“So tell me what you’ve been up to,” Grey suggested after Holly disappeared into her room.  “What have you done since you left Montana?”

She shrugged. “Not much. I qualified as a nurse in Chicago, lived there for a few years then when I’d specialized in midwifery I moved to Seattle.  Been living there for the past five years.  But when I heard about Dad’s diagnosis, I decided to come home.”  Mikayla sipped her wine thoughtfully.  “He’s doing okay, but I’ll be happier being here as the disease progresses.”

Grey suspected he’d received a condensed version of the last decade of Mikayla’s life, but decided to let it slide for now.  “It’s a damn shame, your Dad getting Parkinson’s,” Grey commented, “I saw him last week at the stock feed store – he was looking well.”

Mikayla nodded, smiling wistfully.  “Dad won’t let a little thing like this hold him back.  He’s determined to keep things normal for as long as possible and keep working until he’s forced to give it up.”

“It’s a good attitude to have,” Grey said.  “I wish Jeb had a little more of that outlook, might help with his current situation.”

Mikayla saw the shadow of worry which flickered across Grey’s eyes before he smoothed it back out.  It gave Mikayla an opportunity to study him for a moment or two and her heart skipped at the sight.  He’d only grown more handsome in the interim.  Clear blue eyes framed by long dark eyelashes and his hair was still a little too long, tousled and touched the collar of his forest green button-down shirt.  The top couple of buttons were undone, revealing a tantalizing section of tanned skin.  She resisted the urge to reach out and touch it, curling her fingers into her palm.  “I’ve no doubt this is incredibly difficult for Jeb; it’s hard for anyone with this type of injury – even more so when it’s inflicted in a war zone.  How’s his mental health?”

Grey twisted on the couch so he faced her.  He’s struggling,” he admitted.  “He suffers with nightmares; I know he doesn’t sleep well.”

“Does he overreact to outside stimuli, such as sudden loud noises?”

Grey shook his head.  “I don’t think so,” he offered, then followed up with a wry smile.  “He’s closed up and hardly ever leaves the ranch, so to be honest, it’s hard to know.”

“I assume he’s having physical therapy?”

Grey huffed out a frustrated breath, leaning forward to snag his beer from the coffee table.  “He refuses to do it.  Like I said, he missed his last VA appointment, and he won’t go to the physiotherapy appointments at the hospital in town.  Do you know Kendra Mason?”

Mikayla nodded, familiar with the town’s lone physiotherapist.

“She’s tried everything to convince Jeb how important the physio is.  His spinal cord is intact – there’s no obvious reason for the paralysis and the VA docs are convinced he’ll walk again.  But Jeb thinks it’s hopeless and we can’t convince him that the physiotherapy is integral to his recovery.  He seems totally convinced he’s never going to walk again.”  Grey dropped the empty beer bottle onto the table.  “It’s all as frustrating as hell, and Jeb’s a total pain in the ass.”  He raked his fingers through his hair and Miki watched the action, his suntanned fingers sweeping through the wavy strands of dark hair.  She remembered those fingers, the calloused pads, his gentle touch…

Grey’s blue eyes locked with hers and she lost herself in them.

She watched as those same fingers left his hair and reached out towards her cheek, inching closer and closer.

His fingers were exactly as she remembered, and she nuzzled against them, closing her eyes and leaning into his touch.

“Miki.  Look at me,” Grey murmured, and her eyes snapped open.

Clear blue eyes watched her intensely and Mikayla wondered what he was thinking.  He drew closer, then closer again and when she inhaled she was greeted by an earthy aroma of sandalwood and leather, a scent which brought dozens of memories crashing back.

Grey leaned in, brushing his lips over hers and Mikayla’s breath caught in her throat.  His lips were warm and firm, and he ran his tongue experimentally over the seam of Mikayla’s lips, seeking the entrance which she willingly gave.

Their tongues lashed and tangled together, and Grey reached out, wrapping his arms around Mikayla’s back, drawing her closer.

“Damn it, Miki.  I’ve missed this.  I’ve missed you,” Grey muttered.  He tucked her more closely in his arms, deepening the kiss as his hands roamed over her limbs, seeking, searching, caressing.

Mikayla’s heart pounded, her skin tingling beneath Grey’s frantic exploration.  She hadn’t expected this, hadn’t planned for it, but she relished his obvious longing, loved the way he made her feel.

Grey rubbed his fingertips across Mikayla’s sweater-clad waist, reaching upwards so his knuckles scraped across the underside of her breast. 

