MIA pulled her phone out of her pocket when she felt it buzzing and groaned when she saw it was her sister. She clicked to answer, and Angelina’s face appeared on the screen. Mia tugged on her braid, cringing when she saw how beautiful her sister looked with her perfect makeup and not a hair out of place.
“You’ve been holding out on me.”
“Hey, Ange,” Mia said, smiling at her sister. “Don’t tell me, Tanner’s been on the phone to you.”
“Yup. Something about a rugged horseman feeling you up in plain view of the house. Sound about right?”
Mia laughed. “You guys are terrible! Can’t we have any secrets?”
“Honey, you know we can’t. Now spill. I’ve only got a few minutes. And show me the ranch while you’re walking, I need my fix.”
Mia held the phone out and slowly panned around so her sister could see the stables, some of the big fields and the path leading down to her house. Ange might not have liked horses growing up, but the ranch was in their blood and her sister still loved the place.
“Back to you,” Angelina called out.
Mia put the phone back to her face. “I’m kind of busy so can I call you back?”
“Just quickly tell me about him? I want to know everything. I’ve already Googled him and he looks sexy as hell, and…”
“Stop!” Mia protested, her skin on fire just thinking about Sam. “I honestly have to go, I promise I’ll call you back later.”
“He’s there, isn’t he?”
Mia sighed. “Good bye, Ange.”
Her sister pulled a face and Mia laughed before ending the call. Trust Tanner to have told Angelina. No doubt Cody knew all about it now, too. She looked ahead and started down the path to her place. She was a bundle of nerves, and as she got closer she approached her house as if she was heading into the lion’s den, when in fact it was usually one of the places in the world that she felt most comfortable and most true to herself.
She let herself in and went straight into the kitchen to pour a glass of water. She slowly swallowed it, hot and dusty and ready for something stronger. But when she placed it with a clink to the counter, she heard something that she’d missed before. A shower was running. She looked around but saw no evidence of Sam. Mia went back out and noticed his boots were in fact neatly by the door, and she decided to go into her room to see if he was still in her shower or …
She stopped, mouth dry, heart racing. His clothes had been discarded on a chair in her room, which meant he’d been in her room naked. It also meant he was most definitely in her shower, just as she’d told him to be, only she’d expected him to be well and truly finished up by the time she got back. If only her sister could see her now, hands sweaty, heart pounding and mouth dry. She’d have laughed her head off seeing her in such a state.
Mia pulled herself together and walked closer to the closed door, holding up her hand to knock. She used the back of her knuckles to let out a soft tap-tap, opening the door the barest of cracks to call out to Sam.
“You shaving your legs in there?” she asked, smiling to herself. She was being a whole lot braver than usual, but it felt good to mess around with him.
“My Brazilian, actually. Is that still what girls call it?”
His deep chuckle made her smile even more and she leaned against the door, imagining him in there. The steam would be circling around the walls and dipping down into the glass shower cubicle; he would be dripping wet, his muscles slick from water gliding over them, droplets still clinging to his skin. She was certain even his lashes would have water hugging the ends of them,
“Yeah,” she said finally, “we still call it a Brazilian. But if you’ve dared use my razor for a back, sack and crack…”
The door suddenly slid open and she almost fell back into the tiled bathroom.
“For the record, I didn’t touch your razor.”
She pushed herself back up and scrambled to her knees before getting up properly. Sam was standing with a towel around his waist, tucked so low she could see the most delicious, black arrow of hair pointing down, all the way down. His husky voice sent goose pimples across her skin.
Mia swallowed. “Well, good,” she muttered. “You just like long hot showers then?”
He turned and disappeared back into the bathroom, leaving the door open and giving her an impressive view of his shoulders, his damp skin stretched over bulging muscles. His damp, dark hair was curled a little at the ends, and she wanted him to turn again so she could see if the wet hair arrowing down his chest to his groin was the exact same shade.
“Actually it started out hot then ended up cold,” he said, running his fingers through his hair to get it back off his forehead and then turning. “I was trying to get my mind off of someone. Funnily enough, you might know her.”
If Mia’s mouth had been dry before, now it was stuffed full of cotton candy. She could barely swallow.
