Her heart dropped. Well, what had she expected? They’d shared a mutual attraction, not an exclusive relationship. She clamped her teeth together. It hurt thinking about him with other women.
Lord, she was a fool. Deke wasn’t sitting in some hotel room pining for her, was he? No, he was out enjoying himself. And she was wasting precious time and energy thinking about him.
Still, she couldn’t seem to stop.
As she watched Matthew drive away late in the afternoon, Mary Beth heard the phone ring. The sun had already begun to set, and she suspected that it was Catherine, Matthew’s mother, wondering if her son was on his way home.
But it wasn’t Catherine’s voice she heard when she answered the phone. Instead, Deke greeted her with his usual teasing manner.
“Hey, sweetheart. Missing me?”
Mary Beth didn’t answer. She couldn’t. Her entire body had gone still.
Get a grip!
“Hello?”
“I’m here, Deke,” she said, straining to keep her tone even and not let him know how thrilled she was just to hear his voice. “How are you?”
“Tired. I’ve been competing for the past few nights. By the time I get in, it’s late. I wasn’t sure when to call because I didn’t want to wake you.”
“I’m usually in bed early,” she agreed, trying not to react to the warmth of his tone.
“How are you?”
Mary Beth sat in a kitchen chair and propped her feet on another, knees bent. “I’m doing okay.” Well, she was, except that her heart was beating a mile a minute. “Did you know that Matthew is working for me a few hours each day?”
“Yeah, I talked to Jake a few minutes ago. How’s Matt doing?”
“It’s wonderful having him here. He’s been a lot of help. We started bringing in the calves.”
“Sounds like a busy day.”
Gnawing on her lip, Mary Beth hesitated, then said, “I’d better let you go. I’m sure you’re tired. I know I am.” She thought it best to keep their conversation short. Otherwise she was going to blurt how much she missed him.
“Okay, I’ll let you go, then.”
She whispered goodbye, then hung up the phone, feeling ridiculously weepy. Hearing Deke’s voice had been torment. She had to stop thinking about him every waking moment. She couldn’t give him the power to break her heart.
Over the next couple of weeks Matt helped her finish separating the spring calves from their mothers. Together they managed to get them weighed. Mary Beth didn’t know what she would have done without him or his company.
Deke called a few times, but she kept to her decision and talked with him briefly. She wasn’t going to pine away for him. She already cared about him too much as it was. This time when he left, he’d break what was left of her heart.
As if her heart was her biggest problem at this point. The ranch was in deeper trouble than she’d thought. Though she’d sold the largest part of her herd, she was still a thousand dollars short of paying the mortgage.
She had no idea how in the world she was going to come up with the money. She rubbed her temple as her head began to throb. If she didn’t scrape up that last thousand, she was going to lose the ranch.
Mary Beth dropped her head in her hands. What was she going to do now?
Eight
D eke didn’t know what in the world was wrong with Mary Beth, but he was determined to find out. He took the turn to Paradise a little faster than the narrow road allowed. The truck kicked up gravel and clouds of dust, then he brought it back under tight control.
For the past couple of weeks he’d had a hard time concentrating on bull riding. Hell, last night he’d earned his lowest score ever! He had Mary Beth to thank for that. Thinking about her consumed all of his thoughts. He missed her. And he worried about her, dammit!
Though Matt was working a few hours a day, the rest of the time Mary Beth was alone to handle everything else on her own. There was plenty of hard, dirty work on a ranch—more than any woman should have to handle alone.
Deke thrummed his fingers on the steering wheel as he tried to analyze his feelings for her. From the first time they’d made love, he’d known she was a threat to his heart in a way no other woman had been. Even now, when his mind should be on the rodeo, all he could think about was her.
When you’re on the back of a raging bull, the last thing you should be thinking about is a knockout redhead with a smart mouth and a sassy attitude.
It was a miracle that he hadn’t been killed.
Maybe he would have had better luck competing if Mary Beth had paid him a little attention when he called her. It would’ve set his mind at ease to know that she’d been thinking about him, too.
