Desire (Montana Dreams Book 3)

by Jarrod, Cait

  Bradley entwined their fingers, bringing her attention to the shoveled path that led to the parking lot. Inside the cab, he started the car and turned up the heat. “Check your pockets.”

  Cadence moved her hands from in front of the truck’s vents and snatched the fuzzy-lined gloves. “I love that woman.”

  He chuckled. “Me, too. I didn’t get great parents, but I did get an exceptional sister.”

  “She feels the same about you.” Cadence loved how well the two siblings got along.

  In no time, they pulled into Travis and Autumn’s driveway and parked in one of the only vacant plowed spots near the house. The falling snow sparkled from the party lights outlining the front porch. “You know, I didn’t get just an exceptional sister, I was gifted with an outstanding friend.”

  “Matt’s a sweetheart. Travis, too. You hit the jackpot coming to Bluebird Valley. Divine is perfect.” A place she’d love being a part of. “This land is worth more than any horse plantation. The people make it priceless. You’re lucky, Bradley. You have great friends.”

  He touched her hand. “They’re not who I’m talking about.” He kissed her, a type of kiss that said belonging. “We better go in before the cavalry yells the time again.”

  Inside, someone dressed in a mid-length black dress took their coats, and gloves. Partygoers filled the large living room. Lights from the electric candelabras bounced off the hardwood floor. On the outside wall, fire danced against the brick, making her itch to run a finger over the beautiful hand carved mantel. A leather couch and loveseat, warm and inviting, filled a quarter of the room. In the far corner, Hopper reined in the attention. Stylish in white bowtie, and stretched out on a couch just his size, he peered at the people sticking their fingers through the cage trying to touch him. The ferret cage hanging from the ceiling not only kept unwanted peeps from petting him, but prevented him from breaking bad on people by doing his war dance. Travis’ dog Rufus sat at attention beneath it, acting as a bouncer.

  Autumn smiled and flowed though the crowd. Side braids fastened her beautiful brown hair at the crown of her head, acting as a halo. Her satiny blue dress highlighted her electrifying gray eyes. The rainbow necklace she always wore hung around her neck. “Wow, she’s gorgeous.”

  “She is and still doesn’t hold a candle to you,” Bradley whispered in her ear.

  Cadence wanted to tell him to stop, that this was Autumn’s moment, but nah, let him dish out the compliments. It felt good, real good to have his full attention. Bradley lifted two glasses of champagne from a passing waiter.

  “Everyone!” Matt’s voice boomed. “Now, that everyone is here.” Matt gave Bradley a knowing glance and faced his brother and future sister-in-law. “I want to give the toast before I celebrate too much and become too mushy.”

  “Big bad military man, mushy?” Travis teased. “Nah.”

  “Never.” Bradley joked.

  “I owe this man a lot.” Matt’s voice wobbled and went serious. “He wasn’t only my big brother. He was my father, my mother, and my best friend. He looked out for me and went out of his way more than I think most parents do for their children.”

  A man with graying hair stood next to a woman who resembled Autumn, not only in hair coloring, but in figure. He cleared his throat and lowered his chin.

  “Is that her parents?” From her waist, Cadence pointed to the couple standing close to the guest of honors.

  “I believe so. I don’t know the particulars, but they both were released from jail recently, an appeal or something.”

  She should have known about Autumn’s parents rather than Bradley having to explain. Before the accident, Trina would have filled her in on everything. “Why were they in there?” This wasn’t the time for her to ask these questions, but now that the fog had lifted and she was back, she wanted to catch up on everyone’s lives. That, and curiosity got the best of her.

  “A case of road rage ending badly. Her father shot the man who came after him and his wife,” Bradley whispered next to her ear. “Since her mother brought the gun to the scene she was charged, something like that.”

  “Oh,” she said as Matt swiped a hand over his cheek and Trina moved closer to him, wrapping an arm around her guy. The love between the couples emitted throughout the room, picking up momentum. Cadence slid an arm around Bradley at the same time he gripped her shoulder and tugged her close.

