Loving Cara (Love Under the Big Sky 1)

“I know.” He shakes his head, but when he looks at me again, his eyes have softened. “And there are times when it’s sexy coming out of your mouth, but not right after we’ve . . .”

“I get it.” I kiss his cheek and smile at him. “I get it.”

“Okay.” He nods and then helps me dress, just smiling serenely when I remind him that I’m capable of dressing myself.

Control freak.

“Are you hungry yet?” he asks me mildly.

“Starving.”

“Good. I brought lunch.” He quickly pulls on his white T-shirt and faded blue jeans and walks to the ATV to pull a collapsible cooler from another saddlebag and brings it back to the blanket, along with our phones.

“You get a signal out here?” I ask, surprised.

“Sometimes. It gets spotty.” He shrugs and pulls hoagies, pasta salad, and fruit out of the cooler and offers me a bottle of water, which I gratefully take as I look down at my phone.

“My mom called.”

“How are your folks?” He takes a bite of his sandwich.

“They’re good. They enjoy Florida. They were going to come home this summer, but with the tree falling and everything, they decided to just stay down there this year.”

My parents moved down to Florida five years ago to escape the harsh Montana winters. I bought my childhood home from them.

“You should call her back so she doesn’t worry.”

“You’re a nice guy, you know that, right?”

He winces and shrugs. “Well, I’d worry if you didn’t answer or call me back.”

“Good point.” I highlight Mom’s name on my phone and press the green call button.

She picks up on the second ring. “There you are!”

“Hi, Mom, sorry I missed your call.” I take a bite of pasta salad and grin when I hear my dad yell in the background for my mom to tell me hi. “Tell Dad I said hi back.”

“She said hi back!”

“Not in my ear, Mom,” I remind her dryly when she doesn’t pull the phone from her mouth.

“Sorry, honey. How are you?”

“I’m good.”

“What are you doing?”

“I’m having lunch.” I smile over at Josh, who is drinking his water and watching me. “Is everything okay with you guys?”

“We’re fine. I just wanted to check in. How is the house coming along? Are you sure you don’t want us to come up and help you?”

“The house is coming along well. The roof will be repaired after the Fourth of July. And, no, I don’t need you to come up and help.” I take a bite of my sandwich and sigh in appreciation. It’s damn good.

“Well, let us know if you change your mind.”

“I will.” I lower my sandwich and clear my throat. “I love you, Mama.”

“I love you too, darling girl. I’ll call soon.”

“I know.” I smile. “Talk soon.”

I hang up and realize that I also have a text from Jill.

“Sorry, I’m just gonna check this text from Jill.”

“I’m fine, babe. Do your thing.”

I grin at him and open Jill’s message: Can you pick me up from the airport tonight?

I feel my eyes go round and I drop my sandwich into its wrapper.

“What’s wrong?” Josh asks.

“Nothing. Jill’s coming home. She’s asking me to pick her up tonight.”

I immediately respond, Of course.

“That’s unexpected,” I murmur.

“Maybe she’s coming home for the holiday?” He pops a strawberry in his mouth.

I’m immediately caught up in watching his lips as he chews.

“Cara?”

“Sorry?”

He laughs and shakes his head. “I can’t make love to you again right now because I’ll make you sore and I have plans for tonight.”

I blush and look down at my phone when it beeps at me.

Jill: Thx. I’ll get in at 10pm. See you soon!

“Hey.” He grips my chin and makes me meet his gaze. “Don’t be embarrassed, baby. I want you just as badly.”

“I’m not embarrassed.” I shrug and grin at him. “I’ve just never had a man call me out on my lustful looks before.”

“I don’t like thinking about you giving other men looks, lustful or otherwise.” He scowls, making me laugh.

“I give Paul Walker lustful looks every time you make me watch Fast Five.”

Josh laughs and shakes his head at me. “You make me laugh.”

“How are your parents? I’m surprised we don’t see more of them, given that you live on the same property.”

“They’re doing well. Staying busy.” He shrugs and reaches for another strawberry.

“Did you always know that you wanted to take over the ranch?”

“Pretty much, yeah, although I thought Zack and I would run it together.” Josh takes a deep breath and gazes at the trees around us. “This is our home. I love it here.”

“It’s beautiful out here.”

He pulls me to my feet and swats my ass firmly. “Come on, feisty girl, let’s head back to the house.”

“I want to drive!” I bounce on the balls of my feet and clap my hands, making Josh laugh.

“No.” He shakes his head and props his hands on his hips, grinning happily.

“Please?” I move over to him and run my hands down his torso. I grip his ass in one hand and cup his growing cock in the other. “I’ll show you how amazing my mouth can be later tonight.”

“Are you offering me sexual favors in exchange for driving my four-wheeler?” he asks with a fake glare.

“Absolutely.”

“Deal.”

Chapter Ten

The three-gate airport is pretty much empty, aside from a few other people standing about waiting for the plane to land.

It’s an hour late.

Jill texted when she boarded the plane at LAX. I’m excited to see her. It’s only been a few months since we last spent time together, but it feels like forever. Jill is the closest thing I have to a sister, and I miss her like crazy.

I should plan a trip to LA soon. We usually alternate our visits, and it’s been too long since I made the trip down to spend time with her.

This airport is tiny. Only two airlines fly in and out, making flights expensive and hard to find, especially in the summer and winter months when the tourism kicks up to full speed. Sculptures and local artwork are displayed, and the décor is rustic, fitting in with the Western theme.