Page 26 of Awaiting the Storm (Wildhaven #1)

“ W ake up, sleepyhead,” he says. “We’re here.”

I blink my eyes open. I wasn’t fully asleep, just very content. “Where?” I ask as my eyes adjust.

“Home, safe and sound. Just like I promised.”

Disappointment slides through me for a brief moment, followed by appreciation.

He kept his word.

He puts the truck in park, cuts the headlights, but keeps the engine running as I turn to him and smile.

“Thank you for the pizza. I didn’t realize how much I’d missed salty, cured meats and gooey, full-fat cheese.

I mean, I’m all for this healthy new lifestyle, but sometimes, a girl’s body just craves something naughty,” I say, then press my lips together to stifle a giggle when he sucks in a breath and groans.

He leans back and turns his head to face me. He’s incredibly handsome. I reach over and run my fingertips along his jaw, where dark stubble is growing.

“I like this,” I whisper.

“Yeah?” he replies.

I nod. “I love how it feels against my skin when you kiss me, especially when you kiss my neck.”

“I’ll never shave before one of our dates again,” he promises.

“So, there’s gonna be a follow-up date?”

His hand comes up and covers mine. He guides a finger to his lips and kisses it gently. “Hopefully, there will be many,” he says.

The air inside the cab of the truck is electrified. The attraction crackling between us like a live wire.

I suck in a deep breath to try and get my racing heart under control as he kisses the next finger, and then he releases my hand and reaches over to lift my chin.

“Good night,” he says.

He leans in and takes my mouth, and I kiss him back.

It starts as a sweet good-night kiss, but before I know it, our hands are all over each other.

I’m not sure how long we make out in the truck like teenagers, but by the time we finally separate, my lips feel swollen and bruised.

Impulsively, I crawl across the seat and into his lap, straddling him. I wrap my arms around his shoulders, and he caresses my thighs that are resting on either side of him.

I plant my lips on his and start to move against him, panting into his mouth as I slide against his growing erection.

He threads his hands into my hair and wraps it around one fist, tugging my head gently so he can trace the length of my throat with his warm mouth.

“Case,” I breathe as I dig my nails into his shoulder blades.

“I got you, baby,” he says as his teeth nibble at my ear.

He releases his one hand from my hair and slips it between us, and under my sweater, he finds my lace-covered breast. He plucks at the tender nipple, and sweet, hot pleasure shoots through me.

It’s been so long since a man touched me like this.

I can’t get close enough to him. My hands roam his shoulders and his neck. Sliding down his ribs and clutching his shirt, I jerk it free from his jeans.

I want to feel his skin, warm against mine.

Case’s hand releases my breast and continues down my stomach to the front of my jeans. He pops the button and tugs the little metal tongue, dragging the zipper down.

I rest my forehead against his shoulder and rock my hips as he touches me.

“Fuck, baby. You’re drenched.”

“Oh my God,” I moan as his fingers flutter over my sensitive flesh.

He knows just how to touch me. Lightly at first, then a little more pressure. Playing. Exploring .

I arch my back, biting down on my lip to hold back a cry. “Case, please,” I whimper. Not knowing what exactly I’m asking for.

“Give me your eyes,” he demands, and I snap my gaze to his.

I can feel the steely length of him as I writhe against his fingers.

“Come on my hand, cowgirl,” he demands.

I start shaking my head.

“Yes, want to feel you let go,” he says.

Finally, I can’t fight it, and my entire body starts to spasm as pure, white-hot pleasure erupts in my core and radiates to all my limbs. The force of it ceases my breath. I slump against his chest and gasp for air as I ride it out.

Case’s hands come to the small of my back, and he holds me steady until my muscles stop quaking.

“Now, that was some good-night kiss,” he whispers in my ear.

I bring my head up and lock my eyes to his. He kisses me. A quick, hard peck of his lips. And I can’t help but laugh.

His hands come to my face, and he brushes my hair behind my ears. “That was fucking incredible.”

“You didn’t even—”

I don’t get the rest of the sentence out because he cuts me off, “Don’t care.”

I shake my head, but he clasps my chin.

“We have to save something for our next date.”

I climb off his lap, and he groans as my knee grazes his zipper.

“Sorry,” I murmur as he adjusts himself.

“Nothing a cold shower won’t fix.”

I look up at the dark house as I zip my jeans. Hoping beyond hope that no one can see into the cab through the fog-covered windows. Because if Charli Storm heard us drive up, she’d definitely be nosy enough to try.

