LUCAS (7 page)

Kensie meant to go to breakfast, and then her phone started to beep with text after text. Time got away from her. Before she knew it, she wasted the entire morning on the phone and laptop with the hospital. Jojo had thrown her hands in the air and stomped out hours ago. She would to have to put her foot down or Jojo would disown her. The sisters only, no work, trip wasn’t going as planned. Her coworker at the hospital didn’t care about her personal life or boundaries. She admitted she needed to take drastic action. Jojo was all she had left in the world. Material things and fame didn’t hold a candle to family.

Money already overflowed her bank account and she accomplished every goal she had set for her career. Why did she stay in Minnesota when Jojo was in Texas? For the past year, she tossed around the idea of opening a private practice. Why couldn’t she open one here?

Her stash of trail mix and a banana saved her from going hungry this morning, but the clock read eleven and she was starved again. Jojo planned to spend the day with Hank. Frowning, understanding hit her between the eyes, Jojo spent A LOT of time with the young handsome ranch hand. Kensie chewed her lower lip and considered her options, she could suck it up and face Lucas or ask the kitchen to pack a lunch and take Marigold for a ride. Normally she wasn’t such a chicken. Normally she didn’t have a smoking hot man in relentless pursuit of her. She needed time and space to think.

For efficiency sake, she headed to the kitchen to place her bag lunch order. They could prepare her meal while she changed into her jeans and boots. Whistling happily, she walked back to her cabin and reached for the door. Before she could turn the lock, strong arms wrapped around her from behind. Her scream was deafening.

“Kensie. Baby, it’s me,” Lucas said quickly. He heard her make plans to take Marigold for a ride and eat lunch alone.

She turned to find bright blue eyes laughing from the shadow of his cowboy hat.

With a death grip on the door handle and a hand clasped to her heart, she gasped, “You scared the crap out of me.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you. I was just playing. I wasn’t exactly quiet when I stomped up the steps. I thought you heard me coming.”

“I was...thinking. I guess I didn’t hear you.”

With a gentle finger, Lucas tipped her chin up so he could look her in the eye. His dimples flashed shamelessly. “I hope you were busy thinking about me.”

Kensie shrugged and grinned back. “Maybe, maybe not. Why are you on my porch, cowboy? Elvis finally wise up and leave you in the dust?”

“Hey now, Elvis loves me.”

Slowly, her thundering heart returned to normal. Or as normal as possible when Lucas touched her and smelled so dang good. His earthy pine scent filled her nose and oddly made her achy in her very private places. The intimate contact of his fingers stroking her jaw wrought havoc with her ability to reason.

Her empty stomach was forgotten as a hunger of another variety began to rage. Instinctively she leaned toward his heat. Her eyes fluttered shut.

Who was he to deny his mate? He brushed his lips to hers sweetly. There was no demand. No pressure for her to give more.

What the heck? I have zero control around this man.

“Since you missed breakfast and our planning session I figured you might be hungry. So, I brought lunch. I thought you would enjoy a ride to the river. We can have a picnic. While we eat, we can discuss our movie night.”

Kensie felt her heart melt a little. “I kind of wanted some time to think things out. Alone. I’m sure you have more important things to do than entertain me. Don’t you have work to do?”

“I rode out this morning with the crew to mend fences. The rest of the day is mine to spend as I wish, and I wish to spend it with you. You don’t know enough about me yet to understand my odd behavior. Believe me when I say, there is nothing more important to me than your safety and happiness. I prefer to spend time with you, but if you want to be alone. I can leave.”

He understood Kensie and the way she processed information and made choices. She wasn’t the type of person to jump into anything without analyzing every aspect. He trusted their mating allure would lead her to the right choice. It would kill him to let her go off alone, but she needed to think through their relationship and come to her own conclusions. He would abide by her decision.

Before Kensie could lie and say she wasn’t hungry her stomach growled and forced her to either be very rude or accept his invitation. She glanced at her three hundred dollar loafers. “Let me get my boots and hat.”

