Imprisoned In A Cowboy's Heart (Two-Five Ranch Outlaws Book 1)

by Mary J. McCoy-Dressel

  “What’s the matter?”

  She glanced at him. His face was wet with raindrops. How she wanted to swipe them from his skin. “I won’t be able to get into my room. I’ll need to return to the main floor.”

  “Go through the adjoining door from mine. Maybe it’s in your room.”

  All she wanted to do was throw a pillow over her face to hide the thoughts that wouldn’t leave her alone, not go into his room. Outside his door, she held his arm before he got it open. “Tanyon?”

  “What now?” The hard lines on his face of late softened. “I’m sorry. What?”

  His gaze lingered on her eyes. Why couldn’t he see that she still loved him? Her throat tightened. She could barely swallow before trying to get the words out. “Why? Why all this?”

  “That again? I told you.” He shook his arm free and opened the door, sweeping his hand for her to enter first.

  She headed to the adjoining door without saying good night. How could he not expect her to ask? Everything that had happened to both in the last year couldn’t go away like it had never happened. Had he wanted to pick up where they left off? She did, but they were different people now. Life had changed them. They had to discuss it. She padded into the bathroom to wash her face then tears poured. Karis patted them away along with the water dripping from her face. These days, she had too many reasons to cry. In the end, she might have to admit coming here was a mistake.

  She removed her jeans, then her blouse to prevent it from wrinkling, and hung it on a hanger. Her bra came off before she crawled into bed. Lightning flashing against the drapes couldn’t be ignored. She got out of bed, slipped her blouse on then opened the curtains. Forcing herself to sleep was senseless. She might as well watch lightning flash.

  A thunderous crash-like rumble startled her, forcing her to hug herself and squeeze her arms. Lightning lit up the landscape, brightening the distant red rocks. The entire stormy dark-clouded sky glowed with streamers of white streaks. She glanced over her shoulder. Had there been a tap? Thunder? No, she hadn’t imagined it. Oh, she jumped at another bright flash.

  She peeked around as she opened the door between their rooms. “Yes?”

  “Did I wake you?” His voice held a softness she’d longed to hear.

  Gulping, she mumbled, “No.”

  “You’re sitting in the dark?”

  “I’m watching the powerful lightning storm. It’s surreal the way it lights up the red rocks.”

  He pushed the door open. Karis gasped. “I’m not dressed.” She rushed to the chair for her jeans, but he grasped her arm, jerking her to a halt. She held her breath. What is this?

  With heavy breaths, he closed his eyes but snapped them open—his grip tightening. “Why, you asked earlier? I can’t stay away from you. I wanted to. Honest I did, but you stood in the barn looking beaten and so damn hot, gorgeous, making me remember things I wanted to forget.” He drew her to him and whispered, “I’m conflicted over us.”

  She placed her hands against his face and peered into his eyes. The lightning storm flashed in a wild rampage outside their window, reminiscent of her heart pounding against her ribs. “To this day, this moment, I regret what happened. The way I allowed it to happen. I didn’t mean to hurt you. Knowing what I had done to you, hurt me too. I hope you can forgive me. At least understand?” Karis lowered her gaze to his lips. She wanted nothing more than to taste them this moment. This moment. Her breath caught with him so close. “I’m sorry.”

  “I know you are. The day I visited your mother, I witnessed your family’s grief, and I understood what you had to do. Your brother was at the bank cashing a check you’d written him.”

  Tears welled, but she refused to let them amount to anything, at first. “The night before, I’d called him from your ranch to remind him the check was due to expire if he didn’t get it cashed. It never got cashed. I could’ve written him another damn check instead!” She dropped her forehead against his chest and sobbed. Tanyon held her in his strong arms. His warm body encompassed her. “They shot and killed him. He didn’t do anything but be at the wrong place at the wrong time because of me.”

  “Honey. I’m sorry. It’s not your fault.”

  Karis collected a tissue from her purse and went into the bathroom to blow her nose. Tanyon stood at the window when she returned. Why had she left his arms when she needed his embrace? She stepped closer to where he waited. “It’s eerie to stand here and witness this sight. We would’ve missed it all if we’d gotten rooms on the other side of the hotel.”

