by Candis Terry
“Aren’t you sweet.” She patted his cheek. “We do like our weddings around here. The more the merrier. Just sayin’.”
Before Chase could delve deeper into the meaning of her remark, she whipped her head around, and said, “Huh. Will you look at that. Old Chester Banks is dancin’ with Gertie West. I’d best go make sure he doesn’t step on her toes. They’re arthritic, you know.”
Chase didn’t know, but he figured Jana’s excuse to escape was probably the most original he’d heard all night.
He’d barely taken a breath, folded his arms, and leaned back against a horse-stall post to watch Faith across the room in her white lace dress, denim jacket, and boots. She’d left her long hair down tonight, and it curled prettily around her face. And while she looked sweet as country pie, he was getting hot and bothered.
The lace dress she wore had a row of buttons all the way down the front from the scooped neckline that revealed a hint of cleavage to the frilly hem that hit just above her knee. He couldn’t stop thinking about slowly undoing all those buttons and unwrapping her like a present. He thought of running his hands through all that soft, silky hair and pulling her bare, shapely legs around his waist.
“She doesn’t have a brother, but I’m willing to wipe that look off your face real fast.”
Chase’s head snapped around, and his attention immediately focused on the three big men surrounding him like a pack of wolves.
“You mind giving me your name first, so I’ll know who’s kicking my ass?”
“Jackson Wilder. These are my brothers Reno and Jesse.”
“I don’t suppose you’d like an explanation of what I was looking at?”
“Nope.” Jesse Wilder stepped in and thrust out his hand while Reno stood back and grinned. “If you knew us any better, you’d know why.”
Chase shook the extended hand, then the rest that came his way.
“We’ve been in your shoes,” Reno said. “Know what you’re thinking. Just be careful. Faith is like family.”
Chase nodded. They weren’t the first to warn him off tonight, but when Jackson said, “If you’re still around after Christmas, we’ll buy you a beer at Seven Devils’ Saloon,” Chase figured the warnings held little bite.
“Sounds great.”
As the trio walked away, Chase laughed. It was nice to know so many people had Faith’s back. But they didn’t need to worry about him breaking her heart.
He, unfortunately, couldn’t say the same for her.
FAITH HAD DONE her work, and now the payoff would come through the generosity of her friends and the community.
While the sweet scent of fresh evergreen boughs and warm apple cider wafted deliciously through the barn, the kindergartners from Sweet Elementary stood on the makeshift stage in their angel costumes and sang “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” accompanied by the quartet who’d volunteered to provide the musical entertainment for the evening. Faith knew she could finally breathe and enjoy herself a little.
Her pleasure stood just a few feet away, leaning against a barn post with his hands in the pockets of a pair of black slacks. The white button-down shirt he wore with the long sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and his dark hair neatly combed back, added a bit of old-world elegance. For whatever reason, he’d forgone the boots and hat for the evening. Too bad. She kind of liked him looking tough and rugged. She wouldn’t even mind seeing him a little messed up, minus the boots, pants, and shirt.
But she digressed.
Apparently a lot where he was concerned.
Temptation overruled sanity, and as she walked up to him, the heat in his eyes reached out and enfolded her in a secret, sexy embrace. Her nipples responded. So did parts further south. She wondered if his thoughts might be headed in the same direction. The sudden smile that lifted his masculine lips said yes.
Every day for the past two weeks, he’d been right there by her side, helping with whatever needed to be done and never complaining. Even though the tragedy of his father’s death still haunted him. Even though he was a paying guest who should have been relaxing and enjoying all the activities and luxuries the ranch offered. He worked. All day. At night, when he could have gone into town to kick up his heels, he’d stayed with her to shuck away the day’s undertakings.
Sometimes they enjoyed a glass of wine by the fire. Sometimes a bowl of ice cream or a slice of Shelby’s fabulous cinnamon apple pie. Afterward, they’d share a healthy dose of passion that included kissing and caresses that could have easily led to the bedroom. Or the leather sofa. Or the floor. But Chase had held back. At the end of the night, he’d go back to his own cabin, leaving her to climb the stairs to her bedroom.
