Rising Assets (Maverick Montana) Read online

  Oh God. She was perfect.

  Small, white, and sweet, her breasts tempted him. Teased him. He dropped and licked one pink nipple, circling the bud until it was hard as glass. The intimacy of the moment caught his breath.

  She dug her hands into his wet hair, holding him close. His Mel wasn’t shy.

  He tried to restrain his strength, but she pulled on his hair, and gentleness became a dream. She keened when he scraped his teeth across her nipple.

  So he turned to the other one and gave it the same attention before standing upright and grabbing the waist of her pants. Her hands drifted down his body to his belt. “Lift,” he whispered.

  Releasing him, she balanced on the back of the sofa with both hands and lifted. A cloud, a tinge of uncertainty crossed her girl-next-door face as he removed her pants and thong.

  That wouldn’t do.

  He dropped them to the ground and kissed her, hard and complete. She moaned against him, and he pressed against her sex, sliding one finger inside a warmth too hot to be real.

  Her breath caught even during the kiss, and she pushed against him.

  He released her and waited until her eyes focused before speaking. God, she was amazing. “Hold yourself up, Mel. If you fall, I stop.”

  Confusion clouded her features until he dropped to his knees and his mouth found her.

  Her entire body went rigid, and for a moment, he thought she’d fall onto the sofa cushions on the other side. But her thigh muscles tightened, and she remained in place.

  He grinned against her, his finger working her G-spot, his tongue lashing her clit. She tasted like the forest, wild and free. Those spectacular thighs trembled, and her internal walls gripped his finger.

  The minx was fighting it.

  Amusement and determination filtered through him at the same time. Only Mel would try to control when and how she orgasmed. She was about to learn that any control in the bedroom belonged to him.

  He sucked her clit into his mouth, and at the same time, he slipped another finger inside her to twist.

  She cried out, her back arching, as she came. Her abdomen trembled while she rode out the waves. He lashed her clit, prolonging her orgasm as long as he could.

  Finally, with a murmured sigh, she came down.

  And fell over the back of the couch.

  …

  Melanie sprang to her knees and shoved wild curls away from her face as she gaped at Colton on the other side of the sofa. That had been the most amazing orgasm of her life. By the pleased look on his face, he knew it. She had no words.

  Mud coated his pants, and Colton’s cheek had swollen with a purple bruise. Even so, she wanted him inside her. Now.

  As if in total agreement, he unbuckled his belt and drew it through the loops. The hills and valleys of his rigid abs compared to those of the mountains around them. Powerful and dangerous. Then his jeans and boxers hit the floor. He held a condom in his right hand. Good. Definitely a good idea.

  She swallowed, not sure where to look. Now that she’d orgasmed, reality was threatening to return. She dared a peek.

  Holy fucking crap. The rumors whispered by lucky cheerleaders in high school were true. Beyond over the top, true.

  Colt was built. Gifted. Freakin’ huge.

  She swallowed. “Um—”

  “Stop thinking.” He reached for her waist and lifted her over the sofa.

  “Man, you’re strong,” she muttered, that damn fluttering setting up in her abdomen again. He’d lifted her like she was one of those delicate, fan-waving women in the city.

  “Strong enough.” He spun her around to face the couch. Seconds later, he pressed her against the leather.

  Panic and desire swooshed through her. “Colt—”

  “Shh.” He nipped her ear, his body enclosing her, his heated breath warming her skin. “Open for me, Mel.” A smart slap echoed before her ass radiated an erotic pain.

  She opened her mouth to protest—probably—and he cupped her sex, his index finger tapping her clit. Oh God, Oh God, Oh God. She tried to push up, to do anything, and was stopped by his free hand flattening across her upper back.

  “I want you like this,” he whispered into her ear, sending tendrils of lust through her skin. “Just like this.”

  A crackling filled the air as he must’ve slipped on the condom. Grasping her hips, he plunged inside her with one strong stroke.

