Slow Ride Page 3

  Coop pulled a chair out for her. Who knew he’d grow up to be such a gentleman? Well, maybe she did. He straddled the seat to her left, and she glanced around. How did Coop and his two best buds end up on a dude ranch?

  She’d recognized Mac and Jag. What were the three of them up to? They had caused enough trouble in high school to last a lifetime, but obviously, they were up to their old antics. Why else would they have gifted her—well, her sister—and the other two girls with an all-expense-paid vacation to the ranch? They were obviously living out some wild, youthful fantasy.

  God, would the three hellions ever grow up?

  Coop adjusted his hat on his head, and she watched the muscles along his arm tighten.

  She cleared her throat. “A cowboy, huh?” Julia asked.

  “Yeah, when the mood strikes.”

  She wasn’t quite sure what he meant by that, but when he didn’t bother to elaborate, she said in a low voice, more to herself than to him, “I never would have thought.”

  “I guess you never know what kind of curveball life is going to throw at you.”

  He had a strange, vulnerable look in his eye. What had been thrown his way? What events led Coop here, to a dude ranch in the middle of nowhere? Because quite honestly, she’d never taken him for a ranch kind of guy. But she guessed he’d simply taken his playboy antics from the soccer field to the corral. Heck, what girl didn’t love a cowboy, right? There certainly wasn’t anything wrong with such a profession. It was a respectable job, but in senior year she overheard him talking about a career in sports medicine.

  The waitress came with their drinks, and Julia took a big gulp and placed her frosty mug on the table before her. The cool liquid went down so nice and smooth that she continued to drink until she quenched her thirst. When she began to feel the effects of the alcohol—compliments of an empty stomach—she sipped slower and inched back on her chair to let loose a long, slow breath. Truthfully, until she stepped into this saloon, she hadn’t realized just how tightly wound she’d been.

  The place was nice, comfortable, and designed to put its patrons at ease. After working hard for the last few months, perhaps a night at the ranch was just the thing she needed. Too bad she couldn’t stay longer. Sure, Coop had put the offer on the table, but she was intelligent enough to know that he was just being polite, trying to salvage a bad situation and make the best of it. He didn’t really want her here.

  “I never took you for a beer-drinking kind of girl.” Coop gestured to the waitress for another, and Julia fought down the burst of heat creeping toward her face when she noticed that her mug was nearly empty.

  Trying for casual, she said, “There’s probably a lot you don’t know about me.”

  He leaned toward her, and his mouth was so close that if she inched forward their lips would be touching. “So where should we start?” he asked.

  “Why should we bother?”

  “Why shouldn’t we?”

  She really didn’t have a good answer for that. When she didn’t respond, he continued. “So what do you do for a living, Julia?” She was taken aback by his question, as well as the genuine interest in his eyes. She really thought he’d spend the night grilling her on Mari, and was actually a little shocked that he wanted to know more about her. She decided to play along, since she had nothing else to do and nowhere else to be.

  “I’m a lawyer,” she said, and waited for his eyes to glaze over. When they widened with interest, it caught her off guard.

  He gave a slow nod. “Beauty and brains,” he murmured, giving a slow appreciative nod. “I’m not surprised, really. You always were smart.”

  He thinks I’m beautiful? Probably just being nice.

  She sat there staring at him, taking in the thoughtfulness on his face, and strangely enough, the admiration in his eyes when he spoke about her didn’t make her feel that she was being judged. As a teen, she’d shied away from such blatant observations, hating that she was the smart one and her sister was the fun one, but this time, she could feel a measure of pride welling up inside her.

  “My turn,” Julia said, no longer wanting to talk about herself.

  He gave a mock shiver. “Let the interrogation…er…I mean questions begin.”

  “First, let me say that you weren’t always a prick. I remember the time you saved Davy Brown from the bullies.” Julia wasn’t sure why she’d brought up that particular incident. Maybe it was that vulnerable look she’d spotted in his eyes when he talked about life and its curveballs, or maybe it was because that was the day she’d fallen for him.

