Uninvited Visitors_A Riverton Crossing Novel

by Savannah Maris

  Cat smiled and tried not to laugh. “You’re right. After you left the bar and Jamison followed you, I thought maybe this had gone on too long, and the charade may have pushed you to her. I saw the way she touched you.” Tears welled in Cat’s eyes. “I told Buck I wouldn’t work with him anymore, but we did get some pictures which was the whole purpose of tonight.”

  She reached her had up and cupped the side of his face. “I never thought you’d show up at the bar.”

  “Now I know how you felt at the hospital. I’m sorry.” Thomas turned into her hand.

  “I’m glad you don’t want the play the fucking game anymore.” Humor danced in her eyes.

  Thomas pulled her to him and kissed her passionately. When he broke the kiss, she said, “Let’s get you some coffee.”

  Cat led Thomas toward the kitchen. “Sit down.”

  Thomas did as he was instructed. “So this is really over?”

  “I think so.” She shrugged. “I’ll check the account on Monday, then I’m done.”

  “So now what?”

  “I chose you over him. He left town, and you forgave me for spending time with him.”

  “Uh huh,” Thomas said.

  Cat snapped her head to look at him. “You do forgive me for this, right?”

  “What did we accomplish, Cat?”

  “Hopefully enough that the Secret Service can get a grand jury subpoena for Mr. Jones and whoever else is involved.” She knelt between his legs. “And we know we can’t stand to see each other with someone else, so this better be the real deal, Dr. Gregory.”

  The coffee maker beeped, so Cat poured him a big mug of black coffee. When she returned she handed it to him and sat in the chair beside him. “Did I hurt us?”

  Thomas cut his eyes to her. “I don’t know. Getting the picture of you and Buck out of my head may take me a little while. How far would you have gone with this?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Would you have really cut me loose? Would you have slept with him?”

  Cat’s hand went to her mouth. “Please tell me that’s the alcohol talking. Thomas, my heart has always belonged, and will forever belong, to you.” She reached out to twine their fingers together. “By the way, the pictures we got may have been of the men who spoke to you. They watched you closely the whole time you were in the bar.”

  “You didn’t answer my question.” Thomas stared directly into her eyes.

  “I wouldn’t have slept with him.”

  “So, you would have ended us,” Thomas said more than questioned.

  “If it came down to keeping you safe, yes,” Cat whispered. “Only because I love you.” She never broke eye contact.

  Thomas stood and put the coffee mug in the sink before he turned toward the door.

  “Why are you leaving now?”

  He turned. “Since I can’t stay the night yet, I better go because all I want is to bury myself inside you for a week.”

  22

  Cat woke with puffy eyes from crying most of the night.

  She couldn’t believe Thomas didn’t make love to her before he left, but maybe he’d had so much to drink that he couldn’t. She’d never seen him drunk, and she didn’t like knowing she was the cause of it. What had she done to this man?

  She rolled out of bed a little after nine. She’d promised Kayla she’d go horseback riding today, but now thought about canceling. She wouldn’t be very good company, and she didn’t need to play twenty questions about her brother. When Cat turned on her phone, there were two texts messages.

  Thomas: I’m sorry for last night. We need to talk.

  Kayla: See you at noon. The horses will be ready.

  She sent a quick reply to Kayla: See you then.

  She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. With sadness weighing her down, Cat moved slowly. What could she and Thomas have left to discuss? Would she have really cut him loose if it came down to it? She couldn’t answer that. She hoped and prayed she wasn’t so selfish she wouldn’t or couldn’t put Thomas’s best interests above her own.

  Noon came quickly as she pulled into the driveway at the Riverton Ranch. Kayla was down by the corral where only one horse was saddled. Cat waved to her as she approached, but the scowl on Kayla’s face didn’t look good.

  “What’s wrong with you?” Kayla asked.

  Cat shrugged. “It’s a long story that I can’t discuss right now.”

  “I swear you and Thomas are driving me crazy,” Kayla said.

  “You’ve talked to Thomas?”

