by Brenda Mott
Sure enough, she didn’t speak for a moment. Her silence and hesitation left him wondering if she wasn’t having second thoughts. She seemed to doubt her decision to reject him. She stopped him from stepping away any farther by gripping his belt loops. “Hang on, cattleman.” She gave him a sad smile. “I may not be sure I need anyone in my life, but I’m also not totally convinced that I don’t. All I can say is I’ve missed you lately.”
“You have?” Confusion of his own churned inside him.
“Oh, I know we’ve been seeing each other at 4-H and all that, but I’ve missed spending time alone together. Like when we were at the lake. Or on the porch swing at my birthday party…and on our horseback ride.” She sighed, long and deep. “I thought I didn’t want to see you anymore, and I was going to try to find a way to tell you that. I was wrong, though.” She swallowed hard. “I can’t make you any promises, but I can tell you this much. I’d like it an awful lot if you’d ask me out on a drive again. Or a ride, or whatever. I want to keep spending time with you, Wade.”
Relief washed over him. “Then that’s what we’ll do.” He reached for her once more, but she stopped him with a gentle touch of her finger against his lips.
“I’m afraid right now I’m wanting you a little too much. So unless you can deal with making love to me while your kids are home alone, then I think you’d better go.”
“Ah, there’s just one thing wrong with that line of reasoning.” He gave her a wicked smile. “Macy and Jason left for Denver about a half hour ago with their grandmother. They won’t be back until tomorrow.”
Tess raised her brow, anticipation and suspicion mingling in her eyes. “Really? Did you plan it that way? Did you mean to seduce me all along?”
“No. Actually, I didn’t—though it’s a great thought. I drove here thinking we’d get into our usual argument when I told you what I had to say. I figured I might need some time to convince you to see things my way. So, yes, I guess I took advantage of the fact that the kids are gone.”
“Is that right?”
“Yes, ma’am. The way I see it, we need to keep seeing each other. At least that way, we can say we gave it a chance.” He swept a stray wisp of hair away from her temple. “Hell, Tess. I don’t know what it is about you that makes me so crazy, but I came over here prepared to do whatever was necessary to convince you that we ought to give this thing a shot.”
“And you feel you’ve done that?”
“I don’t know. Have I?”
Tess put on a look of mock uncertainty. She tapped her finger against her chin and glanced at the ceiling, then back at him. “I’m not sure.” She widened her eyes in innocence. “Maybe I need further convincing.”
“Think so?”
“Oh, yeah.” She leaned into him and dipped her tongue briefly into his mouth. Teasing. Taunting. Getting fully into the moment.
“And just how much convincing will you require?”
“Oh, I don’t know.”
He flicked the tip of his tongue against the corner of her mouth and was rewarded with a moan.
“Maybe an hour,” she whispered. “Or two.”
Wade didn’t need further invitation.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
TESS’S HEART HAMMERED as she led Wade down the hall to her room. She must be out of her mind. How had things progressed so rapidly? One minute she’d been sure she was doing the right thing in keeping her distance from him, and the next she was leading him to her bed.
But she didn’t want to stop and listen to the voice of reason. It no longer made sense, when she felt exactly the same way Wade did. No matter how hard she’d tried to distance herself from him, she’d missed him, and now saw that avoiding him was both cowardly and childish. So she was a little mixed up. So what? On one issue, she was completely clear. She felt more deeply for Wade than she’d ever felt for a man in her entire life, and she and he were both healthy, consenting adults. So what was wrong with making love?
Tess’s body ached at the mere thought. It had been way too long since she’d shared her bed with a man. Looking at Wade as he sat on the edge of her bed and unsnapped his shirt did just as much for her mind and heart as it did for the physical ache deep inside her. He was fun and exciting and nice, not to mention sexy as all get out. What on earth would she do if things didn’t work out between them? Truth be known, she really, really wanted this man to be a part of her life.
Refusing to think about anything except the moment at hand, Tess reached out to help Wade out of his shirt. Then his jeans. He returned the favor, slipping the straps of her bib from her shoulders once more. Trailing kisses across her skin. He made her shiver, then gasp as his caresses heated her body. He tugged off her clothes until she wore nothing more than the lacy panties that were her one feminine indulgence. Lying on top of the covers beside her, Wade raised his eyebrows.
