Her hat fell off—she didn’t notice.
Her horse stomped impatiently; she didn’t hear it.
Her entire focus centered on Josh’s mouth, his body, the wondrous sensations he caused. Heat suffused, hotter than the Texas summer sun. Desire raged, stronger than the most compelling hunger. Delight bubbled up and rushed through her.
She held on for dear life. Feeling like she was spinning away in a vortex of light and heat and air, she held on to him to keep herself anchored on the earth. It was glorious. The most wonderful thing ever to happen to her.
Slowly, slowly, he ended the kiss, pulled back just an inch, still holding her soft compliant body against his. Her eyes opened and she gazed into the molten steel of his. Had the earth shifted on its axis or was she the only one to feel like it had?
“That was nice,” she said dreamily, knowing her cheeks must be flushed with the heat that poured through her.
“Nice?” He grinned. “Is that the best you can do? I don’t think that’s enough for your book. Should we practice some more? I’ll kiss you, you tell me how you rate it. When you think you have enough for the book, we’ll stop.”
Her mind went blank.
She couldn’t rate his kisses. She could only feel the sensations so foreign as they captured her body and held her enthralled. If he thought she could think coherently after kissing her like that, he had a better opinion of her abilities than she did.
She took a deep breath to tell him so, but the scent of horses, grass, and Josh’s own masculinity threw her. She nodded and closed her eyes, opening her lips slightly for his next kiss. She would try to define exactly how she felt—
All good and well to plan to be analytical when being kissed. Until his mouth moved over hers, until his hands rubbed her back, moved around her ribs to cup the weight of her breasts and send shooting spirals of pure hunger deep in her body. She could not think, could not analyze, only feel. And the feelings were miraculous, amazing, truly amazing.
They were both breathing hard when he ended the kiss. “Well?”
“Very nice.”
He groaned and rested his forehead against hers. “What do I have to do to get beyond nice?”
She giggled softly and rubbed her nose against his. “I think it’s me. I think you’ve fried my brains and I’m stuck on that word. Really, the kisses are better than nice. I’ve never been kissed so—nicely—in my life.”
“When we get back to the house, I’m going to see if we have a thesaurus for you.”
“You didn’t think they were nice?” she asked in mock shock.
“No, I thought they were the knock-your-socks-off kind of kisses that have me wanting to rip this shirt off your body so I can feel your silky skin. I want to taste every inch of you, feel the weight of your breasts in my hands. See if my mouth on other parts of your body will drive me as wild as kissing your lips does.”
She swallowed. The image he painted in her mind sprang up as clear as if he’d already done it. But everything moved too fast for her. For a second she was strongly tempted to give in, but knew she needed to keep some perspective.
Clearing her throat, she pulled back a little, as much as his strong arms would allow.
“Maybe we should slow down a bit,” she said, searching his eyes. She didn’t want to disappoint him, but there was only so much she could take. She didn’t want to do everything today.
“This is slow,” he said.
“Not for me.”
Sighing, he released her and reached over to get her hat. Gently he placed it on her head. “You’re the boss. We’ll go at whatever speed you want. But you have no one but yourself to blame if I become impatient. Kissing you is like setting fire to gasoline. I want to explode.”
She beamed at him. “Josh, you say the most marvelous things. I can use them in the book!”
He frowned. “I’m not saying them to have you write them in some book.”
“I thought this whole reason for doing this was to help me with my book.”
Did he mean that? Was he speaking directly to her as a woman? Molly didn’t want to let the thought gain a foothold. She'd set herself up for heartbreak if she did.
He brushed his thumb across her damp lips.
“The idea is to give you some first-hand experience so your writing can be more realistic. But it’s also to have a bit of fun along the way—for both you and me.”
“Right.” Her smile came from the heart. “I’m having fun.”
“Sure, with nice kisses.”
“Very nice kisses. I’ll try to come up with other adjectives, if that would make you feel better.”
“All men like knowing their kisses are nice. Of course, I’ll have to work on my technique. I would like a wonderful or exciting sometime.”
“They were wonderful.”
“No changing things now. You said they were nice. I’ll have to work harder, that’s all.”
The glow from their banter warmed her heart. Josh’s sense of fun surprised her. In addition to being the sexiest man she’d ever known, he could laugh at her and have her laugh with him. Did he have any idea what he did to her when he drew near? His teasing delighted her, and made her wish they could be friends forever. She wouldn’t change things. If her book didn’t sell right away, maybe she could stay a bit longer at the Rafter C.
He pulled her hat down on her forehead. “Come on, Molly, time to ride.”
By the time they returned home, the sun sat low on the horizon. Josh had shown her the cattle and the calves. He’d explained roundups and branding, and how he culled the steers for market.
Molly had asked endless questions. While she wanted to learn every aspect of ranching, she also adored listening to his voice. She watched him talk, watched the love of his ranch shine through in his every word. And she basked in his attention.
“Thank you,” she said as they reached the barn. “I had a wonderful day.”
“Good. Go on inside and get cleaned up. I’ll take care of your horse.”
