Who Wants to Marry a Cowboy? (22 page)

“That’s wonderful!” Leigh said, taking his hand to continue the stroll through the museum. After a bit of silence, she stopped, biting her lower lip and studying her feet. “I have a bit of a confession to make.”

It seemed that all of his so-called dates had some sort of confessions to make. He waited for the kick to the chest.

“At dinner, the night Ainsley and I cooked. I had her chop onions so her eyes would get red and puffy. I didn’t actually use them.”

He stayed silent, unsure if that news was supposed to make him angry.

“Can you blame me?” she asked, clutching her hands over her heart and staring at him with watery, violet eyes, apparently taking his silence for admonishment. “I wanted you to notice me. Not some woman who will break your heart when she leaves you for another man.”

His body tensed at her words. He didn’t want to hear anything about Ainsley from her. From anyone. “Then you should have let me learn about you, not try to ruin someone else instead.”

Leigh gasped, but he didn’t care. He was done trying to play nice. If this was what women turned into when working to snag a man, he hoped Jeanne stayed far away from members of both sexes and kept her innocence for a long, long time.

She wrapped her arms around her chest as if holding in physical agony, and wetness covered her pale cheek. “Riley. I’m sorry.”

He shrugged and looked away from the waterworks. “Forget it.” He would.

“I mean it. You’re totally right.”

“It’s fine, Leigh.” He continued through the museum and she caught up after he took a few paces.

“Did I tell you about the new genetic hybrid grape we’re trying to produce?” She kept her eyes down, her voice tentative.

Leigh was bossy, but she knew her stuff. The vineyard was safe ground that would allow them to avoid touchier subjects for the rest of their date and not have that awkward silence between them. And it was more interesting than discussing silk shirts or onions.

She spent the drive back discussing their current crop and the threat of drought. The vineyard was in her blood and she seemed to love it. He knew that feeling, too, and wondered how she could ever consider leaving it to live on his ranch. Unless she thought that he’d be moving to Oregon if she snagged him.

Dinner was about ready when they arrived back at the house. He risked a glance at Ainsley as they entered the kitchen. Tonight, he’d ask her to stay around for a while and see if he could change her mind about the weak-kneed accountant. And they could stop hiding. They weren’t doing a very good job of it anyway. He’d finally found a woman that meshed with his life. Plus she was undemanding, understood he needed to spend time with his family, and was sexy as hell.

Ainsley knew her own mind, and could make her own decisions. Besides, it wasn’t like he had fallen in love with her spirited approach to life or anything. It was pure, consensual lust.

“What software?” Molly’s sharp voice pulled Riley’s attention to his sister, who stared at him like she wanted to hit him upside the head. Crap. She was so protective over the way she handled the ranch’s finances.

“It’s the fabulous financial management software we use at the vineyard,” Leigh said, smiling at him.

“And we need it why?” Molly asked, her voice still sharp.

Ainsley’s phone took that opportunity to ring, and everyone stared at her. “Sorry,” she mumbled, turning it off. “My mother. I’ll call her later.”

“You sure it’s not your boyfriend?” Jewel muttered. Ainsley stabbed her casserole with more force than necessary, but she didn’t answer the other woman.

Leigh beamed at Riley and nodded her encouragement. He swallowed, buying time. He hadn’t expected her to bring it up, and figured she’d be gone before she realized he had mentioned the software only to keep the conversation off Ainsley. He waited too long, and Leigh answered for him. “You can use it to analyze your financial data and plot your future growth and reinvestment.”

“Again, I ask, why?” Molly’s voice rose a couple of octaves.

“Molly, can we discuss it later?” Riley asked, sweeping his gaze meaningfully toward the company at the table.

His sister’s lips tightened but she said nothing more.

Soon the meal was over, but there hadn’t been time to ask Ainsley to meet him later tonight. He had tried to catch her eye several times, but was never able to do it. Seth was okay and her buffoon of a—whatever he was—had left. Her cheeks flushed, like she knew his thoughts, and brushed her napkin across her lips. Maybe his family had been on to something with this whole singles thing. Not that he’d admit it to them.

Even if he refused to put a name on it.

