Killian (The Sons of Dusty Walker Book 3) Read online

  Then he was at her mouth again, nipping her plump lower lip, sliding his tongue over it, lightly peppering her neck again. All soft touches, gentle but erotic kisses, meant to ignite her nerve endings and heat her blood. From the way she writhed and moaned beneath him, he was accomplishing his objective. He wanted her begging for her climax, straining for it, exploding in his arms. She was aflame now, twisting in his grasp, his own body on fire from it.

  Her nipples were like ripe berries, swollen and taut with need. He sucked and licked and pulled them into his mouth, nibbling at their pebbled surface. Lexie gripped his shoulders, her fingernails digging into him as he coaxed stronger and stronger responses from her.

  Shifting, he trailed his mouth down to her sweet little cunt. With great care, he peeled back her lips as if opening a flower, sucking in his breath at the sight of the slick pink flesh. Unable to help himself, he buried his face in her cunt and inhaled her essence, drunk with the scent of it.

  Then he got busy, lapping and licking, pulling her swollen clit into his mouth and tormenting it with his teeth and his tongue. As he sucked and nipped Lexie gripped his hair, holding on for dear life. He loved the sexy little sounds she made and the way her body responded to him. She tasted better than the finest drink he’d ever had, and he lapped every wet inch of her.

  When he sensed her climax was near, he eased two fingers inside her hot channel, then three, sliding them in and out while he continued to torment her clit. And then she exploded, pushing herself up to him, crying out her pleasure. The walls of her pussy gripped his fingers and spasmed around them as she drenched them with her juices. When he sensed the release slowing, he drove her up again, once more taking her over the top, relishing her shouts of satisfaction. He kept his fingers inside her, stroking her inner walls, until the last spasm finally subsided and she went limp beneath his touch.

  He scattered kisses over her inner thighs, the top of her mound, her belly, working his way up to taking her mouth again.

  “Taste yourself on me, sweet girl,” he murmured. “Best juice in the entire world.”

  He brushed her hair away from her forehead and placed his lips on hers, rubbing them lightly back and forth. When she opened her mouth slightly, he slipped his tongue inside and slid it lazily around. He wanted to capture this moment forever, this unexpected feeling sliding everywhere through him. What they had done—what they were about to do—would permanently impact his life in some way.

  But no way was he going to stop. Not when he wanted his cock inside her more than he wanted his next breath.

  “You doing okay, darlin’?” he asked.

  “Mm hmm.” Her sweet lips curved in a little smile. “But we aren’t done yet, are we?”

  His laugh was low and hungry. “Not by a long shot. Hold on a sec.”

  He’d meant to take the condoms out of his wallet and put them on the nightstand within easy reach. That was before they ended up stark naked in the living room and he’d carried her away to the bed.

  “Where are you going?” She frowned as he strode toward the other room.

  “Just taking care of a little business. But don’t worry, I’ll be right back.”

  He was as good as his word, dropping two foil packets on the nightstand, ripping open a third, and swiftly sheathing himself.

  Lexie looked from the nightstand to him, a grin teasing her lips. “You plan on being that busy tonight?”

  “I like to be prepared.”

  Then he was over her again, back kneeling between her thighs. When he lifted her legs and bent them at the knee to spread them wide, he gave a small grunt of satisfaction to see she was still so wet. She’d need it to take the full size of him.

  Gripping his thick shaft in the fingers of one hand, he nudged her opening with the inflamed head. Her slickness eased his way as he pushed gently into her, pausing every few seconds. He knew he was stretching her, hoped he’d prepared her so her passage was relaxed enough to absorb the width of him. Slowly, slowly he eased in more, watching her face for signs of distress, feeling her body’s response. When he was fully seated inside her, he stopped to take a breath, closing his eyes to reach for control. With her inner walls gripping him in a hot, viselike clutch, it took every bit of self-restraint not to pound into her.

