Curves and the Rodeo Star (BBW Romance - Coldwater Springs 4) (5 page)

Warmth flickered
through her at his praise. “I guess we should go get your
truck.”

“
Yeah, I guess so.”

She looked at him sitting
next to her in the SUV as she fastened her seatbelt. Dust stained
his clothes and some of his hair was damp against his forehead, but
it didn’t make him look less attractive. In fact, it made him
even sexier, because he’d helped her. Even after Wednesday.

“
Want to stay for
dinner?” She issued the invitation before she second-guessed
herself. Inviting him to dinner was the least she could do.

He grinned. “Sounds
good. Thanks.”

She focused on driving
out of the gate, not wanting him to see how much pleasure his
acceptance gave her,
but unable to help the smile that touched
her lips.

They made quick work of
returning to Spring River Road. Cade jumped into his truck and
followed her back to the ranch.

Emma parked in the
garage, checking her watch: 6.45pm. Somehow, it seemed as if it
should be a lot later, although the sun hadn’t set yet.
Joining Cade in the driveway, she knew she had to thank him. She’d
been thinking about it all the way back to the ranch.

“
Cade…”
Her voice trailed off when he turned to look at her. His eyes
smoldered with desire.

Her breath skipped. “I…I
just want to thank you for helping me today.”

“
Anytime, Emma.
You know that.”

Do I?
she
thought hazily as he continued to gaze at her in that unnerving way.
Before Wednesday, she would have said yes. But since that kiss - and
the way it ended - she had no idea what was going on.

She took a step back. “I
better start dinner.”

He took a step forward.
“Emma.” His hand cupped her cheek.

Her pulse pounded. His
face was so close to hers. If she rose on her toes, she could kiss
him.

Before she could make the
decision, his lips snared hers. She parted her mouth in surrender,
not wanting to think about anything except how good it felt to have
Cade hold her and kiss her.

His scent enveloped her:
horse, man, soap and hay. Her arms stole around his neck, and he
shifted slightly, pressing her close to his firm, muscular body.
Cade finally dragged away his mouth from hers. “I haven’t
stopped thinking about you since I watched you compete in the barrel
racing,” he admitted huskily, his forehead touching hers.

His statement seared her
senses. If that was true… She frowned. “But what
about Wednesday?”

His large hands caressed
her waist, then held her securely against him, as if he were afraid
she was going to run off again. He looked into her eyes. “I
think - hope - that was a miscommunication.”

“
Oh?”

His brow creased. “Since
I met you, I tried to keep my distance and only be your friend, but
I’m a man, not a saint.” He exhaled. “Things were
getting heated in the barn and if they developed any further…
I was trying to be romantic, dammit.”

Warmth rippled through
her. Even though she’d mistaken his words in the barn, he’d
been trying to be thoughtful. Smiling, she kissed him softly on the
lips.

“
Was it a
miscommunication?” He searched her face.

“
Yes,” she
whispered, wondering if she was having one of her nighttime
fantasies.

“
Good.” He
slanted his mouth over hers, kissing her for long, delicious seconds,
then buried his face in her neck.

“
You don’t
know what you do to me,” he murmured thickly, stepping back
from her with a visible effort. “Maybe tonight isn’t the
best night to do anything except eat dinner.” He looked down
ruefully at the dust and dirt coating his clothes. “How about
we go to the new steakhouse tomorrow night?”

“
I’d like
that.” She smiled up at him. If she read him correctly,
tomorrow night would be
the
night.

Butterflies danced in her
stomach when Cade took her hand as they walked the short distance to
the house. She only wished she looked and smelled cute and clean
instead of dirty and dusty.

Turning to him in the
hallway she suggested, “Why don’t we get cleaned up a bit
first before I make dinner? There’s a shower in the guest
bathroom you can use.”

His eyes crinkled. “Good
idea.”

Emma pointed him in the
direction of the bathroom, and headed to the main bathroom. A quick,
warm bath was exactly what she needed right now. Shutting the door,
she checked that her terry-cloth robe hung on the back of the door.
She would have to walk down the hall a short way to pull on some
clean clothes after her bath, and if she ran into Cade…

She shivered, imagining
meeting Cade in the hallway with only a towel wrapped around her
body. “Tomorrow night,” she whispered to herself
longingly, then turned on the taps.

While Emma waited for the
bath to fill, she checked her hair in the mirror. Brushing it out,
she snagged a clip from the drawer and piled the shoulder-length
locks on top of her head. It would take too long to wash her hair,
and besides, she had promised Cade dinner. Mentally running through
the proceeds of her refrigerator and pantry, she remembered she had a
pack of fresh gourmet beef ravioli and some spaghetti sauce.
Perfect.

She stepped into the
bath, sinking below the rose scented bubbles she’d added a few
minutes ago. Mmm. Bliss. Emma closed her eyes, relishing the warm
water and bubbles against her skin. After a couple of minutes, she
picked up the washcloth from the side of the bath. Mustn’t
take too long. Cade would probably be finished his shower soon.

Emma had just finished
with the washcloth and trying to persuade herself it was time to get
out of the tub when a brief knock sounded on the door. A
split-second later, a squeak alerted her to the door opening. Her
eyes flew to the bathroom door. “I’m still in the tub,
Cade,” she called, heat rising in her cheeks, matching the
temperature of the water.

