Chasing Trouble (In Ashwood Book 3) Page 2

  Recalling where he had her pinned, in a dark corner of the taproom, Rick scooted a fraction of an inch away, aching from the loss of contact. He dipped his head forward, attempting to gather control, but lost himself in the rapid rise and fall of her breasts. Linnea chuckled, adding to the shimmy that mesmerized Rick. Tipping his jaw with her delicate touch, she moved his gaze from her chest to her eyes, satisfied that her costume had the desired impact.

  He cleared his throat, “Linnea, put me to work. Give me a job to keep me distracted, or I’ll carry you into the storeroom.”

  She locked eyes with him preparing to reveal her plans, “Rick. My cousins and I have a little slumber party planned for tonight. I could be persuaded to miss that sleepover.”

  His eyebrows slid up a fraction as a mirrored movement tilted his smile, “You don’t have to report to your Aunt and Uncle’s tonight?”

  She shook her head as a silent knowing passed between them. The slow sway caressed her long auburn hair across the bare skin of her chest. Easing his hips forward, Rick pressed his erection against her center and she moaned.

  “Don’t move until I get this under control,” he growled so low she could scarcely hear him.

  “Not moving. I do have to get back to the bar eventually,” she smiled.

  His gaze shifted, forming a plan, “Linnea, you’re not staying with your cousins tonight.”

  “I’m not?” she teased, biting her lip.

  She raised up on tiptoe and placed her lips against the side of his face. He felt her breath against his cheek as she spoke. “Good. I only want to be alone with you.”

  After she spoke, she teased his jaw with the tip of her tongue. The heat of the contact shot straight to his groin. “Babe, God, you’ve got to save that for later. I need to go and take care of a few things. Tonight, after we lock up the taproom, you are going home with me.”

  She nodded, hating that the night was still young. Grasping the fabric of his shirt, she pulled him in tight for one last dueling kiss then reluctantly eased him away.

  Rick steeled his resolve, perused her body again and spoke with an audible growl, “Love your costume. Can’t wait to take every last stitch of it off.”

  She’d never witnessed this savage need in Rick. His owning gaze locked her in place as he eased two steps away and exited through the back door of the brewery. When he left, she leaned back onto a hard surface trying to find her balance. Linnea laughed aloud, aware that her bum rested against a phony casket Seth had tossed together. Red glowing orbs stared back at her from a lifeless masked face - she hoped those illuminated eyes were her only witness.

  Rick disappeared for more than an hour, and Linnea welcomed the space. Just imagining tonight distracted her to the point of stupidity. More than one guest pointed out an incorrect pour as she served up beer.

  Amanda slid behind the bar with the stern warning, “Wade hasn’t caught on, but if you keep this up, he will. Cool it cousin, you don’t need your brother killing whatever put that gleam in Rick’s eyes. Have your plans with Rick taken a turn for the sexier?”

  “Is Rick back?” Linnea said frantically scanning the sea of dancers and drinkers in the taproom.

  Grasping her cousin’s arms just above the badass cuffs, Amanda spun Linnea around. With a steadying gaze, her words commanded, “Linn, keep it together. This is Rick. You’ve been dating forever. Tonight is long overdue, and you shouldn’t be so nervous. Come on, follow me.”

  The sight of a pink genie and a sexy superhero dashing into a storage room turned a few random heads, but not for long. A greater distraction seized the dance floor. Kent, dressed simply in his high school football jersey and faded jeans, found himself happily trapped between the grinding bodies of good witch and bad witch twins. A trifecta of sex gyrated, elevating the party to a new frenzied level.

  Foundry kicked the music up a notch, following the electric charge in the room. As the lead singer moved to the edge of the low stage, a scantily clad nurse climbed up to join him. She rode the hard length of his thigh as he continued to belt out a cover tune. Every ear caught her suggestive whisper in the mic when she offered to play doctor during his next break. A howl of catcalls and whistles followed, and several more couples ground out their intentions for half the town to see.