  Bracing himself on his knees, he began the familiar, steady in-and-out movement, thrust and retreat, each slide easier than the last as her body opened to him more and more. Lexie wrapped her legs around his waist, digging her heels into the small of his back as she locked herself to him.

  “Look at me, darlin’.” Killian spoke in a thick, hoarse voice. “I plan to take you on the ride of your life.”

  That was exactly what he did, driving in and out of her in a steady rhythm that rocked them both. Faster, he went, and harder, plunging deeper and deeper as Lexie kept them locked together. He gritted his teeth, hanging on by a thread, until he felt her body tighten around him, her cries grow louder, her heels press harder into his back.

  “Now, darlin’.” He barely got the words out, holding onto himself until he felt her body give in to its release.

  The explosion was intense, the climax gripping him and shaking him like a leaf in the wind. Beneath him, plastered to his body, Lexie took the wild ride with him. They shuddered together as spasms racked them, spinning out into a black-velvet void, cartwheeling in an explosion of fireworks until the very last of the tremors had died away. Little by little, Killian came back to himself, his breathing evening out. The silence in the room was broken only by the raspy sounds as they both drew air into their lungs.

  He braced himself on his forearms, loving the flush of pleasure on her face and the gleam of satisfaction in her heavy-lidded eyes. He gave her a soft, gentle kiss, and when he was sure he could move again, he slowly eased himself from her body.

  “Be right back,” he told her, brushing his mouth over hers.

  In her small bathroom, he disposed of the condom and washed his hands. He looked at himself in the mirror, staring at the flush of pleasure still darkening his face. At the glow of sexual satisfaction in his eyes. The orgasm was more than just the most stupendous he could ever remember. It had satisfied something, touched something deep inside him, and he knew, whatever happened, he would never be the same again.

  A week, he told himself. One week. He still had no idea what would happen then. He still had no intention of staying in Red Creek. He had plans. Would he feel guilty leaving? Could he walk away from Lexie Choate as he’d walked away from other women? Lexie was way beyond other women.

  Would she come with him back to Montana? Would she—

  Stop it, cowboy. Don’t get ahead of yourself here. He splashed water on his face, dried it on one of her fancy little towels, and headed back into the bedroom. Lexie was lying there exactly as he’d left her, her mouth curved in a tiny smile of satisfaction. He climbed in beside her and pulled her into his arms, lazily stroking his hand up and down her spine, loving the silky feel of her skin.

  She sighed and nestled her head against his shoulder. “That was…beyond wonderful.”

  He gave a low chuckle. “Just so you know, we’re not done yet.”

  She cuddled closer to hm. “Just so you know, I didn’t think we were.”

  Chapter Five

  “You’re pretty chipper for someone out carousing all night.” Marliss picked up the full mug of coffee Lou had poured, set it on the table in front of Killian, and gave him a narrow-eyed look.

  He smiled. He’d tried to be as quiet as possible when he came home, but nothing escaped Marliss and Lou.

  “Watching out the window, were you?” He took a fortifying sip of the dark brew.

  “I’m a light sleeper.” Without asking, she pulled out a chair and sat down at the table with him. “Lou and me can never sleep until all the chicks are in the barn.”

  Killian laughed. “I think you’re mixing your metaphors a little, Marliss. And I hardly think I could be classified as a chick.”

/>   “You’re Dusty’s chick. That’s what counts.”

  “Yeah? Didn’t count for much for a long time, did it?”

  Marliss slammed her hand down on the table. “I won’t let you speak ill of the man. He loved all you boys, and your mamas.”

  Killian quirked an eyebrow. “And his wife, too?”

  Lou set a plate of bacon and eggs in front of Killian, along with a basket of biscuits. “Dusty and the missus made a good marriage out of what they had. They knew what they was getting from the gitgo, and they forged ahead.”

  Killian swallowed a bite of egg and bit off a piece of bacon. “I don’t understand how they could stay together if they didn’t love each other. What kind of marriage is that?”

