“You lied to me.”
Tanner raised an eyebrow at Madeline, playing innocent. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
She threw him a mock-disgruntled look even as a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. She looked so damn cute, perched on top of Miss Red in her washed-out jeans and ball cap, her tennis-shoed feet poking through the stirrups. “This has to be miles from your house. It’d be impossible to walk back.”
Grinning, he said, “Technically, any distance is walkable if you want it bad enough.” He laughed when she made a show of rolling her eyes at him. “Besides, I knew you wouldn’t want to walk once you gave this a try, and I was right. You look like you were born to ride horses.”
She snorted. “Hardly. My hands ache from clutching the reins so hard for so long. And we’re not even going to talk about what else is aching.”
He gave a short bark of laughter. Pulling up on the reins, he brought his horse to a stop and dismounted. He looped the reins over the saddle horn before clipping the tethered rope he’d installed years ago to Levi’s bridle. The river gurgled pleasantly a few yards away, its surface glittering in the late morning sun. This had always been his favorite spot. He was looking forward to sharing it with someone else for the first time.
Walking over to Madeline’s side, he grabbed Miss Red’s reins and said, “But you have enjoyed it.”
It had looked to him like Madeline had settled in after about ten minutes, with her body relaxing and rolling with the mare’s easy gait. Her burgeoning confidence was both endearing and adorable.
She was the kind of woman who liked to be in control of herself and her surroundings, and her willingness to trust him with this made him think there might be hope for the two of them yet.
Sending him a reluctant smile, she nodded. “It’s been surprisingly nice. It really is beautiful out here.”
Looking up at her with wide eyes, he said, “I don’t believe it. Was that an actual compliment for my hometown?”
One slender blond eyebrow lifted beneath the brim of her hat. “If I say yes, will you get me off this horse?”
Chuckling, he showed her where to put her hands to hold herself steady as she dismounted. “Pull both feet clear of the stirrups, swing your leg around, then slide on down.”
She looked down at him anxiously. “What if the horse spooks? Or if I slip?”
“I’ve got the reins, so she’s not going anywhere. And I’ll be right here to catch you no matter what.”
Nodding, she followed his instructions. He got a mighty fine view of her backside as she swung her leg around and dangled for a second.
He put his arm around her waist to lighten the pressure on the horse’s back. “I got you. You can let go.”
To his surprise, she immediately complied. She slid against him in a controlled fall until her feet touched the ground at last. He tossed the reins over the saddle horn, trusting Miss Red to stay put, but left his other hand right where it was, resting at the top of Madeline’s hip.
“You did good,” he murmured, his lips at her ear. She smelled good, too. The fruity scent of her shampoo mixed well with the fresh Texas air. He bent his head to nuzzle her neck. Her skin was soft and sweet and so inviting, it was all he could do not to nip the tempting little spot at the junction of her shoulder. She leaned into him for all of three seconds before suddenly straightening and turning in his arms.
“Oh, no,” she said, her cheeks flushed but her chin tipped up in determination. “I was promised a picnic lunch, and I will not be sidetracked, thank you very much.”
He stepped back and wagged his eyebrows. “Maybe for dessert, then. But come on, I’ve got a top-notch meal packed for us.” He nodded toward Levi and went to fetch the grub.
She followed along behind him. “Top-notch, huh? Got some orecchiette with rapini and goat cheese in there? Herbed frittatas?”
Grinning at her teasing, he spread out the blanket. “Better than that,” he said as he reached into the bag. With a great flourish, he revealed its contents. “Only the best for you, Maddie.”
Madeline laughed out loud when she saw his offering. “Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?”
He nodded as he handed one over, an adorable yet sexy grin teasing his lips. “Peanut butter with homemade strawberry jam on the finest white bread sold in all of Harvey’s General Store.
“And,” he added as he reached into the satchel again, “cucumber salad made by yours truly, and Grandma Letty’s famous mac and cheese, good even when cold. She swears the extra ingredient is love, but I have it on good authority that it’s actually just double butter and cheese.”
Even as she laughed, she was genuinely touched by the gesture. He’d remembered her vegetarianism, and he’d obviously taken care when packing the meal. Nodding in approval, she said, “A gourmet feast if I’ve ever seen one.”
She sat back and watched as he filled two plastic plates. The soft breeze ruffled his hair as he concentrated on his task. The horses grazed contentedly near the riverbank—which was more of a stream bank, if you asked her—and the tree above them provided just enough shade for her to take off her hat and shake out her hair.
“This is nice,” she said when he handed over her plate. “I like the noise of the stream. It takes the edge off the quiet in this part of the country.”
“Hmm,” he replied, eyeing her as he took a bite of his sandwich, “I’m not sure I’ve ever thought the quiet was something that needed changin’.”
“It’s what you’re used to.” She wondered what he would think of New York City if he ever came to stay for a while. The thought was so unexpected, she dropped her eyes and concentrated on her sandwich. Is that what she wanted? For her time here to bleed into her real life someday?
“It’s what I like,” he clarified. “I haven’t been to the Northeast, but I’ve been to plenty of cities. I think some people crave the quiet, and some people crave the noise.” He flashed her a smile that sent a flutter through her belly. “Although I was really hoping the quiet—and Sunnybell—would grow on you.”
“I’ll admit, I’m beginning to appreciate some of its charms. I still like skyscrapers and taxis more than scrubby grassland and horses, but”—she shrugged, looking around at the rolling Texas hills—“like I said, it’s nice. Peaceful, but nice.”
