Heated Rush Part 14

Parking on the side of the house between two monstrous trucks and an SUV the size of a building, he heard Annie sigh in audible resignation. "What's wrong?"

"They're all already here," she said, staring at the vehicles.

"Your brothers?"

"Uh-huh. I'd hoped to introduce you slowly, rather than to everybody all at once."

"I thought they all lived lived here." here."

"Randy does. But Steve and Jed both live in their own houses that they built nearby."

Sean had a sudden suspicion. "On your father's land?"

"He gave them each a hundred acres to build on when they turned twenty-five."

He was starting to get the picture.

"Where's your hundred?" he murmured, watching for her reaction, suspecting what it would be.

He wasn't disappointed. She rubbed a hand over her eyes, sighed, then waved a hand generally toward the east.

"I see."

Not only was he getting the picture, he'd begun to realize just how big big that picture was. Annie was in no way the simple small-town girl she'd made herself out to be. Her family had to be rich as Croesus, running a highly successful dairy farm, owning the land as far as he could see. Which could explain their overprotectiveness toward Annie. that picture was. Annie was in no way the simple small-town girl she'd made herself out to be. Her family had to be rich as Croesus, running a highly successful dairy farm, owning the land as far as he could see. Which could explain their overprotectiveness toward Annie.

Sean hadn't worried too too much about meeting them, given his "crash course" and his ability to get along with just about anyone. Oh, he'd been prepared for them not to like him because of how much they wanted Annie to come home, but that was a natural thing, not too much of a concern. much about meeting them, given his "crash course" and his ability to get along with just about anyone. Oh, he'd been prepared for them not to like him because of how much they wanted Annie to come home, but that was a natural thing, not too much of a concern.

Now that he saw the way they lived, however, he began to understand why, and to antic.i.p.ate the true depth of their imminent dislike.

She was the only daughter in a wealthy, close-knit family who built their homes within miles of each other to make sure everyone stayed together. While Sean was the only son in a wealthy family who still tried to arrange marriages, for G.o.d's sake.

He wondered what she'd say if she knew just how similar their backgrounds were. That he understood her a lot more than she might imagine.

He also wondered if it was a good thing, or a bad one, that his heart twisted in his chest for her when he realized how serious she'd been about her difficult family life.

He'd come here thinking her a typical I-can't-go-home-without-a-man single girl. But she'd meant meant it. Her situation was every bit as tough as his own. it. Her situation was every bit as tough as his own.

She'd chosen to escape by taking care of small children. He'd done so by taking care of the needs of strange women. Different...but rooted in the same dream of independence from the expectations of family.

He and Annie had the same dreams.

Sean was almost stunned by the depth of understanding-emotion-he suddenly felt toward the beautiful, strong-willed woman sitting beside him. The lengths she'd gone to might not have been as extreme as his, but she'd fought hard to get where she was, and to stay there. Including paying out a large sum of money that he suspected she couldn't afford-since she didn't live like her family supported her-to maintain her independence.

By bidding on him. him.

He'd do anything he could to help her. Anything except confide in her. Because Sean wasn't anywhere near ready to tell her just how well he understood her plight, and what a similar kind of desperation had driven him him to do. to do.

He'd never much cared about his lifestyle, or what anyone thought of it, with the exception of his sister. And now...now, he realized with a sinking heart, Annie.

s.h.i.+t. He was in trouble here. Wanting to get away, fast. Wanting more to pull her into his arms and tell her he understood, that she wasn't alone.

But, d.a.m.n it, he was he was. Alone. Always. And that's the way his life had to stay.

Wasn't it?

"I think this place is bigger than my family's estate," he finally muttered, staring out the winds.h.i.+eld at the sweeping landscape below. The vibrant green hillside and valley below it were dotted with a few sheep...he'd been waiting for those fluffy b.u.g.g.e.rs.

"Estate?" She chuckled, distracted from her melancholy. "Are you a pampered little rich boy?"

"Not pampered," he clarified as he turned to see her watching him. He took no offense at her laughter. Not when she was finally relaxed, smiling, at least a bit, her eyes reflecting back the soft blue of the sky overhead.

"Should I call you Lord Lord Murphy?" Murphy?"

Wouldn't his father love that. "Nope. One of my drunkard ancestors lost the t.i.tle-and half his land-by ticking off some royal or another a million years ago."

Her jaw dropped open. She'd been joking. He hadn't.

"Oh, wow," she finally said, sounding stunned. "I guess I should have gotten a complete primer on you you."

That wasn't going to happen. Not if Sean could help it.

Though, he supposed a few minor details would be smart. Especially since he'd realized this weekend might not be as easy as he'd originally thought. Not if this wealthy, small-town family had millions millions of reasons to be overprotective of their only girl. of reasons to be overprotective of their only girl.

