by Tyler, Paige
Besides, Mav was completely gorgeous. If she passed up the chance to go out with him, she was going to be kicking herself all the way back to Manhattan.
She smiled. “I’d like that.”
“Me, too.” He grinned. “Give me fifteen minutes to finish up and we’ll get out of here.”
“Sounds good.”
Karleigh turned, intending to visit with Beauty some more, but Mav’s voice stopped her.
“You know, there’s this place that’s perfect for a picnic if you want to grab some food from the kitchen and bring it along on the ride.”
Horseback riding and a picnic. It sounded like the ideal date to her. Where had this guy been all her life?
Her smile broadened. “That’d be perfect.”
Giving him one more look over her shoulder, Karleigh hurried back to the house. Heather was in the kitchen stirring something that smelled awfully good in the crock pot.
“Hey,” she said. “Sorry I was on the phone before.”
“No problem,” Karleigh told her. “I went out to the barn to visit Beauty.”
Heather put the spoon on the ceramic trivet and place the lid on the slow cooker. “Dinner won’t be for a while yet, but if you’re hungry, there’s leftover roast chicken from last night.”
“Actually, I’m going riding with Mav. We’re going to have a picnic, so that chicken would be perfect for sandwiches. Unless you were going to use to for something else?”
“No, go ahead and use it.” Heather folded her arms and leaned back against the counter, her green eyes dancing. “So, you’re going riding with Mav, huh?”
Karleigh slanted the other woman a sidelong glance as she opened the fridge. “Yes. And don’t look at me like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like I’m as bad as Beauty by not being able to decide between Holden and Mav.”
Heather’s brows drew together. “Who says you have to pick between them?”
Karleigh grabbed the chicken, then reached for the mayonnaise and bread. “I don’t usually make a habit of dating two men at the same time.”
“You’re not dating them,” Heather said, pointing out the same thing Karleigh had told herself earlier. “You’re having fun while you’re on vacation. Holden and Mav know that, too. It’s not like you’re going to leave the big city to settle down on a ranch with one of them.”
Karleigh took out the cutting board and began dicing the chicken. Her friend was right. As long as there were no expectations on the men’s part—and she didn’t let on she was sleeping with both of them—it would be fine.
While she finished making the sandwiches, Heather put freshly-made cookies in a plastic container. She did the same with some strawberries, then put both containers in a cooler along with two bottles of water. Karleigh zipped the bag closed, then glanced at her watch. She had five minutes before she was supposed to meet Mav.
“I’m going to run upstairs and freshen up,” she said to Heather.
She reached for the ponytail holder, intending to slip it off as she went, but her friend stopped her.
“Keep your hair like that,” Heather said. “Mav has a thing for ponytails.”
Karleigh opened her mouth to protest, but closed it again. Heather hadn’t steered her wrong when she’d suggested the cowboy boots. If she thought Karleigh should wear her hair in a ponytail, she wasn’t going to argue.
Mav already had Beauty saddled and waiting for her when she walked into the barn.
“Ready to go?” he asked.
She nodded and swung into the saddle while he held the mare for her, then waited while he mounted the beautiful black horse he’d chosen to ride. As they left the barn, Beauty sidled up close to Mav’s stallion.
Karleigh smiled. “Let me guess. Highwayman, right?”
Mav chuckled. “That obvious, huh? Loverboy’s been spending a lot of time with her, so I figured it was Highwayman’s turn.”
She laughed as the horses nuzzled each other. Apparently, they thought so, too.
“So, how did a girl from New York City learn to ride a horse so well?” Mav asked as they made their way across the meadow.
“I grew up in Pennsylvania. My grandparents had a farm and I used to visit them every summer.”
He glanced at her. “Pennsylvania? No kidding. I went to college there.”
She blinked. “Really?” She’d naturally assumed he hadn’t gone to college. Which was narrow-minded and shallow. Just because he worked on a ranch, that didn’t mean he wasn’t educated. “What did you get your degree in?”
