Rough Riders Bundle 1(books 1, 2, 3) (53 page)

Maybe his knees were buckling in shame.

Yeah. Bet her late husband never grabbed her by the hair and fucked her face like a savage beast. He didn’t know what the hell had gotten into him.

The tangy lemony scent of her shampoo drifted up. He kissed the top of her head then reached down and yanked up his pants.

“Why don’t you hop up on the couch and let me return the favor, eh?”

Without responding, Gemma took his hand and led him through the darkened house and upstairs to her bedroom.

He braced himself, expecting she’d turn on the lights. Had she noticed that every time they’d made love, no matter the position, no matter the time of day, it’d been dark? Or she’d worn the blindfold?

Yes. But so far she hadn’t mentioned it.

He heard the click of the door shutting.

She said, “Take off your clothes and lay on the bed. Facing up.”

“I like the sound of that.” He stripped. “You have some kinda wicked games planned, Gem?”

No answer. Then her nakedness pressed him into the mattress. She was warm. Soft. Willing. She smelled like heaven and her body felt like sin. Her lips sought his and she kissed him with tenderness that set his alarm bells ringing.

“Hey. What do you say we get this party started?” He slapped her butt. “Slide on up here and let me taste that pussy.”

“No.”

“Why? I know you didn’t get off when you were blowing my mind. You too tired or something?”

“No. Cash. I want you.”

“And luckily I’m right here.”

She rubbed her cheek over his bare chest. “I love the way you touch me. I love how you push me to the limit. I love how you’ve bulldozed through whatever sexual boundaries I might’ve thought I had. I love every single thing we’ve done together.”

“But?”

“But it doesn’t always have to be bawdy. Sometimes it can be…sweet.”

He froze.

“Let me show you sweet. Let me make love to you. No lights. No sex toys. No games. No dirty talk. Just you and me and the potential of what it can be between us, Cash.”

For once, he wished he could see her face. He reached for her anyway. “Is this because you need sweetness tonight?”

“No.” Gemma’s lips clung to his after she kissed him. “It’s because you do.”

Her words undid him. Because he couldn’t speak, Cash surrendered to her, in body, mind and soul. The night was the sweetest he’d ever known.

‡

C
arter McKay wasn’t
feeling very sweet at all.

The night was so dark it was like swimming in an inkwell. Only a half moon remained. Clouds obscured it and the stars. So much for his plan to take Macie for a romantic horseback ride.

He reined Deacon to a stop beside Gemma’s barn. Then he dismounted, removed the saddle, blanket and bridle, and led his horse into the last stall. He shoveled a bucketful of oats in the trough and stepped from the dim barn outside into the warm night air with a nearly moonless sky.

Instead of working on plan B and deciding which sweet, romantic words to use on Macie, he found himself irritated he had to be thinking of that kind of shit at all. Why was he sneaking in on horseback? Why couldn’t he just drive his damn truck right up to Macie’s door? Who cared what her father thought?

Evidently Macie did. Which meant he had to care too.

Dammit. Carter glanced at Gemma’s house. Pitch black. He walked toward the faint light glowing from Macie’s camper and put his boot on the pullout step. Should he have brought flowers? A bottle of wine? She probably wouldn’t consider a handful of rainbow-colored condoms and a bottle of lube very damn romantic.

He rapped on the door. The music inside ended abruptly. A curtain fluttered and the door swung outward.

“Dad?”

“No. It’s me. Carter.”

“Carter?”

Was that disappointment in her voice?

She peered behind him, squinting at the darkness. “What are you doing here? Where’s your truck?”

“I didn’t drive. I rode my horse.”

“Oh. Do you want to come in?”

“Yes.”

He’d forgotten how cramped it was in her camper. Especially since they were avoiding touching. He sat on the bench next to the foldout kitchen table.

“How are the projects going? Sculptures this week, right?” she asked.