“Do you want a…” she struggled to find the word she was searching for. Why the hell had she made out like she was so confident and witty, that she was experienced enough to get tangled up with a man like him. “Drink?” she managed to ask.
“Come here,” he said roughly, holding out his hand.
Mia looked at his naked chest as she reached out to place her fingers against his. Sam’s palm met hers and he pulled her in, so slowly she could barely feel herself moving forward.
“Are we going to keep talking around this, or are we actually going to do something?” Sam asked.
She nodded. “I think I was all talk,” she confessed. “I don’t know what to do.”
“You changed your mind?” he asked. “Because this is what it is. If you don’t want—”
Mia wriggled forward, dropping contact with his hand and placing her hands firm against his still-damp chest. “I haven’t changed my mind.” She slowly rose up on her toes, ready to kiss him again, ready to know what it would be like to be Sam’s lover. She’d never thought she’d be the kind of girl to want a no-expectations fling, but then, there were plenty of things she hadn’t expected when it came to Sam.
Their lips met and she sighed against his mouth, fingers tracing over his skin, feeling how warm he was, how thick his muscles were straining beneath the surface. Mia ran her nails down his back, loving the grunting sound he made when she did it, spurring her on, telling her that it was time to push the boundaries.
Sam clearly wasn’t going to sit there and do nothing though. Towel still miraculously tied around his waist, he moved closer into her, holding her hips and nudging her forward. Her stomach tingled, her skin was alive, every little part of her like a magnet trying to connect to Sam, and when she opened her eyes briefly to look at him, she could hardly believe the man who’s arms she was in.
He was like he’d stepped straight out of magazine, except Sam looked too tough around the edges to be modeling for underwear or even aftershave. Besides, right now he smelled of her shampoo and her coconut soap, and the look on his face said he meant business.
“Here?” she whispered.
“Anywhere you like, gorgeous,” he replied in a deep voice.
Mia’s hands slipped around his neck and she leaned into him. “Take me to bed then.”
“Just so we’re clear,” he said, his voice verging on a growl. “This is only sex. It can only be sex.”
She shook her head, not about to let him call all the shots. “No, Sam,” she whispered back. “It’s not only sex. We can have all kinds of fun, we just can’t get attached.”
Mia wanted him so badly. Her body was aching for him, her skin flushed, ready for his hands to be touching every single part of her. But she’d always had issues with authority and she didn’t like him being the one in charge. This was her decision, too.
“So long as it’s no strings attached,” he mumbled, not seeming to care. “No expectations.”
“Three weeks,” she whispered, grinding against him, wanting him. It had been so long since she’d been with a man, and now that she was this close? She wanted Sam, and she wanted him now.
Sam stopped talking then. He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her, clean off her feet, carrying her over to the bed. She gasped when his towel slipped off after less than a few steps, and she felt his erection brush against her butt, the smooth, silkiness of his skin telling her exactly what she was in for.
Sam dropped her onto the bed. He was standing, completely stark naked, and for some reason she couldn’t catch her breath. She smiled, her lips slowly tilting up until she couldn’t hide it. Oh, she knew she was out of breath, she just didn’t want to admit it.
He was incredible to look at. She refused to be shy, boldly looking over his body. His torso and arms were ripped, the muscles big and his skin golden. When he spent most of his life in jeans, she had no idea how his legs were almost as tanned as his upper half, but they were. There was only one section of him that was a much lighter shade of golden, and that was where her eyes had tried their hardest to avoid but were constantly being dragged back to.
Wow. She met his gaze, saw the confidence there and wondered what the hell she was in for.
“Like what you see?” he asked, making her laugh.
“Yeah, actually, I do,” she whispered.
He lowered himself down and she thought he was going to kiss her, but instead, before his body skimmed hers, just when she parted her mouth, ready for his kiss, waiting for his lips to melt over hers, he paused. She could feel his hot breath against her skin and she arched up to meet him.
“You have an unfair advantage,” he murmured. “Off.”
He grabbed her jeans and tried to yank them down, but they were tight and wouldn’t budge. She laughed and wriggled, unbuttoning them. He didn’t wait, pulling and getting rid of them within what seemed like seconds. Then he got rid of her socks and she held her breath as he made his way back up, trailing a finger across her panties and making her gasp again. She had to give it to him—the guy seriously knew how to get her excited.
