by Jill Sanders
“Hey.” Her voice broke into his dark thoughts. “Are you okay?” she asked, her voice laced with concern.
Nodding his head, he glanced off towards the field. “How about a ride? It’ll help clear my head.” He nodded towards the corral and his horses. “Lightning is pretty old, but he can keep up with Tex.”
“Which one is Lightning, and which one is Tex?” She dropped her arms and walked over to the corral to look at the horses.
“Tex is the black one with the white star between his eyes. Lightning is the brown one with the white bolt between his eyes.”
She laughed. “What about the cream-colored one?”
“That’s Ace. She’s moody.” He stuck his booted foot on the bottom rung. “I haven’t been able to put a saddle on her yet or get near her for that matter.”
“Oh?” Tessa turned to him. “What’ll you give me if I could?”
He shook his head. “I don’t think you should try. She bites.”
“So do I.” Tessa winked then crawled between the fence railings. He was about to jump the fence when Ace rushed towards Tessa like they were old friends.
Tessa reached out her arms and Ace walked right into them, gently rubbing her head against Tessa’s hair as Tessa laughed. “I’ve missed you too, Speedy.” She leaned up and kissed the horse right on the lips.
He stood there like he’d been struck by lightning.
Crawling through the fence, he walked over to the pair, shaking his head. “Well, damn. You are full of surprises.” He reached out towards the horse, then hesitated.
“Speedy, this is Luke. He’s the boss now.” The horse glanced between him and Tessa, then dipped her head in what he could only assume was acknowledgment. “She doesn’t like the name Ace,” she said as he reached his hand out and pet the horse.
“I can see that.” He laughed when the horse rubbed her face against his shoulder.
“She also loves sugar cubes. So always come prepared.” Tessa pulled several out of her jean pockets and gave each horse some. “Now…” She dusted off her hands and turned to him. “How about that ride?”
“I can’t believe you bought Speedy.” She patted the horse’s mane and took a deep breath. It felt so good to be back in the saddle.
“Well, the man said that the horse had never really liked anyone… except—”
“Me. I used to sneak into Mr. Walker’s fields every day. Speedy was my only friend growing up. I remember the day she was born.” She glanced over at him. “I skipped school that day and spent the entire day with her and her mother.”
“Where did you get the name Speedy?”
She laughed. “How about I show you?” She kicked her heels into the horse’s flanks and the horse bolted. He stood back and watched for a moment, before kicking Tex into following them.
The fact that she’d beat him to the fence line by almost two hundred yards, not only impressed him but told him he’d seriously underestimated his own horse.
“Damn,” he said, a little winded. “Either that’s the fastest horse in the county or you’re one hell of a rider.”
She laughed. “Both, I think.” She slid off the horse and started slowly walking along the fence line.
He followed suit and fell into step with her.
“So, you’re really okay with me singing your songs? What about Clint Black or Garth Brooks?”
She laughed. “They were never going to make a deal with them. Most of the big names write their own songs now.” She stopped and turned towards him. “Besides, maybe soon, you’ll be as big as they are.”
“I don’t think—”
“Luke, trust me, you’re easily as good as them and the world could use a new cowboy to drool over.” She started walking again. “Just promise me one thing.” She glanced over her shoulder at him. “Remember the little folks when you’re famous.”
He laughed. “Right.” He glanced off towards his house. “I’m just starting to finally feel like I fit in here. I don’t think I’d like heading back to the city anytime soon.”
“You never know.” She sighed and glanced around. “I never thought I’d come back to Fairplay, and here I am.”
He thought about it. “No, if I’ve learned one thing this last year, it’s that I’m done with the city life.”
She smiled. “Yeah, I like it once in a while, but after about a week, the traffic just pisses me off.”
He laughed. “That and the smell.”
“Then there’s the crime,” she joked, and they continued to list off things they hated about city life.
By the time they climbed back on the horses, he’d forgotten all about his worry of who would find out about him singing. After all, sooner or later, his family was bound to find him. He wasn’t really worried about them; it was Kristen’s family he was more worried about.
The ride was just what he needed. That and the time with Tessa.
“Stay for dinner?” he asked as they were brushing down the horses.
“Can you cook?” she teased as she looked over Speedy’s neck.
“Not really, but I can make do. I was going to toss on some burgers… or I have some steaks,” he added when he remembered Chase had dropped off a bundle of meat when he’d delivered the bull.
“Mmm, steak sounds good.” She glanced over and giggled. “Looks like Roger likes it here.”
He glanced out the fence and noticed the bull mounting one of his heifers. “He should, for what I’m paying for him.”
“Ohhh, does that make him a gigolo?” She giggled, and he found the sound completely erotic.
Dropping the brush, he walked over and took her hands, setting aside the brush she held. “If you like”—he dipped his head and brushed his lips across those soft ones of hers— “we can watch the show before dinner.”
She smiled. “Maybe we can make our own entertainment?”
