Why not Wyoming? (Wyoming Wilds Series Book 1) (9 page)

He shook his head, eyebrow raised in obvious question.

Annie rolled her eyes, hands opening before her in a story
telling spread.

“Oh my God. So you’re jumping up and down, wiggling, spinning,
grunting, yanking and stretching, all the while praying that they will button
when you’re done. And that’s just getting them on. Taking them off by yourself
is like trying to wiggle out of an anaconda’s mouth while trapped in a coffin
with it. You stumble all over the stall, hopping on one foot, bouncing off each
wall, hoping you don’t spring the door and end up sprawled sweaty and half-dressed
on the floor in front of a judgmental hoard of teenagers,” she babbled
breathlessly, giggling at her own description.

CJ shook his head desperately, eyes begging her to stop. His
helpless laughter only made her giggle harder.

“That, along with the not so secret horror known as shapewear,
is the scary truth of what’s happening under the glare of bad florescent
lighting in department stores everywhere,” Annie said, trying to sound serious.
“Be glad you don’t have to participate.”

“Oh my God, woman. The way you describe things…” He shook his
head, trying to catch his breath. “And I’m going to take a pass on skinny
jeans. I don’t think the world is ready to see that.”

“That’s good. The rugged look works for you,” Annie said, hands
drumming lightly on his barrel chest.

“No one has ever referred to me as rugged before. I think I
like it,” CJ said, grinning and still trying to pull himself together.

Annie frowned for a moment, thinking over the possibilities. “You’re
handsome, an outdoorsman, burly and bearded with muscles and calluses created
by hard work. I’m not sure what else they would call you.”  

“You’re so adorable,” CJ said nuzzling her neck.

The tickle of his beard made her squirm against him. “Sorry. I
think it’s a writer thing. I’m always describing people in my head, looking for
those words that would capture them.”

“Don’t be. I think your love of words is sexy.”

“Said no man ever,” Annie said, biting her lip at the returning
laughter.  

“This rugged man just did,” he said, pushing her down into the
mattress.

The look in his eyes chased the hilarity away. Her heart leapt,
bouncing off her ribcage like a bumper car. She squashed the half a dozen
stupid jokes that skittered through her mind. This was it. Was he sure? Were
they only doing this now because she had to leave early?

“If you’ve changed your mind—”

CJ’s finger pressed against her lips.

“Do I look like I’ve changed my mind? Have you?”

There was that sexy intensity in his baby blues. She mutely
shook her head.

“I’ve been thinking about this since we made cocoa the night of
the rehearsal. Enough thinking.”

His words send a thrill through her. She
was
a little
tired of thinking this thing to death. CJ’s lips replaced his finger seconding
that thought. The absence of clothing changed the game. CJ’s chest hair rubbed
against her nipples, hardening them to aching nubs that seemed to quiver with
the tension rolling through her. Neither of her other partners had had chest
hair. The difference between men and boys. His tongue tangled with hers. He
tasted of coffee and s’mores, like he’d been made just for her.

His mouth trailed over her jaw before sucking slow kisses down
the side of her neck. She briefly worried he’d leave a mark and then brushed it
away. What were turtlenecks or scarfs for? He shifted, treating the other side
of her neck to his tantalizing attentions. The soft scrape of his beard lit her
skin on fire. A soft nip to her collarbone drew a shiver. Palms flattening
against his broad back, she relished the feel of him over her.

Kissing the brawny swell of CJ’s shoulder, she pressed her nose
to the side of his neck. Even after all these hours indoors, the crisp mountain
air still clung to his skin. She loved that. He dropped his head, soft lips
enveloping one nipple. Her body arched on its own accord. A soft rumble of
pleasure rolled through him. The vibration seeming to shoot straight from her
nipple to her core. A strangled sound escaped her throat. She drew her knees up
around his hips, pushing up impatiently. CJ chuckled, the feeling drawing
another gasp. He didn’t waste time bragging, just put his newfound knowledge to
work, alternating breasts before working down her body.

Annie’s fingers closed in his hair and she couldn’t help
pushing him away.

“Shit! Sorry! That tickles,” she gasped as his beard grazed her
hipbone.

“Mmmm, sorry.”

His strong hands gripped her hips holding her steady for open
mouth kisses over her belly. She jumped when his thumb brushed over the sensitive
spot again. CJ looked up and adjusted his grip.