"I drink tea, not coffee. Sweet, no cream," he admitted, trying to think of what might possibly come up during the brief visit. "Dark beer only-light is for infants. Murphy's is best, but you can never find it on tap on this continent." Racking his brain, he added, "I went to Trinity College in Dublin, have been known to knock men unconscious on the rugby field...and I speak six languages."

Her eyes widened in shock. "Six?" "Six?"

He shrugged. "I've the Irish gift of the gab." Speaking fast since they could be interrupted at any moment, he continued. "I never stay in one place for long and I have apartments in a couple of cities but not what you'd call a real home in any of them."

"Sad," she murmured.

Maybe to her. To Sean it was the only way he'd ever wanted to live. But he didn't want to explain that-not now, when they had no time. And when he hadn't yet figured out just how much he wanted Annie to know about his life.

Or how much he might be willing to change that life if he could keep her in it for just a little while longer.

Shaking off that unbelievable thought, he went back to what he was good at. Innuendo.

He smiled wickedly, letting her see the heat in his eyes. "One more important detail you should probably know-I don't wear anything to bed."

It worked. Annie licked her lips and raked a hungry stare over his body. The woman looked as predatory as her cat, and Sean would give just about anything to get out of here and let her devour him the way she appeared to want to. "I can't wait to see you in your pajamas then," she whispered.

"Naughty girl. What would the family say?"

Her unconcerned shrug answered that question as she leaned a little closer to whisper, "How many hours do we have to be here again?"

His head filling with all the things he still wanted to do with this woman, he called himself ten kinds of idiot. They'd been friendly and casual all the way down here in the car. Why, now when they were parked right outside her parents' door, did he have to go and provoke her into reminding him of how much he wanted her? Especially given the fact that he was still reeling over the depth of connection he'd discovered between them, and the emotions that discovery had inspired.

As if she, too, suddenly regretted the bad timing, Annie cleared her throat and waved her hand in the air, dismissing the entire subject. "Forget I asked that. It's not like I haven't been counting down the hours since the moment we left your hotel, anyway."

Him, too.

"Let's take up this conversation when we get back in this car for the return trip, okay?"

"Deal."

"Maybe," she said, licking her lips, "we can explore a few backcountry roads tomorrow before we hit the highway."

"Private ones?"

"Oh, most definitely."

Mmm. Car s.e.x under the hot sun. Sounded just about perfect. "I'll hold you to that."

"I'd expect nothing else." Her light mood returning, she asked, "So, is there anything else I should know before I introduce you to the Davis clan? I mean, you aren't, like, tenth in line for the throne of England, right?"

Rolling his eyes, Sean reached over and slid his hand into her silky blond hair, wanting to touch her once more before they had to go in. "You Americans. Don't you know anything about anybody's history but your own?"

"I suppose not," she admitted. Then she turned her face and kissed his palm, her lips soft and moist against his hot skin. "But you're half-American, too, right?"

He nodded, conceding the point, not about to continue teasing her, not when her soft mouth was so gently caressing him, teasing him, driving him wild. Unable to resist more, he pulled his hand away, leaned over-eliminating the slight s.p.a.ce left between them-and brushed his mouth against hers. Annie tilted her head to welcome him, her hair, tangled from the ride, falling over his bare forearm.

Kissing her in the suns.h.i.+ne was a new pleasure, bringing with it new, unexpected sensations. The lazy mating of their tongues brought to mind long, lethargic afternoons of slow-and-easy lovemaking that went on for hours. The kind where the object wasn't the final o.r.g.a.s.mic destination, but rather the delicious pleasures of the ride.

He probably could have kissed her all day, caressed her soft cheek, inhaled the irresistible peach scent that seemed to cloak her entire body. But suddenly something rapped him on the head and he jerked away.

Fully expecting to see one of her angry brothers, he was shocked to instead find himself face-to-face with a...a..."Good, G.o.d, what is is that thing?" that thing?"

His eyes wide, he could only stare as an enormous bird leaned into the open convertible again. This time, however, the creature didn't aim his pointy, rock-hard beak at Sean's head, but rather toward Annie's outstretched hand.

"That's Radar." Smiling in visible delight, she rose to her knees on the car's seat, watching as the beast gave an ungainly leap, landed on the hood of the car, then bounced down to stand on the other side of it.

Sean's jaw dropped. There were bird prints on the Ferrari.

Bird prints.

That was going to be interesting to explain to the rental company. Jaysus, considering the size of the beast, he ought to check and make sure there weren't dents beneath the prints.

"h.e.l.lo, boy, you've missed me, haven't you?" Annie asked as she reached up to tenderly scratch the puff of fluffy feathers on Big Bird's crown.

