I grabbed a couple of steaks from the fridge and grinned at her over my shoulder.
“I’ll give you the grand tour after.”
“After?” She gave me a saucy look. I could tell she was ready to tell me again that she wouldn’t sleep with me. I held up my hand to stop her. I didn’t want her saying that again. I didn’t even want her thinking it. I wanted her relaxed and uninhibited.
I was very experienced at selling people something they already wanted.
In this case, we wanted the same thing.
Her lips wrapping around my cock. Her riding me until dawn.
She just wasn’t ready to admit it yet.
Slow and steady, Caleb. She’s worth it.
5
Riley-Ann
I should’ve left the second Caleb shoved his key into the lock of the large double doors at the front of his ranch-style house.
Or right after he sauntered through the dark, wide hallways of his massive home to the kitchen, using only the moonlight to guide him. Or when he started pulling raw steaks from the bottom drawer of his stainless steel double fridge and poured me a drink. Or just as he poured me another drink and took over his custom kitchen, preparing the steaks with the mastery of a top chef. Or when he served me my third glass of whiskey and then led me out to his backyard, and my fourth drink after he got the barbecue going to grill the steaks.
But then, he set down the three-thousand-dollar bottle of Glenfiddich Speyside 40 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whiskey in front of me on the heavy glass-and-wicker table of the outdoor patio dining set where I was lounging. And when he flashed a broad smile and disappeared inside the house, it was too late. I’d had far too much to drink by then. It was like the cocky cowboy knew I wouldn’t turn down such a rare blend of scotch. Which meant I couldn’t drive for at least a few hours.
And when he returned wearing just sweatpants slung low on his hips, I knew I was in trouble. Hell, I couldn’t look away. The man was built like Adonis. His olive skin showed off every line and ridge of his massive bare shoulders and arms, muscular pecs and washboard abs. Those sweatpants did nothing but draw my attention to his sizeable bulge.
The only chance for me to leave tonight was to stop knocking back the man’s booze, to start guzzling as much bottled water as possible, and to stop drinking in the man’s gorgeous body with my eyes while I devoured the delicious medium rare steak he made me.
The water was great, but I was still thirsty.
And the steak? Superb, but dammit, there was a new hunger spreading out from inside me.
I slowly ran my tongue along my bottom lip. Suddenly the steak wasn’t the only thing I wanted to taste. The way I saw it, it was all his fault.
“Ready for another?” he asked, pulling me from my thoughts.
My gaze snapped up past his rock-hard abs, which I was still mentally appreciating when I met his eyes. “Sorry? I’m not sure I… Can you repeat the question?”
“I asked whether you were interested in seconds… as in another steak.” He lowered his chin and glanced down his own body, and a cocky smile rose up on his face. “But if you’re in the mood for… something else, I’d be happy to oblige, Riley-Ann. Just say the word.”
“Thank you very much for the hospitality,” I told him, my voice tight in my throat as I did my best to remain polite. No way was I going to dis him in his own home. I’d learned that much from my parents, more from a place of self-preservation than of courtesy. With one steak and two bottles of water already in my tummy, I was sure they were sufficient to start counteracting the effects of all the liquor I’d drunk. And I couldn’t stay here anymore, not when the odds of me falling into bed with him were way up off the charts. “But I’ll have to say no to both offers. It’s late. I should go.”
“Are you sure about that?” he asked. God, this man already had a knack for pushing my buttons. His tone was full of arrogance, as though daring me to leave.
“Very.” I pressed my palms down on the table and winced at the loud scraping sounds I caused as I pushed my chair away from the table to stand up. Picking up his truck keys and my purse, I turned around, intent on making it back through the house to his truck out front the same way he led me here. It didn’t matter whether he helped me this time or not. I was confident that I could find it on my own.
But what I should’ve been thinking about was whether or not my legs would carry me.
They didn’t.
The fickle bitches buckled under me on my first hands-free step away from the ever so supportive table.
Shit, shit, shit.
Like a tree about to fall, I was going down. Slowly. Everything around me was now moving in painstakingly slow motion. It was as though my brain wanted to ensure that I wouldn’t miss a single detail as both my pride and my ass tumbled to the ground. I saw my hands stretch outward to grip whatever they could reach, but nothing was there. In the process of doing so, I let go of Caleb’s truck keys, which went flying on a trajectory toward a cluster of well-trimmed shrubs lining the lawn beyond the patio where we had been sitting.
My purse fell next. My open purse. And out scattered everything from my wallet and loose change to my house keys, from my makeup bag to the tampons I kept in a side pocket for emergencies. And one bright pink foil-wrapped condom. I couldn’t remember how long it had been since I tucked that thing into my purse. To be responsible. Just in case. But tonight, it found its way out. And out it went, headed off in a different direction from most of my other belongings.
But just as I braced myself for the crash landing, just as I tensed up my butt cheeks to take the brunt of my weight, Caleb was there.
He caught me.
I don’t know how he crossed the room, but he found his way and got beside me. With his strong arms and his impeccable timing, he was there, ready and waiting to catch me as I fell.
I’d really tried, but couldn’t dismiss the gesture, as cliché as it sounded in my head.
