Her Cowboy Hero (The Colorado Cades)

by Tanya Michaels

  She nodded. “Upstairs?”

  His self-control lasted only until they reached the hallway at the top of the stairs. He backed her against the wall, holding her hands on each side of her head, fingers laced together, and devoured her with kisses. When he nipped at her throat, she arched her neck to give him better access. He released her hands long enough to remove her jacket, which crumpled to the floor with a soft thud. Her dress was long, but loose enough to give her freedom of movement. She hooked a leg behind his thigh, and he was cradled against her. For a second, he lost himself in the mindless bliss, rocking his hips and loving the sexy whimper that escaped her.

  They might have made love there against the wall if they hadn’t bumped a framed picture, knocking it askew and bringing him to his senses. His bed was around the corner and presented fewer safety hazards. He could wait the extra few seconds to be inside her. Maybe.

  He stripped off his shirt on the way. When they reached the side of his bed, he gave her ponytail a light tug. “Take this down?”

  She humored him, removing the elastic band with nimble fingers, and her hair spilled over her shoulders, framing her face. God, she was beautiful. He felt for a zipper on the back of her dress, but there wasn’t one. She gathered the material at the hem and worked it upward, revealing her curvy body one dizzying millimeter at a time. She wore a satiny black bra and panties. The deceptively simple lingerie was a lot like the woman—not fussy, but feminine and stunning.

  He cupped her breasts, running his thumbs over the tight peaks. She trembled so violently he was afraid she might stumble.

  She seemed embarrassed by the intensity of her reaction. “Sorry.”

  “Don’t be.” It was powerful, knowing how he affected her.

  She gave him a slight smile. “It’s been so long, I...”

  The last thing he wanted to do right now was talk, yet he heard himself ask, “Has there been anyone? Since...” It would be less complicated if she said yes. Four-plus years of celibacy was a lot of pressure.

  Yet when she shook her head, he felt a rush of fierce joy. He was irrationally glad she’d waited for him.

  He sat on the mattress and reached for her hips, pulling her into his lap. Unfastening the front clasp of her bra, he peeled back the silky fabric. He’d dreamed about Hannah like this, but the reality of her was incomparable.

  He trailed his fingers across her bare breasts, then kissed a path from her collarbone to one nipple, sucking hard. She writhed against him. They rolled over on the bed, Colin impatiently shedding his jeans with one hand. Earlier in the week, he’d given in to the impulse to buy condoms, then called himself a fool the entire drive back to the ranch. Now the small foil packets in the nightstand seemed like his most valuable possession.

  But first he needed to know that she was ready. Kissing her greedily, he lowered one hand to the slick folds between her thighs. She arched off the bed as he stroked her, her soft cries urging him on. The feel of her, the sound of her, was addictive. She tightened her grip on his shoulders. Her body stiffened and she threw her head back, her expression rapturous.

  He sheathed himself in the condom and slid inside her, momentarily overwhelmed by how damn good she felt. She tilted her hips, silently asking for more, which he happily gave. They moved together, faster, more urgently, until the pleasure blotted out everything else. His blood roared in his ears, and he heard his own hoarse shout as if from a distance. Then he collapsed against her, holding her tight as if she were the most precious thing in the world. The way he felt at that moment shook him to the core.

  They held each other in silence, and he was more content than he could remember feeling in over a year. But eventually, he was going to need to say something. He rolled away from her, uncertain. Most of the words that came to mind were too trite to encompass what they’d shared.

  He simultaneously wanted to gauge her reaction and give her space. If he was this dazed, what must she be experiencing? It had been longer for her since she’d been with anyone and, on the whole, women were more emotional than men. What if she—

  “That was amazing!” She sat up, unself-conscious in her nudity, and beamed at him. “We should do that again sometime. I feel...” She gave him a quick hug. “Did I mention amazing?” Then she climbed out of the bed.

  He was surprised by her agility. He felt so wrung out he could barely move. In disbelief, he watched her shimmy into her dress, not bothering with her bra. Her denim jacket was still out in the hall somewhere.

  He propped himself up on one elbow. “Where are you going?”

  “To bake.”

  “At this hour?” Shouldn’t she be mellow and sleepy? “You seem pretty keyed up. A less secure guy might worry you didn’t enjoy yourself enough.”

  She leaned over and kissed him soundly on the mouth. “Oh, I enjoyed myself. Twice! Good sex is just really invigorating, don’t you think?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “What may look like manic energy to you is actually a huge compliment, I promise.” She blew him a kiss, then she was gone.

  He blinked at the empty space in the room where she’d been standing a moment ago. Well. That was unexpected. No emotional drama, no need to talk things through, not even any freaking cuddling. He was relieved, of course, thankful she’d kept things so simple and light. It would be best this way for both of them.

  He turned on his side and punched his pillow, trying to get comfortable. She’d seemed so unbothered about leaving him mere minutes after making such an intimate connection. It was almost discouraging. Then again...at least he knew for future reference that they were on the same page. They could make love without his worrying that she had the wrong idea about his long-term plans.

  Maybe she was right—there was always a bright side.