“Lace under denim, huh?” He kissed her breasts, then began to undo the bands on her braided hair. Gently, he ran his fingers through the strands. “Who would’ve thunk it? You’re just full of fantastic surprises.”
“So are you,” she said, letting her hands trace a line down his muscular stomach to the front of his briefs. “I’d taken you for a boxers kind of guy.”
“Nope. Just the traditional, average…” He let the words trail away on a moan as she slipped her hand inside and caressed his hardened flesh.
“Nothing average about that,” she whispered, giving his shoulder a nip. “Mmm, I just want to eat you up, cattleman.”
“Who’s stopping you?” He caressed her nipples, kissing his way down her stomach to her inner thighs. He stripped her of her skimpy panties, using his hands and his teeth, making her crazy with his tongue.
Tess melted beneath him, torn between wanting him to ease up and make the sensation last and letting him tumble her over the edge into oblivion. In the end, she chose to tumble. Then she went to work on him. Making good on her promise to devour every inch of him. He spoke words of endearment and tantalizing encouragement, inviting her to shed every last inhibition. To completely let go and thoroughly enjoy the erotic sensations they created together.
Wade left her body hot and moist with longing, and caused her heart to pound with anticipation and pleasure. She wanted this man, not just physically but emotionally. She wanted to love him and share his life with him. No matter what the consequences. Yet she knew reality would not allow her to do so, and that when he left her bed, be it an hour from now or a day from now, that would be it.
But that didn’t stop her from loving Wade with more than her body. As he entered her and took her to heights she never wanted to come down from, she loved him with her heart and soul, as well.
THEY MADE LOVE for the better part of the morning, then crawled from bed and strolled to her kitchen hand in hand. He, clad only in faded jeans; she, in her panties and favorite oversize T-shirt, the one she usually slept in. “If you’re hungry, I can feed you,” Tess said. “But I doubt I have much you’d approve of eating.”
“Who needs food?” Wade murmured, nibbling her earlobe.
Laughter bubbled up inside her as she pushed him away. “We have to eat, cowboy. To regain our strength.”
“Yeah? Why is that?” He feigned innocence with half-closed eyes.
Tess giggled, feeling silly and happy and very, very content. “Why, you might need it. I’m not so sure I’m letting you go back to the ranch just yet, since I’m working at home today and can pretty much set my own hours.”
“Promise?” He smacked her bottom lightly, then poked his head into the refrigerator after she swung open the door. “Hmm. Cheese. Butter. Eggs. I can make us omelettes.”
“You’re going to cook for me?”
He shot her a grin. “Sure. Why not? I am capable, you know.”
Enjoying herself immensely, Tess folded her arms and leaned against the countertop. “Okay.” She gestured toward the fridge. “Be my guest.”
With a wink, he set to work, whistling as he cracked eggs into a di
sh and added cheese, onion, even some mushrooms.
“Wow. I didn’t think cowboys ate froufrou food.”
“What’s froufrou about mushrooms and onions?” Wade raised his eyebrows in genuine surprise. “I eat ’em on pizza all the time.”
Tess chuckled. “You’re too much.”
“Mmm, and I can’t get enough of you.” He nibbled her neck while the skillet heated. “So I guess I have to cook you something with a little substance if you’re not going to send me home right away.”
Tess chuckled and slipped into his arms, taking his tongue into her mouth. Ignoring the nagging voice in the back of her mind.
If only things were so easy. The two of them making love…happily sharing a simple meal together. But she knew that what was happening between them was a fantasy, just for today. It couldn’t possibly last, because sooner or later, he’d realize just how different they truly were and become bored with trying to fit into her world or fitting her into his. The only sure thing in life was that nothing lasted forever. And knowing that, Tess decided to take what she had with Wade right now and enjoy it. What the heck.
She’d simply pull a Scarlett O’Hara and worry about the rest tomorrow.
THE MORNING of the gymkhana found the temperature at a pleasant sixty-five degrees, though Wade knew it was bound to rise as the day wore on in spite of the light cloud cover and breeze. Enjoying the pleasant moment, he helped Macy and Jason load their horses into the trailer.
