Cowboy After Dark Read online

  “I certainly am. I haven’t taken one since I moved to Cody, so this was the perfect opportunity.”

  “And I’m long overdue. The rafting company was short on guides until recently, but now they’re fully staffed. So I’m on break.”

  “What a coincidence.” She loved the subtle yet confident way he touched her. He instinctively knew the right pressure and rhythm, whether he was lightly caressing her cheek or giving her an orgasm.

  “Coincidence, luck, fate. Take your pick. We both have a week off, so what if we think of it as a long-anticipated adventure, one we’re finally taking the time to enjoy?”

  “How in the world could this week be long-anticipated when we barely know each other?”

  “We know each other better than we did an hour ago.” There was a smile in his voice. “Think of how well acquainted we’ll be in a week.”

  Dear God. The images his comment inspired made her blush. She was glad it was too dark to see.

  “You’re blushing.”

  “You can’t tell that.”

  “Yes, I can. Your cheek just got very warm.”

  “Oh.” It seemed she could hide nothing from this man.

  “Can I take that as a sign that you’re excited about the possibilities?”

  “Yes.” She drew in a shaky breath. “Yes, you can.” Her body hummed with sensual approval of everything he had to offer.

  “I’m glad.”

  “But that still doesn’t magically transform next week into a long-anticipated adventure.”

  “Are you sure about that?” He combed his fingers through her hair and cradled the back of her head. “Don’t tell me you’ve never fantasized about a wild fling with the right guy. No obligations, no promises, just good times.” He drew closer. “Good sex.”

  “Well, okay, I have.” Her blush spread along every inch of her skin. He was about to kiss her, and she couldn’t wait. “I think most women do.”

  “I’m prepared to be that guy.” His mouth settled over hers.

  Melting against him, she allowed herself to believe that he could be her fantasy lover, especially if he had to fill that role just for a week. A week of feeling his knowing hands on her willing body sounded like heaven. And man, he could kiss.

  The hunger in that kiss and the hard length of his cock pressed against her belly reminded her that only she had been satisfied tonight. The heat of his mouth burned away any remaining inhibitions. He hadn’t said what role she would take in the days that followed, but he must have a fantasy woman in mind, too. Sliding her hand down, she stroked the thick, denim-covered ridge.

  He groaned. Breaking away from her mouth, he caught and held her wrist. “Don’t.”

  “Why not?”

  “I’ll come. That would be embarrassing as hell.”

  “Not if I’m making it happen.”

  His breathing roughened. “I didn’t bring you out here for that.”

  “Will you think less of me if I make you come?”

  “Of course not! But—”

  “Then let me.” Leaning forward, she ran her tongue over his full lower lip.

  “Hope...”

  “Let me.” She drew his lip into her mouth and sucked gently.

  With a low moan of surrender, he relaxed his hold on her wrist. His breath was warm on her mouth. “It seems I’m going to.”

  “Good.” She pushed against the solid wall of his chest. “Lie down and look at the stars.”

  Sighing, he rolled onto his back. “This doesn’t seem heroic.”

  “But I’ll bet it’ll feel really good.” She straddled his thighs and unbuckled his belt.

  “I’m sure it will.”

  “You can’t be sure.” Unfastening the metal button at his waist, she carefully eased down the zipper. “I might be lousy at this.”

  “There’s no such thing.”

  “That’s not logical.” Behind his fly, his gray knit boxers were stretched tight. It was a wonder the seams held up under all that pressure. “Everybody’s bad at something. Maybe I’m bad at giving blow jobs.”

  “Ask any guy. Good technique is a bonus, but it’s so not necessary.” His breath hissed out as she pulled down his boxers and freed his cock.

  Oh, my. She wasn’t going to mention Tom at a moment like this, but Liam had him beat by a country mile. All this would be hers for a week. Hello, fantasy lover.

  “Is...is something wrong?”

  “On the contrary. Something is very right. You have a magnificent tallywhacker.”

  His voice sounded strained. “I thought maybe there was a problem.”

  “No.” She glanced at his face. Even in the dim light, she could see the tendons in his neck were standing out. He was also gripping fistfuls of the blanket. “Do you have a problem?”

  “Only that I think I’m going to come any second.”

  “Maybe I can help.”

  “That would be great.”

  Grasping the base of his penis, she squeezed hard.

  “Ahh.”

  “Better?” She leaned over him, her tongue poised to lick the single drop of moisture gathered at the tip.

  His massive chest heaved. “Yeah. For a second there I thought I’d—” He gulped when her tongue made contact. “Hope, if you keep that up, it’ll be all over.”

  “Not if I give you another squeeze.” Circling the base of his shaft with her thumb and forefinger, she tightened her grip while continuing to lavish attention on his very fine penis. The longer she stroked and licked, the more she ached to feel him thrusting deep inside her.

  But he was a gentleman and hadn’t brought condoms. She understood completely. Showing up with condoms in your pocket on a first date didn’t demonstrate much respect for the woman you’d invited out.

