A Cowboy's Courage

by Vicki Lewis Thompson

  Which indicated she expected him to be around come spring. Another good sign.

  “As you can see, we planted four in front of the porch. They’re called Little Devil Ninebark.”

  “Cute.”

  “We laid down a lot of mulch, too. The empty places are where we put the bulbs, alternating iris and tulips.”

  “What color?”

  “Purple and white for the iris. Yellow and red for the tulips. It’ll be pretty. I especially love tulips.”

  “You know, so do I. I’ve never thought much about flowers, but tulips are nice.”

  “Now come around to the side yard. That’s where we alternated between some little pines and something called Superstar Spirea.”

  “You really did plant a lot.”

  “It helped that there were six of us. Those women are a riot.”

  He grinned. “Yeah, they are. Whenever the Whine and Cheese ladies show up it’s always a good time.”

  “They worked so hard. You’re the first person to see what they accomplished and I wanted to show it off.”

  “I’m glad you did.” He squeezed her hand. “I’ll be sure to mention it next time I see Mom.”

  “Great.” She squeezed back. Then she gave him that look, the one that his mom had talked about. Like he was the last piece of fudge on the plate.

  “Are we done with the tour, yet?”

  “Sure.” She drew in a quick breath and her cheeks turned pink. “The other side’s just like this and we didn’t plant anything in the back. You’ve seen enough.”

  “Thank God. Let’s go.”

  “It’s quicker if we go in the back door and through the laundry room.”

  “I’m all for quick.” He hustled her around the house, up the back steps and through the back door. Typical laundry room, except for the heavy coil of rope and the miner’s hat sitting on the dryer.

  He’d ask her about those later. All he cared about now was stripping down, gathering her close and reconnecting with the magic he’d craved since the last time he’d held her.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “I’m shameless.” Olivia pulled her top over her head and tossed it away. “I bought this outfit so I could skip underwear entirely.”

  “No panties, either?”

  She shrugged. “Why bother?”

  “You don’t know how happy that makes me.” He unsnapped his cuffs.

  “I thought you’d like it.” She stepped out of her flats and shoved down the drawstring pants. Having an exciting, experienced lover was inspiring. “Done.”

  “Awesome.” He paused to gaze at her. “I love it.”

  There was that word again. Whenever he said it, a shiver traveled up her spine. “Now that I’m finished, can I help you?”

  “There’s a package of condoms in the front pocket of my duffel.” He pulled open his shirt.

  “Got ‘em.” She put the package on the bedside table. “Let me help you undress.”

  “I can do it faster.” He tossed the shirt across the back of a nearby armchair.

  She walked over and took hold of his belt buckle. “Bet I could make it more fun.” The person she used to be would never have said that.

  He blinked, clearly taken aback. Then he gulped. “What do you have in mind?”

  “Let me show you.” Holding his gaze, she unbuckled his belt and unfastened the metal button on his waistband. Then she drew down the zipper. “Maybe you should sit on the bed.”

  “Why?”

  “So I can pull off your boots.”

  “Oh.” His chest rose and fell rapidly. “Right.”

  She’d turned the tables on him and he acted slightly confused. There was something endearing about a big manly cowboy who’d given up control. He sat down as she’d asked and she tugged off both boots and his socks.

  “Can’t say I’ve ever experienced having a naked woman handle that chore.”

  She glanced up. “Hope you liked it.” She’d never done such a thing in her life. Her inhibitions were dissolving like snowflakes on her palm.

  “Oh, I did.”

  “I think you’ll like the next part, too.” Kneeling between his thighs, she stroked the cotton briefs stretched across his substantial erection.

  He gasped. “Easy.”

  “I’ll be careful.” Slowly she peeled down the elastic waistband. Now there was a sight to set a woman on fire.

  His voice was tight. “If you do it faster, we can get on with things.”

  “True. But faster isn’t always better.” She took off her glasses. “Would you please hold these?”

