Courage To Believe (Cowboys of Courage 2)

by Charlene Bright

  He nodded curtly. “Your welcome, and I accept your apology. No harm, no foul.”

  He was being so curt, and yet Gillian could see his pupils dilating and hear the strain in his voice. He wanted something more from her, and she couldn’t imagine what it was. “Listen, can we talk?” she asked, suddenly desperate to make sure the air was clear between them. She would be on a plane back to civilization in three days, and if she didn’t get some kind of closure, she’d drive herself mad thinking about him for weeks.

  He shrugged and sat on the desk behind him, his arms crossed. “Talk.”

  She looked pointedly at the deputy, who stood up and cleared his throat while shrugging on his coat. “Hey, Lucas, I’m going to grab a plate at the diner and head back. Can you hold down the fort till Garrett or I get back?” He was practically out the door before Lucas nodded, and Gillian had to hide a smile at how bad he was at engineering a private setting.

  Regardless, she was alone with Lucas now, and she could say her piece. “I should never have confronted you like that in public, Lucas. Even if you had been with another woman, it was none of my business. It’s not like we had an arrangement, and we certainly weren’t dating or together. I was completely out of line.”

  Lucas looked down at his feet, and Gillian followed his gaze. “You know, I don’t think the circumstances were appropriate, but I feel like I gave you a good reason to believe you had some claim to stake. I haven’t exactly been shy about what I want from you.” As he said the last, he met her gaze, and Gillian’s body caught fire at the intensity of his stare.

  At a loss for words with only one thing on her mind, Gillian stuttered, “You know, we’ve…I mean, I’ve…oh, hell.” She hung her head, frustrated, and took a deep breath. When she lifted her head, she didn’t meet his eyes directly. She couldn’t concentrate if she did. “We’ve played back and forth, and I shouldn’t have taken anything seriously. We both talked about our need for freedom. Neither one of us is looking for a future with anyone in particular.” Even as she said it, Gillian had an image of her with Lucas ten years down the road flash in her mind. They would have two kids, and the ranch would thrive. She would move her mother out here to an in-law suite on Lucas’s ranch.

  Shaking it off, she waited for his response, but it seemed to be in vain. He said nothing, and she sighed, looking back up at him. She expected him to send her away or finally tell her just how stupid she was. Instead, he stood and took a single stride forward that nearly put them nose to nose. With the gentlest of hands, he took her crutches one at a time and leaned them carefully against the desk. Then, he rested his hands on her waist as she assured she could balance herself without putting real weight on the boot.

  “I’m giving you one last chance,” he said, his voice gruff. “You can leave now, or you need to accept that I won’t be responsible for my actions.”

  Gillian was a confused mess of timid and anxious energy, and her voice shook as she asked, “What sort of actions are we talking about?”

  “The kind that take your breath away,” he answered, and before she could say anything else, his lips took hers, molding them to his liking as his tongue explored her mouth. She let Lucas take the wheel and drive, relaxing into his embrace and reveling in the sensation of his mouth on hers. He tasted like that distinct masculinity that radiated from him. It was the taste of hard labor and testosterone at its finest, and it satisfied a craving within Gillian she hadn’t known existed.

  With minds of their own, her hands crawled up his chest, around his neck, and into the hair at the base of his skull. It shifted his hat so the brim dipped low over her head. The shadow effect made the kiss seem more intimate, and Gillian lost track of where she was and what she was doing here. It didn’t matter at all, as long as she was in this man’s arms.

  Lucas seemed to fall under the spell as well, and his hands roamed her back and threaded through her hair before sliding down below her waist and cupping her ass to pull her tighter. She no longer had to balance, the majority of her weight resting in Lucas’s grasp. It was the epitome of indulgence, and she didn’t care.

  “I warned you,” he murmured against her lips, the vibration of his words singing down her spine. His fingers shifted and tickled the bare skin beneath her hoodie at the small of her back. Gillian moaned into his mouth, and Lucas grunted in response. “I don’t want to stop here.”

