Chapter 6
It felt good to go out and just lose herself in the pretty evening. Stars had come out in what looked like their thousands, dotting a sky that was wide and velvety blue and quite unlike anything she had ever seen.
The rain had washed everything clean, the scent of the moisture on the plants, assailing the nostrils.
She had abandoned the effort of trying to finish a chapter she had started and decided to dress up and go out. It was a small town, but the entertainment was still something to be enjoyed. And she was certainly not going to sit around thinking about what had happened inside the bedroom.
He had not called, and she certainly had not expected to hear from him.
She was a sophisticated, modern-day woman who certainly did not need validation from a guy. They had sex. Simple. Yes, it was the best she ever had, but so fricking what? It was still no strings attached. If it happened again, then so be it. She was desperately praying that her careless act had not led to something permanent.
She had always been careful. Having children had entered her mind fleetingly, when she was in her twenties, but her career took everything out of her and that was fine. She loved what she did, and it was fulfilling. Now she was just going to have to wait a while to find out if she was in the clear.
She was used to being pragmatic and that sense of survival and putting things she could not control behind her came to the fore. She would go out on the town and enjoy herself.
Donning skintight black leather pants and a thin black cashmere sweater, she paired the outfit with soft black leather boots that came to her knees. Putting on more makeup than she usually wear, she considered herself ready. To hell with Jonathan McCarthy, she thought darkly.
*****
Jon must have reached for the phone five times to call her but decided against it. What the hell could he say to her?
“Hi. I left before you woke up but just wanted to see if you were all right?” Somehow, that did not sound like something she would appreciate hearing.
Or: “Look, there’s so much I want to say to you. Last night and this morning was well - it was life altering. I know we just met but I have feelings…,” he broke off the monologue abruptly and reined in his horse at the river back. His brows were knotted, and he was sweating, more from the internal heat than the sun going down in all its glory.
Nature was making up for the havoc she had created two days ago, and the day was dry and cool, with just enough sunlight to attempt to dry out the earth. The repairs were over and done with, the livestock accounted for, and the losses taken into consideration.
Tomorrow if the weather holds up and by all indication, it will, there was going to be a full day of activities on the ranch. The picking and jam making will start at the crack of dawn and then the preparation for the bonfire.
Dismounting, he hunkered down and cupped his hands into the cool clear water and drank thirstily. He was tired, bone weary. He had barely gotten any sleep last night and had been at it since before dawn.
His muscles were aching, but his heart and mind were alive and confused. He had feelings for a woman he had just met. A woman who would never be satisfied with settling here in this small town.
He was right back where he started, and this was even worse. Being with her last night had opened him up to something he had never felt before. Sitting back on his haunches, he rubbed weary hands over his face, realizing idly that he had not shaved in maybe a couple of days.
He also needed a shower and his own bed. Her bed, he thought longingly. Her skin, her unique taste. Lunging to his feet, he swore lavishly, causing his horse to shift slightly.
“Easy boy.” Running a soothing hand over Ebony’s flank, he quieted the animal. “I think we’re about to take a trip to the cabin.” It was already a foregone conclusion that he was going to her tonight.
*****
He rose from his slouching position on the porch, where he had been waiting for the past hour, his anger kindling as he waited. He certainly had not expected that she would not be here and when he saw that her vehicle was gone, he had dismounted and stood there, wondering if he should just get the hell out of here and go back to the ranch.
He was tired and stiff from being on his horse for most of the day. And he really should go home and get some sleep.
Where the hell was she? He thought furiously. He had not heard any of the men mentioning that they had seen her. But perhaps it was because he had practically snarled at them whenever they mentioned her name. They were no doubt steering clear of talking about her.
His jealousy was irrational, but he did not give a damn. He had a taste of her and she - what? Belonged to him? Christ! He had a feeling that Kamilah Wilton belonged to no one.
He was in the shadows, but he saw when she noticed that he was standing on the porch. She hesitated briefly, before slamming the door shut and pressing the alarm. He had no idea why she bothered. There has not been a car theft in town for years. People left their vehicles unlocked. But why would she be privy to that information?
“You’re trespassing.” She mounted the steps, and it was then that he took in her attire. It left nothing to the bloody imagination.
“Sue me.” His eyes glittered as he moved in behind her and grabbed the key.
“Hey!”
Ignoring her and tamping down the anger and jealousy raging inside him, he shoved the door open and stepped inside.
“Where were you?”
She simply gave him a look before sailing past him and entering the living room. Figures, he thought grimly. She had forgotten to start a fire and the place was freezing. He set about dealing with that, by throwing in wood chips and watching as the fire blazed to life.
“Make yourself at home.”
He turned to look at her and fresh anger burst inside her chest. “Is that how you dress where you’re from?”
He knew he sounded like a prude, but he was damned if he cared. He could see the imprints of her nipples against the thin material of her sweater and the leather pants outlined every lush curve. He had a feeling about where she had gone dressed like that. Club Beyond.
