The Cowgirl's Secret (The Diamondback Ranch Series #)

by Novark, Anne Marie

He'd wanted uncomplicated and simple; so had she . . . in the beginning. Tori sighed. Their relationship was turning out to be anything but simple.

  "I don't know what there is to sigh about. And what in the world do you need to sort out?" Raenell asked. "Sam Garza is one hot sizzling man. And he's crazy about you."

  "I know." And Tori was crazy about him. Crazy in love. But she didn't know if Sam actually loved her back. Not that it mattered. Whichever future scenario she envisioned, she saw no happy ending to her romance with Sam. She had four more years of school and being with Sam was too distracting. If she didn't watch out, all her careful plans for her future as a vet would be shot to hell. "Hey, we're talking about you and Joe. Remember?"

  "Right. Me and Joe." Raenell closed her eyes and sighed. "Joe's funny and quirky, responsible and hard-working. No matter how often I see him, it's never enough." She opened her eyes and touched her hand to her heart. "He gets to me here. You know? What can I say? I love the guy. I can't imagine living the rest of my life without him. Believe it or not, I've never felt this way before."

  "Well then," Tori said with a smile. "I'm truly happy for you. Let me see that ring."

  Raenell leaned over the table and stuck out her hand. "Isn't it gorgeous? Joe was so romantic. We went out to eat, and when they brought us dessert, the ring was in my piece of carrot cake. You know how much I love carrot cake. I took a huge bite and chomped down and nearly broke a tooth. You should have seen the look on his face. It was priceless."

  Tori chuckled and took hold of Raenell's hand to get a better look at the engagement ring. It was a large marquise-cut diamond on a shiny platinum band. "I think I'd rather have seen the look on your face when you spit out the ring. Oh, Raenell. It's gorgeous, just like the bride. So, when's the wedding?"

  Raenell pulled her hand back and adjusted the ring on her finger, admiring the large solitaire. "We're thinking late May or early June. Right after graduation."

  "Four months. It's going to be one busy semester, isn't it? I'll throw you a bridal shower, of course. Do you want all girls or couples?"

  "I'm not sure. I'll ask Joe." Raenell reached across the table and caught Tori's hand and squeezed it. "There's something more important than the bridal shower that I want you to do for me."

  "Anything. You know that."

  Raenell took a deep breath. "I want you to be my maid of honor. Joe's going to ask Sam to be his best man. You will stand up with me, won't you?"

  Tori returned the pressure of her friend's fingers with a squeeze of her own. "Of course I will. Oh, my God, Raenell! You're getting married. Tell you what; let's go celebrate. My treat!"

  Raenell withdrew her hand and shook her head. "Mind if I take a rain check? I promised Joe I'd eat dinner with his folks tonight. His mom is super excited. He's the first son to get married."

  "How many brothers and sisters does he have again?"

  "Seven. Four sisters and three brothers. He's the oldest."

  "That's a lot of kids. Does Joe want a large family?"

  Her friend stared at her diamond ring, a dreamy look in her green eyes. "We haven't really talked about it. But yeah, I wouldn't mind having a bunch of little Salinas kids running all around. Not if they're like their daddy."

  "Wow!" Tori said. "Raenell Butler. Married with kids. I wonder how many hearts will break in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex when word gets out?"

  "Hey now!" Raenell shook her finger at Tori and tried to look indignant. "Don't be mean."

  Tori sat back in her chair and grinned. "Just saying, girlfriend. Just saying."

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  "Go, Sammy. Go with your lady for Spring Break," Sam's Aunt Carina said. "Forget your worries and leave your madre to me. You both could use a little vacation from each other. And me, I will enjoy a nice visit with my sister. Isn't that the reason I travelled all the way from San Antonio? To be with Mary while you go with your lady?"

  Sam stared first at his Tia Carina and then at his mother. He'd made plans to go away with Tori and Raenell and Joe. Only now he felt guilty and was having second thoughts about leaving. "Mama, are you certain you'll be okay?"

