Chapter Ten

Buck was awake in just a few hours. Sara was still sound asleep and, if her soft snoring was any indication, she might not be awake for several hours yet. He gently disengaged himself and covered her back up. He wasn’t stupid, there was definitely going to be hell to pay when she realized what they’d done. He grabbed a pair of clean boxers out of the drawer and slipped them on before heading out to the sitting room.

Waiting for the coffee to perk, he sat on the small couch and dropped his head into his hands. He’d done some idiotic things in his life, but to make love with Sara because she’d dared him to? What the hell had come over him? She could at least claim she’d had too much to drink, but he’d been as sober as a judge.

Maybe he should be asking, what had come over her? It had to have been something Charli said to her. They’d been in Houston for five days and nights and Sara hadn’t even hinted at doing what they did last night. Yep, Charli was definitely behind this somehow. Whether that was good or bad remained to be seen.

She had surprised him in so many ways last night and again this morning, but he hadn’t been surprised to find she was still a virgin. He knew if she’d ever done it with Cole, she’d have told him all about it. They told each other everything.

The doorbell to the suite rang. “Room Service,” a male voice called through the door.

Buck frowned. He hadn’t order breakfast. He walked across the room and opened the door. Maybe Sara did and forgot to tell him.

In a few minutes, he’d signed for the cart of food and given the bellboy a tip. An envelope sat in the middle of the cart, addressed to him. You can thank me later—signed with a red heart and the initial C.

He would have grinned if his heart wasn’t so heavy. Charli obviously didn’t know Sara as well as he did. What he’d done last night, what they’d done changed everything. Sara had told him that sleeping with friends mucked everything up, and she was right. He’d never be satisfied with going back to just being her buddy now. He wanted far more than just friendship with her. He wanted her in his bed, every night.

And what of her father’s Will? Was sleeping with him last night her decision? If so, good. At least that issue was resolved. Sara wouldn’t have done what they did, no matter what she had to drink, if she was still considering marrying Cord.

The thought cheered him enough that he half-thought about going back and joining her in bed. The added thought of her waking up and then having to deal with the wrath that was sure to follow was enough to keep him firmly in the living room.

The cart was full of every imaginable type of breakfast food. Charli must have thought they’d be ravenous! He popped a plump grape in his mouth and picked up a couple strawberries before pouring a cup of coffee.

Another hour crept by and Buck had read the paper and flipped through the program for the day’s events. It was barely seven—he couldn’t stand the wait anymore. He was going to climb back into bed and wake her up the way a new lover should. Plus, at least that way if she decided to attack him he’d be lying somewhere soft.

Buck turned off the lights in the sitting room and crept back to the bedroom. Sara was still sound asleep so he slid his boxers off, carefully lifted the covers and climbed back in beside her. Back to him, he wrapped his arms around her middle and spooned around her. He brushed her hair aside and kissed the warm curve of her neck as his hand covered a breast. Her nipple immediately pebbled at his touch and he stroked it while kissing her neck and shoulders. He could sense her body waking up and he slid one hand down between her legs to nestle in the moist curls. Her legs parted of their own accord, inviting him inside to stroke her. Her body shifted restlessly, bare bottom shoved up against his erection. He squeezed her breast as he moved closer so he could enter her from behind. She pulled her bottom up and arched her back slightly and he slid inside her hot center. Her breath caught and she let it out on a soft moan of pleasure. The sounds of enjoyment she made as he stroked in and out were intoxicating and, before long, she cried out and he joined her in a joint climax.

As the waves subsided, Buck remained inside her, pelting and nibbling her skin from behind. He had no idea if she ever fully woke up or not as he snuggled her tight against him again.

****

The sounds of the shower running and the smell of old coffee woke her up. Sara sat up and immediately pressed a hand to her head. “Freakin’ Charli,” she muttered.

It took only seconds for the rest of last night to come back—and to remember why she was in Buck’s room and not her own. She swallowed hard. Charli had gotten her to this point, but she didn’t tell her what to do next. Did she join him in the shower? Was that what women did the next morning? She may have had some false courage helped by the alcohol last night but, this morning, she was pure chicken.

Scooting out of bed, Sara stumbled across his room, fleeing to her own shower before he could come out. For good measure, she flipped the lock on her bathroom door and then stood under the hot spray until the water calmed her down.

