His square jaw was clean-shaven and golden brown, a perfect warm canvas for the works of art that were his mouth and dimples. His body was honed and tough, not the mere product of a gym, as she’d initially pegged, but from doggedly perfecting the same skills that she used every day on the ranch—that anyone used on a ranch on any day.
So maybe it didn’t matter that the circuit had set them up with tame cows and fully packed sacks. Maybe the challenge proved something after all.
AJ was a cowboy, even if he didn’t believe it deep down. He was a tall, dark, and gorgeous cowboy who kissed like the devil that lived inside him.
And she needed to think about something else. Anything else.
The task at hand was generally the most responsible, so she dragged her mind away from AJ and back to the challenge.
They would have to sort and pen the cows at the end of challenge, so she might as well start getting a sense of their numbers and marks. Pushing AJ’s strong hands out of her mind, she scanned the cows, matching each number with a distinctive feature of the cow it was attached to. When she had that down, she memorized which numbers were marked. Things wouldn’t be near so calm when it came time to actually sort them, but she’d have an easier time finding them once she knew where they were to go.
She would share the trick with AJ.
He broke into her thoughts, putting an end to the worry. “What’re you brooding about over there?”
She snorted, breath shallow. “We’ve got a lot of ground to cover, and not a lot of time.”
The grin he flashed her could be described as nothing short of boyish. “Well, let’s get to it, then!”
And they did. A respectable distance behind them, the film crew followed.
When the pens were in sight they picked up speed, moving in sync with one another.
After the intensity of the overnight portion of the challenge, sorting and penning flew by in a strange dazed blur, their motions a smooth duet.
Afterward, a few claps on the back and cheering amongst the greenies and filming crew simply added to her sense of the surreal.
She and AJ were the first team back, returning a full hour before any teams were expected, their top positions now ironclad after a challenge whose job it was to eliminate all but the top three cowboys. She heard the news dimly, mind bouncing from one thing to another, and always, back to AJ.
25
The hot water of the shower when she’d finally made it back to the RV had been both a miracle and sin: A miracle to a full body’s worth of muscles chastising her for doing more than she should have on less than a full tank. A sin because the hot water rushing over her skin set off memories of other things...
She shook the momentary fog off and reached over to flip the lever that held the RV bathroom door closed. The door popped open. She walked out and rummaged carelessly through her duffel for something to wear.
Clean, fully clothed, and comfortable for the first time in twenty-four hours, she took a bag of popcorn out of the box and tossed it in the microwave. It was too late for a real dinner, but after the whirlwind of the overnight challenge, she needed sustenance.
Moments later, the sounds and smells of popcorn filled the camper and she took a deep breath.
She hummed as she waited for the microwave, not particularly concerned with following an established tune, hum turning into a squeak at the knock on her door.
She called, “Just a minute.”
A muffled voice came through the door. “Let me in.”
Recognizing AJ, Lil hurried over. She opened the door and pulled him inside.
“Are you crazy? You can’t just come over here at this time of night. Someone will see.”
AJ laughed, shaking his head. “So, competitors can be friends too, Lil.”
Lil put her hands on her hips and said, “You know what I mean.”
AJ closed the space between them and cupped her chin, tilting her face up for a kiss. “I do. I missed you.”
She smiled into his kiss despite herself. Nuzzling into him was as natural as breathing—and that was a problem.
She grumbled, “You’ve only been away from me for about six of the last forty-eight hours.”
His palms came to her hips to slide up her rib cage. “Six hours too many. You don’t have a bra on.”
Her words came out breathy, but she managed: “You have a one-track mind, Garza.”
He grinned. “You don’t need more than one track when it’s a good one.”
Lil rolled her eyes. “Right...”
The microwave dinged, and Lil reluctantly pulled out of his arms to take the bag out and vent it, carefully keeping her fingers away from the outpouring of hot steam.
AJ sniffed the air. “Popcorn. Perfect. Glad we’re on the same page.”
Lil raised an eyebrow at him. “The same page?”
He looked like he’d had a shower. Like her, he’d opted for sweatpants after. His were light gray and he’d paired them with one of his endlessly touchable white T-shirts. In the crook of his arm, he held a pillow, which he pointed to with his free hand.
“Slumber party.”
Lil snorted. “Cowboys don’t have slumber parties.”
AJ rolled his eyes this time. “Don’t be sexist, Lil. Grab the popcorn. We’ve still got to pick out a movie.”
Lil laughed, “You can’t stay here.”
He grinned at her, one dimple peeking out. “Why not?”
“You’ve got sweats on.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Yeah? It’s a slumber party. You expect a suit?”
“Cowboys don’t have slumber parties with each other. In suits or sweatpants,” Lil insisted.
AJ shook his head thoughtfully. “You know, you’re right, and that’s really a shame. They should. We’re breaking real barriers tonight. You might want to put in another bag of popcorn. I love popcorn.”
