A Cowboy's Honor (The McGavin Brothers #2) Read online

  When she slid her hands under his shirt and took hold, he remembered this was the same woman who’d hauled a loaded bookcase halfway across a room. She might leave a mark. He liked the thought of that.

  Lifting her, he shifted his feet so he’d be balanced when he lowered her onto…oh, yeah. He groaned as gravity did its work. Her body had learned his and she accepted his full length in one smooth glide. He felt the twitch of an impending orgasm and tamped it down.

  “Cody, I love this.”

  Her husky words, saturated with passion, nearly tipped him over the edge. His fingers flexed against her perfectly rounded ass. “Move with me, Faith. Follow my lead.” He guided her upward and she pushed down on his shoulders. “Good. That’s good.”

  In seconds, they’d established a rhythm, and he worked it, thrusting upward as she bore down, rotating his hips to increase her pleasure, widening his stance so he could give her everything he had.

  Moonlight filtering through the trees provided enough light to watch her breasts shimmy and her eyes glitter. He could feel her tighten around him and he was perilously close. “Wild enough?”

  She gasped. “Yes, oh, yes…I’m almost…”

  “I know. I feel you.” He’d never been so tuned into a woman’s responses as he was to Faith’s. Instinctively he knew how to move. A shift of angle, a faster stroke, and she’d…ah, there it was.

  When she started to cry out, he leaned forward and covered her mouth with his. Her lipstick had a sweet flavor, like cherries. Swallowing her cries, he lifted his head so she could get some air. But he captured her lips again as he thrust one more time and shuddered, propelled into his climax by the enthusiasm of hers. When Faith came, she let his cock know it. Joining the party was just a matter of letting go.

  Surrendering to that feeling had never been so sweet as it was with Faith. No matter how this crazy episode turned out, he’d never regret being a part of it.

  When they both stopped shaking, she gazed at him in the silvery light of the moon overhead. “I couldn’t ask for someone better than you.”

  His chest felt tight. “I could say the same. You might think I’m some kind of dream or fantasy, but so are you.”

  She smiled. “Okay, maybe I am a little bit, after I emerged from my cocoon. But you took me on when I was still an ugly duckling. That was a risky thing. I still don’t know why you did.”

  “You needed me.”

  Her expression softened. “I did.”

  “I’m not sure you do anymore, at least not in the same way.”

  Her gaze sharpened. “Cody McGavin, did you buy a trailer?”

  “Couldn’t find one I liked.”

  She sighed in relief. “You had me worried for a second. I thought you were about to tell me you were leaving.”

  “Not yet.”

  “I’m glad. Now we need to untangle ourselves. Time’s running out.”

  He wasn’t sure if she meant for tonight or in a general sense, but in either case she was right. He chose to focus on the immediate issue, whether they could make it through a second round.

  Setting it up turned into a comedy routine. She was barefoot, so he carried her to the tailgate while they were still linked together. They started laughing, which didn’t help at all.

  “I’ll bet you’ve never executed this maneuver before.” She grinned as he settled her on the tailgate and carefully withdrew.

  “And I’ll bet you’ve never sat bare-assed on the tailgate of a truck.”

  “Nope.” She kicked her legs back and forth. “Feels sort of kinky.”

  “I’ll take your word for it.” He used his bandanna to remove the condom. “Doesn’t appeal to me at all. You can crawl on in there whenever you’ve a mind to. I’m gonna shuck my clothes out here.”

  “Okay.” She swung her legs up and got to her hands and knees.

  While he undressed, he happened to catch that moment. “Now there’s a picture.”

  She glanced over at him. “One more thing we haven’t done.”

  “You’ve read about that position, too?”

  “Yes, but we’re not doing it tonight.”

  “Good. I can only stand so much excitement.”

  She waved a hand toward his bad boy, which already stood at attention. “Tell that to your friend.”

