Page 35 of All for You

She shakes her head, then tucks her chin to her chest and peers up under her lashes. “Honestly? I don’t know. After last night… I don’t know about you, but I feel like everything’s changed.”

“It has for me, too.” The sex was incredible, but now I’m not sure where that leaves us. We aren’t fake dating anymore, nor are we a real couple. I’m too old to call her my girlfriend… and do I even want one? I’m forty-six years old, a gown ass man with a business to run. She’s—what? Thirty-two? Still a kid. Probably not ready to settle down as a rancher’s wife.

Holy shit.Wife? Marriage? Where the fuck is that coming from?

It was just sex.

No, it was more than that.

I stand abruptly, pushing back my chair, the legs squealing as they scrape over the floor. “How ’bout we get ourselves dressed and head back to my place? I think it’s high time you learn how to ride.”

Rachel rises, her movement fluid like the creek on a calm day, a mischievous glint in those beautiful hazel eyes. “I would definitely like to be in on some of that action.”

“Then I promise you’ll have the best ride of your life.” I close the distance between us, and my hands find her waist so I can pull her into me, feeling the heat from her skin seep into mine.

Her lips part in anticipation, and when they meet mine, it’s a slow, searing burn that threatens to consume both of us right here in her one-room haven.

A sudden banging at the door jolts us back to reality. We break apart, breathless and frustrated at the intrusion. My immediate thought is that her ex has returned, and I don’t wait for her to say anything. I stalk to the door and yank it open, prepared to beat his ass until he gets the message.

“Shit.” I suddenly remember the surprise I’d arranged—a feeble attempt to bring a smile to her face.

“Uh, Rachel,” I say, scratching the back of my neck, “with all the commotion last night, I forgot to tell you—I got you a present.” A sheepish grin takes over my face, partly embarrassed by the interruption, partly eager to see her reaction.

The delivery guy, unfazed by my state of undress or the tension in my body, grunts a hello as I step aside and carts in a small fridge followed by what must seem like an absurdly large wheel of cheese—the kind she liked from the festival.

“Travis, you didn’t.” Her voice climbs an octave, a blend of disbelief and delight lighting up her pretty features.

“Every lady needs a stash of her favorite cheese,” I drawl. While she’s examining her gifts, I sign off on the delivery and usher the young man out.

“Thank you,” she whispers as his footsteps fade down the hall. “You really know how to surprise a girl.”

“Only the best for you,” I murmur against her hair. My words are meant to be playful, but hell if they don’t hold some truth.

Chapter 9

Rachel

“Relax your hips with the horse’s movement,” Travis instructs, voice low as I adjust my posture. “Feel the rhythm.”

“Like this?” I try to my body move with the natural sway of the animal.

“Perfect.”

We ride side by side, sometimes silent, sometimes laughing at a shared joke, the connection between us twining tighter with every step the horses take. The creaking of saddles, the occasional horse’s snort, and the swaying of tree branches are the only sounds other than our sparse conversation. It’s absolutely serenity, and I can see why he love his land.

“Here we are,” he suddenly announces, bringing his horse to a stop and dismounting with ease, then offering his hand to help me down. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” He’s guided us to a secluded grove to the right of a huge field of bluebonnets, a shady spot out from under the hot Texas sun.

“It’s breathtaking.”

“Yes, absolutely breathtaking.”

I slowly spin around, expecting to catch him gazing out at the sea of wildflowers, specs of bees hovering before dashing to their next destination. But he’s staring at me.

“Oh.”

Our kisses are hungry, fueled by more passion than I’ve ever experienced. His hands are everywhere, like he’s desperate to memorize every inch of my body. On my hips, rubbing up and down my arms, kneading my ass, roaming over my back, and cupping my face with such tenderness tears form in my eyes.

Without questioning how quickly it happens, in a matter of seconds, we’re both naked, our clothes tossed with little regard for where they land. Travis pulls a blanket from his saddlebag, and before I know it, we’re rolling over the scratchy fabric, wrapped in each other’s arms, panting heavily as we devour each other. The grove seems to close around us, and the birds and the bees are kept at bay. It’s just the two of us.

---