Instead of kicking him out, Lil pulled a second bag of popcorn out of the box. They couldn’t sleep together again, no matter how simple and easy it would be to slide into his arms. There was too much on the line and their bubble of privacy was long gone, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t enjoy each other’s company. She had to be careful with him, she knew it. It would be all too easy to tumble right into friendship with AJ Garza, but a human needed companionship every now and then. Even at the ranch she knew how to wind down. Cowboys were allowed to eat popcorn together, for a little while at least.
She told herself that as she joined him on the padded bench that served as a sofa in the camper, setting the popcorn down as she went. Opening her computer, she wished her mind would only stop cackling in disbelief.
He reached for a handful of popcorn and asked, “So what’re we watching?”
Lil’s eyes took on a wicked gleam. “The North. It’s an Irish period drama about a Catholic girl and a Protestant boy who fall in love during The Troubles...”
He grinned cheerfully back at her and tossed a piece of popcorn in his mouth. “Sounds great. Of course, we’d be more comfortable if we watched on the bed.”
She punched his shoulder. “You’d dare take popcorn into my bed?”
He shrugged. “Whatever it takes to get you there.”
She tried her best to look stern. “You’re shameless, you know.”
“Is it working?” he asked hopefully.
She frowned, unanchored at the same time as she knew exactly what she was supposed to be doing. “I don’t know.”
“That means yes. Popcorn?” He offered her a piece.
She opened her mouth, not intending to.
He pressed the popcorn into her mouth softly, fingertips pressing against her bottom lip along the way. She closed her mouth and the popcorn dissolved on her tongue as she stared into his eyes, losing herself almost immediately, just like she did every time he caught her in his gaze.
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She leaned toward him, suddenly understanding irresistibility. Whoever he was, wherever he was, if her father had been anything like AJ in this moment, Lil realized her mother, so young and dreamy, wouldn’t have stood a chance.
The trick of comparing herself to her mother should have cooled the intense need she felt to eliminate the space between them and press her lips to AJ’s, but it didn’t.
Her levees were cracking.
She was letting them.
Something in his smile told her he knew it—and knowing that he knew only made the sensation more compelling and molten. She liked that he liked that she wanted him, that she was powerless to do anything but to lean toward him. Whatever it was inside of her that drew her to him was older and deeper than she could control and he knew it. He knew it, and like the champion he was, he played it to his advantage.
That she could read all of that in him astounded her. To know anything about another human so certainly, without words—let alone to trust it—was nothing short of miraculous.
He hooked his arm around her waist and pulled her close. On a deep inhale, he said, “You smell good. How’re you feeling?”
She smiled at his divergent thoughts. “Thank you, and good. Amazing what a hot shower can accomplish.”
“Agreed. You did great out there.”
A wicked light lit Lil’s eye. “In the challenge, or before?”
He kissed the tip of her nose. “Don’t be a pervert.”
She hit him. “I’m the pervert?”
He nuzzled his face into her neck and pressed his lips against her skin. “You were phenomenal. Your body is as out of this world as your talent and I’ve never done anything in my life remotely worthy of deserving either.”
Her breath caught, her body heated, and her skin tightened and she didn’t know if it was because of the way his words drilled into her heart, or his lips moved against her skin, or the low timbre of his voice slipping deep inside and lighting little fires everywhere.
She opened her mouth to say something clever, but was saved from revealing the fact that she’d lost her wits by the ding of the microwave.
The second bag of popcorn was done.
Heart beating like a sprinter, Lil took the coward’s way out and eased away from AJ, saying, “Popcorn’s done. Better grab it.”
She didn’t have to look at his face to know he was smiling. She heard it in the note of triumph in his voice when he drawled, “Wouldn’t want it to get cold, now would we?”
She pulled the second popcorn out of the microwave.
He’d been right. They needed two. The first one was nearly gone and they hadn’t even started the show.
She carried it back over to the table, snuggled in next to him, and decisively pressed Play. He watched her do it all with a little satisfied smirk, so she ignored him, pointedly staring at the screen as the sweeping classical music of the intro began.
Normally, she was hooked by the third bar, but this time she was finding it somewhat harder to focus. It was difficult to pay attention to the screen with AJ’s eyes running silky caresses up and down her face and neck.
Finally, she turned and looked at him, where she found even more of a distraction.
He grinned at her, his teeth bright white and chipped in the front, dimples showing.
Her heart skipped a beat—all that shine was aimed at her.
“You’re not watching the show,” she observed.
He shook his head, completely unrepentant. “Nope.”
“You’re going to miss important information.”
“Right now the most important information I can think of is what color is today’s thong?”
Heat flushed her body. “That is not slumber party talk.”
“Sure it is. Slumber parties are all about hanging out in undies and revealing secrets, desires, and dreams. How else do you become BFFs?”
Lil laughed, “Is that so? You’re a slumber party expert now?”
He nodded sagely. “I am. Dreams, desires, and pillow fights.”
