by A. L. Loire
He realized with a sinking feeling that his suspicions had been correct as he observed, from several hundred yards away, Spencer walk up to Jess’s cabin. He saw the door open and the dim silhouette of a woman, curvaceous and scantily clad as a noir film femme fatale, appear in the doorframe. He saw Spencer disappear inside and close the door behind him.
Something inside Nate burst into flames like a pile of dry leaves that only needs the slightest spark to start an inferno. He hurled all kinds of terrible names at Spencer in his mind. He turned away numbly, trying to push away images of what Spencer could be doing to Jess inside.
Then, walking on unsteady feet back towards the lodge, he made up his mind. He wasn’t going to take Jess—she was going to come to him willingly.
*
When Jess opened her eyes, she wasn’t sure where she was. She decided she must be dreaming. She was wearing her black lace nightie with nothing underneath and being held in a man’s warm, strong arms in a room that was decidedly not her cramped New York City apartment. The man’s chest was broad and hard against her back, and he made her feel safe, protected, and sexy at the same time. That certainly wasn’t her real life.
Her eyes fluttered open and she realized where she was: in a cabin at a guest ranch in Wyoming, being spooned by a handsome, and very real, lover. For once her fantasy was real.
Spencer’s hand lightly tickled her rib. “Good morning,” he murmured in her ear.
“Morning,” she said. She sighed with contentment, grateful to be awake and feel his body against hers. Sunlight poured through the cracks in the curtains, a brightness that couldn’t contain itself. She closed her eyes again as her lips widened into a smile.
“Did you sleep well?” he asked.
“Like a rock,” she said. “I didn’t kick you, did I?”
“Maybe a few foot twitches,” he said mildly.
“I’m sorry,” she said, her eyes springing open again. She felt her face grow hot.
“Don’t be,” he said, pulling her on top of him. He smelled faintly of pine and musk. Mmmm. “Even if it means taking a few jabs, I’d rather be here with you than anywhere else.”
She flushed, this time with the pleasure of his words—and the full contact of her scantily clad body against his. He was still fully dressed in the same neat jeans and white cotton tee shirt he had been wearing the night before. He looked as handsome as a Levi’s model.
She leaned down and softly kissed his neck. He uttered a low moan and she kissed him harder, then nibbled on his earlobe. She could feel his manhood stiffen. She remembered from their encounter at the lake how large and powerful he was—and from the physical reminder, memories didn’t do justice to reality. She rubbed her pelvis against his, running her hand down to feel his hardness while his own hands raced to cup her breasts. He slipped them beneath the neckline, fondling her full breasts and teasing her nipples. The sudden, sensual contact was so intense that she felt herself explode with wetness. She rubbed against him harder, spreading her thighs slightly so she was straddling him with her legs.
He breathed in sharply. “You’ve got me all hot and bothered,” he murmured, then took his hands off her breasts and straightened the lace neckline of her nightie. Hey! Come back! she heard her desire cry. “But I need to stop myself while I’m still capable of some restraint.”
She moaned and slid off of him, landing on the bed on her back. She closed her eyes. Her breasts were aching for his touch and the spot between her legs was on fire. “You’re killing me with your ‘restraint.’”
He uttered a low laugh. “That makes two of us, beautiful.” She felt his hand in her hair and opened her eyes. He had rolled onto his side and was gazing down at her. “But when I make love to you again, I’m going to take my time and do it right.” He ran a hand slowly from her knees, up her thighs, and over her abdomen, lightly grazing her swollen cleft. Her body remembered how easily he had slid those fingers into her the night before, how they had drawn her pleasure out like a magician pulling a scarf from a hat. She shuddered and arched her back. Take me, take me, take me! her desire screamed.
“I’ve got to get going,” he said, placing a soft kiss on her lips. Before she could reach out and pull him back, he had rolled off the bed and was crouching to lace up his boots.
She rolled onto her side. “Where are you going?” she asked breathlessly.
“Just the beginning of another long day,” he said. “I’m already late for my morning meeting with Nate, and then I’m leaving the ranch for most of the day to get some business done in Cheyenne.”
