by Dawn Forrest
She heard his truck leaving and turned on the house lights. Obviously, Joshua wasn’t home and he wasn’t answering his mobile, so she sat back on the big leather sofa to wait. She turned the TV on to keep awake, but before long she was snoozing, and by midnight she was fast asleep.
* * * *
Joshua had decided to stay away from the house for a while. He went to the place where he sought solitude and strengthwhere his parents were buried at the ranch, on Lookout hill. He turned the car’s lights off and stood in front of the graves in the pale moonlight. It was like a balm to his soul, and he calmly thought things through. When he’d left her on the dance floor, he’d also abandoned the hope that he had finally found the right woman, one who might be able to handle him and give as much as she could take. With Rachael, he had began to think of all the wonderful possibilities that life still had in store for him. Now that had been sucked away, leaving a vacuum of disappointment.
He hardly knew Rachael, yet he felt a connection unlike any he had ever experienced. It went beyond physical attraction, although that had plenty to do with it. He admired and respected her, too. She was certainly a strong, passionate woman, and he’d thought she’d be able to take him on. He’d been anticipating the challenge and was sure that he’d detected a hint of sin about her that attracted him even more. Clearly, his own feelings had clouded his judgment. He had incorrectly assumed she felt the same way. What made it worse was that she wanted his brother. He cursed himself for the fool he was. He’d thought that their encounter had been more than good sex, but apparently she hadn’t.
How the hell was this all going to work out? As he sat quietly, a realization came to him as it often did in this place. There was nothing he could do about it, nothing at all. That didn’t sit well with him. He wasn’t used to being passive, but for a change, he’d have to let the tide of fate ebb and flow and deal with whatever washed up as best he could.
When Joshua finally arrived home, he saw no cars in front of the house but the lights were on. He heard noise coming from the TV room and went to investigate, hoping that it wasn’t James. He didn’t want to talk about tonight with James. But then, if James wasn’t home, who was he with? For the first time ever, he felt jealousy toward his brother. It was a horrible, gnawing thing in the pit of his stomach and he didn’t care for it one bit. He found his sister curled up asleep on the sofa, so he carefully covered her with a blanket, turned down the lights, and switched off the TV. No doubt she had intended to talk to him about Rachael, but he didn’t want to disturb her. It could wait until the light of a new day.
Chapter 4
Joshua found it difficult to sleep but must have dropped off at some point because he was rudely awakened at dawn by an incessant shaking that wouldn’t go away.
“W–What? What’s the matter? What time is it?”
“Time you sat up and listened to me.”
As he slowly heaved himself up, Janet thrust a cup of fresh coffee under his nose. “You’ll need this.” She then proceeded to tell him about her conversation with Rachael. The further she got with the explanation, the more alert he became.
“She’s staying at Flora’s Place.” She paused and cocked her head to one side. “So what are you waiting for?”
“Er,” he hesitated, “for you to leave. I’m naked.”
“Oh, right. Well, I’ll just leave you to it,” she muttered, hastily backing out of his room.
Joshua showered quickly, shaved, and pulled on a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, and a light jacket. He grabbed the toast that Janet offered and kissed her on the cheek as he walked out of the door. Flora’s Place was only twenty minutes away as the crow flies. It was faster by horse than car, so he saddled up Star, his stallion, and headed out at a steady canter.
While he rode, he hoped that she still wanted to see him. He was delighted that she didn’t want James or the ménage lifestyle and that she had confessed to liking—no—”fancying the pants off him.” He knew she was uncertain because she was basically new to Meadow Ridge, and they hadn’t known each other long, but he wasn’t going to let her get away. Not this one. She was going to be his.
