Ric’s laugh was warm and inviting. “Are you kidding me? I loved it. There’s no reason to be embarrassed.”
“I just want you to know that I don’t go around kissing men I just met, okay?”
“So it’s just me, huh?”
Kate put a hand to her forehead as she laughed. “Yes. I haven’t done that in so long.”
His voice deepened a note. “I’m glad it’s me, and if you agree to dinner with me, there’ll be a lot more kissing involved.”
Right then, Kate wished he was right there with her because she wanted him to kiss her. What’s the matter with me? I’m acting like a horny teenager! “I’ll agree to dinner, but I’m not sure about the other part.”
“I can live with that. What time is good for you?”
“I’m leaving in about an hour.”
“I’ll meet you at the clinic,” Ric said.
Kate sat up straighter. “Oh, well, I’d like to go home and clean up so I don’t smell like animals.”
Ric chuckled. “Don’t worry, where we’re going, it won’t matter. I’ll see you at six. Bye, Doc.”
He hung up before she could object and Kate stared at the phone for a moment. Where were they going? She didn’t want to meet him wearing scrubs and Crocs.
“Jeans! I have jeans in the truck!” Kate stood up so fast that she banged her knee on her desk. “Shit!”
She always kept a change of clothes in her truck because she never knew what she’d come up against when she got called out to a farm. That way, she was always prepared. It was her saving grace right then.
Hurrying out the back door, she ran to her truck and retrieved the duffle bag behind the driver’s seat. Back inside, she ran into Robert Chambers, her office manager and best friend.
“There you are. I wanted to talk to you about one of our purchase orders,” he said.
“Oh, uh, sure,” she said. “Just be quick about it because I have a few things to do before I leave at six.”
Robert nodded. “Okay.”
He followed Kate into her office and they went over an order for surgical supplies that needed to be changed. Kate kept glancing at the clock on the wall.
“Am I keeping you from something?” Robert asked.
Kate gave him an apologetic smile. “Well, sort of. I’m meeting someone after work and I need to change.”
Robert lifted a dark eyebrow. “Oh, I see. Who is he?”
“I’d rather not say. We just had lunch together. There’s not much to tell,” Kate said.
“This is a big step for you. Are you sure you’re ready?” Robert asked.
Kate nodded. “Neither one of us want anything serious. Just some companionship and fun. We’re keeping it light.”
Concern shone in Robert’s brown eyes. “I think that’s a good idea. I’m not trying to be a killjoy. God knows you deserve some fun, but I just don’t want you to jump too far, too fast.”
“You’re absolutely right,” Kate agreed. “I don’t have the time or the heart for anything serious. I’m not ready for that. Someday, but not now.” She smiled. “But in the meantime, I think some fun is just what the doctor ordered.”
Robert groaned at her bad pun. “You need to brush up on your witty banter, Kate.”
“Get out of here.” She shoved him playfully. “I have to get ready.”
“At least tell me what he looks like,” Robert said.
“Blond hair, blue eyes, and a body to die for.”
“Like Brad Pitt?”
Kate laughed. “He makes Brad Pitt look like an ugly duckling.”
Robert’s eyes widened. “Holy shit. That hot, huh?”
“Yes. Now go!” Kate said.
Although she could tell that Robert wanted to ask more questions, he reluctantly left her office. Kate locked the door and quickly got rid of her scrubs. Yanking open her bottom desk drawer, she found deodorant, a small vial of perfume and a couple of pairs of earrings.
She was glad to see that the jeans in her duffel bag weren’t too wrinkled as she shimmied into them. Then she yanked the lavender cable-knit sweater over her head and settled it into place. Looking in the mirror on the back of her office door, Kate saw that her hair was full of static and stuck up here and there.
Grabbing her purse, she pulled out her brush and quickly put her long tresses in a single braid. She put on a little pink lipstick and some mascara and was finished with three minutes to spare.
“That’s as good as it gets,” she muttered. “Not bad. He’ll have to be happy with that on such short notice.”
