“I want to make love to you,” he said.
The words had the power of whiskey, straight to her head. Someone had to be a realist or she’d crash the truck.
“That might be a little ambitious, Luke.”
So why were her panties already wet. Poor man. If he didn’t shut up, she’d jump him the minute she cut the engine.
“I need to.” The words were stark.
Hung there.
Where the hell was the air? She pressed the power on the window letting the cool night air swirl in, trying to dissipate the desire, except the wind only made her curls blow wildly around her head. She’d forgotten that while he’d been sitting up in the ER getting checked out he’d finger combed out her braid with a whispered “please.” The way he adored her hair still felt strange, but she loved the way he looked at her, didn’t quite trust it all the way, but she was trying to get there.
“Will you let me in?”
As if she could ever deny him anything. The power he had over her was heart-stopping. Stunning. And not something she could grab the reins back from even if she wanted to. She’d always been an all-in person. Barrel racing. Healing. Remaking her life as an academic. Rebuilding the ranch and setting lofty goals. Loving Luke.
“Always,” she whispered. “But I don’t want you hurt.”
“I’m tough,” he said, a little arrogantly but with a smile and for a moment she had a glimpse of a playful Luke, a little like his younger brother. “We may have to be a little creative though. You might have to do some of the work.”
She stopped the truck, played with the keys, wondered if she should just go for it or try to talk about the future, but Luke was already climbing out, fishing for his keys. She popped out fast, grabbing the tote of food and supplies Tucker had given her along with her overnight bag. Luke jammed the keys in the lock, just as the door swung open.
Kane, wrapped in a towel, making what appeared to be a smoothie.
“Hey, girl,” he said, making no move to cover up even slightly.
Was that a tattoo of a… she turned away, face flaming. She was not going to ogle Luke’s younger brother. Let lightning strike her right now! Imagine if Tucker had come instead of Tanner. Tucker would have climbed him like a jungle gym.
“Bro.”
Luke cursed.
“That’s no way to be.” Kane handed Luke the smoothie. “I figured you’d be back for some privacy,” he said smugly. “Drink that. It’s full of antioxidants. It’s my go-to drink when I’m hurt. I’ll give you the recipe and, before you continue to curse me out, mom’s here too, waiting for you.”
“Luca!”
Samara Wilder rushed out of the trailer and gently touched Luke’s brow near the stitches and then she kissed first one cheek and then another. Her hands, slim and graceful, wrists covered with silver bangles, skimmed Luke’s bandaged wrist, and the arm in the sling. Tanner stared at the woman she’d heard so much about. In her mind, Samara Wilder was the wild teen girl, running off with a rodeo star when she was fifteen. She was for Tanner frozen in time. The brief handshake a few days ago in the trailer hadn’t done her justice.
“Mom, it’s not a big deal. I’m fine.”
Tanner nearly bit back a laugh. So here was the drama queen, fireball mom who’d kicked Luke’s ass in a bar fight and sided with a man she didn’t know, but who ended up to be her long lost son. Yup, in true telenovela style, she was beautiful. Elegant. And she didn’t look at all like she could have three grown men as sons.
Samara slid a look at Tanner and she notched up her chin. She was not going to apologize for interrupting the family reunion even though Samara was clearly waiting to talk to Luke. Probably alone.
Luke slipped his arm around Tanner’s waist.
“This is Tanner McTavish,” he said. “You met her a couple of days ago.”
“Not senile, Luca,” Samara smiled, and she went from beautiful to stunning, and her smile was so much like Kane’s. “Bruce’s daughter, yes. You run the ranch he still thinks he runs. Men.”
“I knew I’d like you,” Tanner said, smiling.
“Oh, no double-teamed, brother,” Kane said. “I’d better get dressed.”
“Why?” Samara demanded. “You like showing off your body. You did even as a boy.”
“Mom,” Kane and Luke said at the same time.
