“Hi, yourself.” he said back.
Roxi took the dangling basket out of Rose’s hand. “Go on, you two. Have fun.” Roxi gave Rose a little push toward him and he couldn’t help himself. He grinned from ear to ear.
“Um, Alex suggested that we might like to go for a horseback ride. Are you game?”
“I haven’t been on a horse in years, but I think I can manage. Would you mind if I exchanged this dress for a pair of britches? I know it's terribly improper, but I find so much more pleasure in riding astride than sidesaddle. Besides, I'm not even sure Alex owns a sidesaddle.”
He watched the glow of happiness spread across Rose’s face and realized it mirrored his own. And he didn't care if she wanted to ride naked throughout the entire countryside, he was just happy to spend time with her alone. Although, her nakedness would pose quite a problem for his libido, not to mention the fact that he would have to kill any other man who saw her riding that way.
“I think britches are called for today, especially since we are out west instead of the manicured streets of Philadelphia. I’ll wait for you up at the barn. Take your time.” he said. Though he didn’t mean it. He wanted to get her away from prying eyes as soon as humanly possible.
He turned his horse back toward the barn and waited impatiently for Rose. He decided he could help pass the time by helping Alex finish cleanings the stalls.
He rode into the barn, dismounted, and tied his horse to the nearest hitching ring. “Where’s a shovel?” Matthew asked Alex.
“You offering to help shovel horse manure? You must really have it bad.” Alex’s amused grin said it all. “Here.” He offered Matthew a shovel and move the wheelbarrow in between them. “We’ll start at this end and work our way toward the other. How far we get will be determined by how long Rose takes to get ready. I’m assuming she’s coming.”
“Yeah, she’s coming. She wants to wear britches.” Alex turned a surprised look to him and then another amused grin. “Does she now?”
Matthew couldn’t help himself. He grinned back and Alex laughed. “That doesn’t surprise me. All the women in this family are quite independent, free-thinking females. Like I said earlier, if you’ve got your heart set on Rose, you might as well get ready for one helluva ride.”
He had sensed that independence about Rose since they first met on the train. That was part of his attraction to her now that he thought about it. He wasn’t much for clingy controlling women. They were more trouble than they were worth. Maybe that’s why he’d never really thought too much about marriage. After Julia, he just couldn't see himself trapped in that kind of life. But now, with Rose...everything had changed.
“Are you ready to go?”
He whirled around to see Rose standing inside the doorway. The sunshine behind her cast a glow around her body, and those britches made his libido jump another notch. He couldn’t wait to get her alone.
“I’m more than ready.”
“Then let’s get to it, shall we?” Her cheeky grin set his blood on fire.
He handed his shovel to Alex without ever taking his eyes off the woman standing in front of him. “Yes, ma’am.” he answered with exaggerated subservience. Or was it? He realized he would do just about anything if Rose asked him to.
“Is this my horse?” she pointed to the little mare Alex had been riding.
“Yes, would you like help getting on?”
Without another word, she walked into the shadow of the barn and took hold of the horse’s reins. Without waiting for him to help, she stepped one foot inside the stirrup and swung her other leg up over the saddle. He liked the way her slender behind hugged the saddle seat.
“Come on, cowboy. You’re burnin’ daylight.” Without another word, she turned the horse toward the barn door and trotted into the sunlight.
He heard Alex chuckle. “I’d say you better hurry if you want to keep up with that little filly.”
Matthew agreed. He took the reins of his own horse and turned it toward the door. “Don’t wait up for us, Alex.” Matthew advised.
“Didn’t plan on it.” Alex laughed as he spurred his horse toward the door...and Rose.
Chapter 9
Abbie felt the freedom of the outdoors as she loped the little mare across the grassy landscape. She had waited for Matthew until he had cleared the barn door and then she kicked her horse into a gallop and headed toward the open range.
