Cyrus, p.8
Cyrus, page 8
“Don’t worry, baby girl. I’m not leaving,” he said, ducking downward to kiss her mouth. “Ease your hold so I can move. I swear you’ll like it.”
She felt foolish, like a child, for knowing so little. Why hadn’t she done away with her hymen herself? She’d have missed this whole embarrassing—
“Baby, stay with me,” he whispered, then kissed her again.
She eased her hold around him, and he emitted a deep groan and began to move, lowering his torso so that it rubbed against her breasts and belly as he pumped in and out in slow, shallow glides, his jaw tightening so hard she saw a muscle jump along the edge of the bone.
He was holding himself back for her, making sure he didn’t hurt her. And now she knew why she’d decided it had to be him. She’d sensed he’d take care of her.
Her body, at its center, wound tighter and tighter. The sounds she made would’ve been embarrassing if she could actually care about them, but he was moving, thrusting more strongly inside her, more deeply. She arched her back and flung out her arms, grasping at the bedding beneath her as he moved faster and faster, as though she had to hold on or fly off the bed.
And then she was flying…or exploding… Maybe both? She shook her head from side to side, a high-pitched keening sound straining her throat as pleasure swept through her, tightening every muscle, and cinching her lungs so that she could barely breathe.
He shifted, moving to his knees and dragging up her hips to hold them still as he continued driving inside her. Friction burned her channel, and fluid flooded her, drenching his cock and causing wet sounds that were lewd and luscious at the same time. When, at last, he threw back his head and shouted, his thrusts slowed.
He held her hips suspended above the bed, and she glanced down between their bodies to where he joined with hers—his darker skin against her pale thighs and belly. So much of him still buried inside her. She squeezed around him and saw him gasp. When his eyes fluttered open to pin her with one of his sexy glares, she knew her power at that moment.
Her chest jerked with her ragged breaths, and his gaze swept her meager breasts, and she didn’t feel…less than…inadequate. The flare of his nostrils, as he stared at her nude torso, told her he was pleased with the sight. Satisfied.
Blowing out a deep breath, he lowered her to the mattress and then stretched out on top of her, his warm body blanketing her from chest to feet. “You okay?” he asked, his voice gruff and rumbling against her skin.
She smiled and smoothed her fingertips over the tops of his shoulders. “Can we do that again?”
Cyrus sat on a chair at the kitchen island, watching Milly as she moved around the kitchen, preparing a salad while they waited for the steaks he’d placed on the grill outside. She was a little less graceful than usual. It might’ve been because she walked a little bowlegged. She was likely sore but wasn’t willing to admit it, so he’d been the one to refuse a second round.
Not that he didn’t intend to have her again that night, though not in the way she craved.
She’d been a virgin. He could hardly believe it. The weight of the knowledge that he’d been the man she’d gifted with that important first sat pleasantly on his shoulders.
Not that he was feeling the least bit smug. No, it was more of a deep satisfaction. When he’d entered her, he’d felt as though he’d claimed her for his own—marked her as his. Maybe he was making more of it than she wanted, but he couldn’t help how he felt.
Milly Bauer was his.
“Stop staring at me,” she said, not lifting her head as she cut tomatoes on a wooden cutting board.
“You look different,” he teased.
She raised her head then and gave him a narrow-eyed glare. “I don’t look any different than I did a couple of hours ago.”
“Not true.” He gave her a wink. “You’ve got some extra color in your cheeks.”
“That’s blush. I used some tonight.”
“That got rubbed off—and your mouth is a little swollen.”
She pressed her lips into a thin line. “Must have had an allergic reaction to the lip oil I used.”
He grinned. “You’re walking funny—like something’s a little sore.”
Her eyes widened, and she opened her mouth to deny it but then closed her mouth again. “I’ll give you that.”
“You did, indeed,” he said, lowering his tone to growl. “Come here.”
She shook her head. “You feeling a little smug now?”
“Why would you think that? Come here,” he said, his voice a little firmer.
She dragged her feet toward him. He reached out, spread his knees, and pulled her against his chest. Her sigh as he kissed her was echoed by his own.
When he pulled away, she glanced up at him from beneath her lashes. “You know it’s not polite to mention that I’m walking a little funny.”
“It’s not? I was concerned.”
“No, you weren’t.”
“No, I wasn’t,” he admitted, kissing her again.
“Can you really see it? How I’m walking?”
“I can because I notice everything about you.” His hand slipped under her sweater and cuddled her breast. “Your pussy’s swollen and sore, and so are your tits. The tips haven’t relaxed yet; they’re still tight and warm.”
She groaned and hid her face in the corner of his neck. “And I thought you were the strong, silent type.”
“I don’t say anything that doesn’t need to be said.”
“And I need to hear that you can tell that my pussy and my tits are sore?”
“You need to know that I noticed.” He gently toggled the tight bud, which caused her to shiver. “I should go see to those steaks,” he whispered.
“You’re nothing but a tease,” she muttered.
Cyrus found himself chuckling as he walked away. Once outside, he adjusted himself because a part of his anatomy was noticeably aroused.
They lay together under the sheets, her head on his chest, his hand smoothing up and down her back, then coming to rest on her bottom.
