Her breathing changed as she rose on her toes and rocked her hips forward, inviting him deeper. Ah, there. Curving his fingers to stroke her G-spot brought a throaty groan of delight.
Her moist channel flexed and he pressed his thumb on her sensitive nub. For one moment she was as taut as a bow, poised on the brink, and then she came, his name on her lips as her body surrendered to the surge of her orgasm.
He held her until she stopped shaking. Continuing to support her with one hand, he reached for the valve that sent a spray of warm water onto them. “Keep your eyes shut,” he murmured as he worked the suds from her hair. He followed the trail of lather down her body, wiping it away with his wet hands.
He let the water run to make sure the shampoo was all gone. He wouldn’t have enough for his shower, but he didn’t care. When he was convinced she was rinsed clean, he reached for the valve, but she chose that moment to turn in his arms and wrap her fingers around his cock.
Droplets clung to her eyelashes as she gazed up at him. Her mouth curved seductively. “My turn.” She began to slide her fingers rapidly up and down as warm water sluiced over them, aiding her cause.
There couldn’t be much water left and this was a far better use of it than any shower would ever be. He’d been aroused ever since he’d started washing her hair. He would come quickly. She held his gaze as she stroked, and his climax arrived right before the water ran out. Shuddering, he pulled her slick body close.
He had no wish to let her go, but they couldn’t stand out here forever. With great reluctance he sighed and released her. He’d lost track of the time, but judging from the lengthening shadows, they needed to move along.
She gave him a lazy smile. “I liked that.”
“Me, too.”
She noticed the empty water bag. “It’s all gone and you didn’t get your shower.”
“I’ll take one inside.” His voice was husky, his body still humming. If they didn’t have to leave he’d invite her back to bed. But they had places to go and people to see.
“I love your solar shower.”
He reached out and combed a damp strand of hair back from her cheek. “I knew you would.”
“Tomorrow, you get to be first. And I’ll wash your hair. I promise it will turn you on like you wouldn’t believe.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, like my libido needs a boost. I’ve never had so much sex in my life. Never wanted to. But with you, I can’t seem to get enough. You’re amazing.”
Her expression grew serious. “It’s not me. It’s the tickin’ clock.”
He didn’t want to believe that, but he didn’t feel like arguing about it, either. “Oh, I’m pretty sure it’s you. Clocks do nothing for me whatsoever.”
“You know what I mean.” She smiled. “We—”
“Shh.” He laid a finger over her mouth. “I do know, and I think you’re wrong, but let’s debate it later, preferably in bed after we’re sweaty and satisfied. Right now, we’re expected at an engagement party. You don’t want to miss it.”
“Guess not.”
“If you don’t go to the party, you can’t show off the clothes you bought in Jackson.” He picked up her flip-flops and knelt down to slip them on her feet.
“When you do that, you make me feel like Cinderella.”
He stood and held out his hand. “And you make me feel like Prince Charming. Will you dance with me at the ball, princess?”
“Do you dance?” She seemed intrigued with the idea.
“Jack expects all his cowhands to know how. He claims it’s an important part of the cowboy way and should be encouraged whenever possible. Fortunately I had that covered before I hired on.” He gazed at her. “Do you dance?”
“I’m a Southern belle. I had a comin’-out party. Of course I dance.”
“Then we’re good. But let’s not stay until the clock strikes twelve, okay?”
“Will you turn into a pumpkin?”
“No. I’ll turn into a frustrated cowboy with an erection. I’m in danger of that right now, in fact. Let’s get you back to the trailer and into those new clothes.”
She laughed. “Okay.”
As they walked over to the trailer hand-in-hand, he wished they hadn’t done a riff on that particular fairy tale. It was all about a ticking clock.
11
ZACH DIDN’T HAVE full-length mirrors in his trailer, but he convinced her she looked like a cowgirl in her new outfit of jeans and a white stretchy knit top that showed off a little cleavage. “A sexy cowgirl, at that,” he said with a smile.
