Unbridled (Unlikely Lovers) (2 page)

He’d spent every Tuesday in February trying to decide if she returned his interest
or not. Finally, on a balmy day in March, he was all set to ask her out when she returned from her lesson and pulled off her riding gloves. The plain gold band on her left hand had dashed his hopes completely. He should have known it the moment he’d realized how much he looked forward to seeing her every week. The good ones were
always
taken.

He thought he’d done the smart thing when he married Janie Fredricks right after high school. The prettiest girl in their class, Janie was popular, an excellent student, and Travis adored her. Then he found out the hard way that m
arrying your high school sweetheart didn’t always guarantee happiness—particularly when said sweetheart was sleeping with your best friend. 

T
ravis had broken up with his last girlfriend not long before that first chance meeting with Miranda. If his attraction to her had been one of those rebound things, he thought he should’ve gotten over it once he realized Miranda was married. He hadn’t. God knew he’d tried, but no woman had ever affected him as strongly, and now here she was again, looking every bit as good in those tight breeches as a woman half her age.

She’d
been the star of his sexual fantasies for so long, he couldn’t lay eyes on her without mentally tangling his fingers in her chestnut hair and pulling her down for a kiss. Although he’d never touched her, his hands seemed to know the contours of her body and the texture of her skin. He’d gone through the motions of dating other women, all the while craving the warmth of Miranda’s smile and the touch of her hand.

Despite what he’d
said, his hopes weren’t high when he met Dr. Shelley Masters for dinner, though she turned out to be everything Dan Tolliver had said she’d be—attractive, intelligent, pleasant—if not particularly exciting. Still, three out of four wasn’t bad, and he’d liked her enough to ask her out again.
Who knows, she might even turn out to be exciting.
Eventually.

Travis had
been told he was too picky—which wasn’t true at all. He’d liked every woman he’d ever dated; he simply hadn’t fallen in love. Perhaps that was Janie’s fault. He’d given her his heart, and she’d stomped on it. Unfortunately, that pattern had repeated itself. Frequently. He hadn’t given up hope yet, but since he’d met Miranda, no one had measured up to her. Shelley was no exception.

He knew it was stupid; he’d never
even dated Miranda and knew comparatively little about her. Still, she’d become the ideal woman in his eyes, an unattainable goal that made everything else seem pointless.

But it wasn’t pointless. He would find her equal someday
and live happily ever after.

Yeah, right.
Like I’ll ever get
that
lucky.
Travis wouldn’t wish the pain of divorce on anyone, but he had an idea that catching
her
on the rebound would be the best thing that ever happened to him. Unfortunately, he’d never heard her utter a single word of complaint about her husband—what was his name? Levi? Still, if Miranda ever needed comforting—or anything else, for that matter—he was her man.

Too bad he could never tell her that.

Ch
apter 2

The following Tuesday, Travis carried in his toolbox just as Miranda reached under her horse to catch hold of the girth, bending over to display one of the most succulent backsides he’d ever seen. His groin tightened as she glanced up at him and grinned.
Cool down, Travis. She’s married. Remember?

“How’d
it go?”

He stood gaping at her for a moment before he realized
what she meant.
Oh yeah. Shelley.
“She’s a nice lady.” He set down his tools and leaned against a nearby post, focusing his full attention on her and letting his eyes drink their fill. No one could blame him for
that
… “I’m not sure we’ll ever find anything in common, but I do like her.”

Chuckling, she gave him a wink.
“Oh, let me guess. She’s either allergic to horses or is terrified of them. Right?”

“Neither
. In fact, she has no opinion of them at all, except that they’re big.” Too bad that wasn’t the only problem.

“T
hat’s a start.” She threaded the saddle billets through the buckles and pulled the girth up tight. Travis fought the urge to do it for her. “At least she wasn’t kicked by one as a child.”

“No,
but she
has
been kicked, in a manner of speaking. Her husband cheated on her for years, and she finally found out and divorced him.” Travis knew that feeling quite well, which was the one thing they had in common. Unfortunately, commiseration wasn’t the best basis for love. Shelley had been fairly straightforward about it, but he was pretty sure he hadn’t heard the whole story yet.

“Oh
,
not
good.”

Travis held his
breath, his heart pounding as she reached around him to retrieve her bridle from a hook on the post he was leaning against. She lingered for a moment, temptation personified, her subtle fragrance taunting him despite the pervasive aroma of horse that filled the barn. Her full lips were moist and inviting. A single step and he’d be near enough to kiss her.

“
How long since the divorce?”

