you. Probably would suit Lee just fine as well. He needs help.”
But she was turning away, and he could tell by the squared set of her shoulders, she wasn’t happy. “I’d be here more than I’m gone.”
She shot a glance over her shoulder. “Emmy will like that.”
“Would you like that?”
Her smile was tight. “Sure. We can have sex when you’re here. Lots of it.”
Her tone had him frowning. The fact she was willing to have sex should have made him feel like crowing like a rooster. “Is that all you want from me?”
“It’s all I have to give. I won’t commit to more with someone who’s bent on getting himself blown up.” She touched her scarred cheek. “I know there are no guarantees in this life, but I can’t let myself give a damn about a man who doesn’t give a goddamn about his own life.” Her glance slid away. “If that ever changes…”
Carter’s jaw tightened. He gave her a swift nod. “Sure about the sex?” he ground out.
Her eyes filled for just a second, but she blinked away the moisture. “Yeah. Until we’ve had our fill.”
He narrowed his gaze. Anger flushed through his body. Did she think screwing would help work him out of her system? He grunted. She didn’t know it, but she’d just thrown down a gauntlet—issued a challenge he couldn’t refuse. He stuck out his hand.
She wasn’t as quick to lay her palm against his. But when she did, he felt a tingle the moment their skin touched. That electrical charge he’d felt the first night they’d shared a bed. He raised then lowered their joined hands. “Deal.”
She had to have felt it, too. He could tell from the way her eyes rounded for just a second. But then she slowly dragged her hand from inside his. “This is no one’s business but ours.”
“I don’t kiss and tell, sweetheart.”
“Emmy would be confused. And your dad—well, he doesn’t need any added stress.”
“Got it. What happens in my bed, stays there.”
The corners of her mouth twitched. And he realized what he’d said. They stood with grins stretching.
“Does bring up a point. Your sheets…”
He remembered what she’d interrupted that morning. He cleared his throat. “I already put them in the washing machine.”
She pursed her lips then stared up the side of the ravine. “Didn’t look so steep coming down.”
“I won’t let you fall,” he whispered, then bent closer to give her mouth a kiss.
The sting left by her words faded. When her soft mouth gave beneath his, he couldn’t think about the fact she’d already written him off. Hell, he should have been happy she had no expectations beyond their mutual pleasure. But standing close to her, breathing in her scent, kissing her soft mouth, he couldn’t think of anything he’d rather be doing or any place he wanted to be more. His heart steadied. Calm centered in his chest.
Kissing Melanie and drinking in her soft sighs of pleasure was confusing as hell. On one hand, he couldn’t help but ache to be inside her. On the other, he didn’t want to mess up the moment. It was kind of…magical. Birds chirping, water lapping…their hearts beating like one.
Carter didn’t understand what was happening, but he couldn’t resist. He drew her closer.
Chapter Seven
‡
C arter straightened in his saddle as they approached the ranch house. A shiny black Hummer was parked in the drive. Since Hummers weren’t exactly ranch-friendly vehicles, he knew the driver was there to see him.
He glanced toward Melanie. Her mouth was tightening. He nudged his horse forward and dismounted, tying the reins over a hitching post.
Melanie dismounted, but held out her hand. “I’ll see about putting the horses out to pasture.”
“Thanks,” he said, hating to leave her on a sour note, but he was curious about who had come. He stepped onto the porch, and immediately, one very familiar figure, impossible not to recognize because he was so damn big, came into view.
Big Mac pushed up from the
But she was turning away, and he could tell by the squared set of her shoulders, she wasn’t happy. “I’d be here more than I’m gone.”
She shot a glance over her shoulder. “Emmy will like that.”
“Would you like that?”
Her smile was tight. “Sure. We can have sex when you’re here. Lots of it.”
Her tone had him frowning. The fact she was willing to have sex should have made him feel like crowing like a rooster. “Is that all you want from me?”
“It’s all I have to give. I won’t commit to more with someone who’s bent on getting himself blown up.” She touched her scarred cheek. “I know there are no guarantees in this life, but I can’t let myself give a damn about a man who doesn’t give a goddamn about his own life.” Her glance slid away. “If that ever changes…”
Carter’s jaw tightened. He gave her a swift nod. “Sure about the sex?” he ground out.
Her eyes filled for just a second, but she blinked away the moisture. “Yeah. Until we’ve had our fill.”
He narrowed his gaze. Anger flushed through his body. Did she think screwing would help work him out of her system? He grunted. She didn’t know it, but she’d just thrown down a gauntlet—issued a challenge he couldn’t refuse. He stuck out his hand.
She wasn’t as quick to lay her palm against his. But when she did, he felt a tingle the moment their skin touched. That electrical charge he’d felt the first night they’d shared a bed. He raised then lowered their joined hands. “Deal.”
She had to have felt it, too. He could tell from the way her eyes rounded for just a second. But then she slowly dragged her hand from inside his. “This is no one’s business but ours.”
“I don’t kiss and tell, sweetheart.”
“Emmy would be confused. And your dad—well, he doesn’t need any added stress.”
“Got it. What happens in my bed, stays there.”
The corners of her mouth twitched. And he realized what he’d said. They stood with grins stretching.
“Does bring up a point. Your sheets…”
He remembered what she’d interrupted that morning. He cleared his throat. “I already put them in the washing machine.”
She pursed her lips then stared up the side of the ravine. “Didn’t look so steep coming down.”
“I won’t let you fall,” he whispered, then bent closer to give her mouth a kiss.
The sting left by her words faded. When her soft mouth gave beneath his, he couldn’t think about the fact she’d already written him off. Hell, he should have been happy she had no expectations beyond their mutual pleasure. But standing close to her, breathing in her scent, kissing her soft mouth, he couldn’t think of anything he’d rather be doing or any place he wanted to be more. His heart steadied. Calm centered in his chest.
Kissing Melanie and drinking in her soft sighs of pleasure was confusing as hell. On one hand, he couldn’t help but ache to be inside her. On the other, he didn’t want to mess up the moment. It was kind of…magical. Birds chirping, water lapping…their hearts beating like one.
Carter didn’t understand what was happening, but he couldn’t resist. He drew her closer.
Chapter Seven
‡
C arter straightened in his saddle as they approached the ranch house. A shiny black Hummer was parked in the drive. Since Hummers weren’t exactly ranch-friendly vehicles, he knew the driver was there to see him.
He glanced toward Melanie. Her mouth was tightening. He nudged his horse forward and dismounted, tying the reins over a hitching post.
Melanie dismounted, but held out her hand. “I’ll see about putting the horses out to pasture.”
“Thanks,” he said, hating to leave her on a sour note, but he was curious about who had come. He stepped onto the porch, and immediately, one very familiar figure, impossible not to recognize because he was so damn big, came into view.
Big Mac pushed up from the
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