“I think everyone is asleep,” Caison says, reading my thoughts.

“Hopefully, but I’d better get in there,” I say, bending to kiss him one last time before reaching for the door handle and hopping out into the freezing night. I wave as I sprint to the porch.

He rolls down the window and calls, “Sweet dreams, Matty,” as I let myself inside.

Oh, I’m sure they will be.

“Tell me everything.” Harleigh’s voice comes over the speaker as Charli holds her phone aloft.

I don’t respond as I toss the saddle blanket onto Luna’s back.

“She’s being tight-lipped, but she’s had this satisfied little smile on her face all morning, and Caison’s truck idled in the driveway for forty minutes when he dropped her off last night,” Charli says, and I narrow my eyes at her. “Don’t worry, Sissy. I didn’t peek.”

Harleigh bursts out laughing. “Liar!”

“It was too dark,” Charli admits.

When I entered the house last night, I tried to be as quiet as a mouse.

I took off my boots just inside the door and softly climbed the stairs.

I carefully navigated the hallway on my tiptoes, believing I had successfully managed not to wake anyone.

However, when I opened my bedroom door, I found Charli in my bed.

She had decided to sleep there so she would know when—or if—I came home.

“Come on, Sissy. Give us something,” Harleigh pleads.

And Charli looks at me and sticks her bottom lip out.

I sigh. “It was forty minutes well spent.”

“How well?” Harleigh asks.

“The most explosive forty minutes I’ve experienced in a very, very long time,” I mutter.

Harleigh squeals across the line.

And Charli’s eyes go wide as she says, “Oh my God, I have to text Shell.”

“No. No, you don’t,” I snap. “She’s about to start her first competition in years. You’re not texting her about this.”

I grab for the phone, but she pulls it out of my reach.

“She’ll be pissed if I don’t,” Charli insists.

“I don’t care. You can call her later.”

“Matty, will you pleeeeease charge your phone? It’d be nice to be able to reach you without having to go through Charli, Shell, or Grandma,” Harleigh pleads .

“Ugh, you guys know I hate that thing. And you do too, don’t ya, Luna?” I say as I rub Luna’s snout.

“What about your new man? Don’t you think he’d like to be able to get in contact with you?” Harleigh digs.

“Yeah, Sissy. I mean, what if he wants to send you a good-morning text and include a pic of his morning wood? You wouldn’t want him to have to go through me or Evelyn,” Charli quips.

Harleigh bursts into laughter. “Oh my God, could you imagine? Grandma would be the next one the ambulance was rolling up to Wildhaven Storm to collect,” she gasps.

“You two are ridiculous,” I huff. “Besides, Grandma would probably print it and hang it on the refrigerator.”

“That’s true,” Charli agrees.

“Just find your phone. So we can add you to the Storm sisters group chat. It’s usually about you anyway,” Harleigh demands.

“That stupid chat is one of the reasons I let the thing go dead in the first place.”

“Come on, Matty. Be a part of the team,” Charli says as she bats her puppy-dog eyes at me.

“Fine. I’ll look for it tonight.” I give in.

“Yay!” Harleigh bellows. “Okay, gotta go. My study group just walked in. Let me know how Shell does today. Love you guys.”

“Love you,” we sing in unison.

Charli ends the call and shoves the phone into her back pocket. Then she walks over to me and Luna as I secure her saddle.

“Where are you off to?” she asks.

“Just going for a quick ride. I’ve been so busy that I haven’t taken her for a good exercise run in a while, and I’m gonna be super busy this coming week.”

“What’s happening?”

“I’m rehiring our staff. I’ve contacted everyone we let go, but most of them have taken new jobs, so I’m interviewing.

Boone, Daddy, Cabe, and I are moving the herd to their winter pasture since it looks like we could get early snow.

I have a meeting at the bank on Thursday, and the crew is coming in to finish painting and sealing the barn.

” I tick off the list. “You’re going to cover Shelby’s jumping lesson on Monday, right? ”

“Yep, I got her covered,” she says.

“Good. We have four new boarders coming in this week too. I may need you to check them in while I’m on the cattle drive. And two of them are looking for training. Giles should have the specifics.”

“Got it. Sounds like this place is coming back to life,” Charli chirps.

It sure does.

I take a deep breath as I climb onto Luna’s back. It feels good to be able to breathe easy again.

Charli walks with us out of the barn, then waves and calls as she heads to the ranch house, “Have a good ride.”

I guide Luna through the gate to the riding trail that leads to the wooded northern border of the ranch, and once she’s warmed up, I let her run.