Riding for Love (A Western Romance) (18 page)

How on earth was a woman supposed to respond to a man who wanted to talk and share his feelings? How could any sane woman reject a statement about a relationship being better than she imagined? A woman would be plain crazy to turn him down. And if by relationship, he meant sex, she’d be doubly crazy. In her opinion, men didn’t even like the word relationship let alone want a better one.

“Where should we set up?” Denton interrupted her thoughts.

Eve pointed to a large willow tree with half its branches hanging over the water, one of her favorite places on the ranch. They passed through the slender branches and entered her private world. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, dappling the grass with patches of light.

Denton set the basket down, tipped his cowboy hat back on his head, and whistled. “This is unbelievable, Eve, like entering an entirely new world.”

“I used to come here when I was a kid to hide from the fighting. One time I fell asleep and didn’t wake up until morning. You know what?”

“What, honey?”

“When I got back to the house, I expected to get yelled at, spanked, grounded, but no one realized I’d been gone all night.”

Denton wrapped her into his arms. “Oh, honey. How old were you?”

Eve dropped her chin to her chest. “Eight or nine.”

She couldn’t hug him back due to the blanket in one hand and the bottle of wine in the other. Oh, but how she wanted to sink her body into his embrace, feel safe, wanted, comforted in his arms. But . . .

Denton leaned back, still holding her. “What’s wrong?”

She shook her head. “I’m not sure, Dent.” She turned away, set the bottle of wine on the ground, and shook out the blanket.

Denton took the other end and they spread it on the ground. He set the picnic basket on one end and sat crossed-legged. He opened up the basket and rubbed his hands together in anticipation. “Well, let’s see what goodies we have here.”

Eve remained standing and followed his movements. If he would only look at her, he would see what goodies she’d brought for him.

Rays of sunshine sparkled through the branches onto his hair. A halo of light appeared around his head. She sucked in a breath. It was as if she was seeing him for the first time. Seeing him as the man he was, not the boy who’d broken her heart. She needed to listen once and for all to his story while holding her anger at bay, although her anger was dissipating with every day she spent with him.

She plunked herself down in front of him, sat cross-legged, close enough to him their knees almost touched.

Denton raised his head from retrieving the paper plates and stopped. “What?” he asked, wondering why her face had gone from bewildered sadness to what appeared to be bewildered happiness?

Eve smiled, one he’d never seen before, well, at least not for a long, long time. Something major had just happened and he had no idea what. It was like walking into the middle of a joke and not understanding the punch line while everyone else laughed.

“Let’s eat and talk,” she said, taking the plates.

Denton breathed a sigh of relief. He opened the wine and Eve filled the plates with fried chicken, potato salad, fresh fruit, and vegetables. They discussed the beauty of the lake, raced to see who could identify various birds first and wondered whether they might be able to view the fireworks from town.

“I’ve never been out here on the Fourth. I always hear the fireworks at the house, but never see them,” Eve said.

“Never?”

“Not even once. I’ve never brought anyone out here with me, either.”

Denton paused, the fork full of potato salad inches from his mouth. “Never?”

“You’re the first.”

He felt a bubble of joy start in his stomach and work its way to this mouth. He couldn’t suppress a grin. “I’m the first?”

Eve slapped him on the knee. “Oh, you jerk. The first one here, not the first to . . . you know.”

His smile slipped. “Oh,” he muttered.

“Oh come on, Dent. You can’t honestly believe I’m a virgin, can you?” A frown creased his forehead. “Oh, for Pete’s sakes. I’m twenty-seven years old. I went to college. I met boys.”

“Boys? Like in more than one?” He tried to stamp down the jealousy replacing his happiness.

“There’s no reason to be jealous, Denton. Besides, you’re certainly not a virgin, and I bet Marie wasn’t your only woman.”

He swallowed the lump of salad lodged in his throat. “I’m not jealous,” he retorted. “And it’s none of your business who I’ve slept with.”

Eve patted his knee as if he was a little boy. “If you say so.” She took a sip of wine. “Anyway, it is none of my business who you’ve slept with, just like it’s none of yours. But you were going to tell me about you and Marie.”

Denton took her plate, put it on top of his, and placed them in the basket. When he reached for the other dishes, Eve put her hand on his arm. She gave him a look that said she wasn’t going to fall for his delay tactics.

“I know, I know.”

“Well, it was your idea to come clean.” Eve placed the last of the containers in the basket.

Denton raked his fingers through his hair and sighed. “I know. It’s just that what I have to say is what I already said at the restaurant.”

