Brielle pulls her hair over her shoulder, twisting her fingers into the ends as she glances both directions at the crosswalk.
“I’ll take Brielle back to the plane,” I offer. “That way Cam can take as long as he needs.”
Caleb nods.
“She said yes,” he says as we cross the street and climb the half wall that keeps the sand of the beach from spilling onto the road. “I’ll chat with Dad tonight and figure out timing to get her things moved in. Hopefully it’s all settled before I get called back out.”
I shove the panicking, claustrophobic part of me away, ignoring it like I have since getting the bloodwork done in July. Maybe if I ignore it long enough, it’ll simply go away.
“We’re moving herds this week,” I say. “The main pastures have dried out too much.”
He nods, his look telling me he sees through the thin excuse to keep me away from the house while she invades it and makes it her own. He stretches his neck, and then he catches up to Camden and Brielle. He leans over Cam to kiss her cheek, and she blushes. He says something, too low for me to hear, and she glances over her shoulder, her eyes locking with mine.
She nods and smiles at him. I pull out my phone and schedule a rideshare for the opposite side of the park. When Brielle focuses on me, I force a deep, even breath, and close the distance between us.
“We’ll only be twenty or so minutes behind you guys,” Caleb says. “Just enough time for Cam to pick something out for Lynn and Mom.”
Brielle finally relaxes once we’re at Caleb’s plane, the tension falling away from her shoulders and a small smile curving her lips. I set a hand on the small of her back and ease the copilot’s door open. Her breath catches. It takes all my control to not groan, not growl, not push her into the metal of Caleb’s plane and feel the soft curves of her body.
Fuck, I might still be confused as fuck over all of this, might be absolute shit at talking and comforting and calming her down. But my body? It seems to have a firm—very firm—idea of how to help ease all this horrible awkwardness between us. She leans into me, scenting me, and the urge to lay her out gets even stronger.
I don’t have the self-control for this. Especially not with the bruise just starting to show up along the curve of her shoulder. Caleb must have given it to her while I was keeping Camden distracted waiting for a table at lunch.
“Brielle,” I murmur. It’s nearly a groan.
She squeaks. “Sorry.”
She doesn’t pull away, though.
I glance over my shoulder, eyeing the airport employees in charge of manning the tarmac. They seem busy enough. I follow behind Brielle without a word, encouraging her across the small seats and onto Caleb’s. Then I close the heavy door behind me, shutting us away from the world.
Her eyes are clear, her cheeks flushed. Fuck, but suddenly it feels like we’re in Melissa’s barn, hiding from Brandon and the other ranch employees while I explore her body. Her throat ripples with her swallow.
“Ethan,” she says, a wealth of understanding and history in her voice.
God, Caleb better take more than twenty minutes with Cam at that tourist shop.
With a hand on her neck, I pull her into me, kissing her with all the messed up, swirling emotions inside me. She melts against me without resistance, moaning into the kiss. Mint explodes from me in one swift wave. Brielle shudders and then whines, grabbing my hips.
I wrap an arm around her waist and bring her against me, reaching across the small gap between the front seats. She propsone knee on the edge of mine to keep from overbalancing. She pulls away, breathing hard. She might be hesitant, but her eyes are full of need. If not for the scent blockers, her lavender perfume would be filling this space, I’m sure of it.
“Ethan,” she whispers. “There’s no room.”
“It’s no smaller than my truck,” I mutter.
I drag her into my lap, lifting her skirt. She trembles as I run my hands up her thighs. I ease the scrap of lace to the side, and lavender surrounds us in one all-consuming wave. I can’t help but grunt, my dick surging painfully behind the zipper of my jeans. She shudders in a breath as she digs her nails into my shoulders, hard enough to bite.
“See?” I whisper. “Plenty of room.”
She nods. “Don’t tease me, then.”
My callouses catch on the sensitive skin of her cunt, and she shivers. Her scent hits me again, and she mewls in desperation. God, even after her heat she’s needy and desperate between one breath and the next.
I fumble with my jeans, cursing as it takes longer than either of us really want. And then I’m pressing into her, and her slick is fucking up my jeans. She gasps. I groan. She grips me like a damn vise, so damn hot and tight. Like every single wet dream I’ve had since I last got her under me ten years ago. Her lips are soft and pliant as I take them in a kiss to distract my thoughts. Sensation builds at the base of my spine already.
I swallow back a curse as she rocks her hips. I skim my hands under her shirt, plucking at her nipples through her lacy bra. Her scent doubles over. I can’t help but thrust into her, forcing my dick as deep as I can get it.
She whines, her nails scratching at my neck.