by Mandy Baxter
“You said it, doc. Because I can guarantee you that any stories about what goes on in the privacy of my own bedroom aren’t being spread by me.”
Yeah, sure. What man didn’t brag about his conquests? Especially one with the bragging rights Ryder supposedly had. “Knowing the damage it would cause, what woman in her right mind would go around blabbing to the entire town that she’d hooked up with you for the night?” She might have sounded disbelieving, but Lara had to admit that the biggest complaint from most of Ryder’s former flames was that he rarely came calling a second time. And though it was totally unfair to lay all of the blame at his feet—it took two to tango, after all—Lara needed whatever flimsy excuse she could muster in order to keep her distance.
She hauled herself up into the saddle and put her heels into Samson’s flanks to spur him into action. He took off at a trot and behind her, she heard Ryder urge Dakota to catch up. Within seconds he was riding beside her, his expression a notch below steam coming out of the ears. “I don’t kiss and tell, doc. What I do in my bedroom is my business and no one else’s. Including yours. But I can’t control what people say about me and I’m not about to try.”
No, it wasn’t any of her business. Still, she couldn’t help the twinge of jealousy that tugged her emotions in a direction she wasn’t exactly thrilled about. Was it really the gossip that bothered her so much or the string of women who came before her, all vying for even a scrap of Ryder’s affection? He never stayed with a girl for long, and as far as she knew, he’d never had a serious relationship. Lara didn’t want to be simply another woman who walked through the revolving door of his bedroom, though.
“You know,” Ryder shot back as he rode up ahead, “I can’t help it if women are attracted to me. Or if I’m attracted to them. Should I become some sort of hermit, forsake all women just to appease the clucking hens as you called them?”
Yes, damn it! Lara didn’t know why she was so worked up, but was it too much to ask that he not cat around town quite so much? The fact that she wanted Ryder despite her own rocky past, and despite what she was trying to do for her future was reason enough to keep him at arm’s length. It was an unreasonable thought, sure. She was afraid to take him up on his many invitations because she didn’t want to want him. That didn’t mean she wanted any other woman to have him, though. “I just wonder if it’s worth it, is all. Is your reputation worth a few meaningless one-night stands?”
***
By god, it was if it meant getting a woman like her all to himself. Nothing about Lara Montgomery was meaningless, though, and he was going to make sure she realized that by the end of the weekend. She was trying to antagonize him, erect a wall between them. But he wasn’t going to let her do it. Lara could push his buttons all she wanted because he was going to be sure and push back.
“Maybe you’re afraid,” Ryder remarked as he steered Dakota around the herd to push them into the corral.
“Afraid of what?” she challenged.
“To acknowledge that someone might want you enough to not give a shit about anything else but having you all to himself.”
Lara brought Samson to a stop beside him and said, “I don’t want a man to own me, Ryder. I’ve had my fill of men who can’t tell the difference between wanting a woman and treating her like a possession.”
Her somber words gave him pause and Ryder sat astride Dakota, watching as she walked Samson toward the stables. The fear behind Lara’s blue eyes was real, as was the slight quaver in her voice when she spoke. It wasn’t Ryder who’d spooked her, but something—or perhaps, someone—else dredged up memories that it was obvious Lara would rather forget.
How could he possibly convince her that his interest in her had nothing to do with some petty conquest and “owning” her? If anything, she owned him. Hell, he’d spent thousands of dollars on a horse he had absolutely no use for just to get her out here. She owned his every waking thought and even his body, which responded to her in ways that no other woman had managed to coax from him. With nothing but a look Lara could awaken every nerve in Ryder’s body. Own her? It wasn’t ownership when you gave yourself over freely. And he was going to do everything in his power to make her see that.
Ryder decided to give her a few moments before heading after Lara into the stable. Though she’d thought to unveil some great revelation by letting him in on the not-so-secret details of his love life, he was well aware of what folks around town said about him. As well as the women he’d been with. You’d think they’d bagged a trophy buck—a top score on the Boone and Crockett scale—the way they talked about him. And whereas he’d never let the rumors get to him, he wondered what would prompt these women to so salaciously share their sexual exploits with anyone who’d listen.
