Night Ride

Night Ride by Desiree Holt

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental. Night Ride COPYRIGHT © 2008 by Judith Rochelle All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. Contact Information: [email protected] Cover Art by Rae Monet The Wild Rose Press PO Box 706 Adams Basin, NY 14410-0706 Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com Publishing History First Scarlet Edition, 2008 Published in the United States of America

Dedication To my family, especially my husband, who puts up with a great deal so I can realize my dream and who gives me the inspiration and encouragement to write.

Reviews Give It To Me 4 1/2 stars from RT Book Review - Looking for a quick read you can dive right into? Do yourself a favor and print out this novella. Holt delivers with delicious love scenes, a believable story and characters you care about. A perfect combination of sexuality, experimentation, and romance, it’s over way too soon. Made in Mexico A hot romp in the Quintana Roo jungle. Part of the Destination Pleasure series.

Night Ride Lily Ryan sat on the edge of the chair in her living room, watching the second hand on her watch move in measured beats. In her hands she held a note and a flower. Almost time. Just another few moments and she’d finally meet her mystery man. The nameless stranger whose calling card was a lily. One perfect flower delivered to her every day for the past month at her office at Hellfire Ranch. No card. No name. Just the flower. She hadn’t even had a date in two years, for God’s sake. Not since she fled Austin, still raw from the collapse of her last relationship. The ad for the job at Hellfire Ranch seemed like a gift from Fate, so she’d hauled herself to the tiny Central Texas town of Courtland, named for Hellfire’s founders. Courtland and the ranch seemed the ideal place to pull herself back together. Focus completely on her job. But then one day the lilies began to show up. The first appeared a month ago, lying on her chair in the office when she returned from lunch. Every work day since then there’d been another one. Sometimes after lunch. Sometimes waiting for her in the morning. Just a single lily, petals like white velvet rising from the long, jade green stem. Its perfect beauty was a counterpoint to the desk littered with cutting horse magazines and feed reports. Each time the flower arrived, her heart stuttered and a knot of anticipation lodged in her throat. Maybe this would be the day he’d speak, make his feelings known. But he never said a word, nor gave any indication that the gifts were from him. He was a hard cowboy, not given to romantic gestures or softness of any kind, so it made the possibility that he’d made these gestures that much more special. Now, today, finally there’d been a note, printed on stiff paper, propped up against the stem of the flower. 1

Desiree Holt Come join me on the ride of your life, if you dare. I’ll give you a night you’ll never forget. A car will call for you at nine o’clock. If you accept this invitation, please take the package the driver will have with him and follow the instructions inside. That was it. Nothing else. And the lily. Her special flower. She’d been in a tizzy of indecision all day, deciding whether to accept the invitation. Was the invitation from him? Was he finally making a move? God knows she’d wished for it long enough, for a sign from this cowboy who made her heart do somersaults but hid behind an invisible wall. She looked at her watch again, then shifted her gaze to read the note for perhaps the hundredth time, lifting the flower to inhale the delicate fragrance. She knew there was a possibility she could be putting herself in the hands of a complete stranger. That frightened her a little. The unknown could be very dangerous. Only the desperate hope that Ridge Courtland, the man who unknowingly held her heart, was her mysterious lover prompted her to accept this invitation. Besides, she’d already come to one decision. When she got wherever she was going, if it wasn’t him, she’d simply go to Plan B. Get the hell out of there by whatever means she could. So she sat in her living room, in an agony of anticipation, driving herself crazy playing What If and waiting for whatever would come. At exactly nine o’clock the doorbell rang. When Lily opened the door she almost closed it again. A very pleasant but nondescript man in dark jacket and cowboy hat stood on her porch. No one she’d ever seen before. In his hands, he held a large rectangular box. For a moment she was filled with disappointment. Not at all the man she’d been hoping to see. Not the lover she longed for. But then he spoke, and she realized he was merely the driver. “Miss Ryan?” She nodded. “I’m Lily Ryan.” He handed her the box. “From your date for the 2

Night Ride evening. I’ve been instructed to wait for you.” Then he turned and headed back to the car. All right, then. A folded note was taped to the top of the box. Lily, You have haunted my dreams for a very long time. Working, riding a horse, doing your errands in town—all the different parts of Lily invade my thoughts day and night. Thank you for accepting my invitation tonight. You won’t be sorry. I promise. Please follow the instructions and don’t be afraid. I would never, ever hurt you. She opened the box with hands that trembled slightly. Another note lay on top of the tissue paper. Please put on this dress and the earrings. No underwear. And wear your boots. Do not be frightened when the driver blindfolds you. I repeat: I promise no harm will come to you. You can trust me. Hurry. You don’t want to be late for the ride of your life. Hurry? No underwear? And a blindfold? For a moment she was tempted to send the driver on his way. But she so wanted it to be him. She trusted him. For him she’d take the chance. Then her sensible brain warned, What if it’s not him? If she was wrong in her assumption, she’d follow Plan B. She’d thank him for his invitation, tell him she’d been expecting someone else and insist he have the driver return her home. Evening over. Heart hammering with anticipation, hands not quite steady, she lifted the items from the box and began to change. Fifteen minutes later, dressed in her boots, a short silky dress that barely touched the tops of her thighs and gold earrings in the shape of lilies, she stepped out into the night. A light breeze lifted the hem of the dress and brushed across her sex like the fingers of a lover. A tiny thrill skittered through her. The driver was waiting at the rear passenger door, a folded square of silk in his hands. He was gentle as he covered her eyes with it and secured it at the back of her head then helped her into the car. Nervously, she leaned back in the seat. The fabric beneath her hands was soft and had the rich scent of polished leather. The quiet purr of the engine and the 3

