Waving to Casey and Mark, the two hands who joined her in tossing horseshoes, she called out, “I’ll be back for a rematch.”
“We’ll hold you to it, Aislyn,” Casey returned as the two of them started for the food table.
Gavin took her hand and tugged her toward the lake. “My employees seem taken with you.”
Flicking her gaze up to him, she tried to gauge his meaning from his expression, but with his Stetson lowered, shielding his eyes, she couldn’t read anything from the neutral set to his other features. “They’re nice. Casey offered to help me give Lily her first bath tomorrow.”
“Did he now?” he murmured, selecting two fishing poles from a row leaning against a table a few yards from the lake’s edge. “Maybe I should give him more chores if he has that much free time.” He cocked his head and she could just make out his wink before he led her down to the grassy bank.
Her pulse skittered at his possessive tone and her stomach tickled with giddiness from his teasing. This was a side of Master Gavin she had been longing to see as much as his strict dominance. This time around, however, she refused to read more into his friendly overtures than that of an old acquaintance making nice. Her heart could only take so much rejection.
“Don’t you dare. Who says I want to learn how to fish?” Aislyn looked into the bucket of worms and stepped back. “Eww!”
“Such a city girl,” he mocked. “Watch how I bait your line so you can do it the next time.”
“No way.” Turning her back, she sank down on the grass and brought her knees up, wishing the pleasant afternoon didn’t have to end.
“I never knew you were so squeamish.” He settled beside her, tossed one line out into the lake then handed her the pole. “Here. All you have to do is hold it until you get a tug.”
She already felt a tug, but not on her fishing pole. It was the same pressure on her heart as when they had first met, and again when he’d broken up with her using that flimsy excuse of her being too young and still a newbie. His secretive nighttime forays into the woods proved he was no more interested in keeping her around now than he had been before. If she didn’t want to leave here nursing another shattered heartbreak, she better decide to enlist his help or come up with an alternative fast.
****
Raucous howling drew Aislyn to her bedroom window as she emerged from the bathroom that night. She wasn’t used to spending so much time outdoors, or to so much physical activity in one day. Her muscles ached, her legs and arms were pink from the sun and her heavy eyelids refused to stay open. As soon as they returned from the picnic, Gavin had bade her goodnight and gone into his office. Peeking out the window, she half expected to see him heading into the woods again, but instead, found him standing on the porch, leaning against the post and gazing out toward the darkened range.
Maybe it was the mournful baying coming from the wolves that made him appear lonely, but whatever the reason, she couldn’t resist the compulsion to go to him. She thought of changing out of her sleep shorts and tank top then remembered he had seen her in far less. As she opened the front door and joined him at the rail, she cringed from the growling, snarling echoes. Looking up at him in the soft glow of the porch light, he didn’t seem to be bothered by the wolves going at each other.
Since coming here, there were times Gavin reminded her of a wolf. He could exhibit the same watchful stillness as the wolf that had acted as sentinel while she’d changed her flat. Then there was that hint of wildness this forested land seemed to bring out in him that appealed to her so much.
Aislyn shuddered as the tussling snarls came close enough she could make out the shapes of two large wolves locked in a battle of wills. “They sound like they’re tearing into each other,” she whispered with a ripple of unease.
“No, they’re just letting off some steam. It’s harmless fun to them.”
Was that envy lacing his soft voice? She shook her head, thinking she must be more tired than she thought. “You must be used to them.”
“I am. You have nothing to fear from them, Aislyn.”
The wolves ran off and he turned to her then, not giving her time to think further as he pinned her against the rail with his body. Grabbing her hands, he placed them behind her, wrapping her fingers around the wooden slat.
“Keep your hands there and don’t move,” he instructed in that deep tone she could never resist, his warm breath wafting across her lips.
Aislyn’s heart jumped into her throat as he skimmed her shorts down and went to one knee before her bared lower body. “What...what are you...oh, God,” she groaned as he cupped her buttocks and took a slow lick up between her folds.
“Fuck but I’ve missed you, little one, missed how wet you get for me.” He blew on her damp flesh and she shivered. “Missed your sweet scent and your breathy moans.”
Speechless at this quick turnabout, Aislyn couldn’t form a coherent thought as he squeezed her buttocks and brought her pubis closer to his mouth. He dove between her pussy lips again, this time slipping his tongue inside her to twirl around her distended clit. Delightful shivers of pleasure traveled up and down her sheath, the sharp sting of his teeth nipping that tender piece of flesh halting them just as fast.
“Sir,” she moaned, aching for more as he pulled back and released his hold on her right cheek.
“Not yet,” he growled, working two fingers inside her. “Why are you so tight...never mind, don’t answer that.”
“It’s been awhile,” she admitted, whimpering as he buried his fingers deep and
