Chapter Five
Chapter Four
Priscilla narrowed her eyes at his back as he expanded the distance between them. What was that all about? One minute he was talking with her just fine and the next, he gave her the evil eye and rode off. And men say women are hard to understand. She nudged her horse to catch up to him.
“Tell me about the bulls. I can use that in the article,” she said when she caught him.
Roark glanced over to her and then away. She saw him take a deep breath. Moody much.
“Raising bucking bulls isn’t just a pleasure, it can be very profitable. A beef or dairy heifer may sell for five to seven hundred dollars, but a heifer or weaning bull from a line of proven buckers can go for double or even triple that. The earning potential for bucking bulls is longer and significantly higher than typical show or feed cattle. A bucking bull can start winning money as young as two years old and can compete for another eight years or longer. A contractor with a bull possessing the skills to buck professionally is paid each time that bull leaves the chute.” He shrugged. “Every time a bull bucks, the contractor gets a paycheck on a per-out basis that can range from one hundred dollars an out to eight thousand at the world finals. There have been world champion bulls that have earned close to five hundred thousand dollars.”
“Holy hell,” she exclaimed. “Five hundred thousand? ”
“Yep.”
“I’m in the wrong business,” she muttered.
Roark chuckled and turned his horse to the left. “ There’s the cattle we need to move.”
“Shouldn’t there be more of us? I mean, how are we going to move them by ourselves?”
“There are only twenty I want to move up there. Once I get them going, just ride along the outside of them and that’ll keep them in line. They know where they’re going so it won’t be hard to get them headed in the right direction.”
“Wonderful.”
“You want to go back and call Earl?”
Priscilla raised her middle finger at him making him laugh. She shook her head and looked around. The sun was coming up over the Glaciers and had slowly begun to brighten the sky. It was just as beautiful rising as it had been at setting. The orange rays kissed the mountains as it rose above them. She bet this land was beautiful in the winter too.
“Were you born and raised in Montana?”
“Yes. All of us Callahans were. Right here in Spring City.”
“I suppose the winters are harsh living so close to the Glaciers.”
“It can be for sure. I love it though. I wouldn’t live anywhere else.”
“I never see snow in northern California unless I go up into the mountains. A white Christmas never happens where I live. At least I’ve never seen one.”
“You have good summers though.”
Priscilla nodded. Yes, the summers were nice but she loved cooler weather. Fall and winter had always appealed to her. She rode her horse alongside the cattle and smiled as the rising sun shone down on her face. It was going to be a warmer than normal day .
“Is there a pond close by where we’ll be camping?”
“Yes… and a stream. It’s why I told you to bring soap.”
“I’m sure I’ll be hot and sticky by the time we get there. I’ll definitely need a bath.” She smiled at the thought of a cool swim but wasn’t thrilled at the idea of being undressed so close in proximity to this hot cowboy.
****
Roark almost slipped from his saddle. That was all he needed—thinking of her as hot and sticky . Damn it. Now his damn cock was twitching against the fly of his jeans. Why in the hell did you bring her up here? He decided he was a glutton for punishment. That’s all there was to it.
“Tell me about the Callahan cousins.”
“Reid retired last year. He used to be the best in bull riding—he won a lot.”
“Why did he retire?”
“He’d retired two years before coming home for Christmas last year. It gets hard on the body after a while. I’m thinking of retiring once I win another buckle. Reid did ride one last time this past February in Vegas.”
“Why did he return?”
“Zeke Albright was his best friend and he’d been killed by a bull four years earlier. It was an event to honor the fallen men in bull riding.”
“That’s nice that they do that. Why does the name Albright sound familiar?”
Roark chuckled. “Zeke was Lucy’s first husband.”
“What?”
“Yeah. Reid has been in love with her for years but with Zeke being his best friend, he’d never let her know. Thing is, she blamed Reid for Zeke being killed. Zeke had retired but Reid talked him into going one more time.” Roark shook his head. “Reid blamed himself too. He was a mess for a long time. Lucy was pregnant at the time but she didn’t tell anyone. Not even Zeke. She told Reid she had blamed him so she didn’t have to blame herself. She thinks if Zeke would have known she was pregnant, he wouldn’t have ridden.”
