Fox, Morgan - Discovering Temptation [Texas Stallions 1] (Siren Publishing Allure) (14 page)

He studied her daily. When she didn’t think anyone was looking, he was. He couldn’t help himself. She captivated him.

No, he wasn’t a weird stalker type, but he was a man who truly admired her for the strong, independent woman she was. Watching her learn to manage her ranch and overcome each new challenge was damn hot. Shit, he respected her alone for attempting to start over with a new life. Adding a psychopath to the equation made things entirely more interesting—stressful, and a little frightening perhaps, but was still intriguing.

Abby had an inner strength and beauty he’d never seen in another person. Even when she had the distraction of his brothers on her mind, she made time for him. Lying to himself about her feelings for Tyler and Cooper would be silly. He knew better. He’d sat back and watched long enough to pick up on the subtle hints of attraction. Not to mention accidently stumbling upon her and Cooper as they kissed in the kitchen and again, as luck would have it, he’d caught sight of her and Tyler in the spring. Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Grinding his teeth together, Hunter knew he didn’t have a leg to stand on. He couldn’t offer her what his brothers could. He was simply able to offer her his heart, and if that wasn’t enough, well then, he guessed he had nothing at all she’d want. With competition like his brothers, he was totally screwed.

Rounding the rear of the barn, he spotted Jared. He was inspecting something along the back wall, near the rear entrance into the rustic barn.

“What’s up, Jared,” he asked, hopping down from his horse to inspect the same location.

Jared shook his head. “Oh, it’s probably nothing, and with all that happened around here, I might be looking for things that aren’t really there.”

Hunter narrowed his eyes and looked down at the ground. He saw a few heavy boot prints that hugged along the side of the barn and led straight to the side entrance where the private horses were kept.

The prints left traction marks like combat tread, not the smooth surface of a cowboy boot. Hunter walked along the path, scrutinizing every detail, following that tread right to the location of where Abby’s horse was kept.

Instantly, his gut twisted, and he glanced up in a flash to see how far Abby had gotten. She was almost to the house. He could see her in the near distance.

Hunter’s voice was tight with tension. “Jared? Did you saddle up Abby’s horse this afternoon?”

With a stiff lip, Jared shook his head. “No, I assumed you did.”

Quickly, Hunter ran for his horse, charging after Abby as fast as he could. Whoever had been in that barn may have done something to her horse or, worse yet, her saddle. A fall from a bucking horse could kill her. While in the rodeo, he’d seen fierce men trampled to death by their horses. He’d even seen a man’s neck bend at an angle it never should’ve. His heart raced, and his mind splintered with dread.

As he approached her, he witnessed her horse beginning to buck and sidestep. Pressing harder into his own horse, he pushed the massive animal as much as he could to run faster. He had to reach her before she was thrown. Over and over again in his mind, he watched her toppling from the horse, landing in a heap, unmoving.

No, he wouldn’t let that happen. Not to his Abby. His Abby. He liked the sound of that.

The fates had been on his side. Just as he reached her, her horse flailed up, sending Abby off balance, but Hunter was there to catch her. With one arm, he pulled her over the top of his saddle and moved clear of her bucking horse. Stopping several feet away, he let her down gently and quickly dismounted.

Wide-eyed, she breathed hard, panting and clutching her chest as she stared after her horse. The saddle was no longer upright on its back but hung to the side, preparing to fall away.

Hunter pulled her into his arms. “Abby, it’s okay. I’ve got you.”

She trembled. “What happened?” A nervous shudder made her voice sound frail.

Pressing a kiss to the top of her head, he explained, “My guess is that our mystery jackass sabotaged your saddle. I’ll check it out myself, but Jared and I found boot prints that lead straight to your horse’s stall.”

She gazed up at him, her eyes glistening with unspent tears. “You saved me from falling, Hunter,” she said in wonder and then pushed up on her toes to press a grateful kiss to his lips. “Thank you.”

Brushing back her tousled hair with his fingers, he held her face sweetly in his hands. His heart had never felt so used, racing from fear, adrenaline, and now pure, passionate need. “I never want to see you hurt, Abby. You’ve come to mean too much to me.”

Without thinking, he claimed her lips, kissing her the way he’d wanted to. Without reservation, she accepted it when he took her mouth, and allowed him to slide his tongue deep, fighting against hers. She tasted of sweet honey and sugar. He didn’t care who saw him kiss her. He wasn’t about to let another moment pass where he didn’t show her how much he cared for her. The thought of losing her tore a hole through his heart.

His cock grew hard the moment she writhed in his arms. Her nipples abraded his skin right through his shirt as he held her tightly against him. Groaning, he pressed his erection over her pelvis, arching his hips as he deepened the kiss.

What he wouldn’t give to be buried deep inside her, feeling her body envelop him. He’d longed to experience a night of passion with her, to show her just what a man like him could do if given the chance. He’d make her come so hard and good she’d never think twice about wanting to leave him.

Suddenly, her hands shoved firmly against his chest, breaking the kiss. Breathless, he met her wide-eyed stare. He could see the redness flooding her cheeks and knew instantly that she was shocked by her response to him. Shit, he was excited as hell that she’d kissed him back and moaned as he ground his hips against her. He guaranteed if they had been alone and near a bed, he would have been fucking her in no time.

