Shadow Maverick Ranch Box Set Page 13

  “It wasn’t the first time you’d come to my rescue. Remember prom?” Her date had gotten drunk before they’d finished dinner and Pax had been the one to drive her home—after he’d taken his own date home, which she’d thought strange at the time.

  “I warned you the guy was a douche.” He pressed a hand to her back, holding her against him as he reached for another package of cookies, this one of soft, chocolate cookies with big white chips. He opened it and broke off a piece of chewy goodness for her.

  “You said that about every guy I dated. Besides, you always said if I ever needed you…” Her eyes started to burn. She blinked hard, willing the tears to stay away. No more tears tonight. Only what he’d promised. Only pleasure.

  God, she’d missed him so much.

  “My borrowed cowboy,” she whispered, more to herself than to him as his warmth surrounded her, so familiar and soothing.

  He snorted and raised a piece of the round, chocolaty treat to her lips. “Open,” he commanded.

  He teased the cookie along the seam of her lips. His gaze darkened as she tucked her bottom lip and ran her tongue over it to capture the hint of flavor.

  “Open,” he said again, no less forceful than the first time.

  She spread her lips, her mouth wet with anticipation. He placed the piece of cookie on her tongue. She closed her eyes as it melted in the heat of her mouth.

  Sweet, dark, tempting.

  Reese groaned with hedonistic satisfaction. She was sure no ordinary cookie could taste this decadent.

  “What is this?” she asked as she swallowed, already missing the sensation of sweetness in her mouth. Had to be some kind of expensive, gourmet cookie.

  He cursed. “It’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen, that’s what.”

  She gave him an indulgent smile. “Your turn?” She reached for the package, but he stopped her.

  “Good idea.” The look he gave her melted her insides.

  He moved fast, drawing a squeak from her as she found herself flat on her back. He crouched over her, a predatory grin on his face.

  He leaned down and brushed his lips over hers. “I’ve been dying to taste you.”

  “I doubt I’m as good as those cookies,” she joked, her core already preparing for his mouth.

  He nipped her jaw, moved lower to capture her nipple between his teeth, shirt and all. He tugged hard enough to catch her breath, then released her with a warm burst of breath through the fabric.

  The dual sensations caused her skin to pebble, her nipples to tighten almost to the point of pain.

  “Raise up,” he instructed, and shoved the shirt up to expose her belly. He peeled off her panties and stared, a hungry smile on his lips.

  “You’re so beautiful.” He trailed a finger through the hair on her mound. He spread her legs wide and put his mouth on her sex. He ran his tongue along her seam, light strokes meant to tease, drive her crazy.

  “Fuck, you taste better than any cookie I’ve ever had,” he mumbled against her pussy. She arched into him, silently begging for more.

  He seemed to know what she needed and slid two fingers deep into her. She cried out as he stretched her, moving his fingers as his tongue rolled over her clit.

  She was close, every muscle in her body pulled tight. Her toes curled and she bent her knees, pulling her legs up to give him better access. She tried to protest when he pulled his fingers from her, but her cry turned to a gasp when he smoothed a slick fingertip against the entrance to her ass.

  Oh, god. She’d forgotten how good it felt. She’d never allowed another man to touch her there. Just Paxton. Only Paxton.

  He didn’t enter her, just traced the sensitive skin until her body shook with need. Her legs quivered. Her heart raced.

  “That feels so good, Paxton. So good. Please, don’t stop.”

  “I’ve got you, sweets. Come for me.”

  He breached her ass as he sucked her clit into his mouth and her body caught fire. Sizzled and burned a moment before she came, her body shattering with an intensity that left her breathless, unable to even cry out his name.

  He pulled his hand away, gentled his touch as she eased from her release. It unnerved her how he seemed to know her body, what she needed, without so much as a peep from her. Something else she’d never found with anyone else.

  Reese drew in a steadying breath as her body quivered in the aftermath of her orgasm. Pax crawled up her body, rolled to the side, and pulled her against him, holding her until her heartbeat slowed.

  “You okay?”

