by Joanna Blake
She'd just smile and sigh and kiss me, wrapping those long, gorgeous legs of hers around me. And that would be it. She’d be promised to me, and I to her. A done deal.
It would be easy. She'd say yes, in between her sighs of pleasure. And we'd get hitched.
Then I could have my own little wildcat in my bed, each and every night.
There was only one little problem with that plan… The one issue I'd been trying to avoid thinking about too much. Three of 'em actually.
Her cousins. I knew the Delanceys had taken Phee under their wings when her daddy died. So she had three protectors. Four, if you counted JJ.
And now she had five. She had me.
I was more than convinced they would object to a cowboy laying claim to their innocent little cousin. Not that they would stop me. Not even if they all tried to take me on at once. Hell, I would walk through fire for the woman. But I didn’t relish the thought of conflict with my future in-laws. Especially not if it upset Phee.
I drove into the sunset, deciding that they'd just have to deal with it. We were nearly to the hotel and I had other things to worry about. Like how to get as much love making in before Phee's curfew.
She'd been so wild in the tack room… I'd never seen or heard a woman with that much passion. It was intoxicating, to say the least. And it was all for me.
I swore then and there that I'd do anything to make sure I got to keep her.
This little ginger kitty cat was mine.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Phoenyx
Game face, Phee, I could hear Clint’s gravelly and reassuring voice in my head. He’d told me to walk in like a winner, stay classy, and make sure nobody saw a sliver of doubt in my eyes.
I stretched calmly, warming up in the tent they set up for competitors. 'The Talent Tent' it was informally called. Clint was with Apollo, checking my gear for the hundredth time. The man was obsessed with my safety. And my happiness.
Okay, and my body. Especially my body when it wasn’t wearing any clothes.
He looked after me. Not because it was his job. I knew he was doing it because he cared.
He'd shown me over and over again with his lips and hands and his, um, manhood. I blushed a little, glad no one could hear my thoughts. He had such amazing equipment… and it seemed to be hard all the time!
He said that it was because of me.
I thought it was some sort of magic. Sex magic. My man was something else, alright. And he was mine. I hoped so anyway. He didn’t seem bored by my lack of experience. Or disinterested in spending as much time together as humanly possible, which I was craving. I was so relieved that I didn’t have to chase after him. That he was right there, showing me he wanted to be with me.
For now anyway. I decided not to worry about the future. I was happy now. It didn’t matter if he didn’t love me the way I loved him. Maybe there was a chance he would eventually. I could be patient. I’d show him how good I could be. Maybe he would love me back.
Last night he'd fed me dinner while I sat in his lap. He'd brought me breakfast in bed. And I'd spent the night curled up in his arms.
Well, after we'd made love on the bed… and the chair. Then the couch and in the shower. I was pretty sure the shower was my favorite. Hotel sex in general seemed like a lot of fun. In fact, I’d never had so much fun in my life. Being with Clint was even better than winning a blue ribbon. Every. Single. Time.
I was still smiling as I walked over to meet him. I wasn't competing for another hour. It seemed silly but I wanted to be near him, as much as I could.
He lit up when he saw me, grinning as I walked towards him. The frank male appreciation in his eyes nearly knocked me over. He did care for me– and more than a little. Suddenly, I didn't have a doubt in my mind.
Well, except for the L world. I couldn't seem to stop worrying about that. He hadn't said it, but I was on the brink of blurting it out.
I'd nearly said it last night. But my mama had told me never to say it first. Not that it had ever been an issue before now. I’d never felt it, or anything close to it. Thanks to my cousins, most of the men in the county and horsing world were afraid to come near me.
Well, until Clint. He didn’t seem to care about any of that. He didn’t care about anything except for horses. And me.
How much was the question?
Because I was more than sure I was falling in love with Clint McRae.
I’d been feeling it all along, I realized. But I had only just admitted to myself. It scared the heck out of me, truth be told.
My stomach did a little flip. What if I was just a passing thing for him? What if I was reading all this wrong? He might think he was too old for me.
He'd even said so, in PJ's bar back home.
A heavy feeling of dread settled in my stomach. I was frowning by the time I made it to the waiting pen where Apollo was tethered. I don't know if Clint noticed, because something even more worrisome showed up right at that moment.
My cousins.
Two of them were descending on us. Jackson, the eldest and Daniel, the middle brother. Jake was off somewhere being a new-do-well (his own words), God only knew where.
Well, that wasn’t precisely true. The truth was, I was the only one who actually knew where he was, because he called me once a week, like clockwork. But I knew that nobody else in the family had the slightest idea. The black sheep of the family, Jake was the ultra charming bad boy, but with a heart of gold. He had sworn me to secrecy to his location due to family tension with his father and eldest brother and I kept my word. And I was good at keeping secrets if need be.
Lord knows, I had kept my crush on Clint a secret, even from myself. I couldn’t lie to myself anymore. ‘Crush’ didn’t even start to cover it.
It was love, plain and simple.
"Phee!"
Daniel swept me up in his arms and lifted me, tossing me in the air. I squealed, my long red braid flying around like a rope in the air and smacking both of us. My hat had a little elastic band that fit under my chin, so thankfully that stayed put.