Alone.
With too much time to think and wonder why.
“Congratulations,” he drawled with the tiniest hint of his Texas roots. “Looks like the party is a success.”
“It’s exceeding my expectations.” She smiled as he slowly reached out and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “I just checked the silent-auction bids, and they’re through the roof. The only one that’s lacking is old Chester Banks’s horseback-riding-lesson package deal. You know, the one that says Ladies Only.”
Chase laughed. “For an old guy, he is a pretty big flirt.”
“Which is why the ladies are probably shying away.”
“Maybe I should go place a bid.”
“But you already know how to ride.”
“He doesn’t know that. Besides, it’s for charity.”
“I think you’re the wrong kind of student he’s got in mind. You’d look horrible in a skirt.”
“Like I said.” He shrugged. “It’s for charity. I’m sure not even the flirtatious old geezer could argue with that.”
“Well, Chester may not appreciate it, but my organization would be most appreciative.” She leaned in and kissed his smooth-shaven cheek. While her hormones sighed, she managed a simple, “Thank you.”
“Just how appreciative would that be?”
The naughty sparkle in his eyes set off all kinds of luscious, naked, sweaty thoughts in her head. She laughed. “Are you trying to buy me off?”
He reached down and took her hand. “Would you let me?”
Laughter bubbled up in her chest. “It depends.”
His head tilted. “On?”
She leaned in, and his delicious scent danced like a magic elixir through her quickly heating blood. “On how much you’re willing to pay.”
“I’m all in.” His eyes met hers as his thumb caressed the sensitive skin over the top of her hand. “The rest is your call.”
Exhilaration and anticipation danced through her blood. No sense being coy, she wanted him. Heck, she’d wanted him weeks ago. As she glanced around at her friends and family, who were having a great time, she couldn’t help thinking that another entire hour to wait for Chase to hold her in his arms seemed like an eternity. But her responsibilities weren’t over. She couldn’t just walk out and leave her guests. So she said, “After the party’s over, I’ll meet you in front of the Christmas tree in the lodge.”
As she turned back to her remaining duties, she stopped, and went back to him. “Come prepared to play with some high stakes.” She let her eyes glide down and back up his body. “And I’m not talking cold hard cash.”
His jaw dropped. Just enough to let her know she’d caught him by surprise. But his follow-up grin said he was indeed all in.
Chapter Seven
LATE INTO THE EVENING, the air had turned cool. Cold enough, actually, to send shivers down Faith’s arms as she waved good-bye to the last guest, then walked from the barn to the lodge house. When she lit the fire in the hearth, the heat from the whoosh of flames felt good against her palms as she held them out in front of her.
Just as she’d hoped, the event tonight had gone smooth. Her organization had profited well, which meant she’d have more funds to buy Christmas gifts for the kids and to open the doors to the ranch for several more children. Last summe
r, she’d had an idea to turn custom-built covered wagons and teepees into sleeping quarters for her young campers. The extra cash the silent and live auctions had brought in would go toward making that concept a reality.
She had Chase to thank for all the efforts he’d put in behind the scenes. Even so, he’d refused to let her publicly acknowledge his help. So many questions about him filtered through her mind. What were his plans? Where would he go and what would he do after he left the ranch? While it had been a more than pleasant surprise when he’d extended his stay again, according to the reservation books, he’d be leaving soon.
But would he?
Would he decide to stay even longer? Or with Christmas only a few days away, would he choose to go home to his family for the holidays? Or would he run to try to avoid the memories?
With all that said and done, where would that leave her?
He owed her nothing.
The trouble came because, when she hadn’t been looking, he’d filled the emptiness in her life and her heart she hadn’t even known existed. She’d always consumed herself with the ranch, been too busy, thought she’d been too damaged from her past relationship to ever feel this way again. But Chase had effortlessly worked his way into her life, her routine, her thoughts, and her dreams.
