“What’s the deal with you and Stephanie?” Luke asked.
Brad was hesitant to tell his brother how he felt, afraid he’d just be handing him more ammunition to use against him. He wanted his relationship with his brother back though, for what it was worth. “I like her, Luke, a lot. I’m not looking at her as a conquest. I want more than that.”
“How do you plan to manage that with her in New York?”
“I don’t know. I’m still trying to figure that all out, but I can’t just stand by and let her leave knowing I’ll never see her again. People make long-distance relationships work. Maybe we can too, at least for a while.”
The older brother nodded. “She seems like a nice girl. I’m sorry I tried to move in on her. I’m glad I didn’t sleep with her that first night.”
“Sleep with her? What are you talking about? What night?”
“She didn’t tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
“I met her in the bar the first night she was on the ranch. That was it, no big deal.”
“No, you said you were glad you hadn’t slept with her … like maybe you’d had the opportunity.”
“She was drunk and it was before she even met you.”
“What happened, Luke?” Brad’s heart was hammering in his chest. Maybe Stephanie was the player. She’d already met Luke, yet she’d never mentioned it and then she’d invited him for a glass of wine and was holding his hand.
“Nothing happened. She fell asleep and I tucked her in.”
“You tucked her in? To her bed?”
“I took her home, put her to bed, and left, Brad. That was it.”
“Right, and that night on her porch drinking wine and holding her hand you weren’t thinking about taking her to bed, I suppose?”
“Of course I was thinking about it, but that was before I knew you really had feelings for her.”
Brad felt like his guts were twisted up in knots. He rode up ahead of his brother because he wanted nothing more than to punch him in the face for just thinking about Stephanie like that. He heard Luke spur his horse and ride up behind him. “Just leave it alone, Luke.”
“Damn it, Brad! I thought we were finally getting past all of this woman shit.”
“That was before I found out you tucked my girl into bed.”
“Your girl?”
It was the way Brad had begun to think of her. He wanted her to be his, or at least he had before he began wondering which brother it was she really wanted. “You know what I mean.”
“You’re being ridiculous.”
Brad knew Luke was right, but it only pissed him off. He rode forward again, and for the rest of the ride to the ranch Luke left him alone. Brad thought about Stephanie. He’d never felt this way about a woman before and the thought of her leaving and never seeing her again made his chest ache.
He glanced back at his brother and once again wondered if she was the one playing a game. If there was nothing between her and Luke, why would she offer him a glass of wine and hold his hand? Was she one of those women who got off on pitting men against each other? If that was the case, he had sorely misjudged her. He saw her as one of the most beautiful women he’d ever laid eyes on, yet who didn’t seem to know she was beautiful. She was sweet and funny and sexy, and he found himself wanting to do everything he could to make her realize just how amazing she really was. Maybe that had all been an act. Maybe she did know how desirable she was and it was all part of the game to her. He wasn’t sure how, but he knew he needed to find out if he really meant anything to her, or if she’d just been playing with his heart.
He was hot and tired and smelled like a cow’s butt when they got back to the ranch after breakfast. They put the twenty-one steer they had collected in the hills into the holding pen, and Brad took Issy back to the stables. He wasn’t sure where Luke went and didn’t care. He needed some distance from his brother at the moment.
He removed the saddle and the blanket from the horse and used the wire brush to comb through the sweat-soaked hair on her back. “You’re a good girl, aren’t you, Issy? You love me unconditionally, don’t you?” Issy didn’t answer him, but just knowing she did made him feel better. He gave her a good rub-down after he brushed her and then put her into a stall and gave her a bag of oats.
When that was done, he started to get the side-by-side out and drive it up to the house, but he really didn’t want to run in to his mother or any of the guests and have any long, drawn-out conversations. He wanted to see Stephanie.
He looked at his watch. It was only ten o’clock, and there wouldn’t be another trail ride coming through for an hour. Mick and Reed were probably up at the house eating right now and he didn’t doubt that Luke was already in the shower at his own cabin out behind the main house. He decided to use the shower in the far back of the stables they’d had installed for emergencies. He had a clean t-shirt and jeans in his duffel bag, and once he was cleaned and dressed, he could walk over to Stephanie’s cabin.
He turned on the water and waited for the steam to rise up before stepping in then stood there for a few minutes letting the water pound his back … it felt so damned good. His muscles ached, and the exhaustion had settled into his bones. He closed his eyes and thought about Stephanie again as the water cascaded down his back and felt himself getting turned on just picturing her. He opened his eyes and looked down at his growing erection. He hadn’t had sex with a woman since the night he was with Karli, and that had been almost two months ago. Since he’d met Stephanie he’d lost interest in random hook-ups.
As the water streamed down his chest, he suddenly heard a loud whinny from Issy. Damn it! That meant someone had come into the stables. Shit! He reached over to the wooden shelf next to the shower and grabbed a towel. Wrapping it around his waist, he turned off the water then sneaked out a few steps and looked around to spy Stephanie at the far end of the barn rubbing the horse’s head. His erection wasn’t about to go down now. She had her back to him, and her shiny blond hair was hanging down her back against the top of a pretty yellow sundress.
