Desire (Montana Dreams Book 3) (9 page)

Thor eyed her as she ducked between the rails and approached. “Hiya, Bradley.”

Man, he wanted to squeeze her to him and never let go. “Hi, back.”

She blinked slowly, her eyes speaking to him that she was okay. “Hopper therapy worked.”

He chuckled. He was glad Autumn’s pet helped; yet, giving credit to an animal put him in his place like a gut punch.
Give her time
. “Good.” Several long beats passed with them staring at each other.

“I haven’t been to the barn,” she said into the void. She patted Thor’s neck, moved up to his shoulder until she rubbed his head. “You’re a sweetheart,” she spoke softly next to his ear, her hands stroking his long mane and making Bradley envious. “Such a good boy.”

He cleared his throat and thought about training before her low purr had him walking bow-legged. “Care to explain?”

“Let’s go.” She patted her leg as if she called a dog. Thor followed! Dagnabit, if this didn’t beat all. Bradley walked on the outside of her, just in case things got out of hand. After a few laps around the ring with Thor obeying like an obedient child, he quickened his pace and moved ahead a few steps. Cadence put the back of her hand against his chest, and Thor slowed.

A miracle, a flat out miracle that she possessed this much control over her stallion. Thor nodded his head, as if he read Bradley’s thoughts, and answered, “Of course she did.” The power of the moment floored him, and he gazed at the white clouds to gain control.

Several laps later, Cadence stopped in front of the barn. After giving Thor the hand gesture to stay, she disappeared inside. Bradley followed her to the supply cabinet tucked in the corner. From behind a bucket of treats, she removed a cluster of bananas, peeled one, and went back out to feed it to Thor.

“That’s how you did it? You snuck in here, and befriended the stallion with bananas?”

“I did.” A huge smile stretched across her lips, and her eyes glistened with life. Darn she was a beautiful sight. He wanted a taste of her, to give her the kind of kiss that would have her only wanting him.

“You’re staring.” As if Thor understood, he lifted his head and eyed him.

“I can’t seem to help myself.” The air sparked between them, clogging his throat as a more powerful fervor jolted through him, and tightened his chest and erection. His balls ached, but he wouldn’t act on what his body wanted, not until he was sure of her mind and heart.

“Don’t just stare, Bradley.” On his name, her voice dropped an octave. A few encouraging words, and he leapt. He ignored the fear prickling his nerves that this was too soon, that she wasn’t ready.

****

The distance between Cadence and Bradley evaporated. It was anyone’s guess who’d move first. Mouths, lips, and tongues mingled while hands jockeyed for position, touching and caressing each other’s arms, necks, and faces. She clutched onto his chest, and balled his shirt in her hands. Her nipples pebbled wanting the same attention, but Bradley didn’t touch her anywhere intimate. She didn’t like it yet understood. By coming out of her shell, she showed him she made progress. In time, he would trust her actions and believe in her, just like Thor did. The secret training she did with her stallion would be tested when she scratched off the last item in her bucket list. The thought of what was yet to come excited her.

Her and Bradley’s conversation the first night he slept with her had blown her away, and her view of life changed. Right after he left the room to tend to Thor, she lay in bed, remembering how things were before the accident. She tried to pinpoint why she had grown so depressed but came up empty. Depression didn’t necessarily have to have a reason. Losing a child was an excuse in itself. Now that her world felt lighter, brighter, it seemed like something else had made it worse, forced it to deepen, and made it harder for her to get through. Why did the ugly, dark, hopeless feeling go away now?

Deep in her head, she hadn’t realized he’d stopped kissing her. “Huh?”

“I didn’t say anything.” The desire in his eyes a moment ago sobered and lost some of their warmth, as if the light went out. “I impressed the girl.” Sarcasm emitted from his tone. He snatched his cowboy hat off his head, hit it against his thigh, and ran a hand through his hair before replacing it. “Stopped kissing the girl and she didn’t notice?”

Confiding what rolled through her the first night they slept together would reveal more than she was ready to handle. To say the cloud that hovered over her, pressing down on her shoulders and sucking out her energy, had disappeared would acknowledge her tender emotions. Intimacy hadn’t played a role in her newfound self-respect. His compassion and faith in her had touched her in such a profound way that deep reactions surfaced, and she didn’t know how to handle them, much less share. “I-I…”

He kissed the tip of her nose and studied her for a long minute, so long that his scrutiny made her uncomfortable, a feeling she hadn’t experienced. “For godsakes.” She grabbed the back of his head, forced him to her, and plastered her mouth on his lips. When he placed his hands on her shoulders to pull away, she glared into his eyes. “Take it like a man,” she teased, smirking.