  “Travis,” the shaky voice of the older man she’d just talked about boomed over the microphone. “I can’t express enough how lucky you are to have found a wonderful woman like our Autumn.”

  “You don’t have to tell me, sir. I know.”

  “That, son, I believe.”

  Tears slid down Autumn’s face. Cadence had never seen her cry. Her chest tightened for her friend and she wanted to hug her.

  A loud choked sob escaped, and all eyes flew to Trina who buried her face into her husband’s chest. Ugh! How was Cadence supposed to hold it together when everyone around her fell apart? Hormones had a pregnant Trina crying over everything, but she understood why her friend was upset. Matt and Travis lost both their parents in their teens, one a few years after the other. With Bradley and Trina’s father being an ass, Matt would never have the relationship that it appeared Travis would be getting.

  “Autumn Pearl,” Autumn’s father said. Her new friend’s eyes grew wide as she touched her chest. She looked as if the words knocked her over with a feather. If it hadn’t been for Travis’ arm tightening behind Autumn’s back, she probably would have tipped. “I’m sorry your mother and I let you down.” Autumn’s mother nodded. “I’d like to make a toast to the woman who gave you strength and love when your mother and I weren’t able, and had the insight to set in motion a path for you to meet this incredible man. Here’s to Bebe Fries, a wonderful, wonderful woman.”

  Cheers went up and champagne sipped.

  “We love you, baby girl.”

  ****

  Elated that these men he’d called friends were happy, Bradley thought how Travis’ demeanor had stunk months before he met Autumn, and how brokenhearted Matt had been before Trina arrived. He glanced at Cadence, smiling and looking radiant, as she listened to the speeches. Warmth spread through him. For the first time, he felt whole. His chosen profession as a horse trainer didn’t seem a coward’s way out after all. His father’s negativity no longer haunted him, and he owed it to the woman standing beside him. She may have been depressed, but she gave him something no one else had. Her undying faith.

  “Well, that does it. I have to go to Autumn.” Starting now, she wouldn’t lose another chance to become better friends with Trina’s future sister-in-law and passed off her glass to Bradley. passed off her glass to Bradley. “I’ll be right back.” She pushed through the crowd, caught up to Trina, and his two favorite women engulfed their friend into a hug.

  “Some party.” Jace came up next to him with Garth in tow. Since the bar scene, he’d seen Jace but not his side kick Garth. For the most part, the guys didn’t go anywhere without the other.

  “It is. It’s great. You two shovel the walks?”

  “You know it.” Jace nodded.

  “Thanks. I know everyone here appreciates your hard work and not falling on their asses.”

  The guys chuckled. “We’ll have the other stuff taking care of shortly,” Jace informed.

  Bradley glanced around, checking to see where Cadence stood. Surrounded by people, no way she heard. “Thanks, I appreciate it.”

  Phil and Pete, Travis’ good friends from Venture Seekers in New York, stood off to the corner of the room chatting up the petite, blonde party planner Trina had hired to organize the engagement party. “Excuse me. I’m gonna touch base with Travis’ buddies then head out.”

  “See ya soon,” Jace said, and followed Garth out of the room.

  After a brief conversation with them, he moved over to where the group stood. Trina, Matt, Travis, and Autumn grinned as he approached. Time grew near to put forth hi
s plan. Until now, his nerves had stayed clear but sliding his hand into Cadence’s, they made their presence known. From Trina’s wink, he knew she sensed his nervousness.

  “Let’s go,” he said to Cadence before one of his grinning friends slipped with his surprise.

  At Trina and Matt’s, Cadence and Bradley had changed into warm clothes, heavy coats, and gloves. Now, they rode bareback, her back to his front, through the snow-covered field toward Apple’s Peak, the mountain in the back of Travis’ property. Large flakes and cool air hit them in the face. The sun peeked through the clouds occasionally. Soon it would disappear completely under the cover of night. Bradley tightened an arm around her waist, snuggled her to him while holding Thor’s reins in the other, and wished their heavy coats didn’t separate them.

  Cadence sighed and nestled closer. “This I like.” He breathed her in as Thor walked the trail up Apple’s Peak, a different one than what their friends would use.

