Chapter 2

Liv fought against the impulse that told her she should shut the hell up, spread her legs and welcome Rem between them. The fact that she'd lusted for the man for nearly half her life would hardly come as a surprise to anyone. Her teenaged crush had started the year she'd turned seventeen and since then, her schoolgirl dreams had evolved into hard-core lust-fests that woke her up night after night, sweaty and aching.

Her comment seemed to douse the growing flames between them and she fought back a whimper when Rem rose and pulled her upright next to him on the seat. "You were seventeen, Liv. I was twenty-one. Last time I checked that's pretty much illegal in most states."

"And the last time I checked, that stopped being a problem on my very next birthday. It's been ten years, Rem. Ten fucking years. Ten birthdays."

He scowled at her and she returned the look. She knew Rem Bradley was used to getting his own way merely by flashing that dark, menacing look, but she'd never been easily cowed. If he thought he could bully her into following suit, he had another think coming.

"I'm not fond of this penchant you have for four-letter words," he said, and she laughed.

"Tough shit."

She watched as he gritted his teeth and she fought back a grin at his anger. It felt good to get a bit of revenge against the man who'd left her hot and hurting for years.

He sucked in a deep breath before starting the truck again. As he pulled onto the road, she wondered if he'd ever break the silence and offer her an explanation regarding his hasty disappearance from her life. Sure, he'd come home occasionally on leave, but he'd always maintained an uncomfortably large distance between them.

She'd tried more than a few times to rekindle the undeniable connection, the attraction she'd felt when he'd first returned home from the rodeo, but he'd continually rebuffed her attempts.

Her feelings for him had changed the summer before her senior year in high school. She'd never taken a serious interest in any of the local boys. The ranch and the horses had been her only loves, her life…until Rem came home. Three years on the circuit had changed her tall, lanky young friend in not-so-subtle ways, molding him into a muscular, carved-from-granite, sex-on-legs man.

She'd cornered him every opportunity she got, wearing short shorts and too-tight tank tops as often as she could get away with it, which wasn't often thanks to Joe Bradley's eagle eye. As hard as she worked to get Rem alone, Rem's father worked harder to keep them apart. She had no doubt Joe thought her infatuation with Rem was nothing more than a harmless teenage crush—until he'd caught her kissing Rem in the barn one afternoon.

Her memories of that day and that one kiss—her first kiss—had haunted her for years. "What did Joe say to make you leave?" she asked.

She watched Rem's grip on the steering wheel tighten and she knew she'd surprised him with the question.

He shrugged. "That was a long time ago. Does it matter?"

The familiar pangs of guilt that accompanied the memory of Rem's face when Joe had caught them tightened her chest. She'd sensed his agony at what he considered a betrayal. She'd never mentioned that day to Rem or Joe, but the pain of driving a wedge between father and son never lessened, never went away.

"It does to me," she whispered.

Rem glanced at her. Something in her face must have convinced him of her sincerity. "He said what he should have said." Rem's voice was gruff. "He told me to get the hell out."

Liv flinched. She'd always suspected, always feared that fact, but to have it confirmed cut her like a knife. She'd driven him away from his home. "I'm so sorry," she said softly, aware that her words were meaningless, useless.

"Sorry?" he asked. "Liv, that wasn't your fault. It was mine. I was an adult and I should have known better."

"I was relentless," she said, her fears, her pain spilling out. "I threw myself at you, time and time again. I was the one who kissed you. Not the other way around, Rem."

He sighed. "Christ, is that what you've been thinking all these years? I wasn't exactly fighting you off that afternoon. I may have put up a token bit of resistance, but how long do you think it would have been before I started initiating those kisses? Drinking from those sweet lips of yours? My father was right to send me away. You were too young for all the things I wanted to do to you."

He pulled onto the dirt road that led to the Bradley ranch and Liv tried to process his words. He'd fought her every step of the way that summer, telling her she was too young, telling her to go out with boys her own age. He'd pushed her away repeatedly but she'd been too stubborn to listen.

"You're wrong," she said as they pulled up to the house. "It was my fault your father sent you away. My fault the two of you fought and you can try to deny it, but I know I'm the reason you've stayed away so long."

She got out of the car and started toward the front porch, surprised when his arms wrapped around her from behind. "You aren't going into the house yet," he said, twisting her around and pushing her in the direction of the barn.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"We have some unfinished business to take care of."

She followed him, a sense of unease growing in the pit of her stomach. Unfinished business? The last time they'd been alone together in this barn, she'd kissed him and his father had sent him away.

As they entered, he walked back to the tack room, the site of their forbidden first kiss.

"Rem," she said, dragging her feet as he reached for her hand and continued to pull her along.

"Don't bother fighting this, spitfire. I'd say it's way past overdue."

