No matter what cues she gave him, Cord knew tonight was the night and he better get a move on.
Chapter Nine
After Cord returned home, his dad swung by. They talked about the worsening situation with Colt. Discussing plans for the rest of the workweek. Ranch stuff Cord lived and breathed. Usually Cord convinced his dad to stick around for another beer, but tonight he couldn’t wait for the man to leave.
And didn’t that make him a selfish bastard? Did it make him a nancy boy that he’d spent extra time on his appearance? Trimming his mustache and goatee. Giving himself a close shave. Plus he’d changed the sheets on the bed, cleaned the bathroom and generally tidied up the rest of his house.
So where was she?
The phone rang and Cord was half-afraid to answer it, thinking AJ might be calling to cancel. But it was his mother, grilling him on Colt. As he listened to her chatter, he saw dust plumes on the main gravel road. AJ had arrived.
“Ma. My cell is ringin’. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” He hung up and watched AJ’s metallic black Jeep park in the hidden alcove next to the barn.
His heart kicked into double time. He’d never been the type for unbridled affection with anyone besides his son. Why didn’t he rush out to meet her? Swing her into his arms, pepper her sweet face with kisses just to hear her laugh?
Because you’ll appear too eager. Too desperate.
So instead, he slouched against the newel post at the bottom of the staircase, waiting for her to come to him.
Light footsteps echoed across the porch and then two solid raps on the screen door.
Cord counted to ten and walked to the front entryway.
He smiled and opened the door, giving her a hot head-to-toe appraisal. Short pink skirt, skin-tight white T-shirt proclaiming “Cowgirls Ride Better Dirty” and rhinestone dotted flip-flops. He experienced a twinge of guilt because she looked so young and innocent. But the guilt vanished when he saw the lust brimming in her eyes, making them as hot as liquid mercury.
“Hey, baby doll. Don’t you look good.”
AJ stared at his mouth. “Thanks.”
“Can I getcha a beer?”
“Ah. Sure.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. But aren’t you gonna kiss me hello?”
Cord bent down to press his lips to hers, gliding over the plump softness of her mouth a couple of times and retreated to lick his lips. “Mmm. You taste like lemons.” He gauged her disappointment. “If I start kissin’ you proper, I won’t wanna stop and I ain’t gonna maul you in the foyer.”
“I wouldn’t mind.”
“Playin’ with fire, AJ. I’ll grab the beer and be right back.”
“Don’t you want me to come into the kitchen? I could help.”
He spun back around and shook his finger at her. “You stay right there. We get into trouble in the kitchen.”
“I’m hoping we get into trouble everywhere else too.” AJ smiled coyly and wandered away.
Cord popped the tops on two Budweisers and tracked her to the living room. Damn, she was a bright spot of color against the dark wood and formal furniture. “Here.”
She grabbed the bottle from him. “Thanks. So, what did you do today?”
“Fixed equipment. Hauled water. Dumped manure. Chewed Colt’s ass. Everyday ranch stuff.” He sat on the couch and put his beer on the coffee table. “What about you?”
“Dealt with Jenn after she went to the lawyer’s office.”
“She’s really goin’ through with it?”
“Apparently. She talked to Alan this morning. He doesn’t seem too upset about the divorce, which is upsetting to her. It’s upsetting to me too.”
Several minutes passed and she didn’t say another word.
“C’mere.”
AJ abandoned her spot by the floor-to-ceiling picture windows and moved to the couch. As she attempted to plop down next to him, Cord tugged her on his lap.
“I said come here.”
She twisted until their bodies were matched pelvis to pelvis. She draped her arms over the back of the couch behind his head. “Now that I’m here, what’re you gonna do with me?”
Fuck you until you scream my name.
He took her mouth like he wanted to take her body—a slow build up, then wham! A no-holds-barred, hot, wet, hard swamping of her senses until she couldn’t breathe.
AJ rubbed her chest to his, returning his demanding kiss—her enthusiasm a contradiction to her innocence.
Cord slid his palms up the back of her sleek thighs and found only bare skin. The little minx hadn’t worn panties.
He clamped his hands to her butt and lifted her slightly, changing the angle of her hips. His middle finger traced the seam of her ass down to where she was wet. He circled the opening to her sex and pushed his finger deep, feathering his thumb over her clit.
Her sexy whimper reverberated in his mouth.
As much as he loved hearing her muted surprised sounds of pleasure, he needed more. Cord moved his hand to the small of her back, scraped his teeth across her bottom lip and broke the kiss. “I’m gonna put my mouth on you. I wanna feel you come against my tongue.”
“Oh. I, ah. Um. Okay.”
He held her hips as he rolled them until AJ’s back was against the cushions. Cord slid to his knees on the floor. As he kissed her, he shoved the velvet square throw pillow underneath her ass. He tucked her skirt out of his way, baring her completely from the waist down.
“Keep your hands right there and hold on.”
As his palms traveled down the center of her body, Cord wished he’d made her strip so he could feel every inch of her skin.
“Cord, I’m not sure—”
“You want this.” He dragged openmouthed kisses from her left knee up the inside of her quivering thigh and licked the crease where thigh met hip.
She jumped.
Smiling, Cord brushed his mouth down the top of her leg, using his tongue to trace the musculature of her thighs, courtesy of the years she’d spent on horseback. He used the same thorough treatment on her right leg. By the time he finished, AJ trembled.
Her glistening sex was at his mouth level. He pressed his lips to the top of her pubic bone. The soft curls covering her mound were so light blonde she appeared bare. Damn humbling to think he was the only man who’d ever seen her delicate femininity. It also increased the pressure on his performance when he considered she’d remember him loving her with his mouth first.
He lightly rubbed his lips above the sweet cleft and inhaled deeply. “Goddamn you smell like sunshine here too. I oughta be tellin’ you how pretty this pu**y is, all pink and wet and soft and untried, how sexy that it’s weepin’ for my attention. But I can’t wait.”