Eve pursed her lips and blushed. “But, I can honestly say I was in no mood to listen then.”

“And now?”

“Yes, Denton. I am ready to pay attention.”

Denton reached for her. “Come here, I want to hold you while I tell you a tale.”

Eve shook her head. “No. Face-to-face.”

He took her hand and with a sigh, repeated his story. He hoped she was listening to him this time. Not just the words, but
how
he was saying them, how much he regretted hurting her. She pressed his fingers when he was done. He took it as a good sign.

“What happened after you married Marie?”

“Well, she wanted us both to quit school right away and live with my folks.”

“Why on earth would you do that? Money?”

“I think so. I said I wouldn’t quit, and if she wanted to she had to get a job, she . . .”

“Went ballistic?”

He snorted. “When she realized I wouldn’t budge, she didn’t talk to me for weeks.” Denton picked at a stray thread in the blanket. “I’m not sure which was worse, her screaming, crying, and throwing things or her silent treatment. I chalked it up to pregnancy hormones, but she was just a spoiled brat. At least her not talking made it easier to study. A short time later, she said she’d had a miscarriage.

“I was devastated at the loss of my child. After that, I studied more and more and she started going out nearly every night. I was busy with classes and homework, and by then didn’t care what she did.

“One night, she talked me into going out with her and some friends, and then tried getting me drunk. At least I was smart enough not to fall for that again.” He paused and closed his eyes, remembering how foolish she had made him feel. “I talked to one of her friends who was pretty well looped. Man, did she fill me in on the details of Marie’s so-called pregnancy.”

Eve squeezed his hand. “You mean she faked the pregnancy?”

“That, and so much more. This woman said Marie drugged my drink the night I supposedly got her pregnant. Had to be true because she never attracted me in that way. The woman seemed to think it was all pretty damned funny.”

“That bitch. What did you do then?”

“The next morning I skipped class for the first and only time since high school.” Denton leaned back against the tree trunk and closed his eyes.

“She skipped so many classes she was in danger of flunking out. Because of her ability to memorize data, she managed not to fail. Anyway, I called her on the deception. To give her credit, she didn’t deny a thing.”

“I would have punched her lights out.”

“She said she did it because she loved me so much, had loved me for years and couldn’t bear to be without me.”

“Did you fall for that line, too?”

Noting her sarcasm, Denton gave her a small smile. “Are you kidding? Her tears and so-called remorse fell on deaf ears this time.”

“How long did you stay married?”

“Well, I made a deal with her.”

“What kind of deal?”

“At her rate of behavior, she would never make it through school. I told her I wouldn’t divorce her as long as she quit going out all the time, studied, and got good grades. I would pay for her schooling.”

“You sound like a parent, not her husband. Where were her folks? Why didn’t they pay for her school?” Eve clipped a leaf from a swaying branch and shred it apart. “Sounds like all she wanted was your money.”

“You hit that one right. Her parents only acted like they had money, and were actually flat broke. They needed a sugar daddy for their little girl. I refused to give them money, so they washed their hands of her. If I had cut her loose, she wouldn’t have been able to afford school.”

“So, for the sake of a conniving little—hell, I can’t even think of a word bad enough for her—you stayed married to someone who drugged you, tricked you, lied to you, someone you say you didn’t love, because . . . exactly why?”

Denton leaned forward and hung his arms on his raised knees. “I guess because I felt sorry for her.”

“Why the hell did you feel sorry for her? She always got what she wanted in high school and then finally you.”

Denton shook his head. “I don’t know. I guess because she’d had to play a role so long, pretending to be rich to fit in.”

“And yet, she made my life hell in high school when all along she wasn’t any different than me.”

Put like that, Denton understood why Eve was upset. “Well, fortunately for her, and unfortunately for you, it was a carefully guarded secret.”

Eve clenched her fingers into her palms to keep from slugging him. “You mean it was okay for me to be treated as dirt because everyone knew I was poor and, yet, people treated her like a queen because they thought she was rich?”

“Now don’t get all upset, honey.” He grabbed her hand as she tried to stand and pulled her into his lap. He groaned. “God, I missed you, Eve.”

His lips pressed against hers, the light pressure heading clear down to her toes. As the kiss increased, her toes curled. All thoughts of what had happed between Denton, Marie, and herself disappearing.

A crow cawed, breaking the spell. She broke away and tried to control her breathing. She palmed his cheek. “You’re a good guy, Dent, but nice try.”

“What do you mean?”

“Kissing me as a distraction.” His tongue slid over his lower lip and she imagined him caressing her lips with it. She moaned, but managed to bring her thoughts back to the conversation.

