Free Long Time Gone (Rough Riders) by Lorelei James

uneven.
    “Fuckin’ hell, woman. You’re half-nekkid.”
    “You’re upset about that?” Her gaze dropped to the fly of his jeans. “’Cause I’m gonna call bullshit on that, cowboy, seeing’s as you’ve got a lie detector in your pants.”
    “Oh, I’m really goddamn far from upset. I’m closer to speechless if you wanna know the truth.” He scrubbed his hand over his face, unable to tear his eyes away from the bounty spread out before him.
    “I like that look in your eyes, Cal.”
    “What look is that, darlin’?”
    “That you’re really happy I’m not sixteen anymore,” she teased.
    He smiled, knew it bordered on wicked and didn’t care. He started toward her.
    “Why aren’t you askin’ me why?”
    “Why what?”
    “Why now? Why you?”
    “Because I know why.”
    That seemed to confuse her. “You do?”
    “Uh-huh.” Cal kept his eyes on her as he removed his boots. “One, we’ve had this lust thing goin’ from the first time we met. Two, you’d like to escape from the sadness in your soul for a little while. Three, deep down you know it’d piss your dad off if he found out his youngest daughter let a McKay pop her cherry. Four, I’m here, I’m experienced and you trust me.”
    Kimi cocked her head at him.
    “Am I wrong?”
    “No. Actually you hit my thoughts dead on. Except you left off reason number five.”
    “Which is what?”
    Her gaze started at his sock clad feet and roamed north, until their eyes locked. “You are the best lookin’ man I’ve ever met. Your muscular body makes my mouth go dry and my panties wet.”
    Lust and need for her didn’t roll over him; they hit him like a coal train.
    “You’re sure this is what you want?” he half-growled.
    “Very sure. Very, very sure,” she repeated.
    Cal started to lower onto the bed, but Kimi held her hand up. “If I’m half nekkid, it’s only fair that you are too.”
    The pearl-snap buttons made shedding his shirt easy. He grabbed a fistful of his tee and yanked it over his head. Kimi’s eyes widened as she got her first look at his bare chest. Then her avid gaze followed the movement of his fingers as he popped the button on his jeans and tugged down the zipper.
    His Wranglers hit the floor, leaving him in his boxers and socks.
    “Did you get all that—” she gestured to his body, “—just from doin’ cow stuff?”
    Cow stuff. “Yeah, darlin’. Doin’ cow stuff keeps me buff.” He grinned. “Now lay on your belly so that paste on your calf has time to dry.”
    “What will you be doin’?”
    Cal leaned over and nipped her ass, and grinned when she expelled a gasp. “How about you can the questions and let me be in charge.”
    “Okay.” She paused. “But I do have one last question.”
    Of course she did. “What?”
    “Why did I like it so much just now when you bit me on the butt?”
    He let his breath ghost across her skin as he moved up her body. “That’s what I’m gonna find out. What you like.” He started out by kissing her shoulders and the back of her neck. He rested on his haunches and mapped every beautiful inch of her back and arms. “Then I’m gonna show you what I like.” He slipped his hands around her waist, marveling that he could almost span it with his hands. Then he trailed his fingers up and down the back of her legs. He didn’t touch the bottoms of her feet—she squirmed enough when he kissed her anklebones. When he kissed the curve of her ass cheeks, he got his first whiff of her arousal and it ignited his senses like a drug.
    After he unhooked her bra, he said, “Turn over, darlin’.”
    Kimi kept her eyes closed after she’d rolled over. Her breathing was ragged. Her skin had flushed the prettiest color of pink.
    “Look at me when I’m touchin’ you.”
    “Why?”
    “Because I said so, and last time I checked, I was in charge.”
    Her eyes flew open.
    He grinned. “I figured that’d get your attention.”
    “I’ve never done any of this.”
    “I know.”