Rocky Mountain Desire: Six Pack Ranch, Book 3 (30 page)

No one but the two of them would understand, but she never wanted to forget what kind of work it took to make love happen.

To make love stay.

About the Author

Vivian Arend has hiked, biked, skied and paddled her way around most of North America and parts of Europe. Throughout all the wandering in the wilderness, stories have been planted and they are bursting out in vivid colour. Paranormal, twisted fairytales, red-hot contemporaries—the genres are all over.

Between times of living with no running water, she home schools her teenaged children and tries to keep up with her husband—the instigator of most of the wilderness adventures.

She loves to hear from readers:
[email protected]
. You can also drop by
www.vivianarend.com
for more information on what is coming next.

Look for these titles by Vivian Arend

Now Available:

Granite Lake Wolves

Wolf Signs

Wolf Flight

Wolf Games

Wolf Tracks

Forces of Nature

Tidal Wave

Whirlpool

Turner Twins

Turn It On

Turn It Up

Pacific Passion

Stormchild

Stormy Seduction

Silent Storm

Xtreme Adventures

Falling, Freestyle

Rising, Freestyle

Six Pack Ranch

Rocky Mountain Heat

Rocky Mountain Haven

Paradise Found

Black Gold

Coming Soon:

Wolf Line

Silver Mine

It’s the quiet ones that take you by surprise.

Rocky Mountain Haven

© 2012 Vivian Arend

Six Pack Ranch, Book 2

Beth Danube’s emotionally abusive husband is dead and buried. So is her heart. It’s no big deal, she has all she wants: her three little boys and a fresh start in a small Alberta town. What she
doesn’t
want is another man in her life—not now, maybe not ever.

After ten years of unsatisfactory, missionary-position sex, she never expected her libido to reawaken. One look at sex-in-boots Daniel Coleman in a Calgary bar, though, blows the dust off her sexuality.

Sensing an edge of desperation, even fear, beneath Beth’s come-on, Daniel finds himself giving in to the powerful urge to let his normally subdued desires run wild. The lady wants non-judgmental, non-vanilla sex? She’s got it—in and out of the bedroom.

At first, friends with blazing-hot benefits is more than enough. Then she realizes Daniel is burning away the protective fortress around her heart…and the guilty secret she dare not reveal.

Warning: One woman determined to retake control of her life, a man with the single-minded purpose of offering her—and her body—everything she needs. Inappropriate behavior in barns, change rooms, and oh-my-gawd phone sex with a cowboy.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Rocky Mountain Haven:

By Friday, after a week’s worth of crappy sleep where she tossed and turned all night, she’d come to a conclusion. She could wear out the battery-operated boyfriend she’d finally had the courage to purchase, or she could find another way to deal with the lust driving her. She didn’t need a man in her life full time, but she sure could use one part time.

He’d offered. He was attracted to her. Maybe he’d even be willing to show her something other than sex in the missionary position.

As long as she was the one who got to call the shots, this could work out well for them both.

The house was quiet, the boys all off at a birthday party. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, tucking her T-shirt in a little more, buttoning and unbuttoning her sweater. It was one thing to decide she was ready for some casual sex, another to inform Daniel of his role in that decision. Beth plopped down on her bed and sighed, her reflection taunting her. Yeah, the sleepless nights really added to her appeal as a sex symbol, dark shadows under her eyes. It took a rush of sheer willpower to force herself out the door and across the small bridge before she could change her mind, again. She’d never know if she didn’t take the chance.

The barns and outbuildings on the other side of the trees were brightly lit, and she hesitated. She wasn’t sure if she’d even find him at home on a Friday night, but there was no way she was going to phone. If nothing else, she’d walk to the main ranch house, say hello to Marion and Mike then retreat to the Peter’s house to wait until it was time to pick up the kids.

