Sparks Fly(Divine Creek Ranch 11)(47)

“S–Sure.” He smiled at her and ran the length of her hair through his hand once more, smoothing it out, before he repeated the motion again, running his fingers gently through it to separate any tangles before he started dividing it into sections.

“Hey, Jayne,” Grace said as she walked over to them. “Are you coming to The Dancing Pony?”

Wild horses couldn’t keep me away, cousin. “Yes, Seth is taking me over there in just a minute.”

“Good. I’ll see you over there. Ride safe.” Grace glanced at what Seth was doing and looked like she wanted to say more, which Jayne was sure she would the moment she and Grace were alone later. She made her way over to where Jack waited to help her into her blue Escalade.

The sensation of Seth lightly tugging at her hair drew her attention back to him as he braided her long hair for the journey over to the nightclub. He ran his hand repeatedly over each section and softly murmured, “Your hair is like silk.” A light tremor rippled through her as his action pulled lightly at her scalp. The sensation travelled all over her body, and a deep ache started in her center at the husky timbre in his voice.

“Thank you, Seth.” She heard him open one of his saddlebags and then heard the snap of a rubber band as he tied off the end of her braid. She was almost sad that he was done so quickly but was distracted when she heard what sounded like a soft kiss before he dropped the braid down her back. She glanced back and caught his mischievous smile. Did he kiss my hair?

Seth was different. The hope grew inside her that maybe her prognosis wouldn’t matter to him. Hope even grew that maybe the worst-case scenario for her health didn’t have to hang over her head. The doctors had told her that it was entirely possible that she might have Hodgkin’s beat, this time for good. She’d been through so much in the last ten years that she hadn’t dared trust that they could be right. But now, looking up into his shadowed face, she wanted to believe.

He helped her with the helmet and climbed onto the bike. After putting his helmet on, he started the engine. The sound and vibration rumbled through her entire body, intensifying the growing ache between her legs. She scooted forward after he was situated and bit her lip as he caressed her lower thighs and knees, drawing them closer to him. Every muscle from her waist down vibrated and tightened at the touch of his capable hands. How would it feel to have those sensual hands all over my body?

She drew so close she could feel his body heat everywhere they touched. She wrapped her arms around his middle and pressed her breasts against his back as she gloried in the feel of his taut abdominal muscles beneath her fingertips. An almost orgasmic thrill rippled through her as they rolled out into the darkness. More wetness pooled in her panties as she felt the subtle shift of his shoulders and back as though he was rubbing against her. Her nipples went so hard she was certain he was able to feel them.

She had the whole ride back to town in front of her, so she gave herself over to the fantasy of being with him. Briefly, he pressed his warm palm on her overlapped hands. Was he telling her to hold on tight? Was he telling her he liked her hands where they were? His back muscles rippled against her once more and she bit her lip again. Maybe the attraction she felt for him could become more than just fantasy.



* * * *



Emma Rivers giggled breathlessly as she followed Duke and Gage to The Dancing Pony dance floor. Because they’d had so much fun with it, the bucket list had grown until they were always in the habit of looking for new things to add to it. Duke had bought the DVD of Footloose, and she’d instantly latched on to the idea of learning to line dance.

She’d come a long way with her dance skills since marrying Duke and bonding with Gage, but she’d learned the dance at home with her guys where it was less embarrassing to make mistakes. She’d only made Gage fall down one time while practicing.

Her men had groaned and bellyached because all of their bucket list adventures had to be done together. But they’d indulged her and practiced the line dance with her at home so that she wouldn’t make a total ass of herself. Their downstairs neighbor had not been amused by all the thumping on her ceiling.

Ethan had taken her request for “Fake I.D.” by Big & Rich with a laugh and had passed it on to Dave the DJ. Now the intro was playing and people were jumping up to join the line-dancing throng. She was relieved when she saw Charity and Justin Connors, Lydia Carlisle, and Lily Cook all rise from their chairs and join because the first time she’d seen this dance, they’d been the ones she’d watched.

As she made her way to the dance floor, Gage slid in behind her and said, “Purple alligator.” She froze, and he bumped into her back, and Duke ran into him.