Cade quickly dragged a couple of chairs over to the hearth and hung their wet clothes over the back rungs. He tossed another log on the fire. The cabin was warming up, but it was nothing compared to the heat that was surging through him as he hurried to the bedroom where Nora was waiting.
He paused in the door, taking a second just to look at her. She was lying on her side, the sheet falling softly over her waist and barely covering her perfect breasts. Hell, everything about her was perfect. Especially that coy smile she was giving him as she patted the bed next to her.
He approached the bed, dropping the condom, which he’d pulled from his wallet, on the nightstand before sliding under the sheets with her.
“Hey, cowboy,” she murmured, her voice soft and sultry as she drew the tips of her fingernails over his chest.
“Hey” was all he could manage as he drew her close to him, her soft curves molding perfectly against his body. He dipped his head, teasing her lips as he skimmed over her mouth with his. She kissed him back, playfully dragging her teeth against his bottom lip and eliciting a soft moan from him.
He paused to look at her, and her tender gaze crashed into his soul, as if she were trusting him with her heart. He wasn’t good with words, but he tried to convey his feelings through his actions, like in how he looked at her and the way he touched her as if she was a treasure to be cherished.
Holding her gaze, he trailed his finger down her chest. Coils of lust and want swirled through his belly as he ached to touch and explore her. He loved the soft kitten-like sigh she made as he grazed the tight nub of her nipple with his thumb. Lowering his head, he circled the perfect pink bud with his tongue before drawing it between his lips. She arched her back, silently offering more of herself. He cupped her breasts—they filled his hands, and mouth, perfectly.
Her fingers clutched his back, and he could see her pulse quickening at her throat. He laid a kiss there before burying his face in her neck and inhaling the intoxicating scent of sin and skin.
He took his time, exploring her body, discovering what she liked, what made her sigh, and what made her writhe beneath him. Then he couldn’t take it any longer. Demand throbbed between his legs—he had to have her, to feel her.
He grabbed the foil packet from the nightstand, cursing himself that he didn’t carry two as he covered himself, then settled between her legs. Pausing to savor the moment, he peered down at Nora, trying to memorize the way she looked at that exact second—her perfect kiss-swollen mouth, her tousled hair spread across the pillow, the come-hither smile she wore on her lips.
Then he lost himself in her, drowning in the sensations he’d spent so much time dreaming about. He closed his eyes, only for a second, to focus on the intensifying feelings, but then he had to open them again, had to see her face, her body as she arched beneath him.
The rest of the world fell away. It was only him and Nora, and he couldn’t get enough of her as he found his rhythm, their rhythm, building in tempo as the pleasure coursed through them.
Then her head tipped back as her fingers clutched the sheets next to her, twisting the fabric into her fist. She said his name as a tremor quaked through her, and he was gone. His chest expanded as a growl ripped from his throat, and he gave in to the delirious ecstasy as he surrendered himself to her.
***
Everything about being with Cade was different than Nora had imagined. She knew it would be wonderful, but she hadn’t anticipated how it would shift from gentle to raw, from teasing to pure desire. He had been attentive, caring, but also hungry and carnal in his need for her. And she loved every second of it.
They lay together for a long time, their naked bodies entangled, holding each other as they talked softly and made each other laugh. She reveled in his sweet touch, the way he brushed her bangs from her forehead, the way he kept pressing soft kisses to her shoulder.
He got up once to check on the horses and came back with their lunch, and they ate in bed, still talking and sharing stories about themselves. The day had been perfect. Even with the rainstorm. Who knew a torrential storm could turn into such a tranquil, lazy afternoon spent in bed? After many sparks of lightning.
She would never think about thunderstorms in the same way again.
They cuddled together again after their lunch, and she couldn’t help but touch him. She was fascinated with the array of scars covering his body and the stories that accompanied each one she pointed out. Most were from his time spent in the rodeo, some were from stupid childhood stunts or times spent tangling with a horse or a cow, and a few were from his brother. Those were the stories she liked best—the ones that shared his history, his life growing up.
She ran a hand through his hair, noting the inch-long scar that ran just below his hairline. Skimming her finger over the thin white line, she asked, “Is this one from another fight with your brother?”
He shook his head. “No, that one was from a fight with a two-thousand-pound bull named Rose Petal.”
“Rose Petal? I’m confused. I may not know a lot about ranching, but I’m pretty sure bulls are males, right?”
He grinned. “Yes, they are. The name was ironic. And I can assure you he is not the dainty flower his name implies. Especially when the side of his hoof catches you on the forehead.”