  Putting on the brave face he recognized so well, Mary Garza sat on the sofa with the small dog Tori had rescued. "Carina is right. Go and have fun. Your aunt will take good care of me. You deserve a little fun, Sammy. Give Tori my love and tell her Poncho is happy and healthy. Now, I don't expect you back until the end of next week. Carina will be more than ready to return home by then, and you and I will get back to our regularly scheduled program of chemo and radiation treatments."

  "Only if you're certain." Sam leaned over and rubbed Poncho's floppy brown ears. The little dog had truly been a godsend for his mother, adding a joyful element to her otherwise pain-wracked existence.

  "Sammy, I'm sure. Now go. Carina and I have much to discuss."

  Sam hesitated only a second before bending to kiss his mother's cheek. "I love you, Mama."

  Mary cupped her son's jaw with gentle fingers, her brown eyes glimmering with tenderness. "I love you, too. Have a good time, mijo. Call or text to let me know when you get there."

  "I will." He moved away to give his aunt a hug before heading to his room to call Tori and begin packing for Cancun. Five days and nights on the beach and in bed with Tori had his heart pounding a mile a minute with anticipation.

  Ignoring the stab of guilt for abandoning his mother, Sam told himself he was leaving her in capable loving hands. Tia Carina hadn't been to Dallas in a while. It had taken some doing, but his aunt had arranged for the care of her two children still living at home in San Antonio. They were in high school and could pretty much fend for themselves.

  He inhaled a deep breath. A visit with her sister would do his mother a world of good. And getting away from it all with the woman he loved would do Sam a world of good, too. He would push all his worries away for a brief time and lose himself in Tori's eager embrace.

  Pulling open the top drawer of his bureau, Sam took out a small velvet box. He flipped it open and gazed at the two-carat emerald-cut diamond engagement ring he'd bought last week. A special ring for the special woman in his life.

  He'd never asked a woman to marry him before. Then again, he'd never fallen in love. From the first moment he'd laid eyes on Tori, Sam had been struck with lust. It hadn't taken long to tumble headlong into love.

  Neither of them had spoken of love or commitment, yet Sam was fairly certain Tori loved him back. He saw it every time he looked into her laughing blue eyes. Every time they made love.

  He snapped the lid of the box shut and stuffed it in his carry-on. He didn't know exactly how or when he'd ask Tori to be his wife--maybe on this trip, maybe not. All he knew was that without a doubt, he couldn't live the rest of his life without her.

  ***

  Tori leaned back on the chaise lounge dressed in a neon green bikini, floppy hat and sunglasses. She gazed out at the clear blue waters off Cancun. She had a margarita in one hand and the other was clasped in the strong grip of the handsome man lounging beside her on his own chaise lounge.

  Life was good. They'd spent the last four days snorkeling and fishing and exploring ancient ruins, while the nights were filled with dining, dancing and making love.

  Oh yeah. Life didn't get much better than this.

  After taking a long cool sip of her drink, she set the glass down on a nearby table and tilted her head to the sun. Tonight would be their last night in Cancun. Joe and Raenell had gone shopping and sightseeing, while Tori and Sam opted to laze around and soak up some sun. She looked up and down the white-sandy beach. It wasn't as crowded today, which was nice for a change.

  "Need more sun block?" Sam sat up and grabbed the tube from the side table. "I'll rub some on you."

  Tori chuckled. "You slathered me with it half an hour ago. I think I'm still good. Thanks."

  "You're good all right." He swooped in to kiss her hard on the mouth. Immediately, butterflies dive-bombed in Tori's stomach. She didn
't think she'd ever get tired of Sam's kisses.

  "Let's go for a swim then. I want to hold you in my arms. I need to touch you, babe. Now." He stood and held out a hand, his brown eyes heavy with passion. "Come on. Swim with me."

  She couldn't resist the husky persuasion in his deep voice or the heat in his eyes. "All right. You talked me into it." She tossed off her hat and sunglasses and placed her hand in his, reveling in the warmth and feel of his big hands. Heat skittered along her nerve endings when she thought about those clever hands touching her body, playing her like an instrument of sensual sensations.

  They ran to the water's edge and Tori took a deep breath, spreading her arms wide, twirling with joy. "It's so beautiful here, isn't it? And it smells so good."

  "You're the one who smells good." He stood watching her, the intensity of his gaze almost searing her to her core.