Amber went in easily, as usual, as did Jason’s overo paint, Spur. But getting Diego into the trailer was another story. The gelding had been difficult to load when they’d brought him home the night they rescued him from Clem, and Wade had since spent a lot of time with Macy, working to coax the horse past his fears. Diego had shown some degree of improvement for their efforts. But today the horse chose to be stubborn.
“Come on, Diego,” Macy coaxed. “Be a good boy and load up. Look, Amber’s in there. And Spur. You don’t have to be scared.”
“I’m afraid we’re going to have to use the butt rope on him,” Wade said. The training aide was harmless and effective. It consisted of a soft, thick, cotton rope, which you attached to a ring on one side of the trailer entrance, then passed around behind the horse’s hindquarters and looped through a ring on the other side of the trailer entrance, forming a pulleylike guide to ease the animal inside. Most horses didn’t much care for it, painless or not, and chose to climb into the trailer in order.
“Aw, Dad, do we have to?” Macy asked. “I really hate to use a rope on him after what Clem did.”
“You’ve got a point.” Wade sighed. Because of the inhumane way Diego had been bound and tied, he was liable to react with fear to anything more than a lead rope. “All right, we’ll give him a little more time. But if he won’t load soon, then we’ll just have to go without him.”
Macy wasn’t entering the chestnut in any events anyway. The horse needed a lot more work before he’d be ready for that. They’d simply decided to haul Diego to the fairgrounds as a measure of training. Exposing him to the noise and excitement of the crowded arena and surrounding area would be a good experience. It would teach the gelding not to fear such things, and to be calm when Macy eventually did enter him in 4-H events. So, for her sake, Wade hoped the horse would get in the trailer.
His hope was met a few minutes later, when at last Macy was able to coax Diego to load using the bucket of grain they’d been trying to tempt him with for the past twenty minutes. “There you go!” Macy said triumphantly. “I knew he’d do it, Dad.” She beamed like a proud parent, and Wade chuckled.
“Good work, kiddo. Now, let’s go, before we’re late.”
A short time later they pulled into the fairground entrance, and Wade’s heart began to race in anticipation of his seeing Tess again. He couldn’t stop thinking about the day they’d spent making love, and he’d found it more than a little difficult to act normal and casual in front of Macy when they’d attended their weekly 4-H meeting two days ago. He’d wanted nothing more than to take Tess into his arms and announce to the entire room of kids and parents that he loved the woman with a madness that went beyond reason. But instead, he’d kept their secret, exchanging an occasional stolen glance or discreet wink with her.
Now his visual search was rewarded as he spotted Tess standing next to her own horse trailer, brushing her paint mare. She wore jeans and a T-shirt, and her hair was plaited in a single braid. Today, she’d abandoned her ball cap, and had on a straw cowboy hat. He loved the way it made her look. Like a cute, saucy cowgirl.
She turned to smile at him, her freckled nose wrinkling in a way that had him on fire all over again, then waved her slender fingers in a flirty, come-on-over-here sort of gesture. Being around Tess was like being around a rainbow after a hard storm, and he reminded himself that he needed to tread lightly. She’d made no offer of anything beyond what they’d shared the other day, and he truly wasn’t sure he could offer her anything more than that, either, if he was to be completely honest with himself.
Clamping down on what his heart felt, making every effort to listen to his head, Wade parked near Tess’s vehicle and got out of the truck. “Hey,” he called to her.
“Hi, Wade. Macy. Jason, that is one good-looking paint you’ve got there. I meant to tell you that the last time I saw you with him.”
“Thanks.” Jason glanced toward the horse trailer with pride, then grinned at Tess. And Wade noticed something that hadn’t quite registered before. His son no longer gazed at Tess with the moony-eyed look he’d had in the past. As a matter of fact, Jason had been doing a lot of talking about her lately, in the same way Macy so often did. And from the sly glance his son now turned on him, Wade got the sudden feeling his kids were in cahoots, plotting to throw him and Tess together. Not that he’d mind, but it was another red flag, warning him to be careful. His own heart notwithstanding, he didn’t want the kids to get hurt.