“It that okay?” he asked softly.

She blushed. “Sorry. Yes, that’s fine. It seems a firm grip is good.
Light touches, not so much.”

His dimples popped. “Did you just say you need a firm hand?”

A hand clamped over her mouth couldn’t stop her laughter.  “I
might have.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”  

His mouth moving on to more sensitive areas derailed any witty
response she might’ve managed. She started to protest, but suddenly couldn’t
think of the words. Oh, God. That didn’t tickle. His shoulders kept her knees
apart. Her thighs trembled. The hands in his hair weren’t pushing away this
time. Annie opened her mouth to beg and a croak came out. She wasn’t a blushing
virgin, but she couldn’t think. He was way too good at what he was doing.  

She didn’t know whether to cry hallelujah or just cry when he
finally moved back up over her. CJ rubbed against her with a groan. Her hips
jumped at the intimate touch. She was aching. It had been way too long, and CJ
was proving she really didn’t play all that well by herself. One of his big hands
slid under her tailbone, tilting her hips. Nervous, not sure what to do with
her hands, Annie linked them behind his nape, fingers stroking the close shaved
hair there. She held her breath at the almost forgotten pressure, and then he
was filling her.

Their eyes remained locked as he pushed inside her. Forcing her
clasping knees and muscles to relax, Annie let out a shaky breath. Everything
still worked. Lifting her hips, she took the rest of him. He seemed to get the
message and started to rock into her with slow steady thrusts. Matching his
rhythm, her lips curved in a grin. God, the feeling was amazing. She tugged his
head down for a kiss. CJ moaned into her mouth, his tongue slipping in to
tangle with hers. Their combined taste was going to take some getting used to,
but to Annie’s surprise she wasn’t self-conscious. Nothing seemed uncomfortable
with this man.  

She bucked as the hand from under her suddenly slid between
their bodies. CJ’s thumb strummed and teased her sensitive nub forcing a keening
whine from her dry throat. After days of foreplay, this wasn’t going to take
long. His breath was harsh against her lips and jaw. The thrusts came harder
and faster. He was close. Biting her lip, Annie arched higher, meeting each
plunge and focusing on those talented fingers. She whimpered. Feeling his gaze
like a physical caress, she opened her eyes. Desire flickered in his, tempered
with a tenderness that threatened to turn her heart inside out.

Her body tensed, a shudder that seemed to start at her toes
ripped through her. As many times as she’d laughed at other writer’s firework
analogies, stars exploded behind her clenched lids. Blood roared in her ears
and her nails gouged into CJ’s back. His bellow was strangled and harsh just
moments later. She thought she heard her name among the guttural sounds. Her
heart threatened to burst from her chest. CJ slumped over her, his bulk
pressing her down into the heavenly mattress. Annie fought to catch her breath,
lungs burning. Trembling arms wound around her and he rolled, dragging her up
on his heaving chest.

CJ stroked soothing circles over her spine, but it was the
rumble of his voice in her ear that grounded her. The words were nonsense to
her addled brain, but the tone wrapped around her like a fuzzy blanket. It was
like coming home. Whether it was the reverberation against her ear, the
exertion, or just the hour, Annie yawned. CJ tilted her face up.

“Do you want to get cleaned up and grab at least a t-shirt
before we fall asleep?”  

She nodded, yawning again. CJ tightened an arm around her and
slid them both to the side of the bed. Her legs were still pleasantly wobbly when
she tried to stand. Snagging his Mossberg t-shirt off the floor with a stumble,
she then wrapped her arms around his waist and let him lead her blindly into
the master bath. She caught him staring at her in the mirror while they washed.

“What?”

“I need to shave,” he said running a hand over his chin. “You
have beard burn.” 

Leaning closer to the mirror, Annie looked at the light pink
rash on her chin, neck, and breasts.

“That’s not so bad and kind of sexy.” She tilted her face,
checking different angles. “Do you use anything in it?”

“Sometimes shampoo instead of soap or body wash.”

“Do you use a conditioner on your hair?”

CJ shook his head. 

“Maybe try a conditioner in your beard. There have to be other
options.” She reached up to stroke his damp cheeks. “I love your beard. If you
want, I’ll research it tomorrow. I’m the queen of Google. Obviously, we’re not
the only one with the problem, and shaving should be a last resort.” 

