Quinn held up her wounded arm and glanced at Scott. “I don’t blame you for the condition of this place. I know you worked your butt off. We can talk, maybe after all this is taken care of.”
Three hours later, Quinn and Scott headed back to Emerald. Scott with a part time job and a promise for more if she could talk Craig it. Quinn had four stitches. The bruise on her leg was a nasty, florid blotch that, at the moment, hurt like hell.
“So, you really going to tackle Fire?” Scott asked.
“Sure am.”
“He’s a mean animal. No one could work with him. Dad even brought in some guy from Texas who was supposed to be a guru. He left after a day, with a hoof print on his backend.”
Quinn tried not to chuckle. She had a hoof print of her own and it was no laughing matter. “Well, he’s met his match. One love tap won’t chase me away. I’ll keep up my guard next time. Before fall, I guarantee he and I will be buddies.”
“If you say so.”
When they reached the ranch, Scott left her with the promise to return in the morning. Now she could face the day with a little relief.
Except when it hit her that she’d missed her lesson with Marisol. With a curse on the tip of her tongue, she ran into the house for the phone. The light on the answering machine blinked steadily. Marisol had called, asking where she was. To add to the blunder, she’d forgotten her cell phone when she’d gone to the hospital. That had a message on it as well, from Craig this time, wondering where she was, telling her if he didn’t hear from her by three, he’d be over to check on her. The clock on the stove said two-thirty-five.
Quickly she dialed the number for the Shady H. No one answered but she got voicemail.
“Hi guys. I’m so sorry I missed today. Fire and I had a disagreement but I’m okay. So is he. If you want a lesson now let me know. I’ll be over as soon as I can. Talk to you later.”
Later came in half an hour when Craig called back.
“What do you mean you and Fire had a disagreement?”
“I wanted to switch halters. I offered him some sugar. I got more than I bargained for.”
“What does that mean?” Craig’s voice was tight, reining back what sounded like anger or concern. Probably both.
“It means he gave me a nip and I got the business end of a hoof in my leg.”
Craig started to speak but Quinn stopped him. “It’s okay. Scott came by. He took me to the emergency room. It’s not bad.”
“You’re kidding me. Damn it, I told you I didn’t want you near that animal when you’re alone.”
Quinn gave a short laugh. “I wasn’t trying to ride him, Craig. I was trying to get a halter off him.”
“He’s a bad seed. I’m taking him out of there.”
“What?” His decision shocked her. She’d expected him to be ticked off, but this? “No, you can’t do that!”
“He’s my horse.”
“He’s a part of Emerald. He’s going to be an important part of the breeding program here. He’s not going to do any good to us over at the Shady H,” Quinn replied stubbornly. “You can’t take him.”
“I can if he’s a hazard. He could’ve done a lot worse to you.”
“But he didn’t and next time, I won’t let him get the better of me. Come on, I’ve been working with horses all my life. Four stitches and a bruise aren’t going to scare me off. You should understand.”
“Four stitches,” Craig muttered.
“Only four stitches. Little stitches. Can barely see them.”
“You’re stubborn.” The sigh in his voice was clear, and knew she was winning.
“Since the day I was born.”
“Not going to give up?” A note of amusement worked its way into his tone.
“Never. That’s the thing about me. I decide what I want and I make it happen.”
Another sigh, then a pause. “What am I going to do with you?”
“Don’t know. Depends on what’s on your mind.”
“Nothing I care to discuss over the phone.”
Quinn drew in a deep breath and closed her eyes. Words, they were just words. Harmless flirting. Well, she could give as good as she received. Her voice dropped to a low and, she hoped, sexy tone. “Well, next time you get a moment I think we should talk about it. Face to face.”
“You are one tempting woman.”
Quinn pulled herself up onto the new counter. “Sweet talker. Now, can I come over and give Marisol her lesson?”
“Nope. She’s at Bonnie’s for the night. I took her over about an hour ago.”
