Chapter Six
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He wasn't the horseman his brother Trey was but he'd always felt at home riding across the Kelly land. He had needed to get away from the ranch house and his thoughts and of course who should he run into but the woman whose ghost he'd been running from.
Maybe it was the lack of sleep that had driven him or maybe it was pride. It could be pride. He had a big damn ego. He glanced at her feet.
"Are you still wearing those boots?"
"I don't have a million pairs like you," she said.
He took his phone out and texted his assistant to send a pair of boots to Juliette. "You'll have at least two pairs now."
"Is it really a big deal that I'm not wearing Kelly Boots?" she asked.
"Yeah, it is. I know we said one night … and I'm not trying to change your mind about that-
"Why not?"
"Do you want more than one night?" he asked.
"Yes. And no. I mean I don't know. Leaving was hard. I had to make myself go or I was afraid I wouldn't leave. Then I'd be laying there waiting for you to make a move and it would get messy."
"This doesn't exactly feel clean to me."
"Me either. Maybe it's a lack of sleep," she said.
"I was thinking the same thing. What do you say to spending today with me?" he asked. "One day to see how we like each other."
"No sex?"
"Well, do you think that's important?" he asked. Of course no sex sounded dumb to him. Just staring at her long legs under that flouncing skirt of her dress was making him ready to strip her naked and have his way with her. But this was Juliette. Like Nicholas had said she scared the piss out of him. That made her different.
And he wanted to know why.
"Yes, I think it is."
"Okay. No sex. Let's be … friends."
"Friends," she agreed.
"Tell me about these fields," he said, getting off his horse, walking over to her.
He noticed her thick blonde hair was plaited in a long braid and draped over her left shoulder. He remembered when they'd made love her hair had brushed over his skin. He liked it. He reached for her hair and clenched his hand and let it drop to his side.
No sex.
Damn.
Why had he ever agreed to something so stupid?
"I'm not really much of an expert on lavender. I received most of my training working in a perfumery in Paris so what I'm really good at is mixing scents and marketing. Since we use lavender exclusively and Ariana is an expert chemist, my job has been marketing."
"Why did you leave Paris?" he asked.
She bit her lip and gave him a long level look. "That's complicated. Are you sure you want to know?"
"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want to," he said.
"Fair enough. I left because the company I worked for was run by a family and they promised me if I met certain margins I'd be promoted and be offered a place on the board. I worked really hard. I mean, I pretty much did nothing but work 24/7 and we made the margins plus I got some pretty big other things for them," she said. With each word she spoke he could sense her getting angrier.
"Then they dicked you over because you're not family."
"Yup. That about sums it up. Being the Texas girl I am I told them to stick it where the sun don't shine, gave them the finger and walked away."
He laughed because he could see Juliette doing that. "Good girl."
"Damn straight."
The walked with the sun shining down on them and she stopped and looked over at him. "What's it like having two brothers you didn't know you had?"
"Damn. Go straight for the tough question."
"Well, I figured why not? We said we'd spend the day together. It's kind of my chance to be myself and not try to win you over."
He liked Juliette when she was just herself, he realized.
"It's weird. I like them and everything. And Xander and Trey could pretty much be twins they look so alike. Sometimes it's as if they've been around all of my life, but then they do something … like Nicholas didn't want to wear a tux to the ball, can you imagine?"
"Horrors," Juliette said. "I bet it's hard on your mom."
He nodded. "It is. She suspected Boots had more kids, but never wanted to know for sure."
"That sucks," Juliette said. "If that was me … I'd be really pissed and hurt."
"I think she's a combo of the two. But you know my mom wouldn't let it show. She's made of tougher stuff than that."
"That she is. She kind of scares me," Juliette admitted.
"I think she'd like you. You're tough. That's something she admires. Plus you don't back down and go after what you want."
"Is this because I made you get naked before I let you touch me?"
He got hard in an instant. "Maybe."
Last night hadn't been enough. Whoa. Wait a minute. Was that what today was about?
"Want to get naked again?" she asked.
"I thought you said no sex," he reminded her.
"I did but every since I banned it, all I can do is think about how good you looked naked."
"Damn you and your honesty. How's a man supposed to say no to an offer like that?" he asked.
"You're not," she said.
But a clap of thunder and a downpour of rain changed those plans. Her horse was skittish and the rain was cold. Though it did nothing to cool his libido. He helped Juliette get on her horse and then mounted his own. They rode full out to the barn at Lavender House and when they got inside and off their horses, he turned to find Juliette standing right next to him. Her t-shirt plastered to her skin and her face up tilted.
He knew he shouldn't. This was only going to make it harder to walk away, but he lowered his head and took the kiss he craved.
The rain following outside the barn was soft and made the air cool. She shivered but knew that was from Wyatt's mouth on hers and not the air. She had wanted this since the moment she'd made herself leave his apartment in Wildcat Tower.
He lifted his head, looked down into her eyes with an intensity that almost frightened her. "I don't have a condom."
She was tempted to say it didn't matter. But she knew it did. Wyatt wasn't going to stay with her if she got pregnant and as hot as he made her she wasn't ready for that.
"Oh … okay then," she said, stepping away from him. Her wet clothes clung to her body. The dress and boots she wore were damp and she should get the hell out of here. Head up to the house and get changed.
He came up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. She shuddered as he pulled her back against his body. She felt his erection as he rubbed it against her butt. She glanced over her shoulder at him. But he didn't say anything. He lowered his head and bit the side of her neck.
She turned in his arms, unbuttoned his shirt and pushed her hands underneath the fabric. He was warm and the hair on his chest abraded her fingers as she stroked her hands over him.
She swallowed hard. As he found her nipples through the fabric of her dress and tweaked them. She was aching. She felt empty and needed him inside of her again. He led her to the long wooden bench that was near the stalls. He sat down and then drew her left leg up on the bench near his hips. She straddled him, putting her hands in his hair as she found his mouth.
Thrusting her tongue deep into his mouth as she rocked against the ridge of his cock. She reached between their bodies and found his hands there. He pushed his hand into her panties and his fingers separated her until he was rubbing her clit.
The smell of leather and sweet corn was all around them but really it was the scent of Wyatt that was arousing her senses.
She arched against him, ripping her mouth from his. God, she'd never wanted anything as much as she wanted him inside of her. Now.
Finding the zipper on his jeans she lowered it. She rubbed her hand up and down the ridge of his cock until he groaned and pulled away from her. He stood up and set her on her feet next to him. He glanced at the open barn door and then took her hand leading her away from the exposed area to an empty stall in the back.
There was an up turned feed bucket in the corner and he strode over to it and sat down on it. His jeans were still open and the tip of his cock was visible.
"Take your panties off," he said.
She didn't hesitate just took them off and then looked up to find he was watching her. She'd lifted the skirt of her dress and he was staring at her exposed body. She kept the skirt up as she turned toward him and he groaned.
Power coursed through her as she took another step closer to him. When she was close enough she lifted one leg and put it on his thigh.
"Like what you see?"
"Hell, yes."
He reached for her hips, pulled her to him as he lowered his head. His breath on her was warm and erotic.
"Part yourself for me," he said.
She reached between her legs and drew her nether lips about and then felt his mouth on her. He tickled her clit with his tongue, and then pushed one finger up inside of her. Her knees buckled and she braced herself with her hands on his shoulders. He kept his mouth moving over her secrets and his finger thrusting in and out of her body until she arched in his arms and cried his name as her orgasm washed over her.