Chapter Five

C arson faced Layne. Even having a kitchen island between them wasn't enough when she wore that flannel shirt. She must have worn that color on purpose. No way had she forgotten that shade of dark green was his favorite color—especially on her.

Her luminous green and gold eyes landed on his, and his balls clenched.

With as much nonchalance as a cat walking away when its owner reached to pet it, she brought a mug of steaming coffee to her lips. He stared at those full lips pursed on the rim.

They'd look better on his cock.

Fuck, he never wanted to be a porcelain mug before now.

Her delicate throat worked on a swallow that made ripples of want break over his whole body.

He couldn't take this much longer.

Holding back his growl, he planted his hands on the counter and leaned in. "Let's go over the rules again."

She continued to drink her coffee.

"No open blinds."

She didn't react.

"Today you completely disregarded that rule."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." She went back to sipping like the french vanilla roast was her power source.

He gripped the marble countertop harder. "If you can't keep the windows covered, then you'll sleep in the guest room. With me. And I'll make damn sure that you don't break the rule."

She gulped her sip and let out a sputtering cough. The urge to circle the island was too strong. He firmed his knees to keep from moving and continued spelling out the rules.

"No swimming alone."

The Olympic-sized family pool was her favorite place to spend her summer days. She was a terrific swimmer, and he'd give anything to watch her do laps. But only if he was with her.

"What, are you a lifeguard now?"

He stared at her, letting the silence impress his point. Several seconds passed before he went on. "No wandering the grounds alone."

"But I want to spend time with my horses!"

"Then you'll go with me. Or with one of my brothers if they come over to help out."

She issued a sigh through her nose but didn't respond with words.

"No leaving the house—"

"Are you kidding me? I'm practically a prisoner in my own home—"

"Alone," he cut her off. "No phone calls without me checking into the caller first."

She crossed the kitchen, drawing his attention to her tight, round ass in that form-fitting skirt, and poured herself more coffee. He started to speak, but she was banging around bottles of flavoring and creamer.

Tuning him out.

"One more thing, Layne."

"Mmhmm?" She busied herself stirring all the extras into her coffee.

"No panties."

She whirled around, coffee forgotten. Her expression unreadable and new to him.

After she set down her mug carefully, she squared her shoulders. He waited for her to walk out.

To his surprise, she reached under her skirt.

Oh god, what was she doing?

His tongue dried out. His cock thickened.

She wiggled a pair of silky black panties down her thighs and then bent over to tug them off her ankles.

She walked past him and tossed her panties at his chest as she went.

Fucking hell. She was just as feisty as she used to be.

He stepped into her path. Her eyes flared.

Oh yeah. She was flirting with danger.

She opened her mouth, but he never let her get a word out.

He snagged her around the waist and hauled her up against him.

The instant his mouth crashed down on hers, a growl rumbled up his throat. The heels of her hands hit his shoulders, but she never pushed him away.

She curled his fingers into his muscle and yanked him closer.

With a groan, he slanted his mouth across hers, tasting woman and a trace of coffee. Need amped up, and he took total control of her, whirling her against the island and trapping her between the marble and his body.

She tore her mouth away. "Damn you."

"Damn this little skirt." He cupped her ass, relearning the curve in his palm.

Their mouths fused again, tongues wild. She nipped at his bottom lip, and he sucked hers into his mouth.

When he slipped his hand from her ass and delved it beneath her skirt, his fingertips met her slick pussy.

Bare pussy.

"Tell me you want this," he bit off.

"I do!"

He slipped his finger over her stiffened nubbin, raising a cry from her.

If he didn't get her out of here, he would make her come in her kitchen.

"Not here." He grabbed her and practically carried her to the guest room.

Ten steps down the hall, he stopped and trapped her against the wall. She let out a low moan and began grinding against his stiff cock. Their kiss went from wild to an inferno.

"Carson!"

He lifted her again. Took another three steps and crushed her against him, rocking his cock into her. Only being inside her would ease him.

Bed. They needed a bed.

Swinging her off her feet, he made it to the guest room. He kicked the door shut and carried her to the bed. His balls were about to explode.

He pressed her down on the mattress and covered her with his body. The need in her eyes stole his damn breath, and he had to force air into his lungs.

When she scrabbled at his shirt, he took the hint and tore it off.

Now the breath punched from her. "Wow." She raked her gaze over his body.

The lust he saw on her face tripped the last wire. There was no stopping him from giving her the pleasure they both craved.

He thrust his hand under her skirt again. Tossing her head on a moan, she rubbed her pussy against his hand. The sweet sound stole over him like the warm honey between her legs.

"Carson!"

Using his other hand, he popped the buttons of her shirt, exposing her nude-colored bra and a sliver of lightly freckled skin.

Fuck! He'd forgotten about the freckles.

Cock pounding, he kissed her throat until she writhed. With some yanks and tugs, and a little help from Layne, they managed to remove her top, bra and skirt.

Panting for control, he stared down at her. "I never imagined you'd get better."

He only saw her eyes haze over at his compliment for a split second because he slipped down her body, spread her thighs and opened his mouth right over her wet pussy.

"Oh…my…god!" She dug her fingers into his scalp, twisting the strands of his hair.

Her sweet taste coated his tongue. The small jerks of her hips told her that he had her right where he wanted her.

Dragging his tongue down, down, downward, he gathered her juices. When he thrust his tongue inside her, she released a louder moan. He tongue-fucked her several times before moving back up to circle her clit in slow passes meant to drive her crazy.