Desiree Holt smoothness of the ride bespoke an expensive car. Much different than the ranch pickups she often rode in or her own battered SUV. She touched the earrings swaying with the motion of the car. Lilies! A gift that required some thought and hinted at romance. A gift that was intimately personal. Surely significant. She pressed them between her fingertips for reassurance. “Can you tell me where we’re going?” she asked the driver. “Sorry,” he answered. “Well, what about the man waiting for me? I’d like to know about him. At least his name.” “All in good time.” His voice sounded as if he were smiling. And that was all he’d say. Lily tried to distract herself through the rest of the drive by wondering yet again about her unknown admirer. Courtland, Texas didn’t have many possibilities to choose from. The ranch hands, seeing the flowers, teased her about a secret admirer. Yeah, right. Not much chance of that. Some of them worried that she had a stalker, but the town was so open and friendly it hardly seemed a possibility. Lily was sure it had to be someone at Hellfire, no matter how often everyone pretended ignorance. A stranger would be far too obvious and have no excuse for wandering around, especially in the ranch office. But was it the right one? And if it wasn’t him, then who? Sitting in the darkness created by the blindfold, relaxed against the rich leather upholstery, she let her mind wander through the alternate possibilities. She was sure, especially with tonight’s elaborate preparations, that it had to be one of the three Courtland brothers who owned Hellfire and for whose family the town was named. Drake, the middle brother, was always friendly. Gorgeous but given to treating Lily like another one of the hands. And he wasn’t around all that much. He was often gone to rodeos, showing the ranch’s prize-winning cutting horses in competition. Their only conversations dealt with 4

Night Ride rodeo schedules and training results. Not a good candidate for a stable relationship. Micah Welles, the foreman, told her Drake had been married a long time ago and it ended in disaster. No details, just a warning not to mention it. Gabe, the youngest and most flamboyant of the three and an outrageous flirt, was a possibility, but while he might tease her, he was all business when it came to the cutting horses they bred and trained. He and Lily had never had any kind of discussion on a personal level. And of course there was always Micah himself, the Marlboro Man come to life. But he was a hell raiser with more women than he could count, and he’d never shown anything more than a business interest in her. Besides, if Micah really wanted to ask her out, she didn’t think he’d be shy about doing so. She discarded the ranch hands without a second thought. They were all great guys, but she was sure of two things. One, she couldn’t see any of them planning such an elaborate, sensuous evening. And two, they’d simply barge into her office and say, “Hey, Lily, how about a beer and some barbecue Saturday night?” More than anything she wanted it to be Ridge, the eldest, the senior partner of the vast Hellfire cutting horse empire. The business head. The one Lily interacted with the most. Remote, cooler than his slate grey eyes. Always polite, always professional with her. Not even a teasing remark. When he hired her he’d been very clear on one thing—he was bringing her on board to run the business office, not as a potential date. First she’d wanted to tell him, well, fuck you. I left Austin to get away from one bad relationship; I’m not looking for another. Then she’d worked damn hard to make sure she gave no signals that could be misinterpreted. Only it didn’t turn out to be quite that easy. Hearts didn’t always follow rules and regulations. Day after day, she struggled to hide her growing feelings. She’d become quite good at the discipline, putting up a wall to match his own. However, as the weeks and months passed, and despite her best efforts to avoid it, little pieces of her heart kept breaking off and landing on his desk, and she 5

Desiree Holt was forever trying to gather them back. Please let it be Ridge. Please let him be the one. Please let it be the man who was the phantom of her dreams. Her brain was still in chaos when the car turned off the highway and bumped along an uneven surface until they came to a stop. The door opened, and a warm, male hand reached out to her. The instant his fingers made contact with her flesh, a wave of desire rolled through her body with such force she thought she would drown in it. She gritted her teeth and stiffened her body, fighting for control. “Don’t be afraid,” came the masculine whisper, mistaking her reaction for fear. Ridge! Was that his voice? His drawl? She wanted so badly for it to be him, she almost blurted out his name. He scooped her up in strong arms and carried her up a few steps onto what sounded like a wooden porch. Then a door creaked open and they were in a warm room, filled with the fragrance of mountain cedar and the snapping crackle of logs burning. “Don’t worry,” he whispered again. “I won’t hurt you.” Mingled with the aroma of outdoors that permeated the room was a scent she thought she recognized. Yes! She knew she’d smelled it before. She pressed her face against him, trying to inhale his essence, but whatever it was proved too elusive to identify, as if the wearer had tried to disguise it. Was she getting everyone else’s scent mixed up in her brain? He stood her on her feet, and she realized whoever he was, he was tall. From her point of contact at his chest, she judged him to be well over six feet. Her hands slid upward over broad shoulders, then down over lean hips and hard muscles, trying to determine by touch if she could identify him. She was conscious of great strength in his body, of solidness like granite. A feeling of security arced from his body to hers. She didn’t know how, but if she knew nothing else, she knew instinctively what he said was true. This man would do her no harm. He buried his face in her hair, inhaling her. “You smell like a summer garden. Lilies of the Valley, right?” 6

Night Ride It shocked her that he would have made the effort to learn her fragrance. It must be Ridge. Who else spent so much time in close proximity to her to notice the scent she wore? Right? “Who are you?” she asked at last. “The man who sent you the lilies, of course.” His voice was so soft she had to strain to hear him. Did she recognize the timbre of it? Did it have just that little extra hint of drawl? At that pitch it was so hard to tell. “Why do you whisper?” “No more questions.” Her ears detected country music playing at low volume somewhere in the background, a familiar plaintive song about unreachable love. She’d heard that song playing in someone’s truck when they’d given her a ride recently. But whose? She tried to get her brain to focus, but thinking was almost impossible. Her skin was warmed by the heat of the fire and of the man so close to her. When he ran his fingers lightly over the thin material of the dress, she shivered. Her nipples hardened the minute he touched her, and as he caressed them through the thin fabric, an ache grew in her breasts. She had to make her position plain though, before this went any further. Before she was so swept up into it that she lost the power to make decisions. “I want you to tell me who you are,” she demanded. “I’m not the kind of person who goes off with strangers. If you know me, you know that about me. Unless you tell me your name, I’d like to go home.” “Stay.” It was a plea more than a command. She shook her head. “I don’t think I can do that. Not if I don’t know who you are. You blindfolded me, giving you all the advantage. If you don’t tell me your name, I have to leave.” “Why?” The whisper was thicker now. Hoarse. Perhaps even a little desperate. She bit her lip. Should she tell him? “I-I’m not…I can’t…” She drew in a deep breath and let it out. “I have feelings for someone. Very strong feelings.” “This man.” The voice was barely audible. “Does he know how you feel?” 7

