Page 26 of Love Me, Cowboy

Claire had never felt worshipped before, but as Tyler gave every inch of her body his thorough attention, she became more and more aware of how sexy he made her feel. Something as simple as a soft kiss dropped on the inside of her knee was like a revelation. When his tongue slid along her collarbone, she melted deeper into the mattress.

And when he slid a hand between her thighs, she bucked against him and pleaded, but the words were garbled and incoherent.

“I’ll give you anything you want,” Tyler said, pressing one finger against her most sensitive spot.

Claire cried out, too far gone to be concerned or embarrassed by her response. Tyler took her mouth in a searing kiss, and all she could think was that she wanted to give as much as he was. Following her instincts, she trailed a hand along his rib cage, then reached between them to take him in her grip.

Now it was Tyler who bucked in response. His shiver gave Claire a sense of power. She smiled against his lips and said, “I want everything, Tyler.”

With a clenched jaw, and eyes so dark they were nearly black, the man pressed against her turned serious. “I’ve been waiting so long for this.”

“I’m here now,” she said, trying to communicate with her body everything she was feeling inside. Opening for him, Claire pulled Tyler closer. “Love me, Tyler.”

“My pleasure,” Tyler responded, reaching for something over Claire’s shoulder. Within seconds the condom was in place, and he was back to hovering above her, kissing her senseless until she worried she would die waiting for him to take her.

And then he did. In one gentle motion, Tyler buried himself to the hilt, stealing Claire’s breath as her body stretched to accommodate him. He paused long enough for her to adjust, then began the motion again, picking up the pace with every stroke.

Claire couldn’t have said how long the sweet torture lasted, she only knew nothing had ever felt this good, this right. Like a drowning woman struggling to survive, she held tight to Tyler as he sent her over the edge, then groaned out his own shuddering orgasm seconds later.

When Claire once again became conscious of something other than the waves of pleasure coursing through her limbs, she and Tyler were shaking in each other’s arms. She would never forget this moment and immediately longed to repeat it.

The afterglow was filled with soft words and shared laughter before reality wedged its way into their private sanctuary.

“We have to get back to the party, don’t we?” Claire asked, as Tyler dropped kisses across the top of one breast.

“I suppose we do,” he said, making no move to leave the bed.

Claire nudged him under the chin until he met her eye. Trailing a finger over the scar that marred his perfect cheek, she asked, “Does this still hurt?”

“Nah,” he said, smiling with complete satisfaction in his eyes. “It’s ugly is all.”

“Don’t say that,” she scolded, rising onto her elbow. “You were beautiful before the accident, and you’re still beautiful to me.”

Turning to place a kiss in her palm, Tyler rubbed his thumb along the outside of Claire’s breast, making it difficult to remember they needed to get dressed.

“I never thought I’d like being called beautiful, but I like it a lot when you say it.”

“Good,” she said, dropping a quick kiss on his forehead. “Now help me find my underthings before someone from the party comes looking for us.”

To Claire’s surprise and enjoyment, getting dressed took another twenty minutes, and was the most fun she’d ever had putting her clothes on. Who knew helping a cowboy slide into his Wranglers could be as much fun as getting him out of them?

Chapter Nine

Claire wasn’t a bit ashamed of what she and Tyler had been enjoying while everyone else enjoyed the barbeque, but that didn’t mean she wanted to draw attention to their disappearance. Tyler parked the four-wheeler where they’d found it, gave her a long, panty-melting kiss, then sent Claire back to the party, agreeing to stay behind for at least five minutes so they didn’t appear to return together.

“Where have you been?” MC asked, surprising Claire as she stepped onto the patio.

“Um...” Claire hedged. “I went for a walk.”

“With Tyler?” George asked.

“What?” MC echoed. “You were with Tyler?”

“Is this a party or an inquisition?” Claire wasn’t ready to share her time with Tyler. Not yet. It was too new and fragile. And theirs. For now.

Mary Catherine huffed. “I needed you for the toast.”

“There was a toast?” Claire hadn’t received any instructions about writing up a toast for the barbeque. “If I’d known you expected me to give one, I’d have been here.”