Cord frowned. Didn’t ring a bell. “You gonna be upset if I say no?”
She shook her head. “I’d be surprised if you did remember. But I’ve never forgotten it. Never. You were a Western knight in a white cowboy hat. You’ve been my fantasy man since that day all those years ago.”
“AJ, that’s not me. Then or now—”
“It is. Don’t spoil the memory for me by denying it. Don’t spoil this moment either.
Be Cord my sexy fantasy man, not Cord the responsible rancher who thinks too much.”
A section of her hair was stuck to her cheek from where she’d slept on it. Cord peeled it away and rubbed the damp, white-blonde strand between his fingers. So soft.
Such a contrast against his rough, callused hand. “You are sweet.”
AJ blushed. She picked up a chunk of salami and held it to his mouth. “I want to feed you too.”
By the time the food was gone, they’d teased each other to the point Cord was crazed to have her again. He sat in the middle of the bed and wrapped her legs around his lower back as she shifted down slowly, encasing his c**k in her tight, wet heat.
“I like it this way.”
“Me too, baby doll. Me too.” Cord clutched her ass cheeks in his hands as they maintained a slow, sensual pace. Her soft skin brushed his everywhere. He consumed her mouth, her neck, her ni**les, never completely leaving the heaven of her pliant pu**y.
She climaxed and brought him along with her, in a deliciously sweet throbbing that seemed to last an eternity.
With their bodies and mouths still connected in the aftermath of lazy, but passionate loving, he realized he’d never clicked with anyone on this level—heart, body and soul.
He also realized he didn’t know what the hell to do about it.
AJ licked his Adam’s apple. “Mmm. Sweaty, yummy sexy man.”
“I can get some more food if you’re still hungry.”
“I’ll just nibble on you, if that’s okay.”
“Fine by me.” He arched his neck when her teeth scraped up to his ear and released a shudder. “God. I love that.”
“Then I’ll keep doing it.”
His hands were on her butt and his thumbs idly stroked the crack of her ass to the puckered rosette. On the next slow stroke up, his thumb lingered on that tiny opening.
Immediately she tensed up.
“You don’t like that?”
“No. I do, but I don’t think I’m ready for umm…more than that.”
“We can go slow.”
She said nothing—which alarmed him because she always spoke her mind.
“AJ? Look at me.” She lifted her head. Cord didn’t like the fear in her eyes. He especially didn’t like the fact he’d put it there. She’d given her body over to him without hesitation, with eagerness, with utter trust, with joy. He’d be a fool—and a bully—if he let his sexual desires overrule her panic. “I’d never make you do anything you didn’t want to, baby doll. If you’re not ready, no big deal, okay?”
“But you said—”
“Forget what I said. I’m a controllin’ dickhead sometimes. I’m used to bein’ obeyed.
Period.” He kissed her with reassurance. “No hurry. I can wait until you’re ready. In the mean time”—he flipped her on her back—“I want you again.”
AJ murmured, “I’m so glad Cosmo was wrong about the male recovery time thingy.”
He chuckled against her throat and wondered how he’d ever let her go.
After spending nearly all day in bed, AJ needed a break. She unfolded from Cord’s embrace and reached for her clothes that he’d brought up from downstairs.
“Where’s the fire?”
“Nowhere. Don’t you have to check cattle?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“Can I come along?”
Cord raised both eyebrows. “Really?”
“Sure. Can we take the horses instead of the truck?”
“Takes longer.”
“I don’t care. I like being outside.”
He rolled over and mumbled something as he reached for his clothes.
“What? If you don’t want me to come along, just say so.”
“It’s not that. Just shocks the hell out of me that you want to.”
“It shouldn’t. As much as I bitched about it when I had no choice but to tend to everything, I’m a ranch girl through and through. I think you forget that sometimes.”
“I’m tryin’ to.”
Not touching that comment, cowboy. I can’t wrestle your demons anymore than I can make you change your mind or see the truth.
Downstairs, as AJ slipped on her ropers, Cord waggled the silver boots at her. “You still haven’t worn these. Now you’ll have me thinkin’ of all sorts of scenarios in which you’re wearin’ nothin’ but these f**k me boots when we get back.”
She snatched them and threw them in the coat closet. “Wrong. Out of sight; out of mind.”
Cord froze.
“What?”
“Do you think that’ll really work? Pretendin’ somethin’s not there when it obviously is right in front of you?”
AJ had the strangest feeling they weren’t talking about a pair of boots. “No. Come on. Let’s saddle up.”
Within ten minutes they were riding the fenceline. The late afternoon sun was hot, not unbearably so, but warm enough that AJ wished she’d grabbed a hat. Cord wore his, a finely woven cream-colored straw, not the frat party variety, but the type ranchers needed in the summertime to reflect heat. She couldn’t help but think the white hat just reinforced the white knight image she’d held of him her entire life.
After they’d checked the herd, they continued clopping along. The serenity of the scenery negated the need for idle chatter. Cord led; she followed.
“See that stock tank? Race—”
The second she heard the word race she was gone. He didn’t come close to catching her. “Maybe you should ride this horse next time, McKay. I’ve beaten you both times.”
“I won once.”
“Want to go best three out of five?”
“No. You have a daredevil streak, Ms. Foster. How come I never knew about it?”
“Because being a wild child was Keely’s reputation, not mine. I was too busy working in my dad’s stead to be wild.” After she realized what she’d confessed, she kicked her heels into Nickel’s sides and they were off.