LUCAS

by V. A. Dold

  With strength of will he didn’t realize he possessed, he eased her arms from around his neck. Kensie’s soft whimper tore at his soul. Breathing hard and shaking like a newborn colt trying to stand he step back. If he stayed near her there would be no stopping and she wasn’t ready for that. Blood pounded in his veins and his groin was on fire. No amount of cold showers would dowse this raging firestorm. How the hell was he going to survive the night?

  Kensie would swear on a stack of bibles, she was on fire. When Lucas took his heat away from her, every cell in her body screamed in dismay. She still felt his lips on hers, his tongue on her neck, his hands...

  Her body desperately wanted to pull him close again, her mind had other ideas.

  Lucas raked his fingers through his hair and jammed his cowboy hat back in place. He needed to pull himself together. He wasn’t a randy teenager anymore. He would walk Kensie to her cabin without throwing her to the ground and stripping her bare. Shit, that thought produced images he didn’t need in his mind at the moment.

  Taking a deep breath, he held out his hand to Kensie. “Please, allow me to walk you home. I promise I will keep my hands and every other part of me to myself.”

  Kensie took her own shaky breath and bravely took his hand. “Thank you, for being a gentleman. I don’t know what got into me. I’ve never behaved so wantonly before.”

  He gave her a sweet smile and squeezed her hand. “You weren’t the only one being wanton, cher.”

  He followed her up the two steps to the porch. “I won’t sugarcoat the way I feel, Kensie. I need you. My body aches for yours, but tonight we got carried away. When we take that step, we’re going to do it with the understanding we’re both ready.”

  “I always seem to be thanking you. I appreciate you understanding where I’m coming from. Besides, I’m only here for a week, so maybe the wise choice would be to avoid certain... things.” She put the key in the lock and turned it.

  He panicked. He wasn’t ready to let her go yet. Spinning her around he pulled her close and kissed her hard.

  All rational excuses to deny him evaporated as physical need swamped her again, and carried her away on crashing waves of desire. Her head swam in a cloud of delirious bliss.

  When he pulled back and pressed his forehead against hers. She slowly floated back to earth and stark reality.

  “Your scent drives me wild.” His voice was soft and beguiling.

  Kensie quivered as sensations danced over her skin everywhere he touched her. When he nuzzled her neck, her knees buckled. Luckily, Lucas held her tightly and she didn’t find herself on the floor. Good lord, she wanted that man. If her brain would shut up for ten minutes she might give in to her desire. All she needed to do was invite him in...but her brain shouted what about afterwards!

  Afterwards, she would go back to Minnesota and she would never see him again. As much as she didn’t have relationships and had no issue with one-night stands to ease physical needs, she couldn’t bring herself to do that with Lucas.

  “Damn, I’m sorry, Kensie. I did it again.” Lucas huffed out a breath and stepped back, but retained hold of her arms.

  “I’m flattered you want me, Lucas, but you, as well as I, know I’m leaving in six days.” She glanced up. He was breathing hard and his eyes still blazed with hunger.

  “Yeah, well don’t pack your bags. If I have my way, that’s going to change.”

  “Lucas…”

  He raised an eyebrow in hopeful question, his eyes filled with yearning. He could feel the power of her longing pulse through her. He smelled her fear and confusion. Oh, not fear of him, fear of her reaction to him. Her breasts rose and fell as she gasped for breath. He knew one more kiss from him and she would cave. The thing was, he didn’t want her to cave from weakness. He wanted her to come to him of her own volition.

  Before she could say something she would regret, he placed a finger over her lips. “No more tonight.” He shook his head and gave her his brightest smile. “We need to get to know each other. How else am I going to convince you to fall in love with me and stay with me in Texas? I want to know you through and through. What your favorite things are, every one of your hopes and dreams, as well as your fears. I want to know everything that makes Kensie Brown so special.”

  She was awestruck by his declaration. His words of love and what sounded like forever. She could still taste him and wanted another helping of his lips. Good grief this cowboy was potent.

