“Jake?” She touched his arm. “Are you going to be all right?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m worried that you might…”
He raised a dark eyebrow. “Worried that I might go out and get drunk and get into another brawl?” His words were sarcastic and biting. “You will never stop comparing me to your ex-husband, will you.”
She stepped back, stung by the words she knew were true. “I’m trying. I’m really trying.”
He caught her hand and took a deep breath. “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me. Jake Dixon has been stomped on before and survived. Okay?”
“I’m sorry. It’s not fair of me.”
“No apology necessary.”
He was right, she had to stop comparing him to Brad.
Jake checked his watch. “I’d better go check on a couple of things, so I’ll see you later at the cookout.”
“Okay.”
She’d planned on a quick nap before the barbecue, but she wanted to see Kevin first to tell him that she was back. She walked toward the horse barn. If he was anywhere, he was probably feeding or watering the horses.
Entering the barn, she inhaled the smell of horses, sweet hay and leather. Sure enough, Kevin was talking to another boy in a wheelchair. They were feeding carrots to all horses that were sticking their heads over the half-doors, which most of them were.
She waved to the three cowboys cleaning tack, and they waved back.
“Hey, Mom!” Kevin waved to her with a carrot in his hand.
Carrots were always in his hands lately, and he was always in the horse barn, riding a horse or talking about horses.
“Where’s Jake?” he asked.
“He’s around. How are you, Kevin? Having fun?”
“Sure am.” Then he remembered his manners. “This is Luke. Luke, this is my mom.”
“Hi, Luke.” She shook his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“Howdy, ma’am,” he replied.
“Mom, Luke’s from Stephenville, Texas. Doesn’t he talk cool? We’re going to e-mail each other when Wheelchair Rodeo is over. His horse is named Super Dude. Isn’t that a cool name?”
“Cool.”
“Is Jake going to be okay?” Kevin asked.
“They took a lot of X rays. Then Dr. Trotter will look at them and talk to Jake.”
“Hope he’s okay.”
“Me too.”
“Me three,” added Luke.
“Are you going to be at the movie, Mom? It’s a John Wayne one. Lots of shootin’ and stuff.”
“I’ll be there.” She wanted to kiss him and give him a big hug, but she didn’t dare with Luke or the other cowboys in the barn. Kevin would never forgive her. “I’ll see you later, then.”
To her surprise, Kevin turned to Luke and told him that he could continue to feed the horses without him because he was going to “escort” his mother part of the way back to her cabin. She wondered what was up, and hoped something wasn’t wrong.
Kevin waited until they were down the ramp and away from everyone. His eyes took in the area. No one was around. “Mom, you can hug me if you want to. You can kiss me, too.”
“Aw…” She bent over and did just that. He hugged her back. “How did you know I needed that?”
“I just thought you did.”
She kissed him on the forehead. “I’m feeling better already.” She mussed his hair, and he didn’t protest. Was this boy actually Kevin? “But are you okay?”
He shifted in his seat as if he couldn’t get comfortable. “Um, yeah…I’m okay.”
She’d bet her last dollar that something was on his mind. “Anything you want to tell me?”
“Uh, well, remember how after my last operation I was supposed to walk?”
She squatted and took his hands. “Yes, but don’t worry, honey. Maybe you just need more time.”
Some cowboys walked past them. They all waved and called Kevin by name. He knew their names, too.
“Was there something more you wanted to tell me, Kev?”
His gaze followed the cowboys as they walked away. “Uh, nope. I don’t think so.”
“Okay.”
She was striking out. Her kid was secretive and so was Jake Dixon—but she knew her son better than she did Jake Dixon. Something was up with Kevin, only he wasn’t ready to talk about it yet. He was just laying the foundation.
“See you later, Mom.”
“See you at the barbecue.”
Pushing open the door to her cabin, she went to her refrigerator and pulled out a can of iced tea. Taking a couple of swigs, she went into her bedroom, put the can on the night table and collapsed onto the bed.
She just wanted to close her eyes, just for a moment.
Jake wondered why Beth had missed the barbecue. He really began to worry when Kevin came to him and told him that the John Wayne movie had started and his mother still wasn’t there.
“But she said that she was going to be at the movie, Jake. She said she would.” He began to wheel rapidly toward the exit.
“Hey, Kev, you stay here and find out what The Duke does to get the bad guys, and I’ll go check on your mother. I’m sure she’s fine. She’s probably just sleeping.”
“Thanks.”
He handed Kevin a cell phone. “I’ll call you when I’ve talked to her. You just stay and have fun.”
“Call me. Right away.”
“You got it.”
There were no lights on in the Trail Boss Cabin. Jake knocked on the door. “Beth?”
No answer.
“Beth?”
Still no answer.
He walked in and turned a light on in the living room. He walked down the hallway and paused at the bedroom door. She was curled up on her side, sound asleep. She had unbuttoned her blouse and loosened the top snap of her shorts. Her hair was a mass of gold on the pillow, and she was breathing in soft little puffs.
He debated whether he should wake her. She hadn’t had anything to eat, and, heaven forbid, she was missing a John Wayne movie.
