Bad in Boots: Harm's Hunger Read online

  “What mutual friend introduced us?”

  D’oh. Damnit, rack your brain, Jena. Think, think, think. What names do you remember Sally saying? Jack. Yeah. Good ole Jack.

  “Jack.”

  He drew his brows together, doubtfully. “My foreman? Hey, I remembered something.”

  Jena smiled in encouragement. “Yeah, he and my dad go way back. My dad told me to stop by and visit him while I was here.”

  “And that’s how we met,” he concluded.

  “Yep, and the rest, as they say, is history.”

  “Remind me to give Jack a raise.” Harm pulled her closer and kissed the tip of her nose.

  She laughed and laid her cheek on his chest. The steady rise and fall of his chest, the thudding of his heart, the masculine smell that was all Harm, the feel of the fire, warming her skin. The sensations lulled her. She was in heaven. If only this were not a fantasy of her own making. If only it were real.

  Chapter Four

  Jena waited until Harm’s breathing leveled off as he fell asleep before she eased off of him and walked over to the window. The storm still raged outside, but with the fire blazing behind her, the house was cozy and warm.

  There was just something about Boone, Texas. The picturesque green valleys and crystal clear streams that filtered off of the main river of Sweetwater beckoned to her. But it was more than just the scenery. She couldn’t put her finger on it. That pull was the very reason she wanted to see her aunt’s place once more before she made her decision. No matter what happened between Harm and her, she’d made up her mind. She wasn’t selling. But what she would do is sell Harm a portion of the land and give Ty his half of the proceeds. That should be a fair arrangement for all concerned.

  “What are you thinking about so deeply, darlin’?” Harm asked as he slid his arms around her waist and pulled her back against his hard chest. The deep timber of his voice surrounded her, resonating all the way down her spine. Jena closed her eyes at the feel of his strong arms around her, his masculine scent invading her senses. “I thought you were asleep,” she murmured.

  He kissed her temple. “I was until I reached over and you weren’t there.”

  He settled her closer against his tall frame. The unmistakable hardness pressing against her bare bottom made hot moisture gather between her legs. God, the man had the most amazing effect on her. She couldn’t seem to get enough of him.

  “Tell me. What are you looking for in a husband?”

  Jena snuggled into his warmth, crossing her arms and laying them over Harm’s. “Someone that will let me make my own decisions, that will respect my need to do so, even if he disagrees with my decision.”

  Harm placed a feather light kiss on her neck. “What if there are times when your husband does know best?”

  Jena stiffened in his arms. Harm tightened his hold, not letting her pull away as she intended. “Then he’ll learn real fast, I make up my own mind.”

  “What if he’s just as stubborn as you?” He slid his hand up her waist and cupped her breast, then twirled the nipple.

  Jena sucked in her breath at the achy desire his touch roused within her. “Then we’ll have problems,” she breathed out, breathless, trying to keep a firm hold of rational thoughts.

  Harm slid a hand down her abdomen, spearing his fingers through her curls until he reached her labia. Drawing his finger along her clit he said, “What if he’s willing to compromise?”

  Jena bucked against his hand, her breathing turning shallow as she lifted her arms and wrapped them around Harm’s neck. Thinking became very difficult as he slid his finger along her sensitized bud. “Co…compromise?”

  “Pick a number. One.” He slid a finger inside her and she groaned. “No, two.” He added another finger, creating pressure with the sensuous glide of his fingers, wet from her juices, rubbing in and out of her sheath. “Ah, I think three is the lucky number.” A third finger joined the other two at the same time he cupped her mound with his hand and drew her up and back against him, holding her still, no longer moving his hand.

  “Three times a year, your husband gets carte blanche on a unilateral decision that concerns you. He may or may not exercise his rights, depending on whether the situation warrants it. What do you say?”

  He touched her clit with his thumb and made a small circle against her flesh. Jena whimpered and rocked her hips, wanting to move, needing the release her body sought. “Only if I get three for him as well.”

  Harm’s chuckle rumbled against her back. “Quite the negotiator, aren’t you?”