“Definitely getting dressed.” Kane slammed the trailer door leaving the three of them out under the stars. Most of the trailer rigs had already pulled up stakes and driven away.
“Did you talk to Colt? Will he see me yet?” Samara’s voice was low, broken.
Tanner’s heart spasmed at the pain in her voice. Here was a woman who had lived life on her own terms. Who was beautiful, smart, and successful but even she had not been spared deep sorrow and loss.
“I think, Mom, you need to give him time,” Luke said tiredly, leaning his weight more fully against Tanner.
“That girl he loves, with all the hair, will she help? Should I approach her?”
“Talon,” Tanner said. “Yes. She wants to meet you. She wants Colt to meet you, too. He’s getting there. He’s—” How to describe him.
She barely knew him, but Talon’s glowing words as well as the other ones about how he had trouble sleeping, trouble shutting down, rang in her head.
“He’s been through a lot. He was in the army for twelve years. Lots of deployments and has only been home a week. He needs time. He’s a very private person. I knew of him in high school, but even though he was on the football team and a top player, he stayed to himself.” She hesitated to add the last part. “He didn’t have an easy time growing up with Sam Meizner who wasn’t quite right. He drank and had problems with… well, with a lot of things. Probably depression. So Colt had a lot to deal with.”
She didn’t want to hurt Samara or expose Colt, but she needed to know where he was coming from.
“But I am his mother.”
“You’re not, Mom. You’re not his mom like you are Kane’s and mine, so you don’t have some right to barge in. You can’t make it happen. You’re going to have to let him come to you if he wants.”
“But he’s my son. He needs to know me. He needs to know what happened.”
“You can’t push like you push everything,” Luke said tiredly.
Samara Wilder’s blue grey eyes sparked with indignation, and she tossed her mane of long, silky, black hair. “I am not leaving town. I don’t care what my father’s done out of spite, denying his grandchildren their mother, father, identity and birthright. I am home. And I will meet my son.”
Tanner admired her determination, but she was feeling that Luke should get horizontal quickly. She could feel the strength in his body ebbing. Only Kane was in the trailer. And Luke’s mother had just determined that she was going to stay. Did that mean here, in the trailer?
“So…” A fully clothed Kane opened the door. “No dairy or beef for a few weeks,” he said. “Too inflammatory. I’ve already emailed you my injury recovery nutrition menu. It’s full of antioxidants.”
“So is my fist. Get out of my trailer.”
Kane laughed. “Offer’s still open.” Kane dangled the key to his room at the Graff in front of them. “Since ya’ll look like you made up. I even packed an overnight bag for you like Mom would have done if I’d let her near your stuff.”
“You’d better have packed condoms,” Samara said, arms folded across her chest.
Tanner swallowed hard. Luke glared. Kane grinned.
“Although, Kane, sweetie, maybe you should leave those out. I’d like some grandchildren before I’m senile.”
Tanner choked this time. Senile. The woman looked thirty but had to be at least forty-five.
“Plenty of time for that.” Tanner, face flaming, grabbed the bag and the key from Kane. “Lovely to meet you.”
Sort of.
She linked her fingers with Luke’s and headed for her truck.
“Tanner, can we walk?” he asked.
<
br /> “You must be hurting.”
He touched his chest. “More here.”
“What?” She hurried forward, reaching out for him. “I can take you back to the ER. Another X-ray. Or an MRI. Maybe they missed something.”
“What I’m feeling won’t show up on a scan,” he said, taking her hand and pressing it over his heart. “I want to walk with you in the night with the moon, maybe some stars and a lot of quiet.”
She shouldered his bag, and grabbed her overnight case and then slipped her arm around his waist. Walking at night with this man sounded perfect.
“Not just tonight,” he said softly, “but for longer.”
Her eyes searched his as they reached the bridge spanning the Marietta River that led to downtown. Was he asking if she were up for the walk and stars tonight or for many nights in the future? She practically crossed her fingers and wished like she had when she’d been five. Oh, please, oh, please, want me. Love me.
