by Carol Devine
"I wish you'd ride him yourself at the National Western. He'd be a shoo-in for a top three finish if he's under you."
"Much as I appreciate the paycheck, it's out of the question. Once the baby arrives, I won't be leaving home again for a good long while."
"You've been my guest for over a month. I hate to pull out the 'you owe me' card…"
"Don't even try. You're getting the family rate as it is."
"Had to try, Shane. There's none better and I want me some best-in-class trophies. Speaking of which…" he winked. "How's Mariah feeling? It could happen any time, right?"
"Doctor says, yes, anytime. Thanks for giving her the run of the house. That home gymnasium of yours has provided her with room enough to do her yoga and Tai-chi thing."
"How soon is she planning to go back to work after the baby's born?"
"Six months to a year. She owns the agency, so she'll have to keep her hand in. But she has two investigators, one full-time and one part-time, plus an office manager who does most of the database searches and background checks. There's no hurry."
"It has been nice to get to know her better. Never thought a woman like her would go for a rodeo clown like you."
"Women worship the ground I walk on."
"I've noticed Felicity making her usual play. You and she were hot and heavy for awhile, right?"
"I'm married, Daniel."
"Yep, that's what I thought. Let me know if she becomes too much of a distraction. That wife of yours doesn't miss much and I wouldn't want her to get lathered up, not in her condition. Luckily, Felicity knows the score. She won't make trouble when you move home."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"Hey, I'm just saying. I wouldn't want Mariah angry with me, either. I've seen her take target practice at the gun range."
"What did Felicity tell you?"
"Just keep it under wraps."
"Keep what under wraps?"
"Look, I understand. Big buck like you. It's late in your wife's pregnancy…"
Shane was so angry, he felt the heat, like steam, rising from his neck. "What the fuck? Where are you hearing this from?"
Dan held out his hands in an appealing-for-calm gesture. "It's nothing to get excited about. I didn't think it was true when she told me. But you know Felicity. She can be very persuasive. She has her ways."
"Not with me, she doesn't. And stop running your mouth off or we're done. Excuse me."
Shane found Felicity in the largest riding ring, taking one of her horses through dressage paces. Striding to the sweaty gelding, he caught the bridle while the horse was in the middle of some fancy footwork. The horse shied and reared enough to take its two front hooves off the ground, nearly unseating its rider.
"Hey!" She jerked sideways in the English saddle, losing a rein, jarred. "What is this?"
"I could ask you the same thing. Get off the horse."
"I'm in the middle of--"
"Off the horse or I'll give him a quick lesson on how to buck off his rider."
"Okay, okay." She dismounted gracefully, wearing the jodhpurs, jacket, knee length boots and hard black helmet of an English rider. Her blonde hair was wound into a bun at the back of her head, just under the hat. "But I didn't do anything wrong."
"Bullshit. You know why I'm here."
She glanced around. "Can we speak privately? People can hear us."
"That's the plan. I found out from our host that who knows who else has been hearing plenty about us. You've been spreading lies and this second is when it stops."
Felicity looked positively shocked. "It seemed like you were interested. We've always been good together. You were helping me with my training. You thought I was coming along well."
"In workshop settings, those comments are often made. It's what I do. This whole thing was orchestrated by you. Was it because of what my wife did to your father? She happened to be doing her job, too. Both of us have a bottom line about telling the truth. I suggest you take a lesson in that."
He released the horse and stalked away. Ahead was the sprawling Wainwright home and, on the second floor, the Triple Crown Suite. At the window stood Mariah.
Shane managed to keep his hitch of alarm from affecting his gait. He withdrew his phone, checking it for messages from Ana or his barn manager. There were several. He stopped short of the house to attend to them. But he knew, if Mariah had seen anything regarding his chat with Felicity, there was no avoiding her investigator instincts coming to the fore.
* * * * *
"I saw you out in the corral. That was Felicity Douglas you were speaking with, wasn't it?"
Shane barely glanced up from his phone after greeting Mariah in their room. "I was giving her some pointers."
"Rather adamant pointers from the looks of it."
"It was about horsemanship. Nothing to worry your pretty head about, Mrs. Youngblood."
"Stuck here, living vicariously through my employees, I don't have enough to occupy myself. I need something to distract me. If it's horsemanship, so be it. What was she doing wrong?"
He stopped fiddling with his phone and went to massage her shoulders, working to change the subject. "If you want distractions, you have one right here with me. Maybe we should go out, scout the town one last time before the baby arrives."
"I love going out with you. But since I'm too pregnant to do much, you need to entertain me. How about gossip? Have you heard anything juicy lately?"
She had his full attention then. "Who said anything about gossip?"
"There's always gossip. Felicity is an excellent source. Have you ever sat next to her at one of those dinner parties our host likes to give? She's very entertaining. Did she tell you something juicy?"
"You know I'm not one to spread that stuff."
"You'll feel better if you get it off your chest. Maybe I can help. Two heads are better than one when it comes to refuting rumors."
Shane swore she had devils in her eyes. She could always make him spill his guts even when he was afraid of upsetting her. But this was one upset she didn't need. "I'll think about it."