  “Olivia.”

  “Just for a little while.” She put them in his hand so he had no choice but to take them.

  “If you’re about to do what I think you are, I’m not sure—”

  “You mean this?” She swiped her tongue over the tip of his beautiful cock.

  He sucked in air.

  “Like it?”

  “Yes.” His jaw clenched. “But I may not…I don’t know if I can handle…”

  “Want me to stop?” She licked from the base to the top.

  He groaned. “Not yet.”

  “Tell me when.” Rising to her knees, she licked, nibbled and finally began to suck. The size of him added to her sense of daring. She was eager to rock his world the way he’d rocked hers.

  Judging from his gasps and moans, she was succeeding. His breathing roughened and his big body quivered. Maybe he’d let her take him all the way.

  But no. “Olivia.” He barely got out her name. “Stop.”

  She’d promised, so she did. Making him come would have been a trip, but she’d save that experience for another time.

  Once she released him, he grasped her by the shoulders and drew her up for a deep, hungry kiss. He pulled back, breathing hard. “Lie on the bed. Please.”

  “No throwing me down?”

  “Not tonight.”

  As she crawled onto the snowy sheet and stretched out, he shucked his jeans and briefs, tore open the condoms and pulled one from its wrapper.

  He cursed softly. “I’m shaking like a leaf.”

  “Want me to put it on?”

  “No. Got it.” He climbed in and moved between her thighs. “But don’t expect finesse. I’m a wreck.”

  “I wrecked you?”

  “Yeah, and please do it again sometime.”

  “Gladly.”

  “Ah, Olivia.” He entered her with one firm thrust that lifted her off the mattress. Then he held her gaze. “I’m on the edge. This could be a wild ride.”

  She wrapped her arms around his sweaty back. “Fine with me.”

  “Then here goes.” Sliding his hands under her ass, he gripped her tight as he began to pump. He started off fast and didn’t let up. Sweat beaded his forehead and a damp lock of hair clung there.

  The heat in his eyes burned feverishly bright. “Come with me, Olivia.”

  She came, and kept on coming as he pounded into her. The world spun as his body collided with hers once more and he bellowed her name as the spasms of his climax blended with hers.

  The sound of their breathing filled the silence as she lay boneless and panting beneath him. Dinner was in the crockpot, but she might have to stay here until morning. Or sometime next week.

  Pushing up on his forearms, he gazed down at her. “Are you okay?”

  She smiled. “I’m wrecked.”

  “In a good way or a bad way?”

  “In an extremely good way.”

  He let out a breath. “That’s a relief. That’s more intense than I usually…okay, it’s never been that intense.”

  “Really? With all the experience you’ve—”

  “Hey, not that much experience.” He looked into her eyes. “You pack a punch.”

  “I do?”

  He smiled. “More than you know, apparently.”

  “It’s not me, it’s you. You make me want to bring my A game.”

  He laughed. “You do the same for me,
except for just now. I don’t know what game I was bringing, but it wasn’t at the top of the alphabet. Might have been my Neanderthal game. Primitive forces were at work.”

  She cupped his face in both hands. “Were you consumed by raw sexuality?”

  “That pretty much describes it. Not particularly classy.”

  “As the other person involved, I have no complaints. Hey, are you hungry? I made dinner.”

  “Great. I’m starving.”

  “But no sex on the dining table afterward.”

  “Yeah, this is better.”

  “So food, then more sex. Does that work for you?”

  “Perfect combination.”

  “Good.” The evening was turning out as great as she’d anticipated. Even better, in fact. Sex had been a given, probably before dinner. Explosive sex had been a bonus.

  Earlier she’d set the table and made the salad, so all they had to do was dish up and eat. She served him coffee instead of beer or wine because he was on call. But like Sunday night when they’d sat here eating cookies, she wore only her bathrobe and he’d pulled on his briefs and jeans.