“You did this to me,” was the first thing I heard flow out from my lips as he supported my back with one hand and helped me up.
“Is that how the kids are saying thank you these days?” he asked smugly, anchoring my shoulder and left side of my torso against his warm, firm, naked chest to support my weight in case my legs gave way again.
“No,” I answered. “It’s not. We still say thanks.” I lifted my head to meet his eyes, and my cheek grazed his collarbone. That slight movement did unspeakable things to every cell in my inebriated body, heating me up in places, causing other spots to tingle, and demolishing every bit of resistance I had left.
“Nice. You’re welcome, by the way.”
“So… you’re pretty fast for your age,” I slurred. That wasn’t what I’d been planning to say to him. I’d meant to actually thank him, but the alcohol was talking. “For breaking my fall, I mean,” I added quickly, although the words sounded rather slow and garbled as well. “I mean, you came all the way from over there,” I muttered. With only my right side free to move, I pointed to where he’d been standing. But my arm moved a lot further than I’d intended, and before I knew it, my palm had made contact with his face. “Oops…” I didn’t quite slap him, but hell if I knew how it might’ve felt for him. The only thing I knew was that my now grabby hand wasn’t ready to stop touching his chiseled, stubbled jawline. “Sorry. That was an accident… Wow… has anybody ever told you that your beard hair is really soft? I mean, it’s so smooth. What brand of razor do you use? Or is it the shaving cream?”
“You need to sleep it off, Miss Riley-Ann.”
“What? No, I’m fine.”
“I doubt it,” he answered. In one swift movement, he leaned forward and hooked his other arm under my legs, picking me up.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I demanded.
“Putting you to bed.”
“I told you I’m not sleeping with you.”
He motioned inside with his chin. “There are a couple of guest rooms in there. Not to w
orry. I promised I’d be a perfect gentleman, didn’t I?”
“Look, I’ll be fine in like, less than an hour,” I insisted but he strode inside anyway, leaving all my purse contents and his keys wherever they landed. “Really, I just need to give it a bit of time for some of the top-shelf booze to get out of my system. And I can’t leave my stuff out there.”
“I’ll get them for you in a minute,” he said, then brought his mouth close to my right ear and added in a low, raspy growl, “After I tuck you in.”
6
Caleb
Damn, but the lady was beautiful!
I leaned against the door jamb to the open guest room, checking on her for the fourth or fifth time since late last night. She rolled over in the bed, exposing a hip. Yeah, I’d given her one of my Italian cotton night shirts. I’d even helped her get into it. Without looking.
Well, without looking much.
I was only human after all. I’d caught a glimpse of long, supple legs and the lacy edges of a white bra that was somehow innocent and the most suggestive thing I’d seen in my life.
Even now, I walked real slow as I crossed the room to pull the blanket over her long, unbelievably sexy leg. Her skin was warm and silky smooth. It looked like honey, and I wondered if it tasted as sweet.
Sweeter, I hazarded a guess.
I pulled the soft flannel sheet up and sighed forlornly. I hated covering up all that beauty. But her lovely face was still exposed. I shook my head, turning to go when I heard a yawn.
“Is that coffee I smell?”
I tried to hide my grin, crossing my arms and nodding. I leaned against the wall by the door, not wanting to crowd her.
She gripped her head and sat up.
“Ow! Oh Christ, remind me never to drink with you again.”
I shook my head slowly.
“No.” She scowled at me and I held up a hand. “But I will tell you to drink a little less next time.”
She looked at me. I was dressed already in a pair of worn in jeans and an open button down shirt. I hadn’t bothered to button it yet. I caught her staring at my bare chest and hid my grin.
Oops.
“Wait.” She looked around, her eyes wide. “Crap, did we…”
“No, hon. I told you I would be a gentleman and I was.” My smile widened. “I like my bed partners a little more conscious.”
She glared at me, throwing the covers back. She stared at her bare legs in shock. The look she gave me was pure outraged female.
“I was wearing jeans when I got here last night!”
I nodded.
“I gave you a nightshirt. Your clothes were awfully tight and I wanted you to be comfortable.”
Her gorgeous eyes narrowed suspiciously. God, I wanted her bad. I could not remember being this interested in a woman. Ever.
“Gave it to me, or put me in it?”
“You needed a little help. What could I do? I couldn’t leave you naked. I mean, once you started stripping…”
She threw a pillow at me and I ducked, laughing my ass off.
“I’m just teasing, sweetheart. I didn’t look you over. I even turned the lights out.”
She made an unladylike snorting sound of disbelief that had me laughing again.
“Come on. I gave you that hangover. The least I can do is cure it.”
She shrugged and then winced. I could tell she had a hangover. But she looked perfect to me. I tried not to stare as she stood up. She looked damn good in my shirt with her hair all tousled like she’d been rolling around in the sheets.
The woman was way too fine. It wasn’t fair. I barely stood a chance.
She slid her long legs into those tight jeans of hers and I sighed.
“Where’s my top?”
“By the window.”
She reached for it and I cut her off.
“Leave it. The griddle’s already hot.” I smiled. “Plus you’re already covered up enough.”
