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  He had to clear the emotion from his throat before he could speak. “The condom, yes. The hat, no. If I have to wear a Stetson to make an impression on you, then I obviously need some lessons in how to please a woman.”

  “You’re right. It would only get in the way.”

  “Exactly.” Tearing open the condom package, he took care of that chore so he could concentrate all his attention on her. He happened to be down by her feet, so he decided to start there. “You got a little muddy.”

  “I don’t care.”

  “I can fix that.” Using a corner of the quilt, he wiped the mud from her feet. Then he kissed each sparkly toe before moving to her ankles. Such sexy ankles. Lifting each one, he paid homage to it with his mouth and his tongue.

  She moaned and arched against the quilt. “How long… before you get… to the good stuff?”

  “It’s all good stuff.” He traced the curve of each calf with his tongue and angled her leg to reach the backs of her knees.

  “But I want…” She gasped as he kissed the inside of her thighs, drawing ever nearer to his ultimate destination.

  “I know.” He blew softly on her moist curls. Light brown. Now he knew what color her hair really was. “But didn’t you say anticipation made it better?”

  “No fair using that against me.”

  Sliding up the smooth length of her body, he looked into her eyes. “I promise never to use anything against you. That’s not what friends do.”

  “Wyatt.” She cupped his face in both hands. “When we were standing on the rock, did you… was there a feeling of…” Her uncertain gaze searched his.

  “Don’t analyze it, Olivia.” He didn’t want to scare her away. “Just let me love you.” He kissed her then, thoroughly, with lots of tongue, while he stroked her full, glorious breasts. Instinctively he’d known she’d feel like this, her skin pulsing and warm beneath his fingers as she arched into his caress.

  Her response threatened to end his control and turn him into a rutting beast concerned only with his own satisfaction. He reined in the impulse to abandon the seduction and take her in one satisfying thrust. Lifting his mouth from hers, he began moving down, taking each nipple in his mouth, coaxing her to reward him with soft cries of delight.

  She was a banquet, and he was the honored guest. His pulse rate jumped as he kissed his way down the valley between her ribs, paid homage to her navel, and settled at last between her thighs. Her intoxicating scent rose to meet him as her breath grew ragged.

  “Wyatt…”

  “I’m here.” He lowered his head. “Right… here.” He touched down, and she cried out in complete abandon. And that was what he was after, total surrender. He used his tongue to pleasure her and wrenched another cry from her lips. And another, and another, until she filled the morning air with her cries and came in a rush of sweet moisture, her body taut and quivering beneath him.

  He’d achieved his initial goal of giving her a climax, but those dream-like pictures in his mind wouldn’t materialize unless they achieved a more basic connection, soul to soul. Rising above her, he sought her pulsing center and drove home.

  Chapter Eleven

  Trembling from her orgasm, Olivia had no breath to ask for what she wanted. She’d come in a shower of pleasure, but an ache remained, one that could only be filled if he would just… yes. He was there. One swift movement of his hips and he was buried deep, joined with her in the way she’d longed for. She hugged him close and wrapped her legs around his, drawing him in tight.

  “Easy.” His breath was warm against her ear. “Don’t hold me too tight or I can’t move.”

  She gulped for air. “I don’t want you to move. I want you right there.”

  He rocked forward. “There?”

  “Yes.” She lifted her hips, pressing her sensitive trigger spot against his body, pressing, squirming, until… the explosion came again, making her buck in his arms and gasp out his name.

  “Ah, Olivia.” His soft chuckle tickled the inside of her ear. “My amazing Olivia. Loosen your hold, and we can do that again.”

  Lost in the wonder of her shuddering response, she heard him as if from a distance, but she relaxed her grip, allowing him to move. And move he did, easing away and sliding home in slow, steady strokes.

  She moved with him, surrendering to his rhythm, loving the sweet feel of his cock caressing her so intimately. Lovely. Not mind-bending like before, but if this was good for him, then she’d— Oh… He shifted, came in from a slightly different angle.