“Thank you.” She watched him finish getting dressed in the living room. It was the only place big enough to accomplish the task, so she’d dressed while he’d showered in the minuscule bathroom. “But I don’t want to seem as if I’m tryin’ too hard. My mama used to caution me about it. I have that tendency.”
His jaw tightened. “We all try too hard sometimes.” He fastened the last few snaps on his dove-grey Western shirt. “I’m not sure it helps to point it out.”
She thought about that. “I suppose not. I guess she meant well, but I used to get a knot in my stomach when she said I was tryin’ too hard.”
“How’s your stomach feeling now?” He unfastened his jeans and tucked his shirttails inside.
“Warm and happy. All of me is warm and happy watchin’ you get dressed. The only thing that would be better is watching you get undressed.”
He sighed as he buckled his belt. “Don’t I wish you could be doing that right now.” He opened a cupboard and pulled out what looked like a new black Stetson and put it on. “Ready?”
“Sure.” Oh, yeah, she was, but not to be with a bunch of other people. She wanted to have this broad-shouldered, sweet-smelling man all to herself. “Nice hat.”
“It’s my party hat. The gray one’s for going into town, and the brown one’s for getting dusty working on the ranch. This one’s special.”
“That’s a reason for me to be excited about going tonight, then. You look mighty fine, cowboy.”
He touched the brim of his hat. “Thank you, ma’am.”
“Did you practice that?”
He grinned. “I might have a time or two, after I bought my first hat.”
“Well, it’s extremely effective. It made my little heart flutter.”
“Interesting. Did it have any effect on the rest of you?”
She ran a finger down his chest and batted her eyelashes. “May-be. Wanna find out?”
“Yes, damn it.” With a growl, he set his hands on her shoulders and turned her toward the door. “Get on out of here before I forget all my good intentions.”
Laughing, she opened the trailer door and walked down the steps.
He locked up the Airstream but still managed to get the door of his truck open before she reached it. “I do love the fit of those jeans, lady. And the little sparkles on the back pockets make me think of things I shouldn’t, at least for now. Have you ever line danced?”
“No, why?”
“Because if you decide to try it tonight, you’ll drive the guys crazy when you wiggle those rhinestones.” He winked and closed the door.
After he rounded the truck and climbed behind the wheel, she glanced at him. “You’re good for my ego.”
“You’re good for mine.” He closed the door and buckled up. “I feel like the luckiest guy on the planet tonight.” He started the powerful engine and backed the truck around.
“Oh, Lord, I just thought of something.”
He stepped on the brakes. “What?”
“I didn’t get Lily and Regan anything. I probably should have. It’s an engagement party, so I should be bringing them an engagement present. I should have thought of that while we were in Jackson, but I didn’t. I was too focused on—”
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“Jeannette, it’s okay.” He put a hand on her thigh and gave it a squeeze. “Just tell them you wanted to ask what they needed and you’ll send them a gift from Virginia.”
“I know, but I don’t even have a card! If I had a card, I could write something like that in it, but I didn’t even get that far in my thinking. Sheesh.”
Zach put the truck in Reverse. “Let’s go see what I have. I’m thinking that I bought a box of note cards a while ago, a mixture for various occasions. I don’t write to people much, but every now and then I get the urge.”
Somehow, she doubted that he’d happen to have a note card that said Congratulations on Your Engagement. But he was being sweet and understanding, so she’d go back in the trailer with him and see what he had available.
Once they were back in the Airstream, he pulled open a drawer. “Yeah, here’s the box.” He opened it. “There’s one left, but it won’t work.”
“Why not?”
Laughing, he handed her the card.
The message on the front read In Deepest Sympathy. “I see what you mean.” She grinned. “But don’t give up. We could tear off the front if the message inside is ambiguous.” She opened the card. “‘May your memories comfort you in your hour of grief.’” She looked at Zach and they both started laughing like crazy people.