  * * *

  IT TOOK ABOUT ten minutes for reason to catch up with the endorphins. Hannah stood at the kitchen island, eyeing ingredients that she shouldn’t have pulled out. Once she put something in the oven, she wouldn’t be able to go to bed until it was finished baking, and she’d barely had any sleep last night. Since she’d spent most of her day at the fair, she had a lot to catch up on tomorrow. You need rest.

  But she hadn’t been able to help her euphoric reaction. After a release like that, she’d felt as if she could fly.

  In the past, Michael had teased that “normal” people didn’t get that energized after orgasms. The way she saw it, her reaction was like a runner’s high. Except what she and Colin had done was way more fun than running.

  Still, now that a little bit of time had passed, she acknowledged that the wiser course of action would be to go to bed. She packed the baking ingredients back into the pantry and took a shower. Although the warm water helped relax her some, her mind was still racing.

  She carried her phone into the bedroom and texted Annette You awake? Almost instantly, the cell phone rang. Hannah grinned. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

  “Everything okay?” Annette asked.

  “Wonderful.” She scooted down beneath the covers. “Maybe that’s the problem—it’s been such a nice day that, subconsciously, I don’t want it to end.”

  “If you’re too restless to sleep, I vote you go upstairs and ask that cowboy of yours to do something about it.”

  “Um.” Heat prickled in her cheeks. “Funny you should say that.”

  “Are you kidding me? Wow. I told Todd the two of you looked awfully cozy during the fireworks display! How do we feel about it finally happening? Excited? Regretful?”

  How could she regret something so perfect? “I haven’t felt this alive in... Well, it’s been a while.” Satisfaction had given her a potent buzz. She felt womanly and desirable and centered. “But I’m really rusty at this. I may have handled the afterglow part badly. I thanked him, then ran off to make cookies. Is that weird?”

/>   “Yes.”

  “Annette!”

  “There was a hot naked guy in the bed, and you voluntarily left? I’m sorry, but that’s weird.”

  Had Colin wanted her to stay? Or had he been glad she didn’t stick around, crowding him? It was disconcerting, to have been so physically attuned to someone yet still be left guessing what was going on in his mind.

  And perhaps that was the real reason she’d sprinted out of there. Was she afraid to find out what he’d been thinking? If he’d told her he thought it was a mistake, she would have been devastated.

  “I’ve been single a long time,” she reminded Annette. “I’m not sure I remember how to do this.”

  “Colin’s coming over to help Todd tomorrow with that shed. Do you want me to ask my husband to subtly—”

  “No!” Having Annette ask her husband to do some digging on what Colin had thought of the evening, then report back, was immature, if not downright cowardly. “I will muddle my way through this without turning it into a group project.”

  “Fair enough.” Annette sounded disappointed. “Don’t overthink it too much, okay? First times can be awkward. Next time...”

  Would there be a next time?

  Colin had come so far from the haunted outsider who had changed her tire, but would he retreat after what they’d done? In the wake of their first kiss, he’d barely spoken to her for two days. It was possible he’d once again revert to a withdrawn loner. I won’t let that happen. He deserved joy and laughter and playfulness in his life.

  That rainy Wednesday night when Colin had first come here, she’d told Annette it was destiny, a sign that her positive thinking was working and that she could make the ranch a success. Which was a very self-involved analysis of the situation. Maybe fate had brought him here not because she needed help, but because he did.

  * * *

  COLIN SLEPT SO deeply that waking up was disorienting. He had to think about where he was and what day it was. But his first clear thought, aided by the wafting scent of coffee, was Hannah. Today was Sunday, which meant a big sit-down breakfast. After what had happened last night, he didn’t know if Evan’s presence at the table would make facing Hannah more or less awkward.

  There was only one way to find out, though.

  After a brief shower, he joined the Shaws downstairs in the kitchen. Hannah glanced up from the waffle iron when she heard his footsteps. She immediately looked away but then, resolutely, met his gaze. He could almost hear her inner pep talk as she told herself she had no reason to be nervous.

  Colin wished someone would give him a pep talk. He was nervous as hell.

  Evan, however, suffered from no anxiety. “Morning!” His greeting was crunchy around a bite of bacon. “Can we ride Viper today, Colin?”

  “Sorry, but I won’t be here. I have ranch chores all morning, then I’m helping your uncle Todd with a project this afternoon.”

  “But—”

  “Evan, stop talking with your mouth full,” Hannah reprimanded, handing Colin a cup of coffee.

  Before taking it, he ran his thumb over her wrist, needing some physical contact no matter how slight. “Thank you.” He glanced around the kitchen, unable to resist teasing her. “I was expecting piles of cupcakes and brownies.”

  “I did pull everything out of the pantry.” She twisted her lips in a self-mocking scowl. “But then I realized I was behaving like a nutcase, so I took a shower and went to bed. Sorry to be so...me.”

  He shook his head. “If there’s one thing you don’t ever need to apologize for, it’s being you.”

  Her smile heated through him faster than the coffee, and, if Evan weren’t sitting ten feet away, he’d be kissing her already.

