by Mari Carr
The fucking thing popped open.
“Show-off,” Sam muttered.
Silas grinned, then angled for the door. “Still have the touch. Now, could you two keep it down in here? You’re spooking the horses.”
Cindi looked away, but Sam caught her chin in his good hand, his brother completely forgotten. “I’ll go if you don’t want to talk to me anymore. I only want to say one thing. I’m sorry. Truly. I care for you, Cindi. It’s been a rollercoaster—”
“Zip it, Sam. You can blame our issues on bad timing, me fucking other guys, money, whatever is the excuse du jour. But it all comes down to one thing. You. You forgot how to trust. Or maybe you just don’t want to take that chance again.” She closed her eyes and sighed. “As much as I’d like to stay pissed off, I can’t. I understand.”
“You do?” He accepted her tender hug, soaking in empathy.
“Yeah.” She nodded. “I’ll miss you, Sam.”
“What?” He blinked. “What just happened here?”
“Simply because I get you—totally—doesn’t mean I’ll subject myself to an eternity of disappointment. I’m done with wasting my affection on people who can’t say the same for me.” Her eyes turned glassy as tears gathered. “My parents, so-called friends…you. I’m always the one left hurting when another person important to me smacks me in the face. I’m done with that shit. Leave. Or I will.”
“No. Wait. I do understand you, Cindi.” He couldn’t catch his breath fast enough to explain.
“Really?” She cocked her hip and planted one hand on the seductive curve.
“Yes, I swear. We were meant for each other.” He would have dropped to his knees and groveled if he wasn’t already there. “I’ll spend the rest of my life proving it to you if I have to. Just don’t walk away. I get you. I won’t let you down again.”
“Then prove it.” The firm set of her jaw made it clear she didn’t believe him anymore. “One last chance. Take me on the perfect date tomorrow. My idea of perfect. Make me an offer I can’t refuse and maybe I’ll consider seeing you again.”
He opened his mouth.
Closed it.
A slow, steady grin spread across his face. She had no idea what corner she’d negotiated herself into.
“You think this is funny?” She shook her head.
“I take my deals very seriously.” When she would have given him her shoulder, he dipped in and stole a kiss to tide him over. Her brief hesitation gave him hope. “I never miss out on a bargain. Especially not one as sweet as this. See you tomorrow, Cindi.”
Chapter Sixteen
Sam silently apologized to Dee for the flowers braided into her mane. Lucy had done the same for Cindi’s mount after she’d listened to his plan. Jody had helped him gather supplies, both women sure he could convince the wild bookkeeper to forgive him. Maybe more.
Cindi had been quiet when he picked her up from the barn in his favorite Brioni shirt and Lucky jeans. Though she’d allowed him to kiss her hello, the passion of the other night had been missing. Of course, he’d loitered until the sparks neither of them could deny reignited.
That had only seemed to piss her off more, though.
As they’d wandered across the land together, the firm set of her shoulders had relaxed. He told her stories of his youth, including silly things he’d done with his brothers here. Serious things too. Like his recounting of the night before Silas left for Alaska. He drew her into the fabric of his home as much as he could, inviting her to take what she’d missed and be part of his future.
They walked their mounts up the final rocky incline before the ridge. The same one he’d shown her from the lookout last month. God, it seemed like years ago.
Sam measured the sun as it dipped toward the horizon, then clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. They had to pick up the pace a little if his surprise was going to be perfect.
For Cindi he would settle for nothing less.
She wouldn’t accept half-assed anymore. He didn’t blame her.
He’d spent the day debating how grand of a gesture to make. When he’d shared his thoughts with JD, his father had wholeheartedly approved of taking an enormous leap. If nothing else, the smile on JD’s face had been worth potential rejection.
Now, you’re talking, son. There’s the Sammy I know and love. Bet big. Win big.
Or lose epically.
The top of the tent he’d pitched earlier came into view along with a gorgeous picnic spread made of the finest ingredients he could rummage up on short notice. He’d gotten a speeding ticket racing into Laramie for essentials like Beluga caviar and Rogue Creamery Blue Vein cheese to go with the bottle of Cristal chilling in the cheap red plastic cooler.
If his outing made Cindi smile, he’d pay the damn thing gladly.
Paper lanterns covered electric bulbs running off a mini-generator Colby had dragged out of storage. Although the sun still shone, soon the lights would illuminate their perch. The path was scattered with more flowers and led to the open flap of the canvas tent, which sheltered a cheap air mattress covered in fine linens.
The blend of extravagant and practical had seemed perfect when he arranged them. Cindi didn’t say a single word as Sam tied their horses. He grew nervous as he prepared to turn around and weigh her reaction.
Cindi had stopped dead in her tracks, her gaze flitting from one thing to another. Fresh fruit overflowed silver dishes and color splashed from roses set in vases ringing their getaway.
“Is this lame? I could have chartered a jet into Vegas or LA. Hell, France if you wanted the real deal. We could leave right now.” Sam would have promised her the world, but she covered his lips with her fingers.