  “Yeah, well, he wants you all the time, six ways to Sunday.” He took out a condom before dumping his clothes on the tailgate. He quickly rolled it on. She didn’t need to be in charge again tonight. Maybe another night they’d practice.

  “All the time?” She sat on the blanket just inside the opening and gazed at him.

  “Pretty much.” He climbed onto the tailgate. “Scoot back. I’m coming in.”

  “You think about having sex with me even when I’m not there?”

  He crawled toward her and leaned in for a soft kiss. Nibbling gently on her lips, he guided her down to the cushy surface. “I think about you a lot. Not just sex, either.”

  “But mostly sex?”

  “I wouldn’t say that.” He moved over her, nudging her thighs apart as he continued to drop tender kisses on her mouth and cheeks. Sure enough, he’d smeared her lipstick.

  She ran her hands down his back. “I think about you a lot, too.”

  “That’s nice.” As if his cock knew the way, he found her slick entrance and eased inside. Lifting his head, he used lantern light to watch her expression as he slid deeper. “You look happy.”

  “I am happy.” She lifted her hips and cupped his ass, urging him closer. “Having you inside me feels wonderful.”

  He pushed in tight. “It feels wonderful to me, too.” He stayed very still. This moment, when they were as close as two people could be, felt special. It was time for them to start treating it that way. “I have an idea.”

  Her gaze held his and her voice was like a caress. “What?”

  “Let’s stop calling it sex. We’re not just having sex anymore. We’re making love.”

  “We are?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “How can you tell?”

  He smiled. “For me, it’s easy. When I do this…” He began a slow, steady rhythm. “It isn’t just my cock that feels good. My heart does, too.”

  Her breath caught. “So does mine. Maybe we are making love.”

  “You know the good thing about that?” He leaned down and feathered a kiss over her cherry-flavored lips.

  “What?” Her breath came faster as he picked up the pace.

  “There’s no wash, rinse, repeat. It gets better every time.” And he did his level best to show her. Judging from the way she clutched his ass and cried out his name when she climaxed, he might have succeeded.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Faith beat her dad home, thank God. With an ear cocked for the sound of a truck, she wrote him a quick note saying she’d gone to bed. Then she hurried upstairs and closed herself in her room.

  One look in her mirror had her grinning like an idiot, just as Cody had predicted. Her lipstick was mostly gone and she had raccoon eyes from the mascara. Her shirt wasn’t wrinkled but she’d buttoned it wrong and she’d forgotten to zip her jeans. Her hair was tangled and the scent of Cody’s aftershave clung to her skin. She’d been well and truly ravished.

  And made love to. She undressed slowly in the dark while reliving every moment she and Cody had shared on that lonely road. Tomorrow she’d shower, but for now she wanted his scent to lull her to sleep.

  She understood what he’d been hinting at by insisting they were making love instead of merely having sex. He thought they were falling for each other. That made her smile. He was assuming she hadn’t fallen for him the first time she’d laid eyes on him.

  If she hadn’t completely fallen in love that day two months ago, then everything she’d managed to find out about him since then had clinched the deal. She’d known the day they’d met that he was beautiful on the outside. Since then, everybody who knew him had confirmed that he was beautiful on the i
nside, too. Maybe slightly spoiled, but kind and generous to a fault.

  They’d been right. He’d agreed to be her lover for her sake, not his. He’d gone out of his way to make the experience romantic even when he hadn’t felt romantically inclined toward her. But he was, now.

  Although she was honored and gratified that he’d started to care for her, it didn’t change anything as far as she was concerned. A man like Cody had surely been in love several times before and would be again. She didn’t kid herself that she would turn out to be the love of his life. But he was hers, and when they parted at the end of next week, she’d hold this special time in her heart forever. It would be enough.

  Congratulating herself on having chosen the perfect man for this once-in-a-lifetime experience, she set her alarm, snuggled under the covers and closed her eyes.

  The noise of the front door opening and closing brought her awake. She glanced at the digital time on her phone. Her dad was home an hour later than Cody had estimated the dinner party would wrap up. And he was whistling.