  Consequently he’d suffered while giving her two amazing orgasms. She’d do well to remember that instead of wishing he’d been a little less of a gentleman. Now he deserved his reward for all that self-sacrifice. Closing her lips over his considerable girth, she took in as much of him as she could manage.

  He gasped and began to shake. When she moved her head up and down, he swore. So they had that swearing thing in common. She used her tongue and her teeth and concluded from his labored breathing and the cussing that he was enjoying himself.

  “Hope.” He sounded desperate. “I can’t wait. I’m going to...come. You don’t have to...stay with me.”

  Yes, she did. Sucking hard, she put him over the top. As he cried out, she swallowed all he had to give. If he’d committed to being her fantasy man, she’d be his fantasy woman. For one week.

  * * *

  SHE MADE THE RIDE back in a sensual daze. The shadows that had spooked her on the way out had lost their power to stimulate her imagination. She had no time to contemplate a bear attack when her mind was filled with visions of rolling around in bed with a naked and aroused Liam Magee.

  They’d agreed that frantic attempts to have sex in the next forty-eight hours made no sense, though. If a golden opportunity presented itself, they’d take advantage, but otherwise they’d wait until after the wedding. Liam was fixated on making sure they had a bed next time. Now that she’d seen and touched his top-grade package, she didn’t much care whether a bed was available or not.

  By the time they returned to the ranch, the ranch house was dark. They rode over to the barn and dismounted under the glow of the light over the barn doors.

  “You should go in.” Liam kept his voice low. “I’ll take care of the horses.”

  “That’s not fair,” she murmured. “I’ll help. Just tell me what to do.”

  He seemed to consider that for a moment before nodding. “Okay. While I take off the saddles, you can bring the grooming tote out. It’s a black plastic gizmo that ho
lds the brushes and curry combs. It’s on a shelf in the tack room. Can’t miss it.”

  She found the tote, no problem. She also found an envelope tucked into it with Liam’s name printed in block letters on the outside. Leaving the envelope exactly where it had been placed, she carried the tote outside just as he was taking the first saddle in. “There’s an envelope in here with your name on it.”

  “There is? That’s strange.” He hauled the second saddle in before examining the note. “If someone wanted to leave me a note, you’d think they’d stick it in the cabin door.” Leaning down, he picked up the envelope, opened it and started to laugh. “Oh, jeez.”

  “What? Who’s it from?”

  “Never mind.” He shoved the envelope and whatever it contained in his back pocket. “You can brush Isabeau, and I’ll take care of Navarre.”

  “All right.” She picked up a brush and started in on Isabeau’s dark gray coat. Curiosity was one of her failings, but she vowed not to be nosy. Keeping that vow would have been easier if Liam had quit chuckling.

  She tried to imagine what would have caused that reaction. It hadn’t been a note, because he’d taken no time to read it. As she replayed the moment, she remembered hearing the envelope crinkle. She recognized that crinkle.

  By the time she and Liam had settled both horses in their stalls, she’d figured out the likely contents of the envelope. She waited until they’d left the barn and he’d slid the bar across the double doors before confronting him. “Was there a condom in that envelope?”

  His sheepish expression said it all. “Um...yeah.”

  “Who—?”

  “Cade, but it’s not like you’re thinking.”

  “Then the two of you didn’t discuss the subject of condoms while you were out here saddling up for our ride?”

  “We did discuss it.”

  “Ha! And I was giving you points for being a gentleman! Meanwhile you and Cade were—”

  “Doing what good guys do.” He gripped her arms. “If you picture us taking bets on what would or wouldn’t happen tonight and making crude remarks about it, then you don’t know either of us very well.”

  “No, I don’t.” And she’d pictured exactly that.

  “Here’s how it went. Cade wanted us to have a good first date. He suggested taking a blanket, and I agreed. Then he asked if I had condoms, and I told him I wouldn’t presume to take them on a first date. He thought maybe I should reconsider because...” He paused. “That part doesn’t matter. I didn’t take them, as you know.”

  “I think it does matter, considering he left one so you’d have it at the end of our ride. Why did he think you should reconsider?”

  He cleared his throat. “He’s convinced you want me.”

  “Oh, really? Why is he convinced?”

  “He’s observed how you look at me.”

  “Oh.” Her cheeks grew hot. “Well, that’s damned embarrassing. I didn’t realize I was telegraphing my interest to the world.”

  “Not the world.” He drew her closer. “Before dinner I mentioned to Cade that I’ve liked you for a while. Cade, being protective of me, paid attention during the meal to whether you returned that interest.”

  “I see.” She wondered how Cade would react if he knew her interest was strictly short-term. Probably not well.

  “Should he have left that condom for me? Probably not, but that’s Cade. He means well, but he doesn’t always think how something will be perceived. He didn’t want us to go to bed frustrated.”

  “What exactly did you say to Cade before dinner?”

  “That you seemed special and I’d been meaning to ask you out for weeks.”

  “And why didn’t you?”

  His gaze searched hers. “The truth is, I had a strong feeling you’d refuse. So I put off asking to avoid what I thought would be a rejection.”

  “It would have been.”

  He accepted that with a nod. “Then my instincts were right, and as it turns out, the situation we’re in now is the only way you would ever have agreed to spend time with me.”

