Riding Home

by Vicki Lewis Thompson

  She gasped. “Still cold.”

  “I’m working on that.” He licked away the little trails of liquid. A subtle change in her breathing told him she was starting to get into this.

  Picking up the glass again, he took a sip of champagne and held it on his tongue while he cupped her breast. Slowly he drew her nipple into his mouth and began to suck until the bubbles danced against her sensitive skin.

  “Oh!” She quivered in reaction.

  Swallowing the champagne, he took another small sip and treated her other nipple to the same experience. As he sucked, he reached between her thighs. She must like this, if her slick heat was any indication. And he’d saved the best for last.

  Taking in a last mouthful, he slid down between her thighs. She knew what he was up to, because she opened to him with a little moan of welcome. Sliding his hands under her bottom, he lifted her to the angle he needed. He lost some of the champagne in his quest but he still had enough to create a fizzy sensation at that tender spot guaranteed to bring her to the edge.

  As the bubbles worked their magic, he pushed two fingers deep and stroked her, lazily at first. As she caught fire, he picked up the pace. Within seconds she arched into his caress with a wild cry and the taste of her climax mingled with the tang of champagne.

  She sank back to the mattress and murmured a soft oath.

  After kissing his way back up her slightly sticky body, he gazed into her flushed face. “Is there a problem?”

  Her breathing was still ragged. “You bet there is.”

  “You didn’t enjoy that?”

  “You know I did.”

  “Then what’s the matter?”

  “I’ll never be able to drink champagne again without remembering this.”

  “Oh.” He smiled. “Sorry.”

  “No, you’re not.”

  “You’re right, I’m not. I’m human. I want to leave you with some indelible memories. So shoot me.”

  “I’ll find a way to get you back. I’ll make sure I leave you with some indelible memories, too.”

  He looked into her green eyes and knew they’d haunt him long after she was gone. “Trust me, you already have.”

  6

  ON SOME LEVEL Jeannette knew they were playing a dangerous game that could end in emotional disaster. If she’d had any sense, she’d have rejected his idea of one spectacular night together. But she hadn’t been able to make herself do the sensible thing.

  She’d spent her life being sensible, until the incident with Drake. Letting herself be sucked into that drama had taught her that she was itching to live a far less ordered life. But she wasn’t willing to repeat the kind of behavior that had wrecked long-standing friendships. From now on she’d consider whether her choices would impact others.

  Spending the night at this hotel affected only two people—herself and Zach. Apparently he was ready to teach her how to be less sensible, as evidenced by the adventure with champagne. She tingled with anticipation as she imagined what other surprises he had in store.

  Their order of club sandwiches and fries arrived quickly. She’d overridden Zach’s suggestion that they choose a gourmet dinner with the argument that it would take longer to prepare. He’d grumbled a bit but once she’d agreed to eat the meal in bed, he’d been fine with it.

  She’d put on the complimentary hotel bathrobe while they waited for the bellman to bring a dinner cart. The bellman left the cart in the living room because Jeannette hadn’t wanted to advertise that they would eat in bed.

  Zach began unbuttoning his shirt. “No reason for me to stay dressed anymore, right?”

  “Um, yes, there is.” She watched the shirt come off and gulped. “Are you planning to eat naked?” He hadn’t been kidding about the muscles he’d developed shoveling out stalls.

  “Why not? Aren’t you?”

  “I hadn’t decided.”

  “That’s part of the fun of eating in bed. Then if we take a notion, we don’t have to fool with clothes.” He sat on the nearest upholstered chair and pulled off his socks, which made his powerful biceps flex.

  “Take a notion? That sounds like cowboy talk.” Jeannette longed to touch him. She wanted to lick, rub and caress every inch of his muscled torso.

  “I know.” He grinned. “It’s not enough to wear the clothes. You gotta talk the talk.” He stood and casually unbuttoned his jeans.

  She, on the other hand, was becoming more agitated by the second. She took a steadying breath. “Zach, I think we really need to eat these sandwiches.”

  “I was planning on it.” His zipper rasped.

  “It may have escaped your notice, but I’ve been naked practically since we arrived in this suite. You’ve probably become used to the idea.”

  “I wouldn’t say I’m used to it. Looking at you still gets me hot.”

  “Exactly, but maybe not as fiercely as when I first stripped. You, on the other hand, have been mostly clothed.”

  “I’m about to remedy that.” He started to shove both jeans and briefs down.

  “Wait.”

  “Wait?”

  “I don’t think you took my meaning. If you shuck those clothes, I can’t be responsible for my actions.”

  A slow grin spread across his handsome face. “I do like the sound of that.”

  “But I really need to eat some dinner.”

  “Oh. So you’re trying to tell me that the sight of my naked body will be so arousing that you won’t be able to concentrate on your meal?”

  “I am saying that, yes.”

  “Huh.” He seemed quite pleased with the thought. “Do you need me to put my shirt back on?”

