She didn’t say a word.
“Why did you go down there in the first place?”
“Because I care about him, Hank. This isn’t easy on him. I went to see if he was all right.”
“What happened when you were down there, Lainie? Did you blow him too?”
“And if I did?”
Hank growled.
She skirted the kitchen island and got right in his face. “This was your idea, remember? Yours and Kyle’s. You both swore you’d have no problem sharing me. You’d have no issues with jealousy. So you don’t get to make that caveman noise.”
Hank jerked her against him. His mouth crashed down on hers. He pushed his tongue between her teeth, forcing her to take his brutal, commanding kiss.
Her body tingled from her lips to her toes. As she attempted to regain her balance, Hank’s mouth brushed her ear. “Tonight I won’t have to share you. Tonight you’re all mine.” He abruptly released her and ambled off without a backward glance.
Supper was over. The camper was loaded. Sitting outside on a gorgeous summer night, drinking cold beer, bullshitting with his friends. It’d be a perfect night if Lainie were by his side.
The woman was flat-out ignoring him.
Hank supposed he deserved it, after his chest-thumping behavior in the kitchen.
“So you’re all staying in the camper? For three weeks?”
He sipped his beer, looking across the picnic table at his brother’s best friend, Max Godfrey. “Yeah. Why?”
“Seems a tight fit.” Max dropped his voice. “What happens when you and Lainie wanna get busy? Do you tell Kyle to take a hike?”
“Max, leave it alone,” Eli warned.
“I ain’t worried. It’ll work itself out.” Hank glanced at Lainie talking to Bran and Kyle on the far side of the deck. Her hair fell in ringlets around her sweet face. Damn. He couldn’t wait to thread that wild, coppery hair through his fingers as he kissed her. Fucked her. Over and over.
“See what I mean, Eli? The way Hank watches her all the damn time. Poor Kyle’s gonna be taking lots of walks.”
Eli grunted.
For once Hank was glad Eli was a man of few words.
Celia bounded toward their table. “I’m staying at Harper’s. We’re visiting her college friends for a couple days.”
“Did you ask Abe?”
“No, but I told him about it.” Celia and Eli exchanged an odd look.
What was that about?
He wouldn’t be around the next couple weeks to run interference between Celia and Abe, and God knew they needed it. “Just be careful.”
Celia hugged Hank from behind and kissed his cheek. “I will. You too.”
“You coming with us tonight, Hank?” Max asked.
The group was cruising to Cactus Jack’s, a favorite honky-tonk in Rawlins. Hank looked at Lainie. Thought of his plans for her after he locked his bedroom door. “No. We’re goin’ to bed early, since I’m driving tomorrow.”
“Then that explains why Kyle’s coming along.” Max stood. “Let’s get ’em rounded up. Eli, you the DD?”
“I reckon.”
After everyone left, Lainie leaned on the wooden porch post opposite him. The air between them crackled with energy.
“Hank—”
He held up a hand. “My rules tonight.”
Indecision clouded Lainie’s eyes for a moment. Then she nodded and moved to him, letting her fingers scrape against the razor stubble dotting his jaw. “No pain, okay?”
“No intentional pain. I promise.” He angled his head and kissed her palm.
Inside, Hank stopped in the entryway. “Strip in my bedroom and then come into the kitchen.”
“Strip . . . as in down to nothing?”
“Yep.”
Less than five minutes later she returned. Totally buck-ass nekkid. If the rosy flush on her body was an indication, Lainie wasn’t used to walking around in the buff. Which was damn fine with him.
“Look at you. So pretty in just your skin.” He reached for her, cupping his hands around her neck. Kissing her, teasing her with soft nibbles, little licks, and the smooth, wet glide of his lips.
She relaxed into him, gave herself to him.
Eventually he allowed his hands to slide down the front of her body to those lush, tempting tits. His thumbs rasped the pale rose ni**les until the tips were rigid. Intoxicated by her breathy moan, he let his fingers skim the side of her torso, slipping over the curve of her spine. He whispered, “Hold your tits together for me.”
It was sexy as hell seeing Lainie’s hands mashing the mounds together, an offering to him.
As he stroked the crack of her ass, he flicked his tongue back and forth, dampening the tips of her br**sts. Then he blew over the wetness, making the peaks tighter yet.
She let her head fall back. “Hank.”
“Baby, can you do something for me?” he asked, rubbing his face into her soft, supple flesh.
“Anything.”
Hank clasped her hand and dragged her past the massive dining room table to a buffet against the wall. He picked up the antique china tea set, placing it next to the candlesticks on the other end. He snagged a ladder-back chair. “Use this to climb up on the buffet.”
She looked at him in shock. “What? No. I’ll break it!”
“It’s three-inch-thick solid walnut, darlin’. A sledgehammer wouldn’t put a dent in it, so it’s safe from your very fine ass. Get on up there. Now.”