Wyatt (10 page)

Stephanie blinked her eyes at him and pouted. “Why? I want
you back. We were good together.” She narrowed her eyes. “I’m sure we were
better together than you and your slut are.”

Wyatt’s jaw tightened and he flattened his lips. “If you
mean Olivia, she’s not a slut.”

Stephanie waved her hand. “Oh, please. Why would a single
woman be on birth control pills if she doesn’t whore around?”

“Get out,” Wyatt told her between clenched teeth.

Stephanie’s eyes widened and she hopped off the fence. “I’m
just telling it like it is.”

“Why is that any of your business?”

“I’m just saying that Olivia must like to sleep around.”

Wyatt leaned his face down to hers. “You weren’t a virgin,
either.”

Stephanie gasped. “No, I wasn’t but I’ve only been with two
men. How many has your slut been with?”

Wyatt straightened to his full height, took her bicep in his
hand, and tugged her toward the door. “I’m not going to tell you again. Get
out.” He practically shoved her out the door. She pulled away from him and fled
out the door. He took deep breaths to calm himself. The anger was coming off
him in waves. His fists clenched and he gritted his teeth. Cochise butted his
head against Wyatt’s back as if in sympathy.

Wyatt turned and rubbed the horse’s nose. The day was a
complete waste since Stephanie had shown up.
Damn her.
But he knew what would make it better. He smiled as he
led Cochise out of the arena and mounted the horse. Cochise pranced around,
excited about a run, and was ready to go. Wyatt nudged him and the horse bolted
out of the yard toward the north pasture. He was going full speed, passing
through Gabe’s land, and then Jake’s, until they finally got to the B and B’s
land. He reined the horse in at the top of the hill and gazed down at the house
and barns. Cochise shifted under him. He nudged him gently to walk down the
hill. He needed to see Olivia.

* * * *

Olivia sat at the kitchen table working on the website.
Evelyn was preparing the lunch meal and bustling around the kitchen. Olivia
smiled as she listened to the woman talking to herself. She was adding pictures
of the new riding horses to the site. She shuddered at their size. She still
had no desire to get on one of those big animals. No matter how beautiful they
were.

“Oh my,” Evelyn muttered as she looked out the door.

Olivia glanced over to her. “Is Stan out there again?” She
teased.

Evelyn slapped a kitchen towel at her. “He is, but I was
talking about the other gorgeous hunk out there.”

Olivia frowned then got up and went to the door to look out.
She gasped when she saw Wyatt talking to Stan. Cochise stood beside him. Had he
ridden that horse all the way here from his ranch? She looked around the yard,
but didn’t see his truck anywhere. Her eyes went back to him and she bit back a
groan. He looked so good. His coat hung open, showing his T-shirt hugging his
pecs and rippled stomach. His jeans were so faded they were almost white. The
crotch cupped his sex alluringly. She looked over her shoulder at Evelyn.

“He’s one fine looking young man,” Evelyn said with a grin.

Olivia watched until she saw him heading toward the door.
She quickly moved back to her seat at the table since she didn’t want him to
know she’d been watching him. Evelyn stood at the stove stirring a huge pot of
stew. The door opened and he stepped in. He closed the door and leaned back
against it, folding his arms. She glanced up and her eyes met his. She leaned
back in her chair and folded her arms. He tipped his head down so his hat
covered his eyes. When he raised his head back up, she could see he was trying
not to grin. His lips twitched as he walked toward her. He placed one hand on
the table in front of her and one on the chair back. He took his hat off, put
it on her head, and leaned in close to her. Right before his lips touched hers,
he whispered.

“Hi, sweetheart.”
Then he pressed
his lips to hers. “I’ve missed you.”

“Not as much as I’ve missed you,” Olivia said against his
lips.

“Want to bet?” He smiled.

“What’s the bet?” Olivia nibbled her bottom lip.

Wyatt straightened up. “If I win, you come home with me.”

“And if I win?” She gazed up at him.

Wyatt turned a chair around, straddled it, and laid his arms
across the top of it. “If you win, you come home with me.”

Olivia narrowed her eyes at him. “How is that fair?”

“Who said it had to be fair?” Wyatt shrugged.

Olivia stood, not breaking his stare as she closed her
laptop, and then walked to her apartment. She came back a few minutes later to
find him gone. She glanced at Evelyn.

