and she helped him take off the rest of his clothes. He grabbed for the packet he carried in his pocket and sheathed himself before coming up over Ruby. She stretched her arms up, reaching around his neck to pull him down and kiss him again. He was ready, so ready, and when Ruby invited him into her warmth, he joined them together in one breathtaking plunge.
Aw, hell. It was better than he remembered. He stilled, absorbing the feel of her, loving the body that so readily welcomed him.
“Don’t hold back, Galahad. You understand?”
Good God, Ruby was something. He kissed her again and again, and as he moved deeper, filling her body, she moved with him, keeping pace, rising and lifting and enjoying.
It happened swiftly, neither one wanting to wait, both desperate to find that place that would unite them on the highest ground. She called out his name, and quickly he muted her with a powerful kiss. Then her hips bowed up, and he propelled her even higher with one final all-consuming push. The rush made her convulse around him, and he couldn’t hold back any longer. He came as close to heaven as any mortal man could.
Afterward he lay holding Ruby in his arms. “You all right?”
She nodded, unable to speak.
He kissed her forehead, stroking her arm and grazing his fingers over the peaks of her lush breasts. Then he slid his hand down to her legs. He caressed her there, taking in the smooth, soft skin under his palms, not knowing when he’d have the privilege of doing this again.
He heard the thud of footsteps coming toward the office. Voices filtered in.
Ruby’s eyes rounded, and she gasped. “It’s Sam and one of the boys,” she whispered. “He may be looking for me. I left Spirit in the corral, and the grooming equipment is all over the ground. Damn it.”
“Shh. Don’t panic. I locked the door.”
“But Sam knows I never lock the door when I’m working. If he knocks on the door, I won’t be able to look him in the eye. Not with you in here. I’ve got to go.”
She rose and donned her clothes hastily, then wove her fingers through her hair to tame the messy locks. “Get dressed, Brooks. And don’t come out of the office until I get them out of here.”
“Ruby, it wouldn’t be the end of the world if they saw me in your office.”
“Are you insane? I’d never be able to pull that off. Sam will know something’s up and it’s the last thing either of us need right now. Stay until it’s safe for you to leave.”
She opened the door and was gone.
Leaving him locked in the office, buck naked.
What the hell?
Ruby sat down in front of her flat-screen TV and began eating cold chicken salad. She’d deliberately not gone to dinner at the main house tonight. How could she possibly have faced Brooks across the table, eaten a meal with her family and pretended there was nothing between her and Brooks? She was still at odds with herself for what had happened in her office this afternoon. They’d come very close to being discovered. Sneaking around wasn’t in her DNA. She didn’t like subterfuge.
But wow. And double wow. When it came to Brooks, she didn’t seem to have much resistance. Just a look, a word from him, tied her into knots. She had trouble fending him off and found that most times, she didn’t want to. She enjoyed his company a little too much.
A nighttime soap opera played on the screen, a story about oil and country music and cowboys who were too much trouble. She stared at the TV as she forked lettuce into her mouth, trying to concentrate on the story and not the city dude with the deep sky-blue eyes who had turned her simple ranch life upside down lately.
A familiar voice sounded and she blinked. Trace Evans walked into the picture and her spine straightened as she sat up and took notice. Trace was on television?
He had a bit part; he spoke a few words before he disappeared again.
Now, this was news. Trace hadn’t told her anything about it. But then, she hadn’t spoken with him in ages, except for that one phone call a few days ago. Funny that he didn’t mention anything about being on Homestead Hills, even if it was only a small role. She continued to watch, finishing her salad and waiting for him to appear again.
He didn’t.
A knock at her door made her jump. She clicked off the TV and rose from the sofa. Her mind still on Trace, she walked to the door and looked through the peephole. It was Brooks. Seeing him on her doorstep caused her belly to stir immediately. He always made her forget all about Trace and the heartache he’d put her through.
She opened the door and stared into smiling, deep blue eyes. He held a bunch of flowers in one hand and a lavender box from Cool Springs Confections in the other. “Hello, Ruby.”
“Brooks, come inside.” She ushered him in before someone spotted him with date night goodies in his arms. She scanned her yard before closing the door, thankful that no one was in sight. She had no business being alone with Brooks, but she wasn’t about to throw him out, either.
He stood just inside her cottage and grinned. “You look uptight, Ruby.”
If it wasn’t for the light in his eyes, she might have been offended. “Thanks to you. You really shouldn’t be here.”
“I do a lot of things I shouldn’t do. These are for you.” He handed her a dozen beautiful white roses and the box of chocolates. “Listen, I’m not courting you. Well, not in the usual sense.”
“Not in any sense,” she pointed out.
“Still, we’ve been thrown together and it’s been...amazing.” He pushed his hand through his blond hair as he struggled for words. “I don’t know. I had to come. To give you something nice, something you deserve. The way you had to run out from the office after we made love didn’t sit well with me.”
“Thank you, Brooks. But you don’t owe me anything. As you said, we’re not dating. We never could be, and I did what was necessary.”
“I’ve learned never to say never, Ruby.” He glanced at her arms loaded with his gifts. “You want to put those flowers in water?”
“Uh, sure. Follow me,” she said, leading him into the kitchen. She set the box of candy on the table and then opened a cupboard door. “They really are gorgeous.”
“I’m glad you like them.”
“I don’t remember seeing such perfect white roses this time of year in Cool Springs.”
“They’re not from Cool Springs. I had them flown in from Chicago.”
She craned her head around. “You didn’t.”
He shrugged and gave her a simple nod. Her heart beat a little bit harder.
“My florist is known for his perfect roses. Cool Springs didn’t have anything that comes close.”