"What exactly is is he?" Sean asked, finally tearing his attention away from the circular smears of dirt on the bright red hood. he?" Sean asked, finally tearing his attention away from the circular smears of dirt on the bright red hood.

"An emu."

An emu had just poked him in the head. This didn't bode well for the upcoming weekend.

Behind them, Wally had finally awakened and had caught sight of the newcomer. The big old tabby was on all fours, his back arched, hissing through the top of his cage. Every piece of his fur stood completely on end so that he looked two inches larger all the way around.

"Wally thinks he's fried chicken waiting to happen," Sean said, still shaking his head. "Is there any particular reason your emu friend just poked me?"

"He's a little overprotective," she replied, almost cuddling the overgrown fluff ball, who was now nosing around her silky, sleeveless s.h.i.+rt, as if looking for pockets that might contain food.

When Annie had arrived at the hotel this morning, Sean had studied that s.h.i.+rt. His mouth had gone wet with hunger at the memory of those beautiful, delicate b.r.e.a.s.t.s so perfectly highlighted by the fabric.

So he could have told the bird there were no pockets. Because he'd looked. Hard.

"Emus aren't usually terribly friendly. But I raised Radar from infancy. He was my senior 4H project, and he loves me. Now he's just like the family dog, roaming around the yard."

G.o.d, Sean wouldn't want to step in anything the beast left lying on the lawn.

"He really is a p.u.s.s.y cat, most of the time. He just doesn't like strangers. He'll have to get used to you."

"I'm sure he does a great job scaring off intruders." If Sean came face-to-face with that that thing on a dark night, he'd think twice about trying to cross it. Especially if he wanted to wake up the next morning without any new holes in his skull. thing on a dark night, he'd think twice about trying to cross it. Especially if he wanted to wake up the next morning without any new holes in his skull.

Suddenly, as if on cue, that skull was whomped again. "Ow! What the blazes?"

He swung his head around to glare at what had had to be one of her brothers this time, but instead found another completely unrecognizable creature. "b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l!" to be one of her brothers this time, but instead found another completely unrecognizable creature. "b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l!"

"Bleat," the thing replied, sounding like a wee lamb rather than the drooly, miniature wooly mammoth it most resembled. Despite his travels 'round the world, he'd never seen such an animal in his life.

"Rex!" Annie cried, again sounding delighted.

The beast looked up at the sound of her voice, forgetting Sean's head and the invisible sign that said "Whack me" which he suspected was overtop it. Praying to G.o.d the monster didn't leap like the bird had, Sean pointed a finger and gave it a stern glance. "Don't you even think think about it, fluffy." about it, fluffy."

"He's an alpaca. Isn't he sweet?"

Appearing girlishly delighted, Annie actually rose to stand on her seat. Bracing herself by putting one hand on the top of the winds.h.i.+eld, she bent at the waist and leaned all the way over Sean, toward the driver's side of the car, so she could pet the newcomer.

Sean didn't mind this intrusion so much. Because it put Annie's hip about two inches from his mouth. Her beautiful, slender legs were displayed to incredible advantage beneath the loose, silky skirt she wore. It had fallen forward to reveal the backs of her thighs almost all the way up to her pert bottom. And about two inches of creamy skin was revealed where her s.h.i.+rt pulled free of her waistband.

Starving man, meet all-you-can-eat buffet.

Unable to resist, he slid a hand up the back of one limb, slowly, savoring the texture and the warmth of her, until he was able to caress her inner thigh. It was smooth and supple, incredibly soft. Sean breathed deeply, remembering the way those legs had felt wrapped around his hips last night when he'd been driving into her tight little body.

The memory sent a surge of interest straight into his lap. Sean actually had to s.h.i.+ft in his seat as his c.o.c.k informed him it was raring to go.

Were they somewhere more private, he'd love nothing more than turning her around to face him. He'd lean her back against the winds.h.i.+eld, spreading her legs wide for his intimate perusal. Her beautiful, glistening s.e.x would beckon for his kiss and he'd explore every inch of her in ways he hadn't been able to last night in the frenzy of their first time.

"Your skirt might just as well be red," he muttered, leaning close so his every breath was filled with the scent of her skin. "I'm feeling much like a bull being tempted into charging."

She glanced down at him, apparently only now realizing how tempting her position was to him. "Just call me Matador."

"I'd rather call you naked woman I'll be making love to in two minutes." He glanced up at her and frowned. "Though I guess I'll have to wait and call you that in a little over twenty-four hours."

Not that he could wait that long for at least a sample. Leaning up, he pressed his mouth to that delicious strip of skin at her waist, licking it lightly.

"Mmm," she moaned, closing her eyes, remaining frozen where she was.

"Mmm, indeed," he replied, kissing her again, this time lightly biting the tender flesh just above her hip bone.