“Where did he go?”

Evelyn nodded her head toward the door.
“Out.”

Olivia called for Punkin and walked out onto the porch.
Wyatt was talking to Stan again. He glanced over to her and after seeing the
suitcase, strode over to her. She took his hat from her head and placed it on
his.

“Let’s go.” She walked to her car and let Punkin in. She was
about to get in when she saw that Wyatt was still standing in the same spot.
Olivia put her hands on her hips.

“Well, cowboy, what are you waiting on?” She laughed when
she saw him run to Cochise and leap into the saddle. He nudged the horse and
took off through the deep snow in the pasture.

Chapter Ten

Olivia arrived at his ranch before he did. She walked into
the house and took her suitcase to the bedroom. Going back outside, she watched
Punkin and Bear chase each other around the yard. When one of the ranch hands
came toward her, she waited. He tipped his hat at her.

“Do you need some help ma’am?” He smiled at her.

“No, thank you. I’m waiting for Wyatt.”

“He’s sure been busy today. You’re the second female who’s
been here to see him.” He grinned and walked away.

Second female?
Who was the first?
Had he lied about not seeing anyone else? Why would he ask her to come here
then? She was about to go back inside and wait for him in the kitchen when he
rode into the yard. Her breath caught. He looked incredible on that horse. She
watched him jump out of the saddle and saunter toward her. He halted when she
glared at him.

“Who was here earlier?”

Wyatt frowned. “Huh? What do you mean?”

“One of your ranch hands found it necessary to tell me there
was another female here to see you today.”

“Son of a bitch,” Wyatt muttered.

“Who?”
Olivia asked again.

Wyatt reached for her hand. She stepped back from him. He
sighed, took her elbow, and led her toward the house. She glanced in the
direction of Cochise, but he grumbled something about him not going anywhere.
Once inside the house, she jerked her arm from him.

“Stephanie was here…” Wyatt began when she started back
toward the door. He stepped in front of her. “You need to listen to me before
you throw a hissy fit.”

Olivia put her hands on his chest and shoved him. “I
do not
throw hissy fits. I told you I
wasn’t going to be with you if you were seeing someone else.” She tried to walk
around him but he grabbed her by the waist.

“I’m not with anyone else and there’s no way in hell I’d be
with Stephanie. I can promise you that, she’s only coming around because she
knows I’m seeing you.” He spun her around to face him. “I don’t want anyone but
you, sweetheart.”

The fight went out of her and she leaned into him. She
looked up at him and felt a huge blast of satisfaction when he groaned.

“Those eyes of yours are going to do me in.” He lowered his
head and kissed her. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him back.

Wyatt raised his head. “I’m telling you the truth, Olivia.
After she kissed me…”

“You kissed her?” Olivia said, punching his arm and cringing
slightly when it hurt her hand. It was like hitting a steel beam.

“You’re not listening. I said
she
kissed me.” He softly swore. “I don’t want anything to do with
her and you have to believe that or there’s no sense in us being together.” He
took her hands in his. “I told you I wouldn’t see anyone else while I’m seeing
you. I’m not a liar, Olivia.”

“I bet she had some things to say about me though, didn’t
she?” Olivia knew by the look on his face that she was right. “What did she
say?”

“It doesn’t matter.” She continued to glare at him. He
sighed and so told her.

“I’m not a slut,” Olivia exclaimed after hearing the
account.

“I know that,” Wyatt said kissing the palm of her hand.

Olivia took his hand and led him to the living room. “I want
to tell you about my life.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I want to…please.” She gazed up at him. When he nodded,
together they sat on the sofa. She cleared her throat and took a deep breath.

“My mother abandoned me when I was two years old. She took
me to a police station, pinned a note to my coat, and walked out. Since no one
could find her, I ended up in an orphanage, and then I went to foster homes but
no one ever adopted me. I was a hellion and did whatever I could to get
attention. I was rebellious and no matter what home I went to, they sent me
back to the orphanage.” She blew out a breath. “I wasn’t a good person. I had
sex when I was fifteen and that was even after I went to live with Becca and
her parents.” She sighed. “I still can’t believe they loved me the way they
did. I was a bitch for the first two years but deep inside, I knew it was wrong
acting as I did. At sixteen, I decided to turn my life around and be the person
they thought I could be. Becca’s parents became
my
parents. They disciplined me and for once in my life, I listened
to someone trying to straighten me out. I grieved right alongside Becca when
they died.” Olivia blinked back sudden tears. “When I was twenty-one, I fell in
love with a boy in college. I thought he was the one, until I caught him
screwing my roommate. Trust me, if Becca hadn’t been with me, he’d no longer be
among the living.”