“I’m exactly where I want to be.” She kissed him tenderly, then drew him down onto the thick cashmere blanket he’d set out on top of the air mattress and held down with rocks from around the campsite. “I don’t need anything other than what’s right here. This is amazing. All my favorite foods. You listened to me when we talked. Remembered. It matters to you. That’s all I hoped for.”
“Glad to hear it.” He nuzzled their noses. “’Cause there’s pretty much nothing I can give you that you couldn’t get for yourself. Do you know how much that sucks?”
Fuck, he wished he could lavish his woman with impressive shit, and she already had more than he could provide.
“Maybe you still don’t understand?” She climbed to her knees, putting her palm flat on his chest so he couldn’t follow.
“I think I’ve fucked up enough for one week.” He grimaced. “Why don’t you explain it? Real slow. Simple even.”
Laughter fell from her lips at that. “You’re no dummy, Sam Compton. You just act like one sometimes.”
The truth stung.
“I really l-like all those things about you. You’re smart, funny, sophisticated and yet not pompous. You recognize quality but aren’t enchanted by overpriced bullshit with a fancy name.”
He nodded. So far so good.
Then she knocked his elbow from beneath him and straddled his waist. Unlike Belinda, she didn’t attempt to smack sense into him. It might have hurt less if she had. “When will you realize you already have the most valuable thing in the world? Your family. Their undying love and the blood bond that goes deeper than any other tie. That’s priceless.”
“I’m sorry to have to respectfully disagree with you.” He flipped them, rotating until he pressed her into the cloud of air pillowing them from the stones below.
He stole a kiss before continuing, just in case she kicked his ass out. Because he couldn’t hide his feelings from her for one more minute.
When it’s time, you’ll know. Tell her the truth. Tell her how it all started. You can have this. She can, too. Vicky’s advice echoed in his mind. She’d held JD’s hand as they gave their blessing over his plan for the evening.
“There’s a bond stronger than blood.” He traced her eyebrow with his thumb.
“It sure as hell isn’t money o
r fame or power.”
“No.” He took a deep breath. “It’s love.”
She blinked up at him.
“The kind that JD and Vicky have. Or Colby, Si and Lucy. Or Seth and Jody. You can’t buy that. It’s where blood bonds come from. They’re a product of that magic. And that’s where you’ve been missing the point, Cin.” He cupped her shoulders but resisted shaking her. “You don’t have to be born into the perfect family. You can make one yourself. If you meet the right person.”
She blinked up at him. “H-have you met the right person?”
“Hell, yes.” He closed his eyes, afraid to ask. Her breasts pressed against his chest as his breaths came quick and hard. His heart skipped a beat or three. “Have you?”
“From the first moment I saw you, I knew.” Her fingers shook when she touched his cheek. “Every day I spent at Compass Ranch, it was you I was waiting for.”
“I’m glad you had the other cowboys to keep you company until now.” He tickled her until she dissolved into a fit of giggles. While she was distracted, he slipped something from his pocket. He peered over his shoulder as the rays of the sun bronzed her regal cheekbones in their golden glow. Then he untangled their limbs and scooted toward the edge of the mattress.
“Sam?” She bit her lip. “I meant that, you know. It wasn’t a joke.”
“I’m not kidding either.” He grabbed her ankles and tugged until she perched on the edge of their makeshift bed while he knelt on the ground in the spot he hoped to remember fondly for the rest of his life. “How’s this for serious?”
The diamonds in his great aunt Meade’s antique ring sparkled in the sunset.
“What are you doing?” She put her hand over her open mouth.
“I’m asking you if you’ll share the only really priceless thing I own. Help me make something even more wonderful.” He took her hand in his and poised the ring at the tip of her third finger. “Will you take my name? Our name? Make it official. Marry me and be a Compton for life?”
“I—” She shook her head. “I don’t want to be a Compton.”
“You don’t?” His eyes went wide. He’d been so damn sure…
“No.” She swiped a tear from her lashes. “I love your family and this place with all my heart. I do. But, Sam, I want to belong to you. No matter what your name is. You’re right. Together, we’ll build a future.”
“Thank God.” It took two tries to slip the ring on her finger. A perfect fit. “Because you already own my soul.”
“Is that what the kids are calling it these days?” She winked.
He laughed and tackled her. They bounced together, bathed in a deepening amber flare of light. “You can call it whatever you like, especially when I’m showing my wife off to the hands.”
“You wouldn’t mind if we—”
“Hell, no. I love you, Cindi.” His hand snaked beneath her blouse as he kissed her. The smooth caress of her bare skin on his grounded him. “Exactly the way you are. I would never try to change what you like. In this case, I enjoy it too, you know?”
“I did notice that.” She grinned. “And I love you too. Sam?”
“Yes?” He forced himself to pause in his exploration of her neck long enough to meet her serious stare.
“I’ve never been more positive. I’m the most fortunate woman in the world.”
“And it’s only going to get better from here.” He slid his hand toward her mound. “Would you like me to show you how?”
“Please, do.” She moaned and wrapped her legs around his waist, hugging him tight. “Please.”
This time, the night Sam spent on the ridge wasn’t focused on the end of an era, but the beginning of one.