  “Since you don’t think you’ll be here very long,” he said. “Let's go out tomorrow night. We’ll need to make the most of every minute you have.”

  “I need to check with Jojo, of course. But if I’m free, what would we do?”

  Why was she stalling? She knew what his goals were; he outright said them. If she gave in and slept with him, then what? She'd return to Minnesota, he'd be in Texas…she wasn’t sure even a man like Lucas was worth the fallout.

  “How about our local honky tonk, the Rusty Horseshoe?” he asked. “We could have a few beers. Maybe shoot a little pool. They even have dancing.”

  Kensie shook her head. “Sorry, I don't like beer, and I've never played pool.”

  “All right, how about a movie? There is a nice variety available in the main house. I’ll even make popcorn.” Lucas ached to spend every minute with Kensie, making love to her would be the frosting on the cake, but he also wanted every bite of cake he could get. Absently, he traced his palms up and down her arms.

  He felt her shudder under his gentle touch. He didn’t want to fan the flames again tonight, so he shoved his wayward hands into his pockets.

  “You are persistent. I’ll give you that,” she laughed.

  “I love the sound of your laughter. You should do it more often.” Lucas reached for her one last time. “I love kissing you, too. May I kiss you goodnight, Kensie? I could really use one last kiss to tide me over through the long night ahead.”

  Kensie swallowed hard. She wasn’t sure she would survive another kiss, but she also couldn’t bring herself to say no. His lips brushed hers gently. Unlike from the heated passion of before, this was almost chaste. Before she could analyze it too deeply, he released her and searched her eyes as if he looked for the answer to the universe.

  Lucas smiled. “When I see you tomorrow at breakfast, we'll finalize our plans. That will give you time to talk to Jojo. Plan to spend the day with me, too. We can go for a ride or something.”

  She gasped and her eyes went wide. She watched Lucas turn on his heel and stomp down the steps into the night.

  *****

  Lucas berated himself all the way to the main house. How could he have lost control like a wet behind the ears boy? He was always in control. But put him within a foot of Kensie and he was a slathering idiot. Damn, she'd felt perfect in his arms and she'd tasted even better.

  He turned to gaze back at the single light burning in her cabin. She was thinking about him. Warring with herself about her attraction to him. Good. That meant she would spend her night thinking about the possibility of a future with him. Tomorrow he would step up his charm and sweep her off her feet. He not only needed to convince her to be his mate, he must also talk her into staying in Texas.

  He could see her silhouette in the lamplight and smiled, very pleased with himself.

  She traced her lips with one finger. Remembered his kisses, regretted letting him leave. Perhaps he would give her a few vivid erotic images to fuel her dreams? No, he better not. Something like that was bound to backfire on him.

  Chapter 8

  Kensie meant to go to breakfast, and then her phone started to beep with text after text. Time got away from her. Before she knew it, she wasted the entire morning on the phone and laptop with the hospital. Jojo had thrown her hands in the air and stomped out hours ago. She would to have to put her foot down or Jojo would disown her. The sisters only, no work, trip wasn’t going as planned. Her coworker at the hospital didn’t care about her personal life or boundaries. She admit
ted she needed to take drastic action. Jojo was all she had left in the world. Material things and fame didn’t hold a candle to family.

  Money already overflowed her bank account and she accomplished every goal she had set for her career. Why did she stay in Minnesota when Jojo was in Texas? For the past year, she tossed around the idea of opening a private practice. Why couldn’t she open one here?

  Her stash of trail mix and a banana saved her from going hungry this morning, but the clock read eleven and she was starved again. Jojo planned to spend the day with Hank. Frowning, understanding hit her between the eyes, Jojo spent A LOT of time with the young handsome ranch hand. Kensie chewed her lower lip and considered her options, she could suck it up and face Lucas or ask the kitchen to pack a lunch and take Marigold for a ride. Normally she wasn’t such a chicken. Normally she didn’t have a smoking hot man in relentless pursuit of her. She needed time and space to think.

