02 Buck Naked (8 page)

But when she looked at his face, she saw how tightly his jaw was clenched, how rigid his facial muscles. He was fighting for control to make this last as long as possible for her. She gave herself over to the sensation, meeting him thrust for thrust, using her legs to keep him deep inside her.

Soon there was nothing but their two bodies, locked together in a dance as endless as time. Buck lowered his head to close his mouth around one nipple. Shards of electricity arrowed straight to her cunt and drove her higher and harder as she strained for the top of that sensual mountain.

More, more, more.
She chanted in her head even as she squeezed her legs more tightly around him.

The orgasm hit with no warning. One minute she was reaching for it, the next it exploded, kicking her over that mountaintop into an erotic whirlpool. Her pussy clenched tightly around Buck as his shaft pulsed inside her, shielded only by the thin latex. They shook with the force of it, shudders so great she wondered if her bones would survive.

At last, she lowered her legs, stretching them out, but Buck stayed where he was, locked inside her. Sweat glued their skin together, but she didn’t care, nor did he seem to. She wondered if the pounding in her chest was her heart or his, or both. When his breathing eased, he showered her face with soft kisses, his mouth touching everywhere. When she looked up at him he smiled, an expression of extreme satisfaction. And something more. Something she couldn’t define.

He lifted one hand to brush the damp hair away from her forehead, and his gaze locked with hers.

“I knew it would be like this.”

“Is that a good thing or bad?” she asked.

“Good. I hope.” For a moment, a shadow passed over his face, and then it was gone. “But we might have to do it a few more times just to see if we got it right.”

Amy managed a breathless laugh. “Vitamins first, please.”

He grinned as he slid from her body. “Will a cold drink do? I think we’ve earned it.”

“All offerings gratefully accepted.”

She turned her head to watch him as he padded to the bathroom, and admired the long lines of his back and the taut muscles of his very fine ass. Oh, yeah. She wasn’t sure either if this was a good thing or bad, but she knew nothing could stop her from finding out.

Chapter Five

Although Buck had set the alarm on his watch for six o’clock, they both laughed as he turned it off and they indulged themselves in one last, slow session of lovemaking. Reluctantly they dragged themselves into the shower, unable to stop themselves from teasing each other.

But once dried and dressed they were suddenly awkward with each other, as if neither was sure how to act. Or react. Amy was certainly no novice to sleepovers, but morning-afters had always had a casual feel to them. Hi, thanks, great time, give you a call. Sure thing. And off she’d gone to her routine. She didn’t know how it had been for Buck, but today he didn’t seem to know what to say or do. Was it her? Was he already regretting the whole thing?

He insisted she have toast and coffee with him before they left, but their conversation was bumpy and stilted. Finally, as they drove toward Stark Ranch, she sucked up her courage to ask him.

“Are you sorry about last night?” She tried to keep her voice as even and uninflected as possible.

“No!” He almost shouted the word, then blew out a breath. “No, I’m not. Not one bit.” He reached across the console for her hand and squeezed it. “I think it was probably the best night of my life.”

“Then what…”

He lifted her hand and kissed it. “It’s okay, Amy. I’ll work it out in my head. But everything’s fine.”

They finished the rest of the ride in silence while turmoil seethed in her body. Buck Montgomery was the most puzzling, contradictory man she’d ever met. If she hadn’t felt such a strong emotional connection to him, she’d pull in her pride and just bow him off.

Now they sat in Buck’s truck in the parking area at Stark Ranch. She stared at the house, knowing Matt and Reenie were probably peering out one of the windows, ready to explode with questions.

“You sure you don’t want me to come in with you?”

“I’m fine,” she assured him. “I’m a grown woman, and Matt’s not my father. I can handle it. Really.”

“Okay, then.” He lifted her hand and kissed it, then ran his tongue over the knuckles. “Listen, Amy. I…”

She shook her head. “Don’t say anything. It’s all right. We’ve both got a lot to think about.”

He tried again. “Last night was…”

“Amazing. Incredible. Unbelievable. I get it. You want to take it slow, right? Me too. So…call me when you can.”

There. She could get out of the truck with her pride intact. “But let’s take it slow, okay? Just…because.”

The closed look that she’d seen wash over his features before swept over them again. Then it was gone, and as before, she wondered if she was just imagining things. When she looked at him again, his mouth was turned up in a smile.

“No problem.” He cupped her chin and turned her face toward him, searching her eyes as if some answer lingered there. “I’ll be pretty busy today. Hired a couple of those kids Matt sent my way, and I expect them about noon. Just in time to help unload the cattle I bought at the auction.” He chuffed a laugh. “Spent the last three days riding fence to make sure it’s all good and none of them can get out. Tomorrow probably won’t be much better. How about if I call you Friday? See what’s up with your weekend.”

Okay. At least he didn’t just say he’d call sometime.

“Good. That’s good. I’ll be here working in my office.”

He gave her hand one last, quick kiss before releasing it. She opened the door of the cab and jumped down. “Better get going before Matt comes out and wants to play Twenty Questions,” she joked.

She stood on the gravel and watched as he backed and drove away. So many emotions raced through her, she felt as if her insides were in an electric mixer. She wanted to lead with her head, but her heart kept bumping it out of the way.

Maybe I should just call it quits before it starts.

But that was impossible. It had already started.

The door opened as her foot hit the first step to the porch, and Matt leaned against the frame, pointedly staring at his watch.

“I did away with curfew a long time ago, big brother.”

She tried to push past him but he caught her arm.

He grinned. “Just waiting for all the juicy details.”

She yanked her arm away. “As if.” She sniffed. “For God’s sake.” She reached into her purse and pulled out her cell phone. “If I get in trouble, I know who to call.”

“I’m not saying you were in trouble.” He winked. “Just checking on my baby sister.”

