Heart & Hope (Rosewood Ranch #2)

Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty-Seven

REED

T he low growl of thunder echoes through the air. The wind and snow flutter against the windows. The guests have all left, bar the three couples that are safe and warm and squared away in their cabins. Ruby pulled off the most incredible event I have ever attended. And I intend on showing her just how grateful I am for her. She took my breath away with those big brown eyes, that white dress, and those boots. She looked like she belonged.

The boots I bought her have scuffs and snow slush under them from wearing them all night and sit on the porch outside as I walk through the front door. The fireplace blazes, with Ruby curled up on the sofa, basking in its warmth. A blanket over her shoulders as she stares into the fire vacantly. What is going through that beautiful mind of hers?

I toe my boots off and toss them onto the patio and shut the door, keeping the frigid blizzard-like storm out. Sliding on my socks, I come to a halt by her feet. When she doesn’t look up, my gut plummets. I sink beside her, tilting her head toward me with a hand under her chin. “Baby?”

She forces a smile.

Fuck.

“You tired? Or did something happen?”

She sucks in an abrupt breath and turns back to the fire. “I’m fine.”

Sweet Jesus.

“You wanna take a shower?” I ask.

“I had one already,” she says, opening the blanket to show her faded red captain’s t-shirt and PJ shorts.

“Okay, sure. I’m goin’ to have a quick one, and we can catch some sleep.”

She nods, not looking at me. Hesitating for a heartbeat, I push off the sofa and pad up the stairs to the en suite in my room. I strip away my good clothes and dump them in the hamper before turning on the shower.

Ten minutes later, I’m head down, water running over me, and still at a loss as to what’s happened. She looked like she was enjoying herself and the event was a huge hit, and we have five bookings for the start of next year and two Christmas parties booked in already. I make a mental note to secure booking deposits Monday.

Damn, listen to me, all business and shit.

Getting distracted by the other long list of items on my to-dos for the following week, most of them Harry’s jobs, I jerk with a start when the water turns cold.

I turn the taps off and grab a towel, wrapping it around my waist and walking into my bedroom. The central heating is pumping, and the room is warm, despite the constant rumbles and howling winds outside. I pull on my t-shirt and boxers and run a hand through my damp hair. A soft voice clears in my doorway, and I spin back to find Ruby in nothing but her panties and those red heels that have caused me more wet dreams than I can count.

“Rubes?”

“I’m not tired,” she whispers, running her hands up the sides of the doorjamb.

My cock swells to rock-hard inside a heartbeat, sending the air from my lungs as my feet track toward her. But something is up.

This moment and the last we shared don’t add up.

“What’s goin’ on, Ruby?”

“Nothing, it’s the post-event comedown. I’m fine. I told you that.”

Her words are clear, but the feeling I had in my gut moments ago lingers. Her hand lands on my chest, reducing to one finger as she runs it over into the valley between my pecs and then down my stomach. I tamper a growl.

“Are you sure, because before you were?—”

Her finger presses against my lips. “Shhhh.”

Lightning lights up the sky outside.

And when the prettiest fuckin’ smile blooms on her face, I forget my own goddamn name. Quick, rough hands have her around my hips in an instant. Cock pushing into her wet center as she wriggles. Knowing exactly how to drive the last brain cell from my head.

“Fuck, baby, those heels are doing all sorts of things to me.”

“Good.” She dips her head, cupping my face with her hands, the softest touch pressing into my jaw from her elegant fingers. “Because you have that effect on me, and then some.”

I huff a chuckle, and she covers my mouth with hers, eating up the reverberation that rattles up. She’s hungry. Starving.

I match her need with my own.

I’m steadily burning up with the ache to be inside her and have her wrapped around me until we fall apart. To watch her face shatter with release. So pretty it almost splits my chest in two every single time. I sweep my tongue over her lips, and opening, she lets me in. Coveting any part of her she offers up, I pad toward the bed.

Sinking onto the edge of the mattress, I run my hands through her hair and a thumb over her neck. The soft, satin-like skin washes with goosebumps, her nipples diamond hard and rubbing against my t-shirt. I break the kiss, and she rests her forehead on mine as a loud crack of thunder splits the air and rattles the windowpanes. “We playin’ nice or givin’ in to those damn heels, baby?”

“Giving in,” she whispers.

Air rattles from my lungs as my chest plummets, my hands snapping to her breasts, cupping each one. She tilts her head back and parts her lips on a moan. Sweet Jesus, Ruby.

I could implode from seeing her like this.

I close my eyes, dragging slow, grounding breaths in through my nose and out my mouth. My last resort to keeping this from escalating so quick either one of two things will happen: I come before I have a chance to sink into her wet pussy and bring her to release, or things get rough.

And we haven’t spoken about that.

