Текст книги "Slow Ride"

Автор книги: Cathryn Fox

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Текущая страница: 5 (всего у книги 7 страниц)

Chapter Seven

Julia stretched out on her bed and glanced at the gorgeous man asleep beside her. Here it was, five glorious days since the plane had first deposited her on the ranch, and she couldn’t deny that she was having the best time of her life. They’d spent their days riding the trails, picnicking, hanging out with his friends at the saloon, and making love in the sun—not to mention all the naughty things they did in his private pond—and she didn’t even mind the day they spent doing chores. In fact, she quite enjoyed it. Working with her hands allowed her to shelve her worries and forget about real life for a while—and that this fantasy would soon come to an end.

The truth was, she’d decided to gift herself with a week of relaxation and had no desire to think about real life. Nope, she wasn’t going to delve into his personal life at all. Not that he wanted to share that side of himself anyway. This was about casual sex and nothing else, and she was determined to spend her time enjoying life on the ranch and all the sex Coop had to offer. No questions asked.

By God, the man got to her in so many ways. But it was temporary.

It wasn’t like a relationship could work. Not only was he into wild, carefree women, but he lived here, and she lived halfway across the country.

Julia gave a hard shake of her head and berated herself for dreaming about something more permanent. For one, it was her sister Coop had invited to the ranch, and two, she was pretending to be something she wasn’t. But she couldn’t deny that she enjoyed playing the part of a wild and wicked woman. How would she ever go back to dull and drab Julia?

Warm morning sun fell over the bed as Coop rolled onto his side, pulling the blankets with him. She smiled, and since they’d made love well into the wee hours of the morning, she decided to let him sleep while she went to the pond for an early-morning swim.

She made a move to climb from the bed, but his arm darted out to stop her.

“Going somewhere?” he asked.

Taking in his rumpled, sleepy state, which made him look so damn sexy, Julia laughed and fell back onto the bed with him. “I was going to take a swim because I thought you were asleep.”

“You thought wrong.” His smile was devilish, full of mischief. “Now come here.”

He pulled her on top of him, and they exchanged a long, heated look before he gave her a kiss full of passion. As he took her mouth, he stole her breath, and her heart missed a beat. She’d just lectured herself on keeping this sexual, but when he kissed her like that, she had no idea how she was ever going to walk away when this was over. He inched back, and when she met his glance, the warmth in his gaze and the ache of desire in the depth of his eyes filled her with longing. She craved so much more from him.

Despite a long night of lovemaking, she wanted him again. As if he could read her thoughts, he grabbed a condom from the night table and rolled it on.

Not wanting to think about what this man was doing to her, or how hard she’d fallen for him, she sat up and straddled him, conveying without words what she wanted. With a sexy grin on his face, Coop touched her leg. Heat rippled over her sex when he began a lazy journey up her thigh. When he reached her hips, he lifted her up off him, and then settled her back down on his hard cock.

She took in a breath, and her whole body trembled as she let it out. The pleasure was intense, glorious, and so deeply intimate she found it difficult to keep her emotions in check. “Coop,” she cried out as he filled her, quivering as his cock reached deep.

He brushed his thumb over her, and turbulent eyes full of heat met hers. “I know, Julia. Believe me, I know.”

With that, they began moving together, their hands touching each other all over, like neither could get enough. His muscles rippled as pressure built inside her, and there was more going on here than just sex. At least for her.

He was everything she wanted, everything she craved. She pinched her eyes shut and berated herself, because this was supposed to be just about sex, and when she stopped pretending, Coop would be bored with the real Julia.

“Julia,” Coop murmured, powering his hips upward. He took her slowly, like he was savoring every second. “Look at me.”

When she opened her eyes, he slipped his hand around her head and drew her mouth to his. The thumb on his other hand moved between her legs, brushing over her clit as he kissed her softly and with such passion she began burning from the inside out.

As her body began trembling, Coop used slow, easy thrusts, pushing her higher and higher while he dragged his thumb over her sensitive bundle of nerves. Unlike their frantic lovemaking sessions, this was sensual, unhurried, and tender, but every bit as potent.

Her muscles clenched, and she was free-falling without a net. As she tumbled into climax, they both cried out in ecstasy, falling over the precipice at the same time.

A long time later, when she finally came back down to earth, she collapsed on top of him, and he circled his hands around her waist to hold her tight. She listened to his heartbeat, and as it pounded in his chest, she wondered how she’d ever be able go back to the way things were before this incredible week.

