Her Unbridled Cowboy (Harland County Series)

by Donna Michaels

  Okay, she took that back. It was bad. Very bad.

  Kerri quickly and deliberately brought the image of that unpopular instructor to mind, which swiftly doused her flames.

  She remained on her horse on their southeast trek, following the men at a leisure pace. Her gaze almost never left Connor’s form as he’d closed in his side and kept the eight hundred and twenty five pound beasts moving.

  He was simply magnificent.

  Kerri admired the way in which he moved with ease and rose to the challenges that turned up. She watched in amazement as he brought his horse into a gallop to go after a stray a younger hand was having trouble with. But, instead of roping and bringing the calf in, Connor just kept the animal from getting further away and allowed the younger man the opportunity to gain control and usher the stray back to the rest of the herd on his own.

  His unconscious actions had her heart swelling with pride and love. Lots of love. God, he just had to ask her to stay. She did not want to leave him.

  For the next three hours, Kerri silently marveled at Connor and his men, until, finally, as the sunset lower in the sky, they came upon the first camp and stopped for the night.

  While the men ushered the animals into the temporary pen, she got busy fixing supper.

  Camp had a large pit surrounded by blocks with a big grate over the top. Using wood already there, she quickly started the fire, then pulled out the snake she’d secretly and quickly filleted that afternoon. She seasoned the snake meat and had it sautéing in a pan next to the pot of stew Teddy had made before leaving on his emergency. Thanks to the modern convenience of soft coolers, she soon learned cowboys no longer had to suffer with just beef jerky for food.

  Although, she’d packed some of that, too.

  By the time supper was ready, the men had washed up and had their bedrolls out. Having already added the snake meat to the stew, she spooned out liberal amount to each as they came up to her with their own plates.

  She smiled when they moaned in satisfaction and complimented her between bites saying it was the best stew they ever tasted. Some even came back for seconds, and Kerri made sure to put a helping aside for herself before it all disappeared.

  Connor sat down next to her again, and they ate in companionable silence. She had to admit, the men were right, the stew was very good, but she didn’t know if it was the other cook’s recipe or because she’d added the snake. She’d never had snake before, but heard it tasted like chicken. Now she could honestly say she had to agree. It was similar, just a little tougher. Still, with her seasonings on it, it was tasty.

  “Miss Masters…”

  “Kerri, please,” she interrupted the older man.

  “Kerri, what did you add to this stew? I’ve eaten Teddy’s food for over a decade now, and although I can tell it was basically his concoction, I know you added something to liven it up.” He grinned. “What was it? Chicken?”

  “Well, not exactly.” She grinned back, unsure whether she should reveal the secret ingredient to them for fear it might turn their stomachs.

  “Yeah, Miss Mast…I mean Kerri, what did you do to old Teddy’s stew?” another man asked, and soon she was surrounded by all of them wanting to know the mystery.

  Even Connor raised an eyebrow as he waited for her explanation. Something in her grin must have given her away, because both his eyebrows shot up and his eyes widened.

  “Son-of-a-bitch…you cooked up that snake, didn’t you?” He stared at her in amazement.

  “What?”

  “I don’t believe it.”

  “Did you?”

  The men all stammered and looked at her as they waited for her answer.

  “Yeah well, I thought it was about time we bit back.” She smiled and was relieved when, instead of getting mad, they all started to hoot and laugh.

  Connor shook his head, then sent her pulse into double-time as he gave her a heart stopping grin. “I can’t believe you served us that snake.”

  “Seemed a shame to let it go to waste. I wouldn’t have killed it if I didn’t have to. But since I did, I figured we might as well eat it,” she concluded, raising her shoulders.

  “Only a Masters would do this.”

  Connor laughed and her pulse picked up again.

  She winked. “You got that right.”

  His gaze suddenly sobered…and heated. And despite the falling temperatures, her body simmered.

  After everything was washed and put away, Kerri opened up her bedroll near Connor’s, then sat down. Someone was playing a guitar, and a few of the men were singing off key. She was invited to join in the fun.