It was a new addition to their town and catered mostly to visitors. He had been there twice and had not enjoyed the experience. It was too swanky and too damned loud. Both times he had been there, he could barely see his hands in front of him and he could swear he heard sounds of couples having sex right on the dance floor.
“As a matter of fact.” She deliberately planted an amused expression on her face, Her heart had flipped over inside her chest when she saw him standing on her porch. Going out had not been such a good idea after all and taking in the club had been worse. She had left after only a few minutes to find a quiet restaurant to have dinner.
“Do you somehow think that because we had sex last night, it gives you the right to just drop by and critique what I am wearing?”
Her careless words twisted his already battered heart and had him turning his back to her. Shoving his hands into the pockets of his faded work denims, he stared into the mesmerizing blaze.
What the hell was he doing? She was right. He had no business being here. She was free to do whatever the hell she pleased. Taking a deep breath and letting it out again, he turned around and was about to bid her goodnight when he caught a glimpse of something on her beautiful face.
She was not as immune as she was pretending to be. Her dark eyes were watching him, and her lips were parted. He could see the agitation on her as the material covering her breasts quivered.
The fire kindled inside him, and he deliberately walked towards her.
“You feel it too,” he growled, “you can pretend all you want, but you feel it too.” Clamping a hand at the back of her neck, he hauled her against him and crushed her lips.
*****
Her clothes lay in tatters on the bedroom floor.
“I have a feeling you did that deliberately,” she murmured, nodding to the heap next to the bed. Her heart was still racing from the tumult that had been happening just a few minutes ago.
They had been in so much haste to get to each other’s bare flesh, they had sent buttons flying. His shirt was minus all its buttons and was ripped at the shoulder. He was still wearing his socks. They both looked drunk and dazed.
“I will buy you more, not like those.” His hands were clamped around her waist as she laid sprawled on top of him. “I don’t like the idea of men gawking at you.”
“Is that so?” Lifting her head, she met his gaze and felt the spike in her blood pressure. His blue eyes had a lazy, sexiness about them that had taken the edge off, and his ash blonde hair was disheveled where she had used her fingers to make a mess of it.
“Hmm.” He brushed a hand up and down her back slowly, watching her eyes kindled. “I might have exercised more force than necessary.”
“Confession is really good for the soul,” she squirmed a little, “what exactly are we doing here?”
“We’re enjoying a respite before going for round two!” His lazy smile had her heart doing a slow flip.
“You know exactly what I mean.” She ordered her heart to settle. “This cannot be a relationship.”
“Why not?” His voice was casual, but his heart was heavy as he waited.
“You know why not. And speaking of…,” she swore and signed at the same time. “We did not use anything.”
“No.”
“Are you usually this careless?” She demanded.
“I could ask the same thing of you.”
“No.” She shook her head. “This is crazy. Aren’t you afraid of the consequences?”
“Not particularly. I am thirty-five and the idea of a child is something I have been entertaining.”
Her eyes turned deadly. “So, just any random woman would do as long as she has the right equipment?”
He almost chuckled at the phrasing but figured that would only make it worse.
“Far from it.” He tightened his arms around her waist as she started to move. “It just seems right.”
“Well for your information, I am not certain I want children, and you don’t know me. Secondly, we just met. This is a hook up as the young people would call it. Convenient sex. A holiday fling and nothing more. When my two weeks are up, I will be leaving, am I clear?”
For some reason, she was angry and felt the need to lash out. “If you’re entertaining some illusion that it’s something else, kindly get it out of your head. Am I clear?”
He hid his hurt very well and tamped down the frustration as well as his own anger.
“As glass,” he told her smoothly. “There’s this thing at the ranch. It’s an all-day event that goes on into the night. I would like you to come.”
She simply stared at him. “What?”
“I’m inviting you…”
“I heard you, dammit! Did you hear me?”
“Loud and clear. Will you come?”
She gave up. If he didn’t want to listen and acknowledge what she just told him then, it’s his problem.
She had said her piece and meant every word. No matter how charming and attractive he was, no matter that the sex was so explosive and incendiary, when the time comes, she was leaving to go home, with no regrets. Well, maybe a few, but she was going home.
“Fine!” She offered grouchily.
Bringing her head down, he gave her a sizzling kiss that had her mind going blank.
*****
He spent the night of course. Leaving her never entered his mind. He would sleep in a little, he decided. He could call his foreman and tell him to get things started. They were supposed to be doing some branding at first light, and he had an appointment in town with the local bank.
He also had some paperwork to deal with. A buyer from Texas was swinging by to purchase some quality horseflesh and enter into negotiations to purchase fruit from his farm.
The branding could get started without him; he mused as he shuffled schedules in his head. He had an assistant who handled his appointments and such. The man was also a whiz with figures and details. He could move around the thing at the bank, it was not that important.
The buyer he would have to meet with personally. But the other things, the barn doors that need replacing, the water troughs, the tours that had been scheduled for tomorrow, all of them could be handled by someone else.
No one could fault him for taking personal time. And he needed it. Turning his head, he stared at the woman curled against him. Her naked body was aligned with his and it felt just damn right.
