by Cora Seton
She nodded. “I see. Well, I have some cold beer inside and the makings for a sandwich.”
He would sell his soul for a cold beer right now.
“I’m pretty nasty right now.”
That brought a smile to her lips. And oh God, what lips. Full and soft. And the worst part was the twin dimples in her cheeks that magically appeared with that smile.
“Well,” she said. “I do have a shower and running water.”
“I hate to mess up your shower with soot.”
“I’ve got a solution for that.” She opened his door. “Come with me.”
Too far in now to back out, Tanner exited his truck and followed her around to the rear of the house. There, she pointed to an outdoor shower.
“There’s hot water. Feel free to use it. I’ll grab some towels and soap for you.” She turned to leave, hesitated and then speaking over her shoulder said, “I promise not to peek. Besides, it’s too dark to see anything anyhow.”
When she flounced off into the house, indecision held Tanner hostage. Confusion scrambled his thinking. He’d seen her, shouldn’t he be ready to leave?
Even in his indecision and confusion, the answer to his question was no, he wasn’t ready to go.
She came back out carrying a stack of towels, a bottle of shampoo, and soap. Just outside the shower’s splash zone, a small teak table stood in a halo of light shining from a window. She piled all the supplies on the table.
“I’ve used this shower a few times myself,” she confided. “Sometimes after a long day at the clinic, I can come home smelling like unwashed dog, poop, urine, and blood. Even if I change scrubs during the day, I seem to carry the odors home with me. It’s probably all in my head, but a good shower before I go inside tends to keep those smells out here.”
Leaning past him, she turned on the water and held her hand under it until she nodded. “There. The water’s hot. Go for it, Tanner-the-Firefighter.”
No more thinking, he told himself. Just do.
He stripped off his shirt and then toed off his boots. When he reached for his belt buckle, he paused and looked at Georgina. Her eyes, which were a lovely shade of jade-green, were now dark with desire. She studied his chest as though there would be a written exam. Finally her gaze met his. She swallowed.
“I guess this is my cue to leave.”
A slow smile crawled to his lips. “Only if you want to.” He unhurriedly unbuckled his belt and pulled it through the loops. As he tossed it on top of his dirty shirt on the back of the chair, her gaze shifted to the belt and then back to his chest…or maybe his waist.
Continuing his casual undressing, he pushed the metal button through the hole and pulled down his zipper.
He put his hands on the waistband of his jeans. “Last chance.”
Her eyes lifted to his. “You don’t scare me.”
“Okay then.” He shoved his jeans to the ground fully expecting her to leave.
With a roll of her eyes, she said, “If you’re quick, there’s a cold beer in my fridge.” She turned and went in through the back door.
The water was warm and flowed down his body like a curtain of silk. It took two shampooings to get the smoke odor from his hair. He actually shampooed, scrubbed his body and then shampooed again before he felt like the stench of smoke and charred wood was gone. In all his years as a cowboy and as a firefighter, he’d never showered in the yard, if under the garden hose when he was ten years old didn’t count. Yard showers at his age should probably have felt strange or awkward but he liked the idea of leaving all the dirt from the day outside.
When he finished, he dried with one of the towels and wrapped the dry one around his waist. His dirty clothes were piled in the lawn chair. He hated the idea of putting them back on, so he didn’t. Instead, he followed Georgina’s path and walked into her house through the rear door.
He found her in the kitchen sitting at a table, a beer in one hand and a magazine laid flat in front of her. She pointed to a blue terry cloth robe that’d been tossed over the back of another chair.
“I found that for you to put on. I know I wouldn’t want to redress in dirty clothes after a shower.”
“Thanks.” The robe was obviously for a man. Much too long for Georgina, it would have dragged the floor in inches. And if she’d worn it, the material would have wrapped around her twice. So whose robe was it? And was it any of his business whose it was anyway? Still, it bugged him that she had a man’s robe all ready for him.