She gaped. “You got kicked in the head by a bull?”
He chuckled. “By more than one. Kicked by, bucked off, and stomped on—sometimes all in the same round. That’s the world of professional bull riding. That’s why my knee and shoulder are so jacked up as well. Tangling with animals that size can result in all sorts of injuries. Hell, you can get injured messing with animals half that size.” He pointed to the bruise across his stomach. “I got this yesterday when I was loading a couple of cows into a trailer and one of them decided she didn’t want to go.”
“And she kicked you?”
He shrugged. “Nah, I think she got me with her head. Either that, or I got this when Zane and I were wrestling with that tractor engine. I’m not exactly sure.”
She shook her head. “I had no idea ranching was such a dangerous business.” She touched the scar again. “I think Allie has a scar similar to this one, in almost the same place.”
Cade stiffened, and his easy smile fell. His eyes narrowed, and his voice hardened. “Yeah, she does.” He sat up and pushed off from the bed. His back was ramrod straight as he strode from the room. “We should probably get going,” he said, his voice tight, before he walked out the door.
What the hell? Like the flip of a switch, his personality had changed from easygoing to hard as nails in one second’s time. She crawled out of bed, dragging the sheet with her and wrapping it around her body as she padded barefoot into the living room.
The sun was back out and sunshine lay in square patterns across the floor as it shone through the large picture window. Cade was sitting on the hearth by the fire. He already wore his jeans and was tugging on his boots. He stood, and Nora noticed the top button of his jeans was still undone. She swallowed at the display of male perfection as he reached for his shirt and pulled it over his head.
“Cade, wait. What’s going on?”
“Nothing’s going on. It’s just getting late, and we need to get back.” His voice held a new edge, and he wouldn’t look at her.
He strode toward the kitchen, and she reached out a hand, catching his arm as he passed by her. He stopped but still wouldn’t look her in the eye. “We were fine just a minute ago, and now you’re stomping around here like you can’t get away fast enough. What did I do wrong?”
He cringed and pulled his arm away as if her touch burned him. “You didn’t do anything wrong. It’s me.”
She shrank back, flinching as if he’d struck her and suddenly conscious of the fact he was dressed and she was still naked and her hair was probably drying in crazy winged-out curls all around her head. She pulled the sheet tighter around her and focused on breathing. She’d heard this before. Geoff had pulled the old “it’s not you, it’s me” line and her whole life had gone down the tubes.
She didn’t think Cade would be as ruthless as Geoff had been with his callous words, but he could still break her. “I don’t understand,” she finally managed to say.
Scrubbing his hand over the back of his neck, he let out a hard sigh. “Look, I’m sorry. I got carried away. You’re just so… I shouldn’t have… I mean I wanted to but…”
Oh my gosh. He was giving her the line. Granted, he wasn’t doing it very well. She stared at him, not believing what he was saying. Not after the afternoon they’d just had. Her emotions wavered from heartbroken and sad to confused and angry. Pissed off inched out into the lead and she planted a hand on her hip. “What are you trying to say, Cade?”
His expression looked pained, like the words were actually hurting him. “I don’t know. I don’t know what I’m saying or what I’m doing.”
Confusion stepped back in and took over. “I don’t get it. What is happening?”
He pulled his hair back from his forehead. “This. You asked me about this scar and Allie’s scar, and it hit me like a punch in the gut. Nora, you’re one of the kindest, smartest, and most beautiful women I know. You deserve so much more than a guy like me.”
“Don’t you think that’s for me to decide?”
“No, I don’t. Because you don’t have all the facts. All you know about me is the guy you’ve seen the past week. You don’t know what a real shit I can be. That scar on Allie’s head, the one that looks like this one?” He pointed to his forehead again, then pounded his fist against his chest. “That scar is my fault. I’m the one who gave it to her.”
Nora took a step back, tendrils of fear curling in her belly. His fault? How did he give Allie the scar? Had he hit her?
No way. She couldn’t believe it.
She watched Cade stride to the door, his head down, avoiding her eyes as he yanked it open. “I’ll be waiting outside with the horses.” He pulled the door closed behind him, leaving her with only the sound of the latch clicking into place.
Earlier, that sound had thrilled her—but that was when Cade was closing them in together, not shutting her out.
She sank onto the edge of the sofa, dazed by all that had just happened. It seemed like just a few minutes ago, she was in the afterglow of amazing afternoon delight, lying naked in the arms of a man she really liked. A guy who she was falling for, and falling hard. But now, she wondered if she even knew that guy at all.
