Romancing the Ranger (8 page)

He blew out his breath and stared across the water, not looking at her. “Listen, I’m sorry I flew off the handle. All those packages and the expensive gift you gave my grandmother just reminded me of Tawnya.”

“The woman you were engaged to before?”

“Yeah, the one who acted like she loved me, then used me for my solid bank account and good credit score. I don’t talk about it much, because I’m ashamed that I let myself get roped in and taken advantage of so bad, but Tawnya left me with a mountain of debt and a bruised ego. She hated that my job paid so little and that I couldn’t buy her more expensive things.”

What a witch
. She’d wondered why Wade was so close-lipped about his ex.

He narrowed his eyes at her. “I’m well aware of the men you’re used to being around, Reese. And I’m not like them. And I never will be. I can’t take you to fancy clubs and expensive restaurants or buy you nice gifts.”

What was he talking about?

Where had he come up with these ideas? Did he think she was like Tawnya—the money-grubbing ex he just described? Her anger flared, but she took a deep breath, trying to stay calm and understand the place of hurt that he was coming from.

“I never asked you to. I don’t care about fancy restaurants. I adore our picnic lunches where we sit outside, and you sneak your crusts to my dog. You
cannot
do that in a nice restaurant. And I loved that you took me fishing. That you shared a part of yourself with me. You taught me something new.”

She looked up at him with a wicked grin. “And I don’t just mean that thing you do with your tongue.”

He laughed and pulled her into a hug.

She breathed deep as she relaxed into his arms. This felt so good.
He
felt so good. “Can we just go back to being friends again? To having fun and fooling around with each other?”

He tipped her chin up to look at him. “Yeah, I would like that. But by fooling around, do you mean joking and flirting, or do you mean getting naked at my cottage later tonight?”

Her grin widened. She slid her hand down and in an uncharacteristic move, grabbed his butt.

A nervous giggle escaped her as she peered up at him and simply said, “Yes, that’s exactly what I mean.”

Chapter Eight

Reese knocked on the door of Wade’s cottage, her pulse already quickening at the thought of being with him again.

Sitting through dinner tonight had been torture. She swore the man made eating pork chops look sexy.

His hand had brushed hers several times as they passed the food, and she’d squeaked a little as his foot rubbed against her bare leg in a tantalizing game of footsie.

He opened the door, and she wanted to jump him.

His hair was wet from a recent shower, and he was barefoot, wearing only a pair of faded jeans.

And, oh dear Lord, the top button was undone, as if the little silver snap were an invitation.

An invitation that she planned to RSVP to right now.

She held up a bottle of wine and two mugs that she’d snuck from the kitchen. “I don’t know that Bob’s Liquor down on Fourth has the most exquisite wine choices, but I did the best I could.”

He looked her up and down and made a low growling sound in his throat. Pulling her to him, he laid a kiss on her, then whispered, “You are so damn beautiful.”

Forget the wine. Forget everything except how quickly she could get out of her clothes. This man made her weak in the knees, and she wanted him. Now.

She scanned the one-room cottage and set the wine and cups down on the coffee table. The well-kept room was decorated in a cabin style with dark woods and bear decor.

A hint of moisture from Wade’s shower and the scent of his aftershave filled the air. The room was dimly lit from the light above the sink in the small kitchenette and the canoe-shaped lamp on his bedside table.

A queen-sized bed sat in one corner of the room, and she took Wade’s hand and tugged him toward it.

“Don’t you want some wine?” he asked. “I probably have some real wineglasses around here.”

She narrowed her eyes, going for a sexy and smoldering look. “All I want right now is you—in this bed.”

Giving him a gentle push, he toppled to the bed, and she climbed on top of him, straddling his jean-clad legs.

She wanted control. She wanted to make decisions and her own choices.

Right now her choice was Wade, and she meant to control this night. To seize the power and hold him spellbound as she had her way with him.

Then she’d allow him to have his way with her.

He chuckled softly. “You’re kinda bossy in bed.”