  She moaned as he made contact with a spot deeper, more elusive. He sought out that spot again, and yet again. A coil of tension wound within her.

  “Tell me.” His voice was a low growl. “Is that good?”

  She began to pant. “Yes.”

  “How good?” He moved faster.

  “Very… very… oh… Wyatt…”

  “This time will be for both of us.” His breathing roughened. “Come for me, Olivia. I can’t hold off much longer.”

  She rose to meet him, glorying in the power of each stroke. “Don’t wait,” she murmured. “Take what you need. Take it!”

  With a bellow of satisfaction he pushed deep, and that was all she needed to be hurled over the edge with him. Her spasms blended with his as they clung to each other in the whirlwind they’d created… together.

  Gradually his tense muscles relaxed as he settled against her. She welcomed the feel of his warm chest covering her, although he kept the pressure light, not giving her his full weight. She wasn’t surprised that he’d be considerate when he was in bed with a woman. He was that kind of guy.

  Stroking his back, she listened to his breathing as it evened out, and her thoughts returned to her experience on the rock. Standing there with him had felt so… so right. If the rock was supposed to give a person mental clarity, then the message she received had been crystal clear. Wyatt was good for her.

  She wasn’t about to base her whole future on the feeling she’d experienced standing on a piece of quartz and granite, but for that one moment, she’d been convinced Wyatt was the one. Probably just a hormonal reaction.

  But something she did know for sure — he was incredible in the sack. She hoped they’d find time for more of this particular activity. Once Jack and the rest of the guys came home, though, that might be tricky.

  Outside the truck a bird gave a little concert, trilling and warbling like crazy. “I feel like that bird,” she murmured.

  “No, you don’t.” He caressed her bare shoulder. “A bird has feathers.”

  “I meant I feel like that inside.”

  “That’s not true, either. I’ve been inside, and you’re smooth, and warm, and very wet, but no feathers.”

  “You’re ridiculous.” She pinched his butt.

  “Ow.”

  “I’m trying to tell you I feel happy.”

  “Good.” He nuzzled the side of her neck. “Me, too.”

  “But we probably should head back. I don’t want anyone to get worried and come looking for us.”

  “Good point.” Wyatt propped himself up on one elbow and gazed down at her.

  She smiled. “But I wouldn’t mind doing this again sometime.”

  “Excellent.” He dropped a quick kiss on her mouth. “I’ll get dressed outside and leave the camper to you.” His gray eyes glowed with warmth. “See you in a few minutes.” Easing away from her, he left the camper.

  She took a deep breath. Wow. She sure hoped things worked out with Jack, because she wouldn’t mind having Wyatt make that move to Jackson Hole.

  On the way back to the ranch, Olivia got a little more background on Wyatt’s life when he was a kid growing up in San Francisco. He spent way more time describing his friends from high school and college than he did talking about his family. She could understand. Between having a mother like Diana and dealing with her recent divorce from his father, Wyatt would probably like to avoid discussing his family.

  When they walked back into
the ranch house, they met Sarah coming from the wing where her bedroom was located.

  “You’re just in time for lunch!” She beamed at them as if they were cherished guests. “That hat looks terrific on you, Wyatt.”

  “I appreciate the loan, but I should give it back to you—”

  “Not yet. Keep it until you get one of your own. Anyway, to catch you up on the doings, Pam’s gone back to the B&B, but the girls all decided to stick around here for the rest of the day because we don’t see as much of each other as we used to now that everyone has her own place. Anyway, come on back and have some lunch.”

  Olivia felt a pang of uneasiness. “You’re sweet to invite us, Sarah, but it seems like this is family time.”

  “Don’t be silly. You’re like family. Come on down to the dining room with me.”

  “Olivia’s right,” Wyatt said. “You deserve some privacy with your daughters-in-law and your grandkids. Besides, we both have things to do and we might as well get them accomplished. I need to go back over to the Bunk and Grub to pick up my stuff, and on the way I can pull Olivia’s Jeep out of the ditch.”