When her legs started to grow numb, she rolled off him, and he packaged her against his body. She savored every minute while she still could. A soft, contented noise sounded in his throat, and when she glanced up, Coop gave her a lethargic smile and lazily ran his thumb up and down her arm.

“You’re kind of rocking my world,” he murmured, before dropping a gentle kiss onto her forehead.

In need of a distraction—before she did something crazy like tell him how she felt—she began tracing the outline of his face.

He gave a rough moan of pleasure. “Christ, if you keep touching me like that, I’m going to pin you down and take you again, and I know you’re too sore for that.”

“Oh,” she said as a thrill moved through her. She loved how she affected him—how he affected her—but in two short days, when the plane came to collect her, she’d never see him again.

She ran her finger over his crooked nose, and even though this week was supposed to be about casual sex—not about her getting to know him on a deeper level—curiosity finally got the better of her and she asked, “How did you break your nose?”

But as soon as the words left her mouth, everything between them changed. Coop went silent and cast his eyes down in deep thought. As his bliss disappeared, his body tensed, and he gripped her hand to still her exploration. He angled his head toward the window, away from her view, and once again she couldn’t help but wonder about his secrets.

He didn’t answer her, and while the lawyer in her was used to getting answers, and she was never passive in the courtroom, she was a bit hesitant to pry with him. Getting personal wasn’t in her best interest.

“I know this week was about sex, and just having fun, so I get that you don’t want to delve into your personal business.” She shrugged, trying to make light of things, despite the rawness in her throat. She stole a quick glance at the clock and continued to ramble on. “Soon enough I’ll be heading back to the real world and leaving this fantasy behind.” She gave him a smile and plucked at the bedding, like she did this sort of thing all the time. “It was good while it lasted, though, wasn’t it?”

…

It was good while it lasted?

He swallowed against the tightness in his throat. How could she still not see what she meant to him? Her plane left in two days, and if he couldn’t convince her that it was her he’d wanted all along, he was damn well going to lose her. No fucking way would he let that happen. She was the one and only girl for him, and he damn well planned to fight for her until her eyes were wide open and she saw this for what it was. Love. He grabbed a fistful of hair and tugged, blood pounding through his veins. He needed to do something, and he needed to do it now. Never had he felt like he had more on the line.

“Coop?” she said. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, come on.” He jumped from the bed and pulled her up with him. If he wanted her to trust him, to see that he wanted more than just sex, then he’d have to give more in return. That meant letting her get a glimpse into his life and opening up about his mother, no matter how painful it was to talk about it. He probably should have told her a long time ago he was a sports doctor, and that he usually only traveled to the ranch on weekends, but kept his mouth shut knowing it would lead to questions he wasn’t ready to answer. But it was that silence that was standing in the way of her seeing his real intentions. An uneasy feeling tightened his gut. When he opened up, would she be angry that he kept so much from her? Would she leave and never look back? Shit.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

This week had been about her, but now maybe it was time to be about him. “For a ride.” After a shower, they dressed and made their way outside. She kept casting curious glances his way, but he remained tight-lipped. Twenty minutes later they were in one of the ranch’s pickup trucks.

He felt her eyes on him and turned to see her looking at him with curiosity. “What are you up to?”

“What?” he said, laughing. A pickup truck came his way, and he waved to the driver as it passed. “I just thought we’d go get a beaver tail.”

“A beaver tail?”

“You do know what a beaver tail is, don’t you?” he teased.

“Of course I do. I am Canadian.”

“I’ve been craving a peanut butter and banana tail.” He cast her another glance as he drove along the back road to town. “You like them, right?”

“Fried pastry topped with all sorts of candy. What’s not to like? I guess I just never thought of you as a beaver tail kind of guy.”

“Not manly?” he questioned, giving her a half-cocked smile.

“How could it not be manly?” She laughed. “Every big strong guy I know eats peanut butter and banana pastry.”

“You think I’m big and strong.”

“Oh, my, God,” she said, laughing as she rolled her eyes.

He grinned. “What’s your favorite?”

“I’m kind of partial to the cinnamon and sugar.” She looked out her window. “I can’t believe there is a actually a franchise out here in the middle of nowhere.”

“There’s a town nearby, lots of shops and stores.”

“Oh?” Her eyes lit, and she probed, “Do you go often?”

“Not anymore. I don’t really have time, but I spent a lot of time there as a kid.”

Her brow crinkled. “You did?”

He waved a hand toward the pastures as they drove past. “I grew up around here.”

Her head jerked back. “You did? When did you move east?”

“Middle school.”

“I guess I just thought you’d always lived there.”

