Dedication

To my always patient, always sharp, long-suffering critique partner, Cerise Deland, a best-selling author in her own right, who always steers my ship. To Lorne Halloway who taught me about horse and cattle auctions. Thanks for your patience. To my daughter, Amy, whose funny story was the genesis for the Naked Cowboys series. And most of all, to my readers, for loving my books.

Chapter One

“What a crock.” Amy Stark kicked the toe of her well-worn boot at the rear tire on her truck, which was now flatter than a pancake. “Damn you anyway, Matthew Stark.”

If her brother and her best friend had not been off on their honeymoon, she’d really be mad at them. But she’d been so glad to see them married that she’d readily agreed to attend this cattle auction. She just hadn’t expected her truck to get a flat tire out here in the middle of godforsaken nowhere.

There was a jack in the bed of the truck, but at five foot two and one hundred ten pounds, she knew she didn’t have the strength to do what was needed to change the tire. She pulled out her cell phone and rechecked the bars. Only one, and barely visible. Of course. It stood to reason she’d break down where there was no reception and damn little traffic. She thought about kicking the tire one more time, but all she’d do was hurt her foot, and it wouldn’t solve any problems.

Sighing, she checked her watch again. Twelve thirty. The cattle auction would start in half an hour, and she still had a twenty-minute drive to get there. And the whole reason for her going was to bid on a bull Matt had specifically wanted and told her how high to go.

Damn, damn, damn.

When she heard the rumble of a truck coming down the road, she thought she was having auditory hallucinations for a moment. But then, sure enough, a hulking black pickup came around the curve not half a mile away, moving as if it owned the highway. Hoping the driver wasn’t a sex pervert or a murderer, Amy waved her hands in the traditional motion for the driver to stop.

The pickup slowed and came to a stop about six feet from her. The driver’s door opened. And Amy nearly swallowed her tongue when she saw what climbed down to the road. At least six feet of honking, sexy man, his tight butt clearly outlined in his jeans, broad shoulders stretching the fabric of his shirt, traditional Stetson clapped on his head. He turned and walked toward her with the typical loose-hipped stride of the seasoned cowboy. His face was tanned, accented by dark brows and the blackest eyes she’d ever seen. His lips were curved in a smile that could have melted her panties if she let it.

He surveyed her truck with its flat tire. “Looks like you’ve got a problem here. That’s some big truck for a woman your size to handle.”

Amy felt her temper spiking. A woman her size? Big truck? She jammed her fists onto her hips and glared at him. “I’ll have you know I drive this truck all the time. I just…just…had an unexpected setback here.”

The man laughed, a rich, deep sound. “I’d say so. Where you heading?”

She waved down the highway. “There’s a cattle auction not far from here. I was supposed to be there a while ago.”

“Oh? Taking something to your boss?”

To her boss? Holy shit. Who was this cretin? A relic from another century? She ground her teeth, hard, but decided arguing with him wouldn’t get her anywhere. If he’d just help her get the damn tire changed, she’d be on her way. Probably never see him again. Which under other circumstances might be too bad. But right now she was having too much trouble controlling her temper to worry about other physical reactions.

“I just need to get there.” She found a pleading smile from someplace and pasted it on her face. “Is there a chance that you could help me? Do you have the time?”

“For someone as pretty as you, I think I can make the time. Where’s the jack?”

As pretty as her? Was this guy not the biggest chauvinist in the world? She was waiting for him to call her little lady.

She chuffed out a breath. “In the bed. I’ll open it for you.”

Still keeping herself under control, Amy unlocked the truck bed and raised the cover before lowering the tailgate.

“I can take it from here,” he told her and handed her his Stetson. Black, like his truck and his clothes.

Amy was sure her back teeth would be ground to dust by the time she got her tire changed, but she couldn’t afford to annoy him. She just stood to the side, holding his hat like some hat rack or bimbo, while he expertly loosened the lug nuts and pulled off the flat. She’d never seen her savior before, so she glanced at the door of his truck to see if it had a ranch logo on it, but the panel was bare. Of course that meant nothing. She didn’t have “Stark Ranch” on hers either. It was too new.

At last the tire was changed, and the man tossed the flat into the truck bed. He pulled a handkerchief out of his back pocket, wiped his forehead and his hands and retrieved his hat. He moved with a relaxed, effortless ease, yet there seemed to be a contradictory fine line of tension running through his body. As if he had to be wary at all times. What on earth was that all about?

“Thank you.” She held out her hand to him. “I really appreciate this.”

His hand nearly swallowed hers, the warmth of it seeping into her system. With great determination, she ignored the tingles that shot up her arm and spread throughout her body.

I’ve got to get out more.

“My pleasure.” He winked at her. “Hope you get to your boss in time.” He started to walk away.

“I’ll be sure to tell him what a help you were.” She couldn’t keep the edge of sarcasm out of her voice.

He just waved at her over his shoulder.

“Wait,” she called after him. “I didn’t even ask your name.”

“Just call me Good Samaritan,” he said without turning around.

Then he was in his truck, the big engine purred to life and he pulled away. Amy stared after him. She was used to having men hit on her, even in a casual way, unless they happened to be gay. Not that every man did, but enough so it was a common occurrence. But this guy didn’t even seem to take notice of her femininity. His attitude seemed more patronizing than anything else.

She climbed back into her pickup, gunned the motor and laid rubber, peeling out into the road, then deciding she’d better settle down if she didn’t want to get a ticket.

Twenty minutes later, she pulled in to Heiser’s Auction Site, where nearly every ranch in the area shipped their cattle for sale. Buyers came from three states to bid on the finest Texas produced. Afterward there would be a barbecue with music and a bar and a lot of socializing. Amy planned to leave before then. She wasn’t much in the mood for socializing today, especially after the fiasco on the road.

The gravel parking area was already jammed, mostly with trucks and SUVs. Amy finally found a spot next to a pickup that looked like a black leviathan. For a moment, she thought it was the same truck whose driver had stopped to help her, then realized how stupid that was. There were dozens just like it parked here.

As she hoofed it to the big barn where the auction was taking place, she could already hear the auctioneer’s voice ringing out, the bawling of cattle and the undertone of murmuring voices. She registered at the side door to the barn and received her number to use in bidding. Every auction was run differently. Heiser’s Auction preapproved bidders, assigned them numbers and gave them cards when they checked in.

Amy managed to find herself a seat at the end of a row, pulled her notes from her pocket and settled herself in. The bidding had just closed on a small lot of heifers, so she touched the man next to her to get his attention. “Excuse me, but I just got here. Has the Charolaise bull come up for auction yet?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you Amy Stark?”

“Yes. Yes, I am. I’m sorry, but—”

He smiled. “Thought I recognized you. Abel Morgan.” He held out his hand. “Met you at the last auction, but I’m sure you don’t remember. Your brother and I were doing a little business on the side. So, Matt wants to increase his Charolaise stock?”

“Yes.” She shook his hand. “But I had a flat tire and got here late. If I missed it, he’ll kill me.”

“Well, you’re in luck. I think Heiser’s saving it for later. It’s the showpiece of the auction, you know?”

“I sure do.” She grinned. “It’s all he’s talked about lately. Except of course for his wedding and his honeymoon.”

“Well, then. You’re in luck. Plenty of time.”

She leaned back in her chair, relaxed for the first time since the tire popped. Until she glanced around at the other people filling the stadium-style seating and spotted a newly familiar profile.

Oh, no. Oh, shit.

Yup. There he was, her rescuer in black, studying the heifers in the auction pen.

Well, all right then. Maybe he’d finally figure out who her boss was.

Amy watched with interest as cattle were shuffled in and out of the auction pen. She noticed the man in black bid on two lots of excellent Black Angus mares and two lots of calves. Was he restocking a ranch? Stocking a new one? She hadn’t heard of anyone new moving into the area, but then she’d been so busy with the wedding and the ranch the last few weeks she’d paid little attention to anything else.

Now she had the opportunity to study him, albeit from the safety of distance. He had a strong profile defined by a square jaw and high cheekbones. With his Stetson still firmly planted on his head, she couldn’t tell much more, but there was no hiding those impressive shoulders or that muscular body.

A tiny thread of heat sizzled through her, one she did her best to squelch. Just because she hadn’t had a date in months didn’t mean she had to get all hot and bothered about some stranger. And a chauvinistic one at that. Even if he did change her tire. She closed her eyes momentarily, and the image of him crouched down by her truck, muscles flexing in his back and arms as he changed the tire, swept through her brain. Not to mention a very nice ass cupped by his black jeans.

She wondered what he’d look like naked, sprawled out in a bed. Was he big all over? Every part of him? A tremor fluttered through the walls of her pussy, strong enough that she had to squeeze her thighs together.

Stop that. Right now.

She opened her eyes and forced the images away. She had business here and it wasn’t having erotic fantasies about a stranger, especially one with his attitude. But she certainly was curious as to who he was and where he’d come from.

As the sale wound down, people who had placed the bids they’d come to make eased out of the stadium seating and headed for the barn where the after-sale party was set up. Amy could hear the noise of laughter and voices filtering in, even with the loud chant of the auctioneer. She knew Matt would have stayed, but she just wasn’t in the mood right now for boisterous merrymaking. Especially if it meant running into the man in black.

At long last, near the end of the sale, the Charolaise bull was herded into the pen and the spirited bidding began. Amy was lucky. The price went beyond what many of the buyers were willing to pay, even a little more than Matt had told her, but in the end she had the winning bid. When the final lot of cattle had been sold, the people remaining cleared out, no doubt heading for the bar.

She paid for her purchase—Stark Ranch didn’t need certified checks any longer— and set up the arrangements to take delivery of the bull. Then she made her way out to the parking lot, heading for her truck. She jumped when strong fingers closed over her elbow.

“Leaving already?”

The deep voice flowed through her like warm molasses. His grip on her elbow forced her to stop, but she jerked her arm away.

“That’s my intention.” She looked up at him then, instantly recognizing who it was, wishing she hadn’t.

His eyes, black as onyx and slightly almond-shaped, glittered with amusement and something else. Something she had no intention of trying to identify. Something that made her entire body react as if singed by a flame. Pulling her thoughts together, she pasted a smile on her face. “Let me thank you again for helping me today, but I really have to leave.”

His mouth quirked up in an amused smile. “Doesn’t your boss allow you to party with the big boys?”

Okay, that was it. She glared at him. “It just so happens, Mr. Insufferable, that I’m the boss. I own our ranch with my brother. What millennium are you from, anyway?”

He laughed, the same rich sound she remembered from earlier. “Sorry. Just yanking your chain. I saw you bid on the bull, so I figured I’d already stepped in it.” He winked. “Shows you what happens when you assume. So how about telling me your name?”

She didn’t see any reason not to answer him since he could certainly find out from someone else.

“Amy Stark. My brother Matt and I own Stark Ranch.”

“So you’re Matt’s sister.” He rubbed his jaw. “Sorry about the boss crack before. I was just teasing.”

“Uh-huh.” She stared up at him. “So you know Matt?”

“I’ve run into him a couple of times in town. He gave me some helpful advice.”

Advice? About what?

“Matt knows a lot about this area,” she told him. “Our family has owned this ranchland for three generations.”

“Good to know since it seems we’re about to be neighbors.”

She tilted her head. “How’s that?”

“I just bought the Hayes Ranch, which isn’t too far from yours.”

He was going to be a neighbor? Damn. A million questions bumped each other in her brain, but she settled for one.

“Then maybe you should tell me your name?”

“Buck. Buck Montgomery.” He lifted his hat. “Nice to meet you, Amy Stark. I’m sure we’ll run into each other again. Now that I’m going to be part of the community, that is.”

“Oh, um. Yes. I’m sure we will.”

Buck Montgomery? Those images she’d been trying to suppress came crowding back, making her wonder what he’d look like buck naked.

She shook herself. “Well, I need to be on my way. Good luck with the ranch, Mr. Montgomery.”

His grin widened, became more infuriating. “You just go ahead and call me Buck. I don’t stand much on formality.”

She might have been flattered if she didn’t have the feeling he was somehow laughing at her.

“Okay, fine. Buck.” She spat out the name.

“Sure I can’t persuade you to stay for one drink?” he asked.

“No, but thank you. Maybe another time.”

And maybe not. She and her friend, Reenie, had a habit of not choosing too well in the man department. But Reenie had recently broken the cycle and was happily married to Matt, so maybe there was hope for her. Still, starting something that might fall apart with a neighbor didn’t seem like the smartest thing to do. But as she walked back to her truck, she couldn’t get the image of him out of her mind, or the erotic sound of his voice out of her head. And behind that lurked the unlikely thought that she’d seen him somewhere before.

Buck stood watching Amy Stark walk back to her truck, fascinated by her trim body with its unconscious sway of hips, and the way her rich sable curtain of hair bounced with each movement. Her dark brown eyes when she’d glared at him on the highway had been full of piss and vinegar—could you say that about a woman? The thick lashes framing them had only made them more intense. And that mouth. Jesus. He’d be dreaming about that mouth for a long time.

His gaze still followed her as she put one booted foot in front of the other. The Concho belt threaded through the loops of her jeans emphasized her slender waist, and he recalled how the soft cotton of her shirt had caressed her breasts. Breasts he wouldn’t mind holding himself.

Not here, Bucko. Not now. And maybe not ever.

Buck Montgomery today was a totally different man from the one he’d been before he ended up here. He’d changed everything, including parts of his appearance. He’d done a good job burying most of his past, and he wanted to keep it that way.

Why the hell had he flirted with her on the road? Acted like such a chauvinistic ass? Maybe because he’d sensed it would turn her off. Because he had been instantly attracted to her, and he needed to shut that down before it got started.

Getting involved with Amy Stark would be a huge mistake. The women he’d had in his life didn’t even come close to the class that she wore like a second skin. Even now he didn’t remember half of their names. Some he hadn’t even bothered to find out to begin with. A roll in the hay was a roll in the hay.

But all that was behind him now. Every bit of it. He had a fresh start here and he didn’t intend to blow it. How could he tell Amy that what she saw wasn’t what she’d get with him? That if he let her see beneath the surface, she’d run like hell and take his chance for a new life with her? Accumulating the money to buy the ranch had taken too much time and too much sweat and agony to waste this opportunity because he thought with his dick instead of his head.

But, man, she was something, and not just her body. She was the first woman he’d met in years that he wanted more than just physically. The first he wanted to match wits with. Dance with. Laugh with. Spar with. Her dark-chocolate eyes had spit fire at him, and her full lips couldn’t disguise the sass she handed out liberally. He’d really had to control the urge to grab her up and kiss that smart mouth until she had no breath left. And that would have been a huge mistake.

The path he’d chosen might make for a lonely life, but he was sure no woman like Amy Stark would want him if she knew the truth about him, even though he wasn’t that man anymore. Maybe in the future, when he’d really established the man he was now, things might be different.

Of course, by then she’d probably be married with a houseful of kids. Sometimes life just sucked.

“Glad to see you made it today.” A huge hand clapped him on the shoulder, and he shifted position to see Fred Barnes, the realtor who’d handled the sale of the Hayes Ranch. “How’s it coming on the ranch? Getting settled yet?”

“It’s coming along just fine, and I’m as settled as I can be for the moment.” He gestured toward the auction barn. “Added some good stock today to what’s already there. They’ll deliver it as soon as I finish getting the feed in and the pastures ready.”

Barnes nodded. “I saw the lot. With what the Hayeses left, it won’t take you long to build the place back up to full strength. Hired on any help yet?”

Buck shook his head. “So far it’s just me. I’m being very careful with my money until I get through the first year. But it’s almost summer, and I figured if this place was like all the other ranching towns I’ve been through, there’s a lot of experienced kids looking for summer jobs.”

“That’s true. The Starks can be a good resource for you. I saw you talking to Amy a couple of minutes ago. Sharp gal.”

Buck snorted a laugh. “No kidding. Got a tongue like a pitchfork.”

Barnes chuckled. “Yeah, you wouldn’t want to get on her bad side. I’d get in her good graces if I were you.”

Yes, if he could keep it objective and not insult her any more.

“You, um, didn’t say anything to anyone about…”

“What we discussed?” Barnes shook his head. “If you only knew the secrets stored in this old head. I keep confidences, son. And keep them very well. Although, like I said, I think you’d be better off just telling people.” He looked Buck in the eye. “Most of it, anyway.”

“Yeah, well, the problem with that is once people know where to look and what to look for, it’s all over but the shouting.”

“Your decision. But don’t shortchange the people around here. You’d be amazed at what they accept.”

“Like you said, it’s my decision.” Buck shoved his hands in his pockets. “Buy you a cold one?”

Barnes lifted an eyebrow. “I thought—”

“Strictly soft drinks. But that doesn’t mean I can’t watch you enjoying one.”

“All right then. Let’s go. And get some of that good barbecue. Too bad Amy left. They’ve got a band and everything. Bet you and she would look fine on the dance floor.”

“Maybe some other time.”

Or maybe never. If he once got his hands on any part of Amy Stark’s body, he wasn’t sure he could keep himself from tasting and touching every bit of it.

Chapter Two

“It looks like the honeymoon agreed with you.” Amy grinned at Reenie and Matt as they sat across the table from her, drinking coffee.