  “I served a buffet dinner to the Whine and Cheese Club on this table last night.”

  He smiled. “And? Were you horribly embarrassed?”

  “Nope.”

  “Glad to hear it.” He tucked into his chicken and veggie meal. “This is great.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Tomorrow night at the GG is my treat. We’re taking a chance, though, going when I’m on call. It’s not elegant. We should probably each take our own truck. Not cozy.”

  “I’d rather do that than not see you at all.”

  “So would I. But if it turns out to be a screwed-up evening, we can make up for it on the weekend. I want to do some chores for Mom those two days, but other than that, I’m all yours. We’ll take Bonnie and Clyde out for sure.”

  “Sounds lovely.”

  He picked up his coffee mug. “I’m curious about something, though. Why do you have a big ol’ coil of rope and a miner’s hat sitting on your dryer?”

  Damn it. She’d forgotten he might see that when she took him through the laundry room. Or maybe it was meant to be. He was the person she’d decided to tell. She just hadn’t figure on doing it yet.

  He put down his coffee. “You’re making me nervous, here. I want to believe there’s nothing creepy about the rope and miner’s hat, but I’ve seen my share of horror movies and I’m hearing violins screeching in the background.”

  She sighed. “There’s nothing creepy.”

  “I knew that.”

  She smiled. “No, you didn’t. You were imagining all kinds of weird scenarios.”

  “All right, I was. So what’s with the rope and the miner’s hat?”

  She took a deep breath. “Okay. Now that Edward’s gone, I’m the only person who knows. If I tell you, you have to promise you’ll keep it to yourself.”

  “Or you’ll have to kill me?”

  “No! It’s nothing bad. It’s good, very cool, but I don’t want anything bad to happen to it.”

  “You’ve discovered a dinosaur in the bowels of the earth.”

  “No, but its old and valuable.”

  “Gold?”

  “I doubt it. If so, we’d have to factor that in.” She hesitated. She’d kept the secret for so long. “Give me your word that you won’t tell anyone. Not your mom or your brothers.”

  “This sounds like a heavy secret. Are you sure you want to trust me with it?”

  She considered the question. Once she told him there was no going back. But this was the man who’d helped save her house, who’d led her horses out of the barn with the fire only yards away. This was the man who’d pushed his limits and recruited his family so that she’d have a sturdy new roof on her house before a storm hit.

  But more than that, this was the ethical man who’d responded to her repressed wild impulses yet had always respected her boundaries. If she couldn’t trust Trevor McGavin with this secret, she couldn’t trust anyone.

  She took a deep breath. “It’s a cave.”

  “A cave like bears live in?”

  “No. An undiscovered cave with stalactites and stalagmites. Still dripping, still growing. Edward and I explored enough of it to be reasonably sure no human has been in there except us.”

  “Wow.”

  “It’s huge. Beautiful. A natural treasure. But if the wrong people get ahold of it and try to monetize it, that would be tragic.”

  “Do you have a plan?”

  “A loose one based on another cave in Arizona where they managed to keep it pristine. But I’d rather not tackle the project alone. Will you help me?”

  His expression softened. “Of course.”

  “Great. That’s so great.” A weight lifted off her shoulders.

  “There’s only one tiny problem.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I’m claustrophobic.”

  Chapter Twenty

  A cave. Trevor wanted to bang his head against the wall. It figured that his best chance to be Olivia’s hero would involve going into a cave. Not just any cave, either. An undeveloped one filled with darkness and tight spaces.

  He took a shaky breath. “Are there bats?”

  “Yes. A whole colony of them. Are you afraid of bats?”

  “Not bats themselves, but bats in an enclosed space aren’t my favorite thing.” Edward had probably loved going into this cave and dodging bats.

  “You don’t have to go down there.”

  “I think I do. If I’m going to help you advocate for it, I should know what I’m talking about.”

  “Do you know why you have claustrophobia?”