With any luck, tonight he’d work his way into her bed.
He made her feel alive again. Made her visualize a future she hadn’t dared to believe could ever happen. Unfortunately, all of those were one-sided thoughts.
The question remained, what did he think of her?
She glanced up at the mantel clock, where the red-and-amber glow from the flames in the hearth reflected off the glass. The party had been over for a while, and the guests had long gone home. She’d left the mess in the barn to be cleaned up the following day and had gone in the house to freshen up. And wait.
Would he even show?
WHEN FAITH HAD left the barn, waved to the last departing guest and gone into the lodge, Chase stayed behind to clean things up a bit. The task could have waited till morning, but he hoped that tomorrow when the sun rose he’d be too busy holding Faith in his arms and making love to her. He’d gone back to his cabin for a quick shower, and, for the first time since the day he’d arrived, he smiled at the fencepost snowman that stood guard at his door.
Now his feet couldn’t move fast enough through the chill of the night air and down the lit pathway. Above him, the icicle lights twinkled in the wide-spreading oak branches. In front of him . . . what? His destiny?
Anxious, he didn’t bother to knock and, instead, swung the front door wide open. Traditional Christmas music greeted him along with a tail-wagging Doc, who waited for a little rub between his ears before trotting off.
When Chase stepped around the dividing wall and into the great room, he found Faith standing before the fire in a different dress than the one she’d worn to the barn dance. This one fell to her bare ankles in soft, clingy waves of silky white fabric.
The dancing firelight outlined her luscious curves, which often tended to be hidden beneath a baggy work shirt. Beside her, the twinkling lights on the tree created a magic he had never captured in any of the advertising projects he’d worked on over the years.
She must have showered because she’d put her hair up, and some of the thick honey curls that escaped capture, were damp and dangling over her smooth shoulders.
“Damn.”
At his exclamation, she turned. Smiled. Then held out her hand and offered him a . . . toasted marshmallow?
“Don’t need that,” he said. “You look good enough to eat.”
He strode over to her, and, instead of accepting the marshmallow she held out, he wrapped his palm at the back of her nape, then slid the fingers of both hands into her hair and covered her mouth with his.
With both her hands occupied, she couldn’t wrap them around him, but he didn’t mind. Her sweet mouth was doing all the talking he needed at that moment. At her inhaled surprise, he jumped at the opportunity of her parted lips, stroking his tongue against hers, making love to her mouth until she leaned in and plastered herself to his chest.
Missing her touch, he took a momentary break, lifted his head, and eyed the toasted puffs between her fingers. “Why are you holding marshmallows?”
Her eyes blinked open, dazed, then she smiled. “Celebration S’mores shooters.”
Peering inside, he realized the marshmallow had been scooped out, and the toasted shell had become a shot glass for a splash of rich coffee liqueur.
“Clever.” He accepted his, and they toasted, consuming the marshmallow cup as well. When they were done, Faith licked her fingers while smiling up at him. His momentary break shattered, and he pulled her back into his arms. He teased his tongue across her lips, savoring the sweet marshmallow like she was a Christmas treat.
“I want your hands on me,” he said, looking own into her upturned face. “All over me. And then I want to pour the rest of that liqueur all over you and lick it off. Slowly.”
Her flirty smile turned seductress. “Good thing I just bought a new bottle.”
“We have all night. Right?”
“All.” She dragged her fingertip from his top lip down to the bottom. “Night.” She leaned in and snagged his lower lip gently between her teeth. “Long.”
“Then I suggest we don’t waste any more time.” He lowered his head and kissed her, delving deep into her mouth and enjoying the sweet taste of the liqueur on her tongue. Her arms curled around his neck, and the firmness of her breasts pressed deliciously into his chest. He slipped his hands down to her full, sexy hips, then slowly, inch by inch, drew her silky dress up into his hands until most of it was bunched in his palms.
Then he eased the fabric up.
When the silk came off, Chase was thrilled to find that beneath that seductive dress, Faith had only bothered to slip on the tiniest pair of white lace panties with a little white bow at the top.
