Carter (Remington Ranch Book 3)

by SJ McCoy

  Dave turned toward her with a smile. “How are you liking the valley so far? It must be very different from what you’re used to.”

  She nodded. “It is. I absolutely love it here.” She smiled at Carter. “It’s such a beautiful place and such a different pace of life.”

  “How long do you think you’ll be here for?” asked Monique.

  She looked at Carter again. “Well, I have three months to rest my voice before I go to see the doctors again.”

  “And what will you do if your voice isn’t better?”

  Dave smiled at Summer. “I don’t expect you know the answer to that yourself yet, do you?”

  Summer shrugged and gave him an apologetic smile. She didn’t. And she wasn’t about to tell anyone that she didn’t even know what she wanted to do if her voice did get better either. She turned back to Monique. “Honestly, I’m trying not to think about it too much, yet.”

  Monique nodded. Summer would love to know what she was really thinking behind her kind smile. She certainly looked as though she had more questions. The trouble was Summer didn’t know the answers—yet.

  “I don’t blame you,” said Chance. “I’d have thought that’s part of the beauty of being here—that you don’t have to think about it all. You don’t have to make any decisions. You can just rest and relax and enjoy yourself.”

  “That’s the idea,” said Summer. She didn’t really know Chance that well. She’d only met him briefly at Cassidy’s dinner party, but she liked him. He didn’t say too much, but when he did you realized that nothing got by him.

  “And how did you enjoy today?” asked Beau. “Did these guys let you ride, or did you just have to watch all day?”

  She laughed. “I had a great time watching.”

  “And we are going to ride,” said Carter. “It’s just that I was helping Mason today.” He shot Summer an apologetic look.

  She gave him a reassuring smile. She hoped he knew that she really had enjoyed watching him put the horses through their paces.

  “Well,” said Gina. “I’m free tomorrow now, so I can help Mason with the rest of the McLellan horses.” She looked at Carter. “You two could ride out if you like.” She turned to Summer. “You could take my horse, if you want. She’ll look after you.”

  Summer looked at Carter. She didn’t want to back him into taking her out riding if he didn’t want to.

  He smiled. “Thanks, G. But if Summer wants to go, I thought she could ride Lola.”

  “So did I,” said Mason with a smile.

  Summer raised an eyebrow at him, remembering that he’d mentioned Lola when they first went out to the barn.

  Mason winked at her. “You stick around here long enough, you’ll realize that we like to find our perfect partner in a horse. From the first time I met you, I thought you and Lola would be a good match.”

  Beau laughed. “I never thought of it like that before, but you’re right, Mase.”

  “When am I ever wrong?”

  “So, tell me about each of your perfect horses.” said Summer. She could certainly see that Mason’s theory held true with Carter and Jake from what she’d seen so far. Jake was a gentle giant with kind eyes.

  “Well, you met Carter’s partner, Jake, already.”

  “Yes, and I’m following you so far.”

  “Okay, so then there’s Shane’s horse, Cookie.”

  Cassidy laughed. “He’s big, good-looking, full of himself.”

  Shane gave her a mock hurt look.

  “But,” she added as she patted Shane’s arm. “He’s got a heart of gold, he’s very good natured and he knows how to take care of you.”

  Summer smiled at the way Shane nodded as he wrapped an arm around Cassidy’s shoulders.

  “Then there’s Troy,” continued Mason.

  “Go ahead,” said Beau. “I’m interested to hear this.”

  Mason grinned at him. “As if you didn’t already know what I’m going to say. Beau’s buddy Troy is a bit of a loner. He likes to go off and do his own thing. When you see them all out grazing, Troy is always off by himself.” He grinned at Beau. “He likes to make out he’s a badass, but once you get to know him, he’s a big softie.”

  Summer smiled at Beau. He smiled back with a shrug. “All true, I’m afraid.”

  “And what about your horse?” asked Summer. She didn’t want Mason to get away with describing himself through his horse in the way he’d just done with his brothers.

  Gina laughed. “I think it’s fairer if I tell you about Storm.”

  Summer nodded, knowing this would be good.

  Gina grinned at Mason. “Storm can be a bit difficult. He’s a handful who can be broody at times. It takes a while to earn his trust. He likes to think he’s the boss and tends to keep the others in line.”

  Summer chuckled as she looked around the table to see the brothers nodding and grinning.

  “He can’t keep Annie in line, though,” Shane added.

  Mason laughed. “Hell, no. That stubborn little mare gives him a run for his money.”

  Summer looked at Gina. “I take it Annie’s yours?”

  “Yep, she sure is. I prefer the word determined to stubborn, but…” She smiled. “You get the idea.”

  Summer turned to Chance. “And what about you? What’s your horse like?”

  Chance shrugged. “I guess I just don’t get attached in the same way these guys do.”

  “Don’t believe him for a minute,” said Carter. “It’s just that Chance gets attached to all of them, but doesn’t like to admit it.”

