Wild Ride

by Cathryn Fox

  “I’ve never been able to get you out of my head, Jess,” Mac said honestly. His glance met hers, his eyes so piercing and serious her heart missed a beat. “No matter how many women I’ve kissed over the years, your lips are the ones that still haunt me.” He stood there staring at her waiting for her to say something. “I need to know, Jess. I need to see this thing”—he stopped and waved a finger back and forth between them—“this connection between us through. If I don’t, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.”

  Butterflies took flight in her stomach, as she thought about how they could go about that. “Then why your rules, your terms?” she asked.

  He angled his head, his eyes moving slowly over her face. “Do you still trust me?”

  “Yes,” she said, without hesitation, realizing he’d never done anything to break the trust they had in their youth.

  “Okay, then I need you to trust me on this. By the end of the week, you’ll understand.”

  She nodded, and as she thought things over, he turned his attention to his boots. He toed them off and reached for his belt buckle.

  Good God, he’s not about to strip down naked in front of me, is he?

  The snap of his jeans coupled with the hiss of his zipper answered her question. Jess broke out in a sweat as he pulled off his jeans and stood before her in nothing but his boxer briefs. A tortured noise crawled out of her throat, and she hoped like hell he hadn’t heard it. She squirmed restlessly on the edge of the pool, then kicked off her sensible shoes to dip her feet into the frigid water, praying it would help cool down her libidinous body, or at least one spot in particular.

  Fully aware that she was gazing at the hottest guy she’d ever known, Jess briefly closed her eyes and worked to settle her rattled nerves. When her lashes flickered open, Mac turned his back to her, giving her an up-close-and-personal view of his ass before diving headfirst into the deep end. Cold waves splashed up to soak the dusty sundress she’d yet to change out of, and the droplets practically sizzled when they landed on her scorching flesh. He disappeared under the water, and she took a moment, her mind reeling, trying to make sense of what was happening.

  Mac wants to explore the connection between us.

  A connection he’d tried to explore all those years ago, but she’d never given him the chance. She recalled the stolen kiss under the mistletoe during their high school Christmas dance. And oh what a kiss it was.

  When they were younger, Mac and his mother had often visited her house. As an introvert herself, and an only child, she would always listen intently when they were alone and Mac shared his dreams. But years later, when out with his friends, he was loud and boisterous, always on the quest for the next exhilarating adventure. He was a force to be reckoned with and rarely stayed in a relationship for long—his antics between the sheets were as legendary as his practical jokes.

  Even though his outgoing personality always scared her off in high school, it made him into a successful marketing tycoon. Not only had she read about him in the papers over the years, a workaholic who flew around the country making business deals, but his towering office complex was just around the corner from her yoga studio.

  “Why did you bring me here for this, Mac?” she asked.

  Standing waist-deep in the water, he waved a hand around the vast land. “Out here in the middle of nowhere, with nothing to distract us, it’s the perfect place to spend some quality time together, don’t you think?” He went quiet for a moment, thoughtful, then added, “Remember when we were kids, and it was just the two of us?”

  “Yeah,” she said, her heart warming at the memories.

  The hard angles of his face softened, making him look so adorable when he said, “I miss those times, Jess. I miss you.”

  Beneath the blue in his eyes, she caught a glimpse of something deeper, something that made her think that maybe, just maybe, this arrangement wasn’t all about sex. She quickly dismissed that thought, reminding herself this was Wildman Mac she was talking about, and since he was trouble with a capital T, he’d probably had the horse knock him into her on purpose.

  He pushed off from the pool wall and swam toward her. Every nerve in her body came alive, and despite everything, she couldn’t deny that she was interested to hear more. His head came up by her knees and he propped himself on the ledge, his arms draped over her thighs as he shimmied in close and pulled himself up until his lips were inches from hers.

  His gaze moved over her face before settling on her mouth. Jess drew her bottom lip between her teeth. Was he going to kiss her? Conscious of the way he was studying her, his penetrating blue eyes gauging her reaction to his closeness, she shifted restlessly, but he pressed down on her, preventing her from escaping his intimate hold.

  Her entire body felt hot, her nipples achingly hard when she lowered her eyes. His close proximity and scent were doing delicious things to her senses. Even though she’d written out a few explicit fantasies in her private journal, ones that shocked her and left her quivering with need, Jess had never experienced such lust before, her body craving something far naughtier from this sexy cowboy.

  Did she dare?

  “Is what you have in mind legal?” she asked, trying not to sound as breathless as she felt. She cocked her head, giving him a knowing smile.

  His lopsided grin turned her inside out. “I’ve never done anything illegal in my life.”

  “I was there that day, remember?”

  “Okay, okay, so I jacked a licorice when I was ten. But only because I’d already spent my allowance and you really wanted one. I paid it back the next week.”

  Her eyes widened. “You did? So did I.”

  With that they laughed. When he gripped her legs, pushing them open, the laughter died. A quick tug, and he pulled her closer to the pool’s edge. Bracing his hands on either side of her thighs, Mac hoisted himself higher, aligning her body intimately with his. Her dress rode high on her thighs and she trembled, fully aware that the only thing separating their private parts was her skimpy panties and—her gaze dropped to the waistband of his underwear and then lower—his wet boxers, which showcased his hardness, despite the cold water.