“Pillow fights? Everybody knows no one really has pillow fights—unless they want to end up in real fights.”
AJ brought a hand to his chest. “Blasphemy. Every young man knows that slumber parties always end in lingerie-clad pillow fights.”
“Ridiculous. Now you’re just describing the porn you watch.”
“You’re probably right. It’s easy to confuse porn and real life when I’m around you.”
She choked on popcorn. He patted her back laughing.
When she could finally speak, she said, “You’re a dog. You know that right?”
“Only for you, Liliana mía.”
“Is that supposed to be romantic?” she asked, throwing a piece of popcorn at him, slightly surprised she did—she wasn’t the type to throw food. Why make more work for herself for no reason?
“Por supuesto. What woman doesn’t want a big faithful dog at her side?”
She laughed, shaking her head even as she scooted closer to him. “Stop being ridiculous. Tell me something about yourself.”
“I thought we were watching The North?” he said.
“I was, but you were watching me.”
“I can do that all night.”
“No, you can’t. You won’t distract me. Besides, you have to leave sometime tonight.”
“Sometime.”
“So?”
“Sew buttons.”
She chuckled. “Ridiculous. Tell me something.”
“You know all the important things.”
“How many buckles have you won?”
He made a purring sound in the back of his throat that rumbled through his body and into hers. “Mmmm. I see you want to discuss my prowess. I could just show you...”
“Nothing but a hound dog.”
“Nah, darlin’. That’s Elvis and he’s from Mississippi. I’m Texas all the way through.”
Lil gave a dramatic sigh. “Something you won’t let any of us forget, just like everything else from Texas.”
He shrugged. “You know what they say about Texas...”
Lil rolled her eyes. “Shameless.”
“But now you know it’s true.” He grinned, something silly and boyish in his smile, even while his eyes twinkled with what she knew were naughty ideas.
Her heart hitched again. More to herself than him, she said softly, “Now I know.”
His gaze turned searching and he snagged her chin to draw her face closer to his own. After looking into her eyes for a moment he gave her a soft kiss on the lips and pulled back. “I’m glad the cows stampeded.”
She laughed, unable to stop. She laughed so long that tears came out of her eyes and she had to catch her breath.
A cautionary wind chose that moment to blow cold through her heart. She had to be careful not to get too used to any of this. He was married to the rodeo and she had a ranch to get back to—theirs was a temporary romance, and also likely the only one she’d ever have.
Holding back the small sigh that wanted to escape, she smiled instead. “Me, too,” she said, and because she couldn’t help it—and because saying it in Spanish made it feel somehow less painfully true and earnest—she repeated herself, “Yo también.”
He pulled her into a hug and she let the sigh out as an exhale in his arms. She’d never experienced sadness and joy at the same time like this before.
Thankfully, he saved her from having to sit with the feeling with his question, “Where’d you learn to speak Spanish?”
This time, her smile was easy. This was safe territory.
“Ranching. High school. Spain.”
He laughed, “One of those things is not like the others...”
She snorted. “I learned my first words and phrases working the ranch after school and in th
e summers—a bunch of the other workers and their kids spoke Spanish. Because I already had some conversation skills, it made sense to take it as my language requirement for high school.” She paused and grinned. “Spain is where I got really good, though.”
He raised an eyebrow. “At what exactly?”
Her eyes flicked to the side and she shrugged one shoulder. “Spanish...mostly.”
“Explains the classy accent.”
“You think my accent’s classy?” she teased.
He shook his head. “No. I think it’s sexy.”
Warmth blossomed in the center of her chest. Her language skills were just like everything else about her: practical. That they could be a turn-on was something new.
He watched her face, waiting for her response, and she was filled with a powerful urge to tilt her chin, lean up, and press her lips to his.
So she did.
She couldn’t tell him any of the things he was stirring up inside—that was too personal. Not when she knew he’d only end up leaving. But she could kiss him.
He responded by maneuvering their bodies so that she rested on his chest on top of the sofa bench.
“The bed would be more comfortable,” he said.
She smiled down at his face. “I’m comfortable right here.” Then she pressed another kiss to his lips, lingering there before pulling back to look at him. He was the perfect blend of pretty and real and she wanted him again.
She said, “I’m glad you came over.”
He smiled and ran his fingers along the side of her face, pushing a curl behind her ear along the way. “Me, too. Can we move to the bed now?”
She laughed, nodding. “Add relentless to shameless.”
He scooped her up as he sat, so she was cradled in his lap. “Sure thing. Ready?”
She frowned. “Ready?”
He picked her up, grinning like a kid, and carried her to the bed where he set her down and then sat down beside her. It was all of four steps, but Lil was willing to be impressed.
“Isn’t this better?” he asked.
Lil snorted. His head was about an inch shy of the overbed cabinets and he looked far too large for the full bed, let alone the alcove it fit in. “Depends on what you’re intending.”
The Wildest Ride--A Novel Page 24