Heartbreak Ranch (12 page)

Graysen glanced toward Colt as she was answering Mrs. Heyward. He stared intently at her as if he pictured her sprawled out beneath him, naked, instead of eating pancakes with complete strangers. Her fork crashed in a loud clatter.

“Graysen, are you alright?” someone at the table asked, but she wasn’t sure who. Her mind couldn’t focus on anything but her handsome cowboy.

“Um ...”
Stop staring at him before they discover who you are looking at
.

To her own amazement she was able to pry her gaze from Colt long enough to answer. “Sorry ... I ... uh ...” Her inner monologue scolded her,
C’mon, get it together, Graysen
. She was starting to feel warm. She felt Colt’s eyes on her and knew she wouldn’t be able to refrain from rushing into his arms if she stayed in the lodge much longer.

“I’m sorry. I just realized I didn’t put any sunscreen on, and it’s going to be hot out there today. I better head back to the cabin. Besides, I’m stuffed. I couldn’t eat another bite of breakfast. You should all try the French toast; it’s out of this world.”

Graysen had absolutely no idea what words were coming out of her mouth as she got up from the table. If she had even a scrap of sanity remaining she would have realized that everyone was staring at her as though she was crazy. She had eaten blueberry pancakes and sausage. They weren’t even serving French toast for breakfast that morning.

Colt made a quick exit from the lodge as soon as he saw Graysen start to get up from the table. She walked as quickly as possible out of the room, wanting desperately to break into a sprint in hopes of catching up with Colt. She hadn’t taken more than ten steps when her wrist was enclosed by a strong, ruthless grip, and she was hauled around to the other side of the porch. He dragged her down the stairs, and she almost had to run to keep up with him.

“Hurry, the stables are empty right now.” Colt’s words were heavy, and his hurried manner betrayed the fact that he was about to explode at any moment. They made a run for the large barn and slammed the doors behind them. Colt was so consumed by the raw need for her that he didn’t even bother to glance around to make sure they had the space to themselves. He lunged at her, pushing her against one of the barn doors.

Before Graysen knew it, he had both of her hands over her head, gripping them with one of his. His other hand grabbed her ponytail and yanked it down to bring her face up so her mouth was primed for his descent. Graysen released a moan of pleasure as his mouth moved roughly over hers. His tongue penetrated her lips, and hers joined his in a slow, erotic dance. She grew dizzy with desire, her senses blurred in a haze of pure ecstasy.

“Darlin’ my willpower is shredded. You have no idea how badly I wanted to walk over to that table and ravish you in front of everyone,” he murmured as he planted scorching kisses along her bare neckline. “I wanted to pull you up from that chair, tear your clothes off and have you on the damned buffet table.”

Colt’s hand grasped her chin to hold her in place as he plundered her mouth further. Her hands gripped his shoulders for support. Grabbing her butt, he squeezed her tightly and lifted her against the wall. He moaned against her lips and pulled her hips closer to his. Graysen wrapped her legs around him tightly as he pinned her to the wall. Her mound pressed against the hardness behind his button fly and moisture pooled between her legs.

“Colt ...” Throaty moans of pleasure escaped Graysen’s lips. “What if someone catches us in here?”

Colt groaned, his breath hot on her skin. He paused, as if trying to get his desire under control, and sighed. “No …” He slowly placed a soft, almost chaste kiss on her lips. “We better not do this right now, not here.” He retreated and placed Graysen on the ground. Her legs were wobbly, and he grinned, taking in her body’s reaction to his heated attack. “Graysen, what are you doing to me? All I can think about is last night. All I can think about is you naked beneath me.”

She knew exactly what he was feeling. She’d been in a desire-induced stupor this morning at breakfast. She kept replaying every moment with him last night. “Colt, I want to do it again,” she said in a soft voice. She couldn’t get enough of him.

He laughed and reached for her, wrapping his strong arms around her, and she pressed her back into his chest. “Oh. You bet your sweet ass we will. You have no idea how much I want you,” he whispered softly in her ear.

The rear barn doors flew open and Colt quickly grabbed her by the hand, pushing her into one of the empty stalls. It wouldn’t look right if they were seen alone together in the stables. Graysen crouched out of sight and waited.

