by Susan Arden
Matt pushed up on his arms, arching his torso, collecting his strength. He came at her with raw power, pumping his cock with the perfect pressure and so deep. Her craving for more grew hot and demanding.
All at once, liquid fire spread through her body. Dear God, it was like being in free fall as Matt took her over the edge.
“Carolina,” he growled, his mouth recapturing hers. It wasn’t the end. He positioned her legs over his shoulders. “Watch how we fuck.”
A wall of muscle, raw lust, and a dirty talking cowboy unlocked a vault that she didn’t even know she possessed. This joining of their bodies was so erotic.
Matt slowly withdrew his shaft, shiny from her juices. “Baby, the things we can do together,” he whispered.
“Please!” she rasped so in need.
His body pinned Carolina down, a willing captive. Pleasure cascaded over her from the friction of Matt thrusting, pumping, taking. Sex with this man was free, wild, and fierce.
Bliss whipped her into a frenzy. Her sex squeezed and throbbed around this man. In a rush of ecstasy, all she could moan was, “Oh!”
Matt’s muscles tightened as he groaned across her lips. One last kiss and he collapsed next to her on the bed. Sweat covered their bodies and they lay next to each other, his arm comfortably, possessively curled around Carolina.
Chapter Sixteen
It wasn’t yet five in the morning. Carolina stirred. Officially he was late. Yet instead of throwing off the sheet, Matt gazed at her reflection in the mirrors on the ceiling and grinned. For years, when it came to sex, it had been an enjoyable pursuit—for a night. Afterwards, he was on his own. But Carolina was utterly captivating lying in his bed and he couldn’t stop staring.
Sex last night had been inflamed by urgency and need, yet it was more. This woman was so different. He brushed a light kiss against the back of her neck. She shivered, softly moaned, and bumped her bottom against his cock.
Carolina pushed against him, seeking the warmth of his body. The room was chilly and he pulled up the comforter that had gotten kicked off. He inhaled her exotic floral scent. It reminded him of Miami that first time they’d met. Matt nuzzled her neck, her jaw, her lower lip and goose bumps instantly appeared on her skin. He wrapped her in his arms and covered her body against the morning air.
She turned in his arms and smiled. Caro’s gray eyes were still sleepy and soft and he kissed her full lips. Her hands caressed him all over, stopping only when she took hold of his erection.
“Hmm,” she moaned.
Pumping his hips, he whispered, “Baby, just like that.”
She released him and pushed his shoulders back against the pillows. Carolina awoke without any inhibitions, so it seemed. Her expression changed from sleepy to wanton. Matt clasped her waist and in reply his little firecracker arched a brow.
“Keep your hands still, Cowboy. I’ll be giving the orders this morning.”
A smile quirked his lips. “Yes, ma’am,” he replied with a laugh.
She hoisted herself up and over his hips. “I’ve always wanted to ride a bucking bronco,” she whispered.
Carolina lifted up on her knees, grasped his cock, and in one swift motion came down on him. Talk about pure pleasure! Unencumbered, her breasts bounced inches from his face. This was the sexiest morning view he’d ever witnessed: Carolina, naked, riding him hard.
“That’s it, baby. Fuck me.” His breath came out in spasms.
Her silky heat clamped around his cock and squeezed every thought from his head. With wild abandon, Matt gave into what his body wanted. This woman’s moans had him moving her hips back and forth. Her body was an oasis and if he could hold on, they’d both find release.
“Come for me!” He felt the tightening convulse of her body. The perfect sheath on his erection. Her slippery silk glided up and down. Her eyes were half-closed and she breathed out quick pants. Yeah, she was there, all right.
Now, it was his turn.
At the point of no return, Matt was buried inside her softness. He rimmed her entrance so tight and hot. Then he pounded his entire length as pleasure shot up his spine and he shot his load. A brilliant firework exploded in his head. He thrust hard, devouring the feel of her, planting himself so deep, pleasure rebounded off every nerve he owned.