“That’s right. Tonight I’m the boss. And you have to do what I say and let me do whatever I want to you.” She narrowed her eyes. “Is that okay with you?”

The look in his eyes went from surprised to naughty, and he grinned. “Uh, yeah. I mean, yes, totally.”

Pulling off her T-shirt, she was thankful Lena had included fresh bra and panty sets in the clothes she’d sent. By the way Wade was eyeing the lacy black bra she wore, she assumed he was glad, too.

He reached up, running the backs of his fingers across the tops of her breasts, and sent a shiver of pleasure down her back. His eyes were molten, filled with liquid heat as he slowly perused her body.

“First rule is no touching until I say.” Taking his hands, she drew them over his head and linked them together. “Except by me. I get to touch all I want.”

His face wore a huge grin, and he looked like he’d just won the booty-call lottery. “Touch whatever you want, babe. Hell, touch things twice.”

He was into it, and she had the insane urge to put on a show for him. She slowly stripped off her bra and tossed it to the floor.

Running her hands along his muscled chest, she teased and tickled and loved the soft growl that sounded from the back of his throat.

The man had amazing muscles.

He sucked in his breath as she traced the waistband of his jeans, stopping to slowly unzip the zipper.

Oh. My.
Ranger Wade wasn’t wearing any underwear.

She slid down his legs, pulling his jeans free and leaving him naked on the bed.

His gaze never left her as she stood and unfastened her shorts. She skimmed the fabric down her legs and stepped free of them.

Wearing only a pair of black lace thong panties, she resumed her spot, deliberately rubbing against him as she straddled his hips.

She shook out her hair, knowing that the movement jiggled her breasts as well. Wade’s eyes widened, and his slow swallow gave her all the confidence she needed as she leaned forward, the tips of her nipples brushing his chest.

Nibbling and tasting, she feasted on his neck, drawing assurance from the way his hips bucked under her. She ran her hands along his muscled arms as he gripped the dowels of the headboard.

She sat up, arching her back, and let him look at her.

His sudden hitch of breath told her he liked the show, and she reveled in the feeling of being in command of the situation. “Would you like to touch me now?”

He nodded, his gaze locked on hers. “Yes.” His voice was deep, full of want.

Wade reached up and filled his hands with her breasts. A thrill of desire raced through her, and her insides tightened with need.

His hand slid up her neck, cupped her head, and pulled her down on top of him. His lips found hers, and he kissed her with a fiery passion.

Riding his hips, she moved in rhythm with their kisses, drawing moans of desire from him. Every part of her ached to touch more of him, to feel him tighter against her.

Finally allowed to touch her, his hands raced over her body—caressing, fondling.

With a growl of need, he rose up, grabbing her waist, and flipped her over. A quick movement of his hand stripped her panties down her legs, then he was on top of her, his weight a welcome pressure.

His voice, husky and raw, spoke next to her ear. “I want you, Reese. I want you now.”

A soft “Yes” was all she could gasp as her legs wrapped around his waist.

A wanton need consumed her, and everything else fell away. She craved this man with a hunger she’d never felt before.

He reached for the bedside table, yanking at the drawer in his haste. Fumbling for a foil-wrapped package, he spilled the box then grabbed one from the pile. He ripped the top free and reached down, covering himself with the protection.

Her breath came in ragged gasps as she lay beneath him, in anticipation of what was to come. She pulled him down, reveling in his weight on top of her.

His fingers dug into her hair, and his breath was warm on her neck as he filled her. Slow and steady, his hips moved against hers, increasing in tempo.

He felt so damn good, so right.

He whispered her name, and she was gone. She lost all control.

But this time it was okay.

In fact, it was utterly amazing.

Chapter Nine

The next week flew by in a blur.

Working at the park in the morning, they made great progress on the little building. Too quickly.

Wade found himself wanting to take extended breaks because he wasn’t ready for the project to end. Wasn’t ready for Reese to leave.