“Oh. I’m sorry I missed her. I hope she wasn’t mad.”
“She was eager to get over to her friend’s house. They’re heading to the drive-in tonight.”
“I’ll have to make it up to her.” Quinn tried not to be disappointed. She loved going to the Shady H, and not just for Craig’s sake. She truly enjoyed training Marisol. But she had plenty to keep her busy here.
“I’m sure she’ll find a way.”
“I’ll let you get back to your work,” Quinn said reluctantly.
“Okay.” His voice was soft.
“We’ll talk.”
“Bet on it.”
Quinn hung up the phone, slid off the counter and didn’t stop until she sat on the floor. She wanted to make love to him. No matter what. She loved him and it didn’t even matter if he didn’t return the sentiments. He wanted her, he cared about her. That would be enough. For now.
Raging hormones weren’t going to get things done around the ranch. There were hungry horses waiting for her outside. She’d have a chance to spill her heart out to him soon.
Fire apparently hadn’t forgiven her and turned his back on her as soon as she carried out his dinner.
“It’s okay, I forgive you,” she called out to the horse. “But that doesn’t mean I’m giving up. I’ll be back tomorrow and we’ll try again.”
With the horses fed, watered, and the mothers and mothers-to-be in their stalls, Quinn took a broom to the center aisle of the barn, cleaning the wood shavings and dirt tracked from the outside. The feeling of being watched suddenly overwhelmed her. She looked up and saw the silhouette of a man at the entrance to the barn.
Craig didn’t come further inside. Instead, he paused, his tall frame dark against the late afternoon light.
Quinn leaned the broom against the wall and strode toward him. She needed him. Now.
There was no meeting half way. Maybe she took Craig off guard when she reached him, gripped both his arms and pushed him against the wall. She didn’t say a word when she slid a hand behind his neck and brought his face down so she could kiss him.
God, she loved him. She’d loved him forever. Only in her wildest dreams did she imagine he’d love her back. But if he didn’t, she’d take what he could offer and cherish it.
He hesitated as she pressed against him with her entire body, but then his arms closed around her.
No words were necessary, just the feel of his mouth against hers, opening up to her. Each lightning-strong touch struck her heart and sent showers of desire, like thousands of sparks throughout her body.
Nothing held them back. They were completely alone, no one waited for them. She could’ve slowed, cooled the passion to make it last, but she was on a headlong gallop toward a cliff. Adrenaline and Craig’s touch drove her onward.
His hands smoothed down her back, then lower until he picked her up, his mouth moving over hers. His hat fell off his head and Quinn took advantage and dug her fingers into his thick, wavy hair.
In his arms, she wound her legs around his waist. She wanted to touch every part of him, kiss every part of him. She broke away from his mouth and pressed her lips against his neck, nipping at his ears, and eliciting a groan from him.
They were out of the barn before she realized they were moving toward the house. He carried her as if she weighed nothing, managed the door without letting her go for more than a fraction of a second.
“My be
droom. End of the hall. Right,” she said against his mouth without relinquishing the touch of his lips.
There’d be no discussions about should they or shouldn’t they. Her mind was made up and from the passion in Craig’s kiss, the fire in his caressing hands she knew he wouldn’t turn back.
In her room, he eased her onto the bed, stilling the raging storm by several degrees. She opened her eyes and allowed herself to gaze at him. In doing so, she lost some of the overwhelming confidence that sent her into his arms in the first place.
What replaced it was no less potent, no less important. And it certainly didn’t shake her resolve.
Craig lay next to her, staring down at her. His eyes burned with a glowing sensuality that turned her body to liquid. He caressed her cheek, trailing his fingertips along her throat. Quinn let her own hand roam, exploring the contours of his shoulder, down the long, straight muscles of his back.
They could’ve rushed through this like a wildfire, she certainly wanted him enough, but somehow this slow journey was better, holding out for the ultimate pleasure.