Did she regret what happened? A slow smile tugged her lips. Hell no. It was wonderful. Even having parts of her aching and screaming with pain this morning was worth every bit of what she’d shared with Buck.

But now what? And not just what was going to happen when they were face to face again, but what about the situation back home? Charli had told her to put it out of her mind last night and she had. Today was a whole different story. She leaned her forehead against the shower wall. Making love with Buck hadn’t helped her situation at all—if anything, it made it a hundred times worse.

Jackson’s voice telling her about the stipulations of her father’s Will echoed in her ear again, along with Cord’s rationale for why they should marry for the sake of the family business. But the memory of Buck’s whispered words in her ear last night, words she’d never heard her best friend say before, pushed aside all the other thoughts. The memory of his hands on her was vivid, his body covering hers as he taught her the secrets that lovers shared. Lovers. She and Buck were lovers now. Her breasts tingled and her lower regions ached, and not from what they’d done, but from anticipating what she wanted to do again.

She lifted her head and shoved her face under the spray. She wasn’t going to think about Cord and the Will, not until she had to. Not until she was back home and reality had to be faced. For now, she wanted to steal another day and night with Buck, away from responsibilities and the future.

What would Charli do? Sara snorted. She knew exactly what her devil-may-care friend would do—have as much sex as she wanted and enjoy every second of it, not feeling the least bit concerned about tomorrow. Charli would live for today and, damn it, so would she. Twenty-five-years old and never had a lover. It was beyond time that she grabbed all the pleasure she wanted. If Buck was at all concerned about it, he’d tell her. He wouldn’t have any issue telling her if last night was a mistake.

Her insides clenched and she frowned. Was he regretting it? This morning when he’d made love to her again didn’t seem like the actions of a man who had regrets. She smiled and shut the water off. Nope, they were both on the same page, just like always. They were going to do whatever they wanted together during this little reprieve from their lives.

By the time she’d finished showering and blow drying her hair, she was anxious to see him and yet scared to death that it would be awkward. With her stomach full of butterflies, she opened her bedroom door to the sitting room. Buck was on his cell phone His eyes met hers and she held his gaze. Cord—she could tell by the way the conversation centered on the results of their week so far and what they had left to do.

Her face flamed. Cord would never in a million years think that she and Buck were doing what they’d been doing. Hell, no one would probably believe it. That was probably a good thing. If she had to go back and live an entirely different life, it would be good to not have anyone know what had happened in Houston this week.

Buck grinned and held out his hand. She walked across the room and he held the phone away to lean down and capture her mouth with his.

“Good morning, again,” he whispered. He kept his arm firmly around her as he returned the phone to his ear. “Well that’s good that you’re feeling better, and yeah we’ll follow up with those guys from Australia. I’ll have them give you a call before they leave the States.”

He lowered his mouth to hers again and Sara wrapped her arms around his waist, melting into him. He tasted of mint and coffee. She flattened her hand along his hard abs loving the way his muscles felt under her palm.

Buck tore his mouth from hers again to talk into the phone. “Yeah, yeah, I got it. Listen I gotta run, we’re going to be late. See you Sunday.”

He closed his cell phone, tossed it on the nearest chair and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her properly. Sara arched into his kiss with as much hunger as if she hadn’t seen him in a year.

Breathing hard, he broke off the kiss and leaned his forehead against hers. “Tell me you’ve got no regrets. Put me out of my misery or tell me to go to hell but I’ve been waiting since five a.m. to know what you’re going to do.”

Sara was shocked. He was nervous? Of me? The huge cowboy who could bring someone down with a single glance was terrified of what she was going to say. She squeezed his buttocks in her palm and pressed into him. “You didn’t seem very nervous about it a couple hours ago.”

Buck laughed. “I’m telling you, I’ve been on edge, scared to death you were going to beat the crap out of me.”

Sara left his arms. “I told you last night, I wasn’t drunk.” She glanced back over her shoulder. “Okay, maybe a little drunk, but I knew what I was doing and what I wanted.”

She shook her head. “I can’t believe you don’t know me better than that.” She poured herself a cup of coffee and noticed the tray of food. “Holy crap! Did you think you needed to feed me to regain my strength?”

