Page 56 of Saddle Up, City Girl
I blushed and slapped his arm, my cheeks heating from both embarrassment and pleasure. “Stop it.”
“Why? You’re gorgeous, and you don’t even know it. If you must cover up perfection, they have these.” He handed me one of the complimentary terry cloth robes. “But I sure was enjoying the view.” He grabbed our towels and opened the door that led out to the back of the building. “After you, my lady.”
With only a moment of hesitation, I threw my robe over my arm and, as I walked through the door, gave my hips a theatrical wiggle. Matthew whistled again as I laughed.
The temperature outside was dropping and darkness had fallen. We walked along the back deck that contained eight small, round pools, each one big enough to fit three to four people comfortably. They didn’t look that different from hot tubs, with their steam rising into the cool night air.
“They put privacy tents around the pools during the day,” Matthew explained. “Then they remove them in the evening so you can soak under the stars.”
“I’m so glad we did this before I have to leave.” As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I wished I hadn’t mentioned my departure.
“We’ll also get you to a campfire cookout before you go,” Matthew said as he pulled his t-shirt over his head and set it on the ground. I attempted not to ogle him but the view was hard to ignore, just like that first day I’d seen him at the airport, when I had no idea how much my life was about to change.
“Hold on to the railing,” he warned as I went down the wooden steps into our private pool. “The bottom can be a little slippery.”
He wasn’t kidding. They’d lined each naturally occurring pool with rocks about the size of baseballs, and the bottom was slick under my feet. I regretted the fact that I wasn’t wearing water shoes of some kind, but I didn’t want to say so. He already thought I was a soft city person.
“It’s nice and warm.” I dipped in deeper before finally taking a seat on the slate bench built into the sides of the pool. “Do these healing waters cure plantar fasciitis? Because I think mine is flaring up again.”
“You may not believe it, but there’s science behind the hot springs. They can alleviate everything from muscle pain to hypertension, so yes, the water could cure your feet.” He tickled my knee. “It’s also good for the soul.” He kept his hand on my leg, and I desperately wanted to move it about ten inches to the north.
“Another life-changing experience in Three Rivers,” I said.
He sighed and bumped his shoulder against mine. “I’m sorry we can’t spend the whole night together. You have no idea how disappointed I am.”
“Oh, I think I do. I know what I’m missing.”
“Last night was just a preview.” Matthew looked over his shoulder. “We’re alone for the moment. Want to fool around with me in the hot springs?”
I answered him without subtlety by climbing onto his lap so we were face to face, my legs straddling him. “Absolutely.”
He wrapped his arms around me, his hands resting on my backside. “This might be the best night of my life. Definitely, top ten”
“I’m honored.” I draped my arms around his neck. “But as you said, that was just a preview.”
I leaned in and kissed him, and he pulled me against him with his capable hands. I was so ready, so responsive to every touch. As we kissed, little kitten noises that I’d never heard myself make before escaped my lips. This sexual tension was turning into exquisite torture. Right as I was about to suggest we rent one of the cabins at the hot springs for an hour, a voice rang out in the night air.
“Matthew Hart? Is that you?”
We sprang apart as a gaggle of older women walked towards us, all wearing white terry cloth robes, the mist from the hot springs rising in the air around them. Three of them had towels slung over their arms and the fourth had one looped over the front of her walker. They looked like a group of angels leaving work for a smoke break. I swung myself off of Matthew’s lap so he could greet them without me clinging to him like Saran Wrap.
“Hey, ladies!” He secretly rearranged what was happening inside his shorts. “Going for a dip?”
When they came closer, I recognized the woman at the front of their group as Cherise, Sam’s veterinary assistant. The woman with the gray pixie cut was Alma, who worked at The General Store and had a horse named after her. The other two women were strangers to me, but I had no doubt they knew Matthew.
“Luke said to tell you he was sorry,” Alma said. “He wanted to give you two privacy, but he’d forgotten it was book club night.” She looked over at me. “We always have a soak after our monthly book club meeting.”
I glanced down to make sure my bathing suit was completely in place, covering all the vital parts. “That sounds like fun.”
“It’s wonderful,” she said. “Patty’s eczema has cleared right up since we’ve been coming regularly.” The woman with the walker, presumably Patty, nodded vigorously in agreement.
“Lauren, you’ve met Cherise and Alma,” Matthew said. “These other two troublemakers are Patty Watson and Raelynn Moore.”
Suddenly, Raelynn looked familiar to me, too. “Have we met?”
“I work at the ranch,” she said. “Head of housekeeping. You’ve probably seen me tearing around in a golf cart.”
“That’s right,” I said. “You usually wear your hair up.”