“I should probably head out soon,” he said. “You’ve got work tomorrow.”
“So do you.”
“I’m used to operating on too little sleep.”
She lifted her head.
“Not because I do this kind of thing often,” he said, tapping her nose.
“Because you’re ex-military?”
He nodded.
She was quiet, but he could see a frown forming between her eyebrows. “What are you thinking?”
“That…I don’t know what’s next. Or if this is just…” She didn’t finish, but he understood what she was trying to say.
“You want to know if I want to see you again…?”
She nodded.
“I do.”
Her frown deepened, and he fought a smile.
“I think…” he said slowly, “that—seeing as how we’ve moved to this—” he said, smoothing his hand over her rump again, “that we should agree to only see each other…for a while. See how it goes.”
Her frown lightened, and she tilted her head to meet his gaze. “Agreed.”
Again, satisfaction filled his chest with warmth. It was surprising how much he liked the idea of them being…exclusive.
“To be honest, I can’t imagine another man in my bed,” she said.
His body tightened as he imagined it. “I find I’m a bit possessive. Maybe I’m selfish, but I want all your firsts, Milly.”
“And when it comes to seconds and thirds?” she drawled. “Will you get bored?”
“What kind of man do you think I am?” he asked gruffly.
She shrugged. “We don’t really know each other that well.”
“Well, that’s what this agreement is all about. I want to know everything about you, Milly.” He held her ass and rolled them until he hovered over her.
“Thought you said we weren’t doing this again,” she said, nudging her belly against his cock.
“I said there were other ways to find our pleasure.”
“Can I go down on you?” Her eyes danced with so much anticipation he chuckled. “I’ve never had one in my mouth.”
He sputtered, surprised by her bold words. “That’s what you want?”
“Don’t you?”
“Jesus.”
She pushed at his chest, and he let her force him to his back while she tossed back the covers and began kissing a path down his body to his dick. “Show me what you like,” she said, lifting her face to meet his gaze.
He gripped her hair and pushed her lower, then held up his dick with his other hand. “Just start at the top. I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”
“Am I interrupting anything?”
Milly blinked and shot straight up from the bed, awake in an instant. Thank God the sheet stuck to her skin; otherwise, her brother would’ve had an eyeful. “Jake! You’re home early,” she squeaked, looking to the side to make sure Cyrus was decently covered as well.
His eyebrows were raised, and her bare thigh covered his hips.
Jake gave Cyrus a glare, then turned abruptly from the doorway. “I’ll be in the kitchen. Should I scour it before I make a cup of coffee?” he shouted behind him.
“Oh shit.” She began scooting off the mattress.
Cyrus reached out and grabbed her wrist. “I’ll get dressed and talk to him.”
“No, you won’t. He’s my brother.”
“This is a conversation that should happen man to man. You shower and join us when you’re done. No rush.”
“I can’t believe this.”
He tugged her wrist and brought her down on top of him. His hand cupped the back of her head and brought her close for a hard kiss. “Shower. I’ll talk to him first.”
Her eyebrows were pulled together, and her mouth opened and closed, but she finally gave him a nod and pulled the sheet with her as she scurried to her bathroom.
Cyrus gathered his clothes and boots from the floor and dressed, then raked a hand through his hair. One glance into the mirror above her dresser had him nearly groaning. He was rumpled, and his face had marks from the sheets. He smelled like sex.
This was not how he’d wanted to be introduced to the family.
When he stepped into the kitchen, he found Jake sitting in the chair facing the doorway, a cup of coffee held between both hands. He’d removed his Kevlar jacket and hung it on another chair, but otherwise, he still wore his uniform.
When Cyrus stepped inside, his eyebrows lowered. “You’re one of those bounty hunters, new to town,” Jake said, his tone dead even.
“I am,” Cyrus said, sounding a little froggy. He headed to the coffee pot to pour himself a cup.
When he approached the table with his cup, he reached out his hand. “I’m Cyrus Walsh.”
Jake stared at his hand for a second, then shook it.
Cyrus sat opposite Jake and took a sip. “She’s in the shower, but I’m betting she’s going to miss some spots even though I told her to take her time.”
Jake’s mouth twitched. “My sister doesn’t date around much.”
“You worried I took advantage of her inexperience?”
“Didn’t you?”
“I’m the one who took advantage of Cyrus—not the other way around,” Milly said from the doorway.
Cyrus grimaced and looked over his shoulder. Her hair was soaking her T-shirt, and he was pretty sure there were soap suds on her arm. “I told you I’d handle this.”
“And I told you he’s my brother,” she said, then gave him a tight, sickly-sweet smile. Her gaze went to Jake. “This isn’t any of your damn business.”
Jake pursed his lips. “Glad we had this little chat. You two use protection?”
Cyrus bit back a laugh. “Yes, sir.”
Jake sighed and pointed to the coffee carafe. “Sis, pour yourself a cup.” He turned to Cyrus and hiked a thumb in the direction of Milly’s bedroom. “That has never happened before.”
“Good to know, and your shock was understandable.”
Milly took a seat and set her cup loudly on the wood surface. “Nice of you to confirm I’m completely unattractive to the opposite sex.”
