jutted out from the ridge.
"Is this place named for someone, or does the Amber Ridge refer to the redrock’s color?" she asked.
"The rock. This is my favorite trail on the ranch."
"I can see why." She shaded her eyes with her free hand and slowly scanned the land spread out beyond them. "I like living near the ocean, but I have to admit the land here does have a bit of a siren’s call."
He stared at her profile, marveling that he’d thought much the same thing not all that long ago. He had to force himself to look away from her, from what she was making him remember. Things he’d come here to forget.
"Can I ask you a question?" he said.
"Sure."
"Back at the barn, when I introduced you to Adam. You acted like something was wrong for a moment."
"Nothing important."
"You sure about that?"
She didn’t say anything for a moment then took a deep breath. "The guy I was seeing before I came here, his name’s Adam. It was just a little shock to hear his name, that’s all."
"He hurt you?"
She retrieved her hand and shoved both of hers into the front pockets of her jeans. "Yeah. I thought he was a good guy. When he had to work on the weekend, I took a surprise lunch to him. Turned out he didn’t need lunch, or me."
"He wasn’t there?"
"Oh, he was there. And so was the chick he had bent over a desk."
"I’m sorry."
Erin looked at him with a curious expression then shrugged and looked away. "I just have notorious bad taste in men. No matter how many times it’s proven otherwise, I still like to believe I’ll find the right one. But maybe it’s time I just throw in the towel."
"Don’t let him do that to you. He’s an idiot."
"You don’t even know him."
"He screwed around on you, so he can’t be that bright."
"That’s sweet of you to say."
Justin could tell by the tone of her voice that she believed his words were just part of the Pleasure Ridge Ranch package. He stepped in front of her, forcing her to look up at him. "If you’d never heard of this place and we’d met somewhere else, under different circumstances, I would say the same thing. You’re beautiful, funny. You seem like a good, nice person. Any guy who screws around on that for a quickie piece of ass is a fucking idiot."
Her beautiful eyes widened a fraction, and she bit her bottom lip. She lowered her gaze to somewhere approximately halfway down his chest. "Thank you."
He placed his forefinger under her chin and lifted it. "Forget him," he said then lowered his lips to hers. This wasn’t a kiss of seduction but rather one of healing. He tried to ignore the little voice in the back of his head whispering that it wasn’t just Erin he was hoping to help heal.
"You know, you’re pretty good at helping me forget," Erin said between kisses.
"Good to know." As the kissing and stroking picked up speed, he was only dimly aware of distant thunder.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The didn’t make love up on the ridge, but Erin knew without a doubt that they would have if Justin hadn’t become aware of thunder in the distance and set them on a quick course back for the barn. They nearly made it before the sky opened up, but even with only a few yards to go to the barn they both got soaked.
Justin rode Daisy into the barn, and Adam was there to meet them.
"That one popped up out of nowhere," Adam said as he took the reins.
Justin slid off Daisy’s back then helped her dismount. "Yeah. Even Daisy was getting a little anxious."
Adam scratched Daisy between the ears. "Don’t worry, girl. I’ll take good care of you." As he led Daisy away, Erin lifted her arms out from her sides and watched the water drip off her bare skin. Her teeth started to chatter.
Justin wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "We need to get back to the cabin and change before you freeze."
She pointed out the open front of the barn. "Still pouring like cats and dogs."
"How much wetter can we get?"
"You have a point."
Justin shifted away. "Race ya." And then he was running toward
"Is this place named for someone, or does the Amber Ridge refer to the redrock’s color?" she asked.
"The rock. This is my favorite trail on the ranch."
"I can see why." She shaded her eyes with her free hand and slowly scanned the land spread out beyond them. "I like living near the ocean, but I have to admit the land here does have a bit of a siren’s call."
He stared at her profile, marveling that he’d thought much the same thing not all that long ago. He had to force himself to look away from her, from what she was making him remember. Things he’d come here to forget.
"Can I ask you a question?" he said.
"Sure."
"Back at the barn, when I introduced you to Adam. You acted like something was wrong for a moment."
"Nothing important."
"You sure about that?"
She didn’t say anything for a moment then took a deep breath. "The guy I was seeing before I came here, his name’s Adam. It was just a little shock to hear his name, that’s all."
"He hurt you?"
She retrieved her hand and shoved both of hers into the front pockets of her jeans. "Yeah. I thought he was a good guy. When he had to work on the weekend, I took a surprise lunch to him. Turned out he didn’t need lunch, or me."
"He wasn’t there?"
"Oh, he was there. And so was the chick he had bent over a desk."
"I’m sorry."
Erin looked at him with a curious expression then shrugged and looked away. "I just have notorious bad taste in men. No matter how many times it’s proven otherwise, I still like to believe I’ll find the right one. But maybe it’s time I just throw in the towel."
"Don’t let him do that to you. He’s an idiot."
"You don’t even know him."
"He screwed around on you, so he can’t be that bright."
"That’s sweet of you to say."
Justin could tell by the tone of her voice that she believed his words were just part of the Pleasure Ridge Ranch package. He stepped in front of her, forcing her to look up at him. "If you’d never heard of this place and we’d met somewhere else, under different circumstances, I would say the same thing. You’re beautiful, funny. You seem like a good, nice person. Any guy who screws around on that for a quickie piece of ass is a fucking idiot."
Her beautiful eyes widened a fraction, and she bit her bottom lip. She lowered her gaze to somewhere approximately halfway down his chest. "Thank you."
He placed his forefinger under her chin and lifted it. "Forget him," he said then lowered his lips to hers. This wasn’t a kiss of seduction but rather one of healing. He tried to ignore the little voice in the back of his head whispering that it wasn’t just Erin he was hoping to help heal.
"You know, you’re pretty good at helping me forget," Erin said between kisses.
"Good to know." As the kissing and stroking picked up speed, he was only dimly aware of distant thunder.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The didn’t make love up on the ridge, but Erin knew without a doubt that they would have if Justin hadn’t become aware of thunder in the distance and set them on a quick course back for the barn. They nearly made it before the sky opened up, but even with only a few yards to go to the barn they both got soaked.
Justin rode Daisy into the barn, and Adam was there to meet them.
"That one popped up out of nowhere," Adam said as he took the reins.
Justin slid off Daisy’s back then helped her dismount. "Yeah. Even Daisy was getting a little anxious."
Adam scratched Daisy between the ears. "Don’t worry, girl. I’ll take good care of you." As he led Daisy away, Erin lifted her arms out from her sides and watched the water drip off her bare skin. Her teeth started to chatter.
Justin wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "We need to get back to the cabin and change before you freeze."
She pointed out the open front of the barn. "Still pouring like cats and dogs."
"How much wetter can we get?"
"You have a point."
Justin shifted away. "Race ya." And then he was running toward
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