  "That's the sun block," she said with a smile. "Tropical fruit."

  "You smell good enough to eat. Into the water we go, babe." Sam scooped her up in his arms and jogged into the light surf.

  "Hey! Put me down!" Tori laughed with a half-hearted protest, then gave herself up to the wonder of being held in Sam's embrace. She draped her arms around his powerful neck; his hard muscles rippled beneath her fingers.

  "I have a better idea," he said in her ear. "Hold on tight. Don't let go."

  "What are you going to do?"

  "You'll like it, I promise." He smiled that lethal smile that made Tori turn all mushy inside.

  "You better not throw me in like you did yesterday, mister."

  "Hey, that was an accident. I tripped, okay?"

  Tori snorted. "Right. Like I believe that."

  He laughed and kissed her, and she tightened her hold, relishing the feel of his arms carrying her so effortlessly. Sam waded out into the turquoise blue water until they were immersed chest deep. The water sloshed on Tori's bare skin, the sun burned high in the cloudless sky.

  "Ready?" That smooth low voice washed over her, encasing her in Sam's warm desire. With their heads almost level, Tori stared into his dark brown eyes, feeling his gaze touch her deep down inside.

  She licked her lips and nodded. She was ready all right. For anything Sam threw her way. Well, almost anything.

  "Hold on, babe." He adjusted her position, hooking his hands on her thighs as he slid her down his torso, her legs spread wide, the friction utterly delicious, utterly sensual. He cupped her butt and held her against him until she came to rest on his very hard, very aroused shaft.

  Tori locked her legs around his waist, bringing them closer together. He rocked his lower body against her, only two thin layers of wet swimsuit fabric keeping them apart.

  The breath caught in Tori's throat and she swallowed hard. Even though they'd made love that morning, the desire and passion exploded between them like a match to tinder.

  Secure in Sam's strong embrace, Tori put both hands on his smoothly shaven jaw and pulled his head down for a kiss, moving her lower body in sync with the rolling surf. Sam's hands tightened on her butt, squeezing and kneading her firm flesh. He held her closer, angling his head, diving his tongue into her mouth, devouring her in a savage kiss.

  The froth of the surf gently crashed against them, bumping them closer together, creating a rhythm not unlike the rhythm of making love. Each soft thump produced exquisite pleasure as their bodies jammed into each other again and again, with Tori's legs stretched wide, nestling her intimately against Sam's hard shaft.

  Pure sensation teased and tortured her, making her almost frantic with yearning. She buried her fingers in Sam's damp black hair, holding his head for better access and deeper penetration of tongue in mouth.

  After a moment of pure bliss, he pulled back. "Watch my hand, babe. And keep holding on tight."

  Tori blinked and looked down between their two bodies. She felt one of Sam's hands leave her butt, trailing a heated path with his blunt fingertips up her ribcage until he reached her chest. He eased the swimsuit top out of the way, exposing the sensitive aching flesh of one breast.

  She stole a glance at his chiseled face. The pupils in his eyes dilated as he gazed down at her chest. Tori watched as he palmed her breast, caressing her almost reverently. Her nipple puckered and she arched her back, begging for more of his touch. Softly, she cried out in pleasure when he rubbed the taut bead between his finger and thumb. He swallowed her moan with another searing kiss.

  Sam braced his legs as he held Tori in his arms, the apex of her thighs lodged against his throbbing groin. He really hadn't thought this interlude through, because no way could he take her out here in public. Even though the usual crowd seemed to have dispersed, he didn't have any protection with him and he couldn't risk it. Wouldn't risk it.

  Surrounded by the clear blue water, he continued kneading the soft flesh of one rounded breast, brushing the nipple back and forth with his thumb, and trying like hell not to lose his balance in the increasing strength of the surf.

  He would have to call a halt in a minute. But Tori felt so good in his arms, beneath his hands. Her hot woman's flesh pressed so tightly against him he thought he might explode any minute.

  "Sam . . . please . . . I need . . ."

  Damn. Tori's body was undulating against him, her head thrown back, her hands on his shoulders, her breath panting in and out. She had to be on the verge of climax.

  "Sam!"