He walked back into the living room and dialed his cell phone. “Kev? It’s Jake. Your mom is in the cabin. She’s sleeping, so we’ll let her be. Obviously, she doesn’t like The Duke as much as the rest of us.”
“Will you come back to the movie, Jake? It’s really cool,” asked Kevin.
Jake could hear the noise around Kevin. Typical movie night. No one watched the movie, and then there would be the inevitable popcorn fight.
“I’ll see you in the morning. I have some things to do. Get a good night’s rest.”
“Okay, Jake.”
He turned and walked back into the bedroom. He had an overwhelming urge to taste Beth’s lips again.
Chapter Ten
Beth was half awake when she heard Jake talking to Kevin, or maybe she was dreaming.
She’d had the same dream countless times since their arrival at the ranch. Jake would stand silhouetted in the bedroom door, and she’d be lying in bed. Then he’d slowly walk over and stare down at her, his lips curving into a warm and sensuous smile. He’d bend over and briefly touch his lips to hers. She’d shiver in anticipation of more to come.
She’d look into his turquoise eyes….
Her eyes shot open. “Jake?”
He looked down at her. “I couldn’t resist kissing you.”
“I’m not complaining,” she said, her voice breathless and her lips tingling.
Heaven help her, she wanted him to kiss her again.
He stepped closer and skimmed her cheek with his knuckles. His thumb traced her lips.
“Beth?” His voice was low and rough.
With that one word, he asked a million questions.
She knew what he wanted, but making love with Jake would complicate things, cause her to let her guard down.
Even though it’d be a bad idea, she wanted to be held by him, to feel loved and cherished and desired—feelings she hadn’t experienced in a long time.
It had bee
n forever since she’d been with her husband, and she hadn’t had a date since his death. She was always too busy to think about anything or anyone other than Kevin.
“Kevin! I need to—”
“He’s okay,” Jake said. “He was worried about you when you didn’t show up at the barbecue and the movie, but I just called him and told him you were sleeping. He’s all set with John Wayne, a big bowl of popcorn and his pals.”
What Jake had left unsaid was that they wouldn’t be disturbed.
She didn’t know what made her get up from the bed and stand next to him. She clasped the side of his hat brim with her thumb and index finger. “I remember you told me that this hat comes off for one thing only.”
He grinned. “Do I leave it on or take it off?”
She hesitated, running her fingers along the brim, feeling its softness. She could think of only one reason why she should make love with Jake—she wanted to.
She wanted to be with this man who gave so much of himself. She felt her own need rising to the surface.
Gently, she pressed her lips to his, then said, “Take it off.”
With one quick motion, he tossed his hat onto the seat of a chair and pulled her to him. His lips locked on hers, and she felt the heat building inside her, inside him. She felt the promise of things to come.
She yanked on his shirt and heard the metallic ping of snaps coming undone. The palms of her hands covered the hard planes of his chest, moving over his warm skin.
He was already rock hard. She could feel him through their clothes.
“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” he asked, taking her hands in his and moving to sit on the bed.
She hoped he couldn’t feel her hands shaking. “Well, it’s been a long time.”
He chuckled, a low rumbling in his chest. “That’s not what I meant.”
Standing in front of him, her hands fisted in his shirt, she undid the rest of his snaps. Even in the dim light of the cabin, she could see the scars on his chest. She traced them with a finger, wishing she could erase the permanent proof that he lived dangerously.
“You know, if we stopped to think, we wouldn’t do this,” he said, threading his fingers through her hair.
“I already thought about it. I want to be with you.”
His eyes never left hers as he shrugged out of his shirt and tossed it on the floor.
Her palms explored the hardness of his chest and back as she trailed kisses in their wake. Her hand lingered on a roughened area under his ribs above the waistband of his jeans.
“Jake?” She knelt in front of him to get a better look and saw horrific scarring about the size of her hand.
“Pretty bad, huh?” he asked. “Sorry, I should have warned you.”
The pain he must have felt… She hated to see his beautiful body marred like that. “What—?”
“A bull by the name of Gentle Breeze got a little playful with me in Houston. Don’t worry about it. It was years ago.” He took Beth’s hands and helped her to her feet. “Take your blouse off,” he whispered.
She hesitated, suddenly feeling anxious. “I’ve only been with one man in my life, and that was my husband. We…well, it’s been a long time. Years.”
“Then I’ll help you make up for lost time.” He positioned her on his lap and covered her mouth with his. Their tongues moved in slow rhythm.
Reaching for the buttons on her blouse, he popped them open one by one. He took his time, and her anticipation only added to her excitement.
He pushed the straps of her bra off her shoulders, peeled it down. She unhooked it and let it drop, never taking her eyes off him.
He let his gaze linger on her breasts. “Beautiful,” he said.
He played with a nipple, making it harden, making her squirm and moan softly. Then he cupped one breast with a large hand that looked dark against the white of her skin.
She gasped. “Mmm…I want to see you, too,” she whispered. “All of you.”
She unhooked his belt, and the huge oval-shaped buckle fell to the side. “Let me,” she ordered, her fingers at the metal button of his jeans. Slowly, she unzipped him, link by metal link. She smiled. “I knew you’d be wearing standard white underwear.”
