“She’ll do it, too,” Curtis groaned as he patted Zoey’s shoulder. He was careful with her, and he claimed it was because she was fragile in her pregnant state, but she knew Curtis didn’t know what to do with girls, considering he’d raised seven strapping boys.

“Oh, I know she will,” Zoey told him. “But don’t you worry, I’ll bring him this,” she said as she held up a large Tupperware container, “and I’ll tell him at the same time. He won’t be able to refuse.”

“We’re looking forward to it,” Lorrie said with a smile. “If you need anything at all, just give me a call.”

“Absolutely. And the same goes with y’all,” she reminded them. “Oh, and one more thing,” Zoey added. “Do you mind if I help with Christmas dinner? I’m not the best cook in the world, but I’d love to come over and help.”

The way Lorrie’s crystal blue eyes brightened had tears forming in Zoey’s eyes. Damned pregnancy hormones.

“Honey, I’d love that.” Before Zoey knew what was happening, Lorrie threw her arms around her, pulling her close once more.

Refusing to cry, because, well, because she would look like an overemotional wreck, Zoey took a step back and grabbed Kaleb’s hand. “All right, well, I’ve got to get him home so he can figure out how to put my Christmas decorations up.”

And just like she expected, Kaleb groaned.

Little did he know, but she had a few tricks up her sleeve. There was something to be said about bribing a man to do the hard work. And with him, she knew food wasn’t the easiest way to get him to comply.

Chapter Three

♂♀

Zane

“What’d you think?” Zane asked after he and V had jumped in his Jeep for the short ride back to their house situated on his parents’ land.

“About what?”

“The tree. Good grief, woman. What’ve you been doing all day?” He laughed.

Pulling up close to the house, Zane parked and then hopped out. He was in a hurry to get inside, but it didn’t have anything to do with the temperature. The weather was surprisingly mild for November, but then again, this was Texas, so cold weather didn’t normally infiltrate their neck of the woods until a little later in the year.

“Awww, did you need a pat on the back, Zane Walker? Or maybe a cookie for being such a good boy?” V teased as they made their way up the steps.

Pushing open the door, he rushed her inside as she stared back at him like he was crazy.

And he was.

Crazy mad with lust.

Watching her all day, unable to run his hands all over her sweet body but wanting to sneak her off and make her scream his name had been pure and utter hell.

Looking at V, he kept his expression serious as he said, “I’ll take the cookie.”

Shutting the door behind him, Zane stalked her farther into the house, his body humming with the need to get inside of her. He would’ve thought that the more time that passed, his craving for her would subside. Quite the opposite actually. Zane found that every single day he wanted her with a renewed hunger.

“What are you doing?” she asked, her eyes wide, a knowing smile on her lips.

“I’m pretty sure you just promised me a cookie,” he said, pursuing her across the main living area. “And I automatically assumed that cookie was a code word for…” He let the sentence hang, she could fill in the blanks.

V continued walking backward until her butt ran smack into the pool table in the far corner of the wide open space.

“Mmmm,” she moaned when he trapped her between his body and the unmoving pool table. He pressed up against her, their bodies touching knee to chest, his cock heavy and aching as he ground himself intimately between her thighs. “Why does it always lead right back to this pool table?”

“Because you’re so fucking hot laid out on it,” he explained, his wandering hands taking on a life of their own, deftly slipping her sweater up and over her head. “Damn, I like this one,” he said, referring to the red and black bra that she wore on rare occasions, usually when she wanted to get him all worked up.

At this point, she could’ve been wearing plain cotton underwear, and he wouldn’t give a damn. The goods were what was underneath all that satin and lace.

“I knew you did,” she whispered, slipping her hands into his hair and pulling his face closer to hers. When her lips were hovering mere inches from his, she whispered, “You should see the other piece that matches it.”

Tease.

Zane pressed his nose to hers and smiled. “I fully intend to.”

Lifting her easily, he helped her to sit on the edge of the pool table and proceeded to pull off her boots. When she was left with only the bra, her skirt, and the secret she hid beneath, he took a minute to stare at her.

“What’re you waiting for?” she questioned, her eyes bright with a familiar glimmering passion.

“Can’t a man just enjoy the view every once in a while?”

V pretended to consider him, grinning. And then the little minx spread her legs farther apart and leaned back, using her hands to prop herself up. The position gave him a little peek beneath her skirt. He stepped between her thighs, forcing them open even more as he pushed the skirt up high on her trim thighs, revealing the little red panties with the tiny black bows on the side. He wanted to pull them off with his teeth, but then again, this was one of her favorite sets – not to mention one of his too – so he knew he had to be gentle until he got her fully naked.

“Lay back and lift your hips,” he demanded, his eyes never straying from between her thighs, the damp fabric of her panties making him even crazier. He had half a mind to just end his suffering and drive his iron hard cock right into her, but from what he’d learned, this was less about speed and more about making her squirm. He wanted to savor her, to feast on her for a while and listen as she screamed her pleasure.

“Pushy cowboy,” V teased.

“Damn straight.” Leaning over her as he stood between her legs, Zane kissed her lips lightly, and helped her to ease down onto her back. “Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about.”

Sweeping the skirt down her legs, he had her nearly naked in seconds. Locking his gaze to hers, Zane flattened his palms on her thighs and ran them up her legs before sliding his index fingers beneath her panties – one on each side of her smooth, bare pussy lips.

