The Sheriff Catches a Bride (19 page)

Cab lined up another shot and sunk it. Time to end the game. He hoped its conclusion would be the one he’d dreamed of. Rose let out a shaky breath he could hear across the room. What would she take off next? Panties or socks? She could draw this game out…

She hooked a thumb under the tiny waistband of her silk panties, gave it a tug and stepped out of them, dropping them to the floor. With a thudding heart, Cab set down his cue and crossed the room to tug her into his arms. He met her mouth with his and kissed her, desire flooding him until he thought he’d burst with it. Rose wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. When he gathered her to him, she parted her lips and let him inside. He had to hold back from crushing her against him, but they had time.

Plenty of time. He kissed her tenderly and thoroughly, enjoying the feel of her in his arms. Her lips were soft under his, her body soft against his hard muscles. He allowed himself to savor the taste of her, stretching out this moment he’d waited for so long.

Dragging himself back through sheer force of will, Cab pulled away and searched Rose’s face. Everything there told him she wanted this as badly as he did.

“You won,” she said with a shrug when he hesitated.

“What did I win?” he asked, his voice husky. He knew he was treading dangerous grounds, asking her to define what was happening between them, but he wanted to hear her answer badly enough to take the risk.

“Whatever you want,” she said, a blush flooding her delicate skin. “Three wishes,” she added, a playful smile curving the corners of her mouth.

Three wishes? Cab nearly groaned aloud with the possibilities. How far could he take this? Given the willingness with which Rose had played this game so far, he thought he could push her a little bit.

“Wish number one,” he said and turned her around, guided her toward the pool table and placed her hands on its edge. He stood behind her as she leaned over the table, looking back at him uncertainly. “Not to make love,” he assured her, taking a position behind her. “I just want to look at you. I want to feel you.” As if he meant to frisk a perpetrator, he used his foot to nudge her stance wider. He used one hand at her neck to bend her farther over the table, the other to pull her hips against him. Could she feel his hardness through his jeans against her backside? He hoped so. He hoped she knew how badly he wanted her, how much he wanted to worship her body. With his free hand he began to stroke her; down her hip, over her ass, wrapping around to tease the sensitive skin of inner thigh, up and over her hip again, then her waist and up to brush her breast.

Rose moaned aloud as he traced the curve of it, then whimpered as his hand fell away. He repeated the process with both hands until she writhed against him each time he cupped her breasts from behind. He could smell the muskiness of her and he knew she was ready for him to take this further. One more caress over the length of her body, and Cab took one of her wrists, turned her around and kissed her again.

By the time they broke the kiss he was straining against the confines of his pants. Time to do something about that. He undid the button and zipper, shucked them off and tossed them aside, then followed their trajectory with his boxers and stood before Rose, as naked as she was.

Her gaze dipped to take him in then rose again and her cheeks pinked even more. “Ah, Rose,” he growled and tugged her toward him. “Wish number two,” he said and pushed lightly on her shoulders. Rose dropped to her knees without any need for further explanation, and grasped him in her hands as if she was as eager for this as he was. He held his breath. His reward came swiftly as she leaned forward, her full breasts dipping and swaying with the movement, and took him into her mouth.

Cab couldn’t believe the way this was playing out. He didn’t know how he knew this would be okay with Rose, but he had the feeling he could do no wrong today. They were in sync with each other in a way he’d never been with a woman before. Rose took her time with him, letting him know this was no chore for her, but a pleasure. The way she moved her body along with her mouth was a feast for his eyes. He wrapped a hand in her hair, guided her movements and shut his eyes in the face of unbelievable pleasure.

When Rose wrapped her arms around him, taking hold of his ass and bringing him deeper, he thought he’d died and gone to heaven. He was so close… so close…

But he wasn’t going to finish this way. Not today.

Reluctantly he pulled back and gently helped her to her feet. A glance around the room told him none of the furniture in here was good enough for his first time with his Rose. He scooped her into his arms, strode out of the room and into his bedroom, where he deposited her gently on the silky comforter of his bed.