"Daniel!!!"
"Put her down, Daniel."
Daniel obeyed immediately, responding quickly as we all did, to the voice of authority. Jackson Delancey. I was laughing nervously as he set me on my feet in front Jackson. The biggest Delancey was frowning down at me, looking me over.
"You look… different."
I smiled at him. The oldest Delancey was stern, but secretly a big ole Teddy bear. But I had a sudden inkling that he was onto me. Clint too, once he got a look at us together. He had a nose for figuring out secrets though, so I poked his chest to distract him.
"You haven't seen me since last Christmas! Of course, I look different!"
He shook his head slowly.
"No, that's not it." He sighed forlornly as if I'd done something naughty that was a matter for grave concern. He considered himself responsible for me. The Delancey boys all did. And he was right. I had been naughty. Extremely naughty, I thought with a blush. But it was better if he didn't know what Clint and I had been up to!
"Who gave you permission to grow up?" He continued, the frown still marring his handsome brow. All my cousins were absurdly handsome, causing females of all ages to act foolishly smitten around them. It was hysterical to watch, because not one of them gave a rat’s ass about the way they looked or cared about their effect on women.
Well, maybe Jake had an idea of his charm and how to use it. But he was the exception. They didn’t call him a bad boy for nothing, I thought with a snicker.
Jackson must have finally come to some sort of internal decision because he smiled and opened his arms. I was enfolded in a gigantic man hug. I squeezed him back, though he was so big it wasn't easy!
I realized Clint was standing there. I better get this over with… I did my best to act natural as I smiled at him apologetically.
"Clint, these are my cousins."
Clint nodded, looking at them warily. That was good. It bo
ded well that he took them seriously. The last thing I wanted was some sort of macho standoff. Daniel slapped him on the back and I winced. I was suddenly glad we'd decided against PDA. If they had seen us kissing or holding hands… that friendly slap would have been a punch.
The Delancey boys were fond of a tussle. I knew they didn’t care when or where. I’d seen them throw down at charity events. Riding competitions. Even a church social once. They didn’t even need a good reason. And Clint devirginizing their precious little cousin, who they considered a baby sister, was more than reason enough.
I shuddered.
Our little fling had to stay secret. Until it was more official, if that ever happened. I prayed it would. I was pretty sure Clint wanted me to be his girlfriend, but he hadn't asked yet.
But I didn’t want to be his girlfriend. I wanted to be his wife.
Don’t dream too big, Phee, I told myself. Be realistic. Not everyone wants the white picket fence.
But I did. For the first time in my life I had dreams of wedded bliss. Picking out dishes. Making a baby or two. As long as it was with Clint.
"Jackson Delancey. This is Daniel."
"Clint McRae. I've seen you two around."
I stared in horror as they gripped each other's hands… and did not let go. It looked like they were trying to squeeze each others hands off! I put my hands on top and tugged to no avail. Finally, I slapped my hands down on them.
"Alright, that's enough, boys."
They both grinned and squeezed harder.
"Come on Jacks, he needs those hands to set up my horse!"
Jackson narrowed his eyes and nodded. Clint nodded. And they finally let go.
I exhaled loudly, relieved beyond measure. That hadn’t been good, but it might have been much, much worse. I couldn't imagine how bad it would be if Jackson had actually known which way the wind blew.
Right up my skirt, in fact.
All hell would have broken loose.
I tried to picture what would happen if Clint introduced himself as my boyfriend. Daniel would be the peacekeeper, giving Clint a chance. He wouldn't like it, but he would listen.
Well, maybe he'd throw a punch or two first. After that, he would listen over a beer and a bourbon.
But Jackson? He would go to war. I grimaced, realizing we were lucky that Jake wasn't here. He was even worse.
Or at least, he was a whole lot crazier.
Jake was the kind of guy who got into a fight he knew he couldn't win. He considered bar brawls to be a competitive sport. I'd seen the aftermath of him taking on a whole bar full of bikers. For fun.
He'd sit there grinning while I held a bag of peas to his face.
I smiled as my cousins wished me luck and wandered off to get something to eat. It meant a lot to me that they were here. Sure, they were famous horse breeders, so it made sense for them to go to shows, but this one was a long drive across multiple states.
They weren’t here for the family business.
They were here for me.
"You warm enough?"
I nodded, bouncing in place. It was almost time. Clint rubbed my shoulders as I closed my eyes and mentally ran my routine like he'd taught me to do, trick by trick.
Seeing it in my mind's eye clearly made me calm and reminded my body of what to do.
"It's time to show them what you got, darlin'."
I smiled at him and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. I resisted kissing his delicious lips, just in case they were watching. I mounted Apollo and looked down at Clint. My man.
I hoped he was anyway.
He winked at me, his blue eyes shining with pride.
"Go get em' wildcat."
Chapter Twenty-Three
Clint
Come on, girl. That’s it. Up and over, nice and easy. There you go…
I stood on the sidelines, staring at Phoenyx in the ring. I was mentally going through every move with her, shouting my encouragement, although nobody could hear me. She was performing her routine flawlessly. My heart sang with pride as she swung around the saddle like an acrobat.