“Do you think that’s true?” Priscilla asked.
“No. If anything, he would have gone just to brag about becoming a dad but yeah, he would’ve still ridden… to prove a point, I suppose. We all knew Zeke well. He was like our fifth cousin, but he and Reid were inseparable. Reid really took it hard when he died. Zeke was only twenty-nine.”
“That’s so sad. Can I use any of that in the article?”
“I don’t see why not. It’s common knowledge. There wasn’t a cowboy on the circuit who didn’t know Reid was in love with Lucy—except maybe Zeke.”
“What did she have? Boy or girl?”
“Boy… a little version of Zeke. We all call him Z-man. It’s Reid’s nickname for him.” Roark laughed. “As my Uncle Declan says, he’s a tornado.”
Priscilla laughed. “I bet Reid loves him because he’s a version of Zeke and he’s Lucy’s son.”
“Exactly. Z-man calls Reid, Daddy and he is. He adores that boy.”
“Amazing story. Okay, tell me more. Who else competes?”
“Besides me, no one. Dev retired at the top. Jax retired because he’d been injured too badly in a car accident. He’d been on his way home from a rodeo in Idaho Falls with his wife, Bethany, and a car crossed the centerline and hit them head-on.” Roark shook his head.
“That’s awful. Were they all right?”
“No, Bethany was killed. The car behind them said the car hit them so hard, it spun theirs around, and then it slammed into a tree on the driver’s side. Jaxon’s hip was shattered. Uncle Declan flew us to Idaho. Jaxon had to have emergency surgery and while that was happening, Uncle Declan flew Bethany’s body back home. Jax was devastated. He loved her so much.”
“That’s so sad. How long ago was this?”
“Two years. Listen, I don’t want any of that in the article, please. That’s off the record. Okay?”
“All right. I won’t print that part. So, that’s all the Callahans, right?”
“That’s it.”
“Will any of you compete in the one coming next month?”
“Probably. The entire town comes out for it. You’ll have a good time.”
****
Priscilla was sure of that. She’d love to have a good time with Roark and not at the rodeo. In the tent, under the stars perhaps. She looked at him from under her lashes. Damn! The man was so hot. His black cowboy hat sat low on his forehead and his sunglasses covered those beautiful gray eyes. She wiggled in the saddle. It was going to be a long day and even longer night.
They rode on for a long while before stopping for lunch. When Priscilla swung her leg over the saddle and her feet hit the ground, she would have fallen if Roark hadn’t been there to catch her.
“Thank you. I guess sitting so long got to me,” she said as she looked up at him. He really was tall.
“You’re welcome. I figured you’d need help.” He removed his sunglasses. She watched as his gaze roamed over her face and stopped on her lips. She took off her sunglasses and his eyes met hers.
“You have beautiful eyes,” he murmured.
“I was thinking the same thing about yours,” she whispered and reached up to touch his lightly whiskered cheek.
Roark leaned down and touched her lips with his. She couldn’t stop the moan from emerging. His arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her tight against him. She pushed her hips against him and wished she could strip him naked. He growled into her mouth. She wrapped her arms around his neck and toyed with the hair at his nape. His hands moved down her back to her bottom. He grabbed her ass and squeezed then slowly raised his head and looked into her eyes.
“Fuck,” he muttered as he dropped his hands from her and then stepped back.
“Well, I’ve never had that reaction to a kiss before.” She placed her hands on her hips and stared at him.
He took his hat off and combed his fingers through his hair then resettled the hat on his head. “That shouldn’t have happened.”
“It did, though. It was just a kiss, Roark.”
He stared at her. “You’re right. Just a kiss.” His words came out in a near snarl.
“Why are you so mad?”
“I’m not mad,” he growled. He’d begun to pace in short steps as if he didn’t know where to go or what to do.
