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But the spell that seemed to hold her in its grip was broken when he moved his hands to lift the tail of her pink T-shirt and the icy mist coated her bare abdomen. The breeze had shifted, carrying the spray farther than when they first got off the horses and they were both getting wet.
Shane quickly moved them out of the way, but the mood was effectively shattered and not a moment too soon. What on earth had she been thinking?
She had forgotten all about why going blithely along as if nothing had happened wasn’t going to solve her dilemma. They hadn’t fully discussed or made any decisions about her being pregnant, and that was something they were going to have to address in the very near future. The pregnancy couldn’t be hidden indefinitely. Once she started showing, people were going to start talking and asking questions. She wanted to be ready with some answers when they did.
Unfortunately, it was always this way when Shane held her, kissed her. Sound judgment and common sense seemed to take a backseat to the passion and desire he created within her.
“I think we’d better … break out those sandwiches we made … before we left your house,” she said, trying to catch her breath. “I’m starting to … get hungry.”
His mouth curved upward in a wicked grin. “To tell you the truth, Lissa, I am starved to death right now. But my hunger hasn’t got a damned thing to do with food.”
Doing her best to ignore the excitement that his candid comment evoked, she walked over to the roan and began unpacking one of the saddlebags. “You, Mr. McDermott, are incorrigible.”
He laughed as he helped her spread a blanket for their picnic. “More like insatiable, angel.”
“That may be, but do the best you can to contain yourself,” she said, smiling as she carried their lunch to the blanket.
Kneeling at the edge of the fleece, she avoided his intense blue gaze as she placed the sandwiches on plates, then opened two small bottles of apple juice. If she looked at him, there was a very good chance she would abandon her resolve and that was something she couldn’t afford to let happen.
“We have things to talk about and decisions to make,” she said, taking a sip from her juice.
His expression turning serious, Shane lowered him self to sit on the blanket beside her. “Let’s put a hold on that for right now. We’ll have plenty of time to make our plans tomorrow.” Smiling, he reached for a sandwich. “You need to take today to relax and regroup, anyway. Yesterday was a pretty rough day for you.”
It was the first reference he had made to her meltdown the night before, and she was grateful that he didn’t seem overly interested in pursuing it now. “Maybe you’re right.”
“I know I am,” he said, sounding so darned sure of himself, she wasn’t sure whether she should kiss him or take something and bop him with it.
Either way, she decided to take his advice. There would be plenty of time tomorrow to figure what to do about a carefree affair that had unexpectedly become a very serious issue.
Four
The first shadows of evening had just begun to stretch across the valley when Shane and Lissa rode back into the ranch yard. All in all, it had been a pretty good day, he decided as they dismounted. He had been more than a little pleased by her reaction to his ranch and looked forward to showing her more when they had time.
“I’ve been thinking that supper in front of the television would be nice tonight,” he said, leading their horses into the stable. “We can watch a movie on one of the satellite channels or pop a DVD in the player.” Unsaddling the stallion, he carried the tack and blanket into the tack room, then returned to the center aisle of the stable to do the same with the roan. “Although, I think I had better warn you. I don’t have much in the way of romantic movies in my collection.”
“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” she asked, laughing as she reached for a brush to groom the gelding. “I have to admit though, a night of vegging out does sound nice. And whatever you choose to watch is fine with me. I’ll probably fall asleep before the opening credits even get started.”
Finished with brushing the stallion, Shane led the animal down to his stall, then returned for Stormy. “Why don’t you go on to the house and take a hot shower? It will only take me another few minutes to feed and water the horses.”
Without waiting to see if she took him up on his suggestion, Shane walked Stormy to his stall, then set about giving the animals oats and filling their water troughs. He was surprised when he turned around to find that Lissa had sat down on a bale of straw beside the tack room door to wait for him.
“I thought you were going to take a shower and change,” he said, walking up beside her.
Shrugging, she smiled. “I thought we could go back to the house together.”
He liked the sound of that and without hesitation, he picked her up and sat down to settle her on his lap. Her arms automatically circled his neck and she laid her head on his shoulder.
Damn, but he loved holding her like this. “Legs still a bit wobbly from riding so much?”