  “As compared to what?”

  “As compared to anything else.”

  “Speaking of which…” With her gloved hands clutching his thighs, she leaned her back into his chest and swung a leg over Thor’s neck to sit sideways. Then with a hand gripping the waistband of his jeans and the other still latched onto his thigh, she swung the other leg over, and planted her sweet ass on top of his erection and gripped his shoulders to steady herself. “Better.”

  He grasped her butt with a hand, holding her in position. “Glad the lessons in horse trick riding have come in handy.”

  “We’ll know soon.” She smiled. “It’s the last thing on my bucket list.”

  The last thing? He went over her list in his head: have sex on a horse, feel good about herself, and to forgive herself. She set out to conquer her weakness and did it.

  “I realize I shouldn’t have blamed myself. I couldn’t predict the future.” She shrugged. “Hind sight’s twenty-twenty.”

  “I—”

  “Wait, I’ve decided not to return to my practice, and I will not pursue another allergist position.” She spoke as excited as a child getting their first pet. “I’m going to give horseback riding lessons and possibly trail rides…here in Montana.”

  His heart did a crazy flip. “I didn’t know you even considered a job here.” In the far corners of his mind, he’d hoped, but he figured that once their relationship smoothed out, everything else would fall into place. Not a good business plan, but Cadence held the reins. Whatever she wanted, he’d do.

  “I’ve never mentioned this to anyone, much less myself.” She edged back, and her attention slipped to her fidgety fingers playing with a button low on his jacket. Her butt firmly planted in his hand. “When Trina decided to become a doctor and give up what she really wanted, I automatically followed, though I wanted no parts of working with brains like Trina had planned. I can’t figure out my own much less anyone else’s.” Her hands brushed his erection and he tried to focus on what she was saying. “Out here in the open air, I can see clearly.” He wished he could. His thought stayed on stripping her naked. “Trina and I did everything together. Going into the medical profession made sense, and I didn’t give much credence to my decision. It was easy, but now I know why I did it.”

  He didn’t and wouldn’t have a clue if she didn’t move her hands. He removed his glove and lifted her chin with a finger until she met his gaze. She stopped worrying with his jacket, and he released a breath. “Why?”

  “The night you overheard your parents ordering me to leave wasn’t the first time they tried to push me away.”

  Anger heated his blood. “My parents are despicable. As far as I’m concerned, you don’t have to see them. I won’t be.”

  A slight smile tugged her lips and compassion filled her eyes. “That’s the reason I didn’t tell you or Trina. She would have reacted the same way. Neither of us have parents worthy of being called Mom or Dad.”

  The unspoken words three Maryland kids tried to avoid. Still, she did talk to hers, and they stayed a part of her life. “They were wrong to push you away from Trina.”

  “This isn’t just about her,” Cadence said, her throat scratchy. “Despite trying to convince her to live her own life, I went to medical school because I wanted your parents to consider me worthy.” She swallowed and studied him a moment. “The truth is I went with the hopes they would believe I was good enough for you.”

  His heart split open. The young girl he met years ago turned into a beautiful, vivacious woman. She’d returned to him ten-fold. His first reaction was to figure out a way around their clothes and get to the lovemaking portion of the evening, but rationale won out. A few more minutes wouldn’t make a difference. She opened her heart. He needed to follow suit. Put a voice to his concerns. “When I relocated to Florida, I removed my meddling parents and gained freedom like I’ve never experienced. But not until I came to Montana did I truly find myself.” Nerves crept up from his stomach, producing a lump in his throat as he broached a tender subject. “I want to scratch off the last thing on your bucket list. First, I need to say something.”

  The sun peeked through the clouds, and the snow continued to fall. A perfect romantic moment. He halted Thor and draped the reins across the horse’s neck. “Cadence…”

  Her eyes darted between his, the green in them looking like emeralds dancing in the midst of diamonds. “Yes.”

  He slid his bare hand over her silky cheek into her hair. The extra weight in his pocket reminded him that people would soon gather on the side of the mountain and freeze their butts off if he botched this. “Cadence...”

