Master of the Abyss

kidding.

“Maybe, but you’re getting a lot of interested looks.” Hands on her hips, Gina surveyed the pickings of men with an experienced eye. “And there are a lot more single guys this year to be looking. Nice job.”

Kallie grinned. Some people were so easy to please. “Virgil has two of his cop friends here-the other two and the chief had to work-and Wyatt invited his buddies from the black-powder rifle club.” She nodded to the group of guys around Wyatt, most of them bearded, one with hair braided halfway down his back. “They had a great time this morning shooting and throwing tomahawks and knives.” And Wyatt had dragged her down to show off how well he’d taught her to throw a knife.

“Mmmmh, mountain men. The one in the red T-shirt is downright hot. Then again, the two men in buckskins look really…primitive.” Gina fanned herself.

“Stop drooling, or I’ll get you a bib.”

“Hey, a girl’s gotta look.” Gina licked her lips. “And mmmhmm, there’s a gorgeous sight.”

Kallie followed her gaze. Logan and Rebecca walked around the side of the house. Then she saw Jake, and her libido gave a massive roar like a Harley that someone’s boot had kick-started. She couldn’t blame Gina for lusting after him. The summer had darkened his skin and put gold streaks in his collar-length brown hair. He’d dressed fairly casually in jeans and a white polo shirt, where the sleeves stretched around his hard biceps in a way that made her fingers want to touch.

“I’ve never seen them at any party before,” Gina commented. “Only the ClaimJumper now and then.”

As Wyatt sauntered over to greet the Hunts, Kallie said, “I got the impression they’re more sociable now because of Rebecca.” Standing here gawking at the man wouldn’t do, especially since she had no idea of her place in his life. Him and his damned “for one night only” rules. Did he want her to ignore him or pretend to be a casual acquaintance?

This was so confusing.

“Well, I’m going to be…sociable…and say hi to Jake,” Gina said, her eyes bright. “It’s been a couple of months since we went out last; maybe I’m close to the top of the rotation.”

Oh. Damn. “Ah, Gina?”

“Yeah?” Gina paused.

“Never mind.” What could she say? That the man had taken her so many times that her jeans rubbed uncomfortably over her still-swollen private parts? Yesterday morning, he’d kissed her good- bye, and she hadn’t understood the look he’d given her. All the way home, she’d worried over it. Had that been a the-night’s-over-and-so-is-our-time-together look or a this-was-wonderful-I’ll-be-calling-you look. She’d sure jumped to the wrong conclusion last time.

If she went over there, he’d probably give her another of those chilly greetings. Maybe she should encourage Gina to have at him? No no no. Before she could decide, Gina sashayed over to hug Rebecca and say hi to Logan. Then she turned on the flirt switch for Jake.

When Jake greeted Gina, his smile lightened his lean face. Kallie’s throat constricted. Not mine. Never mine. Maybe she’d go check on the kitchen for a few minutes. To provide an excuse for fleeing the scene, Kallie picked up a dish that had held cherry pie. Stepping back, she bumped into someone. “Oh. Sorry.”

The guy in the red T-shirt, one of Wyatt’s friends from the mountain-man club, grinned down at her. “Totally my pleasure. You can bump into me anytime you want.”

She blinked at his flirtatious expression and smiled. Thank you, God. Right now she needed someone to help make her feel attractive. “I saw you shooting a muzzle loader earlier. You’re good.”

His smile widened. “Yes. I am. Very good.” He ran a finger down her arm and glanced at the dish she held. His voice dropped suggestively. “Cherries. I love a good cherry, you know. Maybe you’d like to see?”

Ew. Some men looked interesting until they opened their mouths. This one should have stayed in the gutter where he belonged. She took a step away. “Well, I-”

An arm encircled her waist and yanked her back against a rock-hard body. Jake’s baritone sounded rough enough to take someone’s hide off. “If you’re a black-powder reenactor, you should know how to talk to a lady. Apologize.”

The guy’s mouth dropped open, and his face turned the color of his shirt. To her surprise, he manned up and said, “You’re perfectly correct, sir. My apologies, ma’am, for getting out of line.” Not waiting for a response, he gave a short bow and retreated back to his cohorts.

Kallie tried to step away, but the arm around her waist didn’t loosen. Instead Jake swiped her fingers in the leftover cherry filling, lifted her hand to his mouth, and licked her fingers.

The blast of heat swirled from her hand straight to her pussy, and her legs wobbled. His embrace tightened, keeping her shoulders against his chest. She could actually feel his cock thicken and press against her butt, and her lower half grew liquid-ready to be taken. Damn him.

She pulled in a shaky breath and tried to get her hand back.

“Don’t move.” His sharp nip on her thumb streaked straight to her groin. Taking his time, he finished cleaning her fingers, sucking on one after the other. And she felt each pull of his mouth as if his lips circled her clit instead.

Finally, when her body was in flames, he let her tug her hand away and turn to face him.

“Mmm. Any more pie left?” he asked, his voice so casual she wanted to belt him one.

She glared, dying to drag him to bed…after she punched him a few times. “I can’t believe you gave that man such a rough time, and then you do this.”

“Ah, sprite.” He glided his knuckles over her cheek. “The difference is that we’re not strangers. I know what you taste like…everywhere, what your whimpers sound like. I have your scratch marks on my shoulders, and my sleeping bag carries your scent.”

The air felt like the Mohave Desert, hot and thick, scorching her brain cells until she couldn’t seem to think. The sun lines around his eyes deepened as he smiled. “You know, sometimes you’re drop-dead beautiful…and other times you’re just damned cute.”

Cute? Chipmunks were cute. Before she really could hit him, he grasped her upper arms, yanked her up on tiptoe, and kissed her so thoroughly every thought in her brain melted into goo.

He tasted like cherries.

He lifted his head slightly and whispered, “By the way, I like the top.”

He’d noticed the sleek blue shirt Rebecca had given her-one formfitting enough to get a frown from Wyatt. Before she could wallow in the compliment, he took her lips again. When he pulled back this time, he had to hold her up or she would have staggered like a drunk. Chuckling, he drew a finger over her wet lips. “So if I promise to help with the cleanup, do you think I can get more of that pie?”

Damn, she really was cute. As Kallie walked toward the house, Jake admired the snug fit of her jeans over her pretty, round ass. He might have thought his efforts had prompted the sexy improvement, but he’d seen Rebecca leave the lodge with a sack full of clothing. He owed her.

He noticed Kallie’s stiff-legged walk and tilted his head. Not used to tight pants? Or she might be a tad sore. He’d taken her a lot the night before last. Wanted to again. He moved and adjusted himself surreptitiously.

Why the hell had he kissed her? But he’d forgotten how quickly she turned him hard. And how she brought out every possessive trait in his dom’s nature. After seeing that asshole coming on to her-Face it, Hunt, you staked a claim as blatantly as a bear putting claw marks on a tree.