Chapter Four

“You okay over there?”

Lucy blinked to clear her mind from the almost meditative trance she’d fallen into with the gentle rocking gait of her mount and met Sam’s gaze. The smell of freshly-trodden earth and grass rose to her nostrils, and she sighed in appreciation.

She smiled. “I’m great. This was an inspired idea, Sam. I don’t remember the last time I felt this relaxed.”

“I’m glad. That was the aim.” He squeezed his mount with his legs, urging it to draw level with hers, and she watched him surreptitiously under her lashes, admiring the easy way he sat his horse.

Straight-backed, he was at once relaxed and sure in the seat, hands light and giving with each nod of his mount’s head. Drawn downward, her gaze caught on his lower body, and her mouth went dry. Strong thighs gripped and released with the horse’s movements, hips rocking in time to the rhythm, sending her mind straight back into dirty territory. Her body grew uncomfortably warm. Tearing her gaze away, she searched desperately for a distraction and almost sobbed in relief when she spotted a clearing ahead.

“Let’s have a canter.” Ignoring his sharp-eyed look at her breathless suggestion, she nudged Beau to increase his pace. The gray responded immediately, pricking his ears, and leaped forward with a joyful surge of his powerful muscles. The loud whoop behind her told her Sam was on her tail, and she nudged with her heels again to encourage her mount into a gallop. Tendrils of mane whipped her face as she crouched in her stirrups and balanced over the horse’s neck. She grinned at the sheer feeling of freedom the extra speed evoked. Why hadn’t she done this more often? But then that was something Sam had always been good at. Knowing what she needed before she knew herself.

A cool breeze lashed her hot cheeks and tore at her hair. Movement out of the corner of her eye told her Sam had caught up, holding his larger mount in check to match their pace. She grinned, thrilled to see her own delight mirrored on his face. Without any need of verbal communication, they slowed their pace to a gentle canter. The sound of falling water grew over the sound of pounding hooves, and they slowed gradually to a walk. Their horses snorted and puffed, bits jangling as they shook their heads, and their nostrils dilated as they sucked in air. Beau’s gait had more bounce to it as if he’d enjoyed the burst of speed as much as they had.

“God, Sam.” The roar of the waterfall was so loud Lucy had to raise her voice to be heard. “I can’t believe you remembered. It’s one of my most favorite places in the world.”

“I know.”

The roar of the water almost drowned out his voice, making her resort to reading his lips, not that that was a hardship. It just gave her an excuse to stare at them.

Indicating ahead with a nod of his head at a narrow trail, he nudged his horse with his heels, and she followed. They picked their way over loose gravel and hard-packed dirt. Patches of bright green grass sprouted between large rocks lining the trail. Beau took the opportunity of the loosened reins and grabbed mouthfuls as they passed.

Once they topped the rise, the ground leveled out and widened, and Lucy’s heart swelled at the beauty surrounding them. It was just as she remembered. The babbling stream which fed the waterfall jumped and rushed over granite stones before tumbling into the pool below, the boom and crash muted from their vantage point. High in the trees on the banks, a Tui sang and chirruped with the occasional clicks and cackles thrown in for good measure. Her face broke out into an uncontrollable smile, her soul lifting as she sought out the source, but the dark iridescent blue-green of its plumage made it near impossible.

Sam dismounted and led his horse toward a hitching post that hadn’t existed in her childhood and dropped his helmet at his feet. Following suit, she slid him a glance, her smile growing as she secured the reins. Reaching out, she ruffled his hair which had flattened to his forehead, enjoying the fleeting feeling of his silky hair sliding through her fingers before she dropped her hand. “That’s better.”

He looked so relaxed. The lines on his forehead had eased, radiating out from the corner of his eyes instead. Her gaze dropped to his mouth. It was such a beautiful mouth. Full and inviting, it had fueled all sorts of fantasies over the years. Now it curved up, drawing her gaze to the perfect bow above his top lip. She dug her nails into the post behind her, hoping the solid anchor would prevent her from leaping toward him and learning the shape of his mouth with her tongue.

“Do it.”

