SimplyIrresistible (10 page)

The bliss gradually eased to softer ripples of pleasure as
she floated back to reality. She arched into his masterful touch as he gentled
the aftershocks shivering through her with long, soothing strokes from her
shoulder to her hip. He continued to caress her until her wobbly, new-colt legs
firmed enough to hold her. She met his dark eyes for a second and the approval
in his gaze caused another round of rapture to flutter deep inside her pussy.

He placed a tender kiss on her mouth, tugged up her zipper,
fastened the button and buckled her belt. “Better now?”

“Yes, thank you, much better, Sir.” She hastened to add,
“I’m not talking about the clothes.” Heat burned her cheeks.

She felt amazingly sexy and just plain amazing. Her tension
had left the barn, along with a bunch of preconceived notions and apparently
most of her inhibitions. She dropped her gaze to the strained front of his
jeans. “Don’t you want me to help, Sir?”

He chuckled. The rich sound loaded with sinful intent
vibrated through her, tightening all those muscles he’d just loosened. “Don’t
worry about me. It’s my job to take care of you. We’ll get around to me soon
enough.”

Oh my dear God, is he real?
She should insist on
returning the favor, but she was already turned-on again. With a little start, she
realized her mouth hung open and snapped it closed. She hoped she hadn’t
drooled.

“Did you have another question?”

She cleared the husky arousal out of her throat and tried to
sound casual. “So are we still going for a ride?”

“Absolutely, but first let’s exercise the horses.”

An image of her riding Liam zoomed into her mind’s eye. More
heat raced up her neck to color her cheeks.

His dimpled grin took the sting out of her embarrassment and
she smiled back at him. Totally gaga over a man she barely knew. She’d given
herself to him with her eyes wide open. His wonderful combination of strength
and tenderness boosted her confidence in her judgment and rewarded her leap of
courage.

“Give me a minute.” He squeezed her shoulder as he strode
past her toward the other end of the barn and whistled.

Still mellow from the incredible climax, she watched Liam’s
fine butt move toward the door leading to the paddock with deep appreciation
for the male body—his in particular.

The familiar aromas of horses, feed and oiled leather
reminded her where she was and what she’d just allowed to happen in broad
daylight where anyone could have walked in and seen her getting off against
Liam’s hand. She quickly buttoned her shirt. She couldn’t regret the best
orgasm of her life, but her lack of discretion made her cheeks burn all over
again.

Ozzie’s head appeared a few seconds later. His strong neck
made a graceful line as he nibbled from Liam’s open palm. His master rubbed his
head, slipped a bridle on him and led the stallion inside the barn. Once in his
stall, the big horse stole peeks at her while Liam checked him over.

Still self-conscious, she spotted grooming tools and picked
up a curry brush. “May I help groom him?”

Liam nodded his approval.

The familiar task grounded her as she stroked the stiff
bristles over his back and sides then switched to a dandy brush to clean off
the loosened hair and duff, making Ozzie’s coat gleam.

“He’s already vain,” Liam grumbled while he placed a pad and
saddle on the stallion. He carefully adjusted the cinch and double-checked the
tack, making minor corrections. All the while he crooned reassurances to the
stallion.

Tiana averted her eyes, seeking some task to occupy her
hands.

He finished with Ozzie and crossed to her, cupping her face.
“Don’t hide from me. There’s no room for shame and regrets between us. We’re
adults entitled to take adult pleasure in each other. I plan to make you come
three times a day, maybe more.”

Her cheeks burned, but she managed to bob her head.

“Good, glad we got that settled.” He snagged a bridle then
held out a hand. “Come with me.”

She wanted to please him so much it scared her. Her arm
trembled as she put her fingers in his palm. He curled around her, giving her
hand a caring squeeze. The simple act eased her nervousness and made everything
insanely better.

With a glance back at the magnificent stallion, she followed
his even more impressive owner out of the barn.

Liam whistled again. Both fillies lifted their heads,
sifting the air, deciding whether or not to obey. Sassy, a burnished chestnut,
took off first, moving toward the gate in an easy lope. Lily, a glossy black,
arrived a split second later.

