Wade met them at the door and pulled Adrian into his arms. “Work before play, Maverick. Remember we agreed?”
“I know, I know,” Maverick groaned. “But it’s going to be a bloody long day.”
Adrian hugged Wade to her. “Are you guys ready for some more work?”
Both nodded.
He squeezed her shoulder before dropping his arm and pointing in the direction of a clump of trees on the ridge. “We want to explore the ridge this morning, if it suits you?” He glanced at her. “Are you joining us?”
“Not on horseback. I’ll take my car like yesterday. Are you guys willing to get up a little earlier tomorrow so we can get the shots at the creek?”
“Sure,” Maverick answered. “Do you need a lot more photos?”
She wanted to say yes and keep them with her longer, but judging by how productive they’d been the previous day, she couldn’t see it happening.
“No, we should finish tomorrow.” She fiddled with the camera strap and started toward the house. “I’m getting some coffee. Care for some?”
Less than an hour later, and after a hearty breakfast, the silhouettes of the men disappeared over the hill. Adrian steered her vehicle along the dirt track leading up the mountain.
She caught up with the men riding over the ridge. This high up the wind shook the ice off the shrubs and the frost on the ground lay so thick it resembled snow. Adrian pulled the zipper of her thin thermal jacket higher. The men had turned the collars of their thick coats up as they carefully steered the horses down the slope.
On a small clearing, Wade unhooked a leather rope from his saddle and swung it overhead, the circles skimming Maverick’s head. Although they were still too far off for her to hear their conversation, Adrian lowered the window and switched off the ignition. The men hadn’t seen her yet. She placed a sandbag over the window frame, fixed a five hundred millimeter zoom lens and adjusted the window’s height so she could comfortably see the men through the viewfinder.
Against the backdrop of green Protea bushes, dark boulders and yellow grass, the men tested the ropes that hung from the saddles—probably the lassos they’d talked about. They took turns tossing the rope over different-sized boulders. Wade looped the lasso to an incredible length before he let go and the noose slipped over a boulder nearly thirty meters away. Adrian depressed the shutter as the muscles in his thighs bulged when he stood in the stirrups to release the loop from the boulder.
He tipped his hat in Maverick’s direction before he rolled up the lasso and hooked it over his saddle. She couldn’t hear their conversation, but judging by the frown on Maverick’s face, he had a few choice words to spare for his friend. Then he swung his own rope, concentration furrowing his brow. The camera’s motor whined as Adrian snapped several shots in succession. They had to repeat this exercise, but without their shirts and with a tripod handy. Her hand already shook too much with the effect the fully clothed cowboys had on her.
Maverick collapsed over the neck of his horse, clutching his left shoulder and Adrian almost dropped the camera. Wade rushed to his side and within seconds, Maverick was off the horse and Wade was massaging his shoulder. When Maverick slapped Wade’s hands away, Adrian sighed with relief. The pain must have subsided enough for him to allow his ego to take over. An animated discussion followed, after which Maverick threw his hands in the air before digging into the saddlebag and retrieving a bottle of pills.
He popped a pill into his mouth and arched his neck to take a swig from the canteen. His gloved hand contrasted with the shine of the stainless steel bottle while he stood legs apart, Stetson riding low over his eyes and stroking the neck of his horse.
Adrian took her finger off the shutter. He was truly gorgeous. Although too far to see it, she imagined a droplet of water running along his tanned neck and disappearing into the folds of his shirt. Her mouth dried out as her imagination followed the trickle all the way down his chest. She shifted on the seat to accommodate the heat pooling in her pussy.
The sound of hooves cracking the frost on the ground had her snapping her head up. The subjects of her thoughts came toward her, concentrating on steering the horses to keep clear of the slippery boulders littering the slope. They reined in the horses a couple of paces from the car.
Wade nodded toward the lens. “That’s one hell of a lens you have there. Got any pictures worthwhile?”
