12-Alarm Cowboys (43 page)

“Spread your legs,” he ordered in a gruff voice.

He didn’t have to tell her twice. She widened her stance until her feet touched opposite sides of her rather generous shower. He continued to rub down her thighs, her calves, her ankles and then started back up her legs.

She found herself in the oddest of conditions. His gentle strokes were relaxing her taut muscles, while at the time everything inside her was racing and throbbing and aching for more. A total quagmire of feelings.

The heat from his mouth flashed over her ass, followed by a caress from his lips. She sighed and tried to open her thighs wider but it was impossible. She was as spread as she could be in this space.

He turned the water off. “Turn around.”

She did and the vision almost made her collapse into a heap. Tanner was kneeling at her feet, a supplicant at the feet of a queen, or that’s how he made her feel.

“I turned the water off because it was washing away your scent and I love the way you smell. And your taste. I love the way you taste and the water would spoil that for me.” He nuzzled her coarse pubic hair. “I love your red hair. It’s like fire.” He looked at her. “And you do light a fire in me.”

With that comment, he grabbed her thighs and put his head between them, using his tongue to lick her arousal fluid and his mouth to suck on her swollen flesh. He used his thumbs to spread her open for him, to bare her to whatever he wanted to do. In all the time she’d been with Chris, she’d never allowed herself to be so exposed, but with Tanner, she felt protected and safe.

He traced his tongue around her rigid nub, stopping to draw it into his mouth. She arched and groaned. Her hips gyrated on his mouth, wanting more, needing a release that only he could give her.

When he pushed two fingers into her, her hips moved quicker, demanding he thrust them to her tempo. He let her set the pace, sliding them in and out while his mouth worked her stiff button.

It didn’t take long before she felt the rising tension inside.

“More,” she cried. “More. I’m almost there.”

And then she was at the threshold, tense and shaking before she went over, crying out his name.

He kissed the inside of her thigh. “Finish your shower. I’ll go get dinner together.”

She grabbed his arm and looked down at his impressive erection. “What about you?”

He smiled. “You had your dessert before dinner. That’s my dessert.”

He kissed her deeply and then turned on the water.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “I won’t forget where we were.”

Later that night, she showed him that she hadn’t forgotten either.

*

“Tanner, pass me
the rolls,” Janet Marshall said.

Tanner lifted the basket of hot bread and handed it over to his mother. His parents had arrived home three days before Thanksgiving. He’d been more than happy to turn back over the reins of home and ranch management to them. He didn’t have to manage a teenage girl and it had freed him up to spend a couple of guilt-free evenings with Georgina. A total win-win in his book.

“You should have invited your lady friend to join us today,” his mother continued. “I hate the thought that she might be alone on Thanksgiving.”

The bite of turkey Tanner tried to swallow went down sideways making him choke and cough. “Lady friend?”

The last thing he needed, or wanted, was his mother digging around in his personal life. She’d been hinting about grandchildren since he’d turned thirty.

His mother smiled as she lifted her wine glass to her mouth for a sip. “Deb tells us you’ve been seeing the new vet in town.”

Tanner rolled a glare over to his sister who gave him a beatific expression of total innocence.

Oh yeah? Well, two can plan this game.

“While she was filling you in on my life, did Deb happen to mention the number of times she missed curfew? Because I have to tell you, that’s a much more interesting story.”

Under the table, his shin took a direct kick from Deb’s pointed-toe cowboy boot.

“Ouch,” he said, leaning over to rub at his throbbing leg.

“No, she might have failed to mention that,” Richard Marshall said. His father glanced over at Deb. “We can talk about that later tonight, little missy.”

“Tell us more about the vet you’re seeing,” his mother said.

“Nothing to tell. Georgina’s a nice gal in town for a couple of months. She’s leaving next month. End of story.”

“Hmm. So,” his mother continued, sliding her gaze to another of her off-spring. “What’s going on with you, Zack?”

His brother grinned. “Not a thing. Working hard. Covering for Tanner while he dates the doctor.”

Suddenly, the food in his stomach didn’t seem to be setting right. A stomach cramp followed by a wave of irritation at his siblings had Tanner done with this meal.

He shoved back his chair and stood. “I need to see to the horses. Delicious meal, mom. Glad to have you home.” He picked up his plate still loaded with food, kissed his mother’s cheek and headed for the kitchen.

“What about dessert?” his mother called after him.

“I’m stuffed. Maybe later.”

After grabbing a couple of apples for Jolene, he headed down to find her and her baby. Somehow, Sir Henry had stuck as a name and now it didn’t seem right to call the little guy by anything else.

He rested one boot-covered foot on the lower rail of the fence and let his gaze roam over the acreage before him. When he finally saw them, they were pretty far down in the pasture. Tanner shoved two fingers between his lips and let out a long, loud whistle. Jolene’s head snapped up from the grass where she was grazing and she started toward him, Sir Henry trotting along beside her.

A heavy footfall behind him alerted him to his dad’s presence before the man said a word.

“She looks great,” Richard said. “And her colt is a real looker. I wasn’t sure about resetting her estrus and letting her foal in the fall, but looks like you were right about that.”

“Thanks.”