Rose stretched out, languorously lifting her arms over her head, and watched him as he climbed atop of the bed and moved to cover her.

“You’re beautiful,” he said, pinning her wrists with his much larger hands. “Is this all right?”

She nodded and the knowledge that she trusted him—in this at least—set him on fire all over again.

“Are you sure?” He waited for her answer.

“Yes.”

Rose couldn’t believe
how wanton she’d been this afternoon. Joining the game that Cab started. Stripping off her sweater, then her blouse, then her bra, then everything else.

Baring herself to him.

Granting three wishes to him.

Then playing along with each of them without even thinking twice. Now Cab hovered over her, asking her to give him permission to make love to her. She didn’t have to think twice about this, either. She knew what she wanted.

Him.

When he pinned her wrists to the bed, she felt no fear; instead she felt worshipped, adored, cherished. Cab would never hurt her, she knew that to the core of her being, and that gave her the freedom to give him reign over her entire body.

“Yes,” she said again, hoping he understood all that she meant to grant him. He reached for the side table, flicked open a drawer and pulled out a condom. After another moment he had it on and hovered over her again.

When he used his knee to nudge her legs open wide, Rose closed her eyes and waited breathlessly. Cab didn’t disappoint her. His hardness nudged at the core of her, pushed inside a little, withdrew, and pushed inside some more.

Damn it, why was he being so gentle? She wanted all of him. Right now. She wanted it so badly she couldn’t wait another minute. Her breath expelled in a rush when he bent his head and took one nipple into his mouth. He sucked it to a stiff peak, then transferred his attention to the other one. Down below, he withdrew from her again.

Rose whimpered in disappointment and Cab chuckled above her. “What’s wrong?” he asked softly and she opened her eyes.

“I want you,” she said, brimming with frustration.

“Like this?” He nudged her a little. She nodded.

“This?” He pushed inside a little more. She nodded again, her breasts rising and falling with her quickening breaths.

“What about this?” He pushed into her all the way and Rose arched back. Now Cab held nothing back, stroking in and out of her, crushing her under his weight, surrounding her with his arms as he stoked the fires within her to a raging blaze.

“Please,” Rose gasped out when she thought he might slow down again. She spread her legs wider, lifted her hips to meet his and cried out when he increased his pace. She’d never felt so filled by a man, so worshipped by one. Never felt so possessed.

Cab slowed down and timed his strokes long and even. Rose came to herself a little more, opened her eyes and warmed to see him gazing back at her. He watched her watching him as he sped up a little and then a little more. Rose, mesmerized, couldn’t look away. She wanted him to see how utterly open to him she was. Wanted him to know how she felt.

She kept her gaze locked on his, even when he picked up speed and his strong strokes set her alight. Even when she arched and writhed with each of his movements. Even when one last, deep stroke brought her over the edge and she cried out. Cab was fast behind her, his own grunts of pleasure mixing with hers. He drove into her with unbridled passion and she met him stroke for stroke, calling out again and again until he’d wrung every ounce of passion from her. With a final grunt, Cab shuddered against her, and collapsed on top of her, pinning her to the bed.

Rose welcomed his weight, welcomed the reminder of how tightly they had joined. She wrapped her arms around his waist and relished the feel of his skin under her fingers. A moment later he pushed up on one arm, allowing her to breathe more freely. “Was that okay?” he asked softly, tracing a finger around one curving breast.

She shivered at his light touch. “More than okay.”

“I didn’t hurt you?”

“No.” A smile curved her lips. “That definitely did not hurt.”

“Good,” Cab said, and turned on his side, pulling her close against him. As his arm went around her, she relished the solid feeling of his chest under her cheek. She could hear his heartbeat again and it was as strong as last time. Cab was a man to depend on.

A man she could love.

He stroked her hair as she stilled and considered that thought. Could she love Cab?

Should she?

Hadn’t she just broken off her engagement with Jason? Wasn’t she supposed to take some time to find herself? What happened to all her clear-headed thoughts about spending time alone, finding a new job, devoting herself to her painting, and creating her own life before she became part of a couple again?