“A little. But not as bad as the first time I dismounted.” She snuggled closer. “Thank you for today,” she said softly. “I really enjoyed seeing your ranch and Rainbow Falls. It’s all very beautiful.”
Her warm breath whispering over his neck and the feel of her cradled against him sent his hormones racing. His arousal was not only immediate, it left him feeling light-headed from its intensity.
“I’m glad you had a good time,” he said, shifting to a more comfortable position.
“I’ve been thinking, Shane.”
He didn’t like the sound of her tentative tone. “About what?”
“This weekend should probably be our last time seeing each other.”
Her voice was so quiet he wasn’t sure he had heard her correctly. But a bucket of ice water couldn’t have been more effective at putting an end to his overly active libido.
Sitting her up on his lap, he met her gaze head-on. “You want to explain yourself? What do you mean this is our last time together?”
She sighed. “Jarrod Ridge is a family-oriented resort. Some of the older investors would likely take a dim view of our having an affair.”
“What do you think is going to happen when they find out you’re pregnant out of wedlock?” he shot back. The way he saw it, they’d take the news a whole lot better and be less likely to condemn if she had the baby’s daddy standing beside her.
She nibbled on her lower lip a moment before shaking her head. “I’ve thought about that, too. I’m hoping they won’t find out.”
A chill raced up his spine. She wasn’t talking about …
“I’ll have to check with our attorney, Christian Hanford, to see if there’s a way to keep from losing my inheritance if I move back to California. But having the baby out there would keep the talk down around the resort,” she said, oblivious to the fact that she had damned near given him a coronary before she finished explaining. “You and my family will be the only ones who know that I’ve had a child. I know they’ll keep that kind of news quiet in order to keep from jeopardizing our business.”
Why did everyone’s opinion matter so much to her? For that matter, why did the whole family protect the Jarrod Ridge reputation as if it were as valuable as the gold in Fort Knox?
“Why the hell are you protecting the resort above all else, Lissa?” he asked before he could stop himself. But once the words were out, he couldn’t really say he regretted the question.
She looked stunned. “What do you mean?”
“Why are you scared to death about what everyone is going to say or think?”
Shane knew he was treading on dangerous ground, but he had a feeling that it had been drilled into her as a child that appearances were everything and the reputation of the resort came before anything else. Even if it meant sacrificing her own happiness or well-being.
Her body stiffened and he knew he had hit the nail on the head. “My father’s death caused enough upheaval. Jarrod Ridge doesn’t need unrest among the people with a vested interest in its success,” she insisted. “We need their funding to bring more events to the resort.”
He could tell she was avoiding having to answer his questions. He decided to let that slide for now. But eventually she was going to have to stop putting that damned resort and its precious reputation ahead of her own wants and needs. And if it took him having to bring that to her attention, he was up for the challenge.
“I’m one of the investors in the resort and I couldn’t care less what the majority of those old goats think.”
He pulled her close and wondered what kind of childhood she’d had. If being put to work at the age of eight and her unrealistic concerns about gossip were any indication, it had to have been miserable.
“But we aren’t going to talk about any of that now,” he said, determined to change the subject. “This afternoon, we made an agreement to get this all straightened out tomorrow. I’m going to hold you to that.”
Deciding not to give her the opportunity to argue the point further, he captured her mouth with his. Resistant at first, he felt her begin to relax against him as he traced her perfect coral lips with his tongue, then coaxed her to open for him. His blood heated and his body reacted as it always did when she was in his arms. When he stroked her tongue with his, he could tell from her soft moan that she was as turned on as he was.
Unfortunately, sitting on a bale of straw in a stable had to be one of the least sensual places on earth. Cursing himself as nine kinds of a fool for starting something he couldn’t finish until they went to the house, he groaned and reluctantly broke the kiss.
“I think it’s about time we took that hot shower,” he said, setting her on her feet.
“We?” she asked as he rose to take her hand in his and hurry her toward the stable doors.
He didn’t even try to stop his wicked grin. “I’ve decided it’s about time for the ranch to ‘go green.’ We’ll save water by showering together.”
When they reached the house, Shane stopped only long enough to remove their boots, then led Melissa toward the stairs. No matter how foolish it might be, she willingly followed him straight into the master bathroom.
