The Discreet Cowboy (Cowboys of Nirvana Book 6) (12 page)

They sat together for a while longer until Chase came out, appearing relaxed and refreshed. “Delores is with the baby, sweetheart. I just got a call. The door to the massage room is broken so I’m going to go fix it. I wonder how that happened.” He slipped a quick glance toward Felicia.

She swallowed, but hoped her expression wasn’t a dead giveaway of her guilt. “That’s very odd.” She was also glad her voice was steady.

Once Chase was far enough that he was out of earshot, Kaycee asked, “Does this have something to do with last night and you and Dade ending up together?”

“As you said before, you and Chase don’t keep secrets so I think it’s best I don’t admit to anything.”

Kaycee sighed and stood up. “That is for the best. I’m going to let Delores know that I’m taking you to the treehouse.”

“I’m glad to see he isn’t overbearing with you like he is with me,” Felicia said when Kaycee joined her in the Gator.

“Protective is the word that I like to use, and he is certainly that way with me. It’s in his nature.” Kaycee started the cart and pulled out onto the gravel lane.

“It’s not fair that he asked Dade to watch over me.”

“I agree. I don’t think you need an escort. I know it must seem horrible, but I assure you, Dade has only been asked out of Chase’s love for you. However, Dade shouldn’t have been asked to follow you around. Instead, he should be taking you on a tour of this lovely place. That’s the courtesy we offer all guests, and you’re a special one so you’ll get extra special treatment.”

“Wait, you want Dade to hang out with me while I’m here?”

She nodded. “Who else? He’s quite handsome, isn’t he?”

Felicia shrugged. She didn’t bother answering.

“Anyway, I’ll speak to Dade after I drop you off.”

“That is unless Chase puts a stop to it.”

“In my husband’s defense, he does know you have a ‘thing’ for cowboys. You’ve not only admitted it many times, but you’ve used it to ruffle Chase’s feathers. And what happened between you and Jace when you visited last?”

Felicia chuckled. “I won’t deny that it did cross my mind, but Chase has filled his hands with the fear of God. Jace treated me like I was the plague.”

“Good thing. Jace would have lost his job.” Kaycee turned the cart toward another narrow lane marked, ‘Treehouses’.

She thought it was best she left the conversation as it was. Although she trusted Kaycee and felt like they could talk about anything, being that she and Chase were still in their honeymoon stage, she knew Kaycee still had that idea that couples share everything. It was possible that one day Felicia would feel the same, but the last thing Dade needed was for her to make things harder on him. He already had so many high expectations for himself and he didn’t need the stress of Chase breathing down his neck because of Felicia.

After a long, hot shower in her new accommodations, she felt better, more in control. She’d decided that it was best for everyone, and safer, that she kept the relationship between her and Dade strictly acquaintances. His job would be safe, and her already suffering relationship with her brother would not grow thorns. She pulled on a pair of cut off jean shorts, dragged on a T-shirt, her brown, soft as butter, cowgirl boots, and took off toward staff row. She had to deliver Dade’s clothes and boots back to him, and to tell him thank you for what he’d done for her.

Ten minutes later, the door came open to his cabin and the object of her most recent fantasy popped into her view. He looked utterly delicious in a black T-shirt, worn jeans, and his bare feet sticking out from the frayed hems.

“Hi, Dade.”

“Hi.” He dropped his hand to his side and pushed the door open wider. “Want to come in, or is that a big no-no?”

“I brought your things.” She stepped past him, handed over her load, and scanned the room. It was clean, organized, and smelled of leather and his citrusy aftershave.
Remember why you’re here. No getting sidetracked
. “Chase has agreed to not treat me as a prisoner while I’m here.”

He pushed the door closed, laid the bundle of clothing on a chair and stepped to the middle of the room, pushing his hands deep into his front pockets. “How did you manage that?”

“Oh, it wasn’t easy, considering you lied to him.”

“Yeah, about that…”

“Why? You could have gotten yourself fired.”

He leaned against the countertop in the small kitchen and tucked his ankles. “And would the truth have been better?”

“I can handle my brother.”

“I had your back,” he replied so easily.

Her eyes misted, but she blinked away the emotion. “He knows about the broken door.”

Dade sighed. “I planned to fix it, but how would I explain what happened?”

“True. We can’t tell Chase the truth now. He’ll definitely fire you if he thinks you lied to him.”

Dade nodded. “I’m glad you’re still at Nirvana. I half expected that you and Chase would have argued, causing you to pack and leave.”

“It crossed my mind, but I do really want to stay and enjoy the land. At least now I have my own treehouse while I’m here. Thanks to Kaycee.”

He smiled. “Great. You’ll have more privacy.”

“Did she have a chance to speak to you? You know, about being my tour guide?”

“Yeah, she did.”

“And?”

“I think you didn’t tell her what we did back in the room.”

She sighed. “No, I didn’t.” A reminder popped into her head. She needed to speak to him about just being friends, but her tongue wouldn’t work.

“Felicia, every day at this time I take one of the horses for a ride. Staying upright in the saddle is great therapy. Would you like to ride with me?”

She should tell him no. Stick to her plan and run along, but when she opened her mouth, what came out were her true feelings. “Sure. I’d like to.”

“I have a few errands to run first, but how about meeting me at the north side trail in thirty minutes?”

****

“When you said ‘ride with me’ you actually meant, ‘ride with me in the same saddle’?”

Dade looked down at Felicia and smiled. “Are you afraid of being close to me now, here at Nirvana?”

She squinted. “Aren’t we breaking rules?”

He couldn’t keep a straight face. “Yes, a bit. If you really want your own horse, I’ll go back and saddle you one up.”

“Just be honest. Is this your way of getting closer to me?”

“Yup.” There was no hesitation.