They laughed and flirted as they worked, finding little ways to touch or brush against each other. She spent the afternoons back at the bed and breakfast working on her book while he tried to get his work done in the park office.

Tried
was the key word.

Every time he tried to concentrate on a report or work on the schedule, his mind drifted to Reese. And his mind especially liked to drift to naked Reese.

He struggled to focus, but all he could think about was her in his bed, on the floor, or her slick and sudsy body as he’d soaped her up in the bathtub the night before.

They took their meals in the evening with Gram, talking over their day and sharing stories with Miss Abigail.

But after dinner, as the dusk settled in, they were drawn to each other like moths to a flame. And boy did they make a great flame.

That woman was going to kill him. He could not get enough of her. It was like his body knew she was only going to be around for so long, and he was taking his fill while he could.

She made him feel good. Too good.

It wouldn’t last.

He knew she had to go back to Denver. Had a life somewhere else. But for now, he took what he could get. A tiny part of his mind wondered if she was using him. He knew she was on the rebound from another relationship, and he was just the Band-Aid for her hurt. But damned if he didn’t enjoy being that Band-Aid.

“Can you hand me another nail?” Reese asked, drawing him from his musings. She stood on the ladder, and he took a second to admire the view of her rump at eye level. Her hip jutted out just a bit as she held a trim board in place, waiting for a nail.

He grabbed one and handed it up to her then ran his hand up her leg, stopping just short of her butt. His fingers itched to grab hold and pull her from the ladder, lay her in the grass, rip those little shorts off, and have his way with her.

“I know exactly what you’re thinking,” she said, as she hammered the nail in then eased down the ladder. Raking her fingers through his hair, she dropped a quick kiss on his lips and gave him a naughty grin. “Hold that thought until tonight. Then I can add a few of my ideas in as well.”

He chuckled. “I do tend to like your ideas.” Especially the one she’d had the night before when she’d invited him to come over to have a sundae for dessert.

His jaw had hit the floor when she’d opened her door wearing nothing but half a can of whipped cream and a couple of maraschino cherries.

“You’re thinking about the whipped cream, aren’t you?” She smiled slyly.

“That was a pretty good idea.” He leaned in and nuzzled her neck. “What’s your idea for tonight?”

“I was kind of thinking of going out.”

“Out? You mean like outside? We could go back down to the lake.”

She laughed. “Not that the lake isn’t a great idea, but I mean out-out. Your grandmother was telling me about the Summer Festival in town. She said it starts tonight, and they’re doing a chili cook-off and having a street dance.”

He shrugged. “I could probably be persuaded to eat some chili. But you don’t strike me as a girl that likes country music.”

“You just might be surprised by a lot of things that I like, Mr. Ranger.”

He grinned. “I know you like that thing I did with the whipped cream last night.”

Reese giggled, and a pink blush colored her cheeks. “Yes, I did like that, too. Now hand me that two-by-four and let’s get back to work. I want to finish this in time to help Miss Abigail with her chili entry. I’ve never actually made chili before, but I’m excited to learn. I love spicy foods.”

So did he. He was finding a lot of things that he liked spicy lately. Like his new relationship with the blond-haired city girl—and the hotter the better.

…

Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea. The Summer Festival had sounded fun but she hadn’t counted on the number of people in town who were interested in Wade’s sex life.

He held her hand as they walked through the booths lining the streets. The men seemed to give him nods of encouragement while the women gave her mean looks. Wade had been here the whole time. If they wanted him, why hadn’t they gone after him sooner?

Evidently all it took to get him was a night of topless fishing and a can of whipped cream.

“Yoo-hoo!” a familiar voice called out. Reese was glad to see the friendly smile of Miss Abigail as she beckoned them to a picnic table.

Wade leaned in to kiss his grandmother’s cheek before directing her to the opposite bench seat.

Rows of tables sat in the street in a semi-circle around a large open area for dancing. The band was warming up on the stage as they sat down. “Wow, there’s quite a turnout for this event.”

