Claimed by Vicki Lewis Thompson

Chapter Six

Twenty minutes into the riding lesson, and Jack had already broken his vow to keep his hands off Josie. But her mouth… good Lord, her mouth… He feasted with the hunger of a man who’d denied himself far too long.

If she’d pulled back or resisted in any way, he might have found the strength to stop this nonsense. Instead she opened that glorious mouth of hers and cupped the back of his head in both hands to hold him fast.

Josie.So warm, so incredibly soft and yielding in his arms. He didn’t deserve this melting acceptance, but he couldn’t stop himself from taking it. They’d perfected this dance through hours of practice, and he slid back into the familiar wonder of kissing Josie as if he’d done it yesterday.

But he hadn’t kissed her yesterday. For ten long, bleak months he’d been without this incredible experience. During the time they’d been together he’d developed some self-control so that he could hold her and kiss her without needing to rip her clothes off immediately. In ten months of celibacy, that self-control had disappeared.

Instantly he was on fire, his heart pounding and his cock hard. He moaned and pulled her in tight, wanting her with a fierceness that threatened to overwhelm every decent intention he possessed.

Josie was no help at all. Molding herself so his straining erection fit into the vee of her thighs, she whimpered against his mouth. That familiar sound reminded him of all the special sounds she made when he drove her crazy. He wanted to hear her pant, and moan, and beg, and cry out his name when he gave her an orgasm, and yell when he gave her another, and…

Something, or someone, bumped him from behind. His first thought was that Josie’s brother had arrived and was ready to beat the tar out of him. He reluctantly ended the kiss and glanced over his shoulder.

Destiny nudged him again, harder this time.

Jack didn’t know whether to laugh or swear.

“Jack?”

He gazed down into gray eyes that had gone all soft and dreamy. She would let him make love to her right now if he asked. After all those months together, he knew her moods. But he’d made a vow not to let sex be a part of this project.

“Destiny’s a bit spoiled from his years of being around kids,” he said. “He doesn’t like to be ignored, so he’s reminding me that he’s here.”

Josie searched Jack’s expression a moment before easing away from him. “Considering your plan of non-involvement, that’s probably a good thing, huh?”

“Yeah.” He blew out a breath and tried to get his bearings. All he really knew was that his arms felt very empty without her in them.

Well, served him right for screwing things up so quickly. “I’m not going to make excuses. I shouldn’t have done that.”

“And I shouldn’t have let you.” Mischief danced in her gaze. “Want to do it again?”

He groaned. “Don’t tempt me.”

“Hey, you started it.” She shoved her hands in the back pockets of her jeans and stuck out her chest, which made her look adorably defiant and sexy as hell. “I was just out here taking a riding lesson when you decided to play tonsil hockey. Can I help it if you put ideas in my head?”

“You’re right.” Glancing around, he found his hat in the dirt, picked it up, and dusted it off. “It was completely my fault.”

“Damn straight.” Her tone softened. “I wonder if we’re attempting the impossible, Jack. How are we supposed to act like casual friends after being lovers?”

“I don’t know.” Destiny bumped him again. He turned and swatted the horse on the nose with his hat. “Behave.”

Destiny stretched out his neck and nuzzled Jack’s hip pocket, obviously looking for a treat.

“Hey, stop!” Jack stepped aside and took the horse by the bridle. “No treats. You have some bad habits, son.”

Josie smiled. “We’re not so different from that horse, you know.”

“What do you mean?”

“We have the bad habit of expecting sex when we’re together.”

“That’s ridiculous.” He tapped his hat against his thigh. “We’re thinking human beings, not trained animals. We can exercise restraint.”

“Oh, really?” Her eyebrows arched.

“Just because I kissed you doesn’t mean I have to keep doing it.”

“Then I guess you’re stronger than I am, because now that you’ve kissed me, all I can think about is having sex with you.”

Heat rolled through him in waves. “I wish you hadn’t said that.”

“You might as well know the truth. It’s not like I’ll be able to hide it from you. We understand each other too well.” She pointed a finger at him. “And don’t think I can’t read you just as easily. Right this minute you’re wishing you could back me up against the nearest flat surface and do me, but you’re too stubborn to admit it.”

He should get a medal for self-control, because the more she talked, the more he wanted exactly that. Good thing he no longer carried an emergency condom like he used to do when they were together. That helped. Still, he could imagine a few things they could do that wouldn’t require a condom.

