Finally Forever, page 12
Sophie eyed me carefully. “How did you know?”
“I know those guys.” And I knew that Blaze Barron, one of the hottest movie stars in the world, was a personal friend of Trent Thomas. No doubt Shane, Phillip, and Trent would all be accompanying Blaze to the screening with the intention of sneaking in a few cuddles with the ladies on what was supposed to be a girls-only trip. Not that I was complaining. If the others were busy with their men, it gave me the perfect opportunity to sneak some alone time with Sandy.
“When are they going to be here?”
Sandy pulled out her phone. “In about an hour,” she informed me. “They’re coming in on a helicopter. I have the boys setting up the movie room and we’re getting popcorn, drinks, and snacks set up as well as the great room for some mingling afterward. Blaze said he’d be happy to pose for photos for the other guests, but they have to leave by midnight to get back to town.”
“Do they turn into pumpkins?” I chuckled, but mentally I was calculating how much time I’d have with Sandy before her friends noticed her missing from the movie. “Do me a favor, Soph?”
She nodded.
“Make sure Sandy Clark sits close to the back, okay? On an aisle.”
My sister gave me a knowing look, and it wasn’t a happy one. “I thought you were going to—”
“I couldn’t tell you what I was going to do, Sophie.” I gave her my most charming smile. “And I don’t think you’d be too interested in what it is I’m going to do.” I winked and tipped my hat before disappearing into my suite of rooms to shower and get ready.
Chapter Twelve
“Can you believe we get to see the new Lethal Mission movie tonight? First? Before anyone else?”
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen Abby so excited about something that didn’t involve Phillip. Of course, the news that Blaze was coming to Rock Creek Ranch obviously involved Phillip and all of the men, but as far as I could tell, Abby was genuinely more excited about the movie than her man.
“It is pretty generous.” I snuck another look at my reflection in the mirror by the front door of our cabin. Truthfully, I loved action movies, even if I didn’t see them until they came out on one of the streaming channels because I never seemed to have time to actually go to a theater. And watching what was supposed to be the summer’s blockbuster hit a full six weeks before it was released was exciting.
But that’s not why I was excited by the change in evening activities, which had originally included board games in the main lodge.
I’ll see you later. And that’s a promise.
Dylan’s parting words to me earlier in the day had literally been stuck on repeat in my brain. It was a promise I planned to hold him to.
I liked this new bold, take what I want version of myself. A lot. And Dylan certainly seemed to like it, too. At least, when he got over the shock of it, anyway.
My body held the memory of his touches.
I fluffed my hair over my shoulders and turned a little to admire my reflection.
“You’re sure looking good.” Jessie put her arm around my shoulders and squeezed. “A little dressed up for a movie night, don’t you think?”
I laughed and squirmed away from her. “You know exactly why I put in the effort.” I winked. “It’s the same reason you did.”
“Who, me?” She turned to show off her fitted jeans and blue blouse. “I can’t help it,” she confided after a moment. “I know I’m supposed to be able to enjoy a few days with the ladies without thinking about Shane or wanting to be with him, but…”
“You love him,” I finished for her. “And you love to be with him.” I gave her a quick hug. “And that, my friend, is amazing and is exactly how it’s supposed to be.”
Jessie sighed and nodded. “It is pretty awesome to have someone I hate being away from. It’s been a very long time since I’ve felt that way. If ever.” The moment the words came out of her mouth, she bit her bottom lip and shook her head. “I’m sorry, Sandy,” she said quickly. “I sometimes forget that you lost the love of your life and—”
“Can I tell you something?”
The words were out of my mouth before I could think twice about them the way I usually did. The way I always did. For a split second, I considered being honest with my best friends. Really honest. It would be so easy to tell them how I felt like I’d been living a life that wasn’t mine. That most of the time I didn’t feel like myself because I had no idea who I was anymore. That long before Greg even died, I’d felt trapped in a relationship that never should have been.
By the time I realized Greg and I weren’t a forever match, we were pregnant with Isabella. And then she’d been born and he was such a doting father. Things weren’t that bad. Truthfully, they weren’t bad at all. They just weren’t…passionate.
I did a great job convincing myself that there was more to life than passion. When, a few years later, Willow was born, I had everything I’d ever wanted and we became the perfect family.
Everyone said so.
But what they didn’t see was the fact that Greg and I had all but stopped being intimate and had hardly even touched each other for months. He was my best friend and a wonderful father, but we both knew that it wasn’t enough.
After the accident, I’d been in survival mode for so long that by the time I came up for air, there were nothing but good memories of Greg, and they completely overshadowed the fact that we’d never been suited to each other. It was unthinkable for me to even have such thoughts in private, let alone out loud.
“Sandy?” Jessie watched me, waiting for me to say more. “Is there something you want to tell me?”
So badly.
But I couldn’t.
I shook my head. “Only that I’m so happy we’re here all together and doing this.” It wasn’t a lie. “And I’m so happy that I let you all talk me into going for it with Dylan.” I wiggled my eyebrows, and she laughed.