“I did, but I need more and you guys are not going to like it.”
“Does it involve us getting naked?”
She grinned at Maverick. “Definitely.”
“Then what are we waiting for? I spotted a clearing with lots of trees around it about two hundred meters south of here. There must be a stream close by.” His horse grew restless and he tightened the reins.
Wade frowned. “Wouldn’t the shadows interfere with the photos?”
“Nope.” She pointed to the rear of the Cruiser. “I have a couple of portable lights and umbrellas.”
They made their way slowly toward the clump of trees and Adrian left the car when the trees got too thick to navigate through. She grabbed a camera with a wide-angle lens and followed the men leading their horses along the narrow trail through the dense vegetation. The trees opened up onto a clearing and Adrian inhaled sharply and hurried forward. She’d found the perfect location for most of her photos.
Wade stumbled over an exposed root as Adrian lifted her face to the sun, flung her arms out to the sides and spun. Her laughter rang in the quiet of the mid-morning and the air whooshed out of his lungs. Damn, the woman activated all his buttons at once. He tightened his grip on the reins.
“This is perfect,” she exclaimed and she stopped spinning.
“It sure is.” Maverick sounded like someone had his balls in a vice and Wade frowned. At least he wasn’t the only one experiencing a sucker-punch with Adrian’s spontaneous reaction to the small waterfall surrounded by large trees and plenty of shrubs.
He’d never seen Maverick unable to keep his feelings to himself, but now he stared at Adrian as if she were a prime steak after a long cattle drive. Maverick followed her every move, trying to anticipate where he could help and creating opportunities to touch her.
She crouched at the edge of the water and her short jacket rode up her back, exposing a perfect, blue-jean-clad bottom.
“Aww shit,” Maverick mumbled and Wade grinned in agreement.
Adrian waved them over. “Come look at these pebbles.”
Pebbles? The only pebbles he wanted to look at right now were the ones hidden by the front of her jacket. Wade crouched next to her, her flowery scent tickling his nostrils, and he rested his hand on the small of her back. “Where?”
She pointed to the blue pebbles littering the edge of the stream leaving the pool beneath the waterfall. He hadn’t seen stones like those but sure as hell wished he knew what they were—if only to impress her. “I don’t know what they are, but they’re sure pretty.”
Maverick squatted on the other side of Adrian and reached into the water. He retrieved a stone and turned it over before depositing it on her palm. His hand lingered beneath hers and Wade swore he saw something tender flash in Maverick’s eyes. Was his friend falling for Adrian? Was it even possible in such a short space of time?
“I don’t know either, but they’re unusual. Maybe you could ask the farmer when we reach the house,” Maverick said with a slight crack in his deep voice.
She nodded and stood. “Thanks, I will. Now, are you guys ready to work?”
“No,” they said in unison and Adrian frowned.
“No?”
Wade shook his head. If he didn’t touch her soon he would go out of his mind. It wasn’t possible to think about anything besides feeling her skin under his hands and hear her moans of pleasure disturb the silence. Before she could react, he slipped his hand under her hair and pulled her to him. He lifted her chin with his thumb and watched as her eyes darkened to compete with the royal blue of the cloudless sky above.
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The sweetness of her lips undid him in two seconds flat. He had to feel her—all of her. Hugging her closer, he plastered her body against his. Her arms slid around his neck and she returned his kiss with enough zest to leave him panting for air.
Then his arms were empty as she slid out of his embrace. “Later, cowboy. First we work.”
Her throaty words only fueled his lust and he forcefully tried to ignore the need pulsing in his cock. She wasn’t really going to leave him aching like this, was she?
Maverick groaned and shoved his hands into the pockets of his jacket. “Don’t I get an incentive like that?”
“Huh-uh.” Sunlight shimmered off her ponytail as she shook her head and wagged a finger at Maverick. “I want to use this light as much as I can.” When Maverick stepped closer, she ducked under his touch and walked toward the trees. She searched the area until she found what she wanted. “Would you guys mind helping me get some umbrellas and portable lights from the car?”
