by Wendi Darlin
Marge’s breath trembled from her lips. Her knuckles burned from the vise grip she had on the phone. “You’re coming today?”
“It’s better if you don’t know the details of the investigation. Just tell me what you know about the other guests.”
“Not much. Everybody’s on different schedules except for meals.”
“See if you can find out who Rebecca Ryder is. I need you to watch her like a hawk.”
Marge’s heart galloped in her chest. “Why? What’s important about her?”
“Let me worry about that. You just report back to me if you see anything that looks suspicious between her and her cowboy.”
“Okay.”
“Anything at all. You understand?”
“Alright.”
Marge jumped as a knock sounded at her door. “I have to go,” she whispered, glad to have an excuse to key her phone off. Her nephew’s intimidation tactics were too much for her nerves. This investigation was key to his promotion to detective, and he wasn’t about to let her or anyone else screw it up for him. He’d placed his badge on the line sticking a civilian into a surveillance position, but that was their little secret. After he’d gathered enough evidence to shut down the ranch, she’d sign a statement saying that she was nothing more than a guest and after fearing for her own safety, she called her nephew and told him everything she’d witnessed.
She rubbed her hands down the hips of her jeans and took a deep breath. She could do this. She didn’t have a choice. Chet was the only family she had left, and she’d probably have to rely on him someday. Harold would never be able to sign papers on her behalf or take care of her interests. His wife had already begun demanding more of his time and threatened him with everything under the sun if he wasn’t at her beck and call. No. Harold had his priorities, and she wasn’t one of them.
“Good morning, my equinophobic friend. Are we braving the hooves of horses or square dancers today?” Clayton asked with a grin as he stepped in through the door she held open.
“I think I’m going to read a book. Here. In my room.” She gestured with her hand and realized too late, she was still trembling.
“My lord! You’re scared to death. Is it the horses?”
“Yes.” Even as she lied she shook her head.
“Yes? No? Maybe so?” He walked her over to the little table by the window and pulled out a chair for her to sit down. “I didn’t traumatize you with that foal, did I?”
“No, no you…you were fine. It’s family stuff. Nothing really.”
“Nothing? You’re shaking worse than Shakira. You need some wine.”
“It’s nine o’clock in the morning.”
“And it’ll be the same time at the hospital it is here, if you have a heart attack on me.”
She wrung her hands while he pulled a bottle of red from the chiller. This is why she didn’t have close friends. Lying was too hard. The secrets never fully belonged to her. Someone else always had something at stake.
* * * *
Rebecca dumped a full pot of coffee down the drain. This morning she didn’t need as much stimulation as usual. She had woken full of energy even after another nearly sleepless night.
She washed her face and was hanging the towel next to the vanity when the sound she’d been waiting for arrived. Her smile came to life on its own and her heart quickened.
She answered the door in Gavin’s sweatshirt, her hair pulled back and her feet bare. The morning sun bounced off his broad shoulders and shone gold through his hair. “Good morning. Thought you might want these,” he said. Her clothes were laundered and folded neatly with her bra and panties on top.
“Thank you for doing that.” She took them from him and laid them on the bed.
“I’ll wait outside until you’re ready.”
“You can wait here.” She picked up the panties, slipped her feet in and slid them up to her hips before he had time to turn away. She followed suit with the jeans, then crossed her arms to grab the bottom of the sweatshirt at each side.
His face was easy to read. She gave him a wink as exaggerated as his animated cowboy’s then turned around before pulling the sweatshirt over her head. She covered her breasts with one arm and reached over to pick up her bra from the bed. She didn’t turn around again until after her blouse was on.
“See, no harm, no foul, and you didn’t have to stand around outside twiddling your thumbs.”
He grinned. “You’re not shy are you?”
She went to the mirror to brush her hair out. “Did it hurt you any to watch me get dressed?”
“No, ma’am.”
“Did you see anything you wouldn’t have seen if I was in a bikini?”
“No, ma’am.”
“Then what’s there to be shy about?” There. If he got to drive her crazy all week it was only fair he got played with a little, too. She grabbed her hair from underneath and drew it up into a ponytail.
“Leave it down,” Gavin said. She eyed him in the mirror. He shrugged. “I like it down.”
She let her hair fall around her shoulders, and turned around. “I guess we’re ready then.” Just knowing he had an opinion about her hair sparked something warm in her. She made a mental note to find out what else he liked.
Her boots were still wet, but she put them on over a dry pair of socks and followed him out the door. Pilgrim and Silver were saddled and waiting in the corral when they got there.
“We’re riding again?” she asked.
“You wanted to see that pristine mountain stream didn’t you?”
“I did.”
“Do you mind riding Pilgrim?” he asked as she took the reins and grabbed the saddle horn. “We’ve got horses with a little more spunk.”
“I like Pilgrim.” She seated herself and leaned forward to rub the horse’s neck. “I trust him.” Pilgrim blew his appreciation through his lips.
“I think he likes you, too,” Gavin said as he walked the gate open.