“I’ll fix supper,” she suggested, dismounting gingerly. Her legs felt like cooked spaghetti. Surreptitiously she clung to the saddle hoping Josh wouldn’t notice. She bet Gillian rode hours every day and had no trouble once she dismounted.
She frowned. She didn’t want to think about his girlfriend after the day they’d spent together. Not after the kisses they’d shared. Not after the agreement they’d struck.
He took the reins and nodded. “Something light. The men will have already eaten.”
“Soup and sandwiches?” she suggested, testing her knees. She thought they would hold her.
“Peanut butter again?”
Raising her nose in the air, she let go of the saddle and headed for the house, turning at the last minute and giving him a disdainful look. “I make wonderful peanut butter sandwiches, you should be so lucky to have me make you some.”
He chuckled and headed for the barn.
Molly waited until he entered before turning back toward the house. She’d take a quick shower and then fix them something. Only the two of them, it would be a nice dinner. Grimacing at the adjective she vowed she would come up with a whole vocabulary of spectacular ones to use in the future. She felt more than nice about the whole situation.
By the time she showered and donned fresh clothes, Molly acknowledged that she was so tired she could scarcely see straight. The lack of sleep the night before combined with all the time spent in the fresh air and sunshine riding made her wonder if she could stay awake long enough to eat dinner.
She didn’t want to miss any time with Josh, not after embarking on their experiment. And after dinner she might just take him up on that offer to find a thesaurus.
Molly thought to have a quiet dinner à deux, but she'd underestimated the draw of someone else's cooking to the cowboys. While they'd all grabbed something to eat, Jack came to the kitchen for coffee, Billy came by to see if there was anything for dessert. Trevor and Pete wandered in to see what kept
the other two and sat at the table enjoying a cup of coffee.
Giving up trying to get Josh to herself, Molly finished her dinner, put her plate in the dishwasher and wandered down to the office.
If Josh wanted to talk with his men, she’d work on her book. Flicking on her computer, she sat down with the best of intentions. But as she stared blankly at the words on the screen, she knew she wouldn’t get anything done tonight. She was too tired to see straight, much less be creative.
It was comfortable in the old house. In the background she heard the rumble of the men’s voices. Outside the wind blew gently, rustling the leaves of the trees. The clock on the wall by the door ticked softly. Maybe she’d close her eyes for just a second. If she didn’t feel more awake soon, she’d give up and go to bed.
“Molly?” Josh shook her gently.
Slowly she lifted her lids and gazed at him. “What?” Blinking as she tried to wake up, Molly glanced around. She was still in the office.
“Go to bed, Molly. You’re asleep at your desk,” he said softly.
“I’ll never get this book written at this rate,” she complained.
“You can do some more work tomorrow. It’s Sunday. Take the whole day to work on your book. No meals for anyone but yourself.”
She smiled. She wanted her hero to be just like Josh, with his sexy voice, his killer smile and his gentle touch and his concern for the heroine.
“Come on, Molly.” He scooped her up from the chair and carried her from the room.
“I could walk,” she said, encircling his neck with her arms and resting her head against his shoulder. Closing her eyes, she relished the sensation of being carried. No one had ever done that for her before.
“Aren’t I heavy?”
“Yeah, you weigh a ton,” he said, chuckling.
She pulled back at that. “Put me down!”
“So you can fall asleep on your feet?” he asked, beginning to climb the stairs.
“I didn’t sleep very well last night.” She gave up her token struggle and rested her head against his, closing her eyes, burrowing into the warmth of his shoulder.
“And we had a full day today.”
“Mmm.” Full and wonderful.
He pushed open her door and crossed the room to lay her on the bed. Molly kept her eyes closed while Josh pulled off her shoes and pulled a comforter over her.
“See you in the morning,” he said.
She smiled, turned to her side and promptly fell back asleep.
Josh stared down at her for a long moment, struck by the trusting way she slept.
He thought back to Jeannie and how she had calculated every move. At the time he'd thought her carefree and fun, but in retrospect he saw how she had manipulated things to go exactly the way she wanted.
If he hadn’t found her in the arms of that other man, he might have gone through with the wedding.
If he hadn’t heard her admit money was more important than anything, he might have been tempted to listen to her when she tried to explain the passionate embrace he interrupted.
Was Molly capable of such manipulation?
He hadn’t seen anything to suggest it, but she was a woman. It would be a long time before he trusted someone with his heart, if ever. And when the time came, he wanted a woman he could depend on. Someone more like his mother than this flighty daydreaming woman. His mother hadn’t forgotten to dry clothes, she hadn’t burned meals, or prepared insubstantial amounts. And she sure hadn’t gone off into another world when she had work to do.
He hoped Molly’d get started on her book tomorrow. The sooner she finished it and left, the sooner life would settle down again.
Josh left the room without a backward look. The desire he felt around her didn’t diminish. Her kisses were a curious mix of innocence and sensual provocation. Her wide-eyed wonder at the love play between them made him feel like some sort of superhero, yet he knew where that could lead, if he believed it.
She was here temporarily, and he was willing to play while she stayed. But it would end when she left. He wouldn't think that far ahead, but take one day at a time.
