Riding Hard (7 page)

“Oh, my God.” He started to laugh but clapped a hand over his mouth immediately. Then he scrubbed that same hand over his face and cleared his throat. “Sorry, sorry. I’m not laughing at you, I promise.”

“You are so laughing at me! You think I’m ridiculous. Which I am.” She couldn’t decide whether to run or stand her ground.

“You most certainly are not ridiculous. You’re adorable. And sexy. And...could I please have that blanket?”

“Why?” She eyed him suspiciously.

“Because it’s blocking my view.”

That sounded promising, although she certainly couldn’t claim to have engineered this seduction. If she had any talent for it, she’d have dropped the blanket a long time ago and slowly opened her robe.

He came closer and held out his hand. “Let me have it, please.”

She released her death grip on the blanket. He took it from her and hung it over the nearest stall door. Meanwhile she could have started her vamp routine, but no, she just stood there waiting for him to make the next move.

He turned back to her. “That’s much better. Now you can proceed.”

“To do what?”

“Seduce me.”

She gulped.

“It won’t be tough to do. Imagining you naked under that silk, especially while you’re wearing boots, is almost enough by itself.”

“You’re still laughing at me.”

“Oh, no, I’m not, sweetheart. I’m putty in your hands. Whether you realize it or not, you have all the power. Own it.”

7

D
RAKE
THOUGHT
BRIEFLY
of the assurances he’d given Josie Chance. But circumstances had changed. Tracy was outgrowing her fears, and he was the lucky bastard who got to be here now that she’d decided to spread her wings.

Or, more accurately, spread the lapels of her red silk robe. Fingers trembling, she untied the sash. Then slowly, ever so slowly, she opened the curtains on a show he would never forget if he lived to be a hundred.

His breath caught as the supple material slid away to reveal her creamy skin, inch by delicious inch. He glimpsed the inner swell of each breast, the valley between her ribs, the tempting indentation of her navel and the V of dark curls between her smooth thighs.

He dared not blink and miss a single moment. She was doing this for him, the man she’d been afraid to trust. And now she was ready to give him...everything. She parted the robe a little more, and her nipples emerged, rosy and tight.

They quivered as she drew in a shaky breath. “Say something.”

He wasn’t sure his vocal cords would work. “I’m...speechless.” Sure enough, he sounded like a horny bullfrog. Felt like one, too. His cock pressed painfully against the ridge of his fly.

“Short but sweet.” She swallowed. “I’ll take it.”

“Mmm.” He’d always been proud of his gift of gab, for having a clever remark in any situation. Not this time. She was beautiful, but he’d been with beautiful women before. Although she’d dazzled him with her body, she’d blown him away with her bravery.

He couldn’t imagine the raw courage she’d summoned to come down here wearing nothing but a silk robe and boots. Seeing any woman like that would have turned him on. Being confronted with Tracy in that getup was so unexpected that he clenched his fists against the urge to take her
now.

But this was her show. That was the whole point, to let her test the limits of her sexuality. He wouldn’t rob her of that. So he stood there as his slight tremors betrayed the strain of holding back.

Her gaze traveled over him and lingered on his crotch. When she lifted her head and looked into his eyes, her sultry smile was triumphant. “Parts of you are shouting.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He desperately wished she’d drop the robe and come closer, but if she wanted to draw out the torture, then somehow he’d keep from going crazy.

She reached into her pocket for the condom and held it out. “Mind this for me, okay?”

“How long?” It wasn’t an idle question.

Her voice was as silky as her robe. “We’ll see.”

He might’ve groaned then. His brain was feeling fuzzy, and he couldn’t be sure what he was doing anymore. He ached as he’d never ached, wondering if she had any idea what it cost him to take the foil packet from her outstretched hand without grabbing her and yanking her into his arms. As she tested her limits, she was sure as hell testing his. He’d never wanted a woman this much without acting on it.

“This is way more fun than I thought it would be.” She allowed the robe to slither over her shoulders and drop to the floor of the barn. Then she braced her booted feet slightly apart, placed her hands on her rounded hips and sent him a challenging glance.

“Oh, yeah.” He drank in the sight of her looking so strong, so proud. Her skin flushed and her nipples tightened as his gaze moved slowly from the fire in her eyes to her quivering breasts, down to her narrow waist and the womanly flare of her hips. When his attention traveled lower to the juncture of her thighs, heat shot through him at the glisten of moisture there. He wasn’t the only one burning with anticipation.

She lifted one hand and crooked her finger. “Slowly.”

He nodded, although
slow
didn’t describe the way blood pounded through his veins or excitement zinged along every nerve in his body.