A tiny groan erupted from Mikayla’s throat and Grey caught it in his mouth, biting on her lower lip and tugging on it between his teeth.

The kiss grew, expanding and deepening until Mikayla suspected she might spontaneously combust.  She reached for Grey, wanting to explore that tantalizing expanse of skin at his collar.  She slipped her fingers up across the buttons of his shirt until she reached her target and brushed her fingers through the coarse hair.

Grey drew away, his blue eyes sparkling when he gazed down at her.  “Miki, I didn’t plan this,” he offered in a growl before he slammed his mouth down over hers again.

Mikayla was breathing heavily, her desire increasing with each passing second.  She sucked in a ragged breath when Grey slipped his hand down between her denim-clad thighs, using the palm of his hand to rub against her clit and Mikayla moaned, a shudder rippling across her limbs.

Grey gazed down at her, his eyes stormy.  “Miki… sweetheart…”  He got to his feet, adjusting himself and offering her a wry smile.  “If you want me to go home I need to leave no—”

“Stay,” Mikayla requested in a low voice.  She got to her feet, resisting the urge to throw herself back into Grey’s arms here and now.

Grey stunned Mikayla by leaning forward and scooping her into his arms.  “Bedroom?” he growled.

“Down the hall to the left,” Mikayla managed before Grey’s lips crashed down onto hers and he strode in the direction she’d indicated, his tongue dueling with hers.

Mikayla fumbled for the light switch when Grey entered the room and he quirked one eyebrow when he saw the single bed.

“Sorry.”

Grey dropped Miki gently onto her feet, lifting his hands to frame her face.  “I don’t care.”

He held her face in the palms of his hands and Mikayla savored the touch, the hard calluses on his fingers, the result of years of physical activity.  She rested her hands against his chest and toyed with the buttons under her fingertips, playing her fingers over the hard ridge of muscle.  The years had only served to make Grey leaner, more muscular.

“Damn it, Miki.  I need you.  I need to see you,” Grey demanded.  “All of you.”  He tugged at her sweater, pulling it up over her ribs and revealing her skin to his heated gaze.  Mikayla helped him tug her sweater over her head, leaving her bra-covered breasts visible.

Mikayla suffered a pang of insecurity, fighting against the urge to lift her arms and conceal her chest.  Years of being belittled by Carlene Odell had made her self-conscious about her less than perfect shape.

Grey must have guessed the thoughts behind her expression because he stepped forward, tracing a thumb down over her collarbone, his intense gaze following the path his thumb took.  “You are beautiful, Miki.”  He stepped back, taking Mikayla with him and lowered himself onto the edge of the bed. With his height and Mikayla’s more diminutive stature it brought Grey’s line of sight directly in front of her breasts.

She closed her eyes, inhaling sharply when Grey lifted his hands from her waist.   He brushed over the underside of her breasts before hooking his fingers under the lacy material of her bra, pushing the cups down to free her breasts and reveal them to his gaze.

Tingles of pleasure raced through her limbs when Grey’s lips closed over her left nipple, and he tweaked her right between his thumb and forefinger.  The pressure he applied was perfect and heat pooled in her groin.  “Oh, Grey.”

He lifted his mouth from her skin and spoke.  “You like that, Miki?  Look at me, darlin’; watch what I’m doing to you.”

Mikayla forced her eyes open and blinked down at Grey, his intense gaze mesmerizing.  He squeezed her right nipple, the pressure just enough to have her gulping a deep breath when pleasure swept over her and Grey only added to it by retaking her left breast, laving over the nipple with the flat of his tongue.

Mikayla whimpered with the rush of sensations and tangled her fingers in Grey’s hair.  Unable to stay still, she wriggled and swayed until Grey took his mouth from her skin and she leaned forward to undo the buttons on his shirt.

Each button revealed another few inches of bare skin and Mikayla watched as Grey’s chest and lean abs came into view.  He was even more stunning than when they’d gotten together a decade ago.  Grey had been nineteen then and while his body was leanly muscled, the ensuing years had increased his weight and size, adding width to his shoulders and a maturity to his physique which was positively mouth-watering.

“Let’s take these off,” he murmured as he unsnapped the button on her jeans.  Mikayla watched Grey lower the zip and hook his fingers over the waistband, peeling them down.