After following Caro over the edge, Matt inhaled the scent of her neck as she lay draped over his torso. They were still connected. She whimpered, soft and sensual. He had no desire to disengage. Another first. For moments, they lay entangled. His arms were around Carolina’s waist and his face was buried in the soft curtain of her hair.
If Carolina hadn’t been such a puzzle at the wedding, he probably would’ve come right out and laid bare his past. They might’ve sat and talked further into the night, but they had not. Still, at some point, it would do them both good to get it out of the way. She was the first woman with whom he candidly discussed his business. What their private conversations evoked that was the world of difference. The more they talked, the easier it got. It didn’t require an aeronautical engineer to connect the dots.
He wanted to get to know her, and talk about her life, throw light on the shadows of her personality as well as his. He could easily recall the color of her eyes, the sound of her voice. But hungrily, greedily he wanted more. And in wanting more, maybe he’d tell her about himself.
She twisted in his arms and they lay cuddled up against each other.
“What are you thinking?” she asked, threading his hair between her fingers.
“About us. Does that ‘freak’ you out.” He used one hand for the air quotes.
“Why would it? This is new. For both of us in lots of ways,” she replied. “I’ve never experienced anything like this.”
“What do you mean?” He brushed her hair back from her face.
“Climaxing. Coming.”
Matt stared at her for a beat, sure he’d missed something. “But you’ve had orgasms?”
“On your desk. That was the first.” She regarded him with what he would swear was a weary look.
“Was that the first time you’ve had an orgasm?” he asked quietly.
“Y-es.” Carolina’s voice quavered. “Last night seems almost mythical.”
“How the hell is that possible? Sweet Jesus, were you in a coma?”
She tensed. “I guess I shouldn’t have said anything. Not a cool admission.”
He’d better do something fast or he’d never experience another orgasm with Caro. He pulled her closer. “That’s not what I meant. It’s different with women.” Still he couldn’t conceptualize that she really meant never. “Do you mean never, not once before?”
“You’re very good with math. Yes, not once means zero,” she sassed, her cheeks starting to turn pink. “I get it that it sounds odd. Believe me, it’s odd to live this long and from the way you’re looking at me, I’m feeling odder by the second.”
He stroked his hand over her hip, making her wriggle. “Carolina, what about when you’re alone? Relaxed, at ease with yourself. Maybe it’s being uptight and nervous.”
“Do you think I’m frigid?”
“Unequivocally, no,” he said. “After yesterday and this morning, baby, you’re molten lava. Volcanic. A new universe could form from our explosive orgasms. You’re what I’d classify as the opposite of frigid.”
Carolina released a sigh and — thankfully — she smiled. How was it possible that she’d never orgasmed? Her sensual nature had to be the eighth wonder of the world.
“Are we going to ride out this morning?” she asked, trailing her fingers along his chest.
That’s what they needed. A little fun. “Hell yeah, woman. I’m going to show you around the place. Best way to see the ranch is on horseback.”
Chapter Seventeen
Just after six, they entered the stables and were met by several ranch hands saddling up their horses.
“Anyone seen my father?” Matt asked.
They all replied with a ‘no’ and one of the men went so far as to say, “We ain’t seen hide nor hair of Wade. Calvin’s in the office, meeting with the crew leaders. Stephen’s been through.”
Matt turned to her. “That’s odd. He’s usually here if not at the office.”
They’d just come from the large outbuilding where the offices were. The place was filled with men in boots and cowboy hats, talking in loud voices broken apart by chuckles and cheers for which work team had taken the lead the preceding day.
Unlike the offices that were brightly lit, the barn with the dark, rough-hewn wood, felt more like home to Carolina. The air was cool and smelled of earth, hay, and leather. Horses stood at the stall doors, most turning toward the light spilling in behind them as they walked from the entrance. One after another, the horses shook and tossed their heads in a domino effect.
“They’re stunning,” she said to Matt of the horses. Most were a chestnut brown.