“Arms at your sides.”

When he opened his mouth to protest, she shook her head. “I’m owning it, Drake.”

So she was. He approached with his arms hanging at his sides as she’d instructed.

She held up one hand, palm facing him, like a traffic cop. “Close enough. I’ll take it from here. Just...stand there.”

He hoped he’d be able to obey that command as she stepped closer, her spicy perfume blending with the scent of aroused woman. At last she touched him, flattening her hands against his shirt, standing on tiptoe, and pressing her plump lips to his. Her mouth was open, her breath sweet and warm, her tongue... Oh, God, her tongue began to tease him, and his arms automatically went around her. It was pure reflex.

She pushed away from him, stepping out of his arms. “No.” She sounded breathless. “Just kiss me. That’s all.”

Judging from her rapid breathing, he thought she might be losing a little of her iron control, but he nodded again and let his arms go limp. One part of him was the complete opposite of limp, though, and if she didn’t do something about that soon, he couldn’t be responsible for the consequences. She might hold all the cards, but he held the condom.

When she started kissing him again, he gripped the condom so tight the foil edge bit into his fingers. He was only vaguely aware of that, because he was too busy exploring the wonders of her mouth with his tongue, the only part of him she allowed free rein. She sighed and tilted her head, allowing him greater access. Then she moaned a little, and he knew they were making progress toward the goal.

Gently she unfastened his shirt. She made maddeningly slow progress. By the time she pulled it out of his waistband and massaged his bare chest, he was slippery with sweat. She moaned again and dug her fingertips into his pecs. If she didn’t undo his jeans soon, he’d have to do it. A man could take only so much.

She was breathing hard, too, and glory be, she unhooked his belt and went to work on his jeans. Fortunately she didn’t linger. When she slipped both hands under the waistband of his briefs and cupped him, he had to stop kissing her for fear he’d bite her tongue. It was that intense.

“Tracy, I need you.” He could barely get the words out as he gulped for air. Her hands were stroking, massaging, creating pure havoc.

She wasn’t in much better shape. “Okay.” Panting, she shoved his briefs down and stepped back. “Put it on. Oh, Lordy, you are something to look at, Drake Brewster.”

He’d been told that he was well endowed before, but he’d never been happier for the praise than now. He needed to please this woman as he’d never needed to please anyone before. She would remember tonight for the rest of her life, and he wanted her to remember that it was oh, so good.

He rolled on the condom. “What’s the plan?”

“I didn’t...get that far in my thinking.”

If he’d had the breath to spare, he would have laughed. She’d managed this seduction all the way up to the critical part, but now she was out of ideas. He wasn’t, though. He grabbed the blanket where he’d hung it on the stall door and tossed it on a nearby hay bale. “Sit there.”

She did. Still wearing his jeans, sort of, he dropped to his knees in front of her. “Scoot forward. Good. Can I touch you now?”

“Oh, yes. Yes,
please.
”

“Excellent.” He filled both hands with her smooth, hot bottom. “Lean back and brace yourself on your arms.”

The motion lifted her breasts, and he was so tempted to nuzzle, to taste. But he had other things to do, very important things that involved making her come. Looking into her eyes, he nudged her thighs a little wider with his hips. “You surely did seduce me, lady.”

Her eyes glowed with excitement. “I did, didn’t I?”

“Yes, sweetheart, and this is what happens when you successfully seduce a man.” Tightening his grip on her fanny, he probed her heat with his cock. She was so slick, he groaned. “Ready?”

She swallowed. “Yes.”

Holding her gaze, he plunged into paradise. And held very still so he wouldn’t come. Wow. Perfect.

Her eyes widened.

Instantly remorse hit him. Maybe he should have gone slower. “Did I hurt—”

“No! That was... Oh, Drake, you feel amazing.”

He couldn’t help but smile at that frank compliment. “Thank you, ma’am.” How refreshing to know that Tracy would always tell him the truth, good or bad. This time, the truth was very, very good for his battered ego. “But we’re just gettin’ started.”

“Speak for yourself.” She tightened around his happy johnson. “I’m well on my way.”

He sucked in a breath. “Easy.”

“I’ve had easy.” She squeezed him again. “Go for it, cowboy. And don’t spare the horses.”

If a man existed who could resist a challenge like that, Drake hadn’t met him. He watched the light in her eyes grow brighter as he began to move, steadily increasing the pace until he was thrusting deep and fast. She held his gaze as if daring him to slow, daring him to come.

He would not. Not yet. Not until—there. A flash of sharp pleasure arced in those dark depths, a whimper escaped her parted lips, a tremor massaged his cock as he shot home again, and again. She was close.

