Love on the Wild Side

by Mariah Ankenman

  He wanted her, but it was a bad idea. They were too opposite for anything lasting, and when it ended, things would be awkward for…everyone. And, he didn’t do relationships. Not anymore. His heart died long ago. He had no love left to give.

  Yes, he loved his parents, his brother, even Maggie. But romantic love? No, he couldn’t do that again.

  He would drive down to the ski resort towns and hook up with a tourist whenever he felt the itch. Not often, but the women there knew the score—flings, fun times, temporary. That was all he could offer.

  Lizzy wasn’t a fling type woman. No matter how much he wanted her, he couldn’t have her.

  It’d been a lot easier to deal with when he thought she would be heading back to LA. Now that she was staying, hell, he didn’t know what he was going to do. Be an ass until she thoroughly hated him?

  “Exactly how long is this ride anyway? Not that I mind, but it’s been a while since I’ve ridden. A heads up would have been nice so I could have worn pants instead of shorts. I’m getting saddle rash here.” She shifted in her seat with clear irritation.

  His pants got tighter watching the back and forth sway of her hips. It made him imagine how she would move over him if they were both naked and—

  Shit, this was a bad idea.

  “Not much longer. See that tree up there?” He pointed to the twisted pine a few yards ahead of them. “We’ll dismount there.”

  “Thank God. No offense, Pepper, you’re an absolute sweetheart.” She reached down and affectionately patting the horse’s neck. The mare snuffed out a sound of contentment.

  Great, even the damn horse likes her.

  They reached the tree and dismounted. He took a moment to appreciate the sight before him. A simple green tank top molded to Lizzy breasts, accentuating their round, luscious perfection. She was on the smaller size for her height, a C cup at most, but she didn’t need more. They suited her perfectly. Dark denim short shorts hugged her ass and showed off long legs that he had fantasized about a time or two wrapped around his waist as he thrust into her. On her feet he noticed, not her standard FM heels, but hiking boots. They looked brand spanking new. Not a scuff or crease on them.

  Uh oh.

  “Did you just buy those boots?”

  She looked down at her feet. “Yeah. I bought them on my lunch break from Clem’s Outfitters. And seriously, this town has got to stop being so cowboy cliché.”

  “Did you break them in at all?”

  She studied him like he’d grown a second head. “I thought that’s what we were doing today. Going hiking?”

  Oh crap. “So, you haven’t worn them in or anything?”

  Again with the look. “I got them five hours ago. What was I going to do, wear them at the bakery?”

  He grimaced. This hike was going to be a lot worse for her now.

  “Your feet are going to be killing you in about twenty minutes.”

  Her gaze narrowed. “What do you mean?”

  Pointing to her shoes, he said, “You gotta break in your hiking boots before taking them on the trail or you’re liable to get the worst blisters of your life.”

  “Really?” she scoffed. “Thanks for the advice, but I think I’ll be just fine. If I can wear a four-inch pair of platforms up and down Hollywood and Vine, I’m sure I can handle one little hike in a flat pair of new hiking boots.”

  Such a sassy mouth on the woman. She’d be changing her tune in a few minutes. “Suit yourself.”

  “What do we do with the horses?”

  “We’ll let them graze here.” He looped his reins around the saddle horn so they didn’t catch on a stray branch. Lizzy followed suit.

  “Won’t they run off?”

  He shook his head. “They know to stay put. They won’t wander far. You ready?”

  “Yup.”

  “It’s a four-mile hike.”

  “I can handle it, Dade.” She rolled those pretty gray eyes.

  He cast a worried look to her footwear. It wasn’t as if he wanted her to get blisters. Maybe they should turn back and come out again later.

  “My feet won’t fall off, cowpoke. Get the lead out.”

  There was that sass again. Fine, if she wanted blisters, he wouldn’t stand in her way. Damn stubborn woman. “All right then, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  He turned and headed toward the trailhead. It was going to be an interesting hike that was for sure.