Carter looked at her. Really looked at her. And was struck dumb by his stupidity and pride. He couldn’t believe he’d grumbled about having to romance her. She was beautiful and sweet and funny; he was the luckiest guy on the planet for getting a chance to woo her.

“I miss you, Macie.”

“What?” Her hand flew to her throat. A nervous gesture? From stand-offish Macie?

“I miss you.”

“Carter—”

“I miss you.”

“You already said that.”

“It bears repeating.”

Talk to her. Ask her questions. Show her you’re interested in her mind, not just her body.

“So what were you doin’ before I barged in?”

She pointed to the tin on the table next to him. “I was just about to have a piece of pie. You hungry?”

For you. I want to savor you. I want to devour you.

“Carter?”

“No.”

“You sure? It’s a new recipe and I have whipped cream. Not fresh, it’s the canned kind—”

“Have you even been listening to me, Macie?” He stood and crowded her against the small refrigerator imbedded in the wall. “I said I miss you.”

“How can that be? It’s only been two days since we—”

“—fucked? Yeah, I know. But it’s been a couple of weeks since we talked. Really sat down and talked. Or fought. Or did anything but fuck like wild rabbits then disappear into our separate little hidey holes.”

“Sorry to be such a disappointment to you.”

“There isn’t a single goddamn thing about you that disappoints me, that’s what I’m trying to tell you. I miss you.”

“Then why are you here scowling at me?” She held up a hand and he automatically stepped back. “Besides the ‘missing me’ thing you keep bringing up?”

Carter smiled. “Because I wanted to see you. Can we just hang out and talk? Act like a normal couple?”

Her hazel eyes turned shrewd. “Are we a couple?”

“Hell yes, we’re a couple. A normal couple, doin’ normal couple things. Talking and shit.”

“Fine.” Macie cocked her head. “A normal couple would sit down and have pie.”

“Then dish it up, darlin’. Extra whipped cream on mine.”

Once they were seated across from one another, Carter took a bite. He groaned. “That’s the best pie I’ve ever tasted.” Another quick bite elicited another heartfelt groan of delight. “My mother would wash my mouth out for saying that to anybody but her.”

Macie finally smiled at him. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. Where’d you learn to cook?”

“Self-taught out of self-preservation.”

Another bite of ambrosia. He moaned again. “Meaning?”

“My mom didn’t cook. I needed to eat. My first job was in a restaurant. I like to experiment with food. I’d still rather cook than waitress, but the money is better waiting tables.”

“Ever thought about goin’ to cooking school?”

“Now and again, but I wasn’t the best student. I don’t want to study in a specific area like French, Italian, European or vegetarian dishes. Being a fulltime sous chef would be boring. Same goes for a pastry chef. Or a baker. I don’t think I’d do well with people telling me what I don’t know, or telling me what to do all the time.”

“No? I’m shocked.”

She swatted at him. “Plus, I like mixing it up and doing it all myself. I’ve heard some of those specialized schools suck the creativity right out of you.” She gave him a sheepish look. “I wasn’t talking about the kind of stuff you do. Art.”

“But it’s true there too. The instructors make you learn how to do it the ‘right’ way so you can eventually do it your own way.” He shoveled in the last chunk of flaky crust and chewed slowly, drawing out the taste. “Then when you do the kind of art that makes you happy, no one thinks it’s real art. It gets called ‘folk’ or ‘rural’ or something that belittles it.”

“That’s happened to you?”

“Every damn day.” Whoa. He’d finished his dessert in record time. He looked over at her full plate; she’d scarcely eaten a bite. Shrugging, he helped himself to a taste of her pie. “Then there’s the whole all ‘artists are gay’ mentality. I’m constantly getting hit on.”

“Never in a million years would I look at you and peg you as gay.”

“Which is why I’m the perfect foil, darlin’.”

“The last guy I dated? He was an artist and I found out in a rude fashion he was gay.”

