揅ould be a lost dog,?Belmont rumbled. 揝omeone might want him back.?
揑 can see from here he has no tags,?Aaron returned.
Peggy hummed in her throat. 揅an you see from here that it抯 a he? Could be a girl. A little baby puppy girl.?
揑t抯 a he. And he is ancient.?Aaron stood, swiping an impatient hand through his hair and striding toward the dog, bringing him to the edge of the light. His intention was to crouch down and pet the dog enough to make it affable, then carry it back to the Suburban. But the closer Aaron got to the animal, the more it cowered, which slowed him to a stop. 揌ey,?Aaron murmured, checking over his shoulder to make sure none of the others could hear him. 揑t抯 all right. We抮e卲eaceful people. Toward animals, anyway. Not so much to each other.?
Right. So he was talking to a dog now. But梬as he insane or did the dog抯 brown eyes calm with total understanding? Yeah, the dog抯 paw even slid a little bit in Aaron抯 direction, causing a mild disturbance somewhere in Aaron抯 gut.
揌uh. Well, my sister just bailed and there抯 an empty seat. There抯 food棓 The dog stood, ears perked. 揂hh, now I抦 talking your language, right? We literally have restaurant doggy bags in the car. It抯 like we knew厰
Aaron trailed off when the dog coasted past him, heading for the Suburban. After three unsuccessful tries, the streak of white fur vanished into the backseat, leaving the four passengers staring at one another. Peggy was first to react, cramming her knuckles against her lips to muffle a squeal, while Belmont watched Sage for her reaction, giving Aaron the overwhelming urge to roll his eyes. The sexual tension between those two was enough to turn Sunday mass into an orgy.
揥hat are you going to call him??Sage breathed, addressing Aaron but staring at the Suburban. 揧ou saved him. It抯 up to you.?
揥e抣l call him Rita,?Aaron deadpanned, earning him a slug in the shoulder from Peggy. 揂ll right, we抣l call him Old Man. Just until I can come up with something better.?Reluctantly, he looked over at Belmont. 揧ou have a problem with the dog??
Belmont watched Aaron for a moment without responding, a muscle ticking in his jaw, before turning and heading back for the vehicle. When Peggy patted Aaron抯 shoulder, necklace jangling, he shrugged it off. Where the hell had she gotten the impression he needed comfort? He was well used to being disregarded. By anyone other than voters, his constituents, the press. Which was why Iowa better look out.
Aaron Clarkson is gunning for you.
And nobody could stand in his way.
*
Rita抯 legs were beginning to shake when Jasper guided her hands to the wrought iron of his headboard, wrapping their entwined fingers around one of the thin, curved poles. Since they抎 retrieved her luggage from Buried Treasure and sped home in the truck, Jasper had spent the last hour taking her to the edge of heaven. Only to guide her in a floating gulfstream back down to earth and start the process all over again.
揑 told you, didn抰 I??His voice was rough and smooth, all at once, in her ear. 揟old you I抎 make love to you, just like this. With our fingers wrapped nice and tight around the headboard.?A leisurely grind of his hips turned biting at the end, eliciting a slap where their flesh connected. 揥hat else did I say??
揧ou厰 Rita wet her lips, enjoying the strain of her arm muscles on the pillow, the sweaty glide of their bodies as Jasper rolled up and back. 揧ou w-were going to say things in my ear. Things you can抰 say in the light.?
Rita shifted her hips so the base of Jasper抯 erection would make contact, both of them groaning when their sensitive spots rubbed, glided, rubbed. 揟hat抯 what I said,?Jasper panted, dropping his mouth to her breasts, laving her right nipple with a skilled tongue. 揂nd I抦 a man of my word.?
揑 know,?Rita whispered, wishing her arms were free so she could run greedy hands down his back, yank him deeper. Hold him. 揑 know you are.?
Jasper plowed slowly into her, receding, driving forward again. 揥hen I saw you on the side of the road, Rita敆his perspiration-soaked head fell into the crook of her neck, but he lifted it to say the next words in her ear棑I saw my wife. I knew.?
A sound she couldn抰 describe梞aybe an overjoyed whimper條eft her mouth. She turned her head to kiss Jasper, falling into some deep, dark rabbit hole of passion when he made love to her with masculine lips, an eager tongue. All the while, his lower body pumped, robbing her of reason. Except for one circular thought that spun in revolutions inside her head. 揟he way you looked at me, like no one else was there. No one has ever looked at me like that.?Her fingers tightened on the headboard, a quickening beginning in her middle. 揑f you had kept on driving your bike, right out of Hurley卝ust kept going. I would have held on tight and let you take me.?
揜ita.?Hard kisses rained down the side of her face. 揜ita.?
His movements hastened, the headboard beginning to bump the wall each time he demanded entrance into her body. She started to spiral higher, her thighs lifting to take Jasper deeper, back bowing, sobs breaking past her lips. 揓asper.?Her eyes widened when one of Jasper抯 hands left the headboard, drifting down to surround her throat. That familiar thrill only he had ever brought to the forefront blazed bright, her release so close, so close. 揚lease.?
Jasper抯 eyes were glassy, filled with lust as his grip tightened. Just enough to propel Rita into oblivion. 揊eel that, Rita? That抯 the grip I抳e felt around my heart since you got here. Don抰 ever let go. Please.?
揘ever. I never will.?Managing to get her arms free, she threw them around Jasper, holding him as his body imploded on top of hers, loud, male growls bathing her ears. His body undulating, working his need free in stilted, feverish thrusts. The headboard gave a few final slams against the wall.
A short time later, sweat drying on their bodies, hearts beating full with contentment, Rita turned on her side to face Jasper. 揑s that what the kids are calling 憆eading the specials?these days??
Jasper rolled her into a bear hug, his husky laugher already as familiar as a favorite song. 揧ou want specials, beautiful??The house settled with comforting creaks around them, as if it had been waiting, hoping梐nd now it was satisfied. 揑 was thinking for Sunday brunch, we could serve belgian waffles棓
揥ith blueberry compote, drizzled butter-cream sauce卆nd bacon. Always bacon厰
揂lways.?She felt Jasper grin into her hair, prompting her to do the same against his neck, enjoying its vibration. 揥e can test it out in the morning.?
揑n the morning,?Rita sighed out. 揈very morning.?
Legs twined together, arms holding one another close, they agreed without words to drift off together. After all, come tomorrow, they had a restaurant to run.
They woke up with the dawn. Smiling.
Look for the second book in Tessa Bailey抯 Romancing the Clarksons series, Too Wild to Tame, available in September 2016.
A preview follows.
Chapter One
Welcome to hell,?Aaron muttered, maneuvering the Suburban to avoid a patch of ice on the narrow road. In the passenger seat, Old Man lifted his white, furry head梐nd if dogs could grimace, Aaron抯 new, unexpected pet was nailing it. Their eyes met across the console, one fuzzy eyebrow twitching as if to say This is where you bring me, human?
Aaron sighed and went back to scanning the street for the campsite. The term man抯 best friend was apparently up for interpretation. He抎 barely achieved grudging respect with Old Man between New Mexico and Iowa. Still, the bare minimum of mutual appreciation was more than he could garner from the other occupants of the Suburban, wasn抰 it? When it came to his siblings, he took what he could get. Although now only three Clarksons remained, as opposed to the four they抎 started the journey with. A cross-country journey with no discernable purpose.