“I Shouldn’t Have Come Here”
Allison chastised herself. Okay, so maybe going down to the barn again hadn’t been such a great idea .
Her instincts had warned her to stay away as they had over the past few days whenever the thought of him crept into her mind—which, she’d come to realize, was most of the time. Why should she go back to him after what he’d done?
Good question, Allison thought.
She found him brushing one of the horses, his bare back to her.
He was humming a tune she didn’t recognize.
Allison stood in the doorway, adjusting her dress.
She’d considered wearing jeans and boots but had opted for something more feminine.
On her way to the barn, she’d convinced herself that she’d worn the dress because she liked it, not because Stanley would like it.
She ignored the other horses in their stables.
She had eyes only for Stanley. He worked just as hard as he always had, if not harder.
Over the past couple of days, she’d seen him tend to the horses and the cattle with the cowhands, riding around the ranch not at all like a man who’d been missing for four years.
He acted as if no time had passed at all.
But she could see that it had. Just looking at him, she knew this wasn’t the same man from four years ago. He’d gotten a haircut a couple of days ago and now looked a lot less like a hobo. His features were more defined, and she’d noticed his now-visible jaw chiseled.
It wasn’t just the hair, she knew, taking a few steps farther into the barn.
He still had his broad back to her. Even scarred, the sight of it was enough to send a tingly sensation spreading through her body.
His muscles clenched as he worked; his back glistened.
Whether the moisture was water or sweat, Allison had no idea, but it was mesmerizing to see.
She’d felt those muscles the day he came into her bedroom.
But that was as far as she’d gotten before she’d stopped herself.
If she hadn’t, she might have gotten to explore him a bit more.
Even now, her curiosity prodded her, and she wondered what might happen if she’d moved her hands lower, much lower . ..
Stanley had always been an excellent lover.
That was one of the many things she’d adored about him.
And she was willing to bet the ranch that he hadn’t changed one bit.
The way he’d kissed her the other day had nearly melted her insides.
She could think of a few other places she’d like to feel that hot, delicious mouth of his.
A gentle breeze blew into the barn, causing Allison’s dress to flutter around her thighs. She bit her lip. What was she even doing here? She started to back away toward the barn doors.
“I remember when you’d come down here to watch me work,” Stanley said from across the barn, stopping her before she could take another step. “You would stand and watch for hours until you were tired of standing, and then you’d sit.”
He still had his back to her. Allison bit down harder on her lip. Had he known she was in here the whole time?
“We’d talk and laugh while I worked. And when I was done working in here, we’d head back to the house, have a nice dinner, and go up to bed together.
” Stanley turned away from the horse he’d been working on and faced her, dropping the brush.
He wiped his hands on his jeans as he slowly approached her, a grin unfurling on his handsome face.
Even after a trip to the barber, his dark beard was still speckled with grey.
“I ... I ...” She forced herself to look away, anywhere but at him. Not that it helped. She could feel his blue eyes boring into her. And she could feel her body responding to him touching her without touching her, caressing her with his burning gaze.
What had she been thinking coming down here?
“I miss that,” Stanley said. He didn’t stop until he was right in front of her, and she could feel his warm breath on her face. “I miss you.”
Up close, she could make out every detail, from the solid angles of his jaw to the dark blond strands of his hair. She lowered her gaze and immediately wished she hadn’t. His chest, slick as his back was, was just barely touching hers.
The sight of it made her heart pound. That tingle continued to spread through her, and a dull ache settled in her breasts. Her nipples hardened instantly, grazing his chest.
He must have felt it because he suddenly stiffened.
“I missed you, too,” she blurted.
He lifted an eyebrow. “Oh?”
Her cheeks burned. Might as well just tell him. “Yes.” Her voice came out a little croaky. “I did.”
For the next few seconds, all she heard was the sound of their breathing. She kept her hands at her sides, resisting the insane urge to reach out and touch him.
“I know you probably don’t believe me,” she heard him say, “but I’ve only ever wanted you, even when I was away, and I think you feel the same way.”
