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4

H
UTCH
WASN’T
SURE
what he’d done to deserve the gift of Trina lying in his bed while the house happened to be empty and he was in possession of several condoms. But he wasn’t about to let this opportunity go to waste. She had her dream job at a racing stable in New York and he would eventually return to his neglected career, but fate had thrown them together for a few short days.

That was more than he’d ever hoped for with Trina Bledsoe. He wouldn’t be greedy and expect some long-term arrangement, but by God, while he had her here, he planned to be as greedy as hell. Rolling on a condom, he climbed back into bed and dropped a kiss on her moist lips.

He’d been in such a hurry to touch her and get her naked that they were still lying on top of his comforter. “I should rearrange things so we’re under the covers instead of on top of them,” he murmured.

She cupped his face in both hands. “You should rearrange things so you’re on top of
me,
locked between my thighs, with your nice big—”

“Okay, okay.” He moved into position. “How did you know it was big?”

“Duh. I watched you put on the condom.”

“Bigger than Simon Flear’s?”

“I only said his family jewels were big. The rest was sort of average.”

“Glad to hear it.” And with that, he slid into paradise. Apparently he groaned upon entry.

She clapped a hand over his mouth. “Shh!”

He nodded his understanding, and she took her hand away.

“You have to be careful.” She sounded endearingly earnest. “I can use a pillow, but that won’t work for you.”

With the most sensitive part of his anatomy buried in warm, vibrating, sensual comfort, he had trouble being worried about anything. “I could bite on a bullet.”

“We don’t have one. Plus that never seemed like a good idea. You could choke. But seriously, you have to control yourself.”

“Not easy.” He rocked his hips and withdrew just enough to feel the friction. This was going to be outstanding. Bellow-worthy. And he couldn’t make a sound, damn it.

He checked on Trina, and she was breathing fast. “Good?”

“Yes. But I’m worried. We could get carried away.”

“I hope we do.” He stroked again and she gasped. Now that was a gratifying reaction. Pausing, he listened carefully. “Hey, there’s no TV noise downstairs. If Dad was home, the TV would be on. Let’s go for it.”

“But—”

“It’ll be okay.” Without waiting to hear her objections, he began thrusting, deep, steady and with purpose.

She caught fire, rising to meet him. Clutching his back, she wrapped her legs around his hips, giving him access to go deeper. And she began to whimper.

What a glorious sound. He moved faster, ramping up the intensity. The bed creaked, and as he pumped harder, the headboard thumped against the wall with a wild, primitive beat. Her whimpers escalated to moans, and finally became jubilant cries of pleasure.

Yes! This was what he’d wanted! He struggled for breath as he continued to drive into her. They were both slick with sweat, their bodies sliding against each other in a perfect, balanced rhythm. “Come for me, Trina.” His voice was hoarse, foreign to his ears. “Come for me!”

She tightened around him and erupted with a loud wail. The headboard crashed against the wall twice more, and he followed her, surging forward to his climax with a shout of triumph.

And then, all was quiet except for their ragged breathing. Hutch leaned his forehead against hers. “I think…we got away with that.”

“Yeah.” She quivered in his arms. “And even…even if we didn’t…it was…”

“Worth it.”

“Uh-huh.”

Hutch kissed her slowly, with much gratitude. He’d experienced many moments of pure joy in his life. But this…this rivaled them all.

* * *

A
>
S DAWN BRIGHTENED
the sky outside Hutch’s bedroom win
dow, Trina roused herself from a brief nap and turned her head to gaze at her sleeping hero. She was no innocent virgin. She’d had lovers and two serious relationships. But she’d never spent such a passion-filled night with any man.

After their one noisy session, they’d turned down the volume but never the heat. They’d tried unusual positions that left them both helpless with muffled laughter. Then they’d gone back to the soul-shattering communication that went way beyond the term
having sex.
In every sense of the words, they’d made love. All night long.

And now, before the sun came up, she needed to get the heck out of this house. If Hutch’s dad was like most men of his generation, he rose early. She needed to beat him to the kitchen, where she’d escape quietly out the back door.