He pushed his arms through the sleeves. Meanwhile, she got another beer from the fridge and handed it to him.
“Thanks again,” he said. Popping the top, he swallowed half of the liquid in one long gulp.
“Hungry?”
He shook his head. “Not really.”
“Super.” She leaned in. “Now that all my hostess niceties are out of the way, what are you doing here?” Her eyes flashed with amused curiosity.
Instead of a verbal answer, he caught her head in his hands, his fingers wrapped around the back of her neck, and he kissed her. The first touch of her lips hit him as if he’d kissed a live electrical wire. Energy ricocheted through his gut.
Stunned at his reaction, Tanner pulled back a few inches to study her, and to give himself time to gather himself. Georgina’s eyes were closed but opened slowly to look at him. A pair of glazed-over green eyes peered at him.
When he went back for a second taste, she met him halfway. Their lips met in a frantic race to taste each other. When he traced his tongue on her lower lip, her mouth parted and he slipped inside. The hops and yeast from the beer mixed with her natural taste, producing an addicting flavor. He was hooked from the first sample.
She pushed her hands inside the lapels of the robe, then glided her fingertips down his chest. Blood surged from his brain to his groin, filling his cock to an almost painful erection. The last time he’d been this aroused this quickly he’d been in high school, when he could become turned-on by a girl glancing his way.
Then she scraped her nail over his nipple, causing the breath to rush from his lips. Pulling away from her magnetic lips, he said, “What’s happening here?”
“You tell me. You started this.”
“You didn’t object.”
A slight smile curved her lips, now red and swollen from his kisses. “You noticed that, did you?”
His gut tugged as his heart took off at a gallop. He stood. “Where’s your bedroom?”
“That way.” She pointed down a hall.
He pulled her to her feet, and started the way she’d pointed. They made it just to the hall before he pushed her up against the wall and kissed her. He pressed against her, growing impossibly hard at her scent, her touch. He was at a decisive disadvantage as he was basically naked while she was fully clothed. Time to change that situation.
He ran his hand under her shirt and pushed it up her body. His palms skated across her breasts, the lace of her bra scratching gently at his flesh. Jerking his mouth away, he tugged her shirt over her head and tossed it to the floor. Her breasts were heaving with her deep breaths. The artery in her neck jumped visibly in her neck.
Yeah, he wasn’t in this alone.
*
If this was one of her erotic dreams, Georgie did not want her alarm, her phone, or anything else to wake her. She lifted to her tiptoes to better reach his lips but instead his hot mouth covered one breast, sucking on her flesh through her bra. A lightning bolt shot through her and she shook with desire. Heat flared between her thighs. She arched her hips, pressing her aching groin again the stone-hard shaft inside his robe.
“Damn” Tanner muttered and then shoved her bra up and over her head, tossing it next to her feet. He unfastened the button on her shorts and then the zipper, before shoving them down her legs. She lifted each foot as he worked her shorts off.
Then, to her mortification, she realized she was wearing a pair of white cotton panties, probably something she’d grabbed at Walmart in a multipack. Why
didn’t she own something scorchingly sexy from Victoria’s Secret? She dropped her head on his chest.
“What’s wrong?” He lifted her head until their gazes met. “I’m sorry. I’ve pushed too hard, haven’t I?”
She sighed and shook her head. “It’s not you. It’s me.”
“What?”
“I’m wearing granny panties.”
He looked down at her hips and then back to her face. “I can fix this.” He shoved his thumbs into her panties’ elastic waistband and pulled them to the floor. She stepped from them and he tossed them over his shoulder.
“Now, what were you saying?” he asked with a sexy smile.
“I think I was saying continue on.”
Sliding his hands down her ribs to her waist and on to her butt, he lifted her against the wall. “Much better,” he whispered and he caught her breast in his mouth again, sucking firmly on her flesh. He pulled her deep into his mouth with a strong draw, then released it until he captured just the nipple between his teeth. He bit down on the rigid tissue.
