It Had to Be Fate (An It Had to Be Novel Book 3) (17 page)

She whispered, “I see you’ve recovered from the shrinkage.”

“Thankfully, you haven’t.” He kicked again, intent on heading for the shore.

To the condoms.

He wasn’t going to last long if Casey kept that up. He should slow it down for their first time together, but it was as if he’d waited all his life to make love to her.

Once his feet touched the sandy bottom he picked her up and carried her toward the shore, then laid her on the blanket. He took a moment to run his gaze over her alluring body. She was tall and thin, but that made the soft swell of her breasts and the curve of her hips even sexier. “Damn, you’re beautiful, Casey.”

When Zane lay beside her on the grass, Casey just wanted to touch him. To run her hands all over his hard body, let her fingers trace his sexy abs and dance along the hard ridges of muscles that covered his incredible body.

But he clearly had other ideas.

Zane ran his fingers through her hair and turned her head just the way he wanted it for a kiss. His eyes darkened with heat as his mouth found hers again.

His hands explored the curves of her body as his tongue moved with hers in fast, hard strokes that made her press her chest against his for more.

The kiss was so different from the sweet ones he’d given her before. It was filled with hot need, and so sexy she sighed. Her body longed for Zane’s with an intensity she’d never felt before.

He gently nipped her bottom lip in farewell before his mouth moved to her jaw and nibbled his way to her ear. It drove her nuts.

When his lips moved farther down her body, she didn’t know if she could stand much more.

He kneaded her breasts and then his mouth ended up between her legs. She wasn’t going to be able to wait for him if he kept that up.

“Hurry” was the best she could muster from her endorphin-soaked brain.

He slipped his hands lower, cupping her hips and lifting them before his tongue dove inside her. Fast, long strokes that heightened her wild need. “No, I meant—”

“I know. This is for me. I love seeing you undone like this.” He took his time, slowed things down, and continued to tease and stroke while she writhed in unbearable desire.

Her toes curled and her hands fisted the blanket underneath her. She should probably warn him he’d be finishing it out on his own if he kept that up, but it felt too amazing.

Instead, she closed her eyes and happily rode the waves of pleasure.

Just when he had her on the edge, ready to take the sweet dive off the cliff she needed so badly, his big, warm body rolled away.

She opened her eyes as he frantically patted the blanket. “I had two, right here, dammit.”

Sitting up a bit, she peeled the little foil packet from her sweaty back. “Looking for this?”

“Yes!” He snatched the package from her hand and ripped it open with his teeth, apparently in as much of a hurry as she was.

“That was pretty optimistic to bring tw—” She couldn’t finish because he’d thrust himself inside of her, turning her brain completely off again. Her eyes fluttered closed as his long, hard strokes filled her with even more pleasure.

Wanting more, she wrapped her legs around his waist, grinding her hips in time with his long strokes. He hooked his elbows beneath her knees, spreading her even wider, and drove his final thrusts home, taking her to a whole new plateau. He’d shattered the last of her control.

She let out a cry of pleasure as she finally found sweet release.

After she shuddered out her last groan, Zane followed right behind.

“God, Casey.” He collapsed on top of her, gasping for air.

“Ummm” was all she had the strength to mutter as she ran her hand up and down the hard muscles on his back. When her palm found his tight butt she gave a squeeze and then left her hand there. She finally opened her eyes, blinked at the blue sky above her head, and smiled.

Her thoroughly sated body had nothing on her heart. It glowed with something she hadn’t felt in a very long time.

Love.

But would he be capable of a normal relationship, or was she in danger of having her heart broken all over again? He’d have to go out on the road again soon, and back to his demanding schedule that’d leave little time for her. Best to just keep her feelings to herself.

Z
ane would have been content to lie right where he was for hours.

Casey said from beneath him, “That was nice, but now I can’t breathe.” She gave his butt a smack.

“Sorry.” He rolled off her and then lay beside her on the blanket, pulling her close. Hadn’t she felt that arrow straight to the gut that he had? Or had it only been . . . nice? He didn’t know how to ask, so instead he said, “I’m starving. What’s for lunch?”

“Seriously?” Her forehead crumpled. “You’re thinking about your stomach right now?”

She was the one who’d just called what they’d shared
nice
. But maybe he’d risk the truth. “I was really thinking how
fantastic
that was.”

“Oh.” Her expression softened for a moment before the frown reappeared. “Wait. Did you hear that? Men’s voices?”

Crap! Those voices probably had guns! But where should they hide? He swiveled his head and found the perfect spot.

