Cowboy Take Me Away (Rough Riders 16)

“That right?”

“My brothers are gone too.”

“So you’re all alone?”

She kissed his chin. “Not anymore. Have you had lunch?”

“Nope.”

“Come in.” She tugged his hand. “I’ll fix you something.”

“In a second. Lemme grab something outta my truck.”

Carolyn watched him amble to the driver’s side door, enjoying the view of his tight buns and long legs encased in denim. Although it was fairly warm out today, he wore a long-sleeved shirt—not that the extra fabric could hide the broad set of shoulders. Shoulders she’d been clinging to last night as his body had moved in and out of hers.

She was still lost in heated memories of hands and mouths and bodies in motion when he stopped in front of her.

“Whatcha thinkin’ about, Caro?”

Her eyes locked onto his. “Last night.”

He dipped his head and kissed the side of her throat. “You ain’t the only one.” Then he looked at her and smiled. A sweet, slightly devious smile and Lord have mercy she was just gone for this man. “I brought you something.”

That’s when she noticed his hands were behind his back. “What?”

Carson handed her a box of candy. “Since I didn’t give you the hearts and flowers romance you deserved last night, and since you were sarcastic about the doves at the moment of the official cherry popping, I thought I could at least bring you a sweet treat that’ll remind you of me.”

She laughed softly and studied the box of chocolate-covered cherries, hoping he didn’t notice her damp eyes. This man was so sweet and he had a good sense of humor. “I love chocolate. Thank you.”

“Hey.” His fingers were under her chin, lifting her face to meet his gaze. “You okay today?”

“Very okay. I know last night wasn’t…didn’t play out how you’d hoped. But for me, it was everything I’d ever wanted it to be and more.”

“Then that’s all that matters.”

“Was it okay for you?”

“No.”

Her heart stopped. “It wasn’t?”

“No,” he said again as he brushed soft, seductive kisses across her mouth. “It was f**kin’ amazing.”

She smiled against his lips. “Oh. Good.”

“Mmm-hmm.” He started nibbling her jaw. “Sugar, are we really alone?”

She loved how his breath felt fanning her skin. “Yes.”

“For how long?”

“For hours.”

“That’ll work.” He lifted her into his arms.

“Carson!”

“Open the door.”

She turned the handle and he strode inside the house and kicked the door shut behind them. “Which way?”

“To the kitchen for lunch?”

“No. To your bedroom. We can eat food after I’ve had a taste of you.”

Her stomach cartwheeled so hard it kicked her heart into high gear.

“Caro?”

“Straight ahead. I sleep in the sun porch.”

Once they were in her space, she tried to see it from his point of view. Half the room was packed with junk since it doubled as a storage room when she and Kimi weren’t here. Her mother’s sewing machine, dress maker dummy, ironing board, irons and sewing instruments were in the center of the room, along with stacks of material, thread, ribbons, notions, paper patterns, a box of buttons and other odds and ends.

In the corner, she’d pushed the twin beds together, making a decent-sized sleeping area for herself. A bed with pale peach sheets, lots of pillows, a bright reading lamp for the foldable flat board so she could hand sew pieces in bed if she chose. Her closet and dressing area was in the opposite corner behind two floral sheets. She’d hung her clothes on a dowel placed between two chains. Her underwear, slips and hosiery were in an old suitcase she’d cut in half and converted into dresser drawers.

The click of the lock brought her attention back to Carson. He wasn’t looking at her surroundings. At all. His eyes were focused solely on her.

It dawned on her it was the middle of the day. There’d be no darkness, every part of her, every part of him would be completely visible. Every other time they’d been intimate had been at night. And she’d never completely bared herself to another person…well…ever.

“Don’t,” he said softly as he stalked closer.

“Don’t what?”

“Don’t think.” He reached her and pushed her hair over her shoulder. “You’re beautiful and I can’t wait to get my hands on every inch of you. Last night was just the start. Trust me.” He rested his forehead to hers. “You do trust me, right?”

“Yes.”

“Good. First you gotta lose the clothes.” He hooked his fingers in the hem of her baggy red peasant shirt and pulled it up until she raised her arms.

Her bra wasn’t sheer, just plain white. She fought the urge to cross her arms over her chest.

His fingers slipped beneath the waistband of her skirt near her belly button, using her skin as a guide to find the button in the back. After unbuttoning her, Carson made short work of the zipper too. The navy blue cotton skirt fell to the floor.

Her panties matched her bra—bonus points for that, but her underwear wasn’t sexy, just plain white cotton.

Then his mouth was on her neck and his hands started at her shoulders and moved down. Stroking and caressing her skin. His thumbs following the swell of her br**sts while his palms curled around her ribcage.

At Carson’s show of reverence, she relaxed even when every tender touch and nip of his teeth set her body on fire.

His hands stopped on her hips, those wickedly stroking thumbs of his brushed over the rise of her mound and the sensitive inner skin by her hipbone. And still he didn’t say a word, he just explored. As his hands moved south so did his mouth. He palmed her behind in both hands as his tongue traced the edge of her bra, down one side and up the other.

Carolyn wasn’t sure what to do with her hands. She wanted to run her fingers through his hair. Grip his shoulders. Or should she start to undress him too?

“Unhook your bra for me so I don’t have to stop touchin’ you.”

She twisted her arms behind her back and tugged the clasp.

Carson’s gaze met hers as he eased the straps down her arms. Only when the straps cleared her fingertips did he look at her chest.

“Perfect. Jesus, look at you.” He held her br**sts and rubbed his cheek and jaw from the top of the left side, down to her sternum and back up the right side.