A Real Cowboy Rides a Motorcycle (8 page)

She smiled, touched by his hesitation. "Yes, that's okay."

His grin widened. "Well, then, brush those pearly whites and get that hot little ass of yours into my bed soon, will you?"

She laughed, and poked him in the chest with her toothbrush. "I was here first. It's my bed."

He caught her hand and pressed a searing kiss to her knuckles. "Our bed, then. Be quick. I miss your body." His gaze was burning into her. "And I mean that."

She swallowed. "I can tell."

Neither of them moved, his hand still wrapped around hers. For a moment, she thought he was going to kiss her, then he dropped his hand and turned away, releasing her.

She took a deep breath and fled into the bathroom, but it took several minutes for her heart to stop pounding. How on earth was she going to sleep with him all night and keep saying no?

But she had to. She knew she did.

Her hand was on his cock, and his self-control was just about at its limit.

Zane clasped his fingers more tightly behind his head, his biceps taut as he stared at the ceiling of the bunkhouse. The faint light of the moon illuminated the knots in the ceiling as he counted the small wooden circles, trying to think about anything other than the woman sleeping on top of him.

He'd woken up an hour ago in the middle of the most erotic dream he could recall having, one that involved him, Taylor, and a whole lot of nakedness. He'd found himself on top of Taylor, his cock hard as rock, his face buried in the curve of her neck. Her hands had been tangled in his hair, and her nipples had been hard against his chest, but her steady breathing had told him that she was still deeply asleep. Her body had been soft and incredible beneath his, and it had taken several moments for him to wake up enough to realize what was going on.

When he'd figured it out, he'd rolled off her immediately like a good guy. Unfortunately, she'd followed him all the way across to his side of the bed. Still dead asleep, she'd wrapped herself around him, somehow slid her hand underneath his shorts and wrapped her fingers around his cock, as if he were her security blanket and she needed him for comfort.

And there she'd stayed for the last hour, her steady breathing against his neck like a hot wind of desire on his flesh. His entire body was rigid with need, and his cock was hurting from being so hard for so long. He'd sworn off women a long time ago, and it hadn't been difficult, because he'd had no interest in breaking his vow. All the shit he'd dealt with as a bull rider had been enough to cure him of the need to sink himself into a woman, unlike most of the other guys who seemed to think that the more women they could nail, the better life was.

And yet, Taylor had shredded every last resolution. He hadn't even kissed her yet, but his need for her was growing exponentially by the hour. He didn't like sleeping with women, but all day long while he'd been out on the range dealing with broken fences and learning about the horses Chase had on the ranch, he'd been thinking about the moment that he was going to crawl into bed with her tonight. While Chase had been talking horses, Zane had been fantasizing about how it would feel to have her body wrapped around his. Yeah, he'd been thinking about sex, but he knew sex was a long shot, and he'd been okay with that. He'd just wanted to be with her.

But now, with her fingers encircling his cock and her body so relaxed and soft against his, the stakes had changed.

She moved slightly, nestling deeper against him, and her fingers tightened on his cock.
Shit.
He grimaced and stared more intently at the ceiling, trying to find more knots in the wood to count. He clamped his fingers behind his head so tightly that they were beginning to ache. "Seventy-six," he muttered, trying to distract himself with his own voice. "Seventy-seven." There was another one in the corner, a small one, he hadn't seen yet. "Seventy-eight."

But it didn't help. Nothing was helping. His penis was like a steel rod, and the nerves ignited each time she adjusted her grip on him. Her tee shirt had slid upward, which meant her bare stomach was against his side. She'd thrown her thigh over his so that her knee was between his legs, and she'd slipped her foot underneath his thigh, tucking herself in. She smelled faintly of something flowery and feminine, but it was so subtle, layers deep beneath the simple scent of woman, of her, of promise and seduction.

