Hot Cowboy Nights (Lucky Penny Ranch #2)(79)

She slung a leg over him and with one swift movement guided his rock-hard erection into her body. It was totally amazing how easy it was in the water. One of his hands cupped her bottom as they moved together, the buoyancy of the water making it effortless. The other hand tangled into her wet hair and pulled her lips to his.

The cool water against her skin, Toby’s hot lips on hers as the kisses deepened setting her whole body on fire, and the two of them working together made her forget everything but satisfying the deep need in her body.

With his hand on her bare butt, he controlled the speed, bringing her to the edge of the climactic cliff time after time and then slowing down the pace, only to speed up until she could see the height and depth of what lay before her. When she could take no more, she pulled her lips from his, dug her hands into his chest, and groaned.

“Now?” he asked.

“Thirty minutes ago,” she moaned.

With one final thrust everything disappeared into a bright array of brilliant-colored fireworks. Her head, her heart, her soul exploded, and only the golden rays of afterglow followed the sparkling lights as they faded into the sky.

“So that’s where stars come from,” she panted.

“You are so right.”

He flipped her to one side and in one fell swoop, she was in his arms and he was standing, water dripping from their bodies as he carried her to the grassy bank. He laid her down under the drooping branches of a willow tree and stretched out beside her, only their hands touching.

“That was…” He paused.

“Intense. Amazing. Over the moon.”

“Doesn’t begin to describe it.” He rolled over on an elbow and brushed a sweet kiss across her lips.

The reason it was all of the words and more was because they’d made love, not had sex, on Lizzy’s ranch. It was her land even if she hadn’t signed the papers yet. The creek water was hers. The soft grass beneath them was hers. Even the willow tree creating a hideaway with its drooping branches belonged to her. She and Toby had christened the land that night. Maybe someday they would christen the house.

“I could spend the whole night here, but I suppose we should get dressed and go home before someone discovers us,” she said, and snuggled closer to him.

“It’s my turn this time,” he said softly.

She didn’t have to ask what he meant as his hand skimmed its way down her rib cage, sending delicious shivers all through her body in spite of the hot night breeze fluttering the willow tree’s leaves.

Lizzy had never been skinny-dipping before that night. She’d never made love with creek water brushing against her naked butt. But that was only the tip of the iceberg compared to the way Toby turned her on beneath the willow tree that hot summer night.



The clock flashed two a.m. when Toby finally crawled beneath the sheets. He’d taken a shower and wished the whole time that he was crammed into the tiny space with Lizzy’s body pressed against his. Worn out, he finally stretched out beneath cool sheets with cold air-conditioned air flowing down on him from a unit above his head.

In four hours he had to crawl out of the bed and have breakfast with Allie and Blake, possibly with Deke there, too. He sighed as he sunk his face into the pillow and shut his eyes. He didn’t want the feeling to end, but it would when the alarm sounded.

His eyes popped open and refused to shut. It was only two days until the festival on Saturday. Mitch wasn’t married yet and he would be in Dry Creek that day. When he and Lizzy saw each other, would the old flame fire up again? He’d heard it said time and time again that first loves were never forgotten. If Mitch had been her first serious love, would she take a look at him and forget about all the hot nights she’d shared with Toby?

He sat straight up in bed, slung his legs over the side, and had full intentions of going to Audrey’s Place to tell Lizzy that he loved her. To propose if necessary so that things would be signed, sealed, and delivered when Mitch rolled into Dry Creek. But the voices in his head said that was crazy.

He could not rope Lizzy down like a calf. He couldn’t brand her to make her his property. He had to let these next few days play out the way they would and hope like hell that when she saw Mitch, she would realize that man was part of her past and had nothing to do with her future. He hated that old adage about letting something go and if it came back to you, then it was yours.

For the first time, his heart ached for something he possibly could not have. He wanted Lizzy Logan in his life, but she had to want to be there for it to work.

And this is the cowboy who wasn’t sure he could live five weeks without the excitement of a chase every single weekend? What happened to that wild Dawson? Is this a passing fancy because of what he sees in his brother’s newfound love? Or is it really happening to him? The voice inside his head asked a lot of questions.

“His heart found something that it doesn’t want to live without,” he whispered.

When he shut his eyes the next time, sleep came and with it the sweetest dreams of Lizzy and a hot summer night with cool creek water surrounding them.

The moment the alarm went off he bounded out of bed and jerked on a fresh pair of faded jeans, a tank top, and his socks and boots. The scent of bacon got stronger with every step toward the house. Work hard. Get through today and then tomorrow. Hope like hell that Lizzy didn’t fall into Mitch’s arms.

The buzz of conversation, the sizzle of frying bacon, the aroma of hot bread in the oven, all met him when he opened the kitchen door. But it all disappeared in the blink of an eye when he saw Lizzy at the counter, helping her sister make breakfast. She wore a pair of skinny jeans and a sleeveless shirt hanging down past her butt, no shoes, and her hair was in a ponytail. His mouth went dry and he couldn’t force himself to blink for fear she would disappear. Never, not once, had he seen a woman anywhere in the world as cute as the one standing before him that morning.