A Ranch to Keep

by Claire McEwen

  She hesitated. “Where?”

  “Have you always been so damn cautious, Frisco? Get up here and I’ll show you!”

  Laughing at his accurate assessment of her personality, Samantha took his hand and let him pull her up. He grabbed a towel from his saddlebag, and flung it over his shoulder.

  She let him lead her over to the creek. A small trail down the bank was just visible in the growing starlight. Jack started down the path, stopping in front of her to support her as she climbed down the uneven path.

  When they reached the water she stopped at the sight of the stars reflected in the rippling surface. The air felt a little cooler, a little damper down here and she could smell the moist earth under her feet. She eyed Jack’s towel as he turned to face her. “We are not going for a swim. It’s freezing!”

  He took a step closer and she could feel the heat radiating from his tall frame. He kissed her lightly on the mouth. “Have faith, Samantha. I’m not going to freeze you. I want to show you something special about the mountains. Something not a lot of people know about. Will you follow me?”

  She did, and he led her along the pebbly shore of the creek and around a bend. The banks were higher and steeper here, more like small cliffs. They walked a few more yards and Samantha heard a trickle of water that became louder. Jack stopped and motioned toward the bank. Rivulets of water were running down an overhang, making a waterfall. The area under the waterfall had been walled off with rocks, creating a deep pool alongside the edge of the creek.

  “Touch it,” Jack said, and she leaned down to the surface of the pool. The smell hit her first. Sulfur, a faint rotting egg smell that was just weak enough to be somewhat inoffensive. Her hand grazed the surface and she pulled it back in surprise. The water was hot. The rocks created a hot bathtub that sat still and steaming by the rushing creek.

  A rush of wonder filled her. “A hot spring! I’ve heard about these.” She put her hand under the dripping waterfall and pulled it back instantly. It was scalding.

  “Careful! The waterfall comes straight out of the ground. It’s incredibly hot.”

  “You’re not kidding.” Samantha stepped back. “This is amazing. Thank you for showing this to me.”

  “Showing? Honey, if anyone ever needed a long soak in a hot spring it’s you. You’re going in.”

  “Me? You’re kidding.” She looked doubtfully at the dark water in the pool. “I can’t go in there!”

  “Why not? The creek water mixes in with it. You felt it, the temperature’s perfect!”

  She glared at him, though she doubted he could see it in the dark. “I’m sure it’s perfect, but it’s also dark and I can’t see what’s in there. God knows what’s crawling around on the bottom of that pool!”

  Jack pulled a flashlight out of one of the pockets of the shearling jacket he’d put on. He shone it into the pool and Samantha could see into the water. It was about three feet deep and crystal clear. The bottom was pebbles and sand.

  “See? No strange, hot-spring-dwelling critters in there. And just to make sure they stay away...” Jack reached into another pocket and took out a handful of small safety candles. He lit one and then another and began setting them on the various rocks and ledges that surrounded the pool. They illuminated the area with a soft, flickering glow.

  She watched him, impressed with his preparations. “But my swimsuit is back at the camp...” She knew her protests were getting weaker.

  “It’s just you and me out here, Samantha. If it helps, I’ll sit down here on this rock while you’re in the tub. That way you’ll have all the privacy you need. Any more excuses?”

  None she could think of. A thrill ran up her spine. She never did things like this! She truly wanted to get into the water on this beautiful night under a sky full of shooting stars. She knew that the soak would ease her aches and pains after a day in the saddle, but more than that there was something seductive about this still water that came from so deep within the earth. It was as basic and primitive as what she felt for Jack, a feeling that seemed to flow down to the marrow of her bones.

  Jack moved over to the rock he’d mentioned and sat down, leaning his back against another boulder and looking up at the stars, seeming completely relaxed in their wild surroundings. He didn’t speak, and after checking and double-checking that he wasn’t looking, Samantha unzipped her parka and laid it on a rock. Sitting down, she pulled off her boots and socks and felt the rough gravel cold beneath her feet. The chill autumn air snapped against her face and she could see her breath in the candlelight. Bracing herself, she quickly yanked her sweater over her head and pulled her jeans down. The cold rippled across her skin, leaving her shaky and invigorated at the same time.

