Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Two
C hance had been right, Zoey thought. His land was beautiful. After exploring the south end previously, he took her riding on the north and west ends, and now they were headed toward the east as well. The property was vast, and she tried more than once to push it to the back of her mind that her ancestors, the Satterfields, had once owned all of it. This land should have been her legacy. Now Chance was making it his.
“You’re okay?”
She looked over at him. “Yes. I’m okay.” There was no way she would tell him what she’d been thinking.
They had brought their horses to a stop at the top of a valley as their gazes roamed the richness of the plains before them. He had been right about the landscape photo shots. She had taken plenty. She had captured the beauty of the plush greenery, grasslands, and valleys stretching for miles under a captivating Texas sky. Chance had been patient and hadn’t rushed her, and she appreciated that.
A few times, she’d been tempted to ask him to pose for her, but after their exchange during the ride to his ranch, she didn’t want to press her luck. She would even admit that she’d feared he might turn his truck around and take her back to the hotel. He hadn’t. Other than her commenting on the scenery outside the truck window, little conversation had been exchanged between them. She figured he hadn’t appreciated her speaking her mind; maybe she should not have. However, she would not apologize, because she’d meant everything she’d said.
His attitude had improved when they’d reached his ranch house. He’d become more talkative. He seemed to be in his element in his kitchen, and as he prepared their dinner, he moved around it like a pro chef. He’d even impressed her outside on the grill. She wanted her steak well done and it was cooked perfectly.
He had explained that Mama Laverne required each of her great-grands to enroll in her cooking school when they turned sixteen. They’d complained for a while, but she had taught them a lot. And he knew as they aged, all his brothers and cousins had appreciated learning how to cook.
One of the first things he’d done once they began riding was to show her his herds of cattle roaming the plains. Before leaving the ranch to go riding, she had met three of his ranch hands who lived in the bunkhouse and thought they were nice guys. Chance told her he got up before sunrise each weekday morning to begin his full day of work on his ranch, so he eagerly anticipated the weekends. He also managed his books.
“Dinner was delicious, Chance.”
He gazed at her from beneath the tilt of his Stetson. “Glad you enjoyed it,” he said, smiling. “By the way, you’re an excellent rider. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’ve been riding all your life.”
“I might have. According to Sharon, I learned to ride here on this ranch when I was two.”
He nodded and tilted his Stetson back from his eyes. A gorgeous pair of eyes. “I’m glad you were able to connect with her, Zoey. It sounds like she has a wealth of information to share with you about your parents and your childhood.”
Zoey smiled. “I believe she does, and I’m looking forward to meeting her.”
She then shared what Sharon had told her about her mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother’s diaries and the photo albums. “I can’t wait to see them. I’m finally learning about my mother’s family history with Ms. Felicia Laverne’s help, along with the diaries and photo albums.”
He nodded. “Come on. Let’s start riding again. In another mile, we’ll cross land that was originally part of the Satterfield spread. However, it was sold before I purchased mine.”
“That’s what Mama Laverne said. You don’t think the owner will mind us trespassing, do you?”
“Trevor is a long-time friend and like a member of the family. I figured you might want to look inside the cabin, so I called him earlier, and he gave me the code to unlock the door.”
She couldn’t stop the huge grin that spread across her face. “That was kind of him. Thanks, Chance.”
It didn’t take them long to reach the east side, and just like he said, it was more beautiful than the others, mainly because of the fruit grove. There appeared to be acres and acres of fruit trees of all kinds. The scent of citrus filled the air.
“What kind of fruit trees are those?” she asked.
“Peach, orange, grapefruit, fig, and pomegranate. There’s even a small vineyard filled with grapes. The property line dividing Whispering Pines and the Satterfield land runs through the middle of the grove.”
She lifted a brow. “I wonder how that happened.”
“Not sure, but I imagine Mama Laverne does. You might want to ask her.”
“I’ll be sure to do that.”
“She might even tell you about the tomb.”
“The tomb?”
“Yes, it is a beautiful tomb built in the fruit grove. Its placement in the middle of the grove, nearly at the beginning, gives the impression that the person inside is watching over the grove.”
“Who’s buried there?”
“My great-grandaunt Victoria. I understand the fruit grove was her favorite place on Whispering Pines, and she requested to be buried there instead of the family cemetery.”
They continued riding. Finally, in the distance, she saw a cabin on a vast lake. Suddenly, there was a memory flash. “That’s the lake, Chance,” she said excitedly.
He gazed over at her. “You remembered something?”
“I just got a flashback from one of my dreams. My mom, dad, and I enjoying a picnic by that lake.”
“Let’s get closer and check it out. Hopefully, you’ll remember more,” he said.
They galloped their horses and slowed when they neared the cabin. They dismounted and tied the horses to a nearby tree.