“You’re amazing.”

“Looking at this pretty pink rash I’d say you had an active
role in our amazingness.”

He shook his head, his grin shy. Snatching up his t-shirt she’d
carried in, he rolled it in his hands tugging it over her head.

“Are you going to be warm enough in just this?”

She pressed back to his chest. “If you don’t mind me
snuggling.”

“I don’t mind at all,” CJ said, backing her out of the bathroom.

At the bed CJ turned around, dropping onto his back before
tugging her down with him. Letting her get comfortable in the crook of his arm,
he pulled the covers securely around her with the other one. Annie could just
see his outline in the gloom, but she thought he was smiling.

“Happy?”

“Who wouldn’t be after that?” he asked, the smile definitely
evident in his voice. She ran her fingers through his chest hair. “And I can’t
tell you how okay it is to me that you want to do a little research on beards.”

“Why’s that?”

“That means you want to kiss me again.”

Like his unraveling of her clumsiness issues earlier, CJ’s answer
was simple. He was a perceptive man. Annie leaned up and kissed him. She wasn’t
sure who finally broke it, but they were both gasping for air.

Running her thumb over his full bottom lip, she let her head
fall back to his chest and whispered into the dark, “Kissing is just one of the
many, many things I’d like to do with you, CJ Barrett.”

He loved the sway of her hips when she walked. It wasn’t
exaggerated, or put on for show, just a soft natural thing that got his heart
pounding. Annie glanced back over her shoulder and smiled as she stepped
through the saloon doors that led to the restrooms. CJ leaned back and looked
around to see how many people were witnessing the sappy grin on his face. Not
that it really mattered. He didn’t care who knew how gone he was over this
woman.

They’d spent a good portion of the day in the Jeep. With most women,
he’d have thought that a recipe for disaster, but with Annie it had been fun.
Snug in the close confines of his Wrangler, they’d talked about everything from
favorite books to family vacations as they visited Devil’s Tower and cruised
around Crook County taking in the sights. Her admiration for the marvels of
Mother Nature matched his own.  

Sipping his coffee, he tried to focus on the menu in front of
him. It was a lost cause with snapshots of Annie flashing through his mind.
Last night had been perfect. He smiled to himself. So there’d been a few
mishaps along the way. The way she’d laughed them off had made her all the more
beautiful. This morning had started with sleepy, lazy sex that had only ended
because Annie was starving. Different than the night before, but every bit as
amazing. Making love to Annie had connected the final piece of the puzzle.
Nothing in his whole damn life had felt so right. There was no doubt about it.
He was in love.  

“CJ!”

The exuberant shout startled him. Hot coffee sloshed on his
hand. Wincing, he shook it off just in time to catch the leaping five-year-old.
Arms went around his neck in a stranglehold.

“I’ve missed you!”

Scooting his chair back so they wouldn’t jostle the table, CJ
hugged the little boy.

“Hey, bud! I missed you too. Did you have a good Christmas?”

Pushing back on his lap, Austin nodded vigorously. “I got a
whole bunch of PlayStation games and my new shelf is so awesome! Mommy said
Santa had you make it for me with my name on it.”

“Yeah, well, Santa thought you could use somewhere to put all
your games and movies so they’re not on the floor getting stepped on. I’m glad
you like it. I had fun making it for you.”

“It makes walking through his bedroom less of an adventure. No
more trips to the ER for stitches.”

He’d been hoping the little man was here with his grandparents.
No such luck.  Was she in cajole or castrate mode today? Only time would tell.

“Hello, Teresa.”

The squint of her dark eyes wasn’t promising, but her arms were
folded under her breasts, pushing her assets into play. It was anyone’s guess
at this point. 

“We haven’t seen you in a while.”

Her words carried an edge. Accusations floated under the
surface. CJ sighed but tried to keep his expression friendly. He didn’t deserve
this and really didn’t feel like dealing with it in the middle of a restaurant.

“I’ve been busy.”

“I don’t see how that’s possible this time of year unless
you’ve come to your senses and went back to the oil fields,” she said, her
drawl syrupy sweet.

There it was. That hadn’t taken long.

“Nope. I’ve been working at the lodge between guide jobs. My
cousin, Tyler, had his wedding up there last week and there were things Mom
wanted done beforehand.”