  Standing in her bra and panties, she stopped and looked around at Jack, but true to his word, he was gazing off into the distance, seemingly unaware of her stripping a few feet away.

  Her skin rose in goose bumps and she felt suddenly on high alert, aware of the ground beneath her feet, the arch of the sky above, the sound of the creek tumbling over rock, the living and breathing of the night and it’s creatures all around her. She unhooked her bra, stepped out of her panties and got into the water.

  Its heat was a welcome embrace as she eased herself down to lie in the pool. Heavy with minerals, the water enveloped her limbs and washed over and around her in the softest caress. Nerve endings that had felt so raw from work, from the fire, from her feelings for Jack, were soothed. She leaned back on a rock, let her hair float on the hot surface and closed her eyes, realizing that somehow, once again, Jack Baron had known exactly what she needed.

  * * *

  JACK ALWAYS KEPT his promises. That’s what he told himself as he listened to Samantha undress behind him. But he hadn’t realized until now that pieces of clothing had their own unique sound. Her jacket dropped with a hiss of nylon, and her boots came off with a swish and a thump. Her sweater landed on a rock nearby with a small shuffle and the zipper on her jeans seemed amplified by the silence of the wilderness at night. With each new sound he clenched his fist tighter, balling it into the outside of his thigh until it hurt, trying to ignore the desire that was building in him.

  He wanted this woman. He wanted her fire and spirit and fierce independence. And at the same time, he wanted to bring her to trust his touch, to rely on his protection sometimes. She’d never had a lot of security in her life—that was clear. She’d been pushing through life essentially on her own since she was a kid. He wanted to be her safe haven, that secure place where she could go to let down the brilliant defenses she put up to keep the world at bay.

  And now she was naked behind him and in some moment of chivalry, or idiocy, he’d promised to stay away, and it was very likely going to drive him insane. He wanted his hands on her so badly it hurt. He stared out into the night, forcing himself to concentrate on a search for shooting stars, on the outline of the mountain range beyond, on anything but the woman behind him who had eased into the hot spring with a spontaneous gasp of pleasure that had the blood beating hot and fierce in his veins.

  * * *

  BEHIND CLOSED EYES, Samantha pictured Jack. How could she not be drawn to his easy grace? The way he’d moved so casually around the campsite creating delicious food on an open fire, the calm, capable way he cared for the horses. The way he took care of her when she didn’t even realize herself what she needed.

  She could imagine his life most days. One man on a horse, alone and content in the mountains. If a life could have an opposite, his was the opposite of hers. But right now she didn’t care. She loved him. And now that she was getting used to the idea, it somehow didn’t seem so scary.

  She looked up at the night sky and whispered, “Jack, look!”

  Another falling star blazed a trail overhead, momentarily lighting the sky around it.

  Samantha scanned the dome of star
s above her, hoping to see another one. The water picked her up and floated her on gentle arms. She felt the night air sharp and chill on her nose, her cheeks and her breasts as she surfaced. The contrast was like a lover’s touch, making all nerves stand on end. This night was magic and it was all because of Jack.

  She wanted him. She’d wanted him last night and all day and the soft touch of the hot water made her want him more. Maybe it was a bad idea. Maybe she should use the same willpower she’d used last night to make herself keep her distance. But something was different. She was different. She turned to look at him just as the moon reached up over the distant hills and lit up the entire landscape in blue-gray light.

  “Jack,” she said, her voice sounding unfamiliar against the rush of the water.

  “Yeah?” She could hear him shift on the rock, but he didn’t come close.

  She tried again. “Jack, please, will you come in with me?”

  She heard the crunch of gravel as he stood, but he still said nothing. Just when she was wondering if maybe he hadn’t heard her, he came forward with long strides and knelt down beside her. His voice was hoarse. “Are you sure you want my company?”

