“I couldn’t wait for dinner.”
Heat and tingles flowed through her body and the clothes were forgotten as she moved towards him. When she wrapped her arms around his neck, her towel dropped and he groaned.
“Oh, God, I missed you.” he growled and he buried his face in her wet neck.
“I’ve missed you too. I tried not to but I did.” She nipped at the exposed flesh on his chest, thrilled when his body shuddered.
He pulled her to the bed, the towel forgotten on the floor and no other words were needed.
Chapter Eleven
She felt so relaxed, so sexy, that she felt she could live her life in her bed as long as he was with her. She refused to think of New York but as they lay there, Tonya’s words crept like a weed into her thoughts. Eventually the images of the women at the concert also caught seed and she fought to keep them all out. She didn’t want to think of them, she wanted to focus on the love they’d just shared and she closed her eyes against the intruding thoughts.
He couldn’t stop stroking her soft skin and delighting in the heat of her body next to his. Every time they were together he found he wanted her more instead of less. He tried not to compare her to the other women he’d been with because she was so different but it was those differences that made it impossible for him not to compare. She was loving, attentive and wanted to please him. She didn’t race out of bed after making love to make sure her hair and make-up were perfect. She stayed with him, touching and kissing him as if he was the only thing that mattered. She’d been that way when they had made love this time, too, for a time, but he felt her body tense and though she didn’t move to get up, he knew something was bothering her. He make the first move, gently propping himself on his elbow to look down at her. She was so naturally beautiful, her lips dark and swollen from their kisses, her hair spread out on the pillows, her eyes a brilliant blue. He wasn’t blind to see the trouble that brewed behind her eyes and he felt pained that he was the cause of whatever bothered her.
“Rebecca, we can’t work through a problem if you run from me and don’t talk to me. You have to tell me what happened so we can fix it.” he spoke gently.
She closed her eyes, knowing they would have to talk but realized this could be the moment they would part ways. “It’s nothing you can fix, Luke. We are so different, have such different lives. I can’t, won’t, ask you to change yours just as I wouldn’t want you to ask me to change mine.” She knew her explanation was vague and he wouldn’t accept it. He deserved to know the truth, she just didn’t know how to put it into words.
Uncomfortable with bearing her soul, she got up and got dressed. She had to be busy as she told him everything and fixing a meal was a perfect distraction for her. She was relieved when he didn’t push and followed her lead, getting up and getting dressed. He followed her to the kitchen and sat down at the table while she began to prepare their meal.
“You live a very fast-paced life.” she started lamely and decided the facts would be easier than trying to let him down gently. “You have women who throw their undergarments at you, that fight to get up on stage to sleep with you. You have your choice of women and I’m sure they get younger every year but I keep getting older. I’m not going to stay young forever, and Tonya said…”
“Tonya said what?” he cut her off, the anger raging in his voice and she turned to face him, refusing to be scared of another man.
“Don’t you yell at me.” she said hotly
He sighed and put his hands up. “I’m sorry, I’m not mad at you but I’ve had problems with Tonya before.”
She took a deep breath to calm down and went back to cooking. “Tonya said you tend to trade in your girlfriends for younger models and that I should be appreciative for the attention you’re giving me now because it won’t last.”
She jumped slightly as she felt his arms wrap gently around her waist. He put his head on her shoulder and touched her cheek to his. “Is that what’s bothering you? That you’re worried that I’m going to leave you for a younger woman?”
She felt the tears fall from her eyes and nodded. He turned her into his arms and looked into her eyes. “If you haven’t noticed, I’m getting older too. I want someone who gets to know me, that loves me, all of me, gray hair, morning breath and all. I don’t want someone who’s immature, who could be young enough to be my daughter. I want someone who’s stable enough to have my daughter or son, whatever God gives us. I want to grow old with the mother of my children, to play with our grandchildren. And I’m not saying that you are that woman, yet. But I am saying that you are the first woman who has made me think those thoughts.
“I don’t want anyone else and I think we have something special enough to see where this goes.”
He paused to let his words sink in before he continued. “As far as the girls go who throw their panties onto the stage, they are fans. I can’t exactly tell them no but I always throw them up to my drummer and keyboarder, who are single and young and end up spending time with them, not me. And where Tonya is concerned, she’s no longer with the band. She was fired in Seattle. You don’t have to worry about her or her jealousy anymore.”
Rebecca felt a pang of guilt. “I didn’t cause her to lose her job, did I? I didn’t cause…”
“No. Though if I had known what she said to you, she would have been fired back in New York. She was fired because she was caught trying to sell the lyrics to one of my songs that hasn’t been released yet. It was her own actions that got her fired.” he growled, the memory of her betrayal still fresh in his mind.
Rebecca took a deep breath, trying to take everything in. “But I can’t imagine that my life would be very appealing to you. I live in the middle of nowhere and I’m happy here. I love my life.”
“And I wouldn’t ask you to change that. It’s who you are and what makes you happy. It’s not healthy to raise a family in my lifestyle and I need down time. Everyone needs a well rounded life.” he said.