Did she think about him at all? Did she lie awake at night and wish he was there with her, making love to her?
Hell if he knew. He’d made a special effort to stay in touch with her, wanting to hear her voice. But she’d kept their conversations brief and impersonal. She’d always seemed in a hurry to end his call, like she didn’t have time for him.
Well, he’d had enough. If she didn’t want to hear from him, all she had to do was say so. He could take it.
Yeah, right. So why are you making a pit stop at her house?
Deke shook his head. He’d talked with Matt several times since his nephew started working for her. At first he’d been relieved that Matt was there watching out for her part of the time. But almost right away Deke had noticed that her attitude toward him had changed. Maybe she was embarrassed to let his nephew know about their relationship.
Relationship. Is that what they had? What did you call it when a woman stole your sanity? When you closed your eyes at night and dreamed of a green-eyed beauty that you couldn’t seem to forget? When you wanted that woman so badly you ached with it?
Deke pulled into the yard and skidded to a halt in front of Mary Beth’s house. With dust clouding around him, he jumped out, slammed the door and pocketed his keys. He rounded the truck, and Lightning and Lady raced up to him, tails wagging.
“Hey there you two.” They pranced around his legs, but he only glanced at them with a frustrated look. “Stay out here, guys. This may not be pretty.”
Deke tried to think rationally as he stalked toward the house. “Okay, calm down,” he ordered himself. “You’re not going to get any points by running roughshod over her. You know how stubborn she is.”
Great! Now you’re talking to yourself!
He took his Stetson off and slapped it against his thigh. Taking a couple of deep breaths, he rapped his fist on her door. A few seconds later it slowly opened. Deke stared at the woman who’d been driving him crazy for the past two weeks.
His gaze drifted over the swell of her breasts beneath her soft white tank top, then lower over those long, slim legs encased in snug jeans. Blood pumped furiously through his heart at the sight of her.
“Hello, sweetheart,” he said easily, ignoring the adrenaline rush that demanded he haul her against him and seal her mouth with his.
“Deke!” Mary Beth’s eyes widened, then she blinked. “What are you doing here?” Taken aback, she stood frozen in place. She flicked her gaze over the length of him. His navy-blue shirt was tucked neatly into his blue jeans. Her heart tripped over itself.
Deke grinned. He’d caught her off guard. Good. That’s the way he wanted her. Now they were even. “Came by to see my best girl,” he said as he studied her. Her hair cascaded around her face and fell to her shoulders in soft waves. His gaze slid lower, appreciating every luscious curve before returning to her face.
Caution flickered in her eyes before she concealed it. Best girl. She wondered how many that included. “I thought you were in Tulsa.” At least, that’s where Matt had said his uncle would be.
He shrugged one big shoulder. “I needed something from home, so I took a slight detour.” Though it wasn’t true, his excuse sounded plausible. He’d come home for one reason only. He’d wanted to see her, hold her, touch her
. Tilting his head, he gave her an engaging grin. “Well, are you gonna invite me in?”
“What? Oh, sure.” A blush touched her cheeks as she stepped aside for him to enter. After he walked past, she closed the door and turned toward him.
Deke reached out to touch her, but she skirted around him. “I was about to make something for dinner,” she said in a breathless rush as she headed for the kitchen.
Frowning, he followed her, the swaying of her hips messing with his libido. Her reaction to him confirmed his suspicions. Something was going on. He grabbed her arm and brought her around to face him. “What’s wrong?”
Eyes remote, she jerked her arm free and stepped away. “Nothing.”
“You don’t seem all that thrilled to see me.” She continued to avoid his gaze, building his frustration. He’d come a long way to see her. The least she could do was seem appreciative.
She tossed her head, then leaned back against the doorjamb. “I don’t know what you mean. I’m glad you took the time to stop by.” Her breathing accelerated as if in direct contrast with her words. “Have you been to the Bar M yet?”
“No,” he admitted, an edge to his voice. “I drove straight here.”
