His five o’clock shadow scraped her cheek when he whispered in her ear, “If I kiss you, I won’t stop until I’m sliding inside your sweet body, darlin’.”
The low, husky register of his voice rumbled through her like a seductive growl causing her body to ignite. Elise’s eyes flew open and she gasped inwardly at the look of raw hunger reflected in his eyes. She’d never been more turned on in her life at the mere mention of what he wanted but “wouldn’t” do to her…at least not tonight. She knew Colt would stand by his word no matter what she told him.
Turning her face back toward the fire, she sighed in disappointment, then said softly, “As long as your arms are around me I’ll be happy.”
He kissed the top of her head and tightened his hold around her whispering, “Me too, sweetheart.”
Elise didn’t know how long they sat there in silence, but as her rapid heartbeat settled into a slower rhythm and her eyelids grew heavy from the warmth of the fire, she realized she’d never felt more at peace or in tune with another person in her life.
Chapter Sixteen
Colt awoke the next morning and knew a moment’s panic when he reached over to an empty bed beside him. Last night, holding Elise and not touching her the way he’d wanted to was pure torture. He’d wanted to lay her out on the carpet in front of the fire and make love to her until, out of sheer exhaustion, she begged him to stop. When she fell asleep in his arms, he felt a sense of fierce protectiveness steal over him. As he’d carried her to his bed, he knew in his heart…she was his. He realized just how tense he’d been as the end of the summer drew near when he’d taken Elise upstairs and laid her sleeping form on his bed last night.
It was as if a heavy weight lifted off his chest as he undressed her, then stepped out of the rest of his clothes…as if his actions with Elise were a nightly routine. When he’d settled her naked body against his chest and pulled the covers over them, he seemed to breathe easier than he had in a long time.
Now, in the light of morning, he realized that by bringing Elise into his home, into
his
bed, he’d opened up his life and his heart to her. Whether married or not, he knew he’d never let another man touch her, not while he still breathed.
Sitting up, he threw his legs over the side of the bed, ready to go find her when he caught the scent of fresh brewed coffee and bacon wafting through the air. The inviting aroma, the smell of a true “home” made him smile, and he instantly relaxed as he rubbed his hands over his overnight beard and headed for the shower.
After he’d showered and shaved, Colt pulled on a pair of jeans and went looking for his woman. Damn, that sounded good, he thought to himself at the feeling of rightness that settled around him as bit by bit he accepted his feelings for Elise.
* * * * *
Elise stood outside on the deck, cupping a mug of coffee in her hands, enjoying the warmth that seeped from the navy blue ceramic to her skin as she took in the breathtaking view Texas hill country had to offer. Cool moisture still hung in the air and while the wind blew against her damp hair, goose bumps formed on her arms. She smiled when the sun finally broke the horizon. Turning her face to the warm sunshine, she enjoyed the fact that the bright light no longer bothered her and her headache was gone. Running her fingers along the lapel of the navy blue robe she’d donned after finding it buried deep in Colt’s closet, she thrilled at the unusual fall-like weather that she knew would dissipate as soon as the sun rose high in the sky.
The matching color of the robe and the mug made her smile. Apparently Colt liked navy. When she awoke early this morning, she’d risen from bed and watched him sleep for a few moments. He’d looked so sexy sprawled across his king-size sleigh bed. The crisp white sheets and navy comforter had slipped down past his slim hips, revealing his gorgeous tanned chest and rock-hard stomach. She’d had to tear her gaze away to finally get a look at his bedroom.
It wasn’t a large room with its partially vaulted ceiling and exposed four-by-four wood beams, but he’d decorated well with the space he had. An old rocking chair—an antique she’d bet—sat near the extra wide picture window, a stack of paperback books beside it. The sleigh bed and a matching dresser were made of solid, sturdy oak as well as the chest at the foot of the bed.
With its Spartan feel, it definitely was a man’s room, but Elise found she liked the simple style that said so much about Colt.
A sudden tingling sensation zipping down her spine drew her out of her reverie. The sensation that she was being watched felt too strong. Elise turned and her breath caught at the sight of Colt leaning in the doorway to the house watching her. He had on a pair of faded jeans. The unbuttoned button at the top of his jeans drew her gaze to the sexy line of hair that veed beyond the waistband of his pants.
“How are you feeling?” he asked from across the deck as if he couldn’t trust himself to come near her until he heard her answer.
She smiled and said, “Great.” Her heart hammered in her chest as he approached, the look in his steel blue eyes intense and dark.
Taking the mug from her hands, he didn’t say a word as he set it on the railing. Oh, but his eyes held hers and told her exactly what he wanted. Her stomach clenched as he took her hand and led her to the Adirondack lounge chair behind her. Elise sat down on the chair and leaned back as Colt straddled the chair facing her.
When his long, warm fingers encircled her ankles and set her heels on his hard thighs, her body began to ignite. Elise didn’t think she could be more turned on by the sight of Colt’s steady regard as he slowly slid his hands up her legs until he reached her inner thighs. As he applied pressure, she let her legs fall against the arms of the chair and sighed in anticipation of his next move.