His father assumed an identical position, foot propped on the lower fence rail, and crossed his arms over the top rail. “Your mom meant no harm with all her questions. She’s just interested in what she missed while we’ve been gone. I don’t think our trip was exactly what she’d thought it would be.” He chuckled. “You guys didn’t call enough, asking for help.”

Tanner looked at him. “Are you kidding? I wanted to call her every day and ask her something but we didn’t want to bother y’all. I know she’d been wanting to do that trip for years.” He removed his hat and ran his fingers through his hair. “I do not understand women.”

His dad laughed. “And you never will, son. Hell, I’ve been married to your mother for thirty-six years and I still haven’t figured her out. But that’s what makes life interesting, huh? Trying to figure out mysteries.”

“Good point.”

“But it’s not your mom, is it? There’s something else going on with you. Want to talk about it?”

Tanner considered his next words carefully as he watched Jolene prance up to the fence. He cut an apple into wedges and fed a couple to her. He let out a long breath.

“I don’t think my future is here.”

Richard nodded. “I see. Here, as in Whispering Springs or here, as in Flying Eagle Cattle Company?”

“The cattle ranch.” He shot a quick glance toward his dad and then back at his mare as he fed her another apple chunk. “Being back in Texas has been…eye-opening, to say the least. I enjoyed my time in Kentucky, but I’m a Texas man at heart, I guess.”

“I see. Well, if not cattle, then what? Back to firefighting?”

“I definitely want to keep that going. Chief Townsend has been talking to me about taking over for him. He’s wanting to cut back.”

“And is that something you’re interested in?”

“Yeah, definitely. The county will pay for me to go to the National Fire Academy for some additional training.” Tanner looked at his dad. “I’d have to leave next week. I’d be gone until a couple of days before Christmas. What do you think about that?”

“I think it sounds like an opportunity that you’d be a fool to give up.”

“But the ranch…”

“Your mother and I aren’t going anywhere until after Christmas. Maybe even into the New Year. So there’s no reason you can’t go, unless there is.” Richard gave him a questioning look. “Is there anything, or maybe anyone, keeping you here?”

“Did mom send you out here to pump me for information?”

His father laughed and then leaned closer. “Nope, but if I go back with insider information, I’ll get a bigger piece of pecan pie.”

Tanner shook his head with a chuckle. “There’s nothing really to tell. Georgina’s great but she’s out of here as soon as Mabee gets back.”

His heart twisted as though wringing out all its blood at the thought that Georgina would soon be a memory. No more seeing her head tossed back and hearing her peals of laughter. No more watching her care for a sick animal with her tender touch and gentle voice. No more long nights of kisses and touches and caresses that drove them both wild.

“No,” he said to his dad. “There’s nothing keeping me tied here for the next three weeks.”

He was quiet for a minute thinking about this incredible woman he’d met. How she made him laugh. How she made him feel so strong and protective. How she evoked emotions in him that he’d never really felt. But he’d gone into the relationship knowing it was temporary. That’s how Georgina wanted it.

“How long you been in love with her? And more importantly, does she know?”

Tanner shrugged but didn’t answer the question. “Pecan pie, you say? Sounds like just what I need.”

His dad’s questions rang in his head long after their conversation was done. Was he in love with her? He wasn’t sure. He’d said those three words to women before who’d never had the impact on him that Georgina did.

What he did know was that just hearing her voice made his day brighter. Seeing her, holding her, could repair even his worst mood. Hell, the mere thought of her could grind the spurs off a trying day. He might have sent his wearisome sister to a nunnery within the past couple of months if it hadn’t been for Georgina. That thought made him smile.

The other thing he knew? Tanner needed to see her every day because when he didn’t, it felt like the sun forgot to rise.

‡

“T
hanks for helping
with the dishes. You didn’t have to,” Magda Montgomery said.

“The least I could do,” Georgie said. “I appreciate your having me out for dinner.”

“You should have come for Thanksgiving lunch with all the Montgomerys. They would have been happy to have had you join us.”

Georgie produced a dramatic shiver. “Thanks but no thanks. How do you handle all that testosterone in one room?”

Magda laughed. “You get used to it.” She dried her hands on a dish towel and then hung it over the sink edge to dry. “Besides, I live with Reno, Mister Testosterone himself.”

“Just as well I didn’t. I ended up having a couple of emergencies and being all the way out at the Bar M would have made it tough to take calls today.”

Magda leaned against the edge of the counter and crossed one ankle over the other. “Not that I’m prying, but why weren’t you with Tanner today?”

“Not that you’re prying or anything,” she said and then quirked the corner of her mouth.

Magda shrugged. “If your best friend can’t pry, who can?”

“Give me some coffee. Maybe I could use a shoulder to lean on.”

They retook seats at the table, mugs of fresh coffee cradled in their fingers.

“Okay, so you’ve fallen for Tanner. Now what?”

“What? Who told you that? Did Tanner say something to Reno?”

Magda snorted. “Yeah. Like guys talk about feelings. Of course Tanner hasn’t said anything. But honey, I’ve seen you with Tanner. You get this look on your face.”

“What kind of look?”

“A dreamy, dopey, starry-eyed stare when you look at him.”

Georgie pounded her forehead on the table. “Oh, God.” She rolled her head to the side so she could look up at her friend. “Really?”

Magda nodded.

“Think anyone else might have noticed?”