Alone with You Read online

  Unexpectedly he withdrew, his movement slow, measured. She heard their panting breaths mingle as she waited for the hard thrust that would fill her again, banish the emptiness that had been mounting deep inside her. Turning his head, he kissed the inner part of her ankle where it lay on his shoulder. Then he smiled at her and started moving again, in and out with restrained little thrusts that tested her patience.

  “Please, Tanner,” she whispered, reaching for his hips, trying to force him to push in deeper.

  “Don’t you want it to last?” he asked hoarsely.

  “No.”

  The single, harshly panted word was all it took. He thrust into her as if his control had suddenly snapped, then pushed again with enough force to steal her breath, leaving her defenseless against the rush of sensations overtaking her.

  The world shimmered and soared behind her closed lids, and when she heard him groan, felt his body shudder, she had just enough strength for her inner muscles to squeeze his cock.

  At least this time, there were no complaints.

  * * *

  TANNER KNEW THE sun hadn’t come up yet, though he suspected it was morning. The muted glow from a streetlight spilled past the curtains, making it hard to gauge the time. Behind him the digital alarm clock sat on the nightstand. But if he moved, he’d wake Lexy, and he wasn’t willing to do that. Neither of them had slept much.

  With her cheek pressed against his chest, he shifted just a little so his arm wouldn’t cramp. She didn’t even twitch. Just stayed exactly as she was, her soft, warm body snuggled up to him.

  Alexis Worthington had turned out to be the biggest surprise he’d had in a long time. Not just in bed. He remembered the stuffy suit and ugly hairstyle when he’d first seen her, and decided right then she wasn’t worth a second look. Damn, he’d been wrong.

  He’d thought she was all starch and no give, but hell, she hadn’t complained about a thing. Not about the motel, the trailer, the less-than-stellar rest stops, none of it.

  Some spoiled rich kid she’d turned out to be.

  Not that she didn’t have her moments. It was obvious she liked fine things. Her purse and shoes alone had to be worth more than Betsy. Throw in the gold Rolex and he supposed it would cover his truck, too. Lucky for him she’d been sent to get him, or he would never have met someone like her. Though why she’d come in person, or how she’d pissed off her father remained mysteries. Something told him the two things were related.

  Her lashes fluttered. She moved closer, moaning quietly. Not a good moan, more a sound of distress. He remained still, waiting, watching. She shifted away, and moaned again.

  “Lexy?”

  She frowned, then opened her eyes. Her gaze swept the room before landing on his face, and she smiled. “Is it morning?”

  “I think so. You were moaning.”

  “Oh.” She stretched out her legs and winced. “It’s nothing. Muscles I haven’t used in a while. That’s all. What time is it?”

  He couldn’t help a grin as he strained to see the clock. None of his business which muscles she had or hadn’t been using lately, but he could still be pleased. He held her tighter when she tried to give him room. “It’s five-fifteen. Go back to sleep.”

  A small smile tugged at her lips. “Are you going to sleep?”

  “Depends on what that smile is for.”

  “Mmm, guess.”

  He felt her nipples hardening against his chest. His cock had been half-hard since he’d woken up. “What about those sore muscles?”

  “You of all people should know about getting right back on the horse.” Her thumb started doing those tiny circles on his belly that worked like an On switch.

  “You do remember we don’t have another condom,” he said, sliding down so that he could kiss her neck, zeroing in on the spot that prompted all kinds of wiggling and whimpering.

  She shivered. “That didn’t stop us from getting creative last night.”

  The light rasp of his beard against her skin cooled him off. He drew back and used his tongue to soothe the afflicted area. “How about I get dressed, go to my trailer and shave, then bring back some condoms?”

  “This doesn’t bother me,” she said, cupping her hand to his jaw. “I kind of like it.”

  “You won’t for long.” He turned his head and kissed her palm. “I’ve already left a mark.” He touched the red spot on the side of her neck, then pushed his fingers into her hair.

