by Starla Kaye
When he spotted her, he strode down the steps and briskly in her direction. She stood frozen; when what she desperately wanted to do was run to him, throw herself into his embrace. But she couldn't' do that. Wouldn't do that. Be strong!
As he drew closer, she realized he wasn't wearing his usual cut-off denim shorts and flowery island-style shirt with flip-flops. He wore jeans and a blue chambray shirt, and boots. He looked like one of the ranch hands, except for his lack of a wide-brimmed hat and the longish, bleached blond hair. And the expensive designer sunglasses he favored.
A hot breeze fluttered over her. Sweat beaded on her forehead and her upper lip. This would be a long, miserably warm day. She tried to think about ways to help the group of cowboys-in-training survive the trail ride and camp out…anything to not think about the man getting closer and closer to her.
“Guess I need a hat,” Erik said simply when he stopped an arm's length from her.
She inhaled his familiar scent, her body tingled with awareness. “Where did you…” She couldn't get the words out, could only gape at him in puzzlement.
He picked up on her obvious question. “Chet loaned me the duds a couple of days ago. He figured that I would need them at some point while I stayed here.”
“But you're leaving. You don't need them now.” Had any cowboy ever looked so yummy? God, she hoped she wasn't drooling.
“Change of plans. I'm going on this trail ride and camp out.” He held her confused gaze. “I'll leave when we get back. Not that my partners are happy about this situation.”
Erik was staying? To go on the trail ride? Mandy had trouble taking this all in and could only look at him in shock.
He gave her a crooked grin. “Surprised, huh? Well, good.” He moved to her and pulled her against him. His hands smoothed over the long braid she'd pulled her hair into. “I don't give up as easily as you do, sweet thing.”
Sweet thing. The way he'd said the endearment, so gently, huskily, had her straining not to purr in pleasure. Instead she managed to say, “Erik…”
But he silenced her with a kiss that had her thinking of stripping them both right here in the middle of the ranch grounds. She went up on her tiptoes, held the back of his head, and kissed him just as deeply.
Footsteps coming closer captured her attention, but not enough to make her completely sane. She didn't want to let go, didn't want to have this magical moment disappear.
“Guess you're not leaving today after all?” Chet questioned, sounding amused.
Erik eased her hands from the tight hold she had on him. Heat firing her face, Mandy dropped back down to flat feet. What was she doing? This wasn't helping anything. She inched away and glowered from him to Chet, then back to Erik. “Yes, he is.”
“No, I'm not.” She heard the determination in Erik's protest. His blue eyes mirrored his resistance.
“Looks like the clothes fit okay.” Chet ignored the way she bristled and focused on Erik. “You want to pick out your horse? Or shall I do it?”
Choose a horse? She panicked. “Erik doesn't need to pick out a horse. He's not going. He's leaving. Today.”
Both men continued to ignore her. Erik stepped around her and headed toward Chet, who was looking too damn amused by the situation.
“You can't go. You….” Neither man paid her the least bit of attention. “Oh gawd.” How could she deal with this new problem?
Erik followed Chet around the stable to the paddock with well over a dozen horses milling around. With each step nearer the big animals, his stomach tightened. He could do this, but he sure would rather be facing a mammoth wave on his surfboard.
Chet glanced over at him, a hint of understanding in his eyes. “Sure you really want to do this?”
“Not so much, but I will.”
“You're good for her,” Chet said quietly. “But our Mandy has always been headstrong. Hard to change her mind once she's decided something.”
Erik nodded. “I've noticed. Still, I haven't gotten where I am today in business without being pretty stubborn myself.” He stared at the horses, fought down his uneasiness. “I love her, really love her. I'll find a way to make this work.” He loved her enough to battle his pissed-off partners to gain one more day here. But that's all he had: one more day. At least for now.