“Oh, yeah.” He gasped for breath. “Use the inside part. That’s so much better!”
“I can think of some couples this card would be great for.” She wiped tears from her eyes.
“But not this one. Sorry I haven’t solved your problem.”
“Yes, you have.” She smiled at him. “You made me laugh about it and gave me some perspective. So I don’t have a gift and I don’t have a card. But I’m here to give them a hug and wish them well in person, so what’s the point in a card? And I’m the gift!”
“Yes, you are.” He gazed at her with a soft light in his eyes. “You’re one hell of a gift. Let’s go to that party.”
* * *
THEY’D BEEN RUNNING behind to begin with, and the issue with the card made them later yet, but Zach watched in admiration as Jeannette shrugged off any trace of discomfort. She stepped right into the party atmosphere with her head high and a bright smile on her face. He stood back while she had a private moment with the honored guests.
Regan and Lily made a striking couple, with his Italian background and her fiery red hair that never seemed quite tidy. Jeannette greeted Regan with a hug. Zach squelched his automatic twinge of jealousy. She’d been Regan’s lover once, but now Zach was the fortunate man who shared a bed with her this weekend.
She was blossoming right before his eyes. Although he was happy for her, he struggled with the knowledge that she’d go on blossoming after she left him. Someone else would be around for that and yet he’d helped influence this massive change. That didn’t seem fair.
But if he cared about her, and he definitely did, then he should forget about what was fair for him and concentrate on what was right for her. Then he could send her back to Virginia with a glad heart. He wasn’t convinced he was that noble, though.
Regan laughed at whatever Jeannette was saying, and Zach felt another twinge. Envy gripped him instead of jealousy as he thought of all the years Regan had known Jeannette and all the memories they shared. She’d probably reminded him of some funny incident just now.
Then Jeannette hugged Lily. After more laughter, the two women started chatting. Zach caught a few words of it and realized they were talking about wedding dresses and veils. Regan’s eyes glazed over.
That was Zach’s cue to step up and shake the guy’s hand. “I’m happy for you. Lily seems like a wonderful woman.”
“She has to be if she’s willing to put up with the likes of me.” Regan turned slightly away from the two women and lowered his voice. “I heard that Jeannette’s staying with you for the weekend.”
He met Regan’s dark gaze. “She is.”
“In the Airstream?”
“Yes.” Zach braced himself. The guy was the guest of honor, but he’d better watch what he said about Jeannette or things would get ugly fast.
“That’s so...” Regan shook his head.
“So what?”
“Out of character.”
“Is it?” Zach’s hands flexed.
“Take it easy, Powell. I don’t mean that as an insult to her or your Airstream. But Jeannette doesn’t camp. Or didn’t camp.” He glanced back in the direction of his bride-to-be and his ex. “Maybe she’s changed.”
“Could be. I didn’t know her before.”
“She seems different tonight, more relaxed. The Jeannette I knew would have been mortified to show up without a card or a gift. Instead she made a joke of it.”
“Oh?”
“She told us that at the last minute you rummaged around looking for something and came up with a sympathy card.”
“That’s what you were laughing about?”
“Yeah. I thought it was hilarious, and so did she—and that surprised the hell out of me. It’s good to see her loosening up.”
Zach nodded, because he really wasn’t sure what to say to that. Fortunately he’d lost the urge to sock Regan in the jaw. Jeannette’s ex seemed to genuinely care about her, in spite of what they’d been through.
“Hey, is this a private conversation, or can I join in?” The speaker had a definite Southern drawl.
“Hey, Drake!” Regan gave the newcomer the kind of back-thumping hug that demonstrated affection while asserting manliness. “You know Zach Powell, right? Jack hired him about a month ago.”
Drake held out his hand. “Drake Brewster from Virginia. We’ve never met, but the rumor mills run twenty-four-seven in this town. I saw you with Jeannette a while ago and knew immediately who you were.”