She found him in the barn. Her throat and mouth flashed dry as she watched him rake something straw-like from a stall. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up, and his biceps rocked with every pull of his arms. Tight muscles showed under the jeans, under his shirt—damn, he was just so good looking from boots all the way up to his slightly mussed hair. A throb hit between her legs and she bit her lip. There was nothing wrong with her physical response.

She took a deep breath. “Hey.”

The delight in his eyes stirred more fluttering in her belly. “Beth. I didn’t expect to see you here.”

She glanced around. None of the rest of the Colemans seemed to be near. “You got a minute? My boys are at a birthday party and I…” Holy cow, this was harder than she thought it would be. She forced her head up and met his gaze. “We need to talk.”

Daniel grinned, a panty-twisting expression that made her knees weak. He propped his rake against the wooden wall and tilted his head toward the door. “Come, we can talk while we walk.”

“No.” Her fingers were tangled together, and she dragged them apart, not sure where to put her hands. She felt about twelve years old with a first crush. “We’re private here—that would be better.”

He gestured to a bale. “Have a seat.”

She’d practiced this so it didn’t sound too desperate or sluttish. She hoped. “I was thinking about what you said the other day—”

“About us seeing each other?”

He sat beside her, their thighs touching as he faced the opposite direction. The scent of his skin rolled over her, the earthy fragrance of a man who’d done physical labour—raw and powerful. She barely stopped herself from leaning into him and offering her lips.

Instead, she nodded.

Daniel chuckled. “You’re getting all tongue-tied again, Miss Beth.”

“I’m interested in you, but I’m not looking for a long-term relationship.” The words burst out exactly how she’d rehearsed them. She twisted to face him, determined to finish. “I think we should just have some fun together.”

There. She’d said it. Maintaining eye contact was impossible, and she stared down at her fingers twisted together in her lap. He covered her hands with his, pulling one free.

“Now why did I think you were going to go and say something like that?”

He did?
“I mean, you’re very attractive, but I don’t think I should get involved with anyone. It’s too soon and I don’t want—”

“The boys, right?”

Exactly
. She relaxed a little. “I don’t think it’s fair for them to see me with another man.” Oh Lord, he was kissing her knuckles, his tongue teasing the seam between her fingers. The pulse between her legs quickened, and she had to force herself to stay motionless.

“Hmm. Makes sense, I guess.” He opened her palm and kissed it. “So, you’re interested in me sexually, but we can’t see each other in public. Is that what you’re saying?”

A shiver raced up her arm as he licked her wrist then gently sucked her skin.

“Yes. No. I mean…” How was she supposed to think with him touching her? When he leaned closer and nibbled on her earlobe? “Daniel, please.”

“I aim to.” He smoothed a hand over her shoulder, tangling his fingers in her hair. He pulled her head back so they could see into each other’s eyes. “You want to spend time with me.”

“Yes.”

“But the boys can’t know?”

She swallowed, watching his lips move closer. “Right.”

“Hmm.” He kissed her, lips faintly brushing back and forth as he directed the speed, the pressure. She slipped out her tongue to touch his bottom lip, and he captured her, sucking her tongue into his mouth. The kiss deepened, and she wrapped her arms around him, pressing as close as she could while seated side by side. The desire and need that had haunted her since the start of summer built to a high boil, and she gasped for air when he broke contact.

He traced a path over her body with his gaze. “How are we supposed to see each other without the little tykes catching on? And if they did find out, wouldn’t that cause more trouble?”

No. No more thinking about it. She didn’t want to analyse this anymore. She’d already had five restless nights trying to figure out how to satisfy her craving for him. “They won’t know. We’ll keep it quiet.”

He reached for her chin. “So what you’re saying, and pardon my crudeness, is you want a fuck buddy.”

She cringed. The phrase had skipped through her brain earlier, but it sounded far worse when said out loud.

Daniel stroked his thumb over her cheek. “You’re not looking for a friend with benefits because I ain’t allowed to be your friend.”

