The woman was dangerous. He’d known from the moment she’d started her sass. He’d told himself to back away. Any hint of relationship with Laura Drummond was so far from right, he needed his head read by a professional. Yet now, with her naked body cuddled against his, none of reality mattered. They were a man and a woman intent on exploring pleasure.
“You make a very sexy rumble, deep in your throat when you come,” he said.
“I do?” She ran her fingers over his cheek. “I was too busy enjoying the hell out of myself to notice.”
He chuckled, the sound bursting from him without permission. He’d laughed more in the last few hours than he’d managed in months. His brothers would be glad…until they learned the source of his amusement.
“Are you hungry?”
“I think I am.” She sounded surprised.
“Good. Let’s have a quick shower and make dinner. You can be sous chef.” His belly let out a demanding grumble. “I didn’t have time for lunch.”
“Why not?”
“Business stuff. I had a meeting with a prospective tenant that went longer than I expected. I knew rain was forecast so I decided to get on the road instead of stopping to eat.”
“My mother told me I’d beat the storm.” She sent him an impish grin. It lit up her eyes and scrunched up her nose in a charming manner.
Ma Drummond wouldn’t approve, but he felt something crack inside him. “You sound pleased to prove her wrong.” This was a fling. Hell, despite their written agreement, she wouldn’t come anywhere near him once this storm cleared and the weekend ended.
“I take my victories when I can.”
Her irreverence was catchy. Dallas grinned and slapped her bottom, chuckling when she yelped a protest. “Come on, lazybones. If you hurry I’ll scrub your back.”
“We won’t both fit in the shower.”
“We will,” he said, pleased he’d gone to the expense of installing a wet room when he’d done the renovations on the cabin. He rolled out of bed and held out his hand. When she didn’t hesitate, something warmed his heart. Despite her feistiness, despite her desire for independence, despite her Drummond heritage, Laura was perfect for him.
They could have fun together. Maybe prolong their agreement… No. No, this way was better. Given their family history, they couldn’t form a permanent relationship. It was inviting trouble and punching it in the nose.
He led her to the bathroom and turned on the water. When the flow was body temperature, he drew her under the shower spigots.
“I didn’t expect your cabin to have mod-cons. From the outside it appears basic.”
“That’s the idea. I can’t live here full time, and I didn’t want to attract thieves. Most people judge from appearances.”
“Don’t I know it.” The words held real frustration.
“Poor little rich girl?”
“More like, her daddy is rich. Make a move on her and you’re set for life.”
“Ah, fortune hunters.”
She nodded as he reached for a handful of shower gel. The citrus and ginger scent soon surrounded them, heady and stimulating the senses. She arched her back as he ran his hands down her spine, shuddered when his hands went lower to squeeze her bottom.
“I thought you wanted to eat?”
“I do,” he said. “My stomach is starting to gnaw on my backbone.”
“And here my body has taken a direct turning into sexual territory.”
“Wrong direction.” Dallas battled his grin. “Engage the GPS, otherwise you’ll get lost in the wilderness.”
“Part of me feels lost,” she said, turning in his arms. Water poured down her face while she stared at him. “This is uncharted territory for me.” The serious note in her voice made him peer closer, try to decipher her thoughts.
“Do you want to sleep in the spare room?” The idea of her backing away filled him with trepidation. In the short time he’d known her, she’d wormed under his skin. Dangerous woman.
“No, I’m happy with the status quo,” she said, and her frank tone reassured him. “I enjoyed the hell out of the sex we just had, and I can’t wait to experience more.”
“Hold that thought.” He appreciated candor in a woman, yet hadn’t expected it from a Drummond.
“Let me wash you.” She squirted shower gel into her palms and ran soapy fingers over his shoulders, his chest and back. He let her cleanse him from head to foot, his gaze tracking her expression. She ran her fingers down to his groin, and predictably his dick reacted to her touch.
“Enough,” he said. “I’m serious about needing food. You don’t want to ring the cops and tell them I’ve expired from hunger.”
“There, sparkly and clean again.” The imp took control of her face again, her brown eyes sparkling. She tilted her head back and reached around to pinch him on the butt.
Dallas jumped and her laugh rang out. He put on a stern face, when he wanted to crack up and cackle from sheer pleasure and happiness. “That is not correct behavior.”
She did a slow blink, a droplet of water dripping down her face. “Says who?”
She had him there. “I’ll go and start dinner. Take your time.”
He stepped from under the water, grabbed a towel and rubbed himself dry. In his bedroom, he dressed. Time to break open a bottle of red wine.