Chapter Eight
Molly woke late the next morning. Knowing it was her one remaining free day for the week, she took her time getting dressed, donning a denim skirt and a pink scooped-neck shirt. She wore sandals instead of her usual tennis shoes. She didn’t plan to go out to the barn and if she wanted to take a walk later, she’d go on the paved driveway.
By the time she ventured downstairs it was drawing close to noon. The house sounded empty. She fixed herself some toast and tea, ate, then wandered around the first floor looking for Josh. He wasn't around. Not that she cared.
She wondered where he had gone. Did he take a day off? Was he out on the range or in the barn? Didn’t matter. She wasn't going to seek him out.
Wandering into the office, she opened the window to enjoy the fresh air while she worked. On her desk lay a thesaurus. She sat down and drew it toward her with a smile on her face. A bookmark stuck up between the pages and she turned to find the word nice underlined. She smiled slowly when she saw the bold handwritten notes in the margin. See stupendous, mind-boggling, glorious, fantastic, phenomenal, extraordinary. Stunned, she stared at the bold handwriting. Was that the way he saw her kisses, or thought she should see his?
He was right, his kisses had been fantastic. Gazing out the window, she could clearly remember every second of each kiss they’d shared beneath the trees yesterday. Heart-pumping, toe-tingling kisses unlike any she had ever experienced. Her body tingled in response twenty-four hours later. The gentle breeze stirring cooled her heated cheeks. Her eyes closed as she relived their ride. Sighing softly, she opened them. Enough time spent on memories. She had work to do.
She began to type. Could she express on paper the kind of emotions she felt? Express so the world would understand the feelings that clamored for more of his touch, more kisses?
Could words she used capture the beauty of the day, how the sun had warmed the air and ground, how the breeze had skimmed across her cheeks, cooling the heat his touch raised?
Could she put down in black and white the feelings that threatened to overwhelm her when he drew her into his embrace or when his warm gray eyes threatened to swamp her good sense with the desire so evident she could see it with her own eyes closed?
She wanted to. But how could she put into words the wonder that had engulfed her? Staring out the window, her mind saw them together in the shade of the big cottonwoods, Josh’s hands tracing patterns of delight against her back, his mouth demanding a response from hers that she had never before given.
The clock chimed softly. Molly glanced its way, then back to the screen. She’d been there over an hour and not completed a single paragraph. Sighing, she began to type once again, trying to infuse her story with the delights she’d experienced.
At the back of her mind hovered the constant curiosity of where Josh had gone. From the conversation she heard in the kitchen last night, the men weren’t working today. Had Josh ridden out to check something?
Or, the unbidden thought crept in, had he gone to see Gillian?
Restless she took a break and went to the kitchen for a glass of water. As she drank, she noticed the blue and white truck was gone from its usual spot by the barn. Josh must have taken it.
Sighing softly, she put the glass on the counter and wandered out onto the front porch. She wished she knew if he'd gone into town to see that Gillian. How long had he known her? Was she pretty? Was she waiting patiently for Josh to get over his former fiancée’s betrayal, ready to step right up when he wanted to love again?
And why not? He had a perfect right to see whomever he wished. He had made no commitment to her. And Molly wasn’t staying for long.
Yet she found it hard to hold on to the thought. She didn’t like thinking that his wild kisses meant nothing. Though he’d been up-front with her that their affair would be of short duration, lasting only as long as s
he remained on the ranch, he hadn't said anything about seeing her exclusively.
It was peaceful on the porch. She sat back in a rocker, pushing it back and forth. Occasionally she heard a muffled thump when one of the horses in the corral kicked away a fly.
She could see for miles, endless stretches of green pasture, with the silhouette of the mountaintops to the west.
The steady motion of the rocker soothed jangled nerves. Slowly her mind began another exploration of her feelings around Josh Hart. She remained lost in daydreams for a long time.
Josh turned onto the driveway for the Rafter C in a bad mood. It was getting late and he’d spent the day in Texarkana, visiting his sister and her new husband, Jake. He’d left to get away from Molly, to give her the day free to write on her book. And to give them some time apart.
While physically he might desire her, he didn’t want her getting the wrong idea about a relationship between them. It was strictly a short-term affair.
But he hadn’t counted on thinking about her all day long. The drive over had been bad enough, though he had played the radio loudly trying to drown out her image that popped up tirelessly. But when Brianna cross-examined him on the new housekeeper, he found himself thinking of Molly even more. Fortunately, Jake had headed his wife off from her relentless questioning and for part of the afternoon Josh had put thoughts of Molly aside. Until he headed for home.
When he’d thought of Molly during the day he’d envisioned her working on her book, glad he'd taken off to leave her the time to work spending the entire day at her computer.
He pulled up into the yard near a group of his men leaning on the corral fence, watching as Billy did some trick riding. The stock horses had been moved from the corral, only Billy and his gelding remained, showing off. Molly stood in the midst of the men, laughing at Billy’s antics. And right next to her stood Lance McCord.
At the sound of the truck, Molly turned. Seeing Josh drive in, her heart kicked. She smiled and waved, then turned back to watch Billy lest someone guess how glad she was that Josh was home.
Reckless Heart Page 10