It was nearly sunset when he slipped out back, needing a breath of air.The late April sky was a wash of lavender and gold.Carter was laughing somewhere behind the house, and the low drone of Walker’s guitar carried into the cool night.
Along with Fern’s voice, calling his name from the porch.
“Hey,” she said softly, stepping down to meet him.“You okay?”
He nodded, swallowing past the knot in his throat.“Just…needed a minute.”
She looked at him for a long moment, then turned her head toward Rose and Chance’s place across the adjoining yard.“Want to go sit for a bit?Somewhere quieter?”
It was all the invitation he needed.
He followed her across the grass, through the side gate, and up the back steps of Rose and Chance’s house.Inside, it was quiet with everyone over at the other house.Fern tugged him down the hall to the little guest room tucked behind the kitchen.
The second the door closed his restraint snapped.
He caught her around the waist and kissed her so hard she made a startled, muffled sound against his mouth.She wound her arms around his shoulders and kissed him back, fierce and sure.When he pulled back, he was breathing ragged.
“Christ, sweetheart.You undo me.”
She traced fingers down his jaw, her eyes dark with heat.“Good.”
He kissed her again.Softer this time, but no less urgent.His hands skimmed down to the small of her back, her hips, the sweet curve he’d thought about more nights than he could count.
“You want this?”he whispered.
Her answering nod was the surest thing he’d ever seen.
He backed her against the wall, stopping only long enough to brush his thumb over her cheekbone, to memorize the way she looked right then.
Flushed and certain and beautiful.
Then he kissed her again, and the rest of the world fell away.
12
She should have been embarrassed by how fast she went from heated kisses to desperate need.But God, with Cody, there was no shame, only that delicious ache blooming low in her belly as he hauled her tighter, his mouth never leaving hers.
When he pressed her back against the wall of Rose and Chance’s guestroom, somewhere betweenjust need youandcan’t wait another second, Fern clutched his shoulders as if they were the only solid thing in the universe.His hands skimmed under the hem of her dress, callused palms rough on her thighs, and she nearly whimpered.
“Doing this?”he murmured against her mouth, his voice ragged, “Is going to get us caught.”
“Only if you don’thurry.”
His grin was pure wickedness as she arched into his touch.
He huffed a laugh, the sound turning into a groan as she slipped a hand between them, cupping him through his jeans.Hard, hot— God, she’d been thinking about this all week.She pressed her cheek to his and whispered, “I promise not to use my prosthesis on any of your delicate bits.”
His breath caught.“You’re evil.”
“You like me that way.”She popped the button on his fly with her right hand—her sure, nimble hand—and wrapped her fingers around him.The way he shuddered, the way he buried his face against her neck and bit gently at her collarbone, nearly undid her.
She stroked him slow, savouring every ragged gasp, every tremor.His hand braced on the wall beside her head, fingers curling tight in her hair.They were already half-wild, her panties pushed aside, the hem of her dress rucked up around her hips.She could feel how close he was.His breath hitched, his hips jerking into her hand.
“Fuck,Fern—” He tried to pull away, but she sank to her knees before he could stop her.His startled, desperate noise went straight to her core.
“Sweetheart, don’t?—”
“Oh, I’m going to,” she promised, all satin and sin.She met his eyes as she licked the head of his cock, just a teasing swirl of her tongue, and his jaw locked.
