She shared his smile. “I was because you, my friend, need to lighten up.”
“And are you the woman to help me with that?” Noah inquired and took another sip of his drink.
Chynna shrugged. “Maybe. But for now, I’m going to leave you alone, Noah Hart.” She walked toward the door, but paused to say, “But know that you and I,” she said, pointing to him and back to herself, “are on a collision course and it’s just a matter of time.”
“A matter of time before what?” Noah asked, but the room was empty. The little minx had escaped, leaving him to wonder if she was right. Was it just a matter of time before they became lovers?
Chynna exhaled deeply as she closed the study door. She’d been surprised by Noah’s response. She hadn’t expected him to say something as honorable as, “When I make love to a woman, it’s because she means something to me.”
Then again, she’d never encountered a man quite like Noah Hart. He was a sexy cowboy who could wear a pair of jeans, but he was also a down-to-earth family man. Is that the appeal? Am I attracted to him because he is so different from the Hollywood types?
He was certainly different from Lamar and the other men she’d dated. Most were fame whores, hoping that by dating Chynna they could further their career. Sometimes it was hard knowing who she could trust much less give her heart to. So instead, she’d turned to sex. A quick romp between the sheets helped fill the need to be desired, to be touched by a man. But it was so fleeting, and most times, she ended up regretting those meaningless encounters. She hadn’t been with as many men as the press made out, but she also wasn’t by any means a virgin.
Why Noah Hart? There was something about him that told her innately that she could trust him, but there was also someplace deep inside that warned her to stay away because if she didn’t, if she got too close to the sun, to this man, she would get burned.
Her resolve evaporated the next day when she was forced to ride horseback with Noah. It was barely six a.m. and they’d already been up, fed the horses, mounted them, and now, he was going to teach her how to help round up the cattle. There was nothing sexier than seeing a man, especially Noah, on horseback as he slapped his rope across his thigh and got the cattle and bulls to do his bidding. And when he roped a wayward steer, Chynna swallowed hard. She wondered what it would be like to have Noah roping her in as he rode her into oblivion.
“Kenya, Kenya!”
Chynna snapped herself out of her sinful daydream to the present to see Noah was down from his horse and looking up at her.
“Yes?”
“Do you intend on daydreaming all day or are you actually going to learn how to rope a steer?”
“Of course, I want to learn.” She tried to get off the horse quickly but tumbled into Noah instead, and he had to catch her. He caught her by the shoulders to steady her and their eyes crossed for the merest of seconds, reminding her of the kiss they’d shared the night before. But he quickly moved away as if he didn’t want to be near her.
“C’mon, I’ll show you how it’s done,” Noah said and walked back to where several cattle were milling around, eating grass.
“Are you sure it’s okay to be out here with them?” Chynna asked nervously, looking around at the large animals.
“Why? Are you afraid of another stampede?” Noah asked, laughing.
She pointed an accusatory finger at him. “Don’t laugh. I could’ve been seriously injured when they tried to veer me off the road.”
“Well you weren’t and you’ll be fine now,” Noah replied, “because you have me.”
Chynna raised a flirtatious eyebrow. “Do I? And you’ll protect me?”
Noah didn’t answer because another of the ranch hands came over to hand her some rope. He proceeded to show her how to tie the rope and demonstrated some lasso moves to help reel in the wayward cattle.
“Looks difficult.”
“Takes practice,” Noah replied. “But you’ll get it. Come here.” He wrapped his arms around her and attempted to show her again. But all she could focus on was his strong masculine scent.
Several hours later, Chynna was no better at tying the knot than she was at roping a steer, and it was even worse when Noah made her get on the horse’s back to try it. But she refused to give up because she knew that’s what Noah expected of her. She was happy when lunchtime blessedly came so she could give her sore bottom a break. Rylee hadn’t been lying when she’d said that horseback riding for leisure was much easier than riding all day on a roundup.