Laura joined him about ten minutes later. “What do you want me to do?”
“Pour us a glass of wine. You drink red?”
“I do.”
A sizzle sounded as the onions hit the hot oil. He stirred them and accepted a glass of red wine from Laura.
“What do you know of the animosity between our families?” she asked. “I don’t know much. My parents told me to stay away from those horrid O’Grady children at primary school and enforced the order often.”
“You went to a posh boarding school.”
“Yes, I did once I turned twelve, but during school holidays, I used to watch you and your brothers play rugby or swimming at the river.”
Dallas sent her an unbelieving stare. “You didn’t.”
“I did,” she assured him. “I told myself that one day I’d pinch your ass to learn if it was as hard and firm as it looked.”
“You didn’t,” he repeated.
“Oh, but I did, and now I know your butt feels very muscular indeed.”
“I have my own personal stalker.” He tossed crushed garlic into the pan and used a wooden spoon to jostle it around the heat.
She grinned. “What else should I do?”
“Sit at the breakfast bar and look pretty.”
She made a scoffing sound. “I hate being told to look pretty. I’ve heard it my entire life. ‘Keep your clothes clean, Laura.’ ‘Don’t make mud pies.’ ‘You’ll get dirty, Laura.’ Do you know how much fun it is to play and get dirty?”
“Is that what this is about? You slumming with an O’Grady?”
“No.” Her tone was sharp. “It’s a dirty weekend. It’s fun, and I’m appeasing my curiosity. I’ve already learned you don’t have horns and a tail, which makes me wonder what else my parents have lied about. I’ve discovered you’re a gentleman. I like you.”
The pot of water he’d put on the other element came to the boil, and he added penne pasta.
“Tell me more about your pubs. Do you do meals?”
“We have a cook in each pub and do classic pub foods. Shepherd’s pie. Steak and onion pie. Fish pie. Roast dinners on a Sunday.”
“Chips? I have a weakness for French fries but don’t get to eat them often.”
“Your mother has a huge say on your meals.”
“I’m afraid so. She’s big on salads.”
“Why do you let her and the rest of your family order you around?”
“Because they mean well. I know they love me, but they forget I’m an adult. I’ve told them I’m not a rabbit and require more than salad to keep me alive.”
He clicked the fingers of his right hand. “Damn, I was going to do a side salad to go with the pasta.”
She rolled her eyes. “The relevant word is side. I get to eat something else too.”
“What do you do in your spare time?”
“I read—mostly romances and mysteries. I enjoy movies and television. I’m a rugby fan although I haven’t seen any live games. I wanted to play rugby, but my mother quashed the idea. She allowed me to play hockey and encouraged me to learn to golf.”
“Hockey and golf?”
“Hitting the ball got rid of some of my frustration.”
“I see. What else do you like doing?”
“I cook and could do dinner parties if I were allowed. I’m fine if I follow the recipe, but experimenting doesn’t usually end well. I love music, although I have the voice of a frog. One day I intend to do more traveling. The little I’ve done to date has whetted my desire to explore more of the world. What about you?”
“I’m one of those horrid rugby players. I still play for a local team during the winter season when I can manage the time. I can sing, although I don’t do it often. Travel—we have that in common, although I don’t get time to do much due to the pubs.”
Dinner passed in conversation, with not a single awkward pause. Dallas wouldn’t have thought they’d have such easiness, that she’d be so interested in his childhood years, his rugby team and the regulars at his pubs. They did the dishes together, then sat by the fire, drinking the last of the bottle of wine.
“What do you do when you’re on your own here?”
“I catch up on sleep, watch a movie or do office work before it gets out of control. And I spent a lot of time renovating. My brothers helped when they were free.”
“So this is a male domain. I thought you’d have a different woman here every weekend.”
“If you’re asking if this is where I entertain my harem, the answer is no.” Marie was the only woman who’d spent any time here, and she’d hated the isolation. It’d been a storm then too, and she’d panicked because the phone lines were down. She’d thought they were going to run out of food and die. She’d refused to visit the cabin again. “You’re one of the few women I’ve had to visit.”
“I’m honored. When are we getting to the sex again?”
“When I’m ready.” He narrowed his eyes, stifling, yet again, his desire to laugh. “And not a moment before.”
“I obviously have the wrong idea about this agreement between us. I thought there’d be a lot more sex, enough to make me walk funny.”
“Come here,” he said in a decisive manner and set his glass aside.
She rose and came to him without hesitation. “Is it time now?”