Desiree Holt “I don’t know. But that doesn’t matter. My heart still belongs to him.” “And that would stop you from spending the night with me?” “Yes.” She swallowed. Hard. “He may not want me, but that doesn’t mean I can just give myself to a stranger.” There was a very long silence while he continued to stroke her with the lightest of caresses. At last he spoke again, the whisper even lower. “How do you know I’m not the one?” Her heart stuttered, and her mouth was suddenly dry. “Are you? Are you him?” “If you leave, you’ll never know.” Oh, God, what should she do? Ridge had made it plain from the beginning he wasn’t looking for a relationship. But what if he’d changed his mind and this was the only way he knew to let her know? The secrecy allowed him to have this evening with her, to test her feelings for him, without putting him in a position to be rejected. What if this was her only opportunity to show Ridge how she felt about him? Could she throw away something she wanted so badly? Just turn and walk away from it? The conflict of emotions made her tremble as she tried to get her brain to function. For a moment she wanted to pull back and yank the blindfold off, but something prevented her from doing it. Maybe the intonation in the way he said her name. Or that elusive scent of cologne that tickled the back of her brain. Or the country music song she kept trying so desperately to place. Or maybe it was the way his touch drew such an instant response from her body. “Please stay.” His voice was merely a breath on the air. “I want to make love to you. To eat every inch of your body like it’s an exotic treat. To do things with you and to you that I don’t want with any other woman. And I want you to trust me. I want you to give yourself to me because you believe I would never hurt you.” Her heart turned over at his words and in that instant she made her decision. She was willing to take the chance that this was Ridge. That this meant he truly 8

Night Ride wanted her. Her pulse rate picked up as anticipation suddenly raced through her system. “A-all right. I’ll stay.” She wet her lips. “I’ll give you the trust you ask for. And believe you when you say you mean me no harm.” “Good,” he said in that barely audible voice. “You won’t be sorry.” His hand moved over her hips, across her abdomen, then crept beneath the thin material of the dress to touch her cunt. One long finger traced her slit and teased at the entrance to her wet sheath. She was embarrassed to realize she was already seeping juices, cream that trickled onto her thighs and coated his fingers. “I knew you’d be responsive. I’ve dreamed about touching you, about sliding my fingers inside your pussy, about fucking you in more ways than you can imagine.” She began to tremble, as much from his touch as from his words. A thousand erotic images raced across the canvas of her mind, images of her and Ridge, nude, exploring a world of sensuality. His warm fingers slipped from her slick sheath, and strong hands pulled her against him. She clutched at his biceps, feeling the corded muscles bunch and flex beneath her fingers. His swollen cock pressed against her through the denim fabric restraining it, and he gave a soft groan. When his mouth touched hers, the kiss was beyond her expectations, heady like fine, aged cognac that reeled the senses. He sipped from her as if he were drinking a rare nectar. His lips were warm and firm, his tongue a live wire probing the seam of her mouth and pressing its way inside. One hand captured her head, slanting it to accommodate him as he nipped her lips, tasted her, drew out her tongue to duel with his. They were both breathless when at last he lifted his head. He held her tight against him, his arms hard and strong. “I have to see you,” he whispered as he bunched the soft material of her dress and pulled it upwards. “All of you.” As if he’d commanded it, she raised her arms. He pulled the insubstantial garment over her head and cast it aside. She shivered, but not from a chill. Every pore in 9

Desiree Holt her skin felt alive and burning as the abrupt intensity of her own desire slammed into her. His touch made her skin dance with pleasure. She’d been far from prepared for this unbelievable explosion of sexual energy that radiated between them. No man had ever made her feel this way. Ridge, Ridge. Is it you? Don’t you know I’m yours? Whatever you want? She tugged impatiently at his shirt, wanting to touch him, too. To feel his naked skin against hers. To explore him as he was doing to her. He wrapped his fingers around her wrists, halting her progress. “Wait,” he commanded in his whisper and lifted her hands to his shoulders. She clung to him as if her life depended on it, anticipation clawing at her. Large hands cupped her breasts, and his mouth took possession of her nipples, first one, then the other. Suckling, nipping, pulling with his lips. The diamondhard buds heated like flames at the end of a candle. When he gently bit them, the point between pain and pleasure blurred. Rolling one nipple between his thumb and forefinger, he stretched it to its full length. Suddenly a thin circle of metal locked around it. Nipple rings! Lily had seen pictures of them and read about them but never used them. None of the men she’d been with had that much imagination. The stranger pressed the metal dangling from the ring against the slope beneath her breast. “Lilies.” She couldn’t believe he would personalize them so, and her heart skipped a beat. Then he locked the other one in place and licked the swollen buds with a light sweep of his tongue. Lily felt as if she might swoon. When he suddenly stepped away from her, she felt disoriented, blind. Standing in open space, clad only in her boots and the nipple jewelry, she felt at once defenseless and aroused. Her body cried out for his hot, sweet touch. How long did he mean to leave her here like this? 10