“Let’s go!” He handed her his T-shirt and he pulled on his shorts. They slipped into their shoes without tying them and then grabbed the rest of their things and stuffed them into the picnic basket.

He led the way toward the waterfall. After navigating the slippery rocks, they stepped through the wall of pounding water to the other side. The cool mist that floated all around them behind the loud falls made Casey shiver, so he pulled her close as they strained to see and hear.

Two hefty men appeared out of the nearby trees, both toting shotguns. They stopped at the crushed grass near the shore that had been under the blanket. One of the men said, “Whoever those bikes belong to has been here recently. Let’s have a look around.”

Casey glanced up at him with widened eyes. She whispered, “That’s Johnny Grant and his brother Nate. They
hate
my father. We’re dead meat if they find us.”

Did she mean that literally? Her grandmother was evidently not afraid to shoot people. Maybe these guys weren’t either?

He and Casey flattened themselves against the cold rocks at their backs as the men searched the trees surrounding the water. They wore bright orange hunter’s T-shirts so they were easy to track. But if they could see the men, surely the men could see them if they looked close enough. They couldn’t hide there for long.

He whispered, “What if we distract them and then make a run for it? We’re faster than they are.”

Casey said, “Let’s hope we are, anyway.”

He glanced at Casey dressed in just his damp T-shirt and a pair of flat white sneakers. She’d never looked sexier, but he needed to keep his eye on the goal. “Ready?”

She nodded.

He picked up a big rock at his feet and threw it as hard as he could toward the trees in the opposite direction they needed to run.

Luckily, the rock hit a tree trunk, echoing through the quiet woods. Both men picked up their heads and ran as fast as their big bellies would allow toward the noise.

Then he and Casey took off.

Casey’s foot slipped on a wet rock and she almost went into the water, but he caught her outstretched hand and pulled her back up. He gave her big points for doing all that silently.

Once they hit the shore, they quickly ran deep into the cover of the trees.

Zane pulled out his phone from his back pocket and hit the “return route” icon as they ran as fast as they could, dodging braches and underbrush.

“This way.” He pointed, hoping the GPS could adjust as fast as they were moving.

They couldn’t risk stopping to figure out if they’d been made, so they ran full tilt in the direction of the bikes.

He glanced at Casey running just behind him. She was no girlie girl; she’d kept up the whole time. He liked that about her.

He liked pretty much everything about her.

Casey’s lungs burned by the time they found the familiar trail that would lead them back to where they’d left the bikes.

Nearly getting caught had been her fault. She should have told Zane to hide his bike so a passerby couldn’t spot it from the road.

Still panting for air, she slid between the barbed wire right after Zane. They’d made it out.

“What the hell are you two doing?” a familiar, deep voice called out from behind her. They were so busted.

She turned and faced her brother Ryan. “None of your business. Let’s go, Zane.” She walked toward the bike she’d left under the tree while Zane, following her lead, walked toward his.

Ryan moved between her and the bike. “I got a trespassing call from Nate that made it my business, Casey.”

Crap, crap, crap!

Zane said, “We probably only have a five-minute lead. We really need to go, Sheriff.”

Ryan’s eye twitched like it did when he was
really
angry. He tilted his head and said, “Get in my squad car. And for God’s sake, Casey, put on some damn clothes.”

Was he going to arrest them? “Ryan, how many times did I cover for you as a kid? Let us go.
Please?
”

He pointed to his car. “Hurry. Before things get heated with Nate and Johnny.”

Damn her annoying little brother. She’d make him pay. “Let’s go, Zane.”

They walked the short distance to the main road then slid into the back of Ryan’s car. After she’d found her damp clothes in the basket, she quickly dressed. Then she handed Zane back his T-shirt. He smiled as he slipped it over his head.

“Why are you grinning like a lunatic, Zane?”

“I was just thinking how great it is that we couldn’t possibly ever forget the first time we made love.” He leaned down and laid a sweet kiss on her lips.

He’d said “made love,” not “had sex.”

That made her smile like a lunatic too as Ryan opened his car door and slipped behind the wheel. He said, “Frick and Frack are lumbering this way. We’d better make a run for it.”

Zane said, “You’re not arresting us? You’re helping us get away?”

Ryan shrugged a shoulder. “I’m just giving a couple of hitchhikers a ride. But leave the bikes. They’ll use them as bait to catch their trespassers.”

Casey leaned forward and laid a smacking kiss on her brother’s cheek. “Thanks, Ry. I appreciate it.”

