by Tracy March
“There was a couple who had come here from Arizona who worked for my grandparents. He was a ranch hand, and she cooked. Their daughter, Amanda, helped with housekeeping.” He pressed his lips together tightly, unable to remember the last time he’d said Amanda’s name out loud. “They lived in one of the workers’ cabins on the ranch.”
A log popped in the fire, sending sparks shooting into the air. Lindsey flinched, and settled in closer.
“I fell hard for Amanda,’ Carden said. “The girl had me spellbound, and I wanted everyone to know she was mine. But she convinced me to keep our relationship secret. Claimed her parents were awful strict. My interactions with them gave me no reason to doubt her.” He figured it was best to simplify the story. No sense detailing how captivated he’d been, how crazy in love and committed. “The two of us were practically kids. Neither of us had our own place. It was tough finding ways to be alone together, but we snuck out at night. Met in the barn.
“That went on for months.” He took another swallow of beer, preparing to deliver the payoff. “One weekend my grandparents went out of town. Amanda begged to meet me in the house instead of the barn.” He remembered the thrill of having her in his bed, how he’d let himself go, not knowing…
And told her that I loved her.
He tightened his grip on his beer bottle. “So she came to the house and we…were together. Afterward, I fell asleep.”
Lindsey squeezed his hand.
“When I woke up a couple hours later, she was gone. And so were a hell of a lot of my grandparents’ valuables.”
Lindsey drew in a sharp breath. “No way.”
He nodded. “Jewelry. Guns. Coins. All kinds of stuff. I had no idea until my grandparents got back and found things missing.” He could still remember how wildly his heart had been beating when he admitted to his grandparents what he’d done. “Amanda and her parents had disappeared, too.”
Lindsey sat up and turned her head to face him, looking beautiful in the firelight despite her pinched expression. “Oh my God. That’s awful.”
He nodded slowly. “Enough to teach me lessons that are hard to forget.”
Don’t lose control.
Don’t fall in love.
“My grandparents taught me a couple lessons, too,” he said. “About forgiveness, and discretion. My grandfather went to his grave with that story. As hard as it is to believe, my grandmother will, too.”
Lindsey sat silently for a moment. “Does anyone else know?”
He released her hand and brushed a lock of hair away from her face. “Just you.”
Her awestruck look told him that she understood the significance of him confiding in her. She reached out and gently pressed her hand over his heart. “I’ll keep it between you and me.”
Carden covered her hand with his, feeling an honest connection that he’d longed for but hadn’t allowed himself to make.
“Did you ever find Amanda and her family?” Lindsey asked.
He shook his head. “Never even tried. We figured they’d pulled that stunt time after time. My grandparents decided that Amanda and her folks needed the money they’d get from selling what they’d stolen more than the Crenshaws did.” He drank the last of his beer and set his bottle on the table next to the chaise. “Hell, I don’t even know if Amanda was really her name.”
“I’m sorry,” Lindsey said softly and remained quiet for a while. “Has there been anyone since?”
The fire popped and sizzled, flames flickering.
“No one like you.”
He took her beer bottle and set it on the table with his. Drawing her close, he kissed her softly, his fingers entwined in her hair. She matched the easy rhythm of his tongue, her hand still pressed against his thrumming heart. In this perfect moment, he allowed himself to imagine that he could finally leave his past behind.
Carden trailed kisses up to her ear and whispered huskily, “I want you, Lindsey.” He pulled back and met her gaze. “You have no idea how much.”
She stayed silent for a long moment, shimmering fire reflecting in her eyes. “Show me.”
It might be too soon, but he couldn’t wait any longer to experience all of her. He lifted her hand away from his heart and kissed it. “Let’s go inside.”
Holding her hand, he led her to his bedroom, dimly lit by the glow of a pair of Craftsman-style wall sconces that flanked the bed. The expansive space, the vaulted ceilings with exposed beams, the California-king-sized bed—it usually felt so empty. But Lindsey warmed the room, filled it with possibility.