No point in waking Hutch. She’d text him later and they could figure out when and where they’d meet again. Now that she’d experienced lovemaking Hutch-style, she hoped her remaining three days would be filled to the brim with more encounters.

These days were a gift, and she had no illusions that more would come of it. She wasn’t about to leave her thoroughbred racing stable to trail around after him, and he made action-packed videos, or would again soon, that tended to be shot out West. They had no room in their lives for each other.

She managed to dress and leave the room quietly carrying her shoes. With one last fond glance at her Adonis lying sprawled face-down on the bed in all his naked glory, she crept toward the stairs. Her mental image of Hutch as she’d left him put a smile on her face. He might think she had the best ass in Wyoming, but she considered him a strong contender for the title.

Halfway to the bottom a stair creaked. She paused to hold her breath and listen for sounds of activity anywhere in the house, but especially in the kitchen. Silence reigned, and she continued on. If she met Hutch’s dad before she made her escape, she’d brave it out, but she’d rather not have to.

On the last stair, she heard a door open down the hall. Damn it! As footsteps approached, she briefly considered bolting for the kitchen door, but that could get ugly if the door was locked and she had to fumble with the knob. Being caught fleeing the scene was worse than facing the inevitable with dignity.

She wasn’t ashamed of spending the night with Hutch. They were both adults, and they’d acted responsibly and with courtesy for the other inhabitant of the house. Well, except that one time, but surely Ronald hadn’t been home to hear that or he would have come up to investigate.

Taking a deep breath, she descended the last step and turned to face the shadowed hallway. “I don’t want to scare you, Mr. Hutchinson,” she said distinctly.

The footsteps paused.

“It’s only me, Katrina Bledsoe. I…spent the night upstairs with your son.” Gulp. That had been tougher to say than she’d expected. Not the sort of proclamation she’d ever had to give.

The footsteps continued. “And I spent the night downstairs with his father.”

“
Mom?
” Trina stared in disbelief as her mother appeared wearing a plaid flannel bathrobe that didn’t belong to her. Her red hair stuck out in all directions, and she had…oh, good Lord, a
hickey
.

“Hello, Katrina.” Her mother’s gaze was maddeningly calm. “So Hutch was the
old friend
, was he?”

“Never mind that. What the hell are
you
doing here?” Stupid question. She knew the answer, but she didn’t want to know she knew.

Lucy’s expression changed from benign to stern mother-mode. “You watch your language, young lady!”

“Lucy?” Ronald Hutchinson, a tall, gaunt man with white hair and a neat white mustache, ambled down the hall wearing Snoopy pajamas. “What’s all the yelling about? What’s Katrina doing here so early?”

Lucy folded her arms. “Ironically, I think she’s passing judgment on me.”

Ronald put an arm around Lucy. “She wouldn’t do that, would you, Trina?”

“No! But I hardly expected to find my mother coming down the hall wearing a strange man’s bathrobe!”

“He’s not a strange man.” Her mother gazed fondly up at Ronald. “He’s a dear. And also very virile. He—”

“Stop.” Trina clapped her hands over her ears. “I don’t want any details.”

“Any details of what?” Hutch appeared at the top of the stairs wearing only his jeans.

He looked extremely yummy, but also very much like a man who had spent the night in wild abandon. As he padded down the stairs in his bare feet, Trina noticed that he, too, had a hickey.

Lucy glanced from Hutch to Trina. “Well, isn’t this cozy?”

Trina waved her hands in the air. “No, it’s not cozy. It’s totally weird.”

Apparently Ronald had just figured out the situation, because he drilled his son with a piercing glance. “Langford, what’s been going on here under my roof?”

Hutch looked sheepish. “Well, the thing is, Trina and I—”

“I
thought
I heard noises upstairs,” Lucy said. “I thought it was mice.”

“Oh, God.” Trina covered her face with both hands. The thought of Hutch’s dad hearing something was one thing, but the idea that instead her
mother
…but then again, her mother had also been…no, not going there.

“Son, I need to know what your intentions are toward my future stepdaughter.”

