In the Cowboy's Bed (Pleasure Ridge Ranch) Read online

  She opened a cabinet, grabbed a glass and filled with with cold water from the tap. She gulped half of it down, but it did little to settle her.

  The sound of running water in the bathroom drew her attention, and damned if her thoughts didn’t go to Justin, naked, wet, sudsy and hanging on to those handles for dear life as she used her mouth to drive him buck-wild crazy like he had her.

  She resisted the urge to shove her head under the sink in front of her. Maybe that would cool off her overheated skin and even hotter thoughts.

  With a shake of her head, she grabbed the menu. She dialed the number at the bottom and ordered a humongous burger and fries for Justin — all guys liked burgers and fries, right? For her, she selected grilled shrimp pasta. And because she was pretty sure she’d burned off all of the calories she’d consumed in the last week, she added two slices of chocolate cake to the order.

  When she heard the creak of the bathroom door opening, Erin’s pulse kicked up again. How was she going to sit across from Justin and eat dinner after what had happened between them?

  "So what am I having for dinner?" he asked, causing her to jump.

  Um, me.

  "Burger and fries. And chocolate cake," she said.

  "Sounds good. I seemed to have worked up an appetite."

  You’d think after what she’d allowed him to do to her that a simple comment wouldn’t embarrass her. But heat surged up her neck into her face like a geyser.

  He took a couple of steps into the kitchen and leaned back against the counter next to her, hat in his hands. "Are you going to look at me, Erin?"

  "I’m not sure."

  He chuckled again, amused by her. She liked the sound of his laugh. "What do you say we go outside and watch the sunset while we wait for the food?"

  Watching a sunset, that sounded pretty normal. But so had hiking along a trail. "Sure."

  He crossed the living room to the door and held it open for her, the perfect gentleman. He placed his hat on a hook by the door then followed her out.

  She considered sitting in the porch swing but opted for plunking down on the edge of the porch with her feet on the first step. She rested her arms on her knees and her chin atop her arms. When Justin sat next to her, she still didn’t look at him. Instead, she focused all of her attention on the setting sun. It looked huge on the horizon, a giant orange ball that was taking the heat of the day with it. Up this high in elevation, the warmth faded fast.

  "Chilly?" he asked, and she realized she must have shivered.

  "A bit. I’m used to being at sea level."

  Justin wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and she stiffened.

  "Don’t worry," he said. "I’m just trying to give you a little warmth."

  "Oh, thanks."

  "So you live by the ocean, huh? Must be nice."

  "Chesapeake Bay, and it is."

  "What do you do by Chesapeake Bay?"

  "Nothing near as adventurous as your job." She detected what she thought was a slight tightening of the muscles in his arm, prompting her to glance at him. He relaxed as their gazes met. "I’m an insurance claims adjuster. Yes, I work in a cubicle. Try not to be jealous."

  He smiled, and it made him even more devastatingly gorgeous than he already was. "Somebody’s got to do it, I guess."

  Erin watched his lips as he spoke, remembering what those lips had done to her not so long ago. She shifted her gaze back toward the sun. It sat halfway below the horizon now. "You ever noticed how the you can actually see the sun move when it’s like this? It’s the same way when it comes up over the water."

  "Yeah. Guess it’s in a hurry to get to bed."

  Now it was her turn for muscle tightening, just because he said something about hurrying and bed. If she were honest with herself, she’d admit she wanted to drag Justin into the cabin and straight to the bedroom, undress him as quickly as she could then see just how sturdy that bed really was.

  He leaned toward her. "You’re awfully tense," he said close to her ear.

  Gee, I wonder why. "Today’s just been...a surprise."

  "A bit out of your comfort zone?"

  "You could say that."

  "But you like it." It wasn’t a question.

  "Maybe."

  "From where I was, there was no maybe about it."

  Erin dropped her forehead against her arms. "I’ve gone crazy."