  The phone buzzing in his pocket helped break the mood, and he retrieved it, expecting Todd’s call. But Arden’s number showed up on the screen, making Colin wince. He declined the call, knowing she’d leave a message.

  Watching him, Hannah opened her mouth to speak, then closed it. Then opened it again.

  “It was my sister.”

  She nodded. “I suspected as much. I just don’t— You know what? None of my business.” She handed him a plate with a fresh waffle on it. “Although, you did say yesterday you were planning to call her back.”

  Eventually, he would. Talking to Arden, however, was something that required mental preparation, like the Graduate Record Examination to get into vet school. There were trick questions and awkward fill-in-the-blanks where he struggled to find the words to convince her he was fine and she should stop worrying so much. Most of the time, that required a lot of prevarication on his part.

  Truthfully, he was doing better now.

  But if he told Arden that, she would want details, would want to dissect his life in Bingham Pass. Whatever was developing between him and Hannah was excruciatingly new and raw. He wasn’t ready to discuss it with anyone, much less Natalie’s best friend.

  He and Hannah had shared something important. Keeping it between them, protected from the outside world and isolated in the moment—away from painful pasts or uncertain futures—felt like the only way to safeguard it so they could enjoy it a little longer.

  After breakfast, Colin complimented Hannah lavishly on her cooking in place of other things he wanted to say but couldn’t in front of her son. However, when he came back to the house to grab a quick lunch a few hours later, Evan was playing in his room.

  Hannah looked up from the huge sheet cake she was frosting. “Headed to the Reeds’ now?”

  “In a minute. There’s just one thing I need to do first.” Gripping her shoulders, he bent down and kissed her. She melted against him, sighing into his mouth as he deepened the kiss. When he straightened, he said, “Your baking is the best I’ve ever had, but you are more delicious than anything that comes out of this kitchen.”

  “Flatterer.” Pleasure glinted in her bright eyes, reminding him of the way she’d looked at him last night as they eagerly helped each other undress.

  With effort, he reminded himself that Evan could interrupt at any moment and that Todd was waiting.

  “I don’t know exactly how long I’ll be gone, but I should be ho—” A pang hit him. No matter how comfortable he was growing with Hannah and Evan, this wasn’t his home. They weren’t his family. “I should be back by dinner.”

  “Okay.” Her voice carefully casual, she asked, “What about after dinner? Any special plans for tonight?”

  The smile she gave him sent need roaring through him. His mouth went dry, and he had to swallow before answering. “I’m at your disposal. Just tell me what needs to be done.”

  “Oh, I don’t know.” She peered up through her lashes. “Last night, you did an excellent job figuring that out with no instruction from me. I’m confident you will again.”

  As he left the house, Colin spared a quick mental apology to Todd. There was only one thing Colin would be able to concentrate on today, and it was not building a shed that was structurally sound.

  * * *

  A THIN SLIVER of moonlight shone through the window, lighting where her fingers were laced with Colin’s. They were both lying on their sides, with his arm around her. Hannah couldn’t see his expression, but the teasing note in his voice made it easy to imagine.

  “I should probably let you go so you can alphabetize your spice rack or spackle holes in a guest-room wall,” he said.

  Was he never going to let her live down that first night? They’d been together four times since then, and although sex with him still gave her an incredible rush, she’d never left again with such a frantically awkward goodbye.

  “It’s uncouth to mock a woman while she’s naked,” she said primly. “And for the record, my spice rack is already alphabetized.”

  That made him laugh, a rumble that went through his chest and vib
rated against her back. “You’re right, I shouldn’t mock you,” he said, not sounding the least bit sorry. But he made up for it by trailing his fingers through her hair. He toyed with the strands and massaged her neck until she was thoroughly relaxed and drowsy. It would be so easy to close her eyes and drift off for a little while.

  It wasn’t until she jerked herself awake with a sharp jolt that she realized she’d actually started to doze. She should be in her bed. What if Evan called out for her in the middle of the night, or even came looking for her? And heaven forbid she accidentally stay here until morning. It wasn’t just a question of what her son would think, either. She didn’t know how Colin would react if she spent the night in his arms. It would alter the pattern they’d developed, their unspoken agreement.

  During the day, they went about their work separately and kept their relationship scrupulously platonic. But she lived for that moment when, once Evan was asleep, Colin held out his hand and silently led her up the stairs. She hadn’t fully realized how much she’d begun looking forward to that until she’d come up yesterday morning to work on one of the guest rooms. The simple act of walking up the staircase had left her besieged with mental images of them together.

  And now it was time to go back down those stairs, to reality. With a sigh, she pulled away from him.

  He kissed her shoulder. “Leaving?”

  She nodded, half wishing he’d try to talk her out of it, at least for a few more minutes. “I need to go.” But it was getting more difficult every time she did it.

  * * *

  WHEN SHE HEARD the front door open downstairs Saturday afternoon, Hannah experienced a twinge of vanity, wishing she’d had time to clean up after the past two hours of painting an upstairs bedroom. She knew she had flecks of pale peach on her denim shorts and her arms. With the weather becoming increasingly warm, she was wearing a tank top. Her hair was piled on her head and haphazardly secured with an elastic band. It was not her most glamorous look.