He clutched Destiny’s bridle to keep from reaching for her. “Even if that’s true, and I’m not saying it is, but even if it is, I said I wouldn’t have sex with you, and I intend to keep my word.”

Josie rolled her eyes. “Very noble of you. If that’s how you feel, then let’s forget the riding lessons, because I don’t want to put myself through this.”

“Through what?”

“Hello? Sexual frustration! I don’t care to watch your sexy buns warming the seat of your saddle if the bakery is permanently closed, okay? Let’s just give up on this whole program. We’ll muddle through the wedding as best we can under the circumstances.”

Giving up wasn’t something Jack favored in any instance, let alone one where everybody and his brother — or rather everybody and her brother, would know about it. “Giving up isn’t an option.”

“I’m sorry, but you don’t have control of whether we give up. May I remind you that I have that control.”

“But Josie—”

“Don’t but Josie me! Maybe if you hadn’t kissed me, I’d have an easier time of it, but the fact remains that you did kiss me, and now I’m primed and ready to rumba. However, if I stay away from you for the next week or so, I’ll get over it.”

If he lived to be a hundred and fifty, Jack would never understand women. He let go of Destiny’s bridle and gestured with his hat. “Now let me get this straight. The other night, you thought I was some kind of horn dog to show up on the spur of the moment. You made it clear you were finished with me and my sex-crazed behavior. Now you’re perfectly willing to get horizontal. What’s changed?”

She blew out a breath. “I’ve already told you, but apparently it didn’t make an impression. You kissed me.”

“And you can’t just forget about that?”

“No, I can’t.” She folded her arms. “Can you?”

“I don’t know, but I’m willing to try, for the good of all concerned. We need to demonstrate we can co-exist, and the riding lessons are supposed to—”

“Have you considered that there’s another option?”

“Like what?”

“First of all, we continue with the riding lessons and expand them to two hours. You can tell everyone I’m a slow learner.” Her grey eyes sparkled.

He knew that look, and it usually meant he needed to be cautious. “You’re not a slow learner. You have natural athletic ability, and it won’t take much instruction for you to be a decent rider.”

“Good to hear. Because, unbeknownst to everyone else, we’ll be using all our spare time for sex.”

* * *

If only she had a camera. His expression was absolutely priceless. Jack had always been proud of his ability to keep his reactions to himself, and consequently she liked making a game of trying to shock him into revealing his true feelings.

She’d succeeded this morning. His dark eyes widened in obvious disbelief, but that disbelief soon gave way to excitement. No doubt his quick mind was already imagining the possibilities. Still, he was Jack, the guy with a stubborn streak a mile wide. So of course he had to throw up some resistance.

“That isn’t the way everything was supposed to go.”

“But we can change the plan, can’t we?”

He looked down at the hat in his hand and brushed a leaf from the crown. Then he glanced up. “You’re planning to keep this a secret from your brother?”

She didn’t feel great about that, but telling Alex would only cause more problems. “I don’t see any reason for him to know. I don’t think anyone has to know, actually. That way we won’t get any unsolicited advice on whether this is a wise move or not.”

“It probably isn’t.” Yet he hung his hat on Destiny’s saddle horn and moved toward her.

“Probably not.” She held his gaze, knowing he intended to kiss her again and knowing that she needed that more than she needed air.

“So would you call this a stop-gap measure?” He advanced another step.

“Exactly.” Her heart beat faster the nearer he came. “It’s a temporary fix to get us through the wedding, so we don’t have a bunch of messy sexual tension going on. After that…” She wasn’t sure what came after that.

“Maybe we shouldn’t worry about what comes after that.” He stood barely a foot away, his heat calling out to her.

“Good idea.” The intensity of his gaze made her quiver. “Our goal…” She swallowed. “Our goal is to make it through the wedding. Then we’ll see.”

“And in the meantime we’ll fit in as much sex as we can.”

“That was my thought.”

Slowly and deliberately, he pulled her into his arms. “I like the way you think.”

But when his mouth came down on hers, she wasn’t thinking at all, just feeling. For six months kissing Jack had been among her favorite activities, and she’d missed it terribly. She loved the way he kissed, loved being held in those strong arms, and especially loved the melting sensation as he drove her slowly insane.

When she kissed Jack, she forgot everything but this — the wanting and the promise of pleasure. Her body hummed with delight as he cupped her bottom and pulled her close. Mmm, yes. She wanted what was under that soft denim, and she wanted it now.

