Cherished Embrace (Cherish Cowboys Book 3)

by Charlene Bright

  When they got out of the car, het met her at the back of the trailer. He couldn’t resist what he wanted. He leaned in and gave her a soft kiss. “Good morning, by the way,” he said afterward.

  She gulped. “Good morning.” His kiss felt as good on a Sunday morning as it had on a night after a few beers. He had a strong effect on her.

  “So, you ready to do this?”

  “I am. Let’s tackle this expo,” he said, raising his arm up in the air.

  And they did, keeping each other entertained during lulls and talking to people during the busier times. Kelsey noticed that Brayden was quite natural at it all and was impressed. He’d managed to work in finances and before long, people were asking him advice. She’d never thought of that angle—that people getting married also needed to make financial adjustments. Interesting …

  ***

  It was 8 p.m. by the time they were packed back up, and Kelsey was feeling great. She’d gotten some wonderful leads and even scheduled a few appointments with brides-to-be to come visit the store and go over their options. She couldn’t have asked for a better day.

  “I should call and check my voicemail,” Brayden offered. He picked up his phone and said, “Well, later. My battery is dead. I forgot to charge the phone last night.”

  “You can use mine,” she said.

  “No, that’s okay,” he said. “There’s not much I can handle at this time of night on a Sunday anyway. I’ll just have to be patient.”

  “That sounds like torture,” she said.

  “I’ve grown more patient. That’s what twenty-seven years of living will get you.”

  “Okay then, suit yourself,” she said.

  She took off down the road, and the night grew dark quickly. There wasn’t a lot of traffic out and there were no street lights. It was kind of eerie. “It’s times like this that I get a brutal reminder of how far out in the country that I do live.”

  “I’ve never lived completely rural, but I’ve grown quite used to loving the way the stars shine at night when I step outside. No light pollution interfering with the view.”

  Just then the car started to sputter. “What in the—” Kelsey said, looking at her dashboard to see which light might be lit up where. The “check engine” light came on, along with another one that she wasn’t familiar with.

  Before she could formulate a quick plan, a large puff of smoke came out the hood. Pfff … The car froze up and she was barely able to coast to the side of the highway.

  “This isn’t good,” Brayden said, stating the obvious. “I don’t know much about cars.”

  “Me either. Maybe if we wait a minute, it’ll start again,” she said optimistically.

  “Or maybe not. Maybe you should call a tow truck,” he offered. “I would but I can’t.”

  “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

  She picked up her phone and asked Siri to find her tow trucks in the Deer Run area. They were closer to Deer Run than they were to Cherish. Siri was uncooperative, though, repeating that she couldn’t find any results, aside from a towline at a ski mountain that was about sixty miles away. That certainly was of no help. She started to pull up her contacts list to call someone when her phone suddenly turned off. Confused, she looked at the charging cable where it connected to her car. She had plugged it in to recharge after using up the phone had used up the battery inside the expo building searching for a signal beyond the thick walls. With the car not working, there appeared to be no juice coming from the outlet.

  “What are we going to do?” she said. She thought about the extra money she’d made the past week and decided she might as well kiss that goodbye. She was about to have a car repair on the horizon.

  “Well, maybe someone will come by,” he said. He took his seatbelt off and angled his body to look at her. “We might as well get comfortable,” he said.

  She nodded. “Some thanks for your help, huh? Getting you stranded in the middle of nowhere. I can’t even see a single house light in the distance.”

  “We’ll be okay,” he said, putting his hand on hers.

  She looked at him and before she had a chance to have any internal debates, she leaned in and kissed him. It was soft at first, but he was clearly excited by the gesture. They grew more desperate in equal measure, their breath growing more labored and their hands reaching out for more than each other’s hand. It was an all-out feel-each-other-up fest—a long overdue one, really.

  “Well, this is a great way to spend some time,” he said. “You are so beautiful, Kelsey. Just so beautiful.”

  “Is this the right thing to do?” she asked in a breathy voice, diving back in to kiss him again before he could answer in words. His answer was in the kiss. Yes, it was the right thing to do.

  “I can’t answer that for you,” he finally said after they each took a breath, “but all I know is that I have this attraction to you that I can’t explain. It drives me wild, you drive me wild, and I want to experience as much of it as I can. Is that okay?”

  She could only nod her head. Then she pressed it into his shoulder and his hands began to caress her back and her face, taking her into a euphoric feeling that felt like it could come straight from a romantic movie. Then the reality of where they were hit her—quite literally in the elbow. The center console was between them, making any more intimate connection impossible.

  “Backseat?” she asked, surprised by her boldness. But she wanted this and was so sick of thinking and evaluating. She just wanted to feel.

  “Yes,” he said. He wasted no time and swung open the passenger door and got into the back.

  Kelsey did the same and then there they were, tightly pressed against each other with no barriers. As his hands began to roam over the top of her shirt, she felt herself coming alive like she hadn’t in so long. What would his hands feel like touching her flesh, making her realize the intense attraction that they clearly had for each other? She longed to find out and wasn’t going to stop if he didn’t. She needed this. She needed him.