  “Exactly.”

  “A brief affair.”

  “Yes. But now I’m worried you won’t be okay with that.”

  An emotion flickered in his eyes and was gone. He smiled down at her. “Are you kidding? What guy wouldn’t be thrilled with a week of great sex with a beautiful woman?”

  “A guy who wants more.”

  “But you don’t have more to give.”

  “Right.”

  “So I’m grateful for whatever you are willing to give.” He rubbed her back. “We’ve just begun, and you’ve already made me a very happy and satisfied man. FYI, you’re not lousy at it. You’re damned good at it, in fact. I hope we can do that particular activity some more this week.”

  “We can, but...” She rested her palms against his warm chest. “This won’t be a stolen few days away from everything, the way I’d first pictured it. We’re not on a tropical island. During the week, we’ll be seeing your family, and I can’t believe they’d approve of a superficial relationship that’s all about sex.”

  “I have no intention of telling them. Do you?”

  “Of course not.”

  “Then as I see it, we don’t have a problem. We’ll have our fun this week, and they can assume whatever they want about us. At the end of our time together, we’ll go home to Cody. After a while, I’ll announce that it didn’t work out.”

  “You’ve thought this through.”

  “Yep. On the ride home.”

  “Then you really are willing to enjoy the week and end it cleanly?”

  “Absolutely. I’m no fool. You’re proposing a setup that’s every man’s fantasy.”

  She could either keep questioning him or take him at his word. Making her decision, she nestled closer and wiggled her hips against his. “You said the barn wasn’t very romantic.”

  Sliding his hands down her back, he cupped her bottom. “It’s not.” His fingers flexed in an arousing massage, and his eyes darkened. “But then, we’re not looking for romance.”

  “No.”

  “We’re looking for hot, no-holds-barred, mind-blowing sex.” He lifted her to her tiptoes and fit the hard ridge of his fly into the crotch of her jeans. “Right?” Holding her gaze, he thrust forward.

  She gasped at the sudden jolt of pleasure. “Yes.”

  “Then the barn’s as good a place as any. And it so happens I have a condom in my back pocket.”

  8

  LIAM HAD NO intention of frolicking through a week of mindless sex with Hope and then saying goodbye, but he hadn’t lied to her. If, after days of intense interaction, she could turn her back on him, he’d honor his promise and let her go without a fight. He put Ringo the barn cat into the tack room for the night while grabbing the blanket he’d left there earlier.

  Then he walked back to the empty stall where Hope was waiting for him. Despite their agreement, he doubted this was the beginning of a one-week affair. His experiences with nature had given him a reverence for all connections, and he didn’t make or break them carelessly. She was an artist whether she admitted it or not, and he knew from living with Grady how much emotional depth creativity required.

  But if she wanted to tell herself this was all about sex, he wouldn’t argue the point. Sex was a great way to connect, and he was in favor of having a lot of it. He’d wanted a king-size bed underneath them the first time they had the full-on experience. But he’d thrown down some straw before going to fetch the blanket, and that would have to do. He’d wanted the lights on, too, and all he had was ambient light from small lamps placed along the aisle between stalls.

  The glow was enough for him to see her sitting on the floor taking off her boots, but not enough to gauge her expression when
she glanced up. He felt a rush of tenderness that had nothing to do with lust. There were so many things he wanted to share with her. A week wouldn’t even scratch the surface.

  Setting her boots aside, she stood and padded over to him in her sock feet. “Give me the blanket while you take off your boots.” She stood on tiptoe and gave him a quick open-mouthed kiss.

  “Okay.” One little kiss and lust came roaring back. He was all about efficiency. He’d just taken off his second boot when she returned and plucked his hat from his head.

  “You won’t be needing this, either.” She hung it on the stall door.

  “Are you sure? I’ve heard tell that some women prefer a naked cowboy who leaves his hat on for the duration.” He reached for her, but she backed away.

  “I’ll consider that for another time. Right now I just want you naked, period.”

  “That can be arranged. Right now I desperately need to kiss you.” He advanced toward her.

  She stepped out of reach again. “How about arranging it now?”

  It took him a moment to figure out what she was going for, but eventually he did. “You want me to strip?”

  “Yes, I do, while I watch. I’ve been mentally undressing you from the first day I saw you and now—”

  “What the hell? From the first day? And yet you were planning to turn me down flat?”

  “Just because I fantasized about you naked doesn’t mean I was ready to risk getting involved.”

  He rubbed the back of his neck. “You’ve imagined me naked from day one.” He couldn’t get over it.

  “Why are you surprised? You’d walk into the hotel all sweaty, your damp T-shirt stretched over all those beautiful muscles you’ve developed from paddling a raft for hours on end. I’m sure I wasn’t the only woman imagining a beefcake show right there in the lobby.”

  He was flattered. He’d wondered if showing up grubby and smelly might have been a turnoff for her. Apparently not. “Are you going to strip for me, too?”

  She shook her head. “I promise to return the favor eventually, but tonight I’d rather have you take my clothes off after you’re finished with yours.”