  “The kind they could both live with,” Marliss told him. “She wanted Dusty at any price, and he wanted in on the oil and minerals. He was always respectful of her.”

  “Respectful.” Killian snorted. He took a moment to butter a biscuit. “You call it respectful for a man to have four women on the side like he did?”

  Marliss leaned toward him. “He loved every one of those women, including your mama, and he did right by them, and you boys.”

  Killian ate more egg, more bacon, a little biscuit, taking his time so he didn’t blurt out something in anger.

  “Well?” she prodded. “Nothing to say?”

  He chewed slowly, sipped a little more coffee. “What I have to say is, my mother is one of the most gracious women on the face of the earth. I cannot begin to imagine what she saw in Dusty or how she put up with his bullshit all these years, and that was before she knew there were three more women just like her.”

  “He took good care of her,” Marliss insisted.

  “With visits every few weeks, a few crumbs of his presence, a few smooth words now and then? You call that taking care of someone?”

  Lou refilled his coffee mug. “He loved your mother,” he told Killian. “He talked about her all the time. And you.”

  “And all the others, I’ll bet.”

  “You were the oldest,” Marliss reminded him. “The first born. You and your mama held a special place in his heart.”

  “Not special enough to keep him away from three more situations like mine.”

  “Okay, enough.” Lou brought his own cup of coffee and sat down at the table. “Dusty Walker made a lot of mistakes. He was the first one to admit it. But there was a lot of good in the man, too. And a lot of love.”

  “He sure was good at spreading it around,” Killian said stubbornly.

  “He was a man with a big heart,” the cook insisted. “He wanted kids something fierce. It was a sad thing his wife couldn’t have them, and it gave both of them a lot of sorrow. I’m not saying the way he chose was the right one, but he lived up to his obligations with everyone. And he did it willingly.”

  “I’m gonna show you something.” Marliss pushed her chair back from the table. “You sit right there.”

  “Where’s she going, Lou?” Killian asked.

  The big man shrugged. “Probably to get something.”

  “Well, that tells me a whole hell of a lot.”

  He ate in silence for a few minutes until Marliss came scurrying back into the room. She carried a big book and slammed it on the table next to Killian.

  “Go on,” she told him. “Take a look.”

  The book was covered in heavy, embossed leather and in the center, in script, was the letter K. What the hell was this? A scrapbook? What kind of scrapbook could Dusty have been keeping? He continued eating in silence, preparing himself for whatever he was going to see, while Marliss and Lou gave him what he called the deadeye stare. Finally, he pushed his plate away, wiped his mouth, and opened the book.

  And stared. His jaw actually dropped as he turned the pages slowly, stunned at what he was seeing. His mother must have sent every picture of him she’d ever taken to Dusty, along with all the articles in the local paper about his awards in school. Academic honors. Athletic awards. Even pictures of him working at Hart Brothers Ranch. What the fuck? He stared at Lou and Marliss.

  “What the hell is this?”

  “He had one for each of you boys,” Marliss explained. “He knew it was impossible for him to be as much of a constant in your lives as he wanted to, but he didn’t want to miss out on everything, either.”

  “One of these for each of us?” he repeated. He was having a lot of trouble absorbing this.

  “He made sure each of you boys and your mamas were well taken care of,” Lou reminded him. “Bought good homes for y’all. Made sure each of you had everything you needed, though he couldn’t be there all the time. Especially since he couldn’t be there all the time.”

  Killian went back to the beginning of the book. This time, when he turned over the first page, he saw a small sheet of paper had been folded lengthwise and tucked into the crease. His hands shaking slightly, he unfolded it and smoothed it out.

  Dear Killian,

  If you are reading this, it means I am gone to whatever reward God has chosen for me. There are so many things I wanted to say to you whenever we were together, but the time was never right.

  By now, you and your brothers have all the details of the story. I’m sorry this was a big shock to you. It’s important for you to know, however, I loved your mother unconditionally and you always held a special place in my heart. I know you have grown up to be a fine young man and do me very proud.