“Off,” he ordered again.
She decided to resist him, wanted to push his buttons, wanted to see what he’d do. “No,” she whispered.
He paused, looking down at her. “Yes.”
She fixed her gaze on him, lifted her leg and pushed her toes into him. She wanted to stay in control, at least a little bit. She kept her toes pressed against his torso, knowing exactly what he was thinking when he dropped his eyes down low. Her leg was perfectly arched, and she was giving him a good view of her tiny G-string, which she was certain would be leaving very little to the imagination.
“I never imagined you wearing a G-string under your ranching clothes.” His voice was low and deep.
“What, you imagined granny pants?” she laughed. “One thing I always have on is great underwear.” It was true; she only liked matching sets, and she liked to feel pretty no matter what she was wearing on the outside or whether she was out for dinner or working horses.
She slowly raised her arms and wriggled out of her shirt, throwing it at Sam. He grinned and tossed it over his head, eyes going straight to her chest.
“Pretty underwear,” he said, “but it’d look better off.”
She hesitated, not sure, suddenly feeling self-aware with him staring down at her. He was naked already, she knew it was silly, but playing up to Sam was one thing. Going through with pretending to be savvy and sexy in the bedroom was another entirely, especially in daylight with him able to see her every flaw.
“Kiss me,” she asked instead, reaching for him and dropping her leg so he could lean over her and cover her body.
He must have seen or heard the hesitation in her tone, because he didn’t argue with her or push her further. Instead he lowered himself and met her lips, kissing her softly at first, melting her as she wrapped her arms around him.
Sam’s body was warm, hard and lean under her hands, and the unmistakable brush then press of his erection against her was impossible to ignore. His mouth moved softly to start with, his touch harder when she moaned in response to his tongue touching hers, her mouth wider, his kisses pushing away all the doubts.
She arched up into him, extending her neck when he dragged his mouth from hers and started to trail kisses down her jawline then down her neck, not stopping. His movements were slow, so unhurried, and she knew that he had to have been enjoying pleasuring her as much as she was enjoying receiving it.
“Everything okay?” he murmured against her skin as he dipped lower, across her collarbone, down her chest, his tongue circling the top of her breast and then teasing her, moving lower, flicking across her nipple. Even through the lacy fabric it made her moan, felt amazing, igniting licks of want throughout her body.
“Every,” she whispered, “thing,” she groaned, “okay.”
Sam’s laughter was warm against her skin, the brush of barely-there stubble across her stomach as he kept moving on his journey south making her want to scream. She squirmed, loving it, wanting it, wishing she could resist so she could pleasure him back but unable to move.
Kat had been right—it had been way too long since she’d had fun. So what if she wasn’t supposed to be the type to have one-night stands. What did that even mean anymore? She was enough of a modern feminist to know that there was nothing wrong with enjoying her body, even if she did still feel the whisper of stigma about it.
“Ohhh,” Mia’s toes clenched the sheets as Sam’s mouth closed over her panties, his breath hot as he breathed against her. He looked up, eyes meeting hers, and she knew how much he was liking taking control and making her feel good. It was empowering.
He slid his fingers against the lace, at her hips, still looking at her, waiting, as if asking her permission with his eyes. She was out of breath, unsteady, wishing she was as confident with telling him what she wanted as how she felt.
“I haven’t,” she croaked out, “I mean…”
“Shit, you’re not a virgin are you?” he swore, looking alarmed. “I mean that would be fine, that’s cool if you are, but…”
“Stop!” She laughed, shaking her head. “I’m definitely not a virgin, but it’s just been a while. I don’t want to, you know, well, I have no damn idea what I’m even trying to say!”
His laugh was deep, humorous but not mocking. And his smile was reassuring.
“Darlin’, you know the old saying about never forgetting how to ride a horse?”
Her cheeks were stained red, she could feel them burning, but given the fact that her skin had felt on fire from his touch only seconds earlier, she doubted he’d notice the additional burn.
“So I’m overthinking the whole thing? Damn, complete buzz kill.” She flopped back down, wishing the bed would open up and swallow her. Why couldn’t she get her shit together and be more confident? Why did she always have to second-guess herself? It happened to her every time she was in the ring competing, and now here she was with one of the most gorgeous men on the planet, naked, and she’d completely killed the mood.