  She cried out and levered up on her toes, taking all of him. He was too big—too wide—

  He reached around and tugged on her clit, and she dropped down. The fiery need lashing through forced her to push against him, to gyrate, to do anything to ease the pressure.

  “Relax, Mel.” He slid his hands over her bottom, caressing where he’d smacked her. “I’ve dreamed of my palm print right here.” Then those dangerous fingers slid around and up to her breasts to play.

  He tugged and caressed, sending sparks of electricity to where they remained joined.

  “Colt,” she ground out. Emotion swamped her. Colton Freeze was inside her. Completely. Her heart jittered, and she tried to control herself. “Move or I’ll kill you.”

  “Hmmm.” He licked along the shell of her ear. “Like this?” Slipping his hands down, he grasped her hips and slowly slid out of her to smoothly slide back in.

  “M-maybe a bit faster,” she panted, her vision going gray. “So I don’t have to murder you later.”

  “Ahhh.” He nipped. “Okay.” Dark amusement lowered his voice. Digging his fingers in, taking control, he slid out and then back in with force. Increasing his speed as well as his strength, he began to pound.

  Hard, angled, and in perfect timing, he thrust into her. They moved in tune with each other, instinct and history whispering something neither would accept right now.

  She arched and tried to take him deeper. So deep he’d never find his way out.

  He chuckled and planted his hand against her upper back. She tried to push harder, to get him to quicken his thrusts, stilling only when a hard slap across her buttocks shocked her.

  Wetness spilled from her, coating her thighs.

  “I don’t like that,” she hissed against the cushions.

  “Liar,” he whispered, his grip strong and sure.

  With his hand holding her in place, and his body thrusting, she could do nothing but take what he was giving. Helpless, she couldn’t move, she couldn’t even see him behind her. Damn if that didn’t turn her on more.

  The moment held a powerful truth. He controlled more than her body.

  With a low growl, he pounded harder, his dick swelling inside her.

  She sighed, arching, trying to reach the pinnacle. “Colton.”

  He slowed, and her eyes flipped open.

  Then he paused.

  She shook her head. No stopping! Digging her nails into leather, she shoved back against him.

  He chuckled at her ear and slowly withdrew to turn her around. “I want to see your face,” he murmured.

  The tenderness and fire lighting his amazing eyes stole her breath. The shift from wildness to Colt’s natural sweet disposition threw her, and she swallowed.

  He threaded both hands through her hair and leaned in. The kiss started soft and instantly spiraled to lava. She rubbed against him, the ache inside her almost unbearable. He lifted her to slide them both to the other side of the sofa. The second her butt hit cushions, she manacled his hips with her legs, securing her ankles.

  One strong thrust, and he imbedded himself inside her.

  She opened her mouth on a strong exhale. “I’ve always wondered,” she whispered.

  A gentle smile curved his lips. “Me too.”

  One more soft kiss to her mouth, and he reached down to grab her hip. Slowly, he started to move.

  Electricity ripped through her. “More.”

  His eyes darkened with an emotion she couldn’t read. His pace increased along with the force of his thrusts.

  She curled her fingers around his rib cage
, digging in. Her thighs clenched. But she couldn’t look away. A part of her wanted to look away, to sever the intimacy binding them tight, but he held her gaze captive.

  All or nothing.

  That was Colt.

  A spiraling whipped through her, slamming hard in her cervix, and she cried out, her back arching. Waves of intense electricity rippled through her, and she held on, riding them out. His name was the only sound on her lips.

  Finally, with almost a sob, she went limp.

  Colton ground against her as he came. Enfolding her, he kissed her cheek. “Melanie.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Colton checked his blackened eye in the bathroom mirror after wiping away fog. Dark and purple. Yep. He’d had worse, but it was still a shiner.

  Melanie combed out her wet curls next to him, her silence speaking volumes.

  After having sex, they’d washed up in her tiled shower, and it was all he could do not to take her again. But he’d been rough, and although Mel thought she was tough, she had a delicacy that had always concerned him.

  The moment held intimacy, and a part of him wanted to dive right into it. Sex with Melanie was different. Better than anything he’d felt before…more real.