Wade pushed his Stetson backwards. “You’re serious? No playtime first?”
“We’ll have plenty of time when the photos are done.” She winked at Wade. “Besides, this light will only hold for about two hours before the shadows become too deep to work with here.”
He could wait a couple of hours if it would make her happy. Hell, he could wait longer if that was what it took to have her. The thought of burying himself inside Adrian sent the blood roaring to his lower regions and he mentally shook himself. Who am I kidding? It took all my willpower to refrain from acting like a caveman when she walked into the room. One hour might prove to be more of a challenge than he’d thought.
After trekking to the car and setting up her equipment where she needed it, he and Maverick waited for her instructions.
“Could you get the lassos and head for the patch in front of the waterfall, please?”
The spray of the water tumbling over the rocks felt like ice needles trying to pierce his skin and he lowered his hat over his eyes.
“Okay, that’s good. Now Maverick, drape the lasso over your shoulder and hook your left thumb into the loop of your jeans.” She stooped to assess the photo through the viewfinder. Her jacket got in the way and she shrugged it off, exposing the prominent peaks of her breasts jutting against her sweater.
Wade swallowed. His cock strained painfully in his pants. Get a grip on yourself. It wouldn’t do if all the photos showed him sporting a hard-on. He closed his eyes for a moment and took several deep breaths in an attempt to cool his heated blood. When he opened them again, Adrian gazed at his zipper.
“Oh my,” she breathed and the pink in her cheeks deepened.
His cock sprang to attention again. “Hmm, just give me a moment.” He moved behind a large tree and forced his clenched fists to relax.
What was wrong with him? If he kept this up, he could kiss his ranch goodbye. Nobody was going to pay him for photos belonging in a porn magazine. He forced his mind to conjure up the ranch he’d signed an option on before they’d left for South Africa, and his libido subsided. He still had so much to do there that he couldn’t screw this up. Minutes later, he calmly joined the others and started following Adrian’s instructions.
By the time she had the shots she wanted, sweat trickled down Adrian’s back. She was hot from jumping around between her equipment—the men had nothing to do with it. Yeah right. As if Wade’s naked chest and well-defined muscles didn’t leave her panting.
She took the last photo then straightened, massaging the ache in her lower back. “That’s it for now. You guys were stars. Even seasoned models have difficulty keeping up such a rigorous session.”
Maverick flung the lasso to the ground and stared at her with narrowed eyes. “You mean you’re always this demanding during a photo-shoot?”
She shrugged and wiped the sweat from her forehead. “I’m afraid so. It gets the job done, though.”
“Lord have mercy! What have we gotten ourselves into?”
The smile in his voice belied his complaint and Adrian relaxed. She powered the camera off and eyed the pool at the bottom of the waterfall. They’d spent more than three hours taking photos and she needed to wind down. If she looked at the photos too soon, she’d still feel the euphoria of thinking they were great shots and miss any obvious errors.
“You guys can head out if you like.” She pointed to the horses loosely tied under a tree. “Marie would have saved lunch for you. I’ll manage with the equipment.”
Maverick’s eyes narrowed. “And why would you want to get rid of us so quickly?”
She shook her head. “I don’t, but I thought you guys would be glad for the opportunity to hightail it out of here.”
“We’re not going to leave you to carry all this equipment by yourself. So either you share your plans or you let us help you carry it first.”
She glared at Wade. She wanted some privacy to test the water of the pool. Earlier she’d spotted a towel hanging from the branch of a tree just left of the waterfall, and to her it meant that the water was warm enough at midday and someone else also used the pool. She wanted to get in there before the other person had the same idea today. The last time she’d indulged in swimming under a waterfall in winter was in college when a group of students trekked to the Drakensberg Mountains. Then they’d had to keep their clothes on, but now she had the opportunity to skinny dip.