“Who isn’t such a baby anymore.”

“Matthew Stark, you let your sister in this house right this minute.” Reenie appeared behind him, slapping a dishtowel at him. “Quit being such an asshole to her.”

Reluctantly, he moved and Amy pushed past him. “Thanks, Reenie. At least someone in this house isn’t looking for gossip.” She spun around to look at her brother.

“I’m happy you went out with him,” he assured her. “I think Buck’s a great guy, and I’m glad you two finally got together. Just want to be sure you know what you’re doing. That you’re taking it slow.”

“Well, I do. So bug off.”

“You’ve had some pretty rough relationships lately,“ he called after her as she clomped down the hall. “I like Buck, and I thought he’d be a good person to help smooth out some of those wrinkles. I never expected you to jump into the deep end right away. Have you forgotten about Cade Hannigan?”

She stopped, still as a piece of furniture, rage and anger swirling through her. And residual pain. No, she hadn’t forgotten. Not all the warnings to stay away from him. Not the details of how he’d treated the other women he’d been involved with. Not the anger nor the humiliation that still clung to her after the dreadful breakup. He’d been so smooth, so slick, so charming, telling her how he loved her. She’d just turned away from all the gossip. At least that’s what she’d kept telling herself it was.

Last night had brought it all back, forcing her to again work at burying the humiliating memories.

“I can’t believe you just said that.”

“I’m just looking out for your welfare, Amy.”

“Stop looking.”

She slammed the door to her bedroom, cursing under her breath. She and Matt spent too much time getting in each other’s business, she thought. She was happy to have someone who cared enough about her to be concerned, but she wasn’t a teenager. She could take care of herself. At least she hoped she could. But Buck Montgomery was more male than she’d ever been even semi-involved with. And then there was that streak of…something…that froze him every so often. A darkness, almost.

Don’t shred it to death. Take it one step at a time, remember?

And the best way to do that was to change her clothes and get to her office. Besides the ranch paperwork, she was also on the committee for the Cattleman’s Ball and had her responsibilities there. The committee had an upcoming lunch meeting, and she wanted to be prepared.

But as she pulled on jeans and a T-shirt, she couldn’t help the warm glow that suffused her as she remembered details of the night just past.

Buck finished confirming his delivery with the feed store and decided to stop at Java Junction for a cup of coffee before heading back home. He could pick up a sandwich to take with him since his new hand would be arriving shortly after one o’clock. His insides seethed with a mass of conflicting emotions. He couldn’t remember the last time, if ever, he’d spent a night with a woman as sensuous as Amy Stark. One who pulled every emotion in the book out of him and made sex seem like…a lot more than sex.

He wondered when she’d said she wanted to take it slow if it was her way of easing out of anything further. If something hadn’t clicked for her. Nope. Not that. He’d have been able to sense it. Maybe she had a history that made her cautious. He snorted. She ought to be damn cautious around
him.
He’d promised himself not to start anything with her, but the electricity between them was too great to ignore.

Well, he’d also have to take it slow. And hope to hell his past never caught up with him.

He’d just taken a seat at the counter and ordered his coffee when Fred Barnes slid onto the stool next to him.

“Morning, Buck. How are things going?”

Buck shrugged. “Okay, so far. Got the cattle I bought at that last auction coming in late this afternoon. Just arranged for feed to be delivered before then and hired my first hand. He reports today.” He took a deep swallow of his coffee. “And working on the house one little piece at a time.”

Fred nodded. “Cattle first, then your own comforts. You’ve got the makings of a real rancher in you.”

“Sure hope so. Otherwise I tossed a huge load of money down the drain.”

Fred stirred sweetener into his coffee. Tasted it, nodded in satisfaction and slid a glance at Buck. “I hear you and Amy Stark had dinner together last night.”

Buck turned to look at him. “Is there some kind of jungle-telegraph system around here I haven’t heard about? We weren’t even here in town.”

Barnes took another sip of his coffee. “Apparently y’all ran into Cade Hannigan. He couldn’t wait to pass the word.”

Buck stared down into his coffee cup. “He didn’t impress me as a man who gossiped. But he certainly had on his arrogant attitude. And Amy couldn’t wait for him to leave.”

“I imagine so.” The older man shifted slightly on his stool. “He and Amy had something going a while back. I hear it didn’t end too pleasantly.”

“Oh? Who broke it off, do you know?”

Barnes hesitated a long moment before answering. “It seems they were getting pretty tight as a couple, although a lot of people were scratching their heads. Amy’s a really sweet, really sharp gal, and Hannigan, rich as he is, is just a snake in the grass. I heard a lot of people, her brother included, tried to get her to break it off.”

“Why didn’t she?”

“Oh, she did. Finally. The way I hear it, Cade told her he’d be gone for the evening on some business but they’d have dinner the next night. Amy decided to have girls’ night out with a few of her friends. They were hitting some of the funkier bars and dropped in to the Cactus Bar in the next county. Saw Cade playing tonsil hockey with one of the waitresses.”

“Shit.”

“Exactly. Story goes she tossed a pitcher of beer at him, cursed him like an old-time ranch hand and walked out. Refused to see him after that or talk to him. I think she’s the first woman to ditch Cade Hannigan instead of the other way around. He’s always gotten away with whatever he does, so this was a real blow to his ego. He’s never forgiven her for that.”

“Even though he was the one at fault?”

Barnes shrugged. “That’s Cade for you. Nothing’s his fault. He’s got too much money and an ego bigger than Texas. And holds a grudge a long time.”

Buck felt anger bubble up inside him. He tightened his hands around his cup. “She didn’t say anything about that when we saw him.”

“She wouldn’t. Too bad Cade’s just the kind of spoiled brat who likes to get even. I’d watch out for him.”