“Did you go snowmobiling?”

CJ looked back down into Austin’s dark chocolate eyes. “I sure
did. A friend and I went out a couple of days ago and enjoyed all the fresh
snow.”

“Can I come over and go riding with you?”

“I’ll have to talk to your mommy about that. Hey, look who just
walked in.”

The boy’s eyes lit up and he wiggled off CJ’s lap. “Grandma!”

The older woman waved to CJ before corralling the bundle of
energy greeting her.

“Smooth. First, you pass the blame to me that he never sees you,
and then you pawn him off on my mom.”

“I don’t want to have this discussion here, Teresa. I really
don’t want to have it again at all.”

“Every time he sees you it breaks his heart.”

“You made the decision, and you’re the one that can’t move on.”

“Like you’ve moved on? You jumped at the chance to make that
entertainment center for him and then wouldn’t even take money for it.”

“I did it for Austin, and you told me you’d pay me when you had
the money. How many times have I heard that? It was easier to tell you it was a
gift. And, yes, I’ve moved on,” he said, spying Annie out of the corner of his
eye.

Her approach was hesitant, like she wasn’t sure of her welcome.
That wasn’t the way to keep a great day rolling. He stood and offered what he
hoped was a reassuring smile. Introducing Annie to Teresa wasn’t something he’d
anticipated at this stage of things, but he didn’t see a way out of it.  

“Is she your idea of moving on?”

CJ winced at the animosity in Teresa’s tone. No, this was
definitely not how he’d seen dinner going.

“Annie Brand, this is Teresa Owens.”  

How in the hell did you introduce the woman you’d just figured
out you were in love with, to the woman you used to sleep with? Was there a
protocol for this? The two women openly sized each other up. Obviously, neither
needed to be clued in on past or present relationship status. CJ held his
breath. Annie was the first to extend a hand.

“It’s nice to meet you.”

Teresa stared at the offered appendage like it was a coiled
snake. Her lip curled.

“You must be new around here.”

“I am,” Annie said, slowly dropping her hand.

“Where did you two meet?”

The question was directed to him. CJ ground his teeth. She’d
decided to dismiss Annie for now. 

“We met at the wedding I was just telling you about,” he said,
reaching over to lace his fingers with Annie’s. She squeezed hard.

“Hooking up at a family reunion. Not worried she may be
related?”

“She is related,” he said with a tinge of sarcasm. “To the
bride.”

“Cute.” Teresa sneered and then flicked her eyes back to Annie.
“When does she leave?”

“I’m trying to convince her to stay and she’s right here,
Teresa. You’re being rude. We were over a long time ago. There’s no reason to
be a—there’s no reason for the hostility.”

“No reason to be a what, CJ? You can’t even say it,” Teresa
said with a mocking smirk.

He ground his teeth together. The stroke of Annie’s thumb over
the top of his hand kept his mouth shut. Thankfully, Teresa’s mother waved to
get her attention.

“Call me after she leaves and we’ll talk about you seeing
Austin.”

Watching her walk away was welcome, but nowhere near as
enjoyable as watching Annie. Filling his lungs and slowly blowing the breath
out, CJ looked down at the woman holding his hand.

“Would you believe she was raised by coyotes?”

“Now why would you say that?” Annie asked, her free hand going
to her hip. “What did coyotes ever do to you?”

CJ chuckled as he held her chair. “You’re right. That’s
defamation of coyote character.”

The arrival of the waitress stalled any further discussion for
the moment. When their orders were taken, and they were left alone again, he
wasn’t sure what to say. It was the first time all day that he’d found himself
at a loss for words.

“So,” Annie said softly, the word dragging out. “How long is a
long time ago?”

“We were on and off, but broke it off for good a year and a
half ago when I decided to go into the guide business full-time.”

“I take it she didn’t approve?”

“There were a lot of things Teresa didn’t approve of. Quitting
a steady job to start my own business was just one of them. Then you had the
dangers of guide work and the hours it took me away, the money I put back into
the business, and my steadfast decision to live on the property my parents gave
me.”

“It doesn’t sound like you agreed on much of anything.”

CJ took a drink of his coffee hoping to chase the bitter taste
away.

“We didn’t.”

