by Tamsin Ley
Steph stumbled to bed slobbery and emotional about leaving Renee behind. Renee fell asleep dreaming about cowboys and adventures that were all her own. The next morning she woke woefully hung over, but managed to see Steph off before stumbling back to bed. Around noon she woke again, suddenly alert to the fact she was on her own. No one else was going to decide where to go or what to do. It was all up to her. Today was going to be fantastic. She just knew it.
Jumping out of bed, she stretched and smiled, gazing from her second story window across the rolling grasslands. Heat waves shimmered the air outside, giving the day a dream-like quality. After showering, Renee dressed in light capris and a strappy tank-top with a forget-me-not appliqué and matching sandals. She blotted her face, and applied a light coat of lipstick, then headed into the afternoon sunlight to find her sexy cowboy. Flirting with Black felt like uncharted territory without Steph's looming presence.
She found Black in the pasture once again working on the sprinkler head, this time with a shirt on. He looked up as she crossed the gravel parking area. Putting on what she thought was a sassy smile, she opened the gate and entered, keeping an eye out for rocks. A slight breeze had picked up, and the sun cast long golden shadows through the tufts of grass.
"I'm ready for a ride." She immediately kicked herself. Stop trying so hard.
He looked her head to toe with an appreciative gaze, lingering on her breasts and hips in a way that heated her already-flushed skin. His attention drifted back down to her strappy little sandals. "You planning to ride in those?"
"Why not? They're cute, right?" She stopped a few feet away and wiggled her sparkly red toenails at him. She knew riding in sandals was a bad idea, but she wasn’t trying to impress a horse.
"At least you're not in Daisy Dukes." He rose. "Not that I’d mind ogling your legs. But that'd be begging for saddle burn. C'mon, I have a spare set of boots in the barn."
He put a familiar hand at the small of her back and led her to the barn. The contact seemed to draw energy from his hand, sending tingles over her hips and spine as they walked. He ducked into a stall holding odds and ends and reappeared with a dusty pair of leather cowboy boots.
Nerve endings crying out at the break in contact, she eyed the footwear. Steph had a policy about sharing footwear; shoes carried toenail fungus. Renee didn’t know if that was true, but why risk it? "I'm not wearing used boots."
"You need heels to stick in the stirrups." He thrust the boots forward.
What would he do if she put her foot down? She didn’t really care about riding a horse at the moment. Trying to be cute, she pursed her lips. "I have a pair of stilettos in my suitcase. I could wear those."
His eyes narrowed and his mouth quirked into a smile. "You can wear those with your Daisy Dukes later."
She blushed, legs going rubbery, the churning sensation low in her belly distracting her. You walked right into that one. He was good at putting images in her head. Her, in stilettos, backed against the barn post while he pushed aside the crotch of her short shorts to...
Black's nostrils flared slightly, and his playful expression shifted intensity. He advanced, and her heart kicked up a notch, his leather and sweet-hay scent filling her senses. Heat flooded her panties. She backed up a step, wad of hay catching the lip of one sandal and making her wobble. His arm shot out to steady her. A nuclear jolt of energy coursed up her arm. She closed her eyes and leaned into him, allowing the sensation to wash over her.
To her surprise, he pressed the boots into her grip and backed away. "If you want to ride, you need to wear boots."
She opened her eyes, her gaze on the worn leather in her hands. "Even for a short ride?"
"You wanted to look for buried treasure, so we're going camping."
Another memory of her grandfather surfaced, of nights sleeping under a sky milky with stars, crickets singing her to sleep. "I haven't been camping in ages."
"I've got the gear all packed." He turned toward the length of stalls.
Her excitement twisted into a new kind of anticipation, rapid heartbeat making her dizzy. "You know where the treasure is?"
"I have some ideas." He clicked his tongue and a dark speckled muzzle appeared over the stall door. "This is Petunia. She'll be your mount today."
Thinking back to Lori's earlier offer, she teased, "I’ll be riding a stallion in no time."