“What are their names?” Tiana tugged on his hand—pulling
away from him while keeping her attention locked on the fillies.

He let her get away with putting a little distance between
them, but he didn’t release her hand. “Sassy won the race. Lily came in a close
second.”

“Three-year-olds?”

“They are.” He was impressed and not just with how well she
knew horses. He’d guessed she would be sweet heat in his arms. He hadn’t
expected her to be half as brave or anywhere close to as responsive. He sure as
hell hadn’t expected to like her so much. He wanted to scoop her up, deposit
her in his bed and not let her go for days. The only thing he wanted to do more
was protect her, a persistent urge that made him uneasy.

“They’re lovely.”

He squeezed her hand before he finally let go to dispense a
peeled baby carrot to each young beauty and bridled Lily. Both fillies were the
same age. Sassy shared a sturdier quarter horse frame with her dam. Not a shy
bone in her body. She had lots of heart and a tight turning radius. Lily had
her Arabian dam’s more delicate structure and her own high spirits. Nicely
mannered, she was still a bit shy. She moved like silk and had a tender mouth.
A lot like Tiana.

Sassy neighed a protest as he shut the gate on her.

“You’re next, sweetheart.”

The filly snorted a raspberry.

Liam caught up with Tiana in three strides. “That’s why
she’s named Sassy.”

“I could handle her.” She tucked her hands into her pockets.

“I have no doubt. Thing is, it’s Lily’s turn. You’re doing
me a favor by riding her. With Cam away it’s going to be tough to keep all of
them exercised.”

“Cam is one of your brothers?”

He grinned, surprised again and a bit flattered she’d been
interested enough to remember his brothers’ names. The woman had a few issues,
but those only kept things entertaining. She was smart, a survivor and so
sweetly submissive she called to drives he’d kept buried forever.

Paying attention to her was no chore. He needed to stay
alert to her reactions and make every move firm and slow. She deserved careful.
This meant no sex for him, not until she had a whole lot more of her confidence
back. He couldn’t risk losing control and scaring her. If he did it
right—winning her trust, giving and delaying her pleasure in response to her
compliance—then she’d learn to depend on his firm, consistent boundaries. She
would bloom into the strong, sensual woman meant to be his…for a while. “Yes,
Cam’s the youngest.”

“Where is he?”

He checked his watch. “Right about now he’s deconstructing
Berkeley.”

Her eyes twinkled and her lips quirked before pure,
sparkling laughter broke free. “Tell me about your brothers. They’re both
younger than you, right?”

“Correct.”

She tucked her arm through his.

Every time she initiated contact, even the most casual
touch, warmed him from his scalp right down to his hairy toes. With her soft
breast pressed into his arm an extra couple of thousand thermal units went
straight to his tortured cock.

He led Lily to her stall, brushed a kiss across Tiana’s
knuckles and then reluctantly released her in order to check the filly.

“How old are you?” she blurted.

“Thirty-two going on a thousand some days.”

“You’re holding up remarkably well.” She damn near unmanned
him by slyly filching a carrot from his front jeans pocket.

Guthrie had been right, she was a brave sub, who called to
him on many levels. He shook off a chilling premonition and moved away from
her. His control returned as he forced himself to concentrate on Lily, brushing
her coat, running his hands over her back, sides and stomach checking for any
burr, irritation or sore. Satisfied the filly’s coat was flawless, he settled a
pad on her back then added a saddle. He rechecked both sides of the pad still
lay smooth, pulled up the cinch and fastened its buckles.

While he worked, Tiana moved to Lily’s head, petted her
velvet muzzle, fed her pilfered carrots and whispered soothing praise.

Ozzie snorted and stamped in his stall, demanding equal
attention. Liam shared his pretty boy’s feelings, but he was too old and too
smart to snort and stomp.

With a minimum of coaxing, Lily walked out of her stall.
Liam secured her reins and stepped back, giving Tiana room. He watched carefully
in case she needed his help. If he hadn’t been paying attention he might have
missed the way she winced when she gripped the pommel. The brief grimace made
him wonder again about the kind of injuries she’d suffered.

He led Lily through the first gate then handed Tiana the
reins. “Hold tight, I’ll be right back.”