Henrietta had turned down the sheets and fluffed the pillows before she’d left, making the bed look even more inviting. Lindsey stepped over and smoothed her fingers across a section of the massive cedar headboard. Its natural grain was Carden’s kind of art.
“This is beautiful,” she said. “I smell the cedar.”
He joined her, wrapping her in his arms. “Not nearly as beautiful as you.”
Lindsey looked away shyly. “You’re just trying to get me in bed.”
Carden laughed. “Busted.” His laughter gave way to seriousness. “But you are beautiful.” Pulling away, he took a step back and swept her hair behind her shoulders, the blond strands silky against his hands. He rested his fingertips on her collarbone, traced them down in a V, and began unbuttoning her blouse. It took all his discipline to go slow and not kiss her. He wanted to see every bit of her revealed, not miss a moment.
The fabric of her blouse parted and a light green lace bra peeked from beneath it. His cock stiffened at the sight of it, getting harder still when he peeled her blouse away and tossed it on a nearby chair, leaving Lindsey standing there in her lace bra and blue jeans.
So damn sexy.
Again she gave him that shy look, which slayed him even more now that she was half-naked. She reached for the top button of his shirt and he gently caught her wrists and brought them back to her sides. “You’ll get your turn, darlin’.” He stepped closer and nuzzled her neck. “Right now it’s mine.”
Heat rose from beneath his collar, and he wanted to take his shirt off, but not badly enough to rush this. There would only be one first time with Lindsey, and he planned to savor every second of it.
He brushed his fingers down her smooth, flat abdomen, hooking one behind the button of her jeans and pulling her in for a kiss. He cupped her head with his hand, her hair tangled between his fingers as he kissed her, his breath coming faster. She responded to every stroke of his tongue, giving back, urging him to give her more. But he couldn’t let himself lose control…yet.
He drew away from their kiss and pressed his forehead to hers. With a flip of his fingers, he unbuttoned her jeans, and pulled down the zipper, one seductive tick at a time. His heart hammered, the beats of it echoing in his cock. “Help me take them off.”
She slowly shimmied out of them. “Mmm,” he murmured at the sight of the tiny lace panties that matched her bra, and her long, slender legs. Leaving her jeans on the floor, she stepped closer and met his gaze. “My turn?”
He nodded once, unable to tear his gaze away from her.
Lindsey unbuttoned his shirt and he quickly tossed it on the chair with her blouse. She tugged at the hem of his T-shirt, slipping her hands beneath it and lifting it up to his pecs. “Help me,” she said breathily, and kissed his pec.
Carden flexed beneath the brush of her lips. He pulled his T-shirt over his head and threw it somewhere near her jeans. His discipline slipped with every piece of clothing they shed.
He followed her intense gaze as it swept over his body and settled on his tattoo. She reached up and traced her fingers over it, all the way from his shoulder down to his elbow. “I love this.” With her lips slightly parted, she skimmed her hands over his pecs and down his abs, just like she’d done in the workshop. But this time they didn’t have to stop. This time there’d be no interruptions.
He backed her up to the bed and she sat, working at the button of his jeans. Stepping away, he unbuttone
d and unzipped them himself, desperate to relieve the pressure. He pulled them off and left them lying with hers.
Lindsey reached for the band of his boxer briefs, his erection straining against them. She pushed them down his thighs, and his rigid length sprang free. The boxer briefs fell to his feet, and he stepped out of them—naked for her. She languidly swept her gaze over his body, her lips turned up at the corners.
“You’re amazing,” she whispered. She smoothed her fingers up his thighs, wrapped her delicate hands tightly around his cock and took him in her mouth. He tensed and pitched his head back, the sweet sensation pushing a low moan from his throat. Tangling his hands in her hair, he savored every stroke until he had to give in or break free.
“God, Lindsey,” he said, reluctantly pulling back.