  Justin stood then sat behind her, one of his long legs on either side of her. His hands went to her shoulders and started massaging the knots she wasn’t aware she had. "You’re not crazy," he said. "You’ve probably just been taught that really letting your inhibitions go and doing whatever you want is wrong. But I fail to see what’s wrong with it."

  "You don’t think it strange that I let...I let you do those things to me only a few minutes after we met?"

  "No, because you’re safe with me. There’s no commitment, no expectations. You can explore every fantasy you’ve ever had with no consequences."

  That sounded so good, so tempting. But could she really do it? Totally let go and be a crazy sex maniac for a week?

  His hands weren’t just good at making her climax. The tension in her shoulders and back eased as he worked on the muscles.

  "That feels so good," she said.

  "Nothing like a good massage. Being on a plane all day is stressful. Not to mention coming to a place you’re not entirely sure you’re ready for. Although I hope you’re a little more comfortable now than when you arrived."

  Erin was surprised to find that she was. Without really thinking about it, she leaned back against his chest. "How are you so warm?"

  "Having a beautiful woman between my legs can do that to a guy."

  She laughed this time. "You don’t miss an opportunity to slip in a little sexy talk, do you?"

  "Job hazard?"

  "Oh, no. You better hope I don’t start talking deductibles and policy limits."

  He laughed and wrapped his arms around her. "Maybe when I want to go to sleep."

  She watched as the last sliver of the sun slipped out of sight and thought about the rest of the night. Was she really thinking about letting this man stay with her all night? All week? She closed her eyes and let herself really think about what he’d said about leaving inhibitions behind, stepping away from normal life for a little while. Forgetting about shoulds and should nots.

  "What are you afraid of?" Justin asked.

  "I don’t know. Doing something I’ll regret, maybe."

  "But no one will know about it but you and me. There’s nothing to regret if you make yourself happy."

  "That sounds nice in theory," she said.

  "Tell me this, did you feel better in your normal life doing what everyone expects or totally letting go this afternoon?"

  Letting go. The answer came quickly and easily. That’s when she made her decision to enjoy every moment of this week to its fullest. If she could imagine something sexually that she thought she’d like, she was going to try it. For once in her life, she was going to be in total control of how things progressed. Just the thought of that sent a thrill and a surge of empowerment through her.

  "I want you to stay," she said. "All week."

  "Then I’m all yours." He kissed her ear.

  She was just about to turn and find his lips with her own when the sound of an approaching vehicle was followed by the honk of a horn. "What are they honking at?"

  "It’s a warning," Justin said. "In case we were preoccupied."

  She wondered what happened when the food delivery was made to naked people going at it hot and heavy. She went wet just thinking about how she and Justin might find out before the week was over.

  * * * *

  Before their meal had arrived, Erin had thought she’d rather explore what Justin had to offer than what was in the takeout containers. But as soon as she opened the boxes, her stomach growled and she remembered how little she’d eaten throughout the day. She dived into her meal like it might be her last.


  "This is delicious," she said between bites.

  "Andre is a master in the kitchen," Justin said then took a huge bite of his burger and made an appreciative sound. It reminded Erin of the sounds he’d made when he’d been working down below earlier.

  She mentally slapped herself. Couldn’t she at least get through dinner without imagining herself astride him, his length filling her and stretching her inner muscles?

  When she got to the chocolate cake, she closed her eyes and moaned. "Oh, my God. This is the best cake I’ve ever eaten."

  "I think if Andre weren’t so busy in the kitchen, he might get laid by half the customers based on that cake alone."

  "And it’d be worth it. This cake is sex on a plate." She looked up and saw Justin watching her with a hungry look that could mean he was thinking about only one thing.

  Slowly, he used his finger to wipe up a bit of frosting from his plate then stick his finger in his mouth to suck it clean. Her toes curled in her shoes.

  "I can think of better places for sex than a plate,"

  he said.

  So could she. That big bed. The shower built for two. Hell, this table they were eating at this very moment.