Her head jerked up. He stood so close she could see her reflection in his enlarged pupils, smell his intoxicating scent with every breath. The smile had vanished from his eyes, leaving smoldering embers in its wake. She didn’t remember him moving.

“What?” Her voice was a croak.

The corner of his mouth twitched. “Whatever it was you wanted to do.”

She swallowed as he stared at her, his eyes dark and intense. A slight tremble started in her knees. Could she? Dare she?

“It’s me, Lucy. I won’t move a muscle. You’re safe.”

“Knowing that doesn’t make it any less scary.” She cringed as the admission slipped out, her hands curling into fists. God. Could she be any more pathetic? She sounded like an inexperienced virgin—not the grown-up woman she so desperately wanted to be in Sam’s eyes.

Instead of laughing at her as she feared, his eyes softened. He leaned casually against the hitching post as if to assure her he was no threat.

She stifled an incredulous snort. For sure, on the physical level, he posed no threat to her—she’d trust him with her life—but on all the other levels that mattered, he could destroy her in seconds. Then she glanced at his expression. Trust me, it said. She sucked in a breath and let it out, trying to calm her racing heart, and nodded. “Okay, here goes. Don’t you dare laugh.”

“As if I—” His inhale was sharp, and he froze as she braced her hands on his chest and rose on tiptoe, touching her tongue to that spot she’d fantasized about for so long.

Fine bristles rasped under the tip of her tongue as she explored the line of his upper lip to the corner of his mouth. His shuddering breath ghosted into her mouth, and liquid heat flooded her lower belly in response. Under her hand, his heart thumped an erratic beat, matching her own. For the first time, she became aware she held the power to upset the considerable control he usually displayed. Perhaps he felt the need to get down and dirty with her as much as she did him. Pulling back an inch, she studied him in wonder.

Stormy gray eyes met hers. True to his word, he held himself rigidly still. One hand hung at his side deceptively casual, but the other was fisted around the post, knuckles shining white. Color dusted high on his cheekbones, and his eyes glittered with an almost savage light. Her gaze dropped back to his lips, which had parted slightly. His breath came fast and shallow, the damp upper line of his lip beckoning her to taste him again.

More.

Who was she to refuse?

Once more, she rose onto her toes, her hands gripping his shoulders for balance. She kept her eyes open as she leaned in, and was rewarded with the discovery of a slight tick at the corner of his eye. It made her bold, and once more using her tongue, she lightly traced his top lip until it met the full bottom one. With one hand, she stroked up the strong chords of his neck, her thumb bumping over his Adam’s apple as he reflexively swallowed. Her fingers delved into the soft silkiness of hair at his nape, then fisted it in a possessive hold. The breath shuddered out of him, and she pressed an open-mouthed kiss on him, drawing in his essence before sucking in his bottom lip. His whole body tensed, but he didn’t change position, didn’t respond in any way, just allowed her the freedom to explore, to be safe in the knowledge she was in charge.

But that wasn’t what she wanted. What she needed. Not anymore. Not now she’d had a taste of him. Right now she needed his participation.

Wrenching her mouth away, she cupped his jaw in both hands, desperation making her voice shake. “Sam. Kiss me back. Please.”

As if he was waiting for just those words, a groan exploded out of him, and his arms locked around her, pulling her in tight. Plastered to him from thighs to chest, she felt each ragged inhalation, the strong beat of his heart, the rock-hard evidence of his desire pressed into her stomach, and she shivered. Heat radiated from his body, causing the faint scent of earthy woods and citrus to became stronger with each wave. With each breath she took, his essence filled her until she felt like she’d never be whole again without his scent surrounding her, invading her pores. His eyes burned into hers, sending her belly into free-fall. She’d waited what felt like forever for him to look at her like that, never believing he ever would, and it was worth every angst-filled moment to finally feel the intensity of it blazing over her at last.

But he was still going to be gentle with her. She sensed it. Could read it in the restrained movements his body made. Anticipated it in the controlled descent of his mouth, and there was no way in hell she was having any of that.

She fisted both hands in his hair, halting him, his lips a mere breath from her. “No. Don’t treat me like I’m breakable. Kiss me like you mean it.”

Surprise widened his silvered eyes for only a second, then he blinked, and his gaze gleamed with wicked intention. “You asked for it, sweetheart.”