“Okay.”
She followed me barefoot back downstairs to the kitchen. I handed her a cup of coffee in silence as she perched on a stool at the island. She sighed blissfully at the first sip. I took the opportunity to check out her toes.
What cute little piggies she had…
I got to work, frying eggs and bacon on the sizzling hot cast iron griddle. I flipped a few flapjacks too. I offered her tomato juice without speaking and she nodded. I put a plate in front of her and then leaned against the island across from her.
She thanked me politely and then got into it, eagerly cutting into the food and taking a large, but not unladylike bite. She closed her eyes as she chewed in ecstasy.
Dear lord, I liked watching the woman eat.
“Aren’t you eating?”
“I already did.”
I took a sip of my coffee as she digested that fact.
“You weren’t even tipsy last night were you?”
“I was. But not by the time I carried you upstairs. Women metabolize alcohol differently.”
“I knew that!”
She glared at me then looked at her food, spearing a piece of bacon with her fork. She ate the rest of it quickly, clearly eager to be on her way. I leaned in real close when I took her cleaned plate away.
“Satisfied?”
She blinked and her cheeks got warm. I let my gaze linger on those sexy pillow lips of hers. I opened my mouth slightly.
“I… uh…”
Oh yes, she was most definitely flustered. I stood back suddenly, just around the time her eyes started to glaze over. I had no doubt I would have Miss Riley-Ann in my bed. Soon. There was a powerful attraction between us.
She just had to come to grips with it.
Sadly, today was not the day.
“Grab your stuff. I’ll give you a ride.” I looked her up and down. “You can keep the shirt if you want.”
She looked down at herself.
“Uh… I’ll return it if that’s alright.”
“Suit yourself.”
I watched as her cute little ass disappeared up the stairs. I waited by the front door, settling my wide-brimmed Stetson on my head. She stopped short when she saw me.
“Nice hat.”
“Thanks.” I held the door open for her. “After you.”
She gave me a curious look as we walked down a winding path.
“Aren’t we taking your truck?”
I shook my head and opened the door to the stables.
“It’s time for my morning ride.” I took her arm and guided her down the wide aisle where Samson was being prepped by my stable staff.
“Thanks, Billy.”
He nodded and handed me the reins. I noticed he did his best not to stare at Riley, though he did sneak a few looks. Not that I blamed him. The woman was insanely beautiful. I smiled, deciding to give him a raise.
“You can pet him.”
Riley reached out and ran her hand over Samson’s smooth muzzle.
“He’s beautiful.”
“He’s one of my tranquil horses. No need to worry.”
She looked nervously at me.
“I’ve never…”
“Don’t worry. I’ve got you.”
She took my hand and stepped onto the mounting block. She swung her leg over and I helped hoist her up with one hand on her lower back and one on her thigh.
It would have been easier and more fun to grab her ass but I knew she would probably smack me.
I pulled myself up behind her and got comfortable.
Hmmm, it was real nice being this close to her. She smelled like heaven. And her curvy backside fit against me like a glove.
She was stiff as a board though. I grinned, realizing she hadn’t thought this through.
“What are you doing?”
“Taking you home.”
“Don’t you have another horse?”
I chuckled.
“You know I do. About twenty-five at the moment.”
“So. Ride one!”
“I’m ju
st fine right here. Samson can handle two of us.”
I clicked my teeth together and we were off. She tried to stay stiff and angry but that didn’t last too long.
“Lean back, you’re going to be sore sitting like that.”
She sighed and gave in. I nearly groaned at the feel of her against my chest. I knew the scenery had done a better job relaxing her than me. Wide rolling hills covered my property, much of it mowed, but I was working with an environmental horticulturalist to return the land to its natural glory. There were paths everywhere for horseback riding, and we were building raised paths to allow access for foot traffic to avoid interfering with nature as much as possible.
We could ride through my property nearly to the other side of town, but we wouldn’t have to go the full length to get close to where Riley lived.
My arms were around her, holding the reins. I gathered them in one hand and let the other fall to her lap. I pressed my hand to her midriff and buried my face in her neck.
“Christ, woman, you smell good.”
“You are way too forward.”
But she didn’t move. Didn’t sound too disturbed either.
“The truth is, it’s hell on earth trying to keep my hands off you.”
“This looks more like a slice of heaven…”
We were at the crest of one of the largest hills for miles. There was green and gold as far as the eye could see. I turned her gently in the saddle to face me.
“I want to kiss you, Riley-Ann.”
She looked at me, then at my lips.
“Okay.”
I inhaled sharply before taking what I wanted. My free hand gripped her hip, holding tight onto those sexy jeans of hers. My lips came down soft but pressed hard after a minute, silently asking for her mouth to open. As soon as her lips parted, my tongue slipped inside.
She froze for a moment, then she was kissing me back. Riley was a very good kisser. Not practiced though. She was just… natural.
Perfect.
I groaned and let my hand slip down to her bottom. I couldn’t help what happened next. I squeezed.
The effect was instantaneously.
Riley hauled back and slapped me.
Winning the Virgin: A Western Billionaire Cowboy Romance Page 3