“It’s not that, it’s just—”

“Don’t know if I can do that.” She squeaked as he picked her up and placed her on his lap. “If all you’re looking for is some sex, I’m not interested. There’s a part of me that says,
hell yeah
, and I could be fucking you up against the wall in two minutes flat.”

Oh God, the images racing through her mind.

“But if you remember our conversation in the back hall of the bar, I don’t think you’re that type of woman. I’m not that kind of man. Honesty is one of the things that makes us who we are, and I’m going to be honest with you, darling.”

Beth held her breath as he cupped her face then stroked his other hand down her body intimately. He opened her legs and settled his fingers over her crotch. Could he feel how hot she was through her jeans?

“I find you very attractive, and I don’t just mean your body. I don’t know what troubles you’ve had in your past, but I hope we’ll get to talk them through at some point. So here’s what I suggest—you tell me if you agree. You and I do both. We fool around like you want, as long as you let us try to learn to be friends, like I want.”

It sounded so reasonable. Then he pressed a finger to the seam of her jeans and rubbed, and all logical thought fled. The slight friction against her clit was enough to cause an instantaneous reaction. She trembled in his arms. “I can’t…”

He hummed, caressing the tender skin behind her ear, tracing patterns down her neck with his tongue. “I think you can do a lot of things, Miss Beth, if you put your mind to it.”

The constant motion of his hand was driving her wild. “Please…”

Kisses descended again, and for the first time in a long time Beth let go. All her tension and fear she let fall away and simply accepted the rising passion. He was a thorough kisser, tasting her lips, her cheeks, brushing his fingers through her short hair and tugging her closer so their bodies melted together.

How does a man get over a cheating woman? Sweet revenge…

Unforgiven

© 2010 Delilah Devlin

Lone Star Lovers, Book 2

For Cutter Standifer, the pretty little redhead who opened a café in Two Mule, Texas, was “the one”. Until he caught her in a compromising position with the town’s worst womanizer. To further strain his rigid code, his little sister just married the same damn bastard who shattered his world and she’s living in sin with him and another man.

A year later, he still can’t forgive his ex-girlfriend. And forget? Forget, hell. He’s ready to kick his code into the nearest manure pile and take what he never had from her—full satisfaction.

That fateful morning, all Katie Grissom meant to do was use the bad boy’s reputation to force Cutter to piss or get off the pot where their own relationship was concerned. But she went too far—deliciously too far—giving Cutter an eyeful she lived to regret.

When Cutter offers her a no-strings affair she jumps at the chance, hoping to either break through the rigid wall he’s built around his heart…or get him out of her system for good.

Warning: When a hard-as-nails cowboy finally lets loose on the only woman he’s ever loved expect the loving to get hot enough to melt a cold, cold, heart—toys, front and slammin’ backdoor sex are only the beginning…

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Unforgiven:

Katie didn’t know why she’d decided to open the diner today. She’d posted a note earlier that morning to let customers know that she’d be closed. She could have stayed home, drawn the blinds and wallowed all day in self-pity.

But she’d been restless. After she’d showered Cutter’s scent from her skin and tossed the blue dress into the trash, she’d automatically donned her jeans and
Katie’s Diner
T-shirt and headed out the door.

She’d let the staff go for the day. So she was the sole waitress, cashier and cook. Not that she’d been busy since she’d flipped the
Open
sign. Her only customer so far was Ole Win, whom she’d told yesterday not to come, but maybe the habit was too ingrained. He came every day, ordered the same meal, then read his paper while he downed a pot of coffee, which she kept fresh.

Already he’d told her another one of his stories about the old days in Two Mule, before the roads were paved, when men still tied horses to a hitching rail in front of the saloon.

Not that she minded the chatter. She enjoyed his stories most days, but today her mind wandered, back to the wedding and that awful moment when Cutter had thrust inside her a little too hard and fast and made it crystal clear she’d never have a chance at earning a place back in his life.

Not that he’d hurt her physically, not really. Her body had been primed, her pussy melting and caressing his length the whole time he’d fucked her.