  Neither did she, but there were a lot of obstacles in the way. Pulling back slightly and breathing the words as she worked to take in oxygen, she said, “Let’s go back to your place.”

  He cursed under his breath. “I don’t have my truck. I came in with Garrett.” Well, that was one she hadn’t expected. “How did you get here?”

  Gillian groaned. “My uncle drove me in. I’m supposed to meet him back at the diner.” She closed her eyes and heaved a sigh of frustration. She was on fire, and so was Lucas. How did this sort of impossible situation keep arising between them? Was it fate telling her that this was a really terrible idea? Or was it karma screwing with her to see if she would just walk away from something that could be amazing?

  Running his hands gently over her back as if to relax her, Lucas said, “Here’s what I want you to do. First, realize you’re a grown woman and you don’t have to answer to your aunt and uncle for whatever decision you make about dating or men.” He wasn’t lecturing, but Gillian needed to hear it. She was starting to care too much about what Aunt Carrie would think about her reputation if she pursued something – anything – with Lucas. He continued, “Tonight, you’re going to have your uncle drive you over to my place for dinner. And I’m going to cook for you and take you to my bedroom.”

  That nearly melted Gillian. In that moment, she threw caution to the wind and knew she didn’t care if her aunt thought terrible things. Gillian’s mother knew she was sexually active, and that was all this was. It wasn’t like she was planning to marry Lucas or anything, even if her brain tried to show her eventualities that suggested otherwise. It was a “date”, and a great many dates ended in the morning rather than the same evening. This would be the same.

  “What time?” she asked, not putting up a single argument.

  “Be at my place by seven or the food’s going to get cold.” His smile was mischievous and suggestive. “But that’s just the food. Don’t expect anything else on the menu to get cold. It’s only going to get hotter.”

  The guy was full of what a lot of people would consider cheesy come-ons, but the delivery was so smooth they actually made Gillian’s loins turn to liquid. She would be there, in her anticipation didn’t kill her first.

  Chapter 16

  The scent of sautéed onions made Lucas’s stomach protest its emptiness, and he didn’t know if he could wait any longer for Gillian to show up. He might just have to snack on something if he was going to finish cooking and not turn into an ogre. He reached into the fridge and grabbed the last of the potato salad, spooning it into his mouth and delighting in the sensation of eating.

  He’d skipped lunch, too busy with his calls and too hung up on the woman he wanted to beat with a tire iron as much as he wanted to feel her beneath him in bed. What was he thinking? He was bound to say the wrong thing, and his suspicion about the money was going to come out. Then the evening would be ruined, and they would just end up unsatisfied once again.

  But the invitation was offered, and it had been accepted, in more ways than one. If he could just keep his mouth shut for a few hours, they could get through this, and both of them would be relieved so they could continue their separate lives. It was a pretty good plan, as far as he could tell.

  He opened the oven to check on the salmon, finding it steaming and close to finished. The garlic lime sauce he’d made and the cilantro he’d used for extra flavor wafted an aroma in the air that doubled his ravenous need for food, and he closed the oven quickly. He took the onions out of the frying pan and tossed in the jasmine rice he’d made. He wanted to give it a little something extra, so he s
autéed it in the onion flavor for a few minutes. A few grains were crisped, and the rest were steaming and moist.

  The broccoli was steamed to perfection, and the cheese sauce was nearly done as it started to bubble in the boiler pot. Everything was coming together, and yet, it felt incomplete. Lucas scrambled to figure out what was missing, but he couldn’t identify anything. The knock at the door meant he was out of time, and he cursed under his breath as he turned everything to low so nothing would burn.

  He gaped at Gillian, who wore a form-fitting dress beneath a long, tapered coat that also hugged her waist and showed every line and rounded angle of her body. One foot had a flat dress shoe, and the boot was just an accessory you didn’t notice with the rest of her outfit. She was divine, and with her hair flowing around her shoulders and a little makeup accenting her eyes and cheekbones, she had him at a loss for words.

  “Are you going to invite me in?” she asked with an amused expression.