About the Author
Jayne Rylon and Mari Carr met at a writing conference in June 2009 and instantly became archenemies. Two authors couldn't be more opposite. Mari, when free of her librarian-by-day alter ego, enjoys a drink or two or… more. Jayne, allergic to alcohol, lost huge sections of her financial-analyst mind to an epic explosion resulting from Mari gloating about her hatred of math. To top it off, they both had works in progress with similar titles and their heroes shared a name. One of them would have to go.
The battle between them for dominance was a bloody, but short one, when they realized they’d be better off combining their forces for good (or smut). With the ink dry on the peace treaty, they emerged as good friends, who have a remarkable amount in common despite their differences, and their writing partnership has flourished. Except for the time Mari attempted to poison Jayne with a bottle of Patron. Accident or retaliation? You decide.
Jayne and Mari can be found troublemaking on their Yahoo loop at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Heat_Wave_Readers/join
You can follow their book-loving insanity on Twitter or Facebook or send them a personal note at [email protected] or [email protected].
Look for these titles by Jayne Rylon
Now Available:
Nice and Naughty: Ménage and More
Three’s Company: Ménage and More
Dream Machine
Compass Brothers (with Mari Carr)
Northern Exposure
Southern Comfort
Men in Blue
Night is Darkest
Razor’s Edge
Mistress’s Master
Powertools
Kate’s Crew
Morgan’s Surprise
Kayla’s Gift
Coming Soon:
Compass Brothers (with Mari Carr)
Western Ties
Powertools
Devon’s Pair
Look for these titles by Mari Carr
Now Available:
Because of You
Black & White
Erotic Research
Tequila Truth
Learning Curves
Rough Cut
Happy Hour
Power Play
Slam Dunk
Compass Brothers (with Jayne Rylon)
Northern Exposure
Southern Comfort
Coming Soon:
Compass Brothers (with Jayne Rylon)
Western Ties
There’s only room at the top for one person…at a time.
Power Play
© 2011 Mari Carr
Back on American soil for the first time in nine months, Reed Donovan is ready to blow off some steam. The beauty he spots at the local bar not only catches his eye, she snags him by the balls when she announces she’s always fantasized about having sex with a stranger—a fantasy he is more than willing to help come true.
Explosive fireworks over, Francesca rebuffs his invitation to dinner. While the sparks may fly between them physically, she doesn’t believe they could spend more than a few minutes in the same room without arguing. Her suspicions prove correct when Francesca reports for her new position the next morning—and discovers she’s been hired as Reed’s new marketing partner.
When Reed and Francesca immediately begin butting heads about future pitches to prospective clients, Reed proposes a bet. For the next three presentations, they’ll both make a pitch. Whoever wins the campaign also wins a fantasy.
The competition is fierce—and hot. And the hotter it gets, the closer they come to the brink of something they never intended…or expected.
Enjoy the following excerpt for Power Play:
Reed Donovan stared at the flat-screen TV in the corner of the bar, and though his eyes were seeing the baseball game, his mind wasn’t processing a single aspect of it. He leaned back in his chair and tried to shake off the lingering traces of jetlag. Two days earlier, he’d flown back to the States after nine months in London. He only had tonight left to recover from the trip before he returned back to work bright and early the next morning.
He picked up the drink in front of him and took a long, deep swig. His throat was parched and his mouth dry. Clearly the stress of his day job was affecting his mind, messing with his head. He’d gone to London in the early fall to
clean up the mess the former manager had left in his company’s branch office.
“Have to admit I didn’t think you had it in you to be quiet for so long.”
Reed looked up and found his cousin, the owner of the bar, looking down at him. He gestured to the chair across from him and watched Carter sit.
Reed lifted his glass. “Trying to drink away some of my damn tiredness. Not looking forward to going back to work tomorrow.”
“Nine months is a damn long time to uproot from your home, Reed. And I know you hate playing the admin role, know you’ve been gritting your teeth every minute of these last few months, wishing you were back doing what you love.”
“Uncle Brian needed my help getting the London branch back under control. The last manager only managed to run the damn thing into the ground. It was my job to clean house, to put the pieces back together.”
Carter leaned back in the chair, put his hands behind his head and studied his face. “So what’s stuck up your ass? You’re home now. Figured you’d be happy and celebrating that little fact.”
Reed rubbed his eyes wearily. His cousin was right, he should be doing fucking flips around the bar. Instead, he felt tired, irritable. “You want me to make a bulleted list for you?”
Carter grinned. “Is this gonna be a long presentation, Mr. Exec?”
Reed leaned forward, not bothering to acknowledge his cousin’s joke. “Number one, I’m pissed as shit about Brian sending me to London. I’ve worked my ass off for that man for years and I don’t appreciate being used as a lackey to do his goddamn dirty work. I’m going into his office tomorrow and letting him know it’s not something I ever intend to do again.”
Carter winced. “Fuck, man. That’s not gonna be a fun conversation.”
“You’re right. It’s not. Number two, while I was off wasting my MBA skills playing office manager, he let my marketing partner lose two prospective clients to The Wilkerson Team. I could have landed those accounts if Brian would have let me do my job.”