  Brayden was so excited by her response to his touch; he didn’t want to appear as eager as he felt. It seemed like the two had moved so slowly to get to this point that it was time to act fast, before anything happened. Thank goodness for dead cellphones and a dysfunctional Siri.

  Kelsey’s hands made her way to his button-up shirt and she slowly released the buttons, finding a firm chest underneath. She felt how his skin responded to her touch and it encouraged her to keep going and claim what she wanted.

  His hands went under her t-shirt and he slowly slid it up as she raised her arms just enough for him to slide it off. Then their lips locked again, hungry for each other, each needing their bodies to be connected in as many places as possible.

  He put his hands on her hips and guided her to sit on his lap. She was a perfect fit and as her lips roamed his neck and nibbled his earlobe, his hands removed her bra. He felt her beautiful, full breasts and they were wonderful to the touch, making him appreciate her physical attributes just as much as her beautiful mind.

  She moaned in approval and could feel his arousal in his jeans. He felt ready to burst and she understood exactly what that felt like. Her hands slid down and she slowly undid his zipper and her hips began to move forward, pressing into his and imagining what it would feel like to have him in her.

  “Oh, Brayden,” she said excitedly.

  His mouth went down to her breasts and he began to kiss one of them while fondling the other one. Everything about her aroused his senses and he’d never felt the connection of this newness the way he had with her. It was their time.

  She stood up as much as she could in the backseat of her RAV 4, and Brayden wriggled his hips, releasing his boxers and jeans. She moved her skirt up, still wearing her black boots and his fingers went down to her, teasing her and tempting her with the promise of a release that was long overdue.

  Desperation.

  Inspiration.

  Motivation.

  And with their
tight quarters—innovation.

  Now guiding her on top of him, Brayden slowly slid a ready and excited Kelsey down on him and they began to dance to each other’s rhythm, feeling the connection that they knew had come alive. It was raw and new, but they seemed to know exactly what would make the other one feel the best sensations possible.

  Kelsey was on the fast track to heaven, with Brayden touching her perfectly in every spot, building up her excitement and not giving her any opportunity to deny the pleasure she’d been so eager to experience. “Mmm,” she whispered, putting her head back and biting her own lip softly. Her moans in the silent night echoed in her head and made her feel like she was being taken to the top of a mountain, to a place of complete ecstasy.

  His hands were on her hips and his movements were all met with her satisfied groans. He leaned forward and kissed between her breasts, loving their warmth against his cheeks.

  Kelsey loved his slight five o’clock shadow and the way it felt when it brushed against her skin. It was perfect.

  Then she saw stars.

  Her back was arched and her mind was clear.

  Her body revealed the way she felt.

  Then she trembled as she released and she looked into his eyes as she kept moving more excitedly, more rapidly, watching his excitement build.

  Then it happened.

  They’d both claimed what they had wanted.

  “You’re incredible,” Brayden said, leaning forward and softly kissing her breasts and then traveling up to her lips.

  “That was amazing,” she said, realizing that her words were hardly adequate for what the experience itself had been.

  Neither moved, but they locked their hands together and looked at each other. No words were spoken. Each was content just looking into each other’s eyes, which were visible despite the darkness around them.

  It was a moment created in imperfect circumstances and it had delivered more perfection than either had experienced in a long time—maybe ever.

  Chapter Thirteen

  A vehicle had come along just after Brayden and Kelsey had gotten dressed and had taken them into Cherish. The two were giggling and what they had just done was likely quite evident, though neither cared. The farmer who was driving kept looking over at the two seated next to him.

  After the farmer dropped them off at Kelsey’s house, Brayden left. Kelsey had longed for him to stay, but they knew that was something that they might not be able to keep secret, given their mutual circle of friends.

  “I’ll come over tonight,” he said, leaning in on her porch and kissing her aggressively.

  “Can’t wait,” she said.

  Then they kissed again, not eager for the night to end, but both talking about how eager they were for the next night to start. They both had busy days.

  Kelsey had to retrieve her trailer with all her goods from the side of the road. Mal said she’d drive the truck so she could load everything up. And since she’d ended up in Cherish, she had the towing business there go and get her vehicle. Man, she hoped it wasn’t a serious enough problem that the car would be totaled, because she wanted to save that backseat—immortalizing the amazing experience she’d had in it.

  Back at the ranch, Brayden was catching up on phone calls and emails, two things that he’d been quite far behind on. His rural life didn’t hold the same urgency that his city life did.

  ***

  With a bottle of wine and a bouquet of flowers in hand, Brayden knocked on Kelsey’s door. He was so excited to see her, his stomach was doing flips. He wasn’t ready for what was happening between them to end, but he wasn’t sure that she felt the same way. There was only one way to handle it all, though, and that was head on.

  She opened the door and couldn’t hide her happiness at seeing him. He’d rocked her world last night and had been for weeks before that. There was just no denying it any longer.

  “For you,” he said, handing over the flowers.

  “They’re gorgeous, thank you,” she said. She leaned in and gave him a kiss, then looked past his shoulder and saw the neighbor watching them out her front window. “We have an audience. Let’s go inside.”