  But this was Mel. And they’d had sex. He made sure the towel was fastened tightly around his waist before turning toward her. “Are you all right?”

  She started and glanced up at him. Pink wandered across her cheekbones. “Fine. You?”

  The crisp tone nudged his temper. “Yes. Did I bruise you?”

  She whirled toward him, fire lancing through her eyes. “You mean when you spanked me?”

  God, she was pretty. Stunning even. The challenge all but shooting from her had the dual benefit of ticking him off and amusing him. The woman was trying to deflect the situation, and a part of him didn’t blame her. So he stepped into her space. “If I had really spanked you, darlin’, you’d know it.”

  Her outraged intake of air was his only warning before she smacked his thigh with the hairbrush.

  “Ow.” He rubbed his skin. “You’re a brat.”

  “Maybe.” She went back to brushing her hair, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip. “I don’t know what to say.”

  Shit. Neither did he. His usual urge to run after sex was nowhere to be found. Instead, he wanted to grab her again and spend the day playing in her bed. All day. “What do you want to say?”

  She frowned. “I’m not sure. Part of me is freaking out, part is happy, and part is wondering if I just betrayed Hawk.”

  Colton swallowed. “Hawk?” His mind reeled. “I mean, you and Hawk haven’t—”

  Melanie snorted. “Of course not. Jeez. But the three of us make a friendship.”

  “I know.” Colton’s shoulders relaxed. The idea of Mel and Hawk had hit him in the gut. Hard. “He told me to go for it before he left.”

  Mel arched an eyebrow. “Go for it?”

  Heat rose through Colton’s face. “Not in a juvenile way, but in a good way. That he likes our friendship but has always thought you and I might become more.”

  “Are we? Becoming more?” she asked, chocolate eyes darkening.

  “I don’t know.” Well, if she could dig deep and be honest, so could he. “Do you want to become more?” God, what was he asking? What did he want? He needed to step back and think a little. Come up with a good plan.

  She grinned. “Look at your mind spin.”

  He settled. “What do you want, Melanie?”

  She blinked. “I, ah, well, things are a little odd right now. With going to the sperm bank and all.”

  No shit. “I know.” He rubbed the bruise at his eye. “For now, why don’t we just take it easy? I mean, let’s keep this between us until we figure things out.”

  She nodded, sending curls flying. “I don’t want to lose our friendship. We aren’t in a position to take this beyond anything more than friends with benefits,” Mel said. “And yes, I know how wrong that sounds. But we have to swear when this thing ends, we will stay friends for life. Definitely keep it between us. The last thing we need is gossip.”

  “Exactly.” He expelled a deep breath.

  “Um, do you still want to come to Seattle with me?” she asked.

  Frankly, he had mixed feelings about the sperm bank. “I wish there was more time to figure this all out.”

  “Me too.” She slid the brush onto the counter. “At first, I was just being smart by wanting to freeze the eggs. But now, if I don’t give in vitro a try, then I might never have a child.”

  “What about adoption?”

  She shrugged. “That’s certainly an option, and a good one, but I’d still like to get pregnant. Just once. Maybe see my mother in a baby, you know?”

  He nodded. “I’m definitely going to Seattle with you.”

  “Because of the business problems.”

  He shook his head. “Because you need support. Dealing with the business problems is a bonus.”

  She grinned. “Stop flirting with me.”

  “I’m not flirting.” Although he appreciated her attempt to lighten the mood.

  “God. You don’t even know when you’re flirting.” She grabbed his towel and pulled.

  He reached for the material, only to have her laugh and run out of the bathroom, leaving him buck-assed naked. If she thought that would stop him, she didn’t know him at all.

  Grinning, he leaped after her with his battle cry echoing.

  Her laughter turned to near giggles as she ran through the house in her towel, almost tripping but never quite slowing down enough for him to pounce. Figured that intimacy with Melanie would be fun as well as sexy as hell. This was new.

  The front door shot open, and Colton turned to block Melanie from any threat.