He couldn’t explain the amount of desire that flooded his system at that moment, but all of a sudden, he had her pinned to the side of the stall, her mouth crushed under his, her body pushed tight up against his desire.
“Tessa.” He dropped his head until their foreheads rested against one another. “I can’t seem to get enough of you.”
“Good,” she said, taking his face until he looked up at her. “Because I’m willing to give you as much as you can take.” She smiled. “Deal?”
He nodded, feeling the knot in his throat. “Deal.”
Chapter 13
Dinner was perfect. They sat on his back porch and grilled the steaks as the sun sank lower in the sky. When it became too dark to see, he flipped a switch and several dozen rows of lights flickered above them on the terrace.
The fireflies buzzed around in the yard and the sound of the country surrounded them. She couldn’t have asked for a more perfect night.
“Stay,” he said, reaching for her hand as they finished dinner.
Instead of answering, she dipped her head and smiled at him.
When he took her hand and led her into the house, her insides jumped. Even though they had made love three times before, she was still nervous for tonight.
His bedroom was near the back and was easily twice the size as hers. She had seen the main rooms when they had walked in, but here, in his bedroom, things were a little more updated. He’d obviously painted and had put in new hardwood flooring. Everything looked fresh and updated.
She was dying to say something about it, but he leaned down and kissed her, and she lost all train of thought. As before, he took his time peeling off her clothing. This time, however, instead of easily pulling off a dress, he had to kneel before her and yank off her riding boots and then her jeans, which were a little snug. She took her time following him and pulling off his boots. His jeans were a little looser than the night before and easily slid down his legs.
She hadn’t really had time to explore him much, so she took this time to run her hands over his thighs and calves. There was a light dusting of dark hair over him that she found completely sexy.<
br />
When her fingers brushed against his boxer briefs, he twitched, and she wanted to slide the last barrier off him.
He stopped her by pulling her up as he circled her wrists once more. “My turn,” he said, turning her around until the backs of her legs hit his bed.
He smiled, then with one finger, pushed against her chest until she fell backward. She laughed as she fell. Then he was on top of her and she lost her breath.
He kissed her until her hips moved on their own, grinding against his shorts until her panties were almost soaked.
He pulled back and ran his mouth over her, down her belly as he slid her panties off her legs slowly. His hands shifted her legs up until her feet were flat on his mattress and her knees were spread wide. When he settled between them, she couldn’t stop the moan from escaping, nor could she stop her hips from jerking off the bed.
One of his hands moved up and pressed on her belly, keeping her down on the mattress. His other hand moved until she felt a finger slide into her as his tongue did wonders to other parts of her. She felt herself slide into one of the easiest releases she’d ever experienced.
When he tried to shift, she closed her legs and flipped him over in one swift move.
“My turn,” she said back to him. He was smiling up at her. Her fingers circled his wrists and pulled them above his head. “Play fair.”
He shook his head. “It’s too fun to be bad.”
She smiled back down at him. “For a while?”
When he nodded, she leaned down and repeated everything he’d done to her, but when she pulled his shorts down, she hesitated.
“You don’t have to…” he said, starting to move.
“No, I want…” She licked her lips, then looked up at him and met his eyes. “Tell me if I do something wrong.” He nodded quickly, and she dipped her head down to take him fully into her mouth.
He was smoother than she’d ever imagined. Lace over steel. She’d always wondered what they’d meant by it, and now she knew. She took her time enjoying him, exploring him, until she felt his hips jerk and she was being pushed quickly under him.
She heard him slip on the condom moments before his hips jerked and he was fully embedded into her. She cried out with excitement as he started to move, his mouth close to her ear.
“You little devil.” She growled. “You’re… too… damn… sexy…” He grunted between each word, sending waves of desire flooding through her.
Wrapping her legs around him, she locked her ankles and held on as he started moving faster. She was breathless when she cried out his name and heard him groan hers at the same time.
She lay in his arms, once more listening to his heart settle in his chest. There was something so intimate about her head rising and falling with each one of his breaths. About feeling him curled next to her after spending the day together, enjoying their conversations and having some damn great sex. She’d never experienced any of that with a man before.
It was funny, even though he’d found out she had been a virgin, he hadn’t made fun of her or joked with her about it. Instead, he’d been concerned. Worried that he hadn’t shown her enough tenderness.
Which only made her love him even more. That thought stopped her and she clenched tight.
“You okay?” he asked easily.
“Sure,” she lied. “Umm. Bathroom?” she asked, needing just a moment.
“There.” He started to get up.
“No, I can find it.” She jumped up and grabbed some clothes as she headed out.
Making sure she flipped the lock, she rested her head against the door and took a couple deep breathes.
She can’t be in love! Not that it was impossible, but it just wasn’t… probable. She’d convinced herself it would never happen, years ago.
After all, she was Tracy Bracey. Greasy Tracy. Tracy… She stopped herself from listing more than a dozen names she’d been called over the years.
