“Well, at least he made it memorable.”
I smiled but said nothing. Talking about Ben made me feel uncomfortable to say the least.
“Have you heard from him since the other night?”
“No. I can’t quite work out if that’s a good thing or not.”
“From what I heard through the door, I would say it’s a good thing.”
I bit my lip and took my hand back. “I’m sorry, but would you mind if we didn’t talk about him? I just...I don’t want to think about him.”
“Don’t feel awkward because of me. I’m curious. I want to understand. I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t interested.” He grabbed both of my hands. “Sophie, if you were living your happily ever after, we wouldn’t even be here. Heck, you wouldn’t even be in this country. From what I understand, you’re about as committed to each other as a stud dog is to a bitch.”
I laughed. What a comparison.
“I love your laugh.”
My heart thudded against my ribs as soon as I heard ‘I love’. This handsome, irresistible cowboy was causing such a turmoil of emotions inside me, I didn’t know which way to turn or what to think.
I turned my attention to Cody, changing the subject. “Is he ok?”
“Yeah. He’s ground tied. He’ll nod off anyway.”
“Ground tied? Seriously, lingo.”
He chuckled. “It means he’s trained to stay put so long as the reins are on the ground.”
Sighing, I turned back to Brady. “I love it out here.”
“So do I. I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.”
The thought of going home haunted me. Even though I still had another two and a half weeks out here, the pressing reality of home was always in the back of my mind. Just the thought of it filled me with dread and distaste.
Before tears started flowing again, I turned my attention to the fantastic meal Brady had prepared for us. He passed me a package wrapped in silver foil. The heat from it warmed my hands as the fantastic aroma of chicken and spices drifted over me. I ripped the foil off, my stomach growling.
“I love these. How did you know?”
He grinned. “Everyone loves fajitas.”
I bit into it, the delicious flavours flooding my tongue. “This is really good.”
“Here,” he said, offering me a glass of red wine. “Try some of this with it.”
Taking a small sip, I was surprised at the pleasantness of the fruity liquid. I wasn’t really a wine fan but this was lovely. The bubbly tang it left on my tongue sent my taste buds into overdrive. It was like nothing I’d ever tasted before.
“It’s my home brew,” he said, giving me a cheeky wink.
“You make your own wine?”
He chuckled. “Is that a problem?”
“Not at all. I just didn’t have you down as that sort.”
“Oh, really? So what type did you have me down for?”
I giggled, thinking back to my initial thoughts of him. “Do you really want to go down this road?”
“Perhaps not.”
A snarling growl stifled our conversation. My heart stopped dead. The silence around us suddenly filled with tension.
“What the hell was that?” I whispered.
Brady laughed. “It’s only a bobcat. It won’t come near us. Don’t worry.”
“A bobcat?”
He nodded. “You know, a lynx.”
I gave him a withering look. “I know what a bobcat is. I’m British, not an idiot.”
He laughed. “Well, some people don’t know.”
“Well I do.” I grinned as I downed the rest of the wine, holding my glass out for more. “So, how come I’m allowed back on a horse before my seven-day sentence is up?”
Laughing, he replied, “Well, with me sitting behind you, you can’t really do a lot can you? Especially when I have the reins.”
“What happened to trust exactly?” I stuck my tongue out for extra effect.
“Well, where it concerns you and that horse, I think it’s safe to say you don’t have a good track record there.” He leaned back on his elbows, gazing out over the glorious view we had. “It never fails to fascinate me—this place. It’s so beautiful yet at the same time can be so deadly.” He smirked. “Much like a woman.”
I gave his shoulder a playful shove. “With comments like that, yes, you’re right.” I mirrored his position, gazing out over the desert myself. “Such a long way from home.” A painful stab shot through my chest, settling with a dawning realisation. “I don’t want to go home.”
Silence settled over us for a few seconds before he turned to me. “So don’t.”
“It’s not that easy.”
“Why isn’t it?”
“My whole life is there. I don’t know anything else.”
“Just because you know nothing else doesn’t mean you should stay in a life you don’t enjoy.”
“I know that but it’s hardly a decision like choosing which shoes to wear.”
“Why? It’s your life, Sophie. You need to take control of it and decide what happens in it. If you don’t, you’re going to end up living a life someone else wants.”
I couldn’t argue his point because it was a valid one. “Who made you so wise?”
He chuckled. “I may only be thirty but I’ve had my own rough dealings through life. It wasn’t until I took control of what I actually wanted that I felt truly liberated.”
I shrugged my shoulders. “Makes sense I suppose.”
He reached across, cupping my cheek with a gentle touch. “You have so much to give. You’re worth so much more than what you think you are. Don’t let anyone dampen your hunger for what you want.”
A ball of warmth burst inside me at his words. “I don’t know what I want...I don’t even feel like me anymore. I think that’s the problem.”
He moved a hand to my chin and ran his thumb over my lips. I met his eye contact only to be captivated by his twinkling eyes. “So, take it one step at a time. Don’t think of the future, your douchebag fella, or anything else. Just think of the here and now.” He lowered his voice and inched closer to me. “What do you want right now? Right this second? More wine? Food?”