  When a table tipped over, sending a shower of beer and broken glass toward the stage, Wade decided it was time to slow the party down. The last thing he needed was the cops showing up. With a quick nod to Dillon, he pulled the girl back to a table with her friends. He placed food and water in front of the sexy nurse and told her friends to make sure she ate and drank the offering, or he’d be finding them all an immediate ride home.

  Dillon grasped Kent by the shoulder, sending a message with one quick glare. The band caught the hint and wrapped up the set, sending vanilla music through the system to bring the party down a few notches.

  Amanda and Linnea emerged from the storage room, unaware of the events that began to shape the rest of their evening. At least the timeout calmed Linn’s nerves enough to get her through the night. Rick returned counting down the minutes until the Halloween party ended.

  THREE

  Rick glanced at her long painted nails as she toyed nervously with the top of her boots. He adjusted the crotch of his fire department khakis and pressed the accelerator, quickly covering pavement to his home west of town. Unaware of Ricks expanding agony, she continued to play with her zipper, thankful the boots would come off soon, but not until Rick allowed it.

  The remote drive past dark evergreen layered electric tension over heightened nerves. A relieved sigh floated from her lips as the bright front porch light came into view. His sturdy cabin radiated decades of history with a welcoming bench on a wide front porch

  “Leave your bag, I’ll come back for it later,” he said as she began to reach for her small duffle.

  “Okay,” she whispered.

  “Stay here for just a second,” Rick exited the truck and sprinted toward his front door. He reached his hand inside, flicked on the interior lights, and returned in a few fluid strides.

  Linnea couldn’t imagine moving with such ease, not when her entire body hummed with the desire to speed their evening forward to the main event. Before Linn found her feet on the gravel outside he scooped her into his arms. She squealed and enjoyed the ride, as he fulfilled one of her fantasies.

  The screen door creaked as Rick toed it open with his boot. His cabin, with a woodstove as a lone heat source, smelled earthy and a bit smoky. He must have run home earlier to add logs to the stove and prepare for her arrival. His careful attention spread warmth through her center surpassing the coziness of the room.

  Rick set her carefully down and placed his strong work-calloused hands on either side of her face. Pulling her mouth to his, he began a kiss that would lead to so much more. Outwardly, Linnea seemed so controlled, so careful to consider each move. He longed to unleash the reckless side of her that simmered below the surface. She parted her mouth and his tongue slid inside sampling a deeper taste. Savoring the sensation, she committed each detail of their first night together to permanent memory.

  As his hands slid from her face to her bare shoulders, she shivered responding to the caress. He crushed her breasts against his hard chest as his lips moved with tenacious hunger, growling against her mouth.

  A sigh of surrender slipped from her throat as Rick’s lips teased her jaw. Finding that secret spot of sensitivity on her neck, he brought forth that addicting sound again. Each pass of his lips and teeth across her throat built a need in Linnea that scorched her senses, unraveling her careful exterior.

  She slid her hands across the contours of his back. The man, perfectly honed, flexed under her fingers and moaned in response to her delicate touch. Encouraged by her exploring hands, Rick slid his strong grasp from her bare shoulders, down the bodice of the costume to tease up the skirt and grasp her ample butt. For a moment she felt that familiar pang of worry, but his growl left no d
oubt in her mind, he found her soft curves alluring.

  “I’ve been dying to get my hands on your gorgeous ass since I saw you in this tonight,” he whispered into her ear after nibbling his way along her neck.

  “Not too round for you?” she worried aloud.

  “God no. You know that by now. All I can think about is running my fingers over your bare smooth skin.” A nervous giggle assured Rick that not many men had grasped her luscious cheeks.

  Linnea slid her hands from his back and skated her fingers across his muscle-hardened torso. Her light exploration placed a bit of safe distance between them. Rick saw that glimmer of hesitation in her eyes and paused. He had no desire to push. His accepting smile eased her nerves and she bent forward wanting to take the kiss deeper.

  Rick struggled to keep this moment at a simmer. His steel green eyes wrinkled at the edges as he smiled and stood away from Linnea absorbing a closer look. The careful examination spread a beautiful blush across her chest, “Rick, you're embarrassing me,” she laughed.