“We’re so glad, too.” Jessie linked her arm through mine. “It’s exactly what you needed to get back out there.”
“And you never know.” Abby joined us in the living room. “You and Dylan could end up happily ever after, just like the rest of us.”
The idea of Dylan Scott, who’d clearly been hardened by a lifetime on the ranch, and had made it crystal-clear that he was a solo act, ending up my happily ever after was…
Well, truthfully, it was the stuff of fantasies, and that was it. Especially because even if—and it was a very big if—it was more than a fantasy, it would never happen. The reality was, I had two young girls who deserved the world from me and any man I ever decided to get involved with again. Dylan very clearly, more than once, told me how uninterested he was in the idea of children.
“Maybe if this was a romance novel,” I said with a shake of my head. “But when it comes to real life, no way.”
“Never say never,” Darla chimed in. “You underestimate the power of the pussy.”
We all turned toward the kitchen, where Brittany had made a loud noise. A moment later, she poked her head into the room. “The what?”
“The power of the pussy,” Darla said, matter-of-fact. “It’s a well-known fact that when there’s an intense sexual connection between a man and a woman, that man will be compelled to behave in ways you would never expect.”
“That is not well known.” Abby groaned. “You’re making that up.”
“I am not.” Darla straightened her shoulders. “I’ve been known to compel a few men myself.”
Jessie raised her eyebrows. “With the power of your pussy?”
“Whatever, crazy lady.” Brittany wrapped her arm around Darla. “I don’t know if I believe that, but we love you and your powerful pussy.”
We all erupted into laughter, the focus on Dylan—and what may or may not ever be with us—forgotten.
By everyone but me.
I knew Sophie was going to be pissed at me for staying in my rooms while our special guests arrived for the screening, especially considering they were my friends, but I didn’t care. She’d get over it. And truthfully, she’d be so star-struck by Blaze Barron that she might not even notice I was MIA.
Besides, I planned to be present for the cocktail hour after the screening. After all, it would be rude to ignore my friends completely, even if the only reason they were at Rock Creek Ranch was to be with the women they couldn’t seem to be apart from.
What would that be like?
Never in my whole life had there ever been an individual—let alone a woman—whom I’d ever missed. And definitely not to the point where I’d crash a getaway just to see her for a few hours. I couldn’t even imagine that kind of compulsion that had a man thinking about someone so intensely.
But then again, I hadn’t been able to stop thinking of Sandy almost from the time I’d met her. Feelings that had only intensified since she’d been on the ranch and I’d tasted and touched her.
But that was different.
I paced across the floor of the living room of my private suite, which consisted of a living area, with a small kitchenette in one corner, and a large bedroom with an attached bathroom. It wasn’t much, but I didn’t need much. I took most of my meals in the kitchen or dining room and as a family, we had a private lounge area where we could relax away from the guests. Still, I liked my privacy, and my rooms afforded me the privilege of escaping from everyone when I needed to. They were my private sanctum, for me alone.
On what had to have been my dozenth lap around the living room, I allowed myself to look at the clock again. Enough time had passed. The movie should have begun by now. It was time.
Sure enough, when I closed my door behind me, the rest of the lodge was silent. Everyone, staff included, was in the screening room, not willing to miss such an exclusive opportunity. But I could only think of one opportunity I gave a shit about.
There were two sets of doors into the theater room. The first set led to a small vestibule that then opened the second set. It was designed so if anyone arrived late or left early, there would be no harsh light or noise let into the main room to disturb viewers. Perfect, because when I slipped into the theater, no one noticed my presence as I stood against the back wall.
Except for Sandy.
Had she sensed me? The idea that, even from a distance, she’d been able to feel my presence instantly made my cock harden in my jeans.
She turned slowly in her seat. On the screen, Blaze was driving a sports car of some kind and seemed to be involved in a high-speed chase. Not that I was watching. I only had eyes for Sandy as the light flashed and I caught her eyes. Her lips turned up into a small smile and finally, she slipped from her seat to make her way to the back of the theater.
I didn’t say a word, but slipped my hand in hers and led her back through the first set of doors.
The moment they closed softly behind us, I pressed her up against the wall with the length of my body and kissed her.
“Fuck,” I growled. “I’ve been waiting to do that all day.”
“Quite the timing you have.” Her voice held a trace of mischief. “I was just settling in to watch this year’s blockbuster hit.”
“Oh yeah? Am I keeping you? Because I could—”
Her lips crushed mine, her tongue slipping into my mouth with a hunger I was happy to address.
But not here.
As much as I wanted to take her right there in the dark against the wall, there was no way I was going to risk being interrupted. With a groan, I pulled away from her and led her out the second set of doors into the lodge before I froze.
I could take her to the barn. To the hayloft where I’d taken many women before her. Back to her room? Both options were too far away. I needed to be alone with Sandy, now. And for as long as possible before we had to make an appearance after the movie.
Her hand still in mine, I turned in the direction of my suite of rooms. Never before had I taken a woman there. Hell, I preferred to keep women out of bedrooms entirely if I could help it. It was less intimate and easier to keep the boundaries in place.