Chet opened the gate and led Erik inside the enclosure. Almost immediately a big, chestnut-colored horse walked over and seemed to look Erik over. Chet tried to nudge the animal away, but he refused to move. He inched closer to Erik, blew out a heavy breath, and lightly bumped his chest with his muzzle.
“'Pears Samson has chosen you.” Chet chuckled while Erik reached up tentatively to stroke the velvety head. “He's a lot like Mandy. Once he's decided on something, that's pretty much it.”
Oddly, Erik didn't feel threatened by what clearly was the largest horse in the paddock. The big brown eyes showed no hints of aggression, simply acceptance. He smiled and patted the side of Samson's neck. “Guess we'll become good buddies today.”
* * *
Erik's ass hurt, his back, too. It seemed to him—and probably most of the other non-cowboys—that they'd been riding for days instead of only a few hours. He was thirsty and his stomach had started rumbling. Pitiful. But no way would he complain.
One of the women riding behind him with her husband groaned. He totally understood and had struggled to keep from doing so himself.
Chet, who had been leading the way toward wherever they were going just this side of Hell, turned back and walked his horse alongside the string of riders. He glanced at Erik and gave a quick nod of approval. Evidently not moaning and groaning was good. Then the foreman looked at the couple behind Erik. “We should be to the campsite by the pond shortly. It's just over that rise.”
A chorus of “Thank God” echoed through the group. Erik considered adding to it, but drew in a breath instead. He shifted his gaze to where his wife now led the way. He'd watched her sit tall and proud in the saddle, watched the way her taut butt moved so easily with the movement of her horse. She looked completely in her element and the thought depressed him. He'd hoped to see some sign of… What? That she was really a city girl playing at this? That she looked out of place among the half dozen cowboys riding with them?
As if knowing where Erik's thoughts had gone, Chet said casually, “She's been riding horses almost from the moment she could walk.” He glanced to Erik. “Doesn't mean she's only happy here. Right now she just thinks this is all she wants.”
“I hope you're right. I hope I can reach her somehow.” With each mile they'd ridden and her determination to stay away from him, he'd begun doubting his plan of coming along today.
Then she shifted just enough to look back at him. Even from this distance he caught the concern in her expression. It gave him hope again.
Chet had seen her searching him out, too. He grinned as she abruptly turned away once more. “You're the only one she's been worried about.” With that said he nudged his horse with his knees and trotted up to ride alongside Mandy.
Would she be concerned enough about him to rub the sore muscles in his shoulders? Maybe apply some kind of salve to his ass? He smiled at that idea. Maybe she would need some tender-loving care. He would forget all of his many aches and pains and put his whole attention to giving his wife some TLC. Then he wondered if he could possibly get her off somewhere private, long enough to….
Hell! Getting an erection hurt like the devil when sitting on a saddle. He forced such thoughts aside, for now.
“Is he all right?” Mandy asked the second Chet caught up with her. She wished she could take the question back the instant the words were out. Chet had already been needling her to go back and ride with Erik. She'd refused. She needed as much distance from him as possible.
“Surfer boy is doing fine.” Chet chuckled. “Though he appears to be riding a bit more awkwardly now. Like most of the others. No doubt his butt is sore.”
Her own butt was getting tender. She hadn't rid
den this long in a while. “He shouldn't have come along.”
Chet looked toward her and she met his gaze. “The man is crazy in love with you. Crazy enough to put off business he should be taking care of, enough to want more time with you.”
She focused ahead. Crazy in love with you. He liked her, lusted after her, yes. But love? Really? As much as the foolish part of her liked hearing the idea, she couldn't believe it. She was just a challenge to him and he was a man who liked challenges. After all, he designed complicated computer games.
“Maybe I don't want to spend more time with him.” Lie. Such a big Pinnochio kind of lie.
“You know what you deserve? A good butt burning.” Clearly disgusted with her, Chet urged his horse into a trot and headed for the rise.