  Justin slowly scooped another dollop of icing, and Erin felt herself leaning forward, wanting to watch every play of his lips and tongue. But then he surprised her by plopping the frosting on the end of her nose.

  "Hey!"

  Justin sat back and laughed.

  "Now that’s a waste of perfectly good chocolate," she said as she grabbed a napkin and wiped the frosting away.

  "Oh, it wasn’t a waste. The look on your face was priceless."

  She wadded up the napkin and tossed it at him. He laughed again as he batted it away. Before he could assault her with chocolate again, she grabbed his takeout containers as well as hers and headed for the trash can in the kitchen.

  Truth was she needed a few moments away from him to rein in her galloping nerves and thoughts of what the next few hours might bring if she could manage to keep from thinking about how normal people didn’t do this. Didn’t toss caution to the wind. Didn’t let their innermost, carnal desires bubble to the surface and then satisfy them. Didn’t get naked and nasty with a guy they just met.

  But that wasn’t true, was it? People hooked up in bars all the time. One-night stands were a dime a dozen. Amy had been a participant in more than one and enjoyed most of them. Even Hillary had had a couple. But not Erin. She’d never let herself, always looking for a "relationship." Yeah, well, that had turned out just dandy. She was terrible at picking guys for potential relationships. Maybe it was time to see what all the fuss about anonymous sex was about. See if she was any better at picking guys for a good orgasm or two. After all, she was covered protection-wise on her end, and the guys here were clean, safe. And sexy as sin.

  She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, quietly so Justin wouldn’t hear it. Then she returned to the other room and met Justin’s gaze.

  "It strikes me that you have on entirely too many clothes, she said."

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Erin’s words got Justin hard in the blink of an eye. Something had changed between the time she’d left the room and when she’d returned. There was a new resolve in her eyes, and some of the tension that women often brought from the world outside the confines of this ranch was gone, too. There was still a layer of nervousness, but he was determined to make that disappear as well.

  "Is that so?" he finally said. "What do you propose I do about it?"

  She licked her lips, and he doubted she even realized it.

  "You could unbutton your shirt. I think it’s terribly unfair that you’ve seen me naked, and I’ve seen no more of your skin that I would any guy I pass on the street."

  He reached up to the top button and unfastened it. Her lips parted a little, and he gave her his most wicked smile as he let his fingers trail slowly down to the second button and flicked it open. He repeated the motions all the way down until his denim shirt was open wide, exposing his chest.

  The look in her eyes changed to one of hunger. Suddenly, he wanted her pink lips on him. The urgency of his desire surprised him, but he tried to hide it. He rarely had problems getting aroused. He’d be out of a job if he couldn’t. But this was different. There was an extra layer of arousal, of the need to get this woman naked and beneath him, to lose himself between her legs. His balls started to throb at that image in his mind, and it was all he could do not to snatch her up into his arms, carry her to bed and get to it.

  "What now?" he asked, his voice lower and deeper.

  He detected the slightest hesitation in her step as she started toward him, but then she moved with more purpose though not quickly. When she reached him, she leaned over him, placing her hands on his thighs. She lowered her head toward his chest and flicked his right nipple with her tongue.

  Justin near bucked out of the chair. Women had tasted him before, but he’d never experienced such a jolt of white-hot desire shooting through him. He reminded himself that he’d taken charge earlier, that he needed to let her set the pace this time. Because they had all night, all week. And if he was reading her correctly, this wasn’t going to stop with some fingers or tongues. This was all in.

  She used her wet, warm tongue to circle the entire nipple then worked her way out in slow circles. Then she paid the same kind of attention to his other one. The licking turned to kisses and a little sucking, mimicking what he’d done to her earlier in the day. When that mouth of hers started working its way down the middle of his chest, his stomach, he watched her, getting harder by the moment. When she reached the top of his jeans, her eyes lifted to his.