She was perfect. She was poetry in motion. Young, but an expert sportswoman. And she was mine.
There were twenty competitors here today. Many of them were seasoned vets. But Phee had a level of showmanship and precision that set her miles above them.
Never mind how damn beautiful she looked out there!
I knew she was going to win hands down. Getting to Nationals was going to be easier than I thought. Hell, we might even be going to the World Championship.
Watching Phee stomp the competition was the best damn thing I'd seen in my life. And I'd helped her do it. She'd let me polish up her technique to the point where it was textbook. Oh she'd grumbled at first when I made her get down to basics.
But look at her now.
The secret smile she flashed me at the end sent a shot of pure love right to my heart. Love… that was what it was, no doubt about it. Well, dang. I had been afraid to say it out loud but there was no denying it now.
I loved the little filly.
And she was going to learn to love me back, dammit. Come hell or high water, I was hearing those three little words from her.
And soon.
Even if I had to trick her into saying them.
She waved at the adoring audience as the judges tallied their scores. I held my breath, waiting for it. I had a good feeling. I hoped that maybe, just maybe, she'd get a perfect ten.
And she did.
Would you look at that.
The crowd went absolutely wild.
Too wild.
Some fool starting waving a gun around in the air, celebrating Texas style. My eyes were wide as someone else pulled out a firearm. Didn't these idiots know that was a good way to spook a horse?
A shot rang out and Apollo reared back. Phee held on with all her might, clinging to the saddle. It wasn't enough.
Time seemed to stop. I heard a dull roaring in my ears as I reached out for her. But I couldn't reach her in time.
I stared in horror as Phoenyx fell. With the horse on his rear legs like that, it was a good ten feet to the ground. I saw her land on her shoulder, her head bouncing against the ground.
I roared and was over the fence in a heartbeat. The crowd was utterly silent as I ran towards the still figure on the ground. I had tunnel vision, staring at her beautiful, still face.
No, no no no. Please God, no…
Visions of another accident flashed through my mind. A tragic one. One that had haunted everyone who saw it for years to come.
I landed on my knees inches from her.
I wanted to lift her up and hold her but I was no dummy. I could make things worse that way. I brushed her hair back from her face, checking for breath, a pulse, anything.
I said a prayer of thanks as I felt the faint warmth of an exhale on my hand.
She was breathing.
"Phee– come back to me, babygirl. Please darlin', don't leave me–"
Her eyelashes fluttered and she moaned. She blinked those gorgeous eyes of hers and stared up at me.
"What are you doing up there, Clint?"
I exhaled in relief, but I knew we weren't out of the woods yet. I hadn't realized a crowd had gathered. I kissed her hand in a decidedly lover-like way, fawning over her like a worried mother hen.
Hell, even if I had noticed the crowd, I doubt I would have cared.
"Hold still, honey. We got to wait for the doctor, you hear?"
She nodded and I flinched.
"Don't even do that. Try not to move at all, okay?"
She frowned, wiggling her fingers and toes.
"I'm fine Clint. See?"
"That's real good but I meant what I said– don't move an inch. And that’s an order,” I added sternly, using the voice I used to get her to do what I wanted in the sack. It hadn’t failed me then and it didn’t fail me now. She held perfectly still, staring up at me with those brilliantly sparkly, clear eyes of hers
.
The doctor was there before she could argue with me anymore, I thought with relief. He checked her neck and her spine, and nodded to me. I let out a big whoosh of air after he shone a light into her eyes and turned to me.
"Pupils are responding… She seems to be fine. I don't think there's a concussion. Still, she should take it easy for a few days. Lots of fluids. No riding until she's checked out again."
Phoenyx was already griping in protest but I was grinning ear to ear. She sat up and I was there, guiding her to her feet and right into my arms. I kissed her long and tender, careful not to squeeze her too hard.
Hootin' and hollerin' broke out along with applause. The crowd was glad to see her on her feet. They were even happier to see a pretty lady get kissed so thoroughly.
"What the hell is this?"
Jackson Delancey was standing behind me. I glanced over my shoulder and grinned at him. Well, it was time to pay the piper after all. So be it.
He was already lifting his fist but I shook my head. I was ready for the fight. After that scare, I was even looking forward to it. I could give as good as I got. But I had to make sure Phee was settled and out of the way, first.
"Not until the lady is clear."
A muscle twitched in his cheek but he nodded. I helped Phee out of the ring and into a seat in the rider's tent, taking my sweet ass time to make my lady comfortable. I handed her a bottle of water and told her to drink the whole thing by the time I was back.
"I hate to leave you but this won't take a moment."
"Where are you going?"
"I need to pay my respects to Jackson."
Her eyes widened as I strode outside. I nodded at Jackson. Daniel was standing beside him, both of them looking fired up. They were big sonofabitches.
I smiled grimly. I was ready to take my licks. I would do anything for Phee, including getting a beat down. Not that I wouldn’t put the hurt on both of them, too.
After all, I was a big sonofabitch, too.
"You whoreson! Who told you you could touch that girl?"
Daniel nodded, cracking his knuckles.
