The Bridal Path: Sara

by Sherryl Woods

  Sara was in Jake’s arms before he could form a coherent protest. She was warm and trembling and dangerously provocative with her arms tight around his neck and her face buried against his chest. Her warm breath fanned over his bare throat and turned his blood to liquid fire.

  Jake sucked in a deep breath and framed her face in his hands. He leveled a look straight into her eyes. It was possible there was a touch of fear there, but what caught his attention was the blazing awareness, the hunger that surely matched his own.

  “Jake.”

  Her voice was whisper soft and filled with the same kind of longing that echoed what he was feeling. He tried one last time to steel himself against it.

  “Shhh, it’s okay,” he soothed and settled her in his embrace. Every inch of his body fought his attempt to pretend he was simply giving comfort.

  Sara shifted slightly until their bodies clung together so intimately that Jake moaned aloud. The last fragile bit of self-control snapped. He moved so quickly that Sara gasped with surprise when she found herself on the ground with Jake poised over her.

  “Last chance,” he murmured, his gaze fixed on hers.

  She responded by pulling his head down until their lips met. Jake couldn’t have ignored the invitation then, if Trent Wilde himself had been threatening him with a shotgun.

  The kiss quickly turned wicked and desperate. Even as he plundered her mouth with his tongue, even as he savored the sweetness, she was inartfully fumbling with the buttons of his shirt. Her touch on his bare chest made his pulse buck more wildly than any championship bull he’d ever ridden.

  Why? echoed through his brain time and again, until he shut off thought and succumbed to pure sensation. The skim of her tentative fingers over bare skin. The moist heat of her mouth closing over a masculine nipple. The silken tangle of her hair brushing across his chest. His entire body throbbed with need. He couldn’t recall ever feeling so much urgent hunger.

  Counting backward from a hundred, he tried to disengage from the demanding sensations, at least long enough to be sure that Sara was with him, that her body was as ready as his.

  It took only seconds to reassure himself. Her skin burned beneath his touch. When he slipped his fingers beneath the hem of her sweater and tugged it off, he discovered bare breasts. The nipples were hard even before he drew first one and then the other into his mouth.

  As if from a great distance he heard the soft rasp of a zipper and realized that she was shucking jeans and panties. She bucked and moaned with pleasure when his fingers skimmed intimately over her, sliding deep into damp, welcoming heat.

  “Please,” she whispered. “Please, Jake. Now.”

  She was already fumbling with his belt buckle. Jake gently shoved aside her hands and finished the job, shedding his pants in one smooth motion. When he felt her touch on the hard shaft of his arousal, his heart slammed against his ribs.

  Why? The question taunted him one last time, but he didn’t wait for an answer. It was too late. Nothing could have kept him from taking what Sara so willingly offered. Nothing, perhaps, except a change of heart on her part.

  He gazed into glittering green eyes and rubbed his thumb across lips swollen from his kisses. He’d warned her of who he was, just like he’d warned the others. Still, he asked one last time to be sure she understood what she was doing. He wasn’t sure if he asked out of honor or in the desperate hope that she would back away and save them both from making what was bound to be a terrible mistake.

  “Are you sure this is what you want?” he asked, curling a strand of red hair around his finger, then brushing it gently away from her face. “It’s not too late.”

  His breath seemed to catch in his throat as he waited for her answer. If she said no, if she changed her mind now, he might very well hate himself for the rest of his life for asking. But that would be better by far than having her hate him for not asking.

  All she said, though, was, “Please, Jake. Don’t stop.”

  She opened herself to him then. Her hands on his hips guided him. When he would have sunk slowly, carefully into her, she took that option from him, arching her hips until they were joined fully, deeply.

  Jake couldn’t recall ever fitting another woman so snugly, so perfectly. Nor could he recall a time when his movements had been so tormentingly slow, when the buildup of tension had been so exquisitely consuming.

  When a howl ripped through the night air, Jake thought surely it must have been the wolf once more. Then he realized that the sound had come from him just as an explosive climax shuddered first through Sara and then with shattering intensity through him.