  “You want to touch me, Jess?”

  Her eyes snapped back to his and then quickly away again, heat staining her cheeks at having been caught checking him out. He rocked against her, once, just hard enough to let her know what she was doing to him, then leaned down, the rough drag of his stubble scraping her cheek as he whispered, “I’ll let you. Anywhere, anytime, and anything you want, for as long as you want. As long as I get to do the same to you.”

  She swallowed, and the corners of his mouth lifted.

  He put his finger under her chin and lifted it until their eyes met. Heat rose up and spread across her neck, the prickle heightened by the rasp of his beard. She clasped her hands, wishing she at least had the nerve to brush away the beads of water dripping down his chiseled face.

  When she didn’t answer, he said, “Nothing to say? Then let me tell you what I want.” The pad of his thumb grazed her bottom lip. “This mouth. Like I said, it’s haunted me since that kiss.” He leaned in, stroked his tongue down the path his thumb had taken. “I’ve been giving a lot of thought to this mouth. If it’s still as soft, still tastes as sweet.” His mouth brushed over hers, dragging a tiny sound from her throat. “Ummm, yes,” he dragged the word out on a hiss of pleasure.

  Heat consumed her, raced through her veins, and settled with a throbbing ache between her thighs.

  “One week,” he said, his voice deep, rough, intimate. His hand trailed up her thigh, and there was nothing impersonal in the way he touched her when he added, “One week to explore this connection between us.”

  A fine shiver moved through her, and it took a bit of effort to redirect her thoughts. Common sense told her to say no, because everything in the warm, intimate way he looked at her, the things he said to her—Lord, the things he said—warned that she could fall hard for the boy she’d crushed
on back in the day. Except she had no doubt that by the end of the week, Wildman Mac, a man always on a quest for excitement, would get bored and move on to someone else.

  But there was another part of her, one that was a little curious to know what it would be like to spend a week with him and play out a few of her journal entries. It wasn’t like she hadn’t thought about that kiss over the years, or imagined what it would feel like to have those rugged hands of his on her body, touching her in ways she craved, ways she’d written down but never had the nerve to explore.

  The more she thought about it, and well, yes, the way he kept using that scruff on his jaw as a weapon of temptation, the better it sounded. She was a big girl, knew the score. She’d be a fool to pass on an opportunity to have her sexual fantasies acted out by a man who’d played a lead role in them more times than not. As long as she knew what she was getting herself into, was careful not to get too close to a man known for his love ’em and leave ’em playboy ways, she could walk away with her body thrumming from satisfaction and her heart completely intact.

  The truth was, with no yoga classes scheduled for the next week because her business was failing, and no man waiting to warm her bed, she had no reason to return back home. She pulled the country air into her lungs, letting it relax her as she warmed to the idea of staying. There was no doubt she could use a break from the stresses at home, and the thoughts of losing her business scared her. She’d worked so hard to start it, and after investing every cent she had, watching it fail would tear her apart.

  “What do you say?” he asked as he angled his head and twirled a strand of her hair around his thumb.

  The back of his fingers grazed her cheek, and desire stirred within her, urging her to experiment with another side of herself, to put herself in this man’s hands. She swallowed and worked to sound casual when she asked, “What are your terms?”

  He gave her his infamous bad-boy grin, and need settled deep into her core as his eyes devoured her with heat and hunger. “Let me lead the way, no questions asked.”

  She sucked in a quick breath and considered what he was saying, what he was asking of her. Honestly, it was so outrageous. So exciting. So utterly tempting.

  “What if I don’t like where you’re leading me?”

  His sexy grin widened. “You will.”

  “But what if I don’t?”

  “All you have to do is say stop.” His eyes held hers, full of promise and sincerity. “If you’ll trust me, I’ll give you a week you’ll never forget.”

  A shiver of heat moved through her as his self-assured, dominating attitude awakened something primal inside her. “Pretty confident, aren’t you?”

  His eyes flared hot. “Yes.”

  With him caged between her legs as that one word bounced around inside her head, she thought about the places he could take her, all the deliciously naughty ways Wildman Mac could draw her out of her shell and help her find the courage to do things she’d only ever dreamed of doing.

  “Say yes.”

  She opened her mouth, and while that little voice in her head told her to say no—everything inside her screamed that his proposal was ludicrous, and that she should get on the next plane and go home—there was another part that urged her to kick caution in the ass and say, farewell my old friend, but you are outta here! After all, what had her shy and quiet, bore-me-to-tears nature done for her? She was still single and her business was on the brink of bankruptcy. As for her love life? Well, hell. It was bankrupt, too.

  “Well?” he asked, and leaned in closer, his body brushing hers in the most provocative ways.

  “So I have to do everything you ask?”

  “Everything,” he said. A long pause and then, “Do we have a deal?”