  Kayla looked away, and then back to Cat. “Yeah, a couple of days ago.”

  “Oh. Are they bringing up another horse?”

  Kayla moved one foot to make an arc over the other in the dirt. She fidgeted for a few minutes without looking at Cat. Finally, she lifted her head. “Look, Cat, I don’t know what’s going on, but Thomas asked me a couple of days ago to invite you out to ride. He’s talked to Mitchell about the horses, and I don’t know what else. All I know is that I’m to give you this.” She reached under the horse’s saddle and gave Cat a rose.

  “You’re to follow the trail, and you’ll find a nice surprise at the end.” She hugged Cat. “Good luck.”

  Tears stung Cat’s eyes again. She didn’t think she had any tears left in her, but apparently, she did. Cat swung her leg over the horse. “Thank you, Kayla. Do you know where I’m going?”

  “No, just follow the roses.” Kayla pointed in the direction of the first one.

  Cat headed out but stopped and pulled the long stem out of the ground. She remounted and looked for the next one then went in the direction the roses led. She was getting tired of stopping to pick them out of the ground but loved the anticipation it was causing. There were so many at this point Cat didn’t know how she was going to get down and back on the horse. She finally paid attention and realized there were saddlebags. How could she not have noticed this before? She placed the roses in them and continued on her way.

  The farther she rode, the louder the river became. Finally, she came upon another horse tied under a tree. When she was beside it, she dismounted and followed the roses up the path to a boulder beside the river. The smile on her face grew because she remembered this boulder from her teenage years. She followed her roses like Hansel and Gretel followed breadcrumbs in the woods. When she turned the final corner, there stood Thomas with a single red rose in his hand and the brightest smile on his face. This was her Thomas, not the man who showed up last night.

  “Hey, honey. I’m glad you could make it.”

  “Hey.” Cat looked around at the picnic spread out on the boulder. Everything was beautiful. “Picking up the roses took some time. My legs and butt got a workout. I’ll be sore tomorrow.” She giggled.

  “I’ll gladly massage them for you if you’ll let me.” Thomas stepped closer and held out the rose. “I’m so sorry for last night, Cat. I’ve never experienced jealousy before and seeing you with Buck sent me over the edge.”

  “Thomas, you knew it wasn’t real,” Cat quietly said.

  “I know, but it gave me a glimpse of what life would be like if you were with someone else.” He shook his head. “I didn’t like the vision or the feeling, especially after I’ve experienced what life is like with you.” He kissed her forehead.

  “Dammit, I cried all night because of you, and then again when Kayla told me to follow the roses. Don’t make me cry anymore. I won’t be able to see through my swollen eyes.”

  “Can you forgive me?”

  She nodded against his chest because she didn’t trust her voice. Thomas pulled back and cupped her face with both hands so she’d look into his eyes. “I love you, Catherine Livingston. I’m so sorry for being an ass.” He gently kissed her lips. When Cat closed her eyes, tears ran down her cheeks. How could she stay upset with him?

  When he broke the kiss, she held his stare. “Please don’t do that again. I didn’t like you drunk. It kinda scared me.”

  “I don’t
do it often, but last night was for the wrong reason. I’m sure I said things that hurt you, but I wouldn’t ever physically hurt you, Cat, and you know it.”

  “I know, but the mental stuff is just as bad. I thought you were going to make love to me last night, but you didn’t. You left me feeling abandoned,” she whispered.

  “I don’t know if I could’ve gotten it up to make love to you, honey. Let’s sit down.” He motioned toward the quilt. “I brought lunch.”

  “Looks delicious.”

  They sat on the boulder and enjoyed the food Thomas had brought. When they’d finished, Thomas pulled out the tray of chocolate covered strawberries. He held them up with a devilish smile on his face, bending his finger telling Cat to come to him.

  Even with the quilt covering the boulder, it still hurt her knees as she crawled toward him, but she didn’t care because he looked yummy, and so did the strawberries. With a playful smile of her own and mischief in her eyes, she licked her lips while keeping her gaze locked with his.