Black turned toward her slowly, his eyes narrowed to mahogany slits and a wicked smile curving his lips. "You will. And I’m going to make sure you’re good and ready."
All rational thought flooded from her head and pooled with scorching intensity at the apex of her thighs. Good God, how’d he do that? She’d been offering crappy innuendos all day, and here he’d thrown her off balance with a single zinger. What would Steph do? She widened her stance and lifted her chin. "I make that decision."
His voice went silken, deep with promise. "And how will you decide which stallion to ride?"
She swallowed as he paced forward, his gaze boring into her. The swell in his jeans told her he was ready, even if she was now weak in the knees. When he reached her, he paused, eyes shifting downward to her lips, throat, then breasts. She could scarcely breathe. He eased sideways, eyes devouring her. Maintaining that intangible connection, he moved around her, so close she could feel his breath on her skin. She craned her neck to follow him, keeping the rest of her body frozen in place.
His warmth stopped moving behind her. A hand gripped her neck, fingers threading into the hair at the base of her skull. Pressing slightly, he drew her head down and to the side. Breath heated her neck as he grazed his chin over the curve of her shoulder, trailing his mouth over her sensitive flesh. He paused, sucking at the curve between her neck and shoulder. Her back arched involuntarily, thrusting her ass against his bulging cock. She'd never wanted anybody this much in her entire life.
Black turned her in his arms, still gripping the back of her neck with one hand. His other came to rest lightly on her hip. He dipped down to nuzzle against her ear, each scrape of his rough stubble sending tendrils of desire quaking down into her belly.
She whimpered in response. Why were her legs going numb?
Black chuckled close to her ear, the rumble vibrating through his chest and into hers. Her hand was splayed between the perfect lines of his pecs, and the desire to feel his skin overwhelmed her. She lowered her palm and let her fingers slide beneath the hem of his shirt. He twitched, his breath leaving him in a hiss when her fingers made contact with his skin. His abs were like ripples of stone, his skin smooth and hot. She let her fingers play up over the ridges until she reached his chest, coming to settle right over his heart. The beat thudding beneath her palm threatened to melt her knees completely.
With a groan, he released her, stepping backward, his smoldering gaze locked with hers. “We need to get moving if we’re going to make camp before dark. Go pack an overnight bag.”
The break in contact made it feel like all the air had left the room. She leaned forward even as he backed away. Her palm tingled, remembering the beat of his heart. She could sense it was taking a lot for him to hold back. His obvious erection told her he was no more finished than she was, and yet he maintained his distance.
Renee cleared her throat. “Now who’s the tease?”
He looked over his shoulder at her, features shadowed by the brim of his hat. “Oh, I promise I’m not teasing. But I’d prefer not to have an audience. We ride in five minutes.”
Audience? She looked around the barn in confusion. There was no one in sight, not even Petunia, who’d retreated into her stall. Only a gorgeously blonde palomino stood watching them from the paddock outside. The horse flicked its tail, gaze disconcertingly intense, and Renee decided she might agree with Black in this instance. That horse was beautiful, but it gave her the creeps.
Breaking eye contact, Renee headed toward the house to gather her toothbrush.
HAPTER FIVE
Black kept his gelding abreast of Renee and Petunia wherever
the trail would allow as he guided them up the plateau. The sensation of Lori watching him seduce Renee had set him on edge, and he was working hard to leave the leader’s scrutiny behind.
Ahead, the sun sat low on the horizon. They’d been riding almost an hour, climbing a gradual rise toward one of his favorite camping spots. Renee swung her head to scan the dry landscape, orange sunlight illuminating the tips of her hair with fire. “Where did my grandfather die?”
The question caught him off guard. He’d been to the spot many times since the accident, trying to picture how his grandma could’ve fallen. The path was narrow, but even with Toliman on her back, it wasn’t dangerous, and there were plenty of wide spots to pause and rest. He sometimes wondered if she’d been running for some reason. To or from something, he’d probably never know for sure. Clearing his throat, he pointed to his left toward the canyon. He couldn’t see the sharp drop, but he knew it was there. “Over there.”
