Consent to Love Read online

  “You okay?” He held himself stiff above her.

  “Don’t stop. J-just fuck me, Howahkan. Fuck me hard.”

  Growling, Kane pulled out and slammed back in her, then withdrew and plunged balls-deep, each stroke faster and more powerful until they were both half crazy with need.

  She squirmed, arched her neck and urged him to go deeper. Her fingers dug into his ass and her breath came hot and heavy. She moaned.

  On the down strokes, he arched his back making sure his cock rubbed against her pubic bone. Her inner muscles clamped down and she moaned. Her pleasure exploded from her womb and trickled through her body as she climaxed.

  “Oh God…Kane!”

  Kane added a groan. His jaw clenched. She peered up into his face, enjoying the way his expression changed from determined to blissful. His cock pulsed inside of her, and she trembled through the aftershocks of the high.

  He collapsed to the side of her and dragged her into his embrace. She snuggled her head into the crook of his neck. “You surprised me.”

  “Mm…about?” She softly kissed the sensitive spot underneath his chin.

  “You’ve got a dirty mouth, and that wasn’t what I was expecting to find in someone like you.” His cock twitched back to life against her lower stomach. “I like it.”

  Chapter Six

  Kane slept sprawled out on his back in the middle of the mattress. Ana stood in the bedroom doorway after her shower, gazing down on the man who’d turned her life inside out. One thing was crystal clear. If Kane thought they’d both be able to walk away from each other without any regrets, he was fooling himself.

  The overhead light remained on from last night. She hugged her middle and sighed. Kane had refused to turn off the light, despite her reluctance to have him see all of her. She smiled. It didn’t take her long to lose every shy bone in her body.

  She tiptoed over to the bed. Not wanting to wake him up, she gently climbed up and lay down beside him. Resting her head on his stomach, she trailed her finger along his relaxed cock, grinning as it hardened under the attention. She followed the ridge around the head, stroking the sensitive line from tip to root.

  Kane shifted, stretched his legs, and his hand came down to the top of her head. She stiffened, and then relaxed as his soft snore continued. He might not be awake, but the fingers tangled in her hair told her exactly what he wanted.

  She lowered her head and licked the slit of his cock. His manhood flexed out of her reach, and she scooted closer to get a better hold. She inhaled. The musky scent of sandalwood created a fluttering sensation in her lower stomach. Next time she went shopping, she’d search for the brand of soap Kane used.

  She placed her lips on the tip of his cock and kissed the smooth skin. When he remained sleeping, she opened her mouth and sucked on the mushroomed head. Feeling braver, she ran her tongue on the spot beneath the rim of his hardness, bringing a low moan from Kane. She glided her tongue down his length, before using her lips to stroke him. Encouraged by his reaction, she took him in her mouth again and pushed her head down farther.

  His fingers tightened in her hair and he raised his hips. She gagged and pulled back. How did women take a man all the way in?

  She tried again and found herself a little more comfortable. Relaxing her throat muscles, she concentrated on taking more of him into her mouth. Soon Kane’s hips took up a rhythm of their own. Without any warning, Kane repositioned her head with his hand, pressed past her lips, across her tongue, until his cock was halfway down her throat and his pubic hair tickled the tip of her nose.

  Inhaling through her nose, she focused on her breathing and letting the muscles in her throat relax. Kane reached down, and lifting her chin, tilted her head into a better position. She gazed up into his face. A surge of power came over her. I did it!

  “Damn, you’re something.” He stroked her lips around his dick with his thumb and forefinger. “Did you think I would sleep through you teasing me one inch at a time?”

  She mumbled around the mouthful. His cock seemed to grow bigger with the extra vibration of the noise. She swallowed, putting more pressure on his length.

  His rough-skinned hands landed on each side of her head. He groaned and brought her head up before guiding her back down fully on him. “Suck.”

  Ana stretched her mouth wider and vacuumed her cheeks as he thrust. Her juices soaked the inside of her thighs, her pussy pulsed wanting attention, and she increased the strokes.

