Gone Country (Rough Riders #14)(28)

He brushed loose strands of her hair back. His gaze encompassed her face, from the frown lines between her eyebrows even in sleep, to the smattering of freckles across her nose, to her fantasy-invoking lips.


It was only a matter of the right timing until they became lovers. The spark between them had burned a little hotter every time they were together. As much as Gavin wanted that explosion, he was a patient man.


Rielle opened her eyes and blinked sleepily. “Sorry for crashing on you. Guess I was more tired than I thought.”


“Sierra conked out too. You’d think we were watching Seabiscuit.”


She smiled and her gaze cut to Sierra sprawled on the couch. Then she tried to squirm away, but Gavin held her in place.


“No worries. She’s snoring.” Gavin kept stroking her cheek, gauging her reaction.


“What are you doing?” she whispered.


“Nothing. Yet. But I can think of a whole lot of things I’d like to do with you.” He caressed her face. “So pretty.”


Rielle blushed. “You don’t have to say that.”


“But it’s true.” His eyes searched hers, hating to see such wariness. “Why don’t you believe it?”


“Because guys never say stuff like that to me. Even casually. Or jokingly.”


“I’m not joking. I’m not the guy who only compliments a pretty woman because I want to get into her pants.”


“So you’re not a player like the rest of the McKays?”


Gavin wanted to laugh. If she only knew he spent more time on the bench than in the game. “I’ve been here two months. Have you seen me with a woman or five?”


She shook her head.


“That’s because I’m not that guy.”


“I’m glad.”


He moved his hand down to outline those lush lips. “Goddamn your mouth drives me crazy.” He leaned closer, intending to kiss her.


“Gavin, we shouldn’t.”


“But we’re going to anyway. Close your eyes.”


She looked unsure for a moment and then she lowered her eyelids, her long eyelashes dark against her skin.


Gavin breathed a sigh of relief that she hadn’t balked. Since he wasn’t any kind of lady killer lothario, he was completely winging it with her. Apparently she liked when he took charge.


He teased her mouth, using his lips to nibble on hers. Drawing his tongue across the seam of her velvety lips, feeling the edge of her teeth and the quick dart of her tongue.


Rielle opened wider on a soft moan, and Gavin dove into the wet warmth of her mouth. Immediately the kiss caught fire. She arched up to meet his plundering tongue, her breasts mashed to his chest. He pinned her right arm above her head and his hand drifted down to the outside of her breast. He caressed the generous swell, each stroke getting closer to her nipple.


At this angle his cock pressed painfully against his zipper. Gavin shifted slightly, cupping her whole tit in his hand. He broke the kiss, scattering tiny biting kisses to her ear. He murmured, “I have to stop or I won’t be able to.”


“I know.” Her hand brushed his scalp, sweetly, tenderly and then she pushed him away and sat up.


Their gazes connected. She smiled. “Heck of a goodnight kiss, Gavin.”


“Wish it could be more.”


“Me too.” She stood and stopped in front of Sierra. She gently pried the popcorn bowl out of her hand and set it on the coffee table. She pulled the edge of the blanket off the floor and draped it over her feet. Then she quietly disappeared down the stairs.



He remained there, not watching TV, just thinking about Rielle’s sweetness and fire. A potent combination. And he’d started to realize he wasn’t such a patient man after all.


Gavin had been expecting Vi Tuesday afternoon, but the doorbell chiming like the clang of a dinner bell startled him.


He opened the door and saw she held a big box. He immediately took it from her. “I could’ve carried this in for you. There’s fresh coffee in the kitchen.”


She unbuttoned her wool coat and unwound a vibrant scarf. “It is so damp out today. Coffee sounds heavenly.”


After he dumped the box in the dining room, he saw Vi sitting at the breakfast bar, poking buttons on her cell phone.


The glob of dough on the marble countertop hadn’t magically transformed itself into pie crust. He grabbed the rolling pin, determined to get the damn crust to roll out evenly before his snarky daughter returned home.


When the rolling pin squeaked, Vi glanced up and scrutinized the mess. “You’re making a pie?” she asked with surprise.


“Attempting to make a pie is more like it.”


“Why?”


“I lost a bet. Sierra challenged me to bake a pie and I had to swear that I wouldn’t get Rielle to help me.”


She drummed her fingers on the counter. “What kind of pie?”


“Cherry. I don’t have to make the filling from scratch. I’m having a hard enough time with the crust. The dough is sticky.”


“It gets that way after it’s been at room temperature for a while.”