Colt’s lips quirked upward in a brief, sexy smirk as he pulled the belt around her waist. But when the knot loosened and the robe parted slightly, exposing her cleavage and a line of creamy flesh down the middle of her body, his smile faded. His gaze darkened and his nostrils flared as he pushed the robe out of the way, exposing her naked flesh to his view.
Elise’s body burned as his gaze slid over her exposed skin. The cool air didn’t even faze her, she was so caught up in all that was Colt as he laid a warm hand on her stomach and another on her inner thigh.
As his fingers trailed down her thigh to tease her dark curls between her legs, he said in a gravely voice, “Last night, as I pulled your naked body against mine, it was one of the hardest things I’d ever done—being a gentleman and not touching you the way I wanted to.”
The seductive tone of his words made a shiver pass through her. Elise started to speak but her words turned to a gasp of pure pleasure when Colt thrust a finger deep inside her. Rocking her hips as he withdrew and thrust back in, she bit her lower lip before panting out, “Take me. I’m yours.”
Rubbing his thumb over her clit while he added another finger to the first one, Colt raised one eyebrow, his expression cocky and self-assured. “You’re already mine, darlin’.”
Elise couldn’t answer as he thrust even deeper, taking her heart rate higher. Instead, she gripped the arms on the chair, closed her eyes in sheer sexual bliss, and pushed against his thighs with her feet as her walls began to contract around his fingers.
Riding the waves of her orgasm as long as she could, she sighed in contentment as he withdrew his hand from her body and put her feet on the chair. When Elise opened her eyes, it was to see Colt standing over her, his hand held out to her.
She put her hand in his and stood. Colt slid the robe off her body and laid it down on the deck’s floor, making his intentions very clear.
She grinned as she lay down on the floor, but when she turned over on her back, she inhaled sharply at the seductive picture before her.
Colt stood over her, his expression intense, raking down her body as his fingers slowly unbuttoned his pants all the way. When his hard erection sprang forward, as he slipped his jeans down his muscular legs, her heart rate jumped tenfold. She swallowed the gasp that threatened to escape her lips. No need to give him a big head…one swollen one was enough, she thought with an inward chuckle.
All humor fled from her thoughts as Colt moved over her. She barely had time to put her hands on his shoulders before he spread her thighs and slid inside her body in one swift thrust.
Elise gasped in surprise at his aggressive possession, her lungs taking in the morning breeze blowing around them. Colt thrust deeper and then stayed buried as his gaze met hers.
His shoulders and back muscles tensed as he supported his weight above her, then said, his tone husky, barely controlled, “Your body feels so right wrapped around me.” He paused and dipped his nose to her neck, inhaling her scent before he continued, “A sweet-smelling, perfect fit.”
Her stomach flip-flopped at his sexy comment. Sliding her hands up his muscular shoulders, she ran her fingers through his damp hair at the nape of his neck as he lowered his head to her chest.
When he sucked her nipple into his mouth, she arched her back and moaned, reveling in the feeling of his hard body pressed against hers while the warm sun shined down on them. The completeness she felt with him buried inside her, the surety that he
wanted
her here with him, made her bold.
“I want you to make love to me, Colt,” she said in a breathless voice as his teeth grazed the pink tip, then bit down gently.
Colt lifted his head and met her gaze, his own intemperate and raw, the hunger so palpable she could almost feel his desire emanating off his skin in heated waves under her fingers.
She let out a cry of dismay when he withdrew from her body, but she sighed in sheer bliss when his lips brushed against her sex.
Colt used his teeth and lips and tongue in perfect tandem to drive her to the edge, only to let her heart calm before he started the same buildup of arousal within her all over again. As her stomach tensed in anticipation for the third time, Elise grabbed his head and held him close, bucking against him, panting as her heart raced out of control.
“Colt,” she begged between rapid breaths as her sex throbbed and her thighs began to tremble from the physical delay of her climax.
His sapphire gaze met hers, deep unfathomable emotions churning behind them. “No others, Lise. Only me,” he ground out as he slid a finger inside her.
Elise knew what Colt meant. He was committing as much as he emotionally could. She’d take what she could…for now. Her muscles contracted around his finger, but she whimpered with need for the thickness only his body could provide.
With a determined expression, Colt moved and leaned over her as he turned his finger and pressed on her trigger spot deep inside. “Tell me,” he demanded, his tone sounding harsh, ragged.
Elise reached between their bodies and wrapped her hand around his erection. “You tell me first,” she insisted.
He withdrew his hand and shifted, pressing his erection against her entrance. For a long, agonizing moment he held her gaze as he hovered above her. When he finally slid inside her, the completeness of the act wrung a low, keening moan from her as he seated himself fully inside her.
“There are no others for me.” He withdrew and slowly slid back inside, connecting his body with hers.
Elise’s heart pounded at his statement. She clasped him to her and whispered in his ear, “No others for me either, Cowboy.”