“I did not kiss you as a distraction, Eve Dayton.”

“You didn’t?”

“No, I kissed you because I couldn’t help myself. I needed to kiss you.”

“Needed to?”

Denton smiled, wrapped his arms more securely around her, and whispered into her ear, “Needed to like I need to eat, like I need to breathe, to sleep, to . . .”

Eve edged back. His smoldering eyes gazed into hers. A small grin played across his face.

“I get it, Dent. I get it, and I believe you.” With both of her hands on the sides of his face, she kissed his right cheek, then his left. “I’m going to move on. I’m going to move on with you.” She pressed her lips against his and murmured, “If you still want me.”

In a quick movement, one she wasn’t sure how he managed, he rolled her onto the blanket. His tongue danced with hers, their chests pressed together, legs entwined. His hand crept up her side, slid under her top, and cupped her breast.
Finally.

“Did you say something?”

“Mmmm? No.” She couldn’t stand it anymore. Needing more skin-to-skin contact, she wriggled out of his arms and reached to remove her top.

Denton stopped her hands. “Wait, let me.” He gently slid the shoulder strap down, revealing the tops of her breasts. “I’ve been dreaming of doing this forever.” He slipped the top down over her breasts exposing them to his eyes. Her nipples puckered. “My dreams were never as good as this.” He covered a breast with his large hand.

Eve closed her eyes, reveling in the sensations of the warm breeze and his hot hand touching over her. Then his mouth covered one taut nipple, drawing it into his mouth. Her eyes flew open. A frenzied need of desire pulsed through her body.

“Mmm. I missed the taste of you.” He sucked the tip harder. “I missed the touch of you. Hell, I missed everything about you.”

At the same time his free hand tweaked her other nipple sending jolts of fire spiraling into her core. Her sex constricted, wept with the need to join with him.

“Oh, Dent,” she whispered, watching his tongue lick back and forth on one breast and then the other. “I’ve never . . . I want you to . . .” She gave up trying to talk and let him work his magic.

Chapter 16

Willow branches swayed in the breeze, weaving a sun-dappled sanctuary. Eve lay on her back, one arm above her head, the other resting on her still heaving chest. Would her body ever come down from the high it’d experienced? She paced her breath in time with the waving branches.

“That was . . .
wow
.” She licked her lips and turned to Denton, his chest moving as rapidly as hers, eyes closed, one arm thrown across his forehead. He smiled, his long, brown lashes lying against his cheek. This was nothing like she’d ever felt before. Was it because Denton had had enough experience with women that he knew which buttons to push to send her soaring? Or was it because Denton was the right man for her? She prayed for the latter.

“Yeah. Wow.” He laced his fingers through hers. “I’ve never experienced anything like this either.”

“Who says I’ve never had anything like this before?”

“What?” His head whipped to her.

She couldn’t control her smile when he rolled to his side and propped his head in his hand. “I forgot what a tease you are.”

Like a down feather, he smoothed his free hand over her flat stomach, firing her blood. “I think there are a lot of things you forgot about me.”

“Hmph. I remember the mole on your left hip and the dimple in your right buttock. I plan on taking a long, long time reacquainting myself with the rest.” He pulled her over so they lay face-to-face, stomach-to-stomach. He rubbed her lower back.

Eve copied his pose. “Really? I figured you were too busy to think about me.”

“I may not understand what you went through after I married Marie, but a day never passed by that I didn’t think about you, wondered where you were, what you were doing, if you thought about me at all, and if you hated me as much as I deserved. Believe me, I carried a lot of guilt thinking about one woman while being married to another.”

Eve tapped her fingers over his naked rear-end and pressed into him when his response bounced against her stomach. “I’m not sure I hated you but I was certainly angry. And while my heart was torn to shreds, I always thought about you, too.” She placed a quick kiss on his lips and sat up. “Let’s go for a swim.”

“I didn’t bring a suit.”

Eve stood and gave his sexy, sculpted body a once over. He didn’t support the general idea of geeky, doughy, wimpy accountants. She turned to the lake and gave him a smile over her shoulder that women had used to seduce men for eons. “I didn’t either.”

“Uh, won’t someone see us?” he asked, searching the area for intruders.

“Who could possibly see us? Besides it’s a little too late to worry about Peeping Toms.”

She watched him take in the branches of the willow tree that hung nearly to the ground, their mass creating a dense shelter which was why she’d had no qualms about making love with him under the tree. “Someone would have to be pretty desperate to work their way through all this brush just to watch us skinny dip.”