“I see you brought Diego,” Tess said, walking around to the back of the trailer. “Did he give you any trouble loading?”
“Some,” Macy said. “But I finally coaxed him in with some sweet grain.” Her eyes sparkled with excitement. “I can’t wait to ride him in the arena.”
“Now, hold on there,” Wade said. “I don’t know about that. We’ll just saddle him and see how he acts while we lead him around the fairgrounds first.”
“Your dad’s right,” Tess said. “For now, Macy, you ought to just walk him around the fairgrounds. Maybe tie him to the trailer after a while and let him get used to the sights and sounds. But keep an eye on him if you do.”
“Okay.”
Wade should have been filled with annoyance that his daughter so readily listened to Tess, whereas she frequently fussed with him, but he wasn’t. Tess was Macy’s 4-H leader, so he supposed taking instruction from her came naturally. But there was something else about Macy’s easy relationship with Tess. Something that gave him a good feeling. He knew it had to do with what he’d shared with Tess the other day.
Watch it. The voice inside his head reminded him yet again that he’d taken a really big step in making love with her and that he’d be a fool to completely abandon caution now. But another voice told him it was too late to turn back now, and he’d be an even bigger fool not to relax and see where things led.
Wade nodded toward the parking lot. “Looks like you’re going to have a pretty good turnout.” Already, the area was quickly filling with trucks and horse trailers.
“Looks like,” Tess said with a grin. “I’m sure happy about that. I need to do everything in my power to keep WCHR up and running strong.”
Her statement left him with another sudden realization; that he really had gone soft when it came to Tess. While he’d always supported the kids’ 4-H projects, he’d never dreamed he would see the day he’d be taking part in a fund-raiser to benefit a horse sanctuary.
Trying not to dwell on the many things Tess had caused him to do lately, Wade turned to
Macy and Jason. “Let’s get these horses unloaded, you two.” But he couldn’t resist giving Tess a long look over his shoulder. One that reminded her he hadn’t forgotten their lovemaking, and that let her know he’d like to take her in his arms right now and kiss her senseless. If not for shocking his kids and Mallory Baldwin, the biggest gossip in the county, who’d just pulled into a nearby parking spot with her own five kids and huge gooseneck horse trailer, he would have done just that.
A short time later, with Amber and Spur saddled, Macy and Jason rode off to look for their friends. Wade saddled Diego and led him around by the lead rope attached to his halter.
From the back of her paint, Tess raised her eyebrows. “You’re going to work with him?”
“Why not?” He returned the teasing look she gave him with one of his own.
“You mean you didn’t bring Dakota?” She fought a smile. “I was sure you’d want to enter in the pop-and-boot race…or maybe the egg-and-spoon.
“Don’t push it,” he growled, loving the familiar routine of sparring with her. He had a feeling Tess enjoyed it just as much as he did. Unable to resist, he led Diego up beside her horse and leaned close to Tess’s saddle. With one finger, he motioned her to bend down and allow him to whisper in her ear.
She did so, and he cupped his hand and spoke softly. “I don’t need to ride in the gymkhana, because I can think of a much better, way more fun way to get hot and sweaty.”
Tess turned a cute shade of pink and rapped the brim of his hat with her knuckles. “Behave yourself, cattleman. This is a family event.”
“The other one could be, too,” he muttered as she rode away from him toward the arena. If a baby were involved.
A baby. With Tess. Oh, yeah. That was gonna happen. Shaking his head at his wild thought, Wade walked Diego in the direction Tess had gone. He might as well take the horse right over to where the action was. It would give him something to do to take his mind off Tess.
The kids found him a short time later. They were clutching sign-up sheets for the fun events they wanted to enter. Wade signed the release forms, then dished out entry-fee money, pretending to grumble over the cost. Macy rolled her eyes at him and Jason grumbled right back. Wade smiled. What the heck. He grudgingly had to admit it was for a good cause. Watching Diego begin to recover and witnessing the happiness the liver chestnut had brought to Macy had given him a whole new outlook on Tess’s rescue work, even though he couldn’t see himself ever taking part in it on a regular basis. Still, he had to admire her for working hard at what she believed in.
