And she had been a virgin.
The thought of what they’d shared—that she hadn’t shared it with another male—made it that much more special to him. She was one of the few women around who had waited until they’d been ready, and whose decisions to explore their sexuality with a partner had not been driven by society’s standards, but by their own desire to abstain until they felt it was right for them. And evidently Casey hadn’t thought the time was right until last night.
He glanced down at her. She was in a deep sleep and uncovered, displaying her nakedness for him to see and enjoy. He was tempted to bend forward and lick the nipples of her breasts but he knew doing so would lead to other things and he would continue licking her elsewhere which would eventually awaken her and after a night of none stop lovemaking, she needed her rest.
And he needed to think.
For a brief moment last night when she had panicked at the thought of them not using birth control, he had considered telling her the real reason why he hadn’t been concerned about her getting pregnant. But all it took was for him to remember the confession he’d made to Lynette. And in knowing the risk of doing that, how he had painstakingly made the decision at twenty-three to never father a child and had ensured that fact by having a vasectomy.
He loved children; had always wanted some of his own, but it would not have been fair to bring a child in to the world knowing what medical problems he or she could be up against. He had assumed that Lynette would understand, but the letter he received weeks after she’d left had explained that she was a woman who wanted to one day be a mother and only a child born from her own body, would do. Simply stated, she could not marry a man who could not give her that.
Lynette’s rejection had hurt deeply and knowing that most women probably felt as she did—and wanted to bear their own children and not entertain any thoughts of adoption—he decided to live out the rest of his days indulging in meaningless affairs, and to put an end his dream of ever meeting a woman he would marry.
Even now, as he studied Casey’s nakedness, he knew he would give anything to one day see her pregnant with his child. The idea had crossed his mind the moment she brought up the fact they hadn’t used birth control. But beyond that, he could see her as some child’s mother, and as long as that vision stood out in his mind, there could be no place for her in his life. Other than here in his bed.
He wanted to scream out in anger, hit something in despair, but he had discovered years ago to accept any blows life dealt you and move on, not look back, not indulge in pity parties because somewhere in this universe was someone in a worse situation than you.
Casey was his present but she could never be a part of his future. He knew it and he would find a way to accept it. What they were sharing was short-term. It was that simple and he intended to keep it uncomplicated. This arrangement would work out quite nicely for him and he intended to make sure it worked out in a positive way for her as well.
He heard her sigh and looked at her face to see she had awakened. A tempting smile touched the corners of her lips. “Good morning, McKinnon,” she said in a sleepy voice that was filled with enough passion to cause heat to flow up his spine and his erection got harder. “What’s up?”
“Umm, funny you should ask,” he said, responding with a wicked chuckle before leaning over and capturing her lips.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
McKinnon was no longer avoiding her.
That thought made Casey smile as she dismounted Prince Charming after a good day’s workout. Two weeks had passed since the night of her party when he had made love to her all night long. Even now, the thought of that night sent heated shivers through her.
Of course it was a given that during the day he had his work to do and she had hers, but at night it had become a foregone conclusion that they would share a bed, whether at the big house or the guesthouse. In fact, she was becoming a regular fixture in his household. After that first almost embarrassing morning when he had talked her into another lovemaking session before leaving his bed and returning to her own—and she’d run smack into Henrietta on her way out—Casey no longer tried the sneak and retreat routine. She and McKinnon were adults, and if they decided to indulge in a lead-to-nowhere affair, then it was their business and no one else’s.
But still she was grateful that no one, especially her family or his, was questioning the obvious—that the two of them were lovers. They ate breakfast together each morning and dinner together in the evenings. They even visited their families together often, and both his parents and Corey seemed to accept that they were adults to do as they pleased.
It was now the beginning of June and the sun was hotter today than usual, she thought a she walked Prince Charming back to his stall. Because of the heat, she’d decided to end her work day a little early. In a few weeks she and McKinnon, as well as a number of Westmorelands, would travel to Lake Tahoe to attend her cousin Ian’s wedding, and she knew anyone who hadn’t heard by now that she and McKinnon were lovers would find out since they planned to share a suite.
“Hey, beautiful. Do you want to take an evening ride with me?” McKinnon’s deep, husky voice called out to her, catching her unaware. She glanced around and saw him a few feet from the corral, sitting on Thunder’s back. The sun poured over him, catching the long, dark, silky-looking strands that flowed over his shoulders. Today, more of his Blackfoot features stood out and he looked nothing like the civilized man who had made love to her that morning. Now he appeared to be a fierce warrior ready to take her captive if she refused his request.
“I’d love to go riding with you. Just give me a few minutes to saddle Runaway Child.” A few moments later they were headed at a brisk pace across the quiet, open range.
“It’s a nice day for riding, isn’t it?” Casey said when they slowed their mounts after reaching the edge of a lake that was located on McKinnon’s property.
“Sure is, and I thought it would be kind of nice to get a way for awhile. For me it’s kind of a deserving treat. I sold six of my stallions today, which brought me and Durango a pretty nice profit.”