Lucas huffed out a breath he’d held and waited on the porch as she ran to change and run a brush through her hair. A final glance at her reflection and she was ready. Taking a deep breath and praying she wasn’t making a huge mistake, she grabbed her Stetson on the way out the door.

The admiring appraisal he gave her from head to toe woke the swarm of butterflies that had taken up residence in her stomach since the first time she ran into this hot cowboy. The sensation both thrilled and terrified. The longing in his eyes and her reaction solidified her initial fear. For the first time in her life, she was in danger of a broken heart. She needed to tread carefully around this man.

Kensie faced him, hands on hips. “You can come along under one condition.”

“Okay. Name it.”

“Keep your lips to yourself. Slow and easy, remember that discussion?”

Lucas shuffled a boot and rubbed the back of his neck. “Yes, ma’am. I remember. I’ll do my best.”

She stared him in the eye for a moment, reading him. “All right then. Let’s go.”

*****

Lucas waited; arms folded across his impressive chest, leaning against the porch railing, and watched Kensie lock her door. Interesting, not only did she get her boots and hat, but she also changed into a tight pair of blue jeans and a T-shirt that left nothing to the imagination. His lips twitched into a secret smile.
She likes me more than she wants to admit to herself.

He pushed himself away from the railing and offered his arm. Now if he could find a way to relieve the pressure in his jeans he would be golden. Since he set eyes on this fiery redhead, he’d been in a constant state of arousal no amount of cold showers would cure. An enjoyable and uncomfortable problem he didn’t usually have. He may pretend to be a ladies man around his brothers, but truth be told, he hadn’t taken a lady to his bed in over a decade. Between the hectic travel schedule he kept and the purchase of the ranch, combined with a general lack of interest, he was basically celibate. Until Kensie. She shook up his world with one little collision and there was no going back. His wolf went from a recluse in the corner of his mind to all out, slathering hound dog in a matter of seconds and hadn’t stopped panting since.

They walked in silence to the barn where a stable hand left their mounts saddled and waiting. As he helped her mount, he found himself eye level with her incredible backside. He wanted to take a bite so bad his mouth watered. Instead, he closed his eyes and swallowed hard.

He hadn’t thought his jeans could get any tighter; he was wrong. His dick seemed bound and determined to set some kind of record. He raised his foot to the stirrup to mount and his damn jeans refused to stretch far enough. Apparently, they reached their limit. Without missing a beat, he walked his seventeen-hand stallion to the mounting platform they used for guests and slid into the saddle.

Kensie's eyes crinkled with humor. Thank Goddess she didn’t actually laugh at him. A man’s ego can only take so much. Her mischievous expression brightened her eyes and made her look about twenty years old. He loved when she smiled.

She raised one eyebrow, and he knew he was in trouble. With a stab of her heels and a whoop, she took off like a rocket across the yard.

In mere seconds, his big bay caught up with her smaller buckskin filly. “I never figured you for a crazy woman. Slow down or the horses might step in a gopher hole and break a leg.”

She just threw her head back and laughed. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me.”

“You got that right. And I plan to enjoy every second learning all your secrets.”

Lucas watched her, enthralled. Her hair billowed in the wind and her eyes danced with delight. Kensie’s joy and laughter fueled the already raging fire deep in his heart. His arms ached to hold her close and never let her go. When she turned to look at him, and shared her joy of the moment, his heart literally stuttered. Stupidly, he leaned toward her for a kiss and almost fell off his horse. His antics made her laugh harder. He liked this new Kensie, a lot.

In no time at all, they reached his favorite spot along the riverbank. Thankfully, his jeans weren’t too tight and he was able to dismount without landing on his face.

“That was amazing. I love to ride, especially when they give me, Marigold.”

Kensie’s voice was husky with excitement and sparked all kinds of riding pleasures in his mind that didn’t include a horse. Silently, he counted to twenty and exhaled a cleansing breath.
Slow down, Le Beau.