Her face heated at his comment. She wondered if that's what Erik thought as well. That he'd like to spank her for being so stubborn about all of this, for pretty much avoiding him ever since they'd left the heart of the ranch. Probably. And it wouldn't be the playful kind of spanking he'd given her earlier. Her lower lips quivered. Weird as it was, she thought about being face-down over his knee, about having his hand connect with her bottom. In a nice, teasing way, that is.
Erik and the other newbie riders followed the ranch hands down the side of a low rise. Birds flew from the trees skirting the pond, startled by the heavy hooves pounding over the grass-covered ground. The horses automatically picked up the pace at the smell of water, eager to get to the pond for a drink. He felt the same way, except he wanted one of the bottles of water he'd seen being loaded into the chuckwagon that had traveled with them. And he wanted that drink bad. The heat of the day had gotten to them all. What was it? A hundred degrees? Kansas in the summer wasn't all that pleasant.
He abandoned that miserable thought and looked at Mandy already near the pond. Again, her gaze sought him out. But she quickly looked away and then dismounted. She stood still for a second, obviously adjusting from several hours of riding. Then she faced the group. “Take it easy getting off your horse. Your legs are going to be wobbly.”
The six hands scattered among the group dismounted and began moving toward the ranch guests to offer assistance. It was a matter of pride that had Erik shaking his head for help. He would get off this beast with some amount of grace or die trying.
He patted the sweat-covered neck. “Steady, boy, don’t make me look bad.”
When Samson didn't seem ready to move again, Erik slid his right foot out of the stirrup, held the reins in his left hand, and grasped the saddle horn with his hand just as he'd seen Chet do. His inner thighs screamed. He worked out regularly, but nothing he normally did used his muscles in this manner. He drew in a breath and swung his right leg over the horse's hindquarters. Shit, that hurt.
“Now move your right hand to the cantle. Your left hand, with the reins, to the pommel.” Mandy instructed and he nearly lost his grip in surprise at her sudden appearance.
Somehow he managed not to fall off the horse and did as she'd told him. “I can take it from here.” He wasn't a natural at this like she was, but he had ridden before. Years ago. And, boy, didn't his body know that it had been a long time.
By the time he had firmly set both feet on the ground, she was at his side. She didn't touch him, but the crease on her forehead told him she was worried about him. It took all of his inner strength to remain on his feet. His thigh muscles were cramping. His knees ready to give out. Don't be such a wuss!
In spite of his chastisement, his legs shook. It was as if he were standing on noodles.
“Oh, hell,” she grumbled and moved to his side. She forced him to drape an arm around her shoulders. “Stop being so damn macho. You're not used to this. It's okay to show your discomfort.”
Erik noted they were at least a dozen feet away from anyone else and that everyone else was concentrating on their own issues. He shifted his arm around her shoulders lower. His hand settled on her denim-covered butt and he felt her tremble. Then he gave it a light pat. “Language,” he said quietly.
She bristled and pulled away from him. The flash of irritation on her face made him forget his aches, made him smile. “Don't worry, nobody saw that.”
She leaned closer and hissed so only he could hear, “Forget it! You are not spanking me. Even if I might deserve it.” Her eyes widened. “I mean, even if you think I deserve it.” Her cheeks flamed.
His erection tented the front of his jeans. “I haven't been watching you bounce around in the saddle and thinking about warming your bottom.” He touched her mouth with his thumb. “I've been wanting to….” He let the words fade away; certain she understood what he would have said.
Now her eyes darkened and she gaped at him. He could tell she wanted him, too. Her nostrils had flared and her nipples pushed at the front of her shirt. Unfortunately, as he looked around, he could see nowhere around that he they could be alone. There was a row of cottonwoods not far from the pond, but the underbrush wasn't thick enough for privacy.
The heated moment was broken when Chet strolled up to take the reins from Erik's hand. “You two should have stayed back at the ranch.”
Mandy's face turned another shade of red darker and she moved farther away from Erik. She ignored Erik's comment and hurried off toward the chuckwagon. “I'm going to help set up the campsite.”