  ****

  Lizzy’s feet were killing her!

  Every step, torture. She was pretty sure her boots were filling up with her own blood. Her shiny, brand new, unbroken-in boots.

  Damn the infuriating cowboy for being right.

  She pushed on though, because no matter how much pain her feet were in she would not let Dade be right. There would be no end to his gloating if he knew she was back here suffering.

  The trail was a bit harder than she expected. Mostly, it was a dirt path cut through the trees, but a time or two, they had to make their way up some very large rocks. She slipped once, but Dade had been there to catch her.

  This dang waterfall better be worth it.

  They had been hiking for over an hour now. She wanted to ask when they would get there, but she didn’t want him to think she couldn’t handle the hike. Or have him suspect her feet were about to give out. Which they were, but he didn’t need to know that.

  Just when she thought she couldn’t take one more step, he announced, “We’re here.”

  Making the few feet up a rise to join him, she took a deep breath of thanks. Once she glanced at their surroundings, she forgot to breathe out.

  It was beyond beautiful. A huge cascading jet of water poured down a large, rock-faced mountainside then churned into a crystal blue lake. Wildflowers in the most amazing colors of reds, blues, and yellows were scattered about the field surrounding the water. Moss-covered rocks lined the bank, and clusters of lush-leafed aspen trees encircled the entire area.

  It reminded her of the magical grottos she used to read about in her fairytale books as a child.

  “This place is amazing.”

  Grabbing her tiny, digital camera she’d stashed in her front pocket, she snapped off half a dozen shots. The sun had just started to make its way behind the mountains. The lighting made the whole place even more breathtaking.

  “Maggie was right. This is the perfect place to take the engagement photos. If it wasn’t such a pain in the ass to get to, I’d suggest they have the wedding here, too. It’s so romantic. Like a magical fairytale land.”

  Dade remained silent by her side. Pausing in her picture taking, she glanced over. His jaw was clenched tightly and his gaze held sadness.

  “Dade?”

  “Fairytales aren’t real.”

  The gruff retort took her aback. What the heck is wrong with him now?

  “Not everyone gets to live happily ever after.”

  Hmm, not everyone…or not him?

  Had something happened in his past? A relationship gone wrong perhaps? It would explain why he was so reluctant with his attraction to her. A bad breakup made everyone wary. She wondered how long ago this possible breakup had been.

  “We can break here for a bit.” He made his way down to the edge of the water. “Let your feet rest.”

  She scowled even though his back was to her. “My feet are just fine.”

  “Oh really?”

  “Yes.”

  He stopped and turned, leveling her with a disbelieving glare. “Is that why you’ve been whimpering under your breath for the past twenty minutes?”

  “I don’t whimper.”

  She stomped over to him, but her pique was squashed as her feet finally gave up, sending her tumbling toward the ground. A pair of very strong, masculine arms broke her fall, saving her from complete humiliation.

  “Give it up, Elizabeth. You need to rest.”

  Grudgingly, she let him lead her over to the embankment, her pride rapidly diminishing due to the pain in her fe
et. She sat on a patch of soft, dewy moss. At the moment, her feet hurt so much she didn’t even care if she rose with a wet butt. It was just such a relief to be sitting.

  “What’s with the Elizabeth stuff?” she asked. “I gave you permission to call me Lizzy.”

  Leaning against a large boulder a few feet away, he stared at her with that piercing blue gaze of his. Sometimes, it felt like he was looking beyond the surface, into her soul.

  What a stupid thought. A stupid wishful thought.

  “I call you Elizabeth when you’re being unreasonably stubborn about things. It seems to get your attention better.”

  Stubborn? She wasn’t stub—okay, she might have a tiny stubborn streak. She preferred to call it persistence. “I’m thinking of rescinding my permission.”

  Then Dade did the damnedest thing. He smiled at her. A full-fledged, toothy-white, holy cow, dimple-revealing smile. Her heart skipped a beat, and for the second time in the last ten minutes, she saw something so beautiful it took her breath away.