“Do I look like you’ve killed my buzz?” Sam said, rising and pointing down.
Mia bit down on her bottom lip, eyeing his manhood. “Ah, yeah, well…”
“Shut up and kiss me,” he muttered, pushing her back and sitting astride her. This time he hauled her up, arms around her when his mouth crushed hers, all softness gone, replaced by a fiercer need that completely matched her own.
This time when Sam slipped his hands behind her back to unhook her bra, she didn’t resist. Instead she arched her back, kept her mouth lavishly attached to his, enjoying every touch of his tongue, every caress of his lips. When he dipped his head to her breasts, throwing her bra across the room, she forgot all about being self-conscious or giving a damn about doing the right thing or not. Because Sam was incredibly attentive, and impossible not to be aroused by, and she intended on enjoying every single moment of being the sole object of his attention.
“Holy shit,” she muttered, squirming when he left her breasts to move lower. There was no gentle trail of his tongue this time. Instead he went down, grabbed her panties and hauled them off, tugging them over her feet and smiling down at her. She was about to tell him that she wanted to play it safe, that she had condoms in the bedside drawer, but when she opened her mouth his wicked smile made her pause.
“How do you feel?” he asked, lowering himself, moving half off the bed as his gaze dropped to her nether regions.
She managed a nod. “Good,” she whispered.
His eyes flashed, every part of her on fire just at the thought of his touch now.
“Only good?” he teased. “Oh, I want much better than good. I’d better get to work.”
Mia was about to protest, to tell him he was already way better than good, but her words died a fast death in her mouth. She shut her eyes, toes clenched, back arched in ecstasy as Sam’s mouth closed over her, his tongue deftly taking charge and making what she was feeling so much better than good.
* * *
Sam flipped Mia over, not taking his eyes off her for a second. She was incredible. Her body was driving him wild, her legs tightly gripped against him strong and muscular, her breasts full and high as she sat astride him. She was teasing him, grinding against him, leaning her head back and shaking her long hair out, and if it brushed against him one more time he was going to grab it and yank her down.
But the anticipation was exquisite, and even though he wasn’t usually a patient man, sex was his one exception. He didn’t like it quick, and he sure as hell didn’t like it to be all about him. Seeing the look of pleasure on Mia’s face, holding her body and pleasuring her with his mouth as she’d climaxed, that’s what excited him. Because now he knew she was slick and ready for him; that she was sated and content, and the evening had only just begun.
“Are you going to keep teasing me like that?” he asked, keeping his voice low.
Her eyes opened, almost feline as she rocked back and forth and stared down at him. “Maybe,” she whispered.
“To hell with that,” he muttered. “Hop aboard or I’m taking the lead.”
Mia smiled down at him, her face relaxed, her body warm and supple as she bent down low, her hair spiraling across his face as she dipped her head. She kissed him, slowly, and as much as he wanted to fist his hand in her hair and pull her down hard, he resisted. Because he liked the buildup, he was already wearing protection, and he wasn’t going to hurry her.
She moaned against his mouth as she slid down onto him, taking him inside of her. She moved a little, repositioned herself, and this time her moan was longer, her hands to his chest as she pushed up and rocked back and forth. Her palms were still firm to his chest as Sam locked his fingers against her hips, matching her movements even though he was trying so hard to let her set the pace.
“So good,” she moaned, still rocking, not moving anywhere near fast enough for him.
Sam moved, held on to her and forced her to move back and forth faster. When she laughed and tried to slow down, he couldn’t be patient any longer. He flipped them, pinning her beneath him and covering her slender body with his, pushing up on his elbows to make sure he wasn’t too heavy on her.
Mia protested, laughing at him, making it clear that she was having as much fun as he was, that she wasn’t really concerned that he’d taken over. She bit his shoulder, playfully, and he growled at her and grabbed at one of her hands, pinning it by her side by the wrist. Then he leaned low to bite her breast, using his teeth but making sure not to hurt her.
“Ow!” she muttered.
Sam covered her mouth with his to block out her protest, thrusting deep inside her as he kissed her, moving his lips over and over again against hers, losing himself to the motion of her mouth and the feel of pushing in and out of her. He tried to pull back, but she clamped her legs tight around him, not giving him any room to move.
