by Sara Orwig
“I can’t wait,” he said, sipping his beer. “Are you sure this house wasn’t your idea? This doesn’t look like something Thane would have built.”
“The house I grew up in is a two-story frame and brick house with five bedrooms, six bathrooms, a three-car garage, a great room, a family room, a dining room and a kitchen. Nothing like this. I think Thane had ideas we would fill it with people and kids but that isn’t ever going to happen now.”
They walked down the hall to double doors that were open. She stepped inside and he followed her into what would be his suite, starting with a living area with floor-to-ceiling windows and glass doors that slid open on to a wide balcony.
“It’s beautiful,” he said. His voice had changed and he set his beer on a table as he turned to her. “Now that we’re alone, it’s time for what’s really important,” he said, slipping his arms around her waist and leaning down to kiss her.
She couldn’t say no. Her heart missed beats as she wound her arms around his neck, stood on tiptoe and kissed him in return. She moaned softly, pleased to be back in his arms.
“Tell the staff to go home soon. I don’t care if I ever eat. I want you, Vivian. I want you in my arms.”
She clung to him, kissing him, knowing she was going to have giant regrets, yet she couldn’t stop. All week she had dreamed about him, about his kisses, about his arms around her, holding her tightly. She ran her hands over him as they kissed.
“Which room do we sleep in tonight? In here? In yours?”
“Mike, we’re going to get hurt.”
“I can’t say we won’t. But that doesn’t stop me from wanting you.”
They kissed and conversation ended temporarily. Finally, she raised her head. “I didn’t ask you to move into my bedroom.”
“Okay, we can move—”
“No, we’re not moving in here.”
“Fine. You and I know how to walk down a hall. That’s what we’ll do. You can’t tell me you don’t want this,” he said, his mouth covering any answer she might have had.
She knew this was folly and she was headed straight for heartbreak. He would never change and all too soon he would leave the Tumbling T and tell her goodbye, but she couldn’t resist when he was kissing her senseless and she couldn’t deny that she wanted him to. She didn’t want dinner and she doubted if he did, but they’d have to go eat and then come back upstairs where they could be alone.
“Mike, let’s go sit downstairs and make some semblance of having dinner and spending the evening together without going to bed.”
She wasn’t sure if her words were getting through to him. He seemed intent on running his fingers along her cheek, his eyes never leaving her. “So soft,” he whispered. Then he looked up at her. “All right. We’ll go downstairs for a while. How soon will the house empty out of the other residents?”
“About half an hour after dinner,” she said. “So we might as well go ahead and eat something.”
He nodded. “This takes great restraint. I’ve thought about you all day long and wanted you in my arms. I dream about you at night.”
“Mike, asking you to move here wasn’t an invitation to move into my bed.”
He caught her chin with his hand, bent his knees so he was on her level and could look directly into her eyes. “You don’t want to make love tonight?”
“You know I do and I can’t resist you, but that isn’t smart and that is not why I wanted you to move in here.”
“I’ll do what you want. I’ll sleep in my bed and leave you alone to sleep in yours if that’s what you want. But the least you can do is let me kiss you and squeeze you and—”
She backed up. “You’re not paying attention. We should avoid all that physical stuff if we want to avoid a boatload of hurt. You’ve seen where you sleep and you know where I sleep. We’ll have lots of time after dinner. Right now while Francie is getting dinner on and Henry is underfoot, let’s go back downstairs and sit and talk until we’re called to dinner.”
“Fine, Vivian. I’ll act as if I have little interest in you or your luscious, sexy body.”
She threw up her hands. “I give up.”
He moved closer to talk softly in her ear. “You, my darlin’, love sex, love making love and you are as eager as I am when the opportunity arises. During dinner, it won’t hurt for you to go ahead and think about kisses afterward.”
“Mike, you are shameless,” she said, but she tingled and wanted to be in his arms, and she couldn’t stop thinking about kissing him later. She wanted more from him while at the same time she knew that wasn’t going to happen and she should treat their affair as lightly as he was because she hadn’t wanted to fall in love with him. That would mean rushing straight into more hurt and another broken heart. He didn’t want anything from her except sex and she was already getting a heartache over him. Had she already fallen in love with him? She hoped not.
As they left the suite, she asked about his day.
“I have some news—Leon turned in his resignation, so he is out of your life for good. He’s got a job on a horse ranch in southwest Texas. Everyone wished him well. His last day is next week. I doubt if he’ll come say goodbye, but if he does and you want me around, just call. I have an idea that this may end Clint’s information source on where you are, but that’s a guess on my part.”
“I’m glad he has a good job offer and he’ll be gone soon. It’s wonderful news. I think your moving in here will take care of my neighbor, too.”
“Your problems are solved,” he said.
“No, they’re not,” she said. “But Leon leaving and you moving in take care of two big ones that I needed help to handle.”
He stood looking at her and she tilted her head. “What?”
“You look beautiful, Vivian,” he said solemnly.
