“Not anymore.”He reached up and grazed her lower lip with his knuckle.Had she flinched, he would have released her and climbed out of the water.It was definitely the wisest move he could make.But she didn’t flinch.Instead, her pupils widened in awareness.He sucked in a breath.“Instead of discouraging me, your behavior has only made me more determined,” he said.
Her lashes swept down and pink tinged her cheeks.“To buy the ranch?”
He paused, allowing time for her imagination to work.“That’s what we’re talking about, isn’t it?”
“Of course.”She said it too softly for the words to carry any conviction.“Anything else would be a mistake.We already settled that.”
“Yes, we did.”He slid his damp hand behind her neck and she shivered, but whether from the chill or from anticipation, he couldn’t know.“But I thought you weren’t going to sabotage me anymore, either.”
“That wasn’t really sabotage.”
“No?”
Her gaze reconnected with his and the turmoil in her eyes betrayed her inner struggle.“Some things just happen.”
“So I’m discovering.”He guided her closer, watching the battle rage until at last her lashes fluttered down in partial surrender.
Their breath mingled for a long moment as he hesitated.Logic tried for a foothold in his brain and failed.He had to taste her.With the first brush of his lips, her breath hitched, and he knew she was strung as tight as he.Misgivings assaulted him, but the velvet promise of her mouth beckoned.He skimmed over her lips once again and his heart lurched when he discovered them parted in welcome.
Had he imagined anything less from this woman?With a groan, he settled his mouth firmly against hers.And was lost.Her warmth rose to meet him, her passion ignited in concert with his.Her vibrant spirit had led him through hell.Now she offered heaven.
And he took — greedily, angrily, venting hours of frustration with his lips and tongue.She gave without restraint, matching his assault with one of her own.Water sluiced between them as he pulled her close.They might have been naked from the waist up, so drenched were their shirts.His heart pounded as her breasts cushioned the tautness of his chest and he could feel the distinct imprint of her nipples.She wound her arms around his back, pressing, kneading, wanting.Desire defied the icy water as heat spread through him, warming his groin, his thighs, his calves, nibbling on his toes.Nibbling on his toes?
He lifted his mouth a fraction.“Do you feel that?”
“Yes.”She pressed against him.“Don’t stop.”
“On your toes?”
“Down to my toes,” she agreed, her tone impatient.“Don’t talk.Just kiss me like that again.”
The nibble came again.“Not down to your toes, on your toes.”
She drew back and frowned.“I have on boots.Two-hundred-dollar boots that may never be the same after this.What are you talking about?”
Ry released her and scrambled to his feet.“Your father’s blessed bass!Is every damn thing in this country booby-trapped?”
She sat and stared at him as the sensual haze cleared from her expression and her jaw clenched.“Yes!Yes, it is!”She struggled out of the water, her boots squishing.“Especially to people who don’t know the territory.Get that through your thick Yankee head, will you?You don’t belong here!”
She’d probably never forgive him for that kiss.And worse, she’d never forgive herself.He grabbed his boots.“We’ll see about that.And by the way, I’m borrowing Maureen for the rest of the trip.This cowboy has walked his last mile.”
They didn’t speak again after that.Which was just as well, Freddy thought as she trudged heavily down the trail toward the ranch’s corrals, the wet leather of her boots complaining with every step.Why in heaven’s name had she let him kiss her?They could have eventually forgotten about the incident with the Bag Balm, but a kiss was never forgotten.Especially a kiss like that, one that probed deep into the secret canyons of desire they’d kept hidden from each other until now.She was doomed.
Duane was giving a beginning riding lesson in the main corral when they approached.Two men, a woman and two children, turned to stare as Freddy led Mikey over to the large metal watering trough.Duane glanced in their direction, pulled his hat lower over his eyes and continued with the lesson.At least he hadn’t laughed out loud, and for that she decided to give him a bonus at pay time.If her new bosses would allow it, she thought with a wave of bitterness.
She imagined what she must look like.Eager to end this disastrous trail ride, she’d started down the mountain with her clothes and boots still wet.Along the way, she and Mikey had stirred up the dry dust of the trail, which had caked onto her wet clothes and dried, until she probably looked like an adobe version of a cowgirl.
She held Mikey’s reins loosely while he drank.At last, unable to bear the suspense, she flicked a glance back to see if Ry was coming.
He was, slow but sure.Outwardly, he looked better than she did, because he’d at least been riding above the clouds of dust.But the grim set of his mouth told her he wasn’t in as good shape as he looked.He walked Maureen over to the trough and let her drink while he stayed in the saddle.Freddy waited for him to climb down.It wasn’t nice to stand there waiting for his groan of pain when he dismounted, but in her present frame of mind, she no longer cared about nice.Ry didn’t budge.
“Aren’t you getting down?”she said at last, unable to contain her curiosity.
He stared straight ahead.“Nope.”
“Why not?”
“I think my butt’s welded to the saddle.”