“These are all spoken for.” He indicated with a slant of his head to the row of stabled horses that she was admiring. “Down aways, is mine.”
They passed the middle of the barn where they could go right or left, or continue down the main corridor to the barn office. “Which way?” Carolina asked.
Matt jerked his thumb to the right as a horse loudly flapped its gums. “Let’s go see my personal trouble maker.”
They turned down a row of stables and only one horse commanded her attention. A stallion so black he was blue. As she walked up to the stable doorway, the horse’s ears twitched.
“What about this one?” she asked, suppressing a sly grin. This stallion had to be Matt’s horse. He looked like he was full of spit and vinegar. The epitome of a high-spirited quarter horse.
“Kyro’s a handful.” Matt replied. “How good are you in the saddle?”
Even though her stomach summersaulted at the idea of riding Kyro, she canted toward Matt and whispered, “You tell me.”
“In a word, exceptional.” He let go a deep rumbling laugh. “If this morning is any indication of your experience on horseback, go for it.”
Carolina chuckled, running her fingers over the rough-hewn wood along the stable wall. Her actual horseback experience could hardly be equated to substantial. She treated horses alright, but riding was another matter. The intelligent eyes of Kyro regarded her. His nostrils flared as she approached and he gently snorted.
“So, if I were a seasoned rider, you’d let me ride your horse?” She watched Matt’s face. A microexpression, a glimmer of amusement, flashed across his features. It was almost too fast to notice, but Carolina did and felt the jolt of elation.
“Absolutely. I’m not stingy when it comes to you. Is that what you want to hear?” In turn, Matt read her tells.
“Only if it’s true.” She gazed at his horse as he nuzzled Matt’s outstretched palm that held a piece of apple.
Instead of answering, she took a carrot from the bucket and gave it to Kyro. His velvety nose nuzzled her palm. She couldn’t resist sliding her hand along his glossy coat, a version of liquid ink.
“Care to give Kyro a ride?” Matt asked. This was the horse he’d ridden to the house yesterday, seeming to become one with, and she couldn’t imagine a better horse for him.
“Not today. I’d need a whole lot more experience with this guy.”
“How about I pick one for you?”
“Pick away.” This should be interesting, Carolina thought.
“No need to think twice.” Matt took her by the hand to a stall holding a gray mare. Not the old mare she’d expected. He patted the horse’s neck. “She’s young, not yet four years of age, and as curious as the dickens.”
The horse peered at Carolina, neighing and tossing her silvery mane.
“She’s a beauty. What’s her name?”
“Skyfall,” he said. “She’s a trained stock horse but no one’s claimed her. Yet.”
As a rule, it always came down to someone either respected or feared horses.
“What do you mean yet?” Carolina ably recalled the old saying about getting hurt by a supposed ‘gentle’ horse, which did something unexpected. An ornery or inexperienced horse made people weary. Regardless, to avoid injury Carolina maintained a healthy respect for each and every horse.
Matt sighed. “Either someone will want to use Skyfall as their workhorse, or we’ll sell her. We don’t keep brood mares around here this young. Her stock line is excellent.”
Carolina regarded the horse, again. Skyfall was curious, a sign of intelligence, and pawed the ground, eager to be out and about. She stroked the horse’s withers.
“It shows and I’d love to ride her.” She felt a connection to Skyfall and it brought a smile to her face. A dented bucket hung on a hook with cut-up apples nearby. She grabbed a slice and offered it to Skyfall. As the horse nuzzled her palm, she glanced over at Matt and asked, “Is breeding horses also something of a project for you?”
“It’s a side venture, one Brandon and Rory are expanding. Which is why cattle dying pisses me off. I’ve worked hard over the years to establish our ranch for its line of more than decent working animals. We don’t have scrub horses. Our livestock have highly sought-after papers. There’s a very real need for the Americana horse for ranching and Skyfall has the lineage and temperament to be a winner. Believe it or not, this horse might beat any number of high-stepping Arabians on a quarter-mile track. Which is why her selling price is steep for most folks, especially ranch hands.”
