Country Heat (King Creek Cowboys Book 1) Page 9

  Her skin flushed with heat, perspiration breaking out over her flesh. His body was slick against hers, the heat between them growing with every movement they made.

  Another climax roared toward her, faster and faster. Like a tsunami raging toward an island, there was no stopping what was coming next.

  Pleasure expanded and grew to proportions that were out of her control.

  Higher, higher, higher--

  Her orgasm slammed into her like a giant wave crashing down on the shore. Her cry was louder this time. A part of her recognized that she might just have scared away every animal in the forest.

  The bigger part of her didn’t care. The fantastic orgasm that swept through her heated her entire body and caused her mind to swim.

  She didn’t think it was going to stop. She didn’t want it to stop. And then it was almost too much.

  Carter stiffened and as she watched him his jaws tensed, his teeth bared. He let out a powerful groan through clenched teeth as he pressed himself tight against her.

  His cock throbbed inside her as her core contracted around him.

  She watched him as his body went lax. All that kept him from collapsing on her were his arms, his muscles bulging as he braced his hands to either side of her head.

  His breaths came in ragged gasps and her own was uneven.

  He watched her, his gaze roving over her face. He brought his hands to her cheeks and brushed away droplets of perspiration from her cheeks.

  “I never planned for this to happen.” He didn’t take his eyes from hers. “But I’m glad it did.”

  She felt him still inside her--even now he still filled her completely.

  “I’m glad, too.” She smiled. “Sorry you didn’t get to finish your snickerdoodles.”

  He laughed and slid out of her before he eased off. He settled on his side next to her, and started to trace figure eights on her belly. “You know I’m going to want more.”

  She gave him a teasing look. “Cookies or sex?”

  “I want the whole package.” The corner of his mouth quirked into the cutest grin. “But I’ll take sex and cookies, too.

  What did he mean he wanted the whole package? She rolled to face him and searched his gaze, as if that would tell her.

  He traced her jawline with his fingertip. “You are an amazing woman, Kit. I’m glad you came into my life.”

  “Yeah.” She smiled. “Me, too.” A sudden gust of wind rushed over their bodies, cooling and drying their skin. She shivered. “Getting chilly out here.”

  He wrapped her in his embrace as he murmured in her ear. “I’ll keep you warm.”

  She relaxed and sighed. She could get used to this. Yeah, she could definitely get used to this.

  10

  The midnight sky looked like dark blue velvet studded with millions of crystals as Kit stared up at the stars. It was unbelievable how clearly she could see the stars, and how many. She’d never seen anything like this in the city.

  She lay next to Carter, on a blanket on the back lawn. She liked lying beside him, being with him. She thought about the first time they made love, and couldn’t believe weeks had already passed since that day.

  They held hands, a peacefulness between them. Cool air skimmed their skin. It had been a lower temperature today than usual in May, and now that it was so late the coolness chilled her nose.

  The low of cattle came from the north pasture and a calf bawled. A coyote chose that moment to howl, the sound echoing in the night. Several other coyotes started yipping, and then the night quieted again. Other than those distant noises, a sense of peacefulness had descended on the land.

  She sure didn’t miss city noises of traffic and what seemed like the frequent wail of sirens. She could truly come to love this. Truthfully, she already had.

  Fact was…she had fallen completely and hopelessly in love with Carter.

  Which was why she seriously needed to start thinking about moving back to L.A.

  A twinge of sadness threatened to overpower the happiness she felt now. This wouldn’t last, so she needed to leave before her heart was shattered forever. One day he would wake up and realize she wasn’t the right woman for him—she couldn’t have children.

  Anymore.

  She did owe him the truth before she left. He might even hate her when she told him because she had taken so long. She needed to do that tonight. God, it had been so hard trying to get everything out. She didn’t even know where to start. The longer she put it off, the harder it became to explain.

  Day by day she’d been waiting for all of “this” to end—everything good eventually did. She either made wrong choices or what could have been wonderful slipped away.

  Since she was going to leave, anyway, did she need to spill it all out?

  She wasn’t sure she had the strength to get herself to pack up and go.

  I can’t stay. She swallowed. This perfect bubble is going to burst, and I don’t want to be here when it does.

  Carter’s hand felt warm around hers, and comfortable, like they had done this a thousand times before. She liked how he was always finding excuses to touch her and be around her. He came into the kitchen frequently during the day and spent most of every evening with her.

  The last weeks had been filled with getting settled in with her new position, and various trips and activities with Carter. More horseback riding, a visit to a local “Old West” museum, and hiking were some of the things they’d done. He also liked to take her out to dinner on some weeknights and brunch on Sundays—he’d said it was so someone could wait on her for a change. Some evenings they would just snuggle on the couch and watch a movie.

  It wasn’t easy being around the employees and not letting anyone see the boss was dating the brand new cook. Belle watched them closely when she was nearby, with eyes that saw way too much. Kit was afraid Grace had figured it out, too. If she didn’t like Kit allowing the boss to help her wash dishes, Grace certainly wouldn’t approve of a relationship.