“Oh, you’re angry that I said it first, is that it? Well, if it makes you feel better, go for it, big guy. Tell me it was just a kiss and I need to get over it.” She placed her hands on her hips again. “Well?”
“Shut the fuck up. I don’t need this shit. Eat, so we can get going.”
“I’m not hungry.” Priscilla was so furious now that she wanted to stomp her foot. How dare he speak to her that way? He’d kissed her not her him. Men!
“Fine.” She watched as Roark walked to the packhorse, removed some food containers and a blanket then sat down in the grass and made himself a sandwich. He glanced up at her when her stomach growled and raised his eyebrow.
“Okay, so I’m hungry.” She joined him on the blanket. When she looked over at him because he chuckled, she then couldn’t stop her own laugh from erupting.
“I’m sorry, that entire conversation was ridiculous,” he said.
Priscilla snorted then laughed again when she saw Roark shaking his head. He glanced up at her and her breath hitched. She’d never been so attracted to a man so fast. She’d never been into cowboys and for the life of her, couldn’t remember why not because this one was everything delicious. She remembered his body as he stood over her when she’d passed out. His rock hard body had her wanting to run her tongue down it. From his pecs, down that rippled stomach, to his…she mentally groaned. She glanced over to him when she heard the grass rustle to see him lying back with his hat over his face .
“I thought you were in a hurry to go?” she asked.
“Am… whenever you’re ready. In the meantime, I can relax while you eat. If I fall asleep, just kick me when you’re ready.” He clasped his hands behind his head and crossed his booted feet.
She ran her gaze up from those boots, along his long legs, and stopped on his fly. She bit the inside of her cheek. Good googly moogly! The chaps he’d worn when she met him only emphasized an already amazing area.
“Why do cowboys wear chaps?”
He raised his hat and looked at her. “In the rodeo, we wear them to protect our legs from rubbing against the animal we’re riding. Bronc or bull. For men moving cattle or horses, it protects their legs from brush and cacti.”
“Okay.” Not to emphasize his crotch! Noted. She finished her sandwich and packed up. “I’m ready when you are.”
Roark sat up and put his hat on his head then helped her up.
“We need to get going. I want to get up there so I can get a fire going and put the tent up for you.”
“All right.” Priscilla picked up the blanket and handed it to Roark who moved to the packhorse to replace the items. Meanwhile, she moved to her horse and lifted herself up onto the saddle. She had to stifle a groan but couldn’t keep the pain from registering on her face when her ass hit the saddle. She looked down to see Roark grinning and she narrowed her eyes at him.
“Don’t give me that look. I know your ass has to hurt. I could massage it for you if you want.” He winked at her and a shiver of desire rushed over her at the thought of him massaging any part of her .
“I just might let you,” she said with a teasing smile as she tugged on the reins and nudged the horse to get going.
****
Roark muttered under his breath. Damn smartass.
Then he picked up Bouncer’s reins, vaulted into his saddle, and rode behind her. He grinned when he saw her wiggling around on the saddle. He knew damn well she had to be sore—especially if she hadn’t ridden in a while. He grinned thinking how he’d love to massage her ass. When he’d had his hands on it early, he’d love the feel of it. He looked at it again. Really nice ass. Shit! He’d always been an ass man and damn, she had a great one.
Suddenly, she reined to a stop, and it took a moment for him realize she was waiting on him.
“Why do you need a fire so early in the day?”
“Don’t really. I just want to get everything set up so I don’t have to worry about it in the dark. Once I get everything done, I can relax a little.”
“I thought maybe it was to keep the animals away.”
“That’s not always true. Noise keeps them away more than a campfire does. If a bear is hungry enough, a fire isn’t going to stop him.”
“Oh, thanks for that. You do know that people in sleeping bags are just soft tacos to a bear.”
Roark burst out laughing. “Where did you come up with that?”
Priscilla laughed. “Sadly, I didn’t. I saw it on a meme. Another reason to hate camping. Bears.”
“You forgot cougars, wolves, coyotes and oh yeah, snakes.”
“Keep it up, Roark, and you’ll be in that tent with me.”
“Is that an invitation, darlin’? I’d love to take you up on it.”