  That snapped him back to reality, and he stepped out of the way, offering a hand to assist, since she’d apparently left the crutches behind. “It’s an open invitation,” he quipped. “I thought we’d been through this.”

  She took his hand and limped into the house. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  He led her slowly toward the kitchen, letting her set the pace. He wasn’t about to rush her and cause her any further harm. “How’s the ankle?” he asked as he settled her into a chair at the table. It gave him a profound sense of déjà vu, though they were both a little better dressed. Still, he felt like a slob compared to Gillian, and he wished he’d thought to wear his Rockmount shirt and Ariat jeans. He hadn’t expected her to show up looking like she’d stepped off the cover of Vogue.

  “It’s doing okay,” she told him, wrinkling her nose. “The boot is heavy, though. I think I’m going to have to do some weight lifting to make sure the other leg doesn’t look atrophied when the stupid thing comes off.”

  Putting together the plates of food, Lucas chuckled. “You’ll have to use sunblock on the rest of your body and lay out to get an even tan on the booted leg, too.”

  “Don’t remind me,” she groaned. “So, what is that delicious smell? I’m starving, and you’re making my mouth water.”

  Good, because Lucas’s mouth watered every time he glanced her way. “I’ve got salmon baked in garlic lime sauce with a hint of cilantro, served over jasmine rice with sautéed onions and a side of steamed broccoli with cheese sauce.”

  Her eyes grew large as he slid the plate in front of her, and she literally looked like she might just drool. He joined her, with two glasses full of sweet tea, and he held his glass up in a toast. “To consensual adults satisfying a deep-seated need.”

  Gillian blushed profusely, but it wasn’t an embarrassed look. Rather, her pupils dilated, and he knew his words had caught her right in the gut, just as he’d intended. She added, “To stubborn pursuit and triumph.” Lucas smiled, touched his glass to hers, and dug into the food with almost as much gusto as Gillian.

  There was little conversation as they ate; there were a lot more groans and appreciative noises ringing through the air. Lucas felt a sense of pride in his cooking and Gillian’s enjoyment, but he was more interested in those sounds, wondering how much more he could evoke from her in the bedroom.

  She polished off every last bite, and then she leaned back in the chair and took a deep breath. “Dear god, Lucas! That was a ton of food, and it was absolutely delectable. I’d almost think you were trying to fatten me up for the slaughter.”

  He gave her a crooked, evil grin. “Well, I did have plans to eat dessert.” Her flush deepened to a purple tone, and he knew he had her. Acting nonchalant as he took the dishes to the sink, he pretended he was going to take the time to wash them. From the corner of his eye, he watched her, and she wriggled in her seat with impatience. It was highly amusing to Lucas, and he let his movements get more meticulous. Gillian’s frustration was almost tangible, and he wished he had the patience to make her wait until she burst.

  Clearing his throat, he moved to the stove and reached for one of the pans, and the sigh heaved by the vixen at the table behind him was his undoing. He’d achieved his goal, and he whirled, taking three strides to put him at Gillian’s side. Grabbing her and yanking her to her feet, Lucas took hold of Gillian by the waist and devoured her mouth with more eagerness than he had dinner.

  She was just as insatiable, and she met Lucas’s passion with a plethora of desire. He didn’t waste time with formality, instead picking her up and carrying her to the bedroom. He laid her down as gently as he could in his haste, not wanting to cause her pain and ruin the mood. But she sat up and swung her legs over the side. “It might make sense to get the dress off first,” she said in a raspy voice that nearly knocked him down. “It’ll be difficult to do lying down with the bum leg and all.”

  “You’re right,” he answered, his voice just as ragged, and he drew the material over her head as she lifted her arms to help. He could have died happy right then, seeing her breasts swollen and heavy on her chest with her desire. She was absolutely perfect, her breasts perky and her stomach flat. Her skin was flawless, and with her toned legs, Lucas knew for a fact she should be modeling.