  “Maybe.” He came to her, holding their hands between them. “I forgive you, but I don’t know if I can trust you. In a few months you’ll be leaving all over again, and then what?”

  “But it’ll be like the other times. I’ll return again and again. We’ll spend weekends or whenever we can here or in Phoenix.”

  “Holding you like this now… I’d want more. Last time you were here, I asked you to stay. Karis, you wanted to but couldn’t because you had your family to care for. Now, you don’t. Well, not like—”

  “I have a clinic there. My mom is still a mess.” She dropped her shoulders.

  “With people who run your clinic like they’re doing now. That wouldn’t have stopped you a year ago. You have a job here with me.” Tanyon opened the balcony door. A breeze blew in a fresh scent of the desert, sandstone, and rain.

  The beautiful silhouette of his hard body in nothing but jeans standing against the bright flashes called her to him. She walked up behind him and circled her arms around his waist, her palms flat against his chest. She lay her cheek against his back. “It worked before. It’ll work again.”

  He whirled and lifted her. They stared at each other’s lips, their faces gravitating closer until their mouths almost met, but he lowered his face, leaving her breathless when he jerked away too soon. “A part-time love affair is enough for you?”

  She wrapped her legs around his hips and kissed his neck. She longed for his mouth to be pressed against hers, hungered for it, dreamed of it. Wanted. Him. She’d put everything into kissing and nuzzling his neck to prove how much she cared, but he wasn’t going for it though they held each other. She’d fallen in love with him long before he’d come back home to take over the ranch. No part of that had changed.

  Before retiring from bull riding, they’d begun working together when he was home that summer. They’d become closer each day until neither could resist anymore. Those were happy times.

  That quick, Tanyon carried her to the bed and dropped down to it. Her legs remained around him scissor fashion as he lay atop her. His response to her couldn’t be denied. They stared at each other, flashes of lightning brightening their faces in kaleidoscopic displays. A million thoughts ran through her mind. Karis placed her hand against the back of his head and lifted her face to meet his kiss. Again, he turned away. She missed him. Longed. Needed his kiss.

  “I smelled your perfume and wanted you the minute you sat down beside me at the fire. You think I hated you, but honey, I couldn’t. I damned both of us for it.”

  She released her legs from around his back. Tanyon slowly moved to her side. He glided his hands over the front of her shirt, then he eased the buttons open and slid her blouse apart to expose her naked breasts. His warm lips followed his gaze. Her heart pumped like a toe tapping to a musical cadence to hear his sweet memorable sighs. Her body burned for him. The first time they’d made love, actually made love other than the time in his pickup where they’d gone to oblivion and back in another way, flashed before her eyes. Loving each other so sensually were the most magnificent moments that had ever happened to her. The thought alone of their love making nearly brought her to climax—she was that lonely. Karis whispered, “Tanyon?”

  He moved on top of her again, pressing against her—the cotton between them the only thing blocking entrance—but he backed off to sit on the edge of the bed. He leaned his elbows against his knees and ran his fingers through his hair, leaving his
hands against his head as he stared at the floor. “We can’t, but I remember making love to your willing body. You think I don’t miss those times?”

  It’s as willing now. She scooted to the edge of the bed, placed her hand against his back, her head against his shoulder. “Because you don’t trust me.”

  His soft voice rasped, “I don’t have protection with me. That’s the only reason. Otherwise I’d have taken you three times by now.” He gave a dry laugh.

  “I’d a let you,” came out without a thought.

  He faced her with the softest smile. “You would?”

  She straightened his hair and smiled. “I’ve never stopped loving you. The force of nature out that window got my blood to boiling tonight, and I want it to go on forever with you.”

  “Lightning and love is a powerful force, darlin’. I can’t think of a better place to observe either.” Tanyon cupped a side of her face and rolled his thumb over her mouth. He leaned in with a slight tilt to his head.

  Karis touched his face waiting to feel his soft mouth against hers in a rough make-up kiss while dreaming it would be enough to bring them back together.