  He closed his eyes, hoping that would shut out the emotions crowding through him, but it was a wasted effort. Something told him that Sara had claimed more than his body in the past hour. He was very much afraid she had claimed his heart and soul. The real shock, of course, was that he still had either one for her to claim.

  Chapter Six

  Obviously she’d lost her mind, Sara thought with a fresh bout of embarrassment as she fought opening her eyes in the morning. There were fresh reminders of her middle-of-the-night madness.

  Jake’s leg was settled across hers. He’d flung one arm possessively around her waist. His shadowed cheek rested against her bare shoulder. The intimacy was beguiling and confusing. When she thought of how she’d practically—okay, literally—thrown herself at him the night before, it was also humiliating.

  Where had she gotten the notion that Three-Stars could be seduced away from Jake? Just because she’d proved he wanted her was no reason to assume he wanted her badly enough to sacrifice the home he’d dreamed of owning.

  Not that he’d tried very hard to fight her off. He’d put up a token, gentlemanly resistance. It was probably more than most men would have under the circumstances, but he hadn’t exactly called a halt to the proceedings.

  Which meant one of two things, she concluded. Either he’d been lusting after her as ardently as she’d been lusting after him or he was just the kind of male who never turned down such a generous offer of feminine companionship.

  Judging from the rumors about the trail of broken hearts Jake had left behind, it was more than likely the latter.

  She went back to the original question. What the devil had possessed her to fling herself at him? She tested a few more theories, hoping she’d like them better.

  Maybe she had just wanted to discover whether their marriage would be more than compatible in one respect. That was a good one. Logical even. Not even Jake could argue with it. In fact, he’d already embraced that very concept when he kissed her the first time.

  Or maybe all those years of pent up longings had finally gotten to be too much to resist. She wasn’t as crazy about that one, but unfortunately it made a lot of sense. All that taunting talk of marriage had finally encouraged her to take matters into her own hands.

  Or maybe she really was naive and foolish enough to figure she could seduce Three-Stars away from him. Stupid, stupid, stupid! There was no getting around it. That was a game she couldn’t possibly win.

  Whichever motive it was, she had clearly wandered onto dangerous turf. While it was true enough that she might hold some power over Jake when it came to sex, she’d also discovered that his hold on her was just as powerful. She didn’t need a map to know that big-time trouble lay at the end of that particular path.

  Since he hadn’t moved in some time, she dared a peek at him. The sight of raw masculinity that greeted her gaze took her breath away. She’d always known he possessed a magnificent body. She’d even seen the rippling muscles in his shoulders and arms before as he worked around the ranch bare chested in the summer heat. But the combined effect of tapered waist, lean hips, muscular legs and stirring arousal slammed through her like a freight train.

  Humiliation and embarrassment be damned! She wanted him again, wanted him with a hunger that stunned her. When had she turned into such a shameless hussy? If she wasn’t careful, she was going to allow t
his consuming need for Jake Dawson’s body to cloud her thinking. She needed all her wits about her if she was going to hang on to the ranch. That was her number one priority and she couldn’t lose sight of it.

  With careful deliberation, she shimmied out from under him, alert for any sign that he was awake and not just having one heck of a hot dream.

  She was almost free, when his arm snagged her waist and pinned her in place.

  “Going somewhere?” he inquired in a lazy, sexy tone that rippled over her.

  “It’s dawn,” she improvised, feigning a carefree cheerfulness she was far from feeling. “We’ve got work to do.”

  “It can wait,” he insisted, his hand possessively cupping her breast. He skimmed the nipple with his thumb, sending shock waves all the way to her toes.

  “Oh, no,” she insisted breathlessly. “We have to stay on schedule.”

  He regarded her curiously. “Why the sudden worry about deadlines?”

  “I have an appointment with Zeke later today, remember?”

  “How could I forget?” He grinned impudently. “Don’t worry. I can make sure this won’t take long. We’ll get you back in plenty of time.”