The newlyweds were still living in the main house while their own was being finished two miles down the road. They expected to be moved in less than a month. They had returned the night before from two weeks in Hawaii, looking tanned and relaxed. And they still couldn’t keep their hands off each other. Matt had his arm around Reenie’s shoulders, and even holding her coffee she seemed glued to her husband’s side. The two of them exchanged a look so intimate it made Amy both embarrassed and jealous. She busied herself refilling their mugs, then sat as casually as she could.

Matt burst out laughing. “Amy, are we embarrassing you?”

She felt heat creep up her cheeks. “Of course not.” She winked at him. “Remember, Reenie and I were the ones who dragged your naked body back to bed before the big romance blossomed.”

Now it was Matt’s turn to blush. Amy was sure none of them would ever forget his first meeting with Reenie, right here at the ranch. He’d come home stinking drunk, barged into the living room completely naked and passed out. He’d had to do a lot of talking to get Reenie to look at him as something besides a drunken slob.

“Anyway.” She cleared her throat. “I got the bull for us. He’s being trucked in today. I thought you’d want me to wait until you got back and could see to the unloading. Besides, I wasn’t sure where you wanted to put him.”

“Good thinking.” He nodded. “He’ll go in that double stall in the second barn. When he wants some air, he can just walk out into his own special pen.”

“No mixing with the ladies until it’s time?” Reenie asked, laughing.

“Absolutely. Gentlemen have to show some restraint.” He squeezed her shoulder, another intimate gesture that made Amy turn away.

Amy ran her finger around the rim of her mug. “I understand you met our new neighbor. Buck Montgomery.” She made her voice as casual as possible.

Matt looked at her with curiosity. “Yeah, I did. How did you know?”

“I met him at the auction.” She didn’t see the need to tell him the flat-tire story, or the fact that just the short time she’d spent with him, only minutes, had given rise to erotic fantasies in her dreams that made her squirm when she remembered them. “He, uh, seems very nice.”

Her brother leaned forward on his elbows. “He is nice. He bought the Hayes Ranch and plans to increase the stock and bring it back up to the level it once was.”

“He must have a lot of money,” Reenie commented. “As we all know, ranching’s not cheap.”

Matt shifted his gaze from his wife to his sister and back again, his face nearly expressionless. “I believe he had a nest egg he cashed in. He’ll be running pretty close to the bone for a while, but I have a feeling he’ll make a success out of that place.”

“What do you know about him?” Amy asked. “Where did he come from?”

Matt laughed. “Amy, if you’re so interested, why don’t you ask him yourself?”

“Yes,” Reenie chimed in. “In fact, let’s invite him over for dinner.”

Amy drained the last of her coffee. “Are you sure that’s such a good idea? I mean, he seemed nice enough, but what do you really know about him?”

Matt snorted. “Damn, Amy, how much do I need to know to be a good neighbor? I’ve spent a little time with him twice, and I’m pretty sure he’s not an ax murderer on the loose.”

“That’s not what I meant, I just—”

“He’s a neighbor,” Matt stressed. “Since when did you become so antisocial?”

Since I had an unwanted physical reaction to the man. And dreams that I can’t seem to control.

“Fine.” She pushed back her chair. “Fine, fine, fine. Call him and invite him over. You can do your famous barbecue steaks.” She rinsed out her mug and put it in the dishwasher. “I have some errands to do in town. I promised Hank I’d ride fences with him this afternoon.”

Hank was the oldest of their hands, the one who’d been here the longest. He’d been the one to put Amy on her first horse and to show her “which end of the cattle eats and which end shits,” as he’d so colorfully put it.

“You know you don’t have to do that,” Matt pointed out. “You’ve got records to bring up to date and the monthly weight-gain reports to get out. And Hank just wants an audience for those tales he’s told a thousand times.”

When their parents had decided to move to New Mexico, she and Matt had split up the responsibilities of the ranch. She took care of all the paperwork, which he hated, and he served as the actual foreman, supervising the hands and overseeing the daily care and feeding of the cattle as well as maintaining the fences and outbuildings. But when she was younger she had often ridden fences with Hank, listening to his stories. She figured by now she was the only one left who’d put up with them.

“I’m good,” she told him. “And sometimes it just clears my head to ride along with Hank and listen to his bullshit.” She picked her keys up from the counter. “See y’all later.”

All the way into town, she couldn’t seem to get Buck Montgomery out of her head. She’d hardly spent much time with him, and half of that she’d been royally pissed. But the image of the man just lingered in her brain, not to mention what thoughts of him did to her body.

Wait. She was an intelligent thirty-year-old woman not given to stray erotic fantasies. Especially about men she hardly knew. It was bad enough when she fantasized about men she did know and they all turned out to be assholes. But lordy. There was just something about Buck Montgomery that set her pulse to pounding, her blood to racing and every hormone in her body to waving a flag.

She reached the center of town almost before she realized it, and considered herself lucky to find a parking place on Main Street. The entire time she did her shopping, Buck Montgomery occupied her thoughts. She was so distracted by the time she stopped at the office-supply store, she picked out some items she’d purchased the week before. The salesman jokingly asked her if she wasn’t a little young for her memory to be fading. Finally, she decided to stop and get something to eat. Maybe a full stomach would make her brain behave better. But as she went to open the door of Bit and Bite, a hand reached out ahead of her.

“Allow me.”

There it was, that deep, rich voice that haunted her dreams and sent shivers skating along her spine. And made the pulse deep inside her body throb hard and fast.

Buck.

For a moment, she wondered if her mental musings had simply conjured him up. But then he pulled the door open for her with his lean, tanned hand and ushered her into the restaurant.

Amy stood in the little entrance area, tongue-tied. How was that possible? She was never at a loss for words, but somehow, after their inauspicious beginning, she couldn’t seem to form a simple sentence. She looked up at him and saw a grin teasing the corners of his mouth, his eyes alight with humor.

“How’s that tire holding up?”

She blinked. “What? Oh. Tire. Yes.” God, she sounded like an idiot. “No flats today, thank goodness. The little lady doesn’t need rescuing right now.”

He had the good grace to look embarrassed, but only slightly. “Well, I’m certainly glad to hear that. So, I assume you’re here because you’re planning to eat lunch?”

“Um, yes. I just finished my errands and realized I’m hungry.”

“Then let me show you I’m more of a gentleman than your first impression and buy your lunch.”

She laughed up at him. “Okay, but I don’t impress easily.”

Careful, Amy. This is a fire that can easily burn you.

But even as she acknowledged that, she realized this instant, electrical attraction was stronger than anything she’d ever felt with another man. And from the heat in his eyes, it was obvious he felt it too.

He guided her to a booth toward the back and waited until she was seated before he slid in opposite her. He took off his Stetson and placed it on the bench next to him, then fixed those onyx eyes on her. Amy realized she could easily get lost in those eyes. Her nipples hardened instantly, and she was sure he could see the pulse beating at the hollow of her throat.

“That’s some fine bull you nabbed the other day,” he said, then burst out laughing. “Sorry. I must be out of practice if that’s all I can think of to say to a beautiful woman.”

“It’s okay. Really. He is some beautiful animal. He’s being delivered today.”

“And you aren’t there to welcome him?”

She shook her head. “That’s really Matt’s bailiwick. I’ll see him when I get home.”

They sat in silence then, as if neither of them could think of anything else to say. Fortunately, the waitress appeared with glasses of water and menus. Amy could lose herself studying the menu and try to collect her thoughts. Should she go for dainty or feed her appetite?

Eat what you want, you idiot! Who are you trying to impress, anyway?

She looked up when the waitress reappeared. “Hamburger medium well with bleu cheese and mushrooms, hand-cut fries and a chocolate shake.”

Buck ordered the steak sandwich with fries and a soft drink. He studied her after handing the menu back to the waitress.

“I have to say,” he told her, “I don’t remember the last time I had a meal with a woman who ordered real food.”

“Then you must be eating with the wrong women,” she joked.

“No kidding,” he muttered, his body taut with tension. Then he exhaled slowly and visibly relaxed. “Just glad to see you go for something more than rabbit food.”

She grinned at him. “I’ve been known to eat a salad now and then. But I’m blessed with a high metabolism, plus I work it off around the ranch.”

Silence instantly dropped between them with all the subtlety of a lead weight. Amy fiddled with her napkin, very aware of Buck’s careful scrutiny. Again, she wondered what the hell she was doing here, anyway. He was exactly the kind of man she told herself to stay away from—tall, very masculine, very sexy. Probably had a hundred women chasing after him. Well, she was tired of being one of the pack. Especially for a man like Buck Montgomery, who was now her neighbor.

So why am I sitting here having lunch with him?

Because my head said no but my body and my mouth said yes.

She looked up to find him watching her with his mouth curved in a slight grin. Heat sizzled across the table with an almost visible snap. She squirmed slightly in her seat and searched for a new topic of conversation.

“Do I make you nervous?” His deep voice vibrated though her, the warmth of it like a heated cloud surrounding her and washing over her skin.

Amy cleared her throat. “Nervous?” She clasped her hands on the table in front of her, hoping Buck wouldn’t notice the tremors in them. “Not. Not at all. Is there some reason why you should?”

“No. No reason. You just seem…fidgety. I wondered if it was me.”

Yes.

“Of course not.” She searched for a topic of conversation. “So, when did you buy the Hayes Ranch? I didn’t even know it had sold.”

“About a month ago. It’ll take me a while to get it into shape, but I’m working at it.”

Their conversation was interrupted by the delivery of their food. Using the condiments took up a minute or so. Amy took a healthy bite of her burger and moaned in ecstasy.

“Still the best I’ve ever eaten,” she said around a mouthful of food.

“All their food is good. I eat here whenever I come into town.”

There was more silence as they consumed their lunch. Amy kept her eyes on her food, but she was more than cognizant of the heavy-lidded looks Buck kept giving her. She wondered what was on his mind. At the auction he hadn’t seemed all that interested in her, polite and nothing more after their rocky start. Yet now he seemed to be seducing her with his eyes from across the table.

When she finished the last bite of food, she patted her mouth with the napkin and leaned against the back of the seat.

“You missed a spot.” He moved his hand toward her and then jerked it back.

“A spot?” She frowned.

“Mustard. On your lower lip.”

Amy patted her mouth with her napkin and looked at the yellow smear on the white cloth. How embarrassing.

“I’m not usually a slob when I eat.” She ran the napkin over her mouth again.

“But then I wouldn’t have had the pleasure of catching that last little bit on your lip.”

I should just get up and leave before I get myself into trouble. This was a huge mistake.

“I’m curious.” She crumpled her napkin and set it on the table. “How did you happen to pick this particular area to settle in?”

He shrugged. “I looked at a lot of places. A lot of ranches. This area seemed to suit my needs the best.”

“What did you do before? Did you have another ranch somewhere? Or work on one?”

His face sobered as if someone had wiped a cloth over it. “For a couple of years.”

“And before that?”

His eyes now were cold and hard. “I did…other things.”

Amy had no idea what that meant, but the mood at the table had definitely shifted.

“Well.” She lifted her napkin, patted her mouth again nervously to give herself something to do. “I’m glad you found what you were looking for. I wish you good luck. You know you can always call on Matt for anything. Advice if you need it. Or whatever.”

Buck lifted an eyebrow. “Not you? You run the place with him, right?” Was he teasing her? Throwing her words from the auction back at her?

She managed a smile. “Only if you have trouble with your computer or the software. I handle that end of the ranch. Mostly.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

The waitress dropped the check on the table and Buck expertly palmed it. The expression on his face hadn’t changed, but his eyes suddenly looked darker than midnight, as if unpleasant memories were crowding his brain.

And what’s that about?

“My treat,” he told her. “I did invite you to join me, right?”

“Oh. Well, then thank you.” She slid out of the booth. Then she remembered her discussion with Matt and Reenie. “I suppose you’re busy this weekend, but if you’re not, we’d like to invite you to the ranch for dinner Saturday night. Nothing fancy. Just barbecue steaks.”

“Are you hoping I’m busy or hoping I’m not?” His eyes, which a minute ago had been hard and black as coal, now came to life with a sparkle. “Is that a left-handed invitation? Did your brother have to bribe you to agree to it?”

She chuffed a laugh. “I guess it did sound that way. Sorry. And after you paid for my lunch. Okay, Mr. Montgomery, we would love to have you join us at Stark Ranch on Saturday for dinner. Very casual. About six o’clock. Will that work for you?”

His face relaxed and he chuckled. “Why, yes, Miss Stark. That will work for me just fine.”

“Good. We’ll see you then.”

She made it out the door as gracefully as she could and down the street to her truck. But once inside the cab, she leaned back against the leather and let out a long breath. What on earth had she been thinking about? Buck Montgomery was dangerous to her. He had the power to make her break every one of her resolutions, the most important being don’t get involved with a man who moved in a cloud of testosterone and seemed to command all the space around himself.

And what was all that about his background? She’d asked a simple question and he’d frozen up on her like an engine in Alaska. Shut her out completely. The mood at the table had shifted as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice on it. She almost hadn’t asked him to dinner, but she knew if she didn’t, Matt or Reenie would. Maybe if they got him to relax, he’d loosen up a bit.

And then what?

Amy smacked the steering wheel. Why couldn’t she fall for someone less electric, less sensual, less…less…masculine? She snorted at that. Yeah, right. Because men like that turned her off at once. She could barely get past a kiss. But men like Buck had broken her heart more than once. She’d have to guard it very carefully where he was concerned.

Buck drained the last of his soda and set the glass back on the table. He hoped the chill of the drink would kill the heat consuming his body. Eating lunch with Amy Stark had been bad enough. Accepting the dinner invitation had to be his stupid move of the day. Maybe the week. Had he not told himself after the auction that she was off-limits to him? That she was out of his class? If she knew his background, she might even take back her dinner invitation.

He’d struggled to keep it from Matt the few times they’d spoken. Of course people would be curious. A strange face in a small town surrounded by a close-knit group of ranch families? Stood to reason. A couple of times he’d caught people looking at him curiously. As if they thought they recognized him but weren’t sure. He’d cut his long hair, which drastically altered his appearance—who’d have thought it would make such a change?—and he’d changed the style of Stetson he wore. Additionally, he’d deliberately picked an area where he hadn’t appeared, a place where people were less likely to know about him or his reputation. Somehow he’d always missed the big event in San Antonio, and now that worked to his advantage as he tried hard to settle down in this ranching community nestled in the Texas Hill Country.

After all the hell-raising he’d done, he’d made up his mind to stay away from women until he established himself and left his past well behind. He certainly didn’t need to get involved with a woman like Amy Stark, high class, smart and sexy as all hell. The minute she found out about his past, she’d kick him out with the toe of those fancy boots she wore. And rightfully so.

But holy shit. Every time he saw her, his cock took over his thinking and led him straight into temptation. He couldn’t stop staring at her all through lunch. And that little smear of mustard on her lip had just been so enticing. He’d wanted to touch the softness of her mouth beneath his thumb, to press his lips against hers. His fingers itched to run through her thick, silken hair. To stroke her skin that looked smooth as satin. To—

He jerked himself back to reality.

He considered himself fortunate that he was getting this opportunity. God only knew he’d put up with enough shit accumulating enough money and making his plans. The last thing he needed to do was screw things up now. Matt Stark, who obviously had some clout in the area, had offered his friendship and his help. He couldn’t imagine that offer would still be in place if Matt knew about Buck’s background. Or if Buck got involved with Amy.

Shit, shit, shit.

Maybe he should just cut off his dick and hide it someplace. He knew it was going to get him into trouble.

Sighing, he slid out of the booth and headed for the cash register to pay the check. As he turned to leave, he nearly bumped into a tall man just entering the restaurant.

“Excuse me,” he said.

“No problem.” The man grinned. “I wasn’t paying attention. Had my mind on something else.” Instead of heading for a seat, he stopped and gave Buck a searching look. “Don’t I know you from someplace? You look real familiar.”

Buck’s gut tightened, but he put a polite smile on his face. “Probably around town.” He held out his hand. “Buck Montgomery. I recently bought the Hayes Ranch and I’m working to get it up to speed again.”

“Nice to meet you.” The man shook his hand. “Ted Rawlins. I have a spread about five miles from yours. Run a couple thousand head of Charolaise cattle. Stop by sometimes, if you’d like.”

“Thanks. Nice of you to offer. Right now, though, I’m hip deep in getting my place going again.”

“Well, maybe we’ll see each other again. The town’s not that big.” He frowned. “Sure you’ve never been here before?”

“No. Sorry.”

Buck shoved his hands in his pockets so the other man wouldn’t see how tightly he fisted his hands to maintain his control. Damn. Just his luck to run into this guy.

“Yeah, maybe you’re right.” Rawlins rubbed his jaw. “But I could swear I’ve seen you someplace else.”

Buck shrugged. “Never been around this area before. But I’m sure we’ll run into each other again.”

The other man nodded. “No doubt. Well, nice meeting you.”

“Same here.”

