“This place reminds me of Malibu a little.”
The manipulation near her temples came to a halt and the muscles of his thighs tensed beneath her head.
Detecting the heavy shift in his energy, Ember peeked up through one eye. His jaw was rigid and set tight to one side, gnawing on the inside of his lower lip. The turmoil building in his eyes turned the ocean of blue into a stormy sea of darkness.
Uncertain of what sparked the internal battle going on inside him, she continued in a ramble, “The cool air plus the humidity and smells of the river…they remind me of the beach. A little.”
After a whole sixty seconds, he grimaced, brows knitting with concern. “Do you miss California?”
The way he enunciated the word miss, she knew it was a loaded question. She just couldn’t figure out why the mention of Malibu struck a nerve.
Turning her head to the side, Ember peered out beyond the foliage. Bare feet crossed at the ankles, she turned one foot in a small circular motion, contemplating.
“I do. I miss my clients, but I truly miss teaching. Yoga has been an integral part of my life for so long it’s like breathing for me. And, of course, the beach makes for a nice view every day. But I don’t miss the traffic or the crowds,” she snickered.
The softness previously surrounding his eyes now pleated with uneasiness as Nash toyed with a lock of her dark hair. Their conversation was sliding into unchartered territories, but she couldn’t decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Either way, she was tired of having the ranch, or anything else, wedged between them.
Ember lifted her hand to his jaw, gently stroking. “What is it? What did I say?”
Lips pursed tight, he shook his head, eyes never budging from hers. “It’s nothing.”
“Doesn’t feel like nothing.” Ember sat upright. Wriggling sideways, she scooted into his lap and loosely draped her arms around his neck.
“Damn it all to hell, woman,” he cursed, turning his head to avert her curiosity.
Shadows of dancing leaves played over his rigid features. Swinging his gaze back to meet hers, he pushed his fingers into her hair, clasping her skull. Heat from his ragged breath fanned across her lips right before he crushed his mouth to hers. Tongues tangling, he deepened the pressure licking into the heat. The wildness of the kiss, possessive and claiming, spilled through her soul drawing a low moan from deep in her throat.
Breaking the connection, he brushed his firm, full, sexy lips back and forth over hers. “Why do you have to be so intuitive?”
“I swear, I wasn’t trying. I can just sense when you’re…conflicted.”
“I know! That’s what makes it so damn frustrating. You know exactly how to react to me. No matter what my mood, you ease in around me, not pushing or prying, simply allowing me my own mental space.”
Ember’s mouth bowed south in sympathy, blown away by his transparency. Leaning closer, she placed a trail of soft kisses down the curve of his neck.
“My mom says it’s a gift,” she admitted in a quiet voice. “It’s true, I can usually sense when you’re upset, but at the moment I have no idea why you’re so frazzled.”
Nash clutched her by the arms, putting a few inches between them. His eyes narrowed, staring down at her with smoldering intensity. “Look, for three months, I’ve restrained myself from asking questions. We both dance around every subject regarding Walker Ranch, but I need to know if you’re leaving. And at this point…this has nothing to do with the ranch. I need to know if you’re going back to California?”
The air swirled with unspoken emotion.
Slivers of light shone through the cracks of his fortified heart like the sun shining through the thick foliage of the ancient oak.
In a blatant invitation, Ember kicked a leg toward the sky and rotated her bottom to straddle his hips. Spikey shadows cast across his cheeks, looking down between her spread thighs. The storm clouds in his eyes vanished leaving nothing but hunger and lust.
Notes of playfulness vibrated in her tone asking, “Nash Harris, are you saying you’d like me to stick around?”
This roused a smile. Every tiny muscle in his face softened. Clasping hold of her hips, his fingers knotted into the knit fabric of her dress. With one small yank, he lifted the dress above her head and tossed it over a branch. Need and desire infused his long, heated gaze, roaming over her naked body in a slow meticulous assessment.
“Yes, I guess that’s what I’m asking.”
His admission made her spirits soar in shameless delight. Feeling the bulge in his jeans swell to a full-blown erection lured a low groan from her parted lips. In the ultimate embodiment of sensual power, Ember reached behind her, resting her palms on his shins, exposing every inch of herself to him under the sunset glow.
A thick beat of sensual awareness pounded in her chest.
She’d never felt so vulnerable and powerful at the same time.
Slipping his fingers into her thick mane, he gave a little tug, drawing a raw, throaty moan from a secret place concealed within her core. It was the only response she could manage.
Sensations building strength, Ember came undone, feverishly yanking at his shirt and belt. “Off, I need these off.”
Nash obliged, discarding his tee to the floor, working the buckle and zipper to release himself from the confines of his boxers.
Raw hunger licked its way through her body. She’d never experienced this kind of delicious, unfiltered need. Her thighs quivered and her center throbbed uncontrollably as a rush of adrenaline ripped through her veins. She started to squirm, grinding against him.
Catching the thick ridge of his cock on the perfect rhythm of friction, her head dropped back, sending a joyous groan toward the heavens. He secured her in place keeping a firm grip on her hips as she began riding out the buildup of pleasure.
A cool breeze rustled through the branches, turning her nipples to hard points. Nash buried his nose between the plush valley of her breasts. Trailing his tongue from one delicate mound to the other, he took turns drawing each tight, bud into the scalding heat of his firm, wet mouth.
“Nash, oh yes. Feels so good.”
Nash rested his palm over her heart, measuring the frenzied cadence, slowing the burn deepening in the pit of her stomach. Fingers splayed wide, he dragged the flat of his hand past her breastbone to the side of her neck. The brightness in his eyes grew unruly, stroking her throat with his thumb.
“Sweetheart, if this is good just wait until I’m inside you.” He buried his face in the curve of her neck, kissing, biting, and sucking. The scrape of his teeth and roughness of his stubbled jaw on her tender flesh provoked another whimper. “Get up here and ride me.”
Perched on top of his hips, Nash scooted them to the center of the makeshift bed. Mesmerized by his sun-kissed skin and trail of dark hair leading from his navel to his boxers, she smoothed a hand down his cut abdomen. Everything about him lured her in.
Arousal brimming full force, she hooked her toes into the belt loops of his jeans and shimmied them to his ankles. Gazing down at his glorious cock jutting outward from the dark trim, she held out her hand and wiggled her fingers. “Wrapper?”
Before the words left her mouth, Nash grabbed the wallet from his jeans, producing a foil packet. “You’re welcome.”
“Oh, thank goodness.”