“So close, but so far,” Erik muttered and Chet chuckled before he led Samson away. He reached down to adjust his package, thinking this could be a long painful night.
* * *
Mandy didn't know how she'd let Erik convince her to share one of the small tents. Most of the others were slept on sleeping bags out in the open. She'd intended to do the same. The temperature had dropped a little with sundown but not much and there was hardly any breeze tonight. Being inside a tent wasn't the best of places to be and she really should crawl on out of here. Except it felt good—naughty, too—having her husband's hand on her bare breast, his thumb playing with the nipple.
“We really should get some sleep,” she whispered, shuddering when he leaned over and lightly bit the nipple.
In his usual irritating way of late, he ignored her and did exactly what he pleased. One of his hands moved between her legs. He found her clit and toyed with it. While she sucked in a breath and shivered, she wondered just when she'd lost her clothes. Here she was completely naked and he was fully dressed. In her imagination he wasn't. She could picture every luscious inch of him. Including the hard length pressing against the front of his jeans. She didn't need light in here to know it was.
He eased a finger inside her and she arched upward. “Ohhhh, you can't…we shouldn't be…oh, don't stop.”
The devil man added a second finger, flicked her clit with his thumb, and covered her moans with his mouth. All sane thoughts fled her mind. She was all about need. She wriggled beneath him as he stretched over her, rubbing his denim-covered erection against her tortured vulva. His tongue slid inside her mouth and teased her. At the same time, he drove his fingers in and out until she was a crazed mass of aching woman.
She clamped her legs around his waist. Held him to her as she dug her nails into his back, panted against his still demanding mouth. Those fingers…those wonderful, wonderful fingers worked her until she creamed all over them and collapsed.
He didn't move off her right away, but she missed him when he did. Tears trickled down her face. “I'm really going to miss you,” she said on a shaky sob.
“You don't have to.” His voice was sinfully husky. “You just need to give us a real chance.”
She swallowed down a painful lump in her throat. She didn't want to talk about this subject, didn't want to argue with him. Brushing at the tears, she eased to her side and reached over to unbuckle his belt. She'd felt how hard he'd been, knew he had to be suffering. Fair was fair. He'd given her release; she'd return the favor.
“What are you doing?” He didn't try to stop her, just lie there willing to let her do whatever she wanted with him.
<
br /> She unzipped his pants, pulled free the long length of hard, thick flesh. “Giving you what you need.”
“What I need is you, always.” He sucked in a breath as she traced her tongue up and down his cock. His hands cupped her head, held her to him and she took him in her mouth. “Oh, God.”
Mandy hadn't really enjoyed doing this with any other man, just Erik. It seemed right with him. She worked him with as much determination as he had her. It pleased her to have him bucking beneath her, holding her in desperation, fighting back the need to groan. She really was going to miss him.
By the time she finished with him, he was nearly dead to the world. He didn't say a word, simply pulled her to snuggle against him and kissed the top of her head. He didn't even speak when she knew he had to feel the wetness of his shirt from her tears.
* * *
Erik rode silently beside Mandy at the head of the group the next morning. He couldn't believe what they'd dared to do in the tent last night, although they had managed to keep nearly silent. Luckily they'd set their tent up well away from the others. Still it had been daring, something he would remember for a long time. But from the second they'd emerged from the tent a couple of hours ago, they'd barely spoken. She'd been busy helping get breakfast served and then with assisting the guests onto horseback once more. He'd helped as much as he could to dismantle the small campsite.
In truth, he didn't want to talk just yet. He was afraid they would launch into a real argument this time and he didn't want to do that in front of others. He was certain she hadn't changed her mind the tiniest bit. And he was tired of being the only one thinking about a compromise. Maybe she was right. Maybe their marriage couldn't be salvaged.
They were almost to the main part of the ranch when a rider came trotting in their direction. Drew. Erik tensed. What now?