  “I can’t feel it.”

  “After I get through with you, you will.”

  Her response was something between a laugh and a sexy moan. She closed her eyes when he started to massage her scalp. Her hand slid down his chest, over his belly. In a minute it would be hell trying to force himself to put on clothes. Or think.

  “Let’s stay another night,” he murmured the moment she wrapped her hand around his cock. It leaped at her touch, which unfortunately slackened.

  “We can’t.” She moved her hand away altogether. “You know we can’t.”

  “Why not? We’ll still make it to Houston in plenty of time.”

  “Why take the chance? Anything could happen to delay us.”

  Although he still had his arm around her, she’d shifted so that she was lying on her back and staring at the ceiling. “You should go back to sleep. You have a lot of driving to do today.”

  “What just happened?”

  Briefly closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, her bare breasts rising and falling with the effort. She tried to pull up the covers, but he caught her hand.

  “Lexy, come on.”

  “I’m cold.”

  “No, you aren’t.” He curled the arm she was lying on and brought her warm body back to him. “Looks as if you’re starting to regret last night.”

  “No.” She met his gaze, only for an instant, then laid her cheek on his chest. “I swear to you I have no regrets, not about last night. But we still have to get to Houston.”

  “And?”

  “I know you don’t think I’ve behaved unprofessionally but the fact remains, I’m here on business.”

  “This is about your father, isn’t it?”

  Her head came up. She gave him an icy glare. Then her shoulders slumped. “To some degree, yes. He heads the company. If he found out, he’d—” She closed her eyes briefly, then opened them and studied him with enough caution to make him itch. “I told you I’d upset him, and we’ve been on rocky ground ever since. It’s been ten years.”

  “Ten?” He couldn’t hide his shock. Ten years ago she’d been a kid.

  She got up on one elbow. “It started when I refused to go to Harvard. I’d secretly applied to Stanford, was accepted and told him that’s where I was going.”

  “I didn’t go to college, but I know Stanford isn’t exactly a hole in the wall.”

  “No,” Lexy agreed. “But my father’s a Harvard man, so are my brother and grandfather and all his brothers.”

  “What about the women? You gotta have some of those in your family.” He smiled. “Besides you.”

  She smiled back. “Most of them got a pass. They weren’t directly involved with the company. Their jobs were to give dinner parties, make intelligent conversation and babies.” Sighing, she picked at a thread from the pillowcase. “I could’ve just gone to Harvard to make him happy but the whole thing got out of control. I expected him to give in. But instead, he started finding fault with everything I did, from the boys I dated to the clothes I wore. Which made me angrier and more rebellious. I sure never expected him to cut me out of everything.”

  Tanner frowned. “Like disown you?”

  “No, nothing like that. I went home for holidays and we saw each other at social events.” She shrugged. “We were civil. But when it came to paying for school or pretty much an
ything, I was on my own.”

  He let out a low whistle. “Stanford had to be a bite in the ass. My brother only went to a Texas university and it wasn’t cheap. Law school nearly gave me a heart attack.”

  “Your mom had died...” She tilted her head to the side and studied him. He knew what was coming next and wished he’d been more careful with his words. “Did you pay your brother’s tuition?”

  “Doug was still a kid.” He scrubbed at his face. Much as he hated talking about it, he didn’t want to be a jackass. She’d just confided more in him than she probably did most people. “He couldn’t make that kind of money while he was in school. I didn’t want him starting out in life with a huge debt on his back.”

  A soft smile lifted the corners of Lexy’s mouth. She leaned over and kissed him. “You are incredibly sweet.”

  “Ah, Jesus.” Why did she have to ruin such a nice kiss?

  “Are you blushing?”

  “Hell, no.”