  “I think you killed me.” She snuggled deeper into his chest, wishing they could stay like this forever.

  Uh, oh. Don’t go there. You promised him. Pleasure only.

  “You sure about that?” He pressed his hips against her. She felt the hard ridge of his erection.

  The doorbell rang.

  “Pizza.” He groaned. “Damn it. This’ll have to wait a bit longer.” He jumped up and tugged on his jeans, zipping them over his hard cock with a tortured growl. “Be right back.”

  She smiled as he stalked from the room bare-chested and sporting wood. She hoped the delivery person wasn’t female. She didn’t like the idea of another woman getting a glance at what, for tonight anyway, belonged to her.

  And if the pizza turned out to be half as good as the cookies had been … Lord help her … she might not survive it.

  Chapter Six

  “What’s your deal today?” Clay complained and stood, arching his back into a stretch.

  Pax glanced up. “What’s that supposed to mean?” His gloved hands worked on autopilot as he spliced a new piece of barbed wire into yet another broken section of fence.

  “I don’t know. You’re a little testy. More than usual, I mean.” Clay jerked off his gloves and flipped open the cooler that sat in the bed of his truck. He twisted the cap off and drained half a bottle of water in one swallow.

  “Could be that it’s a hundred and five degrees, and I’m stuck out here fixin’ goddamned fences with your sorry ass.”

  Clay’s brows shot up. “Somewhere you’d rather be?”

  Only one place he could think of. Hence his testiness.

  It’d been a solid week since he and Reese were together, and Pax hadn’t stopped thinking about her.

  She’d stayed with him until almost eleven. He’d actually enjoyed the quiet intimacy of sharing a pizza with her and then later, much later, helping her back into her clothes. He’d held her hand. Walked her to her car. He’d kissed her, mumbled something about how great it’d been to see her, then he’d kissed her again. And again. He hadn’t been able to get enough of her mouth and had been loath to let her go.

  She’d been so responsive, so willing to give him whatever he wanted. It had been one of the greatest nights of his life. For the first time in months, he wished things were different. That he could erase the last few years and build something new.

  Which was why he’d put her in her car, and watched as the taillights disappeared down the drive.

  He hadn’t asked for her number. She hadn’t offered.

  Borrowed.

  That’s what she’d called him. Implying she’d gotten something from him that he’d eventually get back.

  Had she? Would he?

  His time, he didn’t give a fuck about. She’d needed him, he’d been there. Time well spent. He’d do it again too, if she asked. He’d known it the second she’d fallen through the bathroom door and into his arms.

  But the ever-increasing ache in his chest … now that gave him pause. His heart wasn’t available to borrow, damn it. Because if it were, with Reese, he was afraid he’d not want it back. He’d want her to keep it. Always.

  The word glutton sprang to mind. Christ, he cared about Reese, but he couldn’t—wouldn’t—go down that path again. No fucking way.

  A frustrated growl escaped his throat. “You done for the day? ’Cause last time I looked, this fence isn’t gonna fix itself.”

  C
lay pffed, pulled his gloves on, and went back to work. On a normal day, Pax enjoyed working alongside his brother. They’d worked together their whole lives, making words almost unnecessary when it came to getting shit done. They worked with a quiet efficiency that only came from experience and a sense of partnership.

  “You’ll never guess who I saw at Slick’s last Saturday night.”

  Not today, however. Today, it seemed Clay was more interested in running his mouth.

  Pax had sweat running into the crack of his ass, and he hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep in a week. A flame-haired beauty had plagued his dreams, causing him to wake at all hours with the hard-on from hell. He needed a shower. Wanted a drink. He wasn’t in the mood for guessing games.

  “The Pope?” He picked up the stretcher and with a few practiced movements, finished the repair.

  “Aren’t you the smart ass. No, funny guy. Reese Jameson.”

  He hesitated, his heart tripping over itself. “That right?”

  “You don’t seem all that surprised.”

  Pax shrugged and moved to the cooler to grab a bottle of water. His ball cap was soaked with sweat, as was the rest of him. He pulled it off and smoothed his hair back. Fuck, it was hot. His shoulders ached and he decided he’d had enough for the day. He dropped the tailgate on Clay’s truck and rested his ass on the edge.