Buck didn’t draw a full breath until he was back at his truck. Damn. He’d chosen this place because he’d never performed here before, so the chances of someone recognizing him were very slim. He hoped Ted Rawlins was the exception rather than the rule regarding the number of people who might recognize Narsimha. He’d left that person with all his problems far behind. He hoped that part of his life would soon be buried completely. Maybe then he could settle completely into his new life and indulge his overwhelming need to plunge himself into Amy Stark’s small but lush body.

Meanwhile, he still had Saturday night dinner to get through without pissing someone off. Why the fuck did he have to have a deep desire for probably the one woman he should stay away from?

Chapter Three

Amy changed clothes a dozen times before six o’clock rolled around Saturday night. She’d taken out the plates and silverware, made sure there was plenty of cold beer in the fridge, and left Matt marinating the steaks and heating the grill and Reenie tossing the salad. That afternoon, she’d baked and frosted her special Decadent Dose of Chocolate Cake. Now, showered, hair freshly washed, she had half her closet strewn across her bed.

What is the matter with me? Why am I even worried about his impression of me? He’s a jerk. Keep that in mind.

Yes, indeed. Buck Montgomery was irritating, frustrating and everything in between. She still smarted from the condescending attitude he’d carried when he stopped to help her with her truck. And what was up with him blowing hot and cold the way he had at lunch? One minute he was all friendly, and the next he made a freezer look hot. If he had personal problems, she sure didn’t want to deal with them. She was still smarting from the last disastrous breakup that had thrown her into a tailspin. That one had been so humiliating she’d made a resolution to avoid any relationships of any kind for a long time. So why couldn’t she get Buck Montgomery out of her head?

However, despite her internal arguments and self-admonishments, she still took her time in the shower, trying to settle her mind, convince herself this was just a friendly dinner with a neighbor and that’s how she’d look at it. Matt and Reenie would be there, for God’s sake. What was the big honking deal? Even as she slathered on scented lotion and sprayed a light mist of perfume around herself, she was still cursing the part of her that was attracted to him.

Just remember all the assholes, and add him to the list. They’re all the same.

But, she reminded herself, hope springs eternal in the breast of foolish women. She’d just have to quench it, play hostess and move along.

She finally decided on a pair of embroidered jeans and a peasant blouse that set off her thick brown hair and her lightly tanned shoulders. She knew she was probably playing with fire, but she was drawn to it like a moth to a flame.

Everyone was on the patio talking and drinking by the time she finally made it outside. Matt was checking the grill, Reenie next to him, Buck a few feet away. The sparks flew the moment she stepped outside and spotted Buck Montgomery.

Oh lordy.

Tonight he wore jeans that outlined his narrow hips and long legs. Paired with them was a startlingly red, short-sleeved knit shirt that contrasted with and emphasized his dark complexion and black, black hair. He turned at the sound of her footsteps and something hot sparked in his eyes.

Heat sizzled through her body and singed her good intentions.

Damn.

“Evening.” He nodded at her and gave her a slow smile that nearly melted her panties.

“Sorry I’m late,” she apologized. “Must have lost track of the time.”

“What are you drinking, Amy?” Matt asked. “Your usual white wine?”

“No.” Her eyes were still locked with Buck’s. “I think tonight I’ll have a beer. Lone Star.”

Her brother raised an eyebrow at her but pulled a cold brew from the ice-filled tub, unscrewed the cap and handed it to her. Still watching Buck, she tipped the bottle back and took a deep swallow. She hoped the chilled beverage would cool the sudden heat flushing through her body, but it didn’t even make a dent.

“Thanks for the invitation.” His voice skewered her. “Your brother’s been giving me some great tips.”

“Yeah,” Matt told her. “I told him about the high school and college kids out looking for summer ranch work. Said I’d pass his name along so he could at least hire himself some temporary help.”

“I appreciate it too,” Buck said.

“We also invited him to join us at the Cattleman’s Ball next month,” Reenie added. “Matt’s going to get the membership application for him.”

“How nice.” What else was she supposed to say? “It’s a good way to get to know people.”

For a brief moment, something hard and cold flashed across Buck’s face, gone even before she could recognize it. But the smile that replaced it looked a little forced.

“I’m looking forward to it,” he told her.

“I figured it would work better if Buck went with us—you, me and Reenie—and we could make the introductions.”

She nearly choked on her beer. “Oh, um, well, um, sure.”

Buck’s gaze seemed to look right inside her. “I told Matt that’s very nice of all of you, but I don’t want to horn in. Anyway, I haven’t decided yet if I’m even going.”

“Of course you are,” Reenie insisted. “It’s a very important event.” She grinned. “And you can satisfy everyone’s curiosity about the man who bought the Hayes Ranch. Listen, why are we all standing up here? Let’s sit down under this umbrella and get some shade.”

Matt took a seat close to the grill so he could keep an eye on the fire. With only four people at the round table, of course Amy ended up next to Buck, where she felt the heat radiating from his body. Or was that hers? How on earth was she supposed to conduct a normal conversation when a man she unfortunately lusted for, one who pissed her off, was practically touching her?

Was actually touching her. His arm brushed hers where it rested on the arm of her chair, and his leg bumped hers beneath the table. The man was driving her crazy. One minute he obviously rebuffed her, the next he looked like he wanted to strip off all her clothes. What was going on with him, anyway? And why was he so reluctant to tell her anything about his background? She couldn’t decide if she wanted to find out or not.

Make up your mind, stupid. Just because you’re still scorched from a succession of jerks doesn’t mean you can’t take a chance again.

But it does, she thought. Especially when she couldn’t get a clear read on Buck. There was just something there…

She was so lost in her own muddled thoughts, letting the conversation wash over her, that she wasn’t aware Matt was speaking to her.

“Amy?” He reached across the table and snapped his fingers in front of her. “Earth to Amy. You with us, kiddo?”

“What?” She blinked. “Sorry. I must have zoned out for a minute.” Heat crept up her cheeks. “What did I miss?”

Matt grinned. “I asked you what you thought about the cattle Buck bought at the auction.”

Cattle? Auction?

She wanted to smack herself in the face to jog her brain into place.

“Oh, um, yes. The auction.” She gave everyone what she hoped was a warm smile. “I’d say he made some good purchases. Good start for his herd.”

“Thanks.” The deep timbre of his voice vibrated through her. “I value your opinion as much as your brother’s. Matt says ranching’s in the Stark blood, and I’m beginning to believe it.”

Conversation seemed to flow easily, at least for Buck, her brother and her sister-in-law. Amy did her best to pay attention, all the while reminding herself that Buck Montgomery was bad medicine for her. A man who gave out mixed signals where women were concerned. Or at least where she was concerned. She’d had enough of that from the jerks she’d dated. If he and Matt became close friends she’d deal with it, just like she’d have to deal with the feelings he stirred in her. But it wasn’t as easy as she wished. And sitting this close to him didn’t help any.

She finally decided it was time to move the evening along. Finishing the last of her beer, she looked over at Matt. “How’s that fire coming, Matt? About ready for the steaks?”

He glanced at it. “I’d say it’s just about right. Reenie, you and Amy want to bring out the goods?”

“Sure.” Reenie finished her drink and stood. “Come on, Amze. I’m getting hungry too.” The moment they were in the kitchen, she grabbed Amy’s arm. “What on earth is going on with you and Buck? The air between the two of you practically sparks with all the electricity.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. There’s nothing going on with us. Nothing.” Amy jerked her arm away, pulled the steaks out of the fridge where they’d been marinating and opened the patio door with her elbow. “I’ll just take these right out to Matt.”

“Wait,” Reenie called after her.

Amy ignored her and made her way to the grill, where Matt was poking at the wood chips over the hot coals. Buck had risen and was standing next to Matt, drinking a diet cola. It suddenly occurred to her that was all she’d seen him drink. Hmm. No beer? No booze? A teetotaler? That was pretty hard to find in Texas. Maybe he had an allergy of some kind. She’d heard that happened in rare instances.

Except not usually in a cowboy. Or was he? A real cowboy? Maybe she’d have a chance to ask him without looking too rude. She wouldn’t be so curious if he weren’t so secretive, but it had become something like a thorn in her foot, an irritant.

Right now, though, she focused on the food and on occupying herself enough that Reenie had no time to pepper her with questions

“Here you go.” She placed the tray on the extended shelf of the grill, ignoring Buck. “Make mine medium rare.” She smiled. “Please.”

“Is there any other way?”

The patio door slid open again and she heard Reenie’s voice. “Amy? I could use a hand in here with the rest of this stuff.”

“Go on,” Matt said. “I’ve got this under control.”

Yeah, I’m sure, but you haven’t got your wife and her curiosity under control.

“Come on,” Reenie called again.

Amy sighed and headed back inside.

“No questions,” she said firmly before her sister-in-law could say a word. “Not one word.”

“Oh, come on,” Reenie teased. “Holy crap, Amy. The way he looks at you I expect both of you to self-combust.”

“Hot looks don’t mean a damn thing.” She grabbed the stuffed baked potatoes that had been resting in the warming drawer, wincing when her hand hit the edge of the metal. “Ouch.”

“Careful.” Reenie’s voice held an edge of humor. “You get too close to heat you can get burned.”

“See?” Amy whirled around. “That’s what I mean. I’ve been burned so many times my scars have scars. And Buck Montgomery is no different than any of the other jerks that have passed through my life. Worse maybe, because he keeps sending out mixed signals.”

Reenie took the potatoes from her and set them on the counter. “Stop,” she said. “Just stop and take a breath.”

Amy sucked the burned spot on her hand and stared at her sister-in-law.

“How long have we known each other?” Reenie asked. “A long time, right?” She grinned. “Didn’t I help you drag your brother’s naked body to bed the first time we got together after years?”

Amy had to laugh. She still had flashbacks to that really weird night. “But you two ended up together.”

“That’s what I mean. Despite the fact he was the biggest, baddest player in the area. If you had asked me then if I’d consider even going out with such a jerk, I’d have said you were crazy. But look at us now.” The look on her face softened. “Maybe there’s something there for you and Buck, maybe not. But don’t write it off so quickly because of the past. Yours or his.”

Amy shrugged. “I’ll give it some thought. Now can we finish bringing the food out?”

Reenie laughed. “Let’s do it.”

The evening seemed to go more smoothly after that, probably because she’d forced herself to relax and just be part of the conversation. But she was still acutely aware of Buck’s nearness. Of his masculine scent. Of the invisible attraction simmering between them. And the conflicted feelings he projected. She wished to hell she knew what that was all about.

They sat for so long over dessert that it was full dark when Buck rose from his chair.

“This has been great, and I really appreciate it, but I think I’d better get going. Tomorrow may be Sunday, but I’ve got a hellacious amount of work to do.” He reached out a hand to Matt, who shook it. “Thanks for the hospitality and the great food. As soon as I get set up at the ranch—hopefully in this century—I’d like to reciprocate.”

“Just say you’ll go to the Cattleman’s Ball with us and we’ll call it square.”

Buck paused, then nodded. “Only if you let me pay for the tickets.” He held up a hand as Matt started to object. “Take it or leave it. It’s the least I can do after this and all the help you’ve given me. And offered.”

“That’s very nice of you,” Reenie said. “We accept, and I’m glad we’ll all be going together.”

“Me too,” Matt echoed. “Amy, why don’t you walk Buck to his truck? I’ll help Reenie carry this stuff into the house.”

Amy’s stomach did a funny little flip. Walk him to his truck? In the dark?

“I think I can find my way,” Buck said.

“Forget it. It’s just good manners.” Matt looked at her. “Amy?”

She pasted on a smile, trying not to think about the sudden rush of heat. “Of course. Come on, Buck. Besides, this way I get out of kitchen duty.”

They walked in silence to the far side of the house where the parking area was. The night was so still she could hear the sounds of her own breathing. Finally, they reached his big, shiny, black truck—she always thought of them as an extension of men’s penises—and stood there while he fished his keys from his pocket.

“Well,” she said, not knowing what else to say.

He turned and was so close she was sure only a piece of paper could slide between them.

“Well, indeed.”

Her heart was thumping so loudly she wondered if he could hear it.

Run. Run as fast as you can.

Then his hands were on her shoulders and his mouth took hers in a bruising kiss she felt all the way to the soles of her feet. Her body went liquid, her mouth opening for him as if it was the most natural thing in the world. When he thrust his tongue inside her, her own danced with it, an erotic ballet that sent lust shimmering through her. When he pulled her tight against his body, she felt the ridge of his cock against the soft denim of his jeans, thick and hard, demanding attention.

With his mouth still fused to hers, he slid his hands down her back to cup the cheeks of her ass, squeezing and kneading.

I’m crazy. I must be insane. This is not happening.

But it was, and she never wanted it to end.

He moved one of his large hands around to tug her blouse from her jeans. Before she could protest, he’d shoved her bra upward and cupped her breast, rasping his thumb over her hardened nipple.

Breathe! I need to breathe!

Buck finally lifted his mouth from hers and trailed his lips across her cheek, finding the sensitive spot beneath one ear. His breath was a warm breeze against her skin, his touch so electrifying she could feel her nerves spark and riot. Her panties were damp with her arousal, her cunt throbbing with need.

Then, suddenly, he lifted his head and used his hands to set her apart from him. She stared at him, confused.

“What?” What had she done wrong? She was totally confused. Here were the damn mixed signals again.

“I’m no good for you.” His voice was rough, his breathing uneven. “I’m no damn good for you, and I should just walk away. But I can’t, damn me. From the minute I saw you on that road you were in my blood, and I can’t get you out.”

She stared up at him. “I don’t understand.”

“No, I guess you don’t.” He blew out a breath. “Amy, if you’re smart, you’ll turn around and run back to the house as fast as you can. I know you feel what’s brewing between us just like I do. There doesn’t seem to be any turning away from it.” His caress on her cheek was both rough and tender. “So we’ll see where it takes us and hope neither of us gets burned.”

“Buck,” she began, trying to slam her brain into gear, “I don’t know what—”

He touched her lips with his fingertips. “No. Don’t say a word. We just can’t get around this. Maybe we’ll be like a flash fire, once and done. And I hope we survive.”

“And maybe it will turn out to be something else.” Did she actually say that? Was she out of her mind?

“I’m giving you fair warning, Amy.” He gripped her shoulders tightly. “If you want to walk away, do it now.”

She cocked her head. “What’s wrong, Buck? What is so terrible that you have such a pessimistic outlook?”

For a moment, that same terrible look she’d seen before flashed briefly across his face. Then he bent his head and brushed his lips against hers. “Let’s just see what happens. Maybe we’ll get whatever this is out of our systems and move forward from there.”

She didn’t know what to say to that, so she just stood there, clothes disheveled, lips bruised from kisses, and watched him climb up into the cab of the truck. He cranked the engine and then rolled down the window.

“Dinner,” he told her. “Tomorrow night. Casual. Pick you up at six. Oh, and don’t expect to be home before morning.”

Amy watched him drive away, still feeling his mouth on hers, his hands on her body. She had the feeling she’d just stepped into the deep end of the pool.

Buck flipped the light switch as he walked into the house, tossed his hat onto a hat rack—left over from the previous owner—and headed for the kitchen to get a cold drink. What he really wanted was a stiff shot of whiskey, but after a terrible night long ago he’d promised himself never again. So he made do with a soda, popped the top and carried it out to the back porch. He stood staring out at the landscape as he sipped on his drink.

He was already convinced he’d done a damn foolish thing tonight. He should have just gotten in his truck, come home and taken a cold shower. But the pull between him and Amy Stark was so strong he couldn’t tear himself away from it. It had taken all he had not to strip her clothes off there in the parking lot of her home. He was only glad the kitchen was on the other side of the house so they were away from curious eyes.

His cock was still hard enough to hammer nails. What he really wanted was to hammer inside her luscious body, but not out there like some berserker. She deserved candles and seduction, and he was damned determined to give them to her. That way if they clicked and she ever heard about his background, she’d have something to balance it.

It was the alcohol, he kept reminding himself. The alcohol and a hot temper. And a need to prove himself to his own people and to others. At twenty, he’d finally broken away from his family on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming to compete on the rodeo circuit. The parting had been painful. His mother, a full-blooded Arapaho, and the elders had warned him of the rampant bigotry on the circuit and the ridicule he’d be subjected to. In the Arapaho tribe it was a bad thing to disrespect and ignore the wisdom of the elders, so his leaving had put him outside the tribe. Outside his family. He hadn’t given much credence to their warnings, anyway. Or cared. He was young and a wicked rider and thought he had the world in the palm of his hand.

But the elders had been right about the prejudice. He had to fight, literally, for every place in the competition. And once there, he’d had to be better than everyone else. Each year his skills had improved until he was winning nearly every event he entered. People came from everywhere to watch the rider who was one with the horse, who rode the baddest bulls, who tamed the horses that bucked the most. He rode as Narsimha, Lion Among Men, for that was how he saw himself. The atmosphere was heady. The smell of sawdust and horseflesh, the cheers of the crowds, the beautiful young women who hung around for him because he was a winner. Maybe they thought it would be an adventure to fuck an Indian. Whatever. He took what was his and kept on taking.

The resentment against him grew with each win, until fistfights and a night in jail became common occurrences for him. His courage came from the alcohol he drank, but it also stoked his temper.