  Half an hour later, she got up despite their protests and left them to massacre the next song by themselves. She was getting some supplies ready for the morning when Cal ambled over, careful not to step on her scattered things.

  “I just wanted to thank you for putting some fun in the day. Boss could use it,” Cal said.

  Kerri felt her face warm, but curiosity won over embarrassment. “Why?”

  He shrugged. “He’s been madder than a hornet lately. Even the bulls give him a wide berth.”

  She laughed and went to step back, only to trip over her bag. Cal caught her and pulled her close to keep her upright.

  “Thanks,” she said, really embarrassed, more than likely beet red as she released her stabilizing grip on him.

  “Everything okay?” Connor asked, appearing out of nowhere.

  Her heart jump to her throat. Crap. Once again, this looked bad. And she didn’t want to cause trouble between him and his men.

  “Yes,” Cal said, dropping his hold to turn to his boss. “She just tripped, and I caught her.”

  Kerri nodded, stomach churning. “Yeah, I’m such a klutz.” She eyed Connor’s face, bracing, waiting for him to fly off the handle, accuse her of God knows what...

  He never did.

  “Good job,” Connor said, patting Cal on the back, his face friendly but concerned. Then he turned to her. “Be careful there, darlin’. You’ve got us all hooked. We wouldn’t want to miss out on another meal.”

  To say she was shocked was the biggest understatement of the century. Stiffness eased from her shoulders when she let out the breath stuck in her dry throat.

  “No worries,” she managed to say, her staggered heart knocking her ribs when he smile and tipped his hat before walking away with Cal.

  Yeah, okay, that was…good. That was real good. Smiling, she bent down and put away her things, happy to see Connor had made some serious progress. Now, she needed to do something about her dry throat.

  Kerri headed to the cooler, grabbed a bottle of water and took a long drink.

  “You never cease to amaze me, Kerri.”

  She didn’t know what startled her more, Connor sneaking up behind her or his comment. Again, his voice wasn’t angry; it was warm and did funny things to her insides.

  “Ditto, cowboy.” She winked at him, still euphoric over the fact he’d made some serious progress in the trust thing.

  Her heartbeats were erratic and her thoughts erotic as she turned around to face him. He was so close she could feel his breath on her skin, and her hunger for him increased. A long-sleeved shirt now covered his red sleeveless top, and even though his yummy muscles were concealed, it did nothing to lessen his sex appeal. Noting some of the men taking an interest in them, Kerri gripped her water bottle tightly with both hands to keep from pulling him close. She wanted very much to show him just how amazing he made her feel, but refrained because of their audience.

  “And if it weren’t for those eight men over there…” she let her voice trail off and allowed him to fill in the blanks.

  Never in a million years did she ever think she’d speak so brazenly to a man.

  She heard Connor’s intake of breath, but the darkness kept his expression from her as she strained to see him in the moonlight. Unfortunately, it was behind him and only served to illuminate her face for him.

  “Christ, Kerr
i. Do you have any idea what you are doing to me?” he rasped out in a hoarse whisper.

  His nearness and his words knocked her off kilter, and she had a hard time forming her thoughts. She wanted so bad for him to admit he loved her that if she could talk she would’ve gladly admitted her feelings first. Instead, when she opened her mouth all that came out was a breathy, “What?”

  Just when she thought for sure he was going to say it, they were interrupted by the singing trio who came over for a drink.

  “Don’t mind us. We just need some water,” the guitarist said with a grin.

  Swallowing her disappointment, Kerri put a smile on her face and replied, “Sure. Help yourselves.”

  With the spell broken, she watched helplessly as Connor grabbed a bottle for himself, then smiled apologetically at her before making his way back to his bedroll.

  After a mostly sleepless night, Kerri awoke feeling not so refreshed. She realized too late last night how foolish it was of her to put her roll so close to Connor’s. All night, her body ached for him, and despite her exhaustion, it wouldn’t let up. Finally at daybreak, she was relieved to get up and pack her things, then busy herself with breakfast.