“That’s a rather huge barn,” she said, motioning to the barn that was not far from the cabin.
“Trevor built it a few years ago. He made sure it was large enough to store, in addition to his horses, his kids’ Jet Skis, a couple of canoes, and trail bikes.”
“Horses are kept here?” she asked, glancing around.
“Yes, whenever he and his family are occupying the cabin. Otherwise, his horses are boarded at Whispering Pines. Are you ready to go inside?” he asked her.
She thought the cabin on the massive lake was beautiful, with picturesque flowering trees providing a peaceful setting. On the opposite side of the lake, more trees and high plains appeared as if they were touching the sky.
“Yes, I’m ready.”
Taking her hand, they walked up the steps.
Chance stood aside as Zoey entered the cabin. He watched her closely, leaning against the door as she moved around the living room, taking in the furnishings, decor, and layout. He was taking in her. Every inch. Every curve. She looked so damn good in those jeans. With every move she made, he could feel it in his lower extremities. He was definitely in need of a sexual fix and wished like hell his horniness wasn’t kicking in something fierce.
“Anything look familiar?” he asked after a while, trying to fight his intense attraction to her.
When she met his gaze, more heat flared through his body. That happened whenever her gaze would roam over him as if she was fully aware of him. But then, he did the same with her whenever she was within his focus.
“No, nothing. I guess I should not have expected anything to remain the same. I like the decor, though. Do you mind if I take a look around?”
“Help yourself. It’s spacious with two bedrooms, two baths, this living room, and an eat-in kitchen. I understand this is the original layout, except for that uncovered patio that faces the lake.”
“Nice pool table,” she said, noting the huge pool table in the spacious living room.
“It is nice. I’ve played pool with Trevor on that table a few times.”
“I always wanted to learn to play pool, but Aunt Paulina wouldn’t allow such a thing.”
“I’d be glad to teach you,” he said, quickly regretting the offer. He could just imagine the torture he would endure standing behind her, close enough to show her the proper way to hold a cue stick or make a shot. Then there would be her scent. It was a scent that even now was reaching him across the room and sending his hormones into overdrive.
“I’ll look around,” she said, interrupting his thoughts.
“Take your time.”
He went to the window. The lake was just as large as the one on his property and was a beautiful blue. He recalled swimming in it when Trevor threw a party after buying the place. He had been in his last year of high school then.
“I’m ready to walk around the lake now, Chance.”
He slowly turned around. Their gazes met, held. The dark look in her eyes made his entire body ache. He wondered if she knew what it did to him whenever she stared at him like that. And when she moistened her lips, he felt his gut tighten.
“You’re ready?” he asked as if she hadn’t just said that very thing.
“Yes,” she said softly.
Of their own accord, his feet began to move toward her. When he stopped in front of her, all the reasons why he shouldn’t kiss her dissolved in his mind. At that moment, knowing her taste was elemental to him. With all his willpower gone, he lowered his head to her.
For a heartbeat, their lips were mere inches apart. He paused, giving her time to step back, but she didn’t, so he leaned in and captured her mouth with his. He heard her moan the moment their mouths touched. Or was it him moaning? It didn’t matter when their tongues began tangling and dueling in one sensuous dance of desire. Just knowing he was claiming her mouth the way he had in his dreams made him hungrily deepen the kiss.
There had been an intense attraction between them from the first, and they were finally acting on it. He was convinced he’d never tasted a more sensual and passionate woman. It was there in the way she was kissing him back. The way her tongue was mating with his and the way her arms were wrapped around his neck.
It seemed like forever before they ended the kiss. Neither said anything as they continued to stare at each other. When she licked her lips as if recapturing the last of his taste, he struggled to regain his composure. Unable to stop himself, he leaned down and kissed her again. This one was just as hot and passionate as the last.
He lifted his head from the kiss and rested his forehead against hers while breathing deeply. Finally, he pulled back to stare into her eyes. Her passion was just as heated as his own. Unable to resist, he leaned in and lightly kissed her lips. He loved the taste of her. Too much. At the same time, thinking neither kiss was enough.
“I guess we need to talk about what’s happening here, Zoey,” he said in a throaty voice. “Especially when we agreed there would be nothing between us but friendship.”
He watched her take a deep breath before she replied. “Considering our strong attraction to each other, we could say the kisses were inevitable, Chance.”
“Yes, we could say that,” he agreed.
“And we could say we kissed out of curiosity.” Her voice sounded raspy, and she stoked everything below his waist.
“Yes, we could say that, too.”
“What do you think?” she asked him, still holding his gaze.
“I think that, right now, we need to do what you suggested and walk around the lake. Otherwise, we might…”
“We might what?” she asked.
“We might end up doing something we’ll later regret.”