  “Good plan.” Olivia appreciated him coming up with a reason to leave.

  “Well, I suppose you will have to do those things eventually, so you might as well get them out of the way now, before the men come back.”

  “Exactly,” Wyatt said.

  “But I’m inviting you back for dinner tonight, Olivia. We’ll have a big celebration for the guys coming home from their successful trip. You can either drive yourself or have Wyatt bring you, whatever makes sense. But I’ve so enjoyed having you here. You fit right in, like you’re one of my girls.”

  For one embarrassing moment, Olivia thought she might burst into tears. She’d missed the mothering she’d received from the women at A Cut Above more than she’d realized. She cleared the unexpected emotion from her throat. “Thank you,” she said. “I’d like that.”

  “Good. It’s settled, then. What did you think of the sacred site, by the way?”

  Olivia’s cheeks grew warm. “Fascinating,” she said. “Absolutely fascinating.”

  Sarah gazed at them with a knowing smile. “I thought you’d like it out there.”

  “It was great.” Wyatt’s tone was nonchalant, as if all they’d done was take a drive to see the sights. “Thanks for giving us directions.”

  “You’re welcome. Well, I’m sure Mary Lou wonders where I am, so I’d better get back to the kitchen. See you both later. Make sure you get here before dark. That road desperately needs grading after the rain, but you’ll find it easier if you can see the ruts.”

  “Will do,” Wyatt said.

  Once Sarah was gone, Olivia turned to him. “Nicely handled.”

  He grinned at her. “You, on the other hand, turned the color of a stop sign.”

  She groaned. “I know. I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I think Sarah knows something is going on between us. After all, she’s raised three boys, so it’s not like she doesn’t understand. If she disapproved, we’d know it right away.”

  “I guess so.” She glanced at him. “That hat really does look good on you.”

  “Maybe so, but I doubt I’ll be wearing it again. A Stetson doesn’t go with hiking shorts and a T-shirt, which is what I’ll have on once I’ve picked up my clothes from the Bunk and Grub.”

  “I’m guessing you don’t want Jack to come home and find you wearing his old clothes.”

  “Good guess. Or his hat.”

  “Then let’s get on with that program. I’ll run upstairs and grab my totes.” As she hurried up the stairs, she couldn’t help feeling a little sad that she wouldn’t be sleeping here tonight. But she had a perfectly fine house that she liked, even if it didn’t have the ambiance of the ranch house.

  She hadn’t realized until staying overnight that part of that ambiance was the scent of varnished logs permeated with wood smoke, overlaid with the aroma of leather and lemon oil furniture polish. The house not only looked like it belonged on a ranch, it smelled as if it did.

  She quickly gathered her totes and made sure she hadn’t left anything in the bathroom. Maybe Sarah would decide to have another night of beauty at the end of the summer, after the teenagers had left. Olivia hoped so. She’d like to be invited back.

  But as she reached the top of the stairs and gazed down at the man waiting for her, she realized that he’d been a big part of the reason she’d loved staying here. She couldn’t imagine this place without Wyatt, and yet his continued presence on the ranch wasn’t assured. She hoped he wouldn’t turn into a bone of contention between Sarah, who wanted him here, and Jack, who hadn’t acted as if he did.

  Wyatt was right to insist on changing into his own clothes before Jack came home. Sarah might not think anything of it, but if Jack already considered Wyatt an interloper, seeing him in those clothes would make everything worse. Wyatt did look great in them, though. Just looking at him made her hot.

  He watched her come down the stairs, a gleam in his eyes that suggested he was having similar thoughts. “Ready?”

  She laughed softly. “For what?”

  “You’re a bad girl, Olivia.”

  “Don’t pretend you’re not thinking the same thing, because I can see it in your face.”

  “Who, me? All I’m thinking about is getting your Jeep out of a ditch.”

  “Then the prospect of doing that must really turn you on, cowboy.”

  “I’m not a—”

  “Can you ride a horse?”

  “Yes.”

  “Do you respect women?”

  His gray eyes twinkled. “Yes.”