  Her heart raced, heat and desire zinging through her bloodstream. Even though she was nervous, completely apprehensive about the whole situation, the ravenous way he was looking at her told her she’d be crazy to turn down such a delicious proposition. After all, when would another one like it ever present itself?

  Suddenly excited by the prospect of giving herself over to Mac for one full week and realizing how eager she was to experience something new and to discover what he had in store for her, she fought down the unease and wet her bottom lip.

  “You’re a very persuasive man,” she responded. “It’s no wonder you’re so good at what you do.”

  “So does that mean—?”

  “Yes.”

  “I need to hear the words.”

  “I’ll do it,” she said, her words tumbling out in a breathless rush. “I’ll do everything you ask. No questions.”

  Mac grinned, reared back, and pulled her into the water. Jess gave a startled yelp as the coolness engulfed her heated flesh, but Mac was there, slipping his arms around her, his big hands splaying over her lower back in a protective way, in a way that told her she had nothing to fear, while his legs worked to keep them afloat.

  “Trust me,” he said, his first command.

  With Mac’s breath hot against her skin and his groin pressed against hers, Jess angled her hips, fitting his hardness into the notch of her thighs. Could have been nerves, could have been her brain in overload of sexy wet man pressing closer, but she suddenly found herself nodding in agreement.

  “Okay,” she said, suddenly very anxious to see where this weekend cowboy planned to take her, just how he intended to prove she was the girl for him. But suddenly, the logical part of her brain kicked in, the part that wondered what the heck her inner vixen had just agreed to.

  She was both nervous and excited to find out.

  Chapter Three

  Mac tugged Jess close, water splashing around them as he anchored her small, lithe body to his. Despite the fact that they were in a cold pool, the heat they generated was enough to boil the water. There was no denying the natural attraction between them—one she’d never given him the chance to act on. When Coop had set this plan into motion, she was the only girl who’d come to mind. Looking at her now, tucked under his arm as if she’d been tailor-made for him, it made him feel alive again, something he hadn’t felt in years.

  Honestly, she was unlike any woman he’d ever met. She had the body of a dancer, but it wasn’t just her outer beauty that attracted him; it was the warmth she exuded, her inner peace and quiet strength, and goddammit, he missed having her in his life.

  They’d grown up next door from each other, and while their mothers had been friends, she’d never really opened up to him. When they were kids, she always listened intently when he spoke, but when they got older and his circle of friends grew, he’d always tried to involve her, only for her to whip around and head in the opposite direction. But here on the ranch, with no return flight until tomorrow night, she had nowhere to run. Not that she seemed in a hurry to escape. In fact, she seemed genuinely intrigued by his offer. From the intense way she looked at him to the way her expressive honey-flecked eyes gleamed with desire when he laid out his plan, Mac knew she was interested in exploring so much more.

  And explore they would.

  That night, all those years ago, when he’d first kissed her, caught words like “ménage” and “kink” in her journal, he knew there was another side to her. Damned if he wasn’t going to be the man to help her shed her inhibitions and introduce her to a world of pleasure, giving her everything she ever wanted but never had the courage to ask for.

  He dipped his head, felt the rush of her hot breath on his face as her chest rose and fell erratically. She moistened her lips like she was waiting for him to kiss her, and he would, when the time was right. His cock twitched in anticipation and pressed against her stomach. She looked past his shoulders when the sound of voices reached the pool area.

  “Jess,” he said in a firm tone that brought her attention back to him. He moved against her, letting her know exactly what she did to him, and her eyes widened as he lifted her onto his hips, wrapping her long legs behind his back.

  “Someone’s coming
,” she whispered as he pressed her against the pool wall with his chest, caging her there with his arms.

  When he heard Blake’s voice closing in behind him, he cursed silently and inched back to put a measure of distance between them. This was neither the time nor the place to take her where she needed to go.

  “Hey, Mac,” Blake called out. “Looks like Eleanor has finally settled down.”

  Mac cleared his throat. “Glad to hear it,” he responded. He turned to see his friend, who was escorting a group of newcomers around the property for their familiarization tour.

  Mac pushed farther away from Jess and noticed the way her glance moved over Blake as he stepped up to the pool’s edge. Mac felt a flash of possession, but then, because this was about her, he considered the curiosity in Jess’s eyes, the flicker of interest as she took in the rough and rugged ranch hand, a guy Mac enjoyed hanging out with, on and off the ranch. Oh yeah, he had no doubt there was another side to the girl from his past, and he was going to do whatever it took to help her discover every facet of her sexuality while he deepened the connection between them.

  “You heading to Wranglers tonight?” Blake asked Mac, his gaze moving to Jess.

  “No,” Mac said.

  Blake angled his head and gave Mac a wide smile that spoke volumes. “That’s too bad. I guess I’ll see you around then.” Blake gave Jess one last lingering look, then led the group of guests to the east barn, the same barn where Eleanor was resting.

  Jess gave Mac a confused look. “What was that all about? What’s Wranglers?”

  He swam back to her, pulled her close, and shrugged. “It’s just a club.”

  Intrigue backlit her expressive dark eyes, and he could almost hear the wheels spinning when she asked in a low, almost seductive voice, “What kind of club?”