by Kaki Warner
The kiss went on and on. Until his arms started shaking and they were both out of breath. And still, it wasn’t enough.
“We have to stop,” he whispered against her lips.
He felt her smile. “This isn’t working for you?”
“It’s working too well. But I’d need a third hand to get on the condom, and soon, or it won’t matter. This time.”
“I’m on the pill.”
He drew his head back and looked at her. “Is that wise?”
“Are you worried about STDs? I’m clean. Are you?”
“I’ve been in prison.”
She nipped his nose. “I know. That’s why I asked.”
He tried to get his head around that. Couldn’t. Took it as evidence of her bizarre sense of humor and played along. “You trying to pick a fight?”
“What do you think?”
“I think you are.” And in a single twisting movement he dumped her across the bed, followed her down, and pinned her to the mattress. “I win.”
She laughed. He felt the vibration of it all through his body.
Then they got busy. And because it was their first time together, everything was new and a little tentative, until she started snapping out instructions like his old drill sergeant—different instructions, of course—and like any good soldier, he followed orders.
It was the best he’d ever had.
Bar none.
The second time was even better because of the learning curve. By then, he knew just how she liked to be touched, and what she wanted most, and how to keep her on the edge of it until it became too much for both of them.
When it was over, Raney slid off onto her stomach beside him, both of them breathing hard, Dalton sprawled on his back, too drained to move and already thinking about another encore.
“That was amazing,” he said between gasps. “Ten best for sure.”
She muttered something, but her voice was muffled by the pillow.
He rolled onto his side and ran a finger between her shoulder blades, tracing the knobby bumps of her spine in the dip between the long, rounded muscles of her back, all the way down to the dished dimple at the top of her butt. A rider’s back. Strong and supple. Leading to a perfect butt. “Definitely top three. You’re a seriously sexy woman.”
She lifted her head and stared at him through a tangle of curls. “Top three what?”
“Fantasies.”
“Seriously? I didn’t even make the finals?” She started to push upright.
He pulled her back down. “Relax, sweetheart. All my fantasies are about you. I have an insatiable, endless imagination where you’re concerned. It’s like you were created in a lab somewhere just to prance naked through my mind.”
She blinked at him. “A lab? That’s not very romantic.”
“Heaven?”
“Better.”
She settled back down and got comfortable again, this time tucked against his side. “And I don’t prance.”
He thought of her dancing and smiled. “Stomp, then.”
He had almost drifted off to sleep when she said, “What are one and two?”
He kissed the top of her head and yawned. “You’ll see.”
CHAPTER 19
Dalton woke with his heart racing and Raney’s voice whispering through his mind. He cracked open an eye. The clock on the nightstand read seven minutes after eight. Which made no sense. He never slept past six. Struggling to bring his mind into focus, he rolled onto his back and saw the empty space beside him.
Had he dreamed it all? He looked around. Saw no evidence of Raney ever being there, in his room, in his bed. How could that be?
He reached for the phone.
She answered on the third buzz, her voice thick with sleep.
“You awake?” he asked.
“No.”
“Did it really happen?”
“What?”
“You. Me. The best sex I’ve ever had.”
He heard her draw in air on a yawn, then let it out in a rush. “How quickly they forget.”
“I’ll never forget.”
“We need to talk.”
That didn’t sound good. But she was right. They did need to talk. What happened last night changed everything. “When?”
“Later. At the barn. G’night.”
Dalton did a lot of thinking while he took his shower. He might not understand women all that well, but he was getting better at hearing what they didn’t say. And he’d heard Raney loud and clear. If she’d been worried last night about her sisters knowing about them, she’d be doubly cautious with her mama in the house.
Shit. He was back to arm’s length.
Not unexpected. Still, it rankled. But rather than wait to be booted out, he dressed, packed up his stuff, and headed back to the workers’ dorm.
Throughout the rest of the morning he was so busy he didn’t have time to fret over what Raney might say. His tasks with the AI program kept him mired in paperwork until lunch, then he scheduled out a few more local cutting shows before the pre-works started in October. He picked the ones he thought would have the biggest draw and largest crowds, then looked over the list of private training barns that were hosting fall pre-works. He was familiar with the names, but had never attended any of their workouts. The man he’d ridden for before, Roy Kilmer, wasn’t on a par with these premier outfits. That Whitcomb Four Star was included had more to do with the family status and reputation than their cutting prospects. Until now. And now, Dalton was determined to have Rosco ready to shine.
After lining up the shows, he decided to give the colt a mental break and take him out into the pasture. Being as smart as he was, Rosco could easily grow sour and bored. To combat that, Dalton had taken him out at least once a week since his training began. Hoping Raney would go with them, he had Uno brush Big Mike down just in case.