Until one night when, as usual, he was drunk out of his mind. The rodeo he’d competed in had been comparatively small but with a very rich purse. For the previous five years he’d come in second overall to a local hero, but that night he took everything, including the belt buckle. The local hero and his friends hadn’t taken too kindly to that. He’d gotten in a bloody bar brawl with other riders who were angry and resented him. They’d built a frame around him he almost couldn’t get out of. When he woke up in the morning with a hangover bigger than the Grand Canyon, the charge of rape he was faced with shocked him senseless. He’d done a lot of things since leaving home, but that wasn’t one of them.

The people in the town had been ready to string him up. The sheriff had had to send deputies out to disperse an angry mob. Gossip had blackened his name everywhere. But the men who’d set him up hadn’t counted on him having an alibi. A sheriff’s deputy had found him passed out behind one of the local bars and hauled his ass to jail. When the supposed rape had taken place, Buck had been locked up good and tight.

He couldn’t seem to avoid the stink of the rape, even when the charge was proven to be bogus. There were many—too many—who thought he’d just wiggled out from under it. He knew it would follow him on the circuit, so he paid attention to his wakeup call and quit. Made himself disappear. And stopped drinking altogether.

That had been a hard one, especially since the rage at what had been done to him still lingered. He’d wished for better relationships with his family and the ancient cure of the sweat lodge, but he’d made his choices and was stuck with them. He’d done one thing right during all those years of hell-raising. He’d opened a bank account, knowing he wouldn’t be able to ride the circuit forever. Although he’d spent a lot on equipment and liquor, he was smart enough in some corner of his brain to stash as much as he could in that account after every rodeo.

He’d changed his name back to the English one his father, Duke Montgomery, had given him and set out to realize his ultimate dream—owning his own ranch. Two years spent as a hand on a ranch in West Texas, a place he’d never been in before, gave him a good base of knowledge and a lot of space between the man he’d been and the man he’d become.

Finally, with cash in hand and enough experience to know what he was doing, he’d picked a place where people weren’t likely to know him and put down roots. The rage at what had been done to him still simmered slowly in a dark place of his mind, but he kept it tucked away or he’d go crazy. He constructed a new person, a new personality. And moved forward with his plans.

What he never expected was Amy Stark and the compelling, undeniable attraction that flamed between them. Each time he saw her, the desire only grew stronger. And it was more than sexual heat. There was an undeniable emotional thread tugging the two of them together. Something he’d never felt for any of the many other women who’d filled the landscape of his life. He was sure if she knew the truth about him, she wouldn’t think him worth even a twitch of her eyebrow. But as much as he tried to convince himself to walk away, it didn’t seem to be an option.

He had two choices. Ignore her, and to do so he’d have to be rude and crude in order to conceal his real feelings. But Amy was a woman who was a respected member of the community, who came from a family with a long line of history in the area. Treating her that way would only make him an outsider here before he’d hardly gotten started. Or he could try to set aside his past and follow through on the lightning that struck them with such force. He knew that was taking a big chance. He was hardly deserving of her. And then there was the man he’d bumped into who thought he looked familiar. How often was that going to happen?

But he could no more deny their chemistry than he could stop breathing.

He looked up at the starlit sky and, for the first time in years, wished he remembered the old prayers his grandfather had taught him.

Chapter Four

Amy took one last look at herself in the mirror, checking the long peasant skirt and embroidered top she wore. Casual and feminine. That’s what she’d aimed for. Golden hoops dangled at her ears and three bracelets jingled on her arm. She’d used her most expensive lotion and perfume after her shower. Having accepted where tonight would lead, deciding to take the risk, she wanted to make herself as tempting as possible. If this whole thing went down in flames, the way her relationships seemed to have a habit of going, and the way she feared the situation with Buck would go considering his hot-and-cold signals, she at least wanted to look her best when it happened.

Finally, she gathered her purse and her sweater and headed out to the great room. She didn’t want to give Matt an opportunity to cross-examine Buck, but she also didn’t want to put herself in that spot either. Would it look too stupid if she waited outside?

But both Matt and Reenie were sitting in the great room, one pretending to watch television, the other reading a book. Their greeting to her was so studiedly casual as to be laughable.

“Okay.” She held up a hand. “Here’s the way it is. I’m going out on a date, I’m well over twenty-one, neither of you are my parents and I’m not answering any questions. Oh, and I don’t know when I’ll be home, so don’t ask.”

“Why, Amy,” Matt teased. “Us old folks are just settled in for a night at home.”

“Yeah, with your eyes glued to the door.” She walked over to stand in front of him. “You listen to me, Matthew Stark. One word out of line, one inch of your nose in my business and I’ll make your life a living hell.”

Reenie laughed. “She’s got your number, Matt.”

“You may say hello to him,” Amy went on. “Cordially. Tell us to have a good time and then shut up.”

“Not too good a time,” Matt said with a straight face.

Amy would have given him a snotty reply, but the doorbell rang at that moment. She took a deep breath, curved her lips in a smile and opened the door. And nearly swallowed her tongue. Buck Montgomery stood there in all his six-foot-plus glory, looking far too sexy for his own good. For her own good.

His muscular body was clad in black jeans and a white long-sleeved western shirt that set off his dark complexion. Where the top two snaps were open, the dark, curly hair from his chest just peeked out, and her hands itched to touch it. His thick black hair, which just brushed the collar of his shirt, was carefully combed but gave off a silent invitation to run her fingers through it. His feet were shod in spit-polished black boots that looked hand-tooled. But it was the heat in his eyes that singed her and blazed straight through her body.

Matt had risen from the couch and stood beside her, hand held out.

“Did you want to tell me her curfew, Dad?” Buck’s mouth turned up in a grin as the two men shook hands. “Because I think that’s gone by the wayside.”

“Matt just likes to take his big-brother role a little too seriously,” Amy snapped. “If he doesn’t back off, I might be tempted to give you a synopsis of his wild bachelor days.”

“Hey!” Matt gave her an innocent look. “Just shaking hands with a friend here.”

But the atmosphere was clear to everyone. And in Matt’s eyes, she saw his acknowledgment of her words: Message received. Mind your own business.

“Well.” Amy edged toward the door. “I’d love to continue this wonderful conversation, but I think it’s time for us to go.”

Buck’s smile made her pussy throb, and his possessive arm around her heated her blood.

“You got it, darlin’.”

Buck laughed, a rich, deep sound as he handed her up into the cab of his truck. “I think your brother’s worried about his little sister,” he told her.

“My brother keeps forgetting I’m not twelve.” She ground her teeth, then forced herself to relax. She had enough to be tense about tonight without throwing Matt into the mix.

“I think if I had a younger sister who looked like you, I’d be worried too.” He slid behind the steering wheel.

“Should he be worried?” she teased.

The look he gave her was smoldering and there was nothing at all humorous in it. “Probably.” Then he started the truck, backed up and headed out of the driveway.

“Where are we going?” Amy asked, searching for something safe to discuss.

“I did a little research. There’s a nice restaurant, nothing fancy, in the next town over. The Ranch House. I’m sure you’ve eaten there.”

“Yes, I have. Several times. It lives up to its reputation for the best steaks in Texas.” She gave him a curious look. “Was there a reason you didn’t want to eat in town here?”

He was silent for a moment, as if choosing his words carefully. “I thought you might like something a little more private. Out of the way. I didn’t think you’d want everyone stopping by the table asking you questions.”

She frowned. “I’m not ashamed for people to see me with you, if that’s what you’re thinking. Are you?”

He was silent for so long Amy wasn’t sure she wanted to hear his answer.

“Well?” she prompted, anger beginning to rise inside her.

“No. Not at all. Far from it. Will you just take my word for it that until we’re sure where this is going, we should keep a low profile? Please?”

There was something there, but she wasn’t ready to push it yet. Not now. At least until she learned how tonight turned out.

“Okay. If you’re more comfortable this way, I’m fine with it.”

She could actually see the tension drain from his body. Whatever this was, sooner or later she was going to find out. But for tonight she’d just concentrate on enjoying herself.

The hostess led them to a corner booth where the lighting was dim and enhanced only by the glow of the candle on the table. Watching Amy walk in front of him, hips swaying with a natural rhythm, it had taken every bit of his self-control not to smooth his hands over her body. The fact they were in a public place was a great deterrent. He’d promised himself to go slow tonight, not leap on her like a starving man. Try to take his signals from her. If and when the stories of his past came out—and he had no doubt that at some point they’d surface—he hoped she’d have a picture of a man totally different from the one he’d been. And know he wasn’t capable of such a savage crime.

Amy ordered a glass of white wine, but he settled for his usual black coffee. She looked at him across the table, curiosity in her eyes.

“I noticed you didn’t drink the other night either,” she said. “Any special reason?”

“Alcohol doesn’t agree with me.” He forced a smile. “Does that make me socially unacceptable?”

She laughed, a light, musical sound. “No. Just an object of curiosity. Of course, for me it puts you at the top of the list.”

“Oh?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Uh-huh. Before he settled down, Matt could drink anyone under the table. And often did. Sometime we’ll get him to tell you about the night he and Reenie met.” She studied him and then set her wine glass aside.

“Amy, don’t leave your drink just because I’m not having one. I’m aware that I’m usually the odd man out.” Too bad he hadn’t started this years ago.

“Don’t give it a thought.” She took a sip of her ice water. “Actually I’d have to say being sober makes an evening more memorable.”

“Okay, then.” And he planned on thoroughly enjoying every minute of this night, as well as making it memorable. For both of them.

Watching her eat was another seductive episode. She cut her meat carefully, chewed slowly, the enjoyment plain on the face. When she scooped some of the fully loaded baked potato into her mouth, he couldn’t stop himself from reaching across the table and catching one bead of the potato at the corner of her lip. It reminded him of the smear of mustard when they’d had lunch.

She looked at him when he touched her, and for a moment he was afraid she’d brush his hand away. Then she smiled and very slowly ran her tongue over her lip. In an instant, he was almost painfully hard, his cock begging for freedom from restriction. He imagined those full lips wrapped around him, pulling on him, and took a healthy swallow of coffee to distract himself.

Amy lowered her eyes to her plate, that same little smile playing at her lips, as if she knew exactly what she was doing to him. By the time they got to the chocolate cake, he was nearly ready to rip off her clothes in the restaurant. And she, the little minx, was well aware of it. He could barely even remember all the things they’d talked about during the meal. And watching her slowly eat a slice of Heavenly Chocolate Cake almost had him pulling her across the table then and there. Who knew a meal could be so sensual?

They had finished the last of their coffee, the mood surrounding them one of intimacy and heat, when a man walked by with his friends. One of them stopped and turned back to their booth. Buck didn’t recognize him, but he knew his kind—slick, moneyed, arrogant. Full of himself. Was he a friend of Amy’s? No, couldn’t be. Amy was looking daggers at him.

“Hey, short stuff.” As the man touched her hand, his mouth turned up in a self-confident grin. “Where you been keeping yourself?”

“Same place as always.” She yanked her hand away from him. “Not that it’s any of your business.”

“Aw, come on.” He trailed his fingertips lightly over her arm. “Don’t be that way. We had some good times together, right?”

“You did, anyway,” she snapped at him, brushing away his fingers. She tried to slide out of the booth, but he blocked her way.

He shifted his gaze to Buck. “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?”

Buck reached across the table and linked his fingers with Amy’s, glad when she gave them a little squeeze.

“Buck Montgomery,” he said. “And you would be?”

The man narrowed his eyes, his expression far from friendly. “Cade Hannigan. You’re new in the area.”

“Yes.” Buck bit off the word. “Now if you’ll excuse us, we’re in the middle of a conversation.”

But the man didn’t move. “I just wanted to chat a minute with Amy here. She and I go way back. Right, short stuff?” He said it with an air of self-importance that made Buck want to smash his face against the wall.

“Buck just told you.” She glared at him. “We’re busy with our own conversation. Anyway, I have nothing to say to you. So take your friends and move along to your own table.”

Anger flashed across Cade’s face for a brief moment. It was obvious he didn’t like being embarrassed in front of his friends. “We’re not finished here,” he warned.

“Yes. We are. So just get over it.” She looked at Buck. “I think I’d like to get out of here now. The clientele just took a nosedive.”

“No problem.” He stood up to signal for his check, effectively blocking Cade from the booth. “You’ll excuse us, right?” he said to the man.

With one last, angry look at Amy, Cade moved away, muttering something to his friends. Buck paid the check and then they were outside. Amy sagged against him, huddling in the cradle of his arm.

“I’m sorry about that.” She said it in a voice so low he almost didn’t hear her.

“No problem. I used to eat guys like him for breakfast. I gather he’s not as good a friend as he seems to think.”

“He’s a total asshole and an insufferable jerk.” Her voice now was tight with anger. “It took all of my self-control to keep from kicking him in the balls.”

Buck laughed “I hope you never get that mad at me.” He opened the door of the truck. “Let’s not let him ruin what so far has been a great evening, okay?”

She sat ramrod straight now, as if anger had replaced embarrassment. Then she visibly forced herself to relax. “Okay. All right. I’ll try.”

“If you were thinking of telling me to take you right home because that jackass spoiled the mood, think again. That gives him power he doesn’t have.”

“You’re right. Can I just wish his balls would fall off?” She smiled at him, a smile that arrowed straight to his groin and made his balls ache.

He winked. “Whatever you want, sugar.”

He pulled out onto the two-lane highway, and as they rolled through the night with the moon hanging like a translucent globe in the sky surrounded by diamond-like stars, he could actually feel the tension easing from Amy inch by inch. A good thing, he thought. Only one of them needed to be uptight. And he was that, all right.

When he’d issued the invitation for tonight—okay, the demand—he hadn’t thought much beyond getting her alone and getting her naked. The where hadn’t concerned him until he took a cold shower and tried to figure it out. Not a hotel. Too glossy. Slick. Contrived, like a setup. Anyway, they’d have to drive into San Antonio to get away from prying eyes. There was certainly no place in the county.

He’d finally decided to bring her to his ranch. There wasn’t much furniture, but he’d invested in a good bedroom set so his room at least looked settled. He hadn’t had to think about things like clean sheets and towels when he was drinking heavily and banging any female who could breathe, or getting his jollies quick and dirty during the two years he dried out and learned to be a rancher. In fact, this was the first time he’d deliberately planned to have sex with a woman who appealed to him on all fronts. And the first time he remembered being nervous.

He kept thinking he was making a huge mistake, but he couldn’t have stopped himself short of knocking himself out.

“You’re so quiet all of a sudden.” Amy’s soft voice broke the silence. “Change your mind? I know Cade Hannigan sort of put a damper on things.”

Buck reached over for her hand and wove his fingers with hers. He hated the note of hesitation he heard. He’d worried a lot that this was a bad idea to begin with, but it had more to do with him and his background. And what would happen if she ever found out. He certainly didn’t want her to think it was her fault.

“A load of dynamite couldn’t change my mind,” he told her. “I know men like Hannigan. All show and no go. They’re takers and users. Not worth a minute of my time thinking about him.”

Her hand relaxed in his. “Good. That’s good.” He turned in to his driveway, and she leaned forward. “We’re at your ranch. And wow. You’ve got the outside looking terrific. Frank Hayes had kind of let things go.”

Buck snorted. “No kidding. I think that’s why I got it so cheap. Small herd of cattle, lack of upkeep. I think he and his wife were just glad to get out of here.”

“Neither of them was too well,” Amy told him. “They just wanted to get to Arizona, where their son and daughter-in-law live. I understand they’ve got a small place not far from them.”

“Lucky for both of us the way things turned out.”

He took her elbow as he urged her up the steps, taking a minute to admire how the carving on the front door shone after all his work on it before he slipped the key in the lock. The downstairs was still mostly empty, but he’d salvaged a table and lamp from what the Hayeses had left behind, the lamp a beauty in dull brass and the table obviously old and intricately carved, like the front door. Now the lamp cast a warm glow on the plank flooring.

“Haven’t done much furniture shopping yet.” He made a joke of it, trying to cover his sudden attack of nerves. “You’re my first visitor.”

Pleasure washed over her face. “Then I feel honored. Anyway, from what little I can see at night, you’ve been spending your time and money on getting the buildings and land in shape. And I certainly know you’re working to build up your herd. I’d say you’ve got your priorities straight.”

“Hope so. Anyway, I’m not even sure how I want to furnish the house. Got the bedroom set and that’s all.” Then, not wanting her to get the wrong idea, he added, “Need a good bed to sleep on at night.”

“I agree.” She nodded. “Anyway, it pays to take your time. Get exactly what you want.”

He turned her to face him and cupped her face in his hands. “I know exactly what I want. Do you?”

Her eyes stared back at him clearly, with no sign of indecision. She ran her tongue over her lips as she’d done in the restaurant, and he was lost. He pulled her against his body, bent his head and took her mouth in a kiss that scorched him to the soles of his feet. She wound her arms around his neck and lifted herself on her toes to bring herself closer to his head.

She tasted of chocolate and coffee and just pure Amy, a heady combination of flavors that made his blood race and his pulse pound. He skated his tongue over every inch of the inside of her mouth, even her teeth and gums and the inside of her lips. He was so hungry for her he didn’t think he’d ever break the kiss, except he was running out of breath. They both were.

