Where Forever Lies (22 page)

She eyed
Tyler to her left. He was resting his hands on the saddle horn, the
reins draped casually on the horse’s neck, looking comfortable
and at ease on the horse as he kept his eyes forward. His horse,
which was light brown with a large, white stripe down the front of
its face and four white socks, was walking down the trail without
Tyler needing to hold onto the reins. Paige, on the other hand, was
still gripping the reins tightly with both hands and trying to hold
onto the saddle horn at the same time. She was becoming more relaxed,
but she still wanted to be prepared if the horse decided to spook at
anything.

She let
her eyes wander around the partially wooded landscape. There were
birds chirping in the distance, leaves rustling as the wind barely
escaped through the thick trees and large boulders nestled against a
few of the small hills that surrounded the woods.

“Beautiful
out here, isn’t it?” Tyler asked as he turned his head in
her direction. As he looked at her, he had to squint his eyes from
the rays of sun that would seep through every once in a while.

“Yes,
it’s gorgeous,” Paige said smiling at him. He grinned
back, showing off his boyish dimples, and Paige felt her heart melt
at the sight. His smile made him look young but his demeanor showed
her he was mature and hard working.

“It’s
gotta be more beautiful than that stuffy city you live in,”
Tyler stated, giving her a sly smile.

Leaning
back farther in the saddle, Paige shrugged her shoulders, “I
have to admit, that it definitely is. All this open space is
definitely growing on me, but you know, Sweet Haven isn’t that
huge of a city, not compared to most.”

“Yeah,
but it’s still a city and before long this place will feel like
home to you,” Tyler said as he nudged his horse with his legs,
making it pick up to a trot.

Before
Paige could let his words sink in, her horse followed suit and took
off trotting after Tyler’s horse, making her shriek. She
gripped the horn to help keep her balance, not
even thinking about pulling back on the reins as her legs bounced
helplessly in the stirrups.

“Tyler
I’m going to kill you!” she yelled, as laughter poured
out of her. Her heart was racing as adrenaline pumped through her,
but she had never felt so alive in her life. The wind blew against
her face as the horse quickly trotted to catch up and she had to duck
to dodge a few small branches. After a few seconds, she finally
regained her balance enough that she was able to enjoy the rest of
the ride. She had never experienced anything like this in her life.
Riding on the back of a horse made her feel free.

They
finally came to a stop along a small creek and Paige leaned forward,
trying to catch her breath. She looked over at Tyler who was
laughing. “Oh, my God, that was so crazy,” Paige said in
between breaths. She retightened her ponytail with shaky hands as she
tried to calm herself down.

“Fun
though, wasn’t it?” Tyler asked. She noticed he was
completely calm, his breathing coming out as normal as ever, but she
knew he was used to riding a horse. She’d never thought it
would be so much of a workout. Staying on that horse had made her use
every muscle in her body.

“Yeah,
it was fun, but I am still going to kill you for just taking off like
that. I could have been lying on the ground right now.” She
wasn’t really mad but she had to give him a hard time.

Tyler
jumped off his horse in one swift motion, draped the reins across a
tree limb, and said, “I’d like to see you try.” He
gave her a challenging smile and she quickly got off her horse, threw
the reins over a small limb, and took off after Tyler who had already
started running.

After
several seconds of running, she’d somehow lost sight of him.
She figured it must have been the moment she glanced behind her to
check on the horses. She decided to stop and wait for him to show
himself because she wasn’t familiar with the woods, and she
didn’t want to get lost.

She heard
leaves crackling behind her and yelped when arms latched around her
waist, making her fall to the ground. Instead of landing on her back,
she found herself lying on top of Tyler. He was now breathing hard
and she felt the rise and fall of his chest as she looked into his
face. He jerked his head slightly to get a few stray strands of hair
out of his face and his lips curved into a mischievous grin as he
said, “Did you actually think you could catch me?”