“How often do you ride?” she asked as the horses plodded alongside one another across the open field. Todd had never loved horses. He would ride with her occasionally, but she didn’t ask him often. It was more fun to do things they both enjoyed.
“Every chance I get. What about you?”
“The same, usually on weekends. I’ve been riding a lot more than usual lately.”
“You should come to the ranch more often,” he said. “We’ve got some of the best riding I’ve ever come across.”
“When I get home you can send me another winking cowboy. We’ll see if your ingenious marketing is good enough to work a second time.”
Gavin laughed. “You ever going to give it a rest?”
“Nope.” The warm air soaked into her, the rhythm of the horses rocked her, and the easy conversation left a smile on her face. And to think she would never have owned this experience if life hadn’t spun around on her. Laughter follows every tear. Her father taught her that. And Gavin Carter was proving it true.
“What’s the best thing your father ever taught you?” Rebecca asked.
“If you love a woman enough, she’s always right.” He grinned. “He taught me other stuff too, but I thought you’d like that one.”
“He should have a written a book. The man’s a genius.” Rebecca gave him an animated cowboy wink. “Must run in the family.”
“That’s it. I’m not telling you anything else. Ever.” He nudged Silver to a trot and left Rebecca laughing alone. Pilgrim caught up easily and they rode the rest of the way in a comfortable silence. The stream was just over the nearest ridge and as pristine as promised. From the bank she could see every rock on the bottom. The crystal clear water hurried away from the mountain, but schools of fish remained relatively still in the center.
“Is it cold?” she asked, stepping down from Pilgrim.
“Freezing.”
“I’ll bet you’re hot enough to warm it up.”
“You can go in if you want to,” he said as his feet h
it the ground. “I’m not.”
She walked around Silver and came to stand directly in front of Gavin. “There’s nothing I could do to persuade you?”
“Not one thing.” He caught her hands before she reached him. “And you better stop flirting with me.”
“Why should I do that?” As if she could stop. She could eat the man with a spoon he was so delicious and it was easy to see he enjoyed her flirting as much as she did.
“Because,” he said, squeezing her wrists, “I could out-flirt you with my eyes closed, and we’d both end up in a hell of a lot of trouble.”
“And here I was, starting to think you were fun.” She held his gaze. “But keep your eyes open. I like them.” The man obviously didn’t know who he was playing with. If he was up for a flirting contest, she was so ready to win.
She stepped away, slipped her boots and socks off and stuck her toe in the stream. He was right, it was a wonder there weren’t ice cubes floating by. “So, I guess this is on the list of approved areas to bring guests.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Tell me how this works.” She faced him and wrapped her arms around his back. He had either given up trying to stop her or he had changed his mind. His body was hard beneath his shirt and she loved the strength of his arms around her. The fire he ignited in her chest crept lower and settled between her legs, but she forced herself to focus on something besides her raging need. “There were probably a dozen fantasy cowboys in the dining room the other night, but I’ve barely seen anybody but you since I got here. Where do they all go?”
“Did you come here to learn the business or to fall in love with me?”
“Neither,” she said, “but I like the way you hold me.”
His arms tightened the slightest bit, pressing her close enough to him that her breasts brushed the front of his shirt and her nipples hardened.
Breathe.
“We sign out timeslots for different places around the ranch to keep you ladies separate. Now will you let me talk to you about something besides work?”
“It’s all work isn’t it?” She ran her hands over his chest. The thin fabric of his shirt wasn’t enough to shield what he hid beneath it.
“Doesn’t feel like work when you do that,” he said.
She was standing close enough to feel him harden and she stepped back just enough to avoid the contact. “How long do we have here?”
“An hour and a half.”
“What would you do if I wasn’t ready to leave when the time was up?”
“I’d have to persuade you.”
“How would you persuade me?” She moved her hands from the broadness of his chest, down his sides to the relative narrowness of his waist. He was firm and warm beneath her touch, his skin taunt across his muscular frame.
“Since you’ve demystified the entire process, I’d probably have to tell you we were about to have company, and that it was against the rules to be here when they arrived.”
“I’m no fun either, am I?” She laughed and stepped out of his embrace.
“I didn’t say that. You just make the job a little more challenging than I’m used to.”
“Plenty of men would kill for your job,” she said. “Women flirting with them all the time.”
“This week they would.”
He said all the right words, and said them in such a way that she wanted to believe every one of them, but she knew better. Still, it was nice to hear him talk. Very nice.
She plopped down on a grassy spot a few yards away, and tugged his hand for him to join her. He followed her down and sat back on his elbows. Rebecca repositioned herself and lay on her back with her head resting on his stomach.
“You don’t mind if I use you as a pillow, do you?”
“There aren’t many things I’d mind you using me for,” he said.
She caught the twinkle in his eye and rolled over onto her side so she could see him better. She should be at least a little ashamed of wallowing all over him, but she couldn’t find it in herself to care. “How many women have you brought to this stream?”
“We started the business four years ago, so however many that makes.”