She sucked in a deep breath. Sexual arousal trickled from her, soaking the front of the robe she’d given him. She arched against him, her head pressing into the wall.
“You’re wearing too much,” she said, whispering into his ear. She darted her tongue out and, using just the tip, traced the ridges in his ear. The shudder that ran through him started a ripple through her.
“Shit. I don’t have a condom.” He looked at her. “Sorry.”
“I’ve got you covered,” she replied. “Pun intended.”
“Wrap your legs around me tight.” When she did, he took her full weight and began walking down the hall. “Which room?”
“Last one on the right.”
She’d put fresh sheets on the bed just that morning, only because it was Friday, not because she’d had any inkling anything like this would happen. If she had, she would have not been wearing cotton granny panties for sure.
He lowered her to the edge of the bed and then continued down until he was on his knees between her thighs. There, he glided his hands from her knees up the inside of her thighs, pushing them wider as he went.
Georgie’s heart was racing. The pounding in her ears was loud enough—almost—to drown out all the voices in her head warning her that this would only end badly.
His head dipped and the broad, flat surface of his tongue licked her. Without conscious thought, she pumped her hips up and forward toward his mouth.
He murmured against her labia, the sound vibrating her swollen tissues. When he licked her again, he slipped a thick finger inside, and she moaned with pleasure. When he added a second finger to the first, her eyes momentarily closed to allow her to immerse herself in the ripples and tingles coasting from head to toe.
But she couldn’t keep her eyes shut. She wanted to see this strong, virile man on his knees before her. Wanted to watch as his tongue and lips kissed and licked and caressed the very center of her soul.
He continued to suck on her as his thumb stroked across her clitoris. She groaned and ground against his hand.
Looking up at her, their gazes met. “Let go. Let it happen. Let me see you go over the edge.”
As he spoke, his fingers thrust deep inside her. She put her hands on the bed behind her and supported herself on stiff arms as he worked his broad fingers rapidly in and out while returning to sucking on her nub. A quiver that started deep inside pushed its way up and out making her legs shake with pent-up energy. Then thousands of electrical jolts flooded her system. Waves of pleasure rode over her as her orgasm hit her hard. She cried out with bliss as the sensations peaked again under his masterful hands and a second orgasm slammed through her.
Her arms gave way and she slid onto her back.
“Damnation, man. Where did you learn that?” She sat up far enough to look into his eyes. “Don’t answer that. I don’t want to know.” She flopped back on the bed. “Now take off that robe and get up here. I think I might owe you a favor or two.”
“Ohhh. Favors. I think I might like that.” He untied the belt and let the robe fall to the floor.
Good God in heaven. It was like watching the unveiling of a sculpted masterpiece. Thick, broad shoulders. An eight-pack that could have been the model for the old-fashioned scrub board, because she knew she wanted to scrub herself all over those ridges.
His narrow hips set atop solid muscular thighs. When he moved toward the bed, muscles popped out in wonderful places.
She sighed.
He sat on the side. “Condom?”
“Oh yeah.” She sat up and leaned across the bed away from him, giving him a full moon in the process.
He slapped her bottom. “Just couldn’t resist,” he said with a laugh. “But I’ll make it feel much better.” He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back until she was draped across his lap. “I don’t know how we got here. I only know I’m thankful we did.”
She stroked her hands up his chest until she could snake her arms around his neck. “Me too.”
Leaning forward, she kissed him, slipping her tongue inside his mouth. He welcomed her, fondling her tongue with his. Then he closed his lips over her tongue and sucked. Her insides turned to liquid as she melted under his assault.
Down the hall, a phone began to ring.
“Ignore it,” he said.
“It’s not mine.”
He froze and listened. “It’s mine.”
“Someone looking for you at…” she turned to look at her clock, “one in the morning?”
“Not usually. Now, where were we?” He nibbled down her neck until he reached her shoulder.
Then her phone beside the bed rang.