Leaning
down close to his mouth, she breathed, “I know I could have.”
Tyler grabbed the back of her head and pulled her all the way down to
where her mouth was within reach of his. He gave her one last look
before he crushed his lips against hers, it was hard and he gave her
no choice but to part her lips for him. She didn’t hesitate,
and as he slid his tongue into her mouth she let out a soft moan as
her tongue found his. He kissed her in a way that was rough and
passionate as if he wasn’t going to let anything, or anyone,
come between what he wanted at that moment. Grinning against her
mouth, he slid his hands up the length of her body, up under her
shirt, until his fingers fell across her breasts. He knew he was
pushing the limits out here but he had to try. She nervously pushed
his hands away as she scanned the woods. “Tyler we are out in
broad daylight,” she protested.

“It
didn’t bother you the other night,” he noted as he gently
nipped at her bottom lip, tugging it into his mouth. She didn’t
pull back and, as she let him take her under, she felt herself
drifting away into the heat of his touch. It made her forget
everything except how he made her feel. On the verge of succumbing to
his offer, she stopped abruptly when she heard a twig break in the
distance. They both looked up, saw no one around except the horses,
and without giving her a chance to get up, Tyler pulled her back down
for another kiss.

With the
mood now faltering some, she broke away from his kiss and said, “Yes,
but that was at nighttime and we were under a blanket and it was
harder for anyone to see us,” to answer his earlier remark.

Staring at
her lips, he argued, “Yes, but we are in the middle of the
woods that I own, alone. No one is close to me, unlike at your
apartment.” He ran his hands up and down her arms and then let
them rest on her hips as he said, “But I won’t push you
into doing something you’re uncomfortable with.” Giving
her a wink, he grabbed her waist and brought them both up to a
standing position in one swift movement.

He
couldn’t hide the smirk playing on his lips at the
disappointment she was trying to conceal but failed at doing. He
grabbed her hand and led her back to where their horses were
patiently waiting.

♥♥♥

The ride
back was easier and less stressful and Paige felt that she was really
getting a knack for horseback riding. As they rounded a line of
trees, she saw his barn come into view and even though she was having
fun, she was relieved because her legs were killing her.

They tied
the horses up and unsaddled them. Paige was proud of herself for
managing to get everything off her horse without any trouble or
asking for Tyler’s help. Once everything was put away and the
horses turned back out in their field, they headed for the house.

Tyler
opened up the fridge and pulled out a pitcher of iced tea, giving
Paige a look as he did so. He pointed to the tea and asked, “Do
you want some of this redneck drink?”

Laughing,
she replied with an empty glass held out for him. “Yes,
please.”

Tyler
shook his head and poured the tea and then leaned against the counter
as he drank half the glass in one shot. He gave Paige a sideways
glance, noticing the dirt and horse hair covering her pants and
smiled to himself. Even filthy, she was beautiful. “I’m
really glad you came out today, Paige,” he said as he sat his
glass down. He’d had a lot of fun today and he couldn’t
remember the last time he’d gone on a date and enjoyed himself
so much by actually doing something other than having sex.

“I’m
glad, too. And I’m also glad that you made me try something
different. I really had fun riding that horse. I’m actually
shocked that I liked it.”

“Well,
then maybe you’ll just have to come out more often so you can
ride with me more,” Tyler suggested.

“Maybe
I will.” Her voice was soft, sensual and she suddenly wanted to
continue where they’d left off in the woods.

Tyler
pulled out the kitchen chair and took a seat, kicking the other chair
out for Paige. As she made her way over to the table, he grabbed her
arm and pulled her on top of his lap. She squealed in surprise but
quickly settled onto him. Her legs dangled behind the chair as his
grip on her waist tightened and she smiled as she saw the desire
shining in his eyes. She didn’t just see it, she felt it
surrounding them. Her need was just as strong as his and her body
ached for him to have his way with her. “Boy, you sure are
determined to have your way with me today,” she teased, but her
voice was soft and seductive, practically begging him to take her.