Night Ride Straining her ears, she heard the rustle of fabric and the slide of a zipper. Then he was back, and when her hands reached out, they touched naked flesh at last. Heat washed over her. Crisp hair covered the hard wall of his chest and surrounded flat male nipples. He jerked when she grazed them with her fingertips, but otherwise made no move. Being blindfolded heightened everything for her, every sense. It made the exploration of his body a trip of sensory pleasure. Her hands moved eagerly over the tight muscles of his abdomen and lower to the enormous erection jutting from the curls at its root. Her audacity shocked her, but she was drawn to touch every inch of him. She thought she’d be upset not being able to see him, but this was even better. The feel of him beneath her hands sent tiny frissons through her, and the heat of his body rolled over her in waves. Just the tactile sensations trapped her breath in her lungs and made her pulse hitch. When she discovered a drop of liquid beaded on the broad head of his penis, she boldly swiped at it and lifted her finger to her mouth. A tiny sound of pleasure escaped her lips as she licked the sweet/salty taste. His breath hissed, and his cock jerked in the light grasp of her fingers. He grabbed her hand. “Not yet,” the whispery voice rasped, and his body shifted. In a moment, he took one of her hands and wrapped her fingers around a thin crystal stem. “Wine.” Was Ridge a wine drinker? She tried to remember if she’d ever heard him mention liking it or preferring a specific kind, but nothing came to her. He kept one hand over hers as he shifted again. Then she heard and felt the clink of glass against glass. “To night rides,” he rasped. The wine had a smooth, mellow taste to it. She sipped slowly, letting the liquid flow through her veins and take the edge off a sudden attack of anxiety. They drank in a silence broken only by the low notes of the music. Anticipation and trepidation warred within her. When her glass was empty, he gently pried it from her fingers, lifted her in his arms and laid her on soft layers of cloth. Her fingers moved over the surface of the 11

Desiree Holt material, testing it. A quilt. “Bed,” he told her, answering her unspoken question. Now is when I should feel terror, fright, something. But I only feel a strange combination of safety and excitement. This is no stranger. This is a man who cares for me. Desires me. I feel it. When he touched her, she could sense his hunger vibrating through his body, shards of invisible energy stabbing at her. Pliant, she lay there and let him move and arrange her. He circled both of her slender wrists with one large hand and held them over her head as his mouth claimed hers again. Scorching! That was the only descriptor for his kisses. His tongue stabbed at her, and she welcomed it, sucking it into her wet cavern. As it danced against the roof of her mouth, as his cock pressed against her naked body, her senses reeled and expanded. She knew with a sudden flash of insight, she would let this man do anything to her that he wished. Which she supposed was why she made no objection when he wound a silken cord around her wrists and tied them to the headboard. With her arms pulled taut over her head and her breasts jutted upward, her nipples pulsed and the lily charms swayed against her flesh. Her body hungered for the wet heat of his mouth. She expected him to lie down beside her, but instead, the mattress depressed as he knelt at the foot of the bed. Off came her boots, clunking loudly as he dropped them to the floor. He spread her legs wide and bent them at the knees. With slow deliberation, he kissed his way from one ankle up the inside of the thigh across to the other leg and down again, cleverly avoiding her hot, hungry cunt that ached for his touch. “Silk,” he whispered. “Like fine silk.” Each kiss was like an erotic bite, tormenting her with its promise. Her inner thighs quivered, and her mouth was so dry she couldn’t have formed a word if he demanded it. But inside her head she was screaming, I want you! When at last he closed his lips over the throbbing bud of her clitoris, her hips lifted off the bed, pushing 12

Night Ride against his mouth. His hands tightened on her thighs, holding her firmly in place, pressing her down into the mattress. “Stay still.” The whisper was alive with lust. “I can’t,” she cried. “You…set me on fire.” A tiny chuckle, barely a sound. I’ve heard that chuckle before. Rarely, but it’s hidden somewhere in the back of my mind. Oh, please, don’t let me be reading him wrong just because I want this so badly to be Ridge. He kissed the insides of her knees and licked them with the tip of his tongue. At last his fingers found her labia, spread them wide open and blew a stream of warm air into her wet golden flesh. Holding herself still became an exercise in discipline. She wanted him inside her so fiercely - any part of him - she was ready to beg. As if he’d heard her unspoken plea, he gently pinched her clit and stabbed his stiffened tongue deeply into her pulsating core. His mouth was like liquid fire, the heat radiating from her womb out to the tips of her fingers and toes. Little tremors rippled inside her, a signal that her orgasm was building. She knew he sensed it, too, when he pulled back, replacing his tongue with two fingers but not plunging as deeply inside her. With sensual expertise, he moved his fingers very slowly in and out of her fiery furnace of grasping, hungry muscles. He seemed determined not to give her the release she so badly wanted. She lay there for an unknown amount of time in the darkness of the blindfold, hands tied securely over her head, floating on a plane of intense pleasure. The humming of her body had somehow become more important than achieving the actual release. Her nipples throbbed in their rings, and her pussy vibrated as his fingers fucked her with a knowing rhythm. His strokes were just enough to keep her on the edge, but not enough to bring her to completion. The snap and crackle of the fireplace, the soft notes of the music, the musky, vaguely familiar scent of the man all surrounded her like a cloud, enhancing her state of bliss. The helplessness of her situation and the 13