She reined back, bringing Petunia to a halt. “Who found him?”
“Lori.” He stopped a few paces ahead. “The medical examiner determined he died on impact. No suffering.” His voice sounded a scratch too high in his ears. There’d been no exam on Gloryanna. As the ranch vet, he could’ve done a post-mortem himself, but he couldn’t bring himself to cut open his already mangled grandmother. And no one seemed concerned enough to ask.
“What was he doing there?” she asked.
“Someone said there was a yearling stranded over at Pearson’s Point. He and my…Gloryanna went to help.”
“Gloryanna?” Renee shaded her eyes against the low sun. “Someone else was with him?”
“His horse. She was special to him. A very special lady to all of us.” Black’s stomach felt sour talking about this. The herd had mourned the loss of the Lead Mare in their own way, assembling for a gallop from east to west across the plateau to follow the sun. He’d only been able to join them as a rider, not a runner. Remote as the ranch was, tourists still drove a rutted trail over the reserve’s northern ridge to view the wild horses. Governmental wild-herd managers came to count heads and do roundups. Even airplanes flying over could notice the misshapen figure of a centaur. As a result, he was constrained to joining the herd at night, lingering on the outskirts of the family units while they slept, routing away any would-be predators.
Renee blessed him with a soft smile. “You’re very much like my grandfather, I think. You love horses.”
He adjusted his hat and looked out over the horizon. “They’re my life.”
“I wish I’d come back to see him.” Her voice was high and light, like she was fighting back tears, and he regretted they were on horseback so he couldn’t reach out and comfort her.
“He’d be glad you’re here now, looking after his horses.”
They stood a few minutes in silence, looking toward the canyon and allowing the horses to snatch mouthfuls of grass. The sun painted vibrant colors across the horizon, and the evening breeze carried a dusty, resinous scent only a hot day could leave behind. Renee nudged Petunia forward, and the tension left Black’s shoulders. He hadn’t realized how much the area still bothered him.
He directed the horses off trail, up a gradual incline that would lead them to a spot protected by ponderosas and a cluster of giant boulders he’d played around as a child. As if sensing the end of the journey, Petunia bumped up to a trot, jouncing Renee in the saddle. “How much longer until we reach camp? I think I’m getting saddle burn.”
He laughed. “Regret not running away with your friend?”
“I’ve done some crazy stuff, but jumping off a building in a wing suit? No thanks.”
“Not to mention the whole going to jail thing.” His heart thudded a little harder at the thought of her in prison.
“Yeah, prison in Dubai doesn’t sound like a good idea. Thanks for sticking up for me on that, by the way.” She grinned at him.
“I’m a regular knight in shining armor.” He tipped his hat, then pointed to several dark figures outlined against the horizon. His wild kin were less skittish than shifters. “Wild horses.”
“Are they all wild out here?”
“Pretty much. Your land borders the Reserve. We can camp over there.” He gestured with a nod toward a jumble of rocks not too far off where he’d spent the night many times before.
She guided Petunia that direction. “How much of this belongs to the ranch?”
“Around a hundred and eighty acres. Your granddad refused to fence it. He wanted it left open to the wild horses.” And the herd. He was aching to tell her. To show her. But he was trapped here on this gelding instead of his own legs. His mind wandered to what it might feel like to have her legs clutched tightly against his centaur’s withers, her breasts pressing into his bare shoulder blades as she held on from behind. His human body tingled with a desire to shift, and the gelding beneath him danced sideways as if sensing an imminent change.
“Whoa, there.” He used the pressure of his knees to calm the creature and shoved the shifter magic down.
Petunia had continued without him, her head bobbing in time to her stride. She was an unimaginative beast, but that was a good thing for inexperienced riders. Like Renee and her glorious backside straddling the lucky horse. The boots sticking out of her capris looked ridiculous, but he wasn’t going to tell her that after the struggle they’d had over wearing them. The curve of her bare shoulders and neck beckoned to him to kiss her there, nip her gently as a lover does. Pull her hips against him and make her moan as she rode his cock. He had an entire night with her under the stars ahead. Nudging the gelding, he caught up and passed her at a canter. Petunia knew the way from here.