Then she laughed at her grumpy remark, shoved her scrubs into her duffel bag, and tidied up her office again. With a last look in the mirror, she took a deep breath and left the office. She said goodnight to her staff and stepped outside to see Ric leaning against a tree close to the clinic.
The way he looked in his navy blue sweatpants and heavy denim coat gave her a fluttery sensation in her stomach. His choice in pants made sense since they would go up over his cast easily. No man had ever made sweatpants look so hot. Now she knew why he hadn’t cared about her getting all dressed up.
He saw her and pushed off the tree. Ric started for her and Kate wondered how he made moving on crutches look sexy. As he neared her, the predatory gleam in his eyes made the flutter in her stomach change to the kind of ache she’d almost forgotten had existed.
Ric didn’t stop until he’d slightly invaded her personal space. “Hi, Kate.”
Suddenly, she felt like she was sixteen again and had a huge crush on the high school quarterback, who’d actually stopped to speak to her. His bulk and the incredible way he smelled rendered her speechless for a few moments. “Hi, Ric,” she finally said, hating that she sounded a little breathy.
His gaze slowly traveled over her as though he wanted to devour her and her pulse rose. When he leaned towards her, it never crossed her mind to back away from him. His lips on her cheek were warm and firm and she wanted to feel them on hers.
“I owed you that,” he said, smiling as he drew away.
Kate hid the fact that her heart had just flipped over by chuckling. “I still can’t believe I did that.”
Ric said, “I didn’t mind a bit.”
“I’m glad,” Kate responded. “My truck is right over here. So, where is our mystery designation?”
“The Hamilton Farm.”
“The swanky horse farm?” Kate asked as she held open the passenger side of the truck.
Ric handed her his crutches and hopped up in the truck. “Yep. I used to work there back in high school and I’m still friendly with the family.”
Kate gave him his crutches and walked around to the driver’s side. “You’re not going to try to ride with a broken ankle are you?”
Ric grinned. “No. I’m stupid, but not that dumb.”
“What are we going to do then?” She started the ignition.
“You’ll just have to wait and see.”
She met his Cheshire cat smile with a scowl, which made him laugh as she pulled out of the parking lot.
Chapter Five
Ric was getting a kick out of Kate’s reaction to his secrecy. They were on Hamilton land now, traveling over a narrow dirt road as the sun was setting. The pinks, purples, and orange hues in the sky provide a romantic backdrop for the mountains in the distance.
He’d loved working for the Hamiltons, especially because they’d let him use their horses whenever he’d wanted to. Emily had always been thrilled when she could go with him to the horse farm to ride. He’d learned to rope on some of the finest Quarter horses in Colorado and had a pile of rodeo trophies in a storage unit out by the highway.
“Are you going to tell me what that smile is about?”
Kate’s question drew Ric out of his memories. “I used to spend as much time here as I could when we were kids. Riding, roping, barrel racing: you name it we did it, or tried to anyway. I can ride broncs, but I’m not as good at it as Tyler is. Emily used to be great at barrel racing and a fair
roper, too.”
“I’d love to see you rope. I love riding, but I’ve never roped,” she said.
Ric said, “I’d be happy to teach you.” He could think of a lot of things he’d like to do with her and ropes. “We’d have to start out with easy stuff and work our way up from there.”
“Sounds like fun. And I’ll teach you to hang-glide in return.”
Ric stared at her for a moment. “You hang-glide?”
She nodded and glanced his way. “Oh, yeah. I love it. Rock climbing, cliff diving, and kayaking, too.”
He’d obviously misjudged Kate. Apparently, she was a risk-taker and he wasn’t sure how he felt about that. “I never would’ve guessed that about you.”
Kate laughed. “I hide my impulsive nature when I’m at work, but I’m a true weekend warrior. I always have been. When other girls were too afraid to go on rollercoasters, I was the first one in line to get on the biggest, baddest coasters. I love amusement parks.”
“Me, too,” Ric said. “Looks like we have a lot in common.”