  Chance smiled as he nodded at her. “But I think all this started because of you and Lola. You see, Lola is a sweetheart. She’s a gentle soul. She hasn’t been here that long. A Californian family bought one of the McMansions up at Suce Creek. They brought Lola with them and wanted to board her here.” He shrugged. “They never came out to see her much. They didn’t last long in the valley. It only took one winter to scare them off. When they packed up and left, Lola kicked up a real stink. She wouldn’t load into the trailer. Seemed like she didn’t want to leave, and none of us wanted to see her go, so we bought her. She’s one of us now.”

  Summer didn’t know what to say. She stared at Chance and tried to swallow the lump in her throat.

  Monique caught her eye and smiled before asking, “Who’s going to clear the dishes so I can serve dessert?”

  ~ ~ ~

  It was late by the time they got back to Summer’s place. Carter was tired. It had been a long day, and he hadn’t been getting too much sleep lately. He seemed to have been spending most of his nights staring at the ceiling, wondering why he wasn’t in bed with Summer.

  “Are you coming in?” she asked when he pulled up in front of the house.

  He nodded. “I have to.”

  Her eyes shone in the moonlight as she smiled up at him. “Why’s that?”

  “I’m a man of my word.”

  “So you’re going to tuck me in then?”

  He nodded again. He was. He was starting to doubt his own motives in taking so much time. Yes, he was a gentleman and he would never rush a woman into bed, but this wasn’t exactly rushing. Was he really just afraid? Afraid of adding to the hurt he was going to feel when Summer left? Sex meant something to him. It wasn’t just a quick physical pleasure; it was a deep emotional connection. Yeah, that probably made him weird, but that was how he saw it. Sleeping with Summer would be laying himself wide open, giving her all of himself so that she could tear him apart when she left. He met her gaze and took a deep breath. She was worth it. He climbed out of the truck. She didn’t wait for him to come around to open her door. She jumped down and winced as she hit the ground.

  “Are you okay?” He hurried to her.

  She bit her lip and nodded. “I’m fine. I forget how far down it is. I did the same thing at your house this afternoon.”

  He took her arm as she stood on one leg to rub her ankle. “Damn!” she muttered.

  Carter sm
iled to himself. He put an arm around her and bent down to hook his other arm behind her knees. He scooped her up and smiled down at her.

  She smiled back and looped her arms around his neck. “I like it!”

  “So do I.” He really did. She was so small, she hardly seemed to weigh anything. He strode up the steps to the front door.

  Summer scrabbled in her huge purse for the key. That amused him. No one he knew locked their doors around here. It just wasn’t something you needed to do. Eventually she found the key and unlocked the door.

  Once they were inside, Carter hesitated in the hallway.

  “Straight to bed?” she asked.

  He nodded and walked down the hallway and into her bedroom. He could feel his heart hammering in his chest—and it wasn’t from the effort of carrying her! He gently laid her down on the bed and then stood there looking at her. He didn’t know what to do next. Part of him wanted to lie down beside her, take her in his arms, and make to love to her. Part of him wanted to pull the covers up over her, tuck her in like he’d promised he would and then hightail it out of here.

  She smiled and held her arms up to him. How he could he say no to that?

  He sat down on the bed and stroked her hair away from her eyes. He let his fingers run on down her cheek. She was so damned beautiful!

  “Stay with me?”

  He looked deep into her eyes. Yes, they were filled with lust, but there was something more than that too. Her next words confirmed it.

  “Carter, you know I want you.” She reached up to touch his cheek. “But if it’s still too soon, that’s okay. I can wait. But I want to lie here with you. I want to hold you. I want you to hold me. I want to go to sleep with your arms around me. And I want to wake up next you in the morning. Please say you’ll stay?”

  How in hell could he say no? He nodded slowly, and began to unbutton his shirt. He loved the way her eyes followed his fingers. She watched him undo each button, until his shirt hung open. She sat up and pushed it off his shoulders. The feel of her small cool hands on his skin drove him crazy with need for her. He wanted to get out of his jeans, but thought it best to keep his hard-on trapped, caged behind his zipper for now.

  He drew in a deep breath as she began to unfasten her own shirt. He found his eyes following her fingers as they worked their way down. Once her shirt hung loose, she looked up at him and he dared to push it off her shoulders. She was perfect. Her skin looked so delicate. Her white lacy bra encased her pert little breasts. He covered them with his hands and watched her eyes close. He circled his thumbs around the hard little peaks that pressed through the lace. He needed to see, to touch, to taste.

  He reached around and unhooked her bra, then slowly slid the straps down her arms. When it was gone, he closed his hands around her waist and let his eyes travel over her. She was perfect—and she was his! Alarm bells went off in his mind. She wasn’t his! He shouldn’t… This time though, his body refused to heed the alarms, refused to be denied what it had been aching for, for so long. Keeping his hands around her waist, he pulled her to him. Her naked skin felt so soft against his. The smell of her filled his nostrils and his mind as he covered her mouth with his own and kissed her deeply.

  Her arms came up around his neck, and as if on a mission of their own, his hands sought her breasts. She moaned into his mouth, making him even harder as he circled her taut nipple with his thumb. All of his resolve crumbled around him as he crushed her to his chest. He needed to make her his own.