  All day, the torture continued. Too hectic to talk, they exchanged heated glances. Her body hummed, and she wasn’t sure if she was relieved or upset when they reached the final camp. Just another half mile and the mare’s rocking rhythm would probably have set off her tightly strung libido.

  Kerri dismounted and stretched. Her whole body ached. For Connor. She hid it as best she could and cooked the men their dinner of chops and baked potatoes she’d wrapped in foil and placed in the fire. Afterwards, she served brownies for dessert and admittedly felt a little better herself having eaten a full meal. And chocolate. It gave her the energy to clean up with enough left over to pursue the sound of running water she could hear in the distance. Kerri had recognized the place, having spent many afternoons exploring this brook as a child. Now, she longed to enjoy its beauty and tranquility before the sun went down.

  Connor watched Kerri clean up and wanted to go after her when she headed off in the distance, but wasn’t sure if she needed the privacy or not.

  All damn day, he silently cursed his brother and father for putting him in this hellish situation. Last night, he’d been about to ignore his brother’s advice to wait for Kerri to say something and just tell her he loved her first, and let things take off from there, but when they were interrupted, the moment had disappeared.

  Christ. All night long, his body suffered its own torment as Kerri lay so close to him he could have reached out and touched her. He nearly had. Several times. His hand had hovered over her hair, needing to feel its silky softness as if his life depended on it. His body remembered the feel of those sweet strands, her curves…her heat. To keep from reaching for her, he’d rolled away and stayed in that position for the rest of the night.

  And paid for it in the morning.

  Big time. He flexed his shoulder and fought a grimace. Damn thing was still stiff.

  That morning, he’d never been more thankful for the break of dawn and the hard day’s work ahead. Tough work would end his torture and keep him busy. Connor had been surprised when he heard her moving about early. He had to admit she was a hard worker and a welcome addition to his team.

  Kerri knew how to do her job and didn’t require anything from them except an appetite. If he weren’t so attracted to her, he wouldn’t even know she was there. His men took a liking to her too, and after only a few hours yesterday morning, she had them eating out of her hands.

  When sunset began to close in, he began to get worried. Kerri hadn’t come back to camp yet. Shit. What if she’d met up with another snake? He strode in the direction she’d disappeared and forced himself not to think the worst.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Connor had spent most of the day trying to figure out how he was going to get her alone near the stream, and now couldn’t believe his luck as that was exactly where he found her.

  Kerri sat in front of the rocks he and Cole had been discussing on Sunday. It was as if fate had read his mind and delivered her to this very spot.

  Looking around, Connor was pleased to find they were completely alone. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, he eagerly took advantage of the golden opportunity and ambled closer.

  “Kerri? Are you all right?” he asked quietly as he approached.

  “Oh!” She jumped and twisted around, hand to her throat. “Yes. I’m fine.” Her startled face lit up when she saw him.

  This knocked the breath from him, so he decided to sit down next to her and lean up against the rocks until he regained his voice. Of course, her nearness was making it a hell of a task. His body was full of awareness and had been on fire since last night. The well-fitting jeans hugging her curves weren’t helping his concentration either. He forced his eyes to focus on her averted face, not her lower extremities.

  “Wow…incredible,” she exclaimed.

  It took him a moment to realize what she was talking about. Her gaze was trained on the horizon, now bathed in a dying ember glow. A deep blue faded into purple then into black, and swallowed the sun, making the millions of stars more visible overhead.

  “I envy you this, Connor.”

  Her voice, just above whisper, sent shivers racing down his arms and spine.

  “No matter which way you look, and for as far as you can see…” she paused to smile at him. “You own all this. You’re surrounded by such beauty.”

  He sure was, and her name was Kerri Masters.

  She sighed and tipped her head back to stare up at the sky. “And the stars, wow. They seem so close here in Texas, not to mention that moon.”