  “You are something, ya know that, Lizzy?”

  What the heck does that mean?

  Not wanting to delve into the inner thoughts of Mr. Hot and Cold cowboy, she decided to use the break to do what they came here for and took some pictures at the water’s edge. The different angles of the sunlight played on the waterfall. The rushing water was loud, but not deafening. It was peaceful. She could sit here for hours just enjoying the view. Thinking of the hike back on her already painful feet, she wished to do just that.

  Much sooner than her feet required, Dade said they needed to leave to get back to the ranch before all the light disappeared.

  Light, schmite.

  She would gladly sleep here if it meant she didn’t have to walk anywhere, but she knew that wasn’t an option.

  Groaning, she rose to her feet and obediently followed. She just kept picturing that bottle of Pinot Grigio she had in the fridge. Yummy. That was so getting finished tonight. Her poor little tootsies deserved it.

  Halfway back down the trail, she was sure her feet were going to need to be amputated. They hurt so bad. She tried not to make a sound of distress—didn’t want to give Dade any more fodder—but she must have, because he turned around and marched right up to her.

  The expression on his face was one of annoyance and concern. He was worried? About her? How sweet.

  Without any warning, however, he scooped her up in a fireman’s hold, slinging her over his shoulder, and started walking again.

  “Dade,” she exclaimed, the breath rushing out of her. “What the hell are you doing?”

  “You’re in pain, no matter how much you want to pretend you aren’t. Your feet probably already have blisters on their blisters.”

  It did feel that way.

  “We have to make it back to the horses before dark. It’s just faster this way.”

  “You can’t carry me down the entire trail,” she objected.

  “Be quiet, Elizabeth.”

  Chastised, angry, and oddly turned on by her new position, she did what she always did. Made a joke. “Fine. Collapse from exhaustion for all I care. Just watch where those hands go, mister.”

  The hand that was currently holding the back of her right knee slowly made its way up her thigh. Warm tingles of sensation ran along her body, heating her blood. She was glad he couldn’t see her face, because as hot as it felt, there was no doubt she was blushing.

  “Just behave, Lizzy. You keep giving me sass and I might have to take advantage of this position.” His sensual threat ended with a light smack on her bottom.

  All her lady parts sat up and took notice.

  Great, now she was in pain, angry, and horny. This man was confusing the hell out of her. And now, all she could think about was giving Dade all the sass in her arsenal.

  Chapter 10

  There are times in a man’s life when he doesn’t know what the hell he’s doing. Standing in front of Lizzy’s door, Dade realized this was one of those times.

  He was supposed to be staying away from her, away from the temptation she posed. He needed less time near her, not more. So, why the hell was he raising his fist to knock on her door?

  The memory of her bravely limping her way down the trail—not uttering a word of discontent when her feet had probably been killing her—reminded him. He was here to make up for being such an ass.

  He should’ve cancelled the entire hike when he saw those brand new boots. Like a jackass, though, he let her continue because he wanted to break her, force her back to LA. He should have known better. The woman was too stubborn. When she set her mind to something, she accomplished it no matter what.

  Damn, he admired the hell out of her.

  That’s why he was on her doorstep, bag of herbs in hand, looking to make amends with the feisty strawberry-blonde who drove him crazy in more ways than he could count.

  Shit. He was so screwed.

  When the door opened, Lizzy stood there with a glass of white wine and an expression of shock. For a moment, she simply stared.

  “Dade? What are you doing here?”

  He held up the brown paper sack in his hand. “I have something for you.”

  She continued to stare.

  “Are you going to let me in?”

  “Huh? Oh yes, come in.”

  Aside from a few of her shoes and books scattered about the place, the apartment hadn’t changed since she moved in. Making his way into the living room, he noticed an ice pack lying on the end of the couch. He glanced back to see her still looking confused as to why he was here.

  Join the club, lady.

  “How are your feet?”