It was beautiful here and she had never felt so free in all her born days. It was more than riding the horse across this beautiful country. And, it was more than the absence of her parent’s watchful eyes. It was knowing that she had finally found that elusive thing she had always craved—the genuine love of a man, who loved her for herself alone.
The thought was exhilarating, and she wanted nothing more than to hang on to it for as long as she could, but that might not be possible if she didn’t tell Matthew the truth...and soon.
She turned to see Matthew’s larger gelding gaining ground on her little mare. But that was alright with her.
She pulled her horse to a gentle lope and waited for him to catch up.
“Where did you learn to ride like that?” He seemed to marvel at her horsemanship skills. Should she tell him she grew up in the saddle of some of the best hunter jumpers in her father’s stables. Maybe she should ease him into the truth bit by bit.
“My parents insisted I learn how to do those things that might come in handy someday. I would think riding a horse would be one of those...things.” She answered hoping her off-handed response would appease his curiosity.
“Then I extend my congratulations to you. You were lucky to have such open-minded parents. Alex did say the women in your family were pretty independent creatures.” he teased.
She pulled her horse up short. “What do you mean? What did he say about my family?” Her heart thumped hard against her ribs. Had Alex told Matthew about her father? About who she was? But how could he? Roxi said Alex didn’t know who her father was...who she was other than his wife’s cousin. No, she was jumping to conclusions. She forced herself to relax.
“Don’t look so stricken, Rose. I was only kidding. Alex just said all the women in your family were independent with a mind of their own.”
Abbie studied Matthew’s face and she saw no sign of deception in his answer. She relaxed a little bit more. “Oh, well. He’s right about that. The women in my family do tend to be independent, and we do have minds of our own. Does that trouble you?” She found herself asking.
He pulled his horse next to hers, their knees touching. Reaching out he caressed her cheek then followed the soft curve of her neck cradling the side of her head in his palm. He leaned over and kissed her. Softly. Gently. It wasn’t the toe-curling kiss they usually shared. It was the kind of kiss that told her she was cherished, and she couldn’t be happier.
Matthew lingered at her mouth, brushing his tongue across her lips. His hand caressed her back, slowly moving to her waist. Soon, Abbie was lost in a haze of passion, and suddenly kissing on horseback was not enough. Not nearly enough.
“Matthew . . .” She barely managed to get out his name between kisses.
He pulled back and moved his horse away from hers in order to break their connection. “I’m sorry, Rose. I didn’t mean for that to happen. I guess I just got— ” He apologize.
“Matthew, please don’t apologize. I wasn’t stopping you. On the contrary. I just meant there’s gotta be a better place for this sort of thing.” She turned and scanned the horizon. “There, down by the river...under those willow trees.”
Understanding reflected in the look he gave her. “Lead the way, my beautiful Rose.” he said. He was giving her the opportunity to change her mind and turn back. She stole a look at the man riding beside her. She knew she should turn back. Her mother would be so disappointed in Aggie’s choices. And her father…oh, my. She couldn’t even fathom what her father would do if he learned that she was thinking of doing something she shouldn’t. An
d yet—
Matthew followed her gaze and saw the place she was pointing out. “I’ll follow you wherever you say,” he grinned and allowed her to led the way.
Abbie turned her horse toward the stand of trees. Matthew rode alongside her, close enough they were able to hold hands. This was what Abbie had always dreamed of. Here’s a man who was handsome and honorable. He was kind and he obviously cared about her. Not because she was her father’s daughter, but he cared because she was herself. And that was the most important part of Matthew Bell as far as she was concerned.
She wanted to find out more about Matthew. She wanted to know about him as a boy. As a man. His business. His first loves. She wanted to know as much about him as possible. She wanted to know his hopes and dreams for the future. She wanted to know everything about the man.
And, she had promised her aunts she would take today to do just that. Get to know Matthew better. And she would. She owed that to herself. But right now, she wanted to use her time with Michael to get to know him better in a different way and she wasn’t going to make any excuses about it.
