Wild About the Wrangler (24 page)

Oh, yeah, it was love, all right. As the orgasmic haze cleared from his brain and he could see straight, he gazed into her eyes. The glow he'd seen before was even stronger. No doubt his expression was a lot like hers.

Leaning down, he kissed her softly. Then he lifted his head a fraction. “I really want you to take the job.”

She chuckled. “Interesting pillow talk.”

“You know why I'm saying that, right?”

“You're afraid I'll hang around Bickford so I can be with you.”

“Right. If spending time with me will make that more likely, then I'll back off.”

“You can't. You promised to take me into the canyon Sunday evening.”

She had him there. He had promised and he was a man of his word. Plus he knew how important that trip was to her. He also knew they weren't capable of spending an entire night together without getting friendly. Not anymore.

He needed to think, and he found that extremely difficult while locked tight against her yielding body. “I'll be right back.” Leaving the bed, he went into the bathroom and took care of the condom.

When he returned, she was on her knees, still naked, rummaging through her suitcase. “Need something?”

“My sketch pad.”

Right. He'd agreed to pose for her tonight. He might want to stop saying yes whenever she asked him to do something. Except he couldn't imagine denying her anything, especially when she was all pink and tousled from making love, like now.

“Just stretch out on the bed on your side and prop your head on your hand. That shouldn't be too difficult a position to hold for a while. I promise to be quick.”

She wouldn't be quick enough to keep him from becoming self-conscious, but he'd already said he'd do this. “And nobody will see this except you and me.”

“Absolutely.” She sat cross-legged on the bed, the sketch pad in her lap. Then she paused. “But if you're worried about it, I won't draw you.”

“I'm a little worried, but then, so were you when you showed up at the barn that first morning.”

“More than a little worried. But I put my trust in you, and that worked out.”

“Then I'll put my trust in you.”

“Good.” And she started humming “Streets of Laredo” as she worked.

That made him smile. “Are you afraid that it'll be a bad sketch?”

“I'm afraid I won't do you justice. You're impressive, Macario.”

His cheeks warmed with embarrassment. “I'm not.”

“You are, but I can tell that makes you uncomfortable so I'll shut up about it.” Her pencil moved across the page in rhythmic strokes.

He needed a distraction so he wouldn't think about the fact that a sketch of his naked body would soon exist. “Getting back to our discussion, I promised to take you into the canyon, as you reminded me, but after that, maybe I should fade into the background and leave you free to make a decision without taking me into consideration.”

“That won't work, either. I'm the maid of honor for the wedding and you're the best man.” She kept glancing at him, but it was with an assessing eye as she continued working.

“True, but that doesn't mean you have to come home with me after the rehearsal dinner and the reception.”

She glanced up. “But what if I want to?”

He had no response to that because he was too busy imagining them frolicking in his big bed.

“Here's the thing.” She tapped the pencil on her sketch pad. “Unless I hate the work setup or L.A. itself when I go over there, I probably will take this job because you're right that it's an amazing opportunity.”

“I'm glad to hear you say that.”

“But giving you up won't be easy.”

“No, but necessary.”

She paused in her sketching. “Is it? Or is there some way we could work it out to see each other?”

“Maybe, but . . .” He blew out a breath. “You're going to want to give a hundred percent to this job, which means you won't have time to be hopping back home much at all.”

She held his gaze. “You're right. So it won't matter if we end it now or the day I leave for good. I'm already into you, so it'll hurt no matter what we do between now and then.”

Guilt swamped him. “I'm sorry. I should never have suggested that we come back here this morning.”

“Mac! Get over yourself! If you hadn't made a move on me, I would have made one on you. I'm not into you because we've had great sex recently, although that's been wonderful. I've been into you since the day I sketched you the first time. Leaving Bickford was always going to be sucky if it meant leaving you.”

“Oh.” He didn't like the idea that she'd suffer no matter what, but he felt a little less responsible for that suffering.

“So what about you? Should I back off so you won't be miserable if and when I leave town?”

“No.” He didn't even have to think about it. “I never expected we'd be a long-term thing. I'll take whatever time I can get and be grateful.”