And here she was in Cab’s bed not a full day after splitting up with Jason. Was she one of those women who couldn’t be alone for a minute? What was wrong with her?

It felt so good to be here, though. So right. Cab wasn’t Jason—he wouldn’t abandon her.

But he could easily dominate her. Not in a crazy caveman way, but because he was such a strong-willed, powerful man with an urge to keep her safe from the evil that he knew all too well lurked in the world. How could she maintain her boundaries with a man like that? Especially when he was sexy, intelligent, and drove her crazy with longing for his touch?

As her heart rate slowed and her mind cleared, she realized she was following a very familiar pattern. As soon as she broke free from one strong-willed person in her life, she found another one to step in and take over. If she dated Cab, would his controlling behavior escalate? Would he use his dealings with criminals on the job as an excuse to tell her what to do the way Emory had used his OCD tendencies?

And what about school? Now that Jason wasn’t in the picture anymore, this was her opportunity to go. All the money she’d saved in an account toward their wedding and home could be put to use securing her education. Would Cab stand in the way of that?

Suddenly, Cab’s muscular body half-draped over her felt confining. She wiggled to create some space between her and Cab, but he just snuggled her closer. She wiggled again. “Cab?”

“Hmm?”

“I need to go.”

He shifted a little. “Bathroom’s just down the hall.”

“I know,” she said, but she took the opportunity to slide out from under his arm and off the bed without clarifying what she meant. Glancing around, she realized she had no clothes in here; she’d left them in the billiard room. She grabbed one of Cab’s flannel shirts that hung from his closet doorknob and threw it around her shoulders. Its tails fell practically to her knees. Scooting out the bedroom door, she retraced their steps to the billiard room and stopped in the face of their earlier games. Most of her clothes were still piled on the armchair. The rest were scattered about the floor.

Cab had bent her over that pool table. She’d knelt over there beside it and taken him into her mouth.

She blushed a little to think how she’d bared herself entirely to him and how the whole experience had thrilled her to the core. She liked Cab a lot and she wanted to explore a relationship with him. Still, she needed him not to overwhelm her newfound independence.

She dressed herself in a few moments, moved out into the kitchen and collected her purse. She hesitated, not knowing what to do next. If she returned to Cab’s bedroom she had a feeling she’d find it hard to ever leave. On the other hand, she had to say good-bye and tell him clearly what she wanted. To date. To get to know him. Maybe more.

It occurred to her now that so far she and Cab had done everything out of order. First she needed to make a plan for her life and get over Jason. Then they should date a while. Only after they’d spent time together should they tumble into bed.

Too late.

“Where are you going?” Cab leaned against the doorway to the kitchen. He’d found his jeans, or maybe grabbed a new pair, but his feet were still bare. So was his broad chest.

“I… don’t know,” she said. “I need to… do something.”

He waited for her to go on and when she didn’t, he said, “Did we just ruin things, Rose?”

“No!” She hadn’t meant to blurt it out like that, but she didn’t mind when Cab smiled.

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“You remember what I was talking about with Autumn and Claire and Morgan the other day?” She twined the strap of her purse in her fingers anxiously.

“About attracting people who boss you around?”

“Yes.” It warmed her that he knew exactly what she meant. Cab was observant, and it seemed he’d been observing her for a while. “It’s because I don’t know who I am yet. I don’t have my boundaries set up.”

“And that’s why you’re leaving?”

She nodded. “So I can work on setting them up.”

He scratched his chin. “I don’t suppose you’ll let me help you, either?”

“That’s kind of the whole point of boundaries,” she said. “To keep people on the other side.”

“I’m glad you let me inside your boundaries just now,” he said, the corners of his mouth turning up.

“Yeah, well… I’m glad, too,” she said softly.

“Come here.” He straightened up. Rose went to him and leaned against his bare chest as he enfolded her in an embrace. “You really do attract people who tell you what to do, don’t you?” He chuckled. Rose swatted him.