"I thought you were more action-oriented."
"First, I've got some phone calls to return. I'll be right back."
Escaping the house, Shane was ready to run for the hills. Or, at least discharge enough nervous energy to keep him from blowing his stack. He didn't like this situation one bit. He suspected Mariah had already gotten wind of something or she wouldn't be trying to get him to confess.
He was sure she would dismiss the rumors if she heard them. Well, he was pretty sure. At the moment, her usual dependable logic was getting a little frayed around the edges because of their shared worries about the coming birth. She didn't need this kind of hassle.
What's a man supposed to do when his past comes back to haunt him? Not that he was Casanova, but he did have a pretty long list from his bachelor days, especially during his time touring the country, performing in horseshows and rodeos.
After what happened with Jessie Mae Travers, he figured Mariah knew enough to bring the subject of former flames to his attention if it bothered her. He rarely wondered about her past. It had never come up, never come close to slapping him in the face. But this could be a face-slapping event for Mariah, coming at a vulnerable time.
Shane wished he didn't have to deal with rumors and innuendo because the more he did, the more chance she was going to hear about it, get wind of some juicy tidbit or other, tidbits of unknown origin and content, which made it all the more disturbing. She was right. It was time for action.
He sought her out, finding her in the bedroom, in a cozy stuffed chair by the window, reading her touch screen.
"Mariah, there is something I need to tell you."
She didn't look up. "Okay. Let me finish reviewing this report."
"It's important."
"Five minutes, I promise." She considered him, head tilted to the side. "Why don't you make us some herbal tea? Caffeine looks like it m
ight send you right over the edge."
He complied, recognizing he needed something to do. He traversed the massive Wainwright kitchen, found the tea and mugs and a tea kettle, and went through the motions. He poured steaming water into a little ceramic pot, added tea bags, set the pot on a tray with some milk and sugar and a couple of cookies and carried it to Mariah, placing it on the table next to her.
"Please tell me you're finished," he said.
She clicked a button and turned off the screen, putting it aside. "I did promise. Why don't you pass me my tea, then you can walk around the room while you talk. You look like a caged lion."
"I feel like one. I miss being home. It's not that I want to go home, though. We need to stay until the baby comes and I know that. I want to talk about something else."
"I'm listening."
"Do you have regrets?"
"About what?"
"You know, like, like, your history. Sexual history."
"Oh, dear. We're about to have a discussion about guilt, something that takes some preparation. What brought this on?"
"People are talking."
"People are always talking. You say you have regrets. Sounds like you're afraid the cat is out of the bag."
"Felicity has said things. She thinks I've been hitting on her."
"Have you been hitting on her?"
"No! I can't believe you asked me that."
"It would be foolish not to ask since you started off talking about regrets you have about your past."
"She and I were together before you and I met. Needless to say, big mistake. But I'm also talking about mistakes I made in the distant past, like when I was on the rodeo circuit, single and full of myself."
"And enjoying yourself," Mariah said. "Do you think this is news to me? When the Travers came to town, you told me Jessie was one of many."
"Do you care?"
"Yes, I care. I love dwelling on visions of you sharing your bed with other women."
"I'm sorry to put that stuff in your head. I'd hate it if you had done the same thing."
"Don't you think I enjoyed myself in my younger days, too? You've never asked. Does that mean you don't care?"
"Of course I care. I don't let myself think about it is all."
"Since we're talking about things we care about, I'd like to comment on the fact that you behaved responsibly. So responsibly in fact, that your medical history is clear of STDs. Unlike mine."
He stopped pacing and gawked at her. "Now you tell me?"
"Chlamydia, I'm embarrassed to say. I was in college and thought I was in love. Little did I know he was cheating on me. In my defense, I should point out that since then, some fifteen years ago, the mistake has not been repeated. You haven't asked about abortions, either, or even the possibility that I may have had a child previous to this one. I could have chosen adoption over abortion."
"Are you telling me you have?"
"No to all of the above."
"Then why say anything?"
"You're being honest and above board with me. It inspires me to be the same way."
Shane studied this wife of his, his Mariah. She understood him better than anyone else in this life. He loved her, heart and soul. But how to tell her in the right way, force her to understand how special she was?
Every day, he tried to make her see herself through his lens. Yet, she truly didn't get it. She was too self-deprecating. When he called her on it, he declared the trite, the obvious. I love you. You're perfect. Now change. See things from my viewpoint. He could be such a selfish bastard at times.
He kissed the top of her head. "How do you manage to make me feel better when I tell you stuff you're supposed to get mad about?"
She set down her tea and fitted her belly against the front of his body, hugging him tight. "Now, there's your mistake, Kellen Shane Youngblood. You think I'm like other women. How am I supposed to convince my husband he married an extraordinary bundle of female contradictions?"
He cradled her face in his hands. "Does this bundle feel like taking a stroll around our current accommodations? I think a big show of marital bliss is in order, especially in front of a certain dishwater blonde who will remain nameless from this day forward."
