Cowboy Rush (Dalton Boys Book 5) (11 page)

Pushing ideas of little Kades running around the countryside, she went into the candy shop. Shelby looked up from behind the counter, her face all smiles. “Ryan, so nice to see you off the ranch. Welcome.”

Returning her smile, she approached the counter. A glass case held dozens of candies and there was a chalkboard sign with flavors of ice cream. “What a place. It’s so charming in here.”

“I’m lucky, I know. Such a small country town shouldn’t support a business like this, but I have some people coming by every day for a snack. It’s a little slow with school out for summer, though. I miss the after-school rush.”

“I bet. I’ve come with a request for a bear cookie.”

“Oh that must be for Hank Jr.” Shelby laughed, and Ryan could see why Witt was so smitten with her. From what she’d witnessed at suppers, Witt and Shelby were so good together. A sort of sadness settled in Ryan’s chest. Whoever got Kade would be just as lucky. He might be the wrong man for her, but he was definitely a good one.

She nodded and pushed her hair off her shoulder. “Yes, Hank Jr. says they’re his favorite.”

Shelby grabbed a blue box and placed two bear cookies with candy eyeballs inside. She winked. “I can’t send him just one cookie. Now what can I get you?”

“The raspberry ice cream sounds perfect.” She reached into her front pocket for some bills, but Shelby threw out a hand.

“No, no. On the house.”

“I can’t accept that. You’ve got to make a living.”

“Family always gets a freebie.”

“But I’m not—”

Shelby shushed her. “Close enough. Now, sugar cone or cake cone?”

“Cake please.” What did she mean by close enough? Had she picked up on the attraction between her and Kade and think they were together? If she believed anything would come of it, she was mistaken. Ryan had had a momentary brain lapse in even letting him kiss her, let alone stick his hands—

Well, there definitely wasn’t more going on with Kade.

She sank to a barstool at the counter to eat her ice cream, rich with big, fat berries, and talked to Shelby. A half hour later she left feeling more confused about Kade than ever. Listening to Shelby’s own love story with Witt made her believe anything might be possible.

With a thick peanut butter cup in a bag for him, she headed back to the ranch. She was only being nice, bringing him a treat, right? So why did her heart do a backflip when she saw him sitting on the front porch, staring into the distance, looking as though his favorite dog had run away?

She watched him for a moment before cutting across the yard to the porch. As soon as he heard her boots on the steps, his head snapped up. Their gazes locked and a ray of happiness fell over his handsome face.

Throat tight with longing, she held up the bag. “I got you a treat.”

“Sweetheart, seeing your pretty face is treat enough.”

Chapter Seven

“Not here,” Ryan whispered as he drew her soft yet strong body against his. When he lowered his head to sniff her fragrant neck, he bit back a groan.

Hellfire, he’d been moping around since hearing she’d gone to Vixen. He hated that she hadn’t invited him along. She could sass him all day and even refuse to listen to his direction, but the minute she ignored him he was as coiled inside as a rattlesnake.

She started to push away and he swooped in to press a light kiss to her throat. Just under her ear, a place he’d found made her breath come in short pants.

A shiver ran through her.

Grinning, he straightened and let her go. Snatching the bag from her hand, he said, “What’d ya bring me?” He’d eaten enough of Shelby’s peanut butter cups to know the weight in the bag.

“Just a peace offering.” Ryan dropped her gaze to her boots.

He stared at her. Hat low, red waves tangled on her shoulders, most likely from an open car window. But her clenched fingers really worried him.

“Peace offering?” His voice sounded as though he’d been drinking moonshine. He wouldn’t be doing that for a while, not after the skull-cracking he’d gotten last time.

“Yes, I shouldn’t have walked away without talking.”

“Damn straight you shouldn’t have.”

She jerked her head up to look at him. Then lifted her jaw in defiance. “I work here. I’m not your dog to command.”

Slipping the bag into his shirt pocket, he took a step toward her. “No, you’re not. But after what happened in that barn—”

“Shhhh!” She gripped his arm and towed him down the steps. She was fuming, but he couldn’t keep his gaze off her tight ass or the sway of her hips. When she tossed a glance over her shoulder, she caught him looking. Releasing his arm, she rounded on him, eyes burning.

“What happened in the barn wasn’t the end of it, Ryan.”

“No, because I’m ending it right now.” She stamped her foot to prove her point.

Damn, she was feisty. And smart, sexy, amazing. She was everything his brothers loved in their wives and so much more. He took a step toward her.

She backed up, hands thrown out. “I know that look on your face, Kade Dalton.”

“What look? And it’s just Kade.” As soon as he got her in his arms, he was going to make her moan his name.