He chuckled, downright laughed. His body vibrated against hers, glorious tingles spread across her skin where they connected. “That’s my girl.”

The slow throttle flipped to overdrive. Bradley touched her everywhere ... everywhere! Her nipples rose in anticipation, to feel the man they’d longed for. The kiss deepened, his tongue mimicking what she craved from his other vital parts.

“Howdy-ho-ho, neighbor.” Travis’ singsong voice knocked on the door of her lust-filled fog, but she didn’t leave Bradley’s heat. “Customers paid to pet the animals, not to watch petting.”

Cadence gasped in Bradley’s mouth. He took a second longer than her to digest what Travis said. “Awe, shit!”

“Kids ears!” Travis touched the brim of his hat, grinning. “You all have a good day, ya hear?”

“That man is sickening now that he’s getting hitched.”

“I heard that.” Travis raised his hand, giving a sideways wave.

“Damn, I don’t want to leave you,” Bradley’s warm breath brushed over her skin, his voice rough, “but if I don’t walk away, we’re gonna discover the magic of the hay bale the others brag about.”

“Oh, I’d like that.” Knowing Bradley’s rational mind was intact, she let out a slow breath to curb her desire.

“One day.” Cupping the back of her head, he pressed his mouth over hers. His erection pressed hard against her leg, and with a glance over her shoulder to check that no children were near as Travis threatened, she reached down to touch it. He snatched her wrist, stopping her, but not before she brushed the powerful, delicious length. “I’m going for a ride. Alone.”

Chapter Five

Weeks had passed since Cadence and Bradley shared the kiss that left her craving for more. She understood he needed space to get his thoughts together, yet she wanted another taste of him.

Every day, she rose early to work with Thor, and every evening, she went into his stall and talked. Over the years, she found horses were the best listeners, but he set the scale high on how well they responded. She treasured his headshakes and neighs as if a good friend sat with her.

She snatched a bag and purse from the chair in her bedroom and slipped downstairs to the family room. Trina stretched out on the couch, flipping channels and looking more bored than she’d seen her. “I’m heading to town. Want to go?”

“You don’t need a babysitter.”

Her insides vibrated, knowing she’d regained her senses. “Yes, my house arrest has been lifted. I figured you’d like to get out.”

Trina sighed, and a dreamlike expression crossed her features. “I’d love to but
I’m
still under house arrest.” A moment passed, and her eyes sparkled. “I wonder if I go, would Matt bring out the handcuffs? Hmm…”

Cadence hooted. “This pregnancy has given you a whole new outlook.”

“As if you’re Miss Prim and Proper.”

“Never said I was, but you were.”

“Not like you think. I waited for the right guy before I released the inner diva.”

The comment struck a nerve. Did her friend still think she slept with a lot of guys? Cadence crossed her arms and rubbed the back of them, the bag and her purse hitting her sides.

“Oh.” Trina’s voice laced with worry. “I didn’t mean it like that, and for the record, I always knew the truth.”

“What truth?”

“That you weren’t sleeping with every guy you came across.” She’d wondered what Trina thought of her disappearing the way she had. For two close friends, they hadn’t shared much lately. Cadence’s fault. An issue she needed to correct.

“We all have our own way of finding what we want,” Trina cut into her thoughts. “My greatest hope, well besides marrying Matt, was for my best friend and brother to marry.”

“You knew about us?”

“Am I blind?” Trina laughed and held her finger and thumb close together. “Well, maybe a little. I didn’t know you two had been together, but I saw the respect you had for one another and hoped I would have you for a sister.” She grasped her hand “By law.” She smiled a second before her face dropped. “I’m sorry about the baby. If you had told me, I would have been there for you.”

Cadence nibbled on her lower lip. “I wouldn’t steal your thunder. You had a Matt mission, time got away, and I went into a funk.” She didn’t want to get into a deep conversation about
if only
. She stopped mulling over regrets. “I forgot I had this.” She’d finally remembered to grab the graduation gift she’d given Trina when they shared apartment. She pulled out the green fleece covered with zoo animals.