  Quinn stood framed in the doorway, water dripping from his hat.

  Colton choked back a laugh. “Hi, sheriff. What’s up?”

  “I heard a scream.” Shocked would be an accurate description of Quinn’s expression. “Where the fuck are your clothes?” Slowly, he turned his head as Melanie padded out from the kitchen, still wearing her towel. “Oh.”

  Melanie clutched the towel to her breasts. “Morning, Quinn.”

  Quinn flushed ten shades of red. “Mornin’.”

  Colton bit his lip to keep from laughing out loud. “What’s up?”

  Quinn tapped his hat against his leg, sending droplets flying. “Um, some of Melanie’s cattle wandered down to our eastern pasture, and I thought maybe she had a fence down.”

  “She does.” Colt scratched his head and caught the towel Mel threw at him. He wrapped the material around his waist, keeping his gaze on his brother. “Go get dressed, Mel.” Suddenly, he really didn’t like anybody, even his brother, seeing Melanie half-dressed.

  Relief crossed Quinn’s face. “Good idea. Then we can, ah, figure out which fences need repairing.” Quinn waited until Melanie headed into the bedroom to pin Colton with a hard stare. “What in the hell are you doing?”

  Colton lost his grin. What the hell was he doing?

  Chapter Twelve

  Melanie straightened her seat belt in the private plane as they prepared to land. There were four rows of plush leather seats, each with a table in front of it. She and Colton were the only passengers, and he sat across from her and to the left. After a long morning of mending fences on both ranches, they’d swung by his cabin for clothes, and they’d headed for the plane.

  Where Colton had plunked furiously on his laptop.

  They hadn’t talked, and she wasn’t quite sure what to say, anyway. He was all but obsessed with his meeting, and she studied him as he pounded away on the laptop even now.

  She’d never seen the business side of him—not really.

  He’d made several phone calls during the short flight, and the financial numbers he’d rattled off had been impressive. For once, the charming cowboy had been replaced with a genius shark now wearing a suit.

  A black suit that emphasized his size
and strength in a way that dampened her thighs. She glanced down to make sure her bra was working. Yep. Any evidence of her arousal was safely hidden. Thank goodness.

  He clicked the laptop closed, and she jumped.

  One dark eyebrow rose. His mask of charm had disappeared and left a man staring at her with an intensity that sped up her breath. In the darkened plane, the blue of his eyes took on a midnight hue. “We should talk about last night,” he said.

  “No.” The word emerged—an instant defense against anything he could say. She settled her hands on her flowered skirt. “Thank you, though.”

  His unwavering gaze remained on her. “Yes. We’re involved, and now you’re heading to a sperm bank. I used a condom last night—”

  “Ofcourseyouusedacondom.” She breathed the words out as quick as she could. “God, Colton. I’m not asking you to get me pregnant.”

  He wet his lips. “I know. But things have changed, and I, ah…”

  Things were certainly complicated. Melanie cursed her body for putting her in this position. Her heart ached. “Are you saying if I have somebody else’s baby you don’t want to see me? I mean, we’re not really seeing each other. One night…that wasn’t even a night. I mean, it was one orgasm. Okay, two for me and one for you. But—”

  “Jesus, Mel. Take a breath.” He leaned back. “I care for you, I—”

  “Stop.” The last fucking thing she needed was him to let her off easy. Hurt flowed through her, and she shoved the pain away. “Last night was just sex, Colt. One time, and it’s over. There’s no need to feel obligated, nor is there a reason to ruin our friendship. Let’s forget it.”

  He finally blinked. “I don’t want to forget it.”

  Her head jerked up, and her lungs heated. Unwelcome and warm, hope coiled through her chest. “Huh?”

  “I just want some time. To ease into this and figure out what it is. I mean, it’s us.”

  She forced her shoulders to relax. There was no logic here. “I know.”

  “So let’s explore the new us.” He straightened his understated tie. “I’ve dated a lot of women—”

  “I know that, too,” she said dryly.

  He shot her a look. “But none of them have meant an iota of what you mean to me.”