It was a little after one when he saw her coming up the drive toward the barn, dressed for work in jeans that hugged those long, strong legs that had held him tight last night. The memory of it was so strong he stopped what he was doing and watched her come toward him, images rolling through his mind like a slow-motion movie. Then he realized what he was doing to himself and went back to work before he flung her down in the straw as soon as she walked through the doors.
“Hey,” she said, stopping beside him. When she saw he wasn’t using the cutting saddle Rosco usually wore during his workouts, she asked if he was taking the colt for a run in the pasture.
Dalton nodded. “Got time to go with us?”
“I’d love to. But I have to go get Mama.” She watched him tighten Rosco’s cinch, then said, “Since Mama’s coming home, you should probably move back into the dormitory.”
“I already have.”
If she was surprised, or disappointed, or upset by that, she didn’t show it. Which irritated him a little.
“It’s probably for the best,” she said. “If you stayed in the house, we’d end up sneaking around. And I don’t like doing that.”
“Then don’t.” It came out more sharply than he intended, so he softened his tone. “Be open. Tell her about us. You’re a grown woman, Raney. You can make that decision for yourself.” And he was surprised she hadn’t. It seemed out of character for a woman as decisive and strong-minded as Raney was to be so concerned about what her mama might think.
“I made my decision last night when I came to your room.”
“But now you have regrets?”
She smiled and shook her head. “No regrets. You’re every bit the studmuffin I dreamed you were.”
“Studmuffin? Sounds girly.”
“Trust me, you’re not.” Her smile faded. “But I think maybe we should slow down. This is all moving pretty fast.”
Dalton almost called foul. Jacking him up with talk like
that, then telling him to back off. “If it’s making you that uncomfortable, maybe I should just move on.”
“No.” Her hand shot out to grab his arm, as if that might stop him if he did choose to go. Which he didn’t. He’d spoken without thinking, and as soon as the words were out, he’d wanted them back. Through Rosco and the AI program, he already felt invested in the ranch. It seemed that for a long time he’d been spinning his wheels and going nowhere. But here, at Four Star, there was hope. A chance to build something meaningful. Make a new start. But it all hinged on the woman beside him. Who was now pushing him away again.
“I don’t want you to leave,” she said, taking her hand away. “I just need more time.”
“For what?” This had already been going on for months. How much longer did she need to figure out what she wanted?
“To decide if this is real. I can’t help but think in terms of commitment, Dalton. That’s the way I’m built. I don’t sleep around, or try guys out, or have hookups. I go all in or nothing. I already made one mistake. I don’t want to make another.”
Dalton looked away, not trusting himself to speak. That she would even put him and the douche in the same category was an insult.
“I’m not good with change,” she went on. “And a permanent commitment would mean a lot of changes. A lot of risk.”
“There aren’t any guarantees, Raney. If you don’t think what we have is worth the risk, let’s end it now.”
“But I think it is. I think it might work. It might be wonderful. The best thing ever to come into my life. But it’s all happened so fast. I just need a little more time to think it through. Can you give me that?”
If he wanted Raney, what choice did he have? And he definitely wanted Raney. He untied Rosco’s lead from the ring in the wall. “Sure. Like I said, I’m not going anywhere.” The sooner he got away from her, the less chance he’d say something he might regret.
But she followed him out of the barn and stood while he opened the gate into the pasture. “I know you’re upset,” she said, after he led Rosco through and secured the gate behind him. “And I understand why. But remember what I said about us getting distracted if we went to the next step?”
“I remember.” He swung into the saddle, then sat and waited for her to say all she came to say.
“I was right.” She looked up at him, blue eyes narrowed against the glare. “After last night, I’m definitely distracted. All day I’ve been thinking about how great it was with you, and when we would do it again. Not once did I think about Rosco or the Futurity. Joss even had to remind me to go get Mama in Gunther this afternoon. Aren’t you even a little bit distracted, too?”
“Sure. I get a hard-on every time you walk into the barn, or I hear your voice, or see you smile. But since I can’t always act on those distractions, I put them aside. I compartmentalize. Soldiers are trained to do that. In combat, everything is in the here and now. We don’t think in terms of the future since it might never come.”
“That’s sad.”
He shrugged. “It’s the way it has to be.”
“I couldn’t do that. Planning ahead keeps bad things from happening. At least, that’s the plan,” she added with a crooked smile.
“I know. You see a moment and stretch it to forever. You look at it from all angles. You analyze. And when you’re sure, you commit. That’s how you’ve kept the ranch running so well. You’re good at it.”
“But?”
“But that’s all ledgers and spreadsheets, Raney. Handling emotions is harder for you. That’s why you need extra time to think it through. I don’t like it, but I get it.”
She was silent so long, he wondered if his words had hurt her. He hoped not. In his experience, easy commitments didn’t last long. Raney’s were etched in steel.
“You’d be okay if we slow it down for now?” she asked, that crease back between her brows.
Poor Raney. Always worrying about something. “Disappointed, but not upset. I think we’re great together. I think we have a chance for something special and I’m willing to wait for it. For now. But be careful you don’t overanalyze it and talk yourself out of it.”
