He continued to whisper in my ear, but I didn’t understand him. I was too far gone. My body trembled with anticipation as he slid one hand down between our bodies. As soon as he brushed his thumb over my swollen clit, I was gone. I’d lost all sense of control, and there was nothing I could do but scream out my pleasure when my body exploded and jolted around him. I raked my nails across his back as I clamped down around him, urging him to give in to his release. Unable to contain his climax any longer, Cotton’s body tensed, and he drove into me one last time, holding himself deep inside me as he found his release.
While he still remained inside me, his body rested on top of mine, and I could feel the thunder of his heartbeat pulse against my chest. I loved having the weight of his body pressed against mine and groaned with displeasure when he rolled to the side, collapsing with exhaustion onto the bed. Missing his warmth, I curled up next to him, resting my head on his shoulder. I lay there quietly as I waited for the tremors in my body to settle. We’d never had sex like that before: possessive, hungry, and filled with need and heat. It was like Cotton wanted to own my body, and I couldn’t get enough of it. I wanted him, all of him, and as I listened to his breathing begin to slow, I felt a contentment I’d never felt before. He gave me a light squeeze, pulling me from my thoughts.
A sexy grin spread across his face as he said, “Definitely the best part of my day.”
“Mine, too,” I laughed, feeling a warmth in my heart like I’d never known.
A fire burned deep inside me, one fueled by the need to protect what was mine. When things were good with my family and my brothers, the fire would simmer, low and dim, and I wouldn’t even know it was there. But when there was trouble, or when my family was threatened, the fire would rage inside me like a beast clawing its way out of a cage. Cass brought a different fuel to my flame. My need for her burned deep within me, and after spending the night with her, I knew I’d never get enough of her. She’d fallen asleep in my arms, and I couldn’t remember a night when I’d slept so soundly. She was so warm and soft, and I would have liked nothing more than to spend the entire day tangled in the sheets with her. Unfortunately, fate had other plans. Fuck fate. Fuck fate and the goddamn horse she rode in on.
“Cotton,” Maverick called as he banged on my door. I rolled over to check the clock on my nightstand and saw it was only eight in the morning—too damn early for anyone to be knocking at my door.
“Yeah?” I grumbled.
“There’s someone here to see you.”
“You gonna tell me who?” I snapped.
“Some woman. Says she’s a friend of yours,” Maverick replied. After a short pause, he said, “Her name is Sara Locke. Said she’s come all the way from Alaska.”
Fuck. The sound of her name was like a punch to the gut, and even though I hadn’t seen her or heard from her in almost twenty-five years, I could still see a perfect image of her face when I closed my eyes. We had history, but that time had come and gone. So why had she come after all this time? What was so damn important she’d come to my club, looking for me? Whatever it was, I had a feeling it wasn’t good.
“I’ll be out in a minute,” I told him as I pulled myself out of bed. With Cassidy still sleeping soundly, I headed to the bathroom to take a quick shower. When I came back out, Cass was awake and propped up on her elbows, giving me a questioning look. Unable to resist the temptation, I dropped my towel to the floor and waited as the expression on her face quickly changed. I loved watching her eyes instantly fill with lust, like she could never get enough of me.
With a mischievous smile, she fussed, “You did that on purpose.”
“Did what?” I taunted as I reached for my jeans. She sat there, watching me appreciatively as I pulled them up over my hips.
“You know what,” she said playfully. “You’re just a tease.”
As I pulled my t-shirt over my head, I said, “You’re the tease, sweetheart. Lying there, wearing nothing but the smile I put on your face, making it hard as hell to walk out of this room.” I reached for my boots and said, “Unfortunately for me, I’ve got some things I’ve got to tend to. Might be awhile.”
“I’d say that’s unfortunate for both of us, but we’ll have time for that later. I’ve got tons to do today too. I’ll catch you later when you’re done.”
After kissing her long and hard, I headed out to find Maverick. I wanted to see if he had any idea why Sara had come looking for me. I found him in the kitchen, talking to Guardrail, and as soon as I walked into the room, Maverick turned to me and said, “She’s waiting in the bar.”
“Did she say what she wanted?”
“I asked, but she said she’d explain everything to you,” Maverick answered.