  A wave of uneasiness rippled across her warm contentment. She hadn’t heard him whistle since before the accident. She thought of Cody’s belief that her behavior might have triggered a change in her dad. She had trouble accepting that idea.

  But Cody’s remarks echoed in her head. Was there any chance her dad wanted to date, maybe even remarry? She couldn’t imagine it, not after all this time. They’d just moved into this cute little house. They were starting to settle in and establish routines, like sitting on the porch to watch the sunset. She’d get back to doing that once Cody was gone.

  Her alarm woke her from a hot dream involving Cody. For one delicious moment, she imagined what it would be like to roll over and find him there in bed with her. Then she threw off the covers and headed for the shower. Today she’d have to put on her normal clothes and braid her hair.

  That was fine. She wouldn’t dare work in the outfits Mandy was fixing for her. Maybe she’d have to request some plainer jeans and shirts, without any bling. She also should start paying for the work. Mandy had offered to do the fancy stuff for free, but she couldn’t dazzle her New York design company with plain old work clothes.

  Last night had been a Cinderella experience but the person who’d stayed out past curfew had been her dad. Why? Maybe the group had decided to play cards after dessert. She’d do a little fishing during breakfast and try to find out.

  As usual, her dad was dressed and had coffee brewing by the time she came downstairs. He was cooking bacon and eggs, too, although often they just had cereal and toast. He wasn’t whistling this morning but he sure did look cheerful.

  He gave her a big smile when she walked into the kitchen. “Hey, there, honey bun. Headache all gone?”

  “It is, Dad. Thanks.” She got down plates, silverware and mugs. Then she snagged a couple of napkins from the holder and carried everything to the kitchen table. “Did you have a good time last night?”

  “I had a great time. That Deidre bakes the best pies I’ve ever eaten. She made me take some home. I’m having pie with breakfast. Want some?”

  “No, thanks.”

  “Suit yourself, but you’re missing a treat.”

  Faith poured coffee into both mugs and tried to come up with a way of asking why he’d come in so late. “Kendra sure seems to like having company. It’s a wonder that she doesn’t get tired out, though, lugging that cast around.”

  “Oh, she does. We all helped clean up after dessert so she wouldn’t have to.”

  “Lots of cleanup, huh?”

  “Not much, with everybody pitching in.” He dished out their eggs and bacon, put the skillet in the sink and came to sit at the table. “In fact, we all left before Cody came back from running you home.”

  “Huh.” Something wasn’t adding up.

  “Since it was still so early, Deidre asked if I’d like to drive over and see her place.”

  Faith had her mug halfway to her mouth and she put it back down. “You went over to her house?”

  “Yep. It’s nice, but you’d expect that with her being a real estate agent.”

  Faith stared at him.

  “Is something wrong, honey bun?”

  She swallowed. “It’s just that I can’t remember a single time you’ve done anything remotely like this.”

  He gazed at her, his gray eyes searching hers. “Ah. You don’t like it.”

  “I…I didn’t say that.”

  “No, but you look quite startled.”

  “Because it’s not like you. I don’t know if you remember, but you told me years ago that my mother was your soul mate and a person only got one of those in a lifetime.”

  “I remember saying that and I expect it’s probably true. But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t consider spending time with someone like Deidre.”

  Her stomach tightened. “That’s a change from how you’ve been before.”

  “Honey bun, I’m not the only one acting different. I’ve minded my own business up to now, but I can’t help noticing that you’re rather fond of Cody McGavin.”

  Oh, God, she was blushing. “He’s a friend.”

  “Slightly more than that, I think.”

  “He’s leaving next week on his trip. After that he’s going back to his job at the guest ranch. We’re friends, but…he’s leaving.” She couldn’t make herself tell her father a bald-faced lie and say we’re just friends.

  “Do you wish he would stay?”

  “Good grief, no! This trip means everything to him.”