When he lifted his lips from hers, he stared into her eyes again. All day he’d been thinking about the fact he’d never actually brought a nice woman home to a nice place. Since he’d lost his virginity behind the Smoky Saloon when he was sixteen, the only women he’d been with were buckle bunnies and, later, women only looking for one night in a motel. By that time sex had been more exercise than anything. He wasn’t sure how to act or what kind of etiquette was involved in this kind of situation, and he definitely didn’t want to screw this up.

Instinct, he told himself. It’s all you’ve got. Go with it.

He swung her up into his arms and carried her down the hall to his bedroom. He’d left both bedside lamps on, turned low, and they cast a warm glow over the room. At least he’d figured out how to set the scene. He hoped. And in the nightstand drawer were the brand-new condoms he’d stored with great hopes and expectations.

He set Amy on her feet, letting her slide down the length of his body. He skimmed his fingers down her cheeks and threaded them in the silk of her hair.

“You’re beautiful,” he murmured. “Just beautiful.”

A thrill ran through Amy’s body. Not just because of Buck’s words, but at the way he looked at her. Touched her. His moves weren’t those of a man who’d done this so often it came across as practiced and slick. And if she wasn’t mistaken, his hands were shaking a little. Who’d have thought that a man as sexy and good looking, as strong and confident, as Buck Montgomery would actually be nervous? Unless it was a damn good act—and she didn’t think it was—it gave him a lot of points in her book. Maybe she’d misjudged him, put him in the wrong category because that was what she was used to.

When his lips touched hers again, the remnants of rational thought fled from her brain. His tongue was a hot flame dancing over hers in seductive movements. Stealing her breath. She clutched his forearms, slipped her hands around to touch his broad back, feeling the hard muscles beneath the fabric of his shirt.

She almost didn’t notice it when he slid his hands from her hair to the edge of her top, his fingers finding their way up her rib cage to cup her breasts in his big palms. He found the peaks of her nipples beneath the satin of her bra and rasped his thumbs slowly back and forth over them. She was wet, instantly, her thong soaked and the muscles of her pussy clenching in need.

A soft moan drifted on the air and she realized it was coming from her. God, his touch was like magic, skillfully bringing to life every nerve in her body. Emboldened by his mood and his actions, she broke the kiss long enough to grab her top and yank it over her head. Toss it to the side. But it was Buck who undid the clasp on her bra and dropped it on her top. Buck’s hands that caressed her breasts. His fingers that lightly pinched her nipples.

He trailed his lips down her neck, sending shivers along her spine before settling at the hollow of her throat. She knew he could feel how madly her pulse was beating, especially when he licked the skin lightly with the tip of his tongue. She wove her fingers into his thick hair, holding his head in place, moaning when his lips closed over one taut nipple and tugged it into the heat of his mouth. She could feel the pull clear through her body to her pussy, all her muscles clenching in response.

As he moved his head to her other breast, his big hands found the button and zipper on her skirt and made quick work of them. Amy barely had time to register the fact that his hands were still trembling, she hoped as much from passion as from nerves. Then her skirt pooled at her feet, leaving her only in her thong. He cupped the cheeks of her ass, squeezing gently as he continued to suck her nipples.

She could barely stand when he lifted his head, took a step back and ripped open the snaps on his shirt. His chest gleamed in the lamplight, copper skin over washboard abs with just a bare sprinkling of hair. His muscles rippled as his arms moved, unzipping his jeans and sliding them down along with his boxer briefs. The most impressive erection she’d ever seen sprang free, hard and thick and pointing straight at her, the head already a dark plum.

“Damn boots,” Buck cursed, managing to sit on the edge of the bed to pull them off.

Then his clothes fell into the pile with hers and he tumbled her down to the bed with him. His skin was hot next to hers, his hands igniting flames on her body wherever they danced over her. He managed to maneuver them on the bed so they were stretched full length, and the awkwardness of it again reinforced her belief that this wasn’t just an everyday thing with him.

Then her brain shut down—not thinking—as his hands worked magic on her body. Every place his fingers touched—breasts, nipples, arms, navel—nerves fired and shivers skated over her. His mouth was hot on hers, his tongue thrusting and demanding. His muscular thigh pushed her legs apart, allowing his hand to cup her pussy. Her inner muscles clenched—hard—as his clever fingers manipulated her clit, brushing and pinching and tugging, before he slipped two of them into her wet, waiting channel.

Amy moaned and bit down on his lower lip as he found her sweet spot and dragged a fingertip over it again and again. She rocked her hips, trying to increase both the penetration and the pressure, but Buck kept his touch light and teasing. The hot, hard length of his cock seared her skin where it touched her thigh, and Lord, how she wanted him inside her.

When he withdrew his hand, she whimpered in protest, but in the next moment he changed their positions again. Now he lay flat on his back, his head resting on a pillow, and he’d positioned her so she was straddling his chest. He used his thumbs to open the lips of her cunt, staring at it hungrily before dragging her just a little closer.

“Hold on to the headboard, sugar.” His voice was thick with lust. “And hold on tight. I’m taking you on the trip of your life.”

She barely had time to grip the top edge of the wood before his tongue flicked over her clit and lightning bolted through her. Again he teased, swirling his tongue around her swollen nub, lapping lightly at the flesh surrounding it, tracing the line of her slit top to bottom and back again. He sucked, he nibbled, he lapped until she was sure she’d go crazy with lust.

“Oh, please,” she begged. “Please, please, please.” Over and over again like a litany.

“Mmm,” was his only answer as his busy tongue lit every nerve of her sensitive pussy.

“Oh, God,” she groaned, gritting her teeth when he dug his fingers into the flesh of her hips and his tongue finally—finally—stabbed inside her. Pushing down as hard as she could, she rode the slippery spear of flesh, crying out with pleasure as her entire body responded to him.

He drove her mercilessly, taking her just to the edge before pulling her back again, his tongue retreating from her hot, slick flesh only to begin the teasing all over again. His wicked tongue drove her to erotic places she’d never been before until she begged for release. When she was sure she couldn’t survive one more second, he thrust his tongue inside her again, moved one hand so he could inch her clit between thumb and forefinger and pushed her over the edge.

He held her in place while the shudders racked her body and she rode and rode and rode that skillful tongue. At last she collapsed forward, her breasts on his forehead, her lungs screaming for air. Her heart pounded so furiously she was sure he could hear it.

He stroked and caressed her body, soothing her, murmuring to her. When the trembling subsided, he kissed each of her breasts and then reached up to tug her head down to his. His mouth was soothing as much as it was demanding, and she tasted herself on his tongue.

“Good ride, baby?” His lips curved in a smile.

“Good hardly describes it.” Her words came out almost as a whisper.

Buck lifted her and rolled her to the side so she was again lying next to him. “Rest a minute. Take it easy. I have so much more I want to do to you. With you.”

But even in her spent state, she wanted to touch his body this time. To stroke him as he had done to her. As she lifted her face to him, brushing her lips over his in the gentlest of kisses, she trailed her hand along the line of his hip, feeling the solid muscle beneath the skin. Almost casually, she let her hand drift down to where the solid length of his cock impressed itself on her. She wrapped her fingers around it and stroked it slowly up and down, reveling in the steel hardness of it beneath the soft skin.

His groan rumbled up from his chest, a deep, masculine sound that vibrated through her body. She kissed a path down to his navel, pausing to swirl her tongue in the furled flesh before reaching the thick nest of curls surrounding his cock. She tugged on the wiry hair with her teeth before turning her attention to the velvety head of his shaft. It was dark, plum-colored, and a tiny bead of fluid sat temptingly at the slit. With a slow sweep of her tongue, she licked away its salty goodness and then took him in her mouth.

“Oh, Jesus.” Buck threaded one hand through her hair and wound it around his fingers, holding her head in place. “Your mouth. It’s so hot and sweet.”

The more deeply she took him into her throat, the more intense his sounds of pleasure, the more her own body responded. She squeezed her thighs together, feeling the sticky wetness of her own arousal. The pulse deep inside her pussy grew in power until she felt it in every part of her body.

Spurred on by his uninhibited response, she stroked faster, took him deeper, until with a growl, he jerked her head away from his body and tumbled her to her back.

She caught her breath and stared at him. “What is it? What’s wrong? I thought you liked it.” She gave a nervous little laugh. “I know I did.”

“I liked it too damn much. The first time I come with you, I want to be as deep inside your body as I can get. We’ll have more time for other things. Don’t you worry, sugar. That’s a treat I don’t intend to miss.”

He reached into the nightstand drawer and pulled out a condom. She watched him rip the foil with his teeth, spit it away, then roll the sheath expertly on one-handed. For a moment, she let herself wonder how many times he’d done this to be so skilled at it. Then she brushed the thought away. He was no kid. Of course he’d had his share of sex. And none of that really mattered. What was important was the here and now. Which she had to admit to herself was better than anything else in her life since she’d first discovered the difference between boys and girls.

Positioning himself between her thighs, he pressed her knees back, exposing her to him completely. He stared at her, hunger burning in his dark, dark eyes.

“So beautiful,” he whispered. “Such a gorgeous shade of pink. And so wet.” He lifted his eyes to hers, and Amy was sure he could see all the way into her soul. “Wet for me, sugar. And ready for me.”

He positioned the head of his cock at her opening and filled her with one long, slow thrust. Amy sucked in her breath as her muscles stretched to accommodate his size. She shifted her legs to wind them around his waist, digging her heels into the small of his back. He held himself there for a very long moment before beginning a smooth ride. In and out he pistoned, his width dragging against her inner flesh in a way that set fire to every nerve in her body.

Faster, she wanted to shout. More! Harder!

But when she looked at his face, she saw how tightly his jaw was clenched, how rigid his facial muscles. He was fighting for control to make this last as long as possible for her. She gave herself over to the sensation, meeting him thrust for thrust, using her legs to keep him deep inside her.

Soon there was nothing but their two bodies, locked together in a dance as endless as time. Buck lowered his head to close his mouth around one nipple. Shards of electricity arrowed straight to her cunt and drove her higher and harder as she strained for the top of that sensual mountain.

More, more, more. She chanted in her head even as she squeezed her legs more tightly around him.

The orgasm hit with no warning. One minute she was reaching for it, the next it exploded, kicking her over that mountaintop into an erotic whirlpool. Her pussy clenched tightly around Buck as his shaft pulsed inside her, shielded only by the thin latex. They shook with the force of it, shudders so great she wondered if her bones would survive.

At last, she lowered her legs, stretching them out, but Buck stayed where he was, locked inside her. Sweat glued their skin together, but she didn’t care, nor did he seem to. She wondered if the pounding in her chest was her heart or his, or both. When his breathing eased, he showered her face with soft kisses, his mouth touching everywhere. When she looked up at him he smiled, an expression of extreme satisfaction. And something more. Something she couldn’t define.

He lifted one hand to brush the damp hair away from her forehead, and his gaze locked with hers.

“I knew it would be like this.”

“Is that a good thing or bad?” she asked.

“Good. I hope.” For a moment, a shadow passed over his face, and then it was gone. “But we might have to do it a few more times just to see if we got it right.”

Amy managed a breathless laugh. “Vitamins first, please.”

He grinned as he slid from her body. “Will a cold drink do? I think we’ve earned it.”

“All offerings gratefully accepted.”

She turned her head to watch him as he padded to the bathroom, and admired the long lines of his back and the taut muscles of his very fine ass. Oh, yeah. She wasn’t sure either if this was a good thing or bad, but she knew nothing could stop her from finding out.

Chapter Five

Although Buck had set the alarm on his watch for six o’clock, they both laughed as he turned it off and they indulged themselves in one last, slow session of lovemaking. Reluctantly they dragged themselves into the shower, unable to stop themselves from teasing each other.

But once dried and dressed they were suddenly awkward with each other, as if neither was sure how to act. Or react. Amy was certainly no novice to sleepovers, but morning-afters had always had a casual feel to them. Hi, thanks, great time, give you a call. Sure thing. And off she’d gone to her routine. She didn’t know how it had been for Buck, but today he didn’t seem to know what to say or do. Was it her? Was he already regretting the whole thing?

He insisted she have toast and coffee with him before they left, but their conversation was bumpy and stilted. Finally, as they drove toward Stark Ranch, she sucked up her courage to ask him.

“Are you sorry about last night?” She tried to keep her voice as even and uninflected as possible.

“No!” He almost shouted the word, then blew out a breath. “No, I’m not. Not one bit.” He reached across the console for her hand and squeezed it. “I think it was probably the best night of my life.”

“Then what…”

He lifted her hand and kissed it. “It’s okay, Amy. I’ll work it out in my head. But everything’s fine.”

They finished the rest of the ride in silence while turmoil seethed in her body. Buck Montgomery was the most puzzling, contradictory man she’d ever met. If she hadn’t felt such a strong emotional connection to him, she’d pull in her pride and just bow him off.

Now they sat in Buck’s truck in the parking area at Stark Ranch. She stared at the house, knowing Matt and Reenie were probably peering out one of the windows, ready to explode with questions.

“You sure you don’t want me to come in with you?”

“I’m fine,” she assured him. “I’m a grown woman, and Matt’s not my father. I can handle it. Really.”

“Okay, then.” He lifted her hand and kissed it, then ran his tongue over the knuckles. “Listen, Amy. I…”

She shook her head. “Don’t say anything. It’s all right. We’ve both got a lot to think about.”

He tried again. “Last night was…”

“Amazing. Incredible. Unbelievable. I get it. You want to take it slow, right? Me too. So…call me when you can.”

There. She could get out of the truck with her pride intact. “But let’s take it slow, okay? Just…because.”

The closed look that she’d seen wash over his features before swept over them again. Then it was gone, and as before, she wondered if she was just imagining things. When she looked at him again, his mouth was turned up in a smile.

“No problem.” He cupped her chin and turned her face toward him, searching her eyes as if some answer lingered there. “I’ll be pretty busy today. Hired a couple of those kids Matt sent my way, and I expect them about noon. Just in time to help unload the cattle I bought at the auction.” He chuffed a laugh. “Spent the last three days riding fence to make sure it’s all good and none of them can get out. Tomorrow probably won’t be much better. How about if I call you Friday? See what’s up with your weekend.”

Okay. At least he didn’t just say he’d call sometime.

“Good. That’s good. I’ll be here working in my office.”

He gave her hand one last, quick kiss before releasing it. She opened the door of the cab and jumped down. “Better get going before Matt comes out and wants to play Twenty Questions,” she joked.

She stood on the gravel and watched as he backed and drove away. So many emotions raced through her, she felt as if her insides were in an electric mixer. She wanted to lead with her head, but her heart kept bumping it out of the way.

Maybe I should just call it quits before it starts.

But that was impossible. It had already started.

The door opened as her foot hit the first step to the porch, and Matt leaned against the frame, pointedly staring at his watch.

“I did away with curfew a long time ago, big brother.”

She tried to push past him but he caught her arm.

He grinned. “Just waiting for all the juicy details.”

She yanked her arm away. “As if.” She sniffed. “For God’s sake.” She reached into her purse and pulled out her cell phone. “If I get in trouble, I know who to call.”

“I’m not saying you were in trouble.” He winked. “Just checking on my baby sister.”

“Who isn’t such a baby anymore.”

“Matthew Stark, you let your sister in this house right this minute.” Reenie appeared behind him, slapping a dishtowel at him. “Quit being such an asshole to her.”

Reluctantly, he moved and Amy pushed past him. “Thanks, Reenie. At least someone in this house isn’t looking for gossip.” She spun around to look at her brother.

“I’m happy you went out with him,” he assured her. “I think Buck’s a great guy, and I’m glad you two finally got together. Just want to be sure you know what you’re doing. That you’re taking it slow.”

“Well, I do. So bug off.”

“You’ve had some pretty rough relationships lately,“ he called after her as she clomped down the hall. “I like Buck, and I thought he’d be a good person to help smooth out some of those wrinkles. I never expected you to jump into the deep end right away. Have you forgotten about Cade Hannigan?”

She stopped, still as a piece of furniture, rage and anger swirling through her. And residual pain. No, she hadn’t forgotten. Not all the warnings to stay away from him. Not the details of how he’d treated the other women he’d been involved with. Not the anger nor the humiliation that still clung to her after the dreadful breakup. He’d been so smooth, so slick, so charming, telling her how he loved her. She’d just turned away from all the gossip. At least that’s what she’d kept telling herself it was.

Last night had brought it all back, forcing her to again work at burying the humiliating memories.

“I can’t believe you just said that.”

“I’m just looking out for your welfare, Amy.”

“Stop looking.”

She slammed the door to her bedroom, cursing under her breath. She and Matt spent too much time getting in each other’s business, she thought. She was happy to have someone who cared enough about her to be concerned, but she wasn’t a teenager. She could take care of herself. At least she hoped she could. But Buck Montgomery was more male than she’d ever been even semi-involved with. And then there was that streak of…something…that froze him every so often. A darkness, almost.

Don’t shred it to death. Take it one step at a time, remember?

And the best way to do that was to change her clothes and get to her office. Besides the ranch paperwork, she was also on the committee for the Cattleman’s Ball and had her responsibilities there. The committee had an upcoming lunch meeting, and she wanted to be prepared.