Desiree Holt question of her lover’s identity only added to the heightened sensuality and stoked her escalating desire. He leaned over her, fingers still inside her, and traced her belly button with the tip of his tongue. By now everything he did to her, every touch of his hands or mouth, flooded her senses. Her blood heated in her veins, her clit and cunt ached for the feel of him, her nipples begged for his mouth. And other images—darker images—danced through her mind. “You are a treasure,” he whispered. “A treat I’ve hungered for even though I didn’t want to.” Lily’s heart hitched. Was he trying to tell her something? Give her a clue to his identity? Underneath it all, did he really want her to know who he was? “You make me…feel…so good,” she managed to get out. “Who does your heart belong to now?” he rasped. “One man.” She swallowed. “I hope that man is you.” He stilled, and for a moment she thought he was going to answer her. Then he began covering her body with kisses again, the promise of ecstasy in every brush of his lips. She tugged at her bonds in frustration, wanting to touch him, to clasp him to her. To hurry this inexorable torment bringing her to a fever pitch at far too slow a pace. The mattress raised briefly as he moved away from the bed, then dipped as it took his weight again. “I want to give you the ride of your life,” he whispered. “We begin with this.” His fingers opened the petal-soft lips of her womanhood as if he were peeling back tissue paper from a gift, and something solid and cool slid inside her. As soon as a low hum vibrated through her she realized what it was. A dildo. A long one, reaching clear to her womb and filling her wet channel. But not as much as he could. As the humming insinuated itself through her body, she realized something else. The vibrator was turned onto its lowest speed. It buzzed away inside her vagina, sending little bolts of stimulation to her womb, to her compressed nipples and to the tissues clutching the device so tightly. Enough to stimulate her, but not to give her 14

Night Ride relief or bring her any satisfaction. Just as much as necessary to take her to the edge and keep her there. Her mind was reeling as much as her senses. She craved the identity of her lover almost as much as she hungered after that oh so elusive orgasm. If only she could hear his voice. She’d waited so long to give herself to a man again, and she wanted that man to be Ridge. What if she was wrong and she’d willingly given herself to a total stranger? No, that wasn’t possible. Not really a stranger. He knew too much about her. And she’d been honest with him. Even though he still kept himself a mystery to her, with every physical response something was making her open her heart to him. Defiantly she forced back the tiny thread of uncertainty that threatened to disrupt her pleasure and gave herself over to the moment. When he knelt between her knees and placed his mouth on her clit again, every thought flew from her head. The crackle of the logs in the fireplace, the scent of cedar and the low music became a faint counterpoint to the tremors racing through her body. His thumbs found the creases between hip and thigh. He stroked in sensuous circles as his tongue did wicked, wonderful things to her clit and the vibrator sparked every nerve in her body. She hung again in a sustained, suspended state of extreme arousal. His hands moved slowly down the insides of her thighs and beneath her to cup the cheeks of her buttock. When his thumbs pressed in toward the tiny rosette of her anus, delicious tremors shot through her. No one had ever invaded that hot, dark tunnel. She visualized Ridge looming over her, imagined his hands on her, and the thought of him plundering her virgin ass made her shake with increased need. The desire to give herself to him in every way was overwhelming. If she was mistaken, how would she ever live with herself? When he shifted his hands, the vibrator stopped. Lily moaned at the lost of stimulation. “Please.” She wet her lips with the tip of her tongue. “More, please.” Please, Ridge, if this is you. Give me what I need. Silence answered her as he slid two fingers into her 15

Desiree Holt drenched pussy, her cream flooding his hand. With gentle fingertips he massaged that sensitive skin between her hot, tight depths and the tight ring of her anus. Then one finger, still slick with her juices, crept lower, until the pad of the fingertip pressed against the entrance to her rectum. His mouth brushed against the inside of one thigh and pressed light kisses against the soft skin. His thumb traced lazy circles over the peak of her swollen, hungry clit as his mouth moved hotly up one thigh and onto the other. Slowly, one tiny inch at a time, his finger pressed inside her dark channel, past the tight sphincter muscle. His kisses and strokes distracted her from the pressure enough so she hardly realized it when his finger breached the entrance and slid in past the first knuckle. “Tight,” he whispered. “And so hot. You’ll burn me alive.” Further and further inward he pressed, until she’d swallowed his entire finger. Then, without warning, he withdrew it completely and placed an open-mouthed kiss on her sex. When he moved over her and pressed his mouth to hers, she tasted herself on his lips, a heady nectar that aroused her even more. I feel the outline of his lips. I know it’s him. It has to be. I’ve seen his mouth so often. I’m right about him. Aren’t I? With one smooth movement, he released the cord from the headboard but kept her wrists bound together. “Wine.” His mouth was close to her ear, his breath tickling her. He maneuvered her as if she were a feather, lifting her onto his lap, her bottom resting on his hard-muscled thighs. Again she tried to visualize Ridge’s body as she saw it every day, his thighs outlined in the tight jeans he wore. Were those the ones her naked flesh now rested against? An image of him standing beside her desk, the worn denim clinging to his lean, muscular body, made the moistness between her legs increase and her inner muscles quake. He shifted as he reached for something, then held a glass to her lips as he’d done before. Was that a tiny scar 16

Night Ride her cheek felt on the flesh near his thumb? A scar like the one Ridge had gotten years ago? Or again, was it just wishful thinking on her part. She hoarded every tiny clue, every scrap of information, to analyze when she was once again back home. As she sipped the liquid, she felt his thick cock bumping against the cleft of her buttocks, a drop of liquid searing her skin. She wiggled against him, and he chuckled softly, his grip on her tightening. The velvet-smooth wine coursed through her veins again like liquid gold, soothing the rough edge of her arousal. All the stimulation had left her with a raging need to climax, yet her silent lover kept the peak just out of reach. He feathered kisses across her cheek, her neck and her shoulder while she drank the wine. One strong arm held her against him while his other hand teased at the highly sensitized nipples swelling from the rings circling them. Fluid seeped from her tissues around the vibrator he’d left inside her vaginal sheath and onto his thighs. “You are so wet,” he breathed. “I could drink from you forever.” His words caused more cream to gush from her like a waterfall. Taking the glass from her shaking fingers, he carried her down to the bed with him again and draped her across his strong body. With one swift, easy movement, he pulled her bound hands over his head so she was effectively anchored to him. Her nipples in their tight clamps pressed against the hardness of his chest. The rub of his fine matte of hair increased the sensitivity until she was sure she could come just from one more touch, one more stroke. Warm hands reached around to spread the cheeks of her ass, and his finger began its sensuous invasion of her rectum again. “When I fuck you here, I want you ready for me,” he whispered, his voice thick with desire. She shivered as a dark thrill skittered through her, and every muscle in her cunt and her ass clenched in response. Oh, my God. This feels so good. Please let it be Ridge 17