“Oh, McKinnon, that’s wonderful. Congratulations.”
“Thanks.”
As they continued to ride together, side by side, she decided to ask him something she’d been meaning to but had never got around to doing. “What made you get into the horse breeding business?” They had brought their horses to a stop and she watched as McKinnon whipped off his hat to wipe sweat from his brow before placing it back on his head.
“When I got this place I thought ranching would keep me busy enough, but it didn’t,” he said, tilting his head and looking at her. “Durango suggested starting the business because he thinks I have a gift when it comes to handling horses.”
“Do you?”
He shrugged. “Probably, but then so do you. I consider what I have as a natural instinct more than a gift. I’ve discovered that if you breed quality horses there are bound to be serious buyers in all corners of the globe who’re ready to do business with you. Which is one of the reasons the M&D is doing so well.”
McKinnon glanced over and watched how the evening breeze ruffled the ends of Casey’s hair. The urge to run his hand through and tousle it some more took hold of him and he tightened his grip on the reins. If he were to touch her, it wouldn’t stop there. He would want to kiss her, pull her off her horse onto his, carry her somewhere private and have his way with her. He ran a hand over his jaw thinking that wasn’t such a bad idea and he knew just the place. “Do you want to go play, Casey?”
His deep voice floated over to her and she tilted her head sideways to look at him. “Play?”
He smiled. “Yes. There’s a private place not far from here where we can play.”
She returned his smile. “And just what will we be playing?”
He chuckled. “How about cowgirl and Indian?”
The shade of his Stetson brim shielded his eyes but she didn’t have to see them to know they
had darkened at the thought of all the possibilities such a game would entail. “Cowgirl and Indian, huh?”
“Yes.”
“You do recall that I’m from Texas, right?”
“Meaning?”
“I’m a true cowgirl in every sense of the word.”
McKinnon didn’t doubt that since he’d been the recipient of her rides a number of times. “And?”
“And I’m no easy prey if that’s what you think.”
His smile deepened. “We’ll see. So do you want to play or not?”
She grinned over at him. “Yes, McKinnon. I want to play.”
* * *
“Just where are you taking me, McKinnon?” Casey asked, glancing around. She knew they were still on McKinnon’s land but where they were she hadn’t a clue. He had taken her beyond the rolling hills and they were now going through a maze of bluffs and ravines.
“Getting nervous, cowgirl?” he asked, chuckling.
She frowned over at him. “Of course not, but hasn’t anyone ever warned you that it’s not good to back a woman up against a wall?”
McKinnon grinned as a vision of that very thing happening—except the woman in his mind was a naked Casey. “I beg to differ. In fact, I can think of a lot of good reasons to back a woman—namely you—up against the wall, Casey.”
His voice had gone low and his eyes had darkened, so she had a pretty good idea just where his thoughts were. She forced her gaze away from his eyes to look the area over. During the past two weeks she had taken the art of seduction to a whole new level. She had come up with signals—both verbal and non-verbal—and had gotten an extreme sense of satisfaction knowing McKinnon had enjoyed being the recipient of her racy seduction each and every time. Her actions had been more on instinct than experience, which added to the aroused feelings and excitement. Sensuous shudders would pass through her every time she thought of how McKinnon had taken her from virgin to vixen.
She glanced back over at him. He was watching her intensely and for some reason she had a feeling he was about the turn the tables—he was about to become the seducer. She hated admitting it, but there was an electrical thrill floating through her veins at the thought of his sexual attentions focused mainly on her.
“We can stop riding now.”
Casey halted her horse just as McKinnon took the Stetson off his head and dismounted. He then walked over, reached up with his hand and helped her off Runaway Child.
“You still aren’t going to tell me where we are?” she asked when her feet touched the ground. Her pulse kicked up knowing his body had pinned her between him and the horse.
“No, not yet. Come with me. We have to walk the rest of the way.” He took her hand in his and led her to an area that seemed to have been grazing land at one time but over the years the melting of ice and snow, along with the fall of rocks and boulders from the mountain, now hid it from view and made it impossible terrain for normal travel.
Casey stopped dead in her tracks when she saw what else the elements had done. A cavern had been carved deep in the surface of a huge mountain. She almost became breathless as she took in the splendor of nature’s handiwork. She turned to McKinnon. “I didn’t know you had a cave on your property.”
He smiled. “Rango’s and my secret. We came across it one day years ago while we were in our early twenties. I decided then that if this land ever went up for sale, I wanted it. As soon as it did years later, I bought it with my parents’ help. In addition to a loan from them, I had to take out two mortgages to pay for it. Now I’ve paid my parents back and owe the bank on just one loan, but I feel I own some of the most beautiful land in Montana.”
Casey nodded. She had to agree. “Do you come here often?”
“Not as much as I’d like but it’s nice to get away every now and then. Come on and take a look inside.”
When Casey hesitated he raised a brow. “What are you afraid of?”
“Bats. Bears. Should I go on?”
He chuckled. “Trust me. There aren’t any bats or bears in there. Rango and I got rid of them long ago when we made this place into a secret hide away.”