He glanced into the rearview mirror as he drove away. The corner of his lip quirked up. “Never thought I’d see the day I’d catch my prim and proper sister, fresh from fornicating, at the same make-out waterfall Ben showed me in high school.”

“What? How did I not know about this place before?”

“Like I said. Prim and proper.” He turned down their grandmother’s drive and stopped in front of the guesthouse. Then he turned to Zane. “But
you
I blame for my never being able to unsee my sister dressed like that.”

Ryan got out and opened the rear door for her. “We’ll never speak of this again.”

“Deal!” Casey slid out with Zane following right behind her.

Zane stopped and held out his hand. “Thanks, Ryan.”

Ryan stared at Zane’s hand so long she feared he wouldn’t shake it. But then he slowly reached out and clasped Zane’s outstretched palm. “Welcome.”

Her brother lifted a hand goodbye and then got back into his car and tore back up the long drive.

Zane glanced her way. “I’m starving. How about you?”

“Ravenous. But the food is soaking wet in the basket.” Casey followed behind him up the porch.

He held the door open for her. “I’ll make you a sandwich. Why don’t you throw your clothes in the dryer while we eat?”

“I will. Thanks.” She didn’t want to go back to the hotel and have to explain why her clothes were damp. It was bad enough she’d lost two expensive mountain bikes she’d have to replace before anyone noticed they were missing. Luckily they had many in all sizes, so it wouldn’t be obvious right away.

She walked into Zane’s bedroom and slipped out of her wet things. After she changed into his robe that hung on the back of the bathroom door, she buried her nose in the soft fabric and breathed deeply. God, she loved the way he smelled.

She joined him in the kitchen, started the dryer, and then sat at the little round table in the nook while Zane put together their sandwiches. It had surprised her when he’d offered to make her lunch. She’d assumed a rich guy like him had so much staff, he’d forgotten how to do the simple things in life. But the smile plastered on his face as he layered turkey, ham, and three kinds of cheese proved he was enjoying himself.

She said, “The
one
time I do something blatantly wrong, I get caught by not only two angry Grants, but my brother.” She covered her face with both hands. “It’s mortifying.”

“I thought it was fun.” Zane chuckled as he cut the huge sub sandwich in two. He slid half in front of her then joined her at the table.

She reached out and squeezed his hand. “It was. And strangely exhilarating. I’m still all pumped up with adrenalin.” No matter if he left and forgot all about her, she’d always have this great memory. It might have to be enough.

“I know just how to help with all that spare energy.” Zane’s eyes darkened before he dropped his sandwich to the plate. Then he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a condom. “Look what I found.”

Casey slowly swallowed the bite of sandwich still in her mouth. “I suppose we could put that to good use while we wait for my clothes to dry.”

“I suppose we could.” He stood and held out his hand to her. “Let’s see if I can get better than a
nice
rating this time!”

She was about to explain that hadn’t been what she meant, but reconsidered. It was cute he was so determined to make what had already been incredible even better.

Instead she said, “Bring it, Mr. Steele!”

Zane reluctantly kissed Casey goodbye before she had to go back to work. If he had it his way, he’d keep her in bed the rest of the day. “Have a good afternoon. You still owe me that date at the diner. Maybe tonight?”

“Maybe.” She headed for the front door, hurrying to beat the kids home from school. “Tomas will probably come by this afternoon, so I might be able to sneak out for a bit. But we’ll have to sell it as a chance meeting to Gloria or it’ll be all over town that we’re seeing each other within the hour.”

“Got it.”

When her hand hit the doorknob he said, “Casey?”

She stopped her hasty retreat. “What?”

“With all your sexy moaning distracting me, I forgot to ask. Was that better than just
nice
?”

“You know it was, you smug man.” She walked back to him, slid her hands along the sides of his face, and kissed him so hard and deep he wanted her back in his bed even worse.

When Casey leaned away, she whispered, “Even though we nearly got arrested, my brother saw me practically naked, and we missed out on a gourmet picnic lunch, it was still the best day ever.”

His heart flipped over in his chest. “Yeah. The best.”

She waved and then slipped out the door.

He tried to recall the last time he’d felt so . . . happy. Pretty much never.

It had put him in such a good mood, he wanted to share the joy, so he went back to his bedroom and found his wallet. Those mountain bikes they’d had to leave behind earlier needed to be replaced.

He closed his front door behind him, hiked up Casey’s grandmother’s long gravel drive to Main Street, then headed for the General Store.