Holding Haley (The West Contemporary Romance Series) (15 page)

“
Haley.” He pulled back and looked at her again. “I want to make love to you. Let me show you.” His fingers shook as he used just his fingertips to lower the shoulders of her dress, exposing her skin for his lips to brush over. “You’re so soft, so smooth.” His fingers pushed her dress down farther as his lips left a burning trail over her shoulders.

Her head fell back as her fingers went into his hair, holding him, guiding him. “Please,” she moaned, wanting more.

A flash of lightning lit up the dim room, causing her to jolt.

“
Still afraid of thunder?” he asked, coming back to kiss her lips. She nodded her head and jolted as the thunder crashed close by.

“
Focus on me, then. On what I’m doing to you.” He’d known her weakness for the weather, had always known why she didn’t like the thunder.

She tried to focus on the feel of him touching her, kissing her, instead of the dread that was building up behind her heart. When his hands cupped her bare breasts, she realized her mind had wandered to that dreadful day so many years ago. Then his lips and tongue played over her nipples and she forgot all about the weather.

Gasping, she held onto his hair as he lapped at her skin. He sucked lightly on her nipples and she felt herself go wet. How did he have such power over her?

“
You taste like honey,” he moaned as he knelt in front of her. Gently pushing her sundress down farther, he smiled when he saw the lacy panties she wore underneath. “For me?” He looked up at her. When she nodded, he smiled. “Mmmm, I like them.” He ran his fingertips over the lace, rubbing the soft material against her heated skin.

She felt the panties go wet from her desire and moaned when he bent his head and tasted her through the light material. When he had soaked the white material, he pushed it to the side and ran his tongue over her naked skin, lapping at her until she felt her knees go weak. Then he nudged her until she sat at the edge of the bed.

Not wanting to lose all control, she pulled him down with her. He smiled when she kicked off the dress and pressed his shoulders to the mattress.

“
My turn.” She smiled down at him. Her fingers were steady as she pulled open the buttons of his shirt. He helped her pull his shirts off, but she pushed him back to the mattress when he started reaching for her. “No, still my turn.” She smiled down at him.

Dipping her head, she ran her mouth and tongue over his chest. He’d been a boy, really, when she’d last explored him like this. Now his chest was wider and full of new muscles, which she took time to explore. Her fingers traveled down his six-pack and played with the light trail of hair that traveled from his navel to below his jeans. When she reached for his belt, his fingers dug into the comforter next to him. “Haley, you’re killing me,” he said between clenched teeth.

“Good. Enjoy it. I know I am.” She flipped open his belt and jeans, then lightly tugged on them until they were sitting below his hips with his boxers. His erection sprang out and she moaned. He was so beautiful. She’d never seen another man, but she doubted they would compare to Wes. His skin was soft, yet he was hard as stone. Dipping her head, she ran her mouth down his happy trail and then licked the head of his erection. He jumped as his hands went into her hair.

“
Please,” he groaned as she took him all the way into her mouth.

She had never enjoyed herself more as she used her mouth to bring him to the edge, like he’d done to her.

His legs were still trapped in his jeans and boxers, so when he moved to push her underneath him, he had to stand as she waited, trying not to burst herself.

When he was freed of his boots and jeans, he flipped her onto the bed with a laugh. “Now you’re going to get it.” He smiled down at her. But instead of coming down with her, he stood above her and just looked at her.

Her hands went to her breasts, pushing them together as she watched his eyes heat. “Yes, touch yourself,” he said, watching her every move.

Her hands roamed down her sides until she touched where his eyes burned her. She saw him moan and reach for a condom from his nightstand. After shielding himself, he knelt between her legs.

“Yes, keep touching yourself,” he said, as he positioned himself at her entrance. “Does that feel good?” he asked as he started to slide in.

Her head fell back and her hand fell away as he moved above her. Then he was moving inside her and kissing her until she couldn’t control the scream of release.

Wes lay there and listened to the storm building. Thunderstorms were a common thing in the area, and he knew that the stream behind the row of houses could easily grow to three times its normal size. He had an app on his phone that alerted him to such storms, but he didn’t want to move just yet.

Haley’s and his breathing had finally returned to normal, and their bodies had cooled in the night air. The lightning and thunder were still raging outside, and he was happy that she was still too dazed to realize it.

He knew why she hated the bad weather. It all went back to when her mother had died in a tornado when she was four.

Once, when they had been teenagers, they had met at the pond one summer and had been caught up in a storm. They had sought shelter in an old cattle barn on her property. He’d never seen someone have a panic attack like she’d had that day. He was sure that if he hadn’t been there, she would have died of fright. He’d done his best to calm her, but he was relieved when her father had shown up shortly after the storm had ended to take her home.

Just then the house shook with thunder and she bolted up.

“Hey.” He reached for her, but he could tell that she was already too far gone to help. Her eyes were huge, her skin was pasty and pale. She was shaking and when he wrapped a blanket around her, her teeth started chattering.

“
Haley.” He took her face in his hands. “Focus on me, baby. I’m here. We’re safe.”

She shook her head.