* * * *
Rachael’s alarm went off at 5:45 a.m. She slapped her hand around on the bedside table a few times before eventually hitting the off button. Slowly, she emerged from underneath the duvet, questioning her own foolish enthusiasm the night before when she had set the alarm for an early morning run. Exercise cleared her mind, and she always felt energized after a good workout. It really didn’t seem like such a great idea now, but she knew that once she got a strong coffee down, she would be ready to go. She fell out of bed, forgetting that the old four-poster was higher than modern bed frames. Bleary-eyed, she tugged on a pair of running shorts, a cut off exercise top, and a pair of thick sports socks before shoving her feet into her new trail-running sneakers. Now, where had she put the coffee?
As she sipped her drink, she decided that today she would go to the Sweet Water Ranch and speak to Joshua. She would feel an idiot, but she was not the type of woman to let a misunderstanding on her behalf go uncorrected, and she thought that he wasn’t the type, either. She hadn’t decided if starting a relationship at this time was a good idea or not. She was aware that she was assuming that he still wanted her. What did Janet say about assuming? First, she wanted improve her mood and work off the annoyance that she felt with herself. A good three-mile run should do it. She headed out, setting a fast pace while listening to her iPod.
* * * *
As Joshua neared the boundary of his property, he thought he saw something moving in the opposite direction. Thinking that it could be an animal of some kind, he took his binoculars out of his saddlebag for a closer look. Astonished, he saw Rachael running through the trees, heading back toward her cabin. Joshua followed her, realizing that she wasn’t aware of him. The thought left him cold. Anyone could have sneaked up on her. He’d have a word with her about it later.
She picked up the pace for two hundred yards, then slowed to a brisk walk for the last one hundred. Once she reached her cabin, she started to hit and kick the hell out of a punch bag that hung on the porch.
She was covered in sweat, and the little beads of perspiration glittered like diamonds on her skin. He watched her punish the bag with surprising ferocity. No wonder her body was so toned. He could clearly see defined muscles on her legs, exposed by high-cut shorts. Her back, shoulders, and arms also looked taut, yet there were womanly curves too. Her ass looked firm and supple but not skinny: “just big enough to park your bike in,” his Irish granddaddy would have said. Right now, he was thinking about parking something else between those firm buttocks. She’s magnificent.
* * * *
When she had finished with one last hard punch and a grunt, she removed her earphones.
“Sure hope you never get pissed off at me,” a voice behind her drawled.
Rachael whirled around red faced and panting with exertion. She couldn’t believe it. There was Joshua Ryden on his horse about ten yards away. Damn, I didn’t hear him. How long has he been there? She made a mental note to herself not to play her music so loud in the future. He stared at her intently for a few seconds and then, gracefully like a big cat, swung down from the saddle. She couldn’t help but notice his long legs and muscular thighs—thighs meant for riding horses…and women. Thighs that would look good between her legs. God, what am I thinking? As he turned around for a moment to tie the bridle to her porch, she took in his gorgeous denim-clad ass. She almost groaned but swallowed hard instead, managing to pull herself together in time. She took an involuntary step back as he prowled toward her.
“You startled me. I didn’t realize anyone was here,” she said with her hand going to her heart as she recovered her breath. She felt her face flush redder and was thankful that she had an excuse.
“Well, you wouldn’t with those things stuck in your ears.”
“Point taken.” She conceded, fidgeting on the spot.
&n
bsp; As his fierce gaze dragged down her body, she became aware that she was hot and very sweaty. Beads of perspiration slowly rolled down her neck and chest and disappeared down the cleavage of her high breasts. Her clothes clung to her and her shorts showed damp patches at the top of her thighs. She must look and smell like a dog’s dinner but, strangely, one that he looked like he wanted to eat.
He took a step closer, and his nostrils flared. She heard a low deep rumbling sound, and it made her yearn for his intimate touch again.
“Just, you know, keeping fit, venting some frustration.” She gave a quick nervous smile.
He blinked slowly and in a deep, low voice drawled, “Yeah, I’ve heard that intense physical activity is supposed to be good for stress.” He smiled wickedly. “Although I can think of other, more fun and engaging ways.”
He surprised her with that line. She didn’t think that teasing came naturally to him.