  “I just want to take this view in - one last time. May I peel you out of this sexy get-up?” His eyebrows raised and she nodded, accepting his request.

  He slid the bronze cuffs away from her arms, backed her to the kitchen counter and lifted her to the smooth wood surface. Wrapping his calloused fingers around the calf of one boot, he found the inside zipper and slid it down. As he eased the boot off, her cherry-red painted toes wriggled, rejoicing the freedom.

  The next boot followed and Rick parted her legs contemplating his choices. He eased her toward the edge of the butcher-block counter and traced his fingers along the bodice, lightly caressing her gorgeous lush swells. His touch left a trail of heat, almost as hot as the moist tip of his tongue.

  Her fingers spread out on the wood surface, attempting to find balance as Rick altered her reality. Every sensation enhanced the liquid heat pooling in her center. He touched the costume searching for…he found it…the side zipper. She heard the teeth release. Instantly the bodice fell open, leaving Linnea perched in the sexiest black lace bra Rick had ever seen. How the lace contained her delicious curves, he didn’t know and didn’t care. She looked absolutely edible.

  “I need this out of my way,” he said unfastening the skirt, teasing the last remnants of the costume away. She eased her hips up and slid the skirt far enough down for gravity to do the rest.

  “A little unequal here,” she smiled as she pulled his fire department shirt from his khakis. She hadn’t seen his bare chest in weeks. Once the weather turned cool, he rarely stripped off his shirt when they hiked the trails on the flanks of Mount Adams. The view of the chiseled V leading to his belt buckle tempted Linnea to explore, and her heart rate sped.

  Smoothing her hands across his chest, she watched his eyes darken as she tickled the center of her palm with his pinpoints of stiffening flesh. Rick stilled, encouraging her tentative exploration. Leaning forward she drew a wet line with the tip of her tongue down the center of his chest.

  With her quick hands, Linnea snaked her fingers behind her back and released the hooks of her bra. Rick licked his lips anticipating the sensuous reveal. The bra slid off her shoulders and fell to the floor at his feet. His eyes roamed where his hands longed to go. “So beautiful, I’m such a lucky man,” he mumbled flexing his fingers but waiting to touch.

  Linnea’s confidence had him rock hard but he didn’t want to break the spell she wove between them. The fire in her gaze communicated her need to explore this newfound power. His fantasy came to life when she grasped his hands, guiding them to her creamy white breasts. His calloused fingers teased the nipples to hardened peaks as she sank forward into his grasp. An involuntary arch bent her body, begging for more.

  Sliding her hands lower, she caressed the hard ridge of his erection still trapped in his fire department uniform. Desire took over, as she nimbly worked to release the buckle on his pants. The soft leather slid open at last, and she eased his zipper down. His urgent erection pushed taut against his boxers jumping when she teased through the soft fabric. Her hand slid beneath the cotton making contact with the sleek head pulsing under her touch.

  Rick hissed, “shit, that’s amazing,” as her cool palm slid down his steely length. Linnea clasped her fingers around the width of his cock, taking his girth in her grasp teasing the veins and contours. Her touch dismantled his senses destroying his control.

  “You’re so hot and so smooth,” she whispered, exploring the unique sensation.

  “I need you, Linnea,” he growled low and slid his hands to her hips stripping away the last scrap of fabric, the black lace covering her heat. Momentum took over and Rick scooped her up, her thighs straddling his hips while he closed the distance between the kitchen and his king size bed. Placing her down his eyes darkened as Rick absorbed the glorious view.

  Linnea bit her lip nervously, tracking every hard plane of his body, roped in lean muscle from his chiseled jaw to his sleek calves. The shape at his hips formed an arrow that directed her eye to an erection that gave her a touch of concern. He. Was. Big. Yet, her body didn’t hesitate. She eased back on the bed, easing her legs in willing invitation.