But as she pulled on jeans and a T-shirt, she couldn’t help the warm glow that suffused her as she remembered details of the night just past.

Buck finished confirming his delivery with the feed store and decided to stop at Java Junction for a cup of coffee before heading back home. He could pick up a sandwich to take with him since his new hand would be arriving shortly after one o’clock. His insides seethed with a mass of conflicting emotions. He couldn’t remember the last time, if ever, he’d spent a night with a woman as sensuous as Amy Stark. One who pulled every emotion in the book out of him and made sex seem like…a lot more than sex.

He wondered when she’d said she wanted to take it slow if it was her way of easing out of anything further. If something hadn’t clicked for her. Nope. Not that. He’d have been able to sense it. Maybe she had a history that made her cautious. He snorted. She ought to be damn cautious around him. He’d promised himself not to start anything with her, but the electricity between them was too great to ignore.

Well, he’d also have to take it slow. And hope to hell his past never caught up with him.

He’d just taken a seat at the counter and ordered his coffee when Fred Barnes slid onto the stool next to him.

“Morning, Buck. How are things going?”

Buck shrugged. “Okay, so far. Got the cattle I bought at that last auction coming in late this afternoon. Just arranged for feed to be delivered before then and hired my first hand. He reports today.” He took a deep swallow of his coffee. “And working on the house one little piece at a time.”

Fred nodded. “Cattle first, then your own comforts. You’ve got the makings of a real rancher in you.”

“Sure hope so. Otherwise I tossed a huge load of money down the drain.”

Fred stirred sweetener into his coffee. Tasted it, nodded in satisfaction and slid a glance at Buck. “I hear you and Amy Stark had dinner together last night.”

Buck turned to look at him. “Is there some kind of jungle-telegraph system around here I haven’t heard about? We weren’t even here in town.”

Barnes took another sip of his coffee. “Apparently y’all ran into Cade Hannigan. He couldn’t wait to pass the word.”

Buck stared down into his coffee cup. “He didn’t impress me as a man who gossiped. But he certainly had on his arrogant attitude. And Amy couldn’t wait for him to leave.”

“I imagine so.” The older man shifted slightly on his stool. “He and Amy had something going a while back. I hear it didn’t end too pleasantly.”

“Oh? Who broke it off, do you know?”

Barnes hesitated a long moment before answering. “It seems they were getting pretty tight as a couple, although a lot of people were scratching their heads. Amy’s a really sweet, really sharp gal, and Hannigan, rich as he is, is just a snake in the grass. I heard a lot of people, her brother included, tried to get her to break it off.”

“Why didn’t she?”

“Oh, she did. Finally. The way I hear it, Cade told her he’d be gone for the evening on some business but they’d have dinner the next night. Amy decided to have girls’ night out with a few of her friends. They were hitting some of the funkier bars and dropped in to the Cactus Bar in the next county. Saw Cade playing tonsil hockey with one of the waitresses.”

“Shit.”

“Exactly. Story goes she tossed a pitcher of beer at him, cursed him like an old-time ranch hand and walked out. Refused to see him after that or talk to him. I think she’s the first woman to ditch Cade Hannigan instead of the other way around. He’s always gotten away with whatever he does, so this was a real blow to his ego. He’s never forgiven her for that.”

“Even though he was the one at fault?”

Barnes shrugged. “That’s Cade for you. Nothing’s his fault. He’s got too much money and an ego bigger than Texas. And holds a grudge a long time.”

Buck felt anger bubble up inside him. He tightened his hands around his cup. “She didn’t say anything about that when we saw him.”

“She wouldn’t. Too bad Cade’s just the kind of spoiled brat who likes to get even. I’d watch out for him.”

“Well, fuck.” Buck rubbed his hand over his face. “Sorry, Fred. That just slipped out.”

“Don’t apologize. Couldn’t have said it better myself.”

“Has he been causing her trouble?”

“Not until now. But I promise you, seeing her with you set him off.” He sighed. “A word to the wise. I’d watch myself with that one. No telling what he might take it into his head to do.” He paused. “You know what I mean, right?”

Buck sighed. “Yeah, I know. I guess some things you can’t ever run away from.”

“Well, you can always use me for a personal reference. I have faith in you.”

“I don’t know why. You hardly know me.”

Barnes pushed his coffee cup aside. “I haven’t gotten where I am by not having good instincts about people. It’s a lot more important to me what a man is than what he was. I’d put my money on you any time.”

“You can’t know how much I appreciate that. You’re the first person in a long time who’s said anything like that to me.” He held out his hand and Barnes shook it.

“I wish you good luck,” the older man said. “With the ranch and with Amy.”

“Thanks. I’ll need it.”

He watched as Barnes walked toward the door. Despite the warning about Cade Hannigan, Buck felt good about settling here for the first time since he’d bought the ranch. Maybe he could weather whatever storm hit after all.

But then he stepped outside and caught the scene across the street from him and curled his hands into fists.

I never should have gone to the post office today.

Amy stood on the sidewalk outside the building, cursing her decision. What she mailed wasn’t so important it couldn’t have waited until tomorrow. Or even Monday. But Matt had been in and out of the house so many times she’d asked him if he wanted to install a revolving door. She wasn’t sure which of them was angrier—Matt because she wouldn’t answer his questions or herself because she resented him poking into her business.

What was it he’d said earlier? Oh, yeah.

“I’m just concerned about you jumping into something without knowing exactly what that something is.”

Like she was eighteen years old and couldn’t think for herself.

She’d barely been able to restrain herself from punching him. Instead, she’d gathered the mail and her purse and stormed out of the house. Maybe after the post office she’d treat herself to lunch and cool off a little. She didn’t like fighting with Matt, but he was really crossing a line.

And now here she was trapped with Cade Hannigan himself. Somehow she’d ended up with her back to the building, his arms caging her on either side. She looked anxiously around. Fred Barnes had disappeared into the parking lot behind the bank and the few people who saw them stared with curiosity.

“Let me go, you jackass.” She looked over his shoulder at the people on the sidewalk. “Hey! Someone get this jerk away from me.”

“Don’t tell me you’re trying to run away from me, short stuff.” He turned his head. “It’s okay, folks. Y’all know Amy and I are friends. We’re just having a little disagreement. What you might call a lover’s spat.” He turned his attention back to her and grinned.

She was sure he meant the grin to be teasing, but on him it had a nasty look.

“Back off, Cade. I have nothing to say to you.” She tried to duck under one of his arms, but he blocked her just as quickly.

“I’ll bet you had plenty to say to that asshole last night.” The look in his eyes was cold. “You don’t go playing with strange stuff in my territory.”

Again Amy looked frantically for someone to intervene, but all she saw was his friends waving people away.

“Your territory? Now you think you own the whole county? People warned me about you and I should have listened to them. Anyway, I think you’re mistaken about who’s the asshole.” She bit off each word. “Besides, we’re done. Through. Finished. I’m over you. Now get out of the way so I can move.”

He tilted his head slightly, let his eyes roam slowly and deliberately over her body. “You know, maybe I made a mistake tossing you out when I did. I was always taught you throw the little ones back in the pond, but I hear they can sometimes put up a good fight. Let’s see if they’re right.”

He grabbed the front of her shirt, holding it so tightly it nearly choked her. With his other hand he held her head in place as he moved in to kiss her. Instead, she chomped down on his lower lip, hard enough to draw blood. He lifted his head at once, wiped his mouth and stared at the blood on his hand. He still had the fabric of her shirt clenched in his fist, lifting her so she was on tiptoe.

“Now that was just a big mistake on your part, bitch.”

She saw the blow coming and tried desperately to move her head away. But before he could actually touch her, he was lifted bodily away from her. She opened her eyes wide to see Cade dangling from Buck Montgomery’s hands. It was a tossup which man was more furious, but the sparks around them were nearly visible.

“I don’t take kindly to seeing a guy manhandle a lady.” Buck’s voice was very controlled, but there was no mistaking the fury in it. He looked at the men watching from the sidelines. “And you shouldn’t either. What kind of assholes are you?” He released his hold on Cade and shoved him to the side. “I think you’d better take your sorry ass out of here while you can still walk. Before I call the cops.”

Cade brushed his shirt as if ridding himself of dirt and sneered at Buck. “You’d better worry about your own ass, cowboy. I don’t know who you think you are, but I can sweep the county with you.”

“I don’t think you want to try it.” Buck took Amy’s hand and very gently tugged her toward him. When he spoke to her, his voice had softened. “Come on. Let me walk you to your truck.”

“Damn you!” Cade shouted. “Damn both of you.”

“Better get your sorry self out of here.” Buck’s voice was lethal-sounding. “And take your slimy pals with you.”

“Come on, Cade.” One of his friends had come up to him. “Let’s get out of here before half the town turns out.”

“I think we better move too.” Buck’s voice was low, almost gentle.

She didn’t need much urging and easily let him walk her toward where she’d parked. She was still shaking from the entire episode and reveled in the warmth and security of his arm. When they reached her truck, he turned her so she faced him and gently touched her cheek.

“I can’t believe he would have hit you. Maybe I should call the sheriff anyway.”

Amy shook her head. “Just let it go. Please. The less I have to do with him the better. He was very clever at hiding who he really was from me, and I was stupid enough not to sense what lay beneath that slick surface. I’m okay now. Really. And thank you so much.”

“You might want to mention this to Matt,” he told her.

She shook her head. “Are you kidding? He’s already one step away from killing the man, and Cade Hannigan’s not worth going to jail for. And don’t you tell him, either.” When he didn’t say anything, she searched his face and realized that somehow someone had given him the details. She swallowed back the shame that reared up. “You know about it.”

His hand was still gentle on her face. “Bare details. What I do know is the man’s a fool and an idiot. I’d thoroughly enjoy taking him apart one piece at a time.”

She lowered her eyes, wondering when she’d last felt so miserable. “I don’t seem to make very good choices where men are concerned.”

He tilted her face up to look at him. “Are you including me in that sweeping statement?”

She shrugged. “I don’t really know what to make of you, Buck. You send me mixed signals. One minute I think we have something really fantastic between us, the next you act as if I‘ve got typhoid.”

“It’s not you, sugar. It’s me. If I were being totally honest, I’d have to tell you a man like me is poison to a woman like you.”

She frowned. “What exactly do you mean by that? I look at you and see only good things.” She grinned weakly. “Except you keep running hot and cold on me.”

“I know. And I apologize. It’s just…” He shook his head and then curved his mouth in a smile. “But one thing’s for sure. We both wanted what we had last night. Agreed?”

Oh, yeah. No question about that. “Agreed.”

“Then let’s just see where this takes us, just like we said.” He opened the truck door for her. “I think what you need is a change of scenery. If I didn’t have all this going on this afternoon, I’d make you come back to the ranch with me. How about coming by tonight and we’ll go take a couple of the horses out for a little ride?”

“But you already said how busy you’d be. I don’t want to disrupt your work.”

A smile flashed briefly. “Maybe what I need is to be disrupted. And I’ve got a horse I think you’d just love.”

“A horseback ride?”

“Yeah. And right at sunset’s the best time for one. You can take another look at my new cattle, and we can stop and have a cold drink by the stream running through the back pasture.”

Take a chance, Amy. “Okay. It’s a deal. What time?”

“Eight o’clock? That too late?”

She laughed. “Not at all. You bring the cold drinks and I’ll bring some of the leftover chocolate cake.”

He smiled. “That will keep me going all day.” He touched the brim of his Stetson. “Later.”

She turned over the ignition on her truck and waved at him as she pulled away from the curb. The man was definitely a puzzle. But she was beginning to think she wasn’t the real problem. Buck Montgomery was carrying some heavy baggage around with him, and she just wished she knew what it was.

“Oh! She’s a sweetheart!”

Amy smiled at the buckskin mare Buck led out of the barn. The animal pranced a little as if showing off and then nuzzled Amy’s hand when she held it out to her.

“Her name’s Sunflower,” Buck told her. “I think it kind of suits her.”

“Yes, it does.” Amy stroked the horse’s head. “Where’d you get her? I know the Hayeses sold off their horses before you bought the ranch.”

“Fred Barnes, the realtor who sold me the ranch, turned me on to a guy in the next county who had some horses he was wanting to sell. Got four really good ones. Wait until you see the one I’m riding.”

He came back out leading a big Appaloosa, a gelding who still had plenty of spit and fire in him.

“This one’s called Shadow Dancer. But the guy I bought him from assured me the shadows don’t scare him.” He looped the horse’s reins over the top of a fence post. “Here. Let me give you a leg up.”

Amy stepped into his cupped hands and vaulted lightly into the saddle. Sunflower didn’t move, just turned her head around with a look in her eyes that asked if they were going somewhere.

Buck stowed a container with Amy’s cake and some drinks in his saddlebags and tied a rolled-up quilt at the back of the saddle. Then he mounted his horse with an unconscious grace that told her he’d spent most of his life in a saddle. Doing what, she wondered. Why didn’t he talk about it? He looked almost like some ancient warrior, straight in the saddle, at one with his horse. Who was he really? Where had he come from? Wherever it was, he was raw, masculine sex silhouetted in the fading sunlight.

Her mouth watered.

“Let’s go,” he called, disrupting her thoughts.

They walked the horses out of the yard, pausing while Buck leaned down to open the gate to the nearest pasture. Then he took off at an easy lope. Sunflower needed very little urging to follow. Before long they moved into the second pasture where Buck’s cattle were penned now. Some grazed, some stood around switching their tails at flies, while others lay down in the last of the sun’s heat. They were beautiful, she thought. Purebred Black Angus with their shiny black coats.

They rode easily along the edge of the pasture, skirting the undulating waves of cattle until Buck stopped to open yet another gate and they moved into unoccupied land.

Buck turned and pulled his horse up next to hers.

“I don’t know how much you’ve ever seen of this ranch, but it’s ten thousand acres in all. Plenty of room to build up the herd. Fred negotiated a fair price for it, and I think we were all happy with the deal.”

“That’s what I heard.” Amy held her reins loosely in her hands, which she rested on the saddle. “I’ve never really seen all this land back here. It’s gorgeous.”

“It’s not Stark Ranch, but it will do.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, cowboy,” she told him.

He pointed at a small stand of oak trees in the distance. “The creek’s right over there. Race you to the trees.”

He kicked Shadow Dancer into a full gallop.

“Come on, girl,” Amy cried as she urged Sunflower to follow.

It was exhilarating running with the wind, the last rays of the sun kissing her skin. She almost didn’t want to stop when they reached the trees.

She hopped down and stood looking at the clear creek running over a stone bed. “Oh, what a jewel of a place.”

“I like to sit here and think,” he told her and held out a hand. “Come on. Let’s sit down and have a little picnic.”

Buck spread the quilt out and then unhooked his saddlebags to take out the goodies. Sitting in such a serene environment, enjoying the rich chocolate cake and the cool drinks, Amy felt the earlier tension of the day ease from her. They ate without speaking, but it was a comfortable silence, as if they were unwilling to disturb nature. She cleaned up their snack and put everything back in the saddlebag. When she turned back, Buck was stretched out full length beneath one of the trees.

“Let that stuff be and come on over here,” he coaxed. “I love to lie here and look up at the sky through the leaves.”

Tentatively, she eased down beside him. He slid his arm around her so her head was resting on his shoulder.

“When I was a kid,” he said, “I loved to go outside at this time of day, lie down, watch the sun fade and the first stars come out. I thought it was nature’s miracle.”

“And where did you do this as a kid?”

His body tensed against her. “Wyoming. A million miles from here.”

“Wyoming’s not that far.”

“It is as far as I’m concerned. Let’s not spoil a nice night with unpleasant thoughts.”

She would have asked him what he meant by that, but he shifted his body so his face hovered over hers. He barely brushed her lips with his before pressing more firmly. His tongue traced the seam of her mouth, demanding entrance. She opened for him and his hot tongue swept in to devour her.

At the first touch of the kiss, heat washed through her. Amy wound her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. She loved the pure masculine taste of him and his earthy scent that teased at her nose. He cupped her face, holding her as he plundered her mouth, sparking every nerve in her body.

When he broke the kiss, it was to trail his lips across her cheek and down her neck, licking at the sensitive spot beneath her ear. Then his mouth was at the hollow of her throat, sucking lightly as her pulse beat wildly against his mouth. As his mouth explored her neck and her throat, one hand drifted to her T-shirt and tugged it loose from the waistband of her jeans.

The touch of his hand on her bare skin seared her, sending shards of heat to her throbbing nipples and straight to her cunt. Somehow, while still holding her, he managed to unfasten her bra and cup her naked breast in a warm palm. She moaned softly at his touch, arching up into him.

He lifted her, moved her, moved his clever hands until both T-shirt and bra were gone and she was naked to the sky. He closed his hot mouth over one nipple, sucking it, pulling it into his mouth. Flicking it with his tongue.

But her own hands weren’t still. She dragged open the snaps on his shirt and pushed it from his shoulders, forcing him to release her long enough to free himself of it. She slipped a hand between them to find his flat nipples and rake her fingernails over them. The little sounds of pleasure he made stirred her even more.

They teased each other with hands and lips and tongues, twisting and turning to touch each other here, there, every place they could reach.

“Boots,” he growled, his lips against her breast. “Never make love with your boots on.”