  He turned around and laughed as he saw the curtains quickly close so the neighbor’s face was hidden. “What would she have said about last night?”

  “I can only imagine,” Kelsey said. She blushed but could not stop grinning. She had glow on top of glow.

  “It smells great in here.”

  “I made spaghetti. Hope that’s okay?”

  “Perfect. Then it’s a good thing I picked out a red wine too.”

  “Do you want a glass?” she asked, turning to look at him.

  He leaned in and kissed her again. He couldn’t resist and he hoped that her kisses would calm down his nerves. They were going off the charts. “I’d love a glass.”

  “Let’s go in the kitchen. You can have a seat and I’ll get everything set,” she said.

  Kelsey talked about her day and getting everything organized, sharing the good news that it was just a blown tube or something on the vehicle. It would be ready in the morning. Then she realized that she’d been doing all the talking. “So, enough about that, how was your day? Did you get everything done that you wanted to?”

  She finally sat down and he nodded his head. “It was an interesting day,” he said. He looked down at his glass and held the stem, twirling the wine like he was a connoisseur—which he was not.

  “Is that good or bad?” she asked, putting her hand on his and propping her other one underneath her chin.

  “Both.”

  “Okay, not sure I’m following,” she said. Internally, her overly protective nature had kicked in and she’d braced herself for the worst. It had been a mistake. He’d gone too far. She kept a brave smile on her face, but felt like it was utterly fake.

  “I got offered a job in Helena today,” he said. “Honestly, I thought I blew the interview because I was so distracted, but they offered it anyway.”

  “Helena, wow, is it a job that you’d like?” she asked.

  “Once upon a time it was,” he said. “I’m not so sure now.”

  “Why?” Her voice was soft and she took a sip of wine, noticing her hand shaking. He was leaving. She just knew it. It had been perfect, but short lived.

  “Well,” he said, taking his hand and rubbing it on his pants leg. “Sorry, I’m so nervous.”

  “Brayden, just say it,” she said. “I’m a big girl. I can handle it.”

  “No, nothing like that, Kelsey. You’re amazing. Last night was great and I can’t believe how much I am into you. I just don’t know where you’re at. I know your thoughts on long-distance relationships.”

  “Do you want a relationship with me?” she asked.

  “I do, but I have no idea if you want one with me,” he blurted out. “I’m putting myself out there because I want to know.”

  “I can’t deny how attracted I am to you, and that I would like one, but how could we even make that work from such a long distance? What is it, four or five hours?”

  “Just under five,” he said, his voice growing more somber. He felt that he was going to lose her by going. But it was completely nuts to pass up on a job for the potential of a new relationship—wasn’t it?

  “That’s a long way,” she said. “How would that work? My shop is open on weekends. Would you have to work weekends?”

  “Sometimes,” he said, “but mostly during the first quarter of the year.”

  “The busiest time for numbers guys,” she said. She was smiling and trying to be brave about it, but she wanted to cry, maybe even throw a tantrum. This just was not fair!

  “Are you willing to give it a try?” he asked. He wasn’t sure if his voice reflected the anxiety he felt deep inside, but he longed to hear “yes” from Kelsey.

  “I’m not really sure. I’d have to think about it,” she said.

  “What would you have to lose?” he asked.

  Her expression s
howed her vulnerability and the softness of her voice reflected the painful honestly. “My heart. I just don’t know if I can go through all that again. I know there are no guarantees, but there are ways to be smarter about it.”

  “I get that, really I do,” he said, taking another sip of wine. The food that had smelled so good no longer did. His appetite was slipping away, just like he sensed she was.

  “How about giving me some time to think about it?” she offered. “When are you supposed to give your answer?”

  “By Friday.”

  “And when would you start?”

  “The following week.”

  “Sorry for so many questions, but when would you be leaving for Helena?”

  “Probably this week. I don’t want to stay with my parents so I’d have to look for a place.”

  Kelsey sighed. It wasn’t fair for her to keep him holding on too long. He had a lot to organize, especially if his life was not going to be in Cherish.

  “How about this, Brayden. Give me a few days, but for now, let’s just enjoy a good meal and some laughs. Sound good?”

  “Sounds good,” he said. He put his hand on top of hers and exhaled, but he noticed that she was afraid to return the affections. He’d just gotten her to open up and she was possibly on her way to shutting him out. It was a burden he didn’t want to bear.

  The rest of their conversation was casual and lighthearted, but strained. They spoke, but the connection really wasn’t there. Kelsey’s mind was focused on how she could make something like what Brayden offered work. Was it even fair to either of them? He was focused on how it seemed foolish to turn down a job for a woman whom he hadn’t even known for all that long. Did she really want him in Cherish? Or was that too much pressure? He wanted her to be happy, first and foremost. She deserved it.

  Two hours later, he was standing at the front stoop and they were hugging. It was a tight hug, but not one of those like the night before that said they were eager for the next night. It felt more like goodbye and he wasn’t so sure he had the ability to talk her into trying, and should he have to convince her?