One of the drawbacks of having money: you never really knew who wanted you for you or for what was sitting in your bank account.
Maybe that’s why he was doing everything short of jumping through flaming hoops to get Lara’s attention. She wasn’t some silly cowboy groupie, like the women who frequented the rodeos in the hopes of landing a bull or bronc rider. And unlike the socialites who slipped him room keys at whatever swanky event he might find himself at, she didn’t see him as a diversion to whatever boredom she suffered. If she wanted his money, like any other gold digger, she would’ve jumped on his cock the first time he asked her out.
Lara was beautiful, feisty, and intelligent. Fiercely independent and not a little stubborn. Ryder wanted her not only for those things, but because she wanted absolutely nothing from him. It was borderline perverse that he’d gone out of his way to buy October, giving Lara a reason to want something from him when he resented every other woman for the same reason. The hell with it, though. He’d started down this road. He had no choice but to follow it to the end.
He hopped down off of Dakota and took him by the reins, leading the stallion toward the stable. Through the large barn doors, he caught sight of Lara standing near one of the box stalls with Samson. The gelding stamped his foot and Lara spoke low next to his ear as she stroked his muzzle. The horse let out a chuff of breath and Lara laughed, the sound vibrating down the length of Ryder’s spine and infusing him with a warmth that urged him to close the space between them. Dakota snorted as though mocking Ryder for his sappiness. Stupid horse. Lara cocked her head toward the sound but otherwise didn’t give any outward sign to acknowledge Ryder’s presence.
Her dismissal made him want to snatch her up in his arms. Lara’s lips practically begged to be kissed, drawn into a stubborn pout. Every curve of her body called to him, countless secrets for him to uncover and explore. Maybe what she needed was for a man who knew her body to show her how good she could feel. And goddamn it, he was going to be the man to do it.
Chapter Four
Lara pulled the saddle off Samson’s back and hung it on a stand in the stable. Without turning around to face Ryder she said, “Look, I’m playing your game, for whatever reasons, but that doesn’t mean I have to sit back and let you humiliate me.”
“This has nothing to do with humiliation,” Ryder all but drawled. “All I gave you was honesty, doc. You should have told me first if you didn’t think you could handle a truthful response.”
Maybe he was right. Damn him. She unbuckled Samson’s bridle and hung it on a hook before giving his backside a pat and sending him into the stall. The truth of Ryder’s words stung. But why? She knew his reputation, had heard all of the stories about his insatiable sexual appetites and the number of women who’d wound up in his bed. So why now, when she had no intention of falling victim to her own desires would she give a single shit who he slept with and when?
“This was a stupid idea and I never should have agreed to it.” She unbuttoned his shirt and already regretted that she was about to give it back. The scent of leather, freshly cut hay, and something else … an almost evergreen tang that was 100 percent male clung to the garment. She wanted to take that damned shirt home and sleep it. Live in it. Revel in
Ryder’s scent until she wore the damned thing down to the threads. Lord, she was pathetic.
“Lara, goddamn it, would you quit being so stubborn and climb down off of your high horse for maybe one minute?” Ryder tossed Dakota’s rig down on the ground in a tangled heap of metal and leather as he stalked toward her, his dark eyes burning with a heat that stole Lara’s breath.
“I’m not being stubborn. I’m being practical. Do you know what people are going to say about me on Monday when they find out I spent the weekend out here?”
“I told you, I don’t give a shit what people say,” Ryder spat. “Never have.”
He closed the distance between them until only a hairsbreadth separated them. The heat rising from his body buffeted her skin and a tremor of want shook Lara to her foundation. A rush of wetness spread between her thighs. It was almost humiliating how ready she was for him. How much she ached to have Ryder Blackwell inside of her. She was no better than any of the other women who shamelessly chased after him. But she’d be damned if she ever begged for his attention.