She saw Wyatt’s mouth twitch but he nodded for her to go on.
She gave him a sad smile. “I had a hard time trusting men after that. I figured
they were all the same, especially when married men would hit on me. I’d tell
them what I thought of them screwing around on their wives. You wouldn’t
believe their excuses.” She gazed into those black eyes. “I grew up tough and
until I met Becca and her parents, I didn’t give a shit about anyone. I love
Becca as a sister. We may not share blood but I’d do anything for her.” She
took a deep breath. “I’ve been with four men. One, if you don’t count the three
who were actually boys, and had no idea what they were doing. I was in
relationships with each one of them. The relationships didn’t last long, but
then it wasn’t really love I felt for any of them. I am on the pill but not
because I screw around. It’s because I have menorrhagia, which means I have
very difficult and nasty periods.” She shrugged. “The pills help some. I always
made my partners wear condoms—until you. That’s it. The Olivia Rene Roberts
story.”

“That’s it?” Wyatt asked.

“Yes. I understand if you don’t want to see me anymore.”

“Do you now?”

She glanced at him and nodded. “I do.”

Wyatt huffed. “As far as I’m concerned, none of that
matters, Olivia. What matters is the here and now.”

She gasped in surprise. “Are you sure?”

Wyatt chuckled. “Do you think I’ve been squeaky clean?”

“You mean you haven’t?” She narrowed her eyes and grinned.

“No. You wouldn’t believe how Jake, Gabe, and I tore up this
town when we were teenagers. A lot of our friends too.” He laughed. “You think
Sam was always a good guy? He was one of the worst.”

Olivia laughed. “Sam? Well, now that you mention it, there’s
something about a bad boy turned sheriff.” She gazed at Wyatt through her
lashes. He growled at her and stood up. She laughed then squealed when he
picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder.

“I’ll show you a bad boy.” He carried her down the hall.

Olivia ran her hands over his butt in those tight jeans.
“Please do, cowboy. Please do.”

* * * *

Wyatt lay on his back with Olivia draped across his chest
while he tried to catch his breath. She amazed him, always giving as good as
she got. He absentmindedly played with a few strands of her hair. She sighed
and her warm breath blew across his chest. He tightened his arm around her and
knew he had fallen hard into a pit of trouble.

Olivia rose up on her elbows to look at him. “Kiss me,” she
told him.

He flipped her onto her back and leaned over her. He kissed
her chin, her nose, and across her cheek but kept away from her lips. She
moaned and his groin twitched. How was that even possible? They had just had
mind-blowing sex but he was ready to go again already. He ran his tongue along her
collarbone.

“Wyatt, kiss me,” she begged but then whimpered when he
kissed her lips quickly, and moved to her ear. She grabbed a fistful of his
hair. “Wyatt Stone, if you don’t kiss me, there will be hell to pay.”

He chuckled and then pressed his lips to hers, moving his
tongue inside her mouth. She moaned and moved her tongue against his, making
him
groan
. He pressed his erection against her leg.
She pulled back from him and gazed up at him in surprise.

“Yeah, tell me about it.” Wyatt grinned as he moved on top
of her.

Olivia reached between them, wrapped her fingers around his
hard cock, and moved the head between her feminine folds.

“Jesus, Olivia.” Wyatt groaned. She laughed, and then gasped
when he reached between them and guided himself into her, making them both
sigh.

“
Wrap
your legs around me,
darlin’,” he whispered and groaned when she clasped him tight. He gazed into
her eyes and what he saw there couldn’t be what he thought it was, but only his
wishful thinking. She moved her hips to his rhythm. Wyatt kissed her hard and
deep.

Olivia tore her lips from his. “Please…faster…harder,” she
pleaded with him. He complied.

He tried to hold back but when he felt her inner muscles
tighten, he lost it.
“Now, darlin’.
You
with me?”

“Yes,” she cried out.

A little later, they lay in each other’s arms. Olivia’s
fingers were trailing over his pecs and rippled stomach. He knew she wanted to
say something.