Trina’s face lit up. “Thank you!” She held the blanket close to her chest and tugged Cadence’s hand until she sat on the coffee table next to the couch. She recognized the look on Trina’s face and groaned. The conversation Cadence wanted to avoid was incoming. “After the accident, I didn’t pick up on the sullenness in your tone, but reflecting, I can hear it clear as day now. You cheered me on while your heart broke. Why did you keep that from me? Not talk about it?”

“Easy, you needed to get well. Besides, by helping you, my thoughts were occupied and prevented me from going down the ugly black hole.”

“Until I moved. I’m sorry, Cadence. I should have noticed, been there for you.”

“Don’t be. I would have smacked you silly if you didn’t go after Matt. You needed him.”

Trina squeezed her hand. “You really are a good friend.”

“So are you.”

Her friend’s face turned even more solemn. “I love you, and I will always be here for you. You can’t lose me, yet you can lose the only man you’ve ever cared about if you don’t get yourself together.”

The same words Cadence had used on Trina when she made a monumental mistake with Matt. “You know it in here.” Her friend touched Cadence’s chest with her finger. “That he’s there. You’ve always known. My fear is Bradley won’t recover. That your reckless behavior and refusing to face reality, you’ll—”

“Ruin my chances,” they spoke in unison.

“So.” Trina wiped her face and sat higher against the end of the couch. “Get your ass in gear and get your big bang love!”

The big bang love
. A concept she’d forgotten long ago. For years, she’d buried the truth of how much she enjoyed Bradley’s closeness and that his presence gave her strength. So odd to live inside her body and mind and not know herself, to not be aware of what her soul needed to survive and make it happy. “I’m working on it.” Her mind drifted to sharing a bed. Feeling his warm body, his heartbeat in her ear, he filled the emptiness she struggled to avoid. The big bang love dangled before her.

Trina winked. “I have complete faith you’ll get there.”

With her tablet tucked inside her purse, Cadence kissed her best friend’s cheek and made her way toward the parking lot and her first outing, with no other motivation than relaxing with a good book beside a fire.

As if her presence sent molecular energy, Bradley, sitting proudly in Thor’s saddle inside the round pen, stopped and eyed her. Her horse’s ears even went on alert. She finger waved and moved toward her car then stopped. Taking Thor for a ride would be much better.

“Hiya!” she said, stopping at the training pen, and sent Bradley a half-cocked grin. “Any chance I can talk you out of your horse?”

“Every chance, sweetheart.” Laughing, he slid off as she climbed the fence and greeted her stallion, her dear horse that had grown right along with her.

Together, she and Thor found their footing. The nights she spent in the stall with him talking, and him neighing, helped her work through her scrambled thoughts. They’d connected the day Thor moved close and stared into her eyes when she was a puddle of tears. She kissed the bridge of his nose and stroked his forehead. “I love you, Thor.”

Bradley stilled; he didn’t say a word, but she felt his eyes on her and sensed something more coming from him, too. She leaned the side of her head against Thor’s face and gazed at the man who occupied her heart. His wholesome expression, along with the tears he tried to hide, filled her soul. They had more to work out, more to discuss, but no doubt she stared into the eyes of her big bang love.

“Let me help you,” Bradley said as she placed a foot into the stirrup. Not that she needed it, but she enjoyed his hand on her butt. “Want me to hang onto your purse?”

“Yes.” She tugged out her tablet, stuck it inside her coat, and gave him her purse. “Thanks.”

“Meet me at the gate.” He jogged to the barn as she guided Thor to the far end of the pen. His ears stood straight up. Riding Thor for the first time in an open field brought little worry. The two of them were in sync, and every instinct she held told her he would do great.

“Here.” Bradley tied a thin blanket to the back of the saddle and opened the gate. “I’ll be waiting at the house when you get back.”

She nudged Thor with her heels, and exited the pen. The gate snapped closed, and Cadence lifted her chin to the sky. This was her, with the open countryside and the crisp air drifting over her. On her horse, feeling in tune with nature, she did what she’d dreamed of doing since she allowed her mother to buy her a magnificent, untrained stallion. She gave him the command to run.

Thor moved forward in a smooth canter. When she felt secure, she gave him the nudge to pick up the pace. She hunched her shoulders slightly, put weight in her stirrups, and hung tight with her thighs. The wind blew through her hair and the cool air stung her face. She never felt so alive, so vibrant, and so thrilled just to exist.

Reaching the stream in front of the mountains, she leaned back with her weight in the saddle and brought Thor to a stop. The sensation that someone watched struck her, and she scanned the area. In the distance, no bigger than an ant, she made out Bradley’s figure still standing at the gate. He waved, and she waved back before he disappeared from view. She let out a shaky breath, leaned over, and hugged her horse’s neck. “Thank you.”