  “Mmm, you know how to tempt a girl, Dr. Gregory. Was that part of the Hippocratic oath?”

  “No but experiencing the joy of healing those who seek my help is, and from the look on your face you are in need of a healing only I can provide.” When she came close enough, he pulled her in. “Tell me, Ms. Livingston, what kind of healing do you seek?” Thomas placed his lips on hers, and within seconds dropped the strawberries as he deepened the kiss. He thickened in his shorts and rubbed against Cat.

  “Ahh, Thomas,” she moaned.

  “Will you let me make up for not staying last night?” he asked against her lips.

  “Yes…”

  Thomas pulled back from Cat and moved the strawberries. “Get on your back, honey. I’m going to make you feel good.” He rolled her over. Once Cat was on her back, Thomas was between her legs and opening the berries. “They aren’t as pretty as they were earlier.” He chuckled as he removed the first one from the package.

  “Open.”

  Cat opened her mouth as Thomas brought the strawberry toward her. When it touched her bottom lip, Thomas said with a gravelly voice, “Bite.” He never broke eye contact with her as she closed her mouth around the strawberry. His tongue snaked out when he saw juice squirt out the side of her mouth.

  “Damn, that’s hot.” His tongue licked the juice. “We need to get you out of these clothes, honey. I need strawberry juice all over your body.” His eyes danced with pleasure. “Finish this one while I get your clothes off.” He held the rest of the strawberry to her mouth.

  “Oh, God, Thomas, they taste so good.” Cat tried not to let the chocolate fall when it cracked.

  “You’re going to taste good.”

  Thomas worked on her boots and shorts. As he pulled her shorts down, she lifted her bottom, and he stopped to look at her. How had he gone so long without being inside her? He couldn’t move as everything hit him at once. She was his, and he wanted to tell the world. He always knew at some point in the future he’d ask her to marry him, but he didn’t anticipate this gut check today. He didn’t expect to want his future to start right now.

  He took a staggering breath as she asked, “Thomas, are you okay?”

  “Yeah.” He smiled as he fought back the tears. “Everything is perfect. You’re perfect.” Thomas leaned forward. “Sit up so I can take off your shirt and bra.”

  He tugged on the hem of her T-shirt. When the shirt cleared her head, she laid back down on the quilt as he brought another strawberry to her mouth. “It’s your turn,” she quietly said.

  Thomas shook his head. “I’ll eat one later. I need you to bite this one.” His eyes focused on her mouth.

  She did as he requested. As she chewed the berry, he brought the ripe fruit to her nipple and covered it with the juice. He took a bite so more of the sugary goodness would flow and coat the other nipple. Cat’s mouth was slightly open, so he fed her the rest of the strawberry as he went to work on her breasts.

  “Mmm,” she moaned. He raked his teeth across her areola and latched onto her. “Ahh,” she cried as he sucked her into his mouth. “Oh, Thomas,” she whispered before he started on the other breast, his hand massaging the one he just left. Her breathing was heavy.

  “Please…”

  “Please what, honey?”

  “I’ve missed you. I’m close. Please don’t make me wait,” she begged.

  “Just for a little while, but not as long as normal. I don’t think I have it in me today.” He hoped his smile conveyed his need.

  Thomas kissed his way down her body to find her already wet with need, so he placed her legs over his shoulders and ran his tongue from back to front, needing to suck her little bundle of nerves. She quivered with his first pull on her clit.

  “Oh, God!”

  “Come for me, Cat.”

  She shook as the wave of euphoria ran through her, and he stayed between her legs until he licked the last drop of her sweetness. Cat was panting as he crawled back up her body. “That’s the best taste on the planet.” He pressed his lips to hers and plundered her greedy mouth with his tongue as she squirmed under him. He looked at her longingly when he ended the kiss.

  “I need you.”

  “You’ve got me, Cat. I don’t want to hurt you on the rock so it may be better if you’re on top.” He winked before he rolled them over.

