“Thank goodness. Does that mean she’ll be back tomorrow night?”
“No. The vets there recommended Legacy take a week or two off. She doesn’t have a back-up mount, so she’ll be scratching for the rest of the weekend.” Most barrel racers had two horses they trailered to each event, just in case one had illness or injury issues. Trinity only had Legacy.
“She might not qualify for the finals without another rodeo between now and then.”
“Yeah. We’re working on that.”
A thought came to him. He didn’t want to make any calls in front of Trinity, just in case things fell through, but as soon as he could get free he’d put his plan in motion.
“Are you still with her?” Jared’s voice rose at the end in timbre.
“Yeah.”
“Good. Planning on spending the night?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay then. I’ll tell Jerry you’re off shift until tomorrow morning.”
“Late tomorrow morning.”
His uncle snorted. “I see. I’ll pass that along.” A pause followed. “Play nice. I’ve not had near enough of those tasty pies yet.”
Cody rolled his eyes. “I’m going now.” He clicked off to meet Trinity’s curious expression.
“Do you need to go back to work now?”
“Not until late tomorrow morning.” He searched her face.
“Oh, okay.”
Unable to read her, he asked the all-important question. “Do you want me to leave?”
Her mouth fell open as surprise reflected in her eyes. “Where did you get that idea?”
He shrugged. “Just checking because I’m kind of stuck.”
Her eyebrows furrowed.
Either the fall rattled her brain more than he’d thought or his touch-and-feel session shook her up. His gut told him the latter. “We came in your truck. Unless I call a cab or bum a ride, I’m on foot to return to work.”
Her features relaxed as a smile appeared on her face. “Oh, we couldn’t have that. Not after all the effort we went through to get your sore feet feeling better from those silly boots.”
“Does that mean you’ll give me a lift?”
“Absolutely.” She strode toward the kitchen. “In the morning.”
Relief surged even as a small token of concern remained. Unless he slept in his clothes, he’d have to do some stripping down for bed. Old fear reared its stubborn head. He smacked them back down with determination.
“Does that mean I can sleep in the stable tonight?” he teased.
“Nope. You can stay right here. Least I can do.” After pulling the food out of the fridge, she dug a couple of plates out of the cabinet.
His pride burned at her almost flippant statement. “If that’s the only reason, I would just as soon sleep in the straw.” He let his arms hang loosely at the side and waited.
Her gaze locked on his for several seconds. “It’s not the only reason, Cody.” The near whisper carried easily in the silent room. “It’s just the rational one.”
Walking forward, he halted on the opposite side of the countertop from her, resting his forearms on the glazed top as he bent over to be eye level with her. “What other reasons are there?” Now that they were on the subject, he needed to fill in a few blanks for his own peace of mind.
She went about digging out some of the food and dropping generous portions on the plates. That done, she looked up at him. “I want you to stay. If you haven’t realized it yet, I like you. I’m interested in you. I think we have potential.”
“I kinda got that impression by the way you kissed me back last week.” He grinned down at her, pleased with her truthful reply. Hope flared along with his ever-growing desire.
Which would just have to wait.
No way would he chance making a hash of their first time together, and common sense told him that she needed time to heal before doing more than sharing a kiss or three now and again. It would happen. He just needed to bide his time. After all, she was well worth waiting for.
She rolled her eyes. “I would certainly hope so or I was doing something wrong.”
“You did everything right. Trust me.” His lowered his voice and traced the tip of his finger over her dimpled chin.
Her eyes lit up with humor. “That’s good to know. I would hate for my kissing abilities to fall short.”
He grinned wickedly. “I’d be more than willing to teach you, if that were the case. Still, practice never hurt anyone.”
“Uh-huh.”
Amusement washed over him. He could stand in her little apartment and banter with her all day. Relaxed and feeling at home, he enjoyed this little unexpected encounter. Too bad it couldn’t last and they weren’t able to follow the natural progression of things.
Soon. One day soon.
“I guess I should get dinner warming.” Flashing him a small grin, she picked up a plate, and placed it in the microwave. A couple of poked buttons later, he heard the device kick on. That task done, she opened drawers, pulled out silverware and handed it over to him. “Would you mind putting these on the table while I get glasses?”
“Sure.” A couple of steps carried him to the small wooden dining table where he lightly dropped off the utensils.
The drinking glasses followed already full of ice before Trinity retraced her steps only to come back with a large bottle of soda and two smaller ones of water. “I didn’t know what you wanted, but I have both.”
He shrugged. “Either or. I’m not picky.”
A beep indicated the food had warmed enough. Trinity took the plate out with hot pads, carried it to the table, then set it down. “Go ahead and dig in. Mine will just take a minute or two.”
He took the nearest seat and watched the way she moved around the small kitchen, finding no hesitation or grimace with each step. In fact, if he didn’t know better, he’d believe she had no iota of pain whatsoever.
Damn resilient.
SEALs were known for their mental and physical toughness amongst other things. Even when wounded, they continued to battle and always pointed the medics to the worst injured in the group. The SEAL way.
Trinity would have made a good one.
