“Bronson,” she breathed.
“I know,” I groaned. “I’m being unprofessional.”
I pressed into her again, and she made a tiny moan that drilled straight down to my cock.
“What would it mean?” she asked, and her voice was barely above a whisper.
“Whatever you want it to mean,” I told her. “I know where you are in life. Your divorce is still in the courts. Your whole life is about to change. And I’m heading back to Red Oak Mountainwhen this job is done. It’s not the kind of town I imagine you’d be interested in for the long term. Not with your lifestyle on the road.” I held her gaze. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t give each other something good tonight. A little bit of comfort.”
She winced, then laughed softly. “A big, strong man like you doesn’t need comforting.”
“Maybe not,” I growled as I tightened my grip on her. “But I want you anyway.”
And then I kissed her.
It started as something controlled, the way I’d intended it.
But then she made a soft sound of need, and every carefully maintained boundary I’d been holding since the moment she opened her front door dissolved completely.
I kissed her deeply, one hand sliding up into her hair as I pulled her hips flush against mine.
I was so hard it was almost painful, and Lucy felt so soft in my arms that I nearly lost my mind.
She kissed me back shyly at first, letting me lead, her hands curled against my chest, and I took my time with her, learning the shape of her mouth.
By the time I pulled away, we were both breathing hard.
Her cheeks were flushed, and she was still looking at me like I was her hero.
Millions of men would have given anything to be where I was right now. I was aware of that in a way that felt almost surreal.
Lucy Lee was a prize any man would want to catch.
But I just wanted to protect her and keep her safe.
She was almost innocent in some ways. Jimmy had kept her locked away from the world. And I wanted to show her what life was really like. We could jump off Summer’s Bridge together. Skinny-dip out at Hidden Lake. Have a picnic lunch under the old oak tree out at the Hunt farm.
I could take her to the farmer’s market, and we could choose the perfect wildflower honey to mix in her tea. And then I’d show her the Bear Den. Maybe even take her on a thrill ride on the mechanical bull that sat in the corner of the old dive bar.
And she could meet everyone I knew. The whole town would love her. She’d fit perfectly with my best friend, Cade, and his wife, Mary.
Then she could finally see the real version of the fiction she spun through her songs. The magic of a small town, of a simpler life than she’d ever known.
I found the hem of her t-shirt and pulled it up slowly, giving her time to stop me. She lifted her arms and let me take it off her as a possessive and reverent need moved through me.
“You’re beautiful,” I groaned.
She reached for the waistband of my boxer briefs while I worked her underwear down over her hips.
And then there was nothing between us.
I pulled her against me and kissed her again, taking my time with her, showing her what the magic of two people making love could be like.
I slid my hand between her thighs and found her already slick for me.
Then I worked her slowly and thoroughly until she was moving against my hand and her fingers were twisted in the sheets.
Lucy’s breathing went ragged, and before I ever expected it, she came apart quietly, her whole body shuddering as I pressed my mouth to her temple and held her through it.