“Luke.” Her heart felt too full to speak.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out two pennies.
“Make a wish?”
Tanner took the coin. It was as if her every dream, her every wish had just been granted, as if her ordinary life just became magical. She couldn’t really comprehend it. She turned around, but instead of closing her eyes, she watched Luke. Made her wish for a forever with him and watched as he smiled then made his own wish.
With his working hand, he turned her towards him. His beautiful, golden gaze searched her face while his hand reverently touched her cheek, lips, hair. He stood close. She could almost feel the heat of his body.
“I’m just so overwhelmed by my feelings for you,” she finally said, wanting to say more but not having the words.
He cupped the back of her head and then let his hand smooth down her spine. “Yeah, intense. Sideswiped me, too, but I’ve got you.”
*
Later, after a shower where Tanner had soaped and kissed her way over his body like she owned it, which she did, and making him forget a lot of his bruises, Luke reclined, naked on the bed and watched her prepare a snack from the food Tucker had packed them.
“It would taste better if you were naked,” he said.
She laughed. “It’s going to taste fine.” She adjusted the tie on her robe from the Graff so it gaped a little.
She felt bold and reveled how she could see his eyes heat instantly with desire. She had a strong body, athletic and slim but nothing any guy had ever seemed particularly fascinated by or with.
“And you’d better eat because you need your strength because I’m not done with you.”
“Bring it on.”
But there was a knock on the door.
“If that’s Kane, I will kill him slowly.” Luke started to get up, totally naked and totally delicious despite the wrapped arm from elbow to wrist and ribs, but Tanner rolled her eyes and marched over to the door, pulling her robe tight, and answered it.
Room service. Champagne. A fruit basket and cracker and cheese plate. And then dessert. A chocolate something and then blackberry cheesecake.
“Okay, Kane has at least one redeeming quality.” She snagged the card and read his message. “Can you open this.” She handed the server the champagne. “I’ve never opened one of those suckers.”
Done. And gone. Alone.
She poured two glasses and handed one to Luke.
“Should we toast your first place win?”
“I’d rather toast us.” His eyes were a little wary as they walked over her face, down her body and then back again.
“Luke, I know it’s fast,” she said, “and you’ll travel a lot. You don’t have to commit to anything. And my dad, well, he”—she bit her lip and tears filled her eyes—“he said something about thinking about selling the ranch. I can’t believe that. I can’t believe he’d even think like that. The Triple T is one of the earliest ranches in the valley, not a founding Marietta ranch, but from the late 1890s. He’s just so obsessed with not having sons. It makes me so mad. It makes me—”
Luke turned her face up to his, and kissed her cheeks, tasted her tears, pulled her close, and she wrapped herself in his warmth, feeling safe and secure even though the bottom might truly be dropping out of her life.
“So there might not be that much to commit to,” she said in a small voice.
“I want to commit to you,” he said, “not a ranch. Not a town. You.”
“It’s so soon.” She looked up at him, hopeful, but still feeling anguished. “I know you’ve been with—”
He laid his finger over her mouth. “That’s the past. We are the future,” he said. “We can build our future together if that’s what you want.”
Her eyes searched his. “I do.” She sounded reverent.
“You are everything to me, Tanner. You’re so real. Between my mom, who was so shattered by her early experiences with her dad, and my dad and Kane and his damn career I’ve had so much drama. One-ups-manship. Attempted manipulation. You are so honest. So natural. I know I gave you reason to doubt me. I’m so new to the concept of a relationship that lasts, Tanner, but I want to be good at it. I want to be what you need. I want to be what you want because I want you, Tanner. Now and always. You’re my cowgirl”
She leaned forward and kissed him, not the passionate, drugging kisses that had made her head swim and her knees go weak in the shower, but more like a promise. Reverence.