Buck picked up the note and handed it to her.

Sara read from the paper and grinned. “I wonder where she’s waking up this morning.” She relayed the incident with the napkins and the men who had approached them.

Buck picked up his cell phone. “Maybe we should call her.”

Sara sipped her coffee and shook her head. “Nah, leave her be. We’ll see her later today.” She picked up a grape and popped it into her mouth. Okay, here was the weirdness. The awkward ‘what now?’ stuff. She drank her coffee and picked up a strawberry, trying to pretend she didn’t notice. When Buck still didn’t say anything she looked back at him. “Can we not do this?”

“Do what?”

“This whole weird, what do we do now thing. I hate this.”

He raked his hand through his hair. “I know I can feel it too.”

Sara popped another grape into her mouth and chewed. “Let’s try this. Pretend I’m any other woman you’ve just slept with for the first time. What would you do?”

“Sneak her out the back door before my brothers get a look at her.”

Sara shook her head. “Be serious. We’re all the way in Houston. What would you do?”

He hesitated for a second and then walked across the room. He took her hand and picked up the plate of grapes then sat down on the oversized chair, set the plate on the end table, and pulled her into his lap.

“Well first, I’d say good morning.” He kissed her and cuddled her in his arms. Then he reached next to them and picked up a grape. “Then I’d feed you breakfast in bed, but since you’re already up I’ll just do this.”

He slipped the grape between her lips then leaned over and kissed her. When he released her, she chewed as he picked up another and popped it into his mouth. He didn’t chew, though. Instead, he opened his mouth over hers and passed the grape to her.

“Hmm.” She liked the way he did that. It was sexy and made her want him all over again. She chewed and swallowed. “Then what would you do, after breakfast I mean?”

Buck covered one breast with his hand over her T-shirt and she caught her breath as need spiraled through her.

“I’d make love to you until lunch.”

Sara leaned in towards him.

He sighed and dropped his hand from her body. “Unfortunately, we have that appointment with those ranchers from Australia in about fifteen minutes. You better eat up so we can go meet with them.”

Sara frowned and leaned back into him, wanting his touch, wanting last night to start all over again. “Can’t we change the meeting, go this afternoon?”

Buck kissed her hard and she grabbed his head, twisting her body in his lap. His hand slipped to her jean-clad thigh and she whimpered, wanting him to touch her again.

But he pulled away to pick up another grape and feed it to her. “We can’t. The only time they can meet us today is at 9:00. We gotta go, or we’ll lose that entire deal.”

“Business before pleasure,” she grumbled.

He stared at her. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure there’s plenty of time for pleasure, I promise. If you’re sure that’s what you want.”

“How long do you think this appointment will take?”

Buck groaned around a grin. “Too long. But then, five minutes is going to be too long to wait.” He gently pushed her until she stood up. “Come on, the sooner we do this the sooner we can get back and I can show you why they call it afternoon delight.”

****

Buck knew he had a goofy smile on his face, but he couldn’t help it. He hadn’t come to Houston expecting anything like what had happened to take place. The best he’d hoped was that Sara would have a good time, and they’d be able to talk and get back the camaraderie they’d always enjoyed. Watching her as she talked with the Aussies, he couldn’t help but want her desperately again. He slid his hand along the back of her chair, needing to feel a connection to her. When she looked over at him and smiled, his heart flipped over.

Her green eyes sparkled and in the half second they beamed into his, he knew she’d been thinking the same things he was thinking about. There was a sexual charge in the air and he wondered if the others at the meeting sensed it. Maybe it was just his imagination.

He’d never experienced a high like the one he was on now. With other women, there’d been physical satisfaction, sexual release and even enjoyment, but what had happened between him and Sara was so much more intense. Making love with her was as much fun as everything else they did together. They’d always had this bond and now they had the whole package, the emotional and the physical connection.

“Don’t you think that’s the way to go?”

Buck blinked, having no idea what they’d just asked him.

Sara laughed softly and her hand fell to his leg under the tablecloth.

“I’m sorry, gentleman,” he apologized. “I have to be honest, I was a million miles away. Can you repeat that?”

The others laughed. “No worries, Buck. It’s been a long week for all of us and we all have things back home we need to tend to. I simply said I’ll give your brother a call before we leave and set up that appointment for next month.”