“Where’s your daddy at, Issy? Did you bring him back safely?”
He hadn’t warned her about Issy. He considered it now as he saw her hand draw near the horse’s mouth, but Issy seemed to be behaving, so he decided to turn back and get dressed before talking to her. It wasn’t going to do for her to see a big bulge in the front of his jeans while he was trying to have a serious conversation with her. Just as he turned to go back into the back, Issy did what she was famous for; she snapped at Stephanie’s fingers.
“Ouch! You bit me!”
“Stephanie, are you okay?”
She jumped at the sound of his voice and turned around. She looked shocked to see him and it didn’t help his erection problem any when her eyes landed and lingered on the towel around his waist. Then they traveled back up his still-wet chest to his face.
“Brad,” she said with a smile. He suddenly forgot any questions he’d had for her. He closed the distance between them and took her into his arms. They shared a kiss with a passion he’d never felt before. She tasted so good and felt even better in his arms. He nipped and bit at the corners of her lips and let his mouth slide down to her neck. She tipped her head back and moaned. The sounds went straight down south, and he wasn’t surprised when the towel suddenly gave out and fell down around his feet. He ignored it but when Stephanie noticed, she pulled back and looked down, her eyes growing wide.
“Brad? Why are you in the stables in just a towel?”
He laughed. “I guess that looks a little weird, huh?” He bent down and picked up the towel. He wasn’t unhappy to see her check him out again before he covered back up. “I was just so sweaty and gross, I couldn’t stand it any longer. I wanted to see you, but not like that.”
“You wanted to see me?” She was still breathing heavily from their kiss, and her cheeks were flushed. He loved watching the rise and fall of her chest, and he could barely think of anything beyon
d getting his hands and his lips back on her body. He reached out and put his hand against her back, pulling her into him.
“Yes, I wanted to see you. I missed you. I can’t stop thinking about you. This is different for me. I’ve never wanted any woman for more than one night before.”
She swallowed as if trying to force down a golf ball. “I can’t stop thinking about you either. I was just so afraid that I was part of a game between you and Luke and that’s not what I wanted.”
“Stephanie, do you have feelings for my brother?”
“Mostly, I feel a little scared of him. But, he’s the one who told me you were out here putting your horse away … so a little better now.”
Brad chuckled. “He scares me a little, too.” Then he pressed his lips back into hers, and all thoughts of Luke or anyone else were gone. They were suddenly the only two people in the world. He felt her soft, warm body meld into his and her nipples harden through her dress, pressing into his chest. He let his tongue taste her mouth again. God, he loved kissing her. She kissed him back until she felt him moving the straps of the sundress down off her shoulders. When he had them almost to her elbows, she stopped him.
“What if someone comes in?” she breathed out.
Brad hadn’t thought she’d let him go any further than maybe just a look at her breasts, but it seemed like she wanted this as badly as he did. He didn’t want to get dressed and all the way back to her cabin. It would be too much time to think … for them both. Instead he took hold of her hand and led her into one of the stalls. He slid a horse blanket off the wall, covered the hay on the floor with it, and closed the stall door. She was still looking wide eyed at him.
He took her face in his hands. “We can stop right here. We only do this if you want to.”
“Do you want to?”
He chuckled. “You didn’t notice?”
She smiled. “Are you just horny, or do you want me? All of me?”
“Oh baby, this is all about you. I was thinking about you in the shower before you walked in. I thought about you the whole time Luke and I were out on the trail. I can’t stop thinking about you. You’re driving me crazy I want you so badly.”
“What happens when I go home in two days?” Her eyes filled with tears, and his heart lurched. He pulled her in tighter and let her rest her head on his chest. He rested his head on top of hers and breathed her in.
“I wish I knew,” he said. “I don’t want you to go.”
He heard her suck in a breath and then let it out in shaky little jerks of her body. “I have to go.”
He pulled back and used one hand to brush her hair away from her face. “I know. I know you have a life somewhere else. But couldn’t we still work on getting to know each other? Other people do long distance. I’d be willing to come and see you when I could, and you know you could come here any time. Please don’t walk out of my life before I have a chance to know you.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
“Brad!” The sound of Celia McMurtry’s voice caused Stephanie to jump back, and when she opened her mouth Brad clamped his hand over it. He led her to the ground where they sat huddled against the stall door, holding their breaths.
They heard her come inside the stables and walk over to the stalls. “Hey, Issy, where’s that boy of mine?” Issy whinnied but didn’t betray them. “The side-by-side is here and I didn’t pass him on the walk out here.”
Issy whinnied again. Maybe she is trying to give up our location, Stephanie thought. She believed she might literally die if Brad’s mother walked into the stall and found them this way. Meanwhile she was trying to keep her eyes on Brad’s face and not let them drop to where the towel was once again gaping open. He was still running his fingers slowly through her hair although he was barely breathing. It felt sensual … and so intimate.
They heard his mother walk toward the back, where the shower was. “Brad, are you in there?” When she didn’t get an answer, they heard her leave. After a few minutes, they both let out the breaths they were holding and Brad immediately pulled Stephanie back in for another kiss.
