Never Kiss a Cowgirl, page 18
“I’m good for now. Do you want me to order you some books from the house? There’s no TV, and the phone signal is for crap.” She put her feet up and welcomed Reagan to her side with a short kiss.
“You’re much more entertaining than that.” Reagan sat on her knees so she could reach and kissed her again. This one was different in every way, and it caught Asher by surprise, so much so that her hands stayed at her sides.
“Are you trying to kill me?” Asher enjoyed the way Reagan held her face, the way she rubbed the tops of her cheeks and stared into her eyes. It made it impossible to hide anything from her, and she wasn’t interested in that. The weather outside was nasty, but in here there was no place to hide.
“I’m trying to get you to see me,” Reagan said as she moved to straddle her lap. “We’ll go as fast or as slow as you want, but all I want is a chance.”
“You’re too deep inside me to ever forget.” She put her hands on Reagan’s hips and pulled her closer. “Is this what you really want?”
“Honey, please believe me.” Reagan ran her fingers through her hair and pulled gently. “I’ve known you all my life, and more importantly, I know what you want out of life.”
“Will it make me sound weak if I admit I’m scared?” Asher asked. It actually terrified her. “You ran from this life, and I can’t leave it. I’ve built something here that I’m proud of, and it kills me that you didn’t want it—won’t want it still.”
Reagan’s tears started again at Asher’s admission. “I’ll keep saying it until you understand. I ran because I was afraid you’d die like Daddy, for something I didn’t believe in. But the ranch, land, and the livestock are as much a part of me as they are you.”
“Let’s take it slow, then. Don’t make promises you’ll be unhappy keeping.” She wiped Reagan’s cheeks with her fingers, and her own eyes watered. “It’s not wrong to want something that’s not this.”
“I rode with Uncle Wade a few weeks ago, and I was reminded of where I belong. He doesn’t force anything on me, but I know he wants me to take some responsibility for Moon Touch.” Reagan sighed and closed her eyes for a moment as if trying to gather herself. “I can’t do that if you hate me. I can’t be this close and know you picked someone else.”
“I haven’t, and I don’t hate you. It’s going to take a conversation and a visit to explain some things to Jacqueline, but I’m not lying when I say it wasn’t serious.” Radio silence from Jacqueline most likely meant she wouldn’t need much persuasion to change their arrangement, but she hadn’t been raised to be an asshole.
“Do you promise?” Reagan asked.
Asher wasn’t sure what the question meant. “Do I promise what?”
“You’ll be happy trying?” Reagan cried a little harder when she nodded. “Then I promise you won’t be sorry.”
Asher sat up and kissed Reagan like she hadn’t in years, and it felt good…familiar. Reagan’s legs tightened around her as much as they could in the position they were in. It was raging outside, but here on Asher’s lap was the answer to questions she’d put to the back of her mind for too long. The kiss made Reagan slump against her, so Asher lay back and kept Reagan where she was.
“Close your eyes and listen to the rain,” she said softly. She didn’t want to go fast but resisting the urge to go any farther was harder than getting Albert to do algebra. “I’m glad you’re here.”
Chapter Fifteen
The loud thunderbolt startled Reagan awake, and she turned her head a little and watched Asher sleep. Their legs were tangled together, and she thought of all the other times she’d woken up with Asher. When she laughed, it woke Asher and she cleared her throat before making eye contact with her.
“What’s funny? Am I drooling?”
“I was remembering a rainy day in the barn when you talked me up into the loft and got me out of my shirt.” She laughed louder when Asher pinched her side.
“Your memory is faulty, Ms. Wilson.” Reagan kept laughing as they wrestled on the couch, stopping when Asher flipped her over and threaded their fingers together over her head. “I remember being dragged up there and you willingly handing over your shirt. That your father caught us and threatened me with an ass full of pellets for messing with his little girl is a fact you always leave out of that story.”
“It was the first bra I bought that I thought was sexy, and I wanted to share it with you. Who knew Daddy could be so light-footed.” She lifted herself up and kissed Asher. “I miss that loft.”
“Those plain white bras were plenty sexy,” Asher said, lowering her head and kissing her again. “I didn’t have a lot to compare them to at fifteen, but I knew enough to realize that.”
“You were always a generous grader.” She pulled her hand free and touched Asher’s face, glad she had the freedom to do so. It was wonderful that Asher didn’t seem to mind, and her silky dark hair was still as soft and thick as she remembered. “Do you want me to make lunch?”
“I’m not hungry right this minute.” Asher began to move off, but Reagan threaded her fingers behind her neck to keep her in place. “But if you are, I can eat.”
“How about we reminisce?” She encouraged Asher back into a sitting position so she could straddle her again. It was nice to see how riveted Asher’s gaze was when she began to take her shirt off. “I remember white being your favorite color.”
That first set of matching panties and bra was still one of her favorite memories. No one had looked at her that way since. Asher had a way of making a woman feel like she was the center of her world, that she craved you. That kind of attention had spoiled her for the short list of lovers who followed. And when they were apart, thinking of Asher with someone else had driven her mad. She knew Asher was a memorable lover, and she’d seen that in Jacqueline Blanchard’s face when she greeted Asher that first night.