  “Yes,” she said impatiently, “and right now, I’m ordering you to give me what I want.”

  “No, Jena, I’m going to give you what you need.” He kissed the sensitive place behind her ear. “Me,” he said huskily as he moved his fingers in and out of her body while, applying steady pressure against her clit as his other hand slid to her breast and clasped the plump flesh possessively.

  “Harm, oh, God, that feels so good,” she panted and rocked into his hand.

  While his hand continued to thrust against her sex, Harm slid his fingers to her nipple and swirled the hard bud. His actions sent Jena over the edge. Her body trembled with the force of her orgasm as she cried out at the pure pleasure spiraling from her sex and breasts to her stomach and thighs and beyond.

  Once her heart rate slowed, she turned, only to have it speed right back up while she stared in fascination as Harm locked his gaze with hers and sucked her cum off each finger, one-by-one, groaning his approval. Pure lust in its most primal form slammed her in the stomach as she watched him savor the taste of her.

  After he finished, his eyes had turned so dark brown, they almost looked black. When he began to speak, her stomach made a gurgling sound, making her laugh. Harm glanced down at her stomach and asked with an apologetic look on his face, “Are you hungry? All I have to offer you are apples and carrots.” He gave her a lopsided grin. “Horses love ‘em as a treat.”

  Jena returned his smile with a knowing grin. “Yes, I’m hungry.” She reached out and wrapped her fingers around his rigid cock, drawing her thumb over the drop of pre cum that moistened the tip. “But I’m in the mood for protein, not fruits or vegetables.”

  Harm eyes blazed with naked desire and his gaze dropped to her lips, his nostrils flaring as a small smile quirked the corners of his lips. “Never say I don’t know how to provide the most important food group for my woman.”

  His woman. That sounded just right to her. Jena pointed to the kitchen chair in front of the fireplace. “Go sit.”

  Harm grinned and followed her orders. He heard her rummaging around in her purse while he moved some wet clothes to another chair. Positioning the empty chair in front of the fire, he sat, waiting for Jena.

  Jena. She was the most stimulating woman. Why in the world had he let their explosive relationship go on for a year before he decided to do something about it? Thank God he came to his senses. His stomach tightened into knots when he thought that, due to his own stubborn convictions, he could have lost this wonderful woman to another man. Harm clenched his jaw in anger at the mere thought. She was his. Period. Never before had he felt so strongly about another person and the realization was more than a little scary.

  Jena’s hand brushing over his shoulder drew him out of his reverie. Harm reached up to clasp her around the waist, intending to bury his face in her breasts. “Uh-uh,” she said, pulling away until she stood facing him. “No touching.”

  Harm raised an eyebrow. “Oh, is that the way it’s going to be?”

  She smiled and nodded. Tapping her finger against her lips she took a slow circle around the chair, eyeing him up and down. Her gaze full of desire and mischief, she appeared to be deciding just what she wanted to do with him. Harm’s cock throbbed against his belly in anticipation.

  She stopped in front of him once more and laid her hands on his thighs, sliding them to the crease in his legs where she touched his balls lightly with her thumbs. Wh
en she jerked his thighs further apart, Harm groaned at the lightning lust that surged through his body at the mere thought of what she had planned. He lifted his hands to cup her breasts but dropped them to his sides when she backed away once more, shaking her head.

  Now he understood. If he touched her at all, she’d stop. Harm clenched his jaw and clamped his hands on the bottom of the chair. God, it was the only way he’d keep from touching her. She was a gorgeous sight to behold. The fire reflected off her peach- toned skin and honey blond hair, making him ache to touch her just to see her cheeks flush with desire once more. Perfect breasts, more than a handful, with ruby red nipples, jutted out impudently at him, teasing him, torturing him. He wanted to taste her so bad, his mouth watered.

  When she went down on her knees in front of him, Harm held back the growl of satisfaction that threatened to rip from his chest. Jena traced the inside of his thigh with her tongue until she reached his balls where she flicked the bulging veins with the tip of her tongue. Harm’s hips moved of their own accord, closer to her hot mouth. But she moved to his other leg and repeating the same process all over again until her mouth rested over him. She gave him a minx-like smile as she grasped his cock with one hand while she fondled his balls with the other.

