From This Moment On - By Debbi Rawlins Page 0,57

McAllister family having serious money problems. Severe enough that Trace couldn’t afford school.

“What do you mean by bad timing?” She decided to lead with the less touchy issue.

“After Jesse finished college he joined the air force. None of us expected that. My father had passed away two years earlier and Cole was running the ranch. He did a hell of a job. I helped as much as I could but I was still wet behind the ears. Man, I would’ve felt like shit taking off for college and leaving him to shoulder everything. I figured I still had time, even if I had to wait until Jesse got out of the military.” He lifted a thick lock of her hair, then watched it sift through his fingers and fall behind her shoulder.

She thought the gesture sweet until she realized he was simply preserving his view of her bare breast. It made her smile.

“What?”

“Nothing.” She scooted closer and rested her hand on his waist. “And?”

“Rachel was coming up behind me and I knew she was itching to go to that fancy college in Dallas. Tuition wasn’t cheap, although we didn’t have money problems back then. Several years later, yeah, big hurdle. But nearly everyone around here was in the same fix, and we’re still meeting payroll so no complaints from me.”

“Except Jesse is home now and you should be able to go to school if you want.”

“Money is still tight. Anyway, no point in learning about a bunch of new techniques we don’t have the financial resources to implement. Maybe someday.” He shrugged a shoulder. “I read a lot and try to keep up on what’s out there or what might be coming down the chute. Let everybody else be guinea pigs.”

She hated that he’d been held back, and was stunned to learn the McAllisters weren’t the family of power and means she’d imagined. They’d compromised and worked their butts off so their hired hands could keep their jobs. She liked them all the more.

“By the way...” Trace let the backs of his fingers trail over her breast. Her nipple’s instant response made his mouth curve in a smile. “Don’t say anything about my wanting to go to college to anybody. No need kicking up dust for nothing.”

“Doesn’t your mom or any of your family know?”

“Nope. I was a pretty decent student. I got mostly B’s, though, not like Rachel and Jesse. My mom was still mourning my dad, and I think she figured I was more like Cole and didn’t have a head for school.”

“You must’ve mentioned it at some point.”

He leaned closer and tongued her nipple. They’d already made love twice in the three hours since returning from Kalispell. Trace had been quick to inform her he had a third condom in his glove box. She knew he wanted to distract her, but he also wanted her, period. No hiding that fact with his hard-on swelling hot and thick between them.

She touched him, hadn’t yet wrapped her fingers around his penis when he jerked back.

“Careful now, honey, or we’ll be heading for that finish line too soon again.”

“We?” Nikki laughed. “You’re like a teenager. You can’t hold back for one—” She gasped at the speed with which he spread her legs and positioned himself between them.

He pressed soft warm kisses just under her belly button, down to the narrow strip of hair left from her Brazilian wax.

“Hey.” Ordering herself not to react, she arched off the blanket anyway. “We were talking.”

“Go right ahead.” He slid a hand under her butt and lightly squeezed.

She tried to grab a fistful of hair but missed. He’d moved out of reach, trailing his lips lower, inserting a finger to test how slick she’d grown. He lifted his head, and her groan turned into a laugh at his self-satisfied smirk. “What are you doing?”

His gaze moved to her breasts. Looking like a kid who’d been told not to touch the hot stove but couldn’t seem to help himself, he rubbed his thumb over her nipple. “You haven’t figured it out yet?”

“I know what you’re doing. What I want to know is— Oh.” She jumped at the intimate swipe of his tongue.

Trace licked his way back up to her lower belly and smiled. “I’m gonna go so slow you’ll be begging me to hurry.”

* * *

IT WAS AFTER FOUR by the time Trace drove her to the house. The foyer lamp had been left on, as well as the porch light. Matt’s room was completely