Desire started to course through her veins like a drug. He was right there, and he looked perfect. She had wanted something for herself, and, like a genie granting wishes, he’d shown up. Rachel smoothed back her hair. It was time to make a decision. She might not be in Bliss for long, but she was going to enjoy herself for once. It had been years since she felt a man’s body beside hers. She wanted that with Max.
“Do you want me to leave?”
Pulling together every bit of bravado she had, she walked out of the pond, revealing her body to him. “No, Max. I don’t want you to leave. I just want you.”
Max tried to think of one good reason he shouldn’t get down off the horse and take Rachel in his arms.
Unfortunately, he thought of about a dozen, the chief one being it was far too soon to make love to her. In her mind, it would just be sex. He had no doubt about that. She would be using him for comfort, pleasure, whatever she was lacking. He would be making love to the woman he was pretty sure he was falling in love with. There was an imbalance in the scenario. If he got off the horse and buried himself in her, he would be at a distinct disadvantage for the rest of their relationship.
Yet, even as he told himself all the reasons to be patient, he was dismounting. His dick wasn’t willing to listen. He was rock hard, and the sight of her gorgeous body emerging from the pond like Venus was making his heart thud in his chest. She was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.
What is it about this woman? She was lovely, but then he knew that he’d been with women that other men would think were more attractive than Rachel. So why did she call to him?
Quigley nosed his leg, and Max looked down. The old mutt had a stick in his mouth. In his mind, it was playtime. Max wasn’t on top of Maverick, so this was supposed to be Quigley time.
“Is he part horse?” Rachel’s eyes sparkled as she watched the big dog.
Max patted the dog’s head. “You might think so. We think he’s part Great Dane and part Saint Bernard. He’s all pussy, though. I swear I’ve never seen a more docile dog. Q, go rest, buddy,” Max pointed to where he’d left his horse. The dog whined and drooled around his stick. Max prayed he wasn’t drooling as much as Quigley, but he didn’t hold out much hope.
There was an amused grin on her plump lips as he approached. “Why do they say you’re difficult, Max?”
“Because I’m a bastard,” he answered honestly. He was a picky, contrary, argumentative bastard, and he didn’t really apologize for it.
She laughed. The sound was magical to his ears. “You apparently love dogs and horses. I haven’t seen anything that tells me you’re a jerk. You’ve been nothing but sweet around me.”
He shrugged, his eyes devouring the sight of her breasts. They were round and soft. They bounced when she walked. The nipples were hard little raspberries. “I’ve been very careful around you. I don’t want to scare you away. I promise, Rachel, I’ll always be careful with you.”
She frowned, her pouty mouth turning down. “Max, I want you. I want to have sex with you. But I’m not a long-term girl. You have to understand that.”
But she was, and Max knew it. She was the type of girl you fell in love with and married. He put her age at roughly thirty. She should have fallen for some professional and had a few precious babies by now. It was the way things went for women like Rachel. Something had happened to throw her life off the rails. He needed to get it back on track because he intended to be the man she fell for.
“Sweetheart, why don’t you get dressed, and I’ll take you out to dinner?” Max suggested against his penis’s wishes. He needed to woo her before he took her. He wanted to romance her and give her the courtship she deserved. He needed her to trust him. “We can talk and get to know each other.”
Her face flushed. She was very pale, with delicate skin. She couldn’t hide her emotions, and Max realized he’d made a mistake. She nodded and purposefully walked back into the pond to cover her body up.
The smile on her face didn’t come anywhere close to her eyes. “I’m not really hungry, Max. I’ll just stay here for a while. See you around.”
She pointedly swam away from him, and Max knew he’d been dismissed. If he walked away, she might be friendly, but she’d never offer herself again. He’d tried to get it done his way. It looked like he was going to have to use hers.
Max kicked off his boots, then pulled his shirt over his head. Maverick was standing by the pond, calmly waiting for his master to finish with the female so they could continue the exercise. Maverick was a gelding and Quigley had been fixed years back. Life must be so much simpler for them. Max eased off his jeans carefully. His raging erection was eager to be set free. The crown of his cock was already weeping with pre-cum.
Rachel surfaced and was treading water. Her light green eyes were wary as she took him in. “What are you doing, Max?”
He put his hands on his hips. He had no real problem with nudity. He’d grown up in this weird little town, and while he had quirks of his own, he’d always accepted himself. It was the best gift Bliss had given him. “I’m about to take a swim in a really cold pond with a woman who just wants me for my body. I’m desperate, though, and I don’t have a whole lot of self-respect.”
She frowned, reminding him of a gorgeous water nymph. “This is my pond. Go find your own.”
Max felt his lips quirk up in a little half grin. “This is my land, darlin’. I’m afraid I own the pond you’re currently occupying.”
“Oh,” she said, her mouth forming a perfect O. His penis got even harder as he thought about that sultry mouth around his cock. The damn thing was standing up straight, lying almost flat against his belly. If he didn’t do something soon, it was going to come off his body and seek her out itself. Max strode into the water and dove under the instant he could.
The water was clear, so it was easy to swim toward his lovely target. Her legs were barely touching the bottom of the pond. He loved the curves of her hips and ass. He surfaced, letting his arms wind around her slender waist, forcing her a little deeper so she had to cling to him. It was easy to do. He had a good foot on her petite frame. Her arms instinctively went around his neck.
“Max!”
He smiled. “What? I can’t swim in my own pond?”
She pushed at his broad shoulders. “I don’t need your pity, Max. Let me go.”
Now it was his turn to frown. He brushed his rigid erection against her pussy. “Darlin’, this water is cold, but I’m harder than I’ve ever been in my life. I don’t pity you. I’ve been like this for two damn weeks. If anyone needs some pity, it’s me.”
“You didn’t want me a minute ago.” Even as she made the accusation, she cuddled close to him.
She felt so perfect in his arms. They fit together like pieces of a puzzle. Max knew he was never going to want to let her go. “I want way more than you’re willing to give me, Rachel, and you know it. I want to be your man. I’m crazy about you.”
“You don’t even know me,” she replied, burrowing her nose into his neck.
Max kissed her ear gently. She was starving for affection, and he intended to drown her in it. “I don’t know anything about you?”
“You have no idea where I was born or who my parents are.” She practically purred against him.
“You could tell me.” She was silent on the subject, so he moved on. “I might not know all the facts and details, but I’ve learned a lot about you. I know you like chocolate and don’t put anything in your coffee. You’re a dog person, but you’ll put up with cats. You smile at everyone, and there’s a light inside you that always makes them smile back. You love music. You can’t stop your right foot from tapping when the jukebox comes on. When you know the words, you sing them, and you don’t even know you’re doing it. You take your work very seriously even though you know you’re too smart to be stuck as a waitress for the rest of your life. You’ll do that job with everything you have. You’re a good person, Rachel.”