She pushed under his tee shirt, shoving it upwards, exposing smooth skin over taut muscles. Leaning forward, she pressed kisses against his warm flesh and felt his heart beat.
All she wanted was to feel his skin brushing against hers. No barrier of clothing. Never in her life had she felt this alive, and wanted.
Their touches became bolder. Craig peeled her shirt off and next her bra. His gaze drank her in, as physical a touch as any, and it brought her flesh to life.
“Oh God, Quinn,” he murmured. He hadn’t yet touched her but she longed for his fingers to explore her skin.
“Touch me.” She couldn’t manage more than a hoarse whisper.
He moaned and lowered his mouth to hers as his palm skimmed over her aroused nipple. His lips feathered a sizzling trail along the line of her throat to her shoulder before they took possession of her aching breast. Now it was her turn to call out his name as she arched up to meet him. He tasted and teased until she couldn’t take anymore. Her whole body cried out for his satisfying touch, not just the tight buds he so sweetly tortured.
While he lavished her with erotic sensations, she did her own work. Every muscle on his torso was well earned, she knew. His body wasn’t the result of any high priced gym and she prized that, worshipped it with every touch. His back was smooth and she ran her hands down to his waist, easing the tips of her fingers into the waistband of his jeans. If only they were off. They needed to be off, but she didn’t want him to stop what he was doing to her long enough to remove them.
Still it had to be done. He had set fire to her and only one thing would soothe her. His body, their bodies wrapped up together. There was no room for clothes in this equation.
Quinn breathed his name and let her fingers undo his belt then the button of his jeans. Stay cool, she heard her mind say, don’t rush. She ignored the words because her head was full of him, his scent, his taste. Each sensation added to the golden haze of passion. She hardly noticed that Craig was already sliding her jeans over her hips, then pulled away long enough to strip his own jeans off.
If she had her way, she would’ve pulled him right inside her body, but Craig had other things in mind and thank God he did because she didn’t want to miss anything, miss any moment or stroke. His mouth gently suckled each breast while his hands traced the curve of her hips and thighs before sweeping back up to her belly. Lower, her mind screamed, but she could barely speak an intelligible word while he did his best to drive her completely mad.
She could, however, do her best to drive him out of his mind with want too. She pressed her palms against the hard contours of his chest, teasing his pebbled nipples before smoothing her hands around to the muscled planes of his back to narrow hips and didn’t stop until she came in contact with his tight buttocks. As she splayed her fingers across his taut flesh, she heard him groan against her neck where he’d been raining kisses.
There was absolutely no ignoring his arousal, nor did she want to. She moved against the hard pulse of his erection and smiled when she heard him groan again. This time she eased his head away from her.
“Protection,” she whispered. “In the drawer. Can you reach?”
She closed her eyes and felt Craig move across the bed to retrieve a condom she stashed in the drawer. For a moment, embarrassment for being so presumptuous flooded over her, but when Craig kissed her on the mouth and whispered “smart woman” against her lips, she couldn’t help but grin.
“I want to look in your eyes when you’re inside me,” she told him when he took care of the protection and leaned back into her.
Craig’s eyes widened. She had more surprises for him. She was no shy virgin, no shrinking flower who would lie back and let a man do whatever he pleased. No, she wanted to give pleasure as much as she wanted to receive it. She loved Craig too much not to give him her best. Besides, she wanted him to come back for more.
He didn’t ask her if she was sure, whether she wanted to go on. There was no stopping now. Quinn parted her legs to him, and even though she looked at him steadily, her entire body quivered with expectation and desire. Anticipation of what this man could do to her. Her want had never run so deep.