* * * * *
While Colt spent all day on the ranch helping the rodeo crew prepare the animals and equipment for another long stint of rodeo travel, Elise worked in the office with Mace, bringing him up-to-speed on the online store and her suggestions for bundled merchandise and upgraded rodeo paraphernalia.
They worked for several hours as they bounced thoughts and suggestions back and forth, further refining her business plan. After they ate a quick lunch at their desks, Elise and Mace got back to work until they both agreed on a plan that met his advertising and aesthetic vision for the website and her needs as part owner and web developer. A couple of hours later, she sat back and smiled after she completed the finishing touches on the changes to the website.
“Not bad, Elise,” she complimented herself, proud of her work.
“Let me see,” Mace called out from the doorway as he proceeded to walk around behind her desk and look at the website.
As she clicked through the purchasing process, Mace nodded his approval with a broad smile.
“What the hell did we ever do without you?” he commented as he sat down on the corner of her desk facing her.
“Limped along,” she quipped. “By the way, did you ask George if he’d be willing to man the booth for a couple of hours each rodeo?”
Mace laughed. “Didn’t take much convincing when I told him he’d get a raise.” Rubbing his chin, he continued, “Good idea on putting a brochure about the online store in each customer’s bag. That should get the word out there and help boost future sales.”
“Why thank you,” she replied. “I do try my best.”
“And then some,” Mace said as he stood and shoved his hands in his back pockets. “Time to shut down your computer now.”
She gave him a what-the-heck-are-you-talking-about look as she glanced at her watch. “It’s only three-thirty.”
Mace leaned over and moved her mouse, clicking the shutdown sequence saying, “Colt asked me to look out for you today since he’s not in the office.”
“I’m not a baby. I’m fully capable of knowing when I’ve reached my limit,” she replied, indignant that these Tanner men thought to coddle her.
Laughing, Mace reached for the clip in her hair and opened it. As her hair fell down her back, he said, “Nah, darlin’, we just want you to let your hair down a little earlier today.” Handing her the clip, his green eyes twinkled in amusement as he continued, “Actually, I thought you might like to help Nan out today.”
Elise perked up as she followed Mace out of her office. “Help Nan?”
“Yeah, Nan’s preparing the farewell dinner for the entire rodeo crew tonight. The guys usually eat a big meal and then go out to Rockin’ Joe’s for dancing and carousing before they have to head out on the road again. Marie’s been in the kitchen with Nan since this morning.”
Elise grinned as they walked outside. “Guess you talked me into it. It’ll be good to catch up with my aunt while I help Nan.”
Inviting smells wafted through the kitchen screen door as Elise pulled it open.
Mmmm, smoked…something
, she thought as she walked inside with Mace right behind her. Nan and Marie sat at the table, breaking the ends off string beans.
“Hi sweetie,” her aunt called out, patting the chair next to her. “I’m glad to see you’re feeling better today.”
Elise sat down and picked up a handful of green beans. Snapping the ends off of a couple, she threw the beans in the pot in the center of the table and answered, “Yes, thank goodness my migraine went away. That was just miserable. I haven’t had a migraine like that since I was a teenager.”
“Mace,” Nan called out as she got up from the table and whacked him on the butt, as he bent over her pot of beans, then put the spoon to his mouth for a taste. “Unless you plan on stayin’ and helpin’ cook, get your rear out of here.”
Mace grinned and put the spoon down in the spoon rest on the stove. “Guess that’s my cue to leave. Colt’ll be chasin’ me down soon enough to help out.”
After Mace left, Marie glanced up from snapping beans. “Just how hot and heavy are you and Colt, Elise?”
Elise laughed. “Going straight to the point, aren’t ya, Aunt Marie.”
Her aunt gave an unapologetic shrug. “When you get to be my age, dear, you learn the value of being direct.”
Elise sighed while Nan stirred the beans and added more pepper to them. “Let’s just say Colt and I…well, we care for each other. To be honest, I’m not sure where we’re going, but I just wish he didn’t have such a bad history with his mom. I believe that’s one of the reasons why he’s still holding a part of himself back.”
Nan sat back down at the table with a paring knife and began peeling an apple. “He had to grow up faster than most young men when his momma left his daddy. Stuff like that can stick with you for a very long time,” she finished in a philosophical voice. “Not only did he have to become a man quickly, but when his father died, he gave up his career in the rodeo and took on the role of a second father to his brothers too.” Her chocolate brown eyes met Elise’s across the table. “He’s a good man. If anyone can help him get over his past, you can.”
Elise shook her head. “I don’t know, Nan. His feelings run pretty deep about his mom. I think with my background, he sees me as a woman just like her. He seems to fight a constant internal battle to trust his heart and me.”
“There’s a saying, ‘Time heals all wounds.’ What I say is, ‘What time doesn’t heal, the need to survive, to move on and be happy, will take care of the rest.’”
“Very well put, Nan,” Marie agreed with a nod. “Colt will come around.”
“I hope you’re both right—that Colt will eventually let go of his past. I’d really like to be a part of his future, but I won’t settle for anything less than his total trust in me and us.”