  Sara scowled at him. “How romantic of you.”

  His expression turned serious. “Romance has nothing to do with anything happening between us,” he assured her. “We’re talking about steamy, mutually satisfying sex.”

  Sara figured she deserved that. She was the one who’d practically pleaded with him to make love the night before. It was hardly any wonder that he’d gotten the idea that she would go along with a hot, no-strings affair. Still, it hurt hearing him say that it had meant nothing more to him. That was yet another warning that what had happened couldn’t be repeated.

  She forced a nonchalant shrug. “Last night was a mistake. There’s no need to repeat it.”

  Surprisingly, Jake stilled. “A mistake?” he asked, his tone lethal.

  His demeanor radiated a warning, but Sara was too intent on escaping with at least a shred of pride intact to pay any attention to it.

  “Everyone’s entitled to one, right? I’m sorry if you got the wrong idea.” She leapt up and grabbed her clothes. “I’ll be ready to get to work whenever you are.”

  She dashed through the underbrush to the nearby creek and splashed herself thoroughly with very cold water. It chilled her skin, but did nothing at all to cool her temper or her desire.

  Still, by the time she returned to the campfire, she managed to appear outwardly calm. Jake’s grim expression suggested he was in as much turmoil as she was. He gestured toward the pot of coffee.

  “It’s hot, if you want some.”

  Sara nodded, took her cup out of her saddle pack and poured some of the rich coffee into it. She had a feeling, though, that mixing caffeine and her already jittery nerves was a very bad idea. When Jake held out one of Annie’s blueberry muffins, she accepted it, careful to avoid so much as grazing his fingers.

  “Maybe we’d better talk about what happened here last night,” Jake said eventually.

  “I thought we had discussed it,” Sara retorted stiffly. “What more is there to say?”

  “You could tell me why you threw yourself at me in the first place.”

  She shot him an icy look. “Excuse me?”

  “You know that’s what happened.”

  “If that’s what your monumental ego needs to believe, go ahead,” she snapped as fresh humiliation rushed through her.

  “It’s the gospel truth. I’m just wondering what was behind it.” He regarded her intently. “Or don’t you know?”

  Sara finally dared to look directly into his eyes. Rather than the smug amusement she’d expected, she found only genuine bemusement, maybe even genuine concern. She sighed. Perhaps honesty was the answer.

  “I have no idea,” she admitted eventually. “One minute I was half asleep, the next minute I heard that wolf and all I could think about was having your arms around me. It didn’t make a lick of sense to me then and it doesn’t now. Then one thing led to another so fast, my head was spinning.”

  Jake did grin at that. “There are some things in life that defy explanation,” he conceded. “I suppose we could chalk this up as one of them.”

  Sara drew in a deep breath. “I promise it won’t happen again.”

  Something that looked very much like disappointment shadowed his eyes. “Too bad,” he murmured. “I can’t help thinking something that spectacular shouldn’t be wasted.”

  Hearing Jake voice the very regret that had been ricocheting through her head all morning startled her. But she wasn’t the kind of woman who made love willy-nilly just because it felt good. Last night had been an aberration, not the start of a very bad habit. Or so she hoped.

  “I think we’d better forget all about last night,” she insisted.

  “Easier said than done, sweetheart.”

  Sara prayed that Jake was wrong about that. If she couldn’t forget how close she’d come to finding heaven in his arms, how would she ever say no to him again?

  * * *

  Sara’s lesson with Zeke was a disaster from the moment she first climbed into the saddle that evening. Her concentration was shot and her muscles felt like limp noodles. She’d never been more grateful that Jake had insisted on riding broncos, rather than bulls. A bull would probably have bounced her from here to Montana by now.

  The third time she slammed into the ground, her bones rattled so hard she was astonished they didn’t shatter. Zeke’s expression was thoroughly disgusted as he hauled her to her feet again.

  “Enough,” he said. “We’re just wasting time and risking that pretty neck of yours today.”

  “We can’t stop,” she pleaded. “I told Jake I’d be ready by the Saturday after Memorial Day.”