  He broke it off and rose from the bed, leaving her questioning what the hell had happened as the door between their room closed.

  She remained on the edge of the bed observing nature’s fireworks while her mind’s eye visualized them lying together. His body had been hot. And hard. As needy as hers. Karis had half a notion to barge through the door and drop her clothes, lie with him naked, then wait to see what happened. What a mistake it would be to force him into indulging in carnal pleasure without worrying about consequences. She knew the man well enough to know he’d never speak to her the next day. Maybe?

  ∞∞∞

  Upon waking the next morning at the foot of the bed, she glanced outside but squinted against the sun. She checked the time on her phone. Eight-thirty? Karis padded to the bathroom then came out and made coffee. She pulled jeans on and buttoned the blouse that had wrinkled after all. She turned up the cuffs. What would today bring?

  Someone knocked on the hallway door. Karis peeked through the peep hole then opened it to let Tanyon inside. “Good morning.” Right away, she observed the distant look in his turbulent gaze.

  Pacing, he explained, “I had a call from the garage. They can’t get parts for my truck until later, much later in the day. I called Cade to come get us. He’ll hook up the trailer. We’ll load up the horse on the way out. We might as well get breakfast while we wait.”

  “I’ll need a few minutes to get ready.” She picked up her purse. Maybe she’d dreamed of him warming up to her last night because he wanted nothing to do with her this morning. All she had was lipstick in her purse as far as makeup so she went to the mirror. Oh, well. He wasn’t here to be impressed. “Were you up early?”

  “Yeah. A bad dream woke me. I haven’t had that dream in a long time.”

  She came out to sit on the edge of the bed. He used to have war dreams. “What was it?”

  He closed his eyes and tipped his head against the chair back. “A firefight in Afghanistan. The same one over and over.” He leaned forward, lowering his eyes to the floor.

  He never liked to talk about his dreams. It would do her no good to ask. “I’m sorry they’ve come back.” She went to the bathroom to get ready. He’d been in turmoil since she’d returned. So much that he had nightmares again? This couldn’t be good. Tanyon had remained in the same spot as he had when she’d entered the bathroom.

  “Did the storm keep you awake?”

  Karis ran a brush through her hair in front of him as his gaze followed each stroke. “I don’t remember falling asleep.”

  “It got bad before it got better.” He opened the door between their rooms. “Come on over when you’re ready.” Stopping, he removed two toothbrushes and two tubes of toothpaste from his shirt pocket. “Here, I grabbed this off the cart in the hallway.”

  “Are you trying to tell me something?” She chuckled and took it. “Sorry, I’m teasing. Thank you. Are you all right?”

  Straight-faced, he locked his gaze on hers. “Yeah. I don’t know what we’ll do from checkout until my brother arrives. Listen, his mind will go in all sorts of directions. I can’t control what he thinks.”

  She tucked the brush back in her purse and flipped hair over her shoulder. “I’m sure he isn’t the only one. Ronni saw us leave together, and the ladies will be wondering where I am. I don’t care what they think. It can’t be good for the ranch owner though.”

  “You think I give a fuck what anyone thinks?”

  A tornado couldn’t have blown through the door any swifter. She sighed. What would she tell those who asked? Maybe she’d adopt his philosophy and not give a fuck, either. Why the hell should she care? They wouldn’t believe nothing happened, anyway. Waking in his arms this morning would’ve been a great way to start her day. What a good fake memory to think back on though.

  Karis took her coffee to the balcony. Too bad she’d missed the sunrise in Sedona. She poured what was left of the pot into her cup and drank it down. How would they spend the next couple hours together?

  Karis knocked on the adjoining door. “I’m ready,” she responded when he opened it. “Are we checking out this minute?”

  “Yeah, why not? I’m hungry.” Tanyon ran a slow gaze over her face. “Have you ever counted your freckles?”

  She burst out laughing. His quick and friendly remark surprised her. “I’ve never been asked before. Yes, I have, but I never come up with the same number.”

  He came close to a full chuckle. “Maybe you keep growing new ones. Ready?”