Zach accepted the man’s firm handshake, thinking this had to be the strangest grouping ever. Here they stood, each of them with an intimate connection to Jeannette. But they couldn’t very well mention that. He wouldn’t, anyway. He searched for some sports-related topic but drew a blank.
Drake had a beer in one hand, but he seemed to be completely sober and every inch the Southern gentleman. The beer didn’t seem quite right. It should have been a mint julep, except the Last Chance didn’t tend to serve those.
He drew closer to Zach. “This is none of my damn business, but is Jeannette really stayin’ in your Airstream for the weekend?”
“Yes.” He took a deep breath and hoped Drake would mind his manners, too.
The Southerner glanced over at Regan. “Can you beat that? Our Jeannette camping out?”
Zach would have loved to take issue with the our Jeannette part of that comment, but technically Drake and Regan had more right to claim her than he did. They’d both known her since she was eighteen. He’d known her since yesterday.
“It’s hard to picture her in a trailer.” Regan shrugged. “But I think it’s great.”
“Oh, so do I. It’s just surprisin’.” He raised his beer bottle in Zach’s direction. “My hat’s off to the man who convinced Jeannette Trenton to camp in the woods.”
“She’s really fine with it.” Zach wanted to give credit where credit was due. These guys didn’t seem to know anything about Jeannette’s spirit of adventure.
Drake’s eyes widened. “Seriously?”
“She thought it would be fun.” In his opinion, it had shot way past fun and moved into life-changing territory.
“I’ll be damned.” Drake gazed at Zach with obvious respect. “My hat’s still off to you, because somehow you inspired her to consider that option.”
“I think she was ready to make some changes. I was just in the right place at the right time.”
Drake laughed. “That’s soundin’ like Lily. Doesn’t that sound like h
er, Regan? ‘When the student is ready, the teacher will appear’ and all that New Age mumbo jumbo.”
“Hey, that’s my fiancée you’re talking about.” But Regan laughed as if he hadn’t taken any offence to Drake’s comments.
Drake smiled. “I know she is, and I love her to pieces—in a purely platonic way, naturally.”
“Naturally.”
Zach was fascinated by the dynamic between the two friends. They’d been through hell and back with each other. Drake had seduced Regan’s fiancée. And yet they’d rebuilt their trust to the point they could joke about how much Drake loved Lily, but only as a friend.
Zach thought of his conversation with Jeannette on the topic. He still thought it was a tricky juggling act, but maybe a true friendship with a woman who wasn’t also a lover might actually be possible. Now that he was out of the hotbed of L.A., he might be able to explore the concept.
A woman called Drake’s name and Drake glanced in that direction. “Whoops, gotta go. Tracy’s summoning me, and when that woman summons, I respond immediately. Life’s easier that way.”
Regan laughed. “Wise man.” Then he turned to Zach. “What do you say we talk Lily and Jeannette into hitting the buffet table? And I don’t know about you, but I could use a beer.”
“Sounds good.” Zach relaxed. He’d wondered if he’d have to run interference for Jeannette tonight, but Regan’s invitation to share dinner had handled that neatly.
Regan might have been preoccupied with his fiancée and wedding plans during the past week, but tonight he seemed keenly aware that Jeannette needed his sponsorship in order to be accepted into this crowd. To Zach’s relief, Regan was ready to give it.
During the meal Zach got to know and admire Lily King, who ran an equine rescue operation on the outskirts of Shoshone. She and Regan had become acquainted when he’d volunteered his vet services there. Zach quickly learned that Lily was way smarter than he was and more generous toward others, too. He put her on his mental list of potential women friends.
And it seemed that once Lily realized Jeannette hadn’t truly been accepted by Regan’s sisters, she appointed herself the official Jeannette Trenton ambassador. Zach sipped his beer and watched Lily casually bring Jeannette into a group that included two of Regan’s sisters, Morgan and Tyler.
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