Another moment of uncertainty threatened to overwhelm her with panic until Grey spoke again, resting his hands on her hips.  “This is what I love about you Miki, you’ve got beautiful curves.  I love a woman with a waist and hips and generous breasts.”  He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the front of her bikini underwear, then blew warm air over the spot, eliciting a shiver.

“Grey,” Mikayla whispered.

“Yeah?”  There was a knowing twinkle in his eye when he responded, and Mikayla didn’t think it was fair – she was getting all hot and bothered but Grey seemed as cool as a cucumber.  But when he stood up, tugging at the zip of his own jeans her attention was drawn to the way his erection was straining against the denim, and she saw the slight tremor in his suntanned fingers as he wrestled with the material.

“Here, let me,” Mikayla said, surprised by the huskiness in her voice.  She sounded wanton, sexy to her own ears and decided she liked it.  She settled onto the bed in the position Grey had vacated and reached for his jeans.

Grey allowed the action, his eyes hooded as he watched Mikayla lower the zipper. She pulled back the denim to reveal his black boxers, his erection straining against the material and the tip of his penis visible at the waistband.  Mikayla licked her lips expectantly and started to lower Grey’s jeans and boxers simultaneously.

She ran her fingertips along his length, enjoying the silky-smooth warm skin covering the hardness of his desire. She wrapped her hand around him, fisting him, running her fingers up and down and eliciting a rumbling groan from deep within Grey’s chest.

Her confidence boosted, Miki leaned forward and took Grey into her mouth scraping her tongue along the base of his penis, licking the tiny cleft below the head.

Grey rocked a little on his heels, pressing forward and back, forward and back, tempering his enthusiasm to ensure Miki didn’t get overwhelmed.

Mikayla took up a rhythm, taking as much of Grey into her mouth as she could manage, using the pressure of her lips and tongue to gauge what pleased him most. 

She settled into a rhythm, cupping his balls gently in one hand but Grey pulled back, his breathing ragged and his eyes wild.  “No, Miki, not this time darlin’.  This time I need to be with you, inside you.”  He held his hands out and Mikayla took them, letting him draw her up and into his arms and he wrapped her in a hug, pressing his lips to hers in a searing kiss.  His hardness pressed against her stomach and she trembled.

Grey unsnapped her bra, letting it drop to the floor.  “Turn around.  Put your hands on the bed.”

Mikayla shivered and found herself hesitating again, uncertain about letting Grey see her from behind, hyper-aware of her well-endowed hips.

Grey wasn’t having any of it.  Catching the hesitation in her eyes he ran his hands down her sides, passing down over her ribs, her waist and her hips.  “Still self-conscious Miki?  You’ve got no need to be.  You’re beautiful, never forget it.”  He pressed another heart-stopping kiss to her lips.  “Hands on the bed, darlin’.”

Mikayla did as he requested, a gasp escaping her lips when Grey slipped her underwear down her legs, urging her to step out of them before he dropped them to the floor.

He ran his hands over the globes of her ass, squeezing and kneading the skin before he ran his thumbs along the crease of her ass.  “So pretty,” he murmured.

Without warning, he spread her folds apart and pressed one finger inside, making Mikayla moan.

He pulled back, then pressed back in, adding another finger and Mikayla hummed her pleasure, rocking back against Grey’s hand.

“So hot, so tight,” Grey said.  “I’ve dreamed of this.  Of you.”

“Please Grey, please,” Mikayla whispered.

“Okay darlin’.  Truth be told, I need you as much as you need me.”

Mikayla was bereft when he removed his fingers and almost whimpered.  Behind her she heard him fumble with his jeans and turned back to see him pulling his wallet from the back pocket and retrieving a condom.  He tore open the packet with his teeth before unrolling the condom over his length.

Seeing Mikayla’s eyes on him he spoke.  “I need you, Miki.  Badly.  I’m not sure how gentle I can be.”

“I don’t care,” Mikayla reassured him, repeating the words he’d used earlier.

With a desperate groan, Grey gripped her hips and slid into her body in one single smooth motion.  He paused, his legs trembling, his breath coming in ragged bursts as he gave her time to adjust to his size.  When he was satisfied Mikayla wasn’t in any discomfort he started to move back and forth, his movements gathering speed and momentum until he was pounding relentlessly and Mikayla took every plunge, her orgasm building, growing.

Grey slid one hand from her hip and reached around to press a finger to her clit.

It was all she needed to slip over the edge, and she hummed her pleasure as stars erupted behind her eyelids and behind her, Grey plunged deeply and groaned when his own orgasm exploded over him.