“Business.”
“What are you doing here instead of working at some Fortune 500 company?”
“I used to work at one of those places.” He smiled wryly. “It’s kind of funny, really. As a kid, I couldn’t wait to get away from ranching, and when I finally did, all I wanted to do was go back. So, now I’m saving up to buy my own spread.”
“Are you originally from Colorado then?” she asked.
He nodded. “I grew up about hundred-and-fifty miles west of here outside a place called Gunnison.”
As she listened to him talk about his family ranch, Karleigh wondered why he hadn’t gone back there to work, but much like yesterday with Holden, she found herself concentrating more on Mav’s soft, sexy voice than paying attention to anything he was saying, and she ended up forgetting all about asking him. She wasn’t paying attention to where they were going, either, so she didn’t even realize they were there until he stopped his horse.
“This is it,” he said.
Karleigh reined in her mare and looked around. They had stopped in front of a clear blue stream that cascaded down out of the hills above them. It was absolutely beautiful. When Mav had said it was the ideal place for a picnic, he wasn’t kidding. There was even a waterfall.
They led their horses over to a big cottonwood tree to graze, then stretched out on a blanket to share the meal she’d brought. As they lay there side by side, Karleigh decided the evening couldn’t be more perfect. Not only was the setting beautiful and the food delicious, but Mav was just the man to share it with. Not that she really noticed the scenery or even what she was eating for that matter with a guy as handsome as he was beside her. She’d never understood how food could be considered sexy until she watched him bite into a strawberry, then lick the juice from his fingers. It was downright erotic.
He reached over and held one out to her. His eyes locked on her lips as she wrapped them around the strawberry and slowly nibbled. She could do erotic, too.
“You want to go for a swim?” Mav asked after they finished eating the strawberries and cookies.
Karleigh blinked in surprise. After the sensual way they’d shared the strawberries, she thought the next thing he’d be doing with his mouth was kissing her, not asking her to go for a swim.
She took a swallow of water to compose herself. “I don’t have a swimsuit.”
His mouth twitched. “Neither do I.”
She arched a brow. Oh my. He was a naughty cowboy. “Are you suggesting we go skinny dipping?”
His broad shoulder lifted in a shrug. “Not if you don’t want to.”
Was he kidding? Her pulse was beating like crazy at the mere thought of getting naked with him. Even so, she couldn’t resist teasing him.
“What if someone sees us?”
“There’s no one around for miles.”
She pretended to consider that, then gave him a coquettish smile. “I suppose it is rather hot out here.”
His gaze smoldered. “Is that your way of saying you want to go skinny dipping?”
Karleigh could have simply said yes, but the bad girl in her refused to do something as boring as that. Heart pounding wildly, she got to her feet. Holding Mav’s gaze with her own, she reached down and took off one boot, then the other. Dropping them on the blanket, grabbed the hem of her tank top in both hands and pulled it over her head. She unbuttoned her jeans, pushing them down until they were at the curviest
part of her hips, then she teasingly turned her back to him before going the rest of the way.
Straightening up, she reached around to unhook her bra, letting it fall away from her breasts with painstaking slowness. Tossing it on the blanket with the rest of her clothes, she hooked her thumbs in her bikini panties and teasingly wiggled them over her hips until they slid down her legs to pool at her feet.
Behind her, Mav inhaled sharply as she put a little extra sway into her derriere. So, he was an ass man, was he?
Covering her breasts with her arms, she looked over her shoulder at Mav. “Does that answer your question?”
Dark eyes caressed her from head to toe. “Yes, ma’am.”
Her lips curved into a smile. “Then what are you waiting for?”
Chuckling, he reached down yank off his boots. Excited to see him naked, but knowing she’d get a better view from the stream, she blew him a kiss over her shoulder, then ran lightly into the water. It was chilly on her sun-warmed skin, but she was so eager to finally get a look at Mav in all his naked glory she barely noticed the temperature as she sank shoulder deep in the water and turned to face him. He’d already taken off his shirt and was making quick work of the buttons on his jeans. As he shoved them down his well-muscled legs, she held her breath in anticipation of the full reveal.