“Of course you don’t care.” Lara tried to infuse her voice with conviction but all she wanted right now was to submit. Do whatever he asked of her. “You can afford not to care. Whatever happens this weekend, you’ll still be the legendary Ryder Blackwell. And I’ll be nothing more than another notch on your bedpost.”
He reached up and with his index finger, tipped his hat off her head. It tumbled somewhere behind her, but Lara couldn’t be troubled to look. His eyes held her captive, that stare, so intense that it sent a pleasant shiver across her skin. “I’m not gonna lie to you, doc. I’ve wanted to fuck you since the moment I laid eyes on you. But you’re more than a notch on any man’s bedpost.”
Well. That was … up front. Lara tried to swallow, but found her mouth too dry. Ryder was known for his no-holds-barred attitude. She just never expected to see it up close and personal.
“Ryder …” The words died on her tongue as he reached up and swept his shirt from her shoulders. Goosebumps broke out on her flesh as his calloused fingertips blazed a path down her arms and wrapped around her wrists.
He took a step forward and Lara instinctively took a step back. And then another. Her breath raced in her chest as he continued to send her backward until her back made contact with the rough wooden wall behind her. The unoccupied stall was dark and the scent of freshly laid straw invaded her nostrils. His grip on her wrists firm, Ryder lifted her arms above her head and pinned them there with one large hand as he brushed his body up against hers. Every square inch of Lara’s body spiked into hyperawareness. Her nipples tightened, straining against the soft cotton fabric of her bra. Her skin tingled as Ryder bent over her, his heated breath caressing her throat. Her own breath came in shallow pants and she froze, hands pinned above her, as she waited for him to make his next move.
What are you doing? You should stop him. Now. Before you don’t have a shred of dignity left.
His lips settled at her pulse point, his teeth grazing her skin and suddenly, dignity didn’t seem all that important. “You can tell me to stop, you know.” Ryder’s voice was a husky growl that vibrated through her body. The grip on her wrists remained firm, as though he had no intention of letting her go, as his free hand worked its way between them to cup her breast through her shirt. “But I don’t think you want me to.” His thumb brushed her already stiff nipple and Lara gasped as a rush of wet warmth spread between her thighs. The hard length of his erection pressed through his jeans against her stomach and all rational thought left her mind as though sucked through a vacuum.
She arched against him as his fingers moved to her other breast, teasing the nipple through the fabric to an aching point. Lara bit her bottom lip to keep from moaning, but only because she knew that’s what Ryder wanted from her. To make her moan and whimper and beg for his attention. And she wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction.
He continued his unhurried path, his mouth a brand on her skin as he nipped at the rounded flesh swelling above the neckline of her shirt. Lara’s breath sped in her chest as his free hand abandoned her breast and trailed downward, over her ribs and stomach to the waistline of her jeans. Her gaze locked with his and one corner of his mouth lifted in a self-satisfied smirk as he popped the button and eased down her zipper, her arms still caged above her. Though she wasn’t helpless to stop him and was by no means being restrained against her will, the sheer excitement she felt at being held this way was unlike anything she’d ever experienced before.
Ryder’s tongue flicked out at his bottom lip, a slow, languid motion as though savoring something delicious, and watching him made Lara’s knees weak. His right hand slipped past her jeans and dove into her underwear and when his finger slid against her slick folds, she almost came for him right then and there.
“Is all that sweet honey for me, doc?” he asked next to her ear. He pressed his body into hers while his fingers danced across her clitoris, each pass sending a jolt of sensation zinging through her body. “Mmm …” Lara shuddered as his lips brushed her earlobe, his breath hot with his own labored breathing. “You feel so damned good. So slick and soft. I could pet you like this all day.”
That sounded like a damned good plan. She’d been wound as tight as a spring for months, looking over her shoulder, worrying about things that weren’t in her power to fix. Losing October had been the last straw, and the moment she felt the walls of her life closing in like a prison cell, Ryder Blackwell swooped in to set her free.