“Thank you,” she answered, wondering what was bothering him because he looked worried. “We should go down for dinner.”
“You’re right.” He walked downstairs beside her without taking her arm, which she found unusual. Was he thinking about Thane? She didn’t know Mike well enough to guess what made him so somber all of a sudden so she decided just to ask.
“What’s wrong, Mike?”
He turned to meet her questioning gaze. “You are an observant one, aren’t you? Actually, I was thinking about us. I don’t want to hurt you ever, Vivian.”
She smiled and patted his hand. “I don’t want to hurt you, either. Maybe we both should use a little more restraint and caution. After all, you may disappear out of my life when your three months are over. If I’m not careful, you could say goodbye and go, taking my heart with you. I can’t go through that after losing Thane.”
“We’re not that serious, Vivian.”
“You’re not. And I’m not yet. Besides, you’re never going to change, Mike.”
“Don’t tell me again that I’m an alpha male. I know that’s how you see me.”
“They don’t change to beta males or whatever the other kind is—the ones who don’t have to run the show and be top dog.”
He leaned close to whisper, “We’re fun in bed.”
She pushed him away. “You have a one-track mind.”
When they got downstairs, Henry told them their dinner would be served out on the patio where they could enjoy the warm spring evening. Mike held her chair out and then sat facing her. Gone was his solemn expression, replaced by a cheerful smile and a positive attitude as he talked about the ranch.
Mike ate heartily, clearly enjoying his meal. As he cut into his meat, he smiled at Vivian. “You’re right. Francie can cook. This meat is delicious—our own and so tender I can cut it with my fork. The veggies are from the ranch, too, aren’t they? The greenhouses help, but this is asparagus season and steamed asparagus from the garden can’t be beat.”
“I agree, Mike. Francie is a great cook. She’s widowed but she dates Merrick, one of the cowhands who work for you. I expect them to marry one day and I hope I don’t lose her.”
After a few minutes, Vivian sipped her water and placed the glass on the table while she looked at Mike. “You told me about your family, Mike. A little bit about them. Where are they now?”
“In Amarillo, Texas. Mom didn’t finish a high school education and she had four boys. We’re all scattered now but we take care of Mom. We’ve bought her a house, have someone to clean for her, someone to take care of the yard. She has lots of friends and has a church group. She’s happy and she’s seems to be doing okay.”
“That’s good.”
“She took care of us. Now we take care of her. It’s a simple equation, but a lot of people don’t get it.”
Vivian and Mike both passed on dessert and moved inside to the family room to get out of Francie’s way while she cleaned up the patio table.
“My things are in the pickup,” Mike told her after a while. “Maybe I should take them in now.”
“Go get your stuff moved so you and I can kiss.”
“Now you have my full attention and cooperation.”
It was fun having him around. But she admitted the truth to herself. She was falling in love with him and she knew he would not return it. He was not in love with her and he never would be unless her family lost their fortune.
“Stubborn, stubborn man,” she whispered, hurting because Mike was so many great things, so capable, kind, brave, funny—but so old-fashioned. That always came up, each time she was with him. She knew he was well-fixed for himself and cared for his mother financially. Other than that, she didn’t know how much money he had, but it wasn’t an issue for her. She sighed. How could she have fallen in love with someone so difficult?
Tonight, was she going to be in his bed? Or Mike in hers? She knew the answer. It was just another link in the chain that would bind her heart to him. He would never fall in love with her. All he could see was her financial worth, which to him translated to power. And that went against everything he was—something he made her aware of every time they were together.
She got up to see if she could help Francie finish so the woman could retire for the night. Francie was still putting things away and Vivian began to help in spite of her protests.
“You’ll be through and then you can go. Thanks for dinner. It was delicious as always.”
“Thank you.”
After a few minutes, they finished and Francie told her good-night, leaving for her suite on the third floor.
Vivian walked upstairs to see how Mike was doing and met Mike at the top of the stairs. “I was just coming to see how you are doing.”
“Henry helped and we’re finished moving me in.”
“You do travel light. That didn’t take any time at all.”
“No, darlin’, and that gives me a lot more time for you. Henry has gone to make some outdoor rounds and then he’ll go home, which I suppose means the third floor. In the meantime, let’s go try out my new digs. I’ll bet you’ve never spent the night there.”
“Henry takes care of locking up the house and setting the alarms every night. But just in case of an emergency, I’ll show you how to do it. I can do it from up here,” she said. “See that little box?” She started to turn to point, but his arm wrapped around her waist.
“There is only one thing I can see, and that is you. I’ve waited for this moment for almost a week now. I want you, Vivian. You look sexy and beautiful tonight. You just take my breath away when I look at you.”
She gazed into his eyes that had darkened as they always did when he was aroused. The look he gave her made her heart beat faster. She wanted his kisses and wanted his arms around her, holding her against his heart. She wanted to hold him and try to avoid the knowledge that she couldn’t hold him long. He would always leave her and someday he wouldn’t return and she was going to have another big heartache. She knew all that, but she was determined to grab all the happiness she could...for as long as she could.