“Nope.” He drove a few more miles and then pulled off the road. He rolled the windows down, and a warm breeze scented with horses and hay drifted through the cab of the truck. “See that house?” he said, pointing to an old ranch in the distance. She nodded and he explained, “That’s where I grew up.”

She sat up, intrigued, and stuck her head out the window. “Really?”

“Yep.” He pointed to the corner room. “That was my bedroom. And you see that tree house?” He pointed to the big old maple at the side of the house.

“Yeah.”

“Dad and I built that.” At the mention of his dad he felt a little melancholy. He missed him so much. He gazed at Julia and smiled. His dad would have loved her. He’d have spent hours telling her about his childhood antics, and she would have laughed, loving every minute of it.

She pulled her head back in. “I remember your dad. He was always very nice when I went into the bank.” She looked a bit hesitant. “Is he…”

“No, he’s gone now,” he explained.

“I’m sorry.”

He reached out and squeezed her hand, taking comfort in her touch. “It’s okay. Are your folks still alive?”

“Yes. Dad retired from the service and is now puttering around the house fixing things.”

A truck sped by, kicking up dust. Coop rolled the windows up to protect her hair and clothes from getting soiled. “Fixing things?”

She laughed. “Okay, more like getting on Mom’s nerves. He needs a hobby.”

Coop laughed with her. “When I retire, I’m getting a motorcycle.” He held his hands out and rolled them, mimicking the action of riding.

“How about your mom, Coop?”

“She’s…okay,” he said and pulled back onto the highway. He could tell she wanted to ask more, and while he planned to tell her—to share everything with her—he wanted to do it later.

He drove toward town, and she squeezed his hand. “I liked seeing your childhood home.”

“Good, because I have more to show you.”

“Oh?” she said, her eyes moving over his body. “What exactly do you have in mind?”

He laughed at her playful side. “Hey, get your mind out of the gutter.”

She chuckled along with him, and they fell into easy conversation as he drove the rest of the way. A short while later he pulled into a parking spot along the town’s main street.

He shaded his eyes and glanced up and down the long street. “Nothing much has changed in twenty years. Except maybe the new beaver tail and ice cream store.”

She turned, taking it all in. “It’s so quaint. I love it.”

His heart warmed. It meant something to him that she liked where he’d grown up. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. I can see why you’d want to move back here.”

He captured her hand and pulled her to him as he led her down the sidewalk and into the store. They both ordered a pastry, and he guided her to the playground he hung out at when he was young. Kids bustled about around them, their parents talking on park benches as they played.

“Swing?” he asked.

“Sure.”

They grabbed the empty swings beside each other and dived into their pastries.

“This is where you hung out?” she asked.

He wiped cinnamon from her face, and when she gave him a sheepish look, his heart turned over. She was so sweet, and he was so fucking lucky to have her in his life. Now, just to keep her there. “This swing exactly,” he said.

“Cool.” The smile she gave him warmed his soul. He bit into his pastry, catching a big hunk of banana, and moaned with pleasure.

“It’s so good, isn’t it?” She took another big bite, chewed, and said, “I can’t remember the last time I had one.”

“You should have one every day,” he said.

“Yeah.” She scoffed. “Wouldn’t my hips love that?”

A hyper little girl in pigtails squealed and started to run by, then slowed when she saw their food. Her eyes went wide. “Mom,” she shrieked. “I want a beaver tail.”

Julia crinkled her nose. “Uh-oh. Look what we started.”

More kids started yelling, and he cringed. “I think the last thing any of them need is sugar.”

“You don’t like kids,” she said, a statement, not a question.

“Yes, I do.”

Her head came up with a start, surprise in her eyes. “Really?”

He dragged his feet though the dirt as he moved on the swing. “Yeah. Someday I’d like to have a couple.”

“Oh.”

“Oh what?”

“Nothing…I just…nothing.”

He kicked his leg out, to pick up momentum as he swung beside her. “I’ll teach them how to play soccer, hockey…ride a horse.”

She smiled at him. “I bet you’d be a great dad.”

“What about you? You want kids?”

“I haven’t given it too much thought. The last few years have been spent focusing on my career.”

“But you do want them?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Good.”

She gave him a strange look as they finished their last bites. Coop jumped off the swing, grabbed her hand, and hauled her to him.

“I thought we’d go for a spin.” He pointed to the merry-go-round. “I swear I could get that thing going a hundred miles an hour. I’ll teach my kids that, too.”

“I think I’m going to pass.”

“Seriously?”

She put her hand on her stomach. “Unless you want a second viewing of my dessert.”