You’re absolutely right.
She swallowed, daring to look him in the eyes. “What makes you so sure?”
He cracked a tiny grin that sent a throb all the way down between her thighs. “If you didn’t, you wouldn’t keep coming in here to see me.”
She couldn’t argue with that but merely gazed into his face, her nipples still grazing his rock-hard chest. Her lips parted, and she struggled to form words, but she could barely make a sound. Why did he have to be so handsome? And why did he have this effect on her?
She knew something like this might happen if she came down here. And yet she’d come. It was like knowingly walking into a trap. Why? Because she liked the way it—no, he —made her feel.
“You’re as beautiful as the day I was lost to you,” Stanley muttered, and for a moment, she saw sadness in those blue eyes.
She started to back away again, but he looped an arm around her waist and pulled her to him, effectively preventing any chance of escape.
His other hand came to rest on her jaw, forcing her to look up at him, the same man who’d hurt her years ago, the man who’d abandoned her, the man she couldn’t get out of her mind.
Desire flickered in his eyes, and she knew she was a goner.
His grip on her tightened, crushing her against him, and she felt his groin pressed against her.
He was hard, long, and throbbing, an instant reminder that she wasn’t the only one aroused in this barn.
It was a reminder of his readiness to take her.
Excitement fluttered in her chest as she looked at him, trying to steady her breathing. Her distended nipples continued to graze his chest, aching to be touched, aching for his hot mouth. Hell, her entire body had come alive. She swallowed, eager for his touch.
As though reading her mind, he caressed her back with one hand, slowly lowering it to her buttocks. He cupped a cheek in his large hand and kneaded it. She let out an involuntary sigh, loving the way he touched her. Her eyes fluttered shut for a moment.
I walked right into this one , Allison thought.
“I missed this, too,” Stanley said. “Holding you, touching you ...”
The temperature in the barn was rising at a dangerous rate. If she didn’t know better, she would think something was on fire near them. But it was her insides that had caught fire. And this man was bent on fanning the flames.
Allison was powerless to stop him.
“I missed your body,” he said, his breath hot against her skin. “And I missed ... I missed kissing you.”
It took all of Allison’s willpower not to melt into a puddle at that moment. It was a good thing Stanley was holding her because when he brought his mouth to hers, she nearly lost the remainder of her resolve.
He kissed her long and hard. His lips parted hers, making way for his tongue to explore her willing mouth.
Allison sighed into the kiss. God, she’d missed this.
She’d missed him . And judging from his eagerness, she could tell he felt the same way.
The hand on her jaw traveled south between their bodies, tracing a path from her chin all the way down to her navel and back up.
He traced circles around her nipples with his fingers, and her breathing quickened.
“Stanley ...” she began.
“Shh,” came his reply. He kissed her again as if to shut her up. “It’s okay.”
She squeezed her eyes shut, relishing the sensations he so generously gave her. He kneaded her breasts, one by one. Suddenly, she felt herself being moved. The next thing she knew, he’d pressed her against one of the walls of the barn.
A horse neighed, but before she could pay it much attention, Stanley was kissing her again.
She could still feel him throbbing wildly against her.
Her heart jackhammered in her chest, and she found herself filled with the urge to cup his thick, hard length in her hand.
She ground her hips against him, grinning inwardly as he growled into the kiss.
“You’re going drive me insane if you keep doing that,” she heard him say.
He was one to talk. He’d driven her closer to the edge of sanity.
She wound her arms around his large body, letting her hands explore his broad back, determined to feel every contour, every inch of him.
When Stanley broke the kiss and brought his warm lips to her throat, she dug her fingernails into his back.
A moan escaped her, and she wondered what it would feel like to have his lips between her legs, where she throbbed the most—for him.
His breath caressed her skin as he brought his lips to her jawline.
He nibbled her earlobe, and she shuddered against him.
Suppressing another moan, she brought a hand around his slick torso, letting her fingers explore his body.
Her fingers came to rest for a moment on his solid chest, and she thought she felt his heart pounding against her fingertips just before she went lower.