Beauty and the Bull Rider (9 page)

He tossed his untouched glass to the ground and jammed his hands into his pockets. “You think I brought you out here to seduce you?”

Her gaze narrowed. “Check.”

“I want more than sex, Delaney. I want this to be different . . . to be more . . . for both of us. . . .”

“And if it isn't?” she asked, breathlessly.

“Why would you even think that?”

“Because I'm afraid you're setting your expectations too high,” she said, her blue eyes clouding. “I wasn't enough for Ty. . . . Why would you think I'd be enough for you?”

“Because
I'm not Ty
. What more can I do to prove it to you?”

All of a sudden her wariness made perfect sense. It wasn't so much mistrust of him as her own insecurity and feelings of inadequacy. He silently cursed Ty for doing this to her. The pain in her beautiful blue eyes made Zac want to pound his best friend into dust.

He stepped into her space and took her face in his hands. “Is that what you believe? That you were at fault?”

Her eyes misted. “We had a home, but my husband was never there. He didn't want me. I wasn't enough to hold him.”

“It wasn't you. It was Ty. He had a problem. It was more than he could handle.”

“I'd like to believe it was only that, Zac, but he's with someone else now. And he seems happy. I couldn't make him happy.”

Zac was overcome with a powerful urge to kiss her. So he did. Slow and soft, long and deep, taking his time to explore and savor the sweetness of her lips. She didn't fight it. Didn't pull away this time, but melted into him like frost beneath a rising sun. “I want to make you forget him, Delaney. Right now I want to make you forget everything in this world but me.”

“That shouldn't be too hard,” she replied softly. “He's nothing more than a memory, and that memory is fading fast.”

Zac's eyes darkened with desire as he drew her into his arms. Unlike the first time, there was no tenderness in this kiss. His mouth claimed hers with a burning passion that instantly ignited her own. She twined both arms around his neck and threw herself recklessly into his kiss. Slick and swirling his talented tongue tangled with hers. Zac was commanding, yet also so very responsive to her every sound and signal—a damned good sign of things to come.

They never stopped kissing as his hands anchored on her hips and he lowered her to the ground. She shivered as he ran the backs of his fingers down her neck to the hollow between her collarbone. He moved lower, cupping her breast, and caressing her hardened nipple with his thumb. She released a moan into his mouth as she arched into his hand. He rooted into her neck as his other hand slid under her shirt, and then trailed his searing mouth down her throat.

Her breasts screamed to be free. She reached behind to unhook her bra. He tugged her shirt up and over her head, exposing her breasts fully to his view. He buried his face between them with a guttural sound while his large, calloused hands alternately squeezed and caressed.

Abandoning any pretense of reluctance, she raised her arms, offering up her nipples for his delectation. He seized one with his teeth, giving it a sharp tug. The simultaneous sensation of pain and pleasure made her cry out. She clutched his head to her breasts, urging him to feast his fill. She knew she should stop this before it got out of hand, but her reasoning vanished with the gasp he sucked out of her lungs as he drew her nipple deep into his mouth.

Delaney indulged in blissful sensation as Zac moved down her body with hot, hungry kisses; long, languorous licks; and sharp, stinging nips that alternately made her whimper and moan. He lingered at her navel, laving lazy circles as he tugged at her jeans. She shut her eyes in anticipation as he peeled them slowly off her hips. Would he? God, she hoped so. It had been so painfully long since she'd experienced that kind of pleasure.

“Yes.” She released the word in a long hiss at the first swipe of his hot, wet tongue through her silk panties.

“Thought you'd like that,” he said with a smirk hovering over his mouth. He tugged her panties down and planted his mouth on her again, sucking and licking her mound.

“Oh God! Please don't stop.”

His hands caressed up the length of her thighs to join his mouth, tracing her slick folds while he continued to torture her with wicked lashes of his tongue. Her mind reeled with sensation as her climax coiled deep in her belly. The moment he breached her passage she exploded with a shriek. Her climax tore through her body like a tornado, releasing eight years of sexual suppression, and leaving total devastation in its wake. Her orgasm had left her panting and spent, but it wasn't enough. It hadn't relieved the bone-deep ache to feel him moving inside her.

