The Cowgirl's Secret (The Diamondback Ranch Series #) (8 page)

Sam had never been the martyr type, and he would have stayed with his mother if she'd really needed him; that was the main reason he'd returned to Texas. Before he left, he'd made certain she had everything she needed for the day. He kissed her pale cheek, preparing to leave. "You sure you're okay with this? You're still pretty weak from the chemo yesterday. Maybe I should stay home."

Mary Garza squeezed her son's hand and smiled up at him. She was lying on the couch, covered with a colorful afghan, a glass of juice on the table, her e-reader at the ready. "I'll be fine, Sammy. Go and have fun. It's a beautiful autumn day. Enjoy."

With his mother's reassurance, Sam had to be satisfied. He fully intended to enjoy the afternoon with Tori. He'd been dying to see her again, aching to hold her in his arms. He'd replayed that kiss they'd shared at the playground over and over again in his mind. And he'd been dreaming erotic dreams at night.

And now here he was, holding Tori close, kissing her, relishing the taste of her, her beautiful scent, her enthusiastic response to his embrace.

She was wearing short shorts, a yellow halter-top and flat strappy sandals. Her toes were painted pink and her wild golden hair was gathered in a ponytail high on her head. She looked mouth-wateringly fresh and she was his for the day.

He couldn't resist another kiss, and she was more than willing. He pulled her flush up against him and savored the feel of her breasts against his chest with only two thin layers of cloth separating them. His body went on high alert.

"Okay, folks! Break it up! Break it up!" Joe said, clapping his hands together.

"Oh, Joe," Raenell said with a laugh. "They're getting reacquainted. Give them a moment, will you?"

"Hey, we're burning daylight here, sweetheart. I don't want to get caught in the traffic. Come on, Garza. There'll be time for smooches later. We need to get going."

Sam broke the kiss, but kept his arm around Tori's shoulders. "Who made you camp director, Salinas?"

"I did. Now shut up and get in the truck." Joe closed the passenger door on Raenell, who was riding shotgun. "Let's get a move on."

Sam opened the door for Tori, and she climbed in, settling herself across the bench seat next to the other door. Sam climbed in after her and patted the space next to him. "Come on, babe. Sit next to me."

Raenell looked toward the backseat and sighed. "For crying out loud, Tori. Don't be so dense. You're in the backseat. You get to sit close. Honestly! Sometimes, I think you're a hopeless case." She rolled her eyes and faced forward again.

Tori's blue eyes shot daggers at her friend. "I'm not dense. I was letting Sam get in and situated.

Sam grinned. "I'm all situated. Come on over." He patted the seat beside him again.

Tori returned his smile and scooted to the middle. She grabbed the seat belt and fumbled with it, trying to fasten it with little success.

"Want some help?" he said, his fingers itching to touch her. He could feel the heat from her body, but it wasn't enough. Their kiss had whetted his appetite for her. He had to have more.

Tori glanced up. "No, thanks. I'll get it."

Well, hell. He couldn't stand it. "Here, I'll do it." He reached over and buckled her in, his fingers making contact with hers, sending a jolt of electricity surging between them.

Tori gasped as she stared at him, and he couldn't resist. He kissed her hard on the mouth before straightening to an upright position.

He threw his arm across the back of the seat and let it slide to rest against Tori's shoulders. Her
bare
shoulders. The yellow halter-top she was wearing teased him, made him edgy. Her short shorts showed off her long tanned legs to advantage. A mental image of those gorgeous legs wrapped around him ignited a flame in his already heavy groin.

He pulled Tori closer until their bodies were plastered together from shoulder to thigh. He leaned close and whispered in her ear. "I've missed you, babe. You would not believe how much I've missed you."

Her smile was tremulous, her body tense. "I've missed you, too."

Sam's heart constricted in his chest. Her innocence was compelling, completely addictive and it went to his head faster than a straight shot of tequila. Was she a virgin? The thought should have made him want to run for the hills. Instead, a fierce urge to possess and brand her as his rose up from deep inside.

