26. Chapter Twenty-six

Chapter Twenty-six

Hannah

My chest was flush with my headboard, fingers curled tight around the top. Remi was behind me on his knees, working me hard, driving into me like he was desperately searching for something.

His grunts next to my ear made my eyes roll back. We didn’t need words. Those noises were the most erotic sound he could make. They were his reaction to me, my body, being inside me.

We’d been at this all week. Every spare minute, we’d attempted to find out if our first time together had been a fluke. So far, the results were inconclusive, so we were forced to keep experimenting.

Tonight had started on my couch while watching a movie. We’d both reached for the last Twizzler. Remi had grabbed it, but growing up with two brothers who’d had a habit of stealing my food, I’d become a scrapper. I’d lunged for the licorice, trying to take it from his hand. That had ended with us on the floor, going at each other like animals.

Once I’d had him naked and his mind on other things, I’d stolen the Twizzler and ran for my bedroom, but Remi had caught me before I’d reached the bed. Then he’d distracted me by spanking me, followed by his mouth between my thighs. He’d devoted himself so thoroughly to the cause—the cause being my orgasms—I’d given him two-thirds of the Twizzler as a reward.

And while he’d been eating it, I’d dropped to my knees, taking him deep in my throat. The sounds he’d made were feral. I couldn’t decide if I liked his breathy moans or wild grunts most.

Remi had a lot more control than I did. I liked the feel of him on my tongue far too much to want to stop. He’d been the one to pull out of my mouth and throw me on the mattress. Then he’d positioned me how he’d wanted me and went to town, fucking me with brutal precision and strength. I hadn’t started smashed against the headboard, but he’d shifted my entire body with his forceful thrusts, pushing me forward until there was nowhere else to go.

One week of this sweaty, needy fucking, and I was addicted. All my worries, troubles, and grief were still present, but they were faded by the bright Technicolor of Remi’s attention.

My head fell back on his shoulder as I moaned my pleasure to the ceiling. His palm slid from my hip to my belly and traveled up my torso, stopping to play with my breasts for a long while before settling on my throat. He held me in this position, my head back and against him, feeling each moan he pounded out of me.

I covered his hand with mine, pressing on his fingers to add a little pressure. Just enough to feel dangerous, bringing me to another height. So high I was breathless and panting.

His hips slapped my backside, and I used my hold on the headboard for leverage as I pushed back to meet him, taking more.

I turned my head to look at him, discovering he was already staring down at me. His hazel eyes had gone dark, pupils blown wide. A red tint traveled from his throat to his cheeks, and a sheen of sweat glistened on his forehead. This man was gorgeous and carnal, and I could say for sure I’d never been this attracted to anyone. He had learned my body and desires and played into them like an expert on the subject.

“Need to fuck you, Hannah,” he gritted next to my ear.

“You are,” I replied shakily. “You so are.”

“More.”

Pulling out, he gave me no opportunity to feel his absence before he flipped me onto my back and fit himself between my legs again. He spread me open, hooking his arms under the backs of my knees, and lined himself up with my opening. I nodded, and he drove forward, sliding all the way to the hilt.

Never once did he take his eyes off me. He held my gaze from inches away, watching me like I was fascinating. Like I was the center of everything. It was a heady feeling, having Remi’s entire focus.

He dipped down to lick my lips and touch his tongue to mine. “You taste so damn good.”

“Thank you,” I breathed, and his reply was a loopy grin.

Oh, I was spiraling, losing myself to him, and I had no inclination to stop. Instead, I wrapped my legs around his back and pulled him deeper.

“Fuck, Hannah.” His forehead dropped to mine as he surged into me with desperation. “Oh, fuck, baby. Oh god, oh god, oh god.”

I clawed at his shoulders as his hips made short snaps, those last moments of us teetering at the edge together. My belly tightened, pressure building in my core, so close to bursting.

“Hannah!” he exclaimed, his neck arching as spurts of liquid heat coated my inner depths. I raised my head, latching on to his exposed throat, sucking as I ground against him, taking myself to where I needed to be.