He was half-tempted to get out of bed and head to the bathroom to give himself a little release. Normally, he'd do that in a heartbeat, but he didn't want to move. As painful as it was to lie there and not be able to do anything about the need amassing inside him, he didn't want to move. He liked having Taylor on top of him. He liked the way she trusted him enough that in her sleep, she didn't feel the need to protect herself from him. He wasn't going to lie, it was sexy as hell that when her inhibitions were erased by sleep, that her instinct was to wrap her hand around his cock. Despite her protests, there was something hot between them, and it was definitely mutual.

If he got up, she might slide back to her side of the bed for the rest of the night. Yeah, he could go after her and wrap himself around her, but having
her
being the aggressor changed everything. She wanted him. She trusted him. She needed to touch him. That shit felt really good, and he wasn't going to screw up by his need to get relief.

So, he didn't move.

She didn't either.

When dawn finally began to streak its golden rays through the small windows, Zane hadn't slept for even a minute, his cock hurt like hell from being hard for so long, and his entire body ached from holding so much tension in it.

He was pretty sure it was the best damn night of his life, and he was never going to forget it.

She was in over her head. She knew it.

Taylor strode toward the ranch house, keeping her head high and refusing to look around as she walked. Refusing, specifically, to look for Zane. She'd awoken slightly several times in the night just enough to snuggle deeper into the heat of his body and bask in the feel of his body against hers. Each time, the best feeling of contentment had filled her, and she'd fallen back asleep.

But this morning? She'd woken up to an empty bed.

No note. Nothing. Just alone.

She was used to waking up alone, but this morning, she'd felt so achingly empty to find Zane gone.

That kind of reaction to his absence wasn't good. Not good at all. Of course he'd be gone already. They were on a ranch, and he'd probably been out the door before dawn to ride with Chase. There was absolutely no reason to expect him to lounge in bed with her, or to have left her some sweet note, and yet she'd been sort of crushed anyway.

She couldn't afford to need him, or anyone. Her survival depended on her being okay with a solo life, but Zane was breaking through her resolves at warp speed, even though she hadn't even kissed him.

This had to end. No more sleeping in the bunkhouse. She'd get a hotel room, or something. But even the mere thought of moving to a hotel made her sad, not just because of Zane, but because she'd come out here to be with Mira, not to cloister herself in a hotel room, like she did almost every other night of her life.

Resolutely, she lifted her chin as she neared the house. She was not going to let Zane drive her away. She was here for Mira, and no man was going to interfere with that. She'd just drag one of those dusty mattresses out and sleep on that. Situation solved.

She smiled, feeling better as she pulled open the front door, looking forward to breakfast with Mira. Some girl time would be great. She could talk to Mira about Zane and—

Conversation stopped, and five faces turned toward her as she stepped inside. At the kitchen table, visible from the front door, were Mira, Chase, Erin, Zane, and a man who looked enough like Zane and Chase that she was willing to bet it was Steen. The table was littered with nearly-empty serving plates, and the scent of bacon and fresh bread filled the air. It looked like a genuine down-home breakfast, filled with warmth, camaraderie, and family. Longing swept over her, quickly followed by a discomfort and awkwardness. There was so much intimacy in the room, and she wasn't a part of it.

Mira waved at her, not getting up from her seat between Chase and Erin. "Hey, girl! You just made it! We saved a couple pieces of bacon for you. Pull up a chair."

"I'll get one for her." Zane stood up quickly, flashed her a smile that eased a little bit of the tension in her body, and then he disappeared around the corner.

"Um, okay." She walked into the kitchen, aware that conversation had stopped, as if her presence had derailed it. She managed a smile at the man she didn't know. "You must be Steen."

He stood up immediately and leaned across the table to shake her hand, his face creasing into a warm smile. He was wearing jeans, cowboy boots, and a crisp plaid shirt. "Steen Stockton. It's great to meet you, Taylor. Mira has been so excited about you coming."

"Thanks." His grip was warm and strong, his hands slightly roughened from all the work he'd been doing on the house. His eyes were a brilliant blue, just like Chase's, and he had the same angular jaw as his brothers. "It's great to be here."

"I got a chair." Zane walked back into the room, carrying what looked like a hand-made wooden chair. Had one of the brothers made it?