  “Sure. Got stuck in an old mine shaft on ranch property when I was four years old. We were all out exploring, playing frontier like we used to do, and we found this shaft. I wandered in, fell down a side tunnel and couldn’t climb out.”

  “You must have been so scared.”

  “Terrified. Ryker and Zane tried to get me out because they knew Mom would be furious. They were supposed to watch out for Bryce and me. But they couldn’t get me out, which meant I was down there a long-ass time while they tried all sorts of things that ultimately failed.”

  “Then they went after your mom.”

  “Yep, and she got the sheriff’s department. I was rescued after about three hours. I was hysterical by then.” He shuddered. “Still gives me the willies. Mom had forgotten the mine was even there. She had it boarded up and fenced off. I still avoid it.”

  “You really don’t have to go into the cave. I just need someone to help me figure out the steps I should take to assure it’ll be in good hands.”

  “I’ll do that, too, but I’m going down there. How does Saturday sound?”

  She shook her head. “Don’t put yourself through it.”

  “I’m thinking about one o’clock would be good. Then afterward we can drive to the ranch and take Bonnie and Clyde out. We can strategize during the ride, when no one else is around.”

  “Trevor, no. I have some pictures on my phone. I can show you those. I can even take more to give you an idea of what it’s like. That’s enough for you to—”

  “I’m going down there, Olivia. If you can conquer your fear of heights, I can conquer this. It’s important and I—” His phone buzzed and he pulled it out of his pocket. “Damn.”

  “The station?”

  “Yeah.” He was in motion instantly, heading for the bedroom for his shirt and boots. He came back carrying his boots and duffel. His shirt hung open.

  “You’re taking your duffel?”

  “I’d better.” He sat on a dining room chair to pull on his socks and boots. “No telling how long this will take. Kitchen fire. If it hasn’t spread, I could be done in a few hours, but I should bunk at the station.”

  “How about leaving your duffel and coming back here?”

  “Like I said, it could be anytime. Maybe even three or four in the morn
ing. That’s not fair to you.”

  Pushing away from the table, she walked into the kitchen and returned with a key. “Take this.” She laid it next to him. “At the very least, shower and change for work here. Then I’ll know you’re back safe.”

  He glanced up in time to see the worry that flashed in her eyes. “I’ll do that. But I’ll be fine. I’m a safety-first kind of guy, remember?”

  “You said it yourself. Fire is unpredictable.”

  “Yes, but I’m working with a great crew.” Pocketing the key, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her in for a quick kiss. “Don’t wait up.”

  “I won’t.” Her smile was temptation personified. “But wake me when you get back.”

  “I will.” Leaving was tough, but his spirits were high. She was into him. She’d trusted him with an important secret. She’d given him a key to her house because she needed to know he was safe after fighting the fire. All good signs that they were bonding.

  The kitchen fire was nasty but they had it out in a couple of hours. Then a second call came in. Fire in an old shed. Owners were out of town. Neighbors were upset.

  Trevor was on the hose directing the spray when the shed exploded.

  “Everybody down!” Ortega yelled orders as flaming debris sailed through the air.

  Something heavy landed on Trevor’s shoulder, pinning him to the ground along with the hose. He struggled, but he wasn’t going anywhere. Then the back end of the hose caught fire. He watched the fire creep closer to his turnout. Shit.

  His mom would be furious if he ended up burned or dead. She believed in what he was doing, but that didn’t mean she’d be okay if he died. She’d cry a lot, too.

  Ryker would understand, but the rest of his brothers would be pissed that he’d made their mother cry, even if it was for a good cause. They’d sit around chewing him out for getting himself killed. He wasn’t so enamored of that happening, either. After all, he’d just found Olivia…

  Olivia…dear God, Olivia didn’t deserve another tragedy in her life. He tried to move whatever it was, must be a part of a roof beam, but he stayed put, cheek resting on the bare ground.