Page 13 of Handling Skylar
She had been so take-my-breath-away beautiful, looking up at me with that wild tumble of black hair framing her face, her skin so soft, her gaze so full of longing and locked onto me like she was drowning.
She’d whispered my name and it had been game over.
I’d understood. I’d wanted and needed anything she could give, everything I’d been without, and she had been holding on to me like she was never going to let me go, had me up real close and personal. I’d felt the rise and fall of her breasts on every breath, and so help me God, it had fogged up my brain, given me a bad case of tunnel vision, with her the only light at the end—those hazel eyes rimmed in thick black lashes and smudged with purple shadow, that soft, soft mouth, her lips slick with apple tasting lip gloss.
I thought I was stronger than this.
But not last night. Not when I’d been walking a razor’s edge between this breath and the next.
Once, I’d told myself,kiss her once.
Just once to see me through.
I’d been asking for trouble, more trouble than I could manage—and I’d known it.
Handling Skylar would burn me in many, many ways.
But that hadn’t been enough to stop me.
Holding her gaze, I’d lowered my lips to hers and watched her eyes drift closed in readiness for my mouth. It had been all so damn easy and been all so damn complicated at the same time. She’d held her breath, the sensual heat of her had drawn me closer and closer—cowgirl wild.
I’d taken my time, an eternity, barely touching my lips to hers, wanting to hold every breath of her inside me, to savor every intimate moment until I pulled away. That had been my plan.
For the record, I’d noted that what had happened was totally my fault. It had been all me, all the way, from the first crumbling of my outer wall of defense all the way through to my total surrender. I’d kissed more women than I could remember, literally. So many beautiful faces running together over time had made a hash of some of my memories, but I’d never kissed Skylar Bransom.
Just the smell of her was enough to get me hard and the taste of her…
My entire body shuddered with a fierce, roaring urgency, stunning in its intensity. I was under her complete power and command.
My stomach muscles clenched, and I dug my heels into the mattress, panting as my climax surged. My hips bucked, sending me to a shuddering orgasm.
After I came out of the shower, I shaved and tried to deal with my hair, but it wasn’t cooperating, getting too long. I absently thought I’d need a cut soon. Snagging my phone, I saw that I had missed three calls from Anna Kate. I threw the phone on the bed and got dressed, tucking it into the back pocket of my dress pants. Slipping into my suit coat, I headed downstairs and had breakfast. My phone buzzed two more times, but I ignored both calls.
In church an hour and a half later sitting next to my parents, my mind on how my life had just gotten so complicated, my gut and my mind both in turmoil. Anna Kate had the connections and the social status I needed, but Sky connected to me on a level that was deeper than any woman I had ever met.
Two days passed and the phone calls from Anna Kate got more frequent. I still didn’t answer. I wasn’t sure I knew what I was doing.
I had no idea I was headed over to my sister’s place until I pulled into the driveway. Her car was gone, but Brax’s truck was there. I wasn’t sure what to do, the restlessness in me making me crazy. He came out to the porch, wiping his hands on his apron. “Hey, huckleberry. Your sister isn’t here. She went—”
“I came to see you.”
His brows rose. “Yeah? What’s up?”
“I want to expand our store.” And, the orchard, but I wasn’t ready to talk about that yet.
“Oh, yeah. Come on in and tell me what you have in mind.” He held the screen door open, and I went inside. Brax and I often sparred with my reach being much better than his, but that boy had quite the left hook.
I could smell cinnamon in the air. I settled down on the sofa. He moved some toys from the seat of a chair and sat across from me. A few years ago I couldn’t even imagine the angry guy he used to be, a father, married to my sister and all that he had been was still there, minus the skirt-chasing and the anger. I wondered how he had let it go. “I think with the addition of your sauces, we could expand to include more items, including specialty items and much more. Give it a more general store feel. People enjoy variety and we have more to offer than just nuts in this town.”
“Sounds like a great plan to me. Have you run it by your daddy?” Anger twisted. “He told me to run it by Chase,” I growled.
“That’s a good idea. He’s made a success out of his own…store. You look pissed. Why?”
“Everything is always about Chase.” My tone was filled with resentment. “He couldn’t take the time to hear me out. I always feel dismissed.”
“Maybe that’s your perception and not fact.”
“You’ve never had to deal with a daddy.” The moment the words were out of my mouth, I said. “Damn, Brax. I’m sorry. That was out of line.”