That telltale emotion flashed in her eyes again. “Me, too. Now I need to get this sketch finished before you end up with a muscle cramp.” She returned her attention to her sketch pad and began humming “Danny Boy.”

Muscle cramps were nothing. He watched her work and realized he could put up with muscle cramps all day if it meant being with her. But that wasn't going to happen, so instead of muscle cramps, he'd have to deal with heartbreak. And he'd do that, too, because leaving Bickford would be the best thing she could possibly do for herself.

S
pending the weekend with Mac taught Anastasia many things about herself. She learned that his little house felt more like home than the large Victorian where she'd lived most of her life. Economic use of space, clean architectural lines, and sturdy furniture appealed to her far more than gingerbread trim and delicate silk upholstery.

Sharing living space with a man instead of her mother felt strange at first, but she adapted quickly because Mac was the most easygoing person in the world. He'd accepted her obsession with capturing him on paper and he'd let her sit on the edge of the bathtub and sketch him while he shaved. That portrait would go in her private portfolio, along with his nude and the one of him wearing only shorts and flip-flops while he cooked breakfast.

He'd insisted on driving her to Sadie's both days for her stint at the portrait table and she'd appreciated the gallantry of that even though she was perfectly capable of walking there. Word had spread about their weekend arrangement, so no one was surprised. In fact, they seemed pleased that she and Mac were a couple.

They'd taken a trail ride Saturday morning but had decided to skip it on Sunday because they'd be riding into the canyon in the late afternoon. During a break between portraits on Sunday, Anastasia texted Georgie and asked her to stop by Sadie's once she was home from the trail ride. Her sister needed to know about the camping trip, but mostly Anastasia wanted to tell her about the job offer.

In spite of Mac's enthusiastic support, she still hadn't decided for sure what to do. Talking about it with Georgie would help. Like Mac, Georgie had her best interests at heart.

Georgie showed up in the middle of the afternoon, looking tired and dusty but very happy, too. She picked up a tall glass of water Ike handed her on her way over to Anastasia's table. Fortunately the portrait chair was vacant and she settled into it.

“Good ride?” Anastasia could tell it had been from Georgie's expression, but she wanted to hear all about it, anyway.

“The best. We saw him.”

“You did? Awesome!” She didn't have to ask who. “Morning or evening?”

“Both. We settled everyone in the box canyon and then at dusk we led them back down the trail to the meadow where he usually takes his band.” Georgie grinned. “There they were. He looks great. They all do. They'll be fine through the winter, I think. No ribs sticking out, no dull coats. They're in good health, near as I can tell.”

“I'm so glad. I don't know if you heard, but Mac and I are riding out there tonight. We're going to camp.”

“Ed mentioned that.” Georgie gave her a sly look. “So? Does that mean the weekend's gone well?”

She couldn't help smiling. She'd been doing that a lot lately. “Very well.”

“No complaints?”

“Not a one. Mac's great.” Her smile faded. “But something's happened, and it could change everything.” She filled Georgie in on Kathryn's Friday afternoon visit.

“But that's
wonderful.
I'm only sorry my wedding is holding up the works! Not that I'm sorry about the wedding, because I've been anticipating that all summer, but the timing sucks for you. Maybe we can figure it out so you can fly to L.A. this week and come home Friday night before the wedding.”

“Nope. I don't want to mess up the plans we have in place. Besides, it wouldn't help anything because I'd still want to come back for the shooting of the documentary. Kathryn's fine postponing my preliminary visit until next Sunday. The only real glitch is Mac.”

“Mac?” Georgie frowned. “If he's trying to talk you out of—”

“Oh, no. He wants me to take it. He thinks it's a fabulous opportunity. I'm the problem.” She sighed. “I like him a lot.”

Georgie's militant expression disappeared. “Aw, sweetie.” She gazed at Anastasia with compassion. “It doesn't seem fair, does it?”

“No.” Her throat tightened. “I finally find a really nice guy and along comes a chance of a lifetime that will take me away from him. What would you do?”

“That doesn't matter. This decision is unique to you and you'll have to make it. I would hate to see you turn away from something so exciting, though. I can tell you think it is, too, from the way you described it to me.”