She followed him into the tack room and watched as he closed and latched the door. The room was lit by a single bulb that provided only a dim amount of light.

Turning, he pushed her against the door. "You're right. You are the reason I stayed away."

Her heart broke with his confession, while her mind tried to reconcile his words with the heat scorching her skin due to his close proximity and lazy, sensual looks.

"I don't understand," she whispered.

"What I want from you, Liv, what I need…it isn't tame and easy. I'm going to claim you, take you—make you mine in every sense of the word."

She gasped at Rem's terrifyingly sexy threat as he bent down to kiss her. His lips grazed hers lightly, a sharp contrast to his words and the heated, hungry kisses he'd given her in the truck.

"I want to finish the kiss my father interrupted all those years ago." He dragged his lips gently along hers and she was struck by the sensation that he was offering her a real first kiss. Had he known she'd never been kissed by a boy that day she'd cornered him? His lips continued to dance against hers with an innocence, a sweetness that took her breath away, destroying her ability to resist him. She'd wanted him forever and she was disappointed when he pulled back.

"I owed you a decent first kiss," he said, grinning down at her.

She fought back a groan as he stepped away from her, pulling a crate to the center of the room and sitting down.

"You know I wouldn't mind a second and third kiss," she said, returning his smile.

After years of being ignored and pushed aside by him, she should be telling him to take his kisses and shove them where the sun don't shine, but she'd wanted him far too long. Besides, what if he took her words at face value and she had to wait another decade or so for him to make another move? She may be a bit miffed, but she wasn't stupid.

He beckoned her by crooking his finger and she went willingly. He grasped her hips when she stopped a few feet away and pulled her closer. His face was eye-level with her pussy and she fought to catch her breath at the intimacy of their positions. She closed her eyes and silently prayed that no matter what happened tonight, he wouldn't stop. She'd gladly pay the piper tomorrow for one night with Rem.

"Pull down your pants," he demanded. His voice was deep with a military arrogance that insisted he was going to have his way. The tone sent a delicious shiver up her spine.

She reached for the button of her jeans, unclasping it before dragging down the zipper. Her heart was racing and her thoughts were a jumbled mess but she was too needy, too hot to stop this show.

She started to shimmy the tight denim over her hips but Rem stopped her with firm hands against her wrists. "Panties too," he added, when he realized she was leaving the scrap of lace in place.

The idea of being completely bare to him from the waist down started the butterflies fluttering in her stomach and she wondered if she should at least try to slow things down. Explain to him exactly how much hadn't changed in the last decade.

His hands went up to the waistband of her panties, bringing them down to meet her jeans. "Take them both off," he repeated, replacing her hands on the material.

She sucked in a breath, hoping it would calm her, before following his command, pushing the material down. She toed off her boots before kicking off both articles of clothing.

Before she could consider his next move, he reached up and gripped her wrists, pulling her facedown over his lap.

"What the hell?" she cried, trying to get up.

His hand landed on her ass in a series of sharp, fast slaps that stung more than hurt.

"That's for your foul language. You can be sure every time you throw another one of those four-letter words at me this is exactly where you'll end up. No woman of mine curses like a sailor."

Liv continued to struggle, furious at herself for getting trapped in this position. She wasn't his woman. He'd rejected her year after year. "You can kiss my ass if you think I'll let you—" she began, but her words were cut off by more smacks.

"I can see we may be here awhile, and I haven't even started to punish you for that barroom brawl." His next blows were harder and Liv bit back a cry. "No comeback, Olivia? No more threats?"

Her breathing was harsher now and speech seemed suddenly difficult. The spanking had crossed an odd line as she found herself subconsciously moving into his blows. His hand stopped after a particularly hard smack to caress her burning skin.

"Promise me you won't go into Stan's Bar alone ever again," he demanded.

She started to refuse but before she could utter a word, his hand dipped between her legs, his fingers caressing the entrance to her pussy.

She gasped at the delicate touch and fought back the urge to beg for more. She had her pride, after all. She refused to give in to him despite the fact her body seemed to be doing that very thing. She felt a gush of moisture gathering at her entrance and she knew the moment Rem felt it.

"Mmm," he hummed. "Wet and hot. I wonder if you're tight too." Rather than wait for an answer, he pushed one finger inside her as she moaned at the overwhelming impulses his single touch triggered in her body.

"Jesus, so tight," he murmured reverently and she could only assume he liked what he'd found.

"Rem, I—" she began, her voice hoarse, weak.

"No," he said, cutting her off again. "Dammit, Liv. I've waited too long for you, wanted you too badly. I'm only human. If you're still angry, if you don't want me, say so. Otherwise I'm about two seconds away from putting you on your back on this floor and taking you—long and hard."

She shuddered at his words, her body hanging limply across his lap. She understood his sentiment, shared his agony. She didn't know what tomorrow would bring. After years of loneliness and longing, she was too terrified to hope for anything more than this moment.