She relaxed and smiled, surprised at where their conversation was going. “I’ve always thought it was healthy for children to be able to travel and see what the world is like.”
Luke smiled and kissed her on the lips. “Very healthy. And there are tutors too. But every family needs a home base, learning about animals, the responsibilities of taking care of them, of nature.”
She pulled away to stir the steak strips as they began to pop and she felt excited and hopeful.
He kissed her on the back of her head. “So are we good here because whatever you’re cooking is making my mouth water almost as much as looking you does.”
She laughed as she got the plates out. “We’re having fajitas. Eat up because you’re going to need your energy.”
“Bring it on, Rebecca. I’ve been waiting for over four months to taste you again and as delicious as your meal smells, I don’t think it will be half as delectable as you.”
* * *
She had been surprised when Luke stayed for another two days. Though he tried not so spend too much time on the phone, she could sense that his managers weren’t happy about his unscheduled trip. It meant a lot to her that as busy as he was, he was making the time for her.
She rode every day, keeping Othello on task and though Luke came down to watch her both days, she heard his cell phone ring several times. She felt bad for him because he tried to stay attentive to her but was frequently distracted by a call or text. She assured him that it was fine, that he needed to take care of business but she heard the frustration in his voice. The evening of the first night they ate delicious fajitas while they sat and talked for hours before ending up in her bed, taking pleasure in each other’s bodies.
She had risen at her scheduled time the next morning, five a.m., leaving him sleeping peacefully. She stopped long enough in the kitchen to make coffee so it would be done brewing by the time she finished morning chores. When she made it back to the house, the smell of the coffee heightened her senses and she walked quietly into the
kitchen. Luke was standing next to the sink, leaning back against the counter, sipping a cup of coffee. His hair was messed up and his five o’clock shadow had bloomed into a light beard on his face. To Rebecca, he looked absolutely gorgeous. He looked at her over his cup, a smile reaching his eyes.
“Do you get up at this ungodly hour every morning?”
She laughed as she reached past him to grab another cup. “Yep, every morning. Chores need done, I’ve got hungry critters and they don’t care how little or how much sleep I get.”
“I don’t know how you do it. I would be a zombie wandering around every day.”
“Well, to be fair, I’m usually in bed by nine or ten at night.”
“Yeah, but still, five a.m.? That’s when I’m usually heading to bed.” he laughed.
“You have a much different lifestyle, though. We adjust to our own timelines.” She paused, frowning. “I didn’t wake you up, did I? I tried to be quiet.”
“You were quiet as a church mouse. The quiet is what woke me up. No traffic noises, car doors slamming, horns, cell phones ringing, you know, what I am used to.”
“Oh.” she answered, dismayed that he wasn’t able to sleep.
He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. “Don’t fret about it, Rebecca. So what’s on the agenda today?”
“The norm for me. Turning the mares out, cleaning stalls and working with Othello.”
He nodded his head thoughtfully. “Do you have a horse I could ride? Maybe you could show me some of your beautiful property?”
She choked a little on her coffee. “You want to ride? Sure I have a couple of horses you could chose from. Have you ridden before?”
“Most of my youth and up until I hit it big. Then I never had a lot of time. I wish I was able to ride more often.”
She stared at him in astonishment. There was so much she didn’t know about him and what she was learning endeared him to her even more. “Well, let’s eat some breakfast. That will give the horses a chance to eat and stomachs settle.”
He pulled her into his arms and kissed her passionately. “Maybe we could work up a quick little appetite first?” he whispered.
“Absolutely. Nothing like burning some calories before starting the day.” she giggled, pulling him back to the bedroom.
Chapter Twelve
It was almost nine before they had the horses saddled and were ready to go. She chose her nine-year-old quarter horse gelding, Chance, for Luke. Chance had been her show horse when she was trying to fit into the western classes and she kept him for his personality and beauty. He was over sixteen hands high, tall for a quarter horse and almost as wide. He was a light palomino paint and even when he was dirty from being out in the pasture, he turned heads. He was flashy, beautiful and the sweetest horse, other than Othello, that she had ever ridden.
Because Luke had been around horses for most of his life, they each brushed their own horses and saddled them up. She was touched and impressed when he asked her to check his tack, to make sure his memory hadn’t failed him and cause Chance any discomfort.
With everything checked and saddles secure, they mounted their horses and she took the trail that led to her favorite meadow. They made small talk, unable to hold serious conversation with the beauty of the land opening up around them. They stopped to watch a doe and her twin fawns leap across the trail in front of them.
They crossed a couple of seasonal streams from the snow run off and finally made it to the meadow. Othello began prancing and snorting and Luke began to laugh.
“Let me guess, you usually let him run and play in this meadow.”
She laughed with him as she patted her stallion’s neck, holding him back. “Guilty. We usually race across the meadow.”
He sent her a mischievous grin. “Are you up for it today?”
“Are you?” she challenged back.
“Lead the way.” he accepted, gathering up Chance’s reins.