“Looks like.”
Ric had her take the next right and, they soon pulled up in front of a small cabin. Smoke curled from the little chimney and light shone in the windows.
“Who lives here?” she asked.
“No one. All of this land belongs to the Hamiltons. Us kids used to come here to hang out.”
“What are we doing here?”
“Stay right there.” Ric got out and came around to her side, where he opened the door. Holding out a hand to her, he said, “We’re having dinner.”
The curiosity in her eyes made him smile. He knew that she didn’t need his help getting out of the truck, but it was the gentlemanly thing to do and it gave him an excuse to touch her.
“I hope you’re hungry,” he said and motioned for her to precede him into the cabin.
*****
Kate didn’t know what to expect when she entered the cabin, but it wasn’t what she found. A fire burned in the hearth and two kerosene lamps provided warmth and lighting. She felt like she’d stepped back in time as she looked around at the rustic furnishings. A small table with a red-and-white checkered table cloth covered a small, square table. Three chairs were situated around it.
An old rocking chair sat in one corner, while in another corner, stood a narrow bed with an old fashioned wrought iron bedstead. A beautiful calico red, blue, and gold patchwork quilt covered it and a couple of open-faced cupboards took up the last corner.
Kate turned her gaze on Ric. “This is so charming. I can’t believe you did this.” It was one of the most romantic things a man had ever done for her.
His warm smile captivated her. “I’m glad you like it. We used to stay here when we were kids and people still use it sometimes. Have a seat.” His crutches made it a little awkward, but he pulled out one of the chairs for her.
Kate sat and watched as he sat in another chair. He reached under the table and pulled out a large picnic basket. She’d been looking around at the quaint furnishings too much to have noticed it before.
From the basket he removed a bottle of red wine and two wine glasses and several covered platters. She watched in amazement as he uncovered roasted chicken, Chantilly potatoes, and steamed broccoli. Fresh baked rolls were wrapped up in aluminum foil and he’d also packed condiments.
She laughed with delight. “Well, Mr. Stanford, you certainly go all out when you’re trying to impress a woman.”
“I don’t do anything halfway.” He was glad that he’d achieved his objective. “When I’m on a mission, I don’t quit until I’ve succeeded.”
The lamplight made her dark eyes even more luminous and Ric could’ve gazed into them all night.
Kate asked, “Did you cook all of this?”
Ric gave a self-deprecating laugh. “No. Cooking is definitely not my strong suit. Emily is the cook in the family and she was only too happy to help me out.”
“Remind me to thank her,” Kate said.
“Will do.”
Once the meal was assembled and their plates filled, they started eating and it was quiet for a little bit. However, it was an easy, comfortable silence. Ric watched Kate eat, finding it refreshing to see a woman enjoy her food. A lot of his dates were overly delicate about the way they ate.
He knew that it was because they were trying to impress upon him how womanly and desirable they were, but Ric preferred a woman who was genuine and down-to-earth. Most of the time he didn’t care all that much because he only had one goal in mind: sex.
His job as CEO of the New York office was demanding, to say the least, and he didn’t have time for romantic entanglements. Therefore, casual, meaningless sex was exactly what he wanted. A way to have some fun and blow off some steam was all he needed.
But as his dinner with Kate proceeded, Ric found himself genuinely interested in her as a person. She was articulate and humorous and he was captivated by her laugh. It had been a long time since Ric had found a woman he wanted to know more about.
He also wanted her intensely and by the time they were ready for the Boston cream pie, Ric was glad that his lap was hidden by the table. Normally, he could keep control of his libido, but there was something about Kate that kicked it into overdrive. He hadn’t felt like that since his teenage years. And Lizzie.
As they finished the pie, he noticed Kate fidgeting with her fork a little.
“Is everything all right?” he asked.
She licked her lips nervously. “Well, I couldn’t help noticing that you brought me somewhere with a bed. What were you expecting to happen tonight?”