Rachael’s heart raced faster, and before she could stop herself, she was squeaking her automatic response. “Yes, well, can I help you with anything?”
She realized how it stupid and uptight it sounded as soon as the words were out, but before she could babble on further, he growled, “Yes, most definitely.”
He cleared the distance between them in a heartbeat and leaned down to cover her lips with his. We need to talk. I need a shower. But, oh, it’s so good. Her thoughts swirled just before her brain shut down and instinct took over. She parted her lips under the pressure of his passionate kiss, and she was swept away by the sensations flooding her, causing her to melt against him. She moaned as one hand caught up in her hair and the other brushed down her spine, rested on her ass, and pulled her in even closer. Unconsciously, she shifted and slipped a leg either side of his, squeezed herself around it, and rubbed slightly against him. He gave a throaty growl in response and deepened the kiss. She was lost to it, couldn’t think straight, and wanted more. Her juices flowed and her core muscles clenched with anticipation. Her hands mirrored his, one reaching up around his shoulder and the other firmly cupping his backside before slipping around his hip and tentatively rubbing up the length of his barely contained erection.
He groaned again and the vibration transferred from his mouth to hers, conveying his passion. Her whole body hummed with desire. His hand roamed from her ass to her chest and pulled down the front of her sports top to expose her breasts. Gently, he stroked the back of his hand over a very sensitive erect nipple before palming and squeezing the whole globe of satin-soft flesh. It was her turn to moan as his mouth left hers and trailed kisses down her neck before stopping between her boobs and taking a long lick. Oh, God. It was erotic and animalistic and her pelvic floor fluttered.
He locked his mouth over a breast and sucked, flicking the nipple with his tongue before doing the same to the other. More fluttering; hell, her pussy must have developed muscle memory. She stroked her fingers through his thick hair and arched toward him. Oh, Lord, she felt consumed. She felt vibrations deep inside, she felt—wait, she did feel vibrations, persistent vibrations—bloody hell, her cell phone was ringing!
His passion-roughened voice sounded next to her ear as he moved up her neck to kiss her there. “Christ, ignore it.”
She wanted to, really wanted to. She wasn’t on call, but who would be ringing before seven in the morning? It could be an emergency. With one hand still in his hair, she righted her top.
“I can’t,” she sighed, looking at her phone and seeing Colin’s name flash up.
She pulled his hair so that his forehead rested briefly against hers, then pushed against his firm chest, stepped back, took a deep breath, and answered her mobile.
“Hello, Colin, is everything all right?”
She was suddenly all business, and began to pace back and forth along the veranda, concentrating fiercely on the phone conversation. She looked at him and covered the phone with her hand. “Do you know where the Jackson Water Hole is?”
“Yeah,” he sighed miserably. “It’s about four miles from here as the crow flies, but about twenty if you take the road.”
“Can I take my Jeep there, off road?”
“Not across the Sweet River. That’s what your stream eventually flows into. The crossing place is only suitable for a horse.”
“How long would it take for you to ride there with two?”
“About twenty-five minutes, much faster than you’d get there by car.”
His answer was firm and precise. She nodded then turned, rapidly speaking into the phone before closing the call.
Feeling frustrated but resigned, she explained. “That was Colin. Roy Crossling’s had an accident at the water hole. He’s okay, but he thinks his horse was bitten on the face by a snake, a cottonmouth. Colin knows I’m staying here and was wondering if I could get there quickly and help until he arrives with the horse box and antivenom kit. If you can take me there, I can at least ease the animal’s suffering. I have an emergency kit in the house.” She looked at him expectantly.
“What? You’re going to help that bastard Crossling?”
“No, I’m going to help that bastard Crossling’s horse.”
She dashed into the house. There was no time to take a shower. She threw on a pair of baggy khaki trousers, and grabbed a small pack with her white coat and the emergency kit inside. She then found a long knife and cut two pieces off the garden hose. If necessary, it could be used to keep the horse’s nostrils open and thereby prevent suffocation as its tissues swelled in response to the venom.
