The Wind and the Sun Read online

  When she finally opened her eyes, he was gazing at her intently. She thought maybe somewhere in his eyes she’d see a hint of triumph, an inkling that this was nothing more than another step to win the challenge. But he wore such a tender smile she lifted a hand to his cheek and leaned to brush her lips over his softly in thanks.

  All without a word.

  Zephyr rose to his feet, still cradling her in his arms. He turned until they could admire the castle they’d created together. It rose high into the air, bold against the setting sun and the bright colours of the sunset.

  “Very nice,” he whispered. He dipped his mouth and planted a kiss on her hair.

  “I think better than nice. That was amazing.” Sunshine pulled his face towards her, smiling shyly. “I’m an awfully selfish little girl. I’ve gotten happy twice and you must be—”

  “Very happy as well. Dust devils, you kiss like a dream and watching you…” Zephyr shook his head slowly, his beautiful smile sparkling at her. “Oh, sweetheart, I’m not sad at all. Don’t ask me to compete in the high jump right now, but other than that, I’m completely pleased with how the day has gone. Come on—if you’re willing—I think it’s time for me to select a location for our next date.”

  “Date?” What was he up to now?

  Zephyr slowly walked back towards the amusement park. “Is that okay with you? Can we change from calling it ‘locations for the challenge of who is the strongest’ to just calling it a date? In the interest of brevity.”

  She snuggled into his arms and sighed with contentment. “Fine by me.” She rocked gently, her cheek against his warm chest, when she suddenly shot upright. “My bikini top!”

  He dropped the missing article onto her belly. “Not that I care if you put it back on, but I thought you might not want to lose it.”

  Sunshine snorted.

  Oh, yes, he was good.

  Chapter Four

  Sunshine looked around with curiosity as they were led into the rustic seating area. The smoky smell of BBQ drifted past her nose and made her mouth water. A honky tonk song played over the speakers, and everywhere there were cowboy boots, hats and more flannel than in a pyjama warehouse.

  Umm. Cowboys.

  Zephyr’s hand rested lightly on her hip as she followed the waitress to their table in the back of the restaurant. His fingers caressed the strip of bare skin between the top of her low rider jeans and bottom of the fitted leather vest she’d put on when he’d announced their destination. Both the vest and her boots were made of bright red leather and she knew she looked mighty fine.

  A loud growl rolled from her stomach and Zephyr laughed. “I told you to dress faster.”

  Sunshine slipped onto the bench on the right side of the booth, expecting Zephyr to sit facing her. Instead he joined her, snuggling their thighs together.

  He tried to hand her a menu. “The back ribs are wildly spicy and very tasty, if you’re interested.”

  “Order for me, please. This is your choice for a date and I’m completely in your hands.” Sunshine leant back and relaxed, only to hear her stomach give another loud complaint. “Maybe an appetizer or two on rush order?”

  Zephyr chuckled. “Agreed.” He motioned for the waitress and whipped off an order without a glance at the menu. As the waitress walked away, his fingers linked their hands together under the table.

  He placed his mouth close to her ear. “I did think about taking you—”

  “Zephyr! What are you doin’ here, man?”

  Sunshine glanced up into the faces of two large, dusty cowboys.

  “Hey guys, long time no see. Come join us.” Zephyr rose and shook hands firmly with the two men, gesturing to the open bench at their table.

  “Nah, we’re not sitting. Pickin’ up a to-go order for the crew back at the ranch.” The spokesman for the two nodded politely at Sunshine. “Evening, little lady. Name’s Jon and this here is my little brother, Jim.”

  ‘Little brother’ towered over the six-foot plus Jon by a good three inches.

  Sunshine smiled at them. “Nice to meet you, boys. I’m Sunshine. Are you sure you don’t want to sit with us while you wait for your order?”

  Jon shook his head. “Not going to mess up your time out on the town. Such a pretty little filly like you deserves a man’s complete attention.” He winked and Sunshine’s skin flushed with delight.

  She never blushed.

  Zephyr placed his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in close.

  “Staking your claim, cowboy?” she whispered.