“That hungry look. Like you’re going to eat me up.”

In a blink, he realized he intended to do just that. Only he wasn’t toying with Ryan—if he got her in his bed, he’d never let her go.

“I intend to do more than eat you up, sweetheart. Stop fighting it.”

Her eyes darkened but they definitely weren’t green, which meant he wasn’t about to get a tongue-lashing. No, he’d seen that deep color right before she’d come apart for him.

In one step, he had her in his arms, hauling her against his body. His cock throbbed to life at the first contact. Holding her face, he claimed her mouth. Their tongues collided with a groan. Wild need throbbed through him even as his heart soared with happiness.

In one trip to the airport he’d found something he’d stopped looking for—the woman he didn’t want to let go of. And she tasted like the sweetest raspberry ice cream.

“My favorite,” he said between gulping kisses.

She raked her short nails up his back to his nape. “Favorite what?”

“Ice cream. Don’t fight it, sweetheart.” He stared into her eyes for five full heartbeats. Something soft and pure lived in her gaze, and he needed to get closer to it. Now.

She went on tiptoe to kiss him again, but he held back, just looking at her. “Ride with me.”

“Where?”

He curled his fingers around her wrists and tugged her toward the barn. “Just say yes.”

“Okay.”

When he had her on the back of the four-wheeler, his need grew to a bone-deep ache. “Put your arms around me.”

“What? No. Everyone will seeeee—” He hit the gas and she rocked back then snapped her arms around his middle.

Releasing a whoop of joy, he shot across the ranch. With her clinging to him and the wind in his face, he’d never felt such happiness. She squealed as he cut hard to the left. They hit a bump and got a little air.

“Kade,” she cried, but he felt her giggle before she rested her head between his shoulder blades.

Flying across the ranch with her felt so right. She’d seen him at his worst and damn if he didn’t want to show her his best—every day of his life.

When he’d asked her to ride with him, he hadn’t given a thought to where they’d end up. Now it was totally apparent to him. The lights of Witt’s house were the closest to the property he’d someday own—if he ever met the terms of ownership.

Covering Ryan’s hand over his waist, he let dreams spring up in his mind. They bubbled and overflowed. A chicken coop here, horse paddock there. A log cabin with big windows overlooking all of Paradise Valley.

Holding her all night long and waking her in the morning with kisses. Heading out before dawn—together. He wanted to work alongside her all day and take her home at night. He’d never get enough.

Nothing had been clearer in his life.

He’d fallen for Ryan. From her flaming hair to her sassy mouth down to the tips of her dusty boots, she was the woman for him. She drove him crazy in all ways. When she’d gone to Vixen, he’d felt a chasm open wide in his soul. Even knowing she’d be back wasn’t enough. After spending weeks in her constant presence, he didn’t want to spend even one more second away from her.

If he were honest with himself, each time he distanced himself from her, he ended up wondering what she was doing. Wishing he could watch her tackle the next task on the ranch.

As he slowed the four-wheeler, he tried to organize his thoughts and feelings. Part of him hungered to claim her right here on his land. But she was a tough woman to crack. She’d only let her guard down a couple times.

With a plan in place, he cut the engine. She released her grip on his middle and leaned away so her chest wasn’t pasted to his back anymore. Cool air rushed over his spine, and he instantly missed her closeness.

“Want to walk with me?” he asked quietly. Up here it seemed they were the only humans on earth. So isolated. If he wanted to strip her bare, lay her under the big Texas sky and ease between her thighs, nobody would interrupt.

She climbed off the four-wheeler and he did the same. They faced each other. “I’ve never been to this part of the ranch.”

“I don’t come here often.”

She pressed her lips together. A heartbeat passed. “Will this be your land someday, Kade?”

Calling him by his first name had to be a good sign. With a nod, he tried to catch her eyes, but she fixed her attention on the land.

Leaning closer, he placed a hand on her nape just under her hat brim. Silky red hair against his fingers made his cock harden instantly. What he wouldn’t give to spread all that luscious hair on a pillow and bury his nose in it.

She twisted from his grasp and took a few steps away. With her hands linked protectively before her and her eyes downcast, he could guess what was running through her mind.

“You don’t really want to stop exploring this attraction between us,” he said, low.

She tapped the toe of her boot. “I don’t know, Kade.”

He burned to bridge the gap, grab her and wrap her legs around him. To roll to the high grass together and make her belong to him. But her body language screamed she didn’t want the same things he did.

Nah, she’s scared.
If he put himself in her boots, he’d think his job was on the line. That he’d be put off the ranch broke and homeless for sleeping with one of the owner’s sons.

“You know this has nothing to do with your job, right?” He fanned the air between them.