  “I want you now.” her words were a daring whisper as her sneaky hands slid up to the panels of his jacket and tugged them apart. Snaps coming undone echoed in the mountain air. She settled her lips on the skin, just under his jaw, and worked her tongue over the already-heated area. “I plan on showing you every emotion I feel and to savor every tingle of excitement running through me.”

  Popping the question would have to wait.

  ****

  Gathering her hair in his hand, Bradley kissed and licked the area beneath Cadence’s ear. “I love you. I want you to be mine.” His eyes filled with so much raw emotion, her ribs squeezed her heart.

  “I already am.” The words went through her like a warm cup of hot chocolate. She clung to them as the truth settled into her bones. No longer able to control her desire, she kissed him. Or maybe it was him kissing her. It was hard to tell with their hands caressing and sliding over body parts. Clothes became restrictive. Somehow, some way, one of her boots hit the ground. With his help, she balanced on top of Thor and tugged a pant leg off. Her panties followed.

  The cool air pebbled her skin but her body heated. Bradley had slid to the ground. He unbuckled his belt, kicked his boots off and his pants. His briefs followed. Never had she seen a man more magnificent than the man hopping back onto the horse, freezing his butt off.

  Thor snorted and stomped his foot, but bless his heart he didn’t take off. Maybe he’d received enough training, or he just knew how much this meant to her. More than likely, he wanted extra bananas for his treat. Whatever the reason, she was thankful he didn’t throw them into the snow.

  Bradley lifted her and lowered her ever so slowly onto his long, thick, sheathed erection, filling her, and overwhelming her senses. Wow! Her head fell back, savoring the moment. She didn’t move, couldn’t and wouldn’t break the profound tender sensation flowing between them. He groaned. So much love radiated off his gorgeous green eyes, shining with a hint of blue, just as they had done when they were together the first time. She’d done that! She put the life back in his eyes.

  Cupping the back of his neck, she held his mouth to hers as he kissed her deep and long. No longer able to stay still, she rocked her hips into him. A deep growl vibrated from his chest to hers, and she wished her naked breasts touched his bare skin. “I want to feel all of you.”

  “Not a problem.” They eased apart, removed the rest of their clothes,
and tossed them into a pile on the snow.

  Bradley’s mouth closed around a nipple and she arched her back, rocked her hips, and felt the sweet tight pull of an orgasm wanting to break free. She didn’t want to come yet, not yet when they’d just connected. She laid back, rested on Thor’s neck, and stretched her hands above her head. Thor’s ears twitched but he didn’t move.

  “You’re a gorgeous sight.” Bradley’s husky voice puffed a cold cloud of air around him as he massaged her stomach, one breast and then the other. “I could look at you all day and all night. Right now though, I’m about to erupt. I want you coming with me. He tugged her to him. She crushed her body against his and moved her hips. Her inner muscles tightened around him as she felt the climb to the edge of an orgasm. He lifted her hips and lowered.

  “Oh my God!” She clutched his back, pushed his head to a breast, his mouth sucked her right in, and she rocked.

  A lick across her nipple, and then his chest replaced his tongue. “Look at me, sweetheart.” Love and trust mingled in his gaze, and she whimpered. Whimpered because her heart swelled so much it ached.

  He stilled her against him, bucked his hips upward, thrusting further into her. Emotions tumbled out of her in a wave of overpowering, sweet release, and she called his name at the same time he groaned, “Heaven.”

  Boneless, she peeled her damp body off his and leaned against him, his arms wrapped around her and his chin rested on her head. “That was amazing,” she said sliding her hands to his ramrod back. How did his body not go slack? “How are you staying up?”

  “I hung onto you and my legs gripped Thor. If either of us tilts, we’ll end up on the ground with our snow-covered clothes.”

  She peeked at them. A thin layer of white discolored her red jacket, purple bra, and baby blue turtleneck. Without the heat of the moment and not much clothing on, the setting sun produced goosebumps over her skin. “Either we go for round two, or retrieve our clothes.”