  “You know it.” His whispered words sent a shiver up her spine while a warm bubble grew deep inside her. Something about his tone made her snuggle in tighter.

  “You’ve got a mighty fine fellow there, Sunshine. You make sure you treat him right. Zephyr, you stop by anytime and say hi. And you tell your daddy the same thing.”

  “I will.”

  Jon tipped his hat and the brothers walked away towards the takeout window around the corner. Zephyr waved goodbye and Sunshine watched his face carefully.

  “What was that all about? How do they know Chinook?”

  Zephyr shifted in the seat to stretch his legs a little farther under the table. “My dad? Honey, we’re in Alberta. Everyone knows Chinook. He’s brought me here since I was little and I’ve gotten familiar with a lot of the area ranchers.”

  He paused and took a sip of his beer. “They’re good people. I like to go visit Jon and the boys every now and then, but I haven’t made it out yet this year. Hopefully after the challenge….”

  A little flash of pain shot through her and Sunshine sat straighter, pulling away from him. She didn’t want this to be about a contest anymore. She bit her lip and watched as the first part of their massive order was delivered to the table. “It’s not a challenge anymore, right? It’s a date. Well, a couple of dates.”

  “Right. Now’s the feeding time of this here date, little lady, so mosey on up to the feed trough and let’s put on the nose bag.”

  Sunshine laughed out loud. “People don’t really talk like that, Zephyr.”

  “I just did.”

  “Yes, but I—”

  “Jon called you ‘little lady’,” Zephyr pointed out.

  “He did but—”

  Zephyr placed a finger on her lips. “Hush, I’m teasing. Let’s eat before the bear in your stomach makes a break for it.”

  She had the most atrocious manners and she was driving him wild.

  After the first feeding frenzy to fill the empty pits in their stomachs, Sunshine turned the meal into an exotic form of torture.

  She picked up another rib, the sound of her delight catching Zephyr square in the balls. She licked her little pink tongue along one side of the rib and over the other before inserting half the bone into her mouth. Her lips closed around the meat and she pulled her hand away, her teeth rasping lightly over the partially clear bone. She seemed to swallow the meat whole before licking every bit of sauce off her rosy lips.

  Zephyr watched, mesmerised, as she flipped the bone around and cleaned it off, her mouth working in a way he had only seen in a dream.

  He began to lose sensation in his legs and couldn’t sit still for longer than five seconds without wiggling to relieve the pressure.

  Only one thing would relieve his pain. Well, two. Well, maybe more—he had a good imagination. It didn’t seem like any of them were going to happen in the next two minutes, which was when he would like something to happen.

  “It’s all really good, Zephyr. I especially like the steak. Want a piece?”

  The little minx cut a thin slice and placed it on her fork, hovering inches away from his mouth. She stared at him, the corner of her mouth lifted in a pixie smile. He opened his mouth and let her feed him. He closed his lips over the tidbit and jerked. Sunshine had slipped her free hand under the table and it rested on the front of his jeans. The very hard front of his jeans.

  He swallowed quickly.

  “I think,”
Sunshine said, “the best part of the meal is all the flavours. The way they mix and combine. The sweet of the BBQ flavour with the tang of the baked beans.” She rubbed up and down along his length, hard enough the far too sensitised head of his cock began to weep with joy.

  He was not going to come in his jeans like a teenager. He was not.

  Please, don’t let me come in my jeans.

  Sunshine’s lilting voice continued. “I think that’s the best part. Don’t you? I like the more savoury flavours. In fact, I think I know exactly what I want for dessert.”

  She didn’t mean…

  Sunshine kissed his cheek and with a quick glance to make sure no one was looking, she slipped under the table.

  She did mean. Holy cyclone.

  Zephyr checked the room. They were far in the back corner, the table set low to the floor. Someone walking by wouldn’t see Sunshine unless they specifically bent down and looked. The waitress had checked on them a minute ago. They were actually very private.

  Of course, the option of flashing them anywhere he wanted in the blink of an eye was always available, but that wouldn’t be in keeping with the spirit of the challenge. And to tell the truth, what she suggested made him hotter than hell.