The Australian ranchers stood up and Buck and Sara both rose to shake their hands. After the men left, they sat back down. Sara picked up her orange juice and finished it off.

“I think that went good,” he said. His hand was once again along the back of her chair and he wove a strand of hair through his fingers.

Sara chuckled. “How would you know? Were you even in this conversation?”

Buck half grinned. “I can’t help it. The last thing my mind is on right now is business. All I can think about is how crazy this is.” He leaned towards her and kissed the side of her neck, loving the way her breath caught. “And how much I want to do it all over again...and again and again.”

Sara laughed but didn’t pull away.

When he leaned back, she crossed her arms over her chest. “Okay, then. We should figure out what we need to wrap up and what we can skip.” Her eyes sparkled as she said the last part.

Buck wiggled his eyebrows and kissed her mouth again. “I promised Boyd I’d go with him to look at some information on that breeding program he’s thinking of trying. You don’t have to go if you don’t want.”

“What time is that?”

“In about an hour actually. There’s a million other activities we could do this afternoon, but I’m all for skipping those.”

Sara lifted her eyes to meet his and he watched as a flush crept into her cheeks. God, she’s something. He loved the way she didn’t play games and pretend she didn’t want to do the same thing he did. There was no coyness with her, but then why would there be? Sara was always very upfront about everything and he shouldn’t have expected she would be any less about this. Once she’d made up her mind about something, she dove in headfirst, never hesitating.

He reached out and touched her cheek. When she turned her face to kiss his palm, his body roared to life and he wrestled with whether they could steal away for the next hour.

“I think I’ll skip that thing with Boyd,” Sara said. “Maybe I’ll be real lazy and lay by the pool for a couple hours—maybe take a nap, since I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night.”

Buck’s gaze fell to her mouth and he leaned in even closer, his lips over hers. She tasted like orange juice and he kissed her gently, mindful that they were in the middle of a crowded dining room. “It’s your own fault you got no sleep,” he teased when he broke the kiss.

“I wasn’t complaining,” she whispered.

As he kissed her again, he couldn’t help think how hard it was going to be for her to turn over control of the ranch to Cord. He’d have to help her adjust to that. His mind whirled with images of their life back home. They should get their own place, move away from the two family homes a bit and have some privacy. A few weeks ago, he’d been thinking about building his own house anyway, now they could build it together.

“Buck!”

They broke apart as Charli’s father, Chase Boyd, appeared. “There you are. ‘Bout ready? Hey Sara, how’re things going this week?”

“Going good, Chase, thanks. Where’s Charli? Since there’s nothing on the schedule this afternoon for me, I’m going to go for a swim. I was going to see if she wanted to do some laps in the pool with me.”

Chase laughed. “I can’t keep track of that girl. She did mention having dinner with you two later tonight. We have to head back tomorrow, you know.”

They stood and he put his arm around Sara’s waist, unable to stop himself from touching her as they walked out of the restaurant. “I’ll see you around two-thirty,” Buck squeezed her close for a second before releasing her.

Sara nodded and watched the two men walk away. Punching in Charli’s number on her cell phone, she went to the elevator to head to her room to change. The call went right to voice mail. “Hey, I’m heading to the pool if you want to join me for a swim. Buck’s with your father and he mentioned having dinner tonight. Call me or meet me down at the pool.”

****

The pool area wasn’t crowded and, after a number of laps, she climbed out and relaxed on the lounger with a magazine. Sara glanced at her watch for the third time in the same hour. Time dragged. All she could think about was being with Buck again. Who’d have thought her best friend could have such a hold over her? All she wanted to do was climb back in bed with him and explore his body inch by glorious inch as he did the same to hers. With her eyes shut, she stretched lazily, remembering every delicious part of last night and this morning.

Unable to stand it any longer, she shoved her magazines and cell phone back in her small tote bag, put her cover-up on and headed upstairs to take a shower and wait for Buck.

She pushed open the door to their suite and stopped dead. Buck was already back. He walked out of his bedroom, a towel wrapped around his waist. The corner of his mouth lifted up and his eyes glowed as they connected with hers. His hungry gaze slid down her body. He lifted one eyebrow and whistled low. She smirked. Obviously the new bikini was a hit.