Her heart fell a little. This game was turning out to be a lot like chess. Knowing the rules didn’t make it easy to play.
“Which ladies are your favorites? Besides me, of course.”
“Of course.” He grinned. “The older widows. I remember how lonely my mom was after Daddy died, and I like to think I can take some of that away from them for a minute.” He gave her shoulder a nudge. “I don’t let them grope me like you do though.”
Rebecca laughed. “I do kind of make myself at home, don’t I?”
“I hadn’t noticed.” His smirk was almost enough to send her crawling up on him to see if his lips tasted as good as they looked. It should be a crime for a man as eligible as Gavin Carter to spend so much of his time with women he wouldn’t ever have anything real with.
“Why do you do this?” She searched his eyes. “Is it a commitment thing, are you afraid to commit?”
“No, I’m not afraid to commit.” An unfamiliar edge sharpened his voice.
She had hit a nerve. Might as well get to the bottom of it. “What’s the longest relationship you’ve ever had?”
“I was married for five years.” Rebecca’s mouth opened in surprise before she could stop it. “And before you ask,” he added, “I’m not going to talk about it.”
“Fair enough.” She ran her hand through her hair and let it fall back into place. “Tell me something you’ve never told another guest at this ranch.”
“I don’t usually talk about myself any more than I have to. So pretty much everything I’ve told you falls into that category.”
There he was making her feel special again. Special equated to tingly. Tingly was nice. Very, very nice. “Why me?”
“Because you refuse to just shut up and fall in love with me.” His smile crept across his face and Rebecca caught herself smiling back.
“You want to play the game?” she asked.
“Anytime you’re ready.”
“I’m ready.”
“Does that mean you want me to call you darlin’ now?”
“First let’s find out if you’re a cowboy I can fall in love with.” She sat up and swung one leg over him, positioning herself with a knee on either side of his hips. He lay back and his hands went to her waist. She fought to keep her eyes open, to dampen the desire his touch sent deep into her. “Tell me exactly how you’d make love to me.”
His grip tightened sending another shot of pleasure through her. “I’d have to show you,” he said, “and not only could I get arrested for that, but we wouldn’t have nearly enough time here.”
Her chest grew warm and she reached for a strand of hair that fell just below his ear. “Don’t you like to talk about sex?”
“You didn’t say sex. You said make love.”
“There’s a difference to you?” she asked.
“Isn’t there for you?”
She swallowed the uncertainty and forced a smile. “I want you to tell me what you think the difference between sex and making love is. And make it good, I want something to think about later.”
His grin widened until a dimple she hadn’t seen before sank into his left cheek. “Sex is sex. It’s great, it feels nice, and when it’s over, it’s over. Hopefully everyone walks away with a smile and a little spring to their step.” His fingertips grazed her stomach, traveled up just below her breasts and made their way back down again. “Making love is exploring another person’s body because your souls need to meet, letting yourself be completely vulnerable, and pleasing someone because there’s nothing else you’d rather do.”
Rebecca leaned forward and braced her arms at either side of his head. “Wow, did you come up with that on your own?”
“Not bad for a cowboy, huh?” His voice was low, and the way he looked at her made it impossible to breathe through her nose, made
it difficult to breathe at all.
“Well, you did go to Harvard.” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Is that really the difference? Between sex and making love.” She licked her lips and watched the confusion settle into his features. “I’m not sure what to expect,” she whispered.
“You’ve never just had sex for the hell of it?”
She could tell he found that hard to believe. “I’ve always been one for relationships.” She bit her lip and tried not to think about the stiff ridge of man that had risen between them and was setting off fireworks in her veins. “I always seemed to have a boyfriend. Then a husband. I’m embarking on a new venture, I guess.” She forced herself to maintain eye contact, although the confession was one she’d never shared. “I’m sure I’ll manage. I guess the first time will be the hardest.” She rubbed herself against him. Her body trembled from the waves that ripped through her and she gasped.
He rolled her over onto the grass, and held himself above her, close enough to raise her temperature even higher, but far enough away to keep her from tearing his clothes off. His shirt gapped open enough to give her a view of what lay beneath it. Hell couldn’t have been hotter than the flame that licked between her legs as he continued to tease her, his erection pressing through the double layer of denim between them.
“Your husband was a lucky man,” he said. His thighs were between hers, moving slowly, deliberately, spinning all kind of ideas in her head. “Every man you choose to be with will be luckier than he deserves. I can promise you that.”
“And I thought I was horny before I got here,” she said, reaching for his hips to pull him closer. “I’m going to have a forked tongue before I leave.” She loved the way he played, giving her exactly what she wanted, teasing her as much as she teased him. And my God what he could do to her, what he’d be able to do to her if this was real.
“So now the truth comes out.” He looked down at her with a sexy glint in his eye. “You’re here because you have needs.”
“I have so many needs. But I know you aren’t in any position to take care of them, so don’t worry. I’ll handle them myself. I don’t mind if you get me worked up though.”