  The certainty hit her with a force that left her breathless. She’d never felt so sure of wanting anything, ever. In fact, if she couldn’t touch him, and if he didn’t touch her very soon, she felt as if she’d just burn up in the pool.

  She looked into his shadowed eyes, at the question in their dark depths, and put her hands up to his cheeks in answer. Pushing herself up she kissed him, feeling his mouth go hot above hers when he kissed her back, hard.

  He pulled away abruptly and Samantha sank back into the water, watching silently as he pulled off his hat and jacket and threw them down on a boulder by the creek. His chest was lit by moonlight as his shirt landed by his feet. Boots and jeans came off in a blur. She bit her lip hard as he stood over her naked, so confident and at home in the night air.

  Jack stepped down into the pool beside her and she sat up, uncertain of what to do next. But he solved that problem by reaching for her, scooping her up onto his lap, one hand supporting her back as the other cradled her legs. She could feel him rigid beneath her and she ran her hands up the silken skin and hard muscles of his chest, enchanted by his broad, strong shoulders, the planes and angles of his work-sculpted torso. He let her explore. When she got to his neck she brought his mouth down to hers.

  Any lingering reasons why she shouldn’t do this were wiped out by the taste of his kiss. His hand left her back and held her neck and he kissed her again—an expression of pure need. Her heart felt swollen with it and tears started behind her eyes as she let her new feelings for him pour through her.

  A moan escaped her throat as his mouth blazed a trail over her skin, electrifying her neck, her collarbone, her shoulders and the path between. Jack’s hands slid down into the hot water, finding her breasts, cradling them in his broad palms. She gasped as his calloused fingers circled her nipples and she quickly turned to face him, bringing her hands around his neck, trying to bring his mouth even deeper into hers.

  She brought her hands down to his hips, his thighs and then to his erection. She wanted to make him gasp, wanted to arouse and amaze him. His arms were silk and steel wrapped around her back, holding her up when she would have collapsed against him in desire. He slid one hand down between her legs and then it was hard to know whether it was her skin or his or the hot velvet water that she was touching.

  Finally with a cry of frustration, Jack pulled away from her, and held her at arms length. “Samantha, do you want...” he began.

  “Yes.” For once in her life she was not going to plan or control or worry. She was going to grab on to whatever time they had together and cherish every second.

  Relief crossed his strained features and he scooped her up in his arms, standing in one fluid motion so she gasped at the crisp night air prickling over her skin as she left the water. Jack pulled her close to his dripping chest and carried her a few steps back up the creek toward their campsite. Then he stopped and dropped his head to her forehead with a low, humorless laugh.

  “I want you so badly, it’s killing me. But it’s a hike up to the tent, and even for you, irresistible as you are, I don’t think I can do it without my boots on!”

  A giggle escaped her and then another, as she clung to his chest while he attempted to step into his boots without lowering her to the ground. Though she couldn’t see much of him from her position in his arms, the image of him buck naked except for his worn cowboy boots was too much, and the giggles turned to peals of laughter as he hopped into the second boot, swearing softly to himself.

  He stopped hopping, boots evidently on, and looked at her seriously, his gravity betrayed by the twitch of humor at the side of his mouth. “I’ll ask you not to mock me at this moment, as my dignity is a little fragile.”

  Tears poured down her face as she shook with suppressed humor against his chest. “I’m sorry,” she finally gasped as he started up the trail. “It’s just so cold and then you...” Another wave of laughter overcame her and she shook silently before blurting out “You’re naked in your boots!”

  He grinned down at her as he heaved them up the final ledge to the meadow where their tent was. “Hey, at Chippendales the ladies would pay good money for this look. And you, I’ll remind you, are even more naked than me.” He smacked a rather unromantic kiss on the top of her wet head and strode toward the tent, stopping to spin her around under the stars, making her skin ripple as the cold breeze rushed past.