He smirked at the thought of her running around in camouflage, carrying a backpack nearly as big as she is, and toting around a rifle longer than one of her legs. He didn’t doubt she could do it, but instinctively knew she would lack conviction to duty. When push came to shove, she could do anything. But, tossing her in the middle of a war would kill the gentle spirit he’d come to crave in her.
She gathered her meal, gingerly sat down opposite him, and dug in. A low moan escaped as she closed her eyes for a long moment, then reopened them to stare at him. “Carmen is the best cook ever.”
Cody took a large bite and immediately agreed. “Delicious. That woman has talent.”
“Oh, yeah. I’m trying to get her to teach me a few good recipes when she has a chance.”
He smiled and opened his bottle of water. “Planning on fattening me up?”
A faint blush appeared on her face. “You work too hard to ever get fat. Besides, how did you know I was thinking about you?” She arched an eyebrow in blatant challenge.
“I have a feeling you don’t kiss just any guy that comes around.” He met her gaze steadily. “Besides, we’ve already established you can wrap me around your little finger with a pie or two.”
She smiled softly. “So the way to a man’s heart is truly through his stomach?”
Cody grinned wickedly. “Only one way to find out.”
An hour later, the dishes were washed and put away, the kitchen sparkled, and they sat in the small living room in companionable silence.
Trinity yawned for the third time since they finished eating.
Realizing she was at the end of her rope, Cody stood and offered her a hand. “I think you’re more than ready for bed.”
She allowed him to pull her back to her feet. “Yeah. I think so.” Her gaze darted to the be
d in the corner of the room, then back to lock on Cody’s chest. “I’ll just change clothes. You can use the bathroom first, if you want.”
Her small bout of nerves amused him. “I don’t have any clothes to change into.”
Her gaze flew up to meet his. “Oh, I forgot. I don’t have any clothes to fit you, but I do have an extra toothbrush. Feel free to shower too.” She strode toward the bathroom and pulled items out from the cabinet underneath the sink. “Towel. Toothpaste. Unopened toothbrush. Soap should be in the shower.” Standing while spinning around, she bumped into him.
Cody steadied her and grinned. “I’ve roughed it more times than I can remember. I’ll just put my old clothes back on after a quick shower. No biggie. I’ll even take the recliner for the night.”
She stared up at him and shook her head. “I can’t fix the lack of pajamas, but I refuse to let you sleep in that chair. It’s not comfortable and I’m pretty sure your large frame would find it snug.”
He didn’t argue, having already ascertained that fact in the few minutes he sat in the chair earlier. Still, he didn’t want to press her and sleeping in the same bed seemed like a big step right now.
On the other hand, who am I to argue with the lady?
Smiling softly, he stepped to the side to let her pass. “I’ll be quick.”
“Okay.”
Trinity shut the door behind her.
Cody shucked his clothes, turned on the spray and made record time. He put his jeans back on and brushed his teeth, feeling clean and whole again. Even the dirty clothes didn’t bother him too much. How many days had he gone without a bath while overseas? Weeks? So long he could barely stand the smell of himself, that’s how long.
For a second, he held out his shirt and contemplated whether to wear it or not. He’d sleep better without it, but didn’t feel this was the time to just walk out and expose Trinity to his disfiguring scars. He’d learned surprising a woman with them wasn’t quite bright and set him up for failure. Besides, Trinity had enough of a shake-up today with her fall and worry over her horse. She didn’t need anything else to deal with. Not now, but definitely later.
When the time felt right.
He tugged on his shirt and buttoned it up. After brushing his hair, he opened the door and stepped out.
Trinity stood across the room, pulling down the covers on the double bed. She glanced up and smiled softly.
His heart skipped a beat.
“All yours.”
“Thanks.” She entered with a handful of clothes, presumably her sleepwear.
He plopped down in the chair, listened to the water run, and stifled his imagination every time images of Trinity bathing in the nude tried to run through his mind. They were great, but his jeans didn’t allow much room for a boner. Basic comfort outweighed erotic daydreams. For now.
The water stopped and a few minutes later Trinity emerged. Her long blonde hair hung straight down her back, still damp. Instead of jeans, she now wore loose pajamas, a light blue top and matching bottoms, which only hinted at her curves. On anyone else, he would find them a turn off. On Trinity, he couldn’t stop the natural physical reaction in the form of the erection he grappled with earlier.
Damned horniness.
She smiled at him as she walked to the bed. “Why didn’t you climb in already? I thought we already established we’re adults and can share just fine.”
Cody rubbed his forehead. “True. But, I didn’t know which side of the bed you sleep on. My luck, I’d get it wrong.”
She chuckled, a melodic sound he had fast grown addicted to. “I’m flexible. Besides, I’m not about to kick you out of my bed just because you’re on my side.”
He stood and strode across the room, stopping on the far side of the bed from her. While she was in the shower, he set his boots close to the door, checked the lock, then slid his handgun under the bed. He really didn’t think she’d freak at the sight of a pistol, but tonight wasn’t the time to find out. “Then, what reason would you kick me out of your bed?”