“Woman, you make me so horny, I believe I could make love to you in the middle of a stadium with 50,000 spectators watching.”

“I’m not that brave.” She laughed and stretched out her hand to him. “C’mon. I’ll race you.”

Taking her hand in his, he ran with her to the water. Before she was able to warn him, he released her, hit the bank, and dove in. A few seconds later, he surfaced at the edge of the willow branches dipping in the water.

Eve slammed her hands on her naked hips, her breasts bouncing with anger. “Pretty stupid move, not checking the depth of the water before diving in. You could have broken your neck.”

Then he stood and all anger for his foolish act left her, as did every drop of moisture in her mouth. Water sluiced down his muscular shoulders, his six--pack abs and lower, to his crotch, barely covered by water.

She couldn’t move. Sparks rushed through her body, rooting her to the ground. If it weren’t for the water lapping at her toes, her feet would be singed.

“Oh my,” she whispered.

Why would a man like him want someone like her? She stared at him. Why question something so good? He wanted her; she wanted him. What more could she ask for right now?

“Hey, you all right? Come on in, the water’s great.”

“Perfect,” she said, dipping her toes into the shallow edge and executed a perfect surface dive, coming up next to him.

Denton enfolded her in his arms. The water swirled around them as he kissed her with so much passion, her toes curled into the sand. He broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers.

“God, Eve, how did I ever live these past ten years without you?” He ran his hands down her back to her butt and brought her against his groin.

“I don’t know, Denton, how did you?”

“With great, deep, aching loneliness.”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“What happened when you moved to California?”

Denton let her go and floated onto his back. Eve shivered from the loss of his heat, but paddled on her back beside him. The sun dappled through the branches of the willow as she moved beneath the canopy. She glanced at him. Staring at the sky, his hands moved back and forth gently at his sides.

“Denton?” she urged.

“After we graduated from college, I got a job with an accounting firm in California. Actually, it was Marie’s idea to head West. She graduated in theater and thought her career would advance better out there.”

“But if you didn’t have a marriage, why not get a divorce and let her go to California alone?”

He stood.

Eve checked her chin for drool. “Let me guess, money.”

“Bingo. I found I liked the state and my job, but after the divorce and Dad’s death, I decided to come back. By then she had moved on anyway to someone with deeper pockets.”

Eve had been skinny-dipping here by herself for a long time, but talking about Marie made her feel self-conscious. She rolled over in the water and knelt down, bringing the water to the top of her breasts. “She’s back in town.”

Denton frowned. “Who’s back?”

“Marie.”

His mouth dropped open. “Marie’s here?”

“Yep.”

“Why? How do you know?”

Eve moved her hands back and forth in the water, creating ripples across her breasts. “I bumped into her at the grocery store a couple of weeks ago.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“We weren’t talking, remember? Anyway, she was her usual pleasant self. Just like the good old days.”

“Did she say why she’s here?”

“Something about a class reunion.”

“That’s right, our tenth class reunion. I can’t imagine her coming back for that. She always said she’d never return to ‘that one-horse town.’ Her words, not mine.”

Eve shook her head. “Are you still so dense? Denton, obviously someone told here you’re here and Marie is afraid you will hook up with me.”

“Well, she was right.” He sloshed through the water toward her.

Denton wasn’t looking at her face, but at her chest. Glancing down, she realized the clear water gave him a full view of her breasts. She raised an arm to shield herself.

“Don’t,” he said, taking her hands in his and pulling her up into his arms. “Don’t ever hide yourself from me again. You are a beautiful, incredible woman, and I would be proud to have you on my arm anywhere I go. In fact . . .” He leaned back and smiled into her face. “Would you go to my class reunion with me? Certainly would set some tongues a-waggin’.”

Eve wrapped her arms around his neck and looked into his eyes. Her heart tripped over itself. “You bet. Not only would I like to spend an evening with you, but I would love to see the expressions on peoples’ faces when they see us together again. Especially Marie.” She paused for a moment. “Speaking of wagging tongues, how about putting yours to work again?”

Denton grabbed her ass, hiked her up until she wrapped her legs around his waist, and slowly eased her down onto him. His mouth met hers and she forgot about Marie, the ranch, and the world beyond her sanctuary.

Denton opened his eyes. Eve slumbered peacefully, her beautiful body exposed to the warm breeze and his view. The sun hung lower in the sky. His watch showed they’d slept for an hour. His stomach rumbled. Considering how many times they had made love, it wasn’t surprising he was tired and hungry. Something rustled in the grass beyond the pond. One of the horses nickered.