  “Are you kind to old people, kids, and animals?”

  “Yes.” He began to laugh.

  “I’ve watched hundreds of cowboy movies with my dad, and you just passed the test. Plus you look great in those clothes, so I now pronounce you a cowboy.”

  “If you say so. Now let’s go see about your Jeep.”

  “Oh, that’s the other thing. You rescue damsels in distress. Can’t forget that.”

  “Nope.” He held the door for her. “I’m not likely to forget it, either. That was the first time I got my hands on you. Here. Let me carry those for you.” He took her totes just as music started coming from one of them.

  “Let me keep that one. My dad’s calling.”

  “I should have known when I heard the theme from The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.”

  “Oh, yeah. He loves those old Clint Eastwood spaghetti westerns. Excuse me, a minute.” Pausing in the gravel driveway, she answered her phone.

  “Hey, Livy. Thought you might be home by now.”

  “Not quite, Dad.” She usually spent a couple hours with him on Sunday playing chess, but she’d warned him she wasn’t sure how this Sunday would turn out. Boy, had that been on the money. “Do you need anything?”

  “Just wondered if we’d get in that chess game.”

  “Um, let me give you a call when I get home. I’ve been invited to come back here for dinner, so I’m not sure how much extra time I’ll have.”

  “Oh, that’s okay, Livy. We can skip it.”

  “Maybe we can schedule it for tomorrow, instead.”

  “If you have time, but don’t worry if it doesn’t work out.” He sounded cheerful, as he always did. She’d never seen her father in a bad mood.

  “I’ll call you when I get home, Dad. Bye for now. Love you.”

  “Love you, too, sweetheart.”

  She disconnected the phone and glanced up to discover Wyatt watching her, and the gleam of desire in his eyes had been replaced by something more poignant. He seemed almost… wistful. “My dad and I usually play chess on Sundays for a few hours,” she said. “He just wondered if the game was on or off.”

  Wyatt perked up. “So you play chess?”

  “I do. You?”

  “I’ve been known to. Maybe we should play sometime.”

  She smiled, recognizing immed
iately that he was into it. “I warn you, I’ve been taught to play by a guy who tests out at the genius level on a standard IQ test. But if you’re ready to be beat, I’ll happily take you on.”

  “Okay. And just so you know, I can lose to a woman without whimpering.”

  “Good to know, because I hate that. Whimpering puts a real damper on my sex drive. Maybe we could take a chess set when we go on that camping trip.”

  “I’ll plan on it.”

  “Good.” But her mind was no longer on chess. From the moment her dad had called, she’d been mulling over a somewhat radical idea. She liked Wyatt. Really liked him. What if he turned out to be like the others she’d thought were nice until they made fun of her dad?

  The closer she and Wyatt became, the more she’d worry about that. But not if she took action now. True, she’d risk ending something that had been great so far, but if she didn’t take this step she’d risk future disillusionment and heartache. It was a no-brainer.

  But she’d have to sound uber-casual about it. “After we get my Jeep out, how would you like to follow me home and see my house?”

  “Great.”

  “I probably should stop by my dad’s, too, and see if he’s low on groceries. I usually check that out when I’m there on Sundays. You can come along, if you want.”

  “Uh, okay.”

  She noted he sounded less enthusiastic about that part. “No big deal.” She laughed. “It’s not like I’m officially taking you to meet him, or anything. It’s just that I’d like to spend time with you this afternoon, but I should probably at least poke my head in and check out his food situation. You could always wait for me at my house, I guess.”

  “No, no, I’ll go with you.” He was making a valiant attempt to cover his reluctance.

  She gave him points for that. Her suggestion obviously had taken him by surprise, but he was rolling with it. The more she thought about this plan, the better she liked it.

  Her dad was… different, and people couldn’t seem to resist commenting on his eccentricities. She could tolerate it when the comments came from slight acquaintances, but not from a guy she had feelings for. Much as she was reluctant to admit it to herself, much less to him, she was beginning to have feelings for Wyatt.