Ric leaned back in his chair a little and smiled. “What I was expecting was that we could get to know each other better in a unique, cozy place where we weren’t distracted by waiters and other diners. I spend so much of my time in places like that and I was looking forward to doing something different for a change. Plus, call me crazy, but for some reason, I wanted you to see a small piece of my youth. Spending the evening with a beautiful, fun, intelligent woman was all that I was expecting. I swear.”
She sent him a flirty little smile that sent his blood pressure higher. “So you weren’t expecting anything to happen on that bed?”
Ric took a sip of wine. “No. Hoping, but not expecting.”
She swallowed and Ric wanted to bite her pretty neck. “I see. Ric—”
“I was hoping that I could put my foot up for a little while we watch the fire and talk longer,” he said. “I promise that nothing will happen that you don’t want to happen, Kate.”
*****
His relaxed, self-assured posture told Kate that he was a man who was used to controlling situations, but the honesty in his voice convinced her that he truly was letting her take the lead. What did she want to happen? He was so damn good-looking and genuine and nice…How was a woman supposed to resist all of that? Why would she want to?
Phil had been gone for eighteen long, lonely months. Wasn’t it time to move on? Kate wanted to move on very badly. She wanted to stop hurting and begin living again. Wouldn’t having fun with Ric help her do that? Damn straight it will!
Rising, she held out her hand to him. “Come on, cowboy. Let’s go talk.”
He took her hand and stood up, seeming to tower over her. The light in his eyes reminded her of the way a cougar watches its prey and she was his willing victim. She was surprised when he didn’t bother with his crutches and just hopped over to the bed.
The mattress sagged a little as he sat on it. His powerful shoulders bunched under his Broncos sweatshirt as he pulled himself back on the bed until his back rested against the wall.
He patted the spot next to him. “Come on. There’s plenty of room for you.”
Kate kicked off her cowboy boots and took off his sneaker. “We don’t want to get that pretty quilt dirty.”
“Good idea.”
The wine made Kate feel reckless and she wanted to shock him. Crawling onto the mattress, she moved across it, right
up to him and straddled his hips. His eyes widened for a few moments while she settled into place.
“Hi,” she said softly.
“Hi.”
She put her hands on his shoulders and met his heated gaze. “We can talk this way, can’t we?”
“We certainly can. What would you like to talk about?”
The feel of him between her legs was incredible. She’d forgotten what a heady sensation it was to be seductive, to turn the tables on a man. Leaning forward, Kate laid a hand against Ric’s jaw and brushed her lips over his in a teasing kiss that whetted her appetite for more. He smelled incredible, like chocolate with a hint of musk and citrus.
Hunger, raw and potent rose within her and she pressed her mouth against his in a firm kiss. Ric’s lips were sensual and warm, inviting her to deepen the kiss. Running the tip of her tongue over his bottom lip, she tasted wine and a hint of their dessert. Suddenly, she was voracious for him and demanded entry.
The growl that rose from his chest as he cupped her head and slanted his mouth over hers sent shivers down her spine. The thrust of his tongue against hers drove away all of her reason. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Kate leaned into him and moaned when she felt his hands settle on the small of her back.
She wanted his hands everywhere, wanted him to kiss her everywhere. Her hips hitched forward of their own accord and Ric must have recognized it for the invitation it was because she felt him undo the button of her jeans and pull the zipper down. She knew that she was moist even before she felt his fingers meet her slick folds.
“Oh, God, yes. Please, Ric.”
Opening her eyes, she met his intense gaze as he traced lazy circles around her sensitive nub. The cabin was stifling and she was suffocating in her sweater. She practically ripped it off in her haste to get rid of it. Ric was as carried away as she was and yanked one of her bra cups down as he continued stroking her.
His hot, greedy mouth closed around her nipple and she whimpered in need. Pleasure spiraled inside as he moved faster and suckled hard. Kate couldn’t keep still as she shuddered into a blinding climax. She fisted her hands in his sweatshirt and rocked against his hand.
Heal Me (Coopers Creek Book 2) Page 4