Page 30 of A Baby for the Texas Cowboy (The Texas Wolf Brothers #3)

Anders scowled at his brother. Tinsley didn’t like the idea any more with a crowd. It sounded too much like being part of a couple.

Everything seemed to be moving too fast.

“I’m not dressed for the Carriage House,” Cruz said. “Let’s make it something casual and quick as I want to pick up Diego at his friend Ryan’s house before it gets too late.”

“I have an idea,” Tinsley said quickly, as inspiration and self-preservation hit at the same time.

“I have been putting together a few appetizers and snack plate ideas for the tasting room. How about I bring some out and we can all sit on the new couches around one of the gas fires, admire the lights, and test the tasting room menu?”

“You’ve been working all day. You don’t need to feed us,” Anders objected.

“Not a lot of work,” Tinsley said, holding on to her patience. “Besides, it’s helpful, and then August and Catalina can see what it will feel like to be a guest. I’ll bring out a Tempranillo for the brothers to bond.”

“Bond?” Anders made the word sound like a curse.

She smiled when she really wanted to roll her eyes.

“You’ve been on your feet all day.”

“Everyone here’s been working all day,” Tinsley said.

Then when he opened his mouth again, she seized his arm. “Fine. You can help me put a few things together.” She dragged him back into the tasting room. “You said you’d chill out on the bossing.”

“I’m not bossing. I just wanted to take you to dinner without my brothers and their wives analyzing everything I do.”

“Why?”

“Why?” he echoed, staring at her. “So we can spend time alone together—you know, a date, something couples do.”

“We’re not a couple.”

He stared at her like she was nuts. “We made love so many times last night and this morning that we could barely move. That sounds pretty couplish to me.”

Heat prickled her neck and flared in her cheeks. Even her scalp felt sweaty.

“Yes, but—” she began.

“But nothing. We will be co-parenting in about six months. You didn’t want me to rush you into marriage so I agreed to back off so that we could get to know each other better. That means dating. You agreed.”

Had she?

She opened her mouth and closed it again. Not sure of anything anymore. Anders confused her.

“I am trying.”

He closed the distance between them. “I want to show you that I can be a good partner, that I can take care of you and our child. That I am not just into you for the mind-bending, fantastical, amazingly awesome, incredible sex.”

Mind-bending?

She liked the sound of that too much. Desire stirred low in her body. She pressed her legs together.

“Let’s feed your family.”

“They can feed themselves.”

“I was an only child,” she told him. “I like that you have brothers.” She swallowed, and, without meaning to, she reached out and played with one of the buttons on his western-style blue and red checked flannel shirt. “And I really like Catalina and Cruz.”

“I do too. I just don’t have that much time when I’m home, and when I’m home I want to spend time with you.”

“They’ll leave soon. Cruz needs to pick up her son.

And I want Catalina and August’s opinion on the appetizers.

She knows the wine the best. I’ve done a lot of thinking and researching about this, and I want to make sure I get it right.

Verflucht already had one disaster hit it with the tour bus going through the front of the tasting room.

I want these first opening weeks to go well, and I want to grow the wine club for them, make all their hard work and huge capital outlay pay off. ”

“This sample appetizer menu thing is important to you?”

“Yes.”

“Okay.” He pulled off his hat, ran his fingers through his shaggy dark hair, making it spring up in front more than usual, giving him almost a curly, out-of-control pompadour. “What do you want me to do?”

“That gives me a lot of power and ideas.” She laughed and headed back to the kitchen.

“Me too. And the idea holding the most appeal is tossing my brothers their keys and telling them to get lost.”

“Where’s all the famous Texas cowboy charm and hospitality I’ve heard so much about?”

He laughed. “The Wolfs are well known in town for many things. Hospitality ain’t one of them.”

“That’s about to change,” Tinsley said.

*

A couple of hours later after they had worked together to serve a cheese, nut, olive and bruschetta plate along with some squash flatbread and a charcuterie tray to his brothers, and then cleaned up, Anders retrieved his duffel from his truck, locked up the tasting room and walked Tinsley upstairs, helping her to turn off all the lights.

She locked up the office opposite her upstairs apartment and then unlocked her door. She hesitated for a moment and then walked inside, leaving the door open behind her.

“I’m going to take a shower.”

She hurried into her bedroom, only partially closing the door.

Another invitation or miscalculation? Why did she keep squatting on the fence?

She’d refused to be indecisive since she’d walked away from her old life and built a new one.

All her caution and worry was driving her crazy.

Anders was not John. She had to exorcise her ex from her head like she had from her heart and her life.

She yanked on the water and turned the knob to hot.

Her child deserved to know its father.

Her child. For a moment, her hand hovered over her abdomen.

A life was growing there, and she needed to be ready.

Closing her eyes, she pressed her hand over her stomach.

She hadn’t gained more than a pound or two, but she felt different.

Softer, rounder. But she wasn’t ready to look at her body in the mirror yet.