She thought for it a moment, then nodded. “You could be right.”
Dalton snorted. “I’m right?”
“I know,” she said with a wry smile. “I’m as shocked as you are.” Her smile faded. “I do tend to overthink things.”
Which she did a moment longer, then nodded as if she’d come to a decision or realization. “You’re a sly one, aren’t you? By not rushing me or trying to force me to your way of thinking, you’ve given me no reason to resist. You’ve taken away the need to put space between us.”
Hope clambered to the surface. “What does that mean, exactly?”
“It means you’re a wise man, Dalton Cardwell. Heavens! Look at the time. I’ve got to get going.”
Ten minutes later, as Dalton watched the Expedition head out the main gate, he wondered what she meant. Was he back in the saddle again? Or standing at the gate waiting to get in? The damn woman had him tied in knots.
* * *
* * *
Mama was in great spirits and looked happier than Raney had seen her in a long time. It reminded her again that her mother was still a vital woman. And a very attractive one. She had probably been the darling of the geriatric cruise set.
“The trip was a success?” she asked as they headed back to the ranch.
“It was wonderful. So many interesting people. The weather was perfect and the food scrumptious.” She went on for a few more minutes, then seemed to catch herself and added, “Although I missed my girls terribly. How is Joss?”
“Pregnant and anxious. Right now, she’s at her weekly checkup in Aspenmont. Shouldn’t be long. Len says it looks like the baby has dropped.” Raney wasn’t sure what that meant, but it sounded painful.
“Len’s here?”
“Came in yesterday. The kids are at summer camp and she thought she’d hide out with us until her eyes heal and—”
“Heal? My Lord, what happened?”
“Nothing happened. She had them done, is all. Best prepare yourself, though. She’s still pretty swollen and bruised.”
“That’s not good.”
“It’ll go down.”
“No, I mean it’s not good that she had them done.”
“Why not?”
“I have a theory.”
Mama had a theory about nearly everything, including cosmetic surgery. She wasn’t a big fan. She felt women—and men—should age gracefully, and a few wrinkles gave a face character. Easy for her to say since she had led a pampered life and was born with amazing bone structure. Mama had one of those faces that would be beautiful into her seventies and beyond.
“Assuming a woman has no medical issues,” Mama began, “and she isn’t contemplating a sex change and hasn’t suffered a disfigurement, there are only five reasonable reasons why a beautiful thirty-three-year-old in her prime would subject herself to the risks of plastic surgery.”
Raney settled in for a long lecture.
Raising her left hand, Mama counted off on her fingers. “One—she’s grossly insecure about her physical appearance. Which Len isn’t.
“Two—she’s having an affair with a younger man and wants to look more his age. Which might be interesting, if true, although I doubt Len’s been unfaithful.
“Three—her husband is having an affair with a younger woman and she feels she needs to compete. Which Ryan better not be doing or he’ll be in big trouble.
“Four—she and her husband have drifted apart and she wants to remind him why he fell in love with her in the first place. Which I sincerely hope is the case with Len and Ryan since it’s fixable.
“Or five—she’s newly divorced or widowed and is contemplating going on the marriage market again. Which I
doubt is the issue, or we would have heard.” She frowned at her hand. “I need a manicure. Remind me to make an appointment.”
“You forgot reason number six,” Raney pointed out.
Mama turned to look at her.
“If you have the puffy eyes from Daddy’s side of the family. Len thinks they make her look tired all the time.”
“They’re not that bad yet.”
“They will be. And the change will be less noticeable if she does it now rather than if she waits until they’re like Daddy’s.”
“You might be right. I’ll admit I considered a tuck here and there after your father died.”
“You obviously decided against it.”
“Obviously?”
“What I meant was—”
Mama chuckled. “I know what you meant. Back then, I had no intention of ever trying to replace your father, so I didn’t truly contemplate surgery.”
“Are you considering it now?”
“Not yet.”
Not yet? “What does that mean?”
“It means there may come a time when I will consider it.”
Raney was intrigued. And a little shocked. “You met someone on the cruise.”
“I met many people on the cruise, although none stood out in that way. But I did learn one thing. I’m not too old to have fun. And sometimes the most fun of all is having someone to share that fun with. Now, who is this Grady person and why has he been staying at the house?”
Raney spent the next fifteen minutes reassuring Mama that Grady seemed to be a good guy, had been sending money for the baby, had offered to marry Joss, but so far, she’d refused, and promised he’d be back a few days before the baby was due, which was soon.
“He’d better. It’s his baby, too. I suppose he expects to stay in the house.”
“He did before.”
“We’ll see. Has she decided on a name?”
“Something musical is all I know.”
“Lord help us. Now tell me about Dalton.”
Having expected the question, Raney didn’t react. “What about him?”
“Did he behave himself?”