Miss Abigail nodded. “Oh yes, this is one of the favorites amongst the locals. Everybody loves to kick up their heels and do a little street dancing.” She gestured to the older man sitting next to her. “This is Harry Langston. He’s the owner of the Cotton Creek Gazette and my special friend for the night.”

Hmmm. Did
special friend
mean he was her date or that they planned to get jiggy with it later on?

Either way—ewww!

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Langston. I’m Reese Hudson.” She smiled and shook his hand, trying to get the image of him and Miss Abigail out of her mind.

“I like your dress, honey,” Miss Abigail said.

Nothing she had would have been suitable for the street dance, so she’d snuck into town earlier that afternoon to Cotton Creek’s one dress shop. She’d found a white pair of wedge sandals and a simple summer dress in a gorgeous shade of pink. Its A-line style and slim shoulder straps were a great fit for her figure.

The neckline was a little low, but she had the bust to fill it, and she’d enjoyed Wade’s sexy-eyed look of approval when she’d opened the door of her room earlier that night.

“I like your dress,” he’d said in a sexy slow drawl. “But I’d like it better on the floor.”

The steamy kiss he’d given her next was almost enough to have them call off going to the dance and stay home instead.

The band piped up with a slow country song, and Wade slid out of the bench seat. “The first dance always goes to my best gal.” Before Reese could reply, he turned to his grandmother and held out his hand. “Gram, may I have this dance?”

Miss Abigail laughed and winked at Reese. “Isn’t he just the sweetest boy?” She took Wade’s hand. “I hope I can trust you to keep an eye on Mr. Langston. He’s quite a catch, you know?”

Reese smiled at Mr. Langston as he gave her a dashing grin. With his balding head of white hair and short stature, she wasn’t sure what made him such a catch, but maybe older gentlemen with all their teeth were in short supply in Cotton Creek.

“Would you care to dance, Ms. Hudson?” he asked.

She shook her head. “Oh no, I’m not much of a dancer. And please call me Reese.”

“Then you must call me Harry.” He slid from the seat and held out his arm. “And I won’t take no for an answer.”

She hadn’t realized quite how short he was until she stood up next to him in the wedge sandals. He led her to the dance floor and when she turned to him she realized that his nose was at the exact level of her cleavage.

The tips of his ears turned as pink as her dress as he drew his eyes up from her boobs to her face.

Oh boy. This was going to be a long dance.

Fortunately, Harry was a skilled dancer and led her deftly around the dance floor. Country music had never been her thing, and she tried to keep up with Harry’s footwork, stumbling a few times and stepping on the poor man’s feet.

He was a kind-hearted man and patient with her as he taught her the dance and held a conversation at the same time. Obviously Miss Abigail had told him why she was in town, and he asked about the progress at the park and how her writing was going.

It was a secret thrill to have someone treat her like a real writer, and she gushed about the story she was currently working on while she tried to keep up with the steps.

“It sounds like it has an interesting premise. Would you like me to take a look at it? Offer you some tips?” Harry asked.

“Yes, I’d love that.”

“Why don’t you come down to the paper later this week? I’ve got some contacts in the publishing world, and I can look over your work and give you some names of a few people to contact when you’re ready. And I’m always looking for some good news stories if you want to try your hand at writing a few articles for the local paper.”

She couldn’t believe her luck. Getting advice from a seasoned writer like Harry could be a huge help to her. “Thank you. And I’ll start thinking of some ideas for articles.”

The song ended, and a new faster-paced song began. Undaunted, Harry grabbed her hand and attempted to teach her how to swing dance.

Feeling like an awkward goose next to a graceful swan, she valiantly tried to keep up with the swinging and twirling.

Her head was taller than Harry’s reach, and the last whirl sent her careening into the table filled with drinks. A stack of plastic cups toppled over and rolled into the street.

“So sorry,” she said to the teenage girl manning the drink table. Her hip aching from the bump against the table, she tried to retreat from the dance area.

