LITMIR.BIZ

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We’re going to ride bareback.”

      “Oh, yeah, that’s even safer than me riding Rosy at night,” she muttered as they left the house and started toward the barn.

      “It is if you’re a skilled horseman and you know your horse.”

      “Just remember, I’m counting on you to be right about that,” she said, unable to believe she was going along with his scheme.

      When they reached the barn, he led Dakota out of his stall and put a bridle on the gelding. Then turning, he loosely put his arms around her. “Thanks for going with me and Cassie today,” he said, kissing her temple. “I know she enjoyed talking to you about her dolls.”

      “She’s a delightful little girl. Very bright and outgoing,” Fee said. “I had a wonderful time talking to her.” Grinning, she added, “But I’m really surprised that you didn’t join in the conversation when we were discussing the latest doll accessories.”

      “I’ll be the first to admit I don’t know diddly-squat about dolls.” He chuckled. “But if you want to talk toy trucks or action figures, I’m you’re guy.”

      “I’ll take your word for that, too,” she said, staring up into his eyes. “But all joking aside, I really did have fun chatting with your niece.”

      “What about me?” he whispered, leaning forward. “Did you have a good time talking with me?”

      A quivering excitement ran through her body at the feel of his warm breath feathering over her ear and she had to brace her hands on his biceps to keep her balance. The feel of rock-hard muscle beneath his chambray shirt caused heat to flow through her veins.

      “Yes, I always enjoy talking to you,” she answered truthfully.

      “I like spending my time with you, too.” Lowering his head, he gave her a kiss so tender her knees threatened to buckle before he stepped back, took hold of the reins and a handful of Dakota’s mane, then swung up onto the horse. “Turn your back to me, Fee.”

      When she did as he instructed, he reached down and effortlessly lifted her to sit in front of him on the gelding. Straddling the horse, she was glad Chance was holding on to her. “Whoa! This is a lot higher than sitting on Rosy.”

      Chance’s deep chuckle vibrated against her back as he tightened his arm around her midsection and nudged the gelding into a slow walk. “I promise you’re safe, sweetheart. I won’t let you fall.”

      She knew he was talking about a fall from the horse, but what was going to keep her from falling for the man holding her so securely against him?

      Fee quickly relegated the thought to the back of her mind as Dakota carried them from the barn out into the night and she gazed up at the sky. Billions of stars created a twinkling canopy above and the moon cast an ethereal glow over the rugged landscape.

      “This is gorgeous, Chance.” She shook her head. “I’ve never seen so many stars in the night sky before.”

      “That’s because of smog and too many lights in the city to see them all,” he answered, his voice low and intimate. He tightened his arms around her. “Are you chilly?”

      She could lie and tell him that she was, but she suspected that he already knew her tiny shiver was caused by their close proximity. “Not really,” she admitted, leaning her head back against his shoulder. “It’s just that something this vast and beautiful is humbling.”

      They rode along in silence for some time before she felt the evidence of his reaction to being this close to her against her backside. So overwhelmed by the splendor of the night, she hadn’t paid attention to the fact that her bottom was nestled tightly between his thighs. But it wasn’t his arousal that surprised her as much as her reaction to it. Knowing that he desired her caused an answering warmth to spread throughout her body and an empty ache to settle in the most feminine part of her.

      “Chance?”

      “Don’t freak out,” he whispered, stopping Dakota. “I’m not going to deny that I want you. You’re a desirable woman and I’m like any other man—I have needs. But nothing is going to happen unless it’s what you want, too, sweetheart.”

      Before she could find her voice, Chance released his hold on her and slid off the horse to his feet. He immediately reached up to help her down, then wrapping his arms around her, gave her a kiss that caused her toes to curl inside her boots before he set her away from him.

      Disappointed that the kiss had been so brief, she tried to distract herself by looking around. Something shiny caught her attention and taking a few steps closer, she realized it was the moon reflecting off of a small pool of water. Surrounded on three sides by cottonwood trees, she could see wisps of mist rising from its surface and the faint sound of running water.

      “Is that a natural spring?” she asked.

      “It’s actually considered a thermal spring even though the temperature never gets over about seventy-five degrees,” Chance said, walking over to stand beside her. “I used to go swimming in it when I was a kid.”

      “It’s that deep?” she asked, intrigued. Even with just the light from the moon, she could see a shadowy image of the bottom of the pool.

      “It’s only about four feet deep over by the outlet where it runs down to the river.” He laughed. “But to a ten-year-old kid that’s deep enough to get in and splash around.”

      Fee smiled as she thought of Chance playing in the water as a child. “I’m sure you had a lot of fun. I used to love going to the beach when I was young, and my grandmother’s house had a swimming pool.”

      “We always had a pool up at the main house,” he said, nodding. “But it’s not as much fun as this. Have you ever been skinny-dipping?” he asked.

      “No.” She laughed. “Besides not really having the nerve to do it, I would have hated causing Mr. Harris next door to have a coronary, or scandalizing his wife to the point where she refused to go to the senior center with my grandmother to play bingo.”

      He gave her a wicked grin and reached down to pull off his boots and socks. “I will if you will.”

      “Skinny-dip? Here? Now?” She shook her head. “Have you lost your mind? Aren’t you worried someone will see you?”

      He tugged his shirt from his jeans and with one smooth motion released all of the snap closures. “Sweetheart, it’s just you, me and Dakota out here. And since he’s a gelding, all he’s interested in is grass.”

      She glanced over at the horse. “What if he runs away and leaves us stranded out here?”

      “He’s trained to ground tie.” He reached to unbuckle his belt and release the button at the top of his jeans. “As long as the ends of the reins are dragging the ground, he’ll stay close.” His grin widened. “Are you going to join me?”

      “I don’t think so.” She wasn’t a prude, but she wasn’t sure she was ready to abandon years of her grandmother’s lectures on modesty, either.

      “Now who isn’t being adventurous?” he teased.

      “Trying a different flavor of ice cream is completely different than taking off all of your...” Her voice trailed off when Chance shrugged out of his shirt.

      The man had the physique of a male model and she had firsthand knowledge of how hard and strong all those muscles were. She thought about how every time he helped her into his truck or lifted her onto one of the horses, he picked her up as if she weighed nothing.

      Unable to look away when he unzipped his fly and shoved his jeans down his long muscular legs, Fee felt a lazy heat begin to flow through her veins. “I can’t believe you’re really going to do this.”

      “Yup, I’m really going to do this,” he repeated as he stepped out of his jeans and tossed them on top of his shirt. When she continued to stare at him,

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