  She laughed. “Too bad. You are a sweet brother. Mine couldn’t wait to fill my shoes.” Her mouth tightened and she stared down at her hand. “To be fair to Harrison, I hadn’t realized how much my father had favored me. For years it seemed I could do no wrong, then all of a sudden I could do absolutely nothing right. Maybe it was a lesson I was meant to learn. Harrison never deserved to be treated like second best.”

  “He’s younger?”

  “A year older.”

  Tanner already didn’t like the guy. “He should’ve been looking out for you.”

  Shaking her head, she said, “It can’t be easy living in a sibling’s shadow. As I’m now finding out.” She let out a startled laugh, as if the thought had just occurred to her. “Oh, well, Harrison has secured his corner of the empire. I’ve done my groveling. I imagine I’ll be given a few more absurd errands like this—” She jerked a look at him. “Nothing personal, so don’t take offense.”

  “None taken.”

  She ran her gaze down his chest to his poor, ignored cock. “On the other hand, this trip turned out to be a bonus.” She moved closer, pressing her lips to the side of his ribs, then lower, until his cock started gearing up for the party.

  He stopped her. It about killed him, but he didn’t know if he’d have another chance at a heart-to-heart. “How did you end up paying for school?”

  “Really?” She slid an inch lower and looked up at him through her lashes. “You still want to talk?”

  “That’s just— Oh, man.” He tensed at the feel of her tongue on his belly, and stopped her.

  Watching him jerk the sheet over his hips, Lexy let out a short laugh. “Seriously?”

  “It’s not like I’m thrilled about this.”

  “Well...”

  He blocked her. “Lord, give me strength,” he said to the ceiling. To her he said, “Now talk.”

  She sank back against her pillow. “I had some money stashed, did some tutoring, I even managed to qualify for scholarship and grant money. I felt horrible when so many kids needed it but I honestly didn’t know what else to do. I’m going to find a way to replace every penny when I can touch my trust fund. For now, though, my salary, whatever that ends up being, will go toward student loans and credit-card balances.” She caught his surprise. “Yes, by junior year I had to apply for student loans, which also helped cover graduate school. I made enough from working part-time for living expenses and books, but that’s all.”

  Tanner didn’t know what to make of what she was telling him. Hard to believe her family could’ve been that cold. But then all he had to do was think of his own father, the worthless bum. He’d had no trouble turning his back on his own blood. “What about your mom, your grandparents? No one stepped in to help you?”

  She pressed her lips together, and for a moment he wished he hadn’t asked the question. The sadness in her eyes sliced clean through him. “I thought—” She stopped to clear her throat. “The truth is I kept hoping my mom or my grandmother would’ve come to my rescue, but apparently, they agreed with him. Or didn’t want to interfere.”

  “Your mom? She’s supposed to—” He cut himself off but it was too late. He didn’t even know where this sudden feeling of protectiveness had come from, but she didn’t need him stating the obvious. “Hey, it happens. My own father is useless to the bone.”

  The hurt faded from her expression. Questions swirled in her eyes. He figured she’d ask them at some point.

  “It’s okay. Really. I imagine they disapproved of my behavior at times and considered me an embarrassment.” She looked at him, obviously read his doubt, and broke out in a huge grin. “Hey, when I do something, I go all out. My rebellion reached impressive levels. Just don’t research me on Google from my college days.” She paused, concern flickering in her face. “Seriously, don’t.”

  He tried not to smile. That pretty much sealed the deal. He was getting himself an iPad.

  “On the upside, the past few years have been a valuable learning experience. I found out that I come by my stubborn pride honestly.” She gave a small rueful smile. “Discovered what it felt like to be poor, that yes, I can actually cook if I’m hungry enough. And amazingly, I will not languish in obscurity just because I haven’t updated my wardrobe with the It color of the season.” She got up on her knees. “And by the way, I can unequivocally say, being rich is immeasurably better.” Placing her hands on his shoulders, she swung a leg over him.