He took her small hand and threaded their fingers together, bringing them to his lips. Her breath hitched in her throat just as he remembered from before.

Oh yes. Miss Victoria McCade was definitely irresistible. And he was a dead man.

***

Tori sat on the old quilt that Raenell had spread on the ground for their picnic. They had all enjoyed a lunch of cold fried chicken, bread and pickles. The meal had naturally been informal, filled with light-hearted raillery and friendly insults zinging between Joe and Sam.

The men were obviously close even though they seemed to be polar opposites. Joe was the quintessential extrovert, making jokes, ribbing his buddy, being the life of the party. Sam was quieter, more private, more intense. Tori had to give him credit though; he gave as good as he got.

After they'd finished their picnic lunch, Joe and Raenell volunteered to take the cooler of leftovers back to the truck so the food wouldn't spoil in the hot September afternoon. Joe had issued a challenge of a Frisbee match between Raenell and himself against Tori and Sam. Tori hoped she wouldn't embarrass herself; she wasn't very athletic.

Hugging her knees to her chest, she wiggled her bare toes against the soft worn material of the quilt. She looked out across White Rock Lake at all the motorboats and sailboats floating on the crystalline water. "I can't believe I've never been here before. It's really gorgeous."

She glanced over at Sam. He was lying flat on his back, his hands clasped behind his head, gazing at the big blue Texas sky. He was so good-looking, he made her heart squeeze in her chest.

As if suddenly aware of her eyes on him, he turned his head in her direction. He smiled that sexy smile of his; the one that was beginning to imprint itself on her brain. The one that made her want to toss away her books and focus on the man, start a relationship with him and experience life to its fullest. To find out what it meant to be a woman in the most basic sense.

"I used to come here with my folks when I was a kid," Sam said, his voice deep and low. "Mom would pack a picnic basket, and my old man would bring his rod and reel. God, he loved to fish. In the spring, we'd fly kites. We'd add rolls and rolls of string, tying notes on the line, seeing how high we could make our kites go in the sky. It became a yearly ritual."

Sam's smile faded and the light in his brown eyes dimmed. It was if the memories hurt even as they recalled happier times. Tori's heart ached for the man. She had a strong urge to touch his jaw to offer comfort. But she didn't have that right, didn't know him well enough.
Yet.

She settled by leaning over and placing her hand on top of his. "You still miss your dad, don't you?"

Sam's gaze locked on hers. "Very much. He was the best."

"Tell me about him. What did he do for a living?" Tori asked. "And did your mother stay at home or did she work, too?"

Sam reached up and touched Tori's cheek with a gentle finger. "Dad was a mail carrier, and Mom worked in the cafeteria at my elementary school." He traced her jaw and her collarbone and her bare shoulder. She trembled beneath the caress. He talked while continuing the exploration over her sensitized skin. "We never lacked for the basics in life, but money was always tight. They encouraged me to do my best in school, so I could apply for scholarships."

"And did you?" Tori's voice was barely a whisper as the impact of Sam's touch robbed her of breath.

"Yeah. I went to UTD on a full scholarship, then I received a good offer to do my grad work at UT Austin." His finger smoothed down her arm and when he came to her hand, he held it in his again.

"And then you moved to New York?" She liked how her hand felt in Sam's strong clasp. She was afraid she liked it too much.

"Yep. And now I'm back in Texas. And with my mom so sick, I'm glad to be in a position where I can take some time off."

"Hey, Garza!" Joe called out. "Get up off your lazy ass. Let's play some Frisbee."

Sam smiled a crooked smile, squeezed Tori's hand, then let go. He jumped to his feet to face his friend. "I'm ready when you are, Salinas!"

With Raenell in tow, Joe stood at the quilt's edge. "Prepare to meet your doom, buddy."