Firelight and the glittering of the tree lights highlighted her gorgeous, shapely body like a Peter Paul Rubens masterpiece as she stood back and let him look. Never in his life had he been more grateful for a woman who allowed herself to enjoy a bowl of ice cream after a hard day at work, then had the confidence to stand before him and not to try to hide all her luscious curves and dimples.
His heart rate kicked into a zone he’d never reached before, but he had no fears that it would cause him any pain.
Just the opposite.
He reached out, removed the clip from her hair, and watched as the soft curls tumbled over her bare shoulders and down her back.
“My God, you’re gorgeous.” Passion ignited the thick arousal surging through his veins.
“You might be gorgeous too.” Her head tilted, and a smile brushed her lips. “Hard to tell with all those clothes on.”
Laughter tickled his chest, and he surrendered to the heated curiosity in her eyes. He held his arms. “Maybe you can remedy that problem.”
She came forward, and he was immediately consumed with her honeyed scent. He wanted his hands all over her–now–and he didn’t think she’d argue if he took her hard and fast. But with her, he wasn’t in for a lightning round. Tonight, he wanted a pleasure cruise.
“I hope you came prepared to play.” She smiled up at him while her fingers trailed down the front of his shirt, unbuttoning it along the way. When the cotton fabric hung free from his shoulders, her warm fingers played over his chest, ran through the short hairs, then tweaked his hard nipples.
Her soft, seductive laughter rippled through him like the slow build to a hot orgasm. Then she leaned in, kissed his chest, and slicked her tongue across his nipple. “Mmmm. Definitely gorgeous.”
Unable to bear the heavy lust pounding through his veins another second, he kicked off his shoes, yanked a rag quilt off the back of the sofa along with a couple of pillows, and tossed them on the rug in front of the fireplace. Then he pulled her up into his arms until her legs wrapped around his waist
. Her sweet scent engulfed him, made him even hungrier for her.
As the fire crackled in the hearth, and Michael Bublé crooned, “Baby, please come home for Christmas,” Chase eased her down to the floor.
“Playtime’s over, sweet thing. Time to get down to business.”
FAITH HAD KNOWN lust before. She’d known love. But she’d never had the two collide in such a spectacular way as when Chase laid her on the floor and rose above her with such a heady look of desire in his green eyes. It made her head spin.
They’d spent nearly every evening together for the past couple of weeks, and they’d gotten to know each other well. She knew he was a man she could trust with her heart.
But right now, she planned give him her body.
It seemed a great place to start.
He slid his palms down the small of her back and lifted her so he could hold her close to his chest. Kiss her mouth. And make everything inside her cry out for more. Between them, his erection pressed hot and hard against the thin lace of her panties.
“I want you so bad, I can barely hold back,” he murmured against her mouth. “I feel like a teenager in the backseat of my daddy’s old Chevy.”
“No need to hold back.” She moaned as his mouth moved hot and moist down the side of her neck. “I want you bad too.”
He tipped his head back just enough to look in her eyes. “That’s not the way this is going to work, Faith. We’re going to take all night doing this. I know your mind. Now I want to know your body.”
Who could argue with a sentiment like that? Especially when his tongue was trailing across her shoulder, and he was cupping her breasts in his hands and lowering his head to drag a slow, wet lick across her sensitive, peaked nipple. In the fervor of soft touches and hungry strokes, he slipped his hands down her waist, hooked his thumbs in her panties, and pulled them off. When he leaned back to discard them, she realized he still had way too many clothes on.
“I’m game. But if we’re going to make this a marathon, I’d like to be able to touch you too.” She glided her hands over his smooth, muscled chest, then curled her fingers in his shirt and tugged it off his shoulders. When his upper body was bare to her touch, a sigh escaped her lips. Her greedy palms caressed the expanse of that strong chest where the short, soft hair spread between his flat brown nipples, then dipped to a thin trail that swirled his belly button and disappeared behind his zipper.