He held my head against his like I was a little vampire, and he was my willing victim. I didn’t let go until my pleasure crested and crashed, receding like the tide. Then I fell back on my pillow, without breath or bones.

Remi carefully pulled out and flopped to his back, a possessive hand splayed on my stomach. He was quiet, catching his breath. I liked that. We never had to have some big analysis of what we’d done. We both knew how good it had been.

After a minute of staring dazedly at the ceiling, Remi’s soft laughter pulled me back to the present.

“What’s so funny?” I asked.

“I’m just thinking how pissed Caleb’s going to be when I show up with a massive hickey on my neck.”

“What? It can’t be that bad.” I pushed up on my elbow to examine his neck, and my mouth fell open. “Oh.”

He was already bruising, right in the center of his throat, and it wasn’t small by any means.

He laughed again. “Yeah, oh. You wrecked me, you little monster.”

I shoved at his shoulder. “You should’ve stopped me.”

He pulled me on top of him, circling his arms around me. “Did I say I didn’t like it? Nope. I’m just gonna catch shit from your brother.”

I gasped. “And come up with an explanation for Jesse when he sees you at the rodeo tomorrow.”

“I’ll tell him his aunt throat punched me.”

I snarled. “If you do, I’ll throat punch you for real.”

Snickering, he palmed the back of my head, pushing it down so I lay on him fully, my cheek on his chest. It was…nice. Sweet even.

Remington Town was leading me straight into the danger zone, and I liked it so much I closed my eyes and followed him.

I had my truck back, but Remi drove us to Cheyenne anyway, his hand resting on my bare leg the whole way. Well…at times, it roved under the hem of my sundress, but mostly, he seemed to want contact with my skin, his palm cupping my knee, his thumb rubbing small circles on the outer curve.

I spent a lot of time on long, empty Wyoming roads, and I didn’t mind it, but I had a feeling the next time I drove alone, I’d feel the ghost of Remi’s hand on my leg and miss it.

When we parked, Remi circled the truck and helped me out. I thought he’d try to hold my hand, but he hooked me around the waist instead. Still clinging to this being nothing more than sex, I wasn’t sure I’d wanted him to hold my hand, but I also wasn’t sure if this was any better.

I went with it anyway. There were so many people heading to the stands we might’ve gotten separated if we weren’t attached.

It was how I excused it in my head.

Though, I still hadn’t come up with an excuse for sleeping with him every single night. It just kept happening, and it hadn’t occurred to me to stop it. I’d always been a thrill seeker and I had yet to discover anything more thrilling than being taken roughly and thoroughly by this man.

Caleb and Jesse were in the stands waiting for us. Since my brother was a head taller than most people, we found them easily. They’d chosen prime seats behind the chutes where the riders mounted their broncos and bulls.

Caleb rose to greet us, took one look at Remi, shook his head, then shot me a death glare. “Dammit. Really, Hannah? You had to do that?”

I looked at the hickey peeking out of the collar of Remi’s button-down then swung my attention back to my brother. “He tripped. Ran into a doorknob.”

“A doorknob…with his neck?” Caleb grumbled.

“Yep.” I cuffed his shoulder as I passed him. “He’s really clumsy.”

I greeted Jesse, who was peering at Remi with a scrunched-up expression. “Did he really trip?” he asked dubiously.

I sat down next to my nephew and squeezed his shoulders. “Not really. I’m pretty sure it’s a bad reaction to an insect bite. City boys like Rem are sensitive to the great outdoors.”

Remi took the seat on my other side with a sigh. “Really, Hannah?” he groused, almost as grumpy as Caleb. “ Really ?”

I had to snicker at how annoyed he sounded. If he hadn’t wanted to walk around with a big hickey, he shouldn’t have let me suck the soul out of his neck. It wasn’t my fault he was so delicious and made me act out. He should’ve been more careful with his big dick.