At last she met his stare. “You mean, do I know kissing you isn’t a job requirement?”

“We’ll start with kissin’, but yeah.”

One fine red brow arched. “I’m not on the same page as you are.”

“No? Your body says otherwise.” He gestured to her breasts. Each nipple was a delectable gumdrop, clearly visible beneath the cloth.

She folded her arms over her chest and gave him that defiant little lift of her chin. “Please stop this, Kade. We aren’t good together. We don’t even like each other.”

Chest tight, throat tighter, he said gruffly, “I like you fine.”

With a sharp move of her hand, she started pacing. The high grasses swished around her calves, drawing his attention to the lines of her legs. His desire climbed. “You hate how I hay the horses. How I lift sick calves. How I even know so much about your family.”

“I never told you that.”

“You didn’t have to. I see it all over your face when the subject comes up. The only time you do like me is when your tongue is in my mouth.”

“Not true. I’m partial to your breasts too.”

The flash of her green eyes warned him his choice to rile her was the wrong one.

“I shouldn’t be up here with you, Kade. I don’t belong on this land.” She paced five steps away, six. It wasn’t until she was ten steps away that he understood she wasn’t coming back.

“Give me one good reason why you won’t give us a chance,” he called.

She stopped walking. Without turning, she responded, “I’ll give you ten.” When she spun to face him, his heart leaped. Yeah, he was as freaking in love with her as a man could be. So deep he could barely see the sun—she blocked it.

“I’m waiting.” Taunting her seemed the best way to keep her talking.

“One—because I hate you right now. You brought me to a piece of land you can’t have unless I agree to something I don’t want.”

“I don’t believe for a minute you hate me.” A trace of a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

She backed up a step. “Two and three—you tricked me into thinking we were just going for a ride.”

“I’ll give you that, but you willingly got on that four-wheeler behind me, sweetheart. You didn’t care where we were going.”

She raked her fingers through her long ponytail. It looked like fire licking her digits. “Four—I’m not staying on this ranch. I’m looking for another job tonight.”

“I doubt you can walk away now. Not only from me but from everything here. You love my family. You fit right in with the women, the kids love you and the other guys respect you.”

That shut her up. Her face mottled red and she looked a little teary. His heart broke a little. He took a step toward her.

“F-five.” She sputtered, took a deep breath and shook her head. “Six.” She looked into his eyes.

He was five steps from her. “What? No reasons for five and six?”

“S-seven. I crossed a line I can’t cross again.”

Being within arm’s reach of her and not being able to touch her sent a searing pain through him. “That line only exists in your mind, sweetheart. Here, with me, there are no lines. No boundaries.”

“Eight…” Her voice faltered as he closed his hand around her upper arm. He tugged her close enough to feel her trembling. “You’re…a jerk. But you’re one of my best friends, Kade.”

The smile in his heart transplanted itself to his face. “More reason to stay. Friends make the best loves.”

When she tipped her head back to search his eyes, she whispered, “Nine—did you say love?”

He nodded. “I did.” Closing the space between them, he claimed her lips with a growl. She opened for the invasion of his tongue, and they shared a groan as hot need dumped into his system. Ryan’s passion flowed into the kiss, and he knew he had her. Even if her stubborn mind hadn’t wrapped around the inevitable yet, it was only a matter of time.

And maybe an orgasm or two.

He cupped her breasts, thumbs against her distended nipples. She cried out, arching. With a single swipe of his thumbs over each, he started pressing small kisses down her neck. As he clamped his teeth around one nipple through her top, she locked her hands around his head.

“Do you have a ten?” he asked.

“Yeah,” she panted.

“What is it?” He mouthed her nipple, wetting her shirt.

“Don’t stop.”

It wasn’t an admission of love, but he’d take it.

* * * * *

As Ryan melted into Kade’s arms and kisses, her mind reeled. It shocked her that she was allowing his touch at all, but more eye-opening had been her admission that he was her best friend.

He stroked his tongue over hers, and she knew it to be true. Even while arguing in the field, a strong camaraderie lived between them and friends did make the best loves. Not that she knew—she’d never been in love.

Lust? Hell yeah. And she was about to act on that, big time.

Curling her hands into his buttocks, she rocked against his huge erection. His Wranglers barely harnessed his desire and her panties were soaking.

“Slow down, sweetheart. I won’t last.”

Angling her head, she sucked on his tongue. A growl ripped from him and he palmed her breasts. The aching weight in his hands was the most decadent pleasure. She moaned into his mouth. He swallowed it and fed her his tongue. Long, dizzying kisses as she went on tiptoe to get closer. Slowly melting into him further.