Dressed in a neatly ironed work shirt that stretched across sturdy shoulders, Wranglers that lovingly molded his powerful legs and rusty-brown, hand-tooled boots, the man made her mouth water. His face, though shaded by the brim of his pale hat, was a study in masculine lines—as sharp-edged as his gaze. She’d felt an instant attraction that nearly buckled her knees.
Good Lord, and he wanted to stay for two weeks?
She pressed a hand against her pounding heart and fought the urge to fan her suddenly hot face. The things she wanted to do to him would have her arrested in most Southern states. When was the last time she’d let loose and gotten a little wild? Just one look of the cowboy’s rugged good looks and her insides had given a rebel yell.
When the door closed behind her, she shot a glance over her shoulder to watch him through the window. Yes, he looked as good going as he had coming. The sight played havoc with her hormones.
Lena shook her head at the direction of her thoughts. Lord, she must be desperate to think about jumping some stranger’s bones. Anyone who knew her would be surprised. Except for one glaring lapse in her youth, she was the model of propriety. A private woman who kept the running of the family business second from the top of her list of priorities.
The season so far had been filled with families and college kids. Busy enough to keep her from feeling lonely. And too tired at night to even dream about some mystery lover. But now, here was this cowboy who didn’t fit in with her usual brand of guests—single, handsome and with money. And by the glint in his eyes—interested in her.
Lena reached up and undid the clip that held up her hair. She ran her fingers through the messy curls and then twisted it all into bun and clipped it again. Why was she primping? He hadn’t been wearing a ring, but so many married men never did. Someone that yummy had to have a woman waiting at home.
Through the window, she watched as Kayla laughed and twirled a lock of dark hair as she gazed up at the man standing on the other side of the counter. Lena gave her a glare, which the younger woman blithely ignored. It really shouldn’t have taken that long to check him in.
The cowboy glanced back through the window and caught her looking. Lena whirled around and stepped off the porch. Her toe caught in the lattice next to the step and she went down hard, bumping down two steps. She landed on one hip, gravel digging into a palm.
Tears pricked her eyes, and she winced at the pain. Worse, the door behind her slammed and heavy booted footsteps stomped down the steps.
When the handsome cowboy came down on a knee beside her, Lena wished the ground would open up and swallow her whole.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
The deep timbre of his voice did a number on her nerves. She shivered.
Something he must have taken for shock, because before she knew it, his hands were under her thighs and behind her back and he lifted her high against his chest.
“Put me down!”
“I will. Soon as I get you inside.”
“I’m too heavy for you to carry.”
“Darlin’ there’s some meat on your bones but not anything I can’t handle.”
Lena’s face burned with embarrassment. Had he meant it that way?
Kayla met them at the door, opened it and then stood to the side as the cowboy swept inside. As they passed, Kayla gave Lena a wink and a thumbs up. “Her bedroom’s just down the hall to the left,” she called after them. “Across the hall from yours, cowboy.”
“Thanks, Kayla. I’ll settle up with you in a few.”
“Take your time,” her helper sang.
Lena wiggled her legs. “I swear you can put me down. I’m fine.”
He didn’t look down, but Lena watched one corner of his firm mouth twitch. “There’s gravel embedded in your thigh. Your hands are scraped. Why not let me help? I’m willin’.”
They reached her bedroom door and he drew to a halt. His gaze dropped. “You’re gonna have to turn the knob.”
Every word that came out of his mouth felt as though it was charged with sexual current. Her body tightened against the thrill of it all. Lena reached to the side and twisted the knob, excitement buzzing inside at the thought of him entering her bedroom.
He turned sideways and stepped into the room, giving it a quick glance before he strode to the bed. He set her down on the coverlet, and Lena instantly swung her legs over the edge.
The cowboy stepped so close one of his thighs brushed the naked inside of one of hers. She glanced up to find him towering over her, his hands on his hips.
“Are you gonna stay put?”
Lena drew in a quick breath. The man had nerve. “I don’t take orders well.”
“Like givin’ ’em, do ya?”
Jesus, his voice was smooth as dark silk. Her throat went dry. She nodded.
His gaze narrowed as he studied her. “Just to be straight. Is there a mister?” His gaze went to the slender silver ring on her finger.
She considered lying or at least dancing around the point, but the thrill of him even asking the question had her insides tingling. “I’m not married. It’s a promise ring.”
His forehead wrinkled, and he reached for her hand. He curved her fingers over his and lifted it to take a closer look. When he swept his glance back to hers, she almost drew back. So much heat was banked in that one predatory glance.
“You think if I was married I would have let you carry me here?”
“What’s your name?” he asked.
“Lena.”
“Last name.”
“Twohig.”
His head shook. “A woman like you never married?”
Lena straightened her shoulders. Why did everyone think it was an attractive woman’s duty to marry? “It’s none of your business why I decided to remain single.”
He swallowed. A dark gleam in his eyes and the stubborn set of his jaw kept her from saying anything more.
“I’m…Tommy,” he said softly.
“Last name?”
“Just Tommy, for now.”
He didn’t look much like a Tommy. She’d have named him something rugged and harsh. Something as severe as the cut of his square jaw.