Skyfall nickered as if laughing at an absurd idea. In turn the sound made Carolina chuckle, excited at the prospect of riding the spirited filly. “Skyfall and I will get along fabulously.” She patted the horse’s neck and intoned, “Won’t we?”
She half-laughed as the horse whinnied. Carolina prayed to God that she wasn’t fooled by a beautiful face. That’d be lovely to end up the undercover vet only to be tossed on her butt before the day was over. Not the way to engender confidence in what she might have to relay to Wade McLemore about his cattle by next week.
“Tyler, take care of saddling up Kyro and Skyfall.” Matt clapped a young man on the shoulder. A ranch hand who she’d seen around the barn this morning.
“Will do, boss.” The man got right to it, nodding to her as he lifted a set of reins slung over a stable door.
“C’mon darlin’, we’ll check in over at the house,” Matt said as she glanced around the stable at the other horses. Everything was organized. The entire barn was well-ventilated, and clean.
“You’ve got a really nice set up here.”
He gave her a grin that lit up his usually dark blue eyes. “Thanks. I kinda like it, most days.”
They climbed in the Jeep and he drove to his parents’ house to collect the picnic fixings. The house was filled with soft light reflected off the pastel blue walls. Open windows within the living room and the kitchen allowed the cross-breeze to circulate within the house, moving the sheer curtains. The aroma of bacon and coffee grew stronger as Carolina preceded Matt down the hall. She recognized Brett Young playing on the radio in the kitchen when they entered.
“Morning.” Wade looked up over the newspaper that he lowered and proceeded to fold. He jutted his chin at the mugs on the table. “Coffee? Miss Louisa just made a fresh pot.”
“Don’t mind if I do,” Matt said, holding up a mug to her.
She shook her head, giving Wade a smile, and asked, “Hey, how goes the vinyl?”
Wade laughed at her remark. “I’m expecting a George Jones album in the mail. Trouble in Mind.”
Carolina gave him a thumbs-up on her way to greet Miss Louisa.
“We were looking for you over at the barn,” Matt told his dad.
“Funny. I was waiting for you both here,” Wade replied. He had the same build and coloring that his sons had obviously inherited. He reminded Carolina of an older Max Ryan with a Texas drawl instead of a British accent. Wade returned
her smile. “I suspect I’ll see you both today if you’re interested in riding to the north side. We’re fixing the fence line there.”
Matt replied, giving her a wink. “We’ll be following the cattle. I’ve got a couple of cows that I’m tracking.”
“Better check on the heifer,” Wade picked up a walkie-talkie from the table. “Brandon suspects she’ll give birth today.”
Carolina’s ears pricked at the possibility of observing a calving at Evermore. She walked over to the granite island and said, “Good morning, Miss Louisa.”
Miss Louisa was at the stove with a cloth in hand, cleaning up from breakfast. “How you gettin’ on? I see you survived.”
“Yep.” She smiled at Miss Louisa’s humor.
“Care for a cup of coffee? There’s biscuits, still warm from this morning.”
She and Matt had shared a breakfast of eggs, bacon, toast, and coffee, but the biscuits did smell incredible. Normally, she didn’t eat anything fancier than a heaping bowl of cereal along with a cup of dark espresso. There was a different sense of how mornings began on a ranch. Time seemed to stretch, instead of zip by like it did in Miami.
“Maybe one,” Carolina said with a wink. “To start.”
Miss Louisa chuckled. She set out a plate of biscuits along with a crock of butter and a jar of homemade peach jam.
Carolina spread both over the still warm flaky biscuit. She took a bite and it melted in her mouth. “This is so good! Gosh, I wish I had your recipe.”
“If you’ve ever got a spare minute, come ‘round and I’ll show you how.”
Wade drained his cup and came over, setting it in the sink.
Matt joined Carolina at the island. “What’s shaking, Miss Louisa?”
“Hopefully nothing, if the good Lord has anything to say. You be good and bring this child around for dinner. Ya hear?”