticipation and nervous energy. I'd never wanted to see him like I wanted to tonight.
“Where's the fire, darlin'?” His voice came from near the pond, making me jump as he stepped out of the shadow cast by the large tree.
“Holy God, Maverick. You scared me.”
His laughter made me smile. “Sorry. I was just out here doing some thinking, then you showed up.”
“Thinking about what?”
“About whether you'd show. And what I was gonna do with you if you did.”
He strode toward me, wearing only a tight white t-shirt, Wranglers, and boots. His hair was thick and wavy, mussed and begging me to run my fingers through the strands.
“What are you gonna do? I'm here.”
“I know what I want to do,” he murmured as he captured my wrist and ran the pad of his thumb gently over the sensitive skin on the underside of my wrist. “But only if you want me to.”
My breath caught in my throat. The air around us was thick with electricity, searching for something to ground it. The breeze, which had been light only moments ago, was picking up speed, and the bite of rain in the atmosphere was sharp in my nose. Thunder rolled overhead, the sky lighting up in the distance as a bolt of lightning arced through the clouds.
“We'd better get inside.” Mav's voice was low and tight.
“Not yet. Not until it gets closer.”
My nipples were hard points, my breasts heavy and full, and my skin felt like a live wire, ready to spark at a single touch. I wanted him to touch me. He stared at me, those eyes of his searching mine for what he needed. Trust. Maybe love, I wasn't sure. But I thought that even if Maverick Wilde thought he wasn't deserving of love, he wanted it.
Another bolt of lightning filled the sky, this one striking the ground somewhere on the horizon. The two of us waited for the rumble sure to follow. Moments later, a clap of thunder, closer this time, had me tensing.
Fat drops of warm rain fell from the sky, dotting his shirt rapidly until the white fabric was nearly transparent. I was in the same state, my top clinging to my skin.
Closing my eyes, I tilted my head back and held out my arms before spinning around like a kid, letting the rain soak me.
Mav caught me in his arms, his laughter deep and warm. Then his lips were on mine. We danced together in the storm, our kiss deepening as thunder rumbled.
“C'mon, darlin', we need to get inside. I only just got you; I'm not giving you up to a strike of lightning.”
I swallowed past the tightening in my throat and nodded, letting out a squeak of surprise when he scooped me into his arms and carried me up the few stairs to the front porch, then kicked open the door and continued on all the way down the hall to his bedroom.
“You left your door open,” I said through a laugh.
“I don't fucking care.”
“What if someone comes in?”
“Then they'll get a lesson on exactly how to love a woman because that's what I intend to do.”
Arousal careened through me, hitting me straight between my thighs. “Oh, really?”