Eight
Tamara
Who knew riding a horse was so damn sensual? The rocking motion, the lift of your hips, the press of the saddle against all my lady parts. And to top it all off, my body was flush against Clint. All my deep, forbidden fantasies of how his body would feel against mine were playing like a movie in my mind.
Stop, Tamara. This is not what you’re here for!
“All this belongs to your family?” I had to focus on the conversation because if I didn’t, I’d have an orgasm on the spot.
“Yes, everything you see, and even more beyond that,” his deep voice rasped.
I’m sure he didn’t mean the answer to be sex-inducing, but good Lord! How could one man literally be the complete package? Something had to be wrong with him.
“Do you see that house down the hill? That’s where my father lives. If I’m not here, or Brandon isn’t here, and something happens, this is the path you take.”
Was he expecting something to happen? “What do you mean? Nothing’s going to happen here on your ranch, right? I mean, Derek doesn’t know where I am.” I could feel myself fidgeting on the saddle. Clint’s hand came up and pressed against my stomach.
“It’s okay, Tamara. Yes, you’re completely safe here. But I like to plan and prepare. Plus, I have Gladys and Sammy to think of as well. This is the contingency plan only if I’m not around. But I’m not going anywhere. You can trust me.”
His large hand continued to hold me close as my back pressed against his muscular chest. I wanted to say something, but I also wanted to sit like this for hours. It had been a long time since someone had simply held me in their arms. Not that I didn’t want to feel the press of another body against mine, but it was hard for me to trust others, especially when it came to letting my guard down.
Which is one reason I was caught off-guard by my immediate attraction to Clint. This wasn’t like me, but it felt too good to question. When he first helped me onto the large black stallion, I thought it would be the worst experience of my life. When he climbed on and settled behind me, I thought I’d be tense the entire time. As the horse walked and the rocking motion began, I prayed I wouldn’t embarrass myself.
Within minutes, all those thoughts left my brain. All I could focus on was Clint’s thick thighs pressing against my legs. When he told me to relax and lean into the motion, I could have sworn I heard, “Let me kiss you.” When he pointed out different sites and locations around the ranch, his words translated to, “Let me touch you. I want to fuck you.”
Don’t judge me. It wasn’t as if I responded or anything, but my fantasies were going into overdrive. All this over a man I’d known for less than a day. Maybe that plane ride from Virginia had taken me to an alternative universe where everything was upside down, and I behaved like a damn hussy. Clearing my thoughts, I focused on the conversation at hand.
“You say I can trust you, and the people protecting me in Virginia say I can trust you, but I’m still getting to know you. I’m trying, Clint.”
“Try harder,” he growled low in my ear.
I could feel his fingers flex on my stomach, and I could help the sharp inhale. His warm breath brushed over my ear. My nipples hardened. I could feel them pressing against my bra. Hopefully, he didn’t notice my reaction to his words.
“I’ve only known you for one day. Tell me why I should trust you,” I managed to get out. I could feel my head tilting to the side, but I wasn’t sure if I was moving away from the temptation of his sexy voice or if I was baring my neck to him in surrender. What I felt for him made no fucking sense.
I wasn’t looking directly at him, but I could see his head tilt. He pressed his nose against my throat and took a deep breath. Fuck… can I just rip off my clothes right now and beg him to throw me on the ground. I wonder if he’d scream my name as his orgasm rushed through him. Usually, I’m not this freaky, but I have a very short time to experience Clint Sullivan. I wanted to take every opportunity I could to get what I needed. If nothing else, I’d have the memory of our time together to hold me over when I had to leave.
“You’re under my protection, Tamara. I focused my whole life on protecting those I care about… and those who need me. Want to guess which camp you fall in?” Lifting his head, he rasped. “Don’t answer that question.” He clicked, prompting the stallion to walk toward a small bench under a large tree.
Once there, he hopped off, adjusting himself within his jeans before reaching up to lift me off the horse and place my feet on the ground. Grabbing me around the waist, he leaned down to stare into my eyes. There was no escape from his gaze. But then again, I didn’t want to stop looking at him.
“I don’t know what it is about you, but you’ve been driving me crazy since I first saw you.”
Lifting my chin, I smiled. “It’s only been a day.”
Shaking his head, he dropped his gaze for a second before looking at me again. “I saw your picture days before you arrived. I’ve been torturing myself for days, trying to get rid of this feeling inside. Then I saw you yesterday. Standing there in front of me, more beautiful than I expected. When you looked at me, something clicked.”
“Oh, damn.” He’d felt the same thing I did when I saw him. It was a feeling of coming home, of being exactly where I was supposed to be, of seeing the person who would change my life. “But I thought you were angry.”
“No. Not at you, anyway. Only at myself for reacting to you. You have to understand, I’ve been on my own for a while. Just me and Sammy. My family is there, but that’s not the kind of thing I’m talking about. I was happy with my horses, the occasional calls to help a person in need, and living on my ranch in peace. I was content and ready to live out my days this way. Then your picture came across my laptop, and you stepped onto my property.”
He paused, looking down at me in a way I couldn’t describe. “What happens now?”
Sighing, he raised one hand to rub his thumb across my cheek. “I don’t know. You’re here now, we get to know each other without the snide comments, and we see where this goes.”
It was my turn to look away. “I’m only here for a short time.”
“Don’t worry about the length of time you’re here. Just focus on doing what you came to do. Relax. Recover. And get ready for whatever your ex-husband tries to throw your way next. Can you do that?”