His eyes twinkled in amusement. “You’ve thought about my underwear?”
Oh heavens, what had made her tell him that? “I confess. I have. Let’s take them off, shall we?”
“I’m all yours, if you don’t mind giving me a little help here.”
With a gasp, she moved away from him. “Oh no! I forgot your injuries. Your leg…your back. I didn’t think!”
“Get yourself back here, I’m fine. And there’s more than one way to make love. We’ll figure it out.”
“Wait a minute. Let me see your leg.”
“This is strange foreplay,” he said, his eyes glittering.
Beth chuckled nervously, but Jake’s easy smile and twinkling eyes soon had relaxed her. She watched as he pulled off his boots and slid out of his jeans, thinking how the simple gestures seemed so masculine when he did them.
When he lay back down, he held out his hand, and she joined him. She ran her hand over his hard stomach, his well-muscled thighs. His chest was smooth, powerful and bronzed by the sun.
He put an arm around her, and she was content to lie next to him, to inhale his scent, and to let her hand roam over the tough-yet-sweet cowboy next to her.
She knew he was giving her time to get comfortable, and she loved him for that.
Her lips met his, lightly and gently, and he closed his eyes. “Mmm…” he said, with a look of contentment on his face.
He took her hand, raised it to his lips and kissed it. “If you’re having second thoughts, it’s best you tell me now.”
She knew she wanted him, and he wanted her. She wanted to feel his hands touching her everywhere. She wanted to feel him inside her.
She wanted to feel.
“I’m not having second thoughts, Jake.” She looked deep into his eyes and smiled.
He gathered her in his arms and kissed her hard and long. “Mmm…this is nice,” he said.
As he kissed her neck and she stretched to give him more access, her nervousness was forgotten. All she could think about was this man and what he was doing to her, how he made her feel.
Beth cupped him with her hands but it wasn’t enough. She wanted to feel his warm skin pulsing in her hands, feel his power. Beth couldn’t believe how daring she had become, but she tugged off his underwear, then tossed it toward the rest of the clothes strewn about the floor.
Her days at the Gold Buckle were dwindling. She didn’t know when she’d be alone with him again. She had to know what it was like to make love with Jake.
By the light of the moon she stared down at the man she’d come to love.
Yes, she loved him. She didn’t know how or when it had happened, but she had a feeling it started back when Kevin was in the hospital and she read him articles about Jake.
She had found herself looking through bookstores and magazine racks hoping to find the latest news about him, his latest venture, or what movie star, rodeo queen or singer he was dating. She’d read those articles alone in her room at night. Kevin couldn’t have cared less about that kind of thing. Kev had just wanted his rodeo stats.
Beth had wanted his personal stats.
Yet never in her most secret of dreams had she ever expected to meet Jake Dixon in person, or lie naked with him in the Trail Boss Cabin in the middle of Wyoming.
His arms were strong, bulging with muscles, especially his riding arm. His stomach was flat with a light down of soft hair that became thicker and coarser as she explored lower. Her hand circled the length of him and she felt him throb.
They quickly dispensed with the rest of her clothes, Jake kissing her everywhere with such exquisite tenderness, it brought tears to her eyes. He held her tight, and she felt him hard against her. She shivered as he lavished slow, sensuous kisses that made her toes cu
rl. His tongue met hers again, and it felt as if she was floating…floating…
His fingers plucked at a nipple, making her squirm and moan softly.
“You’re going to have to be on top, Beth,” he whispered. “I can’t—”
She covered the rest of his sentence with a kiss.
He produced a condom package. It didn’t take him long to tear it open and sheath himself. She watched in fascination. It was a sexy thing for him to do—and to care about her like that. At least he had more sense than she did.
“Pretty sure of yourself, aren’t you?” she asked, wrapping her hand around the length of him. She felt the power surging in him.
“I knew we’d make love sooner or later.” He let out a deep breath.
She moved over him and took him into her, slowly…very slowly. It had been such a long time….
She closed her eyes as he took her breasts into his large, rough hands and rolled her nipples between his callused fingers.
She moved, gasping at the sensations—how deep he was inside her, how good it felt. She slid up and down the length of him, stopping only to catch her breath and to look into his blue eyes, now dark with passion.
They couldn’t get enough of each other. They clung, teased, touched and kissed until the fire between them warmed the little Trail Boss Cabin.
She set the pace. Faster. His eyes closed.
He shuddered when she did, calling her name. When they each found their release, they knew it was more than just making love—it was a joining of their souls.
All too soon they drifted back to the little cabin in the pines.
Later they snuggled under the covers, Beth with her head on Jake’s chest, his chin on her head.
“I feel so peaceful, Jake. Like I don’t have a care in the world.”
“No regrets?”
“No regrets.”
There would be plenty of regrets later when she had time to think. She was leaving and she’d never see Jake Dixon again. He’d go back to riding as long as he could still climb on the back of a bull, and she’d go back to leasing apartments in Arizona.
Funny how life threw you a curveball every now and then.
The Cowboy Way Page 13