  "I've got you, babe." It still amazed him how responsive she was to his caresses. He grabbed her butt with both hands, easing one hand beneath the elastic of her bikini bottoms. With infinite precision, he found her most intimate flesh and touched it gently with his thumb.

  "Oh, God . . . Oh, God yes!" Tori closed her eyes and bit her lip, riding against his thumb, moving up and down, up and down. Her breasts jiggled as she strained against him, stretching, seeking, searching for that ultimate release. She groaned low in her throat, her fingers digging into his shoulder blades.

  Sam groaned, too, as he watched the woman in his arms ignite into a frenzied orgasm. He slipped his finger inside her slick channel and pushed against her mound, swallowing her cry of pleasure in a deep hard kiss.

  Removing his hand, he clasped her butt again, nudging his body against hers, milking the final tremors of her climax. Tori's head fell against his shoulder, her breathing ragged in his ear, her body still riding low against his.

  When she bit and sucked the sensitive skin of his collarbone, all thought flew out of Sam's mind along with his control. He pulled her closer, squeezing her butt, grinding himself against her heat.

  "Your turn," she whispered in his ear. She moved her hand beneath the waistband of his swim trunks and wrapped her fingers around him.

  One, two, three strokes and he exploded in his own orgasmic release, spilling his seed into the frothy surf surrounding them. When the last quivers finally died away, Sam lifted Tori in his arms and turned to walk back to shore.

  No words were spoken; no words were needed.

  ***

  Two weeks later, Tori looked in horror at the low grade on the essay she'd written the week before. A big red D in the top right-hand corner of the computer-generated page glared brightly back at her, highlighting the other red marks bleeding all over the paper.

  What in the world was wrong with her? She was a good student and made good grades. She'd been on the honor roll in elementary school, NJHS in middle school and the president of the NHS in high school. She'd been a National Merit Semifinalist. She'd won scholarships to UTD and made the Dean's List every semester three years running.

  What the hell had happened?

  Tori folded the essay and stuffed it in her bag. She knew what had happened. She knew damn well what had happened. Sam Garza. That's what had happened.

  She couldn't ignore the situation any longer. Sam was derailing all of her ambitions and goals. Not him, exactly; but the distraction he was to her. He was distracting her from everything that should be top priority in her life right now. He w
as a distraction she couldn't afford.

  If she didn't do something quick, she might lose her chance to get into Texas A&M. Lose her chance to study to be a vet. She couldn't afford to let her grades slide. Couldn't afford to let her dreams slide away, either.

  Tori walked across campus to the parking lot where she'd left her car. She was so close to realizing her life-long ambitions. Or more to the point, she was ready to begin the last phase to make her dream into reality.

  She could not fail, damn it. She would not fail.

  For three years, she'd stayed focused with her eye always on the goal. She'd worked hard to get where she was, and if she weren't careful, she was going to lose it all.

  Tori jerked open her car door and threw her bag inside before climbing in. She stabbed the key into the ignition and started the car, flipping on the air conditioner. It was already feeling like summer and it was only the first week of April.

  With the motor running, Tori sat in the car and let the cool air flow over her. There wasn't much time left to switch gears and get back on track.

  Her chest ached and her stomach clenched painfully when she thought about what she needed to do. Gripping the steering wheel tightly, Tori leaned her head back against the headrest. Her vision quickly blurred as she blinked back tears.

  She was going to have to break up with Sam.

  Pain sliced through her like a knife to the heart. She'd let Sam sweep her off her feet and into his bed. He'd taken her virginity and stolen her heart. She didn't know how she'd get along without him, but she could not let him or anyone keep her from reaching her ultimate goal.

  She rocked back and forth in the driver's seat as she cried in anguish. Tears ran down her cheeks, and she hiccupped with the sobs wracking her body and wrenching her soul. If she broke up with Sam, part of her would shrivel up and die. Yet if she gave up her dreams . . .

  She desperately tried, but couldn't imagine a workable future with Sam in the picture. To achieve the life and future she was working so hard toward--did not, could not, include Sam Garza. Not for a while anyway.

  She squeezed the steering wheel so hard her knuckles hurt. Would he wait for her? He'd never said he loved her. She hadn't told him how she felt, either. They'd wanted to keep it simple and uncomplicated.