Though surprised, Mary Beth didn’t blink. As casually as she could manage it, she walked across the room. “Oh. Well, are you hungry? I could make you something to eat.” She gripped the handle of the refrigerator door, then turned back to look at him. Her gaze landed on his face.
“I’m hungry, all right.” The softness of his voice was in direct contrast to his heated gaze. He stalked over to her. “But not for food.” Her unique scent drifted to him, and his nostrils flared.
Mary Beth squared her shoulders. “That’s all I’m offering.” She didn’t have to explain what she meant. Deke’s thunderous expression told her he understood. She had to stop herself from wincing.
“What’s wrong?” he demanded, losing control of his temper. He tossed his hat into a chair.
“Nothing.” She shrugged indifferently, though her nerves were stretched to capacity.
Deke jammed his hands in the pockets of his jeans to keep from dragging her against him. He rolled his shoulders, but it did little to ease the tension building inside him. He hadn’t expected her to throw herself at him, but neither had he expected to slam into the invisible wall she’d put up between them. Something was seriously wrong, and he didn’t have a clue as to what it was. Unless…
She’s seeing someone else.
He hissed out a breath.
“Who is it?” he half growled.
Confused, Mary Beth searched his face. “What?”
Seething, Deke raked her with his eyes as he moved closer, crowding her space. “Who are you seeing?” The thought of her with another man nearly drove him insane. He pressed his lips together to keep from saying something he’d regret.
A calmness stole over Mary Beth. She stiffened her spine, then very deliberately raised her hands and shoved him away from her. Her hands on her hips, she narrowed her gaze on him. “You’ve got some nerve, Deke,” she said very calmly.
“Me?” he countered hotly. “I came all this way to see you, and you act like you can’t even give me the time of day.” He glowered at her as she moved farther away from him.
She laughed bitterly, then covered her mouth with her hand. The irony of his accusing her of being with someone else was the last straw. “Oh, I see. You think because we slept together, that gives you the right to say who I can or can’t see? From what I’ve heard, you haven’t exactly been celibate while you’ve been away.” She jutted her chin at him. “What gives you the right to make demands on me?”
Speechless, Deke stared at her, his mind whirling. What was she talking about? Since he’d been away, Mary Beth was all he could think about. Walking over to her, he arched one blond brow. “I don’t know who you’ve been talking to, but—”
“Oh, Matthew’s been very forthcoming with your exploits at the rodeos—and I don’t mean bull riding.”
She was serious! Deke almost laughed, but caught himself. The thought of being intimate with anyone other than Mary Beth was crazy. “Matt? What the heck would he know?”
“Oh, please. He’s told me all about the women who hang around the rodeo just waiting for a chance to jump in your bed.”
Understanding dawned on Deke. She was jealous! “Is that what all of your frostiness on the phone was about?” he asked, then gave her a cocky grin.
“I was not being frosty.”
“Oh, yes, you were.”
“No, I wasn’t,” she snapped. Marching up to him, she poked her finger at his chest. “And don’t you dare act as if you don’t know what I’m talking about.” His grin grew a little wider, and her temper went up a notch. “It’s not funny, Deke. You can’t just drop in here anytime you want convenient sex!”
“Convenient sex? Sweetheart, driving for hours on the road to see you after three full days of competing is anything but convenient.” Deke’s eyes twinkled with amusement. “I’ll admit that there are women who hang around every rodeo like groupies.” She opened her mouth to speak, but he gently touched his finger to her lips. “But I swear, I haven’t been with another woman since I left you.”
She blinked, stunned by his declaration. “Really?” Her heartbeat grew erratic.
“Really.” He laid a hand on her shoulder, then drew her toward him. Cupping her chin, he lifted her face until their gazes met and locked. “The only woman I want to be with is you,” he said huskily.
“Deke—”
His mouth swooped down on hers, stealing her words, her breath. Mary Beth’s eyelids drifted shut as she gave herself to his kiss. For a moment everything inside her went hazy. Clutching his shirt, she leaned into him, savoring the feel of his mouth on hers, his taste, the very essence of him.