“Almost there,” she said and let go of Matthew’s hand. “How about let’s race?”
She saw surprise on his face. “Race? I don’t think that a good idea.”
She laughed. “Nonsense.” She leaned forward in the saddle and kicked the little mare to a full gallop. Caught off guard, it took a moment for Matthew to join in, but soon they both reached the edge of the river about the same time.
“See? You thought you were going to let me win, but I beat you fair and square,” Abbie laughed at Matthew.
“Yes, you sure did.” Matthew admitted.
She looked around and pointed to a group of willow trees a few hundred yards away. “Let’s go over there, shall we?”
“Lead the way.”
She nodded and dismounted, then led her horse to the cluster of willows along the edge of the river running through Alex’s property. Matthew followed behind.
Abbie led her horse to the water’s edge and stood quietly while it drank its fill.
Matthew followed her example, all the while neither of them spoke a word. When the horses were finished, Rose moved to a downed tree in the shade where the lush green grass scraped their knees. She tied her horse and watched as the man beside her did the same.
“Now, come with me.” she whispered and pulled his hand in to hers. Her heart raced with anticipation as she led Matthew a few yards away to the grassy slope underneath the willows.
She sat down and pulled him down next to her. They sat next to each other, hand in hand, watching the horses graze, listening to the birds chirp in the nearby trees, the water bubble over the rocks in the river. After a few minutes, Abbie turned to Matthew. “I suppose you know that I’m rather fond of you.”
She stared down at their hands entwined, her fingers locked with his.
“I suspected as much,” Matthew said.
She looked up at him and met his gaze, “I might even be more than a little fond of you. What would you say to that?”
He squeezed her hand and his eyes dropped to her mouth. “I’d say that I’m a lucky man.”
Abbie leaned in. “And what would you say if I said I wanted you to kiss me right about now?”
She could see the heat in his eyes. “Again, I’d say that I’m a lucky man.” He let go her hand and reached out to pull her to him. He lowered his head and his lips touched hers.
His kiss was soft and sweet. She melted into him and kissed him back.
Matthew finally pulled back and touched his forehead against hers. His eyes closed. “We need to stop, Rose, before we get carried away.”
Rose sat back and looked at him, her hands cupped his face. “Matthew, perhaps I haven’t made myself clear. I want us to get carried away.”
His heart raced and his groin tightened as his desire for Rose grew with each kiss they shared. Sitting underneath the ancient willows, on a bed of leaves and moss, the drooping branches created an oasis of privacy even though there was no one around for miles.
Passion flared in him as her words sunk in. “Rose, we need to—you need to be absolutely sure about this. I respect you and I would never do anything to hurt you or tarnish your reputation in anyway…but I do have my limits…and I’m reaching that point of no return if we continue like this,” he whispered as Rose covered his face, mouth, and neck with kisses.
“I understand,” he heard her say between kisses.
He leaned in and kissed her, his tongue parting her lips, and ravaging her mouth. He grew harder by the minute and he knew things were about to get out of hand if he didn’t put a stop to it. He wanted Rose to be absolutely certain this was what she wanted.
He broke off the assault to her mouth and set her away from him. “Rose…” His breath was labored and he worked to catch his breath.
“Matthew, did I do something wrong?” He could see the doubt in her eyes.
“No, you are doing everything right.” He panted. “Too right, “he added.
“Then, I don’t understand. Don’t you— ”
“Want to? Of course, I want to. Rose, you never have to ask me that. I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life. But...” How could he explain that if he took what she was offering, their future together was a certainty.
He could tell by the look on her face that she was unsure of herself now. He didn’t want to put that doubt in her mind, but he did want her to be fully aware of what it would mean if they went any further down the road they were on.