The door continued to
swing open. Cade stepped into the room, clean, damp and magnificent
in a white towel wrapped around his waist. Emma stared at his
tanned, powerfully muscled bare chest, realizing it was the first
time she had seen him without a shirt.

“
What are you…”
her voice trailed off when she noticed he eyed her just as hungrily.

He cleared his throat.
“I was going to ask where the washing machine was. I thought I
could wash and dry my clothes while we had dinner.”

“
Of course.”
Why hadn’t she thought of that? Because she’d been too
busy thinking about tomorrow night. “The laundry is at the
back, behind the kitchen.” She tried to think if there was
anything Cade could wear to dinner besides a towel, when he moved
towards the bath.

“
Need any help?”
he asked huskily.

She licked her suddenly
parched lips. “I was about to get out.”

His eyes followed the
movement of her tongue. “Not just yet.” He knelt down
beside the tub, his hand reaching out and tracing the bubbles along
her shoulder. Her heartbeat accelerated. She stared into his eyes,
mesmerized, waiting for his next move.

“
You are so sexy.”
He cupped the nape of her neck and drew her closer. His lips
brushed hers, teasing each corner of her mouth. “And so
sweet.” He sipped at her lips, his tongue gliding into her
mouth. Emma clutched the side of the tub for support. When he
kissed her like that, she couldn’t think.

He eventually released
her lips, his hand dipping below the bubbles, grazing her breast.

“
What about
tomorrow night?” Somehow she managed to get the words out, her
voice a mere thread of sound.

“
I can’t wait
that long. You’ve been driving me crazy for the last eight
weeks.” Longing and desire etched his face. “And since
I kissed you the other day, it’s been even worse. I need you,
Emma.”

Excitement raced through
her at his words.
She
had that effect on Cade? She’d
practically convinced herself that her feelings were one-sided…until
today.

His hand cupped her
breast, his thumb teasing the pointed nipple below the bubbles. Her
pulse began to beat erratically, shivers of pleasure coursing through
her. Then his hand delved lower, trailing down her waist and hips,
until he reached her thigh. She squirmed. “Cade…”

“
Let me show you
how good it will be, sweetheart.” The sexual tension simmered
in the air.

After a second she
nodded, unable to refuse. Wondering if he could see any part of her
body beneath the bubbles, and hoping he wouldn’t be
disappointed, she allowed his hand to skim along her thigh, trailing
higher until he reached the juncture of her thighs.

“
Cade,” she
gasped, when he touched her silken folds, the sensation of his
fingers and warm water causing her lower body to quiver with
anticipation - and need.

He kissed her, his tongue
stroking hers in the same way his fingers stroked her secret nub.
She trembled, desire scorching her nerve-endings, her stomach
tightening as intense pleasure gathered there, spiraling through her
body until Cade’s touch was all she was aware of.

Raw pleasure surged
through her. She tore her mouth from Cade’s, gasping for air,
her whole body shuddering with the force of her climax.

Sinking back against the
tub, she looked dazedly at Cade. “That was…”

“
Just the start.”
He cupped her chin, his finger caressing her cheek. “Make
love with me, Emma.”

Although she yearned for
his touch once more, she hesitated. He’d just given her the
most incredible orgasm of her life but what if Cade didn’t like
what he saw when she stepped out of the tub?

Right now she was covered
in bubbles. He’d only seen her in jeans and a t-shirt before.
Would he still be attracted to her when he saw her nude for the first
time?

She guessed there was
only one way to find out…

Placing her hand in his,
Emma slowly rose from the bubbles. Biting her lip, she stepped out
of the tub, her eyes searching his face as he took in her wet, naked
form.

“
You are a
goddess,” he said hoarsely, taking in her generous breasts, the
slight indentation of her waist, and her flared hips. Her nipples
puckered under his heated gaze.

Cade reached for a
fluffy white towel and started to dry her, his eyes never leaving her
figure. Her desire for him flared as he stroked the towel over every
contour and clinging, popping bubble, as if she was the most
desirable woman in the world.

When he reached the
valley between her thighs, his strokes grew even slower. “Cade,”
she whispered, her delicate folds becoming damp once more.

“
You have no idea
how much I want you,” he rasped, his fingers replacing the
towel. He caressed her intimately, his fingers gliding to and fro
along her silken folds and secret nub, until she clutched his
shoulders for support.

She hitched a breath,
certain she was going to climax again in a few seconds if he didn’t
stop.

As though he read her
thoughts, his hand trailed upward, grazing her waist before swinging
her into his arms. He released the clip from her hair. “Soon,
sweetheart,” he vowed, holding her as if he was never going to
let her go.

Emma clung to him as he
strode out of the bathroom, arousal sparking and lighting a fire
within her.

“
Which bedroom?”
he asked huskily
.

She pointed to the second
door on the left. “That’s mine.”

Cade entered the pale
blue and cream bedroom, gently placing her on the full size bed
before loosening the towel around his waist.

Emma’s eyes widened
as she caught her first glimpse of his gloriously nude body - broad
shoulders, well-muscled chest, slim hips, and a large, erect shaft.

He joined her on the bed,
covering her body with his. She felt his manhood against her soft
flesh and took a shallow breath.

“
Have you got--”

Awareness lit his eyes as
he studied her face. His mouth claimed hers, and she wrapped her
arms around his muscular back, almost forgetting her question.