She’d picked the bra she’d worn tonight a month ago with Asher in mind. Most people wouldn’t pick white when it came to sexy lingerie, but it was hard to argue when those blown-out pupils were right in front of her. The massages had worn Asher down, but the silk and lace bra got her attention.
“Has that changed?” she asked as she put her finger on the center of Asher’s forehead.
“What?” Asher blinked slowly and inhaled deeply.
“White,” she said, starting another kiss. “Still your favorite color?”
“If it wasn’t, you moved it up the list.” Asher ran her hands up her back and smiled. “You can’t claim you didn’t plan this.”
She laughed and shook her head. “Would I sound conniving if I did?”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” Asher repeated her words and laughed along with her.
“You’re good at cows, honey, but sometimes you need a hint when it comes to other things.” Asher laughed again. “I bought this for you.” She lifted Asher’s hand and placed it on her right breast. “Feel free to unwrap it.”
“I thought we decided on slow,” Asher said but her hands stopped at the clasp. It seemed like before she could think too long about what she was doing, Asher undid it and lowered the straps.
“It’s been too long,” Reagan said, dropping the bra behind her. “Make me feel…make me yours.”
“Are you sure?” Asher asked as she stood, holding her up. Asher’s foot briefly crossed Reagan’s mind, but Asher was solid, strong, and determined.
“Please, honey.” Asher put her down next to the bed. It didn’t take long for her shorts to drop to her feet, and she could start on Asher’s belt buckle.
She hadn’t been a nun since they’d separated, but no one made her this ravenous. These belt buckles were earned, and Asher wore hers with apparent pride. Being allowed to touch it, undo it, and popping the buttons on Asher’s jeans made her feel special, powerful, and like the woman Asher wanted to be with. All of that turned her on, and she yanked Asher’s pants down, desperate to get naked.
She left on those tight boxers that went almost to Asher’s knees, enjoying how long they made Asher’s legs look. Asher watched as she shimmied her panties down and kicked them away before lying in the middle of the bed. She bent her knees and spread her legs. It made her feel feminine, and she’d feel even more so as soon as Asher pinned her down with her weight. That position wasn’t something she’d allowed with anyone else, but it was different with Asher because she’d never try to dominate her.
“Please, baby,” she said, holding her arms out. Asher gave her what she wanted and took her place between her legs. All that skin contact made her moan, just from that simple pleasure. She opened her mouth when Asher kissed her and pressed her tongue inside. The boxers rubbed against her, and she slipped her hands under the waistband and squeezed Asher’s ass. It was a silent way of saying I want you.
“Tell me if you want to stop,” Asher said respectfully.
“Not going to happen.” She pressed Asher’s head to her breast when she sucked in her nipple, making it harden against her tongue. Her hips pumped up into Asher as she tried to find some relief. “I know we said slow, but can we renegotiate?”
Asher moved her lips to the side of her neck and her hand between them. “Are you wet?”
“Yes,” she said before moaning when Asher’s fingers landed on her clit. “All for you.”
Asher gave her what she wanted but at her own pace. She lifted her hips and glanced down at where her hand was, prompting Reagan to glance down as well. “Fuck,” Asher said, squeezing her clit between her fingers. The way Asher said the word made her lift her hips. It sounded like Asher wanted her as much as she wanted Asher.
“Please, baby, go inside. I need you to fill me up.” She lifted her hips and pulled the hair at the back of Asher’s head.
The begging couldn’t be resisted, and Asher kissed her again as she slid her fingers in. It sounded wet and so sexy. Asher moaned and didn’t move.
“So long,” Asher said, and the words felt pained. She pulled almost all the way out and went back in. “So fucking long.”
“It’s where you belong, honey. Now please give me what I want.” She moved her hands to Asher’s back and scraped her nails from her shoulders down to her ass. “Oh Jesus.”
Asher kept her movements slow and steady, and it was driving her wild. Her desire was ratcheted up to the point she wanted to scream—it was so good but not enough. The combination of Asher’s stroke, her breathing in her ear, and her thumb on her clit driving her close to the edge, but she needed more. Her entire body was on overload, and if she didn’t come, something was going to explode.
“Baby, please…I need…need to come.” Time hadn’t changed how generous Asher was with her, especially in bed. Her strokes sped up, and they hit that one spot that drove her to an intense orgasm sooner than she wanted. “Yes, oh my fucking God, yes.”
Her body tightened and arched off the bed as she soared over the cliff Asher had let her climb before she fell back like her bones had melted into the mattress. She held Asher in place, wanting her weight on her and her kisses against her neck. Now she felt even more foolish for having taken so long to come home because home wasn’t at the ranch or in the city, but right here with Asher.
“You okay?” Asher rolled to her side but not too far away.
That question had so many answers through the years, but right now it had only one answer. “I wasn’t for so long,” she said, throwing her leg over Asher.
“How about now?” Asher maneuvered them under the covers and held her.