  “Jack, I’m freezing!” She clung to him as he unzipped the door. He leaned in and dumped her unceremoniously on the pile of sleeping bags and blankets inside. Samantha quickly scrambled under the down bags, rubbing her shoulders and arms with her hands, trying to get the chill out. She heard Jack pull off his boots and he lowered himself down next to her.

  He slid beneath the thick down sleeping bag and reached for her, and she turned toward his heat, her need for him greater than the pounding of her nervous heart. The rough callouses of his hands were a sharp contrast to his soft touch as he pulled her close to his broad chest and then rolled so he was above her. He held her as if she was something fragile rather than a heated, wanting woman.

  “What is it?” she questioned, turning her head to look up at him and running her fingertips over the rough stubble of his angular jaw.

  “You’re incredible, Samantha.” He traced her cheekbones with his thumbs, cradling her head in his hands. “You take my breath away every time I see you. It’s been like that from the beginning.” Her eyes flew to his, surprised by the emotion she could hear in his voice, but his expression was unfathomable in the rich darkness.

  A lump rose suddenly in her throat and, wordless, she reached her hands around his shoulders and pulled him toward her. Her hands were shaking and her stomach felt tight with nerves, but the warmth of his skin under her fingers calmed her. He leaned down, bracing his weight on his forearms that rested on either side of her head, his fingers tangled in her hair. When she felt his muscular torso cover her, and the thrill of her skin and his touching down the length of their bodies, the very last ghosts of doubt fled.

  And then his gentleness vanished and his mouth was on hers, forcing her own to open for him. His kisses inflamed her until her skin felt alive, her body aching with a need that was as primitive and essential as the wilderness around them.

  Her hands roamed over his long back, around the taught strength of his thighs, and her touch had him gasping her name. His hands savaged her, holding her down as he brought his mouth to her breasts, her hips and along her legs. At the feel of his hot mouth on her she went wild, moaning his name as she reached for him, her nails grazing his shoulders. She pulled him up and he paused in sudden stillness, crouched over her. “You’re sure?”

  He had to ask? She would dissolve if she could
n’t have him...just evaporate out into the cold night air and disappear.

  “Condom.” She gasped. “We have to...”

  “No worries.” Jack reached into the duffel bag and pulled out a foil packet. “This time I’m the organized one.”

  “Thank goodness,” Samantha breathed. And then he was inside her, all heat and strength.

  Samantha pulled him even closer, loving each powerful push of his hips and the way he filled her and moved her. Her back arched up to meet his hands and she heard him say her name. It felt like she could never have enough of him, would never be sated. Then bone and muscle surged in rippling heat and he was there with her, shuddering and shaking and then still.

  They lay silent for a few moments and then Jack turned and pulled her to him so she lay with her head on his chest, his arm cradling her to the warmth of his body. Samantha knew she should say something, but no words came, just a languid bliss. She snuggled closer and felt exhaustion weighting her bones, sinking her into sleep.

  * * *

  JACK FELT SAMANTHA drift off and smiled in lazy acknowledgment. When she’d invited him into the pool with her he’d been determined to go slowly and carefully. He’d thought she’d need that, to ease her out of that reserve she wore like a suit of armor. Nothing had prepared him for the way she’d touched him, and the way she’d come undone under his hands. And now that he’d seen the wildness she hid deep inside, he knew he’d never be the same. The pattern and passion of her had been branded on his skin and his mind and left behind a scar that would haunt him when she left. If she left. He knew he’d do whatever he could to talk her into staying.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  SAMANTHA SAT UP in the dim light of dawn. Jack was lying on his back, one muscled arm thrown over his eyes, a sleeping bag thrown carelessly over him. He seemed oblivious to the cold and Samantha was jealous as she yanked her bag more closely around her chilled shoulders.

  The icy air awakened her mind and the force of what they’d done washed through her. She put her hands up and felt her flushed cheeks, and an involuntary smile started that widened as her body remembered Jack’s touch with vivid delight. She tried to grasp what had happened. Memories coated her skin and she could almost feel the imprint of his fingers, his limbs on her body as if he’d marked her as his own.