“Colt? You in here?” a man called out from the other side of the barn.

“Over here, Jake,” Colt responded calmly as if he had just been taking care of his daily tasks. He seemed totally unaffected by her hidden presence.

“There you are. We need to get the cattle in before it starts raining and we could use your help,” Jake said.

He stood just outside the stall where Graysen was hiding. She was careful to stay still and not make a sound.

“Damn it, isn’t Dale around?” Colt growled, his voice thick with annoyance.

“No, it’s his day off. What’s so important in here anyway?”

“I promised Heck that I’d clear out the east end of the stables tonight. I was supposed to take care of it last night, but didn’t get a chance.”

Jake snorted. “I bet you didn’t. Too busy trying to put Lance through a wall is what I heard. What did he do to rub you the wrong way this time?”

“Not a damned thing,” Colt answered him with a harsh, curt tone.

Graysen thought back to her late night conversation with Harper. Her sister told her about Colt getting into a scuffle with some guy at the bar.

Jake laughed good-naturedly. “Probably still going on about that little dark-haired filly both of you have the hots for, right?”

“Just drop it, Jake.”

Jake seemed to hit a sore spot with Colt. It probably didn’t help matters that the “little dark-haired filly” was crouched down in the stall, listening to every word.

“I’ll saddle up and meet you out at the herd shortly.”

“Don’t hurry or anything,” Jake called back as he walked out of the barn.

Graysen heard the doors on the opposite end of the stables slam shut, but waited until Colt opened the stall door before she stood up and walked out. “Little filly, huh?” Graysen raised her eyebrows.

He looked at her apologetically. “Lance has a thing for brunettes, so he noticed you right away and was saying some things that got my dander up. Some of the other guys figured out from my attitude that I was interested in you and were ribbing me about it. It just boiled over last night.”

Graysen smiled, amusement tracing the curve of her lips. “Harper told me that she saw you at the lodge last night.”

Colt groaned. “Just great; your family seeing me flying off the handle is just what I needed.” He brought his horse from its stall and started to saddle it. “I was out of my mind after you ran out of the barn. I thought I would never see you again, especially when I found out you had spent the day hiding out in your cabin.”

Colt confirmed what Graysen had suspected all along. Her fleeing from his embrace is what had put him in such a foul mood.

He put his arms around her and leaned his head down so his chin could rest on the top of her head. “I was stunned last night when I opened the door and found you standing there ...” His voice was sincere and tender.

She buried her face in his chest, inhaling his scent, trying to memorize what he smelled like. “I wish you didn’t have to go.”

He reached down and cupped her face and kissed her. His lips against hers were as urgent as his words. “Will I see you tonight?”

“Yes. Should I meet you at the lodge?”

Colt dropped his voice to a whisper. “No, come to my cabin tonight, even if you have to sneak away. I have to see you.”

Graysen moaned as his hot breath skimmed down her bare neck. “Colt ... Please ...” She wanted him to snuff out the building passion in her or else set fire to it.

“Promise you’ll come,” Colt pleaded as he nipped the taut skin that shrouded her collarbone.

“If you don’t stop doing that I will come right here,” she whispered, desire lacing her words.

He groaned as his eyes danced and smiled. “Tonight, Iowa,” his voice was husky. He reached around and squeezed her behind playfully while quickly branding her forehead with a hot kiss.

Colt’s mouth collided with hers passionately one more time before he tore himself away. He made his way to his horse, and Graysen found the doors.

She knew if they stayed entwined a moment longer they would have never left the barn. As she walked back to the cabin, Graysen tried to make herself think about anything but Colt. Looking around though, he was everywhere. All she could see was Colt. He made her feel things she didn’t think were possible. Her pulse raced when he was in sight, and when he touched her, she threw all caution to the wind. Her thoughts drifted to what would happen when her time at the ranch came to an end next week.

She hated this ranch. Although she had only been there a few days, White Pine Ranch managed to make her life a whole lot more complicated. Colt’s life was the ranch. She would have to return to her life in Iowa. It might be tornado season back home right now, but those twisters were nothing compared to the storm raging in her heart. How would her life ever be the same?