“Now, babe, you know that’s not true,” Cyrus said softly.
Her cheeks turned a dark hue of pink.
Jake coughed. “Mike mentioned you two had a date. I drove past the house a couple of times and never saw your vehicle leave.”
Cyrus gave the other man a frown. “So, you knew what you were interrupting.”
Jake arched an eyebrow. “I listened first to make sure I wasn’t interrupting.”
“Good Lord,” Milly muttered and covered her face with her hands.
“Next time, hang a sock on your bedroom door, sis.”
Cyrus nearly spit his coffee with a sudden gust of laughter. Milly scowled at both men, who started chuckling at her expense.
Chapter 10
To Cyrus’s frustration, he and Milly had a bit of an enforced cool-down period after their night together. The Montana Bounty Hunters in West Yellowstone had turned their full attention toward capturing Wilma Bassett because other hunters were starting to stomp all over the region, trying to use what MBH had already uncovered to leapfrog ahead of them to snap up their lucrative target.
“Yeah, I got up to Phillipsburg to begin staking out that luxury cabin Felicity found in her title search,” Mace grumbled at the morning meeting, “and a neighbor comes tapping on my window to tell me that some woman named Harley Dean had already canvassed the neighborhood. Ms. Harley then stopped by to tell the neighbor she was leaving because her skip wasn’t anywhere in sight and to say hi to the hunters who’d come after her.”
He grunted, and one corner of his mouth quirked. “She told the woman to expect some Montana Bounty Hunters to show up soon and make sure she got lots of selfies with those handsome hunters. The lady was real disappointed I wasn’t Cowboy or Chase or that new guy, Jackson.” He rolled his eyes. “She was a little happier when I told her Malcolm would make an appearance in the last episode of the current season of the Dead Horse bounty hunters.”
Darleen gave Liesel a pointed glance.
“Yeah, I’ll add Harley to the list of possible candidates,” Liesel said, grinning.
“So, we’ve covered every known property in Idaho and Wyoming,” Darleen said, looking at their list on the screen.
“Done and done. Plus,” Malcolm said, “we made sure neighbors knew there’d be a reward if Wilma turned up at any of the properties, and they let us know about it.”
“Felicity,” Darleen said, “did you find any more hidden assets in Montana?”
“Besides the Phillipsburg cabin, which was a bust, I have three others, all along the western border of the state. Two are pretty remote.”
“Let’s hit them quickly. Do a thorough canvass of nearby towns. See if she has shown up for a resupply at any grocery stores or filling stations. Get her picture out there. Let’s go in teams of two.” Darleen’s gaze went to Mike. “You ready for another road trip, seeing as how you just came off a four-day shift?”
Mike glanced at Cyrus, who gave him a nod. “I’ll rest up on the drive there.”
Mike and Cyrus were assigned the two remote properties because they were closer together as the crow flies.
“Malcolm and Mace, you take the house in Frenchtown.” At their nods, she glanced at Hook and Felicity. “I’ll need you two to run down any more leads while the guys are out of pocket. Let’s do this.”
The drive to Superior, Montana, was over four hours. Cyrus didn’t mind the quiet as Mike slept the entire trip. Half an hour from their destination, he decided to give Milly a call.
She answered on the third ring. “Where are you today?” she asked.
He liked her voice in his ear. Over the past days, while they’d been separated by their jobs, he’d noted that her tone had grown softer and sexier when they spoke on the phone. “Montana. Past Missoula and near the Idaho border.”
“Still trying to find that bookkeeper who embezzled from her church?”
“Yup. We’re running out of leads.”
“Well, I hope you get her this time. It’d be nice if you could catch some jobs closer to home.”
“Yeah, I’d like that. When I get back, I’ll take you to dinner. Someplace nice.”
“I’d prefer takeout in a hotel room.”
He chuckled. “I think I can arrange that.” He cleared his throat. “How’s work today?”
“The usual. We had a bear-jam on Shoshone Lake Trail this morning. A bear was sitting on the roadside, waving at passing cars. The park scrambled naturalists to the scene to observe and park rangers to make sure folks stayed inside their cars and inched them along the road.”
“Those happen often—what’d you call it?—bear-jams?”
“Not as often as in the past. When they got serious about visitors not feeding the animals in the park, the bears stuck to the forests to forage. The rangers used to have awful times with people getting too close or stopping their vehicles and forgetting to engage their parking brakes. There were a lot of accidents and attacks. It’s better now.”
“What did you do?”
“Cars were parked on either side of the trail; it was hard, but I made my way down the middle of the road. Had to stop a guy from rolling down his window to give the bear a high-five.”
Cyrus snorted. “You serious?”
“Bears love to mimic our behavior. This bear had learned to wave, and I guess he looked friendly enough. I think the guy thought it would be great clickbait. I honked to let him know it was not okay to try to touch the bear.”
“Anything else happen?”
“No, but I’ll be on geyser duty the next couple of days.”
“Geyser duty?”
“Yeah, just watching to make sure people stay on the walkways and don’t venture too close to the springs.”
“From your tone, I take it that’s not your favorite duty.”