  Zeke’s muttered curse blistered her ears. “Why’d you go and do a damned fool thing like that?” he demanded.

  “He was getting impatient. He won’t wait around forever.”

  “He’ll wait until I say it’s okay,” Zeke said grimly. “So will you. Now git on into the house and tell Mary Lou I said to give you a cup of tea and some of her special liniment.”

  Sara started to protest, but Zeke had already turned his back and headed for the barn. He didn’t appear inclined to listen to any arguments.

  Groaning as she dusted herself off, she resigned herself to following instructions. All of this docile obedience was beginning to grate on her nerves. Unfortunately, she needed Zeke’s help too badly to tell him off.

  Limping, she crossed the yard to the back door. It swung open the minute she set foot on the porch. The cheerful, round-faced woman with soft brown curls who greeted her was a surprise. She’d expected Zeke’s wife to be as pinch-faced and ill-tempered as he was.

  “Oh, you poor little thing,” Mary Lou soothed. “Come on in here this minute. I’ve already got the tea brewing. How about a nice slice of coconut cake to go with it? Or maybe you’d prefer some hot biscuits with fresh-churned butter and homemade strawberry jam? You need to put a little meat on those bones if you’re going to be tossed on your backside half a dozen times a day.”

  She urged Sara toward a seat at the big round oak kitchen table. Fortunately, the chair was padded with bright yellow cushions. Sara wasn’t sure she could have handled a hard wooden seat just then.

  Since she’d never responded to the various food choices Mary Lou had offered, Sara was startled when a plate filled with biscuits and a huge slice of cake was plunked in front of her, along with a pretty glass dish of jam.

  “Eat what you can,” Mary Lou said, bustling around with the kind of spry energy that accomplished a lot in very little time. “Don’t worry about anything going to waste. This place is crawling with birds and animals just waiting for scraps. Zeke says they’re the real reason I cook so much food.”

  As if to prove the point, a low-slung hound dog inched out from under the table to take up a hopeful position at Sara’s feet.

 
“Ignore him,” Mary Lou advised. “He’s an unrepentant beggar who’ll take your whole meal if you let him.”

  Either she was hungrier than she’d realized or she was rising to the challenge of competing with that sad-faced hound dog for the food on her plate. The next thing Sara knew she’d eaten every crumb and finished her third cup of tea.

  Mary Lou beamed at her. “There’s more if you want it.”

  “No, please. That was plenty. I can’t thank you enough. I feel almost human again.”

  “No need to thank me.” She regarded Sara slyly. “Of course, you could tell me about this bet between you and Jake. Zeke won’t say a word and Jake just grumbles when I ask him. I’m dying of curiosity.”

  Maybe the food had made her mellow. Or perhaps she’d just been longing for a friendly ear. At any rate, the next thing she knew, Sara was spilling out the whole story of her desperate bid to keep the ranch she loved.

  “Oh, my,” Mary Lou clucked more than once as Sara talked.

  “The bottom line,” she concluded, “is that I have less than a month to get ready for this contest. If today is any indication, I might as well forget all about it now.”

  “Oh, piddle,” Mary Lou said. “It’s way too soon to give up. Exactly what does Zeke have you doing?”

  As Sara described the step-by-step attempts to improve her skills, Mary Lou plagued her with detailed, surprisingly astute questions.

  “You sound as if you know this business as well as your husband,” Sara said finally.

  “Oh, I suppose I even know a thing or two he doesn’t,” Mary Lou said with an enigmatic little smile. “But don’t tell him I said that.” She shook her head. “I just can’t help thinking, though, that it might have been wiser to choose a different challenge. Jake never lost a rodeo competition.”

  “Don’t remind me,” Sara said with a sigh. “But it was all I could come up with in a hurry. I figured he was too much of a gambler to turn me down and I was right.”

  Mary Lou looked thoughtful. “Of course, he did send you to Zeke. Clearly he wanted to give you a fighting chance. I wonder why.”