“Please, Zac.” She reached out for him, working to free his belt.

He grabbed her wrist and drew back with a regretful head shake. “No.”

“No?” She stared back at him, incredulous. He was refusing? “What do you mean, no? You don't have protection?”

“It's not that,” he replied. “I told you I want this to be different. When we do this I want it to be just you and me, without a barrier of latex between us. So we're gonna wait until I've been checked out to make that baby you want.”

But . . . but I
want you
,” she whispered, feeling almost like crying.

“And God only knows how much I want you. Knowing you want me too only makes it all the sweeter.” He cupped her face in both hands. The passion in his eyes and tension in his body were unmistakable. “But this time it's gonna be all about you.”

Z
ac tugged on his jeans, willing away a raging hard-on, but it did nothing to alleviate his discomfort, especially when Delaney lay curled against his chest wearing a soft, sated smile. He wished they could spend the whole night out here together, stargazing and making love. That would be as close to heaven as he could imagine. As if reading his mind, she snuggled into his chest and hooked her leg over his with a sigh.

“You're tempting fate now, Delaney. Just 'cause I resisted once, doesn't mean I'm strong enough to do it again.”

She shook her head with a teasing smile. “Ain't gonna happen until I know you've got the goods.”

“I've got 'em all right, sweetheart,” he replied with a smirk. “And I'll be more than happy to give 'em up.”

Her smile vanished. “So we're really going to do this? We're going to be baby partners?”

“
Baby partners
?” He grimaced. “Is
that
what you're calling it?”

“What else should I say? I don't know if there's even a word for what we're doing, is there?”

“I don't know 'bout that. There's lots of words for what we're gonna do, and lots of ways to do it. You hungry?” He hoped dinner wasn't ruined. Rosa would skin him alive.

She grinned. “Starving.”

“Me too.” But his hunger wouldn't be satisfied by Rosa's famous tamales.

He rose, retrieved her T-shirt and bra, and handed them to her. “If you wanna put yourself back together, I'll fix us some plates.”

While Delaney dressed, he located the wineglasses he'd dropped. Thankfully, the thick carpet of grass had cushioned their fall. He filled them again, handed one to Delaney, and then turned his attention to the Dutch oven. Steam and the mouth-watering aroma of Mexican spices greeted his nostrils as he lifted the lid. He carefully removed the bundles wrapped in cornhusks and offered the first plate to Delaney.

Her eyes rolled back at the first bite. “I love these. Have you ever tried them?”

“Not Rosa's,” he said.

“Then what are you waiting for?” she urged him with a grin.

He hated seeing women pick at their food. Delaney relished hers. He liked that about her. She took another big bite of tamale. Her moan of pleasure made his dick twitch. He shifted his stance, seeking some relief, a vain effort when all he could think about now was how it was gonna feel to be inside her. He sat down on the blanket beside her and took a bite of his food, but his mind was too preoccupied to enjoy it.

“So how exactly is this all gonna play out?” he asked.

“How is what gonna play out?” she replied, fork poised.

“The baby making.”

“Well, it's pretty simple, Zac. First you're going to go and get a fertility workup, similar to what I had several months ago. There would be little point in pursuing this if there were any fertility issues.”

Fertility issues?
Zac watched her mouth moving, barely comprehending her words. He'd read somewhere years ago that the average man ejaculates two hundred million sperm in one load. He wondered why it took so many of the little fuckers to get the job done. What if his seed wasn't up to snuff? That would be the ultimate humiliation.

“When was your last physical?” she asked.

“Physical?” Zac laughed. “Can't even remember. I only go to the doc shop for repair work.”

Her gaze narrowed. “Don't you get STD testing?”

He grimaced. “Haven't needed to for quite some time.”

“What do you mean?”

His mouth compressed. “I haven't had sex with anyone in months.”

“Months?” she repeated dubiously.