But Mr. Langston was determined to teach her to swing, and he tugged her back into his arms. He smelled like a cross between breath mints and Ben-Gay, and he laughed easily over her mishap. She had to admire his tenacity and positive spirit.

Before another embarrassing mishap, a deep voice spoke from over her shoulder. “Can I cut in?”

Her heart skipped a beat as Wade stepped in and wrapped a muscled arm around her waist. Thank goodness.

Saved by the ranger.

Pulling her close, he moved her smoothly across the dance floor, keeping perfect rhythm with the song.

In Wade’s arms, she transformed into a nimble dancer.

Okay, maybe not transformed, but at least she could keep up and wasn’t swinging into unsuspecting punch bowls. She sighed and relaxed into the dance.

He was so wonderfully tall, and she laid her head against his shoulder and inhaled his manly scent. He smelled so good, and she felt so right in his arms.

Dang. She was in trouble.

Her heart bounced around in her chest, and she couldn’t stop smiling. They had less than a day’s work left on their project, then there’d be no reason to stay in town. But she wasn’t ready to say good-bye to the ranger.

She needed to tell Wade she was leaving this weekend. Best to make it quick. Rip it off like a Band-Aid. Act like it’s no big deal. It’s not like he was emotionally invested, either. He would probably be glad to get her and Bagel out of his hair.

Yes, that was the smart choice. Tell him tonight.

But first, she could enjoy this dance—this night. Revel in the feel of his arms around her as he glided them along the dance floor.

A thin sliver of pleasure ran down her spine as he softly sang the lyrics to the sweet country song into her ear.

His voice was low and husky, and her insides warmed as she thought about a different kind of dance she wanted to do with him. A dance that involved just the two of them, alone in a room, with the same country song, but a lot less clothes.

She would tell him she was leaving. Soon. Maybe just not right now.

And just maybe he would ask her to stay.

…

Wade drew Reese close to him as he two-stepped her across the dance floor. She was a good dancer and fit perfectly in his arms.

Everything was perfect about her tonight. From the way her long blond hair fell in loose curls around her bare shoulders to the way she filled out that pink dress.

Damn, did she ever fill out that dress. Or mostly fill out.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t the only man at the street dance who’d noticed how amazing Reese looked, and he’d experienced little nigglings of unease as he’d watched the guys from the park give her appreciative once-overs.

He knew those guys and was sure the thoughts going with those looks were not rated G.

He’d kept Reese by his side most of the night, but damned if Toby from maintenance hadn’t asked her to dance the minute he’d stepped away to grab them a couple of beers.

What was wrong with him? Reese didn’t belong to him. She could dance with whoever she wanted to.

Hold up now
.

He took a step forward as Toby’s hand inched lower on Reese’s waist. His coworker looked up and caught his eye, and the meaning behind it, and quickly moved his hand back up.

Jealousy spiked, taking him by surprise. He wasn’t the jealous type. Or he hadn’t been until now.

What made her different? And what did it matter? She’d be gone in a few days anyway.

Maybe he could ask her to stay. Just to spend the weekend or a few more days.

Maybe he could draw the project out, make it take a little longer.

Who was he kidding?

Reese had a life in Denver. A job, friends, her dad. She wasn’t going to want to stay up here in this Podunk town when she had a future waiting for her in Denver.

What could he offer her anyway? A busted down pickup and a mountain of credit card debt. Didn’t sound like much of an offer to him.

Reese was used to flashy cars and eating in expensive restaurants. He preferred his grandmother’s home-cooked meals to anything that was offered in a fancy restaurant. She played tennis in a country club while he liked to go fishing on a lake or hike into the mountains.

They were just too different. And he didn’t need all the extra complications Reese Hudson and her chubby little pug would bring.

Probably better that she was leaving. It would make things easier on them both.

Besides, it wasn’t like she was emotionally invested or anything. She’d probably be glad to get him out of her hair.

Oh great. Now he was thinking about her hair. The way it felt like silk as it ran through his fingers. The way it fell across his pillow as she lay under him in bed. And the way it smelled.