“What will we say to anyone who sees us?”

He shrugged. “We won’t cross anyone else. I promise. Where we’re going, no guests are allowed and the hands are in a staff meeting.”

“Shouldn’t you be in the meeting too?”

“Not today. I thought it was best not to be in Chase’s line of vision right now. And, I’d rather be right here, doing what I’ve been asked to do. Taking you for a ride.”

“Sounds very intriguing.”

“Trust me?” He laid out his palm. At this point he didn’t care that their relationship was taboo or off limits.

“With my life.”

She laid her hand into his and he hoisted her up, not in the back, but in front of him with her bottom nestled in the V of his thighs. There was nothing awkward about the situation, not in the slightest. In fact, he couldn’t believe how nice she felt nestled up close to him, and how good she smelled. He hadn’t stopped thinking about what they’d almost shared earlier until Chase had interrupted. That thought should be enough to cause Dade to go flaccid, and although the situation was a thorn in his ass, he still felt a strong draw to Felicia and he wasn’t all that sure he was willing to ignore it. In fact, he
wouldn’t
ignore it.

With the faint rustling of grass, and the heavy steps of the horse’s hooves, they moved across the fields. The sun was high in the sky and, although the sun rays were warm, the breeze had a coolness to it that felt good. The slight jostling as he picked up speed made her hips shift and press against his thighs, and his hard cock. He hadn’t wanted her to ride with him just for this reason, but he couldn’t quite deny the fact that he was enjoying himself.

Her hair caught up in the breeze, brushing his cheek, and he caught a strong whiff of her coconut shampoo. The smell was nice, but nothing like her natural smell, the one that he’d never forget. And he didn’t want to.

He leaned in close to her ear, and whispered, “You feel good against me.”

As if she silently agreed, he felt her ease into him, placing her hands on his thighs. His cock ached for release.

“Here, darlin’, take these.” He handed over the reins and she obliged.

With free hands, he massaged her shoulders, and she relaxed more. He only grew harder and hotter. He slipped his hands to her breasts and palmed the firm mounds. Through the thin material of her shirt and bra, he could feel her hard nipples. He tweaked them between thumbs and forefingers, rolling the buds, playing with them, remembering that she’d said she had sensitive breasts. He wished he could suckle them. Her back arched slightly and her bottom pressed his cock, sending a sharp desire racing through him. Damn, he had to be careful not to fall out of the saddle. A second time in his lifetime would be unbelievable.

Following the line of her ribs, flat stomach, to the waist of her shorts, they were loose enough that he could slip one hand inside, finding the cleft between her thighs. She was moist and warm, excited for his touch, which only sent him closer to the edge of insanity. They were crossing a line, but he didn’t care—wouldn’t have stopped if his life depended on it.

She eased her head against his shoulder, spreading her legs wider, bracing them on the saddle as he slipped two fingers under the elastic of her panties. Her wet juices moistened his fingers as he grazed his knuckles along her soft, silken seam. Sliding one finger inside of her tight pussy, she moaned, jerking against his touch, her inner muscles clutching his digit. He joined the one finger with another, filling her to his knuckles, thrusting in and out, mimicking what he wanted to do with his rod while rolling the pad of his thumb along her swollen clit. Her juices became thicker.

He withdrew his touch and her whimper of conflict reached his ears. “We’re here, angel,” he explained.

Bringing his hand to his face, he inhaled her sweet scent, wanting to have the musky sugariness forever embedded in his lungs.

She lowered her legs and stopped the horse.

“You’ll have to get down first. Since I don’t have my cane I’ll need your help,” he told her. With anyone else, he would have hated asking for help, but he felt comfortable with her. In fact, at times he believed she saw past the scars and into his soul.

She slid off and he slid down behind her, actually quite surprised that he landed on his feet and didn’t need to rely on her for much balance. He was getting stronger every day. It was unexplainable how good it felt to know he was on his way to what he hoped was a full recovery.

“Wow, this view is gorgeous,” she said walking a few feet ahead of him, then stopping and taking his hand, entwining their fingers together. “I won’t leave you.” She smiled and his heart filled.

They walked together, but only a short distance, then they sat on a grassy stretch of land that was soft.

“It is pretty amazing. And I get to see it often.” He looked down at their tangled fingers. Although she had small, slender hands, they fit together with his nicely.

“I think every hand here at Nirvana has a secret place they like to sit and think. Man, when I couldn’t get out on the land, I thought I’d go crazy.”

“I’m sure that was difficult. Were you in the hospital long?”

“Yes, and I hated every minute. The docs and nurses were all nice, but when a man is angry at his situation with no way to help himself, he gets angry and wants to be left alone. Everyone becomes his enemy.”

“Are you saying you were cantankerous?”

He opened his mouth to answer, but he saw her grin. “Oh, you’re being sarcastic. I was a bear. I won’t deny the truth.”

She captured her bottom lip between her teeth and he watched her closely. She did this often.

“I would be a bear too.”

He shrugged. “No excuse though. I owe a few people an apology.”

“I’m sure they’re used to getting bed pans and angry shouts directed their way.”

“I didn’t do either of those things. I just stayed quite, didn’t speak to anyone.” He leaned back onto his hands and stretched out his legs. “So you just graduated, huh? Where do you go from here?”

“I’ll have to job hunt and see what I can land. Just because I have a master’s in education doesn’t mean I won’t have to start at the very bottom.”

“Okay, that’s what you might
have
to do, but what is it you
want
?”

“To be a teacher, elementary, where their brains are still like sponges, a place where they still love their teachers. Eventually teaching at a college where they want a challenge—need a challenge.”

“There’s a great school twenty miles from here.” He didn’t look at her. He wasn’t even sure why he’d mentioned the idea. It just came out.