“Yeah. Six or more.”

“
Six whole months
?” She released a dry laugh. “For the record, it's been over seven
years
for me.” The moment she said it, she looked like she wished she hadn't.

“Wait a minute.” His gaze snagged hers and held it. “Are you saying you haven't been with
anyone
since Ty?”

She slowly shook her head. “Nope. And no one before him either. I'm a
one-man
woman, Zac.”

Holy shit.
One man? And celibate for seven years? In his world, she was practically a virgin. The idea excited and terrified him all at once. He didn't know why he was suddenly so nerved up. Maybe it was just the idea that what he wanted most was finally within his reach. Delaney was practically his. He was scared shitless that he'd somehow fuck it up.

“Maybe now you can understand why I've had reservations about you and me,” she said.

“Do you think I'm not nervous about this too?”

“Why would you be nervous?” she asked.

“Maybe I'm afraid I'll disappoint you?”

“Based on my experience to date, I doubt that very much,” she replied with a hint of a blush.

“I'm not talking about sex, Delaney. I'm gonna make damn sure you enjoy every minute of that. I'm talking about the rest. This is all new for me, and I want to get it right.”

“Me too, Zac,” she whispered back.

He took a sip of wine, wishing like hell it was whiskey. Sipping seemed such a pussy way to drink after a lifetime of doing shots. “You still didn't answer my question about how we're going to go about this,” he said.

She paused between bites. “Ah. I didn't think
that part
needed a whole lot of explaining. If everything checks out okay then we'll . . .” She rolled her eyes. “You know.”

“Wait a minute. You're saying as soon as I get my results back we're going to have sex?”

“Not exactly. We need to wait until the time is right.”

“And how are we supposed to know that?”

“As it turns out, I have an app for that,” she said.

He took another drink and coughed. “
A what
?”

“An app.” Placing her plate on the blanket, she retrieved her iPhone from her belt holster and began tapping and scrolling.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Consulting my Fertility Friend,” she replied. “According to the app, my next window of opportunity begins in six days.”

“What does that mean?”

“We need to have sex,” she replied. “As much of it as possible until I've ovulated.”

Did he hear that right? He shook his head, wondering if he was delusional. “Let me get this straight. First you won't let me touch you, and now all of a sudden you want us to go at it like rabbits?”

“I want to conceive, Zac, so we need to strike hard while the iron is hot. Do you have a problem with that?”

“Hell no!” He shook his head with a laugh. “Believe me when I say I'm completely committed to holding up my end of this bargain.”

She looked up with a frown. “Six days doesn't give much time to get you vetted.”

He grimaced. “Hell, Delaney. Couldn't you at least
try
to be a little less clinical about this?”

She laughed. “Does that really bother you?”

“Of course it does,” he answered.

“I'm sorry, Zac. I'll try to be more sensitive. Speaking of which . . . I need to ask a
really
personal question.”

“What's that?”

“You said you haven't had sex for months, but how long has it been since you've . . . er”—she glanced down at his crotch—“ejaculated?”

He took a bite and almost choked. He swallowed it down with a healthy swig of wine. “You want to know the last time I jacked off? Why do you need to know that?”

“A proper semen analysis requires you to be abstinent for at least three days before a collection.”

He felt his color rising. “I guess that might be a bit of a problem.” A day hadn't gone by since that kiss in her kitchen that he hadn't had to take himself in hand.

“All right,” she replied slowly. “Do you think you might be able to . . . er . . . abstain for the next few days?”

“I s'pose I can manage as long as you can keep your hands to yourself,” he teased.

She ignored the bait. “The clinic is over in Ardmore. It's usually not too hard to get an appointment for labs and specimen collections. Do you think you could go on Wednesday? If we ask them to expedite the lab results, we should have everything back by the time I reach my peak fertility window.”

“Damn,” Zac muttered. “That's a bit of a problem.”

“Why's that?” she asked.

“I'm driving to Vegas tomorrow to meet with Ty.”

Her smile faded. “You're leaving again? But you just got back.”