  I hope you and your brothers will decide to give D. Walker Minerals a chance in your lives, as well as the town of Red Creek. There are many great rewards to be had, and I’m not just discussing money.

  Anyway, the last thing I want to say is I love you, son. I have passed on to you the only heritage I have, and I hope you’ll find a place in your heart for it.

  I love you, Son.

  Your dad,

  Dusty Walker

  Killian stared at the note then he turned the pages again, this time more slowly. There were many pictures of him with his mother. Dusty had devoted special pages to those particular shots. It astounded him his mother looked so happy in each of them. Had she really been so satisfied with her part-time relationship with Dusty Walker? What was he missing here?

  And did a few pictures and a wad of cash really make up for the mess of a situation Dusty had created. Again Killian worried those genes had passed down to him, leaving him unable to give any woman the kind of relationship she wanted and deserved.

  “He used to talk about you all the time,” Lou said, breaking into his thoughts. “All of you. I sometimes thought if he could have found a way, he’d have brought all of you, boys and mamas, here to live with him.”

  Killian actually laughed. “That would have been an interesting situation. Would have given the town a lot of fodder for gossip.”

  “This town loved Dusty,” Marliss said, ignoring what Killian implied. “He gave back to it at every opportunity.”

  “When someone lost a job,” Lou added, “Dusty always stepped in to make sure they had a roof over their head, food to eat, and walking around money until they got hired again. He was a big sponsor for the school district carnival every year, raising money for extracurricular and after-school programs.”

  “And,” Marliss picked up, “there’s hardly a person in the county he hasn’t touched in some way.”

  “He worked his ass off, building his company up to the multimillion dollar business it is so he could provide security for everyone.” Killian frowned. “I thought the gas and mineral business was his lifelong dream.”

  “It was.” Lou nodded. “But then, beyond the excitement of finding those mineral deposits and negotiating those leases and royalty payments, he found a way to be able to take care of people. He liked doing it. Seemed like he made the whole town his family.”

  Marliss nodded. “I’d say Lou’s right. He was very family oriented. That’s kinda how he got into the situation he did.”

  “You know,” Lou said in his slow drawl, “h
e really wanted you boys to get to know each other. To bond with each other. Really be the brothers you were. Be connected.”

  Killian made a rude noise. “I’m sure. Is that why he gave us all the same buckle? Like we’re in some kind of special club?” He swallowed the bitter taste surging in his mouth. “Did he think that was going to make us all hug and kiss?”

  “Or maybe take some pride in being his sons.”

  “Pride? Ha! After what he’s done, to all of us?”

  Marliss gave a half-smile. “I know you feel all kinds of bitter and betrayed, but talk to the folks in town, Killian. Get their take on him. They’ll give you a real feel for the kind of person he was. It might change your opinion.”

  “She’s right,” Lou agreed. “While you’re learning the business, maybe you could learn about your daddy, too.”

  “And speaking of people in town,” Marliss put in, “am I right in figuring you were out with Lexie Choate again last night?”

  Killian couldn’t decide if she was glad he was spending time with Lexie or about to chew him out and ask his intentions. He fiddled with his coffee mug, choosing his words carefully.

  “I took her to dinner.” He shrugged. “A very nice dinner, by the way.”

  “And the night before,” Lou put in. He winked. “Right in front of everyone in Red Creek.”

  “Damn!” Killian sat up straight. “I don’t think quite everyone was there, Lou. But don’t people have anything else to talk about around here?”

  “’Course they do. But everyone knows Dusty’s story, and they loved him despite his flaws. Now they’re all taking the measure of his sons. Not to mention their curiosity’s at an all-time high.”

  “That Lexie’s a real sweet girl,” the housekeeper told him.

  “She is damn sure that.”

  “So, Killian.” Lou’s skewering look made him squirm. “We know you’re only here for a week.”

  “And one more at the end of the month,” he reminded them.