“Are you gonna buck me off?” she asked.
“I’m gonna try,” he groaned. “You’re riding in the cowgirl position.”
Tracy was so incredible that Cash realized what they were doing was—making love. He had never thought ofhaving sex as making love. Until now. Until Tracy. He was making love to her. With his hands at her waist lifting her up, she slid down faster and farther. Her head bowed forward, her hair brushed his chest, and when she moaned his name it was almost his undoing.
Knowing he was close and sensing she was, too, Cash flipped her onto her back. Tracy gulped as he rolled on top of her, riding into her with a thrust of his manhood. Her nipples were beaded against his chest and with another moan, her orgasm clamped down on the length of him. Her ecstasy triggered his and as she rhythmically squeezed him, he pulsed hard and deep inside her. Over and over and over.
Their hearts pounded against each other. Furiously fast, then slower in sweet harmony.
When their breathing returned to normal, Cash rolled off her and onto the bed. Pulling her to him, he kissed her forehead and when she tilted up her chin, he kissed her lips. With her head on the pillow with his, she placed her hand over his heart. She not only fit him physically, she matched his personality. And mentally? She mirrored his deepest emotions.
Cash wanted more. More with Tracy. Only with Tracy.
He didn’t allow women to spend the night. Too many eyes and nobody’s business. Yet, it hadn’t stopped him from taking Tracy into his tent at Turkey Pond the previous night. And nothing could have stopped him from bringing Tracy into his home and bedroom tonight. At the thought of this woman leaving him the next day after the barbecue, Cash tugged her closer. With a contented sigh, Tracy slipped a slender leg between his.
Damn, this felt right.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Ilost my virginity to Cash Cooper,Tracy thought as she slid into her bed in the log cabin.
She had awakened at least three hours before the sun rose and smiled. She’d been snuggled to Cash in spoon fashion. Naked. As much as she didn’t want to crawl out of his bed, she knew it was the right thing to do. It had occurred to her she should have offered to leave right after…well she should have already been gone. Cash had been too polite to ask her to go. Ever so slowly, to avoid waking him, she’d eased out from under his arm. In the glow of a dim nightlight, she’d found her shirtdress, grabbed her sandals, and tiptoed away. With a glance over her shoulder at the door of his bedroom, she saw him roll onto his stomach. His broad back was bare as the sheet lay across his slightly rounded buttocks. He hugged his pillow and sighed.
I gave my virginity to Cash,Tracy silently corrected herself as she lay in her bed. In fact, she’d been riding on top of him at one point. Then Cash had resumed command and they had both reached what she could only describe as sizzling ecstasy. Rolling onto her side, Tracy pulled the extra pillow into her arms and hugged it as she had Cash. She had absolutely no regrets about making love to Cash and hoped hedidn’t either. She wondered if he’d want to do it again. She did. But only with Cash. With a smile on her lips, Tracy closed her eyes and the next thing she knew was the clanging of the chow bell announcing breakfast.
Tracy opened her eyes. Her first thought was of Cash. She was excited and, truth be told, a little nervous about seeing him. But she hopped out of bed still wearing her shirtdress and—no underwear. She hadn’t been able to find her panties and hadn’t even looked for her bra in the semi-darkness. In hopes of not being so late to breakfast that she missed Cash, she flew into the shower and was back out again in record time. She was headed toward the door in a tank top and blue jeans when Donna stumbled out of her bedroom. It occurred to Tracy that Donna had a drinking problem. Whatever the case, Donna was apparently none the wiser as to Tracy’s foray into Cash’s private world.
“Breakfast time,” Tracy said to Donna just as a knock sounded on the door. Her heart instantly raced and with a smile, she flung open the door.
“Morning,” Jacob said cheerfully. “Thought I could escort you to breakfast since this is our last day on the ranch. I want to be sure to get all the photos you need for the story.”
Though disappointed it wasn’t Cash escorting her to breakfast, Tracy smiled at her good friend and said, “Great idea, Jacob.”
Cash was nowhere to be seen at the café. Everyone else was there except for Sam. Tracy asked Kellie where they were and she said most likely in Cash’s office working on the day’s schedule and barbecue details. Kellie went on to say they’d likely show up with work assignments for guests wanting to be a wrangler/ranch hand for the day.