  For efficiency sake, she headed to the kitchen to place her bag lunch order. They could prepare her meal while she changed into her jeans and boots. Whistling happily, she walked back to her cabin and reached for the door. Before she could turn the lock, strong arms wrapped around her from behind. Her scream was deafening.

  “Kensie. Baby, it’s me,” Lucas said quickly. He heard her make plans to take Marigold for a ride and eat lunch alone.

  She turned to find bright blue eyes laughing from the shadow of his cowboy hat.

  With a death grip on the door handle and a hand clasped to her heart, she gasped, “You scared the crap out of me.”

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you. I was just playing. I wasn’t exactly quiet when I stomped up the steps. I thought you heard me coming.”

  “I was...thinking. I guess I didn’t hear you.”

  With a gentle finger, Lucas tipped her chin up so he could look her in the eye. His dimples flashed shamelessly. “I hope you were busy thinking about me.”

  Kensie shrugged and grinned back. “Maybe, maybe not. Why are you on my porch, cowboy? Elvis finally wise up and leave you in the dust?”

  “Hey now, Elvis loves me.”

  Slowly, her thundering heart returned to normal. Or as normal as possible when Lucas touched her and smelled so dang good. His earthy pine scent filled her nose and oddly made her achy in her very private places. The intimate contact of his fingers stroking her jaw wrought havoc with her ability to reason.

  Her empty stomach was forgotten as a hunger of another variety began to rage. Instinctively she leaned toward his heat. Her eyes fluttered shut.

  Who was he to deny his mate? He brushed his lips to hers sweetly. There was no demand. No pressure for her to give more.

  What the heck? I have zero control around this man.

  “Since you missed breakfast and our planning session I figured you might be hungry. So, I brought lunch. I thought you would enjoy a ride to the river. We can have a picnic. While we eat, we can discuss our movie night.”

  Kensie felt her heart melt a little. “I kind of wanted some time to think things out. Alone. I’m sure you have more important things to do than entertain me. Don’t you have work to do?”

  “I rode out this morning with the crew to mend fences. The rest of the day is mine to spend as I wish, and I wish to spend it with you. You don’t know enough about me yet to understand my odd behavior. Believe me when I say, there is nothing more important to me than your safety and happiness. I prefer to spend time with you, but if you want to be alone. I can leave.”

  He understood Kensie and the way she processed information and made choices. She wasn’t the type of person to jump into anything without analyzing every aspect. He trusted their mating allure would lead her to the right choice. It would kill him to let her go off alone, but she needed to think through their relationship and come to her own conclusions. He would abide by her decision.

  Before Kensie could lie and say she wasn’t hungry her stomach growled and forced her to either be very rude or accept his invitation. She glanced at her three hundred dollar loafers. “Let me get my boots and hat.”

  Lucas huffed out a breath he’d held and waited on the porch as she ran to change and run a brush through her hair. A final glance at her reflection and she was ready. Taking a deep breath and praying she wasn’t making a huge mistake, she grabbed her Stetson on the way out the door.

  The admiring appraisal he gave her from head to toe woke the swarm of butterflies that had taken up residence in her stomach since the first time she ran into this hot cowboy. The sensation both thrilled and terrified. The longing in his eyes and her reaction solidified her initial fear. For the first time in her life, she was in danger of a broken heart. She needed to tread carefully around this man.

  Kensie faced him, hands on hips. “You can come along under one condition.”

  “Okay. Name it.”

  “Keep your lips to yourself. Slow and easy, remember that discussion?”

  Lucas shuffled a boot and rubbed the back of his neck. “Yes, ma’am. I remember. I’ll do my best.”

  She stared him in the eye for a moment, reading him. “All right then. Let’s go.”

  *****

  Lucas waited; arms folded across his impressive chest, leaning against the porch railing, and watched Kensie lock her door. Interesting, not only did she get her boots and hat, but she also changed into a tight pair of blue jeans and a T-shirt that left nothing to the imagination. His lips twitched into a secret smile. She likes me more than she wants to admit to herself.

