Bri.” His hand slipped from her cheek behind
her neck, his thumb stroking slow seductive circles below her ear.
He saw the verdict in her eyes even before she gave the
slight nod of her head and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against
him.
As she slipped her arms around behind his ribs, she tilted
her head back and looked up at him. “But you have to make that call. I’m not
sure I can.”
He dropped his head and kissed her tenderly. “I’ll call
them about supper time. They’ll be in the house together, so they can have
each other to help them deal with the shock.” He teased after the kiss ended.
She laughed softly. “You’re making a joke, but they will be
shocked.”
“I don’t think Mike will be as shocked as you might
imagine. I believe he’s noticed how I have problems focusin’ on anything but
you, when you’re around. And my father, well, he might be surprised, but he’ll
certainly understand.”
“Aunt Poog and Uncle Mike will be disappointed in me. They
didn’t raise me to….”
Slade cut in before she could finish. “Shhh. Don’t start
feeling guilty already.” He glanced around the barn. “Come on, there’s
nothing here that needs your attention until tomorrow.”
Keeping one arm around her, he guided her out into the
gathering darkness of the night. “Wanna go eat supper somewhere nice?” He asked
as they approached his truck. He pulled the driver’s side door open so she
could get in and slip across the seat to make room for him, his eyes devouring
the sight of her rounded bottom as she climbed into the truck.
She shook her head from side to side. She was so nervous
her stomach wouldn’t have held food even if she were hungry. She knew she’d
agreed to spend the night, not just so she could be here with him but so they
could share the same room. She was going to sleep with Slade Butler and she’d
never slept with or been intimate with any man. There was no denying that if
he’d been sober last night she would have gladly stayed in that room with him,
but what she’d felt then was pure raw passion. What she was feeling now was
somewhere between anticipation and fear all wrapped up in a bundle of nerves.
Slade sensed her anxiety and turned to look at her as he
slipped into the driver’s seat. “Are you regrettin’ your decision already?”
He lifted one of her hands to his lips.
“It’s just that some things are easier if they… just
happen.” She watched him kissing her hand. It was still surprising to see
Slade touching her like that, much less, to think about making love with him.
“When I was thirteen years old, following you around the
barn, riding horses for you, I had such a crush on you. I dreamed about
kissing you when I grew up. I had that crush on you for a long time. Until
you went to Texas. Then you stayed there, and I grew up without you.”
“And Jeffery moved in on you.” His voice was still soft,
but there was an edge to it when he said his half-brother’s name. He wasn’t
kissing her hand anymore, but he continued to hold it.
“Jeffery and I have always been friends.”
He nodded in agreement. “I know. I guess I just don’t like
knowin’ that you were attracted to him.”
“How do you think he’ll feel when he finds out about you?”
Slade grinned, and then shrugged. “I don’t worry much about
how Jeffery feels about anything. I think you’re tryin’ to talk yourself into
goin’ home tonight.”
She shrugged. “Maybe I should.”
Slade bracketed her face with his hands and then whispered
softly, “You know that won’t change what happened between us. It’ll always be
there. I won’t ever be around you without wantin’ to hold you close and when
our eyes meet, you’ll know that I’m rememberin’ how you feel in my arms, how
soft and warm your lips are; and how much I want to make love to you.”
“And I’ll remember how
her neck, his thumb stroking slow seductive circles below her ear.
He saw the verdict in her eyes even before she gave the
slight nod of her head and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against
him.
As she slipped her arms around behind his ribs, she tilted
her head back and looked up at him. “But you have to make that call. I’m not
sure I can.”
He dropped his head and kissed her tenderly. “I’ll call
them about supper time. They’ll be in the house together, so they can have
each other to help them deal with the shock.” He teased after the kiss ended.
She laughed softly. “You’re making a joke, but they will be
shocked.”
“I don’t think Mike will be as shocked as you might
imagine. I believe he’s noticed how I have problems focusin’ on anything but
you, when you’re around. And my father, well, he might be surprised, but he’ll
certainly understand.”
“Aunt Poog and Uncle Mike will be disappointed in me. They
didn’t raise me to….”
Slade cut in before she could finish. “Shhh. Don’t start
feeling guilty already.” He glanced around the barn. “Come on, there’s
nothing here that needs your attention until tomorrow.”
Keeping one arm around her, he guided her out into the
gathering darkness of the night. “Wanna go eat supper somewhere nice?” He asked
as they approached his truck. He pulled the driver’s side door open so she
could get in and slip across the seat to make room for him, his eyes devouring
the sight of her rounded bottom as she climbed into the truck.
She shook her head from side to side. She was so nervous
her stomach wouldn’t have held food even if she were hungry. She knew she’d
agreed to spend the night, not just so she could be here with him but so they
could share the same room. She was going to sleep with Slade Butler and she’d
never slept with or been intimate with any man. There was no denying that if
he’d been sober last night she would have gladly stayed in that room with him,
but what she’d felt then was pure raw passion. What she was feeling now was
somewhere between anticipation and fear all wrapped up in a bundle of nerves.
Slade sensed her anxiety and turned to look at her as he
slipped into the driver’s seat. “Are you regrettin’ your decision already?”
He lifted one of her hands to his lips.
“It’s just that some things are easier if they… just
happen.” She watched him kissing her hand. It was still surprising to see
Slade touching her like that, much less, to think about making love with him.
“When I was thirteen years old, following you around the
barn, riding horses for you, I had such a crush on you. I dreamed about
kissing you when I grew up. I had that crush on you for a long time. Until
you went to Texas. Then you stayed there, and I grew up without you.”
“And Jeffery moved in on you.” His voice was still soft,
but there was an edge to it when he said his half-brother’s name. He wasn’t
kissing her hand anymore, but he continued to hold it.
“Jeffery and I have always been friends.”
He nodded in agreement. “I know. I guess I just don’t like
knowin’ that you were attracted to him.”
“How do you think he’ll feel when he finds out about you?”
Slade grinned, and then shrugged. “I don’t worry much about
how Jeffery feels about anything. I think you’re tryin’ to talk yourself into
goin’ home tonight.”
She shrugged. “Maybe I should.”
Slade bracketed her face with his hands and then whispered
softly, “You know that won’t change what happened between us. It’ll always be
there. I won’t ever be around you without wantin’ to hold you close and when
our eyes meet, you’ll know that I’m rememberin’ how you feel in my arms, how
soft and warm your lips are; and how much I want to make love to you.”
“And I’ll remember how
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