Through lowered lids, she met his gaze and took him into her mouth. Her tongue swirled around the silky skin of his shaft, then up to the head, coating him with saliva. She moaned low in her throat, tickling him with vibrations. His hips surged off the couch, and he thrust deeper into her mouth.
Her teeth grazed the shaft from balls to tip, then she took him full in her mouth. She circled the base of his cock and pumped with the rhythm of her lips. His cock swelled, and with a deep groan, he came in her mouth, a burst of hot, salty goodness. A thrill rushed through her. She wanted him inside her. Now.
He cupped her breasts through her shirt, and she arched into his caress. His thumbs brushed her nipples, teasing them into stiff peaks. She kept her hold on his cock and pumped the semi-flaccid length. Again his pocket vibrated. She swallowed and pulled away with a sigh. “While that could be a very interesting foreplay tool, I think you‟d better answer
your phone.”
He jerked the offending item from his pocket and growled a greeting into the phone. Shannon stood and adjusted her shirt. Damn. He would have to do as she suggested. For once, could he have not listened?
While Dustin argued with whoever was on the opposite end, she grabbed her purse and snuck out. The moment had passed.
Doubts assuaged her. She didn‟t suck off just any guy. The act was way too intimate for her. But other than grope her tits, Dustin hadn‟t done much to show her it was more than a quick come for him. Well, of course he didn’t, you idiot. He decided to answer his phone instead of play. Insecurity reared its ugly head.
Maybe Carolyn‟s approach to men—love and leave ‟em—had been the right idea, after all.
****
Dustin could have happily killed his little brother. As much as he loved Dane, the guy had the worst timing in the world.
“Sorry I caught you at a bad time, but you are the „make guests happy‟ guru.”
He rolled his eyes. “Shitty cop-out. So tell me again why the stripper cancelled for the party?”
Dane huffed. “Apparently, the bride kept calling the agency, demanding a specific type of guy. If you ask me, she needs to—”
“I‟m not asking.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. God, he couldn‟t get Shannon‟s rejected expression out of his head. And here he sat on the couch, alone, his still wet cock slumped to the side like a limp noodle. “Look, just call the agency and smooth the ruffled feathers, and then use your Dumen charm on Bridgette.”
“Fine. But you owe me.”
Dustin hung up, leaned his head against the back of the couch, and closed his eyes. What would Shannon say if he told her he‟d asked Dillon to buy his share of the ranch? Or that Gran dreamed of him and Shannon getting married and raising their family on the Rocking P?
Shannon loved being a stylist, and he loved Shannon. But his job now was to remind her she had more heart than her mother, and that even though Carolyn never wanted a family, that didn‟t mean Shannon couldn‟t have one.
Yes, if it was up to him, he would love her to be a stay-at-home mom and help him run the ranch. However, he loved her enough to know her career was important to her and he would never ask her to give it up. Hopefully, she would see she could have the best of both worlds.
The decision—their future—was up to her.
****
Shannon pulled on her riding boots and stumbled out the door to meet up with Bridgette and Jessie. Morning sunlight hit her in the face, and she slid on her sunglasses. Why on earth had she chosen to skip breakfast? Oh, right, to avoid Dustin.
Chicken as it may be, she couldn‟t face him after walking out on him again. How the hell could she have let the opportunity for sex with Dustin slip from her fingers? Just yesterday she‟d been determined to do just that, and then when he was right there between her legs, she backed out. All she‟d needed to do was wait for him to get off the phone, and she could have finished where they‟d left off. Ooh, but how entertaining it would have been to fuck him while he was on the phone.
“Stupid.”
Bridgette frowned. “You say something?”
Shannon shook her head. “Just mumbling to myself.”
They got to the corral and right away her gaze locked on Dustin. Damn. She had hoped to avoid him just a little bit longer. However, the Double D wasn‟t that big of a ranch and he seemed to always be everywhere.
He strode forward in dark denim and a pressed, yellow button-down. Her breasts tightened at the predatory look in his eyes, and her face heated, but she stood her ground, fascinated at his cat-like grace. She vaguely heard the conversation around her and even responded, but as to what was said, she had absolutely no idea.
“I thought you might want to ride me,” he said, handing her the reins of a chestnut gelding with white socks.
Shannon blinked. “What?” Oh my God, was she that obvious?
He raised an eyebrow, his lips quirked in a grin. “I thought you‟d like to ride Harlan behind me.”
Was that really what he‟d said? Either her hearing was faulty or she was projecting her own thoughts on him. “Sure, right.” To hide her embarrassment, she swung into the saddle.
Dustin gave her a knowing grin and mounted his stallion.
Oh, to be his horse right now, or better yet, for him to be hers. She‟d ride him like a wild bronc, thighs squeezed tight around his flanks, bumping and thrusting ‟til he broke from exhaustion. She shook her head to clear the wayward thoughts.
Dustin tossed around instructions about riding order, the authority in his voice ringing strong and clear. With a nod to Deacon, one of his older brothers, he set the trail ride in motion and she fell in right behind him. His hips swayed in time with the easy gate of his stallion. He belonged on horseback, on a ranch. If he‟d gone with her to New York, he would have been unhappy. She knew that. Had always known that. His dream, his life, was here in this country. Yet, he hadn‟t tried to force her to stay in Texas either.
She glanced around her. Surrounded by pine trees, singing birds, boulders and mountains, she felt at home, peaceful. New York was loud and crowded and impersonal. Yes, she had a circle of friends from the fashion industry, and she‟d enjoyed the nightlife for schmoozing purposes, but she‟d never really felt settled. In Paris, she‟d exhausted all her energy in fashion shows and worrying about Gran‟s health.
The horses crested a hill, and Dustin turned in the saddle. “You know, I should be pissed at you for leaving me like you did last night.”
Her brow furrowed. “What, because you were busy arguing with someone on the phone? How is that my fault? Hell, I blew you, what more did you want?”
He smirked. “I wanted you, naked.”