A rugged cowboy, an ambitious cowgirl...and a whole lot of rope.
After growing up on her uncle’s ranch, Carol McCreedy has longed for a place of her own to put down roots, raise a big herd of cattle, maybe a few horses, and make a name for herself. And now, with the ink barely dry on the deed, she’s finally made it happen. But leaving Snowbrook to go off on her own isn’t going to be easy. Not only is she in debt up to her eyeballs, but she won’t have the excuse to flirt with her uncle’s long-time ranch hand, Harlan Lee. He’s a mighty fine specimen—rugged, hard-working, and drop-dead sexy, and Carol’s going to miss watching him ride the fences and haul bales of hay in the Colorado sun. There’s heat between them, she can feel it every time his eyes meet hers and that slow smile spreads across his amazing mouth. But she just can’t get the man to make a move.
Harlan has held his feelings in check for about as long as he can take. And now that the beautiful, headstrong Carol is leaving Snowbrook, it’s time to cowboy up. She deserves more than he can give her—all he has is his horse, and a woman like Carol deserves the moon. But he can’t let her go without risking one little kiss…and maybe another… and maybe showing her that he’s pretty darn good with a rope…
“Do you know what you want?” she asked, watching him, waiting, her heart in her throat.“I want to be done talking and I want to start kissing you.”She started to reply, but he kissed the words back into her mouth. When he finally let her go again, his voice was a growl. “I could kiss you all night.”Pleasure at his words washed through her. “I’m greedy. I want more than kissing.”“That right?”“That’s right, cowboy.”His smile was slow and wicked. “You need these wet clothes off you.”“I wouldn’t want to catch a cold.” She shucked out of her jacket and boots. Then she stepped on a patch of snow melting on the mat and sucked in breath at the icy wetness soaking through her sock.He watched her as he yanked off his own jacket and boots. His eyes were so intense they seemed to burn along her skin. She began to unbutton her blouse with trembling fingers. He reached for her and took her hands, gently, in both of his and then pushed them away from her blouse. Slowly, he began to undo her buttons. His gaze seared her, he was so focused on the skin being revealed inch by inch. He reached the final one and slipped it free. Her shirt hung open, covering her breasts but revealing to him only a narrow stripe of her chest and stomach. Softly he touched her there, tracing a finger across her flat midriff, skirting lower toward the edge of her jeans. Flutters of desire rippled down toward her pussy and her thighs clenched. She was breathing faster.He kissed her again, slow and sensuously, touching her only with his lips and drawing it out until she was nearly delirious for his touch. Then he drew her blouse back over her shoulders, down along her arms. She let it fall to the ground without a second look. She felt beautiful. So beautiful and powerful, to be able to hold him so rapt, reveling as he drank in every exposed part of her. Her nipples tightened, standing hard and erect against the thin cotton of her bra.He slid his hands up her sides, and leaned in and kissed her neck. She closed her eyes and tilted her head for him, giving him better access to the sensitive skin there. He kissed along her neck up to her ear, caught her earlobe oh so gently between his teeth and flicked it with his tongue. She gave a little moan of delight. It made her want his tongue on another part of her, and she arched into him, pushing her breasts against him. He pulled her tighter against him and she could feel the hard length of his cock between them. The warmth of his body was far better than the camper’s heater. His strong arms held her close, and he moved his mouth from her ear to her lips. Her mouth parted for him again. His tongue slipped inside and tasted her.She felt him unhook her bra and slide the straps down her shoulders. He broke the kiss. She slowly opened her eyes to see what was coming next, excitement and anticipation throbbing inside her. He traced his fingers from her shoulders to her chest, then down to her bare breasts. She glanced up into his face as he cupped them, and the look on his expression was almost reverent. He began to stroke her, caress her, teasing her erect nipples until they ached with exquisite pleasure. Her eyelids half closed as she lost herself in the sensations. Her core began to pulse with deeper desire, the need building. Her pussy was hot and slick. Her heart beat fast and hard. She felt like brittle glass—as if she might come apart in his hands at any instant.He kissed her again, and she returned the kiss fiercely, trying to make him understand her growing need through her urgency, through the near savagery of her attack against his lips. He set his hands on her shoulders and drew back, his eyes flashing. Without a word, he yanked off the rest of his clothes. She unsnapped her jeans and kicked them off, and followed them with her panties. They flew through the air and landed on a lampshade. She left them there. They didn’t matter. She was finally naked and free and so was Harlan, so mouth-watering that she bit her lip with desire, letting her gaze trace lovingly over his wide shoulders, tight pecs, his flat stomach, and lower, to the hard length of his cock standing proud and erect.