  He slid his hips a little farther down the seat and opened his legs wide as she nudged between his thighs. Soft hands tugged at his belt, unbuckling. Unsnapping. Carefully unzipping. His cock strained against the fabric of his boxers, attempting to be free of the damn material.

  Then her hands, surprising cool, pulled him through the fly. His cock leapt, bumping into her palm, and she squeezed slightly.

  Zephyr fought to keep his eyes open. The surest way for them to get caught was for him to give them away, but her touch was like an addiction. His already over-sensitised nerves screamed for more.

  He pushed his water glass a little farther away and nearly crashed it to the table when she took him into her mouth. Heat and moisture covered him and the pleasure of finally being touched by Sunshine brought him close to finishing right then and there.

  Her tongue swirled over his engorged cock, slick and wet as she caressed the ridge. She surrounded him, bit by bit. Each time she slid a little farther down his shaft, leaving a trail of moisture behind that eased him deeper into her mouth on the next pass. Her lips dragged over him, adding more friction, adding more heat to his already torch-lit nerves.

  The crest of his erection hit the back of her throat, her mouth convulsed around him and Zephyr’s eyes threatened to pop out of his head. He reached under the table and threaded the fingers of one hand into her hair, feeling the strands smooth over his skin like satin.

  She sucked.

  Zephyr’s heart raced up to his throat, his muscles tightened and he pushed upright to tuck his chest against the edge of the table.

  “Would you like some more water? Any dessert?” The waitress stood next to the table, blinking innocently, totally unaware of the whirlwind occurring under her very feet. Zephyr managed to grin at her, feeling pleased for a second he’d hid his body’s reaction to the steamy hot temptress tormenting his cock.

  Sunshine deep throated him again and, damn the north wind, she hummed. Zephyr choked before he found a voice.

  Not his voice. This one sounded like it belonged to one of the twelve dwarfs.

  “Nothing else, just the bill.”

  The waitress walked away and Zephyr sat back slightly, glancing towards his crotch. Sunshine looked up at him, her blue eyes enormous in her face, her wet lips cupping around his cock as she sucked him. She pulled back, swirled her tongue over the slit then closed her eyes and pressed until her nose was buried in the fabric of his boxers. She swallowed, the muscles of her throat squeezing him, clutching around him.

  Zephyr’s balls tucked up into his body like rocks. Sunshine took one more plunge over him and he exploded. Streams of semen shot down her beautiful throat, her mouth sealed tightly over him as she sucked him dry. She swallowed and licked until he was clean before tucking him back into his shorts. She crawled back on the seat beside him, tugging back her mass of curls into order before turning to smile at him.

  A drop of his semen clung to the corner of her mouth and his body jerked in reaction. Even after coming, he wanted more. More of Sunshine touching him, more of her taste. He wanted her under him and over him and—

  Her tongue slipped out and found the errant moisture and he started to get hard all over again.

  She raised her glass in cheers, her bright eyes twinkling with mischief.

  “Wonderful place for a date, Zephyr. I’ll have to recommend it to all my friends.” She leaned on him, slipping under his arm to whisper in his ear. “Only I don’t think I’ll tell them about the dessert. I want to keep that all to myself.”

  Chapter Five

  She tugged him by the hand. Finally she had him where she really wanted him. “Come on, I promise it’s not too cold.”

  Zephyr made a show of wrapping his arms around his body and pretending to shake. “Nope. I’m sure I blew by here last week and there was ice on the pool.” He walked towards the bar that was tucked along the edge of the trees.

  Sunshine pouted. “You’re on a date with the Sun and you’re afraid the water is going to be too cold? Are you thinking, Toyboy? ‘Cause that doesn’t make a lot of sense.”

  “Toyboy. I like it.” He poured a drink for each of them. “I think I’d have to be a whole lot younger than you for that to apply.”

  She giggled. “Well, I didn’t think you’d like Gusty or Blowjob or Windman.”