“Rose, sweetheart, you must know how I feel about you by now. Don’t you? You have to know that I would do anything for you, go anywhere with you. I’ve fallen deeply in love with you, and I don't care that it's only been a short time since we met. I knew as soon as I laid eyes on you, there was something about you...a connection...a pull…that wouldn’t let me go.”
“Then why— ”
“You need to be sure about this, Rose. Because once we cross that line, it can’t be undone. I know you have feelings for me. I can see it in your eyes every time you look at me, but I don’t know how deep those feelings go. I’m not the kind of man to take your most precious gift and walk away. If we do this...if we cross that line...it means forever, Rose. Do you understand what I’m saying? If you can't see us building a life together, then we need to get on those horses right this minute and ride back to the ranch.”
He had laid his feelings—and his future—all on the line in that one sentence. Now, it was all up to Rose.
She looked at him and he could see she was considering what he had told her. He held his breath and waited. A few minutes ticked by and he realized no matter what Rose decided, he would love her until the day he left this earth.
Finally, she turned away from him. He closed his eyes in both relief and disappointment. But when she lay back against the moss-covered ground and started to unbutton her blouse, another surge of passion hit him hard. There would be no turning back.
He watched the woman he had grown to love slowly expose her creamy skin little by little as each button gave way. When her blouse fell away and her chemise was all that was left to hide her body from view, her passion-filled gaze rose to meet his. “Now, it’s your turn. Take your shirt off and come join me, Matthew, for if this is to be the start of forever, I want it to be a memorable beginning.”
Touched by her sentiment, he tugged at the buttons of his shirt, impatience in every pull. He reminded himself it was the only shirt he had with him today and he couldn’t very well arrive back at the ranch, or at Rose’s aunt’s house, with his shirt buttons missing. He inhaled a deep breath and forced himself to slow his movements. One by one, he worked the buttons of his shirt. The passion in Rose’s eyes as she watched his fingers nearly unmanned him.
Matthew couldn’t remember ever having a woman look at him that way...like she wanted him more than she wanted the air to breathe. He was rock hard and his passion urged him to hurry, but he w
anted to savor every second of this moment and remember it all.
Button by button, he exposed himself. Finally, he reached the last button and he pulled the shirt off his shoulders. His eyes never left her face as he reached for the buttons to undo his britches, he saw her breath hitch and hang in suspense.
He had never before held such power, and he reveled in the feeling of having this beautiful woman’s undivided attention. “Are you certain? You can still change your mind before this goes any further.” He offered her one last chance to put a stop to this, but at the same time he prayed she wouldn’t.
“I’ve made my decision, Matthew, and I can’t understand why you’re still over there when I’m over here...waiting.” she whispered, her eyes caressed his face, then lowered to his chest, dropping to follow the dark trail that disappeared into the waistband of his britches.
“I’m here, Rose, and I won’t make you wait a minute longer.”
He lay down beside her and together, under the canopy of willows, he made love to his beautiful Rose.
Chapter 10
Rose rode behind Matthew on his horse for the ride back to the ranch. They led her mare, content to follow behind. She knew she might as well shout to the mountaintops what they had done, but she couldn’t make herself care. She was in love. Fabulously, famously, and forever...she was in love. And she was loved. She had finally found a man who had fallen hopelessly in love with her and not Daniel’s daughter. She didn’t give two hoots in a well who knew it. Not her cousin, Roxi. Not her Aunt Jeannie or Aunt Lila, not even—
Her father. She had meant to tell Matthew the truth after they had spent the afternoon making love to each other, but she just couldn’t bring herself to spoil the moment. Matthew had said this was the beginning of their future together. She didn’t want to look back on this day and have the memory spoiled by her revelation.
The Harvest Ball was in a few weeks. After that, her parents expected her home. She just needed a plan to explain them to Matthew and Matthew to them. She was glad she had Aunt Jeannie to help with the explanation. If anyone could get through to her father, it was her mother and her aunt.
The Debutante's Holiday: Western Historical Romance (The Debutantes of Durango Book 6) Page 8
