CHAPTER 37
Victoria
It’s another beautiful day here on Yosemite Ranch. All the sex must be killing my brain cells, because I just agreed to go on a second horseback ride with Cal. At least this time we’ll be snuggled together on one horse for the duration. I can handle that.
Joe the stable hand heads our way with a big horse, but it doesn’t look like the same one Cal rode the other day. I think its name was Leroy. He probably has lots of favorite horses, though. There must be hundreds here.
But Joe hands the reins to me, instead. “Have a nice ride, Miss Backlund.” He nods to Cal. “Leroy’s almost tacked up. Be right back.”
I start shaking my head.
Cal snickers. “Never pass up a learning opportunity, Victoria.”
“Is that a SEAL motivational poster or something?”
“Nah. Those posters are super hard-core, like, ‘The more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in combat.’”
“That would be better suited for me and horseback riding, don’t you think?”
Cal finds that funny, but my hands are shaking.
“Nothing will happen this time, Victoria. Please trust me. I’ve learned my lesson and figured out a way to keep you safe while still allowing you to keep learning.”
I nod. If there’s any man on Earth who could keep me safe, it’s Cal MacLaine. But I make it a policy to avoid revisiting situations where I’ve already needed to be saved. This California city girl has no damn business trying to ride a horse on the open range. Never again.
But before I can say no and really mean it, Cal is next to me.
I feel the heat of his body along my side.
“Her name is Bella. She’s Jasmine’s lesson horse.
” His low voice is soothing. Reassuring.
“She’s the oldest and slowest ride on the ranch.
She couldn’t gallop if her life depended on it.
She can barely hit nine miles an hour at a lope. ”
I don’t know what the hell a lope is, but I’m all in favor of avoiding the thousand-pound runaway beast I ended up with last time. Cal peels my grip from the reins and drapes them loosely around Bella’s neck. She doesn’t seem to notice. In fact, she looks like she has no interest in moving.
Then Cal smacks my ass. Hard.
“Whaaa—”
“Up you go.” He lifts me straight off the ground. “Swing your leg on over, sweetheart.”
He plops me down in the saddle.
I check to make sure none of the ranch hands are watching us. I’m totally fine with him smacking my ass, but not so fine with everyone seeing it.
What if everyone’s laughing behind our backs? Aren’t we still going for the down-low?
Just then I realize—so what? I don’t care what anyone thinks. Let them giggle and whisper and gawk all they want. I don’t even care what Jamie and Phyllis say about us. We’ve got nothing to hide.
I can handle the sledgehammer.
I look down to see Cal double-checking how the stirrups support my borrowed boots. He’s frowning in concentration, so serious.
So seriously sexy…
“Pssst,” I say to him. “I need to tell you something.”
He glances up with those gorgeous violet eyes surrounded by black lashes. His scowl deepens. Not once in my life have I looked at a frowning guy and said to myself, Whoa. That’s hot! But I guess with Cal MacLaine it’s just one first after another.
“Are you uncomfortable in the saddle?” he asks, concerned. “Do I need to lengthen the leathers?”
I don’t know what that means either, but the sentence sends a little shiver up my spine.
“Everything’s great.” I give him a flirty smile. “I just wanted you to know that I liked the way you spanked my ass just now.”
His eyes flash. His jaw clenches. I watch a whole series of emotions march across his face. Shock is first. But that morphs into amusement. And that transitions into… I guess the only word is hunger.
Joe arrives with Leroy, putting an end to the moment.
I watch in awe as Cal seems to fly up into the saddle and gently take control.
It occurs to me that Leroy doesn’t terrify me the way he once did.
He’s big and strong, but I also know a little something about his personality now.
He’s a calm horse. He’s reliable. And he would do anything Cal asked of him.
The team of Cal and Leroy saved my life. I just hope to hell they don’t have to do it a second time.
“Take your reins,” Cal tells me, all business. “Hold them with a light touch, like this.” He does something complicated with his fingers and I’m already lost. “Watch again. Hold the reins overhand, with your index finger between the split, then wrap the rest of your fingers all the way around.”
Index finger between the split. I think my panties are wet. Why did he have to say that? Is he teasing me? I need to clench my thighs together, but I learned the hard way not to do that unless I want the horse to go faster, which I don’t.
“Uh…” I look up at him. “This isn’t a good idea.”
Cal lowers his chin and smiles at me, bringing Leroy right alongside us.
My horse doesn’t even notice. “Bella’s bomb-proof.
That’s why we trust her with Jasmine and why I trust her with you.
She cannot run. She cannot jump. Just hold the reins loosely and don’t tense your body too much and you’ll be fine. ”
I swallow hard. “Okay, I guess.”
“I’ve got you,” he says.
And I think, yes you do.
A few hours later, we barely make it in the front door before we’re ripping off our clothes.
We’re both a little sweaty and dusty from our abnormally pleasant afternoon ride, but the sweat and dust don’t dampen our need for each other.
Cal’s got me backed up against the front door, kissing the hell out of me.
It’s shocking how quickly my body responds to him, how well I already know his touch, and how any nagging questions disappear from my mind when his skin touches mine.
The clothes go flying. Ripley and Sarah Connor think it’s the best game ever, and when Cal rips off my bra and flings it down the hallway, Sarah fetches it and brings it back, looking proud.
We nearly die laughing.
I stop laughing when Cal picks me up, throws me over his muscled shoulder, and smacks my ass. With my jeans snagged on my borrowed cowboy boots, he slaps his palm on my ass again.
I hear myself moan. We’re heading down the hallway to the master suite.
“You love it when I spank you, huh?”
“I do.” I croak out my answer.
“Perfect. Because I love spanking you.”
We enter his playground of a bathroom. He gently places me on the marble countertop and pulls off my jeans, underwear, socks, and boots. Then he turns on the shower, adjusting the temperature.
Next, I get to watch him rip off every stitch of clothing he no longer has any use for, until he’s standing before me, naked, eyes so very serious. He’s so beautiful it hurts. Hard, rippling muscle. The perfect combination of wide shoulders, narrow waist, firm ass, and bulging thighs.
And bulging cock.
He picks me up and carries me into the shower.
He hovers over me as the warm water cascades over both of us.
I am shocked when he begins to wash my hair, his fingers so gentle as they separate the wet strands and then rinse them clean.
I just close my eyes and fall into the pleasure of the hot water, the scent of my favorite citrus and floral…
Is this my shampoo? I look up at him in wonder. He smiles down at me.
“I moved your shampoo, conditioner, and body wash from the guest bathroom.”
I can’t speak.
“I planned on having my way with you after our ride, but I also knew you had standards, and my stuff wouldn’t cut it. I hope you don’t mind.”
All I can do is shake my head. Of course I don’t mind, but I’m confused. Since when does a man notice details like this, or care enough to ensure everything is the way I like it? Cal does this all the damn time. It’s unknown territory for me. It’s jarring. It’s overwhelming.
It’s wonderful.
Tears fill my eyes, and I’m damn glad my tears will get lost in the waterfall and rain showerheads pointing at us from every direction. I reach up and stroke Cal’s rugged cheek, then rise on my tiptoes to place a gentle kiss on his lips. He lifts me again, and I grip my thighs around his hips.
He whispers, “You should know that I’m a maniacal perfectionist.”
“Is that another SEAL saying?”
“Baby, that’s Martha Stewart.”
He lifts me just enough to enter me, and I’m immediately flooded with sharp, intense pleasure. Another day with Cal, another round of bliss.
It only makes me want more.