  He wiggled his brows at her. “I loved the blow—”

  “As a nickname. Wow, can you ever be dense sometimes.” When had he become this much fun to be around? Teasing him this way felt so natural, not like she was trying to make a point. Just…have fun.

  Zephyr handed her a drink. He took his free hand and pulled her against him, hard, hip to hip. He lowered his mouth to inches away from hers. “I can be very, very dense, and I think you like that very, very much, my little ray of mischief.” He kissed her lightly and walked away. Sunshine looked him over with a growing admiration.

  He was solid, like a rock. But he showed more and more depth the longer she spent with him. The guys at the restaurant liked him for who he was, not for his position. There had been others who’d greeted them when they had gone next door to the dance floor to enjoy the music. People had just come up and chatted for a bit.

  No one chatted with the Bright family. Her parents taught her to ‘look out for number one’ and not to fraternise with those lower than you.

  Which pretty much left out everyone. Being the Sun and all.

  Except the Wind family wasn’t on the avoid list. For some reason, they were on the taunt list. Sunshine followed Zephyr to the edge of the pool, joining him as they dipped their feet in the water.

  “It’s a beautiful place, Sunshine,” Zephyr said, turning his head as he admired the view.

  Tall walls of rock surrounded them on three sides with a lush jungle protecting their backs. A waterfall burst from the rock at the far side of the pool and everywhere the lush smells and sights of the tropical rain forest filled their senses.

  She took a big breath and sighed with contentment. It was her favourite spot, made even more special with Zephyr there. “It’s where I come when I need to get away from everyone.”

  Zephyr’s head jerked. “You brought me to your personal retreat? Why? This should be a place for you to be alone and relax, not a place to bring the memories of this contest.” He struggled to his feet. “Choose somewhere else.”

  Sunshine tugged at the bottom of the boarder shorts he wore. “Sit. It’s not some mystical secret place. The grove is accessible by invitation only, but I’ve brought others here before. My dad installed the bar.”

  She looked up at him, concern written all over his face, and she hurried to reassure him. “I want our third date to be here, somewhere I feel comfortable.” Sunshine ducked her head, embarrassed she
’d given away too much of what was running through her heart. How quickly this had turned from a contest of strength to one of sheer desire. It was no longer about the challenge.

  She wanted him to win, as long as it meant she got to be with him.

  He remained standing, staring off into the distance. He spoke softly. “Sunshine, we don’t have to finish this contest. In fact, I think we would be better off calling it a night and we can—”

  “No!” Sunshine jumped up and clasped him tight. She buried her face in his shirt. Slowly his hands rose to hold her. If she let him go now, she might lose him. “I want you to stay. I want…”

  She lifted her gaze to his. “I want to make love with you. Here. Please?”

  His arms tightened around her and he closed his eyes. When he finally opened them, he smiled. “I don’t think you planned this very well, sweetheart. It’s a beautiful place and I’m looking forward to becoming more intimate with you, but I kind of hoped for a bed for our first time.”

  Yes!

  He was going to stay. Her heartbeat increased and she felt her skin flush. “I have everything planned fine, oh ye of little faith. You need to slip behind the waterfall to find the rest of the surprises.”

  Zephyr’s eyebrows lifted and he turned to check the waterfall more closely. “I don’t see a thing. I’ve blown through here before and I’ve never seen anything out of the ordinary.”

  Sunshine shimmied away from him and slipped into the pool. “Because you didn’t know where to look. Let me go first and get things ready. Follow me under the falls and you’ll see the passage to the right.” She kissed her fingertips and glittered away along the surface of the water towards her sanctuary.

  It was time to give him the surprise of his life.

  Zephyr returned the glasses to the wet bar. Figures Blaze stocked the thing. There were lots of heavy, manly drinks and not a lot there for the women. One thing Chinook had taught Zephyr was keep your lady happy and you’ll be happy yourself.

  Had he made Sunshine happy? He hoped so. She was everything he’d dreamt she would be. More responsive sexually than he hoped. Oh, she played at being a sex kitten, but underneath he was sure that was all it was—play.