“I want you too, cowboy.” She didn’t break eye contact. “From the moment I first saw you at a rodeo after a ride, and now that I know you and have been in your heart, I want to stay here and love you and be loved by you forever.”
She laid down carefully next to him.
“I love you Tanner, but, no,” he said.
“No what?” Her heart kicked up anxiously.
“Robe off.”
She smiled. And started to shrug it off.
“No.”
She stopped, thrilled by the firmness of his voice.
“Stand up. I want to watch.”
Heat pooled low in her body. Who would have thought she’d respond to that edge of dominance in his voice and expression, but Tucker felt like liquid. She slid off the bed, faced him, and dropped the robe. She swallowed hard. He’d seen her naked before, but he’d been standing up touching her, not watching like she was on a stage.
“Now my belt.”
She felt like all the air in the room was gone. “Luke?” she asked shakily.
He reached for the velvet box that held his winning buckle from the rodeo.
“Oh. My. God.” She mouthed the words.
She’d been joking. He was totally serious. Tanner felt thrilled to her bones. And terrified. She hadn’t had many partners. And the sex had been straight forward. But she was a cowgirl. She was Montana born.
She swished his belt out of his jeans and walked over, hand out for the buckle. The light in his eyes and the appreciation stamped on his beautiful face settled her nerves. She was wet and excited and her hands were shaking, but she slid the leather in, thinking about him sliding in something else hopefully soon. She looped the belt around her waist.
“Now your boots.”
Her breath feathered and she felt another pulse of liquid between her thighs. She watched him watch her as she slid her bare feet into her boots.
He was so hard and so beautiful, and the sight of Luke Wilder aroused was the most spectacular thing she’d ever seen.
“Hair.”
She slid out the elastic on the end of her braid and then finger combed her hair into its wild riot of curls that sprang around her head, she thought like Medusa, but Luke was so aroused her could barely sit still on the bed so she let go of one last hang up. For him she could do anything. He made her feel powerful even when he was ordering her around, and she couldn’t wait to take over.
“I’m going to have you,” she said boldly. “Tonight. And every night I can get you.” She walked toward him, each step deliberate.
> “I’m all yours,” he said wrapping his hand around his erection.
“Don’t,” she said, eyes on her prize. “Mine.”
His eyes looked like they’d been lit with a match, and his smile was just as heated. “Come get it.” He taunted, removing his hand so she could see how badly he wanted her.
She thought of all the silly lines she could say, but instead just settled on honesty. She loved Luke Wilder. All of him. And she wanted to show him in so many ways.
“You’re glistening.” He licked his lips. “I want to taste you. Please, Tanner, come here.”
She came. She kissed him, tasted him, made him beg, played with herself, letting her fingers rub her clitoris and dip into her slick channel while she straddled him, and let him lick her fingers after she orgasmed, and then she rolled a condom over his exquisite length and straddled him.
“I hate that I can’t touch you like I want,” he whispered, since one arm was immobilized, so only one hand could grip her hips.
“We’re doing just fine,” she said, tracing his mouth with her finger. “We’ll be creative until you heal.”
“I need to be inside you. Please. Please, Tanner.”
Eyes holding his, Tanner slowly lowered herself onto him, gasping at the sensations rolling over her body, his size, his everything. He filled more than her body. Her heart and soul and mind felt full, connected to him in a way she’d never felt before.
“Luke,” she said, amazed, gripping his hips with her strong inner thighs as she felt him deep in her core.
She leaned forward to catch his moan in her mouth and began to move, slowly at first, letting the heat build between him, and then faster, amazed at his strength as with one hand he guided her to a rhythm that sent her careening over the edge with a few thrusts, just with the angle he held her hips, and then he continued to slam himself up into her over and over again in a primitive rhythm that had her body and soul and mind rejoicing.
God he was strong, and that turned her on, but it was so much more. He was so much more.
Want Me, Cowboy Page 20