"Take me," she whispered.

Strong hands pulled her up and she saw the slightest twinge of a grin touch his lips when she winced.

"You think it's funny that my ass is sore?" she asked, her hackles rising.

"Spitfire, I've thought of nothing but spanking that gorgeous ass since we left the bar. You've been a very naughty girl."

"Yeah, well, don't start thinking you can boss me around just because you're home now. I'm a grown woman, not a little girl, and nobody tells me…" His eyes narrowed as she spoke until finally her words died in her throat.

"What part of my woman didn't you understand?" he asked as he grabbed her hand and pulled her out into the dark barn.

Her mind whirled with his words. Twice now he'd called her his. Hope began to blossom in her heart but she ruthlessly stamped it down. She may give him her body tonight but he'd have to work for the privilege of holding her heart again. She'd given it to him a decade ago only to have him toss it back at her from the window of the bus that drove him off to boot camp and out of her life.

"What happened to you taking me on the floor?" she asked, anxious to make tonight light, fun, casual, though she wondered where she found the breath to tease him. She was literally gasping in anticipation.

"Thought you might prefer something a bit softer." He dragged her across the barn, grabbing a blanket and spreading it over a fresh pile of hay in the corner.

"Hay is softer?" she joked, and he chuckled.

"I don't have enough patience to put your pants back on and carry you to my bedroom. We've already wasted too much time."

He eased her down on the straw, reaching for the buttons of her blouse. With one quick flick of his wrists, he ripped the shirt open.

"Jesus," she whispered as his calloused hands reached down to engulf her breasts. He pushed her bra underneath, baring her hard nipples.

"God, you're sexy," he muttered as he bent down to suck her aching flesh into his hot mouth. Her back arched as her hands gripped his head. He was still sporting the Marine-issue buzz cut, but now that he was home, she hoped to convince him to let his dark blond hair grow back. For years she'd dreamed of running her fingers through it. He played with her breasts, nipping at the tight tips, squeezing them until she was panting and on the verge of begging.

She cried out when he stood but he shushed her gently. She lay on the blanket, feeling like a banquet feast as he looked at her with hungry eyes.

He stood in a shaft of moonlight and as she watched, he slowly removed his shirt, then his pants. She bit her lip to stop herself from whimpering at the sight of his naked body. He was impressive in clothing. Out of them, he was breathtaking. Her gaze drifted down to his cock, barely visible in the shadows, and for a moment, she felt a twinge of fear. He obviously hadn't lied about his intense desire. His cock was fully erect, thick and long.

He grinned when he realized what she was looking at, dragging his fist along his hard flesh. She licked her lips, wondering what he would taste like, and his eyes darkened.

"Come here," he demanded. She rose to her knees, never taking her eyes away from his cock.

"Put your mouth on me." His voice was dark, commanding, and she found herself reacting to what she was coming to recognize as his Marine tone. Moving forward, she reached out, her hand jolting slightly when she felt the heat radiating from him. His hands cupped her cheeks as he drew her face down, directing her course.

She'd always sensed the solid, implacable core of steel that resided inside him. The authority and strength that radiated from him made her want to follow him wherever he would lead. No doubt he was an excellent military officer.

She squeezed her legs together, fighting back the powerful sensations inundating her body as her lips grazed the tip of his cock and her tongue darted out to taste the salty drop of fluid resting there. A growl hummed deep in his chest and she smiled as the hands on her face tightened slightly.

She opened her mouth and slowly enveloped his hard cock.

"Give me your hand," he said, and she reached up. He wrapped her fingers around the base of his cock, showing her exactly how much pressure he wanted her to exert. "Move your mouth in unison with your hand, so you can love my whole cock."

She followed his directions, silently grateful for his help, and she wondered if he could tell she'd never done this before, never wanted to do this, before him.

He began to move his hips slowly, pushing into her mouth with shallow thrusts that soon started to go deeper. "Open your throat. Try to swallow me."

Her body trembled with need, with desire at the thought of taking him so deeply. He said he'd claim her. All of her.

Oh, how she wanted to be claimed by him.

On his fourth thrust, she found her rhythm and took him to the back of her throat. He groaned aloud and she loved his pleased, needy sound, desperate to hear more of the same. Over and over she swallowed his head as he whispered hot, dirty words that drew pictures of exactly how much he intended to claim. She thought she should be afraid, nervous, but she'd never been the type of woman to shy away from a challenge, to turn away from what she wanted. And her body wanted him badly. She would give him this because deep inside, she wanted the exact same things.

She began to move faster, stroke him harder, and was angry when he pulled away.

"No," she said, trying to reclaim his cock.

