Page 68 of Always a Bridesmaid
Ford skirted his fingers along the underside of Violet’s bra, and when she linked her arms around his neck and lifted her knee so their hips fully met, he grunted. Dark spots danced across his vision as he palmed her breast over her bra, finding her nipple hard and straining against the lace.
He gave the needy nub a flick, and Violet arched underneath him, her hips knocking into his and ripping a growl from his throat.
Afraid he’d lose control and inadvertently crush her, Ford sat back on his heels, pulling her up with him.
“What’re y—? Oh,” she said as she settled on his lap, his pulsing erection notched against her center. “Yeah, this was a good idea.”
Violet dipped her head and kissed him again, sucking and licking until the world spun off its axis. Ford wrapped his hand around the nape of her neck and held her in place as he devoured her mouth.
He wasn’t sure if it was his gasp or hers that cut through the silence. Right now, all that mattered was they were both writhing and breathless, and why the hell had he taken so long to kiss this woman?
She tugged at the bottom of his shirt, and he gladly shed it. “Whoa,” she said, tracing the muscles in his chest and abdomen with her fingers.
Before she returned to his lap, he wanted to rid her of her shirt as well. He yanked it up and off and tossed it aside.
The last rays of the day danced across her skin, casting a soft glow that accented every salacious inch. She wrapped her arms around herself, half hiding, half emphasizing, and his breath lodged in his throat.
“Damn, Vi. You’re… I…Fuck, you’re beautiful.”
A shy smile spread across her face and her arms slowly fell away. Her brazen side reemerged, dangerous and intoxicating and…Mine.
Ford lifted a muddy finger and painted a line between her breasts, her belly button, the waist of her filthy jeans. He swiped back and forth, and Violet gripped his shoulders, her nails biting into his skin.
She nipped at his lower lip, her breath soft and sweet. “Not that I’m not enjoying our fancy spa mud bath, but…” She shivered and snuggled closer. “The wet-and-cold thing is starting to kick in.”
He wrapped his arms around her, giving her as much of his body heat as he could. “We’re closer to my house than where we parked, so we can head there to dry off and warm up, and I’ll get my truck later.”
They stood and, after they grabbed shirts that were too caked in mud to wear, slipped and slopped their way over to the four-wheeler.
Violet danced around as he fired up the engine. “What are the odds we can make it to your place without someone seeing us? I’ve been the topic of gossip in Uncertainty before, and I was really trying to stay out of the spotlight. Shirtless and coated in mud will undoubtedly land me on the radar.”
“Who cares what people say? Just ignore ’em. Sooner or later, those biddies’ll find something new to gossip about.”
“I wish I didn’t care. Every time I visited this place growing up, I tried to convince myself I didn’t. But I never could pull it off.” She climbed on behind him and hooked her arms around his middle. “You’ll have to teach me your ways.”
“Easy. Step one: stop giving a shit.”
“Yeah, but how?”
Ford shrugged. “You just stop.”
“Is that how you train your dogs? Tell them to do something and they magically comply?”
“You want a motivational treat? I might have a few doggie bones on me.”
They both glanced at the pocket of his jeans, which was beyond crusted shut.
“Pass,” she said, and another shiver racked her body.
“How about a shower and dinner? I have both those things at my place.”
The way she tightened her arms and rested her head between his shoulder blades made him feel ten feet tall. “Sold.”
Chapter Fourteen
The ride over had dried parts of them, save Violet’s front and Ford’s back, since they’d been mashed together. Once they’d peeled themselves apart, Ford told Violet the door was unlocked and that he’d be right behind her.
She did the sort of sprint-waddle a penguin might while running from a hungry polar bear. With warmth one twist away, she paused, her hand on the doorknob. Then she looked down at least three layers of mud and sludge.