Deciding to take him at his word, Casey let him lead the way while she followed, at least until she came to the cave’s opening that was protected by a pull-down metal security gate. But what caught her attention was the thick layer of tobacco dust surrounding the entrance. She stopped walking again and McKinnon turned and saw what had her attention. “That’s to keep snakes and other unwanted animals out,” he explained.
Casey nodded. That’s what she was afraid of.
After unlocking the security gate, he called back to her, “Come on, cowgirl. You can handle it.”
* * *
Casey sighed. She wasn’t so confident anymore but decided not to let McKinnon know it. Once she followed him inside, her breath caught. It was definitely a cave, but McKinnon had transformed it into just what he’d said—a private hide away with a sturdy-looking made-up bed, a chair and a dresser. There were even a couple of tables with kerosene lanterns and several Native American rugs hanging on the stone walls.
She turned to him, amazed. “McKinnon, it’s beautiful.”
Coming to this place was hard on horseback, so she couldn’t help but wonder how he had managed to get furniture in here. He smiled, evidently knowing her question. “It wasn’t easy and more than once Rango and I questioned our sanity. We had one hell of a time but we managed it.”
His lips turned into a mischievous grin when he added, “At the time we thought it would be the ideal place to bring female acquaintances.”
She raised a brow. “Did you?”
He laughed. “Trust me, we tried to, but those we got as far as the entrance wouldn’t go any further once they picked up the scent of the tobacco dust. Everyone around these parts know what it’s mainly used for.”
Casey snorted. “They were nothing but scaredy-cats. Evidently they weren’t true cowgirls.”
McKinnon chuckled. “Evidently.”
Casey crossed her arms over her chest as she shot him a pointed look. “So, McKinnon, why did you really bring me here?”
His eyes glinted with a kick of satisfaction. “I brought you here to give you a taste of your own medicine.”
She lifted a brow. “Meaning?” she asked, releasing a quivering sigh.
“Meaning that you’ve become the queen of seduction. Well today I’m going to be the king of takers and I’m going to take you, Casey,” he said huskily with a half-smile that made heat form between her legs. “I plan on taking you on that bed, against that wall, on that table. Hell, I plan on taking you all over the damn place.”
Casey swallowed the lump in her throat as her gaze flew around the cavernous room. The heat between her legs had intensified with his words. If he was trying to get her wet in a certain spot, it was definitely working. The thought of spending time out here alone with him was sending sparks of fire all through her.
She glanced back at him, met his dark, penetrating gaze. He was standing in the middle of the room with his booted feet braced apart. His hands were tucked in the waistband of his jeans and whether he’d wanted it to or not, his stance placed emphasis on his swollen groin area, which showed just how aroused he was.
“So you think you want to take me all over the place, do you?” she asked, holding his gaze.
“Be forewarned, Casey Westmoreland. It’s not wishful thinking on my part, either. That’s what I intend to do.”
A flirty smile touched her lips as her hands went to her shirt. She slowly began undoing the buttons. “Okay then, King Taker. I guess we need to get started and get what you came here for, don’t we?”
McKinnon crossed the room with a boy-you-are-gonna-get-laid smile on his face, and Casey decided then and there that he wouldn’t just be taking her, she would be taking him as well, because she wanted him just as much as he wanted her.
He came to a stop directly in front of her. “Need help getting out of your clothes?�
� he asked meaningfully.
“No. You can stand there and watch or save time by getting out of your own clothes.”
He grinned and began following her lead, quickly dispersing with his clothing and kicking them on the pile to join hers. When he raked his gaze over her naked body, he thought as he always did that she was an extremely beautiful woman.
He slipped his hand around her waist knowing just where he wanted to start. “So you’re a woman who doesn’t like getting backed against a wall, huh?” he said while walking her backward. “That’s a pity because with the right person such a thing could be a very pleasurable experience.”
He came to a stop when her back was pressed against the stony wall. Luckily for her this particular wall was covered with a huge finger-weaved Native American rug. He moved his hands from her waist to her hips and, grabbing hold of her rump, he hoisted her up and she wrapped her legs around him.
“Guide me in, sweetheart,” he whispered against her lips.
And she did. Taking him in her hands she positioned him at her womanly entrance and met his gaze. “I need you here, McKinnon.”
He pushed against her, easing himself inside. The moment he felt her wet heat, as well as her feminine muscles clenching him, he gritted his teeth and said, “No, baby, I’m the one who needs you there.”
And then he plunged deeper into her, ripping a scream of pleasure from her throat, which proved she was every bit as needy as he was. And it seemed every time he pounded into her body, her senses went on overload, her desire for him sharpened and every cell she possessed begged for more. She was struck by one sensation after another. They kept coming, he kept pounding and her muscles tightened around him with each thrust as she tried to lock him in. And when an orgasm struck, she screamed loud enough to scare off any animal nearby. But that was only the beginning, and another orgasm followed on the tail of the first.
Ian's Ultimate Gamble ; Seduction, Westmoreland Style Page 26