  He gave her a coy look and teased, “I thought you said you didn’t remember anything about me.”

  “Well, maybe I remembered a few things.” He gave her a knowing grin. “But there are still a few things I’d like to know.”

  He leaned forward until their knees bumped under the table, and he pitched his voice low when he asked, “What do you want to know, Julia?”

  Her heart lurched at the deep, suggestive tone of his voice. And oh, the way he said her name. How would it sound whispered against her lips as he made love to her? She shifted in her chair, crossed her legs against the pressure building between them at the thought.

  Clearing her throat she asked, “Why a dude ranch?”

  He got quiet for a moment, then gave a light shrug and leaned into her, his breath warm on her face. “Isn’t it every boy’s dream to grow up to be a cowboy?”

  She noticed the careful way he sidestepped giving her a direct answer, but for some inexplicable reason, the lawyer in her—or maybe it was the woman—wanted to know.

  “Yes, but most don’t go on to realize the dream. So why this old ranch? Why here?” She paused to wave her hand around. “In the middle of nowhere.”

  She expected him to come back with some smart-ass comment about getting the girls, but when he sat back, lowered his head, and frowned, his guard slipped slightly. Her heart tightened. This was something personal. Someone or something had hurt him. She always thought of him as such a happy-go-lucky guy. Humor disappeared from his eyes as turbulent waves of emotion rolled across his face. He quickly tamped them down, cleared his throat, and smiled, his guard firmly back in place.

  Returning to playful mode, he looked at her pointedly and flashed his perfect white teeth in a smile. “It was the right thing at the right time.” He grabbed his glass and held it up to her, but this time his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Now come on. Here’s to friends. Old and new.”

  She clinked glasses with him, appreciating how smoothly he evaded certain questions and redirected the conversation. Clearly, he was keeping something from her. Not that he owed her any details—he didn’t—but she still couldn’t help but wonder what these guys were up to.

  The lawyer in her itched to dig deep to get to the bottom of matters, and oddly enough, the woman in her wanted to take him into her arms and kiss the truth free. Which one would win?

  Chapter Four

  Julia paced around the bedroom and looked at the stack of clothes on her bed. The elderly gentleman manning the front desk had delivered them a few moments ago. Cursing herself for not having the foresight to pack her own bag, even though she swore she wasn’t going to board the plane, she sifted through the pile of clothes until she found a silky white nightgown.

  After pulling it on, she padded softly around the room, running her hands over the quilted bedspread, the oak night table, and the small corner desk until she stood before her window. The warm evening breeze ruffled her short gown, and the cool silk felt gloriously soft against her skin. As it caressed her flesh, her nipples tightened in response. But she suspected it had more to do with Coop than the night air.

  Earlier in the afternoon, Coop had jumped up from the table and guided her outside. He took her on a long walk around the ranch, giving her a personal tour of the facilities, and introduced her to the horses before he treated her to a hearty ranch dinner. After the meal, she found herself alone in her rustic, cozy
room. One minute she’d been enjoying apple cobbler with Coop, and the next, the pretty brunette Tessa had come along to drag him away.

  Of course, his sudden departure had been for the best. While she might have been enjoying his company—maybe a little too much—she wasn’t here to exchange intimacies with the sexy cowboy, no matter how delicious that sounded. No, she was only overnighting it at the ranch until the plane came back to rescue her. But that still didn’t stop her from thinking about where he’d rushed off to in such a hurry.

  Groaning out loud and determined to get him out of her mind, she spun around and examined her bed. After a long day traipsing across the country, she knew she should just crawl between the sheets and try to get a good night’s sleep. But her body felt achy, needy, her insides far too fired up to settle in for the night.

  Damn you, Coop.

