Page 92 of A Rancher's Heart
Tamara laughed as she squeezed his fingers then let go for a moment so she could put her notebook away. “What’s her story? Sounds as if she’s been working at Silver Stone for a long time.”
He nodded. “She showed up one spring when we were shorthanded. I thought Luke had hired her, he thought Ashton had, and Ashton thought I’d put her on payroll. None of us had, but she was there, up on horseback and doing a full day’s work, so we let her continue.”
“That’s a little weird, isn’t it? I mean, not so much the female ranch hand as the fact she had to be barely out of high school.”
Caleb glanced at her, but Tamara didn’t look concerned, more intrigued and curious. “Don’t tell her, but I did a police search on her. It came up negative. I figured she had her reasons, and Ashton decided he wanted to mother hen her, so we let it go. Never had a reason to regret it.”
“I like her,” Tamara admitted. “Reminds me of my sister Lisa. There’s not much they wouldn’t do on a dare, but you know when they got your back, it’s all out.”
“She’s a part of Silver Stone as much as any of us.”
Silence fell. Tamara leaned forward and turned on the music, Walker’s voice filling the cab.
Caleb felt a little embarrassed he hadn’t known something this big and important about his brother. And yet, as the story about Kelli’s arrival at Silver Stone reminded him, there were a lot of times he hadn’t quite known what was going on.
And he’d been far too oblivious when it came to the damage Wendy had done in his little girls’ lives.
Tamara is not Wendy. He reminded himself of this fact, but it was tough to still the doubts. What if he made another mistake? How much damage could be done this time?
But glancing beside him, he was struck by the honesty in her eyes. Blunt spoken, living life at high-volume, choosing to do what was best for a friend in spite of the devastating damage it did to her own life—those were not the acts of a woman with an ulterior motive.
He glanced at his watch. Nearly eleven o’clock. It should be late enough their arrival at the house might not be noticed. Because whatever else needed to be decided, Caleb Stone hadn’t had enough of her yet.
Tamara seemed to be on board with his thoughts as he pulled into the parking space nearest the front door. He turned off the lights quickly and left them in the dark.
Sheer mischief shone back as he glanced at her. “Are we hiding?” she asked.
“We have a limited amount of time.” He was out of the truck, pulling her after him. “I don’t want to waste it.”
She took him by the hand and raced up the walkway. They slipped in the front door, and he caught her by the shoulders, pushing her back against the nearest wall so he could lay a finger over her lips.
They stood in the darkness, listening.
Wonderful, amazing silence answered.
Two cool hands pressed against his face as Tamara aimed his gaze at her. “We have a limited amount of time,” she repeated his words. “And I don’t want to waste a minute of it.”
He expected her to slip up on her tiptoes and kiss him, so he just about fell over when she did the opposite. Sliding her back down the wall, hands braced across his chest, then lower, lower. Until she was on her knees and her fingers were tangled in his belt. Eyes flashing at him from behind her red-framed glasses.
He swore, the faint glow from the outdoor yard light shining through the front window to land on her face as she grinned up, rapidly undoing his belt buckle. Unsnapping and unzipping before she used two hands and a firm grip on his jeans to pull everything off his hips which left his rising erection in full view.
Caleb braced an elbow on the wall. “Hell, yes.”
She didn’t answer, just slipped her fingers around him and stroked. A slow-motion tease that she added her mouth to, licking in a circle around the sensitive head, getting him wet.
Nothing but sensation. Definitely no thought. Pleasure crawled up his spine as she sucked deep, taking half his length. Pulled back, tongue flicking at the base of the head. Pressed forward, her fingers digging into his butt cheeks as she encouraged him to rock toward her a little farther each time.
He threaded his fingers through her hair, curling the strands around his fist. Careful to control the depth and thrust, and floored by how mind-bogglingly good it felt.
She tightened her grip and pushed him back enough he popped free.
She tilted her head. “Ready for a challenge?”
Caleb chuckled. Only Tamara would think of adding a game to sex.
Then she blew his mind, releasing his ass and reaching up to tug at his wrist. “No hands,” she ordered.
He pulled his fingers away slowly, the threads of her hair sliding like silk over his knuckles. He placed his second elbow on the wall on level with the first, palms above them to form a triangle to give him something to lean on as he stared down.