  Kane gasped. “That’s it…feels good.”

  With one more deep thrust, he pressed her head down and held still. She blinked, not taking her eyes off him. Her cheeks constricted tightly around his hardness. Her throat muscles spasmed as his come hit the back of her throat and trickled down. Tears came to her eyes over her success. Pleasuring him gave her a heady high.

  The satisfaction on his face was all she needed. She’d do this time and again if only to find him gazing at her with a look of…caring? Longing? Want?

  His mouth softened and he stroked her hair. “My own little wild woman. What more will you surprise me with today, hmm?”

  * * *

  The lake remained undisturbed, except for the occasional fish swimming to the surface, causing a ripple. He couldn’t help admiring Ana’s body as she flipped over onto her stomach and propped her chin on her hand. The glow of wanton behavior seemed to settle over her comfortably, and he had no doubt she’d enjoyed their time together.

  When he’d arrived with her at the private lake on Lakota land, she’d hesitated at his announcement to strip. He fought a grin. His people embraced exposing their bodies to the elements, and even after their time together, she’d hesitated before slowly removing her clothes. After she told him she usually went through life playing it safe, he took her confession to heart and wanted to find out what would happen if he pushed her a little more. He already knew she enjoyed talking dirty, but what else had he yet to discover?

  There were hundreds of people living on the reservation, any one of whom could come upon him and Ana sunning in the buff. Being discovered wouldn’t bother him, and he appreciated how she’d stepped out of her comfort zone for him. He closed his eyes. She surprised him at every turn.

  A tickle started at the end of his nose, and he opened his eyes. Ana grinned at him, holding a blade of grass clasped between her thumb and finger. He yawned. From the position of the sun, he’d dozed off for more than an hour.

  He lifted his hand and rubbed his face. She leaned over, skimmed his nipple and screamed as he rolled over and pinned her to the ground.

  “Needing more attention?” He pressed his hips onto her pelvis. “I wouldn’t want to neglect you.”

  “No.” She laughed. “I think I overdid it.”

  He moved beside her. “Sore?”

  She nodded. “A little.”

  “You should have said something, Ana.” He sat up. “I wouldn’t have—”

  “Don’t you dare say you wouldn’t have had sex with me so much. If you remember, there were a few times I rode you hard and put a smile on your face.” She laughed and reached over for the shirt Kane had let her borrow this morning and slipped her arms in the sleeves. “There’s nothing to apologize for. I wanted everything you did. I’m not used to having sex…well, not this often.”

  He didn’t acknowledge her, but glanced away to stare out at the water. She sat down beside him and laid her hand on his thigh. He blinked hard and didn’t turn toward her.

  “What’s wrong, Kane?”

  He forced himself to relax his muscles, and he patted her hand. “Our time is over. You need to go back to Podunk, work, and I’ve neglected the horses and my other responsibilities.”

  The radiating glow on her face seemed to disappear with her smile. His chest constricted. He could see the disappointment on her face before sh
e ducked her chin. She obviously never had casual sex before, and she needed a break. Her agreement to enjoy each other over the weekend and expect nothing else afterward had just been pretty words for his benefit.

  She had no idea about him, about relationships with someone of another race, about the Lakota. He stroked the side of her cheek until she lifted her gaze.

  “This was our moment, right? We both had fun.” Shit. Even to his own ears, he sounded shallow and uncaring.

  He schooled his expression. He’d made a conscious effort to draw a line between them that he wasn’t willing to cross, and she couldn’t say he hadn’t explained that this was simply wild sex between two consenting adults.

  He stood behind his boundaries at a safe distance, away from the temptation to repeat one of the biggest mistakes of his life. Going back on his conviction would only put him right back to where he was six years ago.

  “Yeah.” She stood up, pushing him away. “We made some great memories…”

  Dammit.