She was determined not to think about this weekend being the end of their affair or the loneliness she would suffer once it was over. It might not be smart, but she wanted to store up the memory of his tender touch and the strength of his lovemaking. She would need them on those lonely nights that lay ahead of her once they stopped seeing each other.
“You do realize you’re way overdressed for a shower, don’t you?” he asked, his blue eyes twinkling with mischief as he closed the door.
She smiled. “I could say the same thing about you, Cowboy.”
“Really?” He reached for the snaps on his chambray shirt as he took a step toward her. “I’m pretty sure I can remedy that.”
“Don’t.” She reached up to remove his hat, then hanging it on the doorknob, took his hands in hers and lowered them to his sides. “Let me see if I can take care of it for you.”
Releasing the first closure, she kissed his tanned collarbone. “That wasn’t too difficult,” she said, lightly skimming her nails along his skin as her fingers traveled on to the next snap. She flicked it open, then pressed a kiss to the newly exposed skin. “Neither was that.”
His abdominal muscles contracted when she continued on to the next one. She smiled as she slowly released each closure to nibble and kiss his perfect torso. “I think I’m starting to get the hang of this.”
“Oh, I would say you’ve become quite proficient at it.” His voice was husky and when she glanced up, the heated look in his blue gaze stole her breath.
As they continued to stare at each other, she finished unsnapping his shirt and tugged the tail of it from the waistband of his jeans. Parting the lapels, Melissa moved to push the garment over his shoulders and down his arms.
Her heart skipped a beat as she gazed at his sculpted chest and abdomen. Unable to resist, she touched the hard ridges of his stomach with her fingertip, then traced the thin line of hair from his navel to where it disappeared into the waistband of his jeans. She was rewarded with his sharp intake of breath.
“You’ve got a good start there, angel,” he encouraged. “Don’t stop now.”
“I don’t intend to.” Unbuckling his leather belt, she shook her head. “I was always taught not to quit until a job was finished.” She released the button at the top of his jeans and toyed with the metal tab below. “And to make sure the job was done to the best of my ability.”
Slowly, intentionally, she pulled the zipper downward. By the time she eased it over his persistent arousal to the bottom of his fly, Melissa wasn’t certain which one of them was having more trouble drawing their next breath.
“Oh my, Mr. McDermott,” she teased as she lightly touched the bulging cotton of his boxer briefs. “You seem to have a bit of a problem.”
His big body jerked as if an electrical charge had coursed through it. “You caused my current dilemma. Now what are you going to do about it?” he asked through gritted teeth.
The feral light in his eyes caused a delicious warmth to spread throughout her being. “What would you suggest I do?”
“Finish what you started.”
Smiling, she put her hands on his sides, then slipping her fingers inside both waistbands slid his jeans and underwear over his hips and down his legs. He quickly stepped out of them, then kicked them to the side.
She took a moment to appreciate his perfection. Her heart skipped several beats as she let her gaze slide from his handsome face down his torso and beyond. Muscles developed by years of hard ranch work padded his shoulders and chest and his stomach was taut with ridges of toned sinew. Every cell in her body tingled as she took in the beauty of Shane’s male body and his strong, proud arousal.
“I love your body,” she found herself murmuring.
“It was made just for yours, angel.” Lifting the hem of her T-shirt, his grin was filled with such promise it sent goose bumps shimmering over her skin. “Since you’ve been so nice and helped me out, I think it’s only fair that I return the favor.”
“I think so, too,” she said.
As methodically as she had removed his clothing, Shane removed hers and tossed them into the growing pile on the bathroom floor. When he removed the last scrap of silk and lace, he stood back.
“You’re absolutely gorgeous, Lissa.” He pulled her into his arms, and the feel of hard masculine flesh touching her much softer feminine skin caused a need within her so deep it reached all the way to her soul.
“I think we’d better take that shower while we still have the strength,” he said, his voice hoarse.
She waited until he adjusted the water, then stepped under the luxurious, multiheaded spray. When he joined her, Shane turned her away from him, then reached for a bottle of shampoo. As his large hands began to gently massage her scalp and work the shampoo down the long strands, Melissa didn’t think she had ever felt anything more sensual than having him wash her hair.