Sandy pulled closer to me, and my senses filled with the sweet scent of her.
Boundaries be dammed.
We moved quickly through the halls to my rooms, where I locked the door behind us.
Chapter Thirteen
Maybe I should have protested a bit more—or at all—as Dylan pulled me through the rooms of the lodge and finally through a heavy wooden door. After all, I still hardly knew the man.
But who was I kidding? The only thing I wanted from him was to be alone and have that earth-shattering sex. As much of it as possible before I moved away and never saw this sexy cowboy again.
The idea of not seeing Dylan again after this week struck me in the gut, which was ridiculous, because that had been the entire agreement. Still. That was then. This was now and— I was thinking way too much.
I pushed any distracting thoughts from my head and turned as Dylan clicked the lock on the door into place. “Afraid we’ll be interrupted? Or trying to keep me captive?”
There were times I couldn’t even believe myself what was coming out of my mouth. Never had I been like this. So forward, so flirty and…fun. He brought it out in me, and I liked it.
His lips curled up into a wicked grin. “If I thought I had to lock the door to keep you here with me, I would.” Slowly, like a cat stalking his prey, he crossed the floor to me. “But something tells me, I’m not going to have any trouble making you stay.”
“You’re pretty confident.” I pushed a hip out to the side and flipped my hair back off my shoulder.
“I like your hair down.” Dylan reached out and brushed his fingers over my exposed skin. “Very sexy.” He leaned in and pressed his lips to the base of my neck, sending a shiver through me. “I really like that you did it for me.”
I tensed and pulled back to look at him. “Like I said, you’re very confident.” He had every reason to be, but I didn’t tell him that. I didn’t need to. He knew I was a sure thing. After earlier in the barn, there was no question about what it was that I was after. Still. “What makes you think I wore my hair down for you?”
“Didn’t you?”
There was no point in lying. “How about we finish what we started earlier?”
“Darlin’, you don’t have to ask me twice.”
My whole body trembled when he looked at me that way, his voice low and dangerous and full of need. Had I ever been desired like this?
Not. Even. Close.
I refused to compare sex with my late husband to what I was about to do with this sexy cowboy, especially because I didn’t want anything taking me out of the moment with Dylan.
He peeled my sweater from me, followed by my leggings, until I stood before him in only my bra and panties. Maybe I should have felt self-conscious about how boring the white cotton undergarments were, but they might as well have been red silk and lace for the way he was looking at me.
Moisture pooled between my legs, and he hadn’t even touched me yet.
“You’re so fucking gorgeous, Sandy.” His eyes roamed over me, taking in every single inch of my body. His eyes held nothing but hunger and need. He didn’t see the stretch marks, the tits that sagged a little more year after year. In fact, there was nothing in the way Dylan was looking at me that gave me any impression that he was anything but very, very happy with what he saw.
His hungry gaze gave me confidence I didn’t know I was capable of. While he watched, I reached around and unclasped my bra, letting it fall to the ground before shimmying out of my panties.
I was fully exposed, yet I felt anything but. I felt powerful. Sexy. And completely in control.
“Your turn.”
He tipped his head and bit his bottom lip. “I don’t—”
“You don’t get naked?”
To my surprise, Dylan shook his head. “No, darlin’, I don’t.”
It didn’t make sense, but my mind searched back to the times we’d been together. In the barn, the focus had been on me. Out by the river when we’d…he’d had his shirt on.
I reached for him and let my fingers trail along the buttons of his black shirt. He didn’t stop me as I worked each button, slowly, through its hole until it hung open, his bare chest exposed to me.
Dylan sucked in a breath as my fingers splayed over his muscular chest. He was beautiful. His tanned skin heated under my touch as I slowly moved both my hands up his torso and pushed his shirt off his shoulders. He shivered when I bent and pressed a kiss just over his belly button and the trail of hair that led to his waistband and the treasure that was just below.
Next, I turned my attention to the buckle that held his jeans in place. He stood frozen as I moved the leather through the hasp and slid the zipper down.
It was my turn to suck in a breath when I slipped my hands into his jeans and found that he’d gone commando. I pushed the denim down and Dylan did the rest of the work by stepping first out of his boots and then his jeans while I gripped my hands over his firm ass, taking my time to give him a cheeky squeeze before finally moving my attention to his hard, impressive cock.
I didn’t bother hiding my reaction as my hands wrapped around his length. Yes, I’d seen him before. Hell, I’d had him inside me, for goodness’ sake. But to see him in his full and completely naked glory was a whole other sight to behold. To say that Dylan was magnificent was not even a bit of an exaggeration.
“You’re huge.”
He chuckled when I finally looked up and my eyes met his.
“Darlin’, if you keep doing that with those pretty hands of yours…” He nodded to where my hands were methodically stroking his length. I hadn’t even realized I was doing it. “This is going to be over before it starts, and trust me when I say I have plans for you.”
His hands grabbed mine, stilling them before pulling my arms slowly over my head and pressing his now completely naked body against mine so we were completely skin to skin.
