The wrong rancher, p.9
The Wrong Rancher, page 9
“Are we friends?”
“Well, we’ve shared a meal and spent the afternoon together, didn’t we?”
“I was just helping you out.”
“I’m sure. In my book, that makes us friends.”
“If you say so. But every time I turn around, you’re there,” he said. “You keep inserting yourself in my life.”
With one finger, she tapped the brim of his hat. “You’ve got me there, cowboy. Maybe I can’t stay away. Although, between here and the Applewood festival,” she started, “I feel like you’re the one following me around town.”
“Just because you and I show up at the same events, doesn’t mean I’m following you around.” He shook his head.
“Sure,” she said, laughing. “Don’t think I’m not grateful to you. I’m here in a new town. I want to meet new people. I want to get to know you. Have adventures. I’ve never known a cowboy before. It’s sometimes hard for me to make friends here. People are nice, but they aren’t looking to get close to me. I guess I’m a bit of an oddity. Some people just want the gossip that they can bring back to their friends—Who am I? Where am I from? Why am I here?” she finished, her lips pursing upward. “But I don’t feel like that around you. We have a good time together.”
He thought back to the kisses that they’d shared and how his entire body still yearned to be near her. But she was Elias Hardwell’s daughter. He knew that Piper was her own woman, but based on her desire to learn the ropes earlier that day, she was also desperate for the approval of her family. There was no way the old man would approve of her seeing him. It didn’t matter that Maverick, personally, had done nothing to wrong Elias, his last name was Kane, and that was bad enough. “It was a fun day,” he admitted.
“Until I almost fell off the horse.”
“Could happen to anyone.”
She frowned. “How’s Cupid?”
It impressed him that she cared about the horse. “He’s fine. No trouble.”
“Good,” she said. “I was worried.”
“How are you? Any bruises or soreness from the rough ride?”
He raised his drink to his lips and saw how, in the low light of the bar, her eyes twinkled with mischief. “Maverick, if you think that was a rough ride, I’ve had rougher.”
Maverick choked on his drink, coughed and eventually swallowed, the liquor turning to jagged glass in his throat.
“Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. But, seriously, I feel like I used muscles today that I haven’t used in ages. My boiling-hot shower felt heavenly, though.”
Maverick’s throat dried at the image of her standing in her shower, hot water and soap running off her body. He drank from his beer while her brown eyes bore into his, as if she could read his thoughts.
“Are you going to the festival ball next weekend?”
He hadn’t thought about it. He only went to elaborate functions when it was absolutely necessary or required of him by the family. Putting on a tuxedo and attending a ball didn’t exactly equate to keeping a low profile. “I wasn’t planning on attending.”
“Oh, come on.” She pushed his shoulder playfully. “I have an extra ticket.”
“You have tickets?”
“As the editor of the town paper, I apparently get all kinds of perks, I guess, in lieu of any sort of decent salary,” she said with a laugh. “I’ve got to get the inside scoop on all of the social events. You never know when breaking news will occur.”
“That’s always a risk in Applewood, isn’t it?”
“But, really, do you want to come to the ball with me? Maybe you’ll find out. You wanted to take me out on a date,” she reminded him. “Why not have it there?”
He sighed. “Okay, fine. I’ll go with you.”
“Geez, make it seem like a hardship.”
“You haven’t gone to an Applewood social event.” Her smile was smug and he glowered at her. “You’re trouble.”
“With a capital T,” she said, the smirk on her lips telling him it was a promise.
Her phone chirped in her purse and she pulled it out. She looked at the screen and frowned.
“Everything okay?” he asked.
“It’s Willa. Daisy had an emergency at the vet clinic and Willa isn’t feeling well.” She looked up at him. “I guess the girls’ night is canceled.”
“That’s too bad,” he told her. “I guess you’re stuck with me.”
She took a step closer and looked up at him. “Are you afraid of getting into trouble?”
He chuckled. “It’s not me I’m worried about. You have no idea the amount of trouble I can get into.”
She didn’t take her eyes off him as she brought her straw to her lips again. She sipped from her drink and, when she pulled the straw away, a droplet of liquid clung to her lower lip; the lights from the club emphasized it. He reached out and swiped it away with his thumb. She looked up at him and her lips turned up in a grin. “Why don’t you show me?”
Ten
When Maverick grabbed her waist and pulled her close, Piper dropped her glass to the ground and barely heard it as it shattered at their feet.
He lowered his mouth to hers and his lips took hers in a rough, commanding kiss. His stubble rubbed against her chin and it sent chills down her spine. His tongue ran against hers, twining, exploring her mouth. When he pulled away, she was breathless. She’d kissed the man before, but they’d managed to pull themselves away from one another before they’d lost control. This time, she knew there was no way they would separate. There was too much fire between them to snuff it out now.
After quickly informing the bartender of the broken glass, he pulled her close. “My truck’s in the parking lot,” he told her. “Let’s go.”
“Where?”
“The inn is closer than my ranch.”
“Sounds good to me.”
She didn’t argue as he tugged her, leading her to his truck. He opened the passenger’s-side door and helped her step up into the cab.
