Page 70 of Rogue Cowboy
He kissed his way down her spine, and even though she was exhausted, she felt desire stir as if it had been so long denied and shut down and locked away, it was truly ready to burst out into the world.
“Do you want to talk about making love?”
She turned and stared at him over her shoulder.When she’d heard other women talk about their men, they often complained that after sex, they rolled over and fell asleep.How did she find a man who rarely spoke untilaftersex?
“No,” Riley decided.She was riding a buzz, and she didn’t want to risk it.“I’m so tired of analyzing everything,” she admitted.“I just want to…savor the moment.”
He pulled her closer, one arm draped around her while she was curled into his body.This must be spooning.Who knew her soldier cowboy would be a spooner?If she didn’t feel so monumentally undone yet utterly fantastically transformed, she would have laughed.Instead, even as Cole was speaking—asking her if she was all right or needed anything—she fell asleep.
*
Cole worked hardto leash his mounting frustration throughout the final day of rodeo competition, but since he’d slipped out of bed before dawn after receiving a text from his cousin and then uncle with questions about the rodeo and stock-contracting meetings, questions about when he’d get on the road to tour the property outside of Bozeman and then head over to Wyoming, he hadn’t had a chance to talk to Riley.
When he’d returned to the trailer, Riley had already dressed and was in the stock barn.He’d had calls to make and deets to research, and an early morning meeting with Kane and Luke Wilder.
After he’d brought Riley a latte from the coffee shop she favored—the Java Café—but still they hadn’t had a moment to talk.She’d been preparing Arlo and Petal for their last exhibition.And then she had some last-minute tips for two of the barrel racers who’d finaled and had nerves.And a buckin’ bronc she’d wanted to have the vet on call check.
All normal parts of ranching and the rodeo, and he wouldn’t have worried if they hadn’t finally consummated their relationship last night.He’d expected to feel settled; instead, Riley felt maddeningly out of reach, like water from a stream slipping through his fingers while he felt he was dying of thirst.
He’d missed her at the pancake breakfast, but Boone and his wife, Piper, had called out his name and asked him to join them.They’d acted normal so he suspected Riley hadn’t seemed upset about his early morning family escape, but then Riley had spent years hiding her feelings.
And in another week or two, Texas would be calling.
He didn’t want to go without her.
Didn’t think he could.
But she hadn’t told him she loved him or indicated she wanted their marriage to be real and lasting.
Again, he felt like he was on the outside looking in at his own life playing out.But it was arrogant to think that one night of sex would magically sweep away Riley’s trauma and make her fall in love with him.
He wanted to give her his mother’s ring.Make it official.Finally belong.
But Riley was busy, a smile touching her lips, her shiny hair in a low ponytail playfully bouncing in time with her quick steps as she went through the day.
“Riley.”He finally caught her by the shoulders, keeping his touch gentle.She looked up at him a little dazed.“Can you just stop for a minute?”
She blinked at him.
“What’s up?”she asked warily.
“You’ve been avoiding me all day.”
“I haven’t,” she said.“Not exactly.”Her shoulders slumped and he hated himself for that, but he needed to know where he stood.
“Two of the riders in the final round of barrel racing stable their horses and train with us,” she said.“They needed me.I can’t just walk off whenever I want like a dreamy, sex-starved idiot.”
He stared at her.The words were so not what he’d been thinking.
“I’m not trying to take you away from your duties.”
Was he being unreasonable?
“It’s just that after last night…”
He waited.
“I woke up alone—” she lowered her voice “—and I don’t know what I did wrong, and I don’t want to know.So don’t act like I’ve been pulling a disappearing act when you snuck out in the middle of the night and didn’t come back.”