They raced across the field, flowers and grass blurry visions, Luke whooping behind her as she closed her eyes, taking in the moment. She’d never met anyone who enjoyed the freedom, the power of the beasts under them, the pure simplicity of horse and rider. Kip had never gone riding with her and she’d always wondered, but now, hearing Luke’s laughter, she knew he would have never enjoyed it. He was too controlling to allow a horse to take its lead and do as it wished, to be free and run.
When they reached the other side of the meadow and pulled their horses in, both her and Luke were breathing as heavy as their steeds.
“Oh my God! That was amazing. I forgot how wonderful it is to ride and I’m not talking about the running. All of it is incredible, the smells, the sites. It’s refreshing and I feel as alive now as I do when I’m on stage.”
She giggled, trying to calm down Othello. “I don’t know what it’s like to be on stage but if this is what it’s like, I would want to be on stage all of the time.”
“It is.” he assured her. “You feel alive, like you’re king of the world and nothing can stop you.” He patted Chance’s neck and leaned over, whispering in his ear. The gelding snorted in response and did a little prance.
“Ready to walk back? We need to cool them down.”
“I’ll follow you to the ends of the earth, Rebecca.”
She felt a thrill shoot up her spine as she took the lead. They walked back, this time their conversation flowed back and forth about the horses and his career. He would ask about how each horse came to her farm and she would ask about each concert, including his first. She admitted that her first freestyle dressage class she forgot her routine and broke into tears as she left the arena. He admitted that he threw up backstage before his first sold-out concert, the screams of his fans freaking him out and making him forget his cue to go on stage.
All too soon, they made it back to the barn and after brushing the horses down and putting them back into their paddocks, walked back to the house, hand in hand, to make lunch. They enjoyed an incredible chef salad and decided they should take a hot shower to wash off the sweat from the horses. It was the first time she’d taken a shower with a man and she wondered why she’d never done it before. Though it was in the middle of the day, she wasn’t self-conscious about her body. She wiped and caressed Luke’s skin, relishing in his muscular chest and back. Their light kisses turned more intense as they experimented with touch and taste and they both became breathless again. Water and steam mixed with their climax and she felt wonderfully alive for the third time that day. Luke gently pulled her from the shower, drying her with a towel, using the terrycloth texture to massage her body. She followed his example and wiped away the droplets of water on his skin. After she finished drying his legs, he pulled her up to his lips, groaning as he became aroused again.
They were moving to the bed when his cell phone on the nightstand began to ring. He moaned but ignored it, skimming his teeth along her breast. She began to pull him down onto the mattress when his cell phone rang again.
“Crap.” he complained and she smiled at him.
“It’s okay. Answer it.”
“Let’s not and say we did.” he said as he moved to silence it. When he hit the button, another chime went off and they both froze, looking at each other.
“That was my doorbell.” she sighed. “My truck’s in the driveway. It’s probably my mom or Megan. They won’t leave unless I answer it. Take your call, I’ll get rid of them and meet you back here.” She kissed him on the lips and grabbed her sweats as she threw on a sweatshirt. As she opened the door, she pulled her damp air out of the collar and gasped.
“Kip! What are you doing here?”
“Now is that any way to greet your husband?” he asked charmingly as he tried to push his way past the door.
She put her arm up to barricade his entrance, feeling irritated. “Don’t you mean ex-husband? What do you want, Kip? Where is Tiffany?”
He frowned at her, obviously upset that she wasn’t thrilled to see him.
&
nbsp; “Have you really been holed out here in the middle of nowhere? The way gossip spreads in this little town I had assumed you would have heard by now.”
“She traded you in on a younger model?” she spat out, hating the way it sounded to her own ears but unable to help herself.
Kip stepped back, a pained look crossing his face. “Really, Rebecca. Why do you have to be such a witch? I realized I made a mistake. I love you, I should have never left you so I broke it off with Tiffany.”
Rebecca sighed, suddenly feeling exhausted. “Well, I’m sorry you did that, Kip. It’s over between us, there’s no chance we will ever get back together.”
“Now don’t say that, Rebecca. I know I messed up, but things can be worked out. I have a new perspective on life and see the error of my ways, but we learn from our mistakes.” Kip took a step closer and laid a hand on hers. “I can make it better.”
She pulled her hand back as if it burned. “You can never make it better. You cheated on me. It’s over and I want you to leave, now!”
Kip opened his mouth but no sound came out as his eyes focused behind her. “Oh, I see how it is. You’ve got a lover so screw the marriage vows.” he spat.
She didn’t have to look behind her to know that Luke was standing there and she felt his strength fill her. “No, you betrayed our wedding vows. I just decided to get on with my life, without you.” She felt Luke’s arms wrap around her waist and pull her back.
“I think you need to listen to the lady and leave now.” he said, his voice low and threatening.
“And just who do you think you are? Her new lay?” Kip hissed.
“Luke Grayson, and yes I am.”
Kip’s eyes grew wide and he took a step back. “The singer?” His eyes flicked between Rebecca and Luke before narrowing. “Oh, I see how it is. You were screwing him to get the song. You’re more of a conniving witch that I gave you credit for.”
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