He couldn’t resist a grin when a blush stained her cheeks. That porcelain skin was a dead giveaway that she was embarrassed. His eyes went to that mole alongside her luscious lips, and he desperately wanted to kiss it. Damn! Now his dick was twitching, what with her wiggling around in that saddle and thinking about being in that tent with her tonight.
Roark gazed up at the sky and saw clouds rolling in. He smiled. It just might rain and then he’d have to sleep in the tent. Although, the last thing happening would be sleep if he had anything to say about it. She was a beautiful woman and that was his weakness. He admitted it freely. He loved them. Everything about a woman was a turn-on to him—their hair, their soft skin, their scent, and the way they tasted. And watching them have an orgasm.
Damn. Get your mind on the ride . Oh, yeah… the way they rode him too. Not that kind of ride, Callahan. Son of a bitch!
Christ, had it suddenly gotten hotter. Clouds might be moving in, but the sun still baked them in the open terrain. Sweat was already staining his shirt. He lifted his hat off his head and wiped his forehead with his sleeve-covered forearm. Looking to Priscilla, he saw sweat stains on her T-shirt too. Her hat shaded her face only a little. Now he wondered if the high pink she wore on her cheeks was from embarrassment or the heat.
“Do you have sunscreen on?” he asked, suddenly concerned.
“Yes. I always have to use it if I’m going to be out. I’m so fair-skimmed. I burn like a lobster.”
“Well, we can’t have that. Let’s get moving. A dip in the pond sounds good right about now.”
“I’m first.”
“No reason why we can’t share.” Roark did enjoy baiting her.
She nudged her horse. “In your dreams, Callahan.”
Roark laughed as she rode off. Sweet dreams indeed .
Priscilla maneuvered her horse to the other side of the cattle, managing to get them to move. Meanwhile, her thoughts were on his teasing flirtations about joining her in the tent, sharing a dip in the pond, and she wondered if he knew she’d welcome him into the pond with her, would he join her? She smiled at the thought. Maybe she’d invite him in once she was in there.
She turned her eyes to the sky. Damn, it was hot. The sun had come out from behind some clouds and now it beat down on her face and shoulders. Sweat trickled between her breasts, down her back, and beaded on her arms. She was looking forward to the pond.
Her damn ass was aching though, and she worried it would never be the same. When she’d told Roark she could ride, she hadn’t meant on an all day trip. It had been a while since she’d been in a saddle, and this one was quickly wearing thin. The sun slipped behind another cloud and she let out a relieved breath as it hid for a few minutes. Pushing her hat back, she swiped at her forehead then pulled the hat on down low. She was glad Roark had given her a hat to wear because she hadn’t one to shade her head. A sudden unfriendly thought made her frown, and when she looked over to Roark riding on the other side of the cattle he was looking at her.
“What?” he asked her.
“Whose hat is this that I’m wearing?”
A grin lit up his face. “It belongs to my mother, so don’t throw it in the fire.”
“Why would I do that? ”
“I figure you’re thinking it belonged to another woman—other than my mom.”
“I just wondered.”
“Uh, huh.”
She turned away from that handsome face to concentrate on the cattle. Damn man. He was right, she was thinking it belonged to another woman but she certainly never thought of it belonging to his mother. If it had belonged to another woman, other than his mother, she’d have tossed it down so the cows could step on it or worse. Maybe cover it with a cow patty.
Priscilla giggled then glanced over toward Roark to see him riding ahead to get a stray cow. The man certainly could sit a horse. He didn’t even bounce in the saddle. She’d been riding for ten years and now wondered if she’d ever be that good. She stretched her legs lifting herself up away from the saddle. Hell! Her ass hurt!
Her eyes stayed on Roark as he herded the cow back to the herd. She noticed then how the higher they rode, the cooler the air got. It was a wonderful reprieve from the heat.
“Will it get cold at night?”
“Not cold, but much cooler since we’re closer to the mountains. It will feel good.”