What was wrong with her? Why did she always do this? She led with her heart, trusted too easily, fell for the wrong guy. Feeling embarrassed and angry at herself for jumping in with both feet, just like she always did, she stumbled to the fireplace and collected her clothes. Taking them into the bathroom, she avoided the mirror as she got dressed. Her jeans were still damp, but the rest of her clothes were dry enough.
Hazarding a glance in the mirror, she groaned, her fears confirmed. Mascara was smudged under her eyes and one side of her hair was smashed against her head, while the other stuck out in wavy curls. Rummaging through the drawers, she found soap and toothpaste and washed her face and used her finger to do a quick scrub of her teeth. Thankfully, she had an elastic in her pocket, and she gathered her hair back into a loose knot at the nape of her neck.
Feeling a smidge better, and with fresher breath and less bedhead, she headed back into the living room and pulled on her boots. She did a quick sweep of the cabin, gathering her phone and what was left of their lunch and taking a few minutes to remake the bed. She swallowed back the emotion as she took one last look at the room, the bed neatly made, the pillows back in place, as if nothing had happened there. Which was exactly how Cade was acting.
She drew her shoulders back. If he wanted to act like that, fine. Whatever. His loss. She wasn’t here for him anyway. She was here to help Allie, not get tangled into a romance with a broody cowboy. It didn’t matter how hot or muscular he was. Or what kind of magical things he could do with his tongue.
Grrr. Not going there. Taking a deep breath, she turned the handle of the door. She needed to focus on the task on hand. Which started with getting back to the ranch.
With a determination to face him head-on coursing through her, she gritted her teeth and pulled the door open, resolved to be brave and act like she wasn’t bothered a bit. She took a step forward, then stopped in her newfound courage’s tracks.
Cade was standing in front of his horse, his eyes closed, his head bent forward as he leaned it against Gypsy’s forehead. A deep sadness pulled at the edges of his mouth, and his fingers curled around the horse’s bridle. He struck her as this tall, strong, and handsome-as-hell cowboy who looked broken and grieving as he drew comfort and solace from his horse.
She didn’t want to move, didn’t want to break the moment. Her heart ached for him. Even though, a moment ago, she was so mad at him she could have spit nails, she knew, as sure as she knew her own name, that there was more to Cade Callahan than he let people see. More to the man whose defensive walls were so high, he rarely let anyone in.
Although she’d felt like he had let her in. Maybe not past his walls, but he’d at least opened the gate and met her there.
The horse whinnied as if alerting Cade to her presence. He opened his eyes and stood up, letting out a deep breath as he patted the horse’s neck. “You ready?” he asked, but she wasn’t sure if he was talking to her or the horse. Or both?
She handed him the tote. He stowed it in his saddlebag, then untied Beauty and led her into the sunshine.
***
Cade still couldn’t look at Nora as he handed her the reins to the horse. It hurt too much. He never should have let himself get involved with her.
This time at the cabin already felt like a dream—like they’d carved out this little place in time in the middle of the storm where they could let go of everything else and just be together.
But that dream had come crashing down at the mention of Allie’s scar, at the reminder of his past and what a shitty dad he was. Nora might be able to find the good in a lot of things, but it wouldn’t take her long to see the not-so-good in him. He was surprised she hadn’t figured it out yet. The way Allie treated him, the name his ex-father-in-law had called him. She had to know there was a reason he was estranged from his own daughter. And that the reason wasn’t a good one.
When they’d been in bed, lying tangled in the sheets together, she’d looked at him with this thing in her eyes—something a little too close to adoration. As if he were really worth something, worth the devotion she was offering him. He’d gotten sucked into believing they could have something, drawn in by her essence and blind to the fact that, sooner or later, she would figure out that he was just a broken down rodeo cowboy who’d let his family down.
He snuck a quick glance at her, and even now, after he’d walked out on her, she was still gazing at him with a look of tenderness mixed with concern. He turned away. “I need to check the door and put the key back,” he told her as he walked back to the front of the cabin.
After securing the front door, he bent to pick up the quartz rock to replace the key. A slight movement caught his attention, and he jerked his head up, alarm ringing through his body.
Nora stood next to Beauty, the reins held loosely in her hands. The horse’s back end was facing the rocky side of the trail that led up the mountain behind the cabin. Beauty must have seen it at the same time he did, camouflaged against the layers of shale, because her eyes went wide and she huffed out a startled whinny.
The sun glinted off the smooth, scaly skin of the rattlesnake as its body coiled and its tail rose as it let off a warning rattle.