As we walked back to my truck, I couldn’t help but slide my fingers through Emmy’s. She intertwined her fingers with mine, and damn, I felt like I was floating. I wasn’t sure when we crossed the line that led to this being okay, but damn, I’m glad we had.
Today was the best day I’d had in a long fucking time.
I opened her door for her, but stopped her before she got in by snagging one of her belt loops with my fingers. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do, but I needed to do something. This woman took up every piece of spare space in my brain, and I didn’t want to stay away from her any longer.
Honestly, I didn’t think I’d be able to stay away from her, no matter how hard I tried.
Emmy Ryder was just…more. She was more than anyone was, or than anyone would ever be.
She was kind and brave. She was also so fucking beautiful. It was getting more difficult to not let myself think of what it would be like to touch her, to claim her.
When she wrapped her legs around my waist in the water, I could feel the heat simmering underneath my skin. My attraction to her was intense, and I wasn’t sure how much longer I could tamp it down.
“Emmy—” I started, but didn’t get to finish because she gripped my shirt in both of her hands and pulled my face to hers.
The second our lips met, it was like I was on fire. I was too shocked to do anything but stand there with one of my fingers in her belt loop and her hands fisted in my shirt.
Emmy pulled away, too soon, but she pressed her forehead against mine. “You’ve chickened out on kissing me twice, so I did it myself,” she said. Her voice was breathy and perfect. The way she sounded made me overlook the fact that she’d just insulted me.
But she was right. And I hated that. Since when was I too shy to kiss a woman I was interested in?
I was going to have to make up for that. Immediately.
I needed to say something to her. Anything to keep her right here where I wanted her.
But I couldn’t. Emmy Ryder had just willingly put her mouth on mine. My brain was a pile of hay. Her grip loosened on my shirt and she started to pull away. Her cheeks were red. Was she…embarrassed? Shit. No. That wasn’t what I wanted. I wanted her mouth on mine. Move, Luke, move.
I couldn’t let her get away from me. It was her almost doing so that finally forced me to kick my dumb ass into gear.
I pulled on her belt loop again. On instinct, I brought my hand up to her throat and hauled her mouth back to mine.
This time, I didn’t just stand there.
I fisted my other hand through her still-damp hair and she wrapped her arms around my neck. I couldn’t get enough of her. This was everything.
She was everything.
I traced my tongue along the seam of her lips, begging for entry.
I would take whatever this woman would give me.
She let me in, and I dominated her mouth. Our kiss was hot and frenzied. She was clutching at my shirt again, like she couldn’t get close enough to me.
I was way ahead of her. I brought both of my hands down to cup her perfect fucking ass and lifted her off the ground. She wrapped her legs around my middle, the same way she had in the water. It drove me insane then, and it was driving me insane now. I was already hard for her.
Emmy bit my lower lip, and I couldn’t hold back any longer.
I turned us around so her back was facing the inside of my truck. I didn’t break our kiss as I carefully moved both of us inside, pushing her along the bench until she was laying down, legs still wrapped around me, and I was on top of her.
Exactly where I wanted to be.
Her legs fell open and I nestled myself between them. My mouth was still glued to hers. I was taking everything I could from her. Her body felt like it belonged under mine.
Between this and having to watch her in that goddamn swimsuit all day, I was probably about forty-five seconds from blowing in my pants like a fucking fifteen-year-old.
But I didn’t care.
All I cared about was Emmy, about being close to her, about the fact that I finally had her in my arms.
She trailed her hands down my spine over my t-shirt, and I broke her kiss only so I could bring my lips to her neck. I could feel her pulse under my tongue. Her heart was beating as fast as mine.
I kissed a trail down to her collarbone, and she moaned. I wanted to memorize everything about her, with my mouth, my hands, my tongue.
“Fuck, Emmy,” I said. My voice was hoarse. “You’re so fucking perfect.”
She moaned again, and I couldn’t help but thrust my hips into her. She brought her hands to my hair, knocking my hat off. I kissed my way back up her neck and to her lips again.
“Oh my god,” she said against my lips. “More, I need more.” I thrust again, and she moaned. I kissed her harder, like I was trying to swallow her moans.
I traced my hand down over her breast and squeezed. Her breath hitched when I did it. I wanted that breath hitch imprinted on my brain.
“Emmy,” I breathed. “If we keep going, I’m not going to be able to stop.” She pulled away from my kiss and brought her hands to my face. She was looking me dead in the eye when she said:
“I don’t want you to stop, Luke.” I swallowed. Was she…? Did she want this like I did?
“What do you want, Emmy?” I asked. She was quiet for a moment. I could almost hear both of our heartbeats.
“I want you to fuck me in this truck. Please.” God damn. Who knew Emmy Ryder had a mouth on her? One thing was for certain, I wanted her mouth all over me. It was like a switch flipped in my brain at those words. Any sort of reservation I had about doing this flew out the window. I wasn’t just crossing the line–I wanted to blow that line the fuck up.