Priscilla was happy to hear that. The heat had been staggering all day. She reined her horse to a stop when she saw a large animal out of the corner of her eye. Her horse neighed and Priscilla knew she saw the elk too.
“Roark,” she said in a low voice.
“Ride on. They can be very aggressive but she doesn’t seem to be showing any signs of charging. The best thing to do is keep moving.” He whistled for Snowy and she was sure it was to keep the dog from running at the elk.
Priscilla blew out a nervous breath and nudged her horse on. After a few feet, she glanced back over her shoulder to see the elk grazing and not paying attention to anything other than eating. Thank God, it hadn’t been a bear.
“What kind of bears are up here?” When he didn’t answer, she looked over to him. She could tell he didn’t want to answer. “Roark?”
He looked at her and she saw him huff. “Grizzly and black bear.”
“What?” she exclaimed. Oh, dear God! Grizzly. She felt sick.
“You’ll be fine. I have my rifle and pistol, if we need them. I’ve camped up here many times and never came across either.”
“First time for everything,” she muttered.
An hour later, Roark signaled for them to stop and then dismounted, but she stayed on her horse.
“Are you able to get down all right or do you need my help?”
“I’m afraid to move. My ass hurts so much.”
Roark laughed as he walked to her. “Come on. I’ll help you.”
Taking a deep breath, she swung her leg over and tried to step down but it hurt to move. When her leg hit the ground, it didn’t want to hold her. Roark’s arms came around her waist to steady her but the extra support didn’t help, she tumbled backwards and both of them fell to the ground. Luckily, for her anyway, she fell backward on top of him. She heard the wind whoosh out of him when they hit the hard ground. Snowy jumped around them in excitement, barking .
“Are you all right?” she asked him, trying desperately not to laugh.
“You’re heavier than you look,” he wheezed out.
She elbowed him and when he grunted, she smiled.
“That is not something you say to a woman.”
Roark chuckled. “Hell, I know. It just slipped out. You’re in great shape. It’s just when you fell against me, you were dead weight.”
“Good save.” She laughed.
“Now, could you get off me? I’d like to see if you damaged anything.”
She wiggled her butt against him. “It doesn’t feel like it.”
“Keep that up and we’ll just stay right here, sprawled on the ground… out in the open… where bears can see us.” She scrambled off him at the thought of bears coming near, and heard him laugh.
“Ouch! That hurt.” She brushed off the dust taking the opportunity to rub her butt.
“Maybe you shouldn’t have rubbed your sore ass against my crotch.” Roark got himself up brushing off excess dust.
Priscilla laughed. “You said you’d massage it.”
Roark stared at her for a long moment then shook his head. “Help me unpack then I’ll set the tent up. After that, I’ll take you to the pond.”
She nodded and helped him unpack the horse and set things up. However, when he set the tent up, she only watched because she knew it was better not to try to help at something she had no idea how to do. It was a small tent—perhaps only big enough for two people, if that. Close quarters for sure .
Priscilla sat on a log and watched the man work. When he shrugged out of his shirt, she almost slid off the log. Her legs went soft, and her insides fluttered like a kaleidoscope of butterflies had taken up residence there. The sweat covering him made his chest gleam. She watched him wipe his chest with his shirt then toss it to the ground before continuing to work on setting up the tent. When he crawled inside it, she was tempted to follow him in but when she stood to do so, he came back out. When Roark glanced over at her and raised an eyebrow, she quickly sat back down on the log.
“Were you going somewhere?” he asked her glancing around.
“Uh, no, I just wondered if you needed help,” she muttered.
“Really? When I'm almost finished, you decide to see if I need help?” He grinned at her and the reaction made those butterflies fly around her insides again.
Standing, she moved to the tent and rubbed the material between her fingers.
“A bear could rip this open with one swipe,” she murmured.
“You seriously need to stop thinking about bears.”
“Easy for you to say.” She walked past him to return to her seat on the log. As she passed him, she caught a whiff of his scent—all sweat, aftershave, and man. He was so damn gorgeous she suspected that beautiful smile probably talked many women out of their panties. She wanted to toss him down on the open ground, and ride him until neither could move.