Cradling her ass in his palms, he lifted her to his mouth and sucked her clit in soft pulls until he felt her begin to tremble. Then shake.

* * * * *

Heat lashed at Layne's core. Her body bowed as the knot of pleasure yanked tight.

With a cry, she came. The orgasm struck hard.

Harder than any that she had ever experienced before.

Pulsations throbbed in her core as Carson licked, lapped and sucked her until a final moan left her lips.

Her fingernails were sunk deep into his muscular shoulders, and she slowly pried them out, dragging them up to his hair.

God, she'd forgotten how soft his hair was.

His hair was the only thing soft on him.

He slid up her body, crushing his stiff cock against her still-aching pussy.

With a twitch of his hips, he had her practically begging for him to enter her.

She met his tumultuous gaze, as gray as a stormy sea. "Take your clothes off." Her voice was a rasp laden with desire.

The corner of his lips tipped upward in a self-satisfied bad-boy smile. If she didn't want him inside her so bad, she might direct him to the door.

Through hooded eyes, she watched him climb off the bed. The muscles in his torso rolled with every move. After serving in the military, it was surprising that he didn't have tattoos other than the stars on his forearm. A silver cross necklace circled his neck.

He stood beside the bed. Holding her stare, he unbuttoned his jeans and unzipped his fly. When he dropped his jeans, she let out a gasp.

She remembered that .

His cock was long, thick and veined. The mushroomed head shone with need. A drop of precum pooled at the center.

With a gulp, she darted her tongue across her dry lips.

Out of seemingly nowhere, he produced a condom. Again, she might question if this encounter was premeditated since he had protection at the ready, but she stopped thinking the instant he stretched the rubber over his cock.

She rolled toward him, reaching. He took her in his arms with far too much tenderness for an encounter between strangers. And they were strangers.

He was here to protect her. Getting at least one orgasm out of the deal was a bonus.

Bracing his arms on the bed on either side of her, he hovered over her. The tip of his cock probed at her drenched folds.

"What do the star tattoos mean?"

Was she stalling? Could he blame her?

"Buddy of mine got the same tats—one star for each mission. After a while, there were too many missions to keep getting tattoos." His voice was ragged with need. His blood pulsing.

She wet her lips. Then eagerly opened to him…

And he slid home.

The gasp they shared filled the air, followed by a moan when he withdrew nice and slow.

Her inner walls clutched around him.

"Give me your mouth." He didn't even wait for her to concede—he slammed his down on hers.

The wild dance of their tongues went from needy to carnal. The thunder of her heart mixed with the noises of bliss they made as he steered them toward the cliff of insanity.

She clung to him, fingers spread across the hot steel of his back. Each stroke of his cock shot her higher and higher. Her mind blanked on her worries about her stalker and instead stars sparkled in the back of her mind.

Her pussy squeezed Carson's cock.

"Fuck, I can't hold on much longer. Come with me. Come with—" He broke off, mouth open on a silent bellow.

She made the mistake of looking into his eyes at the moment her orgasm struck.

God, it magnified the sensation so much more.

Her insides clenched and released hard and fast, milking him.

When she came to her senses, he was lying beside her, looking down at her, a crinkle between his dark brows.

"You okay?" His gruff voice reminded her of the last time she spoke to him, when he told her that he'd come back to Wyoming before going off to boot camp.

A sharp pain lanced through her heart. The last thing she wanted to do was feel anything for Carson Malone ever again. She'd finished that chapter of her life, had closed the book.

"Layne?" Concern burned in his eyes.

She swallowed hard and twisted her face away. "I wasn't going to do this. I was never going to see you again. I hate you for what you did to me."

He jerked as though she'd slapped him.

"For what I did to you?"

She pushed into a sitting position, dragging the comforter over her nudity. "You never came to Wyoming before you left."

He blinked at her. "I got called to boot camp early. It's not like I could tell the Navy to wait until I had my summer with you. I had no choice but to go, Layne."

"What?" The word escaped as a hot rasp.

He scrubbed a hand over his face. "Fuck. I know my family never told you—my dad ended up injured and they never came here that summer."

Stunned numb, she shook her head to lift the confusion.

He firmed his jaw, a glint of anger sparking in his eyes. "That doesn't explain why you never wrote back. I wrote you every day of training. Then as I moved around, I wrote as much as I could." He narrowed his eyes at her, the torment he believed she caused him clear. "Your picture was with me every day until I was taken prisoner!"

Prisoner? Dear god, this man had suffered unthinkable things that she couldn't begin to imagine.

She reached out to him. "Carson…I'm…I'm sorry. I never received a single letter."

He stared at her. "How can that be?"

Dazed, she stared back. "There's only one answer: someone intercepted them."

She climbed out of bed, scooping up her discarded clothes. Without a backward glance, she left the guest room and slipped into her own.

After donning a bathrobe, she went in search of Faye. She found her in the kitchen, up to her elbows in bread dough.

The fact that her housekeeper was making bread—a carb that Layne didn't eat—didn't escape her notice.

Faye looked up. Whatever she saw on Layne's face pinched her lips. She abandoned her dough and rushed to wipe her hands on a dishtowel.

"What happened, honey? Did you receive more texts from…"

Layne's heart tumbled at the reminder. She shook her head. "Faye, you've been with me forever. What do you know about letters that Carson sent me?" Her wide eyes made Layne's stomach bottom out. "You do know something."

She gave her a nod. "Come with me."

Just when Layne didn't think she could handle another shock in her life, she received another when she followed Faye into her private quarters and the woman produced a huge cardboard box.

Filled with bundles of letters.