Thor snorted as if he understood. He probably did. The idea of finding a place to sit and read didn’t sound as good as hanging out with her horse, letting him lead the way. “Let’s walk.”

****

Feeling blessed with the direction his life headed, Bradley settled on the floor against the couch and sipped his bourbon. Anticipating a romantic evening, he lit a fire in the hearth and warmed hot chocolate on the stove in the kitchen.

Ever since he discovered she’d spent time with her horse, her actions proved she was on the road to recovering, but tonight… Tonight, watching her interact with Thor, there was no question Cadence’s spirit had returned.

The door creaked open, and he closed his eyes, thankful she’d returned quickly. “Hey there, big guy.”

She’s back! She’s fucking back!
He lifted his glass in a silent toast, downed the rest of his drink, and got to his feet to kiss her square on the mouth. She smelled clean, fresh, and pure like the mountain air. “Howdy-ho-ho,” he said against her lips.

Laughing, she playfully punched his arm. “Something smells good.”

“Hot chocolate.” He moved into the kitchen and set his glass in the sink. “Want some?”

“That was nice of Trina. Where is she?”

“Bite your tongue. I’m the hot chocolate guru in this family.”

“That’s right.” She stepped over to the stove and used a ladle to pour some into a mug. “Do you want some?”

He held up the bottle of bourbon. “Nah. I’m good. I’ve had enough though.”

“You never were a big drinker.” She headed to the family room and kissed his cheek on the way past.

“Nope.” He sat on the floor and leaned against the couch, and like a couple that’d been together for years, she settled between his legs and rested her back against his chest. “I like staying clear headed.”

“In that case, we’ll never last. I like a good buzz.” Enticing eyes gleamed emerald as she peeked up at him. Doing his darnest not to lose himself in them, he ground his back teeth. More things about their past, particular his, needed discussing. “We should talk.”

“I probably need a shot of alcohol for this conversation.” She didn’t get up; instead, she twisted until her shoulder nuzzled his chest, her focus on the fire. “But let’s chat.”

The lilt in her tone was laced with sarcasm. He may have initiated the conversation, but she planned to control the direction it went.

“Remember your blind date from hell?” She paused for what he assumed was effect. He’d rather forget. “The date wrecked your snowmobile then the cops came,” she said in between fits of laughter.

“Hey now! The cops came because you and my lovely sister told the emergency room nurse that the girl’s abrasions were punishment for arriving late for our date.”

Cadence sighed. “That was priceless!”

“Not hardly.” Nightmares from having his hands twisted behind his back and shoved into a jail with a thug name Bertha commanded his sleep for weeks afterwards. First you arrange the date—”

“That wasn’t me. Trina did it.”

“Whomever, you’re one in the same.”

She wiggled her butt against his never-ending erection. “I assure you, we’re not.”

“That’s not what I mean.” He kissed her cheek, wrapped his arms around her, and squeezed. “Then you two demanded we all go snowmobiling, when you knew full well how egotistical—”

“Bitch is the word you’re looking for,” Cadence supplied and lifted a finger. “I own that one.”

Bradley eyed her and shook his head. “That girl acted invincible. Didn’t listen to a thing I said. I told her about the big drop near the woods, but she took no one’s advice. Six stitches in her right arm from hitting a rock.”

“That wasn’t so funny,” Cadence was quick to say, “but I didn’t cause her crash.”

After blaming herself for the accident, he wondered if she’d felt responsible for that one, too. “Nope. That was all on her. However, you are responsible for my arrest. Why did you tell the nurse I hurt that girl? Hell, I can’t even remember her name.”

“It was Bitch, and simple, I was jealous.”

The blind date happened when he was twenty-one, making Cadence and Trina eighteen. Matt had been deployed months prior. Bradley did everything to help distract his sister from missing Matt, which included going on a blind date with Trina’s friend. But he only went with the condition that Trina went too. And since her and Cadence were basically inseparable, she tagged along.

Later, after Cadence convinced the cops they were joking, and the girl confirmed it, they released him. On the way back home, he dropped the ticked girl off at her house, and then the three of them went to Cadence’s quiet house. That night, like now, she stuck to him like glue, but he never thought anything of it. “If only I knew back then how you felt.”

“If only,” she snickered. “In the last two years, I have said those words too many times to count. I’m done with it. No more second-guessing.”