***

As Graysen stepped off the lodge porch, a drop of rain grazed her cheek, and then another. She glanced up at the menacing sky and remembered Colt talking with Jake about a storm rolling in this evening. It didn’t matter. It could be a torrential downpour; nothing was going to keep her from Colt, not even her family, not tonight.

“Graysen where do you think you’re going? Are you off to see that redneck Romeo of yours?” Carson’s words at dinner tonight echoed in her head as she headed to Colt’s cabin. She had had enough. She was done hiding. Let them think what they liked.

She hoped to make it to Colt’s cabin before the weather became too rough. It didn’t take long to get to Colt’s cabin from the lodge.

But five minutes into her walk, the drizzle had become a heavy, pouring rain. Her jeans were plastered to her legs, and she shouldn’t have bothered to wear that thin, sheer peasant top. It was now transparent. Her nipples beaded tightly, and the movement of her drenched bra scraping over them only intensified the desire that had landed her on his front porch in the middle of a summer storm.

Graysen wrapped her fist on the door harshly so Colt would hear her knock over the storm. The door flung open quickly, and before she could speak, Colt scooped her up in his strong arms and carried her like a bride into the cabin. The cabin was warm and a fire burned in the fireplace.

He set her down and planted a few heart-stopping kisses on her mouth before leading her into the bathroom, where he quickly stripped her of her wet clothing. “God’s nightgown, Graysen, you’re soaked to the bone! You look like you went for a swim,” he chided as he slid her bra down her arms, exposing her wet nipples to the air. She drew her hands up to cover her bare chest, but Colt pulled them away before kneeling in front of her and undoing her pants. “Don’t they have umbrellas in Iowa?” He cocked his head to one side and smiled his crooked, dazzling smile.

“It was barely raining when I left the lodge. I thought I could make it without getting too wet.” Her body danced between the chill from being drenched to the heat of arousal as Colt slid her pants and panties down her legs. His hands were warm and left a delicious trail of heat over each hip and then thigh. Graysen gazed down into his eyes, dark green and full of passion. Standing there in front of him, completely naked, made her feel like her whole body was glowing so brightly she could light up downtown Des Moines.

He sighed contentedly as he turned away from Graysen to start the shower. Colt messed around with a series of nozzles and Graysen marveled as he created a gentle rain that fell from the series of showerheads. “Come get in and warm up before you catch your death. I’ll put your clothes in the dryer.” His voice was thick with need as he held his hand out and escorted her into the warm shower.

He shut the glass door and exited the bathroom. Graysen closed her eyes and sighed, letting the warm water flow over her shivering body. She stood there letting the steam build up and the warmth of the water soothe her shivering body. Her arms ached from the cold rain. Graysen found the soap on a ledge to her right along with some shampoo and a shower poof. She decided she would take a few moments and clean up while she was in there. She knew Colt wouldn’t mind. He was probably in the living room tending to the fire. She squeezed some of the liquid soap out onto the poof and imagined Colt’s hands running over her body …

“Graysen, don’t,” Colt’s voice halted her thoughts. She glanced toward the shower door and saw him standing there. “I want to do that,” he grinned wickedly. He stripped out of his clothes in an instant before he opened the door to the shower. “Move forward, Hun,” he commanded as he stepped in to join her. The sight of water spilling down his muscular chest was almost too much for her. Graysen tore her eyes away from his chest and looked down at his throbbing erection, which was just as spectacular as she remembered it.

“Colt ...” she whispered in need. He spun her around and pressed her against his chest, shielding her from the water.

Graysen could feel him nestled against the top of her backside. She started to rub herself against him, craving friction between them.

“Don’t move.” His hands grasped her waist, steadying her as he spoke.

“But I ...” She whimpered, aching for release.

“Don’t, Graysen. Let me wash you.” He reached for the body wash, and squirted some into his hand. Colt rubbed his hands together, creating a soft lather. Reaching down, he grasped Graysen’s shoulders, slowly massaging them firmly with his strong hands.

“Do you like that, Darlin’?” Graysen could hear the smile in his voice.

“Mmmm … Yes.” She groaned with pleasure. His hands felt heavenly on her body as they warmed her and soothed her sore muscles.