“I’m
not a procrastinator. If I want something, I do everything I can to
get it,” he said hoarsely. He dipped his mouth to hers, taking
in the feel of her soft lips. This time when he ran his hands up
along her breasts, he knew she wouldn’t turn him down. The
sexual need was pouring out of her and Tyler was eager to taste every
inch of her. He knew he would as soon as he got her to his bed. With
that thought burning in his mind, he stood up and carried her
effortlessly to his bedroom, not wanting to waste another moment.

As he
gently tossed her on the bed, Paige felt her stomach flip with fear,
anxiety, and desire so strong it, itself, scared her. She had never
thought she’d ever want someone as much as she wanted him. Not
just sexually but in many more ways than that. Their feelings were
escalating every time they were together. Each minute she spent with
him, she found herself finding more things she loved about him. One
thing kept building off the other and it scared her how high it was
already getting. The fear that swept in was overwhelming. Could she
actually have a happy, fulfilling relationship with someone she truly
had feelings for? It almost sounded delusional to her. Things had
been going so well between them that the fear of losing someone again
threatened to steal her good mood. She shoved those thoughts away for
a time when they would be more relevant. Right now was perfect and
there was no sense in worrying over something that had yet to happen.
She pulled him down between her legs as she let herself put her trust
in him, hoping he was everything she felt he was.

Breathing
hard, Tyler unbuttoned her pants, slid them down, and tossed them on
the floor. Her chest heaved from anticipation, wanting to feel him
inside her, needing to feel him against her. All she could think
about was getting him close to her, feeling his skin against hers.
She yanked his shirt up over his head and her fingers frantically
fumbled at his zipper. Once they were undone he quickly stood and let
them fall to the ground. Her eyes traveled over his body. The rise
and fall of his chest. The way his muscles flexed as he removed his
pants. The bit of dark hair leading down beneath his black briefs.
The three tattoos that covered his chest and arms. The fullness
showing in his briefs.

Her thighs
began to quiver as her need became stronger. She wanted to yank him
down to her and not let him go until she was drenched in sweat and
shaking from her release.

Slowly he
climbed back on the bed, hovering over her to where the tip of him
was just barely teasing her. His hand combed through her long hair
that cascaded across the white pillow under her, and then he gripped
it firmly as his brown eyes held onto hers. His lips drifted down to
her breast, his tongue slowly swirling around each nipple. Her hands
gripped a fistful of his hair as his mouth gently caressed each one,
making her back arch with pleasure and her hands gently tug on his
hair. Her hands ventured to the back of his thighs, pulling him
towards her. He paused briefly, teasingly. It was a deliberate motion
to make her desire come to the breaking point. She didn’t know
how much more she could take, she was already about to bubble over.
She bit her lip as she looked at him. Her eyes were demanding,
pleading for him to take her, all of her. Make this ache inside her
dissipate.

With his
gaze steady on hers, he planted his lips firmly against hers at the
same time he pushed into her. A moan escaped her parted lips and her
legs wrapped around his waist, wanting him deeper. His breathing sped
up as he gradually quickened his pace. The euphoric feeling of him
inside her made her grip on his broad shoulder blades tighten,
lightly digging her nails into his skin.

He dipped
his mouth into the crook of her neck, lightly fanning kisses on her
shoulder and then down across each breast. As they moved together,
each thrust building from the last, she was finally at her breaking
point; her body couldn’t handle the intense pleasure any more.

“Tyler,”
she moaned as she felt her body begin to fly.

“Darlin’,
look up at me, the only thing I wanna see right now are your
beautiful eyes staring back at me when you come.” His voice was
a deep, low rumble, full of lust and desire and something else that
made Paige’s body react even more. It was a command. And even
though she was not one to take orders from anyone, coming from him,
in this moment, made her body ignite.

She tilted
her head up to meet his, letting her eyes hold his as she gripped the
back of his neck while each wave of pleasure rolled through her body.
With each wave, she felt her grip tightening, her nails digging in
farther until her body finally subsided.