He lifted his lips a fraction from hers, and his warm breath carried the scent of the mint toothpaste he liked. “It can’t be now.”

She wiggled against him to demonstrate that they were both prepped for this encounter. “That’s not what the rest of you says.”

He nibbled at her mouth. “The rest of me has nothing to wear for the occasion.”

She couldn’t hold back a sigh of disappointment. “But I thought you always carried—”

“Not since we broke up.”

“Now I feel special.”

“You are.” He ran his tongue over her lower lip. “I could do something nice for you, though.”

“Nuh-uh.” She reached between them and caressed the length of him through his jeans. “I want the whole enchilada, so to speak.”

He nuzzled behind her ear. “Then you’ll have to wait.”

She groaned. “Maybe… maybe you could unbutton my blouse.”

“I could do that.” With practiced ease he unfastened the snaps and slipped his hand inside to cup her lace-covered breast. He stroked her through the fabric. “Feels like the cream-colored one.”

She arched into his palm as she reveled in having his hands on her again. “Wrong. You’ve never seen this one. It’s pink.”

“Then I have to look.” Drawing back, he opened her shirt. “Very nice.” He fingered the front clasp and looked into her eyes. “Still holding out for the whole enchilada?”

“Maybe you could undo my bra.”

His mouth curved in a slow smile as he flipped the catch.

“Don’t look so superior, Jack Chance, like you’re all that and a bag of chips.”

He shook his head as he moved the bra aside and lifted her breasts in both hands. “I’m not, but you are.” He brushed his thumbs lazily over her nipples and watched them tighten. “I’ve missed touching you, Josie.”

She closed her eyes as sensations shot from her nipples to her womb. “I haven’t missed you at all.”

“Liar.”

“But as long as you’re here, maybe you could…”

“I was hoping you’d ask.” Leaning down, he circled her nipple with his tongue.

“That’s very… pleasant.”

He lifted his head. “Pleasant’s not good enough.” Wrapping her in his strong arms, he lifted her up and took her nipple more firmly into his mouth.

How she loved those he-man tactics. Only a man with a physical job like his would have the strength to lift and hold her while he enjoyed the bounty of her breasts. After Jack, she was completely ruined for wimps. She wrapped her legs around his hips and abandoned herself to the joy of his mouth and tongue.

But wrapping her legs tight around him made her aware of the hot ache in that part of her pressed up against his belt buckle. She’d wanted the whole enchilada, and that would have been wonderful if Jack still carried an emergency condom. But knowing he’d only done that when he was with her really did make her feel special. She couldn’t fault him for not having one now. He’d meant well.

But the longer he played with her breasts, the more tension built inside her, causing her to want his attentions to be a little more specific. She might have to settle for a little less than she’d originally hoped for. “Jack…”

“Hmm?” He paused in the middle of his most excellent caress.

“Maybe… you could undo my belt and unzip my jeans.”

His low, triumphant chuckle should have irritated her, but she was too far gone. As he eased her back onto her feet and unfastened her belt, she held onto his shoulders and whimpered. “Hurry.”

“I will. Just don’t go ahead without me.”

She might, she realized. The moment he shoved his hand inside her drenched panties, a spasm hit. “Oh, Jack.”

“I’ve got you.” With his other hand splayed against the small of her back, he pushed deep with two fingers and pressed his thumb against her clit.

A few quick strokes with those talented fingers and she came, crying out in relief and gratitude.

“Look at me, Josie.” He rotated his thumb over her flash point.

She lifted her eyes to his as tension coiled inside her again.

“Once more.” He began an easy rhythm, sliding his fingers back and forth, creating a sound both erotic and elemental. “It’s been a long time.”

“Yes.” Her voice was breathy, her willpower entirely gone. No one had ever brought out this kind of abandon in her until Jack. He awakened something primitive in her psyche, and she surrendered to it once again, letting him stroke her body to readiness as his dark eyes made love to her soul.

She moaned as the moment drew closer.

“Good?”

“You know it is.”

“Tomorrow, I want my mouth there.”

The mere suggestion catapulted her into another climax. She arched her back and gasped his name. He held her steady as the tremors rolled through her.

“That’s it,” he murmured. “Let go. Let go.”

And she did. She let go of her anger, her fears, and her inhibitions. Jack had that effect on her. Tomorrow she might decide indulging her craving for him was a really stupid idea. But for today, she felt sensuous, fulfilled, and gloriously free.

That couldn’t be all bad.