Rough Riders Bundle 1(books 1, 2, 3) (37 page)

She smiled. “Probably more like sixteen. He made it sound like he hadn’t been around much when she was growing up.”

“Probably because he was too busy growing up himself. Where’s her mother?”

“Dead, from what I understand.”

Carter whistled. “Harsh. Anyway, from what I remember Colby telling me, Cash knows his stuff ’bout livestock. So I won’t cause problems with him while we’re working.”

“I appreciate that.”

“But I expect him to do the same.” Carter faced her again. “The only person with the power to tell me to get lost is Macie, agreed?”

“Agreed. But I can’t get in the middle of this.” Gemma figured she’d have her hands full dealing with her situation with Cash. She turned down the gravel road leading to the trailer on the outskirts of her property. “I think it’s best if I show Cash the ropes for evening chores, don’t you?”

“I reckon.”

She circled the barn so the front end of her truck was pointed to the road. “Can I ask you one more favor?”

Carter’s hand froze on the door handle. “What?”

“Can you give us—me, Cash, and Macie—a night to settle in? Macie’s agreed to stay in Cash’s camper, but I doubt he’ll just dump her off.”

For a second it appeared Carter would argue. He scrubbed the back of his neck and sighed. “I guess. I have some new ideas to sketch. I’d probably lose track of time anyway.” He opened the door and hopped out. “See you bright and early, boss lady. Try and get some sleep.” Carter grinned and slammed the door.

Sleep. Right. Cash seemed pretty anxious when they parted ways. The heat and promise in his eyes nearly burned her from the outside in.

Neither of them would be getting much sleep.

*

When Gemma ventured
out of the house in the early evening, she noticed Cash had already parked his camper between the old wooden barn and the metal granary. The spot was perfect. It’d keep the aluminum camper sheltered from the oppressive dry summer heat and it was set back far enough from the main house to offer them—and Macie—privacy. The generator at the back of the camper hummed. She saw Cash carrying an armload of assorted items out of the camper, but no sign of Macie’s car. Once Cash caught sight of her climbing in the truck loaded down with the horse trailer, he loped over.

“Where you parking that rig, eh?”

“Over behind the other barn.”

“Back ’er in and I’ll unhitch the trailer.” He frowned. “Why’d you drag that thing along to Buffalo? It’s empty, ain’t it?”

“Yeah. I stopped at a ranch outside of Haroldsville to look at a couple of mares to breed. Decided not to take them, but I needed the trailer just in case.”

Cash’s gaze narrowed. “What was wrong with ’em?”

“Nothin’. The guy wanted too much money.” It burned her ass the guy thought she was too stupid to know he’d been trying to screw her over. But Gemma doubted Cash would understand she’d been dealing with that mentality since Steve had died.

After he’d unhitched the horse trailer, Cash wiped his brow with his forearm and stared at her.

“What?”

“When we’re done with chores, I expect you show me where to put my stuff in the house.”

“I-I—”

“Just so we’re clear. I will be sleeping in your room, in your bed.”

Yowza. Gemma nodded and proceeded to show him around, detailing what needed to be done in the morning. She finished the tour in record time. He dragged his duffel bag up the porch steps and dumped it on the kitchen table. Before she opened the door leading upstairs, Cash pressed her against the wall and kissed the holy hell out of her.

When she could breathe again, she tipped her head back and blinked at him. “You hungry?”

“Not for food.”

“Cash—”

“Point me to the shower,
winyan
. I’ll not come to you the first time smelling of a barnyard.”

Feeling reckless, she nipped his chin and tugged the end of his braid. “I wouldn’t mind. The bathroom is the second door at the top of the stairs.”

“Thanks.”

“While you’re cleaning up, should I ask Macie to supper tonight?”

“Nah. We stopped outside of Canyon River and grabbed a burger. She said after she settled in she was goin’ right to bed. Been a long day on the road for her.”

“I imagine.”

Cash shouldered the bag and gave her a gorgeous smile. “Don’t go nowhere, Gem.”

Gemma stepped back and anxiously rubbed her hands over her bare arms as Cash disappeared up the stairs. Lord almighty. The man could melt her with just a look. Was she ready for this?

To make sure, she raced to the guest bath, quickly rinsed off the road grime and combed her hair. After she scrubbed her teeth, she changed into clean clothes, a low-cut tank top and a short skirt.

Dusk had fallen, sending purpled shadows across the yard and darkening the interior of the house. She sipped a beer and gazed out the kitchen window, reluctant to flip on the overhead lights. Talk about magnification of her wrinkles and her age, hell, magnification of all her flaws. Would candlelight make it too obvious she had plenty to hide?

The door creaked and she jumped. She heard the soft pad of feet across the linoleum. The scent of sandalwood soap, toothpaste and warm male skin enveloped her. Heat from his body seared her back as he brushed damp, soft kisses over her bared shoulder. She trembled and nearly dropped the beer before she upended the remainder and gulped it down.

Cash chuckled by her ear. “Nervous?”

“Yeah.”

“Me too. But that ain’t gonna stop me.” His teeth nipped on her earlobe and she shivered as he suckled the sting. “You expecting anybody tonight?”

“No.”

“Good. C’mere, sexy lady.” Cash turned her into his arms and his soft lips nibbled up the side of her neck. “I’m dying to touch you.” His finger traced the lace strap of her tank top. “Take off your shirt.”

Gemma pulled back and looked at him. “Right here?”

“Right here, right now.” When she made no move to move, he frowned. “There a problem?”

“Besides that we’re in the kitchen?”

“Does that bother you?”

“Well. I thought…”

“Ah. That’s the problem. You’re thinking too much.” Cash walked to the door and locked it. Then he snagged a blue bandana off the counter. He folded it crossways in a long strip.