  He pushed himself away from the railing and offered his arm. Now if he could find a way to relieve the pressure in his jeans he would be golden. Since he set eyes on this fiery redhead, he’d been in a constant state of arousal no amount of cold showers would cure. An enjoyable and uncomfortable problem he didn’t usually have. He may pretend to be a ladies man around his brothers, but truth be told, he hadn’t taken a lady to his bed in over a decade. Between the hectic travel schedule he kept and the purchase of the ranch, combined with a general lack of interest, he was basically celibate. Until Kensie. She shook up his world with one little collision and there was no going back. His wolf went from a recluse in the corner of his mind to all out, slathering hound dog in a matter of seconds and hadn’t stopped panting since.

  They walked in silence to the barn where a stable hand left their mounts saddled and waiting. As he helped her mount, he found himself eye level with her incredible backside. He wanted to take a bite so bad his mouth watered. Instead, he closed his eyes and swallowed hard.

  He hadn’t thought his jeans could get any tighter; he was wrong. His dick seemed bound and determined to set some kind of record. He raised his foot to the stirrup to mount and his damn jeans refused to stretch far enough. Apparently, they reached their limit. Without missing a beat, he walked his seventeen-hand stallion to the mounting platform they used for guests and slid into the saddle.

  Kensie's eyes crinkled with humor. Thank Goddess she didn’t actually laugh at him. A man’s ego can only take so much. Her mischievous expression brightened her eyes and made her look about twenty years old. He loved when she smiled.

  She raised one eyebrow, and he knew he was in trouble. With a stab of her heels and a whoop, she took off like a rocket across the yard.

  In mere seconds, his big bay caught up with her smaller buckskin filly. “I never figured you for a crazy woman. Slow down or the horses might step in a gopher hole and break a leg.”

  She just threw her head back and laughed. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me.”

  “You got that right. And I plan to enjoy every second learning all your secrets.”

  Lucas watched her, enthralled. Her hair billowed in the wind and her eyes danced with delight. Kensie’s joy and laughter fueled the already raging fire deep in his heart. His arms ached to hold her close and never let her go. When she turned to look at him, and shared her joy of the moment, his heart literally stuttered. Stupidly, he leaned toward her for a kiss and almost fe
ll off his horse. His antics made her laugh harder. He liked this new Kensie, a lot.

  In no time at all, they reached his favorite spot along the riverbank. Thankfully, his jeans weren’t too tight and he was able to dismount without landing on his face.

  “That was amazing. I love to ride, especially when they give me, Marigold.”

  Kensie’s voice was husky with excitement and sparked all kinds of riding pleasures in his mind that didn’t include a horse. Silently, he counted to twenty and exhaled a cleansing breath. Slow down, Le Beau.

  Instantly her eyes jerked to his. “Did you say something?”

  “No, not really.” He couldn’t admit to telepathy when he hadn’t explained anything to her yet. Since he hadn’t spoken out loud, his answer was more of a fib than a lie. One does not lie to his mate.

  He set the picnic lunch and blanket down, then walked toward the river’s edge where Kensie stood. This spot wasn’t far from the main house so it was easy to get to quickly when he needed a break. Someday, his baby brother, Brian would build his house on this very spot. He already staked his claim on this ten-acre stretch of the river. Until then, Lucas planned to enjoy the solitude.

  The river twisted and turned its way for miles across the Le Beau spread, but this was his favorite spot. Once he convinced Kensie to stay with him, he would pick out his own section of the ranch for their house. Let her choose the location, he didn’t care, as long as he had her with him.

  The quiet was what he loved most. A few birds sang in the trees overhanging the water and an occasional frog croaked a love song to its mate. But the sound of moving water was what soothed his soul. And on this stretch of the river the water was shallow and gurgled over the rocks. Goddess he loved that sound.