He backed her against the refrigerator, molding himself to her, rock-hard muscle against her soft, feminine curves. His warmth seeped into her, and she opened her mouth, deepening the kiss.
Hot, urgent need raced through her, turning her legs to jelly. The caress of his tongue drew a pleading groan from deep within her. She dragged her mouth from his. “Deke, oh, please,” she rasped, moving her hips against him.
“Hold on, sweetheart,” Deke whispered, his lips brushing her ear. “I didn’t come all this way for a quick tumble. I want all of you, everything you have to give.” But even as he whispered the words, he was tugging her shirt up, baring her to him. Gratified she wasn’t wearing a bra, he touched her erect nipple with his fingers.
A cry of pleasure escaped her lips. Already hard for her, Deke felt like he was going to burst right out of his jeans. Her hands cupped his face, and her lips found his again. Passion flared, clothes disappeared. Their boots hit the floor with soft thuds as they landed on the discarded mound of clothes.
“The bedroom,” he muttered thickly, clad only in his jeans. Together they moved as one. He shoved her panties off, and they fell on the hallway floor. Their progress toward the bedroom momentarily forestalled, Mary Beth moaned as he lowered his mouth to her breasts. Cupping the generous mounds of flesh in his hands, he suckled one hard nipple.
Gasping for air, she strained toward him. The pleasure was so intense, so exquisite, that her body pleaded for release. Continuing to give his attention to her breasts, he slipped his arm around her back and draped her over it. As his lips and tongue savored her, he looked up. Her eyes were half-closed in ecstasy. He slowly slid his palm up her thigh, then between her legs. His finger slid into her.
Hot and moist, she tightened her legs around his hand. Her eyes completely closed, and she gasped, then he felt her quiver as her hips began to move.
Mary Beth writhed in his arms. Deke lowered her to the floor, then worked his jeans off, grabbing a packet from his pocket before tossing them aside. He nudged her legs apart with his, then he sheathed himself and slipped inside her. His arousal felt hard and hot, filling her completely. Intense pleasure inside her began
to build with a magnitude she’d never before experienced. She clung to him as his mouth ravaged hers.
Fire raged inside her as she locked her legs around his back. Her body out of control, she met him thrust for thrust. She felt him stiffen, and her muscles quivered around him, taking them both over the edge of sanity into another time, another place.
Deke lay there, his pulse beating so hard and fast that he was sure he was on the verge of a heart attack. He was convinced that he would never breathe normally again, wasn’t sure he even cared if he did.
He stirred, then lifted his face to look at Mary Beth. Her cheeks were rosy, her skin warm. He brushed his lips softly against hers.
Mary Beth’s lids lifted, and she looked at him. “We didn’t make it to the bedroom.”
Deke kissed her long and hard. “Ah, sweetheart, but I’m not nearly finished with you.”
Desire lit a spark in her eyes. “Mmm, what else do you have planned?”
He stroked her breast, teased her nipple with his fingers. “A little of this.” He moved his hips against hers. “A lot of this.”
She slid her arms around his neck, touched a tender kiss to his mouth. “I’m ready when you are.” Her hips moved against his. “Mmm, feels like you’re about there.”
Deke’s eyes darkened as he watched her eyes glaze with passion. “Let’s take this to the bedroom.” This time he wanted her in bed, wanted to take it slow. He stood, then held out his hand to her. As she began to rise, he lifted her in his arms, carried her into her bedroom and laid her on the bed. He disappeared into the bathroom, then quickly returned to join her.
“How long can you stay?” she asked, already dreading the moment when he would leave.
Deke nibbled on her ear, then began planting kisses along her cheek. “I have to be in Tulsa by tomorrow evening.” He caught her mouth in a searing kiss. When he lifted his lips, his eyes met hers. “And I have to get up early to get to the Bar M before I head out.” Looking at her hair spread out on the pillow, Deke struggled to get his breath. “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered.
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