Trina dropped her hands to stare at Ronald. “What did you say?”

“It’s obvious that my son has put you in a compromising position, Trina, and I want to know what he intends to do about it.”

Ronald’s protective stance was cute and outdated, but that wasn’t the part of his statement she needed explained. “Future
stepdaughter
? Are you saying that you and my mom are getting married?”

“Ronald, you old dog!” Lucy turned to him. “That’s the most original proposal I’ve ever heard. I accept!”

“Hold on a minute.” Hutch descended the stairs, his expression thunderous. “Dad, are you seriously telling me that you’re at the proposal stage with a woman and you’ve never said one damned word about it to your only son?”

Ronald had the good grace to look chagrined. “I wasn’t sure how you’d take it. You were very close to your mother, and—”

“I thought I was very close to you!”

“Tell you what,” Lucy said. “We all need coffee. I’ll put on the pot, and fry up some bacon and eggs.”

“Great idea, Lucy, my dear.” Ronald beamed at her. “I could go for some of your specialty eggs. I love the spices you add in.”

Trina’s gaze swung to Hutch’s. If Ronald was used to eating Lucy’s specialty eggs in the morning, this wasn’t the first time they’d danced the bedroom tango together. Hutch’s frown indicated he’d come to the same conclusion.

“Nothing for me, thanks,” Trina said. “I need to get going.”

“Surely not,” her mother said. “You’re on vacation. Let’s all have breakfast together and talk this out.”

“Actually I promised Josie I’d be out at the Last Chance bright and early for a ride. I’m already running late.”

“I’ll drive you,” Hutch said. “Let’s meet at your mom’s house in twenty minutes.” He turned and took the stairs two at a time.

“That’s okay,” she called after him. “I can drive myself.”

He paused on the upstairs landing. “I’ll drive you. We need to talk.”

Ominous-sounding words, but she knew they did have to talk. Their parents were old-fashioned enough to think that two people who had sex should also have an exclusive, committed relationship. She and Hutch weren’t planning on that. So unless they chose to willfully disregard their parents’ feelings, which certainly wasn’t an option for her, their fling was over.

“Okay, Hutch,” she said. “I’ll be ready. See you later, Mom. Ronald.” With that she hurried through the kitchen and out the back door. She couldn’t escape fast enough.

5

D
ESPITE
THE
NECESSITY
for a serious discussion, Hutch made small talk all the way out to the ranch. He knew what had to be said eventually, knew their brief affair was over, but he didn’t want to end it when he couldn’t at least give her his full attention. So they delved into the Chance family’s doings and all the changes that had taken place for Jack and his two brothers ever since their dad had been killed in a truck rollover several years ago.

“And now Jack might have another change if his half brother comes back,” Hutch said as he drove down to the large, hip-roofed barn not far from the main house.

“You’ll have to keep me posted on that. Oh, wait, maybe you’ll be heading out soon, yourself…” She trailed off, as if realizing she’d inched close to a conversation they might not be ready to have.

“We’ll see.” Hutch had called ahead to alert Josie that he was with Trina and they were early. Way early. He said they needed a good hard ride. Two handsome Paints, one brown and white and one black and white, stood saddled and tied to the hitching post.

Jack, dressed in his signature black shirt and jeans, came from the barn. “Got your instructions,” he said as he walked toward them. “Josie sends her apologies. She’d hoped to ride with you today, but Archie’s got the sniffles.”

Hutch accepted Jack’s warm handshake. “Hope it’s nothing serious.”

“Nah. No fever. But she didn’t feel right leaving him with someone when he’s cranky. So, Trina, how’ve you been, girl?” Jack gave her an affectionate hug that nearly knocked off her straw cowboy hat. “From the look of you, you’re enjoying life on the fast track.”

“I am. Listen, thanks for letting us borrow a couple of horses.”

“Don’t mention it. Patches and Ink Spot will give you a good ride.” He untied the brown and white Paint. “I figured Patches for you because she matches your hair and I know color coordination can be so important to a woman.”

