Gavin sucked in a sharp breath. "Honey, I didn't take control, you lost control the instant I put my mouth on you. No shame in that." He drew a line across the tops of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

Rielle knocked his hands away and shimmied down his thighs, dropping to her knees.

His body went rigid.

She flicked open the b.u.t.ton on his dress slacks and unzipped him. "Stand and take off your pants. Boxers too."

Gavin stood so fast he knocked the chair over.

She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing.

Then he was completely naked. Were her eyes deceiving her, or was Gavin a little unsure about being stripped bare in front of her, with all the dining room lights on?

He shouldn't be. He was all man, wonderful s.e.xy man, and she'd do everything in her power to a.s.sure him she liked what she saw. "Your body rocks my world, Gavin."

"This old thing?"

She laughed softly. Odd to think she'd never had the opportunity to explore her lover's reaction to her touch. s.e.xual encounters prior to Gavin had been done quickly and in darkness.

Time to change that. She'd learn every inch of him, learn what he liked, learn what made him shake with need. Starting here and now. Her hands followed the outside of his thighs; the crisp hair on his legs abraded her palms. She mapped the hard, defined quads. His slender hips were a frame for his flat belly. She probably could've gone on in more detail, but that pretty c.o.c.k, directly in front of her face, distracted her. Thick, smooth and hard, rising out of the dark, curly tufts of hair between those impressive thighs.

Rielle glanced up and saw Gavin watching her with molten eyes. She licked him from root to tip in one long, slow, wet swipe.

"Jesus. This might kill me, you know that, right?"

Smiling, she flicked her tongue beneath the c.o.c.khead. "I'm thinking you'd better hold on to something solid. Brace yourself against the table."

Gavin shifted, keeping his stance wide and his hands gripping the table's edge. He wore a look of hopeful panic, which amused her. Maybe the book she'd read had it right; men cared less about a great oral technique than great enthusiasm.

She enclosed the base of the shaft in her right hand and lowered her mouth over the tip. The taut skin was smooth against her tongue. She sucked, getting a little taste of the glistening wetness leaking from the slit.

"d.a.m.n. That feels good."

She pulled back and looked up at him. "You'll tell me if I do something you don't like?"

"Honey, I can promise you I'm gonna like it all, trust me."

"Ah. Well...I probably won't swallow since I-" just tell him the truth just tell him the truth, "-haven't done it before. You okay with that?"

Gavin blindly reached behind him and came up with a napkin. He pa.s.sed it to her. "Problem solved."

Rielle kissed the crown. Then she let the head pa.s.s between her teeth. Over her tongue until the shaft filled her mouth and her gag reflex kicked in. She backed off and started again, sucking him in a little deeper with each pa.s.s.

He groaned.

She circled her right hand around the base, stroking up to meet the downward plunge of her mouth. She flattened her free hand against his abdomen. Intoxicating to feel those muscles rippling beneath her touch.

Her mouth created so much wetness as she eagerly worked him over that liquid flowed down and coated her hand. She began to move faster.

The slipperier sensation had Gavin b.u.mping his hips away from the table, into her face.

She liked this. No, she loved loved it. All of it. The intimacy. His trust. Her power. And those s.e.xy, manly hisses and moans. it. All of it. The intimacy. His trust. Her power. And those s.e.xy, manly hisses and moans.

"Jesus. Don't stop. A little faster. Like that. G.o.dd.a.m.n, Ree, what you're doing to me."

For a split second it seemed as if his c.o.c.k lengthened. Then his hips snapped three times and he released a long groan.

Salty, wet heat splashed on her tongue and she held it in her mouth until Gavin's body stopped twitching. She slipped the head free from her mouth, trying to discreetly spit into the napkin. That seemed messier than just swallowing. Good thing to remember for next time.

When she glanced up, he was peering down at her, a goofy smile on his handsome face.

"What?"

"That didn't suck."

She laughed.

A moment pa.s.sed and he cradled the side of her face in his hand. "You're beautiful."

Her immediate denial got stuck in her throat. The way he looked at her made her feel beautiful. Made her feel wanted. Made her feel so very feminine.

Gavin slowly ran his thumb over her lower lip. Her tongue darted out and licked the pad. His thumb slipped inside, closer to her teeth. Her tongue traced the contour of his thumb as he stroked the wet inner flesh, back and forth. Such a s.e.xy, intense moment and she found herself nearly breathless, imagining what would happen next.

"Bed," he said hoa.r.s.ely. "Now."

She rolled to her feet and began to pick up their clothing.

His hand on her arm stopped her and she looked at him.

"Leave it."

Then he clasped her fingers in his and led her to her bedroom. Gavin made love to her with the intensity she craved. Pushing her higher with each hard thrust. Seeming to know exactly what she needed.

And after they were spent, basking in the pleasure of skin on skin and lazy kisses, she understood what he gave her was so much more than hot s.e.x.

While they'd been naked together, nothing else mattered.