His breathing was ragged, but he managed a warning. “I want you to come for me. But don’t be loud about it, sweetheart.”

She shook her head once, arched upward and came apart with a low, deep moan that was the sexiest thing he’d ever heard. The sound alone was enough to send him hurtling toward his own climax. He pushed in tight and let go, pulsing in rhythm with her, locked into her body, loving being there.

They stayed like that for several long seconds, neither of them moving, neither of them speaking. But he never stopped looking into her eyes. She made no attempt to hide...anything.

She seemed as caught up in the moment, as stunned by the intensity of it, as he was. Apparently she was brave enough to own the wonder of this moment just as she’d owned her power while seducing him. He’d never been with a woman this honest.

Sure, it scared him. He didn’t know if he could handle that level of sharing, but he wanted to give it a try. His superficial way of relating to women was a bad habit that belonged to his past, not his future. She’d demonstrated that she could rid herself of old patterns. He would follow her lead.

When he finally spoke, gratitude tumbled out. “Thank you for walking down to the barn tonight. I expected to go to bed without resolving anything. I thought we’d tackle it in the morning.”

She smiled. “We would have tackled it tonight, regardless.”

“Oh?”

“If you hadn’t headed down here for one last check on Dottie, you would have found me waiting in your bed.”

That floored him. “You were in my room? When?”

“The whole time you ate dinner and cleaned up the kitchen. I thought you’d come to bed after that, and I’d...apologize in person.”

“I’ll be damned.” He thought about that some more. “You were in my bed?”

“Yep.”

“What were you wearing?” He wanted to complete the mental picture.

“Nothing.”

He stared at her. “So we could have been doin’ this in a cozy bed instead of in a barn full of horses?”

“Guess so.”

“Damnation, woman. You should’ve given me a shout out or somethin’.” But he couldn’t help chuckling at the absurdity of it. “This has been memorable and all, but my knees are killing me.”

“Then get up, for heaven’s sake.”

“I like being inside you.” He couldn’t remember ever admitting that to someone he’d just had sex with. It sounded needy, and he’d never wanted to appear that way.

But he’d said it now because Tracy inspired that kind of truth. Even better, he trusted her not to take advantage of his vulnerability. That was huge.

“That’s nice to know, but you’ll have to leave sometime. My arms can’t hold me up much longer.”

“Well, that shines a different light on things. I want you to be comfortable. Obviously we need to get going.” He eased away from her. “Stay right there. I’ll grab your robe.”

Turning away, he used a handkerchief in his hip pocket to dispose of the condom, zipped up his pants and buckled his belt. Out here the cowhands carried bandanas, and if he ended up becoming a Westerner, he’d do the same. Was that his destiny?

He wished he knew, but at the present moment, his destiny wasn’t a nagging problem. He was feeling contented, and that was an emotion he hadn’t experienced in a while. He planned to enjoy it.

Tracy’s robe was right where she’d dropped it, a splash of vivid color on the battered wooden floor. He picked it up and shook it out to get rid of any dust and bits of straw. A robe like this didn’t belong on the floor of a barn, but he was mighty glad she’d worn it. He would never forget the picture she’d made coming in through the barn doors clutching that blanket to her chest.

He must have stood there for a minute reminiscing, because suddenly she was at his elbow. “I’ll take it.”

“I thought you were going to stay right—”

“No.” She glanced up at him, her dark eyes sparkling. “You
told
me to stay right there. But I’m in the process of owning my power, so I didn’t choose to listen.”

He laughed. “Dear God, what sort of monster have I created?”

“The kind who will be lots more fun in bed.”

That’s when it occurred to him that what had happened between them could happen again. Multiple times, in fact. He’d moved into the guest room in order to keep an eye on a pregnant mare. But that didn’t preclude keeping an eye on Tracy, who was fast becoming his favorite subject.

“So that condom you brought down here,” he said casually. “Was that a single one you happened to come across, or...”

“There’s an entire box sitting on your bedside table.”

“Say no more, sweet lady. Let me check on Dottie one last time before we head on up to the house to count condoms.”

“We’ll still need to set an alarm.”

“Absolutely. Dottie needs supervision. But I don’t expect her to need constant supervision. You, on the other hand, very well might.”

Tracy laughed, and the sound was light and carefree, the laugh of a woman who’d had good sex and was expecting to have more of it.

Drake wasn’t above taking some credit for that. He’d wondered if such intense physical stimulation would sabotage his determination to give Tracy the kind of experience she deserved. But her happiness had been so important that he’d managed to control his urges. She was definitely the kind of woman who was capable of making him a better man.