Desiree Holt who’s doing this. Then there was no more talking, not even in her head. Fingers separated her buttocks, and something cool and thick oozed up and down the cleft. Pinning her to him with one muscular arm, he reached down to turn on the vibrator again then ventured to the tender rosette he’d been teasing and began to spread the lube inside her. His mouth on hers was hot and welcoming, and his tongue a wild, demanding thing. The vibrator hummed away and one long, lean finger pressed slowly into her rectum until once again it was fully seated, taking the lubricant with it and massaging it into the tissues. Every part of her was in sensory overload. Lily felt the orgasm building again and begin to radiate through every muscle. Please don’t let him stop this time. His finger in her ass began to increase its tempo, every thrust pressing through the thin membrane against the buzzing dildo. His mouth held hers captive as much as the silken ropes on her wrists. The hand on her buttocks bore her down against the length of him, so she felt every bit of his throbbing penis against the soft flesh of her abdomen. The orgasm burst forth in a fiery, cataclysmic explosion, shaking her, fluid spilling from her body onto her thighs. Spasm after spasm raced through her body in glorious waves of splendor. She was weightless, throbbing in space, the tender flesh of her pussy clenching and unclenching over and over. His mouth still plundered hers, in voracious invitation. At last, when she was sure she would fly apart, it all subsided into faint aftershocks. And then she was still, her heart thudding against his chest, pulling the feel of him into her. She managed to tear her mouth from his enough to drag air into her deprived lungs. He used a soft damp cloth to clean them both. Then his soft lips kissed the fine hairs at her temple. The gentleness sent a flood of emotion coursing through her. They lay like that for some time while her body replenished itself. His hands moved over her, stroking 18

Night Ride and petting her. Calming her. And all the while she was conscious of that hot, unsatisfied erection throbbing against her skin. Giving her a quick kiss, he pulled her hands back over his head and sat her on the side of the bed. One hand reached between her legs to remove the vibrator, pausing long enough to tantalize her ultra-sensitive clit and feel the moisture still seeping from her sheath. She wet her lips with the tip of her tongue. “May…may I touch you?” A raspy chuckle. “Of course.” He moved her hands until they were wrapped around his cock. She heard his breathing shift as she began to slide both hands up and down. When she lowered them to brush against the soft hair of his sac, his body trembled. Using her hands to guide her, she lowered her mouth to take his shaft into it. Her tongue traced tiny circles over velvet skin covering steel hardness. His taste, that delicious combination of sweet and salty, invaded her senses. She sucked hard on him as her hands moved again to tease at his testicles. When she probed the slit of the head with the tip of her tongue, he threaded his fingers through her hair and pulled her mouth away. “Enough,” he whispered roughly. “Time to ride.” “What…? A ride? I don’t understand…” Had he really meant a ride? What kind? He pressed a fingertip to her lips to signal for quiet and pulled her to her feet. She stood there weak and disoriented, trying to find some inner balance while he buttoned what felt like a long wool shirt around her. He left an opening in front for her bound hands. Next, he slipped on her boots. Faint sounds told her he was putting on his own clothes. Then he swept her up in his arms. “Where are we going?” she asked, breathless. “What are you doing?” She leaned against his body, inhaling that faintly familiar scent again. Instead of answering, he kissed her again as he strode across the room, his tongue licking sensuously along the seam of her lips before plunging inside. She could tell by the bunching of his muscles when he opened the door and carried her outside. Several long strides and 19

Desiree Holt they stopped again. “Wait,” he cautioned, in that whispery voice. The night air was cool, and she shivered, even with the wool shirt around her. She caught the scent of horseflesh and heard stomping. Then a faint familiar whinny that was a constant daily sound at the ranch drifted to her ears. A horse? He’s taking me on a horse? But wouldn’t that be just like Ridge, to whom horses were his life? Wouldn’t he be just the one to choose something like this? God, she wished she weren’t so unstrung and could focus better. With swift, economic movements, her lover lifted her to the horse’s back, then swung up behind her. No saddle! Just a soft flannel blanket tossed over the horse. And he mounted so easily. A vision flashed across her brain of Ridge lifting himself fluidly into a saddle and urging his horse out of the yard. It has to be him. I have to be right. Oh, please. Let it be him. He placed her bound hands on the horse’s withers to give her balance. Then he reached around her beneath the woolen shirt and spread the lips of her cunt so her clit was touching the blanket. She thought every bit of moisture had been drained from her body, but more seeped from her at the contact and tiny quivers rippled through her. She heard the rasp of his zipper, and his strong hands bent her forward. With exquisite care, he slowly began to push his thick cock into her ass, her rectum still filled with the lubricant he’d used. Lily sucked in her breath and tried to relax against the pressure. A moan escaped her lips on a short puff of breath, turning quickly into a hum of pleasure. He paused every few seconds, giving her time to adjust to the fullness before sinking deeper. At last he was in all the way, his testicles brushing against the lips of her cunt. When he had her securely against his body, one arm binding her tightly to him, he clicked lightly to the horse. Slowly they moved forward, every step of the horse’s hooves rocking that swollen cock inside her and pushing her clit against the weave of the blanket. 20