  Cat pushed his shirt up his body before he ripped it over his head. He’d just settled on the quilt when he heard the zipper of his shorts release. He was as hard as the rock he laid on because of the woman resting between his legs. Her fingers gripped his shorts and underwear as she slid them to her, and her eyes were focused on his crotch as if she couldn’t wait for the first view of his cock. She licked her lips, and he groaned which caused her head to pop up to look him in the eyes.

  “You’re killing me, honey.”

  The sexy, playful smile that stretched her mouth made him want to take the control back and move this at his tempo. By the time the head of his cock was released from his pants, pre-cum was dripping from the end. Cat’s eyes moved to follow his line of vision. With eyelids heavy from desire, she licked the drop of liquid and moaned. Fuck! He sat up and gripped her hips to move her on top of him.

  “I can’t take anymore, Cat,” he growled.

  Her smile grew wider as she rose to her knees and guided him inside. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as she slowly descended on him.

  “Fuck, that feels so good.”

  “Yes,” she moaned at the same time.

  He laid back as she slowly rocked on him. “Yeah,” slipped from his mouth before he placed his hands on her hips and helped her move up and down. He wasn’t far from coming but wanted her to get one more. “Give me one more, honey. I know you can.” He rocked his hips up.

  “Ahh,” she cried as her hands fell to his chest.

  “That’s right. Support yourself. I’ll get us there.”

  He held her hips and pumped up into her. Her body flushed, and she screamed before he unloaded inside of her. She collapsed, and he pulled her close as their breathing was hard and heavy. Disengaging from her body was the last thing he wanted to do, but he knew they’d be more comfortable on their sides. As he pulled out, her brows furrowed and an unhappy sound left her. He rolled them to their sides where they were face to face.

  “I don’t want you sore because I’d like to be back there tonight,” he softly said.

  Her face flushed. “I’d like that too.”

  “Are we good, Cat?”

  “You tell me. Are we?”

  “I’m good as long as Buck is gone.” He placed a finger under her chin and tilted her face toward his.

  “He’s gone,” she softly said.

  “Am I forgiven?”

  “Yes, as long as I never experience a repeat of last night.” She smiled sweetly.

  Thomas shook his head. “You won’t, promise.” He gently kissed her forehead. “Why don’t we get all this cleaned up, and then you
spend the weekend at my house?”

  “I don’t have any work clothes there.”

  “Can you get some and bring everything you’ll need with you? Later we can get you a duplicate of anything for you to leave at my place, okay?”

  “I’m not buying two sets of clothes.”

  “Not clothes but hair stuff and makeup—just stuff you like. You can leave whatever clothes you want anytime.” Thomas’s eyes bounced back and forth between hers, judging her reactions. “I was thinking part-time at your house and part-time at mine. What do you think?”

  Cat sat up. “Are you serious? Is that what you want?”

  “I want more than that, Cat, but I thought this would be a good first step.”

  She stood and turned to face him. Her smile reached her eyes, and he knew that look. This was Cat truly happy. He stood and wrapped his arms around her waist.

  “Well?”

  “Yes, I think it’s a good first step.” She rose to her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Yes,” she whispered into his ear even though he thought it was meant more for herself than him.

  They dressed and packed up the picnic then made their way back to the horses. “How many roses were there?”

  “Thirty-five,” he said.

  Cat’s eyes widened then furrowed. “Why the odd number?”

  He turned her so he could look in her eyes. “Because you’re the final rose to complete the third dozen.”

  Cat’s hand flew to her mouth and tears welled in her eyes. “Oh, Thomas, that’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.”

  He quickly kissed her. “I mean it, but I have to confess that I got it from my dad.” He chuckled. “I liked it and always knew I’d carry on the tradition with my wife.”

  Thomas helped her get on her horse. He had a rope around the horn of his saddle and attached the picnic basket. Once he was seated, he pulled the picnic basket between him and the horn as they made their way toward the barn at a slow pace. About halfway back, he asked as nonchalantly as possible, “Who do you consider your family, hun?”