What he was afraid to confront, what he could not put out there, not even for himself, was the fact that this was not just physical. Not for him anyway. It had never been that way, not since he first set eyes on her.
Her argument echoed inside his head. It was just a fling to her, and he was going to have to try his best to change her mind. The fact that they were still making love without any form of protection was an indication that she was not telling the truth. She said he did not know her and perhaps that was true.
But from what he knew of her; she was not a woman who would carelessly and recklessly go to bed with a man several times without insisting on protection. He was sure of it. And that was what was giving him such hope.
Hope that at the end of it all, she would want to stay. Yes, she had her career, and he would never dream of standing in the way of it. But she could travel. He had the means and resources to make that happen.
The ranch had a helicopter and a private jet. She could have access to both. And he was not against going off with her whenever she had to be somewhere.
When the time came, he was hoping she would settle down and be a rancher’s wife. He heaved out a careful breath at the train of thought. Yes. All right, he was thinking long term. He was thinking of giving her a ring and his name. he was thinking of standing before a group of people and pledging his life to hers.
And behind all of that, he was also thinking that this was absolutely crazy. He just met her. But it did not matter one damn bit. He had fallen in love with her, God help him.
It was not just the bloody sex, that in itself was a revelation and a freaking wonder. She destroyed him. Made him weak with a need so intense, it left him spinning. But he felt a connection to her since the initial meeting. A bond that had blossomed into something so intense that it was sweeping him away.
Using gentle fingers, light as a feather, he brushed the tendrils clinging to her forehead. He was going to try and keep his jealousy at bay. Inviting her to the event tomorrow meant that he would have to share her with every damned randy cowboy in the vicinity, including the itinerants that he had no control over.
They stopped in and did their job, mostly for a place to stay for a little bit as they wander around. Some had stayed because the wages were good and the living arrangements stellar. He provided for his men – had learned by example that a well-treated employee equaled a loyal one.
A few had tried to steal from him and learned the hard way that he was not a pushover.
Bending, he kissed her forehead, inhaling her scent. She smelled expensive and exotic. And she was going to try and resist the pull. But he was relentless and determined. Gathering her closer to him, he settled into sleep.
*****
She woke up with her face pressed against a muscular chest that smelled faintly of the outdoors and some tangy cologne. Arms like steel were clamped around her waist and she was half lying on top of a very hard and firm body.
Lifting her head slowly, she took the time to study the contoured features. His chin was firm and had a slight crease in the center. His mouth was wide, the bottom lip sensual.
His lashes - she smiled slightly and wondered if he realized they were long, darker than the hair on his head. He looked relaxed in sleep, strands of his hair touching his forehead.
A frown touched her brow as she continued to stare. He was not supposed to sleep over. That was not the plan. The sex was really good, but there should be boundaries.
And what the hell was he still doing here – at – turning her head, she realized to her surprise that it was almost seven in the morning. A jolt went through her when she turned her head and saw that his eyes were open.
“Hi.” His deep voice was husky with sleep and sexy as hell.
“Why are you still here?”
“Good morning to you too.” Lifting a hand, he brushed his fingers over her cheek. “I decided to sleep in.”
“Why?”
“So many questions – so early in the morning,” he chided.
“It’s not early.” She pointed out. “At least, not for you.”
“I wanted to see how you look first thing in the morning.” He was caressing her cheek and edging towards her neck. “And I was right.”
“About what?”
“You look sensational.”
Her heart thudded, and she felt herself going weak. He was weaving a spell on her and it was making her giddy and confused.
“Flattery will not have me making you breakfast.” She retorted, ignoring the incredible pull.
“How about I make you breakfast? After.”
“After what?”
He simply tugged her fully on top of him, where he was already hard as a rock.
“Are you always this ready?” She blurted, making him laugh.
“It seems you have that effect on me.” His hands clasped her around the waist. Lifting her, he placed her on top of him, gritting his teeth as she gripped him like a vice.
“Christ!” He swore, fingers digging into her skin. “Give me a minute, baby.”
The endearment had her staring at him. This was not happening. She should tell him again that this wasn’t a relationship. But oh God! It felt so good to just be with him like this.
The man had a way about him. leaning forward, she offered him the sensitive nipples and actually whimpered when his mouth closed over the rigid flesh. Her fingers curled into his chest as she arched her back to give him full access – to take – to enjoy the taking. She felt the tug all the way to the core of her and sighed.
He fed – his mouth hungry and a little ferocious. He could devour her whole, he thought dazedly. Just gulp her down. Lifting his hips, he drove into her with a force that had her crying out.
*****
He insisted on bringing her breakfast in bed and she had to admit the man made a mean omelet. It was light and fluffy and heavenly, more delicious than the ones she had thought were the best in a fancy restaurant in the south of France.
And the wheat toast was done just right. He sat there on the edge of the bed looking gorgeous, so much so that she wanted to jump him. She never allowed a man to cook for her before and it bothered her that she was enjoying it now. Time to think on it later, she decided.