“I can't lie. It sounds incredible. Mac says if I stayed because of him I might come to resent him for it.”

Georgie nodded. “Wise words. If you care about someone, you never want to be the reason they don't grow, even if you don't mean to hold them back.”

“And he cares about me.” The lump in her throat grew bigger. “We would love to see each other, but we both know it's unrealistic to think I'll have time to visit when I'm committed to doing well in the new job.” She swallowed. “Maybe I'm being really selfish to go on this camping trip if I'm planning to leave. Wouldn't it be easier on Mac if I canceled?”

“No, it wouldn't.” Mac's deep voice made both women jump. He glanced at Georgie. “Hi, Georgie.”

“Hi, Mac.”

He turned his attention to Anastasia. “What's this talk about canceling? I thought going out there was important to you?”

She looked into his dark eyes. The last time his gaze had been this intense, he'd been deep inside her. She shivered in response to the hot memory. “It is important, but so are you.”

“Then you need to know I'd be deeply disappointed if you cancel on me. We've both put time and effort into this project and I, for one, want to see it through. The gear's in the truck. I stopped by early to see if you wanted to take off now and maximize our chances. Vince says the Ghost and his band are out there.”

“They are,” Georgie said. “We had no trouble seeing them. They seemed almost unconcerned about our presence.”

“That's good to know.” He turned back to Anastasia. “So? Ready to leave?”

“Yes.” She started packing up her sketching materials. “Yes, I am.”

“It's beautiful in the canyon right now.” Georgie stood. “You'll love it.”

“I know I will.” She hooked her messenger bag over her shoulder. “Do you need a ride home?”

“Nope. Vince is supposed to meet me here. He gave me a head start because he thought you and I might have some girl talk to get out of the way.”

“Thanks, sis.” She hugged her.

“Anytime. Say hello to the Ghost for me.”

“I will.” As she turned and walked with Mac through the saloon to the outside entrance, she thought about the bond she shared with her sister. Georgie wanted her to go to L.A., but that wouldn't make it any easier.

Mac reached out a long arm, pushed the door open, and held it for her. “I still can't believe you were willing to cancel to spare my feelings.”

She stepped onto the sidewalk and turned to face him. “We're getting close to each other, and this will just bring us closer. That seems unfair to you.”

“It would also be unfair to deprive me of the joy of watching you see the Ghost for the first time. Besides, if you didn't go out there, you've wasted your efforts and mine.”

“You're angry.”

“Hell, yes, I'm angry. I thought we had an understanding that we'd make the most of our time together before you left. Then I walk into Sadie's and hear you telling Georgie you should probably cancel our camping trip.”

“Because I was thinking of you!”

“Well, don't. Think of yourself. That's what will make me happy. I want you to do what is best for you, and that means riding into the canyon so you can finally catch a glimpse of that stallion.” He took a deep breath. “It also means moving to L.A.”

She thought of what Georgie had said a little while ago, that if someone cared for you, they'd want you to grow. Mac wouldn't be grateful and happy if she turned down that job offer. He'd be mad as hell. Georgie wouldn't be mad, but she'd be upset. Staying here wouldn't make Georgie happy, either.

“Okay, I get it, now.” She met his gaze. “If I do what's right for me, it'll be right for the people who care about me.”

“Yes.”

“Then it's time to saddle up.”

He smiled. “Attagirl.”

That morning she'd packed her suitcase in preparation for returning to her mother's house, so he detoured past the Victorian so she could drop it off. Then he parked his truck at the stable.

As they tacked up the horses and loaded the saddlebags, excitement fizzed in her veins. The moment she'd dreamed of was close at hand. She tucked her sketch pad in with a light jacket, a change of underwear and a few toiletries. She was willing to be grubby but not
that
grubby.

She figured Mac was adding condoms to his saddlebag. He was also in charge of the food for dinner and breakfast. Her knowledge of camping could be written on the head of a pin.

He'd promised to bring liners for the sleeping bags, which were already on site. That was standard operating procedure for the trail rides, and this would be similar but more intimate.