“Spit it out, Olivia. I can hear the wheels turning.” He
chuckled when she blew out an exasperated breath.

“Tell me about Stephanie.”

Wyatt sighed, wishing it was something other than that. “I
was engaged to her, she broke the engagement a week before the wedding. What
else is there?”

“Tell me how you met her, and how you fell in love with her
so much so that you wanted to marry her.”

“I met her years ago. She’s five years younger so we didn’t
run in the same circles. I was twenty-eight when I met her through her dad.
Blake and I had become acquainted through me training cutting horses. I thought
she was beautiful…” He felt Olivia stiffen beside him. “Are you going to listen
or just get pissed?” When she relaxed, he continued. “Anytime I was at Blake’s
to talk with him, she was there. We started seeing each other and we fell in
love…well, I fell in love. I’m not really sure about her now. I’d been out of
the Marines for two years and looking into law school…”

“You wanted to attend law school?” Olivia asked in surprise.

“Yes. She talked me out of it. I kick myself every day for
listening to her but in a way it was the best thing that happened. I love what
I’m doing now. I was training horses part time and the more I did it, the more
I loved it.” He shrugged. “So, I guess it was for the best. I only hate that I
let her talk me out of it instead of making it my own decision.”

“Why did she break the engagement?” Olivia asked.

Wyatt grunted. “She told me I was spending too much time
working the horses and if I had gone on to law school, we’d have more time
together.”

Olivia sat up and glared at him. “Are you serious? She’s the
one who talked you out of going.”

“That’s what I said, but it didn’t matter to her. She gave
me the ring back and that was it.” He shrugged.

“Were you deeply in love with her?”

“When I think back, I don’t think I loved her enough. I was
more interested in combining my business with her father’s. Stephanie was just
a bonus. As I said, I thought she was beautiful but it didn’t take too long to
realize she wasn’t a nice person. I’m glad now that I didn’t marry her.”

“Was she good in bed?” Olivia asked. Wyatt burst out
laughing and she swatted him in response. “You want to tell me
what’s so funny, cowboy
?”

He rolled on top of her and kissed her. “If you like having
sex with a block of ice, she was great. She doesn’t compare to you, darlin’,
and never will.” He kissed her again. Olivia moaned against his mouth while
wrapping her arms around his neck. All was good with the world—for now.

* * * *

The next morning, Olivia woke up alone. She dressed and
walked to the kitchen looking for Wyatt. He wasn’t in the house so she headed
out the back door in search of him. Her breath whooshed out of her chest in
amazement when she saw him ride Cochise into the yard and head toward her. He
smiled and her knees almost gave out.

“It’s about time you got up,” he said gazing down at her.

“You should have gotten me up.” She grinned up at him,
waggling her eyebrows.

Wyatt shifted on the horse. He moved the horse closer to her
but she backed up.

“Is he going to bite me?”

“No. Come here.” He put his hand out to her. She shook her
head.

“Olivia, do you trust me?”

“Yes…but…”

“No buts. Give me your hand.”

Olivia was terrified, but she put her hand in his anyway. He
lifted her onto the horse as if she weighed no more than a feather. She put her
hands over her face and closed her eyes.

“You can open your eyes,” Wyatt whispered in her ear. “I’ve
got you, darlin’.”

She opened her eyes and glanced down. “I can’t believe you
got me on a horse.”

Wyatt grinned at her as he nudged Cochise into a walk. She
clung to him. Her arms wrapped tightly around his waist. After a few minutes of
walking Cochise around the yard, he halted the horse and let her down. He
grinned down at her with smug satisfaction.

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” he asked her.

“No, but you know my motto.”

“I don’t. What is it?”

Olivia grinned. “Save a horse, ride a cowboy.”

Wyatt laughed. “Let me put Cochise up and we’ll talk about
your motto.”

“Oh, we’re going to do more than talk about it, cowboy.”
Olivia spun on her heel and sauntered away from him with a little more sway in
her hips. She went inside just as the phone started ringing. She checked the
caller ID and saw it was Gabe. She wondered if she should answer it. She
shrugged. It could be important.

“Hello?”

“Uh, who’s this?” Gabe asked. Olivia laughed.
“Liv?
What are you doing answering the phone at Wyatt’s? Are
you living there now?” He chuckled.