  Being around his family members and keeping everything quiet was even harder. No doubt they suspected Kit and Carter were seeing each other, but they didn’t press, and Carter didn’t offer.

  In front of everyone they were casual together, but when alone, they were anything but.

  She didn’t know why she had let it all happen. She hadn’t intended to lead him on. It was like she was addicted to him, or addicted to love, or both.

  “The stars are so bright, and there are so many.” A brilliant light flared in the dark sky and she pointed in that direction. “A shooting star.”

  “Make a wish.” Carter took her hand and squeezed it. “It’s supposed to be good luck to wish upon a falling star.”

  “I’ve never done that.” She closed her eyes, letting herself think about what she could possibly wish for. She had everything a woman could want.

  Carter, her mind whispered. You want a real relationship with him.

  Crazy thinking. She mentally shook her head. I’m leaving. He deserves so much better than me.

  Carter rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb. “What did you wish for?”

  She opened her eyes and gave him a mischievous smile. It was so natural to be playful with him. “It’s super-secret.”

  He ran his finger down her arm to the inside of her elbow, one sensitive spot where she was ticklish, and she shivered. “Do you want me to tickle it out of you?”

  “No.” She frowned at him. “Don’t you dare.”

  He released her hand, shifted, and braced his forearm on the blanket so that he was looking down at her. “Or what?”

  “No snickerdoodle cookies for you for a while.” She hoped that was enough to stop him from tickling her.

  He skimmed his finger from her elbow up to her cheek. “You’re tough.” He slid his finger down to her mouth and trailed his finger over her bottom lip.

  “You don’t know the half of it.” And he didn’t. She had learned to be more than tough on the street when she
’d been homeless with her mom and sister.

  He slid his hand into her hair. “You don’t talk about those days.”

  “I don’t like to talk about them.” She sighed. “It wasn’t a high point in my life.”

  “Tell me. I want to know everything about you.” He studied her. “How did you become homeless?”

  She rubbed her jeans with one hand hard enough to make her skin sting, as if that might help her relieve some of the weight of the memories.

  “After my dad died, we learned he’d mortgaged the house to the hilt, had taken loans out, maxed his and mom’s credit cards, and next to nothing was in the bank.” Kit’s throat hurt at the memory. “No life insurance, no retirement accounts. We found out he had a huge gambling problem, worse than Mom had realized. When he passed away, he left us with nothing.”

  “Damn.” Carter’s features darkened as he watched her, but she sensed anger simmering beneath his skin. “I wish like hell I could have been there for you and your sister and mother back then.”

  For a moment they were both quiet, before she started again. “Mom stopped working years before he died to stay at home with my sister and me, so she had no income.” Kit looked back at the stars. “There wasn’t enough social security built up. My dad had his own printing business, which was in the red, and the business owed tens of thousands in back taxes.” She shook her head. “It was the perfect storm to leave us homeless.”

  She continued, somehow needing to get it all out, to let Carter know everything. “When we knew the bank was going to kick us out of the house, we thought we would at least have my mom’s minivan to stay in until we could make enough money for somewhere to live. But two days before we got evicted, Mom’s minivan was repossessed. It turned out that Dad had secured a loan with Mom’s vehicle as collateral. So we didn’t even have that.”

  Anger burned beneath her skin. How could her father have done that to them and have left them with such a mess? She’d asked herself that question a thousand times.

  “Damn.” Carter shook his head. “I’m sorry you had to go through that, honey.”

  “It’s in the past, yet at the same time it feels like it wasn’t that long ago.” She watched another falling star. “We lived in San Francisco, so it was cold most of the time. We were able to sleep in shelters a great deal of the time.”

  Her voice lowered as shame heated her face. “In the early months, I even stole food. I’m not proud of it, but I had to do something so that we wouldn’t starve to death. I think that’s why I became a chef—we never had enough food.”

  “How did you get off the street?” The tenseness in Carter’s voice betrayed his strong emotions.

  “Mom and I took whatever legal and moral jobs we could find.” Kit’s throat constricted even more. “Small jobs at first, then gradually better positions and better money. Mom socked away everything that she made. What I brought in clothed and fed us.”

  “And now look at you both.” A certain amount of pride for her was in Carter’s voice and that warmed her heart. “Your mom owns the bookstore coffee shop and you’re an incredible chef. Being the head chef at a deluxe boutique hotel is no small accomplishment.”

  “Thank you.” She turned her head and smiled at him. “That means a lot.”

  He stroked hair away from her face. “You must have been through a hell of a lot when you were on the street.”

  “Yes.” It was time for her to tell him everything. About things she’d seen and done…about the older boy…and about the baby.

  She had tried to tell Carter so many times, and every single time she got choked up and couldn’t get the words out. It was one of the most painful events in her life, and so much emotion was wrapped up tightly inside her. Pain, embarrassment, shame, guilt. She felt like she could never begin to be able to unravel it.

  The longer she took, the more it was going to seem like a lie. Day by day it got harder and harder. She just needed to do it.

  Her lips parted as she started to speak. At the same time, Carter lowered his head and kissed her.

  His kiss wiped out every other thought in her mind. It was deep and sensual, a kiss that seared her very soul.