He moved to her side and unhooked her bra, sliding his hands beneath the straps and guiding them off of her shoulders. She dropped it on the floor and leaned back for him, back arched, her breasts round and high and natural. Carden’s cock jumped as he cupped them in his hands, caressing her pink nipples with his thumbs.
Lindsey’s breath hitched, and she tipped her head back, eyes closed.
Carden had to get his body against to hers—his desire to get inside her all-consuming. He slipped one of his arms behind her back, the other beneath her knees, and lifted her onto the bed. Her golden hair splayed out across the dark pillowcase. She looked radiant lying there, where he’d imagined her so many times.
Taking a foil packet from the drawer of the nightstand, he got on the bed and kneeled next to her, running his hands up her thighs and beneath the lacy bands of her panties. He slid the lace down her long, smooth legs, and took them off. His breath caught as he drank in the sight of her, sexier than he’d even dared think.
“You’re perfect,” he said as he moved between her legs. She hesitantly parted them and that nearly undid him. Starting with one tight, pink nipple, he kissed his way from her breasts down along her flat abdomen. He didn’t stop until his mouth was on her, tasting her sweetness, parting her velvety folds and pleasing her with his tongue.
She tensed, whimpering as she brushed her fingers through his hair, clutching his head and pressing her hips higher. All he wanted was to give her more—to give her all of him.
“Carden,” she said breathlessly, triggering the intensity of his desire.
He couldn’t wait any longer. Kissing her inner thighs, he sat up, and quickly rolled on the condom. Sliding his body up and onto hers, he brought one of her arms next to her head and clutched her hand. With her sultry gaze set on his, he guided his throbbing cock, teasing her with its tip until she closed her eyes and gasped, “Please.”
Carden paused then slid inside her slowly. Slick and tight. Even better than his fantasies of her. He moaned and clutched her other hand next to her head, wanting to see it all, to remember every detail of this moment. He pulled out as slowly as he’d entered, and continued lulling her with a sensuous rhythm as she held his gaze, her breath coming faster.
“You feel so good,” she said.
Breaking the rhythm, he pulled back, quickly plunged his cock deep inside her, and held it there.
Lindsey gasped, bucking her hips, urging him to thrust. “More…”
Carden couldn’t hold out any longer. He gave up, gave in, let go. “Like this?” He pulled out and hammered into her over and over, taking her with abandon.
“Yes,” she cried.
His mouth came down on hers hungrily and he kissed her with all the heat of his pent-up passion. Releasing her hands, he gathered her to him, her breasts straining against his pecs.
Lindsey wrapped her legs around him and met his thrusts, her sexy whimpers pushing him closer to release.
“Come on, baby,” he whispered, giving her all he had.
Lindsey arched beneath him, her body going rigid as she cried out. She shattered around him, and he buried his cock deeper. Clenching his teeth, he closed his eyes and lost himself inside her.
Chapter 20
Lindsey followed Holly along the narrow Wild Rose Trail, colorful wildflowers knee-high alongside them, brilliant in the early evening sun.
“I couldn’t eat another meal without paying for it with some exercise first,” Lindsey said, happy to spend some time outdoors with Holly before they went to dinner. “Seems like all I’ve done since I’ve been here is eat.”
Well, not all she’d done. She’d hardly been able to concentrate at work today for thinking about Carden and their unforgettable weekend. They’d connected in so many ways, their chemistry undeniable. The picnic, the close call on the mountain, the visit to the lapis mine. Telling him about Hopper. Dinner at his house and hearing about Amanda. But their connection had really sizzled in his bed. Lindsey had guessed he’d be attentive, strong and sexy. He was all of those things and more. But his intensity had swept her away. Tingles surged through her body as she remembered his husky whisper.
Come on, baby. His ragged breaths had warmed her ear as he filled her.
Carden had wanted to please her like no man had before, and he’d satisfied her totally. Everything they had shared seemed so surreal. She might wonder if any of it had really happened had it not been for the very real lapis bracelet encircling her wrist. And the tenderness tugging at her heart. She was falling hard for Carden.