Chynna returned her palomino to the stable for a rest and found Rylee in the stables tending to an injured horse.
“How’s it going?” Chynna asked, poking her head into the stall where Rylee was kneeling with her medicine bag.
Rylee glanced at a smudge-faced Chynna and replied, “I think I should be asking you that same question.”
“It’s going fine.” Chynna tried to put on a happy face even though every muscle in her body ached.
“How’s Noah treating you?” Rylee inquired, looking up from her task.
“Oh, he’s fine.”
Rylee stared at her suspiciously as if she didn’t believe her. “Noah’s been riding you pretty hard today. Are you sure you don’t want to go back to the spa? Might be more fun.”
Chynna shook her head. “No, believe it or not, this is the most fun I’ve had in ages.”
“Then you must enjoy torture,” Rylee replied. She’d always hated roundup and left it up to her brothers Noah and Caleb so she could tend to the animals.
Chynna laughed. “Guess I do.”
“Unless there’s some other reason.” Rylee’s brow rose.
“What do you mean?”
“C’mon, Chynna, I’m not blind, and I know my brother.”
“And?”
“And I can’t help but notice the way he looks at you,” Rylee said. “I haven’t seen that look in his eyes in years.”
“You mean since Maya died?” Chynna had heard her name mentioned before, but knew precious little about her. She’d noticed his family seemed to be afraid to speak her name out loud so as to not offend Noah.
Rylee nodded.
“If you don’t mind my asking, what happened?”
Rylee glanced around the stable. “I don’t know if I should be telling you this.”
“If you feel like you would be breaking Noah’s confidence by telling me, then don’t. You’ve been so good about keeping my secret, I wouldn’t want to impose.”
Rylee heaved a long sigh. “It’s not that. Maya’s death is such a sensitive topic with Noah. But ...” She paused. “If you’re interested in my brother, you should know what you’re up against.”
“Interested in Noah?”
Rylee’s incredulous look told Chynna she hadn’t hidden her obvious interest in him. “Listen.” She grabbed Chynna’s arm and pulled her over to a nearby bench in the stall. “Maya was an amazing woman and loved by my entire family.”
“Wow, you sure don’t pull any punches.”
“I want to be entirely transparent,” Rylee said, “because it won’t be easy to overcome the memory of her. She had a big place in this family. You see, she and Noah met when they were in the second grade. They’d known each other their entire lives, and it wasn’t long before friendship turned to love. They were high school sweethearts, and when he went to college, she followed him. She’d wanted to start a family right away, but Noah had wanted to wait. He’d wanted to get his degree first and have time with just the two of them.”
“What went wrong?”
“Fate. Maya found out she was pregnant and was so excited at the prospect of carrying Noah’s child.”
Telling the story was obviously taking a toll because tears began to well in Rylee’s eyes. “I-I’d never seen my brother so over the moon. He was so ready to be a father. They’d decorated the baby’s
room at the house.” She glanced up toward the main house. “Bu-but there ... there was a car accident. Maya was five months pregnant and ...” Rylee’s voice choked, and she couldn’t finish her sentence.
“And Maya and the baby didn’t make it,” a masculine voice said from behind them.
Startled, Chynna jumped up and saw Noah standing several feet away from her and Rylee. There wasn’t a look of fury in his eyes that she would’ve expected; he just looked grief-stricken.
“I ...” Chynna was speechless. What could she ever say that would take away the pain of the fact that Noah had lost his wife and baby in one tragic swoop? It didn’t seem fair.
Noah didn’t say anything. Instead, he just turned on his heel and quietly left the stables.
“Oh Lord.” Rylee’s head sunk in her hands. “I should never have said anything.”
Chynna rushed over to her side and rubbed Rylee’s back. “Don’t beat yourself up. You didn’t do anything wrong. You just told me the truth. And from what I can see,” she said, glancing at the empty doorway, “Noah’s still not completely healed.”