"A worthy goal, since she is a douchebag dishwater blonde with nothing better to do than trifle with noble spirits such as yourself. Since your spirit is willing, however, my hiking boots are necessary because my beloved husband needs a good long walk. As long as we don't venture too far into the hinterlands, his wife needs a good long walk to banish the hormonal cobwebs that plague her."
He rubbed circles on her belly. "Most of your hormonal stuff I like, Doc. Don't lose too much of it."
She chucked him under his chin. "The witching hour of no intercourse is upon us. Time to engage that creative side, and find other ways of pleasuring each other."
"I'm liking the idea of creative juices. And yeah, I meant to use that word."
"You've developed quite a sense of entitlement. It must be because of your many noble sacrifices on my behalf."
"You dealing with my guilty conscience is reward enough."
"You're full of suggestions today, rather suggestive ones if I may say so. Maybe I can use it to my advantage. You should start off being the one in charge. In fact, it should stay that way. I'm tired of the responsibility required in keeping you engaged."
"Abdicating your throne?"
"Yes, my Prince. I crown you King. Actually I did it quite a while ago but didn't tell you 'cause I knew it would go straight to your… ahem, ahem… head. And yeah, I meant that word."
He fingered the hem of her blouse and slid his hands underneath it. "That's a piss-poor double-entendre, worthy of the sewer my mind falls into when we talk this way. Maybe instead of taking a hike around the premises we can hike around our room and lock the door. No one's home except us."
She tiptoed and whispered in his ear. "I can think of someone I'd like to invite in."
Puzzled, Shane noticed her serious expression. "What are you talking about?"
"Felicity. We could invite her to join us."
Shane growled warningly. "I know you're joking around but don't go there, Mariah."
She worked hard to maintain a straight face. "Oh, come on, honey. Everybody thinks about having a threesome at one time or another. Spice things up. And we know if we ask her to join us, it would be a sure thing."
"The only reason I'd want her to join us, is so you can handcuff her to a chair. Then I can glare at her in triumph when I'm doing delicious things to my wife."
"Now that you mention it, I may find it in my heart to give her a triumphant glare or two, myself. Fortunately, the reality of you and me getting down and deliciously dirty is more satisfying than any activity involving her."
Shane let his fingers do the walking and the talking, curving over her hips, teasing beneath her stretchy waistband. Her panties were substantial by Mariah standards. He hooked them with his thumbs, and dragged down nice and slow, revealing his personal playground, covered in a triangle of pretty blonde curls. He nuzzled her there. "That's what I want, my wife good and satisfied."
To his delight, she wiggled her fanny at him. "Any way my husband can get it. Once this territory of intercourse amnesty is opened, there's sure to be many paths to the highest mountain."
Proud of two deliciously rounded mountains spilling out of her bra, she unhooked it and let it do a lazy slither down her arms. He palmed her breasts, relishing their weight. Damn, she was sexy, pregnant or not. "If it's all right with my wife, I'd like to explore every inch of her, big and…" He cupped her breasts. "Bigger."
With her fingers, she traced the growing bulge in his jeans. "I'll show you mine if you show me yours."
The speed in which he yanked off his clothes started her giggling. He pulled her naked body against his, needing the sensation of her firm curves flush against him, rounded and filled with life.
Would he ever get enough? He'd gladly spend the rest of
his life finding out.
He led her to the bed, made her lounge against the pillows like a Greek goddess. He kissed her kneecaps, her mound, her swollen belly, her breasts and lastly her nose, any part of her that could remotely be thought of as mountainous.
He stretched out next to her, naked on the bed, and looked into her luminous green eyes, feeling his heart shift into high gear like it always did when they assumed this position, seeing each other as such sources of love that it sometimes felt like they could do this every hour of every day, evermore.
He skimmed her exposed ear with his finger which always seemed to result in the flushing of her cheeks and neck and making her shivery, like the lights turning on under her skin. He noted the knotting of her nipples and let his fingers trail down her neck and circle the base of her throat where her life was beating underneath. He took her hand and pressed it against the middle of his chest. "Is it the same? It feels like yours is beating the same rhythm mine is."
"Yes, it's the same. But we have our differences, too."
She skimmed one of her hands down his chest and abdominal muscles to play with one of his more obvious differences. It felt good, too good, and he resisted when she pushed him to lie back on the bed. But once she used her mouth on him, it was a lost cause, his resistance, and he had to give in because Mariah could be incredibly insistent when she wanted to be. He had long since learned that letting her have her way resulted in some pretty wonderful things happening between the two of them.
He was right about this time, too. She grabbed a couple of pillows, placing one alongside her belly and the other one next to his thighs and pillowed her head there, looking up the length of his body. "I always wanted to try this. Are you game?"
"You are a wicked seductress, you know that?"
"I'm feeling a little bulky to be a seductress."
"Oh, but you very much are." He adjusted his pillow and began to skim his fingers along her legs and below her belly. "Let me show you how seductive."
"I'll accept every compliment you give me because I know they are completely and utterly true."
"I've finally convinced you, have I?"
She showed him how convinced she was, licking the part of him that she'd been playing with, bathing him with her tongue and edging him with her teeth, making his hand shake as he stroked her thighs, waiting for her to open them to him, her signal that she was ready for him to touch her in more intimate ways.