She scurried away after dinner to play cards. He watched her go, then left the house to drive into town. He wanted to buy her a gift, give her something when he asked her to stay. To show her how well he knew her. And then when he was sure everyone had settled down in bed, he’d sneak over to her cabin and spend the night with her. If he could get past Meagan. No interruptions. No ranch emergencies. No frantic phone calls from their families. Just the two of them together, making it take all night.

When he returned, he finally finished Montgomery’s paperwork, sealed it in an envelope and placed it on the kitchen counter. Then he returned to his office, watching for movement over the ranch grounds. No stalking bachelorettes waiting in the bushes next to the house or in the trees by the stables or on the benches in the herb garden. He grabbed the present and crept out the mud room door to her cabin and rapped on her window, his foot tapping in eager impatience. When she didn’t answer, he knocked again. Maybe she was in the common room. He’d have to think of something to say to Meagan.

Oh, no need. She drew back the curtain and folded her arms across her chest. “What are you doing here?”

Not quite the greeting he’d expected. Maybe she was mad that he’d left to take care of Seth. “I wanted to see you.” He kept his voice flat until he could figure out what was going on.

She drew the curtains and he put the gift on the ground beside her cabin before walking around to the front door. With this new attitude of hers, he wasn’t sure she’d want it. Stepping inside, he handed her the purse she’d left in his truck, then took off his hat and ran a hand through his dark hair, his eyes darting anywhere but at her. She kept her hands occupied by fingering the neckline of her light blue robe and sat on the sofa, one leg tucked underneath her body, and waited.

He focused on her roommate’s closed door. “Shouldn’t we go into your room? Meagan might see me.”

“She’s out,” she said.

“Oh.”

She didn’t offer him any more information. And it wasn’t his business. But why was she acting so cold and standoffish? He sat on the other end of the sofa and studied the cabin, then stood up again and wandered to the kitchen. The bouquet from Edward sat on the counter and he reached for it, but he shoved his hands in his pockets instead and came back to the common room, still avoiding her eyes. “You know none of the dishes Leigh cooked used the onions you cut,” he said, just to have something to say. His voice broke the stillness like shattering glass.

She cleared her throat. “I didn’t realize that.”

He leaned into the sofa and rotated his hat between his hands. He wanted to tell her he liked her, that she was exciting and sexy and made him feel good, but her silence spoke to him more loudly than her words ever could. Whatever he was feeling, she obviously wasn’t.

“Did you come over here to talk about onions?”

“No.” He stood up again and paced the confines of the small room. “Where exactly
is
Meagan?”

“Cowboy—”

Oh, no. If this detached demeanor was her way of breaking things off, she didn’t get to call him by a nickname. Whatever he was thinking must have shown on his face because she stopped to take a breath and gather herself. “Okay,” she said, her voice smooth. She said nothing more.

“I shouldn’t have come,” he said, turning on his heel.

“You stop right there!” She jumped to her feet. He froze in front of the cabin door but didn’t turn around. “You accuse me of bragging to the other women about you, but then I find out I might not be the only one you’re playing saddle games with. Then you come to my room in the middle of the night, make some obscure comment about onions, question me and then leave? I don’t think so, mister. Why are you here?”

No way was he going to reveal the reason, not with her accusing him of messing around. She didn’t know him at all. “You’re not serious.”

She sagged against the wall next to him. “No. You wouldn’t do that. And I know they’re trying to stop us from… enjoying each other. But it was still hard to hear.”

Colors swam in front of his eyes. Maybe she did know him. And that was more dangerous than he wanted. He opened his mouth but she held a finger to his lips.

“I’m tired of Edward. I’m tired of hearing about other women or how I spell out the bedroom details of our time together. I’m tired every time you come to me with a new story about my abilities to juggle multiple men. Either you want to be with me or you don’t, Cowboy. Listen to the other women if you like, or listen to the truth. Your choice.”

He grasped the finger pressed against him while his eyes bore into hers. She swallowed, but held his gaze. With a sharp exhale, he drew her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss on it before he growled his surrender and pulled her against him. His other hand on the back of her neck kept her head still as his lips commanded hers.