She flipped on the lights, splashed water in her face, and looked deep into her own brown eyes, something she’d done since first reading Anne of Green Gables. Oh, she never called her reflection Katie, but she did imagine she could look deep into her soul and find out more about herself.
In love, she repeated silently. She couldn’t be in love. But looking into her eyes, she knew instantly that it was true.
Her entire essence had changed. Even her eyes were different. Her skin glowed. Her entire being was… different.
For the first time in her life, she looked at herself in the mirror and thought she was beautiful. Not just beautiful but… sexy. Like Luke had told her moments before.
She stood back and looked at herself completely.
She was holding the clothes to her chest and dropped them and took a long, hard look at herself. She was beautiful. She was sexy.
Her long brown hair was no longer greasy and instead shined in the light. It was a little tangled from Luke’s hands, but for the most part, it was beautiful. Her hips were fuller than they had ever been. She’d been such a skinny child, even her teachers had assumed she was anorexic. It was hard to tell everyone that it was hard to eat when you were so depressed.
Her breasts had even finally filled out to a solid C cup. Perfect for her body frame. She watched her reflection as she thought about Luke and what he’d done to her body moments before. Her nipples puckered and her skin began to glow.
“Yup, definitely love,” she said out loud.
“Did you say something?” Luke called to her.
Instantly, her cheeks turned pink. “No, um…” She bit her bottom lip. Then she decided that if she was woman enough to have sex, she was woman enough to confess her feelings to him.
Marching to the door, she flung it open and was about to blurt it out when she burst out laughing.
He was standing just outside the door, butt naked, his ear to the door. When she opened the door, he flung his arms backward and fell on his butt.
“Were you eavesdropping on me?”
“Me? No!” He did a move that she’d never seen before and was instantly up on the balls of his feet. “I was… Um, making sure you were okay.”
She laughed again. “Right.” She crossed her arms over her chest and looked down at him.
He cleared his throat. “Well, is everything okay?”
She smiled and nodded. And understood that when the right time came to tell him, she would know. So, instead of spilling her heart to him, she bit her tongue and nodded towards the bathroom. “Feel like breaking in your shower?”
He laughed, and when his eyes met hers, the smile fell away, and he grabbed her hips and pushed her into the bathroom, following her closely.
Luke flipped the pancake and glanced up when Tessa walked into the kitchen the next morning.
“Hungry?” he asked.
“Boy, am I.” She leaned against the counter and closed her eyes. “Are those pecan pancakes?”
He nodded. “Bacon and eggs, too.”
“Wow, I’ve never had a man make me breakfast before.” She took the glass of OJ he offered her.
“There’s a lot you haven’t had men do for you before.” He leaned closer and brushed his lips over hers. “Someday we’ll have to talk about that.”
She nodded and swallowed a sip of juice. “Someday we will.” She turned and walked to the back door.
“Looks like Roger still has enough energy this morning.”
“Yeah, he was still going at it when I woke up.” He shook his head. “A man’s gotta eat and sleep sometime.”
She chuckled.
“Do you have plans today?” she asked.
“I have some chores around here, but nothing big. You?” He glanced over at her.
“I’m heading into Tyler to pick up a few things for the apartment.” He waited, holding his breath. “Would you like to come with me?”
He took the last pancake off the burner and turned to her. “I was hoping you’d ask.” He set the plate on the table, then held out a chair
for her.
“Good, because I’m in desperate need of a truck.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, I’m getting a new dresser and it’s… big. Bigger than my car.” She waited.
He laughed. “What was your plan to get it home in the first place?”
“To talk you into driving up there with me.” She smiled.
“Tell you what…” He leaned closer to her. “If you help me muck out the stalls and feed the cattle, I’ll drive you into Tyler and we can pick up your dresser and have dinner.”
“How about stopping by my place first for a shower and a change?”
“Can I join you for the shower?” He reached over and took her hand.
“I was counting on it.” Her cheeks flushed, and he couldn’t imagine spending the day any other way than seeing the look of heat in her brown eyes.
Chores went a whole lot faster with the two of them working together. He was impressed that Tessa wasn’t a wimp when it came to mucking out the stalls in the barn. She didn’t complain about carrying bales of hay to the field, either.
By the time they drove into town towards her place, he was seriously looking forward to the shower. He’d tossed a change of clothes into the back of his truck.
He took his time making love to her in the shower, making sure she reached pleasure twice before taking his own.
“I could get used to this,” she purred when they were back on the road, heading towards Tyler.
“Mucking out stalls?” He glanced towards her and watched her smile.
“That, and having someone make me breakfast and…” She sighed. “Long, lazy showers.”
He smiled, took her hand in his, and carried it to his lips. “So could I.”
The rest of the day went smoothly. They picked up her dresser, a long classic country one painted the same color as the cabinets in her kitchen.
He drove her to his favorite barbeque place, Stanley’s. A band had just started playing on the small stage area outside, and they enjoyed good food and great music.
As they drove back to town, he wondered aloud how they were going to get the dresser up the stairs and into her bedroom by themselves.