  “Taste me, Jena.” The request was out before he could stop himself.

  She tortured him with her tongue once more as she touched every ridge and vein in his cock as she licked a path along the entire length of his erection. Harm’s balls tightened in anticipation, his stomach tensed as he waited for her mouth to surround him. His fingers itched to brush against the curve of her spine, feel her soft skin, but he tamped down the urge. Later, he promised himself.

  When she closed her mouth over him and stroked his erection with her tongue, the unexpected cool, tingling sensation nearly rocked his world. Harm had to take deep breaths to keep from losing it so quickly. As she worked her mouth up and down his length, he managed to rasp out between building, coiling tension and ragged breaths, “What do you have in your mouth? God, it feels incredible.”

  “Hmmm,” she hummed her response and he bucked against her as the vibrating sensation spread like wildfire throughout his lower torso and thighs. Harm gave into his natural inclination. Without thinking, he placed a hand on the crown of her head and directed her to take him further down her throat, groaning his approval at Jena’s eager accommodation to his silent request. Her sensual nature shook him to the very core, sending an odd sense of déjà vu rocketing through him and making oral sex with Jena that much more exciting.

  He lifted his hips and rocked against her hot, moist mouth, hissing out, “Jena,” as she took a long, sucking drag on his cock. Pleasure-pain shot through him, taking him to the brink of his orgasm when she bit down and then circled his shaft with her tongue as if soothing her love nip. He held back, wanting to prolong the thousand jolts of awareness that centered with her mouth on his cock and radiated throughout his body.

  But when she moaned and he caught the scent of her own arousal, he was lost. He groaned and let go, the knowledge that Jena took everything he offered with pleasure, making his orgasm one of the longest, most fulfilling climaxes he’d ever experienced.

  When she was done licking him clean, Jena stood and placed her hands on his shoulders. The scent of peppermint surrounded him as she leaned over and said, “Altoids,” before she kissed him deeply. When he lifted his hands to pull her into his lap, she drew back with a wicked grin. “You see, the reason I would even consider agreeing to your compromise is because I know who really wields all the power.”

  “Oh, you do, do you?” Harm gave her a devilish smile and before she could move away, he swiped his finger along her slit, gathering the sweet cream he knew awaited his touch. While she gasped her surprise at his knowledge of her arousal, he raised a cocky eyebrow and slid the wet finger into his mouth, sucking her juice away.

  He pulled Jena between his legs and captured her mouth, his kiss possessive and thorough. She sighed against his mouth, melting into his body. His heart skipped a beat with the knowledge that he loved his woman so much it scared him. Those three chances were as much for his sanity as hers. Otherwise, the woman would have him completely wrapped around her finger even more than he already was. He vowed to himself before the evening was out, he’d have Jena as addicted to him as he was to her.

  * * * * *

  Harm set her on the floor and pulled the chairs out of the way. “Wait here. I’ll get us some food.”

  Jena watched the flex and play of his taut butt cheeks as he walked toward the kitchen. Just looking at the full display of muscles and naked male flesh made her weak in the knees. What would he say when his memory came back? Her stomach pitched at the thought he’d never forgive her.

  Jena shook her worried thoughts away. She didn’t want to think about it. Tomorrow was another day. If Harm didn’t get his memory back by tomorrow, she’d tell him the truth. A crackle and hissing pop from the fire drew her attention. The heat felt so good against her skin. She touched her clothes and sighed at the still damp material. Deciding to bask in the warmth, she lay down on the rug and stretched out on her belly, waiting for Harm.

  The smell of apples invaded her senses. Jena lifted her head, cradled in her arms, and smiled at Harm as he drew the apple slice away from her nose and popped it into his mouth. She noted that Harm had turned out the lantern. The surrounding darkness made the glow of the firelight feel that much more intimate.