Rylee glanced up at Chynna with tear-stained cheeks. “Then, perhaps, it’s time someone healed him.”
“Me?” Chynna gave a nervous laugh. She didn’t find the situation remotely funny, but she didn’t know how else to react to such a bold statement.
“You’re exactly what Noah needs to snap him out of his funk. You’re a beautiful, glamorous, sexy spitfire and the exact opposite of Maya.”
“Don’t you think that perhaps that’s the problem? If you hadn’t noticed, Noah’s been doing an awfully good job at ignoring me.”
“Don’t let him.” Rylee rose, then pushed Chynna toward the exit. “Go after him!”
Chynna’s eyes widened in terror. “And what am I supposed to do?” Anything she could say would seem woefully inadequate.
Rylee wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand and smiled wanly. “You’re Chynna James. I’m sure you’ll figure it out. Go!” She pushed Chynna again toward the doorway.
With leaden feet, Chynna walked out of the stables and toward the main house. She wasn’t sure what she was going to do when she found him or what Noah’s reaction would be if she tried to break through the wall he’d erected around his heart. All she could do was try.
Noah paced his bedroom. He was fuming. He wasn’t sure if he was angry with the fact that Rylee had betrayed him by revealing his secrets or the fact that Kenya knew he was damaged goods and might pity him. In any event, he was fit to be tied.
It wasn’t Rylee’s place to interfere and tell Kenya anything. His relationship and history with Maya was his and his alone. She had no right to tell Kenya about Maya’s life or death for that matter. Hell, each time he thought he was closer to healing and getting over losing his wife and son, someone would tell the story again and fresh hurt would wash all over him in waves.
He couldn’t handle that kind of sorrow anymore. The first time had nearly killed him. He hadn’t known what was happening when he’d seen his father riding furiously toward him out in the meadow with the cattle. But once he’d approached, Noah had known something was wrong. The sheriff hadn’t been able to reach Noah and had contacted the house to tell them that Maya had been injured in a car crash. He hadn’t known how bad it was until he and his parents had made it to the hospital and the doctor had told him the grim news that the likelihood of Maya and the baby surviving while she was on a ventilator fighting for her life was slim-to-none. They’d been right and he’d lost them both within a matter of days.
He’d shattered in a million little pieces and retreated into himself for months. He hadn’t left the house, but instead sat drinking alone in his room, cursing God for being so cruel. No one in the family could reach him, not Rylee, not even his mother. He’d been inconsolable. Eventually, it had been his father who’d knocked him into sobriety. He’d had enough of Noah wallowing in misery and had burst into his bedroom, grabbed him by the collar, and hauled Noah in his drunken stupor into the shower. He’d been fully clothed, but the cold shower had sobered him up. He and his father had a long talk, and eventually, he’d let out the tears that he’d bottled up inside for months and slowly began to move on.
“Noah?” A gentle knock sounded on his door. Noah didn’t have to answer to know who it was. He could sense her presence before she entered his room. And she did, without waiting for an invitation.
“Go away!” He stood resolutely, looking out the window across the fields. He hadn’t asked Kenya to follow him. Why couldn’t she leave him in peace with his thoughts, his memories of the past?
“That’s not going to happen,” Kenya said, and he heard her soft footsteps approaching him from behind.
He sucked in a breath when he felt her hands touch his arm. “Noah, please.”
He refused to look at her and kept his back turned. “I don’t want to talk about this, Kenya.”
“Perhaps you should. Perhaps it’s time to start letting go of the hurt.”
With that comment, he spun around and away from her. “Let go. Why? So you and I can start something?”
“Maybe, maybe not.” She shrugged. “But you can’t go on like this. You’re a raw nerve right now, and you’ve got to let someone in sometime.”
“I don’t have to do a goddamn thing. You know nothing about her!” he said through gritted teeth.
Her eyes were hazy with tears. Or was it pity? “Do you think Maya would want this empty life for you? Don’t you think she would want you to move on with your life and be happy?”