He walked around and sat behind the wheel. “We’ll be there soon.”
True to his word, they arrived at the inn in just a couple of minutes. She said nothing to him as they walked carefully through the lobby, not wanting to get attention for bringing a man—especially Maverick—to her room at Willa Hardwell’s inn.
They headed up the stairs and she led him to her room. She opened the door and walked in. He followed and, with her back turned to him, she heard the click of the door behind her as Maverick closed it. He came to her and pushed her hair off her shoulder and leaned in, skimming his lips along the sensitive skin of her neck. She moaned. Maverick put his hands on her shoulders and she leaned back against him. She could feel the heat of his firm chest and his strong hands as he dragged his palms down her arms until they came to rest at her waist.
Maverick pushed on her gently, walking her to the nearby wall, and in a couple of quick steps, Piper was pressed lightly into it, her back to his chest. She could feel his arousal, thick and hard against her spine. With his warm lips, he again found the sensitive spot on the side of the column of her neck, kissing her, and nipping her lightly with his teeth, while his hands smoothed their way up and down the curve of her hips to her waist. He took her hands in his and raised them over her head caging her in, between the wall and his chest. She closed her eyes and leaned back into him, where he continued to kiss the side of her neck, her jawline and her shoulders. Piper turned her head to the side, allowing him to take her mouth with his.
He kissed her with the same fire as he did before, his lips strong and firm against her own. And when her lips parted, his tongue swept in, finding hers, stroking it, stoking the fires of need that curled low in her stomach and shot upward throughout her body. It shocked her when he pulled away. She was barely able to catch her breath before his large hands took her hips again, and in one swift movement, he turned her so that she was facing him.
Her cheek still burning from the rasp of his five-o’clock shadow, she looked up at him and took in his features—high, sharp cheekbones and firm jawline, his wicked smile, that showed a cocky, white smile—Maverick’s was a face she could look at forever.
He cupped her cheek and leaned in. Again, his mouth took hers, dominating and owning it. She could vaguely taste the beer that still clung to his breath, but, mostly, his taste was completely unique to him. She needed more, and frankly couldn’t imagine a life when she wouldn’t crave it, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. The man could kiss, and she moaned appreciatively.
In response, Maverick slid his hands past her hips to settle on her backside before making his way to the backs of her thighs. With seemingly no effort, he lifted her, bringing his lips to her chest, to the curve of her breast.
Piper wrapped her thighs around his hips, as he held her against the wall.
“You good?” he asked, his voice rough.
“Everything is fine.”
“Just fine?” he said, smiling, showing that devastating flash of teeth. “I’m going to have to do a lot better than that.”
Piper was at Maverick’s mercy as he held her to the wall, his hands and lips all over her. She reached out for him, touching his face, pushing her fingers through his hair, the strong muscles of his neck and shoulders. And when he leaned against her, pressing his hard length against her core, she moaned in anticipation of what was to come.
They were both still dressed and their clothes proved to be a frustrating barrier. Maverick pulled at the buttons on the low neckline of her jumpsuit, exposing the lacy cups of her black bra, and he cupped her. When his large hands molded to her full breasts, she thought she might explode.
With her legs still wrapped tightly around his waist, Maverick pushed away from the wall and carried her to the bed. He lowered her gently and they worked together to rid her of her jumpsuit. When she was free of it, he tossed it over his shoulder. Keeping his eyes on her, he unbuttoned his shirt and then discarded his jeans. His body was just as spectacular as she’d imagined it would be. Finely chiseled muscles were covered by a thin layer of soft, dark hair. She reached for him again. She needed to touch him. Everywhere.
Without warning, Maverick pushed away from her, leaving the mattress. He reached for his pants and withdrew a condom from a pocket. Ripping the foil, he rolled the condom over his length before he returned to her, regaining his position on the mattress.
“If we don’t do this right now, I might explode,” Piper warned him through heavy breaths.
“Is that right?” He trailed his fingers down her stomach, tickling her, teasing, toying with her.
“Mav, please.”
“Well, as long as you’re asking nicely...” His voice rumbled as he spoke and kissed her briefly once more on the mouth before he thrust into her.
Piper parted her lips, but no sound came out as Maverick had taken control of every part of her, each of her senses. Her entire essence, her mind, her body, now belonged to him.
Planting his lips in the crook of her neck, Maverick groaned roughly, and the primal sound reverberated through her and she sighed. He continued his controlled, slow technique until she panted and begged him for more.
“Maverick, faster. Please.”
He chuckled in triumph against her cheek then he obliged, quickening his pace. She matched his thrusts with her own, shifting her hips upward. With their wild, frenetic movements, they shifted the bed, so that the headboard slammed against the wall with every push.
Briefly, she wondered how soundproof the walls of the old inn were. But when she remembered that the room next door was thankfully empty, she forgot all of that when she felt her climax approaching, and everything else in the room fell away, leaving only the two of them. When Maverick’s lips came to rest on the sweet, sensitive spot in the dip of her collarbone, it was all she needed, and she rocketed over the edge and came with a loud shriek, crying out Maverick’s name. Maverick’s body tensed above her then he pushed inside her one final time, and with a harsh shout, he followed her.
