Page 20 of Wannabe in Wyoming
Before he could say anything in response, her lips were against his own, and his eyes fell shut as warm and tingling sensations exploded from his lips, racing to his chest and throughout the rest of his body. Licking the seam of his mouth, she silently asked for entrance, which he gladly granted. She tasted like cherry Chapstick and something spicy that had to be all Willow.
Giving in, he filled both his hands with her hair and took control of the kiss. Dragging her body closer to his own and angling her head the way he wanted it, he dove deeper and harder into her mouth with his tongue. He kissed her like a starving man as his cock hardened in his pants and his heart beat a frantic rhythm. He groaned at the feel of her in his arms and the taste of her on his lips drove his need to a critical point.
He forced his mouth away from hers, so he could pepper kisses down her neck, licking and softly sucking as he went. Letting go of her hair, he slid his hands down the sides of her throat, noting the rapid beat of her pulse, to her shoulders. Bypassing her tempting breasts, he rested his trembling hands above her hips. His chest heaved with his ragged breathing, and a tortured groan escaped him. “Willow . . .”
“Nathan, kiss me again,” she whispered breathlessly from where her forehead rested against his shoulder.
Tipping her chin up with his hand, he gripped her jaw gently and gave her what she’d asked for. Never say he was a man to deny a lady anything. He swallowed her moans and soft whimpers, driving them both higher until he was sure he was about to come in his jeans.
“Baby, hang on.” Pulling back from her, he attempted to catch his breath and calm both his racing heart and his painful hard-on. “I want you. More than I can put into words, but I don’t want our first time to come with a charge of public indecency.” With a final peck on her lips, he retreated to his side of the truck. He shifted his hips a little before putting on his seat belt, leaving enough room so as to not strangle his already throbbing cock. Trying to get his desire under control, he ran both hands down his face. “I guess my worries over a lack of physical chemistry between us are unfounded, huh?”
Smirking, she started the truck, which roared to life, vibrating the seat beneath him. That she was perfectly capable of handling the large vehicle was just another thing about her that turned him the fuck on. “Apparently so, Captain Obvious.”
He barked out a startled laugh at her snark. “That’s Staff Sergeant Obvious, Wannabe. Now, let’s go before I forget where we are and finish what that kiss promised.”
“You’re gonna have to do better than that if you want to dissuade me, soldier.” Despite her warning, she put the giant truck in reverse and backed out with ease.
“Fine then. How about this?” He placed his hand over hers on the gear shift, halting her movements. “The first time I make love to you, it’s going to be in a bed, where I can spread you out and lick every inch of your delicious skin from your toes to your chin. Though, I’ll be stopping at those perfect breasts of yours for a while.” Her lust-filled gaze was glued to his own, and color dotted her cheeks. “I’ll save the sweetness between your legs for last. I’m going to make you come on my tongue. I want your legs gripping my head and shaking, before I move and slide so deep inside you that you’ll be sure you can feel my cock in your throat. We can fool around in this truck some other time, but I want to be in a bed the first time we’re together, where I can spend hours exploring every inch of you. Understand?”
Willow swallowed, her throat bobbing, and he couldn’t help but imagine those same muscles gulping him down and stroking the head of his dick.
“I, uh . . . I un-understand,” she stammered as her fingers gripped the gear shift under his so tightly that her knuckles were white. Hazel eyes bore into his blue ones, seeming to look right into his soul.
A loud honk from behind the truck made them both jump. They’d been so lost in each other they’d forgotten she’d backed the vehicle out of the space, blocking both lanes of the parking lot.
“Let’s get out of here. I’m hungry.” Grinning wolfishly at her, he made sure she understood he wasn’t talking about food.
The expected rain began about three quarters of the way through the ninety-minute drive to Skyview Ranch. It wasn’t long before it was coming down in buckets. Willow flicked the wipers on high and concentrated on the road. “Damn, I was hoping to get back to the ranch before the storm started.”
“I missed the rain,” Nathan said as he stared out the passenger window. The scenery was a blur amid the downpour. “And the snow too, though we did see it occasionally over there, especially in the mountains.” He glanced over at her. “If they’ve never been there, most people don’t realize the dessert gets damn cold at night and in the winter.” His gaze fell on a flash of color on her left wrist—it was the bracelet he’d sent her. It was only a nylon thread strung with cheap glass beads in varying shades of amber, but seeing her wearing it and treasuring his gift thrilled him.
“I love rainstorms.” Glancing at him, she smiled before turning her attention back to the road. “Driving in them? Not so much, but we’re almost there. I haven’t experienced winter here yet, but from what I understand, it comes early and stays late. That reminds me of another thing I need to get ready for—I don’t have the kind of heavy winter clothes you need around here. Ginger, the girl who did my hair, was telling me that my normal lightweight hats and gloves won’t cut it in temperatures that fall below zero on a regular basis. Not to mention a snow shovel and rock salt. In Philly, the city took care of the sidewalks—I didn’t have to deal with it much. Now I have a whole driveway and paths to the barns to contend with.” She bit her lip and rolled her eyes. “And now I’m talking about the weather like a total loser. You must be so impressed.”
He grinned at her. “Hey, I’m the one who brought up the rain and stuff, so it’s my fault we’re talking about the weather. And don’t talk about yourself that way. You’re not a loser. You just babble a bit when you’re nervous, which is cute and totally fine because I’m nervous too.”
“You didn’t seem that way at the airport.”
Laughing, he agreed, “I guess not. That was different because I’d thought of little else but kissing you for weeks now. Maybe you’ll decide later that you don’t like me too much after all and send me packing. This way, at least I got my kiss.”
“The chances of that happening are very slim, soldier. I like you and your kisses just fine.”
“Just fine? I’ll have to try a little harder next time then, huh? Ifjust fineis your impression.”
She opened her mouth to say something but stopped before speaking. He didn’t push her —the last thing he wanted to do was pressure her or make her uncomfortable—so instead, he changed the subject to the movie he’d watched on his iPad during the flight, asking her if she’d seen it before.
The rest of the drive passed uneventfully. They spoke of their plans to see the alpaca farm on Monday, what meals they’d like to cook during the week, and about horseback riding. While he had every intention of taking her out on that date he’d promised her, he didn’t want to eat out every day. He wanted . . . no needed, to spend time getting to know her without the distraction of other diners around them. But that didn’t mean he didn’t want to meet some of the people she’d befriended in Antelope Rock.
“By the way, how the hell did they end up naming the town Antelope Rock? Aren’t wild antelopes only in Africa or Asia?”
She smiled. “I thought the same thing when I got here, but according to Jeremiah, there are pronghorns that live in Wyoming and the surrounding states. They aren’t really in the antelope family, but they look similar, and many people call them American antelopes or pronghorn antelopes. So, I guess that’s where they got the name for the town. Most of the people that live here just call it the Rock.”
Willow turned down a long dirt lane—well, mud lane at the moment—and they passed under a rusted metal sign that read, “Skyview Ranch.”
After pulling up to the house and putting the truck in park, she gazed out the windshield at her home, which was partially hidden by the pouring rain. “Here we are. Skyview Ranch. My home.” Her nerves were obvious, and he tried to think of what he could do or say to put her at ease. The truth was, he was nervous as hell too.
“Willow?” He left the question hanging in the air, waiting for her to look at him.
Instead of answering him, she said, “Come on, let’s make a run for it.” Before he could stop her, she threw her door open and, as the rain pelted her, ran across the yard and up onto the covered porch.
