Tied Up, Tied Down (Rough Riders 4)

“Stop beating yourself up. Let’s move forward, not back.”

“Okay. Does that mean—”

A blinding reflection of headlights flashed in the window behind Kade. Skylar looked over her shoulder. A car had pulled up by the outside fencepost and cut the lights.

“What the hell?”

“What?”

“Who is dropping by at ten at night? Were you expecting anyone?”

“No.”

“I don’t like this. Not at all.” She scurried out of the house and made it halfway up the gravel driveway, when the rear car door opened. The chink chink chink of glass bottles hitting rocks echoed back to her.

“Hey! What are you doing?” She began to run. “This is private property!”

The car was thrown into reverse, narrowly missing the fence. The engine gunned, muddy water and gravel sprayed her from head to bare toes as the vehicle fishtailed down the driveway and out of sight.

“Goddammit!”

A large hand landed on her shoulder and spun her around. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“Didn’t you see that car? They were dumping garbage and who knows what else.”

“And you ran out here to confront them?”

“They were trespassing. What if they’d tried to break into the plant? Or tried to dump something toxic that’ll cost me thousands of dollars in clean up costs?”

“Jesus Christ, Skylar, what if they would’ve pulled a gun out and shot you?”

She went utterly still.

“Bustin’ a couple of underage kids for drinkin’ ain’t worth your time and sure as hell ain’t worth your life.”

“I-I—”

“Don’t you ever do anything like that again, do you hear me?”

Feeling like an idiot, Skylar twisted out of his grip and raced back to the house.

She’d reached the tiny strip of grass in front of the porch, when again, she was jerked around. This time Kade hauled her to her toes. “Let me go.”

“Not until you answer me. Don’t you ever take chances like that, do you understand?” He shook her a little. “Do you have any idea what the thought of anything happenin’ to you does to me?”

She whispered, “No.”

“It rips me clean apart.”

“Kade.”

“Don’t. Just don’t.” He dragged her into his arms and squeezed her so tightly she couldn’t breathe. He kissed the top of her head as he muttered in her wet hair. His mouth grazed her forehead. Her temple. Her cheek. But when he reached her lips, his mouth didn’t graze; it devoured.

Sky kissed him back as ferociously. With need. Frustration. Every negative emotion fed their passion. Fueled their urgency.

Kade released her. He yanked her tank top over her head. Dragged her shorts down her legs. Tore off his own clothes.

“Just like this. Dirty, angry and wet.” He didn’t wait for her response. They half-fell to the soggy ground with a splash.

In the downpour of the cool rain, Sky swore she could see steam coming off their heated bodies. Kade pinned her hands above her head. She was lost to any kind of reality beyond his solid weight pressing into her. She shrieked when his mouth latched onto her nipple and sucked it with enough force it hit the back of his throat.

Skylar said, “Please, please, please,” and hooked her ankles in the small of his back, pumping her hips to urge him higher.

The slick head of his c**k slipped over her clit and then all that thick rigid maleness surged inside her.

A gasping sob burst from her lungs.

Kade put his mouth on her ear. “I wanna hear you.”

Sky knew neither of them would last long, it was too intense. The need too sharp.

She craved that orgasmic rush, she burned for it. She arched and bucked and thrashed against his thrusting body demanding, “More. Kade, please.”

His c**k jackhammered into her. Hard. Fast. Deep. Water sloshed around them. He growled, “Let me hear you. Scream for me.”

That did it. The tight coil unraveled. She screamed until every throbbing pulse slowed to nothing more than a dull throb. She blinked away the rainwater and opened her eyes, to see Kade staring at her.

“God. Skylar. I-I—” His whole body convulsed as he came with a roar. Afterward, he buried his face in her neck even when he still shook.

The rain fell steadily. It was startlingly peaceful, in the aftermath of such an emotional storm, hearing the water droplets pinging on the metal downspouts. Smelling the parched earth beneath them soaking in every drop of moisture. Feeling Kade’s rough fingers braceleting her wrists. Feeling him hot and hard inside her. Listening to their labored breathing returning to a normal cadence.

Yes, there was a certain contentment accepting that not only had she given this man control of her body, he’d taken control of her heart.

Kade had f**ked Skylar like an absolute animal, in a mud puddle, on the front lawn.

And she didn’t seem to mind.

A primal sense of satisfaction howled inside him and he couldn’t wait to take her again. Mark her as his.

He released her wrists and lifted his upper body to look down at her.

She brushed the wet hair stuck to his forehead and palmed his cheek, allowing the pad of her thumb to trace his lips. She didn’t say a word. She didn’t make any move to…well, move.

Kade opened his mouth to speak and she shook her head. Then Sky kissed him with sweetness and passion, which got him all hard and needy and desperate again.

She preferred this be a wordless encounter? Fine. What he planned to do to her would probably make her pretty damn speechless anyway.

He eased his c**k out of her body and rolled to his feet. Kade helped her up, then snatched their discarded sodden clothes, leaving them on the porch. He led her up the stairs, past her bedroom and straight into the bathroom.

With the hall light on and the door cracked open, there was no need to turn on the overhead lights. She stepped in the shower and cranked the handle, giving him time to snag what he needed from his shaving kit.

Kade pulled the shower curtain back and joined her under the warm spray.

As she rinsed her hair, he lathered up a washcloth with lemon sage scented soap and began to wash her. The graceful line of her neck. Then her full br**sts. Her belly. The flare of her hips. Down each leg.

Wordlessly, he urged her to turn around. Kade swept the suds across her shoulders.

Over her back and spine. When he reached her pear-shaped butt that drove him insane with lust, he pressed closer to her. The water cascaded over them, sending soapy swirls to their feet and down the drain.