I blushed, biting my lip as I shook my head.
“So what do you want?” he whispered.
The words caught in my throat, my mind screaming at me to spill them out. My heart pounded against my ribs and my palms grew sweaty. Heated lust was ravishing every last cell within me, taking control and making me say and think things I never would have dreamed of before now.
“I want...” I paused to take a deep breath. Ben had always made the moves and I just went along with it. Having to tell this insanely hot guy I wanted him was a strange moment for me. “I want you to kiss me.”
He smiled, moving those delicious lips closer to mine. “I can definitely give you that.”
He moved his hands to roam through my hair slowly. The focus shining from his eyes made me feel like I was the only person in the world. He seated a delicate kiss on my lips and a moan caught in my throat at the feather light tenderness. I parted my lips, wanting him to blend us into that blissful world he now had me yearning for.
He dropped a hand to my back, pulling me in closer as he deepened our kiss. I was so adrift in my ocean of ecstasy, I had no idea he was lowering me onto the blanket until my back met the solid ground.
Chapter Twenty-One
I opened my eyes, momentarily breaking our kiss as I looked up at him. To see someone other than Ben above me in such a moment felt odd, but right. So right.
“Are you ok?” he asked, brushing his nose against mine.
I nodded, trying to ignore the scorching tingles racing all over me.
“It’s ok, Sophie. Trust me.”
I swallowed the apple sized lump in my throat. My mouth had gone dry, leaving me speechless and fumbling for words.
“Hey,” he said, still whispering. He stroked my face, refocusing my attention on him. “You�
�re in control. Remember that.”
My thumping heart lessened slightly at those words. What was the matter with me? I’d been thinking of this, wanting this, for days. Now, I was like a rabbit caught in headlights, unsure of what to do for the best.
I smiled and nodded to him, resuming my place inside his enchanting world when he bonded our lips together again. The rush of delight he drove around my body was like nothing I’d ever experienced before. Every time he touched me, I thought it couldn’t get any better and every time he proved me wrong.
I wrapped my arms around him, wanting him as close as possible. My desire for him was becoming almost too much to bear. When he took his hand from my face and grazed it along my side, I gasped, unable to stop shivers sweeping over me.
He parted our lips, watching me intently as he tweaked up the bottom of my top. Panic began rising within me, my breaths coming in shallow rasps. A mixture of self-doubt and whether I would be classed as a cheat lingered at the fore front of my mind.
With my midriff now exposed, he kept our eyes locked together as he placed a hand on my bare skin. I froze. Sure the past couple of days had been intimate in its own right but that was different. This was the moment, where we both knew we wanted to take things further.
“Don’t worry,” he said, skimming his lips over my nose. “Just trust me. I got you.”
“But—”
“I’ve already worked it out, Sophie. You’ve spent ten years with one guy. You’re only twenty-five.” He smiled and pecked my lips. “Stop worrying. Remember, you’re in control.”
I let out a deep breath. I had to think of me and what I wanted, regardless of Ben. It’s not like he gave me much of a second thought, if even at all.
Brady moved his fingers, lightly tickling his way over my stomach.
I giggled. “Stop tickling me.”
“I’m not,” he said, smiling.
The gentle scratching over my skin continued from one side of my belly to the other. “Yes, you are,” I said.
I glanced down to see a huge brown mass picking its way over my body. Eight legs moved in a mechanical fashion as the hairy beast took a casual stroll across me. I froze for a brief second, not quite believing a tarantula was on me.
Brady told me to be quiet as he sat up. I stifled a squeal, kicking my feet in horror at the creepy creature crawling over my naked flesh. He held his hands out in front of it, allowing it to walk into his hands. The second it was away from me, I shot up, screaming. I scratched my itching skin, jumping all over the place and shivering. The more I thought about what had just happened, the more I rubbed at myself.
Brady walked over, chuckling. “It’s gone.”
I scrubbed at myself again. “I can still feel it on me.”
“Sophie—” He grabbed hold of my arms, stilling my movements in an instant as his eyes captured my attention once again. “—It’s gone, ok?”
I nodded with one final shudder.
He smiled before calming me with a delicious kiss. My fear dissipated in an instant under his comforting touch. My heart fluttered with joy at the breathless state he could so easily lure me into.
He raised a hand, stroking my hair from my face. “You’re so beautiful.”
I blushed, unsure how to respond to such a compliment. It had been a long time since I’d received anything of the sort from Ben.
“Shall we head back?” he asked, taking my hand.
I nodded, a little frustrated, but it was safe to say the moment had been ruined. He lifted me up onto Cody’s broad back before clearing up the amazing scene he’d created. Carrying the picnic basket, he walked alongside Cody as we ambled back to the ranch. I couldn’t help disappointment rising that he wasn’t behind me, melting our bodies together.
We both remained silent for the walk back. The only sounds in the air were that of busy night time insects. I gazed up into the glorious dark sky, a surge of hope and happiness spreading through me as I relished in this moment. Home was such a long way away yet I felt more at home here than I ever had in England.