"Not this time," he said, pushing her hands away, lifting her face to look at him as he spoke. "I'm going to fuck your mouth soon, Liv. But this first time, the only place I'm coming is inside your pussy. Lie back down."

She did so, shivering with anticipation, but he mistook her reaction. "Shit. I should have taken you inside. Are you cold?"

"No, just lonely down here by myself. Come warm me up, Rem," she whispered.

He smiled at her request, reaching down to pull a condom out of his pants. "Are you on the Pill?"

She shook her head.

"Get on it," he said as he opening the wrapper and slid the condom on.

She grinned at his gruff, no-nonsense tone and wondered if she'd really have to bother with the doctor's appointment. It certainly seemed as if Rem intended this affair to last longer than just one night. She savored the thought of keeping him in her bed, in her body. What would it feel like to be able to hold him to her for weeks, maybe months, and to call him her lover?

She'd clearly never have to guess what Rem wanted in the bedroom as he was a master at making his desires known. He bent down and knelt at her feet. "Open your legs, spitfire," he said, and she blushed at the thought of showing herself to him in such an intimate way.

He gripped her knees and pulled them apart. "Like this," he said as his gaze drifted down her body.

She squirmed under his intense scrutiny and he frowned. "You never have to be embarrassed with me, Liv. You're beautiful." He reached down to touch her and for a moment she thought she detected a slight tremor in his hand. Perhaps she wasn't the only one affected by the intensity, the passion of the moment.

His fingers drifted along the insides of her thighs as she struggled to hold herself open for him, the desire to grab him and pull him on top of her at war with her ability to wait patiently.

"Hurry," she whispered, and he chuckled.

"No."

"Dammit, Rem, I—" she muttered, her words cut off by a sharp slap to her pussy. Her head reared back in surprise as her body rocketed to life with arousal.

"What did I say about that language?" he asked.

She wanted to throw every four-letter word in the book at him, frantic for more. Christ, she never knew, never realized how sexy a spanking could be. Lucky for her, she was an expert at pushing Rem's buttons. She anticipated all the ways she could provoke him into giving her more "punishments".

"Why does that grin have my insides churning?" he asked, and she realized her thoughts must be apparent on her face. He didn't wait for an answer as his hands drifted to her clit, his fingers pinching the swollen flesh until she was panting, pleading. How could he elicit so many glorious sensations with just a touch, a pinch, a kiss?

His lips drifted down to replace his fingers and she gasped.

"God, yes," she hissed as his tongue explored then tortured her needy flesh. He dipped his tongue inside her pussy and she felt as if she would shatter. He leaned up for a moment, sucking one of his fingers into his mouth, tasting her essence before returning to her pussy. His hands joined his mouth this time, one hand toying with her clit, his other delving lower, uncovering more secrets and showing her there was even more pleasure to be had than she'd suspected. He pushed his wet finger into her ass to the first knuckle as her hips jolted up in surprise and desire.

"I'm going to claim all of you," he breathed against her cunt.

"Take me. All of me," she whispered, her breath deserting her. He moved over her, taking her mouth in a kiss that tasted uniquely of Rem…and her.

The head of his cock nudged at her wet opening and she closed her eyes in relief, in gratitude, as he slowly pushed inside.

His progress was slow and she heard him hiss then curse. "So tight, so fucking tight."

She lifted her legs and wrapped them around his waist as he forged in another inch. He looked up into her face and she repeated her earlier words. "Take me, Rem. I want you. Now."

He kissed her once before rearing back and slamming into her to the hilt. She screamed as her body protested—and she tried to push him away before she thought better of her actions.

"Fuck," he muttered, his body suddenly still. He looked at her, his gaze a mixture of anger and awe. "Is there something you want to tell me, Olivia?"

She'd expected his annoyance, had even foolishly hoped she could hide the truth. "Would it have made a difference?" she asked, throwing the ball back in his court.

"If you're asking if I would have taken you if I'd known you were a virgin, the answer is yes. The difference is I would have gone slower, easier, been gentler with you."

She laughed lightly. "And that's exactly why I didn't tell you. I want hard and fast and soon, dammit," she added when he continued to remain motionless.

He leaned down to kiss her, chuckling. "Jesus, Liv. You're perfect for me. You were definitely worth the wait. Hell, I'd wait ten more years for you if I had to."

She raised her eyebrow. "Rem Bradley, I don't want to wait ten more seconds. Now move."

He lifted up onto his hands and moved. Oh boy, how he moved. Although she'd asked for hard and fast, his sexy slide into her body was slow and sweet and exactly what she needed. He kissed her gently as he made love to her and she found her heart melting a little bit more from the heat of his touch.

The pressure built up more quickly than she would have imagined and she cried out with him as they were both lost in the moment—and for the first time in her life, she felt at home, at peace.

She was in love with him, had always been in love with him.

Dear God, she was so screwed.