“Life around you is certainly never boring,” he commented as she jumped down the cabin’s steps to where he was waiting on Star. “Here,” he held out his arm, “grab a hold and swing up behind me.”
“Okay, Tonto.”
“You’re Tonto. I’m the Lone Ranger—it’s my horse.”
“Whatever you say, ke-mo sah-bee. Let’s go.” She deftly swung up and settled herself behind him.
“Hold on tight.”
“Oh, I intend to.”
After about fifteen minutes of cantering, they came to the river where they slowed down to cross.
“Oh, bugger it,” she groaned. “You know what that horrid Crossling is going to think when I turn up with you at this time in the morning.”
“If Colin had phoned an hour later, he’d be right,” he growled.
She couldn’t think of what to say. To deny it would make her a liar. What was she doing? This was so unlike her. She had her professional reputation to think of and had worked too hard, in what was mainly a man’s world, to fall foul of disparaging gossip now, yet she couldn’t bring herself to regret her reaction to Joshua. He rang all her bells and then some. Just sitting so snug against him as his butt ground against her mound was driving her crazy with every sway from the horse’s gait. She was jolted from her musings when they started to canter again, and sure enough, about ten minutes later, the water hole came in sight.
Roy Crossling looked surprised to see the lady vet and Ryden. Both had belittled him, and he hated them for it. Together so early in the morning could only lead to one conclusion in his mind.
“Well, well,” he smirked, “sorry to interrupt you.”
Both Joshua and Rachael ignored him. It was the horse they were here to see, and it was laboring hard to breathe.
“I’m going to open his airways with the hose pipe and then inject an anti-inflammatory to slow the swelling and antibiotic to prevent infection. That should help until Colin gets here with the antivenin.” Rachael quickly set about her tasks.
“That’s a lot of ‘antis.’ Are you qualified?” he sneered.
“Yes, Crossling, I am, but I am not yet licensed to practice here. If you have a problem with that, please say so now and your horse can die.”
Roy stayed silent as she worked, keeping as much distance as practical between himself and Joshua. Rachael was soothing the horse as best as she could when Colin finally arrived. She was relieved. The sooner the antivenin was injected, the better th
e chance that the horse would survive. Colin set to work, then loaded the animal into the horse box.
“Another good effort, Rach, thanks. Thanks to you, too, Josh. I’ll take the horse back with me.” He looked from Rachael to Joshua and gave her an amused, knowing look “You don’t need to come. All the work’s been done. It’s just a case of keeping him under observation.”
“Okay, let me know how he’s doing later.”
“When are you thinking of starting work?” Colin queried.
“Well, I was hoping to take another week off to do some local exploring and put the final finishing touches to the cabin. Of course, if you need any help in that time, just call.”
“That’s a great idea, and thanks for the help again.”
Crossling said nothing to Rachael and went with Colin without a backward glance. She noted that he avoided Joshua’s hostile glare and gave him a wide berth. Standing next to Joshua, she could feel the dominant aura that radiated from him. It reminded her of an alpha male dog, or more like a wolf. They rarely had to fight because their sheer size and assured presence was enough. In a pack, they were never the jumpy, yappy animals, but the calmer, more aloof ones. Until now, she hadn’t met a human male who was so obviously an alpha, and it really turned her on. It was most disconcerting. She felt like a bitch in heat.
Rachael moved away from Joshua to try to clear her mind. She collected her gear together and stowed her white coat in the backpack.
“You know Crossling is not going to keep his mouth shut.” She sighed. “He’s a slimy individual.”
“Do you care?” He was watching her intently.
“No, not really. After all, there have always been rumours about the Lone Ranger and Tonto.” She tried to smile. “Seriously, though, I do care about my reputation, professional and personal. I’m definitely not a prude, but I don’t do casual, Josh, despite what happened.” She couldn’t withhold a blush.