She slid herself against him, squirting some liquid soap between their bodies until they got nice and slippery.

“Mmm. Taking showers is so much more fun when you live here.”

He laughed, kissing down her neck as he shifted to slide his cock between her thighs and pushed closer, not entering her body, but stroking the head and length of himself against her, hot, wet and oh so welcoming.

She sucked in a shaky breath and he nipped her earlobe. “Feels so good. Everything with you is hotter than the last time.”

She scored her nails down his back as her breathing hitched. As he continued to thrust, taking them both closer and closer to climax, he soaped over her ass and then up, around her hips until he took her breasts in his hands, tugging her nipples the way he knew she liked best.

Her pussy grew impossibly hotter against him as he continued to stroke through the notch between her thighs, taking care to angle the flare of the crown of his cock against her clit, just so.

Her teeth sank into his shoulder as she came. The unexpected edge of pain, the fraying of her control, sent him into orgasm right along with her.

“Better than a cup of coffee any day,” he said as he kissed her.

Laughing, she finished her shower.

CHAPTER TWENTY

AFTER A QUICK knock on his parents’ front door, he let himself in, calling out that he’d arrived.

He followed the smell of food and his father’s hail through to the kitchen where his mom was cooking and his dad had clearly just come inside from the fields. The alfalfa was coming in the following week or so. The ranch was abuzz with activity and had been for hours.

Michael Hurley loved being outside. Loved the land and making things grow. He and Ezra were very much alike in that way. Vaughan loved that the ranch was their land, but not anywhere near the level they did.

He waved a hand at Vaughan. “Hey, son.”

Vaughan hugged both his parents and then got himself a cup of coffee.

“How’s it going? Alfalfa still on track for next week?”

“It is.”

“Kelly and I are taking the girls to New York, but we’ll be back Wednesday. I’ll stay here for a few days to help then.”

“Bring the biscuits to the table, Michael,” his mother said. “Vaughan, grab the butter and jam from the fridge.”

Once all the food had been laid out, they sat down to eat. Minnie camped her fat little belly over Vaughan’s feet, just in case he might drop some food.

“What are you doing in Gresham, Vaughan?” his mother asked as she spooned up some eggs onto her plate.

“I’m getting my family back. Or, maybe that’s not right. I’m earning them, I guess. Yeah, that’s what I’m doing,” Vaughan said.

“Why now? She left you eight years ago. Why does she suddenly want you back?”

“Sharon, honey.” Michael patted his wife’s hand and she gave him a scary look. Vaughan’s father ignored it. “Ease back, now. Your Southern is showing.”

“That girl showed up, made him love her and then stole his children and his money. You tell me why I shouldn’t be outraged by that.”

Vaughan and his father both stared, stunned, mouths agape at her words.

This was a bigger mess than he’d assumed. There was a lot of emotion there and it was misplaced. For so long Vaughan had let this stew and now... “This is totally my fault.” Vaughan ate awhile as he tried to get his words together.

“What is?” Sharon eyed him carefully.

“I should have pushed harder to bring her into the family. We should have welcomed her instead of suspecting her. I was away a lot. Distracted. I didn’t want to make waves and she tolerated it.”

“Tolerated?”

“How can you be so smart about so many things and so, so deluded when it comes to Kelly? What is it about her more than Natalie, Mary or Tuesday that makes you react so vehemently against her?”

“She broke your heart! She stole your children when you were still reeling from that and then she used you for money. She’s got her fancy house here and her multimillion-dollar condo. Her stores. All paid for by my son. Who she hurt.”

“Mom,” Vaughan began but Sharon held a hand up.

“I’m not done, boy. Hold your tongue until I am.”

“I’m going to let that happen. But I’m telling you now, tread carefully.” Vaughan clamped his lips together.

“That was years ago. She was young and I can understand why she latched on to you. Army brat with a stage mother who pushed her into show business to pay the bills. And you come along. Keep it shut,” she warned him when Vaughan began to argue.

He nodded and his father gave him an approving look. Vaughan knew his father supported his getting Kelly back so that expression said Vaughan was on the right track to let Sharon speak.

“But then, she stayed here. Your daughters are wonderful children. Bright, affectionate, artistic. She encourages that but doesn’t seem to want to exploit their talent. I’ve been a mother with kids who were artists. I know what it takes and so maybe I don’t hate her anymore. Maybe I even appreciate the way she keeps them in our life.”

“I appreciate that you feel better about her and all, but nothing you felt about her until now has been fair. It’s based on a lie. More than one lie. I told her to file for divorce. More than once when she confronted me about my behavior. It was a way to shut her up and keep her off my back. The last time, well, she listened to me. The truth is, I didn’t want to be married.”