“Brad,” she said with her mouth against his lips.
“Yeah?” He pulled back slightly.
“I want you … but not here. I’d be too nervous now.”
He grinned. “Yeah, me too. I feel like I’m back in high school.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Did you bring girls here often in high school?”
She felt his body shake as he laughed. “Not often.”
She poked him in the ribs. “Get dressed.”
“That’s not what the other girls I brought here said.”
She couldn’t help but laugh. “If you want to get undressed again in my cabin, I suggest that you drop it.”
“Yes, ma’am. Where are my clothes?”
*****
Fifteen minutes later they were inside her cabin with the door locked and the entire world closed out. She led him by the hand into the bedroom, and while he sat on the edge of the bed, she slowly peeled off her dress. Surprisingly, standing in front of him in her underwear didn’t make her uncomfortable because of the way he was looking at her. There was nothing in his eyes that indicated he didn’t like everything he saw.
He reached for her and she moved close to him. Holding her between his knees he slid his hands up and unhooked her bra. He made a sound that went straight through her when her breasts spilled out, and then he didn’t waste any time in letting his tongue taste her. Before she knew it, he was pleasuring her with his lips and tongue and even his teeth in a way she’d never felt, and her entire body began shaking. He reached for the waistband of her panties and began to slowly slide them down. He had them just over her hips when there was a knock on her door.
With a groan, he stopped and leaned his head into her belly. She softly touched the brown curly hair and felt his lips graze her tummy. She was just about to forget the knock on the door when it sounded again, this time a little louder. “Shit,” he muttered. “I reckon we should see who that is. If it’s anyone other than Ma, I might kill them.”
Reluctantly Stephanie stepped back and reached for her dress. “I’m coming!” she called as she slipped it on, pulling it up to just underneath her breasts and then reached for her bra. She felt Brad’s rough fingers touch one of her nipples while she was bent over. “You better stop or I’m not going.”
He grinned and held up his palms. She finished dressing and ran her fingers through her hair before going to the door and pulling it open. It was Mrs. McMurtry, and she didn’t look happy. “Hi Stephanie, I’m sorry to bother you, but Luke said his brother might be here.”
Before Stephanie could speak, Brad appeared out of the bedroom. “That toilet is good to go now … oh, hey, Ma.” His mother rolled her eyes. She was much smarter and more sophisticated than he was giving her credit for, obviously.
“Bradley, I need to talk to you.”
Stephanie didn’t miss the “Bradley” or the look on his face when his mother called him that. Whatever she wanted, it was serious. “Okay, what’s up?”
She cut her eyes to Stephanie. “I’m sorry, honey, but this is something I need to talk to my son about alone.”
“It’s fine. I can step outside.”
“No, this is your cabin. I’m so sorry to interrupt you. You stay put; Bradley and I will leave.”
“What’s this about, Ma?”
In a voice Stephanie hadn’t heard the sweet petite woman use she said, “You really don’t want me to talk about this here.”
He still looked annoyed but also confused. His mother opened the door and stepped back out on the porch. When he passed Stephanie, he mouthed, “I’ll be back.”
She smiled at him, hoping things were okay with him and his mother and also hoping he’d hurry. She wanted to pick up where they left off … the sooner the better.
*****
Brad didn’t come back soon. As a matter of fact, Stephanie didn’t see him again for the rest of the day. She thou
ght about asking Mrs. McMurtry what was going on at dinner time, but she seemed a little subdued as well. She picked at her food and went back to the cabin, still hoping he would show up before the night was over. When there was a knock on her door around nine p.m. she almost ran to answer it. She was crestfallen when she opened it and saw that once again instead of Brad, it was Luke.
“Luke, not tonight …” She started to close the door on him but he stopped her with his foot. “What do you want?”
“Stephanie, we need to talk.”
“About what?”
“My brother.”
“I don’t want to talk to you about your brother.”
“Fine, then just listen, okay?” She got the feeling he wasn’t going away until she did. Instead of letting him in, she stepped out onto the porch. When she got close to him she could smell whiskey.
“Are you drunk?”
“Not nearly enough,” he said. “Sit down, please.” She took a seat and he said, “While Brad and I were in the hills, a girl I was with for a while came to see our Ma.”
“Karli?”
“Yeah, Brad told you about her?”
“Yes.”
“So you know he slept with her?”
“Yes.” She didn’t like where this was going.
“She told Ma that she’s pregnant and that it’s Brad’s baby.”
Stephanie felt as if someone had knocked the wind out of her. Of course, she should have known something like this would happen. She’d finally found someone who liked her as she was. It was like the fates were punishing her for an offense she didn’t remember committing.
“What does Brad say?” she asked. And more importantly, why wasn’t Brad the one there telling her all of this?
“He told Ma that he used a condom. Karli says that’s true, but it didn’t work. She had a slip from the lab to prove she was pregnant. She hasn’t been to the doctor yet, though, so she can’t possibly know for sure that it’s his.”
To Have And Hold A Cowboy (Cowboy Nuptials Book 1) Page 5