At the mention of Nate, she felt something stir inside her. He seemed to notice, because his expression turned serious. “Jess, I want to get something clear,” he said.
“What’s that?” she asked, trying to keep her voice calm. She didn’t want to betray her attraction to Nate—it would be hurtful and just plain wrong.
“I care about you, and I want to get to know you,” Spencer said. He seemed to be considering his words carefully. “But I don’t want to hold you back from anything.”
Hold her back? What was he talking about? “What do you mean?”
“To be clear, I’m a faithful man,” he said. “But I’m not a jealous one.”
Faithful? Jealous? What was he trying to say? “I don’t understand,” she said, her brow wrinkling.
“I’ve seen the way Nate looks at you,” he blurted out. “And I’ve seen the way you’ve looked at him back.”
Her breath hitched. Had she really been that obvious? “I really didn’t mean to—“ she began.
He waved his hand. “You misunderstood,” he said. “I’m not calling you out on anything. I’m telling you that if you’re interested in Nate, you shouldn’t feel guilty about following your heart.”
Could he really be giving her carte blanche to pursue another man? Now this was something new. She was floored.
“That’s quite considerate of you,” she managed. “But I think one man is all that I can handle.”
His face broke into a smile. He looked so incredibly handsome, she could hardly believe he had spent the whole night in her bed. And now he was going to leave for a whole day?
A whirlpool of feelings swirled inside her, longing, desire, and desperation combining like currents eddying in a creek. “When will I see you again?” she said.
“As soon as humanly possible,” he said, pulling the knot of his right boot tight and standing up. He cast her a longing look, letting his gaze ride down her body from top to bottom so slowly and deliberately that it sent the same shiver through her body as his lightly grazing fingers had. “Don’t forget that promise.”
His promise to make thorough, sensual love to her? “Believe me, I’ll hold you to it,” she said.
*
“That’s it?” Jess held her iPhone away from her as her best friend screeched at her from fifteen hundred miles away.
“Yes, Dani, that’s it,” she said when it was finally safe to return her iPhone to her ear. When her phone had rung as she was rushing off to the main lodge to meet her riding instructor and she’d seen Dani’s name on the screen, she’d hesitated before picking up the call. So much had happened in the short time since she’d arrived at Getaway, and she wasn’t sure how much of it she was ready to reveal. It felt wrong to screen Dani’s calls, though—after all, they’d been best friends since they were nine years old—so she’d answered. Now she was regretting it.
“You leave your job and your life here to go sing campfire songs at some honky-tonk resort in the middle of nowhere, and you’re not even having a Dirty Dancing-esque romance,” Dani was haranguing her. At least her voice was now at a more reasonable volume. “I don’t know, Jess. I can’t say I really see the appeal.”
Oh, if you only knew . . . , she thought, feeling at once guilty and slightly smug. “You don’t have to see the appeal,” she responded, rankled. “It might not sound very exciting to you, but I’m happy.”
She realized it ca
me out a little defensive. It was lucky for her that Dani was not one to get easily offended. “If you say so. I’m glad you’re happy, of course,” Dani said. “I just hope this isn’t the beginning of one of those quarter-life crises you hear so much about. I was just reading in the Guardian . . .”
She zoned out as Dani launched into the summary of an article she’d read about twenty-somethings who decided to go Amish and get off the grid. Dani worked at a publishing house and was reading constantly, so she always had some “next big thing” to gnaw Jess’s ear with. It was just as well. The longer Dani talked, the less likely Jess was to spill the beans about Spencer. She didn’t feel good about lying to her best friend for life, the one with whom she had shared absolutely everything starting in fifth grade, from fears to crushes to two halves of a matching heart-shaped necklace. She didn’t know when she had last lied to Dani or withheld important information from her, if ever. But something had stopped her from gushing to her best friend about her dark, handsome lover. She didn’t quite know what it was. After all, Dani would probably be thrilled for her. She was always telling Jess that she needed more fun in her life.