  He was so busy staring at Gillian he didn’t notice her reaching for him until she’d started to unbutton his shirt. He stood perfectly still, waiting for her to finish, and then he shrugged out of it while she worked at the fly of his jeans. Lucas was more than ready for that piece of clothing to fall away. His erection was straining so hard against the stiff material he was about to rip through the denim anyway.

  With both of them down to underwear, he helped her lie back again, and he lowered himself over her, supporting his weight with his hands and feet so he didn’t crush her. She seemed so much smaller now, without the clothes, though she certainly didn’t appear the least bit frail.

  He should have told her how beautiful she was, but he was too busy admiring her body and tracing it with his fingertips and palms. He kissed her with long, slow strokes of his tongue that matched the way he caressed her body, and she trailed her nails down his back and over the thin cotton of his boxer briefs, making him shiver.

  He took one sultry breast into his mouth, swirling his tongue around the rosy peak and nipping at it with his teeth, and Gillian arched her back, moaning in pleasure. It drove Lucas wild, and he reached under her with one hand, running his fingers down her spine and over the indent at the base, just above the swell of her ass.

  He moved in to kiss her mouth again, determined to drink every last drop. He loved the flavor of her, the unique blend of spices and natural feminine beauty. And he was going to trail lips and tongue over every last inch of her body before he got to the finish line.

  His emergency cell phone rang, and it took every ounce of his being not to cry out a string of foul curses.

  Breathing heavily, he gazed down at Gillian with longing and disappointment. “I have to answer it,” he told her, his voice barely above a whisper as he struggled to breathe.

  Gillian looked like she might have a heart attack from the abrupt halt in things, but she nodded anyway. This was the story of Lucas’s life. He was always being called off to something that ruined his evening. It went a long way in assuring his determination to stay single. How would a woman he was married to deal with his constant calls, sometimes in the middle of the night, and never knowing just when he might be home?

  All of those thoughts at least killed his desire, and as he jumped from the bed, he grabbed the phone and snapped into it, “What?”

  “Lucas, it’s Mike. We have a situation in Boggy Falls. A young couple took the rapids, ignored the signs, and their raft got stuck on the rocks. They climbed out, managed to grab their satellite phone, and called for help.”

  Boggy Falls wasn’t far, maybe a ten-minute trek through the woods by horse or a fifteen-minute drive, since he had to drive down a back route. But the amount of time wasn’t the point.
“Isn’t there anyone else who can take the call?” he asked, his anger coming through in his tone.

  “You’re the closest, bud, other than Garrett and Shakota, but they aren’t answering. I’m coming, too. I left behind a steak dinner, so whatever you’re bitching about, I’m sure I have it worse.”

  Mike obviously had no clue what Lucas had been doing. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he said, “I’ll be there in ten minutes, but you’re carrying them back to the safety of town. I have other very important things to get back to.”

  “Me, too. The Lions are playing tonight, and I’ve got money on the line.” Mike’s insistence that he was missing out on more than Lucas was starting to become annoying.

  Rather than shouting at him that sex was far more important than a damn football game, Lucas clenched his teeth and told him, “I’ve taken every call for the last month. It’s someone else’s turn. So, if I make the sacrifice and come out, I’m handing the idiots who can’t read signs over to you.”

  He hung up before Mike could argue with any other lame excuse, and he turned an apologetic expression on Gillian. She was sitting up, and she held up her hands in surrender. “I understand. You have to go. It’s your job, and if you didn’t do it well, I wouldn’t be here.”

  Lucas shook his head. “It’s still not right.” He lunged for the bed and kissed her solidly before reaching for his clothes. “Tell me you’ll stay right here, just like that, and wait for me.”

  “I’ll wait, but I may or may not be ‘just like this’ when you get back.” She smiled and bit her lip. “I’ve waited this long, and I’m not going to give up now, especially since I don’t want to wait any longer.”

  Feeling reassured, Lucas hurried out to the small stable, grabbing his utility bag and throwing it over his horse’s back. As fast as he dared push the beast, they headed for Boggy Falls. One thing was for sure. He may be rescuing the couple from their mishap, but someone would need to rescue them again from Lucas’s wrath if they were going to survive.