Gone Country (Rough Riders #14)(81)

When Rielle couldn’t take any more, when she felt the tingling zip in her tailbone and her vaginal muscles tightening around his cock, she arched, coming hard with a gasp she couldn’t contain.


Then Gavin’s lips were on hers, absorbing the sound. He pumped into her faster; his deep groan rumbled in her mouth as he followed her over the edge.


Sometime later—several minutes at least—sprawled on her body, he murmured, “I never want to move,” and started kissing her neck in that distracting way.


“You have to so I can breathe. You are one solid man.”


“And you’re such a delicate flower.” He pushed up and his perfect lips were curled into a very sexy, very satisfied male grin. “I’m starved.”


“Good thing I brought you a snack. But I’ll bet your tea is cold.”


“Hot woman or hot tea. I’ll take the hot woman every time.”


Chapter Twenty-Four


Just to prove his point, Gavin made supper and didn’t allow Rielle to help. He forced her to sit at the breakfast bar with a whiskey Coke, and the stack of catalogues she’d been stockpiling but hadn’t made time to read.


After he’d thrown the sliced potatoes, kielbasa and onions in the pan, he poured himself a drink and sat beside her. She was idly flipping through a beekeeper’s supply catalogue.


“See anything you can’t live without?”


“Not so far. It’s crazy how much the prices have increased since last year. Since there isn’t a local supplier, I’m stuck paying premium prices and shipping.”


“I admit, I find beekeeping a lot more fascinating than I used to.”


Rielle batted her eyelashes. “Because I explained it so well or because I look so completely sexy covered up in the beekeeper suit holding a smoker?”


“Must be the latter.” He snatched her hand and kissed her knuckles. “So honey, we need to talk.”


She rotated on her barstool. “Is this about how hot it was when you threw me on the floor and f*cked me senseless in your office?”


“No.” He allowed a wolfish smile. “But it was f*cking amazing.”


“What’s amazing to me is I finally know what heart-pounding passion feels like. It’s a first. You say that I don’t let you do things for me. Without sounding mushy, what you give me when we’re alone together is something I’ve never had before.” She kissed the back of his hand. “So thank you.”


Maybe the booze had loosened her tongue, but he was grateful she was finally opening up to him. “You’re welcome. You do know it’s the same for me, right?” His eyes searched hers. “I’ve never had this with anyone else. I don’t want to go too fast or push too hard because I’m used to getting things my way, on my timeframe.”


“No,” she said with sarcasm. “Really? I never noticed that about you, tycoon.”


“Such a smart mouth. But I am serious, Ree. I don’t want to screw this up.”


“You won’t. I won’t let you. Because I’m right there with you in trying to figure this out.”


“Good. Now onto the other thing we need to discuss. Christmas. Or more accurately Christmas vacation.”


She didn’t pull back.


Encouraged, he laid it all out there. “The Paris trip is off. For a number of reasons; the biggest one was that Sierra didn’t want to go. There’s no way I’ll force my daughter into a situation she doesn’t want to be in. But she also needed to understand her mother has every right to spend time with her. So we arrived at a compromise.”


“Which is?”


“We’ll spend Christmas here as planned. Then three days after Christmas, Sierra and I will fly to Arizona. Ellen will fly over from France and she and Sierra will spend two weeks together in Scottsdale.”


“That’s a great compromise, although I’d bet you’re paying for Ellen’s plane ticket.”


Of course Rielle would pick up on that. “That’s a much cheaper solution than us going to Paris.”



“True.” Rielle looked at him thoughtfully. “What else?”


“I want you to come to Arizona with me. Not for the full two weeks, but just a week. Rory will only be here for a few days over the holiday, so it’s not like you’d have to sacrifice time with her to be with me.”


“I want to point out that this is me listening to you, not immediately saying no.”


“She can be taught.” He grinned. “Ellen has made it clear that her time with Sierra does not include me. I need to go to Phoenix, not only to make sure Ellen actually shows up, but to handle year-end business. I own a piece of property we can stay in, meaning no hotel costs. I have a company car to use, meaning no rental car costs. So the only upfront, out-of-pocket expense is the airfare.”


Rielle broke eye contact and sipped her drink.


“I’d prefer to pay your way, since this is my idea, but I know how…independent you are, so I’d agree to you buying your own plane ticket.”