  “Why would I be? She lives this side of Houston. Makes sense she’d be around.”

  “Yeah, well, she hasn’t been around in years, as far as I know.”

  “You keep tabs on all my old friends?”

  Clay gave him a wolfish grin. “Only the pretty ones. And damn if she hasn’t gotten prettier since high school.”

  She wasn’t just pretty. She was fucking gorgeous. “Yep,” was all he said as he finished his water and got to his feet. He’d ridden his horse out here after checking cattle and it was a long ride back. He wanted to get started.

  “Wait, you’ve seen her?” Clay asked.

  Every fucking inch of her. “She’s helping Lauren with the wedding.”

  “Oh. Damn. Small world, huh?” Clay rolled up the spool of wire as though he sensed Pax was done. “I’ll tell you man, that girl is like walking sunshine. All smiles and laughter.”

  Pax entertained the thought that he’d had something to do with her happiness that night, since she’d been with him the night before. She’d certainly been the cause of the satisfied grin he’d worn all day Saturday.

  “She was with some guy,” Clay continued. “Corporate type. Khakis and shiny shoes. Reminded me of Gavin.” Clay tossed him a wink, but Pax lost any semblance of playfulness at the ‘some guy’ part.

  His gut tightened. So less than twenty-four hours after he’d come inside her, she’d been out with another man. It shouldn’t bother him. Hadn’t he been the one to set the rules for their night together? He had no right to judge what, or who, she did. But, damn, it stung.

  “You guys were tight once.” Clay said as though he needed a reminder.

  Pax thought about how to respond. “We were friends, yes,” he said slowly. “Lost touch after awhile.”

  After the night that had changed the course of their lives.

  “Guess she’ll be around a bit, with the wedding being months away, huh? Wonder if she’d need me to do a private fitting for my tux.” Clay waggled his eyebrows. “I could get into that.”

  Pax drilled Clay with a stare. His brother was a known horndog, and, while Pax didn’t have a say in who Reese went out with, he damn sure had a right where Clay was concerned. “Don’t even think about it. Reese is off limits to you.”

  “Says who?”

  “Just leave her alone, Clay.” Pax shook his head to indicate he was done with this conversation.

  Clay tossed the spool of wire in the bed of the truck and turned to face him, arms crossed, smirk firmly in place. “You can’t be serious. You think I’m not good enough for her?”

  “That’s not what I said. Reese isn’t the kind of woman you just fuck and forget.” He should know. “She deserves a man who’ll give her more than that.” A warning for himself as much as for Clay.

  “A man like you?” Clay spoke without malice, and with only a slight twinge of curiosity and a heavy dose of knowledge.

  Sometimes Pax hated that his brother could read him so well. They were the only two of the six Mathis siblings who weren’t twins. Stuck in the middle with only a few years separating them, he and Clay had developed a special bond. The un-twins as they’d once called themselves.

  Regardless of his desire not to share, he owed Clay an explanation.

  “I had sex with her,” he said finally, hoping Clay wouldn’t push. “She was here last Friday and one thing led to another and…” The rest was between him and Reese.

  Clay’s smirk disappeared. “And that makes it okay, how?” Again, no malice. Concern, maybe, for him or for Reese, Pax didn’t know. “You just said she deserved more than that. You tellin’ me you’re prepared to be that guy? Not that I wouldn’t be happy to see you live again. But if you’re not ready to let go of the past, then maybe you need to leave her alone as well.”

  Ouch. “You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “I’m fine. I’ve moved on from all that bullshit.”

  “Really? ’Cause from where I stand, it sure doesn’t look like it.” Clay studied him. “Tell me something. You been in the barn lately?”

  Pax jutted his chin to where his horse grazed. “Where do you think I got Midas?” Not a lie, just not the barn he knew Clay was referring to.

  Clay rolled his eyes, a clear indication he hadn’t appreciated Pax’s answer. “My point, exactly. You should take your own advice before someone gets hurt.”