When it came, she let out a moan of appreciation. His cock was thick, long and hard—just the way she liked it.
Mav dropped his jeans on the blanket and jogged toward her, diving underneath the water when it got deep enough, then surfacing in front of her. Grinning, he pulled her into his arms for a kiss. He tasted like chocolate chip cookies, strawberries and hot-blooded cowboy, and she melted against him, her wet body pressing up against his as she kissed him back.
Beneath the water, Mav’s hands slid up her midriff to gently cup her breasts, and she moaned as he gave her nipples a firm squeeze. He chuckled huskily, his mouth finding its way along the curve of her jaw and down her neck. Karleigh grasped his shoulder, arching against him in invitation. Mav took her up on it, kissing and nibbling his way over to her shoulder, then back again, finding the sensitive little hollow behind her ear as he caressed her breasts.
Keeping one hand where it was, he slid the other down her stomach to the juncture of her thighs. He slid his finger along the folds of her pussy, delving between them to play with her clit. God, that felt good under the water.
Sighing, Karleigh ran her hands down his muscular chest and six-pack abs. Damn, he was built. Being a cowboy certainly did a body good.
Mav let out a husky growl in her ear. “Do you have any idea what you do to me, darlin’?”
She moved her hand lower, wrapping it around his erection. Even in the cold water, he was hard and throbbing. “As a matter of fact, I do.”
With a groan he grabbed her hand and swung her up in his arms.
Karleigh expected him to carry her ashore, but to her surprise, he headed for the waterfall. She rested her head on his shoulder, wondering what he had in mind, when he circled around the side of the cascading water into a secluded grotto. Wading over to the smooth rock ledge, he set her down on it.
He obviously must have known this place was here. He probably brought all his dates here. Well, after her, any other woman was going to pale in comparison.
Mav gazed down at her for a long moment, his eyes hot and hungry. Then with a sound that was a mix between a groan and a growl, he gently wrapped his hand around her ponytail and tipped her head back, his mouth coming down possessively on hers. The kiss was intoxicating, his tongue smooth as velvet as it urged hers to come out and play. She eagerly kissed him back, her arms going around his neck to pull him close.
Breathing ragged, he pulled away to trail his lips down her neck before moving back up to capture her lips in another searing kiss. When he lifted his head again, it was so he could lower himself down in front of her.
The rock ledge put her at the perfect height for his mouth and Karleigh’s pulse raced with excitement as he placed his hands on her knees and gently spread her legs. She caught her breath as he pressed his lips to the inside of her thigh, then leisurely kissed his way up to the neatly trimmed curls between her legs.
Carefully spreading her pussy lips with his fingers, he lightly ran his tongue up one side of her folds and down the other. Karleigh moaned and leaned back on her elbows, her legs falling open as he dipped his tongue into her wetness. He definitely knew his way around the female anatomy. God, that felt spectacular.
As if to show her just how well-acquainted he was, he glided his tongue along the folds of her pussy again and again. While he got closer and closer to her clit each time, she had the feeling he was purposely ignoring the little nub of flesh. He was teasing her, damn him.
Groaning in frustration, she threaded her fingers in his thick hair and firmly put his mouth where she needed it.
Mav chuckled deep in his throat, but obligingly went where she wanted him, making slow, deliberate circles around her clit with his tongue before drawing it into his mouth and gently sucking on it. She moaned in pleasure, rotating her hips and grinding against his mouth. She loved it when a man knew how to go down on her, and Mav was definitely a master at it.
As he licked her, Mav traced one finger up and down her slit. That would have been amazing all on its own, but then he slid his finger deep inside her and began fucking her with it. Karleigh gasped, her pussy clenching around him as he moved in and out.
She tightened her fingers in his hair. “Oh yeah, just like that. You’re going to make me come.”
