Growing up in Harlan County gave her a shared history with Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens. A history that made the two Kentucky natives cynical to the outside world.
However, after meeting former Army Ranger, Tim Gutterson, Jolene 'Jo' Taylor's p...
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Every one of Jo's nerve endings was alight with electricity, tingling as sparks erupted with each soft touch and hard kiss. Her flushed skin buzzing with contentment when she rolled to lay beside Tim against the now crumpled bedsheets. Their heavy breathing echoed through the still room while they gradually descended from their respective highs.
Jo pushed the dampened hair from her forehead, running nimble fingers through the waves now extremely tangled after being tugged at and carded through by the man beside her. His hands were resting beneath his head, elbows bent out to the sides. With eyes closed, he looked the picture of tranquility. She took in the absence of stiff shoulders and furrowed brow as her eyes ranked over his profile. He probably wasn't what you'd call conventionally attractive, but his full lips lent themselves to an inherent pout, and the straight bridge of his nose offered a sharpness to his features.
"You just gonna stare at me all night?"
Her eyes briefly widened in surprise of being caught ogling. Still, it was to be expected, Tim's professional career hinged on the ability to be in constant awareness of his surroundings. Plus, she wasn't exactly subtle in her gazing. He could probably feel her eyes burning a hole into the side of his head while she drank in his more appealing attributes.
Jo turned on her side, head resting in her open palm as she appraised him shamelessly. "I wouldn't say it's the worst view," she teased.
Tim's eyes remained closed, and his body lay still, but a grin tugged at the corner of his lips from her statement. "Is that why you gave me a key because you enjoy the scenery?"
Her eyes rolled at his faint request for validation. It was her own fault for being too vague with her intentions and too guarded with her emotions.
"Maybe I just like the idea of having dick delivered straight to my door. More expedient if I don't have to get up and let you in each time," she drawled sarcastically. Her blatant mocking earned a scoff from her bed partner, who extracted an arm from beneath his head to pull her into his side roughly.
Jo went willingly, her head coming to rest upon his chest, their legs tangling as she idly traced the tattoo gracing his shoulder. "I think you like me," Tim announced confidently, his fingers softly running up and down her spine. The gentle touch left goosebumps in its wake, and the shiver that ran through her body had nothing to do with the crisp night air hitting her bare skin.
"I think you're fishing," Jo challenged in return. She considered the pattern her fingers absentmindedly followed. Like the rifle that adorned his wrist, she imagined its origin stemmed from his time in the Rangers, but she'd never bothered to inquire about it.
He let out a heavy sigh beneath her, his chest rising and falling with the deep breath. "Can you blame me? I wouldn't call you forthright." The assessment was fair, even though her often callous treatment of his obvious affections wasn't.
Jo knew Tim frequently found her frustrating. Hell, she was regularly vexed by her own deadened nature, but it seemed an exceptionally arduous habit to break. Years of apathy weren't reprogrammed in a fortnight, or, in their case, a year or so's time. However, she could feel herself relinquishing the tight hold she held on the reigns little by little, solely for the blonde currently resting underneath her. The notion held both the terror of her worst nightmare and the exhilaration of a new adventure. She still wasn't certain which aspect would win out in the end.
With a huff in exasperation, she lifted herself from her horizontal position. Throwing one leg over his body, she straddled Tim's hips and peered down upon his face with a set determination. His hands ran up her bended knees to rest on the soft expanse of her thighs. The sensation was almost distracting enough to lose her train of thought, but she held firm to her faculties.
"Christ, you really have to hear it, don't you?" She griped while situated over him. The only light illuminating their features came from the full moon shining through the open blinds—bathing them both in a dim glow.
Tim's mouth twitched with a small smirk, but the only answer he offered was a slight incline of the head. His fingers gripping the smooth skin of her thighs a silent indicator for her to continue. Jo licked her lips in anticipation, her tongue coming to rest between her teeth, where she bit down on it harshly. Her body was instinctively trying to contain the sentiment threatening to spill from her mouth. Physically saying the words that might offer him some sense of assurance wasn't the difficult part, willingly opening herself to vulnerability was, however. Some cans of worms, once opened, were damn near impossible to close.
She'd stalled too long in her contemplation, and she could feel Tim's eyes bearing down on her as if attempting to read her mind. Even if he could, all he'd discover were a jumble of incoherent thoughts and a swirl of conflicting emotions. Nothing tangible or constructive to be found there, so she'd have to forcibly manufacture the words to convey how she really felt.
Jo drew in a substantial inhale through her nose, and slowly released the exhale from her mouth. Maybe if she calmed her breathing, her heart would stop erratically beating behind her rib cage. She wasn't preparing to run a marathon, so maybe her body could stop behaving like it was anticipating the exertion of one.
"Yes, Tim Gutterson. I like you. Despite your habitual need for verbal confirmation," she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper.
Tim surged forward, pulling himself into a seated position. His arms encircling Jo's waist to ensure she didn't tip backward at the sudden change in position. Her eyes expanded in shock for the second time that evening. When they readjusted, an uncertain look rested behind her pupils. Their faces were so close that she could feel the air from his steady breaths dancing across her reddened cheeks.
Tim rarely smiled, Jo realized. He often offered a self-satisfied smirk or Cheshire grin after dolling out one of his smartass comments, but rarely an authentic smile. Now, she had an intimate view of his white teeth, imperfectly crooked but charming, as his lips pulled back to display a sincere smile. "Hey, that didn't kill you," he ribbed mildly, treading carefully in his joshing, given their precarious predicament.
Jo let out an exaggerated groan, her head falling forward to rest upon Tim's shoulder. His arms tightened around her waist, pulling their bodies even closer. "I think I just died a little inside," Jo whined, half-joking and half-serious. They'd broken through the proverbial barrier, only to find themselves immersed in deep, deep waters on the other side. Regardless, they shared a chuckle at her confession, and the tension surrounding them like a blanket broke.
Before Tim could press her revelatory inclinations any further, Jo's head turned into him, and she began placing open-mouthed kisses along the expanse of his throat, and all other prospects immediately dissipated. Her teeth lightly scraping against the sensitive skin threw his senses into overdrive, and, suddenly, talking was the last thing on his mind.
Flipping them over, her back landed on the mattress with a soft thud while he hovered over her, arms braced on either side of her head to relieve some of his weight from crashing down on her. She wasn't interested in creating distance between them, though. Jo none too gently pulled him down on top of her with forceful hands clutching his back. She relished the feel of his body pressed flush against her own, skin sliding against skin. The heat being shared brought all blood to the surface, magnified each caress as their flesh tingled from the contact.
All complications aside, this was a pleasure she hoped never to grow tired of. "You wanna keep talking, Ranger, or are you ready for round two?" Jo questioned with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. Her leg being hiked up over Tim's hip was all the indication she needed to know their conversation had concluded for the night.