“Why do they call you—outlaw?” she asked as she sat back down.
“Because I steal women’s hearts.”
“Seriously?” She stood, her hands going to her hips.
“Nah,” Roark said with a chuckle. “It all started when I was a rookie at bull riding. I was up last and everyone thought the reigning champion had it won, but I beat him by three points. He told the press that I rode in like an outlaw and stole it from him.” He shrugged. “It stuck.”
Nodding, she stared at him and thought the first reason was entirely possible. What woman in her right mind wouldn’t want Roark Callahan? He was everything she loved in a man—tall, dark hair, beautiful light colored eyes, and his body was to die for enticing. The only thing wrong with him—he was a cowboy. She hadn’t been lying when she told Roy she wasn’t into them. They had never appealed to her and now looking at Roark, she knew he could very likely change her mind. Oh, she was sure he’d stolen a lot hearts. He had heartbreaker written all over him.
“Do you want to eat before I take you to the pond or go there now?”
“The pond for me. I’m so hot and sweaty.”
“I am too, so sounds good to me. Pond it is.”
Oh, yeah… he was hot, and sweaty, and she wanted to lick the salty taste from his skin. Every inch of him. As she stood there staring at him, he raised his eyebrows as if in expectation. She internally rolled her eyes and hoped she hadn’t been drooling.
“I need to get my soap and a change of clothes then you can show me where it’s at.”
“I’ll be going with you to make sure no animals come around,” he said as he walked to his duffle bag then squatted down beside it. She watched him as he unzipped it, reached in, then pulled out soap, and clean clothes. When he stood, he looked at her a moment then nodded for her to get her stuff.
“Oh, okay… right. I’ll just be a second.” Priscilla moved to the tent and crawled inside to find her duffle bag. He’d tossed it inside after erecting the tent. Now, she dug through the bag and retrieved soap, panties, socks, lounge pants, and a T-shirt. Crawling back out, she looked around for him and saw him leaning against a tree with his back to her. Hell, even the backside on this man was sexy. Those jeans really hugged his ass. He could be an advertisement for the brand. She wanted to sink her teeth into that ass.
After standing, Priscilla slowly walked to where he stood. When she stepped on a twig making it snap, he spun around. Their eyes met and held. Taking a deep breath, she dropped her gaze from his to the ground and continued to where he stood.
“Ready?” he asked her.
“Yes. I can’t wait to get in and cool off.” She picked up her pace as she hoped the water was cold.
“Wait. Watch your––” Roark’s wasted warning was interrupted when she took a nosedive into the tall grass. “Step,” he said and she could hear the laughter in his voice even as he wrapped his hand around her arm and helped her up.
“I got a little overanxious,” she said, giving him a sheepish grin.
“Ya think?” He grinned with a chuckle. “Good thing your parents didn’t name you Grace. Come on, I’ll show the way. ”
Priscilla followed him through the woods then gasped when he came to a stop and she peered around him. It was a beautiful spot, with tall pine trees standing on one side like sentries while the sun beat down on the pond making the water sparkle. Large boulders sat along the bank where she stood giving the place a feeling of security.
“It’s beautiful.”
“Yeah, I love coming here.” They both looked behind him when they heard the grass rustling only to see Snowy running toward them. “Hey boy, where were you? I hope not causing trouble somewhere.”
“Uh, where can I change?” she asked as she rubbed Snowy’s ears.
“Change? You mean take your clothes off?”
“Well, I’m not getting naked in front of you, Roark. I don’t know you.”
“You know that makes no sense at all. You don’t know me… yet here you are, alone in the woods with me. I could be a rapist for all you know.”
Priscilla laughed. “Don’t let this go to your head but you wouldn’t need to rape a woman.”
“No man should need to rape a woman. Any who do are scum of the earth in my book. Okay, go over there behind those bushes, and I’ll turn my back. You can run and jump in when you’re ready. There are no big rocks so you’ll be fine. Once you’re in, I’ll come in too.”