“Something’s going on,” she said. Leaning backward, she snatched the receiver from its cradle. “Dr. Greyson.”
“Georgie? It’s Deb. Deb Marshall. Tanner and Zack’s sister.”
“Yes, Deb. I know who you are. What’s wrong?”
“Something’s wrong with Jolene and I don’t know where Tanner or Zack are. I’ve called both of them and neither answered. I’m sorry for waking you up but I don’t know what to do.”
Georgie pushed off Tanner’s lap and stood. “What’s Jolene doing?”
“Did Tanner give you the link to Jolene’s camera?”
“Yes.”
“Can you turn it on?”
“Of course. Hold on.”
She put her hand over the receiver. “It’s Jolene. Deb wants me to look at the foaling camera you installed. My laptop’s in the living room.”
“I’ll get it,” he whispered.
He was back in a flash, the top open and the screen coming to life. Georgie had bookmarked the link, so it was easy to open. On the screen, Jolene lay on her side panting and struggling. All four legs were extended. Her tail flopped around as she pushed.
“She’s in labor, Deb,” she said into the phone.
“But something’s wrong,” the teen insisted. “There’s only one leg sticking out. Can you come?”
“Of course. It’ll take me about fifteen minutes to get to you. Can you get Jolene up and walking?”
“What? Why would I want to get her up, Georgie? Shouldn’t she stay down?”
“No, Deb. Get her up if you can. That might help reposition the baby. Trust me. Okay?”
“Okay,” Deb said, but her tone said she was freaking out. “Hurry.”
“Just stay calm. Let nature take its course. Jolene knows what to do.”
While they’d been talking, Georgie had put on fresh panties and a bra. Now she pulled on a pair of jeans and an old T-shirt.
Tanner had left the room as soon as he’d viewed Jolene on the screen. She heard the back door slam and Tanner’s heavy footsteps as he came back into her bedroom wearing his dirty clothes.
He took a quick look at the screen and said, “I’ll drive.”
“I’ll follow you. I have some emergency equipment in my truck if we need it. But Tanner,” she reached out
to grab his arm, “Jolene will be fine.”
His jaw tightened. “She better be.”
Chapter Eight
‡
The taillights on Tanner’s truck flashed bright red as he tapped the brakes to make the turn into Flying Eagle Ranch. Right on his bumper, Georgie made the turn seconds behind him. Both trucks skidded to a stop and Tanner was out of his before Georgie had time to turn off her engine. After grabbing a bag of emergency supplies she had in the back seat, she hurried down the barn aisle until she reached the foaling stall. One glance told her everything.
Jolene lay on her side. Her breaths came in harsh pants and grunts. Sweat coated her flanks. A leg protruded from Jolene’s birth canal when there should have been two. It was obvious she’d been in labor for a while and there was no way she could deliver the foal without help.
Dillon and Deb were both in with the laboring mare.
“I got her up, Georgie, but she wanted to lay back down,” Deb said.
“Great. You did great, now everybody out.”
“But—”
“No buts,” Georgie said to Deb. “Out. Now. You too, Tanner.”
“Forget it,” he growled. “I’ll stay out of your way, but I’m not going anywhere.”
The teens left the area as Georgie dropped to her knees. She pulled on a long pair of exam gloves and inserted her hand and arm into Jolene’s birth canal.
“The foal’s got one leg folded up. I’m going to have to push this first leg back and get the second leg unfolded.”
As she’d just explained, Georgie maneuvered the foal inside Jolene, pushed the first leg back up until she could unfold the bent leg. Both legs then came through the birth canal. Another contraction hit, and Jolene grunted. The head came through still covered by the thick amniotic membrane. Georgie tore the tissue to expose a chocolate brown face with a wide white stripe that passed through on top of the legs.
Sitting back on her heels, Georgie let Jolene do what nature told her to do. If the mare needed her, Georgie would help. However, in her experience, it was better to let the mother push the foal out without interference from the veterinary staff unless absolutely necessary.