“Oh, I think you’re good.” She sat down, tucked her feet under the covers and slid in. Peering up at him, she patted the spot beside her. “Come on. I won’t bite.”
He bit back a groan. What she didn’t know was the thought of her nibbling on him only added to his desire. He plopped down on the bed, flipped on his side, and pulled the blankets up. Habit dictated that he face the door when sleeping.
“Cody?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.”
“Sure.” He relaxed into the surprisingly comfortable mattress. The close quarters allowed him to hear Trinity breathe, feel her every move, and smell the sweet floral scent of her soap.
Most likely the same aroma I carry now since I used her stuff. Just wonderful.
Rolling his eyes, he adjusted his pillow and blew out a slow breath.
“Cody?”
“Huh?”
“I won’t kick you out of the bed for snoring, but I might have to smack you.”
He grinned. “Since I don’t snore, I think we’re both safe.”
“Oh. Well, that’s nice to know.”
“Goodnight, Trinity.”
“Goodnight, Cody.”
Sleep came quickly and easily to him that night.
Chapter Fourteen
Cody awoke like usual, instantly alert, though he didn’t move an inch. Instead, he spent a long moment gathering information about his surroundings before opening his eyes.
And what he found pleased him.
Trinity spooned up against his body, tucked in nicely, a perfect fit. Her rear lodged against his groin as her upper body molded his trunk. One of his arms draped over her body as if protecting her during the night. The other stretched out under her head and neck, offering support and softness, as they shared the same pillow. Her top covered everything still, but tugged tight and downward, giving him a bird’s eye view of the tops of her modest, pretty breasts.
She sighed in her sleep and wiggled her rear against his already interested cock.
His morning wood hardened that much more.
Well, hell.
He had no recollection of getting into such a position during the night, but wasn’t about to complain. Not when she felt way too good in his arms.
Unfortunately, the sun shined through the window, alerting him to the time. Horses whinnied nearby and an occasional beat of hooves carried to his ears. The normally welcome sound reminded him that morning had arrived and chores needed done before Trinity dropped him back off at the rodeo.
He didn’t lament the quickly passing night for a couple of reasons. First of all, he slept better than he had in forever. No nightmares visited him while he slept. A small miracle. Secondly, he wanted to get back to speak to Lacey. He had a plan about finding Trinity a horse to ride the next weekend and everything revolved around Trinity’s best friend on the circuit.
Eager to get to work on his goal, yet hesitant to move, he savored Trinity curled up trustingly in his arms for one more second. With a promise to share her bed again soon, he placed a soft kiss to her neck. “Trinity?”
“Mmmm.”
He grinned at the sleepy murmur. “Come on, sweetheart. Up and at ‘em.”
Her eyelids opened. For a second he could almost see the hamster wheel spinning in her mind as she realized a few facts. She squirmed, her eyes widened, then she cleared her throat. “Ummm.”
“Yes?” He grinned and brushed his lips over her crown, thoroughly enjoying her morning discovery.
She squirmed and managed to flip onto her back. Peering up at him, she blinked a couple of times as if to clear the cobwebs. “What time is it?”
He checked his watch. “Almost seven.”
“Oh good grief.” Trinity threw the covers aside, jumped out of bed, hurried to a dresser, and started pulling out clothes.
Cody propped up on one elbow, watching her with amusement. “Does that mean you’re late?”
She spared him
a glance. “Kinda.”
“Carmen keeps track of tardiness?” From what he deciphered from his brief meeting with the farm stallion manager, she could be tough if needed, but he doubted Trinity ever saw that side of her boss.
“Well, not that I know of, not with me anyway.”
“Then what’s the big rush?” Intrigued, he watched her drag out fresh underwear and add it to the growing pile of clothes in her arms.
“If I don’t feed these guys on schedule, they will make my life hell today.”
He started at her, then began to laugh.
She frowned. “You don’t believe me?”
He waved his free hand. “Oh, I believe you. Those animals are damn persnickety when they want to be. Vet here. I know that for a fact.”
Her mouth curled up at the corners. “Then I better get a move on.” She entered the bathroom and shut the door behind her.
Cody scrubbed his face and looked around the room.
I could get used to this.
The unexpected thought threw him for a loop. Sure, he’d become quite attached to Trinity, but moving in with her? Living in the stable together? Talk about putting the cart before the horse.
They had a few obstacles to overcome before he could even entertain the idea of living with her, including finding out her reaction to his scars.
Purposely last night, he kept his clothes on, especially his shirt. Under normal circumstances, he would have stripped down to his boxers or even just his jeans. The time hadn’t seemed right, thus he didn’t dare shed any garments.
Better safe than sorry.
With the reality check, he threw aside his covers, dangled his feet over the side of the bed, then dropped to the floor. Finding his gun and holster where he left them, he quickly pulled up his pants leg, strapped the leather holder on, then replaced the denim to cover the small handgun. The chances of needing a weapon in his line of work bordered on nil, but old habits die hard. Since his time in the SEALs he felt naked without some sort of weapon hidden on his person. From what he gathered, most of the other guys experienced the same thing.
Cowgirl Up Page 13