“Damn, baby,” he growled. “You’re wet.”

“What did you expect?” she asked, her lids lowered, her sharp inhale a telling sign that he was doing something right.

When she tried to move closer to his fingers, he pressed his palms against her thighs to hold her in place.

“Oh, no you don’t. In case you don’t remember, I didn’t have dessert yet, and you promised me a cookie.”

“That’s your fault. If I recall correctly, dessert was served a little while ago.” V’s eyes opened wide, her mouth continuing to move, but Zane was focused on sliding his fingers through her slick heat, teasing her clit delicately.

He kept up the gentle torture until she bowed her back, her breasts thrusting up toward the ceiling as she moaned loud enough to wake the neighbors.

God, he fucking loved when she did that.

Luckily, they didn’t have neighbors.

“Do you like that?”

“God, yes,” she groaned, her hips undulating beneath his hands.

“How about this?” he asked as he slipped one finger inside her tight pussy, teasing lightly with a back and forth motion.

“Zane!” His name spilled from her lips in at least four syllables, and he couldn’t hide the smile.

“That wasn’t enough?” Pushing the index finger of his other hand inside her pussy, alongside the first, he watched as V writhed and moaned, her hands reaching out to try and grab something, but there was nothing within reach.

Slipping his fingers out, he quickly pulled her panties down her legs, letting them flutter to the floor beneath him before he leaned in and placed a tender kiss to her clit.

“Oh…” V whispered, her body stilling instantly, giving Zane the perfect opportunity to drag his tongue back and forth over the hardened nub.

“Spread your legs more for me, baby. I need to use my hands, so you’ll have to keep them open for me,” Zane insisted, keeping his palms flat against her thighs until she did exactly as instructed. “That’s my girl.”

With full use of his hands once again, Zane separated her slick folds, letting his breath feather against the sensitive tissue until she was once again trying to get closer to his mouth.

“Please,” she begged.

“Please what?”

“Lick me.”

He loved that about V. She wasn’t scared to ask for what she wanted.

“Where?”

“My pussy. Damn it, Zane. Lick my pussy!”

“Yes, ma’am. No need to be so bossy,” he said with a laugh before diving in, his tongue sliding through her soft, warm folds, testing the sensitivity before he plunged in deep, using his thumb to torment her clit as he fucked her with his tongue.

“Zane! Oh, fuck!”

He loved when she screamed like that. He wanted her to get loud enough to raise the roof, to inform the world exactly who owned her pleasure.

Switching, he lapped at her clit with relentless flicks of his tongue while plunging two fingers inside her, letting her muscles tighten as her orgasm erupted, her thighs clamping down around his head and holding him in place.

As she began to relax, he eased up, savoring the taste of her, but trying not to torment her – or himself – any longer.

“Now it’s my turn,” he said, pushing to his full height as he gripped his t-shirt behind his head and pulled it up and off before quickly shedding his jeans.

V looked almost peaceful as she stared up at him, a satisfied smile on her beautiful lips. Yep, he loved this damned pool table. Considering he couldn’t beat her at pool, he damn sure had to find his satisfaction somehow, and this certainly was one of the best ways to do that.

Lining his cock up against her entrance, Zane gripped his shaft and eased into her slowly, watching as her eyes closed, her mouth fell open. If the sensation was even remotely as intense for her as it was for him, he couldn’t blame her for trying to block everything else out. It was all he could do to maintain his grip on his sanity when he plunged deep inside her body, becoming one with this incredible woman. The woman he loved. The one who owned him – heart and soul.

“Tight,” he groaned through gritted teeth. “And wet.”

V opened her eyes and smiled, gifting him with the most magnificent gift a man could ever ask for. “I love you,” she whispered.

Pulling her hips closer to the edge of the table, he cushioned her butt on his hands to keep the edge from digging into her skin as he slowly penetrated her, then pulled out.

“I love you more,” he whispered, his eyes threatening to close as her fiery heat engulfed him, milking him while her muscles held him firmly in place. “God, baby, you feel so good.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” she giggled.

Her muscles tensed with her laughter, making him snap his teeth together as he fought the impending climax that had been patiently sitting dormant all damn day.

“I’ve got to fuck you now,” he warned her as he slid out, ensuring the engorged head remained nestled within her warm depths before he slammed into her again.

Luckily his hands were big because he had to latch his thumbs over her hips to hold her in place and still cushion her ass as he lifted her slightly. The angle was more than perfect, her tight sheath stroking him as he hurried his pace, thrusting forward hard and then slowly retreating. He didn’t know which was more erotic, watching his cock slide deep inside of her body, or watching her gorgeous tits as they swayed, that red and black bra barely containing them and doing little to keep them from sensually shifting back and forth with each thrust.

“You’re so fucking beautiful, V,” he said, his release building, his balls tightening and that telltale tingle starting at the base of his spine. “Fuck,” he groaned as he slammed into her hard, holding her in place.

As sweat broke out on his forehead, Zane concentrated all of his efforts on sending her into hyperspace, worried that he was going to freefall before he ever sent her over. “Come for me, V. Come all over my fucking cock.”

V’s pussy gripped him, threatening his resolve, but Zane refused to…

“Fuck yes! Zane!”

Now that was more like it.