Eleven
The next morning, Piper headed down the stairs to the main lobby of the inn. It was early and she was tired, her head heavy, her body spent, not from cocktails—she’d had just the one before she’d seen Maverick at the bar—but from her night with Maverick.
The man, who’d gone back to his ranch early that morning, had left her completely sated; he’d paid attention to every inch of her. In the light of day, however, her encounter left her confused. She liked Maverick, and she didn’t regret their night together, but the words of Garrett and Wes rang in her head and she knew that Elias wouldn’t approve of her spending any time with him. Would she give up seeing him to appease her father...the man she’d met only a few days ago?
That theory was about to be tested because she’d been invited back to the Hardwell ranch today and, this time, Elias would be there.
She hadn’t meant to seek Maverick out the night before. She hadn’t meant to bring him back to her room. She hadn’t meant to spend hours with him in bed. But once she’d gotten in front of him, she’d been unable to do anything else.
Willa sat behind the desk in the lobby, smiling at her. “Morning, Piper. I’m really sorry about flaking last night. I got home and just felt a migraine coming on. Then Daisy called with the emergency. I’m sorry I texted you so late.”
“It’s perfectly fine,” Piper told her. “I had fun. I got to see Longhorn’s. Albeit briefly, before I left.”
“Did you get up to anything after?”
Piper thought back to the ways that Maverick had brought her to the heights of pleasure, over and over, the night before, but given what she knew about the apparent rivalry between the Hardwells and the Kanes, she wasn’t about to tell Willa that she’d spent the night with him. “You know, I just stayed in bed,” she told the other woman. It wasn’t a lie. She’d just omitted part of the truth—the Maverick part of it. “You know, it’s been a bit of a wild week for me.” Between Elias reaching out to her, coming to Applewood, meeting her family, who hadn’t even known she was who she was, getting a job, Maverick...
“Yeah, a lot has happened for you.” She had no idea. “So, Garrett tells me that you’re heading up to the ranch again today?” Piper was grateful for the change of topic.
“Yeah, Garrett and Wes are showing me the parts of the ranch I haven’t seen yet. They want me to see the kinds of things that go into working the ranch. I’m looking forward to getting out on the land again. And Elias is back today, so it’ll be nice to talk with him.”
“Do you know how to ride?”
She thought back to her afternoon with Maverick, when she’d made a fool of herself riding one of his horses. “Not so well. But I learned a few pointers... From Maverick.” Her voice had taken on a careful tone, as if she were testing the waters to glimpse how Willa would react to her seeing him.
“Maverick Kane?” Willa asked, her interest clearly piqued.
“Yeah. I’m such a city girl. But I was talking to him and he showed me my way around a horse. I’m not great, but I know the basics now, at least.”
“I’m surprised that Maverick agreed to help you out. You should have just come to one of us.”
“Really?” she asked. Maverick had been nothing but open and helpful to her. As far as she could see, the feud was one-sided...on the Hardwell side, in fact. “Yeah, the guys told me that there isn’t any love lost there.” She decided to test the waters further. “Do you think it’ll be a problem that I’ve spent time with him?”
Willa raised an eyebrow and leaned in conspiratorially. “How much time?”
Piper had no idea how to answer. She was hoping to count Willa as a friend, but she didn’t know how much she could trust her with the news of her attraction to her family’s sworn enemy. She looked around the lobby and saw that there were people lingering around the counter. “Maybe we can talk about it later.”
Willa grinned. “That means there’s a story.”
“I’m just concerned that being friends with Maverick will cause problems with Elias, because the way Garrett tells it, he’s still pretty mad about what went down decades ago.”
“I wish I knew what to tell you. I know Elias is a tough, stubborn man, but he loves his family. Get to know him more and you’ll see that. Then, if your friendship with Maverick is something that you want to pursue, maybe he’ll come around.”
“Thanks for the chat. I should be going.”
“See you later. We’ll have to reschedule that girls’ night for another time,” Willa said.
“Definitely. That sounds great. Between the Tribune office and my room upstairs, you know where to find me.”
“And if you’re not there, maybe I’ll find you at Maverick’s ranch.”
Piper felt the heat rise in her cheeks. Willa had been able to read between the lines of her relationship with Maverick. “Maybe,” she said. “Have a good day.”
* * *
More than an hour later, Piper dismounted the horse that Garrett had provided. Thankfully, it was one of the more manageable horses, and her meager riding skills hadn’t been tested too hard. Along with Elias, Piper, Garrett and Wes had ridden across just a small portion of the massive ranch.
Before she’d arrived in Texas, she’d had no concept of how big the wide-open spaces of these plots of land were. Looking around, she was amazed by the expanse of scenic landscape around her. The rolling green hills, the thick stand of trees all around them, a calm breeze blowing through the branches. Even the air smelled sweeter on the ranch. Maybe there really was something to this way of life. Maybe when she finally revealed to the family her growing feelings for Maverick—if they didn’t banish her—part of her wondered if she might be happy making Applewood her home.