“Yeah? If anyone could turn a man from the dark side, it’d be you.” He scooped in two more heaping forkfuls of caramelly goodness and sighed. “A couple of the bolder ones thought I was playing hard to get, so they tried to convert me.”

“How’d that go for them?”

“I think the one guy from New York is probably still picking up his teeth.” Carter plucked up the last chunk of pie from Macie’s plate, rammed it in his mouth with a happy little moan.

He froze. Lord. Was he smacking? Would it be bad manners to lick the plate?

Yes.

Would it be rude to offer to lick her?

Yes.

Focus. Romance. Normal couple things.

He licked the tines on his fork. “I don’t have nothin’ against gays.”

“Carter.”

He dabbed up every single sugared crumb of the delicious piecrust from the pie tin, sucking the sweetness of the apple filling from the pad of his thumb, lost in thought. “Although, I think it would’ve killed Dad to have a gay son. I’m pretty sure he developed an ulcer when I switched my major from Ag to art. My brothers joked about it—until I told them how much I get paid for a sculpture.”

“Carter.”

“But it’s feast or famine in the art world. I could bomb and be broke as easily as I could be touted as the next best thing.”

“McKay.”

“I just don’t know how this show’ll go over. It’s a mix of styles. There’s some pressure from my agent and I need it to do well financially so I’ll have options. The thought of sponging off my folks indefinitely…Don’t get me wrong. I love them. I love the rest of my family and where I grew up.” He brooded and fiddled with his utensil. Thinking about this stuff made him crazy. “I don’t want to go far, Wyoming is in my blood, but there’s no place for me on the home place if I’m not ranching. I’ve always been a bit of a loner and it appeals to me to be on my own. Even if no one understands.”

“Carter. Shut up.”

He froze again. Had he been yapping like an unwanted dog? He shot her a covert glance.

And lust kicked him right in the balls.

“Macie. Darlin’, don’t look at me like that. We’re supposed to be hanging out. Talking. Acting like a normal couple.”

“Fuck being normal. I’d rather have you fucking me.” She lunged across the table. The pie plates skidded and crashed to the floor. He barely caught the can of whipped cream before it rolled off the table.

Macie smashed her mouth to his and he fell into heaven.

Yeah. Fuck normal.

He scooted from the bench and took the four short steps to the bedroom with her clinging to him like a vine. Kissing her. Lord. It’d been a lifetime since he’d kissed her.

They half-landed on the bed. She ripped open his shirt and scraped her nails down his torso to his belt buckle.

Buttons flew as he tugged on the lapels of her pajama top.

“Hurry. Did you bring condoms?”

He didn’t answer. He’d seem like a selfish prick whether he said yes or no. Add in the tiny bottle of lube…

No use hiding them now. He tossed the whole shooting match by the pile of floral pillows.

Macie demanded, “Lose the jeans.”

Why was she always in such a damn hurry? He still had his boots on. She jammed her hands in his boxers and grabbed his dick. “Hey, hey. Let’s start at the bottom and work our way up. I gotta get rid of these shitkickers.”

“I don’t care if you leave the damn boots on as long as the damn pants come off. Now.” Macie pulled his lips to hers as her fingers worked his Wranglers down his legs.

Carter realized the rut they’d fallen into wasn’t entirely his fault. In fact,
she’d
taken the lead when it came to sex in the last few weeks.
She’d
decided where (his place usually) and when (right after work) and how long (only long enough for both of them to get off).

Well, he was taking charge tonight. Taking what she’d promised him. Taking what would be his alone.

Screw romance. She’d had him tied up in knots for weeks. It was time for him to return the favor.

He gradually broke the frantic kiss. “Not so fast. There isn’t room in here for both of us to strip. Get naked. I’ll be right back.”

“Hurry.”

While Carter doffed his clothes, his gaze swept the kitchen/living area for an item he could use. He spied the frayed nylon rope poking out of Cash’s rigging bag.

Perfect. Tied up. Heh heh.

He grabbed the rope and the can of whipped cream.

‡