“No, but I can sense things.” She looked around the room. “Some people call it a gut instinct. Everyone has it, but most people don’t trust their feelings.”
“But you felt a ghost here?”
“I felt something.”
A window in another room crashed shut. They both jumped. He grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the cabin. Not that Brian really had to pull very hard because she was right on his heels. This would not be a good time for her to linger.
“Enough ghosts for one day?” he asked when they were safely standing in the yard again.
“I think so.”
They looked at each other and laughed. She marveled at how much younger he looked when he was away from the business side of the ranch.
“Maybe we should grab some mint and head back.”
“That’s a good plan.” She followed him around to the back of the cabin. “A lighted path to the outhouse. You spare no expense for your guests.” It was all she could do to keep from laughing at her joke.
“Cal or Nikki must’ve put them up.”
They got the mint and went back to the pickup, but Celeste couldn’t resist one last look at the old house as they drove away. Her breath caught in her throat. Was that a woman standing at the door? If she was, it looked as though she might be crying.
“Tell me about the ghost,” she suddenly said.
“I don’t know a lot. For a long time, I thought I was imagining things, and I’m sure that’s all it was this time. The house is old and the window probably chose that moment to slip and crash shut.”
“I saw her at the door.”
His head jerked around and he stared at her. “Are you sure?”
She nodded. “It looked as though she was crying.”
“Okay, that’s it. I’m not letting anyone else stay there. Not if it’s haunted. The ghost might hurt someone.”
“We should have a séance.”
“You mean go back up there and sit around a table and intentionally call the ghost?”
“Not scared, are you?”
“No…yes.” He frowned.
“But don’t you want the poor girl’s spirit to be set free?” She sighed. “I feel sorry for her.”
He pulled in at the stables. “I don’t. She used to scare the hell out of me.”
“Maybe you needed the hell scared out of you. I mean, you were bringing girls up there to make out with.” She laughed when his frown deepened.
“I was a teenager.”
“And I was teasing you.”
“I guess I have been spending too much time on ranch business.”
“That’s okay. I can help you relax,” she joked, then realized the way her words sounded.
He let his gaze roam over her. “I think you can.”
His implication was clear. Celeste could feel herself blushing all the way to her roots.
“That wasn’t what I…uh…meant.”
“Now who doesn’t know when someone is joking?” He grinned.
She relaxed. “You’re right. Maybe we both need help.”
They got out of the pickup.
“Hey, we had a new colt born this morning. Want to see her?”
“I love horses! I once lived with some people who had a horse. They let me take care of brushing her and I was in seventh heaven.”
“How old were you?”
“Thirteen,” she said as she stepped inside the barn. She stopped and waited for her eyes to adjust to the dim light.
Brian paused at the door. Why would she be living with a family that she wasn’t related to when she was only thirteen? He watched her as she walked to one of the stalls, then stopped before she peered inside and turned to look at him, a question in her eyes.
“Where were your parents?” he asked.
Her face paled.
It made him wonder what her life had been like before she came here.
Chapter 22
There was nothing sexier than a woman sliding the zipper down on a pair of cowboy-cut jeans. Cal’s hands stilled in the middle of rubbing Nikki’s feet. Her passion-filled eyes told him exactly what was on her mind. When she started to shove the jeans down over her hips, he reached up and grasped the waistband, tugging them down. He was thinking the same thing, and who would blame him?
“There’s a freedom in making love out in the open,” she said, her words soft and seductive. “I like the way it makes me feel-decadent and a little naughty.”
He liked naughty, and Nikki wore it well. “You’ve never made love outside before. Before the pond, that is.”
She shook her head. “My partners were always afraid we’d get arrested for having sex in one of the parks. It certainly wasn’t for lack of trying on my part, though.”
He laughed. “They just didn’t know the right parks.”
One eyebrow rose. “And you do?”
“I’m not sure I would now, but yeah, I know a few places where you can make out without getting caught. The way the press hounds me, it wouldn’t be smart to get back to nature.”
“Are…they that bad? I mean, they must help your career, too.”
“Some do.”
“Then you don’t despise all reporters.”
“No, there are a few I actually like.” He watched her closely and saw the look of relief on her face. It made him wonder why she would care what he thought, but as soon as she sat up and began to unbutton her shirt, it didn’t really matter.
Cal followed suit and unbuttoned his but kept his gaze on her as she slipped off her shirt and the only thing left was a wispy red lace bra.
“I always thought it would be nice to vacation in a nudist camp,” she said, the laughter back in her eyes. “What about you? Ever think it might be fun?”
He shrugged. “Half the time Brian and I ran around in cutoffs and that’s about it. It was almost like being naked, and when we went swimming we were usually in the buff. I guess I enjoyed the freedom. I never really thought about it. It just seemed to be a part of growing up.”
“It sounds like fun.”
He couldn’t take it anymore. Naked sounded real good to him right now. He reached behind her, unclasped her bra, and slipped it off. She had the most perfect breasts and they just fit in the palms of his hands. He lightly squeezed them, scraped his thumbs across the nipples. They tightened.
“That feels good,” she said as she moved to her knees. She raised her arms above her head and stretched, arching her body toward him as she begged for more.
He moved to his knees. “You like that?”
She nodded. “You’re very good at making a woman feel great about herself.”
When she brought her arms down, she wrapped them around his neck and drew his head down to hers. Their lips touched. Her tongue scraped along his before delving inside his mouth stroking, caressing him.
She slid her hands down his arms and cupped his ass. He drew in a sharp breath. She pressed closer, her breasts rubbing against his chest.
He pulled her even closer, running his hands down her back, bringing her in tighter against his erection. She wiggled her body. There was only a scrap of silk between her and his jeans. It was a hell of a turn-on knowing what she must be feeling right now.
He began to lightly massage her ass, kneading and squeezing. “What about this? Do you like what I’m doing? Do you like the way it feels to rub your tender clit against my rough jeans? But that’s right, you said you liked it rough.”
“Yes, but I want more.”
She surprised him by scooting back and unbuttoning his jeans and tugging the zipper down. He didn’t mind a bit letting her have her way with him. She shoved his jeans and briefs over his hips, freeing him. Cool air caressed his dick.
“This is what I want,” she said, and brushed her fingers over the tip of his penis. She placed small kisses on his chest, working her way up his neck. “I want you. I want to lick you and suck you inside my mouth,” she said, her words raspy with need.
His mouth went dry. He knew exactly where she wanted to put her mouth.