Her arms went around his neck as he maneuvered them into the barn. His lips were on her before he even turned the four-wheeler off. He’d been thinking about doing this all day since she’d let him get so close to her this morning. Only this time, she wasn’t letting him lead. The minx bit his bottom lip, hard, and rocked against his erection. Reckless, he gripped the back of her hair and pulled her head back, exposing her neck. He trailed biting kisses down her skin. Fuck, he wanted her. Wanted to be inside of her, claiming her, but he had to take it slow with Elyse. Cole had hurt her, and she was still crying over him. Ian didn’t want to bed her too soon. Elyse needed more time to be ready for all the emotional weight that would come with them sleeping together.
And sure as rain, if Ian slept with Elyse, it wouldn’t be fucking. It would be loving, and the difference was almost as terrifying as the woman in his arms.
Elyse slipped her hands under the hem of his shirt and ran a smooth touch up his stomach. His abs clenched under her palms as he trailed his kisses to the base of her throat. He pulled her tighter against his erection, so the next time she rocked those sexy little hips of hers, she caught his length and, holy hell, she felt good against him.
When he kissed her lips again, Elyse gave off a pained noise, and instantly, Ian released her hair from his grip. “Did I hurt you?” Dammit, of course he had. He was being too rough. She was human and fragile, and he didn’t know his own strength.
“No.” She touched her chin gingerly. “Yes. I’m not used to kissing a man with a beard.”
“Oh,” he murmured. “Here, let me see.” He pushed her hand gently away and lifted her face in the muted barn light. She was looking red and a little raw, and he felt like grit. He should’ve shaved. With a sigh, he kissed her neck softly, then lifted her off and settled her on her feet. “Come on, let’s go eat.”
“Are you mad?” she asked, sounding confused as she stood her ground.
Ian held out his hand and shook his head. “Not at all. I feel bad for hurting you. We’ll give it a rest, okay?”
Elyse’s face fell as she slipped her palm against Ian’s. “I don’t know if I want that.”
Ian chuckled and pulled her along beside him. “You like kissing me then?”
Bumping his shoulder, she said, “You know I do. Don’t be that guy.”
“What guy?”
“The guy who knows he’s hot but still fishes for compliments.”
“So you think I’m hot?” he asked through a grin.
Elyse laughed and shoved his shoulder. Before she could retreat, he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder, then slapped her ass as she peeled into a fit of giggles.
“Brute. You put me down, or I’ll—”
“You’ll what?”
“I’ll never kiss you again.”
Ian loved that challenge, so he settled her upright and gripped her shoulders, staring intently into her eyes until her breath went all shallow and ragged. Then he leaned forward and angled his face, but at the last moment, froze mere millimeters away from her lips. He brushed her hair from her face and cupped her cheek. “Never?”
She let off a sexy, helpless noise, then blinked hard and shoved away from him. “Tease.”
“I heard you singing,” he said low as he followed her in the house.
There was a smile in her voice when she said, “I used to sing all the time.”
“What stopped you?”
“Life.”
“And now?”
She tossed him a coy look over her shoulder and headed straight for the kitchen. “Now I’m going to make lunch.”
Hmm, who was the tease now?
Lunch was sandwiches—one for her and four for Ian. And when they were done, he told her to, “Go get dressed for town.”
“Why?” she asked, her eyes sparking with curiosity and something more. Excitement. Town must be a rare treat for her.
“We need to get you a hunter and trapper’s license.”
“Oh.” Her face fell in disappointment, and she took their plates to the sink.
“What was that look for?”
“I don’t trap.”
Ian narrowed his eyes and stood behind her as she scrubbed their dishes. Her honey-colored hair was soft against his fingertips as he moved it out of the way to expose the length of her pretty neck. Showing the neck was a sign of submission, and even if she didn’t know what he was, he liked when she let him see it. She’d called him a brute once. Elyse had been right.
“You’ll learn to trap so if you get in a bind this winter, you can go out there with confidence and bring something home. And if you need money or supplies from town, you’ll be able to barter with the fur. Now what were you really going to say?”
Her neck flushed, white as porcelain to a soft pink. “Nothing.”
“Tell me.”
“I thought you were going to take me into town to…you know…spend time with me.”
“We are spending time.”
Elyse let off a human growl that was about as intimidating as a kitten hissing. “I thought you were asking me to go to town for a date.”
Ian dropped his hand from her hair and took a step back, shocked. “A date?”