And still keeping secrets.
She was keeping even more from Holly, so she had to be careful and really think before she spoke. It was difficult to develop a friendship when she had so much to hide.
Now that Lindsey was making specific plans for each museum exhibit—everything from construction to signage to selecting items for display—she needed some advice. She certainly trusted Holly for that since Holly was a volunteer, she knew the Karlssons and the Crenshaws, and she wasn’t one of them. Clearly Lindsey’s judgment was good and clouded right now when it came to matters between the two families.
“I’m excited about the way most of the exhibit planning is going,” Lindsey said as they hiked up a rise and neared an Aspen grove.
“Isn’t the second stage of plans due to the board tomorrow?”
“Yes.” Lindsey tried not to think about all she had to do between now and then. “Everything’s going so fast.”
With the museum…With Carden…
Lindsey tried to take a deep breath, reminding herself that she still needed time to acclimate to the thin air before she could survive more strenuous exercise. “I’m worried about the Karlsson/Crenshaw thing.”
Holly glanced over her shoulder, her faced scrunched. “I’m worried for you.”
“Seriously. They could’ve told me in the job interview that there was this little issue called a family feud I’d need to work through, and that no one has solid facts about it but both sides want their version of history in the museum.” Lindsey kept her tone light.
Holly stopped at the top of the rise and faced Lindsey. “Where would the fun have been in that?” She winked.
Lindsey shook her head and mustered a smile. Happy for the break and the shade and the breeze, she stopped next to Holly, who pointed out Paintbrush Peak framed between the branches of two Aspens.
Lindsey’s first thought was of watching the sun set behind Paintbrush Peak with Carden. “Pretty,” she said. “But here’s what’s not so pretty. I’ve got nothing more about that disputed land deal between the Karlssons and the Crenshaws than what most people here have known forever. There was hearsay that something had been donated that might confirm the information we already have, or reveal something that remarkably changes it.” Lindsey opened her water bottle and gulped down several huge swallows. “I’ve scoured everything we’ve gotten—along with you and the other volunteers. I’ve interviewed people, gone through pages and pages of documents, read what little history I can find, and come up empty.”
Holly took a swig from her water bottle, and lifted one shoulder. “The Crenshaws will probably be fine with that. The Karlssons, not as much. But i
t seems like the Crenshaws would be the ones you’d want to please, seeing how you’re getting so cozy with Carden.”
Lindsey’s heart leapt into her throat. Heat rose in her face and she hoped Holly would attribute it to the high-altitude exercise. Of course Holly had to bring up Carden while they’d stopped for a break. This face-to-face Q and A was exactly what Lindsey had hoped to avoid.
She waved her hand. “We’re not cozy,” she said, which was true. She’d gone way beyond cozy with Carden. “He’s just generous—doing all that work for Dean.” She nudged Holly’s elbow. “But if you must have a handyman hanging around, you definitely want one that looks like Carden.” She knew better than to deny too much—a sure sign that there was more to the story. “I did help him scrape the cabin, though. I mean, he’s doing the job for Dean, but it benefits me, too.” She held what little breath she had, hoping her answer would satisfy Holly.
“For sure,” Holly said. “I bet you nearly died when you drove up to that cabin the first time. I heard Dean was still advertising it using pictures from ten years ago.”
Lindsey exhaled. Hopefully the subject of Carden had been officially addressed. “Let’s just say that it wasn’t the welcome I had hoped for. But the place is turning out to be really cute. Dean even let me choose the paint color.”
“It’s not going to be white like before?”
“Just wait and see.” Lindsey grinned, still pleased with her selection of Lemon Cream.
“You’re not telling?”
She shook her head. “One of the Crenshaws’ ranch hands is going to finish painting it this week.” Another tidbit that might quell Holly’s suspicions about Lindsey and Carden. She didn’t have to know he’d gone out of town.