"In your dreams!" Sam jerked his black t-shirt up over his shoulders and head, baring his expansive chest to Tori's very interested perusal. Even Raenell's eyes widened in appreciation as she looked from Sam to Tori. Her friend gave her an almost imperceptible nod of approval.

Right.
Tori scrambled to put her sandals back on while the two men talked trash. She exchanged an amused look with Raenell and shook her head.

"I hear you," Joe said with a smirk. "I know from past experience that you're all talk, Garza. Want to put your money where your mouth is?"

Sam stood nose to nose with Joe, punching his friend's chest with his index finger. "Right here, right now, buddy. Loser buys dinner; winner chooses where."

"Deal." They shook on it. "Let's go." Joe stalked away, Frisbee in one hand, Raenell's hand in the other. Tori grinned at the funny face Raenell shot her as she hurried along by Joe's side.

"Ready to play a little Frisbee?" Sam offered Tori a hand, pulling her to her feet and into his arms. He stole a quick hard kiss, before releasing her. "That's for good luck." He grabbed her hand and jogged after Joe and Raenell who were heading toward a large expanse of grass closer to the water's edge.

"We're going to need it," Tori muttered softly, trying desperately to regain her breath. Kissing Sam without his shirt on, being held against his bare chest like that, had nearly made her swoon.

Swoon?
Nobody swooned nowadays. She'd definitely been reading too many romance novels lately. Except there was no doubt that she
had
felt faint.

Tori did her best to keep up with Sam's long-legged strides. She couldn't stop her gaze from wandering over his tanned arms and shoulders, or the muscles rippling across his strong bare back.

Damn! She was going to need a lot more than mere luck it if she was going to survive this relationship.
Because whether Tori wanted to admit it or not, she was already involved in some kind of relationship with Sam Garza. Something about him definitely got to her. Not only on a sensual level, but on an emotional level, as well.

How could such a strong man look so lost and vulnerable when he talked about his mother's illness or the dad he still missed? And how could she resist such a man?

CHAPTER FOUR

The Frisbee challenge turned into the Frisbee fiasco, as far as Tori was concerned. Joe and Raenell won hands down.

"You owe me dinner, Garza," Joe said. "Next Saturday night. You, me and our two gorgeous ladies here. We'll make a night of it."

Sam slapped his friend on the back. "Sounds like a win-win proposition to me, buddy."

"I'm the winner, Garza. And don't you forget it."

"Go to hell, Salinas."

"I'll be right behind you, dude. Giving you a friendly push."

"Hey y'all, why don't we walk around the lake, then go see the arboretum," Raenell suggested. "Tori and I've never been. I hear it's pretty awesome."

"Lead the way, my lady." Joe made an exaggerated bow, as if he were a knight addressing a fair maiden.

Raenell grinned, shot Tori a mischievous look, then started off toward the walking trail.

"Hey, wait for me!" Joe called, running to catch up.

Sam shook his head. "I think Joe's finally met his match."

"I could say the same for Raenell." Tori gazed after the departing couple. "They definitely make an interesting pair."

"Not as interesting as us." Sam took hold of Tori's hand, brought it to his mouth and kissed her knuckles, making her breath hitch.

They walked at a slow steady pace, keeping Joe and Raenell in their sights, yet maintaining a good distance behind them. For several minutes, they walked in companionable silence, hand in hand, soaking up the sunshine and the scenery.

Sam had stuffed a napkin-wrapped piece of bread in his pocket, and he and Tori fed the ducks. They talked about everything and nothing. The afternoon passed quickly, and Tori couldn't remember when
or if
she'd ever enjoyed herself on a date as much as she had that day with Sam.

***

The next Saturday evening, Sam picked Tori up at her apartment and headed toward downtown Dallas, where they were meeting Joe and Raenell at the exclusive five-star restaurant Joe had chosen for his winner's prize.

"I'm so sorry I made you lose," Tori said, for like the umpteenth time.

"It won't be a problem. Believe me, I can afford it."

"But Joe shouldn't have picked one of the most expensive restaurants in Dallas. I thought he was your friend?"