  She blushed, and it was adorable. Since when did he find women adorable? If his brother could hear his thoughts, Colt would laugh his ass off.

  “Um, they’re okay.”

  “Really?” He raised an eyebrow. “Is that why you’re trying to numb them?” He indicated the ice pack with a nod of his head.

  Scowling—damn, how could a woman look so beautiful while scowling—she snatched up the pack.

  “I was just trying to get the swelling down.”

  Swelling? Now he really felt like an ass.

  “I’ve got something better. Sit down.”

  He motioned to the couch. With a suspicious glance, she moved past him to sit.

  “I’ll be right back.”

  Dade took the few steps to the tiny kitchen. Opening the cupboard under the sink, he found a large tan tub right where he had left it when he fixed a leaky pipe for Maggie a few months back.

  Turning on the water, he rinsed it out then fiddled with the knobs until the stream was pleasantly hot. He waited until the basin was full, before turning off the faucet then poured the herbs from the sack into the steaming water. Soothing smells wafted in the air as the herbs swirled around in the hot liquid.

  Carefully, so as not to spill, he made his way back into the living room, setting it down in front of Lizzy.

  “What’s that?”

  “An herbal soak. It’s supposed to help sore muscles. Figured it would do your feet some good.”

  She stared as if he’d grown a second head. Was it that hard to believe he was doing something nice for her?

  Going to his knees, he scooped up her feet to place them in the water and winced as he saw the raw, red blisters cover her from toe to heel.

  “Aw, Lizzy. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have let you go.”

  “You couldn’t have stopped me,” she said softly.

  True, but he still should have done something. Her poor feet looked like they had been in a fight with a weed whacker and lost.

  Gently, he placed her battered appendages into the soothing, warm water. A moan of ecstasy escaped her lips as they sank into the healing bath. His dick immediately took notice as all the blood in his body rushed south. The sexy little moan made him think of Lizzy moaning his name as he thrust—

  Focus, Dade! That was not why he was here.

  “B
etter?”

  “Oh. My. God. What is in there? It feels amazing.”

  He chuckled. “Epsom salt, lavender, chamomile, and a few other herbs for relaxation. My mother used to run a bath for my dad, using this concoction, whenever his back started acting up.”

  “Your mother is a goddess.”

  “You won’t hear any argument from me on that one.”

  He watched her as she enjoyed the footbath. Her eyes closed in bliss, wine glass held loosely in her hand. She looked so sweet and angelic he almost laughed. Angelic was the last word he would use to describe Elizabeth Hayworth. Sweet, now he’d bet she was all kinds of sweet. He wanted to taste her so bad he physically ached for it. What the hell was wrong with him? He had lusted after women before, he was thirty-four after all, but never had the craving, the wanting, been this bad. This uncontrollable.

  She took a sip of her—almost empty—wine glass.

  “Want me to refill that for you?”

  Her eyes opened lazily. She smiled that sweet smile of hers and it felt like a punch to the gut.

  “Thanks. Bottle’s in the fridge. Help yourself to a glass.”

  He grabbed her glass and headed to the kitchen. For half-a-second, he considered pouring himself one, but then decided against it. Dulling his wits with alcohol around Lizzy—who was already riding his control pretty thin—was a bad idea. He opted for a glass of water.

  She reached out a hand for her goblet when he returned. “No wine? Do you not drink?”

  “I do occasionally, but I have to get back to the ranch soon, so I better just stick to water.”

  She nodded. Taking a deep drink, she sighed, closing her eyes. “This is just what I needed. Thank you, Dade. And thank you for not saying ‘I told you so.’”

  “Wouldn’t dream of it,” he said with a chuckle. “I’m too afraid you’d toss your drink all over me if I did.”

  Her eyes opened wide. “And waste a perfectly good glass of wine? Never.” She gave him a mischievous smile. “I’d use your water.”

  They shared a laugh. He liked her laugh. It was rich and real. Not like some women whose high-pitched cackle sounded like a bad sitcom laugh track. Everything about this woman was genuine.