The words were no sooner said than he crushed her mouth with his, possessive and persuasive at once. On a gasp, she opened for him, and his tongue swept inside, stroking and caressing, exploring her so thoroughly she saw stars. God, yes! The tiny part of her brain still capable of thought gave a mental high-five. He tasted so good. Hot and earthy, with a hint of his morning coffee.

Thoughts scattered into sensual overload as one large hand cupped her bottom and reversed their positions, the post firm against her back. His erection pressed into the juncture of her thighs, fitting like the piece of a puzzle she’d no idea had been missing. He rocked his hips, the motion causing the most delicious friction, and she moaned into his mouth, clutching his shoulders as her knees turned to rubber. He was everywhere and all-consuming, and she wanted more even as she knew with certainty she’d never survive it.

Reading her, his palm stroked down her side and crept under the hem of her shirt. At the touch of his rough, calloused palm on her bare skin, Lucy shuddered and arced toward his searching hand. Her nipples strained at the lace of her bra, desperate for his touch, but he merely skimmed the side of her breast, his thumb brushing agonizingly close before dropping down to rest lightly on her hip. Easing his body away from hers, he broke off well before she was ready.

She wanted to scream and fought to keep her voice steady. “Tease.”

His lips twitched with a smile. “You told me to kiss you, so I did. How’s that being a tease?” He crossed his arms and leaned against the post beside her, his posture the picture of relaxed. “If you want more, you’ll have to ask. Only you can be the judge of when you’re ready, and I won’t take more than you offer.”

Lucy glared. He was right of course. Damn him for always having her best interests at heart. But did he have to make it seem so easy to walk away? If it wasn’t for the flush of arousal high on his cheekbones and the large bulge in his pants, she’d think he’d been totally unaffected. As for her, her breasts ached, her nipples still strained at her shirt, and her sensitized skin skittered with the brush of the slightest breeze. Nerve endings jangled throughout her body, making her limbs weak. God knew she wanted more, but the words to ask got stuck in her throat.

Glad of the post at her back, she used it to push away, busying her hands with unhitching her horse and reattaching her helmet. She led Beau for a few paces before the strength returned back to her legs, and she mounted up, pretending nonchalance. “Come on, then. We can’t stand here all day. Let’s get moving.”

Lucy spent the rest of the ride hyperaware of the man at her side. Each rock of his hips to the gait of his horse reminded her of the feel of him against her center, and her body throbbed in desperate need of release. She glared at him again. She wouldn’t be surprised if he’d chosen this outing on purpose. It was probably all part of his plan to defrost the frigid girl. Well, hell. It seemed to be working and then some.

Afraid mewls of frustration would punctuate her speech, lending her more moments to cringe at later, Lucy kept her mouth shut, making conversation sparse. Relief flooded through her when the stables came into view, and she encouraged Beau to quicken his pace. After dismounting, she hugged his neck, breathing deeply of the horsey smell and scratching under his thick mane. “Thanks for the ride, boy. That was fun.” He bumped her gently with his muzzle, making her laugh.

“We should definitely make this a regular occurrence.”

She turned. Sam leaned against the stall door watching her, beautiful lips lifted into a crooked grin.

“Maybe we should.” And then she remembered they weren’t in a relationship, no matter how much she wished it otherwise. Once he deemed her “cured,” the reason for hanging out together would no longer be valid. She forced a light tone to her voice and added, “Short-term anyway.”

He stepped back as she opened the stall door and strode past to find some brushes, catching the way his grin faded into a frown. June chose that moment to enter the stables, and Lucy shifted her attention to her. She’d never been so happy to see the cantankerous old lady. Her emotions sat too dangerously close to the surface. All it would take would be one kind word from Sam, and she’d be blubbering all over his shoulder, begging him to give their relationship a chance to be real. No way would she do that to him. It wouldn’t be fair to put him in that position, not when he was already putting his life on hold for her.

“You kids can leave the turnout of the horses to me. I know you’ll have something else planned.” June hung a newly polished bridle onto its rack.

Lucy leaned forward to kiss the old woman on the cheek and was surprised to be pulled into a fierce hug.