  He watched as she reached her hand out as if to touch it.

  God, she’s adorable. His heart rocked.

  “It looks close enough to pull down,” she said in awe, then yawned. “Sorry.” She half turned and stifled another yawn. “I think the two days are catching up to me.” She grinned, then grimaced as she made to stretch her back.

  “Here. Let me,” he ordered gently as he scooted over. Stretching his legs out on either side of her, Connor began to massage her neck and shoulders.

  “Mmm…that feels like heaven. Don’t stop.” He barely heard her plea as she yawned again.

  His inner thighs burned where they came in contact with her soft rounded curves. His body swelled behind his zipper and the tightness in his lower abs increased as she slowly relaxed into him.

  Damn. He wanted to flip her around, strip them both naked and thrust deep inside her. Connor closed his eyes and fought for control. He couldn’t let his body’s sexual hunger get in the way of his heart’s need to communicate with hers. He had to know just where he stood with her, and what she was going to do about California.

  When he finally got up the courage to ask, he heard the unmistakable sound of a snore. “Kerri?” he ventured softly. Nothing.

  Her breathing was now rhythmic and confirmed his observation. She had fallen asleep. He closed his eyes, leaned his head back against the rock and snickered.

  Here he was, at the right spot.

  At the right time.

  With the right woman in his arms...and the poor thing was so exhausted she fell asleep.

  He let out a breath and settled down more comfortably. Looked like it was going to be another rough night. Pulling her in closer, he smiled when she turned and snuggled into him, then mumbled his name before drifting off again. Never had he felt this strong sense of right before. He belonged with her, wherever that may be. Connor decided right then and there, even if it meant Kerri’s place was in California, he was going to conform, commute, do whatever it took to keep her in his life.

  Warmth and comfort cocooned Kerri, and she was loathed to open her eyes and break the spell. She hadn’t slept so soundly in years and wanted to embrace it for just a while longer.

  The sound of water softly lapping around rocks soon registe
red in her brain, and she slowly remembered she wasn’t at her apartment in bed, but on a cattle drive...with Connor.

  On Connor.

  Kerri bolted upright when her brain kicked in just before her memory did. She was mortified. How could she have fallen asleep on this cowboy?

  “Morning. Well, almost morning.” His deep voice greeted her with a touch of amusement.

  Turning around in the pre-dawn hour, she faced him. “Oh, Connor. I am so sorry. Are you okay?” She could feel her face fill with warmth.

  He smiled. “That depends.”

  “On what?”

  “On whether or not I still have legs. I can’t seem to feel them anymore.”

  His laughter didn’t ease her embarrassment.

  “I’m sorry. Why didn’t you wake me?” she questioned as she hastily stood.

  “Because it felt great to hold you like that, and I didn’t want to ruin it.”

  Startled and warmed by his admission, she smiled down at him. “Awe, that’s sweet.”

  Grasping his hands, she helped him up enough for him to lean his large frame against the rocks, allowing the blood to flow down his legs.

  “You big goof. You didn’t have to lose the feeling in your legs for me. Well, maybe one leg, but certainly not two,” she joked, and was rewarded with a grin.

  “I’d do anything for you, darlin’,” he said.

  Her heart nearly fluttered right out of her chest. She stared at him a beat. “You sure are comfortable, cowboy.” She patted his firm stomach, and he quickly captured her hand there.

  Her insides stirred, and little jolts of awareness shot up her arm. Body in tuned with his, she couldn’t stop from swaying closer.

  There was so much she wanted to say, needed to say, but all the words stuck in her throat as she got lost in the desire smoldering in his eyes. She opened her mouth, but the only thing that came out was a moan as his lips captured hers.

  Oh how she needed this. Wanted this…

  She opened up to him, letting her body say all the things her heart wanted him to hear. Connor’s heartbeat answered back under her palm as they kissed, deep and hungry and desperate. She was soaring. All was finally right with world. She was where she needed to be. Where she was meant to be.