“Yes. Pull down your sweatpants and your panties. No, leave your top half clothed.”
Her expression turned quizzical, but she followed his orders, yanking down her sweatpants. She wore nothing else beneath them.
He eyed her bare legs, the red nail polish on her toes. His gaze rose up her thighs to her sex.
“Like what you see?”
Impudent baggage. But he believed in honesty too. “I do. You’re a very sexy woman.”
Her smile brightened until he felt as if he basked in her light. His pulse kicked up a degree, and he moved quickly, before she knew what he intended. One moment she bore a toothy grin, aimed at him and the next she was arranged over his knee, her entire body stiff with outrage.
“What are you doing?”
“Reminding you I’m the one in charge this weekend.” He ran his palms over her bare buttocks, savoring the silky feel of her skin and the faint citrus of his shower gel.
She stilled. “You’re going to spank me. I suppose I deserve it. I’ve been trying to needle you into action, you know.”
“I do know,” he said. “Which is why I decided to ignore the transgression, but then I thought it’d be better to demonstrate for you the consequences of your actions.”
“Try shouting. My family shouts at me.”
“They’re not your lover. They don’t have an agreement with you.”
“That’s true.”
“A big difference,” he said, caressing her bare buttocks again.
Laura quivered, but she couldn’t decide whether it was excitement or fear of the unknown. His palms were callused and abrasive against her skin—a sensual drag that echoed in her pussy. A whoosh of heat slithered across her nerve endings, and her breath caught. Sweet anticipation. What did he intend to do next?
They were alone, and no one knew she was here. It should’ve terrified her, but instead she was filled with exhilaration.
He cupped her buttock, and he trailed a finger along the tender skin of her inner thigh. His finger trailed upward, along her cleft. He skimmed her clit, the light touch electrifying. She drew a sharp breath, prayed he’d repeat the move.
He didn’t. Instead, his finger worked upward to play with her pucker. Frissons of excitement dive-bombed her body. He was toying with her, testing her or maybe he was waiting for her to scream rape or something equally odious, because she was—after all—a Drummond.
As if.
She’d never treat a man that way and especially not Dallas.
Dallas was different. He called her, tempted her to dally on the wild side.
His finger moved back and forth over sensitive nerves. “Are you okay?”
“Yes.” She didn’t even have to think about her reply.
Crack!
The sharp smack on her bottom made her jolt. Before she could catalogue the sensations, decide if it hurt, another sharp smack hit her butt. It was angled differently, and this time it did bloody smart.
“Ow.” She sent a reproving look over her shoulder and attempted to wriggle free. “That hurt.”
“It was meant to.”
He expected her to quit, to balk and call foul. She heard it in his tone. But she’d never been a quitter and wasn’t about to start now. She could handle a little pain.
Laura glanced at him, saw his raised eyebrows and didn’t say a word. Instead, she turned her stare to the Oriental floor rug, the rich jewel colors in the borders, and mentally braced herself for whatever he decided to do next.
Crack.
Her bottom stung, heat prickling across her skin. Dallas smacked her three more times in quick succession, each blow from a different angle, heating a different part of her bottom. She bit her lip, uncertain. It hurt, damn it. He began again, repeating the pattern of blows, swift and precisely.
They still hurt, but the pain shifted, shimmered with erotic promise. The blows ricocheted downward until she trembled, her buttocks hot, tender.
Tears blurred the jewel colors of the rug. Her lip ached where she’d bit down hard to stem her protests.
He smacked her once more, then whispered, “Good girl.”
The words of praise sent a shudder through her, as did the tender caress of his hand, the way he cupped her hot flesh. The hard muscles of his thighs shifted, and she stiffened, expecting another blow. It didn’t come. Instead he whisked up her sweatpants and shifted her in his arms until he cradled her protectively. She buried her face in his shoulder, breathed in his scent and tried to settle her zigzag thoughts. He’d spanked her like a naughty child—shades of her family—and she didn’t know what to think.
No, that wasn’t quite right. She knew what she should think, yet she was having trouble working up the proper head of steam to blast him with temper. His hand stroked down her back in a soothing, comforting manner, and that confused her too. She’d never felt so emotionally close to another person, and turmoil tangled her mind.
“Did that hurt your hand?”
A rumble went through his chest, and she realized he was amused. “A little.”
She nodded. That seemed fair. He should suffer in return.
Dallas waited for her to tell him he was a brute. But the Drummond princess surprised him. Heck, the princess label didn’t apply in her case, because she hadn’t treated him like cow muck on the bottom of her shoes. Instead, she cuddled trustingly against him, accepting his caresses.