  "The bed in the other room looks sturdy. I think we should test it out." She stood and backed away from him so he could stand. Then she hooked her hand around his belt and started walking backward toward the bedroom.

  When they reached the other room, she turned on the light beside the bed. A lot of women kept the lights off in the bedroom, but not her.

  "I want to see you naked," she said. "Then we’ll be starting off on an even playing field."

  He thought back to everything he’d done to her that afternoon and smiled. "Not quite."

  It took a moment for her to comprehend, but when she did a flicker of desire sparked in her eyes.

  "There seems to be some jeans in the way," she said as she began unfastening his belt.

  Once it was unfastened, she slid her soft hands below his waistband and guided his jeans and underwear down over his hips. When her thumbs skimmed the sides of his penis, he jerked against her touch and nearly came right then and there. That seemed to spur her movements as she pulled the jeans and boxer briefs down to his ankles.

  He took over and removed his boots and the rest of his clothing. When he stood before her in not a stitch, she took a step back and scanned him from head to toe.

  "Like what you see?" he asked.

  Her gaze returned to his. "Very much."

  She returned her mouth to his chest and began an agonizingly slow trailing of her tongue down the front of him. His dick throbbed like it had its own heartbeat. By the time she went down on her knees in front of him and flicked her tongue over the end of his rigid penis, he was halfway to insane. He was in the middle of taking a deep breath to control himself when she opened her mouth and took him into that moist warmth. She clamped her hands onto his hips and began to move back and forth.

  Man, he needed something to hang on to. He flailed for a moment before his hands made contact with the dresser. He braced himself against it as Erin increased her pace. He closed his eyes and let his head fall backward. His breath came fast and ragged as Erin fucked him with her mouth, as he got closer and closer to release.

  Somehow he managed to pull enough of his thoughts together to speak. "If you want this to happen inside you, you better get naked now."

  Erin sucked on him one more time before standing and shucking her clothing with amazing speed. In
a flash, he had her laid across the bed. When he reached down to prepare the way, she was already wet and ready.

  "In me, now," she demanded.

  He complied, burying himself to the hilt.

  * * * *

  Erin gasped as Justin’s length filled her, pulsing against her core. She felt herself contract around him, and instinct propelled her upward to meet him. He splayed his hands out to the sides of her, holding his weight off her as he began to pump. Feeling as if she might fly off in a zillion pieces, she grabbed onto his hips again, digging her fingers into that taut flesh.

  Justin groaned, and that sound sent raging desire sluicing through her. She braced her heels against the thick mattress and met his thrusts. The throbbing and friction where their bodies connected built with each thrust, and before long her breath was coming in short, desperate gasps. Her muscles around Justin began to contract, building toward orgasm. She moved faster, urging him on, reaching for that ultimate release.

  Just as she started to orgasm, Justin’s body went rigid above her as he spilled his release into her. She continued to move against him, milking her orgasm for all it was worth. Justin helped her out by adding his own movements even though he was spent. With one final thrust against him, she spasmed and all her extremities turned to noodles. Justin collapsed atop her, then rolled to the side, bringing her with him. He was still inside her, and there was something so erotic about that that she wanted to have sex all over again.

  But she couldn’t. They were both exhausted from their efforts. She half expected him to release her and head for the bathroom, but he pulled her close against his chest instead, tucking her head below his and wrapping his arms around her. Her heart did an odd little flip, and she had to remind herself that this was not the first night on the way to a forever kind of thing. This was sex, pure and simple. Very, very good sex.

  * * * *

  Erin woke sometime in the night curled against Justin’s sleeping form. She didn’t remember them moving to lie in the bed in the proper direction, but that’s where they were. And Justin had pulled the covers over them and turned out the light. The moon shone in the window, illuminating his magnificent chest. It was smooth and hairless, just how she liked them. Even in sleep, she could see the cut of his abdominal muscles. She guessed if he got a workout like they’d had earlier on a regular basis, that was a pretty good workout plan.