Neither spoke as he rinsed away the last traces of shampoo, then reached for the soap. Working the herbal-scented bar into a rich lather, he held her gaze as he slowly smoothed his hands over every inch of her body and by the time he was finished she felt more cherished than she ever had in her entire life.
“My turn,” she said, taking the soap from him.
Treating him to the same sensuous exploration, she took the time to commit to memory every muscle and cord of his perfect physique. When she finally touched him intimately, she watched him tightly close his eyes. His head fell back and a groan rumbled up from deep in his chest a moment before he took the soap from her, rinsed them both thoroughly, then gathered her to him.
He lowered his head and the moment his mouth came down to cover hers, she put her arms around his wide shoulders and her eyes drifted shut. She could feel herself being lifted and automatically brought her legs up to wrap them around his lean hips. They fit against each other perfectly, and when he entered her with one smooth stroke, Melissa reveled in the feeling of being one with him.
As water sprayed over them from all sides, their wet bodies moved together in perfect unison, and all too soon, she felt herself start to climb toward the peak of completion. Her muscles tensed as the need grew and intensified. Then, as if something inside of her broke free, pleasure filled every fiber of her being and stars danced behind her tightly closed eyes.
Almost immediately Shane’s body surged within her a final time and he crushed her to him. She held him just as tightly as he rode out the storm and found his own shuddering release.
When she finally gained the strength to move, Melissa leaned back to look at his handsome face as he still held her to him. For the past couple of months, she had told herself their affair was strictly physical and she could walk away from it at any time with no regrets. She now realized that she had been deluding herself. From the moment he introduced himself at a meeting between her family and the Jarrod Ridge investors, she had not only been attracted to him physically, she had been drawn to his charming personality and easy sense of humor.
“You’re amazing,” he said, giving her a tender kiss as he lowered her to her feet. He turned off the shower, then helping her out of the enclosure, patted them both dry with a large, plush towel. “Why don’t I pop a pizza in the oven and find something for us to watch on one of the movie channels, while you dry your hair and get dressed?” he asked as he wrapped the towel around her, then tucked it under her arms.
“That sounds wonderful,” she said, realizing she was actually quite hungry.
He gave her a smile warm enough to melt the polar ice caps. “I’ll meet you downstairs on the couch in about twenty minutes.”
Feeling more relaxed than she had since taking the pregnancy test, Melissa picked up the hair dryer and turned it on. She wasn’t going to think about their predicament, what they were going to do about it or that in less than two days she would no longer be enjoying a few stolen hours with Shane. Tonight she was going to concentrate on the moment and face tomorrow when it came.
“What’s your life like out in California?” Shane asked as the movie he had selected for them ended.
The film’s storyline had been about a woman returning to her hometown and the life she had left behind to do that. That got him to thinking. He knew what it had been like for Lissa since returning to Aspen for the reading of her father’s will. She had to stay for at least one year and manage the Tranquility Spa in order to inherit her share of Jarrod Ridge. But her life in Los Angeles remained a complete mystery to him.
“Life in southern California is, in a word, hectic.” She shrugged one slender shoulder. “I’ve been there since I started college and you would think I’d be used to the pace after all this time.”
Her answer surprised him. “But you’re not?”
“Not really.” She shook her head and shifted on the couch to face him. “Everyone is always in such a hurry to get somewhere or to do something. Then, when they do accomplish whatever they set out to do, they are in a huge hurry to do something else.”
“Life in the fast lane can be draining,” he said, wondering why she had chosen to go to college so far from home. “But I think it’s that way in most urban areas.”
She nodded as she removed the fluffy tie holding her hair in a ponytail. “It’s a little better in Malibu where I live now, but life still moves a lot faster than Aspen.”
“That is a nice area.” He had been to Malibu a few times and although it was way too crowded for his taste, Shane had found the view of the ocean to be beautiful. “Do you live near the beach?”
“I have a condo not too far from the Malibu Pier.” She smiled. “I like living on the beach and my spa and yoga center, Serendipity, is only a couple of miles away. That’s another plus for me.”