  “That’s not necessary.” And it would be a crime against nature. Now that she’d seen him without it, she thought he should make going shirtless a permanent wardrobe choice. “But if you could leave your jeans on until we finish the meal, I’d be very grateful.”

  “I can do that.” He zipped up and fastened the button at his waist. “Better?”

  “Yes.”

  “I guess I thought, since you’d already been up close and personal with what’s inside these jeans, it wouldn’t matter whether I wore them or not.”

  “It matters.”

  “Okay, then. Ready to retire to the bedroom?”

  “Yes, but I have another request.”

  “If you want to leave your bathrobe on, that’s fine. I understand your point about needing food.”

  “I think we also need a distraction. Let’s see what movies are available.”

  He gazed at her. “So you want to sit in bed eating sandwiches and watching movies? Like we’re roommates hanging out together?”

  “At least until we finish the meal.”

  “Are you a fast eater?”

  “Zach!”

  “Well, you said you’re a power shopper, so it’s a reasonable question.”

  “I’m not goin’ to rush through dinner so we can have sex.” At least not on purpose. But she really did want to get her hands on that lovely torso of his. She wanted to run her fingers through the chest hair that swirled around his nipples and formed a sexy line that disappeared under his waistband. After the meal was over, he could take off those jeans, too. And then she’d—

  “Jeannette?”

  “What?” She felt her cheeks heat. She’d been caught ogling.

  “I asked what kind of movie you wanted to watch.”

  “Oh, a comedy.”

  “Then let’s see what’s on.” He walked to the desk, grabbed a movie guide and flipped through it. “Would you believe the Sabrina remake is on right now?”

  “Then let’s watch that.”

 
He handed her the movie guide. “You’re in charge of that. I’ll bring in the cart.”

  “I know this isn’t what you envisioned, but—”

  “Don’t worry about it. My little fantasy will come later. I ordered us chocolate mousse for dessert.”

  “You didn’t tell me that.”

  “My little surprise.”

  And that was exactly why she needed to spend the night with this man. He was determined to blast her right out of her comfort zone. “I suppose you want to eat that in bed, too.”

  “And off each other.”

  He must be having an effect on her, because she was ready to forget about their club sandwiches and go straight to dessert. But she’d requested a movie with dinner. After consulting the movie guide, she turned on the huge flat screen in the bedroom and clicked through the offerings until she found the listing for Sabrina.

  If she were to apply the story line to her situation with Zach, she’d have to reverse the roles. She was more of a nose-to-the-grindstone type, while Zach was the impulsive one, at least now that he’d stopped practicing law to become a cowboy.

  She still struggled with the idea that he’d abandoned his profession. Society desperately needed lawyers who weren’t focused on earning big fees and winning high-profile cases. He could be as low-key and altruistic as he wanted, but to deprive the world of his ability as a principled lawyer—that seemed wrong.

  “Got it cued up?”

  “I do.”

  “I’ll put the cart on my side of the bed.” He started around to the far side.

  “Hold it. That’s the part that wasn’t baptized with champagne. I’ll take that side and you can have the other one.”

  He shrugged and steered the cart back around to the other side. “I’m good with either. I don’t mind a few champagne splatters. Speaking of that, do you want more?”

  “How do you mean that, exactly?”

  His sexy mouth lifted at the corners. “How do you want me to mean it? You might complain about spills, but I seem to recall that you had a really good time with the bubbly.”

  He would have to mention that episode, which reminded her of how his mouth had felt when he... She called a halt to those erotic thoughts. If she started remembering all the pleasure he’d given her since they’d checked into this suite, she would die of starvation. She’d die happy, but still...a woman could not live on sex alone.

  She gazed at this arousing, imaginative, challenging man. He would never let her get away with being stuffy and boring. He’d bring out the vixen in her. He’d awaken the rebel who wasn’t satisfied with the status quo even when she pretended to be coloring inside the lines.

  She faced him across the wide expanse of the king-size mattress. “I had a great time with you and the bubbly, as we established earlier. I have a feelin’ that before the meal is over, you’ll have changed my relationship with chocolate mousse, too.”

  “It’s my sincerest wish.”

  “I figured as much. For now, though, I’d like some champagne in a glass, please.”

  “I can do that.”

  He was as good as his word. Once they were settled on the bed, he handed her a glass of champagne without dribbling any on her. It wouldn’t have worked, anyway, because she’d decided to keep the bathrobe on while they ate.

  “Aren’t you warm in that bulky thing?” He sounded disappointed that she was so covered up.

  “Not really.” She wasn’t warm. She was hot, and not because the room temperature was too high. Every time she glanced at him propped against a mound of pillows, a shirtless fantasy man if she’d ever seen one, she wanted to jump his bones.

  She considered asking him to put his shirt back on after all, but he looked so comfy. And so tanned. He must have spent part of his time outdoors soaking up the Wyoming sunshine. Dear God, he was gorgeous. She forced herself to look away before she ruined the program she’d been so committed to.

  They each balanced their plates on their laps as they watched the movie. She noticed they laughed in the same places. When Greg Kinnear sat on the glasses tucked in his back pocket, they looked at each other and grinned.