“What’s that?”

“A blindfold. Then you won’t know if you’re in the kitchen, the living room or the bedroom. You’ll be so busy feeling what I’m doin’ to you that you won’t have time to think. Now close your eyes and turn around.”

Gemma knew this wasn’t a request. If she refused he’d take it as a sign she wasn’t ready for this intimacy, and he’d leave her house and her employ. But she was ready. It’d taken her a full year to get to this point and she wasn’t about to back down now. Blood pounded a warning in her head not to be stupid. She slowly spun toward the window.

The dense cloth covered her eyes and she felt a pinch in the middle of her skull as he tied it. He turned her back around. “Can you see?”

Gemma’s heart rate kicked up as she opened her eyes to complete blackness. “No.”

“Good. You’ll leave it on? You won’t make me tie your hands too?”

A picture formed in her mind of being trussed up, naked and at his every wicked whim. The thought made her absolutely dripping wet.

He chuckled again. “From the flush on your cheeks I suspect you’d like to be tied up. I’ll keep that in mind for another time.” Rough palms skated down her arms. Callused, thick fingers threaded through hers. Cash pulled her forward a few steps and they stopped. “Stand still.”

He released her hands. Then those same rough palms circled her ankles, slid up her shins, and over her knees. When Cash’s fingers breached the hem of her denim skirt, he ran the tips across the top of her thighs several times before he tugged on the material. “Off. Now.”

With shaking fingers, she shimmied the skirt down to the floor. As she stood clad in pale pink bikini panties, waiting for his reaction, she was grateful for the blindfold.

Cash’s warm breath tickled her ear. “No wonder you hide such great legs. Wouldn’t want to start a stampede among all them young bucks at the rodeo grounds, eh?”

His sweet-talkin’ made her sigh softly.

“Damn, Gem, I can’t wait to feel these thighs wrapped around me tight. So tight I can’t breathe. Just looking at you is enough to make my heart stop and make my dick stand up and take notice.” His mouth moved across her jaw in a sensual glide. Automatically her lips parted for his tongue to sneak in and tangle with hers.

She moaned. He tasted sweet. Hot. One hundred percent hungry male. God. She’d missed that scratchy feel of a man’s beard rubbing against her cheek. Missed that insistent hard body crowding away her reason, just allowing her to feel feminine, not to think like a responsible ranch woman. The sensations seemed ten times stronger when she couldn’t see and had to rely on other senses.

Cash continued kissing her, each movement of his velvety tongue deliberately provocative; a game of chase and retreat. Liquid pooled in her panties and she found herself pressing her legs together. Wanting him to catch a whiff of her arousal. Wanting his hand stroking her, his fingers using her wetness to plunge deep inside her.

Finally he retreated from her mouth. Soft puffs of air drifted over her temple. He clamped his hand around her hips and lifted her, eliciting a gasp when her butt and the back of her thighs connected with the cool metal rim of the kitchen table. “Whoa. Cash, wait—”

“I got you.” He gently pushed her shoulders.

She resisted. “But—”

“There’s other places I wanna kiss you, so lay back and let me show you where.”

“Oh.” Gemma’s token resistance evaporated. Her spine met the hard, flat surface of the table and her legs dangled off the edge.

Cash drew a blunt fingertip from her left hipbone to her right hipbone.

Her belly trembled and she arched.

“Easy.” His fingers hooked the outside of her panties and he whisked them off.

She heard him drop to his knees. Felt his rapid breathing on her inner thigh. Sensed him staring at her blood-engorged pussy. A blush started from her cheekbones and worked down the length of her body to her curled toes. Never had she felt so exposed. She couldn’t even study his face and watch his eyes to see if what he saw turned him on. She held her breath and herself rigid, wondering what he’d do first. Tease her with his hot breath and barely there kisses? Whisper dirty talk? Work her into a frenzy with his fingers?

Gemma was totally unprepared for the thorough swipe of his hot tongue straight up her creamy slit. She gasped.

Cash dragged his mouth across the inside of her right thigh, muttering, “Dammit. I know I’m supposed to take it slow, but Lord,
winyan
, you’re already wet.” He inhaled. “I want to taste you. Bathe in you. Suck these pretty pink lips and lick you until I feel you come against my tongue.”

“Oh—” The rest of her sentence was lost on a long wail as Cash did exactly what he described.

No slow build up and then teasing withdrawal. He widened her knees and settled his mouth on her throbbing sex. Licking and sucking, focusing all his attention on her clit. Before she had time to brace herself, an orgasm rocked through her. Even as she lifted her hips for more, Cash sucked her clit harder, deeper, using his teeth and tongue until cries spilled from her throat.

As Gemma floated back to earth, a slight sense of embarrassment surfaced that she’d been so quick on the trigger. She stifled the urge to giggle when Cash’s lips zigzagged up her ticklish belly. Instead, she scrambled up on her elbows, to better see him, forgetting about the blindfold. As she sat completely upright and reached for the tie at the back of her head, Cash’s fingers circled her wrist.

“Leave it. We ain’t close to done.”

‡

C
ash scooted Gemma
to the end of the table. “I’m doin’ this all wrong, I should be taking my time.”

“You already said that once. There’s no hurry.”

“Maybe not for you, but I ain’t got a lotta patience left. This go around is gonna be short, to take the edge off, so to speak.” Then he gently flipped her, so her stomach rested on the table and the white globes of her upthrust ass was the same level as his cock. She was pretty, and he also knew she was pretty much at his mercy. It humbled him, having this strong, fine woman at his command—right where he wanted her. He tugged the drawstring on his sweatpants and they dropped to the floor. He kicked them under the table.