Chapter 32
Chapter Thirty-Two
Tess lay on the blanket, curled with her back nestled against the protective curve of Mac’s body, and wondered how she’d created such a terrible problem.
She’d fallen madly, passionately, desperately in love with her best friend.
What had started out as fun and games, a fine adventure together before she headed off to her new life, had become more important than anything else in her world.
She didn’t believe a woman should sacrifice a bright future in order to be with a man.
Yet that’s exactly what she wanted to do.
She knew that Mac wouldn’t leave Copperville as long as his parents needed him on the ranch, so any woman who wanted to be with Mac would have to stay in Copperville, too.
And she wanted to be with Mac, to make love with him, to laugh and play with him and make babies with him.
Especially make babies. She wanted to be his mate, to make love again the way they had a little while ago, only without protection. She’d leaped from being a virgin only days ago to wanting it all — marriage, motherhood, years of lovemaking with this man.
It wasn’t the way she’d pictured herself. For as long as she could remember, she’d been determined to escape the confines of this small town, to be sophisticated and worldly. She’d vowed to live in a big city, travel to exotic places, have many lovers.
Then, when she’d tired of all that, she’d settle down, probably right here in Copperville, and raise a family.
Now all her worldly plans seemed hollow and lonely. What good was any of it, if she couldn’t have Mac there to share it with her? She’d rather stay here and be a ranch wife than lose Mac.
Not that Mac was asking. He’d never given any indication that he thought of her in those terms. He didn’t act as if he wanted to settle down and marry anyone, as a matter of fact, let alone her. He’d never even been engaged.
He stroked her hip. “Whatcha thinking about, twinkle-toes?”
She decided on a partial answer. “Oh, just that it’s too bad I’ll be heading to New York at the end of August.”
He kneaded her thigh. “Because this is so much fun, you mean?”
“Yes.” More than fun. She’d become involved, heart and soul, but she dared not tell him.
“It’s fun, but in a way it’s a good thing we have a limit on the time we can be together. We’d never be able to keep it a secret if it went beyond August.”
“True.” Perhaps he was happy with the secret arrangement, considering that he wanted to keep his status with her brothers intact.
The only way her brothers would tolerate a sexual relationship between Mac and Tess was if they were getting married.
Immediately. Mac didn’t want marriage at the moment, apparently, so the secret had to be kept.
“Ready for a little skinny-dipping?”
She turned toward him. “We’re really going to?”
He gave her a quick kiss. “Sure. We’re all hot and sticky. It’ll feel good. And besides, it’s part of your education.”
“Mac, I don’t think we can have sex in the middle of that river.”
“Why not?” His grin flashed in the moonlight. “Because it isn’t in your book?”
“Because you won’t have a pocket to stash your condom in.”
“Tsk, tsk. You take away a girl’s virginity, and suddenly she thinks sex is only about intercourse.
” He got to his feet and pulled her up with him.
“Come on. Let’s see what happens when you stand thigh-deep in rushing water without a bathing suit on.
” He took her hand and led her toward the riverbank.
Excitement swelled within her. That was another thing she loved about Mac. He had a heck of an imagination. Still, she wondered if he’d thought of that sort of stimulation on his own. “Have you been reading my books?”
“Nah. But I went down to the drugstore and bought one of those magazines they keep behind the counter. The article was about hot-tub jets, which we don’t have, so we’ll have to improvise.”
And improvise he did, although there was much laughing and splashing and playful groping before he finally had her positioned the way he wanted her.
He’d so awakened her sensuality that he easily convinced her to accept the river as a teasing lover.
Holding her steady, adding his own caress to that of the water, he coaxed her to let the current stroke her intimately, bringing her to a crescendo of feeling.
At the moment of release she couldn’t tell whether the bubbling water or Mac’s caress had sent her over the edge.
While she was still gasping in reaction, he swept her into his arms and carried her back to the blanket.
He made love to her while they were both still wet and slick as otters, so their bodies slid together as if they were oiled.
She’d never known such triumphant freedom.
She felt lithe and supple, capable of anything.
They twisted and turned on the blanket, exploring different positions, alternate ways their bodies could move and shift, yet still give unbelievable pleasure.
She was sure Mac was enjoying himself. His murmured words told her so, and when his tone roughened, she knew he was in the grip of fierce passion.
When at last he surrendered to that passion, she held him tight and absorbed the strong tremors that shook him.
She couldn’t imagine living without this, without him.
Perhaps, if she loved him well enough and thoroughly enough this summer, he’d realize he couldn’t live without her, either.