  Her hands dropped to his waistband. There was no part of him left that wanted to stop her. He bit her bottom lip as she pushed his jeans and his shorts down over his hips. She rubbed her hips against his and the feel of the rough denim against his most sensitive skin reminded him that he was falling behind. He unfastened her jeans and pushed them down and off. He left her panties alone, knowing that that little scrap of lace was a last line of defense between him and the inevitable. He couldn’t resist though. He slid his hand inside. His heart beat even faster when he felt how hot and wet she was. She hadn’t been kidding that she wanted him! He began to work her with his fingertips and smiled when she moaned again.

  His smile faded when her hand closed around him. God that felt good! Too good! She’d make him come in no time if she kept doing that. He shifted his hips away from her and began to tease her opening with his fingers.

  “Carter!” she moaned.

  She didn’t need to say anything else. He knew what she meant. Knew what she wanted. He slid her panties down and off. He couldn’t resist ducking his head to taste her nipples, but that just made her more desperate. She wrapped her legs around his, opening herself up to him as she looked up into his eyes and buried her fingers in his hair.

  “Carter, please!”

  It was a moment he would relive again and again. Summer Breese lay underneath him, legs spread wide open, so she could press her heat against him, enticing him inside as she begged him to make love to her. In the moment, though, all that mattered was his need to be inside her. He propped himself on his elbows, afraid to crush her as he thrust his hips. He thrust deep and cried her name as she clung to him. For a second he froze, afraid that he’d hurt her. He searched her face and she gave the tiniest nod and began to move under him. He joined her rhythm, moving slowly at first. She felt so good, her velvety wetness closing around him with each thrust of his hips. He picked up the pace, losing himself inside her. She responded, bringing her legs up around his back as she bucked underneath him. The tension was building, carrying him higher and higher. He could feel her getting closer, her muscles beginning to tighten around him, increasing the delicious resistance each time he pounded into her. On his next thrust, she dug her fingernails into his back and screamed his name. That took him over the edge. He straightened his arms and thrust deep and hard. His release tore through him and exploded inside her as they frantically melded together.

  Eventually he let his head slump onto her shoulder, though he was still careful to keep his weight off her and on his other elbow. She let her legs slide down at the same time that she closed her arms around his back and held him close.

  “You were right,” she mumbled eventually.

  He lifted his head to look down at her. “About what?”

  She smiled. “You were worth the wait.”

  He smiled and dropped a kiss on her lips. “Good. I’d hate to disappoint.”

  She squeezed her arms tighter around him. “You couldn’t if you tried. I just hope I didn’t disappoint you?”

  He held her gaze. How could she even think that? “You’re amazing, Summer. Even more amazing than I dreamed.”

  The way she smiled told him that she really had doubted. He kissed her lips again and then rolled to the side. “Amazing.”

  She snuggled into his side and rested her head on his chest. It felt so natural, so right, to just lie there with her. They didn’t need words. Not after what they’d just shared. He twirled a strand of her hair around his finger as he stared up at the ceiling.

  “What are you thinking?”

  He smiled to himself, wondering if he should tell her.

  “What?” she asked. He could hear the smile in her voice.

  “Okay then. I’m thinking that I’m an idiot.”

  “You are not! Why would you even think that?

  He chuckled. “Because tonight I’m staring at the ceiling lying here naked with you after we just made love, and I’m thinking about what an idiot I’ve been to have wasted so many nights up till now staring at the ceiling by myself while you were lying in the next room.”

  She chuckled, too. “Hmm, I do see your point. But you’re definitely not an idiot. Just promise me one thing?”

  “What’s that?”

  “That we won’t waste any more nights staring at the ceiling alone?”

  “Promise,” he said. He didn’t smile though. He didn’t smile because she’d just reminded him that they would have precious few nights together and he really couldn
’t afford to waste any of them.

  Chapter Twelve

  Summer opened her eyes and smiled. She was still nestled into Carter’s side with her head on his chest and her arm across his abs. He was still sleeping. She snuggled in closer. Loving the feel of him. Finally, he was here! He’d made love to her and he’d stayed with her—right here in her bed—and nothing had ever felt so right! She looked up at his handsome face, relaxed as he slept. He was beautiful! That may not be a word she’d normally associate with a man, but he was!

  It was almost light, but she was done sleeping, she knew that much. Carter stirred and opened his eyes. He smiled and his arm tightened around her.

  “G’mornin’, darlin’.”

  She smiled back. She loved the way he called her that. “Good morning yourself.”

  “It is! The best morning ever.”

  She chuckled. “Glad to hear it. Do you have any ideas what you’d like to do with it?”

  He rolled onto his side and propped himself up on his elbow to smile down at her. “I reckon I could come up with something.”

  He put his hand on her shoulder and ran it down her arm sending shivers racing through her. She was glad that now the waiting was over, he seemed keen to make up for lost time. “Oh yeah? And what might that be?”

  He raised an eyebrow and lay back down on his back. “I thought maybe I could take you for a ride.”

  It was her turn to prop herself up and look down at him. “A ride? You mean out in the mountains? On Lola?”

  He smiled. “Maybe later.” He caught hold of her hand and guided it under the sheet. He was hot and hard and very much awake. “But for now I was thinking more of a ride right here, on this.”