He cleared his throat with an effort.
“About a year and a half.”

Quirking
an eyebrow, she tucked her lower lip between her teeth and shook her head. “That long, huh? And you’re the first?”

“Yep.”

“Oh, you’re in big trouble, Travis,” she said darkly. “It’s a good thing I wished you luck, ’cause you’re gonna need it. Does she have any children?”

He shook his head.
“No, and she doesn’t want any. Says she doesn’t have time for them.”

Miranda
appeared to consider this, pursing her lips as a frown furrowed her brow. “That’s good, in a way—at least they won’t come between you. Does it bother you that she doesn’t want kids?”

“
Maybe. I mean, I’d like to have kids, but the way things are going I’ll never have the chance.” He let out a rueful sigh. “I’d rather not do it without a wife.”

“I see your point.
” Once again, her smile drew his eyes to her lips, making him glad she couldn’t read the carnal thoughts racing through his head. “Is she a good kisser?”

“Okay, I guess.” He’d kissed Shelley goodnight after their date, more out of curiosity than anything
. She’d seemed to expect it, lifting her face to his, her lips slightly puckered. Truth be told, it was one of the least memorable kisses of Travis’s life, but that could change.
Yes, and hell could freeze over.
Fires didn’t start without sparks, and he hadn’t felt a single one.

Miranda’s
bright green eyes danced with mischief. His cock tightened painfully as he imagined them gazing up at him, heavy-lidded with passion.

“
So it’s safe to assume she didn’t pounce on you?”

A shiver ran up his spine at the thought of
Miranda
pouncing on him. He shook his head. “Nope. No pouncing—darn it.”

“Poor baby
.” She smiled again. “Perhaps you should suggest it to her.”

“I don
’t know if that would work or not.” Shelley hadn’t struck him as the pouncing type. He couldn’t see her ever ripping his shirt off, but he could certainly see Miranda doing it—and then going for his pants.
The stuff of dreams…

Miranda went
right on bridling her horse, unaware of her starring role in his latest fantasy. “Maybe she’s just biding her time and will grab you when you least expect it.”

T
he fantasy continued as he imagined Miranda grabbing his ass when his back was turned. He’d be bending down to pick up a horse’s hoof when her hand would slide down between his legs… “Lulling me into a false sense of security?”

“Something like that.”
Miranda pulled a pair of spurs out of her tote bag, then put her foot up on the old park bench that sat against the wall. His fantasy already had him hard as a rock, but it took a turn for the kinky when she buckled on her spurs. Did she like being fucked from behind? He could almost feel his cock sliding into her warm, wet pussy, his hands gripping her hips, helping him bounce against that ass…

The subject needed changing.
Now.
“She, um, likes fancy restaurants. Have you ever eaten in one of those places?”

“You mean the ones that
charge you a fortune and you’re still hungry when you leave?”

“Yeah.
That
kind.” He raked a hand through his hair, trying desperately to regain control. “I liked some of it, but it was different from anything I’d ever eaten before. Although it
was
…colorful.”

“I
’ll bet it was.” She gathered up the reins. “Be sure to keep me posted. Have to ride, now.” Heaving a sigh, she added, “I haven’t practiced much this week because of all the rain, so Nigel will probably scream. Why is the weather only nice on the days I have to work?”

All Travis could do was shrug
. The mysteries of the weather weren’t anywhere near as interesting as wondering what it would be like to make
her
scream.

“
See ya later.” Waving her whip in farewell, she headed off toward the arena.

Travis
had always made it a policy to avoid dating his female customers, and though one or two had flirted with him, he had never, but
never,
chased after a married woman. But as he watched Miranda walking away, the only thought in his head was that at least she wasn’t
a client.

* * * *

Nigel was already grumbling when Miranda reached the arena. “I certainly hope you’re better prepared than the last one. It was hideous to watch. Simply
hideous
.”

As
she mounted Kira, Miranda decided that her only hope for coming through the lesson unscathed was to distract him. “So, Nigel, have you made out your Christmas list yet?”

If anything,
this made him grumble even more. “No point in it. I only get practical things for Christmas. Never anything frivolous or fun.”

“Frivolous
? Like what?”

“Oh, I don
’t know…a Jacuzzi, perhaps? Now,
that
would be a bloody great gift.”

“
Considering how often you get banged up, a Jacuzzi would be a
practical
gift for someone like you. I could probably use one myself.” Miranda had lost count of the number of falls she’d had, and she’d been to the ER so many times she qualified as a frequent flier. “Who knows? It might even be a valid tax deduction since you could argue that it was an essential part of your business.”

