The sound of his name on her lips made his cock strain in his jeans. He’d been pent up for years, starting to feel like a monk rather than a man with base needs. Somewhere along the line, he’d given up hope. It was Damon who kept them together, convinced their day would come. To see him give up, his zest fizzled away, tilted everything off its axis. Caleb had to fix this for all three of them.
“I’m not one for fairy tales and such, but surely you’ve heard of love at first sight?”
She frowned, unconvinced. “Love? If I had to guess, I’d say you hated me. I hardly ever see you smile.”
He couldn’t keep his hands to himself. Caleb ran a hand through her dark hair, still slightly damp from her bath. She didn’t pull away. “Just protecting myself. No sense giving you my heart if you plan to run away.”
“And if I stayed?” She wet her lips—plump, pink lips.
“We’d take care of you, love you … pleasure you. Me and Damon have been on our own for a long time. Too long. It would mean everything to have a family again.”
****
Damon had blown off some much needed steam. Getting deep in the heart of nature always seemed to calm him. He wasn’t sure why Opal got to him on such an elemental level. He’d fucked around with women alone and with Caleb and he’d never looked back. Never cared once they parted ways. But their dark-haired beauty had gotten under his skin. Something about her called to him, demanded he claim her as his woman.
But she didn’t want him. She wanted her life back.
He took a deep breath, determined not to be an asshole for the rest of her stay. It was his father who’d taught him how to treat the opposite sex, and his mother who’d taught him to take a breather rather than speak out of passion. On days like today, the advice came in handy. It looked like the storm was picking up, and Opal would be stuck with them at least another couple days, depending on the roads.
Damon kicked the snow off his work boots and entered their cabin. Every knot in the wood, every nail, held memories. The warmth of the fire made his face tingle, the familiar scent welcoming him home. He closed the door and rubbed his arms. It was a stupid to take a run without an overcoat with the bitter chill, but his mind had been elsewhere.
When he glanced around the room, he caught sight of Caleb and Opal. His brother had her pinned to the wall by the fireplace, his hand on her hip. What the fuck?
“Something wrong?” he asked once beside his brother.
Caleb didn’t take his eyes off their guest. She looked so tiny and vulnerable next to his brother. They weren’t small men by any standard. “She doesn’t realize it yet, but I guarantee you our little dove wants to stay with us.”
It couldn’t be true. She’d made it clear she had a life in the city. Or maybe he’d been too quick to judge.
“Your arms are so red,” she said, looking over at him.
“Yeah, it’s not smart going outside half naked in this weather,” said Damon. “I’ll survive.”
She reached out and rested a palm on his bicep, her little hand doing more than warm his frozen skin. “You’re freezing!” There was genuine concern in her voice, and a deep caring in her eyes. It felt good to have a woman dote over him.
“How about you warm me up?” he asked without thinking. Why couldn’t he keep control like his brother? Their uncle always said he lacked a filter on his mouth.
She didn’t looked insulted. Instead, she moved closer, running a hand up and down each arm, trying to create warmth from friction. After a while, she started moving slower, her fingers tracing his muscles. The moment felt intimate, his cock harder than oak, straining in his Wranglers. When she reached up high to rub both shoulders, he couldn’t hold back. He took her waist, ducked low, and kissed her on the lips.
How long had it been since he’d kissed a woman? Even during one-nighters he never kissed. Opal’s lips were softer than silk, and she melted against his mouth with no hesitation. He pulled her closer, his cock pressed to her stomach. She smelled like clean soap, and all woman.
When he pulled back to gauge her reaction, her lips were swollen and parted, her chest heaving. Fuck, he wanted her on his bed, but for once, he fought for control. The last thing he wanted to do was scare Opal away. He didn’t want her for sex—well, not only sex. Damon was in this for the long haul if she’d give them a chance. Judging by her kiss, she was open to the possibility.
“I feel warmer already,” he said. Damon ran the pad of his thumb along her lower lip. He stared into her green eyes, wondering if she could see all the way to his soul. She was beautiful, intense, and had more curves than most men could handle. He wanted to love every inch of her body, memorize every beauty mark and detail.
“I’ve never had a boyfriend,” she said, her tone colored in shame.
“Nothing wrong with having no experience,” said Caleb, moving in from the other side. “In fact, there’s nothing more attractive.”
A virgin. An untouched peach. He wanted to eat her pussy until she begged him to fuck her. He wanted her marked and claimed, so full of their cum that every man would know she was the property of the White brothers. Just like with their land, they were very territorial.
“Stay,” whisp
ered Damon. “Take a chance on us.” He kissed her temple.
“I’m afraid. Of everything,” she said. “What if you change your mind once you get to know me?”
He scoffed. “This isn’t the city, sweetheart. We play for keeps. Once we make this official, we’ll be a family.”