  She twisted back toward her window and drew open the thin sheer curtain to take in the magnificent view of the mountains. She perused the wide expanse of horse country, noting the huge homestead at the far end of the ranch and the small cedar cottage nestled at the foot of the mountain as she inhaled the fragrant scents. Then, catching her by surprise, Coop exited the quaint cottage.

  Noting the tension in his posture, the stiffness in his every step, she watched him until he disappeared from her line of sight. Once he was gone, her gaze strayed back to the well-kept chalet with the cedar siding, painted shutters, and wraparound deck.

  Was it Tessa’s quarters?

  Hating the direction of her thoughts—after all, she had no right to feel jealous—she drew back from the window and threw herself onto her bed. She closed her eyes and willed herself to sleep, but her lids sprang open when a soft knock sounded on her door.

  “Who is it?” She threw her legs over the side of her mattress and angled her head, listening to the quiet response coming from the hallway.

  “It’s me,” Coop whispered. “I just wanted to check in on you and make sure you have everything you need.”

  At the concern in Coop’s voice, Julia flicked on her lamp and walked to the door. She opened it slightly and peeked out, noticing the deep worry lines beneath his eyes. Something happened at the chalet, something that had upset him.

  Unease settled in the pit of her stomach. “Coop, is everything okay?”

  Without giving any thought to her skimpy sleepwear, she pulled her door open wider. When his eyes dropped from her face to her body—her breasts to be specific—it occurred to her that he could see her every curve through the transparent silk, especially with her lamp backlighting her frame.

  The worry instantly disappeared from his eyes, and when want moved in to take its place, a warm, needy shudder raced down her spine. As her body came alive, she quickly gave him a once-over. Everything from the hot, hungry way he looked at her to the heat she felt emanating off his rock-hard body turned her inside out. She felt exposed, unsure.

  Desired.

  Coop raked his hands through his hair, mussing the short dark strands until he looked warm and sexy, as though he’d just crawled out of bed. His overwhelmingly rugged good looks set her body on fire, and she nearly forgot that she wasn’t the one he really wanted.

  “I…uh…I just wanted to make sure Benjamin had stopped by to deliver a few of Tessa’s clothes and make sure they fit.” A short pause and then, “But…I…uh…I can see—”

  What he can see is my entire naked body! Again!

  Julia wrapped her arms around her chest, positioned herself behind the door, and tried to sound casual when she said, “He did. Thank you for that. And please, thank Tessa, too. You were right. We are the same size.” Okay, now she was just rambling like an idiot, but as he stood there looking at her as if he wanted to eat her alive, she couldn’t seem to help herself. She was completely out of her comfort zone.

  Coop nodded. “So, ah, I’ll see you in the morning then.”

  She returned his nod, thinking it might be best if she never set eyes on him again. The man had trouble written all over him, and if she spent any more time with him, she just might do something she would only regret later, like rope him and tie him to her bed until sunup, a week from tomorrow.

  …

  As Coop tossed and turned in his bed, early-morning light filtering in through his curtains, he couldn’t settle his mind enough to sleep. He punched his pillow, completely fired up that Julia was here.

  Jesus Christ.

  Julia was here.

  On the ranch.

  With him.

  He wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to wrap his brain around this unexpected turn of events.

  She might have been off-limits before, but goddammit, they weren’t in high school anymore, and this time he was going to go for it. To show her that it was the best damn mix-up to ever happen and just how happy he was that it was her who boarded that plane. He was determined to convince her to stay, and by the end of the week, she’d damn well know she was the one he’d always wanted.

  Coop turned his focus to the morning chores ahead of him, hoping to get them done so he could spend the rest of his time with Julia. He climbed from his bed, pulled on his jeans, and walked to his window. After a very restless night, he stretched out his tired body and drew back his curtain to expose the distant peaks and his own private view of the back pasture.