  “No, but let’s go. What will we do while we wait?”

  “Hell if I know. I don’t think well on an empty stomach. Steak and eggs sounds good to me, with a side of bacon.”

  “Good thing you work hard or your arteries would be clogged. I’ll get my purse and key card and meet you in the hallway.”

  “Let me worry over my arteries and heart.”

  Well, she’d worry over his heart all right, and in more ways than one.

  Tanyon glanced behind him to his room. “Hold up.” He shut off the sports channel, tucked his wallet and key card into his pocket, and came through to her room. “Let’s go. Did you see the sunrise this morning?”

  “I missed it. I’ll need another trip in the future.”

  Tanyon stopped her before going into the hallway and scrolled through his phone. “Here’s a picture.”

  He’d been out this morning. She widened her eyes and took in a breath. He’d taken these for her? The sky blazed in multiple colors of tangerine and pinks blending to violet, leaving the landscape glowing in gold. “It’s spectacular.” She handed him back his phone.

  He checked a text before they got out the door. “Oh, shit, it’s Cade. A damn fence broke. My training bulls are scattered.” He smacked the wall with an open palm. “Sonofabitch! Damn stupid cattle don’t know when they got it good.”

  He raised that breed because they were smart. She kept her mouth shut. A lot of things might go wrong in his life, but the one thing he couldn’t take was not being in control of a situation on the ranch. He might’ve been more serious than anyone else on the grounds.

  “All we need is to have our bulls get close to the neighbor’s fence and cattle. That’ll be a damn mess for animals and fencing. My best bull stock is in that area.”

  “The guys will handle it. They know what they’re doing.”

  He slapped his hat against the back of the chair. “I know. Let’s get a car to drive ourselves home. They might need another hand gathering or doctoring cattle. We’ll get breakfast to go after we get the car.” He sent a text then held his hand on the doorknob before flicking his gaze to the bed and back. “On second thought, we’ll have to wait until they deliver it. Breakfast across the parking lot. Okay with you?”

  “Whatever you decide is fine.” Yes, she certainly must’ve dreamed of being in his arms las
t night. Karis glanced back at the bed before exiting, but a whiff of his cologne on her blouse reminded her it had been real.

  ∞∞∞

  On the way home, he’d driven over the speed limit, his mind focused on the bulls and her. More on her than the bulls.

  “Hey, wasn’t that our turn?”

  Tanyon glanced in his mirror. “Yeah, dammit.” Where in the hell had his head been? He glimpsed Karis out of the corner of his eye. Thoughts and yearnings for that woman had become a distraction that could cause an accident. He cut off the highway and took a back road.

  “Where are we?”

  “You wouldn’t know if I told you. Relax.” Yeah, he drove too fast toward home on the two-track road with stones dinging the sides and underneath the rental car.

  “Give me more credit. I can read a damn map.”

  He eyed her rummaging through the glove box and brought out a map but stuck it back inside. She’d planned on proving her point. “I know you can read a map.”

  After another mile, he’d slowed some. Karis placed her hand on the dashboard and leaned forward to see around him to a large home hidden from view from the trail by trees. “I swear in all the years of coming here, I’ve never seen that big old Victorian hiding among the bushes.”

  He braked hard to stop in front of the driveway. “This place is hidden from the trail you take the riders on by those trees across the road. Mrs. Fife lives there. She’s alone now. I can’t believe you haven’t heard the rumors. Sure, you have. It’s been the topic of scary stories around the campfire. It’s alleged to be haunted.”

  “All right, now you’re teasing me.”

  “Am not. Her husband died in the house. He was a mean old cuss. Violent, I hear. Talk to the townspeople if you don’t believe me.”

  She chuckled. “That doesn’t mean it’s haunted. When did you start listening to gossip?”

  “Whatever you say, but let’s hope you never have to find out. When the locals tell the story around the campfire to the newcomers this year, you might want to run to bed, honey. They say he comes out some nights when he hears the train whistle. That way no one can hear his victim’s scream. It’s enough to send shivers down my back.” He tiptoed his fingers up her arm, shaking his shoulders in a fake shiver for effect.