  “You know what?” Zach kept his attention on the screen as he picked up a fry from his plate.

  “What?”

  “This is fun.” He popped the fry in his mouth.

  “I think so, too.” She watched him while pretending she wasn’t. He was absorbed in the movie.

  “I mean, really fun. I got so tired of the Hollywood scene that I didn’t want to watch movies anymore. And I love movies. It’s the reason I got into entertainment law in the first place.”

  Her heart twisted when she thought of his broken dreams. He must have imagined that working in Hollywood as a lawyer would make him happy. For some people, it might, but it seemed he wasn’t suited to the frenetic pace or the pressure to make piles of money. “Then I’m glad we’re doing this.”

  “Me, too. But just so you know, I’m still thinking about you over there naked under your bathrobe. That might be why this is so fun. It’s like an X-rated version of a sleepover.”

  “I like that.”

  “So do I.” He continued to watch the movie and eat his fries. When he was finished and had set his plate on the nightstand, he spoke again. “Is it okay if we pause the movie for a minute? This next part is great but I wanted to say something that’s been on my mind.”

  “Sure.” She put her empty plate on the nightstand, too, picked up the remote and clicked the pause button before turning to him. “What?”

  “I’ve been thinking about the things you said earlier, about having women friends I loved but didn’t sleep with. I’m not sure I’ve had close women friends, period. If I slept with them, sex was the focus, not friendship.”

  “That’s too bad.”

  “It is, I guess, but I’m still not sure the concept works, at least for a man. There’s always a sexual component. I mean, you had these two great guys as friends, but look what happened.”

  She sighed. “I know. Point taken.”

  “Maybe now you can be friends with them, but will you really be that close? Regan has a fiancée, and Drake moved in with Tracy. You may always be friends with those guys, but best buds? I’m not so sure.”

  “You’re right, of course. Lily is great, and I’m sure Tracy is cool with me, too, but...yeah. It won’t be the same. Lily will be Regan’s best friend and Tracy will be Drake’s. That’s the way it should be. I’ll fit in a different category of friend—still close, but not as close.”

  “That’s where I was going with this. I never thought about it before, but that’s what has been missing from every relationship I’ve had with a woman. We were lovers, but we weren’t necessarily friends. And that was my fault.”

  She couldn’t let him shoulder the blame. “I doubt it was entirely your fault. Each person has a part in building—”

  “No, it was my fault, and I’ll tell you why. We never did stuff like this.” He swept a hand around the room.

  “Sure you did. You obviously are used to sharing a meal in bed with a woman.”

  “But not while we were watching TV. Do you see the difference? We’re just sitting here and watching something instead of turning the meal into a sexual adventure. We found a movie we both liked and it’s been fun watching it together, right?”

  “It has, but I can’t believe you didn’t watch movies with the women in your life.”

  “Of course I did, but hardly ever for the pure fun of it. We knew too much about the industry, so we’d fall into the trap of criticizing this or that, and the joy would seep right out of the experience. Bad, bad habit.”

  “And not much fun, really.”

  “Not much.” He met her gaze. “And another thing. What we’re doing right now, talking about things that
matter. I never used to do that with them.”

  “Why not?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe...hell, it’s obvious, isn’t it? I couldn’t bitch about my frustrations with my job, because that would be a total buzzkill and destroy my precious image. So I clammed up about the one thing that was driving me nuts.”

  “And they didn’t get to see the real you.”

  “Right.” He stared at her, his gray eyes thoughtful. “And now that you say that, I’ll bet I didn’t get to see the real them, either. Lots of people wear masks in Hollywood. I did. I was the successful lawyer who drove a Lamborghini.”

  “Pricey car.”

  “No kidding. If you think that truck oozes testosterone, you should have seen my black Lamborghini. If I’d really fixed myself, I would have bought a used pickup. Maybe a faded brown one.”

  She reached over and stroked his cheek. “Don’t be so hard on yourself, Zach. It’s a beautiful truck. You don’t have to deny yourself all the perks.”

  “But it’s impractical as hell.” He caught her hand and pressed a kiss into her palm. Then he laced his fingers through hers. “If you’re going to drive on ranch roads, you need a truck the color of dirt.”

  “That’s not you, either. You have too much energy to drive a truck the color of dirt.”

  “Jack has a red truck. It doesn’t show the dirt nearly as much as mine.” He gazed at her. “And speaking of the ranch, I didn’t think through this hotel stay very well.”

  “I don’t know.” She smiled at him. “I think it’s worked out very well.”

  “Up to now, you bet. But I’m afraid I fell back into my old way of thinking once I booked a luxury hotel. I’m no longer a lawyer who can reschedule his morning appointments. I’m a ranch hand, and I have to be back on the job at dawn.”

  “Right.” She glanced at the time on the bedside clock and discovered it was past midnight. “And we’re an hour away from Shoshone.”

  He nodded. “Besides that, I’ll need to factor in dropping you at the B and B.”

  “What you’re saying is that we don’t have much more time here.”