“Okay.” She walked behind the bushes and peeled off her jeans then her T-shirt, all the while peering over the bush to see Roark with his back still turned. There was no way, no way at all, she would take her bra and panties off too. Taking a deep breath, she called out to him. “Okay, I’m coming out. Please don’t turn around.”
“I won’t. I promise. Come on, I’d like to get in there sometime before tonight.”
“Okay, here goes,” she muttered then ran out, jumped into the pond and came up squealing. “It’s freezing!”
She’d thought about needing a cold shower and now she got one.
“Just a tad, I suppose. A spring runs through it.”
Priscilla turned to watch him sit on the bank and pull his boots off then his socks. He stood, his gaze meeting hers, then unsnapped his jeans and lowered the zipper. When he started to shove them down past his hips, she quickly spun around.
“Chicken,” he taunted with a laugh.
“You could be more than I can handle, Roark Callahan.”
“Only one way to find out, darlin’,” he said from somewhere behind her then she heard a splash, and knew he was in the pond with her.
Oh, this was a bad idea. A very bad idea . She screamed when something brushed against her leg and Roark came up from under the water in front of her.
“Don’t scare me like that,” she scolded splashing some water at him.
Roark laughed and shook his head to dispel the excess water from his hair. “You are jumpy as hell and frankly, I’m surprised. You don’t seem like the type.”
“I’m not, but I’m wondering what the hell I’m thinking by being here with you alone. I don’t know you from Adam and I’m in here almost naked.”
“Almost?”
“I couldn’t bring myself to remove my bra and panties. I’m sure you have your—” She stopped talking when he shook his head. Then she swallowed before continuing. “You’re… naked?”
“As the day I was born, sweetheart. I’ve got nothing to hide.”
Mentally groaning, she refused to look down even though she didn’t think she’d be able to see anything through the water anyway. Or could she? She turned to look toward the shore.
“Blast, I left my soap with my clothes,” she mumbled.
“Go get it,” he said with a big grin.
“If you were any kind of gentlemen, you’d offer to go get it for me.”
“Darlin’, I am no gentlemen but for you, I’ll turn my back.”
“Never mind, I’ll just use yours. Where is it anyway?”
“On the bank.” He chuckled.
“Oooh!” She splashed water at him making him laugh.
“All right, I’ll get it.” He swam away from her and she watched him start to walk out of the pond but then he glanced over his shoulder. She quickly turned around and heard him laugh. “You don’t have to turn around. Like I said, I’ve got nothing to hide.”
Priscilla turned to watch him walk up on the bank. Damn. The man hadn’t lied. He definitely had nothing to hide, at least not from the back. Clenching her hands into fists, she bit her lip as she watched him stride to her clothes and pick up the soap. She really wanted to bite that ass. She quickly spun around when he turned to face her then she heard a splash. She could hear him swimming up behind her then he held his hand out over her shoulder with her soap in his palm. Turning, she looked up into his beautiful eyes. His gaze dropped to her lips and she impulsively ran her tongue along her bottom lip. His eyes shot up to hers. At that moment, all she could think was that if he didn’t kiss her, she’d drown him. Plain and simple.
“Roark,” she whispered as a shiver, not from the chill of the water, ran through her.
“I shouldn’t…”
“Yes, you should.” She ran her hands up his chest and then tangled them into the wet hair at his nape to pull him to her.
“Priscilla,” he murmured with his lips hovering above hers then he pressed his lips to hers and groaned deep in his throat when she touched her tongue to his. His arms wrapped around her and pulled her tight against him.
Her legs encircled his hips hooking behind him and she smiled against his lips when she ran her hands down his back to his ass, and dug her nails in. “Do you know what I want to do?”
“God, please let it be the same thing I want,” he said against her neck.
“I want to bite this ,” she said while squeezing the firm flesh of his ass.
Roark laughed. “Not quite what I had in mind but turnabout is fair play.”
“Kiss me.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He lowered his head and took her lips in a hard deep kiss then spoke softly against her mouth. “I want you. It may be wrong but I can’t help myself.”
Pulling back, she stared into his eyes and arched her hips against him. “I would think the colder water would keep things—down.”