Night Ride Her lover’s thighs moved to signal the horse to change gaits. The animal’s muscles bunched and flexed beneath her as he responded, and in a moment he broke into a trot. They were moving so freely Lily was sure they were out in open space. The horse accelerated the trot, and with every movement the animal made, the cock in her ass slide in and out. “You’re setting me on fire,” he whispered. “I may never be able to let you go.” A delicious shiver raced over her at his words. Her body, so recently satisfied, was quickly aroused again. As the horse picked up speed, so did the thrusting of the penis inside her. The heated flesh of the horse stimulating her clit sent spikes of heat racing through her blood. It was magical, this ride through the unending blackness. Out here, the rest of the world fell away. The night wind blew softly against their faces, an owl hooted in the distance and the clear notes of a nightbird’s song drifted on the air. The scent of freshly-cut pasture grass and horseflesh was sharp in her nostrils. The thundering of the hoof beats accented the thrust and roll of the man’s hips as he fucked her ass, riding her as they rode the horse. And the feel of him inside her was so sharp it pierced her all the way to her heart, filling her with joy. She was lost in it, every sense peaking, her body no longer her own, just an instrument tuned to the plunge and retreat within her dark tunnel. In and out. Back and forth. The horse’s cantering now in a steady gait. On and on into whatever darkness lay out there, that arm binding her securely, warm breath tickling her neck. The lily charms on the nipple rings brushed against the too tight skin of her breasts. Hot need clawed up through her body, the grip and release of muscles. As their rhythm became set, she learned to push back against him each time he drove forward so she captured every bit of his burgeoning cock. The stimulation of her clit drove her ever closer to the edge. She was almost there. Almost. Almost. Oh, God, please! 21

Desiree Holt “Now,” he whispered urgently, urging the horse to move faster as he drove into her one last time. She felt the lengthening strides of the horse beneath her, heard him snort in the night air. Her lover’s cock spasmed as he shot his hot stream into her, the thick shaft pulsating against her straining flesh. As he exploded, Lily climaxed, with hard, shuddering spasms that thrust her into the blackness, whirled her, spun her mind. Ohgodohgodohgod. Her entire body contracted and pulsed. Her pussy clenched and rippled again and again and again, until she thought she’d never stop. She reached one peak and tumbled over it only to be tossed to another, rocketing through the universe. The thick cock in her ass drove her on and on. When she thought surely her body would shatter, the climax slowed and subsided into aftershocks. She felt the slickness of the blanket beneath her where her juices flowed onto it and the perspiring skin of the horse beneath her hands. She gasped for breath, her heart hammering furiously against her ribs. Against her back, beneath the clothes that separated them, her lover’s heart beat just as hard. As the tension left his body at last, he lifted her just enough to pull out and settle her back onto the blanket. Then he leaned closer and put his mouth against her ear. “I love you.” The whisper was so faint she wasn’t even sure she heard him right. Her body jerked at the unexpected words. “W-What? What did you say?” But only silence answered her. He tugged gently on the reins and signaled the horse with hand and thighs to slow down. Then they were walking again, a slow and steady rhythm as all three—man, woman and horse struggled to return to normal. When they stopped, she assumed they were back where they’d started. The man behind her swung down from the horse, then lifted her to the ground and carried her into the cabin. She was glad for the strength of his arms because she wasn’t sure at that point she could 22

Night Ride stand on her own two feet, never mind walk. Inside the cabin, he sat her on the bed, unbuttoned the wool shirt and unbound her wrists. With exquisite care he removed the nipple rings and massaged the tips of her breasts, now stinging with the sudden rush of blood. His lips closed over each one, his tongue laving them, worshiping them, pressing them to the roof of his mouth. Soft cloth brushed her skin, cleaning the tender flesh of her ass and sex. Then the glide of silk as he slid her dress back over her body. He pressed a glass of wine into her hands and steadied her while she sipped at it. When she’d partially finished it, he took the goblet and she knew he was drinking the rest. Then a thunk as he knelt before her and his large hands cupped her face. “Thank you,” he breathed and kissed her so tenderly tears stung her eyes. Say it again. Tell me again you love me. If you are Ridge, don’t you know you hold my heart in your hands? He rose, and she heard the clink as he set the goblet down. “It’s time,” he told her. He lifted her and carried her outside, holding her against the heat of his chest. She hadn’t heard the car arrive, but the snick of the door opening carried in the night air. Her lover deposited her onto the back seat. He brushed his lips against hers one last time. “I love you,” he said against her mouth. Then he backed away and closed the door. Lily leaned back into the soft luxury of the seat, her body limp and sated, her brain whirling. She was stunned by what had happened. And by his words. The drugging sense of fulfillment and the river of emotion his words released were suddenly pricked by a sense of unease. In her heart, she was so certain her secret lover was Ridge, but what if she was wrong? What if she’d made the pieces fit just because she wanted them to so badly? She leaned back against the buttery soft leather, too exhausted to think any more. Tomorrow she would know the answer. It was payday. Every Hellfire employee, including the brothers and Micah, would be in her office 23

Desiree Holt early to pick up their checks. She’d watch everyone’s reactions carefully, especially Ridge’s. She didn’t know how she’d handle it if it turned out not to be him. She’d have to live with having given herself to a stranger in the most intimate fashion while professing her love for another man. She also had to face the fact this might be a one-time thing for him. Could she stay at her job if that was the case? Seeing him every day and knowing he was still forbidden territory? And yet…he’d said he loved her. When the car finally came to a stop she was so battered by conflicting emotions she could barely gather herself. The driver came around, opened her door and removed her blindfold. He held her elbow as she tottered up to her door, then handed her an envelope. “Please open this when you get inside, Miss Ryan.” He touched his cap. “Good evening.” She unlocked her door and nearly fell inside. Still shaky, she collapsed onto her couch. The memory of the evening came flooding back, sharp and vivid in her mind. Once again, she could feel the strength of the horse beneath her, the thickness of the cock breeching her virgin ass, kisses that tasted like melted chocolate. And the sweetness of the words he’d whispered in her ear. At length she realized she was still holding the envelope. She opened it and removed the note inside. Dinner. Tomorrow night. Eight o’clock. She swallowed. He wanted to see her again? If he was taking her to dinner, surely he’d forget the blindfold or she couldn’t see to eat. Wouldn’t he? Sore in every muscle from the intense sexual activity and exhausted from bombarding herself with questions, she made her way to her bedroom. She barely had enough energy left to shower before she collapsed beneath the covers, asleep in seconds. **** Lily hadn’t expected it, but there, waiting on her desk in the morning, was another lily. And another note. I hope you enjoyed your ride last night. For me it was the ultimate pleasure. I meant what I said. If you don’t 24