“Don’t you give up on our Sam. He deserves to be happy.”

Lucy’s eyes widened at the low words in her ear, and she tried to pull back to look down into the old lady’s eyes, but she held tight.

“I’ve lived a lifetime, and my eyes see more than yours do. Promise me.”

At her nod, she was released, her cheeks given a double-handed slap before she could pull back completely. Ouch. She’d totally forgotten about the woman’s unique sign of affection. They’d gotten very good at avoiding it in the old days. Placing cool hands to her hot cheeks, she spied Sam smothering a laugh, the bastard. She sent him a scowl, but he was already leaning down to hug June goodbye. She waited, ready with a smug smile, but he neatly captured the old lady’s hands, raised them to his mouth, and kissed the liver-spotted backs instead.

He glanced her way with a smirk, and she rolled her eyes. When he winked, she mouthed an obscenity at him, struggling to keep the grin from her face.

She clambered inside the Jeep before he had a chance to help her in and bit back a groan. Her body was already starting to ache. Unless she rode regularly, the exercise had a way of bruising her very bones.

The vehicle dipped under Sam’s weight as he settled behind the wheel. The engine started with a deep throb. Putting the vehicle into reverse, he stretched an arm across the back of her seat, his head twisted to see behind them. The movement sent a wave of his subtle scent into her nostrils. She bit her lip and averted her gaze out the window as he took the vehicle out of reverse and drove them back down the gravel drive.

“You okay?”

“Huh?” She dragged her gaze away from the scenery to find him frowning at her and scrambled to find a reply. “Yeah. I’m just starting to feel a bit sore, that’s all. Nothing a bath won’t fix.”

He grinned and returned his eyes to the driveway, slowing the vehicle as they came to the exit. “I’ve got something better in mind. We’re making a detour to Miranda Hot Springs before we head home.”

Even while the idea of soaking her tired bones in the thermal water sounded like heaven, Lucy balked. All day she’d been lusting after Sam, and that was while he was dressed in casual clothes. Clothes that covered every inch of his delectable body. How was she going to handle the half-naked version? Relief flooded her as she realized she had an excuse. “Maybe another day. I didn’t bring my swimsuit.”

A mischievous sparkle lit his eyes as he slid a glance her way. “Looks like you’ll be swimming naked, then.” He waggled his brows, then turned his attention back to the road ahead. “My evil plan is working.”

She gaped at him for half a second before her mind kicked into gear with a cheeky rejoinder. “I will if you will.”

The car veered slightly. He cursed under his breath and corrected it instantly, shifting in his seat as if suddenly uncomfortable. “You’re lucky. If it wasn’t a family orientated business, I’d hold you to that.”

Fascinated by the red touching his cheeks and tips of his ears, she couldn’t resist further teasing. “There are always the private adult spas. They have locks.”

He hissed out a breath, and that muscle ticked at the corner of his eye again. He nodded to the bag at her feet. “I grabbed your swimsuit this morning while you were in the shower, but make no mistake—” The deep gravelly tone to his voice made her turn her head to look at his profile. “I’m making a note of that also for another day.”

Lucy’s mouth dried. At the complete lack of teasing in his voice, she decided steering the conversation back to safe ground was in order. “So tell me more about your business. How did you build up so quickly? In the six years I’ve been gone it seems you’ve grown into a huge corporation.”

His jaw loosened, and the muscle beside his eye relaxed as he chuckled. “I wouldn’t call us huge just yet, but yeah, we’re doing all right.”

“You designed and worked on that movie director’s holiday home, didn’t you? Mum proudly told me all about it.”

He nodded, a smile playing about his lips. “That certainly helped. I couldn’t have dreamed of a better launch pad. Before that, we thought ourselves lucky to get a couple of bigger accounts in one month.”

“A bit more exciting than mowing lawns, pulling weeds, and trimming hedges, huh?”

“Just a bit.” He glanced over, his gaze warm and affectionate. “But I don’t begrudge those accounts for a moment. They kept us afloat during the quiet times at the beginning. Besides, a bit of mindless grunt work is good for the body.”