“Damn it.” He jumped from the bed and grabbed one of his large sweatshirts and pulled it over her head. “Here,” he tried to pull her hands through the sleeves. He knew she was freezing and wanted to get her warm. When she didn’t push her arms through, he thought of a different tactic and pulled the sweatshirt off her again.

Picking her up, he carried her towards the bathroom. Setting her on the countertop, he started the shower and pushed the heat to full. When the water was steaming, he carried her right into the shower and set her down under the spray.

She shivered for a few moments until he started running his hands over her hair, her shoulders. He felt her starting to relax, muscle by muscle.

“
Easy,” he murmured softly to her, continuing to tell her how beautiful she was, how much he loved her, until he felt her completely relax in his arms. When he ran his hands over her hips, over her breasts, he felt her tense again, this time with desire.

“
Wes,” she moaned as he ran his mouth over her wet skin.

“
I want you. I can’t stop wanting you,” he said against her skin. She was like a drug. Her skin was addictive, her taste intoxicating. He wanted to feel her wrapped around him, body and soul.

“
I want you, too.” Her hands began running over him, causing his skin to heat even more. “I missed this for years. I missed you.”

He leaned her back against the shower wall and helped her prop her leg up on the side of the bathtub. “We might end up killing ourselves, but I don’t care.” He chuckled. “Hang onto me, baby,” he said as he slid into her slowly. Twin moans filled the room, drowning out the sound of the now-distant thunder.

When he started to move, her nails dug into his sides and her eyes closed tightly. He’d never seen anything more beautiful in his life. Her hair was flowing around her breasts. Her green eyes opened slowly, reminding him of the waters in the Persian Gulf.

He lapped at her wet skin and used his hips to pin her to the side of the shower, not wanting to let her go. Their naked skin rubbed together, causing friction and heating the small room even more.

“Please,” she begged, shaking her head and her hair back and forth. “Please, Wes.”

“
God!” he groaned, then reached down between them and touched her heat with a fingertip. He watched her explode just before he followed her.

By the time he carried her back to the bed, the storm had passed and she relaxed in his bed as he made them cold turkey sandwiches. They lay there and ate a bag of potato chips as they watched a rerun of Gilligan’s Island until they fell asleep in each other’s arms. He dreamed, once again, about green-eyed, brown-haired children running through the fields, playing with animals as he and Haley sat and watched from the front porch.

T
he following morning, they drove up to Bond Drive, just on the outskirts of the state park. The land was pretty with its large oak and pine trees. There were plenty of grassy fields where cows and horses could roam. Even the barn could be fixed up to accommodate animals.

The house, however, was a complete loss. There was a large tree branch through the living room roof. The front door was propped open by a large stone, and when they tried to walk in, Wes’s foot fell through a small hole in the front porch. He laughed and pulled it out.

“Another reason this place will be bulldozed. The VA wouldn’t approve my loan with it standing here.” He shook his head. “It’s a pity, too. I heard this place used to be really nice.”

“
I can only remember it like this,” she said, jumping over another hole in the floorboards. The place smelled of mildew and animals.

“
Well, like I said, I’ve picked out a double-wide that the VA has approved. If all goes well, after they approve my loan I can have this place torn down and that one moved up here shortly after.” They stopped in the kitchen area, one of the only areas that still looked like the inside of a house instead of a scene from a horror movie.

“
Haley?” He turned to her, taking both her hands in his. “I know it’s not much to look at now, but soon it will be and . . .” He broke off as he turned a little pasty.

“
Wes?” She began to worry and stepped closer to him. “Are you okay?”

He smiled and laughed a little. “Yes, it’s just . . .” He shook his head. “Come outside with me. I want you to see the view.”

She followed him in silence as they walked hand in hand to the middle of one of the fields. There were a few large oak trees, and when they reached the top of a small hill, she could see forever.

Gasping, she spun around to see the entire view. “How wonderful.” She crossed her arms over her chest and hugged herself. “You can see forever. I never knew this place was here.” She shook her head in disbelief. When she turned back towards Wes, he was on his knee holding up a small brown box.

“Haley Marie West, I’ve loved you since the second grade. You’ve been my best friend for as long as I can remember. I love you with all of my heart and want to spend the rest of my days with you here, on our land, raising kids and animals. Please marry me.”

She stood there, looking down at him and not knowing what to say. So many things went through her head at that moment. So many questions.

Could she take it if he broke her heart again? Would he? She shook her head, answering her own question, and saw the color leave his face.

“
No,” she said quickly. “It’s not . . .” She bent down next to him, the knee of her jeans getting soaked with the wet grass and ground. “Wes.” She grabbed his face and forced him to look at her. “I have wanted nothing more than to be married to you for as long as I can remember.”

She watched the color flood back into his face. His eyes started to shine, and he smiled at her.

“Then say yes.” He held up the box again.

She couldn’t say it, so instead just nodded her head. He let out a happy cry and lifted her and spun her in circles.

By the time they drove back to Saddleback Ranch and told everyone the news, she was beyond tired. Her sisters had never looked happier than when they told them the news. Chase and Grant had shaken Wes’s hand and welcomed him to the family.