He lashed at her clit, thrusting his finger deeper into her pussy. The combination immediately sent her spiraling over the edge and she cried out as pleasure surged through her. The sensations were so intense, they made her lightheaded, and she clenched her fingers in Mav’s hair, not sure she could take any more. But Mav didn’t stop until the last remnants of her orgasm had completely faded away.
Pressing a kiss to the inside of one quivering thigh, he lifted his head to gaze up at her. The heat in his eyes made her breath catch.
She bent over and kissed him hard on the mouth. “I need you inside me. Now.”
Letting out a sound that was half growl, half groan, Mav pulled her close for another soul-searing kiss before getting to his feet. Hooking his strong arm underneath her legs, he picked her up and carried her from the grotto.
The walk back to shore through the stream seemed to take forever. When they finally reached the blanket, Mav set her down in the center of it, then grabbed a foil packet from the pocket of his discarded jeans. He clearly knew he’d be having sex with her on this picnic. Apparently, this was one perceptive cowboy.
Karleigh leaned back on her elbows and gazed up at him, shivering as much from the early evening breeze on her damp skin as from the sexy image he made standing there. His wet hair was even longer as it hung down around his face, his cock hot, hard and pulsing. She licked her lips as he rolled on the condom. Good heavens, he was the stuff out of fantasies.
“Get on your hands and knees,” he ordered softly.
Karleigh’s pulse quickened. Doggy-style had always been one of her favorite things to do in bed, but doing out here in the open like this made it seem even more primal. Especially the way he had commanded her to do it. She quickly got into position, then gave him a sultry look over her shoulder.
Mav sucked in a breath. “Damn, you look hot like that.”
Dropping to his knees behind her, he grasped her hips in both hands and rubbed the head of his cock up and down her pussy. Karleigh whimpered, waiting eagerly for him to enter her. When he finally plunged his length into her wetness, she almost cried out with the pleasure of it.
Karleigh would have immediately rocked back against him, but Mav bent over her, holding her captive, his cock buried deep. Taking hold of her ponytail, he wrapped it around his hand and pressed a sizzling kiss to the curve of her neck. She was going to owe Heather big for suggesting she wear her hair li
ke this because Mav certainly did go wild for ponytails. Pressed tightly to his rock-hard body like this, she could feel every magnificent inch of him throbbing inside her. The knowledge that he was completely in charge was more arousing than she’d ever thought possible. She had no idea she had such a submissive side.
All at once, Mav began to slowly pump his hips. Her pussy spasmed around him, squeezing him tightly each time he drove his cock into her.
“Harder,” she begged. “Fuck me harder!”
He thrust faster as he tugged her hair. “Like this?” he asked, his voice a hoarse whisper in her ear.
“Yes,” she moaned. “Don’t stop. Please don’t stop.”
“I won’t,” he promised. “I’m going to make you come just like this.”
His hand tightened even more around her ponytail as he plunged in and out. The show of dominance combined with the force of his cock was magical, and she cried out as her climax ripped through her.
Mav continued to gently pump his hips long after her orgasm subsided, and it wasn’t until then that Karleigh realized he hadn’t come with her. She was about to ask him why he hadn’t when he brushed her ear with his lips.
“Ever been fucked in the ass before, darlin’?” he asked softly.
His words made her catch her breath. She’d done quite a lot of things in bed, but never anal sex. “No,” she said softly.
“Would you like me to slide my cock in that perfect ass of yours?”
His voice was like velvet, low and sexy in her ear, and Karleigh quivered with excitement as much from the words as from the image they conjured. The thought of having him in her ass was so wickedly seductive all she could do was nod.
He pressed a kiss to the hollow behind her ear. “I promise this is going to be a ride you’ll never forget.”
Sliding out of her pussy, Mav cupped her ass and tenderly spread her cheeks. A moment later, Karleigh felt him press the head of his slick cock against the tight ring of muscle back there. She instinctively held her breath, stiffening.