A log popped on the fire, sending out a shower of sparks. The hour wasn’t late, but they might as well go to bed. Laura would need lotion on her bottom while his early morning start was catching him.
“Hold on,” he whispered against her hair.
She let out a tiny yelp when he stood, clutching his shoulders in alarm. Her grip relaxed as he progressed down the passage to his bedroom.
“Do you need to use the bathroom?”
“Yes, please.”
He smiled at her prim manner. Laura was a bundle of contradictions, and he’d already tossed his assumptions. She was anything but predictable. He set her on her feet. “I think there’s a new toothbrush in the cabinet.”
“Thank you.”
Smiling, he wandered back to the lounge to check the fire. He switched off the lights and strode back to his room. The pipes clanked, indicating Laura was still in the bathroom. He switched on one bedside lamp and hunted out some lotion. Earlier, he’d turned on the heating and the room was cozy.
“Am I sleeping in here tonight?”
“I’d like that very much.”
In the doorway, she shifted her weight from foot to foot, hesitating, as if she fought an inner war. His breath caught, the urge to go to her strong. Instead, he forced himself to fold back the covers and strip. The decision needed to come from her. He couldn’t—wouldn’t make her get into his bed.
Aye, it was a delicate tightrope he crossed at present. Sex with a Drummond. Spectacular sex to be sure, but was it worth the shit that would heap down on their heads at a later date? There was always a reckoning. Always.
When he turned, she was standing by the bed. He caught the faint wince when she started to disrobe.
“Let me,” he said and made short work of removing her clothes. “Lie face down on the mattress.”
Her muscles went tight and her limbs locked.
“I’m not going to spank you again. Not tonight. That would be brutal and not terribly responsible from your lover.”
She shot him a quick glance, and what she saw must have reassured her because she crawled onto the bed and made herself comfortable.
Dallas took a second to admire the curvy lines of her body. The nip of her waist and the flare of her hips. Her pinked buttocks. The gel he squeezed onto his palm was chilly and would counteract the heat. It was also good for taking care of bruises.
The air sucked through her teeth at his first touch, her buttocks clenching. The cool wash of gel claimed her attention next and she sighed, the tension leaching from her muscles.
Taking his time, he rubbed the gel into her soft skin, enjoying the quiet moment and her occasional sighs. His own blood ran hot but he tamped down his desires. Tomorrow would be soon enough. Tonight was for her.
“How does that feel? Better?”
“Yes, thanks.”
He had to strain to hear her whisper. “Can you turn over?”
She didn’t reply, merely shifting her body to lie on her back.
“Spread your legs for me, sweetheart.”
Once again, she hesitated while he waited. She reminded him of the stray dog he’d rescued as a kid—brave and terrified at the same time. He and that dog had shared wonderful times together, and he missed old Gray something fierce. If he hadn’t worked such long hours, he might have adopted a puppy.
“Relax and close your eyes. I’m not going to hurt you. You’ll enjoy this.”
Even in the dim light, it was easy to see her mind ran clockwork-style, dissecting his words and body language. After a long pause, her eyes closed in surrender.
Trust. He savored the emotion, knowing he was blessed to receive such utter confidence from her. With satisfaction flooding him, he moved between her legs. “I’m going to touch you,” he warned. “Lie there and enjoy.”
He used his fingers to acclimate her to his touch before settling down to tease her with his mouth. As he’d expected, the spanking had turned her on a little, even though she might dispute the fact. He licked her again. She tasted tart on his tongue, reminding him of summer fruit. Delicious. He licked the length of her cleft before focusing on her clit. He ran his tongue around the nub, caressing until it swelled and throbbed beneath his touch. A sob came from Laura, and she lifted her hips, seeking more contact.
“Keep still,” he whispered. “Don’t strain for it. Let your orgasm slide over you.”
She hesitated then her butt settled on the mattress. He waited a beat before continuing. Without haste, he gave her the friction she needed. A tremor went through her, letting him know she was close, and he closed his lips over her pulsing nub. He sucked lightly, and she flew apart, limbs jerking. Her moan of enjoyment sounded like a favorite, sweet song. He lapped, gently now, knowing she’d feel more sensitive. She sighed, stroked his face when he moved up the bed.
“Would you like me to—?”
“Maybe in the morning,” he said, even though his cock was a steely length against his thigh. He curled her against him, breathed in the scent of his shower gel, the musk of sex and relaxed, feeling happier than he had in a long time.
Tomorrow might bring challenges, but right now he didn’t care.