A hysterical giggle threatened to bubble up from her throat. She suppressed it as she tugged off her boots, watching while Buck removed his. Then jeans and underwear went flying and they were naked on the quilt.

“I should have brought something better than a quilt.” He caressed the length of her body, tracing the indentation at her waist, the line of her hip.

“No.” The giggle burst through. “This makes me feel like a teenager.”

“I should be making love to you on silk sheets, Amy. You’re made for the finest things in life.”

She touched her fingers to his lips. “I’m made for what makes me feel good. Right now it’s this. Here with you.”

She was like liquid silk beneath his touch, her skin smooth and warm. Her breasts filled his palms nicely, her nipples peaking as he tugged and tweaked them. She moved restlessly under him, opening her legs for him as he sought and found the hot, wet heat of her pussy. He separated her folds and found the furled flesh of her clit. Swallowing her little cries of pleasure, he rubbed and teased it as her hips rose to his touch.

When he slid two fingers inside her waiting channel, her muscles clamped down on him. He had to grit his teeth against the pleasure that rose in his own body in response. She gripped his shoulders, digging her fingernails into his skin while she rode his fingers. When he added a third one and pressed his thumb to her clit, she squeezed her thighs around his arm and increased her frantic movements.

He nibbled at her lower lip before slipping his tongue into her mouth again, feasting on her. His cock was so hard he was afraid if he pressed too hard against her, it might snap off. Jesus. He couldn’t ever remember wanting a woman this way. This hungrily. This…emotionally. Every place he touched her body electrified him. He was sure he’d never get enough of her.

He watched her face as his fingers worked her higher and higher. Saw her eyes glaze as the orgasm built inside her. Felt her pressing harder and harder against his touch. Then she exploded, head thrown back, the muscles of her pussy gripping his fingers as her liquid poured into his hand.

He took her down easily, still stroking her inner walls, his mouth trailing light kisses over her face and neck. But he gave her little chance to catch her breath. He dug his wallet out of his jeans, extracted a condom and rolled it on with a hand that trembled slightly. He rose over her, pinning her with his gaze, and entered her, his rigid shaft filling her slick channel. She closed around him like a tight fist, making his balls tighten and heat rise from his belly.

He bent his head to capture a nipple with his mouth. Amy bucked against him, wrapping her legs around him. Little sounds of pleasure burst from her throat to drift out on the evening air. He tried to move slowly, make it last.

Take your time, take your time, take your time.

But his body didn’t seem to pay any attention to his brain. The harder Amy moved against him, the more urgent his release became. He slid one hand between them to find her clit again, to rub the sensitive knot. Amy arched up and tightened her legs around him. As soon as he felt the first tremors in her pussy, he increased his speed, driving into her over and over. With the first spasm of her release, he let himself go. He came like a maniac, his cock pulsing hard inside its latex sheath, her body squeezing around him.

Finally emptied, he collapsed forward, barely catching his weight on his forearms. Amy’s breathing was as choppy as his, and he could feel the pounding of her heart against his own chest. They lay there together for what seemed an eternity, wrapped in the feeling of lingering pleasure. It seemed neither of them wanted to break the spell that surrounded them.

Buck twitched when he felt something sting his bare ass and reached behind him to slap at whatever it was.

“A mosquito,” he grumbled, looking at his hand. “I think they see an all-night feast.” He took a moment to kiss her, a soft kiss, full of a feeling that went far beyond sex. “I think we’d better get some clothes on before all that’s left of us are the bones.”

Amy laughed, that musical sound that he loved. “You’re probably right.” She stroked one cheek. “Even though I hate to move.”

“Me too.” He sighed, rose to his feet and held out a hand to help her up.

They shook out their clothes to disrupt any insects that might be crawling around and dressed, staring at each other with loopy grins on their faces. When they were fully clad again, Buck pulled Amy into his arms, brushed the hair from her face.

“I don’t deserve you,” he told her, “but I’m going to do my best to earn you.”

Her forehead creased in a frown. “You keep saying things like that. Are you ever going to tell me why?”

“One of these days. When the time is right.” He kissed her again, just a brief brush of mouth over mouth. Then he gave her ass a gentle slap. “Let’s get going while there’s still light left to see.”

They raced each other across the pastures, laughing like idiots. When they neared the barn, they slowed to a walk to cool the horses. Buck pulled Shadow Dancer up next to her and reached for her hand.

“If Cade Hannigan bothers you again, I want you to tell me about it.”

“Listen, Buck—

“No. You listen. Even if we had nothing going, I’d take the hide off a man who treated a woman that way. But now this becomes personal to me.”

From the look in her eyes, he wondered if she could see clear through him.

“Is this?” she asked. “Personal?”

Much more so than he’d ever expected.

“Yes,” he said at last. “Definitely.”

Chapter Six

Amy sipped at a glass of wine and looked around the hotel ballroom. It was decked out with every type of paraphernalia and decoration that related to ranching. In back of the podium hung the enormous banner that said Cattleman’s Association in flowing script. Although every male was in formal attire, most of the tuxedos were western cut, and a lot of the ties were the familiar bolo. Many of the women wore enough jewels to make a serious dent in the national debt.

Dinner had been pleasant. They sat with Reenie and Matt and two couples they knew, and her brother had done a good job of getting Buck involved in the conversation. By the end of the meal, Buck was chatting easily with the two men—or as easily as he did anything with strangers. She wondered what had happened in his past to make him so reticent and withdrawn in new situations. He certainly hadn’t been the day they’d met on the highway, but she wondered if he hadn’t been playing a role then too.

When the music started, he led her to the dance floor, moving gracefully with her in time to the music.

“You must do a lot of dancing to be this good,” she commented.

“Not really.” He tightened his hold on her. “Maybe it’s just my partner.”

As they left the dance floor, one of the men from dinner snagged him and drew him into a conversation with two other ranchers. Amy got her wine and stood off to the side, waiting and watching. She knew he’d get back to her when he could. She was just glad to see more people reaching out to him.

“You’d better have saved a dance for me.”

Cade’s voice startled her. She hadn’t been aware of him coming up behind her. When he rested his hand on her shoulder, she deliberately shrugged it off.

“I’m busy, Cade. Go away.”

Roughly, he turned her to face him, his fingers bruising her skin. She wrinkled her nose as a whiff of his breath, thick with alcohol, washed over her.

“You won’t be so busy when you hear what I’ve got to say.”

“You’re drunk. Nothing you say could interest me.” His face was so close to hers she felt nausea rise in her throat.

“This will. It’s about the no-good rodeo cowboy you’ve taken up with.”

Amy frowned. “Rodeo cowboy? I don’t understand.”

But her stomach knotted with dread. She realized why there had been something familiar about Buck from the beginning. If this was all true, she and Matt had seen him ride in a couple of the bigger rodeos they’d attended.

“Ask him.” Cade sneered. “Ask him about when he rode as Narsimha. You know what that means? Lion Among Men. More like a snake in the grass, if you ask me.”

Again, she tried to break away from him. “I have no idea what you’re talking about and I don’t care.”

“You should.” His grip on her shoulders tightened until it was almost painful. “Ask him about the drunk tank in jails all over the west. And about the girl he raped. Why do you think he doesn’t drink anymore? Why he settled in a place where no one ever heard of him?”

“You’re a liar, ” she snapped. “I don’t believe a word you say.”

He shrugged. “Okay, but if that’s so, you can’t lose anything by asking him. Go ahead. You’ll be damn glad to come crawling back to me when you find out the truth.”

Amy felt the blood drain from her head. For a moment, she wondered if she would faint. This couldn’t be true, what Cade was saying. It was impossible. Buck didn’t even drink. Not anything alcoholic.

But what if it was? What if that was the past he kept hidden? The reason behind his conflicting actions? She pushed hard at Cade until she was free and stalked over to where Buck was still talking.

He broke off the conversation as she approached, concern lining his face.

“What happened?” he asked. “You’re white as a sheet.”

She dug her nails into her palms to keep her hands from shaking and pasted on a fake smile. “I’m sorry to interrupt,” she apologized. “I hope you don’t mind, but I need to borrow Buck for a few moments. I promise to return him in good shape.”

“No problem,” one of them said. “Buck, we’ll pick this up later where we left off.”

“Thanks.” He looked down at Amy. “What’s this all about?” he asked.

She shook her head and tugged on his hand, urging him to follow her. “Not until we’re out of this room.”

When they were outside and away from everyone, she turned to face him. The look on his face was a mixture of puzzlement and dread.

“Who is Narsimha?” she demanded, and had the painful satisfaction of seeing him turn pale. “I asked you a question. Are you going to answer me?”

Every muscle in his face tightened and his hands curled into fists.

“Where did you hear that name?” he demanded. “Who’s been talking to you?”

“What does it matter?” She took a deep breath and tried to stop trembling. I just want to know if it’s the truth? What I heard about him. About you. Tell me, Buck.”

He just stood there, his face a mask, but fury raged in his eyes. “And I just want to know who said anything to you about it, and what they said.”

“That you’re a drunk who rapes women and has spent a lot of time in jail because of it.” The words just burst from her mouth. She forced herself to take another deep breath. “Well, is it true?”

He swallowed. “Amy, this isn’t the place to have this discussion.”

“Tell me.” She tightened her hands into fists. “What’s the difference between you and Cade Hannigan?”

“I’m nothing like him.” Pain slashed across his face, his eyes darkened and a muscle twitched in his cheek. “Let me take you home and we’ll talk there.”

Her blood turned to ice, freezing her where she stood. When he reached for her, she backed away, sickness roiling in her stomach. “It’s true.” Her voice was barely a whisper. “It’s all true. I didn’t want to believe him but he was right.”

“Who was right? Amy, wait,” he called as she fled into the ballroom.

She couldn’t get away from him fast enough. Heedless of the people she bumped into, she grabbed Matt and Reenie on the dance floor.

“I have to go home. Right now.”

They had stopped dancing and Matt was studying her. “What’s wrong, Amze? You look like you’re on the verge of a heart attack.”

“Maybe I am. But please, please, please, before I embarrass myself, can we get out of here? If you can just take me home, you can come back and spend the rest of the evening with Reenie.”

Concern washed over Matt’s face. “Honey, if you don’t feel well, Buck will be happy to take you home. He brought you, after all.”

“No.” She almost shouted the word. Had to throttle down and force some semblance of calm into her voice. “Not Buck. I don’t want to see him right now. Maybe not ever. You do it. Please.”

Now anger replaced the concern. “What’s he done? If he’s hurt you in some way—”

“I think we need to finish this someplace private,” Reenie said.

Amy looked around and realized she was creating a small scene on the dance floor. She lowered her voice. “Sorry. Can you just do this for me, please? Right now?”

“We’ll all go,” Reenie said calmly, urging both of them away from the other dancers. “Come on, honey. I’ll get our purses. Matt, you better figure out how to head off Buck if she doesn’t want to see him. Here he comes, and he doesn’t look happy.”

“I’ll take care of him,” Matt told her. “I don’t know what this is about, so when we get out of here you need to explain things to me.”

“Okay. Whatever. Just let’s go.”

Somehow, between Reenie and Matt, they maneuvered her out of the room and managed to stave off Buck, who was not a happy camper. She couldn’t bring herself to speak on the ride home, just kept her eyes closed and her lips pressed firmly together. It was as much to keep from saying anything as it was to keep the nausea swelling up at bay.

The moment they were at the ranch, she fled for her bedroom. “I’ll be right back,” she called as she hurried down the hall. “Then I’ll tell you everything.”

She barely made it to her bathroom before dropping to her knees and emptying the contents of her stomach. She had to take deep breaths to calm herself enough to rise to her feet. She could hardly believe what she’d heard. She knew Buck was keeping something back, but never had she imagined anything like this. She’d spent time with him. Made love with him. Taken him into her body and her heart. Maybe Matt was right about her judgment.

Finally, she stripped off her fancy gown, kicked off her shoes and pulled on an old pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. Maybe it would help the chill gripping her body.

Light taps sounded on her door and she heard Reenie call, “Amy? You okay, sweetheart?”

“Yes. I’m coming right now.” She pulled the door open and looked into Reenie’s concerned face. “Let’s go sit down and talk. I only want to get this out once.”

“I made you some hot tea. Go sit down with Matt and I’ll bring it to you.”

But even the hot liquid couldn’t ease the chill that settled in her bones. Not looking at either her brother or sister-in-law, she gave them the basic details, what little she knew. Then waited for their reaction.

“And who told you this?” Matt wanted to know. “Let me guess. None other than Cade Hannigan.”

“So what? Buck didn’t deny any of it when I asked him.”

“You asked him at the dance? Tonight?”

She nodded. “As soon as I found out.” She stared into her teacup, miserable and sick at heart. “He didn’t deny any of it, Matt. I hate to admit it, but I guess you’re right after all where my judgment and men are concerned.”

“Amy.” He sat next to her on the couch, took the cup from her and held her hand. “Look at me. There’s a world of difference between Buck Montgomery and Cade Hannigan.”

“So you didn’t know all this about him?” She looked up in time to catch her brother exchanging a glance with Reenie. “Wait, wait, wait. You did know? And you didn’t tell me? My God, Matt. You even pushed me to go out with him.”

“Because I like him and he’s a good man.”

“But you got upset when I spent the night with him.”

“I admit I was a little nervous when you went from one to sixty in the relationship without taking a breath. But I had a different reason for cautioning you to take it easy. I just didn’t know, after what happened to him, if Buck could handle a relationship. If he’d let his past get in the way. What if he walked away from you after you’d already gotten deeply involved with him? And gave you no explanation?”

“Then you should have told me yourself. Or insisted that he tell me in the beginning. I’m not a child and I’m not stupid. I’m a big girl. Really.”

“Yeah, you are.” He looked at his wife. “Reenie, put some coffee on, would you?” He took his sister’s hand. “And Amy? I want you to listen to everything I’m going to tell you before you say another word. Buck Montgomery has made himself into a fine man. I admit I wanted you to take things slow with him, but I’d never have encouraged this if I thought he was bad for you. If he’s really what you want, then listen carefully to what I have to say.”

Another hour had passed before Matt finished telling her the entire story, beginning with Buck’s upbringing and his determination to compete on the rodeo circuit. He didn’t spare Buck at all, but he was very specific about what had been done to him, especially the fake rape charge.

“He made a very deliberate choice to clean up his life,” he said. “To become respectable. A solid citizen. And make a new life for himself. I never would have invited him to the house if I believed otherwise.”

“Matt knows he should have clued you in, but he’d made Buck a promise. He kept urging the man to tell you himself.” Reenie took her hand. “Buck was just so afraid you’d break it off with him after you heard the story.”

“So Buck didn’t trust me to believe him and Matt was stuck in some stupid brotherhood code of honor.” Amy jumped up and began to pace. “He foolishly thought he could bury this and it would never come back to haunt him, right?” She stopped and glared at Matt. “But the past never goes away.”

“Okay.” Matt rubbed his jaw. “I agree that if Buck wasn’t going to tell you himself, I definitely should have.”

“Then you had no right to criticize me for getting involved with the man.” Amy wanted to stamp her foot. “You were wrong, big brother. Dead wrong.”

“I should have figured Hannigan would get hold of this.” Matt’s voice was laced with disgust. “I’ll deal with him myself.”

“Matt, no,” Amy protested. “You’ll just make things worse.”

“If I don’t teach him a lesson or two, there’s no telling how much more damage he’ll decide to do. Buck doesn’t deserve it and neither do you. But the bigger issue is what do you want to do now?”

Yes, that was indeed the question. She couldn’t deny what she felt for him. But did she have the courage to go to him? Admit she’d acted hastily? See if they really had a future together?

She stood up, raked her fingers through her hair and tucked it behind her ears.

“I’m going to drive over to his ranch,” she announced. “If he’s not there, I’ll look until I find him. I’ll make him listen to my apology and see where it goes from there.”

“Want me to come with you?” Matt asked.

Reenie gave a small laugh. “I think if she and Buck work things out, you’ll be an unnecessary addition to the group.”

“That’s okay then. I think I’ll round up Cade Hannigan and have a little chat with him.”

“Don’t get arrested for brawling,” Amy teased.

“It won’t be a brawl. It comes under the heading of taking care of the trash.” Matt hugged her and kissed her cheek. “Good luck. Take your cell. I’m only a phone call away.”

As soon as he watched the Starks drive away from the hotel, Buck had gotten into his own truck and headed for home. Rage and pain mingled inside him and twisted his gut.

I should have known I couldn’t outrun the past. I should have tried to figure out a way to tell her in the beginning.

But, cowardly, he’d secretly hoped Matt would do it and ease her over the hump.

Well, it was all shot to shit now. Maybe he should just sell the ranch, pull up stakes and look for another place to hide. And stay the hell away from women. But he didn’t want another place, and he sure as hell wanted this woman.

Fat chance now.

He made one stop on the way home. When he got inside his house, he pulled off his jacket and tie, plunked down his purchase on the kitchen table and sat down to tug off his boots.. Then he sat staring at the bottle of bourbon he’d just spent money on and tried to decide if he really wanted to go there again.

Don’t do it. Don’t fall into that familiar trap. You’ve got a new life started.