He laughed and shook his head. “Only you would add a ‘but’ to that sentence.”
“Just being honest.”
Holding up his fork as a salute, he said, “I admire honesty. Grandpa Jack always says it’s the trickiest virtue of all. It’s all in how you wield it.”
She tilted her head. “He seems like a good man. In fact, I remember you saying he saved your life.” She was prying, and she knew it, but it wasn’t the first time she’d wondered over the words.
He nodded solemnly as he chewed a forkful of the pasta. “I was…reckless for a few years there when I was a teenager. My mother struggled with raising me alone, and I was still mad about losing my father. I acted out in ways I’m not proud of. Got involved with people I shouldn’t have. Grandpa Jack took me in hand.”
He didn’t seem to mind talking about it, so she decided to press on. “Oh? How so?”
“Gave me direction and guidance. Discipline. He showed me the meaning of hard work and gave me an outlet for my wildness. Grandma Letty hated the risks I took in the rodeo, but my grandfather knew they were a hell of a lot better than the alternative.”
The warmth and respect that flooded his voice when he spoke of either of his grandparents was unmistakable. She smiled softly at him, drawing her knees up to her chest. She envied him and the relationship he shared with his grandparents. His grandparents delighted in his presence. Her parents considered weekly phone calls just a little too clingy. They’d congratulated themselves on a job well done when they’d raised her to sprout wings strong enough to never have to return to the nest.
“You’re lucky, you know that?”
“I do,” he said with a single nod. Setting down his plate, he slid over closer to her. “Luckier still for having caught you with your guard down that first night.”
“Hey, I’m not defensive,” she said defensively. When he laughed, she relented. “I’m protective, not defensive. I don’t want to mess up my life.”
He reached out to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. “Nah, you’ll never do that. You’re much too smart.”
“Oh, really? If I’m so smart, what the heck am I doing out here?”
What was she doing, sitting beside him in the middle of nowhere, getting lost in his Tiffany eyes and lazy drawl? She should be at work, figuring out what was bothering her about the documents she had reviewed yesterday.
He slid the back of his fingers down the bare skin of her arm. “Life can’t all be about what your brain says. Sometimes you have to listen to your heart, too.”
“That doesn’t sound very prudent,” she said, even as she watched the path his fingers took over her skin.
He leaned forward until his lips were just above hers. “That’s because you’re thinking too much.”
And then his lips were on hers, and she wasn’t thinking about anything at all. She allowed him to slowly push her down onto the blanket, teasing her with his tongue and lips all the while. He braced himself with his left arm, the muscles flexing enticingly, while his right hand explored the curve of her hip. She exhaled with pleasure when his lips found the base of her neck.
Taking full advantage of the position, she slid her hands over the hard wall of his abdomen. She reveled in the rippled plane, groaning as she remembered gliding against him, skin to skin, less than two weeks ago. After a minute, her hand continued upward, traveling across his rock-solid chest before slipping along the hard knot of his biceps. She squeezed, her fingers digging lightly into his taut skin.
With a growl, he found her lips again and kissed her deeply.
Yes, please! She arched up as his palm slipped up her rib cage and settled over her breast. The warmth of his hand was absolute heaven. He kneaded gently even as his tongue tangled hotly with hers.
Their night together was supposed to be a one-time thing—no, it would be a one-time thing—but how could she resist this? He was a hot, willing cowboy with a sense of humor and a killer body, and he clearly wanted her as much as she did him. And, Lord, did she want him. When he pulled away again to trail kisses along the curve of her jaw, she sighed with bliss.
“I like you, Maddie,” he whispered against her kiss-dampened skin. “A whole hell of a lot.” He pulled back just enough to look her in the eye, squeezing her waist gently as he did. “And I don’t have to think about it to know we go together like bees and honey.”
He was simplifying the issue, but she’d have plenty of time to think about it later. Right now, all she wanted to do was get lost in his incredible kisses. She reached up and clasped her hands behind the back of his neck and pulled him back down for more. Then, just as their lips were about to meet, her phone buzzed in her back pocket, jarring her out of the moment.
It was all the more jarring when she realized it hadn’t made a peep since they left his house.
Dragging in a deep breath, she tried to clear her fuzzy brain. The man was like a drug. “Hang on, I should get that,” she said, pushing on his shoulders.
He closed his eyes for a moment before saying, “You sure you want to get that? Nobody expects you to respond to a text right that second. Defeats the purpose, doesn’t it?”
She wasn’t sure she wanted to deal with it, but it was too late now. Reason was pushing back against the mental roadblocks she’d set up. Crap. Smiling apologetically, she nodded.
He sighed and reluctantly pushed himself into a sitting position before helping her up. He looked disheveled and flustered and sexy as hell, but she forced herself to look away to pull out her phone.
“I can’t believe I got any signal out here,” she said as the screen pulled up.
Shrugging, he sat back and plucked a blade of grass. “Calls never come through, but texts eventually make their way, given enough time.”
As she read the message, disbelief turned her blood to ice. “Oh, God,” she said, rereading the message again. Alarm raced through her as she scrambled to her feet.
“What is it?” Tanner asked, his brow creased with concern as he stood.
“I have to go. Right now.” She swallowed and looked up at him, her heart thundering and her mind already miles away from where they stood. “The deal just fell through.”