  “You should mind your own business.”

  Clay didn’t budge. “You’re probably right, but that doesn’t mean I’m gonna. Not while you’ve got your head up your ass. You and Reese have history. You obviously like her enough to sleep with her. Why not be that guy? What’s stopping you?”

  Pax stared at his younger brother. He appreciated that Clay cared about him, but it annoyed him all the same that Clay wouldn’t let it drop. “Nothing’s stopping me. I don’t want a relationship. End of story.”

  “Why not?”

  “Jesus, what’re you? My shrink?” Pax’s temper flared. “My wife cheated. Repeatedly fucked other men while sharing my bed.” A familiar disgust threatened to gag him. “You tell me why I don’t want to get into that shit again.”

  “Reese isn’t Tammy,” Clay threw back at him.

  “You don’t know that,” he barked, the words flowing out before he could stop them. “You said it yourself—she was with some guy the night after she was with me.” Pax regretted the words the second they’d left his mouth. Whether he saw her again or not, she deserved better than his ugly insinuations.

  “You do know. I can see it in your eyes. God, Pax. Aren’t you tired of holding on to a past that doesn’t want you anymore?”

  Clay scrubbed a hand over his face. “I’m sorry for what Tammy did. Jesus fuck, man. I’m so sorry about what you went through, but haven’t you let her take enough from you? Let that bitch have the years she stole. They’re over. You don’t need them anymore. Let those years go, Pax. Don’t give Tammy another second of your life. She’s not worth it.”

  He stood, shell-shocked by the sadness in Clay’s voice. He hadn’t thought about it like that. Hadn’t thought beyond the pain of being betrayed. He’d been so wrapped up in his own anger and resentment, he’d never considered how his hurt had effected his family.

  Pax hooked his fingers and let out a shrill whistle. Midas glanced up, ears perked. Pax whistled again and the sleek, chestnut stallion trotted his way.

  He turned back to Clay. “Look, I appreciate everything you’ve said. And you’re not wrong.”

  “Of course I’m not.” The smirk was back. “You deserve to be happy, that’s all I’m saying. Don’t
cheat yourself out of an opportunity, you know, if one happens to present itself.”

  Pax nodded, the only affirmation he was able to give. He needed to think and was glad for the ride ahead.

  Clay didn’t understand. God willing, Clay would never be in the position to understand. But the fact Clay loved him enough to shoot straight had Pax biting back eye-stinging emotion.

  He’d never been more grateful to have his family than he was this moment. It was high time he stopped giving them reason to worry. It was high time for a lot of things.

  Midas nudged his shoulder. Pax rubbed his muzzle. “What do you say we get out of here, huh?” he said to the horse. To Clay, he said, “You comin’ back to the house?”

  “Nope. Gonna hit the shower and head out. We’ve had enough girl talk for one day, don’t you think? Besides, unlike some of us, I’ve got a date.”

  Pax mounted up. He tugged the reins to turn Midas around. “Catch you later, then. Have fun.”

  As he headed home, Clay’s words played over and over in his head. A past that didn’t want him anymore. Pax made it all the way to the barn before he realized the feeling was mutual.

  Chapter Seven

  Pax walked into the house, dog-tired and ready for a shower.

  After he’d left Midas and jumped in his truck for the half-hour drive back to the house, he’d decided to ask Lauren for Reese’s phone number. He wasn’t ready to analyze the why of it. He wanted to hear her voice. Wanted to. Not needed to.

  The sounds of feminine laughter rang out. He followed the noise toward the kitchen.

  And Jared had wondered why he didn’t stay at his own house.

  This was the reason.

  Here, he was surrounded by people he loved and who loved him back. People who’d kept him grounded. Here, was laughter and—he inhaled, a smile on his face—homemade cookies.

  His house—no way he’d call it a home—consisted of walls and a roof. A container holding memories turned toxic over time. His ex-wife’s infidelity had poisoned any happy memories he might’ve had. Memories that had threatened to suck him into a bottle of booze. Then another. And another. Until there was nothing left to remember. Or feel.