He laughed, and she looked so adorable as she grinned up at him that he couldn’t help himself. He leaned in and put his lips on hers, tasting the sweet cinnamon on her tongue.

“You taste good,” he murmured. “I think they should only ever make peanut butter, banana, and cinnamon-flavored beaver tails.”

“Maybe I can get a law passed,” she teased. She broke the kiss and grabbed his hand, a new excitement in her eyes. “Show me where else you hung out.”

“Sure.” He loved her enthusiasm and how interested she was in knowing more about him.

He led her along the streets, taking her to the park where he and his friends skateboarded, past the school where he went to elementary, along a side street where some of his childhood friends had grown up, then stopped at the old movie house.

When he saw that it was some chick flick playing, he said, “You’re not going to make me, are you?”

She sagged against him and gave him a playful grin. “You bet I am.”

“Fine, then, but we’re sitting in the back so we can make out.”

“Oh, is that what you used to do when you were a kid?”

“No, but only because I was too young.”

She gave him a playful whack, and he reached for his wallet. He bought their tickets and found seats at the back of the near-empty theater. The movie came on, and true to his word, he spent the better part of the time kissing her. From the way she kissed him back, she didn’t seem to mind missing the flick. By the time the credits rolled, it was well past dinnertime, and they walked back to his truck.

“Dinner at the saloon?” he asked.

Her cheeks were flushed from their heavy make-out session. “I’m thinking more along the lines of dinner in bed.”

He hurried his steps and dragged her along with him. “You don’t have to ask me twice.”

He opened her door for her, stepped back, and waited for her to get in. Instead, she stopped, turned to him, and put her hand on his chest. His throat tightened. Had she changed her mind? Was she pushing him away? His stomach dropped, but then she reached up and laid her hand on his cheek. A surge of warmth flooded his veins at the softness of her palm on his jaw, the rasp of his stubble against the pad of her thumb as it slid gently over his face. Such a small thing, this show of affection, so genuine that for a moment he held his breath, fearful that even pulling air into his lungs would break the incredible connection between them. She looked up at him, and the tenderness in her eyes became his undoing. His knees buckled, and he forced them straight as he leaned into her hand, overwhelmed with the things she made him feel.

“I really liked seeing where you grew up,” she said softly, and then she smiled. The faintest lift of the corner of her mouth. “Thanks for sharing it with me.” Her hand slipped from his cheek, and the loss of her touch left an emptiness in his chest. He stood there trying to remember how to breathe as she slid into the truck.

She was quiet on the way home, her glance straying to his numerous times as he drove. Whenever he returned it, she gave him a warm smile. They reached the ranch, and he circled the truck to open her door. She jumped out, and he was about to guide her inside when she went up on her tiptoes and planted a soft kiss on his mouth. He slid his hand around her waist and drew her in close, needing the connection. As he held her, his body reacted with need.

“It seems like you might have a little something else to show me,” she teased as his erection pressed against her stomach.

“It does seem that way,” he said, and brushed his thumb over her cheek, wanting her so much he felt dizzy. “And there’s nothing little about it.”

She laughed and swatted him again, making him feel like the teenage boy who was so crazy about her.

In seconds flat he had her naked and on the bed. He kissed her mouth, her neck, her breasts, basking in her sweetness. Unable to wait another second, he sheathed himself and pushed into her. Her hand touched his back, and he sucked in a breath as heat zinged through him. Christ, he was lost. So fucking lost in her.

His mouth moved back to hers, and she slid her tongue over his bottom lip. He drew it into his mouth, so aware of how well their bodies fit together. Blood pounded through his veins, and her nipples pressed against his chest as they rocked into each other, need propelling them on. Her muscles clenched around him, her whole body trembling beneath his.

“Yes,” she murmured, and the second he felt her warm heat, he let go.

“Julia, baby,” he murmured into her mouth. He put his hands on either side of her head and inched up to see her face. She stared at him for an endless moment, then her fingers tangled through his hair. She gave a throaty purr of contentment, and his heart filled with so much love. His brain raced. He could take her every night like this, yet never get enough of her.

He rolled off her, discarded the condom, and then covered her with a warm blanket. She sank into him, and they remained quiet for a long time, both lost in their thoughts. When he could finally breathe again, he rolled on his side. His heart turned inside out to see her so sated, so comfortable with him that she’d already started to drift off to sleep.

“Julia.”

He touched her face, pulling her awake. Her eyes met his, and the smile she gave him tugged at the center of his chest. He needed to tell her everything, and pray to God that she didn’t think he’d been keeping himself emotionally closed off because all he ever wanted was sex from her.

“Yeah?” she asked.

“We need to talk.”