Lara gasped as he circled her swollen bud, applying the perfect amount of pressure before backing off. Would the price of this freedom be something she was willing to pay?
***
Good god in heaven the woman was perfection. Ryder breathed in deeply, taking her scent into his lungs and holding it there. She took her bottom lip between her teeth and arched into his touch, but he could tell she was holding back and that’s not what he wanted from her. Ryder wanted to hear her moan, call out his name as she came. And the fact that she kept such a tight grip on her control made him more determined than ever to unravel her. He had a reputation to live up to, after all.
She squirmed beneath him, her hands releasing and contracting into fists in his grip. He kept her pinned to the wall, refusing himself any kind of physical pleasure while he rubbed that swollen knot of nerves at her core. The game was one he enjoyed, working himself up as he denied himself what he wanted until he couldn’t wait any longer. And what he wanted more than anything was Lara’s hands all over him, those soft fingers of hers wrapped tightly around his cock as she guided him into her sweet slick heat that dripped onto his fingers right now.
Holy hell, he could almost go off just thinking about it.
He pulled away so he could take in her expression while he touched her. Lara’s blue eyes were heavily lidded before they fluttered closed, her dark lashes fanning against her flushed cheeks. She worked her bottom lip between her teeth, obviously determined not to cry out, but Ryder wasn’t going to let that happen. He’d coax those sweet mewling sounds from her if he had to keep her up against this wall all damned day.
“Open your eyes,” he commanded, brooking no argument.
As though shocked he’d tell her what to do, her eyes flew open, blue fire blazing in their depths. But she didn’t argue, didn’t even make a squeak of protest. She wanted him this way. If she didn’t, she would have told him to go to hell the second he backed her against the stable wall. A slow smile grew on his lips as he locked his gaze with hers and slowly eased off the pressure, teasing her clit with feather-light strokes that would bring her close to the edge without sending her past it. Her breath labored in her chest and he bent over her, nipping at one taut nipple through the fabric of her shirt. She sucked in a startled gasp and his cock throbbed almost painfully from the sound. It wouldn’t be long before he had her sobbing with pleasure.
He pulled back a bit more, and she ground her hips against his hand in frustration. Ryder lea
ned in, his gaze locked on Lara’s, so close that their lips almost touched. “I’m not going to let you come until I hear you, doc. I can keep you this way until you’re dying for me to finish you off.”
It wouldn’t take much. She was already close, her body vibrating against his with each soft stroke of his finger. She urged her hips toward his hand, sliding her clit against him but he shimmied his knee between them, bracing her leg against his. He wanted to dip his finger inside of her, feel the tight constriction of her channel, but he refused himself even that small pleasure. He wanted to leave her sated but wanting more. Because as far as he was concerned, they were just getting started.
“Tell me you want more,” Ryder growled next to her ear.
Her breathing grew more ragged as he increased the pressure, sliding his finger through her folds and stopping short of entering her. Lara’s body tensed and he pulled away, taunting her with a feather-light stroke.
“Tell me.”
He repeated the motions again and Lara’s full lips parted in a silent O that made him want to kiss her until neither of them could breathe. But he held back, his own well-practiced restraint keeping him in control of the situation and himself. He circled her entrance with the pad of his finger, working the over-sensitized flesh and her knees buckled as she let out a whimper not much louder than a whisper. She excited him past the point of reason. His previous partners had relented so easily, playing the game for his benefit, only to give in after a few moments. But Lara was different. Her will rivaled his own and Ryder couldn’t wait to see where the weekend would lead. “Come on, doc. Tell me you want it and I’ll let you come. It’s that simple.”
Her eyes met his, the bright blue depths smoldering with heat. “If you think I’ll give you the satisfaction of hearing me beg, you’ve got another think coming, Blackwell.” Her voice was a husky purr that shot straight to his balls, drawing them painfully tight.