Trina laughed as she accepted the reins and mounted up. “Absolutely. Can’t imagine getting on a horse that clashes with my hair. It’s just not cool.”

Hutch untied Ink Spot’s reins and swung into the saddle. “Thanks again, Jack.”

“No problem. And don’t hurry back. It’s a beautiful morning for a ride. I’d go with you if I didn’t have sixty-eleven things to do. See you later.” With a wave, he returned to the barn.

“What were your instructions?” Trina asked as they walked the horses toward a gate leading into a wide meadow.

“I told Josie we needed a good hard ride.”

“Excellent instructions.” She leaned over as they reached the gate. “I’ll get it.” Once they were both through, she turned back and latched it again, moving with the agility of a woman used to dealing with gates while on a horse.

He glanced over at her. “You know, that hat makes you look about sixteen.”

“That’s how old it is. Mom still had it in the closet.”

“Does it have a string to hold it on?”

“It does.” Lifting the hat, she let the cord fall out and tightened it under her chin. “How about yours?”

“I’ll hold it on.”

“You can race one-handed?”

“Honey, I can race no-handed.”

“Now
that’s
the Hutch I remember. First one to the trees wins!” And she was off.

Hutch nudged Ink Spot into a gallop and chased her down. Once he caught up with her, he pulled back a little so they could race neck-and-neck toward the trees at the far side of the meadow. Judging from Ink Spot’s response, Jack had given him the faster horse. Jack was that kind of friend, always wanting his buddies to look good in front of the ladies.

But Hutch had no desire to win this race. He was content to run beside Trina and watch her soaking up the thrill of the ride. She glanced over at him once and her smile was wide and happy, as if she’d forgotten everything but her love of riding full-out.

She hadn’t looked very happy standing at the bottom of the stairs this morning. He hadn’t been particularly happy, either. His dad could have told him
something
, at least, some little hint that life was about to change in a major way. And now Hutch had to end this thing with Trina when it had only just begun.

As they neared the tree line, he tightened the reins and let Trina win.

She whirled Patches around and waited for him while her horse pranced and snorted. “You pulled up, didn’t you?”

“Who, me?”

“No fair.” But she was laughing, so she couldn’t be too upset.

“Let’s walk them into the trees and grab some shade.”

“Sounds good.” She led the way along a narrow trail through dappled sunlight. Now that they were in partial shade, she’d slipped off her hat and let it hang down her back by the cord.

Sunbeams filtered through the trees and picked out the highlights in her glossy brown hair. Now he knew the joy of running his fingers through those soft strands. He knew the sweet smell of her hair, and how it felt sliding over his body while she…okay, maybe he’d better not think about that, because those moments were over.

But even if he squashed those thoughts, his heart was still captured by the beauty of the scene, and the beauty of the woman riding ahead of him. Now that they’d found each other, he hated like hell to give her up.

But he couldn’t have casual sex with her anymore, not with his dad and her mother aware of it. They’d expect marriage plans, and that was out of the question. As a videographer, he was constantly on the move. As a trainer of race horses, so was she. Neither of them should have to give up careers they loved so they could be together.

He edged into the subject sideways, resisting the idea of hitting it head-on. “So are we about to become related?”

She turned in the saddle. “Sort of, I guess. I should probably call Nash today and clue him in.”

“Speaking of Nash, is there a chance we can keep him from finding out about last night?” If it would never happen again, no use getting his buddy riled up.

“I don’t know. I won’t say anything, but I can’t guarantee the ‘rents won’t. They’ve become a couple of loose cannons.”

“Tell me about it.”

“Hutch, I’m getting a crick in my neck. Can we get down so we can have a proper discussion?”

“Sure.” So this was it. He stopped his horse and she did the same. After they’d tied both sets of reins to a low-lying branch, he motioned to a fallen log. “Will that do?”

“It will.” She sat down and patted the spot next to her.

“Maybe I should stand.”

She gazed up at him. “Why?”

“Because the closer I get, the more I want to kiss you, and I think, under the circumstances, we need to…”

“Call a halt?”