Besides thinking her completely mad, the men would think she was deliberately stripping to entice them into another round of amazing sex with them. The truth of the statement hit her square in the stomach. While she’d always enjoyed sex, she’d never been so wanton before, so needy for a man’s touch.
“I just need some time by myself, if you don’t mind?” She closed the umbrellas and started to carry the stuff to the car. Once everything was neatly stowed away, she waited for the men to leave.
“You sure you’re going to be okay alone here?” Maverick enquired.
“I’m sure. I’ll meet you at the house.”
She waited until the men got on their horses and disappeared into the trees before she returned to the waterfall and shook out of her clothes.
The trees and cliffs protected the clearing against the wind and Adrian allowed the sun to wash over her flesh. Being naked in the middle of nowhere felt so decadent she giggled. If her former employer could see her now he’d have no qualms about suing her ass for being irresponsible.
She dipped her toe in the water and shrieked. It was shockingly cold, but the spray of the waterfall was too enticing to resist. It was all the way in or she had to forget about it.
Bracing herself, she plunged head first into the water. The chill stole her breath and she gasped for air as she surfaced. Move, Adrian. She set a rigorous pace toward the spray and her muscles warmed up. It was colder than she remembered from college, but her body quickly adjusted to the temperature. The pool under the falls was too deep for her to stand and she treaded water until the stream massaged her shoulders. The stiffness in her muscles after hours of crouching with the camera floated away. She closed her eyes and allowed her mind to calm.
She turned on her back and floated until her stomach and legs were massaged. Behind the waterfall, the rocks shone green with moss and miniature ferns. Higher up, almost hidden by the shadow of the cliff, a small plant clung to the rocks, its purple flowers hanging their heads in the direction of the spray. She pulled the musty air deep into her lungs. This must be a great place during the hot summer months.
Someone cupped her breasts from beneath and Adrian screamed. She floundered to stay afloat as she fought to free herself.
“Relax, Adrian, we thought we’d join you.”
“Wade?”
The hands released her and she whirled around.
“Damn it, I thought you’d gone.” Lowering her body as far as possible under the surface, she pumped her legs with more vigor to keep warm.
Maverick came up next to her and she shrieked, moving away from the men.
Two hands lifted her up and the heat from their palms scorched her skin. She wiped strands of wet hair from her face and rubbed her eyes.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to drown you.”
She glared at Maverick. He wasn’t sorry enough. She might not be the world’s best photographer—yet—but she was a hell of a swimmer. Time for payback.
“It’s all right. You can make it up with a kiss.” She turned so she faced him and smirked at the bluish tint to his lips and the gooseflesh riddling his body. Served him right to be cold. Then she sweetly placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned closer.
Anticipation flickered in Maverick’s eyes. She lowered her head and pumped her legs at the same time, watching with satisfaction as his head vanished beneath the surface. She only let go once his shoulders were out of arm’s reach and she couldn’t hold on without going under herself.
Wade’s laugh bellowed in the stillness of the afternoon and she giggled. It felt good to be carefree, even if it was only for a couple of hours. When Maverick didn’t surface immediately, Adrian searched the pool. Her laughter died abruptly. What if he couldn’t swim and she’d inadvertently drowned him?
“Why is he taking so long to surface? Is he okay? Can he swim?” Worry set her heart pounding. Of all the stupid things she could have done…
“He’ll be fine. Maverick’s a great swimmer.” Wade reassured her. “But I could use a little help against the cold.”
“You’re sure he’s…”
Maverick grabbed her around her middle and hauled upwards. Her breasts flattened against his chest as she slid down his body and he cut her shriek off with a searing kiss. They slowly sank into the water without breaking the kiss. Hot and cold chased each other over Adrian’s skin. She ran her hands over his shoulders and along his back causing the goose bumps to become more pronounced. He shivered and lifted his head. “If you wanted to use the cold as contraception, I think you failed.”
Her Bareback Cowboys Page 6