Annie picked at the paper band holding her napkin and
silverware together. She wet her lips and the coffee in his belly turned to
acid.

“Are there a lot of dangers?”

That hadn’t been what he’d expected. He considered the question
for a moment.

“I don’t think the dangers are any greater than a lot of jobs,
just different. Construction, mining, drilling, they all have their hazards. I
know the terrain, respect the wildlife and Mother Nature, and don’t take
unnecessary risks with my clients or myself. Really, my greatest fear is not
being able to pay the mortgage.”

“Funny.”

She didn’t laugh.

“I don’t mean to make light. What I mean is, that I can hunt to
fill the freezers. I can chop wood to heat the house, but I have to work to pay
the bank. If it makes you feel any better the mortgage and utilities are paid
three months ahead to give me a cushion.”

“You think I’m worried about money?” Annie asked.

The tilt of her head and narrowing of her eyes warned he was on
thin ice. How in the hell had they got on the subject of money? He smothered a
sigh at his stupidity. Maybe they could talk about religion or politics next.

“No. Of course not. I was just pointing out that I do consider
the practical things, no matter what Teresa thinks.”

“I never doubted that,” she said, her voice softening. “Having
had to weigh the pros, cons, and terrors of basically going into business for
myself, I know the amount of thinking and worry that goes into it. Not to
mention the hours of trying to explain your decisions to friends and family.”

The tension in CJ’s shoulders eased. That was right. Annie got
it. He frowned. So, why was she destroying the paper ring from her silverware?

“What else is bothering you, or is hunter green just not your
favorite color?”

Annie followed his nod to the napkin ring. She gave a barely
perceptible shrug and pushed the bits into a tighter pile with the side of her
hand.

“It’s a bad habit I guess. I fidget with things.”

 That smelled like bullshit. The way she met his eyes and
listened when he talked was something he really liked about Annie. There’d been
no fiddling with things. Hell, they’d spent a good eight hours trapped in a car
today and she hadn’t done more than mess with the radio a couple of times. Evie
refilled his coffee and he gave her a nod of thanks. The pile of shredded paper
grew.

“Talk to me. I can’t even try to fix it if you don’t tell me
what’s bothering you.”

“I’m just wondering why you didn’t tell me,” she said, not
looking up from her project.

Her jaw worked side to side like she was holding something in. CJ
ran his thumb over his chin, tugging on the short hair there. What had he done?

“We both mentioned past relationships, but we didn’t get into
details. I had no idea that we’d run into Teresa today.”

Annie’s head was shaking before he finished talking.

“I’m not talking about the yoga queen.”

CJ shook his head. If not Teresa, then what? Why couldn’t women
come out and say what they meant? And how did Annie know that Teresa had an
aerobics and yoga studio?

“I’m not sure what you want to know. We’ve done a lot of
talking over the past week, but we can’t hope to have covered everything.”

She looked up, her lips twisted in a sad smile.  

“You’re right, but we’ve talked about friends and family. I
guess I just don’t understand why you wouldn’t mention someone as important as
Austin.”

“I haven’t seen him in a couple of months, and talking about
Austin would’ve brought up Teresa. For the most part, I consider talking about
exes to be a bad idea.”

“Exes I agree, but children are kind of a big deal. How could
you go months without seeing your son?” Annie asked, hurt and disgust plain in
her tone.

His mouth opened and closed as his brain tried to formulate an
actual answer to that. A gasp ripped his attention away from Annie. He got his
hands up just in time to catch the sliding platter. Fries sprinkled his lap as
the waitress struggled to right her tray. He sighed. Evie was a renowned gossip.
Some version of tonight would be all over town by tomorrow morning.

“Oh, God. I’m sorry. I didn’t burn you did I?”

He put what remained of his dinner down and deflected Evie’s hand
as she made a motion toward his lap with a towel.

“I’m fine, Evie.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m fine,” he repeated, trying to keep the frustration out of
his voice. 

From the pointed look she gave him, he wasn’t completely
successful. She turned and retrieved Annie’s plate from where she’d hastily put
the tray down on an empty table.

“There you go, honey. I’m telling you, you won’t want to go
back to beef after a bison burger.”

“Thank you. I’m looking forward to trying it.”

Annie’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. Her enthusiasm to try a
buffalo burger seemed to have waned with the tension as well.