He stopped in the middle of towel drying his hair. “Nice suit.”

Sara dropped her tote bag on the floor and kicked off her flip-flops. “I’m glad you like it.”

Buck walked across the room and tossed the towel he’d been drying his hair with on the floor. The uncharacteristically sloppy gesture on his part made her eyebrow shoot up.

When he was directly in front of her, he reached out and drew her wet ponytail over her shoulder wrapping it around his fingers. “How was the swim?”

“Good.”

He smelled of his favorite soap. His chest glistened with droplets of water and she reached out to catch one drop as it slid down to his stomach. His mouth fell to her neck and she closed her eyes, bracing both hands against his chest. Tingles started in her toes and moved upward in delicious sensations spiraling through each nerve ending. His lips were amazing against her skin and her knees grew weak.

He shoved the cover-up she wore off her shoulders until it fell to the floor. “Did Charli show up?” he asked against her collarbone.

She tipped her head as his lips trailed down even further. “No,” she croaked.

“Hmm,” he muttered.

One long finger slid along the material of her bikini before slipping inside to trace the top of her breast. They were heavy and aching for his touch, her nipples hard little points pressed against the scrap of red fabric.

“H-how was the demo?” She wiggled towards him, her hands sliding around his waist to flatten on his back.

His lips followed the path his fingers had made along the edge of her bikini top, his tongue dipping down her cleavage. Fingers inside one cup still teased and caressed without giving her what she longed for. She couldn’t stop the whimper that escaped or how much she ached for him to touch her properly.

“The demo was really good,” he mumbled. “Lots of new techniques. Boyd’s going to buy into it and let us know how it goes.”

Finally, he opened his mouth directly over her breast through her swimsuit. Sara would have melted down the wall except he scooped her up, holding her upright as he teased, wetting the fabric and nibbling at her nipple.

“Buck,” she groaned.

He flipped the cup of her top up and her breast popped out underneath. He lifted the weight in his palm. “I had this great idea today.”

He lowered his mouth to kiss the slope of her breast, nudging her nipple with his jaw, denying her what she craved. “You always have the best ideas,” she breathed, hoping the idea he had was to make love to her, soon.

“I think after the conference ends tomorrow, we should stay on a few more days. Just you and me.”

He stroked her nipple with his teeth, lathed it with his tongue and pulled it into his hot mouth making her head spin.

“Oh-h-m-m-m,” she cried out as spasms jerked her body. Who’d have ever believed that something so simple would feel so incredible?

He chuckled against her skin. “Was that a yes?”

She nodded, trying to breathe normally. Every pull of his mouth echoed between her legs. She was wet with wanting him. Last night she’d wanted him. Today she was hungry, desperate and obsessed with having him. He was a new addiction.

He freed her second breast, shoving her top upwards to toy with them both. Squeezing them together, he buried his face between the mounds, tweaking both nipples until she was a molten mess of want.

“I’ll tell Cord that we’re following up on some leads and we’ll be back next weekend. We’ll drive around, see some sights and just hang out.” He gently pinched both nipples. “We haven’t gone on a vacation alone together ever, and it’s high time we did some…exploring.”

From a desire-induced haze, Sara tugged on his towel until it slid to the floor. She filled her hands with his rock solid buttocks before sliding one hand between them to touch him. “I like exploring,” she said as she held his solid length in her palm.

He jerked and shoved his hips towards her in encouragement. She pressed against him, hooking one leg around his calf and rubbing herself against his hardness.

She stroked him again while, with one hand, he pulled her bikini pants down until they were out of the way. He then cupped her between her legs as she lifted one foot and then the other to step free of them. His thumb probed and stroked her hot center and she gasped. He bent down and lifted her up into his arms kissing her thoroughly. But when she thought he’d head to his bedroom, instead he turned and set her bare bottom down on the edge of the small dinette table. He shoved the chair aside and, before she realized his intent, was on his knees in front of her. He lifted her foot, kissing the side of her ankle and began a slow torturous trail up her leg.

Sara’s body trembled. She was a bit unsure about this new tactic, but, when he reached her inner thigh and the extremely soft and sensitive area at the top of her leg, his hot breath on her felt like nothing she’d ever experienced before. Once he set his mouth against her, she lost her mind. She leaned back, braced herself on her arms and gave up everything to whatever he wanted to do. There couldn’t possibly be anything in the world that felt as amazing as what he was doing to her.