“I’m surprised the water around us isn’t boiling as hot as you’re making me.”
“Let’s get out of here,” she said against his neck then she nipped his skin making him hiss in a breath.
“You took the words right out of my mouth.” Roark turned and walked toward the bank while she kept her legs wrapped around him. She nibbled on his earlobe making him shudder and couldn’t resist giggling a bit at his reaction. When he reached the edge of the water, he stepped up onto the bank but the next thing she knew, they were falling.
****
The minute Roark stepped onto the bank he knew he was going to fall. His foot slipped in the mud and the only thing he could think to do was toss her into the grass but it happened so fast that he fell, taking her with him, and landed on top of her. He heard her grunt when they hit the ground.
“Are you all right,” he asked as he raised his head to look down at her. She lay there with her hands covering her face. Worried, he’d hurt her, he pulled her hands away only to see her wearing a big grin, and her eyes squeezed shut. When she opened them, she looked up at him, and then howled with laughter.
“How… how romantic,” she said between guffaws but then laughed louder.
Roark joined in her laughter and rolled off her. “It’s a good thing you broke my fall or I might have damaged something.”
Priscilla laughed. “Did you leave an indent in the mud?”
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” He rolled toward her again, pushing down the laughter. “Seriously, are you all right? I’m no lightweight and I remember it hurting when you fell on me. I probably have a hundred pounds on you. I think your gracefulness has rubbed off on me.”
“No, you didn’t hurt me. I’m just glad I landed more on my back than on my ass.”
Roark shook his head and pushed to his feet then put his hand out for her to take. She ran her eyes down his body and they lingered on his dick.
“Hey, my eyes are up here,” he said.
“Yeah, but this view is great.” She stood, reached out her hand, and he jumped back in reaction.
“Get dressed then we’ll head back,” he snapped without thinking.
Her big green eyes blinked up at him then she looked away, and seemed to hesitate before walking to where her clothes rested on a log. Damn it . He hadn’t meant to snap at her that way but what had almost happened, should never even have started. His clumsiness was a sign that it wasn’t meant to happen. It wasn’t that he didn’t find her attractive, he did. In fact, he thought her breathtakingly beautiful but he didn’t need the hassle. She’d be going back to California soon enough and he’d be going back on the road. It would never work so why try. He’d tried a long distance relationship once and it had ended in disaster. No way would he go down that path again.
He strode over to his clothes and picked up his towel, dried off then pulled his jeans on, picked up his shirt and tossed it over his shoulder. He picked his boots up and waited for her while she dressed behind a bush. When she finally came out fully dressed, she wouldn’t look at him.
Blowing out a breath, he knew what he had to do.
“I’m sorry, Priscilla. I didn’t mean to snap at you.”
“So why did you?”
“Because I let my dick rule my head, and I shouldn’t have. Nothing can come of this. You live in California and I travel too much, and when I retire, it will be here in Spring City.”
“Did I ask you to marry me, Callahan?”
Roark blinked and shook his head. “No, but I’m––”
“Not looking for a relationship?” She interjected, and he nodded. “Maybe I’m not either, Roark, did you ever think of that? I don’t see why we can’t enjoy each other while I’m here. I promise I won’t ask for a proposal before I leave.”
Roark tipped his head down and ran his hand around the back of his neck. She was something else and maybe she was right. What harm could it do as long as they both knew going in that it would end when she left for home? He wanted her more than he’d wanted any other woman, so why deny himself. She wanted him and was making no bones about it so why the hell not just go for it? He hadn’t had sex in almost a month and he was damn horny.
He raised his head and looked at her. “You promise?”
Her lips twitched as she tried not to smile. “Yes, as long as you don’t expect one either.”
He dropped his boots then strode to her and cupped her face in his hands.
“Deal, darlin’,” he said, lowering his lips to hers and kissed her until she knew she’d been thoroughly kissed. Then they picked up their shoes and headed for the tent. When he reached the opening, he turned to look at Snowy.
“Sorry, boy… you’re staying out here.”