  “I thought that you might have put on the pretty clothes in hopes he might not leave.”

  “Absolutely not.”

  “Then what made you decide to fix yourself up like that? Speaking of change, that was a big one. You looked real nice, but I confess I’m curious.”

  “I just noticed how great Mandy looks compared to my baggy outfits and I wanted…I wanted…” She ran out of words because Cody had been the reason, although she hadn’t been trying to keep him here. Never that.

  “You wanted to look nice for Cody?”

  “That would be pointless, wouldn’t it? He’s leaving.” She stared at her dad. “Is that why you went to Deidre’s house? You thought I might run off with Cody?”

  “Not run off, exactly, but—”

  “I promise that’s the last thing I’d ever do. I want to stay here with you in our house.” Panic made her heart race. “It’s perfect for just the two of us.”

  “That’s true. I like our house very much. But when I see you with Cody, I realize I can’t expect you to stay in this house with me forever. You say nothing will come of your friendship with him, but maybe another nice young man will come along.”

  “No, he won’t, Dad. I’m not interested in finding a nice young man. I love this house and living with you. Nothing will change that, ever.”

  “You can’t know that.”

  “Yes, I can!“ She was yelling at her father. Horrified, she clapped a hand over her mouth. Then she took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Dad. I just…want everything to stay the same. And it will. I promise.”

  His gaze was gentle as he laid his hand over hers. “You have to go or you’ll be late.”

  She glanced at the kitchen clock. He was right. “Tell you what. Let’s sit on the porch tonight and watch the sunset. We can talk more, then.”

  “I thought you might be taking another ride with Cody.”

  “No.” In fact, she’d originally planned to tell her dad she’d be late coming home so that she and Cody could meet up on a back road. He’d be returning from town after another futile search for a trailer. It wasn’t a perfect scheme but it was what they’d decided on for today.

  But how could she do that now? Her dad would suspect what was going on even if he didn’t know the details. He viewed her behavior as a major shift in their lives and he was ready to shift with it. Cody had been right. Changes she’d made had prompted changes in her dad. She’d never intended that. Sh
e didn’t want it. Life was perfect as it was.

  “Just so you know, I’m fine with it if you want to go riding with him.”

  “I’d rather sit on the front porch with you.” Sitting with him was more important than being with Cody. If she reestablished cherished routines with her dad, then everything could get back to normal.

  He peered at her. “Are you sure, honey bun?”

  “Yes, I’m sure. Sorry I didn’t finish my breakfast.” She left the table, hurried through the living room and grabbed her backpack from beside the front door. Her battered hat hung on the wall and she crammed that on her head. Time to straighten out the mess she’d made.

  On the drive to the ranch, she tried to remember what Cody had said he’d be doing first thing this morning. Later he’d go into town and pretend to look at trailers, but he had no reason to leave at dawn to do that.

  He might have said he’d be down at the barn helping Zane. She’d been so focused on their evening plan that she hadn’t paid attention. Now she needed to know where to find him.

  She shook with dread, but she had to do this. Cody had always been like the grand piano the pioneers were forced to leave beside the trail. She’d never expected to keep him, only to treasure him for the short time they had together.

  She’d just hoped that time could last a little longer. Turned out that wasn’t a good idea. If she wanted to preserve the life she knew and loved, she had to act now.

  Her dad obviously thought she was ready to change the status quo and create a new life for herself. She had no such plans, but the only way she could make him believe that was to end things with Cody.

  She hurt all over, both for herself and for Cody. He didn’t deserve this abrupt goodbye. He’d anticipated several more days of fun and games, but now he’d find out it was over. He’d treated her like a queen and this was a terrible way to repay him.

  But she had no choice. She could only pray that he’d understand and not hate her forever. She would have continued their bargain if she could have and she’d do her best to explain that. He could still take Bert. Under the circumstances he might refuse, but she hoped not. A reliable horse was critical for an expedition like this and she wanted Cody to have the best.