Long moments went by as she flew higher than she dreamed possible, the waves crashing through her body made her scream out his name and jerk in response. As soon as they subsided, he stood and positioned himself between her legs then pulled her to the edge of the table. She wrapped her legs around him as he entered her. He wasn’t gentle as he pumped in and out and she met him thrust for thrust. She clung to him as he pounded into her and called out her name. They came together in an explosive climax.

As soon as it was over, she lay back on the table trying to catch her breath. He loomed over her. She flopped on arm across her eyes but could feel his gaze on her.

His hands stroked her knees. “You okay?”

She laughed and sat up. “You thinking you’ve worn me out?”

He pushed the loose hair out of her face and then gently pulled the elastic ponytail holder the rest of the way off.

“Come to bed with me,” he invited Several hours later, having napped and made love and napped again. Buck lazily tracked a pattern along the smooth planes of her back. “We should probably get up for dinner.”

Sara lifted her head from his chest. “I’m not hungry.”

“Are you okay? I mean, not trying to be crude, but are you sore?” He cupped her bare bottom in his palm and rubbed the firm cheeks. He was afraid after last night and then this afternoon that he’d been too rough. He forgot that she wasn’t used to lovemaking and, to do as much as they had, she was bound to be tender in certain places.

She kissed his chest, her silky hair sliding along his skin. “I definitely found out about muscles I didn’t know I had.”

Her fingers explored downward and Buck couldn’t believe how fast she could get him hard. It was as if all she had to do was think about touching him and he was ready for her. But regardless of what she might say, she had to be sore and he wasn’t going to hurt her. He stroked her head as she slid down his body and her mouth covered his erection. Already she knew exactly how he liked to be touched, how to make him lose his mind.

He enjoyed the incredible pleasure she gave him for a few more seconds and then he skillfully guided her, turning her around until she could continue what she was doing, but he could love her in return. With her on top of him and her gorgeous feminine mound positioned where he could reach her, he slipped his tongue between the pink lips and loved her until they were both once again sated and limp.

****

“I wonder if Charli tried to call me about dinner. Will you grab my phone? It’s in my beach bag,” Sara called from the bathroom.

Buck had already dressed while she was finishing in the bathroom. It was early evening and they’d both decided they did need to get some dinner. In the sitting room, he smirked at the trail of her bikini and wet towels from earlier. He picked them all up and grabbed her tote bag. He found her phone and, sure enough, there was a missed call from Charli. He walked back into the bedroom. “Yeah, she called.”

“See if she left anything on voice mail,” Sara said seconds before he heard the shower turn on.

He pressed the speed dial to her voice mailbox and entered the code—she used the same PIN for everything in her life, no matter what he’d told her about security.

Charli’s voice came over the small speaker. “Hey, girlfriend. I heard you were looking for me. I finally came up for air around four.” Laughter. Buck could only imagine what or who had kept the redhead occupied all day. “I’m absolutely dying to know how things went last night. I bet old Buck was shocked to death when you came on to him. I hope you got every itch scratched and were able to learn all about some new ones. But I’m also worried about what you’re thinking today. I know you well enough to know you are kicking yourself all over the place with guilt over this whole Cord thing.”

Buck’s heart stopped and he froze. Everything in him screamed to stop listening, but he couldn’t.

“Look honey, there’s nothing wrong with fooling around all you want until you get that wedding ring on your finger. This is about you, not anyone else. You deserve all the good times you want, especially if you’re so determined to marry Cord for the family business. So you enjoy that buddy of yours some more and don’t worry about dinner with Daddy and me. We’re heading home in the morning but I don’t want to call again in case you’re tied up—and I do mean that in the hottest way possible. Ride ‘em cowgirl. See ya!”

Buck saw not only red but every other color in the rainbow. Trying to think rationally, he knew that Charli didn’t know Sara like he did. He sure didn’t like her implication that he was just convenient for Sara to spread her wings with. What if he hadn’t been on the trip with her? Would they have picked just anyone out from the convention?

No, this wasn’t about just anyone, and it wasn’t even about her sowing some wild oats. This was about what her intentions were now.