She let the straps of her new Free People Holiday Hero maxi dress fall off her shoulders and pool on the aquamarine-colored glass tile bathroom floor.

She’d kicked off her ankle boots at the door.

Tugging off her lace panties, she pinned up her hair in a messy bun using the elastic around her wrist and stepped into the steamy, heated water.

Her sigh felt as if it was dragged from the depths of her soul.

Tinsley leaned against the cool ceramic tiles of the shower and let the water fall over her back. Such a lovely sensation, hot and cool. And in just a minute or three she would smear some bath gel on her body, rinse off, wrap a towel around herself and climb into bed.

She didn’t even realize Anders had joined her until she smelled her bath gel and felt his large, callused hands smoothing the scented body wash over her shoulders, down her arms and then in long strokes down her back. He squatted beside her and began to clean her legs.

Had she shaved this morning? Please let her have shaved.

“I can shave you.” Anders looked up at her, blue eyes wide and innocent and only a touch of laughter in their beautiful, oceanic depths.

She turned around to see him on his knees.

Perfect.

“I have a big mouth.”

“I’m very partial to your mouth. As well as other parts of you—parts I can shave all over if you’d like, although I’d miss your little breath of fire right here.”

He kissed her small thatch of curls. “I love that your red is natural. Hot A.F., baby.”

She’d gone from exhausted to aching with hunger. “Going to prove that, cowboy?”

She saw the answering fire in his eyes. Both hands gripped her thighs.

“You’re not too tired?”

Just the fact that he would ask that when she could see his erection jutting out aggressively, full and seeking, sent an answering rush of heated liquid deep in her core.

“Anders Wolf, stop procrastinating and get busy,” she ordered.

“Yes, ma’am,” he said.

“I used to think that was so cheesy,” she said. “The ma’am thing. But somehow you make it work.”

“I make a lot of things work.” She could feel the whisper of his breath as he nudged her intimate folds with his nose, inhaled deeply, and as she moaned and caught at his wide shoulders to keep her balance, he nibbled along her labia with gentle teeth and his lips.

“Anders,” she gasped, a little shocked at how good it felt.

She felt decadent and terribly turned on.

He began to lap between her folds, which sent white-hot darts of fire through her body, making her feel a little shaky.

Then he sucked her entire clit into his mouth and bit down enough to sting, she nearly launched out of the shower.

Anders held on to her as she dug her nails into his shoulder and screamed as the orgasm hit her fast and hard and so unexpectedly. Usually it took her so much longer to even get close.

She stared down at him—water sluiced over his head, sculpted shoulders and the hard planes of his abdomen.

He looked like Poseidon—blue eyes sparkling with lust and his mouth soft and slightly swollen from his sensual attack.

Then her gaze drifted down to the most masculine part of him, and desire rekindled.

She’d always loved how his cock looked when erect.

Confident. Powerful. No few hurried thrusts for Anders.

He took his time, varied his speed and depth and position, and his stamina was unworldly.

One night with him hadn’t been enough. And even the two short trips they’d taken together had only left her craving him more.

He’d been a fun and easy companion. Respectful.

Interested in many things far outside of bull riding.

And spectacular and unforgettable in bed.

And out of it .

Anders smiled up at her so sweetly that her knees, still weak from the orgasm that continued to create shivers and small quakes throughout her body, nearly buckled.

She cupped his cheek, wanting to say something but was worried she’d tug her heart out of her chest and confess something awful like she loved him.

Love ?

She couldn’t go there, But Tinsley was afraid that bottled up organ had had the cork plucked open months ago.

He kissed her palm and then continued to kiss and lick and suck her, and she shook in his arms. Then he stood, turned off the water and wrapped her in a towel.

“I’m not sure how clean we got,” she murmured, trying to come back down to earth as he toweled her off.

He kissed her upturned mouth. “I intend to get us both very, very dirty later.”

She smiled and speared her hand through his dark, wet hair that fell into his eyes. She brushed it away. “I like that plan.”

This time when he caught her up in his arms, she looped hers around him without protest.

“Oh. Ouch.” She looked at the half-moon nail marks in his shoulder. “Anders, I’m sorry.” She smoothed anxious fingers over his marked skin.

“Don’t worry. I love knowing I can make you lose control.” He smiled at her. “And I plan to do it again and again.”

“Oh, really?” She laughed as he dumped her on the bed and immediately followed her down onto the mattress.

He braced himself over her—his gaze intent.

“What?” she whispered, worry stirring.

He looked about to speak, clearly thinking of the best way to say something, and an almost instinctive panic gripped her. She arched up, nipped his chin and then slithered down the sheets and his body. She licked his long, straining shaft, and it jumped.

She smiled, feeling powerful and in control again.

She breathed out, bathing him in warm air, and his gasp thrilled her.

“Your turn,” she whispered, twirling her tongue over his velvet tip that was already leaking salty pearls, and then she rolled him over so she was on top and took him deeper into her mouth, determined to please him as much if not more than he’d just pleased her.

Sex with Anders she loved. Anything else was off the table. It had to be.