Night Ride return the feeling, dispose of the lily and I’ll know. Otherwise be ready at eight tonight. Lily placed the flower in a prominent place on her desk. She looked for Ridge, disappointed that he wasn’t already in his office. Usually on paydays he was early unless he had a business trip to take. No. Not today. Don’t let him be gone today. As each hand exchanged words with her she held her breath, even though she’d written them off as highly illogical candidates. But she crossed her fingers. Just in case. And did her best to be pleasant to them. Although she figured she might just kill herself if it turned out to be one of them. By the time she’d handed out most of the paychecks, she’d downed a pot of coffee and her nerves were doing a fast Cotton-eyed Joe. And the only ones left were the Courtland brothers and Micah. Drake came in to fill his coffee mug, complaining as he always did about the coffee their housekeeper made. He eyed her over the rim as he sipped the hot liquid and grinned. “Hard night, Lily? You look a little tired.” She kept her face blank even as her stomach clenched. Was there hidden meaning in the question? Was he trying to send her a signal? Was he waiting for some reaction from her? She shook her head and answered in a voice surprisingly steady. “No, as a matter of fact I had a great night. And slept like a log.” “Good, good. Well, I’m off to meet with a new client about training his horses. I’ll be back about lunch time.” He was gone, carrying his coffee with him. And have a good meeting, Drake. Gabe was his usual flirtatious self, winking at her and commenting on what he called ‘a new glow.’ “Someone special put it there, darlin’?” She stiffened. Oh, please, not him. Not the playboy. “I don’t know, Gabe. You tell me.” He burst out laughing. “Lily, it was just an idle question. If I had nothing to do but peek into your love life, I’d be in a sorry state.” He shook his head and left the office still chuckling. Micah barely exchanged a word with her. “Got two 25

Desiree Holt new mares to breed coming in any minute now. Here’s the papers.” He thrust an envelope at her. “Get them in the computer right away, okay? Thanks.” Lily leaned back in her chair, deflated. Everyone had come and gone, and there was still no sign of Ridge. Maybe he’d already gone out of town and she’d made a huge mistake last night. If he showed up and ignored her, it would take all her discipline to act as if nothing between them had changed. Not when she’d opened her heart to him and given her body so willingly. She’d sworn to herself that if the one night was all she’d ever have with him, she could be content, but in the light of day she realized what a liar she was. Continuing to work at Hellfire might not even be a possibility any more. Letting her heart break a little more each day would be too painful. Unfamiliar tears clogged the back of her throat, and she swallowed hard to push them back. I’ll handle it. Somehow. Sighing, she opened the envelope Micah had given her and turned to the computer to open a new electronic folder. She was studying the top sheet when something landed on her desk, startling her. And then she heard the lock click on the office door. “You forgot your jewelry,” a deep, familiar voice said. Lily turned, her heart jumping madly at the sound of Ridge’s voice. There he was beside her desk in his jeans and plaid shirt, his Stetson still on his head. And the elusive scent she’d strained to identify last night surrounded her. Spice. And raw masculinity. On her desk in a small plastic baggie were the nipple rings from the night before. “It was you!” She snatched up the little bag, then dropped it as if it burned her fingers. Heat suffused her cheeks as she remembered the things they’d done together. Ridge laughed, an unfamiliar sound from a man normally so stoic, and it rumbled through her like a thousand erotic fingers. “Don’t be embarrassed, Lily.” He leaned over her and stroked his thumb across her bottom lip. “What we did was beautiful. And I meant what I said.” His silver eyes, 26

Night Ride now darkened with emotion, blazed into hers. “Did you?” “Oh, yes,” she breathed. “I did. But you…but we…but you said…” “I know.” One corner of his mouth turned up in an unaccustomed smile. “Sometimes I get myself in the most impossible situations. Pride, you know. I had already fired three women before you because they thought the job led to a trip to the altar with a rich cowboy.” Lily stared at him, still absorbing it all, wondering if it was possible to die of happiness. “Then you walked in, and I knew all my good intentions were sliding along that proverbial road to Hell. God, Lily, it was torture working with you every day, acting the cold son of a bitch when I really wanted to strip off your clothes, eat every inch of your body and tell you how I felt.” Lily stared at him, shaking inside, unable to say a word. “I fought it as long as I could. But I’d set up such a thick barrier between us I knew it would take something outrageous to change the situation.” He stroked her cheek with the back of his knuckles. “Do you know I was terrified? I was taking a hell of a chance. The whole thing could have backfired on me. What if you told my driver to go to hell?” She was curious. “What made you think I’d accept the invitation?” “I was counting on your natural daredevil spirit, figuring you could back out any time you wanted to.” “When I told you-” “That you couldn’t do this with a stranger because your heart belonged to someone else? That gave me real hope. If that someone else wasn’t me, though, I’m not sure what I would have done.” “Oh, Ridge.” He lowered his voice. “Did I keep the promise I made in the note, sweet Lily?” Her mouth opened and closed twice before she could make words come out. “You were…magnificent.” “So were you.” He ran a fingertip across the lily lying on her desk. “But I worried until I got here this morning. When I came in and saw this, I drew the first full breath 27

Desiree Holt since you left last night. Men have insecurities, too, you know.” “Even big strong cowboys?” she teased. “Even them.” He picked up the nipple rings and stuffed them into the pocket of her shirt. “Be sure to wear these tonight. I like the way they look on you.” He bent down and cupped her cheeks in his hands, those warm, familiar hands. The storm-colored grey eyes still burned into hers, and he placed a brief but hot kiss on her lips. “Hang on tight, Lily Ryan. The ride of your life is just beginning.”

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