  “Hey, sleepyhead.” Harm leaned back against the foldout bed and propped his elbow on his bent knee, totally at home with his nakedness in front of her.

  Why did it seem perfectly natural to be laying there naked in front of him? Jena stretched and smiled. “Guess the fire put me right to sleep.”

  “Yeah, didn’t have anything to do with your earlier exertions, I’m sure,” he teased, winking at her.

  Damn, he was one sexy man. Jena rose up on her elbows and took a slice of apple off the plate he’d set between them. She chuckled. “Oh, I suppose it might have something to do with that, too.” She nibbled on the piece of fruit. “So, your turn. Tell me what you’re looking for in a wife.”

  He shifted his gaze to the fire. “I want someone that accepts what I am—a rancher, no more, no less—that is willing to live that lifestyle with me. Someone that attracts me both mentally and physically.” His eyes met hers. “Someone that I can enjoy the give and take of debating with just as much as the give and take while making love and…” Heat curled within her belly as Harm paused to rake his gaze across her naked back and buttocks. His dark eyes met hers as he continued, “I’ve found her.”

  Jena swallowed the piece of apple that threatened to lodge in her throat. She rolled onto her side and faced him. “Harm, all I said was that I would come and stay for a while.”

  Her heart raced as Harm pushed her over on her back and leaned over her, his hands braced on the floor around her. “I thought I said this already. You’re not going back to Maryland, Jena.” He punctuated his words while kissing a path along her throat.

  She pushed at his shoulders until Harm lifted his head. “And I told you I make my own decisions.”

  His chuckle was low, but his expression serious. “Didn’t I tell you? I’m exercising my right at a unilateral decision on your behalf. In this case, I definitely know what’s best for you.”

  Jena laughed at his self-assured confidence. “But that was as my husband.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “As far as I’m concerned, I’m already your husband. And as you know, I don’t commit lightly.”

  “All the more reason for you to really think before you commit yourself.” Okay, I’m really feeling like a heel now. He’s going to kill me when he gets his memory back. At the very least, he’ll never forgive me. Jena pushed at his arms, needing space. Harm leaned back and let her rise, the look on his face inscrutable. She couldn’t fathom what he was thinking.

  Without a word, he stood and lifted her in
his arms. Climbing into bed, he pulled her hips back until her butt rested against the cradle of his hips and thighs. As he settled his chest against her back and rested his hand possessively on her hip, Jena wished he’d never bumped his head, that she hadn’t set this whole fabricated fantasy in motion. But then if she hadn’t, maybe Harm would’ve treated her differently, continued to hold a part of himself back, and she would never have gotten to know the real Harmon Steele.

  * * * * *

  “Don’t move,” Harm whispered in her ear. Jena surfaced from her deep slumber when he laid his body, hot and naked, across her back and laced his fingers with hers, silently directing her to curl her hands around the mattress edge above her head.

  Her stomach tightened in anticipation as he slid his palms down her back, to the indention of her waist. The fire had died to dull red embers and the sound of rolling thunder was off in the distance. Only an occasional flash of lightning illuminated the otherwise pitch-dark room.

  Jena sucked in her breath when he lifted her hips. She started to rise up on her hands and knees, but he put a hand on her back, forcing her to remain as she was—her butt tilted in the air, her face on the pillow, arms stretched above her, clutching the bed.

  She bucked against his hand when he slid a finger inside her and slowly turned it around, finding and pressing on her g-spot. When he withdrew his hand, she started to sit up and complain, but she collapsed with a sigh of pleasure as his thumbs spread her sex and his tongue found her clit.

  “I can’t get enough of you,” he murmured as he alternatively sucked her clit and laved her juices that gathered in response to his expert manipulation.

  Jena had never felt so decadent and excited in her life as she clutched the foldout mattress and rocked against him, raging need building inside her. “The give and take, Jena, remember,” he murmured against her body as he worked his fingers inside her vagina long enough to make her juices flow and then traced every crevice of her sex with his tongue, lingering, leisurely enjoying what her body naturally provided before he’d start the same process over again and again.