Instantly her eyes jerked to his. “Did you say something?”

“No, not really.” He couldn’t admit to telepathy when he hadn’t explained anything to her yet. Since he hadn’t spoken out loud, his answer was more of a fib than a lie. One does not lie to his mate.

He set the picnic lunch and blanket down, then walked toward the river’s edge where Kensie stood. This spot wasn’t far from the main house so it was easy to get to quickly when he needed a break. Someday, his baby brother, Brian would build his house on this very spot. He already staked his claim on this ten-acre stretch of the river. Until then, Lucas planned to enjoy the solitude.

The river twisted and turned its way for miles across the Le Beau spread, but this was his favorite spot. Once he convinced Kensie to stay with him, he would pick out his own section of the ranch for their house. Let her choose the location, he didn’t care, as long as he had her with him.

The quiet was what he loved most. A few birds sang in the trees overhanging the water and an occasional frog croaked a love song to its mate. But the sound of moving water was what soothed his soul. And on this stretch of the river the water was shallow and gurgled over the rocks. Goddess he loved that sound.

Lucas sighed contentedly and held out his hand to Kensie. She hesitated for a moment before she cautiously took hold of his fingertips.

Squeezing her fingers, he said. “Isn't this beautiful? I love it here. The bayou was amazing, but this...takes my breath away every time.”

“Beautiful,” she agreed, as he continued to watch the water, she glanced at his profile, and secretly admired his strong jaw and sculpted cheekbones.

He felt her gaze and looked her way. Kensie flushed and tugged to extract her fingers from his grasp, but he wouldn't allow her to break their connection.

“I meant the river and the trees,” she quickly explained.

“So did I, but I would still rather admire you.” Holding her gaze, he slowly brought her fingertips to his lips and kissed each. He heard her breath catch and watched her eyes darken with passion. Yes, she liked him more than she wanted to admit.

When he lifted his lips from her pinky finger, he relented and released her hand. Pacing. He would have to pace himself and only push her as far as she was comfortable or she would run. He needed to be the turtle and not the hare. His wolf snorted at him and turned again to gaze at Kensie like a lovesick pup.

Absentmindedly, she cradled her fingers close to her body as she cleared her throat. “What did you bring? I’m starved.” He wasn’t sure she was aware of the quaver in her voice but he heard every nuance. He affected her deeply and his wolf was ecstatic.

Quietly, he came up behind her and pressed a light kiss to her hair, so lightly, he was sure she didn’t feel it. He had to touch her, kiss her, but also restrain himself. He slipped around her to unpack his saddlebags. “I grabbed some left over fried chicken, sliced cheese and meats with crackers, fruit, and a bottle of wine.” He placed each on the blanket as he named it. Lastly, he pulled out two red plastic glasses. “Sorry about the wine glasses. Glass doesn’t fair well on the back end of a horse.”

The twinkle was back in Kensie’s eyes as she tried to suppress her giggle. Lucas lost his control and leaned across the blanket to claim her lips.

Kensie stiffened, pulled back, and glared at him. “If you think this is taking it slow and easy, you’re wrong. Maybe you’re accustomed to sleeping around with all the women who vacation here knowing you will never see them again. I don’t think I can do that.”

When he opened his mouth to object she stopped him.

“In case you haven’t noticed, I can be brutally honest and direct. I admit, I’ve had hook-ups in the past, but things feel different with you. I don’t understand why. All I know is, if I sleep with you and go back to Minnesota, I’ll regret it. Please understand, I’m not trying to trap you or play games. This is my issue. I don’t think I can keep what is between us, sex only. I’m not sure what I want to do about that. I’m the one who will have to deal with the fallout afterwards.”

“You’re right, at least about part of what you said. I’m sorry I broke the rule and didn’t keep my lips to myself. I agree, we need to get to know each other before we take this beyond handholding and kisses. Also, I need to have an important talk with you before I make love to you.”