“I know,” he sighed. “But he's leaving in a few days on a trip out of the country and I need to set some things straight with him before he goes.”

“What kinda things?” she asked.

He paused. “Delaney kinda things. Although he technically doesn't have any say over anything that goes on between you and me, I don't like the idea of doing anything behind his back. He and I need to talk.”

“I see your point,” she said. “This situation could get really awkward.”

“Don't fret about that. I can handle Ty,” he reassured. “Maybe I can get my testing done first and then leave for Vegas. A coupla days delay won't matter none as long as I get there before he leaves.”

“When will you be back?” she asked.

“I was originally planning to return by the weekend, but if I have to wait and go to the clinic first, it'll probably be next Tuesday or Wednesday.” Now that he knew Delaney would be waiting for him, his driving time just got a lot shorter. He'd burn up the highway and go eighteen sleepless hours to get back to her in time.

“But that's too late!” Delaney lamented. “I'll miss my entire window.”

“What do you mean?”

“If we don't do this by next weekend, I won't have another chance for twenty-eight days.”

“Why's that? I don't understand. Back in high school, they scared the bejeesus out of us talking about how easy it is to get pregnant.”

“It only is if the timing is just right, or all wrong,” she said, “depending on how you look at it. A woman's peak fertility window is based on the five-day lifespan of a man's sperm and the life span of the egg, which is only twenty-four hours. That means the best chance of getting pregnant is from five days before ovulation through to the day of ovulation. After that, it's virtually impossible to get pregnant.”

Vegas just became the trip to hell.

Zac rubbed his chin in thought. After today's act of supreme self-restraint, he didn't think he could survive another whole month of waiting. “All right then. I guess you'll just have to go with me.”

“Go with you? To Vegas?”

“Why not?” he asked.

“I can't just up and leave. I have a ranch to run and cows to breed.”

“I could ask Bart to look after the ranch,” Zac said. “As to the cows”—he shrugged—“I guess you need to think real hard about what's more important to you.”

 

Delaney gazed out over the lake. The shadows of the surrounding trees had lengthened, and the ripples in the deep blue waters had taken on hints of orange and pink as the sun dipped in the sky. She'd enjoyed this time with Zac more than anything she could recall in recent memory. He'd surprised her in so many ways. The bull and two heifers he'd bought with her in mind, the dinner, and his even more astonishing act of self-restraint, all revealed a thoughtful and romantic side that she never would have suspected he possessed. He was the first person who'd ever put her needs and desires ahead of his own. She wondered if that would change after they slept together.

“Sun's getting ready to set. We'd better pack up soon,” Zac remarked, but made no move to do so.

“I wish you weren't leaving,” she said.

“I wish you'd go with me,” he countered.

“I told you why I can't.”

“No, you told me why you
won't
. There's a big difference. You could go if you really wanted to.”

“I'm not going to drop everything on a whim, Zac. Yes, I'm eager to start trying for a baby, but one month isn't going to make a lick of difference . . . unless—” She sat up abruptly. “You
are
coming back, aren't you? I know we haven't consummated it yet, but we do have a deal, right? You aren't planning to stay in Vegas, are you?”

“I wasn't planning to stay,” he reassured. “I have every intention of coming back as long as I have something to come back for. Do I, Delaney?” he asked softly.

She gazed up through her lashes. “Do you really have to ask me?”

Once the first frenzy of lust no longer fogged her mind, she'd tried to adopt a businesslike attitude, but she was anything but blasé about sleeping with Zac. He'd already given her a small taste of what was in store—or better said, he'd done the tasting—and he'd promised much more to come. She'd told herself this whole arrangement was only about baby-making, but it was impossible to ignore her heightened sense of anticipation.

All of a sudden the idea of having his baby seemed far too close to taking a dive off a cliff, and every hour spent with him pushed her a little closer to the edge. There was no way in hell she could have sex with him and not become emotionally committed. When he pulled her onto his lap for another long, dizzying kiss, she realized it was a moot point. It was already too late.