His expression brightened.
“Really? You think so?”

“Well,
no,” she admitted. “Probably not. You’d have a tough time convincing the IRS.”

His
shoulders sank. “Oh, rot. Nice thought, though.” Heaving a sigh, he waved her on. “Okay, then. Get out there and ride that big mare, Miranda. I’m ready to be impressed.”

So much for trying to distract him.
Miranda shook her head sadly. If she was ever going to impress Nigel, this probably wouldn’t be the day.

The lesson went downhill from there. Kira simply wasn’t in the mood to work and ended it by tossing Miranda on her ass. She wasn’t hurt, but by the time she got back to the barn, Travis was already gone.

Then her phone rang. It was Christina.

“Where are you?” Miranda could hear the panic in her
friend’s voice.

“I’m just leaving Nigel’s place. What’s up?”

“I can’t talk about it on the phone. Can you meet me for lunch?”

“Not unless you know a restaurant that serves horses.”

Christina paused for a moment. “Oh, that’s right. I forgot. Somewhere close to your house, then?”

Miranda chuckled. “Have you
also forgotten where I live? There isn’t
anything
close to my house.”

“W
hen can you meet me? It’s urgent.”

Miranda mentally calculated the time it would take her to drive home, drop off Kira, unhitch the trailer,
shower, change clothes, and drive to Indianapolis. “Tomorrow?”

Christina’s gasp of dismay warned her that tomorrow might be too late. “What about dinner?”

“Dinner I can do,” Miranda replied. “Tell me where.”

“How about—no. Can’t go there.”

“Can’t go where?”

“Anyplace I’ve ever been with Mark.”

Which probably ruled out every restaurant in town. “Somewhere in Greenwood, then. What about that Chinese place near the mall?”

“Never been there.”

“Perfect. See you at about six?”

“Sure.”

Miranda was halfway home when her phone rang again. This time, it was Mark. After hearing his side of the story, she had an idea that dinner with Christina was going to be dramatic, to say the least.

* * * *

Despite red eyes and tear-stained cheeks, Christina still
looked like a romance novel heroine. “Seven years.” Her voice broke with sobs, and she paused for a sip of water before continuing. “We’ve been together for seven whole years. I loved him from the first moment I saw him. We got along great—the incredible sex was just the icing on the cake. Why would he do this to me?”

Having
already talked to Mark, Miranda could have enlightened her, but decided that this might not be the best time.
His
slant on their relationship was that he’d felt more ignored than loved, didn’t think they’d gotten along all that well, and had discovered that the sex could be just as good, if not better, with someone else.

“I don’t know, Christina. Your law practice takes up so much of your time. Maybe he was
lonely.” Lonely enough to leave her for another woman. Not younger, not prettier, not sexier, not richer, just one with more time for him. 

She nodded, sweeping a lock of
dark, silky hair behind her ear. “I know I’ve been spending more time with my case files than I do with him, but I thought he understood.”

“
I’m sure he did, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he liked it.”

Mark
DeVries had been a high school buddy of Miranda’s late husband and had helped her out a lot after Kris died. Their friends all assumed that the two of them would get together someday—her sister, Tracy, had even laid bets on it—but she’d never felt any romantic interest in him whatsoever and had been relieved when he started seeing Christina.

“You’ll find
someone else, just like he did. I’m sure of it.”

“But, who?”
Fresh tears spilled from her doe-like eyes. “I don’t want anyone but Mark. I’d take him back in a heartbeat, and I don’t care what he’s done—I still love him.”

Miranda
knew the feeling. She’d kept right on loving Kris after he died, even though there was absolutely no hope of ever getting him back. Placing a hand over Christina’s trembling fingers, she gave them a reassuring squeeze. “He’s moved on, Christina. I know it’s hard for you right now, but you’re sweet, successful, and beautiful. What more could a man want in a woman?”

“One
who isn’t working her ass off constantly and comes home once in a while?” Christina sighed. “Mark kept telling me he wanted to relax and enjoy life more—do some traveling, perhaps. But I wasn’t listening.”

Miranda nodded. “You’
ll know better next time—and it wouldn’t hurt you to relax a little. One of these days you’ll be as old as I am and realize you’ve never had any fun.”

Christina stared at her, aghast.
“You aren’t
that
old.”

“
But I’m not getting any younger, which is why I’m doing stuff I’ve always wanted to do, like living on a farm and raising horses, planting a garden—all those things I never had time to do before.”