Right on cue, Jeff gave the chow bell a clang to get everyone’s attention. He reminded them about the annual Fourth of July barbeque later that day which was not just for the guests. They’d meet Cooper family members, friends, and neighbors. There would be fireworks set off on Triple CRanch-East before the guests would board the magazine’s van back to the Springs. Anyone who wanted to help set tables, make side dishes, or pitch in wherever were encouraged to do so. Anyone preferring to ride, hike, or simply relax was just as welcome to do so.
“Should we find Cash and ask what we can do to help?” Jacob asked as he and Tracy sat down at a table to eat a delicious quiche of bacon, ham, and cheese. “Might be a good angle for the story?”
It was after eight, the sun was shining, and Tracy had fully expected to hear from Cash by now. Or at least see him. Was he avoiding her? Maybe regretting what had happened between them? At that distinct possibility, she inwardly cringed. Maybe she was simply a one-night stand as far as he was concerned, and she was expecting way too much.
“Jacob, you go ahead and talk to Cash if you run into him,” Tracy said across the table from him as they began eating their quiches. “I’ll see what I can do to help Kellie and Cristen. Then I’m going to pack up and work on completing the story I have so far. That way, if anything is missing, I can ask Cash about it later.” Tracy sincerely hoped that would be the case.
They went their separate ways after breakfast. Tracy lent a hand to the ladies by helping make croissants and baking a dessert to be served at the barbecue. Donna wandered into the café and Cristen graciously served her a piece of quiche and a cup of coffee. While some of the other guests worked in the stables, Natasha, Michaela, and LeAnn worked alongside Tracy. With Kellie and Cristen telling them they didn’t have to lift a finger, they enjoyed making chicken salad and fresh croissants that would be served for lunch. Donna, however, ate her breakfast and disappeared.
By the time thefixins, as Kellie called them, for the upcoming lunch were completed Tracy still hadn’t caught sight of Cash. She guessed Jacob hadn’t either as he helped Jeff and the wranglers put together a stage for the bandwhich would play later. The guests seemed to be thoroughly enjoying watching, pitching in, or giving good-natured advice to the wranglers. Having finished with what she could do for Kellie and Cristen, Tracy headed back to her cabin to work on her story. There, she heard Donna snoring in the other bedroom and found an empty vodka bottle in the bathroom. Donna had started out somewhat positively, even making excuses for Tracy’s driving. But as the week had worn on the woman had become a regular sourpuss. Was it the drinking? Or something else? What was on Donna’s agenda besides men and vodka?
Around ten, Tracy meandered back outside. She knew she was shamelessly looking for Cash. She saw or spoke to all the other ladies and some of the wranglers. It was eleven when Tracy and Jacob sat in the café and enjoyed a glass of sweet tea.
Jacob asked, “Have you asked Gerald if he will allow you to expand the story to include Triple C Ranches-Central and West?”
“Not yet. But I will ask him later if he makes it to the barbecue. Otherwise, I’ll wait until Monday to ask. If he does let me, I’ll have to come back to interview those folks,” Tracy replied.
Jacob said, “I only saw Triple C-Central and West from a distance as I took sunset photos with Coop as my guide. Triple C-Central consists of an enormous stone and wood mountain home with stables, a barn, and a multi-car garage similar to Cash’s. There are corrals, horses, and cattle everywhere. Coop was a great guide and pointed out his log home and the ranch foreman’s house on Chase and Jade’s ranch. Down the road is the cattle ranch entrance where there’s a bunkhouse and a couple of other homes.”
“Wow,” Tracy said. “I didn’t realize it was such a large operation. But it’s a working ranch with hundreds of Black Angus cows, so of course that makes sense.”
“Yeah,” Jacob said. “On Triple C-West, there is a huge,country-style house with an outdoor kitchen, a lagoon-like backyard pool, and a separate bed-and-breakfast next door. Chloe and her husband, Derek, have a multi-car garage too. They have state-of-the-art stables for training the Percheron horses for law enforcement. I’d enjoy seeing more of those two ranches.”