It took him a few minutes to mount and maneuver Ozzie out of
the barn. The stallion spotted Lily and pranced through the gate. He snorted
impatiently when Liam made him back up to latch the gate once Tiana rode
through on Lily.

Liam tilted his head toward the trail. “Ladies first.”

Only Ozzie minded following. Liam enjoyed the view. Tiana
had an easy natural seat. She automatically adjusted to Lily’s smooth gait so
she and the filly moved like a single entity. Her cute ass—seemingly glued to
the saddle—made great scenery. He pulled even with Tiana after a few yards.

She anticipated Liam’s approach and guided Lily aside to
give him room so smoothly the filly didn’t shy.

Given her background, her riding skills didn’t surprise him.
How naturally she fit into his home life did. “What happened to your hands?”

“Nothing.” Her voice rose, her fingers dug into her thigh
and her beautiful eyes skittered away from his.

He let her get away with the evasion for now, but he
couldn’t let her get away with lying to him. “Don’t ever try bluffing at poker.
If you don’t want to tell me, say so.”

“I don’t want to tell you, Sir.”

“Okay.” He kept his expression bland, but the “Sir” amused
him more than it appeased his need to know everything about her.

The afternoon sun warmed the air. They rode in comfortable
silence broken by occasional bird song and the hum of a passing dragonfly.

Ahead a wooden bridge crossed the creek. “Race you to the
bridge.”

“You’re on.” Her words floated back to him as she and Lily
stretched into a gallop.

Ozzie needed no urging. The stallion broke even with the shy
filly as their hooves clattered on the first planks.

They slowed at the first fork in the trail.

Tiana held Lily in check, turning to look at Liam. “Which
way?”

“The trail we’re on takes us back to the barn. The left
circles the lake, the right takes a series of switchbacks up to a view point.
Both take too long for this evening. Come ride with me again tomorrow and you
can take your pick.”

She guided Lily ahead with a small smile. “Tomorrow I have
things I need to do. If I were free, then I would definitely choose the lake. I
want to watch the dragonflies.”

“Sunday then.”

Her face lit up. “I would love to, what time?”

After you spend Saturday night in my bed, we enjoy
morning sex and have brunch.
“I plan to keep you out late Saturday, so
around two.”

An adorable frown puckered Tiana’s brow. “I have things to
take care of Saturday. What are we doing so late?”

“Enjoying a hot August night at the Crucible.”

“I don’t remember you asking me.” She straightened in the
saddle. The filly’s ears pricked in response to her rider’s crisp tone.

“I didn’t.”

“You seem very confident I’ll agree.” Her chin tilted to
stubborn, but her beautiful eyes twinkled.

“Absolutely, I’m counting on you staying for dinner tonight
as well.”

“That’s a little cocky.”

“A lot actually, which is exactly what you need.” He
grinned.

Tiana lowered her lashes. “Perhaps.”

There was no perhaps about it. She needed his discipline—needed
him. He needed her surrender just as much. God help him.

The sun crept toward the west and the breeze picked up
speed, moving the muggy air around as they neared the barn. There was no sign
of ranch hands. They were around, just staying out of sight. Liam didn’t mind
their absence. The lack of privacy was a downside of tight security and Tiana
was all the company he wanted.

She worked with him. Soon the horses were unsaddled, fed,
watered and settled in for the night.

Liam parceled out another baby carrot for each spoiled
hayburner, plus a whispered promise for Sassy. “If I can convince her to come
back tomorrow, it’ll be your turn.”

“Are you talking about me?”

“Sassy hopes you’ll be up for another ride soon.”

Tiana ducked under his arms to pat the filly. “Count out on
it, pretty girl.”

Her easy acceptance of his roundabout invitation made him
smirk.

“You look much too pleased with yourself.”

He shrugged. “Been a long time since I enjoyed an afternoon
riding in the sunshine with a beautiful woman.”

Skepticism weighted her sniff. “You can’t possibly be
serious. There’s nothing attractive about being so nervous I jump every time
you glance my direction.”

“Absolutely, winning the trust of an extra wary woman earns
a guy huge hero points.” He kept his expression flat.