But after they left the bedroom, the situation with Rory and Sierra put them at odds. The clock read twelve forty-five and the girls weren't home. Neither of them answered their cell phones.

Gavin muttered about car accidents, serial killers and rednecks.

While Rielle understood Gavin's concern, if he pushed her, she'd point out Rory was twenty-four. She didn't have a curfew. And if Gavin hadn't wanted Sierra tagging along with Rory, then he should've said something. Might be harsh-and she wasn't complaining at all about their alone s.e.xy time-but he'd been more concerned about getting off than where his daughter was off to.

Part of her wanted to go to bed. Gavin's discussion with and discipline for his daughter were his business, not hers. But the mothering side worried for Rory and always would, demanding she wait up to see her daughter's face. And yeah, Rielle wanted to make sure Sierra was all right too.

At one-thirty, Gavin quit pacing and grabbed his coat from the coat tree.

"Where are you going?"

"To find them. To alleviate my worry that they're in a ditch somewhere or s.h.i.tfaced and neither one is capable to drive."

"No one at the Golden Boot will serve Sierra." When Gavin opened his mouth to argue, she held her hand up. "Rory is a bartender in a college town, used to dealing with underage drinking. She won't buy drinks for herself and pa.s.s them to Sierra, nor will she let her drink. So I'm one hundred percent sure at least your your daughter is sober." daughter is sober."

"That's rea.s.suring," he muttered.

"It should be."

"I'd be a lot more rea.s.sured if I could talk to her." He swore. "Why aren't they answering their G.o.dd.a.m.ned phones?"

"Because they're both p.i.s.sed off at us and that's what people do when they're mad, Gavin. Ignore the person who made them mad."

"You're not concerned about this at all?"

"Honestly? No. Rory is an adult. A responsible adult."

"Well, my daughter isn't."

Rielle held his gaze. "Then you shouldn't have let her go out with mine."

Gavin's mouth tightened, but he didn't say a word.

Headlights shone through the window.

She breathed a sigh of relief. Their conversation had been headed toward dangerous ground and she didn't have the mental energy to deal with it right now. She recognized the vehicle as Rory's truck since the engine continued to sputter after it'd been shut off. A truck door slammed. Just one, not two. The porch floorboards creaked. The handle on the door moved as if the person was testing to see if it was locked.

The door opened and Sierra stepped inside.

Sierra wasn't surprised to see her father glaring at her in the entryway. She removed her gloves and scarf, hung up her coat and kicked off her boots. She jammed her hands in the pockets of her jeans. "Sorry I'm late."

"Why didn't you answer your phone?" Gavin demanded.

"I left it in the car?"

"Bulls.h.i.t. You're surgically attached to the d.a.m.n thing. Try again."

"Fine. It was loud in there."

"You knew I called you. You could've texted me if it was too loud."

Sierra lifted her chin. "I didn't answer because I was having an awesome time. Talking to you would've ruined it. I already knew I'd be in trouble." Her eyes met Rielle's. "Rory told me to tell you she had too much liquid fun tonight. I dropped her off at her cabin and put a garbage can by her bed just in case she gets sick."

"Thank you, Sierra. I appreciate you looking out for her." Rielle looked at Gavin. "Good night."

She felt his angry and surprised gaze following her but she didn't turn around. He could deal with his daughter now; she'd deal with hers in the morning.

Rielle wasn't surprised to see Rory in the kitchen at seven a.m. making breakfast. Even as a small child, she'd been quick to anger, but she'd mend fences just as quickly. They'd never stayed mad at each other for longer than a day, but she had the niggling feeling this conversation would test that theory.

"Morning," Rory said. "Coffee's done."

"Thank you." Rielle poured a cup and sat at the breakfast bar. She eyed the bacon sizzling in the skillet and watched as her daughter expertly cracked four eggs. Then she dropped the bread into the toaster, flipped the hash browns and set out two plates.

"Want fruit too?"

"No. This is good." Rielle sipped her coffee. "How bad's the hangover?"

Rory shrugged. "Digesting grease and salt will give my body something to do rather than trying to expel the excess alcohol in my system."

She laughed. "Who'd you run into last night that made you get your drink on?"

"Dalton."

"How is he? I haven't seen him in a while."

"The man drives me insane. I almost got into a fistfight with him."

"What did he say that p.i.s.sed you off?"

"What didn't didn't he say." he say."

"I thought you two were friends."

"We were. Until we weren't."

Cryptic.

Rory dished up the hash browns and bacon. The toast popped up, she b.u.t.tered it and sliced it before adding the eggs to the plates.

"You would've been an awesome short order cook."

"Doesn't pay as much as bartending." She ripped off a piece of bacon. "Or a master's degree in Ag Management."

They dug in. Rory didn't chatter through the meal like normal.

Once the dishes were cleared and they'd refilled their coffee, Rory spoke. "So you're really with him."

"Yes."

"Why?"

Rielle squeezed Rory's forearm. "I love you. I'm here for you. I will talk to you about anything you want. Except for this."