“That’s what you want, sugar? For me to fuck you out here in the open?” I said, needing her to say it again. I needed her to tell me she wanted me.
“Yes, Luke. I want it so bad. Please.” The way she said my name sounded desperate. Just when I thought I couldn’t get more turned on by her. The part of my brain that was determined to claim this woman took over.
“You want to feel me inside of you?” She moaned at my words.
“Oh god, yes. Please.”
“Fuck.” I kissed her again. This kiss was all teeth and tongues. We would have plenty of time for softness, but right now, all I could think of was how badly I wanted her.
She brought her hands to the hem of my t-shirt and started to drag it up my body. I pushed up her crop top so I could see the tops of her perfect tits.
I was about to lower my mouth to them when Emmy’s phone rang.
Absolutely fucking not.
I sucked on her nipple over the fabric of her godforsaken red swimsuit. “Ignore it,” I growled. She picked it up off the floor of the truck anyway. Brat.
“It’s Gus,” she breathed.
Well, shit.
I stopped what I was doing. Gus calling was the only thing that could distract me from the mission I was on right now, and that was to fuck Emmy senseless.
His little sister.
God fucking dammit.
I lifted myself off of Emmy. I took in how she looked. Her hair was still damp and messier than usual, but I was finally the one who’d made her hair messy. Her lips were swollen from my kisses, and she had red marks on her neck from my mouth.
She was fucking devastating like this.
Her phone stopped ringing, and I took that as my cue to pick up where we’d left off. I was about to do just that, but then my phone rang.
I had a sinking feeling I knew who it was.
I pulled my phone out of my back pocket, and the screen showed Gus’s contact.
“You have to answer it,” Emmy said. “If you don’t, he’ll start looking for both of us.”
She was right. I took a deep breath and brought the phone to my ear. “Brooks, here.” Apparently, this was my go to greeting for Gus after I was just doing things I shouldn’t be doing involving his little sister.
“God, the job interview greeting again?”
“I like it,” I said. Emmy giggled and pushed herself up on her knees across from me. I gave her a warning look, but she just gave me a smile that made my cock twitch.
“You’re getting weirder as you get older,” Gus said on the phone. “Have you seen Emmy?”
You know, let me think, Gus. As a matter of fact, your baby sister just licked my fucking neck.
Jesus Christ.
This woman.
“No,” I croaked out. “Why?” Emmy dragged her nails softly down my chest and torso, stopping right above the waistband of my pants. My cock was hard for her, and there was no way she couldn’t see exactly what she was doing to me.
“She’s not in her cabin and she’s not at the stables. She’s been helping you out down there, right?” Emmy, who was apparently a fucking succubus from hell, chose that moment to cup my dick through my jeans.
Fuck.
I bit down on my lower lip, but I couldn’t control the small groan that came out. I grabbed her wrist and shot daggers at her.
“Yeah, but I haven’t seen her today,” I said. Emmy’s wrist was still locked in my hand, but she wasn’t deterred. She went back to kissing my neck.
“Huh. That’s weird. She hasn’t really left the ranch since she got here.” Gus’s voice was both concerned and annoyed.
“She’s probably with Teddy,” I said, trying not to think too deeply about the fact that I was lying to my best friend.
“Yeah, you’re right. I’ll try calling her again later.”
“Is everything okay?” I asked, immediately unsure of why I would say anything that would extend this phone call.
“Yeah. We’re just doing family dinner on Thursday. You can come if you want.”
“Sounds good. I’ll let you know if I see her.” I felt Emmy’s soft laugh against my neck.
“Okay. Are you out for a run or something?”
“No, why?”
“You sound out of breath.” No shit, Gus. I was three seconds away from tearing your little sister’s clothes off when you called. Emmy ran her nails down the front of my chest again, and I had to stifle a groan.
“Nope, just doing projects around the bar. I’ll talk to you later, yeah?”
“Sure. Bye.”
I hung up without saying anything, and Emmy laughed again. At a normal volume this time. I loved that sound.
I fisted her hair in one of my hands and pulled, forcing her head back so she was looking at me.
“I’m going to punish you for that, sugar,” I said.
“For what?” she asked sweetly.
“For being a fucking cocktease while I’m on the phone.”
“I can take it,” she responded, and then kissed me again. Christ. She was something else.
Was this my world now? Did I just get to kiss Emmy Ryder?
“I need to get you home,” I said reluctantly. She pulled back from our kiss and gave me a pout. Damn. One near-fuck in my truck and this woman had me wrapped around her finger.
Who was I kidding? I’d been wrapped around her finger since she walked into my bar.
“Don’t look at me like that,” I said.
“Fine. You can take me home, but you’re going to have to make it up to me,” she said, then planted a firm kiss on my mouth.
“Done,” I said against her lips. I felt her smile.
I knew exactly how I was going to make it up to her, and when that happened, I wouldn’t be rushed.