Noah was amazed at her gall. “How dare you talk about her.”
“Why? Because I’m not fit to speak of her?” Kenya challenged him. “Because I wouldn’t live up to her memory? Well, you’re right, Noah Hart. I’m never going to be your late wife. But the fact of the matter is, she’s gone.”
“And you’re here?” he spat at her, and within seconds, he’d closed the distance between them. “Well, if you’re offering yourself to salve my wounds, then by all means, let’s get it on.” He knew the words were crass as he said them and hated himself for being such a jerk, but he seemed powerless to stop himself.
When he reached her, she took several steps away, but in so doing, she lost her footing and fell back against the bed. How apropos, Noah thought. She was the sexiest creature he’d ever encountered and maybe it was time to see if she was as good as the package she presented.
She must have sensed the dangerous look in his eyes because she backed away from him on the king-sized bed, but that only secured her place in his lair. “Noah, listen. I know you’re upset now. So perhaps we should talk about this—”
But before she could finish her sentence, he’d pounced and was beside her on the bed. “You want to make it better for me,” Noah hissed, shrugging out of his lambskin leather coat and tossing it to the floor. “Well, you can do that right here and right now. Make me forget about my former life, Kenya.”
He lowered his body onto hers, and his hands captured her face so his mouth could seek hers. And when he found it, he wasted no time thrusting his tongue inside. Damn those bee-stung lips of hers. They were so deliciously soft and sweet that he nibbled at her lower lip, and she moaned underneath him like the sweet thing she was. Then she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back as fiercely as he’d kissed her.
He’d meant the kiss to be punishing, to make Kenya realize that she could never compete with Maya, and that all she would be good for was a romp in the hay. The problem was the moment his mouth had touched hers, he’d sparked a fire and a slow burn began to course through him. His tongue became less urgent, and he allowed himself to ever so slowly explore the inner crevices of her mouth while his hands roamed over her soft, supple body.
Kenya didn’t fight his caresses. When his hands brushed the swell of her breasts and the curve of her hip, she leaned int
o him as if she too were desperate for more. His animal nature seemed to take over and touching her was not enough—he wanted to taste her. He pulled the plaid shirt from the waistband of her jeans and nearly ripped it off her shoulders.
When her shirt was open, he feasted his eyes on her beautiful breasts in the lace demi bra she wore. If he’d known she’d barely been wearing anything underneath that shirt, he might have done this sooner. But instead, he cupped one breast in his hands and lowered his head so he could finally have a taste. His tongue feverishly licked her nipple through the lace of her bra. When she gave a little purr, he nearly became undone. He pushed aside the scrape of fabric and tugged at the turgid peak with his teeth. She writhed underneath him, so he treated the other breast to the same licking and lapping treatment.
If he hadn’t heard his mother calling him—“Noah, Noah? Are you up here?” —he would have put his hands down her jeans to touch the place he was sure was wet from the way she’d been moving underneath him. There wasn’t a shadow of doubt in his mind that he would have taken Kenya right there on his bed in the middle of the afternoon.
Noah became still above Kenya and didn’t move a muscle. When his mother didn’t hear his response, she must have given up because he heard footsteps moving away from his door.
“Damn!” He shouted the obscenity as he quickly jumped away from Kenya and sat his feet firmly on the ground. Disgusted by his behavior, he grasped his head in his hands and lowered his head.
Kenya didn’t say a word as she buttoned what was left of the shirt he’d nearly ripped off and scooted off his bed.
She stood in front of him now, and Noah wanted to apologize, but there was no excuse for how abominably he’d behaved. He’d never treated a woman with such disrespect in his life, and he couldn’t fathom why he’d started now. What was it about Kenya that caused him to react irrationally?
“If you think you can use me like a whore to erase the memory of your dead wife, you are sorely mistaken, Noah Hart,” Kenya said. “Don’t come near me again!”
And without another word, she slammed out of his bedroom.
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