The way they reacted to one another felt right, but the questioning glare in her eyes told him that she’d had too much time to consider all the reasons why they shouldn’t be together instead of all the reasons why they should.

Stepping back, she muttered, “I gotta go.” Then she turned and rushed into the house.

Staring after her, he wanted to kick his own ass. Damn it, what had he done wrong to make her run away like a scared child? Had he been insensitive to kiss her? Was she too traumatized by her near fall? Shit, he didn’t know. Women were too complicated, and he didn’t have experience with females who made his body crave as it did. He felt lost and frustrated.

Prior to the alarming look in her eyes and the tension in her body, he’d felt her respond to him, sharing in the pleasure of their kiss. Then something snapped, and everything changed. He didn’t know what, but he was sure going to find out. He promised that it wouldn’t be the last time he kissed those sumptuous lips and felt her soft body pressed up against his.

* * * *

With her head cradled in her hands, Abby cried, “Why is this happening to me?”

She slid her body down to the floor at the foot of her bed, and pulled her feet up in front of her. The aching pain in her head felt like a knife slicing into her temple. Her life was in danger, and she was on the verge of a mental breakdown. All she could truly think about was the fact that in a month’s time she’d managed to kiss three different men, two in the same day, and to add icing to the cake, she’d had sex with one of them.

What was she doing? Why was her life spiraling out of control, and why was some deranged man trying to kill her? What had she done to provoke such aggression? Just when she relaxed enough to feel safe, she’d gone and turned herself into a wanton, leaving all hope of keeping her head free from chaos?

She lacked self-control where the Boyd brothers were concerned. The worst part of it was that she enjoyed each encounter and secretly desired more. This wanton behavior was so unlike her.

Until now, sex hadn’t been that great in her past, and it wasn’t something she desired. She assumed her life would be laced with men like Jackson Cole, horrible men who merely used her for their own reward. Perhaps that was why this lunatic was focusing on her. It was her natural ability to attract psychopaths.

Unable to ignore it, her heart did a funny little thing when she kissed the brothers. Feelings she hadn’t experienced before surfaced. The powerful connection she had with all three surprised and frightened her, all at the same time. They made her feel cherished and desired, as if they truly cared for her.

She was desperate to believe that, wanted to so badly she could taste it, but once again the fear of rejection and defeat settled over her, rocking her straight to the fiber of her being. How could she expect three men she’d just met to want to be with her, when her own father hadn’t fought for her? Tears stung her eyes.

Glancing to the bench that rested below her bedroom window, she saw the box of letters that Sophia had given her from her father. Her hands itched to feel the parchment beneath her fingertips, smell the worn paper, and witness the faded ink of time lost. She wasn’t ready to read what her father had written to her all those years ago, but she knew if she was ever going to learn about Duke Blake, she didn’t really have a choice. He’d left her those letters for a reason, and maybe he’d had foresight enough to help her figure out the course of her life. If there was a time she really needed his guidance, it was now.

Her door suddenly flew open, starling a scream from her. Tyler stood, his broad shoulders filling the doorframe. His eyes hurriedly scanned the room for her and when he spotted her sitting on the floor, he rushed over, grabbed her by her arms, and hauled her up off the ground. His powerful arms surrounded her, pulling her snugly against his hard, muscled body. A long moment passed before he cupped her face with his hands, making her meet his panic-stricken gaze.

“Abby, what happened? Were you hurt?” He studied her, glancing over her body, his fingers skimming gently along the skin of her face.

She shook her head, swallowing hard. “No, Tyler, I’m not hurt. Just a little freaked out.”

“Abby, I saw your horse buck up, and then you disappeared. I’d thought you’d been thrown.” He touched his forehead to hers. His ragged breath brushed over her face. “I’d be lost if something happened to you.”

She shuddered at the thought. Why would he be lost without her? How had he come to care for her as much as he seemed to? Everything was happening so fast around her, she could hardly breathe.

Glancing over her face, he met her gaze and the passion combined with his sincerity had her pulse pounding through her veins. Slowly he took her by the hand, closed the door to her bedroom, and led her straight into her bathroom, again closing the door behind them.

She didn’t say a word when he turned on the shower. Licking her dry lips, she wondered if he would leave her to clean up, but her question was quickly answered when he faced her and slowly began unbuttoning her blouse. With great attention, he slid the material over her shoulders and down her arms, reaching behind her to unhook her bra. She shivered as his fingers gently brushed over the skin of her arms, pulling the garment free of her body, exposing her breast to him.

Her breath caught in her throat, watching his eyes widen as he stared adoringly at her. She gasped as he reached up with both hands and began exploring and caressing her breasts, much slower than he had done in the spring. He was taking such care with her now, almost as if he feared she would break if he squeezed too hard.

The mounds felt heavier and more sensitive as he held them, massaging them. She sucked in a breath as his thumb circled over the hardened tip, but it was nothing like the feel of his warm, wet mouth as it clamped down on the peak, suckling her, teasing her with passion-filled licks.

“Oh,” she moaned.

Her fingers threaded through his hair as her head and eyes rolled back. She held him against her. All the while, his mouth wickedly pleasured her flesh.

“My God, Abby,” he said, groaning against her skin. “You are so incredibly beautiful.”

He nuzzled her breast, shifting to lick and suck her other nipple. His hands moved to the waist of her jeans, unbuttoning them, and slowly shoved the material, along with her panties, to the floor.