  Rick crawled up her torso, worshiping this woman with a trail of kisses. Months of waiting had been worth everything. Yet, he still longed to savor. Easing over Linnea, he plunged his tongue into her mouth, as his cock barely kissed her wet entrance. She wiggled her hips in a motion that eased his crown between the slick folds of her pussy. When he lifted slightly away, Linnea moaned in protest.

  “Condom sweetheart,” he whispered.

  “On the pill,” she answered in a voice desperate with need.

  He didn’t have the power or the will to hesitate. Already poised, he plunged every inch of his hardened length in one steady glide. A unison moan tore from their bodies as they connected.

  He froze, gazing into her eyes, and plunged a kiss in her mouth to take her breath and a bit of her soul. She writhed, seeking more. He increased their pleasure with steady thrusts, each impale melting their torsos in a sweet slick slide.

  Linnea surrendered, calling his name intermixed with incoherent moans. Capturing her release on his lips, he plunged his tongue to feed on her cries of ecstasy. Rick’s powerful orgasm left him gasping for air, yet wanting more. More of this perfect woman.

  ***

  Dawn came late in October. Linnea lay back in the cocoon-like warmth of his bed and listened while Rick moved through his house, stoking the fire and making coffee. A chill seeped in overnight. Rick hurried back plunging under the covers to wait out the cold.

  “Ah you’re so warm,” he laughed as he trapped her hot body against his chilled skin, the contrast igniting their senses.

  “Oh, not your feet!” she squealed when he trapped her calves. She wrestled for control pinning the man beneath her. Fresh need burned between them no matter how many ways they tried to douse the flame.

  Much later, Rick wandered outside to fill the firebox. Once she was able to focus on the surroundings more than the man occupying it, she took in his space. His home was sparse, masculine, and held a sense of history. When he walked in, bringing with him the smell of outdoors, she said, “Your place is wonderful, it feels like home.”

  “I’m renting now, but I’ve considered buying,” he nodded, loading logs into the wood box. He hung his warn work-coat on a peg near the door and washed his calloused hands at the kitchen sink.

  “Hungry?” he asked. They’d made coffee and toast earlier, but their physical activity required more substance.

  “Starved,” she said moving into the kitchen in one of his t-shirts.

  The kitchen, living room and dining area were in one space. A butcher-block top counter separated the kitchen from the bulk of the room. Rick had a couch, one comfortable leather chair, and a small mismatched dining set. Dominating one wall, a large bookshelf overflowed with a vast array of books.

  “You must love reading, I’ve never seen this many books, except
in a library!”

  He looked guilty, “That’s only a small portion of my addiction. The shelves in the second bedroom overflow with more. My parents are both schoolteachers. We didn’t have a television growing up.”

  Linnea moved to the bookshelf, her fingers slid along the spines as she checked a variety of titles and found everything from mysteries to field guides. Rick’s tastes were eclectic and thorough.

  Tilting his head to the side, he watched her ease through his space, comfortable with her presence, “Now that you know about my addiction to books, I’m willing to reveal an even darker secret.”

  “Hit me,” she said, looking over her shoulder in his direction with a wide smile.

  “Waffles,” Rick stated confidently.

  “I’ll admit it, you surprised me, Rick. You’re different from the bacon loving, large screen TV addicts that dominate the men in my family.”

  He moved behind her, resting his hands on her hips, “I’m not a crazy hermit who only reads books.”

  “Says the guy living in a small log cabin hidden deep in the woods,” he burst out laughing with Linnea, realizing how great her laughter sounded ringing through his home.

  “Breakfast for lunch?” he asked.

  “Perfect,” she agreed

  “Well, get ready to be impressed,” he said moving to the kitchen to open a cupboard and stood back.

  “If you peek in this cabinet, you will discover not one, not two, but three different waffle irons. It’s excessive but essential.” His playful grin beckoned her to take a better look.

  Swift playful steps finished with Linnea sliding to him across the floor in her stockinged feet. A firm grasp on her hips stopped the momentum. His hands drifted under the oversized t-shirt to find Linnea wearing only a pair of panties. Temptation almost won out, but her stomach growled with hunger.