Drawing up next to a ponderosa pine, he dismounted, tied his gelding to one of the branches, and began to unpack the saddle bags. The sky had turned lavender overhead, and beams of light poked through the dusty motes above the sagebrush. By the time Renee arrived, he’d thrown down a picnic blanket and popped open a bottle of wine.
He reached up to help her dismount, running a hand from her knee, up her thigh to her hip, ending with a cheeky pat against her bottom. “You’ve got a nice seat on a horse.”
She grinned down at him. “You’re the expert.”
“Indeed I am.” He kept his hand on the swell of her ass, maintaining eye contact like he never would with a herd member. He loved that he felt no need to look away, no need to play the ranking game. In fact, it felt like she was inviting him to take charge.
Renee made a face and swung her leg over the saddle. “I don’t remember Cookies hurting my ass like this.”
Her ass hovering at face level made his jeans feel tight, and he kept his hands on her hips a bit longer than necessary to help her down. She turned in his grasp, looking up and him with an impish smile. “Have any cowboy remedies for me?”
He brushed a strand of hair from her forehead, letting his fingertip trail around the curve of her ear and down the side of her neck. “‘Fraid you’re just going to have to ride this one out.”
She trembled beneath his touch, closing her eyes and lifting her chin in invitation. Much as he wanted to kiss her right now, he knew better than to start down that path before setting up camp. He wanted to take his time with her, not be fumbling in the dark with a tent.
He brushed his lips across hers in a feather-light caress. “How about you scout for firewood while I finish setting up? Then we can talk some more about my cowboy remedies.”
She opened her eyes, her pupils taking up most of her irises, lips in a playful pout. “Work, work, work.”
He stepped back and allowed her to pass, swatting her butt cheek lightly. She squeaked and hop-skipped a step forward. “All right, all right. Firewood.”
He gave himself the briefest moment to appreciate her swinging hips before tending to Petunia, thankful she was a normal horse instead of a shifter.
HAPTER SIX
Renee held out the wine bottle to offer Black the last few drops. She’d been ready to poun
ce on him all night, but he seemed to want to take things slow. To savor her. The anticipation only made her hotter for him. Everything from a palm pressed to her lower back as she bent to spread out her bedding to the way he let his smoldering gaze linger on her in the dusky light made her panties dampen and heat creep up her thighs.
She held up the last triangle of goat cheese and arugula sandwich. “This is fancier than I imagined for a cowboy camping trip.”
He surveyed the fire through the contents of his wine glass. “I roomed with a culinary student while I was at vet school. He was always bringing home weird leftovers, and I was a starving student. Guess I developed a taste.”
“You went to vet school? So, are you a vet?” She’d thought him a simple creature, a one-note kind of flavor. But she was slowly discovering Black had many layers. Maybe that’s why he was taking things so slow.
“You find that hard to believe?” He raised an eyebrow at her.
“No. I mean yes. I mean…” She licked her lips. “For some reason I never pictured a cowboy vet before. I thought vets were all doctory, with white coats and stethoscopes and stuff.” She’d actually never met a vet, not that she could remember.
“I’ve used my share of stethoscopes. But it’s kind of hard to keep that white coat clean when you’re mucking out horse stalls.”
She laughed. “But you grew up here on the ranch?”
“I was born in the city. My mom died when I was a baby and my grandmother brought me here. I’ve called it home ever since.”
“Is your grandma still around?” So far she’d only met Black, Lori, and the housekeeper, Emile, but she knew there were about a dozen employees on the ranch, most of whom had worked for her grandfather for decades.
Black shook his head, looking down at his lap. “She died about the same time as your granddad.”
Renee’s heart twinged and she took a breath. Here she’d been playing up the pity card with a deceased grandfather and didn’t even know Black’s wound was just as fresh. Actually fresher, since his grandmother had actually been a part of his life. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize.”