  “You’re so beautiful.” He ran his thumb over her damp lips. “I can’t get enough of looking at you. Hell, I can’t get enough of being with you.”

  She wanted to say she felt the same, but she couldn’t get the words out.

  I shouldn’t even be here.

  “I’ve lived a blessed life, I know that.” Carter rolled onto his back with his fingers laced behind his head. “We were poor when we were growing up, but we had a roof over our heads and plenty to eat. We didn’t want for anything—we had everything we needed.”

  He stared up at the stars. “There were so many of us that it took my parents a while to get to the point where they could afford a bigger house and things we wanted, but we never lacked.”

  “What about your grandparents?” He glanced at her. “You mentioned they died on the way to see your father in the hospital.”

  She nodded, her hair sliding against the blanket. “They did.” Her heart twinged with sadness. “Everything they owned went to my dad’s brother. He sold it all and took off to God knows where. He didn’t even help Mom with the funerals. Three of them. That wiped out every remaining penny we had.”

  This time a tear did roll down her cheek. “When I was old enough to learn everything, I swore I’d punch that bastard if I ever saw him again.”

  “Did you?” he asked softly.

  “Never saw him again.”

  “Too bad.”

  She smiled. “It would have been satisfying to let Uncle Darren have it.”

  He was quiet a moment before he said, “The barbeque is only a week away.”

  Her mind started racing. “There’s so much I need to take care of before then. I want to make sure it turns out well.”

  He clasped her hand and brought it to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “Knowing you, it will be perfect.”

  She smiled. “Thank you.”

  “After the day of the party, we’ll get started on that garden you wanted.” He held her hand in his. “Now that things are slowing down, we’ll get it ready to go in no time.”

  “You remembered.” She looked at him with surprise. “I thought you’d forgotten.” She’d also decided it wasn’t a good idea since she didn’t plan on staying.

  The thought of leaving made her heart hurt.

  He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. “How could I forget?”

  “Thank you.” Even if it wasn’t going to happen, she appreciated that he wanted to do it for her.

  God. She shouldn’t have let things get even this far. Leaving was going to crush her.

  “It’s getting late.” He wrapped her in his embrace. “We’ll be heading for the homeless shelter in Phoenix pretty early in the morning.”

  “I’m so happy to be involved here.” She snuggled closer to him. “I did all I could in L.A., but it never seemed like enough. As a matter-of-fact, I don’t think I can ever do enough. The kindness of strangers meant everything when people helped us or gave us food.”

  “What kinds of things did you do in L.A.?” he asked.

  “I headed a committee to find donors for clothes and items for youths under eighteen, and I cooked and made things for the homeless.” She grinned. “Believe it or not, I can also crochet a mean hat.”

  He laughed. “Crochet?”

  “You bet.” She nodded. “The sport of champions.” He chuckled and she went on. “I also know how to braid rugs and blankets from old T-shirts, which make amazingly comfortable covers.”

  “You can teach me.” He rubbed the tip of her nose with his. “I could crochet pretty little doilies.”

  She almost snorted with laughter as she pictured the big man making doilies. “I think you should stick to the things you do now—like building houses for families in need. You’ve helped with some beautiful homes.”

  “Li
ke you said, it never seems like enough.”

  She nodded.

  “Let’s get to bed.” He released her and rolled to his feet, then reached his hand for hers before helping her up. “I see a good deal of cuddling ahead.”

  She laughed and kissed him. “My crystal ball tells me the same thing.”

  11

  The Saturday of the barbeque dawned bright and sunny. Carter looked up at a cloudless blue sky that promised a beautiful day ahead.

  His gaze returned to Kit. God, she was beautiful. Every time he saw her, every chance he had to be with her, his heart grew fuller and fuller. He’d enjoyed women, he’d had close relationships with a few—but he’d never loved any of them. Hell, he hadn’t even known what love felt like.

  Until now.

  Love. Damn. But there it was.

  I love Kit.

  Kit swept her gaze over the tables and chairs set out on the extensive back lawn. “This couldn’t be a more perfect day.”

  Carter put his arm around her shoulders “I ordered the weather just for you.”

  She leaned her head against his chest. “Thank you, for being so sweet like that.”

  He laughed. He loved their conversations and their playful banter.

  “I’d better get back to work.” She raised her head and he let his arm slide from her shoulders, even though he wanted to continue to hold her. “You go do your thing and I’ll do mine.”

  He saluted. “Yes, Ma’am.”

  She laughed and swatted him with the kitchen towel she pulled out of her pocket.

  “Ouch.” He rubbed his ass. “I think you’d better kiss my boo-boo.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Get on out of here, cowboy.”

  He checked his cellphone for the time and then ruffled her silky hair. “Guests start arriving in two hours.”

  “Hey.” She smoothed down her hair. “Watch the ’do. I just took a shower and fixed it.”

  “That’s why you smell so good.” He lowered his head and drank in her orange blossom scent. Such a clean and fresh scent. “You always smell good.”

  “Last time I’m going to tell you.” She put her hands against his chest and he felt the heat of them through his shirt. “Go on now.”