He kissed her, his tongue touching hers, ending her worries, making her forget everything except Mike and his lovemaking.
While he still kissed her, he picked her up to carry her to his bedroom. There was only a sheet on the bed, but she didn’t care as he stood her on her feet again.
He wound his fingers in her hair. “I haven’t slept for thinking about you, for wanting you,” he said gruffly, looking into her eyes.
“Vivian, I want to kiss and make love to you all night long,” he whispered while his hands moved over her. He peeled away her red blouse, tossing it aside as she unfastened the buttons of his cotton shirt. Soon all their clothing was gone and he picked her up to kiss her. She wrapped her long legs around him, holding him tightly as he moved to the bed and laid her down. He left her only long enough to sheath himself in a condom and then returned to her. Lifting her astride him, he filled her with his manhood.
He caressed her breasts while she moved on him, his thumbs circling her nipples as he thrust into her. She set the pace, riding him faster, her hair flying across her shoulders. Her need built, and he thrust deeper, harder and faster until finally she cried out with her climax, moving wildly on him. After he shuddered with his own release, she collapsed on him.
He stroked her gently, his fingers combing through her hair and continuing lower over her back, down over the curve of her bottom, playing lightly along the back of her thigh.
“That was rushed,” he said, his voice husky. “Next time will be slow for you. I want to pleasure you for hours, to excite you, make you reach the most climaxes ever. I want my hands and my mouth all over you and I want you to touch and kiss me,” he said, raising his head to kiss her shoulder.
She slid down beside him and he pulled her close into his embrace. “You’re quiet, Vivian.”
“I want you in my arms, Mike. At least for tonight. I’m not going to be in your bed every night and you’re not going to be in mine.”
“Shh. Stop worrying. This is just the first night. You can sleep in your room tomorrow night and I’ll go back to the guesthouse if you want.”
“No, just sleep in here without me.”
“Fine. But tonight we’re together and I want to hold you and to make love to you. You are so sexy, darlin’. You have no idea what you do to me,” he whispered. “Stay here with me now. I want another night with you.”
“How can I resist you, Mike?” She kissed him passionately, rolling on top of him, and in minutes she felt his arousal again.
They made love once more and afterward, she fell asleep in his arms.
* * *
The next four nights she didn’t see Mike at all. He ate with the men and he didn’t come up to her house while she was downstairs. She missed him. The farewell party for Slade was going to be Thursday night and he would leave Friday for south Texas.
On Tuesday at about six, she heard a pickup and glanced out the window to see Mike heading toward the house. He had on working clothes, a cotton shirt, jeans, his gray hat and his boots, and he looked fantastic to her. She hurried to meet him.
“Hello,” she said, opening the back door.
“Damn, I’ve missed you,” he said, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her.
For a couple of seconds, she didn’t know whether to tell him to slow down or to kiss him back. His lips took away her decision. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she clung to him and kissed him in return. The only thought she had left was how much she wanted him.
Finally, he leaned away, his gaze roaming over her. “You do look good enough to eat. Or something even more fun. Damn, I’ve missed you,” he said again.
“I’ve missed you. What brings you here?”
“The party for Slade. What ca
n I do for you? Do you want Henry and me to cook? I can barbeque.”
“Fine. If you’re half as good as Henry, we’ll have a wonderful dinner.”
“I’ll get ribs and steaks—how’s that?”
“Excellent.” She gave him a brief rundown of the other party plans. “I think we’re getting things lined up. How’s it going on the ranch?”
“I’m trying to help Slade get ready to move when his sons come up and I’m busy trying to do my job, too. That’s why you haven’t seen me.”
“I thought maybe you decided to stay in the guesthouse.”
“No, I’m staying here. See, this place is so big you don’t know who’s here and who’s not. I’m in my suite, but not until about ten or eleven at night. Want me to call you and you can come over tonight?” he asked with laughter in his voice.
“Thank you, but I’ll pass at that hour. I may be sound asleep.”
“I’ll promise to get you back to sleep.”
Laughing, she shook her head.
“I’ll get back with you, darlin’. For now, I just wanted to see about the party. We’re going to have a crowd. People in the next six counties know him and like him and want to say goodbye.”
“I’m sure of that. Thane certainly loved him.” She felt the sadness then. “It seems like he should be here, Mike.”
He hugged her. “It seems like that to me as well, too, and often—but not because of the ranch. I didn’t know him here.”
“Out-of-the-blue it just hits me that Thane’s gone and he’ll never be back. Sometimes it takes my breath away. Other times I can cope with it.”
“It’ll get easier with time, I guess.”
“It already has a little. Part of that is because of you. You’re full of life and you’ve filled a void.” Turning to Mike to fill that void meant taking big risks that she would be hurt even more because Mike would never really fill the void. She didn’t expect anything lasting with Mike. He was helping her get over Thane, but in doing so she was going to fall in love with him and be hurt again.