  Immediately, he forgot most of what she’d just said. He let his head fall back, gripping her bare waist while she straddled him. Tough decision, looking into her eyes and waiting for her kiss, or burying his face in her soft, round breasts. The sheet served as a barrier between them, arguably a good thing. It was probably smart to leave it be, though smart wasn’t cutting it for him at the moment.

  “So, where were we before all this stupid talk?” she asked, leaning in so that her nipples grazed his chest and her lips brushed his, then she sat back to smile at him.

  With a quiet growl of frustration, he plucked at the cheap cotton in protest.

  “Poor baby,” she said, petting him. “I know it’s hard.” The word had barely left her mouth and she laughed. “No pun intended. Hey, are you pouting?”

  Tanner wasn’t happy but he wasn’t a pouter, either. Giving her backside a light pat, he surged up and gave her a quick kiss. “I’m going to get the condoms.”

  “Wait.” She pushed his shoulders back against the headboard, then slowly raked her fingers through his hair. “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “For listening.” She pressed a kiss on his lips. “For not judging.” Then planted one below his ear, the same spot she liked being kissed. It felt good. “For wanting to defend me.”

  He cradled her face in his hands. He believed everything she’d told him. It wouldn’t surprise him if she ended up doing more than just return the grant money. “I don’t know what kind of person you were before...but I sure admire who you are now.”

  “Oh, Tanner.” She held on to his wrists and they both leaned in at the same time, bumping noses and laughing. “I’m going to make a pit stop, then dump out my makeup bag just in case I overlooked a condom. Will you stay right here?”

  He rubbed his prickly jaw. “I should shave...”

  “No, stay here. Promise.”

  Nodding, he watched her dismount and then walk naked to the bathroom. The view alone was enough to keep him stock-still. “Lexy?”

  She turned with a sweet smile on her lips.

  “We’re gonna get to Houston on time. You’ll meet your deadline, I can promise you that.”

  “I know.” She looked as if she wanted to crawl back into bed with him, and he wouldn’t have minded one bit. But then she sighed and disappeared behind the bathroom door.

  As soon as it closed, he let out a breath he hadn
’t known was trapped in his chest. Lexy was different. He couldn’t think of a woman he knew who was anything like her. The thought made him a little uneasy. No good would come of him getting too attached to her. They lived in different worlds. Always would. He did all right financially. At least he’d been smart enough to invest most of his winnings. But he couldn’t afford to keep someone like her happy.

  And why the hell was he even thinking about that kind of crap? Jesus. They’d had dinner and sex. And yeah, some intense conversation. So what?

  He thought he heard his phone ring and turned to the clock. Too early for anyone to be calling. Course everyone who had his number knew they had to leave a message most of the time. The idea that it could be Doug had him jumping off the bed and diving for his jeans.

  “Will, is that you?”

  He frowned at the unfamiliar voice. “Yeah, it’s Tanner.”

  “This is Archie Crawford. Remember me? Hank and Elizabeth’s neighbor?”

  “Sure, Mr. Crawford.” He hadn’t seen the old geezer in years. The guy had to be close to ninety, half of his life spent living next to Pop and... His heart slammed his chest. “Is everything okay?”

  “No, Will, it ain’t. I’m guessin’ you don’t know about what’s happening to your grandparents’ ranch because if you did, you woulda stopped it.”

  “Mr. Crawford, please, first tell me they’re all right.”

  “That depends, son. If you call having their ranch pulled out from under them being all right.”

  “What?” He paced to the window. No use getting mad at the old man. Even if he was slower than molasses getting to the point. “Who’s trying to take their ranch?”

  “The government, that’s who. Auctioning off the whole enchilada for back taxes. Used to be they watched out for us elderly folk. No more. Now those bloodsuckers swoop in and take what they want.”

  It didn’t make sense. If Pop and Nana needed money for taxes they would’ve told him. “Are you sure about this?”

  “Dang tootin’, I’m sure. The auction signs have already gone up.”