When I haven’t moved for a moment, she grinds on my lap again. Her breasts bounce with the slow, drawn-out movement, her lithe body illuminated by the constant flashing sky.

“Rubes, not the best idea with where my head is at right now.”

A half smile plays over her lips as she takes her breasts in her hands, her gaze turning heated. “Where is your head at?”

“Flipping you over and pounding that sweet, wet pussy into the bed until you’re screaming my name and have long forgotten yours.”

Her face blanches with surprise for a heartbeat, and she swallows but raises an eyebrow and studies my face. “I want that, Reed.”

“You sure?”

“Yes,” she utters. Her breathing shallows out as she works on my t-shirt, tugging it up over my shoulders and tossing it to the ground. The wind picks up, howling against the house now.

“If I’m too rough, you tell me, alright?”

She nods.

“You promise, Rubes. I can’t hurt you.”

Now my air is wedged tight. I can’t breathe.

“I promise.” She follows the planes of my torso with her palm, as if mulling the idea over, and when she meets my gaze... “I trust you.”

I inhale, running through the things I have wanted to do with her from the second I first saw her. Those fuckin’ heels. Those ruby-red lips. I scoff at the phrase, opening my eyes. I lift her off my lap and steady her on her feet. Reaching for the top drawer of the bedside table, I grab an old tie. She glances at it, and a playful smile pulls up on her lips.

“Turn around, baby.”

She does, without a word. I pull her hands behind her back and tie them with the long length of silky material. A breath wooshes from her as I spin her back.

“Reed,” she moans, and I barely hear her over the storm.

“Let a man work his magic, beautiful.”

I’m using every tactic I have to tame the part of me that wants to spread her open and plunder that wet center straight up. But I’m taking my time. Gonna make her come on my face, my cock.

“Spread your legs,” I rasp.

Ruby moves, heels clacking on the wood floor as she follows the order. I run two fingers through her wet center, running circles around her clit with my thumb. A whimper claws its way through her lips.

I swallow hard, each breath burning. “Kneel.”

When stunning brown eyes drift back up to me, I tangle a hand through her messy waves of blonde. Cock throbbing so hard it’s on the brink of sending points of light in my vision, I take her hand and place it on the waistband of my shorts.

She tugs them to the floor. My cock springs free, right in front of her face. Her lips part, and her hand wraps around the base. “Suck.”

Her warm, wet mouth covers the head of my cock a heartbeat later. Snow and sleet slam into the windows with a hiss.

Sweet fuckin’ Jesus.

Every breath is a growl. I brace my legs, muscles strained tight, jaw set. Ruby takes me in up to the hilt, and I fist her hair, pulling her back. She doesn’t wince, doesn’t hesitate. Simply continues her shallow strokes down the shaft, twirling her fucking tongue over the tip like she was born to make me unravel.

Heat washes up my spine, my balls tightening.

I grab her head with both hands. “I’m driving, baby.”

Her hand falls away like she read my mind. Like she knows I’m too close. Her elegant lips wrap around my cock. The sight is too much. I keep the movement shallow, my thumbs rubbing over cheeks. Her eyes are homed on my face.

Her watching me shove my cock into her mouth riles me up like nothin’ else.

Fuck me.

Groaning, I let my cock slide from her mouth and fist the base. Pre-cum mixes with her saliva, glistening under a white flash as lightning streaks across the sky and lights up the room. And when she licks her fucking lips, I slide a thumb into her mouth. She sucks on it, hard.

Lining the head of my cock up with her lips, I find purchase in her hair and drive into her mouth. I slam my eyes shut. Electricity flings through my veins, desperate to fill that sweet mouth with every last drop of my cum. But I shake my head.

Nope. Makin’ it last . . .

I retract myself fast and lift her to her feet. She whimpers at the loss, and I spin her to face the bed and press my body to hers.

“On the bed, Ruby.” The words are almost a growl, and when she crawls onto the mattress on her knees, those fuckin’ heels spread wide, I take in every sweet part of her glistening pussy.

Desperate to eat her out until she is writhing on my face, I flip her over. Wrapping a rough hand around her ankle, I lift her leg up and rest it over my shoulder as I sink to my knees. I lift her other leg over my other shoulder, and the spikes of the heels scratch against my back. Thunder shakes the entire house.

The throbbing in my cock turns painful.

But I grip her hips and drag her closer to the edge, until her clit is inches from my mouth. My breath lands on her center, and she whimpers.

“This pussy is mine, Ruby Robbins. Mine to eat, mine to claim. Mine to fuck. You understand?”

She nods frantically. “Yes, I’m yours. I have been for a while, Reed.”

My heart bottoms out.

Sending me more feral than the Great Reed Rawlins has ever felt in his entire damn life.