“Eve, honey,” he whispered, shaking her shoulders. No response. “Sweetie, wake up.” He rubbed his big toe on the bottom of her foot. No response. He leaned over, massaged a breast, then kissed her.

She giggled. “Took you long enough to finally figure out how to wake me.”

“I’d pay you back for that except I’m hungry.” He opened the picnic basket. “Hell, there’s nothing left in here except an empty bowl and stripped-down chicken bones. Kinda like my stomach.”

Eve ran a hand over his taut abs. “Mmm. Doesn’t look like a chicken bone to me. In fact . . .”

“Eve, it’s getting late, and I’m hungry.”

Eve peered up at the sky and stood. “If we stay here much longer, the mosquitoes will eat us alive.”

“At least someone would get a meal.” He chuckled. “And dressed as we are . . .” He eyed Eve’s naked body from her bare toes to her bare breasts. “They would have quite a feast.” He closed the lid on the basket, then picked up her top and tossed it to her. “We’d better hit the saddle.”

A few minutes later, fully clothed, they walked to the hobbled horses.

“What on earth?” Eve swept out an arm to their surroundings. “Where are our horses? What did you do to them?”

“Me?” Denton turned in a circle. “Why the hell would I do anything to the horses? Strange as it sounds, I want to ride back to the barn, not walk.”

“Well, what happened?”

Denton pointed to a broken branch. “Do you think Della snapped this off and walked away?”

“Here’s another where Tilly was tied. It’s not broken, but cut,” Eve said, pulling the branch down. “Broken branches wouldn’t be so clean.” She let the branch snap back into place. “Why on earth would someone cut them loose?”

“Or when?” he added, frowning. He hated to think someone watched them, considering their activities for the past few hours.

“Shit!” Eve said, covering her face. “Someone must have been spying on us.”

Denton took her into his arms. “Shh, sweetheart. Not necessarily. Some rustling came from the direction of the horses and they were nickering, which woke me. I just thought they were getting restless, but I couldn’t see them.” He looked over his shoulder. “I can’t see the lake from here.”

She followed his line of sight. “The willow branches do hide the lake rather well. So whoever was out here couldn’t see us, right? But why would someone steal the horses? Do you think Ed had anything to do with this?”

“Could be. I wonder if it has anything to do with the other things going on around the ranch.” Denton swatted a mosquito on the back of his neck. “Is there any chance the horses will find their way back to the barn, if whoever took them simply let them loose?”

“I certainly hope so. Both Tilly and Della know the way back from the main lake, but not here.”

“Well, we can figure it out when we back to the ranch. We need to get away from these damn mosquitoes.” He looked at the picnic basket in his hand, the blanket in hers. “The way the mosquitoes are dive bombing us, we need to get moving.”

Eve took the basket from him and dug in a front pocket. “Eureka.” She held up a small can of mosquito dope. “Thank goodness I never took this out of the basket. I’m not sure how old it is, but it will better than nothing. Turn around so I can spray your back.”

After Denton doused Eve, he dropped the container in the basket, took her hand and led her back to the trail watching for any signs of how the trespasser found Eve’s private lake.

An hour and many mosquito bites later, Eve dropped onto the bench outside the barn and wiped her damp face with the blanket. “I can’t figure out why we saw no sign of anyone or the horses,” she said, scratching one particularly ferocious bite.

Dent sat next to her. “The only thing I can think of is someone knows your secret trail and went in and out the same way. He would have had plenty of time to get out, even leading the horses. From the time I heard the noises to our getting dressed, packing up our stuff, and getting to the horses, someone would have been able to leave the area.”

“But why?”

“Who the hell knows, but if the horses don’t show up, we’ll have to call Dan about it.”

She slapped her hands on her knees and stood. “As much as I want a cool shower and something to eat, I need to get the rest of the horses fed.” She disappeared into the barn. “Hey, Dent, come here.” Her voice echoed outside.

At her call, he followed her into the dim interior. “Well, I’ll be damned.” He patted his horse on the neck. “At least we know theft wasn’t the reason.”

“This is crazy.” Eve picked up the reins and led Tilly to her stall. She stopped and watched him do the same with Della.

“Maybe it’s a message from someone who wants to scare you.”

“It had to be someone who is familiar with the place.” She slid the saddle from Tilly’s back and placed it on the wall. “With no one else here today, it would be easy to lead both horses back here.”

“Or he could have led them down your trail and let them come back on their own.” After removing Della’s saddle, Denton slid the blanket off, and grabbed a curry brush. “Someone still cut the branch.”