He snorted. Some new life. He still couldn’t get away from the old one.

He was still staring at it, wondering what the hell to do, when he heard his doorbell ring. Then someone pounded on the front door. He didn’t move, deliberately ignoring whoever it was. Waiting for them to go away. But the banging and ringing didn’t stop, and in a minute he heard Amy’s voice shouting through the door.

“Buck? I know you’re in there. Open the damn door before I get someone to break it down.” There was more loud pounding.

Great. Just great.

Finally realizing she wasn’t giving up, he padded to the front hall and yanked the door open.

“Go away. We have nothing to say to each other.”

He tried to close the door, but she managed to squeeze by his solid body into the house. “Not true. We have plenty to say.”

“I can’t imagine what,” he told her as he followed her into the kitchen. “It’s all been said already, hasn’t it? At least that’s the impression you gave me.”

He nearly mowed her down when she stopped short at the sight of the bourbon on the table.

“Oh, Buck.” She shook her head “Please don’t do this to yourself.”

“Seems like I’ve already done it.” He couldn’t keep the bitter edge from his voice.

She turned and stared up at him. “No, I think I’m the one who did it.” She twisted her hands together, but he could still see they trembled.

“What’s going on here, Amy? Why are you here? You couldn’t get away from me fast enough at the hotel.”

She blew out a breath. “You were wrong not to tell me your story, and I was wrong not to ask you for the real truth. I knew there had to be some reason you kept sending me mixed signals. Why didn’t you just let me know what had happened to you?”

“It’s not an easy story to tell, Amy. And I was afraid how you’d take it. I figured after we got to know each other a lot better, it would be easier for you to hear.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “Anyway, I wasn’t sure you’d believe me. Matt did, but I also know he checked everything out. Which I expected him to do. Then I guess I hoped he’d be the one to give you the news.”

“Coward.”

He looked up and saw pain in her eyes.

“Did you think so little of me that you expected me to run away? Not to believe you?”

“It’s not a pretty story,” he pointed out. “Why would I think you’d believe me? More to the point, you didn’t. Did you.”

“No, it isn’t,” she agreed. “But I can see now that you put it all behind you and worked to make something of your life. That’s the really important part. And I’m sorry I ran away like a frightened, angry child instead of the adult I like to think I am. Maybe Matt was right that I need help in making choices.”

Buck studied her face, her eyes, seeing nothing there but honesty and truth and…something else that made his heart catch.

“Did he give you grief about seeing me? I thought he wanted us to get together.”

“Yes, and he did. But I think he wanted to be sure I knew my own mind.” She dropped her gaze. “I haven’t made the best choices lately in my relationships.”

“And you thought that applied to me too, when you heard my story.”

“Only at first. I had a stupid, knee-jerk reaction. But you’re right. I should have given you a chance to explain.” She brushed impatiently at a tear tracking down her cheek. “Can you forgive me? Please?”

“If you can forgive me for not telling you everything in the first place.”

They stared at each other in silence for a long moment.

“So now what happens?” he asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

“This is what happens first.” She grabbed the bottle of bourbon, opened it and poured the contents down the sink.

“Hey. I could have returned that to get my money back.”

She stood in front of him, hands on her hips. “This way was better. It’s symbolic.”

“And what’s next?”

“Next,” she told him, standing on tiptoe to wind her arms around his neck, “you take me to bed where we can make a fresh new start. Where you can show me just how much I really mean to you.”

He lifted her in his arms, his heart suddenly lighter “Baby, it will be my very great pleasure.”

About the Author

Desiree Holt’s writing is flavored with the rich experiences of her life, including a long stretch in the music business representing every kind of artist from country singer to heavy-metal rock bands. For several years she also ran her own public relations agency handling any client that interested her, many of whom might recognize themselves in the pages of her stories. She is twice a finalist for an EPIC E-Book Award, a nominee for a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award, winner of the first 5 Heart Sweetheart of the Year Award at The Romance Studio as well as twice a CAPA Award for best BDSM book of the year, winner of two Holt Medallion Awards of Merit, and is published by five different houses. Romance Junkies said of her work: “Desiree Holt is the most amazing erotica author of our time and each story is more fulfilling then the last.”

You can find her at www.desireeholt.com and www.desireeholttellsall.com.

Look for these titles by Desiree Holt

Now Available:

Naked Cowboys

Stark Naked

Naked is nice. But Stark naked is definitely more fun…

Stark Naked

© 2011 Desiree Holt

Reenie Davenport learned the hard way that men are cheating, promotion-thieving poison. A month after making a fresh start in Texas, she looks forward to taking a breather at her old college friend Amy’s family ranch. Instead, she’s left breathless when Amy’s very drunk, very sexy, very naked brother lands at her feet. Even as she hardens her heart, a small part of her wishes that quickly tossed towel would shift…just a little. 

When Matt Stark shows up at Reenie’s door to apologize, he can barely squeeze a word past her emotional barriers. Suddenly nothing else matters except convincing her not all men are clones of her ex. Sweet-talking her into lunch is only the beginning. 

One touch, and boom! Much to Reenie’s dismay, lunch ends in a hot, flaming dessert—in her bed. Shutting Matt out isn’t as easy as simply blowing out a match. Especially since this cowboy is equally determined to unlock her heart. 

Warning: Contains graphic and explicit, hot nekkid cowboy lovin’.

Enjoy the following excerpt for Stark Naked:

“So, remember me?”

Reenie felt a smile trying to break out and did her best to squelch it. She let her eyes travel down the length of his body and back up again.

“I don’t know. Take off your clothes and I’ll let you know.”

It was the first time she’d ever seen a man blush. Even his ears turned red. His mouth opened but nothing came out. She was about to lose the battle with the smile.

He cleared his throat. “Okay. I deserve that. And more.”

He swallowed and her eyes were glued to the flex of the muscles in his throat. Even that movement was sexy. The man was damn near lethal, and a definite danger to her in her present no-men state. She could have eased up on him but she was fascinated to see what he’d say or do next, so she just stood in the door and watched him.

He tilted his head slightly. “I admit that wasn’t my finest moment, but I’m trying to make up for it here. Should I get down on my knees? Grovel?” His grin was wicked. “Lick your feet? Or any other part of your body?”

Reenie couldn’t help herself. She burst out laughing. Matt Stark was incorrigible. She wondered if he ever thought about anything besides sex and cattle.

He took off his sunglasses and despite being bloodshot his eyes had that same hot look. “Listen. I really did come to make a sincere apology, Reenie. My behavior last night was, well, reprehensible.”

“Ooh. Reprehensible.” She fanned herself with the dust cloth. “Big words too.” She tilted her head, studying him, wondering why she hadn’t just slammed the door in his face. “I was thinking more like disgusting. Although I do have to say Texas hospitality is very unusual. I don’t think I’ve ever been greeted by a naked drunk.”

“And I don’t usually greet guests at Stark Ranch that way.” He rubbed his jaw. “My only excuse is the deal I closed yesterday was enormous financially. The beef market’s been a little unstable and I have a very large operation to support.” He lifted his hands. “So, big celebration. Too much booze, too little common sense.”

“Uh huh.”

“That’s not my style. Really. I respect women and certainly try never to do anything to embarrass my sister and her friends. Come on, Reenie.” His mouth curved in a boyish little grin. “I’m still the same guy you met when you and Amy were roommates.”

“Not hardly.”

He held up a hand. “I swear to you. So how about a second chance here?”

I should just accept his damn apology, slam the door and go about my business. What’s wrong with me? Why don’t I?

“Okay. Apology accepted. Scram.”

She would have closed the door if he hadn’t reached out a hand and pressed it open.

“Hey. Wait a minute. How polite is that? A guy comes to say he’s sorry and you kick him to the curb?”

She sighed, not bothering to conceal her exasperation. “No offense, but I’ve had my fill of guys like you. So, have a nice life. Bye.”

“Guys like me?” He was still blocking the door, preventing her from closing it. “You mean ranchers?”

“Ha ha. Very funny. I mean men who collect women. Who should be branded with an A for arrogant.” Her smile was almost a sneer. “Or for asshole. Take your pick. Just leave me alone.”

“Look. Reenie. I’m not going away until I convince you I’m really a nice guy.”

“I guess you’ll be spending a lot of time on the doorstep then.”

But he went right on as if she hadn’t said a word. “So could we pretend it never happened and start all over again?” He held out his hand. “Hi. I’m Matt Stark. You and my sister, Amy, roomed together in college, remember? Nice to see you again.”

How could you stay mad at a guy like this? She pushed thoughts of Asshole Aaron out of her mind and actually found herself smiling. Matt was just impossible. And unfortunately, impossibly sexy. The kick of lust she’d felt when she’d seen him naked surged back in full force. Damn it anyway, she didn’t need another alpha male screwing up her life. But somehow his determination got to her. Okay, she’d play nice and send him on his way.

“Hi.” She took his hand. “Reenie Davenport. Nice to meet you. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I really have things to do.”

And I have to get away from you before I do or say something stupid.

But he wasn’t budging. His gaze flicked to the dust cloth. “Like cleaning your house? That your idea of fun on a Saturday? Anyway, how dirty can it be? You just moved in.”

Reenie lifted her chin. “I like to keep a clean house.”

He grinned. “God. You sound just like June Cleaver.”

Heat crept up her cheeks. She wanted to pull her T-shirt over her face but that didn’t seem to be too practical. “At least June Cleaver didn’t have naked men falling at her feet.”

The words popped out of her mouth as if her brain had disconnected. Holy hell.

Matt cleared his throat, and Reenie wondered how such a simple sound could be so sexy. At least the part of her brain still functioning wondered. The rest of it seemed not to belong to her anymore. Even Asshole Aaron—and what a great name for him that was—had never had her this revved up. What the hell was the matter with her?

“Let me try this again,” he said. “I probably should have brought flowers and chocolates. So let me just say that I’m humbly sorry for making an ass of myself and embarrassing you last night. Instead of flowers and chocolates I was wondering if I could take you out to lunch.” His mouth kicked up in that grin again. “I promise to be a gentleman and keep my clothes on.”

Seeking sanctuary could be the hottest mistake she ever made.

Laying Down the Law

© 2012 Delilah Devlin

The TripleHorn Brand, Book 1

A lifetime ago, Zuri Prescott kicked the dirt off her boots and ditched her small-time small town for the glam city life—and lived to regret it. When she’s framed for a bank job, she lights out for home, seeking refuge with her old high school sweetheart while she figures out her next steps. Only she discovers that the boy she left behind is the last man she should trust.

Sheriff Colt Triplehorn knows trouble when he sees it, especially when it comes in the form of a familiar trespasser, caught naked between an angry bull and her underwear. Sure she’s up to her usual no good, he grants her sanctuary at his ranch—the better to keep an eye on her, and purge her from his system once and for all. 

Reconnection is sweet and hot, but the heat can’t hide the truth. When Colt inevitably finds out the truth, it’s too late to put the fire out, and he’s got a career-compromising choice on his hands. Follow the letter of the law, or follow his heart.

Warning: When a sheriff captures the girl who got away, expect revenge so hot it leaves brands on two lonely hearts...

Enjoy the following excerpt for Laying Down the Law:

Zuri bit back a complaint, wishing he’d quit hovering because he was keeping her on edge. But when he didn’t budge, she dragged her feet to the bed, scooped up the wash-softened cotton and turned toward the bathroom.

“Uh uh,” he said, tsking softly. “My house. My clothes. My rules.”

She glanced over her shoulder, not knowing if she’d heard him right, but that same hard challenge he’d issued when he’d demanded the kiss was stamped all over his granite features.

She knew she ought to ignore him and lock herself into the bathroom to dress and gather her scattered wits, but the underlying tension riding the edge of his jaw excited her.

Colt had never been this dominating…except when they had sex. She’d loved it then. Her body seemed to crave it now. Heat bloomed again, winding around her core. A delicious little thrill accelerated her heartbeats.

Without a saying a word, she walked back to the bed and tossed down the clothing. Then keeping her gaze glued to his, she slowly untied the belt and let the robe fall open. With a sexy shrug, she let it slide off her shoulders and pool behind her on the floor.

Colt blinked first. His gaze trailed downward. His throat worked around a tense swallow, and Zuri couldn’t help the smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth. He might think he was in charge, but she knew better. Colt liked what he saw.

His quickening breaths were the first clue. The curving of his fists the second. When he opened his stance, just a few inches, she nearly crowed.

Reaching for the cotton pants, she wished she had something sexier to slide inside, then wondered if she’d lost her good sense to think that way. She had enough problems on her plate. But how could she dress and prevent him seeing what this was doing to her? Bending and opening her legs to step into the sweatpants made her feel vulnerable, exposed in a way that just standing there naked hadn’t. “I don’t understand you, or why you’re doin’ this.”

“You don’t know me.”

“I guess that’s true. It’s been a long time.”

“You didn’t know me then.”

She pulled the pants upward, over the curve of her bottom, feeling a little less off-center now that her lower half was hidden from his view. The waist of the pants settled on her hips and she rolled the band to gather up the excess fabric. “Guess that’ll have to do,” she muttered.

As she dragged the T-shirt over her head, she reminded herself why she was here. Definitely not to play games with her ex-boyfriend. She needed a safe place to stay. And she needed to keep Colt clueless until she had a chance to find her car and get rid of the damning evidence before the police found it. Her story might sound a little more believable then.

When she’d pulled the fabric down, fully covering her body, only then did she raise her glance to Colt’s again.

His brows pulled together. “Gonna tell me what’s going on? Why you’re here?”

“I’m a little hungry,” she said, knowing her attempt to stall was completely transparent. “I don’t suppose I could eat first?”

Colt dropped his fists and stepped closer, forcing her chin higher to hold his steady gaze. “If you’re in trouble…”

What? He’d help? She didn’t think so. Colt appeared to be the same inflexible cowboy. He’d always judged a person’s actions as either black or white, right or wrong. No interesting muddying of the colors accepted. She’d forgotten that about him.

She pondered telling him part of the tale, but worried he’d use what he learned to play with her some more. He seemed to like that fact he held the reins.

Zuri licked her lips. “I need a place to stay. Just for a little while.”

His gray eyes, once so warm and open, narrowed. A muscle flexed alongside his jaw.

She waited him out, knowing he wasn’t satisfied with her response. The longer the moment stretched between them, the more uncomfortable she grew. Still holding his steady gaze, she shifted her bare feet, supremely conscious of the fact she wasn’t wearing a stitch of underwear and that his clothing, while freshly laundered, still carried the hint of his unique scent. She was at his mercy. Completely.

Colt inhaled deeply, and then issued a soft, masculine grunt. He reached down and closed his hand around hers, then tugged her closer to the bed. He sat on the edge, staring at their hands before he looked up. “If you stay…you’ll sleep here,” he said, his voice tense and ragged.

Zuri wet her lips with her tongue because her mouth had suddenly gone dry. What he proposed sounded both so…wrong, yet incredibly tempting. She couldn’t get words past her tightening throat. If she could have, she didn’t know whether she would have told him to go to hell or given him a breathless yes. Instead, she squeezed his fingers.

So many thoughts swirled in her mind. Their past, her impossibly complicated present. It sounded so simple. She’d sleep beside him. Make love with him. Maybe she’d even find out that her memories of their being together were painted in rosy hues because she’d been younger, and he’d been her first.

Perhaps in exchange he’d give her clothes and money so that she could make a graceful exit.

Zuri crowded closer to his knees, tilting her chin.

Colt’s lips curved slightly at the corners, and although his gaze remained narrow, he scooted back.

She climbed over his lap, facing him, her thighs sliding over the outside of his, not saying a word, following her instincts although they’d led her down treacherous paths before. She slipped her hand alongside his neck, felt the heavy thrum of his pulse and bent down, her mouth hovering above his. “Think you can keep this uncomplicated, cowboy?”

A deep, throaty groan seeped between his lips, and she leaned into him, settling over the ridge throbbing beneath the placket of his jeans. She could do this. She could take what she wanted from him without losing her heart again. It was just sex.

Buck Naked

Desiree Holt

Sometimes out of the frying pan and into the fire is the best way to burn.

Naked Cowboys, Book 2

Amy Stark has it all together—except for chronic bad taste in men. She’s firmly in hands-off-all-men mode when a flat tire forces her to accept the help of exactly the type of man she’s sworn off. Arrogant, cocky and condescending.

When she runs into him again later that day and then finds out her brother has invited him for dinner, the fire between them has a sizzle of a different kind.

At eighteen, Buck Montgomery left home to make his mark on the bull-riding circuit. He may have had wild success in rodeo but his personal life is in the dust, and while he’s ready to start a new life he’s wary to expose his heart. Buck knows he should tell Amy the truth, but every time he opens his mouth, hers is right there with kisses like molten lava.

When his past resurfaces at the worst possible time, Buck can only wonder if Amy will love the man he has become…or if the man he was will chase her away.

Warning: Contains barnyard language and clap-your-hands-over-your-mama’s-eyes sex between a cowboy with a checkered past and a ranch girl with all the right moves.

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This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

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Buck Naked

Copyright © 2013 by Desiree Holt

ISBN: 978-1-61921-578-8

Edited by Heidi Moore

Cover by Angela Waters

All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

First Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication: April 2013

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