As Dani continued to chatter, Jess almost dropped the phone. A devilishly handsome man in a plaid shirt, ripped jeans and a baseball cap, a large duffel bag slung over his back, was approaching her. Speaking of best friends.
“Gotta go Dani, callyoulaterbye!” she said in a rush, clicking the phone off as Dani screeched in protest on the other end.
“Please, don’t cut off your conversation on account of me,” Nate said. A lazy smile overtook his handsome features, his bright green eyes sparkling. The confusing conversation with Spencer from that morning came flooding back to her, and her heart did a little dance in her chest.
“That’s alright. I was finished anyway,” she managed, waving her hand in a way that she hoped looked casual.
Nate was still staring at her. She tried to keep the bright smile on her face as she searched for the right thing to say. Somehow all of the small talk had run out of her mind.
“Ready to go?” he asked finally.
She knit her brow in confusion. “Ready to go where?”
“Why, didn’t you sign up for a riding lesson?” he asked.
“I did, yes,” she said. She had arranged a beginning riding lesson with Caroline the day before, figuring she might as well test out her sense of adventure now that she had the chance. She had come here for an outdoorsy vacation, after all—she hadn’t been counting on any cowboy romances.
“You’ll love it!” Caroline had said, promising to set her up with an expert riding instructor. “Show up outside the main lodge ten o’clock tomorrow.” So there she was—and the only other person outside the lodge was Nate.
“Well, meet your teacher,” he said, taking his red baseball cap off with a flourish. “I’ll be your wrangler for the day.”
Nate would be her riding instructor? Caroline had neglected to mention that part. Not that it mattered. “Well!” she exclaimed. “What a nice surprise.”
“Let’s head to the pasture,” he said. “This-a-way.”
They started down the path that led away from the lodge. Her heart began to dance a little faster. Did Nate know about what had transpired between her and Spencer? She hadn’t thought to ask him. It worried her that Spencer might be keeping her quiet, like some dirty little secret. On the other hand, it was none of Nate’s business. But on the other hand, Spencer had given her permission to pursue her interest in Nate.
This was all far too confusing. She glanced over at him, hoping his face might give her an inkling of what he was thinking and how much he knew. But he was walking with a calm, unperturbed expression on his face. It was impossible to read anything from it.
“I didn’t see you at movie night,” he said casually, casting her a sidelong glance.
“Oh!” she said with a start, convinced for a second that Nate had read her mind. But that was ridiculous. It had to be a coincidence. “No, I decided to turn in early. I was feeling a bit worn out.”
“Pretty exhausting first day?” he asked.
“You could say so,” she said weakly. “I’m not used to doing so much hiking.”
Nate gave her a half smile. “The great outdoors can take it out of you.”
She drew in a deep breath. “You’ve got that right.”
They were approaching a large fenced-in pasture where beautiful horses of all different colors were grazing. Their sleek silhouettes cut imposing figures in the background of tall mountain peaks.
“Ever sat on a horse before?” he asked.
“Never,” she confessed. She was starting to feel a little nervous.
“Ah, a first-timer,” he said, tossing her a wink. “Well, not to worry. You’re in good hands.” Unable to stop herself, she looked down at his hands. They did indeed look broad, strong, and capable. She felt a surprising shiver run through her body. Now what’s that about?
They reached the pasture and Nate hopped over the fence with the agility of a born cowboy. He reached his hand out to Jess, who had put her foot on the lower prong of the fence. She took it and immediately felt a current of warm electricity radiating from his strong grip straight through her arm and down the length of her body. She looked at him with a small gasp. His green eyes were riveted to hers. Then, with a brisk motion, he whisked her over the fence.
Oh, my . . . She followed him over the damp grass, her head swimming. Maybe it was just his undeniable handsomeness that was making her swoon. She found herself mentally comparing him to Spencer, putting them side by side and assessing them. She felt a deep attraction to Spencer, but objectively they were both equally appealing, just in different ways. Nate was freckled and roguish with a lithe, sinewy physique, while Spencer was dark, compact, and chiseled.