He squeezed his eyes shut. “Damn it, I don’t want to, but…yes. Our cover is blown. And if they’re really getting married, we’ll be seeing each other at family gatherings. You heard my dad. He doesn’t approve of casual sex.”

“I doubt my mother does, either.”

“And then there’s your brother. Technically Nash is fine with people having casual sex, but not if his little sister’s the one having it,
especially
if you’re having it with me. Am I right?”

She nodded. “Sadly you are.”

“But our lives are too complicated and far apart for it to be anything else.”

“I know. Normally I don’t care what people think, but these people are our nearest and dearest. Carrying on an affair under their noses would seriously affect our relationship with them, so…” She sighed. “I guess we’re done.”

His jaw tightened in rebellion, but it seemed like the only way. “I guess we are.” He did his best to ignore the gaping hole of sadness threatening to swallow him at the realization that he would never make love to her again.

“But our situation aside, I’m worried about you. Like I said before, I’ve had seven years to get over losing my dad, so this isn’t a huge shock to me. But for you it’s different. I can understand if you’re having a tough time with the idea of your dad taking a new wife.”

“Yeah.” He stared at the pattern of leaves under his feet and thought about his mom. Then he remembered how lonely his dad had been for months. Lifting his head, he gazed at Trina. “You know what? I’m okay with Dad marrying Lucy, although it seriously messes us up. He needs someone, and she obviously adores him. But I’m mad as hell that he didn’t tell me what was going on.”

“You have a right to be.” Trina stood and came over to put her arms around him. “I think he was worried you wouldn’t like it, but he should have told you. I’ll bet if you give him a chance to apologize, he will.”

“Maybe so.” Once she nestled against him, he couldn’t stop himself from wrapping her up tight and laying his cheek on her silky hair. “You feel so good.”

“You, too.”

“I’m going to really hate seeing you from time to time and not being able to hold you like this.”

“I know. I’ll hate it, too, but it’s for the best.”

“There’ll be a big get-together at Christmas, I’ll bet.”

“Probably.” She lifted her head and looked at him with dismay. “Do you think we’re all supposed to stay in your dad’s house? Including you, me and Nash?”

“Now there’s an impossible situation. Sleeping down the hall from each other. Me, wanting you, and—”

“And me wanting you, yet we’re not willing to carry on a tacky affair during the visit.” Frustration creased her brow for many long seconds. Then, gradually, she began to smile. “There’s only one solution.”

“I can’t imagine what. Trina, I’m not in a position to marry you and settle down, and I don’t see you being ready to do that, either.”

“I’m not. But what if we’re not having an affair? What if we’ve committed to each other, but we don’t know what shape that commitment will take yet? Everyone knows our lifestyles don’t mesh, and we will acknowledge that, but we can tell them we’re working it out the best we can for now. It’s not a temporary affair. It’s not casual sex. It’s…a romance.”

Hope flickered to life, easing his growing sense of despair. “I like the concept, but how can we work it out? For us, I mean, not the story we tell everyone.”

“We’ll have to be creative and somewhat unconventional. You’ll be traveling and I’ll be traveling, but what if we figure out how to match up here and there? Surely our schedules could be flexible enough for us to find the time to rendezvous.”

Slowly his bruised heart began to revive. “You’d be okay with that? Grabbing weekends, never knowing for sure how often we’d get together?”

“If the alternative is swearing off you forever, I’d be more than okay with that. The thing is I seem to be falling in love with you, Langford Hutchinson.”

That statement brought him so much happiness that he didn’t even care that she’d used his real first name. “What a coincidence.” He gazed into her eyes. “I seem to be falling in love with you, too, Katrina Bledsoe.”

Smiling, she reached up to cup his face in both hands. “Then I think we should give ourselves a chance to explore that possibility, don’t you?”

“Absolutely.” He lowered his head. “Starting now.” As he kissed her, he tasted the promise of all they would share in the coming months. If he had anything to say about it, they would fall so completely in love that time and distance would no longer matter. In fact, he could feel it happening already.

* * * * *

Turn the page to read an excerpt from
Vicki Lewis Thompson’s next Sons of Chance novel,
Long Road Home
….