Extremely intimate, she thought as they started down the trail with Mac in the lead. The last time she'd ridden into this canyon with him, they hadn't been lovers. Now she knew every detail of his body and he could say the same about her, although he didn't have a sketch to prove it.

She knew about the mole that was about two inches above his navel and that he had an innie. She knew that he had knobby knees and strong thigh muscles. She could picture how he looked fully aroused with his cock jutting proudly and his balls drawn in tight.

Now, as she rode behind him on the trail, she could imagine his naked back and buttocks. She knew how his muscles felt when they bunched during a climax and when they relaxed afterward. She loved touching him and refused to think of what her life would be like when she couldn't do that anymore.

“Coyotes ahead,” he called softly.

Amazing what a difference a few days had made. She trusted Jasper to behave himself as she took her phone out of the drawstring bag she'd hung on the saddle horn. Mac made room for her and Jasper on the trail and she managed to get several shots of the coyotes before the pack disappeared into the underbrush.

She smiled at Mac. “Thank you. Great reference photos.”

“I'll keep my eyes open.”

“I know you will.” Resting her hands on the saddle horn, she looked around at the russet canyon walls rising above them and the touches of fall color here and there. It wasn't a spectacular display like the leaves in New England, but she appreciated the subtleties. “Beautiful.”

“Yeah.”

Glancing over, she discovered he was focused on her, not the landscape. The undisguised warmth in his gaze might have caused her to question the wisdom of this trip, except that he'd pretty much told her that he didn't want to be shut out of it. She'd honor his wish.

He took a deep breath. “We should get going. I want to reach the box canyon and make camp before dark.”

“Should we trot?”

“Only if you're up to it.”

“I have that pop tune loaded and ready to go in my brain. Move 'em out, cowboy.”

“Call out if you need a break.” And he was off, trotting his big black horse, Cinder.

She urged Jasper into a trot and started humming. Jasper didn't need any encouragement. He obviously didn't like being left in the dust. Amazingly, the trot felt pretty good, and they were covering ground faster. She was as eager to get there as Mac was, so if that meant trotting, so be it.

Then the trail opened up. Mac turned in the saddle. “We could canter here, but I don't want to push you.”

She remembered the magic of cantering around the corral with him. “Let's try it.”

“Holler if it isn't working for you.” And he was off.

A quick nudge of her booted heels and Jasper followed. For one heart-stopping moment she was afraid. And then she wasn't. She matched Jasper's fluid movement and rejoiced in the freedom of it.

“You okay back there?” Mack called over his shoulder.

“Yes! This is great!”

“I knew you'd like it!” He rode with such ease, as if he and Cinder were a single unit.

She couldn't aspire to that. She wasn't one with Jasper by any stretch, but she felt the power of his stride and managed to stay on as he kept up with Cinder. This was another memory she'd store away to take out when she was sitting in her apartment in L.A.

The canter ended and she was ready for that. She'd done well, but much longer and she might have lost that sense of balance and well-being. Riding was a skill, and she didn't kid herself that she'd mastered it.

Mac had, though. Watching him on a horse was an experience that bordered on the erotic. Tonight she'd have all that coordination and power with her in a double sleeping bag. She could hardly wait.

The excitement of camping with Mac and sighting the Ghost carried her almost to the meadow. But when they were within a quarter mile of it, she began to fade. She'd never ridden this far before and she realized that expertise wasn't the same as endurance.

On top of that, Mac had slowed the pace. She struggled to sit upright in the saddle and began to long for the end of the ride. Maybe after a meal and some rest she'd be ready to meet the Ghost, but right now she didn't feel capable of sketching anything.

Abruptly he stopped. “He's there. Cinder knows it, and I can vaguely hear them.”

Her fatigue melted away. “The Ghost is in the meadow?”

“I'm pretty sure. I heard some nickers, and Cinder is really alert. The wind's blowing in our direction, so they might not have smelled us, but they'll hear us any minute. If we go slowly, we might be able to creep up on them before they bolt.”

Her heart pounded with anticipation. The horse she'd been drawing for the past six months was close by. He'd become a mythic figure to her, but at last she'd have a chance to see for herself that he was flesh and blood. “I'll follow your lead.”