  “Look, Ana, you—”

  She waved her hand. “Please…don’t. I had a great time. Really.”

  Kane stood up, gathered his clothes and dressed. Her brave front bothered him more than her confusion. She was so strong and willing, but she didn’t have a clue.

  He’d seen relationships come and go when a Lakota chose to bring an outsider in. Of course, there were those who lived off the reservation in a mixed marriage that defied the odds, like his sister, but for the most part, outsiders who tried to live on the reservation viewed the situation as similar to life in a prison.

  Many Lakota’s had left for what they believed was freedom. The American dream, where jobs were plentiful and people from every culture treated each other with respect. Reality was much different. At least in this part of the country.

  This was his home. He was born here and planned to die here. He had no desire to leave, and had a much deeper craving to be part of the growth of his people. He’d never turn his back on what he believed in. It was his time to help build the Lakota into a proud nation and follow the path of his grandfathers.

  “Ana…”

  She turned and wrapped his flannel shirt around her tighter, hiding her body from him. “I’m ready to go. I’ll give you back your shirt after I’ve changed into my clothes at the house.”

  He turned away from the pain etched on her face. How could he tell her nothing had changed when he didn’t believe it himself? She came from a different world. There was a reason why he never sought out women off the reservation. The lifestyle in Lakota was too much of a culture shock.

  Ana would go back to her job, her life, and if he lucked out, she’d sneak away to have a little fun with him when the mood struck. She had her whole life ahead of her. It wouldn’t take long for her to tire of him. He required a woman’s total commitment in a relationship. With Ana, it would be unfair to ask that of her. She deserved more than a casual affair, and her dreams would take her on to bigger things than staying in Podunk. Life here, especially on Lakota land, was too different and she’d end up unhappy.

  Ana waited by the horse. He walked over and stood beside her. If ever he envisioned the perfect woman, she was her. Beautiful in such a way she made the world a brighter place. He tucked her hair behind her ear, lingering seconds afterward to touch her one more time.

  “Please tell me you don’t regret meeting me.” Her voice warbled in her throat.

  “No regrets.” He placed his hand on his chest. “You are like no other, Ana.”

  “Then why?” She raised her arms out to the side, forgetting about holding the ends of the shirt together. Anger seemed to take hold of her. Her flushed cheeks, tousled hair, love marks on her neck tempted him to ask her to stay. She had spirit. She was willing. This weekend with her had pleased him more than he wanted to admit.

  Ana was a lively apparition who’d floated into his life. She upset the balance in his life, and yet it was hard to see her go.

  “We are two very different people, Ana.” He straightened her shirt, smiled down at her, and in one quick move had her up on top of the horse’s back. “It’s time for you to go home. To your people.”

  He swung up behind her and tucked his arm around her waist.

  “I know what we agreed on, Kane. You don’t have to fear I’ll go back on my promise to take this for what it is…sex,” she whispered.

  He pulled her tight against him, turned the horse around. “Look around you, what do you see?”

  She clung to him desperately. “T-the lake. Grass. I don’t know. Open space.”

  “I see a whole world. I’m content here. Everything I want is right here waiting for me to touch it, breath it and enjoy.” He rubbed her stomach. “You, on the other hand, live outside this area, where the wishes I catch you making in your head might come true. You’re going to move on to better opportunities, Ana. The world is out there waiting for you.”

  Chapter Seven

  “I wish I was a drinker.” Ana snorted.

  Daphne laughed. “It’ll only give you a headache and make you feel worse in the morning…trust me.”

  “But everyone seems happy. None of them have a care in the world.” She studied the crowd at Chum’s bar.

  Tonight was a working night, but customers were slow and Daphne, who used to work at the bar too, had stopped in to catch up with her. Ana leaned against the table. It sucked to be the only one whose life was spiraling down the toilet.

  “I wish I had an easy, no worry relationship the way you and Will do.” She smiled at Daphne. “Tell me what you two have been up to lately. You didn’t stop by to hear me bitch and moan about my suckage.”

