wasn’t sick. No, she was sexually aroused. And it didn’t take a genius to know he was the lucky guy who’d created that situation.
They’d managed to feed each other’s fires until he couldn’t stand it another second. He shouldn’t have reacted that way, and he should probably regret that he’d shoved aside his misgivings and kissed her. But he didn’t regret it. That kiss was the way kisses should always be—a trip to the sun and back.
He made sure she was tucked inside before he closed the door of the truck. Then he walked around to the driver’s side. He’d left the keys in the ignition, a common habit around the ranch. Sliding in behind the wheel, he began to understand the mess he was in.
Just sitting next to her in the cab was going to be torture. The air-conditioning didn’t work in this truck, and the heat from her body amplified the impact of her perfume. A whiff of sea and sand mingled with the scent of a healthy, sexy woman to create an aromatic cocktail that could get him drunk in no time.
Maybe with the windows down, he’d manage to survive the trip without pulling over and reaching for her. He started the truck.
“How far away is the spot where we’ll have the cookout?”
“Not far.” But with her sitting right next to him, it might turn out to be the longest damn drive of his life.
5
“I DON’T THINK I’ VE EVER been on this road.” Emily focused on the scenery, which somewhat distracted her from the virile cowboy in the driver’s seat, the one she longed to kiss again, but would not.
So instead she admired the wildflowers that created a carpet of purple, yellow and white in the meadows they passed. She watched flocks of birds fly away at their approach and rabbits hop into the underbrush by the side of the road. She’d been on trail rides with her dad, but she’d been so determined not to like Wyoming that she’d missed its beauty.
Ahead of them, the snow that still remained on the summit of the Grand Tetons glittered in the sun. She’d never been here in the winter and had never tried skiing, although she had friends who loved it. She’d avoided finding anything positive about Jackson Hole, and that was a shame.
“Emmett never took you out to the sacred site?” Clay had to talk over the noise of the engine and the tables and benches rattling in the back.
“No, I would have remembered that.” She felt sad that her father hadn’t mentioned the landmark, but she didn’t blame him. She hadn’t been particularly enthusiastic about any of the local attractions, so why should he? Maybe she was finally old enough to realize that she didn’t have to keep harping on her love of all things California. By now, Emmett got it.
“This road leads to the site.” Clay avoided a particularly deep rut. “We’ll have the cookout in the meadow east of there.”
“What’s sacred about the place?”
“There’s a big flat rock about the size of a parking space there. The stone is gray granite with white streaks of quartz through it.”
“Sounds pretty.”
“It is, especially when the sun or the moon shines on it. Then the quartz sparkles.”
Emily laughed. “That works for me. I like shiny, sparkly things.”
“We’ll stop on the way back so you can take a look. Back when Archie and Nelsie were alive, the Shoshone Indians used to worship on that spot, so they’ve always been allowed on the property. But I don’t think the Shoshone have been there for years.”
“It’s for religious services?”
“Well, not exactly.”
“What, then?”
He glanced over at her. “According to the Shoshone legend, if you have an issue to resolve or uncertainties in your life, being on that rock will give you clarity. Morgan’s parents—have you met Morgan?”
“Not yet. Tomorrow night I’m supposed to meet everyone.”
“Anyway, her parents are into all the New Age stuff, so Morgan knows about it, too. She says that quartz is supposed to be a powerful
They’d managed to feed each other’s fires until he couldn’t stand it another second. He shouldn’t have reacted that way, and he should probably regret that he’d shoved aside his misgivings and kissed her. But he didn’t regret it. That kiss was the way kisses should always be—a trip to the sun and back.
He made sure she was tucked inside before he closed the door of the truck. Then he walked around to the driver’s side. He’d left the keys in the ignition, a common habit around the ranch. Sliding in behind the wheel, he began to understand the mess he was in.
Just sitting next to her in the cab was going to be torture. The air-conditioning didn’t work in this truck, and the heat from her body amplified the impact of her perfume. A whiff of sea and sand mingled with the scent of a healthy, sexy woman to create an aromatic cocktail that could get him drunk in no time.
Maybe with the windows down, he’d manage to survive the trip without pulling over and reaching for her. He started the truck.
“How far away is the spot where we’ll have the cookout?”
“Not far.” But with her sitting right next to him, it might turn out to be the longest damn drive of his life.
5
“I DON’T THINK I’ VE EVER been on this road.” Emily focused on the scenery, which somewhat distracted her from the virile cowboy in the driver’s seat, the one she longed to kiss again, but would not.
So instead she admired the wildflowers that created a carpet of purple, yellow and white in the meadows they passed. She watched flocks of birds fly away at their approach and rabbits hop into the underbrush by the side of the road. She’d been on trail rides with her dad, but she’d been so determined not to like Wyoming that she’d missed its beauty.
Ahead of them, the snow that still remained on the summit of the Grand Tetons glittered in the sun. She’d never been here in the winter and had never tried skiing, although she had friends who loved it. She’d avoided finding anything positive about Jackson Hole, and that was a shame.
“Emmett never took you out to the sacred site?” Clay had to talk over the noise of the engine and the tables and benches rattling in the back.
“No, I would have remembered that.” She felt sad that her father hadn’t mentioned the landmark, but she didn’t blame him. She hadn’t been particularly enthusiastic about any of the local attractions, so why should he? Maybe she was finally old enough to realize that she didn’t have to keep harping on her love of all things California. By now, Emmett got it.
“This road leads to the site.” Clay avoided a particularly deep rut. “We’ll have the cookout in the meadow east of there.”
“What’s sacred about the place?”
“There’s a big flat rock about the size of a parking space there. The stone is gray granite with white streaks of quartz through it.”
“Sounds pretty.”
“It is, especially when the sun or the moon shines on it. Then the quartz sparkles.”
Emily laughed. “That works for me. I like shiny, sparkly things.”
“We’ll stop on the way back so you can take a look. Back when Archie and Nelsie were alive, the Shoshone Indians used to worship on that spot, so they’ve always been allowed on the property. But I don’t think the Shoshone have been there for years.”
“It’s for religious services?”
“Well, not exactly.”
“What, then?”
He glanced over at her. “According to the Shoshone legend, if you have an issue to resolve or uncertainties in your life, being on that rock will give you clarity. Morgan’s parents—have you met Morgan?”
“Not yet. Tomorrow night I’m supposed to meet everyone.”
“Anyway, her parents are into all the New Age stuff, so Morgan knows about it, too. She says that quartz is supposed to be a powerful
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