Craig pressed himself against her, not entering her yet, but fulfilling her request of keeping his gaze on her. The room glowed in a gentle red and golden light as sunset filled the sky. It gave him a brooding look, made his eyes appear black, but passion smoldered there. As he buried himself deep within her, her breath caught in her throat. She released it in choppy measures and arched upwards to take all of him as Craig lifted her hips. Her mind and body swayed beyond reality as he delved deeper into her with each rhythmic push. Primal need grew, setting fire to her body. Craig leaned over her, pressing his torso against hers as he moved his mouth hungrily, the kiss as voracious as each stroke of his virile manhood.
“Touch me,” she begged against his mouth. As if the thundering tempo of their lovemaking wasn’t enough. She pulled in a harsh breath as his fingers found their way between her thighs and circled against her slick bud. There was nothing keeping her from going over the precipice of pure bliss. The slide began where his fingers worked in tandem with the push and pull of his thick arousal and it burst free with glorious explosion after explosion. Ecstasy filled her entire body, from her toes right up to her mind. She couldn’t focus on anything but fighting for more oxygen as she rode the wild wave that hit her like a tsunami.
He kept going and now she heard his own ragged breath and her name as he fought to give her what she needed before he convulsed against her. But not before he drove her on to one more dizzying climax.
“Quinn, Quinn,” he whispered against her skin, kissing and saying her name over and over while she came down from the stars.
She trailed her fingers up his back. He was wet with sweat, his flesh still on fire but cooling in the evening breeze that bled through the window.
“Oh my God,” she whispered. She felt like laughing, crying, dancing and making love to him all over again.
Quinn buried her face into the crook between Craig’s chin and shoulder and smiled. He traced his fingers against her side, sending sparks through her body. How easily he could do that, bring her body to life after so entirely satisfying her. Yet that’s exactly what he was doing, whether he meant to or not.
“What are you grinning about?”
Quinn chuckled, lifted her body. Craig pulled her so her torso rested on his and they were face to face. She traced a finger along his dimples.
“I’m amazed we’re here right now, you and me.”
“Oh? Why is that?”
Quinn drew in her breath and held it for several seconds. “Because I’ve wanted it since the moment I saw you on the prairie the day I found your daughter. I still half believe I’m dreaming.”
“No, darling, don’t say that.”
“I have to because it’s the truth.”
Chapter 11
Though he didn’t admit it, this situation amazed Craig as much as it did Quinn. He never expected to find himself in her bed, though it had been on his mind since the moment they kissed at the barbeque. He’d put it down to being a guy thing, but those thoughts weren’t in his nature. Not anymore. Quinn brought out overwhelming lust, but it wasn’t that basic, that animalistic. If it had been just lust he would’ve steered well away from her. He would never use her body to slake his needs so thoughtlessly. He cared a great deal for her. How much, he wasn’t sure, but enough to understand that their lovemaking was far from casual, and far from a one-time deal.
“I’m lucky to be a part of your dream,” he whispered.
In a swift motion, Quinn pulled herself up and over him, straddling his waist. Her hair spilled down her back, over her shoulders, curling sexily against her creamy skin. A late afternoon ray of sun caught a lock and cast it in glowing copper.
He slid his hands over her hips to her waist. So much woman in this tiny package. There was nothing tomboyish in her lush curves or the sultry smile on her beautiful face.
His body stirred underneath hers.
“I’m still angry,” he told her and let his hands wander further up until they stroked the smooth underside of her breasts.
Quinn’s eyelids fluttered as he ran his thumbs across her nipples and admired the way the dusky peaks tightened into generous pearls.
She looked back at him. “Angry?” Then she closed her eyes completely. A little gasp escaped her lips.
“Mmm. Fire.”
“The horse?”
Craig chuckled. He enjoyed this.
“Mmm.” He let his hands slowly glide down her sides.
Quinn opened her eyes and gazed at him. “Why?”
He ran a gentle finger over the vivid bruise on her leg.
“I’ll never do it again,” she murmured.
His hands returned to their exploration, up her thighs to the concave of her waist, his fingers spread out against the firm, smooth skin of her belly.
“I know you won’t. Or maybe you’ll be too tempted to wait.”
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