Cut that out right now, she told herself. It felt wrong to be thinking of two different men that way. It gave her a funny feeling deep in her stomach.
“Jess, meet Oreo,” Nate said, tearing her from her thoughts. They had stopped in front of a black-and-white dappled mare. Nate hoisted the bag off his back and set it by the fence. “Offer her the back of your hand to sniff. It’s sort of like a horse handshake. Oreo, this is Jess. Be a good girl.”
“Is it true horses can smell fear?” she asked, tentatively extending a hand. The horse’s huge nostrils twitched. These animals were so big. It surprised her every time she got near one. But Oreo seemed calm, so she gently began to stroke her muzzle. She didn’t seem to mind.
“Sure is!” he said cheerfully. “No need to be scared, though. I’m with you the whole time.” He put a hand lightly on her waist. She practically jumped out of her skin. Cool it, girl. You’re just like a cat in heat.
Nate took a helmet from where several were hanging on the fence. “Put this on,” he said.
“Where’s yours?” she asked.
“I don’t bother with that myself,” he said. “I’m as comfortable on a horse as I am in a Mercedes-Benz. And let me tell you, that is one comfortable ride.”
“A real gaucho, huh?” she said as she put on the helmet and adjusted the strap. “How do I look?”
“Stunning,” he said with a grin. She flushed in spite of herself.
Nate turned to Oreo and patted her affectionately. “No, I’ll show you how to mount and then you’ll have a go yourself,” he said. “Always mount a horse from her left—that’s called the near side. Grab the reins with your left hand and grab onto the stirrup with your right,” he demonstrated.
Jess tried to watch closely and repeat the instructions to herself. Stirrups, left hand, reins, right—or was it the other way around? All of his words seemed to be flowing in one ear and out the other, and getting pretty mixed up on their way. Usually she was better at concentrating. Working at the PR firm, for her boss who was always there with a cutting remark and a new task, had made her a pro at following directions on the fly. Out here, though, nothing was computing.
“Then you put you
r left foot into the stirrup—hang on to the saddle–give it a few bounces, and swing your right leg over.” He swung himself up and landed gently on the saddle in one fluid motion. He looked down at her and smiled. “Don’t worry—I’ll give you a hand.”
“Right!” she said, while she was thinking, You want me to do what?
“Once you get up here, you’ll have to find your balance,” he said. “Sit up nice and straight—don’t crouch over like you see in western movies. Then I’ll hang on to the reins and lead you around,” he said. The horse took a few steps, apparently responding to some invisible signal. “The horse knows to start moving when you give her a squeeze with your calves,” he explained. He led the horse in a small circle around her, holding the reins casually with one hand.
“You look like you were born on that thing,” she said.
He gave her a mischievous look and before she knew it, the horse had sped off into a gallop. He rode it off into the pasture in a torrent of hoof beats. He took off his baseball cap and tossed it in the air, throwing his head up to watch it and yelling, “Yee-haw!” before neatly catching it again. She laughed with delight as he turned the horse around and cantered up to her again, slowing the horse to a stop a few feet in front of her.
“A midnight rider in a baseball cap,” she said.
“You got that right, girl,” he said, exaggerating his Western twang. She giggled. Nate had a reckless spirit that she found immensely attractive, something slightly wild. Not to mention entertaining.
“So when do I get to try?” she asked, suddenly eager. Nate had made it look so easy.
“That’s the spirit!” he said, swinging his right leg over the saddle and briskly dismounting, landing with agile precision. “Alright, let’s have you give it a go.”
She approached Oreo with a confidence she didn’t quite feel. Wow, was this animal massive. She could see the cords of muscle in her barrel-like side. What if the horse didn’t like her?
Nate seemed to sense her hesitation. “You’ve got this one. Oreo is very gentle with beginners,” he said. “Grab the reins in your left hand, grab the stirrup with your right, and put your foot in it,” he repeated. She followed his instructions, glad she had opted for jeans instead of the short shorts she had been considering. Nate gripped her waist. “Now I’m going to count to three, and you’re going to push with all your strength.”