I patted his leg. “It’s okay, Remington. Once you’ve been in Wyoming a while longer, you’ll toughen up.”

Jesse was still eyeing Remi, doubt pulling at his brow. “I’ve never seen a bug bite that looks like that. You sure that’s what it is?”

Remi covered his smile with his hand, but I kept my composure, nodding seriously. “Absolutely. I think it was from one of those invasive species. You know, the ones that came from Asia on a cargo ship?”

That was all the distraction Jesse needed as he dove into telling us about the book Ms. Clark had shared with him. With anyone else, my mind would have wandered, but Jesse was pretty much my favorite person in the world, so I gave him all the attention his big brain deserved.

Once he got through summarizing the entire book—in great detail—Remi draped his arm around the back of my seat and tugged me into him.

“You’re lucky he bought that,” he murmured into my hair.

“He probably didn’t, but he’s sweet enough to let me off the hook.” I crossed my legs toward him, our feet getting tangled how I liked. “He’s too smart for his own good. Mine too.”

“But you’re good with him.”

“Yeah. I think he’s grand. Don’t you?”

His mouth hitched in one corner. “Yep. Pretty damn grand. I’m still getting over Caleb being a dad. Think you’ll have one or two of your own?”

“I hope so. I’ve always wanted to remake my family—two boys and two girls. But compared to most of my graduating class, I’m an old maid and my ovaries are dried-up husks.” I scoffed. “With my career, I’m going to need a solid partner who’ll go fifty-fifty on parenting, and I haven’t found that person yet.”

His fingers curled around my shoulder. For a beat, they were too tight, but then they loosened, and he slowly stroked my skin. “There’s no rush, sweetheart. No need for you to settle.”

“I won’t.” I hooked my pinkie around his free hand. “Pinkie promise.”

He chuckled, his gaze surveying the dirt-floored arena. “I haven’t been to a rodeo since I was a kid.”

“You’re in for some fun. Dell Rivers’ granddaughter, Kennedy, rides one of his horses to race the barrels. She’s like the wind.”

“Can’t wait.”

Cay and Remi got us drinks and junk food before the show started. I was about to bite into my loaded hot dog when there was an announcement about a change in programming. There was a replacement rider tonight, and according to the MC, we were in for a treat.

Watkins Simms.

Every drop of blood drained from my face.

“Aw, damn,” Caleb crumbled. “There goes the night.”

“What?” Remi swiveled back and forth between us. “Who’s Watkins Simms?”

Jesse piped up. “That’s Aunt Hannah’s ex-boyfriend. We don’t like him because he went out with another girl and broke Aunt Hannah’s heart. My grandpa said he’s a real prick.”

Caleb plopped his big hand on top of his son’s head. “That was too much information—and don’t say ‘prick.’”

Jesse’s eyes rounded. “But he is a prick, isn’t he? Or did I use that word incorrectly?”

While Caleb explained to Jesse he had indeed used the word the right way, but it wasn’t appropriate for a ten-year-old boy to say, Remi turned my way.

“You want to leave?” he asked.

I sucked in a deep breath and shook my head. Last I’d heard, Watt was supposed to be in Texas all summer. I definitely wouldn’t have shown up had I known he’d be riding, but I wasn’t going to let him ruin my night. He’d ruined enough. “No, it’s fine. Knowing him, he’ll be out there all of five seconds.”

Of course, he’d be in the chute right below us, getting his bull roped up while waiting for his turn. That didn’t mean I’d have to watch him, though. I could enjoy my night without forcing myself to sit through Watt putting on his show.

“Say the word and I’ll get you out of here,” Remi vowed.

I leaned in, touching my lips to his. “Thanks for being the best, Remington.”

Starbursts bloomed around his twinkling eyes. “Amazing how you tell me to fuck off so sweetly.”

“Maybe me saying Remington means something else now.”

He chucked my chin with his knuckle. “You’re not going to tell me, are you?”

My eyes twinkled right back at him, amazed and grateful at how quickly he was able to turn my mood around.

“Not even a chance.”