style="font-size:15px;"> His grin lit up his entire face as he approached her. “I liked that.”
“Which part?”
“You being so excited to see me that you had to race out here gave my ego a boost, and the fact that you’re not wearing a bra made it even more fun to watch.” He tipped back his hat with his thumb. “What’s the occasion?”
“I felt like staying loose today.”
“That sounds promising. Can I hope it was for my benefit?”
“Let’s say it’s for our benefit.”
“Works for me.” He drew alongside her. Sliding his booted foot out of the stirrup, he held out his hand. “Come on up.”
“Is there room for me up there?”
“Plenty of room if you sit on my lap.”
“Will Smudge be okay with that?”
“Smudge is so well trained you could do a lap dance and he wouldn’t spook.”
“Is that what you envision? Me doing a lap dance on horseback?”
“Nope. You don’t have to do a thing except enjoy the ride.” He wiggled his fingers. “Let’s go.”
She didn’t need to be asked again. The sight of him cantering toward her, his body moving in rhythm with the horse, had aroused her beyond belief. She wanted to feel all that manly coordination up close and personal.
Placing her hand in his firm grip, she put her foot in the stirrup and swung up and over the horse’s neck so she faced Luke. She marveled at the strength in his arm as he steadied her movements one-handed.
“Hold on to my shoulder.”
He circled her waist with his free arm and cinched her in tight against his crotch. “There you go.” He clucked his tongue and Smudge started walking down the trail. “How’s that? Comfy?”
“You have no idea.” She slipped her feet free of the stirrups and hooked her heels behind his knees so she could feel the hard ridge of his erection rocking against her as the horse moved. “I took off my panties, too.”
He groaned. “You are rapidly becoming the sexiest woman I’ve ever had the good fortune to meet.”
She wound her arms around his neck and lifted her face to his. “You’ve always been the sexiest man I’ve ever had the good fortune to meet.”
“Then you won’t be surprised if I put my hand up your shirt.” He held the reins and focused on the trail ahead, but he slid his free hand under the hem of her shirt and cupped her breast. “I like this decision of yours to ditch the undies.” Slowly he rolled her nipple between his thumb and forefinger. “I like it a lot.”
Sensation zinged straight to the spot being massaged by the bulge in his jeans. “Mmm.” She pressed against his fly and let the steady movement of the horse work its magic. “You can do that some more if you want.”
He kept his attention on the trail. “You’re trying to come, aren’t you?”
“You told me to enjoy the ride.”
He glanced down at her and his dark eyes glittered. “You realize what this means, right?”
“Yes.” She sucked in a breath as she felt the first twinge. “I’m going to run out to meet you more often.”
“It means that the minute we get off this horse, you and I will get very busy.”
She moaned softly and rocked a little faster. “Doing what?”
“Take a guess. Now go for it, you loose woman.” He pinched her nipple faster. “We’re almost there.”
“So am…I.” When the spasms hit, she pressed her face against his shirt to muffle her cries. She didn’t want to scare the horse. But, oh, this was fun. Before meeting Luke, she would never have dreamed of doing such a thing.
True to his word, Luke had her out of the saddle the minute they reached the shade of her pine tree. She was feeling pretty mellow, so she didn’t mind when he laid her down on the pine-needle-and-leaf-strewn ground. His expression was so intense that she figured this would be an epic coupling.
He had her shorts off in a flash, but he wasted no time on his clothes. Hooking his hat on the saddle horn, he unbuckled his belt and wrenched down his zipper so he could free his cock and suit up. He didn’t bother with foreplay, either. Moving over her, he spread her legs and drove in deep.
She expected him to pump fast and come quickly, but he surprised her. Once they were securely locked together, he propped himself up on his forearms and shifted so he could cradle her head in both hands. They stayed like that as he gazed down at her without moving. He seemed to be studying her.
Wrapping her arms around him, she looked into his eyes. They were still hot, but his expression had lost some of its desperation. “I thought you were in a hurry,” she said.
“I was. To get here.” Although he’d seemed to be up to the hilt, he managed to slide in a fraction more. “Right here.”
“I thought I wouldn’t see you until later.”
“I switched afternoons with Shorty.” He eased back and shoved home again. “I’ll work for him tomorrow afternoon.”
“Why?”
“I needed this.” And he began a slow, steady rhythm as he held her gaze. “I needed…you.”
The walls she’d carefully constructed around her heart began to weaken. He shouldn’t say things like that. He didn’t mean it the way another man might, but…how sweetly he was loving her. How easy to look into those warm brown eyes and imagine that something more than lust had captured him.
“I’m glad you’re here.” She grasped his hips and lifted to meet him. “I needed you, too.”
He smiled as he continued the lazy back-and-forth movement. “Guess so. Running around the place without underwear. What were you thinking?”
“This.”
“Yeah? You wanted to have sex on the ground?”
“No. I just…wanted you inside me.”
“That’s nice to hear, but how about a side order of a nice juicy orgasm?” He leaned down and brushed his mouth over hers. “I know you’ve already indulged, but…”
“I’ll take another, please.”
“I thought you might. FYI, don’t yell. Smudge is a calm horse, but let’s not push it.”
“I won’t yell.”
“You might want to.” Nibbling on her lower lip, he increased the pace slightly. “How’s that feel?”
Tension coiled within her.