“Where are you going?” she muttered, her ankles locked behind his butt forcing him forward, making him stay inside. She fought to free her arm and both her fingers locked into his hair, tugging at him, locking his mouth to hers again with no chance of getting away.
He groaned when she thrust up to meet him. Clearly she was used to being in charge as much as he was, and for all her talk about being out of practice, she was doing just fine. Better than fine, she was doing great.
But even so, he wasn’t going to let her keep taking the reins from him.
Sam gave her one last, slow kiss, before using his weight to pull up, so he was looking down at her. She didn’t have a hope of holding him down now he’d decided not to play that game with her, and he wanted to watch her, wanted to see her face and her body while he was inside of her.
“Sam,” she moaned, trying to pull him back down.
“No,” he said, hearing the rough edge of his own voice. He admired her full breasts, cupping both of them as he positioned himself, anticipating what they’d looked like when he started thrusting, imaging them bouncing back and forth. Mia gave up resisting and closed her eyes, hands above her head as she gave in to him and let him have his wicked way with her.
Sam lost himself to the feel of Mia, eyes shut as he felt himself building to climax, loving every inch of her body, of the way she felt, of …
What the hell?
Sam opened his eyes, his moment over, the delicious sensation taken away from him. He was about to protest, about to complain, until he saw Mia. She’d turned over, the look she was giving him over her shoulder full of naughtiness and telling him exactly what she wanted. She was on her knees, teasing him, her butt in the air. He grabbed hold of her, hands to her hips as he guided himself in.
If it had felt good before, damn it now he was in heaven. Mia’s moans filled his ears as he tried hard not to climax, to keep going for her, but it felt too good. When he finally gave in to the feeling, he kept his fingers against her butt, held on to her and enjoyed the sensation of her skin against his, of her smooth, warm body meshed to his when he carefully lowered himself over her. He kept his weight off her as she nestled into the pillow, kissed her neck, using one hand to push her hair out of the way and over to one side. Her neck was arched, her golden skin perfectly soft as he rained kisses across it.
Mia turned, her eyes meeting his, the look in hers a reflection of how lazy and satisfied he was feeling right now.
“Hey,” she whispered.
He grinned. “Hey,” he whispered back.
She turned and he kissed her mouth, smiling down at her. “Talk about a way to work up an appetite.” Her voice was gravelly, more husky than usual, and she made him laugh. “I’m starving now!”
“Want me to make something?” he asked.
She sighed. “Uh-huh. I’ll take a quick shower.”
He chuckled. “I made that sound like I’m capable in the kitchen, but I’m not. You’ll need to tell me what to do.”
Mia burst out laughing, arms around him as she leaned in for another kiss. “You’re crazy. I can’t believe you tricked me like that. Were you waiting for me to decline your offer and tell you how much I was looking forward to cooking for you?”
He shrugged, his mouth kicking up into a grin even though he was trying so hard to keep a straight face. “Would you think I was an asshole if I said yes?”
She punched his arm. “Yes! But you’re just lucky that I happen to love cooking, and I’m not prepared to wait while some novice cook tries to whip something up to impress me. Especially after making me work up an appetite like that.”
Mia rose and walked to the bathroom, crossing the room and giving him an eyeful of her pert butt and beautiful, slender body. Her skin was lightly tanned, golden blonde hair long and falling down to the middle of her back.
She turned, as if knowing he’d be watching her, still smiling as she shook her head and disappeared from sight. Sam lay back on the bed, wondering how on earth he’d come to the Ford ranch so reluctantly to work a horse, and had ended up sleeping with an heir to the Ford fortune and crazily entering into a completely different kind of contract. This time, it was his sexual services on offer though, not his horsemanship skills.
“First time for everything,” he murmured to himself.
He heard the shower running and imagined Mia in there, water skimming across her skin, hair wet and clinging to her back, naked body shimmering beneath droplets of water. Sam felt himself start to get hard again almost instantly, but he didn’t storm in there to go looking for more.
Anticipation was almost as good as the real thing, but Mia was hungry and he wanted her full of sustenance and ready to match his pace. He’d wait until after dinner before going back for round two.