“This is not a distraction,” she gasped.

“No,” Riley agreed. “This is real.” Dammit.

He swung her around, his mouth caressing hers until her back bumped the cabin door, and anchored her with his muscled thighs. She pushed herself against him, forcing the kiss deeper, his hardness rubbing her through his tight jeans. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, molding herself to him. Her hands stroked his shoulders, the silk shirt burning his skin where she touched him. “Oh, no, no, no. This won’t do,” she said.

He lifted his head and stepped away, palms up, his breathing ragged. Stopping was harder than he wanted it to be, but he took a quick second to clear his head of lust. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

“Leigh was right at breakfast. This shirt does look fabulous on you. Take it off.”

She reached for the buttons but Riley nearly ripped the offending garment in his haste to remove it.

Grasping his hand, she led him into the bedroom. As soon as she closed the door, Riley reclaimed her mouth, holding her in his large hands while his tongue tasted her lips before delving between them. He untied her bathrobe, then nuzzled the two freckles on her chest before he straightened, watching her intently as he slowly slid her robe off her shoulders, revealing a green tank top and a pair of boxers. The sexiness of the simplistic outfit sent his blood into overdrive and he took a moment to savor the sight of her.

Heat rose up her neck to her cheeks. She wrenched the bathrobe from his grip and flipped it back up, covering her body. “It’s not like I was expecting you,” she muttered, crossing her arms to keep the robe closed.

“You look lovely, Ainsley,” he said.

She squirmed under his scrutiny, but let her arms fall to her sides. He grasped the edges of the robe and pulled, encasing them both in a cocoon of heat.

His kissed a trail of fire from her mouth to her neck and she moaned. This time she didn’t stop him when he slid her robe completely off her shoulders. It puddled on the floor by her feet.

Riley took her hands and led her to the bed, never removing his lips from her soft skin. He fell backward and pulled her with him, securing his arms around her back. Her halo of hair curtained his face, the loose curls brushing against his jaw, enticing him to wind his fingers through its golden softness.

A groan escaped from deep in his throat when Ainsley wiggled her body against his. She grinned down at him, her playful look daring him to stop her, then straddled him and grasped the hem of her green shirt, slowly revealing her smooth stomach and beautiful breasts and the freckles that had drawn his attention like an arrow pointing the way to paradise. Riley twisted his hands in the bed sheet to prevent himself from helping her finish and she moved even slower. As soon as the shirt was off, he reached up to caress her naked breasts. Her nipples tightened against his palms and he rose to take a hard peak into his mouth.

“Oh, God, Riley.” Ainsley sucked in her breath as his teeth nibbled at her. Then he switched his attention to her other breast while his hands roamed freely over her back. She squirmed, the erotic movement sending ripples of fire through his veins. Never had anyone felt more right in his arms. He held her tightly against him and she leaned in to his neck, breaking the contact of his lips on her breast as she nipped the skin, then lapped at it. She spread her hands on his bare chest, her palms quivering over the smooth, hard planes.

“I want you,” she whispered.

Those words were almost enough to break Riley’s control. He wrapped his arms around her and rolled her beneath him, wanting her just as much. Her breasts flattened against his chest and he sought her lips, letting her feel all of his passion.

He nibbled at her neck as he made his way down to her breasts, this time taking the whole nipple in his mouth and lavishing it with his tongue while gently sucking, his hand playing with her other breast. Ainsley drew a quick breath and sank her fingers through his hair, the small thrusts of her pelvis and little mewling noises escaping her throat encouraging him to continue.

Riley raised his heavy-lidded eyes to her widened ones before he trailed his mouth to her other breast. Her hips lifted against his in response. He kissed a trail with his lips to her navel, savoring every inch of her flesh along the way. She held nothing back, writhing at his touch.

His large hand palmed her through her boxers. One finger slipped inside the boxer’s leg opening and flicked against her glorious wetness. Several times.

“Oh, God,” she cried out, thrusting against him. “Don't stop.”

Her muscles tightened around his hand, but he removed it before giving her the final satisfaction. A low, chuckle escaped his throat. “Patience, Fairfax.”