  At the crest of the mountain, warm fingers of golden light clawed at the fading black as dawn began its approach. Coop smiled, hoping to get in a good hard swim in the staff’s private mineral pond at the far end of the ranch. He was the only one who ever used it. The others felt it was too much trouble to get to, but he found the trek invigorating and well worth the peaceful solitude once he reached it. Some mornings he just sat there and watched the sunrise before his swim. Other times, at the end of a long day working the ranch, then an even longer night caring for his mom, he’d sit for a while in the soothing water and let it work its magic on his work-worn body and if only for a moment, wash away the pain of watching his mother slowly slip away.

  As he enjoyed the magnificent view, Coop raked his ruffled hair off his forehead. He hadn’t seen Jag or Mac since the plane arrived late yesterday afternoon. He hoped things were going as well for the two of them as they were for him.

  A movement down by the water caught his attention. He squinted against the rising sun and wondered which guest would be up and about at the crack of dawn, and what were they doing in the ranch’s “off-limits” area. All available facilities were laid out in the brochure, and that particular pond wasn’t one of them. He opened his window, and the fresh scent of hay wafted before his nostrils as he leaned out for a better look. The distant sight of a woman stripping her clothes off and climbing into the water set his heart galloping and his mind racing.

  Julia.

  He pushed away from the window and ran to the edge of the ranch. Less than five minutes later, Coop stood at the embankment, mesmerized by the erotic vision before him. Waves splashed against the grassy shore, while creamy white skin and soft, sexy curves surfaced, only to disappear again beneath the glistening water. His skin grew hot, and his cock thickened inside his unforgiving jeans.

  An odd sensation, one he’d never felt before, built inside his chest as he watched her play in his pool. What the hell was it? Possessiveness? As he mulled that over, Julia stood. Thigh-deep in the pond, she faced the mountain and tossed her hair over her shoulders, spraying water in the air. He’d never seen such a beautiful vision. His heart missed a beat as longing filled him. As her hair fell low on her back, his gaze followed it down, right to damp panties that showcased a lovely, heart-shaped ass.

  Jesus.

  Dressed in nothing but her bra and underwear, she lifted her arms over her head and began stretching out her body. Beads of water trickled down her creamy flesh, and when they dipped inside her pretty white panties, it was all Coop could do to keep a coherent thought.

  A low growl of longing sounded deep in his throat, and there wasn’t a damn thing he could d
o to stifle it. As the sound pierced the quiet of the morning, Julia spun around, her big brown eyes wide, her mouth agape.

  “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you,” Coop said quickly, struggling to avert his gaze when all he wanted to do was look his fill. She was so goddamn beautiful, perfect really, that it was almost impossible to look away. But she deserved privacy, so he turned. “This area is off-limits, and I didn’t expect to find anyone here.”

  “I didn’t…I thought—”

  “It’s okay. I don’t mind.”

  “I didn’t have a suit,” she rushed out. “So I came here where I could swim and exercise in private.”

  “Really, Julia, it’s okay. I don’t mind at all. In fact…” He stopped himself before he said something to scare her off, something like, In fact, I’d like to climb in there with you and trail my tongue over your entire body until you’re screaming for me to fuck you.

  But he knew she was unsure of this whole situation, and he had to take it slow. The last thing he wanted to do was scare her off and ruin his chance at having something amazing with her.

  “In fact what?” she asked, her tone soft, sensual.

  He rocked back and forth on his feet, the sound of the water lapping against her naked flesh filling him with lust and urging him to turn back around to see her. His muscles bunched, and he stared at the lodge in the distance as he struggled to answer her. “I…just…ah…wanted…”

  “You just what?” she asked, pushing him for an answer, a reminder that she was a lawyer and wasn’t about to let him get off so easily.

  When he didn’t answer, she said, “Coop.”

  His pulse kicked up at the soft, sexy way she said his name.

  Was it possible…?

  Could she be flirting with him?

  Before he realized what he was doing, he spun back around to face her. When their eyes met and locked, he didn’t miss the way her smoky gaze left his face to take in his chest, his stomach, the bulge between his legs. As her blatant perusal paused on his growing erection, he damn near lost all sense of control and climbed in there with her.