Was the fact he’d only given her one name some kind of clue? Like he wanted to keep a little mystery going? Was he hoping she’d be into it as well? Lena took a breath and decided to stop pretending she didn’t want him in her room. Needing to take back a little control, she pointed toward the bathroom. “You’ll find washcloths in the cupboard beside the shower.”
“Antiseptic?”
“Under the sink.”
When he turned his heel, she waited until he was out of sight before she mouthed the words, Oh my God!
A seriously sexy man was in her bathroom and looking through her cupboards. Her cheeks burned at the thought of the intimacy. She’d never been one to bring men home. A once-in-a-blue-moon rendezvous at a motel was the most she’d allowed herself over the years. She wasn’t a prude, but with Grandpa and Jake to consider, she lived a pretty circumspect life.
She’d never had an opportunity like this one land in her lap. Summers were usually spent with both of her guys constantly underfoot, but Grandpa’s accident had put the burden of running the campsite squarely on her shoulders.
Why shouldn’t she take advantage and see where this might lead? She was a free agent. Tommy seemed interested. Now, if she could just let him know she was too without looking too desperate for her own pride’s sake, why not have some fun?
While he was gone, she kicked off her flip-flops and struck a pose, one knee raised, the other stretched. Did it look natural? She slid her knee back down and glanced sideways because he was standing beside her wearing a one-sided smile.
“Nice scrape,” he murmured, nodding his chin toward her right knee. “Better raise it again.”
Mute with embarrassment, she slid it up.
He sat on the edge of the bed, one leg folded under him as he bent toward her knee and began to gently wash it
with a wash cloth.
“All this fuss,” she murmured, “and it’s just a little dirt.”
The skin was angry looking when he’d finished. He picked up the antiseptic spray, coated the abrasions and then blew on her skin to dry it.
Her gaze snagged on his pursed lips, staring a little too long because a grin stretched there, bringing her gaze to his eyes, which were wrinkled with amusement. Gray eyes. Nearly a slate-blue.
She’d once known a boy with eyes just like that. But framed by long dark lashes and set in a pretty-boy face. They’d both been young. She’d been a couple years older and had known better, but he’d been so eager to learn everything she wanted to teach him.
This rugged-featured, grown man, sitting so close she could smell the scent of his musk and a hint of something sagey, didn’t look as though he needed instruction. No, he exuded a sexual confidence she found impossible to ignore.
“Any place else need some attention?” he asked softly.
Her breath released in a slow whoosh. She could think of more than one. Her nipples ached. Moisture seeped to wet the crotch of her underwear. How had he managed to arouse her so thoroughly? So quickly?
She turned her hands and held them up, side by side, to show him her palms.
He washed both, sprayed both, then clasped her wrists in one hand as he bent to blow. “Better off without a bandage,” he drawled as he leaned back to meet her gaze.
With her cheeks on fire, she gave him a quick, nervous nod.
“Kayla said my room’s across the hallway.”
“Yes.”
His gaze narrowed on her mouth. “Will we be sharin’ a bath?”
He did it again. Made her think of naked skin and sinning with one innocently phrased sentence.
She shook her head. Then blurted before she had time to talk herself out of it, “I have my own. But if the one at the end of the hall is in use…”
A sparkle of devilment shone in his eyes. “You won’t mind? I promise to knock first.”
Knock away. She might pretend she didn’t hear. Let him surprise her in her bath…
The images that bombarded her mind while he sat on her bed, his large frame so close she could felt the heat coming off him, set her heartbeat thundering inside her chest. She shook her head. “You’re welcome to use it any time.”
“I’ll get settled in. Then maybe you could show me the best spot to set my pole.”
Her jaw sagged.
A wily grin parted his lips.
He knew damn well which pole her dirty mind had conjured. She gave a short laugh and shook her head. “You’re trouble, cowboy. Knew it soon as you stepped out of your truck.”
He gave her a wink but scooted off the bed and strode away.
Lena dragged in a deep breath and whistled between her teeth.
The moment his footsteps clomped down the hallway, Kayla skimmed into her room. “Was he not the yummiest thing you’ve ever seen? I thought I’d die when he walked inside carryin’ you. It’s so romantic!” She squealed the last.
Lena fanned her face. “He needs a fishing pole. No, two. And a carton of worms.”
Her brown eyes widened. “You takin’ him fishing?”
“He said he wanted me to show him where the best place to go was.” The last thing she’d acknowledge was he’d asked where to plant his pole, although that’s exactly what she’d be thinking about for the rest of the afternoon. She closed her eyes and groaned. “I’m a slut. A horny, desperate slut.”
Kayla giggled. “You should take him up past the falls. No one goes that far. I’ll steer anyone who asks down the creek.”
Lena leaned her head to the side and aimed a narrow-eyed glance at her helper. “You tryin’ to matchmake?”
Kayla wrinkled her nose. “Someone needs to get a little some-some out of that man. If it’s not me, you at least have to share all the sordid details.”
Lena laughed and shook her head. No way would she share any sexy details with the twenty-year-old. Any sordidness would be hers alone to savor. She swung her legs off the bed. “Get those poles ready. I need to freshen up a bit. Don’t let him leave without me.”