Her gaze ran over him, admiring the strong lines, the muscles in all the right places. Was it ever. As if he felt her appreciative gaze, he glanced over, his gaze darkening. And there it was again. That undercurrent of tension that hummed between them. Never far away at the best of times, now in the quiet interior of the car, it was amplified a hundredfold.

Sam cleared his throat, his eyes cutting back to the road, and switched the radio on. “Do you mind?”

“No, please.”

As rock music filled her ears, Lucy let out a relieved sigh. The opening bars of one of her favorite songs came on, and she straightened in her seat. “Oh, I love The Black Crowes!” She drummed out the beat with palms slapping her thighs.

Sam sang the first line about a man on the scene, then glanced over at her, crinkled eyes encouraging her to join in. His eyebrows waggled as the second line suggested he could give her what she wanted if she’d go home to him, and she laughed aloud before joining in.

Back and forth they sang, their voices getting louder and louder. She giggled at his attempts to sing the high parts. When it came time for the chorus, they both belted it out at the tops of their lungs.

Breathless and grinning, they pulled into the Hot Spring’s parking lot, the strain between them gone. As soon as he cut the engine, Lucy bent over and collected the bag at her feet, then slipped out of the vehicle. Sam led the way. She hardly flinched at the touch of his hand on her lower back, giving herself permission to simply enjoy the warm pressure instead.

Once Sam paid their entrance fee, they wandered through the complex and found a comfortable-looking seat under a large-fronded tree.

Pulling a towel and Sam’s swimming shorts out of the bag, she handed them over, shouldering the bag. “I’ll just go and change. Be right back.”

Sam eyed her, his lips curving the slightest bit. “Sure thing.”

Hurrying to the changing sheds, she felt the heat of his gaze tracking her the whole way, and she struggled to keep her gait natural and not fall flat on her face. Finding a free cubicle, she undressed, then reached into the bag for her swimsuit. As she pulled the two scraps of material out of the bag, she panicked. The bastard. He’d chosen and packed her one and only bikini. She owned three other full suits, but he’d ignored them in favor of the sexy two-piece. It couldn’t have been a mistake because the bikini sat in the back of the drawer, the others within easy reach at the front.

She’d bought the suit when her relationship with her ex was showing the first signs of unraveling. Bright red shot with gold thread, it was an outfit that screamed, “Look at me.” At the time, it had the desired effect, turning the man into a quivering ball of lust. Would Sam’s reaction be similar? Her eyes narrowed, and she smirked. It would serve him right. The thought loosened the hot coils of tension in her belly, and she stepped into the panties, adjusting the side ribbons until they sat securely.

Tying the strings of the top around her neck, she surveyed herself in the speckled mirror and struck a pose. Cocking a hip, she practiced a sultry look, then grinned in satisfaction. Sam’s plan to keep her on edge was about to backfire spectacularly.

Wrapping a towel loosely around her hips, she slung the bag over one shoulder and sauntered out. Sam sat on a bench already changed, his towel around his neck, thigh jiggling and head bent over his phone, skin gleaming bronze under the weakening afternoon sun. Her heart banged against her ribs, and her mouth went dry. Taking advantage of the fact he’d yet to notice her, she looked her fill.

The last time she’d seen him shirtless, he’d been no more than a boy, all rangy height and promise. As an adult, that promise had filled out—and then some. Shirts stretched tight over broad chest and shoulders hinted at the beautiful body he possessed, but seeing it uncovered was another thing altogether. All those long hours of manual work digging and hauling heavy loads had sculpted his body into the kind of muscularity even a dedicated gym routine would struggle to recreate. Immersed in whatever was on the screen, he frowned and scrubbed a hand over the back of his head. Her eyes followed the play of bicep muscle before dropping to his chest, her fingers itching to explore the smattering of hair on his chest and follow the narrowing path disappearing under the waistband of his swimming trunks.

As if sensing her appraisal, his head lifted sharply, and his eyes widened. The hand holding his phone dropped to his lap as his gaze swept her from head to foot, and his Adam’s apple bobbed in a swallow. Emboldened, she added a little more swing to her hips, drawing his eyes like a beacon before they snapped back up to her face. Eyes fixed on his, she stopped before him and dropped the bag at his feet along with the towel in a slow reveal.