  “Stop, Ana. You’ll figure things out.” Daphne patted her hand. “It wasn’t always simple with Will. You know what we went through before we figured out how to make it all work.”

  She nodded. “I suppose. I’m just confused. I hate how I jumped into thinking we had a special connection, when the whole time Kane was telling me not to believe what we had together was anything more than mind-blowing sex.”

  “Oh, Ana.” Daphne smiled sadly. “You’re too good to let someone use you. You deserve more.”

  “I know, but the way he acted when we were together made me feel special. I’m such a loser.” Ana rolled her eyes. “Never mind, I’m not going to talk about him anymore.”

  “Good idea. He’s not worth it.” Daphne sat up straighter and waved over Ana’s shoulder. “By the way, we went by Darrell and Sarah’s on the way here. Sarah is absolutely beside herself with glee. She had to take us out and show us the Quonset herself. She already has Darrell hard at work, penning in an area to keep the chickens. I wish we could have been in town to help out.”

  Ana glanced behind her and smiled. “Hey stranger. Thanks for bringing my friend back to town. Where did you whisk her away to this time? Bora Bora? Kauai?”

  “Palm Springs.” Will leaned down and kissed Ana’s cheek. “Although it appears like you were the one who went on vacation. You’ve got your nose sunburnt.”

  She covered her cheeks. “I’ve gone nowhere important. Chum’s practically got me chained to this bar. In fact, why don’t you be a sport and let Daphne come back and work with me.”

  Will laughed. “Not on your life. I’d miss her too much. More important, she’s got the geese properly trained now. If she worked off the ranch, it’d all fall apart.”

  “Ha! I no sooner have the geese trained than you have cured your dog, Klep, of stealing.” Daphne shook her head and grinned at Ana. “I think Ana got sunburned from helping Chum run refreshments at the barn raising. Those men probably had her running ragged out in the heat.”

  If only that were the case. She stood, wanting to get away from the direction the conversation was heading. “Sit, Will. I’ve got to go clock out. I’ve served m
y time for the day. Gotta love Thursdays when I work the day crowd.”

  “You’ll call me…” Daphne stood and hugged her. “I mean it.”

  Ana nodded. “I will. Swear. I’ve missed you.”

  “Are you going to Sarah’s for your lesson?” Daphne sat back down.

  “Yep. Char-grilled steaks tonight. I sure hope I don’t use up all of Darrell’s meat he has stocked up for winter. I might owe him a cow or two by the time Sarah says I’ve improved enough to try my hand at cooking for Chum.” She laughed.

  “I wish you’d let me loan you the money for school. You could take those painting classes you talked about, or become a chef…” Daphne lowered her voice. “I want to do that for you. You’re my best friend.”

  “You know I can’t. It’s too risky to borrow money from friends, and I’m determined to succeed all on my own. Besides, it wouldn’t be the same if I allowed you to do that.”

  “You’re stubborn.” Daphne folded her arms.

  “Yep. I’ve heard that before.” She blew them both a kiss and headed toward the kitchen.

  After making a quick trip home to change clothes, freshen up and grab the sketch she’d finished of Darrell and Sarah, she was on her way out of town. The drawing kept pulling her attention from the road and a nervous ball of energy bounced in her stomach. She hoped Sarah approved and wouldn’t be disappointed.

  She’d never used any of her paintings in lieu of payments before. It had never even entered her mind to bargain for services with something she’d created until Sarah asked if she had anything to trade with instead of paying cash for her lessons.

  People bargained back and forth every day in Podunk. It was a way of life, from trading babysitting to farm stock; someone was always bettering their life.

  Her lack of self-confidence held her back when it came to bartering her goods. If she were only able to take professional painting lessons and learn better techniques, she’d be more willing to put her artwork to good use. Maybe even make a few bucks on the side, painting portraits of children. Mrs. Garvais took photographs out of her garage studio, but no one offered paintings around town.