"Put it there." Mira pointed to a spot between Chase and Steen, close to where Zane was standing.

He obediently set it down, holding it out for her. He gave her a private smile as she sat down, and her heart fluttered in response. "Thanks."

He nodded, and retreated back to his seat on the other side of the table.

Taylor helped herself to some cold eggs, a couple pieces of bacon, and half a muffin. Everything was cold, and everyone's plates were empty, making her realize that breakfast had been going on for quite a while. Why hadn't anyone come to get her? She bit her lip as she started to eat. The conversation swelled again, a rapid-fire exchange as everyone made plans for the day.

"Chase and I are headed into town to do some shopping," Mira announced. "We really need to finish furnishing the baby's room."

"Steen and I are heading into town too," Erin said. "We're picking up more stuff for the house and the clinic. You want to meet for lunch?"

"Totally." Mira grinned at her. "Maybe we could go shopping for clothes after lunch?" She patted her belly. "I need a couple more tops. I can't fit anything over my belly anymore." She beamed at Chase. "You and Steen can do some man stuff."

He smiled and put his arm around her. "You know I'm happy to shop with you. I'll go with you."

Taylor bit her lip, listening to the exchange. "Um, you need any help from me?" She wanted to be the one buying clothes with Mira, but she wasn't sure she was invited.

"Oh, no," Mira laughed. "You take the day off. We have it covered. We'll get back to work on the basement tomorrow."

"You sure? I mean, I'm here to help you—"

Mira rolled her eyes. "You've done so much, Taylor. Take a day off and relax. You never do that."

Taylor let out her breath. Yes, that was true, she never relaxed, but she had no clue what she was supposed to do for fun, especially here. She hadn't come here to relax. She'd come here to help Mira, and now it seemed like Mira didn't need her help.

Before Mira had met Chase, she and Mira had been the primary support for each other. They'd both gone through some tough times, and they'd always picked each other up. Mira had more people to count on now, which was great for her, but Taylor's life was the same as it always had been. The one place she'd fit, that she'd always belonged, no longer had as much room or need for her. "I don't mind. I can work in the basement while you're gone. Just tell me what to do."

"No." Mira leaned forward, her familiar eyes soft. "Seriously, Taylor, this is a beautiful ranch. Breathe it in. Let it fill your heart. Let yourself get off the treadmill for one day. You might find you like it."

Taylor's cheeks heated up when she realized everyone was looking at her. Suddenly, she felt like a charity project, like Mira had invited her here to save her, not because she'd needed help. "Oh, I'll be all set," she said brightly. "You go and have a good day. I have lots to do."

"No." Mira shook her head. "Don't do. Just be."

Just
be.
What did that mean? Taylor managed a smile. "Right, okay, I got it. I'll be fine."

But it was a total lie. She didn't even know what fine meant anymore…especially not with the way Zane was watching her so intently, and not saying a single word.

Zane watched Taylor carefully as she discussed the day's plans with Mira. Her smile was as gorgeous as ever, but he already knew her well enough to notice it wasn't reaching her eyes. She was holding her fork a little too tightly, and her shoulders were stiff. She was clearly feeling uncomfortable and out of place, and he knew it, because he felt the same way.

Walking into that cozy little scene at the breakfast table had been his idea of hell. He'd been hungry, and he'd smelled food, but he hadn't expected Steen and Erin to be there as well. The foursome was in high gear when he'd walked in, and he'd turned to walk right back out the door, until Chase had seen him and roped him in.

The family scene wasn't his style, not in any way. It was harder than he'd thought, being back here, being a part of this group that claimed him as family, but it didn't fit him at all. But, they were all he had when it came to belonging anywhere. So, he was here, but he didn't want to have to play nice. He didn't even know how to play nice.

It was a major relief that everyone was taking off for the day. "You need me today?" Zane asked, lounging back against his chair. His arm was stretched over the back of Steen's chair, his body language lazy and relaxed, putting on the same facade of nonchalance he'd perfected as a teen when he'd learned to pretend he didn't give a shit what anyone thought of him.