Kayla grinned. “A little lipstick. Something soft and pink and he won’t be thinkin’ about any grubby ole worms.”
Lena shut the bathroom door and stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was a wild mess. Dirt stained the side of her shorts. She stripped and put her clothes in the hamper.
A quick shower and she’d be ready to face him again. Maybe by then the excited blush scorching her cheeks would fade.
The next time she saw him, she took a step back. He wore knee-length swim shorts and a pair of boat shoes. His broad chest was completely bare, a wide expanse of warm caramel with a light dusting of dark brown hair.
Indecently masculine. Or maybe it was the way he made her feel so indecently feminine, because lust rose up so strongly that once again her knees grew weak.
His gaze swept over her frame. When he reached her face, that dark glint was back in his gray eyes. She’d donned a tankini top and cutoffs. Her bikini bottoms were underneath just in case they succumbed to the lure of the cool water.
Kayla gave her a broad grin. A carton of worms and a small picnic basket sat on the counter. “In case you two get hungry,” she said, winking discretely.
Tommy held the poles and picked up the worms.
She took the basket. “Follow me?”
“For now.”
Every word out of his mouth was a tease. Unless she was reading more into his words than he meant.
The fact she’d only just met him but was already thinking about sex should have rung alarm bells, but something about him made her want to jump his bones—to hell with propriety. Folks were busy with their own adventures. Other than nosy Kayla, who else would care if she acted a little fast and loose?
At least she’d had the good sense to stuff a line of condoms in her pocket. Just in case he was every bit as eager as she was.
The moment she stepped out onto the porch, the midday heat hammered the top of her head. “Let’s follow the river bank,” she said over her shoulder. “There’ll be more shade.”
“I’m right behind you.”
Right behind her. That made her ass tense. Made her gait a little stilted. Sweet Jesus, they’d better do it soon or she’d be a gibbering mess.
They left the clearing, walking down a path that paralleled the pier but then led left, following the edge of the creek upstream.
In the shade, with leaves fanning the air, the temperature was a good ten degrees cooler. The path was a narrow dirt trail with thick brush to the left and a steep bank to the right. They trudged forward, and she worried he might think they were traveling too far, but the place she wanted to bring him was magical. Worth the extra effort.
When she edged around a boulder and climbed down to spot where the bank was flatter and the water fell over a series of large stepped rocks, she glanced back.
His appreciative gaze was on the falls. “It’s nice,” he said, smiling back at her. “And private.”
The steps and the curve of the river made this short bend a favorite necking spot for guests. A fact she’d taken advantage of when she was younger. This was her skinny-dipping hole. The place she’d brought that younger boy and had her wicked way with him.
She walked to one rock that jutted over the edge of the water. “See this groove? You can set your pole in here,” she said, adding a sultry texture to her voice because it was now or never.
He laid the poles on the bank and toed off his shoes. “Wanna cool off first?”
Lena noted the hint of challenge that gleamed in his eyes. She swallowed, stalling a second while she worked up the nerve. But she was done with him being the only one issuing oblique teases. “Nothing would please me more.”
“Nothing?”
Her gaze slid down to his shorts and then slowly made its way back up to his face. She cocked an eyebrow, wondering how far he’d
take the dare.
“Lady, don’t look at me that way if you’re not ready to play with fire.”
She lifted her chin, waiting to see how he’d answer her challenge. Her heart skittered to a halt when he pushed down his shorts and strode nude into the water.
Her jaw loosened as she stared. His cock was only beginning to stir, lifting from a shaved groin. As he strode past, she remembered how to breathe and glanced at his retreating figure. His ass was hard, round, two deep dimples above it. Her mouth watered at the thought of dipping her tongue into those grooves.
He stepped off the underwater ledge and began to swim away, not trying to influence her with any cajoling or burning glances. He’d left the decision in her hands. The invitation hers to accept or not.
Well, this was what she’d wanted—no, needed. She glanced around the clearing to make sure they were still completely alone then quickly started stripping away her clothes. Not nearly with as much confidence as he had, but then she carried a few extra pounds and her belly was soft.
Taking a calming breath, she strode into the river.
Chapter Three
Gabe listened to the rustle of clothing being shed and her quick, excited breaths. When water splashed behind him, only then did he turn to acknowledge her presence. He didn’t betray any emotion over the fact she’d dumped propriety on its ass to join him—deliciously nude.
Only her breasts were visible, floating just beneath the surface of the water. The cream-colored globes were naturally full. The tips were tightened little buds. The areolas were a little larger than he remembered but still cotton-candy pink.
His cock hardened, pulsing as he imagined gently chewing on a stiff bud while her legs writhed around him.
She swam closer, but not so near he could sweep out a hand to bring her against him. She was ready to flirt but still held on to a little caution.
Gabe struck out for the first rocky ledge, and pulled himself up to sit while clear river water sluiced around his body. His cock was prominent despite the blurring stream. No way could she pretend not to be looking where she was.
Her gaze was caught, her pupils growing large as she stared at his erection.
In Too Deep Page 2