The muscle Asher carried now was different than a decade ago, but it was a good change as she ran her fingertips along her bicep. “Now I’m sorry.” She had to hang on when Asher began to move away. “No, honey. I’m not sorry we made love—I’m sorry I left you alone to grieve Daddy. You loved him as much as I did, and you had to go through that without me. That, and that I hurt you. You letting me back in makes me very lucky.”
“The sight of you surprised me,” Asher said as the thunder started again, making Reagan shiver.
“In a good or bad way?” There was a lesson here about just saying she was okay. Honest Asher wasn’t always what she wanted to hear, especially right this second when she wanted to enjoy the bliss she was in.
“It surprised me because I didn’t much care for you being held by someone else. I lied to everyone, telling them I didn’t care, but I could’ve punched Steph, no problem.”
She slid more completely onto Asher and rested her chin on her chest. “Are you saying that to be nice?”
“Telling the truth is being nice?” Asher rolled her over and held her hands above her head. “Just take my word on it, and stop apologizing. Let’s enjoy the rain and each other.”
“Tell me it’s not just for today,” she said, opening her legs again. Asher could touch her as much as she wanted, but this couldn’t be one-sided. “Tell me I can do this past today.” She put her hand between Asher’s legs and pressed up until she had her hard clit between her fingers. “Tell me I can put my mouth right here.”
“Fuck me,” Asher said, sounding winded. “I can’t think when you do that.”
“I don’t want you to think, I want you to answer my question.” She flipped Asher easier than she expected to, never moving her hand. “Answer me.”
“Yes, anything you want.” Asher sounded as if she was having trouble forming words. “This isn’t a one-time thing.”
She moved down Asher’s body and knelt between her legs. Everything they’d done had turned Asher on, and she didn’t want to make her wait another minute. The groan Asher let out when she lowered her mouth made her smile. She sucked wanting to wring every bit of want out of Asher, the end coming way too soon.
“Did your fuse get a lot shorter?” she teased as she kissed Asher’s sex before moving back up.
That great laugh came again, and she sighed when Asher put her arms around her. “After all those massages, that nightgown, and those panties, you should be happy you made it in the cabin before I jumped you.”
“I didn’t think you were paying attention, and it was even more difficult to stay professional when you stripped every day for your massage.” She moved to Asher’s side and held her in place with her arm and leg. “This is a great place.”
“I love the quiet, and it was the best design I could think of when our place burned down.” Asher rolled to face her. “When lightning hit it, I thought it might be a sign to let you go. What I should’ve been doing was flying to Seattle to make sure that was the right move for you.”
“I missed everything about you.”
Asher tapped the tip of her nose and shook her head. “I’m sure not everything about me. Do you think you’ll survive the events that lead up to the championship?”
“Honey, I might close my eyes when you’re on those damn things, but I’m not going anywhere.” She rose high enough to reach Asher’s lips. “Just promise you’ll wait until you’re ready.”
“I have a month, and then I need to start practicing. Do you think that’s doable?”
If this was a test, she wasn’t going to fail. “It’s why I upped your regime, with Harry’s okay. I wasn’t kidding that I want you strong enough to withstand the strain of riding before you head into the arena.”
“If you’re serious, then I have one request,” Asher said, sliding her hands to Reagan’s ass.
She smiled down at Asher and raised an eyebrow. “Is it to come here as much as possible?”
“I was thinking more about those massages,” Asher said, initiating the next kiss.
“Those won’t stop even because of this,” she said to put her at ease.
“I know that, but you should consider doing them naked,” Asher said, and Reagan had to laugh this time.
One of the many things she’d missed about Asher was how much she made her laugh. She had a talent for instilling joy, and she’d been lacking that for a very long time. “You have a deal.”
* * *
Asher watched from the bed as Reagan cooked the steaks the hands had delivered, having to forgo the barbecue pit because of the rain. She’d been ordered to stay in bed and rest her foot, and she didn’t mind, considering the view. Reagan was dressed in her T-shirt and nothing else, and she was concentrating on getting the sear right on the two rib eyes she had in the cast iron skillet. After they’d gotten reacquainted way more than she had planned, they’d taken a nap. The rain on the metal roof she’d put on this place was better than any sleeping pill.
“Are you sure you don’t need any help?” All this forced rest was starting to bend her mind. Her head kept trying to convince the rest of her that everything was fine and ready for action. If she tried that, though, she figured Reagan would take her out.
“You can get up when it’s done. We’re going to have a picnic in front of the fireplace and pretend it’s winter,” Reagan said, pointing a cooking fork at her. “I’m interested in more sweating before the day is out but not because we light a fire.”
“Do I have to get dressed?” She stood and stretched, pointing to the stove when Reagan openly stared.
“As soon as I’m in no danger of catching splatter, I’m taking this off”—she indicated the T-shirt—“and feeding you steak and potatoes. It’ll give you a chance to admire my breasts.” Reagan winked at her and went back to the steaks.
Reagan plated everything on one large dish, cut the meat into bite-sized pieces, and did what she promised. They ate and laughed much more easily than they had, even at the beginning of the day. It was easy to fall back into what they both knew, at least it was for Asher. All the warning bells to be careful, to proceed with caution, and to not be so trusting flew from her head as Reagan straddled her and fed her until the platter was empty.