Waltzing back into the barn, Brady took Cody back to his stall. I wandered down after them, wondering what other surprises this marvellous man could come up with. I fed Cody an apple as Brady disappeared with his bridle. The rhythmic chewing of his midnight snack almost lulled me into another world as I peered over the door at him. I sighed, totally relaxed and happy for the first time since I could remember.
“You ok?”
I turned to that husky voice, goosebumps covering me. I nodded.
He slid his arms around my back. “Shall I escort the lady back to her prison?”
I giggled, nodding.
A quick peck on the lips followed before he took my hand. All the way back to my chalet, I fought an internal battle with myself. Was this evening just a plight to get me into bed? Would he still stay after we’d been together or would that be the last I saw of him? What about Ben?
As we approached my door, my heart pounded against my ribs, my wondering about the next step still unanswered. He unlocked the door, leading me through. My pulse throbbed in my ears, and for once, my heart overruled my head.
The setting was perfect, the whole evening had been perfect. Heck, even he was perfect. Why couldn’t I indulge myself in the moment? Allow myself to be swept away by his romantic gestures? I was on holiday after all. As cliché as it may be, I deserved to be made to feel special, desired, wanted. Even if he did disappear in the morning. Right?
He turned to me, his eyes burning with lust. My breath caught in my throat as he closed the gap between us. The door clicked shut behind me and my heart raced to new speeds.
Lifting a hand, he skimmed it down my arm. His eyes never left mine, not even when his light touch left me nothing short of a trembling mess.
“Tell me what you want,” he whispered, continuing to trace his fingers up and down my arm. “Don’t think about anything else but what you want right now.”
A new wave of heat flooded through me. “You.” I licked my lips and tried to stop the quiver controlling my muscles. “I want you.”
A beaming smile swept across his face, lighting his features up with joy. “Do you trust me?”
I nodded, no hesitation at all.
He interlaced our fingers, holding us together. Time seemed to slow down, everything moving in slow motion as he inched towards me with those succulent lips of his. Each millimetre closer he crept increased my heartbeat another level. This was happening, really happening.
“Just relax,” he said, his mouth so close, his lips brushed mine when he spoke.
I closed my eyes and did just that.
Chapter Twenty-Two
He melted us together in a slow, passionate embrace. When he had me holding onto him out of my mind with decadence, he broke our kiss. I moaned in protest, only to then moan with pleasure when he grazed tender kisses across my cheek and down my neck. I leaned my head back, hoping it would be enough enticement to keep his mouth on my skin.
He moved a hand to my top, peeling it from my body bit by bit. As he slid it off me, short, shallow breaths took over me. The anticipation mixed with nerves was sending my head into a spin. Standing before him trembling, he took his time to kiss every part of my bare skin. Whilst he used his lips to coat me with soft caresses, he kept his hands on me, skimming over the parts he hadn’t yet blessed with his lips.
I was floating on cloud nine, ready to bask in heaven. Finally, he stood back in front of me and curled his arms around me.
“You’re like silk to touch,” he said, brushing his fingers up and down my back.
I couldn’t stand it anymore—I wanted him against me, skin to skin. I tugged at his shirt, surprised when he stripped it off himself. My plan had been to tease him as much as he had done me. I wanted to know I could drive him as crazy as he was me.
“This is all for you tonight,” he said, kissing my ear.
Settling his hands back in the curve of my waist, he moved back and cau
ght my eye contact. He edged his fingers closer to the clasp of my bra, watching me all the time. Goosebumps chased his fingers, adding more shudders to me. When it sprung free, I whimpered, nerves getting the better of me.
Brushing the straps down my arms, it dropped on the floor. His attention fell to my exposed chest heaving up and down in front of him.
“Perfect.”
His whisper drove more shivers over me as he guided me back onto the bed. Laying topless on my back, I couldn’t take my eyes off him as he unzipped his trousers. When he was above me, in just a pair of tight black boxers, I couldn’t believe this man, this gorgeous, perfect man wanted me.
Every inch of him was covered in taut, defined muscles. My eyes trailed down his lithe body, following the seductive lines either side of his groin. I couldn’t believe I’d been laid on a bed with him for two days and done nothing but kiss him.
He worked my jeans down my legs inch by inch, kissing each new piece of skin as he went. By the time he’d taken them off, I was fighting the urge to beg him to satiate me. When he slid his hands up the insides of my thighs, I thought I was going to internally combust.
He touched me there, sweeping his fingers up and down my underwear. I could feel my excitement and knew he would feel the depths of it even from the outside of my lacy thong. Embarrassed, I covered my face with my hands to hide my tomato cheeks.
“What are you doing?” he whispered, taking my hands back. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, Sophie.”
I closed my eyes and tried my hardest to concentrate on slowing my breathing down. But then he slid my thong down my legs, leaving me completely bare to him. He kissed his way back up my thigh and gently pushed my legs apart.
I was tingling all over, desperate for that sweet release but also never wanting this to end. The intensity of his focus on me in such an intimate place made me want to squirm and cover myself up. Ben had never liked giving oral, making me paranoid about myself.
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